Greens, yellow, red, black & blue

I am in the spicy meatball or kefta section of the tagine book.  Last week's was one of my favourite things - meatballs with poached eggs.  This reminded me of Turkish pizza with lamb & egg on top which I am keen to perfect.  This tagine is best made on the top of the stove and takes no time at all.  The meatballs are poached rather than fried.  Mix 225g mince with 1 finely chopped onion, 1 tsp dried mint, 1 tsp ras-el-hanout, 1/2 tsp dried chilli, a small bunch of finely chopped parsley & salt & pepper and make into about 12 small meatballs.
Fill a shallow pan with water & bring to the boil & carefully drop in the kefta.  Poach for 10 minutes turning occasionally.  Remove the kefta & drain.  Tip away all but about 300mls of the poaching liquid & add 1 tbsp butter, then bring to the boil.  Stir in a pinch of salt & 1 tsp dried chilli then return the poached kefta to the pan. I also added half a tin of crushed tomatoes because they were in the fridge and that was nice.   Cook over a high heat until almost all the liquid has evaporated then break an egg per person carefully between the kefta.  Cover & gently cook until the eggs are just set.  About 3-5 minutes.  Sprinkle over roasted cumin & chopped parsley.
We have been trying to eat more fish although it is always tricky to do it mid-week as it means a trip across town after work.  We often get some on Sunday at the market.   We had a lovely piece of salmon with pea salsa & crushed potatoes.  To make the pea salsa cook frozen peas as usual.  For 4, blend 1/2 cup each basil & flat leaf parsley, 3 anchovies, 1 clove crushed garlic, 1 tbsp capers, 4 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp cold water, in the food processor.  Mix half with the drained peas & set aside the rest.  Boil some Agria potatoes & crush lightly with the back of a fork.  Mix through a little olive oil & season.
Brush both sides of the salmon, skinned, with oil & pan fry until cooked the way you like it,  Don't overdo it.  Serve the salmon atop the potatoes, then top with the peas & drizzle over the reserved salsa. 
I had some Chinese greens again & a few sprigs of broccoli & a couple of asparagus stalks so I cooked them the way I told you a few weeks ago & served with sliced pork & egg noodles.  The next day I did the rest of the choy sum, with mushrooms & served with a plain omelette.  Just keep playing around with these greens.  There is so much you can do with them and they are so fresh tasting.  And they look pretty on the plate.  Always a plus. 
We had guests at the weekend and to start served a plate of antipasto.  This included some of the olives we brined ourselves and they were truly delicious.
We then served the chicken & couscous I made not long ago.  This was a good meal for a crowd as you can prepare ahead.  And it was a crowd pleaser - you will note the plate had been disturbed before I got in the photo.   I served it with a green salad.
The piece de resistance though was the pudding.  As you know I can be a bit lazy in this department.  I wanted something light  - it is after all spring, ha ha.  I settled for individual lemon jellies served with lemon curd & meringue.  This was again easy because everything was done ahead.  You could do it a couple of days ahead.
Clarifying the jelly seemed a pain but it was not too bad.  I always freeze left over whites when I separate eggs & I clarify with these.  You can also use this method to clarify your stock & savoury jellies.  I made my jellies in little tin jelly moulds from my childhood.  Top everything off with a small dollop of gently whipped cream and serve with a shot of limoncello.  Of course I have heaps of meringues left.  Any suggestions? 
We picked our first cabbage this week.  They have not been a great success in that a couple bolted and the ones that hearted up are quite small, but they are cabbages & there are only 2 mouths to feed.  We made two meals from this little beauty.
The first night I steamed the cabbage, finely sliced, about 4 minutes, then tipped back into the pan with a knob of butter & a turn or so of the pepper grinder.  We served this with pork fillet & lentils.  It was quite cold here this week and this was a perfect mid-week meal.
The next night we had a coleslaw variation with chicken.  We didn't have any mung beans but used pea sprouts and there was something about it that made it better than I remembered.  More mint maybe.  Or perhaps it was just that deliciously fresh cabbage.
A couple of weeks back in Moore Wilson they had RWC themed macarons.  The black was liquorice & delicious.  Not sure what the blue flavour was but equally delicious and they look so cute. 
Have just been out in the garden and note that peas, rhubarb & broad beans coming along nicely.   I wanted to say "coming soon" but Peter suggests just say "coming".

