Experimenting with Moroccan fish and vegetable stew

Awhile ago a recipe posted by @foodista caught my eye on Twitter - twas a recipe for African vegetarian stew. Just the sound of the title enticed me - a quick look of ingredients revealed a tasty sounding stew filled with root vegetables like kohlrabi and sweet potatoes as well as chickpeas, tomato and lots of lovely north African spices.

Two things were missing for me: first, harissa, potentially the single-best condiment ever put on this Earth. It's fab as a marinade, in a sauce, or as a dip. (I like it on oat biscuits too with a bit of cheddar.) It's spicy, but deeply spicy, and just the thing in North African cooking. Secondly, I fancied a bit more protein, in the form of some haddock.

But you know what it's like - one tweak begets another.  Out goes the kolhrabi, in comes the swede. Out goes the couscous, in comes the pearl barley. Out goes the raisins, in come the figs. But all in all, I think I've kept the same essence of the dish, just made it a bit more accessible (and tasty, I like to think...)

And on the upside, it's really healthy (very low fat, as no oil was needed), super quick to make (bung in all in a pot and let it simmer), and most importantly, quite filling indeed. The recipe below makes four sizable servings - we had two of them last night and will have two more tonight. Just the thing for a crisp autumn evening.

Moroccan fish and vegetable stew

(serves 4)

1 small swede, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 courgette, sliced thickly
1 tin of chopped tomatoes

1 tin tomato puree
1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
100 g pearl barley, rinsed (or bulgur wheat or couscous, if you prefer)

50 g dried figs (or raisins, if you prefer)
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp cumin
3 tins water

salt/pepper
200 g white fish (haddock works well)

2 tbsp harissa

freshly chopped coriander

I shall keep this simple: all you do is chuck everything except the fish/harissa into a pot, bring to a boil, and simmer for 45 min. Meanwhile, cut the fish into chunks and marinate with the harissa. About 5 min before serving, drop the fish and the freshly chopped coriander in and allow it to poach.

Calories per serving: 366. That is proper good value for money for such a tasty, filling dish. I was worried the figs might put my husband off, but he loved them. It's a good thing too, since we're eating it again tonight...

A wholesome pear cake recipe

I've been getting very ornery when passing the cake/biscuit/etc aisles at the supermarket lately. We generally have a sweet snack at home for us to munch on, but the options are just so horrid! Choose from:

A) awful corporate brand name sweet
B) cheap basic option stuffed full of hydrogenates
C) enticing friendly option that's twice the price

Well, I'm going for D) none of the above. I'm going to make our sweets at home from now on. Yes, it's a bit of extra work, and yes, I'm no baker. But it will be a new challenge that's relatively cheap to take on.

Seeing as Waitrose had some "essential" pears (yes, I'm still a sucker for SOME marketing gimmicks) on offer, I decided to scoop them up and make an upside down pear cake.

Now obviously most cake recipes call for fat, eggs, sugar and flour - all in varying amounts and using various versions of the four. I'm keen to keep these cakes as clean as possible and have opted for olive oil, free-range eggs, unrefined caster sugar and wholemeal flour as my ingredients of choice, though none of the items are organic.

As I didn't want to duff up the cake, I went for traditional ratios - though I may tweak in future.

Upside-down pear cake
(serves 8)

4 pears, peeled, cored and halved
1 square springform tin
a dab of olive oil and a dusting of flour for the tin
175 g unrefined caster sugar
175 g wholemeal flour, sifted
2 eggs
8 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp ground ginger (though use whichever spice you like - cinnamon would be lovely too)
45 ml skimmed milk

Preheat the oven to 230 C.

Oil and dust the springform tin. Place the pears, cut side down, in a circular pattern in the middle of the tin.

In a large bowl, use a hand blender to combine the sugar and olive oil until as fluffy as possible. Blend in each egg individually, adding the next one only when the mixture is consistent.

Fold the flour and the ginger into the mixture and mix until consistent again, and then pour in milk. Stir until consistent one last time, then pour the mixture evenly over the pears.

Bake for 30 minutes, then remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes before popping the cake out of the tin. Serve immediately, or wrap in foil once fully cool. Will keep for 3-4 days in a cool-ish environment.

Calories per serving: 339.

That's higher than I'd ideally like for a snack, so might work on tweaking the sugar content in future. But there's 3.5 g of fibre in each serving as well, so I'm thinking this would make a great snack an hour before a workout.

