tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58001794198723632042024-03-12T17:11:09.687-07:00Fridge FoodWaste Not, Want NotCarah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-66270409589296867262023-09-28T14:06:00.000-07:002023-09-28T14:06:06.847-07:00Light French Onion Soup - Quick & Easy Lunch!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNEzYGGlwqrXmpDF4E9zkRiT1owfBeAFfzz0vmR9vge99OqL8Q40ff61oh-66yW1XwO-iX1vhWSF5M7jky-NcMf-4bKbU5ZLwwct3_v57UPWGZYTDdS8GJcPM-5_nX-w7gosHTzcLXS7VA-qjS057QcYvVkEHhPvto2oFHbvfhexx50toLdQz-XPN3tD0/s3024/IMG_5912.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNEzYGGlwqrXmpDF4E9zkRiT1owfBeAFfzz0vmR9vge99OqL8Q40ff61oh-66yW1XwO-iX1vhWSF5M7jky-NcMf-4bKbU5ZLwwct3_v57UPWGZYTDdS8GJcPM-5_nX-w7gosHTzcLXS7VA-qjS057QcYvVkEHhPvto2oFHbvfhexx50toLdQz-XPN3tD0/w640-h640/IMG_5912.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>When I said to my husband and daughter that I was going to do French Onion soup for lunch there was a collective rolling of eyes - mainly because it was 1.45pm already, everyone was hungry and they assumed it would take hours. Well, have faith, dear family! I promised them soup in half an hour (no compromise on flavour) and that’s what they got! Here’s how:-<p></p><p><br /></p><p><i><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></i></p><p><i>2 small/medium white onions</i></p><p><i><span></span></i></p><p><i>1 pint (500ml) chicken stock</i></p><p><i>Butter</i></p><p><i>Olive oil</i></p><p><i>Salt & pepper</i></p><p><i>Sugar </i></p><p><i>Baguette</i></p><p><i>Cheese (I used cheddar because that was all I had, but Emmental or Gruyere or Comte would all work too)</i></p><p><br /></p><p>Heat the olive oil and a generous slab of butter (about 25g) gently in a heavy based saucepan. Meanwhile peel and slice the onions as thinly as you can. Add them to the melted butter and oil and give them a good stir to thoroughly coat them in the fat. Add a teaspoon of salt to stop them burning (it draws out the moisture which allows them to ‘sweat’ in the pan) and when they’ve softened add a teaspoon of sugar to help caramelise them gently. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t catch, and keep stirring. You can add a good twist of ground black pepper at this point too. Once they’re softening, you can also add a small slug of white wine if you had any opened that needed using up - but it’s not essential.</p><p>While the onions are softening, slice the baguette, allowing about 3 pieces per person. Grate the hard cheese that you are using (Emmental is traditional, but cheddar or any of the others I mentioned are great too - even Parmesan will do if that’s all you have) and sprinkle it generously over the slices of bread. Lay them on a baking tray and put them under the grill to cook until the cheese is melted and bubbling. </p><p>I had home-made chicken stock that I used, but you can either buy ready made stock or use stock cubes to make up the quantity you need. I added a teaspoon or two of bouillon powder to mine to bolster the flavour as the stock, being home-made, was quite light and needed just a tad more oomph! Pour the stock into the pan once the onions are nicely softened and then let the whole thing simmer (with a lid on so you don’t lose all the liquid) for about 20 minutes. Taste it from time to time to see how it’s doing and whether the onion flavour is building nicely. </p><p>Once you are happy with it, and the toasts are ready, pour it into warmed bowls and place the cheeesy toasts on top. If you have extra grated cheese you can sprinkle that on top too. A twist of pepper before you dive in with your spoon and there you go! Tasty, nourishing, quick, simple and cheap…what’s not to love?! It certainly got the fam’s approval and that’s all that really matters, isn’t it?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pc4lcxjUZ6OCHEOkvnBLH5mHTudT6BFi7mVc8RCeNtg4fwBfEb_lVU7ez49pFfr_jnZPtdthRdfUmSkk1FVdy5AnRKRwSB54-WcKzPQF43nvPcrF3gC4WBedW0_q0PtbFA8minylHHTOpjMzw0Bt707obBdbIOHCOVKP9FJOenM88cUTyGcT84P93Gs/s4032/IMG_5904.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pc4lcxjUZ6OCHEOkvnBLH5mHTudT6BFi7mVc8RCeNtg4fwBfEb_lVU7ez49pFfr_jnZPtdthRdfUmSkk1FVdy5AnRKRwSB54-WcKzPQF43nvPcrF3gC4WBedW0_q0PtbFA8minylHHTOpjMzw0Bt707obBdbIOHCOVKP9FJOenM88cUTyGcT84P93Gs/w480-h640/IMG_5904.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXyGbVnce5xgSsLL5aOYH_7ukEJyT9Gm0CjJLBHi0vQx5LEIdK-bHyubaj57HReaw3AAxkenvIKczVjjCABs1WkdiyRZeC7JkXGKoLv-J1OpJkl1zisijI-xZeJhs83tb-bpT5LMoej1J_Uv6am96IIhxGOIsMp-m6yf51yniwQs-9mHuENbxqXChW4J4/s4032/IMG_5905.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXyGbVnce5xgSsLL5aOYH_7ukEJyT9Gm0CjJLBHi0vQx5LEIdK-bHyubaj57HReaw3AAxkenvIKczVjjCABs1WkdiyRZeC7JkXGKoLv-J1OpJkl1zisijI-xZeJhs83tb-bpT5LMoej1J_Uv6am96IIhxGOIsMp-m6yf51yniwQs-9mHuENbxqXChW4J4/w480-h640/IMG_5905.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifz9-yNrYIYBu97pWQY3j2INKNtXgCK_F8GASfjrrTXWxSYmst-xMk73SICNe_UbtygSr89FdgwyamKSMdAw5WZ3vHZGSvuQVsnOLFSka-P8C_2WJRAYTKx7WcsFZ0onq2AygMA1dDATvoV1q_eWfH4wle-iD13pN-RO7ohyphenhyphenlXo1kaLSzkNmdFM9g44aA/s3024/IMG_5909.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifz9-yNrYIYBu97pWQY3j2INKNtXgCK_F8GASfjrrTXWxSYmst-xMk73SICNe_UbtygSr89FdgwyamKSMdAw5WZ3vHZGSvuQVsnOLFSka-P8C_2WJRAYTKx7WcsFZ0onq2AygMA1dDATvoV1q_eWfH4wle-iD13pN-RO7ohyphenhyphenlXo1kaLSzkNmdFM9g44aA/w640-h640/IMG_5909.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-46652271397715723472022-05-10T06:37:00.000-07:002022-05-10T06:37:15.363-07:00The Colours of Italy - Super Fast Seasonal Salad with Basil and Wild Garlic<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfbRjx4lyHwNK1J3FVDtMLQh0_1xpwY2grOcMNWhXC45jH2EGgnBqjLRntfpZiZC8ThKjQ0L4eTRk1kbqT68E5zcWHNPdh0Ztel96S3oiO8PFlnNumculdRyrVcn5tgvT2MbuDx_0agMwQSqad5xGtMx-hnfwcbUOQwadHIsi6L92l10eik3hZiCd/s4032/8DEE9D6D-CF16-4951-B549-DB5F95D0E259.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfbRjx4lyHwNK1J3FVDtMLQh0_1xpwY2grOcMNWhXC45jH2EGgnBqjLRntfpZiZC8ThKjQ0L4eTRk1kbqT68E5zcWHNPdh0Ztel96S3oiO8PFlnNumculdRyrVcn5tgvT2MbuDx_0agMwQSqad5xGtMx-hnfwcbUOQwadHIsi6L92l10eik3hZiCd/w480-h640/8DEE9D6D-CF16-4951-B549-DB5F95D0E259.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I looked at what I had in the fridge, I was undecided whether to make a bruschetta or a mozzerella and tomato salad. So I decided to do both! I shall call this a ‘deconstructed bruschetta’. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It took barely five minutes to compile this tasty lunchtime salad:-</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>1) slice the some nice bread, toast it, rub it with a peeled garlic clove, drench it with fabulous quality extra virgin olive oil, and season with freshly ground salt </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>2) slice the cherry tomatoes in half (always choose these for this as they are so much tastier and tangier than larger salad tomatoes)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>3) chop up the mozzarella ball into chunks</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>4) tear up a generous amount of fresh basil leaves (and wild garlic leaves if you have managed to buy some or forage some from woodlands or your own garden - they are so abundant in May)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>5) compile the tomatoes, herbs and mozzarella in a bowl and drizzle generously with EVOO, balsamic glaze (or vinegar) and season with freshly ground salt and pepper. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And there we are - it’s as quick and simple as that! </div><br /><p></p>Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-91494408622538685652021-05-10T08:21:00.000-07:002021-05-10T08:21:04.688-07:00Seasonal Recipes - Penne Pasta with Foraged Wild Garlic & Toasted Nuts<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOibWtxA9sDBBq6EdumU1WZ5wlZSDYWY3kxBAs7cTeIllbE_XM0epjT5DyLyS8fQ_EJ1Hc10kYR1Prvee5IDjaKdJtj6bNA3YR756wOE9wsD0rsQ-nfVxabmC-D6VGwBPrMQLU5ueQGxY/s1440/1AFD963B-8476-46BE-8145-F0321C427535.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOibWtxA9sDBBq6EdumU1WZ5wlZSDYWY3kxBAs7cTeIllbE_XM0epjT5DyLyS8fQ_EJ1Hc10kYR1Prvee5IDjaKdJtj6bNA3YR756wOE9wsD0rsQ-nfVxabmC-D6VGwBPrMQLU5ueQGxY/w640-h640/1AFD963B-8476-46BE-8145-F0321C427535.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p>At this time of year the damp woods and tracks of England are carpeted in pungent wild garlic, releasing its mouth-watering scent with every step you make. Now is the moment to forage where you can and are allowed to - in wild, free woodlands rather than from private gardens and streams!</p><p>I love it so much that, a few years ago, I was determined to have some in my own bit of woodland garden, free from dirt and pollution and other people’s footsteps. I found some wild plants and dug them up in a very small quantity, transferring them to a couple of spots by our little stream. Within no time at all they had settled into their new environment and were multiplying like mad (be aware of this if you plan to do similar - they will take over if you’re not careful!). I still get excited when the first green blades appear in late April, to be followed soon enough with beautiful tight flower buds, perfect for pickling or going fresh in salads and sauces. Just a few days more and the delightful little white star-like allium flowers will start rising above the green canopy and dancing in the breeze. You can simply admire them, or pick a few and scatter them in a green salad where they look delightful and full of summer hope. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Dokfpcg7zvNPVtDiQypqnaRqVmbjzO5JjedDNvFbx30ErNu3qv5s8VzdoIj_hks1liBT6OfhHjgQVhcAcdbP9c1bjZVRyXLPgPIWuYNWh_Lykw7xtP6LxmCS_G0Jq6WnffyEVxWiiag/s1440/2C9BF567-3B7E-4B99-9BA2-3D9A31B6CCC5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Dokfpcg7zvNPVtDiQypqnaRqVmbjzO5JjedDNvFbx30ErNu3qv5s8VzdoIj_hks1liBT6OfhHjgQVhcAcdbP9c1bjZVRyXLPgPIWuYNWh_Lykw7xtP6LxmCS_G0Jq6WnffyEVxWiiag/w640-h640/2C9BF567-3B7E-4B99-9BA2-3D9A31B6CCC5.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAdyvx1YtvwSaFyBGQMSGEb7u3XsGYldka0uDAW0Cg3oWbEgHVNeGMmQbI2Kps0BvJVRoAYTRC06WZBK6N9InbjXN65iPjEDcFvYYfZfJlXjm8CErUP-QCYaihOJii2Wpz0X9IVxpIsM/s1440/939DA3F5-27A9-41F3-A8D4-C3182052ED99.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAdyvx1YtvwSaFyBGQMSGEb7u3XsGYldka0uDAW0Cg3oWbEgHVNeGMmQbI2Kps0BvJVRoAYTRC06WZBK6N9InbjXN65iPjEDcFvYYfZfJlXjm8CErUP-QCYaihOJii2Wpz0X9IVxpIsM/w640-h640/939DA3F5-27A9-41F3-A8D4-C3182052ED99.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ZfL3SZW_sMjRT9MHg_vz2M1FDbAGAu_0vyAPR7Yu6c_xUrLQHbgna156jEFxFZpMGURB6s1uGqBIrErqjYMynghUe-VsDC2GQvqgwiA1R_NGMwwAmRVbYcP3vo0my8elEzq_1-84oz0/s1440/8417375F-E3D1-4B7C-81AF-0D7353F7F89F.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ZfL3SZW_sMjRT9MHg_vz2M1FDbAGAu_0vyAPR7Yu6c_xUrLQHbgna156jEFxFZpMGURB6s1uGqBIrErqjYMynghUe-VsDC2GQvqgwiA1R_NGMwwAmRVbYcP3vo0my8elEzq_1-84oz0/w640-h640/8417375F-E3D1-4B7C-81AF-0D7353F7F89F.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>While May is proving the wettest month for ages, April was the driest. Cold, for sure, but sunny and dry for most of the time. On one such day we were celebrating a friend’s birthday, and given we were to be sitting outside, I thought I would also celebrate the start of the wild garlic season with a quick and easy wild garlic pasta. </p><p>This is how it goes:-</p><p><b><u><i><br /></i></u></b></p><p><b><u><i>Ingredients</i></u> - <i>Serves 4</i></b></p><p>500g packet of penne pasta</p><p>Generous bunch of wild garlic leaves</p><p>2 fat cloves of fresh garlic, peeled and crushed</p><p>A mix of nuts - e.g blanched almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts (<i>Note</i>: <i>if you have a nut allergy you can leave these out and the dish will still be tasty!)</i></p><p>Freshly grated Parmesan (or Pecorino)</p><p>Extra virgin olive oil</p><p>Ground salt and black pepper</p><p><br /></p><p><i><u><b>Method</b></u></i></p><p>Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet. (<i>Note</i>: I would always advise ‘al dente’ so that the pasta retains some structure and bite rather than being soft and flabby. To add interest, you can use a 50% whole wheat pasta which is not as ‘intense’ as fully whole wheat - <a href="https://www.napolina.com/pasta/5025-2f-5025-pasta" target="_blank">Napolina do a great 50:50 version </a>, available in most good supermarkets.)</p><p>Meanwhile, wash and dry the wild garlic leaves and tear or cut them up in to rustic size pieces (not too small or you will lose the hit of flavour and the visual impact).