Side-swiped

Let's face it, sides can sometimes steal the show. And in our house, they also make fabulous lunchbox fillers the following day, which makes me love them all the more (it's October, and I'm fed up of packed lunches already...) In fact, the first of the two dishes in this post is being enjoyed by my children on the blacktop right now. Why, they are probably just now extolling the virtues of the mother who cooked it and packed it for them. I'm sure that's what they are doing.

These two sides are scene-stealers for sure - the first because it contains pesto, so duh! And because it is incredibly easy to make, can be served hot, warm, room temperature or cold, keeps for a while in the fridge and tastes just as delicious however and whenever you serve it. Come on! What more could you want. The second is a scene-stealer because it is just so pretty, has all the health benefits afforded by quinoa AND tastes good. The first recipe comes from a great cookbook called Delia Smith's Summer Collection. Delia is kind of the Julia Child of the UK, except that the UK is fortunate to still have her in their midst, and she is still cooking. The second recipe came from the deep dark recesses of my imagination.

Pesto Rice
Serves 8 as a side

arborio rice, measured to the 1 pint level in a measuring jug/pitcher
1 11oz container of ready-made pesto
2 pts of hot vegetable stock
6 green onions (spring onions), finely sliced
juice of 1 large lemon, or 2 small

1. Measure rice into a jug, then add about 1/4 of the pesto to the rice and stir to coat the grains.
2. Tip the mixture into a large saucepan.
3. Measure hot vegetable stock in the same jug, and then add that to the saucepan.
4. Stir together and bring mixture to the boil, then put the lid on, turn the heat down to low, and let it simmer (WITHOUT OPENING IT) for exactly 20 minutes.
5. As soon as the timer goes, open the saucepan and add green onions, lemon juice and the rest of the pesto. Mix together and serve at desired temperature (my favorite is probably room temp).

Mediterranean Quinoa
Serves 8 as a side

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives
2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp black pepper

1. Cook quinoa in water according to directions (should be no water left when it is done), then allow to cool in a large bowl on counter.
2. Make dressing: whisk together balsamic vinegar, oil, ground mustard and black pepper.
3. When quinoa is no longer hot, mix all ingredients together and stir in dressing until combined.

Lying by omission

As I have no doubt stated before, I am not one for sneaking in hidden ingredients. I know Jessica Seinfeld has made a successful career out of it, but I have never quite understood how you get from hiding green beans to having children happily eat green beans. My policy has always been to just plonk a pile of green beans on their plates and wait until the day they decide to eat them. I seem to remember reading somewhere that a child can try something 10 times and dislike it, and then the eleventh time is often a charm. Well, it hasn't worked for me every time (Brussel Sprouts anyone?), but I live in hope.

I am the first to admit that I am also very lucky, in that my children do not eschew the majority of healthy foods. Sure there are some that they seem to have concluded are the work of the devil (Brussel Sprouts anyone?), but in general they eat healthily, so I confess that perhaps my preference for avoiding vegetable sneakiness is driven in part by the satisfaction that I don't need to. However, there are a couple of recipes which have entered my regular repertoire, where the veggie ingredients are all but invisible. Sure zucchini muffins (see here for example) have green flecks, but they seem to disappear pretty quickly anyway. The recipe below is one which I challenge any picky eaters to turn down. The hidden ingredient is completely undetectable, even by my most suspicious (and squash-hating) child. It's a doozy, and whereas Mac 'n' cheese is usually a wasteland where nutritional value is concerned, this is one you can serve up without feeling that you totally capitulated to the whims of any tiny vegetable-haters. And it also gives you the satisfaction of having pulled the wool over their eyes - victories like that can be hard to come by as a parent, so I take them where I can get them!

The original recipe comes from Cooking Light magazine, but I have tweaked it somewhat - my kids may not turn many veggies down, but they do prefer other types of cheese than in the original.

