Category: Recipes

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Mains Recipes

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

This week, on a visit to my good friends Kelvin and Eva, I was treated to a bowl of Eva’s delicious, Austrian-inspired pumpkin soup. I am please to say she has agreed to share the recipe in this guest post. Over to Eva. Enjoy!

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Homemade soups are one of my favourite comfort foods for a cold autumn day. As I am a member of a community farm near where I live, it’s that time of year when you get an abundance of different pumpkins and squashes. So here is a recipe that my mum used to make for us, served with a special pumpkin seed oil, that comes all the way from Austria, also referred to as the “black gold of Austria”.

You Will Need

  • 2 -3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon of paprika
  • 1kg pumpkin or squash (try kabocha), peeled, deseeded and chopped into chunks
  • 1 sweet potato chopped into chunks
  • 150g of lean smoked diced bacon
  • 700ml vegetable stock
  • 150ml double cream or sour cream or crème fraiche
  • * Pumpkin seed oil, optional

Method

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, then gently cook the bacon till crisp. Add the chopped onions and garlic and cook for 5 mins, until soft but not coloured.
  2. Add 1kg pumpkin or squash with the sweet potato chunks to the pan, then carry on cooking for 8-10 mins, stirring occasionally until it starts to soften and turn golden.
  3. Add the paprika, give it a quick stir and immediately pour the vegetable stock into the pan and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 mins until the squash and potato are very soft.
  4. Pour 150ml double cream into the pan, bring back to the boil, then purée with a hand blender.
  5. Reheat the soup if needed, taste for seasoning, then serve scattered with croutons and a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil, if you want. A perfect accompaniment for a more complete meal is a freshly baked baguette!

*Styrian pumpkin seed oil is a geographic protected product by the EU. Nutty and rich, pumpkin seed oil is full of good fatty acids, minerals and vitamins and on top of it all it is cholesterol free. It partners perfectly with green salads, cheese, scrambled egg and pasta dishes. Did you know it takes 2.5-3kgs of pumpkin seeds to press 1 litre of pumpkin seed oil?

As the author of a guest post on A Different Kitchen, I get to choose the next track for Kevin’s ADK Playlist. This track reminds me of childhood dinners around the kitchen table in Austria with my family: Billy Joel with Piano Man.

Categories
Mains Recipes

Smokey Puy Lentil Roast

Ready for some autumn evening comfort food? If that’s a yes, you’ll love this rich, smokey, spicy stew with seasonal roasted vegetables and puy lentils. It’s vegetarian and vegan, while the puy lentils are a great source of protein.

Servings

4 adult servings.

Timings

40 mins to make and cook.

You Will Need

  • 1 roasting tray’s worth of chopped root veg (mine comprised sweet potato, swede, carrot, parsnip and celeriac)
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • oil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 medium chillis
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 onion
  • 8 – 9 mushrooms
  • 1 tbsp gojuchang paste
  • 1 500g carton of tomato passata
  • water
  • 100g puy lentils
  • 4 – 5 leaves of cavolo nero

Method

  1. Warm the oven to 180C. Fill a roasting tray with the chopped root veg and red pepper, and drizzle to coat with the oil. Place in the oven for 30 mins, once it is up to temp.
  2. Drizzle some oil in a wok. When it is warm, add in the crushed garlic, chopped chillis and cumin, and stir.
  3. Tip in the chopped onion and mushrooms, and stir again. When the onion is softening, add in the gojuchang paste and stir.
  4. Pour in the passata. Fill the carton with cold water and add in also. Put in the puy lentils and turn up the heat to boil, then reduce to a simmer. Leave for about 10 mins, while the sauce reduces and the lentils cook.
  5. Chop the cavalo nero into strips and wilt in for the last 5 mins.
  6. Take the roasting tray from the oven – the veg should be softened and a little charred around the edges. Scrape the roasted veg into the wok. Stir to combine.
  7. Spoon into bowls to serve.

Customise It!

