SUNDAY NIGHT SUPPER - RATATOUILLE WITH A TWIST

RATATATOUILLE - BUT NOT REALLY

It is actually really difficult to describe this dish... all I know is that I have now made it twice in 4 days, as it is just delicious.  Ratatouille doesn't do it justice... and you can basically use what's left in your fridge after a busy week... but the ingredients below work a treat, so good to follow them.  I've been a little quiet on the blog front... it's been birthday madness (which I also share with my father and cousin, so we need at least a week to celebrate), and I can safely say I think I need a holiday very very soon....

INGREDIENTS
100 ml olive oil
2 small red onions - chopped
5 garlic cloves - chopped
2 small red peppers - chopped
3/4 butternut squash - peeled and chopped (approx 3cm squares)
1 aubergine - peeled, chopped (approx 3cm squares)
1 parsnip - peeled and chopped (approx 3cm square)
200g green beans
1 courgette - chopped (3cm square)
1 potato - peeled and chopped (3cm)
packet of small tomatoes
1/2 tbsp sugar
2 1/2 tbsp tomato puree
salt/pepper
chopped coriander (for garnish)

Put half of oil in pan, and cook onions and peppers for 5 mins, then add butternut squash and parsnip and cook for another 5 minutes.

Once that's done, then take them out and put aside in a bowl.  Add the rest of the oil back in the pan, wait till it is hot and then cook the green beans, courgette and aubergine for 5 minutes - stir every now and again.

Put the onions, squash and parsnip back into the pan, along with the garlic.  Then add the potato, tomatoes, sugar, tomato puree, and loads of salt and pepper.  Stir well and then add  boiling water to the pan to half cover the veg.

Put a lid on it (something Mike tells me regularly!) and leave to simmer for half an hour over a low/medium heat. Taste it to check you have enough salt and pepper in it.

Heat the oven to 200 degrees, and then transfer it all into an ovenproof dish (or, like me, you can put your frying pan in the oven - saves on the washing up).

Cook for another half an hour in the oven... (I added chilli to my first attempt, but both Mike and Max went bright red, and I had to eat it alone - so that is up to you)  On my second attempt, I left out the chilli, and everyone got stuck in...

When out of the oven, garnish with coriander - and serve with rice if you fancy - or noodles... or nothing..

Ana (my very very good friend and partner... (that always leaves people guessing!) cooked this the other day, so I should be honest and say that it is her recipe - but she poached a few eggs on the top a few minutes before serving... and that was amazing - a perfect sunday night supps,

I am about to make salted caramel brownies (ready for the onslaught of 2 speech days this Saturday) so get your healthy stuff in now, because it's about to get messy...
Plus, little bit nervous about Hugo's leavers ball on Saturday night - I've never thought children and adults should be at the same party, my kids never seem to approve - (should it be the other way round?)

Anyway.... eat and be merry...

CHOCOLATE TRAY CAKE WITH SALTED CARAMEL GANACHE

CHOCOLATE TRAY BAKE WITH SALTED CARAMEL GANACHE (OR ICING AS I PREFER TO CALL IT!)

This cake is ridiculously good, and very very rich, and be warned, once you have had one piece and set those taste buds into full working action, it is impossible to stop (I'm just very lucky that I have a greedy cleaner)
My darling Hugo actually finishes school today - that is it - no more - never ever, I literally cannot believe that time has gone that quickly.  He's nearly reached the grand old age of 19, and seems relatively unscarred by having me as a mother - so I am delighted.  He comes home in a few hours (yeah!) and along with Max, who has just come back from an emotional 3 day trip to the battlefields and graveyards in France and Belgium from the 1st World War, I thought that cake was a must!
And now the kids are nearly all home, Mike and I can put our Sunday behind us for good - (no kids, and a day on the sofa surrounded by crisps, chocolate, cake, ashtrays...not a good look!) thank god for children is all I can say, I knew I had them for a reason!

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CAKE
4 and half tbsp cocoa
180g plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
225g dark chocolate (broken into pieces)

170g unsalted butter
4 eggs
300g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
240ml buttermilk

FOR THE GANACHE (ICING)
140g caster sugar
250ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp brandy (or any super tasty alcohol in the cupboard)
450g dark chocolate
2 egg yolks

Heat oven to 170 degrees, and grease your baking tin (approx 13 x 9 inch one)

So.. for the cake first.. mix together the cocoa, plain flour, bicarb soda and half a tsp salt.  In another bowl, melt the chocolate and butter over a saucepan of boiling water until it's all melted and then put aside to cool.
Whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla and buttermilk in a big jug, and mix into the slightly cooled melted choc. And, then add all the dry ingredients from the other bowl.  It will hopefully look all smooth and glossy, and also quite tasty...Put in your greased tin, and cook for around 35 to 40 mins (kind of like a brownie - so don't think it's not quite ready and cook for too long, because it is essential that it is a little wet (I will refrain from using the word moist, but you know what I mean - do the skewer test, and if it comes out with a few crumbs on it, it is probably ready)

