Ratatouille and redcurrant sauce

This was delicious with duck and roast potatoes and parsnips, but I think it would be lovely with chicken or any meat - or with a nut roast, come to that!

1 small red onion

1 small or 1/2 large courgette

1/2 red or yellow pepper

1 tomato - you guessed it

1/2 punnet mushrooms (c. 125 grammes)

A little salt, pepper, Everyday seasoning and herbs (I used what I call "Scarborough Fair" mix - parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme)

1 tbs olive or other oil

About 100 ml water

1 tbs chicken or vegetable stock powder

1 large tbs redcurrant jelly

Pre-heat the oven to Mark 6 (200 C; 400 F).  Slice the vegetables and place them in an oven-proof tray.  Season and pour on the oil, and stir very thoroughly.  Roast for about 40 minutes.  Transfer to a saucepan and, using a stick blender, reduce to a puree, but you can leave some of the vegetables whole if you cba to do it thoroughly.  Add the jelly, water and stock powder, taste to check the seasoning and rectify if necessary, bring to the boil and simmer for about 5 minutes.  

Liver and bacon casserole

 Serves 2

1 tbs olive or other oil

1 large onion

Several cloves of garlic

1 portion ox or pork liver

2 rashers bacon

1/2 punnet mushrooms (I forgot these, and regretted it; it was nice, but would have been a lot nicer with the mushrooms)

1 tin tomatoes

1 small tin peas

Seasoning - it won't need salt, but I used pepper, herbs and a dash of Worcestershire sauce

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the chopped onion and garlic, cover, and allow to cook on a low heat for several minutes, until the onion is translucent.  Now raise the heat, add the liver and the bacon, let cook for a few seconds and then turn over.  Add the rest of the ingredients (I forgot the mushrooms - if you use them, cut them in half or break into several pieces unless they are tiny), cover, turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve with a green vegetable and, if liked, a source of carbohydrate - mashed potato, pasta, rice... I used German dumplings, just for a change.

Chickpea and vegetable curry with red rice

1/2 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight and then cooked in a pressure cooker for 12-15 minutes

OR 1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 red onion, peeled and chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 red or yellow pepper, chopped

chunk of butternut squash, peeled and diced

Either 1-2 small or 1/2 large courgette, diced

1 tin tomatoes

Sloosh tomato paste

2 tbs olive or other cooking oil

Curry powder, either your own blend or a proprietary one

Salt, pepper, etc

To serve: your choice of rice.  I used red rice, as I have recently come across it in a local vegan take-away, and it is utterly delicious - much nicer than brown, and quite a different thing to white.

Fry off the curry powder in the oil for a few minutes, then add the onion and other vegetables, which you stir well and leave to cook for a few minutes.  Then add the tomato paste, the tin of tomatoes, and any other seasoning you choose - I used salt with thyme (a blend from Brockwell Park), freshly ground mixed peppercorns, and a spoonful each of Dunn's River ginger/garlic/pimento and All-purpose seasoning.  I also added a teaspoonful of sugar, which is lovely with tomatoes - doesn't make it sweet, but does lift it. Allow to cook for 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are done, then serve with rice, and if liked, chutney, yoghurt, etc.

The red rice is cooked like any other kind - rinse, cook off in a little oil, add twice as much boiling water, stir, cover, leave on minimal heat for 45 minutes and then let sit for at least 10 minutes to absorb any remaining water.

Pork and bean casserole

As it is a Bank Holiday, we went out for the afternoon, so for once I thought ahead and put a casserole in the slow cooker!

1/2 cup dried cannellini beans - I only had 1/4 cup, so made it up with flageolets, which I had more of.

4 rashers belly pork

4 rashers back bacon 

1 large onion

1 clove garlic

2 large carrots

3 potatoes

1/4 cabbage

1 tin chopped tomatoes

A little water

Seasoning, to taste - I used rosemary, sage, pepper, season-all and a little Worcestershire Sauce.

Soak the beans either overnight in cold water or for 2 hours in boiling water (at least, water that was boiling when you put the beans into it.  Cook in a pressure cooker for 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile cut the pork and bacon into cubes, dice the onion, carrots and potatoes, crush the garlic and shred the cabbage.  Put the onion and garlic into a large pan in which you have put a little cooking oil, and cook until transparent.  Then add the meat and allow to cook for a bit, stirring frequently.  Once it has browned, add the rest of the vegetables and stir.  Allow to cook for a few minutes, then add the tinned tomatoes and a little water (not much).  Season, and then transfer to a slow cooker.

