Tag: Food

Categories
Bakes Mains Recipes

Spicy Veg Strudel

Strudel – isn’t that a German dessert with spiced apple? Well, yes that’s true. However, I had the idea of making a savoury version with a vegetarian filling and, instead of a dusting of icing sugar, topping it with a sprinkling of nigella seeds.

Once you’ve made the filling and let it cool, it is fairly quick to put together, especially as I’ve used a pack of pre-made puff pastry. It’s fun to make, as you’ll see from the photos below, and looks great when it emerges from the oven.

Servings

A tea time meal for 2.

Timings

15 mins to make the filling, and 10 mins to roll it up. About 25 mins in the oven at 180C.

You Will Need

  • drop of oil
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • half a red onion
  • 4 – 5 mushrooms
  • 1 celery stick
  • 1 400g tin of kidney beans
  • 1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
  • a handful of fresh coriander
  • a few leaves of kale or spring greens
  • half a 500g pack of puff pastry (i.e. 250g)
  • a little milk for basting
  • a handful of nigella seeds

Method

  1. Put the onion, celery and mushrooms in a food processor with blade fitted and blitz until finely chopped (but not pureed).
  2. Warm the oil, garlic, chilli powder and cumin seeds in a pan till sizzling. Add the blitzed vegetables and leave for a few minutes to soften.
  3. In the meantime, put the kidney beans, tomatoes, coriander and kale/greens into the food processor and blitz again till finely chopped (but not pureed). Tip into the frying pan.
  4. Give it all a good stir and leave to cook. You want the water to evaporate leaving a thick, mixed vegetable paste that will hold its shape and not be runny. Leave to cool, and turn the oven on to 180C.
  5. Open the pack of puff pastry and cut in half, putting one half back in the fridge to use another time. Roll the other half out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface, to make a rectangle approx. 40cm x 20cm.
  6. Cut a piece from each of the corners as shown in the first photo below. Make cuts in each side to about one third of the way across, again as shown in the first photo. It should look like a Christmas tree on it’s side, with a top and bottom, and branches about 1 – 2cm thick.
  7. Place the cooled filling along the centre (the trunk of the tree). It is important that it has cooled, otherwise it will start to melt the uncooked pastry.
  8. Tuck in the flaps at the top and the bottom, then fold in each of the arms alternately, as shown.
  9. Baste with the milk, sprinkle over the nigella seeds.
  10. Place in the oven for about 25 mins or until golden brown.
  11. Serve by cutting off slices of your preferred size (see my main photo at the top of this post).

Customise It!

A food processor is ideal for making the mix, as it needs to be finely chopped to mesh and bind together to make the filling. However, you could chop the veg finely with a knife and mash it all with a masher while in the pan, if you need to.

Feel free to add or swap in other veg and spices. Peppers add colour, as will chopped or grated carrot, for example.

The pastry and the filling ingredients make this a self-contained, balanced meal in itself, perhaps just accompanied by some red or brown ketchup. You could serve with a salad if you wish.

This went down very well the first time I made it, to the extent that I have made it again with different fillings. It is easy once you’ve mastered the latticing technique shown in the photos. I will feature another of the fillings in my weekend post.

For choice of music, I think it’s time we added something by The Chemical Brothers to the ADK Playlist – here’s Let Forever Be.

Categories
Bakes Desserts Recipes

Cappuccino Cake

Hats off to our friends at Waitrose for this week’s recipe bake, an ideal cake for coffee lovers. With a sponge base made from real coffee, topped with a coffee cream frosting and a sprinkling of cocoa powder, it’s no surprise that this is given the title of Cappuccino Cake.

Servings

About 8 generous slices.

Timings

15 mins to prepare, 40 mins to bake.

