Author Archives: MG McShane

Pickles, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Gone mad picklin’!

I’ve always loved pickles. When I was little, I would sneak a silver skin pickled onion off the drinks’ tray. And I would wince, sucking the vinegar out of the little onion. There wasonioin something thrilling about it to a small person!

Pickles from Poland were always my favourite. There was a sweetness to the pickles rather than the sharp, face wincing, pickling liquid I had first encountered. Pickles were something I bought, not something I thought of doing myself.

Until this summer…

I’ve been making jars of pickled red onions, cucumber and more recently, Kimchi. I was surprised not only at how delicious they are but also at how easy and cheap it is to make them. We opened the first jar of pickled onions, put them on some mature cheddar – heaven! We’ve used these in sandwiches, salads and curries and the cucumbers in salads.

Red onions
1 1/2 pint storage jar with clips

Ingredients
1lb red onions, sliced very thinly
1½ cups, white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon mixed peppercorns

Method
1. Place the vinegar, sugar and salt in a pan
2. Heat slowly until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved and thenm remove from the heat
3. Pack about one third of the onions into the jar
4. Add a few peppercorns
5. Repeat process until jar is full
6. Press the onions down into the jar leaving about an inch from the top free
7. Pour in the warm vinegar mix
8. Allow to cool before sealing and put in the fridge
9. Store for a couple of days before using
10. When opened, store in fridge and it will keep for about 4 weeks

cucumberCucumbers
The process is similar to the one above and the result is equally delicious. The recipe makes 1 1/2 pint jar.

Ingredients
3 large cucumbers, sliced very thinly
1½ cups, white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon sea salt
2-3 small sprigs of dill

Method
1. Place the vinegar, sugar and salt in a pan
2. Heat slowly until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved and then, remove from the hob
3. Pack a third of the sliced cucumbers into the jar
4. Add a sprig of dill
5. Repeat process until the jar is full, leaving about an inch from the top free
6. Pour in the warm vinegar mix
7. Allow to cool before sealing and put in the fridge
8. Store for a couple of days
9. When opened, store in fridge and it will keep for 4 weeks

 

Standard
Vegan

Korma

This was an experiment! I knew what I wanted to make but I was shaky on the steps tospices get there! I should not have worried as it turned out very nicely. As a former colleague would say: “Tasty business. Very tasty indeed!”

The Teen was hankering after Korma. Being vegan, that is not readily available. Looking at a range of recipes, I wondered ‘What if I leave out the desiccated coconut and single cream and use coconut milk? And if I do this, how much would I use as a substitute?’ I added a bit, tasted. Then another bit. Tasted. Eventually, I chucked the whole tin in and it seemed I had thinned it out. I need not have worried. As it simmered, the taste deepened. Phew!

What vegetables did I use? Anything I found in the fridge and vegetable trays!

Substituting ingredients from traditional Kormas means that this can never be taken as authentic but in our opinion, it comes quite close in tastiness.

This took some time to make because I made the curry paste first but we think it was worth it. Due to the fact that there is a high concentration of onions, garlic and ginger in the paste, I did not add any into the Korma

Ingredients
2 tbsp, sunflower oil
Selection of vegetables, cut into pieces to cook at similar times
1/3 of homemade curry paste
1 heaped tbsp, tomato puree
1 tsp, sugar
1 tin, coconut milk
Black pepper and sea salt
Toasted blanched almonds to serve

Method
1. Heat the oil in a medium sized pan
2. Fry the vegetables for 2-3 minutes
3. Add in the tomato puree, sugar, curry paste and cook for a couple of minutes to ensure all the vegetables are covered
4. Add in the coconut milk and season with salt and ground pepper
5. Simmer gently for thirty minutes
6. Serve with boiled basmati rice or naan bread

Standard
Uncategorized

Indian Curry Paste and Powder (I)

A former pal at work came back from lunch one day with all the ingredients to make curry pastes that evening. I was in total awe. I thought she was amazing but she assuredc me that, not only was it simple, but that making your own paste made the final dish tastier. She was so right! A good hand blender and they are easy to make.

The list of ingredients may seem a little daunting but most are kitchen staples. The method is also simple.

