What type of cook are you?

Sadly nothing exciting has happened in my food world today.  I had mango, pomegranate and muesli for breakfast followed by my wicked (I live in E17 – I can say this with conviction) carrot, chilli and red lentil soup for lunch.

So, I’ve flipped back through my memory archives (the ones that are still functioning after years of just one glass) and realised that there are lots of different types of cooks. 

I fit firmly into the “well, I can use this instead” category which generally weight ingredients but isn’t afraid to ‘go off piste’ and substitute.  This generally works quite well – except for baking and Chinese food when I managed to make very odd porridge out of mooli rather than turnip cakes.

There is then the ‘I will only do what the recipe instructs’ cook who follows the instructions down to the letter – not only finding all the ingredients but occasionally buying brand new pans and timing things down to the second.   These types of cooks tend to be men (sorry for the gross generalisation) and I have watched with my ex’s reaction when he found an unlisted ingredient in the middle of a recipe.  Big boy tantrum - very very funny!

Occasionally, the find a “bomb-site” cook who not only uses every item in the entire kitchen to make a cheese sandwich but somehow manages to get ingredients that they should not be using up the kitchen wall.  I will never forget the look of disgust from my big-boned tabby cat who had tomato puree all down her back having visited in the kitchen when a former flatmate was cooking.

Now some advanced cooks are of the “a little pinch of this” variety but they tend to be mothers (worshiping at the shrine of the mom) or those who have cooked a similar recipe so many times, they could do it in their sleep.  Very little throws this type of cook and I jealously watch them as they sprinkle herbs into a dish and it ACTUALLY turns out okay.   Pretty sure if I did that, food poisoning would be my friend and the Food Standard people might pop round for a chat.

Finally, there is the “panic cook” who takes too much on so by the time you sit down for a meal, they are exhausted.  Not too exhausted however as  they keep asking you if the food is okay, is it too salty, are the noodles soft enough etc. until you want to scream or curl into a little ball and sob until they leave you alone.

We all are likely to channel some of these personalities when we cook but I figure if we find a cuisine which suits your personality then life is probably going to be a bit easier.

Lxx

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Decadent but Delicious

Onion rings get a bad rap as those that are produced in the standard tex-mex or American chain restaurant are generally vile.  Thick, crumb covered and all together too greasy to be enjoyable.   Nasty!

So after a bit of research, I found the following recipe for home-made onion rings which are light and tasty.

• 120 g of corn flour (or plain flour at a push)
• 100 ml of soda water (or fizzy water) - col
• 250 ml vegetable oil (olive oil can't be used but rape seed can)
• One onion

1. Cut up the onion into rings (about 1 cm thick) and then Blanch in boiling water.  This cooks them a little and reduces cooking time so they are a little less greasy
2. Mix the flour and soda water into a batter consistency.  You can add flavouring so chili, garlic salt or even herbs work a treat.
3. Heat the oil and test by dropping in a little batter.  When it bubbles up, the oil is ready.
4. Dip the onion into the batter and drop into the hot oil.  When it bubbles up, leave it for a minute and then remove and pop on kitchen paper to drain.

These are lovely, crispy and not actually too greasy.  Glorious

L xx

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Super Soup

We all know that buying lunch each day at work (and breakfast for that matter) can be incredibly expensive.  Especially in London as a sandwich, drink and a packet of crisps can add up to at least £5 a day or £25 a week or £1,190 a year.  I don't even want to calculate how much the occasional coffee (£1.99 for a latte at pret) costs.

So, I tend to make my lunch.  Not only is it cheaper but I can control the portions and ensure that I have loads of vegetables.  Soup is very good and I tend to make butternut soup but I thought I might make something different this week so ventured into the world of spicy red lentil and carrot.

First is the hard bit, grate 500g of carrots (don't worry about peeling them).  Add 1 tsp of cumin seeds and 1 tsp of chili flakes to the pot and dry fry until they start to pop.  I didn't have cumin seeds so I used some cumin powder and mustard seeds.

Add the grated carrot, 2 tbsp of olive oil, 140g of split red lentils, 1.75 pints of vegetable stock, and 1 potato (grated and chopped).  Cook for about 15 minutes or until the lentils are soft.  Leave the soup to cool and then blitz until smooth.

