discoveries of the last month

Discoveries of the last month...

1. Flowers in salads...edible flowers...dandelions,violets,violas,chive flowers,sage,rosemary and thyme flowers are all so beautiful...I want to learn more.

2.Kamut.....is a wonderful nutty grain with a texture like barley ....its a wonderful replacement to rice but it does take a long time to cook.

3.Stress and colds are not good moments for blogging...I went thru a stage of making weird food...trying not to use salt,trying to make healthy food for baby and parents mixing with teething and little sleep ....not a good idea...

4.Jam making is just too easy....have made in the last month...kiwi jam,cherry jam,strawberry jam.Also tried tomato jam which is an usual taste sensation...but good for adding to pasta sauces for a quick sweet pick up.

5.There exists a really good soya cream for whipping.

6.Nettle soup is delicious....and dandelion flower torilla(spanish omlette).

7.That France is so near to where I live and I love the bread,pastries and cheese there.

Have,nt stopped blogging ...honest !

Too much time has passed.
Before I wrote these blogs with little anouk sleeping in my arms ....
But now she wakes up when if I type and I need to give her more attention.
Her grandparents are here from Argentina for a month.
All is full of love and first steps with assistance....recipes are taking a back seat and photos are of smiles instead of pestos.
More blogs will be written and more delicious food will be eaten.
The garden is beautiful ....everywhere there is an explosion of growth,life and colours.
Neighbours are dropping in fresh strawberries and cherries.
Little time for writting but time will come again.

pink soba noodles

Beetroot adds a magical colour to everything it touches..hands,tabletops,cutting boards...but I love the transformation it adds to the brown noodles and especially the mushrooms(pink mushrooms!).I think colours of food effects us tremendously...when you don,t want brown food...love it up a bit with pink!

Cook soba noodles.
Rinse in cool water ,drain and leave to one side.

Prepare the vegetables.. Slice mushrooms,carrots,fresh beetroot,asparagus and garlic. In a small pan toast sunflower and pumpkin seeds...until they brown slightly..then remove from the pan. Heat up a wok to a very high temperature. Add some oil. Immediatly throw in vegetables... stirring constantly for a couple of minutes. Throw in a spoon of sundried tomato purree and some water when it seems too dry(the steam from the water cooks the vegetables fast but don,t put too much in..just enough to stop from burning). Enjoy the lovely pink colours of the vegetables. Add the noodles and stir well adding more water..again just enough to stop from burning. Plate up and springle liberally with seeds.

Whiskey leek rolls...with a walnut ,apple,potato salad and goats yoghurt dressing

We went to visit friends the other day in their Masia(Catalan gorgeous stone farmhouses)and when leaving we were given a pressie of two fat leeks and loads of asparagus.The asparagus was grilled and eaten with alioli...and this is what happened to the leeks ....

Cut the green part of the leeks and bottom part .
There before you ,you,ll have two white rolls of leeks.
Insert a sharp knife in one end and rotate and twist ...do the same at the other end until you have a hollow in the centre.

Now for the filling...
Saute finely diced green peppers,red peppers,a wee bit of courgettes,a wee bit of onion and garlic and black olives(all choped small) in olive oil until soft.
Add a sprinkle of fresh thyme.
At the end of cooking put up the heat and add a gurgle of whiskey .
The heat evaporates the alcohol but leaves that lovely flavour.

Wrap the leek rolls in tin foil with some stock and olive oil inside.
Place on a baking tray and cook in the oven (180c)until soft.

The salad...
Wash and chop...lettuce greens and apple.
Add diced cooked and cooled potatoes.
And walnuts(freshly shelled).
Mix a good few dollops of organic goats yoghurt with a few splashes of white wine vinegar.
Salt and pepper it.
Scatter with chopped chives.

Pumpkin,coconut and almond soup

Saute two onions finely chopped in olive oil.
In another saucepan heat up some olive oil and pop in some chopped red peppers, cover and let them brown up slightly until soft(alternatively you could use roasted peppers).
Add chopped celery and carrot to cooked onions...then cooked peppers...then roasted pumpkin(I had some frozen....you could use fresh).
With just enough stock to stop from burning...let the vegetables cook until soft.
Add a can of coconut milk and enough almond milk to give it the consistency you want...salt and pepper to taste.

