Frangipane (Almond Paste)

This is great in baked goods such as pain aux raisins (see the next post) or as a layer in a cake. It adds a subtle almond flavour.

Ingredients:
½ cup almond meal
¼ cup sugar
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
3 tbsp butter

Instructions:
1. Mix all the ingredients together in a blender until fairly smooth.
2. Spread on pastries or cakes before baking them.

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had a craving and just had to make some soft and gooey chocolate chip cookies. Probably next time I’d reverse the measurements for the sugars (i.e. ½ cup brown and ¾ cup white), as brown is just a bit too caramelly for my taste.

Ingredients:
¾ cup butter (about 150 g)
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
¼ cup cocoa
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 eggs (or 1 egg and 1 extra yolk)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
2 cups flour
1½ cups chocolate chips (about 200-300 g) (I just chopped up a block of baking chocolate, so I had chocolate shards more than chocolate chips)

Instructions:
1. Melt the butter, then mix it with the sugars and the cocoa, blending so it gets airy (you can use a mixer).
2. Mix in the vanilla and eggs, until fluffy. Then mix the salt, baking soda, baking powder, and flour together, and then carefully blend the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.
3. Add the chocolate chips and mix until everything is just blender.
4. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a baking tray and bake at 165 C for about 15 minutes.

Quote on Vegetarianism

For all we know that English people are/ Fed upon beef - I won't say much of beer/ Because 'tis liquor only, /and being far/ From this my subject, has no business here; / We know too, they are very fond of war,/ A pleasure - like all pleasures - rather dear;/ So were the Cretans - from which I infer/ That beef and battle both were owing her.

--Lord Byron

Onion Tart

This is very simple but looks pretty if you use red onions (you can use white too, of course) and it is especially good with goat’s cheese on top. This time, though, I just used mozzarella. I’ve also done it with cheddar. But you don’t need cheese at all, if you prefer.

Ingredients:
1 block puff pastry (about 250 g)
3 large red onions or 5 small ones
2 garlic cloves
oil
1 tbsp honey
1 dash balsamic vinegar
100-200 g black olives (depending on how you feel about olives)
black pepper
1 tsp mint
cheese, optional

Instructions:
1. Roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle and put it on a baking tray.
2. Dice the onions and garlic and fry them lightly in the oil. Add the honey and the balsamic vinegar and continue frying until caramelised and they have a slightly golden hue.
3. Chop the olives.
4. Spread the onions and olives on the puff pastry. Season with black pepper and mint. Add pieces of cheese, if desired.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes at 180 C.

Potato, Fennel and Onion Casserole

I saw this in Vegetarian Living a few months ago in a slightly different format (they had no onions, for example, and with tomatoes added at the end) and thought I’d try it. It would be good as a side dish, but was a bit too starchy as a main course.

Ingredients:
5-6 potatoes
1 fennel
1 onion
2 spring onions
3-5 cloves of garlic
1 tsp oil for the dish
2 cups (about 500 ml) milk or cream (I used soy, but Vegetarian Living recommended regular)
salt
pepper

Instructions:
1. Wash all the vegetables and peel as needed. Thinly slice them all.
2. Oil a casserole dish. Place the vegetables in it.
3. Pour the milk or cream over the vegetables and season with salt and pepper.
4. Bake at 200 C for about 60 minutes, checking and stirring partway through.

Peanut Tofu with Noodles

I love fast, healthy meals. This kind of recipe can be varied endlessly.

