Monday 31 January 2011

Watercress and Potato Soup

I posted a couple of recipes that I made when M and I had friends over for dinner last week. M made the soup and it is in fact the same soup she made on my birthday. It is a tasty and healthy watercress soup, thickened with potatoes. So I’m turning this post over to M:

This is a recipe of Delia’s, so can be found on her website but I think it’s worth repeating here as it turned out so well (note from Veggie Dyke: M didn’t follow the recipe exactly, which means it’s not the same recipe as Delia’s. Even one changes means it is your own recipe!).

The lack of a measuring jug meant it turned out a touch watery the second time round. This was overcome by the addition of some cream, but the recipe must be quite sensitive so be careful to stick to the amounts stated.

Ingredients:
1 large onion
25 g butter (plus one teaspoon)
175g watercress
350 g potato (2 baking potatoes)
½ pint milk
¾ pint vegetable stock
salt to taste
pepper to taste
a little lemon juice
a little cream as needed

Instructions:
1. Chop the onion. Melt the 25 g of butter and gently heat the onion so that it cooks but doesn't brown (takes about 5 minutes).
2. Add 110g of the watercress, cover and leave it to sweat for 15 minutes (it makes things easier at the final stages to chop the watercress stalks into small pieces).
3. Meanwhile, chop the potato and put it in another pan with boiling water (and salt according to Delia), and boil for 10 minutes until tender.
4. Drain potatoes and return to pan.
5. Add teaspoon of butter and a splash of the milk, and whisk until very smooth (ideally with a hand blender).
6. Add stock and remaining milk and watercress to the watercress pan.
7. Whisk in mash so that it’s well blended.
8. Season, and simmer gently for another 10 minutes.
9. Liquidise, add lemon juice, and check seasoning. Add cream if desired.
10. Re-heat gently before serving.
11. Ta-da!

Sunday 30 January 2011

Supercook

I recently learned about Supercook. It’s a useful website where you list what ingredients you have and it offers you possible recipes. This would be great for someone who’s had a long day at work and can’t think of anything to make for dinner.

Saturday 29 January 2011

Flourless Chocolate Soufflés

A few years ago, I took a pottery course at a studio outside the city where I lived. Every week, we took turns bringing in treats that we had with tea halfway through the class. I noticed that one woman, who was gluten-intolerant, never got to partake in the desserts. So when it was my week to bring in the treats, I determined to bring something everything could eat.

I decided to make flourless dark chocolate muffins/cupcakes. So I created this recipe and brought the treats to class. The woman was shocked and touched that she could finally be part of our class snack. Frankly, I was surprised no one had bothered to consider her before (the same people had been taking the class for years together; I was the only new student, and I was also the youngest by about, oh, 30 years).

If you pour the batter into ramekins and bake them just before serving them, they puff up beautifully as soufflés, and this sight often impresses guests, which is why I made them last weekend when M and I had friends over for dinner. But, as I did a few years ago, you can also make them as muffins/cupcakes and bring them along to an event. Either way, people will be pleasantly surprised to learn that this treat is completely gluten-free.

Ingredients:
200 g dark chocolate (50-75% cacao)
130 g butter
¾ cup sugar
pinch of salt
4 eggs, room temperature
optional flavouring (almond, vanilla, cognac, chile, cinnamon, etc)
whipped cream to serve with it

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 180 C.
2. Break chocolate into pieces and melt it with the butter in the microwave or on the stove.
3. Add the sugar and salt to the melted mixture. Remove from the heat and let cool down.
4. While cooling, beat the eggs.
5. When the mixture is cool, add the eggs and blend.
6. Add any flavourings now or else in step 8 (if flavouring them individually).
7. Spoon the batter into ramekins or muffin papers or tins.
8. Add any flavourings desired individually.
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
10. Serve warm. Whipped cream or other cream can go well.

Friday 28 January 2011

Baked Gnocchi with Carmelised Onions and Cheddar

Last weekend M and I had some friends over for dinner. I wanted to have as much of the meal prepared in advance as possible. No one wants the stress of having people there and yet having to rush off to the kitchen to chop or stir or whatever. A leisurely evening is much more pleasant.

For the side dish, I made baked gnocchi with carmelised onions and cheddar. In the afternoon, I carmelised the onions and put the dish together. Then, as we were eating the first course, all I had to do was turn the oven on.

