All posts filed under: Main Courses

Weddings and Courgette Recipes…

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I have been busy editing my summer weddings. Its a very busy time of year for me, as the editing is time consuming, taking 4 times longer than the actual wedding itself. But non the less a very satisfying process of making the finished result look its very best. However thing do have to give when you are pressed for time, and I find my cooking becomes limited to quick fix hunger solutions and -snack as you go- type meals, if at all! But I thought Id share two summer vegetarian recipes I made last month for Kitchen Garden Magazine on courgettes, as my courgettes in the garden are starting to look fantastic and are ready to eat right now. Enjoy! _____________________________________________________________________________________ Summer Courgette Cake with Pistachio and Lime Courgettes grow at a rapid pace during the growing months, so be sure to harvest them whilst still young. This delicious zesty cake is a good way to use up your harvested crop. With its super tangy lime icing, its a great treat to enjoy on …

Koldskål – Danish Summer Buttermilk Dish

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  A natural reaction to hot weather for me, is to start craving Koldskål. In Denmark, as a kid I could easily go through a litre a day, no problem. I didn’t mind if it was shop bought, or home made, I just had to have it during the warm summer months. Saying that, homemade is always going to triumph over shop bought. And since a lot of you don’t live in Denmark, homemade is the only option anyway! Koldskål, literally translates as Cold Bowl. It is made with buttermilk and a milder version of yoghurt, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and lemon. I have never thought of comparing it to an Indian Lassi, but I guess that is a far comparison if totally lost trying to explain it to a foreigner. It is served in a bowl, and eaten with a spoon, and enjoyed with little biscuits called Kammerjunker, and I’m not even going to try and explain that word! Well, OK then, its a title for a sort of foot solider within the Royal …

Japanese Soba Noodle Soup for one

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My boyfriend is currently in China, where he is on tour with his band. And when I cook for just one, it tends to develop into a different kind of meal – I make ‘less of a meal out of it’ than when I cook for two or more people, if you know what I mean. I simplify a lot of what I do and I tend to eat more raw foods than larger cooked dinners. A dish that is really great to cook for one person is noodles. It’s really quick and non demanding, but you can still throw in a lot of vegetables and make it really nutritious with not much effort. Here is a rough guide to Japanese Noodle Soup, the vegetables can be replaced for any other veg you have at hand. Try baby corn and carrot strips, or mangetout and mushrooms and garlic. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Serves 1 1 thumb size piece of ginger, peeled. 1 stick of lemon grass ½ a bulb of fennel 4-5 florets of broccoli 2 tsp organic …

Nettle Pancakes – Sweet or Savoury

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Spring has arrived, and with it, has come the best season for foraging. This is a great time of year to get your hands on some earthy, fresh deep green nettle leaves. Choosing these early leaves ensures a pungent taste as well as a rich supply of vitamins. Nettles have an array of uses, from tea to soup. But for a different use for this wonderful weed, I’ve chosen to pop them is some delicious thin pancakes. These nettle pancakes can be eaten as a sweet treat, an after dinner desert or as a savoury dish. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Batter: 50g organic plain flour 50g organic spelt flour 50g butter, melted 500ml milk 50g nettles 2 eggs ‘ For the savoury filling: 1 courgette 2 small carrots 1 small onion 1 tin of butter beans 2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp cumin seeds 100g greek feta salt and pepper to taste ____________________________________________________________________________________ Start by foraging for the nettles, choosing the youngest and lushest looking leaves. Be sure to wear thick gloves, to avoid …

Potato Duaphinoise with Cabbage and Cheddar with a Side of Portobello Mushrooms

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I get most of my veg at a great little farm shop, The Ardross Farm Shop, near Elie in Fife. They mainly stock vegetables that are in season, so its a great way to stay in touch with British seasonal produce, and eat accordingly. As its still cold (I know I keep banging on about it) they still have cabbage in supply. And I love cabbage, mainly because when all the summer crops have been eaten, cabbage matures and is ready for eating during the winter. A real trooper of a vegetable, a little hero full of vitamins that are essential when the days are still cold and grey. Here is a tasty variation of the traditional Potato Dauphinoise, with cheese and cabbage. ____________________________________________________________________________________ 6 large waxy potatoes, such as King Edward ½ head of green cabbage 400ml double cream 400ml milk 2 cloves of garlic 100g cheddar cheese ½ tsp nutmeg salt, pepper to taste ____________________________________________________________________________________ Preheat your oven to 200°c/fan 180°c/gas 6, and prepare a baking dish by rubbing it with butter. Slice …

Wild Garlic Quiche.

