Easter eggs!

Update:  For Easter Day, I boiled up yellow onion skins the day before and left them to sit overnight, then boiled our breakfast eggs in them this morning, with this result:

In German supermarkets, they sell boxes of six or ten hard-boiled eggs, dyed pretty colours, all year round, and I often buy them, both for us to eat at lunchtime and to take home for my mother, who likes them. 

However, we are not in Germany, and won't be going for another month, and it is Eastertide.  I have vague memories of reading that one could dye eggs with natural ingredients, and then a picture form this post popped up in my Facebook feed.  So I had a couple of experiments.

WARNING: The eggs, while perfectly edible, are horrendously hard - I still haven't quite perfected them.  The ones you buy in Germany are hard-boiled, of course, but not to the extent that they get a black ring round the yolk,  But I think it's probably difficult not to when making them at home.

The basic recipe is very simple.  In a stainless-steel saucepan you put your dyestuff of choice (I used firstly 1/2 packet of frozen blueberries, and then secondly the skins of 5 or 6 red onions), and a large spoonful of vinegar.  Fill the saucepan with water, bring to the boil, and simmer for 20-30 minutes (don't let the saucepan boil dry, which I nearly did!).  If necessary, top up with cold water and bring to the boil again.  Let it cool, strain out all the solids, and then add your eggs - as many as you can spare, or as can comfortably fill the saucepan, bring back to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, then let them cool in the liquid.  If they aren't coloured enough, let them soak a little longer.  Remove from the water and admire!  When cold, polish with olive oil.

This was my first attempt, with blueberries: 

and the next day's, with red onion skins:

Of course, the colours will vary according to whether you use white eggs (not so easy to get here, but Lidl does sometimes have them) or brown.  I think for Easter Day I'll use yellow onion skins (maybe make the dye bath the night before) and then just boil the eggs as normal for Easter morning breakfast.  We shall see....

Stir-fried vegetables with fish (or whatever) and pilau rice

I rather think this is one of those unrepeatable dishes, but I had half a trout and half a pack of (packet) hollandaise sauce, and didn't fancy a fish pie, so improvised.  But the basic idea could work for all sorts of things....  This served 2

For the rice:

c 1 tbs cooking oil

a little salt

1 tsp Pilau seasoning (bought in Nour, Brixton)

1/2 cup (125 ml) long-grain white rice (I used Basmati, but whatever you like)

1 cup (250 ml) boiling water

Hot the cooking oil, then stir in the salt and spices.  Add the rice and stir thoroughly.  Add the boiling water, stir again, then cover and reduce the heat to as low as possible for 10 minutes.  Turn off the heat, and let stand for another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile

Another tbs cooking oil

Various vegetables, diced.  I used:

A slice of butternut squash

1/2 yellow pepper

1 medium courgette

1 small pak choi

A sloosh garlic paste

A few drops of sriracha

1 tsp Dunns River All-purpose seasoning

1/2 tsp each vegetable and fish seasoning (these are from Germany, but any similar ones will do)

Heat the oil, then stir-fry the vegetables for at least 5 minutes.  I then added the cooked trout and Hollandaise sauce and made sure it was heated through, but you could use any fish, or perhaps cooked sausages, cut into chunks, and if you don't have any sauce, then about 100 ml water, or just let the vegetables moisten it all - you don't have to use my choice of veg, but a range of different colours is always good.  If you wanted it veggie or vegan, you could add peas or beans and sweetcorn to balance out the proteins.  

Vegetable "sausages"

I've put sausages in quotes because honestly, I think it would be easier to form them into patties or burgers, but whatever.  I thought this would feed 2, but it was so filling we both left half to live to fight another day!

I adapted this recipe from one I saw on Facebook or YouTube or somewhere - really can't remember where.  I happen to have the most enormous courgette you ever did see, so cut a chunk off that to use.  

1 medium courgette, or a chunk off a large one

1 medium potato

1 medium carrot,

1 egg

2-4 tablespoonsful gram flour

1/2 packet halloumi cheese

Peel and grate all the vegetables (no need to peel the courgette unless the peel is a bit tough), squeezing as much liquid as you can out of the courgette and potato.  Dice the cheese, add about 2 tbs gram flour (aka besan or chickpea flour), season, and mix thoroughly.  Add the egg and mix until it holds together, then with very clean hands, form into sausage - or patty - shapes and put on a floured board.  Sprinkle with more flour and rest in the fridge for about 20 minutes or so.  Fry in a little oil in a covered pan for about 8 minutes each side.  I served this with a rich tomato sauce and green beans.

