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Penne a la vodka

penne a la vodka

Penne a la vodka was all the rage when I first moved to London. After ordering it in restaurants, I had a go at making it myself.

There wasn’t an internet to refer to, but it wasn’t complicated to work out what was in it – tomatoes, onion, garlic, chilli, cream… and vodka.

For some reason, I had the idea that the vodka should be set alight like the brandy on a Christmas pudding.

I’d cook down the tomato sauce, then pour the vodka over top and set a match to it. Blue flames would dance impressively across the surface and die down, after which I’d stir through the cream. Continue reading →

Tags: chilli, Italian food, pasta, tomatoes, vegetarian

Comments 1 Comment
Categories Fern's Food, Italy, Pasta, USA

Cobb salad

27 Nov

Cobb salad

Cobb salad is a classic American main course salad. Chicken, egg, blue cheese and bacon are arranged in strips across a bed of salad greens, providing a healthy punch of protein. Continue reading →

Tags: American food, avocado, bacon, blue cheese, chicken, egg, gluten-free

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Salad, USA

Pork bits Hawaiian

13 Mar

pork bits Hawaiian

“Are we having Hawaiian pizza for dinner?” my daughter asked when she got home from school.

She was in the zone – I was making pork bits Hawaiian, a childhood favourite of mine that I hadn’t thought of in years. Continue reading →

Tags: dairy-free, peppers, pineapple, pork

Comments 5 Comments
Categories Fern's Food, Main, Pork, USA

Onion-tahini sauce

31 Oct

Onion tahini sauce is a legacy of my student days, when I would make this dish most weeks.

And not just because it was dirt cheap. The tahini, cumin and soy sauce come together in an unexpectedly delicious, savoury, satisfying way, delivering a wallop of what I now know to be umami. Continue reading →

Tags: dairy-free, gluten-free, onions, tahini, vegan, vegetarian

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Main, USA

Sweet potato fries

24 Aug

When the girls were small, I’d usually have a bag of oven chips in the freezer to serve alongside fish fingers and peas when they had friends round for tea.

Now that our fish finger days are behind us, I almost never make chips (oven or otherwise), but I’ll occasionally rustle up a tray of sweet potato fries. Continue reading →

Tags: dairy-free, gluten-free, sweet potatoes, vegan, vegetarian

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Side dish, UK, USA

Israeli couscous, squash and preserved lemon salad

16 Feb

Israeli couscous, squash and preserved lemon salad

Israeli couscous, butternut squash and preserved lemon are an excellent combination of tastes and textures. This salad is a recent happy addition to the family dinner rotation. Continue reading →

Tags: butternut squash, dairy-free, pine nuts, preserved lemon, vegan, vegetarian

Comments 1 Comment
Categories Salad, USA

Breakfast burrito

8 Feb

breakfast burrito

On Sundays, we generally have a cooked breakfast (though it’s often noon by the time we sit down to eat it).

It’s often a full-on fry-up, heuvos rancheros, eggs benedict, or a homestyle egg McMuffin. But over the last year, these breakfast burritos have shouldered their way into the rotation.

Having experimented with different fillings and methods, I’ve pretty much settled on the version below: spicy hash brown potatoes topped with a fried egg all wrapped snugly in a warmed flour tortilla. Continue reading →

Tags: dairy-free, eggs, potatoes, tortillas, vegetarian

Comments 8 Comments
Categories Breakfast, Eggs, Sandwich/Wrap, USA

Bloody-Mary-infused cherry tomatoes

16 Oct

cherry tomatoes marinated in vodka

The idea for these delicious little tomato-vodka flavour bombs comes from from the Epicurious website, (via my godmother).

The original marinade involves sugar and vinegar (and is lovely). But as soon as I tried one, my thoughts turned to Bloody Marys. Continue reading →

Tags: cherry tomatoes, dairy-free, finger food, vegan, vegetarian, vodka

Comments 8 Comments
Categories USA

Gypsy soup

10 Sep

gypsy soup

I’ve been making gypsy soup for many years. I have no idea why the Moosewood cookbook calls it “gypsy soup”, or what it means by “a spiced and delectable brew of Spanish and Dickensonian origins”.

Is it a reference to Linda Dickinson, one of the thirty-odd “Moosewood people” credited at the front? Or a mis-spelling of “Dickensian”? (Though what this soup has to do with Victorian England, social commentary, or sentimentality is anyone’s guess.)

Perhaps it refers to the length of the ingredients list?

Continue reading →

Tags: chickpeas, dairy-free, gluten-free, green peppers, Moosewood, red peppers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, vegan, vegetarian

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Beans/Pulses, Soup, USA

Chicken fajitas

1 Sep

Stir-fry goes Mexican… Chicken fajitas are classic mid-week fare around here.

