Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes and New Potatoes

M had never had Jerusalem artichokes before, so I thought simply roasting them would be a good introduction. She was surprised by their flavour, which is rather different; one might expect that they taste something like regular artichokes, but in fact they are not even related. Jerusalem artichokes are actually related to sunflowers and are sometimes known as sun chokes. I served this dish as a side with my goat’s cheese soufflé, which I’ll post about tomorrow, and the two items went together very well. This particular recipe can be varied and any root vegetables can be roasted this way.

Ingredients:
1 package Jerusalem artichokes (300-400 g)
8-10 new potatoes
olive oil
sea salt

Instructions:
1. Wash and chop the Jerusalem artichokes and potatoes. You don’t need to peel them unless you dislike the skin.
2. Toss in oil and season with salt.
3. Roast at 190 C for about 30 minutes.

Ricotta Pancakes with Spinach

M was working quite late on a recent cold and snowy night and she had to drive many hours for work. So I wanted to make a warm, soothing, but light meal for her to have when she returned at 10 pm. I decided on ricotta pancakes. I love ricotta and spinach together, and a dash of lemon adds just an extra tart, fresh flavour. This recipe makes 6-8 mini-pancakes or 4 larger ones, and it can be served as an evening snack or as breakfast. In that case, I’d add lemon peel to the batter and serve the pancakes with blackberries or blueberries. They can also serve as canapés for a dinner with guests.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp basil
75 g spinach
butter or oil
125 g ricotta cheese
1 egg, separated
1/8 cup flour
1 pinch salt
1 tsp lemon juice

Instructions:
1. Lightly fry the basil and spinach in butter, stirring frequently.
2. Mix the ricotta cheese and the egg yolk. Add the flour, salt, and lemon juice.
3. Whisk the egg white, then add it to the ricotta mixture.
4. Drop tablespoonfuls of the pancake mixture onto the spinach. If needed, add more butter to fry the pancakes.
5. Fry until golden on both sides, then turn out onto plates. Top with any spinach that hasn’t cooked into the pancakes. Serve.

Insalata Caprese

It really doesn’t get much simpler than a traditional insalata caprese, the mozzarella and tomato salad from the island of Capri. You must buy the best possible ingredients for this dish, because this salad highlights the flavours of the cheese and the tomatoes. I use buffalo mozzarella, which has a stronger taste than regular mozzarella, and small, sweet plum tomatoes.

Many people add fresh basil to the salad, but I personally don’t like basil that much, so I chose to just emphasise the flavour of the cheese and the tomatoes. You can also put the ingredients on good bread, such as ciabatta, and you can toast the sandwich, too. As salad or as sandwich, with good ingredients, this is a delicious dish.

Ingredients:
200 g buffalo mozzarella
200 g plum tomatoes
extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:
1. Slice the mozzarella and the tomatoes.
2. Arrange the slices on plates and pour olive oil over the cheese and tomatoes.
3. Sprinkle the tomatoes with sea salt and black pepper, then serve.

Rogan Josh Curry with Carrots, Okra, and Brussels Sprouts

Once I realised that Brussels sprouts aren’t all bad, I wanted to try cooking with them even more. When a jar of rogan josh curry sauce caught my eye, I decided to make a curry with the sprouts and other vegetables. Curries can be varied quite easily; any curry paste you want to use works just fine, and you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand. I happened to have okra (also called lady fingers, appropriately enough for our dykey household!) and carrots, so that’s what I went with, but I’ve made curries with broccoli, cauliflower, peas, corn, and chickpeas, among other things. Sometimes I add tofu, too. In this case, I also included some coconut milk, which I like even though it isn’t necessarily traditional in Indian curries. And I served it all over brown basmati rice. The curry was lovely on an evening when we’d done a bit of shopping and then gotten caught in the unpleasant, snowy, slushy weather. It was nice to come home and warm up with curry, sitting on the sofa next to my beloved M.

