Tag Archives: vegetarian

Cranberry and white chocolate chip oatmeal cookies

1 Aug

cranberry-white-chocolate-biscuits

I know we’re due for another trip to Canada when my precious stash of butterscotch chips has run out…;-)

On the few occasions I’ve seen butterscotch chips for sale in the UK, they were in the specialty imports section and crazy expensive. So I tuck a few bags into my suitcase whenever we make the trip home. And Canadian houseguests have been known to arrive bearing butterscotch chips for me (and Goldfish crackers for the girls).

When oatmeal butterscotch chip cookies aren’t an option, these cranberry and white chocolate numbers are a decent alternative.

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Mattar paneer

29 Jul

Mattar paneer

Mattar paneer is one of my favourite curries to make at home. It’s just never as fresh when you order it in a restaurant. The peas will have gone a bit grey and sad looking, and the paneer will be rubbery.

More often than not, they will have added cream as well, which seems unnecessary in a curry that contains cheese.

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Celeriac remoulade

24 Jul

Celeriac remoulade

Celeriac is generally considered to be a winter vegetable. Velvety celeriac soup, sausages with celeriac mash, beef stew simmered with carrots, celeriac and shallots – comfort food at its best.

Celeriac remoulade has opened my eyes to its warm weather possibilities. A fresh, lighter alternative to potato salad, we’ve been eating it all summer long. Continue reading →

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Kachumber

16 Jul

kachumber

Kachumber is a simple, delicious Indian chopped salad that takes just minutes to make. It provides a welcome freshness to any Indian meal, and works particularly well with kebabs and grilled meat.

Kachumber is so straightforward to make that a recipe isn’t really necessary. But for the record, here’s the way I make it. Continue reading →

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Peach-basil sorbet

12 Jul

Peach-basil sorbet

Peaches and basil both say “summer” to me – and in this peach-basil sorbet they can say it together…

I made this sorbet with those little flat white peaches that have been appearing in the shops the last few years. The lovely rosy colour was a pleasant surprise – the result of leaving the skins on the peaches when I puréed them. Continue reading →

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Hummus

10 Jul

Hummus

Once exotic, hummus is now a grocery store staple. It is also now considered children’s fare (at least in the UK), along with fish fingers, chipolatas, and those mini Babybel cheeses. Both my girls adore sandwiches filled with hummus and sliced black olives.

Other vegetables are getting in on the hummus act. Butternut squash, red pepper, spinach and beet hummus are all a thing. Call me old fashioned, but if it doesn’t contain chickpeas and tahini, it’s not hummus – it’s a dip. Continue reading →

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Strawberry shortcake

8 Jul

Strawberry shortcake

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 →

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Lemon risotto

4 Jul

Lemon risotto

A dish of lemon risotto with a heap of steamed asparagus is one of my favourite spring/summer meals. It also makes a great starter – in which case this recipe will feed four. Continue reading →

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Lemon-ginger flapjacks

2 Jul

Lemon ginger flapjacks

In Canada a flapjack is another name for a pancake. Here in the UK, it’s a sort of baked oat square. Similar to a granola bar, a good flapjack is chewy and dense and sweet with golden syrup.

The first flapjack I tasted was not good – in fact, it was a huge disappointment. While it looked tempting enough in the sandwich shop with its generous coating of chocolate, it tasted of nothing but cheap oil and sugar, compacted itself into my molars and left a coating of grease on the roof of my mouth. I didn’t finish it – or buy another flapjack for a good ten years. Continue reading →

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Bruschetta al pomodoro (tomato bruschetta)

30 Jun

Tomato bruschetta

Bruschetta al pomodoro is simplicity itself – so why write a post about it?

Two reasons:

  1. While the list of ingredients is short and the preparation straightforward, there are a few things worth knowing that can make the difference between a mouthwatering crispy delight and a confused, soggy mess.
  2. I’ve been served so many disappointing, and frankly odd, versions of tomato bruschetta that it seems worth setting down how to do it right.

Continue reading →

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Scott’s martini

24 Jun

Scott's martini

There are a lot of strong opinions about what makes a great martini. Personally, I’m pretty flexible. I’ve enjoyed them with gin and vodka – dry, wet or dirty. I’m happy with olives, lemon peel or a cocktail onion (though actually I think that’s a Gibson).

Two essentials for me: A great martini must be icy cold. And it must achieve a satisfying balance between its elements. Otherwise, it’s just a cold glass of gin…

I’m in the happy position of having two good friends who make great martinis. As Scott is visiting from Canada this week, I’m featuring his version here (with permission).  Continue reading →

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Chocolate-raspberry ice cream

18 Jun

chocolate-raspberry-icecream2

Move over lemon ice cream… there’s a new kid in town.

I made this chocolate-raspberry ice cream for the first time other day. It certainly won’t be the last – all four of us were completely wowed by it.