I usually make them with strips of red pepper and onions, – courgette spears (cooked so that they retain some crispness) are a nice addition.

Continue reading →

Tags: American food, chicken, red peppers, Tex-Mex, tortillas

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Chicken, Sandwich/Wrap, USA

Waldorf salad

28 Aug

waldorf salad

I first learned of the existence of Waldorf salad from Fawlty Towers. Like Basil, I had no idea what it was:

Customer: “Could you make me a Waldorf salad?”
Basil: “Waldorf salad. I think we’re just out of Waldorfs.”

But by the end of the episode – unlike Basil – I was pretty clear on how to make one:

Customer: “No! No cheese! It’s celery, apples, walnuts, grapes!”
Basil: “Right!”
Customer: “In mayonnaise!”
Basil: “Right!”

Continue reading →

Tags: American food, apples, celery, dairy-free, gluten-free, grapes, vegetarian, walnuts

Comments 5 Comments
Categories Salad, USA

Beef goulash

25 Mar

Beef goulash is one of the first dishes I learned to cook on my own. The original recipe is from Seventeen magazine – that’s how long I have been making this dish…;-)

Continue reading →

Tags: beef, carrots, courgettes, dairy-free, potatoes, Soup, stew, zucchini

Comments 4 Comments
Categories Beef, Main, Soup, USA

Lemon meringue pie

24 Nov

Next on my belated list of Great British Bake-off signature bakes is a classic lemon meringue pie.

Where I grew up, most restaurants (at least the kind my family ate in), had at least three types of pie on offer.

Apple, cherry, blueberry, pumpkin, raisin, bumbleberry, saskatoon, rhubarb, pecan, peach… I’d happily order any of them, but if lemon meringue pie was on the menu, they wouldn’t get a look in.

After reviewing several recipes, I settled on this one from The Great British Book of Baking, which was published to accompany the first series of the Great British Bake-Off.

Sweet shortcrust pastry, a tangy lemon filling you could stand a fork in, and pillowy French meringue – it looked and tasted like the lemon meringue pie of my childhood. Works for me.

Continue reading →

Tags: GBBO, Great British Bake-off, lemons, meringue, pie, vegetarian

Comments 9 Comments
Categories Baking, Dessert, Pastry/Tarts, USA

Turkey white bean chilli

6 Nov

This turkey white bean chilli is a lighter, fresher take on the rich, red chilli con carne I grew up eating – though the chipotle paste ensures it still packs a punch.

Continue reading →

Tags: American food, cannellini beans, chilli, dairy-free, turkey

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Beans/Pulses, Main, USA

Chocolate babka

25 Sep

The moment I saw those Great British Bake-off contestants tackling chocolate bread, I knew I’d be making chocolate babka.

I first heard of chocolate babka in that episode of Seinfeld where Jerry and Elaine fail to buy one for a dinner party, but have never made – or eaten – any type of babka until now.

It turns out that making babka is a time-consuming, fiddly labour of love. Part way through the bread-braiding process, I thought “this is the first and last chocolate babka I’m going to make.”

And then I tasted that pillowy sweet dough laced with swirls and knots of chocolate and nuggets of toasted pecan. If I hadn’t been stupified by deliciousness, I could have happily started making another one immediately…;-)

Continue reading →

Tags: chocolate, Eastern European food, Great British Bake-off, Jewish food, vegetarian, yeast bread

Comments 5 Comments
Categories Baking, Dessert, Ukraine, USA

Guacamole

3 Jun

Guacamole is one of those things it should be impossible to get wrong. Mash and season a ripe avocado, serve with tortilla chips – the shortest recipe ever.

And yet, there is so much lousy guacamole out there, it seems worth writing a few words on the subject. Continue reading →

Tags: avocados, dairy-free, gluten-free, Mexican food, Tex-Mex, vegan, vegetarian

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Dip, Mexico, USA

Turkey burgers

17 Apr

Turkey burgers can be pretty dry and tasteless, and it taken some experimenting to produce one I’m happy to eat. I opt for ground turkey thigh mince instead of breast, and add cheddar and anchovy for extra fat and flavour.

Topped with lettuce and tomato, and served in a homemade hamburger bun with a side of sweet potato fries, you have a fresh take on the classic burger and fries. Continue reading →

Tags: American food, turkey

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Main, Sandwich/Wrap, USA

Hamburger buns

14 Apr

Store-bought hamburger buns are always a huge disappointment. It seems such a shame to go make fabulous patty, top it with fresh veg and a slice of good cheese… then stick it between two washing-up sponges.

So I forgo the bun, but that’s not entirely satisfying either. With a bit of planning, you can make a batch of hamburger buns that are so delicious, you might decide to forgo the patty…;-) Continue reading →

Tags: vegetarian, yeast breads

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Baking, USA

Cornbread

15 Jan

I grew up eating cornbread, but it’s not that common in the UK. The girls were pretty skeptical the first time I made it. “I don’t know what it is!” Lyra complained. “Is it a bread or a cake?”