You Will Need

  • 100g butter
  • 3 tbsp single cream
  • 2tbsp black coffee (made from ground coffee if poss, but instant will do)
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 50g light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 100g self-raising flour
  • half tsp salt
  • 100g mascarpone
  • 3 tbsp icing sugar
  • cocoa powder for dusting

Method

  1. Warm the oven to 170C. Grease and line a 450g (1lb) loaf tin.
  2. Heat the cream and coffee in a microwave till mixed, then allow to cool.
  3. In a separate bowl, take 1 tsp of the cooled coffee cream and mix with the mascarpone. Set aside to chill in the fridge for use as frosting.
  4. Cream the butter and sugars with an electric mixer. Gradually beat in the eggs, vanilla and the rest of the coffee cream.
  5. Fold in the flour and salt, and combine to a smooth batter. Scrape into the lined loaf tin and bake for 40 mins.
  6. Transfer to a rack to cool.
  7. While the cake is cooling, finish off the frosting. Combine the chilled coffee mascarpone with the icing sugar and beat together with an electric mixer. Spread over the top of the cooled cake, and dust with the cocoa powder for that cappuccino effect.

Customise it!

If you are ok with nuts, you could add around 75g chopped walnuts to the sponge batter, effectively turning this into a cappuccino-topped coffee and walnut cake.

You can make the black coffee as strong as you wish – why not take the 2 tbsp required from a dark espresso, while you drink the rest.

Turning to choice of music, this week we heard the sad news of the passing of Andy Rourke, bass player in The Smiths. Andy was responsible for many wonderful bass lines in the band’s music, and here is one example – This Charming Man.

Categories
Bakes Recipes Snacks

Choc & Sea Salt Cookies

It’s sensory overload time with a double hit of sheer indulgence. Bite into one of these cookies for a taste of rich, buttery dark chocolate, closely followed by a wave of sea saltiness. Add chopped fruit, nuts, seeds or even white or dark chocolate pieces for even more heavenly pleasure.

The inspiration for these cookies came from a recipe by culinary legend Nigella Lawson, so thank you Nigella. She added pumpkin seeds to hers, which I am sure would also taste divine.

Servings

This makes 12 cookies.

Timings

15 mins to make, 15 mins to bake.

You Will Need

  • 50g butter
  • 70g caster sugar
  • 50g soft light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 80g plain flour
  • 35g cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp bicarb of soda
  • 80g choc chips
  • 80g mixed fruit and chopped nuts
  • a few twists of sea salt from a grinder

Method

  1. Turn the oven on and heat to 180C.
  2. Beat together the butter and sugars in a bowl, with an electric mixer. Add the egg and vanilla and mix again.
  3. In a second bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, bicarb and a few twists of the sea salt.
  4. Combine the contents of the two bowls and stir together with a spatula to mix. Fold in the choc chips, fruit and nuts.
  5. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the mix into 12 lumps, rounding each gently between your palms, roughly into the shape of a ball. Place each on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Don’t crowd them – they will flatten into discs as they bake, so leave a few cm of space around each one. Use a second tray if necessary.
  6. Before placing in the oven, grab that sea salt grinder again and give them all a twist or two over the tops. Place in the oven and cook for 10 – 15 mins. Keep an eye on them so they don’t overcook.
  7. When removed from the oven, allow them to rest on the warm tray for a few minutes, during which time they will start to firm up. Then carefully lift each one with a spatula on to a wire rack to cool.
  8. The cookies can be eaten warm or when cold – they are delicious either way. They will also keep in a sealed box for 2 – 3 days, though I guarantee they will all be eaten before then!

Customise It!

Mix the added fillings to your taste. In place of the fruit and nuts, you could add biscuit pieces and mini marshmallows for a rocky road vibe. The next time I make these, I plan to add chilli flakes and lime zest.

Musical choice this time is a track I really like by Death in Vegas – Scorpio Rising. It features a guest vocal from the unmistakeable Liam Gallagher.

Categories
Recipes Snacks

Eurovision Popcorn

This weekend I am looking forward to watching the Eurovision Song Contest. It is, believe it or not, the 67th year of Eurovision. How much it has grown in that time, with hundreds of millions of viewers around the world each year, on TV and online.

