Lettuce & Pea Soup

The boy and I love a bowl of soup on a cold evening. Our organic delivery is a salad box, but we’re more in the mood for a soup than a salad.

25g butter

300g peas

1 head lettuce. Torn into pieces

3 spring onions, finely sliced

2tbsp parsley, finely chopped

2tbsp coriander, finely chopped

650ml vegetable stock

100ml single cream

Most of this is sourced from the veg box, though we should be having this in early summer. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the peas, spring onions and lettuce. Cook gently until the lettuce is wilted. The boy will not be convinced this is a good idea. As far as he is concerned, a salad is a salad.

Add the herbs and cook for another minute. Add the stock and cook for another 3 minutes. We like Knorr stock pots or Swiss Marigold.

Set aside two ladles of the broth and blend the rest. Combine the two and add the cream, reheating gently. Season to taste.

We’re having this with a big pile of garlic bread. It’s important that it’s both garlicky and crunchy. The boy is surprised that what he thought would be a side salad makes such a good soup. He doesn’t know that I’ve added a tiny dab of harissa to each slice of garlic bread to wake it up and compliment the soup.

Pork Sesame Metaballs

The boy loves any kind of meatballs with noodles. Who doesn’t?

500g pork mince

4 spring onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 egg, beaten

3tbsp dark soy sauce

5tbsp sesame seeds

1tbsp oil

450g Pak Choi, cut into 1.5cm slices

3 x 150g packs of ‘ready to wok’ noodles

160g pack of ‘sweet chilli’ stir fry sauce.

This is an after work recipe that uses a few short cuts – notably the noodles and the stir fry sauce, If you can’t find ‘sweet chilli’, use a Sichuan sauce instead. If you can’t see anything that looks like this, feel free to use what you can find. It will not taste the same but will probably be just as good. I’m sure the boy would be just as happy with chow-mein or sweet & sour sauce.

 ‘Ready to wok’ noodles are pre-cooked, oiled noodles. If you can’t find them, just cook regular noodles and dress them in oil so they don’t stick, while you’re waiting to use them.

Put the pork mince, spring onions, egg and 1bsp soy sauce in a bowl and mix well with your hands. Make around 30 balls and put them on plate. Refrigerate for 30 mins so they firm up.

Put the sesame seeds on another plate and then roll the balls over the seeds so they pick up plenty. It’s easy to become obsessed with how evenly they do this. Don’t – just make sure they pick up plenty.

Heat the oil and cook the meatballs, stirring frequently for about 12 minutes or until cooked through. They will look nicely browned. Remove and keep warm.

Wipe the pan with kitchen paper and add a little more oil. Stir fry the pak choi for about 2 minutes, or until it wilts. Add the noodles and the stir fry sauce. Toss it well for about 3 minutes. Add the rest of the soy sauce. Give it a stir and introduce the meatballs to their new friends.

The boy loves Polpette with spaghetti so he should like this. He’d remarkably adept with chopsticks, which is surprising given how clumsy he is generally.

Two and a half bean salad

The boy has made us a bean salad for packed lunch tomorrow. It’s made from what he found in the cupboard and the remnants of the organic veg box. It’s good.

1 can cannellini beans

1 can borlotti beans

1 small can sweet corn

½ green pepper

½ cucumber

1 stick celery

1 large tomato

½ red onion

Handful coriander

Dressing

Equal parts olive oil & white vinegar

Mustard powder

Rock salt & white pepper

Dried oregano

The boy is making the salad, I'm doing the dressing. He rinses the beans and cleans the cans so they are ready for recycling. The Sunday play is on Radio 3 and he seems interested in it. He dices all of the vegetables and places half of them, along with half the bean mix, in two Tupperware boxes. Once mixed he adds the other half so he can keep it even without breaking the beans up.

He tears the coriander and adds it to our boxes, tossing gently.

I’d be tempted not to add the dressing until tomorrow morning, except that the beans will soak it up overnight. We both like our dressing on the sharp side and it will go well with the chalkiness of the beans. So ½ cup each of oil and vinegar with a heaped tsp of English mustard and ½ tsp dried oregano. Lots of salt as you want to keep it sharp and a sprinkle of pepper.

The boy is proud he’s made both our lunches, and so he should be – it will be really good. Filling from the beans and mouth-watering from the dressing.

Pickled Celery

The boy loves a cheese board – especially at Christmas. His favourite is a good Double Gloucester, and the more different kinds of crackers the better. We always have chutneys to have with cheese but I found this recipe in a book of pickles from the late 1980s. 

2 heads celery

600ml cider vinegar

1tbsp salt

25g ginger, chopped as finely as you can

4 blades mace

1 small red pepper, cut into thin strips

We have had a couple of organic box deliveries in a row that included celery, which is what inspired us to pickle them. Organic celery has such a mineral hit that you don’t find in supermarket versions. We’d happily have it in a salad but it’s cold and the thought of having it pickled with cheese for Christmas, is more appealing.

A compilation of 80s hits on the kitchen CD player will salute the age of the book – it will also put you in an incredibly good mood.

Look at your jars and cut the celery stalks so they will fit upright, easily.

Put the vinegar, salt, ginger and mace in a saucepan, and boil for 10 minutes. Add the celery and red pepper and boil for another 2 minutes.

