Frog End Food

American pancakes (0 colours)

2012-02-05T11:54:00.017Z

We've decided that every Sunday we're going to have pancakes for breakfast. Like many other English people we tend to only have pancakes on pancake day and each year we say 'we must have pancakes more often' and we never do. Americans eat pancakes regularly and with the huge potential for different toppings / fillings I feel that we are missing out.

This morning I made American style pancakes and we both thought they were delicious. We had the first two with cherry pie filling and the second two with maple syrup.

Ingredients
Plain flour - 135 g
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 0.5 tsp
Caster sugar - 2 tbsp
Semi-skimmed milk - 130 ml
Egg - 1 large
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Knob butter for frying
Maple syrup or other toppings

Methods
1) Sieve the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl.
2) Beat the egg in another bowl and add the milk. Whisk for a minute or two and then add the olive oil. Whisk again for another minute.
3) Add the liquid mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix together with a fork. Unlike when making British pancakes all the lumps disappeared very easily. Leave to stand for 5 minutes.
4) Heat a small amount of butter in a frying pan and then add a ladle full of the batter to the pan. The pancakes are supposed to be smaller than British ones so I managed to fit two in our frying pan although that meant they came out more oval than round. Cook on a low-medium heat until the pancake starts to bubble and then turn over. Cook until golden on both sides. Makes 5 pancakes.

I've made a long list of toppings that I want to try over the next few weeks. The following are the ones I'm most looking forward to:

Bananas, rum and brown sugar
Fried apples with cinnamon and vanilla ice cream
Warm strawberries with sugar
Goats cheese and jam (google tells me this is common in Norway)
Lemon curd and butter
Plum sauce
Sausage and maple syrup (this one might be awful, but we're both intrigued enough to try it)
Bananas, butter, cinnamon, brown sugar and crushed nuts

Tomato and red pepper soup (2 colours)

2012-01-30T15:59:00.000Z

Ingredients
Tomatoes - 8 large, halved
Red peppers - 2, seeds removed and quartered
Garlic - 2 cloves, finely chopped
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Balsamic vinegar - 1 tbsp
Red chilli (optional) - 1, finely chopped
Potato - 1 medium, chopped
Tomato puree - 1 tbsp
Vegetable stock - 700 ml

Methods
1) Place the tomatoes and red peppers in a roasting tin. Sprinkle over the garlic and drizzle over the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Roast at 180°C for 1 hour.
2) After half an hour heat a small amount of oil in a large saucepan and fry the chilli for a couple of minutes. Add the potato, tomato puree and vegetable stock and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the potato is cooked.
3) Pour the contents of the roasting tin (including all the juices) into the saucepan and stir well. Blend until smooth. Serves 4.

Pumpkin and pear soup (3 colours)

2012-01-23T09:25:00.018Z

Ingredients
Pears - 2, peeled and core removed
Eating pumpkin - 1, halved and with the seeds removed
Olive oil
Butter - 30 g
Onions - 3, chopped
Garlic Cloves - 3, finely chopped
Vegetable stock - 900 ml
Ground Cinnamon - pinch

Methods
1) Place the pumpkin halves cut-side up with the pears in a roasting tin. Spray or drizzle the pumpkin with a little oil. Bake at 200°C for 25 minutes and then remove the pears. Return the pumpkin halves to the oven and cook for a further 20 minutes until tender.
2) Allow the pumpkin to cool a little and then scoop out the flesh. Chop the pears coarsely.
2) Heat the butter in a large pan. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the pumpkin, pears, cinnamon and stock. Cook on low for 30 minutes and then blend until smooth. Serves 4.

Stripey jellies

2011-12-26T09:04:00.000Z

Not being a fan of either cold custard or cream I've never been a trifle person. At Christmas I have often been offered jelly as an alternative to trifle and the jellies at my father's house were always the best. Rather than sticking with a single colour my father would make stripey jellies in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

This year we found some lovely vegetarian jelly crystals made by weight watchers so I decided to have a go at making stripey jellies. Unfortunately they don't seem to make a green jelly, but I managed three colours with blackcurrant, strawberry & raspberry and orange jelly:

Mulled wine (2 colours)

2011-12-24T21:49:00.000Z

Ingredients
Water - 850 ml
Granulated sugar - 115 g
Cinnamon - 1 stick
Whole cloves - 8
Oranges - 2 (unpeeled), quartered
Red wine - 1 bottle
Orange slices

Methods
1) Place the water, sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves and oranges in a large pan and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid, turn the heat down and simmer for 30 minutes.
2) Leave to cool and then strain into a container. The syrup will keep in the fridge for a week.
3) Heat in a large pan with the bottle of red wine and orange slices.

Feta, pomegranate and leaf salad (2 colours)

2011-12-22T13:50:00.012Z

This is a really quick and easy salad to make at this busy time of year.

Ingredients
Mixed leaves - 2 large handfuls
Feta - 1/3 pack
Pomegranate arils (seeds) from half a pomegranate

Methods
1) Arrange the leaves on two plates. Crumble over the feta and sprinkle the pomegranate arils on top. Serves 2.

Rudolph the red-nosed potato

2011-12-16T14:00:00.004Z

I saw a picture of something similar on the internet last year and decided that we simply had to make reindeers out of baked potatoes. The feet are celery, eyes are peas, antlers are pasta and noses are cherry tomatoes.

As Ian put it "who says you shouldn't play with your food?!"

Cranberry and citrus sorbet (2 colours)

2011-12-15T22:45:00.004Z

This lovely seasonal sorbet, being quite strong in flavour is best in small quantities, say served with some fruit or biscuits. For the recipe, see Cannelle et Vanille.

Christmas recipes updated

2011-12-07T10:05:00.005Z

Last year I wrote a list of Christmas recipes that I wanted to try. I've made some of them and they were delicious (and subsequently got a blog post of their own). Below is an updated list of those I've yet to try, including lots of new recipes I've found this year:

Breakfasts:
Pomegranate and white chocolate pancakes

Savoury recipes:
Moroccan spiced pie
Carrot and cashew crisp with hot lentil salad
Cauliflower with nuts and cranberries
Pomegranate and pea samosas
Cranberry and beetroot relish
Canape crackers
Pine nut and carrot roast
Leek and cranberry caerphilly strudel

Salads:
Clementine, feta and leaf salad
Citrus and pomegranate salad with chilli-honey dressing
Feta and pomegranate salad
Beetroot and clementine salad
Festive salad
Winter fruit salad

Cakes and biscuits:
Stollen wreath
Gingerbread cupcakes with clementine buttercream
Gingerbread cookies
Snow-topped cupcakes
Minty chocolate cookies
Pumpkin, orange and pomegranate cake
Gingerbread house

Desserts:
Hidden orange Christmas pudding
Tropical Christmas pudding
Semifreddo
Lemon cheesecake mini tartlets
Lime and cranberry bread and butter pudding
Cranberry and citrus sorbet
Peppermint ice cream
Iced nougat and raspberry terrine
Chocolate and pomegranate torte
Meringue roulade
Pomegranate cheesecake with clementine gelato

Sweets and chocolates:
Candy cane truffles
Sparkling cranberries
Candied walnuts
Christmas pudding truffles

Coconut macaroons (0 colours)

2011-12-05T10:31:00.009Z

Ingredients
Eggs - 2
Dessicated coconut - 225 g
Caster sugar - 140 g
Glace cherries - 6, halved

Methods
1) Beat the eggs in a large bowl until frothy. Add the coconut and sugar and stir well. Set aside for 20 minutes.
2) Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Wash your hands in cold water and form the coconut mixture into 12 pyramids. Place these on the baking sheet. Keeping your hands cold and slightly damp helps to stop the mixture sticking more to your fingers than the cakes.
3) Place a glace cherry half on top of each macaroon and bake for 25 minutes or until golden (keep an eye on them after 20 minutes). Makes 12.

Black forest trifle (1 colour)

2011-12-03T11:51:00.004Z

It's December, our tree is up and half the Christmas cards are in the post. There are so many Christmassy recipes that I want to try that I couldn't possibly cook (and eat) them all in the traditional festive period so I shall start early...

I've never been a fan of cream or cold custard so this is the only trifle I've ever liked.

Ingredients
Chocolate swiss roll (not the kind coated in chocolate) - 1, sliced
Tinned black cherries - 400 g tin, stones removed
Chocolate angel delight - 1 pack
Milk - 300 ml

Methods
1) Arrange the swiss roll slices on the bottom of a trifle or similar dish.

2) Pour over the juice/syrup from the tin of cherries and then arrange the cherries on top.
3) Make the angel delight with the milk as per the instructions on the packet and then pour over the cherries. Smooth the top with the back of a spoon and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serves 6.

Salmon en creute (1 colour)

2011-11-30T17:10:00.010Z

Using ready-made pastry from the frozen section of the supermarket made this a really easy, but impressive-looking and tasty dinner.

Ingredients
Puff pastry - 250g
Salmon fillets - 3 or 4
Herbs of choice
Cream cheese - 175 g
Tomatoes - 2, sliced
Egg yolk - 1

Methods
1) Roll out the pastry into a rectangle. Place the salmon fillets in a row in the centre of the pastry. Mix the cream cheese with any herbs of your choice and then spread on top of the salmon. Top with the tomato slices.
2) Lift the flaps of the pastry over the fish but don't completely cover it. Use the excess from the ends to make strips about an inch thick and place these over the top (see photo).
3) Press the edges with your fingers and then brush the pastry with the egg yolk. Bake at 200°C for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serves 4.

Tortilla, pinto bean and sweetcorn soup (3 colours)

2011-11-17T11:29:00.001Z

This soup was supposed to have a tin of mild chillis added at the same point as the sweetcorn, but I wasn't able to find one in the shops. It has a lovely flavour even without the chillis.

Ingredients
Dried pinto beans - 200g, cooked as per the instructions on the packet
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Onions - 2, finely chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves, finely chopped
Red chilli pepper - 2, finely chopped
Ground cumin - 1 tbsp
Dried oregano - 1 tbsp
Lime juice - 1 tbsp
Chopped tomatoes - 2 400 g cans
Vegetable stock - 1.5 litres
Frozen sweetcorn - 500 ml (measured in a jug)
Flour tortillas - 3

Methods
1) Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and cook until softened.
2) Add the garlic, chilli, cumin, oregano and lime juice and cook for another minute. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and then transfer to a blender.
3) Add the pinto beans to the blender with the tomato mixture and blend until smooth. Pour into a slow cooker, add the stock and cook on high for 4 hours.
4) Add the sweetcorn to the slow cooker, stir and cook for another 30 minutes.
5) A few minutes before serving heat the oven to 180°C. Slice the tortillas into 1 inch strips. Place on a baking tray and brush with oil. Bake for a couple of minutes until golden (keep an eye on them as you can see from the photo that we overcooked ours!), turn over and repeat. Serve the soup with the tortilla strips on top. Serves 6.

Chocolate and raisin fudge (1 colour)

2011-11-05T12:08:00.002Z

I first made this fudge at school and have made it every couple of years since. It's perfect for this time of year.

Ingredients
Cooking chocolate - 115 g
Butter - 55 g
Evaporated milk - 4 tbs
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Golden syrup - 1 tbsp
Icing sugar - 455 g
Raisins - 55 g

Methods
1) Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a saucepan of hot water. Add the evaporated milk, vanilla essence and golden syrup and stir well.
2) Sieve the icing sugar into a large bowl and pour in the melted mixture. Add the raisins and knead well.
3) Press into a 7 inch square greased tin and leave to cool.
4) When set, cut into squares and remove from the tin.

Yellow split pea soup (2 colours)

2011-10-17T18:26:00.003+01:00

This is a really warming thick soup - great for the cold weather.

There seems to be a debate on the internet as to whether split peas need soaking. I gave up trying to work out which were the more reliable sources and soaked them overnight anyway. I used about 275 g dried peas which gave 500 g soaked peas.

Ingredients
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Carrots - 2 large, peeled and chopped
Onion - 1 large, chopped
Celery - 2 sticks, chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves, finely chopped
Vegetable stock - 1 litre
Yellow split peas - 500 g
Bay leaf

Methods
1) Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the carrots, onion and celery and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
2) Add the stock, bay leaf and split peas to the pan, cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours, stirring regularly (I found the split peas started to stick to the bottom of the pan by the end of the 2 hours, so keep an eye on them).
3) Remove the bay leaf, blend the soup until smooth and serve hot. Serves 4.

