I won't hear a word against ready-cooked rice. I have Pilau, Jasmine, Mexican Spicy, Egg Fried and Lime & Coriander in the cupboard*. Two minutes in the microwave as against 15 in a saucepan - and no washing up.
The key to well-nigh instant kedgeree and cheat's paella.
*Where they nestle alongside the straight-to-wok noodles, 5 minute cous cous, and doesn't-require-a-Nona-stirring-it-for-hours polenta. And I've got oven chips and (shelled) peas and (stripped) corn in the freezer.
Anyone wants to knock themselves out mashing their soaked-overnight, boiled for ever chickpeas with their pestle-ground sesame to make houmous to spread on their crack-of-dawn-kneaded bread, they're welcome. Convenience foods are just that - convenient.
I tend to use more ingredients and cook from scratch as there are very few of those packet rices that the allergic one can eat, and they cost more. Away and providing a meal on the hoof, it's cheaper than buying a whole packet of dry rice or eating out, so I use them a lot.
Same with finding ready made dairy free polenta and we've had bad experiences with ready made oven chips containing odd ingredients. So I get to stir polenta, when it's cooler and the warmth of the cooker ring would be welcome.
But I spend hours cooking and often find it a chore. And I have peas, sweetcorn, leeks, French beans and leeks in the freezer.
Anyone wants to knock themselves out mashing their soaked-overnight, boiled for ever chickpeas with their pestle-ground sesame to make houmous to spread on their crack-of-dawn-kneaded bread, they're welcome. Convenience foods are just that - convenient.
Am devastated. I just made a large batch of carefully hand-crafted hummus with remarkably little effort. You soak and ignore the chick peas for 24 hours, maybe simmer them for a while when you are doing something else, and then add the garlic and whatever spices and herbs happen to appeal at the time. I use a hand-held blender to save my wrists, but I enjoy the process of making it and find the results to be exceeding satisfactory. And never the same twice.
Having helped trigger a salad discussion elsewhere, I suppose I better contribute now. Um...
My "recipe" as such consists of:
60g of greens, usually one of the mixed varieties that supermarkets helpfully provide me.
Around 30g of small tomatoes chopped up
Around 20-30g of sliced cucumber. Those 3 things are generally my base, occasionally I deviate.
Typically, either around 130g of chicken in some form or one can of tuna (I really like smoked tuna personally). I dabble in other options. Warm beef strips was a definite success. I really should try chickpeas as the protein again because I know I've done that and the results were good.
Various other things to add different colours, textures, flavours (more on that later)
Around 20, maybe 30g of some kind of "dressing", which might be an actual dressing, a relish or chutney, some avocado, some mustard... you need things that will moisten the concoction (tomatoes do this a bit as well).
The enjoyable part is mixing and matching and trying all sorts of things. Off the top of my head, some of the other ingredients that I've added are red capsicum, red onion, olives, feta, walnuts, kohlrabi... it's been a really tiring day and I'm a bit brain-dead so I can't think of more.
But the thing is mixing and matching and discovering combinations that work. And also discovering really yum dressing/relishes etc.
For example, with tuna one of my go-to options is a balsamic beetroot relish, which also marries excellently with feta, maybe some red onion and/or olives.
I've discovered a honey mustard dressing that is to die for when combined with warm roast chicken, and the walnuts add a nice crunch.
With beef, some avocado and some seeded mustard together... sorry I'm drooling now.
Anyone wants to knock themselves out mashing their soaked-overnight, boiled for ever chickpeas with their pestle-ground sesame to make houmous to spread on their crack-of-dawn-kneaded bread, they're welcome. Convenience foods are just that - convenient.
Am devastated. I just made a large batch of carefully hand-crafted hummus with remarkably little effort. You soak and ignore the chick peas for 24 hours, maybe simmer them for a while when you are doing something else, and then add the garlic and whatever spices and herbs happen to appeal at the time. I use a hand-held blender to save my wrists, but I enjoy the process of making it and find the results to be exceeding satisfactory. And never the same twice.
I'm happy for you. I find a little houmous goes a long way. One of those food where I move rapidly through: delicious! Mmmm. Another mouthful I shall be sick.
Things in tomato sauce are another on-the-cusp foodstuff. As are salads in a mayo or creamy dressing.