Feel free to swap in any veg you like or have to hand. Butternut squash or celery will work well. Boil or steam some brussels sprouts and add in if you wish. For the second serving of this dish I mixed in some new potatoes that were already cooked and in the fridge – see below.

The key ingredients you should keep are the passata, garlic, chillis and the gojuchang paste – which combine to create the delicious smokey background sauce – and the lentils, which give texture and protein.

Talking of Smokey, here’s a classic track to add to the ADK Playlist. I actually prefer this ska version to his original, however: The Beat with The Tears of a Clown.

Categories
Bakes Desserts Recipes

Hummingbird Slices

I tasted Hummingbird Cake for the first time on my recent motorhome trip to Scotland. It was served up in the delightful Cocoa Skye cafe in Brora (you can check out my post on it here). I decided I would come up with my own take on this when I reached home.

Incidentally, many of the beautiful places featured in my recent posts from Scotland have been battered this week by Storm Babet. Flooding has affected Angus, Aberdeenshire and Caithness, leaving us feeling how fortunate we were to experience brilliant sunny weather there, just a few weeks ago. Friends in Scotland – our thoughts are with you.

A little research tells me that Hummingbird Cake originated in Jamaica, and is now popular across the US. I’ll be interested to hear from any of my lovely American followers whether that is so?

I consulted several recipes before coming up with my own. One of those I read was by Jamie Oliver, who gave his version this convincing endorsement: “bake it, and get it in your gob”. Say what you mean, Jamie lad, say what you mean.

All the recipes I looked at made this a double decker cake. I wanted to make it single tier – I find a tray bake easier to serve and store, while having only one layer of cream cheese frosting makes it just a little less calorie-tastic.

I have stuck with the core ingredients of banana, chopped pineapple and pecan nuts in a spiced sponge, with cream cheese frosting and zesty sprinkles. The finished product is shown in my photo above, and has gone down very well with the family. So here we go, the ADK take on Hummingbird Cake.

Servings

Depending on how you cut it, at least 12 – 14 slices.

Timings

20 mins to prepare the cake, 30 mins to bake in the oven at 180C (the frosting is made while the cake is baking).

You Will Need

  • 280g self-raising flour
  • sprinkle of salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • 120g caster sugar
  • 50g pecan nuts, chopped
  • 2 bananas, mashed
  • 150g chopped pineapple, fresh or tinned
  • 2 eggs
  • 120ml sunflower oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 100g soft cheese
  • 100g icing sugar
  • 70g baking spread
  • 1 lime

Method

  1. Turn on the oven to 180C. Prepare a traybake tin (mine is 22cm square) by greasing and lining with kitchen paper.
  2. Sieve the dry ingredients – flour, salt, baking powder and sugar, into a bowl. Add the chopped pecans and mix.
  3. In separate bowl, mix the mashed bananas, pineapple, beaten eggs, oil and vanilla.
  4. When the oven is up to temperature, pour the contents of the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir until fully mixed, then pour into the prepared baking dish, evening it out with a spatula. Place in the oven for 30 mins.
  5. Meanwhile, make the cream cheese frosting. Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl with the soft cheese and spread. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Place in the fridge.
  6. Take the cake from the oven. Check it is baked by inserting a skewer in the centre – if it comes out dry it is done. Set aside to cool.
  7. Once cooled, lift the cake on to a board and carefully spread the cream cheese frosting all over. Grate the zest from the lime and sprinkle over. Place back in the fridge to chill.
  8. Take from the fridge and cut into slices. Keep these in a box in the fridge.

Customise It!

I liked this as it is, but you could decorate the topping with some small pieces of chopped pineapple or pecan if you wish.

I’m still enjoying listening to Scottish bands in the ADK Kitchen, so here is another great track to share with you: Del Amitri with Always The Last To Know.

Categories
Mains Recipes Snacks

Veg Chilli Sausage Rolls

What to make for a meal when you’ve just returned from holiday and haven’t yet done the weekly shop?

That was this week’s challenge following arrival back from our motorhome trip to Scotland. This vegetarian chilli version of sausage rolls came together using a few pieces of fresh veg we still had in the van, and some store cupboard ingredients. Served up with a choice of tomato ketchup, brown and bbq sauce, they make a great fun and filling meal that you can eat with your fingers.

