I love baking and try to make time each weekend to get something baked and then frozen so I can pretend to be a good mummy by putting something homebaked into my son's lunch box.
But I am running out of inspiration... We usually rotate Nigella's flourless brownies (which is *bad* cos they contain almonds and the school has a no nuts policy); Nigella's 'proper' brownies (but they're a bit rich), cherry and almond slice (ditto nut issues), courgette cake, carrot cake, ginger cake, flapjacks and parkin.
So in an attempt to change our routine, please suggest your favourite cakes (preferably with a recipe!) and pep up our lunches (and expand our waistlines...!).
Friday, 25 September 2009
Monday, 21 September 2009
Apricot and Ginger Loaf
A cake, yummy. A healthy cake??! Not too sure about that! I didn't realise when I set out to make this that it was fat free, but it is and also contains loads of dried fruit so it's positively like eating healthy food, even though it's cake.
Adapted from Rose Elliott's Vegetarian Express cos I didn't have any prunes to make into a puree, only apricots.
You need:
About 10 dried apricots
Couple of tbsp of water
200g soft brown sugar
50g stem ginger in syrup
2 tsp ground ginger
grated rind of 1 lemon
2 eggs
150g flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
125g mixed dried fruit (I love Waitrose mixed vine fruit, very succulent and no manky currants, just big juicy sultanas, raisins and cherries)
3 tbsp boiling water
Begin by putting the apricots into a pan with a couple of tbsp water and heat gently. Leave simmering for about 15 mins, then blitz to a puree with a stick blender.
Mix everything else into the apricot puree, slob into a lined loaf tin and then bake at 160 degrees for 30-45 mins.
Scoff but feel healthy cos it's fat free and full of fruit innit :)
Adapted from Rose Elliott's Vegetarian Express cos I didn't have any prunes to make into a puree, only apricots.
You need:
About 10 dried apricots
Couple of tbsp of water
200g soft brown sugar
50g stem ginger in syrup
2 tsp ground ginger
grated rind of 1 lemon
2 eggs
150g flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
125g mixed dried fruit (I love Waitrose mixed vine fruit, very succulent and no manky currants, just big juicy sultanas, raisins and cherries)
3 tbsp boiling water
Begin by putting the apricots into a pan with a couple of tbsp water and heat gently. Leave simmering for about 15 mins, then blitz to a puree with a stick blender.
Mix everything else into the apricot puree, slob into a lined loaf tin and then bake at 160 degrees for 30-45 mins.
Scoff but feel healthy cos it's fat free and full of fruit innit :)
Sunday, 20 September 2009
Red Lentil Dhal
Can't believe I haven't blogged this recipe yet - it's a staple in our house and a regular request from Lex. It's thicker than restaurant dhals but I like it like this and it can act as a sandwich filler the next day too...
8oz red lentils
1 pint veggie stock
1 small bay leaf
1 onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped (don't always use this)
1 garlic clove crushed (we always use 4 or 5 lol)
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp tumeric
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp ground corriander
Fresh chopped corriander to serve (optional)
Crispy fried onion rings to serve (optional)
1. Place lentils, stock and bay leaf in a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 mins or so till cooked. Remove the bayleaf and beat lentils till smooth.
2. Meanwhile saute the onion and garlic in a pan in a little oil/ghee/butter. When soft add the pepper and the spices. Gently fry for 10 mins or so.
3. Add onion mix to the lentils, mix thoroughly and serve :)
Yummy yummy!!
8oz red lentils
1 pint veggie stock
1 small bay leaf
1 onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped (don't always use this)
1 garlic clove crushed (we always use 4 or 5 lol)
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp tumeric
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp ground corriander
Fresh chopped corriander to serve (optional)
Crispy fried onion rings to serve (optional)
1. Place lentils, stock and bay leaf in a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 mins or so till cooked. Remove the bayleaf and beat lentils till smooth.
2. Meanwhile saute the onion and garlic in a pan in a little oil/ghee/butter. When soft add the pepper and the spices. Gently fry for 10 mins or so.
3. Add onion mix to the lentils, mix thoroughly and serve :)
Yummy yummy!!
Vegetarian (or vegan!) Kedgeree
Fancied something different tonight to use up the dhal we had last night, and am in an I Love Lentils phase at the moment, so rustled up an inauthentic but very tasty veggie kedgeree. Leftovers will go down nicely for lunch tomorrow methinks.
You need:
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp curry powder (or you can use individual spices, but hey I said it was inauthentic!)
Leftover cooked rice - about 3-4 cups
Cooked green lentils - 2 tins worth, or again about 2-3 cups
Oil/butter for frying
Hard boiled eggs (1 per person) if you don't want to keep it vegan
Chopped corriander to serve
Saute the onion in the fat gently till it's caramelised. Then add the curry powder and cook for a further few minutes to take out the raw taste. Add the rice and stir thoroughly. Cook for 10 mins or so until the rice is heated through. Then add the lentils and cook for a further 5 mins or so. Serve with chopped corriander to garnish it and the hardboiled eggs (if using) cut in half on the top. If you leave the yolks a little soft/runny it's even nicer imho.
