Feta & Walnut Dip

Needing last minute nibbles for a get together with the girls, I was inspired to add some walnuts to whipped feta to serve on homemade sourdough crostini.  It went down well so I'd better write up the recipe before I forget

Makes a small 150g pot

100g feta

25g walnuts

1 small garlic clove, peeled and crushed

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Zest of half a lemon (optional)

1-2 tbsp whole milk or greek yoghurt

Whizz all the ingredients together in a mini food processor, adding milk or greek yoghurt to get your preferred texture (stiffer for spreading on crostini, looser for a dip).

This was made with half a block of feta as the other half had been eaten in a salad at lunch.  A whole 200g block would serve a small gathering better. Just double the ingredients.

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Cheats Nduja (Spicy Italian Pork Paté)

Unusually, I came across a recipe for a vegan nduja and made a meat version, as quite often I find myself making vegan versions of meat recipes.  We're not vegans, but meat has become a weekend treat. So as today is Saturday I made this Nduja pasta sauce.

Nduja is a fiery spreadable salami made with Calabrian chilli peppers.  There weren't any Calabria chills in Asda in Eastleigh in Hampshire, so I used the remnants of some Chipotle paste I had plus some hot chilli flakes.  I think I will stick to hot chilli flakes in future as they are easier to find.

Serves 6 with 500g dried pasta

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

500g higher welfare pork mince

2 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 large garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tsp red wine vinegar

100g roasted red peppers, keeping the liquid

1-2 tsp chilli powder or flakes, to taste (it is supposed to be fiery!)

In a frying pan, fry the pork mince in the olive oil over a medium high heat until browned.

Stir in the paprika, fennel seeds, and garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.

Add the red wine vinegar, stir around and then the peppers.  Stir then turn off the heat to cool for a 10+ minutes.

When cool enough run through a food processor, adding the reserved roasted pepper liquid if required, to make a spreadable paste.

Serve over pasta (a mug of pasta water helps make the 'nduja into more of a sauce), on toast or canapés.

Keep in the fridge for 3 days, or freeze in portions.

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Sourdough Discard Pizza

I saw couple of reels making sourdough discard pizzas and thought I'd give it a go.  As I don't discard any starter, so I fed my starter more so that I had enough.  This makes a moist, crumpet like pizza base. And for once, no-one left any crusts!

Makes 3 pizzas

150g active sourdough starter

1 cup bread flour

1 cup water

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Toppings

Premade tomato sauce

Sliced mozzarella

Other toppings of choice; chorizo, ham, anchovies, olives, capers, pineapple...

Leave your starter out overnight to wake it up.

In the morning, mix in the bread flour and water, cover and leave to ferment for as long as you can.

At dinner time, turn the oven on to 220C to preheat and heat an ovenproof frying pan or shallow casserole dish on the stove.  

When the pan is piping hot add the olive oil and a US cup measurement of sourdough starter.

When bubbles start to burst on the surface of the pizza base spread on the tomato sauce and toppings of your choice.

Place the pan and bake in the hot oven for 10 minutes until the topping is bubbling.

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Sloe or Damson Port

This recipe was on an allotment Facebook group I was on a few years ago.  I saved it as a screenshot, but am now saving to my blog for easier reference.

The recipe presumes you have made Sloe Gin.  More recently I have been making Damson Brandy, and this port works just as well if not better with brandied damsons.

500g drained sloes, after straining your sloe gin.

750ml cheap red wine

100g sugar

200ml brandy

Add (return) the sloes to a large preserving jar, together with the red wine and the sugar, seal and shake.

Shake (or stir - one of my cheap preserving jars leaks if upended) the jar every day for 3 weeks to dissolve the sugar.

After 3 weeks add the brandy and shake/stir again, then leave in a dark place for 3 months.

Drain, decant into bottles, and finally discard the sloes.

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Nordic Salmon Soup/Chowder

Lohikeitto (Finland), Fiskesuppe (Norway), Laxsoppa (Sweden), and Fiskisúpa (Iceland) are all Nordic creamy salmon and potato soups or chowders. This is a simple warming meal in a bowl that takes just over 30 minutes to cook.  I based my recipe on an online recipe for Lohikeitto, and added extra potatoes to make this into a simple dinner for 4.

Serves 4

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 leeks, washed and sliced

2 carrots, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces

1kg potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces

1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed 

1 litre fish or vegetable stock

400g salmon, skinned and cut into large chunks

200ml double cream (I only had 100ml hence mine not looking very creamy)

Small bunch of dill, finely chopped (didn't't have any but would definately add it next time)

Sweat the leeks in the olive oil in a large covered pan over a gentle heat, stirring from time to time.