My photo above shows the rolls having just been taken out of the oven, cooling on a wire rack. The residual heat of the oven gives the house a comforting warmth, now the autumn nights are starting to draw in.

Servings

Makes 14 sausage rolls, so 3 – 4 servings.

Timings

About 40 mins in total to prepare, and 25 mins to bake at 180C.

You Will Need

  • veg oil
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 yellow pepper
  • 1 carrot
  • 2 medium red chillis
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 400g tin of kidney beans
  • 1 400g tin of tomatoes
  • 225g plain flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 100g spread for baking
  • a few tsps of cold water
  • nigella seeds to sprinkle
  • 1 egg, beaten

Method

  1. Peel the onion, chop roughly into chunks, and put in a food processor with blade fitted.
  2. Cut the flesh from the peppers, and add to the food processor. Cut the top off the chillis and add the spicy flesh to the processor also. Blitz it all for a few pulses until it is all finely chopped.
  3. Add a little oil to a wide-based frying pan and warm on the hob. Add in the cumin and then the finely chopped veg. Stir and let it all soften in the heat.
  4. Without cleaning the processor bowl, put in the kidney beans and tomatoes, and blitz again. Add to the frying pan and stir in to mix.
  5. Stir every so often, letting the moisture steam away, leaving the mix to gradually thicken over about 10 mins. You are aiming for a thickish consistency that can hold its own as a sausage roll filling.
  6. Switch off and transfer the mix to a cold plate, spreading it out so that it cools. Place the plate in a cool place.
  7. Having washed and dried the food processor bowl and blade, you can now use it to make the pastry. Sieve in the flour and salt. Add in the spread cut into chunks, and pulse a few times till it resembles breadcrumbs. Pour in a few drops of water and pulse again. Repeat until the pastry comes together and is whirling round the bowl in one large ball, with the blade.
  8. Remove to a floured surface and finalise shaping it into a roundish ball. Wrap in cling film and put in the fridge for 10 mins. Turn on the oven to warm to 180C.
  9. Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out on a floured surface into a long rectangular strip. Take the cooled filling mix and spoon it in a line down the centre. Try to make it a consistent width all along, so that the rolls will be evenly filled.
  10. Brush one long edge with the beaten egg. Lift up the other long edge, so that the pastry folds over the filling and tucks in under its other side. Roll the whole length over so that it sits on top of the egg-brushed edge. Gravity will then help the rolls seal, and no one will be able to see the join!
  11. Cut into individual rolls and place on a metal tray lined with baking paper. Prick with a fork, brush the tops and sides with the beaten egg, and sprinkle over the nigella seeds. Place in the oven for up to 25 mins. Keep an eye on them and remove earlier if they are looking browned to your taste.
  12. Serve up with your favourite ketchups and table sauces for dipping, and absolutely no cutlery. Your guests have full permission to eat and dip with their fingers.

Customise It!

This dish is about using up what you have, so switch up the veg to include a brown onion, garlic, celery, mushrooms etc. Herbs and coriander would go well. Stick with the kidney beans and tomatoes, though, as these give the texture the filling needs to hold its shape. You could add a line of grated cheese alongside the filling, before you roll it up, and the cheese will then melt as they cook. Be daring – if it seems a good idea for you to include it, go for it!

For the ADK playlist, here’s a track from another Scottish band we played a lot when we were away, but I didn’t quite get to feature on any of my travel-related posts. They have also just announced a tour next year, which I am hoping I can get tickets for – I saw them live the last time they toured and enjoyed them very much. This is Texas with In Our Lifetime.

Categories
Blog Snacks

Hit the North!

Travelling around Scotland for the past month in our motorhome has been super fun, but all great things must come to an end. We are now gradually making our way back home, and have broken up the journey by spending a few days sampling the delights of the North of England.

My main photo above shows the Yorkshire Dales, taken from a walk along Leyburn Shawl. I love Wensleydale cheese, which is made not far away in the town of Hawes. It is a pale cheese with a chalky and crumbly texture, and is readily available in the local shops.