Mac 'n' Cheese with a secret
Serves 8

3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
1 1/4 cups chicken broth/stock
1 1/2 cups milk (I use semi-skimmed/2%)
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 TBSP plain yogurt
1 1/4 cups shredded/grated Monterey jack cheese (or cheddar, or.... you choose)
1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1lb uncooked pasta (I use macaroni, but it doesn't really matter!)
oil spray
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley (unless the presence of green stuff will cause a riot)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Combine squash, broth, milk and garlic in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until squash is tender (about 25 minutes). Remove from heat.
3. Place hot squash mixture in a blender. Add salt, pepper and yoghurt. Remove the center piece of the blender lid so steam can escape and cover loosely with a clean towel. Then blend until smooth.
4. Place blended squash mixture in a large bowl and add Monterey Jack cheese, pecorino and 1/2 cup of parmesan.
5. Cook pasta according to directions (do not overcook, as it will cook a little more in the sauce in the oven). Drain and add to cheese sauce mixture.
6. Spread mixture in an ovenproof dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and remaining 1/4 cup parmesan and bake for 25 minutes until bubbly and golden. Sprinkle with parsley if desired.

Succeeding with squash

There are moments, when I really do feel like I might be succeeding as a parent. That I might be having a modicum of positive impact on my children's futures, and that they might just turn into responsible, healthy, NICE adults. Not the moments when they are hitting each other over the head with lego guns, or the ones when they are singing along to the latest hit song and inserting the words 'pooh' and 'pee' in random places to their great amusement. No, those moments give me a different feeling entirely. It could be fear.

No, the moments, I'm talking about are those like last night when my daughter entered the house and smelled the contents of the slow cooker, which were bubbling away in the kitchen. "What's for dinner?" she asked, and when met with the reply, "Squash and Black Bean Chili," she broke into a huge grin and cheered "Yay! It's squash season!" Yup. An open expression of enthusiasm for nutritional ingredient from squash family and its place in a healthy, home cooked, vegetarian meal. I believe I will savor that moment for a while... at least until she next slams her door on her brother's finger whilst shouting "Get out of my room!" At least that long. As Lady GaGa would say, I live for the applause, and failing that, I'll settle for full tummies and no complaints.

The chili was indeed pretty good, but I have come to expect nothing less from author Judith Finlayson. I sometimes read her recipes and, looking at the list of ingredients, I'm not convinced, thinking that they sound a bit simple, but I have never been let down when I actually try them out, and this one was no exception. Yes, youngest son studiously (OK, not studiously, let's call it irritably) picked out every hint of squash from his bowl, but the other two lapped it all up, and went back for more.

This particular recipe is from her book The Vegetarian Slow Cooker. The only tweak I made was to leave out one chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, as we wimpy Farrars tend to baulk at the heat they lend to a dish. I served the chili over a bed of rice, with a sprinkling of fresh cilantro and some sharp cheddar (the latter was a crude, and failed attempt to disguise the squash. Jessica Seinfeld, I am clearly not).

Squash and Black Bean Chili
Serves 6

1 TBSP coconut oil (or canola/sunflower oil, if you can't get this)
2 onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 cinnamon stick (around 3" long)
1 28oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups cubed butternut squash
2 green bell peppers, diced
1 4oz can diced mild green chilis (if you can't find this, use one fresh jalapeno pepper, finely chopped)
finely chopped cilantro (coriander leaves) to serve

1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onions until softened. Add garlic, chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt and cinnamon stick, and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomatoes with juice and bring to boil. Transfer to slow cooker.
2. Add beans and squash and stir well. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours, until squash is tender.
3. Add bell peppers and chiles and cover and cook for a further 20 minutes on high, until bell pepper is tender.
4. Discard cinnamon stick. Serve on bed of rice sprinkled with cilantro.

"You must remember this..."

If you recognize that quotation, then you will know what region of the world my culinary explorations have taken me to this time. Need more help? How about "Here's looking at you, kid". Yup, Casablanca. Before I get any snide comments, I know this came out in 1942 and I'm not THAT old. I'm guessing my dad made my sit through it in my youth, whilst extoling the virtues of cinema in years gone by. That's what he did with The Big Sleep and 2001: A Space Odyssey. His efforts were not fruitless, but clearly didn't achieve the desired effect, having left me with a deep hatred of both of the latter apparent cinematic masterpieces.

I did travel to Morocco once, on an extremely memorable trip with two friends after we had finished our final exams at university. It was memorable for so many reasons, most of them good, like the amazing peppermint tea, the crazy bazaar shopping and the great food. The occasional bad memories include seeing a sheep ritualistically slaughtered in the street (brought a new literal meaning to 'rivers of blood') and one of the worst cases of sunburn I have ever suffered.

