Month: Feb 2021

Tzatziki/raita

~ Sophie ~ 4 Comments

There are over 3000 miles between Greece and India, but it seems the combination of yoghurt, cucumber and herbs either evolved independently in both places because it’s amazing, or travelled between them. Who knows? What I do know is that it’s delicious enough that you might be tempted to eat it all on its own.

  • Half a cucumber
  • 300g Greek-style plain yoghurt
  • 1 small clove garlic, minced
  • Pinch of salt
  • Chopped mint (or dill for tzatziki/coriander for raita)
  • Squeeze of lemon
  1. Slice the cucumber lengthways and remove the seedy core. Eat it because it’s nice!
  2. Grate the cucumber and squeeze out as much liquid as possible
  3. Mix the well-squeezed cucumber with the yoghurt, garlic, salt, lemon and herbs

If you fancy a different raita, I highly recommend the incredible smashed pineapple and turmeric raita from Meera Sodha’s Fresh India.

Carrot banana muffins

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Breakfast cake! With not only bananas but carrots too – so healthy! – and spices which give it hints of gingerbread. Just like if a carrot cake and banana bread had a beautiful fluffy child. Makes 9.

  • 1 egg
  • 50g soft light brown sugar
  • 80g plain flour
  • 50g ground almonds
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp mixed spice
  • Couple of gratings (¼ tsp) nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp ground ginger
  • 50ml sunflower oil
  • 1 ripe banana, mashed
  • 60g carrot, peeled and grated
  • Handful of sultanas
  • Handful of sunflower seeds and flax seeds
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 170C fan (190C) and line muffin cases
  2. Whisk together the sugar and egg until well combined and thickened.
  3. Add the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, salt, bicarb, cinnamon, mixed spice and nutmeg
  4. Mix together thoroughly, then add the oil, bananas, grated carrot, sultanas and seeds
  5. Give it a thorough mix then spoon shaggy mounds of the happy mixture into the muffin cases
  6. Bake for 35 mins until golden and then cool on a wire rack
  7. Store in an air tight container at room temperature

These freeze really well if you can’t get through all of them before they go stale

Babovka

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Aka Kugelhopf. This cake is plain, unfussy and delicate, marbled with cocoa and lemon, another morsel of Czech family history. Ideally, use a bundt tin to create the traditional ring shape.

  • 170g butter at room temperature
  • 4 eggs, separated
  • 300g caster sugar
  • 300g plain flour
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 150ml milk
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  1. Grease and flour a babovka/bundt tin
  2. Pre-heat the oven to 170C fan (190C)
  3. Whisk butter till very light
  4. Add the egg yolks, sugar and lemon zest, continuing to beat well
  5. Mix the flour and baking powder together
  6. Stir the milk and flour into the butter/egg mixture a couple of tbsp at a time, alternating between them. Mix gently but thoroughly until well combined
  7. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until very stiff
  8. Fold into the batter with a metal spoon until well mixed
  9. Pour about two thirds of the mixture into the prepared cake tin
  10. Add the sieved cocoa powder and a little milk to the remaining mixture
  11. Pour evenly on top of the plain mixture
  12. Draw a clean tablespoon through the centre of the mixture (going around twice)
  13. Bake in the centre of the oven for 15 mins
  14. Reduce to 160C fan (180C) for a further 30-40 mins or until firm and leaving the sides of the tin
  15. When ready remove from oven and leave in tin for 5 mins before removing to cool on a rack
  16. Once cool, dust with icing sugar and serve with fresh raspberries

Spicy Szechuan aubergine

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Eye-wateringly spicy and incredibly more-ish. Steaming the aubergine makes it tender and soft, without the enormous amount of oil you would use if you fry them. Feeds 2