As for the husband test: had him try it BEFORE telling him about the wholemeal flour (he doesn't mind these things, but if he knows it will impair his enjoyment...) and he was really pleased with it. (Though who isn't pleased when someone makes them a cake, I'd like to know.)

So will continue my cake journey and keep you updated. Do feel free to recommend any other cake ideas and I'll give them a go.

Things I want to eat this autumn

It's harvest time, my friends! Autumn begins today, the 21st of September. Cue the hordes of people rolling in piles of russet-coloured leaves.

There's going to be so much good food to eat in the next couple of months that I hesitate to try and choose a favourite. But there are definitely a handful of foods that I just can't wait to eat, and that I've been spending the last few weeks thinking about.

Apples
Today I've been crunching on some Egremont Russet apples, thanks to them arriving a little early this year at Lathcoat Farm's orchards. They're not much to look at, with their dusty olive-coloured skins, but those skins belie the beautiful flavour and texture inside. Do try them.


How to eat them? Well, first, just eat them raw - they're one of the most wonderfully portable fruits, and I plan on having AT LEAST one a day until the New Year.

But cook them too! My friend Martha recommended I have baked crabapples with cinnamon, which sounds like a perfect dessert for a chilly night. Now, she had the luxury of a crabapple tree in her backyard growing up - and unfortunately I can't fit one of those on my balcony in Hackney. But I'll try a really tart variety in hopes that I can mimic the outcome.

Apples are also divine in cake - here's one I made earlier. I've decided I'm going to make lots of these sorts of cakes this autumn - that way I can control the ingredients, using wholemeal flour and unrefined sugar. It's cheaper and lasts longer too.

Squashes
Butternut squash, pumpkin, pattypan, onion - the varieties, like apples, are seemingly endless. There are several dishes I plan on repeating this autumn from past seasons, but I'm also looking to find some new ones.

Cue Nigel Slater and his new book Tender. He always seems to know just what I'm thinking, ol' Nigel. Well, thanks to Nige and the Observer, we've been treated to a few recipes ahead of time here, including a rather delectable sounding Pan-cooked pumpkin with duck fat and garlic. I look forward to trying that out, as well as his simple idea of a "soup-stew with haricot beans, late tomatoes, cheese and pumpkin".


Mussels
Ah, mussels. They're so cheap, yet so delightful! A trip down to Belgo's will remind you how revered mussels are to the Belgians, as they should be to us. I myself am headed to Borough Market this Saturday to pick up a bag or two - they're really cheap in September.


I fancy returning to the classics - moules marinere, where mussels marry so beautifully with celery, onions, white wine and garlic, as well as trying some new ideas too - mussel pasta with mushrooms and rosemary (which screams autumn to me), or a creamy mussel sauce to top a piece of beef (I can't remember where I've seen that, but I know I have somewhere...)


Okay, those are just a few ingredients that I'm going to be using in the next months - I'm also looking forward to experimenting more with game and foraging for mushrooms. What's on your list?

chickpea tomato and bread soup

I've not had much luck with chickpea soup (Delia's version is one of the most unpleasant things I've ever made), but I like the sound of Yotam Ottolenghi's take on the soup....

Basic ingredients - bread, tomatoes, celery, carrots and chickpeas - come together to make something that sounds ultimately warming and cozy. I probably wouldn't use 120 ml of olive oil, but that's just me.

mmmm.... mushrooms

It's atrocious, my absence. All I can do is offer this amazingly earthy, rich (and healthy) mushroom soup and beg forgiveness:

Super mushroomy soup
(serves 2)

500 g large mushrooms, stems removed, sliced, and stems chopped finely
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 tbsp Marigold bouillon powder added to 1/2 litre freshly boiled water
25 g chives, chopped
25 g dried mushrooms, soaked in 1 pint water
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp truffle oil (if you don't have it, just use olive oil)
100 ml skim milk

In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the fresh mushrooms, onions and thyme and saute over med-high heat for a few minutes, adding splashes of water as needed.

After five minutes, add the dried mushrooms, the mushroom water, and the bouillon and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to pull out about 1/3 of the mushrooms and put to the side. Use a hand blender to blend the rest of the soup. Replace the mushroom/onion mixture and bring back to a simmer.

In a small saucepan, heat the skimmed milk, but don't bring to a boil. Then stir through the soup, along with half of the chives and the truffle oil.

Serve the soup topped with the remainder of the chives, some cracked black pepper and some creme fraiche (optional - I didn't have it, but my husband did).

