May 2013
2 posts
PIPERADE-STUFFED MUSHROOMS
RED AND BLACK STEW
Mmmm! Look at our lovely supper! Recipe to follow.
April 2013
1 post
CONTENTS LIST: Click recipe title to view (or...
BREADS
Cornbread (wheat free)
Wholemeal Seedy Bread
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
BREAKFASTS
Best Granola
Blueberry Bircher Muesli
Cornbread (wheat free)
Cornmeal Porridge with Sultanas
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
LUNCHES
Baba Ghanoush
Green Soup
Guacamole
Mixed Seed Butter
Reduced Fat Hummus
Spicy Fish and Bacon Chowder
* * * * * * * * * *...
March 2013
4 posts
DARK CHOCOLATE BRIOCHE PUDDING (ET AL)
Hello Sis!
I’m a bread and butter pudding devotee. My favourite recipe has marmalade and mixed dried fruit (and brandy), but last Saturday I created a variation to suit the girlfriend. It’s super-chocolatey and completely devilish. This is squidgy and delicious, best served hot with cream. (Having said that, leave half for cold leftovers.) If you want something with a little more...
Sounds like one for brother!
Love, Mum
I FANCY A BREADY PUD
Dear Mum and Brother and Sister,
I would like to make a bread and butter pudding. Do any or all of you have a favourite recipe?
Love from Little Daughter
2 tags
AVOCADO ICE-CREAM ?!?!
Dear family,
Jean and Peter came to supper last night (we had such a lovely evening with them!) We had avocado ice cream, which always causes a bit of a stir. It seems so unlikely that it would be nice, but it really is amazing - smooth, creamy and really delicious. So here’s the recipe. Hope you enjoy making it, Jean.
Serves 6-8.
First make the custard. Beat together lightly:
4 eggs
...
February 2013
8 posts
MANGO LIME SORBET
This is for Jenny.
Serves 6
Put in a small pan:
150g caster sugar
300 ml water
Heat gently, stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil, without stirring, for 8-10 minutes, until syrupy. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Peel and de-stone
1 beautifully ripe mango
and blend it in the food processor with
juice of 2-3 limes (to taste)
zest of 1...
DINNER PARTY CHALLENGE
Dear Little Daughter,
So here is the menu we put together, sitting in that cafe basement yesterday:
Pea and Watercress Soup
Corn bread
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Beetroot Risotto
Giant garlic mushrooms
Leafy salad with avocado
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
bought sorbet (owing to time issues!)
Sweet Spiced Walnuts
Can I come too?
Love Mum xxx
time-plan
Dear Little Daughter and Little Daughter’s Boyfriend,
I always make a time-plan when cooking for a dinner party. It saves you getting in a fluster. So… guests arriving at 8, serving first course at 8.30? Here goes.
TWO EVENINGS BEFORE:
Shop!
THE EVENING BEFORE:
Make the Sweet Spiced Walnuts
Prepare your salad dressing
You could also:
make the soup
ON THE EVENING, AS...
2 tags
PEA AND WATERCRESS SOUP
I tried this out at lunch time today and it was delicious! It’s incredibly simple - just the flavours of the vegetables themselves really. But they work beautifully together, peppery and sweet. The portions are quite small but big enough. Use white bowls, if you have them, and warm them first. Serves 4.
Heat in a medium saucepan
a small splosh of olive oil
and fry
1 onion, finely...
2 tags
CORNBREAD (WHEAT FREE)
We tried this for breakfast this morning, with cottage cheese and jam. It was really good - moist, light and tasty. Watch how you do the last-minute mixing: Americans know how to do this as they do it all the time, but we’re not used to it. The cornmeal (maize meal) you use should be fine, but not cornmeal flour. I couldn’t find any fine cornmeal, so I put the coarser, polenta-type...