Ingredients:
1 container tofu (about 300 g)
tamari sauce (you can use soy)
oil
1 chilli pepper
1 red pepper
2-4 spring onions
1 package sugar snap peas (about 200 g)
5-7 tbsp peanut butter (I use crunchy to get nice peanut bits)
1 tsp lemon juice
noodles (Thai-style ribbon noodles work well with this, but any kind is fine)
1-2 eggs, as desired

Instructions:
1. Sprinkle the tofu with tamari sauce and marinate it for a few minutes. Bake it in the oven at 150 C for 10 or so minutes, so it gets a bit of colour.
2. Warm up the oil. Wash and dice the chilli and pepper and fry them in the oil.
3. Wash and chop the onions and wash and trim the sugar snap peas and add them. Remove the tofu from the oven, dice, and throw into the pan.
4. Add the peanut butter, lemon juice, and another dash each of oil and tamari. Cook over low heat for 5 or so minutes.
5. Put the noodles in, and the eggs if using them. If you use the eggs, stir them so they break into small ribbons. Cook for a few more minutes, then serve.

Flapjacks

Flapjacks in the US refer to pancakes, but in the UK, they’re a sort of biscuit or bar made from oats and honey or golden syrup (I dislike golden syrup so I use honey).

Ingredients:
175 g butter
175 g honey (1/2 cup)
¾ cup sugar
spices, as desired (I used a bit of cinnamon and ginger, and also a splash of lemon juice, though that’s not technically a spice)
350 g oats (4 cups)
½ cup raisins, optional (I soaked them in boiling water first to plump them up)

Instructions:
1. Melt the butter and add the honey and sugar. Warm until the sugar dissolves. Mix in spices, if you are using them.
2. Mix in the oats and raisins.
3. Grease an oven-proof dish and put the oat mixture in it.
4. Bake at 180 C for about 15-20 minutes, then slice into squares.

Lentil, Spinach and Feta over Rice

The rice looks very “dirty” but tastes very good!

Ingredients:
¾ cup puy lentils
3 cups water
¾ cup rice
100 g spinach
1 tbsp mint, tarragon, or other herbs
1 tbsp honey
75 g feta cheese

Instructions:
1. Rinse the lentils and bring them to the boil in 2 cups of water. Once they have started boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 12 minutes.
2. Rinse the rice and add it to the lentils along with the last cup of water. Simmer for another 12 minutes.
3. Wash the spinach and add it, the herbs and the honey. Simmer for about 3-5 minutes, with the cover on, so the spinach wilts.
4. Chop the feta and add it to the pan. Continue cooking over low heat for a couple more minutes, so the feta softens, then stir and serve.

Plum Crumble

This is really easy and fast. You can substitute many other fruits for the plums.

Ingredients:
6-8 plums
50 g butter, plus extra for the dish
¾ cup flour
½ cup oats
2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 cup sugar
1 dash lemon juice
cream or ice cream, as desired

Instructions:
1. Wash, halve and stone the plums.
2. Grease an oven-safe dish. Place the plums cut-side down in the dish.
3. Mix the butter, flour, oats, cinnamon, sugar and lemon juice into a crumbly mixture. Put it on top of the plums.
4. Bake at 180 C for about 25 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with cream or ice cream as desired.

Mackerel Soufflé

This was inspired by a recipe I saw in Delicious magazine. Smoked mackerel is a pretty cheap fish that you can use in a number of dishes, such as salads, omelettes, and this soufflé.

Ingredients:
15 g butter, plus more for the dish.
1/8 cup flour (about 15 g)
2 tbsp hot horseradish
1 cup milk
250 g smoked mackerel
black pepper
3 eggs

Instructions:
1. Grease an oven-safe dish. Melt the butter over low heat, then add the flour and the horseradish.
2. After another couple of minutes, add the milk until it gets warm.
3. Remove the skin and bones from the mackerel and then flake it into small pieces. Add it to the milk. Season with black pepper.
4. Separate the eggs. Add the yolks to the mackerel and mix. Whisk the egg whites.
5. Carefully mix the two mixtures together, then put them in the dish.
6. Bake at 200 C for 15-20 minutes.

Coming-Out Stories

Some of you might enjoy this blog, which features coming-out stories. What’s your coming-out story?

Morning Glory Muffins

Don’t snicker at the name – these are common muffins in the US, where “morning glory” has a much more innocent meaning (it’s a flower and not something men get in the morning).

