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Posts Tagged ‘Carrots’

Avgolemono

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, Greek, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 5 June 2025| Leave a Comment »

A Greek chicken and rice soup with egg and lemon. Tastes delicious and can only be good for you.

Avgolemono – serves 4 to 6

  • 125g extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 medium white onions, diced into 1cm pieces
  • 2 medium carrots, diced into 1cm pieces
  • 2 ribs of celery, diced into 1cm pieces
  • 3 large cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 500g skinless chicken breasts
  • 125g rice
  • 2 large eggs
  • 75g lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp dill, chopped

Heat the oil in a large pot, then add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves and a pinch of salt. Cook gently for about 30 minutes or until soft.

Meanwhile, put the chicken in a single layer in a large pan and cover with 2 litres of water. Add 2 tsp of fine sea salt, then bring to a simmer with the lid on. As soon as the water simmers, turn the heat right down and cook for 5 minutes, then turn the heat off and leave until cool enough to handle.

Remove the chicken and reserve the cooking liquid. Chop the chicken into 1cm pieces.

Add the rice, chicken and chicken cooking waterto the cooked vegetables and bring up to a gentle simmer. Cook for 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Whisk the eggs and lemon juice together, then add a couple of ladlefuls of the hot soup to this mix, whisking constantly, before adding the mixture to the soup in a thin stream, stirring all the time.

Bring the soup back to a simmer and leave for another 5 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly until thickened slightly. Remove the bay leaves and check the seasoning. Stir in half the dill, then take off the heat and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Seve in warm bowls with the rest of the dill, some more black pepper and a drizzle of good olive oil.

(Original recipe by Nick Bramham in FT Magazine, 1/2 March 2025.)

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Baked Sausages and Lentils

Posted in Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 2 July 2024| 3 Comments »

A nice dish for spring/summer in Ireland when many days still feel like the depths of winter! Are you all addicted to the recipetineats website yet? You soon will be.

Wine Suggestion: Still on our Grenache kick we opened a bottle we bought in Pamplona earlier this year, the Viña Zorzal Crianza from Navarra which has a lovely red fruited earthiness and gentle spice along with a fresh elegance. Perfect.

Baked sausages & lentils – serves 4

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 shallots, finely sliced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 375ml of green or brown lentils
  • 4 small carrots, peeled, quartered and diced
  • 1 tsp cooking salt
  • ¾ tsp black pepper
  • 750ml chicken stock
  • 8 x top-quality pork sausages

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan.

Use a large metal roasting tin. Fold a sheet of baking parchment, large enough to cover the pan, in half and cut 4 slits to let out steam.

Put the roasting tin directly onto the hob and heat the olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté for a few minutes or until soft. Add the cumin seeds and stir for another minute.

Add the lentils, carrot, salt, pepper and stock, then bring to a simmer.

Gently place the sausages on top but don’t press them down into the lentils. Cover with the baking paper and gently press down so it sticks to the stock.

Bake for 25 minutes on the middle shelf, then remove the baking parchment and bake for another 20 minutes to brown the sausages.

Remove the pan from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes, then serve.

(Original recipe from recipetineats)

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Estouffade de porc

Posted in Food, Pork, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 18 March 2024| Leave a Comment »

We don’t subscribe to much on Substack but we make an exception for Debora Robertson. Debora writes about life in France and recommends a dinner party dish with an easy starter (usually shop-bought) every week. We’re always happy to see her next post and we highly recommend her recipe for pork estouffade – a French pork cassrole with honey and carrots. Minimal effort and great to share. Serve with mashed potatoes and cabbage.

Wine Suggestion: From Marjorie Gallet’s superlative Roc des Anges is her “Llum“, an insightful and crystalline Grenache Gris & Macabeu blend that sings with ripe stonefruit flavours and a minerally, salty backbone. Just perfect with a little richness and aromatic flavours from this dish.

Pork estouffade – serves 6

  • 1.6-1.8kg boned and rolled joint of pork, with some fat on and skin/rind removed
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 onions, thinly sliced
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • 6 cloves of garlic, halved, remove any green bits and thinly sliced
  • 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 bottle white wine
  • a pinch of saffron strands, soaked in a splash of warm water
  • 4 medium carrots, peeled and halved lengthways
  • 80g pitted green olives
  • 1 unwaxed orange – you will need to peel a strip of zest and then juice
  • about 10g of parsley leaves and fine stalks, roughly chopped

Pat the pork dry with kitchen paper and season all over with salt and pepper.

