Vietnamese Yellow Curry (Low Calorie)

This is a great curry - but you will need to take my word for it - as  I could not get  picture that did it justice!
It is quite a wet curry - like a thai curry in that way - quite a lot of sauce, not as this as an indian curry.
I amended the recipe from a 250 calorie recipe - all I have added is more heat in the chillies - this recipe is quite hot - but in no way overwhelming.
After the initial blast it is a slow cook - so ideal to make ahead of time.

Serves 4


1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 Bunch spring onions - shredded (10-12)
2 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
500g skinless chicken thigh fillets - cut into bite size pieces
2 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1 stick lemon grass - finely chopped
3 green chillies - sliced
1 can light coconut milk
Handful fresh coriander - chopped








1 Prepare meat and veg as above - so you are ready to go
2 Heat the oil in a wide frying pan or wok.
3 When hot fry the spring onions, garlic and chicken for 3 minutes.
4 Stir in the spices, lemongrass and chilli and cook for 1-2 minutes
5 Transfer to a small casserole or slow cooker.
6 Pour over coconut milk, making sure chicken is covered. Top up with water if necessary.
7 Cook in the oven for 2 hours, or in a slow cooker for 5 hours.
8 Garnish with coriander and serve.

We served with rice and stir fried veg - and if you manage a good photo  - mail it over!!

South Indian style fish curry with Belgian beer

This recipe is a bit of a mix up  - its base is from Australian writer Paul Mercurio - the curry is south indian in style - but has Belgian beer as an ingredient.
It adds up to a creamy, hot and sour style curry - it has a bit of heat - but your will need to add more chilli if you like your currys really spicy.
On the fish  - you could add some squid, cut into tubes - or experiment with different types of fish - but you want something fairly firm, that isn't going to disintegrate.

1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp black mustard seeds
3 red chillis, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 inch ginger, chopped

vegetable oil
1 onion sliced
1 tsp ground tumeric
1tbsp curry powder ( I used madras)
200ml coconut milk
160ml coconut creme
250 ml Leffe Blonde
45 ml lemon juice
1 tsp palm sugar
2 tsp fish sauce
10 curry leaves
200 sugar snap peas
400 - 500 cod fillets cut into bite size pieces
12 large prawns
3 tbsp chopped coriander

1 In a frying pan dry roast the cumin, coriander, half the mustard seeds until fragrant and they start popping.
2 Tip into a mortar and pestle and grind into a powder. Add the chilli, garlic and ginger, together with a pinch of sea salt, and pound into a paste.
3 Heat oil in a large casserole over a medium to high heat.
4 add the onion and cook for 10 minutes or so - until it begins to caramelise.
5 Stir in the tumeric, curry powder and remaining mustard seeds, and fry for a couple more minutes.
6 Add the spice paste, and cook out for approx 10 minutes, to combine all of the flavours.
7 Stir in the coconut milk and creme, and add the beer. Bring to the boil and the reduce the heat to a simmer.
8 Add the lemon juice, fish sauce, palm sugar and curry leaves.
9 Simmer for 10 minutes and check for seasoning.
10 Add the sugar snaps and cook for 5 minutes
11 Add the fish and prawns and poach for 5-8 minutes, until just cooked
12 Stir in the coriander and serve over rice.

enjoy with another Leffe Blonde!

Eggs Benedict with Mushroom

Eggs Benedict is one of my favourite brunch things - one of those things that often seems a bit too much hassle to make at home - but very nice when you're out and about!
This Saturday's Times included a few variations on the theme, by Tony Turnbull - and I couldn't resist having a go at the mushroom one - and it was a success - so here we go!
On the poaching of eggs - Tony opts for the stirring water and sliding in the eggs - I use Delia's method - which is as follows (in the recipe use your favourite way of poaching the eggs - it seems a very personal thing!) - Fill a small frying pan with 4cm water - get it to the point where it is barely simmering. Keep the water at that level - just the slightest appearance of bubbles. Break each egg into the water. Size 2 will take about 3 minutes. You can baste the top with water to help them cook. Remove very gently with a slotted spoon and rest the spoon on a wad of kitchen roll to absorb any water.