You need:
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp curry powder (or you can use individual spices, but hey I said it was inauthentic!)
Leftover cooked rice - about 3-4 cups
Cooked green lentils - 2 tins worth, or again about 2-3 cups
Oil/butter for frying
Hard boiled eggs (1 per person) if you don't want to keep it vegan
Chopped corriander to serve
Saute the onion in the fat gently till it's caramelised. Then add the curry powder and cook for a further few minutes to take out the raw taste. Add the rice and stir thoroughly. Cook for 10 mins or so until the rice is heated through. Then add the lentils and cook for a further 5 mins or so. Serve with chopped corriander to garnish it and the hardboiled eggs (if using) cut in half on the top. If you leave the yolks a little soft/runny it's even nicer imho.
Quinoa and Lentil Burgers
I love veggie burgers (see earlier post from today!) and decided to try something different today and base a burger recipe on some delicious steamed red lentils and quinoa we had in Spain in Feb. The results were delicious and eaten by us all (unheard of) though Lex did say he preferred the raw mix to the cooked burger... The recipe has a few stages, but it makes about 12 burgers so you can freeze half for a quick weekeday supper.
Ingredients
1 cup red lentils
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
2 tsp vegan stock powder
1 onion
2 tsp dried herbs
2 slices bread
1/2 cup oats (maybe a few more, depends on how wet the mix is)
1 tbsp soya sauce
ground pepper
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
Begin by steam cooking the lentils and quinoa. Place in a lidded pan with the water and stock. Gently bring to the boil and then simmer on a very low heat for about 15 mins. Stir frequently to make sure they don't stick to the pan. After about 15 mins the quinoa should be cooked and the lentils al dente. Turn off the heat and leave the lid on for a further 15 mins. This will finish off the cooking process.
Meanwhile blitz the onion in a food processor till pureed. Do the same to the bread. Place the breadcrumbs, onion, herbs, soya sauce, sunflower seeds and pepper into a mixing bowl along with the lentils and quinoa. Mix thoroughly. Add the oats and mix till it comes together into a dough like consistency. Add some more oats if you think it needs it. If you didn't want the burgers to be vegan you could also add an egg here but I don't really think it needs it tbh...
Once the burgers have been mixed, place the sesame seeds on to a shallow plate/bowl. Wet your hands and take a small handful of the mixture and shape into a burger shape. Place in the sesame seeds to cover both sides and then put on a baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. If you want to freeze them, place in the freezer at this stage to open freeze. Otherwise place the baking sheet into a hot oven for 15 mins or so, turning over half way until toasted and warmed through.
Serve in the traditional manner - in a burger bun with ketchup, mustard and salad. We had cucumber, onions and alfafa seed mix (alfafa, radish and fenugreek). Very yummy and disgustingly healthy!
Ingredients
1 cup red lentils
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
2 tsp vegan stock powder
1 onion
2 tsp dried herbs
2 slices bread
1/2 cup oats (maybe a few more, depends on how wet the mix is)
1 tbsp soya sauce
ground pepper
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
Begin by steam cooking the lentils and quinoa. Place in a lidded pan with the water and stock. Gently bring to the boil and then simmer on a very low heat for about 15 mins. Stir frequently to make sure they don't stick to the pan. After about 15 mins the quinoa should be cooked and the lentils al dente. Turn off the heat and leave the lid on for a further 15 mins. This will finish off the cooking process.
Meanwhile blitz the onion in a food processor till pureed. Do the same to the bread. Place the breadcrumbs, onion, herbs, soya sauce, sunflower seeds and pepper into a mixing bowl along with the lentils and quinoa. Mix thoroughly. Add the oats and mix till it comes together into a dough like consistency. Add some more oats if you think it needs it. If you didn't want the burgers to be vegan you could also add an egg here but I don't really think it needs it tbh...
Once the burgers have been mixed, place the sesame seeds on to a shallow plate/bowl. Wet your hands and take a small handful of the mixture and shape into a burger shape. Place in the sesame seeds to cover both sides and then put on a baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. If you want to freeze them, place in the freezer at this stage to open freeze. Otherwise place the baking sheet into a hot oven for 15 mins or so, turning over half way until toasted and warmed through.
Serve in the traditional manner - in a burger bun with ketchup, mustard and salad. We had cucumber, onions and alfafa seed mix (alfafa, radish and fenugreek). Very yummy and disgustingly healthy!
Veggie Tofu Burgers
I wanted a nice veggie burger for lunch. None of that pre-brought frozen stuff today, but rather the 1970's in a bun - all lentils and tofu and earnest-ness so I can pretend that burgers are good for you.