Warm the olive oil in a large heavy casserole ove a medium-high heat. Brown the pork all over – about 10 minutes, then remove to a plate and lower the heat.

Add the onions, bay leaves and thyme and sauté gently, stirring occasionally, until very soft and translucent but without browning, about 15 minutes.

Add the garlic to the pan and stir for a minute, then add the tomatoes, mustard, honey, and paprika and stir well. Pour in the wine, saffron and soaking water and simmer for 10 minutes.

Return the pork to the pan, along with any juices. Cover and simmer very gently for 2½ hours, turning the pork every 30 minutes. Add the carrot, olives, orange zest and juice. Taste and season if needed, then simmer very gently, uncovered, for another hour – check occasionally that the pork hasn’t stuck. The dish is ready when the pork is very tender and the sauce has thickened.

Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes, then stir in the parsley. Remove the string form the pork and carve it into thick slices. Serve with some sauce, the carrots, mashed potatoes and cabbage.

(Original recipe from Lickedspoon with Debora Robertson, Substack, 6 Jan 2024)

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Green Salad with Carrots and Pistachios

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 12 July 2023| Leave a Comment »

We spotted this salad idea in the Guardian so ate it outside with a barbecue … perfect!

Green salad with carrots and pistachios – serves 4

  • 4 carrots, grated
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 20g sultanas
  • 5 tsp white wine vinegar
  • 60ml olive oil
  • 1 small clove of garlic, crushed
  • 100g plain yoghurt
  • ½ tsp caster sugar
  • 10g mint leaves, finely chopped
  • 20g parsley leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 baby gem lettuce, leaves separated and halved lengthways
  • 1 white chicory, leaves separated and halved lengthways
  • 1 butterhead lettuce, leaves separated and large ones halved lengthways
  • 30g pistachios, toasted and lightly crushed

Mix the grated carrots with the mustard, sultanas, 4 tsp of white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp of olive oil and ½ tsp of salt in a small bowl, then leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the dressing in a large bowl by mixing 1 tsp white wine vinegar with 3 tbsp of the olive oil, the garlic, yoghurt, sugar, ¼ tsp of salt and plenty of black pepper.

Combine the chopped mint and parsley in a bowl.

Put the salad leaves and half the chopped herbs into the bowl with the dressing, then toss gently to coat.

Arrange the leaves on a shallot serving platter or bowl and scatter the marinated carrot on top. Serve with the rest of herbs and the pistachios sprinkled over.

(Original recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi in the Guardian.)

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Thai Carrot & Radish Salad

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 18 June 2023| Leave a Comment »

A tasty Thai-style salad that we served with barbecued chicken.

Thai carrot & radish salad – serves 4

  • 4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
  • 1 lime, zested and 2 tbsp juice
  • 1 tsp fish sauce
  • 1 Little Gem lettuce (we could only find Romaine the day we made this)
  • 2 carrots, cut into thin batons
  • 10 radishes, finely sliced
  • 4 scallions, sliced finely on the diagonal
  • a handful of coriander, roughly chopped

Mix the chilli sauce with the lime zest and juice, and fish sauce to make the dressing.

Arrange the lettuce leaves in a large bowl. Toss all the remaining ingredients with the dressing and add to the lettuce. Serve immediately.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Dublin Coddle

Posted in Food, Irish Food, Pork, Potato, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 20 February 2023| Leave a Comment »

We’ve never tried Dublin coddle, mainly because it tends to be served with anaemic sausages. In this recipe by Neven Maguire you brown them; a far more sensible approach altogether.

Wine Suggestion: This dish works perfectly with a Grenache blend. For us this time, a current favourite as they’re drinking so well, Romain Roche’s Côtes du Rhône. So well balanced and smooth, but with a warmth of sunshine and gentle, velvety spices.

Dublin Coddle – serves 4 to 6

  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • top-quality pork sausages – 2 per person
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 150g dry-cured bacon lardons
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 4 carrots, sliced
  • 750g potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (use a mandoline if you’ve got one)
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 400ml chicken stock
  • 15g butter
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

Heat half the oil in a large casserole dish and brown the sausages on all sides. Transfer to a board and cut each sausage into three chunky pieces, then set aside.