Black bean and walnut brownies (0 colours)

2011-10-17T13:32:00.003+01:00

My favourite beans are black beans so when I heard that you could use them to make brownies I decided I had to have a go. The original recipe called for chocolate chips, but I replaced them with walnuts. I might try half and half next time.

Ingredients
Cooked black beans - 400 g
Eggs - 3
Vegetable oil - 3 tbsp
Cocoa powder - 20 g
Salt - pinch
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Caster sugar - 150 g
Chopped walnuts - 85g

Methods
1) Preheat the oven to 175°C and grease a 20cm square baking tin.
2) Combine the black beans, eggs, oil, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract and sugar in a blender. Blend until smooth, stir in two thirds of the chopped walnuts and then pour into the tin. Sprinkle over the remaining walnuts.
3) Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

Celery, tomato and apple soup (2 colours)

2011-09-30T11:48:00.016+01:00

Ingredients
Butter - 50 g
Onion - 1 large, chopped
Bramley apple - 1 large, core removed and quartered (not peeled)
Tomatoes - 430 g, quartered
Celery - 2 large sticks, chopped into 2 inch pieces
Ground ginger - pinch
Ground nutmeg - pinch
Vegetable stock - 570 ml

Methods
1) Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the apple, tomatoes, celery, ginger and nutmeg to the pan and stir well.
2) Place two layers of greaseproof paper over the contents of the pan and cover with a lid. Simmer on low for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
3) Remove the paper, add the stock and stir and then transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth and serve hot. Serves 4.

Beetroot soup (3 colours)

2011-09-23T11:10:00.017+01:00

We've got quite a big beetroot harvest this year so I'm back into beetroot recipes again. This is the fourth beetroot soup I've made and certainly the best so far. The recipe by Delia Smith calls for draining the liquid and discarding the vegetables, but I couldn't bear to waste them all. We did try some of the drained liquid and it was indeed delicious eaten cold as suggested, but then we blended in the vegetables and served it hot.

Ingredients
Raw peeled beetroots - 700 g, chopped
Spring onions - 10, chopped
Garlic - 1 clove, finely chopped
Bay leaf - 1
Parsley - handful, chopped
Water - 1.5 litres
Cucumber - 1, peeled and chopped
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Red wine vinegar - 1 tbsp

Methods
1) Place the beetroots, spring onions, garlic, bay leaf and parsley in a large pan with the water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 70 minutes.
2) Add the cucumber to the pan and simmer for a further 15 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and red wine vinegar.
3) Either strain and serve cold or pour all the liquid and veggies into a blender (remove the bay leaf first), blend and serve hot. Serves 4-6.

Chocolate courgette cake with chocolate ganache (1 colour)

2011-09-23T10:59:00.005+01:00

This cake is really tasty and you'd never know there were courgettes in there. It's extremely crumbly, but as long as you have a fork (or preferably a spoon) to eat it with it's no problem.

Ingredients
Self-raising flour - 350 g
Cocoa powder - 50 g
Mixed spice - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Olive oil - 175 ml
Golden caster sugar - 300 g
Eggs - 3
Vanilla extract - 2 tsp
Courgettes - 500 ml (about 2 medium-sized courgettes, measured by volume in a measuring jug), grated
Hazelnuts - 140 g, toasted in a frying pan (being careful not to burn) and then roughly chopped

For the ganache:
Dark chocolate - 200 g, chopped
Double cream - 100 ml

Methods
1) In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, mixed spice and salt. In another bowl, combine the olive oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and courgette.
2) Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry and mix until just combined, then fold in the chopped hazelnuts. Line a 9 inch round cake tin with greaseproof paper, then pour in the mixture.
3) Bake at 180°C for about 80-90 mins, or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool.
4) To make the ganache place the chocolate in a mixing bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until it's melted. I wasn't convinced that the cream would melt the chocolate and certainly it was difficult so when I make it again I'll probably heat the chocolate to at least soften it before adding the cream.
5) Leave to cool slightly and then spread the ganache over the cake so it's covered and starts to drip down the sides. Serves 6-8.

Marrow stuffed with tuna and lentils (3 colours)

2011-09-16T09:59:00.003+01:00

Ingredients
Marrow - 1, ends trimmed and sliced into 4cm slices
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1, chopped
Celery - 1 stick, chopped
Garlic - 1 clove, finely chopped
Chopped tomatoes - 400 g tin
Green lentils - 200 g tin, drained
Tuna - 200 g can, drained
Breadcrumbs - handful
Cheddar cheese - 125 g, grated

Methods
1) Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and celery and fry until soft. Add the garlic and fry for 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and lentils and cook for 10 - 15 minutes until thickened.
2) Drain the tuna and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the tomato lentil mixture and mix well.
3) Scoop out the centre of each marrow slice and place in a baking dish. Spoon the mixture into the hollowed-out centres and spread any remaining mixture between the marrow rings.
4) Cover with foil and bake in the oven at 190°C for 30 minutes. Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and top with the cheese. Bake for a further 15 minutes. Serves 2-3, depending on the length of the marrow.

Onion squash stuffed with butterbeans and vegetables (4 colours)

2011-08-23T13:43:00.006+01:00

We found these adorable onion squashes at the market and just had to get them:

The recipe makes enough filling to stuff a pumpkin and was too much for two onion squashes, but was very good reheated the next day. Similarly, the cheese sauce wouldn't all fit inside the squash, but we served the remaining sauce on the side.

Ingredients
Squash - 2 small or 1 large
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 2 cloves, finely chopped
Onions - 2, chopped
Carrots - 2, sliced
Celery - 1 stick, sliced
Red pepper - 1, deseeded and chopped
Plum tomatoes - 3, chopped
Butterbeans - 400g can, drained
Dried breadcrumbs - quantity depends on size of squash

For the cheese sauce:
Butter - 30 g
Flour - 30 g
Milk - 250 ml
Cheese - 100 g

Methods
1) Prepare the squashes by cutting off a lid and scooping out the seeds and pith. If the squash aren't balanced slice a small section from the base so that they stand upright.
2) Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and onion and cook until softened. Add the carrots, celery, pepper and tomatoes. Cook for 10 minutes.
3) Add the butterbeans and stir well.
4) Make the cheese sauce: heat the butter in a small pan and when melted stir in the flour. Slowly add the milk, stirring. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly or until the sauce thickens. Add the cheese and stir.

5) Assemble the squash by first filling with the butterbean and vegetable mixture, remembering to leave some room in the top. Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and pour the cheese sauce on top. Place the lids on and bake for 1 hour at 170°C. Serves 2.

Blackberry and coconut traybake (1 colour)

2011-08-20T11:16:00.003+01:00

Another delicious blackberry cake recipe...

Ingredients
Self-raising flour - 250 g
Rolled oats - 25 g
Soft brown sugar - 200 g
Cold butter - 200 g, cut into pieces
Dessicated coconut - 75 g
Eggs - 2, beaten
Blackberries - 350 g

Methods
1) Put the flour, oats and sugar in a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter until only very small pieces remain (my butter was a bit too warm so I ended up with a gooey mess, but the cake was delicious anyway). Add the coconut and stir well.
2) Fill a cup with some of the mixture and set aside.
3) Add the eggs to the bowl and stir. Pour the mixture into a lined baking tin (around 30 x 20 cm). Smooth the surface with the back of a spoon, then scatter over the blackberries.
4) Scatter over the reserved mixture and bake for 1 hour at 160°C until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cut into squares and serve warm or cold. Makes 16-20 squares.

Highlanders with blackberries (1 colour)

2011-08-16T18:34:00.002+01:00

Ian made these delicious shortcakes this week. They're delicious with blackberries which is just as well given how many we have in the fridge at the moment.

Ingredients
Butter - 100 g
Caster sugar - 50 g
Plain flour - 100 g
Rice flour - 50 g
Demerara sugar to coat
Blackberries to serve

Methods
1) Cream the butter and caster sugar together in a large bowl. Sieve in the plain and rice flour and mix. Knead well with your hands.
2) Roll into a thick sausage and roll in the demerara sugar.

3) Cut into 15 slices and bake on a greased baking tray for 15 minutes at 190°C until golden brown.

Apple, blackberry and almond cake (2 colours)

2011-08-05T15:52:00.018+01:00

This cake has a lovely combination of flavours. If you prefer it to taste less of almonds then exclude the almond essence.

Ingredients
Soft brown sugar - 175 g
Soft margarine - 125 g
Plain flour - 175 g
Eggs - 2
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Ground almonds - 60 g
Almond essence - 0.5 tsp
Bramley apples - 2 large
Blackberries - 125 g
Flaked almonds - 60 g

Methods
1) Cream the sugar and butter together in a large mixing bowl. Sieve 50 g of the flour into the bowl, add the eggs and mix. Beat in the ground almonds and almond essence.
2) Add the rest of the flour and the baking powder and mix well. Pour two thirds of the cake mixture into a greased and lined 8 inch round tin.
3) Peel, core and slice the apples and layer the slices over the cake mixture.
4) Mix the blackberries with the remaining cake mixture and pour on top of the apples. Sprinkle over the flaked almonds and bake for 30 minutes at 190°C. Turn the oven down to 180°C and cook for a further 30 minutes. Be careful handling it while it's hot because it's very soft and breaks easily. Serves 8.

Tuna balls (1 colour)

2011-08-04T20:40:00.020+01:00

Serve this alternative to meatballs on top of spaghetti with a jar of pasta sauce.

Ingredients
Tuna - 185 g can in sunflower oil, drained with the oil set aside
Pine nuts - 1 tbsp
Half a lemon - grated rind of
Parsley - small handful
Dried breadcrumbs - 25 g
Egg - 1, beaten

Methods
1) Flake the tuna into a mixing bowl. Add the pine nuts, lemon rind, parsley and breadcrumbs and stir well.
2) Add half the egg and mix together with your hands, adding more egg if necessary to get the mixture to stick together. Form into 6-8 balls.
3) Fry in the sunflower oil for a few minutes, turning regularly until golden brown. Serves 2.

Blackberry ice cream (1 colour)

2011-08-01T17:34:00.001+01:00

A couple of days ago we went for a walk along the river Exe, North of Exeter. We were pleased to find some more ripe blackberries and so today we made blackberry ice cream. It's a really simple recipe with only four ingredients.

Ingredients
Fresh blackberries - 500 g, washed
Water - 2 tbsp
Caster sugar - 75 g
Whipping cream - 300 ml

Methods
1) Put the blackberries, water and caster sugar in a saucepan and simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes. Be careful not to put them on too high a temperature or they'll boil over quite quickly.
2) Strain the blackberry juice over a pyrex bowl using a sieve. The juice goes through very quickly, but it takes a few minutes to press the rest of the pulp through the sieve with a wooden spoon. Discard the seeds.
3) When the blackberry syrup has cooled put the bowl in the fridge and whip the cream in a separate bowl until it's soft, but still falls off the whisk. Combine with the blackberry syrup and stir well.
4) Pour into a freezable container (with a lid) and freeze for 2 hours. Remove from the freezer and mash with a fork to break up the ice crystals. Return to the freezer and repeat after another 2 hours. The ice cream should take a further couple of hours to set completely. Defrost for 15 minutes to allow it to soften before serving. Makes 900 ml.

Roasted root vegetable and goat's cheese hash (3 colours)

2011-07-31T19:39:00.016+01:00

Ingredients
Olive oil for roasting
Carrots - 4 large, peeled and chopped into large pieces
Parsnips - 3, peeled and chopped into large pieces
Beetroot - 3 small, cut into wedges
Garlic - 1 clove, finely chopped
Pine nuts - 1 tbsp
Butter for frying
New potatoes - 700 g
Goat's cheese - 250 g

Methods
1) Roast the carrots, parsnips and beetroot with the garlic sprinkled on top at 200°C for 40 minutes or until cooked.
2) Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in their skins. Drain and slice.
3) Heat a frying pan and toast the pine nuts, being careful not to burn them. Tip the pine nuts into a large bowl and return the frying pan to the heat. Add the butter.
4) Fry the potato slices in batches until golden brown.
5) When the root vegetables are cooked add them to the bowl with the pine nuts and stir well. Crumble three quarters of the goat's cheese over the top and stir.

