Spicy carrot cake with lemon icing

This is perfect for one of those dark autumn afternoons in front of the fire. It's sweet, sticky, spicy and gooey.

225g grated carrots
6 tbsp olive oil
125g soft brown sugar, preferably rapadura
225g wholemeal flour
2-3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp powdered cinnamon
2 to 3 tbsp honey
4 tbsp fresh orange juice

For the icing:
175g icing sugar
Juice and rind of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3 and line an 18cm cake tin with non-stick paper. Mix the carrots, oil and sugar in a bowl, then add the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, honey and orange juice, and mix until everything is well combined - it will be quite sticky.
Spoon into the prepared tin, level the top, and bake for an hour and a quarter or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (cover the top of the cake with foil if there are signs of burning). Leave to cool in the tin.
Mix the icing sugar with the lemon rind and enough of the juice (about six to eight teaspoons) to make a thick coating consistency. Spread over the top of the cake and leave to set.

Brussels sprout and potato bubble and squeak

I can't claim any originality for this particular recipe as it's by Angela Hartnett, but it's great the morning after the night before. Top it with a fried egg and lots of brown sauce. Your Boxing Day hangover will thank you for it. Serves four.

50g bacon, finely chopped
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
50g butter
2 sprigs fresh thyme, picked
350g cooked brussels sprouts, chopped
450g cooked potatoes, lightly mashed (you can use leftover roast potatoes for this)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Plain flour, for dusting
Olive oil, for frying

In an ovenproof frying pan, lightly sauté the bacon and onion in a little butter until the onion is soft and translucent. Stir in the thyme leaves, then the sprouts and potato, and season generously. Set the pan aside and, once the mix is cool enough to handle, use your hands to mould it into four large patties.

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Dust the patties in flour, and fry lightly in butter and a touch of oil until golden brown on both sides (the oil helps prevent the butter from burning). Transfer to the oven for four or five minutes, to make sure they're heated through, and serve hot.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/dec/04/christmas-standby-recipes-angela-hartnett

Pasta with Tomato and Bacon

Servings: 4


Ingredients:
5 slices bacon
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can chopped tomatoes or chopped fresh tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
225 g spaghetti
Dried basil
Dried oregano
Dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Grill cook bacon until crisp, break into 1/2 inch pieces, and set aside. Sauté onions in olive oil over medium heat until tender. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in bacon and tomatoes. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. Stir basil, oregano and parsley into tomato sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook 5 minutes more. Toss with hot pasta. Top with grated Parmesan cheese when serving.

Chorizo And White Bean Soup

Serves 4

This is one of those easy, versatile soups that you can play around with, use rosemary instead of thyme or add shredded cabbage or greens just before serving. Ideal for a last minute supper.

Ingredients

Glugs of olive oil
1 chorizo sausage (about 150g/5½oz), chopped
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 celery sticks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp paprika or Hot Smoked Pimenton
2 or 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 litre/2 pints chicken stock
2 x 400g/14oz tins cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (or equivalent in dried beans soaked overnight and cooked)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Heat some olive oil in a large pan over high heat and cook the chorizo for 3-4 minutes until crisp. Set aside in a bowl, leaving the delish red oil in the pan.

2. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the onion and celery to the pan and season well. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-7 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, thyme and paprika and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook for another minute.

3. Return the chorizo to the pan with the stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for ten minutes. At this point you could add some thinly sliced cabbage to bulk it out a bit. Add the beans and cook for another five minutes.
Check the seasoning and serve with bread and lots of olive oil.

Roasted pumpkin and thyme soup

Make Halloween Soup!

Ingredients

2-3kg unpeeled pumpkin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
8 sprigs fresh thyme leaves only, plus extra leaves to garnish
2.25 litres/4 pints vegetable stock
300ml/½ pint single cream (Optional)
175g/6oz Gruyère cheese, coarsely grated

Preparation method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6

2. Cut the pumpkin or squash into chunky wedges and scoop away all the fibres and seeds. Rub the wedges with oil, season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then place them into one large or two smaller roasting tins, skin-side down. Transfer to the oven to roast for 30 minutes, or until tender.

