Egg and sweet potato curry

October 26, 2008 at 4:47 pm · Filed under Dairy-free, Dinner Party, Indian, Main Course, Sauces, Wheat-free

This is made with a fairly universal curry sauce, similar to the general sauce used in Indian restaurants. After step 3, you can use the sauce for any sort of curry – add some meat or fish instead of the egg and sweet potato, or pile some extra chillis for heat. You can also thin the sauce with water and then add lentils for a nice dhal dish, or omit the tomatoes and add sliced almonds and some double cream to approximate a korma… it’s very versatile!

Ingredients:

1/2 pint coconut milk, or 1/2 pint boiling water mixed with a sachet of creamed coconut
tin of chopped tomatoes
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 star anise
1/2 tspn ground cinnamon
1 large red chilli
1 large onion
thumb of ginger root
3 cloves garlic
3 hard-boiled eggs
1 sweet potato
handful of fresh coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped
sunflower oil

1. In a dry frying pan, toast the cumin, coriander and fenugreek seeds. When they’re smelling fragrant and popping intermittently, decant them into a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind to tiny bits.

2. Cut the onion in half. Cut one half into slices and set aside. Grate the other half with the ginger. Finely chop the garlic and chilli. Fry the grated half of the onion, and the ginger, in a little oil, then add the garlic and finally the chilli (The longer you fry the onion, the darker the colour of your eventuall curry sauce.)

3. Add the coconut milk, tomatoes and all the spices, including the ones you’ve ground up. Mix to combine, turn the heat down and simmer for about half an hour. Once the sauce has thickened, remove it from the pan and keep on one side.

4. Peel the sweet potato, and slice thickly. Fry it in a bit of oil until both sides are golden bown, then add the slices of onion you kept back at step 2.

5. Return the sauce to the pan, and mix the potatoes in. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, and cook for about ten minutes before adding the eggs. Cook for a further ten minutes.

6. Sprinkle over the chopped coriander and serve with rice, naan, pickles and all the usual curry acoutrements.

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Saurkraut

October 26, 2008 at 4:47 pm · Filed under Dairy-free, Preserves, Vegan, Wheat-free

For any meal involving sausages, a sizable helping of pickled cabbage is a must. The sharp, tangy flavour is brilliant when counterpointed with the spicy robustness of a good Cumberland, and gives zest to even the most processed-tasting frankfurter.

Ingredients:

1 large head of white cabbage
2 large onions
400ml cider vinegar
50g salt
3 juniper berries
a bayleaf
5 cloves
5 peppercorns
a blade of mace
80g sugar

1. Finely shred the cabbage and onions, and place in a large mixing bowl (NB don’t use a metal bowl!). Pour over the salt, and mix well. Cover and leave for 24hrs. This will draw the moisture out of the vegetables. If you have the opportunity, it’s a good idea to drain the bowl and toss the cabbage/onion/salt mixture every few hours.

2. Drain the cabbage and rinse thoroughly. Pat dry, and set aside to dry completely. Once it’s dry, pack the cabbage into a large, sterile jar (the easiest way to sterilise a jar is to rinse it with boiling water, then dry in the oven at about Mark 3 for half an hour.

3. Put the vinegar, sugar and spices in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for about twenty minutes. Strain out the spices, and bring back to the boil.

4. Pour the boiling vinegar over the cabbage, and dislodge any air bubbles with a skewer. Seal the lid tightly as soon as the jar is sufficiently cool.

5. This will keep for about six months out of direct sunlight. Try it in sanwiches with some strong cheddar, or to add some zing to a crunchy salad.

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Banana and blueberry muffins

September 7, 2008 at 12:19 pm · Filed under Baking, Cake, Vegan

I hold my hands up here and admit immediately that this is Wifeshui’s recipe, not mine, but she made these this evening and they were sooooo good that I had to put the method up here.

Ingredients

150g plain white flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
pinch of salt
25g light brown sugar
1 egg
150ml milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 banana
a few ounces of blueberry conserve (try to avoid jam, it’s a bit sweet – if you use it, I suggest reducing the sugar content of the muffins slightly)

1. Sieve together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

2. Beat the egg, milk and oil together and fold into the dry ingredients.

3. Mash the banana into the batter as well (if you freeze the banana first and let it thaw overnight, it will mash very easily – it’s a good idea to freeze spare bananas before they go brown, as they can always be used in recipes like this.)

4. Half-fill six muffin cases with the mixture. Place a teaspoon of blueberry conserve on top, then cover with a little more of the batter. Put in a preheated oven at Mk 4 (180 degrees) on the middle shelf, and bake for 30 minutes.

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Broccoli Frittata

September 7, 2008 at 12:17 pm · Filed under Leftovers, Light Lunch

Very, very simple, this one – essentially it’s just a posh omlette. It takes ten minutes and is ideal if you need a quick supper.

Ingredients:

head of broccoli
3-4 waxy potatoes
4 large eggs, beaten
small onion
50g grated cheddar cheese
vegetable oil (for frying)

1. Cut the potatoes into small chunks and boil for three minutes.

2. Drain the potatoes and set aside. Cut the broccoli into florets and blanch in simmering water for about a minute. Drain and set aside.

3. In a deep frying pan, fry the potatoes until golden. Add the onion and the broccoli, and stir to mix. pour the beaten eggs over the top and reduce the heat.

