I recently was sent a large box from British Onions with a challenge to make onion gravy.   I have not managed to perfect my onion gravy yet, but I did make this soup with them.  This recipe is also the first of a series of Frugal Friday recipes, featuring delicious, but cheap dishes with minimal ingredients. This soup is double onion as it contains both normal and red onions that are cooked in two different ways by slowly frying and roasting, if you only have one type just use them.     With some stock, a drizzle of wine and a glug of mushroom ketchup or tamari you are done.    I try and roast the onions whilst I am cooking something else to save on gas. I have the cheapest stick blender possible from Argos, as long as you do not put the cheapest ones into boiling liquid they should work just fine.

Double Onion Soup (serves 4)

4 red onions – finely slice 2 of them
4 white onions – finely slice 2 of them
glug olive oil
1 tsp sugar
Vegetable Stock (I use Marigold)
Glug wine (optional)
Glug of Mushroom ketchup, soy sauce, tamari or Worcestershire Sauce
Saly & Pepper to taste

Place the 4 whole onions on a baking tray and put into the oven at GM5/190C/375F and roast for about 45 minutes until they are soft and oozing juice.

Meanwhile saute the sliced onions in a saucepan with little olive oil with a pinch over a low heat until they are soft and starting to caramelize.  Keep an eye on them and nudge them from time to time to stop them sticking and burning.

When the roast onions are done cut the tops off and squeeze the soft insides into a pot and blitz with the stick blender to a puree.

Add the sugar to the sauteing onions and turn the heat up, stirring them all the time until the sugar has caramelized and turned golden.    Add the onion puree, and enough stock to cover the onions.  Throw in a glug of wine and your choice of mushroom ketchup, soy sauce, tamari or Worcestershire sauce and simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavours.

Serve with toast or bread – or with a slice of cheese on toast.

This soup freezes well.

Bloggers that have made gravy with their onions are Gary and Antonia.  I am still working on mine.   It is just not quite right yet!

I sometimes wonder which I would choose were I ever forced to decide between no more rice or no more potatoes for the rest of my life.  It is a topic that comes up from time to time on various foodie discussion boards that I frequent, and I know I would find it a tough choice.      I think that I lean towards rice ever so slightly, I know that you can do lots with potatoes, but I do adore a bowl of rice with a glug of soy sauce or some oil and salt & pepper.

This coming Friday is Diwali, which this year co-incides with bonfire night, it is a sympathetic meeting of festivals and I am expecting to see lots of fireworks over the weekend.  Whilst the British are celebrating a failed Roman Catholic plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605, Hindus, Jains and Sikhs will celebrate Diwali; also known as the festival of lights, and for many of these faiths it is the most important festival of the year.    I also find it fitting that this year two festivals celebrated with lights both fall the weekend after the clocks have gone back.  I did enjoy my extra hour in bed last Sunday, but it does not nearly make up for the fact it is now getting dark mid afternoon with the sun setting at around 4.30pm this week.

For Hindus, Diwali, or Deepavali, is also known as the “awareness of inner light”; something beyond the body and mind which is pure, infinite and eternal.   This light outshines all darkness and ignorance, with it an individual’s awareness is awakened and this leads to compassion, love, joy and peace.   Celebrations vary but most will include fireworks, lighting of lamps, worship and the sharing of food & sweets.  Most families will cook a special feast for the occasion.

A few months ago, in the heat of the summer, I was asked to an evening to try out some Tilda Stir Fry Rices, which I greatly enjoyed.   Recently they sent me some more of their rice; packets of plain basmati for me to make a Diwali dish.      As I wrote at the time about Tilda, I think that they have a great product, and importantly take equal care of their ethical policies, sustainability and work with local communities.   All great stuff which makes them a company I am happy to endorse.

Basmati rice is fragrant, delicately flavoured and utterly delicious, so really does not need a complicated recipe, just a little enhancing.     I cooked my rice with lemon and cardamon and served with slowly cooked caramelized onions.    I cook my rice in a microwave steamer, it never fails to produce perfect rice, it cooks faster than on the hob (14 mins for brown rice).   My steamer is this one from Lakeland, the best £8.99 that I have ever spent and I actually cannot cook rice without it!  I usually make lots of rice and have leftovers fried for breakfast the next day.  I make no pretence that this is an Indian dish, but I think it a perfect showcase for the rice.