  • 1 aubergine, cut into chunky pieces
  • 1 tsp cornflour
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp black vinegar
  • 1 tsp shaoxing rice wine
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp veg oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
  • 3 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 100g minced pork (leave out or use tofu if you want a veggie version)
  • 1 tbsp chilli paste
  • 2 tsp Szechuan chilli oil (substitute fresh chilli or chilli flakes. Or don’t if you feel as though maybe it’s spicy enough already)
  • 100g green beans, cut into short lengths
  1. Line a bamboo steamer with baking parchment and pop the aubergine inside. Stick the lid on and steam over boiling water for 10 mins. Open the steamer and just put on one side
  2. In the meantime, combine soy sauce, vinegar, shaoxing wine, sugar, cornflour and 50ml cold water in a small bowl, mix well, and set aside.
  3. Heat oil in a wok, add the garlic, ginger and spring onion, and give it a stir
  4. Add the minced pork and stir fry until it begins to crisp round the edges
  5. Add the green beans, chilli paste and chilli oil and stir fry for a couple of mins, adding a splash of water if it’s too sticky
  6. Pour over the sauce mixture and stir cook for a couple of mins until glossy and thick
  7. Turn the heat off and add the aubergine and gently stir in
  8. Serve over steaming white rice with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and fresh red chilli slices over the top

Spaghetti carbonara

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Rich, luscious and seductively tasty. It’s the easiest and quickest way to make something that feels like a lovely treat. For some reason it absolutely has to be spaghetti.

  • 2 eggs
  • 250g spaghetti
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and left whole
  • 20g butter
  • 100g pancetta, cut into cubes
  • 40g parmesan, finely grated
  • Black pepper
  1. Put a large saucepan of water on to boil, add salt and, once boiling, add the spaghetti. Cook for 10 mins
  2. In the meantime, beat the eggs and season with plenty of black pepper. Stir in the wafts of grated parmesan
  3. Squash the garlic clove, keeping it whole
  4. Melt the butter and fry the pancetta and the garlic until golden
  5. When the pasta is ready, drain it but keep a cupful of the cooking water
  6. Off the heat, put the cooked pasta back in the saucepan and tip in the butter and pancetta, mixing well with tongs. You can discard the garlic or just eat it secretly
  7. Get ready for stirring action! Pour in the egg and cheese mixture and a splash of pasta water and mix through. Don’t stop moving until it’s made a lovely, glossy sauce. No scrambled egg here! I find the easiest way to do this is to use tongs to swoop the spaghetti through the egg
  8. Check the seasoning, add a bit more pasta water if it’s dry. Serve straight away – maybe with a tomato and basil salad

Blueberry buttermilk pancakes

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Brunch! So fluffy. Just add maple syrup (and crispy bacon) and swoon with foggy Sunday morning happiness.

  • 350g plain flour
  • 3½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • 300ml buttermilk
  • 300ml semi-skimmed milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 80g unsalted butter, melted
  • 200g blueberries
  1. In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, bicarb, salt and sugar.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, milk, eggs and melted butter
  3. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir together. Do not overbeat, stir just enough to combine. Stir in the blueberries.
  4. Heat a splash of veg oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Spoon the batter into the pan – big or small pancakes, your call!
  5. Cook for 2-3 mins until the underside is golden-brown and the top is bubbling. Then flip and cook for another minute or so
  6. Keep the pancakes warm in a very low oven while you cook the remaining pancakes

Tomato lentil soup

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The ideal accompaniment to a bonfire night outing, a chilly afternoon or a shivery dip in a river. Nourishing and tasty, it’ll warm your cockles.

  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp veg oil
  • 100g red lentils
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 500ml stock
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • Pinch of sugar
  • Squeeze of lemon
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Heat the oil, add the onions and cook for 5 mins until translucent
  2. Add the tomato puree, garlic, thyme, cumin and paprika and cook for 2 mins
  3. Rinse the lentils and add to the pan with the stock. Bring to the boil then cook for 20 mins stirring occasionally until lentils are soft
  4. Add tinned tomatoes and sugar. Cook for a further 10 mins
  5. Add lemon juice and season to taste

Madhur Jaffrey’s lamb rogan josh

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

Flipping amazing and entirely worth the effort. I’ve made it for 2 people and for 40, and it is without fail fragrant, succulent and rapturously received. Which just goes to prove that Madhur Jaffrey is a flipping genius and the queen of Indian cooking!

