Salad Days

I'm cross and it's affecting what I eat. Stupidly, today I got caught up in an online 'discussion' about health and nutrition because I'd seen this advert which seems to suggest that we're all going to die of eating cake. They're not allowed to advertise the converse which is that if we all eat healthily we'll live forever because it's not true but apparently any sort of scare tactics are permitted if a Government report will support it.

Normally I'm on the side of the angels when it comes to good nutrition but I found the suggestion that a healthy young girl eating cake was at risk of permanent harm because of it a little hard to swallow and was foolish enough to mention it, so up pops a GI Troll to tell me that I'm a Diet Holocaust Denier and should be chastised forthwith. But all the diet book sales in the world didn't stop Atkins' huge 18 stone bulk overbalancing him so that he dashed his brains out on the pavement and Agatston still has to take statins to control his cholesterol.

Anyway, there's not much point in going over it all again here, but because I'm as easy to provoke into guilt as any human of my gender and upbringing tonight's meal is going to be a salad. With lots of oil and extra croutons probably...



And this is what I had. Although we have a huge garden there are not a lot of salad greens available at the moment and without access to the shops I had to be a little inventive. The main green in this salad is Good King Henry, horrid to eat raw but blanched, cooled and squeezed to remove excess moisture it makes a fine ingredient.

This isn't the sort thing anyone is ever likely to want to recreate at home but for the record it included some finely sliced raw leek, half an avocado in cubes, a few inner leaves of raw cabbage shredded, the Good King Henry, a small handful of my precious bag of rocket (nearly all gone now), the leftover braised tofu from last night, a few cornichons and because I have no bread today, a quinoa and millet burger from my long life stores, fried and chopped into pieces to make croutons. The dressing was a simple vinaigrette of olive oil, red wine vinegar and a splash of soy sauce. Because it looks a bit naff it's been decorated with wallflowers for the photo. They taste quite good.

Now, where's that bottle of red wine?

Arabia

This is what I had planned to eat last night.



Lahma bi Ajeen is a flatbread based snack found in all parts of the Arab world traditionally using ground meat and spices as a topping. Although it's usually cooked in an oven like pizza these days it would originally have been cooked over coals rather as people have taken to doing with barbecue grill pizzas these days. The first side is cooked over the heat, then the bread is flipped and the toppings added while the second side cooks.

I cooked mine in the oven and instead of meat I used a mixture of finely cubed and fried aubergine mixed with braised tofu skins, but you could add crumbled tempeh or block tofu if you prefer. Seasoning should include garlic, cumin seed and plenty of green herbs like parsley and coriander.

Using your favourite pizza dough form small circles and top with your chosen flavours, then cook in a very hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes until golden. If you form very small discs of dough this makes a nice appetiser or cocktail snack.

Tradition and ritual

It's become something of a habit to indulge in comfort food on the first day of being alone again, and comfort food for me is usually starchy and simple to to cook and eat. My absolute favourite easy meal is some form of savoury rice.


Red beans and rice, caribbean style

Today is no exception. I had plans for something a little more complicated (although not much more refined) but in the event my inner monster took over and self indulgence was the result.

Chop an onion and some garlic finely and melt down in some olive oil. Add a handful (or two) of rice, long grain or short it makes little difference in this sort of cooking and stir around with the oily alliums. Add some water, the exact quantity depends on how much rice you've used. Don't worry too much, any excess can be simmered off during cooking.

Season with whatever you have. I used some lovage but thyme would be good. Add a chunk of creamed coconut, the sort that comes in little cardboard packages, maybe a sixth of the block. Add salt to taste, I almost overdid it so take care out there. Don't be shy of any other seasonings that are good for you.

Add a tin of red beans. I've become the fortunate recipient of a stack of past their sell by date cans, these beans were only a month or two too old but there are some treats ahead for all of us, just you wait and see! If the beans are packed in that slimy salt and sugar water make sure they're well rinsed before putting them in the pan.

Simmer with a lid on the pan until the rice is cooked and then without the lid for a few minutes if the food seems a bit wet.

I garnished my bowlful with a touch of rocket for the picture but smothered it in a big handful more when I sat down to eat. Oh, and if the picture looks like it was taken on my doorstep, it was. The rain was too intimidating for this striped cat.

À demain.

Last Supper

Actually, it was the last Sunday lunch that Mr. Stripey Cat had with me before leaving to go back to the UK after a week getting me settled in at the farm. We've had a marvellous time, with beautiful weather and have made great progress with the vegetable patch but we've not spent a lot of time cooking or eating, too much else to do.