The original recipe used oatmeal, which might have been better for absorbing moisture, and also grated cheese that would have melted and bound the whole thing together, and I think, if I make them again (which I expect I shall), I might use grated cheese.  But the gram flour does add such a lovely texture!

Watermelon yelm

 I do love watermelon at this time of year, and tend to buy whole ones as being less extravagant than the boxes of chunks you can buy.  Okay, someone has to cut it up, but that's not difficult.  But, of course, you end up with boxes full of watermelon chunks in the fridge, and while it's a refreshing dessert, or a delicious salad with feta, but....

And I had run out of "yelm", and although I had the lemons to make more, I didn't have any mint.  While plain yelm is delicious, I am also not averse to experimenting.  I only made a small amount, to see if it worked.

Rind and juice of 2 lemons

About 300 ml watermelon juice (fill a blender goblet and see how much it makes.  Drink whatever is left over!)

25 g citric acid

250 g sugar

About 450 ml boiling water, maybe 500 ml.

Put all the ingredients into a large bowl and stir until the sugar has dissolved.  Allow to cool for awhile, then strain and bottle.  Keep in the fridge.  Dilute to taste, either with plain or sparkling water, ideally chilled!

 

Rich tomato sauce

This is absolutely lush, and well worth the time it takes!

2 tsp cooking oil 

1 large onion

3-4 cloves garlic

1 tin tomatoes (ideally tinned cherry tomatoes, if you can get them)

1/2 tub soft cheese, ideally garlic and herb

Seasoning to taste - I find it doesn't need salt, just pepper.

Place the oil in a heavy-based saucepan and heat gently.  Peel the onion, and chop it as finely as you are able.  Put the chopped onion into the saucepan and stir well to coat. 

Let them cook gently to soften and go translucent.  Meanwhile peel the garlic, and either chop, crush or grate it -  I always use a crusher, but I know other people have other ways.  Add this to the onion and oil, and again, allow to cook gently for a few minutes.  Now add the tinned tomatoes and about 1/3 tin of water.  Stir thoroughly and bring to a simmer.  Cover, and let it simmer for about 45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Then add the half-tub of cream cheese and stir thoroughly to mix.  Delicious with pasta, either as is, or as a pasta bake.  I also made a roast vegetable bake with it earlier in the week, which was lush!

Hollandaise sauce

This is incredibly easy, really.  I always think it's going to be harder than it is - but it's no worse than mayonnaise, which is also massively easier than I think it's going to be!

1 egg

Juice of 1 lemon

About 125 g butter (1/2 packet)

Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter - I use the microwave, and melt it in a little jug so that it is easy to pour.  Put the egg and lemon juice in a blender and process for a minute or two until smooth.  Leaving the blender running, pour the butter in a very thin stream.  When it's all in there, continue to run the blender until it thickens and is smooth.  Season to taste, and give a last whizz to mix the seasoning in.

Serve with fish and/or vegetables, especially things like purple sprouting or tenderstem broccoli, or asparagus.  It will keep, covered, for a couple of days in the fridge.

(The sauce in this photo is coating a salmon fillet and some new potatoes)

Strawberry-watermelon lemonade

 I have just made some "yelm", and one of my favourite drinks, when I can get it, is Lidl's raspberry lemonade.  Or, indeed, their strawberry lemonade.  They are not selling it in my branch at the moment, but they had a coupon for money off strawberries.  And I have (as I frequently do) a craze on watermelon just now, and as boxes of watermelon chunks are expensive, I thought I'd buy a whole watermelon.  I used some in a salad, but used the rest in our drink.

All measurements are approximate - I basically eyeballed it!  

Chunk of watermelon (about 30 grammes, I think; it wasn't a huge chunk)

1/2 punnet strawberries

2 tbs "yelm" concentrate (or a commercial lemon squash)

Iced water

Cut the melon into chunks, and hull the strawberries.  Put them in a blender with the yelm, and whizz until smooth.  Top up with iced water and shake or blend again.  Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

I think it needed the lemon to cut the sweetness a bit, but do experiment.  Maybe a spoonful of lemon juice instead might be nice....  

Asparagus risotto for beginners

If it doesn't rain, I have a Zoom tai chi class, so the Swan Whisperer has volunteered to get supper!

