Chorizo and Green Bean Tapas

N often plays drums on a Tuesday night, which means he gets home and has to leave within about 15 mins so that he can make it to practice on time. In that time he needs to change out of his work clothes into his 'drum playing clothes' (a dodgy rude boy hoodie and some dated jeans!) and have a quick dinner. Luckily I get home before him so, being the wonderful wife I am, I make sure there is something ready for him to gulp down. Now to be fair, I only get home about 15-20 minutes before him so it has to be a pretty speedy dinner. Normally I make a quick pasta, a stir fry, or if things are seriosuly rushed he has to make do with poached egg on toast! Tonight, as I had some chorizo left over from a paella I made a few days back, I thought I try to conjure up a chorizo and green bean tapas style dish. It took just 15 minutes and tasted fantastic. So much so that I think it could definitely give Jamie Oliver's 15 minute meals a run for it's money!

Chorizo and Green Bean Tapas

(serves 2 | total prep and cooking time 15-20 mins)

 (sorry blog readers I just could not get this picture to rotate, you'll have to lie on your side and look at it!)

Ingredients

1 onion - diced

3 cloves garlic -finely chopped

1 pack green beans- trimmed and cut

1/2 pack cooking chorizo - sliced

2 tomatoes - chopped

1 tablespoon tomato puree

Pinch of chopped chilli

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1/2 cup boiled water

 

Method

-  Heat some olive oil in a non-stick frying pan

-  Fry the onions and garlic

-  Add the chorizo and cook for 3-4 minutes on a low heat

- Add the beans and tomato, stir well

- Add the chilli, parsley and tomato puree, stir well

- Add the boiled water and mix

- Cook until most of the water has evaporated

- Serve on toasted bread

 

 



 

 



Chocolate and Vanilla Marble Loaf Cake

I had a great urge to bake yesterday, which is very unusual for me as I am definitely more of a savoury cook than a sweet one.  It was a beautiful day so I had taken my kindle into the garden, but for some reason I just could not settle. I needed to create something.  And what better way to create than to bake a cake.  For me cooking, and in particular baking, is a cross between science and art. I love the precision of measuring and weighing, it is so completely absorbing.  But even more than that I love the feeling of creating something beautiful and decadent out of such basic raw materials. And the amazing aroma it creates while it's baking is an added bonus. As N says, candles just don't come close.

As it was a case of baking on impulse I had to work with what I had at home. Luckily I keep most of the essentials to hand.  Butter, flour, sugar and eggs are all staples in my kitchen.  Whilst taking them out I also noticed something peaking at me from my baking shelf. A bar of chocolate. Then the inspiration came. Chocolate and vanilla marble loaf cake.  And what better recipe to use than that of the queen of baking, Mary Berry.  As always I made a few signature tweaks. Every time I look at a cake recipe it astonishes me how much butter it contains. As I weigh the butter I can literally feel my arteries clogging up, so I always try to reduce the quantity as much as I think I can get away with. Same goes for the sugar content. I was also amazed to find that the original recipe didn’t contain any real chocolate in the cake itself so I added some of that in, as well as a bit of golden syrup to give it some extra depth. In my opinion this cake tastes fantastic but if you’d prefer to use the original recipe just click on the link below:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/8737915/Mary-Berrys-chocolate-and-vanilla-marble-loaf-recipe.html

Chocolate and Vanilla Marble Loaf

(serves 10| total prep and cooking time approximately 1 hour 15 mins)

Ingredients

For the Cake
150g unsalted butter (softened)
150g caster sugar
275g self-raising flour
1-2 tablespoons golden syrup (or clear honey)
2 level teaspoons baking powder
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1¹/₂ level tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons hot water
50g melted milk chocolate

For the Icing
25g butter

15g sifted cocoa powder

1-2 tablespoons milk
100g sifted icing sugar

Method

·         Preheat the oven to 160 degrees fan

·         Grease a 2lb (900g) loaf tin

·         Measure the butter,  sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs, milk and vanilla extract into a large bowl and beat with a hand-held electric mixer for about 2 minutes, until well blended.

