Author: Sophie

Teriyaki aubergine rice bowl

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

The perfect weeknight dinner. Simple and utterly delicious, full of contrasting flavours and textures. Feeds 2.

  • 1 aubergine, cut into small chunks
  • 2 tbsp veg oil
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce/tamari
  • 4 tbsp mirin
  • 2 tbsp shaoxing rice wine
  • 3 cm ginger, sliced thickly
  • 2 cloves garlic, smacked with the back of a knife to squash them without disintegrating
  • 1 level tsp cornflour, mixed with 1 tsp water
  • ½ cucumber
  • 1 spring onion, finely sliced
  • 2 tsp rice vinegar
  • Large pinch salt
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted in a dry pan
  • Small handful fresh coriander, chopped
  • Small handful fresh mint, chopped
  • 150g cooked edamame beans
  • 400g pre-cooked sticky rice (I really like this one)

Make it a bigger feast with the addition of spicy slaw in each bowl instead of the fresh herbs.

  1. Heat the oil in a wok over a medium hear and stir fry the aubergine for 7 mins or so until caramelised and soft
  2. Set the aubergine to one side
  3. Make the teriyaki sauce in the wok. Add the honey, soy sauce, mirin, shaoxing, garlic and ginger and heat to a bubble.
  4. Cook for 2 mins then remove the garlic and ginger
  5. Drizzle over the cornflour and whisk in until glossy and thickened
  6. Stir in the aubergine and turn the heat off
  7. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and scrape out the seedy core
  8. Slice into ½ cm pieces, sprinkle over the rice vinegar and salt, and mix through the spring onion
  9. Now you’re ready to construct!
  10. Heat the aubergine to a bubble
  11. Heat the sticky rice and spoon into bowls
  12. Top with the aubergine, cucumber salad, edamame, fresh herbs and toasted sesame seeds. As artistic as you like – very much depends how hungry you’re feeling!

Spicy slaw

~ Sophie ~ 2 Comments

Crunchy, spicy, fresh and tangy

  • ½ sweetheart cabbage (or ¼ white cabbage) cored and shredded
  • 3 green chillies, de-seeded and sliced into thin strips
  • Handful fresh coriander, chopped
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • 2 tsp garlic oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp mayo
  • 2 tbsp plain yoghurt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • Large pinch salt
  1. Mix the cabbage, chilli and coriander together
  2. Whisk the rest off the ingredients together in a small bowl
  3. Pour/scrape the dressing over the salad and toss together
  4. Serve immediately so it’s still crisp (if you want to prep in advance, just don’t mix the dressing into the salad until the last moment)

Cherries poached in red wine

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Garnet and ruby tones of summer delight with a hint of booze. Amazing on top of vanilla ice cream or plain coconut yoghurt.

  • 400g cherries, pitted and halved
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 200ml red wine
  • ½ tsp cornflour stirred into 1 tsp cold water
  1. Put all the ingredients in a saucepan
  2. Bring to a bubble, stirring occasionally
  3. Simmer for 8-10 mins until glossy but not collapsing
  4. Drizzle in the cornflour slurry, stirring all the time until it goes thicker and beautifully shiny
  5. Remove from the heat and leave to cool a little bit before serving

Split pea tarka daal

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Daal? Dal? Dhal? Either way, this recipe is super-delicious, easy, cheap and immensely comforting to eat. This recipe is more traditionally made with chana daal, which are split chickpeas, but it works well with the easier-to-source yellow split peas too

  • 250g split peas
  • 3 tbsp veg oil
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small green chilli, finely chopped
  • 2 cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 200g tinned chopped tomatoes
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 heaped tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • Small handful fresh coriander, chopped
  1. Rinse the split peas in a sieve under running water for a minute or so until the water runs clear
  2. Put into a saucepan with 750ml cold water, stir well and bring to the boil
  3. Skim off the scum (an enormously satisfying job) with a big spoon and stick the lid on
  4. Then turn the heat down and simmer for 45-50 mins, stirring occasionally and adding more water to loosen it if needed. The peas should be crushably soft when cooked
  5. Stir the cooked peas vigorously (or use a whisk) to break them down a bit, then set to one side
  6. While the peas are cooking, heat the oil in a different saucepan over a medium heat
  7. Add the cumin seeds and fry for 20 seconds until you can smell them
  8. Add the onion, chilli, ginger and garlic and cook for 5 minutes unti soft and beginning to brown
  9. Add the tomato, spices, salt and sugar. Stir together
  10. Reduce the hear and cook gently for 20 mins
  11. Tip the tomato sauce into the cooked split peas and stir in
  12. Heat the mixture to a bubble, check the seasoning and add the fresh coriander just before serving

Eat with basmati rice or parathas (I love the frozen ones from Shana for a brilliant shortcut) or just on its own in a bowl – on the sofa, in a fluffy dressing gown, watching Ted Lasso for a maximumly comforting experience.

Fresh tomato salsa

~ Sophie ~ 2 Comments

Zingy, pingy mouth-feelings! Tortilla chip-dunking, burrito-topping, grilled steak-accompanying deliciousness.