6) Tip the root vegetables into an ovenproof dish and top with the potato slices. Crumble over the remaining goat's cheese and cook for 15 minutes at 200°C. Serves 6.

Yoghurt and lemon buns (1 colour)

2011-07-31T13:25:00.001+01:00

These were referred to as biscuits in the recipe book, but they're so large and fluffy we both agreed they were definitely buns. They have a lovely flavour, but are a little plain so I may ice them with either plain or lemon icing next time.

Ingredients
Plain flour - 250 g
Granulated sugar - 2 tbsp
Baking powder - 1 tbsp
Bicarbonate of soda - 0.5 tsp
Salt - 0.5 tsp
Grated lemon zest - 2 tsp
Butter - 76 g
Plain yoghurt - 250 ml

Methods
1) Sieve the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a mixing bowl. Addd the lemon zest and stir.
2) Add the butter and mix until it forms coarse crumbs. Add the yoghurt all at once and stir to make a soft, slightly sticky dough.
3) Form the dough into a ball and knead on a floured surface for a minute. Pat into a 1 inch thick round.
4) At this point the recipe stated to use a 2 inch cutter and to cut rounds from the dough. We tried this, but the dough was too sticky so we just tore pieces off and made them into bun shapes. Place on a greased baking sheet.
5) Bake at 220°C for 12 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on them as they cook very quickly. Cool on a cooling rack. Makes 12-14 buns.

Tomato and aubergine sauce (4 colours)

2011-07-30T18:25:00.001+01:00

This makes a large quantity (2 litres) of sauce which can be stored in the fridge or frozen.

Ingredients
Aubergines - 2 large, chopped
Red onions - 2, chopped
Garlic - 8 cloves, finely chopped
Vegetable stock - 300 ml
Dried chilli flakes - 0.5 tsp
Ground coriander - 1 tbsp
Ground cumin - 1 tbsp
Paprika - 2 tsp
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
Chopped tomatoes - 4 400 g tins
Fresh herbs - finely chopped

Methods
1) Combine the aubergines, onions, garlic, stock, spices and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes and then uncover and simmer for around 20 until the aubergine pieces are soft and the stock has been absorbed.

2) Add the tomatoes, stir well and cook for a further 20 minutes until thickened.
3) Blend the sauce in batches and mix in fresh herbs of your choice. Use over pasta or to make soup (recipe coming soon).

Blackberry and apple jam (2 colours)

2011-07-30T09:40:00.011+01:00

We've been keeping an eye out for brambles in our local area this year with the aim of picking and cooking lots of blackberries. We picked our first this week - not far from our house and upon weighing them realised we had enough to make a mixed fruit jam. This jam is really easy to make and the house smelled incredible while it was cooking.

Ingredients
Bramley apples - 2 large, chopped
Water - 0.25 pint
Fresh blackberries - 450 g
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 600 g
Butter - knob

Methods
1) Put the apple pieces and water into a jam pan or large saucepan and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until the apple is soft.
2) Add the blackberries and lemon juice and stir well. Cook for 5 minutes until the blackberries have softened.

3) Add the sugar and stir well until dissolved. Stir in the butter. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 15 - 25 minutes until the jam has reached setting point - we didn't really know how to tell, but when the excess liquid had gone we turned the hob off and the jam turned out fine. Leave to cool down a little for 15 minutes.
4) Spoon into sterlised jars (place them upside down on a baking tray in the oven at 140°C for 15 minutes and fill while hot), cover with wax paper discs and their lids and leave to cool. Makes 1 kg.

Peach salsa (3 colours)

2011-07-24T16:34:00.012+01:00

This summer salsa is great served over tuna steaks.

Ingredients
Frozen peach slices - 400 g pack, defrosted
Tomatoes - 3 large, chopped
Red pepper - 1, chopped
Chilli pepper - 1, finely chopped
Spring onions - 4, thinly sliced
Lime juice - 2 tbsp
Pure orange juice - 1 tbsp

Methods
1) Combine all ingredients in a bowl and leave for a couple of hours with a plate on top to warm to room temperature. Serves 6.

Dishes I want to cook

2011-07-22T22:58:00.003+01:00

Over the last couple of weeks I've been compiling a list of dishes that I want to cook. I'm sure I've missed lots of obvious ones so feel free to leave a comment if you can think of any.

Butterbean and cherry tomato tagine (2 colours)

2011-07-22T18:34:00.011+01:00

This is really simple to make and very tasty.

Ingredients
Dried butterbeans - 115 g, cooked as per the instructions on the packet or a 400g tin of butterbeans, drained
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1 large, chopped
Garlic - 3 cloves, finely chopped
Root ginger - 20 g, finely chopped or grated
Cherry tomatoes - 1 pack
Cinnamon - 1 tsp
Paprika - 1 tsp
Parsley - 1 handful
Cous cous for two

Methods
1) Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized pan and when hot add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring regularly for 5-10 minutes until cooked, but not brown.
2) Add the tomatoes to the pan and stir well. Cook until the tomatoes become soft and then add the butterbeans.
4) When the butterbeans are hot an the tomatoes have just started to break up add the cinnamon and paprika and stir well. Cook the cous cous and serve the tagine with the parsley sprinkled over the top. Serves 2.

Potatoes with creamy corn topping (3 colours)

2011-06-30T08:50:00.011+01:00

Ingredients
Potatoes - 4 large, very thinly sliced
Red onion - 1, sliced
Chopped tomatoes - 2 400g tins
Parsley - 1 handful
Evaporated milk - 150 ml
Sweetcorn - 540 g
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Mozzarella - 125 g

Methods
1) Place the sweetcorn and evaporated milk in a blender and blend to combine.
2) Heat the oil in a frying pan and when hot add the sweetcorn mixture. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes until thickened.
3) Meanwhile, clean the blender bowl and add the tomatoes with their juices and parsley. Blend until the parsley has been chopped fine. Add the mozzarella to the frying pan and stir well.
4) Spread the potato slices over the base of a slow cooker.

5) Add the onion on top and then cover with the tomatoes and parsley.

6) When the mozzarella has melted pour the sweetcorn topping on top of the tomatoes. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

Apple scone (1 colour)

2011-06-30T08:42:00.002+01:00

Continuing along the theme of family recipes, this one comes from the Hamlyn All Colour Cookbook. Although the book is rather outdated it contains the recipes for two of my favourite cakes - apple scone and ginger cake. When I was growing up we used to have apple scone every year at harvest-time.

Ingredients
Baking apple - 1 medium
Self-raising flour - 225 g
Baking powder - 1 level tsp
Salt - 0.5 tsp
Castor sugar - 57 g
Butter - 57 g
Milk - 0.25 pints or less

For the glaze:
Demerara sugar - 20 g
Milk - for brushing

Methods
1) Sieve the flour, salt and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Rub in the butter.
2) Peel, core and chop the apple finely. Add the castor sugar and apple to the bowl and mix well.
3) Add the milk, a little at a time, while mixing to form a soft dough. The dough shouldn't be sticky so don't add all the milk if you don't need to (I didn't).
4) Place the dough on a floured surface and roll into a circle about 1 cm thick. Transfer carefully to a greased baking sheet. Score into 8 triangles. Brush with the milk and sprinkle over the demerara.
5) Bake at 200°C for 20 minutes until golden brown. Cut into triangles and serve hot or cold with butter. Serves 8.

Aubergine quesadillas with spicy salsa (4 colours)

2011-06-18T11:21:00.010+01:00

I love vegetarian mexican food and anything with aubergine in always grabs my attention. In the past I've made enchiladas, fajitas and burritos, but I'd never had quesadillas before.

Ingredients
Aubergine - 1 large, chopped
Green pepper - 1, chopped
Yellow pepper - 1, chopped
Garlic - 3 cloves, finely chopped
Thyme - 1 tbsp fresh chopped or 1 tsp dried
Basil - 1 tbsp fresh chopped or 1 tsp dried
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Flour tortillas - 4 large
Cheese - handful, grated

For the salsa:
Olive oil - 1 tsp
Garlic - 4 cloves, finely chopped
Chopped tomatoes - 400 g tin
Tomato puree - 1 tbsp
Cayenne pepper - to taste

Methods
1) Place the aubergine and pepper pieces on a baking tray and sprinkle over the garlic and herbs. Drizzle with the olive oil and bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until the aubergine is golden brown, turning occasionally.
2) Meanwhile, heat the teaspoon of olive oil in a small pan and add the garlic. Fry for a couple of minutes and then add the chopped tomatoes, cayenne pepper and tomato puree. Stir well and simmer until the quesadillas are ready.
3) When the vegetables are cooked place two of the tortillas on a baking sheet and grill on a medium heat until crisp (keep an eye on them or they will burn!) Remove from the heat and turn them over. Spoon half the vegetables on to each and sprinkle over the cheese. Place the remaining tortillas on top and grill until crisp. Cut into quarters and serve with the hot salsa. Serves 2.

Sausage pie (3 colours)

2011-06-16T19:10:00.003+01:00

I've eaten sausage pie for as long as I can remember - I think the recipe originally came from my father's mother. These days I use vegetarian sausages, but I grew up with it containing skinless pork sausages or sometimes sausage meat. The crispy bits of mashed potato that form around the edges of the dish are always fought over!

Ingredients
Potatoes - 5 large, peeled and quartered.
Vegetarian sausages - 1 pack, chopped into 1 cm pieces
Mixed herbs - 1 tsp
Baking apple - 1 large, peeled and chopped
Onion - 1 large, chopped
Tomatoes - 2 large, sliced

Methods
1) Boil the potatoes for about 20 minutes until cooked.
2) Meanwhile, put a layer of sausage pieces in the base of a large pyrex dish and sprinkle over the herbs. Top with a layer of apple, followed by a layer of onion. Arrange the tomato slices on top.
3) Mash the potatoes with a little margarine and then spread on top of the tomatoes. Cover with a lid and bake at 220°C for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serves 2-3.

Spinach, radish and roasted cherry tomato salad (3 colours)

2011-05-31T09:50:00.003+01:00

Ingredients
Cherry tomatoes - 1 handful
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Garlic cloves - 3, finely chopped
Dried herbs - I used thyme, basil and oregano
Spinach - 2 handfuls
Radishes - handful, sliced thinly
Hazelnuts - small handful, chopped

Methods
1) Place the cherry tomatoes on a baking tray and drizzle over the olive oil. Sprinkle with the crushed garlic and dried herbs and roast at 160°C for 20 minutes.
2) Meanwhile, arrange the spinach leaves in a serving bowl and layer the radishes on top. Sprinkle over the hazelnuts.

3) When the tomatoes are cooked spoon them on top of the salad and drizzle over the liquid from the baking tray. Serve immediately. Serves 2.

Tuna and sweetcorn burgers (2 colours)

2011-05-29T20:08:00.000+01:00

These are much more like burgers than fishcakes so they go well in bread rolls with lots of lettuce and salsa or ketchup.

Ingredients
White bread - 45 g, torn into pieces
Sweetcorn - 100 g (about half a can, drained)
Tuna - 185 g can, drained
Spring onions - 2, finely chopped
Cheese - 25g, grated
Egg - 1, beaten
Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Methods
1) Use a food processor to break the bread into crumbs and transfer to a mixing bowl.
2) Blend or mash the sweetcorn and add to the bowl with the tuna, spring onions and cheese. Mix well.
3) Add the egg bit by bit until you can form the mixture into burgers without them falling apart (I used about half). Shape into two burgers.
4) Fry in the oil for about 5 minutes on each side until hot. Serves 2.

Red onion and rosemary focaccia (1 colour)

2011-05-24T09:55:00.012+01:00

This is the first time I've ever made bread from scratch and I wanted to make a bread that our bread-maker couldn't. I have to say it turned out well - fluffy inside and crisp on the outside. I used only one red onion and would use two next time and probably some garlic because it did lack flavour for the type of bread it was supposed to be. Sun-dried tomatoes and some sort of cheese would also work well on top I think.