I cook my vegetables separately alot of the time because I like to respect their true nature..sounds pretentious I know...but believe me its true...
Adding fresh peppers will not give you that lovely sweet flavour...same goes for the fresh pumpkin.The almond milk gives it an added bonus prize of calcium for all....

Lentil Dhal for Cami...

Little lentil loving....



This was the filling for the stuffed potatoes.I don,t ever weigh vegetables or spices for curries...because I think it depends on the personal taste of who you,re cooking for...or your mood on a particular day....if I had my way I,d overload on cumin and chillies(dry or fresh)....

Chop and saute onions...until translucent.
Add two or three chopped garlic cloves and chopped fresh root ginger.
Dice carrots,a wee bit of celery,red peppers,courgettes and continue to saute.
Add cumin seeds,coriander seeds and crushed cardamom....and curry powder(garam marsala or blend of choice)
Add a cupful of red lentils.
Pour some chopped diced tomatoes(or organic tinned tomatoes) and some vegetable stock....enough to cover the lentil and veg mixture.
Cook until lentils have softened completely.(if nessesary add more liquid)
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes on dhal making...
Loads of onions are essential ...Cook them well before you add the other ingredients.
The amount of garlic and ginger depends how much spices you add....look for a balance of flavours.
You can of course use other lentils ...green,brown,split peas (and at the end throw in cooked chickpeas or cooked red kidney beans)...but I prefer red lentils as you don,t need to soak them and they cook quickly.
If you toast the spices whole in a dry frying pan the heat releases their natural oils and flavours much more than adding them directly to the curry...crush in a coffee grinder or pestle and mortar...........and note gigantic difference of taste!
At the end of cooking you can blend half the mixture if you like a creamier dhal.
I personally love cumin and cardamom...without them my dhal would not be complete...look for your favourite spices....go to your nearest Indian shop and try adding black onion seeds,curry leaves,cinnamon,fennel,tumeric for colour,cloves...etc...etc..
You can always change the vegetables...but I like a sweet combination.
Try add coconut milk or powdered almonds at the end of cooking.
I cooked in a resaurant once with an Indian chef Kumar -which was brilliant...I never stopped asking questions and I never added enough salt....I think it needs a fair bit of salt to balance the spices and strong flavours.
I like to add mango chutney(available in Indian stores)which adds a hot kick and keeps for forever with a layer of oil on top.
Look for " Pataks"I think thats the brand..for kormas,chutneys and other sauces.

Serve with lots of basmati rice,popadums,a raita of your choice,mint chutney,aloo gobi,sag aloo,pakoras,samosas......must write more Indian recipes.ummmmmmmmmm..especially onion bhajis.........ummmmm
If anyone wants a more exact recipe I can try and be good and note down the quantities....Happy Dhal making!

potato boats ...retro city

Potato love boats...
One thousand and one ways with spuds(potatoes)...hey I,m Irish
its in my blood

Hello!Long time no blog...
excuses I have many...teething baby.....easter weekend....
But these are all excuses ..sometimes I can,t take photos of everything I eat(even though I wish I did) but this blog is for enjoying and I ain,t a super mama ...yet.
The other day I made these stuffed potatoes.They looked as if they popped out of a magazine from the 80,s but they were delicious retro tasting none the less...

Boil or steam potatoes.(cooked earlier in day and ready for nighttime)
Cut in half lenthways,scoop out a hollow,mash scooped out part with salt and pepper.
Place on baking tray..maybe with garlic and a wee bit of olive oil.
I blasted them in a v hot oven to brown them up quickly(super mum needs time)
Fry onions rings in a wee bit of oil until browned(made earlier in day when there was time)
I filled them with a lentil dhal (well Adrian did and popped a chunk of fresh mozzarella in each one...which was surprisingly good)and topped them with the browned mashed potatoes and onions on top!
yummy!

P.S. You could also fill them with a bolognese sauce...or what ever your heart desires.