I enjoyed this Leek and Wensleydale Pastry Roll that we picked up in a local deli.

Warmed up in the motorhome’s oven, it was delicious, served with slaw we made from fresh veg bought in a local farm shop.

In this part of the world they also serve a wedge of Wensleydale cheese with a slice of fruit cake – see below.

I have had this before, and liked it, so ordered it again at an afternoon tea stop in a local cafe. The combination may sound a little odd, but the tastes actually complement eachother and work well together. When you think that there are other rich fruited puddings and desserts that are served with a dairy-based product, like cream or custard, it’s maybe not that strange a choice. The fact that the cheese is missing any sweetener doesn’t seem to matter, as there is so much sugar in the cake!

I am interested to know if there are any other parts of the world where fruit cake is served with a slice of cheese? Answers welcome in the comments below, please.

The Yorkshire wit is nearly as sharp as their cheese – what about this sign welcoming us to our stopover site for the night.

Don’t worry anyone, there was no cause for concern. Everyone had a good laugh about the sign – the Yorkshire welcome is a very warm one wherever you go.

By the time this post is published, I will be back home. I hope you have enjoyed the posts from my trip. It’s been a celebration of some of the culture and natural beauty that the UK has to offer, as viewed through my usual lens of Good Food, Great Music. We have tried to buy and eat local, and feature some of our great regional food and drink.

And speaking of Great Music, spending a few days in the North makes me think of this wonderful earworm of a track from The Fall. They’re not Scottish, or from Yorkshire, but I did nod respectfully to the memory of Mark E. Smith as we passed Manchester on the M62. And played this on the motorhome stereo: The Fall with Hit the North – Part 1.

Categories
Blog Snacks

Waterfront

Next stop on our motorhome tour of Scotland is Falkirk, to see the giant horse statues known as the Kelpies. And what a beautiful and impressive sight they are! Standing 30m tall, they tower over the many visitors from far and wide who rock up every day to see them.

The Kelpies can be found alongside the Forth and Clyde Canal, which for many years was key to Scotland’s industrial revolution. Joining the River Clyde with the Firth of Forth, it was in its day the main route by which goods could be transported from Glasgow on the west coast to Grangemouth on the east coast, and from there on to new markets in the Baltic and Russia. Strong, heavy set horses, known as kelpies were central to the operation. Led along the canal towpath by hand, they would haul the goods-laden boats behind them, making their way towards the coastal ports.

The Canal fell into disuse in the 1930s and was shut in the 1960s, rendered obsolete by the newer forms of transport of road and rail. However, in 2001 it was reopened, and is now mainly for leisure and recreational use, with new businesses and hospitality outlets popping up in its vicinity. The creation of artist Andy Scott, the Kelpies followed in 2013.

Another impressive sight is the Falkirk Wheel, an engineering wonder that opened in 2001, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal, even though the canals are on completely different levels.

It does this by picking up a boat from the lower canal (the Forth and Clyde) and rotating 180 degrees to release it on to the upper canal (the Union). In this way, it enables uninterrupted travel by water from Glasgow to Edinburgh.

The Wheel is also now a major tourist attraction for the area. Together, it’s all a great example of technology, art and culture driving economic regeneration in a post-industrial landscape.

We returned after dark to see the Kelpies illuminated. We weren’t disappointed.

The coloured lights are constantly changing, and the horses are visible from miles around.

Foody highlight on this part of our trip was the Selkirk Bannock. I have featured this before on A Different Kitchen, when it was given to us as a gift from a friend who had visited the Scottish Borders area, from whence it comes (read much more about this traditional Scottish delicacy on my original post here). I have been looking out for it as I was keen to taste some while away on this trip – on its home turf, so to speak.

A rich tea loaf, packed with fruit, I had it served here toasted with melting butter and jam, alongside a pot of tea. Perfect for elevenses or a refined afternoon tea. Delicious!

