CURRIED ROASTED PARSNIP AND APPLE SOUP

Soups do not come much simpler than this! As i said in the previous post we are eating healthy at present, so much of our food at present is not refined or finished with little goodies like butter. Apple is added to the soup to balance out the sweetness of the roasted Parsnip.


1.2 litres of stock(chicken or veg)
500g Parsnips
1 apple(cored,skin on)
1 medium onion
1 tbsp of medium curry powder
1 tsp of turmeric
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Thyme(garnish with fresh thyme)

Peel and quarter the parsnip,season with salt and pepper, add a little olive oil and roast in a hot oven till cooked through and crispy. Chop one onion and saute over a low heat in a little oil. When the onions are soft and translucent, season, add the apple and saute for three minutes, then the curry powder and turmeric, saute for a further two minutes(add a little stock if to dry). Add stock and parsnips bring to the boil, blend either with a stick blender or food processor.
Garnish with Thyme, serve.

This will make just under 2 litres of soup. We also make this soup with a little potato added, sometimes substituting 100g of the Parsnip.

BUBBLE AND SQUEAK

Childhood memories of Bubble, still fresh in the mind, crispy fried potatoes with leftover veg, gravy from yesterdays roast, maybe a little meat on the side if we were lucky!
Bubble and squeak is a traditional British dish, very similar to Colcannon the Irish favourite. Surprisingly this dish has a little lore to help it along with it own piece of cockney rhyming slang "BUBBLE AND SQUEAK- GREEK". The term bubble applies to the noise that the mashed potato makes when fried, and if cooked the traditional way as a giant Pattie is does indeed bubble as it cooks as for the squeak it is said that the cabbage makes it own noise, squeaking as it cooks!
Traditionally Cabbage is added or in place Brussels sprouts, in reality recipes evolve over time, i like too add some parsley and chives but this is in no way traditional. All manner of leftover veg can be added, but for now we will stick with good old Cabbage.

RECIPE;

500g floury potatoes
50g butter (unsalted)
200-400g Cabbage- shredded centre stalk removed
1 onion - sliced
20g flat parsley
10g chives
Sea salt
Black pepper
oil(olive,veg,sunflower)3-4 tbsp
Hot milk 1-3 tbsp (optional)


THE MASH

Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, drain, mash in the pan with butter,parsley and chives, season to taste with salt and pepper. If the mash is too dense you can add a little hot milk, but you do not want a wall paper paste consistency!

THE SQUEAK

Add half the oil to a heavy based saute pan, fry the onion and cabbage for 3 -4 minutes until softened. Season well with salt and pepper, add the mash.

THE BUBBLE

Press the mash firmly down into the pan and allow to cook for 4-5 minutes. You will find that the mash bubbles, hence the name! You will need at this point, to continue to keep the mash in contact with the base of the pan, a good crisp base is what we are looking for.
After or when satisfied that the base is crispy enough, place a suitable sized plate over the saute pan and invert so that the Pattie is now on the plate. Place the rest of the oil into the saute pan and slide the Pattie back in, uncooked side to the base of the pan, cook for a further 5 minutes or until satisfied with crispness.

Turn out onto a plate and serve immediately!

NOTES

Alternatively form into small Patties and fry until crisp on both sides! Bubble and squeak is great eaten as supper or as a breakfast dish with fried eggs and bacon or even served alone, or with eggs. Traditionally eaten on mondays or the day after a roast.This is a dish of thrift using leftovers, fresh ingredients really shine when paired with mash and fried. Broccoli,kale and sprouts are all good, adjust cooking times accordingly. As kids all manner of veg would appear from cauliflower to carrots.

