Guinea Fowl with Marzipan Stuffing

Admittedly Guinea fowl aren’t to be found everywhere but we picked these up in Sainsbury’s. The boy seems convinced that, as these are “exotic”, that they will taste like nothing he has ever had before. Hopefully the stuffing will get him there.

2 large guinea fowl

Salt

2 tbsp olive oil

250g streaky bacon

250ml sherry

150g soft pitted prunes

125g soft dried apricots

100g blanched almonds

125g caster sugar

1 tsp orange blossom water

1 large egg yolk

Butter to grease the dish

I prefer not to stuff poultry, but to cook it separately. That way it gets a crisp topping and doesn’t slow down the overall cooking time.

The boy is excited enough that he’s making the stuffing (under instruction). He’s boiling the prunes & apricots in just enough water to cover them, until they’re soft.  About 20 minutes. Then the almonds and sugar go in the food processor with the orange blossom water until a paste forms. Keep an eye on this – it may need a drop of water. Left on his own, the boy would burn the motor out!

Mix the paste with the fruit and press into a buttered oven dish. Cover with foil – it will go into the oven for the last half hour.

The boy has discovered In & Out of the Kitchen on Radio 4 – it’s very funny. I think he’s drawing parallels between me and the protagonist. Get the oven to 200/Gas 6

Put the guinea fowl in a roasting tin and cover with the streaky bacon. Pour in the sherry. Roast for about 1 hour.

Make gravy from the roasting juices and a tablespoon of brandy.  Eat with your best silver. After dinner, read chapter 1 of Out of Africa to the boy. I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong hills…

Thai Green Curry

This is the boy’s favourite – although sometimes when it's very hot we spend  ages in a restaurant as he has to eat it very slowly. We once had to ask for an extra portion of rice, but never has he not eaten all of it. Not much else shuts him up so effectively. You have to make the paste first so I suggest this is a weekend dish when you have time on your hands.  Some of the measurements are American (cups) but these are so easy once you have a set of measures.

Green Curry Paste

1 tbsp coriander seed

1 tbsp cumin seed

5 black peppercorns
3 stalks lemongrass

½ cup chopped coriander, roots and all

1 tbsp fresh galangal or ginger if you can’t find it

1 tsp grated lime peel

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 shallot, chopped

½ cup Thai chillies, chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp Nam Pla (fish sauce)

Grating lime peel is really easy if you have a zester. If you can’t see Thai chillies where you shop, look for the small birds eye chillies. This paste uses a lot. Reduce to suit your threshold, but don’t take out too many if you want it to remain authentic. Trim the green grassy bit of the lemongrass, so you end up with about 5-6cm of bulbous stalk. Cut off the hard bit at the white (root) end.

Roast the coriander and cumin seed in a dry frying pan. If the boy was home I would do as you’re meant to do and bash all the ingredients together (adding each, one by one), in a pestle & mortar. As I’m on my own, I’m putting them in the mini processor. Either way, you end up with Green Curry Paste.

Thai Green Curry

6 boneless chicken thighs, cubed

1 can coconut milk

¼ to ½ cup Green Curry Paste, depending on your taste for heat

1 small pack of baby sweet corn (about 10)

½ cup Thai Pea Aubergine*

1 tbsp brown sugar (ideally palm sugar)

½ tsp salt

!/2 cup Thai Basil leaves (or regular basil)

¼ lime squeezed.

I can’t find pea aubergines without travelling to Chinatown so I’m just using green beans chopped into 1 cm pieces. You could also use regular aubergine diced, though I think the texture is nothing like the crunch of pea aubergines. I’m not convinced the boy likes pea aubergines anyway; they are quite bitter.

So, assume you need about ½ cup of the curry paste though add a bit more if you like it hot. The boy is cautious of heat but as this is tempered by coconut, and served with lots of jasmine rice, you can go for it.

You should have 400g or so of meat. Thai diners vastly prefer thigh meat to breast due to the flavour, but many western restaurants use breast so you must make your own mind up – especially if you have to skin and fillet your thighs.

Warm the curry paste in a wok, for a few minutes. The boy comes in and can smell what he’s sure is Green Curry. (Well done him to have missed out on all the grinding!). “Mister Dudwey!!” he shouts, doing his best impression of Ting Tong Macadangdang from Little Britain.  Add the chicken, stirring to coat, and cook for a few minutes.

