Sushi Made Simple

Miss R LOVES sushi. She had her first encounter with raw fish and sticky rice at the tender age of three, gleefully pressing the pink and white parcel into her little mouth with the relish other three year olds might have for a chocolate bar or burger. Unfortunately, when she was young, Scotland might as well have been Mars when it came to finding Japanese food, so we were rarely able to indulge her. Even fish shops very rarely stocked the quality of fish with which to make your own sushi and sashimi. But gradually over the years the restaurant and fishmonger situation has improved and we can now make sushi as often as we like – or as often as the purse allows. For one of Miss R’s birthdays we even had a sushi making party, which was great fun even if I was picking rice out of the carpet for days afterward. Five years later I still vividly remember one bold boy sucking down the contents of the wasabi tube and trying desperately hard not to cry.

I can’t pretend to be an expert on sushi. As I am self-taught in this art, my efforts would probably appall a 10-year apprenticed sushi chef. But I can’t afford to frequent sushi bars very often, so Miss R and I make do by rolling it ourselves with the freshest ingredients. Even though Mr A is the only one in our house to have visited Japan we all love sushi, sashimi, miso and all the other delicacies of this most refined of cuisines. I love the ‘clean’ flavours, precision and attention to the tastes – sweet, salty, bitter, sour, spicy (many will debate this one) and umami.

This last taste – denoting meaty, savoury, yeasty flavours – is a Japanese word that roughly translates as ‘savouriness’ or ‘deliciousness’. This word and concept covers the often indefinable tastes we sense in some foods, and has filtered into British culinary thinking by chef Heston Blumenthal and in the US by David and Anna Kasabian. You can even buy umami paste to add to dishes. I used to think I liked salty things but I now realise that umami, which often pairs up with salt in savoury foods, such as Marmite, is really what I like. It’s only taken 40 something years to figure that out. It explains why I love parmesan cheese, tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, fish sauce and black olives – all high in free glutamate acid – an amino acid that is the hallmark of umami.

With sushi, you can play with taste elements to great effect emphasising, say, salty and umami (smoked eel + sushi seaweed/nori) or sweet and spicy (mayonnaise and peppered mackerel). I like to add in hot, sour and bitter garnishes such mustard-hot wasabi, pickled sushi ginger, spicy togarashi powder and salty-sour umeboshi paste to satisfy my craving for taste contrast. But even a slug of Kikkoman makes a brilliant partner for sushi.

I have always thought that the two keys to good sushi are super fresh fish and   properly cooked sushi rice. Well, I have amended this slightly to also include properly cooked quinoa. Yep, quinoa. My friend Niki gave me the idea after she wanted to make the first recipe that I posted, smoked mackerel and quinoa fishcakes, but didn’t have all the ingredients, so made a sort of sushi thing instead. I don’t know what she ended up putting in this invention but I’m positive it was delicious. This was a stunning revelation as, although sushi is super healthy, it isn’t all that low in carbohydrates. We need carbohydrates and I don’t have any truck with the lingering fad for high protein-low carb diets that may end up wrecking your kidneys, but I do believe that we should include more unprocessed, ‘brown’ carbohydrates.  You can of course use brown sushi rice to lower the GI rating, but I can never get it to work as well as the white stuff. So the near-sacrilegious substitution of rice for quinoa struck me as rather genius. And it worked, beautifully.

Sushi doesn’t have to involve raw fish. By all means use just the smoked mackerel, or maybe try some smoked salmon, quality tinned or jarred tuna, chicken, cooked prawns,  crabsticks (which are a complete misnomer but perfect here) or keep it veggie. This is made for ‘free-styling’ so put in what you like and what you can neatly roll up. Kids are sometimes a bit funny about the look of the seaweed, so get round that issue by rolling it up as inside-out rolls, with the seaweed safely curlicued up inside the rice. It takes a little more skill, but only just a little. I will guide you through the steps but there are plenty of on-line videos to help too. Here’s one on California rolls.

Once you have the hang of rolling sushi, increase the chances of your children trying this healthy nibble by getting them to have a go as well. Have plenty of counter space, a bowl of water for keeping hands clean and damp and be prepared for plenty of giggles. Apparently this is National Parenting Week here in the UK. Prime Minister David Cameron, a father of three young children, was asked on Radio 2′s ‘Jeremy Vine Show’ for his top parenting tips. First on his list was for parents and children to cook together, making a lot of mess and having fun in the process. I think sushi making fits this bill perfectly. Give it a go, but don’t blame me if you are picking up rice for the forseeable future…

Sushi Made Simple

285g/10 oz sushi rice

360ml/12.5 oz water

3 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp caster sugar

3/4 tsp salt

4 sheets toasted nori (sushi seaweed)

100g/4 oz super fresh salmon, cut into long strips (you may not need all)

100g/4 oz smoked mackerel, torn

Good quality mayonnaise, mixed with a little wasabi paste if you like (we like) – optional

Black sesame seeds, optional

Vegetable fillings: thin strips of cucumber, avocado, carrot, beetroot, spring onion/scallions – but use any vegetables that you like such as shiitake mushrooms, peppers or mooli.

You Also Need: a bamboo sushi rolling mat, Japanese condiments such as togarashi, umeboshi, pickled ginger, soy sauce/shoyu sauce and wasabi – get all of these in Oriental supermarkets, some mainstream supermarkets or online; bowl of clean water, sharp knife, cutting board, cling film, foil or large baking tray.

