Vegetable Ventures: A Delivery of Seasonal Surprises

Every fortnight I’ve been having a vegetable box delivered: Home-grown seasonal produce that supports local farmers, delivered straight to my door. Other feel-good factors include reducing food miles and my carbon footprint, as well as endorsing sustainability by eating in season.

The best bit, however, is the fun of not knowing what I’m going to receive in each delivery, encouraging me to be inventive with new recipes, and to cook with some vegetables that I haven’t used before (I’m a big fan of Jerusalem artichokes now!).

My delivery!

 

What I received this week:

·         Cauliflower

·         Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes

·         Spring onions

·         Peppers

·         (Giant!) Carrots

·         Onions

·         Cabbage

My first challenge was to find some tasty recipes for Cauliflower, other than Cauliflower cheese! Much easier than I thought…

Fancy pizza and chips that count towards your ‘5 a day’? Try Cauliflower Base Pizza served alongside some Paprika Sweet Potato Wedges:

Cauliflower Base Pizza

1)      Break up 1 cauliflower into florets and whizz in a food processor to make crumbs.

2)      Put the crumbed mixture in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes. Leave to cool.

3)      Wrap the mixture up in a tea towel and squeeze to remove as much water as possible.

4)      Put the cauliflower in a bowl and mix with 1 egg yolk, a bunch of chopped fresh herbs and seasoning to make a mock ’dough’ mixture. Don’t worry, it won’t go into a ball, but the egg should bring it together slightly.

5)      Spread the mixture out onto some greased baking paper in a pizza base shape. Cook at 180⁰C for 20-25 minutes until starting to brown.

6)      Top the pizza with a thin layer of tomato puree (you don’t want anything too wet, as the base will still hold some water!) and toppings of your choice. Turn the oven up to 220⁰C and cook for 10-15 minutes until golden. Prepare to be amazed!

 

These Cauliflower and Cheese Fritters are so versatile: Rich and flavoursome on their own with a salad, they are also perfect as a quirky side dish to any meat course, to accompany a barbeque, or served cold with some dips at a picnic!

Cauliflower and Cheese Fritters

(Makes 12)

1)       Break up ½ large cauliflower into small florets and boil for a few minutes. Drain and pat with paper towel to dry off. Set aside.

2)      Whisk together 100g plain flour with 4 eggs to make a batter. Stir in 100g cubed cheddar cheese, a cubed mozzarella ball, a handful of chopped parsley, the cauliflower, a squeeze of lemon juice and seasoning.

3)      Spoon small amounts of the mixture into a greased hot frying pan to make circular fritters. Cook until lightly browned on both sides.

Cauliflower Fritters and Red Pepper Dip

 

With my cauliflower, sweet potatoes and spring onions used up, I decided to make my own delicious Red Pepper and Chickpea Dip with the peppers in my delivery. Use like hummus with crisps or crudités, serve with the cauliflower fritters above, or even use in sandwiches!

Red Pepper and Chickpea Dip

1)      Slice 2 red peppers and an onion. Cook gently in a frying pan until softened and slightly browned.

2)      Put the pepper mix in a food processor, and add 1 tin chickpeas, 1 garlic clove, a bunch of fresh coriander, juice of ½ lemon and seasoning. Blend until smooth.

Tip: If you want the dip to be slightly wetter, add a drizzle of olive oil and blend again. Add ½ chilli if you fancy a hint of spice!

After all of these savoury recipes, I wanted to make something sweet using my vegetable box and couldn’t resist making a juicy Carrot Cake:

Carrot Cake with Lime Buttercream Icing

 

1)      Cream together 125g unsalted butter and 125g brown sugar.

2)      Whizz in 2 egg yolks (Keep the whites for later!).

3)      Stir in the juice and zest of ½ orange,  ½ tsp. baking powder, 85g self-raising flour, 75-100g chopped nuts (I used walnuts and hazelnuts), 1 large handful grated carrots,1/2 tsp. cinnamon, pinch of ground nutmeg and ¼ tsp. ground ginger.