Calories: 200 calories per serving (without creme fraiche). (To bulk it up for others, add some bread and butter.)

"I'm definitely making this again," I said to Pete halfway through. To which he responded: "I'm definitely eating this again."

butternut squash: light but filling

I was going to make shepherds pie tonight (using a carrot-swede topping in place of potato) but I think my husband is pied out. After fish pie on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, I’ve finally done the unfathomable: filled him up.

This morning, he actually requested something a bit lighter. “Could we have a salad?” he asked innocently. Normally, I’d jump at the chance – but I didn’t buy ingredients for a salad, I bought them for a shepherds pie! At least mince freezes well.

Instead, I made one of my favourites – butternut squash, blue vinney and lentil boats. Though it’s hearty and warming, it has a lovely sweet lightness to it. Click here to read how to do it.

happy Thanksgiving

To all my friends back home, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with lots of delectable trimmings. Turkey is a staple, but what you do with the turkey is up to you. Roasting, deep frying (which reduces the cooking time and leaves the breast meat still very lean), and even brining are options available to the chef. And for the vegetarians, there’s always Tofurkey, a soy “bird” that’s actually quite fun.

Stuffing is a necessity. Stove Top may be traditional, but not very fun. My parents reported trying a wild rice, Granny Smith apples, sweet Italian sausage and pecan stuffing, which sounds amazing. (Especially with the Georgian addition of pecans – well done Mom and Dad).

What I miss most about Thanksgiving, though, is the green bean casserole. (Though sweet potato pie and Mom’s mashed potatoes are also great). Cooking canned green beans in canned mushroom soup, topped with canned crispy onions. Perhaps not the freshest dish, but surely it could be updated via the produce section?

try these

In my quest for yummy autumn recipes, I stumbled upon these online. Undoubtedly, they are worth consideration:

Roasted chestnut soup

Cranberry bars

Fish with creamy leeks

Parsley-root soup with truffled chestnuts

What do you think?

bonfire notes

Bangers and mash are one of my husband’s favourites, but I have to admit that I don’t really fancy them all that much. Loads of gloopy gravy ladled over a heavy mash stuck with sausages is not really my cup of tea.

So last night I set about updating this recipe for my (healthier) tastes. First, instead of potatoes I used a combination of carrot and swede (fireworks mash, perhaps). Second, make sure the sausages are grilled, not roasted or pan-fried. Third, as I’m not gravy-crazy, I just made a bit of Bisto for my husband. But to bring a bit of extra flavour, I sautéed some sliced onions with just a teaspoon of olive oil until they become soft and translucent. Half of those onions go in the gravy, and other half over my gravy-less mash. I’m happy to use a touch of Colman’s instead.

Bonfire bangers and fireworks mash
(serves 2)

5 sausages (2 for me, 3 for someone with a larger appetite)
250 g swede, cubed
250 g carrot, cubed
1 medium onion, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup gravy like Bisto, made up
1 tsp Colman’s

Preheat the grill.

Combine the swede and carrot in a steamer and cook for 10-15 minutes until quite soft.

Saute the onions in a small saucepan with about 5-10 sprays of olive oil. Cook slowly, allowing the onions to caramelise.

Make up the gravy and keep to the side.

Cook the sausages for about 10 minutes on the grill, turning every 3-4 minutes.

Use a hand blender to pulse the carrot-swede mixture, so that the mixture goes soft but retains a lovely mottled orange-beige colour.

Serve by dividing the carrot-swede evenly on the plates and prop the sausages on top. For the gravy-less plates, add half of the onions and a spoonful of Colman’s; combine the rest of the onions with the gravy and pour over the other plate.

pumpkin and swede soup

In my cold-weather quest to eat filling foods at lunchtime, I made this soup to bring along with a salad each day. It takes about 45 minutes to make, though much of that time, the soup can be left to simmer. You don’t have to use swede too: I did only because I had some left over from bangers and mash.

Pumpkin and swede soup
(makes 3-4 servings)

1 medium pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and chopped
100 g swede, chopped
1 bay leaf
1.5 litres of hot vegetable stock
2 tsp olive oil
Any dried spices you like – this time I used thyme and rosemary
Salt and pepper

Throw the pumpkin and swede into a large pot with the olive oil. Mix. Bring the heat to medium high and wait until there’s a bit of a sizzle. Add the bay leaf and the spices.