</p><p>Take the selection of nuts you are using, as suggested above. If you do not have all of those in your store cupboard, just use those that you have. If they are not already chopped and toasted, then dry roast them (don’t be tempted to use any oil - they have enough within them to toast) in a heavy based pan on the hob (you can use a lighter saucepan or frying pan if you don’t have a heavy based one but just watch they don’t catch and burn). I would suggest using about half a cupful with the quantities above to add a decent amount of texture and flavour to the dish. Chop them as necessary when they are brown and toasty. </p><p>Drain the pasta when it is cooked (<i>Tip:</i> add a burst of water from the cold tap before you drain the pasta - it helps coagulate the starch so they don’t go all sticky). Return to the saucepan with a knob of butter (or olive oil), the nuts and the crushed garlic and toss it around on a very low heat just to combine and retain some heat in the pasta. Finally quickly stir in the garlic leaves so that they remain essentially fresh rather than too wilted (wilting diminishes the flavour of them). Stir in some Parmesan and serve into warmed bowls - or a large warmed serving bowl if you’re being posh! </p><p>Have some good quality extra virgin olive oil on the table, together with more freshly grated parmesan and salt and black pepper grinders for everyone to add the extras in the quantities they wish. </p><p><br /></p><p>So that’s it! Very simple, very quick, very tasty. The joy of Italian food....</p><p><br /></p><p><b><i>Wine Accompaniment:-</i></b></p><p>After the obligatory glass of celebratory Prosecco, we enjoyed this pasta dish with a bottle of chilled <a href="https://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-352-pecorino" target="_blank">Italian ‘Pecorino’ white wine</a>, widely available. The bottles shown in the photo below are available from <a href="https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/pecorino-terre-di-chieti-igp/739412-290652-290653" target="_blank">Waitrose at £7.99</a> . Morrison’s also have a <a href="https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/italy/terre-di-chieti/morrisons-the-best-pecorino-terre-di-chieti-2018-33454" target="_blank">version of it in their The Best range</a> retailing at £6.75.</p><p>Its name means ‘little sheep’ and it is thought to have come to be called that due to the fact that the sheep in the Abruzzo and Marche regions of Italy where it is mostly grown enjoyed a little munch on the grapes when they came down from higher pastures! Serendipitously this wine goes rather well with the Pecorino cheese which is made from ewe’s milk and is often used as an alternative to Parmesan. Indeed, you could happily swap the Parmesan in the recipe above for Pecorino!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghRTs9g9dfMqCKfYhl7qAqCWF3FAIm_k_4QXLMjHxj-tpGlIL9VB4bsHmJ19qMalHnAfhwdg6A933x-iNOqc4p-_xy1ZQIi8NlW9cGW3I-72S2S45uviP4rfmvGVronR-MYAfKA_VAJY/s2048/4E50DF8E-8233-4837-95FB-EE833E6108D6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghRTs9g9dfMqCKfYhl7qAqCWF3FAIm_k_4QXLMjHxj-tpGlIL9VB4bsHmJ19qMalHnAfhwdg6A933x-iNOqc4p-_xy1ZQIi8NlW9cGW3I-72S2S45uviP4rfmvGVronR-MYAfKA_VAJY/w480-h640/4E50DF8E-8233-4837-95FB-EE833E6108D6.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-88782055458935080732021-04-28T08:57:00.000-07:002021-04-28T08:57:47.800-07:00Making the Most of Veg Boxes - Mushroom Soup<p>While the hospitality sector has sadly suffered - and continues to suffer - from the Covid-19 pandemic, many food provision retailers have boomed. Diversification was key to survival, and many have blossomed into online sales and/or delivery as ways to stay ahead. I was in one of our local shops recently, <a href="https://instagram.com/jdfoz?igshid=pcjm4pryct4h" target="_blank">Fosters</a>, which sells flowers and plants and fabulous deli goods, many sourced from Italy, and was alarmed to hear that the owner had originally planned to shut down for good this Autumn as he was failing to bring in the earnings. Now, after an amazing year of veg box deliveries, he is once again thriving and hopefully continuing to go from strength to strength. Similarly, <a href="https://fruitsoftheforage.co.uk/" target="_blank">Fruits of the Forage</a> - a local produced of foraged preserves, cordials and other goodies - diversified into vegetable box deliveries, with something foraged thrown in wherever possible, and have duly developed a whole new strong arm to their business. It is good to hear these success stories amongst all the gloom and doom. </p><p>In the Autumn we received the Fruits of the Forage boxes as my eldest daughter was working for them, and it was always fun to see what was in it every week! There was such a cornucopia of delights that I often had to come up with some quite creative ideas as to how to use everything up without waste. The company’s facebook page is a great source of inspiration for recipes. </p><p>For now, I am going to give you a very simple recipe using the seasonal mushrooms which were abundant back in the Autumn - though of course available all year round. I always think of Mushroom soup as a bit of a retro thing - very 1970s somehow! Yet it is simple, it is honest, it is classic - so here is my recipe for a humble version of this underrated little fungus, full of earthy umami flavours which go so well with a good glass of red wine. I do, however, offer my apologies that I am writing about it here in Spring rather than last Autumn...though given the unseasonably low temperatures at the moment you’d be forgiven for thinking it was late October or November! Nothing like a bowl of hearty soup to warm you up! So here goes:-</p><p><br /></p><p><b><u>Ingredients</u></b> </p><p><i>300-350g mushrooms</i></p><p><i>1 medium to large white onion </i></p><p><i>2 fat cloves of garlic</i></p><p><i>50g unsalted butter</i></p><p><i>1 Tablespoon of olive oil</i></p><p><i>About a tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley</i></p><p><i>Fresh thyme leaves pulled off about 6-8 sprigs</i></p><p><i>2 tablespoons of Marsala wine (or medium-dry sherry - amontillado or similar)</i></p><p><i>Juice and Zest of half a lemon</i></p><p><i>1 tablespoon of sour cream or crème fraîche </i></p><p><i>2 tablespoons of double cream</i></p><p><i>1 litre of chicken (or vegetable stock), homemade if possible. (NB: Chicken stock will add more depth of flavour than vegetable, but go with your preference)</i></p><p><br /></p><p><b><u>Method</u></b></p><p>1) Heat the olive oil in a heavy based or non-stick saucepan on a medium heat (or Aga simmering plate)</p><p>2) Peel and chop the onion and add to the pan with a teaspoon of salt (this draws out the moisture in the onions to keep them soft while cooking and avoiding rapid burning)</p><p>3) Clean, wipe and chop the mushrooms and add to the onions in the pan together with 50g of unsalted butter. Give it a good stir and allow the ingredients to meld for about 10 minutes, keeping an eye on them.</p><p>4) After about 10 minutes, add the sherry or Marsala and some ground black pepper together with the lemon juice and zest, the sour cream (or crème fraîche) and the two crushed garlic cloves. Give the mix a good stir and allow to meld together again. </p><p>5) Add the chopped herbs and double cream</p><p>6) Add the stock, bring up to the boil and allow to simmer away for a few minutes. </p><p>7) Remove from the heat and blitz with a hand blender (or use a liquidiser for a smoother finish).</p><p>8) Bring back to temperature before serving. </p><p>9) Pour into warmed bowls and decorate with a swirl of double cream and fresh parsley sprigs. </p><p>10) Serve with crusty bread or sourdough. I like to toast some sourdough, rub it with garlic and drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil, or hazelnut oil. </p><p>Enjoy!</p><p><br /></p><p><i>These quantities make about 4 small bowls or 2 large bowls of soup.</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWsmTVxiQ7cEL9UcUpz78TsN18M6qVJAhHv7S9a1YKvDU0MZ4XnetkzA8XfZ3Du-EcyfbWkcC2AD6qyliz4KPnXdZvMJ8wivahCSZq8iQrFkf4Pb3YCUS6DrjJght9FhZb4Q_PLJNc_E/s2048/D80A7476-C9D2-4EAB-BA5A-0FD33F80BE1D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWsmTVxiQ7cEL9UcUpz78TsN18M6qVJAhHv7S9a1YKvDU0MZ4XnetkzA8XfZ3Du-EcyfbWkcC2AD6qyliz4KPnXdZvMJ8wivahCSZq8iQrFkf4Pb3YCUS6DrjJght9FhZb4Q_PLJNc_E/w640-h480/D80A7476-C9D2-4EAB-BA5A-0FD33F80BE1D.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTMIGm94P_V_ByIcwdlKK61iFV911SvTmwGLkGFksgPK8SPD6-vGLB3M_OiO3Hgnrc-LD-IKy80Oq3xKhfNrjBDuvtFljuUTvxPp_nGjUg6HYb7q7EO5BBWEZK7zNsaP9wJMpH6-LEUc/s2048/BE8F6C49-1574-43E9-9772-905DA523E934.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTMIGm94P_V_ByIcwdlKK61iFV911SvTmwGLkGFksgPK8SPD6-vGLB3M_OiO3Hgnrc-LD-IKy80Oq3xKhfNrjBDuvtFljuUTvxPp_nGjUg6HYb7q7EO5BBWEZK7zNsaP9wJMpH6-LEUc/w640-h480/BE8F6C49-1574-43E9-9772-905DA523E934.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ghFEA5IeMazfv-NTLnAZj_iKF4N2RsfnWs6hWuWi0OOIuHvPyle8uyS58nDDaich4-PVl_9cLMxoSG_oWXuVWFtUeqbVoqPWqqF2IMXkIW-ZFxmsIUJwevsK0_KabVyiut2WxTjiS78/s2048/E801065F-8248-416F-9BDE-64546D969FE0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ghFEA5IeMazfv-NTLnAZj_iKF4N2RsfnWs6hWuWi0OOIuHvPyle8uyS58nDDaich4-PVl_9cLMxoSG_oWXuVWFtUeqbVoqPWqqF2IMXkIW-ZFxmsIUJwevsK0_KabVyiut2WxTjiS78/w640-h480/E801065F-8248-416F-9BDE-64546D969FE0.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipbSTaPhVEJ3TzJlwikyVmPCSRM3qyh9M00vMQGpiyj60qigAeVhIvJGPqT3BNtysa4R3SGkhB61Qlj_37-2XZYMc7SUApm6YYZ5Azc5X0JaK1Nz6RhuzSQi80HN2lthtvldQqlBk5OEI/s2048/E62A7BED-E433-451E-AD63-0E278B5B50F3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipbSTaPhVEJ3TzJlwikyVmPCSRM3qyh9M00vMQGpiyj60qigAeVhIvJGPqT3BNtysa4R3SGkhB61Qlj_37-2XZYMc7SUApm6YYZ5Azc5X0JaK1Nz6RhuzSQi80HN2lthtvldQqlBk5OEI/w640-h480/E62A7BED-E433-451E-AD63-0E278B5B50F3.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzZParezJSREBXHKEyRUSSjps0I5YJ3Be9f12Xlulvqm2qPteW1bi-V7uXvdgv1HvwHdGY8hrqYtrJ8wbaBB_ReXB_BpBJTVhufHlh28cnEDF_lC0PDv1N_-iNQ6Yc5a10VBM9zCnPE4/s2048/17484C4E-486B-4413-929E-27BAC7A55023.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzZParezJSREBXHKEyRUSSjps0I5YJ3Be9f12Xlulvqm2qPteW1bi-V7uXvdgv1HvwHdGY8hrqYtrJ8wbaBB_ReXB_BpBJTVhufHlh28cnEDF_lC0PDv1N_-iNQ6Yc5a10VBM9zCnPE4/w640-h480/17484C4E-486B-4413-929E-27BAC7A55023.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-84296751377549560452020-11-13T11:52:00.001-08:002020-11-13T11:52:23.238-08:00Lockdown Food - Taking the Time to Cook and Enjoy<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I thought it was high time I published some pictures of the some of the food we have been eating over the past grisly eight months. It has been a time invested in the home, the kitchen and the family as most other normal activities have not been able to happen. The food bills have been alarming with five of us eating three times a day at home, but we saved on external entertainment so I guess it’s swings and roundabouts...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Like many, N and I put on weight which we have been trying to get off again since our return from holiday in September (our beach bodies left a lot to be desired!!). We have engaged with <a href="https://thefast800.com/" target="_blank">The Fast Diet (Dr Michael Moseley</a>) and have managed to shift some pounds with relative ease and still able to enjoy good food and drink. What’s not to like?? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In due course I will be putting up some more recipes of my own invention, as always based on what I have in the fridge and store cupboard and with the mantra ‘Waste Not Want Not’. In the meantime, here is a little picture gallery of some of the things we have enjoyed - from beef brisket, chicken, steak, lamb and pork to sea bass, salad, soups, curries, risottos and pasta. Together, we have enjoyed the whole gamut of taste sensations and the pure pleasure of cooking up a tasty meal while taking the time to sit around the table sharing our thoughts and feelings from the day. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1RXIVLK_UhW61ySfFxjyLEziCcSPiQA8h5kUuIA5mJ1osCIigHfaxy06lm7vX2tXel_W8NwMa9E7W9_8wCu4RjRnpTnypwCfox4G9ZJu-68q7A2MQjLI4SdyMuPaoMFKdWAJfoJ_GQfA/s2048/01B45C56-C046-4D63-9E6D-0BB596EA6648.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1RXIVLK_UhW61ySfFxjyLEziCcSPiQA8h5kUuIA5mJ1osCIigHfaxy06lm7vX2tXel_W8NwMa9E7W9_8wCu4RjRnpTnypwCfox4G9ZJu-68q7A2MQjLI4SdyMuPaoMFKdWAJfoJ_GQfA/w640-h480/01B45C56-C046-4D63-9E6D-0BB596EA6648.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8swgizdgfwYkg-snUUO3QWdRmyPcPboN6bXomrqqCp2H-p0me9mZJRIdeOlAGJtbIPNY8CVVB18aEpusgj_YdDqjapQgqCRtIYoj_Da9prh-bXe8N-flGcN9qGkYQzj7warUAN8R-qos/w640-h480/EBA31273-E8B0-4FD2-BC08-04196CC0E24A.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-79876680399983173772020-07-01T08:33:00.000-07:002020-07-01T08:33:03.017-07:00The Humble Chicken Stock - Nature's Cure<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Do you like making chicken stock? For me it is the happy ritual that follows the Sunday Roast on Monday morning. Pop the carcass in a large saucepan of water with whatever vegetables you have to hand but preferably at least some of these:-<br />