Speaking of which - lunch was small tin of butter beans, ditto chilli and garlic flavoured tuna, cherry tomatoes and diced shallot tossed in the juice of half a lime and a glug of sweet chilli sauce. I can recommend it.
I made the bhaji burgers for supper and reckon that matchsticks is not small enough for the vegetables. Another time, rather than carefully chopping a load of turnips and carrots into matchsticks, I'll grate them and cut the preparation time significantly. We skipped the burger buns, making sweet potato chips instead. Definitely a keeper for another time we get turnips in the veggie box.
I made the bhaji burgers for supper and reckon that matchsticks is not small enough for the vegetables. Another time, rather than carefully chopping a load of turnips and carrots into matchsticks, I'll grate them and cut the preparation time significantly. We skipped the burger buns, making sweet potato chips instead. Definitely a keeper for another time we get turnips in the veggie box.
It is due to be over 100F today. We are having Italian wedding soup. This may sound warm for a hot day, but what it really means is that I can take it out of the freezer and pop it into the microwave and not have to cook. I have also found I can heat up slices of bread for a few minutes in the toaster and not have to turn on the oven. Ice cream for dessert. A day without cooking. The freezer can at times be an adventure when I do not label things. Is that leftover pasta sauce, or chili? Sometimes the fun is in the defrosted surprise.
Devon is a pork based processed luncheon meat available in Oz . Known as devon in NSW, fritz in South Australia, luncheon sausage in SA and WA. Not sure what the Queenslanders call it. Not dissimilar to what they call bologna in the US. About 8 cm diameter usually sliced 3 mm thick and back in the day standard sandwich filler with tomato sauce.
Not so commonly eaten these days and often dissed as unhealthy/bland/just plain daggy.
As a child in 1950's suburban Sydney, I used to be sent to the ham- and beef-shop [never a delicatessen] in the small shopping centre at the foot of our street. A frequent order was for a quarter of pork fritz. My mother was born in 1922, after devon allegedly had been introduced as part of the anti-German wave of name changes in WW1, so I'm not sure how fritz featured in her vocabulary.
My recollection is that devon and fritz were slightly different. Each a near-purée of some parts of a slaughtered beast, some salt and an allegation of an exotic-sounding spice mix. It was the last which differed. Perhaps it's time to re-introduce them and sell them as exotic food to the good residents of the inner-west.
Recipe that works well this time of year, since it depends a lot on quality small potatoes. So -
White fish (hake in this case)
New or baby potatoes, halved or quartered
Cooking chorizo
Cherry tomatoes (skinned)
Sherry or white wine.
Slice or crumble the chorizo and fry gently - add a dash of olive oil if it doesn't yield a lot. Add the potatoes and fry briefly. Add Sherry/wine (quantity depending on amount of potato), cover, and simmer on a low heat until the potatoes are tender. Tip in the tomatoes. Cook down for a little - you want a smallish quantity of wine/tomtatoey sauce at this point. Place the fish on top, cover and cook for c 5 minutes.
Recipe that works well this time of year, since it depends a lot on quality small potatoes. So -
White fish (hake in this case)
New or baby potatoes, halved or quartered
Cooking chorizo
Cherry tomatoes (skinned)
Sherry or white wine.
Slice or crumble the chorizo and fry gently - add a dash of olive oil if it doesn't yield a lot. Add the potatoes and fry briefly. Add Sherry/wine (quantity depending on amount of potato), cover, and simmer on a low heat until the potatoes are tender. Tip in the tomatoes. Cook down for a little - you want a smallish quantity of wine/tomtatoey sauce at this point. Place the fish on top, cover and cook for c 5 minutes.
Sounds tasty! A word of warning for our international readership: Spanish chorizo is different than Mexican chorizo which is different than Filipino chorizo and probably a number of other kinds. My Filipina sister-in-law got quite a surprise when she tried to make a Filipino dish with chorizo in Southern California.
Having got fed up with boiling chana dal for ages to prepare a Dhal, I decided a small pressure cooker would be a good idea, and cut down the cooking time dramatically. Which it did, and was great. Bit overcooked, but I'll know next time.
I then decided to cook chickpeas in it. Now the instructions on cooking chickpeas said boil for 15mins, then simmer for 1hr (or however long it took).
