PENDRAGON'S KITCHEN
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1 Tbsp olive oil
About 1 bunch of beets, peeled ,cooked and sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tablespoon or less olive oil* This Moroccan-style stew feeds quite a few people (you can double it easily) in a hurry if you have the vegetables ready ahead of time. Instant couscous makes the whole thing a snap. It has the advantage that it isn't terribly spicy (you can cut back on the cayenne if you have wimps in the crowd ;=)) but the sauce with the added harissa makes it just about as hot as you'd like for those who like it that way.
Served on a large platter, vegetables heaped in the centre, garnished with the nuts and chopped herbs, surrounded by the couscous, this looks very impressive and festive.
2 Tbsp oil
Many years ago we had a wonderful stew for lunch at the home of an old friend. Somehow the recipe has been lost and I have been trying to recapture the texture and flavour ever since.This is one of my versions, though I think it's a long way from the original.
Inspired by more complicated recipes by more competent chefs, this is a recipe that can be increased easily, and the left-overs can be turned into a pleasant chunky soup.
RED-COOKED DAIKON WITH CHILLIES & GINGER
I have eaten daikon, but until recently had never cooked it at home. Looking for something on the KISS principle, I found this recipe, slightly adapted (of course) for my love of spiciness. Serve with rice and, perhaps, stir-fried greens with a touch of spice!
1 bunch (1 pound - 450 g) daikon, ‘roll’-cut in bite-size pieces (or just ‘chunk’ em)
HUNGRY NOW? Check out the following group of recipes.
1 large rib/stalk of celery, sliced lengthways then across
2 green/spring onions, sliced lengthways, then across
1/2 tsp dried mint leaves
1/2 jalapeno, very finely sliced
1-1/2 cups cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1 tomato, chopped
salt and black pepper to taste
sliced olives for garnish
chopped coriander leaves/cilantro to garnish (optional)
Put oil in a skillet and lightly sautee the next four ingredients until heated through and to flavour the oil, add the beans, stir to coat in the flavours and to heat, add the tomato and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and stir until the tomato is warmed through. Garnish with sliced olives.
This works served over rice as a light meal or as a side dish. It is easily doubled to feed more people. Any leftovers can be gently re-heated or, with the assistance of a squeeze of lemon juice, served as a chilled salad.
1 large apple (I used a Macintosh), cored, quartered and sliced
2 Tbsp seaweed (I used cut wakame), soaked in hot water 20 mins
1/2 cup defrosted corn kernels (or use fresh)
homemade vinaigrette dressing, your choice of vinegars and herbs
Place beets and apple in salad bowl. Squeeze water from seaweek and chop a little if necessary and add to bowl along with the corn. Toss with vinaigrette.
Serve with other salads, pickles, breads, etc.
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large parsnips, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Tbsp garam masala
12 tsp cayenne (or to taste)
1 rounded Tbsp wholewheat flour
4 cups vegetable stock
grated zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon (OR a little less, depending on size - taste as you go)
freshly ground black pepper
salt? - probably not needed
strips of lemon zest and/or chopped cilantro/coriander leaves to garnish
In a large pan, heat the oil and add parnips, onion and garlic, stirring for about five minutes. Vegetables should be a little soft but not turning brown. Add the spices and stir well, sprinkle on the flour and stir very well for half a minute and then immediately add the stock, lemon juice and the zest. Taste to establish the degree of sourness you require from the lemon - you can always add more later.
Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 or 20 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.
Take out a couple of spoonfulls of those vegetables and set aside. You will add them to the finished soup later for texture and interest.
Either pour the soup into a blender and puree, OR use a magic wand to puree in the pan (watch for splatters if you choose the latter method - there’s no magic to avoid burns and stains.). Soup should be lovely and smooth.
Re-heat the soup together with those chunkier vegetables you set aside, taste again for seasoning (okay? shouldn’t need salt unless you used a salt-free stock)
Serve in heated bowls, add a grind of black pepper and garnish. Very nice and comforting!
There's MORE below . . .
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 smallish apples, cored and peeled and diced
3 tablespoons grated ginger root
5 cups/800 grams butternut (or other) squash, diced
4 cups/1 litre vegetable stock (*not* the kind with tomato in it)
2 teaspoons hot sauce
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
chopped cilantro and a little grated lemon zest to garnish
Sweat the onions and celery in the oil over medium heat until onion is
transparent, add the ginger and apple and stir a moment or two longer, then add the squash, stir for a few minutes with the other ingredients, and pour in the stock. Bring to the boil on high heat, lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes or so (until vegetables are cooked).
Put the soup with vegetables into the blender until all smooth, reheat,
adjust seasonings, serve and garnish.
*NOTE: for those who don't like to use oil, I've made other soups not
dissimilar to this one without using oil at all - just 'sautee' the
onions, etc., in a little stock and then simmer the whole lot together.
It'll work just fine.
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1 onion, halved and finely sliced across
4 baby turnips, quartered
1/2 lb sweet potatoes, cubed
3 medium tomatoes, peeled & chopped finely
3 1/2 (maybe more) cups vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups cooked, drained garbanzos/chickpeas
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced across
2 cups button mushrooms
3 Tbsp chopped parsley
salt to taste
harissa (or similar chilli-garlic sauce) to taste
1/2 cup toasted cashews for garnish
1 - 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro/coriander leaves for garnish
1 - 2 Tbsp chopped parsley for garnish
Plus: Instant couscous (to be made 5 minutes before serving)
Heat the oil in a large skiller and saute the garlic and spices for a minute or two, being careful
not to burn the garlic.
