Dad's Cuisine

Courgette and Goat's Cheese Tart

2021-07-28T22:16:00.000+02:00

Looking for ways to hide vegetables in a meal? Pine nuts, mint and cherry tomatoes combine in this courgette and goat's cheese tart that will have even the fussiest of diners asking for more.

For as long as I've been encouraging Dad to cook healthy, tasty meals, getting him to eat vegetables has continued to be an ongoing battle. It's a battle that has been raging for most of his life.

I can clearly recall how the battle lines were drawn at the beginning of every meal at home. Mum, serving the food, would send over some friendly fire, nonchalantly adding some vegetables to Dad's plate by strategically concealing them behind a large potato. But Dad, eyeing the servings with gimlet eyes, would respond to the perceived unfriendly fire by protesting loudly that there were far too many vegetables on his plate ("That's enough!" he'd cry urgently, seeing a handful of peas dwarfed by a generous helping of beef and potatoes.) Eyes narrowed, he would proceed to eat a single forkful of the hated veg and an uneasy truce would be called until the next mealtime. To this day, the battle rages on.

So I have decided to pick my battles, and use covert tactics to emerge victorious. Anything vaguely resembling a vegetable gets glammed up until it is so far removed from its humble beginnings as to be wholly unrecognisable as a vegetable. And this recipe for courgette and goat's cheese tart is a fantastic way of getting a whole courgette into a dish with zero complaints. Peace prevails... until the next meal.

COURGETTE AND GOAT'S CHEESE TART

Ingredients

Shop-bought puff pastry

200g fresh goat's cheese

30g pine nuts

10 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1 medium courgette, grated

Handful of mint leaves, chopped

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2) Mix the grated courgette and mint leaves into the goat's cheese.
3) Roll out the puff pastry and cover evenly with the mixture.
4) Scatter pine nuts over the tart.
5) Place the sliced cherry tomatoes on top.
6) Bake for 25 minutes, or until the pastry is crispy.

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Christmas spice cake

2020-12-15T12:24:00.003+01:00

Christmas spice cake

Laced with deliciously warming spices, this Christmas spice cake is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season.

Mum would spend the weeks leading up to Christmas frantically getting everything ready. Food, gifts, decorations: no-one did Christmas like my Mum. As was traditional, she would get the Christmas pudding started weeks in advance, on Stir-up Sunday; one of my earliest memories is standing on the stool at the kitchen counter and giving the Christmas pudding the traditional stir while making an earnest wish. That was the start of Christmas when I was a child.

Christmas is one of the hardest periods of the year since Mum left us - it's never been the same as when I was a child. But I'm determined to make sure my kids have the same special memories of Christmas traditions that my Mum gave to me, because they last forever and bring comfort on some of the darkest days. So, I find myself running around frantically getting everything ready, just like Mum. From presents to parties, it can be a pretty hectic time - but I find that taking out an afternoon to sit back, reflect, and enjoy some cake and tea (or mulled wine!) does absolute wonders for the spirit. To prepare for my afternoon of indulgence, I'll crank up the Christmas playlist and get baking, the lights on the tree glowing softly and the smell of pine in the air.

My usual traditional Christmas baking involves these ginger cakes - as some of you know, I'm no fan of mince pies, so these have become a staple during the holidays. However, this year it has been challenging trying to get all the ingredients, so I decided to make a different type of cake that would still have that wonderful Christmassy smell and taste. This Christmas spice cake has been a huge success, so it looks like I'll have to make both types of cake for the next few Christmasses.

Here's to traditions, old and new, and making memories that will last a lifetime.

Christmas spice cake

Ingredients

4 eggs (yolks and whites separated)
130g sugar
80g butter
120g flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp honey
1.5 tsp mixed ground spices (cinammon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves)

Instructions

1) Separate the egg whites from the yolks into two bowls.
2) Melt the butter on a low heat. Meanwile, mix the sugar into the egg yolks.
3) Add the melted butter and honey to the yolk-sugar mixture and mix well.
4) Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture and add the ground spices. Stir really well to achieve a smooth consistency.
5) Use a whisk or mixer to beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then gently fold them into the batter.
6) Pour the mixture into a greased cake tin and bake for 20 - 25 minutes at 180°C.

🎄⭐🎅 Wishing you and your loved ones a happy and peaceful Christmas! 🎅⭐🎄

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Spicy prawn stew

2020-12-06T11:43:00.002+01:00

Spicy prawn stew

This spicy prawn stew is filling, as fiery as you like, and couldn't be easier to put together when you're pushed for time.

One of my abiding memories from childhood is my parents' dinner parties. It didn't matter who they had invited - family, old friends, new acquaintances or work colleagues - they were always raucous affairs that lasted for hours. Mum generally made curries on these nights for two reasons: first, curries are fantastic dishes for sharing; and second, due to my childhood aversion to anything resembling spice, it meant my parents could enjoy a curry without me flailing around dramatically in reaction to the merest hint of heat (my brother and I would have to come and say hello to all the guests before being packed swiftly off to bed, with strict instructions to stay upstairs).

On those evenings, the dining room would come alive with exotic sights and sounds - oranges, reds and yellows crashing into each other; the cracks of poppadoms, clinking glasses and flowing wine punctuated by sudden bursts of thunderous laughter erupting from an increasingly loud hubbub as the evening wore on, which always lulled me to sleep. For this reason, I have always associated curries and spicy dishes with feelings of joy and warmth.

Obviously, at the tail end of 2020, we're not hosting any dinners, but with the colder temperatures creeping up on us, I felt like summoning up some warmth. This isn't a curry per se - it's definitely quicker to prepare and uses much fewer ingredients. And the advantage of this spicy prawn stew is that you can adjust the spice content to make it as mild or as fiery as you like. Plus, you can use chicken or tofu in lieu of the prawns. And when we're back in a place where we can start inviting others round again, I shall make this dish and bask in the warm glow of food and friendship.

Spicy prawn stew

Ingredients (for 4 people)

700g frozen prawns

2 onions, sliced

20cl coconut cream

3 tsp tomato paste

1 to 3 tsp curry powder, depending on taste

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp ginger powder

1 tbsp sunflower oil

Instructions

1) Fry the onions in the sunflower oil on a medium heat until they are translucent and fragrant (about 5 minutes).

2) Add the curry powder, paprika and ginger powder and stir well.

3) Add the prawns and stir well, so that they are covered in the onion and spice mixture. Cook for about 7 minutes, until the prawns are nearly cooked.

4) Add the coconut cream and tomato paste and stir well. Lower the heat slightly and leave to simmer for about 8 minutes, until the prawns are cooked through.

Serve with white rice.

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Chestnut, bacon and cranberry loaf

2020-11-09T19:26:00.008+01:00

Chestnut, bacon and cranberry loaf

Sweet and savoury come together in this chestnut, bacon and cranberry loaf. A delicious, seasonal cake that's perfect for those chilly autumn days.