This recipe produces enough for 3 curries (each serving 4 people). It can be stored in a jar in the fridge for two weeks or frozen in portion sizes

Ingredients
1lb onions, roughly chopped
6 large garlic cloves, chopped
6 inches, fresh ginger, roughly chopped
1 tsp, salt
2 tsp, paprika
1 tsp, turmeric
½ to 1tsp, cayenne pepper (adjust according to taste)
1½ tsp, ground coriander
1½ tsp, ground cumin
1tsp, curry powder*
2 tbsp, tomato puree
1¼ pints, cold water
1 dessertspoon, sunflower oil

Method
1. Toast the spices in a pan for 1-2 minutes being sure not to let them burn
2. Place the onions, garlic and ginger in a large saucepan
3. Cover with water and bring to the boil
4. Reduce to a strong simmer, cover and leave to cook for 45-50 minutes until the onions are very soft
5. Add in the other ingredients
6. Place in a blender and whisk into a paste

 

*Curry powder

The recipe for curry paste requires curry powder. With all the spices now in my cupboard, I have given up buying ready prepared curry powder. Instead, I like to make my own. Here is an example of one of the combinations I use.

This makes enough for one curry serving 4 people

Ingredients
1 tsp, coriander seeds
1½ tsp, cumin seeds
½ tsp, turmeric
½ tsp, caraway seeds
½ tsp, black peppercorns
½ tsp, chilli powder (or ¼ cayenne powder)
¼ tsp, ground cinnamon
½ tsp, ground ginger

Method
1. Heat a small frying pan
2. Toast the seeds for 1 minute
3. Add the powdered spices and toast for a further 1 minute, making sure not to burn
4. Transfer to a pestle and break up the seeds with a mortar**
5. Use immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 3 months

** If you do not have a pestle and mortar, you can put the spices once cooled into a plastic bag and use a rolling-pin to break them down.

Standard
Gigantes, Vegan

Gigantes (or Posh Beans on Toast!)

There isn’t a cuisine we’ve encountered that we haven’t liked but we do have our favourites. The food of mediterranean countries would be one of them – bold flavours, fresh vegetables and delicious tastes. Another bonus is that such cuisine can often be made using cupboard staples.

On Sunday, we ate lunch at a local Greek Cypriot restaurant. And it was perfect. Oodles of garlic and totally yum. The Teen couldn’t finish hers so took the leftovers in a Doggy Bag.

I wanted to make something tasty for the Apres Teen to go with the leftovers. Something tasty, hearty and vegan. Based on what I had in the cupboard, I opted for Gigantes. These I served to her with slices of toasted sour dough bread drizzled with olive oil. Basically, a posh version of beans on toast!

Ingredients
½ lb, dry butter beans (soaked overnight)*
Olive oil
Vegetable stock cube
1 medium onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
½-¾ tsp, sweet paprika**
½-¾ tsp, ground cinnamon**
2 tbsp, tomato puree
1 tbsp, dried parsley
1/2 tsp, dried oregano (optional)
1 tin of chopped tomatoes (400g)
Sea salt and black pepper

Method
1. Cover the pre-soaked butter beans with water, crumble in the stock cube and boil gently for 50 minutes
2. While the beans are boiling, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan
3. Add the chopped onions, cover so they soften rather than brown and cook for 6-8 minutes
4. Add chopped garlic and cook for a further two minutes
5. Add the paprika, cinnamon, tomato puree, dried parsley, oregano (optional) and tinned tomatoes
6. Season with salt and a good grind of black pepper
7. Drain the beans and add the sauce
8. Simmer for 40-50 minutes until the tomato sauce is semi absorbed***
9. To serve, drizzle a little olive oil over the top

*Can use two tins of butter beans instead of the dry variety
**We like more rather than less spice. You may, however, like to start at 1/2 teaspoon of each. This can be increased once the sauce is made and tasted.
***Reduce cooking time if using canned beans (30 minutes)

Standard
Vegetarian

Spiced roast potatoes with chickpeas

I’m always buying bags of baby potatoes and coming up with different ways to use them beyond steaming and boiling. It can bepotatoes roasting them with garlic, rosemary, sea salt and olive oil – in their skins until golden brown – or steaming them to use cold in a chunky potato salad (made with any one of four mayonnaises: ordinary, garlic, ordinary mixed with chive or curried).

In the winter, the Teen likes one bowl dinners that can be eaten without cooking anything else like rice or vegetables to accompany them. With a bag of baby roasters available, I decided to make a hearty spiced potato and chickpea dish. I roasted the potatoes separately – in their skins – and added in at the end just before serving. It turned out to be rather delicious and a welcome change from older potatoes as these small ones retained their sweet taste.

