Month: Apr 2021

Coleslaw

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

Beautiful shades of orange and palest green, crunchy and creamy with the yoghurt, mustard and vinegar cutting the richness of the mayo. A brilliant side dish for burgers or pulled pork, or make it a bit more special by scattering with finely chopped parsley, nigella seeds and toasted pumpkin seeds.

  • ¼ white cabbage, cored and finely shredded
  • 3 carrots, peeled and grated
  • 4 heaped tbsp mayonnaise
  • 3 heaped tbsp plain yoghurt
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp cider vinegar
  • Pinch of sugar
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Mix everything together and taste to check seasoning. Eat straight away

Biscotti

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My mum’s recipe and the source of endless debate within the family on the correct additions. I am hazelnuts and almonds all the way. You can use pistachios, dried cherries or raisins, or coconut flakes. My grandmother strongly maintained that, once cooled, the end of each one should be dipped into dark chocolate.

  • 250g flour
  • 250g caster sugar
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • Grated rind of 2 oranges (or lemons, but I prefer oranges)
  • 300g whole blanched almonds and hazelnuts
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C fan (180 C)
  2. Mix all the ingredients except the egg
  3. Then add most of the egg and mix. If it’s dry, add a bit more. The dough should be wet and sticky, so flour your hands to bring together with your fingers
  4. Mix well and divide in half. Roll each piece into a long log
  5. Line 2 baking trays with lightly greased baking parchment and lay each log diagonally onto a tray
  6. Bake for 15-20 mins until just firm to the touch, pale brown and substantially spread out
  7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for around 5 mins until firm enough to cut into 1-1½ cm slices. Remove onto a board before slicing and use a very sharp knife
  8. Lower oven to 120C fan (140C)
  9. Place each slice on one of its cut sides, back on the baking tray and bake again for 12 mins
  10. Flip them over and give them a further 10 mins or so to let them finish drying out. They should be golden but not over-baked or they’ll be too hard to bite!
  11. Cool on a rack and eat with a big mug of tea

Dukkah

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This nubbly, nutty, spiced mixture is so good sprinkled over salads or steamed green veg. Use to garnish hummous or just dip bread in oil and then into this.

  • Large handful flaked almonds
  • Handful walnut pieces
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • Salt
  1. Put all the ingredients expect the allspice and salt into a small frying pan
  2. Heat over a medium flame until they start to turn golden
  3. Tip into a mortar and use a pestle to crush gently into a rubbly crumble
  4. Store in an airtight container once completely cool

Pomegranate lamb

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Slow cooked lamb, deeply flavoured sweet and sour with pomegranate. A brilliant element of a multi-part feast of salads served with plenty of pitta or fluffy Turkish flatbread to mop up the juices.

  • 650g boned lamb shoulder
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 80ml water
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 heaped tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Pre-heat oven to 140C fan (160C)
  2. Put the lamb into a small roasting tin
  3. Mix all the other ingredients together and pour over the lamb, rubbing into every crevice
  4. Cover with foil and put in the oven for 2 hours, checking after an hour that it’s not dry
  5. Take the foil off and bake for a further hour
  6. Drain off the cooking juices and oil into a glass jug or bowl, leaving the lamb to rest in the pan
  7. Pour off the oil or use a baster to remove as much of it as possible
  8. Then tip the deep brown cooking juices into a saucepan and bubble over a high heat to reduce to a syrupy glaze before pouring back over the lamb to serve

Serve whole or pre-shredded, either way its double-delicious served with a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds, finely shredded mint leaves and roughly chopped toasted pistachio seeds

Butternut squash and sweet potato soup

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Soup-erb. Fragrant, warm and deeply comforting. Feeds 4.

  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, sliced
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 small butternut, peeled, deseeded and diced
  • 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
  • ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 chicken stock cube
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium heat
  2. Cook the onion and garlic for 5 or 6 mins until soft
  3. Add the diced butternut squash and sweet potato and stir together
  4. Cook for a couple of mins then add the spices, seasoning and the stock cube
  5. Stir together, before pouring over around a pint of boiling water to just cover the contents of the pan
  6. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 15-20 mins until the squash and sweet potato is soft when you poke it
  7. Use a wand blender to whizz the soup until smooth, then check the seasoning and serve. Maybe with a little dollop of plain yoghurt or creme fraiche in the middle and some crusty bread on the side.

