North African flavoured broad bean dip

My supply of broad beans are coming to an end and are now a little large and tough, this recipe was an attempt to use these up (thrifty as ever) but actually tasted delicious and is well worth a go.

Ingredients (for a ramekin sized quantity)

2 large handfuls of broad beans (still in their pods)

1 garlic clove

Juice of half a lemon

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp chopped parsley

Paprika (to garnish)

Directions

1) Add the podded broad beans to boiling well salted water and boil for 5 minutes until tender, immediately place in cold water and then remove the tough skins and allow the bright green beans to dry and cool.

2) Add the broad beans to a blender along with all of the other ingredients except the paprika, blitz until an absolutely smooth paste.

3) Taste and adjust seasoning as you feel necessary (this is a very personal thing, but try to balance lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

4) Spoon the dip into a serving vessel and garnish with a little more olive oil and a shake of paprika.

Serve this dip at room temperature with bread or raw vegetables.

Barbecued whole sea bream

This is one of those simple recipes with which to impress (as you can see in the photo the other 3 on the plate had disappeared before I could even photograph them!).  Farmed sea bream is readily available from the supermarkets these days, it is fairly inexpensive and nicely portion sized, you could substitute for mackerel or even sea bass or red mullet / snapper here if you’re feeling rich and would like to experiment!

The flavour combination is classic and simple, very similar to those served in many a taverna around the Ionian.  The only skill here is in the cooking, you’re looking for a nice, crisp skin and moist flesh underneath, don’t be tempted to use your barbecue whilst there are still any flames in sight.  This recipe also works well in a griddle pan or under a hot grill.

Ingredients (to serve 1)

1 single portion sized fish, gutted and scaled but otherwise intact

1 garlic clove

1 slice of lemon and a wedge to serve

1 teaspoon oregano

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Directions

1) Remove your fish from the ‘fridge at the same time as lighting the barbecue, you need your fish to be room temperature and have a brief cure / marinade.

2) Liberally oil the fish and rub all over (inside and out) with oregano lots of course salt and pepper.

3) Insert a lemon slice and a lightly crushed (but not peeled or chopped) garlic clove into the body cavity of the fish.

4) Leave well alone out of the ‘fridge for around 1 hour whilst the barbecue gets to the ‘glowing coals’ stage!

5) Place directly onto the barbecue grill, or in one of those fancy ‘fish cages’ if you have one, and leave undisturbed until the skin is well crisped.  It’s impossible to give a timing for this, I usually replace the barbecue lid and check after around 5 minutes.  Turn the fish over (it shouldn’t stick if you’ve left it long enough) and repeat to crisp the other side.  By the time that the skin’s crisped the fish should be cooked through, but if you’re unsure just check that the flesh peels away from the bones easily.

6) Serve with a lemon wedge and some salad leaves simply seasoned with good olive oil and lemon juice.

Don’t be afraid to try this, it’s very simple and makes a great change from bangers and burgers!

Strawberry and vanilla sponge

This is a cake that I produced in a mad rush as my Mother was coming around and I'd just finished a night on call...  It's maximum effect for minimum effort (believe me, I'm no great cake baker!) and it tasted great, although won't keep due to the fresh strawbs, so snaffle soon after cooking.

Ingredients

For the sponge;
175g self raising flour
175g caster sugar
175g soft unsalted butter
3 medium eggs
Tsp vanilla extract

To decorate;
4 tblsp strawberry jam
100g icing sugar
50g soft unsalted butter
1/2 tsp vanila extract
Fresh strawberries (to decorate)

Directions

1) Preheat your oven to 180C and line a 20cm cake tin (I usually just liberally butter and then flour).

2) Cream together your butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy, I used to do this by hand but life's too short, use a mixer!  Add your eggs one at a time whilst still mixing, along with the vanilla extract.

3) Fold your flour into the mix, being careful not to overwork it, then gently spoon into your cake tin and bake for 25 minutes or until golden.

4) Remove your cake and allow it to cool on a wire rack whilst you make your buttercream and warm your jam.

5) Combine the icing sugar, butter and vanilla extract to make a vanilla buttercream.

6) Once the cake has cooled carefully cut in two with a bread knife and fill with the warmed jam.

7) Liberally cover in vanilla buttercream!

8) Slice your fresh strawberries thinly and use to decorate.

The cake went down well (my Mum's a WI cake judge so there are always a few quibbles...) and looked stunning with minimal effort.  Knock one up to impress whilst it's still strawberry season!

Asian flavoured 'veg box salad'

It's been a while since I blogged and this is very much a work day tea...  I buy a weekly vegetable box from Woodlands Farm, a business local to me that provide organic and often locally grown veg, as I'm sure that you all know schemes like this exist nationwide.  Yes, the cost is possibly more than a trip to the greengrocers, but the convenience is good, the quality is great and they often supply inspiration for my recipes.  This is just such a recipe, with a few bits from a garden, a few from the storecupboard and lots from the box!

Ingredients (quantities not included as you can vary them any way that you like!)

Rice noodles, fresh or dried
Cucumber
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Radish
Peppers
Carrot
Fresh mint and coriander (equal quantities)

For the dressing;
2 tablespoons soy sauce (or 1 soy and 1 fish sauce)
Juice of 1 lime (or 2 tblspoons cider or rice wine vinegar)
1 red chilli (deseeded and chopped very finely)
1 garlic clove (crushed or chopped very finely)
1 teaspoon caster sugar

Directions

1) Prepare your noodles as per packet instructions and run under cold water to cool and then drain thoroughly.