Drizzle with Greek yogurt for the slight acid and sprinkle with dried garlic and chili.  Serve for lunch or a light dinner.  Or, grill a couple of spicy sausages (merguez sausage or spicy boerewors) and pop on top of the hot soup.  Weird but wonderful

L x

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Back off I don't need Palm Oil that much

I love animals and love nature.  Indeed, I tend to believe that we are given this planet to look after for future generations - we may not live to see it but I want my children to enjoy all the things I did. 

This message in some form has been heard by western society and many Governments are working towards this goal. In addition, people are starting to look at the providence of food and using seasonality to determine their menus.  However, while we are prepared to do this at home, some of the actions which happen in our name in the third world upset me deeply.  

Palm oil is a huge problem as it is a significant ingredient in many food processed foods and also some types of bio-fuel as well as cosmetics but it causes irreversible damage to the natural environment. In Borneo, Orangutans are butchered as they stand in the way of plantations being established and are seen as nasty pests.  The Sumatran Tiger is also facing a grim future.

But do we actually need to use this?  Well, most environmental groups agree that the cost of harvesting the bio-fuel out weights any benefits of using it and a recent report said it pollutes more than crude oil so essentially, we should probably just leave it alone.  And what about in food?  Well, many companies pop it under 'vegetable oil' so you may never know that your chocolate bar or margarine is helping to deforest the planet.

Some companies are doing something and it is worth looking at http://www.greenpalm.org/ to see who uses sustainable palm oil products.  Indeed, Boots, Waitrose and Cadburys are stand out companies and only use sustainable products but some companies like Lidl and Aldi refuse to explain their palm oil stances.

So what can we do?  Read the labels, read up on the issues and eat less processed food.  Not so hard when you consider that by making these choices means that others will live.

L xx

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Happiness is Haggis

From my blog, I'm assuming that you've guessed I will try anything once!  Well, food and wine but not sure about men.  Nope, pretty sure about men, won't try anything once in that sphere as there are far too many special (i.e riding the short bus) people.

But back to food (much easier to manage), I like trying new things and three/four years ago, I went to a burns night.  This Scottish tradition celebrates Robert Burns and is generally held on his birthday which is 25 January.   They read his poetry (including ode to Haggis) and it is generally really quite proudly wode covered Scottish.

Now to the food, Haggis, Neeps and Tatties are traditional.  Haggis is a glorious peppery meaty dish of pluck (heart, liver and lungs) mince with onions, oatmeal, suet, spices (including pepper) and salt mixed with stock.  It is generally cooked in the animals stomach (which incidentally for the squeamish is often used as sausage casing) for about three hours.  It is utterly glorious when served with tatties (mash) and neeps (turnips). 

Finished off with a bit of whisky (which incidentally needs to be Scottish not Irish if you don't want to be lynched).  And well, it is glorious and I can't recommend it enough.

Try is and you might be pleasantly surprised.

L x

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Halfway between Fresh and Bought Curry

From the blog, I guess you realise I rather like spicy foods – especially Chinese or Indian curry.  However, I don’t like the bottled sauces as they all seem to be too sweet, not spicy enough, not hot enough – in essence, anything one of the three bears complained about with regards to porridge.

However, as with the rest of humanity, as I arrive home from a busy day, the last thing I want to be doing is opening lots of packets/pots of spice or walking around my local Turkish store muttering about garam masala.    This is generally frowned on and frightens the other customers.

So in my effort to find a halfway house, I found Werners Original at my local Savanna.  This supplier of South African food is located in Liverpool Street and the staff are lovely.  They provide brilliant meat such as boerewors as well as staples.

Werners Original Durban Curry comes in 4 varieties (mild through to really quite hot) and consists of a recipe as well as a packet of powdered spices and a packet of non-powdered spices.  The powdered spices are the normal malalas, tumeric etc. and the non-powdered include bay leaves, cloves and cardamom.

You dust the meat in the powdered spices and then use the rest as you cook it down with tomatoes, potatoes and onions.  They suggest serving with rice or chutney.

Tasted utterly brilliant – far better than the bottled stuff without the faff of DIY – would thoroughly recommend it.

L xx

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Butternut Squash - My favorite simple recipes

Vegetables are glorious (apart from parsnips which are rotten carrots touched by evil) and I really work to ensure that not only do I eat a variety but I also eat lots of them. 

One of my favourite is butternut squash – quiet similar to pumpkin with a sweet nutty flavour.    Apparently is packed full of vitamin c, a and e as well as manganese, magnesium and potassium.