Increase the heat and add the pea aubergines (or substitutes) and any other veg, along with all the other ingredients.

Cook for 10 minutes or so. Taste to adjust for anything, including the green curry paste if it needs it.

Serve with Jasmine rice – easy if you have a rice cooker.  I’ve never seen Green Curry served with anything but rice, but we’re having a tablespoon of lime pickle served on top of some of the rice – just to cut through the creaminess of the coconut.

The boy is in heaven – as you hoped. We’re having this in wide bowls with loads of torn coriander as garnish. We’re watching TV together which is a rare pleasure. This is a dish for spoons and slurping.

Quick Pasta with Greens, Garlic & Chilli

A quick easy Friday night supper. Your boy will want to go out drinking with his mates so it needs to be fast and filling. Hopefully pasta will give him the slow burn he needs.

2 heads Spring greens (or Savoy cabbage)

6 tbsp olive oil

1 Onion, finely sliced

1 red chilli, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

300g penne pasta

Salt & pepper

Olive oil to drizzle over

Grated cheese

This is super quick and simple. Get a large pan of salted water on to boil, as you’re going to be cooking everything at the same time (It’s not only Jamie Oliver who can do 30 minute suppers). 

Remove the core of the cabbage and any thick outer stems and then shred fairly finely.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the onion. After a minute or two, add the garlic and chilli. Stir from tiem to time so it doesn’t catch. You want it softened but not browned.

After 3 or 4 minutes of onion frying, add the pasta to the boiling water. About 3 minutes before the pasta is done, tip in the cabbage.

When the pasta is ready, drain it and the cabbage well. Pour it into the onion mixture in the frying pan, season and mix well.

Plate it up, and drizzle with olive oil and add a good handful of grated cheese. We’re just using cheddar and it’s none the worse for that but some pecorino would be great.

You don’t mind the boy handing you his bowl and giving you an oily kiss before sailing out the front door. He’s left you with the washing up but he won’t be back until midnight so you’ve a night to do whatever you wish with.

Jerk Chicken with Mango Salad

This is an after work version so I’m not making the jerk marinade from scratch.

8 large boneless chicken thighs (with skin)

Juice of 1 lime

3 tbsp Walkerswood Jerk seasoning

Salt & pepper

1 head of pak choi

4 heads of baby gem lettuce

2 ripe mangoes

3 tbsp chopped coriander

2 tbsp olive oil

Thigh meat is tastier than breast and has the extra fat that jerk chicken needs. I didn’t get home until 8 and the boy won’t be fed until 9 if I try to make the jerk seasoning. It’s midweek so  I think short cuts are okay. I like Walkerswood, but use what you can find. When I do see Walkerswood  I usually buy 2 jars so I have a spare in the cupboard.

Make slashes in the chicken, squeeze over the lime juice and add the jerk seasoning and salt and pepper. Rub it all in and leave it marinade for as long as you can. The boy is hungry though, so they won’t get that long!

Separate the leaves from the pak choi and blanch in boiling water for 30 seonds before refreshing in ice cold water. Drain well. Peel the mangoes and cut the sides into slices. Accept that the nearer you get to the stone you’ll just get pulp.

Place the lettuce, pak choi and mango in a bowl, along with the coriander leaf and oil and toss.  Place some on each plate.

Get  a griddle pan hot and place the chicken thighs in, skin side down. Turn from time to time until the skin is crisp and the chicken is coked through. You may want to finish these off in a hot oven.

Once cooked, cut the chicken into thick slices and place on the salad. The boy is bound to want to try out his awful version of a Jamaican accent – you may just have to put up with this.

Rifat's Great Mutton & Potato Curry

Today I was given a really tempting recipe, by my friend Rifat. Mutton is a much under rated meat and so full of flavour. I get it from the Pakistani butcher on the high street. I'm giving Rifat's recipe verbatim - I can't wait to try it. She gave me a really nice recipe for Karela (Bitter Gourd) too, which I'll share as soon as I've made it.

Rifat’s Great Mutton & Potato Recipe

The following instructions are for 2 Lbs (in weight) or approximately just under a kilo of medium sized cut shoulder pieces of mutton.

