Non-kedgeree fish and rice

Hubby was cooking outside of his comfort zone – roast salmon fillet. It was lovely and once again a reminder that a roast doesn’t have to be meat!

So we had lovely leftovers and as always the pondering about what to do. There was not much else in the house – the fridge is bear in the post Christmas clear out. So what have I got – salmon, frozen peas, rice – it’s got to be a kind of kedgeree. I’ve got nothing smoked though – haddock, salmon etc, so it has to take a different route, somehow more summery, but we’re in the dark days of post Christmas January, so that doesn’t quite fit.

Were did we end up – pulled some prawns out of the freezer – cooked ones, bunch of parsley and dill still in the fridge,and a lurking leek. Off I go down the herby rice and fish route. Brown rice cooked without the usual kedgeree spices, but with the leek sweated in butter and a bay leaf. Then flaked salmon, prawns and defrosted peas left on top of the rice for about 5 mins to warm through will the rice rests. And lots of chopped dill & parsley – one thing I am grateful for in my local Tesco is the big loose bunches of herbs the sell, it allows generosity, always a good thing with herbs. And then a last minute flash of inspiration – not sure where if came from, Ottolenghi I think ? – a dollop of the very last bit of Christmas creme fraiche seasoned and sprinkled with beautiful, colourful cayenne pepper – adding just the warming note I was looking for – both colour and flavour wise.

Super supper and lovely lunchbox leftovers. All good.

 

 

Caesar salad, barbeque and more springtime sunshine!

I can hardly believe that we are still in this lovely sunny, hot springtime. It’s just gorgeous. I am trying to take it one day at a time but the more we have of summertime the more I know I will be disappointed when it returns to spring.

My sister came up to stay this weekend. So Friday was food shopping – butchers for a shoulder of lamb & ribs for the barbeque, the freezer for other barbeque fair – quails & chicken breast, Waitrose for the rest. Woke up Saturday morning remembering I hadn’t planned lunch.  Opps! What have I got?? Just about enough for a Caesar salad – Cos lettuce, eggs, parmesan & anchovies. Tiger bread that hubby had bought and bacon out of the freezer for breakfast – fab. I love Caesar salad – creamy salty dressing on crisp leaves with a little crunch from croutons & bacon –perfect.

We had just about got the barbeque cooked – spatchcock quail in mustard marinade, chicken skewers in tandoori style marinade & ribs – when the thunder storm that had been brewing all afternoon sent down the rain. We all dashed inside to eat. A real summertime BBQ – and it’s April. Green bean & tomato salad, corn on the cob & potato salad to balance out the meat.

Sunday was citrus fruit salad & hot cross buns for breakfast. Aqua class to work some of it off. And home to a slow roast shoulder of lamb, with pepper / feta salad (using the last of the BBQ heat yesterday to blacken the peppers), first of the jersey royals & peas. Easy peasy, but just delicious and summery enough for the day.

We finished off – much later in the day – with Heston’s cherry chocolate trifle for dessert. I’d forgotten I was making this, even though I bought the sponge fingers and cherries weeks ago. So had to improvise in the Co-op local with raspberry jelly & Ambrosia tinned custard instead of gelatine & fresh custard. Well, it seemed to make no difference, the finished trifle was delicious – amaretto, cherries, chocolate, cream – what can go wrong with that combination. Made them in individual glasses using ½ the recipe. It was just enough for three would have been a mean four. More sponge fingers needed.

Today we have polished off the last of the lamb with hummus, flat bread and salad. A suppertime picnic to finish a summertime in spring Easter weekend.

Nachos, no, gnocchi

Been mithering over what’s for supper tonight. The base is going to be Friday’s nights left over chilli con carne. I was going to go down the nachos route – but was not really comfortable with that – doesn’t seem like supper. Clearing out the veg boxes in the garage this morning, realised we have loads of potatoes – some still in the box and others that hubby bought this week, not quite sure why. Anyway we have a bit of a glut. Can I do potatoes & chilli? I guess so but it feels a little uninspired. Then with the TV on in the background as I’m doing morning pottering the cookery slot is gnocchi! Brilliant. The chilli can become a ragu sauce with the addition of the slow roast tomatoes that are in the fridge and the potatoes can become gnocchi. I hope. I’ve never made gnocchi before – how hard can it be??? We’ll see. Now to work!

