Chocolate & Black Cherry Cookies

I was talking to a friend in Ireland about the blog the other day and one of the comments I recall from him was, 'not enough sweet things!' He is probably right. I tend to cook and write recipes for things that I personally like - and I am not much of a fan of sugar. But I do sometimes have the odd indulge in cookies.

I had a tin of black cherries in the cupboard and some dark chocolate, so I made these chocolate cookies with a juicy imbedded cherry and a drizzle of chocolate on top. I had eaten two before they had even cooled down!

Chocolate & Black Cherry Cookies

Ingredients:     (Makes about 20)

50g butter, soft
200g caster sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla essence
200g all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
60g cocoa powder
pinch of salt.
200g black cherries
100g plain chocolate

Method

Cream together the butter and sugar until well combined and fluffy. Add the egg, sour cream and vanilla essence and mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Using a hand mixer (or with a wooden spoon) incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet, a little at a time. The mixture will look quite dry but as you bring it together to form a dough it will be fudgy. Cover in cling film and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes. Drain the cherries from any syrup and dry a little with kitchen paper.

Set the oven to 180 C. Taking the dough, pull off pieces to make a ball about an inch and a half. Press your thumb into the middle of the ball and put a cherry in the hole you have made. Set it on an non stick but ungreased baking tray and continue until all of the dough has been used up, setting the cookies about an inch apart on the tray.

Cook for 8 minutes and leave to cool on the tray. Melt the chocolate either in the microwave (stirring often to prevent burning) or in a bowl set over water and either pipe the chocolate over the cookies with a piping bag or use a fork to dip and drizzle. Place on a plate or tray and put in the fridge for the chocolate to set.

If you can do all this without eating even one of them, you're a better person than me! Enjoy!

Restuarant Review - The House of Ho

Wandering through Soho in London last week we came upon The House of Ho, in Old Compton Street. The Bloke, having lived in the Far East with work for 5 years, was delighted to try what looked to be good Vietnamese food and I was more than happy to give it a go, as was our friend accompanying us.

On first entering the restaurant we noticed the place was small and fairly busy, but were pleased that although we hadn't booked, the three of us were given a table immediately. It has a good setting for romance. Candlelit and cosy with dark wood, I liked the look immediately. 

First ordered were drinks. Our friend had a beer and The Bloke and I opted for Jasmine tea for two and were promptly given two cute cast iron pots on a wooden block with little cups. Adorable. I poured immediately and grimaced, suggesting to my partner to not drink it. We tend to drink jasmine tea at home and it is meant to be light and refreshing - a pinch of leaves is plenty. They had heaped in what looked like about two or more tablespoons. It was so strong you could nearly stand a spoon up in it. We asked for more water to thin it down which they happily did, but my concerns were already twitching - if they can't make the basic tea - what would the food be like?

The waiter suggested we picked about three 'tapas style' dishes each so we picked ten to be sure (I was particularly hungry that night). Peering at the menu in the dark was quite difficult but eventually for starters, we decided on the rolls and chose one each - although we planned to share our food. I was looking forward to trying their Pho but they only serve that at lunchtimes. I went straight to the 'steamed' section of the menu and only found three things. Jasmine Rice, Lobster or Sous Vide Egg. I moved on to the rest of the menu.

I chose the Hot Crispy Rolls with pork and mushroom which I couldn't fault, very nice. The Bloke chose Pickled Vegetable summer rolls, which were quite nice, bit bland but okay and our friend chose the Mushroom & Herb Rolls. Again very nice and one of them came with the best peanut sauce I have EVER tasted. Sadly, that was the best part of the meal.

The (half) chicken wings were cooked well, in a sauce and were just okay. The Crispy Squid everyone agreed tasted exactly like the crisps you can get in England (Nik Naks). I guess if you like them - you'd like the squid. I wasn't a fan but the others loved them.

The Duck Breast was well cooked and came with a lovely black rice in a cabbage leaf, however, the 'sweet and sour' sauce was up with one of the worse flavours I have ever tasted. I could smell something immediately I didn't like on the table and when I tasted the sauce I knew that was what it was. We all looked at each other... "what IS that? It tastes.. almost dusty.. like.. an old dusty cupboard". It was the only description that seemed to fit as we all nodded in agreement. At least that comment made us laugh for the rest of the evening.