·         Spoon half the mixture into another bowl

·         In one bowl add the golden syrup and mix well

·         Melt the chocolate in a bowl suspended over a saucepan of boiling water (bain-marie). Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water

·         In a small bowl mix the cocoa powder with the hot water until smooth. Allow to cool slightly

·         Mix the melted chocolate and the cocoa powder mixture into the second bowl of cake mixture. Mix well

·         Spoon the vanilla and chocolate cake mixture randomly into the loaf tin until all the mixture if used up. Gently level the surface

·         Bake for about 50 minutes until springy to the touch and well risen

·         To check it is cooked pierce with a knife. The knife should come out clean

·         While the cake is cooking make the icing. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the cocoa powder. Stir to blend and cook for about a minute

·         Stir in the milk and icing sugar and then remove from the heat and mix thoroughly

·         Leave aside and stir occasionally to thicken

·         Once cooked remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool

·         Slice the cake in half and spread with the icing sugar, or spread the icing sugar on top of the cake

Award winning monkfish

My god, where do the weeks go? I can’t believe it’s been three weeks since I posted anything on this blog. I am absolutely ashamed of myself. But unfortunately real life seems to have gotten the better of me recently. Between working, commuting and looking after the house and the hubby there really aren’t enough hours in the day. Although, that’s not completely true. I have managed to squeeze in some essential Olympics time.

Yesterday we spent the day at the Olympic Park. Although I try not to think about how much money the Olympics has cost the tax payer I have to admit they’ve done an amazing job on the Olympic Village. It’s well designed and well organised and it really is such a wonderful experience to be part of it. I’m not sure the experience of buying tickets can be praised quite as much. To be honest it all looked so stressful I didn’t even bother trying to do it myself. Luckily N’s sister has a lot more energy with these things than me and she kindly invited us along to watch the men’s hockey. The buzz and the adrenaline of being there in the stadium is indescribable (the Olympics as a whole that is, the match itself was a little one-sided with Australia beating Pakistan 7-0)! My favourite event so far has definitely been the athletics, for which I have sat glued to the TV for hours. For me, that’s what the Olympics are all about. N and I seem to have had more conversations about Usain Bolt this week than about anything else!

So, even after a long day at the Olympics yesterday, dinner still had to be made. I had bought some monkfish fillets the other day, but was still undecided on how I was going to cook them. I love monkfish as it’s so versatile and not too ‘fishy’! I normally cut them into medallions (quite apt for a post-Olympic meal) and add them to pasta or a fish stew. But yesterday I fancied something different. I conjured up a dish with lemon, garlic and rosemary. It was definitely a winner, so much so that N offered to give it a gold medal!

Monkfish with Lemon, Garlic and Rosemary

(serves 2 | total prep and cooking time less than 30 minutes)

Ingredients

 

2 monkfish fillets - cut in to medallions

6 cloves of garlic - peeled but left whole

Half a lemon - cut into 4 wedges

A few sprigs of rosemary

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Method

- Sprinkle some salt on the monkfish about an hour before cooking to draw out any excess water

- Heat the oven to 180 degrees fan

- Pat the monkfish medallions dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper

- Heat some olive oil in a non stick frying pan and pan fry the monkfish for about 2 minutes on each side

- Lay a piece of foil on a baking tray and transfer the monkfish to the centre of the foil using a slotted spoon. You do not want to transfer any of the liquid

Nestle the cloves of garlic and the rosemary in amongst the monkfish

- Squeeze a little lemon juice of the fish and arrange the remaining lemon wedges between the fish pieces

- Fold the foil into a parcel and place in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until the fish is cooked through

- Serve with wild rice or potatoes and vegetables of your choice



A Meal Fit for a First Date

Do you ever wish you could describe your life through food and drink? Wouldn’t that be beautiful? Your favourite food as a child or perhaps your worst food as a child! The dish you ordered on a magical night out with your partner, the first dish you cooked, the wine you drank at your wedding or perhaps the champagne at your graduation. Food and drink plays such an important part in our lives and a great dish, just like a great song, can conjure up so many wonderful memories.  I think that’s why N and I often go back to the same restaurants again and again and even the same holiday destinations. It’s the sense of familiarity it brings, the sense of comfort and the feeling of belonging.

