Not the best of photos, but life is too short to style dal!

People know that I enjoy cooking and that I generally like to eat healthily, and well and often.  Some are also aware of my trying to stick to a vegan diet “for at least 80% of the time as it makes me feel healthier and it is better for the planet”*.   As a result I often receive offerings from friends, family and neighbours, and in the late summer, I can guarantee that there will be at least one enormo courgette making my way to my kitchen.     I love food, I particularly love free food, and being given food is best of all.     According to the BBC’s Gardening site courgettes should be harvested at 4″, I think that I would let them grow a little more, one per person as a side dish would be about right.    Occasionally one will escape harvest , courgettes, it will appear, are masters of camouflage and the enormo courgette will make its appearance and be presented to me.    I hate to waste food, so have come up with several enormo courgette coping strategies.

Here is a simply lentil dal (or however one spells it), containing chopped courgette, red lentils and spices.  I should have no need to say how good lentils are, healthy, cheap, satisfying, delicious and low GI.    It would be lovely topped with crispy onions, but this time I left them off.  A dash of turmeric would make it a brighter yellow.  This served 2 greedy people with rice.

Courgette and Red Lentil Dal (Serves 2 as a main)

Glug sunflower oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cinnamon
8oz red lentils
1/2 pint stock (I use Marigold)
Enormo courgette – chopped into 1cm cubes.   I used about 12oz.

Heat the oil in the pan, add the spices, stirring all the fry them for a few minutes until they release their aroma, add the lentils and stir for another minute.    Take the pan off the heat and add the stock.    Simmer for 10 mins, add the courgette and stir in.    Simmer for another 10 mins until the lentils are soft adding more water when needed.    Mine needed about another 1/4 pint, but it will depend on the amount of courgette.

Serve with rice and chutneys.   This freezes and microwaves well making it a good packed lunch.   Add some more stock to make a soup.

* My quotes; food ethics are complicated, and ever evolving, and sometimes it is just easier to give the short answer.

It seems that the entire world has gone mad for matcha, and  once again I am late to the culinary bandwagon.   Last week I visited the Mind Apples pop-up health farm, then went to the Japan Centre for some of their splendid (and very affordable) sushi and spied lots of matcha.   I remembered reading about  Matcha Madness Month on Catty’s blog and decided that it was time to get some fuss free matcha madness in my kitchen.     Bewildered by the choice of matchas on offer I choose a 10g pouch for £2.

For those not in the know, matcha is finely ground Japanese green tea.    It is made from tencha, which is stoneground to a bright green talc like powder.   It is fairly labour intensive process, taking up to an hour to grind 30g.  The tea bushes are covered for several weeks before harvest; the shade slows down growth, resulting in darker leaves and more amino acids giving a more intense flavour.    Matcha is packed full of all sorts of things that are good for you; antioxidants, betacarotene and vitamins A, B & C.  And matcha is also delicious, like green tea, but more intense and sweeter in flavour.

When I bake there is a high chance that I will make muffins, and my first foray with matcha is no exception.  I used Kara coconut milk which added a hint of coconut flavour, but any milk (dairy or non dairy) would work here.    My full muffin method is here, if you eat eggs throw one in with wet ingredients, if not, leave it out.   I did not measure the buttercream ingredients – too much buttercream is not a bad thing and is delicious straight from the bowl!

Matcha Muffins (Makes 4)

For the muffins

“Dry” Ingredients
4.5oz plain flour
1.5oz  sugar
1 heaped tsp matcha powder
1tsp baking power
pinch salt

“Wet” Ingredients
4.5oz  Kara coconut milk
1.5oz  sunflower oil

Whisk the oil and milk mixture with a fork.   Mix the dry ingredients.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold together (the batter should be lumpy and mixing should take no more than 15 folds).   Bake at GM5/190C/375F in your favourite muffin pan for 20 – 25 mins until risen.

For the buttercream

1 tsp butter or non diary spread
1 tsp milk (I used Kara)
1 tsp  matcha powder
About 4 heaped tbs icing sugar

Beat the butter & milk together for a minute with an electric mixer, add the matcha and icing sugar and beat for at least 5 minutes until fluffy.   You may need to add more liquid or icing sugar.   Too much frosting cannot be a bad thing! Wait until the muffins are cold before frosting them.