We use lots of it in South Africa and my two favourite recipes are:

Butternut Soup

Take one butternut, peel it, remove the seeds and chop into chunks.  Then boil it in vegetable stock (about a litre but really just enough to cover it) with a peeled chopped medium potato until both are soft.   Blitz until smooth and season to taste with pepper and salt.

Before I serve, I quite often add a sprinkling of rocket (for that peppery taste) or grind fresh chili on top.   So lovely and tasty!

Roast Butternut

Take one butternut, peel it, remove the seeds and chop into chunks.  Brush with oil (flavoured oils like chili and garlic work well) and roast on a medium heat until soft and the edges are just a bit charred.

Serve either as a hot vegetable with a meal or wait until it cools, sprinkle with Feta and pine nuts.   This also makes a magic filling for cannelloni or a savoury pie.

 Experiment and see what you can do!

L x

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Detox Off!

As an inveterate dieter, I keep reading about detox.  The concept of giving your body a rest before returning to the merry-go-round of alcohol, gluten, red meat and wine.  By drinking fruit smoothies according to Carol Vorderman you can recharge your life, others suggest that following Beyonce and living off cayenne pepper/lemon juice and hope might help.

And, I'm sure starving yourself does help with weight loss.  However to my logic, filling your car once a year with high octane fuel and then popping in the cheapest at the pump for 364 days isn't going to make your car happier.  So perhaps rather than trying to fix the damage of 51 weeks in a week, we should look at making tweaks to our lives on a day to day basis. 

Nothing radical but the following things are pretty easy to fit into your life:

1. One cup of green tea per day - lots of antioxidents and look at the Chinese they seem to live for ages.
2. Water, Water, Water - all the super models claim to drink litres so add a glass occasionally,
3. Exercise - I loath exercise but know that getting off a station earlier makes me feel pretty good.

I'll let you know how it goes and if (by some miracle) I end up looking like Cindy Crawford!

L xx

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Ode to Roast Chicken

My very favourite Sunday night meal is a roast chicken which provides me with a tasty meal, meat for the week and some scraps for the cats.  

I tend to use good chicken - free range, free from and as happy as possible!  I know that this is a bit more expensive but to me not only does it sit better with my conscious but it also tastes better.  If the meat is going to be the star of the show and not cooked to flavour it, then I generally think that it needs to be the best possible. 

I tend to spatch-cock it which (at least to me) means to lie the chicken breast down on the chopping board and cut down the middle.  This means it cooks better and more of the skin is crispy (which is my very favourite bit).

I then dry the chicken before oiling it and using pepper, salt, chili and garlic to flavour.  I roast it on a high-ish heat for a bit and then turn the heat down and roast until the chicken is done.  The dripping makes an amazing gravy and nothing tastes as a nice as freshly roast chicken.

Thanks

L x

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A little bit of Turkish ........

I love Turkish food!  Most people seem to assume that it is kebabs after a late night - unidentifiable meat, garlic sauce and weird greenery.  Nothing that you might eat if you were sober or not suffering from the extreme munchies.

However, there are more and more proper Turkish restaurants - especially, in E17 where I live.  My favourite is Cinar which is at the 'less fashionable' end of Walthamstow High Street as a blogger recently called it. Personally, I like to think of it as more diverse, less urban and affordable but different strokes for different folks.

Cinar is opposite St James Street Station and does take-away as well as delivery (within a 3 mile radius). As you enter the restaurant, on the right there is the traditional Turkish restaurant set up of grill and assorted salads.  However, this looks far more upmarket and smells brilliant.

The decor is perhaps what you might call 'Traditional Turkish' and very charming.  The food is so very good.  Borek (which is traditional puff-pastry with cheese), Anatolian Liver, Kebabs, Imam Baldi (braised aubergine with onion and garlic) and Russian salad.

The service is good and the wine is not bad at all for a local restaurant.  Finally, their Turkish coffee is pretty much perfect and as their prices are reasonable, it doesn't have to be save for a treat.

L xx

My Favorite London Bars

I've worked in PR for 12-years so I've done just a little bit of drinking in London - maybe visited a couple of bars or two.  Some of the best are relatively well known but I do have a few which I adore and will probably regret telling you about .......