The rice is the only bit that you kind of need to get right as the rest is just to your taste. Wash the rice in cold water until the water runs clear: I do this in a sieve. Pop it into a lidded saucepan and add in the 360 ml water. Leave it to soak for 15 minutes then bring to the boil. Cover and lower the heat to simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and leave, covered, for 10 minutes. You can do all of this ahead of time and bring up to room temperature before making your sushi, but I find it is best if you use freshly made rice. While the rice is cooking and waiting you can get on with sorting your fillings and work space. Mix together the vinegar, sugar and salt until dissolved. When the rice has rested spread it out onto a long sheet of foil or onto a large baking sheet, sprinkle generously all over with the the vinegar mix. Fork the rice  around to mix the vinegar solution. Experts say to fan the rice as it makes it glossier.                                                  

Now you are ready to roll! Place your rolling mat on  your work space, lay one piece of nori  on the edge closest to you. If you are having a shot at the inside-out rolls then trim off the top quarter with a pair of scissors. Spread some rice onto 3/4 of the nori, leaving the top quarter bare, or up to the edge for inside-out rolls. Dip your hands in water and clap to remove excess. Doing this regularly while smoothing on your rice will keep it from sticking to your hands too much.

For regular maki sushi lay your fillings in a line, one-quarter from the bottom edge (see photo), starting with the mayo or umeboshi, if you like. Don’t be tempted to pile on too much or it will be trickier to roll up. I usually use about four fillings at a time. Once all of your toppings are on start rolling from the bottom edge, using your fingertips to guide and contain the filling as you roll away from you. Take your time, gently squeezing as you roll, using the mat to push the seaweed roll forward. You will hopefully end up with a neat, tight sushi roll. Trim away any filling peeking from the ends and set aside while you set up another roll. When they are all completed cut each roll into 6-8 pieces and place cut side up on a platter along with your condiments. 

For inside-out rolls place your nori on the worktop next to the rolling mat and press on your rice, as instructed above but taking the rice all the way to the trimmed top edge. Now, if you are brave, carefully grab the two bottom corners and flip the rice-laden nori over onto the mat, aiming for the bottom edge to line up. If you are less brave, press a piece of clingfilm over the sushi, lining up the bottoms and then flip. Doing it this way is trickier for rolling up as you need to ensure that you pull away the clingfilm as you roll, but some may find this easier to begin with. Now carry on with the filling but laying it directly onto the nori. Roll up tightly, roll in sesame seeds if you like, and cut to your desire thickness. Now, attack with chopsticks!

Quinoa option: Rinse 200 grams of quinoa in running water and bring to the boil in 400ml of water. Turn the heat to simmer, pop on the lid and cook until the water is absorbed. Cool and season as above.

quinoa sushi (foreground) + rice sushi

Makes a great, healthy snack for school too!

Warm Beetroot, Lentil and Pepper Salad

I am a real advocate of what I call the ‘meal salad’; multi-sensory, bold salads that are platters of  amazing colour, clear tastes, contrasting textures and even a hint of fragrance. I crave salads that invariably cause you to leave the restaurant with a little dribble on your chin because you were enjoying your food and not minding your manners. In short, I want to know I’ve had a proper feed, and not just been fobbed off with lowest common denominator assembling skills. Just because it’s a salad doesn’t mean it can’t be interesting and taste sublime. Being a greedy sort I don’t think that some frilly-pants collection of lettuces, scattering of delicately sliced vegetables and thimble of dressing constitutes a meal. Yet, if you go out and don’t fancy the meat-heavy or sleep-inducing carb options, this is usually what is left. If you are lucky someone might offer it with a miniscule piece of anemic-looking chicken (which I wouldn’t touch with a barge pole) or trio of king prawns (yawn), but the equation ‘woman+salad=dieter’ seems to be behind menu planning at many eateries. And I resent this. The notion (as I imagine it) that salad-eaters are just looking for something to move around the plate so don’t bother making it interesting or filling is insulting and, in my opinion, wrong.  Just because I mainly prefer eating plants to animals doesn’t mean my tastebuds and appetite are dead. Sure, if you go up a notch or two you will undoubtedly find something more adventurous, but probably still not filling enough to see you through to supper, or keep you from later devouring that carefully-squirreled away Valentine’s leftover (am I revealing too much?). Are you weary as well of shelling out good money at places where they spend more time planning the wine list than they do the menu? I don’t even bother now. And that’s a bit sad because eating out should expose you to tastes and ideas that inspire and excite.

I’ve really had quite a wee rant to myself, and involved you who may be perfectly happy with your paid-for salady nosh. Sorry. I’m miffed probably because the UK restaurant and catering industry has upped their game almost unrecognisably in the past 20 years, but this is one area that is still a bit ‘Betamax’. I don’t know how we can get more interesting plant-based fare into mainstream restaurants but here is the kind of ‘meal salad’ I would be happy to pay money for. Let me know what you would pay good money for – keep it decent, Miss R reads this…

Warm Beetroot, Lentil and Pepper Salad

I am a big fan of Sarah Raven – she of UK gardening fame but also an inventive cook – and  the au courant London chef Yotam Ottolenghi. Although neither is vegetarian they both display cunning and creative flair to bring out the best in what could be quite pedestrian ingredients. I find that plant-only cooks and cookery writers can be a bit worthy for my tastes, and so I tend to be drawn to omnivores who speak vegetarian as a second language. This earthy, punchy salad takes inspiration from the writings and recipes of my two favourite ‘bi-lingual’ cook-chefs.

4 small or 2 medium beetroots, scrubbed and roots trimmed a little (the smaller the beetroot, the sweeter)

2 red onions, peeled and cut into eighths (with some root attached if possible)

2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks

Extra virgin olive oil

Seeds from 3 cardamom pods + 1  tbsp coriander seeds, + 1/2 tbsp black peppercorns + 1 tsp flaky sea salt – coarsely ground in pestle and mortar or clean coffee grinder

150g/5.3 oz Puy or Puy-type lentils

300ml/10 oz vegetable stock + 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, and a little extra for later

2 bay leaves

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Leaves from two sprigs fresh thyme (lemon thyme if you can get it)

1-2 red chillies, deseeded and finely sliced

Juice and grated zest of 1/2 large unwaxed lemon

Rocket/arugula leaves, chervil and flat-leaf/Italian parsley – as much as you like

1/2 pack of halloumi cheese (about 100 grams), sliced into 1/2 cm depth slices

What To Do: Toss the beetroot, onion and peppers in 1 tbsp of olive oil and almost all of the ground spices. Put the beetroots in a small roasting tin and bake at 190C for 45 minutes – 1 hour. When the beetroots have twenty minutes to go pop the onions and peppers onto the tray. If you are a beetroot fan, you might want to bake a couple of bunches of beetroot for use in other dishes, or for pickling. Anyway, when the beets are tender when pierced with a knife, let them cool and then rub the fragile skins away and slice the juicy beets into big bite-sized pieces.