Continuing the recent chain of Scottish bands featured on the ADK Playlist, here is a great track by Glasgow’s Simple Minds, that might just also have been inspired by the historic local setting of the Forth and Clyde Canal. This is Waterfront.

Categories
Breakfast Recipes

500 Miles?

We have walked a fair few miles so far on our motorhome tour of Scotland, though perhaps not quite the 500 that Scots duo Craig and Charlie – The Proclaimers – sing about in their popular singalong folk anthem.

My main photo above was taken on one such walk through terrific scenery – along the Aberdeenshire coast from Stonehaven to the centuries-old silhouetted ruins of Dunnottar Castle. Very gothic.

A hearty, filling breakfast is essential before setting out on a hike like this. It will probably come as no surprise that breakfast meal of choice on this trip has been Scots porridge oats. The classic Scots dish is incredibly nutritious, oats being a good source of fibre and healthy fats. Add in some fruit, nuts and seeds and you’ll have all the fuel you need for an active day in the great Scottish outdoors.

My version of porridge may not necessarily be one for the purists, as it is made in the motorhome’s microwave oven. However, it is is made entirely from local ingredients that we have picked up from shops, been gifted or, ahem, scrumped en route.

The core ingredients are oats and milk, the oats puffing up as they warm in the heat of the milk. To this I add at least one fresh fruit. At a small, very remote, rural site that we camped on in the Borders, the farmer told us to help ourselves to the plump fresh blackberries from the hedges. These work well in porridge as they burst in the heat, flavouring and colouring the oats purple.

Scottish raspberries work just as well, giving the porridge a pinkish hue.

Another pitch in Aberdeenshire was in an orchard, where we were offered as many crisp apples from the trees as we wished. Chopped apple is great stirred into the warm oats.

We have also picked up various sprinkles at refilleries in Oakham and Stonehaven – chopped nuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and some dried fruit. Refilleries are great for motorhoming as it’s possible to buy and carry on board just the quantity required.

The method is simple. Put 4 – 5 tablespoons of Scottish oats in a microwavable bowl, and cover it in semi-skimmed milk. Add in berries if using.

Microwave on full for around 3 mins, stirring half way through. Keep an eye on it, and when it starts to bubble up the sides of the bowl, remove it.

You may need to act pronto here, otherwise it can easily erupt, volcano-like, all over the sides of the bowl making a holy mess of your microwave.

Stir in your sprinkles of choice, a swirl of local honey if you like, and enjoy. With this warm, hearty fuel inside you, you’ll be ready for a healthy outdoor hike. Even if it’s not quite as far as Craig and Charlie’s. Here are the Proclaimers with I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).

Categories
Bakes Blog Desserts

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

At this point on our motorhome tour of Scotland we are at Brora, a small Highlands village on the north-east coast. Our camp site is a golf ball’s throw from a massive, deserted golden beach. I say a golf ball’s throw because, to reach the beach, you must first of all carefully traverse one of the many links courses that can be found along the Scottish coast.

The beach then stretches for 2 miles, along which there are several benches where it’s possible to sit to take in the views (like this one in my photo below), and listen to the sounds of the gently rolling waves.

The walk along the beach leads to this picturesque little harbour, where each afternoon we watched the fishing boat come in from the North Sea to unload the day’s catch.

Everywhere is beautifully maintained, with a real sense that the local community take great pride in their surroundings.

As if this is not idyllic enough, the village has an amazing cake shop, Cocoa Skye. On our first day, we shared a slice of hummingbird cake with our americanos. I hadn’t come across this type of cake before, but once the waitress explained how it was made, I just had to try it. It tastes like carrot cake but with pieces of banana and pineapple, with a reassuringly sweet and creamy frosted topping and chopped nuts. I will definitely be trying to recreate this cake when I get home!

On the next day, my choice was this raspberry and almond bakewell, which was also delicious.

Mild weather, beautiful views, a golden beach and delicious cake. A heavenly combination that brings to mind this track from the Eurythmics, featuring the voice of Scotland’s Annie Lennox: Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).

