Potatisgrateng

Yesterday I celebrated the 84th birthday of my mother in law Barbara Edmonds, at a family barbeque. There were 15 present, 6 of whom were vegetarian.   I took along the veggie burgers and sausages.  I tend to prefer Linda McCartney to Quorn.  I also grilled some haloumi cheese which is great fantastic.

The day before I made 'Corn on the cob curry' which I thought would go really well with the burgers.  The recipe is from Prashad vegetarian Indian Cooking and I shall be sharing the recipe at a later date.  I made some coriander and coconut chutney, a recipe given to me by the wonderful Althea Pecus in San Diego.  I designed a couple of salads loosely based on ones I had eaten at Herman's Vegetarian Restaurant in Stockholm.

The star dish though had to be my vresion of Potatisgrateng.  I first had this dish at my friend Susanne Ohman’s house in the North of Sweden.  I asked for the recipe only to be told she got it out of the freezer.  I decided to recreate it and came up with this.  Sometime later a Norwegian chef who had eaten my version  said 'a touch more garlic and salt and I had nailed it'  She sent me the recipe and I was pleased to find my version wasn’t too far off.  This dish always reminds me of happy times in the North of Sweden.

Potatisgrateng

Serves 8

Ingredients 

1½ kg potatoes,  Maris Piper or similar

500ml double cream

 250ml milk

250ml Natural yoghurt

1tbs Dijon mustard

3 cloves crushed garlic

4 tbs chopped fresh parsley

6 spring onions finely sliced

2tsp caraway seeds

2tsp Nigella seeds

salt and ground pepper

Knob of butter

200g of grated cheese Vasterbotten is best but cheddar works almost as well

Method

Preheat the oven to 180c/350f/gas mark 4

Peel potatoes and cut them into thin slices 3-5mm thick.

Grease a large casserole dish with the butter and add a layer of potato slices. Season well with salt and pepper and a sprinkling of spring onion, parsley, caraway and nigella seeds.  Continue to layer in this order.  Save 1 tbs of parsley for garnish.

Mix cream, milk, yoghurt, mustard and garlic.

Pour the cream mixture over the potatoes and place the dish in the oven at 180 ° C for approx. 1 hour 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese after 45 minutes.

If the potatoes start to brown too much cover with foil.  Make sure the potatoes are tender, and sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

Dinner party winner

Went to a dinner party on saturday and after an offer to help,  I was asked to make a dessert and in particular a pavlova.  Now the host makes a pretty mean pavlova so the pressure was on, especially as I hadn't made one since school 35 years ago.  Then I made a grape pavlova and invited the very lovely Kristina Parka and Loria Christou to lunch in the domestic science classroom. 

 I wanted to try and make something a little different and found a recipe by Mary Berry for Easter Lemon Pavlova.  Well you cant go to far wrong with the queen of baking!  I only changed the recipe slightly, omitting chocolate eggs and replacing them with blueberries, raspberries and strawberries.  I also changed the method of making the lemon curd.  The meringue ideally needs to be made several hours in advance.  The result was a lovely sweet pavlova nicely balanced by the slightly tangy citrus flavours.  

Lemon pavlova

Serves 6-8

For the meringue

6 free-range egg whites

350g/12oz caster sugar

2tsp white wine vinegar

2 level tsp cornflour

For the lemon curd filling

6 free-range egg yolks

350g/12oz caster sugar

4 lemons, juice only

225g/8oz butter

450ml/¾pint double cream

To serve

Selection of soft fruits eg strawberries, raspberries, blueberries.

For the candied lemon zest

100g/3½oz caster sugar, plus extra for coating the zest

4 lemons, zest only (in long thin strips)

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. Lay a piece of baking paper on a large baking tray.

Put the egg whites into a bowl and whisk until stiff using a mixer if you have one. Gradually add the sugar until the mixture is stiff and shiny and stands in peaks.  Blend the vinegar and cornflour together in a cup and mix until smooth. Stir this into the meringue mixture.