Method
1lb, baby roaster potatoes cut into chunks
Sunflower oil
Sea salt
1 onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 tbsp, grated fresh ginger
1 chilli, chopped finely
1 tsp, cumin seeds
1 tsp, ground coriander
1 tsp, ground cumin
½ tsp, turmeric
½ tsp, garam masala
½ tsp, mango powder
1 tin, chopped tomatoes
1 tin, chick peas, drained
½ cup water

Method
1. Pre-heat fan oven to 200C degrees
2. Rinse the starch off the potatoes, dry, put into a bowl adding just enough sunflower oil to coat them and a sprinkling of sea salt
3. Heat a baking tray in the oven and when hot, tip the potatoes on to roast for 15-20 minutes until golden brown
4. While the potatoes are roasting, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan
5. Add the onion and cook for about 8 minutes until soft
6. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes
7. Add the ginger and cook for minute
8. Add the cumin seeds and cook for a minute
9. Add the ground coriander, ground cumin, mango powder, garam masala and turmeric until combined with the onion mix
10. Add the tomatoes, water and chickpeas
11. Simmer over a gentle heat for 15 minutes
12. Using a slotted spoon, add the roast potatoes to the mix
13. Serve immediately*

* Although this is a vegan recipe, I enjoyed a dollop of greek yoghurt on the top of mine

 

Standard
Baking and stuff, Dutch Apple Cake

Dutch Apple Cake

Disappeared into a frenzy of baking, cooking and pickling this afternoon. I hadn’t done applethat in ages and it felt so good! Two jars of Kimchi made as well as a big pot of Carrot and Ginger soup. A loaf of Brown Bread with Pumpkin Seeds was made to accompany the soup. And for a treat, I made a Dutch Apple Cake.

A while back, I used bake this all the time – served with lashings of creamy, piping hot, custard. We got tired of it so I stopped making it. Going for coffee at a pal’s house the other day, I decided to make it again. It got the thumbs up from both my lovely friend and her husband.

It’s a comparatively slow bake cake – soft on the outside with a crunchy top. While I usually used white sugar on the top, I used brown sugar for a change and it was a very delicious addition.

Why is it called ‘Dutch’ Apple Cake? I have no clue. I think it is the addition of one of my favourite spices, cinnamon.

Ingredients
4 ounces, soft butter
4 ounces, castor sugar
8 ounces, plain flour
2 tsp, baking powder
1-2 tsp, ground cinnamon
½ tsp, vanilla essence
3 ½ fl oz, milk
2 medium eggs
2 large apples (e.g. Pink Lady – if you like a little crunch or Royal Gala if you like a softer apple), cored, peeled and cut into small chunks
2 tbsp, sugar (white or brown)

Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 160C degrees (non fan)
2. Grease a cake tin (10 inch)
3. Sieve flour, ground cinnamon and baking powder together
4. Beat the eggs, milk and vanilla essence together
5. Cream the butter and sugar until pale
6. Add the beaten egg mix in three stages, combining each time
7. Add the dry ingredients in three stages, combining each time
8. Put half the cake mix into the tin
9. Sprinkle the apple pieces on top
10. Cover with the remaining cake mix
11. Sprinkle the sugar over the top*
12. Bake for 40-50 minutes (check with a skewer until it comes away clean)**
13. Turn onto a wire rack to cool (top size up)
14. Serve warm with whipped cream or custard

* I love cinnamon. I used bake the cake without it and when cooled, sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the top
** I place tinfoil loosely over the top at the half way mark to avoid burning.

Standard
Baking and stuff

‘Mr Guinness Cake’

Now referred to by its rather generic name, ‘Porter Cake’, this cake was known as known as Guinness Cake when I was young. I loved the name my mother recorded this recipe under: ‘Mr Guinness Cake’ giving it an elevated status that makes me smile. Another thing which made me smile was the date given: 28 April 1971. My 6th birthday and certainly this was not the cake served at my party! I had mum’s chocolate cake. I always had Mum’s chocolate cake.

When people ask what they should bring from Ireland as gifts abroad, I always recommend a Porter Cake, which is now available in tins, and a bottle of whiskey – of which there are many varieties and standards of excellence.