Ingredients:
100 g brown basmati rice
1 bag Brussels sprouts (about 20)
1 bag okra (about 10)
2-3 carrots
oil
4-6 tbsp rogan josh curry paste
1 tin coconut milk

Instructions:
1. Wash the rice and boil it over low heat for about 30 minutes.
2. Shred or finely chop the Brussels sprouts, then dice the okra, and peel and dice the carrots.
3. Stir-fry the vegetables in a little oil, then add a tablespoon at a time of the curry paste, stirring it in well.
4. After the vegetables have cooked, add most of the coconut milk to the pan (leave about 2 tbsp). Add the remaining milk to the rice.
5. Serve the curry over the rice.

Fennel and Brussels Sprouts

‘Tis the season for Brussels sprouts, a vegetable I’ve never particularly liked. That’s probably because my mother boiled them until mushy, then plopped margarine on them. Not exactly a delicious dish, although my mother’s cooking is generally pretty tasty, albeit meat-centred (which sadly means I don’t eat it these days).

But I thought it was high time I tried these veg again and now that every grocery store is pushing them, I finally caved and got some. Rather than boil them, I decided to shred them and then fry them lightly with garlic and fennel. This served to create an aromatic side dish that helped to banish my memories of margarine-covered mush.

Ingredients:
1 fennel
2 garlic cloves
1 package Brussels sprouts
olive oil
sea salt

Instructions:
1. Chop the fennel and the garlic. Either shred the Brussels sprouts or chop them finely.
2. Fry all the vegetables in olive oil for 5-8 minutes, then season with salt and serve as a side dish.

Vegetable Lasagna

Lasagna is such a simple dish to prepare and people tend to find it quite comforting. If I am having guests for dinner after a long day of work, I frequently will put together a lasagna the night before. Then when we’ve gathered for dinner, I just put it in the oven and let it bake while I pull together a salad. It’s also a good dish to bring over to people who might be going through a difficult time and who might not have the time or energy to cook. While this recipe makes one pan’s worth, M showed me how it also can be made into individual, freezer-ready portions. Label the packages and give the recipient instructions for baking it. Such a gesture will be appreciated.

You can easily vary the vegetables; I’ve sometimes used fennel for a surprising anise taste, and carrots work too. It all depends on what you’re in the mood for.

Ingredients:
1 onion
oil (any kind works)
1 tsp sugar
1 aubergine
1 courgette
1 tbsp parsley or basil
black pepper
1 tin/bottle tomato passatta
lasagna sheets
1package mozzarella
50 g cheddar cheese

Instructions:
1. Chop the onion and fry it in oil. After a few minutes, add the sugar.
2. Chop the aubergine and courgette into matchstick-sized pieces. Add them and the herbs to the frying pan. You may need to add more oil too. Fry for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with black pepper.
3. Lightly oil a casserole dish or other tin, then put some passatta on the bottom. Place a layer of lasagna sheets on the bottom.
4. Top with some of the fried vegetables, then shred cheese over it. Place another layer of pasta sheets over that, then add more vegetables and more cheese. Do this until you’ve used up all the vegetables and cheese, topping the lasagna with one last layer of pasta and a lot of shredded cheese.
5. Bake in the oven for 25-35 minutes at 210 C, then cut in slices and serve.

Endives in a Citrus Sauce

Endives (also known as chicory) are quite bitter, so when I cook them, I like to add sugar, agave, or honey to tame some of that bitterness. Thus I was intrigued by a recipe I noticed for braised endives with tangerines. I thought the bright citrus notes would definitely work against the sharpness of the endives. It only took a few minutes to put this dish together and it was a simple dinner on an evening when I was exhausted. If I’d had more energy, I would have made it as a side dish and served it with something like a chickpea stew.

