Indian theme

When there are only two of you it can be tricky to manage leftovers.  Freezing is useful but not everything freezes.  Often you want to make up a meal of leftovers later in the week but the meals you have eaten earlier in the week don't go well together.  I had the idea of cooking to a theme so that we bought less and used everything.  Basing the week on Indian flavours we started with meatballs and paneer. I didn't use all the paneer in the first meal and not all the meatballs were eaten but they were able to be incorporated later.
Sticking with the Indian theme I turned to Jack Santa Maria who as usual provided the answer.  A very simple soup comprising primarily lentils and stock.  For two, saute a finely sliced onion, crushed garlic and a bay leaf in ghee.  Add 1/2 cup red lentils with 2 tbsp rice and 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock.  Bring to the boil.  Simmer until the lentils are cooked.  Add 1 tsp garam masala and season with salt and pepper.  To serve squeeze in some lemon juice and swirl though a handful of shredded spinach to wilt.  Jack didn't suggest this but I had some spinach which needed to be used.  Although this sounds way too simple it was just perfect.   In fact I was so inspired by this soup that I looked to see if Jack had written any more books and I found two - Traditional Indian Cookery and Indian Meat & Fish Cookery.  I ordered both of them and they are now waiting at Max's flat in London for us to collect when we visit in June.  Look out for more Indian cooking in July.
I then made a very simple aubergine curry by roasting a halved aubergine smeared with curry paste in the oven for 20 minutes at 200.  If you score the aubergine halves into cubes without cutting the skin it will cut up easily later.  When the aubergine is cooked cut it up and return to the pan with 1/2 cup vegetable stock and 200g yoghurt.  Stir to mix through and cook in the oven about 10 minutes until the sauce is heated through and thickened a little. 
The next day heat up the left over aubergine with the left over meatballs & tomato sauce and the unused paneer.  It is a completely different meal but it all goes together.
And when you are eating an Indian meal don't forget shrikand, the wonderful sweet spiced yoghurt.  The perfect conclusion to any Indian themed meal.

Another Culinary World Tour

Not much writing but still plenty of eating.  Back in the film festival I made a meal I have been meaning to share.  Did you see Le Passe at the Film Festival?  There was a scene where Ahmad made a stew for the family.  The dish had some significance as a family tradition, and it looked delicious.  It was a meat stew with a base of fresh herbs.  I looked into it.  It was Ghormeh Sabzi, a traditional Persian herb stew.   I used lamb and at the end added a handful of baby spinach to add a bit of bright green.  we served it with traditional chelow.  If you can get fresh fenugreek leaves, do, otherwise use dried at a pinch.   By chance we had seen the movie at Petone and browsed the shops beforehand.  I found a Middle Eastern supermarket and saw, for the first time in my life, fresh fenugreek but I didn't buy it because I didn't know I was going to need it.  We had to go back for it the following week.  This has replaced Gheimeh as my favourite Persian stew.  And just in case you are thinking I'm a little crazy, I am not the only one.  If you didn't see the movie, do so.
I caught a glimpse of a Norwegian cooking show on the TV and investigated further.  It turned out to be called New Scandinavian Cooking hosted by Andreas Viestad, who is quite a character in a very Norwegian way.  The funniest thing is that he always cooks outside no matter the season.  It can get quite cold in Norway.  It snows.  Picture Andreas grilling fish with snow drifting into the grill and onto the plates.  They have a lot of very interesting ingredients especially fruit with lovely names like cloudberries or lingonberries.  A trip to the library uncovered Scandilicious by Signe Johansen and we were off.  I haven't fully explored the berry fruit because it wasn't the season and I am sure we can't get cloudberries.  Peter did make a boiled egg with anchovy soldiers.
Our masterpiece was Norwegian meatballs with mashed potatoes & swede (neeps & tatties in my world) and spiced lingonberry red cabbage (we had to settle for redcurrant jelly).  It did sound a bit odd in the recipe and I was a little concerned but it was truly delicious.  We did not have brown goat's cheese and to be perfectly honest I suspect it is a little unpleasant.  For the cabbage, simmer a sliced onion, sliced apple, 1/2 a sliced red cabbage with 30 ml cider vinegar, a glass of red wine and 2 tbsp butter for an hour in a covered dish.  Check occasionally to ensure it doesn't stick.  When the cabbage and onion is very tender add 5 tbsp lingonberrey jam, (or cranberry sauce or redcurrant jelly), 2tbsp dark brown sugar, 1 cinnamon stick, 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg and 5 cloves, and cook a further 30 mins.  Add another splosh of red wine before serving.
Peter went away for a couple of weeks to the UK and then to Peru and I had the idea to make one of his favourites for a homecoming lunch.  So I tackled the pork pie.  I just used home made chicken stock and gelatin leaves for the jelly because I didn't have time to be boiling pigs' trotters.  I didn't have a pie dolly - not sure what one is - so I used a drinking glass.  The Home Harvest woman at the market sells a paper pot maker and I think that would do the trick.  The result was that my first attempt was just like a bought one.
And finally Peter came home from Peru enthusing about ceviche.  I found a Peruvian cookbook at the library and  he made Martin Morales' Don Ceviche.   We will be exploring Peruvian cooking further.

