Author: Sophie

Chicken koftas

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Succulent, fragrant and super-simple to prepare. And excellent weeknight dinner, served with a simple salad, flatbread and tzatziki. Feeds 2-4 depending on how hungry they are

  • ½ onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • ½ green pepper, roughly chopped
  • Handful of fresh parsley
  • Small bunch of chives
  • 500 g chicken mince
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Plenty of ground black pepper
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Veg oil
  1. Whizz up the onion, garlic, green pepper and fresh herbs using a mini food processor or hand blender
  2. Scrape into a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients except for the oil. Mix lightly without over-working
  3. Form the sticky mixture into flattish kofta shapes
  4. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry on both sides for 10 mins or so until browned on the outside and cooked through. Alternatively, use the air fryer and air fry on 200C for 15 mins

Chocolate buckwheat cookies

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Sweet and deeply chocolatey with a hint of nutty savoury-ness. Gluten free, but without a hint of the usual GF crumble or grit.

  • 125 g dark chocolate
  • 125 g buckwheat flour
  • 25 g cocoa, sieved
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 60 g soft unsalted butter
  • 125 g soft dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs, cold from the fridge
  1. Preheat the oven to 160C fan (180C) and line a couple of baking sheets
  2. Melt the chocolate and then set aside to cool a bit
  3. In a small bowl, mix together the buckwheat flour, sieved cocoa powder, bicarb and salt, and mix to make sure everything’s well combined.
  4. In a bigger bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until fluffy, using a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl
  5. Beat in the chocolate, then the cold eggs one by one
  6. Once well combined, stir in the dry ingredients
  7. Dollop rounded tablespoons of the dough onto a lined baking sheet, spacing them out well to allow for spreading
  8. Bake for 10 mins until the cookies are just set at the edges, then remove the baking tray from the oven and let the cookies sit on the warm tray for another 10 mins before transferring them to a wire rack to cool
  9. If you only have 1 baking tray, wait for it to cool before removing the cookies and re-using to bake a 2nd batch

Satsuma and almond cake

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

As Julia Child said, “a party without cake is just a meeting” and this is just the cake to take a tea party from dull to delightful. It’s not fancy, but it is damply delicious and beloved by everyone who tastes it.

  • Approx 375 g satsumas (4 or so fruit)
  • 6 eggs
  • 220 g caster sugar
  • 250 g ground almonds
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 170C fan (190C). Grease and line a 20 cm springform tin
  2. Put the satsumas in a covered microwave-safe dish (open a crack for ventilation) with a couple of tbsp of water. Cook on high for 9 mins, turning over gently halfway through the cooking time
  3. Drain, discarding the cooking water and leave to one side for 5 mins to cool slightly. If the satsumas have pips, dig in and remove them with a spoon
  4. Put the satsumas into a bowl — skins, pith, fruit and all — and use a hand blender to blitz into a paste and put on one side to cool
  5. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs until frothy and thick, then add the sugar, almonds and baking powder and whisk again
  6. Add the pulped satsumas and whisk together
  7. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake for an hour – cover with foil after about 40 mins to stop the top burning.
  8. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a rack in the tin. Serve at room temperature.

Roast carrot salad

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Sweet and savoury roast carrots, coated in a tangy, fresh yoghurt and herb dressing. The perfect accompaniment to a spring evening barbecue.

  • 1 kg carrots
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 5 tbsp greek yoghurt
  • 1 tsp garlic oil
  • ½ tsp dried dill
  • ½ tsp dried mint
  • 10g fresh mint, chopped
  • 10g fresh dill, chopped
  • 10g fresh parsley, chopped
  • Salt
  1. Pre-heat oven to 180C fan (200C)
  2. Peel and cut the carrots into chunky uneven pieces
  3. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, cumin and a sprinkle of salt and them tumble them out onto a baking tray or shallow roasting tin
  4. Roast for 30-40 mins until softened and brown round the edges
  5. Meanwhile, in a big bowl, stir together the other tbsp oil, yoghurt, garlic oil and all the herbs. Season with salt to taste and a little lemon juice if it needs more acidity
  6. When the carrots come out of the oven, while they’re still warm, scoop them into the bowl with the dressing and toss together
  7. Serve at room temperature with a little sprinkle of fresh dill and toasted sesame seeds