I used to make this dish often for two friends when I lived in another city. It’s so simple but for whatever reason it appealed to them. Since moving to the city where I live now, I think I have only made it once before. That’s because it always makes me think of those two friends and now that it’s been over half a year since I’ve seen them and since they don’t seem to want to keep the friendship up much anymore, the dish has become imbued with sad memories. However, I decided to make it over the weekend as a way of creating positive new memories associated with the dish. It’s amazing how just the sight or smell or even thought of a particular recipe can bring up such powerful feelings. I miss those friends a lot, but it was nice to see these new friends eating this dish. I felt less sad then.

Ingredients:
2 red onions
oil
sugar
2 packages gnocchi
100 g cheddar

Instructions:
1. Peel and dice the onions. Sweat them in oil, then add sugar. Carmelise the onions.
2. Oil an oven-safe dish. Add one package of gnocchi, then mix in half the onions.
3. Chop the cheddar and sprinkle half of it over the gnocchi.
4. Add the other package of gnocchi and mix in the rest of the onions and cheese.
5. Bake at 200 C for about 30 minutes, stirring once about halfway through.

Thursday 27 January 2011

Easy Blueberry Sauce

This sauce is based on the recipe that I saw on Epicurious. It went well with the lemon cornmeal cake I posted about yesterday, but it would also be a great topping for pancakes or served with a rich chocolate dessert.

Ingredients:
1 tsp butter
2 cups frozen or fresh blueberries
½ cup sugar
juice from ½ lemon

Instructions:
1. Melt the butter. Add the blueberries and sugar.
2. Stir and continue cooking until the blueberries begin popping slightly and the sauce thickens.
3. Add the lemon juice, then cook a bit more.
4. Serve with cake, pancakes, chocolate soufflés, or any other item.

Wednesday 26 January 2011

Lemon Cornmeal Cake

I originally saw a version of this recipe on Epicurious. I love cornmeal, so I wanted to try it out, but adjusted to the ingredients available (I couldn’t get buttermilk at the time I was making this) and the way I like things (i.e. more cornmeal and easy on the sugar, which also means no glaze). This was tasty both served warm with the blueberry sauce (see the next recipe) and the next day served cool without.

Ingredients:
115 g butter
½ cup cornmeal
1½ cups flour
½ cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup yogurt
2 eggs
peel from 1 lemon
juice from ½ lemon

Instructions:
1. Melt the butter, then cool.
2. Blend the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. Mix the yogurt, eggs, lemon peel, and lemon juice together.
4. Mix the cornmeal mixture with the wet ingredients, then mix in the butter.
5. Bake at 180 C for 30 minutes. Serve with blueberry sauce (see next recipe) or butter, as desired.

Tuesday 25 January 2011

Nutella Cookies

One recent evening, all M wanted for dinner was some cheese tortellini. I made a simple olive, artichoke, and tomato sauce to go over the pasta, but my inner cook was not satisfied. It wasn’t enough of a challenge. So I decided to bake some cookies for us to have for dessert.

We had a jar of Nutella (that childishly good chocolate hazelnut spread) on the counter, so I quickly looked up various recipes and then made a simpler version of them. The cookies I made were tasty, but I think next time I might make them a little fancier and a little nuttier by sprinkled them with hazelnut pieces. You could also add chocolate chips for an even deeper chocolate flavour.

Ingredients:
90 g butter
½ tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup sugar
½ cup Nutella
1 cup flour
½ tsp baking soda
a pinch of salt
1/8 cup cocoa
1 egg

Instructions:
1. Melt the butter, then mix it with the vanilla, the sugar, and the Nutella.
2. Mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa together, then add it to the Nutella mixture. Mix well.
3. Mix in the egg.
4. Drop by small spoonfuls onto a greased baking tray, then bake for about 8 minutes at 180 C.

Monday 24 January 2011

Carrot and Butterbean Soup

I thought a soup of carrots and butterbeans would be a soothing meal, but alas I made it much too spicy for M’s taste, and she ended up eating oatmeal instead. So I ate lots of soup the next day! Without the chilli, however, it works for all tastes.

Ingredients:
1 onion
oil
agave or sugar
6-8 carrots
vegetable stock cube
about 600 ml water
1 container butterbeans
chilli pepper, to taste
Greek yogurt

Instructions:
1. Dice the onion and fry it lightly in oil and agave or sugar.
2. Peel and slice the carrots into coins, then add them to the onion. Add the stock cube and water and boil.
3. Add the butterbeans and chilli pepper or other seasonings (coriander, parsley, black pepper) to taste.
4. Puree and serve with dollops of Greek yogurt.

Sunday 23 January 2011

Thai Green Curry over Barley

As part of our quest to eat less wheat, I’m trying out new carbohydrates. So I got some pearl barley, which is a lovely, toothsome, gently nutty grain. I decided to use it as a bed for a spicy green curry. It could also be used instead of oats in a heartier porridge, or with beans or chickpeas, but do note that it takes over an hour to cook.