Pasta, grains & greens

When I first introduced soup Monday I made a wonderful barley soup inspired by Alison Holst & I returned there this week.  This had two pleasing consequences.  I discovered I had more pearl barley in the cupboard than I needed & remembered a barley salad I had been meaning to make.  You could serve this with anything really but we had lamb meatballs which worked well.  Just make your favourite meatball recipe.  We included onion, garlic & cinnamon.  For the salad cook 1/2 cup of pearl barley for about half an hour until tender.  It may take a little longer.  Drain, toss through 2 tbsp olive oil & set aside to cool slightly.  In the meantime mix a cup chopped parsley, 1/4 finely diced preserved lemon, a few black olives, juice of 1/2 a lemon, crumbled feta & some finely sliced mint leaves.  Mix in the cooled barley & top with meatballs.  Good as lunch leftovers later in the week.  Look forward to lots of barley on these pages in the coming weeks.Are you wondering what the second consequence was - did you think I had forgotten?  The soup requires a can of creamed sweetcorn & I only needed 1/2  a tin for two.  We added the remaining corn to the Friday night omelette.  Try this - it was delicious.  I have a real soft spot for creamed corn.
I often think of the green vegetable first & then come up with a way to fit a meal around it.  For a simple weekday meal you can't go past Hugh F-W's macaroni peas.  Cook pasta - we used macaroni but penne or whatever shapes you have to hand would do as well.  Cook some frozen peas.  While the peas are cooking gently soften a clove of garlic in a little butter.  Blend half the peas with the butter, garlic, 25g Parmesan & enough of the pea cooking water to make a puree.  Think pesto.  Combine with the rest of the peas & pasta, add more Parmesan & mix through basil or parsley.
Roasted roots crumble seemed like a good accompaniment to leeks & greens this week.  Roast a selection of pale root vegetables - potato, parsnip, swede, celeriac - cut into smallish chunks & some sliced onion, with a mustardy dressing.  Mix equal quantities of wholegrain mustard, honey & olive oil with a good quantity of chopped rosemary and toss the veg around in it.  Cover the veg & roast at 180 for 45 minutes then uncover & cook a further 20 minutes at 200.  You want the vegetables well cooked & golden but not browned.  Pour a few tbsp cream over the vegetables - this is just to meld them together a little so you could omit if you don't have cream in the cupboard.  Top with a crumble made of a handful of rolled oats, 2-3 slices of crumbed bread, toasted hazlenut roughly chopped , grated cheese & a little melted butter.  Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes to crisp up the crumble.
We made way more than we could eat & there was a little cranbapple sauce in the fridge so the next day we had lamb rack with the left over crumble mixed with the left over leeks & greens.
If we are planning to eat mixed greens it seems impossible to buy only what we need for a single meal so another pasta & greens meal was called for.  Again this can be whatever pasta & greens you have to hand.  In our case penne & cabbage with beetroot leaves.   Soften an onion in a little oil then add finely chopped garlic & chilli & cook a little longer.  Cook the pasta in the usual way & a few minutes before the end of cooking add the shredded greens.  Drain the pasta & greens & toss with the onion mix & some grated Parmesan & a drizzle of olive oil.
There was still some spinach & beetroot leaves to use so out came that meal of the moment  - spicy potatoes with greens.  Top it with a poached egg and you have a splendid meal.
This week a work colleague gave me 5 kilos of windfall apples.  Look out for apple recipes next week.  If you have any ideas post them here.
You may remember that when I go to the market every Sunday & have a cup of chowder from Yellow Brick Road for Breakfast.  I occasionally try something different but always return to chowder.  Nothing else quite measures up - until now.  I may have found a new favourite - Vicky Ha and The Dumpling House.  Try those dumplings.  She now sells them frozen by the dozen and I am planning to buy a dozen tofu & spinach dumplings to treat a vegan.  I think my favourite is the pork & cabbage but the Nepalese lamb & veg is a close second.

