Carrot and Lentil Soup

September 12th, 2009

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As I’ve mentioned before, I’m loving soup at the moment. With the weather on the turn, its the perfect comforting bowl and as I’m discovering, so easy. It’s just a case of chopping and then sweating down some onion with whatever vegetables you have to hand; try adding lentils or beans to make it into a meal. This Cabbage and Bacon soup is a favourite from last year, or how about a zesty Courgette, Chickpea and spinach soup that makes the most of the last of the courgette glut.

This carrot soup is lovely and simple. Sweet carrots and lentils are simmered into a thick and warming soup and a hint of chilli and cumin add background warmth. Great for using up any limp carrots lurking in the bottom of the fridge (I always seem to have a few) and equally good (perhaps better) with brand new sweet and crisp carrots.

As usual, I would reccommend making lots for dinner, lunchboxes, afternoon snacks and finally the freezer – if you’re going to make soup, you may as well make a big pot.

I blended this until chunkily smooth, but my mum (from whom I got recipe inspiration) simply simmers the soup for an age until the vegetables and lentils literally disintegrate. Try serving with a drizzle of olive oil, a dollop of yoghurt or a handful of shredded spinach for greenery.

Ingredients

serves 4

1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 red chilli
4 medium carrots
-all roughly chopped
1tbsp cumin seeds
100g red lentils
1l vegetable stock

  • Heat a large saucepan pan and add a knob of butter with a little oil to stop it burning.
  • Add the onions, garlic, chilli and carrots and cook for 5 or so mins until softeneded.
  • Add the cumin seeds and cook for a few mins more.
  • Add the lentils and stir until coated in fragrant oil.
  • Pour in the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 30mins.
  • If you want to, blend the soup until smooth.
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Roast Chicken and Bulghar Wheat Salad

August 29th, 2009

DSC03588A summery take on a simple roast chicken – using sage from our garden, lemon zest, garlic and butter as flavour. Eaten with this courgette and bulghar wheat salad, an extra smattering of pine nuts and some cooling, garlicky tzatiki.

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Banana, Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins

August 24th, 2009

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I’ve taken to freezing bananas whenever there’s a stray overripe one lying around. It renders them almost completely useless, as they turn into a sludgy mess when defrosted. However, looks aside, they do make perfect banana bread and that way I can freeze a banana every so often until I have enough in the freezer to bake with.

I came across this recipe while looking up Nigella classic banana bread in How to be a Domestic Goddess. These are ridiculously easy to make and taste as good at they sound. The dried raspberries (or cherries) contrast with the sweet banana muffin and the white chocolate adds a butterscotch touch.

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Ingredients

Taken from How to be a Domestic Goddess but changed slightly

125g butter
200g sugar
1tsp vanilla
3 ripe medium bananas
4tbsp yoghurt
2 eggs
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2tsp baking powder
300g flour
40g dried raspberries, cherries
50g white chocolate

  • Preheat the oven to 180C and line a muffin tray with cases.
  • Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the sugar and vanilla using a fork.
  • Add the bananas, mashing them into the mixture as you go.
  • Stir in the eggs, yoghurt, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
  • Finally add the flour, chocolate and raspberries, stir until just combined and divide between the 12 muffins cases.
  • Bake for 20mins until golden on top and a skewer comes out clean.
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Courgette Fritters with a Tomato and Almond Sauce

August 17th, 2009

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I’m aware this is another courgette recipe. What can I say? We’re overwhelmed, not only are we getting them from our vegbox but the marrows are also threatening to take over at the allotment we’re babysitting.

Having said that, it’s amazing what the pressure to use up a couple of huuuge marrows can do, I’ve come up with some genuinely delicious and different ways to cook courgettes, my favourite is still this soup, we made a huge batch out of the marrows.

This recipe is another gem, from none other than Cranks, I always forget just how good this book is, full of delicious and unique vegetarian recipes. It has guided me through budding vegetarianism and fed my friends and I through university.

These are crisp, delicate, gnocchi-esque fritters, eaten with a spicy tomato and almond sauce, couscous and yoghurt. I made the tomato sauce the day before in about 10mins and then made the fritters on the day. Cranks suggests making little balls and deep frying them. We went the lazy route and shaped larger fritters that we shallow fried. However, next time I think I will go all out and deep fry them (and I include instructions to do that below) – the crispy edges are just so good.

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Carrot and Radish Salad

August 17th, 2009

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This came about by using up the dregs leftover in the fridge (as is so often the case). We’re not massive fans of radish in our house and we always seem to have more carrot than we know what to do with. As I’ve said before, I will happily eat grated carrot with nothing more than a drizzle of sharp mustardy dressing, but Pete has started to complain so I threw in a few extras to jazz it up.