While things are roasting get on with the body of the salad – the lentils. You could very easily use one of the precooked packs of Puy lentils available in many UK supermarkets but they are really easy to sort from scratch and the suggested flavourings really lift the lentils. Pop the raw lentils into a medium saucepan with the bay leaves and cover with the stock and vinegar. Bring to the boil and then cook on a fast simmer (medium heat) for between 20 and 30 minutes. It is hard to give exact timings but check to make sure the liquid hasn’t evaporated at 20 minutes and give them a little taste as well. They should be tender but still quite firm: if your dental work is threatened, give it another 10 minutes. Drain as needed then pour the lentils into a wide pretty bowl to cool a bit.

Heat a griddle pan or saute pan to high and slap on the halloumi pieces. Griddle or cook until starting to colour or get griddle marks, then flip and do this again. I sometimes use the ‘light’ halloumi in other recipes but it gets  bit dry if you do more than heat it through. Use the full-fat stuff for this one. Remember my rant; this isn’t a diet salad.

Add to the lentils the roasted, warm vegetables, chopped garlic, thyme leaves, chillies, lemon juice and zest, whatever amount of leaves  you are using, then finally toss together with some extra olive oil and balsamic to taste. Sprinkle in the remaining ground spices if you like, and serve with griddled halloumi or hunks of broken feta cheese, and maybe some flatbreads. Enjoy!

Leek and Potato Soup With Parsnip and Tarragon

Spring has at last sprung in Scotland. The outside thermometer in my lovely Skoda Octavia (that’s a car to any US readers) read 15C on Monday: this is sometimes a top temperature in July. I had planned on making a soup today, and had already bought all the ingredients. But I must admit to being sorely tempted to crack on with a delicate spring salad. I stopped in my tracks however, afraid that I would jinx us all, unleashing a torrent of plant-ripping hail and sky-scudding storms. And anyway, there is enough spring in this soup to fit comfortably with the unaccustomed sun and warmth yet cover the still-cold nights. Versatile, or what?

Another thing that is making me feel very chipper is the sight of my beautiful Black Rock hens (wrecking) pecking in the back garden. Such joy to see the sun glinting off their deep green feathers as they hypnotically bob their little heads, feasting on everything tender that I have dared plant out. Friends (and my husband) think they are the most spoiled hens ever, dining as they do on fruits, vegetables, herbs, grains and the odd bit of cake. I think it’s only looking after our best interests. After all, we eat what they eat. And as they eat gravel, worms, flowers and bugs I like to think that the diced mango, quinoa and coriander stalks are adding value and flavour to our daily delivery. The yolks are certainly as deep a saffron as those you get in Italy, and twice as delicious. Could be the saffron cake…

sugar and josephine

Science bit: I have indulged a bit in the ol’ nutrition stuff lately so I will calm down and try not to scare off you folk who are tuning in just for the nosh. Suffice it to say that leeks are the stars in this soup and that watercress comes a close second, but only because of the smaller amount.  Not much research exists on leeks as they get lumped in with their fellow alliums, onions and garlic, but they are certainly useful to anyone wanting to eat more healthily. An Italian study noted rates of mouth, esophageal, colorectal and stomach cancers were lower the more alliums one consumes. Eating the equivalent of 1/2 a cup of alliums (leeks, onions, garlic, chives etc) per day is thought to be a health-promoting amount. It is certainly achievable if you make most of your own meals from scratch, but even adding sauteed onions, leeks or garlic to a bought meal is good. To get the most from your alliums, ‘box and cox’ (US readers, look that one up) between having them cooked and raw. Another tip: after cutting, leave alliums ten minutes as this develops the anti-carcinogen compound allicin.

Leek’s main nutrients are interferon-boosting manganese, Vitamin C, iron, folate, vitamin B6 and fibre. The cardiovascular benefits of alliums  are more studied than for cancer, with numerous polyphenols known to help keep heart-damaging homocysteine levels low, blood vessels supple, cholesterol low, and protect blood vessels from free radical damage. For those who ‘know their onions’ (groan), but want to know more, click here.

field-fresh leeks from craigies farm shop

Leek, Parsnip and Watercress Soup

This is a tail-end-of-winter soup, with a hint of spring. Sweet local parsnips are almost finished and edging towards being woody, but maincrop potatoes, leeks and watercress are in full swing. I’m only just tiring of the heartier winter veg such as parsnips and swedes, but here in Scotland we have a wee while to go before our springier crops are ready for harvesting. While winter and spring battle it out on the weather front (spring is winning today – hooray!), hedge your bets and try this mixed season soup. Please don’t hunt around for the parsnips if they aren’t available, just up the potato: I  happened to have some parsnips and liked the sweetness they added to the soup. Garnish with frazzled thin-cut pancetta if you like, or even garden chives that may be peeking through just now.