1 tbs olive oil

1 red onion, finely chopped

Small amount garlic paste

1/2 cup risotto rice

250 ml cooking wine

500 ml chicken stock (Fresh  is best, but from a cube if  necessary) 

1 packet locally-grown asparagus

Knob of butter

Handful grated or shaved Parmesan (use a vegetarian version of necessary) - about 1/3-1/2 pack

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the onion and garlic gently in the olive oil until translucent, stirrng all the time. Add the rice and stir for approximately 1 minute, then add the wine. Bring to the boil and simmer, stirring frequently, until the wine is almost all absorbed.

Meanwhile, heat the stock in another saucepan. Cut the very tough ends off the asparagus and discard, and cut the rest in roughly half. Steam the tips, and meanwhile boil the bottom end in the stock that is waiting to be used.

When the wine has almost evaporated, add roughly half the stock to the rice mixture, and again allow to simmer, stirring frequently, until absorbed.

Meanwhile, use a slotted spoon to remove the asparagus stalks from the stock, and puree them with a tiny bit of the stock until smooth. Add the remainder of the stick to the rice and continue as before. The rice should be cooked by the time this last lot has evaporated. Add the pureed asparagus, the butter and the cheese, and beat thoroughly (ideally using a risotto spoon with a hole in it), check the seasoning and serve with the asparagus tips on the top. 

Clean-the-fridge traybake with halloumi

This is good for when you have a shedload of vegetables that you are not quite sure what to do with.  Feel free to mix and match!

For the marinade:

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

1 tbs olive oil

Scant tsp brown sugar

1 tsp soya sauce

1/2 tsp mustard

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Mix the ingredients in a blender or smoothie maker - the mustard will help it emulsify.  Don't add too much sugar (I did, and wished I hadn't).  You can substitute balsamic glaze if you have it, although then you'll have to put the garlic in with the rest of the traybake.

3-4 medium potatoes

1 red onion

1 large tomato

1/2 large red pepper

1/2 large courgette

1/2 punnet mushrooms

Large chunk butternut squash

1/2 pack halloumi cheese

Pre-heat the oven to Mark 6 or 200 C.  Cut the potatoes into chunks and either parboil or microwave steam for a few minutes.  Meanwhile, cut the other vegetables as appropriate and place in a baking tray.  Add the part-cooked potatoes, then drizzle with the marinade and stir.  Top with  the sliced halloumi, and bake for 45 minutes to an hour.  Not very photogenic, so here is a random photo of butternut squash!

My current favourite overnight oats

We all have our favourite versions of muesli, or overnight oats, or whatever.  I do like my recipe for bircher muesli, but this version is my current favourite and is quicker to make.

1/2 cup muesli (we use Lidl's Deluxe version)

1 apple

Frozen fruit, to taste (raspberries, or berry mix)

1 cup oat milk or kefir.  Oat milk is nicer; kefir is probably better for you.  

Grate your apple into a bowl, then stir in the rest of the ingredients.  The fruit should thaw overnight in the fridge.  

It isn't very photogenic, so here is a pack of frozen fruit which might be in one of our freezers.  Or something similar.

Ninoo Smoothie

No, I don't know who Ninoo is or was, but I suspect he is/was employed at the café across the road where I first came across this delicious drink.  It is lovely, but at £5 a go, rather expensive for every day, so I thought I would have a go at making my own, and it seems to be very successful!

Blend together in a blender or smoothie maker:

1 banana

1 shot espresso (if you don't have an espresso maker, just make very strong coffee!  You need about the amount you would have in an espresso)

1 heaped tsp drinking chocolate

About 200 ml oat milk.

I didn't know I liked oat milk until I tried this - certainly a great deal nicer than cows' milk, which I am not fond of.

Inspired by Five Guys veggie cheese sandwich

 

The Five Guys veggie cheese sandwich is one of the best vegetarian (or vegan, you can have it without the cheese) options that I've ever had at a burger bar.  Their burgers are okay, but this - basically, all the toppings without the burger - is delicious.  Anyway, Becca at Easy Cheesy Vegetarian has a recipe for a copycat version, and I thought I would make it this evening, but I didn't have any burger buns, so I thought I would put it on a jacket potato.  And then I added some extra veggies.....

Butter

Olive oil

2 medium/large potatoes

1 medium onion

1 yellow pepper

Chunk of butternut squash

1/2 punnet mushrooms

1/2 medium (or 1 small) courgette

Chunk butternut squash

1 chilli pepper

Squoosh of garlic paste, or a couple of cloves of crushed garlic

2 spoonfuls Greek yoghurt (or butter, or non-dairy spread)

2-3 slices cracked black pepper cheese (or Mexican, or grated cheese, or whatever), omit if vegan

Rub the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt - rosemary salt is brilliant if you have any.  Stick a skewer in them, and cook at mark 6 for about an hour.  Or pierce several times and microwave for about 10-12 minutes, but you won't get the crispy skin that way.

