Sunday 21st of April 2013

The weekend has been very half-and-half here.  Yesterday (unlike today, grr!) the weather was glorious and we spent all morning and a large chunk of the afternoon in the garden.  I eschewed the chicken pie that I'd planned to make for lunch and instead served up a huge bowl of chicken salad with bacon, avocado, green beans and new potatoes.  Scattered with tarragon and dressed with my all-purpose honey mustard dressing, it was a hit with everyone present and much lighter eating than pie would have been on a warm day.



Of course, the abandonment of my pie plans did mean that there was a sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry now languishing, without purpose, in the 'fridge.  With leek and potato soup on the cards for lunch today, I decided to knock up some Blue Cheese and Hazelnut Palmiers to go with it

My Latest Leek and Potato Soup

lump of butter

6-8 thin slices of pancetta, chopped

6 thin leeks, halved and sliced

2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped

1.2 litres chicken stock

2 bay leaves

white pepper

Melt butter in a large pan, fry the pancetta for a few minutes to let the fat begin to run, then turn the prepared leeks in the juices until well coated. Add the potatoes, mixing in well, then pour in the stock, add the bay leaves and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are really soft. Remove the bay leaves and purée. I use my BAMIX with the 'C' blade, but use what you like.  Season with white pepper only (the pancetta is, I feel, quite salty enough).

Now for the accompaniment.  Palmiers are dead easy to make with a ready-rolled sheet of puff pastry and the folding is straightforward.  I've taken loads of pictures to show you what I mean, because I think it would be very difficult to explain clearly with words alone.  I hope you give them a go, you can change the fillings easily to suit yourself, my boys are rather keen on pesto palmiers with extra pine nuts and parmesan.  Just remeber you need something 'spready' and one or two 'scattery' things and you're away...

Blue Cheese & Hazelnut Palmiers

150g Danish Blue cheese, at room temperature

25g unsalted butter, really soft

handful of hazelnuts, two-thirds chopped roughly, one-third finely

Mix the crumbled cheese and the butter together, mashing and stirring to form some semblance of a paste.  Using three-quarters of the cheese mix, dot teaspoons of this across the whole sheet of pastry, spreading it out as best you can , then scatter over the roughly chopped nuts.  Fold the long edges of pastry into the centre.

Now spread the remaining cheese over the uppermost surface and sprinkle with the finely chopped nuts. Fold the entire sheet in half (I use my silicone pastry mat to help), then wrap it up and chill it for at least an hour to firm up.

When it's had a good rest, cut the log, with a very sharp knife, into half-centimetre slices.  Put these, well-spaced and as shown, onto a lined baking sheet (parchment is absolutely fine and dandy if you don't have silicone mats) and bake for 25-30 minutes at 180ºc until golden, crisp and toasty.

Remove the palmiers to a cooling rack as quickly as you can.  

These are good either warm or cold; they are fabulous to go with drinks before dinner and keep for a few days in a tin (or they would, if my lot weren't so flaming greedy..!).  You can also prepare the logs, slice them and freeze the slices to cook from frozen. Just allow a little extra cooking time.

Cath xx

Saturday Salads

How to get children to enjoy salads? To get them, regularly, actually asking clamouring for them to be served for lunch? The answer, I find, is relatively simple... crunchy bits!

The first lunchtime salad I regularly serve is this simple hard cheese salad.  Known as 'lunchbox salad' by me, this is the little salad that my Mum used to pop in for me if ever I needed a packed lunch for school. Shredded Little Gem lettuce (rather than the original Iceberg), diced celery and grated carrot are combined with a bit of grated cheese (strong cheddar for Chris, 'Special Reserve' Red Leicester for JD, who is clearly becoming a food snob!) and a scattering of salted peanuts.  Obviously, times have moved on and heads would surely spin, were I to attempt to send this peanut-studded salad into school with my kids so we eat it with nuts at home, with croûtons for school trips and the like.

Croûtons are another easy way to add crunch to a salad, but don't forget some of the things that you can easily buy and stash in the cupboard for quick salad-bar assemblies.  Bacos, or similar bacon crumbles are great with this easy blue cheese salad dressing, again served simply over some shredded leaves (usually Gem or Romaine).  You can also get some rather addicting little fried onion shreds which are divine in a salad of this sort.  They're called 'Onion Crispies', but 'crispy' is such an idiotic word that we'll quickly gloss over that fact...