Chestnut, bacon and cranberry loaf

Autumn has crept up on us. It's hard to explain why we are constantly surprised by the changing of the seasons, but every year we exclaim and complain how chilly and dark it's getting, as if this is the first time it's happened and the universe is pranking us.

But this year, we aren't complaining. In a time where everything is uncertain and we're all having to adapt to a new way of living, it can be comforting to honour the season's rituals and welcome a change that is familiar. In our family, autumn heralds a period of long walks and foraging in the forest for mushrooms and chestnuts. After all, eating seasonal foods is good for your health and great for your wallet.

Now, I'm not overly confident when it comes to mushrooms; I can't tell the difference between a mushroom that will make an omelette exquisite and one that will make my family die. So I leave the examination of fungi to the family experts and concentrate on filling my basket with chestnuts. While my husband points out the quite frankly invisible differences between two mushrooms, I'll examine a chestnut my son has found, nod sagely and offer, with all the gravitas of an Emeritus Professor, a pearl of wisdom such as "Ah yes, this one is a little small; we'll leave it for the squirrels." Then we'll head home with our haul (some days more successful than others). I'll either roast the chestnuts and we'll snack on them in front of an afternoon movie, or I'll use them up in other recipes such as chestnut and feta burgers.

Of course, in certain parts of the world, autumn is also cranberry season. Throughout my childhood, I associated cranberries with the holiday period; cranberry sauce was always a feature of Mum's festive table. For geographical reasons, I was unable to go foraging for cranberries, but I did have a packet of dried cranberries in my cupboard. Since I had these seasonal ingredients for cooking, I decided to combine them with bacon in this chestnut, bacon and cranberry loaf.

If you'd prefer a vegetarian option, you can replace the bacon lardons with a large parsnip (another autumn food, although they really come into their own in mid- to late winter), thinly sliced and lightly cooked in olive oil or butter. And obviously, if you can't get fresh chestnuts, you can use the tinned variety - there's a lot less fuss involved!

Now for another autumn ritual as the cake bakes in the oven: curling up with a good book and a cup of tea. Bliss.

Chestnut, bacon and cranberry loaf

Ingredients

225g white flour
15g baking powder
3 eggs
200g dried cranberries
200g smoked bacon lardons (or 1 parsnip)
200g cooked chestnuts
100cl oilve oil, plus 1 tsp for frying the lardons
5cl lemon juice
1 tbsp soy sauce
Salt & pepper

Directions

1) Put the dried cranberries in a small bowl and cover with hot water.

2) Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a frying pan. Add the lardons and fry on a low-medium heat, stirring occasionally.

3) Crush the cooked chestnuts in a bowl and add the soy sauce. Mix well.

4) Heat the oven to 180°C.

5) Sift the flour into a large bowl along with the baking powder, salt and pepper. Make a well in the middle and add the three eggs and 100cl olive oil. Add the lemon juice and mix everything thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

6) Drain the cranberries and add to the dough. Remove the bacon lardons from the pan with a slotted spoon and add them to the dough, along with the chestnut mixture. Add a little more lemon juice if the dough is too thick and dry (it should be moist and mix fairly easily).

7) Pour the mixture into a greased cake tin and cook for about 35 minutes. You can check if it's cooked by inserting a skewer in the middle of the loaf. If the skewer is clean and dry, the loaf is cooked.

Cauliflower and broccoli cheese

2020-06-19T19:51:00.000+02:00

No matter how much your family claims to hate cauliflower and broccoli, they'll be eating great florets of the stuff with this easy recipe for cauliflower and broccoli cheese

Cauliflower cheese

Cauliflower cheese - also known as cauliflower gratin - is possibly the most comforting dish known to mankind. I exaggerate, perhaps. But there's something so homely and reassuring about cauliflower cheese. It's a wonderful winter warmer, is great a side dish to a roast dinner and is a tasty choice for a quick lunch. I don't know many (any) people who would stand up and claim cauliflower as their favourite vegetable. Yet, as the main ingredient in this dish, it's a winner.

I've combined it here with broccoli because you can never have too much leafy veg, and I think the splash of green is appealing and breaks up the visual blandness of an otherwise monochrome dish.

Cauliflower and broccoli cheese

And as they say, the secret is in the sauce. This easy recipe for cheese sauce is pretty much foolproof. It's the same one I use when I make Bechamel sauce for lasagna (also known as white sauce) - and if I want something a little less cheesy, I make it without the cheddar. Whichever version you choose, it's a creamy, unctuous delight!

Cauliflower and broccoli cheese

For the cheese sauce (Bechamel)

55g salted butter

55g plain flour

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp salt

570 ml milk

80g cheddar cheese, grated

1) Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the flour and whisk together, then add the salt and Dijon mustard and gently whisk the mixture for about 2 minutes. This is called the roux; it should have the consistency of a paste.

2) Turn the heat up to medium, add a quarter of the milk to the roux and whisk. The slowly add the rest of the milk and whisk furiously until the sauce is smooth.

3) Stir continuously with a spoon for about five minutes.

4) Remove from the heat, add the cheddar cheese and continue to stir until it has melted. You will know when the sauce is thick enough when it coats the back of the spoon.

For the cauliflower and broccoli cheese

1 medium head of cauliflower, broken into small florets (I set the leaves aside to make pesto)

1 medium head of broccoli, broken into florets

1) Heat the oven to 220°C / 200°C fan

2) Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the cauliflower and broccoli, and cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are cooked but still retain a bit of bite.

3) Drain the cauliflower and broccoli, and transfer them to an ovenproof dish.

4) Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower and broccoli. At this point, you can sprinkle some breadcrumbs or Parmesan over the top for added texture.

5) Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling.

Roast asparagus and Hollandaise sauce

2020-05-27T09:40:00.000+02:00

Roast asparagus and Hollandaise sauce

A simple yet elegant vegetarian dish, roast asparagus and Hollandaise sauce is the perfect springtime recipe that can be enjoyed as a main or side dish.

Roast asparagus and Hollandaise sauce is a deceptively simple dish that always seems to elicit appreciative oohs and aahs around the table. The recipe uses simple ingredients that are pantry essentials, and takes only a few minutes to put together. There are plenty of other methods to making this sauce, but this one is a simple, no-frills method. It's wonderful served at brunch, as a main dish with rice or as a side, and the Hollandaise sauce can be used with salmon when it's no longer asparagus season.

Roast asparagus and Hollandaise sauce

12 green asparagus spears
3 egg yolks
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
Pinch of Cayenne pepper
120g butter, melted
1 tbsp hot water
Olive oil, salt and pepper

Snap the asparagus spears (they have a natural breaking point). Place in a shallow baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss the asparagus spears around to ensure they are all evenly coated. Roast in the oven at 180°C (fan oven) for 15-20 minutes.

For the Hollandaise sauce:

1) Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. Blend the egg yolks, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt and Cayenne pepper in a blender for about ten seconds, ensuring all the ingredients are well mixed.
2) Heat the butter in a saucepan until it begins to bubble. Make sure the butter is hot, not just melted. Add 1 tbsp hot water to the butter and mix well.
3) Slowly stream the hot butter into the rest of the ingredients, and blend again.

