A veggie version …

You won't need your slow cooker – you can use a large frying pan or a casserole.

Following the recipe, substitute the braising steak with Quorn pieces – you won't need to seal the Quorn pieces.

Gently fry your onion and garlic in a generous drop of rapeseed oil. Add the spices and cook together so that the spices are able to release their deliciousness!

Add the passata and the chilli sauce and bring to the boil.

Add the Quorn pieces and simmer for 12 minutes if frozen – 9 minutes if not - set aside until you're ready to roll.

The optional extras are the same – even the chorizo! Try M&S Plant Kitchen “No chorizo puppies” - they are freezable. Made with red pepper, smoked paprika and roasted garlic, mushroom and caramelised onion to name but a few ingredients!

Slice the chorizo and fry with a little oil, turning frequently. If you're adding sweet baby peppers sauté them in the chorizo oil.

When you're ready to serve add the chorizo and peppers and the residual oil with the kidney beans to your chilli and re-heat gently until piping hot!

Serve with whatever takes your fancy – rice, good bread or wraps.

Yum!

Happy New Year

The veggie roast!

This dish ticks two boxes – it's for those who love “stuffing” with their roast and with the extra ingredients it becomes a vegetarian roast in its own right.

It's tried and tested, here it is :

Chestnut and Apple roast

170g/6oz of dried breadcrumbs

2 tsps dried sage

100ml/3fluid oz boiling water

or

1 packet of sage and onion stuffing mix – 170g/6oz

1 packet – 180g/7oz of vac packed chestnuts, blitzed to a

crumb – not dust!

Vac packed chestnuts are available all year in

larger supermarkets

300g of chunky apple sauce – preferably Bramley apple

OR

Portion of apple sauce – 225-350g/8-12 oz

1 medium onion, finely chopped

Drop of rapeseed oil and knob of butter.

2 additional knobs of butter

I used an oval cast iron oven proof dish measuring 25x17x5 cms – 10”x7”x2” in old money.

For your dried breadcrumbs, remove the crusts and tear up into chunks – weigh to achieve 170g/6oz. Pre-heat oven 150fan/170c/Gas 3. Blitz the bread in a food processor until you get an even crumb. Spread the crumbs onto a baking tray and bake for 6 minutes until they are golden. You can make a finer crumb by blitzing again when cooled. Add dried sage to taste – I'd suggest 2 tsps.

You don't have to make your own breadcrumbs, you can buy them dried.

Alternatively if you're short of time, use a sage and onion stuffing mix.

To assemble … have a look at these photos :

Hey presto!

Merry Christmas everyone

A romantic bowlful!

It's another gallimaufry – but this takes it up a notch ...

Asian Spiced Gallimaufry

Serves 2

The marinade

2 x 4oz fillet steak, sliced thinly

110 – 120g in grams (*see note below)

2 roasted garlic cloves

1 tsp powdered star anise or one whole star anise

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

Mix together the marinade and pour over the fillet slices, ensuring that the slices are thoroughly coated. Box and leave in the fridge for an hour or so – it won't hurt to leave it longer.

The stir fry sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp Chinese rice wine (dry sherry will do)

1 dessert spoon of sweet chill sauce

mix together – can be made ahead, covered and fridged

Ahead of the game

Choose vegetables that are in season and that you love. I chose :

Cooked Jersey Royal potatoes – 500g

quartered

100g asparagus, blanched, plunged into ice

cold water, pat dry, box and fridge

100g baby broad beans – blanched and popped – box and fridge

100g small sweet mini peppers, finely sliced – bag and fridge

100g (2 large) salad onions, finely sliced - ditto

The amounts given are not set in stone – they are a guide to help you - build your own recipe.

*A note about weights – an ounce is exactly 28g but is usually written as either 25 or 30 – whichever suits you best but stick to what you decide – don't confuse yourself!

Plan of action up next!

The final side

… the humble onion salad :

Onion Salad

2 medium onions, finely chopped -

weight 150g per onion approximately

salt and black pepper

2 tbsp fresh orange juice

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp tomato paste

pinch of chill powder

Place the onions in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Place the salad in sealed airtight containers and store in a cool place.

The secret to this salad is that you should not serve it for at least a day, preferably two after making it. It's important that the orange and lemon juice and the tomato paste are allowed to “mature” - leaving to infuse takes away any harshness from the onion and the tomato paste.