Add the stock and bring the pot to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and allow to bubble away for about 30 minutes (or longer if you like).

Remove the bay leaf and use a hand blender to puree the soup. Serve or allow to cool and freeze in batches. Perfect for a lunch to take to work (provided you have a microwave).

a lunchtime switch

The clocks have gone back. There’s no hint of summer (or sun) around, and I’ve swapped berries for squashes in my desserts. So why haven’t I changed my lunch until now?

Partly, I suppose, because I get stuck into a routine. In go spinach, chickpeas, reduced fat feta, cucumber and tomato, a lovely salad for a summer’s day. It’s light and doesn’t sit too heavy in my stomach.

But now things are different. By 1pm, I’m craving filling foods, and if I don’t get them, I’m likely to sneak out of the office for a piece of cake by 3pm, which completely defeats the purpose of bringing a healthy lunch to work.

So what to do?

First off, I recommend leftovers, especially if your workplace has a microwave. Making a bit of extra pasta, or another piece of chicken, at dinner will save lots of time in the morning and make lunch more satisfying.

Bringing a soup to work isn’t a bad idea, either. Warming and filling, it just might carry me through the afternoon. But prepared soups are often loaded with salt and sugar, which isn’t suitable. But next time you make a soup, double the quantities and freeze half of it.

Finally – rejuvenate your salad. Instead of summery chickpeas, introduce some root vegetables (roast a load on Sunday afternoon and save some for lunch).

Or, as I’ve done today, change it completely. I made a bit of extra penne last night for my pumpkin pasta, saving enough for two future servings.

sardine pasta salad with spinach and chopped tomatoes
(serves 1)

1 tin of sardines in spring water
75-100 g (dry weight) pasta, cooked
½ a can of chopped tomatoes
1 small handful of baby spinach

Drain the sardines and remove any visible bones. Add to the pasta. Rip up the spinach (if the leaves are large) and add through. Pour half of the can of chopped tomatoes through (save the rest for tomorrow). Mix (or close the Tupperware dish and shake).

Writing this after lunch, I realise it would probably be best to puree the chopped tomatoes, or use a combination of chopped tomatoes and passata, to prevent the salad from having a watery texture.

Don’t worry about the fat or calories in the sardines – it’s a small 120 g tin, and it only brings about 150 calories, which is not bad for a wintertime salad. The protein and fat should help sustain the body through the afternoon (and don’t forget, there’s no cheese in the salad, which helps to balance the fat content).

The only thing you might worry about is the sardine smell – warn your colleagues and make sure you wash your hands right after preparing the salad, lest your skin will carry the odour around all day…

November nibbles

It’s November – to some, the official start of the Christmas season. While I wouldn’t go that far, I am excited about all the lovely pears and root vegetables on the way. Many of November’s treats are extremely healthy and very versatile.

So what’s on the menu this month? Of course, looking at it by month is slightly pedantic, as though on 31 October apples are still in season, and on 1 November they are not. It might be useful to look at it by week. (Click here to have a look at what’s in season in Australia)

In any case, prepare yourself for beautiful greens, oranges and reds as we reap the rewards of the harvest.

Pears

Home-grown conference pears have been lurking in the supermarket for a few weeks now, but I’ve been waiting for the elegant comice, with its softer skin and sweeter flesh.

These fruits are wonderful just on their own, as a snack. But these ideas are great – and healthy too:

-poached pears in red wine… add a square of dark chocolate for a stylish touch.

-upside down pear cake – I’ve not made this before, but I’m really coming around to the idea. Or pear muffins, even: try this Epicurious recipe.

-in a salad with walnuts, blue vinney and watercress

-or this salad with roasted fennel and pear and a balsamic dressing

-as part of a stunning autumn/winter chutney

Parsnips

After growing up not knowing what parsnips were, and then spending years turned off by the sight of them (white carrots, what?), I gave in, and tried parsnips. I’ve never looked back – these creamy vegetables are divine.

My favourite parsnip recipes to date:

-Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s parsnip and apple cakes. Absolutely brilliant with a couple of sausages (get them as lean as you can) and a dab of Colman’s.

-this cream of parsnip soup recipe – though without the cream. If anything, use skimmed milk, as the parsnips are creamy and luscious enough on their own.

More to try:

-use parsnip in place of potatoes in classic recipes such as shepherd’s pie. They are stunning in place of mash potatoes – except the parsnips are better as a puree – and served with salmon.