While the potatoes are cooking, chop the vegetables (peeling the onion and the squash), and place in a pan with a knob of butter and the olive oil.

 Cook on a medium/low heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Season with herbal salt.

When cooked, open the potatoes and add the yoghurt, butter, or whatever you are using.  Pile the vegetables on top, and top with the cheese.  I love that stuff, but do find it sticks together rather, so I ended up tearing it roughly.  

It was delicious, and I am full!

Butternut squash fritatta with bacon, potatoes and spinach

 This time of year it's all about the squashes!  Or pumpkins.  I had a lovely white squash which we had half of roasted with a sachet of pre-cooked curried chickpeas, which we had on its own, and the second half with jollof rice which we had acquired from church lunch, and which was served with sea bass and a roasted pepper. All very good, and we had the jollof rice twice more, stretched with mushrooms, onions and lardons, served once with roast vegetables (including butternut squash) and once as egg fried rice!  

However, that was the end of the rice, and tonight's meal was inspired by something I saw on Facebook this morning.  It will do us twice, as it was very filling!

3 potatoes, thinly sliced

Chunk of butternut squash, cubed

Packet pre-washed spinach

Packet lardons (smoked or unsmoked, as you prefer)

A couple of spoonfuls of grated cheese

4 eggs, beaten

Seasoning - apart from salt (it doesn't need much because bacon) and pepper, I used a little dried sage and rosemary.

Spritz of neutral cooking oil

Take a large sauté pan with a lid and add a spritz or so of cooking oil into it.  Heat over medium heat, and then add the sliced potatoes. 

Cover, and allow to cook in their own steam while you peel and chop the butternut.  When the potatoes are nearly done (about 5-10 minutes) add the cubed butternut and the herbs,

if using, stir, cover again and continue to cook for several more minutes. Then add the lardons, and cook them, stirring all the time, and then the spinach (I did it in two lots) and stir until it is completely wilted down.

Finally, sprinkle with grated cheese, and then pour over the beaten eggs. 

Leave it to cook, covered, for a few minutes until the cheese has melted, and then put under a pre-heated grill for about 5 minutes until it is all brown and gorgeous!   

To make vegetarian: Omit the bacon, and perhaps use veggie Parmesan or a stronger cheese to make up the lack.

To make vegan: Omit the bacon and cheese, and instead of the eggs, use a gram flour batter, as in this recipe.  I think I might try this.....

"Yelm", or home-made lemon squash. Updated 10 September 2021 and again 12 August 2022

It was my father, I think, who first called it "Yelm",  as a way of distinguishing it from other kinds of lemon drink.  Certainly my family have been making it for well over 50 years - I remember taking a supply to school in empty whisky bottles, which slightly disconcerted the House Mistress and Matron - it would have been a lot worse had I been bringing in whisky or gin in empty lemon squash bottles, of course.... Yelm, by the way, is very nice mixed with gin if you like gin.

Measurements are in Imperial, as that's what we used back in the day.  I'll put rough metric equivalents in brackets.

Rind and juice of 3 lemons
2 oz citric acid (approx 50g)
2 lbs sugar (a little less than 1 kg) (see note)

3 pints boiling water (1.75 litres)
Optionally, you could add elderflower blossoms or crushed mint (I love mint in lemon drinks so I used the latter).
Empty bottles - to take at least 2.25 litres

You can also use limes as well as, or instead of, lemons; if you use just limes, then use 4 as they are apt to be smaller.  Oranges work if mixed with lemons or limes, but render the finished drink too sweet on their own.   Today (September 2021) I am going to make lime and mint.

PLEASE NOTE: You really don't need 2 lbs of sugar - I'm now using 500g, and my mother just uses 1 lb.  So if you wish to cut down on sugar.... it's really "to taste".  Ordinary squash seems vilely sweet in comparison!

Mix everything together in a large jug or bowl and stir until the sugar and acid have dissolved.  Strain, and pour into bottles (if you don't strain, it doesn't last so long as the citrus peel is apt to go mouldy); keep in the fridge and dilute to taste.  I imagine that if you wanted lemon barley water, you could use this as a base instead of making from scratch......

Not quite....

This was not quite a croque-monsieur and not quite a Welsh rabbit!  I don't know what to call it, but it was very good except that the sauce had too much mustard in it for my taste!  Also, I didn't really measure....