Bright, colourful and crunchy, with added saltiness from proper deli olives and tang from mustard dressing. It will happily and indeed should sit around for an hour or two for the flavours to meld and to take some of the edge of the red onion. We eat ours with little cubes of crispy roasted potatoes and a piece of fried salmon – simple summer eating. Also, everyone knows how good carrot and hummus sandwiches are – imagine how good leftovers of this are on hummus sandwiches.

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Ingredients

Makes a large salad – enough for 4 people as a side salad

4 medium carrots, peeled and grated coarsely
1 small bunch of radish
1 small bunch of parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
small handful olives, sliced
generous drizzle mustard dressing
handful of seedy sprinkle

This is essentially an assemble job, mix the ingredients together, drizzle with dressing and leave until you’re ready to eat – at which point I would stir it a little to freshen it up or decant into a clean bowl (I’m a big fan of decanting into clean bowls). All I will mention is how I cut up the radishes. Clean, top and tail and cut into 4 slices lenghtways; while still holding them together, cut into 4 slices in a perpendicular direction so that you end up with radish batons – a little labour intensive but it works much better with the grated carrot.

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Seedy Spinkle

August 10th, 2009

DSC02906Having been a vegetarian for so long (although decidedly lapsed now…) I know you don’t need meat to complete a meal. And while I certainly appreciate the charms of a roast chicken, or sausage or steak; I love vegetables and am happy to make them the star of the show.

Unfortunately, they are often jostling for space with my other favourites – eggs, cream, cheese, potatoes, pasta, rice – you get the picture. In an attempt to eat a balance diet, I often shoehorn in more veggies with a side salad. Nothing fancy and at this time of year, its downright easy with everything tasting so damn good.

I always have seedy sprinkle and mustard dressing on hand, these two will liven up anything. Be it a few lettuce leaves or a grated carrot. I like to add finely chopped red onion or spring onions. Cool and creamy avocados for a hint of oily goodness. Quartered cherry tomatoes – so sweet and full of flavour right now. Thinly sliced fennel or cabbage, a handful of defrosted peas add a little sweetness. The list goes on…

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I used to make this seedy sprinkle in big batches when I worked at pieceofplenty, hazelnuts, sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds roasted in chilli powder, paprika and soy sauce. You’re left with crunchy, spicy seeds that make any salad instantly delicious, be it simply grated carrots or a couscous salad.

I’ve not been able to get my fix lately, so I knocked up my own batch today. It was all done in half an hour.

To make this, heat a couple of tablespoons of sunflower oil and sprinkle in 2tsp of paprika and 1-2tsp chilli powder (depending on how hot you like it). Heat until sizzling and tumble in 500g mixed seeds or nuts. The mixture is down to you, I like lots of pumpkin seeds, but chopped cashews would also be delicious. Stir really well and make sure the seeds are coated in the bright red oil. Roast in a large tray for 20-30mins until brown.

Pour back into the saucepan and drizzle over 2-3tbsp soy sauce. Heat and stir frantically until the soy is absorbed, giving the seeds and salty coating. Allow to cool and store in an airtight jar.

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Courgette Carbonara

August 5th, 2009

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We were away at the weekend and so returned to a huge pile of vegetables, not only from the vegbox but also kindly donated from an allotment. In search of courgette inspiration, I got this recipe from Rachel Eats. A wonderful blog brimming with simple, colourful and delicious Italian food. Every time I read it, it makes me yearn to have long leisurely lunches of pasta. In a departure from the norm, I actually followed this recipe as is, it’s super easy and you end up with smooth and creamy pasta, made a little lighter and fresher by the use of courgette and basil rather than bacon.

The only tricky bit with carbonara is you need to allow the egg mixture to cook in the residual heat of the pasta and courgettes rather than directly on the hob, so you end up with a silky sauce rather than scrambled eggs. Jamie Oliver also does something similar.

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Courgette, chickpea and spinach soup

July 28th, 2009

DSC03479Yet another courgette recipe (we’re seriously overrun here) and this one I’m really proud of. I’d forgetten how easy a good bowl of soup is to make and how satisfying. Taking inspiration from this 101Cookbooks recipe, this is a simple and fresh soup of courgette and spinach, I add chickpeas for extra thickness and just before blending threw in a load of mint and coriander and a squeeze of lemon juice to make it fresh and zingy. Finish off with a drizzle of good olive oil or a dollop of yoghurt.

