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.

Sweetcorn chowder with spice

The mornings are getting chillier. I'm pulling my cardigan a bit tighter on my journeys into and home from work. It's nearly time to dig out the coats and scarves.

In the meantime, when I walk in the front door, I'm ready for something really warming and spicy. Earlier this week it was a cheap but tasty three-bean chili (good enough for two nights in a row). And tonight a bit of corn chowder was on the cards - but with a twist.

That twist comes courtesy of Ottolenghi - one of my favourite chefs these days. His New Vegetarian column is a weekly staple for the Guardian. I really enjoy his East Mediterranean take on recipes, and this one is no exception. To the classic American chowder, he's added a spiced butter, which consists of toasted cumin seeds, paprika and pepper. That, in addition to some freshly chopped coriander, gives chowder a whole new face - one that's super comforting.

Of course, I'm never *quite* content to cook Ottolenghi as is - I think his portions are a little small (especially for a vegetarian dish). In my opinion, less butter is needed, but more potato if this is going to make a main meal that doesn't have its eaters rummaging around the kitchen ten minutes later. I've also tried to go with cheaper ingredient alternatives that you're more likely to have to hand. Feel free to play with it how it suits you.

My version of Ottolenghi's corn chowder with spiced butter

(serves 3)
 

350 g potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 cm cubes

1 tsp thyme

1 large red pepper, chopped into one 1 cm pieces

1 large onion, chopped into 1 cm pieces

2 bay leaves

1 large tin of sweetcorn, drained

2 tsp oil

1 tbsp bouillon powder

700 ml freshly boiled water

300 ml skimmed milk

for the spiced oil

30 g spread or 2 tbsp oil

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp asafoetida

1 tsp white pepper

salt

small handful of coriander leaves

Heat 2 ml of oil in a pot and saute the onion over medium heat until translucent with the bay leaves and thyme. When that's done, tip in the red pepper, potato and stock - and stir. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.

Dump in the corn and remove the bay leaves. Halve the mixture - use a hand blender to puree one half, and then return both halves to the pan. Stir in the skimmed milk. Bring back to a simmer and cook for a few more minutes.

In the meantime, make the spiced oil - grind and toast the seeds, then add the oil/spread, asafoetida, white pepper, paprika and salt. Mix together and cook - then allow to cool.

When you're ready to serve, top the bowls of chowder with oil and chopped coriander leaves.

Calories per serving: about 330. It may be that someone hungrier wants two portions - if so, great. If not (like tonight), then you have a lovely extra serving perfect for freezing or for a Saturday lunch with a piece of bread.

This recipe is a winner, thanks to that spiced butter/oil. It's brilliant. The depth of flavour that you get for three minutes work is just not to be ignored. I'm thinking the spiced oil would be brilliant with some fresh flaky haddock and wilted spinach as well.

a dublin holiday and some lovely asparagus

I've been missing in action since my best friend Laura came to visit for nine days. We had a fabulous time cavorting around London, Dublin and Cambridge - generally stuffing ourselves with wonderful food and drink.

Dublin was the most fun - fresh crab claws, Irish smoked salmon, mussels, oysters - you name it, and 'it' came from the sea, then we had it. Oh, and the requisite Guinness and Jameson's.

But it's late April now - and therefore asparagus time in the Staves household. Thus far I've picked up some from Warwickshire (which I gobbled up tonight) and some lovely organic stuff sourced in Cambridge - for a little later this week.

So it's a lovely light dinner for tonight - and it's just me, as Mr Staves is hard at work.

Poached egg and asparagus on toast
(serves 1)

2 medium eggs
1 bunch asparagus
1 slice of bread
salt and pepper
spray olive oil

Preheat the grill/boiler to a medium heat, and bring a shallow pot to boil.

Spray the asparagus with a bit of olive oil before putting under the broiler/grill. They'll take about 6 minutes.

Poach the eggs for about four minutes. Right before they are finished, toast the bread.

Top the toast with the grilled asparagus and the two poached eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

Calories: about 300. And it's remarkably filling. Bulk it up with another piece of bread if you like.

Valentine's Day dinner: the dessert

This one I’ll have to be a bit cagey on, as it’s a friend’s recipe and I won't broadcast it without her permission.

I was a bit stumped as to what could follow rabbit, so eagerly started soliciting advice via email. “Got any good dessert recipes that aren’t too lardy?” was my question of choice.

My friend Marcella came to the rescue with her baked lemon and poppy seed cheesecake. Relatively low-fat, it uses cottage cheese, low fat cream cheese, and sour cream, in addition to your average cake ingredients of eggs and sugar.

The difference with this cheesecake is that there’s no graham crust – and I have to admit, after the two previous courses, I didn’t need it at all.