2.5  large onions

3 large tomatoes (or half a tin of tomatoes)

Coriander

Garlic 3-5 cloves (personal preference)

Ginger (size of a lychee) (personal preference)

8 baby new potatoes (or as many as you like)

Fresh green chilli (amount personal preference) – or scotch bonnet peppers

Turmeric ¾ teaspoon

Paprika  1 teaspoon

Chilli powder 1 teaspoon

Garam masala ¾ teaspoon

Coriander powder ¾ teaspoon

Salt 2 teaspoons

Pepper ½ teaspoon

Oil – you will have to use your initiative on this one - I have no idea what measurements to would suggest – best to use sunflower oil avoid vegetable oil – a good curry does require a decent amount of oil.

The above seasoning is only a suggestion add more is required 

Chop onions into small pieces (the smaller the better)

Chop tomatoes into small pieces (the smaller the better)

Chop coriander

Chop garlic and ginger into tiny pieces

It is important to use a big cooking pot for this dish; so all the ingredients get the same amount of heat.

Boiling meat with just water for 4 -5 mins to clean it – drain and wash.(OPTIONAL)

Place the washed meat, onions, garlic, ginger and salt in the pot.

Add in warm water and make sure there is about 2 inches of water above the meat.

Bring to boil and then lower heat and allow simmering for 25 -35 minutes depending on your taste.

Keep in mind that the meat will continue to cook as the sauce is being made, so you don’t want it completely ready at this point.

If meat is not ready and water has evaporated add in water.

If meat is ready but the water has not all evaporated turn up the heat.

When onions have turned to slush add oil …. The oil will cook the tomatoes and seasoning; do not be tight with oil. You should be able to see oil in the pot with the slushed onions swimming around in it.

The heat needs to be high.

Add in all seasoning and tomatoes and you will now stir for the next 15-20mins.

As the sauce starts to stick to the pan add a little water to loosen it but the key is to cook it medium high to high heat – Add potatoes about 3 minutes after the tomatoes.

Add half the chopped coriander and continue to stir.

When the sauce is done (oil will have separated from the sauce) add the rest of the coriander and add cold water (not fridge cold - the amount depends on how much how thick you want your sauce and how much the potatoes need cooking) – allow to boil and then bring down the heat and simmer until you are happy with the thickness. Remember the sauce continues to thicken after removed from the heat.

Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon & Olives

I’ve been clearing out cupboards and have to admit this dish is in part an excuse to use some preserved lemons I made a year ago. We don’t have chicken that often, though the boy loves it.

3 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

½ tsp saffron threads

½ tsp ground ginger

6 chicken pieces

Salt & pepper

A glass white wine

Juice of ½ a lemon

A small handful each chopped coriander and parsley

Peel of a preserved lemon (or 2 small ones)

16 green or purple olives

As I said, I came across the salty preserved lemons by accident. I’ll make some more this Summer, when they’re cheap. The boy loves the flavour of this as it's intense , but doesn't have any chilli heat.

This dish needs a large flame proof casserole dish, big enough to fit the chicken in the bottom . Heat the oil and soften the onion, then add in the garlic, saffron and ginger powder.

Put the chicken pieces in and season well with salt & pepper. Pour in 300ml water and the white wine and simmer for 35 mins. Turn the pieces from time to time

Add the lemon juice, the preserves lemon peel, cut into strips, the olives, and the chopped herbs (save a little for garnish). Cook another 10 minutes. If there is too much liquid, remove the chicken and boil the liquid down.

The boy is getting the big cushions out (We're eating this at floor level) and he’s put a CD on called ‘North African Café’. It’s nice to see him getting into the mood.

Serve with couscous.  Pile the chicken on each plate and pour the sauce over, along with the olives and lemon. We’re having a simple salad of sliced onion, cucumber and orange with torn parsley leaves. In a small bowl I’ve loosened some readymade harissa with a little olive oil and some rosewater. A sprinkle of caraway seeds means it will soon look as if it didn’t come in a can.

Thai Beef Salad

350g topside beef

2 fresh chillies

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tbsp fish sauce (Nam Pla)

1 tbsp oil

3 tbsp lime juice

½ tsp grated ginger

1 tsp sugar

50g cucumber, sliced

2 tomatoes, cut into wedges

½ red onion, thinly sliced

A handful of radishes, halved

2 spring onions, chopped

Coriander leaves to garlic

This is a late lunch. The boy is going out tonight so this is meant to keep him going, rather than fill him up. It’s a warm day for a change so something light and fresh seems the right thing.