Add the rest of the oil to the pan and sauté the onions and bacon for 6-8 minutes, until lightly golden. Stir in the flour and thyme and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the sausages, carrots and half of the potatoes. Season generously, then shake to get everything even in the dish.

Turn off the heat and arrange the rest of the potatoes on top. Stir the Worcestershire sauce into the stock, then pour over the potatoes. Dot with the butter and season.

Cover the casserole with a lid and bake for 1 hour, then remove the lid and cook for another 30 minutes or until the topping is tender and golden brown. Scatter over the parsley to serve.

(Original recipe from More Midweek Meals by Neven Maguire, Gill Books, 2022.)

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Lamb, Carrot & Cumin Rice

Posted in Food, Lamb, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 16 December 2022| Leave a Comment »

This dish takes hours and it’s kind of hard to know if it’s all going to plan. We kept the faith and had delicious fluffy rice with tender lamb and carrots and a delicious crust on the buttom. Serve with some Greek yoghurt and pickles.

Wine Suggestion: This works well with an earthier red, either lighter and gentle, or an older richer style with a few years in the bottle. If you can fine Domaine Bargylus from Syria then you are in for a treat. The current vintage we have is 2014 (in 2022) and has beautiful rich core with layers of tertiary, warm spices.

Lamb, carrot & cumin rice – serves 6

  • vegetable oil for frying
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 700g lamb neck fillet, sliced 1cm thick
  • 2 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 3 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into batons
  • 500g basmati rice

Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat and pour in enough oil to cover the base. Sauté the onion until starting to brown at the edges. Stir in the sliced lamb, then add the cumin seeds and other dried spices. Stir to coat the meat in the mixture. Pour in enough boiling water to just cover the meat, then cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 hours. Remove the lid and cook for another 30 minutes or until cooking. You will need to stir occasionally and add a little more water if needed to stop the meat sticking. Remove from the heat, stir in the carrots and set aside.

Heat a large saucepan over a high heat, fill with boiling water and add lots of salt. Add the rice and parboil for 6 minutes. Empty the rice into a sieve and wash it with cold water until rinsed of starch and cold. Drain well and leave to stand for 10 minutes. Tip into a large bowl.

Rinse and dry the rice pan. Scrunch a large piece of baking paper into a ball, then open it out and use to line the sides and base of the clean pan. Drizzle in enough vegetable oil to generously coat the base of the pan and season the oil with salt.

Add the meat and carrot mixture to the rice, season generously with about 1 tbsp of sea salt flakes and black pepper, then fold together to combine. Gently pile the mixture into the lined pan in a mountain shape. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to to stab a series of holes that go right down to the base of the pan. Wrap the lid in a tea towel, then cover the pan and cook over the lowest possible temperature if using gas and medium-low for electric, for 45-60 minutes. If you have a diffuser for your gas hob you should use it and double the cooking time.

(Original recipe from Sirocco by Sabrina Ghayour, Mitchell Beazley, 2016.)

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Berbere Spiced Chicken, Carrots & Chickpeas

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 10 January 2022| 4 Comments »

This chicken dish is from OTK Shelf Love and is absolutely delicous; your kitchen will smell amazing. We had to try a few shops before we found the berbere spice, but it’s easily found online and worth the hunt. Out of interest this spice is integral to Ethiopian and Eritrean cooking and has a fiery, warm character that we now love. We served with roast Brussels sprouts with hazelnuts but any greens would be good.

Berbere spiced chicken, carrots & chickpeas – serves 4 to 6

  • 1 large onion, roughly chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 45g fresh coriander, separate the stocks and leaves and roughtly chop both
  • 2½ tbsp berbere spice
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 2½ tbsp runny honey
  • 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 6 tbsp olive oil
  • 800g carrots, peeled and cut into 4-5cm lengths
  • 2 tins of chickpeas, drained
  • 8 chicken thighs
  • 2-3 oranges, leave one whole and juice the rest to get 100ml

Heat the oven to 200C fan.

Put the onion, garlic, coriander stalks, berbere spice, tomato purée, honey, 1 tbsp of vinegar, 4 tbsp of oil, 1¾ tsp of salt and plenty of black pepper into a food processor and blend until smooth.