Pack the celery into jars, upright, popping the odd strip of pepper amongst them. When the vinegar mix is cool, pour it into the jars and seal. If you can’t resist (and I can’t), add a small dried chilli to each jar.

They need at least 2 weeks to develop so they will be perfect by Christmas. The boy has no idea I have made them so I hope it will be a nice addition to his Christmas cheese board.

Superb X Chilli

I’m going to be manning a chilli stand at a charity Christmas Fair this year, so I’m subjecting the boy to a practice run. It’s from a book called Texas on the Half Shell, which I found at a car boot sale a few years ago. It includes a recipe for making chilli with Armadillo!

1.5kg minced beef

425g Passata or chopped tomatoes

350ml water

1tsp Tabasco

3tbsp chili powder

1tbsp dried oregano

1tsp ground cumin

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1tsp salt

1tsp paprika

4 dried New Mexico or California chillies

4 dried Chipotle chillies

4 dried Piquin chillies

1 can kidney beans

Firstly I have adjusted the amount of chillies from the original down a little bit - not too much – I want it hot but not off-putting for all my customers. I’ve also amended the quantities to metric so don’t worry if you can’t get ingredients in these exact proportions. Chilli is forgiving. Passata is a little thicker than American tomato sauce so add more water if you think it needs it. Finally I substituted some of the dried chillies with Chipotles to give the chilli a smoky flavour.

The boy is interested in the project but at this stage, not interested enough to help me. Start with browning the meat and then put it into a large pot along with the pasata and enough water to cover the meat by about a centimetre.

Add everything else except for the dried chillies and beans. Stir it al together. Once it’s combined add the dried chillies, being careful not to break them. People can choose whether to pick them out or eat them. The boy will certainly pick his out, but he won’t do it as he goes, he will spend ages inspecting the entire plate, turning things over with his fork until he is satisfied he has removed every trace.

Simmer for 1 ½ hours. Cool it down and let it rest for at least another hour. Skim off the grease.

Add the beans and get the heat back up. Make a thickener of 2tbsp cornflour and water and simmer it through for another 25 minutes.

We’re serving with rice – which to be fair, the boy did make –in the rice cooker. As well as some sour cream and Pico di Galo salsa on the side.

It is hot but not mind-blowingly so, and with all danger of coming across a whole chilli removed, the boy seems happy with his supper.

Rasa Cucumber Curry

We have a surfeit of cucumbers in the organic box, so I’m making a recipe from London’s Rasa chain of restaurants. We don’t tend to cook cucumbers that much, but this is really good.

1tbsp tamarind pulp

1/2tsp fenugreek seeds

4 dried red chillies

50g desiccated coconut

1tsp turmeric powder

4tbsp vegetable oil

1/2tsp mustard seeds

7 curry leaves

400g cucumbers, peeled and partly seeded

Understandably the boy is not sure about this at all. I was tempted to tell him this was actually an Asian vegetable he hadn’t had before but realised that this would do nothing for his confidence. This is London-Asian so a Bhangra CD goes on.

Steep the tamarind in 4tbsp hot water and break it up with a fork, as much as you can. After about 20 minutes sieve it to get a thick liquid. The sieve is a nightmare to wash up, but that’s just part of it.

Chop the cucumber into fairly small pieces. I think a little unevenness will give a better variety of textures at the end so allow for some really big and small pieces.

In a dry frying pan, toast the fenugreek seeds and dried chillies for a minute and then tip them in a blender with the tamarind pulp, coconut and turmeric to make a paste.

In the same frying pan, heat the oil and fry the mustard seeds until they pop. Add the paste and the curry leaves and get it nice and hot. Then add the cucumber. Turn the heat down low and cook for 5 minutes.

The good news is that the boy does actually like it and claims he probably wouldn’t have thought it was cucumber if I hadn’t told him.

Lebanese Lamb Meatball Soup

250g minced lamb

1 onion, grated

1 ½ tbsp. plain flour

1tsp 7 Spice seasoning

400g tinned chopped tomatoes

1 litre vegetable stock

1tbsp brown sugar

300g tinned sweetcorn

Salt & pepper

Small handful flatleaf parsley

It’s cold so a hearty soup is just the thing. The boy loves soup, he loves meatballs and he loves Lebanese food, so this should do the trick. Get him to make up the 7 Spice mix. It’s made up of the following: Allspice, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg, Fenugreek, Ginger. I’m letting him experiment with the exact proportions, though there should be a little more allspice than anything else (and a little less pepper and cinnamon).

Mix the lamb, onion and flour together in a bowl and add the boy’s 7 spice seasoning and salt and pepper. Amazingly the boy wants to help – probably only because he’s hungry and wants it to be ready faster. Roll about 2tbsp of the lamb into a ball and let him make the rest, about the same size.

While he’s doing this, pour the stock into a large pan, along with the tomatoes. We’re using Knorr stockpots and Cirio tomatoes, though you could use any brand. Marigold vegetable bouillon is great and chopped tomatoes are often better than whole ones. Stir in the sugar.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 mins. Stroke the boy’s hair – he’s done a great job with the little meatballs. He’s off duty while you finish this off.

Add the meatballs and simmer for another 15-20 mins – just make sure the meat is cooked through. Drain and rinse the sweetcorn and add it to the soup, warming through for another couple of minutes.