Spread half of the meringue mixture onto the paper to give a 25cm/10in circle. Fit a rose nozzle onto a piping bag and fill with the rest of the meringue mixture. Pipe 8-10 separate little nests positioned equally around the edge of the circle.

Slide the meringue into the middle of the oven, turn the heat down to 140C/275F/Gas 1 and bake for about 1½ hours (check after one hour), or until it easily comes off the paper. The pavlova should be a pale creamy colour. Turn off the oven but leave the Pavlova inside the oven until it's completely cold. It is a good idea to make a Pavlova in the evening and leave it in the turned-off oven overnight to dry out. The secret of successful meringues is to let them dry out completely.

For the lemon curd filling, gently heat the egg yolks, sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan and whisk. Gradually add the butter, whisking continually until it starts to thicken. It should coat the back of a spoon when it reaches the correct consistency. It will firm up further once cooled.

Whisk the double cream in a large bowl until thickened, then swirl it through the cooled lemon curd making a ripple effect.

Put 100ml/3½floz water and the caster sugar in a pan. Bring to the boil, stirring. Add the zest and boil for 2-3 minutes, or until syrupy. Drain on parchment paper, roll in extra caster sugar and leave to dry in a warm place for a couple of hours, or overnight.

To assemble:

Spoon a little lemon filling into each of the mini nests and the remainder in the centre of the meringue. Decorate by placing some fruit in each of the mini-nests around the edge of the dessert. Place a mound of candied zest in the middle of the pavlova, and serve.

Bataka Vada

Or Lemon and coriander potato balls to you and me.  I have reproduced this recipe from Prashad - Indian Vegetarian Cooking by Kaushy Patel.  I previously reviewed this book so you'll know what a big fan I am of what I consider to be one of the top 5 cookery books in my vast collection.

 The notes in the book call this a simple starter and in the preparation and cooking it is, but the flavour of these little balls is anything but.  Bursting with flavour you get warming heat from the chillies, sweet hits from the sultanas and coconut which is balanced up with the citrus zing of lemon and coriander.  Bataka vada has been sold at Prashad from the very first day they opened a small deli in 1992 and once you try them you'll know why they remain so popular.  I have made these several times and adjusted the chilli content to suit my guests.  when making them milder I serve with a tomato and chilli dip and a yoghurt based one when making them more chilli hot.  The recipe has been copied exactly as it was printed with kind permission of Prashad.

Recipe notes emphasis the importance of boiling the potatoes in the skin so they don't absorb too much water.

Lemon and coriander potato balls

Sunflower oil for your hands and frying

Masala

2-3 fresh green chillies, seeds left in

2-3 cloves of garlic

pinch of salt

Batter

150g gram flour

1/2tsp salt

1tsp medium red chilli powder

Filling

3 medium red skinned (or other waxy) potatoes

1tsp salt

2tsp sugar (optional)

2 handfuls of fresh coriander finely chopped

Pinch of turmeric

4tsp sesame seeds

4tbs fresh coconut grated (or unsweetened desiccated coconut

4tsp lemon juice

15g sultanas

Crush the chillies and garlic together with a pinch of salt using a pestle and mortar (or a blender) to make a fine paste.

Put the batter ingredients into a medium sized bowl, add 225ml of cold water, and stir until the mixture comes together - it should be thickly runny, with a similar texture to treacle.

Boil the potatoes in their skins for 40 minutes or so, until a knife tip will slide in easily, then peel and mash.  Put the mashed potato in a large bowl with the masala paste and the rest of the filling ingredients and combine, taking care not to overwork the potatoes.  Lightly oil your hands and roll this dryish mixture into 16 balls, each about 3cms in diameter.

Heat the frying oil - about 20cms deep - in a large pan over a high heat (or a deep fat fryer, if you have one).  Test the temperature by sprinkling a few drops of batter into the oil - when it is hot enough it will float to the surface.  reduce the heat to medium.