This year is something of a one-off, however. The tradition is that the country that wins, hosts it in the subsequent year. 2022’s winner was Ukraine, immediately presenting a challenge as to the 2023 host. As most of you will have noticed, our friends in Ukraine are currently otherwise engaged in repelling an act of aggression from a neighbouring state, to the extent that hosting a massive, televised, international song contest is not exactly a top priority right now.

Step in the UK, who were runners-up in 2022 and have kindly offered to act as host this year. The musical extravanganza will take place on Saturday night, in Liverpool. The acts will follow in the footsteps of the city’s considerable pop music heritage, including the Beatles, Gerry & the Pacemakers, Echo & the Bunnymen, Teardrop Explodes, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, The Lightning Seeds, The Farm, and more…the list goes on. No pressure then!

Most of us in the UK have grown up with Eurovision as an annual event. In the early years, the UK had a reasonable degree of success, but wins, and indeed high rankings, have been hard to come by in recent years. The suspicion was that our well-publicised rejection of certain European institutions (I am refusing to mention the ‘B’ word) was translating into low scores from the juries of our neighbours. That theory was thrown into doubt last year, however, when Sam Ryder’s Space man came 2nd in the voting overall, teeing up the UK to act as surrogate host for Ukraine.

Over the years, Eurovision has grown into what is now a week-long event, with semi-finals in the lead-up to Saturday’s final. It’s a sign of its success, with so many more countries (including EU accession states from the former Soviet bloc, and even our friends down under in Australia – G’Day!) now wanting to associate themselves with membership of such a great European institution (I am still refusing to spoil the mood by mentioning the ‘B’ word).

Eurovision night is television party night, so get those finger foods ready. My staple, while watching the show live, will be homemade popcorn. The recipe for this is already posted, from my last major televised party occasion, the NFL Superbowl – please see Smoked Paprika Popcorn for details. It really is very easy to make, nutritious, fills the kitchen with a wonderful aroma and tastes great!

As it’s Eurovision, here are some alternative, themed options for toppings you can add at stage 6 in the recipe:

  • France: infuse a crushed clove of garlic in some olive oil, then shake over the popcorn to coat, with a few sprinkles of herbes de provence
  • Italy: drizzle over olive oil and a shake of pizza seasoning, then mix to combine
  • UK: drizzle rapeseed oil over the cooked popcorn, with a few twists of Cornish seasalt and cracked black pepper, then combine
  • Australia: an homage to our friends down under – mix a couple of tbsp Vegemite with the same amount of boiling water, to loosen, then coat the popcorn and mix

Feel free to come up with your own combinations for popcorn toppings and give them a try – German Mustard, Swiss chocolate, Balsamic vinegar and Scotland’s Irn Bru are all just waiting to take their place in this – a kind of crazy Eurovision Popcorn Contest, no less.

Musical choice for the ADK Playlist has to be the track that has brought Eurovision to the UK this year. Here is Sam Ryder with Space man.

Enjoy Eurovision, enjoy the popcorn.

Categories
Bakes Mains Recipes

Kale & Sweet Potato Flan

Now here’s a dish to help tackle the cost of living crisis. Not only will it feed the family on a budget, but the bright, neon-like orange beaming from the roasted sweet potatoes will mean you can switch the lights off for the evening and bask in its glow.

Ok, maybe a slight exaggeration, but the bright, cheerful sunshine colours of this savoury, vegetarian flan, as shown in the photo, are for real.

Timings

40 mins to prepare, and another 40 mins to bake.

Servings

4 generous portions.

You Will Need

  • 225g plain flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 100g margarine or spread
  • 2 – 3 tbsp cold water
  • 3 – 4 sweet potatoes
  • oil
  • 1 leek
  • half a red pepper
  • 8 or 9 leaves of kale
  • 1 egg
  • splash of milk
  • salt and pepper