Cook the meat ahead of time so it can cool completely before being added to the salad.

Grill the meat for 4 minutes on each side – it should be slightly pink in the middle. Set it aside to rest and cool. In a mortar, crush the chillies, garlic and garlic until you have a smooth paste. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and oil.

When it comes to the cucumber, do something fun with it. Either:

·         Peel it and slice it along its middle. Scoop out the seeds with a tea spoon and slice thickly.

·         Leave it whole but peel strips a cm apart so you get a stripy effect. Slice thinly.

·         Leave whole, peel it, and run a fork down each side for a ridged effect. Slice

No reason for messing about with the cucumber other than that you love him. Add to a bowl with the tomatoes, onion, radishes and spring onion. (A combination of red and yellow tomatoes would be pretty but I only have red ones).

Add the steak and the dressing and toss gently. Garnish with the coriander.  The boy is dashing about. I’m leaving it on the table for him to pick at as he chooses. I’m having mine listening to the new Inspector Rebus Mystery on Radio 4. I’ve left him a fork but I’m using chopsticks for the fun of having a salad with them!

Lebanese Green Vegetable Soup

It’s been a lovely warm day – I spent my lunch hour without a jacket, wandering round the Dickens museum with some old friends. But this evening it’s chilly again. Time for soup. The boy loves soup, especially when served with fresh crusty bread and Normandy butter. We’re doing something a little different tonight.

200g basmati rice

2 litres chicken stock

2 leeks

1 head of celery, with the leaves

Salt and white pepper

4 cloves garlic, crushed

Juice of a lemon

1 tsp sugar

200g courgettes

2 tbsp dried mint

Brown bread of some interesting kind – rye would be nice

A log of goats cheese

This makes enough for one of you to have some for lunch tomorrow. I’m cooking the rice in a rice cooker, but if you don’t have one, just cook in the way that suits you best and set it aside.

Heat the stock in a large pan (Knorr stockpots are being used in our house) and slice the leeks and celery into slices just under a centimetre thick. Simmer in the stock for about 30 minutes, until tender.

The boy arrives at this point and he’s not in the best mood. He’s been out without his jacket for hours and now he’s freezing. No he doesn’t want to help finish off dinner.

Season the stock and add the garlic and lemon juice. Slice the courgettes in half lengthways and then cut into half-moons about the same thickness as you did the leeks and celery. Give it 5 minutes.

The boy is watching one of his sitcoms. He’s chuckling so you know the evening’s going to be okay. Add the dried mint and give it a final 3 minutes. Toast the bread – I hope you found a nice kind.

Spoon some rice into each bowl and then ladle the soup on top. Spread each piece of toast with some of the goats cheese.

The boy looks over my shoulder, expecting to see his salad. There isn’t one but it’s interesting that he’s expecting one.

Deconstructed Egg Salad

He fancies egg salad. I can’t face the usual version of this but it’s rare for the boy to actually say what he fancies for supper so I want to try to make him what he would like. And he does ask incredibly sweetly.

2 eggs each (so 4 for this recipe)

6 tbsp. good quality mayonnaise

The zest and a good squeeze of juice from 1 lemon

A handful of cress

4 pieces of streaky bacon, cooked crisp

Hot buttered toast

The eggs are key – they must be free range organic – you will taste the difference. Cook for 8 minutes and then plunge into iced water to stop them cooking. Drain them, peel them and cut them in half. Place them on a plate, yolk side up.

Mix the mayo with the lemon zest and juice and season well. It will be quite loose so drizzle a spoonful of each egg half.

Serve with a little pile each of broken up bacon and the cress, with the toast on the side. It’s egg salad but not quite what he was expecting. He calls it egg salad for grown ups.

Dan Dan Noodles

Sichuan meets New York!

1 beef stock cube

500g decent minced beef

2 tbsp runny honey

300g noodles

4 handfuls of mixed green veg (pak choy, spinach, sprouting broccoli…)

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 tbsp dark soy

2 tsp freshly ground Sichuan peppercorns

5 tbsp chilli oil

2 spring onions, finely sliced

1 lime, quartered

Get a pan of water on the boil (enough to cook the noodles), and crumble in the stock cube. If you have them get the Chinese bowls and cups out.

Add the beef to a dry frying pan and cook until crispy. Quality is everything here as otherwise it will just sweat water which means the meat will boil rather than go golden.  You’ll probably need to be cooking for 15 minutes. When you’re happy with it, add the honey, and get the meat well coated. Take the pan of the heat.