Thinking of spring

This week's effort may have been the best tagine ever.  This was my first beef tagine.  Soften one finely sliced red onion, 3 crushed cloves of garlic and a small piece of grated ginger.  When they begin to colour, add one red chilli finely chopped, 2 tsp coriander seeds crushed and 2 sticks of cinnamon.  Add 3-4 lightly cooked beetroots, peeled & quartered.  Saute the beetroot for a minute or so then pour in enough boiling water to nearly cover.  Put the tagine in the oven (put it in at 100 & bring the temperature up to 180).  After about an hour  & 1/2, add an orange peeled & segmented, a tbsp runny honey, 1 tbsp orange flower water & seasoning.  Cover & cook a further 15 minutes.  To serve, sprinkle over lightly roasted pistachios & chopped parsley.  I served it with couscous.
Sunday was Phoebe's last dinner at home before heading back to university & she asked for home made burgers.  I went for a lamb variation.  I make a delicious mix of lamb mince with bulgar wheat, garlic, dried mint & oregano (dried has a more intense flavour) & lemon zest - I think I've told you before.  Sometimes I make them into big patties, sometimes little meatballs to serve on skewers.  On this occasion I made medium sized patties to serve in pitta bread with hummus & a mix of  salad items.  This makes a great change from burgers.  We had the leftovers in our salad lunches.
On Tuesday I made a broccoli & blue cheese salad with the last of the broccoli from the garden.  It was so wonderful I may have to make it again this week with shop bought broccoli.  I urge you to try this.  Apart from broccoli & blue cheese which you have to use - otherwise I'd have to rename the dish - you can put in what ever you have in the fridge.  For the base I used crispy cos and baby spinach.  These days with a composed salad I dress each component as I compose it.  I made a lemony, mustardy vinaigrette & tossed the lettuce with the dressing in a bowl before adding to the salad dish. Cut the broccoli into tiny florets & blanch 1-2 minutes then toss in the dressing bowl & add to the lettuce.  I had some French bread left over from the weekend so I made tiny crispy garlic croutons.  At the market on Sunday I bought some speck from Little Wolf.  If you live in Wellington you should try this.  Sometimes his wife brings delicious Hungarian baking to the market. I put the rind (plus a parmesan rind I found in the freezer) in my pumpkin soup on Monday.  Finely dice the speck, fry & drain well.  I used Roquefort from the French cheese stall at the market and it was the perfect crumbly consistency.  I added halved cherry tomatoes, toasted almonds & micro greens.
Wednesday we had a delicious chicken & couscous meal.  Use 2 boneless chicken thighs, skin on, per person & tie them up with string to reatin their shape while cooking.  Brown on all sides in a pan then set aside.  Add a thinly sliced onion, 1/2  tsp ground corainder & 1/4 tsp each ground turmeric & ginger, 1 crushed garlic clove & a bayleaf.  Soften, adding a sprinkling of water to the pan if the spices start to catch.  Add 1/2 tin drained chickpeas, a handful of green olives & 1 cup chicken stock.  Season, then sit the chicken thighs on top, cover & simmer about 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.  Remove the pan from the heat & transfer the thighs to a plate to rest - keep them warm.  Stir 3/4 cup couscous to the pan, cover & leave 10 minutes, then fluff up with a fork.  Add lemon zest & chopped parsley.  We had the left over couscous in our lunch salads.

A Bit of Everything

On a busy week night make a quick and simple spicy bean stew. Soften red onion, carrot, capsicum, garlic with some chilli flakes in a large frying pan. Stir in 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cinnamon & 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg and cook for a minute or so before adding a squeeze of tomato paste, a tin of chickpeas and a tin of kidney beans, drained, 1/2 cup vegetable stock and a tin of crushed tomatoes -I sometimes use a cup or so of homemade tomato sauce (see below). Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or so then add a cup of frozen sweet corn & cook a further 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley to serve. Serve on its own or with couscous.

I bring a cup of water or chicken stock to the boil, add a cup of couscous (try Tipiak) and some roasted garlic, tightly cover and leave for 10 minutes or so. Then fluff up the couscous with a fork, stir in good olive oil, toasted pinenuts and some finely chopped parsley. Sometimes I use Casbah roasted garlic & olive oil but I still add extra oil & pinenuts at the end. I just like pinenuts.