-curried parsnips: the spicy earthy seasonings suit the sweetness of the parsnip. Serve as a side dish or whiz into a soup. Or try Paul Rankin’s spicy burger and roasted parsnip recipe.

Root vegetables galore (pumpkins, potatoes, swede, celeriac)

Aside from parsnips, autumn brings a range of root vegetables to our doorsteps. Pumpkins and butternut squash are still around, potatoes are our perpetual friends, and now swede (also called rutabaga in the States) and celeriac are just waiting to be eaten.

These vegetables are healthy, and importantly to many, cheap! So enjoy. Many of these work beautifully in unison, picking up on each others’ best qualities.

-try this root vegetable gratin from Abel & Cole, though I’m hesitant about all the cream needed. Perhaps a mixture of skimmed milk and cream could do the job just as well…

-my friend Sarah makes an excellent root vegetable stew with dumplings. In go parsnips, carrots, potatoes, swede and celeriac, simmered with a touch of cider, and, if it’s a special occasion, dumplings made of flour, cheese, spring onion, and a bit of butter. Perfect for a dark chilly evening.

-Delia does a great reduced fat slow-cooked soup too

-root vegetable and barley risotto – perhaps with a bit of single Gloucester, as recommended by Godsells cheesemaker

-root vegetable slaw, served with smoked fish cakes. Love it.

Cranberries

Cranberries are another one of winter’s sweet fruits, arriving long after we picked the last of those regal blackberries. This is a down-to-earth fruit, pulled from bogs, and rife with a tart flavour that often needs a touch of sugar. For antioxidant fiends, evidently the fruit has been shown to have more antioxidant phenols than 19 commonly eaten fruits.

Here are a couple of ideas:

-in a pear-cranberry smoothie with low-fat yogurt – the sweet pear will hold up to those tart lovely berries

-homemade cranberry sauce for turkey – either at Thanksgiving in the US or on the Christmas dinner table in the US. (Use the leftovers to make this exciting quesadilla)

Cabbage

This vegetable has some awful historical connotations, much like the swede. Much of this stems from poor preparation – cabbage can be fantastic when cooked properly.

Red, white, green, summer, leafy, savoy – the possibilities are endless. But at this time of year, the hard and round ones are best.

-for red cabbage, try braising it with earthy spices – such as nutmeg and cinnamon – as well as something sweet like apples and a splash of vinegar to preserve the colour. Great with lean poultry and lots of other vegetables for a healthy Sunday lunch.

-stir-fry shredded green cabbage with leeks for one of my favourite crunchy side dishes. All it needs is pepper and some olive oil spray (if it seems dry, just add a splash or two of water)

-the traditional Irish dish colcannon contains potato, cabbage and onion with cream, salt and pepper. For a healthier version, substitute semi-skimmed milk in for cream and use potato, cabbage (or kale) and leeks.

Leeks

I love leeks. Their flavour is so distinctive, yet never too harsh. You know that old phrase, “Behind every good man is a woman”? The analogy applies to leeks. They back up soups, casseroles, stews, you name it.

-a week or so ago I made a watercress soup – that my husband was literally dreading – that ended up a hit. Two rather large leeks were responsible for quite a lot of that flavour.

-leek skillet: sauté leeks with parboiled cubed potatoes. Add a bit of spinach and top with goats cheese before serving. It’s a perfect casual Saturday afternoon lunch.

-roasted leeks add miles to any vegetable combo. Roasted baby leeks work well in a salad.

-in a frittata with mushrooms and watercress.

I could go on forever, especially as I haven’t even touched on beetroot or nuts. But that’s enough to keep you – and me – busy in the kitchen for now.

halloween pasta

For a Halloween treat, try pumpkin-mushroom-spinach penne with a few dollops of reduced fat creme fraiche.

Basically, just peel and dice the pumpkin into 1-cm cubes. Season and steam for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil the pasta and chop the mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms with a few sprays of olive oil and black pepper.

Once the pumpkin is done, mix it with the mushrooms and saute further. Add half of the spinach and allow to wilt.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the creme fraiche.

When the pasta is ready, divide them into individual bowls (if you're watching calories, allow 100 g of dry weight pasta) and spoon the pumpkin mixture over the pasta (split it evenly between the bowls. Mix through, season and serve. For an extra treat, add a little parmesan.

mackerel, Mediterranean style with a Halloween-inspired twist

I’m a sucker for pumpkins. They’re just so cute, sitting in big crates, bright orange and yellow and green, calling out to me. Saying “Jen, buy me, carve me!” I give in each year. I’ve got a big orange pumpkin waiting to be souped on Wednesday. But last night, I used munchkin pumpkins, roasting them in their little wedges until soft and sweet.

