Recipes from Bella

Another no-egg baking recipe - which worried me at first, but then worked very well.

I also have not tried it, but suspect a vegan version would work - using soymilk and sunflower oil.  This would change the fat ratio, so might make it moister, but I think could work well.  I will try another day and post the results if it works.

Ganked the base recipe from the internet the other day, as the end to a glorious weekend of over indulgence, pastry, roasts, cream-based dinner party and general entertaining.

It took about 3 minutes to mix, 55mins to cook and then about 3 days to eat - during which time cake remained moist and toothsome.  R recommends slicing, toasting and adding butter for extra indulgence, but when i tried this I broke the toaster (shhh).


Ingredients
185g butter
1 cup (155g) brown sugar
3 tablespoons (90g) golden syrup
1 cup (250ml) milk
2 cups (250g) plain flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon baking soda

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
2. Sift flour and baking soda into a heat proof bowl
3. In a small sized pan, bring the butter, sugar, golden syrup and milk to the boil.
4. Add the wet mix to the sifted flour, ginger and all spice and mix well.
5. Pour into a non-stick greased loaf tin.
6. Place the tin in the oven and reduce the temperature to 160C and cook for 1 hour.

Can be whipped up using ingredients you're quite likely to have on hand (well, if you bake at all that is) so perfect for lazy days and friends dropping by...

These were great, except I burned the bottom of them by using the wrong oven.
Suspect that 220 degrees C (200 fan assisted) would have made them rise better - as it was, the oven was only heating from below, though the tops were fluffy and delicious.

Nice recipe, not too sweet, and the buttermilk makes for a really fluffy light scone - less stodge than with an egg, and less fat because buttermilk less fat than butter.  So pretty great actually!

I also added dried berries - sour cherry, blueberry, boysenberry from a mix found at market that day - made them sweeter, and then we had them with mixed berries jam. Nom.

Anyway.  The recipe:

[Makes 8]

Ingredients
1.75 cups self-raising flour  (I would add a 1/4 tsp baking powder too, next time, for extra lift)
1 tbsp caster sugar (mine was vanilla sugar, unrefined, but that's personal preference)
40g butter,chopped
0.75 cup buttermilk
handful mixed berries, though you could use sultanas, chopped dates etc.  This recipe also works with some (let's guess at 60g) cheese / tbsp mix herbs if you forgo the sugar.
pinch salt


Method
1. Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Grease and flour a baking tray (I didn't do this, and mine burned on the bottom first time)
2. Place flour, sugar and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Add fruit/cheese/wotevs to dry ingredients and stir through to distribute evenly
4. Make a well in the centre. Add buttermilk. Using a flat-bladed knife, stir until dough almost comes together. Place on a lightly floured surface.
5. Knead gently until dough comes together. Press out to a 2cm-thick round. Dip whatever you are using - glass, mug, actual 5cm round cutters -  into flour to prevent dough sticking. Cut out scones. Gently press leftover dough pieces together and repeat to make a total 8 scones.
5. Place scones, on prepared try. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until light golden and hollow when tapped on top.

Recommend eating hot, esp if fruity, with butter, jam and tea.  Even better if it's raining.

Ingredients

2 lb cubed lamb (can use mutton/beef if preferred)
4 onions
9 tbsp oil
10 cardamoms
4 black cardamoms
6/7 bay leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds
1-4 dried chillies (depending on your heat tolerance)
5 peppercorns
1.5 inch piece of ginger
1 tsp salt

Method

1. Halve onions and slice thinly, then fry in all the oil over a medium heat for about 15 mins until they are darkish brown and crisp (we have always left them quite soft and sweet) then lift out, leaving oil in pan and put to one side
2. Put in cardamoms, bay, cumin, chillies peppercorns and finally the ginger, and stir for a minute until the bay turns dark and the ginger sizzles
3. Add meat and salt and stir for five minutes
4. Cover and lower heat and cook ever so gently until the meat is soft (1 hour and 10mins approx) - I did this on a low heat in the oven at new year, with the meat foil covered in a baking tray
5. When meat is done, add the onions back in and cook for another 5 mins stirring gently

6. eat. with chapati as nicer than rice...