<br />
<i>Carrot</i><br />
<i>Celery</i><br />
<i>Leek</i><br />
<i>Onion</i><br />
<i>Garlic</i><br />
<i>Fresh and/or dry herbs</i><br />
<i>Salt</i><br />
<i>Peppercorns</i><br />
<br />
I don't even bother to chop the vegetables up - though some of you may prefer to. The onion can be sliced in half and the worst of the papery skin removed, ditto the garlic. If you have parsley, use more stalk than leaf (the leaves can overcook). Bouquet garni in a sachet is perfectly fine if you have no fresh herbs to hand. I have plenty growing outside the kitchen door so usually chuck in some rosemary, thyme, oregano and bay leaves too.<br />
<br />
It doesn't really matter what proportions you put in of anything - anything from 1 to 3 carrots/leeks/onions etc and ditto all the other suggestions. It's entirely how you feel and what you have left lying around. It's a great way to use up vegetables which are a little past their prime but not quite ready for the compost! Just bear in mind that the more variety you add, the better the depth of flavor and nutritional benefits.<br />
<br />
Talking of which, why have I called it 'nature's cure'? Well, where do I start? Here are a few good reasons:-<br />
<br />
- it has <i><b>anti-inflammatory</b></i> properties<br />
- it boosts the <b><i>immune system</i></b><br />
- it supports and repairs <b><i>gut health and digestion</i></b><br />
- it improves <b><i>bone growth and repair</i></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>So how does it do all this? </b><br />
<br />
- the gelatin in chicken broth <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25855934/" target="_blank">helps support and/or heal the mucosal layer in the gut</a>, thus improving digestion and potentially playing a part in ameliorating chronic diarrhoea and constipation.<br />
<br />
- chicken broth contains <i>glycosaminoglycans</i> (GAGs). <i><b>Glycine</b></i> is an important building block for many different acids which keep you body healthy and helps with detoxification and the break down of fat. <b><i>Glucosamine</i></b> stimulates collagen production, thus helping to repair joints and potentially reducing pain and inflammation.<br />
<br />
- <b><i>Proline</i></b>, contained in the gelatin, is also essential for the biosynthesis and strength and structure of collagen and thus helps build healthy skin and muscle tissue. <b><i>Collagen</i></b> also helps in wound-healing processes.<br />
<br />
- chicken bones are rich in the minerals <b style="font-style: italic;">calcium, magnesium </b>and<b style="font-style: italic;"> phosphate </b>which are crucial for good strong bone health. If you add a dash of something acidic - e.g. apple cider vinegar - to the stock before bringing to the boil, the uptake of minerals from the bones into the stock will be maximized.<br />
<br />
<br />
And that's just the biology. Add to that the emotional comfort of a steaming, tasty bowl of chicken broth brought to you by a loved one when you are feeling under the weather. Or the comfort of that same bowl of chicken broth as the rain lashes down outside on a cold dark day. Or the smell of it as it is being made. Or the satisfaction and sense of wellbeing that even just making it gives you in the knowledge that you are turning leftovers so simply into something so tasty and good for you.<br />
<br />
All in all, it's a win-win situation!<br />
<br />
<u><b>Method</b></u><br />
<br />
1) Take your main ingredients and put them in your stock pot or large saucepan with your chicken carcass/bones<br />
2) Cover everthing with cold water to about an inch above the bones and veg.<br />
3) Add a handful of peppercorns, sea or rock salt, some celery salt perhaps too. You can also add some garlic and ginger - not essential but they have the benefits of added flavour and nutrients/anti-infalmmatory properties.<br />
4) Add approx 1 tablespoon of vinegar (e.g. apple cider vinegar, but any will do)<br />
5) Cover with a lid and bring to the boil (enjoy the aromas!)<br />
6) Once it has boiled for about 10 minutes, turn the heat to a simmer (or pop in the simmering oven if you have an Aga or similar) and allow it to meld for 4 to 5 hours. The longer you leave it, the greater clarity of broth you will get, but don't forget about it and let it boil dry like I sometimes do!<br />
7) Remove all the large ingredients and strain the rest through a fine sieve into jugs.<br />
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The stock can either be eaten as a simple broth, with or without the addition of some fine pasta (e.g. orzo or vermicelli) or be turned into another sort of soup (e.g vegetable, french onion) or frozen to be used at another time or as a base for other meals (e.g casseroles).<br />
<br />
Enjoy!</div>
Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-49037213575103042852020-04-21T10:39:00.001-07:002020-04-21T10:39:16.900-07:00Italian Bread Salad with a Twist<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In these strange times of restricted movement and access to shops, it is always good to be able to make use of stuff that you might otherwise chuck out. Today we are looking at uses for stale bread!<br />
<br />
Ribollita and Panzanella are two of my favourite Italian classics. Both are rustic and come from the famously fabulous Tuscan tradition of cookery. While Panzanella is a hearty summer bread-based 'salad', Ribollita is a hearty autumn/winter bread-based soup. I decided to do a fusion of the two and see how it turned out. Not too bad, I can report!<br />
<br />
So, Panzanella is a way of using up stale bread - usually ciabatta, if you are in Italy. I hasten to add that by 'stale' I mean dry rather than moldy! Classically, you soften the bread with olive oil and red wine vinegar, and then add fresh tomatoes, red onion, garlic and basil. Ribollita, on the other hand, is essentially a broth-based soup of garden vegetables (notably kale) and white beans, thickened with old bread. The simple delights of both come, of course, from the quality and flavour of the basic ingredients - from the depth of flavour of the broth with the Ribollita, to the sweet, intense acidity of tomatoes ripened in the hot Tuscan sun with the Panzanella. Equally important in both is the quality of the olive oil used - green, soft and grassy is best - and, in the Panzanella, the quality of the pungent, peppery green notes of freshly picked Italian basil. In the case of the Panzanella, we also need to extend this 'quality control' to the bread. It will not work very well with an over-preserved supermarket bread like Mother's Pride! You will end up with a sloppy, tasteless mess. No, you need either some old ciabatta or sourdough, or at least a good quality white bread from the bakery section of the supermarket or shop. It needs a certain basic structure to be able to absorb the juices properly.<br />
(And judging by the lack of flour in the supermarkets, a lot of you have taken to making your own bread!)<br />
<br />
Ok, so all that is background. This is what I actually did:-<br />
<br />
<i><u><b>Ingredients</b></u></i><br />
<br />
Dry bread<br />
Tin of borlotti beans<br />
Tin of basil and tomato soup (Morrison's 'The Best')<br />
1 red pepper<br />
Olive oil<br />
Red wine vinegar<br />
Fresh basil<br />
Fresh chives<br />
Dried Italian herbs<br />
1 shallot<br />
2 garlic cloves<br />
Coarsely ground black pepper<br />
<br />
<b><i><u>Method</u></i></b><br />
<br />
The whole idea came to me when I was clearing out the bread pin to be able to squeeze a newly bought loaf of brown bread into it. Rather than give the remains of the ciabatta and white loaf to the birds, I thought 'Aha! Panzanella!' Given the glorious sunny weather, we have been enjoying a lot of lunches 'alfresco', and this seemed the perfect solution for the following day's lunch.<br />
<br />
So I took a strong bread knife and chopped up the bread (the ciabatta was like a bullet!) and put it in a large bowl. I sprinkled it all with generous amounts of good quality olive oil and red wine vinegar (the proportions will depend on the amount of bread you have, but use common sense. You don't want it swimming in it, but you do need enough to soften the very dry bread). Cover it and leave it overnight. Have a look at it in the morning and if it still doesn't seem quite soft enough, then add a little more oil and vinegar. I'd advise against using water at all as this just renders the bread tasteless and soggy. You need the flavours of the oil and vinegar within the bread.<br />
<br />
Given that the ends of the ciabatta, having more crust, were still quite firm, I decided to add the tin of Tomato and Basil soup, stir it around to coat all the bread and then whizz the whole lot up in a food processor. Don't leave it so long that it becomes a paste or puree - just long enough to break up the largest chunks of bread.<br />
<br />
Then tip the whole lot back into the original bowl and add a peeled and finely chopped shallot, two peeled and finely chopped fat garlic cloves, the drained can of borlotti beans and the relatively finely chopped red pepper. Then add a generous shake of dried Italian herbs, a generous shake of ground black pepper, a generous handful of chopped chives, a generous handful of chopped parsley and a generous handful of chopped (or preferably, torn) basil. Combine everything with a wooden spoon and transfer into a the serving dish. Check the flavors - add more of any of the ingredients if you think some of them are lacking - and then drizzle the whole bowl with more unctuous green olive oil and pop a sprig of the fresh basil on the top.<br />
<br />
I served this with cured slices of bresaola, dressed with olive oil and parmesan shaves.<br />
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Enjoy the sunshine and may you all dream of Italy!<br />
<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b>
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<img alt="" id="id_b224_b3e9_b779_c410" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/r3yA0_fR9t-cxypM3RqvJ5Tgfq5S-anNUk7KnDNW2lRNb3mJ-pm8bMIO8ziAKbM" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br />
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<img alt="" id="id_82f6_b9de_f43d_2bb1" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/t7l0aWlc0fEXXuaNykrHWTDw0ceLlPddud_jrqOwiWD6Hw1ESMOZZVIsZ7n5Tvo" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br />
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<img alt="" id="id_664_d484_7ff3_dbd4" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/AabQb413XXe00XPAJ7QFQlvY2qg-GU1L9Z4bMtQYL_ix04XPAwO11CcBIzftcxE" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br />
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<b><i><u>Notes</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b>
<i>The above ingredients can all be added to or adjusted according to what you have in your fridge or store cupboard. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>For example, if you have no tinned tomato and basil soup (plain tomato soup would probably work too as long as you had plenty of fresh basil), you may have some fresh soup in a carton or tub - so you could substitute that. Or you needn't use soup at all as this was just an idea I had to create a strong tomato flavour without using up all my tomatoes. You could even do a half-half scenario. If you do use fresh tomatoes, I'd advise cherry tomatoes as they have the strongest flavour. Cut them in half and sprinkle them with salt to let the juices run free so they are better absorbed by the bread. It may even work perfectly well with tinned tomatoes....just have a play around with flavours and textures. </i><br />
<br />