Lamb, pea and mint sandwich

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Possibly my favourite sandwich. Although that’s a big claim … there are so many good ones. Definitely top 5. It’s a delicious combination of flavours and textures and dont be daunted by the recipe – I promise it looks more complicated than it actually is. Feeds 2.

  1. 350g lamb neck fillet
  2. 2 tsp flour
  3. Salt and black pepper
  4. 1 tbsp butter
  5. 2 tbsp veg oil
  6. 3 cloves garlic
  7. Sprig fresh rosemary
  8. 3 tsp red wine vinegar
  9. 3 tbsp lamb stock
  10. 3 spring onions, finely chopped
  11. 1 large red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  12. 100g frozen peas
  13. 1 tbsp finely chopped mint
  14. Handful rocket leaves
  15. 2 ciabatta rolls or 4 thick slices of ciabatta
  1. Trim the lamb neck fillet, cut it into 1 cm slices across and roughly flatten each piece – just press down with your fingers or side of your hand
  2. Put the flour on a plate and season with salt and pepper. Dust the lamb pieces with flour until lightly coated
  3. Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat until crackling. Add 1 tbsp oil, the rosemary and 2 of the garlic cloves bashed with the side of a knife
  4. Shake the excess flour off the lamb and add to the pan
  5. Fry on both sides until brown then remove from pan
  6. Add 2 tsp vinegar and the lamb stock to deglaze the pan, then reduce the liquid until syrupy. Use to coat the lamb while it’s resting
  7. In a separate pan, heat 1 tbsp veg oil and saute the spring onion and chilli
  8. When soft, add the peas and crush roughly
  9. Add 1 tsp vinegar and the mint. Heat through
  10. Toast the ciabatta and rub with the final clove of garlic, split in half
  11. Top the ciabatta with a pile of lamb, peas and rocket. Stick the top on and eat immediately with a napkin to mop your chin and your fingers.

3 salsas

~ Sophie ~ 3 Comments

Some salsa ideas, all zingy enough to make your mouth throw a party. Bonus lovely colours and textures. Plus endlessly adaptable with more or less of anything you like.

GRILLED TOMATO AND CHILLI SALSA

  • 4 large ripe tomatoes
  • 2 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
  • 1 large jalapeño chilli
  • Handful fresh coriander, chopped
  • 2 spring onions, finely chopped
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • Pinch salt
  • Large pinch sugar
  1. Pre-heat grill to its highest setting
  2. Halve the tomatoes and place, cut side up, onto a baking tray with the garlic and chilli
  3. Turning occasionally with tongs, grill them until they’re all blackened, blistered and soft. (They may cook at different rates, so remove each one as it’s done)
  4. Remove and discard the stem from the chilli and the skin from the garlic, and chop finely (or use a pestle and mortar to make a paste)
  5. Peel off the tomato skins and chop them roughly on a plate so you don’t lose any of the juice
  6. Slide the tomatoes into a bowl, and stir in the chilli and garlic, coriander, spring onion, lime juice, salt and sugar. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed

SWEETCORN SALSA

  • 2 cobs sweetcorn, stripped of husks and silk threads
  • Veg oil
  • ½ red pepper, finely chopped
  • ½ small red onion, finely chopped and soaked for 10 mins in cold water then drained
  • 2 large firm tomatoes, skinned, de-seeded and chopped
  • Handful fresh coriander, chopped
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • Pinch of salt
  1. Pre-heat the grill to its highest setting and rub the corn cobs with a bit of oil
  2. Place under the grill and toast them for roughly 8 mins, turning occasionally so that they cook evenly
  3. When they’re cool enough to handle, stand up on a chopping board on the stem end and slice down the cob with a sharp knife, scraping off the kernels
  4. Mix the corn with all the other ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed

MANGO SALSA

  • 2 ripe mangos, diced
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped
  • ½ small red onion, finely chopped and soaked for 10 mins in cold water then drained
  • Small bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped
  • Zest and juice of 1 lime
  • Pinch of salt
  1. Mix all ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed

Beef and pork ragu

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Technically something close to an Italian ragù napoletano, this meat stew is hearty, filling and rich. Feeds a small army.