Add the noodles to the boiling stock – the packet will tell you how long the need. Give them a stir so they don’t stick. A minute before the noodles are done, add the vegetables. Drain.

Tip the noodles and veg back into the hot (dry) pan and add the soy sauce, garlic, Sichuan pepper and chilli oil. Mix well using a pair of tongs.

Pile into bowls and top with the beef (might need reheating?).  Sprinkle over some spring onion and give the boy a lime wedge to squeeze over, with a pair of chop sticks. This is a bowl to hold in one hand while catching up on some TV together – especially those Danish Detective shows that have suddenly become so popular. Serve with little cups of jasmine tea. It’s a nice neutral flavour to go with the spicy noodles and it will make him feel so sophisticated.

Chilli Poached Beef with Corn Salsa

This is another dish best described as Mexican inspired. But then when does modern Mexican cease to be authentic? Difficult! Best not to worry about it too much; just enjoy delicious food, disregarding its provenance. There is a sign of spring in the air, so I want to feed the boy something fresh and light. I need to resist giving him something meat free.

4 dried Chipotle chillies

80ml boiling water (actually off the boil please)

1 medium red onion, roughly chopped

500ml water

1 tbsp ground cumin

250ml beef stock

300g piece fillet steak, cut into 3mm slices

2 tbsp sour cream

Handful chopped coriander

Corn Salsa

1 medium red onion, roughly chopped

660g sweet corn kernels (seriously consider a decent brand of frozen)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

80ml lime juice

3 green chillies, thinly sliced

1 small, ripe avocado, diced

The beef needs to be thinly sliced – the easiest way to do this is to semi-freeze it and then slice with a very sharp knife. Bring it back to room temperature. For the beef stock I’m recommending Knorr stock pots (which will make double the amount needed) and for 80ml lime juice you’ll need quite a few limes! I seem to have coriander as an ingredient about as often as I do yoghurt. Good job the boy likes both.

Pour the boiled water over the chipotles and allow to soak for 10 minutes. Remove the stalks and then reserve both the soft chillies and the soaking water.

Make the salsa:  Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Easy! Would have got the boy to do this but he’s on the verge of an epic win on the PlayStation. A good cook will have an innate sense for what’s important. Salsa – done!

Fry the onion until soft, and add the water, cumin, stock, chillies and reserved chipotle liquid. Bring to the boil and then simmer 10 minutes, uncovered.

Remove the solids with a slotted spoon and reserve. Place the beef slices in a single layer in the stock and turn the heat off. Turn the beef over and after 30 seconds, remove it with a slotted spoon. It should be slightly pink in the middle. Cover to keep warm.

Blend the reserved solids with the sour cream until approaching smooth.  To serve, put the salsa on plates. The beef slices go on top of this and spoon over the chilli cream sauce. Garnish with coriander leaves and a few thinly sliced chilli rings. I’m serving with some warm tortillas. The boy will want to use them to make a wrap – who’s to say he’s wrong about this.

Kashmiri Rogan Josh

I might have been slightly hasty when I said the boy was happy with all these vegetarian meals. He really liked the dhal last night and asked if we can have a ‘proper curry’, by which he means meat. He asked so nicely that I can’t resist. I immediately thought of Rogan Josh and spent a while going through recipe books before choosing this one. Rogan Josh is a Kashmiri dish but I think this version shows how it was refined by the Moghuls. It’s from the legendary Bombay Brasserie.

6 tomatoes, chopped

2 onions, chopped

1 tbsp ginger & garlic paste

2 tbsp ground coriander

1 ½ tsp cayenne

2 tsp turmeric

450ml natural yoghurt

900g boneless lamb, cubed

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tbsp tomato puree

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp mace, nutmeg & green cardamom powder (I will explain)

½ tsp saffron, dissolved in 1 tbsp warm milk

Salt to taste

Chopped coriander to garnish

I’ve deliberately got home earlier than him to make a start. This will make more than we can eat but I’m out tomorrow night and he can reheat the rest with some naan bread. I will text him to remind him to buy some naan tomorrow. We’re having rice tonight. As with all curries, it will be better tomorrow so lucky him.