Have I mentioned before that I  really really really love dips?   Looking back at my dippy posts  it seems that I  usually serve them with crudities, but sometimes a bit of non veggie crunch and crispiness is required.      Instead of from a packet and laden with fat and all manner of nasties, these tortilla chips are made from tortilla wraps which I usually have in the freezer.

Simply snip the tortilla wraps into chip sized triangles, I find one wrap per person is about right.   Arrange on a baking tray or pizza stone, brush with a little olive oil (You could use an oil sprayer here) and sprinkle with pepper, salt and your choice of seasoning; cumin, chilli, harissa or celery salt would all work well.     Bake for about 10 minutes in a hot oven (GM7, 220C, 425F) until crisp and golden.     Serve and dip to your heart’s content!

How simple is that?

This summer I have been getting an iceberg lettuce every week in my co-op box and frankly I am a little bored of them.   Nothing conjures up an image of an 1970’s salad more than an iceberg.     Add some pale watery tomatoes, celery and chunks of cucumber and a good dollop of salad cream and you have something straight out of the canteen of my 1970’s primary school in the middle of Kent.

I recently read an article by Mark Bittman on The Charms of the Loser Lettuces.  I was struck by a comment on one of the recipes, which pointed out that if icebergs were not so long lasting and virtually indestructible, they would not be so loved by supermarket buyers and thus available so cheaply and easily.  The rare and scare (and expensive?) iceberg would probably popular with certain groups of foodies.   I hope that my tastebuds are not solely governed by rarity value and cost, but I am sure that there are some foods out there that are more popular because of their rarity rather than the merits of their flavour alone.

But back to the humble iceberg, its hardiness and crispness make it ideal to cook, it softens, but retains some shape and texture not turning to mush.    In fact it actually tastes pretty darned good – I would even venture to say it is delicious!   It is buttery, nutty and subtly bitter.  Add to that almost fat free, low calorie,  cheap, easy to prepare (using only one pot)  and satisfying and I have a winner.        For the more ravenous, serve it as a starter – I would even produce this at a dinner party.

This is another contribution to my series of easy, economical and healthy recipes of what to do with the contents of the co-op “boxes” for the Food Co-ops and Buying Groups project run by Sustain – also part of the Making Local Food Work programme funded by the Big Lottery.

Braised Iceberg Lettuce (Serves 4)

1 Iceberg lettuce
Glug olive oil
1/2 mug vegetable stock (I used Marigold)
Handful frozen peas
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
Soy Sauce (to taste)

Cut the lettuce into quarters (through the stem so each segment stays together).  Add the oil to a casserole dish and fry the lettuce on all sides until it is starting to turn brown.   Add about 1.5cm / 1/2″ stock to the dish, put the lid on and turn the heat right down.   Simmer for about 15 mins, add the frozen peas, (here I left the lid ajar to concentrate the juices) and cook for a further 5 minutes.    Season with salt and pepper and serve.

This recipe is also delicious with a dash of soy sauce.     For a more substantial dish use more peas or serve with some crusty bread.    I imagine that you could also steam a piece of fish over the lettuce too.

I do not understand why some people think  that they do not like tofu.  It is so versatile and takes on the flavour of whatever it is cooked with there realy is nothing to dislike, although I do agree that watery slimey tofu is a very sad experience indeed.   I first made this at the start of June and unbelievably I have lasted over a month before making it again.    As before I made my own tofu in my soyquick machine but this time I had the idea of making black pepper tofu  so added some Steenburgs Spanish Black Pepper (available here) to my coagualted soymilk.    If you have never had ultra fresh tofu it is worth making from scratch once, but it is a bit of a faff and does lead to a huge number of dirty pans.

This time I adapted the recipe using a red onion in place of the shallots, adding half a green pepper and a heap more spring onions.   I also fried the vegetables in oil rather then butter.   It was every bit as good as I remembered.  I particularly liked using a red onion as it gave an even more intense colour to the dish.  Maybe I should rename this double black pepper tofu?

Make this  – if you are a die hard tofu phobe give it a go, afterall there is so much pepper you are not going to be able taste the tofu.