3. Remove the pumpkin from the oven and, when cool enough to handle, slice away and discard the skin and cut the flesh into small chunks.

4. Splosh some olive oil in a large pan. Add the onion and half the thyme leaves and cook gently for about ten minutes until the onion is very soft but not browned. Add the roasted pumpkin, any juices, and the stock. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

5. Leave the soup to cool slightly, then add the remaining thyme leaves and liquidise in batches until smooth. Return to a clean pan and bring back to a gentle simmer.

6. Stir in the cream (optional) and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Ladle into warmed bowls and place a small handful of the grated Gruyère into the centre of each. Scatter a few more thyme leaves on top and serve.

Spaghetti Al Crudo

This is amazingly simple. I've just made a huge bowlful using some tasty tomatoes but without the capers and anchovies. It's very delish.

Spaghetti with tomatoes, olives, capers and anchovies. Crudo means raw, and in this recipe the sauce is uncooked. Look for a spaghetti with a surface that is slightly rough, rather than very shiny, because you need everything to cling to the pasta. Use quality ingredients, especially the tomatoes and basil.

Serves four (or six as a starter).

2 tbsp capers (baby ones, if possible)
4 tbsp black olives, pitted
5 anchovy fillets, finely chopped (Optional)
2 large ripe tomatoes, or 3 smaller ones (the best quality you can find), finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato passata
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
400g spaghetti
1 bunch basil
5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Put all the ingredients except the spaghetti, basil and half of the oil in a sauté pan and mix together, but don't heat. Taste and season.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil (use a little less salt than usual, because the anchovies will add salt later), drop in the pasta and use a fork to curl the pasta around the pan so that it gets submerged quickly. Cook for about a minute less than the time given on the packet (usually five to six minutes), until al dente. (It was 9 mins with the pasta I used.)

While the pasta is cooking, put the sauté pan containing the ingredients for the sauce over the top of the pasta pan, so the steam just warms everything up a little and the flavours start to infuse.

When the pasta is cooked, drain, but reserve the cooking water. Add the pasta to the sauté pan and toss through, adding a little of the cooking water as necessary to loosen. Add the rest of the oil and toss through again. Tear the basil leaves, scatter over and toss through again. Serve straight away.

Spiced carrot and butternut squash soup

The carrot and squash start to break down after half an hour’s cooking and, together with the starch from the pasta, will thicken the soup without the need for a blender. This is great for a hungry family.
The chilli is optional!

Serves 4

1 red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 or 2 large carrots, peeled
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and deseeded
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-3 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped, or ¼ tsp dried crushed chillies
1.2 litres chicken or vegetable stock
75g dried spaghetti or small pasta shells
Freshly grated Parmesan, to serve

1 Sweat the onion and garlic in the oil over a medium heat for 5-7 minutes until soft. Chop the carrots and butternut squash into 1.5cm dice and add to the pan. Season and cook for another 6-7 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.

2 Stir in the thyme leaves and the fresh or dried chilli, then pour in the stock. Stir and bring to the boil. Simmer for 25-30 minutes until the carrots and squash are soft and beginning to break down.

3 Break the spaghetti into small pieces into the soup or add the pasta shells. Stir well and return to the boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the pasta is cooked and the soup has thickened slightly. Check for seasoning and ladle into soup bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve.

Spicy roasted parsnip soup

Just the thing for an autumn day

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
½tsp coriander seeds freshly ground
½tsp cumin seeds freshly ground, plus extra whole seeds to garnish
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp mustard seeds freshly ground
2 sprigs fresh thyme. Leaves stripped and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
500g parsnips, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 plum tomatoes, finely chopped
1.2L vegetable stock

Method
Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. In a bowl, mix together the oil and spices. Add the parsnip chunks, peeled garlic cloves and the thyme leaves and mix well. Spread over a heavy baking sheet, then roast for 30 mins until tender.