Let the boy taste and adjust the seasoning while you roughly chop the parsley for garnish. Sprinkle over.

We’re having ours with lightly toasted Lebanese bread with grassy green olive oil to dip it into from time to time. I hate cold weather but Lebanese meatball soup and snuggling with the boy on the sofa makes it endurable.

Fiery Los Angeles Prawn Cocktail

This is a very different prawn cocktail. It’s easy to dismiss the traditional version but at the same time, it is good. The boy has been expecting a 1970s pastiche so he should be pleasantly surprised.

400g raw king prawns

250ml passata

Juice & zest of a lemon

Olive oil

Sea salt & black pepper

Juice of 3 limes, zest of one of them

2 green chillies, sliced

2 spring onions. Sliced

A handful chopped coriander

1tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1tbsp tequila

½ a cucumber

1 little gem lettuce

1 avocado, sliced at the last minute

A long list of ingredients, but worth it. Raw king prawns aren’t cheap so you should only do really good things with them. The boy has been playing hockey so he’s muddy and freezing. Into the shower he goes while you gently fry the prawns in olive oil with  a good sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Drain them and add them to a bowl and cover with the passata. Unusually, our house has the bathroom just off the kitchen, so the boy comes out in his bathrobe about now. The passata isn't cooked so it should be top notch. Unsurprisingly, I'm using Cirio brand.  Add the chillies. Since he’s watching, maybe use only 1 ½ instead of two. Let it rest for an hour so the chillies can do their work. Get the boy to taste. Stir in the coriander.

Add more salt, pepper, the Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, lime juice and the zest of both and Tequila. As you have Tequila and lime juice, you may as well make the two of you a Margarita.

Get the boy to peel the cucumber and then run a fork down it so it has nice deep ridges. He can slice it thickly. While he’s at it he can tear the lettuce and divide it between your bowls. Add the cucumber, spring onion and avocado and spoon over the fiery prawn cocktail.

It’s good. The boy will be surprised – not that it’s good, but how different it is from what he was expecting.

Sweet Chilli Noodle Salad

This is intended to be a packed lunch for the boy and I. The measurements are meant to be vague , on the whole, as it really depends on what you have to hand. Variations are endless - this one doesn’t have meat, but the boy’s eyes would light up at the addition of a chopped duck breast. Cashew nuts would also be great, but I’m making this with what we have.

A bag of ‘ready to stir fry’ noodles

2 handfuls Bamboo shoots

2 Carrots

A handful of water chestnuts

2 handfuls of beansprouts

A handful of sugarsnap peas

A handful of coriander leaves

1 mango diced

1 mild red chili

3tbs sesame seeds

1 bottle sweet chilli stir fry sauce

You’ll need a Tupperware box each, for you and the boy. He immediately points out that most TV chefs are able to find a leftover duck breast in the fridge. Anyway, start by chopping the carrots into matchsticks. This will take longer than you think. Chop the sugarsnap peas in half.

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan and set aside to cool.

Combine everything except the sweet chilli sauce and toss well. Divide it between your boxes. The noodles should end up covered in sesame seeds.

Put the sweet chilli sauce in another container so the boy can decide how much he wants to dress the noodles with. He will probably want to use less than you will. Note that you’re looking for a stir fry sauce nd not a Thai style sweet chilli dipping sauce, which is very different.

So you will have two boxes – one with the vegetable noodle salad and one with the sweet chilli dressing to add when you serve. The boy will bristle with pride if you add a pair of chopsticks.

Pumpkin & Bean Salad with Coconut

This is from Venezuela and is unusual enough that I think the boy will like it, despite its containing no meat. It’s also pumpkin time of year.

2 cups peeled diced pumpkin

Sea salt

½ lb green beans cut into ½ inch pieces

3tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1tsp fresh lime juice

3tbsp honey

1 small shallot, sliced

1/4tsp cayenne

½ cup shelled pumpkin seeds

Freshly ground black pepper

Shredded coconut for garnish (optional)

I think this is a dish for cooler evenings. I have Mozart’s Requiem on the CD player. Place the pumpkin in a large pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and leave it there for 2 minutes. Add the green beans and give it another minute.

Drain and run cold water over it to stop it cooking.

Whisk together the olive oil, shallot, honey, lime juice and cayenne. Taste. I think it could take a little more cayenne. Once you’re happy, divide the pumpkin and beans between two bowls and add the pumpkin seeds. Season well with good salt and pepper.

Sprinkle with coconut, if you’re using it.

We’re having this with lamb steaks and Harissa. I know Latin America and North Africa are not close cousins, but it just seems to work.

Lemon & Rosemary Cake

I have to make a lemon cake for a charity fundraiser. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth so I was tempted by this version that has rosemary in it.

4 large eggs

¾ cup sugar

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ cups plain flour

2tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

2 sprigs Rosemary, leaves stripped off and chopped

I’m making a double batch of this so the boy can have one of the cakes. The rosemary is from the garden – I’m picking it myself as the boy often mixes up rosemary and lavender.

Haydn’s Nelson Mass goes on the CD player.

Preheat the oven to 180. Beat the eggs in a large bowl for a minute or until frothy.  I’m using free range organic eggs because there’s no excuse not to. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is thick and pale.

Add the lemon zest and juice and beat again.

Add in the flour, baking powder, chopped rosemary and salt and stir until your arm aches.