It’s really lovely to use a combination of tomatoes if you can. Some big juicy ones, cut up small; some tiny sweet cherry tomatoes, simply quartered; and perhaps even a flavourful, knobbly green or yellow one, cut up to match.

  • 400g tomatoes, diced
  • ½ small red onion, finely chopped (I like to leave the cut up onion to soak in cold water for an hour – or more – and then drained to remove the raw sting of them)
  • Large handful fresh coriander, chopped
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp garlic oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt
  1. Just mix and serve. Zero complication, maximum yum.

Apple sauce

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I love eating this on its own. My husband likes to eat it with cornflakes (weird). And it’s a great shortcut for a crumble or accompaniment to roast pork. Makes a 1 litre jar.

  • 6 large bramley apples, peeled and cored
  • 100g sugar
  • 100ml water
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  1. Slice the apple into rough slices
  2. Dump the apple pieces into a large saucepan
  3. Sprinkle over the sugar and cinnamon, and add the water
  4. Cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the apple collapses. It won’t take long
  5. If you want to keep it for later, decant while hot into a sterilised glass jar. Tap on the work surface to dislodge any air bubbles and seal. Leave to cool and then store in the fridge.

Roast plums with bay and honey

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A delightfully autumnal sort of pudding, tart and sweet and fragrant with bay, cinnamon and honey. It’s the perfect way to use up a garden glut of plums and dig into that fancy honey that someone gave you as a random gift. Vanilla ice cream is a must as an accompaniment.

  • 400g plums, halved and stones removed
  • 4 bay leaves, scrumpled up gently
  • 1 cinnamon stick, snapped in half
  • 2 scoopy, generous tbsp honey (the fancier the better!)
  • 150g walnut pieces
  1. Pre-heat oven to 170C fan (190C)
  2. Tumble the plums into a baking dish, ideally in roughly a single layer
  3. Drizzle over the honey and mix in well so the plums are coated
  4. Tuck the bay leaves and cinnamon among the plums
  5. Bake for 20-30 mins until sticky and juicy
  6. Put the walnuts on a little baking tray and bake them next to the plums for 10-15 mins until golden and toasty
  7. When the plums are done, take them out of the oven and scatter over the toasted walnuts
  8. Serve hot with lashings of vanilla ice cream

Ricotta lemon cake

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Beautifully moist sunshine cake. Not at all fancy, but all the better for that. Serve with tart poached fruit. Cherries are AMAZING. Also try plums, apricots, gooseberries, raspberries, greengages, blueberries….

  • 1 egg
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 180g caster sugar
  • 100g ricotta
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 65g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 130g plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C fan (180C)
  2. Grease and line a 20cm cake tin
  3. Beat the egg, yolks and sugar together until pale and fluffy
  4. Drizzle in the cooled melted butter, whisking while you do it
  5. Then whisk in the ricotta and the lemon zest
  6. Gently fold in the flour, baking powder and salt
  7. Spoon the mixture into the tin and smooth it out on top
  8. Bake for 20-25 mins until golden (and until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean)
  9. Cool in the tin and then serve with poached fruit

Creamy sweetcorn soup

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Sunshine in a bowl. Perfect with a big chunk of buttery bread. Feeds 2

  • 1 tbsp salted butter
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • ½ stalk celery, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 285g tin sweetcorn (or 265g frozen corn or corn cobs from 2 cobs)
  • 1 potato, peeled and diced
  • 500ml chicken stock (1 stock cube and boiling water)
  • 100ml double cream
  • Salt and pepper
  • Handful chives, snipped into bits
  1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat
  2. Add the onion, celery and garlic. Cook for 7 mins, stirring occasionally, until completely soft
  3. Add the potato to the pan and stir into the buttery veg
  4. Add the stock and bring to the boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes
  5. Turn up the heat, add the sweetcorn (including the liquid from the tin) and heat for a further 5 mins
  6. Take off the heat and use a hand blender to whizz until smooth
  7. Add the cream and season well. Re-heat gently until piping hot (don’t let it boil) and taste to check seasoning
  8. Serve sprinkled with chopped chives

Spring onion noodles

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Deliciously slippery, savoury, spring oniony noodles. Serve with grilled garlic chicken or crispy tofu (this one crumbled into chunky pieces and fried) or spicy cashews. So many delicous options! Feeds 2.

  • 7 spring onions
  • 4 tbsp veg oil
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
  • 200g thin egg noodles
  1. Trim the spring onions. Cut into half or thirds across and then cut the pieces in half lengthways, giving you long strips
  2. Heat the oil in a wok over a low-medium heat and then add the spring onions
  3. Cook gently for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until completely soft and starting to go golden. Don’t let them get brown!
  4. In the meantime, cook the noodles in a pan of boiling salted water, then drain
  5. Add soy sauce and sugar to the wok
  6. Stir to dissolve the sugar and heat gently until it bubbles
  7. Dump the noodles into the sauce and use tongs to turn them through until everything is coated with everything else
  8. Sprinkle over the toasted sesame seeds and eat immediately – on its own or with the delicious accompaniments of your choice