Serve the Hollandaise sauce over the asparagus.

Chestnut and feta cheese burgers

2020-05-09T13:02:00.000+02:00

Chestnut and feta cheese burgers

Quick and easy to make and with a grown-up twist, chestnut and feta cheese burgers are a hearty, healthy vegetarian alternative to burgers.

Chestnut and feta cheese burger

My favourite way to eat fresh chestnuts is roasted - ideally over an open fire, as Perry Como crooned. They take me straight back to those colder autumn days - in fact, one of our favourite weekend activities when the temperatures drop is to forage for mushrooms and chestnuts. But you don't need to wait until it gets colder outside to enjoy this recipe. Although I opt for fresh vegetables whenever I can, I always have tins of pulses and veg available to prepare something quickly. Lentils, kidney beans, chick peas, tomatoes, peas, corn and chestnuts are store cupboard essentials for me.

Chestnuts have a lovely meaty texture, so they're ideal for recipes where you want a bit of bulk. They're also sweet, making them versatile enough to use in both sweet and savoury dishes.

I have a lovely memory of the first time I tasted a chestnut. It was a bitterly cold evening in December, and I was waiting with Mum and my brother in a long line outside the cinema. Dad had promised he was going to meet us at the cinema; usually he worked late, so evening entertainment with him was rare. A street vendor was standing next to a huge metal bin, selling food in paper cones, the delicious smell of roasted chestnuts filling the air and making my tummy rumble. The cold was biting into my fingers and toes, and I was feeling a bit miserable. The line inched forwards, it was getting colder, and there was still no sign of Dad. Mum put her arm around me and gave me a reassuring squeeze and I hid my face in the crook of her arm, trying to warm up. Just then, Dad strode up, beaming, wrapped up in his winter coat, brandishing four paper cones of sizzling chestnuts.
"Careful, they're very hot," warned Mum.
After blowing furiously on the first chestnut and burning my fingers as I did so, I popped the nut into my mouth, closed my eyes, and melted into the most delicious taste sensation. I can't remember what film we saw, but I will always remember queuing for it.

This chestnut and feta cheese burger marries two contrasting flavours and textures - the crumbly sweetness of the chestnuts with the salty, creamy tang of the feta. Stick them on the barbecue, in the oven or fry them in a pan of olive oil, and serve with a seasonal salad.

Chestnut and feta cheese burgers (serves 6)

Ingredients

360g cooked chestnuts, blitzed
200g feta cheese
2 medium onions, finely sliced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp dried parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste

1) Blitz the chestnuts in a food processor into crumbs. Add all the other ingredients into the bowl and mix thoroughly.
2) Cool in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3) Form palm-sized balls of mixture and flatten them to 2cm thickness.
4) Bake in the oven at 200°C / 180° fan for approximately 35 minutes, until they are crisp and golden on the outside, turning halfway through.

Lentil and coconut soup

2020-04-12T18:21:00.002+02:00

Lentil and coconut soup

Great for cooler evenings, this comforting vegan lentil and coconut soup will warm you up, inside and out.

We're about to enter our fifth week of lockdown, and we're now used to this new normal. Who knew there were so many hours in the day? We have so much time! I think the thing I've noticed the most is the amount of meals we get through. Usually - in what we now refer to as the olden days - we'd share one evening meal, gathered around the table hastily telling each other about our days' ups and downs. I'd often make dinner 24 hours in advance, so I could just chuck it into the oven to heat up - a great time saver when you're in a rush, but it does make the evenings stretch out.

I no longer start my days gulping down a quick coffee and nagging the kids to hurry up or they'll be late for school. Lunch is no longer a hasty sandwich at my desk. We can no longer have cheat nights and order a takeaway for dinner. Everything has to be made from scratch. And of course, we can't always get all the ingredients we need. This is where store cupboard essentials really come into their own.

We've always eaten a lot of lentils and chick peas, and I often cook with coconut, so I always have these ingredients in my kitchen cupboards, as well as the wonderfully versatile tins of tomatoes, which can be used in so many recipes. This lentil and coconut soup is very easy to make - it's basically a case of chucking all the ingredients together and allowing it to simmer into a deliciously thick and nourishing soup. It freezes well, so if we ever get back to the old normal, it's great for those evenings when you don't have time to make anything.

But before that happens, let's just enjoy all the time we always longed to have.

Lentil and coconut soup

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp turmeric
1 medium-large carrot, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
300g tin diced tomatoes, undrained
120g dry red lentils
250 ml coconut milk
Juice of 1 lime
1.2 litres vegetable stock

1) Heat the olive oil in a saucepan on a gentle heat, and add the turmeric onion, garlic and carrot. Cook through until the onion is translucent.
2) Add the tin of tomatoes to the pan, then add the lentils and stir well. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
3) Add the stock, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for another 20 minutes, or until the lentils and carrots are cooked through.
4) Remove from the heat. Use a hand mixer to blitz into a soup consistency. Add the coconut milk, stir well, and add the lime juice over the top before serving.

You can also add a teaspoon of curry powder in step 1 if you want to give the soup a bit of a kick.

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Cheese and asparagus pastry pockets

2020-04-04T18:49:00.002+02:00

Cheese and asparagus pastry pockets

Spring is in the air. Celebrate the changing of the seasons with these cheese and asparagus pastry pockets.

Cheese and asparagus pastry pockets

April heralds the beginning of asparagus season, which is one of my favourite vegetables. I usually just roast them in the oven with some olive oil, salt and pepper, but lately I've had to get a bit more creative in the kitchen.

Like most of you, I've been staying indoors over the past few weeks, keeping myself and my family as safe as I can. It means I can't see Dad, which is difficult for all of us, but we're keeping in touch every day and I send him some home-cooked meals a couple of times a week, much to his delight.

Spending all this time with my husband and kids (while working remotely full time and homeschooling two very energetic boys) has, beyond all expectations, been a real treat. But having to prepare three meals a day for four hungry mouths means that I have to mix things up and think on my feet. While the shelves are far from empty, we can't always get our hands on a lot of ingredients, so we've been making do with what we find. This week, we had some shop-bought puff pastry and a wheel of Coulommiers cheese, which has a creamy texture and slightly nutty flavour, as well as some fresh asparagus. You could also make this using green asparagus and Reblochon, or indeed any creamy cheese. We had this for lunch, but it would make a great starter or apéritif too. And of course, it goes wonderfully with a nice glass of wine.

I hope you and your loved ones are all safe. These are challenging times, and we're all doing whatever we can to get through them. Cooking, sports and family are helping to anchor me. My children seem to find that constant bickering, football and messing up their bedroom is the key to happiness, but hey, whatever works. Do whatever you can to keep your sanity, and check in with your loved ones regularly. And remember, stay home, stay safe.

Cheese and asparagus pockets

Ingredients

1 pack of puff pastry, cut into 4 squares

4 slices of creamy cheese (Coulommiers, Camembert, Reblochon etc.)