Moroccan food is not something I dabble in often, and no, I don't own one of those weird cooking pot things.

Don't get me wrong, they are gorgeous looking things, but our kitchen is full to capacity, and we might have to build an extension if I can't get my cookware and cookbook addictions under control. I also generally like any kitchen equipment that I invest in to be useable for more than one dish, so I have shown a tiny morsel of will power and stepped away from the tagine. Fortunately, for this recipe, all that was needed was my trusty slow cooker. I believe that the original recipe came from Better Homes and Gardens, but again, I got a little ahead of myself with the scissors and cut off all evidence of its origin.

Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Pistachio Couscous
Serves 6

2 1/2 lbs of lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1" cubes
6 carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
2 medium onions, chopped
3/4 cup dried apricots, halved
3/4 cup pitted green olives
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 TBSP AP/plain flour
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups couscous
3/4 cup shelled chopped roasted pistachios
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)
1 lemon cut into 6 wedges.

1. In a slow cooker, mix together lamb, carrots, onions, apricots, olives, garlic, flour, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, salt, pepper and 3/4 cup of water.
2. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
3. Cook couscous according to directions. Stir in pistachios and most of cilantro.
4. Serve tagine over couscous, sprinkled with additional cilantro and with a lemon wedge on the side to squeeze over the top.

Fall flavors

Fall, autumn, whatever you want to call it, it is upon us. Why it even rained overnight last night, and this is California, so the rest of you must be three feet deep in snow by now. And nothing fits fall like a jacket potato, with a saucy, drippy, flavorful topping seeping into it. Mmmmmm. To accompany our baked potatoes last night, we had an Italian Sausage and White bean Casserole, which did the trick beautifully. Enjoy :-)

Italian Sausage and White Bean Casserole
Serves 6-8

olive oil
2 lbs Italian sausage meat (or sausages with casings removed)
3 leeks, sliced into half moons
4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2" pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 28 oz can chopped/diced tomatoes
1 8oz can tomato sauce (sold as passata in UK)
2 15oz cans white beans (e.g. cannellini)
1 cup chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
salt and pepper
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190C).
2. Heat some olive oil in a large ovenproof pot over a medium high heat. Add sausagemeat and cook until browned, breaking sausage up as you go. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
3. Add a little more oil to the pot if necessary, and add leeks, carrot and garlic. Cook stirring, until starting to soften.
4. Add wine and cook for 1 minute, scraping bottom of pot to release all those lovely caramelized bits. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce, and sausage, and bring to a boil.
5. Add beans and parsley, then taste and season as desired with salt and pepper.
6. Combine breadcrumbs with parmesan in a bowl, then sprinkle over the top of the bean and sausage mixture.
7. Put pot into the oven and bake for 25 minutes until golden and bubbly.

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy

Have I mentioned how much I love my slow cooker? Now, now, enough of the sarcasm. I know I do tend to wax lyrical (i.e. go on and on) about how awesome this piece of kitchen paraphernalia is, but you have to agree that I have a point. In case any of you have yet to discover the work I've been doing behind the scenes, there is now a recipe index on this site here, which is divided into sections, one of which is dedicated to all the slow cooker recipes I've blogged about thus far (with dates and titles of posts, so that you can find them, once you've finished dribbling).

This week has been somewhat trying in the Farrar house, as I had shoulder surgery last Friday, and have been unable to drive all week, not to mention stiff and sore. Add to this that, apparently, serving as my personal chauffeur, was not one of my husband's burning ambitions, that he didn't want to have to cook, clean and bottlewash as well as hold down the rest of the sizeable metaphorical fort that is life chez Farrar, AND that we stupidly signed our kids up for activities in three different places at the same time, and you can understand that dinner needed to be quick, easy but nonetheless healthy and tasty (sitting on my behind on the sofa all week and a diet of fast food was not a combination I wanted to contemplate). I have some pretty awesome neighbors who treated us to home-cooked deliciousness in honor of my advancing age and physical decrepitude, but the remaining evenings were a perfect opportunity for the slow cooker to shine, and shine it did :-)

The recipe below is a perfect example of why the slow cooker isn't just for winter stews and soups, and comes from Sara Lewis's excellent book Slow Cooker Easy. It is a delicious chicken dish, steeped in lemon over a bed of summery couscous. Add a glass or three of chilled Sauvignon Blanc and you have a dinner that might make you forget your advancing infirmity for an evening at least.

