Back in business

Bonjour bonjour!

I have indeed still been eating these last eighteen months, I was just too lazy to write about it. Many other things were going on and I just never got round to it. However, I'm feeling just about ready to start doing this again, so here goes. Since my last post, I've moved and acquired a rather lovely terrace which I'm absolutely loving. It's only been six months, so I've only just started to plant things. Garlic and carrots are currently growing, as well as rosemary, thyme and bay leaf and several plants and flowers. I'm looking forward to incorporating my home-grown things into recipes so watch this space!

I've got several photos of things I've made over the last year or so and will gradually start putting them up. In the mean time, I decided to start with a simple, cupboard-staple classic which is the only thing I could be bothered to do last night when I was feeling particularly tired. Anyway, taking a photo of it inspired me to get back on here, so I won't knock it too much. Besides, for an English girl living in France, baked beans on toast is a LUXURY not to be sniffed at with cans of beans being a little trickier to come by than back home and about twice the price. What is Sunday-night-what-can-I-feed-these-hungry-mouths or student no-money-until-don't-know-when-so-it's-beans-until-then food has become my equivalent of steak with foie gras.

So here you have it:

Baked Beans on Toast

1 can Heinz Baked Beans
Worcestershire sauce
Coarse black pepper to grind
Coarse salt to grind
Mature Cheddar cheese (optional)
Two wholemeal English muffins (halved) or two slices of wholemeal or granary bread, toasted

While the muffins or bread are toasting, heat the can of beans over a gentle heat. Once they've started to bubble, add a generous splash of Worcester sauce and a quick grind of pepper and salt. Stir continuously, taking care not to burn the beans or let them catch on the bottom of the pan. Once the sauce has started to become slightly cloudy and thick, take the beans off the heat.

Lightly butter the muffins or toast and pour the beans over the top. Grate some Cheddar over the lot, quickly, so it melts in slightly, then add another quick grind of salt and pepper. (I eat more salt than most for medical reasons, weird but true, so feel free to skip any of my salt-adds!)

Delicious, simple, cheap and healthy (especially if you skip on the Cheddar which I actually very rarely add, I generally prefer it without.)

P.S. My brother likes to add a little tabasco or a couple of chili flakes to his beans, (right around the time you add the Worcester sauce) which also makes for a tasty variation with a little bite!

Love Autumn

Autumn is my very favourite season for so many reasons. I love the seasonal fruit and vegetables, the colours of the leaves and the evening light and mostly, I love the temperature. I am very fair-skinned and the summer sun and heat really doesn't agree with me. I know that September 1st is still a few days away and that the temperatures probably won't drop to anything respectable (by my standards anyway) for at least a couple more weeks yet...BUT, in my excitement, I've already started on the soups.

Having done a lot of food shopping, a lot of cooking and a lot of eating this past week, I decided that the first half of the coming week was going to have to be all about leftovers. Since soups are the perfect way to use up vegetables that are perhaps past their best and I just happened to have four carrots waiting around in the bottom drawer of the fridge and a couple of apples that weren't quite crunchy enough anymore, that's what went in the pot!

Carrot and Apple Soup

4 good sized carrots
2 apples (any kind, mine were Pink Lady)
2 tsp of ginger (unfortunately I didn't have any fresh to hand, but this would be better)
1 litre of vegetable stock
2 shallots
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 large tbsp crème fraîche
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Walnuts to serve

Finely chop the shallots and cut up the carrots and apples.

Sauté the shallots in a little olive oil then add the carrots and apples and sauté for a further few minutes.

Add the ginger powder, the garlic, a pinch of salt and a little ground black pepper. Stir as you sauté so that nothing catches or burns.

Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil for 10 minutes.

Turn the heat right down, cover and simmer for an hour.

Take the soup off the heat and leave for 10 minutes before adding the crème fraîche and blending.

Serve with a handful of chopped walnuts.