6 spears of asparagus, sliced in half lengthways

Runny honey

Olive oil

Yolk of one egg

Salt and pepper to taste

1) Roll out the puff pastry and cut into four squares

2) Break off the bottom of the asparagus and discard. You can use these parts to make stock. Slice the asparagus spears lengthways. If you are using green asparagus, there's no need to slice them as they're thinner.

3) Place a slice of creamy cheese in the centre of each pastry square, then place three halved asparagus spears on top of the cheese. (Yes, I keep the rind on. You don't have to!)

Place the asparagus halves over the cheese

Place a slice of creamy cheese in the centre of the pastry square

4) Drizzle olive oil and honey over the asparagus, then season with salt and pepper.

5) Fold the left side of the pastry over the cheese and asparagus, then fold the right side over the top. Brush the pastry with egg yolk.

6) Bake in the oven at 180°C in a fan for 25-30 minutes.

SPICY KIDNEY BEAN STEW

2019-04-07T21:34:00.000+02:00

SPICY KIDNEY BEAN STEW

Looking for some healthy comfort food? This vegan spicy kidney bean stew is perfect for a quick and hearty supper.

Kidney beans tend to be one of my kitchen staples. They're versatile, incredibly healthy, satisfyingly filling, and while they can be fairly bland when they're eaten by themselves, they make a great alternative in ground beef dishes, and are perfect for soaking up the flavors in a sauce.

I was inspired to make this dish after visiting Mexico and not eating a single chili dish while I was out there. After eating mountains of guacamole and tons of tacos, I was craving something spicy when I got home. But an authentic Mexican chili (not chili con carne, which is a Tex-Mex dish) usually uses jalapeño peppers and chili powder, whereas I wanted a dish that was spicy without being fiery. In fact, this spicy kidney bean stew has more in common with the lentil dhal I made a few weeks ago.

The great thing about making this dish is that you can just chuck everything in the pan and leave it to simmer, leaving you with some time to get on with something else (laundry for me, in case you were wondering. Hey, the holiday had to end sometime). It's great to whip up when you're short on time but looking for some serious comfort food!

Spicy kidney stew

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

500g tin kidney beans, rinsed and drained
300g tin diced tomatoes, undrained
2 small yellow onions, chopped
4 cloves ground garlic
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp dried coriander
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt& Pepper
Olive oil
1 tbsp cornflour (optional)

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and fry the onions and garlic until browned.
2. Add the salt and pepper, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, ginger powder and garlic powder, stir well and lower the heat. Leave to cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the kidney beans and stir well. Leave to cook for a further 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes and juice. Stir well, bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer. Add a cup of water if you feel there isn't enough juice.
4. After 10 minutes, add the cinnamon, sugar and coriander. If you would like a thicker sauce, add the cornflour and mix well. Stir all ingredients well and leave to simmer for a further 10 minutes. Serve with white rice.

Roasted sweet potato and courgette in lime, ginger and basil dressing

2019-03-22T21:31:00.001+01:00

ROASTED SWEET POTATO AND COURGETTE IN LIME, GINGER AND BASIL DRESSING

Add a bit of the exotic to your midweek supper with this roasted sweet potato and courgette in lime, ginger and basil dressing!

Roasted sweet potato and courgette in lime, ginger and basil dressing

I can very clearly remember the first time I heard of a sweet potato. I was 11 years old and chatting to my schoolfriend Lizzy, who hailed from Kenya. We were both boarders at our all girls' school in south-East England.

On a cold and dreary Sunday that didn't seem to end, we began lamenting about what we missed most from home, and the conversation inevitably turned to food (it usually does with me). We both desperately missed our Mums' cooking, of course. But then Lizzy mentioned how much she missed sweet potatoes. Now, I loved potatoes in all forms - mash, chips, crisps, wedges: you name it, I'd eat it - but I had never heard of sweet potatoes.
"What do they taste like?" I asked.
"Like potatoes, but sweet," answered Lizzy.
Potatoes; but sweet. Genius. Surely this must be the holy grail of food.

In those days, sweet potatoes weren't as readily available as they are today, so it was many years before I had the opportunity to try one. But I can assure you I certainly wasn't disappointed when I finally did, and I have never looked back.

Sweet potatoes are rich in fibre and a fantastic source of Vitamin A, as well as B Vitamins and potassium. This roasted sweet potato and courgette in lime ginger and basil dressing is really brought alive by the dressing, which adds a a zingy contrast to the sweetness of the potato.

Roasted sweet potato and courgette in lime, ginger and basil dressing

Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes, sliced
1 courgette, sliced
50g pine nuts
3 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp ginger powder
2 tsp dried basil
Salt & pepper to taste

1. Heat oven to 220°C. Place the sliced sweet potato in a roasting dish, drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and bake for 20 minutes..
2. Combine 2 tbsp olive, juice of 1 lime, ginger powder and 3 tbsp dried basil. Mix well.
3. Place the sliced courgette over the sweet potatoes and pour the dressing over the top.

4. Mix the sweet potatoes and courgette so the dressing covers all ingredients. Allow to roast for 5 minutes.
5 Add the pine nuts, mix all the ingredients together, and allow to roast until the potatoes are browned on the edges.

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LENTIL DHAL WITH SPINACH

2019-03-16T20:26:00.000+01:00

LENTIL DHAL WITH SPINACH

A mild Indian vegetarian dish filled with aromatic spices that's healthy, tasty and easy to make.

Lentil dhal with spinach

There are so many variations on recipes for dhal, an Indian staple and one of the few vegetarian meals that Dad actually requests when he goes to an Indian restaurant. I know that Dad misses decent Indian cuisine. He spent his childhood in Burma and India, so his definition of comfort food is curry, curry and more curry.

When Mum and Dad met, he let her know pretty quickly that the way to his heart was through rock n' roll and food. Mum worked in the music industry and took him along to the best nightclubs and parties to rub shoulders with the stars of the sixties music scene, so the rock n' roll part was covered. And as for curries; Mum - a Welshwoman who grew up in London - rolled up her sleeves and got to work mastering the art of making the perfect curry, learning alongside an Indian woman she met when they lived in Venezuela (long story). I guess she managed to find her way to his heart: my parents were married for 46 years, every day of which was filled with rock n' roll and food.

Dhal is often a side dish, but I served this with paratha and rice to make a healthy main course.

LENTIL DHAL WTH DHAL (serves 6)

Ingredients

800g tinned lentils (normally you should use cooked yellow lentils)
300g frozen spinach
4 tsps turmeric
3 knobs butter
4 tsps cumin seeds
1 red onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp garam masala

1. Rinse the lentils under running water and place in a saucepan. Add enough water to cover the lentils to about an inch above the surface. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat. Add the turmeric and 2 knobs of butter. Stir well, cover and leave to simmer.

2. In a heated pan, dry-fry the cumin seeds on a medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Remove and set to one side.

3. Add the frozen spinach to the lentils.

4. Add the final knob of butter to the frying pan to fry the onion, garlic and ginger. Once cooked through, add the cumin seeds to the pan and stir well, then add the garam masala.