1. Bar on the top of Waterstones at Picadilly Circus - I love the concept of browsing in Europe's Biggest book store before having a couple of cocktails with a view of London (including the eye).  Very chic, very sex in the city - the London version.
2. The Player in Broadwick Street is a private members club after 11 but until then they serve lovely champaign cocktails and it as the brilliant feel of an after hours boozer.
3. The White Swan is on Fetter Lane near the legal district and is part gastro pub and part boozer.  The food on the top floor is fine dining and they hold regular foodie evening.  Brilliant - even if they are shut for a refurb until 30 Jan.
4. In summer, the Founders Arms next to the Millenium Bridge is perfect for drinks in the sun and the food isn't bad either.

Not giving away all my secrets but these are a pretty good start.

L x

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Ooo, do I have?

I'm pretty organised at work but my home life is a little less organised.  I suppose I suffer from the 'well-it-is-cheap' syndrome,  so as I wander around the supermarket, I pick up the market-down meat to freeze and if something I need is on offer, I pick up a few packets.  I also can't resist a new ethnic food - something I don't know how to cook but really do want to try.

This tends to mean that in addition to the fresh food in my kitchen, I have random pasta, odd pots of chili sauce, lots of chickpeas and loads of herbs.   As I shop on a daily or weekly basis as I walk past the supermarket on the way home, am horribly indecisive about food and don't actually have a car, I find that eventually I get to a stage when my cupboards are full.

Not only that but I also find that occasionally, I over buy on fruit and vegetables so they start to wilt before I manage to eat them.  It just seems to wrong to throw-away good food - especially when food inflation is sky rocketing and we are all merrily trooping to Lidl to cut costs.

Well for the veg, I cook and either make sauces or simply just freeze frozen. Nothing as nice as realising that you've got a lovely tomato sauce in the freezer when you trudge home from a long day.

And for the contents of the cupboards and freezer?  Well, one day a week, I take three ingredients out of the cupboard and 'free-style' a meal.  My favourites have been:

• Chickpea surprise - tomato, chili, onion and mushrooms cooked down with a tin of chickpeas added and cooked.  I've also added bacon in the past which was lovely.
• Lemon, egg, garlic and oil = garlic mayonnaise which is lovely fresh and makes chicken magic.
• Cauliflower, chili, garlic and a bit of oil - roast cauliflower which is potentially one of my most amazing free styles.

A bit of creativity and not only is my cupboard much easier to get into but I can now try that unidentifiable fruit, I keep walking past.

L x

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Could you meet your meat?

The majority of people wander into their local generic supermarket and peruse the aisles before choosing salami, a joint of pork or their piece of steak.  It gets taken home and eaten by the family with little though about where it has come from.  But perhaps if we thought about the fact that our glorious veal casserole was once a sentient being, we might opt for the veggies more often?

I suspect that for most people, if they had to tell Mr. Pig that he was about to become bacon or slaughter a cow, they would rather quickly become more reluctant to eat meat.   This is obviously not practical for many in Western society but we need to be more conscious about where our food really comes from which is likely to see an increase in quality and welfare standards.

I personally don’t advocate vegetarianism (being deeply anaemic and all) but I do think that in the western diet, we focus far too much on the protein aspect of a meal.  Most ‘real’ men seen to consider a meal without meat as some sort of con-job. From history, I can only assume that this was because meat was a treat and the fact that we can eat it is a sign of good fortune. 

But in a nation which significantly obesity and a world with huge green-house gas liabilities, would it not pay to eat more vegetables?  A great meal could be baked-potato gratin with green veg or bean stew with loads of fresh crunchy bread.  What about vegetarian fajitas?  To me, all of those are main meals and pretty good too.

Perhaps ‘conscious’ consumption is where it is at.  Eat meat but know what that means?  L x

Grow some bloody backbone

I've been told that I am a nice person - not in a 'the only way to describe someone" way but apparently in fun, friendly, enjoy spending time with you and wish you the best way.  However, I have also been told that perhaps I am too nice - that I get walked over because I don't want to offend or simply don't worry about it or even just can't be arsed.

This has been percolating around in my mind as I try to work out if this is true. Psychologists say that there are many different truths - those we all know, those only I know and those that they know.  Unfortunately, I am starting to realise that perhaps they might be right ..................

I am not hugely confident - in fact, I tend to be hugely surprised when people like me, when men find me attractive and when carefully laid plans come off.  So perhaps the need 'not rock the boat' means I don't stick up for myself and let others get away with things.