Suggest the boy tastes the batter to if the balance of lemon and rosemary is right. He really wants to lick the bowl but thinks it not grown up to ask. This is a way of letting him.

Pour into a loaf tin, rubbed with olive oil. Chop some more rosemary and sprinkle on top for decoration. Bake for 45 minutes.

The boy is very happy with a slice of this with his cup of tea. Because I love him I’m serving a frosting on the side. It’s made with ¾ cup icing sugar, 1tbsp yoghurt and ½ tsp lemon zest

Tabbouleh

The boy thinks straight, white middle class people shouldn’t make Tabbouleh. I remind him we’re not straight, which stops him in his tracks. Besides, if he objects too strongly, he’s not getting any for his packed lunch for tomorrow.

1 cup couscous

1 cup weak chicken stock

1 large tomato

1 crook cucumber

1 spring onion

1 large bunch flat leaf parsley
1 small bunch mint

1 lemon

1 good glug of olive oil

Salt & pepper
1/4 tsp Baharat
1/2 tsp ground allspice

Make the couscous first. By all means use a bit of stock cube or whatever you have to hand. Pop equal amounts of couscous and water in a pan, bring it to the boil and then turn off the heat and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Fluff it all up and let it cool.

Chop the veg up into dice. In the Middle East, all salad is chopped up this way. I guess it means every forkful has a good selection on it.

I start by tearing the parsley and mint by hand and then snipping with scissors. You want quite a lot as the salad is mainly herbs, dotted with couscous. When the said grain is cool, combine everything with the oil and lemon. I think a few grates of lemon zest would enhance it along with the salt and pepper. Add the Baharat and allspice. (Baharat is a spice mix that includes pepper, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, cardamom and nutmeg - sounds like Christmas but gives a really good bass note to stews and the like)

Give the boy a spoonful and see how he thinks it needs adjusting. Every cookbook in the last 5 years has suggested that the parsley to herb ratio should be vastly in favour of the green stuff. Time to accept this is no longer original – Tabbouleh is parsley plus other stuff. Black olives might be a good, if inauthentic, addition, as might be capers. 

Adjust the lemon juice or olive oil on the boy's advice (More lemon juice is more likely)

Parsley growing tip: Sow seeds on Good Friday as tradition has it that the parsley goes 9 times to the devil before it germinates. Seems to hold true for me.

Chicken & Lemon Rasam with Spinach Pilau rice

The boy has the beginnings of a cold. You would think he was in the final stages of pneumonia. He claims to be too weak for anything but soup, so we are having a chicken rasam. I think the spicy kick will help.

175g red lentils

1.2l chicken stock

½ tsp turmeric

100g potatoes

5 cloves garlic

3cm cube ginger, peeled

1 chicken breast, skinned

1 ¼ tsp salt

Black pepper

3tbsp oil

1tsp ea cumin, cayenne & coriander

2tbsp lemon juice

When he’s unwell the boy will happily listen to Radio 4 in bed, so it’s what I have in the bedroom. Unusually our flat layout has the bedroom just off the kitchen.

Pour the chicken stock (we’re not using home made) into a large pan, along with the lentils and turmeric. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 30 minutes with lid ajar.

Peel and dice the potatoes and add these and continue simmering for another 30 minutes. The boy shouts from the bedroom that he’s getting hungry. Tell him he has to wait, unless he’d like to nibble on a raw potato.

Using a mini processor, blend the garlic and ginger into a paste with 4 ½ tbsp. water. Get it into a paste. I do feel for the boy as our mini processor is incredibly loud. Perhaps I should have used the pestle and mortar.

Dice the chicken into 1cm pieces. Put it in a bowl and season with ¼ tsp salt and some freshly ground pepper. Toss to mix.

When the soup base is done, roughly blend – I use a stick blender as I think you can control it better. Unfortunately it means disturbing the boy’s radio listening again. Pour into a bowl and add the remaining salt.

Clean out the pan and then add the oil and the garlic ginger paste. Add the cayenne, cumin and coriander. Very gently fry it off until lightly browned. The aroma brings the boy padding into the kitchen in his pyjamas. Tell him you need about 15 minutes. You probably need less than this but manage his expectations.

Add the chicken dice and stir for 2 or 3 minutes, until they turn white. Add 250ml water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 3 minutes to cook the chicken. Pour in the lentil soup base and add the lemon juice. Taste and add more lemon juice if needed. I usually do.

Serve with Palau rice and a sharp pickle. I like to serve the pickle on the rice and then have alternate spoonful’s of soup and rice.

I considered letting him have this in bed before remembering we are currently using a white duvet!

Spinach Pilau Rice

I’m using a rice cooker, but adapt this to your usual method. Put washed Basmati rice and water in the cooker and add 1tsp turmeric, some broken cinnamon bark and 4 cardamom pods to the water. Keep the cinnamon in big pieces so it’s easy to fish them out. Grind in some fresh black pepper and a pinch of salt. Add a handful of thawed frozen spinach and mix in with the rice so the shreds distribute nicely.

Cook in the usual way. I’m adding a few drops of yellow food colouring, but only because the boy is unwell and will like it to look like it came from an Indian takeaway.

When done, remove the spices. Add a little butter, and serve in a bowl with some hot mango or lime pickle on top.