3 tags
BEETROOT RISOTTO
Yum yum yum! But oh dear, you really will need a new grater for this (especially since I bent yours on my apple last weekend), unless you can find a friendly neighbour with a food mixer…
Serves 4
Peel and grate (preferably using a food mixer)
a bunch of beetroots (= about 500g beetroots).
In a large frying pan, heat
a splosh of olive oil
and fry
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 clove...
3 tags
GIANT GARLIC MUSHROOMS
Serves 4
Place
4 large flat mushrooms
stalk-side up on a baking tray. Dot the brown insides with
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
25-50g butter (or you could use 3-4 tbls olive oil, if you prefer)
leaves from 2 sprigs thyme
salt and pepper
Bake at 190C for about 20 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked through. Sprinkle with
juice of 1/2 lemon
and serve.
1 tag
SWEET SPICED WALNUTS
These are caramelly and spicy. It would be fine to substitute any of these spices that you don’t have, with ones that you do have.
Put in a small baking tin:
250g walnuts.
Mix together:
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground mace
pinch of ground cloves
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 1/2 tablespoons clear...
January 2013
3 posts
Dear Mum,
Arty and fun
British
Chicken, but not hugely fussed.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Little daughter xx
Dear Little Daughter,
I shall enjoy this challenge, but first I need a few more guidelines.
Do you want the meal to be sophisticated, or arty and fun, or comfy and casual?
Do you have a regional preference, for example Middle Eastern or Thai, or do you want it multi-cultural/fusion?
Would you like to use chicken in the main course, or would you rather go vegetarian?
Love, Mum x
Dinner Party Challenge
Hi Mum,
I am serving dinner for 4 people next week, and would like to make a 2 if not 3 course meal that is relatively fuss free.
Here are the specifics:
Serves 4 generously
One guest is wheat intolerant
One guest doesn’t like fish
Meat is not necessary
We do not have a food processor
Main course needs to take only a few hours
Dessert would need to be made the night before
...
December 2012
6 posts
1 tag
CRISP CINNAMON STAR BISCUITS
Hello family! Here is the recipe for the super-crunchy cinnamon stars we had with our Christmas apple sorbet and mulled fruit sauce. Makes 36 star-shaped biscuits.
Cream:
4 oz butter
8 oz caster sugar
Beat in:
1 egg
Sift together, then mix in:
10 oz plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
pinch salt
Squeeze the mixture gently into a...
1 tag
CARROT AND COCONUT SALAD
This is for Katie. But did it have sultanas in it too? I can’t remember.
Mix together:
500g carrots, grated
170-225g desiccated coconut
1/2 can coconut milk, well stirred
grated zest, juice and remaining pulp of 1 lime
3-4cm root ginger, pulped or grated
a dash of mild chilli powder, or paprika
1 tablespoon ground coriander
salt to taste
1 tag
WHOLEMEAL SEEDY BREAD
This is for Uncle Peter too. When I discovered that the seed-filled supermarket bread I’d brought you lot up on was, in fact, not wholemeal, but made with white flour and colouring syrup (urgh!!), I developed this bread. Dad now makes it regularly. This makes 4 large loaves. (He cuts them in half and freezes them all.) Choose a day when you’re going to be at home lots, then get started...
3 tags
CHUNKY FRUIT MINCE PIES
This recipe is for Uncle Peter. Son and I developed this fat-free mincemeat recipe last Christmas. It makes a delicious pie filling - chunky and moist and different, without the unpleasant vinegary tang that bought mincemeat has. Our visiting joiner this morning said they were the best mince pies he’d ever had.
Look! And imagine that warm, sweet, alcoholic, spicy smell… Mmmm!
OK....
CRUNCHY SWEET & SPICY NUTS
Put
1 kg mixed nuts
into a large roasting tin. In a bowl, mix:
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground mace
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
4 tablespoons sunflower oil
6 tablespoons clear honey.
Stir this mixture into the nuts
Bake at 160C (fan oven) for 15-20 minutes (not quite sure about this so keep a careful eye), stirring...
