Brownies

Does anyone remember that excellent cookery course called Cordon Bleu that ran in the late sixties? My mother collected a new issue each week (72 in all), and bought me the full set when I married. Their recipe for brownies has never failed me. 

Ingredients > 60 gm cocoa powder mixed with: > 5 Tbls water > 90 gm margerine (butter taste) > 240 gm white sugar > 2 eggs > 90 gm white plain flour > ½ tsp baking powder > Pinch of salt > 120 gm walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped

Steps 1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. If you have a convection oven, make it 170°C. 2. If you are using nuts (omit when small kids are eating this), roughly chop them up. 3. Mix the cocoa powder and the water in a small saucepan, add the marge, and melt on a low flame, while stirring. 4. Whisk the eggs and sugar until light. 5. Add the cocoa mixture. 6. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt. 7. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. 8. Stir in the nuts. 9. Grease an 8” square cake tin and pour in the mixture. 10. Level it and place it in the oven for 30-35 minutes, until a dull crust has formed. 11. Let it cool a bit and then cut into squares.

Brown and Wild Rice Salad with Dried Cranberries

This is from the legendary Delia Smith. I served it with Salmon with couscous crust & tomato and olive salsa, and it was a delicious and light summer meal.

Ingredients >     120 ml brown basmati rice (I used red rice and it was also tasty) >     55 ml wild rice >     25 gm dried cranberries >     2 tsp flavourless oil (sorry, I used olive, which has flavour, and it still was tasty) >     25 gm walnuts, roughly chopped >     2 medium and ripe tomatoes >     4 cm of cucumber (more if cucumber is narrow – think of a British cuc’s size), diced >    1 small, red-skinned apple, cored and finely chopped >     2 spring onions, finely chopped (or 2 shallots, finely chopped, and snipped chives) >     Salt and freshly milled black pepper Dressing >     1 clove garlic, peeled >     ½ tsp salt >     ½ tsp mustard powder >     1 ½ Tbsp good-quality white wine vinegar >     3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil >     Freshly milled black pepper

Steps 1.    Heat 1 tsp oil in a small pan, add the wild rice and toss it around to coat the grains. 2.    Pour over 120 ml boiling water and add a little salt. Give it one stir, put on the lid, and turn down the heat to the lowest flame. Cook for 50 minutes. 3.   Same procedure for the brown rice. In a large pot use 225 ml water and cook for 40 minutes. 4.   While the rice is cooking, prepare the dressing. a.   Crush the garlic and salt, and then add the mustard powder. b.   Use a whisk to add the, vinegar, olive oil, and plenty of black pepper. 5.   Heat the oven to 180 degrees C, spread the walnuts on a baking sheet, and place them in the oven for 8 minutes. Put a timer on so that they are not burnt. 6.   Place the tomatoes in a bowl and pour boiling water over them, so that they are covered, and leave for exactly one minute. Remove them from the water and peel of the skins. 7.   Halve the tomatoes and squeeze out the seeds. Then chop them into small pieces. 8.   When both types of rice are cooked, mix them together in a serving dish and add 2 – 3 tablespoons of the dressing. Make sure that the dressing is well incorporated and leave the rice to cool. 9.   When cool, mix in the cucumber, tomatoes, apple, cranberries and either 2/3 of the spring onions, or the shallots. 10.  Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad and make sure that everything is thoroughly combined and coated in dressing. 11.  Finally, scatter the walnuts and the remaining spring onions (or chopped chives) over the top.

Salmon with couscous crust & tomato and olive salsa

This is from the legendary Delia Smith.

Ingredients >  4 x 150 gm boned and skinned fillets of salmon > 150 gm medium couscous >  20 ml dry white wine >  3 pinches of saffron stamens >  1 egg, beaten >  Salt and freshly milled black pepper Tomato and Olive Salsa >  225 gm tomatoes >  75 gm black olives > 1 large clove garlic > 110 ml olive oil > 1 Tbsp lemon juice > 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar > 1 tsp grain mustard > 1 Tbsp chopped parsley >  Salt and freshly milled black pepper

Steps Place the couscous in a bowl. Heat up the wine until just simmering. Whisk into it the saffron stamens and some salt and pepper. Pour over the couscous grains and leave until the liquid is absorbed. Fluff the couscous by making cutting movements across and through it with a knife. Prepare a lightly-greased baking sheet. Place the beaten egg in a bowl that can hold a salmon fillet. Season each salmon fillet with salt and pepper, and dip it first in the egg and then in the couscous. Press the couscous firmly all around the fillet and place each it on the baking sheet. If you are not making it immediately, cover with cling film and place in the refrigerator. Prepare the salsa:           a. Skin, deseed and chop the tomatoes               very small.           b. Pit the olives and then chop them the              same size as the tomatoes.          c. Crush the garlic with 1 tsp rock salt,              and then add the mustard, vinegar,              lemon juice, olive oil, and plenty of              black pepper.          d. About half an hour before serving, add              the tomatoes, olives and chopped              parsley.      12.   When ready to eat, pre-heat the oven             to 90 degrees C, and bake the salmon             fillets for 15 to 20 minutes.      13.   Serve each one with the salsa, and            serve the remaining salsa separately.