New Delhi Chicken Burgers

I’m of the opinion that minced chicken is one of the most boring things in the world. This burger with Indian spices really makes chicken mince worth buying, and the boy will never say no to a burger of any kind.

500g chicken mince

1tsp cumin seeds

100g mushrooms

1 onion, grated

2tsp grated ginger

2tsp crushed garlic

2 green chillies, finely chopped

3tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Grated zest of a lime

2stp garam masala

Salt & pepper

Vegetable oil

Some Bhangra goes on the CD player for this Asian/British fusion. Just from the music coming from the kitchen, the boy knows he’s getting something spicy. He’s expecting curry and will be delighted when he sees it’s a burger.

Dry fry the cumin seeds until they start to crackle and then grind them up with a pestle and mortar. Chop the mushrooms up very finely. It’s really not worth getting the food processor out just for this.

From then on it’s incredibly simple – put everything except the oil in a mixing bowl and combine really well. I think you have to get your hands in rather than trying to do it with a wooden spoon. It’s quite satisfying! Refrigerate for an hour so it can firm up.

Form into about 6 burgers, by rolling the mixture into balls and then flattening them out.

Fry in the oil until cooked through – probably 4 minutes each side. Let them rest for a couple of minutes while you assemble everything else you need.

Toast your buns. I’m letting the boy assemble his burger as he will have his own views on what ratios of things to use. We’re having the usual burger favourites – lettuce, sliced tomato and sliced red onion, with some Indian tomato chutney that we made last summer from our own tomatoes. And he is delighted it turned out to be burgers. When he’s well fed he gets snuggly. Good job it’s a great night for TV.

Yu Siang Shredded Chicken

I don’t naturally think of chicken and aubergine going together, but this dish proves they do. We’re having hot days and cooler nights so I think the boy is starting to appreciate hot dinners again.

Sea salt & white pepper

1tbsp cornflour

300g skinned chicken, in strips

3tbsp oil

1tbsp shaoxing rice wine

1 aubergine cut in batons and tossed in oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2.5cm ginger, grated

1 chilli, chopped

1tbsp chilli bean paste

1 spring onion, sliced

Sauce

100ml vegetable stock (cold)

1tbsp light soy sauce

1tbsp black rice vinegar

Put the salt, pepper and cornflour in a bowl and then toss the chicken in it until it is coated. Meanwhile put some Qin music on the CD player. It’s hypnotic and relaxing, which will help. Heat a wok with 1tbsp oil and stir fry the chicken. Keep it moving as the flour will want to stick. After a minute, add the rice wine and cook for another 2 minutes, then set aside.

Get the boy to make some plain basmati rice in the rice cooker. Sometimes I like to add a large lemon wedge to the rice water. This is one of those times.

Clean out the wok with kitchen paper and add another tbsp. of oil. Tell the boy it’s like a 747 being turned around for another flight even though it’s just landed. He looks cynical. Can't blame him. It's a dumb analogy. Add the aubergine and give it about 5 mins to cook through. Again keep turning it. Add a little water from time to time to create steam and help it along. Set aside.

Get the 747 ready for its third take off with the last spoonful of oil and cook the garlic, ginger, and chilli bean paste, just cooking for a few seconds before you add the aubergine back in. Add the sauce ingredients and when they start to bubble add the chicken back in. Once the sauce is thickened, tip in the spring onions.

The boy has fished out the Chinese bowls and chopsticks (Chomp Sticks he calls them) and the tiny teacups for Jasmine Tea. I think the elegance of the dish deserves the tea.

Gin & Tonic Sorbet

I had a gin and  tonic sorbet for dessert at Hawksmoor and have declared it my favourite ever. I have been raving about it and so naturally, the boy wants some too.

400g caster sugar

400ml tonic water

4tbsp gin

Zest and juice of a lime

Zest of a lemon and the juice of half

1 egg white

I use an ice cream maker as they are quite cheap and makes this very simple. The bowl just lives in the freezer when we’re not using it, so it’s always ready to go. Ahead of time make a sugar syrup – put your sugar in a small pan with 400ml water and heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Boil for 1 minute and cool it down again. Pour the syrup in a large bowl with the tonic water and let it cool in the fridge for an hour. With all the sugar in the syrup there is little virtue in using slimline tonic!

The boy thinks this is a stingy amount of gin, but any more and it won’t freeze. Besides we only want the flavour. That said don’t use one of the export strength gins either.

Don’t let the boy separate the egg – he will need at least 3 eggs before he gets one done properly.

Once the liquid is cool, pour into the ice cream maker along with the citrus. Whisk the egg white until frothy and pour that in too. Let the ice cream maker do its stuff.

It’s lovely soft melty stuff so eat straight away (easy) or freeze in a container for later (harder to do)

Spicy Chicken Wings

This is the perfect dish for DVD night. The boy got caught in a rain shower on the way home and is soaked. He doesn’t think this is as funny as I do. The chicken will cheer him up.

500g chicken wings

Juice of 1 lemon

1tsp paprika

2tsp chilli flakes

Salt & pepper

A good glug of olive oil

2 waxy potatoes

Dried thyme

If you can find Turkish chilli flakes, use them. They’re called Pul Biber and are a dark red colour. The flakes are rubbed in olive oil and are not as hot as regular chilli flakes. Marinade the chicken wings in the oil, lemon juice, paprika, chilli and salt and pepper for as long as you can.

