Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Yoo-hoo, Fall? Where are you?

I was duped this week by the calendar. September 21st, it said. Fall equinox, it bragged. Yeah, well we live in California, and it is in the high 80s here today. Nevertheless, I had shopped for a lovely soupy chili, so last night, that is what we ate (whilst sitting in the direct flow of the a/c vent). It may not have been the most climatologically appropriate meal to be supping on, but it was pretty delicious, we all agreed (whilst mopping sweat from our brows with the odd napkin). Truth be told, I don't want to sound ungrateful, but we love nothing more than a sizable bowl of spoonable chili in this house, so the darker evenings and lower temperatures cannot come soon enough, particularly since the current Fahrenheit spikes have Californians worrying about wildfires once again.

So, if you too are holding off packing away your shorts and bikinis for a while, put this recipe in your back pocket for now, but be sure to bring it out again when the temps start to fall. If however, you live somewhere normal, with more predictable seasons, it'd definitely worth adding to the rotation now.


Quinoa Chili Soup
Serves 5

1 tsp canola oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped into 1/4" chunks
3 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/4" chunks
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 green jalapeƱos, seeded and finely chopped
3 1/2 cups water
1 280z can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 cup uncooked white quinoa
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
To serve: extra chopped cilantro, finely chopped green onions, chopped fresh tomatoes, chopped avocado, sour cream, shredded cheddar, wedges of lime for squeezing over

1. In a large Dutch oven or soup pan, warm the oil over a medium heat, and then saute the onion, carrot, garlic, jalapeƱo and celery for about 8 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the carrots are starting to soften.
2. Add the water, tomatoes, black beans, cumin, salt, chili powder, quinoa, black pepper and cilantro and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes until the quinoa and the carrots are tender.
3. Remove two ladlefuls of the soup and blend until smooth in a blender or food processor, then stir back into the rest of the soup. This magically makes it thicker and creamy :-)
4. Serve with toppings, and maybe some bread to wipe the bowl clean.




Saturday, September 14, 2019

Pilaf perfection

I am a huge fan of sauciness. Of all kinds.

The only kind I feel it is appropriate to speak of here is, however, dinner dishes that rely on a rich flavorful sauce. It is the utmost in comfort food to me. Although I am not a suspicious person by nature...oh OK, I am a suspicious person by nature - I'm British, and we have cynicism in our genes... I am automatically a tad suspicious of recipes for dishes that seem dry. My preconceived position is that they can't possibly be as flavorful, and I, and my taste buds, will be disappointed. However, I am not so arrogant as not to admit that exceptions do exist (I'm still more than 50% right, really I am), and the recipe below is for one of those exceptions. Don't be steered away by the long list of spices - they are worthy additions to your spice cupboard, and impart a flavor to this dish that is amazing in its richness. And that despite the lack of sauce!

I served the pilaf here topped with spiced carrots (recipe below) and with some raita on the side - just to add a smidgen of moisture to the dish. However, for those members of my family who seem to crave protein and view all vegetarian dishes with suspicion, I suggest topping it with a piece of roasted salmon, sprinkled with some similar spices.



Caramelized Onion and Zucchini Pilaf
(adapted from Olive, a British cooking magazine)
Serves 4

12 oz white basmati rice
2 oz unsalted butter
2 yellow onions, finely sliced
2 tsp black/brown mustard seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 zucchini, coarsely shredded
1 2" piece ginger root, finely shredded
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
2 cardamom pods
2 strips of lemon zest pared from 1 lemon
20 fl oz (600ml) vegetable broth
1/3 cup mint leaves, chopped
1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

1. Rinse the rise a few times in cold water, by submerging it in a large bowl of water and swishing it around, then draining. Continue to do so, until the water remains clear when the rice is swished around. Drain well.
2. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven with a lid over a medium-high heat, and saute the onions with a pinch of salt for 20 minutes, stirring regularly. By this point, they should be a lovely golden brown color. Scoop 1/3 of them out  into a bowl and set aside.
3. Add the seeds to the pan, and stir into the remaining onions, util they start to give up a delicious aroma, then tip in the garlic, ginger and shredded zucchini, and stir to combine.
4. Add the tomatoes, remaining spices, lemon zest strips and rice and mix well until the rice grains are coated.
5. Pour in the vegetable broth and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a nice rolling boil, then reduce the heat to low, put some foil over the pan, followed by the lid (makes a nice firm seal, better than with the lid alone) and simmer gently for 10 minutes without removing the lid. Then remove from the heat, and again, without removing the lid, let it sit and steam for another 10 minutes.
6. Gently fork through the herbs and then serve topped with the reserved onions, some spiced carrots (recipe below) or salmon and some raita on the side (recipe below).


Spiced Carrots

2 lbs carrots cut into 2" pieces (split the fat ones lengthwise too)
3 TBSP canola oil
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400F (200C).
2. Toss the carrots in the oil, then mix together the spices and mix into the carrots.
3. Spread on a roasting tin, coated with canola oil spray.
4. Roast in oven for 25-30 minutes until tender


Raita
adapted from Epicurious.com

1 cup fat free Greek yoghurt
1 cup chopped hothouse cucumber or Persian cucumber
4 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)
1 TBSP finely chopped green/spring onions
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin

1. Mix ingredients together well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Chill until ready to serve.







Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Take that Take Out!

Thai is one of our go-to's when we can't be bothered to cook (yes, it happens to us all) and we are opting to get take-out. There is nothing I love more than a Green Curry or a Pad Thai. However, I rarely opt for the latter, as it so often contains shrimp (sorry, but no, thank you!). And, since two of our family are now completely vegetarian, and one nearly vegetarian, chicken is a no-no too. However, I found a fabulous recipe for making Pad Thai at home from Pinch of Yum and it's already become a favorite around here, with a few tweaks for good measure. There is just the right amount of spice for my pickier eaters but if you want a bit more of a kick, add some chili flakes, or substitute the  sweet chile sauce for sriracha. And, yes if you insist, you could stir in some shrimp, just not in my presence!


