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.