Category: Love food

Categories
Love food Main event

Quinoa cakes with wild garlic

When I saw that the wild garlic is ready for picking I just had to share this recipe with you. It is another Ottolenghi special. The quinoa cakes can be made gluten free by using gluten free breadcrumbs or gluten free oats instead of breadcrumbs. Don’t worry if you can’t find wild garlic leaves as spring onion can be used instead. I wouldn’t use the same weight though, unless you particularly like that flavour.

Wild garlic leaves can be used in other ways too – to make soup, in salads, or wilt as you would spinach, In fact I think of wild garlic as garlic flavoured spinach leaves. You can use the flowers to decorate your salad plates as they too are edible. There is a photo below to help you spot wild garlic while out and about, usually found in shaded slightly damp areas. A few spots I know you can find it is Arandene Open Space, Darlands Nature Reserve (Totteridge), Scratchwood open space and the Riverside Park Walk in Woodside Park. You don’t need to worry about the possibility of picking the wrong leaf as its smell is very distinctive.

After I posted this, I noticed this recipe for cheese scones with wild garlic. I couldn’t help myself, I had to do a quick update. I’ll be trying these out tomorrow. Can’t wait…

Categories
Love food Main event

Aubergine cheesecake

I know it sounds weird but trust me this aubergine cheesecake is amazingly delicious. If my word is not enough, I know that when I tell you that its an Ottolenghi recipe you will believe me. As well as being delicious it is also quick and easy to make. You do need to leave it to rest when it comes out of the oven so factor that into your timings.

You can find the recipe on the Guardian website.

I always use more aubergines than the recipe suggests – 3 medium to large aubergines – leaving the filling quantities as per the recipe.

Categories
Love food Main event

Chestnut & cashew nut roast

Nut roast was traditionally the only food ever made as the vegetarian alternative and so it got a bit of a bad reputation. Unfairly in my opinion, especially for this particular recipe. It really is very tasty. If not all eaten straight away it can be sliced into portions and frozen. If freezing, portion out the sauce proportionately and freeze that too.

I have to admit that chopping everything is a bit of a faff but I really do think it is worth it.

Ingredients (8 servings)

Method

  • Heat the oil in a fairly large pan, add the onion and fry for approx 5 mins until softened and just lightly browned.
  • Stir in the carrots & celery and fry for a few more mins, stirring well
  • Remove from the heat and add everything except for 2 tbsp of cashews and 1 tbsp parsley. Mix well.
  • Place everything into a lined loaf tin. Press down flat and then sprinkle on the reserved cashews and parsley
  • Bake for 1 hour on 170C. You may need to loosely cover the top part way through to stop the top burning.
  • While the roast is cooking, make the sauce: heat the oil in a pan and add the mushrooms and garlic. Fry for a few minutes until softened.
  • Stir in the sherry and bubble briefly. Add the cream, season and bring to the boil. You can have the sauce as it is or blend, as we do, using a hand blender.
  • I find it’s best to let the roast rest for a little while before cutting it otherwise it can fall apart. Also, to get fairly even slices, I cut in half and then cut each half into four slices.
Categories
Love food Salads Vegan

Red cabbage salad…

… with nori and ginger

As with many salads, its the dressing that makes it. This one with ginger, sesame oil, mayo and light soy sauce is really quite special. You can have a play with the salad ingredients themselves but I recommend sticking to the dressing recipe exactly as given.

Recipe link

Categories
Love food Other Vegan

Falafel

Falafel is obviously not a new dish for anyone but I guess that these are mostly reserved for a takeaway or as a ready meal. In my humble opinion, these are definitely better than the shop bought falafel. Although, I readily admit that nothing beats those bought on a stand in Israel or from Pilpel in London – my favourite place for lunch. I am sincerely hoping that it can ride out the Coronovirus crisis.

Recipe – makes enough for 6/8; any spare freeze well

  • 450g dried chickpeas
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup parsley
  • 3-5 garlic cloves
  • 1.5 tbsp flour
  • 1 3/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • pinch of ground cardamon

Method

  • Soak the chickpeas overnight, you’ll need a big bowl for this, they always swell more than I expect.
  • Put all ingredients into a food processor
  • Refrigerate for 1-2 hours
  • With slightly oiled hands, shape the mix into balls ready for frying; or you can do this as you go along as I do
  • Find a pan that you can heat a good amount of oil in; they don’t have to be deep fried, they can be turned but the oil will still need to be a few cm high. I fry mine in a wok and turn over with a metal slotted spoon.
Categories
Love food Vegan

Miso aubergines

or Nasu Dengaku, the Japanese name for this amazing dish. This is one of my two favourite dishes whenever I go to a Japanese restaurant. My second favourite is Black Cod, another miso marinated dish.