Method

  1. Warm the oven to 180C.
  2. Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork and place in a metal dish. Chop the red pepper into pieces, drizzle with oil, and place alongside. Leave to roast in the oven for 30 mins.
  3. Chop the leek and place in a saucepan with a little oil, over a gentle heat. Leave to soften for around 10 – 15 mins.
  4. Steam the kale over a pan of boiling water for 10 mins.
  5. Prepare the pastry base by sieving the flour and salt into a food processor with blade fitted, then adding in the margarine or spread. Blitz till it resembles breadcrumbs. If you prefer, you can complete this stage with an electric mixer instead.
  6. Add in enough water to mix to a smooth dough, then tip out on to a lightly floured surface. Roll out to a size that fits the flan dish you will be using (mine shown is 22cm diameter).
  7. Grease and line the dish with a circle of baking paper, then place the pastry on top. Smooth out to the sides and trim any that is overhanging. Place in the fridge to chill for 10 mins.
  8. Scrunch up another piece of baking paper and then unroll it in the centre of the pastry dish. Fill with ceramic baking beans and place in the oven for 10 mins.
  9. While the pastry base is blind baking, you can combine the filling. Cut the roasted sweet potatoes down the middle and scrape out the soft orange flesh into a bowl. Mash it with a fork, still leaving a few lumps. Add in the roasted red pepper, and leave to cool slightly.
  10. Remove the pan of leek from the heat, and let cool slightly.
  11. Dry the steamed kale leaves between 2 slices of kitchen paper, then spread on a board and cut into shreds.
  12. For the final part of the filling, crack an egg into a jug. Add the splash of milk and season with salt and pepper.
  13. Take the pastry dish from the oven, removing the paper and baking beans. Spread the leek over the base, then top with the sweet potato and red pepper. Dot in the kale and, to finish, gently pour over the beaten egg/milk.
  14. Place back in the oven for 40 mins. Serve!

Customise it!

Stick with the combination of roasted sweet potato and steamed kale, but feel free to swap in other veg around this. I used roasted red pepper because I wanted to enhance the fiery sunshine appearance, but you could use green if you wish. Replace the leek with brown or red onion. Slices of celery would go well. Use your imagination, basically.

A few posts ago, I mentioned I was enjoying the most recent album from dance and electronica pioneers, Leftfield. Here’s another great track from it, which reminds me a little of Kraftwerk – City of Synths.

Categories
Bakes Recipes

Coronation Scones

Today I’m featuring a recipe that is, quite literally, fit for a King!

Across the UK this weekend, people will be watching history in the making, as our new King and Queen are crowned at Westminster Abbey, in London.

On Saturday, the procession route will be lined with Union Jack waving wellwishers, and those that can’t be there are able to watch the whole proceedings live on free to air TV. With all the pageantry on show, events are guaranteed to be quite some spectacle.

Sunday is the day for street parties in local communities, finishing with a major concert at Windsor Castle, also live on TV.

On Monday, we are being given a day’s national holiday so that we can recover from all this partying and excitement. Hey, we haven’t had one of these for 70 years, when most of us (me included) weren’t even alive. Coronations only come around once every few generations, so there’s no surprise it’s getting this much special attention.

Here’s what I’m making for our own local street party – a Coronation take on a Brit classic – the scone with jam and clotted cream. Served with a pot of tea, of course.

Happy and Glorious!

Servings

Makes 8 scones.

Timings

15 mins to prepare, 15 – 20 mins to bake at 180C.

You Will Need

  • 450g self-raising flour
  • 115g soft margarine or spread
  • 85g caster sugar
  • 85g sultanas
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 200ml milk
  • strawberry jam and clotted cream to serve
  • Union Jack flag to wave (optional)

Method

  1. Put the flour and margarine into a bowl and mix with an electric mixer until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  2. Stir in the sugar and sultanas.
  3. Mix in the egg, and gradually add in 150ml of the milk to make a soft dough.
  4. Turn it on to a floured surface and knead slightly. Roll out to a 2cm thickness.
  5. Stamp out circles with a 7cm diameter fluted biscuit cutter, and transfer to a baking sheet covered in a layer of baking paper. Reroll the dough as necessary till you have 8 shapes cut.
  6. Brush the tops with the remaining milk and bake for 15 – 20 mins at 180C.
  7. Serve warm or cold, split and topped with the jam and clotted cream.
  8. Wave a little Union Jack flag as you eat!

