Tag: cheese

Black bean and avocado quesadilla

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Spicy, cheesy and beany. Crunchy and toasty on the outside, oozy and soft on the inside. Also very quick and very simple to make – the perfect midweek lunch. Make as many as you like, this recipe makes 1.

  • 2 large plain wheat tortillas
  • 3 tbsp tinned black beans
  • Cheddar cheese
  • 1 tsp chipotle ketchup – try the one from Pitt Cue’s book, it’s a game-changer
  • ½ avocado, sliced – squeeze over a tiny bit of lime after you cut it up
  1. Cut around 8 thin slices of cheese, enough to distribute across the wrap, spaced out evenly with some gaps in between
  2. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Don’t add any oil
  3. Spread a substantial tsp of chipotle ketchup onto one wrap, add the cheese and avocado slices and evenly scatter over the black beans
  4. Lift the wrap into the pan and top with the other one, pressing down lightly
  5. Leave to toast underneath until it turns golden round the edges – it only takes a couple of mins – then use a fish slice to flip it onto the untoasted side
  6. Give it another couple of mins and it should be done. The outside crunchy and brown, the cheese all melty and gooey, sticking the 2 sides and all the fillings together
  7. Leave it to sit for a minute before cutting it into quarters and scoffing it all up

Stick some pickles and slaw on the side to make a meal of it

Spaghetti carbonara

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

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

Cheese scones

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Crunchy on the outside, soft and pillowy on the inside, savoury and gorgeous. Makes 12

  • 450g plain flour
  • 6 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp English mustard powder
  • 100g cold butter
  • 250g strong cheddar, finely grated
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped chives
  • 120ml cold milk
  • 100ml cold water
  • 1 egg, beaten with a splash of milk
  1. Heat the oven to 200C fan (220C)
  2. Put the flour, baking powder, salt and mustard powder into a large mixing bowl and whisk together until well combined
  3. Grate in the butter, then rub it in with your fingertips until it looks like breadcrumbs
  4. Add 225g cheese and chives, stir in
  5. Mix in the milk then the water until the dough just comes away from the edge of the bowl. Don’t mix or handle it any more than necessary
  6. Tip onto a floured surface and flatten gently to about 2.5cm thick
  7. Cut out circles with a 6cm cutter
  8. Place on a baking tray and brush with the egg and milk mixture
  9. Sprinkle over the last of the cheese over the top and bake for 12 mins until well risen and golden. Allow to cool slightly on a rack before eating one immediately and then putting two in your pockets for later

If using to top a cobbler (beef and ale stew, chicken casserole, root vegetable stew?), place the scones on top, press slightly into the surface of the stew and bake at 200C fan for 25 mins

Gnocchi, broccoli and walnuts

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Whip up this delight for a quick weeknight dinner. The creamy cheesiness is set off beautifully by the slightly bitter broccoli and walnuts, tangy mustard and sweet, fresh peas. Tasty and incredibly more-ish. Will make you want to lick the bowl. And no-one would judge you if you did

  • 500g bag fresh gnocchi
  • 200g pack long stem broccoli
  • 100g frozen petit pois
  • 50g walnut pieces
  • 100ml double cream
  • 2 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 50g gruyere, grated
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  1. Toast walnuts in a dry pan over a medium heat. Don’t allow to burn or they’ll go bitter
  2. Cut the broccoli stems into halves/thirds
  3. Boil large pan of water
  4. Add broccoli and cook for 3 mins then drain, keeping a cup of the broccoli-water on one side
  5. Heat large non-stick frying pan with olive oil
  6. Tip in broccoli, gnocchi and frozen peas
  7. Fry for 2 mins then add mustard and cream
  8. Stir together, bring to a bubble, taste and season. Add a little broccoli-water if it gets too thick
  9. Turn off the heat, add cheese and walnuts and stir together
  10. Serve straight away

Corn fritters

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

The ultimate brunch. Also supper, lunch, I could argue breakfast too. This recipe makes 6-8 fat fritters. Pop some piquant salsa on the side, dollop on some crushed avocado, pop a poached egg on top or drizzle with sriracha. Or, of course, all of the above for ultimate delicousness.

  • 1 small tin of sweetcorn, drained
  • 1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 3 spring onions, finely chopped
  • Handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
  • 100g strong cheese (grated cheddar, crumbled feta, grated halloumi)
  • 250g plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • Milk (enough to bring together as a thick batter, can add a couple tbsp sour cream instead)
  • Salt and pepper (add other spices to taste – maybe garlic powder, paprika, smoked paprika)
  • Veg oil

Just mix everything together briefly until well-combined but without over-beating it. Heat some veg oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Fry for about 4 mins a side until golden brown and cooked through. Keep warm in a low oven if you need to cook in batches. Enjoy!

Spanakopita

~ Sophie ~ 2 Comments

Spinach pie. Wholesome – because so much iron in spinach! – prettily greenly herby, crunchy on the outside, and mouthwateringly yummy. An excellent vegetarian main course for 4.