Large handful grated cheddar (50-100 grammes)

Dollop of butter (25 g?)

2 tsp plain flour (again, this was a dollop, as it was the end of my little jar I decant it into)

1 tsp Dijon mustard (N.B. this was too much for my taste; if I do this again, it will be half the amount)

1 tbs white wine (or beer, but we had none in the fridge)

1 tsp Worcester sauce

About 25 grinds of black pepper

4 slices sourdough bread (or ordinary bread)

2 cooked sausages, sliced lengthwise

Extra grated cheese, for sprinkling

Lettuce and tomato to garnish

Grill the bread on one side only.  Put the first 7 ingredients into a saucepan and cook, stirring all the time, until it is pretty much boiling, the cheese has melted and the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan.

Spread two of the slices of toast on the untoasted side with a small amount of the sauce, and then stick the sausages on it.  Top with the other slices, toasted side down, and cover them with the rest of the sauce.  Sprinkle with grated cheese, and put under the grill again until it melts.  Serve with a side salad.

Tortelloni bake

This was inspired by Easy Cheesy Vegetarian's recent post, and also by my original macaroni cheese recipe.

1 packet fresh tortelloni (your choice of filling)

2 small onions

2-3 cloves garlic

1 tbs sunflower oil or similar

1 tin tomatoes

1 tbs plain flour 

Seasoning: salt, pepper, dry mustard powder, herbs or spices as liked

Handful grated Cheddar (didn't measure, probably around 50g)

1 tin sweetcorn

1/2 packet halloumi cheese

Chop your onions and garlic and fry gently in the oil in an oven-proof dish (cast iron is ideal).  While this is happening, boil your tortelloni for 3 minutes.  Drain into a sieve.

Meanwhile, put the tinned tomatoes, flour, seasonings and the liquid from the tin of sweetcorn (if there is any - some brands are more-or-less vacuum-packed) and blend until smooth.  

When the tortelloni have finished cooking, put the blended tomato mixture on top of the onions, raise the heat and stir vigorously until it comes to the boil and thickens.  At which point, turn off the heat and add the grated cheese and the sweetcorn,

stir, and then add the tortelloni and stir in, flattening off the top. 

Now cover the top with sliced halloumi,

and bake at mark 6 for about 30 minutes.  

Very lazy fish pie

The only way this could be lazier is if you bought it as a ready-meal!

1 packet fish pie mix (mixed fish - salmon, cod and smoked haddock), thawed and drained

1 hard-boiled egg, peeled and chopped (I even bought these ready-boiled in Germany!)

1 tsp fish seasoning (I used Dunn's River, but other seasoning mixes are available)

A couple of tablespoonsful of frozen peas or broad beans

1 packet pre-made parsley sauce

1 packet gnocchi

Put the first five ingredients in an oven-proof dish and stir.  Top with the gnocchi.  Put in in an oven you have pre-heated to Mark 6, and leave to cook for about 50 minutes.  So easy it couldn't be easier.

Fennel, onion and red pepper sauce

 This was fantastic with sea bass, but not very photogenic, so this is a generic picture of fennel that I found on the web: 

Ingredients

2 tbs olive oil

1/2 bulb fennel

1 red sweet (bell) pepper

1 onion

Salt, pepper, other seasonings to taste - I used za'ataar and Dunn's River fish seasoning

Chop the vegetables, removing the white ribs and seeds from the pepper.  Cook in the olive oil over a medium heat until they are cooked, stirring fairly frequently.  This will take about 15-20 minutes.  Transfer to a food processor and blitz until smooth, adding a bit of lemon juice if it is too dry.  Serve with fish.  

Poireaux vinaigrette

This is a traditional French starter, perfect for St. David's Day.

1 leek per person, cut into small pieces 

1 heaped tsp. Dijon mustard (or any other kind; I do prefer the kind with seeds in it, but you could even use mustard powder instead, although arguably not so much!)

C 2 tbs wine vinegar 

C 4 tbs olive oil

Steam the leeks until they are cooked. Meanwhile, put the mustard and vinegar into a blender and add the oil in a steady stream while it is running. The mustard with emulsify the mixture, which is what you want. Season as liked - I didn't think it needed any more, but you might.

Pour a judicious quantity of the dressing on to the hot leeks and stir well. You want to coat them, not give them a bath, so you may have some dressing left over, depending on how many leeks you have. Allow to cool, and refrigerate before eating. They are meant to be eaten cold. 

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.