Mixed Vegetable Pad Thai
Serves 4

10 oz noodles (I used Japanese Buckwheat noodles, but brown rice noodles would be more authentic)
2 zucchini/courgettes, cut into matchsticks
1 large red bell pepper, chopped into sticks
3 large carrots, cut into fine matchsticks
1 large yellow onion, sliced
2 TBSP canola oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro and basil
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts

For the sauce:
4 TBSP fish sauce
6 TBSP brown sugar
6 TBSP vegetable broth
4 TBSP white vinegar
4 TBSP soy sauce
2 tsp sweet chile sauce

1. Whisk together all the sauce ingredients until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Heat 1 TBSP oil in  large wok and stir fry the vegetables for 5-10 minutes (it depends on how finely they are sliced - to see if they are OK, test a piece of carrot as this takes the longest to get tender).
3. In the meantime, cook the noodles as per the instructions, then drain fully.
3. Transfer the veggies to a bowl and set aside. In the same wok, heat another TBSP of oil and add the cooked noodles to the pan. Use some tongs to stir them around so they become coated with the oil. Then add about 1/2 of the sauce and toss to coat the noodles.
4. Once the sauce is beginning to thicken and coat the noodles, make a space in the nest of noodles, and tip in the beaten eggs. Leave them for warm for about 20 seconds and then toss to coat the noodles. Everything should start getting deliciously sticky at this point.
5. Add the vegetables and remaining sauce into the wok, and stir to combine. Once it has all heated through, you are ready to serve.
6. Serve topped with green onions, peanuts and fresh herbs.

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

If strata be the food of love...

Sorry Shakespeare, but it's got to be done:

If strata be the food of love,
Play on!
Give me excess of it,
That surfeiting, the appetite may sicken and so die...

I'm pretty sure that is a directly quotation from my dear friend Will. Or, failing that, I believe strongly that, if he had ever had strata, he probably had it in mind when writing these opening lines to Twelfth Night. I'm not sure if he was also aware that, students of this play would still be able to quote the opening page of Twelfth Night a full 31 years after having had to study it for exams... if he was aware of that, he would probably not have begrudged them a large and cheesy helping of strata.

And this strata is comfort food extraordinaire, which as you know, is my preferred form of excess. Moreover, it contains vegetables, so boom. And its vegetarian... But no, it's not vegan or low carb. Seriously, if you are a regular on my blog, what do you expect!

And one final plea - don't save me for brunch. Sadly, brunch is a once-every-so-often weekend occurrence, which, although delicious and satisfying, is all too rare. Pair this beauty with a salad, and this is dinner, baby. And delicious dinner at that.


Kale, Mushroom and Gouda Strata
Serves 8-10

1 large bunch laminate/Scotch kale, destemmed and chopped
1 large loaf ciabatta, thinly sliced
4 TBSP butter
1 red onion, thinly sliced
4 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
6 oz smoked gouda cheese, shredded
10 eggs
4 cups milk
grated fresh nutmeg

1. Spread the butter on the ciabatta slices. Grease a 9"x13" pan/dish with cooking spray and line with one layer of buttered bread slices.
2. Fry the onions and mushrooms in olive oil for five minutes over medium heat until softened. Add cumin seeds and kale, stirring to combine. Continue to saute until the kale is softened.
3. Spread the vegetable mixture over the bread slices in the pan, then sprinkle over half the shredded gouda and season with salt and pepper.
4. Layer over remaining bread slices and sprinkle over the remaining half of the cheese.
5. Beat the eggs with the milk and nutmeg and pour slowly over the dish.
6. Press lightly on the topmost bread slices to make sure they come into contact with the egg mixture, and then leave for at least 1 hour, or even overnight. Preheat oven to 375F (190C).
7. Bake for 40 minutes or until risen, golden and crispy on top. If the top browns too quickly, and the middle is still liquid with uncooked eggs, then cover with foil for remaining baking time, until middle is firmer.


Wardrobe vs Taste Buds: Round 1!

If you have read any of my favorite recipes on this blog, then you know by now that I love nothing better than a fragrant, creamy, rich sauce. However, since we had a fabulous gelato-filled vacation in Italy but a few weeks ago, and all of the clothes my wardrobe seems to have very weirdly shrunk, my waistline's needs are not always in agreement with my culinary desires. When the two do coincide, however, it is a cause for celebration. And yes, some of those moments of confluence do involve salads. But if they all did, it would make my taste buds very sad, as they still want their fix of creamy richness, even if not every day. In this case, the creaminess of the sauce comes from pureeing the vegetable base, not from any cream, cheese or other deliciousness. And the richness of flavor comes from a great combination of spices, which add a hint of heat, but nothing that will send the younger members of the family fleeing from the dinner table. So my waistline is none the thicker, and my taste buds are happy: basically, this one is a winner. Now if someone could please wake up to society's needs and make adult clothes with those adjustable waistbands they put in children's clothes, I'd be a happy woman...



Masala Chickpeas and Greens
serves 3

For the chickpeas:
2 TBSP coconut oil
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2" slices
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp paprika
2 1/2 cups water
1 15oz can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

For the quinoa:
1/2 cup quinoa
1 1/4 cups water
1 TBSP soy sauce

For the kale:
olive oil
1 bunch Scotch (curly) kale, destemmed and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper

1/4 cup chopped cashew nuts
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, and then add the onions, garlic and ginger. Saute until the onions are soft and translucent, reducing the heat if they start to brown too much.
2. Add the carrots and bell pepper and continue to cook until they start to soften.
3. Add the spices and stir to combine until they become fragrant. Then add the water and stir to combine.
4. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 35 minutes by which point all the vegetables should be soft.
5. Place the vegetable mixture in a blender and puree until smooth. Then pour this back into the skillet and add the chickpeas.
6. While that mixture is heating through, prepare the quinoa by putting everything in a saucepan, bringing to the boil, covering, reducing heat and simmering for 15 minutes. Drain if any liquid remains.
7. Heat the olive oil in another skillet and saute the garlic and kale for 10 minutes until the kale is softened. If it starts to stick/burn, add a little water or stock. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Serve by putting some quinoa in each bowl, followed by some kale, putting the chickpea mixture on top. Sprinkle with cashews, parsley and cilantro.

