Spicy tahini dijon dressing

A nice alternative to mayo or balsamic on coleslaw :)

1 tablespoon tahini
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons water
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch of fresh cracked pepper

Lemony Quinoa with Almonds and Kale

So, I didn't get a pic of this one, as we were half way through it before we thought "ooo this is actually really nice, lets put it on the blog!"!!.... Hopefully I'll get a pic next time I make it. Turns out this is a great mid week meal, taking only around 20 min.

Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- About 1/4 cup toasted almonds, bashed into pieces
- About 1-2 leaves kale (from the garden in my case), finely diced. You could use any greens (spinach, broccoli etc), but make sure you chop them finely.
- About 3-4 cups vege stock

Dressing
- 1 dried medium chilli, deseeded, finely diced
- Oil for frying, and about 2 Tbsp for the dressing
- 1/2-1 lemon
- 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
- Salt and Pepper

Rinse the quinoa, then cook in the stock on a medium heat for 15 min. Once the quinoa is on the go, make the dressing - fry the chilli and garlic in a bit of oil, then tip that into a jug, and add the lemon juice and olive oil. About 3 minutes before the quinoa is cooked, add the greens (to cook them aldente). Then drain the quinoa and greens, add in the almonds and dressing and mix well. Serve topped with parsley (or other fresh herbs), salt and pepper.

Scrummy roast vegetable medley

This is really simple, but the combination of vegetables works really well together.... Try it with baked salmon.

Veggies:
- Fennel
- Red onion
- Carrot
- Garlic cloves
- Beetroot
- Potatoes (I used Desiree)

Method:
Preheat oven to about 180. Chop up veggies, nice and big (see pic). Coat them in olive oil, and a little bit of salt and pepper. Note I oiled the beetroot separately, which significantly reduced the spread of colour. Cook for about 45 minutes, or until soft and delicious. If you're cooking salmon, put that in the oven (in tin foil with lemon) after about 30 minutes.

That sugar Film - A Must See

Recently we watched That Sugar Film - IMDB on DVD.

For those of you who already know about how evil sugar is, this movie is still well worth the watch..... The cinematography looks like it would reach a wide audience, and hopefully it does!!!....

Beetroot Cabbage Soup (Borscht)

Don't you just love the colour?......

Ingredients:
- 50g butter
- 1 small onion, 1 small carrot, 1 stick of celery, peeled and cut into small dice
- 2 medium waxy potatoes, cut into small dice
- 1/4 cabbage, shredded
- 300g beetroot, peeled
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 2 grains allspice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1.5 litres beef stock
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- Sour cream and fresh dill, to serve

Method:
1. Cut ¾ of the peeled beetroot into small dice (you may want to wear rubber gloves to do this) and set the rest aside. Melt the butter in a large pan, and then soften the onion over a gentle heat for 5 minutes.
2. Add the carrot, leek, celery, diced beetroot, allspice and bay leaf and stir well to coat with butter. Cook for another 10 minutes, adding a little stock if the vegetables begin to look dry. Meanwhile, grate the remaining beetroot.
3. Pour in the rest of the stock and the potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes, then add the cabbage, garlic and grated beetroot. Cook until all the vegetables are tender (about 10 minutes).
4. Add the vinegar, sugar, pepper and a pinch of salt and taste. Add a little more of any of these if necessary, then serve with a dollop of sour cream, a sprig of dill, and some ciabatta on the side.

The Nummiest Chorizo and Mushroom Risotto

A few weeks ago I had some harissa to use up, and so I decided to create a risotto with it. Tim says it's one of the most tastiest meals I've ever put on the table, so I guess it must be good...... It does take at least an hour from woe-to-go, so make it a Sunday option, and eat the leftovers during the week..... The good bit is that it's a one-pot-meal, so minimal cleaning up. Yay!

Serves 2, plus a bit leftover for lunch

Ingredients:
- 1 Cup rice (1/2 Arborio 1/2 medium grain brown)
- 1 portion harissa (see recipe here: Easy Harissa)
- About 1/3 cup passata or crushed tomatoes
- 5 medium mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 2 chorizo sticks, sliced
- 1 onion, diced
- 500ml vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted.
- To serve: Lemon wedges, sardines (I use King Oscar brisling) and/or rocket

Method:
Fry onion until caramelised in a tablespoon or so of oil from the harissa. Add the rice and sauté for about 5 minutes until slightly crispy, but definitely not brown.
Add in everything else except peas. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a medium-to-low heat (I use setting 3), and simmer for about 1 hour, stirring every 5 minutes of so. Add water as necessary to prevent sticking.
Just before serving, add the defrosted peas (there is no need for cooking).
Serve with lemon wedges and sardines on top.

Easy Harissa

Ingredients
- 1 garlic clove, mashed
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne (dep on taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds, ground in a spice grinder
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- salt

Method:
Put garlic paste into a small bowl and stir in the tomato paste and lemon juice. Add the smoked paprika, cayenne, cumin and caraway. Gradually stir in the oil and season with salt.

 

Can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.