Prawn Laksa

Posted on January 17, 2016 by TheRobbInn

I was given a huge bag of prawns recently and was flicking through my books to find a recipe when I came across Prawn Laksa.  A curry rich with Malaysian spices and coconut that can be made in just 20 minutes.

The only ingredients I didn’t have were the lemongrass and the mangetout but a quick visit to the local supermarket soon brought these to hand.  I adapted the recipe very slightly to use what I had in the cupboard/fridge, ie I used dried rice noodles and I had a large bag of baby spinach leaves in the fridge.  The bone broth I always make in bulk so I had an ample supply in the freezer.  I even had fresh coriander still growing in pots outside which shows we haven’t had much cold weather yet!

An alternative to kelp or rice noodles could be Courgette noodles or even Cucumber noodles; both would work well with this delicious dish.

There is something very special about cooking Asian-inspired food – the aromas in the kitchen are absolutely divine.

INGREDIENTS:

80g noodles *see note
1 tablespoon peanuts
1 large onion
A thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger
1 red chilli
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 lemongrass, each chopped into 4 pieces and roughly bashed OR zest of 1 unwaxed lime or ½ unwaxed lemon (I used lemongrass as we love the flavour)
2 teaspoon ground turmeric
100ml bone broth, fish stock or vegetable stock
1 tin of full-fat coconut milk
120g mangetout
150g fresh or frozen prawns (unpeeled)
100g rainbow chard or other greens (I used baby spinach leaves)
1 tablespoon tamari
Juice of 1 lime or ½ lemon
Handful of fresh coriander

METHOD:

In a large dry pan toast the peanuts over a gentle heat until golden. Set aside.

Blend the onion, ginger chilli, garlic and coriander seeds in a blender or food processor to make a paste.

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Fry the paste and lemongrass for a few minutes with the turmeric

 

Using the same pan, heat up the coconut oil and add the paste, the chopped and roughly bashed lemongrass or lime zest and the turmeric and fry for a few minutes.

Add the broth and coconut milk and turn up the heat to a medium simmer.

 

 

Add the mangetout and prawns to the pan and cook for 2 – 3 minutes depending on the size of the prawns (to make sure they are cooked).   Add the noodles and stir through leaving on a very low heat. Add the greens, the tamari, lime juice and fresh coriander and stir through the laksa and check for seasoning.

Serve sprinkled with more fresh coriander and the peanuts. (some people prefer to fish out the lemongrass or, if you like, just eat around it)

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Prawn Laksa

For a special effect, serve with a couple of big prawns, shell-on especially if serving to guests.

This was an absolutely delicious curry; wonderful flavours and textures.  The Malaysian spices are warm but not overly so.  I do have to admit that it took a bit longer than 20 minutes to make but once I had everything out of the cupboards, it didn’t take long at all.  Well worth making and a definite to make again in the future.

*the original recipe suggested kelp noodles which should be soaked in warm water for ten minutes then rinsed. I had dried rice noodles in my cupboard which worked perfectly and I stirred them in once the prawns and mangetout were cooked through.

Recipe adapted from the book The Art of Eating Well by Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley.

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Juice Shot – Not for the Fainthearted!

Posted on January 15, 2016 by TheRobbInn

I came across this recipe last year and was immediately tempted to try it out.  Found on Beard and Bonnet‘s website it was originally called The Face Melter and I can fully understand why.

The heat from the ginger, lemon and cayenne is WOW……………….enough to chase away the nastiest of germs and when ever I get even the slightest hint of a sniffle, cough, sore throat, or just need a bit of a boost, I reach for my shot glass and make this drink.  Far healthier than reaching for pills and potions, this shot is guaranteed to warm you up from the inside out.

To make life easier, I bought a whole load of fresh ginger root;  juiced it and froze it in small ice-cube trays.  It’s perfect for this juice and I can pop one out of the tray and it thaws really quickly in the glass along with the lemon juice.