Blue Cheese Dressing


25g blue cheese, crumbled (I usually use Danish Blue, but anything goes!)
1 tsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp crème fraîche


Gently heat the crème fraîche and the vinegar with the crumbled cheese, stirring until the cheese has melted.  Taste it and add a dash of pepper if you like.  You probably won't want any salt, but you may want a dot more vinegar or crème fraîche.  This is also rather lovely as a dip, especially with leftover chicken strip from fajitas (naughty, naughty!).

Cath xx

Little Bits of Loveliness

Crôutons can really add an extra dimension to a main course salad.  If, and when, you have a moment and feel like doing a little extra cooking, you could do worse than making a batch of crôutons instead of buying little bags of tiny, over-priced and over-seasoned, rock-hard bullets. They are easy and the flavourings (if any) can be varied to suit your palate or the sort of salads you like to make.  If they are well dried out in the oven they will keep really well in an airtight container, ready for you to fling into salads, soups or even pasta dishes (!) whenever the fancy takes you. 

Crôutons

100g white bread, crust cut off and cubed
2 tbsp olive oil  
flavourings (and see below)

Dry the cubes of bread out, a little, in a very low oven (less than 100°c), but don't let them colour.  Cool.  Meanwhile, whisk the oil and flavourings together in a large bowl. Drop the bread cubes in (all in one go) and stir until they are evenly coated-ish. Tip onto a baking tray and return to the oven to bake, slowly, for another 10-15 minutes, depending on your oven. You will be able to tell, from the delicious smell, when they are ready.  Indeed, the smell will also tell you when they are burnt, so be alert.... Let them cool completely before using or storing, as this will retain the crunch.

As for flavourings, I mostly make my crôutons with smoked paprika, with cracked black pepper or with garlic and herbs. A pinch of salt helps bring the flavours together in every case except for my cheesy croutons (which are usually eaten with tomato soup), which I make using some grated parmesan mixed in after the oil and a little garlic.

Incidentally, one possible word of warning though.  I cannot, and will not, countenance the use of crôutons as a 'nibble' under any circumstances. I was shocked recently, to be offered a dish of mixed olives (fine, lovely), a single, whole, pickled artichoke heart (hmm...) and some clearly industrially-prepared-and-bagged crôutons masquerading as 'tapas' in a pretentious bar.  Okaaaay... rant over.

Cath xx

Leaving Well Alone...

Coronation Chicken is one of those true classic dishes that (almost!) everyone likes and yet people will keep trying to 're-invent' it. Ahem, not unlike Christmas lunch, then. In the same way as I can't abide the annual, seasonal onslaught of 'new alternatives' for Christmas dinner, shoving confit of duck, individual venison-and-cranberry pies and heaven knows what else, I can't stand seeing perfectly delicious dishes 'updated for the 21st century, when no-one is fed up with them in the first place! So here we are, no cubes of fresh mango, no anchovies, no shaved coconut and no cherries. All of which I have seen included in pretenders to the throne of this wonderful dish. Even the anchovies. Yes, I know...

In true Distracted fashion, however, you will find this to be a rather less labour-intensive option, no poaching of whole chickens and no making of mayonnaise. Sometimes, I agree, homemade mayonnaise is very much what you want but I, for one, fail to see the point of all that effort if you will subsequently 'curry' it and obliterate the delicate flavour of the vrai article.

For this outing, our contribution to a Bring & Share Harvest Lunch at church, I cooked the chicken yesterday (breast fillets, on a rack over a roasting pan of water, covered in tinfoil - 25 minutes at 200°c) and chilled it until this morning, when I sliced it it neatly and folded it into the sauce, before plating it up for the buffet table. You can, of course, use any leftover cooked chicken; shredded roast chicken in this sauce does make a rather superior sandwich filling (and see also my Coronation Chicken Rice Salad).