While obviously, I don't intend to morph into Anna Wintour, I think it is time that I grew some backbone ...........   if I don't want to do something and there is no real reason why I should then I think that I might just try to say No - without trying to lie about why I don't want to.

Lets see if that makes life simpler

L x

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Lack of preparation causes ……..

Pretty sure the response is piss poor performance and this appears to apply to my food intake too.  By neglecting to work out breakfast on Sunday night, I was ‘forced’ to eat a pretzel which admittedly was lovely (thank you Pret) but did have 371 calories and lots of carbs!

I also had a latte which was low-fat but if I had gone for the full-fat goodness would have been 194 calories.  So 565 calories or 47% of my 1200 basic calorie intake for the day.  And somewhat frustratingly as the meal wasn’t low GI, I was starving by 12:30 so needed to eat earlier than I normally do.

I don’t normally count calories but have realised that it I don’t get my act together, I will find it impossible to loose weight.  This does raise the question that perhaps those who are overweight are too busy or simply too disorganised to really tackle weight loss?  Not trying to move the blame away from all those nasty fast food place but we all need to take some responsibility and the thought did occur.

Right off to the supermarket tonight to stock up on breakfast food

Lxx

Wicked Mashed Potato

As I've mentioned in the past, everyone has a comfort food.  One of mine is mashed potato - really good mashed potato.  None of that nasty smash stuff - which I realise for some is the height of dehydrated instant mashed potato goodness.

I realise that some chefs use ricers (kitchen implements with tiny holes to squeeze the potato through) and Saint Delia even uses a electric whisk, but I am pretty committed to tradition.  So, peel a few potatoes and them pop them into boiling water until they are soft.

Perhaps betraying a decidedly non-foodie bent but I use the nice all purpose potatoes.  Yes, nothing fancy about this mash - certainly not worthy of a five star restaurant but pretty appropriate for my kitchen.

Drain the potatoes and then pull out the potato masher and crush the potatoes.  I tend to add the butter and milk in half way through the process and keep mashing until I hit the desired consistency.  Now at the end is when the magic happens and I add the wicked bits ........

• Crispy bacon bits
• Fried onion pieces (and of course, the bit of oil)
• Garlic Mayonnaise rather than butter
• Spring onion (finely chopped)
• Chili (bit of lovely finely chopped chili)

Obviously not all of them but bacon and onion do go rather well together.  If you want to feel particularly naughty, I recommend eating it from the pot in front of the TV with a glass of white wine.  Somewhere I am sure that when I do this my mother is cringing.

Lol

L x

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Cape Malay Curry - Some of the best of the rainbow nation

South Africa has been called the rainbow nation and the food is no different.  From Braais to Boerewors to Blatjang, we produce some of the most gorgeous cuisine (or I think so)

One of my favourites is Cape Malay food - most specifically, curry!  The Cape Malay people who number about 200,000 live predominantly in the western cape and brought Islam to South Africa in the late 1600's when they arrived as slaves from South East Asia (mainly Java).

This heritage has transferred to their food and their curry is hot, spicy and slightly sweet.  They tend to contain spices such as cinnamon, ginger and curry powder but also dried fruit (especially apricots) as well as onions and garlic.  My favourite is bobotie which is essentially curry with an egg custard on top.   Sounds vile but this is utterly amazing and well the best hangover food in the known universe.

This dish is very traditional and one of the best recipes can be found in Cass Abrahams Cooks Cape Malay . She is the doyenne of Cape Malay cooking and the book contains other curry recipes including crayfish curry as well as a host of sweets.  It also talks you through the various feasts and other events in the Malay culture.

Bredie is also a cape Malay dish and while it isn't a curry but rather a stew, it definitely follows this tradition.  Tomato Bredie is essentially mutton stew with Cinnamon, cardamon, cloves and chilli.  This can also be made with cape water lily flowers (only in South Africa).

This has all made me rather homesick so am off for a nice crisp glass of Saffa wine.

L x

For the love of Salad

In my quest to upscale (lovely marketing word) my fruit and vegetable intake, I’ve started eating salad for lunch.  Now when I tell most people this, I see this look of horror and pity (a la poor little fat girl trying to loose weight) as they imagine plate after plate of greenery.