Cornbread does edge towards cake territory, with its slight sweetness and moist crumb. This recipe makes loads, which is fine by me as cornbread makes a great leftover. Continue reading →

Tags: American food, bread, corn, quick breads

Comments 10 Comments
Categories Baking, USA

Light Caesar salad

5 Jan

This is the light version of the Caesar salad I grew up eating. I’ve swapped Greek yogurt for the raw egg and much of the olive oil.

The better the ingredients, the better the salad. Good oil, good Parmesan, and good bread to make the croutons rather than buying a packet.

Continue reading →

Tags: parmesan, romaine lettuce, yogurt

Comments 7 Comments
Categories Salad, USA

Cheese and nut loaf

3 Jan

In many years as a vegetarian, I’d never encountered a nut roast before moving to the UK. The veggie food I cooked was Asian in influence, and – bean burgers aside – dishes that deliberately replicated meat were unknown to me.

British vegetarian food in the mid 90s seemed all about producing veggie versions of sausages, meat pies and roast dinners. And in this pre-Quorn era, the nut roast reigned supreme. Continue reading →

Tags: American food, brown rice, cheese, cottage cheese, gluten-free, nut loaf, nut roast, nuts, vegetarian

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Main, USA

Oatmeal school cookies

18 Oct

Oatmeal school cookies strike the right balance between healthy and treat. Despite the wholewheat flour and wheat germ, there’s just enough sugar and butter to spare them being worthy.

I’ve made these cookies dozens of times, using whatever dried fruit I have on hand, or swapping the fruit for chocolate chips.

They are just as nice with nuts – but then they wouldn’t be school cookies, unless your school is bucking the “nut-free-zone” trend.

Continue reading →

Tags: American food, biscuits, cookies, oatmeal, raisins, vegetarian

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Baking, USA

Strawberry shortcake

8 Jul

Strawberry shortcake is America’s take on the quintessentially British scones with cream and jam. Fresher, looser, less “proper”, and somehow more bountiful – for me, strawberry shortcake wins hands down. Continue reading →

Tags: cream, fruit, shortcake, strawberries, vegetarian

Comments 9 Comments
Categories Baking, Dessert, USA

Manhattan cocktail

29 Mar

I’ve been taking things easy on the drinks front since our cocktail-tastic Christmas. But as the end of a busy work week loomed, the thought of a TGIF cocktail was pretty tempting.

The Manhattan has only three ingredients – rye whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters. As a Canadian, I have a nostalgic fondness for Canadian Club, but there are a lot of rye whiskeys to choose from these days, and bourbon works as well. Continue reading →

Tags: bourbon, cocktails, dairy-free, gluten-free, rye whisky, vegan, vegetarian, vermouth

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Categories cocktails, Drink, USA

Snickerdoodles

21 Feb

Snickerdoodles… the name alone is reason enough to make them. They are also delicious, with a cakey, almost doughnuty, texture. They are sturdy little numbers, well suited to packed lunches. When I worked as a bush cook, I would often make snickerdoodles for my tree planting crew. Continue reading →

Tags: biscuits, cookies, Nigella, nutmeg, vegetarian

Comments 4 Comments
Categories Baking, USA

Green lentil soup

6 Jan

After a couple of weeks of indulging myself with cocktails and Christmas baking, I find myself craving things like this green lentil soup for supper.

Like many young girls, I converted to vegetarianism in my teens. This wasn’t a straightforward thing to do in northern Canada in those days. The supermarkets had only recently started selling yogurt – tofu, hummus, and soy mince had yet to arrive. There were no veggie burgers, sausages or nut cutlets in the freezer section, and Quorn hadn’t been invented.

Continue reading →

Tags: dairy-free, gluten-free, lentils, tarragon, vegan, vegetarian

Comments 4 Comments
Categories Soup, USA

Stacked enchiladas

9 Nov

While traditional enchiladas are rolled, in New Mexico they do things differently. Lightly fried corn tortillas are spread with sauce and cheese and stacked together, and often served topped with a fried egg.