Mushroom Eggs Benedict
serves 4

4 Portobello Mushroom
4 Large egges plus 2 yolks
Juice of 1/2  lemon
100g butter
2 muffins, sliced and toasted

1 Poach your eggs
2 Remove stalks from mushrooms and fry in butter or oil for 5 mins, turning once
3 Meanwhile place yolks in a blender with lemon juice and a pinch of salt and blend
4 Melt the butter in a pan and slowly add to the yolks, with the motor running. Blend until pale and creamy
5 Place a mushroom on each muffin half, top with the egg, and coat with the hollandaise.

Enjoy - and get someone else to wash up all the pans............

A couple of final summer salads.......

As the leaves are changing colour - the evenings are getting darker - we are heading for the last couple of weekends of BBQ's  - other than our southern hemisphere friends, who will be BBQing and brai-ing in the rain for some time to come...
These two salads were included by Nigel Barden in a recent recipe for a lamb burger - and he credited them to Peter Gordon.
Both take ingredients that we use all the time - but add a twist - and both were great. I think they would be a great addition to any BBQ, or any grilled meats.

Beef Tomato and Mint

Obviously I have to stress the simplicity of this one - it is not reinventing the wheel, but I am not sure I have had these flavours together before, and it really works.

I made this a bit ahead  of time which allowed th flavours to develop.

2 beefsteak tomatoes - thinly sliced

6 -10 mint leaves 

drizzle olive oil

sea salt and black pepper

1 Arrange the thinly sliced tomatoes on a plate 

2 Sprinkle over the mint leaves

3 Drizzle with olive oil

4 Season generously with sea salt and pepper 

Feta and Avocado

1 avocado

1 lime

2 tbsp mayonaise

1 tsp dijon mustard

50g feta cheese (use more if a larger avo) - crumbled

1 Remove the flesh from the avocado - and put in a large bowl

2 Add 1/4 teaspoon of grated lime zest, and 2 tsp lime juice

3 Mash together

4 Mix in the mayonaise, mustard, and lastly the crumbled feta

This really was sensational. The avo I had was quite large  - so I think the recipe could have taken more of the feta.

Both of these are well worth a try - are simple, and can be made ahead of time. Let's just hope we get the weather to enjoy them!

Carnival Del Kerb @ The Paperworks SE1

The Kerb team have been taking some of their street food experts to Elephant and Castle on Friday nights in August and September. The last one is next week - so drop everything and get along!
In a collaboartion with the people from Corsica Studios the Kerb Team have taken over a derelict site on Newington Causeway. From the outside it doesn't promise much....

But once you get inside that all changes.

Kerb have 3 bars and 12 street food traders , and some great DJs. The vibe was brilliant - really relaxed - good music  - and a really great venue, with great facilities.

A really mixed crowd made for a great night. Kerb have some of their tried and tested favourites, and a few of their newer 'signings'. 

We tried wood fired pizza from the back of a specially converted Land Rover 

We managed a couple of others before we were defeated. Bill or Beak (http://billorbeak.co.uk/) - serving shredded pork and duck with vietnamese style dressing in brioche buns - which was great - really zingy dressing and generous filling -but the favourite on the night was an original burger from the people at Tongue 'n Cheek (http://www.tonguencheek.info/). It is probably the best burger I have ever had (sorry Blas)  - just SO meaty.

So if you are free next Friday it really is well worth a visit. Good venue, nice crowd, great music, and some of the best street food around!

Weeping Harissa Lamb with Boulangere Potatoes

As the weather has turned a bit colder and damper - it seems a good time for a warming roast.

This is an amalgamation of a few of my favourite things, and I think it works really well.

The finished dish does have a bit of heat - nothing too spicy - but a background of heat from the harissa.

The juices from the lamb, and some of the harissa, weep into the potatoes, making for a really rich dish. You will see that no fat is added to the potatoes when the dish is assembled.

All the work is done at the beginning - so its a good dish to do if you are entertaining.

I would serve with something green - just to cut through - as the lamb and the potatoes are quite rich.

I marinated the lamb for a few hours in the harissa - but this probably isn't essential.

For the potatoes it is definitely best to use a mandolin - remember to use the guard!!

1 leg of lamb (2.5 kg ish)

1/2 small can harissa paste 

4 large potatoes - peeled and sliced thinly (use a mandolin)

3 large onions - sliced thinly 

salt and pepper

500 ml chicken stock

1 Make some fine cuts in the leg of lamb. Rub the harissa all over the lamb, and leave to marinate for a couple of hours (if possible)

2 Preheat the oven to 200c.

3 Layer the potatoes and onions in an oven proof dish - which has to be about the same size as the leg of lamb. Season each layer generously with salt and pepper, and finish with a layer of potatoes.

