Steamed Rhubarb & Ginger Sponge Pudding

21 07 2009

Rhubarb growing well down the allotment, seemed a shame to leave it there not being eaten. I used two sticks for this. Turned out nice, but I couldn’t find any ice cream or cream in the house to go with it. I think perhaps a little créme fraiche would go nicely with it to cut through the sweet tartness of the rhubarb.

DSC_0475

To make the rhubarb and ginger syrup

200g rhubarb cut into smallish rough chunks
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons caster sugar
½ a piece of stem ginger – very finely chopped

Heat gently with the lid on until mushy. Remove lid and allow to cool then add a further 80g caster sugar and mix well.

For the sponge
100g softened butter
100g self raising flour
100g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder

Cream the butter and sugar then add the eggs, flour and baking powder. Mix well.

Take either one pudding basin or eight mini ones. Brush the inside with a little melted butter.

Now put the rhubarb mixture at the bottom of the basin, or divide evenly between the eight mini ones. Then cover with the sponge mixture.

Cover the basins with foil, place in a large pan, add about 2cm of water, cover and boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about an hour for small ones, hour and a half for a large one. Serve hot with something creamy.


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , ,
Categories : Treats

The Big Lunch

18 07 2009

24 hours to go till the Big Lunch. Not being one for BBQs I have made enough Chick Pea and Potato Curry to feed about 25 people. Just hoping the weather holds out.

DSC00270

I used a whole pack of dried chick peas – soaked overnight then boiled until tender.

Fried up 2 onions with a tablespoon of black mustard seeds and a tablespoon cumin seeds. Then added about 8 diced potatoes (large ones – par boiled), a teaspoon of ground turmeric, a tablespoon of ground coriander and 2 tablespoons ground cumin. Then added the chick peas, a 400g tin of coconut milk, about 500ml water, 2 teaspoons salt and a chopped large bunch of coriander.

I’ve have also thrown in a loads of spinach from the allotment that was starting to go to seed, 3 green chilis and a teaspoon of chili powder/cayenne pepper. The photo was taken before the spinach went in!

Planning on serving with a stack of warmed chapatis and cucumber raita.

Now I am making chocolate rice krispie cakes – 50 of them.


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , ,
Categories : General

Pizza

17 07 2009

I found a few old veggies at the bottom of the fridge so I thought I’d roast them and put them on a pizza base.

DSC_0456 (4)

You could use anything you like. I roasted a red onion, aubergine, half a red pepper and a few mushrooms drizzled with a little olive oil. Made a basic white bread dough, spread a little pesto over it, covered with the cooled roasted vegetables and some chunks of mozzarella and placed in a very hot (280C) oven for about 10 minutes.

DSC_0458 (3)


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , ,
Categories : General

Veg Box

13 07 2009

Those nice people at Abel & Cole sent me a veg box to review.

DSC_0447 (2)

The box contained broad beans, carrots, courgettes, new potatoes, spring onions, a cucumber, 2 little gem lettuces, a melon, bananas and apples.

First impressions were that the ingredients list was a little unexciting but looked nice, fresh, in good condition and used a minimum of packaging. I was surprised to see apples as these must have been shipped from far far away as we are months from the apple growing season here. Perhaps something more seasonal would have been more appropriate. I checked the website and the origins of the fruit and vegetables is not listed.

I used to get veg boxes from Riverford but found the endless supplies of carrots and leeks drove me mad and most would end up on the compost heap. Carrots! Hardly the most versatile of vegetables yet every organic box provider insists on including them. The Abel & Cole carrots, like Riverford’s, came covered in a good coating of mud. I don’t know whether this is for authenticity or to save customers the cost of Mr Abel or Mr Cole scrubbing them. They were also a little ropey and looked like something had already had a nibble.

DSC_0452 (6)

Anyway I took the carrots and courgettes and made a pasts dish which tasted good.

DSC_0450 (4)

The broad beans were a godsend. Blackfly have demolished mine on the allotment and I wanted to make bruschetta for guests on Sunday night. The broad beans were a little older and bigger than I would usually pick them, but the dish worked well all the same and they were nice and firm and fresh tasting.

DSC_0453 (6)

The melon I ate for Sunday breakfast and it was delicious. Apples firm, sweet and tasty in spite of the food miles.

I’m not a huge fan of bananas, but did make a banana bread once they had turned yellow.

I’m not sure what to do with the rest of the ingredients.

The advantage of Abel & Cole over Riverford is the ability to opt out of certain items. For example I am starting to drown in home grown courgettes so the thought of paying money for them is ridiculous. With Abel & Cole I can choose never to pay for a courgette again.

So overall I was impressed with the quality (apart from the dodgy carrot), but not impressed with the uninteresting selection or the inclusion of out of season produce. I think it would be helpful to add the country of origin of the food on the website so customers can make more informed choices.

For a family of five where everyone is in and out at work, school, after school activities, sports, etc, the box scheme simply doesn’t work and leads to too much waste. Getting your weekly veg in one go requires some element of planning and time to prepare dishes – something that too many people lack in today’s world.