The question is, if I am cooking chickpeas (or kidney beans or anything else that traditionally wants you to boil the heck out them first, then simmer forever), do you need to do the 15min boil first or will the pressure cooking itself destroy the nasty that needs the hard boil?
I erred on the side of caution, and boiled for 15mins, then pressure cooked. The chickpeas were somewhat softer than I'd intended, so it's either a case of "I don't need the boil phase" or I need to adjust time under pressure....
Tonight I made Lamb Rogan Josh following this recipe and it was at least forty times tastier than anything that easy has a right to be.
I am going to try this today!! I've been considering buying a dutch oven for years, but made do with my soup pot, then transferring things to an oven proof dish. So, I have my DO, and tried to find lamb, which is almost impossible here. I will be substituting stew beef, and hope it tastes as good as it sounds!
The question is, if I am cooking chickpeas (or kidney beans or anything else that traditionally wants you to boil the heck out them first, then simmer forever), do you need to do the 15min boil first or will the pressure cooking itself destroy the nasty that needs the hard boil?
None of the recipes I have for pressure-cooking chick peas have a pre-boil phase, and a quick google doesn't suggest that it's necessary. BBC good food suggests that chick peas can be pressure cooked in "minutes" if pre-soaked for 12 hours, or in ~40 minutes under pressure from dry here - this is consistent with the various recipes I have dotted about.
It's years since I've owned a functional pressure cooker though, so I can't give first-hand experience.
@la vie en rouge That was amazing!! When I went to the grocery to pick up the four items I didn't have on hand, I stopped by the meat department just to check. By golly, there was lamb stew meat from Australia! So, the beef went into the freezer and I made the dish as directed. So good! So easy!!
I'll make it at a later date for my kids who appreciate flavorful spice!
My best friend came round last night. She has a long and complex list of food restrictions which makes desserts in particular rather a challenge - for starters, no gluten, cows' milk or egg whites, also no almonds or cashews (plus a load of other stuff irrelevant to dessert). I mashed up a couple of GF / vegan recipes, and came up with this, which I was rather pleased with. Free from gluten, dairy, eggs and the wrong kind of nuts, with no weird ingredients that were going to clutter up my cupboard for the next three years, and no need for a high-powered blender, which I don't possess. It also went down very well with the other guests who thought it was nice and didn't feel they'd been deprived of a "real" cake.
La vie en rouge's hypoallergenic* chocolate hazelnut tart (*Unless you're allergic to hazelnuts, in which case sorry 'bout that but I'm doing my best here)
Put three tablespoons each of maple syrup and hazelnut butter**, and two of cocoa powder in a pan and heat gently until melted/combined. Stir in a couple of cups of puffed rice (note: the sort from the organic shop that is 100% rice. Kellogg's branded Rice Krispies contain gluten.) Press down well into the bottom of an oiled springform cake tin and stick it in the freezer for an hour or so to set.
Melt a bar of non-dairy chocolate in the microwave or over a bain marie. Stir in a small carton of coconut milk and a couple more spoons of hazelnut butter and mix with a stick blender until smooth. Pour over the crust and return to the freezer until set. Move it to the fridge to thaw a few hours before you want to serve it.
I finished it with a dusting of cocoa powder and a few toasted hazelnuts and served it with some fresh fruit on the side.
Serves eight.
** I think other kinds of nut butters would also work, but my friend can't have almonds and I detest peanut butter.
Good of you to go to The Bother. My picky friend is coming to dinner on Wednesday (no wheat/gluten, no cheese, easy on the dairy and sugar). I've decided on trout with almonds, green veg and Jersey royals: strawberries and optional cream to follow.
Welcome to the club - my life is spent cooking without dairy and gluten. Fortunately eggs are allowed and we've found she can eat cheese that's been matured for long enough, like over 2 years, so decent cheddar is back on the menu, which has made me very happy.
I've recently discovered Russian salad (well, I didn't discover it, but you know what I mean), and having found a dead-easy recipe (i.e. one where you don't need to use every saucepan you possess cooking all the veggies separately), I've tweaked it a bit and offer it here.
Salade Russe à la Piglet
1½ cups chopped potatoes
1½ cups chopped carrots
⅔ cup chopped green beans
⅔ cup frozen peas
Dressing:
1 large clove of garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper
A splash of lemon juice
About ⅓ cup mayonnaise
About a tablespoon crème fraîche
A scant teaspoon Dijon mustard
The veggies should be chopped in about ½-inch bits; I use a large mug that's about a cup and a half, and just keep chopping and adding until it's full.
