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.

Zing go the strings of my heart

As with many of my creations, this came about because I didn't have the correct ingredients to follow a recipe.  I substituted 2 limes for 2 lemons and mis-read the volumes of the dry ingredients.  Still the resulting cake is wonderfully light with the zesty zing of the citrus giving it a slightly sharp balance.  I dare you to stop at one square!

Lemon and Lime Drizzle Cake

175g/7oz butter or margarine

250g/10oz caster sugar

3 eggs

250g/10oz self raising flour

2 lemons, unwaxed

2 limes

75g/3oz granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 180c/350f/gas mark 4.  Lightly oil and line the base of 23cm/9 inch square cake tin with greaseproof paper.

In a large bowl cream together the butter or margarine and the caster sugar until fluffy and light.

Add one egg to the creamed mixture and mix in, then add one third of the flour repeat twice more until the eggs and flour have been mixed in.

Finely grate the zest and squeeze the juice one of half a lemon and half a lime and stir this into the cake mix.

Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and level the surface.  Bake in the pre heated oven for 25-30 minutes.  The cake is cooked when a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Whilst the cake is baking, use a zester to remove the peel with a zester from the remaining lemon and lime.  Mix with half the granulated sugar and reserve.

Squeeze the juice of the lemon and lime into a small saucepan, add the remaining granulated sugar and heat gently, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Continue to simmer gently for 3-4 minutes until it becomes syrupy

When the cake is baked, remove from the oven and leave in the tin.  Using a cocktail stick or a skewer  prick the cake all over.  Sprinkle the sugared zest over the cake and then drizzle over the syrup.  Leave to cool in the tin then cut into squares and serve.

After reading about Truffle Hunter on murphyandoliver.com I felt in the mood for some delicious mushroom soup. This soup was designed as a homage to my very good Swedish friend Susan Ohman, who will when she is paying for dinner always jokingly say “You can have anything on the menu as long as it is soup of the day”  Mushroom soup is her favourite so here it is just for you Susanne.

Dagens soppa A la Susan (Susan’s soup of the day)

Wild mushroom soup with truffle oil

30g/1oz dried porcini mushrooms

2tbs olive oil

1 onion peeled and chopped

3 garlic cloves crushed

2tbs fresh thyme, leaves only

300g/11oz wild mushrooms

100g/4oz chestnut mushrooms

850ml/1 ½pints vegetable stock

Salt and pepper

4tbs double cream

Handful fresh parsley chopped

To garnish

100g/4oz wild mushrooms

1tbs olive oil

Truffle oil

Place the dried porcini in a small dish, add enough boiling water to cover and leave to soak for 30 minutes.

Heat a large sauce pan over a medium to high heat, add the olive oil, wild and chestnut mushrooms. Stir continuously for a minute, then add the garlic, onion and thyme and a good pinch of salt.  This is to draw the moisture from the mushrooms.   Remove the porcini from the water (which should be saved) chop and add to the pan.   Strain the soaking liquid to remove any grit, and also add to the pan. Reduce the heat to a medium and continue cooking until most of the moisture disappears about 15 minutes.

Add the vegetable stock and season to taste.  Bring to the boil reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Leave the soup to cool slightly.

While the soup is cooling, in a separate pan sauté the garnish mushrooms in the olive oil.

Remove half of the soup from the pan and blend to a purée, pour it back in to the pan, add the parsley and check the seasoning, adding more if necessary to taste.

Serve in soup bowls topped with the sauted mushrooms and a generous drizzle of truffle oil.  Enjoy with a good chunk of a baguette or rustic bread.

murphyandoliver

Check out this site for some really interesting product reviews http://murphyandoliver.com .
I didn't realise we had a company making truffle oil in the UK, I will definitely be supporting them.  The company are called Truffle Hunter and you can follow them on http://www.facebook.com/pages/TruffleHunter/342148236483?ref=hl

Got to be quick to catch a khachapuri

Made the Khachapuri recipe from Celia Brook's World Vegetarian Classics for dinner tonight.  this is one of the dishes she made at the Divertimenti World Vegetarian Demonstration two weeks ago.  I would have photographed it but it didn't last that long.  Which shows you've got to be quick to catch a Khachapuri.