700g/1 lb 8 oz maincrop potatoes (basically not new or waxy potatoes), peeled and chopped

200g/7 oz parsnips, peeled and chopped

500g/1 lb 2 oz leeks, trimmed

1 tbsp rapeseed oil or butter

1.5 litres/50 fl oz vegetable stock or chicken stock (I sometimes use a combination)

1 tbsp fresh tarragon or 1 tsp dried tarragon

100g/3.5 oz watercress (use the stalks too – tasty and nutritious)

250 ml/8 fl oz full-cream milk (optional)

salt and white pepper

What To Do: Take the leeks and cut away the tough darker green leaves. The easiest way to slice leeks is to cut them lengthways and then again so you have four long pieces for each. Gather them up and slice them thinly. Pop them in a colander and give them a good rinse to get out any grit. Supermarket leeks are usually pretty grit-free but farm shop or vegetable box/CSA leeks will always have some clinging in there.

Add the oil or butter to a large saucepan and, when this is melted over a medium heat, add the leeks and sauté for four to five minutes, stirring. Add in the potatoes, parsnip and stock. Bring to the boil and then simmer – covered – for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Turn off the heat and add in the watercress and tarragon; let them wilt. Whiz the soup very carefully with a hand blender or in a food processor, before putting the soup into a clean saucepan with the milk and reheating gently. Season to taste with salt and white pepper, if desired.       Serves 6

Beetroot Zinger Juice

Juicing is a subject close to my heart. Many of the people I advise and teach at the Maggies Cancer Caring Centre are going through chemotherapy when they come to the Centre. Most want to do everything they can to eat well through treatment. Evidence shows that those who are well-nourished tolerate treatment better and reduce their risk of infection. But sometimes this is very difficult to do. Because almost all chemotherapy drugs  affect taste, appetite and digestion at least somewhat, doctors and dietitians advise those affected to eat what they feel like eating and what they can taste and digest well. This is also what we advise. But I always encourage those who cannot tolerate raw fruits and vegetables to juice them. That way they can get the nutritional benefit without filling up on bulky lower calorie foods or deal with the effects raw produce can have on a weakened digestive system.

So why not just buy fresh juice from the supermarket? Well, supermarket juices – even ones labelled as fresh and in the chiller cabinet –  are always pasteurised, usually twice. This can lessen and even destroy some of the very compounds that we want from fresh juice. Sure, I drink store-bought juice occasionally but I don’t expect it to do much for me, other than be convenient and taste nice. Tomato juice is the only juice whose main nutrients are enhanced with processing.

In my opinion, homemade, freshly pressed juices are like liquid supplements, but without any of the downsides associated with supplementing while on cancer treatment (many immune-boosting supplements have potential to interfere with treatment effectiveness). People who juice during treatment may find that it helps a bit with energy, and they feel that even if their diet isn’t as they would like at the moment,  juicing helps to cover the nutritional bases.  Once the symptoms subside whole foods are once again on the menu.

During nutrition sessions I offer this juice and it always elicits oohs and ahhs because of the colour, which is a deep garnet and quite creamy looking. When asked what they think is in the juice only occasionally does beetroot get a mention. I don’t know whether that’s a good or bad thing. Suppose it depends on what you think of beetroot. Happily, participants always ask for the recipe. Although I use it in my cancer nutrition classes it is a juice for anyone, ill or well. It’s my family’s favourite juice and mine too, despite the pink-stained fingers. We drink it because we like it. A friend of mine even swears by this juice as a homework stimulant for her boys. Drink it at the first sign of a cold or if you know that something’s going around. Seems to work for us. I could go on and on about juicing (yes, even more than I already have) but I’ll let you see for yourself. Now, get that dust-covered juicer out of the garage, or from under the spare bed, and get juicing.

Science Bit: Known for its blood-purifying properties, beetroot also has a fantastic disease-fighting profile at its most basic level: it enhances the manufacture of white blood cells, stimulates red blood cell production and improves supply of oxygen to cells. This last point is very interesting because a small but well-conducted 2009 UK study demonstrated beetroot’s capacity to boost muscle stamina, probably because of the abundance of naturally occurring nitrates. This may have implications for athletes as well as ordinary folk going about their daily business. I wouldn’t advise consuming the half-litre a day amount achieved in the study (potential side effects include hives – unpleasant) beat) as we can benefit from drinking much smaller amounts, including lowered blood pressure. And don’t be alarmed if your urine or stool is pinkish or red. Many people are sensitive to the betalain and oxalic acid in beets and will experience ‘beetruria’, which looks scary but is completely harmless.

From a cancer perspective beetroot may be useful as it contains a high amount of manganese, which is needed for the formation of the potent anti-cancer cell protein, interferon. The deep red colour is due to another nutrient powerhouse – betanin, thought to help prevent both cancer and heart disease. And if that hasn’t convinced you to try this juice, it tastes darn nice too. Very refreshing, yet invigorating.

Beetroot Zinger Juice

This is my recipe for beetroot juice but make it your own by mixing up the ingredients, so to speak: ditch the raspberries, or add celery, or orange. Whatever you have to hand that’s fresh and juiceable is fair game with juicing. The only real caveat is that beetroot shouldn’t make up more than one-quarter of your juice as it is so strong.

1 small or 1/2 medium raw beetroot, scrubbed and trimmed (the smaller the tastier)

2-3 large carrots, scrubbed and trimmed

1 apple and 1 pear – or two of either, scrubbed and cored

1/2 lime, peel removed (the oils in the peel make the juice bitter)

knob of fresh gingerroot – about the size of end-of-your-thumb

handful of frozen raspberries -use fresh if in season but the frozen ones make the juice creamy and luscious

What You Need: juicer (not a smoothie maker or blender); cutting board, sharp knife

Do as your juicer booklet says regarding any preparation of the fruit to fit your juicer’s ‘feed tube’. Once you have made the juice, blend the raspberries in with a hand blender, but if you don’t want the seeds or fibre push them through the juicer between the harder fruits/veg. Drink your juice as soon as possible but it will still be good – and good for you – up to 24 hours’ later if refrigerated and covered.        Serves 2

Extra Tidbit: If you can get beetroots with super-fresh leafy tops juice the tops as well – they are crammed full of a variety of free-radical scavenging carotenoids and other goodies. The tops are also tasty in a stir fry. Because the leaves also contain oxalic acid anyone prone to kidney stones or who has rheumatoid arthritis or gout should avoid eating the tops. If you want to know more about this fantastic but much maligned vegetable click here. If you want more juice ideas, click here.