Add the onion and root vegetables and stir to coat them well with the spice mixture and then add the tomatoes and stir-fry until the tomatoes have softened - about 5 minutes in all.
Add the stock, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the chickpeas, raisins, zucchini, mushrooms, salt (if needed, depending on your stock), and parsley. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for 15 minutes more or until the vegetables are tender. Depending on the heat of your stovetop, the kind of pan you use, etc., you may find that you need to add a little more liquid. (You won’t want it runny, but you will want some sauce at the end to serve separately from the vegetables.)
Prepare the instant couscous according to package directions in the last five minutes of cooking the stew.
Taste the stew for salt and correct if needed. Remove vegetables from pan with a slotted spoon and keep warm.
Add harissa (or similar hot chili-garlic paste) to the liquid in the pan (to taste).
Place the vegetables on a large platter, garnish with cilantro, parsley and toasted cashews, surround with couscous. Put the sauce in a sauce boat and pass at the table.
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WAIT! Here's another recipe!
Ingredients:
(conversions are approximate)
1 Tbsp olive oil (or as little as you can get away with)
1 leek or 2, depending on size (about 3/4 lb / 325 g), finely sliced
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 eggplant/aubergine (about 1 lb / 450 g), cubed to 1-in / 2.5 cm
2 zucchini /summer squash (about 1 lb / 450 g), sliced lengthwise, chopped
1/2 lb / 225 g mushrooms, sliced
2 cups (450 ml or around 425 g) red kidney beans, cooked and drained
1 can (28 fl oz / 796 ml) chopped tomatoes with juice
1 cup (8 fl oz/ 225 ml) vegetable stock
1 tsp dried thyme
handfull fresh parsley, chopped
1 small green bell pepper / green capsicum, chopped
1 - 2 Tbsp Braggs liquid (use tamari if Braggs unavailable)
1 - 2 Tbsp vegetarian worcestershire sauce
freshly ground black pepper
more water or stock as needed
salt as needed
And, for final fillip:
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1 and a 1/2 Tbsp capers, crushed
3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Method:
Put the olive oil in a large heat-proof casserole on high heat, add the leeks
and reduce heat to medium-high. Sweat the leeks and celery in the olive oil.
Then add the mushrooms, eggplant, and zucchini one by one and stir each
for a minute or two to slightly brown. Keep stirring so each gets contact with
the other vegetables and the bottom of the casserole.
Add the beans, crushed tomatoes with their juice, the vegetable stock, thyme
and parsley, bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and cook for about
ten minutes.
Add the green bell pepper / capsicum and continue to cook until all
vegetables are just done. You may want to add a little more water or stock
and bring back to the boil.
Add the Braggs and the worcestershire sauce and black pepper and adjust
seasonings.
Just before serving, combine the olive oil, parsley capers, garlic and mustard
well in a small bowl and stir into the stew.
Serve over brown rice or with crusty bread.
Serves 4 to 6, depending on how you serve it and how hungry people are ;=)
HERE'S ANOTHER
We serve this on its own with chunks of homemade walnut bread or boston brown bread, followed or accompanied by a light spinach salad.
1 Tbsp olive oil (or as little as you can get away with)
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
8 oz (225 g) potatoes, in 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
8 oz (225 g) turnips, in 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
8 oz (225 g) sweet potato, in 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
8 oz (225 g) carrots, sliced thinly
one-half of a small 5.5 oz (255 ml) can tomato paste
1 - 1/2 cups water
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
3 Tbsp sliced green olives or to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the finishing fillip:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp capers, crushed
2 Tbsp fresh finely chopped parsley
1 or 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped and crushed
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
Put oil in a large saucepan or casserole and swirl garlic around over medium
heat, add root vegetables and stir for a minute or two to coat in the garlic
flavour.
Move some vegetables aside so you can add the tomato paste to the bottom
of the pan, letting it roast slightly for a moment or two, then stir in and add
the water, stirring well, and bring to a boil.
Add herbs and olives and lower heat to simmer, covering for around 20
minutes until the vegetables are done to tender but still retain their shape.
The sauce should be thick, coating the vegetables, rather than runny. You may need to add a little more water or, alternately, remove lid to reduce liquid,
depending upon the size and shape of your cooking pot.
Finally, mix the ingredients for the final fillip in a small bowl and stir into
the stew immediately before serving.
MORE . . .
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 spring onions (scallions), sliced diagonally into bite-size lengths
3 ‘coins’ of peeled fresh ginger, cut into mini-matchsticks
2 Tbsp mushroom soysauce
1 tsp turbinado sugar or honey
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 or 3 red thai chillies
1 tsp sesame oil
3 or 4 Tbap chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
Put the canola oil into a skillet over medium-high heat and add onions, ginger and chilies and stir for a moment or two. Add ginger and daikon, stir to coat with the oil and flavours, add the soysauce, turbinado and just under a cup of water (you might need to watch the water level, according to the size and weight of your pan). Bring to the boil, cover and reduce heat. Cook about 20 minutes, but give it a stir now and then and check the water level.
When daikon is cooked, uncover and turn up the heat to reduce the liquid - you’ll want a little over 1/4 cup - enough to keep it nice and moist with a little sauce without being soupy. Add half the cilantro and all the sesame oil, stir, and serve topped with the remaining cilantro.