Honey roasted potato, beetroot and pecan salad

A friend asked for a recipe for a warm vegan salad to have as a light lunch.  A quick look around the kitchen and I came up with this recipe for Honey roasted potato, beetroot and pecan salad.  I think walnuts would probably work maybe a little better than the pecans, and baby spinach would certainly be better than the leaves I had in the fridge.  I think this salad works really well on a chilly spring day.  I had it as a part of a more substantial meal, but it definitely fits the brief I was given.  A little extra dressing could be made if required.

Honey roasted potato, beetroot and pecan salad

This could either be served as a starter or as part of a main meal

Serves 4

500g salad potatoes sliced 1cm thick

4tbs olive oil

4tbs honey

4tbs orange juice

200g beetroot cooked and cut into wedges

½ small red onion finely sliced

Small handful of chopped pecans

Salt

120g salad leaves or baby spinach

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

Boil the potatoes in a medium sized saucepan for 6 minutes.  Drain and refresh under cold water.  Dry with some kitchen towel then place in a roasting tin coating them with half the oil, honey and orange juice.  Season with a little salt and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.

In a separate roasting tin place the beetroot and the remaining oil, honey and orange juice, mix well and season.  When the potatoes have been roasting for the 30 minutes, place the beetroot on the next shelf down and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes until the potatoes are lovely and golden and the beetroots warmed.  Leave to stand for 5 minutes.

Divide the salad leaves between 4 plates and share the potatoes and beetroot, reserving the juices to use as a dressing.  Decorate with the slices of red onion and chopped pecans.  Drizzle over the reserved dressing and serve.

It's been a bit quiet in the kitchen this week, so as the weather has been rubbish the last few days I thought a nice winter soup is in order.  This one is Carrot, ginger and cumin soup with a Tadka garnish.  It's a really lovely spiced soup with just a little heat from the ginger and dried chilli.  Served with a naan bread this is the periect winter lunch or supper.

Carrot, ginger and cumin soup with tadka

Serves 6

3tbs olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1.2kg/2 ½  lbs carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

1tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp ground white pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2tbs fresh ginger, minced

1ltr/2 pints vegetable stock, warmed

Salt to taste

For the tadka

1tbs ghee or vegetable oil

1tsp black mustard seeds

1tsp fenugreek seeds

1tsp cumin seeds

½tsp chilli flakes

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium high heat and sauté onion for 3 minutes. Stir in the cumin seeds, white pepper and the carrots, making sure the vegetables are well coated with the oil and spices. Put the lid on the pot and turn the heat to low.  Cook  for a further 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and ginger to pot and increase heat to medium high, stirring well, sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the stock to the pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until carrots are fork-tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly before blending to a smooth puree.  Return to the pot.

For the tadka heat the ghee or oil in a small saucepanor frying pan, add the seeds and chilli flakes cover and fry until the seeds start to pop and sizzle.

Tip the tadka over the soup, do not stir in, put the lid on and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Stir in the tadka, and reheat the soup and season to taste with salt.  Serve with a spoonful of soya or natural yoghurt on top and accompanied with some naan bread

Curry sunday

Woke up yesterday and needed to make a curry.  Strange thought maybe at 6am in the morning.  I had some root vegetables that need using, so they would be the curry's star attraction.  Being from India my ex father in law Noel loves his curries, so I gave him a call and arranged to take over dinner for him and wife Barbara.  Another call to Daughter Jade and she and boyfriend Sam would also join us.  Right better get cooking!

I wanted to try another recipe from 'Prashad' so I chose Jeera Baath (Cumin-Infused Rice), my version of a Tadka Dhal, and a variation on my Turnip and Potato Curry.  Sam loves Onion Bhajis and there is a great recipe for them in Anjum Anand's - Indian Vegetarian Feast.  The only change I make is to replace a third of the gram flour with rice flour which gives it an extra crispiness.  Add to that come Naan Bread and a simple Mango and Yoghurt dip.