The Morning Glory (like a sea spinach and a favourite of mine) was lovely and served with crispy shallots. The Vegetable Curry was bland, although the okra was perfectly cooked. The Heavenly Flowers (grilled little flower bulbs) were interesting, crunchy and nice.. but left an strange, empty taste in your mouth. Everything was served very sporadically and we had to wait for something to go with rapidly cooling vegetables, or eat them alone. The rest of the dishes we picked at and left on the table when we departed, which is surprising as the servings are quite small. And I pretty much eat anything when I am hungry.

The words I said as I left were that my stomach "was left feeling sad". Which is a shame as Vietnamese food cooked properly is a delight! The bill came to about £100 (with one beer and tea as drinks).

On the website they quote "Our food is served ‘Banquet Style’ meaning it is served as and when it is ready". One gets the feeling that it is more for their convenience than anything else. That being said, the waiting staff were polite and we felt we were treated well. Its just a shame that the food, although presented beautifully, is just... well.. just okay.

Lamb fillet with Broad Beans & Peas

I find it a real struggle to find a lean piece of reasonably priced lamb. They are out there but they seem to be rare. I have never liked fat on my meat - I know it can be a personal thing but I am one of those people who cuts off every single piece, if possible.

There are some who say that the flavour is in the fat, but that was the very reason I started playing with flavours and finding ways of putting huge flavours into meat without using any of the fat. In the case of lamb, I usually end up with lamb leg steaks, but occasionally, very occasionally I come across lamb fillet strips. I think it may have been from Ocado, but the butcher is probably the best place to go to. Its a serious treat.

If you do find lean lamb - this dish is just so perfect. You don't need the big, punchy flavours. The lamb speaks for itself in this lovely simple Lamb Fillet with Broad Beans & Peas.

Ingredients:

225g lamb fillet strips
4-5 strips streaky bacon
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup white wine.
3/4 cup vegetable stock
400g tinned broad beans, drained
200g frozen peas

Method:

Season the lamb strips and pan fry whole for 7-8 minutes until cooked. Set aside on kitchen paper to drain and rest.

Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry in the oil with the onion and garlic until crisp and tender. Add the wine and cook on a high heat until reduced by half. Then add the stock and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the peas and drained broad beans and cook for a further 5 minutes. Season with salt & freshly ground black pepper. Slice the lamb into generous strips.

Serve the bacon & broad beans,  with some of the liquid, into a wide bowl and top with the tender lamb pieces. Lovely with boiled new potatoes or some crusty bread. And maybe a glass of wine if you wish.

Lebanese Potatoes and a Nifty Little Garlic Sauce

It was about two weeks ago I had these potatoes with a simple pan fried lamb chop. . Just a nice change from the usual boiled potatoes I would normally serve with the lamb.

The garlic sauce was tangy with lemon and the garlic surprisingly milder than expected. Its such a handy little recipe though - literally takes 5 minutes and changes a whole dish.



Lebanese Potatoes

For the potatoes:

Cut your potatoes into bite size chunks and pan fry in a tablespoon of vegetable oil until crisp and tender. Set aside on kitchen paper to drain.

Add another bit of oil to the pan and add 1/2 chopped onion, 1 clove minced garlic, a shake of cayenne pepper & a shake of ground coriander. Sauté for a few minutes and add the potatoes back into the pan. Stir, season with salt & pepper and add a squeeze of fresh lime juice and some fresh chopped coriander. Serve hot with the garlic sauce on the side.

Garlic Sauce

For the Garlic Sauce:

Using a hand blender, blitz a whole, peeled, bulb of garlic with a teaspoon of salt, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/2 cup vegetable oil and 1/2 cup olive oil. The oil and lemon juice will emulsify to make a thick and creamy sauce with the texture of mayonnaise.
Delicious!

Banana Pancakes with Honey & Lime

I had a visit the other day from my lovely friend who keeps chickens. She brought me the freshest eggs I have ever had! I plan to do lots with them and yesterday morning was no exception! After throwing around a few suggestions to The Bloke, he decided he wanted my Banana Pancakes. Not like the thin crepes like we had on Pancake Day recently - but thick, fluffy ones with bananas.. with a drizzle of honey and a squeeze of lime. I had to agree - they were gorgeous.