CAULIFLOWER CHEESE

Being truthful i was never a fan of cauliflower as a child. Why oh why would i want to eat something that looks cross between an albino brain and a bonsai tree on steroids?
Well there are several reasons really, Honest! Cauliflowers are nutritious, low in calories, cheap and have super food status - Unfortunately when your a child none of these reasons really amount too much! That is until you pour a good cheese sauce over the florets and bake in an oven.
Thankfully as I've matured so has my palette, so i find myself enjoying just cooked cauliflower with a sprinkle of sea salt and a turn of black pepper, with the cheese sauce as a treat occasionally. Cauliflower cheese although often relegated to veggie frozen food fodder, should be a treat. A good cauliflower cheese can stand alone or be served as a side say with roast meats, particularly roast beef!

RECIPE;
Serve 4 as a side dish or 2 as a main.

1 lge head of cauliflower(outer foliage removed)
200g mature Cheddar(grated)
1 small onion
400ml of milk(semi or whole)
75g unsalted butter
50g plain flour
5 black peppercorns(whole)
3 cloves(whole)
1 bay leaf(torn)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
5 tsp double cream(optional)
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese(optional)
Pinch of chilli powder(optional)
Pinch of ground mace(optional)
Nutmeg to taste
Sea salt and ground pepper(Please remember that pepper has already been used and that you may have sufficient salt from the cheese).

METHOD;
Roughly chop the onion and place in a pan with the milk,cloves,black pepper corns and the bay leaf. Bring to the boil, take off heat and set aside to infuse for 20 minutes.
Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil(1 tsp of salt per a litre of water).Trim Cauliflower of foliage, cut into bite sized florets. Cook for 8-10 minutes,drain and reserve.
Just before the end of the milk infusion time, melt the butter in a saucepan, once melted gradually sieve plain flour into the butter, stirring to form a roux. This is the basis of the white sauce. Once a smooth paste has formed-free of lumps, strain the infused milk into the roux, whilst stirring at all times. Once incorporated gradually add the cheese. Once smooth add Dijon mustard and double cream-if using.
Adjust seasoning if required and add optional mace and/or chilli if desired.
Placed reserved Cauliflower florets into an ovenproof dish and pour on the cheese sauce, place into a preheated oven 190/375f/gas 5 for 15 minutes, remove, add a grating of nutmeg too taste and the Parmesan cheese. Return too the oven and remove when browned.

NOTES;

While not a standard cheese sauce for cauliflower, and probably not the easiest recipe around the effort is worth it, as they say the proof is in the pudding!
All manner of extra ingredients could be used crispy bacon or pancetta could be added along with breadcrumbs for the final browning. Chopped chives,horseradish sauce or English mustard could be used instead. You could add cooked pasta too the recipe for a hybrid of Macaroni cheese. Really, variations could be endless.

SPICED RED LENTIL SOUP WITH CARROT

Is it not funny how some ingredients you eat time and time again but never actually cook. This has always been the case with lentils, but boy can i eat them, but never have i cooked them -that is until now! I am not ashamed to admit that i have nearly purchased on many occasions but shy away, probably through fear of a kitchen disaster. So i found myself with a 500g packet of red split lentils, a handful of ideas - but the last of the weeks shopping. Not a problem as i have always prided myself on the ability to make good use of leftovers and sparse ingredients!

THE RECIPE;

SERVES 6;
250g red split lentils (washed and drained)
6 medium carrots (roughly chopped)
3 tbsp of olive oil
1 large onion (sliced)
1 litre of good chicken stock or veg stock
1 tbsp of tomato puree plus 1 teaspoon
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
2 cm piece of fresh ginger (finely chopped)
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp of cumin (freshly ground)
1 tsp of coriander (freshly ground)
10 black peppercorns (freshly ground)
1 tsp of turmeric
Sea salt

METHOD;
Heat a large enough pan with the olive oil, once hot add the onions,garlic and ginger and saute for 5 minutes (do not allow to burn). After 5 minutes add the spices and tomato puree - cook for 1 minute, add the carrots cook for a further minute then add the stock and lentils. Bring to the boil and allow to cook for 10 minutes, then turn down the heat and simmer for a further 35 minutes. You will more than likely have to top up with boiling water during simmering, how much depends on how thick you like your soup. Check for seasoning during cooking, but be aware of salt levels if not using homemade stock.