<i>If you don't have borlotti beans then any tinned Italian style beans will do - cannellini, black-eyed or mixed beans for example. </i><br />
<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b>
<i>You could add some capers if you fancy a little more astringency. Chopped black olives are an option too. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Red onion would be traditional - I just didn't have one, so any type of onion you have to hand is fine. Fresh herbs such as oregano, thyme and rosemary can also be used. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Red, orange or yellow peppers can be used - but not green, as they're the wrong vibe. Traditional panzanella doesn't even have peppers in it, so if you have loads of fresh tomatoes, you don't have to worry about adding any peppers if you don't fancy them or don't have any.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Just go with the flow and what you have available!</i></div>
</div>
Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-58825408635062128072020-04-15T09:06:00.000-07:002020-04-15T09:06:41.432-07:00Oh So Simple Salmon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><u>Ingredients for 5 people</u></b><br />
<br />
<i>Salmon pieces - 5 or 6</i><br />
<i>Ready made 'fresh' parsley sauce - 1 bag</i><br />
<i>Pea shoots - about 4 large handfuls</i><br />
<i>Seasoning</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>New potatoes (standard size bag of baby new)</i><br />
<i>Cooked beetroot (about 4)</i><br />
<i>Soured cream (or creme fraiche) - 1 tablespoon</i><br />
<i>Horseradish sauce - 2 teaspoons</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Well, those ingredients couldn't be simpler could they?<br />
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Put on a saucepan of salted water and bring to the boil. Take your new potatoes - skin on as long as they're clean - and cut them in half or into 3, depending on their size. Cook them in the salted, boiling water.</div>
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Meanwhile, place the salmon in a non-stick oven dish and season it with salt and pepper (those grinders which have a mixture of salt, mixed peppercorns - including pink - are perfect). Slide the dish into the middle of the Aga roasting oven (about 190 degrees centigrade) - or on the floor of it if you want half a chance of crisping the skin a bit. Cover with foil to keep the fish moist (though not essential). It should take about 10-15 minutes, but keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t dry out.<br />
<br />
Heat the parsley sauce (readily available in supermarkets, usually where the fresh fish is) in a non-stick saucepan and when the salmon is opaque rather than translucent simply remove the dish from the oven and pour over the hot parsley sauce. Place some bunches of pea shoots on top.<br />
<br />
I happened to have some ageing not-so-fresh beetroots in the bottom of the vegetable drawer in the fridge so I had cooked them slowly all day (skin on, leaves cut off, in a saucepan of water which I placed in the baking oven and then completely forgot about - mercifully, when the beetroot was remembered, removed and cooled, it turned out to be perfectly cooked!). If you don't have fresh beetroot then simply cut open a packet of pre-cooked from the supermarket - but make sure it's not the vinegar version as that wouldn't work at all with this dish.<br />
<br />
Chop the cooked, peeled beetroot into chunks and mix in with the cooked new potatoes. Put a decent tablespoon of soured cream or creme fraiche into a bowl and combine with a dessert spoon of horseradish (the exact proportions of each are down to personal taste). Gently mix the soured cream and horseradish mix into the potatoes and beetroot, together with a generous handful of pea shoots. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste.<br />
<br />
Serve up and enjoy!<br />
<br />
<img alt="" id="id_6061_810c_1628_c1ae" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/La4o0SRCEQOJvOKDPjMmaP1wZwXfwhtLHyAagBX_IwhkwzrC1QFs7htesbuoZ8U" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br />
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<img alt="" id="id_5f3_491e_97f3_3b36" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/OFdp6f8Ki1Kd22oibnUM-PdPxoftCQLc1ElhYSgLKDDkduITSJxBwbc0lQBQkk8" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br />
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<img alt="" id="id_af4d_7cb0_c5f9_56ca" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/gz92go2XUqjDlGSox7zgSc4_sUiqs8jYVhQWwvKGknDEuDF36xHeyXbGgG3txvk" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br />
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<br />
<i><b><u>Notes:</u> obviously frozen salmon pieces would work with this too, but de-frost thoroughly before cooking.</b></i></div>
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<i><b>You could also substitute fresh parsley sauce for fresh watercress sauce.</b></i></div>
</div>
Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-63852084104490999572018-01-09T16:16:00.001-08:002018-01-09T16:16:07.622-08:00Game On!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<u><b>Duck and Pheasant Casserole</b></u><br />
<br />
Given it is still the pheasant season, I used the two birds that Husband had shot, together with a duck, at the last shoot he attended before Christmas. They had been suitably hung outside, butchered and frozen, in case you were worried about the time lapse...!<br />
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<span id="goog_137118090"></span><span id="goog_137118091"></span><br />
<br />
<i><b><u>Ingredients - for the casserole</u></b></i><br />
<i><b><u><br /></u></b></i>
4 pheasant breasts, skin off<br />
2 small duck breasts, skin off<br />
2 banana shallots, peeled and chopped<br />
2 sticks of celery, chopped<br />
5 parsnips, peeled and cut into batons<br />
2 carrots, peeled and cut into batons<br />
quarter of a celeriac, peeled and chopped<br />
5 or 6 plums, de-stoned and chopped<br />
half cup cider<br />
half cup white wine<br />
half cup white port<br />
couple of sprigs each of fresh rosemary, sage and thyme<br />
2 teaspoons of vegetable bouillon powder<br />
50g unsalted butter<br />
Salt and pepper<br />
<br />
<b><i><u>Ingredients - for the mash</u></i></b><br />
Quarter celeriac, peeled and chopped<br />
3 large potatoes, peeled and chopped<br />
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard<br />
Knob of garlic butter<br />
Half a cup of milk<br />
Salt and pepper<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b><i>Method</i></b></u><br />
<u><b><i><br /></i></b></u>
Melt the butter in the bottom of a heavy-based skillet or deep pan. Add the chopped shallots till soft and translucent and then add the chopped meat and brown it off. Then add the plums, celery, parsnips and celeriac followed by the cider, white wine and white port. Put the skillet in the roasting oven of an Aga, lid on - or 200 degrees or so in an electric oven - for about half an hour to allow the ingredients to cook through and meld. Remove and add the herbs, bouillon powder and seasoning. Return to the oven to continue cooking for another half hour. Meanwhile, prepare the veg for the mash and cook about 15 minutes before ready to serve. Once cooked through, mash the veg, adding the butter, milk, mustard and seasoning. Warm your plates and serve directly from the cooking dishes.<br />
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The combination of the KitchenAid skillet (which is made to professional specifications) and the radiant heat of the Aga produced a truly delicious set of flavours - sweet, savoury, full. It was not a heavy meal at all, despite all the game. The sauce produced was thin, having had no flour added, but full of flavour.<br />
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The skillet, moreover, despite not being non-stick, was totally unscathed - no sticking, no mess. I cannot recommend its cooking prowess highly enough. Go buy!<br />
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(And just so you're in no doubt, there is no sponsorship attached to this post - the skillet was bought locally as a Christmas present and this was the first meal I tried cooking in it).<br />
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Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-80620927777548487412017-06-27T15:04:00.000-07:002017-06-27T15:07:15.045-07:00Summer Bean Salad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Quick lunch? Feel the need to be healthy? Well, there's nothing like opening a few cans of beans and chopping some green and red things from the vegetable drawer in the fridge. Just open the door and see what you've got. I had:-<br />
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tin of cannellini beans (washed and drained)<br />
tin of borlotti beans (washed and drained)<br />
tin of black beans (washed and drained)<br />
red pepper<br />
small heritage tomatoes<br />
avocado<br />
cucumber<br />
spring onion<br />
feta cheese<br />
fresh tarragon<br />
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So the next step is to get a sharp knife and a board and start chopping.<br />
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Put the whole merry mix into a bowl and season with salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, juice of a lemon, dried tarragon, dried oregano, fennel seeds, celery salt.<br />
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Quite simple really. And very tasty and satisfying. As good food should be. Result.<br />
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Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-34255558088254609012017-03-08T15:45:00.004-08:002017-03-08T15:45:42.115-08:00Chick Pea Casserole<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>I wrote the following a while back (scarily, almost a year ago in fact!) but never got round to posting it. While the programme </b><i><b>How To Stay Young</b></i><b> may no longer be available on iPlayer, everything else is as relevant as ever:-</b><br />
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Last night I came into the kitchen to shut up shop and get to bed and instead found myself drawn into a programme called<i> How To Stay Young</i>. It's currently available on BBC iPlayer and is well worth a watch but, to save you time, this is what it said, in a nutshell:-<br />
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The three keys to staying younger are:-<br />
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<i><b>Exercise</b></i><br />
<i><b>Reduce stress</b></i><br />
<i><b>Become a vegan</b></i><br />
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Two of those are obvious enough (though it was encouraging to learn that 3 hours a week dancing is actually better for you than the equivalent time spent in the gym!). Becoming a vegan is more interesting. When you are young, it is important to eat meat because meat contains a growth hormone. However, as an adult, that growth hormone is no longer required and instead becomes an ageing factor. Do the math.<br />
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Another very interesting fact thrown up by this late night viewing was that women have a tendancy to lay down internal fat as they age. Thus <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Rippon" target="_blank">Angela Rippon</a> (one of the presenters), known for her great legs and looking a very youthful 72 and still dancing and playing tennis, underwent a full body MRI scan. All was looking good until they found the fat that she'd laid down around her heart (otherwise very healthy) and her liver. The presence of this fat is a very severe threat to the health of both these vital organs. The solution? Eat lentils and chick peas. When you digest these, they release an acid which helps break down this internal fat. True, you have to eat a helluva lot of them - but there is a supplement called Inulin which can be sprinkled on meals which does the same thing and avoids the need to consume industrial quantities of pulses.<br />
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So....tonight, when I had singularly failed to go to the supermarket (this has been going on for days), I had a look in my store cupboard to see what I had that could make a vegan and/or healthy heart meal. I had tinned chick peas. I had tinned ratatouille. I had fresh red peppers, onions, garlic, ginger, olive oil. With just a little thought, this could certainly make a meal...</div>