5. Add the fried mixture to the lentils and spinach and stir well.

6. Serve with rice or paratha.

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Baked sweet potato stuffed with spinach omelette

2019-01-15T19:31:00.000+01:00

Baked sweet potato stuffed with spinach and omelette

Loaded with protein and fibre, this low-fat baked sweet potato stuffed with spinach omelette is an all-in-one meal that will keep you going for hours!

When I was a student, I can't say that cooking was my strong point. Away from Mum's healthy, varied diet, I survived on burgers, fries and pizza. When I did 'cook', I wasn't very adventurous: it was pasta or baked potatoes on rotation I'd bake them in the microwave, load them with cheese and far too much butter, scoff them up in minutes and run out the door. Ah, those halcyon days when exercise consisted of dancing in clubs and running to lectures (or the pub), and I laughed in the face of carbs.

I ate so many baked potatoes that I didn't go near them for years after I left University. So I decided to revisit this kitchen classic from my student days with this baked sweet potato stuffed with spinach omelette. It's a little more exciting and much more tasty than my student offerings, with the added benefit of being healthy and filling.

BAKED SWEET POTATO STUFFED WITH SPINACH OMELETTE

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes, sliced in half
3 eggs
1 tsp whole-grain mustard
1 tbsp chopped parsley
Generous handful of fresh spinach leaves
2 tsp Olive oil
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Grated cheese for topping (optional)

1) Heat the oven to 170°C. Drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and place them skin side up in a baking dish. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
2) In a bowl, beat 3 eggs, mustard, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the parsley and spinach leaves and mix, or any other ingredients (cheese, mushrooms or ham, for example).
3) When the potatoes have baked, scoop out the flesh into a separate bowl, leaving the skins intact in the baking dish.
4) Add the egg mixture to the potato flesh and mash up the mixture.
5) Scoop the mixture into the potato skins, top with grated cheese (optional), and bake for a further 10 minutes at 170°C.

Serve as side dish or as a main dish with a mixed green salad.

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CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND CAMEMBERT TART WITH HAZELNUT PASTRY

2019-01-11T21:24:00.005+01:00

Caramelized onions and Camembert tart with hazelnut pastry

This sweet and savoury tart with caramelized onions and melted Camembert is just the ticket when you want to indulge yourself on a cold winter evening.

While preparing this recipe for caramelized onions and Camembert tart, I was transported back to my Mum's kitchen. I would often wander in to find her leaning over the kitchen counter, crying her eyes out and brandishing a sharp knife - no, she wasn't about to carry out a crime de passion; she was merely chopping onions. And although I did shed a few tears making this, I think I may have found the best way to chop onions without crying - or at least to stem the flow of tears as much as possible.

I really love to make dishes with caramelized onions: they add a delicious sweetness to any savoury dish. I was inspired to make this recipe after my uncle visited my father recently. We hadn't seen him for about ten years, and Dad was thrilled to be able to show off his cooking skills, even taking his brother under his wing and teaching him how to make his Malai curry. However, when they came to visit me for dinner, I noted that they both reacted to vegetables the way Dracula reacts to garlic, so I guess it must be a family thing. Anyway, when my uncle left to return to sunny Australia, the temperatures dropped here and comfort food was definitely on the menu, so I decided to make a really Dad-friendly winter meal. It's naughty, but very nice.

You can use shop-bought pastry, but I like the rustic, biscuity aspect of this wholewheat hazelnut pastry. I added lardons to this tart, but it works just as well as a vegetarian dish.

CARAMELIZED ONION AND CAMEMBERT TART WITH HAZELNUT PASTRY

Serves 6-8 people

For the hazelnut pastry:

Ingredients
250g wholewheat flour
120g cold butter, sliced into cubes
4 cl cold water
40g crushed hazelnuts
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey

1) Put the flour and cubes of butter into a large bowl and rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
2) Add the water, olive oil, honey and crushed hazelnuts into the mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until you get a smooth pastry. Then wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
3) Roll out the pastry on a floury surface. Place in a buttered flan dish and prick the base of the pastry with a fork, line with baking parchment and fill with dry beans.
4) Bake at 220°C for 4 minutes.

For the caramelized onions and Camembert tart:

Ingredients
1 large red onion, sliced
2 small yellow onions, sliced
200g lardons (optional)
125g Camembert, sliced
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)

1) Heat olive oil in a pan over a low-medium heat.
2) Add the onions and cook for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with rosemary and stir occasionally. Optional: Add 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 2-3 minutes prior to the end of cooking.
2) Meanwhile, brown the lardons in a separate pan, then add them to the onions. Stir well.
3) Place the slices of camembert on the base of the pastry.

4) When the onions have glazed, add them (and the lardons) on top of the Camembert slices.
5) Bake at 210°C for 20 minutes or until the pastry has browned.

Serve with a mixed green salad.

A BIT ABOUT ONIONS

2019-01-11T21:24:00.004+01:00

A BIT ABOUT ONIONS

Onions are used so often in cooking that their benefits are often overlooked, yet there's so much more to them than meets the (teary) eye!

Onions are highly versatile root vegetables that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals, low in calories, and bursting with flavour. What's not to love? As well as Vitamin C, Vitamin B-6 and sulphur, onions contain fibre and add flavour to dishes like curries, lasagne, soups, stews and everything in between.

Let's take a closer look at that most humble of kitchen staples: the onion.

Cooking onions

Onions come in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes. The most common are yellow, white and red. Red onions are great for adding a touch of color to your dishes, and their mild flavour makes them an ideal addition to salads and dips. Chives, shallots and leeks are also part of the onion family, while spring onions have a lovely mild and sweet flavour.

A great many people enjoy eating raw onions because they're both crunchy and juicy - however, raw onions can be difficult for some to digest, leading to bloating and gas (not to mention bad breath!) But there are so many ways to cook onions, from roasting, sautéing and caramelizing to sweating, grilling and boiling; each method brings out different flavours and textures. And they don't just need to play a supporting role in your main courses. Recipes such as onion soup and this onion and Camembert tart put the humble onion in pride of place.

Cry me a river

Despite the flavour that onions add to any dish, I used to avoid using them wherever possible because I hate the stinging eyes and inevitable tears that come with chopping them. Onions release enzymes when they are cut and create a gas that then mixes with the tears in your eyes to form sulphuric acid. This irritates the eyes and is the reason we cry when chopping onions. I've looked for solutions to this age-old problem for years - cooling them in the fridge first, breathing through the mouth, singing while chopping (much to the delight - or was it disdain - of my housemates), and slicing down towards the root. After trying everything under the sun, my favourite method for chopping onions without too much crying is this: peel the onion, then wet the knife and the onion and begin slicing. This way, the enzymes are released straight into the water droplets on the knife and the onion rather than your eyes. The real key, however, is speed: the quicker you chop, the less tears you're likely to shed!