However, they appear to be missing the point of salad and making vast assumptions.  To clarify – yes, green salad exists but not all salads look like the contents of a lawn mowers waste bag.  My salads tend to include:

–                    Protein – Tuna or steak or chicken – basically diced what every I had for dinner the night before (within reason of course)

–                    Lots of crunchy vegetables such as red peppers, red onion, radishes and celery – fresh and from my local Turkish supermarket as their vegetables taste lovely (far nicer than some of the large supermarkets stock)

–                    Fruit – controversial but love mango with chicken and even strawberries tossed in balsamic

–                    Fruit and nuts – nothing is as lovely as toasted pine nuts or currants sprinkled across a salad. 

–                    Exciting bits and bobs –  Eggs, anchovies, pickles and olives all float my boat but I am sure you can think of lots of other things.

The salad should then be dressed with my mothers French dressing – none of that nasty blue cheese stuff.  It is very easy – 2 x tablespoons of olive oil, 1 x tablespoon of red or white wine vinegar, 1 x teaspoon of mustard (English for a bite), pepper, salt and a sprinkle of sugar.  Stir until mixed and then taste and adapt – lovely.

Much nicer than grass cutting lol

L x

A little bit of Luxury was missing from Tesco

Tesco shares fell 16pc, wiping £5bn off its market cap., as the UK's biggest supermarket group gave its first profit warning in 20 years following disappointing Christmas trading.   These were the headlines that greeted people with their cereal on Friday Morning.

While I know a bit about finance (eer, actually quite a bit but hey), I am less interested in the impact on their shares than why did this happen?   Some retail analysts suggest that it is probably due to the fact that Tesco is more reliant on ‘none-food’ items so has been hit by the general slump but I am not so sure.

My money would be on choosing the wrong advertising campaign (the big price drop) and being too much of a juggernaut to change direction when it became apparent that it simply wasn’t working.    

Christmas is for most people a time when you splurge a little.  However, in the current austere times rather than spending on clothes, perfumes and toys, people are ­– I believe – looking to food to provide that bit of luxury at Christmas.

They don’t want to pay over the odds for their festive fare but want to feel that they are getting something special.  This jarred with Tesco’s adverts which focused on how they provided low prices ‘across the board’.     Personally (and I know this is not right) I don’t care if washing powder is cheaper in the run up to Christmas, I want know my turkey is going to taste good.

Sainsburys, Morrisons and other supermarkets seemed to get this right.  They portrayed a Christmas we can all aspire to but hinted that it would be at a cost we could all stomach.

Will be interesting to see what 2012 brings for Tesco ……….

L x

Pretty sure that food in heaven is Portuguese

Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration but I'm sure they serve some Portuguese food at the very least.  This musing was brought on by a visit to the Windmill Restaurant in Walthamstow High Street - a local institution and one of the best value, tasty tapas places ever.

They serve gorgeous food in cute little clay pots - so not posh but to be honest, I don't mind as this is a regular venue for a weekday meal rather than a swanky night out.  They serve wine and beer (Sagras for connoisseur) which for this end of Walthamtow is a little unusual as quite a few restaurants are Halal.

I had chorizo potatoes (crispy roasties with salty bits of fried goodness), sweet and sour mushrooms (would genuinely at least lend a cat if not sell one for this recipe) and bacalou. The last is cod cream which is the national dish of Portugal and really lovely (of course if you like fish)

Other stunning dishes are the patatas bravas, peri peri chicken (home made rather than Nandos), roasted vegetables and chorizo on fire (can't remember what this is called).  Well worth a try if you are in E17 and love tapas

Sinful Lentil Salad (not an oxymoron)

The majority of people seem to think that lentils are a punishment – something you have to eat as part of a macro-biotic, whole-foods, scour yourself with nettles and enjoy colonics existence.  And for some in the West, I am sure this is true.

However, I quite like this legume - which incidentally we have been eating for the last 13,000 years – and cook the quite often.  Dahl – the spicy Indian stew – is lovely and even though I never seem to have the spice I need to make it, do enjoy it when I am out and about.

My favourite dish (based on something by St. Nigella) is Lentil Salad which goes a little something like this

2 x ripe avocados (deseeded and chopped into chunks)

250 x pancetta pieces (fried and drained)

150g lentils (boiled until soft)

2 x tablespoons of sweet Asian chili sauce

1 x tablespoon of white wine vinegar

Mix the chilli sauce and vinegar together.  Combine the lentils and pancetta in a bowl and dress with the dressing.  Dot with sliced avo.