Friday, April 19, 2019

It doesn't get greener than this

Say the word 'vegan' in this house, and you are more than likely going to met with a look of horror, not to mention a reluctance to venture anywhere close to the dinner table. Basically, we like cheese. Whether it's your English mature cheddar, your French Triple Cream Brie, your Dutch Gouda, Italian Pecorino Romano or Mexican cotija, we'll take seconds of that, thank you very much. Youngest son will eat the shredded variety out of the bag in handfuls which, yes, I know is kind of disgusting. We have even been in the US long enough to consider American cheese a real food, even if we eschew it in favor of its far superior European cousins. Vegan is a scary thought, and therefore, most of the vegetarian dishes that I indulge in tend to have cheese as an ingredient, even if it is but a sprinkling of parmesan at serving time.

However, nothing ventured, nothing gained, and knowing that we love coconut milk-based curry sauces in general, I thought this recipe was worth a try, and WOWSERS! This one is a keeper, lack of cheese notwithstanding. No, we are not going to stop raiding the Cotswold and Camembert selections at Trader Joe's, nor quit the occasional expensive nip into Whole Foods for some CowGirl Creamery deliciousness. But now and again, we will go cheese-free, and still end up smiling through our dinner.



Ginger Coconut Green Spaghetti
adapted from Produceonparade.com
Serves 5

16oz wholewheat spaghetti or linguine
olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 TBSP fresh ginger, grated
1 15oz can coconut milk (lite works fine, if you want to cut the fat)
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 bunch green swiss chard, stems removed and roughly chopped
3 handfuls fresh baby spinach
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
lemon wedges to serve

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the spaghetti/linguine and cook according to directions, then drain and return to the pan.
2. In a large saute/frying pan, cook the garlic and ginger in some olive oil for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not yet sticking to the pan.
3. Add coconut milk, sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Add the chard and spinach and mix to coat.
4. Put a lid on and simmer for about 5 minutes until the greens are all wilted.
5. Pour the mixture into a blender or food processor, add the basil leaves and whizz until smooth. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if desired.
6. Pour over the cooked pasta and stir to coat the pasta.
7. Serve in bowls with a lemon wedge to squeeze over the top.


Monday, April 8, 2019

Salad Season Cometh

Not too long ago, if you had said "Tahini" to me, I would probably have answered "Bless you!". And yet now, thanks to Yotam Ottolenghi, among other genius cookbook writers, Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food has become a staple feature of the cookbook aisles. And if you want to put one of those cookbooks to good use, then you're going to need some tahini. Allow a linguist a moment's digression: the word tahini is derived from an Arabic root meaning 'to grind'; unsurprising, since the sole ingredient in pure tahini paste is ground hulled sesame seeds.

Tahini is pretty widely available these days, and has the look and texture of a nut-butter. And, just like with a nut butter, you should set aside a little time (and be prepared to make a little mess) stirring it together each time before you use it, as the oil tends to settle on top, and needs to be reincorporated before you measure out the tahini you need for a recipe.

Spring is a tough time of year for me. My favorite foods, if the truth be told, are comfort foods drenched in sauces, soups, stews and the like, so winter is my sweet spot. I do love a good salad, but I need a gentle transition to the summer and its different eating style. I need to be coaxed back into the warm season. This recipe therefore caught my eye, because although it is called a salad, it can be served warm, and isn't your classic leaf-based salad, but more of a veggie side. I served it with a kale salad (there's a recipe for a rather delicious one here), and it made a delicious satisfying plant-based meal. I may not be ready to dish my bowls of chilli or saucy pastas just yet, but I'm at least heading in a summery direction!


Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
Adapted from budgetbytes.com
Serves 5 (more if served as a side)

2 heads cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 red onion, quartered and then sliced into 1/4" thick slices
olive oil
salt and pepper
2/3 cup tahini
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 400F (220C).
2. Toss the cauliflower and onion together on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with a few TBSP of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, then stir and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes, by which time the cauliflower should be tinged with brown at the edges. Allow to cool slightly.
3. While the veggies are roasting, make the tahini dressing by whisking together the tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and cayenne. Taste, and add a touch more cayenne if you like things more spicy :-)
4. Heat a TBSP of olive oil in a small skillet and add the chickpeas, paprika, garlic powder and cayenne. Toss over a medium high heat for about 5 minutes, until the chick peas start to color and go a little crispy. You'll need to stir them pretty much continually so that they don't stick and burn. Set aside.
5. Toss the still warm cauliflower and onion with most of the chopped parsley and the chick peas in a large bowl, and stir in most of the dressing (you probably don't need it all, so don't add it all straight away). Sprinkle with the remaining parsley to serve.


Wednesday, March 13, 2019

A little bit Country, a little bit rock-and-roll...

You know that song: "I'm a little bit country. I'm a little bit rock and roll?" Well this dish has a similar identity crisis. Put together a jalapeƱo chile pepper from Mexico, some Chinese soy sauce and some Italian basil, and you know you have oddly mixed origins. Nevertheless, I'm a British immigrant to California, whose favorite cuisine is probably Italian, so who am I to judge. Maybe we should just call it fusion?!

To be brutally honest, the start for this dish was the current contents of my fridge, and the knowledge that some of those contents were going to end up in the compost unless I used them soon. If I'd had the time or the inclination to go shopping, I would probably have bought some more Asian-style peppers, and perhaps some Thai basil, but I didn't :-) Feel free to tweak, if you try this out and send this recipe in a more authentically south east asian direction, if you want to, I'm sure it will be no less delicious.

Despite the seemingly odd combination of ingredients, not only are my fridge and my compost bin now a little emptier, the dish turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. And it is the kind of thing where any vegetables you have to hand can be substituted in. Bargain!



