Beetroot salad - mustard vinaigrette

Even in the winter, salad is a lovely part of a meal. Some people like pickles with their meals, but I prefer salad. Of course there is no stopping you having both.

Yesterday we had a sit down weekday lunch, one of those lunches where everyone eats something different, even though you’re eating at home.  My plate housed a mixed green salad with avocado, asparagus and watercress using the Long Family dressing, a traditional olive oil, vinegar and garlic dressing. I also put together a quick beetroot salad. I’ve posted the recipe before as one of my hors d’oeuvres posts.

I used to go to the green grocer, and to market stalls and beetroot would be bubbling away on a camping stove

, the earthy smell wafting along the road, drawing me in. Freshly cooked beets were ready to buy, and when you came to use them the dry outer skin could be rubbed off, revealing the rich deep red flesh ready to eat, sweet and cool. The supermarkets sell small versions of the larger lovely beets and both can be wonderfully dressed with a mustard vinaigrette. The onion is essential, and the longer it sits in the dressing with the beetroot the better – but it is still pretty good straight away.

Beetroot Salad Recipe

Four small beetroot or equivalent

One small onion

Mustard vinaigrette

• Slice the beetroot to suit – I like it diced
• Finely chop the onion
• Mix with vinaigrette

Vinaigrette

Large teaspoon Dijon mustard

Large pinch salt

Generous grindings of black pepper

I tbsp wine vinegar

2 tbsp light oil (sunflower or similar)

• mix salt, pepper and mustard
• stir in the vinegar until it is well combined
• stir in oil until dressing looks like a loose mayonnaise

Variations of ingredients and methods

• Walnuts and parsley are delicious additions to the salad
• A little whisk makes combining the mustard dressing easier

Butternut heaven - vegan supper

green salad, roasted butternut squash with sesame seeds, pimped houmous, tomatoes, so good I photographed it... four more times

last gasp picnic

I learnt my picnic technique from my mother, who could prepare a hamper with a whole salmon and all the trimmings to feed 10, throw together a sandwich or knock up a fire on a beach and cook sausages. It helps to have the right gear, but the main ingredient necessary is being up for it.

Yesterday the local festival, here in the cultural centre of the world, Cricklewood, had scheduled an outdoor showing of Some Like It Hot in a park on the dark side (Barnet). Hurray for the Cricklewood Silk Road Festival. Outdoor viewing said picnic to me. So I started getting the picnic kit together, and decided on the menu: chicken and salad wraps with cider to wash them down.

The chicken was marinaded for a few hours and then thrown on the griddle. It cooked beautifully, but left me wishing that I'd spared my clean hob and grilled it instead, letting the oven take the flack. I finally cooked some of the lovely looking split peas I have had for a while, to make a herby salad, and the mayo in the jar was going to get a makeover with paprika and friends. Add some rocket and a wrap, and napkins would be needed to catch the drips and wipe the mouth while it was being devoured.

What else do you need for a picnic? Leaving aside the hordes of helpers to carry the full dining table, crockery and chandelier, I prefer not to do disposable. This the gear I go for:

• a drying up cloth (tea towel to some) with cutlery rolled into it: sharpish knife, spreading knife and spoons
• duralex glasses or other almost unbreakable glasses, in another cloth, to prevent cracking
• picnic blanket, such as bedspread or a couple of sheets. 
• cold bag or box with ice, camping cold pack or my preferred version, a not quit full plastic bottle of water - if it's full it cracks btw. And maybe some ice to throw into a drink as well.
• food
• drink
• something warm to wear in case the weather changes

So this is a cookery blog, let us consider the food prep. 

Chicken with basil and parsley marinade

Ingredients:

• Chicken pieces - I cut up a whole chicken following this video , but cutting it into eight pieces

Marinade

• 1 clove garlic
• small bunch of basil
• small bunch of parsley
• juice of 1 lemon
• olive oil
• glug of cider
• pepper and salt

1. blitz the garlic, basil, parsley and lemon juice together, or chop the dry ingredients finely and then add the liquid and seasoning
2. mix with the chicken pieces and leave for a few hours - to speed things up you can slash the pieces to help the marinade penetrate
3. to cook grill or griddle all the pieces until both sides are well browned, about 5m a side

Maionnaise with additions - I like to add paprika, garlic, lots of pepper, lemon and olive oil to bottled mayo, to give it a kick. This salad is refreshing and not too heavy, the peas should be firm but not at all hard, and they keep a lovely green colour. The herbs and lemon lift the flavour.

split pea salad

• small bowl of split peas
• handful of each: mint, parsley, coriander
• 1 clove garlic
• two tomatoes
• half an onion
• pepper
• salt
• lemon juice
• olive oil

1. cook the split peas in boiling water, it takes about 20 minutes
2. deseed the tomatoes and dice the flesh
3. finely chop all the herbs, onion and garlic
4. drain the cooked peas - they should still be firm - and mix in the herb mixture, and leave to cool
5. add chopped tomatoes, then pepper, salt, lemon juice and olive oil to taste

For the wrap, I start with a smear of the spiced up mayo, add rocket, pea salad and bits of chicken, and then I roll the lot up, carefully folding one end. Don't think it won't drip, because it will.