Old, new, walnut, blue

This tagine might just be the best ever edging out the beef & beetroot. This is another poached lamb kefta best done on the stove top.  Mix 450 g minced lamb with 1 finely chopped onion, a bunch of finely chopped flat leaf parsley, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp each ground coriander & cumin, 1/2 tsp cayenne, salt & pepper.  Shape into small meatballs - you'll get about 16.  In a pan, saute 1 roughly chopped onion with 3 cloves crushed garlic, a piece of grated ginger & a thinly sliced red chilli  Add 2 tsp turmeric, some roughly chopped parsley & mint and about 300ml water.  Simmer 10 minutes then carefully add the kefta & poach gently for 10 minutes.  Pour over the juice of a lemon and tuck a second lemon, cut into segments, between the meatballs.  Season with salt & poach a further 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley & mint.  Serve with couscous and a soft leafy salad.  This is deliciously lemony & fresh.
One of my favourite stalls at the City Market is Angie O.  At the moment she is doing a walnut pesto.  Try spreading this on a piece of toasted sourdough or French bread, then top with a rocket leaf & a slice of your favourite blue cheese.  We had Bleu d'Auvergne.  This makes a divine weekend lunch.
The weather is very up and down and although winter is over I could not resist this beef & red wine pie with spicy pumpkin mash.  The recipe called for beef shin but the butcher didn't have any & recommended a cross-cut blade steak with lovely glutinous veins of fat running through it.  You want something that loves to be slow cooked.    This is a really simple way to make a casserole because you just add everything straight to the pot without browning first.  In fact, I prepared it in the casserole dish in the morning and went to a movie.  When I got home I just took the casserole out of the fridge, heated the oven & popped it in.  To prepare, combine in your casserole dish 750g beef diced fairly large, 1 large carrot roughly chopped, 1 onion roughly chopped, 4 whole cloves garlic, 1 tbsp chopped garlic, 1 tbsp soy sauce, zest of 1 orange, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 2 whole star anise, 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes, 1 cup red wine, 1 cup beef stock, salt & pepper.  When you're ready to cook, put it into the oven at 150 for around 3 1/2-4 hours.  If the liquid is too thin near then end just remove the lid & cook until the liquid has reduced & is  a bit syrupy.
For the mash cook some pumpkin & Agria potatoes.  For two, I had about 1/4 pumpkin & 1 potato.  Mash with a little butter & cream & season well.  While the veg is cooking slowly, cook  a thinly sliced onion in a little butter or oil and a good pinch of salt, until soft & golden.  Add a clove of crushed garlic & a grating of ginger & 1/4 tsp allspice & cook another 2 minutes.  Stir through the mash.  To assemble spoon the lamb into individual oven proof dishes.  I have some beautiful pottery dishes my mother bought in Thorndon many years ago.  Do any of you remember the Courtyard Cafe on Tinakori Rd & the pottery shop next door?  These dishes served her well for many years and are now doing great service at our house.  Top with the pumpkin mix & cook at 180 until the mash is coloured & a little crisp.
We welcomed an old favourite back to the table.  This is quick and delicious and a good weekday standby although you do have to pick up your prawns on the day or the day before unless you have some in your freezer.  Skin, deseed & decore 1/2 dozen or so good flavourful tomatoes then roughly chop.  Drain them over a bowl for up to an hour so that you are just using the flesh.  Mix them with 1 clove crushed garlic, a handful each chopped flat leaf parsley & basil, 2 small dried bird's eye chillis (or use flakes), crushed, 1/2 dozen pitted kalamata olives, 3 tbsp olive oil.  Set aside.    Saute about 1/2 dozen prawns per person until just cooked then sprinkle over a pinch saffron & 2 more of those chillis.  Add the tomato mix briefly to warm and scrape up the tasty bits on the bottom of the pan.  Cook some spaghetti according to the pack then toss through the tomato and prawn mix.  Serve with a green salad.

A birthday party

We recently had an 18th birthday at our house & I had great fun preparing the food. We started off with those old favourites, cheesy feet & hands. These are the ones using the cheese straw recipe & cutting into various shapes. Stars are nice if you don't fancy the feet. Or any shape you happen to have in your cupboard.

We had a selection of vegetables & crisps with the classic reduced cream dips and crostini with an avocado & pea spread. To make this, mix a ripe avocado, a cup or so of frozen peas - at least partially thawed - 1 clove garlic, a pinch of salt and 2 tbsp lime juice in your blender until smooth. Spread on crostini. It sounds odd but is delicious & is beautifully green. It won't discolour over the evening as traditional guacamole will.

For supper, I served a glazed ham with bread rolls. This was a great success & I recommend it for a party. You can glaze the ham the night before & if this was for more discerning guests you could include trimmings to go in the rolls. I also did mini meatballs on skewers with cherry tomatoes. I usually use lamb mince but on this occasion I used beef. Mix the mince with oregano, cumin, finely chopped fresh chilli & rosemary and bind with an egg yolk. Roll into small meatballs & fan grill 0n 180 about 15 minutes. Test one to see that they are cooked. I prepare these the night before & refrigerate on a large plate with cling film underneath & between the layers.