Ingredients

1 lb lentils
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
5 peeled cloves garlic
2 large slices ginger
1 tsp turmeric
3/4 lemon
1.5 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
3 tbsp oil
pinch of asafoetida
1/2 tsp cumin seeds

method

1. Wash lentils and bung in a pan with 2.5 pints water, cinnamon, bay, garlic cloves, ginger and turmeric; bring to the boil and cover and cook gently until tender (35-40 mins)
2. Slice lemon into 5 or 6 rounds and put in pan with pepper, cayenne and salt and cook for another 5 mins
3. Make the tarka: heat oil in frying pan until damn hot, add asafoetida for two seconds, then cumin seeds for another 5-10 seconds or until asafoetida sizzles and cumin seeds darken, then pour the tarka straight into the dal and mix.
It should be fairly watery.

ingredients

2.5 inch piece ginger
large head of cauliflower
8 tbsp veg oil (yes loads of oil)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 green chilli
mug full of finely chopped coriander
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp salt

equipment

food processor
deep frying pan or wok

method

1. Make a paste of ginger with four tbsp water (blend it or grate the ginger on shred side and mix with water)
2. Break cauli into small florets and cut the white stem into slices
3. Heat oil over medium heat in frying pan, add ginger paste (careful) and turmeric and fry constantly stirring for about two mins
4. Add chilli and coriander, fry for two mins
5. Add cauli and cook for five mins, adding a tsp water at a time if it sticks
6. Add cumin, coriander, garam masala, lemon juice, salt and three tbsp warm water
7. Cook and stir for about five mins, then cover and cook gently for 35-40 mins

These are the quantities I use, and a few things that you can do with grain to make it more interesting.

I like my rice to be 'clean' and my cous cous & quinoa to be fluffy not soggy.  The quantities below are what works for me, though the real secret - so simple - in most cases is leaving the damn pan to sit for 5 minutes, covered off the heat, so that the grain keeps cooking and absorbing the water.

Basmati/long grain white rice - plain:  2 x water to volume of rice.  Rinse well to remove starch, then cook over a medium heat, covered, for around ten minutes.  turn off heat and leave for a further 5. 

Basmati rice - savoury: Quantity as above.  Fry a small amount of finely chopped onion in 1 tbsp olive oil. add the rinsed rice and fry (not too high a heat) for a further minute.  Add water and proceed as above.  You can add seasoning this way too, such as cassia, cardamom, or sesame seeds.

Rice with sesame: Cook rice as for plain method.  After cooking stir thorugh a tbsp sesame oil and 2 tsp dark mustard seeds.  This is quite a nice way to make brown rice (below) a bit less worthy too.

Brown rice: boil , covered, in 4 x volume of water to rice for 35-40 minutes.  Drain and rinse thorugh with a kettle of boiling water before serving.

Red rice: as brown rice, can take longer to cooke

Quinoa: 1.5 x water to volume of grain.  Cook/simmer over medium heat, covered, for 15 minutes.  remove from heat and stand for 5 minutes.

Couscous* 1.3 x water to volume of grain.  Add the couscous to boiling water, keep on heat for 30secs/1 min, cover and stand for 5 minutes.  fluff with a fork and/or stir through butter or olive oil before serving.

* a real enthusiast would steam couscous, but even I aint bovvered about that...

Bulghur wheat: 1.5 x water to volume of grain.  Cook 15 minutes as with quinoa.

Pasta: Use a big enough pan for the pasta to move around when cooking.  You need at least 2.5 inches (though I'm sure a puritan would be horrified at this as far too little) of water above the level the pasta would be at in the pan.  DONT bring the pasta to the boil, instead chuck it into boiling, salted water, uncovered, over a high heat, for as long you are instructed.  If adding to a wet sauce, then it may be wirth just slightly undercooking the pasta and letting it stand in the sauce for a minute or two, to take on the moisture and flavour.

Noodles: dont ask me.  I'm rubbish at East Asian/Oriental cookery

For Fay, the hope she is not allergic or averse to the ingredients

If you have a ceramic casserole pan then use it for this - they make a huge difference for slow cooked foods and are indestructible. 

Ingredients

190g dried buuter beans, soaked
4 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, cut into fine half rings
1 med-large carrot, peeled and cut into thick slices
340g chopped tomatoes (use a can if feeling lazy)
1 tsp dried oregano (if using fresh, 3 tbsp instead)
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
2-3 tbsp chopped parsley
gorund black pepper

Method

1. Boil the beans in 750ml water, removing any scum that rises to the top, for 5 minutes.  Cover and simmer over a low heat until soft (1-1.5 hours)
2. Heat the oil in an oven proof pan/casserole and add the onion.  stir until onvions have just wilted (1-2 mins) and then add the carrot and cook for a  further minute.
3. Add the tomatoes and cook until softened (5-10 minutes)
4. Heat the oven to 170 degrees/gas 3
5. Add the cooked beans + liquid to the casserole, along with salt, pepper and herbs.  Stir, then bake uncovered in the oven for 2 hours.