Banana Pancakes with Honey & Lime

Ingredients:    (Makes 8)

2 ripe banana, 1 mashed and 1 sliced thinly
2 eggs, beaten
140g self raising flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
125ml milk
25g butter, melted, plus more to fry
honey
1or 2 limes

Method:

In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar and baking powder. Then make a well in the centre and add the 1 mashed banana, the 2 eggs, the melted butter and the milk. Whisk together until you get a creamy mix. It won't be entirely smooth because of the mashed banana but ensure you don't have any flour lumps.

Melt some butter in a pan and ladle in some of the batter making two in at a time (I used a 1/2 cup as a measure). Place 4 slices of banana on the top of the batter and fry for 2 minutes until you see bubbles at the sides of the pancake and carefully flip over. The uncooked batter on the top will be runny, so it may spread when you flip, so use a spatula to pull the batter back to make a neat circle shape. Cook for another 1-2 minutes and put onto a plate. Keep pancakes warm in the oven on a low heat, until all the batter is used up.

Serve with a generous helping of runny honey and a good squeeze of lime juice. Lovely!

South African Bobotie

I first saw a recipe for this in an old recipe book that was written in the 70's. I've had this book since I was a teenager and still have it today. So many of the recipes are just so dated (think liver, and devilled eggs, blancmange!). And Bobotie.

I have never tried to cook this dish and I have also never eaten it either, but considering its South Africa's National Dish, it has to be good, right? So I did a bit of research on the dish and its small changes over the years and gave it a go.

Bobotie 

And it IS good. Very unusual flavours of curry, ginger and coriander mixed with raisins and apple and softened beautifully with bread soaked in milk. Topped with a type of egg custard and served with bananas and salad. I was surprised how much I like it.

Ingredients:      (Serves 4)

For the curry paste:
2 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
4-5 allspice berries (or 1/2 ground)
grind of salt
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
3 small cloves garlic, chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, chopped
1 large green chilli, chopped
1 hot birds eye chilli, chopped

2 slices brown bread
125ml milk
1 tbsp. oil
1 onion chopped
500g lean beef mince
1 small apple , diced small
50g raisins
juice of 1/2 lemon

For the custard:
2 eggs
200ml milk
3 bay leaves

In a pestle and mortar, grind the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and allspice berries to a powder with the salt. Add the curry powder, turmeric powder, garlic, ginger and chillies and bash until you have a dry paste.

Pull the bread apart roughly and soak in the milk while you cook the onions and beef.

Fry the onion in the oil until translucent and add spice paste, cooking until fragrant. Then add the beef, breaking it up as it browns. Then add the apple, raisins and lemon juice. Stir well, cooking on a medium heat. Finally break up the soaked bread over the top and stir in.

In a square lasagne dish (about 9x9 inch), pat the mince down and leave to one side to cool for 10 minutes. Then whisk the eggs and milk together and pour over the top. Place the bay leaves in a nice pattern and pop in the oven for approx. 30 minutes. Remove from oven and leave for 5-10 minutes to let the custard completely set.

I served this a fairly traditional way with white rice (which I steamed with a cinnamon stick and 1/2 tsp. of turmeric), a carrot and coriander salad with lime dressing and a sliced banana. Absolutely delicious!! Why did it take me so long to cook this?

Restaurant Review - Indian City

Last weekend we met with a friend who had just come back to England from Delhi and we were keen to go for a meal. I decided on Indian City, not far from St Pauls Cathedral/Blackfriars Bridge. I did a bit of research and saw mixed reviews, so thought we'd give it a go. I booked a table for three for the Saturday night.

We apologised as we arrived 20 minutes after our booking time and were delighted at how nice they were - even though they were fully booked and had kept our 'reserved' table. First impressions good. The table was laid out beautifully and the waiter gave us the menus and five minutes to settle before we ordered our drinks. The two men had a beer and I had a Lassi, which is a yoghurt based drink and it was lovely.

For starters we decided on the Mixed Tandoori platter for three which arrived promptly. The chicken was melt in the mouth, the prawns huge and tasty. Sadly my piece of salmon was too dry to eat and the piece of lamb I had was very overcooked. Someone else's portion of lamb was rare though and the others salmon seemed to be fine too, so bad luck on my behalf! The presentation of the plating up was first class and the tamarind sauce that was served with the meats was a delight.

For mains we ordered a Lamb Vindaloo, a Garlic Chilli Chicken Tawa, a side dish of Mutter Paneer - I insisted as its my favourite - with steamed rice and 3 roti (tandoori bread).