  • 2″ fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 8 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 2 cups water
  • 5 tbsp veg oil
  • 900g lamb shoulder, cut into 1″ cubes
  • 10 whole cardamom pods
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 6 cloves
  • 10 black peppercorns
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 4 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 6 tbsp plain yogurt
  • 1/4 tsp garam masala
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  1. Put the ginger, garlic and 4 tbsp water a mini food mixer. Blend into a smooth paste
  2. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy saucepan over a medium-high heat. Brown lamb in several batches and set aside in a bowl
  3. Put the cardamom, bay, cloves, peppercorns, and cinnamon into the same hot oil
  4. Stir and wait until cloves swell and the bay leaves begin to take on colour.  This only takes a matter of seconds
  5. Now add the onions. Stir and fry for 5 mins until the onions go a medium-brown colour.
  6. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir for 30 seconds
  7. Add the coriander, cumin, paprika, cayenne, and salt. Stir fry for another 30 seconds. Add the browned meat cubes and the meat juices
  8. Now put in 1 tbsp of yogurt, stir and fry for about 30 seconds until yogurt is well blended
  9. Add the remaining yogurt, a tbsp at a time in the same way.  Stir and fry for another 3-4 mins
  10. Add the remaining 1¼ cups water and bring the contents of the pot to a boil, scraping in all the browned spices on the sides and bottom of the pot
  11. Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for about an hour or until meat is tender
  12. Every 10 mins give the pot a good stir to prevent burning
  13. When the meat is tender, take off the lid, turn the fire to medium high and boil off some of the liquid, stirring all the time, until the sauce is thickened
  14. Sprinkle the garam masala and black pepper over the dish and mix them in just before you serve

Serve with rice, raita, mango chutney, samosas, a huge feast of delicousness!

Apricot almond blondies

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Not sure if this is a cake, a traybake? Closest thing is a brownie, but this has not a hint of chocolate. These are squidgy and fudgy, fruity and almondy, just a tiny bit boozy with a cracked meringue top. Makes 12.

  • 100ml amaretto
  • 150g dried apricots
  • 75g unsalted butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 150g soft light brown sugar
  • 150g caster sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 100g plain flour
  • 100g ground almonds
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 35g flaked almonds
  1. Roughly chop the apricots and put into a small bowl. Pour the amaretto and leave for 15 mins
  2. Melt the butter and leave to cool
  3. Preheat the oven to 160C fan (180C)
  4. Line a small square or rectangular roasting tin or ceramic oven dish
  5. Put both sugars and the eggs into a big bowl and beat until thick and smooth.
  6. Mix in the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, melted butter, vanilla and salt
  7. Add the drained apricots and half of the amaretto (save the rest to mix with prosecco later, or just drink on its own) and stir through
  8. Pour the mixture into the prepped roasting tin and sprinkle the top with flaked almonds
  9. Bake for 35-40 mins until the top is golden brown and a skewer comes out with just a few crumbs stuck to it.
  10. Cool in the tin then cut into squares. Tastes even better the next day.

Leek and pancetta orzotto

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A speedy, carby delight for a lazy Sunday supper or a midweek dinner. A risotto for a night when you don’t feel like standing there stirring for 20 mins

  • 1 tsp veg oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 small leek, cleaned and sliced
  • 150g pancetta, cubed
  • ½ chicken stock cube
  • 250g orzo
  • 650ml boiling water
  • 150g frozen peas
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • Handful grated parmesan
  • Black pepper
  1. Pour boiling water over the peas to take the cold off them
  2. Over a medium heat, warm the oil and cook the pancetta until crisp
  3. Add the garlic and stir in until it starts to turn gold
  4. Tip in the leeks and sweat until soft
  5. Crumble in the stock cube and stir in. It should almost dissolve in the oil
  6. Add the orzo and stir until coated with the bacony, garlicky oil
  7. Pour in the boiling water, turn down the heat and stick the lid on
  8. Simmer for 10 mins, stirring a couple of times while it cooks to make sure it’s not catching on the bottom. You can add a bit more of the recently boiled water if needed
  9. Beat the butter and parmesan into the pan, check the seasoning and serve straight away