I eat this with bread and salad, or on it's own.  And often leave it in the oven overnight after cooking (the oven stays warm y'see) for a really condensed, mellow dish.  I also often forget the parsely, as it's another store cupboard-y dish for me

This is the way I roast potatoes for Sunday lunch

Ingredients

As many potatoes as you are using
Parsnips if you like them
Olive oil
Garlic, crushed (1-2 cloves)
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped (not the stalks). 
salt and pepper

If you don't have a rosemary bush, look around where you live.  People have it in their front gardens, councils plant it as a shrub round where I live, or plant a bush in your garden.  It's evergreen, hardy, attracts bees and beneficial insects and you will use it once you have it. 

If you dont have a garden, and live in a concrete jungle, you can grow one of the climbing varieties easily in a ceramic pot.  Ceramic being better for drainage than a plastic tub, as well as aesthetically pleasing...

Method

Before you start, and especially if doing as part of a roast, put your baking tray with a couple tbsp  olive oil into the oven to heat up.  Enthusiasts could add garlic at this point too.

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into halves, then each half into roughly 3 pieces
2. Peel he parsnips, chop them in half and then quarter the haves - you can cut out some of the tough core as you do this.
3. Par-boil (ie until about half-cooked) for 10-14 minutes in salted water
4. While boiling, mash the garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper and olive oil with a pestle and mortar
5. Drain the potatoes in a colander.  Pour half the rosemary mix into the bottom of the pan, return half the potatoes, add more mix, the rest of the potatoes and then the rest of the mix.
6. Hold the lid of the pan on firmly (you might need a tea towel) and shake the pan to mix up the seasoning and fluff the edges of the potatoes.
7. Take the hot tray out of the oven, pour in the potatoes, shake them about a bit to get oily and cook for 45 minutes, turning once or twice

A bastardisation of curry, which could come from a 1970s vegetarian wholefoods book, and possibly did, a subconscious memory...

anyway, this is a good storecupboard, winter warming curryish kind of dish, good for students, paupers and bean freaks

Ingredients

1lb potatoes, diced
leftover cooked chickpeas or a precooked can (400g)
400g chopped tomatoes (can be canned)
2 small onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2tbsp groundnut oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp mustard seeds
salt

Method

1. Heat the oil to medium high and add the onion and garlic.  Cook 5-10 minutes until golden but not yet brown
2. add the potatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes, to soften - if starting to catch, add a small amount of water (1-2 tbsp)
3. add the ground cumin and stir once and add the mustard seeds, stir for 10-15 seconds
4. add the tomatoes, chickpeas, coriander and a can-measure of water
5. salt to taste, and simmer, covered for 20 minutes

eat with brown rice sitting on a beanbag for full effect

I could eat this every day and probably make it once a week in Winter.  It's hearty, rich, comforting and always well received by people new to beans

Ingredients

275g dried red kidney beans, soaked
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
small green or yellow pepper, diced
3tbsp groundnut, sunflower or light olive oil
250ml passata (sieved tomatoes)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1.5 tbsp smooth peanut butter (I use the kind without palm oil added)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1-2tsp salt (check salt content of the pnut butter)

Method

1. Cook the beans in 1.5 litres of water - remember to boil hard for 10 minutes at the start before simmering.  Cook gently for at least 2 hours, until the beans are very tender and the water has reduced.  When soft, add the salt and take off the heat.
2. Using the hot water from the beans, in a small bowl, add a tablespoon of water at a time to the peanut butter, to form a liquid paste.  Add this back to the beans and water and stir to mix.
3. Heat the oil in a wide pan/deep frying pan to medium heat.  Add the garlic, onion and pepper and fry until the onions are translucent.
4. Add the cumin and stir once, before adding the passata, cayenne, lemon juice and 120ml of water.  Stir, and simmer for 15 minutes until the sauce is reduced.
5. When cooked, pour the tomato mixture into the the pan of beans and heat through on a gentle setting for 10 minutes.

eat with rice, bread, green salad, or nothing but trashy cheese on top...

this is also good the next day, having mellowed a bit, but don't keep kidney beans more than a couple of days unless frozen immediately after cooking