For sweets, we had vegan Margarita cupcakes & chocolate gluten-free cupcakes courtesy of Harriet. I made the best lamingtons I've ever made. I think the trick was the consistency of the chocolate dip. It was thin enough to hold to the sponge without being gluggy. I use shredded rather than dessicated coconut. The birthday girl prepared a very symmetrical platter of fruit.

The piece de resistance was the cake. The idea behind this was a bit convoluted & related to the TV series Chuck. You may get this if you have teenagers. Otherwise you only need to know that the cake was in the shape of a foot long chicken teriyaki subway sandwich. I made a triple recipe Madeira cake. It needed a very large cake tin! I cut the cake into three foot-long slabs resembling rolls. I then cut each roll in half - like a bread roll. I divided a block of royal icing into four. One section was coloured green then rolled out & cut into lettuce shapes & laid along the base of the rolls. Next was the tomatoes, coloured a reddy orange & cut into rounds. I then scored them to resemble the skin & membranes & pressed a fer poppy seeds into the centre. Next came slabs of yellow icing for the cheese. The chicken I shaped as shredded chicken & coloured very lightly. Onto this I dollopped maple syrup that had been thickened with a little muscovado sugar & a drop of red colouring for the teriyaki sauce. Then on went the tops of the rolls which I brushed with a sugar syrup & ground some chocolate sugar sprinkles I had in the cupboard to resemble mixed grain. When we brought it out there were some in the room who thought the birthday girl was being presented with sandwiches. What do you think?

Meatballs

For a quick weeknight meal, think about meatballs. They are easy to throw together and if you have batches of your homemade tomato sauce in the freezer you're prepared. We like meatballs baked in tomato sauce with mozzarella on top served with mashed potato & broccoli. This week we are eating the last of our broccoli from the garden. A friend suggested we cut the central florets as they were ready & leave the plants in to allow the side florets to develop. We have got an extra meal off each plant.

To make meatballs first soften a finely chopped onion with garlic, then combine with about 800g lean mince, 1/4 cup fresh white breadcrumbs (I crumb all our unused white bread & freeze so I always have some at the ready), 2tbsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp ground cumin, 1 tbsp chopped rosemary, 1 egg yolk, salt & pepper, sprinkling of chilli flakes, 1 tbsp grainy mustard. Essential ingredients are mince, breadcrumbs & egg. Everything else is optional - play with the flavours until you get the taste you like.Pat the mixture into meatballs the size you want. I use wet hands as it stops them from sticking to me. If you are making them in the morning you can cover with cling film & refrigerate for a day. Add the meatballs (at room temperature) to a thick bottomed shallow casserole & brown on all sides, in batches if necessary. Cover the meatballs with about 2 cups of tomato sauce, roughly torn basil leaves, broken up mozarella (remember Clevedon buffalo) and grated parmesan. Cook in the oven at 200 for about 20 minutes. Serve with mash & a seasonal green. I always use Agria potatoes for mash (they're such a pretty colour) and I usually mash with olive oil - try infused oils such as garlic or chilli. Or add a tsp of horseradish sauce or grainy mustard. If someone wants cheese, I just provide cheese & a grater at the table & they can add their own.An alternative idea is meatballs with spaghetti. Then I cook the meatballs on a grill tray in the oven on fan grill (175) about 1/2 hour, turning once. Cook the spaghetti according to the packet then mix with your tomato sauce & add the meatballs. Serve with a seasonal salad.Another pasta dish I cooked this week was salmon tagliatelle. This is Peter's birthday dinner - everyone in our family has a birthday dinner, and I also make it for his homecoming meal when he's been away. He's just returned from 10 days in the UK. This feels like a glamorous dish & is so easy. I think there are boundless variations of this around but I learned this off a friend about 20 years ago. First put on your pasta water. Then in a heavy-bottomed pan heat about 300ml cream to almost boiling and add the juice & rind of half a lemon. Add 200g flaked smoked salmon, some black pepper, a pile of grated parmesan. Cook the pasta according to the packet - I use egg tagliatelle which takes about 4 minutes to cook. Divella is my favourite brand. Mix through with the salmon & serve sprinkled with fine-chopped parsley. You may have noticed I add parsley to everything because I love it and it makes even the dullest dish look interesting. Serve with a green salad.

Today at the market I bought some Rewena bread to eat with our soup for lunch. We had some Harira soup from the freezer (see blog entry June 1). It is quite sweet but dense & delicious. We've also been tasting Over the Moon cheeses. Try the triple cream brie & the goats cheeses. They also do cheesemaking courses in Putaruru & I am hoping a fellow cheese-lover may join me on a course one day.
If you want to treat a friend or loved one, buy them a Floriditas cupcake.