"I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious." Michael Scott, The Office

There's a whole range of superstitions, folklore and old wives' tales around onions. Some say that putting half an onion in your sock will ward off the common cold, while young ladies were known to place half an onion under their pillows to dream of their future husband. If you throw your onion peelings on the floor, it's said you are throwing away your luck. You can even predict the weather with onions, according to this old English saying: "Onion skins very thin, mild winter coming in; onion skins thick and tough, coming winter cold and rough." So next time you have trouble peeling an onion, make a mental note to get your thermals out!

Anything I've missed? Let me know in the comments section!

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GINGER CAKES

2018-12-22T09:20:00.000+01:00

CHRISTMAS GINGER CAKES

Looking for an alternative to traditional mince pies at Christmas? Spice up the holiday season with these mini ginger cakes.

These ginger cakes are part of my rebellion against mince pies. I hate mince pies. There, I said it. I don't hate them completely: I really love the buttery pastry, I love how they smell, and I love the mulled wine that often accompanies them. But I loathe the sticky, sweet stuffing of a mince pie. Despite all my best efforts - and there have been many - I can't bring myself to enjoy them, much to my mother's despair.

But these ginger cakes are a fantastic alternative - or even a complement - to mince pies. They're not overly sweet, have a nice spicy kick and combine orange zest, ginger and cloves for a real Christmas flavour.

A few years ago, I offered to host Christmas on the condition there were no mince pies or Brussels sprouts. Mum, being a stickler for tradition, was aghast. I explained that I would be offering these ginger cakes as an alternative to mince pies, but I could see she wasn't happy. Christmas day arrived, the bell rang, and Mum bustled in with a box of mince pies that she had baked, because "Christmas isn't Christmas without mince pies." We decided to compromise and set both the cakes and the mince pies out on the table. As was traditional, I dutifully ate a mince pie and promptly declared my distaste. Mum had a ginger cake, then another, and another.

Even though I'm not a big fan, I would give anything to have just one more of Mum's mince pies. But I know that she really enjoyed these Christmas ginger cakes ("just one more," she murmured every now and then), and I know that she would have been thrilled to have them on the table this Christmas - right next to the mince pies.

Christmas ginger cakes

Ingredients (makes about 15 mini cakes)

90g butter
100g double cream
75g dark brown sugar
25g golden syrup
1 egg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
1.5 balls stem ginger, chopped small
100g plain flour
Zest of 1 orange

1) Heat a fan oven to 180°C / 200°C for a traditional oven, and grease a candle dish or mini muffin tin.
2) Melt the butter, cream and sugar in a saucepan on a low heat.
3) Stir in the egg, add all the other ingredients and mix well.
4) Bake for 15 minutes.

🎄⭐🎅 Wishing you and your loved ones a happy and peaceful Christmas! 🎅⭐🎄

BAKED FALAFELS

2018-12-11T13:54:00.000+01:00

BAKED FALAFEL

Packed with tasty herbs and spices, falafel is the ultimate vegetarian finger food that'll have you reaching for more!

I distinctly remember the first time I had a falafel. I would love to tell you it was in a tiny Lebanese eatery tucked away in a hidden backstreet, but it was in the food court of a brightly-lit shopping mall a few miles out of the city. I must have been about 11, and Mum and I were having a girls' day out shopping. (I loved shopping with my Mum. Even if we were just doing a supermarket shop, we always had a great time pointing little things out to each other and people watching.)

As lunchtime approached, we found ourselves uninspired by the usual offerings of Chinese and Italian cuisine, so Mum suggested I try some Lebanese food at a little stand, insisting I would enjoy it. At 11, I knew what I liked and I liked what I knew, so I wasn't thrilled at the idea of trying something different. But I was hungry and tired, so we took our seats and Mum ordered a host of food with exotic names: hummus, kafta and falafel. Now, I don't know whether the man who ran the Lebanese food stand in that shopping mall happened to be an outstanding cook, but every mouthful was a delight. A hint of spice, abundant herbs and generous quantities of garlic and olive oil meant my tastebuds were in food heaven.

These days, whenever I eat Lebanese cuisine, I always think back to that day in the shopping mall and silently thank Mum for encouraging me to try something different.

I bake falafel in the oven instead of deep-frying, but it does mean the outside can be a little dry, so I make a mint and yoghurt dip to accompany them. Plus, for this recipe I use canned chick peas instead of dried ones, which you would need to soak overnight.

BAKED FALAFEL

Ingredients (makes about 12 falafels)

400g canned chick peas, rinsed under cold water in a sieve
40g plain flour
4 cloves garlic
1 onion, chopped coarsely
8 sprigs chopped fresh parsley
10 sprigs chopped fresh coriander
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
Pinch black pepper
Olive oil for brushing

1) Heat a fan oven to 200°C.
2) Combine the chick peas, onion, garlic cloves, parsley, coriander, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper in a food processor. The result should have a rough texture.
3) Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the flour and mix thoroughly. (Note: you can also add 1 tsp baking powder for a lighter texture). Cool in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.
4) Scoop out palm-sized portions of the mixture and shape them into balls.
5) Brush the falafel with olive oil and place them on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 220°C for 15-20 minutes, turn over and bake until golden brown.

Serve with hummus or a yoghurt-mint dip.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

2018-11-22T19:54:00.002+01:00

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

The temperatures are dropping and the sky is grey, which is perfect weather for some warm and hearty beef bourguignon!

Beef bourguignon

My parents are people who grabbed life by the horns. Shortly after they married, an opportunity arose that would see them leaving family and friends in London and starting over in Paris. They jumped at the chance and never looked back. My brother and I were born and raised here, and although we maintained close ties with the British community by joining a British sports club for expats on the outskirts of Paris, my parents threw themselves into French life with gusto, and French food inevitably found its way onto our table through fondues, boudin noir and beef bourguignon.

Boeuf bourguignon evokes cosy family suppers, bringing comfort and warmth on cold and dark winter evenings. I love making it because you can just chuck everything into the pot and leave it to simmer while you get on with other things and enjoy the rich, sweet aromas filling the house. Most beef bourguignon recipes call for a slow cooker, but I make mine on the hob and the results are just as good!

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Ingredients

30 cl red wine
1 kg beef shank, cut into 3 cm chunks
3 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, sliced
3 carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tbsp flour
1 bouquet garni (thyme and bay leaves)
150g bacon lardons
250g button mushrooms
Salt & pepper to taste

1) Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan and add the beef for a few minutes.
2) Once the beef is sealed, add the onions, carrots and garlic. Season lightly with salt, stir well and cook for 5 minutes.
3) Add the flour, stir well, and cover all ingredients with the wine. Make sure the ingredients are covered with liquid (you can top up with water if necessary).
4) Add the bouquet garni, bring to the boil and then simmer on a medium heat.
5) Meanwhile, heat the lardons in a pan. When they are browned, remove the excess grease and add the mushrooms. Allow to cook for 5 minutes and then add to the beef bourguignon. Allow to simmer for about 2 hours on a medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Serve with boiled potatoes - and a nice glass of red wine!