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makes enough for 2 with leftovers.

Ingredients
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1/2 red chilli
2 medium courgettes
about 100g spinach (or spring greens)
all roughly chopped
25g butter
750ml vegetable stock (from bouillon powder is fine)
1 can chickpeas, drained
juice 1/2 lemon
small bunch each of coriander and mint

  • Heat the butter in a large saucepan, sweat the onion, garlic and chilli for 5 or so mins until softened.
  • Add the courgette and continue to cook for a few minutes until they take on some colour.
  • Pour in the hot stock and bring to the boil. Add the chickpeas, and if using spring greens, you want to add them here. cover and simmer for 10-15mins.
  • If using spinach, add now and cook until the spinach is wilted (it will only take about 30s).
  • Add the mint, coriander and lemon juice and blend immediately.
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Courgette, Tomato and Basil Fritatta

July 25th, 2009

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A colourful, summery fritatta making the most of the abundant supply of courgettes and sweet and juicy cherry tomatoes at the moment; finished off with a little cheese and a sprinkling of basil (from our overflowing window box). Low in carbs, packed full of veggies and nutrient rich eggs; this is superhealthy summer eating.

Perfect for brunch with bacon or sausages and toast (I would also have it with baked beans but that’s probably just me…) or lunch with a green salad eaten in the sunshine.

As with most of my recipes, this is very relaxed. Use what you have; broad beans or spinach would work equally well here. Or maybe, continuing the italian theme, add a torn ball of mozzarella for oozy, stringy, cheesy goodness. Our vegetable boxes have been low on onions recently, but I imagine if I make this again, I’d add a little finely red onion for extra bite. You could also make this even easier by laying the cooked courgettes in the bottom of a small greased baking dish, topping with the tomatoes, basil, cheese and eggs and baking at 180C for about 20mins until puffed up and golden brown.

Ingredients

Serves 2

2 medium courgettes
handful basil, shredded
handful cherry tomatoes, quartered
3 eggs and a splash of milk
knob butter
approx 50g cheese, grated

  • Slice the courgettes thinly on the diagonal.
  • Heat a medium non-stick frying pan with a little oil. Fry the courgette slices in batches until blistered and brown. Try to refrain from adding too much oil to the pan otherwise you’ll end up with a greasy frittata. Season once cooked.
  • Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and milk with plenty of salt and pepper.
  • Once cooked, return all the courgettes to the pan with the butter and spread out evenly, sprinkle the basil and tomatoes over the top.
  • Preheat the grill.
  • Carefully pour the egg mixture into the pan, making sure all the vegetables get covered and add the grated cheese. Turn the heat down and using a spatula, carefully scrape the cooked edges inwards, allowing the uncooked eggs to run into the rivulets.
  • Once the frittata is mostly cooked around the edges, but the middle is still fairly runny, pop under the grill until the top is completely set.
  • To serve, run a spatula around the edge of the pan to loosen the frittata and cut into 4 wedges.
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Beetroot and Goat’s Cheese Tart

July 16th, 2009

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Inspired by Hugh’s Saturday column – I made this delicous beetroot and goat’s cheese tart. Obviously I tweaked it a little to suit what I had (no wine or thyme unfortunately) but the essential idea was the same and boy, is it a good one. Buttery pastry, sweet roasted beetroot and sharp goats cheese – a trio made in heaven. All you need is a simple salad on the side or even better a potato salad slick with mayonnaise.

This is definitely a good way to eat beetroot as although I love it, I know it’s not always the easiest thing to cook with, least of because of the stained fingers. This soup is another favourite, as is eating it raw in salads – it has a carrot-like sweetness and is wonderful in a grated carrot, apple and beetroot salad sprinkled with pine nuts.

This recipe makes enough to fill a standard 24cm tart tin. Hugh suggests using a loose-bottomed 20cm sandwcih tin for a deeper tart. As you can see, I used my new favourite rectangular tin and so made less of the filling.

Ingredients
1 tart case, baked blind
25g unsalted butter
3 red onions, halved and finely sliced
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
500g small beetroot, boiled, peeled and sliced.
1 small bunch spring onions, finely sliced
280g goat’s cheese log

  • Preheat the oven to 200C.
  • Melt the butter in a pan and gently fry the onions until soft.
  • Add the beetroot slices, balsamic vinegar and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until almost all the liquid is absorbed and the mix is glossy.
  • Cut the cheese into 1cm slices and lay a few on the base of the tart.
  • Tip in the beetroot mix and put the rest of the cheese on top. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and golden.
  • Sprinkle the spring onions on top to serve.
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