Spinach and Feta Cheese Pie

This is my kind of comfort food – a bit crispy, a bit squidgy and a bit salty. You can keep your macaroni cheese or your rice pudding (well, maybe I’d nick your rice pudding), I’ll have a double wide piece of spinach pie please.

There are plenty of spinach pie recipes out there – Google had 3.5 million, but I didn’t check to see if they were all pies and not pictures of cats or tattoos. You’d be surprised what you see. Anyway, I have served  my version of spinach pie for family, friends and at the Edinburgh Maggies Cancer Caring Centre for many years. It’s quite Greek, but with a a little less saturated fat and a lift from the lemon zest and sun-dried tomatoes. I hope you enjoy it.

The Science Bit: Spinach is an immensely useful and nutritious vegetable. We can use it in soups, salads, as a side dish, in stir fries, risottos, bakes, pies and juices. It is best raw or very lightly cooked to get the full benefit of its vitamin C and carotenoid content, but their B vitamins (including a good amount of folate), calcium, magnesium, zinc and of course fibre are still mainly intact when cooked. The spinach is minimally cooked in this dish, even taking into account the brief spell in the oven.

Spinach and other dark leafy green vegetables contain  carcinogen-deactivating antioxidants and carcinogen-binding fibres that may, when eaten regularly, reduce risk of colon cancer, aggressive prostate cancer, and other cancers. This group also supply eye-protecting lutein and zeanthanxin, helping to prevent cataracts from forming. Have spinach with some type of citrus to best absorb its iron and calcium. To find out more about spinach’s health-promoting properties, click here.

Spinach & Feta Pie

Filling

750g/24.5 oz fresh spinach OR equivalent of cooked frozen leaf spinach (avoid chopped frozen spinach as it is too wet for this recipe)

50g/1.75 oz pine nuts

1 large onion, diced

1 Tbsp olive oil

3-4 sundried tomatoes in oil, snipped

4 large organic eggs, beaten

1 x  225 g/8 oz pack ewe’s milk feta cheese, crumbled OR ½ pack feta and 1  x 200 g/ 7 oz pkg plain tofu or silken tofu, crumbled (add juice of ½ a lemon or two teaspoons yeast flakes if using the tofu)**

2 tsp Marigold Swiss vegetable bouillon  powder, or equivalent seasoning (optional)

1 nutmeg (to grate from)

1 unwaxed lemon

4 tbsp chopped fresh dill

Topping:

270g/9.5 oz pack phyllo pastry (thawed if frozen)

Butter, melted (about 50g/3 tbsp)

Poppy seeds, for sprinkling over 

Equipment You Need: 10″ x 7″ pan*, well-greased or ceramic; large lidded pan; small pan; colander;  cutting board; saute pan; sharp knife; large mixing bowl/jug; spoon; fine-holed grater/box grater; pastry brush or similar (if you don’t have a pastry brush use the back of a spoon or an unused paint brush )

What You Do: Rinse the spinach and wilt it down in a large lidded pan. I just leave it on a low heat for five minutes, stir,  and leave for another two minutes. Drain in a colander, pressing out as much water as you can, then chop and put in a large mixing bowl. Put the pine nuts in the saute pan and dry toast them until starting to become golden and fragrant. You have to watch them like a hawk as once they heat up they burn very quickly – sometimes you can buy pre-toasted pine nuts. Pop these into the bowl with the spinach. Add the oil to the saute pan and fry the onion on a low heat, stirring frequently, until translucent – about eight minutes. You can also use oil spray or soften in a little vegetable stock only. Leave aside to cool. Once the spinach, onions and nuts are cool enough not to scramble the eggs (!) mix all the filling ingredients together, grating in the zest of the lemon and about 1/8 tsp of fresh nutmeg (about 10 grates worth) and spoon it into your baking dish.

Heat the butter in a small pan and brush individual phyllo pastry sheets (I use 4 large sheets, halved to make 8), laying onto the pie filling as you go. Keep the dough pliable by covering with a damp tea towel until you use it. To help with neater slices, allow the pie to cool before scoring it with a sharp knife into serving sizes before baking. Sprinkle the top with poppy seeds. I often try and cut down the fat by buttering every other layer and this works just fine. I find that oil sprays make the pastry soggy, and then what’s the point? While the pie is cooling before I mark out the slices, I use the time to prep my side dishes – making cumin seed-sweet potato wedges to go in the oven with the pie, and sorting another green veg, such as broccoli.

Bake in a 190C/360F oven for about 30 minutes, more or less – check at 25 minutes. Let the pie cool for ten or fifteen minutes before slicing and serving. This also tastes great cold for lunch the next day.      Serves 6 slices

* Pan size: Standard rectangular baking tins and dishes are not so standard anymore. I find it easier to go by the volume rather than dimensions. For this recipe I used a ceramic dish with a volume of 1.2 litres, or 38 US fluid ounces. That is equivalent to a 10″ x 7″, or any dish with slightly more width and less length/more length and less width. See how confusing it can be? Use volume measures – much easier. For this recipe just make sure that once the filling is in that you have an extra 4 cm/1.5 inches or so for for pastry and rising of the filling.

** Make it vegan: Use one 200/250 g package of firm tofu, zest and juice of the lemon, a few teaspoons of deactivated yeast flakes for a cheesy flavour if you like, a teaspoon of salt and of course leave out the eggs. Try vegan margarine or half marg and half olive oil to brush over the phyllo. I haven’t made it this way so I can’t vouch for the taste or technique but it should be pretty tasty and a similar texture to the feta version.