The recipe I came up with was based on something posted on an internet forum:
Ingredients:
100g oats
75g flour
250g tofu
3 carrots grated
1 small onion finely chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
1 tbsp mushroom ketchup
1 tbsp hendersons relish
1 egg, beaten
Directions:
Lob everything apart from the egg into a food processor. Blitz until it's the consistency you want (I like mine smooth to hide the scary bits from Lex!). Add the egg and mix till the mixture comes together. Sometimes you can omit the egg if it's moist enough (or you want a vegan version)
To cook place on a lightly oiled baking tray and bake in the oven at 180C till cooked (approx 10 mins).
Serve in a bun with salad (I feel that alfafa and cucumber and raw onion are obligatory here!) and relish and sweet potato wedges on the side. Sit back in a smug haze of healthy eating induced glow...
The recipe I came up with was based on something posted on an internet forum:
Ingredients:
100g oats
75g flour
250g tofu
3 carrots grated
1 small onion finely chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
1 tbsp mushroom ketchup
1 tbsp hendersons relish
1 egg, beaten
Directions:
Lob everything apart from the egg into a food processor. Blitz until it's the consistency you want (I like mine smooth to hide the scary bits from Lex!). Add the egg and mix till the mixture comes together. Sometimes you can omit the egg if it's moist enough (or you want a vegan version)
To cook place on a lightly oiled baking tray and bake in the oven at 180C till cooked (approx 10 mins).
Serve in a bun with salad (I feel that alfafa and cucumber and raw onion are obligatory here!) and relish and sweet potato wedges on the side. Sit back in a smug haze of healthy eating induced glow...
Swede, carrot and chard curry
This is one NOT to make... I am not that keen on chard, but figure that pretty much everything tastes better when curried. Not in this case! Actually I'm diselling my curry a little. It was edible, just not that great, and certainly not something I'd want to make again. However, if you like chard maybe you'll like this...
For the curry paste you need:
1 tsp each of:
black onion seeds
corriander seeds
mustard seeds
cumin seeds
2tsp each of:
ground corriander
tumeric
ground cumin
3 cloves garlic
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 inch fresh ginger, roughly chopped
Lightly toast the whole spices in 1 tbsp of oil until they begin to pop. Put all of the above into a mini food processor and blend till smooth. Add some water/oil if it's not wet enough.
For the curry:
Peel and chop 1 small-ish swede into bite sized pieces
Peel and chop 3 medium carrots
Wash and destalk a packet of chard.
Heat the curry paste in a pan, and then add the swede and carrot. Sweat for a bit then add 1 tin chopped toms and about 200ml water along with 2-3 whole dried chillis (tear in half if you want the curry hotter). Bring to the boil and simmer till the veggies are al dente. Add the chard and cook for another 5 mins or so. Serve with roti and rice.
For the curry paste you need:
1 tsp each of:
black onion seeds
corriander seeds
mustard seeds
cumin seeds
2tsp each of:
ground corriander
tumeric
ground cumin
3 cloves garlic
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 inch fresh ginger, roughly chopped
Lightly toast the whole spices in 1 tbsp of oil until they begin to pop. Put all of the above into a mini food processor and blend till smooth. Add some water/oil if it's not wet enough.
For the curry:
Peel and chop 1 small-ish swede into bite sized pieces
Peel and chop 3 medium carrots
Wash and destalk a packet of chard.
Heat the curry paste in a pan, and then add the swede and carrot. Sweat for a bit then add 1 tin chopped toms and about 200ml water along with 2-3 whole dried chillis (tear in half if you want the curry hotter). Bring to the boil and simmer till the veggies are al dente. Add the chard and cook for another 5 mins or so. Serve with roti and rice.
Saturday, 19 September 2009
Tiramisu
I love tiramisu and have tried lots of different recipes. This one, adapted from Jamie Oliver, is my current fave and is also very quick to make.
You need:
500g mascapone (last time I made it I used 250g mascaopne and 250g quark)
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp khalua or other liqueur
1/2 packet sponge fingers
1/2 pint strong coffee
1/4 cup kalhua or other liqueur
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
cocoa powder/grated plain chocolate
Begin by making the coffee. Add 2 tbsp sugar to it and the 1/4 cup kaluha. Pour this over the sponge fingers which you have placed into a serving dish. Leave to soak into the fingers.
Mix the mascaopne with the remaining sugar, kalhua and vanilla. Beat till smooth. Spread over the sponge fingers and then top with some cocoa/grated choc. Chill till needed.
Beware making this with low fat mascaopne. It turns into tirama-soup rather than tiramisu. Tastes OK but looks pretty grim!!
You need:
500g mascapone (last time I made it I used 250g mascaopne and 250g quark)
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp khalua or other liqueur
1/2 packet sponge fingers
1/2 pint strong coffee
1/4 cup kalhua or other liqueur
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
cocoa powder/grated plain chocolate
Begin by making the coffee. Add 2 tbsp sugar to it and the 1/4 cup kaluha. Pour this over the sponge fingers which you have placed into a serving dish. Leave to soak into the fingers.
Mix the mascaopne with the remaining sugar, kalhua and vanilla. Beat till smooth. Spread over the sponge fingers and then top with some cocoa/grated choc. Chill till needed.
Beware making this with low fat mascaopne. It turns into tirama-soup rather than tiramisu. Tastes OK but looks pretty grim!!