The lamb vindaloo was excellent. The meat was tender, the sauce was rich and very, very hot and we all loved it. The Chicken Tawa lacked something to me.. it just didn't seem to have much flavour. It could be partly due to the huge flavour coming from the vindaloo though. The worst dish was the mutter paneer. The minute it came to the table I was confused, as it looked like a yellow thick custard with a few random peas and hardly any paneer. I tasted it and the sweetness of the dish was overwhelming. It was more of a creamy dessert.. with peas in it. Considering our guest is from India - we asked him what he thought and he confirmed that was not a traditional flavour (or texture) at all.

So a bit of a mixed bag really. The bill came to £92 which I thought was a little excessive as we didn't even have a main dish each and only had a total of two beers and two Lassi drinks. But then again - its location will always be a bit overpriced. In all, I wouldn't rush back. But the waiters were polite and maybe I missed a trick on the menu.

Mini Pork & Tomato Meatloaves

This time it was The Bloke's turn to be feeling a bit unwell and he sent me a text asking for mashed potatoes. I'm pretty sure he wanted something to go with the mash so before leaving for  my Spanish lesson, I pulled a pack of pork mince out of the freezer to defrost and used the train journey to have a think about what to make. I decided on one I haven't done for over a year. Pork and Tomato Mini Meatloaves. He wanted comfort food and I was happy to accommodate.

Pork & Tomato Mini Meatloaves

Ingredients:  (Makes 6)

500g pork mince
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 carrot, chopped very small
1 onion, chopped finely
1 clove garlic, minced.
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 slices bread, made into breadcrumbs
200g chopped tinned tomatoes
1 egg
small bunch fresh thyme
few cherry tomatoes
pinch of sugar
salt & pepper

Method:

Set oven to 200 C. In the oil, cook the chopped carrot, onion and garlic on a medium heat for about 8 minutes until carrots are tender. Scrape into a large bowl and leave to cool for a moment. Then, to the bowl, add the pork mince, Worcestershire sauce, breadcrumbs, tinned tomatoes, the egg and half of the thyme leaves. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.

Lightly oil 6 ramekins or muffin tins and fill the meat mixture to the top. Press a half of a cherry tomato in the middle (cut side up) and sprinkle the tomato with a pinch of sugar. Add the rest of the thyme leaves and put the filled ramekins onto a baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

I prefer these to the standard loaf tin meatloaf that you slice. They seem more manageable and are lighter. And I love individual portions of anything. I served two per person with creamy mashed potatoes and broccoli.

Chicken, Prawn & Chorizo Jambalaya

Although I believe Jambalaya was a French word meaning 'mixed up'.. this dish is mostly American. I've not exactly stayed true to its roots as it should have some smoked sausage in it - but then again, its another one of those dishes that in the past probably had a mix of whatever you wanted in it. Its a bit like a campfire meal and I all goes into one pot (which I love). Either way - this is the version I have been cooking for nearly 20 years and I love it. Chicken, Prawn and Chorizo Jambalaya.

The reason I use basmati rice is to take it away from a risotto, which is thick and the rice tends to stick together. I think in this dish, its nicer for the rice to be more separated and loose.

Ingredients: (Enough for 4 with a salad)

2 large chicken breasts, skinless
140g chorizo
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp. oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 red pepper, chopped
1 tsp. dried chilli flakes
150g basmati rice
235g raw king prawns
1/4 tsp. saffron threads
2 bay leaves
1 cup frozen peas
20g butter
salt & pepper
parsley, chopped as garnish

Method:

Chop the chicken into bite size pieces. Tip the prawns into a jug with the saffron and add 1 litre of boiling water. Set both to one side.

Fry the onion in a large pan with 1 tbsp. oil until tender and add the garlic, chilli flakes and red pepper. Cook for a further 5 minutes and then add the chicken. Stir fry until chicken beginning to brown and add the dry rice. Stir well, making sure the rice gets coated with the oil. Carefully pour in about 3/4 of the saffron stock from the prawns, leaving the (now mostly cooked) prawns in the jug. Add the bay leaves and stir well.

Bring to the boil, and then turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, adding more stock if it dries out. When the stock is absorbed but the mix not dry, add the peas and the prawns. Simmer for another 5-6 minutes to let the peas cook and the prawns heat through. Finally add the butter and stir through until butter melted and jambalaya rich and glossy.

Serve with a garnish of parsley and  a chunk of buttered baguette and a salad on the side.