You know the occasions when you have asked people for supper, then you get home 5 minutes before they are due to arrive and nothing is prepared?   I think that a bowl of dip is the perfect casual starter.  Easy to throw together from store cupboard staples and the contents of my co-op veg box, the colour is guaranteed to make anyone smile.     Rather than using tinned beans all the time I usually cook dried beans then freeze them ready to be used, it is cheaper and better for the environment and I prefer the taste.     However tinned beans are undeniably highly convenient and I keep a few tins in the cupboard ready for instant useage.

I am a huge fan of the vaccum packed cooked beetroot, they will keep for ages, taste great and add a vibrant splash of colour.   The dip was actually far more colourful than the photo shows.

This is another contribution to my series of easy, economical and healthy recipes of what to do with the contents of the co-op “boxes” for the Food Co-ops and Buying Groups project run by Sustain – also part of the Making Local Food Work programme funded by the Big Lottery.

Beetroot and Cannellini Bean Dip (Serves 4)

1 tin cannellini beans (410g)
1/2  packet cooked beetroot (or about 4oz / 125g)
glug olive oil
1 clove garlic
zest of one lemon
1 spring onion* (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Simply open the can of beans and rinse well.  Put all the ingredients into your food processor (or into a tall pot and use a stick blender) and blend well.   Season to taste.    Serve with crudites and strips of pitta bread.   I used some chives from my window box to garnish – you could use the green part of a spring onion finely chopped.

* I have noticed a growing trend to call spring onions “salad onions”.     I am suspecting some directive that has decided that as they are not exclusively available in the spring that the name is a misnomer?   I almost prefer the American term “scallion” which to me aptly alludes to a scally wag and youthfulness?

London is hot hot hot and humid to boot.    I am positively enjoying my supermarket trips at the moment as I linger  and closely examine every object in the frozen section.    And what better for these hot summer mornings than ice cream for breakfast?    This is totally healthy, unprocessed, raw and vegan and tastes fantastic.   What better way to start (or end) your hot summer days?

This is another contribution to my series of easy, economical and healthy recipes of what to do with the contents of the co-op “boxes” for the Food Co-ops and Buying Groups project run by Sustain – also part of the Making Local Food Work programme funded by the Big Lottery.

The secret behind this ice cream is blended frozen banana which has been written about all over the internet many times before.   When put into the food processor the frozen banana transforms into a fluffy creamy mousse like ice cream, add some milk and it makes the perfect smoothie base.    Try it and be amazed!  Peel and slice the bananas into 2″ pieces and freeze on a baking tray.  When frozen pack into boxes.   I now always have several boxed of bananas and soft fruit in the freezer for smoothies and ice cream.     I think that this would also be perfect for fruit hating children.

Banana & Strawberry Ice “Cream” (serves 2)

3 frozen bananas
handful frozen strawberries
handful fresh strawberries
Cacao nibs to sprinkle (optional)

Put the banana and strawberries into your food processor and leave for a few minutes to slightly soften and then process.   Depending how powerful your machine is you may need to add a little milk and scrape the sides of the bowl down to speed the process along.      The fruit will slowly transform into a fluffy whipped ice “cream” resembling Mr Whippy ice cream.    Serve immediately with some more fresh fruit and a sprinkling of cacao nibs.   Eat immediately.

What could be more English than a glass of  homemade elderflower cordial drunk in an English garden in the evening of Midsummer’s Day?

I picked the elderflowers on Midsummer’s eve and bottled them on Midsummer’s day.

Today is Midsummer’s day and for those of us in the Northern hemisphere the longest day of the year, for those in the Southern hemisphere it is the shortest day, and they now have the pleasure of looking forward to longer days and the coming of spring.   Such are the vagaries of English weather the middle of June often feels like late spring and although the today middle of that day was baking hot there distinct chill at either end; at 10pm I am sitting in a fleece at my computer.

The delicate spring like elderflower abounds during June, seemingly in every hedgerow and garden.     I love the idea of foraging from the countryside and cooking with my bounty.  Elderflower cordial is the obvious thing to make with my flowers.  I also was thinking of a delicate jam or jelly – perhaps pairing them with rhubarb or gooseberries, but in my limited time the cordial won.  Naturally the best blooms were situated over a bed of nettles, so I dressed in my best protective clothing of wellies, jeans and a long sleeved top and waded in; brandishing my secateurs!  I am delighted to have discovered a simple way to preserve my cordial; seemingly indefinately so it no longer needs to be kept in the fridge.