Ingredients:
2 endives
water
sea salt
olive oil
3 clementines (or 2 tangerines or 1 orange)
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp sugar
black pepper

Instructions:
1. Wash and chop the endives, then boil them in the water with sea salt for about 5 minutes.
2. Drain the endives and put them in an oiled casserole dish. Peel and segment the clementines.
3. Pour the juice and more oil over the endives, then sprinkle with sugar. Braise in the oven at 175 C for about 10 minutes.
4. Add the citrus segments and season with salt and pepper. Toss to mix. Braise for another 10 minutes, then serve.

Banana Bread

If I ever need to bring a sweet food item for someone, I usually go with my banana bread recipe. It’s really moist and flavourful, and it’s easy to adapt it to someone’s tastes by increasing or decreasing the amount of sugar, shifting the types of spices included, adding nuts, or adding milk or dark chocolate or even just a bit of cocoa powder. I regularly double the recipe and make two loaves. This bread is great for breakfast or a snack with a cup of tea or coffee.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (115 g)
1/2-3/4 cup sugar, depending on how much sweetness you like. I generally use 1/2 cup or even less.
1 cup flour
dash of salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla sugar
2-3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves, optional
2 eggs
1-3 bananas, depending on size of bananas and preferred banana taste; I generally use 3
1 cup chopped almonds, walnuts, pecans, or other appropriate nut, optional (walnuts are tastiest, almonds and pecans are also quite good)
1 cup chopped dark chocolate, optional (milk chocolate is fine as well, but I prefer dark. If you use milk chocolate, decrease the amount of sugar.)

1. Melt the butter.
2. Blend the butter and sugar.
3. Mix flour, salt, baking soda, and spices together, then add to the butter mixture but don't blend yet.
4. Beat eggs. Mash bananas very well.
5. Add eggs and bananas to butter mixture and blend everything together.
6. Add the nuts and chocolate, if using, and stir everything together lightly.
7. Butter and slightly flour a bread tin. I often “flour” a tin by using cocoa powder.
8. Add the dough to the pan and bake at 175 C for 35-45 min, but check on the bread after 20 min, and thereafter every 5 or so minutes. It should be brown on the top. Stick a knife in the middle and make sure it is fully cooked.
9. Serve and enjoy!

Spinach Soup

As the days are getting even colder, I find that soups and stews become ever more appealing. Someone told M about a spinach soup she liked and so M got the recipe for me, because she knows what a spinach fiend I am. The recipe includes nutmeg, which I’m not that fond of, and celery, and a few other items I thought were unnecessary, so I got rid of them and I upped the amount of spinach. The soup was mild, but with a few luxurious hints, such as the thick, creamy yogurt and the toasted almonds. It was great after a walk in the cool, damp afternoon air.

Ingredients:
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
1-2 cm fresh ginger (or use some ginger that is jarred in vinegar)
oil or butter
1 tsp sugar
150 g potatoes (about 5 new potatoes or 1 baking potato)
1 vegetable stock cube
500 ml water
300 g fresh spinach (frozen is fine too, but then defrost it and squeeze out excess water)
50 g flaked almonds
Greek yogurt or crème fraiche
black pepper

Instructions:
1. Dice the onion and garlic and chop the ginger. Fry it in the oil or butter in a big soup pan. Add the sugar and let it caramelise for a few minutes.
2. Wash and chop the potatoes. Add the potatoes and the stock cube. Let it all cook for a few more minutes.
3. Add the water and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Then add the spinach and if it is fresh, let it wilt into the soup.
4. Meanwhile, lightly toast the almonds in a dry pan over low heat, stirring frequently.
5. Puree the soup with a hand mixer, then add a couple of tbsp of yogurt or crème fraiche to it. Season with pepper.
6. Pour the soup into bowls and top with more yogurt or crème fraiche and the almonds.