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Here is the full list of ingredients:-</div>
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<i>1 small onion, peeled and sliced</i></div>
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<i>Approx tablespoon of dark soft brown sugar</i></div>
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<i>2 tablespoons olive oil</i></div>
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<i>Teaspoon soy/chilli/garlic spray sauce (or just add the ingredients separately)</i></div>
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<i>3 garlic</i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>cloves, peeled and crushed</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Thumb of fresh ginger, peeled and grated</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>400g tin chick peas</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><a href="https://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=258437779" target="_blank">400g tin ratatouille</a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><a href="https://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=279468641&gclid=CJmFv4KHyNICFQKDGwod5NIBgQ&gclsrc=ds" target="_blank">400g tin tomato and mascarpone soup</a> (Tesco Finest)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>3 pointed red peppers</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Tablespoon tomato purée</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">De-seed and slice the peppers and spread them on a roasting tray with salt and olive oil and roast them in the oven until they have fully softened. </span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></span></div>
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Meanwhile pour the olive oil into a heavy-based saucepan or casserole dish over a medium heat. Add the onion, sugar and soy (or chilli soy spray if you have some). When the onions have softened add the chick peas, ratatouille, ginger, tomato and mascarpone soup, tomato puree and crushed garlic. <br />
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Once the peppers are cooked and softened, chop them into chunks and add to the casserole. Allow the flavours to meld, and then add a little parsley just before serving.<br />
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So there you have it: healthy <i>and</i> tasty.</div>
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Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-65199809359889446272016-10-16T16:48:00.002-07:002016-10-16T16:50:26.004-07:00The Best Ever Chicken Thighs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Time is always short it seems these days. I don't know where it's gone between February and October. I have continued to cook daily and take photographs of anything that's particularly tasty but never find the time to write down what I've done there and then. So my computer is full of images of food which I then can't tell you about!<br />
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Still, last night's meal was so simple that even I can remember what I did. It is essentially a French classic: chicken and chips. Upgrading is easy enough.<br />
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I'd done cheese and ham toasties for the girls as they wanted to eat early and conveniently while doing whatever they were doing. Job done. After that, I switched on the telly in the kitchen and watched <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/programmes/b06nvzk6" target="_blank">Nigella</a> simpering away over 'fleshy, creamy avocados' and 'jewel-like pomegranates seeds' or some such thing and opened the freezer door: two skinless and boneless chicken thighs left over from a previous meal. Perfect for me and N to sup on. What to do with them? A quick glance in the fridge vegetable drawer suggested 'not a lot'. However, I did have a large bunch of fresh thyme, the inevitable garlic, a new bag of salad, some lemons and potatoes. Voila. Chicken and 'chips' it shall be.<br />
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First job, while glancing at Nigella's perfect little copper pans with only a small degree of envy, was to slice and chop the potatoes into smallish squares. If the potatoes are clean, I leave the skins on: better for you and a time-saver. Win-win. I chose about three quite large ones, sliced them first into 1cm thick discs, then quartered (or cut into six, depending on size) each disc. I smeared a spoonful of duck fat onto a roasting tray and then scattered the potatoes into it. I squished three garlic cloves by pressing down with the blade of a large kitchen knife (you could just as well use a pestle and mortar or any flat object - though preferably not your favourite recipe book), leaving the skin on, and added them to the roasting tray. Next I pulled the leaves off some thyme stalks and scattered them over, followed by a generous amount of home-ground black pepper and salt. Those then go into the top of a hot oven (or grill) and leave them to turn golden brown and a bit crispy, turning as necessary.<br />
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Meanwhile I defrosted the two chicken thighs and then put them in a bowl in a hasty marinade made up of a bit of white wine (about half a glass), some generous slivers of lemon peel, a squeeze of lemon juice, some crushed garlic and salt and pepper, together with a few more thyme leaves. While this was doing its thing, I took my last two banana shallots and peeled and sliced them into a heavy based frying pan, together with another couple of squidged garlic cloves (if you squidge them rather than crush them in a press they remain sweeter, according to Nigella's rather timely tip as she oozed on in the background). These I gently browned off with some cretan oregano-infused olive oil (happened to have about my person, but any olive oil will do) and some remaining garlic butter from a little pat I had lurking in the fridge. I know this all sounds very garlicky but I promise you it wasn't overwhelming at all - it was a subtle infusion of flavour rather than a strong hit. And if you didn't have garlic butter, plain butter would be fine as well. Once these had started to soften I added the chicken thighs and the marinade and let the chicken sizzle and cook through, pressing it down with a wooden spatula to help brown it off. The marinade liquid keeps it moist - and the brown meat of the thighs are juicier and more flavoursome than the breast meat. The shallots and garlic meanwhile are also browning up and possibly slightly catching (a little char is good, too much is bad, so watch it). I added a little more unsalted butter to the pan once the liquid had reduced and bathed it over the chicken thighs. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.<br />
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And that's it really. Once everything is cooked, serve the chicken and potatoes onto a warmed plate and add the green salad tossed with a fruity, peppery extra virgin olive oil and balsamic dressing and plenty of ground salt and pepper. Spoon the remains of the buttery chicken juices from the frying pan over the meat, pour yourself a glass of red wine and tuck in.<br />
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It's all a marriage made in Heaven. Somewhat like my own. Ahem.<br />
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Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-38937762461323615402016-02-12T17:05:00.000-08:002016-03-15T05:35:48.199-07:00Chicken, spinach and rocket risotto<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The main things to understand when you are thinking of making a risotto are:-<br />
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1. Simplicity of ingredients</div>
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2. Quality of ingredients</div>
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3. Timing</div>
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There is nothing more disgusting than a soggy risotto (well, truth to tell, I can think of many things worse but let's stick to the scale of relativity that we're on here!). </div>
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Given my current status of non-chewing, a risotto was appealing this evening.<br />
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I knew I had arborio rice which is THE best rice to use. Reasons? It's from Italy's great rice growing region: the flat-as-a-pancake Po valley; and it's very starchy so absorbs all the flavours that you are cooking it with to make a gloriously tasty, starchy bowl of comfort food while retaining crunch in the centre of the grain.<br />
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I also had onions and shallots, butter, eggs, good olive oil, garlic, baby spinach salad, rocket salad, white wine, stock, good quality chicken soup and parmesan. Put those ingredients together and you're laughing.<br />
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So, first I selected a shallot over an onion (no reason, just because). I peeled and chopped it and cried copiously.<br />
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Then I peeled and crushed three fat cloves of garlic. The onions and garlic went into a solid non-stick pan with approximately a tablespoon of the olive oil and an equivalent amount of unsalted butter. These were stirred around until the onion was soft and clear and then I added about 200g of arborio rice, half a tin of good chicken soup (Tesco have a great one at the moment - <a href="http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=279468537" target="_blank">'British Roast Chicken Soup' in their Finest range</a> - which actually has definable and good-looking bits of chicken in it) and the equivalent, at a guess, of a small glass of white wine (which happened to be a French Picpoul de Pinet from the Languedoc and available at Majestic Wines). Stir this lot around and as the rice starts to absorb the liquid add, in two separate goes, 300g of stock. If the stock you use is homemade then you will probably want to add a teaspoon of bouillon powder, as I did, just to boost up the salt and stock flavours. If, on the other hand, you have made it with a stock cube or wholly with stock powder, then you probably will not need to add any extra salt. Just use your tastebuds.<br />
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Keep an eye on it and stir from time to time to ensure that the rice is absorbing the liquid and not sticking to the bottom of the pan.<br />
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Next you need to grate about a cupful of fresh parmesan and put that in the risotto, followed by a couple of generous handfuls of baby spinach leaves and the same of rocket. Stir it all around and leave for another few minutes for them to soften.<br />
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The final ingredient to go in is an egg yolk. You <i>could</i> leave the egg yolk out as that's a very purist option, but what it does is bind the risotto together and adds a crucial subtle level of richness and silkiness. If you can't be bothered with the egg yolk, then an extra large knob of butter would do (but is a cop out!). The parmesan, meanwhile, adds a further layer of flavour and saltiness that is required to stop the rice being bland (hence I've added no extra salt in itself).<br />
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Then that's it.<br />
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The whole thing should have taken about 20 minutes to cook from scratch (hence NEVER order a risotto unless they tell you there will be an extra wait time - otherwise it means it's been sitting in a pan for God knows how long and will inevitably and disgustingly SOGGY!). Tip: check the rice from time to time by tasting it during the 20 minutes cooking time. Your aim is to achieve a rice that is <i>al dente</i> i.e slightly firm in the middle as you chew it, without being crunchy of course! A little resistance to the bite is what you are aiming for...<br />
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Serve it up with some fresh rocket on top and a generous slug of beautiful green, peppery extra virgin olive oil.<br />
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<i>These quantities easily serve 3 people.</i><br />