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Simple ingredients

INGREDIENTS:

1-inch piece of organic ginger, unpeeled
½ of 1 large organic lemon, peel and pith removed
Dash of Cayenne pepper
2 – 4 drops of oil of oregano

METHOD:
Process the ginger and lemon through your juicer. Alternatively pop a frozen ginger cube out of the ice-cube tray and add the juice of half a lemon. Pour the juice into a shot glass and top with a generous dash of cayenne pepper and 2 – 4 drops of oil of oregano.  Drink in one go.

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Immune Boosting Juice Shot

Serve with sliced apple to chew after taking the shot.  Admittedly, not the best tasting shot but the afterglow makes it all worth while.

If I am feeling under the weather, I fit in three shots during the day.  Otherwise I have one per day to keep in top form; this is in addition to my green smoothie.

 

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Raisin Cookies

Posted on January 14, 2016 by TheRobbInn

I made these cookies for the first time recently and they are really tasty.  Soft and slightly chewy, they are grain free.

The raisins could be exchanged for dark chocolate chips, cranberries or currants.

INGREDIENTS:
¼ cup palm shortening, unsalted grass-fed butter, or ghee
1 large egg at room temperature
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 teaspoons cinnamon
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup blanched almond flour
2 tablespoons coconut flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons finely ground flax seed
¾ cup shredded coconut
½ cup raisins

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place the shortening and egg in the bowl of a stand mixer and cream for 1 minute on high. Alternatively use a hand mixer.

Add the honey and vanilla and mix for another minute until creamy.

Combine the cinnamon, nutmeg, flours, baking soda, salt and flax seeds in a small bowl and stir into mixture.

Add the coconut and raisins and mix for a minute.

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Flatten on a baking sheet lined with parchment

Drop balls of dough on to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Gently flatten to about ¼” thick and circular using either a spoon or your hands.

Bake for about 10 minutes until the edges are lightly browned.

Cool on a wire rack completely before storing in an airtight container.

 

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Raisin Cookies

 

I used unsalted butter for my cookies.  To stop curdling when mixing the egg and butter, I creamed the butter first and added some of the dry mix as I beat the egg in.

 

 

Recipe from Danielle Walker’s Against All Grain.

 

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Rack of Lamb with Sweet Potato Mash and Charred Chicory

Posted on January 10, 2016 by TheRobbInn

It must be the New Year as I am in cooking mode and trying out ideas rather than following recipes.

I picked up a lovely rack of lamb from my local butcher this week, beautifully trimmed, and decided to make a marinade using two cloves of garlic, small piece of chilli (it was Scotch bonnet so only a tiny bit), fresh mint leaves, fresh parsley, honey, olive oil and seasonings.  I blitzed it all together quickly and massaged it into the meat which I had cut into two lots of four ribs.  I did this early in the morning so it could sit in the marinade all day.

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Roughly blitzed marinade on the lamb rack

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Blackberry ‘sauce’

 

I still have some boxes of blackberries in the freezer, picked on the Isle of Wight last autumn so I thought that a honey, balsamic vinegar, blackberry reduction would really compliment the meat.   I just simmered the blackberries with a good lug of vinegar and squirt of honey and once softened, pushed it through a sieve to remove the pips.  It tasted heavenly – sharp and sweet at the same time.

 

 

I have been trying out various ‘charred’ vegetables lately to ring the changes and one of our favourites is chicory although baby gem lettuce and pak choi come in close seconds.  It is very quick to heat a griddle or frying pan with a touch of oil, cut the chicory, lettuce or pak choi in half and simply char each side for a minute or two.

With the potatoes on to simmer, I seared the meat on all sides on my griddle then popped it into a pan and left it in the oven for about 25 minutes at 375°F.  Unfortunately, I don’t like my meat too rare so for most people, this will be overdone.  Adjust cooking time accordingly.

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Allow the lamb to ‘rest’

It is important to allow the lamb to ‘rest’  for at least ten minutes before carving carefully between each rib.

Whilst it is resting, mash the potatoes with a small knob of butter and season to taste.