Customise It!

If you’re watching your cholesterol, you can replace the clotted cream with low fat spread. Other fruit jams, like raspberry or cherry, will work just as well if you prefer.

What better time than the Coronation to add some joyous Britpop to the ADK Playlist. I am sure Charles and Camilla would approve. Here’s Blur with Parklife.

Categories
Mains Recipes

Spinach & Liver Dhal

Here’s a spicy and comforting lentil dhal that features two good sources of iron – liver and spinach.

Iron is essential to maintaining good health, energy and stamina, with iron deficiency often cited as a cause of fatigue. It is particularly important in pregnancy, when the body’s demand for it increases.

Served up with warmed flatbreads for dipping, this will satisfy your tastebuds, as well as helping your body get what it needs to maintain drive and focus.

Servings

6 good adult portions.

Timings

About 30 – 40 mins to prepare and cook.

You Will Need

  • a swig of vegetable oil
  • 1 clove of garlic, crushed
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 – 5 mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 celery stick, chopped
  • 500g pork liver or lamb’s liver
  • 1 400g can of chopped tomatoes
  • 2 – 3 tomato can’s worth of cold water
  • a squidge of tomato puree
  • a swig of Worcester Sauce
  • 200g red lentils
  • 400g spinach
  • some warmed flatbreads, to serve

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a wok and add the spices. When sizzling, add in the onion, mushrooms and celery.
  2. Chop the liver into small pieces, removing and discarding any tough bits. Add the chopped liver to the wok and stir.
  3. When the liver is browned, add in the chopped tomatoes, water, puree and Worcester Sauce. Then add the lentils and stir.
  4. Wash the spinach, then gradually add it to the wok in large handfuls. At first, it will look as if there is too much, but it will soon wilt down as you immerse it in the liquid. Continue until all of it is in the dish.
  5. Let the wok simmer away for a further 15 – 20 mins. The lentils will soften and thicken while the liquid is reducing, resulting a in a rich warming sauce. Stop when it reaches the consistency you like.
  6. Grill the flatbreads on either side for a few minutes, then serve them with the dhal, scooped into a bowl (see my main photo above).

Customise It!

Feel free to add in other vegetables you like and/or have to hand. Chopped carrots and peppers will go down a treat. Most veg will go, really.

So if your iron levels, energy and drive are a little low, a bowl of this dhal may help restore them to more of a high. You may be thinking this all sounds like an elaborate ploy for me to feature Lo/Hi, one of my favourite tracks by Ohio’s The Black Keys, and add it to the ADK Playlist. Mmm er, yes that’s about right!

Categories
Blog

Hamble Spring Market

This Sunday we went to our first Hampshire Farmers’ Market of 2023, at the nearby village of Hamble. It took place down by the waterfront, where the River (also named the Hamble) meets the Solent (which in turn flows out to the English Channel).

As the sign above shows, it is actually possible to walk or cycle there via the England Coast Path. You can also ‘park and float’ from Warsash (on the other side of the River) via a great little ferry.

I always like visiting these local markets. The food is original and high quality, and it’s an opportunity to support independent producers in a sustainable economy. You can buy as much or as little as you wish, and packaging is minimal, as shoppers usually bring their own bags.

The sellers are generous with tasters and free samples. This adds a lot of fun and, like the produce itself, is not something you’d normally find in the branch of a big supermarket chain.

I’ll start with New Forest Shortbread. This lady bakes all her own in a 200 year-old cottage in Burley, in the centre of the Forest. I particularly liked the coffee shortbread, blended with Mozzo coffee roasted in Southampton.

A few weeks back, we were having a tomato shortage in our local shops. No chance of that now however, with this array of beauties grown just across the Solent on the Isle of Wight.

Lovers of charcuterie were also well served by this selection of spicy cured meats.

And why not combine this in a tasty sandwich, with some fresh sourdough bread.

We brought home a box of four fishcakes by Catch, who are based in Calshot, a little way along the coast. You can mix and match flavours, my fave being mackerel and beetroot.