NOTE;
This is a very economical dish to make, and very healthy, you could cut back on the olive oil to 2 tbsp. You do not have to stop at just the soup. Various garnishes could be added on serving or just eat with Naan or flat bread. A small knob of unsalted butter in each dish is a welcome addition and some crisp fried onions could be added great texture.

SALAD

What can be better on a summers evening than freshly picked leaves from the garden, soft boiled eggs and croutons with a little fresh dressing made in the present. Well lots really but those things that are better are normally not attainable. What little summer we actually have in the UK, we better make the most of , as like all good things they don't tend to last. With the short season for asparagus and new potatoes nearly over, and fresh broad beans and peas making an appearance it will not be long before autumn will be upon us with the next batch of fresh ingredients. Back to the present do our salads have to be complicated or will simple really do? Simple is best, what do you really need too do, to freshly picked produce? Now freshly picked is a new term being coined in our household having taken the plunge to try and grow some of our own food. With the allotment on the go, some enthusiasm and a very heavy handed fiance who at the beginning of our foray into the garden was more akin to killing off our baby plants while trying to transplant them into larger pots(it should be noted that i have not put as much effort in as the baby plant killer and neither do i possess her new found skills in the world of horticulture, and all references to this homicdal maniac are purely of a light hearted note). After the first mishaps, we reluctantly replanted and lo and behold we have our first crop, and boy is it good too eat fresh leaves that we have actually grown, but what to do? Keep it simple, in all honesty the leaves only need a light dressing of oil and vinegar, a little seasoning then on to the fork into the mouth. I love simple salads, spend some time in Italy and you get a salad of leaves with a dressing nothing complicated just fresh. When we do buy in asparagus we pair with a little butter and lemon, this believe me is heaven. If we feel the need to impress a little hollandaise sauce or a nice buttery sabayon, but why go to all that effort when the ingredients are fresh and so bloody tasty. When the tomatoes come -again a light dressing and some torn basil leaves, salt and pepper, leaves paired with soft boiled egg and croutons are a delight. Try Making your own croutons -it's dead easy, what i do is find some day old bread cut into cubes, rub a baking tray with some garlic for a hint of background flavour, pour a little olive oil on the tray and toss your bread in the oil so that it just coats but not saturates, season then put into a pre - heated oven for 8-10 minutes or until as crispy as required. I have debated about giving recipes for salad, but leaves, oil and acid can not really be described as a recipe more a method. Fresh herbs can be used in your salads and what you have to hand rather than a regimented amount or type. In reality there are well known herb combinations like cucumber and mint, fresh peas with mint will make a great salad with a little ham but dill is just as famous as a pairing for cucumber as well as fresh broad beans, dill is also great with finely sliced fennel. Tomatoes and basil is another well known combination, try chives with tomatoes, and a little shallot or red onion. A little chervil or parsley with your leaves or a hint of thyme in your dressing will all work wonders or use a little thyme with whatever leaves you choose. Parsley and garlic a classic Italian combination, try finding a way to incorporate these into your fresh produce and you will be happy. A little cheese combined with your salad can lift a simple salad to new meaning, and being realistic a little good quality mozzarella with fresh tomatoes and olive oil is tasty as can be, feta is a well known cheese used in salads although not to my taste. Fresh rocket with a little hard cheese such as grana pandano,parmasen or a nice pecorino is a loving match, tart this up with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar a nice hunk of crusty bread, sat in the garden or failing that anywhere you like your front room if need be, you could be forgiven for feeling all Mediterranean.