Heat the griddle to high and sear the chicory for a couple of minutes on each side.

 

 

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Rack of lamb with sweet potato mash and charred chicory – well done – a little overdone for most people.

 

 

 

 

Rack of lamb with delicious Blackberry sauce.

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Odds and Ends Chicken Stir-Fry with Rice Noodles

Posted on January 9, 2016 by TheRobbInn

My husband loves it when I make something using up the odds and ends of things in my fridge, as he never knows what he is going to get.

I decided to make a chicken stir-fry as I had a couple of chicken fillets in the freezer and plenty of vegetables to finish up as well as having some dried rice noodles left over from Christmas.

I chopped up the chicken and quickly stir-fried it in a little coconut oil until cooked then added some sliced mushrooms, a couple of red onions, half a bag of kale (thick stalks removed), and three-quarters of a yellow pepper sliced.

Whilst quickly tossing the stir-fry over a high heat, I added the rice noodles to boiling water – they only take three to four minutes to cook.

For the sauce, I added to the pan a good lug of sesame oil, a very good couple of shakes of tamari and a very good squirt of raw honey.  A quick seasoning with sea salt and black pepper, I  then added the drained rice noodles and it was ready to go.   Absolutely delicious AND gluten-free which is important for my husband.   I don’t buy ready-made stir-fry sauces as most contain wheat/gluten.

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A simple chicken stir-fry

I love a stir-fry as it takes only minutes to make and the ingredients can be varied each and every time.

 

 

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A Trio of Dips

Posted on January 7, 2016 by TheRobbInn

We had a slightly different Christmas Day this year where we had a variety of ‘starters’ served throughout the day, sitting down to eat our main meal at around 4.30pm.  The children (and the grown-ups) loved the idea and it gave us the opportunity to try an assortment of different appetisers whilst relaxing and playing games with the grand-children.

The three ‘starters’ I prepared this Christmas were A Trio of Dips, Smoked Salmon on Baked Potato Skins and Vegetarian Party Cups.    Sounds like a lot of work, but believe me it wasn’t as much of it was prepared in advance and only needed putting together on the day.   As far as possible, I had prepared everything – for example the potato skins were already cooked and frozen and just needed a blast in a hot oven;  all vegetables had been sliced, chopped or grated and sealed in containers and kept fresh; even the herbs were all chopped.  I was busy Christmas Eve but on Christmas Day I had plenty of time to enjoy the festivities.

These three dips really complimented each other and I served them with tortilla chips, seed crackers and cheese crackers (gluten and grain free).

2015-12-25_115227653_C92CA_iOSThrow-away Christmas plates even made for less washing up.

Smashed Bean Dip

INGREDIENTS:
400g cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
400g chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Juice of 2 lemons
Zest of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
100ml Greek yoghurt
Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

METHOD:
Put half the beans and chickpeas into a food processor with the lemon juice, garlic, cumin and yoghurt and whizz until smooth.

Tip in the rest of the beans and pulse once or twice to get a chunky dip (if you prefer a smoother dip, blitz all the beans).

Stir in the lemon zest and plenty of seasoning.

Store in the fridge.

 

Cucumber and Mint Raita

INGREDIENTS:
8 fl oz natural yoghurt
½ cucumber, grated
Large handful fresh mint leaves, chopped
Large pinch of sea salt
½ to 1 green chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped

METHOD:
Wrap the grated cucumber in a clean tea towel or muslin and squeeze out the excess juice. Don’t waste it but add it to your next green juice.

Mix all the ingredients together and chill.

Serve topped with some finely sliced green chilli.

 

Roasted Chilli Mango Guacamole

INGREDIENTS:
2 ripe avocado
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large handful of cilantro (coriander) coarsely chopped
1 large mango
1 hot chilli
1 – 2 tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 – 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (optional)

METHOD:
Finely chop the chilli and roast for a couple of minutes in a saucepan until it starts browning slightly.

Dice the mango and the tomatoes.