Categories
Bakes Blog

Scone With The Wind

We have now reached the north coast on our motorhome tour of Scotland. The scenery here is wild and rugged, with sheer cliff faces where you peer down on powerful spraying waves crashing aggressively on to craggy, inaccessible rocky stacks.

The views are spectacular, looking directly across the foaming sea to the Orkney Isles – a barren and forbidding landscape dotted with abandoned crofters’ cottages. To the west is Dunnet Head, the most northerly point of the British Isles mainland.

And yet, our coastal walk soon brought us to a gentle cove, with a sandy beach where the seabirds fed and the seals lolloped playfully in the shallows. Nature at its wildest and best.

A constant is the steady onshore wind. It is this which gives its name to a little tea shop we came across. Scone With The Wind is no more than a wooden summerhouse in a local garden, where those brave souls hiking the coast can help themselves to homemade scones, tea and jam.

They are baked by the owner who lives in the house nearby. All that is asked in return is that you put a cash donation in an honesty box.

If you wish, you can sit down at one of the tables and enjoy the coastal view while you eat. The table cloths, china and napkins I think are a very civilised touch.

On the day of our visit, the flavours were Plain (Well Fired) and Cheese & Herb. We took ours away (having made our donation) and ate them later, spread with butter alongside a cup of tea, on a picnic between motorhome stopovers.

The owner also makes available any leftover one-day-old scones without any request for a donation. Callers are merely asked to Pay It Forward i.e. carry out a similar act of kindness to someone else in turn.

Now there’s a concept that could potentially reshape the world economy: what if we just decided to replace money with random acts of kindness to others as payment in commercial transactions?

Makes you think – and it all starts with a Scottish homemade scone.

We’ve been playing a lot of Scottish artists and bands over Android Auto as we drive along in the motorhome, especially as DAB radio doesn’t seem to have reached the Highlands yet. Here’s a track that goes well with the rugged landscapes we’ve been travelling through, featuring Stuart Adamson’s unmistakable bagpipe-guitar sound. Big Country with In a Big Country.

Categories
Mains Recipes

Korean Salmon Noodles

Here’s another tasty dish using the Korean Sauce recipe you can find in my Korean Pulled Pork Sandwich post. The Sauce is really is versatile and, once made up and in a jug in the fridge, it can spice up and make more interesting a variety of other dishes.

In today’s offering, it serves both as a topping for baked salmon, and as a stir fry sauce for veg, served over noodles as shown in my photo above.

Servings

A main meal for 2.

Timings

With a batch of the Sauce already made up, this dish takes a further 15 – 20 mins.

You Will Need

  • a jug of Korean Sauce – follow here for the recipe
  • 2 salmon fillets
  • 1 onion
  • a few mushrooms, chopped
  • half a green pepper, and half a red pepper, cut into strips
  • 1 pack of fresh beansprouts
  • 1 pad of dried noodles
  • a few scallions, chopped

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 180C. Grease a roasting tray and place the salmon fillets in it. With a basting brush, spread a few spoonfuls of the Korean sauce over the top of the fillets and place in the oven for 15 – 20 mins.
  2. Heat some oil in a wok and chuck in the onions, mushrooms and peppers. Stir fry until the veg is all nicely charred. Add in the beansprouts and a few spoonfuls of the Korean sauce. Stir again so that all the veg is coated in the sauce.
  3. Place the noodles in a pan of boiling water for about 2 mins, then drain.
  4. Serve the stir fried veg over a bed of noodles, topped with the salmon fillet. Garnish with chopped scallions.

Customise It!

Mix up the stir fried veg as you wish – bok choi, mange tout or carrot sticks would all be excellent. Sprinkle sesame seeds over if you like – they go really well with the Korean Sauce.

Next track for the ADK Playlist is from a band whose music I have been exploring recently. I always thought PSB stood for Purple Sprouting Broccoli, but now I know it also stands for Public Service Broadcasting. They make an interesting sound, incorporating samples from classic, archived audio files, with clear influences including David Bowie and Kraftwerk. Here’s a track to introduce them by, using Mission Control’s commentary on the moon landing. This is Public Service Broadcasting with Go!