  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 500g beef shin, cut into chunky pieces
  • 500g pork ribs
  • 200g thick-cut bacon, cut into chunks
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 3 tbsp tomato puree
  • 200ml red wine
  • 1 carrot, peeled
  • 1 stick celery
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 tins chopped tomatoes
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Heat the olive oil in a big, heavy-based saucepan, add the meat to the pan in batches and fry until it’s brown all over, then remove from the pan
  2. When the meat is all browned and put to one side, turn down the heat and add the onion to the pan
  3. Cook for 7 mins or so until softened
  4. Increase the heat, stir in the tomato puree and wine and boil for 5 mins
  5. Add the celery and carrot, chopped tomatoes, a tin of water, salt and pepper
  6. Bring to the boil then lower the heat to a low simmer
  7. Add the meat back to the pan, along with any juices that have leaked out
  8. Cover and cook very gently for 2-3 hours. Stir from time to time and check there’s enough liquid – you can add a bit more water if it gets too thick. The sauce will be rich and thick when cooked and the meat will be so tender you can cut it with a spoon
  9. Remove the pork ribs and any bits of gristle, plus the bay leaf, carrot and celery (and eat the veg secretly in the kitchen before serving)

Serve with piles of tagliatelle or papardelle, traditionally as 2 separate courses – the pasta with the tomato sauce (primo) and the meat (secondo).

Baked feta and sweet potato

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A marvel of sweet and salty flavours. An excellent weeknight dinner. Trust me on baking the feta, it’s a game-changer. Feeds 2.

  • 2 orange-flesh sweet potatoes
  • ½ tsp veg oil
  • 200g block feta, drained and patted dry with paper towel
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • Zest of ½ lemon
  • Black pepper
  • Handful pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 170C fan (190C)
  2. Scrub the sweet potatoes but don’t prick them or cut any bits off them because the juice will leak from the inside and weld itself to the bottom of your oven
  3. Use a little bit of oil on your hands to rub over the outsides of the potatoes and put them into the oven, directly on the oven shelf
  4. Bake for around 30 mins. Whilst they’re cooking, pop the feta in a little oven dish or make a foil packet on a baking tray. Sprinkle with the chilli, olive oil, thyme leaves, lemon zest and black pepper. Put the lid on or seal with foil
  5. Once the sweet potatoes have had 30 mins, place the feta in the oven and bake for a further 15 mins
  6. Check the sweet potatoes are done, then split them open and top with the soft, creamy, salty-but-mellow feta and a sprinkle of toasted pecans

Tomato and chorizo salad

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Spicy, chewy and savoury from the chorizo – sweet, tangy and fresh from the ripe tomatoes. Big ticks all round. I love using a variety of different tomatoes for this, cut in different ways for texture and general prettiness. Feeds 4.

  • Around 200g chorizo, roughly cut into bite-sized 1-2cm pieces
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 3 large or 5 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped into interesting-shaped pieces
  • 250g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 3 spring onions, finely sliced
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, sliced
  • 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • Small bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
  1. Heat a frying pan with the tsp of olive oil over a medium heat
  2. Fry the chorizo, stirring occasionally, until it is crisp round the edges and the fat has rendered
  3. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, leaving as much of the fat behind as poss
  4. Tip the cooked chorizo into a bowl with the tomatoes and spring onions
  5. Season generously with pepper and sparingly with salt (bearing in mind that the chorizo is pretty salty)
  6. Add the sliced garlic to the chorizo pan and heat gently until the garlic sizzles and smells delicious. Take off the heat and whisk in the sherry vinegar
  7. Throw the contents of the pan over the salad, add the parsley and mix everything together. This is completely delicious with a chunk of crusty bread to mop up the juice.