Ingredients
Strong white bread flour - 500 g
Dried yeast - 7 g
Salt - pinch
Olive oil - 4 tbsp
Lukewarm water - 350 ml
Red onions - 2, thinly sliced
Rosemary sprigs - 1 handful

Methods
1) Sieve the flour, yeast and salt into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the olive oil and about half the water. Stir with a wooden spoon or your hands (it's very sticky to begin with) to form a dough, adding more of the water if necessary.
2) Flour a surface and tip the dough on. Knead for 10 minutes. I'd never done this before but reading about it on the web the best advice seemed to be to use the palms of your hands or knuckles, kneading away from you and to then fold the bread in half towards you. After that turn the dough 90 degrees and start again.
3) Oil a pyrex bowl and add the dough, covering the bowl with cling film or a tea towel and leave to rise for 90 minutes.

4) Tip the dough back onto a floured surface and knead a little to knock the air out. Place in a greased swiss roll tray and shape it until it fits the tray and is level on top. Leave for a further 20 minutes.
5) Meanwhile, fry the onions in 1 tbsp of the oil until soft (about 5 minutes) and go pick your rosemary.
6) Sprinkle the onions and rosemary sprigs over the top of the dough and then press your fingers in the dough to make dimples. Drizzle over the last of the olive oil and bake at 200°C for about half an hour. Serve hot or cold.

Goats cheese, peach and tomato toasts (2 colours)

2011-05-23T13:22:00.011+01:00

This easy lunch is very tasty and great served with soup or salad.

Ingredients
Fresh baguette - 6 slices
Goats cheese - 1 small round
Peach - 1, stoned and chopped (ours wasn't ripe, but when cooked that didn't matter)
Tomatoes - 2 large, chopped

Methods
1) Put the tomatoes and peach in a small pan over a medium heat and cook, stirring regularly for about 10 minutes until hot.
2) Meanwhile heat the grill and toast the baguette slices on both sides. Divide the goats cheese into 6 and spread onto the toasts. You can then either leave them as they are or return them to the grill for a minute or two to melt the cheese.
3) Spoon the peach and tomato mixture over the toasts and serve hot. Serves 2.

Tuna and red onion paninis (2 colours)

2011-04-10T14:05:00.001+01:00

Ingredients
Tuna - 1 tin, drained
Tomatoes - 2, chopped
Red onion - 1, finely chopped
Mayonnaise - 1 tbsp
Grated cheddar cheese - 1 handful
Paninis - 2

Methods
1) Mix together all the ingredients.
2) Grill the paninis lightly on both sides. Spread the tuna mixture on top and then grill on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Serve hot. Serves 2.

Polenta and pinto bean bake (4 colours)

2011-04-01T18:05:00.014+01:00

This is the first time I've ever cooked polenta. That is, I've put it in a cake or two, but never cooked it the 'usual' way. If you haven't tried it, it's very easy to cook and has the consistency of semolina. It's like eating really creamy mashed potato with a slight taste of sweetcorn, but seems far less stodgy than mashed potato.

Ingredients
Dried polenta - 160 g
Water - 950 ml
Margarine or butter - 1 tbsp
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1, chopped
Red pepper - 1, chopped
Ground cumin - 2 tsp
Cayenne pepper - 0.25 tsp
Dried oregano - 1 tsp
Chopped tomatoes - 400 g can
Frozen sweetcorn - 155 g
Cooked pinto beans - 530 g
Cheddar cheese - handful, grated

Methods
1) Bring the water to the boil in a saucepan. When boiling slowly pour in the polenta, whisking all the time. Continue to whisk for a further 2 minutes until the polenta is thick. Turn down the heat until the polenta bubbles slowly. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2) Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally for 5-10 minutes until softened.
3) Stir the cumin, cayenne and oregano into the onion and pepper and then add the chopped tomatoes. Bring to the boil and then add the sweetcorn and beans. Cook until the polenta is ready.
4) When the polenta has cooked, remove from the heat and stir in the margarine. Spread on the bottom of an oven-proof dish.

5) Pour over the bean mixture. Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 175°C. Serve with soured cream. Serves 6.

Ian, being healthier than me, didn't have cheese on his:

Cous cous salad with beetroot and goat's cheese (3 colours)

2011-03-31T12:46:00.006+01:00

Ingredients
Orange - juice of 1 large
Water - 100 ml
Cous cous - 140 g
Cooked beetroots - 4 small (~230 g), chopped into quarters or eighths
Goats cheese - 64 g, chopped
Walnuts - 25 g, chopped into large pieces
Spinach - 2 handfuls (~40 g)

Methods
1) Place the cous cous in a large pyrex bowl.
2) Heat the orange juice with the water in a small pan. When it begins to boil remove from the heat and pour over the cous cous. Leave for 5 minutes and then fluff up with a fork.
3) Mix the other ingredients into the cous cous and serve warm or cold. Serves 2.

Three bean chilli hotpot (3 colours)

2011-03-21T12:13:00.001Z

Ingredients
Dried black beans - 140 g
Dried cannellini beans - 140 g
Dried pinto beans - 140 g
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1 large, finely chopped
Red peppers - 2, chopped
Garlic - 3 cloves, finely chopped
Cumin seeds - 0.5 tsp
Ground coriander - 1 tsp
Dried oregano - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Tomato puree - 3 tbsp
Chopped tomatoes - 800 g
Sugar - 1 tsp
Vegetable stock - 500 ml

Methods
1) Drain the beans, rinse and put in separate saucepans. Cover generously with water and bring to the boil. Boil rapidly for 10-15 minutes and then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2) Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Fry the onion and peppers for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, cumin seeds, ground coriander, oregano and stir well. Cook for a further 2 minutes and then add the chilli powder and tomato puree and stir.
3) Add the chopped tomatoes, beans, sugar and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4) Serve with quinoa or rice, soured cream and cheese. Serves 6.

Butternut squash and apple soup (2 colours)

2011-03-05T20:52:00.005Z

This soup is so tasty. The apple really complements the butternut squash.

Ingredients
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Butternut squash - 1 large, halved and deseeded
Onions - 2 large
Granny smith apples - 2 large
Garlic - 3 cloves
Mild chilli powder
Vegetable stock - 1 litre

Methods
1) Place the squash, cut-side up in a large roasting tin. Brush with 1 tbsp of olive oil and bake at 190°C for 90 minutes.
2) Peel, core and quarter the apples. Peel and quarter the onions. Add to the roasting tin with the whole garlic cloves and drizzle over the remaining oil. Sprinkle a little chilli pepper over all the fruit and vegetables (including the squash).
3) Roast for 30-40 minutes, stirring regularly until the vegetables are all soft and beginning to brown.
4) Scoop the flesh from the squash and place half in a food processor with the onion, garlic, apple and stock. Process (in batches if necessary) and serve hot. Serves 4-6.

Beetroot and apple salad (1 colour)

2011-02-28T18:36:00.008Z

I'm going through a beetroot phase at the moment, so I suspect there'll be quite a few beetroot recipes posted here over the next few weeks. One thing I'm hoping to perfect is beetroot soup. We've cooked three different recipes for it so far, but I'm not quite satisfied with any of them.

This is an easy to make beetroot side dish that's very refreshing.

Ingredients
Cooked beetroot - 3 small, chopped into thin sticks
Red apple - 1, core removed and chopped into thin sticks
Lemon juice - 2 tsp

Methods
1) Put the apple in a small bowl with the lemon juice and stir to coat thoroughly. Add the beetroot and mix well. Serves 2.

Green beans with pine nuts (2 colours)

2011-02-18T14:21:00.010Z

This is a lovely way to add some flavour to green beans.

Ingredients
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Pine nuts - 15 g
Paprika - 0.25 tsp
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Garlic - 1 clove, finely chopped
Green beans - 250 g, ends trimmed
Lime juice - 1 tbsp

Methods
1) Heat the oil in a frying pan. When hot add the pine nuts and cook, stirring regularly until golden brown. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen roll. Place in a small bowl, sprinkle over the paprika and shake the bowl until the pine nuts are coated.
2) Add the onion to the frying pan and fry gently until softened. Meanwhile place the green beans in a pan and cover with boiling water. Bring to the boil and cook for a few minutes until tender, but still firm.
3) Add the garlic to the frying pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add the green beans and stir well. Cook for a couple of minutes and then pour over the lime juice. Serve sprinkled with the pine nuts. Serves 2-4.

Potato skins with tomato and sweetcorn salsa (4 colours)

2011-02-16T15:16:00.007Z

Ingredients
Baking potatoes - 2 large
Kidney beans - small can, drained and rinsed
Sweetcorn - 198 g can, drained
Red pepper - 0.5, chopped
Red chilli pepper - 1, seeds removed & finely chopped
Shallots - 2, finely chopped
Tomatoes - 2, chopped
Lime juice - 1 tbsp
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Cheddar cheese - 55 g

Methods
1) Wash and prick the potatoes and then bake in the oven at 200°C for about 75 minutes until crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
2) Mix together the kidney beans, sweetcorn, pepper, chilli, shallots and tomatoes in a bowl. Add the lime juice and 1 tbsp of olive oil and stir.
3) When the potatoes have cooked, remove them from the oven. Pour the salsa into a saucepan and cook on low.
4) While the salsa is cooking, cut the potatoes in half lengthways. With a dessert spoon gently remove the potato from the skins - don't press to hard or you'll break through the skins. You can cook the potato in another recipe or simply eat it as a side dish as we did.
5) Place the skins, cut-side up on a baking tray and brush the insides with the remaining oil. Grill on medium for 5 minutes.
6) Fill the skins with the salsa (you'll probably end up with a little left over) and top with cheese. Grill until the cheese has melted. Serves 2.

White cabbage, pear and cucumber salad (4 colours)

2011-02-11T14:56:00.000Z

You can make a dressing for this salad by mixing a little natural yoghurt with some salad cream, but it's just as tasty without.
Ingredients
Pear - 1
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
Carrot - 1 large, grated
White cabbage - shredded
Cucumber - 100 g, chopped
Tomatoes - 2, chopped
Double gloucester cheese - 150 g
Dried mixed herbs - 1 tsp

Methods
1) Chop the pear and soak in the lemon juice in a small bowl.
2) Mix the carrot, cabbage, cucumber and tomatoes together in a large bowl. Add the pear (but not the extra lemon juice), cheese and herbs and mix.

Louisiana ratatouille (4 colours)

2011-02-05T11:00:00.002Z

The annual okra festival (okrafest) in Checotah, Oklahoma is mentioned in a Carrie Underwood song that I like and I decided last year that I must try okra. I've only had it twice and I'm not sure that I can describe the taste, but I do enjoy it.

Ingredients
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Onions - 2, finely chopped
Garlic - 4 cloves, finely chopped
Dried oregano - 1 tsp
Chopped tomatoes - 2 400 g tins
Red wine vinegar - 2 tbsp
Aubergines - 2, chopped into 2 inch cubes
Green pepper - 1, chopped
Okra - 500 g

Methods
1) Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the aubergine until golden brown - in batches if necessary.
2) Remove the aubergine from the pan and place in the slow cooker. Add the onion to the frying pan and cook until softened. Add the garlic and oregano, stir and cook for one minute.
3) Add the chopped tomatoes and red wine vinegar to the frying pan and bring to the boil. Transfer to the slow cooker and stir well.
4) Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
5) Trim the ends off the okra and cut into 1 inch lengths. Add to the slow cooker with the pepper. Cook for a further 30 minutes - don't overcook the okra or it will go very sticky. Serves 4.

Red cabbage, feta and clementine salad (2 colours)

2011-02-04T17:31:00.002Z

Ingredients
Small red cabbage - one third
Red onion - half, sliced (to form rings)
Cooked beetroot - 1, coarsely grated
Clementines - 2, peeled and separated into segments
Feta cheese - 60 g
Sunflower seeds - 2 tsp

Methods
1) Slice the cabbage into thin slices and break up with your fingers. Arrange on two large plates.
2) Scatter over the onion rings, followed by the beetroot and clementine segments.
3) Crumble over the feta cheese and sprinkle with the sunflower seeds. Serves 2.