1 tag
SAVOURY SPICED NUTS
Dear Rachel, here are the yummy spiced nuts you asked for:
For 1kg nuts (and they keep nicely in a jar):
In a large saucepan, heat
4 tablespoons olive oil.
Add:
2 rounded tsp ground cumin
2 rounded tsp chilli power
2 rounded tsp curry powder
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 rounded tsp ground ginger
1 rounded tsp cinnamon
2 rounded tsp ground coriander
and stir over the heat for 2-3 minutes....
November 2012
3 posts
THIS (>click here →
Double the recipe. You will need double.
2 tags
VEGGIE MEXICAN WRAPS
Dear family,
I made a Mexican feast for a bunch of visiting friends - it was quick and easy (so easy that I could chat and host whilst preparing the food), and it went down a treat. Very sociable meal.
(Serves 4, generously)
Preheat the oven to 200. In a roasting tray, toss together:
1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped into small-ish chunks
1-2 red chillies, de-seeded and chopped
...
2 tags
REDUCED FAT HUMMUS
Very easy, very quick, very nice.
Put in the blender:
1 can chick peas, drained but brine reserved
2 ridiculously heaping teaspoons tahini without the oil
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons brine from chickpeas - depending on the size of the lemon
Blend.
Done.
October 2012
7 posts
Here’s a picture of Little Daughter at playgroup. I thought it would make a nice friend for our plate-face logo. Love Mum xxx
3 tags
SPROUTS IN HEAVEN
Dear Family,
I usually think of brussels sprouts as being kind of nice but not that exciting. But the other evening, when I was on my own and feeling lazy, I put this together for my supper. OH MY GOODNESS. It’s amazing how sprouts can be elevated to such glory by a simple tahini sauce. The next evening I made it for Dad, and he exclaimed “MMMMMMM!!!” for the entire bowlful!...
CHICKEN/TURKEY AND BUTTERNUT CURRY
Follow the recipe below and simply add cubed chicken thigh meat or turkey breast meat just before you add the spinach and make sure it’s cooked through. Equally yummy!
3 tags
PUY LENTIL AND BUTTERNUT CURRY
Dear family, I have so many new recipes I want to share with you! First of all there’s this. Eat it from bowls, but beware, you will probably want to get in and wallow in it, it’s so utterly delicious, and really simple and quick. Tinned puy lentils are a little expensive but are one of the few convenience foods that I allow in my cupboard.
* I have also now made this using 120g raw...
Sister & Sister: Halloween Bake-off!
It's that time again! Click here for last year's... →
ufood:
Dear Mum,
Mmmm, my favourite!
In an effort to make the best pumpkin pie in history I’ve tried about three recipes since last hallowe’en, with varying success. Jamie’s America has a sweet potato pie which ends up far too thick and cloying, and hideously sweet. BBC Food’s pumpkin pie (I think…
It’s that time again..
1 tag
August 2012
6 posts
3 tags
MANGO YOGURT ICE
This turns out like a creamy sorbet, with a lovely fruity flavour. I served it with the Sephardic Orange and Almond Cake (see below). You really do need a sugar thermometer to make it. I also used an ice-cream maker, but that is not necessary. Makes about 10 small scoops.
Put in a small, heavy-based saucepan:
115g caster sugar
300ml water
Stir over a medium heat to dissolve the sugar, then...
3 tags
SEPHARDIC ORANGE & ALMOND CAKE
I’ve made this so many times and it never fails. And it has no flour at all, of any kind. Just ground almonds. Amazing. We six didn’t even get through half of this, but we only had small slices. I served it as a dessert, with Mango Yogurt Ice and mango slices, but it can also be served as a cake. Hang on, I’ll just go and take a picture…
There!
Wash
2 large oranges
...
4 tags
QUINOA TABBOULEH (or BULGUR WHEAT)
Normally quite a lot of lemon juice is added to Tabbouleh, but because I was serving it with the zingy chicken, I kept the lemon juice down to a minimum. This is plenty for 6. (This picture only shows what we had left over the next day.)