4)      Whizz the egg yolks separately, until they form stiff peaks. Gently stir into the cake mixture.

5)      Put in a lined bread tin tray, and bake at 180⁰C for 50–60 minutes. Leave to cool.

6)       Make your icing. Cream together 1 part unsalted butter to 2 parts icing sugar. Whizz in lime zest and juice to taste. Spread a thick layer of the top of the cake and decorate with nuts. You won’t stop at one slice!

I used the cabbage to make some tasty Stuffed Cabbage parcels. I browned off some mince with chopped onion, garlic and dried oregano, before wrapping the mixture up in cabbage leaves and cooking in the oven at 180⁰C for 30 minutes. I served them with some roasties and honey-roasted carrots.

Another successful vegetable box, with all my contents put to good use! A friend has already followed suit and had her own box delivered. Why not see if something similar is offered in your area? Or have a hunt at your local market or supermarket for some different vegetables to what you usually buy.

I’m jetting off to the States now to sample the culinary delights of the West Coast, so look out for my next post when I return!

Inspiration: My Cauliflower recipes are adapted from BBC Good Food website, and the Carrot Cake recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver. And Dom for starting our vegetable deliveries!

‘Run, Rabbit, Run…’: Easter Cooking Fun

With the daffodils in full bloom, lighter evenings and the fields dotted with little lambs, spring is in the air! The kitchen has had a spring clean, my apron a much deserved wash, and I’m feeling fresh and ready to cook some new dishes to celebrate Easter.

Enjoying Easter in North Wales

With a Hare in my freezer from shooting season, the perfect occasion to cook it has finally arrived: Easter Sunday! After hunting through my cookery books for a tasty recipe, Hare, Bacon and Parsley Roll caught my eye. Nothing sounds better than a Rabbit Wellington for Sunday roast (sorry Bunnies!)

Hare, Bacon and Parsley Roll

(Taken from ‘Game’ Vickery & Boddy cookbook)

1)      Chop up 6 rashers of smoked bacon and sweat in a pan with a chopped white onion until golden.

2)      Remove from the heat and combine with 1 whole diced hare, 2 tbsp. chopped parsley, 2 tbsp. redcurrant jelly and season with pepper. That’s your filling done!

3)      Now make your pastry. Crumb together 225g self-raising flour, 6 tbsp. chopped parsley, 115g meat suet (easily found at the supermarket) and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add 1 beaten egg and mix together to make pastry (adding water if needed).

4)      Roll out the pastry to a large rectangle ½ cm thick. Brush the border with beaten egg and spread the hare mixture over the pastry. Roll up loosely like a Swiss roll.

5)      Cut the roll in half. Wrap up each piece in buttered foil and twist the ends to make a tight parcel.

6)      Steam (yes, you read this right!) the parcels for 45 minutes. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before unwrapping for a tasty treat!

 

To serve up such an impressive main course without a hearty pudding to follow would be sacrilege. Cue the perfect recipe to use up all of those leftover hot cross buns: Hot Cross Pudding. I’m not usually a fan of bread and butter pudding, but after being served this up, I asked for the recipe because it was so yummy!

Hot Cross Pudding

(Serves 6)

Great way to use up hot cross buns!

1)      Add 300ml single cream, 600ml milk and a pinch of nutmeg to a pan. Warm gently.

2)      Whisk together 100g caster sugar, 4 eggs and 1 tsp. vanilla essence. Then gradually add the cream mixture and a few handfuls of sultanas, stirring to combine.

3)      Cut some hot cross buns in half. Spread both sides with butter. Arrange in rows in an ovenproof dish. Spread marmalade over the top layer.

4)      Pour your cream mixture over the buns. Leave to soak for 10 minutes.

5)      Bake at 150⁰C for 50 minutes. Leave to cool slightly before serving with vanilla ice-cream.