4 Pour over the stock and press down lightly.

5 Put the potatoes in the bottom of the oven, and place the lamb on a small wire rack on the shelf above so that any juices from the lamb will weep into the potatoes. (keeping the lamb on a small rack makes it easier to handle)

6 Leave to roast for 1 1/2 hours. Every half hour press the potatoes down into the cooking liquid.

7 Remove the lamb when cooked to your liking, and rest in a warm place for 10 minutes before carving.

Chilli con Pollo

Okay don't blame me for the name - I am not sure it would be deemed correct - but this is a dish that is very like chilli con carne - but made with chicken. It uses up loads from the store cupboard - and can be bulked out just by adding more beans. You can use any mix of beans, pinto beans, borlotti etc
 It can be eaten on its own, with bread or rice.
When the original recipe was passed to me it was served with an avocado and red onion salsa - but I didn't think much of it!
A great midweek dish - and once you have the spices you can make again and again. The pickled jalapenos add a really nice heat - and you can adjust these to your taste - and serve some on the side for those who want extra heat.

Serves 6

1 large onion - chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic - crushed
1/2 cup sliced pickled jalapenos (these come in jars) - add more if you like it spicy - or serve additional alongside
6 skinless chicken thigh fillets  - cut into bite size pieces

1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp peri peri powder
1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano

1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can black beans / black eyed (drained)
1 can kidney beans (drained)
1 can sweetcorn kernels (drained)
250 ml chicken stock
1 small bunch of fresh coriander - chopped

1 Heat a large pot and add some vegetable oil
2 Add the onion and jalapenos, and cook until the onion is going translucent
3 Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, making sure the garlic does not burn
4 Add the chicken, spread out across the bottom of the pan and cook until all of the chicken has taken on some colour
5 While this is happening I put all the dry spices together in a ramekin. Onceth chicken reaches the required point add all of the dry spices to the pot.
6 Stir the ingredients to make sue everything is thoroughly mixed. Scrape the bottom of the pan to avoid sticking.
7 Once everything is coated add the tomatoes, beans, sweetcorn and stock.
8 Bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for at least 20 mins.
9 Add the chopped coriander, stir and cook fo a further minute - then serve

Prawn Biryani

Now - I know before I write this - that this may not be an authentic biryani - that everyone will have a particular family favourite way of making biryani, and that your mother would not make it like this etc etc.....

This recipe is another of Mira's - and makes a really flavourful biryani - and it is pretty straightforward - so its a winner!

I made it with king prawns - these could easily be substituted for chicken. The chillis are added to taste - I use 3 in my recipe - which gives a good level of heat with every mouthful.

Serves 4

1 large onion, sliced
50g cashew nuts (or more)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cinammon stick
3 cloves
1 tbsp cumin seeds
pinch saffron
300g basmati rice
800 ml chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp tumeric powder
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
3 chillis - sliced
350g king prawns (frozen) or chicken
300g peas (frozen)

1 Heat the oil and temper the cinammon stick, cloves and cumin seeds until they begin to pop
2 Add the onions and continue to cook on a high heat - you want the onions to take on quite a bit of colour. Cook until they are going brown
3 Add the cashews and cook for a minute
4 Add the prawns, garlic, ginger, tumeric and chillis.
5 Cook for 5 minutes - until the prawns (if raw - or chicken - if using) are almost cooked.
6 Add the rice, stir to coat in the oil and spices
7 Add the stock (the measurement should be twice as much stock to dry rice)
8 Add the saffron, additional salt if needed, cover, and cook until the water has gone.
9 Rest for a few minutes, and serve.

Roasted Veg with Halloumi

This recipe is from one of those cards that they have in Waitrose. I love halloumi - it always reminds me of being on holiday, and it cooks really well - keeping a good texture, not melting away.

This is such a simple recipe I haven't added to it. It makes a great meat free meal - or a side dish for something more substanstial!

Serves 4
500g new potatoes - halved length ways
3 mixed peppers
1 tbsp olive oil
25g pack of basil - stalks removed
1 Lemon - zest 1/2
125g cherry tomatoes - halved
1/2 250g pack of halloumi (waitrose suggested Waitrose Cypriot Light Halloumi)

1 Preheat oven to 200c.
2 Blanch the potatoes in boiling water for 5 mins - drain and tip into a large baking tray
3 Slice the peppers and scatter over the potatoes
4 Place the olive oil, basil leaves, lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice into a small blender and blend until coarsely chopped. Pour over the vegetable and toss to coat.