This is my take on stacked enchiladas. I don’t bother frying the tortillas, opting to bake the assembled stacks in the oven instead. While they are very nice with just the traditional sauce and cheese, I often add toppings to each layer – mushrooms and olives, usually – to give the dish more substance. It’s important to slice toppings thinly so they cook quickly and the stack melds together in the oven. Continue reading →

Tags: cheese, Tex-Mex, tortillas, vegetarian

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Main, USA

Kale chips

30 Oct

I am genuinely amazed at how much both my girls love kale chips – it’s like child catnip. I cannot leave a bowl unattended for five minutes and expect a single crumb to remain. It must be a super food indeed to get children squabbling over who has eaten more than their fair share of the kale. Continue reading →

Tags: dairy-free, finger foods, gluten-free, kale, vegan, vegetarian

Comments 2 Comments
Categories USA

Lime meringue pie

26 Sep

I seriously over-estimated the quantity of limes needed to make 30 litres of sayonara baby for my birthday bash. As a result, limes have been featuring pretty large in our meals recently. Vietnamese chicken salad, salmon phyllo parcels, caipirinhas of course, and still a towering heap of limes dominates the fruit bowl…

…which inspired me to make a lime meringue pie. After reviewing a number of lime pie recipes, I opted to include some lemon juice to ensure the filling was tart enough to balance the sweetness of the meringue and biscuity base. Four more limes down, fourteen to go… Continue reading →

Tags: fruit, limes, meringues, pie, vegetarian

Comments 8 Comments
Categories Dessert, Pastry/Tarts, USA

Blueberry crumb cake

15 Aug

This blueberry crumb cake is the first thing I’ve baked in the new oven. While I’m obviously very happy to have a new appliance, I was used to the old one’s idiosyncracies and adapted my cooking to accommodate them. It’s going to take while to suss out this new kid in town… Continue reading →

Tags: blueberries, cake, fruit, streusel, vegetarian

Comments 1 Comment
Categories Baking, Dessert, USA

Sri Wasano’s infamous rice salad

6 Aug

Sri Wasano’s infamous rice salad featured regularly in my veggie years, when the Moosewood Cookbook was my go-to source of inspiration. The recipe sounded impressive, looked exotic, and tasted great.

I’ve always wondered who Sri Wasano was and whether the salad has any connection whatsoever to Indonesia. A two-minute web search uncovered an interview with author Molly Katzen. She revealed that the recipe was a version of a version of a dish someone she knew once ate in an Indonesian restaurant in the Netherlands – and that it had nothing whatsoever to do with anyone called Sri Wasano.

While the list of ingredients seems long, the salad comes together quickly, the dressing is sensational, and the texture contrast between the chewy rice, juicy pineapple, and crisp vegetables is interesting (in a good way). If you’re concerned about eating raw beansprouts, blanch them in boiling water for a minute or so, then drain and refresh under cold water before adding to the salad. Continue reading →

Tags: Asian food, bean sprouts, brown rice, dairy-free, Moosewood, peppers, pineapple, vegetarian

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Categories Salad, USA

Nachos

5 Aug

Done well, nachos are a wonderful thing. And when it’s so easy to do them well, it’s frustrating how often they are a disappointment.

Here are some tips, based on my experience of making nachos at home:

Chips: Use the right sort of tortilla chips – plain, triangular, no fancy flavourings or shapes.
Layering. Build your stack of nachos in layers, scattering toppings each time you add more chips. You want melted cheese throughout the heap fusing the chips together, not sulking in unappetizing puddles. And don’t overdress the top – this just steams the chips.
Toppings: Grated cheese, sliced black olives, sliced green onions, finely chopped tomato, or pickled jalapenos – all good. Meat products not so much, and coriander leaves just burn, so save them for the salsa. Anything else is a no-go around here.
Temperature: Don’t cook nachos at too high a temperature, or the top will burn before all the chips have a chance to crisp up. 375°F is about right. I’ve also used the gas barbeque, well heated then dropped to medium-low. Three or four minutes with the lid down resulted in perfect nachos.
Dips: Salsa, guacamole, sour cream – either dolloped on top after taking the nachos out of the oven, or served on the side. You need to eat them more quickly with them on top – but that’s never been a problem…

Continue reading →

Tags: cheese, finger foods, gluten-free, Mexican food, olives, Tex-Mex, tortilla chips, vegetarian

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Categories USA

Homestyle egg McMuffin

22 Jul

To my mind, the egg McMuffin is the best thing McDonalds has to offer. Even so, I’d far rather make one at home with a crispy fried egg, vintage cheddar, good quality ham and some chopped green onion. Now that I think of it, I’m not even sure that the girls have ever eaten a “real” one… Continue reading →

Tags: cheese, eggs, English muffins, ham

Comments 6 Comments
Categories Breakfast, Eggs, Sandwich/Wrap, USA

Pancakes with bacon and maple syrup

22 Jun

These are the pancakes my mum used to make, which I included in Fern’s Food. We’ve played around with different recipes over the years, but have pretty much settled on this one now. Continue reading →

Tags: American food, pancakes, vegetarian

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Categories Breakfast, Fern's Food, USA, World Cup 2014

Watermelon feta salad

14 Jul

This is very tasty and dead easy – one of those dishes that are almost too simple to be called a recipe. Continue reading →

Tags: feta, fruit, gluten-free, rocket, vegetarian, watermelon

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Salad, USA

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