Vegetable and Cheese Gratin
A winter staple, also know as "what the heck do I do with all the root veggies that were in the veg box rather than use them to make compost again?!"...
This reminds me of Sunday lunches at home when I was a child - mum would often use up the left over veg in a delicious gratin like this.
What we had:
1 cabbage
6 large carrots, roughly chopped into bite sized pieces
1 head broccoli
Steam the veggies to make them tender. Meanwhile make a mornay sauce from:
1 pint milk (I use soya milk)
2oz plain flour
2oz butter
Either make the sauce using the all in one method (lob it all into a pan and wait for the butter to melt) or use the traditional roux method. Once the sauce has thickened, add:
2 tsp english mustard powder
2 tsp french mustard
100g grated cheddar.
Add a drained can of butter beans to the mornay sauce then layer the veggies into a gratin dish. Pour over the sauce and beans and top with a little more grated cheddar and some Parmesan. You can add some breadcrumbs to it too to make it more crunchy.
Bake in a moderate oven (180 degrees) for about 20-30 mins till browned and bubbling. Serve on it's own or with veggie sausages or just some crusty bread.
This reminds me of Sunday lunches at home when I was a child - mum would often use up the left over veg in a delicious gratin like this.
What we had:
1 cabbage
6 large carrots, roughly chopped into bite sized pieces
1 head broccoli
Steam the veggies to make them tender. Meanwhile make a mornay sauce from:
1 pint milk (I use soya milk)
2oz plain flour
2oz butter
Either make the sauce using the all in one method (lob it all into a pan and wait for the butter to melt) or use the traditional roux method. Once the sauce has thickened, add:
2 tsp english mustard powder
2 tsp french mustard
100g grated cheddar.
Add a drained can of butter beans to the mornay sauce then layer the veggies into a gratin dish. Pour over the sauce and beans and top with a little more grated cheddar and some Parmesan. You can add some breadcrumbs to it too to make it more crunchy.
Bake in a moderate oven (180 degrees) for about 20-30 mins till browned and bubbling. Serve on it's own or with veggie sausages or just some crusty bread.
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Vegetable curry, tandoori paneer and sweet lassi
OK that might sound like a veritable feast for a weeknight, but I guarantee you can make it all in 30 mins and then sit down and eat like a king!
Curry
1 tbsp oil
2 large carrots, sliced
2 onions, chopped
3 tbsp curry paste (home made or from a jar)
1 tin toms
175 ml water
2 tbsp veggie stock powder
good handful new potatoes, chopped roughly into bite sized chunks
1 head cauliflower
Start by sauteeing the onions in the oil till tender. Then lob in the curry paste, carrots and potatoes and fry for a few mins. Add the tin of toms, water and stock powder. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 25 mins till the carrots and potatoes are cooked. Add the cauliflower after 10 mins.
Tandoori Paneer
Half a tub of natural yogurt (the runny kind!)
3 tbsp tandoori spice powder
1 packet paneer, diced.
Mix the tandoori powder with the yogurt and then add the paneer. Leave to marinate for a few mins (you can do this the night before if you want). The spread out onto a nin stick baking tray. Roast in a hot oven (200 degrees) for 20 mins.
Serve the curry and paneer with roti or rice. Wash down with sweet lassi
Sweet lassi
Half tub runny yogurt
Equivilent amount of water
Good couple of handfuls of ice
2 cardomon pods, seeds removed
4 tbsp sugar
Put everything into a blender and blend till smooth. Check for sweetness and serve :)
Curry
1 tbsp oil
2 large carrots, sliced
2 onions, chopped
3 tbsp curry paste (home made or from a jar)
1 tin toms
175 ml water
2 tbsp veggie stock powder
good handful new potatoes, chopped roughly into bite sized chunks
1 head cauliflower
Start by sauteeing the onions in the oil till tender. Then lob in the curry paste, carrots and potatoes and fry for a few mins. Add the tin of toms, water and stock powder. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 25 mins till the carrots and potatoes are cooked. Add the cauliflower after 10 mins.
Tandoori Paneer
Half a tub of natural yogurt (the runny kind!)
3 tbsp tandoori spice powder
1 packet paneer, diced.
Mix the tandoori powder with the yogurt and then add the paneer. Leave to marinate for a few mins (you can do this the night before if you want). The spread out onto a nin stick baking tray. Roast in a hot oven (200 degrees) for 20 mins.
Serve the curry and paneer with roti or rice. Wash down with sweet lassi
Sweet lassi
Half tub runny yogurt
Equivilent amount of water
Good couple of handfuls of ice
2 cardomon pods, seeds removed
4 tbsp sugar
Put everything into a blender and blend till smooth. Check for sweetness and serve :)
Monday, 14 September 2009
Leek and Potato Soup
Yes, it's that time of year again when a warming bowl of nourishing soup is just what the doctor ordered. One of N's favourite soups is leek and potato, and given that the veg box delivers these on a frequent basis, I thought I'd share my recipe.