Put the potatoes and carrots into a large pot, add salt and boil for about 5 minutes. Add the beans and peas, and cook for a couple more minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are done. Drain and allow to cool a little.
Meanwhile, make the dressing: bash the garlic to a paste in a mortar with the salt, pepper and lemon juice, add the mayonnaise, crème fraîche and mustard and mix well.
Taste the dressing for seasoning, pour it over the veggies while they're still warm and mix in gently to avoid breaking them.
Once cooled, it'll keep in the fridge for about a week.
I may try that, albeit microwaving the veg rather than boiling (I have neglected saucepans at the back of the cupboard haven't seen a vegetable in years).
The other thing I must try is quick pickling. I had a tub of lightly pickled cauliflower with turmeric from M&S the other day that was actually rather good.
I do a pickled cucumber with nasi goreng that takes minutes - sliced cucumber in 1tbsp each light brown sugar and apple cider vinegar (well, wine vinegar here, because cider caused my daughter exciting allergic reactions). Start by cutting around a third of a cucumber in half lengthways before slicing thinly, mix the sugar and vinegar and then steep the cucumber in the mix while cooking the rest of the components, so about 20 minutes in all. (The rest of the mix are spring onions stir-fried with cabbage and ginger, boiled brown rice and grated carrots, topped with chopped spring onion tops, toasted peanuts and coriander leaves, a fried egg and siracha.)
Also pickled broccoli stalks as part of a broccoli two ways from Ottolenghi's Flavour - that has salt and chilli in the pickling mix and takes longer - up to two hours.
Then the other regular quick pickle is soya cured egg yolks - two egg yolks in a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce (well tamari) in a small ramekin, leave for up to two hours, turning once.
@Piglet@Firenze This is the (in)famous salad also known as Olivier, a staple of the Soviet festive table. I know it from Soviet émigrés, although it was already a part of North American cooking when I learned of it. I highly recommend reading Anya von Bremzen, The Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing. Resident in the US (NYC?), she grew up in the USSR, and is a wonderful writer. The Art of Soviet Cooking is wonderful - perceptive, touching, hilarious. She has much to say about this salad. Apparently, Soviet mayonnaise is the key ingredient! Waitrose?
I enjoy the process of making it and find the results to be exceeding satisfactory. And never the same twice.
Can you explain why "not being the same" is an advantage?
I must have missed your question when you posted it - sorry. Can I explain it? Not scientifically, but I like variations and I like to experiment with whatever previously untried spices and herbs tickle my fancy. Sometimes something new happens that is worth remembering and trying again, like adding WMD grade chilli powder. Even things like different batches of garlic can make a difference. For instance, just now the availability of freshly picked garlic is having a most agreeable impact in the kitchen.
(Aside, I can recommend hummus pizza with a plentiful covering of zataar herbs).
Regarding cooking chick peas, my Lebanese friend, an engineer who knows about these things, advised against using a pressure cooker. He said the skins will block the safety valve, and, in his experience, repairing the kitchen ceiling afterwards is a major nuisance.
... I had a tub of lightly pickled cauliflower with turmeric from M&S the other day that was actually rather good.
I saw that in M&S yesterday and nearly bought a tub, but didn't. Maybe next time I shall.
PG, there was a bit about Olivier salad in the blurb before the recipe on the interweb, but I just skimmed over it; maybe I'll look more closely next time.
@Firenze I got this recipe from an erstwhile neighbour. It's a delicious quick pickle. The recipe says that it's good up to 14 days. It never lasts that long in my fridge, but friends of mine have held on to it for much longer, and I've eaten it to no bad end. These make a great snacky thing on their own or with some good bread and cheese, are lovely beside a robust ham sandwich, and I've even put them on the Sunday table. These are so much better than anything from the supermarket. Really, one needn't an excuse for these things.