You can choose how much curry paste to add according to your taste. I add some of it to the barley and some of it to curry mixture to create more of an integrated taste, but many people prefer to only add the paste to the curry mixture. The same goes for the coconut milk. You can experiment with how much curry paste and how much coconut milk you use and whether you add those ingredients to the rice/barley/whatever other starch you use or to the protein mixture. You can also vary which protein/s and vegetables you use.

Ingredients:
80 g pearl barley
water
3 carrots
2 courgettes
oil
1 jar green curry paste
100 g spinach
tofu or other protein, as desired (chickpeas would also go well here)
1 tin coconut milk

Instructions:
1. Cook the pearl barley in the water in a pot according to the instructions on the packet. Note that it usually takes over an hour to cook, so start this part of the process in plenty of time, and not just when you are getting hungry.
2. Peel and slice the carrots into coins. When the barley is about 10 minutes from being cooked, add the carrots to it.
3. Slice the courgettes and fry them lightly in the oil. Add a few tablespoons of the curry paste and some of the spinach, and continue frying.
4. Add the rest of the spinach and more curry paste to the barley.
5. Add the tofu or other protein to the frying pan.
6. When the barley and carrots are almost ready and the water has cooked away, pour the coconut milk into the pot. Add more curry paste to taste.
7. Serve the courgette mixture over the barley.

Friday 21 January 2011

Cherry Yogurt Bread

I saw a recipe not long ago for a cinnamon streusel coffee cake. That sounded appealing, but I didn’t just want a doughy loaf, so I decided to add fruit. Blueberries would have worked well, but I just had frozen cherries and since they taste good in bread too, I went for those. And I skipped the streusel, in part because it’s just more work, but also because it called for walnuts, and M is allergic to them. Besides, I liked the idea of a soft bread/cake only with cherries, yogurt, and spices, and without a grainy or sandy layer on top. That’s often what happens for me – I get inspiration from a recipe but then change it dramatically.

This recipe makes two loaves, so you can give one away or freeze it for a lazy Sunday morning. It’s great with tea or coffee.

Ingredients:
100 g butter
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp salt
1½ cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1¾ cups yogurt
1½ cups frozen cherries (other fruit can be substituted)

Instructions:
1. Melt the butter.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and sugar.
3. Beat the eggs, then mix with the vanilla and yogurt and add to the dry ingredients. Add the butter. Mix well.
4. Add the cherries and mix them in.
5. Bake at 180 C for 40 minutes.

Thursday 20 January 2011

Quotes on Vegetarianism

“Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages.”

--Thomas Edison

Wednesday 19 January 2011

Soft Gingerbread

Gingerbread or gingersnap cookies are traditional around Christmas time, but I prefer to make a soft, spicy gingerbread. It’s good on its own or butter or even with slices of cheese (the cheese and the spices contrast in a delicious way, I’ve found). Last month, it served as a light dessert when M and I celebrated Christmas at her mother’s house and it also worked well the next morning as a snack for me before I got on a flight.

Ingredients:
100 g butter
2 cloves
2 cardamom pods
2-3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
2 eggs
¾ cup sugar
1 cup yogurt
2 tsp baking soda
2 ½ cups flour

Instructions:
1. Melt the butter.
2. Grind the cloves and cardamom in a mortar and pestle, then mix with the cinnamon and ginger.
3. Beat the eggs with the sugar and yogurt. Mix the baking soda and flour together.
4. Combine all the ingredients well (the butter, the spices, the egg mixture, and the flour and baking soda). Bake at 175 C for about 45 minutes.

Tuesday 18 January 2011

Pasta with Aubergine and Ricotta Cheese

I saw a recipe for a dish called pasta alla norma, which had an aubergine and ricotta sauce over pasta. Aubergines and ricotta go well together, so I thought I’d try that, but as we are aiming to eat less gluten, I used rice pasta. Pasta made from rice is pretty sticky, so be careful not to overcook it.

Ingredients:
2 aubergines
olive oil
salt
sugar
1 onion
4-6 garlic cloves (depending on how garlicky you like it)
1 tbsp fresh or frozen parsley
1 tbsp fresh or frozen basil
about 100 g pasta per person (I used rice pasta, as we are trying to eat less gluten)
2 packages (about 400 g each) crushed tomatoes
1 package (about 200 g) ricotta cheese
black pepper to taste
chilli pepper to taste
paprika to taste

Instructions:
1. Wash and dice the aubergines, then toss with olive oil, salt, and sugar. Bake for about 40 minutes at 180 C.
2. Meanwhile, dice the onion and garlic, and fry with the parsley and basil in olive oil.
3. Set the pasta on to boil. It will take 8-12 minutes, depending on what type of pasta you are using.
4. Add the tomatoes to the onion and garlic and warm gently.
5. Add the aubergine pieces to the tomatoes, then mix in the ricotta.
6. Season with black pepper, chilli, and/or paprika to taste, then serve the sauce over the pasta.