In a pan gently sauté the onion in some olive oil until soft but not brown. Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté for a minute or two.
Add the roasted parsnip chunks give a good stir, then turn the heat up and add half the stock. Bring to a simmer.

Put into a food processor or liquidiser and process until smooth, adding more stock as necessary. Pour back into the pan with any remaining stock, season to taste, then heat until barely simmering. Remove from the heat and serve. Garnish with whole cumin seeds.

Slow-cooked courgettes on toast

Cooked this way they lose most of their moisture and become a thick, fragrant, chunky mass. They can be used as a pasta sauce (just add a little cream) or the base for a lovely soup (blend with a little stock and/or milk). They also make a great toast topping/ bruschetta, which is my favourite.

Serves six.

3 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1kg courgettes, finely sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the toast/bruschetta
6 slices of coarse country bread
1 garlic clove, cut in half
Extra-virgin olive oil, or butter
Parmesan, or other grateable cheese (optional)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then add the garlic, courgettes and a little salt. Cook gently, so the courgettes soften without browning. As they release their water, turn up the heat to bubble it off. When they become more concentrated and pulpy, turn it down again. Stir whenever they begin to catch on the pan, and do not allow them to brown more than a shade. Keep cooking until they are rich and oily, but not watery. Check seasoning.

Grill the bread, rub each side with garlic, and trickle with olive oil or melted butter. Pile a mound of the hot courgette mixture on top, grate over a little cheese, if you like, and serve.

(First published Thursday, November 20, 2008)

Silly Film Titles

My favourite is

"Can Hieronymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness".

I went to see it in 1969 just because of the unusual title!

What's your favourite silly/whacky/unusual film title?

Ben Foster 4th May 1985 - 27th April 2008

Do not weep,
I am not asleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow
I am the softly falling snow
I am the fields of ripening grain
I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you wake in the morning hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circling flight
I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Where tranquil oceans meet the land
I am the footprints in the sand
to guide you through the weary day.

I am still here;
I'll always stay.

(Read by Mark at the funeral of his nephew, Ben Foster, on 3rd June 2008)

A Mother Speaks

The mother of murdered Bath shop worker Ben Foster paid tribute to her “much loved and treasured” son after his killers were jailed on Monday.
Clare Wallace, whose son was stabbed to death in Ringswell Gardens, told how her son’s “willingness to do things for others without considering the risk” had led to the tragedy.

"In his 23 years Ben had grown into a loving and principled young man, protective of his family and friends.
He had decided several years earlier that his life would be better without alcohol and drugs and other stimulants. He had stuck to his resolve and did not judge others for their lifestyle choices.
His willingness to do things for others without considering the risk put him in Ringswell Gardens that fateful Sunday.
As a family we have to live with the dreadful consequences of that day.
I can only hope that other young people realise they are not invincible.
Ben was not perfect but believed in the innate goodness of people and could calm every situation with his gentle approach.
Now he has been deprived of the future that was his right and I would not wish that any family would have to go through the pain and devastation which we have experiences since his death.
I once believed the world was beautiful, just and perfect. This belief has now been shattered.
We would like to thank the police for handling the investigation so professionally and for their support, kindness and guidance.
It was only right that John Claydon and Kieran Thomas should be deprived of their liberty. However our lives will be without our much loved and treasured Ben, and no sentence will ever bring him back to us.”

Ben Foster, my late nephew

On March 9th 2009 a judge at Bristol Crown Court heard how John Claydon fatally stabbed Ben Foster in Bath last year.
The 28-year-old defendant, of Surbine Road, Battersea, pleaded guilty to a charge of murder and was told he would serve at least 20 years behind bars before the Parole Board considers his release.
Kieran Thomas, 29, of Corbet Close, Wallington, Surrey, pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter and was jailed for 10 years.He will serve half the term in custody before he is released on licence.
Jailing Claydon, Mr Justice Field told him: “For the offence of murder there’s only one sentence and that’s a life sentence.“You stabbed Benjamin Foster with a long bladed knife in circumstances where he was completely defenceless..
“Nothing I can say will bring any comfort to Benjamin’s family. He was a young man with his whole life ahead of him.”
Ben was described by friends as “the most gentle person you could meet”.
One of three brothers, he grew up in Batheaston and was educated at Ralph Allen School.
At the time of his death he had been working at the Threshers off-licence in Fairfield Park and as a part-time labourer/bricklayer to pay for the flat he was renting.
He had hundreds of friends in the local area and further afield after spending time travelling in Thailand and New Zealand.
He was a keen basketball player and also practised tai chi.