Ginger and sesame salmon cakes (1 colour)

2011-01-22T08:49:00.001Z

Ingredients
Potatoes - 2 medium, quartered
Red salmon - 180 g tin, drained
Lime juice - 2 tsp
Olive oil - 0.5 tbsp
Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 1 clove, finely chopped
Ginger - 1 inch, shredded
Green chilli - 1 small, finely chopped
Egg - 1
Breadcrumbs to coat.

Methods
1) Boil the potatoes until cooked. Drain and mash together with the salmon. Add the lime juice and stir.
2) Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the sesame seeds for a couple of minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and fry for another couple of minutes.
3) Add the contents of the frying pan to the fish mixture and stir well. If the mixture seems too wet add some breadcrumbs.
4) Make the mixture into four large cakes. Beat the egg. Dip the fishcakes in the egg and then in breadcrumbs to coat.
5) Bake in the oven at 200°C for 25 minutes. Serve with sweet chilli sauce. Serves 2.

Sweet potato and black bean burritos (3 colours)

2011-01-19T17:34:00.002Z

Ingredients
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1 small, finely chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves, finely chopped
Tomatoes - 2, chopped
Cooked black beans - 400 g
Water - 1 cup
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Ground cumin - 1 tsp
Cayenne pepper - 0.25 tsp
Sweet potato - 2 medium sized, baked, skins removed and mashed
Green chillis - 2, finely chopped
Wholewheat tortillas - 6
Cheddar cheese - 50 g, grated
Salsa and soured cream to serve

Methods
1) Fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil until softened. Add the tomatoes, beans and water and bring to the boil. Add the chilli powder, cumin and cayenne pepper and simmer for about 20-30 minutes until reduced to a thick consistency.
2) Mash the sweet potato in a bowl with the green chillis and set aside.
3) Divide the sweet potato mixture among the tortillas. Top with the bean mixture and then roll each tortilla and place in an oven-proof dish. Top with the cheese.
4) Bake at 175°C for 15 minutes. Serve topped with salsa and salad cream. Makes 6 burritos.

Date, cranberry and almond bars (1 colour)

2011-01-19T12:32:00.002Z

I've recently become very interested in making energy bars that are both healthier and cheaper than those in the shops. My first attempts were simply with fruit and nuts, but I hope to add some more interesting ingredients like different grains and coconut in the near future.

I've made this recipe twice now and both times I had trouble breaking up the dates. The first time I tried chopping and then blending them, but they were far too hard for the blender. The second time I soaked the dates overnight first. Again the blender was unable to cut through them, but I was able to mash them with the back of a spoon. As you might expect the second batch turned out a lot more wet than the first. Both were delicious.

Ingredients
Pitted dried dates - 85 g, soaked in water or fruit juice overnight
Dried cranberries or a combination of dried cranberries and raisins - 65 g
Whole almonds - 100 g
Walnuts (whole or chopped) - 15 g
Honey - 3 tsp

Methods
1) Cut off four pieces of cling film and lie them on a flat surface. Admittedly I didn't do this first either time that I made the bars, but your hands do get very sticky so it's definitely advisable.
2) Put the almonds and walnuts in a blender and blend until they form crumbs.
3) Chop the dates and then mash with the cranberries and / or raisins. Add the nuts and mix well with a spoon. Add the honey (you might need a little more if you don't soak the dates) and mix together well.
4) Divide the mixture into four and use your hand to make it into bar shapes. Place on the cling film, wrap and refrigerate. Makes 4 bars.

Roasted vegetable lasagne (2 colours)

2011-01-16T15:36:00.001Z

Ingredients
Olive oil for roasting
Red pepper - 3, deseeded and chopped
Aubergines - 2, sliced into 0.5 cm slices
Tomato sauce - 1 large jar
White sauce - 1 large jar
Lasagne sheets - 300 g
Mozzarella - 125 g ball, chopped
Cherry tomatoes - handful, halved

Methods
1) Place the peppers and aubergines on 2 large roasting trays. Drizzle over the olive oil, toss and roast for 25 minutes at 200° C or until lightly browned.
2) Reduce the heat to 180°C. Place one third of the vegetables in a large oven-proof dish and pour over one third of the tomato sauce. Top with a layer of lasagne sheets and drizzle over one quarter of the white sauce.
3) Repeat until you have three layers of pasta. Add the remaining white sauce and top with the mozzarella and tomatoes. Bake for 45 minutes. Serves 4-6.

Black bean soup (3 colours)

2011-01-13T11:10:00.001Z

Ingredients
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Onion - 2, finely chopped
Carrots - 2, peeled and finely chopped
Celery - 2 stalks, finely chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves, finely chopped
Cayenne pepper - 0.25 tsp
Cumin seeds - 2 tbsp
Dried oregano - 1 tbsp
Dried thyme - 1 tsp
Tomato puree - 2 tbsp
Dried black beans - 375 g, cooked and drained
Vegetable stock - 1500 ml
Lime juice - 2 tbsp

Methods
1) Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, cayenne, cumin seeds, oregano and thyme and stir for 1 minute.
2) Add the tomato puree to the frying pan and stir well. Pour the vegetables into a slow cooker. Add the beans and vegetable stock and stir.
3) Cook on low for 8 hours. Just before serving, stir in the lime juice. Garnish with sour cream if desired. Serves 6-8.

Baked potatoes with black beans, tuna and sweetcorn (3 colours)

2011-01-09T12:17:00.003Z

We had some black beans left over after making some burritos so I decided to try and replicate something I saw in the supermarket.

Ingredients
Jacket potatoes - 2 large
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Red chilli pepper - 1, deseeded and finely chopped
Red pepper - 1, chopped
Tomato - 1 large, chopped
Cooked (or canned) black beans - 110 g
Sweetcorn - 198 g can, drained
Tuna - 185 g can in sunflower oil, drained
Sweet chilli sauce - 1 tsp

Methods
1) Cook the jacket potatoes in the oven. Half an hour before they are due begin making the filling... heat the oil in a saucepan and add the pepper and chilli pepper. Cook on low for 15 minutes until softened.
2) Add the tomato, black beans and sweetcorn to the pan. Stir well and cook for a further 10 minutes.
3) Add the tuna to the pan and break it up with a spoon. Add the chilli sauce and stir well.
4) Halve the jacket potatoes and spoon on the filling, topping with cheese if desired. Serves 2.

Sweet potato, pepper and pumpkin soup (4 colours)

2011-01-04T11:07:00.002Z

Ingredients
Red peppers - 3, halved and deseeded
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Red onion - 1, finely chopped
Garlic - 1 clove, finely chopped
Tomato puree - 1 tbsp
Sweet potatoes - 400 g, peeled and cubed
Pumpkin - 400 g flesh (peeled), chopped
Vegetable stock - 1 litre
Pumpkin seeds - 2 tsp
Sunflower seeds - 2 tsp
Sesame seeds - 2 tsp

Methods
1) Chop 5 of the pepper halves.
2) Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion and garlic for 10 minutes until soft.
3) Add the tomato puree, pumpkin, sweet potato and pepper pieces. Cook for 10 minutes and then add the vegetable stock.
4) Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
5) Put the seeds on a baking tray and toast under the grill until golden brown.
6) Blend the soup in a food processor or blender (in batches if necessary). Finely chop the reserved pepper half. Serve the soup garnished with the pepper pieces and toasted seeds. Serves 4.

Tomato and rosemary chickpeas (2 colours)

2011-01-03T11:06:00.000Z

Ingredients
Dried chickpeas - 225 g, soaked overnight
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Bay leaves - 4
Fresh rosemary - 1 tbsp, chopped
Green chilli - 1 mild, halved and deseeded
Garlic - 2 cloves, finely chopped
Chopped tomatoes - 400 g can
Vegetable stock - 600 ml

Methods
1) Preheat the slow cooker on high.
2) Drain the chickpeas and place in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water, bring to the boil and boil for 10 minutes.
3) Meanwhile heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaves and rosemary. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until the cumin seeds begin to pop. Add the chilli, garlic and tomatoes and stir. Pour in the stock.
4) Drain the chickpeas. Add the tomato mixture to the pan with the chickpeas and stir well. Bring to the boil and then pour into the slow cooker. Cook on high for 6-8 hours until the chickpeas are soft. Remove the bay leaves and chilli if desired. Serves 4.

Courgettes stuffed with beans, pine nuts and pesto (3 colours)

2011-01-02T11:58:00.000Z

Ingredients
Courgettes - 2 large
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Shallots - 2, finely chopped
Garlic - 1 clove, finely chopped
Chopped tomatoes - 200 g
Pine nuts - 1 tbsp, toasted
Canned haricot beans - 100 g, drained and rinsed
Fresh basil - 1 tbsp, shredded

Methods
1) Chop the ends off the courgettes and slice them in half. Remove the flesh, leaving the skin and about 0.5 cm of flesh behind. Chop the flesh.
2) Heat half the oil in a frying pan and add the shallots, garlic and courgette flesh. Cook for 10 minutes until tender then add the tomatoes, pine nuts, beans and basil. Stir well.
3) Place the courgette shells, cut-side up in an oven-proof dish. Spoon the mixture into the empty shells and drizzle over the olive oil. Cover with foil and cook at 180°C for 45 minutes. Serves 2.

A new year

2011-01-01T15:21:00.016Z

It's been a year since Ian and I gave up eating meat. Apart from a few cravings for corned-beef, sausage rolls and oxtail soup it's not been particularly difficult which just goes to show how little I liked meat in the first place.

Over the last year I've cooked over a hundred new recipes and tried numerous new foods including celeriac, pomegranates, passion fruit, pumpkins, puy lentils, black-eyed beans, haloumi and tempeh.

My top 10 recipes from 2010 are

In 2011 I hope to try my hand at pastry - pies, tarts and pasties, and now that we're both working from home to be more adventurous with lunches in the form of salads, hot sandwiches and soups. There are many more foods that I hope to try cooking including buckwheat, millet, split peas, purple potatoes and more types of squash. Better get in the kitchen then...

Ginger biscuits (0 colours)

2010-12-23T19:10:00.002Z

Ingredients
Plain flour - 350 g
Bicarbonate of soda - 1 tsp
Ground ginger - 2 tsp
Butter - 100 g
Light brown sugar - 175 g
Egg - 1
Golden syrup - 4 tbsp

Methods
1) Sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ginger into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and mix with your hands until it forms small crumbs.
2) Add the sugar, egg and golden syrup and again mix with your hands until it forms a dough.
3) Roll out the biscuit dough to the desired thickness - between 0.5 and 1 cm should be about right. Cut into shapes.
4) Place the shapes on a greased baking tray, being careful to leave some space between them as they will get larger in the oven. Bake at 180°C for 10-15 minutes.

5) Leave to cool for a minute and then remove from the tray. We found that leaving them any longer than this made them really difficult to get out whole because once the biscuits cool they can become quite brittle.

Aubergine and goat's cheese parcels with cranberry sauce (2 colours)

2010-12-21T20:21:00.014Z

Aubergine parcels, served with Christmas cous cous.

Ingredients
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Aubergine - 1 small, sliced
Filo pastry - 2 sheets
Melted butter for brushing
Goats cheese - 60 g

For the cranberry sauce:
Cranberries - 150 g
Caster sugar - 50 g
Clementines - juice and grated rind of 2.

Methods
1) Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the aubergine slices until golden brown on both sides, in batches if necessary.
2) Leave the aubergine slices to cool for a few minutes while you prepare the pastry. Cut each pastry sheet in half, giving four large pastry squares. Brush each with butter and then layer in pairs with the corners offset.

3) Meanwhile, place the cranberry sauce ingredients in a small pan and cook on a medium heat, stirring regularly. When all the cranberries have popped open turn the heat down to low and cook until the aubergine parcels are ready.
4) Place three slices of aubergine in the centre of the pastry square and top with half the goats cheese. Fold the pastry upwards around the aubergine and pinch at the top. Brush with butter and then repeat for the other parcel.
4) Cook in the oven at 200°C for about 10 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Serve and pour over the cranberry sauce. Serves 2.