In Denis Cotter's book 'Wild Garlic, Gooseberries and Me, he talks about a particularly fine curry he once had with turnips which gave me the idea  for the recipe below, when I was stumped as to what to do with some white turnips which lets face it wouldn't be at the top of too many popularity polls for vegetables.  My version yesterday substituted the white turnips with a swede turnip, or if you're in the US rutabaga, and 2 courgettes for the cauliflower.   I think they gave it a much nicer look and a better depth of flavour.

When making the Tadka take care not to answer the phone and burn the spices Doh!!- not a good taste.

Turnip, potato and cauliflower curry

Serves 4

2tbs vegetable oil

1tsp cumin seeds

1 medium onion, chopped

2-3 green chilies finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic chopped

1tsp turmeric

½tsp garam masala

½tsp red chili powder

1 tbsp sea salt

1 tomato chopped

1tbs tomato paste

2.5cm/1inch piece ginger, grated

2 large potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3 medium turnips, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 cauliflower cut into florets

Handful of frozen peas

150ml/6floz water

½tsp sugar

4tbs chopped coriander (including stems)

Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large saucepan. Add cumin seeds and let them brown. Add the onions and green chilies and fry for about 10-15 minutes until they are softened and golden brown. Add the garlic, the remaining spices and salt and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomato, tomato puree and ginger and cook for three more minutes.

Mix in the potatoes and turnips, and stir, coating all the vegetables.  Add the water and sugar. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.  Add the coriander, cauliflower and peas cook for a further 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

Uncover and cook a few minutes on medium-high to let any excess water evaporate.  Check seasonings and add more salt to taste if necessary. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve.

Tadka dal

Serves 4

Red Lentils - 50g  

Toor Dal - 150g  

1 large onion coarsely chopped 

2-3 Fresh whole green chillies

1tsp ground turmeric

Salt, to taste  

1tsp Ghee or vegetable oil

3-4 dried red chillies or 1tsp dried chilli flakes

1tsp black mustard seeds

1tsp cumin seeds

6 Curry Leaves fresh or dried  

3 garlic cloves finely chopped  

Rinse the toor dal and red lentils in several changes of water, until the water runs clear.  Add 450ml/1 pint of boiling water, the washed lentils, dal, the chopped onions, the whole green chillies, and the ground turmeric to a large saucepan. Bring to the boil, cover the pan and cook until the lentils are soft, about 45 minutes-1 hour.  Check the lentils occasionally to make sure they are not sticking to the pan.  Add a little extra water if necessary.   When soft season with salt to taste.

Allow to cool slightly and if you prefer remove the chillies and blend to your favoured consistency and cover the pan.

For the tadka: in a small pan, heat the ghee or oil until very hot, add the chopped garlic, red chillies, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Fry until the garlic turns brown and the mustard seeds are popping about 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously.

Tip the tadka in to the lentils - do not stir.  Replace the lid and leave to stand for 5-10 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.  Stir just before serving.

Serve as a side dish with your favourite curry.

TIP: Add some extra water to the lentils to make a soup.  Add the tadka as a garnish on top and serve with some wedges of naan.

Spiced apple crumble

With butter supplies replenished I can get on and make the Spiced apple crumble I posted the recipe for  yesterday.  The apples are cooking down and there is a wonderful spice smell of cinnamon, cloves and cardamom filling the house.  My dogs Cupcake and Kalle have eaten the Granny Smith cores and peel.  Cupcake also wanted the Bramleys.

Its 9pm and its just come out of the oven, 5 minutes to rest then look out crumble!!

Lets get ready to crumble!!