Put the mixture into a large roasting tin with the carrots, chickpeas, chicken thighs, orange juice and 150ml of water, then toss to combine.

Arrange the thighs so they are on the surface and skin-side up, then cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for another 40 minutes, turning the dish around half way through. Set aside for 10 minutes before serving.

Meanwhile, peel and segement the whole orange and roughly chop the flesh. Put the orange into a bowl with the coriander leaves, 2 tbsp of vinegar and 2 tbsp of oil. Season with salt and pepper and mix together.

When ready to serve, spoon the dressing over the baking dish and serve.

(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Test Kitchen Shelf Love by Noor Murad & Yotam Ottolenghi, Ebury Press, 2021.)

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Cumin Roasted Carrots with Honey, Lemon & St Tola

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 8 December 2021| Leave a Comment »

This is a great side dish for often uninspiring carrots. We served with chicken wings.

Cumin-roasted Carrots with Honey Lemon Dressing & St Tola – serves 4 to 6

  • 750g carrots, cut diagonally into 2½ cm slices
  • olive oil
  • 1½ heaped tbsp cumin seeds
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 tbsp clear honey
  • 100g St Tola, or other soft goats’ cheese
  • a bunch of dill, leaves roughly chopped
  • a good sprinkle of nigella seeds

Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C.

Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Spread the carrots over the baking tray and drizzle with plenty of olive oil. Sprinkle over cumin seeds and season well with salt and peper. Toss to coat, then roast for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through.

Mix the lemon juice and honey together until the honey dissolves. Drizzle this over the carrots and toss to coat, then roast for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until slightly sticky.

Transfer the carrots to a serving plate, crumble over the cheese, then sprinkle with dill and nigella seeds.

(Original recipe from Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour, Mitchell Beazley, 2014.)

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Pot-roast Beef

Posted in Beef, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 14 November 2021| Leave a Comment »

We don’t cook roast beef too often, because we’re lucky enough to have good friends who do! However we liked the look of this one as it all cooks in one pot and so thought we’d give it a go. It’s a very forgiving dish to cook – easy to get right and with loads of veg cooked in the same dish. Some greens on the side is all you need.

Wine Suggestion: A good, honest Bordeaux blend is what works here. For us it was the Chateau Monconseil Gazin from Blaye which always over-delivers in panache and lovely fruit for the value pricing.

Pot-roast beef – serves 4

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 12 shallots, peeled
  • 2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
  • 2 large carrots, cut into chunks
  • 400g baby potatoes, halved
  • 2 tsp mustard powder
  • 1kg silverside or beef topside, extra fat removed
  • 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 sprig of thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 150ml red wine
  • 600ml beef stock
  • 2 tsp butter
  • 2 tsp plain flour
  • 1-2 tsp redcurrant jelly

Preheat the oven to 160C/Fan 140C/Gas 3.

Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish with a lid. Add the shallots, celery, carrots and potatoes. Cook over a high heat until everything is starting to brown, then remove from the dish with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Mix the mustard powder with salt and pepper, then use this to dust the beef. Add the beef to the casserole and brown on all sides, you can add a little more oil if needed.

Arrange the browned vegetables around the beef, then add the garlic, thyme and bay leaves. Pour in the wine and bring to the boil and allow to bubble for a few minutes, then add the stock and bring to the boil again.

Cover the dish with the lid and place in the oven to 2 hours, turning the beef over halfway through. Remove the beef from the oven and check that it’s tender, then transfer the beef and vegetables to a warm platter and cover loosely with foil.

Knead the butter and flour together to make a paste, then whisk this into the cooking liquid, a little at a time, until thickened. Taste for seasoning, then stir in the redcurrant jelly, to taste. Serve the gravy with the meat and vegetables.

(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers’ One Pot Wonders by Si King & Dave Myers, Seven Dials 2019.)

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Coleslaw

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 12 October 2021| Leave a Comment »

Coleslaw is a bit divisive, people tend to love it or hate it, and not helped by that gloopy stuff you buy in plastic tubs. This version is much superior!