Fancy something different to the usual Easter egg or chocolate cornflake nests? I’ve been baking Jam Tarts and trying my hand at some home-made Fudge this Easter weekend. Try my recipes below.

Chocolate Orange Fudge

It’s not Terry’s, it’s mine!



 

1)      Melt together 400g milk chocolate chips with a tin of condensed milk, until smooth.

2)      Add 50g crushed nuts of your choice and the zest of 1 orange. Stir to mix.

3)      Pour into a disposable foil baking tray, which has been lined with baking paper.

4)      Chill in the fridge until hard. Cut into chunks and enjoy with a cuppa.

Jam Tartlets

(Makes 15)

1)      Make your sweet pastry. Crumb together 65g unsalted butter, 125g plain flour and 125g icing sugar. Add ½ beaten egg and grate in ½ lemon zest. Mix together to form your pastry.

2)      Roll out the pastry to ½ cm thick. Cut out rounds and put them in a greased cupcake tray.

3)      Fill each tart with 1 tsp. of your favourite jam. Use different jams for a variety of tarts: I used blackcurrant, raspberry, lemon curd and marmalade!

4)      Bake at 180⁰C for 15 minutes until golden.

5)      Be careful, the jam will be hot! Leave to cool before tucking in.

Happy Easter!

Keep an eye out for my next post soon…

Asian Spice and All Things Nice: Taste of Thailand

Street Food in Vietnam

Top of my checklist whilst travelling in South East Asia? Tasting all of the local foods! Sampling street-food in the bustling markets of Vietnam, savouring freshwater fish in Cambodia and chowing down a spicy Thai Curry alongside a fresh coconut juice, I was in my element.

 

Thai food stood out as my favourite, so after attending cookery classes in Chang Mai and returning home with a suitcase full of spices and recipe books, I couldn’t wait to try out what I’d learnt.

I’ll start with my favourite dish from my travels. If I said curried noodles, you’d think of a dodgy pot noodle, right? That’s exactly what I thought, until I tried Northern Thailand’s specialty Khao Soi (aka THE BEST CURRY EVER!). Think tender chicken and noodles coated in a creamy curry sauce, with just the right amount of spice and a crunchy topping.  Try this and I guarantee you will be addicted!

Khao Soi (Chicken Curry Noodles)

Eating Khao Soi
in Chang Mai!

1)      Heat a couple of tbsp. red curry paste in a pan with a splash of oil, cooking until the amazing aromas are released. Remove paste and set aside.

2)      Mix together 2/3 coconut milk to 1/3 water within the pan, making up enough to cover your chicken thighs. Stir in curry paste to desired taste. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken thighs and simmer until cooked and the chicken juices run clear (approx. 40 minutes).

3)      Whilst the chicken is cooking, fry a handful of noodles in hot oil until crispy. Drain and set aside in a covered bowl to keep them crisp. Make the rest of the noodles according to instructions.

4)      Once the chicken is cooked, add a further couple of tbsp. thick coconut milk and season with soy sauce.

5)      Now assemble your dish to serve: Place some cooked noodles in a bowl, and then add the chicken thighs and plenty of sauce. The curry will have a little oil on the surface, it is meant to be this way. Top with fried noodles, pickled cabbage and shallots and some fresh sliced red chilli (be brave!).



The Hustle and Bustle of an Asian Market

 

Fancy dinner in under 10 minutes? Try whipping up Pad Thai for a quick, healthy dish that is packed full of flavour. Get your wok at the ready!

Pad Thai (Thai Style Stir Fried Noodles)

(Serves 1)

1)      Gently fry 2 finely chopped garlic cloves in a wok until fragrant, being careful not to burn them.

2)      Add king prawns or finely diced chicken pieces and a handful of tofu pieces. Cook for a few minutes on a low heat, stirring constantly.