Offending cakes and wotnobutter

I have just posted my Spiced apple crumble recipe and thought hhmmmm going to make that for tea, until I discovered that my daughter Jade had used most of the butter instead of stork for some cakes she made. I have to say the offending items look delicsh, but no crumble for me tonight or offending cakes as they are bound for a pyjamas party

Falafel's and Apple crumble

I was in Cambridge today, so checked out a street food vendor I'd heard about.  Taste of Cambridge is a family run business selling vegetarian and vegan food, sourced organically, free range and local wherever possible.  They and be found on Market Street in the town centre wed-sat 11am-4pm

Looking around I knew I had found them from the queue of hungry customers - surely a good sign.  The menu board showed an interesting selection of vegan falafel wraps and vegetarian pizza wraps as well as a lentil and tomato soup with crusty bread and a selection of cakes and pastries.  I decided to go for the fiery falafel wrap which was served with optional extra hot spicy sauce.  The wraps  are all made to order, a large warm flat bread smothered with hummus, tahini and harissa.  Spiced slow roasted carrots are then added emitting a wonderful smell of cumin and paprika.  Topped with moist falafels, grilled aubergine, rocket and the hot spicy sauce.  Modestly priced at £4.55 it was the most expensive of the falafel options.

First bite and I thought nicely spiced but hardly fiery but the heat build up slowly never too severe but you know its there.  The real star of the show were the carrots, soft sweet and spicy they stole the lead role from the falafels. .  The aubergine, char-grilled and full of flavour gave a good performance in the supporting role.

Looking forward to my next visit to Cambridge and Taste of Cambridge.  For more information check them out at www.tasteofcambridge.co.uk


Spiced apple crumble

Probably the most popular dessert amongst friends and relatives is my Spiced apple crumble, which has been championed by my good friend Senga.  I've had many requests for the recipe so I guess it only makes sense to post it now.  The key is not to overwork the crumble mix and not to pack it down.

Spiced apple crumble

Serves 6-8

Apple mix

900g/2lb Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and cut into slices

600g/1lb5oz Bramley apples peeled, cored and cut into chunks

3tbs water

Juice of ½ lime

50g/2oz caster sugar

1tsp ground cinnamon

1/2tsp ground cloves

1/2tsp ground cardomom

Crumble mix

250g/9oz cold butter diced

250g/9oz Demerara sugar

250g/9oz plain flour

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

Put the water ,lime juice and sugar  in a large saucepan and heat until just before boiling.  Add the Bramley apples and the spices, reduce the heat to low/medium and cook until the apples start to soften.  Add the Granny Smith apples and continue to cook for a further 3 minutes.  If the mixture starts to catch add another 1tbs of water.  Allow to cool and taste for sweetness adding a little more sugar if required.

Tip the fruit into a large ovenproof dish approx. 20x30cms (8x12inch) and at least 2.5cms (1 inch) deep

Place the flour and butter into a food processor and blitz until it forms fine crumbs.  Do not over blitz or it will form lumpy pastry.  Alternatively place the flour and butter in a bowl and rub together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Mix in the Demerara sugar and then sprinkle the crumb mix evenly over the fruit.  Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden on top.

Allow to cool slightly before serving with cream, ice cream or custard.

Celia Brooks and Divertimenti

Yesterday I went to a 'World Vegetarian Demonstration' given by Celia Brooks at Divertimenti Cookery School in London.  Wasn't sure what it would be like but I was more than pleasantly surprised.  Unusually I was the first to arrive and spend 20 minutes or so wandering around their fantastic cookery store and as usual ended up in the book section.

The school has the capacity for about 24 people and provides an intimate setting.  It was a real bonus that Celia Brooks is very hot.  Well if you're going to be looking at someone for about three hours its much easier if it is a beautiful woman.

The demonstration was delivered in a relaxed  friendly style, inviting comments from the audience and inviting and answering questions as she went along.  Gorgeous as she was, the real star was her food.  She started off with her version of IDLI delicious light steamed dumplings served with TOMATO & CASHEW CHUTNEY which had a real zip to it.  Idli is a traditional breakfast dish from Kerala, Southern Indian, but these little dumplings were too good to be restricted to breakfast.  In fact I am making them today.

The second dish was ITAL RICE a coconut and okra rice from Jamaica that Celia fondly referred to as /rasta risotto. This could easily blow your head off if you add too much Scotch Bonnet Chilli, but the chillies were cut in half and fished out before serving and for me it was just the perfect amount of heat balanced with the coconut cream.