This is a brilliant salad served immediately or can be taken to work if the Avo is added just before it is eaten.  Yum.

Try it and scoff as people suggest that Lentils are not food of the gods

L x

The Vegetarian Option

One of my best mates is vegetarian - cultural rather than religious - and having been on holiday with her I have seen the 'fine line' that she needs to tread at restaurants.  Sure, most restaurants offer some form of vegetarian option but they are rarely imaginative.   Indeed, Greek salad is probably the most common default option followed by vegetarian pasta (of some form or another).

Then there are the mystery dishes - a salad which according to the menu appears to be veggie friendly.  However, a sprinkling of bacon as the chef was feeling creative rendered this inedible but of course, we should have asked about this said the less than friendly waitress.

Yes, vegetarianism is a lifestyle choice and one that the minority of people in the west embrace but surely, we should be doing better than simply removing the meat or revisiting the classics.  Ideally, before a vegetarian dies of an olive overdose.

So, it was a nice change to visit Sagar Veg (17 Percy Street - near Tottencourt Road) which is a South Indian Vegetarian restaurant.  Their food spans lovely standard Indian veggie dishes (inc. Aloo Gobi) as well as Dosa (Indian potato pancake thingy) and Poori (crispy spicy dish almost like really good wheaties).   The wine is also not too expensive and I even managed to find some South African Chenin Blanc. 

Would definitely recommend a visit and if we had a few more of these restaurants, I think that I could probably be a bit more vegetarian. 

L xx

Wicked Wonderful Beans

I needed a quick dinner, something tasty and something that I could make then leave to sort itself out while I had a hot, well deserved bath with a glass of wine.

So I decided on white bean gratin with cherry tomatoes and crispy breadcrumbs courtesy of a Tesco magazine - god bless supermarket promotions.

Start by frying an onion and three cloves of garlic in a little oil.  As these are frying ,mix together 400g of cannellini beans, 12 cherry tomatoes (halved), 200ml vegetable stock, 1tbsp balsamic vinegar.  Add the onion, mix and then put into a casserole dish.

Mix two large handfuls of breadcrumbs with a little oil and then 2tbsp of Parmesan cheese. Top the mix in the casserole dish and bake for about 25/25 minutes at gas 6, 200C or 180F.

This makes enough for 2/3 as a main or up to 6 as a side dish.

L x

Look out for me on twitter @alittleofwhatyou

African Birds Eye Chilli or Peri Peri Goodness

As a Capetonian Saffa, not only do I know quite a few Portuguese people (300,000 people in SA claim Portuguese descent) but worship at the shrine of the Peri peri!

Peri Peri sauce is an African-Portuguese (esp. Angola and Mozambique) sauce made from the African Birds Eye Chili.  It is great with chicken and fish but also chips. Most people in South Africa and England have had Nandos sauces and this is the surprisingly good commercially face of Peri Peri.

However, if you travel around South Africa, you will find a variety of different interpretations of the sauce.  One of the best we had was in Knysna at Catembe Bar which incidentally do really good cocktails to wash the food down with.

But what exactly does Peri Peri sauce taste like?  Well, it has chili (obviously), it also has lemon juice which gives it a nice tart note and then garlic.  Nothing too complex but really quite hard to replicate but I think I will give it a go.

Not doing much next weekend so mmm, lets see if I can make some.

L xxx

A day in the winelands

The brilliant South African Comedian - Trevor Noah - said that South African are well aware which direction every other nation is heading and we will get there too but we will just take a slightly different route - thus we do it with African style!   And this is how we do the winelands.

Cape Town has hundreds of wine farms (nope not Vineyards, it does what is says on the tin) and I visited my favourite - Villiera . This gorgeous farm is just between Paarl and Stellenbosh in Cape Town and owned by the Grier Family.  I personally have been visiting it for almost 16 years now.  A legacy of an ex-boyfriend that lasted longer than he did and well, gave me substantially more pleasure.

They do Methode Cap Classique wish is the most glorious bubbly - much nicer than some of the snobby premium brands but I suppose as it is new world we can't call it champagne. In addition, their reds are extra-ordinary with my favourite being Cru Monro - their flag ship wine with tannin and lovely berry flavors.