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Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-65046958692053204142016-02-04T12:50:00.000-08:002016-03-15T05:36:07.333-07:00Salmon Pasta<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When you're tired of meat-based pasta dishes, salmon is a good, quick, healthy alternative. I knew I had a pack of unopened smoked salmon in the fridge so I popped into M&S on my way home from the dentist (can't eat anything at the moment which needs significant chewing due to brace work and fact that my molars currently don't meet) and got thinking about what would work well with it. I usually just add lemon and capers but the girls aren't so fond of the little green salty things, so I thought I'd come up with an alternative. This is what I bought:-<br />
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Flaked salmon (mild smoke)</div>
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Fresh peas</div>
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Leeks</div>
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Watercress sauce</div>
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The ingredients I already had in the fridge and larder were:-</div>
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Unwaxed lemon</div>
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100g smoked salmon</div>
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Head of chicory</div>
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Pink peppercorns</div>
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Lemon olive oil</div>
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So all I had to do was trim and slice a medium-sized leek and soften it up in a pan with about a tablespoon of the lemon infused olive oil:</div>
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Then I chopped the smoked salmon and added it to the softened leeks with a good teaspoon of crushed pink peppercorns:-</div>
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Then I opened the packet of flaked salmon and added that together with the the sliced chicory and 100g of fresh peas:-</div>
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Then came the grated zest of one unwaxed lemon (you won't die if you use a waxed one!), together with a teaspoon of lemon juice and the 150g packet of watercress sauce:-</div>
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And that was it! I added no wine, no salt. </div>
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I'd boiled salted water at the start of this and while the sauce was melding its flavours, I added the pasta (use a fancy type if you want to big it up a bit) to the pan of boiling water. I used a posh one I'd found in M&S which was authentically Italian with no cooking time instructions and evocative black and white photos of the farmers harvesting the wheat and the bloke who makes the pasta and the place where it's made - with authentically expensive price tag attached! </div>
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While the pasta cooked I awarded myself a nice glass of good New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, courtesy of Majestic Wines - one which the tasting notes said would go perfectly with seafood: minerally like a Sancerre rather than overly sweet and zesty.</div>
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Always cook pasta in large amounts of water so that the starch that is released in the cooking process does not coat the pasta unduly and make it go clumpy and sticky. Another tip for reducing this problem is to put the pan under the cold tap once cooked: the cold water added to the pan makes the starch coagulate in the water rather than stick to the pasta when drained. </div>
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The final touch was to drizzle a good tablespoon of the lemon olive oil over the drained pasta before serving.</div>
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Buon Appetito! </div>
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Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-83265280718002185472015-09-02T13:21:00.001-07:002016-03-15T05:36:29.918-07:00Corned Beef Hash - The Ultimate Comfort Food<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have always loved corned beef hash ever since the days of yore when my mother would make it for childhood suppers. I have always eaten it with baked beans and I have always simply mixed mashed potato with sliced fried onions and corned beef before frying it for what seems ages in a pan to get it browned off.<br />
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Then the other day I was having lunch in a local cafe, the very excellent Pear Tree Cafe in Whaley Bridge and one of their daily specials was corned beef hash. Sadly I didn't notice this until I'd already ordered my very scrumptious cheese on toast (never had a better one) but my neighbour had been more observant, so I had the chance to peer sideways at his while I tucked into my toast. What surprised me was that it appeared in a terracotta bowl looking more lumpy and juicy than the one I make, possibly with some carrot in it too. It clearly had been nowhere near a masher or a frying pan.</div>
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Intrigued, I decided to google some corned beef hash recipes to see what methods and ideas were out there. Many of them use diced potatoes and chunks of corned beef rather than the smoother mix using mash which I'd been brought up on. Some also added diced carrots - which most closely resembles the one I saw at the cafe - and a bit of parsley. Spurred on, I looked in the fridge and found some leftover new potatoes in their skins, some stir fried sweetheart cabbage and onion from the weekend roast and half a can of baked beans. </div>
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All I had to do was chop up the potatoes (left the skins on) and a packet of corned beef and stirred them in with the cabbage and onion mix and some fresh chopped parsley from my herbs outside the back door. </div>
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I also decided to add the baked beans rather than having them on the side as I normally do. </div>
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I heated a small amount of oil in a sauté pan, squidged the mix into it with the back of a spoon and heated it through on the hob before sprinkling grated cheddar on top and popping it in the oven to heat through thoroughly and brown off. </div>
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">Incredibly cheap and simple, very tasty and totally comforting on a winter's night.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">PS: this would also be lovely with a fried egg on top! </span></div>
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Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-47358109487168879092015-07-14T02:11:00.001-07:002016-03-15T05:36:54.544-07:00Feng-Shui Leftovers Omelette<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
You know how irritating it is when your husband insists on squeezing a bowl of leftovers from the Sunday roast into your already overloaded fridge? Well, cease to be irritated and instead seize it as an opportunity for a quick and tasty lonesome lunch!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">All you have to do is roughly chop the vegetables (in this case it was roast potatoes, carrot, and a couple of sausages) together with a small onion or a large shallot (depending what you have about your person) and a clove of garlic. Pour a slug of olive or rapeseed oil (currently all the rage) into a small heavy-based sauté or frying pan and add the ingredients to brown them and heat them through thoroughly. Meanwhile take a couple of eggs (mine were from a neighbour down the lane - I like to keep it local) and beat them by hand before pouring over the browned ingredients in the pan. Season with salt and pepper and add some freshly chopped parsley and chives, if you have them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Let the egg cook and when just the top surface of it is still a little runny, pop it in the top of the roasting oven of the Aga (or under a medium grill in a traditional oven) just to finish it off which is more practical than trying to fold it in half with all those chunky bits in it. Leave it for no longer than a minute, or until the egg is just cooked. Serve onto a plate and sprinkle with a little more chopped parsley. Enjoy with some green salad leaves if you have any about your person.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">So there you are: a quick and tasty lunch which also manages to de-clutter your fridge! Perfect.</span></div>
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Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-80050590280404637862015-06-10T03:07:00.000-07:002016-03-15T05:37:21.737-07:00Light Garden Ribollita<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
By definition, this soup is not technically Ribollita because I did not add any stale bread which is the heart of Ribollita, a tasty 'peasant' soup from central Italy. I did, however, choose to eat char-grilled bread as an accompaniment so you could just say I ate the bread 'without' rather than 'within'. It's a question of choice. Some might say that it's clearly a minestrone - but with no pasta added that's not quite true either! Anyway, who cares about categorisation? It's just a healthy, tasty soup based on things that needed eating up in the fridge (celery and fennel), some larder staples (tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, tinned pulses) and some fresh stuff straight from the garden (chard and herbs). It can be as flexible as you like.<br />
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These are the sort of ingredients you will need for a good large saucepan-ful of soup:-</div>
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<em>200g chopped tomatoes (tinned or fresh)</em></div>
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<em>Teaspoon of tomato purée</em></div>
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<em>300g or 400g tin of borlotti beans (or cannellini beans, whichever you have to hand)</em></div>
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<em>750ml chicken or vegetable stock (I used 400ml of homemade and 350ml of stock cube based stock)</em></div>
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<em>Approx half a fennel bulb, sliced and chopped)</em></div>
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<em>Approx 2 sticks of trimmed celery, sliced and chopped</em></div>
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<em>2 small carrots, peeled and grated</em></div>
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<em>1 banana shallot peeled, sliced and chopped (a small onion, white or red would do just as well)</em></div>
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<em>Generous amounts of olive oil (I used a mixture of extra virgin olive oil with a good grassy flavour, some lemon oil, basil oil and rosemary oil) and a spray or two of Lurpak's 'cook's range' cooking mist.</em></div>
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<em>Salt and pepper</em></div>
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<em>Large bunch of chard, leaves and stalks, sliced and chopped</em></div>
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<em>Large handful of fresh herbs - various types of thyme, rosemary, chives, mint, sage and sorrel.</em></div>
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<em>Grated Parmesan</em></div>
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Firstly you need to put the oil and butter spray in a heavy based saucepan to warm up before adding the chopped shallot, fennel and celery. Once they have softened, add the grated carrot and the tomato purée. After another minute or two, add the sliced and chopped chard (which I picked from my own supplies), and then put in the tomatoes and the drained can of borlotti beans. Next add the stock and allow it all to simmer for 10 minutes or so. Meanwhile collect up some fresh herbs if you have them and chop them all up (but if you don't, then sprinkle in some dried ones) and add them to the soup. Leave to simmer for another 10 minutes.</div>