When the elderflowers start to come into bloom start to save your screw top wine and spirit bottles to decant your cordial into.

Elderflower Cordial (makes about 3 wine bottles full)

20 heads of elderflower
1 kg sugar
1.5l water
4 lemons (or 2 lemons and 2 oranges)
55g citric acid

(Campden tablets to preserve your cordial)

Pick your elderflower heads and give them a very good shake as they will be full of bugs.   Place in a bowl, slice the lemons (or oranges) and add to the elderflower blooms.

Place the sugar and water in a pan and bring to the boil stirring until the sugar is dissolved, remove from the heat, add the citric acid and stir to dissolve it.  Pour the sugar syrup over the elderflower and citrus mix and leave for 24 hours.

Sterilise your bottles by placing them in a cold oven,  turn the temperature to (150C / 300F / GM 2) then after 15 minutes turn off.   Decant the cordial by staining through a layer of cheesecloth or muslin into the warm bottles.    If you want to preserve your cordial leave a gap at the top of each bottle.   Seal the bottles and keep in the fridge,  dilute 1 part to 5 with still of fizzy water.    Alternatively decant the cordial into plastic bottles so you can freeze it.

To preserve add one Campden Tablet per gallon of cordial, these should be available in any hardware store – or shop that sells wine and beer making supplies.    These tablets contain potassium or sodium metabisulphite which will kill or inhibit the growth of the bacteria and yeast that will cause your cordial to go off.   As an extra precaution you can also add a fermentation inhibitor at the same time.    I had 10 wine bottles of cordial, which is about 7.5 litres.   At 4.5 litres to an imperial gallon I needed just over 1.5 Campden tablets to add to my cordial so I dissolved 1 and a half tablets and some dust into 250ml water and added 25ml of the resulting mix to each bottle, shook each well and resealed.   The sulphites in my cordial should greatly reduce with time as they do their work, so I left a few bottles untreated to be stored in the fridge and used over the next few weeks.

My food co-op has just made the summer switch over from vegetable bags to salad bags.  Despite having not had a bag for the last couple of weeks (busy with life and the decorating) there are still a number of root vegetables languishing at the bottom of the fridge waiting to be eaten.    As recent posts have showed I love roast vegetables.   They are simply easy and delicious, perfect for any non leafy vegetables that are slightly too large or past its best.      This is a fantastic recipe for the evening before co-op day, scoop out the remains of last week’s bag from the vegetable drawer of the fridge and use them all up.

This is another contribution to my series of easy, economical and healthy recipes of what to do with the contents of the co-op “boxes” for the Food Co-ops and Buying Groups project run by Sustain – also part of the Making Local Food Work programme funded by the Big Lottery.

Roast Root Vegetables with Pesto

A mix of carrots, parsnips, turnip, onions, potato, beetroot etc.
Olive Oil
Pesto
Salt & Pepper to taste

Simply peel the vegetables and cut into batons, chunks or wedges about the thickness of your thumb.   Place in a roasting tray, add a good glug of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper, give the tray a good shake to coat the vegetables with the oil.    Place in a moderately hot oven 190C / 325F / GM 5 and cook for about 40 minutes until the vegetables are soft and starting to caramalise.    Flip the vegetables once whilst cooking.

Place vegetables into a serving bowl, add a spoon or two of pesto and another glug of olive oil and stir well.   Serve warm or cold.

I add some more oil to my leftover pesto and freeze it in a tupperware box, by adding oil the pesto does not freeze completely solid so you can easily spoon some out.   To make the recipe vegan simply use a vegan pesto or make your own.

The hamper will be similar to the one below and will contain everything you need apart from the vegetables to make fresh authentic sushi.

To win this amazing prize from Clearspring simply make an Asian themed breakfast, blog about it and send us the entry!  Full details are here and here.   There are still 13 days to enter which includes 2 weekends for breakfast experimentations!   We look forward to seeing what you come up with!