Hi y'all. Has it really been so long since my last post? Very poor show, isn't it?
I'm going to start posting some recipes again soon, honest! I'm in the middle of decorating my flat, which is taking a lot longer than anticiptated. That's mainly because the paint I'm applying to my lounge walls is taking five coats. Anyway, the good news is that I've done the kitchen, and I'm cooking. I'll upload some pics once (a) I've finished the lounge, (b) I've found my decent camera, and (c) I've cleared all the decorating mess from the kitchen. Still looks like a bit of a building site.
Anyway, thanks for bearing with me and my slack blogging. It's even worse because we're in the middle of the asparagus season, and as we all know, asparagus reigns supreme. So, until then, eat lots of asparagus, and enjoy.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Activity!
Oh yes! I'm back! For a few hours, anyway. After a week's delay, and an over-running timescale, my kitchen is almost finished. I've even taken some rubbish, lo-resolution pictures to show you the before-and-after shots, which I'll post next week.
One of my friends, Rob, has insisted on visiting tonight, even though there's no running water in the kitchen, and the rest of my apartment has turned into a building site. Oh well, off to the pub....
One of my friends, Rob, has insisted on visiting tonight, even though there's no running water in the kitchen, and the rest of my apartment has turned into a building site. Oh well, off to the pub....
Friday, March 02, 2007
My Kitchen's Like Battlestar Galactica
I think that's a fair analogy. My kitchen was built in the 1970's on a moderate budget, and now it looks laughably out of date. All the high-tech materials are, frankly, cheap bits of plastic. Tired and ropey. Thankfully, it's about to get a new lease of life, and become super-cool & stunning. That's right, it's being refurbished. So this weekend, I'm clearing all the cupboards out, defrosting the fridge, and dealing with a hundred other things that I'd forgotten to do. And then I'm disappearing for a week, to avoid the chaos.
In Season: March
I've been lucky enough to pick up lots of purple sprouting broccoli from a local (with car) farmshop- it's cheaper than in the supermarkets, and is a lot more intense in colour and taste (ie. it's a lot fresher). Here are some other seasonal foods.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Mushroom Risotto
I've been meaning to post this recipe for ages, but never got round to it. The reason being that I've cooked this for a fellow veggie and they've said "that's by far the best meal I've ever had". He was probably exaggurating, but it is one of my favourites, too. Very buttery- don't think I'd manage it everyday.
Ingredients for the stock:
2.5 l (4 pints) vegetable stock
50 g (1.8 oz) dried wild mushrooms (cep/porcini)
2 cloves of unpeeled garlic
sprig of thyme
And for the risotto:
250 g (9 oz) unsalted butter
2 onions, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 sprigs of thyme
250 g (9 oz) button mushrooms, sliced moderately finely
350 g (12 oz/4 handfuls) carnaroli rice
400 g (14 oz) selection of wild mushrooms
100 g (3.5 oz) parmesan cheese, to taste
pepper to taste
truffle oil and rocket salad to serve
Method for the stock:
In a saucepan, make up the stock.
Add the dried mushrooms, garlic and 1 sprig of thyme.
Leave to simmer until needed.
Method for the risotto:
Melt 3/4 of the butter in a saucepan until it is foaming, but not splitting.
Add the chopped onion, garlic and sprigs of thyme.
Gently move the ingredients around the pan with a wooden spoon to soften the onions in the butter. When the onions are translucent, add the sliced button mushrooms.
Cook on a gentle heat until the mushrooms are also translucent.
Add the rice and move it around in the mixture until you hear a faint little crackle.
Remove the garlic and thyme from the stock.
Add the stock to the rice, a little at a time, stirring all the time.
Cook for around 12–15 minutes – until you can bite right through a grain of rice with no hard bit in the middle.
Add the wild mushrooms and dried mushrooms from the stock.
Add the extra butter reserved earlier and the parmesan cheese to taste.
Serve the risotto with a drizzle of truffle oil and rocket salad.
That serves 4, and I got it from the TV show "Ever Wondered About Food?", cooked by Paul Merrett.
Ingredients for the stock:
2.5 l (4 pints) vegetable stock
50 g (1.8 oz) dried wild mushrooms (cep/porcini)
2 cloves of unpeeled garlic
sprig of thyme
And for the risotto:
250 g (9 oz) unsalted butter
2 onions, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 sprigs of thyme
250 g (9 oz) button mushrooms, sliced moderately finely
350 g (12 oz/4 handfuls) carnaroli rice
400 g (14 oz) selection of wild mushrooms
100 g (3.5 oz) parmesan cheese, to taste
pepper to taste
truffle oil and rocket salad to serve
Method for the stock:
In a saucepan, make up the stock.