Simple Lemon & Cardamon Basmati with Onions (serves 2)

1 medium onion
1 glug olive oil
1 knob butter (or non diary spread)
Salt & pepper
150g / 6oz white basmati rice
1/4 lemon – sliced
8 cardamon pods

Thinly slice the onion and gently fry in the oil and butter with a sprinkling of salt & pepper.   It needs to be cooked over a low heat for about 20 mins, until soft but starting to caramelise.   Stir frequently to prevent burning.

Whilst the onion is cooking prepare the rice.  I put it in the steamer, rinse, add the lemon and cardamon pods.  Add boiling water so the rice is covered by about an inch and microwave on full power for 12mins.     When done, place the inner steamer basket in the sink, pour a kettle of boiling water over to rinse and give a good shake and remove the lemon.   If you do ot have a steamer cook the rice as would would usually do, but add the lemon and cardamon.

Serve with the onions on top of the rice and a sprinkle of garam masala.

Thank you to Tilda for the free samples of rice.

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.

I used to cook this on a very regular basis when I first moved to London, and since then had not made it for years. I saw a bowl of lovely perfectly coloured shiny aubergines in the market on Saturday and remembered this dish. I use the aubergine in place of the sheets of lasagna, perfect for increasing your intake of vegetables or for cutting out wheat.

This recipe is one of my contributions, together with squash ribbon pasta for “vegetables beautiful vegetables” a food blogging event hosted by Abby from Eat the Right Stuff, and is her first food blogging event and the first one that I have contributed to!

Aubergine “Lasagne“

(for 2)
1 large or 2 medium aubergines
Olive Oil
2 medium onions
2 sticks of celery
1 medium carrot
8 salad tomatoes
1 tin of tomatoes
garlic
splash balsamic vinegar
S&P; to taste

Slice the aubergines length ways and place on a baking tray in the oven on a low heat (GM2) for 40 mins to dry out, I find that there is no need to salt aubergines the bitterness seems to no longer be as prevalent as it once was.

Whilst the aubergines are drying make a tomato sauce, chop and saute the onion, garlic, carrot and celery, when they have softened add the tinned tomatoes and chopped salad tomatoes cook for 30 mins until reduced. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.

For a smooth sauce puree the tomato mixture or leave if you prefer.

Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce at the bottom of an oven proof dish, followed by a layer of aubergines and then more tomato until all is used up. Finish the top layer of tomato with a topping of cheese – I prefer a mixture of goat’s cheese and cheddar.

Cook at GM4 for around 40 mins until browned and bubbling. I served it with steamed spinach roasted tomatos. Crusty bread would go with it well to.

Notes

The aubergine does need to be well dried out so the final dish holds it shape and does not go soggy.

Both the dried aubergine slices and the tomato sauce can be made in advance and frozen, quickly defrosted and assembled for a quick “store cupboard” supper. The finished “lasagne” also freezes well.

Serves 4 to 6

1 Lamb shoulder – about 2kg
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 medium onions diced
3 garlic gloves – finely dices
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp saffron threads
1 cinnamon stick
4 tbsp chopped parsley
4 tbsp chopped mint
1 preserved lemon
12 dates – halved, destoned

75g whole blanched almonds, lightly toasted

125ml lemon juice

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Preheat oven to 150C/GM2.

Season lamb with S&P; and brown in the olive oil on both sides in a heavy frying pan, then remove.

Cook onions and garlic for 2 mins.

Mix paprika, ginger and saffron with 475ml water. Add to pan and deglaze.

Transfer all to a deep roasting dish placing lamb on top, fat side down.

Add half the herbs and the cinnamon stick.

Cover lamb with damp piece of greaseproof paper, and cover entire roasting tin with foil.

Cook for 2 1/2 hours, turning half way.

Remove foil and paper and add finely sliced preserved lemon (discard flesh and wash well to get rid of salt), dates, almonds and lemon juice.

Stir and cover again (I didn’t) and return to oven for another 30 to 45 mins.

Transfer lamb to carving platter, if need be boil sauce to thicken it.

Sprinkle the rest of the herbs on it.

Carve (well gently nudge from the bone) and scoff…..

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Notes:

The sauce is very very fatty I transfered it to a bowl and skimmed off about a pint of fat. Next time I want to make more sauce as there was enough for 4 but not for 6.

I had no mint so used coriander. I think that dried apricots or pine nuts would work and I fried some celery in with the onions. It would slow ccok well with lamb shanks, and I think it would be lovely with chickpeas too, with or without the lamb.