Adaptation for soft food diet or swallowing difficulties: Don’t use the sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts or pastry and make it as a kind of soufflé. Have with well-cooked or pureed carrots and mashed potatoes.

Turkey and Root Vegetable Meatloaf

It’s been hard to get inspired to write today, and in the past few days. My thoughts are constantly drifting to the still-unfolding events in Japan. The media footage is almost incomprehensible. I will keep this short and sweet as I’m sure you are equally affected and don’t have the concentration to read too much about the merits of turkey, etc… I will just cut and paste a recipe from my Maggies Centre cookbook for you. Just a few things about  the recipe: we like it just as well as cold leftovers so do make the whole recipe for a delectable – if rather unattractive –  brown bag lunch. And, the bottle you see in the above photo contains my homemade spicy ketchup. I will post it at another date – once I write it up. Meantime add some smoked or hot paprika and a pinch of clove to a good quality ketchup for a spiky kick.

Turkey and Root Vegetable Meatloaf

If your experience of meatloaf is of dry flavourless ‘mystery meat’ with watery tomato sauce please give this recipe a try: I promise that you won’t be disappointed. I’ve made this protein-packed recipe lower-fat but if you need to keep your weight up sauté the vegetables in 3 tablespoons of oil, or serve with buttery mash. This recipe makes a lot but leftovers keep well for up to three days in the fridge, you can freeze some, or do what my husband would do (with any leftovers) and put some in a roll with ketchup!

What You Need

1 tbsp olive oil or rapeseed oil

1 large onion, peeled and finely diced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 medium carrots, peeled and grated

1 medium parsnip, peeled and grated (optional)

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 ½, tsp dried thyme

1 ½  tsp  no-salt ‘chicken seasoning’ or 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp ground pepper

2  rounded tbsp tomato puree or ketchup

60ml/2 oz vegetable or chicken stock

1 kg/2 lb turkey mince

100g/3.5 oz porridge oats

2 eggs, beaten

10 g parsley, chopped

100 ml best tomato ketchup OR barbecue sauce

Equipment needed: large frying pan; chopping board; mixing bowl; 2 loaf tins, baking trays or steep sided baking tins; spoons

What You Do: In a frying pan, over a low-medium heat, sauté the onions in the oil for about five minutes. Add the garlic, carrots and parsnip to the pan and cook for a further eight minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the next five ingredients, cooking and stirring for one minute;set aside to cool a bit.

Put the turkey mince and porridge oats into a large bowl and mix together. Add in the cooled vegetable mixture, beaten eggs and parsley. Mix well; it will look quite sloppy. Pat the meatloaf mixture into oiled baking tins and cover with the ketchup or barbecue sauce. You can also form the mixture into a rectangular shape – about 10 cm/4 in high- on a well-oiled baking sheet. I tend to put it in the fridge for half an hour to firm up, but this is not necessary if you are putting the mix into a baking tin. Bake at 170C/340F for 50 minutes to one hour, or until a meat thermometer registers 70C/165F. If you don’t have a thermometer, ensure that the loaf is starting to pull away from the sides, or cut into the middle and see if steam escapes. Because turkey remains quite pale don’t rely on colour change as a test for doneness.

Serve 3-4 cm thick slices of the turkey meatloaf with mashed potato and celeriac, steamed dark greens (such as purple sprouting broccoli) and carrots, or red pepper strips.   Serves 10ish

leftovers for lunch!

 

 

Carrot and Celeriac Soup

Another soup day – cloudy, promise of snow, blustery, speed restrictions on the bridge. I had hoped to do a more spring-welcoming soup as it is March-proper, but the weather just doesn’t warrant it. So, it’s to the comfort blanket of soups, a simple but unusual combination of celeriac, carrots, potato, caraway and cumin. I won’t blather on about the nutrients too much today as yesterday’s post probably stunned with its tmi approach to that days’ ingredients – everything you always wanted to know about cardamom but were afraid to ask…

For those that have never tried celeriac it is a lovely, subtle vegetable, slightly nutty, a bit like mild celery (funny, that). I really love it. It is however a vegetable that a lot of us don’t know how to use – the puzzling, nobbly addition to a delivered organic veg box. Although you can easily add it in with other vegetables when roasting, or half and half with potato in a gratin or mash (or classic but fattening remoulade), try it in this comforting, aromatic soup. Please keep in the touch of Greek yogurt unless you aren’t having dairy; the tang of the yogurt really adds to the vegetable and spice flavours. Maybe add a bit of fresh lemon juice if you are off milk products. Also, like a lot of soups, measurements don’t have to be exact; use the quantities that you have available or prefer.

Science Bit: Celeriac is a well-kept secret that anyone trying to shed a few pounds could well do to explore being very low in calories and sugars, especially when eaten raw (have with a low-fat dip). It is a good source of fibre, vitamin B6, vitamin K, magnesium, potassium and manganese, and a very good source of vitamin C and bone-strengthening phosphorus.

For those expecting a pancake recipe, I really didn’t want to join the intense throng of posts on the subject. Plenty of great ones from which to chose. Miss R will however be fixing the pancake with pear and homemade chocolate sauce recipe enticingly photographed in this month’s Waitrose magazine. We are having an ascetic salad beforehand to ‘deserve’ our gooey treat.  Glad I ‘zumba-ed’ last night!