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If you have an Aga, toast some ciabatta or similar bread (I had some pumpkin seed bread from Tesco) so that is slightly charred and then put a slug of olive oil on it when it's still warm and a sprinkle of sea salt. (This can be achieved in the grill as well.)</div>
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Finally add a generous amount of freshly grated Parmesan (about a cupful) before serving into bowls. Splash on some more good olive oil and another handful of grated Parmesan and you have a chunky, flavoursome, satisfying, healthy lunch.<br />
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Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-57407391345593722242015-05-24T07:50:00.005-07:002016-03-15T05:37:41.982-07:00Fishy Derbyshire Oatcakes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Now here's an easy one. Just take one <a href="http://www.peakdistrictonline.co.uk/derbyshire-oatcakes-c10794.html" target="_blank">Derbyshire oatcake</a> (to be found in most good supermarkets) and fill it with honey roast flaked salmon and a ready-made cheese sauce.<br />
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All you have to do is put a 350g tub of the cheese sauce (such as <a href="http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/tesco-price-comparison/Fresh_Pasta_And_Pasta_Sauce/Morrisons_Signature_Creamy_Four_Cheese_Sauce_350g.html" target="_blank">Morrison's 'Signature' creamy four cheese</a>) in a saucepan and stir in a packet of <a href="http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/morrisons-price-comparison/Smoked_And_Marinated_Fish/Morrisons_Honey_Roast_Salmon_Flakes_115g.html" target="_blank">honey roasted salmon flakes</a> and heat through (removing all the packaging first, of course!!). Meanwhile put the oatcake in the microwave and heat up for about 20 seconds. Then spoon some of the cheesy salmon filling into one half of the oatcake and fold over. Serve with pea shoots. The sauce is enough for about 4 oatcakes. </div>
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Yum. Moreover, it takes less than 5 minutes and the kids love them too, which is always a bonus.</div>
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If you have more time, you can grill the oatcakes rather than microwave them, which will make the outside a little crispier, and you can, of course, concoct a home-made cheese sauce for yourself. The <a href="http://www.peakdistrictonline.co.uk/derbyshire-oatcakes-c10794.html" target="_blank">Derbyshire oatcake</a> link here and above will give you more information and ideas about this very Peak District product which has somewhat slipped out of fashion, but certainly deserves to be resurrected.<br />
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There is a supplier of oatcakes in my own village and our village pub (<a href="http://thebeehiveinn.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Beehive Inn</a>) always has them on the menu. I'm ashamed to say it's taken me 12 years to try one but now I will be going back and back to this humble, healthy, traditional option. </div>
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Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-12272551671152762462015-05-21T13:31:00.001-07:002016-03-15T05:38:05.121-07:00Leftover Bolognese Pasta Bake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When there's not enough bolognese sauce left to make a lasagne (which is what I usually do), then you can always consider a pasta bake.<br />
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All you need to do is re-heat the bolognese, cook some suitable pasta (such as penne which will not go too soggy) and make a white sauce. Of course you could always buy the latter but I had a glut of milk so it made sense to make my own. Simply make a roux with a large knob of butter and a tablespoon or two of cornflour then slowly add milk, stirring continuously, over a low heat. Once the sauce has thickened, add some grated cheese. I happened to have some ready grated French Comte and some Spanish manchego in the fridge. They made a good combination and a change from cheddar. I also cooked a head of broccoli, the florets cut into manageable pieces. I cooked the pasta in the same water having removed the broccoli with a slotted spoon and it was interesting (though not surprising) to note that the past took on a light taste of broccoli which added to the end flavour of the dish.</div>
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I mixed the cheesy white sauce with the meat, the broccoli and the pasta and then turned it all out into an oven-proof dish, grating manchego and Parmesan with gay abandon all over the top. Then into a hot oven (or under the grill) to melt, brown and crisp up the cheese and you're good to go.</div>
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Pair with a green salad if you feel you must. </div>
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Very simple, very tasty.</div>
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Bon appetito.<br />
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Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-70790182606975376212014-10-15T16:33:00.002-07:002016-03-15T05:35:09.747-07:00Light late summer lunch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<strong>For the Mushrooms on Toast</strong><br />
<em>3 or 4 chestnut mushrooms</em><br />
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<em>Slice of whole meal toast</em></div>
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<em>Green chilli oil</em></div>
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<em>Chopped clove of garlic</em></div>
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<em>Chopped fresh ginger (garlic clove size)</em></div>
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<em>Handful chopped parsley</em></div>
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<em>Lime juice</em></div>
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<em>Salt & pepper</em></div>
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<strong>For Fruit Salad</strong></div>
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<em>4 large strawberries husked and chopped</em></div>
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<em>1 kiwi</em></div>
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<em>Sprigs of young mint and lemon balm, chopped</em></div>
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<em>Greek balsamic vinegar</em></div>
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<em>Ground black pepper</em></div>
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<em>Lime juice</em></div>
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Here is another light lunch I concocted in the unexpected warmth of September and enjoyed sitting outside in the soft sunshine. </div>
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I had some chestnut mushrooms that needed finishing up so I took out four of the best and sliced them up, removing the end of the stalks. I warmed some green chilli oil bought from the charming owners and producers of <a href="http://www.casadeloli.com/" target="_blank">Casa de l'Oli</a> at the <a href="http://www.chatsworth.org/attractions-and-events/events/event/chatsworth-country-fair" target="_blank">Chatsworth Country Fair</a> in a small frying pan (a saucepan would do just as well) and then added a clove of peeled, chopped garlic. I also added a small amount of peeled and chopped fresh ginger (a piece about the size of the garlic clove). While these were cooking through, I cut a slice of whole meal bread and toasted it. I squeezed about a teaspoonful of fresh lime juice and added it to the mushrooms. When they were cooked through and the flavours absorbed, I turned them out onto the hot toast and topped them with a generous amount of chopped flat-leaved parsley and added a slice of lime for a final spritz. </div>
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For pudding I had some strawberries and kiwi that needed eating up so I chose four large strawberries, husked them and chopped them up and mixed them in a bowl with the peeled and chopped kiwi, some ground black pepper, a squeeze of lime juice, a small dash of light, orangey Greek balsamic vinegar and threw in some freshly picked and chopped lemon balm and mint leaves from the garden. You could add some caster sugar and let the juices marinate into a syrup, but I ate them straight without sugar.</div>
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The flavours of both courses were of a cool heat - zingy and fresh on the palate. I felt sated at the end of the meal, but with my taste buds cleansed and thoroughly awakened. Detox for the mouth! It was a great sensation on a warm sunny day - and a healthy one too. </div>
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Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-4509935919867845752014-10-15T16:18:00.003-07:002016-03-15T05:38:31.975-07:00Greek take on Italian Classic Salad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<em><strong>100g cherry toms (piccolo)</strong></em><br />
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<em><strong>Fresh creamy feta cheese</strong></em></div>
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<em><strong>Greek basil</strong></em></div>
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<em><strong>Greek balsamic</strong></em></div>
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<em><strong>Greek orange zest olive oil</strong></em></div>
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<em><strong>Salt pepper</strong></em></div>
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Now that the wind and rains have returned, its hard to recall the delightful Indian summer days we've all been enjoying (yes, even here in the High Peak!). But one lunch, during that golden month of September, I concocted a slightly Greek take on an Italian classic - the tomato and mozarella salad. I had the tomatoes, but the Mozarella had gone off so instead I used the fresh, soft, creamy feta cheese I had acquired at the <a href="http://www.chatsworth.org/attractions-and-events/events/event/chatsworth-country-fair" target="_blank">Chatsworth Country Fair</a>. I also, most conveniently, had a Greek basil plant about my person, purchased at <a href="http://www.waitrose.com/" target="_blank">Waitrose</a>. </div>
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All I had to do was strip the tomatoes from their stalk, roughly slice and dice the feta, scatter the basil leaves on top and drizzle with the Greek balsamic and orange zest flavoured Greek olive oil which we brought back from our Greek sailing holiday in July. Twist of salt and pepper and voila - or whatever they say in Greece! Flavour, texture and colour heaven. </div>
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Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-9830868612051110052014-06-27T05:44:00.002-07:002016-03-15T05:38:50.488-07:00Match made in Heaven<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Italians have got so much right (and arguably so much wrong!) - but when it comes to food combinations, they are certainly masters. We all know the simplicity of a tricolore salad (sliced tomato, mozzarella and basil) which, with the right quality ingredients, can never fail. Ditto the even simpler combination of tomatoes, basil, olive oil and bread. It can come in the form of panzanella (a bread-based salad) or even simpler, as a bruschetta. Panzanella requires a little more time, but a bruschetta can be made in the blink of an eye (or a glug of cold Pinot Grigio!). All you need is some continental style bakery white bread (ciabatta or anything similar), some good cherry tomatoes (essential that they have been grown somewhere hot, despite the food miles argument - with tomatoes they have to have hot sun to get the depth of flavour required) and fully flavoured fresh basil. The other vital ingredient is a gutsy green-tasting olive oil - and a twist of rock salt.<br />