Drop 5 potato balls into the batter mixture and carefully roll them around to make sure they are fully coated. Gently lower them into the oil an fry for about 3 minutes, moving them around with a wooden spoon to stop them sticking to the pan.  When the batter is crisp and golden, remove from the oil and leave them to rest on kitchen paper, while you batter and fry the remaining bataka vada in batches.

Serve while still warm with a relish or dip of choice.

Recipes taken from Prashad: Indian Vegetarian Cooking by Kaushy Patel, published by Saltyard Books, £25.

 http://prashad.co.uk/blog

Around the world in 80 recipes

Challenge 1
Jules Verne did it in 80 days , my challenge was to go around the world in 80 recipes.  Challenge 1 was set by Sam Doughty who chose Canada, don't ask me why, I would have gone for Italy or India.

When I think of Canada and food the first thing that comes to mind is maple syrup.  Pancakes?  No I wanted to find something a little more different.  A quick Google search showed lots of recipes for mushroom burgers, apparently one of the most common vegetarian dishes found in Canadian restaurants.  The most copied recipe was by Celia Brooks Brown and was the one that had me drooling (the recipe that is.  OK OK maybe the gorgeous Ms. B too!).  The recipe is 'Maple-roasted Mushroom Burgers' from 'World Vegetarian Classics'  Try and find a 100% pure maple syrup for the very best flavour.  Dress your burgers to taste, the recipe below gives some suggestions.

Maple-roasted Mushroom Burgers

Serves 4

4 large flat field or Portobello mushrooms

4tbs extra virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves sliced

2tbs maple syrup

2tsp cider vinegar

Large pinch of dried thyme

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the trimmings

4 best quality round bread rolls or buns, split and warmed or toasted

Sliced creamy cheese such as Port Salut or Oka

Thick slices of ripe tomato

Ripe avocado slices

Thinly sliced red onion

Alfalfa sprouts

Condiments such as good quality mayonnaise, chilli sauce, ketchup

Preheat the oven to 200c/400f/gas mark 6

Wipe the mushrooms with a lean, damp kitchen paper (paper towel).  Cut out the stem.  Mix the olive oil and garlic together in a cup.  Brush some oil over the mushroom caps.  Lay the mushrooms gill-side up on a baking sheet.  Score the mushrooms by making a grid pattern with the tip of a sharp knife, taking care not to cut all the way through the cap.

Drizzle maple syrup and vinegar over the gills, then sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper.  Lay the oily garlic slices over the surface and finish by drizzling with the remaining oil.  roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until soft, juicy and sizzling.  Serve hot with the trimmings of your choice.

http://celiabrooksbrown.com/

An 'Oh baby' kind of moment

Pineapple, tofu and brocolli curry

'Oh baby' indeed! Pineapple and coconut milk provide a sweet note to this speedy flavour-packed dish made with a Laotian style curry paste.  The curry paste does have a lot of ingredients but it makes more than you need, so why not freeze the rest for another occasion and believe me once you’ve tried this, that occasion won’t be far off.

Serves 4

For the curry paste

1tsp cumin seeds, lightly toasted

2tsp coriander seeds, lightly toasted

1 lemongrass stalk, hard outer leaves removed, chopped

1tbs chopped galangal (if using dried soak in hot water for 10 minutes)

1 lime grated zest and juice only

1tbs finely chopped garlic

1 large shallot, chopped

3tbs chopped coriander stems

1tsp ground turmeric

1tbs chopped fresh ginger

3-4 red Thai or bird’s-eye chillies

2tsp yellow bean sauce or paste

1tbs medium curry powder

2tbs vegetable oil

For the pineapple, tofu and brocolli curry

2 tbs groundnut or vegetable oil

3tbs curry paste (from above)

400g/14oz tofu cut into 2.5cm/1 inch cubes

200g/7oz broccoli florets

1tbs light soy sauce

1tbs yellow bean sauce or paste

1tbs sugar

4 kaffir lime leaves

500ml/18fl oz coconut milk

1 small pineapple, peeled and diced

4 spring onions, cut into 2.5cm/1in pieces

handful basil leaves, plus extra to garnish

300g/11oz rice stick noodles

For the curry paste, blend or pound all the ingredients together with a small quantity of water to make a smooth paste. It can be kept, tightly covered, in the fridge for 3-4 days or frozen.