Mediterranean Casserole with Tofu

I had tofu that needed to be used, so when I read about a Provencal casserole with aubergine and chickpeas, I decided to combine that with my tofu. I also added a handful of cherry tomatoes, some pitted Kalamata olives, and garlic. I cooked it all in one dish in the oven, then served it with thick Greek yogurt and a garlic baguette. It was a fast and filling meal with a nice Mediterranean flavour.

Ingredients:
1 aubergine
olive oil
sea salt
2-3 garlic cloves
handful of cherry tomatoes (6-8)
handful of pitted black olives (4-6)
1 tin chickpeas
1 container tofu (I had marinated tofu, but this would be fine with plain as well)
Greek yogurt and garlic baguette to serve with the casserole

Instructions:
1. Wash and chop the aubergine into matchsticks. Toss the aubergine in oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast it in an oven-safe casserole dish for 15 minutes at 210 C.
2. Meanwhile, chop the garlic, tomatoes, and olives. Add them to the aubergine. Drain and add the chickpeas, and chop then add the tofu. Stir all the ingredients together and add more oil.
3. Cook for another 15 minutes at 200 C.
4. Serve with yogurt and garlic baguette.

Tomato Soup

M hasn’t been feeling well recently, so I wanted to make her a soothing, warming soup. I love creamy tomato soup served with grilled cheese sandwiches, so that’s what I decided on. Caramelised onions, garlic, parsley, and chilli added extra flavour to the soup, which I pureed until smooth. Marmite on the toasted cheese gave us some extra iron, and the sandwiches offered a salty counterpoint to the slightly sweet soup. This is definitely a great soup with which to attack winter colds, and to comfort the suffering patient.

Ingredients:
olive oil
1 stock cube, or equivalent amount stock powder
2 frozen parsley cubes, or 2 tbsp fresh parsley
2 onions
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tsp sugar
1 green chilli
2 cartons chopped tomatoes
1 cup milk

Instructions:
1. Put the olive oil in a soup pot. Add the stock and parsley and fry gently until parsley is no longer frozen.
2. Peel and dice the onions and garlic and add them to the pot. Fry for 5 minutes, then add the sugar and let caramelise for another few minutes.
3. Chop the chilli and add that as well. Add the tomatoes.
4. Puree the soup with a hand blender. Add the milk and cook until completely warm.
5. Serve with grilled cheese, or cheese and marmite, or simply with buttered toast.

Quotes on Vegetarianism

What is it that should trace the insuperable line? ...The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer? --Jeremy Bentham

Sweet Potato and Broccoli Pie

In a recent issue of Vegetarian Living magazine, I saw a recipe for sweet potato and broccoli filo rolls. I liked the combination but didn’t want to make individual rolls, so I decided to turn it into a more filling pie by adding eggs, yogurt, and blue cheese. It was very hearty and the ingredients went well together. I served slices of the pie with dollops of thick Greek yogurt, and the creamy tartness added that little bit extra. The pie was good cold the next day for lunch, too.

Ingredients:

1 onion
2-3 sweet potatoes
olive oil
1 chilli
200 g broccoli
2 eggs
½ cup yogurt, plus more to serve with the pie
100 g blue cheese
filo dough
lemon juice

Instructions:
1. Chop the onion. Peel and dice the sweet potatoes.
2. Sauté the onion and potatoes in olive oil for a 5-10 minutes. De-seed and chop the chilli and add it to the pan.
3. Wash and chop the broccoli. Lightly beat the eggs and mix in the yogurt. Crumble the cheese into this mixture.
4. Lightly oil a casserole dish or pie tin and put 4 overlapping sheets of filo dough on the bottom and sides. Add half of the potato mixture, half the broccoli, and half the cheese mixture.
5. Place 3 more overlapping sheets of filo dough on top. Then top with the rest of the ingredients.
6. Make a cover out of 2 or 3 sheets of filo dough and sprinkle with lemon juice and a bit of olive oil.
7. Bake at 200 C for 20-25 minutes, until cooked all the way through and golden brown. Serve with yogurt.