Carrot and Celeriac Soup with Caraway and Cumin

2 tsp rapeseed oil

2 leeks, sliced OR one large onion, sliced*

½ tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp caraway seed

250g/0.5 lb carrots, sliced (about 3 medium carrots)

250g/0.5 lb potatoes, diced (about 2 medium potatoes)

250g/ 0.5 lb celeriac, root trimmed, peeled and cubed (or half a celeriac)

1.5 litres/192 fl oz/6.3 cups vegetable stock, plus extra for thinning the soup, if liked – it’s a thick soup

4 tbsp organic Greek yogurt

Equipment You Need: cutting board, sharp knife, measuring spoons, wooden spoon, large saucepan with lid, hand-blender or blender

What You Do: In a large lidded saucepan sauté the leeks or onion in the oil over a low heat for a few minutes. Add the seeds, carrots, potatoes and celeriac and continue cooking for a further five minutes, stirring to prevent sticking. Add the vegetable stock, cover the pan and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 25 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are soft. Allow the soup to cool a bit before blending with a hand blender or in a food processor. Reheat with the Greek yogurt in clean pan; with any additional seasoning such as freshly ground pepper or fresh thyme leaves. If you think you might like to eat some and freeze the remainder, leave out the yogurt and only add it to what you will be eating immediately or storing in the fridge. This soup is really nice with rye bread or rye crispbread. Makes 5-6 bowlsful

* Onions are sometimes not tolerated very well during chemotherapy but I ‘ve heard from patients that leeks are more digestible. Anecdotal but worth a try if this applies to you. Let me know if you notice a difference.

Cardamom-scented Rhubarb and Apple Crumble

For years I have had a not-so-secret crush on cardamom.  Although I enjoy savouring the superlative pearl sugar-topped cardamom buns served at Edinburgh’s Peter’s Yard coffee house, I usually settle for a low-effort swirl of ground cardamom in my morning porridge. It’s not only me who rates this underused (at least in the UK and US) flavouring. In countries as polar opposite as Sweden and India, cardamom is a favoured spice. For those of you who haven’t tasted or smelled cardamom it can best be described as having a distinct sweet, perfumed fragrance that once sniffed is never forgotten. If you’ve ever visited markets in southern India or the Middle East you will no doubt have seen baskets of both the black and green pods nestled among bowls of cumin seeds, turmeric root and myriad forms of ginger. Its uses are surprisingly varied:  flavouring Arabic style coffee (pop a whole pod into coffee grounds before brewing), in Scandinavian breads and cakes and as a staple ingredient in traditional curries. I am so taken with this wrinkly pod that I feature it as the star of a pepper blend: 4 tbsp black peppercorns, 1 tbsp coriander seeds and the seeds from 10 green cardamom pods – and store it in a refillable pepper grinder. I have perhaps taken my cardamom obsession a bit far: for my birthday I received a bottle of Voyages d’Hermes which, when it’s been on the skin awhile, takes on cardamom and green tea notes. Delish!

green cardamom pods

The Science Bit: Medicinally, practitioners of Chinese medicine prescribe cardamom for a plethora of digestive complaints, some of which are common while on chemotherapy – constipation, flatulence, gas and general stomach cramping. In Ayurvedic medicine it is seen as an important spice for balancing the three doshas (especially kapha), as well as being a warming digestive and lung stimulant. Reading in “The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen” by Rebecca Katz and Mat Edelson, I found out that Indian animal studies have demonstrated cardamom’s capacity to reduce inflammation, as well as protect against the growth of colon cancer cells.

Rhubarb, oats and apples are of course no slouches when it comes to health-giving assets. Anti-bacterial rhubarb is used in Chinese medicine for a variety of ailments, many to do with detoxification and ‘draining heat from the body’. In Western medicine it is perhaps best known for its high concentration of infection-fighting Vitamin C, for its capacity to reduce cholesterol and its action as a natural laxative. Those with gout or rheumatoid arthritis should perhaps not indulge in rhubarb as unfortunately it can aggravate these conditions. The health profile of oats is perhaps even higher as it is literally crammed with disease-checking nutrients, including avenanthramides (breaks down cholesterol and may help prevent colon cancer), blood sugar- and cholesterol-lowering beta glucan, many stress-busting B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, magnesium, selenium, zinc and filling fibre. All that and it makes a great breakfast.

Apples too are very cleansing; their pectin binds with cholesterol, toxins and heavy metals, escorting them out of the body. In the lab, apples inhibit cancer cell proliferation, decrease lipid oxidation, and lower cholesterol. They also contain a variety of phytochemicals, including quercetin, catechin, phloridzin and chlorogenic acid, all of which are strong antioxidants. Studies have shown that apples protect and optimise lung function. While storage doesn’t affect their anti-oxidant capacity it is thought that heat may diminish it. As apples are so commonly eaten they are potentially very beneficial to us. To find out more, click here. So, although this crumble is hopefully scrummy, eat raw apples to get the most from them. That said, all-important fibre remains helpfully intact.

Enough science, let’s get on with the (healthy) stodge!

Cardamom-scented Rhubarb and Apple Crumble

We are smack in the middle of forced rhubarb season just now so I’ve been transforming the pink leggy beauties into crumble, chutney and jam. The crumble disappears in a trice but chutney and jam can of course be enjoyed for months to come. I’ll give an easy rhubarb and date chutney recipe later.

1 Bramley or similar cooking apple, peeled, cored and large diced/thick slice

2 dessert apples, peeled, cored and large diced/thick slice

900g/2 lb fresh rhubarb, washed and sliced into 4cm/1.5 in pieces

4 tbsp agave nectar OR 50g muscovado/dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp ground cardamom, divided (from approximately 10 whole green pods*)

Crumble ingredients

75g/2.6oz skin-on almonds

75g/2.6oz walnuts

75g/3oz chilled butter, cut into small pieces

100g/3.6oz wholemeal self-raising flour

75g/2.6oz rolled oats or flaked barley, two tablespoons held aside

50g/1.75oz muscovado or dark brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Equipment You Will Need: cutting board; sharp knife; food processor; large mixing bowl; deep-ish rectangular or oval baking dish

What To Do: Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. In the large bowl toss together the fruit, sugar or agave nectar and half of the cardamom. Pour the fruit into the baking dish and set aside.

