A Nod to Nigel Slater's Simple Suppers.

It's unusual for me to actually buy foods to make a specific recipe. I usually do things the other way round...see what I've got in the store cupboard or fridge and then make up...or look for a recipe to fit. But Nigel Slater's Simple Suppers series 2 actually induced me to go out and buy ingredients that I didn't have.

In the first program in the series New Tricks he adapted favourite recipes by giving them a new twist. I went out and bought some turkey mince just to make his squash and turkey bake and restocked the pine nut jar to make his handmade pesto. Which I served with a big bowl of spaghetti. I have to admit that it's the first time I've made pesto by hand and it was so easy to do. There was something very satisfying about pounding basil leaves and pine nuts with sea salt and garlic and the smell was amazing. I thought it would be really hard work and take ages...but it did't...

I'm now hooked on turkey mince and made these simple but really tasty turkey burgers last week inspired by Nigel's pork ones. So tasty I took a photo...hope I can remember how I made them.

I seem to remember keeping them very basic, not too many ingredients. I caramelised onions then added a few chopped fresh sage leaves (I'm already in Christmas kitchen mode) in a little olive oil. Put them to one side and cooked the turkey mince. Placed everything into a large bowl, seasoned with sea salt and black pepper, and added a beaten egg and a little flour. I then combined everything and formed into pates, not too thick to ensure they would cooked right through. I then lightly fried them in a little oil until nice and brown and crunchy on the outside but moist and tasty inside....mmm.....

I served them with seasonal green vegetables and watercress salad....lovely and peppery. I wanted a slightly sweet sauce for the turkey burgers. I had a tiny drop of Acacia Honey left in a jar and added a spoonful of grainy Dijon mustard and a little olive oil. It worked beautifully. Like a French dressing without any lemon juice or vinegar...I didn't want that acid kick....or anything strong like garlic or chilli.

This was a really successful recipe that I'll definitely make it again......probably for supper tonight......

Nigel Slater's Squash and Turkey Bake

Nigel Slater is one of my favourite cookery writers, and Real Food probably my most used cookery book. It automatically opens at the Thai Green Curry recipe! I always miss out one or two ingredients if I don't use the book.

He has chapters on some of my favourite things: potatoes, chicken, garlic, bread and chocolate.... and his website is one of the nicest I've seen...lovely and simple with nice images but most of all yummy food.

The concept of his recent series Simple Suppers is just what you'd expect...only better because it involves not only food but his garden too or friend's allotments where he actually cooks them supper.  What a great friend to have and he seems like such a nice person...


I managed to watch Wednesday's episode of the series at the weekend, (you can catch it on iPlayer) and loved his idea of tweaking a shepherd's pie by using turkey mince and a butternut squash topping....great for me because I don't eat red meat. It was really delicious....It's the first time that I've used turkey mince and the smell of it cooking along with the sage was reminiscent of my granddad's kitchen the night before Christmas.  That's when he would begin to prepare his delicious sage and onion gravy....mmmm....


You can find his recipe here.  I substituted the squash with pumpkin. I roasted it so that it would caramelise instead of steaming, because I don't think it has as much flavour as squash and sage instead of thyme. It worked really well and I'll definitely be making this again...and using turkey mince in other dishes too.  

Spelt Pancakes

My first attempt at spelt pancakes. So much easier, if less fun to make, than the traditional Shrove Tuesday ones, because they are a little more solid so you don't need to toss them. You just flip them over with a palette knife... no scraping pancakes off the kitchen ceiling!

They have a great flavour and no seasoning, so you can serve them with sweet or savoury. I tried Manuka honey on one, and poached egg on the other, and it worked really well with both. I'd run out of olive oil and so used walnut oil instead and the flavour was amazing. It added to the already nutty flavour. I don't eat red meat, but think these would work really well with maple syrup and crispy bacon. Or tiny little ones with cream cheese and caviare for a special event...ooh or really thin ones with chestnut puree....mmmm....

