Fennel & Pea Tagine

 Originally this was a vegetarian recipe, but fish or chicken could be added 

ingredients

for 2 people:

• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• ½ large or a whole small bulb  Fennel, sliced
• olive oil
• about 1 cup (8 fluid oz) frozen petits pois
• lemon zest (or a chunk of preserved lemon if you have it)
• about a dozen pitted green olives, halved if you like
• a handful of whole almonds or 1Tbsp ground almonds

Spice mix: make up more than this and store it in the fridge to use in other dishes

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) ground ginger
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp cumin
• pinch of safron or ¼ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp dried mint - a bit more if using fresh mint

method

• soften up onions in oil*, add fennel and a good tsp of spice mix, stir well
• add olives & lemon to taste & enough water to cover
• simmer until fennel is tender
• add peas and simmer for 10-15 mins longer
• in a blender make a paste with the almonds and some of the sauce from the pot or extra
• water, add to the dish to thicken it
• cook for a few more minutes

serve with coucous or bulgur 

*include chicken joint/s after
the onions or fish at the end of cooking

alternatives: courgette, cauliflower, leek or other
veg you like can also be used

tahini tips

tahini has become a bit of a fridge favourite for me and i like finding new ways to use it - so here's a bit of a list of things you can addit to or use it in -

Add to:

.... greek yogurt with a little sweetening (e.g. honey, pomegranate syrup/molasses, golden syrup, sugar) and use it instead of cream with fruity puddings and more

..... nut roast mix 

Use with: 

..... soy sauce, lime juice and a bit of oil for a salad or vegetable dressing - even better with a bit of chopped fresh ginger and/or garlic ( i keep slabs of both in the freezer to use as needed)

..... a little onion & cumin + garlic gently sweated together - add tahini & lemon juice + courgettes or green beans or broad beans and cook together - or pour over cooked broccoli 

health note: sesame seeds are the main ingredient of Tahini, they are a good source of calcium and magnesium (good for dairy free diets) as well as vit b and iron - also they contain healthy essenti fatty acids which help the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A,D,E and K from other foods

Orange and Rhubarb Jam

Anyone who grows rhubarb knows there is always more than they need, so this is a brilliant way to use some of the surplus, and it is delicious.

Half way between a sweet marmalade and jam, this is also good for sandwiching a sponge or swiss roll and so much more!

too good to stop eating and take a photo!

Orange and Rhubarb Jam

This recipe is long because it involves cooking the oranges and rhubarb seprately, then combining them before adding the sugar and doing the final boil - also there are two ways you could prepare the oranges so i give both

i usually spread the process over a couple of days or more - each stage can be stored in the fridge for a day or two - unless you want to be exhausted at the end i recommend spreading it out

• after preparing the fruit I weigh it then add an equal weight of sugar - see weight guide below.
• the process can be split and carried out over a few days, so there is no need for a long jam making session
• if you have not made jam before, read all the instructions before you start and make sure you have everything you need
• i have gone into a lot of detail in parts, mainly for beginners, so bear with me if you are an experienced jam maker, but it is worth preparing the oranges properly
• no quantities are given because this works by weight

Ingredients:
Oranges - I started with 2 large ones
Rhubarb
Sugar - This fruit has a good pectin content so it does not need any extra pectin for a good set

Stage 1 Prepare the oranges: use method A or B

Method A

• cook the oranges by simmering them whole, covered in water, until they are soft - at least 30 mins to 1hr. Lift out the oranges, it’s best if they are still whole - keep the liquid they cooked in, you need it
• cut the oranges open and scoop out the flesh, remove the pips. If you have a blender tip the fruit pulp in and blend, if not chop it up as fine as you can.
• cut the peel into manageable slices and scrape off as much of the white pith as you can, throw this away, keep the orange zest and slice and dice this very finely.
• mix the pulp and zest, weigh it - now add the same weight of the reserved cooking liquid - pulp + zest + water is your orange mixture
• throw away the leftover liquid - you can keep the orange mixture in the fridge for a few days (or the freezer for ages) while you recover from all that!