Next, start the crumble topping by putting the butter, flour, all but 2 tbsp oats, sugar, cinnamon and remaining cardamom in the food processor; pulse until you get what looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Add in the nuts and pulse until you get a mixture of chunky and fine bits of nut. Add the remaining oats and pulse twice for two seconds to just mix in the oats.

Evenly sprinkle the crumble mixture over the fruit and press firmly down. You may be tempted to leave it all bumpy and rustic but it’s crisper if you take a firm hand to the crumble. Some of the nuts will stick up a bit anyway. Put the dish in the hot oven for about 40 minutes, or until the sticky pink rhubarb bubbles out from the sides. Leave it to cool for 15 minutes or so before serving up with vanilla-flecked custard or ice cream.

* Cardamom powder: Ground cardamom is quite expensive and hard to find in the UK. Make your own powder by purchasing a bottle or bag of green cardamom pods from your supermarket or specialty shop (those stocking Indian and Pakistani goods will be cheapest). Crack open the tough shells in a pestle and mortar or the end of a rolling pin, pick out the fragrant slightly sticky seeds and bash them fiercely in a pestle and mortar or in a clean coffee grinder. Use whole pods in Indian cooking (including spiced rice), removing them before serving.

Gluten-free note: You can easily make this gluten-free by either using gluten-free flour and gluten-free oats, or using barley flakes and blitzing to make flour and keeping the rest whole.

 

My friend Niki at unifiedspace is a fantastic amateur photographer and this is her photograph. Thanks Niki.

Fish Tacos With Three Toppings

The first time I had fish tacos was at a petrol station. Yes, you read that correctly. A petrol station.  Just outside of Yosemite National Park, California, by the weirdly beautiful, faintly lunar-looking Lake Mono (if the Moon had water) stood the first petrol station for miles. An attractive petrol station with a grass covered verge scattered inexplicably with picnic tables, but a petrol station nonetheless. We stopped and filled up, but noticed that although there were lots of cars in the car park all of the people were in a queue for food. Well, it turns out that this petrol station has won all kinds of awards for its food, even getting on the cover of Gourmet magazine. We were up for a food adventure so queued for a selection of California specialities, including the intriguing fish tacos. Even though it was 11 am, and we weren’t really hungry, we still fought over the last remnants of this fresh, zingy dish that we ate at one of the picnic tables overlooking the lake. I’ve tried to reimagine our unexpected gas station meal with this recipe – with extra toppings and minus the deep-frying. If you are travelling on I-395 out of Yosemite, head towards Lee Vining and look out for the ‘Whoa Nellie Deli’at the Tioga Gas Mart –  you won’t be disappointed. The entire menu looks amazing. This is one of our top five family meals, so thanks Chef Matt Toomey.

 

Fish Tacos with Three Toppings

The ingredient and equipment list looks a bit of a chore, but I promise it’s just a matter of organising your ingredients and doing some therapeutic chopping. To get you in the mood for your Cal-Mex feast kick off your work shoes and prise open a bottle of Dos Equis. If you have children who would like to help, perhaps have them mix together the chopped ingredients for the slaw and salsa, really diving in with their hands (!). They might also like to try their hand at coating the fish.

What You Need

1 lime, juiced

1 tbsp mild chili powder (I use ancho from my friend the Chile Queen)

2 tsp dried oregano

500g/1 lb filleted, firm white fish, such as red snapper or black bream, cut into 8 cm/4 in strips (approximate)

50g (+) /1/4 cup maize meal/cornmeal, or fine semolina (maize meal is preferred)

½ tsp salt (low sodium salt is fine)

Rapeseed oil for frying to a depth of 0.5cm/0.25 in

8 small sized corn or flour tortillas, wrapped in foil and warmed in the oven (about 180C/350F for 5 minutes) OR pre-made taco shells, heated as directed

Toppings

100 g red and/or green cabbage, finely shredded/sliced (as thin as possible)

2 medium carrots, shredded

1 1/2 lime, juiced (divided)

1 tsp poppy seeds (blue-black ones for preference)

2 tsp – 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger (according to your taste)

1 mango, peeled and diced

1/2 pomegranate, seeded

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 avocado, diced

1 green chilli, diced (deseed if liked)

30g/1/4 c coriander, chopped and divided

4 tbsp lower-fat sour cream/creme fraiche or Greek yogurt

hot sauce or chilpotle in adobo sauce, to taste

Equipment Needed: Various mixing bowls and one wide non-reactive dish (such as Pyrex), good knife, cutting board, large plate, frying pan, spatula, paper towels, measuring spoons, baking tray

What You Do: First of all make the accompanying toppings. In a medium bowl mix together the cabbage, carrot, poppy seeds, half of the lime juice, half of the coriander and all of the ginger. Set aside. For the salsa, mix together the mango, pomegranate, onion, avocado, chilli, remaining lime juice, coriander and some salt and pepper, if desired. Set aside. Lastly mix together the sour cream and hot sauce, to taste, and season as you like with salt.

For the fish, mix together the chili powder, oregano and lime juice; add the fish and marinate for 10 minutes to half an hour, turning halfway through. When you are about ready to eat, pour the maize meal on a large flat plate and mix in the salt. Heat the oil in a frying pan until a fleck of flour sizzles. Pat the fish pieces into the maize meal and fry the coated pieces (in batches) until golden and cooked on both sides – about 7-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Drain on kitchen roll and keep warm on a baking tray in the oven with the tortillas. I have also very successfully baked the fish: heat an oiled baking tray and slap on the coated fish; bake at 200 C/400F for five minutes, flip, and bake for a further five minutes (depends on fish thickness). We like to use the crunchy taco shells for the baked fish tacos, and the soft, non-fried tortillas for the fried fish but you, of course, do as you wish. Both are delightfully messy and fun to eat, especially for children.

To serve, Put a few of crunchy fish strips down the centre of each taco, garnishing with the three toppings. Serve with extra salad and maybe some sweet potato wedges baked with cumin seeds and olive oil if you are really hungry.