For 4-5 generous servings you need:
700g potatoes, diced
3 large leeks, sliced (or a couple of leeks and some onions. Hey it even works with just onions but you'd need to change the name of the soup...)
1 litre veg stock. I like it with a dark one, e.g. one made with marmite or vecon veg stock.
1 tbsp butter/oil
Milk/soya milk if required to finish the soup.
Begin by sweating the leeks/onions and potatoes in the oil/butter. Add the stock and cook till the potatoes are tender. At this stage, thoughts are divided. N likes his soup blended till smooth and let down with a little milk. L and I like it chunky so we can eat the different bits separately. Whatever you prefer, serve with lashings of crusty bread and maybe some cheese on the side too.
For 4-5 generous servings you need:
700g potatoes, diced
3 large leeks, sliced (or a couple of leeks and some onions. Hey it even works with just onions but you'd need to change the name of the soup...)
1 litre veg stock. I like it with a dark one, e.g. one made with marmite or vecon veg stock.
1 tbsp butter/oil
Milk/soya milk if required to finish the soup.
Begin by sweating the leeks/onions and potatoes in the oil/butter. Add the stock and cook till the potatoes are tender. At this stage, thoughts are divided. N likes his soup blended till smooth and let down with a little milk. L and I like it chunky so we can eat the different bits separately. Whatever you prefer, serve with lashings of crusty bread and maybe some cheese on the side too.
Chocolate Fridge Cake / Tiffin
L wanted to do some baking with daddy today so they knocked up some tiffin which mummy then sat and ate far too much of!
Ingredients
200g chocolate digestive biscuits
110g dried apricots, roughly chopped
110g mixed vine fruit
10 glace cherries, rinsed of the sugar syrup and halved
150g butter
1 tablespoon golden syrup
200g dark chocolate
Method
Break the biscuits into small pieces directly into a large bowl. Add the fruit and mix together.
Melt the rest of the ingredients then mix in the fruit.
Pour into a loaf tin lined with clingfilm and put in the fridge to set for a couple of hours. Eat and repeat!
Ingredients
200g chocolate digestive biscuits
110g dried apricots, roughly chopped
110g mixed vine fruit
10 glace cherries, rinsed of the sugar syrup and halved
150g butter
1 tablespoon golden syrup
200g dark chocolate
Method
Break the biscuits into small pieces directly into a large bowl. Add the fruit and mix together.
Melt the rest of the ingredients then mix in the fruit.
Pour into a loaf tin lined with clingfilm and put in the fridge to set for a couple of hours. Eat and repeat!
Sunday, 13 September 2009
Last of the Summer Strawberries
I got suckered into buying 2 packs of strawberries in Waitrose yesterday. They were on offer for 2 punnets @ £3 and smelt goooooooooood so in to the trolley they went.
I devoured one punnet with DH last night in front of the wire in an attempt to make my scoffing of a half packet of Choco Liebenz seem more healthy.
The other punnet got macerated this morning. I keep hearing about doing this to strawberries but have never actually got round to doing it. But I did this morning for the regular pancake fest that is my sunday morning brekkie and they were delicious.
You need:
1 punnet strawberries
couple of tbsp sugar
couple of shakes of balsamic vinager
a brave grinding of black pepper
Slice the strawbs and toss into a bowl with the sugar and vinegar, grind over the pepper. Mix thoroughly and then leave. A lovely syrup will form which soaks nicely into thick American style pancakes. Yummy.
BTW the strawbs I got from Waitrose were called Sweet Eve. Much nicer than bouncy Elsanta they were too :)
I devoured one punnet with DH last night in front of the wire in an attempt to make my scoffing of a half packet of Choco Liebenz seem more healthy.
The other punnet got macerated this morning. I keep hearing about doing this to strawberries but have never actually got round to doing it. But I did this morning for the regular pancake fest that is my sunday morning brekkie and they were delicious.
You need:
1 punnet strawberries
couple of tbsp sugar
couple of shakes of balsamic vinager
a brave grinding of black pepper
Slice the strawbs and toss into a bowl with the sugar and vinegar, grind over the pepper. Mix thoroughly and then leave. A lovely syrup will form which soaks nicely into thick American style pancakes. Yummy.
BTW the strawbs I got from Waitrose were called Sweet Eve. Much nicer than bouncy Elsanta they were too :)
Friday, 11 September 2009
Meal Plans for Next Week
So far, so good on the meal planning front. 2 weeks in and the weekly shop was £65 for the first week and £71 for the second. This is miraculous as it's normally nearer to £150 (blush). Plus we've been throwing less food away which is also good.
So plans for next week are:
Curry and rice (am liking curry a lot at the moment!). This one will probably be potato and carrot as have those to use up and maybe some tandoori paneer with it too.
Leek and potato soup
Lentil stew with mashed potatoes, broccoli, carrots and braised red cabbage
Veggie fry up - bacon, sausages, beans, eggs and hash browns
Omelette, chips and salad
Stir fried veggies in teryaki sauce with quinoa and lentils
So plans for next week are:
Curry and rice (am liking curry a lot at the moment!). This one will probably be potato and carrot as have those to use up and maybe some tandoori paneer with it too.