For the pineapple, tofu and broccoli curry, heat the oil in a wok and gently fry the curry paste for a minute until fragrant. Add the tofu and broccoli and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the soy sauce, yellow bean sauce, sugar and kaffir lime leaves. Stir for a minute.

Add the coconut milk to the wok and bring to the boil, then simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the pineapple and simmer for five minutes.

In a separate saucepan add the noodles and cover with boiling water.  Leave for 3-4 minutes

Add the spring onions and basil leaves to the curry and cook for a couple of minutes.

Drain the noodles, then divide between 4 serving bowls.

Spoon the curry over the noodles using all the sauce, garnish with a sprig of basil and serve.

Something fishy not going on

I was looking online for a vegetarian shrimp paste alternative when I came across this super useful article which I found at www.thaigrocer.com

                           Adaptation for Thai Vegetarian Food

Generally the many dipping sauces, dressings and relishes that accompany Thai dishes are often based on seafood products, such as fish sauce, shrimp paste, or dried shrimp. Following is an explanation of how Thai people replace seafood seasoning ingredients, dipping sauces, curries, dressings and relishes with vegetarian alternatives.

FISH SAUCE

"Nam Pla" in Thai. Fish Sauce. A thin, amber colored, salty sauce, is the predominant seasoning sauce used in Thai cooking. In Thai vegetarian cooking, fish sauce is usually substituted by a Light (thin) Soy Sauce. However, to maintain the taste and smell of fish sauce, a minimal amount of soy sauce is used, but add additional salt and solids of two vegetarian ingredients, salted yellow beans and fermented tofu (bean curd), a pungent product of cubed tofu pickled in brine, sometimes with chili added.

OYSTER SAUCE

"Nam Mun Hoy" in Thai Oyster sauce is used in some Thai dishes. It is a rich, thick brown sauce made from fermented dried oyster. Sin Tai Hing/ Vegetarian Oyster Sauce is a 100 percent vegetarian version made in Malaysia from mushroom and vegetable protein. It can be used in any recipe as a vegetarian substitute for oyster sauce. You may also use Soy Sauce with Mushroom from Healthy Boy Brand.

SHRIMP PASTE

"Kapi" in Thai Shrimp paste, kapi, is a salted-fermented shrimp product used widely in Thai cooking to give the food its characteristic deep and vibrant flavors. Kapi can be substituted with various salt-fermented soy bean products such as yellow bean sauce, chinese bean pastes, fermented tofu in brine.

DRIED SHRIMP

"Goong Haeng" in Thai Dried shrimp has been replaced by a variety of bean products, roasted nut or coconut.

Fast food veggie style

This is a recipe I adapted from Gino's Pasta by Gino D'Acampo.  His wasn't a vegetarian recipe but this is  hard to beat when time is against you. Start to plate in under 15 minutes, can't get better than that.  

Tagliatelle with Mushrooms in a Dolcelatte and Cream Sauce

2tbs olive oil

400g/14oz Portabello or any large field mushrooms sliced thickly about 1.5-2 cms

200g/8oz Dolcelatte cheese

150m1/ ¼ pint double cream

75ml 1/8 pint dry white wine

2tbs chopped sage

400g/14oz fresh tagliatelle

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat.  Add the mushrooms and sauté for about   6-8 minutes until the mushrooms start to brown and stir occasionally.  Lower the heat and add the dolcelatte.  Continue to cook for two minutes, stirring until the cheese has melted

Pour in the cream and wine and continue stirring and cook for a further minute,

Add the chopped sage and season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water until al dente.  Reserve a little of the pasta water, then drain the pasta and tip back into the same saucepan.

Pour in the mushroom mixture and stir together for about 30 seconds until the pasta is coated all over by the sauce.  If it is looking too thick add a little of the reserved pasta water.

Serve immediately with some crusty bread and a green salad.