The health giving benefits of a fresh salad are not to be dismissed, but be aware even the so called fresh leaves in sealed bags harbour chlorine and crap to keep the product fresher for longer. We actually stopped buying salad packed like this two years ago, and will now only buy open lettuce. Back to oil and dressings with all the crap that is found to be circulating about oil being bad for you, the high calorie content, people still go and stock there fridge with store bought processed dressings that harbour all kinds of unsavoury ingredients such has saturated fats and trans fatty acids. A home made dressing is not only better tasting but cheaper, less calorific and actually good for you. Remember you control the sodium not some board room director with huge profits in mind at the expense of your health and waistline. I think even worse are the half fat dressings, although they might contain half the fat they usually contain twice the sodium, and encourage people to use twice as much, which in turn defeats the object as you are back to square one. So the moral of this long winded rant would be buy some cheap pots and a little compost, a packet of salad leaf seeds(cut and come again variety) and plant your own, then reap the benefits! Not only is this healthier and more tasty there is a certain amount of satisfaction to be had from seed to table in the comfort of your own backyard, or failing that a window box or sunny window sill!

LAMB AND PARSNIP CURRY

Consider a variation on a theme, could this be true of all curries? Each and every curry appears on the outside as a variation within a region! Cast your mind to a matinee performance. A matinee will be made up of several components, with the behind the scenes crew, minor actors and of course the stars of the show! How does this relate to a curry, well if you think of behind the scenes, spices come to mind, with the stars of the show being the main ingredients in this case the lamb and parsnip. I don't agree with that statement for one minute surely the stars are behind the scenes, these are the components that bring this dish alive! If the crew behind the scenes are musty, old and past there sell by date what hope have the so called stars of the show to shine.

I have been cooking curries for as long as i can remember with varied results. In truth i am a little scared of curries, not the heat but the margin of error that can be achieved with little effort.

It amazes me that friends of mine who are not usually associated with the kitchen claim to be a deft hand at the humble art of the curry! In my eyes it takes a good cook to make a good curry. In the west we were not bought up to watch mother, auntie or uncle lovingly prepare masala, spice blends or curry pastes! We were bought up with takeaways cooked by migrant workers, which in Britain gave birth to the anglicised curry! Which in it's own right has been voted the nations favourite dish. Tikka masala with it's roots emerging from that old Delhi favourite butter chicken, madras and Balti to name but a few, are all curries that were adapted to suit palates and environment, so here we come to my Lamb and parsnip curry although an anglicised curry and tasty one at that, it is worth a try with little skill required.



THE RECIPE;

Serves 4



SPICE MIX

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

5 cloves

6 black peppercorns

8 green cardamon pods(pods discarded)



GARLIC AND GINGER PASTE

10g fresh ginger

10g garlic

Pinch of salt

Using a pestle and mortar grind the ginger and garlic together with a pinch of salt until you achieve a smooth paste.



THE REST

4 tbsp of veg oil

400g lamb( i prefer to use boned leg)

4 medium parsnips(woody cores removed)

4 tbsp of plain yoghurt

2 bay leaves

1 lge onion(cut into slices)

1 400g tin of tomatoes

1 tsp of chilli powder

1 tsp of turmeric

1 medium green chilli( seeds left and sliced into rounds)

200 ml of water

salt

GARNISH

1 handful of fresh coriander

1 handful of fresh mint(optional)

A handful being a bunch finely chopped and scrunched up in the hand until you make a fist.

METHOD;

Prepare the lamb,parsnips and onion and set aside. Grind the spice mix in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder, and set aside. Heat the oil in a heavy based saute pan and add the the garlic and ginger puree, fry for 1 minute then add the onion and cook until softened, add the spice mix and the lamb, cook for a further two minutes before adding the tomatoes, chilli powder and turmeric, stir to combine then add the water and bay leaves. Add the parsnips and allow to simmer until tender(30-35 minutes). Towards the end add the yoghurt and green chilli and stir through, cooking for a further 10 minutes before adding the coriander leaves. If using the mint add when plated as a garnish to avoid the unpleasant discolouration.