American Pork & Beans

This is another one of those dishes than can be cooked many different ways and has been a staple dish in the USA since the mid 19th century. As is often the case, I tend to look at what ingredients I have and see where they can take me. Happens that I had a half a pork tenderloin in the freezer (about 200g) which is a lovely piece of lean meat. Perfect for my version of good old pork and beans.

Ingredients:

200g pork tenderloin, cubed
4 slices parma ham, roughly chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
400g tin chopped tomatoes
400g cannellini beans
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. English mustard
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
300ml vegetable stock (cube fine)
ground black pepper
crème fraiche, to finish
fresh parsley, to garnish

Method:

Fry the onion in 1 tbsp. oil for 3-4 minutes and then add the garlic. Cook for a few more minutes and then add the ham and pork cubes. Cook on a medium-high heat for 7-8 minutes until browned and add the chilli powder, oregano, tomato paste, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well.

Make up 300ml vegetable stock from a stock cube and add to the pork stew along with the tinned tomatoes and rinsed beans. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring, until the sauce has thickened. Taste and season with ground black pepper. There should be enough salt in the parma ham but add some if you wish.

Serve in a bowl, topped with a spoon of the crème fraiche, chopped fresh parsley and some garlic bread to mop up the sauce.

Now there is one ingredient, I have left it out of the recipe that I made, as I know its not always easy to buy in England. I managed to buy some Liquid Smoke from the lovely Borough Market in the London Bridge area.

The dish will taste perfectly fine without it - but traditionally there should be some smoke element. You could try with different meats - smoked bacon or sausage would be lovely. But if you do manage to find the liquid smoke - just add a little as you don't need much at all.

Easy Baked Spring Rolls

Oh this is for those like me who crave spring rolls. In fact I have ordered a Chinese takeaway in the past just so I can get a portion of them. Not the teeny tiny vegetarian ones that are more pastry than filling...but the stuffed ones with loads of beansprouts, that you can dip in soy sauce and munch away.

Well, as we all know, they are deep fried which is a tad unhealthy so - this is an easy recipe for baked spring rolls. You don't even need the correct wrappers - filo pastry is fine.

So much easier than you think. You just get the filo pastry, mix up a bowl of filling, roll them up and put in the oven. Trust me - they are as good as the real thing! Just be generous with the filling.

Ingredients: 

300g mixed vegetables (shredded cabbage, carrot, thin sliced onion, red peppers)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 inch piece ginger, chopped
150g beansprouts (tinned are fine)
200g cooked prawns (or any cooked meat, chopped)
1 tsp. Chinese 5 spice powder
1-2 tsp. soy sauce
pack of filo
1 egg, beaten

Method:

Set the oven to 200 C. Stir fry the vegetables in a pan, on a high heat, with the garlic and ginger until softened and browning and lower the heat to medium. Add the prawns, beansprouts, soy sauce and 5 Spice powder and stir well. Cook to heat the prawns through and then set to one side to cool a little.

Lay a sheet of filo pastry on a floured work surface and add a strip of filling, being sure to drain the sauce of the filling on the side of the bowl so its not too wet.. Paint some egg around the edges of the filo pastry and roll up, pulling the sides in as you go.. Paint with more egg and place seam side down onto a greased baking tray. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if you like and repeat until all filling is used up. Pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Serve hot with soy sauce or Chinese vinegar with a little sesame oil and chopped fresh red chilli. Lovely!

Warm Lamb Salad with Balsamic Mustard Dressing

I was feeling a bit lazy yesterday, so I re visited an old favourite that can be whipped up really quickly. This would be an ideal dish for Dad to cook on Mother's Day coming up this Sunday. Simple but effective - she'll be delighted to have dinner cooked for her - and it looks like you've slaved over it. And you will pretend you have! The textures and flavours just explode..

Warm Lamb Salad with Balsamic Mustard Dressing

Ingredients:

2 lamb leg steaks, fat removed and sliced into 1/2 inch slices
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp. smoked paprika (sweet paprika is fine too)
70g leaves (rocket, lambs leaf, watercress)
10 baby new potatoes, halved
75g green beans, cut into 1 inch lengths
100g cherry tomatoes
a little stale bread for croutons
fresh parsley, for garnish

For the dressing:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt & pepper

Put the lamb strips into a bowl, add 1 tbsp. olive oil and the smoked paprika. Stir to combine, cover and put in the fridge until just before serving. Cut up some stale bread into cubes, drizzle with oil and put in the oven at 200 C for 5 minutes to crisp up. Set to one side.