Stir Fried Vegetable Rice with Basil and Ginger
Serves 4

14oz brown jasmine rice
canola oil
1 TBSP grated ginger root
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
2 leeks, rinsed and cut into thin half-moon slices
3 small carrots, in small dice
1/2 bunch lacinato/Tuscan kale, stems removed and thinly sliced
4 green/spring onions, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
7 TBSP soy sauce (I used low sodium)
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
lime wedges to serve

1. Cook the rice according to the directions and drain off any remaining liquid. Set aside.
2. In a large wok, heat some canola oil until hot, and then stir fry the ginger, jalapeƱo and garlic together until the garlic starts to turn brown and the mixture is fragrant.
3. Add the leeks, carrots and bell pepper and continue to stir until the carrots are tender.
4. Stir in the rice, kale, green onions and the soy sauce and mix to combine. Continue to cook until the kale is wilted. Then stir in the basil, and let it heat through until you can smell that delicious aniseed fragrance of the hot basil.
5 Serve garnished with lime wedge to squeeze over the top.


Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Souper Supper

Sometimes, one surpasses oneself in the dinner department. Last night was such an occasion. And this souperlative (ha-ha) soup was the vehicle to success. There are those who will no doubt complain that soup does not a dinner make, but let me reassure you, that this one is souper (she's at it again) satisfying, and with some naan bread on the side for 'mopping' purposes, more than filled the last empty corner of my stomach, as well as that of my teenage son. The toppings no doubt help, plus they make it look oh-so-pretty.

So before the weather warms to non-soup-appropriate spring temperatures, soup up your repertoire with this. You're bound to feel souperior (sigh).



Roasted Carrot and Coconut Milk Soup
Serves 8

2 1/2 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
olive oil
salt and ground black pepper
2 yellow onions, chopped
4 TBSP Thai red curry paste
1 1/2 TBSP grated fresh ginger root
2 15oz cans white beans (cannelloni/white kidney bean), drained and rinsed
6 cups vegetable stock
2 15oz cans light coconut milk
6 TBSP fresh lime juice
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)
2 ripe avocados, chopped
1 cup cooked brown/green lentils

1. Preheat oven to 450F (225C). Toss together carrots with a drizzle of olive oil and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper and put in the oven to roast for 25 minutes by which time they should be tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat some olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned.
3. Add the curry paste and ginger to the onions and cook stirring for a further minute until it is fragrant and possibly starting to stick.
4. Add the stock, cooked carrots, beans and coconut milk and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
5. Use a handheld blender to puree the mixture in the saucepan, or use a food processor/blender to do so in batches. Once it is smooth, taste the mixture to see if it needs more salt.
6. Stir in another 1 tsp ground black pepper and the lime juice. Serve in bowls, topped with chopped avocado, lentils and cilantro, with plenty of naan bread for dipping.

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Gotcha!

We all have that friend who thinks vegetarian food is for sissies. You know, the one who thinks that (for some reason, many of these friends tend to be male - don't shoot me, they just do) his testosterone levels will slide and he won't be able to get up off the sofa to grab another beer, if he doesn't have his daily share of animal flesh. You know who you are :-)

Well, this is the vegetarian dish to serve them. I kid you not - this will have the most ardent carnivore scratching his head about how he (again, I'm just saying, most of them are men) can have been so wrong to have ruled out an entire section of every restaurant menu and recipe book by refusing to consider eating a solely plant-based dish. This right here is how you school them.

The dish may take more than 20 minutes to put together and a little bit of effort in advance, but if you have never sauteed mushrooms which have been marinated in wine before, then you and anyone living within smelling distance have a treat in store! Wow, my house smelled good!



I can't stress how rich and flavorful this stew is. So if, like me, you like bold, rich sauciness and are trying to go at least flexitarian, if not vegetarian, this is the dish for you. Slurp, enjoy, and then beach yourself on the nearest sofa to perhaps rue the error of your previously dedicated carnivorous ways!



Chestnut and Mushroom Bourguignon
Serves 5-6
Adapted from www.chickpeasandcharcoal.com

olive oil
1lb small mushrooms (I used a mixture of white and cremini), halved or quartered
150g cooked chestnuts, sliced in half
12 oz carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
14oz bag frozen petite whole onions (aka pearl onions), thawed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
10 fl oz hot vegetable stock
1 tsp marmite
1/2 tsp brown miso paste
13 fl oz red wine (about 2/3 of a bottle)
4 TBSP brandy
1 TBSP cornflour
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper
creamy mashed potatoes to serve

1. The day before you want to cook, or at least several hours before, put the mushrooms in a large bowl and pour over the red wine. Leave to marinate overnight or for at least a few hours, stirring every now and again so that all the mushrooms get a good dunk in the wine.
2. Preheat oven to 400F (200C).
3. Put the carrots on a baking tray and toss with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper.
4. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes by which time they should be almost fully cooked, but not completely soft.
5. In a large skillet, heat some olive oil over medium high heat, then toss in the thawed pearl onions. Saute for around 5 minutes by which time they should be browning nicely. Set the onions aside.
6. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the marinade wine in a pitcher (DO NOT TOSS!). Saute the drained mushrooms in the same skillet that the onions were cooked in, adding a little more oil, if necessary. While you are doing this, add the marmite and miso paste to the hot stock and stir to dissolve.
7. When the mushrooms are starting to soften, add back in the onions, with the garlic and caraway seeds and saute for a further minute. Then add the chestnuts, hot stock mixture, brandy, chopped thyme and 200ml of the wine marinade (don't toss the rest, you will need some of it later!).
8. Bring to the boil, and simmer for 20 minutes so the liquid reduces. I found the best way to do this, let the alcohol in the wine and brandy cook off, and retain enough sauce, was to simmer with the lid off for around 10minutes, and then with the lid fully on for the remainder. If the mixture is drying out, you can add some more of the wine marinade, or some more stock.
9. Stir in the carrots and check the seasoning. If it needs it (depends on the stock you are using) add some salt and pepper to taste).
10. In a small bowl, mix the cornflour with a little of the remaining wine marinade to make a 'slurry'. Stir into the pan, and allow the mixture to bubble a little longer until it thickens to the desired consistency. If you have overdone it on the cornflour, just add a little more stock or wine marinade.
11. Serve over some creamy mashed potatoes with a nice green vegetable on the side.



Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Bowl me over

Seriously, the plates in this house are starting to feel left out. When it is rainy and windy outside, all the food I want to eat comes in a bowl, preferably a steaming bowl, with a spoon, and a big hunk of bread for dipping (yeah, Atkins never worked for me...). And, fanfare please, we have been sampling so many fabulous new bowl-shaped recipes in this house, that today's post is a twofer.

What will be immediately evident from the first of these two delightful bowls, is that the animals of the world are no longer safe, as youngest son, after a month of testing out the meat-free life, has opted not to be a complete vegetarian, but rather a flexitarian. This, predictably enough, was a huge relief to his dad, whose obviously extensive knowledge of nutrition and health was leading him to fear that he would, quite frankly waste away, if no longer served meat for dinner. If his son's trial vegetarianism had gone on much longer, he would probably have been found nibbling on pockets full of beef jerky and compulsively gnawing on bacon rashers at work. Fortunately world order has been restored, and his carnivorous tendencies can now be satisfied, at least once a week or thereabouts. As for youngest son, he had his first post-vegetarian burger experience, and he is a happy boy indeed. No regrets there, and apologies to all the cows.

The second recipe below is completely devoid of meat content, however, and nonetheless satisfying and deliciously warming. What's more, it is one of those "how can this possibly be this simple, and end up so tasty" recipes. I am always suspicious of short lists of ingredients, but I like nothing more to have my suspicions erased by some delicious results. So get spooning (minds out of the gutter people, it isn't Valentine's Day yet...)


Beef, Root Vegetable and Stout Stew with Farro
Serves 6

canola oil
1.5 lbs lean beef stew meat in 1" cubes
salt and pepper
2 onions, chopped
1 TBSP tomato paste
4 cups beef broth
1 12oz bottle of stout (I used Lagunitas Imperial - yum!)
1 TBSP raisins
1 1/2 cups rutabaga, peeled and chopped in 3/4" cubes
1 1/2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped into 3/4" pieces
1 1/2 cups parsnips, peeled and chopped into 3/4" pieces
cornstarch to thicken
2 cups cooked farro to serve
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley to serve

1. Heat some canola oil in a large frying pan, season the beef and saute the meat until browned over medium/high heat. Transfer to the slow cooker.
2. Add the onions to the pan, with some more oil, if necessary, and turn the heat down to medium to ensure they don't burn. Once they are tender, stir in the tomato paste, then the broth and stout. Bring the mixture to the boil, scraping all the lovely beefy bits off the bottom of the pan.
3. Pour the mixture over the beef in the slow cooker and stir in the chopped vegetables. Stir in the raisins, and around 1/2 tsp of salt and the same of ground black pepper.
4. Cook on LOW for 8 hours, or HIGH for 4 hours, by which time the vegetables should be tender.
5. Remove some of the liquid from the slow cooker and mix in about 3 TBSP of cornstarch to make a
runny paste. Stir this back into the slow cooker. Taste the broth at this point, and if it needs more salt and pepper, add it now.
6. Cook for a further 15 minutes or so until the liquid has thickened to a nice soupy consistency.
7. Serve by the ladleful in bowls, over a mound of cooked farro (or pearled barley would also be nice here), with parsley sprinkled on top.


Delicata Squash Soup
Serves 4
Adapted from carolinescooking.com

3 delicata squash, halved, seeds removed (skin left on)
2-3 cups vegetable stock/broth
canola oil
1/2 can chick peas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375F (190C).
2. Spray a large roasting tin with canola oil spray and place the delicata squash halves, skin-side up on the tray.
3. Roast the squash in the oven for 30 minutes, by which point they should be tender. You can test the flesh at this point, and if it isn't soft, then roast it for another 5 minutes. It is very hard to overcook them :-)
4. Put the squash, skin and all, into a food processor and add 2 cups of vegetable stock, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper. You may need to do this in two stages, depending on the size of your processor. Process for a long time, until the mixture is completely smooth. If the mixture is thicker than you want for your soup, simply add a bit more stock.
5. Put the completed soup in a saucepan, ready to heat up when you are ready to serve. Check the seasoning, and add more salt and pepper if needed.
6. In the meantime, heat some canola oil in a saute pan and saute the onions for at least 10 minutes, until they are soft, and starting to caramelize. Add the chick peas/garbanzo beans and warm them through. Stir in the curry powder.
7. Serve the steaming hot soup in bowls, topped with a mound of the chick pea/onion mixture.





Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Fit to be Thai'd

There has been a lot of anger and stress in my life recently. I have, in other words, often found myself, 'fit to be tied'. My refuge, in such times, is always my kitchen. I am a stress-baker, and there have been many sugary treats on offer recently, the countertops often lightly dusted with a coating of powdered sugar. My beloved KitchenAid mixer has been doing overtime (and has, as a result, developed an annoying squeak, which may, or may not, now be contributing adversely to the sense of irritation I was trying to address in the first place).

Not all my solace comes from sugar, which is fortunate, since otherwise my arteries would be furring up at a rate unusual enough to warrant comment in medical journals. There is, it must be said, little more comforting than a bowl of steaming soup, with something suitably carbohydrate-based to dip therein. On the comfort rating (usually reserved for mattresses, but I have legitimately borrowed it here, I believe), this soup rates as a pillow-top. And yet, remembering all the woes we try to assuage with food, underneath that soft goodness, is a supportive base, in this case, made up not of springs or memory foam, but vegetables and a hint of spice, which will warm rather than burn, and deliver a sense of satisfaction without adding any more calories to those you already consumed in the form of comfort-donuts earlier on :-)



Thai-Spiced Vegetable and Rice Soup
Serves 4
Adapted from cookieandkate.com

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2" piece of root ginger, grated
2 TBSP Thai red curry paste
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
4 cups vegetable broth
1 14oz can coconut milk
1 green bell pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 can cut baby corn, drained
4 cups baby spinach, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)
Naan bread to serve (I know it isn't Thai but it works, and doesn't fall apart when you dip it!)