From Jamaica to Georgia for the next dish called KHACHAPURI  a cheese bread traditionally made with Suluguni cheese, Celia replaced it with a mix of salty Feta and the slightly sweet caramel flavour of Gouda.  A real cheese lovers delight and just right for lunch on a cold winter's day.  The smells of fresh bread and melted cheese wafting around the school kitchen when this was removed from the oven was heavenly.

The dessert dish was one from Tunisia called MHALBI which is an orange flower custard served chilled with   toasted almonds sprinkled on top.  A really light delicately fragranced custard which I shall be adapting as i have some Rose petal water to use, so look out for that.

The last dish was PENANG ROJAK, a sweet chilli fondue with fruit and cucumber. I  think this was my WOW dish of the day for its simplicity and taste sensation.  The most simple and quickest to make, but the flavours, oh my!  from the sweetness of the tropical fruit, you then get the salt come through followed by the zingy citrus chilli hit.  I always like to eat fruit at the start of the meal and what better way to enjoy it.

I think most of the recipes are from World Vegetarian Classics by Celia Brooks Brown which is available on www.amazon.co.uk or your local bookshop

Visit Celia at: http://celiabrooksbrown.com/
and Divertimenti at http://www.divertimenti.co.uk/

Book review

Wild garlic, gooseberries . . .and me - Denis Cotter

It's not often I read books on relationships, although with my history maybe I should, but this is exactly what this book is all about.

The relationship between the chef and his ingredients portrays more passion to the reader than the best of Mills and Boon.  Trust and Respect are the foundations of the relationship with principle supplier Ultan Walsh.  

This is not just another cookbook, it is a beautifully crafted, witty collection of stories and recipes, providing valuable tips on how best to prepare and cook vegetables, including some unusual ones we may not have encountered..  The book is divided into four sections, at the end of each section is a collection of recipes which challenge the vegetables to shine in a completely new and innovative way.  Denis Cotter is a man who takes his vegetables very seriously, he showcases each vegetable sometimes in a leading role of it's own and sometimes in the supporting cast.   In the wild pickings section many of these ingredients can be gathered for free.  This book will prove a valuable addition to your culinary library and one you'll always want to keep close..

Verdict: Buy it now!!


 For me the stand out recipes amongst so many is the 'Black kale and aubergine spring rolls with ginger and tamarind dipping sauce'  which Cafe Paradiso have kindly given me permission to reproduce below.

If you would like a signed copy of this or any of the other excellent Cafe Paradiso cookbooks then visit http://www.cafeparadiso.ie/books

Black kale and aubergine spring rolls with ginger and tamarind dipping sauce

Serves 4

For the spring rolls

200g/7oz black kale (cavalo nero)

400g/14oz aubergine, finely diced

Olive oil

1tsp tomato puree

2tsp soy sauce

1 pinch caster sugar

4 spring onions, thinly sliced

1 fresh red chilli, halved seeds removed and thinly sliced

1tbs coriander seeds, ground

4 cloves ground

1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg

8 spring roll sheets

Vegetable oil, for frying

For the tamarind sauce

3tbs tamarind pulp

300ml/10floz water

3tbs caster sugar

1tbs rice wine vinegar

3cm/1 1/4in piece fresh root ginger chopped

1 whole dried bird's eye chilli

   Preheat the oven to 180c/350f/gas mark 4.  Remove the stalks from the kale and discard them.  Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and drop in the kale.  When the water comes back to the boil, remove the kale, drain and cool it in a bowl of cold water, then squeeze out all the water.  Dry the kale fully with kitchen paper or a tea towel so that the spring rolls do not become soggy, then chop it into thin slivers about 3cm 1 1/4in) long.

   Toss the aubergine in olive oil and arrange in a single layer in an oven dish.  cover loosely with baking parchment and roast in the oven for 15 minutes, checking and tossing occasionally to ensure the pieces are fully cooked and lightly coloured.  mix the tomato puree, soy sauce and sugar together and stir them quickly into the cooked aubergine.