Salads in springtime

The weather has been glorious. Feels like summer and I find that I’m getting used to it, not quite sunbathing in the garden, but almost. It’ll be a shock next week when it turns back to spring. So food has taken on a summer feel this weekend. Salad Nicoise last night, which is definitely one of my summer favourites, but not usually served in spring! It’s a lovely summer supper – tuna steaks, eggs, green beans & olives – yum. We had lettuce & tomatoes in the box this week. The tomatoes were a little insipid, so I slow roasted them to intensify their flavours. Cut in half, sprinkle with s&p, sugar, oregano and little rapeseed oil, then into oven at 120 for four hours and leave to cool before adding to salad.  Scrummy.

Also put the meat into marinade for the barbecue today. I know April 10^th and we are having a barbie, the first of the year! The weather really is gorgeous. So chicken thighs have gone into a marinade of preserved lemon, chilli, rosemary & garlic and lamb chops have been rubbed with ras-al-hanout spices. We’ve got loads of parsley in the garden, so I’ll do a herby couscous salad and then hubby’s got aubergine, peppers & mushroom for the barbecue. Makes a lovely change from a Sunday roast and we might even get to eat it outside. We had breakfast on the garden bench this morning – citrus fruit salad with yoghurt, honey and seeds. Then bread and marmalade. I’ve got back into my bread making mode. Made the dough up last night, left it rise, second rise this morning and then into the oven and ready for breakfast. This only really works for breakfast on a Sunday, which is late, late morning. Any other day and it’s a loaf for lunch. Still lovely, lovely to have fresh bread. Need to find a way to keep it through the week, it goes so dry. I’ve tried paper bags and plastic bags. Today I’ve put it in a biscuit tin, that might just work. Don’t know why I’ve not tried it before. Put a bit of milk into the mix this time, thinking that might keep it softer, we will see.

A food filled weekend

Started with Friday night and the ‘what shall I cook?’ question. They are a bit challenging Friday nights. I want us to eat something nice to finish the week and start the weekend. But I also want something effortless after a long week. So I think I’m going to have to start a new category on this blog–Friday night suppers. In fact it was reading through the blog that gave me the idea for last Friday’s supper, Delia’s prawns,  that I did for myself when Hubby was out a couple of Friday’s ago. Back I went to Cooking for One and there was Kashmir Spiced Prawns. Perfect – and doubly so because I had all the ingredients either in the fridge, freezer or cupboard – prawns, peppers, onions, cucumber, chopped tomatoes, mango chutney and spices, chilli powder etc. And I made it really easy on myself and used frozen chopped peppers and onion too. Thank you Delia for that great cheat idea! Hubby got a bit nervous as 7 o’clock approached and I was still sipping a Friday night G&T and not in the kitchen cooking, ‘what are we having for supper tonight’ he asked with a little tinge of ‘I’m hungry and don’t see any food for eating anytime soon!’. Not to worry ½ hour rustling in the kitchen and Kashmiri spicy prawn curry was served – with rice and naan to keep company. Delish.

The reward for all this cooking was a ‘nanobreak’ to the New Forest. Stopped at Winchester for look round and lunch – super pub with ham croquettes and potted cheese – ‘Can you do this?’ asked hubs – ‘think so’ I said, so need to try that out –  cheese, beer, Worcester sauce and mustard. We stayed at the rather lovely, if slightly off centre, Hotel TerraVina http://www.hotelterravina.co.uk and as well as spacious room we had a lovely Saturday night dinner. Gin cocktails in the bar, quail, pigs trotters, rabbit and pork head rillettes to eat, with the most beautiful crème brulee to follow – really delicious food- and then night caps in bed.