Endive and Pear Salad

I actually created this, I guess based on memories of salads eaten in restaurants.

Ingredients >    Lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces >    Rocket, torn into bite-sized pieces >    2 Endive, torn into bite-sized pieces >    Handful of walnuts >    2 pears, peeled, quartered, and sliced very thinly >    2 fresh figs (can use dried), cut into pieces You can use apples, but then replace the figs with dates and add pomegranate seeds (if available) Dressing >    4 Tbls olive oil >    2 Tbls white wine vinegar >    1 tsp clear honey >     ¼ tsp Dijon mustard >    Salt and pepper

Steps   1.    Tear all the greens up. 2.    Peel and thinly slice the fruit. 3.    Cut the dried fruit into pieces. 4.    Put into a bowl. 5.    In a screw-top jar, mix all the dressing ingredients. 6.    Pour over the salad just before serving.

Chicken in White Wine

This is a simple and classic dish that can use up any spare white wine you may have.

Ingredients >  1 chicken, cut into portions >  Optional: 200 gm seedless white grapes Marinade >  175 ml dry white wine >   2 Tbsp olive oil >  2 Tbsp chopped parsley >  2 Tbsp chopped spring onions or shallots >  Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps 1.    Prick the chicken all over with a fork. 2.    Lay the chicken pieces in the baking tray, skin side down. 3.    Mix the marinade ingredients and spoon over the chicken to coat it well. 4.    Cover and leave to marinate for at least 4 hours. 5.    Heat the oven to 175°C to 180°C. 6.    Put the chicken on a middle shelf and bake for 40 minutes. 7.    Take the chicken out of the oven and turn each piece over. 8.    Spoon the marinade from the bottom of the pan over the chicken. 9.    As an optional addition, add white seedless grapes to the pan when you turn the chicken over. 10. Put back in the oven and cook for a further 20 minutes, until the skin is gold and crisp. This goes well with baked potatoes (cooked in the same oven as the dish, but placed in the oven ½ hour previously) and a green salad. Serves 5 Tip for quick lunch dish Any leftover sauce after cooking can be frozen and reused as a sauce when cooking chicken breasts.

Humble Pie

This is a great vegetarian version of cottage or shepherd’s pie, but made with seitan. This is my vegetarian son’s recipe, and he has requested that I not change the text.

Ingredients >  2 good onions >  4 largish carrots, or 5 smallish ones >  3-4 stalks of celery >  1 pack of minced seitan >  4 medium or 3 large potatoes >  ~50g margarine >  1 small pack tomato concentrate >  1 tsp Baharat >  1 tsp Paprika >  0.5 tsp Cumin >  salt and pepper >  some olive oil for cooking >  water >  Optional: a flat teaspoon of Marmite Equipment >  Big frying pan for the vegetables >  Medium pot to cook the potatoes >  Medium oven dish (I like single-use tin foil ones) >  Potato masher >  Fork, wooden spoon >  Chopping board and a good knife

