Day 20 and 21 - Onion soup, onion soup

Day 20 was a washout for blogging purposes - we didn't exactly go off the rails but a heavy schedule for the day meant we ended up eating from a selection of convenience and junk foods. It happens sometimes.

Today I made Onion Soup. This isn't something I ever think very hard about, one of the first classic recipes I ever researched and prepared and slowly adapted over time as my facilities have altered and other cooks have leant me their ideas on the subject, but I thought for the benefit of all I'd consult the book I expected would have the last word on authenticity - Je sais cuisiner although I actually opened the English translation I know how to cook which was one of my presents self awarded for Yule.

Imagine the surprise then when I read the recipe in there - cook the onions quickly for ten minutes, add the stock, cook another 10 minutes, strain the onions from the juice and add vermicelli! It is so far removed from the conventionally accepted recipe that I had to look at it several times before it would sink in.

Anyhap, I tidied away my shattered misconceptions and set about making French Onion Soup - my way. Serves 2-4

500g (after prep) onions, peeled and very finely sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of dried thyme or a bay leaf (or both, why not!)
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped.
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

Put your onions and the bay leaf/thyme/both into a heavy based pan that has a good lid and toss in the oil. Cover and allow to soften over a very low heat, this may take as much as an hour. If you're busy set a timer for 10 minute intervals and come back to give it a check and a stir about.

When meltingly soft, remove the cover, add the garlic and mix in, sprinkle in the salt and sugar (keep the quantities scant) and turn up the heat a tad. Keep stirring over the heat until the onions start to take colour, without ever letting them burn.

1 tbsp. flour
1 ltr. stock (Use a good quality cube, or your own home made)
1 glass of wine (red or white, I prefer red)
1 flat tbsp. dark miso or soy sauce to taste

Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture and combine. Cook for a minute or two, then add the stock and wine and your choice of miso or soy sauce (mash the miso down in a little of the liquid to make it mix in more easily).

Bring back to the simmer and allow to cook for a further five minutes, stirring often to make sure the flour is cooked and the flavours are combined.

Serve with croutons or what you will, we had some toasted Cheesly on slices of bread and another glass of wine if you're allowed. It's very good for the circulation.

Day 19 - Rice and Peas and Greens and Sweet Potatoes and Peanut Gravy

This is very much an old style, stick to your ribs, hippie commune sort of meal and it was just what I was craving.

It really is rice and peas, the peas are dried marrowfat peas saved from the garden and soaked for a few hours before cooking with rice and onions in a pressure cooker. You need about half the weight of dry peas to uncooked brown rice and when you're not being 'healthy' it's nice to fry the onions off before adding them to the pot but it still works well if you don't. Put the rice, soaked peas and onions into the cooker, add about twice the volume of water and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes or so. Allow to cool naturally. When you can take the lid off, add seasonings and about 100g of freshly grated coconut. Mix well, recover and make the rest of the vegetables.

Peel and slice some sweet potatoes. I boiled these until just soft, then drained them and completed cooking them in a steamer over the sprouting broccoli.

Served with a peanut gravy based on my simple peanut sauce from ages ago.

Day 18

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Day 17 - Calzone

Everyone knows that calzone is simply a pizza folded before it's cooked and as such I've already assessed my version as acceptable within a healthy diet however it is incumbent on me to issue this extremely important health message for anyone who might be considering eating one.

Warning: After cooking, pie contents may be hot.

Day 16 - Pancake Tuesday

Today, Shrove Tuesday in the UK and any number of other carnivals and festivals elsewhere around the world, has a somewhat religious theme of using up all the eggs and milk before commencing on a period of fast before Easter.

There are two reasons why this means nothing to me, but the most important one by far is that vegans don't use eggs and milk so the concept of using them up is a bit redundant.

I planned to push the envelope by making dosa, pancakes from the Indian continent, made with fermented ground rice and lentils but of course, forgot to get started in time so in the end resorted to my standby batter for pancakes or crepes served with the usual South Indian trimmings.

Make a number of pancakes (crêpes if you're not in the UK), stack them up somewhere warm or ideally fill as you make them.

Make a potato curry stuffing. Cook some boiled potatoes and chop into small cubes. Fry off an onion, lots of garlic, some grated ginger in a little oil until softened. Add a finely chopped chilli and a tablespoon of mustard seeds and allow to get hot. Add the chopped potatoes and a few splashes of water to help everything combine. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the water is gone then season with a little salt and lemon juice. It's entirely up to you if you want to add a teaspoon of your favourite curry powder to the cooking onions, I think it's best to keep this simple.

Use the stuffing to fill the warm pancakes and serve with a coconut and coriander leaf chutney.

Day 15 - Noodle Bowl

The last couple of times we've eaten out it has been at Japanese restaurants. I wanted noodles at Itadaki Zen but was talked out of it because I would have had too much food. At Oishii I had the Yasai Tofu Ramen and felt it just missed the spot I was aiming for.

With loads of delicious beetroot consommé and other leftovers from Valentine's day, I thought I'd make my own version.