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for about 30 seconds until it is fragrant but not catching on the pan.
2. Add the curry paste, soy sauce, peanut butter, broth, coconut milk, bell peppers and baby corn and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer, partly covered, for about 10 minutes.
3. Add the chopped spinach, and check the spice and seasoning level, adding more curry paste if you want it spicier, and salt and pepper if desired (more soy sauce will also add to the saltiness level).
4. To serve, put 1/2-1 cup of cooked rice in a bowl and top with the broth, sprinkling the cilantro on top of the bowl. Dip naan bread and dribble broth soup down chin for ultimate comfort experience.

Friday, February 1, 2019

"Please Mum! Can I have some more?"

Yep, it was like a scene from Oliver Twist in the house the other night, except with a much happier ending, since I'm a lot nicer than that bloke that ran the orphanage, and there was enough for seconds. Thirds however, was not available, as the two of us polished off the whole dish of this comfort food gem before I could even remember to snap a picture of the completed dish, which is why you have the photo below as (faint) proof that it once existed.



I have to say, this was comfort food extraordinaire, and my son's response to the empty dish, and the sorry lack of 'thirds" (and probably 'fourths', given the chance) was "Can you make it again tomorrow?". Rarely are we treated to such enthusiasm, so this will definitely feature on the Farrar table again, even if not tomorrow.

Contrary to the name, it isn't a very spicy dish - but it really all depends on what salsa you use, and what kind of cheese, so it is easy to adapt to all tastes. The recipe below is already an adaptation from the original recipe (on the fabulously named website ibreatheimhungry.com - I mean, how fabulous is that?!) since there the author uses chipotle chiles in adobo sauce mixed into the cauliflower. Our namely-pamby palates baulk at those, I'm afraid.

Chile-Spiked Cauliflower Bake
Adapted from ibreatheimhungry.com
Serves 3 maximum (or two greedy people!)

1 bag riced cauliflower, around 3 cups total (or one head of cauliflower, broken down)
1 TBSP milk
1 TBSP butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup Pepper Jack cheese (or whatever cheese you prefer - if you want a kick but can't get Pepper Jack, go for a mild cheddar and add a few red chile flakes)
1 bunch greens (I used Scotch Kale)
olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 cup mild salsa verde
1/2 cup low fat sour cream
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup of mild pickled peppers from a jar (or pickled jalapeƱos if you like more heat)
1/2 cup Pepper Jack cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375F (190C).
2.Follow the instructions on the riced cauliflower to steam in the microwave until tender.
3. Put the cauliflower, milk, butter garlic, and 1/3 cup cheese in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Prepare the greens/kale buy discarding the thick end of the stems and then chopped the remaining leaves and thinner stems finely. Then saute in a pan over a low heat with some olive oil for a few minutes until tender (time will depend on type of greens, but you want to cook long enough for the stems to be tender too - if the pan dries out and the greens start to stick, then add a slug of vegetable broth).
5. Once the greens are fully cooked, drain off any excess liquid and then stir into the cauliflower mixture (a couple of pulses in the food processor should do it, but not too much, as you don't want the greens pureed).
6. Put the cauliflower mixture into an 8" diameter, ovenproof, deep dish (or equivalent). Top with the salsa, then the chopped tomatoes, then the sour cream. Finish with the peppers and the remaining 1.2 cup of cheese.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until the cheese is starting to turn golden.
8. Serve with a simple green salad and await copious compliments and Oliver Twist moments :-)



Wednesday, January 23, 2019

A debt of gratitude

I owe orzo copious thanks. For many years, my youngest son did not like pasta. I know. How is that even possible? Trust me we tried to reason with him, we pleaded, we begged, but not a single rigatoni or rotini would pass his lips.

Not liking pasta is not an option in my house; it is my go-to comfort food, and a feature in 99.9% of my favorite dishes, and not liking pasta is, quite frankly, akin to declaring war on all that is good and tasty, not to mention a sign that we may not be genetically related after all. The end of this trying period in our relationship and eating habits came by accident when I, one day, decided to make an orzo salad. Arriving at the table, my son took one look at the dish, said "Yum, rice!" and tucked in. I would love to claim credit for a master stroke of genius, but it was an accident, and oh, what a happy accident. Soon after that innocent mistake, the son in question tried more and more different shapes of pasta and came to the inevitable conclusion that it is not the work of the devil, but rather the most marvelous blank canvas for all sorts of saucy and vinaigrette-y deliciousness.

This recipe comes from a recent discovery of a website which I see myself spending many happy hours browsing in - it is a collection of vegetarian recipes from various authors at www.vanillaandbean.com. The recipe below makes more than enough to fill four sizable bowls for an easy supper.


Lemon Garlic Orzo with Roasted Vegetables
Serves 4
Adapted from Vanilla and Bean

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
8 oz crimini mushrooms, cut into quarters
1 red pepper, sliced
2 yellow peppers, sliced
1 bunch asparagus, woody stem-ends discarded, and cut into 1" lengths
12 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large shallot, sliced
olive oil
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup orzo
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 TBSP chopped fresh basil
3 TBSP chopped fresh parsley

Dressing:
2 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425F (220C).
2. Combine mushrooms, bell peppers, asparagus, tomatoes, garlic and shallot on a large rimmed sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir to coat the veggies.
3. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes until veggies are tinged with brown at the edges.
4. Heat the vegetable broth in a saucepan until boiling, then add orzo and simmer for 15 minutes until orzo is tender. Drain off excess broth.
5. Make the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, juice, salt and pepper.
6. In a large bowl, when the orzo and veggies have cooled a little (they can be warm, but not piping hot, or they will melt the feta), mix them together (including all the juices from the veggies) with the feta, pine nuts and the dressing.
7. Garnish with herbs to serve.





Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Conquering the food pyramid

Five portions of vegetables per day? No problem! Take that, food pyramid! We are currently acing this vegetarian lark! Child number three, whilst not committed to being vegetarian after the end of January (burgers are the sticking point - he may love them more than me, if the truth be told, sob sob) seems to be enjoying eating more vegetarian food, and does want to continue to do so after next week. The challenge for me, is finding vegetarian dishes that are rich and flavorful enough to satisfy our palates. We love rich sauces and deep flavors, and whilst those are easy to achieve with a slow-cooked piece of meat in the mix, they are harder to achieve with vegetables alone. We therefore often rely upon cheese to add that flavor hit that we crave. That is all well and good, and there is no risk of any of us going vegan, but I am always on the look out for recipes for veggie dishes that don't rely on a sprinkling of cheddar of grating of gruyere. The dish below fits the bill (although, full disclosure, it does benefit from a lovely dollop of spiced yoghurt on the top, so is not diary-free unless you skip that addition).

The book from which this recipe originates is a new acquisition (yes the cookbook addiction lives on). The book is Les Legumes: Vegetable Recipes from the Market Table by Pascale Beale. My favorite cookbooks are those which not only contain fabulous (and approachable rather than overly complicated) recipes in their pages, but also those with the kind of photography that turns a plate of food into food porn. This one definitely fits that bill, and I foresee many happy evenings flipping through the pages, dribbling in anticipation. It's also organized by type of vegetable, so when I pick up my veggie bag from the farm, or when I see what is in season, I can then flip to the right section and plan the week's foodie indulgences accordingly. I did tweak a fair amount here but was very happy with the results, and definitely felt confident that we had more than satisfied the food pyramid (and our bellies and taste buds) by the end of the meal.


Vegetable Tagine with Za'atar
Serves 5

For the Za'atar:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp sumac
1 tsp sesame seeds

For the tagine:
1 red onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
3 leeks, trimmed, rinsed and cut into 1/2" rounds
4-5 green onions/spring onions/scallions, cut into 1/2" pieces
4 shallots, peeled and cut into thick slices
12 oz asparagus, woody ends removed and cut into 1" pieces
1 bunch chard, stops removed and leaves thinly sliced
1lb green beans, cut into 1" lengths
1/3 cup golden raisins/sultanas
3 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp sumac

For the yoghurt:
2 cups Greek yoghurt (I used fat-free)
2 preserved lemons, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp curry powder

1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
2. Combine the ingredients for the fresh Za'atar.
3. Combine the red onion, leeks, green onions and shallots on a large baking tray and toss with the Za'atar and some salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, by which time they should all be soft and starting to brown.
4. Place the roasted vegetables (and any juices in the baking tray) in a large dutch oven and stir in the asparagus, green beans, chard and golden raisins. Add the vegetable stock and remaining 1 tsp sumac and bring to the boil. Cook over a lower heat, gently bubbling for ten minutes. If the mixture seems too dry, then add a little more stock, and cook with the lid on, to prevent any more evaporation.
5. In a bowl, mix together the ingredients for the yoghurt topping.
6. Serve the tagine over couscous or quinoa with a dollop of yoghurt on top.


Friday, January 18, 2019

It's pie Tim, just not as we know it...

My husband needs sympathy. There is nothing he likes more that a good steak, lamb stew or a meat pie. And yet, this joyfully carnivorous father of three children, is now the father of three vegetarian children. Yikes! Now I like to think I am supporting this difficult transition for the man, I really do, but I'm not cooking several different meals for those of us still living at home. So, like it or not, he is eating a lot more vegetarian food. And this week that mean't that pie WAS on the menu, just not the kind of pie he might have picked off a menu. But a good pie it was indeed! Not the quickest to throw together as it isn't pastry-based, so you can't simply buy ready-made shortcrust and be done with it, but it was nice to have something a bit different. And it was very satisfying and filling, despite the lack of any meat in there. Something for the regular recipe rotation then, and sorry Tim, you'll get used to it, really, you will...


Chard and Smoked Gouda Pie
adapted from Simply Organic by Jesse Ziff Cool and France Ruffenach
Serves 4-5

2 cups shredded raw potatoes (don't bother to peel them)
1 shallot, finely chopped
7 large eggs
1/4 cup AP flour
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
olive oil
olive oil spray
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large bunch Swiss chard (I used red, hence the pink tinge in the photo above)
1 1/2 cups shredded smoked Gouda cheese
1 cup milk
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 400F (220C). Lightly oil a 9" deep-dish pie plate.
2. Use some kitchen roll to pat dry the potatoes. Then mix them with one of the eggs, the chopped shallot, the flour, salt and pepper.
3. Use your fingers or the back of a spoon to spread this mixture evenly in the pie plate, so it goes evenly across the base and all the way up the sides (it'll end up being about 1/2" thick). Spray with olive oil spray. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the crust is browned.
4. Prepare the chard - wash and pat it dry, then cut out the center ribs and chop them. Take the leaves and chop them separately into smallish pieces.
5. Heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then saute the red onion for about 4 minutes or until soft but not brown. Add the garlic and the chopped chard ribs and continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Add the chard leaves and cook until they have wilted. Drain off any excess liquid.
6. In a large bowl, beat the remaining 6 eggs with the milk, oregano and 1 cup of the cheese. Add the chard mixture and stir together.
7. Pour the chard and egg mixture into the pie crust, then sprinkle the top with the breadcrumbs and remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
8. Reduce the heat to 350F (180C) and bake the pie for another 30 minutes by which time the top should be browning and a knife inserted into the middle should come out relatively clean, showing that the eggs are cooked. Let the pie stand for 15 minutes to set completely before serving.