Carluccio’s is a place that brings back the fondest memories for me. N and I went there for our first date. I know it’s just a high street chain restaurant but the food is wonderful and generally consistent and I love having a look around their food store while I wait for my table. I’ve picked up some great treats there that have since become staples in my larder.  And my signature dish….Spaghetti alle Vongole. I have to thank N for introducing me to this one. It’s so delicious we’ve been known to leave restaurants if they’ve run out of it. Carluccio’s does a fantastic job at producing this dish but we’ve also found other great versions in Paris, Sorrento and at a fantastic little family run Italian trattoria on the Gray’s Inn Road in Holborn called L’Osteria 57. The wonderful thing about this place is they let us tailor the dish to our taste so we often swop the traditional clams for mussels and prawns to give it a bit of a twist.

This dish can be prepared in two ways: with tomato (in rosso) and without (in bianco). Both are great but I tend to order the bianco variation. The rest of the ingredients are so simple, but I think it’s the simplicity that makes it taste so great. And the fact the ingredients are so simple means that it is also a great dish to prepare at home. When I recreate this dish at home I make my prawn and mussel version. You can use fresh mussels and steam them yourself but I use ready prepared ones from M&S. Bit of a cheat I know, but this way it means the whole dish takes only 15 minutes to make.

 Spaghetti alle Vongole

(serves 2 | total prep and cooking time approximately 15 minutes)

Ingredients

130g dry spaghetti

Olive oil

140g raw prawns

1 pack of Marks and Spencer’s cooked mussels in shallots and garlic or in white wine and parsley

4 cloves of garlic – finely chopped

Finely chopped chilli – how much depends on your preference

100ml white wine

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Method

·         Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the packet

·         Rinse the mussels under cold water and remove them from the shells (you can keep them in the shells if you prefer, it looks better that way but slows you down when you’re eating!)

·         Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan and pan fry the prawns till they turn pink. Remove the cooked prawns with a  slotted spoon and keep aside

·         Heat a little more oil in the same frying pan and add the garlic and chilli, cook for a couple of minutes

·         Add the prawns and the mussels

·         Add the white wine and bring to the boil. Cook at this temperature for about 5 minutes to make sure the alcohol evaporates

·         Add the chopped parsley

·         Toss in the cooked spaghetti

·         Serve with cracked black pepper on top and accompanied by garlic bread and salad

A Gift of Paper

For every year you've been married there are specific material associations relating to that anniversary. There are traditional ones, modern ones, flowers and gemstones. For our first anniversary I decided it would be fun for N and I to buy each other a present linked to the traditional association, it didn't have to be expensive, just thoughtful. The first anniversary is paper. My initial thought was a newspaper printed on the day of our wedding. But seeing it was only the previous year I figured if I looked hard enough in N's pile of still to be read newspapers I would probably find it there for free rather than paying good money for it! I racked my brains and then it finally came to me. I sourced and framed the sheet music to my entrance song at our wedding - Arrival of the Queen of Sheba by Handel - it was perfect! N also managed to stick to the theme, he bought me a paperback book I had been going on about for ages, which just shows that he does listen to me occasionally!

For our second anniversary I put my thinking cap on again. Cotton. Apart from underpants I couldn't come up with anything but I didn't give in that easily and finally decided on a soft cotton scented candle that smelt of freshly washed linen. Not really cotton I know but pretty clever laterally thinking in my view and very well received. N bought me flowers. I'm guessing he was already bored of the theme game! Our third anniversary is fast approaching and this one is associated with leather. Perhaps this year we'll club together and buy something for the house, like a leather armchair. Not very romantic I know but it's been three years now so who am I kidding!

So what's this got to do with food I hear you ask. Well recently I read that for Will and Kate's first anniversary she cooked them a meal of  fish en papillote (fish in paper). That was such a great idea, I am only jealous I didn't think of it myself. Especially because I have the perfect recipe. This salmon dish is delicious. It's one of those dishes that you forget how amazing it is until you eat it again and then you wonder why you don't cook it every week.

So, if your first anniversary is coming up this is definitely the dish for you. Or if you're already way past that one just make it anyway. It's super quick and pretty healthy, which makes it the perfect weekday dinner.

