Monthly Archives: October 2015

Spinach and Roast Pumpkin Risotto

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Even when the fridge is looking pretty empty you can usually find enough ingredients to make a risotto. An onion, Arborio rice, Parmesan cheese and olive oil are essential. Then you just need one or two ingredients to be the focus of the dish.

In this recipe, istead of pumpkin and spinach try mushrooms, asparagus or zucchini (courgettes). You can also add a few prawns or some sliced chorizo, fried when you cook the onion. Optional additions include chopped fresh herbs, sundried tomatoes, a pinch of saffron. Use your imagination.Spinach and Roast Pumpkin Risotto

3 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 clover garlic, crushed
2 cups Arborio rice
500g butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2cm dice
1 cup white wine
About 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock or water and stock cube
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4-6 cups baby spinach
To serve:
Extra virgin olive oil
Grated Parmesan cheese
3-4 Tbs pine nuts, toasted

Pre-heat oven to 200°C. Mix pumpkin cubes with 1 Tbs of the oil then spread over a shallow cookie tray – lined with baking paper if you want to save the washing up – and bake for 20-30 mins or until browned and cooked.

Meanwhile in a large heavy-based saucepan heat the remaining 2 Tbs oil and gently cook onion and garlic, stirring often, for 3-5 mins or until soft but not brown. Add rice and continue to cook, stirring, for 2 mins. Gradually add wine, stock (or water and stock cube), allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before adding more. Stir frequently and keep adding liquid until rice is al dente and rice is very moist but not soupy. Add the roasted pumpkin, baby spinach and season to taste.

Serve drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil and topped with grated Parmesan and toasted pine nuts.

Serves 4

Variations: use rocket instead of spinach

Strawberry Panna Cotta

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When I was growing up in Kent – otherwise known as the garden of England – we ate everything in season. In early June the local strawberries were ready and there were a few places where you could pick your own. They were cheap and plentiful, so we ate big bowls full, with a dollop of double cream and a sprinkling of sugar, just to add a little crunch. Now, thanks to imports from warmer climes you can buy strawberries pretty much all year round wherever you live in the world. But they never taste the same as when you pick your own and eat them the same day.

Like bacon and eggs, strawberries and cream is a marriage made in heaven. As I was looking for something to serve at a dinner party recently I came across this beautiful dessert on a site called Home Cooking Adventure.

You can make them the day before, so they’re perfect for entertaining.

Strawberry Panna Cotta

Panna Cotta:
400ml milk
400ml cream
½ cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 Tbs gelatine
4 Tbs water
Strawberry Sauce:
750g strawberries
2-3 Tbs sugar, to taste
2 Tbs water

Place milk, cream and sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Meanwhile place gelatine and water in a small bowl then zap in the microwave briefly to dissolve. Mix gelatine mixture and vanilla into cream then cool a bit and divide among 8 attractive glasses such as Martini glasses. Chill overnight.

Save four nice strawberries then wash and hull the rest. Cut into four and place in a saucepan with sugar and water. Bring to the boil then remove from the heat. Blend until smooth in a blender, then pass through a sieve to remove seeds. Chill overnight.

To serve, divide strawberry sauce among the 8 glasses. Top each with half a strawberry.

Serves 8

Variations: use raspberries instead of strawberries.

Quick Chicken Satay

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Everyone loves chicken satay and this recipe can be made in no time with ingredients you probably have in the pantry. It’s easy to halve for two or three people.

The first time I made this the washer upper complained that the frying pan was very difficult to clean, because of the honey. A week or so later I was chatting to a friend about the virtues of using non-stick baking paper to line an oven tray when you’re baking salmon or chicken, so there’s nothing to wash up. My friend said this trick also works when you’re cooking something in a frying pan.

So I tried it and it works. Just cut a circle of non-stick baking paper to fit the base of the pan and cook the satays on top. It doesn’t affect how they brown and the pan is so much easier to clean. No complaints from the washer upper this time.

DSCF11481 kg lean chicken thigh meat
Marinade:
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbs oil
2 tsp turmeric
1 Tbs honey
½ tsp salt
Sauce:
¼ cup peanut butter
¼ cup Thai sweet chilli sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
1/3 cup tinned coconut milk (shake can first)
To serve:
Steamed rice
Lime or lemon wedges
Sliced red or white onion and cucumber

Cut chicken thigh into cubes. Mix marinade ingredients and add chicken. Leave to marinate for at least half an hour. Meanwhile, soak 16-20 short wooden bamboo skewers in warm water.

Thread chicken cubes onto skewers. Heat a large non-stick frying pan or griddle pan and cook satays for a minute or two on all four sides, until cooked through and browned.

Meanwhile mix all ingredients for sauce. Serve satays with the sauce, steamed rice, sliced onion, cucumber and lemon wedges.

Serves 6

Sweet Potato Soup with Cheesy Thyme Toasts

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Sweet potatoes keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge. They’re great for adding to soups or casseroles and a good stand-by vegetable to serve mid-week, when you’ve run out of other options. One of my favourite ways to serve pan fried fish is on a bed of mashed sweet potatoes.

This sweet potato soup is perfect for lunch or supper. Use any kind of bread to make the toasts – I used English muffins.

25g butter or 2 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 kg sweet potatoes, peeled and cubedsoup
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
1 litre (4 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
2 tsp mixed spice or cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Milk
Cream
Cheesy Thyme Toasts
4 large thick slices sourdough bread (or 4 muffins, split)
1 cup grated cheddar
3-4 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped (or 1-2 tsp dried thyme)
pinch salt
¼ cup cream

Heat butter or oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, for a few minutes, or until softened but not brown. Add sweet potato, stock and mixed spice or cinnamon. Simmer for 20 mins or until vegetables are soft then allow to cool a bit.

Blend soup in a blender or food processor, in two batches, until smooth. Return to the saucepan and add enough milk to make to desired consistency. Season to taste. Reheat and serve topped with a swirl of cream and accompanied by the toasts.

Lightly toast bread or muffin halves in a toaster. Meanwhile turn grill on to high. Mix cheese, thyme, salt and cream and spread over the toasts. Place under hot grill until bubbly and golden.

Serves 4