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.

New season

Try a spicy tagine with a variety of earthy sweet root vegetables, such as kumara, yam or pumpkin, and beef.  Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and saute a small piece of grated ginger & 1 onion, finely chopped.  Add 700 kg lean beef, cubed & seer then add 1-2 tsp ras el hanout.  Add enough boiling water to barely cover the meat, cover the tagine & put in the oven at about 180.  After an hour, add your root vegetables cubed - the equivalent of about 2 medium kumara.  Season and cook another 20 minutes or until the meat is tender.  Add 1/2 cup frozen peas and half a tin of chopped tomatoes.  Cook another 10 minutes until the peas and vegetables are cooked.  Sprinkle with chopped preserved lemon & flat leaf parsley.  I made some Turkish flat breads & served with a dollop of Greek yoghurt.
Last Sunday was a very fishy day.   Chowder at the market and whitebait fritters for lunch - the first of the season are always such a treat, served with a squeeze of lemon.  For dinner we bought a beautiful piece of bluenose from the market and pan fried it with za'atar then served with a pinenut dressing, on a bed of hummus.  To cook the fish, brush with olive oil, then sprinkle with za'atar and quickly cook in a hot pan on both sides.  To make the dressing, combine 2 tbsps pinenuts, toasted & roughly chopped, 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley chopped, 1/4 red onion finely chopped, 1/2 red chilli finely chopped, 2 tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp pomegranate molasses, 1 tbsp lemon juice plus a grating of zest.  Mix together & pour over the fish.
New season's Chinese greens are just beginning to appear at the market.  I plan to really experiment with them this year.  This week I just played it safe and had choy sum with pork fillets. 
Now that Zany Zeus is making paneer, I find we are having it more often.  It is one of my favourite cheeses. Try it with chick peas, spinach & tomatoes.  Heat a tbsp vegetable oil in a pan & cook 1/2 tsp each cumin seeds & yellow mustard seeds until they pop.  Add 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 finely chopped red chilli, 1 small onion thinly sliced, 1 clove garlic crushed, 1/2 tbsp grated ginger.  If you don't have a chilli (and they are not quite in season yet) use dried or flakes.  Season with salt & cook until the onion is soft.  Add a tin crushed tomatoes & a tin of chickpeas & simmer 15 minutes.  In the meantime, slice the paneer (about 150g)  into 2 cm thick chunks and saute in a little oil until golden on both sides.  Cut into bite sized pieces.  Wash a handful of spinach & chop roughly.  Stir into the tomato mix to wilt along with a tbsp tamarind concentrate.  If you don't have tamarind (but you should try & get some) add a squeeze of lemon juice.  Toss through the paneer.
The new season's asparagus is in.  One of the first things I like to do is asparagus in French bread with ham & Gruyere.  This has been a great favourite in our house for many years and was something we often had for lunch when Mum & Dad came to stay in the spring.  They were great asparagus fans. Lightly steam the asparagus then fill a baguette with a slice of Gruyere and a slice of ham & 2-3 asparagus spears.  Toast in a medium oven for about 10 minutes.  We cut our baguette into 3-4 portions depending on the size and appetite of the diners.

Soup and snow

August was all about illness and snow. One we could have done without and the other was fun. As a consequence soup has been the staple for the month. One non-soup meal I recommend is spicy meatballs baked with Zany Zeus paneer. An Indian style version of the cheesy meatballs we usually do. Mix 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs, 1 tbsp dried oregano, 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley, 1/2 small red onion or shallot grated, 1/2 tsp each ground allspice, cumin & cinnamon, 2 cloves garlic crushed, 1 egg, salt & pepper together in a bowl. Add 500g minced beef and combine. Roll the mixture into smallish meatballs and brown them all over in a pan. Transfer them to a plate & set aside. In the unwashed pan, add 1 finely chopped onion, 1 small carrot, grated, 2 cloves crushed garlic & 1/4 tsp chilli flakes. Cook gently until the onion is soft. Add a splash of water if necessary. Tip in 2 tins crushed tomatoes & simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the meatballs along with any juices left on the plate. Cut the paneer into cubes & add to the pan in between the meatballs Cover & simmer about 10 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve with a spinach raita. Soak finely chopped shallot or 1/2 small red onion in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes - takes away the raw sharpness. Wilt a couple of handfuls of baby spinach & chop finely. Mix 1/2 cup thick yoghurt (I like Cyclops for this kind of thing) with a clove of crushed garlic & a handful of chopped mint. Season the yoghurt & layer in a small bowl with the spinach & onions. Grind over a little black pepper.
And back to soup. Try a spinach soup with poached egg - this sounds weird and even looks a little weird but tastes delicious. Melt a little butter in a pan & soften 1 finely chopped onion, 1 thinly sliced leek & 2 sticks finely sliced celery. Stir in a generous tbsp flour and gradually add 1.2 litres chicken stock. Bring to the boil stirring all the time so the flour doesn't turn lumpy then cover & simmer 1/2 an hour. Stir about 500g baby spinach into the soup & blend until smooth. Return to the pan & season with grated nutmeg & salt & pepper. Poach an egg per person, gently reheat the soup & ladle into bowls. Gently slide a poached egg into each bowl. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese.
A good choice when you don't feel well is a soup packed full of restorative greens. It was when I was out picking broccoli to make this soup that the first snow fell in Wellington. Gather together about 700g of greens - broccoli, spinach curly kale, sorrel, corn salad, flat leaf parsley, chervil, celery with leave - just whatever you can find that you like. Saute in a little oil 1 small finely chopped onion, 2 rashers finely chopped bacon, 1 diced potato. Cook until tender then add 4 cups chicken stock & simmer 10 minutes. Add the greens and simmer 3-4 minutes. Add the spinach & sorrel at the end so it doesn't lose its colour. Blend until smooth then return to the heat to warm through. Mix a little feta & sour cream to a smooth paste & swirl over the top.
On a cold night a bowl of pumpkin soup with white beans will warm you through. Soften 2 shallots & an onion finely chopped in a little duck fat or olive oil. Duck fat is wonderful if you have any in the fridge. It keeps well and makes fabulous chips. Peel & cut a butternut pumpkin into largish cubes & add to the onions. Just cover with water, season & add a bouquet garni of bay, parsley, celery leaf & thyme. Cover & cook on a medium heat until the pumpkin is soft. When it boils bring it down to a gentle simmer. Remove the bouquet garni & add about 1/2 cup cooked white beans - I use tinned. Blend until smooth & serve with crusty bread. Season & garnish with a spoonful of the remaining white beans, a swirl of sour cream and a grating of fresh nutmeg.
When it is snowing outside a glass of mulled wine might be the answer. For one bottle of red wine - roughly cut up 3 oranges (skin on) with 225g sugar, 1/2 tsp each ground cinnamon & nutmeg & a tsp whole cloves. Bring to the boil, simmer gently & strain through a fine sieve. Bring the syrup up to the boil and add a bottle of red wine. Warm through but do not boil. Serve in warmed glasses.