When you’re ready, peel the potatoes and chop them into 2cm cubes. Put them into a baking tray and sprinkle with a little more olive oil and  some dried thyme. Place the chicken wings on top.

Get the oven to 200 and bake for 10 minutes. Pull the tray out and loosen any potatoes that have decided to stick to the bottom. Lower the heat to 180 and cook for another 20 minutes. Check everything is cooked and crispy – if not give it a bit longer.

Sweetly the boy has changed into pyjamas. It’s movie night after all. This is finger food so we’re serving with garlic bread and Little Gem lettuce dressed with mustard vinaigrette; the leaves left whole so they can be picked up.

Spanish Tomato Salad

There are many tomato salad recipes, mostly Italian. This one is Spanish. Our tomatoes came from Borough Market and are a mix of red and yellow ones. The boy thinks yellow tomatoes might not be not quite ready. Ignore him and go for as any unusual varieties as you can find. At this time of year, tomatoes won't be any better so enjoy them at their best.

500g ripe red and yellow tomatoes

½  onion, finely sliced

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1tsp smoked paprika

4tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2tbsp red wine vinegar

Flaky sea salt & freshly ground pepper

1 sprig oregano, leaves only

Put Tosca on the CD player. Slice the tomatoes and arrange on a serving plate. Sprinkle the onions and garlic over, followed by the paprika. Toss gently.

Whisk the oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and oregano. Pour over and leave to allow the flavours to develop for 5 minutes.

Serve on the patio with wrinkly black olives and fresh mozzarella dressed with olive oil and a few torn basil leaves. Some rustic bread to dip in olive oil and balsamic vinegar would be good and  a chilled bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc won’t hurt.

Covent Garden Russian Soup

The boy has a hangover and didn’t get up until midday. He’ll want either a fried English breakfast or something very delicate. This time it’s the latter. Not sure how Russian it is but I like to imagine Russian boys with fine brown hair enjoying it.

50g butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

225g potatoes, peeled and sliced

110g parsnips, peeled and sliced

110g carrots sliced

50g cabbage, finely sliced

2tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley

1/2tsp dried mixed herbs

A little freshly grated nutmeg

1.2 litres vegetable stock

Salt & pepper

This is from the New Covent Garden Soup Company, so we’re in good hands. I like peeling and chopping vegetables and am enjoying Radio 4 while the boy groans quietly to himself. I can’t help being slightly louder than usual.

When it’s all prepped, cook the vegetables in the butter for 5 minutes, trying not to colour anything too much. You’re softening them, rather than browning them. Add the parsley and mixed herbs. No idea what mixed herbs they use in Russia but we’re using an Italian herb mix. Herbes de Provence would be good. Grate in a little fresh nutmeg.

Add the stock. We’re using Marigold Swiss Bouillon powder. If you’re using a cube, consider making it a little weaker than the directions on the box. Simmer gently for 30 minutes.

Let it cool a little and pulse with a stick blender. I only give it a few short bursts as I like the texture of the vegetables, rather than a smooth puree but it’s up to you.

The boy attacks it with relish. He looks young and fragile at the table in his bathrobe, and I can’t resist telling him I love him. Making someone soup is the best way of showing that you love them.

Gujerati Style Spinach

The boy indisputably loves lamb chops. I think spinach is the perfect accompaniment to lamb as its flavour is strong enough to stand up to the lamb, but doesn’t fight it. Cooking it this way almost makes it the star.

2tbsp vegetable oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

1tsp cumin seeds

1kg fresh spinach

Juice & zest of a lemon

½ tsp sugar

4tbsp yoghurt

¼ tsp black pepper

Salt

The boy is cooking the lamb chops, claiming it’s “the man’s job”. Whatever. This is much more interesting, both to cook and to eat.

Heat the oil and gently fry the garlic and cumin seeds. It’s easy to burn garlic, so keep the heat quite low. After a minute, add the spinach. Unless your pan is huge you will need to do this in batches, adding more as each handful shrinks down. It’s amazing how it diminishes. A kilo, uncooked looks like it should feed a large family!

Turn the heat up and turn the spinach around with the garlic and cumin. Add the lemon. Stir in the sugar, pepper and salt. Keep it turning. Give the boy a spoonful to taste and see what he thinks about the seasoning. Finally add the yoghurt. Give it a really good mix and turn off the heat, as you don’t want the yoghurt to split and go grainy.

As predicted this works really well with the lamb. The boy does eat all of his, though he spends ages gnawing every shred off his lamb chops.

Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori chicken is undoubtedly one of the boy’s favourites, and finally the weather is right for a barbecue. He thinks himself king of the grill – he just needs me to make this for him. Good job he needs me for something!

1kg chicken,skinned and jointed

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt

Sliced onions (paper thin) & lime wedges to garnish

Marinade

750ml yoghurt

2tbsp oil

1tbsp garlic and ginger paste

1tsp chilli powder

2tsp ground coriander

2tsp garam masala

2tsp dry mustard powder

1tsp turmeric

1tsp white pepper

Make the marinade first. Get a bowl large enough to contain the chicken and add all the marinade ingredients and mix well. To get that orange colour you see in the restaurants, you’ll need food colouring (usually 3tbsp yellow and 1tbsp red). Feel free not to colour this, but I try to use natural colouring. I don’t tell the boy what makes it this colour – he just thinks it comes that way. Besides, he'll be extra pleased if his version looks the same as he sees in restaurants.