Spectacular Salmon Parcels 
(serves 2 | total prep and cooking time 30 minutes)

Ingredients
2 salmon fillets
120g couscous

1/2 stock cube dissolved in 200ml hot water

1 tomato - diced

2 spring onions - sliced

2-3 cloves of garlic - finely chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil plus extra for drizzling

juice of 1/2 a lemon

tablespoon of chopped parsley

1/4 teaspoon fresh chilli - finely chopped (or a pinch of chilli flakes)

dried tarragon

black pepper

Method

• Place the couscous in a bowl and pour the stock over it. Leave it to rest for 10 minutes
• In a separate bowl mix the tomato, spring onion, chilli, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and parsley
• Once the couscous has absorbed all the stock stir in the chopped tomato mixture. Make sure it is mixed as evenly as possible
• Cut 2 squares of baking paper (approx 25cm X 25cm)
• Transfer the couscous mixture evenly between the 2 papers
• Top the couscous with a fillet of salmon drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with dry tarragon and black pepper
• Twist the ends of the paper to resemble a large boiled sweet

• Place on a baking tray and put in the oven for 15-20 mins. Check the salmon is cooked through before you serve it
• To keep it rustic eat it from the baking paper. Serve with steamed broccoli or other vegetables

For the Love of France

I have finally come to terms with it, I am definitely a Francophile. I have no idea why. I have no familial or childhood link to France and I hated learning French at school but for some reason, on a trip to Paris a few years ago,  I suddenly had a strong urge to start learning French again. I get these hair-brained ideas regularly but for some reason this one I actually did something about. A few months later I was enrolled in an advanced beginners French language class. I have been learning French for about two years now and I love it. But it's not just the language I love, it's the French style, the people and the food.

France really does have some beautiful dishes…and desserts…and pastries…and wines…and gosh I could go on for ever. And you’ll immediately know why they cook so well if you ever take a trip to a French hypermarket. The choice they have is amazing. The variety of produce and the freshness of their fruit and veg, for me it’s like going to Disneyland!

I have a few French dishes in my repertoire now. They tend to appear after we’ve eaten something nice in France and N asks me to try and recreate it at home. N loves French fish soup, I personally will never order a fish soup in a restaurant. Once they’ve blended it like that you no longer have any idea what’s in it – how many fish heads and carcasses went in to it is anybody’s wonder. My need to find a fish soup recipe arose on a trip around the supermarket. We had just returned from Paris and N clearly still had fish soup cravings. He insisted on buying bouillabaisse in a tin. I have never seen anything that looked and tasted so revolting. But he ate it all. It was then I realised that if he loved it so much I would have to find a way of making it.

My version is not truly authentic but I had to make sure I would eat it too! But I do try to serve it as authentically as I can. I accompany it with a cheat version of an aioli (mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, crushed garlic, salt and pepper), some grated cheese (cheddar is fine it doesn’t have to be fancy) and toasted French baguette. Bon appetit! 

Fish Soup

(serves 2 as a main or 4 as a starter | total prep and cooking time 40 mins)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 onion (red or white) – chopped

2 sticks of celery – chopped

2 cloves of garlic – chopped

1 large bay leaf

2 spring onions – chopped

2 small fillets of white fish (e.g. haddock or cod) – cut into 1 inch pieces

1 small can (227g) chopped tomatoes and juices

Pinch of dry chilli flakes

½ - 1 teaspoon of paprika

The leaves of a few sprigs of thyme

½ teaspoon of dry tarragon

100g vegetables e.g. peas or runner beans

1 pint fish stock

140g cooked prawns

A generous sprinkling of parsley

Squeeze of lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Heat the oil in a saucepan on a medium heat
• Add the onion and celery and cook until they soften
• Add the garlic and bay leaf and stir, cook for a few minutes
• Add the spring onions
• Add the chopped fish and stir gently, cook for approximately 5 minutes until the fish pieces start to become opaque. Do not stir too vigorously or the pieces will break
• Add the tomato tin and juices and mix so the fish is evenly covered
• Add the chilli flakes, paprika, thyme, tarragon and the seasonings. Cook for a few minutes so the herbs and spices can infuse
• Ass the vegetables and stir
• Add the fish stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes
• Add the cooked prawns and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the fish is cooked (opaque all the way through and slightly flaky). Add more boiling water depending on your preferred consistency
• Remove the bay leaf, top with chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice and serve

Istanbul

Istanbul can only be described as a feast for all the senses. As the only city that crosses over two continents it really is a destination packed with all types of Turkish delights.