4. Scatter the grated cheese over the top and cook slowly for five or ten minutes until the eggs have set and the cheese has melted. Serve with a bit of salad and maybe some crusty bread.

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Apple, mint and chilli chutney

September 7, 2008 at 12:15 pm · Filed under Preserves, Vegan

Great as an accompaniment to a curry, or with a bit of really strong cheese, this is a simple chutney to create. There’s a lot to be said for the slow, tantalising process of chutney-making, witnessing the lovely tangy, spicy smell infusing the kitchen and stirring the dark and mysterious liquids in the saucepan. It’s a sort of alchemy, whereby perfectly ordinary fruit and veg is converted to delicious preserves, and is best experienced wearing a wizard’s outfit and false beard…

Ingredients:

1 kilo cooking apples, cored, peeled and chopped
400ml white wine vinegar
200ml pickling vinegar
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
small piece of root ginger (about 1 cubic centimetre), finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
350g brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
bunch of fresh mint, chopped very finely

1. Sterilise your chutney jar by rinsing it in boiling water, then drying it in the oven at Gas Mark 1.

2. Put the apples and vinegar in a saucepan, and bring slowly to the boil.

3. In a dry frying pan, toast the coriander, cumin and peppercorns. Crush them very slightly in a mortar and pestle, but don’t grind them to a powder. Put them into a spice infuser (alternatively you can wrap them in a small muslin bag) with the ginger and chilli flakes.

4. Add the salt and sugar to the pan, along with the infuser. Stir, then simmer (uncovered) until the chutney is thick and gooey, stirry occasionally.

5. Take out the infuser and turn off the heat. Stir in the mint and pour the mixture into your sterilised jar(s). Once cooled somewhat, seal the jars and label them with the date (and also the type of chutney, this can be important if you make other jams and preserves… discovering that you’ve accidently spread your toast with chilli chutney rather than rasperry jam can liven up breakfast considerably.) This will keep for about six months. Once opened, keep in the fridge, and eat it up within two weeks – this will not, I assure you, be very difficult.

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Stuffed Aubergines

July 26, 2008 at 8:23 pm · Filed under Dinner Party, Main Course

This recipe was the first time Wifeshui ever enjoyed aubergine – now she loves the stuff. The problem most people have with this rather awesome vegetable is that it only responds well to certain cooking methods, and if you get it wrong it’s disgusting. So: never boil or steam an aubergine, always use very hot oil if you choose to fry it, and for pity’s sake, don’t try and eat it raw!

Ingredients:

2 large aubergines (eggplant)
1/2 an onion, diced finely
1 good quality lamb sausage
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 a cup lentils (dry)
20g feta cheese
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 dried red chilli
100g breadcrumbs
olive oil
stock

1. Put the lentils on to simmer in the stock, and cook until soft (this will depend on the type of lentils you have – check the packet!).

2. Halve the aubergines lengthways and use a teaspoon to scoop out most of the flesh from the middle, leaving a shell. Brush the shells with olive oil and put on a baking tray in a preheated oven at 200 degrees.

3. In a deep frying pan, use a little oil to saute the aubergine flesh, onion and garlic. Skin the sausage and roughly chop the meat. Add it to the pan along with the pine nuts, raisins and spices. Cook for about 5 minutes.

4. Drain the lentils and add them to the frying pan as well, along with the breadcrumbs. Mix thoroughly, and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes.

5. Take the pan off the heat, add the diced feta and stir in. Take the aubergine shells out of the oven (they should have had about ten minutes in there by now). Spoon the mixture into the shells and return them to the oven for 25-30 minutes. Serve hot, with tabbouleh or a green salad.

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Ratatouille with Spicy Potatoes and Guacamole

July 16, 2008 at 8:09 pm · Filed under Main Course, Vegan

French Provencale stew, with a slightly Mexican twist. Sometimes you have to work with what you’ve got.

Ingredients:

1 large aubergine (eggplant)
2 courgettes (zucchinis)
1 large white onion
1 red pepper
2 cloves of garlic
1 cup of passata
3 large tomatoes
teaspoon of cumin seeds
salt
squeeze of lemon juice
Tabasco sauce
handful of basil

6 large potatoes
handful of breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon tumeric

2 ripe avocados
2 cloves garlic
1 green chilli, deseeded
squeeze of lemon juice

1. Cut the aubergine into large chunks and put it in a colander. Sprinkle liberally with salt and lemon juice,put a plate on top and leave for about 30 minutes. This will draw out the bitter flavour and make the aubergine much more palatable.

2. Cut the potatoes into rough wedge shapes (you can leave the skins on, although I prefer to peel them), and mix them in a large bowl with the olive oil, chilli powder, turmeric and breadcrumbs. Put them on a baking tray and whack in the oven for 50 minutes at about 200 degrees.

3. Cut the rest of the vegetables into large pieces and put them into a casserole dish. Wipe the aubergines off with kitchen paper and drop them in also. Fry the onions, cumin and garlic in a splash of olive oil. Add them to the casserole, mix roughly and pour over the passata. Add a few drops of Tabasco, cover, and pop in the oven for about half an hour.

4. Finely chop the chill and garlic for the guacamole, and mash with the avocado and lemon juice. Leaving the avocado stone in the bowl will allegedly prevent the guacamole from discolouring, although I reckon the lemon juice does most of the work there.

5. Sprinkle the torn basil leaves over the ratatouille, and serve.

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