Breakfast was a story of two halves – very disappointing Continental – where were all the lovely ingredients and care that we experienced last night on this rather sad and uninviting table of breakfast goods? They were missing from there, but were in plentiful supply in the cooked breakfast; great sausages, black pudding, mushroom etc. Definitely needed a walk in the forest after that lot. Even getting lost was good for us – we just had to walk some more to find our way out!

And then coming home, needing to get some spuds for lunch we happened across a farmers market in Romsey. Well that’s just bliss for me! So potatoes and kale, no problem. Got those to go with the ham I was cooking. Then also some local smoked eel & watercress for tonight – to balance out the amount of meat we have eaten in the last 48 hours.  In fact, even though I bought some wild boar shoulder at the farmers market as well, I think pork is off the menu for a while!

Monday night make-it-up

Hubby did a lovely chicken on Sunday (Another recipe from Hugh’s Everyday) stuffed with a pearl barley pilaff style stuffing. I love it when he finds something that he wants to cook and try out. And also can’t help smiling when he comes across something that seems very straightforward until it’s in front of him – chopping sticky dates, for example, ‘how do you do this?’ was the question and after conquering them he had to stuff a chicken – priceless! But delicious. And such a lovely change from standard roast meat & veg.

Monday night’s challenge is making something tasty from the Sunday’s chicken. I keep forgetting my Monday night meals – one reason why I started this blog. The inspiration usually comes from what’s in the fridge, the cupboards and by any chance still lurking in the box. But also from how my body feels and after two meals out and still recovering from horrid Saturday, it wanted something light. So, a coleslaw cum remoulade with carrot, apple, celery, fennel & a lonely chicory bulb. All in the magimix slicer with the last of the coriander on the window sill and dressed with mayo, Dijon & English mustard, squeeze of lemon and toasted caraway seeds. Sauté potatoes and the chicken skin crisped up in the pan. Very tasty. Put the chicken carcass on for stock. Still chicken left for a couple of sandwiches and coleslaw for lunch boxes. Voila!

Yesterday – still wanting light & vegetables, the box came up trumps with peppers and courgettes. Those along with tomatoes in the fridge and some red onions that I picked up on the way home from the gym, became roast veg. Garlic & rosemary added – in the oven 200 for 40 mins. Served with griddled polenta, for a change from potatoes and a fresh pesto (basil, chedder, pine nuts, oil & lemon juice), which just perked the whole thing up.  And it was so good, that hubby didn’t ask where the protein was – he had checked that the polenta was the carbs though.

And tonight – well, I should be going to a ‘talk’, but have bailed, so pulled some beef stew from the freezer. Just as well we had meat free last night!

 

Eating out vs. Eating in

Over the last week had a combination of feeding friends at home and eating out with friends. Two of these were great and one – an eating out one – was awful.

Couple of friend /colleagues stayed over with us in the week. And they both, thankfully, appreciate good food. Cooked the Jamie meal I’d tried out a couple of weekends ago – crispy sea bream, smashed sweet potatoes, Asian greens and frozen berry ice cream.  And actually managed to do this in 30 minutes! The big hit was the Asian greens – steamed broccoli & pak choi in a soy/sesame dressing. I really think a dish of that, with a bowl of rice would have been a hit on its own. I’d made extra sweet potato and greens for hubby’s lunch box, but there wasn’t a scrap left. That is the biggest compliment when I’ve cooked.

Next night we went to The Frontline Club http://frontlineclub.com/restaurant/ for dinner – six of us. Now that is my kind of restaurant. It’s Paddington way, opposite St Mary’s hospital. Simply laid out, staff who know what’s on the menu and a menu that is simple seasonal fare. We had lovely food. For me, a new seasons artichoke salad followed by roast chicken, wild garlic mash & mushrooms. Just simply delicious. Now trying to work out when I can go back – hubby would love it too. It’s the epitome to me of what a good restaurant should be. Just wish we had somewhere like it nearer to home.