Leftovers of the beans will freeze well and you could serve as a side dish with a plate of old fashioned beef sausages and mash, or add some chopped chorizo.

Follow with rice pudding. I've always used Edmonds and we like the skin on, in our family, but last week I tried something different. Put 1 1/2 tbsp washed short-grain rice, grated zest of 1 lemon, 45g butter, cut into small pieces, 45g sugar, 500ml milk, 400ml cream, 1/2 tsp cinnamon in your ovenproof dish. Bake at 120C for 2-3 hours, stirring every hour or so. Then stir well, add juice of a lemon & serve with dried fruit compote. Put 100g each of 4 kinds if dried fruit - I used apricots, figs, prunes & sultanas - in a saucepan just covered with cold water. Bring slowly to the boil, cover & stand.

Last night we had a pork fillet with a roasted vegetable salad. For 300g pork, combine 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 clove of crushed garlic, 1 tsp finely chopped rosemary, zest of half a lemon in a bowl & season with salt & pepper. Rub over the pork & set aside.

Combine 2 parsnips & 2 carrots peeled & sliced on the diagonal, 1 red onion peeled & quartered, 4 cloves of garlic, (skin on, tops cut off), in a roasting dish, toss in a little olive oil & season. Roast at 200C about 40 mins.

Make a dressing for the veg of 1 tbsp lemon juice, 3 tbsp olive oil, crushed garlic, 1/2 tsp wholegrain mustard and some finely snipped chives. Brown the pork on all sides in a hot pan then roast for 12 minutes. Just pop a small roasting dish along side the vegetables. When done cover loosely with foil & rest for 10 minutes. When the vegetables are done add some chopped spinach leaves to the pan and let wilt down for a few minutes then toss with dressing and add the sliced pork.

I served with Puy lentils which are pretty much my standard accompaniment to pork. Soften a shallot , a clove of garlic, half a celery stick , half a carrot & a rasher of streaky bacon, all finely chopped. Once softened a cup of Puy lentils and stir until slick with oil, then add a bay leaf, a tsp grainy mustard and a cup of red wine. Cook down, then add 2 cups water, bring to the boil and simmer about 20 minutes. Add more water if necessary. I do this with most pork dishes, roast chicken and it is delicious with a garden salad, especially with left over cold pork or chicken sliced in & feta cheese. A few years ago Harriet had a friend whose household did not run to garlic or soy sauce. Puy lentils were new to him and his friendship was obviously the year of the Puy lentil. He asked if we ate them at every meal because his visits always coincided with a meal that included them. I probably do them around once a month and I always make enough to have cold with a salad for lunch. In summer I cook them up after work to take for lunch the next day.

This afternoon I made a batch of fresh tomato sauce to freeze. I use a 2550g tin which makes the equivalent of about 6 bought jars and costs less than half. Start by softening 3 finely chopped onions and 9 cloves or garlic with about 200g finely chopped streaky bacon. Add 3 finely chopped carrots, 300ml red or white wine and the tin of chopped tomatoes. Bring rapidly to the boil and after about 10 minutes add some dried oregano & season with salt & pepper. I add sugar as well because it brings out the tomato flavour. Simmer a further half hour & leave to cool. I blend it a little either in the blender or with the stick thing and freeze in about 1 cup portions. I often use this when a recipe calls for a tin of tomatoes. It will keep around a week in the fridge. The giant tins of tomatoes are really good value. I also use them to make homemade tomato ketchup.

This week we brought the olives out for inspection. When we opened the jar we were greeted with a rather unattractive furry covering which told us they were ready. Phoebe was somewhat alarmed but apparently this is what helps to preserve them. You rinse them well before the final bottling. Put them in sterilised jars & cover with a brine - ratio 1 L water to 75g salt, add 2 tbsp red wine vinegar the gently pour a layer of olive oil on the top. Seal & refrigerate once opened. We opened & served to Harriet who is an olive connoisseur. She gave them the thumbs up.

And lastly you must get some Clevedon Valley buffalo yoghurt. This is delicious. It has a wonderful sharpness. I am using the mozzarella this evening with a pumpkin cannelloni so will let you know how I get on.