They even on the white side to a cheeky Gewurztraminer which tastes of litchi and is no where as cloyingly sweet as some German varieties.  Not to mention they have cats, dogs and a view to die for!

Visit if at all possible.

L xx

Crimes against Seafood

I love good seafood - fresh, tasty and doesn't even really need anything but just a touch of garlic, perhaps a dusting of chili and some lemon.  Difficult to cook - or at least, this is something I have difficulty with. 

Potentially, because I don't try.  Being from Cape Town - da mother city in da house - I don't really like seafood in London.  Not only is the squid (my favourite) often badly cooked but unless you go to a specialist, most restaurants don't serve it very fresh or in an interesting way.

Calamari rings - unless touched by the hand of a cooking god - are boring, boring and did I mention boring.  Nasty pre-battered and oily rings - a la pub - seem a crime against seafood but not sure if we can get people prosecuted for this?  

Note to self - check out if this is possible.  I'm also not hugely keen on British fish.  Please don't shoot me but I don't find it as fresh as I like (or at least not in London) and not nearly meaty enough.  Don't mean taste of steak but just solid - tuna vs. sole.

Wonder if anyone can suggest a good value restaurant which beats this stereotype?  Any Ideas?  L xx

Sexy Food!

Received a nice little reminder from Ann Summers that their sale was on and should I need to pick up any sexy supplies, I should probably log on.  This got me thinking, what is sexy food? 

Is it Oysters - rich in amino acids which increase sexy hormones?   Is it whipped cream - ideal for covering bits and pieces in the lead up to passion?  Or, is it a bit of luxury which brings down the inhibitions - bubbly anyone?

Personally, I sight up for the concept that it is all of this and more.  Nothing is sexier than feeding someone - be it pasta ( ideally not dragging it across their chest but lets not talk about my scalding and his look of utter mortification) or chocolate dipped strawberries. 

And I've been told by men (probably trying to get on my good side) that they prefer a girl with an appetite as it shows that she enjoys all the pleasures in life.  How much fun is someone who has a green salad - dressing on the side - really going to be in bed? 

So yet again - this blog leads me to conclude that a little bit of what you want is probably the sexiest food you can find. 

L x

Trolley Shopping

I admit that I am nosey and can't help reviewing what people have in their shopping trolleys when waiting in line. 

Are they health nuts - with well wholemeal and nuts?  Or fast food junkies who seem to feel the need to mainline sugar, salt and fat?   What about an offer queen with a trolley full of BOGOFS? 

After exhaustive research, far too many people seem to fill their trolley with junk - do people really need that many frozen pizzas or packs of crisps?  Am I perhaps only seeing part of their shop?  Are they going to the market (I do live in E17) for their fruit and veg?

I would really like to think so but I suspect that a busy mom is more likely to do her shopping in one place than a selection.  Perhaps that is what is wrong with Britain when junk food offers make the foods so accessible and we have so little time that they seem like an option?

Cognitive planning is the only way forward L x

Keep the Resolutions Smart

Most people hit January with a slew of resolutions - I will, I won't and I should all seem to be the phrases of the moment!   And while I believe in moderation, I am no different if somewhat more realistic.

 

The realism in new and I thought I would try it on for size this year as otherwise I appear to be setting myself up for failure or at least that annoying nagging feeling of underachievement. 

 

I am also trying to make them measurable but practical.  So for example, while I am looking to cut down on processed food to 3 meals a week, I have given myself leeway in case I am at an event etc.  Much easier to meet goals if you know what they are but there is flexibility.

 

So what am I looking to do?

 

• Reduce processed food - I know that I can live without white bread, pasta and pizza on a regular basis.  Yes, it tastes good but in a quest to be a little bit smaller, I thought I would try this on for size.   GOAL - eat 3 times a week or less
• Increase intake of fruit / veg - I've toyed with the Atkins diet and cut most of this out but I miss the green and it is good for me.  GOAL - eat something at every meal
• Use the recipes I have - I am a bit of a recipe junky and love looking at beautiful food porn so I need to start using them as my cooking can be quite standard.  GOAL - Try recipe I have to follow twice a week.

Finally, I need to figure out which foods work for me.  I can't really eat Gluten, oil, Lactose and a variety of other foods cause significant time alone in rooms decorated with tiles so I need to get a handle on what I can and can't eat so at least I know when this will happen.

Lets see how this years resolutions go.