2) Chop the other salad ingredients as you desire, into bitesize chunks (the carrots are quite nice in ribbons) and finely shred the herbs.

3) Combine all of the dressing ingredients, test for balance of flavour and then toss the dressing into the salad.

I find that this salad tastes better after an hour or so in the 'fridge to allow the ingredients to get to know each other.  If you have some lying around crushed peanuts or roasted rice are a fantastic crunchy topping.

Please use this recipe as a base, modify it to your tastes and share!

Spiced pineapple and rhubarb Eton mess

Well, I've eaten a lot of rhubarb crumble and custard, the English rhubarb season's still going strong and I had a lot of egg whites hanging around as a consequence.  I also had a stray pineapple kicking around (it arrived unannounced in my fruit and veg box) and so I decided to attempt to combine the two incongruous ingredients.  

I quite like a little spice with both rhubarb and pineapple, vanilla's a must and star anise is a favourite so they made the mix.  The egg whites obviously become meringue (I had a new mixer to use) and from there it was a no brainer, I was two thirds of the way to an Eton mess!

Ingredients

For the meringue;

4 egg whites

200g castor sugar

For the compote;

1 small pineapple

5-6 stalks of rhubarb

3 star anise

1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp extract

Sugar to taste (but you will need quite a lot, rhubarb's very sharp!)

For the mess;

600ml double cream

Directions

1) To make the meringue;  Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks then add the sugar a little at a time and continue to whisk until silky.  I like my meringues gooey in the middle so I cook at 150C for around 45 minutes, but go lower and longer if you like them crisp.  Just splodge the mix onto baking parchment and then put into the pre heated oven, they don't have to be pretty you're going to crumble them anyway!  Allow to cool and steal one or two (chef's perks).

2) To make the compote;  Cut the rhubarb into chunks and add to a saucepan with a tablespoon or two of water and cook over a moderate heat, it'll release a lot of juice as it cooks.  Peel and core the pineapple and cut it into chunks, add to the pan along with the vanilla and star anise. Add sugar to taste, remember the meringues are very sweet so this compote should remain a little sharp.  Stew for around 30 minutes until the rhubarb has completely lost its texture.  Allow to cool completely.

3) To assemble;  Whip the double cream until stiff (but not butter) and then crumble in the cooled meringue and stir in the compote.  Aim for a ripple effect, don't over mix.

Serve chilled in a small portion, it's pretty stodgy stuff!

The compote's delicious on its own, I retained enough to go on top of my morning porridge for a treat..

My favourite way with asparagus

This really isn't a recipe.  Maybe more of a serving suggestion.  Perhaps a demystification.  Whatever it is it should encourage you to eat more wonderful British asparagus!

Really, don't bother buying imported, tinned, frozen or any other type, wait for the season and enjoy this wonderful ingredient for the few weeks of the year when it's at its best.

My favourite way of cooking asparagus follows....  Treat this wonderful flavour with respect and serve simply!

Ingredients

Asparagus
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Parmesan / pecorino shavings (optional)

Directions

1) Preheat a griddle pan or barbecue until smoking hot.

2) Snap off the tough asparagus stalks and discard (or keep for a stock / soup), there's no need to peel.

3) Place the asparagus on a plate to oil and season then put straight onto the griddle pan.

4) Leave the asparagus still until it has definite marks, you're looking for that charred flavour (see pictures).  Turn, char the other side and then place back on the seasoned oiled plate.

5) Squeeze over the juice of half a lemon, toss and add cheese shavings (if you're using them), eat immediately.

The asparagus should soften but still have a delicious bite and have its flavour amplified (not diluted by steaming or boiling).  This is pretty much the only way that I ever treat local British asparagus during the short season, simple but incredible!

Tandoori style spatchcock barbecue chicken

I find this the best way to cook a whole chicken on a barbecue, no real butchery skills are needed.  Careful cooking is still required, aim for the coolest part of the barbecue (obviously after the coals have burnt right down) I'm a big fan of the kettle types where you can put a lid down and part hot smoke the meat.

I find the flavour of the simple spicing here fantastic with the juiciness of a good quality chicken, you may add yoghurt to the marinade to smooth things out but I quite like this just the way that it is...  I usually serve this with a simple salad and new potatoes roasted whole on the grill.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken
6 cloves of garlic
Large piece of ginger
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp of chilli powder (to taste)
1 heaped tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder

Directions

1) First prepare your chicken.  Turn the bird breast side down and cut down both sides of the backbone and remove, flatten the whole chicken with the palm of your hand and slash the breasts and thighs/ legs down to the bone in several places.

2) Blitz or grate the ginger and garlic to a paste (I never peel my ginger but that's largely due to laziness) and combine with all of the spices, lemon juice and a good grind of salt and pepper.

3) Smear the spice mix all over the chicken and leave to marinade for as long as you have (overnight in the 'fridge or a few hours out of the fridge) ensure that it's up to room temperature prior to cooking.

4) Place the chicken breast side up on the barbecue keeping a close eye and moving regularly, you should cook it for most of the time this way up to avoid drying or burning the breasts.

5) Depending on the heat of your barbecue the chicken will take 20-30 minutes to cook and a further 10 minutes to rest.  You can check the cooking with a skewer or meat thermometer into the breasts and thighs, the juices should run clear.

I bring the chicken to the table whole and joint it for my guests, real finger food, with extra garam masala and a wedge of lemon for those who like a little freshness.

Don't be scared this is very achievable, and if you don't fancy the barbecue option it's great under a grill or in a hot oven!