Sweetcorn Relish

We had an American themed tea tonight, in honour of that election! Made fantastic apple pie, home made burgers (see Pete’s burger) wedge chips, and worked on a new recipe for a sweetcorn relish… thankfully it was delicious, strong tasting, but complemented the robust flavour of the burger. Very well priced this, for 4 good sized jars, I used about three quarters of a bag of frozen sweetcorn, and some bits and bobs from the bottom of the fridge...

Ingredients

500g sweetcorn (I used frozen, or you could use 10 cobs)
16floz vinegar (I used a mix of red wine vinegar and a drop or two of malt.. what's in your cupboard?)
2 sticks of celery, very finely chopped
half a cabbage, very finely chopped
2 onions, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 green pepper, finely chopped
three quarters of a cup of sugar
1 and half tbs mustard (I used a ready made, with chilli)
1 chilli (optional)
1 tbs salt
2 tsp cornflour, mixed to a paste with water.

Method

Mix vegetables together, add remaining ingredients (except the cornflour) and cook until corn is tender, 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cornflour, stir and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Pack into hot sterilized jars and seal. Makes about 2 and half pints..

Today’s illustration © Lois Blackburn www.loisblackburn.co.uk

Haricot bean and mutton stew

Our butcher is supplying mutton again. They explained there hasn’t been a call for it in the last few years.…that’s until recent credit crunch times. This is recipe is delicious, Tunisian in flavour and slow cooked so the meat is really tender. Lovely served with rice, and lemon wedges.

Ingredients (serves 6)

2 onions, chopped
3 tbs olive oil or veg oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
750g (1 and half lb) mutton
500g (1lb) haricot beans, soaked over night
500g (1lb) tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or tinned)
1-2 tsp sugar or to taste
juice of one lemon
half tsp harissa
2 tsp of cinnamon or cumin or mix of both
salt and pepper

Method

Fry the onions in oil until golden, add the garlic and when it begins to colour add the meat and brown it all over, stirring. Then add the drained beans and tomatoes, add the sugar and cover with water. Simmer for 2-3 hours, until the meat and beans are very tender, adding salt and pepper and lemon juice just before serving.


Today’s illustration © Lois Blackburn www.loisblackburn.co.uk

Girdle scones (egg, dairy free)

Sunday morning, if I have time, I do like to rustle up some goodies to eat. This week I was experimenting making a vegan version of the classic girdle scone. It went down very easily, especially with a good coating of jam or honey. (If you want the traditional ingredients, just swap dairy free ingredients to butter and milk)

Ingredients
10oz/275g self-raising flour
1-2 oz/ 25g-50g dairy free marg
half tsp salt
soya milk

method

sift flour and salt, rub in marg. Add milk and mix to a soft dough. Place on a floured surface, kneed very lightly and roll out to quarter inch thickness. Cut into triangles and place on a greased and floured moderately hot girdle or heavy based frying pan. When scones are risen slightly and brown, turn them and cook on the other side. Roll on Sunday.

Illustration © Lois Blackburn 2008 www.loisblackburn.co.uk

Kofta Curry

More delicious ‘ways with mince’... this is a lovely alternative to a Friday night take away curry. Spicy as you want it, depending on the strength of your chilli. We served it with rice, which worked well. You could equally have it with nan or chapatti, and left overs in a sandwich!

Ingredients

3 onions, sliced
2 gloves garlic
2 green chillies (more or less depending on your taste)
3.5 cm (1 and half inch) piece root ginger
25g (1oz) each coriander and mint leaves
2 tsp salt
500g (1lb) minced beef
4 tbs oil
1 tsp each of chilli powder and ground cumin
1 tbs ground coriander
1 tbs water
25g (1oz) tomato puree, diluted in 300ml (half pint) water
mint leaves to garnish

method

put 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, 2 chillies, 1 cm piece ginger, herbs and half the salt into a food processor and work into a paste.