BROCCOLI AND PARMESAN MUFFINS

2018-11-09T20:21:00.000+01:00

BROCCOLI AND PARMESAN MUFFINS

Fancy some finger food? These gluten-free broccoli and parmesan muffins make a healthy vegetarian appetizer or side dish.

Gluten-free broccoli and parmesan muffins

Neither Dad nor I follow a gluten-free diet (I enjoy bread, pasta and cakes far too much), but I know quite a few people who do, and I like being able to offer dishes that friends can enjoy whatever their dietary requirements.

I use the word 'muffin' loosely. It's a bit of a misnomer because these don't contain any flour, and I think everyone can agree that muffins - both the English and American kind - generally have flour in them. But whether we're calling them muffins, broccoli balls or vegetarian meatballs, the absence of flour also means they're really quick and easy to prepare. You can serve them as appetizers or as a side dish to a main meal, and they make a great addition to any picnic basket.

Soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside, broccoli and parmesan muffins are packed with vitamins, protein and fibre, so you can treat yourself to more than one of these and not feel an ounce of guilt!

Note: You can also substitute the parmesan shavings in this recipe with Feta cheese for a slightly stronger taste.

Broccoli and parmesan muffins

Ingredients

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets and steamed
1 egg, beaten
60g pine nuts
60g parmesan shavings
60g grated parmesan
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 portobello mushrooms, sliced
Salt & pepper to taste

1) Grease a muffin tray and heat the oven to 200°C.
2) Blend the ingredients with a stand mixer or in a blender, except for the grated parmesan. Make sure the mixture isn't too smooth to ensure the muffins retain the texture provided by the pine nuts and parmesan shavings.
3) Stir in the grated parmesan.
4) Scoop the mixture into the muffin tin and bake for approximately 20 minutes.

SPICED PUMPKIN SEEDS

2018-11-04T20:48:00.000+01:00

SPICED PUMPKIN SEEDS

Get the most out of your pumpkins this season by roasting and spicing pumpkin seeds, and enjoy all the health benefits they have to offer.

One of my abiding images of Dad is him sitting in his favourite armchair, eyes glued to the cricket or rugby match on TV, cold beer in hand, and surrounded by discarded packets of crisps or salted nuts (cashews are a particular favorite). Dad is a snacker extraordinaire.

Of course, we're all guilty of snacking, and it's rarely on healthy, reasonable foods like fruit. During these colder months, there's nothing I enjoy more than snuggling up on the sofa under a warm blanket, watching a favourite movie or reading a good book, and enjoying a good old snack. And no matter how much I enjoy it, I always end up with a snack-induced guilt hangover.

But these healthy spiced pumpkin seeds are just the thing to satisfy my cravings and not feel too guilty about it afterwards. This Halloween I had a couple of pumpkins on hand. After removing the flesh and making a pumpkin cake, I was left with two bowlfuls of seeds, which I decided to roast and spice.

When prepared this way, pumpkin seeds have that all-important crunch factor, while the variety of spices ensures an explosion of flavours in every handful. I like to experiment and tend to use different spices every time I make them. They can be made very simply using just salt and olive oil if you prefer. You can also sprinkle spiced pumpkin seeds over salads and soup.

What's more, pumpkin seeds are loaded with nutrients including Vitamin E, zinc, magnesium and copper, and are even a source of protein. A snack that's tasty and heathy: what's not to love?

Spiced pumpkin seeds

Ingredients
Pumpkin seeds
Olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground pepper

1) Heat the oven to 250°C.
2) Rinse the pumpkin seeds in a colander, removing any flesh.
3) Place the pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and pat dry.
4) Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle the dry ingredients evenly over the pumpkin seeds.
5) Stir the pumpkin seeds around, ensuring they are evenly covered, then arrange them in a single layer again.
5) Roast for 20-30 minutes, giving them a stir about halfway through.

Store in a mason jar.

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PUMPKIN CAKE

2018-10-31T23:05:00.000+01:00

PUMPKIN CAKE

You don't have to wait for Halloween to enjoy yourself this tasty pumpkin cake! Spicy and moist, it's the perfect treat now that the nights are drawing in.

We invited Dad round for some Halloween fun with the kids. We never really celebrated Halloween when I was a child, so this was a bit of a novelty for him. And since we only really started celebrating Halloween a couple of years ago, it's a bit of a novelty for me too - at least if my pumpkin carving skills are anything to go by. They were truly horrific, and not in the right way.

After telling Dad that we were busy carving pumpkins (badly), he told me how much he dislikes pumpkin. Under no circumstances was I to make pumpkin soup. Or pumpkin pie. And if I did, I was not to expect him to eat it.

So instead I made a pumpkin cake and didn't tell him what was in it until after he had exclaimed how delicious it was. After briefly grumbling about being hoodwinked, he asked for the recipe. So here it is.

Pumpkin cake

Ingredients

400g pumpkin flesh, pureed

4 eggs

20 cl olive oil

125g peeled hazelnuts

75g unsalted cashew nuts

3 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

Pinch salt

180g brown sugar

350g flour

2 tsp yeast

1) Heat the oven to 150°C.

2) Add all the ingredients to a bowl in the order above and mix using a hand blender (or a food processor). I blended the ingredients before adding the sugar and flour, then blended a second time.

3) Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes

Serve with crème anglaise

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GARLIC PRAWNS IN COCONUT SAUCE

2018-10-18T20:43:00.000+02:00

GARLIC PRAWNS IN COCONUT SAUCE

Want to impress your friends and family with a succulent dish? Try this easy-peasy dish of garlic prawns in coconut sauce!

I've had a few people comment recently that I haven't added a recipe for a while (rightly so), but this is mainly because Dad has become such a deft hand in the kitchen in the months since we started this project.

He has become an exceedingly enthusiastic cook, looking up recipes and techniques online and ordering obscure spices and ingredients that come with a minimum eight-week delivery period. He practices his recipes a few times, then tests them on me and my family. The results are always highly satisfactory. Admittedly, he sometimes takes experimentation a little too far, as with this particular recipe, when he added chick peas on the second attempt (insider tip: don't add chick peas to this recipe).

I'm not sure where Dad came across this dish, but the whole family is delighted when he announces he's coming round to make us his garlic prawns in coconut sauce. I've never tried combining mint and coconut before, but the two flavours complement each other surprisingly well, and I think I'll be experimenting with this mixture in other dishes.

Just because Dad has become more confident in the kitchen doesn't mean I'm going to stop giving him easy, healthy recipes to prepare, but it does mean that our project has become more collaborative. He now has enough confidence in his cooking skills to critique my tried and tested methods, just as Mum used to. And I couldn't have hoped for anything better.

GARLIC PRAWNS IN COCONUT SAUCE

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

500g frozen prawns

6 tsp garlic paste

2 red onions, sliced

200 ml cream of coconut

10g fresh mint leaves, chopped

Small bunch of fresh coriander, chopped

1 tsp sugar

Butter and sunflower oil for frying

1) Heat the butter and sunflower oil in a pan and add the onions. Cook on a high heat for a minute, stirring frequently. Reduce to a low-medium heat and continue to cook for another couple of minutes.