Christmas cous cous (2 colours)

2010-12-21T16:48:00.004Z

Ingredients
Cous cous - 200 g
Dried apricots - 5, chopped
Dried cranberries - small handful, chopped
Pomegranate seeds - small handful
Unsalted pistachios - small handful, shelled
Vegetable stock - 250 ml

Methods
1) Place the cous cous in a large bowl.
2) Make the stock and pour into a small saucepan. Add the dried apricots and cranberries. Bring to the boil again and pour over the cous cous. Add the pomegranate seeds and pistachios to the bowl and stir.
3) Cover the bowl with a large plate and leave for 5 minutes. Fluff up the cous cous with a fork before serving. Serves 3-4.

Iced clementine cake (1 colour)

2010-12-18T10:39:00.002Z

The original recipe for this called for a square tin, the cake to be divided into small cubes and for these to be covered in marzipan and iced individually. Not being particular fans of marzipan we decided to skip it, but that proved a bad idea as without it the cakes were very difficult to ice - the soft cake mixture just crumbled into the icing. After a couple we gave up and just iced the top of the cakes. Next time I shall make a round cake and simply ice the top as described below.

Ingredients
Caster sugar - 225 g
Self-raising flour - 225 g
Ground almonds - 55 g
Butter - 225 g, softened
Eggs - 4
Clementines - 4
Icing sugar - 2 tbsp
Royal icing sugar - 400 g

Methods
1) Place the sugar, flour, ground almonds, butter and eggs in a large bowl.
2) Grate the zest of three of the clementines and add to the bowl with the juice of one of the clementines. Reserve the remaining clementines for making the syrup.
3) Beat the mixture well with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
4) Line a 7 inch round tin with greaseproof paper. Pour in the mixture and bake at 180°C for 45-55 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
5) Leave the cake to cool for a few minutes and then prick the top all over with a skewer. Make the syrup by placing the juice from the remaining 3 clementines and the icing sugar in a small pan and heating until dissolved.
6) Pour over the syrup. Remove the greaseproof paper and leave to cool completely.
7) Make the royal icing according to the instructions on the pack and then ice the top of the cake. Leave to set. Serves 12.

Mince pies

2010-12-15T16:25:00.003Z

Okay so we cheated and bought the pastry mix and the mincemeat in a jar, but we'll make the pastry from scratch for the next batch and I hope to have a go at making mincemeat myself next year.

We didn't have enough mincemeat so we also made some with lemon curd.

It's been a long time since I rolled out pastry and cut it into shapes - we had a lot of fun :-)

Fruit and nut Yule slice (2 colours)

2010-12-10T15:13:00.006Z

The first Christmassy cake I made this year was the yule slice from the BBC Good Food website. I added a couple of ingredients and changed the quantities a bit and it was lovely. It's also dairy free.

There's a reason that it's sliced thinly in the photo on their website - this cake is deceptively filling because of all the nuts.

Ingredients
Nuts - 310 g (I used 150g walnuts, 100g hazelnuts, 60g blanched almonds)
Dried fruit - 680g (I used 200g dried apricots, 200g raisins, 100g stoned dates, 40g dried cranberries, 140g glace cherries, halved)
Plain flour - 100 g
Mixed spice - 2 tsp
Baking powder - 0.5 tsp
Dark muscovado sugar - 175 g
Eggs - 3
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Icing sugar for dusting

Methods
1) Mix together the fruit and nuts in a large bowl.

2) Sieve the flour, baking powder, sugar and mixed spice into the bowl and stir well.
3) Mix the eggs together with the vanilla essence in a bowl and add to the fruit and nut mixture. Stir until well combined and no dry ingredients are visible.
4) Line a loaf tin with grease-proof paper and pour in the mixture. Cover loosely with foil and bake at 150°C for 1.5 hours. Remove the foil and cook for a further 15 minutes. Leave to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the tin.
5) When cool, dust with icing sugar. Serves 16.

Christmas recipes

2010-11-30T18:57:00.002Z

I'm very excited because it's almost December and for the first time I have a wonderful big kitchen to do lots of Christmas cooking. We're also only heading North for a couple of nights this year so we'll be spending more of the festive period at home.

There are so many Christmassy recipes that I want to try. I know I won't have time to make even half of these, but at least I can look back at this blog when the festive season comes round again.

Savoury recipes:
Pomegranate stuffing
Carrot and cashew crisp with hot lentil salad
Clementine, feta and leaf salad
Aubergine and goat's cheese parcels with cranberry sauce
Canape crackers
Pine nut and carrot roast
Citrus and pomegranate salad with chilli-honey dressing
Leek and cranberry caerphilly strudel

Sweet recipes:
Stollen wreath
Candied walnuts
Tropical Christmas pudding
Gingerbread cookies
Snow-topped cupcakes
Yule slice
Lime and cranberry bread and butter pudding
Gingerbread cupcakes with clementine buttercream
Winter fruit salad
Sparkling cranberries
Snowy clementine cakes
Meringue roulade
Minty chocolate cookies
Gingerbread house
Mulled wine

Pitta bread with bean, pepper and corn filling (3 colours)

2010-11-28T18:26:00.001Z

Ingredients
Pitta breads - 3
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1 small, chopped
Green pepper - 1, chopped
Chopped tomatoes - 1 small (200 g) can
Kidney beans - 1 small can, drained and rinsed
Sweetcorn - 1 small can, drained

Methods
1) Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the onion and pepper, cover and cook for 10 minutes until tender.
2) Add the tomatoes and their juice and stir well. Cook for a further 10 minutes and then add the sweetcorn and kidney beans. Cook for 5 minutes until all the vegetables are hot.
3) Grill or toast the pitta breads. Cut in two lengthways and then fill with the bean mixture. Serve at once. Serves 2.

Lemon drizzle cake (2 colours)

2010-11-27T17:02:00.003Z

These taste very similar to Kipling's lemon slices, but slightly softer and yet crunchier because of the polenta. This recipe also makes a lot more than you get in a box and I'll definitely be making them again soon.

Ingredients

For the cake:
Self-raising flour - 140 g
Polenta - 100 g
Golden caster sugar - 200 g
Lemons - 3, grated zest only
Butter - 200 g, well softened
Eggs - 4
Lemon curd - 4 tbsp

For the syrup:
Golden caster sugar - 4 tbsp
Lemon - 1, juice and grated zest

Methods
1) Grease and line a 20x30 cm roasting tin (I didn't have any grease-proof paper so didn't line the tin. Although the cake came out easy enough it did break into 4 or 5 pieces). Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2) Sieve the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add the butter, lemon zest and eggs. Beat until creamy - I did this in a food processor, but if the butter is soft enough I'm sure this could be done by hand.
3) Pour the mixture into the cake tin. Using a dessert spoon, spoon the lemon curd in thick stripes along the top of the cake mixture. I found this to be a little difficult as the curd was quite cold and not very runny. Once you've used all the curd use the spoon to swirl it into a pattern of your choice (but don't stir it in too deep). Place in the oven for 30-35 minutes - the cake should be spongey and have come away from the edge of the tin slightly.
4) Leave the cake to cool for 10 minutes. Mix the sugar and lemon juice together and then drizzle over the cake. Sprinkle over the lemon zest and then carefully remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack. Cut into fingers or squares. Makes around 20-30 fingers.

Sweetcorn loaf (1 colour)

2010-11-22T12:49:00.002Z

I think this loaf would go well with many things and could be eaten at pretty much any time of day. It's best eaten warm, but can be reheated and you can even fry slices if you like.
Ingredients
Frozen sweetcorn - 450 g
Butter - 2 tbsp, melted
Plain Flour - 2 tbsp
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Eggs - 3
Butter / margarine for greasing the tin

Methods
1) Grease the loaf tin and preheat the oven to 190°C.
2) Put the sweetcorn in a pyrex bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover. Stir and drain after a few seconds, once the sweetcorn has defrosted.
3) Place the sweetcorn in a blender and blend to a coarse puree. Add all the other ingredients to the blender and blend until well mixed.
4) Pour the mixture into the tin and cover with foil. Place in a roasting tin filled with water so that the water reaches half-way up the loaf tin. Cook for 1-2 hours until the top looks like the crust of a loaf of bread and a skewer comes out clean. Serves 4.

Black bean stew (2 colours)

2010-11-22T11:58:00.002Z

Ingredients
Black beans - 225 g, soaked overnight
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Onions - 2 small, finely chopped
Garlic - 4 cloves, finely chopped
Plum tomatoes - 400 g tin, juice + tomatoes finely chopped
Green chilli - 1, finely chopped

Methods
1) Cook the black beans as per the instructions on the pack. Drain and place half the beans in a blender. Blend until smooth and then return to the pan with the whole beans. Mix well.
2) Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onions and garlic until softened. Add the tomatoes, tomato juice and chilli and simmer for 10 minutes.
3) Add the tomato mixture to the pan with the black beans and stir well. Heat for a few minutes until hot. Serve with tortillas, rice or vegetables. Serves 4.

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake (2 colours)

2010-11-16T18:04:00.003Z

A couple of things went wrong during the making of this cake, but it was definitely worth it. I'm not sure what quantities to suggest for the syrup because most (literally most) of mine leaked out, despite wrapping the tin up in foil. To be honest I'm pleased with the result so would suggest only using a little syrup and not trying to contain it as I did.

Despite doing the usual skewer test, when we finally came to eating the cake the middle turned out to be undercooked. Not really a problem as the cake is supposed to be eaten warm so we simply heated it for longer in the microwave and the mixture set well.

I shall probably blog a perfected recipe in the future, but this is how I made it this time:

Ingredients
Syrup:
Light brown sugar - 140 g
Butter - 55 g
Molasses - 1 tbsp
Cranberries - 200-400 g (you can use fresh, but frozen should be much less expensive)

Cake mixture:
Plain flour - 240 g
Caster sugar - 200 g
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Eggs - 3, large
Soured cream - 240 g
Butter - 115 g
Orange - juice and a little grated rind

Methods
1) Melt all the butter in a small pan.
2) Heat the sugar, molasses and 4 tbsp of the melted butter together with 60 ml of water in a small pan. Bring to the boil and then leave to cool for a few minutes before pouring the syrup into the bottom of a 9 inch round cake pan. Layer the cranberries on top. I made one layer, but will make 2 layers next time (which would still only require a single bag of frozen cranberries in total).
3) Sieve the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.
4) Using an electric whisk, mix the eggs and soured cream together until smooth. Add the rest of the melted butter, the orange juice and rind and mix again until well combined.
5) Add the dry ingredients to the mixture and beat until smooth. Pour the cake mixture on top of the cranberries and smooth the top gently (avoiding disturbing the cranberries). If you're using a loose-bottomed tin then here is where you can wrap it in foil, but my foil just leaked anyway and I'd recommend simply using less syrup.
6) Bake in the oven at 180 °C for at least an hour, but use your judgement to tell when it's done. Eat warm. Serves 8.

Butternut squash and ricotta cannelloni (3 colours)

2010-11-12T23:26:00.006Z

Ingredients
Roasted, mashed butternut squash - 4 tbsp
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1 small, chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves, finely chopped
Fresh rosemary - 1 tsp, finely chopped
Passata - 400 ml
Ricotta cheese - 200 g
Cannelloni tubes - 14
Mozzarella or parmesan for the topping

Methods
1) Heat half the olive oil in a small frying pan and fry the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add half the garlic and half the rosemary to the pan and fry for another couple of minutes. Add the mashed butternut squash, stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes.
2) Meanwhile heat the remaining olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the rest of the garlic and rosemary and cook for a couple of minutes. Stir in the passata and cook for 15 minutes until reduced.
3) Pour the squash mixture into a small pyrex bowl and set aside to cool. When cooled combine with the ricotta cheese and stuff the mixture into the cannelloni shells with your fingers.
4) Pour a little of the tomato sauce into a baking dish. Layer the cannelloni shells in the dish and then pour the remaining sauce on top. Grate some parmesan or place some pieces of mozzarella on top. Bake in the oven at 200°C for 15 minutes. Serves 3.