Easy-Option Coronation Chicken

500g cooked chicken, cooled
200g mayonnaise
150g Greek yoghurt
40g mango chutney
30g tikka masala curry paste
toasted flaked almonds
chopped parsley
watercress

Slice or shred the chicken, according to what you have and to what degree of finish pleases you. For a celebratory buffet dish, I like to see definite slices; for a more homely affair or a sandwich filler, I'm less fussy. Set aside while you prepare the sauce.

Beat the mayonnaise and yoghurt together, then stir in the mango chutney and the curry paste. If it is anything less than runnily silky, let it down with a little freshly boiled water to reach the desired consistency. It needs to sloppily coat the chicken and ooze very slowly across the plate, not bind it into a sticky, homogeneous mass. Fold in the sliced chicken, and chill this for anything from one to four hours to let the flavour develop. Pile watercress onto a seving dish, then top with the Coronation Chicken. Scatter over some toasted flaked almonds to add that desirable bit of crunch and then chopped fresh parsley to finish the dish.

Cath xx

Back to the grindstone...

Now that school has started again, we are once more in the plod of normality. For all that people (particularly the mass media) talk about parents 'surviving' the holidays I, for one, love them. To have both my babies at home all day, every day, is heaven for me. To make our own rules and basically have fun for 6 weeks at a pop is even better than that.

Back to reality means back to the routines of old; planning our meals and shopping less often. It also means checking the school meals plan so as not to give Chris the same, or similar, meals twice in one day. I am very keen on the ethos os this, and sit down every week to plan our meals add make my shopping list. Some weeks have meals more elaborate than others, by reason of visitors or out-of-the-ordinary events. But the eve of the weekend, especially the end of the first full week back seemed to demand a fanfare of some sort. Friday night is, after all, always a special occasion, however small!

Fruity Spiced Chicken

6-8 chicken thighs
1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
1 green pepper, deseeded and sliced
2 tsp Jamaican jerk seasoning
200ml pineapple juice
50g creamed coconut
1/2 tsp cornflour

Put the peppers in an ovenproof dish. Slash the chicken pieces a couple of times, then lay them on top of the peppers. Sprinkle the jerk seasoning over the chicken and pat it into the skin. Heat the pineapple juice to boiling point, then blend in the coconut and cornflour. Pour this over the chicken, letting it run into the dish, then bake at 180°c for 30-40 minutes until the chicken is well cooked.

This was lovely served with plain rice (courtesy, as always, of the sainted rice machine) to soak up the lovely juices but, as usual, I felt it necessary to gild the lily; my Black Bean and Sweetcorn Salad provided the extra note required. This is so easy, a quick assembly job in the morning that even I can cope with (having two children under 5 and a 10 mile drive to school of a morning).

I cook the black beans by soaking them in boiling water from the kettle for an hour, then bunging in the slow-cooker with more boiling water from the kettle and leaving them overnight, before draining them, rinsing them with cold water and continuing as below. I realise that not everyone has a slow-cooker to cook the beans this way, but no matter. Some supermarkets sell canned black beans (not ours yet, sadly) Happily, even if you do, like me, live deep in the heart of Banjo-land, Mexgrocer can provide you with canned black beans by mail-order. Hooray for the internet!

Black Bean and Sweetcorn Salad

This does make a lot, but it is lovely for lunch, especially in a tortilla 'wrap' with some sour cream or guacamole (or both for that matter).

140g dried black beans, soaked and cooked
250g sweetcorn, defrosted if frozen
4 spring onion, chopped finely
handful chopped parsley
juice of 1/2 lime
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground chilli

Combine all the ingredients in a big bowl. Stir well, cover and refrigerate for a few hours, or all day. Try to avoid eating spoonfuls throughout the afternoon (though it must be said that, for me, this is a counsel of perfection!)

Big Man Salad

Today was one of the those days, really. No matter how carefully you plan a week's meals and shop thoughtfully, the weather can really scupper things. Well, this is Britain... So the oft-requested and much-anticipated Idle Pie went for a burton today as I tried to prepare something we could all stomach in this very humid weather. We're just not used to it, are we?

A salad is the obvious choice for a hot-weather meal, but, without being too stereotypical, most blokes (i.e. mine, and every one I ever dated) don't think it is a meal. So this is my big man salad.

