The Food Diaries

Scandinavian coleslaw

Finely shred a pointed cabbage and place in a mixing bowl, along with a large shallot, finely sliced. Sprinkle with a little salt and 3tbs cider vinegar, mix well and let stand for an hour.

Add 1tbs sugar, 1tbs dijon mustard, 3tbs soured cream, 1tbs olive oil, and 2tbs finely chopped dill. Mix well. Season with pepper and scatter some extra dill overtop.

New potatoes with alliums (spring onions, chives and garlic)

If you are attempting to scare away the germs, this recipe should do the trick with its megadose of alliums.

Boil 500g new potatoes (Roseval or other yellow/waxy, red-skinned variety) in plenty of boiling water till done.

Meanwhile, warm a little olive oil in a pan and add 1 cup finely sliced spring onions (including the green bits), 3 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped, and fry till softened. Add  1/4 cup each of chopped chives, parsley and mint and turn off the heat.

Place the potatoes in a serving dish, slicing the larger ones in half. Add the herb mixture, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, a knob of butter, and season with sea salt and pepper.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Trofie pasta with pesto and aubergine

Finely cube a small aubergine and place in a hot pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Fry till crisp and golden. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and add 180g trofie pasta (or other small pasta shape). Cook according to packet instructions.

Drain the pasta, setting aside a cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the aubergine, add a few heaping tablespoons of good quality fresh pesto, stir in enough of the cooking water to create a thick sauce. Add a good sprinkling of grated parmesan, season with sea salt and pepper and stir. 

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a scattering of little basil leaves.

Serves 2.

Chinese-style broccoli stem salad

Cut a small bunch of tenderstem broccoli stems into bite-sized rounds (around 2 cups). Bring a pot to a boil, drop in the broccoli with a 1/2 tsp baking soda (to keep the stems a vivid green). Drain after 1 minute and rinse under cold water. Drain well and place in a serving dish.

Mix together 4 tsp soy sauce, 3 tsp sesame oil and 1/2 tsp brown sugar. Stir till well combined and add to the broccoli.

Serve at room temperature.

Sweet potato crumble

Peel and roughly chop 3 large sweet potatoes. Cook in simmering water till tender. Drain, return to the pot with 1 tbs butter, some grated nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mash till smooth and spoon into an oven-proof baking dish.

Melt 1 tbs butter in a pan and add 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (I like to use Japanese panko) stir till the butter has been absorbed. Add 2 tsp finely chopped parsley and stir. 

Top the sweet potatoes with the breadcrumb mixture and bake in a preheated oven at 200c for 20-30 minutes till golden.

Serves four as a side dish.

Sicilian pasta with aubergines & tomatoes

This is a nice autumnal vegetarian pasta option - using up the very last of the season’s tomatoes (if you are lucky enough to find some).

Cut up 400g aubergines into a fine dice and place on a non-stick baking pan. Place in a hot oven (200c) till they turn a light golden colour (around 15 minutes).

Meanwhile, fry a finely chopped onion in a little olive oil, till lightly golden. Add 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped, followed by 400g ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped. Stir around, and add 1tbs tomato paste, a pinch of sugar, a pinch of sea salt, and some ground pepper. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft. You may need to moisten with a little water.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook 400g spaghetti according to packet instructions (around 10-12 minutes).

Once the aubergines are cooked, add to the tomato sauce, along with a few torn basil leaves, and 60g fresh ricotta cheese (optional). Stir, and add a couple ladles of the pasta water to loosen the sauce. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce. Stir till well combined and serve in pasta bowls, passing around some grated parmesan cheese.

Serves 4.

Chargrilled broccoli with chilli & garlic

A great way to perk up broccoli, courtesy of the king of vegetables himself, Ottolenghi.

Break up a head of broccoli into florets and blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and run under cool water. Set aside to dry out.

Meanwhile, slice a red mild chilli pepper into thin rounds. Thinly slice 2 large garlic cloves. Transfer both to a small pan along with 2 tbs olive oil  and fry gently till the garlic just about starts to brown. Remove from heat.

Transfer the broccoli to a roasting pan and drizzle with a little olive oil. Place in a hot oven (200C) till the broccoli starts to char around the edges. Place in a serving bowl, along with the chilli/garlic mixture and toss. Season with sea salt.

Serve either warm or at room temperature.

Spicy Moroccan carrots

Peel (or just scrub) 1lb smallish carrots (if you can find the yellow variety, even better) and slice into small rounds (not too thick). Simmer in water for about 10 minutes (they should still retain a bit of a bite). Drain.

Meanwhile, heat 2tbs olive oil in a pan and slowly fry a small onion, finely chopped till soft and very lightly golden (around 10 minutes).

Add the carrots to the onion, along with, 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, 1 medium green chilli, finely chopped, and 1 spring onion, finely chopped. Also added your spices: 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, and 1 teaspoon ground cumin. If you can find a Moroccan spice mix then by all means, replace with that.

Stir in 1tsp honey or pomegranate syrup, and 1 tbs white vinegar. Stir around and season with sea salt and pepper.

Serve either warm or at room temperature will a dollop of Greek yogurt on top (optional), and some chopped fresh coriander (if you like the stuff).