Coleslaw – serves 4 or more

  • 50g crème fraîche or sour cream
  • 50g mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • ¼ small white cabbage, finely shredded
  • 1-2 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
  • ½ white onion, very finely sliced
  • juice of ½ a lemon, or 1 tbsp cider or white wine vinegar

Mix the crème fraîche or sour cream with the mayonnaise and mustard, and season to taste.

Put everything else into a large bowl, then add the mayonnaise mixture and mix to combine. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

(Original recipe from Camper Van Cooking by Claire Thompson & Matt Williamson, Quadrille: Hardie Grant Publishing, 2021.)

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Spiced Carrot Soup

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 13 May 2021| 1 Comment »

This is one of those recipes that we spotted in the paper and realised we had all the ingredients. It’s yummy – perfect for mid-week lunches.

Spiced carrot soup – serves 4

  • 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • a large pinch of chilli flakes
  • 750g carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 litre hot vegetable stock
  • 100g red lentils
  • 2 bay leaves
  • fresh mint and parsley, to serve

Warm the olive oil in a deep saucepan over a medium heat, then add the onion. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic and continue cooking for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft but not coloured.

Add the cumin, ground coriander and chilli flakes, then add the carrots and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the hot stock to the saucepan, then add the lentils, a little salt and the bay leaves.

Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partially covered with a lid, for 25-30 minutes or until the carrots and lentils are soft.

Whizz the soup in a blender or with a stick blender until you have a thick purée.

Season to taste and garnish with the fresh herbs.

(Original recipe by Nigel Slater in The Guardian, 25 Apr 2021)

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Irish Stew

Posted in Food, Irish Food, Lamb, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 17 March 2021| Leave a Comment »

This is a classic for a reason and you really shouldn’t wait until St Patrick’s day to make it; although for some reason that’s what we do every year. It’s a meal in a bowl but if you want to go all out you can serve it with colcannon and turnip mash with bacon and onions. Beware… we kept on taking seconds … and thirds…

Wine Suggestion: The Irish have a great affinity with Spanish wine, so we picked a Mencia from Bierzo, the Dominio de Tares “Baltos” which was full of flavour as well as vibrantly fresh with resolved and mildly spice tannins.

Irish Stew – serves 6 to 8

  • 900g boneless lamb neck or shoulder, trimmed and cut into cubes
  • 900ml lamb or chicken stock, home-made preferably
  • 50g pearl barley, washed
  • 225g potatoes, cut into chunks
  • 225g carrots, thickly sliced
  • 225g leeks, well trimmed and thickly sliced
  • 225g pearl onions, peeled (if you can’t get these you can use halved shallots)
  • 100g smoked bacon, diced
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • chopped flat-leaf parsley to garnish

Put the lamb pieces into a large flameproof casserole and pour over the stock.

Bring to the boil, then skim off any scum from the surface and stir in the barley. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 50 minutes, until slightly reduced and the lamb should be almost tender.

Add the potatoes, carrots, leeks, pearl onions, smoked bacon and thyme and simmer for 30 minutes or until the lamb and vegetables are completely tender but not falling apart. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Scatter the parsley over the top and serve.

(Original recipe from Neven Maguire’s Complete Family Cookbook, Gill Books, 2016.)

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Spicy Carrot & Chickpea Pitta

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 1 February 2021| Leave a Comment »

Our default lockdown lunch is soup, it helps with the heating bills! We ran out of soup last week and found this recipe when looking for lunch inspiration that would use the only ingredient left in the fridge – carrots. It was really very nice. 

Spicy Carrot & Chickpea Pitta – serves 4

  • 50g butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 heaped tsp of cumin seeds
  • 4 large carrots, cut into 2cm thick rounds
  • 1 large garlic clove, finely sliced
  • finely grated zest of an orange, plus a good squeeze of the juice
  • 1 tsp hot smoked paprika
  • 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 4 pitta breads
  • yoghurt or sour cream to serve

Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and fry for a couple of minutes, then add the carrots and fry for 8-10 minutes. The carrots should be tender and starting to brown, but still with a bit of bite. 

Add the garlic, orange zest, paprika, and chickpeas and cook until the chickpeas are hot. Remove from the heat, season well with salt, pepper and a good squeeze of orange juice. 

Warm the pitta breads in a toaster or under the grill, then stuff the mixture into the pockets and top with yoghurt or sour cream. 