When the leeks have wilted down to half their size at the start (about 20 minutes), add the carrots. Sweat in the covered pan for a couple of minutes whilst you chop the potatoes. 

Add the chopped potatoes, garlic, and stock which needs to just cover the potatoes.  Put the lid back on the pan, bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes.

When the potatoes are cooked through stir in the cubed salmon, cover and simmer for 5 minutes to cook the salmon.  When the salmon is cooked, pour in the cream and chopped dill.  Heat the creamy soup gently and remove from the heat when it is steaming but not boiling.  

Serve.

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Homemade Yoghurt

Yoghurt is a fermented food, which are great for gut health and long term health. I'm trying to eat more fermented foods, so thought I'd hunt out my old charity shop yoghurt maker and make some homemade yoghurt which is full of 'good' bacteria. 

Presuming you don't have a yoghurt maker it can be made in a vacuum flask, or insta pot with a yoghurt setting. Slow cookers don't work as they are too hot even on their lowest setting. Trust me, I tried and it didn't work!

10 minutes cooking time, 30 minutes cooling, 10-24 hours fermenting/setting

500ml organic whole milk (If using a yoghurt maker, measure milk by pouring into the container(s). Mine has 5 small glasses taking just under 1 litre of milk)

1 heaped tbsp organic greek yoghurt, or leftover homemade yoghurt

Heat the milk in a small non-stick saucepan over a medium heat, stirring now and then to ensure it doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan, until it reaches 85°C on a thermometer (I used a meat probe). It should be steaming slightly but not boiling, and small bubbles starting to appear.

Turn off the heat, cover with a lid and leave to cool to 46°C, which takes about 30 minutes.  Stir regularly to prevent a skin from forming.

Mix the yoghurt in a small bowl or yoghurt maker glass with about 3 tbsp of warm milk, then pour back into the pan and whisk well to combine.

Pour into a 500ml flask warmed with mug of boiling water, or yoghurt maker, fasten the lid and leave undisturbed at room temperature or better still and airing cupboard for at least 10 hours.  It can be left for  up to 24 hrs for a thicker texture and stronger flavour. 

If you like it thicker still, it can be strained through a muslin, to make Greek yoghurt. Line a sieve or colander with cheesecloth (or strong paper towels) and place over a large bowl. Pour yogurt into the sieve and place in the fridge. Check every few hours until yogurt reaches your desired thickness.  The liquid that is drained out of the yogurt is whey. This is a great protein and works well in smoothies and soups.

When the yoghurt is set, transfer to a clean container and seal. It will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

I stir 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1 tbsp flax seeds, 1 tbsp mixed seeds, 1 tbsp porridge oats, and a small handful of berries into a small pot of homemade yoghurt for a filling breakfast, stir in fruit compote to made fruit yoghurt, add to curries, make raita with it, and so on.

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Chicken, Sweetcorn, & Egg Noodle Soup

A quick filling soup made with leftover cooked chicken (or Christmas turkey). Vegetarian and vegan alternatives are detailed at the end of the recipe

Serves 4

3 litres chicken stock

3 nests rice noodles 

340g tin of sweetcorn or 1 mug frozen sweetcorn

2cm root ginger

1 large garlic clove

300g shredded cooked chicken

1 egg, beaten 

4 spring onions, chopped

Sesame oil

Chilli Oil

Liquidise the sweetcorn, ginger, and garlic with the water from the tin, or some warm chicken stock to thaw the frozen sweetcorn.

Bring the chicken stock to the boil. Add the liquidised sweetcorn and the noodle nests.  Cover, bring back to the boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. I used Aldi Brown Rice Noodles which say take 5-10 minutes to cook, and in the end took 7 minutes.

Stir in the shredded chicken, turn up the heat a little, and bring back to the boil.  When bubbling, dribble over the beaten egg.  Leave for a minute for the egg to cook in the hot soup then divide into four bowls.  

Sprinkle a chopped spring onion over each bowl and drizzle with sesame oil and chilli oil to serve.

A vegetarian version can be made with vegetable stock and grated firm tofu instead of chicken.  And a vegan version can be made with vegetable stock, tofu, and 2 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water stirred in instead of egg to thicken the soup a little. 

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Air Fryer or Oven Roasted Vegetable Salad

Now it is Sunday Roast season, I am putting a tray of mixed vegetables in the oven whilst the roast is cooking if there is space, or after.  These vegetables are then a potted up with some pulses, seeds/nuts, and a dressing as a grab and go midweek packed lunch.