Tortellini soup

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Comfort in a bowl. Warm, savoury, and so simple it’s a great weeknight meal. Feeds 2 hungry people

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 4 sausages
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • ½ onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small carrot, finely diced
  • 1 stick celery, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 chicken stock cube (plus 750ml boiling water)
  • 250ml white wine
  • 250g fresh tortellini
  • Salt and pepper
  • Fresh thyme
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 50 ml cream
  • 100g young spinach
  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat
  2. Pinch off small pieces of sausage, drop them into the pan and brown them on all sides
  3. Scoop the sausage out of the pan and put on one side
  4. Lower the heat and put the onion, carrot, celery and garlic into the pan
  5. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 mins until everything is soft
  6. Add the stock cube and tomato puree, stirring into the vegetables until everything combines
  7. Pour in the white wine and turn the heat to medium. Bubble until the wine has almost disappeared
  8. Add 750ml boiling water, sausage pieces and some fresh thyme leaves. Season with salt and pepper and stir everything together
  9. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down low and simmer for 7 mins
  10. Tip in the fresh tortellini and cook for a further 3 mins (or as per the directions on the packaging)
  11. Mix the cornflour with a little water and pour into the soup, stirring as you add it
  12. Cook for another 2 mins until the soup thickens, then turn the heat off and add the cream and spinach (the spinach should just wilt in the heat of the soup – turn the heat on to a low simmer if you need to give this a helping hand)
  13. Serve immediately in a big, deep bowl, maybe with a grating of parmesan and a sprinkle of finely chopped chives

Bean sprouts

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

I know right? I’m so excited that you can make these easily at home in small quantities, rather than buying a giant bag (why is the bag always so big?!) using it twice and then watching as the rest turn to slime in the veg drawer. These are so crunchy and delicious!

  • Some dried mung bean – that’s literally it. As many of them as you like. I usually do about a quarter of a cup
  1. Tip your dried beans into a sieve and rinse them thoroughly under running water
  2. Put the beans into a large-ish jar and fill it up with water, leaving the lid off
  3. Leave the beans there overnight at room temp (in a cupboard to stop the cat from drinking from the jar)
  4. Drain and rinse the beans
  5. In the empty jar, put a layer of damp paper towel, then some beans, then some paper towel, then some beans etc
  6. Finish with a layer of paper towel and put the jar back in the cupboard – it needs to be stored in the dark
  7. Leave them there for 4 days, dribbling a little water over every day to make sure they stay damp
  8. Then tip them out of the jar, wrap them in a new piece of paper towel and store in a sealed bag in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Pide

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Turkish pizza-type tastiness – and the best Sunday supper you’ll ever eat. Fillings/toppings can be whatever you like, but I love using the one from a spanakopita. The world is your oyster (but maybe don’t top with oysters?) Makes 6 pides.

  • 600g strong bread flour
  • 1 tbsp golden caster sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp dried yeast
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 350ml lukewarm water
  1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a big bowl, and the wet ingredients together in a jug
  2. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet
  3. Combine to form a dough and knead for 5 mins until smooth
  4. Form into a ball
  5. Clean the big bowl and lightly oil the inner surface
  6. Pop the dough into the bowl, cover with clingfilm and prove for at least an hour in a warm place until risen to twice the size
  7. Preheat oven to 220C fan (240C)
  8. Divide the dough into 6 and roll each one out into a thin rectangle approx 40x15cm
  9. Spread over the filling, leaving a 3cm border
  10. Fold up the sides and twist together the ends to make a boat shape
  11. Bake on a preheated baking sheet for 12-14 mins until brown and toasty

Potato and sweet potato dauphinoise

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Savoury, creamy, mellow and marvellously adaptable. Make the same recipe with swede, parsnip, celeriac or a combination of all of them. (But maybe not beetroot on account of it ending up looking a bit like a crime scene.)