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The foraging season has begun, at last! It is still cold here, with temperatures not going above 4 degrees, but the spring hardy leaves of the Ramson, or Wild Garlic are now to be found all along the woodland floor. As a relative to the chive, wild garlic, as its name would indicate has a lovely delicate garlic flavor and smell. It is ideal for using in the kitchen, tossed through a salad for some depth or as I’ve done, in a quiche. Pick the young leaves of the Ramson, as they are more tender and fresher than the mature leaves. When out picking bring a basket or plastic container with a damp tea towel or paper napkin to keep the leaves fresh, whist you make your way home. Wild Garlic is very easy to identify, but do familiarise yourself with the plant using a good foraging book. They can be mixed up with Lily of the Valley, but are easy to distinguish by crushing a leaf  with your fingers, if it smells like garlic, …

Harissa Spiced Carrot and Spinach Soup

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There is at last hopeful signs that spring is on its way up here in Scotland, with the snowdrops glistening amongst the frosty undergrowth and the shoots of the daffodils appearing. But a warming spicy soup is still a welcomed thing, as the days are still chilly, and the nights even more so. I really enjoy carrot soup, with its slight sweet notes and simple preparation. It also lends itself quite well to be spiced up with a little harissa paste for extra warmth. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Serves 3-4 4 medium organic carrots 1 large white onion 3 handfuls of spinach 1 tsp harissa paste 1 tsp cumin seeds 500ml organic vegetable stock a drizzle of olive oil salt and pepper to taste plus a little cream for the top ____________________________________________________________________________________ Prepare the veg, by washing and peeling the carrots, chop alongside the onion. In a large pan, heat  the olive oil and toast the cumin seeds for 30 sec on medium heat. Then add the onion and soften for 5 min, then add the harissa paste …

Wild, Hot Smoked Salmon with Egg, Potato and Apple.

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Wild, Hot Smoked Salmon with Egg, Potato and Apple. / We are in the middle of packing up our house, getting ready to move to a new one.(one with a rain-proof roof) So dishes that can be made in one pan are very welcome indeed. I came up with this dish, for that very reason! I made it in my Le Creuset pan, as it can be safely put in the oven, with no danger of melting plastic handles! Its a thoroughly satisfying dish to prepare and eat,  as it leaves you feeling that you have had a hearty meal, but all done in 20 min. Splendid! ____________________________________________________________________________________ Serves two (just make more and add extra eggs in you are more than two!) / Half a head of white cabbage 1 large red onion 1 apple 150g wild hot smoked salmon. (go out of your way to get the wild kind. I don’t think salmon have much fun swimming round in a circular tank their entire life..They need to leap and spawn, and be shared …

Pizza Florentine with Egg, Spinach and Homemade Pesto

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I make homemade pizza a lot, with a variety of toppings, but one that always makes an impression is the egg topping on Pizza Florentine. It looks impressive and tastes great too. I like it for lunch, but I think it would be great for brunch too. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Dough 300g strong organic flour ½ tsp fast action yeast 2 tbsp olive oil 170ml water ½ tsp salt Topping 4 tbsp of pasata 2 eggs a handful of spinach 6 cherry tomatoes 1 mozzarella ball 1 tbsp of dried oregano or a sprig of fresh 3 tbsp homemade pesto  Get that recipe here 3 or 4 basil leaves salt and pepper to taste ____________________________________________________________________________________ If you have a bread machine, whack the ingredients in that, and follow your manufacturers guidelines for making dough. If you are making it by hand, here’s how: Tip the flour, salt and yeast into a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Pour the water and oil into the well and in a circular motion start to gather the …

Blood Orange, Red Chard and Stilton Salad

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During the summer months, I eat a lot of creative salads, but in the winter I usually go for more substantial dishes. However, when you can combine blood orange, red chard and stilton, Im all for eating salads during the winter! Juicy blood oranges can be found at the moment in the shops. I got mine in my local farm shop along side the delicious red chard, which really brightens up salads with its colourful deep red stems. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Serves 2 2 extra large handfuls of red chard, washed 1 blood orange 150g good stilton (add more of less to suit your taste) 2 tbsp mixed seeds, such as pumpkin and pine nuts 1 tbsp olive oil ____________________________________________________________________________________ Segment the blood orange, (here’s how) and try to capture most of the stray juices. Cut the stilton into randomly sized chunks and toss with the washed leaves, seeds and blood orange segments. Finally drizzle the renaming blood orange juice and olive oil over the finished salad. Serve with a few slices of good bread, for example …