1 tsp coriander seed
1 tsp black or brown mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 cups cider vinegar
5 medium cloves of garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
3 x ¼” peeled ginger root
½ small yellow onion, sliced lengthwise
½ cup sugar
2 Tbsp Kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper corns
½ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
½ head of cauliflower, cut into 1½” to 2” florets (about 4 cups)
5 medium carrots, peeled, sliced ½”, on the bias (about 2 cups)
½ sweet red pepper, cut into large dice (about 1 cup)
Toast coriander, mustard seeds, cumin in a small pot, over medium heat, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add the vinegar, garlic, ginger, onion, sugar, salt, pepper corns, turmeric, red pepper flakes, and 1 cup water to the toasted spices. Bring to a boil.
Pack the vegetables into a heat-resistant glass bowl. Pour brine over top. Let cool to room temperature. Pour into a 2 quart jar. Seal and let marinate in the fridge for at least 2 days, up to 14 days.
What do you eat when it's wet and windy outside, but not cold as such? It's not quite stew weather yet.
Also re cabbage, I love basically all brassicas except for brussel sprouts - but Asian brassica species are even better. Chinese/napa cabbage (wombok in the Antipodes I believe?) is a lot milder than European cabbage. Personally I love gai laan (Chinese broccoli - tenderstem broccoli is actually a hybrid of gai laan and calabrese) and choy sum the most - I love the stalks. Kohlrabi is also great baked like pommes boulangère.
Last week I made a courgette pickle similar to the pickle recipe posted recently and it tastes great. But my current favourite veg is the home grown daikon which is lovely as a pickle or raw in a salad. My pickle treat is pickled poached pears served with a roast.
I haven’t made any kimchi in a while, but that is popular in this house, in red (hot) or white (such as garlic and lemon) forms. I tried growing Chinese cabbage this year but they all bolted.
It's milky drinks and mashed banana, yogurt and porridge and soup bei uns* Mr F has had dental surgery and I have a stomach bug. The mere thought of anything pickled/spiced or even chewable has us both whimpering.
Last week I made a courgette pickle similar to the pickle recipe posted recently and it tastes great. But my current favourite veg is the home grown daikon which is lovely as a pickle or raw in a salad. My pickle treat is pickled poached pears served with a roast.
I haven’t made any kimchi in a while, but that is popular in this house, in red (hot) or white (such as garlic and lemon) forms. I tried growing Chinese cabbage this year but they all bolted.
Oh pickled daikon and carrot is great. Have you had it on a bahn mi? Courgette also makes good kimchi, and an all-carrot version is also good.
Comments
The key to well-nigh instant kedgeree and cheat's paella.
*Where they nestle alongside the straight-to-wok noodles, 5 minute cous cous, and doesn't-require-a-Nona-stirring-it-for-hours polenta. And I've got oven chips and (shelled) peas and (stripped) corn in the freezer.
Anyone wants to knock themselves out mashing their soaked-overnight, boiled for ever chickpeas with their pestle-ground sesame to make houmous to spread on their crack-of-dawn-kneaded bread, they're welcome. Convenience foods are just that - convenient.
Same with finding ready made dairy free polenta and we've had bad experiences with ready made oven chips containing odd ingredients. So I get to stir polenta, when it's cooler and the warmth of the cooker ring would be welcome.
But I spend hours cooking and often find it a chore. And I have peas, sweetcorn, leeks, French beans and leeks in the freezer.
My "recipe" as such consists of:
60g of greens, usually one of the mixed varieties that supermarkets helpfully provide me.
Around 30g of small tomatoes chopped up
Around 20-30g of sliced cucumber. Those 3 things are generally my base, occasionally I deviate.
Typically, either around 130g of chicken in some form or one can of tuna (I really like smoked tuna personally). I dabble in other options. Warm beef strips was a definite success. I really should try chickpeas as the protein again because I know I've done that and the results were good.
Various other things to add different colours, textures, flavours (more on that later)
Around 20, maybe 30g of some kind of "dressing", which might be an actual dressing, a relish or chutney, some avocado, some mustard... you need things that will moisten the concoction (tomatoes do this a bit as well).
The enjoyable part is mixing and matching and trying all sorts of things. Off the top of my head, some of the other ingredients that I've added are red capsicum, red onion, olives, feta, walnuts, kohlrabi... it's been a really tiring day and I'm a bit brain-dead so I can't think of more.
But the thing is mixing and matching and discovering combinations that work. And also discovering really yum dressing/relishes etc.
For example, with tuna one of my go-to options is a balsamic beetroot relish, which also marries excellently with feta, maybe some red onion and/or olives.
