Month: Jan 2022

Pears poached in sweet wine

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Dessert so light, fresh, cool and fruity – and of course delightfully boozy. A wonderful end to a rich meal.

  • 3 firm conference pears
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 1 litre water
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 375ml sweet dessert wine (like a moscatel)
  1. Mix the sugar and water in a medium saucepan
  2. Heat on low until the sugar dissolves, then turn the heat up and bring to the boil
  3. While the syrup heats, peel the pears, then halve them lengthways and scoop out the cores with a little spoon or the tip of a sharp knife
  4. Rub the pears with the cut surfaces of the lemon to stop them from browning
  5. Add the pears, the lemon shells and the lemon juice to the boiling syrup and lower the heat to a simmer
  6. Cook until the pears are tender and looking ever so slightly translucent – this can take up to 25 mins for really unripe ones, just 10 mins if they’re softer to start with
  7. Remove the pears from the syrup and put on one side
  8. Boil the syrup hard until just about 200ml is left and it’s got syrupy
  9. Turn off the heat, stir in the sweet wine and pour over the pears
  10. Chill thoroughly before serving – ideally over night

Serve with a scant scatter of toasted almond flakes and a few tart berries floating in the bowl with the pears – blackberries are beautiful, or red currants

Grilled mustard broccoli

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Smoky, spicy, slightly charred round the edges, and brilliantly green and tender in the middle. It’s a broccoli revolution!

  • 1 large head broccoli
  • 100g Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
  • 1 tsp chaat masala
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • Salt
  1. Trim the end off the stalk and cut the broccoli lengthways into quarters (leaving the stem on – give the broccoli stem some love, it’s delicious too!)
  2. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil
  3. Lower in the broccoli and boil for 3 mins. Lift out with tongs and place on kitchen towel to dry out a bit
  4. In a medium bowl, stir together all the rest of the ingredients and season with a pinch of salt
  5. Gently coat the broccoli with the yoghurty-mustardy mixture, making sure every surface is covered
  6. Heat the grill to medium-high and lay the broccoli onto a baking tray lined with foil
  7. Grill for 7 mins or so, turning occasionally, until it’s cooked through and charred in spots

This is a winner on the barbecue too. Just get it up to stage 5 and then pop it onto an oiled barbecue for extra smoky flavour. In fact, I love broccoli barbecued even without the yoghurt and spices – just oil it lightly, using whatever flavourings you like (recommend garlic, lemon, oregano or soy, chilli, sesame). Cook over embery coals until charred and tender with a little bite.

Cornflake crunch

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The ultimate crunchy-munchy, sweet-salty snack. Hugely flexible – feel free to use different nuts, different seeds, different nut butter, anything you’ve got to hand. Highly recommend breaking it into shards of different shapes and sizes so every snack need is covered.

  • 75g cornflakes, roughly crushed
  • 45g unsalted peanuts, nicely toasted in a dry pan and roughly chopped
  • 35g coconut flakes
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • ½ tsp flaky sea salt
  • 130g maple syrup
  • 50g natural smooth peanut butter
  1. Heat the oven to 160C fan (180C)
  2. Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper, and have a second sheet the same size ready to go
  3. Tip all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir
  4. In a separate small bowl, whisk the maple syrup and peanut butter
  5. Tip the gooey syrup mixture into the cornflake bowl and mix gently but thoroughly
  6. Scrape onto the lined baking tray, roughly flatten and spread out with a spatula. Then lay the second piece of paper over the top and, using a rolling pin, flatten the mixture so it’s an even thickness of about ½ cm
  7. Remove the top sheet of paper, then bake for 25 mins, turning the tray once halfway through to make sure it bakes evening. It should be golden all over with toasty bits around the edges
  8. Leave on the tray to cool completely for at least ½ an hour, then break into shards. You can eat it straight away (I dare you not to have at least one piece immediately) or store in an airtight container to eat later. Keeps for a couple of weeks.

Green bean curry

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So easy, so tasty. An excellent mid-week dinner when everything feels a bit too much. I love using frozen green beans for this aromatic, flavourful veggie curry because the texture reminds me of childhood and I often have them available, which makes this a good store cupboard dish. But you could just as easily use fresh ones or leftovers or pretty much any robust green veg you’ve got lurking about – just adjust the final cooking time accordingly.

  • 2 tbsp veg oil 
  • ½ tsp mustard seeds 
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • 6 curry leaves 
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 4 tomatoes, chopped
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp ground cumin 
  • ½ tsp mild chilli powder
  • 300g frozen green beans
  • Salt and pepper
  • Fresh coriander, chopped
  1. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves and garlic until they crackle
  2. Stir fry for for a few seconds then add the fenugreek and tomatoes
  3. Cover and cook over a low heat for 5 mins until the tomatoes break down
  4. Add the ground spices and stir-cook for 1 min, then add the green beans, 150ml of water, salt and pepper
  5. Bring to a cheerful bubble and then leave to cook uncovered over a medium heat for 5-10 mins until the beans are soft and the sauce has thickened a bit
  6. Check the seasoning, sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve

Serve with warm parathas or naan for scooping. Cheerful comfort in a bowl!

Beef stifado

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Beef and onions. But make it more aromatic, fragrant and flavourful. A Greek-style stew to warm the cockles of your heart on a frosty day. Feeds 4.