Leek and potato soup
Lentil stew with mashed potatoes, broccoli, carrots and braised red cabbage
Veggie fry up - bacon, sausages, beans, eggs and hash browns
Omelette, chips and salad
Stir fried veggies in teryaki sauce with quinoa and lentils
Random Ingredient Lasagne
The veg box delivered a load of courgettes which I have to say are not one of my favourite veggies. So I thought I'd make a lasagne with them where they'd be semi-hidden and there was some ricotta to use up in the fridge too. The ricotta however was sell by 26 June 2009 (yes today *is* September 11th 2009), so despite it tasting OK I didn't want to risk it and ditched it in favour of some quark (which was also past it's sell by date, but only by 12 days this time!!).
I never used to be able to make a decent lasagne and after years of trying decided that maybe it was my lasagne dish that was letting me down. It was! Lasagne now tastes edible in my house and tonight's concoction was pretty tasty.
Tomato and courgette lasagne
Ingredients
Tomato sauce
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tin toms
1 carton passata
spalsh balasmic vinager
1 tsp veg stock powder
pinch sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
Courgette layer
4 courgettes, roughly diced
3 tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed
salt and pepper
1 tub quark (ricotta would taste better imho)
Lasagne
6 or so sheets lasagne
2 good handfuls of grated cheddar
1 good handul grated parmesan
either 1 roughly torn mozzarella ball or 10 or so mini mozz balls
First make the tomato sauce. Saute the onions in the oil and then add everything else. Simmer for 10 mins till slightly thickened.
For the courgettes fry them in the oil for a few mins then add the garlic and salt and pepper. Saute for 10 mins or so until tender. Add the quark/ricotta and stir till mixed. Take off the heat.
Assemble the lasagne by putting 2 sheets pasta in the bottom of a dish and then adding a half the tom sauce. Add more pasta then the courgette layer. Add more pasta then the other half of the tom sauce. Top with the cheese and bake in a hot oven (180 degrees) for 30-45 mins till cooked and bubbling.
Serve with salad, crusty bread and lashings of wine. Rather superb for a friday night supper, and at least 4 of your 5 a day portions!
I never used to be able to make a decent lasagne and after years of trying decided that maybe it was my lasagne dish that was letting me down. It was! Lasagne now tastes edible in my house and tonight's concoction was pretty tasty.
Tomato and courgette lasagne
Ingredients
Tomato sauce
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tin toms
1 carton passata
spalsh balasmic vinager
1 tsp veg stock powder
pinch sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
Courgette layer
4 courgettes, roughly diced
3 tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed
salt and pepper
1 tub quark (ricotta would taste better imho)
Lasagne
6 or so sheets lasagne
2 good handfuls of grated cheddar
1 good handul grated parmesan
either 1 roughly torn mozzarella ball or 10 or so mini mozz balls
First make the tomato sauce. Saute the onions in the oil and then add everything else. Simmer for 10 mins till slightly thickened.
For the courgettes fry them in the oil for a few mins then add the garlic and salt and pepper. Saute for 10 mins or so until tender. Add the quark/ricotta and stir till mixed. Take off the heat.
Assemble the lasagne by putting 2 sheets pasta in the bottom of a dish and then adding a half the tom sauce. Add more pasta then the courgette layer. Add more pasta then the other half of the tom sauce. Top with the cheese and bake in a hot oven (180 degrees) for 30-45 mins till cooked and bubbling.
Serve with salad, crusty bread and lashings of wine. Rather superb for a friday night supper, and at least 4 of your 5 a day portions!
Thursday, 10 September 2009
Noodles
I had a pack of marinated tofu in the fridge that needed to be used up today so something had to be based around that. After seeing some yummy looking noodles at a conference dinner on Tuesday night I decided to try and recreate something along those lines. This is what I came up with.
Vegetable and Tofu Noodles
What you need:
1 pack marinated tofu (or do your own!)
3 bundles noodles, cooked according to pack instructions
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 large leek, finely sliced
2 carrots, sliced
1/4 cup light soya sauce
1/3 cup sweet sherry
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 inches ginger, grated
What you do:
Start by stir frying the leeks in a large wok. Then add the veggies and the soya sauce/sherry/vinegar. Place a lid on the wok and steam fry the veggies till the carrots and broccoli are tender.
Meanwhile cook the noodles.
Add the noodles and tofu to the wok and heat through.
Serve in bowls topped with corriander, sweet chilli sauce, toasted sesame seeds and more soya sauce to taste. Delicious, quick and healthy!
Vegetable and Tofu Noodles
What you need:
1 pack marinated tofu (or do your own!)
3 bundles noodles, cooked according to pack instructions
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 large leek, finely sliced
2 carrots, sliced
1/4 cup light soya sauce
1/3 cup sweet sherry
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 inches ginger, grated
What you do:
Start by stir frying the leeks in a large wok. Then add the veggies and the soya sauce/sherry/vinegar. Place a lid on the wok and steam fry the veggies till the carrots and broccoli are tender.