Brownies are always a hit, especially when you have this amazing range of flavours to choose from.

Basingstoke’s Longdog Brewery were attracting a lot of interest with free tasters of their excellent beers….

…so much so that I just had to take home a bottle of Longdog IPA, which I enjoyed later.

It went down a treat sitting in the back garden listening to some music. A track came on my headphones which I hadn’t heard for some time, and I was reminded how great a song it was. Time to add it to the ADK Playlist, therefore. All the way from Montreal, here’s Arcade Fire with The Suburbs.

Cheers!

Categories
Bakes Recipes

Vegan Choc Cupcakes

As the egg shortage in our shops continues, so does my search for alternatives to the use of eggs in baking.

Today I’ve borrowed a great recipe for vegan vanilla cupcakes over on Tulsi’s Vegan Kitchen. Click on the link if you wish to see it – there is also a very helpful You Tube instruction video that I can recommend. Thank you, Tulsi!

So what takes the place of eggs in the recipe? Unsweetened almond milk, curdled with a tablespoon of vinegar (I used cider vinegar). I wondered if this would add sourness to the taste, but it absolutely doesn’t. It just replicates the use of buttermilk in baking, which adds taste and texture through its extra acidity.

The one development that I have made is to add 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the dry ingredients, turning mine into chocolate cupcakes, as you can see in my photo above. The mixture rises well and is very moist. An undoubted success!

This recipe, and the one in my previous post using avocado to give texture to a chocolate mousse, have certainly opened my eyes to the possibilities of egg-free baking.

In the music world this week, I’ve been enjoying exploring more of a certain band I’ve admired for some time. As well as listening to music while I cook, I also tune in with my ear pods while at the gym. I’ve discovered that this, the band’s most recent track, has the perfect beat and rhythm to work out to on the elliptical trainer (perfect for me, that is, coming in at 68-69 revolutions per minute). So once you’ve enjoyed the choc cupcakes, burn those calories and get the arms and legs pumping in sync with LCD Soundsystem – this is New Body Rhumba.

Categories
Desserts Recipes

Choc, Lime & Avocado Mousse

Avocados in a chocolate mousse? Surely not, I hear you say!

This week I have been researching egg-free dishes, as there is currently a shortage of eggs in our local shops here in the UK. Higher costs for farmers, and a cull of animals due to an outbreak of avian flu, are being given as the reasons for this. I understand this is also the case in some other parts of the world at the moment.

I’m seeing it as an opportunity to explore some recipes that don’t require eggs, so expect a little more of this over the next few posts. Here is the first – a rich, chocolatey mousse based on ripe avocado.

Servings

This will make 4 desserts.

Timings

10 mins to make, and then an hour chilling in the fridge before serving.

You Will Need

  • 2 large, ripe avocados
  • 3 tbsp cocoa powder
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 3 – 5 tbsp runny honey
  • 2 – 3 slices kiwi fruit, chopped into pieces
  • 0 eggs!

Method

  1. Chop the avocados in half and remove the stones. Scoop out the flesh into a food processor with blade fitted. Add in the cocoa, lime juice and honey and blitz to a smooth consistency.
  2. With a spatula, scrape the mousse into four pots for serving. I’ve used sherry glasses in the photo, but you could use ramekins or other small glasses if you wish. Top with the pieces of kiwi and place in the fridge to chill for 1 hour.
  3. Er, that’s it.

Customise It!

Cutting out the eggs is half way to making a vegan dessert, so why not go the whole way by replacing the honey with maple or agave syrup. You could also replace the kiwi with raspberries or cherries. Slices of banana, or chopped nuts, would be great also.

Turning to the ADK Playlist, I have still been buzzing this week after seeing Inspiral Carpets last weekend in London. It really was a great concert. Here is another of their tracks, this one reminding me of that memorable encore at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire – Commercial Reign.

https://open.spotify.com/track/2ERdxKQ5IJo41PqpQA7VNP?si=3389712cf1034a9e