SHEPHERD'S PIE

Although similar in composition to cottage pie, a shepherd's pie is actually made with lamb rather than beef! A quick recipe search on the net earlier turned up an alarming amount of shepherd's pie recipe's that called for the inclusion of beef. Left over meats were traditionally used, with the dish often making an appearance in the preceding days after a roasted joint had been cooked. This is a very simple recipe, that does not call for much skill on the part of the cook!



THE RECIPE;

serves 4

500g lamb mince
1kg of floury potatoes
Butter
Optional milk for mashing
500ml lamb stock or chicken stock
250 ml red wine
3 carrots
2 sticks of celery
2 onions
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp tomato puree
3 tbsp Worcester sauce
1 tbsp of plain flour
1 tbsp of fresh thyme
1 tbsp of rosemary
2 tbsp of olive oil or vegetable oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper


METHOD;

Finely chop the garlic and dice the vegetable's into small cubes, reserve. Brown the mince in a saute pan, once browned drain the fat and reserve the mince. Add 2 tbsp of oil to the pan and saute the carrot for 2 minutes followed by the onion and celery, once softened add the garlic, and season, then cook for 2 minutes and return the mince to the pan, cook for 2 minutes before adding 1 tbsp of plain flour(sieved). Cook for a further minute and add tomato puree and Worcester sauce, stir to combine, cook for an additional 2 minutes before adding the red wine and stock, add the thyme and rosemary and allow the pan to simmer on the hob for a further 35 minutes, while checking for seasoning from time to time. Peel and boil the potatoes until tender and mash with the butter and milk if desired, and give a good seasoning of salt and pepper.
Transfer the lamb to a suitable oven dish and top with mash potato, forming a pattern with the back of a fork or leaving the potato rough! Transfer to a pre-heated oven (190c/375F/gas 5) and cook for 35-40 minutes and the top is nice and browned.

Good served with seasonal vegetables.

NOTE;
Mashing the potato with olive oil instead of butter will give a lighter and healthier version, and will assist the mash in browning during the oven cooking phase of this dish! The mash can be added with the aid of a piping bag, or spooned over the top the method is a personal choice!

PANCAKE FU YOUNG

A vegetarian version of a Fu Young dish. This recipe is using a pancake as a base rather than the traditional egg omelette. The beauty of this dish is that you can use any vegetables you have to hand. The Fu young is really a folded omelette with an assortment of Chinese ingredients.

THE RECIPE;

4 pancakes

2 cloves of garlic(finely chopped)

1 chilli- seeds removed and sliced

1" piece of fresh ginger(finely chopped)

8-10 chestnut mushrooms(sliced)

4 spring onions(sliced on the diagonal)

1 medium onion(roughly chopped)

1 red pepper- sliced and seeds removed

4-6 mangetout

4-6 baby corn

A handful of fresh beansprouts

1 tbsp plus 1 teaspoon of light soy sauce

Juice of half a lime

1 tsp sesame oil

sweet chilli sauce to taste

sea salt and black pepper to taste

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS;

1 tsp of 5 spice

1 tsp of sugar

METHOD;

Stir fry the garlic ,onion,ginger and chilli for 1 minute, add the mangetout and corn and cook for a further minute, then add the bell pepper and mushrooms cook for a further 2-3 minutes then add the soy sauce and lime. Continue to stir fry then check for seasoning, adjust as necessary. Finally add the beansprouts and spring onion and cook for a further minute, then add a tsp of sesame oil before serving.

TO SERVE;

Place a 1/4 of the stir fry on each pancake and roll into a cigar shape, cut in half and plate with a garnish of sweet chilli sauce and a drizzle of the pan juices.