2) Add the garlic paste, mix well and cook for 2 or 3 minutes.

3) Add the chopped mint leaves, mix well and cook for a further 3 minutes.

Red onions, garlic paste and fresh mint

4) Add the prawns and most of the chopped coriander, stir well to combine with the onion, garlic and mint mixture and allow to cook on a low-medium heat for 10 minutes, until the prawns are almost cooked, stirring occasionally.

5) When the prawns are almost cooked, sprinkle the sugar evenly over the prawns, stir well, and allow to simmer for 1 minute.

6) Add the cream of coconut and increase to a high heat for a bout 20 seconds, then allow to simmer on a low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

7) Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with white rice.

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PAPRIKA CHICKEN IN PARMESAN SAUCE

2018-09-12T18:41:00.001+02:00

PAPRIKA CHICKEN IN PARMESAN SAUCE

This paprika chicken in parmesan sauce is a creamy, buttery dish that will delight friends and family for a laid-back dinner party.

I made this dish recently to celebrate my husband's birthday.

It's not the first time I've made it: the first time was one year ago, when I invited a bunch of friends round to surprise my husband for his birthday. About an hour before everyone was supposed to turn up, my husband complained of stomach cramps and was cruelly struck down by a nasty tummy bug. The surprise dinner was put on hold, babysitters cancelled, and TLC dispensed accordingly.

A couple of months later I invited more people round and made this same dish - but adverse weather conditions forced several guests to pull out at the last minute. Since then, I've associated this dish with scuppered plans - the upside being that at least I can tuck into a tasty meal (and I can have seconds. And thirds.)

That said, it really is an ideal dish for a laid-back dinner party because it doesn't take long to prepare but tastes like it does (according to those guests who have actually had the good fortune to try it).

I'd suggest getting as many of the ingredients prepared in advance as the cooking process goes very quickly. Paprika chicken in parmesan sauce is delicious with white rice and a dry white wine. Bon appétit!

PAPRIKA CHICKEN IN PARMESAN SAUCE

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

4 chicken breasts, cut in half
1/2 Tbsp paprika
3 Tbsp butter, divided into three
4 garlic cloves, crushed
250 ml chicken broth (to be prepared beforehand)
120g heavy cream
65g parmesan cheese, grated
Juice of 1 lemon
Splash of dry white wine
1/2 tsp dried thyme
250g fresh baby spinach
Salt and pepper

1. Pre-heat oven to 190°C.
2. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and paprika.
3. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a pan on a medium-high heat.
4. Add the chicken to the melted butter and sear on both sides (approx. 3 minutes or until golden brown). Remove from the pan and set aside.
5. Melt the remaining butter, add the crushed garlic and stir for one minute.
6. Stir in the chicken broth, splash of white wine, heavy cream, grated parmesan cheese, lemon juice and thyme. Stir to combine the ingredients.
7. Bring ingredients to a boil and then reduce the heat to allow the sauce to thicken.
8. Add the baby spinach, stir and allow to simmer for 5-7 minutes (the more wilted the spinach, the ticker the sauce).
9. Place the chicken in an oven-proof dish and pour the sauce and spinach over the top. Cook in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
8. Allow to sit for 5 minutes after cooking.

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APPLE CRUMBLE

2018-09-06T17:33:00.000+02:00

APPLE CRUMBLE

Looking for some serious comfort food? A traditional apple crumble always hits the spot!

The comfort that a traditional apple crumble brings cannot be over-estimated. Whether you're feeling poorly, a bit down, chilly or just fancy a quick treat, apple crumble always delivers.

Just one spoonful of the hot, sweet apples and crunchy crumble whizzes me straight back to my childhood. No matter how stuffed we were after a roast dinner with all the trimmings, we always had room for crumble. Mum would spoon out generous helpings, the steam from the apples rising from the dish, and our eagle eyes would make sure no one had been served a bigger portion of crumbly bits than anyone else. As we took the first bite, the hot apples almost burning the roofs of our mouths in our haste, the table would fall silent in awed appreciation of this traditional English dessert.

Never mind chicken soup for the soul; this is apple crumble for the soul, and a darn sight more effective.

APPLE CRUMBLE

Ingredients (serves 6)

3 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced

2 tbsp caster sugar

For the crumble:

175g plain flour

110g butter (cold, sliced)

100g sugar

1 tbsp rolled oats

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1. Toss the sliced apples and 2 tbsp caster sugar together in a medium deep oven dish, ensuring all the apple slices are covered.

2. Combine the flour and 100g sugar in a bowl.

3. Slice the butter into small cubes and rub it into the flour and sugar with your fingertips. The result should look like breadcrumbs.

4. Pour the crumble mixture over the apples, making sure all the apples are covered.

5. Sprinkle the cinnamon over the top of the crumble mixture.

6. Sprinkle the rolled oats over the top.

7. Bake at 190°C until the crumble looks golden (approx. 40 minutes)

Serve with vanilla ice cream, custard or crème anglaise.

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PASTA WITH SARDINES, SPINACH AND PINE NUTS

2018-07-23T19:19:00.002+02:00

PASTA WITH SARDINES, SPINACH AND PINE NUTS

A grown-up pasta dish that's perfect for a midweek supper and a great way to sneak some green onto kids' plates!

Like most people, I usually have a tin of sardines lurking somewhere in my kitchen, which I always use as a topping for toast when I need to eat and run. Sardines are a great source of protein, those all-important omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin B12. I've had fresh sardines on the barbecue, but I've never thought of using tinned sardines for cooking.

However, after coming back from holiday following an exhausting ten-hour drive from one end of the country to the other, I stared despondently at the bare cupboards, hoping to be inspired by the few ingredients gracing the shelves. These included pasta (of course), a single tin of sardines and, bewilderingly, some pine nuts that I didn't remember buying. I also had half a bag of spinach in the freezer, and hey presto, all the makings of a delicious dinner that was welcome after all the decadent holiday food we had indulged in. Washed down with a glass of chilled white wine, this dish of pasta with sardines, spinach and pine nuts is set to become a firm favourite in our home!

PASTA WITH SARDINES, SPINACH AND PINE NUTS

Ingredients (serves 4)

350g Farfalle pasta
150g frozen spinach leaves
40g + 10g pine nuts
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 tin of sardines in olive oil (approx. 70g)
Pinch of chili powder

1. Boil a saucepan of salted water and cook the pasta.
2. Meanwhile, drain the sardines and set aside the olive oil. Use the olive oil to gently fry the onion and garlic.
3. Add the chili powder and stir well.
4. Add 40g of pine nuts to the onion and garlic and stir for a few minutes.
5. Add the lemon juice to the onion, garlic and pine nuts, and stir well.
6. Flake the sardines and add them to the pan, and stir well.
7. When the pasta is almost cooked, add the frozen spinach to the saucepan and stir.
8. Drain the pasta and spinach, then add to the pan of onion, garlic, pine nuts and sardines. Stir well to ensure all the ingredients are mixed together.
9. Add the remaining 10g of pine nuts and leave on the heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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