Mix with the minced beef, roll into walnut size balls and fry lightly in 3 tbs oil. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in the pan, add the remaining onions and fry until golden. Crush the remaining garlic and chop the remaining ginger.. Add to the pan with the chilli powder, cumin, ground coriander and the water. Fry stirring for 2 minutes, for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree and remaining salt. Simmer for 10 mins. Gently add the meat balls in to the pan and simmer for 30 mins. Garnish with mint to serve.

Illustration © Lois Blackburn 2008 www.loisblackburn.co.uk

Crab-apple Jelly

Next to the Quince Tree (see Quince Chutney) was a small bag full of crab-apple windfalls, fantastic free food! I brought a jelly strainer last week, what a difference it makes, just load it up, then let it drip through over night- simple!
This Jelly is from Jimmy Doherty’s book ‘A Taste of the Country’ It’s the first time I’ve made it, very sharp and sweet at the same time… should go well on toast or with pork…

Ingredients

About 2kg/4 and half lb crab apples
granulated or preserving sugar

method

Wash and chop the crab apples. Put them into a preserving pan with just enough water to cover (about 1 litre/1 and three quarter pints) Bring to the boil slowly, then reduce the heat and simmer for about an hour. Stir occasionally, breaking up the fruit to release the pectin.

After an hour, pour or ladle the fruit and juice into a scalded jelly-bag and allow the juice to drip through for several hours. Measure the strained juice and our it back into a clean preserving pan. For each 565ml or 1 pint of juice add 450g or 1lb of sugar. Stir over a low heat until all the sugar has dissolved, then bring to the boil. Boil until setting point is reached – about 10 to 15 mins. When the jelly is ready, take the pan off the heat, remove the scum from the surface, and quickly pour into sterilized jars –this jelly sets very fast.

Today’s illustration © Lois Blackburn 2008 www.loisblackburn.co.uk

Quince chutney

Last week on a walk I found a quince tree, with loads of windfalls, so with a rucksack full I ambled home. I first cooked with quinces a couple of years ago, and didn’t have much luck with them, they where just to hard. So this time, I placed them on the window sill for a week to turn from light green to the riper yellow colour. Then cut them into smaller chunks, time-consuming but worth it, as the resulting chutney is delicious, and no problems this time with hard quince.

I used the following recipe, from www.hungrybrowser.com

8 cups peeled, cored diced quinces
3 oranges thinly sliced
3 cups of brown sugar
1 and half cups honeymead or white wine vinegar (I used a combination of white wine vinegar and malt, and its worked very well)
1 cup sultanas
quarter cup finely chopped preserved ginger (I only had fresh in, which worked very well)
1 cup of raisins
1 medium onion finely chopped
quarter cup yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp ground ginger
half tsp ground cloves
half tsp ground cinnamon
2 cloves garlic crushed
juice and zest of 1 lemon

method

combine all ingredients, except ginger with 1 and half cups of water in a large non-reactive saucepan. Simmer for 45 mins. Add ginger, cool five mins, spoon into hot sterilised jars and seal while hot. Keeps 12 months in a cool dark place (the last lot of Quince chutney I made, I kept for 2 years… and was fine when I opened it!) Refrigerate after opening.

Today’s illustration © Lois Blackburn 2008 www.loisblackburn.co.uk

Rice pudding

A taste of childhood… but actually better than I remember! It’s so easy to make, lovely with cows milk or soya milk. Try different flavourings and extra’s such as adding raisons, or almonds, or using it as a bed for poached fruit. There are many variations on the rice pudding recipes, but this is a great one to start with…

Ingredients

200g (7oz) Italian risotto or pudding rice or sticky rice
350ml (12oz) water
up to 1 litre (1 three quarter pints) milk (or soya)
175g (6oz) sugar or to taste
zest of half a lemon (optional)
vanilla essence (optional)

method

put the rice in a large pot with the water. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered for about 5-6mins, or until the water is absorbed. Keep an eye on it, and stir so that the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add half to three quarters of the milk, bring to the boil and simmer on a very low heat for 30-40 mins, or until the rice is very soft and the milk almost absorbed (if this happens to quickly add the rest of the milk) stirring occasionally so the rice doesn’t stick. Stir in the sugar and the lemon zest and a vanilla essence to taste. Cook for a few mins longer. Serve hot or cold.