  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 onion, finely sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • 150ml single cream
  • 150ml double cream
  • 150ml milk
  • Salt and pepper
  • 500g floury potatoes, peeled and finely sliced
  • 500g sweet potatoes, peeled and finely sliced
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 150C fan (170C)
  2. Heat the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat
  3. Stir in the onion, garlic and thyme and cook for 7 or 8 mins until soft and golden
  4. Pour in the cream and milk and bring gently to a simmer. Season well
  5. Tip the sliced potatoes into the pan and simmer for 5 mins then add the sweet potatoes
  6. Stir everything together then tip into a 1.5l baking dish
  7. Bake for 1 hour until the top is golden and the vegetables tender. Allow to stand for 5 mins before serving, just so it’s not quite as volcanically hot and it holds together a little better.

The most delicious puy lentils

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Inspired by a trip to Duck and Waffle where I blissfully ate their incredible puy lentils with toasted buckwheat, spinach puree, sweet onion, organic yoghurt, miso and nasturtiums – accompanied by a spectacular view across London. This is 100% less fancy than that, but still delights with maximum flavour and deliciousness.

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, finely diced
  • 1 stick celery, finely diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 150g puy lentils
  • 350 ml veg stock
  • 1 tsp white miso
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 onion, finely sliced
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 pinch sugar
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • Handful chopped parsley
  • 100g baby spinach
  • Plain yoghurt
  1. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a saucepan over a medium heat
  2. Tip in the diced onion, carrot, celery and garlic, stir and cook until beginning to caramelise
  3. Add the puy lentils and stir in the stock and miso. Add the thyme and bay leaf
  4. Bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 mins until lentils are soft
  5. While the lentils cook, cook the sliced onion slowly in butter with a pinch of salt and sugar until golden brown
  6. When the lentils are soft, stir in the caramelised onions, red wine vinegar, spinach and parsley and heat through
  7. Serve with a spoonful of plain yoghurt on top. This is amazing alongside roast veg and/or roast chicken

Swedish meatballs in the slow cooker

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

So savoury, so soothing. A bowl of these tender meatballs in gravy could solve almost anything. Feeds 4

  • 1 onion, minced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 350g beef mince
  • 350g pork mince
  • 100g breadcrumbs
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ tsp allspice
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 500ml beef stock
  • 100ml single cream
  1. Add all the ingredients for the meatballs in a bowl, mix until combined and homogenous. Shape into small walnut-sized meatballs.
  2. Add 1 tbsp butter to a big frying pan on a medium-high heat and fry the meatballs until browned all over but not necessarily cooked through. Fry in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan.
  3. Transfer the meatballs to the slow cooker and get as much of the juices in too
  4. Then to make the sauce (you can use the same pan if it’s fairly deep, or just use a saucepan – I love not having to wash more things up, so I’ll always re-use pans if possible) – melt 2 tbsp butter over a low heat and slowly mix in the flour.
  5. When fully incorporated, add the stock and mustard. Heat to a bubble whilst continuously stirring. Mix in the cream, taste for seasoning and then pour over the meatballs in the slow cooker.
  6. Cook on low for 6 hours. Serve with mashed potato, rice or (for the full Ikea experience) chips!

To reduce the meat content in this dish, substitute 1 drained and pureed tin of green lentils for either the beef or pork.

And to make it gluten free, substitute the breadcrumbs for 3 heaped tbsp of uncooked basmati rice. Then cook the meatballs in the beef stock and cream without making a roux with the 2 tbsp butter and flour – instead, once it’s finished cooking, remove the meatballs and decant the sauce into a saucepan or deep frying pan. Heat the sauce to a bubble and whisk in a slurry of 2 heaped tbsp cornflour mixed with 2-3 tsp water. Cook gently until it thickens, then return the meatballs to the sauce and serve.