Skin the chicken and cut deep slashes all over it. Dress well with lemon juice and salt, rubbing it in. Add to the marinade and again, give it a good massage, so it’s all completely covered. Allow it to soak up the flavour for at least 4 hours.

When he has got the barbecue ready, shake off excess marinade and give him the chicken to cook. Check he’s cooked it through, with a skewer.

Serve on a nice plate, and garnish with the raw onion rings and lime wedges. There’s no way he’d do this if left to his own devices, but he always appreciates that you do. Serve with some mint & yoghurt chutney for dipping.

Mint & Yoghurt Chutney

3 sprigs mint, chopped

3 sprigs coriander, chopped

1cm fresh ginger, peeled & chopped
1tsp sugar

2 green chillies

1/4tsp cumin seeds

225ml yoghurt

Salt

Put everything except the yoghurt and salt in a blender, to make a smooth paste. Add 50-100ml water to ease it along. Whisk in the yoghurt and salt.

Praise the boy for his barbecuing skills. Serve with a salad of sliced tomato, cucumber, onion and shredded carrot. Sprinkle on any leftover coriander and mint from the chutney, with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Greek Style Lamb Kebabs

The boy is always happy when we're having lamb. The trick is to get the meat marinating all day so it’s lovely and tender when you come to cook it.

350g lamb steak, cubed

1 lemon

4tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, grated

1tsp oregano

To serve

4 pitta breads

6 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 small cucumber, sliced

4 spring onions

8tbsp Turkish yoghurt

Chilli sauce

Coriander

I think the best way to do this is in a zip-lock bag. Just pop the meat in and then squeeze in the lemon juice (don’t worry about the pips), and the olive oil. Grate in the onion. Sprinkle in the dried oregano. When the boy isn’t looking, I add ½ tsp of chilli flakes. It really won’t make it taste hot, but the boy will be convinced that it will. Seal the bag and turn it from time to time so the meat gets a chance to really soak up the flavour. The acidity of the lemon will make it go a paler colour.

So, when he can’t wait any longer, divide the meat between 4 skewers. You could choose chunks of red onion or pepper to alternate between the meat, but we’re not this time. I fancy all the veggies raw in the salad topping.

Cook the lamb, ideally on a barbecue, but yet again it’s a damp August Saturday so we’re doing ours in a screaming hot griddle pan. When cooked, with nicely charred edges, leave to rest.

Lightly toast the pitta breads so they puff open. I insist that the pitta bread comes from a Greek or Turkish grocer – it will be miles better than supermarket stuff.

Use a knife to open the pittas into pockets and push the lamb in. Add 2bsp of yoghurt to each, and then a good shake of the chilli sauce. I really favour Cholula brand for this, though Tabasco will do. Don’t use Asian sweet chilli sauce – it won’t taste right.

Finally top with the tomatoes, cucumber, spring onion and coriander. Give the boy plenty of kitchen towel with his as they do tend to collapse and drip towards the end. If he gets melted yoghurt on his favourite jeans he will insist they be washed there and then. This tastes so good though that it’s worth the risk.

Chinese Cucumber & Ginger

The boy has won and we’re getting a Chinese takeaway. This is a refreshing dish to serve alongside whatever dishes you have ordered.

2 cucumbers

1tsp salt

¼ cup white vinegar

1 ½ tsp sugar

1 ½ tsp grated ginger

So simple. Peel the cucumbers and then run a fork down each one, giving them a fluted/ridged effect.

Slice them and place them in a bowl with the salt, to remove excess water. Let them stand for 30 minutes and drain off any excess water. Rinse and pat dry with kitchen paper; though don’t be too scrupulous with the drying. You’re removing excess water, not trying to get them bone dry.

Combine everything else, mixing well, and let it rest in the refrigerator for an hour or so. The boy really likes the freshness of this against some of the thick Chinese sauces and rice. I’m hoping it dilutes the effect of some of the Monosodium Glutamate before he starts bouncing off the walls.

Lebanese Cauliflower Stew

I’m not sure the boy would be that happy if I said we were having cauliflower for dinner, though he usually perks up if I say we’re having Lebanese. So that’s what we’re having.

2 ½ tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

350g lamb mince

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 big tbsp. tomato puree

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp pepper

1 ¼ tsp salt

1 cauliflower, cut into florets

2 carrots, sliced

2 handfuls coriander, roughly chopped

3tbsp lemon juice

The boy will be pleased that this cauliflower dish has more than half a pound of lamb in it. Sauté the onion, gently, until golden, and add the lamb and garlic. When the lamb is browned, stir in the tomato puree and pour in about 500ml water. Sprinkle over the cinnamon, pepper and salt.

Bring to the boil and then add the cauliflower and carrots. Lower the heat and cover, simmering for 30 minutes. 3 or 4 minutes before the end, add the coriander and then the lemon juice.

Serve with vermicelli rice and radishes. Ideally the boy will be making the vermicelli rice, while you’re making the cauliflower but he’s watching TV, so you’re making both. Give him a small knife and the radishes to top and tail.