A sort of Mexican breakfast

A really fresh and zesty breakfast option (or brunch) to set you up for a busy weekend day.

Finely chop 1 small ripe tomato and place in a bowl along with the juice of 1/2 lime and 1 finely chopped spring onion (white part only). Set aside.

In a hot pan place a corn tortilla, cover with a slice of cheddar cheese, sprinkle on a little chilli powder and cover with a second corn tortilla. Press down with a spatula to seal and fry till golden on both sides and the cheese has started to melt. Transfer the quesadilla to a cutting board.

In the same pan add a drizzle of olive oil and a handful of sliced swiss chard and/or spring onion greens. Stir fry till wilted. Move to the side of the pan and add two eggs and fry till set. Season with sea salt.

Serve the eggs, alongside the chard, salsa, corn tortilla (cut into wedges) with a spoonful of sour cream (optional).

Carrot & beet fritters

A lovely but straightforward alternative to falafel.

In a bowl mix together 1 cup grated raw carrots, 1 cup grated raw beets (peeled, and if you can find the golden/yellow variety of beet, all the better), 1 egg, 2 heaping tbs flour, and a pinch of salt. (optional: add 1/2 cup chopped onion though I prefer to do without). 

Form into small patties and place in a hot frying pan in which you have warmed 1 tbs rapeseed oil. Fry till golden on both sides and cooked through.

This is great served alongside some pita bread and houmous.

Panzanella salad

(AKA what to do with a stale loaf of bread)

Tear up some leftover, stale ciabatta bread (1/2 loaf) into bite-sized pieces and place in a large, shallow salad bowl. Add 4 medium-sized tomatoes cut into wedges, 1/2 cucumber peeled and cut into chunks, and 1 small red onion, sliced thinly. Mix all together with your hands.

Whisk together 3tb olive oil with 1tb red wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the salad, cover and refrigerate (at least 1 hour but even overnight will work).

Stir again before serving. Drizzle a little more olive oil over top and sprinkle with 12 basil leaves, torn into pieces.

Stuffed tomatoes with mozzarella

Slice off the tops of 4 medium-sized tomatoes (try to keep the stems intact) and set aside. Scoop out the insides of the tomatoes and chop up the pulp. Place in a bowl along with shreds of mozzarella from a 125g buffalo mozzarella ball. Sprinkle in around 125ml/1/2 cup of breadcrumbs (I like Japanese panko for its crispy consistency), along with some chopped basil and 1tbs olive oil. Mix well and then stuff back into the tomatoes. Put the “hats” back on, place in a roasting dish and drizzle with a little olive oil. Place in a hot oven (200c) and bake for around 25 minutes.

Sprinkle some more basil inside the tomatoes shells before serving. Serves 4.

I ♥ tomato tart

Bake a shortcrust pastry tart blind (semi-cooked)*.

Meanwhile make your bechamel sauce by warming up 250ml (1 cup) milk. Set aside. In a small saucepan on medium heat melt 1 tbs butter and add 1 tbs flour. Whisk or mix with a wooden spoon till it starts to bubble a bit. Slowly whisk or stir in the milk, ensuring no lumps form. Once all the milk has been incorporated continue stirring till the milk has thickened considerably. Remove from the heat and incorporate 2 tbs sundried tomato paste and 125ml (1/2 cup) grated emmenthal cheese (you can substitute with another mild, white cheese if you like). Season with sea salt and pepper.

Brush the bottom of the semi-cooked tart with 1 tbs creamy dijon mustard. Pour over the bechamel sauce. Layer on rounds of sliced tomatoes (you’ll need about 250g/1/2 lb tomatoes). Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil.

Bake in the oven (180c) till bubbly and lightly golden (around 15-20 min). 

Serve at room temperature. Serves 4.

* Instructions for “blind” baking: [skip to the second paragraph if you have some store-bought shortcrust pastry to hand]. 

 In a food processor (with a pastry hook attached), place 250g butter (or substitute with “good for your heart” cooking margarine) cold and cubed. Add 500g flour and a pinch of salt and pulse till you get a coarse meal. With the motor running slowly add 125ml (1/2 cup) cold water till the mixture forms into a rough dough (do not overbeat). Place on a floured surface and fold over the dough three short times till you get a smooth consistency (do not over knead). Refrigerate 30 minutes before using. Cut the dough in half and set aside one half for another time (it freezes well). 

 Roll out your dough thinly and place in an 21cm/8-inch round tart pan, trimming the edges. Brush the edges with beaten egg yolk, prick the bottom with the tins of a fork and bake in the oven (180c) for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest 2-3 minutes

Feta cheese with lemon and thyme

This combo of salty cheese, cut by the fresh sharpness of the lemon and given a bit more personality with the addition of fresh thyme is a match made in heaven. Oh, and so quick to put together. Served alongside a Greek-ish salad assortment (ripe tomato wedges, black wrinkly olives, crisp cucumber, little gem lettuces), which your guest can assemble on their plates themselves removes the headache too of remembering who has an aversion to what (cheese, olives, cucumber, etc.).

In a small bowl crumble in a 250g packet of feta cheese. Grate the rind of 1 lemon overtop. Add a sprinkling of fresh (or dried) thyme leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.