This is a perfect accompaniment for any curry.

Here it is :

If you are a lover of all things spicy then this onion salad is excellent with cold meats or, best of all, with a strong mature cheddar cheese.

It's a match made in heaven – koftas, curry and two sides as well.

Next – if you don't fancy a curry what about a Cheat's Chilli?

Bombay Aloo – photos!

 Here's a photo guide of the original Bombay Aloo :

the beginning

the middle

the end

in an individual pot, ready to roll!

It's a win win – you use up any potatoes and produce a dish that will go down a storm – an added bonus - if you cook it on purpose it doesn't break the bank – I love it when a thrifty plan comes together especially when it tastes so good!

The final side ...

Bombay side … or main!

Although this is used as a very popular “side” it can morph into a stand-alone veggie meal by adding a selection of other stuff – cauliflower and chick peas to name but two!

Back to the recipe – for those of you who follow the blog you'll know I always have baked, jacket spuds in my fridge, so you could use two of them.

Bombay Aloo – aka Bombay Potatoes

2 large jacket spuds from your stash, peeled if you prefer

OR

500g of cooked potatoes – I use Charlottes – whatever you use it should be a waxy potato that holds its shape, so any new potato will be just the job

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 tbsp rapeseed oil

250g passata

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp caster sugar

1 tsp ginger paste or 1” fresh, grated.

2 cloves of roasted garlic or 2 cloves of fresh, crushed

1 tsp each of ground cumin, coriander, garam masala and curry powder. Use a curry powder that best suits your palate and how much heat you like – mild, medium or hot

1 tsp salt or to taste

Use a medium size saucepan (21cms/8”).

Your potatoes should be cut to approximately 6-12 cms/¼” to ½” pieces.

Fry the onions in the oil until soft – 3-4 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, spices and salt. Fry so that the spices are released. Add the potatoes and the tomato paste, fry gently so that the potatoes absorb the flavours and the paste cooks too – 3-4 minutes.

Add the passata and sugar and cook on a gentle heat for 10 minutes**. Taste the Bombay Aloo, adjust salt and sugar to personal taste. Cool, box and fridge. The longer you leave this dish the better it will be. It freezes well.

As a guide this recipe will give you 690g of scrumptious Bombay Aloo.

You can add a can of chick peas, drained and rinsed or tiny florets of cauliflower with the passata and sugar marked ** above - or anything that takes your fancy!

A photo-guide ...

The curry sauce!

This is a middle for diddle curry sauce, it won't blow your head off erring on the mild side – you could ramp it up by increasing the strength of the curry powder to your taste, if you prefer!

I use this all the time – it's quick, easy and above all it's yum!

Rendang Sauce

160 ml coconut cream

3 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp curry powder

(I used mild)

1 tbsp kecap manis

(also known as sweet soy sauce)

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over a low heat for 3/4 minutes

and serve. Can be made ahead and re-heated.

Cool, then set aside alongside the koftas until you're ready to serve.

If you're a fan of “sides” here are two of my absolute favourites!

Your kofta guide

You'll find it so much easier if you use a foil tray - with 2 tbsp plain flour – it enables you to roll around the koftas to coat with flour without having to “assist” them – a few at a time!

If you would prefer a larger version then use a dessert spoon of mixture, treated in exactly the same way, like these:

Coming up … the curry sauce and a couple of sides!

Under your belt!

I know the holidays have gone but I'm including this recipe so that you've got it “under your belt” - you'll use it all year round I promise you.

You'll never buy another cheese straw/twizzle or whatever other fancy name they give them, again. If you think I'm exaggerating then try the recipe just because you deserve a savoury treat!

You will guard this recipe with your life - these biscuits will become your best friend.

Parmesan biscuits

Makes 25-30

100g/4oz cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks

100g/4oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting

pinch salt

pinch cayenne pepper

1 heaped tsp mustard powder

50g/2oz finely grated mature cheddar cheese

50g/2oz finely grated Parmesan, plus extra to decorate

1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 180c/160fan/Gas 4.

Place the butter and flour into a food processor with the salt, cayenne, mustard powder and cheeses. Process together then pulse the mixture in short spurts until you notice the mixture coming together. It will eventually bind without the need for egg or water. Tip the mixture onto a sheet of cling film and use the cling film to bring it together into a round. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Leaving longer will do no harm.

Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the pastry thinly. Cut out the biscuits in shapes to suit the occasion. Lay them on a greased or non stick baking tray – 2cm apart. You'll need two trays.

Brush the surface with egg and sprinkle over a little of the finely grated Parmesan. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Use a palette knife to ease the biscuits off the tray and place on a rack to cool.

They will keep for a few days – good luck with that - take my advice and bake and freeze when there's no-one around – otherwise the aroma from the oven will bring everyone into the kitchen and it'll be bye bye biscuits!

Another piped paté

Paté number two is so easy and perfect for piping!

Cream cheese and cashew nut paté

1 carrot, finely grated

225g cream cheese

100g roasted cashew nuts, crushed to a rubble – not

to a dust!

1 tbsp of chopped chives

salt and black pepper

black olives – pitted and sliced to garnish

Mix all the ingredients together, box and fridge – complicated it isn't!

If you have leftovers it's yummy on rice cakes, gluten free cheese oatcakes, toast or even as a sandwich filling – a toasted bagel would be good. Waste not, want not!

Pipe onto crostini and garnish with black olives!

Paté number 3 up next …

Mushroom paté piped and garnished

A couple of tips before I show you ...

*A glug refers to liquid, usually oil or alcohol too in my culinary book. If you want to be reasonably accurate then a glug is what I'd call a generous tablespoon.

*A word about dry sherry. If you're not a sherry drinker – not my favourite tipple – then you might find it useful to know that, for the purpose of this recipe, and anything to do with enhancing the flavour of mushrooms, fino is the driest followed by manzanilla and then amontillado – any of the three will do very nicely. Alternatively you could use a glug of a good red wine.

A photo … you eat with your eyes …

How good does the paté look garnished with the sweet, baby orange pepper thinly sliced?

All that's left to do is to pipe onto crostini and garnish!

Next paté coming up …

Piped patés!

Alternatively you could be “cheffy” and forget the faff and make different patés – piped and topped with appropriate garnish they look very professional but most of all yummy!

I'd bake the bread slices without the paté topping so that it is crispy and allow it to cool.

Here are three easy, peasy recipes.

Mushroom paté

250g chestnut mushrooms

250g cream cheese

4 cloves of roasted garlic

30g unsalted butter

a glug of extra dry sherry*

salt and black pepper

2 tsps of tapenade – optional

For garnish thinly sliced circles of

sweet baby peppers

Trim the mushrooms, clean and then slice finely. Using a medium frying pan – mine measures 28cms in diameter - melt the butter and then add the sliced mushrooms with the garlic and sauté. Mushrooms release liquid and they need to be sautéed until it has disappeared – 10 minutes. 7 minutes into the cooking time add a glug of sherry. Continue sautéeing until the sherry has been absorbed – 3 minutes.

Let the mushrooms cool.

Blitz the mushrooms in a food processor, add the cream cheese and blitz again. Season to taste and leave to cool. Decant the paté into a piping bag with any leftover into a box and fridge until required.

Ready for action!

A veggie version …

You won't need your slow cooker – you can use a large frying pan or a casserole.

Following the recipe, substitute the braising steak with Quorn pieces – you won't need to seal the Quorn pieces.

Gently fry your onion and garlic in a generous drop of rapeseed oil. Add the spices and cook together so that the spices are able to release their deliciousness!

Add the passata and the chilli sauce and bring to the boil.

Add the Quorn pieces and simmer for 12 minutes if frozen – 9 minutes if not - set aside until you're ready to roll.

The optional extras are the same – even the chorizo! Try M&S Plant Kitchen “No chorizo puppies” - they are freezable. Made with red pepper, smoked paprika and roasted garlic, mushroom and caramelised onion to name but a few ingredients!

Slice the chorizo and fry with a little oil, turning frequently. If you're adding sweet baby peppers sauté them in the chorizo oil.

When you're ready to serve add the chorizo and peppers and the residual oil with the kidney beans to your chilli and re-heat gently until piping hot!

Serve with whatever takes your fancy – rice, good bread or wraps.

Yum!

Coming up … an easy dessert that everyone will love.

The last soup …

This is a “rib sticker” of a soup, definitely a meal in itself!