5 Roast for 20 minutes.

6 Turn the heat up to 220c. Add the halved tomatoes and sliced halloumi and roast for a further 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown.

7 Serve straightaway

Hopefully bringing back memories of the Med........

Marinated roast quails with spiced yoghurt

This is based on a Lucas Hollweg recipe from the Sunday Times last year -I kept the recipe as I had never cooked quail - and it looked so good.

There is somthing about quail that seems decadent - and they look great cooked - but I am sure this recipe would work just as well with some a bit more workaday - I think it would be great with drum sticks.

Serves 4

150 ml olive oil

4 garlic cloves- crushed

2 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp sweet paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Juice of 2 lemons

salt 

8 quails

350 ml greek yoghurt

1 pack corinader leaves 

splash of milk

1 Mix together the oil, garlic and spices with the juice of 1 lemon and salt

2 Put 3/4 of the mixture in a bowl large enough to hold the quails, add the birds, and mix everything together

3 Cover and leave for at least 1 hour

4 Add the rest of the oil mixture to the yoghurst, together with chopped coriander. Add the lemon juice, and thin with  little milk, if needed.

5 Leave in the fridge.

6 Preheat the oven to 220c

7 Remove the quail from the marinade, giving them a last coating, and pin the legs together with a cocktail stick

8 Arrange on baking trays, making sure to leave a bit of space between them. (At this point they look like they are sunbathing - which was a bit off putting....)

9 Sprinkle generously with seasalt and put in the over for 25-30 minutes, or until the skin is puffed and crisp.

10 Serve together with the yoghurt - its a bit of a messy eat - but well worth it!

World Cup Food - England v Costa Rica - Gallo Pinto

I had hoped that this journey would go on quite a bit longer - as England won their way through the various stages - but it was not to be.
This Costa Rican rice dish is - perhaps appropriately - the most humble of the dishes so far - but well worth a try. Gallo Pinto is an every day dish in Costa Rico - the beans providing a good source of protein.
I think you could subsitute the beans for any others - and perhaps add some fresh chilli for a kick.
More World Cup recipes to come........

Ingredients

2 tbs vegetable oil
1 medium onion - chopped finely
2 garlic cloves, minced
200g rice
1 can black beans
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground ginger
3 tbsp worcestershire sauce
salt and peppers (be generous)
1 small pack fresh coriander - chopped
1 small bunch spring onions - thinly sliced

1 Cook the rice as per normal instuctions
2 Heat the oil in a large frying pan - or wok
3 Add the onion, and cook until it becomes translucent
4 Add the garlic, and continue to cook until the onion begins to take on some colour
5 Add the spices and mix well
6 Add the worcestershire sauce
7 Mix really well - then add the beans and rice
8 Stir well - make sure the beans, rice and onions and well combined
9 Season well
10 Garnish with the coriander and spring onions

World Cup Food - England v Uruguay - Pascualina

So here we go again - for the second match I have a Uruguayan pie! Pascualina is a typical Uruguayan pie - apparently it came to Uruguay with Italian immigrants. The Italian version is eaten during Lent only - but in Uruguay it is eaten all the time.

Make before and eat cold - or at room temperature. Good and filling - should soak up a few pints - celebratory this time!

Pascualina

250g plain flour
80g butter or margarine
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
water
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 pack chard 300g
1 pack spinach 200g
1 red pepper
2 onions
1 clove garlic
6 eggs
100g grated cheddar
100g ricotta

Before I start the recipe I should say this is a mixture of various recipes - some used only chard - some only spinach. Some used less cheese - some used different varieties. For a quick cheat you could use ready made pastry - I think puff pastry would be good.