   While the aubergine is cooking. make the tamarind sauce.  Put the tamarind and water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minute.  Press the liquid through a sieve and return it to the pan with the rest of the ingredients.  Simmer again for a further 10 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened.  Sieve again to remove the ginger and chilli, and leave the sauce to cool.

   In a mixing bowl, combine the kale, aubergine, spring onions, chilli and spices to make the spring roll filling.  Lay a sheet of spring roll pastry on a worktop with one corner facing you.  A quarter of the way up, put       1 1/2 tablespoons of filling in a line (not to the edge) and brush the edges of the pastry with water.  Fold the bottom corner over the filling and roll the spring roll to just beyond the halfway point, keeping it tight and even as possible.  Fold in the sides and continue rolling.  Repeat with the rest of the pastry sheets and filling.

   In a wide frying pan, heat 1cm (1/2in) vegetable oil to a medium temperature, about 160c/325f.  Carefully slide in some of the spring rolls, making sure you don't crowd the pan.  Cook for a few minutes on each side until the spring rolls are crisp and coloured.  You can also cook them in a deep fat fryer but make sure the temperature is not too high or they may burst.  Remove the spring rolls and place them on kitchen paper to drain of any excess oil.

Serve the spring rolls with the tamarind sauce as a dip.

  

Book review

Prashad - Indian vegetarian cooking by Kaushy Patel

Prashad, is a small Indian restaurant in Bradford run by the Patel family and starred in ‘Ramsay's Best Restaurant’ TV show in autumn 2010 where they were runners up in the final.

Kaushy Patel learned to cook as a child growing up on her grandmother's farm in India. She moved the UK in the 1960s to marry.  Following the compulsory purchase of husband Mohan’s business they purchased a launderette which had a small deli on the side.  Their son Bobby came up with the name ‘Prashad’ which means blessed food.  As popularity grew, the deli closed to accommodate the growing restaurant.

In her first (and hopefully not her last book), there are over 100 recipes, from simple snacks to sumptuous family feast.  Over 60 of which are vegan and many of the others can be easily adapted.    There are tips to help you create authentic indian food.  Kaushy gives one tip that I think is invaluable whatever the style of cooking and that is to ‘cook with love.’  The only dilemma with this book is what recipes to try first.  I went for the ‘Lemon and coriander potato balls’ which was a lovely starter packing bags of flavour.  I followed this with the ‘Aubergine and potato curry’ which was a spicy hot full on curry served with ‘Soothing yellow lentil rice’ which offset it superbly.  I already have a long list of recipes to try next. 

The book was in the Times top 40 cookbooks of the year for 2011 and rightly so.

VERDICT: Buy it now!!

http://prashad.co.uk/blog

Sorry for the lack of photos but I thought i'd hurry up and put a few recipes on here as its a new blog.  A friend asked for some vegan recipes and I think both Italian and Indian cuisines have some great vegan food without having to adapt the recipes too much.  One of my Italian favourites on a cold evening is pepperonata with some lovely warm crusty bread.  Here's my version, it can be made two or three days in advance and I think it tastes even better if left.

Pepperonata

Serves 4

50ml/2floz olive oil

1 small onion diced

3 garlic cloves, crushed

6-8 peppers of mixed colours deseeded and finely sliced

2tbs red wine vinegar

2tbs capers rinsed and roughly chopped

18 black olives rinsed and roughly chopped

1tbs fresh flat-leafed parsley chopped

1tbs fresh basil chopped

Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a very large pan, add the onion and fry over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the peppers and garlic and continue to fry over a low-medium heat for about 30 minutes until the peppers are completely soft.  Cooking them slowly will help to bring out the flavours.  Add the red wine vinegar, capers, olives, parsley and basil, stir and continue to cook for another 3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with your favourite pasta such as Penne or cool, chill and enjoy up to a couple of days later with crusty bread.

You could also add a little more extra virgin olive oil to the cold pepperonato and serve it as part of a buffet lunch or tapas

Here is a simple curry I made when I was trying to use some turnips which I was given.  I remember reading that turnips work really well in curries so I gave it a go and I have to say it was delicious.  You could use any root veg such as parsnip, swede or celeriac and swap the cauliflower for brocolli.