Put
350g quinoa
in a pan with twice its volume of boiling water. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and leave, covered, for 5 minutes...
CHICKEN TAGINE WITH PRESERVED LEMON AND OLIVES
Are you ready for this? It’s incredible! It goes pow! zap! zing! in your mouth with every forkful. Start to prepare it in the morning. Because of the timing of our meal, I gently poached the chicken, for longer times than stated here. This much serves 6 (with leftovers for the next day, probably).
Remove the skin and excess fat from
12 chicken thighs (with bone).
Mix these together on a...
BABA GHANOUSH
A delicious, smoky aubergine and tahini dip. This much serves 6.
Put under a hot grill:
3 aubergines
and grill for a long time, turning frequently, until the skins are blackened and blistered. (Mine were under for 45 minutes, but I’m sure that contributed to the incredible smoky taste.) Lift the grilled aubergines onto a plate and scoop the flesh away from the blackened skins. Discard...
A delicious Middle Eastern meal
Dear family,
After such a long, sad break, I feel I should be putting something in here in memory of your two grandfathers. I’ll have a think. But I wanted to tell you about this Middle Eastern meal I made for guests a couple of days ago. It was great fun to prepare and, I think, one of the nicest meals I’ve ever cooked. Certainly the guests were very happy, and I’m still...
April 2012
4 posts
4 tags
SAFFRON AND PINE NUT PILAF
Here’s another saffron recipe for you, Little Daughter. Again, this really allows the flavour of saffron to shine through. You could serve it alongside grilled chicken or fish, in which case it would serve 3, but we just had it with courgettes, so it served 2 generously.
Make
300ml hot vegetable or chicken stock
then put
a good pinch of saffron
in a little cup and pour 2 tablespoons...
SPELT HOT CROSS BUNS
Don’t they look pretty? But actually they were a LOT of hard work, and rather disappointing. So I’m not putting the recipe on. Bother.
Night night,
Mum xxx
5 tags
SAFFRON, BASIL & ROASTED PEPPER PENNE
Well first of all a message from Dad. He says “Thank you Little Daughter for asking that question, because this was delicious!”
So… this is based on a very 90s-style American vegetarian recipe by Deborah Madison, and I feel that it really allows the flavour of the saffron through, which many saffron recipes don’t, quite. It’s got a few stages of preparation to it,...
Fun with Saffron
Dear Mum,
On my trip to Morocco I bought loads of saffron (I have some for you as well!).
Do you have any exciting saffron-based recipes you can share?
Love from Little Daughter xx
March 2012
10 posts
5 tags
OATY APRICOT & CARDAMOM BARS
These to me are the best biscuits in the world. No wheat, no sugar, and full of good things. I make a batch and store them in a box in the freezer, so that I can snitch one out whenever I need it. They stay well in shape, so are good to put in a little bag and take to work. If you don’t have a measuring cup, remember that 1 cup = 225ml. Makes 16.
Put in a small jug and whisk together:
...
4 tags
MIXED SEED BUTTER
Dear family,
Here’s my fabulous seed butter - another nutritious, delicious lunch thing, and it stores really well in a jar in the refrigerator. I like it best with Rude Health multigrain thins (www.rudehealth.com/news/good-thins-to-come). It doesn’t mix well with other ingredients though, so don’t try and put tomatoes on it or anything. It does something strange in the mouth!
...
3 tags
Aha! You got some!
Little daughter, prepare for one of my favourite lunches… Waitrose spicy peach chutney, on hummus, on Kallo sea salt and cider vinegar rice cakes. GORGEOUS!
I also had this chutney and hummus on baked potatoes at Granny and Grandpa’s at the weekend. (You can probably imagine, they supplied the baked potatoes and I the hummus and chutney!) Again, it was very...
1 tag
Hee hee!
Mum x
Thanks Mum!
P.S.
Slotted spoon.