Roasted Parsnips and Carrots

Root vegetables are sweet and tasty and can be made in many different ways. Roasting them in oil, vinegar, and agave or honey brings out their sweetness. This is a great side dish and I served it with the kale, coconut, and tofu entree I posted about yesterday.

Ingredients:
3 parsnips
3 carrots
olive oil (about 2 tbsp)
agave or honey (about 1 tbsp)
balsamic vinegar (about 2 tbsp)

Instructions:
1. Peel, wash, and dice the vegetables.
2. Mix together the other ingredients. Coat the parsnips and carrots with the sauce.
3. Roast at 220 C for 25 minutes.
4. Serve.

Kale, Tofu, and Coconut

Greens are great. I’m especially partial to spinach (I don’t agree with Douglas Florian’s anti-spinach poem, funny though it is!), but sometimes I think I should try some other greens. They’re healthy and flavourful. So the other day, I was tempted by a package of kale at the supermarket. I fried it lightly in rice bran oil and mixed it with toasted coconut and tofu, then served it over whole-grain rice. Kale and coconut go well together, crispy with just a touch of sweetness. I added chilli sauce, of course, but it was good and hearty without it too.

Ingredients:
1 package tofu
½ cup unsweetened coconut pieces
1 package (about 200 g) kale or other green
oil
rice to serve with it

Instructions:
1. Bake the tofu at 200 C for 15 minutes. You can also skip this step and just add the tofu to the pan later, but I like baked tofu.
2. Lightly toast the coconut in a dry frying pan over low heat for a few minutes.
3. Wash the kale and fry it in the oil in a pan until slightly crispy. Mix it with the coconut and add the tofu.
4. Stir-fry for another 5-10 minutes, then serve over rice.

Pear and Fennel Tart

I saw a recipe in a magazine for mini pear tartlets with lime, chilli, and goat’s milk cheese. These were to be served as appetizers. I liked the concept but thought it would be nicer to make a heartier dish for dinner, so I decided I’d add fennel too. I thought the anise taste of the fennel could suit the other ingredients. I also caramelised the fennel and pear before baking the tart.

It’s an unusual flavour combination that worked together – tart, sweet, liquorice-y anise, tangy goat cheese – but because of the unusualness, it is not the kind of dish you’d want every week. I think it would be good as a starter for a dinner party. Apples can be used in place of the fennel, and then this would work as a dessert, too.

Ingredients:
1 package puff pastry
2 fennel
2 pears
butter
1 tbsp sugar or agave
1 lime
1 red chilli
200 g goat’s milk cheese

Instructions:
1. Roll out the pastry and place it on baking paper on a baking tray.
2. Dice the fennel and cook it in some butter over low heat in a frying pan.
3. Dice the pears. Add them to the pan, along with the sugar.
4. Grate the lime peel and add that plus the juice from the lime to the pan. Chop and de-seed the chilli and add that too.
5. Stir the ingredients and spread them on the puff pastry. Crumble the cheese over it.
6. Bake for 20 minutes at 200 C.

Eggs Florentine

Eggs Benedict is a traditional breakfast for meat-eaters. Poached eggs and Canadian bacon are layered on English muffins and topped with hollandaise sauce. Eggs florentine is the vegetarian version, with spinach in place of the bacon. Spinach makes the dish healthier and tastier.

I like to serve this on English muffins, but it also works with focaccia or toast. I’ve also had a version with mushrooms, but since I’m not overly fond of mushrooms, I don’t use them, but it is another option, as is using diced tomatoes too.

Ingredients:
200 g spinach
4 eggs
2 English muffins
hollandaise sauce (see previous recipe)

Instructions:
1. Wilt the spinach by washing it then putting it in a covered pot over low heat. It only takes a couple of minutes to wilt, so keep an eye on it. Keep it warm once it has wilted.
2. Poach the eggs or, if you prefer, fry them.
3. Halve and toast the English muffins.
4. Put a little sauce on the muffins, then top with spinach and one egg per half. Pour more sauce over the muffins.