I've discovered a honey mustard dressing that is to die for when combined with warm roast chicken, and the walnuts add a nice crunch.
With beef, some avocado and some seeded mustard together... sorry I'm drooling now.
I'm happy for you. I find a little houmous goes a long way. One of those food where I move rapidly through: delicious! Mmmm. Another mouthful I shall be sick.
Things in tomato sauce are another on-the-cusp foodstuff. As are salads in a mayo or creamy dressing.
Speaking of which - lunch was small tin of butter beans, ditto chilli and garlic flavoured tuna, cherry tomatoes and diced shallot tossed in the juice of half a lime and a glug of sweet chilli sauce. I can recommend it.
Riverford summer turnip recipes (link)
Sounds delicious!
Not so commonly eaten these days and often dissed as unhealthy/bland/just plain daggy.
The Lunchbox Police are everywhere🙀
Can you explain why "not being the same" is an advantage?
White fish (hake in this case)
New or baby potatoes, halved or quartered
Cooking chorizo
Cherry tomatoes (skinned)
Sherry or white wine.
Slice or crumble the chorizo and fry gently - add a dash of olive oil if it doesn't yield a lot. Add the potatoes and fry briefly. Add Sherry/wine (quantity depending on amount of potato), cover, and simmer on a low heat until the potatoes are tender. Tip in the tomatoes. Cook down for a little - you want a smallish quantity of wine/tomtatoey sauce at this point. Place the fish on top, cover and cook for c 5 minutes.
Sounds tasty! A word of warning for our international readership: Spanish chorizo is different than Mexican chorizo which is different than Filipino chorizo and probably a number of other kinds. My Filipina sister-in-law got quite a surprise when she tried to make a Filipino dish with chorizo in Southern California.
Having got fed up with boiling chana dal for ages to prepare a Dhal, I decided a small pressure cooker would be a good idea, and cut down the cooking time dramatically. Which it did, and was great. Bit overcooked, but I'll know next time.
I then decided to cook chickpeas in it. Now the instructions on cooking chickpeas said boil for 15mins, then simmer for 1hr (or however long it took).
The question is, if I am cooking chickpeas (or kidney beans or anything else that traditionally wants you to boil the heck out them first, then simmer forever), do you need to do the 15min boil first or will the pressure cooking itself destroy the nasty that needs the hard boil?
I erred on the side of caution, and boiled for 15mins, then pressure cooked. The chickpeas were somewhat softer than I'd intended, so it's either a case of "I don't need the boil phase" or I need to adjust time under pressure....
I am going to try this today!! I've been considering buying a dutch oven for years, but made do with my soup pot, then transferring things to an oven proof dish. So, I have my DO, and tried to find lamb, which is almost impossible here. I will be substituting stew beef, and hope it tastes as good as it sounds!
Thanks for sharing, lver!!!
None of the recipes I have for pressure-cooking chick peas have a pre-boil phase, and a quick google doesn't suggest that it's necessary. BBC good food suggests that chick peas can be pressure cooked in "minutes" if pre-soaked for 12 hours, or in ~40 minutes under pressure from dry here - this is consistent with the various recipes I have dotted about.
It's years since I've owned a functional pressure cooker though, so I can't give first-hand experience.
@la vie en rouge That was amazing!! When I went to the grocery to pick up the four items I didn't have on hand, I stopped by the meat department just to check. By golly, there was lamb stew meat from Australia! So, the beef went into the freezer and I made the dish as directed. So good! So easy!!
I'll make it at a later date for my kids who appreciate flavorful spice!
La vie en rouge's hypoallergenic* chocolate hazelnut tart (*Unless you're allergic to hazelnuts, in which case sorry 'bout that but I'm doing my best here)
Put three tablespoons each of maple syrup and hazelnut butter**, and two of cocoa powder in a pan and heat gently until melted/combined. Stir in a couple of cups of puffed rice (note: the sort from the organic shop that is 100% rice. Kellogg's branded Rice Krispies contain gluten.) Press down well into the bottom of an oiled springform cake tin and stick it in the freezer for an hour or so to set.
Melt a bar of non-dairy chocolate in the microwave or over a bain marie. Stir in a small carton of coconut milk and a couple more spoons of hazelnut butter and mix with a stick blender until smooth. Pour over the crust and return to the freezer until set. Move it to the fridge to thaw a few hours before you want to serve it.