Boil the potatoes until tender and steam the green beans above the potatoes for the last few minutes of cooking. Drain and cover to keep warm. Make up the dressing from ingredients above. and season with salt & pepper.

Fry the marinated lamb in a hot pan using a little oil until just cooked, put on a plate and cover with foil to rest. Now put the tomatoes in the same pan and cook until they start to burst.

To plate up - cover a large plate with the salad leaves, top with the drained, still warm, potatoes and green beans. Now place on the lamb and tomatoes and scatter over the croutons. Dress the whole thing with the balsamic mustard dressing. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Simple but effective!

Chicken Ragu with Spaghetti

Or as I always call it - 'Spaghetti Chickenese'. Like Spaghetti Bolognese but with chicken. I have made a pork version too in the past and they're a lovely twist on the original.

I wasn't feeling too well yesterday and I was craving comfort food. One of those just has to be pasta. The great thing about the chicken version is that its light with less fat but still every bit as comforting as the beef mince traditionally used. And two chicken breasts make enough for 3-4 people.

Ingredients:    (Serves 3-4)

2 chicken breasts, skinless and chopped as finely as you can
1-2 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp. red pepper or tomato puree (paste)
150 ml chicken stock (cube will do)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
parmesan to finish
100g (per person) spaghetti

Method:

In a wide pan, heat 1 tbsp. oil and cook the onion, garlic and pepper on a medium heat until tender. Add the chicken and stir fry for 5 minutes until cooked through.

Add the dried herbs, tinned tomatoes, stock and paste and mix well. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat to medium as it reduces to make a thick sauce ( about 20 minutes). Stir in the parsley and serve on some hot pasta with parmesan on the side.

Warming, hot, comforting and filling this is a delicious and easy mid week meal for the whole family. Add a piece of garlic bread if you like to mop up any juices.

Note: If I was just cooking for just myself, I would have added a handful of sliced button mushrooms. But The Bloke doesn't like mushrooms so I didn't - I recommend you do!

Tomato, Thyme and Caramelised Garlic Tarte Tatin

This may well be a dish that shouts out 'summer is here!' Obviously, March in London feels very far away from that as its still so cold. However, the sun had come out and that was good enough for me.

Most people know the French Apple Tarte Tatin dish - its certainly one I make often - this is a savoury version that is bursting with vibrant colour and chewy with mild balsamic sweetened garlic and fresh tomatoes.

Perfect for lunch with a simple salad with maybe a sausage or two on the side for a more filling dinner. Tomato, Thyme and Caramelised Garlic Tarte Tatin. For this you will need a oven proof frying pan with a metal handle.

Tomato, Thyme & Caramelised Garlic Tarte Tatin

Ingredients:

400g cherry tomatoes, halved
8 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
2 tbsp. caster sugar
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
bunch of thyme, leaves picked
pack of pre made puff pastry
salt & pepper

Method:

Put the garlic into a small pan and cover with water. Boil for 3 minutes, drain and fry in 1 tbsp. oil until golden. Add 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar and 160ml water (be careful - it will splutter!) and boil until the liquid nearly all evaporated. Then add the sliced onions, 1 tbsp. sugar, salt & pepper and the fresh thyme leaves (leaving a few for garnish). Cook until the garlic is browned. Set to one side.

Put the halved cherry tomatoes in a bowl. Add a tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. caster sugar. Stir well and place in the oven proof frying pan, cut side down. Cook on a medium heat for 7-8 minutes until sticky. Take off the heat and place the garlic in and around the tomatoes. Tip the onions and herbs over the top. You can either cook this now or leave it to cool and complete when you are ready to eat.

Cut a large circle in the puff pastry (slightly larger than the pan) and cover the tomato and garlic with the pastry. Paint with milk and pop into the oven at 180 C for 30 minutes.

Leave to cool for a couple of minutes and using a plate, carefully upturn the tart out onto the plate. Garnish with remaining thyme leaves and serve either hot, warm or cold.

I had a slice fresh out of the oven, with a couple of sausages and a rocket and watercress salad.

Fresh and colourful! Delicious!

Baba Ganoush

If you like dips - this is a lovely one. From the Middle East, its an aubergine dip that works on the side of many dishes or can be served as a starter with pitta bread.. or at a party. Its quick and easy and I love it!