The recipe couldn’t have been easier. Four basic ingredients – cream, chocolate, sugar, raspberries. And being a Philadelphia-style ice cream, there was no messing about with egg yolks and custard. Continue reading →

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Antiguan pineapple bread

11 Jun

Antiguan pineapple bread

The distinctive taste of Angostura bitters sets this Antiguan pineapple bread apart from the other quick breads and loaf cakes I make.

I’m sure it would work nicely with vanilla as well, but given the last bottle of Angostura bitters I finished was “by appointment to his majesty King George VI” I’m very happy to stick to the original recipe. Continue reading →

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Champ

9 Jun

Champ

Champ – mashed potatoes with spring onions – is the most comforting of comfort foods. Apparently, it’s still sometimes served as a main dish in Northern Ireland, which would work for me…

Continue reading →

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Pasta alle zucchini

6 Jun

zucchini-egg-pasta

We were introduced to pasta alle zucchini by our lovely Roman friend Mariella. She was a bit dismissive when she served it for dinner one evening, describing it as simple family fare, but we found zucchini and egg to be a winning combination. Continue reading →

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Aloo achaar (Nepalese potato salad)

2 Jun

aloo-achaar

Where have you been all my life, aloo achaar? Waiting quietly on page 50 of my well-worn copy of Madhur Jaffrey’s World of the East Vegetarian Cooking, that’s where. I must have flipped past you a hundred times on my way to the very spicy delicious chickpeas or diced potatoes with spinach recipe. Continue reading →

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Rhubarb crumble ice cream

30 May

rhubarb-crumble-icecream

Rhubarb crumble ice cream is an inspired idea – tart rhubarb, silky sweet cream, nuggets of cakey crumble. It’s not the most visually seductive of ice creams, at least when made with the chunky green stalks of rhubarb from my garden patch. None of that delicate pink forced rhubarb for us.

 

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Piyaz (Turkish white bean salad with a tahini dressing)

23 May

Cannellini bean salad with tahini dressing

Piyaz is a traditional Turkish bean and onion salad, typically garnished with slices of tomato and hardboiled egg. The recipe varies from region to region – in Antalya they add tahini to the dressing, which gives it a pleasing mellowness.  Continue reading →

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Frangipane tarts

21 May

frangipane-tart-1

Frangipane is such a beautiful word, conjuring up images of sugar and spice, flowers and French patisserie. These tasty little numbers with their moreish almond filling, tart slick of raspberry jam and flaky crisp pastry are as delicious to eat as the name suggests.

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Orecchiete with broccoli

16 May

Orecchiete with broccoli and anchovies

Orecchiete means “little ears” in Italian, which gave Lyra a bit of a scare. “Are they really made from ears?” she asked – knowing it’s just about possible I would serve her a bowl of ears in the interest of reproducing some authentic regional dish.

I could see her trying to work out which poor animal’s ears they could possibly be before I set her mind at ease. Continue reading →

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Hong Kong green beans

14 May

Hong Kong green beans

Last November in Hong Kong we ate the most delicious stir-fried green beans one evening. Finding ourselves without dinner reservations on Saturday night, we were turned away from several places before finally landing a table in one of the many restaurants in the iSquare building on Nathan Road.

Continue reading →

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Barley salad with broccoli and zahatar

12 May

Barley salad with broccoli and zahatar

The love affair with zahatar continues around here. Is there nothing that isn’t improved by a generous sprinkling of this marvellous stuff?

This salad combines toothsome pearl barley with roasted vegetables and a creamy yogurt dressing. Essentially a cooked salad, it is freshened with peashoots and parsley. Continue reading →

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Eton mess

9 May

Eton mess

May is the start of strawberry season in the UK, and strawberries are going to feature large around here in the weeks ahead: strawberries on our cereal and in our smoothies, strawberry tops in our water, strawberry shortcake, strawberry ice cream, and Eton mess. Continue reading →

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Kisir (Turkish bulghur wheat salad)

7 May

kisir

While I’ve always found tabbouleh ever so slightly worthy, with kisir it was love at first bite. This Turkish bulghur wheat salad is a much more exciting number – from its vibrant orange colour to its fiery chilli kick. Continue reading →

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Mini meringues

30 Apr

Mini meringues

Mini meringues are a great favourite with the girls – both making and eating them. For years it was deemed necessary to dye these mini meringues pink, but we’re finally moving past the “all things pink” phase.  Continue reading →

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Risi e bisi (rice and peas)

25 Apr

Rice and peas
Neither a risotto nor a soup, risi e bisi is one of the most comforting bowls of food imaginable. With so few ingredients, quality shows through. It’s wonderful with fresh peas and the pods used to flavour the stock.

