Mexican Rice with Tofu & Beans

Inspired to make Mexican Rice the other night, rather than Fried Rice,  Usually Mexican Rice  is a side dish, but I added tofu and beans last night to make it into a midweek main meal.

Serves a greedy 4

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, peeled and diced

400g tofu, grated or crumbled 

3 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tin chopped tomatoes or passata if you don't have a liquidiser

1 red pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped or diced if you don't have a liquidiser 

1 US cup basmati rice

1 US cup frozen sweetcorn

1 tin of black beans or lentils, keep the liquid

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp hot chilli flakes

2 cups recently boiled water

30g bag of fresh coriander, chopped

Gently fry the onion in a wide lidded pan in the oil over a medium heat.

When the onion is translucent and starting to brown at the edges, stir in the tofu, garlic, and cumin.  Fry for about 5 minutes stirring only every minute or so in an attempt to brown the tofu (I find grated tofu quite hard to brown so I normally give up after 5 minutes).

Whilst frying the tofu, liquidise the chopped tomatoes and red pepper.  I you don't have a liquidiser, dice the pepper and add this to the tofu, and use passata instead of chopped tomatoes.  

After the tofu has fried for about 10 minutes add  the liquidised tomatoes/passata, sweetcorn, and rice.  Drain the liquid from the beans into your cup measure, add the beans to the pan, then top the cup measure with recently boiled water to make 2 cups of liquid.

Stir in the smoked paprika and the chilli flakes, bring to the boil with the lid on, then turn down to the lowest heat for 20 minutes until the rice is tender.

Serve with chopped coriander.

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Japanese Tinned Mackerel & Green Tea Broth

I have to confess I like tinned fish, and recently I have discovered tinned mackerel which I find has a milder flavour to sardines which were my previous go-to tinned fish.

Returning from the opticians, where I was told I need to eat more oily fish I scrolled through saved Japanese recipes and made Chazuke, green tea broth poured over cooked rice with quick pickled radish, based on @aisletokyo recipes for Asazuke Radish and Salmon Chazuke.

Serves 1

1/2 a pack of radish, thinly sliced

1 tsp light soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp apple wine vinegar

1 pinch of hot chilli flakes

400ml recently boiled water

1 tsp grated ginger root

1 spring onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp miso

1 small sheet of nori seaweed, finely shredded

1 green tea bag

150g cooked rice

1 tin of mackerel in oil

Sesame seeds to serve

Mix the thinly sliced radish with the soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, and chilli flakes in a small bowl and leave to marinate whilst you prepare the rest of the dish.

In a small pan, simmer the ginger, green part of the spring onion, miso, and shredded seaweed (reserving a sprinkle as a garnish) in the water for 10 minutes with a lid on.  For the last 2 minutes, add the green tea bag.

When the broth's time is up.  Turn off the heat and leave the lid on.

Place the rice in a warmed bowl with the mackerel and it's oil from the tin on top.  Remove the green tea bag from the broth and pour the broth over the mackerel and the rice.  Sprinkle over the white part of the spring onion, reserved seaweed, pickled radish, and sesame seeds and tuck in.

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Soupy Satay Tofu & Noodles

I started of wanting to make Thai coconut broth with peanuts to serve with tofu, vegetables, and noodles, and ended up making a satay sauce flavoured broth not unlike my Sweet Potato or Squash Satay Curry 

Serves 4

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 block of firm tofu, cubed

1 small onion, peeled & thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed

1/2 tbsp red curry paste, vegan if preferred

2 pak choi, or green cabbage cut into thick strips

2 carrots, grated or cut into long ribbons with a julienne peeler

400ml coconut milk

1 litre vegetable stock

4 heaped tbsp peanut butter, crunchy or smooth

4 tbsp fish sauce (or vegan alternative), or light soy sauce

Juice & zest of a lime

4 nests of rice or egg noodles

Chilli oil to serve (optional)

Toss the cubed tofu in one tablespoon of vegetable oil.  Airfry for 20 minutes at 180C or roast on an oven tray for 20 minutes at 180C to firm up.  This step is not essential.