Last Sunday I roasted half a cauliflower and half a squash, and mixed in a can of drained chickpeas after roasting the dish.  As the spice mix (leftover from my son making southern fried chicken) I tossed the veg in before cooking was really quite spicy, I made a cooling tahini dressing with a few spinach leaves whizzed in just for colour. It filled three takeaway containers.  A few weeks before I roasted 500g beetroot and 750g sweet potato

Firm vegetables roast well; squash, sweet potato, cauliflower, beetroot, carrot, parsnips, celeriac, fennel. But softer vegetables (aubergine, courgette, onion, peppers, cabbage) work well too, just with less cooking .

Toss the vegetables in a few tablespoons of olive oil and roast for around 45 minutes at 200C in a fan oven, or 20 minutes in an air fryer at 180C. You can add a little salt, paprika, cumin, or harissa as you wish. Toss/stir around halfway through the cooking time. 

Add a tin of drained green lentils, beans, or chickpeas, sprinkle over some mixed seeds, add some cheese (feta, goats cheese, cottage cheese) if you like, and a dressing like tahini dressing, vinaigrette, chermoula, chimichurri, zhoug, or salsa verde.

If feeling the need for some more carbs, adding some cooked quinoa, pearl barley, pasta, couscous etc

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Easy Aloo Gobi, Indian Potato & Cauliflower with Green Lentils

Most Indian recipes call for a long list of spices.  We do have these, but I thought I'd make an easy Aloo Gobi with a ready mixed spice blend. I used a spice mix called Chaat Masala as it needed using up (and goes well with potatoes - see Yotam Ottolenghi's Chaat Masala Potatoes), but Garam Masala, or even curry powder would work well.

I also added a tin of green lentils, and some ground flax seeds, for more fibre and to thicken the dish a little.

500g salad or all round potatoes

2 tbsp light olive oil

1 small cauliflower

1 small onion

1 large clove of garlic

1 tbsp chaat masala or garam masala, or 1 tsp hot curry powder

1 can green lentils, including liquid 

1 mug frozen peas

3 tbsp ground flax seeds

Turn the a medium heat on under the olive oil in a large sauté pan and start chopping the potatoes into bite sized piece.  Place the potatoes cut size down in the pan as you cut them.

Once potatoes are all cut and frying gently, cut the cauliflower into similar sized pieces to the potato.  

When you can smell fried potatoes, turn the potatoes over with a slice, make a clearing in the middle of the pan and add the cauliflower.  Cover with a lid whilst you peel and thinly slice the onion.

Flip over the cauliflower and potatoes when you have sliced the onion. Mix the cauliflower into the potatoes and make a clearing in the middle of the pan for the sliced onion. Put the lid back on until the garlic is peeled, sliced and ready to go into the middle of the pan.

Whilst the onion is frying (don't worry if there not much oil left in the pan - browning adds flavour!), sprinkle over your chosen spice and stir every thing together.

Pour in the cooked lentils and their liquid, and another can of water from the tap.  Cover and bring to the boil.

Once boiling add the frozen peas and the ground flax seeds.  Bring to the boil again, this time without the lid.  Once boiling, set a timer for 5 minutes to make sure the potato is cooked (You should be able to push a for into a piece without it feeling hard like uncooked potato. If it crumbles it is definitely cooked!), to cook the peas, and dry the dish out a little.

Serve with chutney and/or extra chilli if wanted.

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Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

An unexpected spaghetti squash arrived in our Riverford vegbox last week.  We had such a meaty cooked breakfast for yesterday morning for one of my daughter's birthday meals, that my partner half jokingly said we should eat the squash for dinner, before he went out for the day to his elderly mother's.

Googling 'spaghetti squash recipes' brought me back to Riverford's recipes, and their Pesto Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Breadcrumbs & Mozzarella. As we did not have any mozzarella to spare (today's homemade pizza is the last birthday meal) I thought I'd use feta, which sent me off on a Greek inspired filling.

Serves 2

1 medium to large spaghetti squash

200g feta

50g pine nuts

1 tbsp chopped or dried mint

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

1/4 tsp chilli flakes (optional)

1 handful breadcrumbs (1 thin slice of bread 'liquidised)

Extra virgin olive oil

Pepper & salt

Preheat the oven to 180C whilst you split the squash in half from top to bottom.  Scrape out the seeds, and reserve for roasting.  Rub a little olive oil, salt,and pepper on the flesh of the squash.

Bake cut side down with 1 tbsp water under each half for 25-30 minutes until the flesh can pulled into shreds easily with a fork.

Scrape the flesh into a bowl with the feta, pine nuts, mint, garlic, chilli if using, and 1 tbsp olive oil.  

Mix well and refill the two squash shells.  Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the filling and drizzle over a little olive oil.

Bake for another 8-10 minutes until the breadcrumbs are a golden brown.