(Original recipe from River Cottage Veg Everyday! by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Bloomsbury, 2011.)

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Mince

Posted in Beef, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 9 January 2021| 2 Comments »

Growing up in Northern Ireland Jules often had mince and potatoes for dinner. The “mince” was minced beef with carrot and onions in gravy and it was served with boiled potatoes. We saw this recipe recently in a book of ‘British Classics’ where it was served with dumplings. Dumplings definitely did not feature on Jules’ childhood dinner table, so we left these out and served it with champ. A huge hit with the 7 year old and much more economical than many of our other weekend recipes.

Wine Suggestion: Keep it simple and choose a Grenache & Syrah blend like a Côtes du Rhône or similar. Rich enough but generally easy drinking with lovely bramble and spice flavours. Our current “find” is Jean-Paul Daumen’s version which balances this ease with a good dollop of class.

Mince – serves 6

  • 2 tbsp veg oil
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 celery sticks, finely sliced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 500g beef mince
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 450ml beef stock
  • a pinch of caster sugar
  • 1 bay leaf

Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion, garlic, celery and carrots for 15 minutes or until softened and lightly browned.

Add the beef mince and cook for another 5 minutes, until it starts to brown. Break the mince up with a wooden spoon as it browns.

Add the tomatoes, tomato purée, beef stock, sugar and bay leaf. Season with salt and black pepper, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover with a lid if it reduces too much but you want it to be nicely thickened.

Serve with green veg and potatoes.

(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers’ British Classics by Si King & Dave Myers, Seven Dials, 2018.)

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Carrot, Pistachio & Dill Salad, with a Lime & Honey Dressing

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 4 November 2020| Leave a Comment »

This is a good side dish to serve with richer dishes. It’s light and zingy which is just what’s needed sometimes. Another great combination of flavours suggested by Sabrina Ghayour. 

Carrot, pistachio & dill salad with lime & honey dressing – serves 4 to 6

  • 500g carrots, coarsely grated
  • ½ a small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 75g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
  • about 30g of dill, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp nigella seeds

FOR THE DRESSING: 

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
  • 1 generous tbsp of runny honey

Mix all the dressing ingredients together and season well with sea salt and black pepper.

Put the other ingredients into a large bowl. Add the dressing when you’re ready to serve and toss gently to coat. Check the seasoning and serve. 

(Original recipe from Simply by Sabrina Ghayour, Mitchell Beazley, 2020.)

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Sweet Potato & Carrot Mash

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 20 October 2020| Leave a Comment »

Yes it really is this vibrant in colour. This dish marries a sweetness from the two vegetables with a contrasting and complimentary earthiness from the cumin and pungent garlic to form a harmonious whole; neither sweet, nor overtly earthy. We like it a lot.

Sweet Potato & Carrot Mash – serves 4

  • 500g sweet potatoes, chopped
  • 500g carrots, chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, bashed
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
  • 25g butter

Put the sweet potatoes, carrots and garlic into a large pan of salty water, bring to the boil and cook for 12 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Add the toasted cumin seeds, butter and seasoning and roughly mash. 

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Creamed Carrots

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 14 September 2020| Leave a Comment »

Creamed Carrots

This is a lovely side dish to serve alongside lamb koftas or something similar. We had it for dinner with just some brown rice and that was surprisingly good too.

Creamed Carrots – serves 4

  • 400g carrots, coarsely grated
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • a thumb-sized piece of ginger, finely shredded
  • 3-4 small, hot green chillies, finely chopped
  • a thick slice of butter
  • 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
  • 2 tbsp cashew nuts, toasted in a dry pan or in the oven, roughly chopped
  • 4 tbsp double cream
  • 4 heaped tbsp natural yoghurt
  • a good handful of coriander leaves
  • a squeeze of lime

Melt the butter in a frying pan, then add the garlic, ginger and mustard seeds and cook for a minute before adding the chopped chillies. Stir together for a minute then add the carrots and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Stir the cream and yoghurt together and fold into the hot carrots with some seasoning. Immediately tip into a serving dish and top with the cashew nuts, coriander leaves and lime.