I put this back into the Instant Pot as it was out, and cooked it for 6 hours on medium, but it wasn't quite cooked (I don't think the Instant Pot is so good as a dedicated slow cooker; it is extremely wonderful as a pressure cooker and pressure steamer, but not so good as a slow cooker), so put it on to cook at high pressure for 6 minutes.  

 

Healthy ice cream, aka frozen smoothie

I found this recipe when I first went on-line, over 25 years ago now.  I hadn't made it for ages, but we had some slightly over-ripe strawberries that weren't going to survive in the fridge and needed frozen, so.....

1 banana, sliced and frozen (open-freeze on a plate so the chunks don't stick together)

1/2 punnet ripe strawberries, frozen (or you could use pre-frozen strawberries)

1 standard tub, or 2 tbs thick Greek yoghurt

2 tsp honey (optional)

I found I'd too much yoghurt to fruit, so added some frozen raspberries.

Exact quantities are not important, nor, indeed, is the kind of fruit other than bananas!  I've also used fruit juice instead of yoghurt and honey (useful if you want it vegan) - you can always omit the honey if you prefer, too, but it does add a bit of sweetness that is necessary in a frozen dessert.  You could also use a fruit  yoghurt instead.... experiment!

Put everything in a food processor - a blender isn't sturdy enough - and work until it comes out as really smooth and delicious ice-cream.

If there is more than you want to eat in one sitting, put it in a freezer-proof container and put in the freezer.  It will freeze rather hard, but you can take it out of the freezer a little before you want to eat it.

Sandwich fillings: Hummus and fishpaste

These are two separate things, you understand!  I always thought I didn't really like home-made hummus, but discovered recently that you should take the skins off the cooked chickpeas, and believe me, it is well worth spending five minutes or so doing that.

So, hummus:

1 tin chickpeas (one of the rare occasions I'll use a tin!)

1 large tbs tahini

1 tsp garlic paste (or crush a couple of cloves of garlic, up to you)

2 tbs lemon juice

Scant tbs olive oil

Seasoning as liked.

Drain the chickpeas and rinse well.  Now put into a bowl and cover with cold water.  Using your hands, rub at them until the skins come off, which float to the surface and you can discard.  You don't have to get absolutely every skin, of course, but it's worth repeating a couple of times until you are fairly confident you have the vast majority of them.

Now put the peas, and everything else, into a food processor and work until smooth, and then go on working for awhile until it is really smooth and creamy.  Adjust seasoning as necessary.

Fishpaste

I tin salmon - pink or red, your choice

1/2 tub cream cheese

Scant tbs lemon juice, wine vinegar, or, if you have some pickled vegetables (I see I haven't yet posted my recipe for those, but am still experimenting.  If you want a recipe, google "Bread and butter pickles"), the juice from the jar.

Seasoning as liked

Maybe a small sloosh of tomato paste, for colour?  Up to you.  I didn't.

Drain the salmon and, if you can be bothered, remove most of the skin and bone.  Put it, and all the other ingredients, into a food processor and work until smooth-ish.  

Cauliflower Cheese for Beginners

The Swan Whisperer volunteered to make cauliflower cheese for supper, and then said he hadn't the faintest idea how to do it!  So I said I would write out the basic recipe, step by step, so he could have a go.  Here it is!

You will need:

1/2 cauliflower, outer leaves removed, cut into chunks.  

1 small tin sweetcorn, drained

Roughly 3-4 oz cheddar, grated

About 25 g butter

1 cup (250 ml) milk

2 heaped tsp plain flour 

A little salt

A little black pepper

1/2 tsp dry mustard powder

2 hard-boiled eggs, shells removed

1 large tomato, sliced except I don't think there is one (never mind!)/  

2 slices bread

A few sprigs of fresh parsley

Microwave steamer

Cheese grater (and plate to put grated cheese on)

Small saucepan

Oven-proof dish (small casserole dish is fine, or one of the pyrex ones)

Sharp knife

Cappuccino whisk (or ordinary egg whisk)

Wooden or plastic stirring spoon

Small food processor

Boil the eggs for 10 minutes from cold, unless you already have hard-boiled eggs in the fridge.  Cool them at once under cold running water.  Put the cauliflower into the microwave steamer and add 250 ml boiling water.  Microwave for 5-6 minutes.  Grate the cheese and leave it on a plate.  Open and drain the tin of sweetcorn. Peel the eggs.

Put the butter into a small non-stick saucepan and allow to melt.

Meanwhile, put the milk, flour, salt, pepper and mustard into a jug, and whisk with the cappucino whisk until it's mixed and frothy.  Pour this over the butter in the saucepan, and stir continuously until it boils.  When it is boiling and has thickened nicely, take it off the heat and put in about 2/3 of the grated cheese and the contents of the tin of sweetcorn.  Stir well.