I finished it with a dusting of cocoa powder and a few toasted hazelnuts and served it with some fresh fruit on the side.
Serves eight.
** I think other kinds of nut butters would also work, but my friend can't have almonds and I detest peanut butter.
Salade Russe à la Piglet
1½ cups chopped potatoes
1½ cups chopped carrots
⅔ cup chopped green beans
⅔ cup frozen peas
Dressing:
1 large clove of garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper
A splash of lemon juice
About ⅓ cup mayonnaise
About a tablespoon crème fraîche
A scant teaspoon Dijon mustard
The veggies should be chopped in about ½-inch bits; I use a large mug that's about a cup and a half, and just keep chopping and adding until it's full.
Put the potatoes and carrots into a large pot, add salt and boil for about 5 minutes. Add the beans and peas, and cook for a couple more minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are done. Drain and allow to cool a little.
Meanwhile, make the dressing: bash the garlic to a paste in a mortar with the salt, pepper and lemon juice, add the mayonnaise, crème fraîche and mustard and mix well.
Taste the dressing for seasoning, pour it over the veggies while they're still warm and mix in gently to avoid breaking them.
Once cooled, it'll keep in the fridge for about a week.
The other thing I must try is quick pickling. I had a tub of lightly pickled cauliflower with turmeric from M&S the other day that was actually rather good.
Also pickled broccoli stalks as part of a broccoli two ways from Ottolenghi's Flavour - that has salt and chilli in the pickling mix and takes longer - up to two hours.
Then the other regular quick pickle is soya cured egg yolks - two egg yolks in a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce (well tamari) in a small ramekin, leave for up to two hours, turning once.
I must have missed your question when you posted it - sorry. Can I explain it? Not scientifically, but I like variations and I like to experiment with whatever previously untried spices and herbs tickle my fancy. Sometimes something new happens that is worth remembering and trying again, like adding WMD grade chilli powder. Even things like different batches of garlic can make a difference. For instance, just now the availability of freshly picked garlic is having a most agreeable impact in the kitchen.
(Aside, I can recommend hummus pizza with a plentiful covering of zataar herbs).
Regarding cooking chick peas, my Lebanese friend, an engineer who knows about these things, advised against using a pressure cooker. He said the skins will block the safety valve, and, in his experience, repairing the kitchen ceiling afterwards is a major nuisance.
PG, there was a bit about Olivier salad in the blurb before the recipe on the interweb, but I just skimmed over it; maybe I'll look more closely next time.
1 tsp coriander seed
1 tsp black or brown mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 cups cider vinegar
5 medium cloves of garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
3 x ¼” peeled ginger root
½ small yellow onion, sliced lengthwise
½ cup sugar
2 Tbsp Kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper corns
½ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
½ head of cauliflower, cut into 1½” to 2” florets (about 4 cups)
5 medium carrots, peeled, sliced ½”, on the bias (about 2 cups)
½ sweet red pepper, cut into large dice (about 1 cup)
Toast coriander, mustard seeds, cumin in a small pot, over medium heat, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add the vinegar, garlic, ginger, onion, sugar, salt, pepper corns, turmeric, red pepper flakes, and 1 cup water to the toasted spices. Bring to a boil.
Pack the vegetables into a heat-resistant glass bowl. Pour brine over top. Let cool to room temperature. Pour into a 2 quart jar. Seal and let marinate in the fridge for at least 2 days, up to 14 days.
NOTE: Refrigerated the entire time!
You pass cauliflowers??
Also re cabbage, I love basically all brassicas except for brussel sprouts - but Asian brassica species are even better. Chinese/napa cabbage (wombok in the Antipodes I believe?) is a lot milder than European cabbage. Personally I love gai laan (Chinese broccoli - tenderstem broccoli is actually a hybrid of gai laan and calabrese) and choy sum the most - I love the stalks. Kohlrabi is also great baked like pommes boulangère.
I haven’t made any kimchi in a while, but that is popular in this house, in red (hot) or white (such as garlic and lemon) forms. I tried growing Chinese cabbage this year but they all bolted.
*with us.
Oh pickled daikon and carrot is great. Have you had it on a bahn mi? Courgette also makes good kimchi, and an all-carrot version is also good.