Vegetable Curry

It was National Vegetarian week recently - so to get in he spirit I dug out an old favourite vegetable curry recipe. It is based on a Nigel Slater recipe - his recipes work - and he has a great style of writing that just makes you want to cook!!

The recipe does call for salting and rinsing the aubergine - which I did - but I am not sure you need to do this with most aubergines these days.
The aubergine is meaty enough to hold its own against the spices - and you certainly don't miss meat. After cooking it I wondered what it would be like using portobello mushrooms instead - so that may follow another day!

2 large aubergines - cut into large chunks (see picture)

salt 

oil

2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

2 tbs ginger, finely chopped

8 cardamon pods

1 tsp chilli flakes

2 tsp ground tumeric 

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tin chopped tomatoes

natural yoghurt

coriander

mint

1.Place the aubergine in a colander set over a bowl. Sprinkle with salt to draw out the moisture. Leave for 30 minutes.

2.Whilst waiting for the aubergine in a large pan add the groundnut oil, put on a high heat, and add the onions, garlic and ginger. Lower the heat, cover with a lid, and allow to cook for 20 mins, or until the onions have softened.
3. Crush the cardamon pods, extract the seeds and crush in a pestle and mortar. Add them to the pan with chilli flakes, turmeric and cumin seeds, and stir to lightly toast.
4. Add the tinned tomatoes, and pour in enough water to cover the vegetables. Season well with salt and pepper, cover and leave to cook.
5. Rinse the salt off the aubergine, and brown the pieces on a griddle - in batches if necessary.
6. Add the griddled aubergine to the main pot, cover and simmer until the aubergine is very soft, about 25 minutes.
7. Taste the curry and adjust the spice t taste - I often add more chilli flakes towards the end of cooking. You can adjust the spice level by adding the natural yoghurt.
8. Sprinkle over the chopped coriander and mint and serve.

Jose - Bermondsey Street

A great Friday afternoon spent at Jose Pizarro's tapas bar Jose on Bermondsey Street.

At lunchtime it is strictly standing room only - so we aimed for after 2:00, and managed to get two stools at the end of the bar by the window - a perfect spot.
A great welcome straight away - a glass of cava - and then down to business!!
The menus are on two chalk boards behind the bar - and we did our best to work our way through them!!

All of dishes we tried were good - the stand out dishes sea bream a la Sevlliana, which included orange and olive, the padron peppers and fried chorizo piquillo.

The place has a really nice buzz to it - and all of the staff were friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. As we were there at the quietest point of the day it was also when staff went on breaks etc - and our waitress said good bye to us before she went on her break - and the new one was in place straight away.

A great way to spend a lazy afternoon - a little bit of Spain in the middle of Bermondsey - and Bermondsey is all the better for it!

Italian Sausage and Bean Casserole

This is simply one of my favourite recipes - something I return to again and again. It works as a weekend lunch, or weekday supper – and as with so many things – seems even nicer the following day.

It can be served on its own, with crusty bread (favourably Italian), or with rice.

It is another sausage dish – in this one I only use Italian sausages. I get them from a great bakery come deli on the Kingston Road near Wimbledon – Panetteria Italiana, 6 Merton Park Parade, Kingston Road SW19 3NT.

Whilst you are there make sure you pick up some fantastic Italian breads, freshly made every day( get there early – especially at weekends). I have used the chilli sausages, and the fennel, the napoli – any of them work equally well – made by Carnevale.

Italian Sausage and Bean Casserole

150 ml olive oil

1 pack (aprox 450g) Italian sausages

4 tbsp chopped fesh rosemary

2 cloves garlic chopped

A good sprinkling of dried chillis ( to your taste)

4 carrots peeled and finely chopped

4 stalks celery ( I add the leaves) finely chopped

2 x 400g tinned borlotti beans

2 x 400g tinned cannelloni beans

salt

1 tbsp sun dried tomato puree

400 ml boiling water

20 cherry tomatoes

1        In a large saucepan heat the olive oil, and cook the sausages. I brown them lightly on all sides.

2        Add the rosemary, garlic and chilli and cook for a further minute.

3        Add the carrots and celery and cook for further 3 minutes

4        Meanwhile empty all of the tins of beans into a colander and rinse.

5        Add the beans to the casserole and season.

6        Add the boiling water, cover, and leave to simmer for 20 minutes.

7        Remove the sausages from the casserole, and cut into 3 or 4 pieces each. Return to the casserole with the tomatoes and tomato puree.