  • 500g stewing steak (I like beef shin), cut into chunky pieces
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 150ml red wine
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 beef stock cube
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 300g shallots, peeled and left whole
  1. Sprinkle the flour over the beef and turn it around so the pieces all get coated
  2. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan over a high heat until the butter froths
  3. Put the meat in and leave it to brown on the bottom, then turn and brown the pieces all over
  4. Remove the meat from the pan and turn the heat right down
  5. Pop in the onion and garlic and saute gently until soft
  6. Add the cinnamon, allspice, oregano, beef stock cube, tomato puree, red wine and vinegar
  7. Stir together and cook for 3-5 mins until the wine is reduced and the whole thing is thick, deep brown and sticky
  8. Add the tinned tomatoes, red wine vinegar and bay leaves. Fill the empty tin with water and pour that in too
  9. Bring to the boil, scraping the pot with your wooden spoon to make sure all the delicious brown bits on the bottom are incorporated
  10. Stir in the beef and the shallots. Season well with salt and pepper
  11. Reduce the heat as low as possible (and use a heat diffuser if you’re using a gas stove), stick the lid on and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally

Serve with wodges of crusty bread, or rice or orzo pasta. And maybe some greenery on the side for contrast and vitamins.

Banana almond pancakes

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A brilliant use for that one over-ripe banana in the bowl that everyone keeps avoiding. Tender, fluffy, sweet and wholesome. Feeds 2.

  • 150g plain flour
  • 60g ground almonds
  • 40g soft brown sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 egg
  • 2 heaped tbsp almond butter
  • 200ml milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 big brown banana, roughly mashed
  • 2 tbsp veg oil
  1. In a big bowl, mix together the flour, ground almonds, sugar, baking powder and salt
  2. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, almond butter and vanilla. Then stir in the mashed banana
  3. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and scrape in the egg mixture
  4. Combine as briefly as possible with a whisk or a spoon – don’t over-beat, or the pancakes will be stiff and chewy when you’re aiming for light and fluffy
  5. Heat the veg oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat
  6. Blob heaped spoonfuls of the mixture separately into the hot oil to make small individual pancakes
  7. Cook for 2-3 mins a side until golden brown on the outside and just cooked through

Serve with a pile of blueberries, or crispy streaky bacon. Or both. They’re sweet enough to not need syrup though.

Herb pancakes

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Tender and green, this is the perfectly quick weeknight dinner. Makes 8 pancakes.

  • 300g plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 200ml milk
  • 3 eggs
  • 50-60g soft herbs, finely chopped (I like a combination of parsley and dill with a bit of mint and sage. But anything works. Try coriander, tarragon, chervil, chives. Whatever you like – or have guiltily wilting in the back of the fridge)
  • 100g mature cheddar cheese, grated
  • 100g baby spinach
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 tbsp veg oil
  • Chop the spinach and pop in a sieve. Boil the kettle and pour the boiling water over the spinach to wilt it. Then press out as much of the liquid as possible
  • Dump all the ingredients except the oil (but including the spinach) into a bowl and whisk gently until just combined. If it’s too stuff, just add a little more milk but take care not to over-beat it or it’ll be chewy when you cook it
  • Turn the oven on to 50-70C to keep the pancakes warm as you cook them
  • Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat
  • Use a serving spoon to scoop 3 scoops of batter separately into the pan to make 3 small pancakes. The edges should sizzle!
  • Leave for 3-4 mins until golden brown on the bottom and puffy on top, then flip it and give it a couple of mins on the other side
  • Pop the cooked pancakes into the warm oven, then add another tbsp oil to the pan and repeat the process
  • Keep going until all the batter is used up and then serve while still warm
  • Change up with different herbs, different cheeses, whatever you’ve got hiding in the fridge.
  • Serve with a lovely crisp salad and some guac. Or some honey mustard roast carrots. Or crunchy red cabbage slaw. Or just chilli sauce and mayo for dunking. Tuck in!

Chicken pibil

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

Richly spiced and delicous. Serve with soft wheat tortillas, this salsa (or one of these 3 salsas!), pickled jalapenos and guacamole. Or just pop it on top of some rice. Or use to make enchiladas. Yum! Feeds 2 generously.

  • 4 chicken thigh fillets
  • 1 tsp salted butter
  • 2 tsp veg oil
  • 1 onion, finely sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • Generous pinch ground cloves
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 heaped tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tsp chipotle paste
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • 2 tsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Heat the oil and butter in a heavy-bottomed lidded pan over a high heat
  2. Put chicken thighs in the pan and brown on both sides, then remove from the pan
  3. Turn the heat down to low and add the onions and garlic
  4. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5-8 mins until soft
  5. Add the spices, tomato puree and chipotle paste and stir in for a minute
  6. Add the orange juice, lime juice, vinegar and 150ml water
  7. Bring to the boil, add the chicken and any juices back to the pan
  8. Tuck in the bay leaf and season with salt and plenty of black pepper
  9. Stick the lid on and turn to the lowest possible simmer for an hour, stirring once or twice
  10. Take off the heat and, using 2 forks, shred the chicken
  11. Serve warm with as many sides as you can fit on the table