Celeriac, Potato and Chilli Soup

On cold winter days there is nothing more comforting than a warming bowl of soup. The addition of chilli to this soup makes it even more warming with a delightful spicy kick.

This is another Riverford recipe that I found hiding in a jumble of old recipe cards dating back several years. I can't believe that I haven't made it before but I shall definitely be making it again. I am always at a loss as to how to use celeriac when it arrives in our veg box. It can be a large vegetable and will provide several meals. I particularly like it mashed up with parsnips and potatoes in a tray-bake and made into a refreshing Asian slaw. I now have a tasty soup to add to my repertoire. 

Ingredients: 

1 Tbs oil
I large onion, peeled and chopped
I clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1-2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped (I kept the seeds in for extra kick!)
1 small celeriac, peeled and chopped
2-3 medium to large potatoes, peeled and chopped
1.2 - 1.5Litres veg stock
salt and pepper

Method:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and fry gently for a few minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and fry for a couple more mins. Add the rest of the veg and chillies. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil.
• Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 - 25 minutes, until the veg is tender. Blend until smooth. Season to taste.
• Thin with a little extra stock if too thick. Serve with a swirl of yoghurt or creme fraiche and sprinkled with chopped coriander (I didn't bother with this stage at all).

Sumac Roasted Potatoes

Sumac is a spice that I bought for the Esme Salad recipe and I thought it had limited use. However, having found this recipe from an old recipe card sent from Riverford I discovered that there are other uses. I may never make ordinary potato wedges again! 

This recipe supposedly serves four. I just prepared the amount of potatoes that two of us would eat and then used the same quantity of spices because I like lots of flavour.

Ingredients:

800g potatoes, scrubbed, skins on. Either left whole if small potatoes or cut into wedges

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 heaped tsp sumac

1 tsp paprika

salt and pepper

Method:

Mix together the olive oil, sumac and paprika in a bowl. 

Add the potatoes to the bowl and toss to coat in the oil/spice mixture.

Place in an ovenproof dish, season well and roast in the oven at 180*C for about 45 minutes or until cooked through.

I served these potatoes with previously posted Green Beans with Za'atar and salmon. However they would complement any meal or could even be enjoyed as an indulgent spicy treat served with dips ... either chilli salsa or cool yoghurt dip.

Roasted Green Beans with Za'atar

Riverford  is a never ending inspiration in my search for tasty meals when I'm stuck for an idea; and today was no exception.  I have always been unimaginative when it comes to runner beans but Riverford came to the rescue. 

Quick and easy to make and far more delicious than I expected ... I shall certainly be making it again. If you fancy something a little bit different I would recommend this. I served them with Sumac Roasted Potatoes to complete the Middle Eastern flavour ... watch this space for that recipe too.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

1 tsp sumac

1 Tbsp dried marjoram

1 Tbsp dried thyme

1 Tbsp dried oregano

1 tsp sea salt

400g green beans, topped and tailed (I halved mine so they fitted on the plate better)

Olive oil

Method:

• Preheat oven to 200*C / Gas 6
• Gently heat the sesame seeds in a frying pain until golden and toasted. Remove from the heat.
• Use a pestle and mortar to pound half of the sesame seeds with the sumac, marjoram, thyme, oregano and salt. Then add the rest of the sesame seeds.
• Put the beans in a baking dish and toss with just enough oil to coat (I think I used too much so err on the side of caution). Roast in the oven for 12-15 minutes, until just tender but retaining some bite. Sprinkle over a little of the za'atar to serve.
• Any unused za'atar can be stored in a jar for later use ... I added some to yoghurt and used it as a dip with spicy potato wedges.

I served the beans with potoatoes and salmon fillet poached in orange juice and sliced garlic.

Banana and Date Cake

The start of a new year and a new decade and once again I am filled with good intentions. I have previously challenged myself to try one new recipe a week for a year and it resulted in discovering some new favourites. Therefore I am setting myself the same goal for 2020. I am not restricting myself to only one recipe a week if I am inspired to create more, but by the end of this year I shall have sampled a minimum of 52 new dishes.

Starting today with the sweet delight of cake. I tore the recipe out of a magazine some time last year and cannot now recall which magazine it was; however the footnote records that the recipe originally came from 'Palestine on a Place' by Joudie Kalla. 