Hollandaise Sauce

I generally eat pretty healthy food, but sometimes I want something very rich, a dish where you can practically feel your veins getting clogged with cholesterol. On days like that, hollandaise sauce is just the ticket. It’s good served with vegetables, such as asparagus, if you want to feel semi-healthy. Or it’s great with the vegetarian version of eggs benedict, eggs florentine. I’ll post that recipe next.

This sauce is a bit tricky to make, and it’s easiest if you use a blender to get it smooth. Otherwise, it tastes fine but can look unattractively lumpy.

Ingredients:
4 eggs yolks
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp water
200 g butter, melted
tabasco sauce, to taste

Instructions:
1. Stir the yolks, lemon juice, and water together over low heat.
2. Add the butter a little at a time, and continue to stir.
3. Add tabasco sauce to taste.
4. Mix in a blender if necessary. Serve with eggs or vegetables.

Quote on Vegetarianism

The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men. -Leonardo da Vinci

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Combining friends can be a difficult thing when you’re a couple. It’s natural that not everyone likes everyone else, and sometimes you just have to accept that. It can also be rather nerve-wracking to meet your partner’s circle of friends and acquaintances. M and I spend quite a bit of time with people I know, and that’s always worked fine. She never seems nervous about hanging out with my colleagues or friends. And to know M is to love her (or at least that’s my experience!) and people generally comment on how sweet and nice she is and how lucky I am to have her. All of which is true.

But a few days ago we did something different and had dinner with people M knows. I’d met them a couple of times before, but not in such an intimate manner, and as the time for dinner got closer, I realised I was actually a tiny bit nervous. I worried that they wouldn’t like me and that as soon as we left, they would send M a text or an email saying that I was no good for her and that she should get rid of me.

M being who she is, I’m not sure she’d be particularly bothered by such an email, nor would she necessarily follow its advice, but I still fretted over the idea.

I also worried about what to make to take with us. Sweets are always a good thing to bring as a gift, I think, but I thought a cake would be too much. Also, M didn’t know what kinds of cakes they might like. Visions of sacher torte, apple cake, and white chocolate truffle cake floated through my head, and none seemed right. Then I thought that a sweet bread would be a better option. This way, they could have it with coffee/tea after dinner and/or for breakfast the next day. Plus, they have a young child, and it seemed more sensible not to make something that they wouldn’t want their child to have, and some parents don’t like giving their children sweets.

My initial instinct was to make my banana bread, which people generally love. But that can be heavy, and I wanted something light and cheerful. So lemon poppy seed cake it was. It's tangy and refreshing. I ended up making two loaves, and I was glad I did. I snacked on one loaf in the afternoon, when I was hungry but didn’t want to spoil my appetite for dinner, plus M had some for breakfast the next day, and I also was able to give a piece to a friend of mine at work, who loved it. But you can also halve the recipe and make just one loaf. Or you can pour the batter into muffin tins and make muffins.

As for M’s friends, the dinner went well, I thought, and a good time seemed to be had by all. Whether they honestly liked the bread or not I can’t say, but they appeared to, and M and I certainly did.

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp poppy seeds
2 cups sugar
grated peel from 2 lemons and juice from 1
1 cup vegetable oil or butter
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1½ cups milk

Instructions:
1. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, poppy seeds and sugar.
2. Add the grated peel and lemon juice, oil/butter, eggs, vanilla, and milk. Mix well.
3. Pour into greased bread tins and bake at 175 C for 40 minutes. Check that it is done by putting a knife or toothpick into the middle.

Ricotta Gnocchi

A couple of weeks ago, I saw this recipe for ricotta gnocchi and I was intrigued. I have a potato gnocchi dish that I make, in which I caramelise onions and bake them with the gnocchi and lots of cheese, but I had never taste ricotta gnocchi before. They sounded pleasantly light, unlike the starchy potato gnocchi, and not terribly difficult to make.