Now, for the icing (seriously, I can't get enough) I must have eaten half the bowl before I whizzed out to see the HB's for a pre cinema supper, I felt sick before I arrived, but still managed a VAST Lebanese, followed by a whole load of shit at the cinema - anyway....)
Put the caster sugar in a little saucepan with around 50ml water. Slowly stir over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, and then you turn up the heat and boil until the syrup is like a golden brown (it may go through a hard crystal stage - but stick with it!).  Once its the golden brown syrupy texture, then take it off the heat and slowly add the cream.  When the bubbles have calmed down, keep stirring until smooth, add 1 tsp salt, the vanilla essence and the alcohol.  Leave to the side.
Break up all the chocolate, pour the caramel over it, and slowly stir till the choc has melted (I sometimes melt it a bit over a saucepan of water first, to speed things up).  Once it's all melted and mixed, then add the egg yolks, and leave to cool.

When it's cold (so, in my case, after the cinema) - spoon over the cake and smooth.  Add a little sea salt over the top and whatever else you fancy - I put white choc buttons on mine, but then got hungry so took them all off and ate them)  But the cake is delicious, that it doesn't need anything else, and only hope that I can manage to wait until the kids tuck in before I finish it off....

BEETROOT, HORSERADISH AND CREME FRAICHE DIP

BEETROOT, HORSERADISH AND CREME FRAICHE DIP

I have been a little quiet on the cooking front as of late - not enough entertaining, and too much of going out and stuffing my face with other people's delicious creations (definitely The Trinity in Clapham has a lot of beating, wouldn't even know where to begin) - but also loving Emily Preece catering at The Trinity Hospice (who needs to have supper after all that fabulousness - well, in fact I did, but only because I am greedy...

We had Annika and Tim to stay again the other night, and rather than gossiping and eating crisps before our full on sticky pork supps, I thought I'd try and go healthy, and make my favourite dip...
The only problem with this dip, is that Mike cannot stand beetroot or horseradish.  There's not much he doesn't eat (only capers, beetroot, celery, dill and horseradish - so no doubt I shall soon find the perfect caper and celery dip that I may have to tempt him with..)

INGREDIENTS

A packet of ready cooked beetroot (or roast your own, with balsamic vinegar and olive oil)
A spoon of horseradish
A pot of creme fraiche
A bunch of dill (just to make Mike love this recipe even more)
salt/pepper

So super super easy it's not true....

Whizz them all up in a blender - top with a little left over dill and a spoon of creme fraiche and serve with fresh veg or flatbreads (or both..)

Perfect summer dip (and you can forego the lipstick too, because if you're a messy eater, then your lips can stay peachy all night.

PEA PUREE AND ROASTED CARROTS WITH HARISSA SAUCE

PEA PUREE AND ROASTED CARROTS WITH HARISSA SAUCE

So good to be Friday - Max finishing exams and ready for his birthday weekend - so a big feast tomorrow, so this week's cooking has been all about quick and easy and tasty.

If you're looking for 2 side dishes that will go with almost anything - then I have the answer...

PEA PUREE

INGREDIENTS (for 6)

A whole massive bag of peas or petit pois
Veg stock
Creme Fraiche
Cumin
Nutmeg
Philadelphia
Salt/pepper
Fresh chopped mint

I went through a stage of pureeing most veg in our house adding different spices and things, but this is the only one that we have all really stuck with.  Personally, I prefer it to the normal way of eating the pea, so let me know what you think....

Put the peas in a saucepan of salty water, and bring to the boil.  As soon as it's boiled - take it off the heat and drain them.  It's really important not to overcook them, and once it's pureed, you can then heat it up.

Once drained, put them back in the saucepan, add a cube of veg stock, or a spoon of bouillon powder (still not sure if that's the right spelling) and a big spoon or two of creme fraice, add the cumin, and definitely do not forget the nutmeg, and of course the salt and pepper, and the fresh chopped mint (a few leaves).

Shove it all in a blender, or the hand held whizzer, and then put back in the saucepan to heat up before serving.  I shove a blob of philadelphia on the top, but you could use philadelphia instead of creme fraiche if you fancy it more.  Also, if you want to give this a bit of a kick, I sometimes add cayenne pepper.

ROASTED CARROTS WITH HARISSA SAUCE

INGREDIENTS  (for 6)

Enough carrots for 6! I like them with their green tops on

Pot of harissa paste

Yoghurt (half a pot)

Coriander (handful)

Mint

Garlic (chopped)

lemon juice

salt/pepper

This literally could not be easier.  Put the carrots in a roasting dish and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook in the middle of the oven at about 180 degrees, for about half an hour.  While they are cooking, put everything else in the blender.

I drizzle the sauce over the carrots 5 minutes before I take them out of the oven....

But Holly seems to be allergic to all things spicy, so I had to serve it in a pot on the side, slightly annoying for my photograph - but we cannot risk upsetting the palette of the royal princess....