Add the dried mushrooms, garlic and 1 sprig of thyme.
Leave to simmer until needed.
Method for the risotto:
Melt 3/4 of the butter in a saucepan until it is foaming, but not splitting.
Add the chopped onion, garlic and sprigs of thyme.
Gently move the ingredients around the pan with a wooden spoon to soften the onions in the butter. When the onions are translucent, add the sliced button mushrooms.
Cook on a gentle heat until the mushrooms are also translucent.
Add the rice and move it around in the mixture until you hear a faint little crackle.
Remove the garlic and thyme from the stock.
Add the stock to the rice, a little at a time, stirring all the time.
Cook for around 12–15 minutes – until you can bite right through a grain of rice with no hard bit in the middle.
Add the wild mushrooms and dried mushrooms from the stock.
Add the extra butter reserved earlier and the parmesan cheese to taste.
Serve the risotto with a drizzle of truffle oil and rocket salad.
That serves 4, and I got it from the TV show "Ever Wondered About Food?", cooked by Paul Merrett.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
The Italian Slob
Not much posting this week, as I've either been eating other people's food (always good) or else having the same meal - tortellini with fresh chilli, garlic, pesto, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Plus freshly-grated Parmesan and freshly-milled black pepper. It's repetitive, but I love it. Especially with a serving of steamed purple-sprouting broccoli, which is by far my favourite vegetable, after the almighty asparagus.
In keeping with the Italian theme, I'm cooking another Delia Smith recipe tonight- Tagliatelle With Gorgonzola & Toasted Walnuts. It was that, or Penne With Wild Mushrooms & Creme Fraiche. It was just a case of which set of ingredients I could lay my hands on first. I was impressed that I managed to find some delicious Cashel Blue in the first shop I tried- the awesome Nima Delicatessen, just down the road.
Anyway, the ingredients are slightly different- I'm using penne instead of tagliatelle, with the added advantage that, when I'm eating it, I'm less likely to splash cheese sauce in all directions in a four-foot radius. I'm also using Cashel Blue instead of Gorgonzola- I've tried this recipe before using each, and I think the trusty Irish cheese comes out on top.
Ingredients:
8 oz (225g) tagliatelle
4 oz (110g) creamy Gorgonzola or Cashel Blue
4 0z (110g) walnuts
2 oz (50g) butter
5 fl oz (150ml) single cream
4 spring onions, trimmed
freshly-grated Parmesan, to serve
salt & freshly-milled black pepper
Method:
Pre-heat the oven - 180 degrees C (gas mark 4, 350 degrees F).
Get the pasta water boiling.
Bake the walnuts on a baking tray for 6 mins.
Get a saucepan, & gently melt the butter over a low heat.
Add the cheese & cream, & let simmer very gently to become a creamy sauce.
Put the pasta in for boiling, and chop the walnuts into small pieces.
Finely chop the spring onions, add the ingredients to the sauce, mix with the drained pasta, & serve sprinkled with Parmesan.
Delicious, quick & easy.
In keeping with the Italian theme, I'm cooking another Delia Smith recipe tonight- Tagliatelle With Gorgonzola & Toasted Walnuts. It was that, or Penne With Wild Mushrooms & Creme Fraiche. It was just a case of which set of ingredients I could lay my hands on first. I was impressed that I managed to find some delicious Cashel Blue in the first shop I tried- the awesome Nima Delicatessen, just down the road.
Anyway, the ingredients are slightly different- I'm using penne instead of tagliatelle, with the added advantage that, when I'm eating it, I'm less likely to splash cheese sauce in all directions in a four-foot radius. I'm also using Cashel Blue instead of Gorgonzola- I've tried this recipe before using each, and I think the trusty Irish cheese comes out on top.
Ingredients:
8 oz (225g) tagliatelle
4 oz (110g) creamy Gorgonzola or Cashel Blue
4 0z (110g) walnuts
2 oz (50g) butter
5 fl oz (150ml) single cream
4 spring onions, trimmed
freshly-grated Parmesan, to serve
salt & freshly-milled black pepper
Method:
Pre-heat the oven - 180 degrees C (gas mark 4, 350 degrees F).
Get the pasta water boiling.
Bake the walnuts on a baking tray for 6 mins.
Get a saucepan, & gently melt the butter over a low heat.
Add the cheese & cream, & let simmer very gently to become a creamy sauce.
Put the pasta in for boiling, and chop the walnuts into small pieces.
Finely chop the spring onions, add the ingredients to the sauce, mix with the drained pasta, & serve sprinkled with Parmesan.