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags:
Categories : General

Aloo Tinda

6 07 2009

I popped into Sabar Brothers in Slough last week and picked up some tindas. Not sure why, but fancied trying something different so I made a curry with them, potatoes and tomatoes. Tasted fantastic, but didn’t look too great so instead of photographing the finished dish, here are the tindas before I prepared them.

I served this with bhaturas and a sag paneer so it made enough to serve 5 with some left over for breakfast.

DSC_0450

DSC_0452 (3)

3 tablespoons sunflower oil
3 tindas – peeled and cut into large dice
3 medium potatoes – peeled and cut into large dice
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 large clove garlic – finely chopped
1 chunk of ginger – about 1cm long – finely chopped
1 green chili – finely chopped
1 tomatoes – chopped

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Cover the potato and tinda with the turmeric and salt and fry for about 15 minutes stirring from time to time. When browned remove from the pan.

Keep the pan on the heat and now add the ginger, chili and garlic. Fry for a few seconds then add the cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add the tomatoes and ground cumin and coriander. Fry until the tomatoes break down and darken a little, Now add the potatoes and tinda and the garam masala. Stir well, then add a little water and cover the pan. Cook until the potatoes and tinda and tender.


Comments : 5 Comments »
Tags: , , , ,
Categories : General

Spaghetti with Garlic and Chili

4 07 2009

One of my favourite meals. So simple, yet so delicious. I didn’t eat till late last night hence the dark photo.

DSC_0454 (2)

Enough Spaghetti for the number of people you are serving
Lashings of olive oil – about 3 tablespoons per person
1 dried red chili per person
1 clove garlic per person
salt
black pepper
bunch of parsley
parmesan

Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the spaghetti as per the instructions on the pack

Meanwhile take a small frying pan. Add the oil, crushed chilis, finely chopped garlic, salt and black pepper.

When the spaghetti is done, turn the heat on under the frying pan. Drain the pasta and return to the warm pan. When the garlic and chili start to sizzle in the frying pan, remove from heat and add to the spaghetti. Stir in chopped parsley and serve with grated cheese


Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: , , ,
Categories : General

Aubergine, Mozzarella & Rocket Salad with Tomato & Basil Dressing

2 07 2009

I love this – the soft, melt in the mouth texture of the aubergine. The cool, creaminess of the mozarella and the peppery rocket all brought together with basil, tomatoes and a hint of balsamic sweetness.

DSC_0450 (2)

Serves 4

2 aubergines
200g Pack of fresh mozzarella cheese
200ml olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons tomato puree
Fresh basil leaves
Salt and black pepper
4 large handfuls of rocket leaves

Start by cooking the aubergines. Brush them on both sides with olive oil then either bake at 220C for about 15 minutes until brown or heat on a griddle. Once cooked, leave to cool.

Now make the tomato and basil dressing by mixing olive oil, balsamic vinger, tomato puree,and finely chopped basil leaves together. Season with salt and pepper.

Slice or tear the mozzarella into chunks.

To assemble the salad take a large plate of bowl, place a handful of rocket leaves on the bottom. Now arrange the slices of aubergine and the chunks of mozzarella decoratively over the top of the rocket. Drizzle with the dressing just before serving.


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , ,
Categories : General

Healthy Junk Food

2 07 2009

It’s been one of those days. Stuck in traffic trying to avoid the A40 closure, thinking not only about how I can negotiate my way round West London to get home, but what to eat when I get there. West London suburbs seem to be teeming with fast food joints. The smell of fried onions and hot fat are overwhelming even with the car windows closed. Still, it made me think that I really fancy a burger – not a bought veggie burger that resembles plastic or cardboard, but a wholesome veggie burger full of nice things.

I managed to avoid making chips, mainly by the fact I had just bought three huge bunches of asparagus from a stall at Windsor farmer’s market on Saturday morning and wasn’t going to let them go to waste. So here it is – a mixed nut, seed and tofu burger in a bun, with a dollop of Boursin, lashings of ketchup (Heinz of course) and fried asparagus.

DSC_0248 (8)

Finally, after several requests, I found the scrap pf paper I scribbled the recipe down on. They weren’t bad, but lacking something. Not sure what. If you try making them let me know what you think. Perhaps a teaspoon of Marmite to strengthen the flavours would help.

3 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 onions – finely chopped
1 green or red pepper – finely chopped
8-10 mushrooms – finely chopped
1 teaspoon each of dried thyme, basil and oregano
A splash of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of tomato puree
1 egg – beaten
about 300g mixed nuts and seeds
about 300g breadcrumbs of oats – or breadcrumbs would work too I think

Heat the oil on a very large fyring pan and gently fry the onion until softened but not browned. Add the pepper, mushroom, herbs and soy and continue to fry until everything soft and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Transfer contents to a large bowl and add the tomato puree. Grind the nuts and seeds (I used hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds) and add these to the bowl. Stir in the egg then add the breadcrumbs or oats and mix until you have a fairly firm consistency.

Shape into about 10 burgers (I lay out muffin rings on a baking sheet and pack each ring firmly with the mixture then remove the rings). Bake in the oven at 180C for 20-25 minutes until firm.


Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: , , ,
Categories : General