3)      Add 1 egg, 1 ½ tsp. sugar, 2 tsp. fish sauce, 3 tsp. oyster sauce and turn the heat up high (to stop the dish going soggy). Stir to combine.

4)      Move the ingredients to the side of the wok. Add your flat noodles to the wok (away from the other ingredients) with couple tbsp. water and stir them until cooked.

5)      Add a handful of beansprouts, some carrot ribbons and coarsely chopped chives, stirring everything together.

6)      Serve with a sprinkling of chopped peanuts and a squeeze of lime. Done! 

Fancy a dessert with a difference? Try this unusual combination of Sticky Rice with Mango. There’s a reason why they sell it on every street corner in Thailand!

Sticky Rice with Mango (Kao Niew Ma-Muang)

(Serves 2)

1)      Prepare 1 cup sticky rice according to instructions (you often need to soak it for a few hours before cooking!).

2)      Add 1 cup coconut cream, 2tbsp. sugar and a couple pinches of salt to the rice. Stir to mix and leave to stand for 30 minutes.

3)      Serve warm or cold with a fresh juicy mango!

 

How about trying Banana in Coconut Milk, and letting the comforting, creamy goodness take you to heaven…

Banana in Coconut Milk (Gluai Buad Chee)

(Serves 2)

1)      Boil 2 bananas with their skins on for 10 minutes (don’t worry, the skins are meant to go black!). Put aside.

2)      Add 1 cup coconut milk and 1 cup water to a pot and bring to a boil, before turning down to a simmer.

3)      Add ¼ cup sugar and ½ tsp. salt. Stir to dissolve.

4)      Peel the bananas, then chop in half lengthways, and once widthways (to make 4 pieces per banana). Carefully add them to the mixture with another ¼ cup coconut milk and allow bananas to warm through for a few minutes.

5)      Serve with a pinch of cinnamon and some diced fresh coconut (or desiccated) pieces on top to add some crunch. Now inhale that coconut aroma and pretend you’re on holiday…

Try your hand at these recipes to give your taste buds an experience in exotic Asian cuisine!

Look out for my next post soon!

Hard at Work in Cookery Class!

Winter One Pot Wonders: From Succulent Soup to Tantalising Tagine!

With each New Year come New Year resolutions’. ‘Eat healthily’ and ‘Exercise more’ made with such optimism on January 1^st; only to find yourself cwtched up on the sofa demolishing a tub of Ben and Jerry’s by the 2^nd, promising yourself you will go the gym tomorrow. Sound familiar?

When it’s dark, cold and miserable weather outside, a salad just won’t cut it. Instead, we crave hot, stodgy, comforting meals – cue calorific pies and stews, ready meals and takeaways. Why not try some of my Winter Warmer recipes as an alternative? Nutritious, hearty meals packed full of flavour – with not a boring casserole in sight!

How about making a tagine as a quirky alternative to a stew? My Lamb, Honey and Apricot Tagine is sweet and comforting with a gentle warming spice:

Lamb, Honey and Apricot Tagine (serves 4)

1)    Finely chop 3 onions and 1 stick of celery. Cook on a medium heat with a splash of oil until the onion starts to soften.

2)    Add 2 finely chopped garlic cloves and cook for a further minute.

3)    Now add your spices: 1 ½ tsp. ground cumin and ½ tsp. each of turmeric, ground ginger, ground coriander, cayenne and ground cinnamon. Stir to coat the vegetables, whilst smelling that amazing aroma!

4)    Next, make your sauce. Add 2 tins of chopped tomatoes, 1 tbsp. tomato puree, a pinch of sugar, 5 tbsp. clear honey, a handful of chopped fresh coriander and a generous handful of sultanas and chopped dried apricots. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5)    Add diced lamb (I made lamb meatballs for a change), cover and simmer until the meat is cooked.

6)    Sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve alongside cous cous.