Triple Cheese Salad

If you don't have garlic vinegar, please consider it, but you may easily substitute a white wine or cider vinegar.

200g Brie
2 tbsp crème fraîche
1-2 tbsp garlic vinegar

Cut the rind away from the Brie and cut it into cubes. Put it in a pan with the crème fraîche and the vinegar, then heat gently until melted and smoothly combined. Use to dress a salad made with:

Cos lettuce, shredded
Cucumber, de-seeded and sliced
100g Caerphilly cheese, cubed
Crôutons (you could use bought ones, but I made some, with added paprika; easy and delicious)

Toss well, grate some parmesan over the top and serve. Yummy!

Attack of the Fridge Raiders

Nigella Lawson wrote in How to Eat, and I quote, "Sometimes...it's the food I haven't planned on cooking that I want most to eat." I find this to be so true, it's the 'what-can-I make-from-what's-in-the-fridge moments that really lead to culinary creativity and therefore, sometimes, to some fabulous discoveries.

My Spiced Lamb with Butter Beans is still, for us, the apotheosis of this phenomenon, but everyday meals can strike a chord here too, with lunch time a rich source of fridge-raiding discoveries.

Today I made, as I often do, a lunchtime salad for myself with whatever bits and bobs needed using up. Today that involved cos lettuce, the end of a chorizo sausage, some vac-packed feta and a bit of parsley from a somewhat straggly looking bunch in a vase on the windowsill. The thing that made this salad go from so-so to super was my all-purpose honey-mustard dressing. Honey-Mustard is my big favourite, coming even above Caesar dressing in the Dressing Olympics (if only such a thing existed...) and this does all sorts of wonderful things for me. It's so easy, try it...

All-Purpose Honey-Mustard Dressing

1 tbsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp honey
3 tbsp mayonnaise

Liquefy the honey in the microwave (it needs to be liquid for this), then beat it, and the mustard, together. Beat in the mayo and taste for seasoning. This largely depends on the mayo you're using, but a li'l pinch of salt and a good grinding of pepper is what I usually add. Let the dressing down with boiling water (from the kettle) to reach the consistency you need. This is usually, for my taste, a couple of tablespoons' worth for a mixed salad and a little more for potatoes. I have also dressed pasta and rice salads with it, the world can truly be your oyster, in salad terms at least.

Cor! -onation Chicken

Last night, I was soooo organised and made a really nice lunch to take out to a friend's house today. I shook off any potential food-snobbery and tried out some frozen cooked rice for the first time. I was not disappointed; it allowed me to assemble this rice salad easily and in next to no time at all. You just weigh out the required rice, pop it in a basin with a little water and microwave ever so briefly. Because I wanted it cold, for a salad, I cooled it fast by putting it in a sieve and running it under the cold tap.

Coronation Chicken Rice Salad

225g frozen rice, 'cooked' and cooled (and see above)
2-3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp curry paste
100g cooked chicken
50g sultanas
1-2 tbsp chopped chives
watercress, to serve

Combine the mayo, curry paste and about 50ml water to make a creamy curried dressing. Mix in the rice, then stir in the chicken, sultanas and chives. Serve on a bed of watercress for the full 'coronation chicken' experience...

Ooh, it was lovely - might have to have a repeat performance soon!

Tarts - Always a Good Option

Well, that's what I think anyway, hee hee. Make the pastry , line the tin and you're laughing. All you need to do then is fill it - and you can do the pastry case in the morning or even the day before - just put it in a sealed plastic bag to keep it fresh in the fridge.

When you're ready to cook it, find some bits for a filling - tonight I fried some bacon bits and cut up half a camembert (which had been rather disappointing on the cheeseboard, but worked fine in this) - then beat 3 eggs and a 200g tub of crème fraîche together and pour into the pastry case, covering the filling. Bake at 200°c for 30 minutes, then leave to cool slightly before sliding it out of the tin and onto a serving plate.
I had intended to serve the tart with steamed potatoes and a green salad, but found that we'd actually run out of potatoes. Grr! This rice salad made a more than acceptable substitute, however, and reminded me how much I love rice salads (unlike pasta salads which, with limited exceptions, are pretty foul).