Method B

• peel the oranges with a knife, try to peel it in wide sections - put aside the fruity pulp
• simmer the peel in water until it is softened - meanwhile, chop the pulp, remove pips and stringy bits, then blitz or chop to a mush.
• when peel is really soft, strain it and keep the water - scrape as much white stuff (pith) off as you can and throw it away - chop the remaining zest very finely
  
• mix the pulp and zest, weigh it - now add the same weight of the reserved cooking liquid - pulp + zest + water is your orange mixture
• throw away the leftover liquid - you can keep the orange mixture in the fridge for a few days (or the freezer for ages) while you recover from all that!
  

either method makes the orange mix you will add to the rhubarb before the final boil with sugar - weigh it and make a note, you need this later

Stage 2 Adding the rhubarb and sugar

• wash and cut the same weight of rhubarb as you have orange pulp - i cut the rhubarb up into small chunks so that it breaks down more easily during cooking
• put the weighed orange mixture and rhubarb in a very large pan, simmer it gently, until the rhubarb is cooked and all fallen apart - you might need to stir it vigorously to break up the rhubarb. If you don’t do this you will get big lumps of rhubarb which don’t spread well as jam. 
• weigh out the sugar - you need the same weight of sugar as you have of fruit (orange + rhubarb)

for example:

orange mixture 200g

rhubarb 200g

=400g fruit

add sugar 400g

=800g jam

• add the sugar and stir to help it all dissolve - it is important for all the sugar to dissolve completely before you go on to boiling your mixture - you can leave the whole mixture in a cool place until you are ready to cook and pot it

Stage 3 Boiling and potting

• wash your jam jars and get your lids or covers ready - i sit them in a shallow pan of hot water which is next to the jam pan, to reduce mess when potting up.
• now cook the jam:follow any standard jam-making instructions from this point to potting up - this is helpful, https://moorlandseater.com/jam-making-a-beginners-guide/  start at the Jam making equipment section

Chorizo hash

this is mostly from what i call "store cupboard" ingredients, so it's a good one to make when i'm out of other ideas

ingredients

• 1/3 - 1 /2 a chorizo, skinned and in small chunks
• 1med-large onion – chopped a bit chunky
• garlic – crushed
• potatoes, thickly sliced or cubed
• 2 big peppers, sliced roughly or 1/3-1/2 bag frozen sliced peppers
• handful of stoned olives
• smoked paprika powder
• dried or fresh oregano/thyme
• ½ tin chopped toms, or good dollop tom puree +water

• optional butter beans – small can, drained

method

• put chorizo chunks and onions into a heavy bottomed frying/sauté pan on a low heat, cover – stir occasionally – the fat comes out so the onions fry in the sausage fat – no need to add oil – allow at least 15 mins
• add garlic, dried herbs and paprika stir and fry a bit
• and potato chunks, stir well and cook a few minutes then add chopped toms or tom puree & water – simmer 5-10 mins
• add sliced peppers, olives and fresh herbs if using – add a bit of water if the mixture is a bit dry
• when peppers are done add butter beans and heat through
• salt & pepper to taste – serve with optional grated cheese

• for vegetarian version omit chorizo, use olive oil, extra smoked paprika and finish with chunks of haloumi or fried eggs

planning ahead

eating well needs a bit of planning, but it doesn't have to be hard work - think ahead a bit when trying a new dish or meal:

• what have i got in stock?
• what ingredients do i need? - can i get them easily? can i afford them?
• what equipment do i really need? - can i improvise? 
• does the recipe tell me exactly how to make it and what to do if things go wrong?

a few tips about recipes from books and online: 

• don't trust the photos, they are rarely realistic - the commercial ones pay people to make the stuff look that good, but it might not be what it says - many food bloggers use various food styling tricks and techniques (i use my own photos of my own food .....and it shows!)  
• check a few different ones  - it they vary hugely you might need to decide whether you trust one more than the others
• always try it out before cooking it for someone else, specially if you want to impress them!

i find that recipes and instructions from trusted sources are the most reliable e.g. people you know who cook well and care about you (or a really reliable celebrity cook,  in my experience celebrity chef recipes require higher levels of skill and expereience )

..........i will be updating this with further thoughts and tips as i go along

kitchen helpers or equipment

must haves:
sharp knives - whatever size & style you are comfortable with but they need to be kept sharp, so get a knife sharpener too  - knives will be blunted faster by a very hard chopping surface like marble, granite, glass etc
chopping board/surface - one you can lift with one hand, even when it's loaded with chopped stuff
good, heavy bottomed pans - these are a good investment - my mother still uses her 60 year old Le Creuset wedding presents, mine aren't that old but they are among my most precious possessions - i cook on gas so i don't know what the equivalent would be for induction or ceramic hobs
hand-held blender - try for one with a plastic 'head', the metal ones could scratch non-stick pans - excellent for turning leftovers into soups, lump-free sauces, mashing up stuff and plenty more - some come with a whisk and a chopping bowl attachment, also pretty useful for fancier stuff
grater - the flat ones are easiest to clean and store
sieve - metal ones are best as they don't melt if you use them for hot stuff, they also double as colanders or steamers