Ingredients
8 ounces, butter
8 ounces, soft brown sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
10 ounces, plain flour sifted
2 level teaspoons of mixed spice, sifted in with the flour
8 ounces, seedless raisins
4 ounces, sultanas
4 ounces, mixed peel, roughly chopped
4 ounces walnuts, roughly chopped
8-12 tablespoons, Guinness

Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 325 F degrees (160 C)
2. Cream together the butter and sugar until pale
3. Gradually beat in the eggs and mix through
4. Fold in the flour and mixed spice
5. Add the dried fruit and walnuts
6. Mix together well
7. Add in 4 tablespoons Guinness
8. Turn into a prepared 7 inch round cake tin
9. Bake in a moderate oven for 1 hour
10. Reduce heat to 300F degrees (150 C) and bake for another 1½ hours
11. Allow to cool in the tin
12. Remove from the cake tin
13. Prink the base of the cake with a skewer and spoon over the remaining 4-8 tablespoons of Guinness
14. Store for one week before eating

Standard
Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Saag Aloo

Spinach arrived late into my life. I think I was in my early twenties before I tasted fresh spinach. Instantly, I knew what all the fuss was about and it has been a firm favouritespinach ever since – cooked or raw. Up until then, the only spinach I knew came in a tin or a frozen block – neither of which I found particularly palatable.

Saag Aloo is made regularly in this home. This is not my recipe, however, so thanks is due to another. I only which I knew who! It is yet another list of ingredients scribbled on a scrap of paper wedged in a cookery book. To whoever came up with it, we thank-you as we have enjoyed eating this many, many, many times!

This can be served as a side dish or as a main dish with naan bread or rice.

Ingredients
2 medium onions, chopped
3 tbsp, sunflower oil
½ tsp, coriander seeds
½ tsp, cumin seeds
¼ tsp, cayenne pepper
½ tsp, ground coriander
2lb, spinach, washed and roughly shredded
1lb potatoes, peeled and cute into bite size cubes
½ tsp, salt
2 tsp,  ground fenugreek
Tin, chopped tomatoes

Method
1. Parboil the potatoes
2. Heat the oil and gently fry the onions for about 8 minutes until soft
3. Add the cumin seeds and coriander seeds and cook for 1-2 minutes
4. Add the potatoes, cayenne pepper, coriander power, salt, fenugreek and tomatoes
5. Cook over a low heat for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are cooked
6. Add the spinach, cover and allow stand for 5 minutes until the spinach has wilted

 

Standard
Baking and stuff

Lime Drizzle Cake

Lemon Drizzle Cake is a firm favourite in this house but I still love to experiment! That led to the arrival of Orange Drizzle Cake* and this week, Lime Drizzle Cake. It was such a nice change and reallyScreenshot_20181212-195830_Chrome was delicious. Most of all, we loved the extra tang of the lime juice.

Ingredients
8 oz, castor sugar
8 oz, unsalted butter
4 eggs, beaten
8 oz, self-raising flour** – sifted
Rind of two limes, finely grated
6 tbsp, lime juice
3 1/2 oz, icing sugar – sifted

Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C (fan)
2. Line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper
3. Cream the sugar and butter until pale
4. Add the beaten egg in 4 stages, combining each time
5. Add in the flour in stages, combining each time
6. Add the finely grated rind and two tablespoons of lime juice
7. Bake for 50-60 minutes in the centre of the oven (loosely cover with tinfoil mid-way through the baking to avoid burning). The cake is baked when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean
8. In a saucepan, gently heat the icing sugar with the remaining lime juice until it is syrupy
9. Prod the hot cake with a skewer all over and carefully pour the warm syrup all over
10. Leave to cool in the tin
11. Serve simply with a mug of coffee or with whipped cream and fresh raspberries

*The reciple for the Orange Drizzle Cake can be accessed here: https://teeninattic.com/2013/12/11/necessity-is-indeed-the-mother-of-invention/

** I had no self-raising flour so I used 8 ounces of plain flour and added three teaspoons of baking powder. Worked like a dream!

Standard
Baking and stuff

Last minute Christmas Cake

I’ve always been a fan of Jack Monroe – the person and the cook. When I saw this recipe, I couldn’t wait to try it. It’s a last minute Christmas cake which has only *four* ingredients – mincemeat, eggs, flour and sparkling ginger ale/beer.

I made a couple of adjustments, however – to match the contents of my cupboard, to compliment the mincemeat I had and to take on board the suggestions they make at the end of their recipe.

As the mincemeat already contained rum, I used sparkling water and added half a teaspoon each of ground ginger and ground cinamon. I also added in the finely grated rind of one lemon and the juice of half that lemon. It’s a very wet mix so I was worried it might not turn out. But it did and it was lovely. My kitchen smelt all Christmasy when it was baking. Divine!

Here’s the link, if you feel like trying it out: https://cookingonabootstrap.com/2018/11/19/easy-christmas-cake-recipe/

 

 

 

 

 

Standard