Carrot, Coriander and Chickpea Soup

Serves 4-6

1lb/500g Charlotte potatoes, peeled and diced

l large onion, finely chopped

4 large carrots, peeled and diced

2 stockpots, vegetable or chicken

1 litre of water

1 tsp mild curry powder

1 heaped tsp coriander

Salt and black pepper

Rapeseed oil

1 can chick peas, drained

Soften onion and carrot in drop of rapeseed oil for approx 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add curry powder, coriander and black pepper, cook the spices with the onion and carrot for 2 minutes so that the flavours are released.

Add the stockpots, plus 500ml water and simmer until the pots have melted.

Add the diced potatoes and the remaining 500ml of water, bring to the boil then simmer for 10 minutes until the carrot and potatoes are cooked. Taste, then add salt to personal taste.

At this point you can set aside the soup until you are ready to serve.

Before serving pop 3 ladles of soup into a food processor/liquidiser and blitz. Tip the thickened soup back into your remaining soup, add the chick peas, heat and serve.

By blitzing a portion of the soup no artificial thickening is required. You also get visible vegetables with your chick peas.

Note

Don't put potatoes in with the carrots, onion and oil – the starch that is released from the potatoes means that they will cement themselves to the bottom of your saucepan!

Perfect with home-made bread or a dumpling … hold that thought!

Something from nothing … cooked

Instead of throwing your leftover veggies away, keep the cooked peas, sweetcorn, carrot and broccoli and produce a “Soup of the Day”.

Here's my recipe :

Soup de Loop

(a catchy title I thought)

Serves 4-6

1 onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic chopped

1 green chilli, chopped, seeds out

Rapeseed oil

1 old potato, cubed

1 litre of vegetable stock to begin + half a litre later, when thickening.

I used 3 x veggie Knorr Stock pots from my store cupboard

1 stock pot = 500ml of water

Medium curry powder – to taste – 1 dessertspoon used

Mace – to taste – 1 tsp used

Salt and black pepper

A box of leftover cooked veggies – peas sweetcorn,

carrot and broccoli

Dice the carrots and broccoli should be kept in small florets.

Sauté the onion, garlic & chilli in the oil, add the curry powder and mace. Add the stock and cubed potato and bring to the boil, simmer until the potato is cooked but firm. Add the remaining stock. When ready to serve 2 ladles of stock in blender until very smooth i.e. dip spoon in, look at the back of the spoon it will show the texture of the soup – it should be smooth. Add back to remaining stock, then add the cooked peas, sweetcorn, diced carrots and broccoli. As with all soups, leave the addition of salt until the end.

Taste and adjust seasoning.

You could use any leftover cooked veggies – it's not set in stone.

Even though I say so myself not a bad effort and an added bonus - a healthy, nutritious soup using leftovers – not too shabby!

Now for the raw leftovers ...

A Sweetcorn Chowder

The Chowder originates from long journeys by ship – they used ingredients that would survive and the soup was thickened with hardtack. Hardtack we know as a “ships biscuit” - it was inexpensive and long lasting – perfect for long sea voyages. It arrived in North America from England and France. Probably the most famous version, certainly in the USA, is clam chowder but there are many variations. It is principally a soup with cream or milk, although you can use stock, adding potatoes, sweetcorn and other veggies or add fish and seafood if that's your bag. I suppose you have to like sweetcorn but, by its nature, it's quite popular with the kids.

Here's my version :

Sweetcorn Chowder

Serves 2 large or 4 smaller portions

300g/10½oz Charlotte potatoes, peeled and finely diced

1 medium carrot, finely diced

1 medium onion, finely diced

90g/3½oz Two small red sweet baby peppers, finely diced

50g/2oz of unsalted butter

175g/6oz sweetcorn or two cobs, stripped

1 tbsp plain flour

2 pints of milk – I use semi-skimmed

(568ml or 1.2 litres)

celery salt and pepper – white or black

chopped flat leaf parsley to sprinkle

Sweat the carrot, onion and peppers gently in the butter for 10 minutes, covered. Add the flour and the celery salt and pepper of your choice. Add the milk gradually – I use a whisk - this will prevent lumps. Add the diced potato and sweetcorn and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste and adjust the seasoning to suit. Check the thickness of the soup – if it's not thick enough, again to suit you, blend a ladle or two and add it back to enrich.