8        Take the lid off, and cook for a further 10 to 15 minutes.

9        Serve with warm bread, or your choice of accompaniment.

Blas Burgerworks

We were in St Ives for Easter and someone had recommended Blas Burgerworks to me before we got there - so I put it on the list!!
Blas is a little bit off the beaten track - but literally only a couple of minutes from the harbour and high street. As you will see from the picture it is cosy!! Seating is on upturned boxes around shared tables - but the atmosphere is fun - and the services is very friendly.
We went for the Truffle Burger (in the foreground above) and the Huevos Rancheros Burger
The burgers are 100% Cornish beef - and are cooked to perfection.
Given that the burgers are the same - our meals could not have been more different. The Truffle Burger was really rich, earthy and creamy - the huevos rancheros was ultra fresh, sharp and zingy.
Both were fantastic - and all the small touches add to the experience - the grafitti walls  - the odd furniture (our table looked like a school art table) - the chips arriving in an enamel mug - the condiments - everything is well thought out - and really adds to the experience.

As we had had a couple of beers earlier we stuck with the Betty Stogs - but the very short wine list did include the fantastic Wolftrap red - which I have only ever seen at the Laughing Gravy before - and is well worth searching out!

At Blas Burgerworks they do a simple thing exceptionally well - and it reminds you how good simple things can be!!

If you are in the area you really do have to get along.

As they say - Not Fast - Just Fabulous

I will be back!

Porthminster Cafe

 A great Sunday lunch at the Porthminster Cafe on Easter Sunday during a short stay in St Ives.
It is an iconic building at the end of Porthminster beach, and the picture below was the view from our table!!
It is a little misleading as it was absolutely freezing outside.....

 The service was great, a genuinely warm welcome, advise on the menu, and attentive without being overbearing througout.
The best of the starters was a Soft Top Pork Pie - served warm, in a glass - it was probably the best looking dish of the day, and as far away from Melton Mowbray as you can get! Pulled pork, lentils, artichoke and sour dough.
The fish and chips - which had been recommended - were quite simply some of the best I have ver tasted. when you taste fish as good as that it does make you wonder what every one else has been doing wrong - really outstanding.
I did not have too much room for dessert - so opted for the petits fours - and this is what arrived!

What a dish!!
In short a really great restaurant. if you are going to St Ives - book in advance - ask for a table inside by the windows.
There is an annex with vinyl sides and roof - on the day we were there people were wearing coats etc whilst eating - and being provided with blankets - I can't help but feel it would have taken the edge off!! - but then it would be beautiful if summer ever arrives!

Tayyabs - E1 1JU

A great meal at Tayyab's recently.
Everything you may have heard about the lamb chops is right - they were fantastic.

The chicken tikka comes without the usual flourescent glow - and is all the better for it.
The place is a phenomenon - in the wastelands of Whitechapel - probably the best Indian / Pakistani food I have ever had. There were queues out the door at 6:30 on a Friday evening - and now I know why!
None of the refinement of the Cinamon Club, and no celebrity chef like Cafe Spice Namaste, but the cooking is expert. A short menu executed perfectly.
The place is absolutely packed - below is  picture the floor we were on empty - but you will never see it like that!!

The service is frenetic - and the place is loud - definitely go with a group. One of our party had a mixed grill and that was the best of a very good bunch.
The bill came in at just under £100.00 for 7 of us - and everyone was full........
It's BYO - so pick up the beer of your choice - and get stuck in!!
You won't regret it.