Whilst the tofu is in the air fryer/oven, fry the onion in a tablespoon of vegetable oil over a medium heat.  When looking mostly translucent, add the pak choi/cabbage, garlic, and curry paste. Stir around for a minute or so.

Add the coconut milk, stock, carrot, and lime zest.  Cover and bring to a boil.

Whilst the pan is coming to a boil, mix the peanut butter fish sauce/soy and lime juice into a paste.  When boiling, stir in the peanut butter mixture and the tofu.  Leave on the lowest heat whilst you cook the noodles.

Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet, drain and divide between 4 bowls (I cooked the 4 nests of noodles separately as everyone was eating at different times that evening). Ladle over the satay broth and serve with a drizzle of chilli oil if wanted.

NB I ate some leftover broth over rice the next day for lunch.

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North African Bean & Spinach Strew

This plant based bean stew is inspired by Lablabi, a Tunisian chickpea stew, and Loubia, a Moroccan white bean stew, to which I've added spinach. 

Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and diced

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped 

2 cans of haricot or cannellini beans, or 150g dry beans soaked overnight and cooked according to their instructions.  Keep the liquid!

500g carton of passata

Quick Harissa, or shop bought Harissa paste to taste

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tbsp cumin

100g spinach or Swiss chard, shredded

Fry the onion in the olive oil in a casserole dish over a medium high heat.  If using chard, dice the stalks and fry with the onion.

When the onion starts to go translucent and golden brown,  stir in the garlic and cumin, then add the rest of the ingredients (including the liquid from the beans) apart from the spinach.

Bring to the boil, add the spinach, cover and turn down to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.

Serve with crusty bread or couscous.

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Romanian Potato Moussaka

Romanian Moussaka is not dissimilar to Greek Moussaka, just with aubergine layers replaced with potato (and no cinnamon or mint, although I have also made this all the Greek flavours too).  Neither of my children are keen on aubergine, so this dish went down well even with added lentils to make up for the lack of vegetables/aubergine.

Serves 4

1kg/4-5 large potatoes

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, peeled & diced

2 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed  

500g pork or beef mince

500g passata

1 can lentils (optional, diced carrot & celery, or grated courgette can be added instead)

100ml red wine or water

200g soured cream or greek yoghurt

2 eggs

200g cheddar or cascaval cheese, grated

1 bay leaf

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)

Boil the potatoes with their skin on for 10 minutes, until just starting to be tender.  Drain and leave to cool.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium high heat and fry the onions, and carrots and celery if using, for 5 minutes until softened.

Stir in the garlic, bayleaf, nutmeg, pepper, and chilli flakes, then add the minced meat, breaking any lumps as you fry it. 

When you can no longer see any raw meat, pour in the passata, paprika,  and lentils if using. Rinse the passata carton out with the wine/water and add to the pan.  Bring to the boil, and simmer whilst you prepare the baking dish.

Slice the potato into 1cm slices, line a high sided lasagne/baking dish with greaseproof paper, and pre-heat the oven to 180C.  

Cover the bottom of the lined baking dish with a layer of sliced potatoes, then add a layer of tomatoey mince, then another layer of potatoes, another layer of mince, and finish with any remaining potatoes arranged on the top.

Whisk the eggs into the soured cream/yoghurt along with half the grated cheese.  Spread this mixture evening over the mince & potatoes, and sprinkle over the remaining cheese.

Bake for 30-40 minutes at 180C.

Serve hot, with salad or pickled vegetables.

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Corn, Squash & Bean Soup

A vegetarian or vegan corn chowder recipe, inspired by leftover crown prince squash, corn on the cob, and beans

Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, peeled & diced

1 large stick celery, diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled & crushed

Half a small squash, peeled & grated

200g sweetcorn, fresh, tinned, or frozen

1 can mixed beans in water

1 baking potato, grated

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp smoked paprika

500ml dairy or plant based milk

500ml recently boiled water

2 vegetable stock cubes, crumbled

Fry the onion in the olive oil over a medium high heat in a pan large enough to hold about 2 litres.

After a few minutes, when the onion starts to look clear, add the celery.  After another few minutes, stir in the garlic, squash, and potato.  

Stir and fry for a few more minutes then add the rest of the ingredients, including the liquid in the beans and sweetcorn.