I roasted them with harissa paste to give them a deep and spicy flavour, though any spice of your choice would work well. Be creative.

Grilled mackerel with parsley salad and harissa-roasted pumpkin
(serves 2)

2 whole mackerel or mackerel fillets
2 lemon wedges
2 healthy pinches of cumin powder
olive oil spray
2 handfuls of parsley, chopped fine
2-3 tomatoes, chopped
75-100 g cucumber, chopped
juice of ½ a lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
250 g munchkin pumpkins
dried cracked chilli pepper
2 tablespoons of harissa
olive oil spray

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Combine the pumpkin, chilli pepper, harissa and olive oil spray in a foil-lined roasting tin. (Just a handful of sprays will do.) Roast for 30 minutes.

While the pumpkin is roasting, make the parsley salad by combining the tomato, cucumber, parsley, lemon juice and seasoning. Let it sit.

Preheat the grill. Dress the mackerel with lemon juice and cumin and cook for about 12 minutes, turning once.

A friend mentioned to me that she doesn't have mackerel often, because of the high fat content. It's true, it isn't low in calories (I'd reckon it's about 400 calories for a large fillet. But by grilling it, and not eating the skin, you get a lot of good omega 3 oils. Just be sure to serve the mackerel with other, low-fat, low calorie options. The parsley salad is great, and the pumpkin helps to balance out the protein and fat with fibre and carbohydrates.

mushroom mad

Yesterday I got a little carried away on a mushroom trip (not that kind). They just taste so good at the moment, so I have stocked up.

For breakfast, scrambled eggs with mushrooms on toast. It’s a really healthy and sustaining breakfast – the only additions needed are a few sprays of oil, a splash of skimmed milk, and any seasonings desired. (I just stuck with pepper, though thyme or parsley would work well too.)

For lunch, mushroom soup, leftover from one I’d made and frozen a month or so ago. Still just as good as ever, heated on the hob. Adding some freshly chopped spring onions enlivened the soup and brought it back to the present day.

For dinner – the piece de resistance – steak with a red wine and wild mushroom sauce with broccoli and courgettes. For the steak, it’s important to pick a lean cut – like sirloin, or rump (trimmed) – and then grill it. I like mine quite rare.

The sauce does require some oil and a bit of flour – but as long as the quantities are closely monitored there’s no problem.

Red wine and mushroom sauce
(serves 2)

250 g mixed mushrooms (chestnut, portobella, etc.), sliced
4 shallots, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
200 ml red wine (something you’d be happy to drink)
1 tbsp flour
250 ml hot beef, chicken or vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, shallots and garlic and sauté until the shallots are translucent – about 8 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour over and coat the mushroom mixture. Continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Stir frequently.

Add the red wine and stir quickly, allowing the mixture to bubble furiously. A red roux will appear. Add the stock slowly, stirring all the while. Season and continue to simmer for another few minutes, until the steak and vegetables are ready.

I’m not always a fan of red wine sauces – they can be a bit rich, and the quality of the wine is critical. Anything too acidic or too flimsy will ruin the sauce.

Adding something sweet to the sauce, like cherries, would make it a great sauce for poultry meats like duck. I saw a mouth-watering recipe for duck with wild mushrooms and fig sauce on Epicurious last week.

pumpkin hummus

LOVE this idea from the American Diabetic Association... but I think using roasted pumpkin instead of canned pumpkin would be nicer. And roasting the seeds would be fantastic!

butternut squash muffins: updating jamie oliver's recipe

This week on his tv show, Jamie Oliver showed us how to make butternut squash muffins, which of all his recipes, made me sit up and listen closely. As butternut squash are quite like carrots, I figured they would work well in a muffin.

Jamie's version has a frosting, but I figured they would be quite nice, and set out on Saturday afternoon to bake a batch. I'm not very skilled at baking, but I figured I'd start out following Jamie's recipe and deviate if I thought it necessary.

Sugar, eggs, flour, olive oil, walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon, and squash were on his ingredient list. A quick survey of my cupboards told me I didn't have any walnuts, though I did have some flaked almonds, so I used those.