I didn't have Medjool dates but I am quite happy with the substitution of the dates that I did have left over from our Christmas treats. I also only had 3 bananas so could not decorate the top with banana slices. Despite these changes I am very pleased with the result and would urge you to give it a go. It is certainly easy to make and very tasty. Ordinarily I don't like chocolate in cakes but the discretely hidden nuggets added a perfectly decadent dimension.

Ingredients:

300g salted butter, softened

300g golden caster sugar

3 eggs

3 bananas, plus 1 sliced for decoration

9-12 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped

100g milk or dark chocolate, broken into smallish pieces

350g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180*C /Fan 160*C and line a 27cm round baking tin with baking parchment.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and light. Add the eggs and beat again until well combined.
• Peel and mash the bananas in a bowl until just smooth with a few chunks. Add to the cake mix with the dates and chocolate and fold in gently. Carefully fold in the flour and baking powder.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and arrange the sliced banana on top. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• Leave it to cool then serve with tea or coffee.

Somehow it seems even better served on my special springtime bunny plate. 

Sorry there is not a photo of a complete cake ... I couldn't wait to cut it!

Glazed Carrots with Cider

It has been far too long since I posted a recipe considering that my initial intention had been to share and inspire the delights of food with others. Having had lunch out with a friend who raved about the glazed carrots I thought I'd show her that mine are better!  

My favourite recipe takes a little more effort than shoving them in a pan of water but it transforms the usual accompanying vegetable into a showcase on its own.  I first tried this recipe from 'The Complete Christmas Cookbook' about 15 years ago and have discovered many recipes that are far too good to be cooked just once a year.

Like all my recipes I adjust the quantities to suit us, but this recipe supposedly serves 4.

Ingredients:
450g / 1lb carrots
25g / 1oz / 2 Tbsp butter
120ml / 4fl oz cider
15ml / 1 Tbs soft light brown sugar
60ml / 4 Tbsp vegetable stock or water
5ml / 1 tsp Dijon mustard
15ml / 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

Method:

• Trim the tops and bottoms off all the carrots, peel or scrape them. Cut them into julienne strips.
• Melt the butter in a heavy based frying pan, add the carrots and saute for 4-5 mins, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with the sugar and cook, stirring for a 1 minute or until the sugar has dissolved.
• Add the cider and stock to the frying pan. Bring to the boil and stir in the Dijon mustard. Partially cover the pan with the lid and simmer for about 10-12 minutes, until the carrots are just tender. Remove the lid and continue cooking until the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped parsley. Spoon the carrots into a warmed serving dish (or pile onto your plate!)

You wouldn't believe that the humble carrot can taste so good ... get into that kitchen and see for yourself. 

Drifting in to Cards

It's been a while since I blogged about anything but I thought I ought to document my recent crafting journey.  I seem to have lost my way with scrap booking at present but have a room full of stash.  In my local supermarket I saw an advert for card making classes.  I signed up and now enjoy a couple of hours at the start of the week being creative.  This seems to have kick-started my creativity again and I have become obsessed with searching for inspiration.

Most of my attempts have been those taught by Lilla's Paperia and I then scoured Pinterest for inspiration.  Most are 'lifted' from other people's designs as I seem to have mislaid my own mojo but at least I am being creative again.  This attempt seemed to just evolve and was sent to a dear friend who I knew would appreciate the work invested in it.

Red Cabbage Braised in Balsamic Vinegar

This one is posted in response to a plea on facebook for a good red cabbage recipe. So I am responding immediately which means a quick session of typing and no photos to go with it.  It is from my Abel and Cole cookery book but I have not been successful in finding the same recipe on line. I struggled with my first Abel and Cole recipe as there are ambiguous measurements but once you can embrace that a glug = a splash = a dollop the world is your oyster!

Ingredients:

1 whole red cabbage

1 glug of olive oil

1/2 mug of balsamic vinegar

1/2 mug of sugar

water

salt and pepper

Method:

Wash the cabbage (you can use all the leaves, even the outer ones). Cut the cabbage in half through the centre core. Lay each half flat side down on a chopping board and shred the cabbage, discarding the white core.

Put the shredded cabbage into a heavy based pot over a low heat with the oil, vinegar, sugar and half a cup of water and simmer with the lid on. Cook over a very low heat for about 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes or so, adding a little water if necessary to make sure it doesn't dry out on the bottom of the pot. The cabbage is ready when it releases its natural sugars and is nice and tender. Season  to taste.

So simple and yet so tasty. I've tried many cabbage recipes over the years but this is my favourite ... no fuss just flavour!