Stating the Obvious

The other day my fan mentioned to me that my recent blogs were a succession of recipes.

Thank you for pointing out something of which I was totally unaware, as I blog in a somnambulistic state and am amazed on waking to find that there is a new blog entry!

So while you wait for the next blog entry that isn’t a recipe, perhaps you’d like to catch up with this and this from my archive.

French Onion Soup

I made this last night, much better than wearing an extra pullover in these freezing temperatures!

Serves 6

Ingredients
1½ lb (700 g) onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 oz (50 g) butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed and finely chopped
½ -1 teaspoon soft brown sugar
2 pints (1.2 L) vegetable or beef stock.
10 fl oz (275 ml) dry white wine
2 tablespoons Cognac (Optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Home made chunky croutons.
Grated cheese.


Place the saucepan on a high heat and melt the oil and butter together. When this is very hot, add the onions, and sugar, and stir them well from time to time until the edges of the onions have turned dark – this will take approx 6 minutes. Then reduce the heat to its lowest setting, add the garlic and leave the to carry on cooking very slowly for about 30 minutes, by which time the base of the pan will be covered with a rich, nut brown, caramelised film.

After that, pour in the white wine, bring to the boil, add the stock, then stir with a wooden spoon, scraping the base of the pan well. As soon as it comes back to simmering, turn down the heat to its lowest setting, then leave it to cook very gently, without a lid, for about 1 hour. Season as required.

If it's extra-cold outside, add a couple of tablespoons of Cognac!

Spoon into bowls, add chunky croutons, grate cheese over the top and put under hot grill until the cheese has melted slightly.

Serve. Remember it will be VERY hot!

Puy Lentils with Sprout Leaves

I’ve adapted this from Thomasina Miers’ recipe.

This is a very different way to use Brussel sprouts and might even convince entrenched sprout haters to try it!

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients
300g Brussels sprouts
350g Puy lentils
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion or 5 shallots, finely chopped
2 small carrots, finely chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, green inner shoot removed and finely chopped
½ - 2 bay leaves
1 tbsp chopped thyme leaves
500ml chicken or vegetable stock
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Extra virgin olive oil and parsley to serve

Method

1 First prepare the sprouts, or, if you can get them, use sprout tops. With a small paring knife, slice a few millimetres off the base and discard. Then cut two or three thin slices off the base of each sprout into a bowl. The leaves will then start to come away from the core. Do this with the knife and add to the bowl. When you come to the core, slice in half or into quarters.
The aim is to have a bowl of wispy, thin sprout slices and leaves that you can add to the lentils. I found this a bit fiddly, but it’s worth persisting with.

2 Put a saucepan of lightly salted water on to boil, add the lentils and allow them to cook for approx 10 to 15 minutes until the lentils are just tender but still have a nice bite to them.

3 In another pan, add a slug of olive oil and sweat the shallots or onion gently until soft and translucent.

4 Add the carrot, celery, garlic and bay leaves and cook over a low to medium heat until the vegetables are soft (about five minutes). Add the sprout leaves and thyme and stir-fry for a few minutes before adding the drained lentils and stock.

5 Cook together for about five minutes until the stock has been absorbed and the sprout leaves have wilted. Take off the heat, (add lemon juice, zest and chopped parsley, all optional), and drizzle with your best-quality olive oil. Season to taste and serve.

Pea and Broad Bean risotto

The quantities are enough for 2 reasonable portions.