Put the cauliflower, which should have finished steaming by now, into the ovenproof dish, and tuck a hard-boiled egg each side (I usually put these by the handles, so I can find them again).  Pour the sauce over the top, and flatten it off as best you can.

Now, if there is a tomato, slice it and place the slices on the top.  If not, don't bother.  Put the slices of bread, the parsley, and the grated cheese into the food processor and blitz until it is breadcrumbs.  Spread this on top of the cauliflower mixture.

If you make this earlier in the day, cover it and refrigerate it until about 45 minutes before it's wanted.  Preheat the oven to Mark 5, uncover the dish and put it in the oven for 30-45 minutes, until bubbling and crisp.  Serve with new potatoes.

Quick lunch rolls

1 small carton natural yoghurt

The empty carton full of self-raising flour (I prefer wholemeal)

Pinch of salt

Other seasonings as liked.

Before you start, place a lid frying pan on the stove on a very low heat. 

Now put the yoghurt into a bowl, wash and wipe the container and fill it with flour. You may need a little more, depending on the consistency of the yoghurt and the type of flour.

Add seasonings - I used a pinch of mixed herbs and a spoonful of dukkah, but didn't really notice them.

Pumpkin  or sunflower seeds would work well, I think.

Stir it all together, and then knead it until you can form it into balls which you then flatten into little cakes. You can make flatbreads, if you prefer.

Now place these into the pan that has been heating on the low heat all this time. No oil or anything. Cover, and cook for 5 minutes, then turn and cook the other side for 5 minutes.  Split and serve hot! 

Instant Pot Risotto - updated 16 March 2021

 Some years ago now, I experimented with a slow cooker risotto, which didn't really go anywhere.  However, recently I have been learning how to make risotto in the Instant Pot, which is a very different technique to a normal risotto.  It is also a lot quicker - I don't really mind a risotto taking a long time to cook when I'm in the motor home (where it is a staple), but at home, it's nice not to be stuck in the kitchen!

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup risotto rice

About 125 ml white wine (cooking wine is fine)

Extra vegetables, as liked (I used mushrooms and a courgette, of which more anon)

Up to 250 ml stock (chicken is nicest, but vegetable is fine if you're vegetarian), ideally hot

Seasoning, as liked

1 tbs cooking oil

1 knob of butter 

1/2 packet shaved parmesan, or vegetarian equivalent

Put the Instant Pot on to sauté (I always do this on medium, as I find it gets too hot on high), and add the cooking oil; after a few minutes, add the onion, garlic, and extra vegetables, if using.  Stir vigorously and then add the rice, stir again.  Add the wine, and stir until it is almost all absorbed.

Then add the stock and seasoning, and put the lid on.  Turn to manual and high pressure, and set for 6 minutes.  When it beeps, reduce the pressure manually at once, to stop it overcooking.  Then add the butter and cheese, and stir vigorously so it all comes together in the lovely gloop that is risotto.

I made a bit of a nonsense of tonight's, if I'm honest - it didn't occur to me that the courgettes would add a good 50 ml of fluid to the mix, and so it was too wet, and not the nicest I've ever made.  But it was still edible.  But I shouldn't have added so much stock.

UPDATED 16 March 2021  I decided to make this with a courgette and half a punnet of mushrooms, and, given the amount of liquid those vegetables are apt to render, I reduced the amount of stock to 150 ml.  I was a bit nervous lest it prove too little, but, in fact, it was absolutely perfect!  I think, had I used butternut squash instead of courgette, I would use 200 ml stock, as it doesn't render so much.  But for a courgette and mushroom risotto, 150 ml is perfect!

Caribbean-style bean stew

I have too many Caribbean friends, and there are too many great Caribbean restaurants/take-aways round here, to want to do much in the way of Caribbean-style cooking, but I came across this video on YouTube yesterday, and decided to create my own version of it.  I'm very glad I did; on the other hand, there should probably have been more beans in it!  

• About 3/4 cup dried red kidney beans
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 small carrots
• 1 small leek
• 1 red chilli
• 3 peppardew peppers (which I just happened to have - optional!)
• 1 chunk butternut
• 1 sloosh tomato paste
• 2 tbs cooking oil
• 1 tbs soft brown sugar
• 2 tbs dried coconut milk
• 2 tsp bouillon powder
• Salt, pepper, 1 tsp each dried thyme and dried parsley, Dunn's River ginger/garlic/pimento and everyday seasoning

Soak the beans and bicarbonate in plenty of boiling water for a couple of hours.  Drain and rinse, then put the beans in a pressure cooker with enough water to come about 1-2 cm above them, and cook on high pressure for about 15 minutes, allowing pressure to reduce at room temperature.