Here are a couple of similar recipes – just nix the crust:

http://cookery.newarchaeology.com/baked_lemon_cheesecake.php
http://www.cuisinedumonde.com/lem_cheesecake.html

It was gorgeous - and lasted about three days, which made for lovely desserts on Sunday and Monday too. Marcella’s recipe makes about 6 generous servings – all for about 315 calories each! Not bad at all… I'll definitely be making this one again.

chicken soup for the soul

This soup should be made on the same day as roasting a chicken. When you eat it is up to you - you can eat it the next night - a Monday - or freeze it and eat it another time. But it's soooo good.

country chicken soup
(serves 2)

300g roasted chicken, shredded (ideally leftover from a roast)

1 large leek, sliced
1 large carrot, diced
1 large stalk of celery, sliced
1 tbsp olive oil

750 ml chicken stock (ideally made from the chicken)
100 g dried soup mixture (peas, lentils, etc), cooked per instructions
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 large courgette, chopped
200 g mushrooms, sliced
100 g spinach leaves
salt and pepper
lemon juice
basil and sour cream (to garnish)

Heat the oil in a large pot. Sautee the celery, carrots and leek for about five minutes. Then add the hot stock little by little. Add the courgette, peppers and mushrooms and bring to an almost-boil, before reducing to a simmer for about 25 minutes. Then pour in the drained country soup mixture, the spinach leaves and the lemon juice. Season well.

If serving immediately, top with basil leaves and sour cream. Otherwise, freeze it as is, and slowly bring to a boil.

Calories: less than 350 for half. A great deal. And boys like it too, if "we can have this again" is anything to go by.

FAIL?

My veggie stirfry just wasn't enough tonight. I thought it sounded quite nice, actually - veggies, noodles, and a healthy dollop of sriracha on top. But no - the husband wasn't convinced, and headed out the door to get himself a lamb doner kebab.

Nonetheless, my dinner was lovely - and in a way I was quite pleased that I got a larger helping of peppers, courgettes and onions! Besides, we don't have to eat the same thing every night, after all...

So to all those people that think vegetable stirfries with noodles are A-OK, this one's for you:

Vegetable stirfry with noodles and sriracha
(serves 1)

1 medium green pepper, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
1/2 courgette, sliced
handful of spinach leaves
5 sprays of olive oil
1 tbsp sriracha chilli sauce
1 block of dry egg noodles

Heat the oil in a small pan; once hot, add the pepper, onion and courgette and fry for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

Bring a pot of water to the boil and add the noodles - they'll only need about 4 minutes.

Drain the noodles and add the spinach to the pan (remove it from the heat).

Add the noodles to a bowl, top with the veggies and stir well. Add a dollop of chilli sauce to the side and enjoy.

Calories: a very respectable 315.

Try lots of veggie combos: yellow and red peppers, broccoli, carrot, spring onion. They'll all work well - well, for you anyway. :-)

my first asparagus...

in nearly 11 months.

I can recall the last time I ate asparagus before today. I can nail it to the date, actually. It was the night before my friend Sarah's wedding, after a day at Sanctuary Spa. Nothing seemed more lovely than some steamed asparagus on toasted bread with soft French goats' cheese.

The English asparagus season only really lasts from late April to early June, and technically it doesn't even start until May. The window of opportunity won't long be open, so my goal is to get in early.

Seeing as it has been so long, I think it's only appropriate that tonight, I go in as I went out. There's just nothing better. It's a light meal, but with asparagus, it's quality not quantity.

Steamed asparagus and soft goats cheese on toast
(serves 2)

1 bunch of English asparagus, ends trimmed
4 pieces of wholegrain bread
120 g mild French goats cheese
salt and pepper

Steam the asparagus over a medium boil for about 6 minutes. With two minutes left to go, toast the bread and spread the goats cheese over. Season with salt and pepper. Top with asparagus and eat with a fork and knife.

Admittedly, it may not be enough to fill everyone. If that's the case, use just one piece of bread per person and make it a great starter.

As is, each serving is about 350 calories.

I hope you like asparagus. The recipes are going to keep on coming over the next month or so. When I found the English asparagus today, I picked up three bunches. The possibilities are endless...

my favourite dish

When I try to think of my favourite dish, it’s not sticky toffee pudding (though it’s divine) or blue cheese (the orgasmic guilty pleasure) that comes to mind. No, it’s something far healthier but so alive with flavour it’s almost unreal. I had a hankering for it last night, and stopped off on the way home to pick up a cucumber, as it was the only ingredient I was missing.

Once home I headed straight for the kitchen, slicing that cucumber, scooping out the seeds, and then chopping finely. Into a bowl they went, covered with the juice of ¾ of a lemon. Next, I chopped up a few tomatoes (admittedly not at their best at this time of year, but I was on a mission.)

Out comes the food processor, ready to take on two generous handfuls of parsley and a smaller one of mint. With those lovely fragrant herbs added to the mix, I then added a couple of spices – salt, pepper and cumin.

Now actually, I could have stopped here and enjoyed what is a rather mouthwatering salad. But two ingredients more and I knew I’d be in seventh heaven. So in goes the crumbled feta and, once it has been softened with freshly boiled water and the remaining juice from the lemon, the bulgur wheat.