Of Venetian origin, risi e bisi is traditionally served on April 25, St Mark’s Day, when the first fresh peas become available. In fact, Marcella Hazan says it should only be called risi e bisi when made with fresh peas. We’re not such sticklers around here, and I’ve been making this dish long before I heard of her. Continue reading →

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Frozen banana “ice cream”

23 Apr

Frozen banana

Frozen banana “ice cream” is a little bit of culinary magic – just sixty seconds in a food processor to transform frozen slices of banana into a smooth, silky dessert.

I first discovered it in David Cohlmeyer’s The Vegetarian Chef in my student days, and have been happily whipping up batches of the stuff ever since.  Continue reading →

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Cauliflower, cashew, pea and coconut curry

18 Apr

Cauliflower, cashew and pea curry

I’ve made this curry a few times now, as it proved popular with both girls. I like the way the flavours and textures remain distinct – the soft sweetness of cauliflower, fresh pop of peas and crunch of cashews make for a very satisfying dish. Continue reading →

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Pear and ginger oat puddings

16 Apr

Oat fruit puddings

These pear and ginger oat puddings are a cross between a fruit crumble and a flapjack. They are quick to assemble, take only fifteen minutes to cook, and are so light and healthy tasting that I’m tempted to make them for breakfast. Continue reading →

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Kabuli pilau with/without lamb

14 Apr

Kabuli pilau

Kabuli pilau is my first foray into Afghan cuisine. Considered Afghanistan’s national dish, Kabuli pilau is usually made with lamb, though I also found recipes that used chicken as well as meat-free versions. Continue reading →

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Lentil and parsnip dhal

11 Apr

Parsnip dhal

Parsnips don’t feature very often in Indian recipes – but they should. Their sweetness works really well with curry spices, and adding chunks of parsnip to red lentil dhal provides an interesting contrast in texture. Continue reading →

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Baba ghanoush

9 Apr

Baba ghanoush

Cooking the aubergines until they are soft and charred is what gives baba ghanoush its lovely smokey flavour. I achieve this by either roasting the aubergines under the grill or cooking them on the barbeque. Continue reading →

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Soft white dinner rolls

2 Apr

Soft white dinner rolls
These little dinner rolls are straightforward to make, and transform yet another “soup for supper” evening into something a bit special. If you have any leftover, they make nice little lunchbox sandwiches the next day.

The recipe is from Nigella Lawson’s Feast. Continue reading →

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Green beans with mustard seeds and ginger

31 Mar

Green beans with mustard seeds and ginger

These Gujarati green beans with mustard seeds and ginger make a lovely side dish to an Indian meal. The combination of stir frying and steaming results in vibrant green, crunchy beans. Continue reading →

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Manhattan cocktail

29 Mar

Manhattan cocktail

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 →

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Chocolate chip zucchini bread

25 Mar

chocolate-chip-zucchini-bread

This zucchini bread recipe comes from my high school cookbook – which is quite the period piece now, with its marshmallow Waldorf salad, Waikiki meatballs, ham and rice ring and “sex in the pan”.

The original recipe calls for raisins, but after substituting chocolate chips once, I’ve never switched back. It also makes two loaves. Sometimes I’ve halved the recipe by beating the three eggs together and only using half, but usually stick the second loaf in the freezer for later. Continue reading →

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Very spicy delicious chickpeas

21 Mar

Spicy delicious chickpeas Very spicy delicious chickpeas is one of my favourite curries, and something I’ve been making forever. It seems like an excessive quantity of spices as you’re making it, but in time the sauce transforms into something thick, rich and delicious. Continue reading →

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Almond-feta dip with zahatar

19 Mar

Almond-feta dip

One of my favourite Christmas gifts was the bag of Middle Eastern spices my friend Mary brought me from Bahrain. The zahatar is particularly wonderful, and I’ve been having fun adding to all sorts of things ever since, such as this feta cheese and almond dip.

Feta cheese makes a great base for a dip, and combines really well with nuts. I also make this with walnuts, but I happened to have a couple of bags of smoked almonds hanging about. I liked the smokiness so much, the next time I make it with regular almonds I’ll try adding smoked paprika. Continue reading →

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Carrot and miso soup

17 Mar

Carrot and miso soup

A bowl of vivid orange carrot and miso soup is a cheering sight on a chilly grey day. I really like how the Asian flavours of miso, ginger and sesame play against the natural sweetness of the carrots.

I’ve never seen the point of adding sugar to carrot dishes – honey-glazed carrot coins, tzimmes and the like – as they are sweet enough already. Of course, carrot cake is another matter entirely…

Continue reading →

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Chocolate pudding

14 Mar

Chocolate pudding

I remember reading about a study that demonstrated how forbidding foods triggers cravings. A group of schoolchildren with an equal liking for raisins and dried mango had access to one of them restricted.

Within a very short time, the denied snack was in much greater demand, with some children resorting to violence to get their hands on the forbidden fruit. Which may explain my childhood obsession with canned pudding…  Continue reading →

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