Talking of nearer to home. We went up to Pinner for dinner with friends on Saturday night and that was the opposite of what a good restaurant should be. Flashy, wine drinking, false bon homie host. The waitresses – and with one exception they were all waitresses – seemed to have been hired for their short skirts, not their skill. And the food was just so disappointing – dry, under cooked, over seasoned, reheated – ohhh you name it, all the food sins were committed. Including having a menu that boasts food from all over Asia. Really – we should have stayed at home. What made it worse was that the place was full – really I despair.

 

Cheering on cauliflower

Started the week or rather ended the weekend with cauliflower cheese. I think I’m going to start a one women revival of this unloved veg – even Rose Prince, whose view I value highly, was having a pop at it in the paper this weekend.  I love it and following a sunny spring walk in Osterley on Saturday, we picked up a beautiful creamy head of cauliflower and some home grown rhubarb in the estate farm shop. The rhubarb went into crumble yesterday and the cauliflower into cauliflower cheese this evening. Just undercooking it I think is the key to this, so there is still a little texture, but it leads into creaminess when it meets cheesy sauce. Just lovely.

The butcher played his part in the rest of the food we feasted on this weekend. They were my source for a blade of pork for lunch yesterday. This is a shoulder joint with the blade bone still in, allowing it to slowly roast in the oven, while I went to aqua and hubby gardened. The big advantage of a pork joint from the butcher’s is the crackling – the meat has been hung up rather than wrapped up, so the skin in is dryer and that makes for better crackling – crunchy with a layer of fat underneath – I know deadly, but I can think of worse ways to eat fat – greasy burger / Indian take away anyone?  Creating this crackling is almost impossible with a joint that has been sitting in plastic in a supermarket fridge. It does raise the ongoing dilemma though. My local (well localish) butchers is very work-a-day, so no organically reared pork here – his local customers just won’t pay for it. He does have English pork though. So do I support a local butcher and the English pig farmers or organic pig farming generally? I try and get a balance of both, that works for me, my conscience and my palate.

Anyway, on Friday the butcher also had venison, guinea fowl, and duck legs – what was going on? This is very unusual fare for them – getting a free range chicken is an occasional delight. What’s with the venison haunch? Well, they have started to supply TVU and the catering courses are using more ‘trendy’ (the butcher’s word, not mine) ingredients and the services of some well known chefs, so these products are beginning to show up on their counter. Great news for me! Especially as on Friday morning as hubby left for work he let out a pitiful ‘don’t know what I’m going to do for supper tonight’ accompanied by a hang dog expression. It was his turn you see. But how can I resist helping him out? And a guinea fowl at the butchers was just the answer. We were going to have a spit roast chick from Waitrose, which would probably have been one from Tesco, as hubby’s route home is changing – and I really couldn’t bear that either. It’s no great hardship to pop a chicken in the oven and roast it myself – so one guinea fowl for me.

As it was I spatchcocked it and put it in a piri-piri marinade – chilli, lime, cumin, ginger and coriander and a quick roast – 45 mins at 200. Oven chips and salad – delicious Friday night fare! We gobbled it all up. You can see why we had cauli tonight!

We did have fish on Saturday too, so it’s not been a complete meat feast. Hubby did sea bream with Thai spicing a la Nigel Slater. Served it with fried potatoes – not sure that worked. Ah well.

 

Home alone supper

Home alone supper last night, hubby was out at an after work thing. So something simple and light for me – spicy tomato prawns. Another from Delia’s Cooking for One. I’ve had this book for such a long time. It was one of the first that I bought when I moved into my first flat 28 years ago – no it can’t be that long – shock, no actually it was 25 years ago, even so that seems like such a long time ago when I write it down and yet it’s just been one lifetime – mine. Makes me wonder if I’ve learnt anything since then about life, living and me.