Vegetable stock approx 750ml - 1 Litre. I used Knorr vegetable stock cubes (hangs head in shame!!)
White Wine (optional)
25-50g butter
Extra Virgin Olive oil
1 medium or small leek finely chopped
3 shallots finely chopped (or half an onion)
170g Arborio rice
Fresh or frozen small broad beans, about 5 tablespoons worth
Fresh or frozen peas 50-100g
Clove of garlic finely chopped
Parmesan cheese (or whatever cheese you fancy)
Salt and pepper

Put the stock in a saucepan and heat until almost boiling. Then turn down the heat and keep it on a very low simmer.

Heat the butter and a dash of oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the leeks and shallots/onions and cook for 1-2 (or more) minutes until soft but not brown. Add the garlic and stir well.

Add the rice and stir, using a wooden spoon, until the grains are well coated and glistening (about a minute). Add a glass of white wine now if you wish and stir until absorbed.

Add the stock a ladle at a time and stir until absorbed. After 15 mins or so add the broad beans and peas. Continue to add the stock at intervals, as before, until the rice is tender (about 18-25 mins in total).

Grate in some Parmesan (or cheese of choice!) and season. Mix well and remove from heat. Spoon into bowls and add some more Parmesan (or your chosen one!) to finish.

Christmas Bubble and Squeak

Christmas Bubble and Squeak

This is a great idea for leftovers from your Christmas Dinner. The chestnuts add that extra “Christmassy” touch, but they aren’t essential. Use about 60 percent potato to get the right consistency, then whatever vegetables you like - carrots, Brussel sprouts, swedes, turnips, onions, leeks or savoy cabbage.

1 ½ pounds floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 ¼ pounds mixed winter vegetables such as carrots, Brussels sprouts, swedes, turnips, onions, leeks or savoy cabbage, peeled or trimmed and chopped into equal-sized chunks
Olive oil
1 knob butter
200g package vacuum packed chestnuts

Cook the potatoes and mixed vegetables in a pan of boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes. When they're cooked right through, drain and put aside. Heat a glug of olive oil and a knob of butter in a large frying pan and add the chestnuts. When they start to sizzle, add the potatoes and vegetables. Mash the vegetables up in the pan, and then pat the mixture into a thick pancake shape. Fry on a medium heat for about ½ an hour, checking it every 5 minutes. When the bottom turns golden, flip it over bit by bit and mash it back into itself. Pat it out flat again and continue cooking until really crisp all over.

If it still hasn't browned, put it under a hot grill for a few minutes.

Merry Christmas Everyone

I hope you don't deserve this!

Clementine & Almond Syrup Cake

I was going to include a photo, but the cake didn't last that long!

Clementine & Almond Syrup Cake

This cake has a great, light texture and will keep, covered, for at least a week. You'll find, though, that you'll go back to it every few hours for "just another sliver".

200g unsalted butter
380g caster sugar
4 clementines, zest grated, and juiced
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
280g ground almonds
5 medium free-range eggs, beaten
100g plain flour, sifted
1/8 tsp salt
Orange zest, cut in strips, to garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3. Lightly grease a 24cm spring-form tin, and line the sides and base with baking parchment.

Put the butter, 300g of the sugar (the remaining 80g is for the syrup) and citrus zest in a large bowl, and use a wooden spoon and/or spatula to combine. Do not work the mix too much or incorporate much air. Add half the ground almonds and continue mixing to fold through. Add the eggs gradually, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as you go. Add the remaining almonds, flour and salt, and work until the mix is smooth.

Spread the cake batter inside the tin and level with a palette knife. Bake for 50-60 minutes - a skewer should come out a little bit moist.

When the cake is almost cooked, in a small pan bring to the boil 80g of caster sugar and up to 120ml of the citrus juices, then remove from the heat at once. The moment the cake comes out of the oven, brush it all over with the hot syrup, making sure it all soaks through. Leave to cool down.
Serve it as it is, (or garnished with orange strips optional), store in an airtight container.