The mace, nutmeg & green cardamom sounds intriguing. Dry roast 100g each of mace and green cardamom pods and 4 whole nutmegs and then grid to powder in a coffee grinder. Keep the rest in a jar for another time. The powder should be slightly oily.

Grind the tomatoes and onions in a blender to make a paste. Heat the oil in a large pan and add the ginger and garlic paste (I’m assuming you’re buying this in a jar). Once you get that amazing garlic smell and can’t resist playing Bhangra music, add the tomato and onion paste. Add the ground coriander, turmeric and cayenne. Stir.

The boy would walk in as you’re shimmying across the floor like a Bollywood heroine! Shoo him out of the kitchen.

Stir in the yoghurt bit by bit, and add the lamb. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally – you may have to add some water, though the lamb will give off some of its own juice.  The end result is a clinging sauce not a gravy, so don’t add too much.

Stir in the garam masala and tomato puree and give it another 10 minutes. Finally stir in the ground ginger, the mace/nutmeg/cardamom mix , the dissolved saffron and salt. Skim off any excess oil if that’s your thing and sprinkle with the fresh coriander. The boy is a happy bunny.

We’re having this with rice. Serve with any Indian pickles or chutneys you have. I like to combine 1 chopped tomato, I chopped onion and 1 small bunch chopped coriander with enough malt vinegar to cover. My Mum used to make this and I love its fresh sharp taste. It doesn’t keep so be greedy!

One day soon I’ll decide on my favourite Jalfrezi recipe………

Cinnamon Club Panchmael Yellow Dhal

This will probably need a quick trip to an Asian store, to get the Dhals (lentils). For me this means getting off the tube one stop early to shop at the large emporium on Turnpike lane. I only needed the 5 dhals but ended up buying loads of other things.

2 tbsp Yellow Moong dhal

4 tbsp  toor dhal (yellow gram)

1 tbsp split chana dhal

1 tbsp split white urad dhal

2 tbsp split red lentils

700ml water to boil

½ tsp turmeric

1 ½ tsp salt

2 tbsp ghee (I just used vegetable oil)

1 large onion, finely chopped

1tsp chilli powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 tomato, chopped

1 tbsp coriander, chopped

A squeeze of lemon juice

For the Tadka (tempering)

1 tbsp ghee/oil

1 dried red chilli crumbled, or a fresh one, sliced

½ tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp mustard seeds

4 cloves garlic, sliced

Panchmael means it has 5 dhals. You could make it with fewer but I think 5 is lucky and the contrasts are lovely. The boy isn’t home yet so you have time to make this properly  without him asking when dinner will be ready.

Pop a Ravi Shankar CD on – ideally an evening raga to relax your mind. Mix the dhal and soak for 20 minutes and then drain them and  bring to the boil with the 700ml of (fresh) water and half the turmeric. Skim off any scum and cook for around 25 minutes.  The dhal should be looking mashed up except for the chana dhal.

Heat the oil and fry the onion until golden brown, and then ad the dry spices. As soon as they aromatise, add the chopped tomato with as much of its juice as you can manage.  Cook until soft and then pour over the lentils. If it’s looking too thick, pour on some boiling water. Don’t forget to stir from time to time so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan and burns.

The boy is home. Luckily he thinks it smells good! Sit him down as it’s ready to go. In a small frying pan get the oil hot and add the Tadka ingredients. Get the spices hot and popping. Pour the soup into bowls and add a squeeze of lemon and some coriander leaves to both. Lastly pour over the Tadka which gives both flavour and a crunch.

Normally I’d serve with rice but this is filling on its own and the mix of  dhals gives this a lovely grainy, varied texture as it is. The boy liked  the last dhal I made (which used oily toor dhal) and yet he can see how different this is. He jokes about vegetarians eating lentils and yet he likes this and really doesn’t notice how often we don’t eat meat. I’m really not trying to cut down his meat intake at all – just to feed him good tasty food that I know he will love.

Fried Potato Salad with Chicken Livers & Sour Cream Dressing

This is a really economical supper that seems quite luxurious. It has some really contrasting flavours, so naturally the boy thinks it’s really complex to make. If he mentions it, tell him you do it because you love him. This is in fact inspired by the fact that we have baby new potatoes in the organic box today.