(Original recipe from Tender Volume I  by Nigel Slater, Fourth Estate, 2009)

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Pot-roast Veal with Carrots and Orange

Posted in Food, tagged , , , , , , on 2 August 2020| 3 Comments »

Pot-roast Veal with Carrots and Orange

We’re very excited to be getting veal and goat from Broughgammon Farm in County Antrim. Last week we bought a veal roasting joint and it was incredible. The orange provides only a subtle background flavour, a bit like a daube. Serve with all your usual roast accompaniments – we had buttered new potatoes, green beans and cauliflower cheese.

Wine Suggestion: This dish is very French influenced and so a French wine is a good choice. A syrah is a great match, so choose a good local one with a little bit of age if you can. For us we raided our cellar for a lonely bottle of Pierre Gaillard’s Côte Rôtie Rose Pourpre 2010 which was all velvety spices, damsons, violets and plums. It had aged wonderfully.

Pot-roast veal with carrots & orange – serves 6

  • 1.5kg rump of veal or shoulder (rolled and tied)
  • a bunch of thyme
  • 3 garlic cloves, one sliced and the other two bashed
  • 25g butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 800g new-season carrots, trim but leave a little of the green stalks
  • 1 large shallot, roughly chopped
  • a sprinkling of icing sugar
  • zest of ½ an orange, pared into strips
  • 150ml white wine
  • 350ml chicken stock

When you get the veal home, remove the packaging and season it generously with fine sea salt or kosher salt, then leave covered in the fridge until you need it. Take it out of the fridge about an hour before you want to cook it.

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

Tuck some sprigs of thyme and the sliced garlic into the veal. You can make some incisions with a small knife and push them in if necessary.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large ovenproof casserole. Spend 10-15 minutes browning the veal joint until really well coloured all over, then remove from the pan.

Add the shallot, carrots and icing sugar to the pan and toss around for about 5 minutes or until slightly caramelised. Remove the carrots and set aside but leave everything else in the dish. Add the rest of the thyme, the bashed garlic cloves and the orange zest. Set the veal back into the dish, then pour over the wine, followed by the chicken stock. Cover the dish and put into the oven for 1 hour.

Take the dish out of the oven, add the carrots, then return to the oven for another hour with the lid off.

The meat should now be deliciously tender. Let it sit for a few minutes before carving into slices and serve with the carrots and pan juices.

(Original recipe by BBC Good Food)

 

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Barbecued Prawn Kebabs with Harissa & Couscous

Posted in Barbecue, Fish, Food, Prawns, Shellfish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 16 June 2020| Leave a Comment »

Barbecued Prawn Kebabs with Harissa & Couscous

A healthy, weeknight dish with lovely flavours. Another recipe for using up bits and bobs you may already have which is our primary motivation for cooking mid-week.

Wine Suggestion: a fresh white or a crisp, dry rosé would be our choice for this dish. We had a glass of the Chateau Pesquie Terrasses Rosé from Ventoux (and quite Provençal in style) and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Barbecued prawn kebabs with harissa & couscous – serves 4

  • 2 ½ tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, halved lengthways, then each half quartered into 4 chunks
  • 1 ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • 3 carrots, coarsely grated
  • 200g couscous
  • 400g raw prawns
  • 16 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp harissa
  • 2 tsp tahini paste
  • 2 tbsp low-fat natural yoghurt
  • 1 small garlic clove, crushed
  • juice ½ lemon, plus wedges, to serve
  • handful mint leaves, roughly chopped

Put 1 ½ tbsp of olive oil into a large sauté pan over a medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened but not coloured, they’ll fall apart and that’s fine. Scoop them out of the pan and set aside.

Heat the remaining tbsp of oil in the same pan, add the cumin seeds and toast for a few minutes until they smell good. Tip the carrots into the pan and season, then cook for a few minutes or until tender. Transfer to a bowl, then pour over the couscous and 400ml hot water. Cover with cling film and leave for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, get your barbecue going. Put the prawns, cherry tomatoes and softened onions in another bowl, season, then stir in the harissa. Thread the prawns, tomatoes and onions onto metal skewers (you can use wooden ones either but you need to soak in water for 20 minutes first). Barbecue the kebabs for a couple of minutes on each side, or until the prawns are cooked through.

Mix the tahini, yoghurt, garlic, lemon juice and seasoning to make a sauce. Fork the mint though the couscous, transfer to a platter and place the skewers on top. Serve with the sauce and lemon wedges.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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