Turnip, potato and cauliflower curry

Serves 4

2tbs vegetable oil

1tsp cumin seeds

1 medium onion, chopped

2-3 green chilies finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic chopped

1tsp turmeric

½tsp garam masala

½tsp red chili powder

1 tbsp sea salt

1 tomato chopped

1tbs tomato paste

2.5cm/1inch piece ginger, grated

2 large potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3 medium turnips, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 cauliflower cut into florets

Handful of frozen peas

150ml/6floz water

½tsp sugar

4tbs chopped coriander (including stems)

Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large saucepan. Add cumin seeds and let them brown slightly. Add the onions and green chilies and fry for about 10 minutes until they are softened and golden brown. Add the garlic, the remaining spices and salt and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomato, tomato puree and ginger and cook for three more minutes.

Mix in the potatoes and turnips, and stir, coating all the vegetables.  Add the water and sugar. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.  Add the coriander, cauliflower and peas cook for a further 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

Uncover and cook a few minutes on medium-high to let any excess water evaporate.  Check seasoning and add more salt to taste if necessary. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve.

Welcome to the Wotnomeat blog.

I hope to bring you a little humour, some mouthwatering meat free recipes, reviews, news and hopefully not too many disasters.   I wont take my self to seriously and if I do please feel free to tell me.

Vegetarian cookery has come a long way since the days of pioneer cooks like Eva Batt and Sarah Brown, although they were life savers for a new vegetarian at the time.  More people are opting to cut out or at least cut back on how much meat they eat and thankfully there are some very exciting vegetarian chefs and even most of the mainstream celebrity chefs are realising the importance of innovative meat free food.  There will always be those that regard vegetarians as a pain in the arse.

So why at so many pubs or restaurants where the meat eaters rave about the food, is the vegetarian option so rubbish.  Quite often the only option is eat it or go hungry.  I think the main reason is they cant be bothered or they are afraid to cook a meal without meat.

There are exceptions and I hope to find some Gems and hopefully recreate some of the best recipes at home.

A couple of weeks ago I was watching Indian Food Made Easy with Anjum Anand, where she made Avial - a Southern Indian mixed vegetable curry that has yoghurt and coconut.  Inspired I decided to make it there and then.  Only thing was I didnt have half the ingredients and I was snowed in.  Quick look around the kitchen I had all the spices, half of the vegetables, no yoghurt or desiccated coconut.  After a few changes extra potatoes, carrots and peas, double cream for the yoghurt and cream coconut and water for the desiccated coconut, I ended up with a creamy mild curry which tasted fabulous.  Wikipedia said that a guy called 'Bhima is said to have prepared Avial, when there were unexpected guests for king Virata and he needed to serve meals for them. there was not sufficient vegetables to cook any individual side dish, so Bhima used what ever available vegetables to make a new dish, which came to know as Avial'  Well if thats the case I'm sure he would have approved. 


If you want Anjum Anands version go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/southernindianmixedv_86569

Snowy day Avial

2tbsp vegetable oil or ghee

1 tbs cumin seeds

1 medium onion, sliced

1-2 green chillies finely chopped

15g/½oz fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 cloves garlic crushed

1tsp garam massala

¾tsp ground turmeric

salt, to taste

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

½ cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeds removed, chopped into 1cm/½in pieces

25g/1oz creamed coconut

100ml water

100g/4oz frozen peas

12 fresh or dried curry leaves

5-6 tbs cream or yoghurt

Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan. Add the cumin, onion, chillies, ginger and garlic and cook until the onions are soft and beginning to colour.

When the onions are cooked, stir in the turmeric, garam masala, salt, carrots and potatoes. Cover the pan and cook over a low heat, stirring often. If necessary, add a little water to prevent the vegetables from sticking to the pan.

After about 15 minutes, add the cucumber, peas, creamed coconut and water. Cover the pan again and cook for a further 5-10 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.

Tear the curry leaves into the pan and stir in the yoghurt.  Cook for a further five minutes, stirring thoroughly.

Serve with basmati rice, naan bread or chapatis