Tayyabs
83-89 Fieldgate St, London E1 1JU
020 7247 9543

Haggis Balmoral

This is a bit of an odd one. I invented (I had thought) a smaller version of this dish a few years ago - as a starter for some haggis virgins. A posh haggis, tatties and neeps.
Fast forward to this year - and I hear Nigel Barden describing the dish as Haggis Balmoral on the Simon Mayo show. Who knew?!
It shows there are no 'new' ideas!!.
I have printed the recipe in full - as you will see he sourced the recipe from another book.
The picture is mine!!
This really is worth trying - even for haggis virgins! -  and the sauce is a great addition - really rich, and I think haggis does benefit from a bit of liquid.
A great dish for Burns Night or St Andrews - or for when Scotland win the Six Nations...........

from The Whisky Kitchen by Sheila McConachie & Graham Harvey (GW Publishing)

Serves 4

Prep time 30 mins

Cooking time 20mins

Ingredients

400g floury potatoes like Maris Piper, peeled & quartered

225g swede (neep), peeled & chopped into small chunks

25g butter for the potatoes plus a little for the neeps

30ml cream

salt & freshly ground black pepper

350g haggis

300ml whisky madeira sauce (see below).  Choose from the plain or creamy version, both are lovely with this dish.

4 sprigs of heather or parsley for garnish

6cm mousse rings, 7cm high.

  

Method

1.    Place the potatoes in a pan of cold water, sufficient to just cover the potatoes, add salt & bring to the boil.

2.    Cook until tender, about 10-15 mins, drain & return to the hot pan for a few mins to dry out.

3.    Add the butter & cream & mash until smooth, season to taste.  Set aside & keep warm.

4.    At the same time, place the chopped neep in boiling salted water until tender, about 15 mins, drain & return to the hot pan to dry.

5.    Add a small knob of butter & a pinch of sugar & season well to taste.  Set aside & keep warm.

6.    Meanwhile make the Whisky Madeira Sauce (recipe below) & set it aside.

7.    When you are ready to serve, break the haggis up, place it in a bowl & heat in the microwave for 1 minute or more, depending on the wattage of your microwave.  Do not overheat.

8.    Alternatively, spread the haggis out in a casserole dish, cover with a lid or tinfoil & place in the oven at 190C/Gas 5 until heated through, about 15 mins, but check it & stir the haggis occasionally.

9.    Now assemble the dish.  Place a ring on each plate & divide the mashed potato between them & press down.

10. Add a layer of haggis & press down neatly, finally top with the mashed neep & smooth the top.

11. Remove the rings, pour the sauce around the stacks & top with a sprig of heather or parsley.

For the Whisky Madeira Sauce

Prep time 15 mins

Cooking time 20 mins

Makes 300ml

Ingredients

Olive oil for frying

2 shallots, finely chopped (about 100g)

4 mushrooms, finely chopped (about 50g)

30ml Black Bottle Blended Scotch Whisky (or whatever Scotch you have handy)

200ml Madeira wine

500ml good beef stock

75ml double cream

1 pinch dried thyme

1 dsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

50g butter

Method

1.    Heat frying pan with a little olive oil & gently cook the shallots & mushrooms until the shallots are transparent.

2.    Add the whisky & Madeira, increase the heat & reduce by a half.

3.    Strain & add the stock & reduce again by a further half, add the cream, thyme, parsley & seasoning & bring back to the boil.

4.    When you are ready to serve add the butter a little at a time & whisk it in.

Mini Prawn Cocktails

When I was  a child the prawn cocktail, was, to me, the height of sophistication. Mum's marie rose sauce is still better than mine - and definitely as good as those halcyon days at the Berni Inn!!
I still love prawns, and, secretly, still love a prawn cocktail.
What's not to like??
This uses all the same flavours, but this comes as finger food.