Meanwhile cook the noodles.
Add the noodles and tofu to the wok and heat through.
Serve in bowls topped with corriander, sweet chilli sauce, toasted sesame seeds and more soya sauce to taste. Delicious, quick and healthy!
Monday, 7 September 2009
Breakfast Smoothie
I am not a breakfast person. Well actually that's not true. I am, but only on the weekends or when I have proper time. For some reason I wake starving but my body doesn't actually want any food in it for a couple of hours. This is moreso on a week day when I cycle to work. The thought of food before a 5 mile commute makes me cold! Smoothies tho, do seem to be tolerated by my fickle body. My current fave combo is banana and raspberry. I recently brought a new stand alone blender to replace my aging food processor goblet which had seen better days (it was 16 years old!). I heartily recommend the Kenwood K-Mix as it makes a sublimely smooth smoothie. And a pretty good frozen Margaretha too ;-0
Whizz to a smooth puree the following:
1 ripe banana
2 large handfuls frozen rapsberries (frozen ones work the best as they thicken the smoothie)
150-250 ml soya milk depending on how thick you like it
1 tsp runny honey (or to taste). If you want to keep it vegan then add some agarve nectar or sugar or something...
Sunday, 6 September 2009
Sweet Potato and Chick Pea Curry
Once upon a time, not so long ago, I couldn't really make a curry as DH wasn't that keen on them. He'd tolerate them politely, but it wasn't something I felt I could do that often. Thankfully after an extended trip to Pakistan, curry is back on the menu, which is pretty good seeing as where we live we have access to a huge variety of Asian ingredients.
I'd been playing about with the idea of making a nice chickpea and sweet potato curry for yonks, so threw some bits and bobs together and was very happy with the result. So here it is in order for me to make it again next time I fancy it.
Ingredients
Veggies etc:
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 onion, chopped
1 tin toms, whizzed to a puree
75g ground almonds
75g butter (or oil for vegan version)
1 tin drained chickpeas or equivalent frozen/freshly cooked peas
Curry paste
6 cloves garlic
3 small chillies
3 inch piece ginger
5 tbsp veg oil
2 tsp tumeric, garam masala, corriander, cumin
Whizz all the paste ingredients to a puree.
Fry the onion in a little oil for a few mins then add the curry paste (about 4 tbsp, freeze the rest or leave in the fridge and use within a week). Add all the other ingredients aside from the butter and almonds and simmer for 20 mins or so till the potatoes are tender. Add the butter and almonds and stir through. Add a little more liquid if you want more of a gravy.
Serve with cucumber salad and roti. Beware the stinky farts that will ensue ;-)
I'd been playing about with the idea of making a nice chickpea and sweet potato curry for yonks, so threw some bits and bobs together and was very happy with the result. So here it is in order for me to make it again next time I fancy it.
Ingredients
Veggies etc:
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 onion, chopped
1 tin toms, whizzed to a puree
75g ground almonds
75g butter (or oil for vegan version)
1 tin drained chickpeas or equivalent frozen/freshly cooked peas
Curry paste
6 cloves garlic
3 small chillies
3 inch piece ginger
5 tbsp veg oil
2 tsp tumeric, garam masala, corriander, cumin
Whizz all the paste ingredients to a puree.
Fry the onion in a little oil for a few mins then add the curry paste (about 4 tbsp, freeze the rest or leave in the fridge and use within a week). Add all the other ingredients aside from the butter and almonds and simmer for 20 mins or so till the potatoes are tender. Add the butter and almonds and stir through. Add a little more liquid if you want more of a gravy.
Serve with cucumber salad and roti. Beware the stinky farts that will ensue ;-)
Thursday, 3 September 2009
Meeeeeeso Miso
I have a strange child. He likes odd food. Other parents look at him with a bemused air when he visits for tea. He doesn't like what other children like: fishfingers, peas, spag bol etc. But he does like miso soup, so as a returning to school treat today we had it for dinner.
The veggies vary depending on what we fancy. Tonight was bottom of the fridge miso soup but it tasted good!
Ingredients:
2 bundles noodles (any kind, but soba or ramen are the nicest)
1.5 litres boiling water
1 onion, roughly sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 chilli, sliced
1 large lump ginger, grated
2 tbsp miso paste (any type, we like the pale one at the moment)
2 carrots, sliced
bok choi, roughly chopped
baby sweetcorn, roughly chopped into bite sized chunks
tofu, cubed
soya sauce to taste
toasted sesame seeds, to garnish
chopped corriander, to garnish
Start by sauteeing the onion in a little oil for a few mins. Add all the other veggies aside from the bok choi and then add the noodles and boiling water. Bring to the boil and cook the noodles for 2-3 mins. Add the miso paste and reduce the heat (don't boil after the miso is added or you'll kill the enzymes). Season to taste with soya sauce. Add the tofu for the last minute or so to heat through.