Mash the avocados in a bowl with a fork, and the cilantro and all the other ingredients.

Chill in the fridge before serving.

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Trio of dips served with biscuits, carrot sticks and celery

 

The recipe for the guacamole was adapted from Contentedness Cooking;  and the smashed bean dip was from BBC Good Food Show.  The raita is one I have made for years and the one I serve with curries, chilli etc.  They all keep well in the fridge for a few days if not eaten immediately.

 

 

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Fennel, Orange and Parsley Salad

Posted on January 4, 2016 by TheRobbInn

A simple yet very tasty salad dish which is fresh, crunchy and vibrant and can be served as a wonderful addition to any table.

This was one of the salads I served on Christmas Day and the bonus was the dressing.  Because I doubled up on the ingredients, and doubled up on the dressing there was too much dressing for the salad.   This turned out to be so beneficial as I had cooked a slow-roast pork shoulder (12 hours cooking) and this orange dressing complimented it so well, hot or cold.

INGREDIENTS:

130g fennel
1 orange
10 kalamata olives
1 cup Italian parsley
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
Juice of 1 orange
Salt and pepper to taste.

METHOD:

Thinly slice the fennel.

Peel and slice the orange into segments

De stem the parsley.

Pile the fennel into your mixing bowl and sprinkle over the parsley.

Drop in the orange segments and the olives.

Whisk the lemon juice, orange juice and olive oil together.

Pour over the salad and serve seasoning to taste.

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Fennel, Orange and Parsley Salad

This salad is best served immediately although the orange segments can be prepared in advance, as can the dressing then throw it all together when ready to serve.

Recipe slightly adapted from My Little Rock – Reliable Organised Cooking Kitchen.

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Smoked Salmon on Baked Potato Skins

Posted on December 29, 2015 by TheRobbInn

One of the appetizers I made for Christmas Day was Smoked Salmon on Baked Potato Skins.   I like to be organized and I knew that the potato skins could be made in advance and stored in the freezer until the day, and then a ten minute refresh in a hot oven made them deliciously fresh.

INGREDIENTS:

4 Baking potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
20g butter
Sea salt and black pepper
65g smoked salmon (trimmings can be used)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
80g Greek yoghurt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon capers
Extra dill for garnish

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 200° C.

Brush the potatoes with some of the olive oil; sprinkle with salt and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or until cooked through.

Once cool enough to handle, cut the potatoes into quarters. Carefully scoop out the flesh, leaving a bit on the skins.  Set the flesh aside for another use (ideal as mashed potato).

In a frying pan, melt the butter together with the remaining olive oil. Add salt and pepper. Once melted, brush this mixture on the potato skins (each side) and return to the oven on a baking sheet for 12 to 15 minutes until golden.   Leave to cool completely if freezing, or cool slightly and fill.

Sprinkle the salmon with the lemon juice. Mix together the yoghurt, capers, dill and salmon and spoon a dollop of this filling over each potato skin. Garnish with dill fronds and serve immediately.

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Smoked Salmon on Baked Potato Skins

I am very pleased to report that these little Salmon on Potato Skin appetizers didn’t last very long and the plates were soon cleared.

 

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Honey Yoghurt Semifreddo with Raspberries and Pistachios

Posted on December 28, 2015 by TheRobbInn

Although this is classed as an elegant summer dessert, I found it ideal to serve on Christmas Day as an alternative to the heavy Christmas pudding.  An additional advantage is that it could be made in advance and kept in the freezer until required.

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup pistachios, shelled (62g) and chopped (for decoration)
4 egg whites
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons wildflower honey (150g)
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups strained whole milk, or Greek yoghurt (454g)
Juice of half a lemon
¾ cup fresh or frozen raspberries (140g)
6oz (170g) fresh raspberries for serving

METHOD:

Line a 9” x 5” loaf tin (2L) with parchment paper, making sure there is enough paper hanging over the sides to fold over. My mixture filled the tin plus another cm or so, a little bit like a soufflé so you need the paper standing up.