*I just had a bowl of soup before posting and it was yummy!

Potato Skin Man...

...with a tulip petal face and hat.

Simple, versatile tomato sauce

This sauce is so easy to make and will work for pasta, pizza, bruschetta, or even just scooping it right out of the pan into your mouth. It'll keep in the fridge for a few days, or even the freezer if you want to stockpile it. This way you'll always have it to hand to rustle up something quick and easy if unexpected visitors drop in.

8 plum tomatoes, peeled (bring them to the boil to make this easier) and chopped
3 shallots, chopped finely
2 tsp rosemary (dried)
2 tsp thyme (dried)
2 tsp Marmite
1 large clove of garlic
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

Once you've peeled and chopped your tomatoes and set them to the side, sauté the shallots in a little olive oil in a saucepan along with the rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and crushed garlic. Once the shallots have softened, add the Marmite and stir well until everything is coated a slightly sticky brown.

Add a pinch of salt and grind in some black pepper.

Add the tomatoes and stir in well. Keep everything on a high heat and let the sauce bubble for about 5 minutes.

Turn the heat right down, cover and let the sauce cook slowly for about half an hour.

Remove the cover and let simmer for another 20 minutes with no lid, in order to reduce to a thick sauce.

It's ready!

To your good health!

Lentils are one of my favourite foods. I think it's another one of those things that my mother passed on to me during my own baking period in her womb. When we're having a day together, just her and me, you can be pretty sure that lentils will feature somewhere in that day and it's highly likely that figs will make an appearance too.

Lentils are exceedingly good for you, providing a good dose of protein and iron, among other things. Figs, as well as being delicious, are a source of magnesium, potassium and calcium. Ginger on the other hand, is well known for its healing properties, helping to alleviate migraines, arthritis, nausea and gastrointestinal difficulties. Need I say more? This dish is good health in a bowl. Serve it warm with a chicken breast or piece of fish, or have it on its own served cold for lunch.

Ginger and Fig Lentils

250 grams Puy lentils (or other green lentils if you can't get your hands on the Puy)
3 tsp fresh ginger root
6 medium sized shallots
6 fresh, ripe figs, chopped into quarters
1 yellow courgette, chopped into thick pieces
1 green courgette, chopped into thick pieces
6 chestnut mushrooms, chopped
a handful of fresh rosemary
a handful of fresh thyme
1 tsp ginger powder
1 large clove garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
1 small glass of white wine
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

First the lentils:

First rinse your lentils in cold water. Place them in a large pan with at least three times their volume of water and add the ginger powder, half the rosemary, half the thyme, a pinch of salt, a twist of ground pepper, the two bay leaves and three peeled, whole shallots (don't chop them.) Bring to the boil and simmer until cooked. This should take around 20-30 minutes depending on the lentils but refer to the individual packaging for instructions.

Once the lentils are ready, strain them and place in a bowl to the side. Remove the bay leaves.

Then the vegetables:

Chop up the remaining shallots and in a large pan, drizzle a little olive oil. Once heated, add the chopped shallots and soften for a minute or so. Add the remaining thyme and rosemary as well as the fresh ginger and the crushed garlic. Stir well being careful not to burn the shallots or garlic. If necessary, add another drizzle of oil.

Add the chopped courgettes and continue to toss the contents of the pan whilst cooking. Keep stirring over a relatively high heat for a 4-5 minutes before adding the chestnut mushrooms.

Once the courgettes and mushrooms are cooked through (but not limp), add the figs. Lower the heat to medium and carry on tossing the vegetables as the figs soften and cook.

Add the rested lentils into the pan and toss everything together, making sure not to crush the figs though they should be fairly soft and shapeless at this point.

Finally, add the glass of white wine, turn the heat right down, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. During the last few minutes, remove the cover. You should keep the lentils over the heat until the wine has evaporated and there is no liquid in the pan.

Serve hot or cold as you prefer.