Today, we made a proper lunch.



It's still not very complicated cooking but it made use of some of the last of the leeks from the garden, cooked down until golden and used to cover some ready made pastry. Extra decoration and flavour was added by some strips of yellow pepper and I would have dotted some olives on top, but they'd er... passed their best.

To serve with it, some roasted potatoes and some braised endives, simmered down with dry white wine and seasonings to make a jus.



Lunch was taken in the garden. We've managed to eat outside for all but two meals this week, but the weather which has been absolutely wonderful is now going over a little and has become cold and showery.

I'll be cooking for one for the next 10 days, made slightly more complicated by not having my car so look out for a lot of store cupboard basics - I won't be going shopping and may have to forage for some veg. - but I will try to blog each of my main meals as I make them.

Rhubarb and Raspberry Jelly

The kittens dropped my camera on the floor. I think it may be slightly damaged.

This is light and bright and simple. The first time I made it I flavoured the rhubarb with a little fresh ginger. The jelly was lovely but the colour was weak. The raspberries add beautiful colour but their own flavour overpowers the gentle vegetable. Whichever way you choose it's a great low calorie way to make a spring pudding.

Wipe clean three sticks of rhubarb and cut into chunky sections. Pick over your raspberries, use about 200g, and put all the fruit into a heavy saucepan with just enough water to cover the base of the pan, no more. Sprinkle a couple of spoonfuls of sugar over to your taste (it won't need much). Put a lid on it.

Heat very gently until the water starts to simmer and the juice begins to run from the fruit then turn off the heat and leave the pan, cover in place for 10 or 15 minutes. The mixture will continue to cook in the residual heat.

To set the jelly I used a commercial product, Vege-gel, which is carrageenan based. Add the powder to 300ml of cold water in a saucepan and whisk it in. Bring the mixture to the boil and simmer for a moment, then pour the liquid into your fruit.

Mix well and spoon out into four individual moulds (or set in a pretty single bowl). Vege-gel, like agar agar, sets quickly at room temperature.

Serve with vegan ice-cream or make a fruit coulis for posh dinners.

We paid £3.55 for five sticks of rhubarb in Waitrose and felt ripped off, then a friend gave us a huge bundle and we were blessed. Raspberries aren't in season yet and so are expensive. These were on their sell by date and marked down to 60p and although I had to remove a few mouldy specimens they were fine for cooking with.

Little morsels of chickpea goodness.

500g dry chickpeas, soaked in plenty of water for at least 8 hours.
300g finely chopped onion.
10 cloves garlic (or less, if you must).
10g bicarbonate of soda.
10g cumin seeds.
5g coriander seeds (bashed down a bit in a mortar).
salt and pepper.
Oil for frying.
50g Green herbs (chopped parsley, coriander, spring onions) optional.

Pulverise your soaked but uncooked well drained chickpeas in a processor until they are as finely minced as you can make them. You need very fine particles to allow you to form patties that will hold together well in the oil. Mix in the onion. You can chop it with the chickpeas if you like but it's probably nicer if you chop it small by hand and mix it in afterwards. If you want to add the optional green herbs replace 50g of the onion, otherwise the mix might be a little wet.

Add the mashed garlic (use a little salt), bicarbonate of soda, cumin, coriander and pepper. Mix everything together well and cover. Leave to rest for 1-2 hours.

Form your felafel. I tend to make small flattened cakes as it's easier than making balls with this mix. You should get between 50 and 60 small cakes; enough for 10 servings. Form all the felafel first, setting them out on trays or boards so that you can have clean hands for then next stage.

Heat some oil in a pan suitable for deep frying. I used a wok with about 2cm of oil in it. The temperature should be between 135C and 140C. I'd never used the cooking thermometer to measure this before but for you, nothing is too good! The temperature shouldn't be too hot or the outsides will burn before the middles are cooked.

Add 9 or 10 felafel to the pan and allow to fry gently for not more than five minutes, turning them half way through if needed. Lift from the oil in a net scoop and drain on kitchen towels. Repeat until everything is cooked.

Serve in a pitta or flat bread with a tahini sauce like this one (scroll down a bit) and some salad, pickled chillies or whatever.

Apologies for the lack of a serving suggestion photo, I was making this batch for the freezer. Packed up in people sized portions they are a great standby for emergency snacking and meals after a late night at work.