Delicious, quick & easy.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Sabzi Korma
I bought a copy of Julie Sahni's Classic Indian Vegetarian Cookery about 2 years ago, and I only got around to trying a recipe last week. I used to be on a quest to master the dark art of cooking curry in the style of British Indian restaurants, but trying out experimental recipes with lots of oil can get out of hand. There is a great site - Curry Recipes Online, which has a lot of truly devoted curry fans, working towards perfecting home-made curries, in the British restaurant style. I've mentioned that forum before, and you can bet I'll mention it again.
Anyway, I dug out and dusted down CIVC because I was getting curry cravings. Without further ado, here's the recipe for sabzi korma (cauliflower, aubergine & potato in herb sauce). Serves 4.
And it's delicious. In fact, I'll just quote her description, because it's very mouth-watering:
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons grated or crushed fresh ginger root
5 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
30g (1 oz) ground blanched almonds
1 tbsp ground coriander seeds
1/2 tsp ground fennel seeds
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tin of tomatoes, pureed (or 2 fresh tomatoes, pureed, plus 2 teaspoons tomato paste)
1 tsp paprika
350 ml (12 fl oz) water
1 medium-sized cauliflower (about 2lbs), cut into florets
1 small aubergine (about 250g/ 8 oz), cut into 4cm or 1.5 inch cubes
2 medium-sized potatoes (about 250g/ 8 oz), peeled & cut into 4cm or 1.5 inch cubes
1.5 tsps ground roasted cumin seeds (or garam masala)
2 tsps coarse salt
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Method:
Get all the spices ready to go in separate piles.
Heat the oil in a heavy pan over a medium-high heat.
Add the onion & fry, stirring, 'til browned- about 10 mins.
Stir in the garlic & ginger & cook for 2 mins.
Add the coriander leaves & almonds, & cook for another 2 mins.
Stir in the ground coriander seeds, fennel, cayenne & turmeric - let the spices sizzle for a few seconds.
Add the tomatoes & paprika, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 2 mins. Keep stirring to prevent burning.
Add the water & the rest of the vegetables. Turn the heat up high, and bring to the boil.
Lower the heat & simmer (covered) for 30 mins.
Turn off the heat & stir in the cumin powder (or garam masala).
Let stand for 30 mins before serving, to let the flavours blend, & then serve sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Anyway, I dug out and dusted down CIVC because I was getting curry cravings. Without further ado, here's the recipe for sabzi korma (cauliflower, aubergine & potato in herb sauce). Serves 4.
And it's delicious. In fact, I'll just quote her description, because it's very mouth-watering:
Korma is the classic Moghul technique of braising vegetables in a thick, nut-rich sauce. In this process the vegetables retain their flavour & shape during cooking. Thus korma dishes are considered one of the most elegant preparations in vegetarian cookery & often occupy the centre place at the banquet table. Here the vegetables are cooked in a fennel-&-coriander-scented and almond-tomato sauce. The toasted sesame garnish adds an interesting texture as well as a nutty flavour to the dish.
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons grated or crushed fresh ginger root
5 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
30g (1 oz) ground blanched almonds
1 tbsp ground coriander seeds
1/2 tsp ground fennel seeds
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tin of tomatoes, pureed (or 2 fresh tomatoes, pureed, plus 2 teaspoons tomato paste)
1 tsp paprika
350 ml (12 fl oz) water
1 medium-sized cauliflower (about 2lbs), cut into florets
1 small aubergine (about 250g/ 8 oz), cut into 4cm or 1.5 inch cubes
2 medium-sized potatoes (about 250g/ 8 oz), peeled & cut into 4cm or 1.5 inch cubes
1.5 tsps ground roasted cumin seeds (or garam masala)
2 tsps coarse salt
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Method:
Get all the spices ready to go in separate piles.
Heat the oil in a heavy pan over a medium-high heat.
Add the onion & fry, stirring, 'til browned- about 10 mins.
Stir in the garlic & ginger & cook for 2 mins.
Add the coriander leaves & almonds, & cook for another 2 mins.
Stir in the ground coriander seeds, fennel, cayenne & turmeric - let the spices sizzle for a few seconds.
Add the tomatoes & paprika, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 2 mins. Keep stirring to prevent burning.
Add the water & the rest of the vegetables. Turn the heat up high, and bring to the boil.
Lower the heat & simmer (covered) for 30 mins.
Turn off the heat & stir in the cumin powder (or garam masala).
Let stand for 30 mins before serving, to let the flavours blend, & then serve sprinkled with sesame seeds.
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