Serve in shallow bowls topped with more soya sauce and the sesame seeds and corriander. Feel virtuous for an hour or so afterwards before you gorge on sugar to fill yourself up again!
The veggies vary depending on what we fancy. Tonight was bottom of the fridge miso soup but it tasted good!
Ingredients:
2 bundles noodles (any kind, but soba or ramen are the nicest)
1.5 litres boiling water
1 onion, roughly sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 chilli, sliced
1 large lump ginger, grated
2 tbsp miso paste (any type, we like the pale one at the moment)
2 carrots, sliced
bok choi, roughly chopped
baby sweetcorn, roughly chopped into bite sized chunks
tofu, cubed
soya sauce to taste
toasted sesame seeds, to garnish
chopped corriander, to garnish
Start by sauteeing the onion in a little oil for a few mins. Add all the other veggies aside from the bok choi and then add the noodles and boiling water. Bring to the boil and cook the noodles for 2-3 mins. Add the miso paste and reduce the heat (don't boil after the miso is added or you'll kill the enzymes). Season to taste with soya sauce. Add the tofu for the last minute or so to heat through.
Serve in shallow bowls topped with more soya sauce and the sesame seeds and corriander. Feel virtuous for an hour or so afterwards before you gorge on sugar to fill yourself up again!
Wednesday, 2 September 2009
Butter Masala Paneer
Ever since eating this at a local vegetarian place in the centre of Bradford (Tulsi for those of you local!) I have become addicted to the buttery yumminess of this dish. I wanted to create it at the weekend but after doing some serious googling decided I couldn't be bothered with the whole faff of blanching and pureeing onions or frying off paneer etc. So I cheated. DH called this a heart attack in a pan, you are warned!
Mumtaz (another curry palace local to Bradford) have a great range of cooking sauces, which unlike some of the others on the market, only contain normal ingredients and no fillers. So I experimented with a jar of tikka masala sauce and created something pretty yummy.
I used:
1 jar Mumtaz tikka masala sauce
2/3 jar water
a big fat lump of butter (probably about 100g, eek)
1 fresh tomato, skinned and finely chopped
75g ground almonds
200g cubed paneer.
Fresh chopped corriander to garnish/serve
Dump the sauce into a pan and add the butter and water. Let the butter melt gently into the sauce, stirring to make sure it doesn't catch. When the butter has melted add the ground almonds, tomato and paneer. Cook for about 15 mins or so until the sauce has reduced a little. I needed to add some sugar too as the sauce was a little bitter. Serve with roti and lots of fresh corriander.
Mumtaz (another curry palace local to Bradford) have a great range of cooking sauces, which unlike some of the others on the market, only contain normal ingredients and no fillers. So I experimented with a jar of tikka masala sauce and created something pretty yummy.
I used:
1 jar Mumtaz tikka masala sauce
2/3 jar water
a big fat lump of butter (probably about 100g, eek)
1 fresh tomato, skinned and finely chopped
75g ground almonds
200g cubed paneer.
Fresh chopped corriander to garnish/serve
Dump the sauce into a pan and add the butter and water. Let the butter melt gently into the sauce, stirring to make sure it doesn't catch. When the butter has melted add the ground almonds, tomato and paneer. Cook for about 15 mins or so until the sauce has reduced a little. I needed to add some sugar too as the sauce was a little bitter. Serve with roti and lots of fresh corriander.
Rice Pudding
Ahhh a childhood staple. I adore rice pudding. Sometimes only a can or carton will do when I am in a trashy junk food mood. But other times I crave rich, luscious, creamy home made rice pudding. My mum taught me the trick of using a can of evaporated milk in with the normal milk to give an instant richness and creaminess to it. Recently I've also started to add cardamon and other spices to liven it up a bit. The recipe below is my all time favourite.
What you need
2.5oz of pudding rice or risotto/paella rice
2 tbsp sugar (I use vanilla)
1 pint milk - use one large can of evaporated milk and top up with semi-skimmed to the pint
3 cracked cardamon pods
grating fresh nutmeg
few strands of saffron
Mix all of the ingredients together and then place in a lidded casserole dish into a pre-heated 150 degree oven. Stir after the first 30 mins and then leave to slowly cook for 90 mins or so until the rice is cooked. I think it's better fridge cold the next day after the rice has plumped up a bit and the flavours have mingled, but DH thinks it's best eaten hot straight from the oven. Either way it makes a luscious pudding or breakfast.
What you need
2.5oz of pudding rice or risotto/paella rice
2 tbsp sugar (I use vanilla)
1 pint milk - use one large can of evaporated milk and top up with semi-skimmed to the pint
3 cracked cardamon pods
grating fresh nutmeg
few strands of saffron
Mix all of the ingredients together and then place in a lidded casserole dish into a pre-heated 150 degree oven. Stir after the first 30 mins and then leave to slowly cook for 90 mins or so until the rice is cooked. I think it's better fridge cold the next day after the rice has plumped up a bit and the flavours have mingled, but DH thinks it's best eaten hot straight from the oven. Either way it makes a luscious pudding or breakfast.
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