Bring to the boil, cover, and turn down to a simmer.  Cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the potato and squash are tender.

Serve with a Tex Mex hot sauce like Tabasco or Chipotle, and jalapeños if you want more punch.

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Chickpea 'Butter Chicken'

A vegan version of Butter Chicken (aka Murgh Makhani) with chickpeas, cashew cream, and no butter.  Chicken, dairy cream, and butter can be used if preferred.

Serves 4

4 tbsp vegetable oil

500g carton of passata2 cans of chickpeas and their liquid

1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped

5 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

5cm piece of ginger, roughly chopped

1 cinnamon stick

8 cloves

1 tsp black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp chilli powder

6 cardamon pods

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp hot chilli flakes

1 tsp garam masala 

1/2 tsp ground turmeric 

1 tsp salt

100ml cashew cream (40g cashews soaked in 100ml hot water) 

Liquidiser the onion, garlic, and ginger with enough water to make a smooth double cream like puree.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium high heat, then add cinnamon stick, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves, cumin seeds and cardamon pods. Stir until the seeds start to they start to pop.

Carefully pour in the onion puree into the pan.  It will spit violently! Stir regularly until the puree reduces, starts, darken in colour,  and threatens to stick to the bottom of the pan.  

Add the passata, chickpeas, and their liquid. Add the rest of the ingredients (chilli flakes, garam masala, turmeric, and salt) apart from the cashew cream.  Cover and bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer for 20 minutes.

Pour 100ml boiling water over the cashews and leaves to soften while the curry is cooking.

Bring to the boil and pour over the chicken thighs in the slow cooker.  Stir the chicken into the sauce and leave to cook on High for 6 hours.

After 20 minutes, liquidise the cashews and water and stir into the curry. Bring back to piping hot, then serve over basmati rice.

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Green Tomato Chilli con Carne (or Veggie)

A bumper haul of green beefsteak tomatoes from someone at the allotment gave me the inspiration to attempt to recreate a Green Chilli we had in Cortez, New Mexico over 24 years ago.  

There are many Green Chilli recipes online.  Most are from the US, and call for a range of chilli peppers that are not readily available in the UK.  The chilli I ended up making does not taste like my memory of this long ago eaten chilli, but I am still pleased with it, particularly as all ingredients (apart from the green tomatoes) are readily available in UK supermarkets.

Serves 4-6

3 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and diced

3 large cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp dried oregano

500g minced chicken or turkey (optional)

3 green peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped

800g/3 large green tomatoes, roughly chopped

10 sliced pickled jalapeños

1 can pinto beans with liquid, or 2 cans if not using chicken

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 chilli powder

1 tsp salt

Fry the onions in the oil over a medium heat in a casserole dish until just starting to brown.

Stir in the garlic, cumin, coriander, and oregano and fry for a further minute.

Add the chicken/turkey mince if using and fry for about 5 minutes, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon, until no raw meat can be seen.  If not adding meat, skip to the next step.

Liquidise the tomatoes, peppers, and jalapeños and pour into the casserole dish.

Add the beans and their liquid, smoked paprika, chilli, and salt.

Mix well, bring to the boil then cover and simmer for 30 minutes. 

At the end of the cooking time, you may wish to remove the lid and boil for a further 10 minutes if there is too much liquid for your taste.

Serve over white rice.

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Quick Harissa Paste

My tried and tested Harissa recipe calls for roasted peppers, but not having the time to roast peppers (nor having a jar of roasted peppers) I experimented with making a smaller quantity with a small pointed red pepper.

Makes about 4 tbsp

1 red pepper or a whole roasted red pepper from a jar, roughly chopped and deseeded

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 small garlic clove, peeled & crushed

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

A pinch of salt

Add all the ingredients to a blender cup and blitz to as smooth paste as you can (a little hard with not much in the blender cup).

We mixed this into cooked couscous to serve with merguez.

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Green Cheesy Pasta (or Rice)

I have been making Green Cheesy Pasta/Rice ever since my now adult kids were little.  Like many kids, they were wary of vegetables but loved pesto.