Colourful Rice Salad

I use Morrisons' Frozen Special Mixed Vegetables, defrosted, for this. There's not really anything that 'special' about them, but it's the sort of mix; peas, corn, carrots, broccoli and peppers - rather than those packs of diced mixed veg for stews - that you're looking for here.

300g brown rice
350g vegetables (and see above)
handful raisins
garlic & herb dressing (recipe follows)

Cook the rice. Chop the vegetables up, if necessary, for a nice finish to the completed salad and combine with the cooked rice. Stir in the raisins, then pour over as much dressing as you need to evenly coati, but not swamp, the salad. Chill until needed.

Garlic & Herb Dressing

5 fl.oz olive oil
2 tbsp garlic vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
handful fresh herbs - your choice - chopped finely

Whisk it all together, or whizz in a blender. You'll need only 1/3 to 1/2 this quantity for the rice salad, but thisis one of my absolute favourite salad dressings, so keep it in the fridge and use it whenever you might otherwise use a vinaigrette.

24 Carrot Gold

Tonight's first course was based on the memory of a salad my mum used to occasionally pack in my school lunchbox; shredded lettuce and carrot with cheddar cheese and salted peanuts. I always loved the combination of carrots and peanuts and have tried here to recreate that particular taste sensation, though in a slightly more dinner-friendly way. I suspect that it will also make a brilliant 'side order' salad for barbecues in the summer, but that little experiment will have to wait. You'll notice no cheese is included here, though - while I admit that it would (almost certainly) be fab with some crumbled feta cheese, sadly once again I am the only one willing to travel down that road... It did in fact go down very well with all of us tonight and my dreams of lunch tomorrow were dashed by the scant leftovers.


Carrot Salad

3 large carrots
handful of raisins or sultanas
100g bag salted peanuts
fresh parsley, chopped

Peel and coarsely grate the carrots. Combine all the above ingredients in a large bowl.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic vinegar
1/4 tsp ground cumin

Whisk together, pour over the carrot salad and toss well to coat evrything in the dressing. The salad will sit happily for a bit while you get other things sorted out.

Speaking of which, we followed this salad with a Tuna Lasagne, made tonight with some leftover mixed bean salad, from the other day, in place of the peas. A successful substitution, one I was pleased with and which used up most of the remaining bean salad. I will (thankfully) be able to add that to the laughably minute serving of carrot salad to cobble together a lunch tomorrow.

Not Quite a Lady

Most of our weekday lunches are fairly ordinary; the usual suspects like sandwiches, baked potatoes, Welsh rabbit or soup and bread, with fruit or yoghurt to follow. All very simple, enjoyable and popular with the children.

However, as Hubby is off work at the moment I wanted to make something a little bit special for myself. We had some leftover meat from yesterday's duck in the fridge, so I used a little of it in a salad. The idea for a mango chutney dressing came from a different kind of duck salad in The Silver Palate Cookbook, by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins. I must point out that my dressing varies enormously from theirs, but it was one of those ideas that just immediately grabbed me. I do love mango chutney, after all. As we don't often have duck, I've actually made this most often to go with cold cooked chicken, but I do think that it's better with duck, something about the sweet sharpness of the dressing against the richly flavoured meat. As we had some gorgeous Russet apples in the fruit and veg box this week, it would have seemed rude not to include one here.


Duck & Apple Salad with Mango Chutney Dressing

For the dressing:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp mango chutney

salt & pepper

Whisk the oil, lemon juice together to emulsify, then whisk in the mango chutney. Season to taste; I like it quite sharp, but with a sweet edge.

watercress
cold cooked duck meat
apple
flaked almonds, toasted until brown

Cover a plate with watercress, and lay the shredded duck on top. Slice the apple and tuck in the pieces here and there. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and scatter with toasted almonds.

Very ladies-who-lunch, isn't it? I should probably have gone to the beauty salon or out shopping or something afterwards, but instead I walked up to the postbox to post thank-you cards for Christopher's birthday presents while Karl looked after the boys. I scrambled about in a hedge to have a look at some rosehips, which I fancy turning into syrup sometime soon, and picked a handful of blackberries on the way back. I was very popular with Chris when I got home, for some reason...