2015-12-03_131816232_A8D65_iOSIn a mixer bowl combine egg whites, honey, cream of tartar and salt and set over a pan of simmering water making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir continuously until mixture is warm, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove bowl from heat and beat mixture with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form. This should take between 5 and 7 minutes. The meringue should be firm and glossy and keep its shape.

Whisk yoghurt together with lemon juice in a large bowl.

Whisk a few large spoonfuls of the meringue mixture into the yoghurt to lighten the base, then carefully fold the rest of the meringue into the yoghurt until fully incorporated.

Spoon 1/3 of the yoghurt mixture into the prepared tin and cover with a layer of raspberries then cover with the remaining mixture. Smooth the surface.

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I broke my raspberries in half as the mixture was so light and I didn’t want them sinking

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Make sure the paper stands up above the edge of the tin

 

 

 

 

 

 

Freeze for at least four hours until firm (preferably overnight). I found this was an extremely light mix and it was easier to open freeze it, then carefully fold over the parchment paper and cover in foil for storage.

Dip the bottom of the pan in hot water for a few seconds. Turn out on to a large serving platter and sprinkle with the chopped pistachios and additional raspberries.

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Honey Yoghurt Semifreddo

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Delicious slices

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is advisable to leave the dessert out for half-an-hour or so before serving to allow it to ‘come to’.  It doesn’t freeze too solid and is able to be sliced immediately, but a slight thawing gives the dessert a delicious lightness, an almost mousse-like quality but lighter.  Any semifreddo not eaten can be popped back into the freezer for another day.

A dairy-free version could be made by substituting an equal amount of whipped coconut cream for the yoghurt.

Recipe adapted from Gourmande in the Kitchen

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Vegetarian Party Cups

Posted on December 27, 2015 by TheRobbInn

I tried out loads of new recipes this Christmas but one of the best was Vegetarian Party Cups which can be found on You Tube by Aaron Craze.

I prepared the sauce and vegetables the day before; chopped the nuts and sliced the red chilli (which I forgot to put on until half-way through eating them!!).  Everything was in the fridge ready to put together.  Christmas morning I cooked the rice noodles and then deep fried some to make the crispy noodles which kept crisp for quite a few hours.  When it came to serving, I added the vegetables and nuts to the sauce, assembled the cups and topped with the crispy noodles.  They were delicious and a definite hit with my family.

INGREDIENTS:

Finely sliced vegetables; I used carrots, radish and spring onions. The recipe suggests mooli but I couldn’t find any.
Bean sprouts
Rice noodles
The juice from a large piece of ginger (I have ginger juice frozen in ice-cube trays in the freezer so I used one of these)
½ lime – just the juice
1 part sesame oil
2 parts soy sauce (I used gluten-free Tamari)
Honey – a good squirt
Fresh mint and coriander
Cashew nuts
Sesame Seeds
Red chilli

METHOD:

Finely slice the carrots, spring onions and radishes.

Put sesame oil and soy sauce into a large bowl. Add a good squirt of honey, the juice from half a lime and the juice from the ginger. (Grate ginger and squeeze out the juice).

Add the sliced veg and gently mix.

Add some bean sprouts, some roughly chopped mint and coriander and a few chopped cashew nuts.

Stir in a few rice noodles (I used dried rice noodles which I refreshed in the morning and snipped into shorter lengths)

Place the baby gem lettuce leaves on a plate and pile the mix into them.

Top with the sesame seeds (I added the sesame seeds to the veg mix along with the cashew nuts) and the crispy noodles.

Finally, dress with some slivers of red chilli (which I forgot until we had eaten half of them)

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Delicious Vegetarian Party Cups (before adding the slivers of red chilli)

These little ‘cups’ were such a delicious change.  The crisp baby gem lettuce leaf; crunchy vegetables and nuts, soft noodles and the crunch of the bean sprouts, and topping it all lovely crispy noodles.  A superb mix of textures and flavours.

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