  • 500g fresh spinach 
  • 1  onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed 
  • 2 tbsp veg oil
  • 8 sheets of filo pastry 
  • 4 tbsp of butter, melted 
  • Grated nutmeg
  • 200g pack of feta cheese, crumbled 
  • 2 eggs, beaten 
  • Handfuls of fresh parsley, dill and mint, chopped 
  • Salt and pepper 
  1. Pre-heat your oven to 160C fan (180C)
  2. Wash the spinach and chop it. In a large pan, heat 1 tbsp of the oil and cook the spinach until wilted
  3. Transfer it to a sieve and squeeze out as much water as possible
  4. In the meantime, add the other tbsp of oil into the same pan, drop in the onion and garlic, and saute until soft – about 5 mins
  5. Put the spinach, onion and garlic into a bowl and add eggs, herbs and feta. Grate a few gratings of nutmeg over
  6. Season and mix well until everything is combined
  7. Time for the butter! Best to apply it using a pastry brush if you have one. Butter the inside of a ceramic oven dish then place in a layer of filo pastry, letting the edges drape over the sides. Brush the filo with melted butter and then put the next sheet on. Do this with 5 sheets of filo altogether. You don’t need to butter the top one because you then fill your filo-lined dish with the spinach mixture
  8. Cover with the remaining filo sheets, buttering each one in turn, then flip the trailing edges over onto the top of the pie. Scrunch and crinkle them before also brushing them with butter for an extra crunchy top. (With hindsight, I know I called this dish wholesome – and I stand by that – but it’s also buttery and cheesy and eggy, so definitely not a diet food!)
  9. You can scatter the top with sesame seeds if you want to make it especially tempting and crunchy
  10. Bake for 20-30 mins until the top is golden brown and crisp
  11. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 mins before serving straight from the dish

A tomato salad goes really beautifully with this dish – incredibly simple to make. Beautiful, refreshing and delicious to eat. Just cut up some lovely ripe tomatoes (slices or wedges or whatever you like), sprinkle with salt, a good grind of black pepper, a large pinch of sugar and some decent extra virgin olive oil. That’s it.

Saag paneer

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Brilliant dish as part of an Indian feast with friends, or just sitting on the sofa in pjs, watching Queens Gambit and eating a bowl of it on its own. It’s the power of squeaky cheese. This is enough for 2 if you’re not having anything else with it. And for 4 as a side dish.

  • 2 tbsp veg oil
  • 220g firm paneer, cut into small cubes
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cm piece of ginger, grated/minced (highly recommend a microplane grater for this!)
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 2 tomatoes, diced
  • 300g spinach, washed and roughly chopped
  • 50ml single cream
  • ½ tsp salt
  1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a deep frying pan, pop in the paneer and fry until golden. Then remove from the pan
  2. Add the other tbsp oil and the cumin seeds. Fry for 1 min until you can smell them, then add the onion
  3. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-8 mins until the onion is golden and completely soft
  4. Stir in the garlic and ginger, cook for 1 min and then add the garam masala and turmeric. Season with salt
  5. Add the tomato to the pan and stir everything together. Cook with the lid on for 10 mins, stirring occasionally and adding a small amount of water if it’s starting to catch
  6. Put the spinach in the pan and carefully stir into the mixture – you might have to do this in stages
  7. Once spinach is wilted, pour in the cream, a splash of boiling water and the paneer cubes and combine
  8. Heat until bubbling and serve straight away

Chilli cheese cornbread

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

Moist, crumbly, a delicous mix of savoury and sweet, with a good poke of chilli. Excellent with tomato soup. Or toasted for brunch with some crushed avocado and a fried egg. Eat it up quickly as it won’t keep for long.

  • 40g butter
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 120g coarse cornmeal or polenta
  • 75g plain flour (or GF plain flour if you like)
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 75ml plain yogurt
  • 75ml milk
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped
  • 75g strong cheddar, grated
  • 1 small tin sweetcorn, drained

You can adapt this recipe easily to suit your tastes or what you have in stock. Take out the chilli, cheese or onion (just melt the butter and add it alone). Add chilli flakes, chopped ham, diced chorizo, pinch of smoked paprika, fresh herbs (chives or coriander work really well).

  1. Pre-heat oven to 180C fan (200C). Line a baking tin or loaf tin
  2. Melt butter and cook onions on a low heat until completely soft
  3. Tip all dry ingredients into large bowl, mix and make a well in the middle
  4. In a jug or another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, milk and eggs
  5. Pour this into the dip in the dry ingredients and stir together until smooth
  6. Add the chilli, cheese, cooked onions, butter and sweetcorn. Season with salt and stir together
  7. Spoon into the tin and bake for 35 mins until golden on top and cooked through
  8. When you take it out of the oven, leave in the tin for a couple of mins and then turn out
  9. Cut into slices or triangles to serve