Illustration © Lois Blackburn please visit www.loisblackburn.co.uk for more.

Pork sausage with lentils

My other half made this variation of an Italian recipe tonight and I have to add it here, its delicious and cheap and cheerful! Its inspired by Gennaro Contaldo’s recipe Zampone con lenticchie, but replaced Italian sausage with locally produced pork sausages..

Ingredients

350g puy lentils
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 courgette, finely chopped
1 large potato, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 tbs finely chopped parsley
3 whole garlic gloves, crushed
4 tbs olive oil
about 1.5 litres veg stock
pork sausages (we used 6 from our fantastic local butcher)

method

wash the lentils. Drain and place in large pan with carrots, courgette, potato, celery, parsley, garlic and olive oil. Pour in enough stock to cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 40 mins, or until the lentils are soft and the dish has a stew like consistency.

Meanwhile, fry the sausage until coloured, chop it up, and add to the stew for the last 10mins or so of cooking. This way the sausage gives even more flavour to the stew.

Remove from the heat, and serve with seasonal green veg. (we used steamed cabbage which was lovely)

Illustration © Lois Blackburn www.loisblackburn.co.uk

Boston Baked Beans

Love my beans, this is a delicious, tasty mix with bacon/pork slices… this is when I wish I had an old fashioned stove to cook it slowly all day…

Ingredients

1 lb haricot beans, washed and soaked overnight
8oz sliced pork (or thick sliced bacon)
2 tsp salt
1 tbs brown sugar
quarter cup of dark molasses or treacle
half tsp dry mustard
half tsp Worcestershire sauce

method

Drain the beans, cover with fresh water and cook covered with a lid until beans are tender. Turn beans into pot, press the pork on top of the beans. Mix the salt, brown sugar, molasses or treacle, mustard, Worcestershire sauce. Add 1 cup of boiling water and pour over the beans. Add additional water and cover beans. Cover and bake in slow oven (250o-300oF, Gas Mark 1-2) for 6 – 8 hours adding additional water to keep beans just covered. Uncover during the last 30 mins to brown pork and beans.

Blackberry jam

Everyone seems to have enjoyed the sunshine at the weekend, and been out picking blackberries, so I’ve been frustrated by significantly fewer around… still have one or two more secret spots to try.. got to get a stock in the freezer for winter crumbles…

Here’s a recipe I followed earlier this week for the cost of the sugar and lemon, a significant amount of delicious jam….

2 lb blackberries
2 lb sugar
juice of 1 lemon

method

warm the sugar for 1-2 mins, add the blackberries. Once liquid is forming, turn the heat up, and bring to the boil. Gently stir in the lemon juice. Skim the froth off. Boil until setting point is reached 105oC /220oF (about 6- 7 mins)
Pour into clean sterilised pots.

Today's illustration © Lois Blackburn, please visit www.loisblackburn.co.uk for more

Moussaka

Tried this recipe out this evening, and can highly recommend it. Its another from Claudia Roden’s ‘The Book of Jewish Food’, and makes a pleasant change from the usual recipe. Without any dairy products, it is a lighter and fresher tasting moussaka.

Ingredients (serves 8)

1kg (2lb) aubergines, cut into thin slices
salt
oil for frying
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1kg (2lb) minced lamb or beef
1 and half tsp cinnamon
half tsp allspice
pepper
2 tbs tomato puree
a bunch of flat-leafed parsley, finely chopped
750g (1 and half lb) tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 tsp sugar or more (optional)

method

sprinkle the aubergine slices with salt and leave them for about an hour, then rinse and dry them on a tea towel or kitchen paper. Fry in very hot oil very briefly, turning them over once, so that they are only lightly browned all over and don’t have to much time to absorb too much oil, drain on layers of kitchen paper, and cover with more to get rid of any excess oil.

Fry the onions in 2 tbs of oil until soft and golden. Add the garlic and fry till aroma rises. Add the minced meat, cinnamon, allspice, salt and plenty of pepper. Crush the meat and mix well until it changes colour. Add the tomato puree and cook for about 10 mins, then stir in the parsley.