ROOT VEGETABLE BROTH

A very simple yet tasty root vegetable broth. It is amazing how a dish so simple and cheap can be so Delicious. Very rustic in appearance, almost a stew, but more a soup with chunky veg.
Recipe;
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 onion
1000ml good vegetable stock or decent stock cube
120g leek(white)
1 tbsp of fresh Thyme
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Root vegetables;
200g swede/turnip
1 large parsnip
2 medium potatoes
5 carrots
1 medium sweet potato
METHOD;
Peel and cut your root veg into bite size chunks. Roughly chop the onion and leek, and finely chop the garlic. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large saute or sauce pan(large enough to hold all of the ingredients comfortably), add the onion and leek and cook until soft, now add the garlic, and cook for a further minute without browning. Lightly season with sea salt and pepper, and add the bay and thyme. Now add the carrot and cook for a further 5 minutes, then add the other root vegetables, pour on stock and simmer untill all veg are cooked to your liking. Adjust seasoning whilst cooking. This will serve 4.

CARROT SOUP WITH CORIANDER OIL

Carrot soup anyone? To many this must sound at the fore front of bland. Carrots like the humble parsnip must be among the most versatile of root vegetables, not only can we cook them in a multitude of ways they also appear in desserts in the form of cakes!

Growing up, like most kids i was put through the torture of carrots cut into rounds, then cooked to affinity till all of the goodness had leached from the poor vegetables to form an orange tinted water that was then thrown away. I'm still convinced to this day that pouring that water on the garden would have made you king of horticulture. Many a year was spent wondering how Bugs bunny enjoyed this humble veg!

As years have passed my taste buds have developed thank god! A carrot is no longer held or seen in the light that was previously shown to it, but to reach this stage of carrot enlightenment you have to ban all carrot killers from the pot, take up the apron or find a cook that understands the humble root veg!



A recipe for Carrot soup that is lightly spiced, with the addition of coriander(cilantro) oil.



Serves 4 as a starter( Quantities can be increased, but try to keep to the figure of 250 between the carrots and liquid i.e. 750g carrot to 1000ml liquid, increase to 1000g of carrot to 1250 ml liquid and so forth), reason for this is texture and thickness. This ratio works well with a good silky texture.



Recipe:



Roast carrots:



750g of carrots

Olive oil

Sea Salt and Freshly Ground pepper



Carrot soup:



1000ml of good chicken stock preferably homemade. For a vegetarian version omit chicken stock and replace with vegetable stock.

750 g of roasted carrots

A good handful of fresh coriander

1 teaspoon of roasted and ground coriander seeds

Half a teaspoon of cumin powder

Sea salt

Freshly Ground pepper



Coriander(cilantro) oil:



100ml of extra virgin olive oil

20g of fresh coriander(stems and leaf)

A grain or two of sea salt (no more)

Method:



Top and tail the carrots and clean as necessary trying to leave skins intact. Pre-heat your oven to 190c and lightly coat the carrots in a roasting tray with the oil. Season well.Cook for 40 minutes of until roasted and cooked through.

While the carrots are roasting make the coriander oil. Bring a big pan of water to the boil and blanch the coriander for 30 seconds then plunge into an iced water bath. Pat dry and add to a liquidiser with some of the EVO oil, add the small amount of salt and blitz in the liquidiser adding the rest of the oil until a vibrant green oil is achieved that is free of coriander pieces. Transfer to a container and refrigerate till needed.

In another pan bring the desired amount of chicken stock to the boil, once the carrots are cooked add to a liquidiser with the stock, and puree. Add fresh coriander then season, add ground roasted coriander seeds(see note), and cumin and continue to puree to a smooth consistency is achieved!

Transfer to a clean pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for at least 15 minutes, stirring at intervals.



To serve:



Transfer to serving bowls, and add a teaspoon of coriander oil to each bowl.



Notes:



To roast the coriander seeds, place a skillet or frying pan onto a hob, place the seeds into the pan and lightly toast till the aroma is released. Once the aroma is released remove from the source of heat and pound to a powder in a pestle and mortar.



The coriander oil will yield a lot more than is needed for this soup, but is very versatile and can be used as a sauce for other dishes or as an ingredient.