useful:
food processor - takes the slog out of lots of jobs but it's one more thing to wash up and you'll need storage space for it
coffee grinder - mine has never seen coffee but i use it all the time for spices, nuts, seeds, breadcrumbs.........
steamer pan - the sort with a pan and at least one or two steamer sections to stack on top - i steam most of my vegetables including potatoes, but they are also useful for keeping food warm and you can cook in the pan with or without the steamers on top as well as cooking two foods at the same time but separately ..... a really versatile piece of equipment - they often turn up in charity shops in exellent/new condition

brownies

i have tried lots of brownie recipes and always find that the trickiest part is the cooking time - i like my brownies a bit crunchy on top but gooey or squidgy in the middle

baking in a tray means that very few pieces have the perfect balance - so i have taken to baking individual ones in silicone cases (cheaper in charity shops!) - it meant a few tries as i had to reduce the baking time from the original recipe but i think i finally got it right for my oven

this recipe, based on Ruby Tandoh's Cocoa Brownies in The Guardian, is easy because it does not involve the tricky feat of melting chocolate without disasters! it does involve quite a few bowls for ingredients but it's worth it - these don't have any crunch but do stay squidgy and mature well, given a chance!

ingredients

• 125g butter (if using unsalted add a good pinch of salt to the flour)
• 2 tbsp black treacle     i use less treacle and more syrup
• 1 tbsp golden syrup     but 3 tbsp altogether
• 2 eggs, 1 separated
• vanilla essence (optional)
• 150 g sugar, granulated or soft light brown
• 90g plain flour
• 75g cocoa
• marmalade
• peanut butter, or tahini

method

• preheat oven 108C 350F Gas 4
• melt butter with treacle and golden syrup, set aside to cool - beat this together just before use, it will keep separating fairly quickly
• separate one egg yolk and white, put white aside for whisking
• weigh flour and cocao and sift or whisk together
• have 12 cup cases ready on a tray

• whisk together egg yolk, second egg, vanilla and sugar until light and frothy - until the whisks leave a trail when lifted out
• with clean whisk beat remaining egg white until stiff
• return to the egg and sugar mix - gently stir in alternate batches of butter/syrup mix and flour/cocoa in about 3 - 4 batches
• fold in the beaten egg white until just blended
• put a spoonful of the mixture in each case, to cover the bottom - (optional) spoon in 1/4 tsp each of peanut butter then marmalade - cover with more mixture
• bake 15 mins - a skewer should come out of the middle lightly coated - if you wait til it comes out clean they won't be squidgy

cool - these are better the next day if you can wait!

chunky broad bean "pesto"

more of a chunky paste than a smooth pesto, this is a surprisingly versatile way of using broad beans - it can be served hot, warm or cold, as a pasta dressing, a canape or brushetta topping, a mezze style dish, a stuffing for hollowed out panini or ciabatta . . . . . i'm sure you'll come up with your own variation

i know that peeling broad beans sounds like a complete waste of time but it really is worth it for this  . . . . and you can do it sitting down listening to the radio

no measures for this one, make it up as you go along!


ingredients

• broad beans - frozen or fresh, not tinned
• crushed, finely chopped garlic
• parmesan cheese - freshly grated if possible
• olive oil
• chopped mint - fresh or frozen are best, dried will do*
• lemon juice
• fresh ground black pepper
• optional - slivers of good salami, parma ham, pancetta or dry smoked bacon 

method

• cook the broad beans for a few minutes in boiling water, strain, run under cold water
• peel the beans - nick the skin at one end gently squeeze, throw away the skins (in the compost bin)
• mash about half the peeled beans in a bowl with garlic, parmesan and mint*
• add olive oil and lemon juice to taste . . . . and to adjust the consistency of the paste
• stir in the remaining beans and add pepper to taste
• if using pancetta or bacon fry it  and add to the paste with the un-mashed beans
• mash a bit more if you want it more spreadable

serve stirred into pasta, as a spread or however you prefer it

* mix dried mint with a little lemon juice beforehand to rehydrate, add both to the paste 

cooking rice - a basic skill

a lot of my dishes involve rice, i use 2 basic methods; boiling and absorption - i have never made risotto the 'proper' way, i'm sure it's worth the effort but i can't be bothered

some sources recommend repeated rinsing and soaking of the rice before cooking - i have tried it but it didn't seem to make a noticeable difference so now i don't bother - i'd like to know if this is a hangover from the days before food processing was so strictly quality controlled

boiled rice

• plain boiled is straightforward and instruction are given on the packet BUT sometimes you need to use your own judgement about how long to cook it for, so check a few grains before the recommended time is up
• if you are going to be adding more ingredients it is often best to undercook rice slightly as it will absorb moisture from the other ingredients
• use lots of water, rice likes plenty of room to swim in! also you are less likely to have to rinse the rice after cooking - it may seem like a waste to boil lots of water for a little rice but it saves having to boil more to reheat the rice after you have rinsed off the excess starch in cold water!
• 'easy cook' rice is more forgiving about timing but tends to need longer cooking - basmati and thai fragrant rices need more precision so use a timer and take it with you if you wander off! 