Kofte to everyone

Just had lovely lunch of wrapped kofte made by David, with houmous, salad and yoghurt. His recipe includes pine nuts with pork and beef. It reminded me of jzz bzz kofte, which I must make again soon, to eat with tahini sauce and rocket.

Cauliflower soup

I like soup all year round, and in the winter I like it even more. The variety of consistencies of soup is also a delight, minestrone types - mixed finely chopped veg is great, but sometimes what is wanted is a smooth soup. Thanks to hand blenders these soups are very easy to make. When I can't lay my hands on a blender I have been known to scoop out some of the cooked vegetables so that I can mash them with a fork. The mashed veg then lend variety to the texture of the soup, and act as a thickener as well.

This recipe for cauliflower soup is very easy. I use leftover cooked cauliflower, but it would be worth cooking it especially for the purpose. Pureed cauliflower is very smooth indeed, velvety, like chocolate. Ok, I know that chocolate afficionados out there may be outraged, but it really does give the same pleasure when you eat it, at least from the point of view of texture. Mouth feel as it is called by some.

I am not oblivious to the fact that some people don't like cauliflower. Obviously, they are nuts. The low, slightly rooty and a little bit cabbagey flavour is wonderful, as far as I am concerned. I have converted people to cauliflower by cooking it in pieces (steam or boil) and then sauteeing in butter with plenty of black pepper and a pinch of salt. The sound as it rolls around the frying pan is great, the smell is terrific, it looks so tasty, with the little browned patches and when it comes to the taste, it is glorious. Rooty, nutty, peppery, buttery and sweet - and it hardly needs chewing. 

Recipe

Ingredients

a large bowlful of cooked cauliflower

1 onion

1 potato

1 clove garlic

large handful of parsley, chopped

three mugfuls of water/stock

pepper and salt

nutmeg

Method

• Prepare the onion, potato and garlic - peel and chop up quite small - and cook in the water until soft
• Add the cauliflower and chopped parsley, pepper and salt (to taste, but make sure there is lots of pepper) and a pinch of nutmeg, simmer for a couple of minutes
• Blend the lot and serve

If you're greedy and organised you could accompany your soup with a nice samosa and pea fritter, or similar.

butterbean houmous

couldn't wait to eat it

Quickly made, butterbeans mixed some of the cooking liquid, together with a tablespoon of tamari, garlic, parsley, olive oil and lemon juice. Yum

RECIPE

half a tin of butterbeans (around 200g)
1 tbsp tamari
1 clove garlic
handful of parsley (leaves only)
olive oil
lemon juice (from half lemon/1 tbsp)
pinch of salt

Method

I use a stick blender, but you could mash the beans with a fork, or use a liquidiser instead. If you are using a fork, remember to chop the pasley and garlic really fine, otherwise you'll end up with parsley in your teeth and surprising lumps of garlic every few mouthfuls. DON'T go mad with the blender, the beans may become a bit chewy.

• drain the butterbeans, keeping back a little liquid
• put butterbeans, garlic, tahini, roughly chopped parsley, a couple of slugs of olive oil and blend until smooth, no longer
• add some liquid if it becomes a bit dry
• taste, and adjust salt if you like

amazing olive oil made by friends

you are unlikely to find a better olive oil than the one we received from Paula, Kevin and Alice

Forgive me - paella

Paella is an all in one dish, full of flavour, and very impressive on the table. The paprika and garlic flavours give a light punch, with a squeeze of fresh lemon giving a lovely zingy edge. Saffron gives a pale buttery yellow colour...  turmeric can be substituted, but a very small amount, the flavour of saffron is light and turmeric in too large a quantity may leave a slightly bitter taste.

Rice dishes like paella and risotto can end up like a savoury rice pudding if you’re not careful. So I looked at an assortment of recipes carefully. As usual I’ve made a combo of several, and cooked what’s sometimes called free-style paella. It mixes chicken, chorizo and prawns. What is particularly nice about this recipe, is that you can do most of the cooking in advance.

I made a vast amount, to fit in my long owned but never used paella pan, 60cm across. The principle is the same whatever size pan you use. Of course, when cooking on gas, a smaller pan makes things easier. I doubt you'll have any leftovers.

If you use skinless chicken thighs, you can buy it off the bone, or get it with bones in and use them to make stock. You don’t want any skin, so use this and the bones to make stock if you like, or use bouillon if you like.