Steps 1.   Peel the potatoes, and cut them into cubes. They don't need to be too small, but they should be more or less the same size. 2.   Put the potato cubes into the pot, add some salt and cover with water (about a cm above the potatoes), then put on the fire. 3.   Finely chop the onions. Remember to wash your hands before you wipe your eyes. 4.   Put some olive oil in the frying pan, put it on the fire and add the onions. 5.   Peel the carrots. Once the carrots are peeled, turn the flame down under the onions. 6.   Finely chop the carrots. I usually do half across the length, then 4 across the length of each half, and finely chop. Add the carrots to the onions in the pan. Stir things around a bit. 7.   Clean the celery, removing the wide bit at the bottom and the leaves at the top. 8.   Finely chop the celery, also into very small bits. All the fine chopping is so that people don't notice you're putting celery in their food. Everyone loves the taste of celery, they just don't like knowing it's there. Celery is the big trick in soup powder. 9.   Add the celery to the onions and carrots in the pan. Stir occasionally. 10. At some point, the potatoes will boil. When they do, turn down the flame underneath them. 11. Chop up the seitan so that it's in smaller bits and add it to the vegetable pan. Turn the heat back up and let it all fry a little. 12. Check the potatoes with a fork to see if they're ready. If they are, turn the flame off and leave them to sit there while you do more important things. 13. After a minute or two, turn the heat back down and add the spices, salt and pepper to the pan. Stir around for a little more, until they're all mixed in nicely. 14. At this point, the vegetable mixture may seem a bit dry. That's normal, and we'll add water in a minute. Add the tomato paste, and add the Marmite if you want to. Mix it in and add a little water. The mixture shouldn't be watery, but it should be a little sticky. 15. Let it sit on a low flame while you sort out the potatoes. Mix it occasionally and add some more water if needed. 16. Drain the water from the potatoes. Be careful, steam goes up. 17. Put the margarine in the pot with the potatoes and mash. Add salt and pepper and continue to mash until it's all nice and smooth. 18. Turn the flames off under the vegetables. 19. Taste the mashed potatoes and the contents of the pan (separately) to see if they need anything else. Fix if needed. If something is missing and you don't know what, it's either salt or tomato paste. 20. Pour the entire vegetable mixture into the oven dish. Even it out so that the top is flat, and there are no hills. 21.  Spoon the mashed potatoes over it, and even that layer out as well. 22. Put in the oven at about 200 degrees for about 25 minutes, until the top is a nice light brown. 21. Remove from the oven when done, and enjoy.

Cottage Pie

This is a wonderful Delia Smith recipe. It is called cottage pie because it is made with beef and not lamb (which would make it Shepherd’s Pie). My vegetarian son has given me a very tasty vegetarian version, made with seitan, which will be posted soon.

Ingredients >  2 medium onions, chopped >  25 gm (1 oz) olive oil >  1 large carrot, chopped very small >  500 gm (1 lb) fresh minced beef >  Salt and freshly ground black pepper >  ½ teaspoon cinnamon >  ½ tsp mixed herbs >  1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley >  1 level Tbsp plain flour >  1 Tbsp tomato puree >  275 (10 fl oz) ml hot beef stock Topping >  1 kg potatoes, peeled >  2 medium leeks, washed and chopped >  50 gm butter or olive oil

Steps 1.  Heat the oven to 200°C (gas mark 6, 400°F) 2.  Fry the onions in the olive oil until they are soft. 3.  Add the carrot and minced meat and continue cooking for 20 minutes. Important: At the beginning, keep stirring and breaking up the bits of meat, so they you do not end up with big chunks. 4.  Season with salt and pepper, then add the cinnamon, mixed herbs and parsley. 5.  Stir in the flour; mix the tomato puree into the stock and add to the meat mixture, and bring to simmering point. 6.   Make the topping: a.   Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 20 minutes. b.  Cook the leeks gently in the butter or olive oil. c.  Mash the potatoes and add the leeks with their fat, and season to taste with salt and pepper. 7.  Put the meat mixture into a well-greased baking dish. 8.  Spread the potato mixture on top. 9.  Put in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the top is gaining colour. Serves four.

Lentil Loaf

This is totally vegetarian. It is based on a Delia Smith (wonderful cookbooks) recipe, but as I am currently not eating solaniums, I have adapted it. 

Ingredients >    425 ml vegetable stock >    75 gm dried split peas >    50 gm red lentils >    50 gm brown lentils >    1 carrot, peeled and chopped >    1 small stick of celery, finely chopped >    1 small leek, rinsed and shredded >    1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed >    2 Tbsp olive oil >    2 tsp freshly ground garam masala >    1 large egg, beaten >    2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped >    Salt and freshly milled black pepper >    450 gm loaf tin. I use a silicone version so that the loaf is easy to extract

Steps 1.   Bring the vegetable stock to the boil, add the split peas and lentils, and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the pulses are soft. 2.   In the meantime, prepare all the vegetables. 3.    Pre-heat the oven to 190°C. 4.   Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, and use some of it to grease the loaf tin. 5.   Add all the vegetables and the garlic to the frying pan and fry for 10 minutes, or until soft and golden. 6.   Stir the pulses into the vegetables and turn off the heat under the pan. 7.    Add the garam masala, beaten egg and parsley. 8.   Mix well and season. 9.   Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and press it down firmly. 10.  Cover with tinfoil and bake for 40 minutes. 11.  Let it stand for 15 minutes before you slice and serve it. This goes well with a salad. I love it with potato salad.