You don't have to use celery salt, you can use sea salt if you prefer. I love the extra oomph it gives – a fab flavour, especially in soups. I also mention a choice of white or black pepper – it's entirely a matter of choice, either is fine. If you're not fond of black flecks from black pepper then white is right!

Coming up … the Chowder bits and pieces

More snacky stuff – the method

It makes sense to me to begin with lining your tartlet tins and blind baking which means you can prep your filling whilst they are in the oven – sounds like a plan – I hate wasting time!

Method :

The pastry

Pre-heat your oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

Make sure your pastry has been allowed to come to room temperature – it's easier to handle and it won't break. Dust your tartlet tins with flour – on a non stick tin it's an extra “insurance” to prevent sticking. Cut out your six large circles and ease gently into the tins. Press a square of foil into each tin and then add rice to each to weigh down. You'll also need six smaller “lids” using the smaller cutter, then egg wash and sprinkle with Nigella seeds. Bake both the bottoms and the tops for 20 minutes and check. You may need an extra 5 minutes depending on your oven. Remove the foil and rice and discard. Allow to cool.

The filling

Whilst your pastry is cooking you can prep your filling.

Melt the butter and rapeseed oil in a large saucepan (I used 20cms in diameter) add the onions and soften for 2/3 minutes. Set aside in a bowl, leaving behind the residue of butter and oil. Add the chopped mushrooms, season with salt and black pepper and cook for 2/3 minutes. Add a glug of sherry (or red wine) and then let the mushrooms cook, absorbing the liquid. You don't have to add the alcohol but what is certain is that it brings out the flavour of the mushrooms. Add the onions and walnuts, check your seasoning and adjust to your taste. Add the parsley and then the cream and heat gently stirring, then add the cornflour a little at a time until you get a rich thick filling.

Cool and then fridge – leave in the pan if you intend to serve that day.

When you're ready to assemble place your tart base on a baking sheet, add a scoop of filling and then gently add your lid. I used a heaped ice cream scoop, measuring 5cm in diameter for portion control. Bake in a pre-heated oven as above for 15 minutes and then serve.

Photo-guide up next ...

More snacky stuff for the summer

Retro buffets – do you remember them? An integral part of any buffet back in the day was a mushroom vol au vent. The puff pastry case was true to it's name - “fly in the wind”, they were so light.

Here's another use for that puff pastry sheet stashed in your freezer. Each element can be made when you've time and then all that is required is the assembly.

Mushroom and Walnut Morsels

Makes 6 individual tarts

320g puff pastry sheet

250g chestnut mushrooms, chopped

glug of dry sherry (or red wine) optional

half a sweet onion, finely chopped

100g walnuts, finely chopped

15g unsalted butter

drop of rapeseed oil

salt and black pepper

parsley – 1 tbsp flat leaf chopped finely

or less if you want to use dried

200ml double cream

1 tsp cornflour, slaked

Nigella seeds

1 egg, beaten

Kit required

6 tartlet tins - 10cm diameter

2 cutters – 10cm and 6.5cm

foil squares and rice for blind baking

Method next ...

The second option ...

If mushrooms aren't your bag but you still want a veggie option, then try this on for size!

Cream cheese and cashew nut paté

1 carrot, finely grated

225g cream cheese

100g roasted cashew nuts, crushed to a rubble – not

to a dust!

1 tbsp of chopped chives

salt and black pepper

black olives – pitted and sliced (optional)

Mix all the ingredients together, box and fridge. If you are feeling really virtuous have a side of raw carrot!

Serve on whatever takes your fancy – rice cakes, gluten free cheese oatcakes, toast or even as a sandwich filling – a toasted bagel would be good.

It might seem an unlikely list of ingredients but I promise you it's delicious. The bonus here is that it takes no time at all.

This paté has everything :

the yummy cream cheese

the sweetness of the carrot

the saltiness and crunch of the cashew nuts

(you could even try honey roasted cashews)

What's not to love!

The third option … fancy a fish alternative?

Easy peasy photos!

Pushed for time – need inspiration? Take 150g of your paté, loosen it with 150g of double (heavy) cream and warm through. Hey presto, you have a mushroom sauce to serve with cooked chicken, Quorn fillets or fold through pasta.

By my reckoning a mid week supper would probably take the time it takes to cook the pasta and warm the sauce.

That's got to be a result!