You can’t beat a piping hot home-made soup on a cold winter’s evening. Ready-made soups can be expensive, very sweet and have a high salt content. Why bother when making your own is so easy? The only fuss is peeling and chopping the vegetables; after that you just stick everything in a pot and simmer until done! Plus you can freeze the extra portions for another day when you can’t be bothered to cook. I’ve got a few favourites, but my Parsnip Soup remains the winner amongst friends. Try my recipe below which only uses a few ingredients:

Parsnip Soup (makes 6-8 portions)

1)    Peel and thinly slice 1Kg parsnips. Finely chop 1 large onion and 2 garlic cloves.

2)    Melt a large blob of butter in a big cooking pot and add the vegetables above. Cook gently until the onion softens.

3)    Add 2 tsp. ground cumin and 1 tsp. ground coriander and stir for a further minute to coat the vegetables.

4)    Pour in 2 pints of chicken stock and stir. Season to taste. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Check the seasoning once cooked and alter to taste.

5)    Puree the soup. Place the soup back on a gentle heat, add 150ml single cream and stir to combine.

6)    Garnish with some chopped chives before devouring a big bowl of goodness!

If you’re looking for a warming recipe for lunch or as a starter, try my ridiculously easy Potted Prawn. No cooking skills are required for this one, just pop the ingredients in a ramekin and put it in the oven!

Potted Prawn

1)    Fill a ramekin with cooked prawns (the smaller ones work best).

2)    Add a glug of single cream.

3)    Cover the top with breadcrumbs and a large blob of butter. Sprinkle with paprika.

4)    Cook at 180⁰C for approx. 12 minutes until golden brown. Simple!

Whilst we are on the fish theme, I love a rich and creamy Fish Pie on a winter’s evening. One of my favourite dishes, but criminally often ruined with a bland, tasteless sauce. Make your sauce pack a punch by using my recipe below and prepare to be blown away!

Fish Pie

 

1)    Peel, boil and mash potatoes, adding a splash of milk, dollop of butter and seasoning with salt and pepper.

2)    Whilst the potatoes are boiling, cook the fish of your choice according to instructions. I often poach salmon fillets in water or milk, and use king prawns for a touch of luxury. Don’t overcook your fish!

3)    Boil some peas and a couple of eggs for 5 minutes until cooked.

4)    Now make your sauce. Melt a blob of butter in a pan. Remove from the heat, add 1 tbsp. flour and mix together. Add a splash of semi-skimmed milk and whisk until smooth.

5)    Put the pan back on the heat, and keep adding more milk, a splash at a time, constantly whisking to keep the mixture smooth. Keep going until you have enough sauce to cover the fish in your pie. Be patient, the results are worth the arm power! Stir in wholegrain mustard to taste (approx. 1 tbsp). This ingredient will transform your sauce!

6)    Arrange the fish in an ovenproof dish (breaking up any fillets into chunks). Add the peas, chopped boiled eggs and a handful of tinned sweetcorn. Pour over your sauce.

7)    Top evenly with the potato. Don’t forget to fluff the top with a fork so that it turns golden brown when cooking. Top with grated cheese if you’re feeling naughty.

8)    Cook at 200⁰C for 15-20 minutes and then tuck in!

Try out some of my recipes to keep you toasty this winter. Speaking of which, I’m jetting off to South East Asia to smugly escape the cold for a month. Look out for my next post when I return!

‘To Tea or Not to Tea…’: Champagne Afternoon Tea

It was New Year’s Eve and I was getting more than a little bit excited. It has becomes a tradition for a few close girlfriends and I to always spend NYE together. Despite the logistics of living at opposite ends of the country, over the past 9 years we’ve only missed 1! (My fault, damn nights rota). With the girls making the long journey up to me this year, what better accompaniment to the marathon of gossip than a homemade Afternoon Tea? The perfect way to kick off the new year celebrations before the evening ahead!