The stock for the soup is usually dashi based, but the depth of flavour from the vegetable broth is a good substitute, particularly flavoured with a few slices of ginger and spring onions. I also add a tablespoon of soy sauce and a small teaspoon of chilli miso to enrich it.

Precook, rinse and cool some Japanese noodles, soba or ramen, and arrange them in the bottom of your large soup dish. Add some slices of tofu, I had marinated oven baked tofu in stock but you can use fresh tofu or fry some slices if you prefer. A handful of blanched kale - softer leafy vegetables like spinach wouldn't need precooking, some sliced mushrooms, some hijiki seaweed (presoaked), carrot flowers, some sprigs of leaf coriander and anything else you'd like in there. Fill the bowl with boiling hot stock and serve with chopsticks for the noodles and vegetables and a big spoon to finish all the soup.

Day 14 - Valentine

Just pictures...

Kir Royale with home made Cassis

Starter of Chilled Beetroot Consommé and Root Vegetable crisps


Tofu Hearts on Baked Mushrooms with Fondant Potatoes and Kale

Toffee Fruits

all photography by Paul.

Day 13 - Pizza

Well, why not pizza? With home made dough consisting of wholemeal flour, water, yeast and a pinch of salt, a tiny drizzle of oil to grease the tray and dot over the top and plenty of vegetables it is as healthy a meal as any self denying, misery inducing bran filled buckwheat burger and much nicer. Just try not to eat too much of it.




This was particularly easy to put together because the dough was ready and waiting in the fridge. Made bread dough will keep quite well chilled in a sealed plastic bag for up to a week and needs only a few minutes at room temperature to warm up enough to make pizza bases. If you're planning to make a loaf from chilled dough, shape it and allow it to rise before baking.

We topped our pizza with mushrooms, olives, fresh basil and Cheesley and it was brilliant.

Day 12 - Coffee

Coffee beans, green and roasted.

We're going out tonight to eat, again a Japanese restaurant but a more mainstream version this time where I may even allow myself some fried food, their tempura is pretty good. So since that's not particularly healthy I thought I'd talk about something else that gets a lot of bad press but actually has quite a lot of health benefits and few downsides, coffee.


Coffee making kit, espresso machine, cafetiere, stove top espresso pot.

Coffee is a drug that many people are addicted to, this may have introduced some experimental bias but in recent years it has been shown that regular doses of coffee can help with a wide range of conditions from Alzheimers to stroke, with protective influences shown on the liver, the kidneys, memory function and even those at risk of diabetes.

Of course, there are still plenty of other researchers who want to put a dent in all this cheerfulness, you'll have to make your own mind up about that. However, the worst thing that's ever happened to me from coffee is the suffering that comes from giving it up for a few days.



And with coffee, what's nicer than a couple of chocolate biscotti.

Day 11 - Lentil Nut Pâté

This makes a lot of pâté, enough for 10 or even 12 if served as a starter with bread or crackers, so you might want to halve the ingredients or try, as I'm trying, to freeze some portions for later. If the freezing experiment doesn't work, I'll come back and update this entry.

The recipe is based on one I found here and have made a couple of times for celebration meals but it is actually low fat and packed with nutrients, ideal for this healthy eating month.

170g puy lentils (or those other grey green lentils that are the same but don't come from Puy)
1 bay leaf

200g mixed nuts (Brazil, hazel, almond and walnut. I was using up a bag of shelled nuts from xmas, but you could use all one sort of nut if you prefer)

2 tbsp. olive oil
300g onions, finely chopped
2 eating apples, cored and chopped, leave the skin on
3 (or more) cloves garlic, finely chopped or crushed
Calvados - a big slug
2 tbsp. light miso
1 tbsp. coriander seed crushed in pestle and mortar
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. ground black pepper

Cook lentils with the bay leaf in lightly simmering water until they are soft. The time will depend on your lentils but between 25 and 40 minutes should do it. Drain and allow to cool a little before putting in the food processor.

Toast the nuts under the grill or in a hot oven for 5 minutes or so. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the onions, apples and garlic. Allow to melt gently over a low heat until softened through. Mix in the coriander, ginger and black pepper, then add a big slug (say a double, about 50ml) of Calvados or Brandy. Keep stirring over the heat while the alcohol cooks out and the sauce reduces. Turn off the heat and mix in the miso and vinegar. You need only a touch of vinegar, start with one teaspoon and see how you like it. Because the miso is so salty you shouldn't need to add any salt at all.

Put everything into the food processor and process until smooth. This will take a few minutes but shouldn't be a strain on the machine as everything is quite soft.

If you want to turn it out for serving line a mould with cling film, pack the mixture in and chill for a few hours. It should hold its shape but won't slice very neatly. Otherwise, make quenelle shapes or serve from individual ramekins.

This is better the day after making so it's great for catering for parties, and leftovers will keep for a week in the fridge. No mushrooms either!

Served tonight with lettuce, a bulgar salad and some of my precious little alfalfa sprouts.