Dinner tonight was one of my good old faithful savoury crumbles, this time with Chicken, Leek and Bacon.

Honkin' Salad

Not a very flattering name, is it? But this is how my beloved husband refers to my blue cheese salad. I admit it is rather, shall we say, pungent. Unsurprisingly, since it contains, among other things, strong blue cheese and raw onion. Never let it be said that I don’t like strong flavours – it’s just best that I enjoy them when Karl’s not around. Lovely turn of phrase he’s got though, don’t you think? Ummm, no. This is a Saturday night regular for me, though I vary the cheese and other ingredients according to my mood (and the contents of the fridge). Always with the raw onion though, so no kissing for me tonight!

Blue Cheese Salad

salad leaves
radishes
cucumber
celery
green pepper
carrot
sweetcorn kernels
red onion
blue cheese, crumbled
olive oil, to dress

Chop, dice or grate the vegetables as you see fit. Crumble the cheese. Put everything into a bowl and toss with a little olive oil to dress the salad. Serve with some crusty bread.

I have to confess a weird passion for ‘Bacos’ those odd little bacon-flavour soya chips for salad. They claim to be suitable for vegetarians, though I can’t imagine a vegetarian with any level of self-respect wanting to eat bacon-flavour anything, even if it’s never been anywhere near even so much as a picture of a pig. Still, I put some in my salad tonight, and very nice they were too.

What's that Ting!

Back to the usual routine today, in part at least. Hubby has his days off for this week today and tomorrow, so that's a nice way to ease back into life at home after a week away. We took the boys to playgroup this morning as usual. I say 'as usual', though we haven't actually been for a couple of weeks. The first week we were away camping on our 'mini-holiday' and the second week, playgroup was cancelled so that the church hall could operate as a polling station for the Welsh Assembly elections.

This evening I made, at Hubby's suggestion, a warm chicken and bacon salad that we often ate last summer. The weather hasn't exactly been summery today, but it was nice to pretend! I roasted a small chicken this afternoon, specifically to make this, but any sort of cooked chicken would be fine. The dressing really is a matter of choice; we all enjoy it best with a honey & wholegrain mustard dressing, though others do work well. I suggest a blue cheese or caesar dressing if you want an alternative.

Chicken & Bacon Salad

cooked chicken, cut into smallish pieces
6 rashers streaky bacon
12 'baby new' potatoes, halved lengthways
handful fine green beans, trimmed
salad leaves
dressing of your choice
fresh chives (or parsley, if you prefer)

Steam the potatoes for 20 minutes and add the beans for the last 10 minutes. Cook the bacon until crisp. I do this in the oven, on an oiled baking sheet, for about 15 minutes at 200°c, but you could grill it if you prefer. I hate cleaning the grill pan, so I avoid it. Bacon cooks very well in the oven, as do sausages if you have a tin with a rack. I do a whole cooked breakfast (bar the eggs) in the oven when we have guests staying.

Cover a large plate with a selection of salad leaves. I like some to be substantial (like Frisée) and some to be more delicate (like Lamb's Lettuce), so I usually have to mix up a couple of different packs. Scatter the cooked beans and potatoes over the leaves, then top these with the chunks of chicken. Snip or crumble the bacon into rough bits and then drizzle over your chosen dressing. Sprinkle with a palmful of snipped chives and serve.



I think a bit of bread is needed, too. Something quite crusty, like a baguette or good English bloomer. A glass of chilled white or rosé wine is the best thing to drink with it, though I have to confess that tonight Hubby had a beer and I had a can of Ting (in a glass, of course!) This is a grapefruit-based soft drink from the Caribbean, which I am extremely fond of. I can't get it locally, so stock up whenever I'm away and see it. I normally find it in big supermarkets, my most usual sources being Tesco in Trowbridge, Wiltshire (near my parents' house) and Morrisons in Hillsborough, Sheffield (near the in-laws'). Somewhat bizarrely, you'll find it with the ghee and stuff in the 'World Foods' bit, rather than with all the other soft drinks. It deserves more recognition as it is lush, so try it if you get the chance!