After popping open the champagne, clinking our flutes and toasting to the new year ahead, we began by tucking into the sandwiches. Of course, the traditional sandwich filling for afternoon tea is cucumber (how dull!).  Instead, I served a variety of smoked salmon with cream cheese, ham with wholegrain mustard, cheddar cheese with red onion chutney, and cream cheese with fresh chives. Anything goes, just remember to cut off the crusts for extra delicacy ‘dahhhling’.

I made Welsh Cakes as a quirky alternative to scones (recipe below). Smothered in butter and jam, they were equally as delicious! They were also the perfect personal touch for the girls’ first trip to North Wales, none of whom had tried the traditional cake before. I made mine with sultanas, but you can use any dried fruit (cranberries work well) or even chocolate chips.

Other sweet treats included Strawberry and Vanilla Fairy Cakes and some Mini Lemon Meringue Pies. For the ‘pièce de résistance’, I served some Raspberry and Elderflower Champagne Jellies to finish! (All recipes below). Once the champagne had started flowing, we forgot to drink the tea….

Several hours and bottles of champagne later, we saw in the new year whilst watching the fireworks at Beaumaris Castle. Try out my recipes below and invite the girls over for your own afternoon tea. Happy 2015! 

Welsh Cakes (makes 12)

1)      Using your hands, mix together 225g self-raising flour with 110g salted butter until it makes breadcrumbs.

2)      Add 1 egg, 75-85g sugar and a generous handful of sultanas. Mix together to form a ball of dough.

3)      Roll out on a floured surface until 1/2cm thick, and then cut out circles approximately 5cm diameter.

4)      Melt a blob of butter in a frying pan on a medium heat. Cook the welsh cakes for a few minutes on each side until golden brown. Sprinkle with caster sugar before serving.

Strawberry and Vanilla Fairy Cakes (makes 12)

 

 

1)      Just remember equal quantities of butter, sugar and flour! I’ve chosen 100g to make it easy.

2)      Whisk together the unsalted butter and caster sugar.

3)      Add 1 tsp. vanilla extract, then gradually whisk in 2 beaten eggs.

4)      Fold in the flour using a wooden spoon. Spoon into cakes cases and bake at 180⁰C for 15-20 minutes.

5)      To decorate, make butter icing by whisking together 115g icing sugar with 60g caster sugar, then stir in a few tbsp. strawberry jam. Scoop out the top of each cake using a small spoon, fill the hole with butter icing then replace the cake top. Finally, add pieces of fresh strawberry and dust with icing sugar for some seriously luxe-looking fairy cakes!  

Mini lemon meringue pies (makes 4)

Tight for time? Try this quick ‘cheat’ recipe:

1)      Line mini tart cases with ready-rolled shortcrust pastry and some baking beans. Bake at 180⁰C for 15 minutes, or according to the instructions.

2)      Fill each case with lemon curd.

3)      Make the meringue. Whisk 2 egg whites with 13g sugar to form stiff peaks. Add a drop of malt vinegar, then gradually whisk in a further 13g sugar.

4)      Top the pies with a dollop of meringue and bake until golden. Chop each tart into quarters to make bite sized pieces.

Raspberry and Elderflower Champagne Jellies (Makes 6)

1)      Soak 6 gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, slowly heat together 150ml elderflower cordial with 100g caster sugar until dissolved. Remove from the heat just before the mixture boils.

2)      Remove the gelatine leaves from the water, squeezing out any excess, then add to the elderflower mixture and stir to dissolve.

3)      Add 500ml champagne or sparkling wine (not chilled) and stir.

4)      Add a few raspberries to each serving glass. Pour the champagne mixture to fill 1/3 of the glass. Chill for 2 hours to set. Meanwhile, keep the pot of remaining mixture warm by standing it in a bowl of hot water.

5)   Once the jellies have set, add more raspberries to each glass, then top the glasses up with the rest of the mixture. Doing this in 2 stages prevents all the raspberries from floating to the top. Return to the fridge to set before wowing your guests!