I marinaded the chicken in garlic, paprika and lemon the day before. I didn't marinade the prawns... but might next time.

Paella rice is round, like risotto rice. Delia Smith gives the lowdown on rice here http://www.deliaonline.com/ingredients/ingredients-a-z/ingredients-p-r/Rice.html. Like any specialist rice, you can buy very expensive types or medium expensive: I opt for the latter because I’m a cheapskate and a culinary vandal. Disculpeme, lo siento etc… remember, paella is easier to make than you might think.

I’m giving a quantity you can make in a large frying pan for four. If you’ve got a good size paella pan, scale it up and enjoy yourself.

INGREDIENTS

150g piece chorizo, halved lengthways and sliced

4 large chicken thighs, skin removed, boned and cut into large chunks
12 large prawns, or as many as you want to include

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

Pinch of saffron (about 15 threads)

1 tbsp smoked sweet paprika

300g paella or risotto rice

1 glass white wine

1 litre chicken stock (and a bit), hot

1 red peppers and 1 yellow peppers, deseeded and sliced

75g frozen peas (a mugful)

1 tin chopped tomatoes (or 3 large fresh ones, chopped)

1 bunch (min 25g pack) chopped flatleaf parsley, stems discarded

1 lemon cut into wedges, to serve

Marinade for chicken

1 tsp paprika

Large pinch salt

Generous grindings black pepper (I sometimes use mixed red/pink/green/black peppers)

1 clove garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

METHOD

Cut the chicken thighs into large pieces (put skin and the bones aside if you have them), mix with marinade and set aside, leave for at least an hour, or overnight.

• Prepare your stock, with a slug of white wine, adding the saffron once you have taken it off the heat, to infuse
•  Put a large, deep frying pan on a medium heat
• Add the chopped chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until some of the oil has been released
• Remove and set aside, leaving fat in the pan
• Cook the diced chicken in the chorizo fat for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until coloured on all sides
• Remove, leaving fat in the pan and set aside with the chorizo
• Pour a little olive oil into the pan, and add the onions and peppers, until they soften, about  5 minutes
• Add the garlic and paprika, together with a handful of chopped parsley, and cook for about a minute
• Add the tinned tomatoes and cook for another minute, stirring
• Add the rice and mix gently with the veg, until it’s mixed with the veg and oil

PREPARE IN ADVANCE UP TO THIS POINT IF YOU LIKE

you’ll have the meat, the stock and the rice mixture ready to go

• In the pan over a medium heat, stir the rice mixture gently, add the hot stock and simmer for ten minutes, stirring occasionally
• Return the chicken to the pan, pushing it into the rice mixture, and cook for 5 minutes, adding a little more stock or hot water if necessary
• Season and gently stir in the chorizo, thawed peas, and prawns the chorizo and the rest of the parsley
• Continue to cook for about 5 minutes (or until the prawns are cooked) without stirring – a little stickiness on the underside adds to the flavour

Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over

Eat

Steve's birthday meal

Steve is 50 mumble today. Inconsiderate spouse that I am I didn't get him a card (eek), and my offer of breakfast in bed was rejected as he was up and at the table almost before me. Work beckoned. I also found out that he thinks coffee tastes funny when consumed in bed.

I have booked theatre tickets for later this week.

We went to the fishmonger on Golborne Road and bought mussels, to eat a la mariniere. The fishmonger proposed a sackful but we kept to the approximate 1 pint (570ml) per person, even though it was a main course, as we intended to eat a loaf of bread, mopping up the juices. That is still a small saucepanful each.

Also pudding was tiramisu - the success of this is subject to debate. It tasted good, but I think it needed to sit longer. Also, I used some sponge cake I'd dried off, and it didn't want to absorb the coffee, it was coffee resistant. The quantities were too generous as well, making 8 glasses (individual portions). So I will have another shot at it before I post the recipe.

Moules mariniere for two enthusiastic eaters

2 pints moules
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 large wineglass of dry white wine
generous pepper
good blob butter
two tablespoonfuls of chopped parsly
1 french stick

put the mussels in a large bowl of fresh water.
Peel the onion and garlic. Slice both to taste.
fry gently in casserole large enough to house the mussels, until the onion is transparent.
while onion and garlic is frying
Clean the mussels, pulling off beards and anything loose on the shell. Discard any cracked or open mussels.
Drain the mussels, shaking off excess water, and add to the pot with the onion and garlic, with lots of pepper and one tablespoonful of chopped parsly.
Turn up the heat, shake the lot around and throw in the glass of wine.
cover the pot and cook for maximum five minutes

Shake the pot around - if you fancy it, throw in some cream - decant the mussels into a large bowl, sprinkle over the second spoonful of parsley and tuck in.

You'll need a bowl for discarded shells, napkins for your chins, and bread for soaking in the jus.

We eat them in bowls.