Tabbouleh. O ye of the mezze. It’s so amazing. I’ve got so much respect for this little dish-that-could. The flavours are so tangy, so light. Each spoonful is a joy for my entire mouth. (That might sound silly, but to me, it really means something, the fact that this dish awakens so many taste buds.)

I don’t think my recipe would match those of the Greeks and Turks that eat it regularly – for one, they don’t use feta. And I believe they use even more parsley than I do. (Which doesn’t surprise me – I actually wouldn’t mind eating parsley by the mouthful sometimes. And just to be clear, I mean flat-leaf parsley, not the curly variety.)

Eat it as a salad on its own (as I’m doing today for lunch) – or as a side dish with chicken (just grilled), fish (haddock with fresh thyme perhaps?), lamb (lean meatballs?) or beef. It’s perfect on a mezze plate with other Mediterranean classics like hummus, roasted aubergine, stuffed vine leaves, tzatziki… I could go on. And it’s healthy – my version doesn’t have a lick of olive oil, and to be honest, it doesn’t need it. It’s light for a reason. You must make it.

Here are the ingredients I use – and the quantities – to make two salads:

1 medium cucumber
3 tomatoes
2 large handfuls of parsley, stalks removed
1 small handful of mint, stalks removed
1 large lemon
1 tsp cumin
salt and black pepper
50 g feta
100 g dry bulgur wheat, soaked in freshly boiled water for thirty minutes, then rinsed with cold water

Tell me what you think...or what your favourite dish that's actually healthy is!

soupe au pistou... oui oui!

When in doubt, go French. That’s what the experts say, right? Classic French cooking, though not an everyday occurrence, still gets top ratings from the ol’ Michelin star chefs.

But I’m thinking – in the vain of the lovely Disney flick Ratatouille – of rustic French cooking. Soups packed with chunky vegetables and topped with a spoon or two of pesto and crème fraiche. Soupe au pistou = soup with pesto.

Aside from the fact that it tastes absolutely brilliant, it’s healthy too. Even South Beach diet recommends it – and it's in Phase 1 even, that generally horrid phase when you’re not allowed to each much of anything. Click here for their version.

Like any veggie soup, the choice is yours as to whether you do or don’t add specific vegetables. That choice could be dictated by what’s in your freezer or fridge, or the time of year. In summer I’d make my own pistou – but right now I think it’s best to stick with the jar.

In any case, here’s my version:

Soupe au pistou
(serves 2 generously, with leftovers)

3 medium leeks, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
4 stalks celery, sliced and chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
250 g button mushrooms, quartered
1 large courgette, sliced into rounds
½ a small cabbage, sliced thinly (shredded even)
2 litres of chicken or vegetable broth
1 stalk rosemary
salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tbsp crème fraiche
4 tbsp green pesto

Heat the olive oil in a large pot, and add the leeks, carrot and celery. Sauté over medium heat for approximately 10 minutes, covering if necessary.

Add the mushrooms, courgettes, rosemary and cabbage and mix together. Add the broth and season well. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, check the seasoning. Ladle into large bowls and spoon over the crème fraiche and pesto. As an extra option, a few twists of cracked red pepper is quite nice.

Calories per (quite large) serving: 330. And it’s very filling. (For the whole rest of the night, I didn’t once think about how I’d like chocolate!)

To keep the heartier eaters happy, serve with slices of bread or baguette.

Tell me you don’t love that soup.

duck tales

Grilled duck breasts, braised red cabbage and apples and wilted spinach were on the menu last night.

The red cabbage I can do - although it takes about 45 minutes, it's worth it. The flavour of apples, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and bay slow cooked into the cabbage is divine - and completely fat free.

The spinach I can do - stir in a hot pan with a splash of water until ready.

The duck I wasn't so sure - so little investigation helped. The grill/broiler plan should be about 5-6 inches from the top, and the pan should be filled with water. Score the fat on the duck breasts a few times. (Even if you're not going to eat the fat, cook the breast with it - it keeps the meat from drying out.)

Grill/broil on medium-high heat for 8 minutes (skin-down) and then another 8 minutes (skin-up) for a medium-rare breast.

A 125 g duck breast portion without fat is just under 200 calories - and a huge portion of red cabbage and 100 g of spinach brings the filling meal to just under 300 cals. (I was VERY jealous of my husband, who got to eat two portions of duck fat, though I reminded myself it's not worth it)

ratatouille and rice

Continuing with the rustic trend I’ve been on as of late, a simple tomato-based vegetable dish, served with rice, fits right in.

Ratatouille, in addition to being a popular movie that I’ve not yet seen, is often served in my husband's family with a Sunday roast. But the flavours of tomato, garlic, courgette and onion are lovely enough on their own to hold up as an easy Monday night meal.

You may have noticed that I didn't include aubergine and peppers in the recipe. I actually think I prefer it without them, despite the fact that I love both vegetables.

The only problem could be that courgettes aren’t particularly local this time of year, but I did find a few Spanish ones at the supermarket. These were pretty decent, though in the next month or two they may not be an option. Besides, I prefer to wait for them in their prime.