Assemble the moussaka in a baking dish. Arrange a layer of fried aubergine slices at the bottom. Cover with a layer of tomato slices. Sprinkle lightly with salt and spread the minced meat filling on top. Cover with a second layer of aubergin and tomato slices. Bake uncovered for 30-40 mins at 350oF/180oC/gas mark 4.

Variations
- courgettes maybe used instead of aubergines.
- Another favourite is potato moussaka, use layers of thinly sliced new potatoes about 1kg (2lb) instead of the aubergines. It will need longer cooking.

Today’s illustration, © Lois Blackburn www.loisblackburn.co.uk for more

Yellow split pea soup with Frankfurters

This very tasty recipe is from Claudia Roden’s fantastic ‘The Book of Jewish Food’. Although, I might disappoint Claudia by using ‘Pork Frankfurters’… (but they were a tasty, bargin treat from Aldi)

Claudia suggests that you can use dry white haricot or butter beans or red or yellow lentils- none of which I’ve tried, so if you do, please let me know the results.. The quantities here serve 10, and demand a very big pot…

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
3 tbs light veg oil
500g (1lb) yellow split peas, soaked overnight
3 litres (5 and half pints) chicken or beef stock (I used 2 litres of veg stock, which was lovely)
a bunch of celery leaves, chopped
salt and pepper
2 bay leaves
350g (12 oz) skinless frankfurters or wurst sausages, sliced
juice of half lemon or more to taste.

Method

In a very large pan, gently fry the onion and carrots in the oil until they soften. Add the drained split peas and about two-thirds of the stock, and bring to the boil. Remove the scum, add the celery leaves and simmer, covered on a very low heat for about an hour, or until the peas are soft.
Liquidize the soup. Add salt and pepper, the bay leaves and the rest of the stock (if you need it, choice the consistency you like) cook for half an hour longer. Add the sausages and lemon juice, and cook a few mins more. Serve very hot.

Today’s illustration ‘yellow split peas’ mono print, © Lois Blackburn www.loisblackburn.co.uk for more

Basic vinaigrette

Those ready made vinaigrettes are sooo expensive when you look at the raw ingredients, plus if you make it yourself, you get to recycle that old jam jar (or go and purchase a lovely purpose made dressing container) and you can adapt it to your own taste, a little bit more mustard? Any more garlic? Or add honey, or try different oils…. Up to you

Ingredients (makes about half a cup)

4-6 tbs olive oil or sunflower (or mix of both)
1 tbs wine or cider vinegar
1 tbs lemon juice
1 large clove garlic, crushed
salt and pepper


method

mix all the ingredients in your chosen lidded container and shake well.

Today’s illustration © Lois Blackburn www.loisblackburn.co.uk for more

Love Food Hate Waste

My Friend Fred just gave me a link to this fantastic website,

"Every year in the UK we throw away one third of all the food we buy – most of which could be eaten. Love Food Hate Waste is a campaign from WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) that provides tasty recipes and top tips that helps us cut back on wasting food."

A great site, I like the Portion calcualator, (although my other half might be frightened by the reduced portions on his plate) and lots of good advice and ideas...

Rich tomato sauce

Pete’s favourite tomato sauce, you can use it with pasta, or meatballs, lasagne, etc etc. its simplicity itself, but rich and tasty. Keep an eye out at your food suppliers for offers on tins of tomatoes, if your anything like me you’ll never have enough in your larder.

3 tins chopped tomatoes
6 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
4 good slugs of olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a saucepan on a medium heat, throw the garlic in, let it sizzle for a minute, (be careful not to brown/burn it) throw in your tins of tomatoes, and stir until it comes to the boil. Turn it down to a simmer, and allow to reduce slowly. (about 45 mins) the sauce will be really thick and rich. Add plenty of seasoning to taste.

Today’s illustration ‘tomato’ © Lois Blackburn. Please go to www.loisblackburn.co.uk for more examples.