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Caponata, Sicilian Vegetables

Caponata is Ratatouille's Sicilian cousin.  Apart from the aubergine, ingredients seem to vary. Tomatoes, onion, celery, olives, and capers seem common from recipe to recipe. Courgette, pepper, pine nuts, and raisins (should only be in a cake in my opinion) slightly less so.

2 aubergines

1 courgette

1 red pepper

1 onion, peeled

1 stick of celery

2 large cloves of garlic

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 can cherry or chopped tomatoes

20 unpitted green or black olives, destoned

2 tbsp capers

30g pine nuts

Can of cannellini beans, black beans, or green lentils (optional)

Chop the aubergine, courgette, onion, and celery into chunky bite sized pieces.

Toss in the olive oil, together with the unpeeled garlic cloves and salt, and bake in a high sided baking dish for 40 minutes at 200C, stirring halfway through the cooking time.

At the end of the cooking time, stir in the rest of the ingredients into the hot baking dish to warm up.  There should be enough residual heat in the baking dish to heat the tomatoes enough. If not, pop back in the oven for 10 minutes.

To make this dish a little more filling (and add more carbohydrate, fibre, and protein) add a can of cannellini beans, green lentils, or black beans.

Eat hot or cold. The flavours of this dish will develop if left to cool overnight.

Caponata can be cooked on the stove, frying the vegetables in the olive oil until browned and they adding the remaining ingredients.

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Roasted Beetroot, Sweet Potato, & Chickpeas

With children back in college, and OH working back in the office more days a week I have been trying (and usually failing) to meal prep a couple grab & go lunches so they can be alternated throughout the week.

My son made Lentil Bolognese on Sunday night, and had four pasta dishes that he didn't need to worry about keeping cold until lunchtime.

On Thursday night I finally got round to roasting some vegetables I bought on Monday to bake.  And this dish would have had some kale in it, had I not used is as a Super Green Pasta Sauce last night

500g beetroot

750g sweet potato (I took 2 sweet potatoes out of the 1kg bag to make soup)

1 can of chickpeas, drained

3 tbsp olive oil

Wash but do not peel the vegetables and chop into bite sized pieces.

Toss in the olive oil with the drained chickpeas.

Bake for 40 minutes at 180C, stirring around halfway through the cooking time.

This quantity made three portions.  Today, for a fry filling lunch, I microwaved a portion and added halloumi, za'atar, and tahini dressing. Other ideas of ingredients to add are feta, goats cheese, cottage cheese, quinoa, pearl barley, Chermoula, Chimichurri, Zhoug, or a good old Italian Salsa Verde.

A single portion could be made in an air fryer with one beetroot, one sweet potato, and about a third of a tin of chickpeas.  Cook for 20 minutes at 180C, mixing halfway through the cooking time.

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High Fibre Wholemeal & Wholegrain Sourdough

I sell homemade organic white bread flour sourdough loaves (with a wholemeal starter), but thought I'd try to make a wholegrain sourdough for the family.

The more wholegrain flour you use, the higher in fibre this sourdough is, so experiment with 500g wholegrain flour, or adding different wholegrain/wholemeal flours eg wholemeal rye flour.  

Wholegrain sourdough will rise less than a white sourdough but is better for you!

Proving time: 3 hours 45 minutes (5 x 45 minutes)

Overnight proving: 12-24 hours

Cooking time: 40 minutes

I mix the dough late afternoon the day before the morning I want to bake.

300g lively wholemeal starter

375g water

2 tsp salt

250g wholemeal flour

250g wholegrain flour (I used Sainsbury's Wholegrain Seeded Flour, other wholegrain flours are available)

Mix the starter & water together in a large mixing bowl.  

Mix in the flour and salt until you all the dry flour has been incorporated.  It will be a rough looking dough. Don't worry.  Cover the bowl and leave for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes do the first of four 'stretch & folds'.  Wet your hands, scoop your fingers under either side of the dough and lift it upwards so the top and bottom of the dough stretch and fold down from your hands.  Give the bowl a quarter turn and do one more stretch and fold.  Cover and leave for another 45 minutes.

After four stretch & folds and a final 45 minute rest, tip the dough out onto a floured surface, stretch the dough out to the side and up onto the middle of the dough at the top, bottom, and sides of the dough.  Shape, and place in a well floured  banneton or bowl with a well floured cloth. Cover and place in the fridge for 12-24 hours until you are ready to bake.

When ready to bake, pre-heat the oven and a deep lidded casserole dish (I used a domed turkey roasting dish) to 230C.  When the oven reaches temperature, tip the dough out onto a piece of baking parchment, and score with a razor blade, bread knife, or scissors (optional).

Lower into the preheated dish, and bake for 20 minutes with the lid on, then 20 minutes with the lid off.

Leave to cool entirely on a baking rack to make slicing easier.

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