Monday 17 January 2011

Quinoa with Vegetables and Halloumi

After a long day of work, it is tempting to skip making dinner and just have some ready-made soup or pasta and sauce or even a frozen pizza. But it’s actually possible to make fast, easy, healthy, tasty meals. I aim for balanced meals that have some carbohydrates, plenty of vegetables, and some protein. For example, here I lightly fry halloumi cheese and serve it over quinoa grains and with broccoli and spinach. It makes a pretty green, white, and tan meal, and it’s fast to cook. Within 20 minutes, dinner is served.

Ingredients:
1 head broccoli
water
1 package quinoa (or about 50 g per person)
100 g spinach
1 package halloumi cheese
olive oil
1 tsp dried mint

Instructions:
1. Wash the broccoli, break it into smaller pieces, and boil it in the water for 8-10 minutes, until tender but with a bit of crunch.
2. Cook the quinoa according to the directions on the package. When it’s ready, add the spinach and the broccoli and keep it all warm.
3. Meanwhile, slice the cheese, then fry it in olive oil and mint, until lightly golden.
4. Serve the quinoa and vegetables topped with slices of cheese.

Friday 14 January 2011

Wilted Spinach

I’ve mentioned wilted spinach before, in my recipe for eggs florentine, but it’s such a useful trick that I thought I’d give it a post of its own.

Many people think you need to use oil, but really all you need is a pot, and non-stick works well here, because the spinach wilts so quickly that if you aren’t watching it, it will burn and stick to the saucepan. You can sprinkle a touch of sea salt on the spinach too, but even that isn’t necessary.

Wilted spinach is great as a simple side, or as a bed for other vegetables or curried tofu or even fish, or to put in another dish, such as the eggs florentine or in a pie.

Ingredients:
fresh spinach
sea salt, optional

Instructions:
1. Wilt the spinach by washing it then putting it in a covered pot over low heat. Add a dash of salt if desired. It only takes a couple of minutes to wilt, so keep an eye on it. Keep it warm once it has wilted, until you are ready to use it.

Thursday 13 January 2011

Food Dictionary

I discovered Food Dictionary by accident when I was googling a food term in another language. This site is a great reference, with definitions of many food-related words and concepts, including ones in other languages.

Wednesday 12 January 2011

Oatmeal or Porridge

A wonderfully healthy and comforting dish is oatmeal (or porridge, as M calls it). It’s so simple to make and it’s great at any time of the day. I like how you feel good about yourself when you eat a bowl of oatmeal while at the same time you get the sneaky feeling that health food shouldn’t taste so good.

It’s also easy to vary it depending on your tastes. You can add raisins, currants, prunes, apricots, or other dried fruit or even slices of fresh apples or bananas or a bit of jam or some apple sauce. You can add nuts or a few tablespoons of peanut butter. You can spice it with cinnamon or cloves or ginger or any other spice (some people like a savoury version with salt and pepper). You can cook it with milk, soy milk, cream, water, or any combination thereof, and you can add extra liquid when you serve it. You can sweeten it with honey, white sugar, brown sugar, or agave. And so on. Once you have the basic recipe down, it’s up to you how you play with it. I think one cup of oatmeal to three cups of liquid is just right for a creamy porridge and do stir it often as it simmers on the stove.

Ingredients:
1 cup oatmeal
3 cups milk (or a combination of milk and water)
1 cup raisins
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
milk or cream, to serve with as needed
honey or agave, to serve with as needed

Instructions:
1. Simmer the oatmeal, milk, raisins, sugar, and cinnamon over low heat, stirring frequently, for about 5-7 minutes.
2. Serve with milk or cream and honey or agave, to taste.

Tuesday 11 January 2011

Cooking Goals

I try to vary what I cook quite a bit as it is. But in 2011, I’ve decided I’m going to cook a bit healthier (both my beloved and I have put on a little weight lately; I think she’s lovely as she is, but she seems to want to be in better shape). This may mean cutting down on the fatty, creamy dishes, as well as on the wheat.

I’m also going to continue to seek out and try new ingredients. And I’m going to try to make at least one new recipe a week.