Mothers' Meeting

I took the boys to playgroup this morning, as usual. We came home at midday for lunch and then the boys played with their Dad (who has the day off work today) while I got on with making some food to take with me to the "Bring & Share Supper" for Mums that I'm going to in Aberystwyth tonight. After some consideration I decided to make a batch of Brown Rice Salad, which is a great favourite here at home and which has always gone down well with everyone I've served it to.

This is something my Mum used to make when I was little and which I still make today. It is particularly good al fresco, for picnics or as a side dish at barbecues. I often prepare it as an accompaniment to a Roasted Vegetable Tart for a relaxed and summery meal.

Brown Rice Salad

For the Soy Sauce Dressing:

150ml olive oil
4 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch ground ginger
good grinding fresh black pepper

Whisk all the ingredients together in a jug and leave to stand while you assemble the salad.

250g (dry weight) brown rice, cooked
3 spring onions, chopped finely
1 large red pepper, diced
50g raisins or sultanas
50g cashew nuts, chopped
handful fresh parsley, finely chopped (curly parsley, for preference - this is a 1970s special, after all)

Stir all the ingredients thoroughly. Pour over the dressing and mix well. Leave to stand for a while before serving.


Obviously this is cooked rice which you are going to eat cold, so you must be careful to cool it quickly and keep it chilled until you serve it. Aside from that, though, it does keep well for a day or so. My hubby will actually eat any leftovers for breakfast the following day, given half the chance!

Friends to Stay

So, our eldest son's godfather and his partner visited us this weekend and as usual I spent ages thinking about the food. I cooked a big chilli with all the trimmings (rice, tortilla chips, cheese, guacamole, soured cream) for when they arrived on Friday evening. We drank some San Miguel beer, which I love, with it.

On Saturday, poor hubby had to work, but the rest of us relaxed and played with the boys in the morning. For lunch I had decided to make a big couscous salad, based on the one that I concocted from the leftovers in my Mum & Dad's fridge a week or so ago.

Couscous Salad

200g couscous
400ml chicken stock
handful cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
150g Lancashire cheese, broken into smallish pieces
chopped parsley
olive oil and ground black pepper

Put the couscous into a large bowl and pour over the hot stock. Leave to soak while you get everything else ready. Break up the couscous with a fork, then stir in the vegetables, cheese and parsley. Dress the salad with a little olive oil and season with pepper.

This served 3 adults and a two-year-old, with enough left over for my lunch today.

After lunch we went to Aberystwyth, the sunshine was glorious, even if it was cold. We went to the brilliant Ultracomida delicatessen and bought some cheese for that evening; a nice slice of Morbier and a gorgeous little round of Pico.

That evening, we four 'grown-ups' (ha!) sat down to 'Green Beans with Anchovy & Soft Egg' (from a BBC Good Food magazine cutting), followed by Lamb in Puff Pastry with Port & Redcurrant Sauce with some little boiled potatoes and a salad. We finished with Nigella Lawson's Gin & Tonic Jelly (from 'How To Be A Domestic Goddess'). Fabulous. We drank a good quantity of Hardy's Crest Shiraz between us, and had some cheese, and a little port, to round off the evening.

Because hubby had decided to roast a chicken on Sunday evening, I made tomato soup for lunch, which is something I serve regularly when visitors have to leave; most people travel a long way to see us and don't like to drive on an overly full stomach.

This recipe makes enough for four adults (and the same two-year-old!), with some bread and cheese to accompany it. You can freeze any soup you don’t want to eat straight away, or it will keep in the fridge for 3 days. I get the herbs from the garden, but put a pinch of dried mixed herbs in with the onion instead if you like.

Simple Tomato Soup

drizzle olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced (or just use garlic olive oil)
1 400g can chopped tomatoes
½ pint chicken or vegetable stock
¼ pint milk (full-fat is best)
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 bay leaf & a few sprigs fresh thyme
salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Gently cook the onion until soft, but not coloured, then add the garlic, herbs, tomatoes and tomato purée. Stir well, then pour in the stock and milk. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and cook for 15 minutes. Liquidise the soup (I use my hand-held electric blender), then taste the soup and season it to your liking.