method: 

• have the rice ready in a bowl and a sieve or colander ready
• bring the water to the boil, tip the rice in and stir well until the water gets back to boiling point - if you don't do this the rice sticks together and to the bottom of the pan
• turn the heat down to a simmer for the time recommended on packaging
• turn off the heat and check a few grain to make sure it is cooked, if it is not ready yet cover it and let it stand for another minute before checking again - if it'is very undercooked you may have to simmer it for a bit longer but keep checking it
• strain in a colander or sieve, return to pan or warmed serving dish and serve

absorption method or pilau rice

•  this uses measured amounts of rice and liquid, the rice absorbs all the liquid during cooking, leaving you with fluffy individual grains. . . . . in theory!
• until you are confident with the pilau method it is best to use plain boiled rice and add other ingredients afterwards, then keep hot or warm to allow the flavours to develop
• a cup of rice is plenty for the two  with hearty appetites - i normally use 1/2 to 1/3 of a cup per person
• for basmati or othe normal white rice i use 1 measure of rice to 11/2 measures of liquid, for risotto and paella rices i use more like 1 : 11/3 - my mum uses 1 measure of rice to 2 measures of liquid - i find her rice mushy although i thought it was perfect for the first 30 years of my life!  she thinks mine is underdone ........ conclusion; you might have to experiment a bit
• if possible use hot liquid, this way it's quicker to get everything to boiling point
• a good heavy bottomed pan is important - it spreads the heat evenly and allows you to turn the heat right down and cook things slowly without burning on the bottom ....usually

method

• heat a little oil or butter and soften a little chopped onion, shallot or whatever other flavourings required
• add the rice and stir to mix everything thoroughly, turn the heat up
• add your hot measured liquid and stir well (to stop the rice from sticking together an to the bottom of the pan)
• as soon as the liquid is boiling give it a final stir, put the lid on and turn the heat down to very low
• cook for 18-35 mins depending on the type of rice - 18 for basmati, a bit longer for risotto or paella rices,  35 for brown 
• at the end of the cooking time your rice should be cooked through, with a little firmness but not gritty - cover the pan with a cloth or kitchen paper and replace the lid, set aside for 15-20 mins before serving - this allows the steam to be absorbed and the rice should fluff up

potential problems:

sloppy gritty rice - needs cooking for longer or possibly at a slightly higher temperature

sloppy mushy rice - too much liquid

gritty rice - not enough liquid - try

some gritty rice on top, cooked underneath - stir in the gritty rice gently, replace the lid and cook for another minute 

rice stuck to bottom of pan and/or burnt - cooked on too high a heat or pan too thin - in Iranian cooking this is done on purpose to produce a crispy crust of rice which is regarded as the best bit, but not when it's burnt!

fast farinata, my way

recently this has become my favourite hot breakfast - i'm sure the genuine article takes a bit more time and trouble but this one is good enough for me - it's a great base for all sorts of added flavourings, fillings and toppings, also a good substitute for flour-based flatbreads

the "real thing" is baked in the oven, but this is more convenient for a quick light meal

no quantities, just a bit of guessing! basically chickpea flour, water or water & milk/yoghurt, a pinch of baking powder or bicarb with seasonings to taste

this one had fresh thyme, chopped red onion, green olives,
 green pepper and some crumbled feta

ingredients

Chickpea flour - also known as Gram flour

water or water with some milk or yogurt

a good pinch of baking powder or bicarbonate of soda

olive oil

flavourings to taste: salt, pepper, fresh or dried herbs, chopped onion, other finely chopped veg (and/or meat scraps)

method

for one "pancake" in a small pan i use a couple of well heaped tablespoons of chickpea flour whisked to a thick crepe batter with the chosen liquid

i am told it is better if you can make it in advance and let it stand with any herbs, salt and pepper you are adding 

whisk in baking powder/bicarb and add other chopped flavourings

heat your pan with some olive oil, so that the batter will sizzle a bit when added - pour in the batter and turn the heat down a bit once it has "set", bubbles should also appear

flip and cook the other side - you can also top it with some cheese while the second side cooks

serve and eat warm