One teatime I didn't have ingredients for my usual Watercress Pesto, so had to improvise with chard.  A suspiciously toddler poked the green pasta and asked what it was. I simply said it was green, cheesy, pasta.  She loved it, and the name stuck.  You can also make Green Cheesy Pasta with chard, spinach, kale, beetroot tops

Serves 2 as a main dish

200g dried (wholemeal) pasta
200g large leaf spinach, chard, kale, beetroot tops
50g mature cheddar or parmesan, grated
1 small clove of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
Extra virgin olive oil

Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil.  Add the pasta and about a teaspoon of olive oil.  Stir the pasta around, cover, and bring back to the boil.

Once the pasta is boiling again, poke in the greens.  You need large leaved greens so you can fish them out again!  Crack the lid of the pan open and boil for 5 minutes, then fish the greens out and leave to cool in a pasta bowl.  Continue cooking the pasta for the remaining cooking time.

When the pasta is cooked, reserve about half a mug of the cooking water, and drain.  Toss the hot pasta in 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. 

Place the cooled green is a blender cup, stripping out the tough stems if using kale.  Add the cheese, garlic, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt, and liquidise to the consistency of double cream, adding a little reserved pasta water if needed. 

Scrape all the sauce onto the pasta and mix thoroughly, again adding more water if you want a looser sauce.

This sauce works well with cooked rice, sticking the rice grains together, and making it easy for toddlers to eat.

The cheese can be replaced with 30g cashew nuts (soaked in hot water before liquidising) if preferred.

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Potato, Green Bean & Feta Salad

Still almost inundated with green beans (and the wonderful purple 'Violetto di Trionfo' French climbing beans), I have added them to a Greek style potato salad.

Serves 2 as a lunch

500g salad potatoes

500g green beans, cut into 3cm lengths

1/2 mild red onion, thinly sliced

100g feta

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp dried mint or greek oregano

Salt & pepper

Boil the potatoes whole for 10-20 minutes.  They are ready when a knife slides into them easily without the potato falling apart.  My homegrown potatoes only take 10 minutes, otherwise they fall apart. But some shop bought salad potatoes can take 20 minutes to cook.

Steam the beans over the potatoes for the last 3-5 minutes.  Alternatively microwave in a covered bowl with a couple of tablespoons of water for 4 minutes. I cooked my beans in the air fryer, as I had cooked potatoes leftover from the day before. 

When the potatoes are cooked, drain them and leave to cool. When cool enough to touch, slice into 1cm rounds.

In a serving dish, or individual bowls, layer up the potato followed by the onion, beans, crumbled feta, mint/oregano, then drizzle over the olive oil.  Season to taste.  Can be eaten at room temperature, or cold from the fridge.

Since making this, I have seen a similar recipe adding Kalamata olives, which would be a great addition if you have any.

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Air Fryer Green Beans

I have a glut of runner beans and purple Trionfo Violetto French beans, and am constantly on the look out for new recipes.

I saw a recipe for griddled green beans, but thought it would be a lot simpler to air fry green beans.  Once cooked, I added these to a potato salad.

Handful of beans per person

Toss in a drizzle of olive oil and a tiny pinch of salt.

Air fry for 10 minutes at 180C, stirring half way through the cooking time.

Serve as a side with a drizzle more of olive oil, and garlic if liked. Or add to a salad like me.

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Blackberry Soda

Came across a TikTok post from @woodsboundoutdoors for Blackberry Soda, and as I have a thicket of fat cultivated blackberries on my allotment, I thought I would give it a go.

Makes 1 litre

1 US cup blackberries

1/4 US cup sugar

Filtered water

Squish the blackberries into a pulp with a fork in a one litre capacity glass jar.

Add in the sugar and fill the jar with water.

Stir and cover with a paper towel secured with an elastic band.  Store in dark place for 24 hours, stirring every now and then to keep the berries submerged.

After a day, strain the liquid into a flip top bottle designed to hold carbonated drinks.  I used a washed out beer bottle.

Leave the bottle in the dark again for a further 24 hours, then refrigerate.  

As we are currently in the midst of a 30C+ heatwave I only left the bottle out for 12 hours. The resulting soda was only very slightly fizzy, but tasted delicious.  To find your desired level of fizz will probably take several trials!

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