Vermicelli Rice

1tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 vermicelli nests broken into small pieces

200g basmati rice

1tsp rice

Actually the boy does want to help here. Breaking the vermicelli.Then it's back to you: Heat the oil and sauté the vermicelli until golden, but without burning. Add the rice and stir well and then add 450ml water. Season with the salt. Cook until the rice is done. The original recipe said 7 minutes, but it usually takes longer. Serve with the cauliflower and a dollop of yoghurt, if you have any. And the radishes which the boy has done beautifully.

Garbage Salad

The name alone should be enough to please the boy. This comes from Chicago and is really a set of antipasto ingredients put together to make an amazing salad

1 red onion, chopped

½ iceberg lettuce, chopped

½ radicchio, chopped

250g cherry tomatoes, halved

400g can chickpeas, drained & rinsed

150g emmenthal, diced

75g salami, cut into strips

15 Peppadew peppers, sliced

1 celery heart, chopped

Dressing

5tbsp red wine vinegar

7tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1tbsp honey

1 ½ tbsp Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, bashed

The ingredient list is kind of also the instructions, with all the slicing, halving and chopping. My best friend Jon got me a set of really good kitchen knives last Christmas, so chopping is a real pleasure. Tip: sharpen your knife before starting.

The salami should be wide slices, so you end up with thin shreds, rather than the small sausage type. Look out for Peppadew peppers – sometimes called African peppers. They are sweet with a little tinge of heat. They come in jars.

As I said, this is from Chicago, so some Blues go on the CD player.

I think this looks really good served in a wide, shallow bowl with all the ingredients presented separately, each in their own zone going around the plate.

Make the vinaigrette – feel free to reduce the vinegar – I’m making this to our taste, which is rather sharp. Just mix everything together in a small jug and add plenty of salt and pepper. Leave it for 30 minutes for the flavours to relax into each other and give it a good stir from time to time to help it along.

So we’re ready to go. Present the big plate with some salad tongs and let the boy create the ‘garbage’. Dress well. Enjoy with some rustic bread. The boy is laughing at the blues track which seems to be of a guy complaining about his girl’s BO!

Spicy Tomato Soup with Creme Fraiche

A simple Friday night soup after a long working week. The boy has got The Iron Lady and W/E on DVD from the library so this is for trays on our laps while we enjoy the movies.

1tbsp olive oil

2tbsp red Thai curry paste

400g tinned chopped tomatoes

A pinch of sugar

150ml water

100g crème fraiche

I feel sure there must be a more complicated way of making this but I only know this easy way. Two ingredients must be the very best you can find – the tinned tomatoes (which you will by now be sick of me going on about) and the crème fraiche, which will ideally be organic, or even better, artisan.

Actually some pretty good red curry paste would make sense too. There are so few ingredients; it would be a shame not to make the most of them.

Gently fry the curry paste in the oil for a few minutes so it aromatises. Add the chopped tomatoes, adding a little water to the can and swirling it to get all the flavour out. Add the water and sugar.

Simmer for 10 minutes and then add all of the crème fraiche except for 2tbsp for garnish. Season. Stir well.

Pour into bowls and add a tbsp. of crème fraiche to garnish. We’re having ours with plenty of hot buttered toast. A mix of white and brown, though the boy only seems to eat the white! We’re both tired. Take his empty bowl away. Stroke his hair.

Wasabi & Lime Salad Dresing

This is a really zippy salad dressing, great for making a salad the star of the show.

3tbsp lime juice

4tbsp groundnut oil

1tbsp wasabi paste

1/2tsp flaky sea salt

The wasabi paste comes from a tube – you can get it at Waitrose.

Just mix everything really well to make an emulsion. The boy is really good at tasting these things and occasionally recommends more lime juice or more salt. He greatly prefers salads to side vegetables and anyway raw foods are better for you.

We will have this with a salad of watercress, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced avocadoes, thinly sliced red onion and diced mozzarella. The boy is very happy to eat salads as long as they are interesting. If I served him lettuce, cucumber and tomato, I think he would leave me. Wouldn’t entirely blame him.

Spaghetti with Raw Tomato Sauce

Generally I don’t see the point of deseeding tomatoes. Once you’ve skinned them and got the seeds out there hardly seems anything left –and the jelly-like seeds are half the fun of a tomato. But I wanted to try this. The boy wasn’t at all sure but we both found it light and summery.

500g ripe vine tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and chopped

4tbsp extra virgin olive oil

18 leaves basil, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

350g spaghetti

Salt and pepper

The ingredient list is nice and simple, which is what you want on a hot day. We’ve hand picked the tomatoes at the local grocer – they need to be as ripe and as good as they can be if we’re not doing much too them. The boy is peeling them though he refuses to deseed them, so he’s picking the basil instead. It’s almost finished for the summer. Too much rain this year, though the coriander and dill has loved it.

Put the tomato, garlic, oil, basil and salt & pepper in a bowl and mix well and set aside for 30 minutes for the flavours to combine. You’re supposed to leave the garlic whole and remove it after its resting time. We love garlic, so we don’t.

Cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drain and mix with the raw tomato sauce while it’s still really hot. Serve straightaway, as this won’t keep. It’s deliciously fresh and light. We have it on the patio, though we can’t be bothered to pull the table out. We eat standing, twirling up spaghetti with our forks. He’s in a mellow mood. He’s put a Cannonball Adderly CD on the kitchen CD player. I love him when he’s like this.