I cut down on a few of the quantities, though. His recipe called for 4 large eggs (I used medium, with no problem). It also called for 350 g sugar (and this recipe is supposed to be for kids!) I actually only had 225 g, but I tasted the batter, and it was quite sweet anyway, so I didn't worry. I added in a bit of ground ginger for a more natural sweetness, which worked fabulously with the butternut squash. The last ingredient I reduced was the olive oil, using about 100 ml instead of 175 ml.

The muffins take about 25 minutes to bake. The smell is divine, as is the taste. I especially recommend the ginger. After they cool, keep them in a sealed container for freshness.

One thing I learned here - never trust a chef on matters of fat and sugar! They always use too much. Don't take their quantities as unchangable. (However, I didn't reduce the flour, as that is probably quite important in helping the muffins to rise.)

in season: wild mushrooms

On Friday afternoon, I couldn't resist popping by Borough Market before heading home to pick up a few wild mushrooms. As I greedily piled mushrooms into my paper bag, the man next to me smiled. "We're spoilt for choice," he said.

It was very true. Long, thin chinese mushrooms; thick, coarse mushrooms that looked like rocks; deep, dark pungent ones with chocolated-coloured heads. I couldn't stop myself. Though when I got to the till, my pickings totalled a tenner, so I relented and put a few back.

It turns out, I didn't need them all - they grew in fragrance, perfuming my entire flat until Saturday night, when I made the loveliest wild mushroom risotto.

I truly believe risotto is a weekend dish, and one best done at home. It needs time, patience and care and it certainly cannot be rushed (or you'll be forced to eat dense grains). It does not need cream either.

My version is the healthiest one I've come across, and (if I may say so) it tastes amazing.

(serves 2)
300 g wild mushrooms, broken into small pieces
100 g plain mushrooms (button or chestnut), sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1 clove of garlic, sliced
150 g arborio risotto rice
25 ml olive oil
1 litre of hot chicken or vegetable stock
175 ml white wine
a handful of parsley, chopped
4 tbsp (about 60 g) parmesan
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in large saute pan or pot. Add the onions and saute and allow to soften over medium heat. After about 5 minutes add the garlic.

After 5 more minutes, add the rice and stir so that the grains are coated in what's left of the oil. Increase the heat to about medium high. Saute for about two minutes

Add the white wine to the pan, and it should boil and bubble off. Begin to add the stock, a little bit at a time, just enough so that the rice is barely covered. Stir constantly.

Continue to do this until all the stock is gone. The process will likely take about 30 minutes.

After about 20 minutes, heat a few sprays of olive oil in small pan and add the mushrooms. Saute over low heat for about 8-10 minutes. Add water in small splashes should the mushrooms look dry.

After 30 minutes is up, add the mushrooms and mix through. Taste a grain of the rice to ensure it is soft enough. If it isn't, make up more stock (or use water) and continue until the grains are soft.

When they are soft enough, remove the risotto from the heat. Season well, and stir in the parsley and 3 tbsp of parmesan and cover the pot. Allow it to sit for about 5 minutes.

Serve the risotto in shallow bowls. Sprinkle the last bit of parmesan on top with some freshly-ground black pepper.

The only problem with this dish is how quickly it goes, and how much you'll want more! One serving is about 600 calories, so it's really not too bad at all, especially for a weekend dinner. The flavour of the pungent mushrooms are absolutely mind-boggling. So earthy - it's fantastic to think about how thousands and thousands of years ago our ancestors were foraging for these little treats.

the carrot approach

Another week, another soup. I never tire of them. There are always new combinations or old favourites. Soups are affected by seasonality more than any other dish I can think of, perhaps because it is the essence of the ingredients that make a given soup so memorable.

Carrots are the shining star in this week’s potage. I adore carrots – maybe it’s a kid thing. Being brought up on carrot sticks isn’t all bad. Or perhaps it’s the Bugs Bunny association.

Anyway, I love ‘em, and this carrot-love sent me on a mindless trivia quest. Did anyone know it’s called a gulerod in Danish? And that back in the day (the day being the 1200’s), all carrots that were eaten were purple?

My first experience of carrot soup was carrot and coriander – and way too heavy on the coriander. I may be permanently scarred with regards to this specific recipe.

Second time was a winter carrot soup, inspired by Nigel Slater in one of his Kitchen Diaries. Owing to a cold, I went a “little” too heavy on the cayenne pepper. Scarred again.