You can find the recipe here along with ones made with ricotta cheese. Or it's on page 99 of Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights. The recipe is really easy but I think that I would probably add a little more liquid to the mixture. Possibly another quarter cup, depending on the flour.

This breakfast might be a really good for trying out the french women don't get fat theory.

Little Black Dress Soup

The chiller cabinets of super markets and deli's in the UK are usually well stocked with the familiar cartons of New Covent Garden Food Co, soup. Occasionally, so are mine. Although not very often because soup has to be one of the easiest ways to make, and eat, a big healthy batch of your 'five-a-day' fruit and vegetables.

So I was really pleased to receive a copy of 'Soup For All Occasions' by the New Covent Garden Food Co recently. It was an anniversary present from one of my sisters, 'J,' who is an amazing cook. All my sisters are amazing cooks. She is an exceptional bread and cake maker who collects beautiful cake stands. I must try to persuade her to share some of her recipes with us...oh and some images of her cake stands too...

Flicking through the pages I was amazed that Baked Rhubarb with Orange and Ginger, as well as Apricot Vodka Granita Cocktail were names of soups.

But I have to say that the name of the soup that intrigued me the most was 'Little Black Dress Soup' on page 93.

A soup which apparently is so light that it doesn't threaten your hips! Which has to be a good thing, yes? Unfortunately though I can't reproduce the recipe here because it's copyright. But I can tell you that It's a Hot and Sour Chicken Soup, containing all sorts of both tasty and healthy ingredients. Things like chillies and lemon grass, garlic and ginger, spring onions, diced chicken breast and fresh coriander. Not too hard to imagine how to make.

Nigella Lawson who I think you'd have to agree with me looks amazing in a little black dress also has a recipe for Hot and Sour Soup, that she makes on what she calls, one of her 'Temple Food Days.' When she requires something that is pure and cleansing, as well as restorative.

Nigella's recipe is for a 'tom yam' a spicy clear soup made with fresh prawns. You could substitute the prawns with shredded chicken breast. If you'd like to make it you can link to the recipe on her website here.

In Defence of the Delightful Miss Dahl

There's been so much negative journalism about the 'Delicious Miss Dahl' that I feel I have to redress the balance a little bit. (Not that I'm a journalist)

You may remember that one of my 'five faves' three weeks ago was the prospect of watching the first episode of Sophie Dahl's cookery program 'The delicious Miss Dahl'. It was a new venture for her after successfully having written a cookery book 'Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights' and a monthly column for a respectable food magazine. Now three weeks later I'm not ashamed to say that not only have I watched and enjoyed the series so far, I have even recorded all three episodes and re-watched two of them more than once. The only reason I haven't watched the other one again being lack of time.

What do they expect? We were promised a combination of favourite food memories along with a smattering of literary quotes. We expected it to be a little bit theatrical as would befit her background.

I honestly think that her program has delivered all, if not more of this. There's something about the languid way that Sophie Dahl cooks her food whilst reminiscing about her childhood memories that is so relaxing. 

I know that some have described it as soporific but I beg to differ. It's calming and relaxing. Just what we need after a busy day. Her food is homely and easy to prepare. I can't wait to try out her toffee fruit crumble a simple twist on an old fashioned favourite. Oh and the kitchen is to die for.

I doubt that the food writers, many of whom are probably middle-aged men don't actually fit into the target audience, which I suspect is female and younger... sadly that means neither do I!

I do think that they have been overly critical in her case, knit picking over her description of food being 'selfish' rather than 'indulgent'. Can't they give her a little bit of poetic licence? If she feels she's being selfish, so be it, it's her prerogative.

If her program had been a food product it would have definitely accomplished the description on the packet. For me watching it is a bit like relaxing in a nice warm bubble bath with a big bar of Green & Black ginger chocolate after a hard days work...Roll on next Tuesday