The Livers

250g chicken livers

200ml milk

150g streaky bacon

A thin slice of butter

The Potatoes

400g new potatoes

Olive oil

The Dressing

150ml sour cream (usually comes in 142ml tubs which will be fine)

6 sprigs dill

1 tsp capers

A few drops white wine vinegar

Soak the livers in the milk for 20 minutes. I don’t know why you do this. It’s just enough time to listen to episode 2 of Brother Cadfael on the radio, with the boy. He’s carrying on listening to the next programme but you have work to do.

Scrub the potatoes, but don’t peel them and boil for 10 minutes. It would have made sense to do this half way through Brother Cadfael. Drain them then crush them lightly with a potato masher. You want to ‘break’ them rather than really crush them.

Warm the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the potatoes until they crisp up and get golden in places. It doesn’t matter if they break up but don’t turn them too often. While they are frying, drain the livers and season with salt and pepper. Have found out why we soak them in milk – the boy Googled it while the potatoes were boiling - it tenderises them and will help form a nice crust. Glad we did it now.

Cut the bacon into 2cm long strips and fry in the butter until it starts to crisp, then add the chicken livers and cook through.

Make the dressing by combining everything and mixing well – the vinegar is to sharpen it if it needs it. To serve - put the potatoes  on a plate with the livers on top and the dressing over it. A few salad leaves by the side wouldn’t hurt. Given the choice he’d probably prefer all his salads fried – good job its you who does the cooking!

Black Bean Quesedillas

I’ve been to a brilliant Mexican brunch today – we had Huevos Rancheros cooked pretty much to order – for 20 of us. We also had Quesedillas and it got me thinking that this might really be the boy’s thing. He loves sandwiches after all, and my cooking has been on a Mexican kick the past few days.

Black Bean Paste
230g cooked black beans (I’m using tinned)

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp each ground cumin and cayenne

1 bunch coriander, chopped (including stalks)

Juice of a lime

Salsa

½ red onion thinly sliced

½ tbsp. white wine vinegar

3 spring onions, thinly sliced

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushes

1 small bunch coriander, chopped

2 ripe avocadoes

Tortillas

8 small tortillas (wheat or corn)

180ml sour cream

120g grated cheese (I’m using cheddar)

6 tbsp sliced jalapenos from a jar, drained

I’m listening to Pick of the Week on Radio 4. I’m quietly confident that he’ll like this. Rinse and drain the beans and pulse, along wit the other BB paste ingredients into something rough in a food processor.

Make the salsa- soak the onion in the vinegar for a few minutes and then add all the other ingredients. Give it a good stir.

Open a couple of bottles of Corona beer with lime wedges in the neck, for you and the boy. It is refreshing and yes it’s a pain to get the lime out again before you can put the bottles in the Recycling box. Try flattening the wedges with a knife. It takes practice.

Get a griddle pan extremely hot. Take one of the tortillas and spread 2 tbsp of the bean paste on. Leave a wide margin from the edges. Spread a tablespoon of sour cream on top and then scatter on some cheese, a tablespoon of salsa and some chopped jalapenos. Fold it over and carefully transfer to the hot pan. Cook for 2-3 mins each side. The cheese should melt, sticking it all together, the filling should be warm and you should have those nice char-grill lines on the tortillas. Repeat until you run out.

I was right – he does like these a lot. He loves cheese on toast, and he loves food he can pick up with his hands- his elegant, artist’s hands - so it makes sense. It’s been a busy weekend and I haven’t spent much time with him so I feel like I’m making up some ground.  He’s happy and he’s so beautiful when he’s laughing.

Huevos Rancheros

When Lowell is up to stay we very much favour the concept of brunch. The best brunch is occasioned by good reasons for getting up late and Radio 4 is at its best mid-morning anyway.

Salsa

1 can good quality tomatoes

3 green chillies

½ small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tbsp oil

½ tsp salt

2 corn tortillas (thick ones if you have a choice)

4 large eggs (free range organic if you love him)

Salt & pepper

2 tbsp Queso Fresca – I’m substituting this for Feta Cheese, crumbled

Chopped parsley to garnish

Huevos Rancheros means “Ranch Eggs” – as we don’t have ranches in Europe, I can’t help thinking that a recipe called “Farmhouse Eggs” would be rather different from this Mexican classic.

You can probably work out the salsa recipe from the ingredients. Just as well if you’re making this in the morning. Using decent tomatoes like Cirio brand, means you don’t spend ages reducing the liquid down. Fry the onions, garlic and chilli. Add the tomatoes and salt. You end up with a thick, but not too smooth sauce.