Ingredients for the miso glaze (for 2 halves of an aubergine)

  • 1.5 tbsp white miso paste
  • 1.5 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 tbsp mirrin
  • 1/2 tbsp sake

Garnish

  • Spring onions
  • Sesame seeds

Method

  • Half the aubergine and score through (without going through the skin) diagonally in one direction and then in the other. Each scored line should be approx 1 cm apart.
  • Put some oil in a frying pan, one you have a lid for, and fry skin side up until the flesh has turned golden.
  • Turn over, turn the heat down to low and place a lid on top. The aubergines are now steam cooking through and are ready when the flesh is completely soft all the way through. This stage will take at least 15 mins but it can take longer so be patient.
  • While the aubergines are cooking, mix the miso glaze ingredients.
  • Once fully cooked, spread the miso glaze evenly over each aubergine half
  • Up to the previous stage can all be prepared in advance: when ready to eat pop in a hot oven for approx 10 mins
  • Serve sprinkled with spring onion and sesame seeds

Categories
Love food Sweet stuff

Iced chocolate terrine

I have been making this recipe every Pesach for years. It’s a real family favourite. I really don’t know why I keep it just for Pesach but somehow doing so makes it that more special. I have to warn you though that it is very rich, so don’t cut your slices too big.

A word about my picture… I thought I should tell you that the lines on the side are from the clingfilm. I probably should have smoothed it out but we just wanted to get on and eat it.

Ingredients

  • 75g dark cooking chocolate
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 120g caster sugar
  • 50g honey
  • 120g unsalted butter or margarine at room temperature
  • 65g cocoa powder
  • 300 ml double cream/non-dairy cream (unsweetened)

Method

  • Line a 900g loaf tin with cling film and ideally cut enough so that you will be able to pull it over the top once frozen
  • Place the honey and chocolate into a small microwaveable bowl and gradually heat to melt the chocolate.
  • Leave to cool a little then stir in the sugar and egg yols
  • Beat the butter and cocoa powder together until smooth; mix with the melted chocolate mix
  • Whip the cream, then mix with the chocolate mixture
  • Pour into the loaf tin, smooth out so you have a level top and place in the freezer (for at least 8 hours)
  • Remove from the freezer approx 10 mins before eating. Turn upside down onto a plate, peel off the cling film and slice.
Categories
Love food Salads

Roast beetroot salad…

… with ginger and tahini dressing

Roasted beetroot is a great way of eating beetroot. Serving it with a mix of salad leaves or rocket as I have (in the pic), plus the ginger and tahini dressing makes it a very lovely salad.

Ingredients

  • 500g raw beetroot cut into wedges
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 thyme sprigs
  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • 1/2 large lemon, juice
  • 1 tsp maple syrup or honey
  • 1 tsp finely grated ginger
  • 1 small garlic clove crushed
  • 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
  • salad leaves or rocket

Method

  • Toss the beetroot wedges with 3 tbsp olive oil, season and spread out in a roasting tin. Roast for 20 mins (190C), then stir in the thyme and roast for a further 20/25 mins.
  • Put the remaining 2tbsp oil, tahini, half the lemon juice, maple syrup or honey, ginger, garlic and turmeric on a bowl. Add a small amount of water and mix with a fork. It will thicken up. Keep adding water until you have a good consistency to drizzle over the salad. You can also keep adding a bit more of the other half of the lemon juice at a time to get the right taste for you. We don’t like our dressings to be too lemony.

Tip: The beetroot will take a very long time to cook if the wedges are too thick. A 1cm thickness is about right. Check its ready by piercing with a knife to see if the the knife goes through easily.

Categories
Love food Other

Spinach & sweet potato fritters

Sabrina Ghayour is one of my favourite cookery writers/chefs. I’m sharing these with you now as they are very adaptable to Pesach. Just replace the flour with matzo meal. Add a bit at a time and mix to a good consistency for frying. Too little and they won’t hold, too much they will be very stodgy.

They freeze well and can be reheated in the oven for 10/15 mins if defrosted – longer if from frozen. If putting in the oven frozen then don’t preheat first.

Ingredients (makes 20-ish)

  • 300g sweet potato, peeled and coarsely grated
  • 150g baby spinach leaves, finely chopped
  • 3 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 3 large eggs
  • 100g plain flour (can use matzo meal for Pesach)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Salt and pepper
  • Vegetable oil, for frying

Method

Put the sweet potato, spinach, turmeric, chilli flakes, eggs, flour and baking powder into a large bowl and mix well. Season generously, then leave the batter to rest for 15 minutes.

Heat the oil over a medium-high heat and bring to frying temperature (add a pinch of the batter: if it sizzles immediately, the oil is hot enough). Line a plate with a double layer of kitchen paper.

When the oil is ready, stir the batter. Using slightly oiled hands shape the batter into fritters and put into the hot oil. Fry the fritters for one minute, then turn them over and fry for another minute or so, or until nicely browned all over. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fritters from the oil to the paper-lined plate to drain. Serve hot.

Categories
Love food Salads Vegan

Winter slaw

I’ve renamed this recipe from Christmas slaw to winter slaw. It’s so good why would you only have it in December? This salad makes a regular appearance on our table at any time of the year

It’s made with white cabbage, carrot, red pepper, pecans, spring onions and mixed with a simple dressing. Other than that I don’t have a lot to say about it. You can find the recipe on BBC Good Food.