So the other night, before M and I headed out to meet a bunch of friends and colleagues at a pub for a pub quiz, I decided to make my version of Mark Bittman’s recipe. I used pecorino instead of parmesan, and I fried the gnocchi in parsley and mint rather than sage. The gnocchi were quite tasty, but filling, and in fact I still felt full when we returned home from the pub five hours later.

I don’t recommend making this recipe before going out, because you do get sticky and messy, plus the mixing, boiling, and frying might tire you out. Also, next time I make them, I will turn the oven on and keep the gnocchi warm in there after they’ve been fried, because I had to fry them in batches and the finished ones cooled down by the time the others were fried. I might also add grated lemon peel to the dough, because ricotta and lemon work together so well.

Ingredients:
250 g ricotta
2 eggs
1½ cups grated pecorino, plus extra to sprinkle on top
1 cup flour
water for boiling
butter for frying
herbs (Mark Bittman uses sage, and I used parsley and mint)

Instructions:
1. Mix the ricotta, eggs, pecorino, and flour into a smooth dough.
2. Boil the water. Make little lumps out of the dough and drop them into the water. They are ready when they’ve floated to the top.
3. Fry the gnocchi in the butter and herbs.
4. Serve with a little extra pecorino on top.

Chocoholics 'R Us

I do love dark chocolate, I must admit, and Valrhona was my favourite brand for years. I happened to be in Brussels when Valrhona was opening a shop there, and I definitely went wild. The staff there began to recognise me, because I went to the store once a day during my stay in Belgium.

However, in the past few months, M has spoiled me by getting me two fantastic vegan chocolates. They are incredibly delicious, and my old stand-by Valrhona is getting left in the dairy-filled dust.

The first one is Booja Booja, a company that makes chocolate truffles. The espresso truffles are great, with just a slight coffee jolt, and the hazelnut crunch truffles taste like the poshest Nutella ever. I was stunned when I figured out that there was no dairy at all in these truffles, because they are so smooth and creamy. Just today, M brought me a Booja Booja sampler pack, and I've been snacking on flavours such as champagne, ginger wine, and bananas flambéed in cognac (it tastes like Bananas foster). Yum!

The best chocolate bars ever have to be by Conscious Chocolate. Not only are these bars vegan, they’re also raw, and they come in a wonderful range of flavours. I’m partial to the Healthy Heart flavour, which has algae in it, and to the bar with goji berries and coconut in it, but there are still more fascinating flavours that I’ve yet to try (it’s not easy to find them around here). Conscious chocolate bars are silky and lush, and just one little bite is enough to satisfy my chocolate urge for the day. I could quite happily live off them.

I heartily recommend both these brands, because their dark chocolate is amazingly flavourful and rich. I love that they’re vegan, but I would certainly give them to anyone, regardless of whether that person was vegetarian or not.

Potato, Apple, and Cauliflower Cheese

Last month, I posted my cauliflower cheese recipe. A few days ago, I wanted to revisit it and to do something different with it. So I updated it by adding potato and apple, which varied the cauliflower taste. I also used only soy milk and no cream, and I added a hefty amount of mustard to the sauce. The result was quite tasty; it was still comfort food, but with a flavoursome zip to it.

I made so much that I filled two casserole dishes, so M and I will be eating it for lunch and dinner a couple of days in a row!

Ingredients:
1 medium cauliflower
2 baking potatoes
water for boiling
3 apples
75 g butter
1/3 cup flour
2 ½ cups milk (or soy milk)
175 g cheddar cheese, or other mature cheese, grated or chopped
2 tbsp whole-grain mustard
black pepper

Instructions:
1. Wash the cauliflower and the potatoes. Break the former into florets and cut slice the latter. Boil them in the water for about 10 minutes.
2. Slice the apples and set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Stir until mixed.
3. Add the milk. Stir.
4. Add most of the cheese and stir until it is a thick sauce.
5. Season with mustard and pepper.
6. Place the cauliflower, potatoes, and apples in one layer at the bottom of an oven-safe dish. Pour the sauce over it.
7. Top with the rest of the cheese.
8. Bake for 30 minutes at 200.