This time, I’m keeping it simple. I considered adding thyme, but in the end, I decided that letting the carrot’s full flavour have prominence was best. A scoop of tomato puree backed up the warmth, colour and sweetness of the carrots.

This soup definitely gives butternut squash soup a run for its money. I think with carrot, it’s best not to overspice.

My carrot soup
(serves 2)

3 very large carrots, peeled and grated
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 litre of hot chicken stock
1 tbsp olive oil (though less can be used if you are watching the fat content)
plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan (if it is big enough) or a pot. Add the grated carrot and onion and allow the oil to spread evenly throughout. Sauté over medium heat until the carrots are very soft and the onions are translucent.

Mix in the tomato puree and spread evenly. Turn up the heat and add the stock little by little, allowing the soup to heat back up. Once all the stock is in, bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes. Season well.

After about 10 minutes, use a hand blender to whiz the soup into a fine puree. (If you want a very silky soup for a first course, strain the soup through cheesecloth or a sieve.) Check the seasoning – it likely needs a bit more salt and black pepper. Allow the soup to heat back up, though not to a boil.

Serve immediately in big bowls, perhaps with wholemeal bread.

I actually decided to serve this soup with goats cheese toasts, using the last of my Little Wallop from the cheese festival. Giving it another three weeks to mature has really made the difference – the cheese is no longer understated, but quite strong – with almost a blue note to it. Giving the toast and cheese 3 minutes under a grill results in a rather nice treat.

autumn roast chicken that will last for at least four meals

I admit, I may be harping on and on about the season, but for good reason. Nothing feels – or tastes – better than cooking seasonally. There must be some synapses in the brain which fire when seasonal produce hits the tongue or when the eye spies the colours of the season.

Sunday evening’s menu, on the face of it, may seem uninspired: roast chicken with vegetables. But seasonal cooking takes a seemingly ordinary dinner and completely enlivens it. Roast chicken with vegetables becomes apple-stuffed roast chicken with butternut squash and kale. I also added a few spices – some dried thyme and a bit of ground ginger.

The chopped Bramley apple serves as a humidifier from within the chicken’s cavity, keeping the breast meat ever so moist. The butternut squash, once chopped and loaded into the pan with the chicken along with a few red onions, soaks up some of the lovely juices from the bird without becoming completely drenched. And the kale – needing only four minutes in the steamer – provides a fresh, textured, and importantly, green, counterpart to the chicken and squash.

As for the chicken, although £7.50 may seem like quite a lot for a 2 kg free-range corn-fed chicken, remember that there will be enough breast meat for another meal (either another round of this meal – or, as I’m doing, putting the shredded breast meat into an Italian chicken salad). Furthermore, there’s enough dark meat for some excellent chicken and cucumber sandwiches to take to lunch, and the carcass will boil up wonderfully with all the odds and ends of your veggie basket (i.e. the hearts of celery, carrot peelings, the dark green part of leeks, the skin of onions…)

Luckily, you don’t have to take my word for it – try it for yourself. There are ten weeks of autumn left, before my mind converts to winter and I begin espousing the credentials of pears, cabbage and swede. (And you know I’ll do it.)

Apple-stuffed roast chicken with butternut squash and kale
(serves 2-4, with leftover chicken for another night’s dinner, lunchmeat for sandwiches, and a rather beautiful stock for a carrot soup I’m making later this week)

2 kg free-range chicken
1 large Bramley apple, cored and chopped
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, scooped, and chopped
1 medium red onion, sliced
1 bag of curly leaf kale
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Spray olive oil
Dried thyme (or fresh, if you have it)
Ground ginger

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Prepare the chicken by rinsing out the chicken and coating the inside with salt and pepper. Place in a foil-lined roasting tin. If using fresh thyme, stick the herbs between the skin and the breast meat and season. Spray a few squirts of olive oil.

Surround the chicken with the chopped butternut squash and a few slices of onion. Sprinkle with a bit of thyme and ginger. Roast for 2 hours – 30 minutes plus 45 minutes for each kilogram – checking on the chicken every 20 minutes or so. Use a basting brush to redistribute the juices over the chicken.

Once the chicken is done (meaning the juices run clear), remove it from the oven and transfer to a carving plate. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes before carving. Move the butternut squash and onion to another dish and pat with a paper towel to remove excess fat.

Place the kale in a steamer over medium-high heat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Steam for about five minutes.

Carve the chicken, and serve the desired cuts with a bit of the apple from the inside of the chicken, a helping of butternut squash and onion and a healthy serving of kale.