Anyway back to spicy prawns…had tomatoes, from the box, on the windowsill and prawns in the freezer – all combined with onions, chilli and olives to make a lovely light supper dish.  I started with some pancetta that was lurking in the fridge and added in some cumin seeds – just because I fancied a little aromatic spice in there.  Kept it to simple bowl food with a half a toasted naan tucked in the side.  Why can’t I cook this simply for hubby?  If he’d been home I would have wanted to make rice and a side dish, when actually he would have loved it just the way I did it last night. So I think it has to go on the list of simple suppers.

And it marked the end of a meaty week. We had the last of the roast lamb with a soft, gentle, aromatic pilaf the night before. The lamb sliced and sprinkled with crystals of Cornish sea salt, chopped dates & pistachios in the pilaff. I love cold lamb like this– sweet and then salty. The final slices went into sandwiches for lunch. And that’s the end of the leg of lamb!

Pork this Sunday I think. Going try a Gary Rhodes seasonal recipe that I did last spring – with an oriental twist – hoisin sauce, pak choi and pears. Need to get the butchers today to get a blade of pork, so better get on with my day. Time to work!

 

Shepherd’s pie and pancakes

Shepherd’s pie last night using some of the leftover roast lamb. Referring to Nigel Slater’s recipe as usual and using leftover gravy instead of stock. Wasn’t in the mood to mash last night, so par boiled the potatoes, sliced them and laid them on top of the pie mixture. We ate it all, and justified that with ‘it’s full of veg’, which it was – onion, celery, carrots and mushrooms.

Tonight of course, Shrove Tuesday, so pancakes for supper. I’ve been pondering all day on the back burner of my brain what to fill the savoury ones with. The whole point of Shrove Tuesday is to empty the house before Lent, so I really wanted to use what was in the fridge, cupboards etc, rather than buying ingredients especially for pancakes. What that amounted to was chard, that came in the box today, ½ packet of porcini mushrooms in the cupboard and pancetta & cheese in the fridge. This all became a lovely savoury, cheesy filling. ‘Perfect’ . And as Hubby has been commenting again on how many oranges are arriving in the box, instead of lemon and sugar we had crepe suzette to follow. They were really delicious – and once again I wonder why I only make pancakes once a year, especially crepe suzette – such simple ingredients – orange juice, sugar, butter and a splash of Grand Marnier, to bathe, eggs, flour & milk made into pancakes. If this is frugal food – we are well fed.

Pancake batter

Cup of plain flour, cup of milk, 2 eggs and a pinch of salt. Whisk together and leave to stand for at least ½ hour. Longer is good too. Whisk  1in a spoon of melted butter just before using.

Chard, porcini and cheese filling

Heat oven to 200

Soak 15g porcini mushroom in hot water.

Blanch chopped chard leaves in boiling salted water. Refresh in salted cold water. Drain.

Start cheese sauce by slowly cooking ½ onion finely chopped in tablespoon of butter.

Cook the chard stalks in boiling water for about 7 mins. Cool in cold, salted water.

Fry 4 slices of pancetta. Leave to one side.

Sauté the chard leaves in the pancetta pan. Leave to one side.

Drain the porcini mushrooms, chop and then sauté off in the pan. Add to the chard leaves.

Back to the cheese sauce. Add tablespoon of plain flour to buttery onions. Stir to a paste. Take off the heat and slowly add 250mls milk. Back onto low heat, simmer for 5-7 mins to thicken, stirring from time to time.

Add in a generous handful of grated cheddar cheese, grated nutmeg, teaspoon of Dijon mustard, and some ground pepper. Stir all together to mix until the cheese has melted. At this stage take out a couple of spoonfuls. To the rest add in the chard & porcini, stir to mix well. Stir in one egg yolk (optional).

Time to make pancakes. Make on at a time. When each is made fill with cheese filling, top with pancetta, roll and put in oven dish. When all 4 are done, spread the reserved sauce over the top, sprinkle with grated cheese.

Into oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile sauté off the chard stalks with butter, salt & pepper.

Served the  pancakes with chard stalks and a green salad.