A Food Challenge

A lot of people complain that they just make the same few dishes all the time. Cooking has become repetitious and dull, and it’s just something that has to be done.

If that’s the case, why not give yourself a food challenge? I aim to make at least one new recipe a week, and in order to get inspiration for these new dishes, I read a couple of food magazines regularly (always Vegetarian Living and delicious), and others occasionally, plus I skim blogs and cookbooks and food websites. Whatever seems interesting to me, I mark, and then I try to create a dish based on what I like about a particular recipe.

So why not try a new recipe every week or two, or if that seems too much, try for one a month? You may find that cooking turns fun for you again, plus you get new dishes to add to your regular line-up.

Post a comment or email mewith your favourite food website, blog, magazine, or cookbook, or to suggest a recipe. Challenge yourself; you might enjoy it!

Leek, Spinach, and Artichoke Pie

Yet again I couldn’t sleep, so I sneaked out of bed and warmed up a croissant and sat down in the living room to flip through some food magazines. I don’t know why I thought reading recipes would make me sleepy, because really what happened is that I started getting ideas and I just wanted to run to the grocery store, get ingredients, and spend the rest of the night cooking.

I noticed a few recipes for pies with leeks and other vegetables. I love pies and casseroles and all such things, because a) they can be made in advance (even frozen for days or weeks, if necessary, before being warmed in the oven), b) they are pretty large, so there are always leftovers, and c) they are so comforting. They come out of the oven steaming and with a golden crust, luscious smells escaping from the dish. Yum.

I had a few leeks that needed to be used in a hurry, so I started thinking about what other vegetables I could have with them. And though it’s autumn, I thought that a very green pie would be nice. So it turned into a leek, spinach, and artichoke pie. I took out a piece of paper and scribbled a shopping list that I could give M in the morning. I asked her to pick up some blue cheese to add to it. I had Stilton in mind, but she got Shropshire Blue, and the slightly milder taste of the Shropshire worked really well with the pie. The whole thing turned out pretty well for a recipe created in the middle of the night.

Ingredients:
1 package puff pastry dough
3-4 leeks
olive oil
1 tsp sugar
500 g spinach (frozen or fresh)
6-8 artichoke hearts
200 g blue cheese
2 eggs
black pepper

Instructions:
1. Put the dough in a dish, oiling the dish if necessary. If you have more dough than fits in the dish, save some for a cover for the pie. Pre-bake the dough for 5 minutes at 200 C.
2. Chop the leeks and gently brown them in oil and sugar. Add the spinach. If it is frozen, defrost it first.
3. Chop the artichokes and crumble the cheese. Add them both to the leeks.
4. Lightly beat the eggs and mix them into the rest of the ingredients. Season with black pepper.
5. Put the mixture into the dish. If you had dough leftover, add it as a cover.
6. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 200 C.

Pseudo-Guacamole, or Avocado Sauce

This isn’t the most authentic guacamole recipe you’ll fine, but it is easy and it tastes very good with the quesadillas I posted about yesterday. You can adjust the spice level and the amount of creaminess, so it perfectly suits your taste. Some like it hot – I certainly do – and in that case, you might want to use the extra-spicy Tabasco sauce made from habanero (also called Scotch bonnet) peppers, the spiciest pepper around.

Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado
½ cup Greek yogurt or other plain yogurt or sour cream
1 tsp dried mint
Tabasco sauce, to taste

Instructions:
1. Mash the avocado and mix it with the yogurt into a cream sauce.
2. Mix in the mint and drop in Tabasco sauce to taste.