This is all from a Mexican cookbook my brother gave me. Thanks Bro! Use a wide frying pan.

Warm the tortillas in a dry frying pan – this will dry them out a little which is what we need. Then add a little oil to the frying pan and fry the tortillas briefly – just 3 seconds each side. Drain on paper towels and keep warm. Heat the salsa.

Break the eggs into a frying pan. I’m not using free range organic just because I want to be nice – they really do taste so much better. Cook until the whites are set and the yolks are cooked but soft.

Put a tortilla on each plate and top with two eggs and then the salsa, covering the whites and leaving the yolks exposed.

Sprinkle over the crumbled cheese and parsley. Both Lowell and I are coffee fiends so we serve with plenty. We will easily manage three cups each.

Not Mexican, but last Summer when I was in Malawi and Lowell was in Ethiopia, the breakfast buffet for both of us included sliced cucumber, avocado and tomato. A side plate of these would work.

Brunch should be relaxed, for leisurely conversation and much laughter. The afternoon and London’s museums beckon.

Duck with Sumac & Orange

The boy LOVES duck. It’s been served with orange forever but this is a lovely eastern Mediterranean version from Silvena Rowe.

4 duck breasts

4 shallots, finely chopped

¼ tsp cardamom seeds, lightly crushed

200ml chicken stock

Juice of 1 large orange

1 tsp Sumac

20g butter

Sumac is a dark red spice that has a lemony flavour. Greek or Turkish stores should stock it.

The music needs to be upbeat – there’s a digital radio station called Absolute 80s that should fit the bill. Score the duck skin in a diamond pattern and get heavy pan up to heat. Sear the duck on both sides for 10 minutes. Make sure the skin side is really golden and crisp – give it another turn on the heat.

Allow it to rest, leaving the juice and fat in the pan.

To make the sauce, sauté the shallots in the leftover fat. After 5 minutes, add the cardamom and give it another minute. Skim the fat off and add the stock and orange juice. Season and simmer for 10 minutes. The liquid should reduce by about half. Add the sumac.

Strain the sauce through a fine sieve and pour into a clean pan and add the butter.

Slice the duck and pour the sauce over. Serve with a rice pilaf. Something as simple as boiled rice with peas and a big knob of butter stirred through would suffice. He won’t care. All he will see is crispy skinned duck.

Salsa Tequila Resposado

Last year I picked up a book of Margarita recipes in a charity shop in Balham. It has this recipe in it. I'm going to a Mexican brunch with friends on Sunday so I’ll be taking some of this.

4 medium tomatoes, halved

8 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1 medium onion, peeled & quartered

6 chillies

1 small bunch coriander

2 tsp sea salt

30ml fresh lime juice

60ml resposado Tequila

Salt to taste

A good shake of tabasco

Use the chillies that best suit you. The boy isn’t coming to the brunch so I am going for the fairly small hot ones. Resposado Tequila is the kind that has been  ‘rested’ in oak barrels for 2-12 months. You’ll have to read a few labels as we don’t generally get a huge selection of tequilas in the UK. Jose Cuervo Especial is pretty easy to find though.

First make a Margarita: 35ml tequila, 25ml Cointreau or triple sec and 15ml fresh lime juice.  Serve in a salt rimmed glass. This isn't for the recipe - it;s just for you because it's nice. Keep this recipe close by in case you need another.

Heat a heavy based frying pan. I use a cast iron one – get it hot. Add the tomatoes, garlic and chillies and let the skins get charred. Push them about the pan a bit. Big black bits are what you’re looking for.

Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. Peel the tomatoes and garlic and remove the stalks from the chillies.

Place the garlic, chillies, coriander, lime juice and salt in a blender and pulse repeatedly until it’s finely chopped. You’ll need to scrape down the sides a couple of times.

Roughly chop the tomatoes and add them to the blender along with the tequila. Pulse in really short bursts so you don’t puree it – it needs just enough to break the tomatoes up. Place in a bowl – probably the same bowl you had before really.

Chop the onion very finely and stir into the salsa. Taste and adjust the salt and add the Tabasco if it needs it. Allow it to rest for an hour.

The  Margarita book was a great find – my thanks to my friend, Toby whose flat in Balham I was staying in, when I found the book. It was only £3. And I now have a nearly full bottle of tequila to experiment with. Good times! #livingtobyslife