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I found the olive oil in the picture in Tesco. It is <a href="http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Search/Default.aspx?searchBox=Il+casolare+extra+virgin+olive+oil&newSort=true" target="_blank">'Il Casolare </a>unfiltered extra virgin olive oil', bottled by Farchioni. Although it is a blend of oils it has a lovely balance of flavour - slightly grassy peppery but smooth too - and comes in an attractively rustic re-usable bottle which helps justify it's slightly higher price. The tomatoes are 'piccolino', widely available in supermarkets. The bread was bought at our local bakery and coffee house, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/The.Bridge.Bakehouse" target="_blank">The Bridge Bakery</a> in Whaley Bridge, but similar can be found easily in supermarkets - you need a firm, moist, holey bread but ciabatta can always be your back-stop. Sour dough bread also works well. </div>
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All you have to do is cut a slice about 1cm thick and toast it (on an Aga or Range cooker is ideal), or a griddle, but a toaster will do just fine too. Cut in half and then drizzle the oil generously over it with a twist of ground salt. The oil will drop through the holes onto the plate which is just fine. Take a handful of cherry tomatoes and cut them in half with a serrated knife, then tear a generous handful of fresh basil leaves over them. Eat the toast while forking the tomatoes, washed around in the olive oil on your plate, into your mouth. The yeasty neutrality of the bread, softened and enhanced by the salty, peppery, unctious oil, is the perfect counterpoint to the crisp sweet tanginess of the tomatoes and the green cloviness of the basil. Heaven. </div>
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The frequent addition to this ideal combination is fresh garlic scraped across the toasted bread. But when the basic four ingredients are as good as this, then any such in-your-face enhancement is mere confusion. And anyway, I'm at a concert tonight and don't want to distract the audience from the joys of the music by hideous garlic breath! </div>
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This simple meal was enjoyed with a small glass of water, a (very) small glass of white wine, and topped off with an expresso coffee - all very Italian - while I was equally enjoying the all very English tennis at Wimbledon.</div>
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Now I'd better get on and do some work - BUON APPETITO! </div>
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Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-16417010538383867862014-02-27T15:40:00.001-08:002016-03-15T05:40:11.095-07:00Tasty Tuna in a Trice<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Without exactly having made it a New Year's Resolution, I have, nonetheless, been attempting (and mostly failing) to eat a little less so that I can lose a little weight around my middle (in a vain effort to take the 'middle' out of 'middle-aged'!). So here's a very quick, easy, tasty <strong><em>and</em></strong> healthy meal which I am doing quite a lot at the moment, especially as it can be applied to fresh salmon fillets as well. <br />
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<em>2 x fresh tuna steaks</em><br />
<em>Chilli dipping sauce (bottled)</em><br />
<em>Chopped or grated fresh ginger (a thumb's length)</em><br />
<em>Garlic oil</em><br />
<em>Lemon oil</em><br />
<em>Lime juice</em><br />
<em>Small slug of white wine (optional)</em><br />
<em>Salt & pepper</em><br />
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All you have to do is warm a tablespoon of garlic oil and a tablespoon of lemon oil in a frying or sauté pan. Then you add a tablespoon or so of bottled chilli dipping sauce (I used Tesco's own but there are loads on the market) and grate or chop in a thumbs length of peeled fresh ginger (but a ready prepared paste would do if that's all you have). You could also add some extra chopped fresh garlic or a knob of garlic paste if you wanted (although the dipping sauce usually has garlic in it already). Add the tuna fillets to the pan and season with the salt and pepper and juice of half a lime. They only need a few minutes each side on a medium heat or they become over-dry. If you are using some white wine, add it a minute or two before you add the tuna steaks to give it time to reduce a bit and burn off the alcohol. <br />
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When they are done, turn out onto warmed plates and complete with a fresh green salad - best if it contains rocket, spinach, watercress and baby beetroot leaves. Dress the salad with good quality extra virgin olive oil (or some more of the lemon oil) and sprinkle with some fresh lime or lemon juice. Season. You could also add steamed (or grilled) fresh asparagus if you happened to have any lurking in the fridge which needed using up. For a final little flourish, a spoonful or two of chilli jam (homemade is best) goes beautifully with the cooked fish, together with a further twist of lemon or lime.<br />
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If you wanted to add a little 'bulk' to the meal, I would suggest boiled baby new potatoes in their skins.<br />
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<strong><em>If all of the above is sounding vaguely familiar, then that's because it is! A few posts back(September) I wrote one about salmon which was more or less the same as this, though there were tomatoes, no asparagus and no chilli dipping sauce as a start point for the dish. Rather than deleting what I'd just published here, I thought I may as well leave it. You can mix and match to your heart's content!</em></strong></div>
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Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-30414156596524294472014-01-21T16:28:00.000-08:002016-03-15T05:40:33.476-07:00Sunshine Juice<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This is just what you need to bring a little sunshine into these dark days of January. Just a few simple ingredients required, together with an <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Charles-Jacobs-ELECTRIC-cleaning-WARRANTY/dp/B005DL3Y9A/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1390262987&sr=8-12&keywords=electric+juicer" target="_blank">electric juicer</a> (how about buying one in the January sales if you don't already have one?) and a few spare minutes:-</div>
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<i><b>1 very ripe pineapple</b></i><br />
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<i><b>Half a small Bramley apple</b></i></div>
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<i><b>Half a Granny Smith apple</b></i></div>
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Prepare the fruit by removing skins, pips, and cores as necessary (no need to peel the apples though) and chop into suitable chunks to go through the juicer. Make a horrible mess but produce a divinely sunny looking and tasting, bursting with healthy vitamins, yellow-tangy-frothy juice which has only one result - it puts a smile on your face! </div>
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Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800179419872363204.post-54523440437559578652013-10-02T16:02:00.002-07:002016-03-15T05:40:52.701-07:00French Onion Soup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<strong><em>Wednesday Lunchtime</em></strong><br />
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What better on a miserable grey damp day than a hearty bowl of French Onion Soup? This will always bring back memories for me of my time in Toulouse as an English Assistant at a lycée. After a long night out with the wonderful friends I made there, all students at the university, we would go back to Dominique and Eric's modest little flat and Bernard would whistle up a french onion soup before we would all finally admit the night was over. Happy memories indeed. I often wonder what became of them all....<br />
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So here I am, some 30 years later, sitting by myself in my kitchen in the High Peak, sheepdog by my side, surveying a rather dismal garden outside (and an equally dismal cat who's sitting on the steps waiting to be let in) enjoying the sweet beefy oniony cheesy delights of what has to be one of my all time favourite soups. It is really very simple to make (another of its great charms) and easy on the pocket too....except when you are skiing in Les Trois Vallees in France: we once spent a happy holiday trying to find the most expensive French onion soup on the mountain - and when we did (clocking in at about £15) it was a tiny micro-waved bowl of tastelessness which I had to send back three times to be reheated. But that's Courchevel 1850 for you...</div>
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I promise you that today's little treat costs nothing like that - and tastes a whole lot better.</div>
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So, I had three extra sweet, ready peeled white onions (<a href="http://www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/recipes/food_glossary/onion.html" target="_blank">Waitrose</a>) in the fridge which badly needed eating up and were the impetus for this Gallic feast. Having removed the dodgy bits and sliced them as thinly as I could with a slightly blunt and slightly too small knife (sheer lethargy prevented me from sourcing the correct tool), I heated the remains of a bottle of pale olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) in a small non-stick casserole pan (delighted to get the bottle finished up so I could move on to a nice new one) and added the onions to sweat and soften without catching. At this point I also added two peeled and crushed cloves of garlic and a teaspoon of caster sugar. Now, if you get distracted, as I often do, and they end up a touch chargrilled this is not the end of the world as it simply adds a stronger oniony, slightly caramelised flavour to the soup. For once, however, I remained focused and my onions remained creamy white with no sunburn evident. This is how Bernard always liked them to be. I took them off the heat (just to be sure) while I made up a litre of beef stock using some natty little <a href="http://www.knorr.co.uk/product/detail/392262/beef-stock-pot" target="_blank">Knorr pots</a> I found in the supermarket a while back (each pot makes up 500ml of stock). Obviously, you could also use your own homemade stock if you happen to be the sort of person who makes beef stock, or you could buy a large pot of fresh beef stock from you grocer/butcher/supermarket (delete as appropriate). I do find that 'fresh' stock can sometimes be a bit insipid so you might need to add some extra seasoning and flavour if you use that. </div>
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So where was I? Ah yes, sweating onions and garlic. I added a naughty knob of butter at this point too, just to add some depth of flavour (the key job of fat). Once my stock pots had combined with my litre of boiled water and the onions were nicely softened, I poured the liquid into the casserole pan and gave it a quick stir. I then popped the lid-less pan into the middle of the roasting oven of the Aga (medium heat conventional oven) for 25 minutes or so to let the flavours of the onion and garlic meld into the beef stock. Meanwhile I found the small French stick I'd bought just yesterday and cut 4 angled slices, about 1cm thick, which I then toasted on the Aga till lightly browned on both sides (for once I didn't burn these either). You could just as well put them in the toaster or do them under the grill. Next I rootled around in the fridge for some grated cheese and was thrilled to unearth a packet of grated emmental, brought back from France and luckily only a few days out of date so still tasted perfect (trust me, I tried it first!). Time now for the soup to come out of the oven and some to be ladled into a lovely French-looking oven proof bowl (found in my local bric-a-brac shop), two of the toasts laid on top and the emmental sprinkled generously on top of them, before being popped back into the oven, a little higher up, to melt the cheese. </div>
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Five or so impatient minutes later you have a bowl of unctuous golden goodness - of which the hardest part is waiting for it to cool down enough to eat (I now have a rather burnt tongue).</div>
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Et voila! A humble feast fit for a French King (or a Derbyshire housewife). Bon appetit!</div>
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Carah Bodenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11429666157453439321noreply@blogger.com0