These are pretty healthy and really tasty. You can also add nuts or coconut.

Ingredients:
1 apple
3-5 carrots (about 2 cups worth)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup raisins
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 pinch salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs

Instructions:
1. Peel, core and grate the apple and peel and grate the carrots.
2. Add the oil and raisins to the apple and carrots.
3. Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, vanilla and cinnamon together.
4. Beat the eggs and mix them with the dry ingredients.
5. Mix the eggs with the apple and carrots. Mix everything together well.
6. Put in muffin tins and bake for 18-20 minutes at 170 C.

Rice Pudding

M likes rice pudding but I’m not so keen (perhaps this is because I’m not English and didn’t grow up with it). Still, I aim to please, so this is the dish I came up with.

Ingredients:
butter or oil to grease the dish, plus 1 tbsp butter if desired
½ cup pudding rice
4 cups milk (rice or soya milk work fine)
½ cup sugar, or more to taste
4 tsp cinnamon, or more to taste
1 tsp nutmeg, or more to taste
2 tsp vanilla, or more to taste
½ cup raisins, or more to taste

Instructions:
1. Grease an oven-safe dish and put the pudding rice, 2½ cups milk, ¼ cup sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon in it.
2. Bake at 150 C for 40 minutes
3. Stir, then grate in the nutmeg. Add another 1 cup of milk and the vanilla. Bake for another 20 minutes.
4. Stir again, then add the rest of the milk and cinnamon, and the raisins. Also add the 1 tbsp butter if you want a more buttery taste.
5. Bake for another 20 minutes, then serve.

Chinese-Style Fried Rice

This is a great way to use leftover rice and it’s best if you make the rice the day before, as that somehow affects the starch so that the rice gets crispier. You can make the rice the same day, however.

This can also be easily varied by adding any sort of vegetables you have on hand and any protein you want (Chinese restaurants often serve this with chicken, but I use tofu or seitan, obviously).

Ingredients:
1 onion
oil (sesame oil works well in this if you have it)
about 1 tbsp chopped coriander
vegetables (around 200 g) (I used broccoli, spinach, and peas this time, but corn and carrots are also good)
white rice (about 40 g uncooked rice per person) – cooked the night before and left in the fridge overnight
tofu, if desired
soy or tamari sauce to taste (about 1/8 to ¼ cup)
2 eggs

Instructions:
1. Dice the onion and fry it in the oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add the coriander.
2. Defrost the vegetables, if using frozen, or wash and chop them if using fresh.
3. Add the rice to the onion and fry it for a few moments. Then add the vegetables. Dice the tofu, if using it, and add it and the soy sauce. Continue to stir-fry, adding more oil if needed.
4. Whisk the eggs and add them to the pan just a few moments before everything is done. Stir-fry while stirring for 3-4 more minutes, until the eggs are just set into strips. Then serve the rice.

Creamy Smoked Salmon Pasta

Since my partner isn’t a vegetarian, I do sometimes make fish dishes at home for her (I haven’t cooked any meat since I lived with my parents as a teenager). Trimmings of fish are much cheaper than regular fish and can be used in pies, flans, pasta, and many other dishes.

Ingredients:
1 onion
oil
honey or sugar
75 g green peas (frozen is fine)
pasta (about 75 g per person)
water
150 g smoked salmon (I used trimmings, which are cheaper and taste just as good)
soy cream (regular is fine too)
pumpkin seeds
chives

Instructions:
1. Dice the onion and fry it in the oil. After a few minutes, add the honey or sugar, so the onion turns brown and caramelises.
2. Add the peas to the onion. Set the pasta to boil (depending on the type of pasta, this could take 2-10 minutes).
3. Mix the salmon and cream in with the onions. Stir and cook while the pasta is boiling.
4. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds over the salmon, then chop fresh chives and add them as well.
5. Serve the pasta with the creamy salmon sauce over it.