Lemon Chicken
Serves 6

For the chicken:
olive oil
6 skinless chicken breasts (about 2-2 1/2lbs in total)
2 medium onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 TBSP AP/plain flour
900 ml (30 fl oz) chicken stock
2 small lemons, each cut lengthways into 6 wedges
4 baby pak choi, thickly sliced, cores discarded
6 oz sugar snap peas, halved lengthways
1/2 cup crème fraiche
4 TBSP chopped fresh mint and parsley, mixed
salt and pepper

For the couscous:
2 cups wholewheat couscous
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 roma tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped green (spring) onions

1. Heat some olive oil in a large skillet and fry the chicken breasts until browned on both sides (they don't need to be cooked through).
2. Remove chicken from the pan and place in the slow cooker pot. Add onions to skillet with more oil if necessary, and fry stirring until lightly browned.
3. Stir in the garlic and the flour and continue to cook for one minute more. Mix in stock and lemon wedges and bring to the boil, stirring. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Pour lemon sauce over chicken breasts in slow cooker pot and press the chicken below the surface of the liquid. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours.
5. Add pak choi and sugar snap peas to slow cooker and cook on high for 15 minutes more, or until just tender.
6. Meanwhile cook the couscous according to directions. When cooked, stir in remaining ingredients for couscous.
7. Once vegetables in the slow cooker are tender, lift out the chicken and plate on a bed of cous cous. Stir the crème fraiche and herbs into the sauce in the slow cooker and let it heat through for a few minutes, then pour over the chicken on the plates.

Bring it on!

Are you ready? I hope so, because it has already started. Of what do I speak? The Pumpkin Onslaught. Where the real deal and carving is concerned, our family has a somewhat patchy reputation. I know that carving them is supposed to be an incredibly enjoyable family activity, but it also involves letting the children play with knives, and specifically those stupid namby-pamby, poorly designed, highly-breakable carving sets they sell for pumpkins, which appear specifically constructed to (a) break at the slightest application of pressure and (b) fail to cut pumpkins, none of which seems exactly conducive to family enjoyment, quite frankly. The main issue for us however, assuming we successfully avoid bodily harm during the carving process, is that we invariably carve the pumpkins too early, and end up with a doorstep that looks like this:

Makes our entryway look really inviting, doesn't it? What the photo of course cannot replicate for your enjoyment is the delicate aroma of rotting squash... And no, the stains have not faded during the last year. Sigh.

But where edible goodies are concerned, there is something about the combination of spices that go with pumpkin that just smack of fall, and needs to be enjoyed in bulk during the next month or so. So bring it on indeed. I confess that I am already in double figures with regard to Pumpkin Spice Latte consumption. I am a fan of pretty much anything pumpkin (except pumpkin pie, which in texture and flavor leaves me wanting), and nothing is more enjoyable and satisfying than a pumpkin spiced muffin. Nevertheless, pumpkin is EVERYWHERE, so how is a pumpkin muffin to stand out amongst the growing crowd? To this end, I give you the white chocolate drizzled pumpkin walnut muffin. Now grab a napkin to absorb the anticipatory dribble while I describe for you how the addition of walnut oil and nuts lends a rich woodsiness to the pumpkin and accompanying spices, and then how a swift pour of molten sweet sticky white chocolate provides the finishing flourish to the best pumpkin muffin I have yet to experience. Go on, quit dribbling and eat me.

 

Pumpkin Walnut Muffins
(makes 20 regular sized muffins)

2 3/4 cups AP/plain flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/4 cup walnut oil
1/4 cup canola oil
1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree (one can)
1/2 cup liquid honey
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup toasted chopped walnuts
4 oz bar white chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C)
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, allspice and cloves.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs and oils until well blended. Whisk in pumpkin, honey and buttermilk until blended.
4. Pour pumpkin mixture on to dry ingredients, and gently stir together until just blended. Fold in walnuts gently.
5. Divide between paper cups in muffin tins.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until risen and golden, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in tins for 3 minutes, and then remove to a wire cooling rack.
7. When muffins are cooled, melt white chocolate carefully in a microwave until smooth and liquid. Put chocolate into a Ziploc bag and snip off a tiny hole at the corner. Drizzle white chocolate over cooled muffins, and allow to dry.