1 Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and butter, first with a spoon and then with your hands, until it is as mixed a possible
2 Add water a little at a time t make a dough. Once it forms a fairly smooth dough put in the fridge for at least 30 mins.
3 Wash the chard and cut into ribbons. Discard the stalks.
4  Wash the spinach and cut any large leaves.
5 Chop the onions, garlic and red pepper into fairly small pieces
6 Heat the oil in a large pan, and add the onions, garlic and red pepper.
7 Cook until the onions are becoming translucent.
8 Add the chard and spinach and allow to cook down.
9 When the chard and spinach has softened take off the heat.
10 Put the mixture in a bowl, allow to cool a bit.
11 Drain off any excess liquid
12 Mix in one beaten egg, and add the grated cheddar.
13 Break the ricotta into small pieces - add the mixture and mix well.
14 Take out your dough. Cut in two - one 'half' slightly bigger than the other.
15 Roll out the larger to cover a 22cm cake tin with removeable bottom. - you want to line the tin, and leave a bit of an overlap. The height of mine was 8cm  - this was probably a little too high.
16 Gently add your filling to the pie.
17 Make four holes in the mixture, and add a raw egg to each one.
18 Roll out the remainder of the dough for he lid. Place gently over the mixture.
19 Crimp the edges of the pastry together.
20 Use the last egg, beaten, as an egg wash for the top of the pie.
21 Place in an ove at 180 until the top has gone golden - approximately 30 mins - but keep an eye on it from 20 minutes
22 Allow to cool to room temperature

It sounds like a lot of work - but it wasn't really - and makes a really filling pie.
Costa Rica to go - lets hope that is something to go with a celebration!

England -v- Italy : Italian Sausage and bean casserole / Tomato and Mozzarella bites

In an attempt at reverse psychology I am going to be putting up some suggestions for pre / post match grub, and half time snacks - based on England's opponents.
I am looking at one pot wonders - or anything that won't need any effort on the night - and food that will help soak up a few beers - celebratory of course.
So England v Italy - I have gone with an Italian Sausage and Bean casserole which is an old favourite -  on the blog from last June: - http://hannahs-kitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/this-is-simply-one-of-my-favourite.html

For a half time snack I have gone for something really quick and straightforward - but still packs a flavour punch.

Tomato and Mozzarella bites

20 cherry tomatoes
20 mozzarella bocconcini - or mozzarella cherries
Small bunch of basil
Juice half a lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
good pinch salt
cocktail sticks

1 Put the basil, lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt in a mini blender and whizz
2 Halve the tomatoes
3 Thread a mozzarella ball between 2 halves of tomato - as above
4 Drizzle with the basil dressing

If made ahead of time they would probably benefit from marinating in the basil dressing - but mine didn't last that long.......


So - here it begins - England v Italy - hope you enjoy.
Think I will have my work cut with Uruguay and Costa Rica!!

Prawn and Chorizo Skewers

This is a really quick recipe - one for the BBQ.
It was based on a Waitrose weekly recipe - where they included flatbread and tomato passata - but I think these are better on their own.
I have included the coriander and lemon dressing - which does add something.
A quick, but classy, dish to liven up a barbie - or a great starter.

200g raw jumbo king prawns
70g Chorizo de Leon cut into slices £1 coin thickness
2 tbsp olive oil
Small bunch of coriander
Juice of 1 lemon

1 Thread the prawns and chorizo on to 8 skewers (if using wooden skewers soak them beforehand)

2 Brush with olive oil

3 Place the coriander ,lemon juice and remaining oil into a mini food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

4 Place the skewers on the grill and barbecue until slightly charred, an cooked right through.

5 Serve with the coriander and lemon as a dressing.

Prawn Molee

PRAWN MOLEE

This is  a reat recipe from Rick Stein's curry book - I have hardly deviated from the recipe - I used vegetable oil instead of coconut oil - and tend to use minced garlic and minced ginger (following a tip from my curry guru Mira) - rather than slicing and shredding fresh, and I left in the seeds of the chilli, which were removed in the original recipe.

I have seen various recipes for this - and various spellings (!) - though never remember seeing it on a menu.

Quite straightforward - and makes a lovely rich Keralan curry, not too hot -  with a subtle sour note.

Serves 4

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp black pepper

3 green cardammons bruised with a rolling pin

6 cloves

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

1 tbsp minced garlic 

1 tbsp minced ginger

2 green chillis, slit lengthways

salt

Small handfull curry leaves ( I used dried as could not get fresh)

Pinch turmeric

400ml coconut milk

1 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar

500g large tail on prawns 

2 tomatoes, thinly sliced, to garnish

Boiled basmati rice to serve

1 Heat the oil in a heavy based saucepan and add the pepper, cardamons and cloves and fry for one minutes until fragrant.