Courgette and feta fritters (2 colours)

2010-11-06T15:28:00.009Z

Ingredients
Courgette - 1 large
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Onion - 1 small
Egg - 1 large
Pine nuts - 1 tbsp
Dried mint - 0.5 tsp
Feta cheese - 100 g, cut into small dice
Plain flour - 3-4 tbsp

Methods
1) Cut the ends of the courgette and coarsely grate it into a sieve over a bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and mix well. Set aside for 10 minutes and then squeeze the courgettes to press out any excess water.
2) Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion for 5-10 minutes until softened.
3) Combine the courgette, onion, pine nuts, mint and feta cheese in a bowl. Add the egg and mix well. Add as much flour as is necessary to make the mixture stick together.
4) Fry spoonfuls of the mixture in the remaining olive oil until golden brown on both sides. Remove any excess oil with kitchen paper and serve hot. Serves 2 (makes 6-8 fritters)

Kenyan mashed potatoes (1 colour)

2010-11-06T15:21:00.001Z

Ingredients
Potatoes - 4 large, peeled and quartered
Canned kidney beans - 220 g can, drained and rinsed
Frozen sweetcorn - 100 g
Butter or margarine - for mashing
Parsley or watercress - 1 tbsp, chopped

Methods
1) Place the potatoes in a medium-sized saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes.
2) Add the kidney beans and sweetcorn to the potatoes and cook for a further 5-10 minutes.
3) Drain the vegetables and then mash with the butter and parsley or watercress. Serves 2.

Baked new potatoes (0 colours)

2010-10-26T09:49:00.002+01:00

This has to be my favourite way of cooking potatoes at the moment - a combination of baking and roasting. Cook as many or as few as you like, but be warned they're very moorish. We ate a whole bag of baby potatoes between three of us.

Ingredients
New potatoes
Olive oil - to drizzle

Methods
1) Par-boil the new potatoes for 10 minutes and then drain.
2) Place the potatoes in a roasting pan with a very small amount of olive oil (the idea is to lightly cover the potatoes and not to let them swim in oil). At this point you can cover them with sea salt or herbs, but I think they're lovely as they are. Cook in the oven at 200°C for 40 minutes to one hour, depending on how crispy you like them.

Blueberry cake with cheesecake frosting (1 colour)

2010-10-24T21:33:00.002+01:00

This easy-to-make cake looks beautiful and tastes absolutely delicious.

Ingredients
Self-raising flour - 225 g
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Golden caster sugar - 175 g
Butter - 175 g, warmed to room temperature
Vanilla essence - 2 tsp
Eggs - 3 large
Soured Cream - 4 tbsp
Fresh or frozen (defrosted) blueberries - 190 g

For the frosting:
Cream cheese (philadelphia) - 200 g
Soured cream - 1 dessert spoon
Icing sugar - 100g
Fresh blueberries - 150 g

Methods
1) Sieve the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add the butter and beat for a couple of minutes. Add the vanilla essence and eggs and mix well.
2) Beat in the soured cream and then gently stir in the blueberries.
3) Pour the mixture into a round 22cm loose-bottomed cake tin, spread it level and bake at 180°C for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool the cake for a few minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack.
4) When the cake has cooled completely, mix together the cream cheese, soured cream and icing sugar in a bowl. Spread on top of the cake and scatter the blueberries on top. Keep the cake in the fridge, but remove an hour before serving. Serves 8.

Black bean and pumpkin soup (3 colours)

2010-10-17T16:08:00.010+01:00

I had half a pumpkin left after making a risotto the other night so I decided to add it to a soup. I think this would be just as tasty with the other half of the pumpkin included.

To make pumpkin puree: halve a culinary pumpkin and remove the seeds and stringy bits with a spoon. Place the two halves in a roasting tin, cut-side down. Add 300 ml of water and roast in the oven at 175°C for 90 minutes. Remove the flesh with a spoon and puree in a blender.

Ingredients
Dried black beans - 1 cup, soaked overnight and cooked
Chopped tomatoes - 400 g can
Butter - 60 g
Onions - 2, chopped
Shallots - 4 small, chopped
Garlic - 4 cloves, finely chopped
Ground cumin - 1 tbsp
Vegetable stock - 1 litre
Pumpkin puree - 1 cup

Methods
1) Blend the tomatoes and black beans to a coarse puree - I didn't blend them very much and the soup turned out quite thick, but you can obviously blend them to your preferred consistency.
2) Heat the butter in a large saucepan until melted. Add the onions, shallots, garlic and ground cumin. Stir well and cook for 5 minutes until the onions have softened.
3) Add the bean and tomato mixture, vegetable stock and pumpkin puree to the pan. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Serves 4.

Mango and tempeh curry (5 colours)

2010-10-15T12:49:00.015+01:00

Until I made this curry I had no idea that mango skin could be eaten. I tasted it when it was barely cooked and it was a bit too chewy, but by the time the curry was cooked it was quite tasty. I'm sure this curry would be just as good without the mango skin if you prefer to remove it.

I added the tempeh for some protein, but it could be left out or replaced with chicken.

Ingredients
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Tempeh - a third of a block, chopped into cubes
Red onion - 1, chopped
Garlic - 3 cloves, finely chopped
Green chilli - 1, finely chopped
Ginger - 1 inch piece, finely chopped
Mango - 1 large, with or without the skin, deseeded and cut into cubes
Pineapple - 1 small tin of rings, cut into bite-sized pieces
Tomatoes - 4 large, chopped into large pieces
Curry powder - to taste
Yoghurt - 250 ml

Methods
1) Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the tempeh until browned on all sides. Remove the tempeh from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.
2) Add the remaining oil to the frying pan and cook the onion, garlic, chilli and ginger for 5 minutes until the onion has softened.
3) Add the mango, pineapple and tomato pieces to the pan with the curry powder and stir well to coat the fruit. Cook for 5 minutes and then add the tempeh back to the pan and stir. Cook for a further 5 minutes or until the mango skin has softened.
4) Stir in the yoghurt and heat through for a couple of minutes. Serve with rice. Serves 4.

Pumpkin, bean and tomato risotto (3 colours)

2010-10-14T18:14:00.005+01:00

Ingredients
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Butter - 25 g
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves, finely chopped
Pumpkin - 325 g (about half a small culinary pumpkin), peeled, seeded and chopped into 1cm chunks
Freshly ground pepper
Arborio (risotto) rice - 275 g
White wine - 125 ml
Vegetable stock - 650 ml
Tomatoes - 3, diced
Baked beans - 415 g can
Fresh basil leaves - 3 tbsp

Methods
1) Heat the olive oil with the butter in a large frying pan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and pumpkin and season with the pepper. Cook for 10 minutes until the pumpkin has started to soften.
2) Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat with the butter and oil. Add the white wine and cook until the wine has been absorbed by the rice. Add half the stock and cook for around 10 minutes until the stock has been absorbed.
3) Add the rest of the stock and cook for a further 10 - 15 minutes until the stock has been absorbed. Add the tomatoes, beans and basil to the pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Serves 4.

Algerian mixed vegetables (4 colours)

2010-10-09T13:17:00.004+01:00

Ingredients
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1, chopped
Ground cumin - 1 tsp
Cinnamon stick - 1, snapped into two pieces
Sweet potato - 1 medium sized, chopped into medium-sized chunks
Courgettes - 2, sliced into thick strips
Carrot - 1 large, sliced into thick strips
Celery - 2 sticks, sliced
Turnip - 1, chopped
Dried chickpeas - 100g, soaked overnight and boiled for 1.5 - 2 hours
Sultanas - 1 tbsp
Chopped tomatoes - 400 g can
Tomato puree - 2 tbsp
Honey - 1 tbsp

Methods
1) Begin by chopping all the vegetables.
2) Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion for 5 minutes until softened.
3) Add the cumin and cinnamon and stir well. Add all the vegetables and stir to coat with the spices.
4) Add the sultanas, chopped tomatoes, cooked chickpeas, tomato puree and honey. Add a little water to the pan (but not enough to cover the vegetables) and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
5) Serve over couscous. Serves 4.

Black-eyed bean cakes (1 colour)

2010-10-06T20:02:00.008+01:00

Ingredients
Dried black-eyed beans - 150g, soaked overnight and cooked
Onion - 1 small, finely chopped
Cayenne pepper - 0.35 tsp
Egg - 0.5
Plain flour - 2 tbsp
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Sunflower or vegetable oil for frying

Methods
1) Place the beans in a food processor or blender and blend with 3 tablespoons of water until reduced to a smooth thick paste, adding more water if necessary.
2) Add the onion, cayenne pepper, flour, baking powder and egg to the blender and blend until well combined.
3) Heat the oil in a frying pan. When hot, fry heaped teaspoons of the bean batter for a few minuts until golden on each side. Drain on kitchen paper and serve with a tomato-based dip, salsa or sauce. Makes around 15 - serves 2.

Tagliatelle with lentil sauce (3 colours)

2010-10-05T20:07:00.004+01:00

Ingredients
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1, chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves, finely chopped
Carrot - 1, peeled and thinly sliced
Celery - 1 stick, thinly sliced
Chopped tomatoes - two 400 g cans
Green lentils - 1 cup
Tomato puree - 2 tbsp dissolved in 1 cup of hot water
Tagliatelle - 500 g

Methods
1) Heat the oil in a frying pan and when hot add the onion, garlic, carrot and celery. Cook for around 10 minutes until the vegetables have softened.
2) Transfer the vegetables to a slow cooker and add the tomatoes, lentils, tomato puree and season. Stir well. Cook on low for 6 hours.
3) When ready to serve, cook the pasta in a pan of boiling water for a few minutes, drain and toss with the sauce. Serves 4.

Celeriac gratin (2 colours)

2010-10-02T17:21:00.002+01:00

Ingredients
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1, chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves, finely chopped
Plum tomatoes - 400 g can
Red wine vinegar - 1 tsp
Brown sugar - 0.5 tsp
Celeriac - 750 g, peeled
Double cream - 90 ml
Parmesan - 100 g

Methods
1) Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
2) Add the tomatoes, vinegar and sugar to the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
3) Meanwhile, peel the celeriac, cut it into quarters and then slice thinly. Add the celeriac to the tomato sauce. Cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes until the celeriac is tender. Stir in the cream.
4) Pour half the mixture into a gratin-dish and sprinkle over half the parmesan. Pour over the remaining mixture and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 35 minutes at 200°C. Serves 2 as a main course or 3 as a side-dish.

Ginger cake (1 colour)

2010-10-02T16:26:00.000+01:00

This is an old family favourite and I can't remember ever having a Christmas without it.

Ingredients
Golden syrup - 55 g
Black treacle - 170 g
Margarine - 115 g
Brown sugar - 55 g
Milk - 140 ml
Eggs - 2, beaten
Plain flour - 225 g
Bicarbonate of soda - 1 level tsp
Ground ginger - 2 level tsp
Mixed spice - 1 rounded tsp
Sultanas - 115 g

Methods
1) Heat the treacle, syrup, margarine and sugar in a small pan until the sugar and margarine have dissolved. Add the milk and leave to cool for a few minutes.
2) Meanwhile, sift the flour, ginger, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl.
3) Add the eggs to the cooled treacle mixture and stir well. Pour into the bowl containing the dry ingredients and fold in the sultanas, mixing until everything is well combined. Bake in a greased tin for 1.25 - 1.5 hours at 150°C until a skewer comes out clean. Serves 12.

Spaghetti with aubergine and ricotta sauce (3 colours)

2010-09-30T21:12:00.008+01:00

Ingredients
Olive oil - 3 tbsp
Aubergine - 1 medium, cut into 1 cm cubes
Onion - 1, chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves, finely chopped
Chopped tomatoes - 400g can
Fresh basil - handful of leaves, torn into pieces
Spaghetti - 150 g
Ricotta cheese - 125 g, crumbled

Methods
1) Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan and fry the aubergine pieces until golden brown on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2) Add 1 tbsp of oil to the frying pan and fry the onion for 5 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
3) Place the spaghetti in a pan of boiling water and cook on a medium heat. Meanwhile add the tomatoes and basil to the frying pan and cook on a medium heat until slightly thickened.
4) When the spaghetti is almost cooked add the aubergine pieces to the tomato sauce and stir well. Drain the spaghetti and then mix with the sauce and the ricotta cheese. Serves 2.