INDIVIDUAL LEMON DRIZZLE POTS

INDIVIDUAL LEMON DRIZZLE POTS 

Wow... this week escalated early...
If you want my advice, do not go out on a Monday night with one of your oldest and dearest friends, that you haven't seen for too long - do not drink too much, and certainly do not ask the waitress if she is pregnant, and when she looks appalled, really do not collapse with giggles.  I blame Sammy entirely.

So that's great that that didn't happen.

Well, the sun is still out, and I would be in the garden under the rays, but Holly (I know, seriously why isn't she at school?) has settled herself into the only sunbed... so I am in the kitchen with Max still revising, and thought, as it is his 14th birthday coming up, that we needed a treat.  I've never made my lemon drizzle cake in separate little pots before, normally I double these ingredients and make it in a loaf tin.  I actually do make it at least once every two weeks, and if we don't finish it, my cleaner cleans us out (I did catch her once emptying my entire cake tin into her handbag).  It is so delicious, so I'm hoping they'll work - they're in the oven as we speak.

INGREDIENTS

125g butter (softened)
125g caster sugar
2 eggs
125g self raising flour
zest of 3 lemons
juice of 3 lemons
Icing sugar
More caster sugar

Zest and then juice the lemons, whizz up the sugar and butter till soft and creamy.  Add the eggs and whizz some more, then fold in the flour till all mixed - add a wee drop of lemon juice and about one third of the zest.  Put into greased ramekins - probably make about 6 or 7.

Put in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees, and cook for about 40 minutes.  Meanwhile, add most of the lemon juice with some caster sugar (about a tbsp and a bit) and cook in a saucepan till the sugar is melted.

Wait till your cakes have risen and they are not too soggy inside - do the skewer test, and if it comes out clean, they are definitely ready.

When they are out, use the skewer to pierce holes all over them, and then spoon your sugar and juice mix over the top, so it all seeps through.

With the rest of the lemon juice, add the icing sugar till it's a sort of thickish consistency, and when the cakes are cool, then drizzle this with a teaspoon over the top.

They should look amazing, and taste even better.

Sometimes, if I'm feeling really bad - I will make it in two normal cake tins and put lemon butter icing in the middle - but really think maybe I shouldn't.

SPINACH AND CHEESE SOUFFLE

SPINACH AND CHEESE SOUFFLE    (for 4 as a side dish)

So, I don't know whether it's normal to dream food, but anyway, I do.

I have just come back from Devon last week, laden with goodies, but more importantly with a dozen eggs from my father's house, which had been laid that morning (lucky things!) They are quite simply the most well looked after hens I have ever known, and because of that, the eggs are unbeatable.  So, sad to say, unless you can source the very best eggs like me, your souffle may not be quite as delicious... but on the other hand, maybe it will....

Had Annika and Tim staying on Friday night, plus all the kids, and considering that she was about to become hideously old the next day, we thought we'd cook an easy feast, while we could busy ourselves with other things - (won't mention the advice she was giving to Hugo about a lads trip to Krakow - I seriously choked on my wine and needed medical intervention)

So, this souffle is incredibly simple, and fail safe - it takes 10 minutes to prepare, 45 minutes in the oven, tastes incredible, and looks incredible (but only for about 5 minutes before it sinks!) - You can either put in one large souffle dish, or pop it in individual ramekins (and if you do, then cook for a little less)

INGREDIENTS

50g butter
50g plain flour
1/2 pint milk
100g grated cheese (I mix it up with a bit of this and that - cheddar, emmental and definitely parmesan, but whatever you've got in the fridge)
Big bag fresh spinach
3 eggs (seperated yolks and white)
Veg stock
Nutmeg
Salt/Pepper

Start by making the cheese sauce ...
Melt the butter, add the flour and whisk, slowly add the milk, keep whisking until it is smooth, add a little more milk if it's still too thick.  Keep it on a low heat, and crumble up a veg stock cube, or a spoonful of bouillion powder (is that the right way to spell it? But you know what I mean..) Add salt, pepper and nutmeg (I love nutmeg and overload it, but start with a teaspoon and keep adding until you can taste it), then add the cheese, and stir until it has all melted.  Take off the heat and then add the egg yolks and mix.
Once, that's done, put a little olive oil in a big pan and cook the spinach, but only literally for a few minutes till it has wilted a little.  Then add this to your cheese sauce and stir it all in together until properly mixed.

Whisk up your egg whites until they are firm and stiff (I could get silly, but am feeling really rather sensible), and once they have reached your desired stiffness, then slowly add them to your cheese/spinach mix.

Pour into your big souffle dish or your little individual ones (it will probably make more than 4) and cook in your PREHEATED oven at 190 deg for about 45 minutes, but check after 35...(don't keep opening the oven though, it's a little sensitive)

It will rise like the sun and tastes like a dream...

Making me hungry all over again... but am wining and dining with Sammy tonight and not sure they'll be time for anything else but chat -

cannot wait....

We ate it with sticky chicken with sesame seeds, and a big salad - followed by Max's crumble and custard - (it is the only thing he cooks, and mine doesn't come close) ..