Ingredients:

1 large aubergine
1 heaped tbsp. Tahini
2 fat cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1/2 large lemon (or 1 small)
1 heaped tbsp. crème fraiche (low fat)
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
pink peppercorns crushed for garnish

Method:

Set the oven to 200 C. Piece the aubergine in a couple of places with a sharp knife and put in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove and place into a plastic bag (freezer/sandwich bag) for a few minutes to let it steam. This makes the skin easier to remove.

Peel the aubergine and put it in a sieve. Chop the flesh finely, pushing out the liquid as you go and then put into a bowl. Add the garlic, lemon juice, crème fraiche and parsley and give it a good stir. You may want to taste and add more lemon/garlic - just make to your taste.

Crush some pink peppercorns over the top and a drizzle of olive oil if you wish.

Serve with toasted pittas on the side.

Mutter Paneer

Now this dish a such a crowd pleaser - I have yet to meet anyone who doesn't like Mutter Paneer. For those who haven't tried it yet, paneer is a soft Indian cheese and the dish is basically cubes of fried paneer with peas in a delicious creamy tomato gravy. What's not to like?! It comes from North India and is just perfect as a side dish. I would have it for lunch with some flatbread myself.

I'll be honest with you - it has taken me some years to get the flavour just right. It was worth every bit of effort and this (says The Bloke and he is honest) was the best one I have made yet. I think it was the soaking the paneer in hot water for 1/2 hour and then drying with kitchen paper before frying, make it silky soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.

Mutter Paneer

Ingredients:    (Makes enough for 4 as a side dish)

250g paneer cheese (cubed & soaked in hot water for 1/2 hour)
200g frozen peas
1 large onion, chopped finely
3 tomatoes, blended to a paste or chopped finely
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. cumin powder
2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
2 green chilles, chopped
1 cup water
salt to taste
3 tbsp. double cream
coriander, chopped as garnish

Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a pan and fry the paneer cubes for about 5 minutes, continually turning and moving so all sides are golden. Drain on kitchen paper and leave to one side.

Heat 1 tbsp. oil and fry the onions for a few minutes until tender. Add the ginger and garlic and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Then add the tomatoes, chillies and spices and mix well. Cook for a further 5 minutes and then add the peas, stirring in well. Add the paneer, water and salt and simmer for about 10 minutes as the gravy thickens. Then add the cream and heat through. Garnish with coriander. if liked, and serve.

Tarka Daal & Gujarat Papaya Chutney

This weekend was cold as usual in London which is pretty usual at this time of year. And also as usual, this weekend curry was back again. I hadn't planned to but we had a guest over and he likes curry, so on Saturday morning I sat with a pad and made plans on what to cook.

After a comment from one of my blog readers about the Thai papaya salad I had made on Friday night - I thought I'd use my remaining papaya to make an Indian papaya chutney along with the curries. I also made Tarka Daal as it is just a perfect curry accompaniment.

I'll start with the Papaya Chutney - its very simple but very good as a side dish. I had no idea papaya tasted so good.

Papaya Chutney

You need:

1 green papaya
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1-2 green chillies, chopped
1 pinch Asafoetida
1 tbsp. oil
salt
2 tbsp. water

Simply peel and then grate the papaya and put to one side. Fry the mustard seeds in the oil until they start to pop and add the asafoetida and chillies. Fry for a few minutes and add the papaya. Mix well, add 2-3 tbsps. water and a little salt. Cover and cook on a low heat until the papaya is tender, about 4-5 minutes. Put into a serving dish and eat at room temperature. That's it!

Another way to make this would be a recipe hailing from Bengal where they add sugar and raisins but I preferred the chillies and mustard seeds version as I fancied a savoury, but I imagine that would be good too. In the recipe I have put up, you can really taste the papaya which in other recipes I find gets lost. Its mild but really delicious.

I also made a Tarka Daal which I absolutely love. I imagine there are many recipes handed down over the years.. but here in London - this is the one I made (I often make small changes to the recipe) and it never fails to disappoint.

Tarka Daal

You need:

200g of Toor Daal
1 tbsp. oil
2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 onion, finely chopped
3 whole green chillies, left whole but pricked with a knife
1 inch piece ginger, chopped
2 large tomatoes (or 5-6 cherry tomatoes)
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp. ground coriander
salt & pepper
handful fresh coriander, chopped


Put the toor daal in a pan and add water to cover by about an inch. Bring to the boil, cover and then leave on a medium heat as they cook. They will take about 1/2 hour to become tender, so top up the water as needed. You don't want them to be dry. Remove from heat and set to one side.