For the eyes you have the magnificent scenery. Hundreds of beautifully built mosques dotted like jewels around the coastline of the sun-reflected bright blue Bosphorus. And what about the 1500 year-old Hagia Sofia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its low hung chandeliers and ancient Christian mosaics which are, without a doubt, the must-see sight of the city.  

Your ears are filled with the sound of car horns (the traffic in Istanbul is unimaginable), the voices of the Grand Bazaar traders and the prayer calls bellowing out from each of the magnificent mosques. These noises blend together to form a soundtrack to the city.

For your taste buds you have the bitter, velvety Turkish coffee and the honey tasting tea served in miniature vase shaped glass teacups. Not to mention the intense syrupy taste of traditional Turkish pastries, baklava, which provide a perfect end to every meal.

I would say your sense of smell experiences a journey like no other. The scent of freshly made kebabs and freshly cooked bread makes you hungry even when you’ve just eaten.

And finally, for the sense of touch. Your skin rejoices under the beautiful Mediterranean sun followed by the indescribable relaxation found in the traditional Turkish baths and hammams.

Istanbul, what an experience. As you can tell I loved every minute of it. A week was too short, I could easily have stayed for another. However the highlight, apart from a week away with N of course, was, without a doubt, my Turkish cooking class. Hidden away in the old town of Sultanahmet, nestled behind the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque, was a cute little restaurant owned by a lovely lady named Eveline. This was the setting of my journey into the world of Turkish cuisine. Cooking Alaturka (www.cookingalaturka.com) provided us with the use of a real working restaurant kitchen, traditional recipes and carefully selected ingredients to prepare six delicious dishes.

We started with a hot yoghurt soup infused with dried mint, also known as a ‘meadow soup’. To follow we made runner beans cooked in olive oil with onion, garlic and tomatoes. This was delicious and definitely one I will be adding to my repertoire. We served it with delicate courgette, herb and cheese fritters. Next course was traditional lamb stew in a tomato based sauce accompanied with a smoky aubergine puree. And finally, the piece de resistance, walnut-stuffed figs cooked in syrup. This was definitely my favourite dish and one I can’t wait to make again: tiny pieces of walnut hidden in deliciously sweet figs. I can’t think of a better way to end a meal…except Turkish tea and baklava of course!

If you do go to Turkey, or any other country for that matter, I urge you to sign up to a cooking class. It’s such a wonderful way to learn something about the local culture and you get to bring home a skill to help you recreate your holiday again and again.

 

Walnut-stuffed figs in syrup

(serves 6 | prep and cooking time approximately 50 minutes)

Ingredients

12-18 dried figs (soft as possible)

100g walnuts

½ litre of water

250g sugar

The juice and peel of ¼ lemon

12-18 cloves (approximately 1 for each fig)

Grated coconut and ground pistachio for serving

Method

·         Prepare the syrup by bringing the water, sugar, cloves, lemon juice and peel  to the boil

·         In the meantime put a knife into the side of a fig and cut through to a point a little beyond the centre. Then turn the knife in a way that a little less than half the fig gets opened on its side (you are basically making a pocket)

·         Stuff the opened fig with half a walnut or the equivalent in smaller pieces. Place the bulbous side of the walnut under the stem of the fig

·         Close the fig back up making the sides stick together

·         Repeat the process with the rest of the figs

·         Add all the figs with their stem facing up into the boiling syrup. Simmer for about 30 minutes

·         Turn them mid-way through the cooking process and then turn them back again 5 minutes before the end, to give some colour on each side

·         Take the heat off and let the figs cool in the syrup

·         Transfer the figs onto a plate, leaving the syrup behind

·         Decorate with ground pistachios and grated coconut