Ingredients:-

4 little gem lettuces
500g prawns
200 ml mayonnaise
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp lemon juice
Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper

1 Firstly I remove the outer leaves of the little gems.
2 Cut off the bottom of the lettuce, and separate the leaves - you are going to use the leaves to serve the prawns - so keep going until the get too small.
3 Wash the leaves and leave to dry on kitchen paper.
4 Meanwhile make the marie rose sauce. The only thing that is important here is to add everything to taste. Put the mayo and tomato ketchup in a bowl and mix, add the lemon juice to taste, and a few drops of Worcestershire sauce, which adds a background hint of heat.
5 Season the sauce and then add your prawns and mix well.
6 Next - fill the leaves - as the number of leaves you get can vary to generally fill all of them with a little of the mixture -and then go back and top up until I have run out - which save you have too much in some - and not enough in others.
7 The will keep happily in the fridge for a few hours without losing the crispness of the leaves.

Smoked Salmon Pin Wheels

Party food is my favourite food to make. This is a really simple dish - that looks great on a plate - and makes smoked salmon 'go' a bit further.
A great canape, or as part of a mixed seafood starter.
Not so much a recipe - just an assembly line - no cooking involved.
I generally do some with spinach, and others without - which give a mixture in the presentation.

I haven't given measurements - and it can be scaled up or down depending on how much salmon you have, a small pack of smoked salmon will do two - three wraps.
Ingredients:-

Smoked Salmon thinly sliced
Spinach - washed and ready to use
Cream Cheese (eg Philadelphia)
Wholemeal wraps
Salt and pepper

1 Open the wrap and spread a layer of cream cheese over the entire surface.
2 If using, lay spinach leaves on the cheese in a single layer - to approximately 3/4 of the way across the wrap.
3 Spread a very thin layer of smoked salmon approximately half way across the wrap.
4 Season with salt and black pepper
5 Roll the wrap tightly from the end with all three layers, across the the edge with just cheese.
6 Once rolled, wrap in cling film, tighten the ends, and chill in the fridge - this helps form the wrap, and will help it hold together when cut in to slices.
7 When you are ready to serve take off the cling film and cut the wrap into slices.

Chicken with Cashew Nuts

This dish is fairly rustic in style - everything cut into fairly large dice. It makes it very easy to prepare, and the different textures all compliment each other in the finished dish. The peppers retain their crunch.

350g chicken thighs
2 onions
1 red and 1 yellow pepper
100g cashew nuts (roasted)
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp oil
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar

1 Cut the chicken breasts into 2 cm cubes
2 Dice the onion and peppers
3 Chop the garlic
4 Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan
5 Add the onions and garlic
6 As soon as they begin to soften add the chicken
7 Stir constantly until the chicken has coloured all over
8 Add the soy and sugar.
9 Add some water - approx 1/2 a glass
10 Leave to simmer for 5-6 minutes over a medium heat
11 Add the cashews and peppers
12 Cook for a further 2-3 minutes

Serve with plain boiled rice

Gong Xi Fa Cai!!

Happy Chinese New Year!!

In honour of the year of the Snake I have included a couple of my favourite chinese style recipes.
Perhaps not 100% authentic...... - but based on the western style - and healthier than a take away!
I hope you enjoy.

Beef with Basil

If you can get hold of some I would use holy basil in this dish - but normal basil will do.
I marinate the beef in 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and a pinch of sugar before cooking for an hour or so - but this is not essential.
I am generous with the white pepper - I really think it adds something special to the dish.
Forgive the photo - I am hoping these will get better!!
The peppers are added late - so retain their crunch in the finished dish

Ingredients

2 steaks ( I used rump)
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 red pepper
2 red chillis
1 bunch fresh basil
2 tbsp oil
salt
5 tbsp soy sauce (2 for marinade)
white pepper

1 Cut the steak into thin strips, set aside in a non metallic bowl with two spoons of soy sauce and a pinch of sugar (if you have time to marinade)
2 Finely slice the onion and pepper
3 Chop the garlic - slice the chillis
4 Pick  the basil leaves - tear any large ones in half
5 Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok.
6. Cook the onion over a high heat until it begins to take colour.
7 Add the garlic and chilli and cook for a couple of minutes
8 Add the beef and sear
9 Once the meat has been seared add the peppers
10 After another couple of minutes add the basil leaves
11 Add the soy sauce, stir and add the white pepper (be generous)
12 The dish is ready to be served