2 Add the onions and fry for 5 minutes until translucent, then add the garlic, ginger, chillies, salt and curry leaves and fry for an additional minute.

3 Add the tumeric, coconut milk and vinegar, bring to a simmer and cook for 4-5 minutes, until reduced.

4 Add the prawns - if using raw cook for 4-5 minutes until cooked - if using cooked simply allow to warm through. 

5 Turn off the heat, cover and set aside for 3-4 minutes.

6 Serve with the rice, and garnish with the tomatoes - as above.

ENJOY!

Mira's Chicken Curry

This is a fantastic curry dish. When I first looked at the set of ingredients I did not believe that the outcome would be that interesting - but I could not have been more wrong. This is something we return to again and again.
Mira is an old friend - a solicitor who I have worked with for over 15 years - she sent me the recipe on the proviso that if I ever wrote a book she would get the credit  - so here it is. Not quite a book - but credit where credit is due!
I have used chicken thighs in place of chicken breasts in the original recipe.
Further Mira recipes to follow!

Serves 4 generously

4-500g chichen thighs, cut into bite size chunks
2 large onions, chopped
1tsp cumin seeds
1/2 cinamon stick
2 cloves
2 green chilli (add more or less to taste)
1 tbsp chopped ginger
1 tbsp chopped garlic (or use minced garlic or ginger available in jars)
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 cup fresh coriander
1/2 bag spinach
1 cup fresh fenugreek or 2 tbsp dried (optional - I have had trouble buying fresh)
1 tsp tumeric powder
1 tsp garam masala (optional)
3 tbsp cooking oil
Salt to taste

1 Heat the oil until very hot. Add the cumin seeds, cinamon stick and cloves. Cook for 1 minute.
2 Add the onions and cook on a medium heat until dark brown.
3 Add the garlic, ginger, tumeric and chillies - followed by the chicken.
4 Stir with the onions and cook for at least 5 minutes, until the chicken has taken on some colour.
5 Add the green, let them wilt, and then finally add the tomatoes. Add salt to taste.
6 Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the curry has taken on a dark colour.
7 If using garam masala add two minutes before the end of cooking time.

Courgette Ribbons with Tomato and Chorizo Sauce

This recipe started life in The Times, in a selection of recipes under 300 calories by Jaqueline Whitehart. Mine is slightly different - and therefore probably over the original 158 calories - but still a really tasty alternatitve to pasta - and just as quick.
It really is tasty - and you would have no idea is was pretty healthy - always a bonus!

Serves 2

3-4 courgettes
50g chorizo - thinly sliced (in my recipe I used 1 x 67g pack of prepared chorizo)
1 clove garlic - thinly sliced
1 tbsp tomato puree
250 g ripe cherry tomatoes




1 Use a vegeatable peeler to cut the courgette into ribbons. Discard the first slice as this will be mainly skin, a rotate the courgette as you reach the seeds.

2 Heat a frying pan to a medium heat - toss in the chorizo and allow to sizzle and brown. Remove the chorizo from the pan, leaving ehind the oil that has come from the chorizo.

 3 Add the garlic and fry until golden, make sure it does not burn. Add the tomato puree and stir for approximately 30 seconds, before adding the courgettes. Stir these for a couple of minutes.


4 Finally add the tomatoes, reduce the heat an cook slowly for about 10 minutes.

5 Serve sprinkled wit the reserved chorizo.

The Laughing Gravy

We visited The Laughing Gravy in Southwark on a cold December afternoon. This was my second time here - and both times the welcome has been great as soon as you walk through the door.

This is one of the many things that The Laughing gravy get right - the staff are friendly, helpful, knowledgeable - all without being obtrusive.

Whilst Sundays are mainly about the roasts the LG pretty much offers a full menu with plently of lighter dishes - and a number of vegetarian options.

I went for the Smoked Rabbit and West Country Crayfish scotch egg with salsify as a starter - it was a thing of beauty - an tasted as good as it looks......

 For mains  I went for the roast beef. I should say I don' often order it  as it isn't often that good - but I ca honestly say this is the best roast beef I have ever ad - and the gravy lives up to its top billing!

The amount of meat was also seriously generous - so much so I could not finish it - and had to forego a dessert.Great food  - coupled with a goo wine list, nd some local beers  adds up to a great spot.
I will definitely be back - and will make sure I am HUNGRY.