Courgettes with tomatoes (3 colours)

2010-09-24T12:43:00.011+01:00

For the meat eaters out there, I think this dish would also go very well with lamb.
Ingredients
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Onions - 2, finely sliced
Tomatoes - 350 g, finely chopped
Tomato puree - 1 heaped tsp
Flour - 1 tsp
Dried mint - 1 tsp
Allspice - 0.35 tsp
Courgettes - 2, thinly sliced widthways
Mild red chilli - 1, finely chopped
Water - 100 ml

Methods
1) Heat the oil in a medium-sized pan and cook the onion for 5-10 minutes until softened.
2) Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, mint, allspice and flour to the pan and stir well.
3) Add the courgettes and chilli, stir and then pour over the water.
4) Bring to the boil then cover and reduce the heat. Simmer for 30 minutes until the courgettes are tender. Serve with pita bread. Serves 3.

Red lentil and tomato soup (2 colours)

2010-09-21T19:48:00.002+01:00

Ingredients
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Onions - 250 g, chopped
Tomatoes - 375 g, quartered
Split red lentils - 285 g
Water - 900 ml
Lemon juice - to taste

Methods
1) Heat the olive oil in a large pan and when hot add the onion. Fry for 5-10 minutes until the onion is just beginning to turn brown.
2) Add the tomatoes, water and lentils to the pan. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes.
3) Pour into a blender and blend to a creamy consistency. Return to the pan and reheat for 5 minutes. Serve with a little lemon juice or lemon wedges to squeeze over. Serves 4.

Lentil and vegetable shepherd's pie (4 colours)

2010-09-18T13:10:00.003+01:00

This is a really tasty version of a traditional British classic and contains lots of healthy sweet potatoes too.

Ingredients
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1, halved and sliced
Garlic - 2 cloves, crushed
Red pepper - 0.5, chopped
Carrot - 2 large, chopped
Chopped tomatoes - 400 g can
Vegetable stock cubes - 2, chopped
Green lentils - 400 g can
Sweet potatoes - 900 g, peeled and cut into chunks
Margarine - for mashing
Cheddar cheese - 85 g, grated

Methods
1) Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 5 minutes until soft.
2) Add the carrots, pepper, chopped tomatoes, 150 ml of water and the stock cubes. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3) Tip in the can of lentils with their juices and then simmer for a further 10 minutes until the carrots are cooked, but not soft.
4) Meanwhile, boil the sweet potatoes in a large pan for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and mash with a little margarine.
5) Pour the lentil mixture into an oven-proof dish and top with the sweet potato mash. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake in the oven at 190°C for 25-30 minutes. Serves 4.

Nectarine and raspberry muffins (2 colours)

2010-09-14T19:32:00.001+01:00

Ingredients
Plain flour - 300 g
Granulated sugar - 150 g
Baking powder - 1 tbsp
Salt - 0.5 tsp
Raspberries - 70 g, halved
Nectarines - 150 g (approx 2), chopped into small cubes

Olive oil - 100 ml
Whole milk - 200 ml
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Egg - 1

Methods
1) Preheat the oven to 190°C. Grease a 12 muffin pan. Sieve the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the raspberries and nectarines and stir gently.
2) Place the egg, oil, vanilla essence and milk in a mixing bowl and quickly beat together.
3) Pour the egg mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir well. Spoon into the muffin pan and cook for 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown. Serves 12.

Potato, tomato and garlic soup (2 colours)

2010-09-14T19:24:00.004+01:00

This simple soup has a lovely flavour and is made with ingredients that we always have in the house. I'll definitely be making it again soon.
Ingredients
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Onion - 1 large, sliced
Garlic - 4 cloves, crushed
Potato - 3 small, finely sliced
Paprika - 1 tsp
Chopped tomatoes - 400 g can
Thyme - 1 tsp
Vegetable stock - 900 ml
Cornflour - 2 tsp

Methods
1) Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the onion, garlic, potato and paprika and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
2) Add the tomatoes, stock and thyme. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked.
3) Mix the cornflour with a little water in a small bowl. Add to the soup and stir well. Simmer for 10 minutes until the soup has thickened a little. Serves 5.

Turkish baked vegetables (4 colours)

2010-09-11T19:50:00.011+01:00

Ingredients
Olive oil - 3 tbsp
Onion - 1, chopped
Aubergine - 1, chopped into 1 inch chunks
Courgettes - 2, chopped into small pieces
Yellow pepper - 1, chopped
Green pepper - 1, chopped
New potatoes - 225 g, cut into cubes
Frozen peas - 60 g
Green beans - 60 g, cut into 1 inch pieces
Ground cumin - 0.25 tsp
Ground cinnamon - 0.25 tsp
Paprika - 0.5 tsp
Vegetable stock - 175 ml
Tomatoes - 2, chopped
Chopped tomatoes - 400 g can
Garlic - 2-3 cloves, finely chopped

Methods
1) Fry the onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes until soft. Add the aubergine and fry for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2) Add the courgettes, peppers, potatoes, peas and green beans to the pan with the cumin, paprika and cinnamon. Cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
3) Preheat the oven to 190°C. Place the vegetables in a large oven-proof dish and pour over the stock.
4) Mix together the chopped tomatoes, tomatoes and garlic in a small bowl. Pour over the vegetables. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Serves 3.

Brown lentil and vegetable soup (3 colours)

2010-09-10T20:19:00.001+01:00

Ingredients
Brown lentils (dried) - 325 g
Water - 3 pints
Onions - 250 g (about 2 medium sized), roughly chopped
Carrots - 250 g (about 4), roughly chopped
Potatoes - 150 g (about 2), roughly chopped
Ground cumin - to taste
Lemon juice - to taste

Methods
1) Place the lentils in a large pan with the water. Bring to the boil then add the vegetables.
2) Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes.
3) Pour the mixture into a blender and blend to a creamy consistency (in batches if necessary). Return the soup to the pan. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 1 minute. Sprinkle with cumin and stir well.
4) Serve with toast and lemon juice to pour on the soup (this enhances the flavour). Serves 6

Orange and cranberry muffins (2 colours)

2010-09-04T19:11:00.002+01:00

I've finally got round to buying a muffin tin - something I've been meaning to do for several weeks. There are so many muffins I'm looking forward to making - blueberry and lime, blueberry, lemon and raspberry, raspberry and nectarine...

Thanks to Mark at cookbook for this recipe. I used frozen cranberries (defrosted) for this as we can't buy fresh ones at any time of year other than Christmas. The recipe actually makes about 15 muffins (the holes in my tin are 7cm wide by 4cm deep), so I poured the excess mixture into a small pyrex dish to make one large muffin:

Ingredients
Cranberries - 140 g
Orange juice - 175 ml
Unsalted butter - 170 g, warmed to room temperature
Granulated sugar - 170 g
finely grated rind of 1.5 oranges
Eggs - 3 large
Plain flour - 300 g
Salt - pinch
Baking powder - 3 tsp
Milk - 175 ml

Methods
1) Place the cranberries in a small pan with the orange juice and heat gently until the juice just starts to simmer. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
2) Cream the butter with the sugar and grated orange rind. Beat the eggs into the butter. Sieve the plain flour, salt and baking powder and fold in to the mixture along with the milk. Fold in the cooled cranberries and orange juice to form a batter.
3) Grease a 12 cup muffin pan. Divide the batter into 12 cups and bake in the oven at 190°C for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serves 12.

Lentil and cashew loaf (3 colours)

2010-08-30T18:14:00.006+01:00

The original recipe for this suggested cooking the loaf in a slow cooker, but I cooked it in the oven. I haven't perfected the cooking time / temperature yet, so use your judgement and if in doubt try popping a skewer in to see if it comes out clean.

Ingredients
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Celery - 2 sticks, chopped
Carrots - 4, grated
Garlic - 2 cloves, finely chopped
Red pepper - 1, chopped
Red or green chilli pepper - 1/2, finely chopped
Cashew nuts (unsalted) - 1 cup, coarsely chopped
Cheddar cheese - 2 cups, grated
Green or brown lentils - 1 large (~400g) can, drained and rinsed
Eggs - 2

Methods
1) Heat the oil in a frying pan and when hot add the onion and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes until softened.
2) Add the carrot, garlic, red pepper and chilli pepper to the frying pan. Stir and cook for a further 5 minutes, then set aside.
3) In a large bowl mix together the cashew nuts, cheese and lentils. Add the carrot mixture and stir well.
4) Beat the eggs in a small bowl and then add to the mixture. Stir well.
5) Grease a loaf tin and fill with the mixture. Cover with foil and cook for an hour at 160°C. Remove the foil and cook for another hour at 180°C. Serves 4.

Rhubarb shortcake bars (1 colour)

2010-08-26T22:29:00.016+01:00

I got the recipe for these lovely sweet cakes from Lara Ferroni's blog. Unfortunately the rhubarb here in the UK (whether it be from the shops or from our greenhouse) is mostly green in colour rather than the lovely pink that they have elsewhere in the world. I assume that's related to the number of hours of sunshine or something similar.

The colour of the rhubarb curd turned out to be yellow rather than pink, but these still tasted delicious.

Ingredients
For the curd:
Rhubarb - 400g
Caster sugar - 1 cup
Water - 0.25 cups
Egg yolks - 6
Salt - pinch
Unsalted butter - 50 g, cut into chunks

For the shortcake:
Salt - pinch
Plain flour - 136 g
Caster sugar - 0.25 cups
Butter - 115 g at room temperature

Methods
1) Begin the curd by slicing the rhubarb into 1 cm slices. Place in a large pan with 0.25 cup sugar, stir to coat and let sit for a few minutes. Add the water and cook on a low heat until the pieces have broken up. Leave to cool to room temperature.
2) While the stewed rhubarb is cooling, preheat the oven to 175deg;C.
3) Place the butter, flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon. It will first become breadcumbs and finally a soft dough. Press the dough into the bottom of a small baking tin (around 6 inches by 5 inches) and leave to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
4) Bake for about 20 minutes until the shortcake is lightly golden. While the dough is baking, finish preparing the curd...
5) Whisk the egg yolks, remaining sugar and salt in a bowl over boiling water. Add the rhubarb and stir until the mixture is warm. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.
6) Pour enough curd onto the crust to make a layer around 0.5 - 1 cm thick. There should be quite a bit of curd left over that will keep in the fridge for a few days. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the curd has set. Leave to cool. Once the cake is at room temperature, refrigerate for half an hour before cutting into squares. Makes around 9 squares.

Green bean and corn hash (3 colours)

2010-08-25T11:05:00.005+01:00

This recipe is adapted slightly from Lisa's Kitchen.

Ingredients
Olive oil - 3 tbsp
Fresh green beans - 1 pack, cut into 1 inch pieces
Sweetcorn - 0.75 cup kernels (either frozen or from a can)
Potatoes - 2 large, diced
Onion - 1, chopped
Spring onions - 2, chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves, finely chopped / crushed
Red chilli peppers - 2, finely chopped
Black beans - 0.25 cups
Chilli powder - 0.5 tsp
Dried oregano - 0.25 tsp
Sour cream and cayenne pepper for garnish

Methods
1) Soak the black beans overnight. Drain and cover them with several inches of fresh water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours or until the beans are soft. Drain and lightly mash with a fork.
2) Place the potato pieces in a small pan of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes, adding the green beans to the pan for the last couple of minutes.
3) Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok. Drain the potatoes and beans. Add the potatoes to the frying pan with the spring onion, onion, garlic and oregano. Stir to coat the vegetables with oil and then cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are turning golden brown.
4) Add the chilli peppers, green beans, sweetcorn and chilli powder. Cook for a further 5 minutes.
5) Mix in the black beans and cook for another minute or two until the black beans are warm. Serve with sour cream and a little cayenne pepper. Serves 3.

Pear terrine (2 colours)

2010-08-18T20:15:00.003+01:00

Ingredients
Pears - 1.5 kg
Juice of 1 lemon
Cloves (whole) - 10
Water - 90 ml
Caster sugar - 115 g

Methods
1) Peel, core and slice the pears. Place in a large saucepan with the lemon juice, sugar, water and cloves. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the cloves and leave to cool.
2) Blend the pears and juice in a blender until smooth. Freeze in a pyrex bowl covered with cling film until firm, but not solid.
3) Spoon the pear mixture into the blender and blend again until smooth. Pour into a loaf tin lined with cling film.
4) 20 minutes before serving remove the tin from the freezer, turn out on to a plate and place in the fridge to soften. Serve on its own or with chocolate sauce. Serves 6.