Monday, January 14, 2019

An antidote to cold gray days

What will be immediately obvious when you look at the photo below is that, unlike most of my foodie pics, it was taken after a fair amount of the meal had already been eaten. You've got to love a dish that is so delicious that you can't wait to snap a pic before tucking in, and almost forget to snap a pic entirely! It's a good job I remembered eventually, as leftovers were not much in evidence after this meal. For us it checked all the boxes - spicy but not hot-spicy, just flavorful-spicy, filling, and nutritious. Winner!

To be fair, I should have known it was going to be a hit, as I found out about this recipe through word of mouth - apparently it has featured on a number of posts, been instagrammed around the globe in every direction, and has even been made on the Today program, where Hoda Kotb's tastebuds were suitably tickled. So I am merely jumping on a bandwagon, but a tasty bandwagon it is :-)

The main thing I changed was to substitute cilantro (coriander) for the mint, as, whilst I love mint in cold dishes, sweet or savory, I'm not a huge fan of it in hot dishes. I know, I know, minor hang-up, and if you don't share my predilections (or whatever the opposite of predilection) then feel free to put the mint back in (in which case, use 1 cup mint for the recipe, sprinkled over the top at the end for serving).



Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut and Turmeric
Serves 4
Slightly adapted from New York Times' Alison Roman's recipe

1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2" piece of ginger root, grated (or 2 TBSP ready prepared pureed ginger)
salt
ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp ground dried turmeric
1/2 tsp crushed red chili flakes
2 15.5oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
2 14 oz cans reduced fat coconut milk
2 cups vegetable stock
1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)
rice to serve

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add garlic, onion and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent and softening (3-5 minutes).
2. Add turmeric, chili flakes and chickpeas and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chickpeas are sizzling and starting to break down a bit. They might even start to brown.
3. Remove about 1 cup of the chickpea mixture from the pan and set aside.
4. Add coconut milk and stock to remaining chickpea mixture in the pan and stir, scraping up any browned spices etc that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
5. Use a potato masher to partly mash some of the chickpeas in the pan as the mixture comes up to the boil. You don't want it to become smooth,  just break up some of the chickpeas so that they help to thicken the stew as it cooks.
6. Turn the heat down and simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes, by which time the mixture should have reduced a little and thickened (and your kitchen will smell divine!)
7. Add the Swiss chard and the reserved chickpeas and stir them in. Cook for a further 5 minutes until the greens have wilted. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary.
8. Serve over rice, sprinkled with fresh cilantro.

Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Nuts and grains and greens...oh my!

I know, I know. It's been a while (don't worry - we have been eating, just not blogging). But this is early January, a time for resolutions and the conviction that you might actually be able to pull them off. So here I go, determined to blog more this year. To be honest, I need to - my addiction to trying out recipes and tweaking them isn't going anywhere, and it is one of my healthier addictions, so probably best to follow where it leads! And, if I don't blog about them, I don't have a record of the recipes, so repeating the fabulous ones is way more difficult.

The other resolution for the month (and hopefully beyond) is the obvious and ubiquitous 'eat more healthily' one. We generally eat pretty healthily in this house, but...ahem... December is a bit of an exception! (Oh Peppermint Bark, how do I love thee?). In addition, all three of my children have recently become vegetarians. Number three is not yet completely committed, but is determined to try it out for a month first. Nevertheless, it does mean broadening my repertoire of veggie feasts. Fortunately no one is going vegan (because cheeeeeeeeeese!). Otherwise the slightly grumpy, "why-can't-I-eat-meat-for-dinner" husband would probably be leaving home.

I am hoping to win round Mr I'll-wither-away-if-I-don't-eat-meat to a healthier lifestyle though, as his choices are not always made with health and longevity in mind, shall we say. My goal is that we become what I think is known as 'flexitarian'. We'll eat vegetarian most of the time, but occasionally we will tuck into a steak, or a pulled pork sandwich if we feel we want to. My hope is that recipes like the one below are tasty and satisfying enough to make that a rare occurrence. Fingers very crossed!

The recipe in question is a great salad because it is filling and checks a lot of the boxes, with whole grains (farro), plenty of vitamins from the veggies, antioxidants, protein from nuts, and tasty tasty feta cheese (because cheeeeeeeese!). It isn't a throw-it-all-in-the-bowl-and-toss-to-serve simple five minute salad, admittedly, but it is worth a bit of time and effort and can also be made well ahead of when you want to serve it. (I served it at room temperature, but I'm sure it would be great hot or cold too).



Roasted Sweet Potato, Kale and Farro Salad
Serves 5
Adapted from cookieandkate.com

1 1/2 cups semi-pearled farro
2lbs sweet potatoes (2 large), peeled and cut into 1" cubes
olive oil
2 tsp sumac
salt and black pepper
1 bunch laminate (or Tuscan) kale, ribs removed and thinly sliced
1 large shallot, halved and thinly sliced
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
2 TBSP sugar
2 medium lemons
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup of fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425F (220C).
2. Juice the lemons and whisk the juice with 1 TBSP of olive oil, the dijon mustard and some salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss this mixture with the sliced kale, massaging it into the kale leaves, as this will help them soften. Leave aside for at least 30 minutes (but it isn't a problem if you leave it for longer).
3. Spread out the sweet potato cubes on a large oven tray, and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with sumac and salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Roast in oven for 30 minutes by which time the sweet potato will be fork tender and starting to brown at the edges (and your kitchen will smell delicious!)
4. Cook the farro by adding to boiling salted water and simmering for 15-20 minutes (should be chewy and tender but not soft when cooked). Drain and leave to cool.
5. Combine the sliced shallot with sugar, vinegar and 1/2 cup of water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook over a medium heat for about 8 minutes by which time the liquid should have reduced a little (and your kitchen will smell even better!). Set aside
6. To assemble the salad, drain the onions, and mix with the cooled farro, marinated kale and roasted sweet potato. Stir in the fresh mint and the feta, and then sprinkle the hazelnuts over the top.