Heat the oil and fry the cumin seeds until fragrant and add the onion, chillies and ginger and cook on a medium heat until tender and the onion beginning to brown. Blitz the tomatoes and garlic together in a hand blender and add to the onion mix. Stir well and then add the ground spices along with 100ml of water.

Season with salt and leave to simmer gently for 15 minutes. Then add the onion mix to the lentils, putting them back on a low heat. Add a little more water to loosen if too dry and season with a 1/4 tsp. salt and ground black pepper. Stir in chopped coriander and serve.

Here is a picture of the completed (mostly Indian) curry meal.

A feast of spice!

Chicken and Prawn Laksa

I have had a number of people ask about the main photo on my blog and asking "what is it?" and "what's the recipe?" Its actually a bowl of Chicken and Prawn Laksa which is a coconut curry soup with noodles.

The first time I tried this was on a winters afternoon in a tiny Malaysian café in Euston, London and I was so happy with this hot, spicy, rich noodle based soup that I was determined to learn how to make it. It's a very impressive looking dish to delight friends over for dinner too!

You can, of course, buy Laksa paste in most shops, which makes life a lot quicker. Here I have made the paste so you can try it if you wish.

For the Laksa paste:

4 dried Kashmiri chillies (boiled in water for 3 minutes and left to soak in the water for 10)
25g roasted peanuts
2 sticks lemongrass, sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 inch piece ginger
1 tbsp. curry powder
2 tsp. shrimp paste
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp. salt (or none if the peanuts are salted)

Put all of the above into a hand blender and blend to a paste.

For the soup:

250g raw prawns (shell on)
200g firm tofu
300ml coconut milk
2 tbsp. fish sauce
1 tbsp. palm sugar
1 large chicken breast, sliced
100g beansprouts
100g green beans, halved
400g egg noodles
few spring onions, sliced for garnish
handful coriander, chopped for garnish
handful peanuts, chopped for garnish

Peel the prawns and fry the shells and heads in a pan, leaving the peeled prawns to one side. Add 1 litre of water and bring to the boil. Turn to a simmer for 10 minutes and strain. Reserve the stock.

Cut the tofu into cubes and fry in 1 tbsp. oil until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and set to one side.

Fry the Laksa paste (from above or shop bought) in 1 tbsp. oil for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the prawn stock, coconut milk, fish sauce and palm sugar. Bring to the boil and set on a medium heat to let the flavours come together for 5 minutes. Drop in the prawns and chicken and cook for a further 7-8 minutes. Add the green beans and beansprouts and cook for 5 more minutes.

To assemble, cook the noodles as per pack instructions and put a portion into a bowl. Put the fried tofu onto the noodles and top with a few ladles of the curry soup. Garnish with coriander, spring onions and peanuts.

I also made a little chilli sambal for extra heat!

Thai Green Papaya Salad (Tam Som)

This spicy salad combines the five main tastes of Thai cuisine. Sour lime, hot chillies, savoury fish sauce, salt and sweetness. It is of Lao origin and is one of their traditional staple dishes.  Its made with green unripe papaya and is incredibly fresh in taste. Served simply with grilled chicken and rice its unique and delicious.

I used to struggle buying green papayas as all the shops seemed to just sell them ripe (yellow) which you can't use for this dish but it seems the green papayas are everywhere now. And upon looking, just in my local high street in London - they were everywhere!

But if you can't find any - you can substitute the papaya with a number of ingredients from turnip to mooli to unripe mango.

The first thing you need is a pestle and mortar. Pop in one garlic clove and a chopped thai red chilli (seeds removed). Crush to a pulp with a 1/4 tsp. salt. Add a handful of chopped green beans (maybe 8) and pound a little more. Then add 4-5 cherry tomatoes, quartered and pound again. It should look like this:

Then add 1 tablespoon of palm sugar, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce and the juice of one lime. Mix thoroughly and put into a serving bowl.

Then you need to cut one carrot and one papaya into thin strips. For the papaya, I use a vegetable peeler and firstly peel the fruit - then keep peeling the flesh in strips and the, slice into julienne strips.  Add the carrot and papaya to the tomato and bean mix and stir well.

Serve on some salad leaves and top with chopped peanuts, if liked.