Put 1 tbs of the cooking oil into a sauté pan and add the vegetables which you have peeled/chopped/crushed/whatever, as appropriate.  Stir thoroughly, cover, and allow to cook for 5-10 minutes.  Then place the remaining tbs of oil in a heavy-based pan and add the sugar.  Heat this and allow to caramelise, but not burn, and then add the beans with their cooking liquid.  This will froth up, so be very, very careful and only add a bit of the water at first, until it gets under control.  Stir thoroughly, then add the part-cooked vegetables and the rest of the ingredients, and a bit more water if you think it needs it.  Bring to the boil, stir thoroughly, and reduce to a simmer.  Allow to cook, covered, for about 15 minutes while you cook rice to go with it.

Another vegan recipe for the collection!

Breakfast tart

This was presented on Facebook in a heart-shaped mould, as suitable for a Valentine's Day breakfast.  I thought it would be a bit of a faff to make for breakfast, but might be rather nice as a midweek supper - as, indeed, it proved!

1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry 

2 tbs creme fraiche or cream cheese

1 large Portabello mushrooms, cut in pieces (this was supposed to be baby button mushrooms, but Someone Who Shall Be Namelss bought Portabello instead).

About 8 cherry tomatoes, halved.

1/2 packet lardons (I prefer unsmoked, but use smoked if you like that)

4-6 Peppadew pappers, halved

4-6 Basil leaves, torn

2 eggs

Preheat the oven to mark 6 (200 C; 400F).

Unroll the pastry into a greased baking tray. 

Spread it with the cream cheese or creme fraiche; add the rest of the toppings except the eggs. 

 

Bake for 20-25 minutes, then remove from heat, break the eggs on top and return to the oven for 8-10 minutes.  

Serves 2.

Marmalade steamed pudding

 This wasn't totally successful - the sponge wasn't quite cooked in the middle, but nothing a few moments in the microwave couldn't cure.   But it was warm, lovely comfort food!

2 eggs
Weigh the eggs and measure out the same weight of butter, sugar and self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
Large tablespoonful of marmalade, jam, golden syrup or similar.  Stewed apple is very good, too.

Grease a pudding basin (think mine is 3 pints, but wouldn't swear to it) and put the marmalade in the bottom.  Use either the creaming or the all-in-one method to mix the remaining ingredients into a cake batter, which you then place on top of the marmalade.  

Cover the bowl with either a plastic lid or with greaseproof paper or similar.

  Place on the trivet in an Instant Pot.  Add about 400 ml boiling water to the pot.  I cooked this on steam at high pressure for 40 minutes,

but, as I said above, it turned out not to be quite cooked, even with mostly reducing the pressure at room temperature.  Many recipes say to steam without sealing for 15 minutes, and then sealed for 20, but I'm not sure whether that would have worked any better.  Maybe 45 minutes next time?  Anyway, it was delicious, served with custard.

UPDATE: Although it was very good, I think next time it will be a baked sponge pudding - you make exactly the same way, but cook in the oven (arguably in a cake tin) instead of steaming.  Moderate oven, 20-25 minutes.....

Chicken stock

A friend of mine said that she couldn't use stock cubes because the chemicals didn't agree with her, so I told her how I make chicken stock. And as I was making some today, having had a roast chicken for supper yesterday, I thought I would do an illustrated post. It is an awful waste of a chicken not to make stock from the bones!

1 cooked chicken carcase

1 large onion

Several cloves garlic (optional)

1 leek (use the green end as well as the white bits)

Several carrots

1 stick celery, if you like cooked celery, which we don't so I didn't use one, but it's traditional

1 stock cube (obviously omit this if you are making stock because you can't tolerate cubes!)

2 litres water (about 1/2 American gallon, I believe)

Seasonings - salt, pepper, herbs, whatever....

Pick all the meat off the bones of the chicken and use elsewhere (sorry, my photo of the carcase didn't come out).

Peel the onion and chop into quarters, also peel the garlic

Cut the leek and carrots, and celery if using, into slightly smaller pieces.

and put everything into an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, if you have one.  If you don't have one, but do have a slow cooker (crock pot) then use that, and if you have neither, use a very large saucepan!  

In an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, you will want to cook it for about 20 minutes, and let it reduce pressure at room temperature, if possible, and certainly for at least 10-15 minutes after cooking has finished.  In a slow cooker, it's nicest left overnight, for about 12 hours or even 15.  And in an ordinary saucepan, you'll probably want a little more water and to simmer it for at least two hours, if not 3.

When it is ready, strain it and discard the solids, and you will be left with a large bowlful of stock to use as a basis for soups, risottos, etc - or you could even boil another chicken in it!