Golden Rice

This is a really simple take on a risotto, but with more of a sweet Indian twist to it.
I made this today as a soothing restorative dish after a particularly indulgent weekend. It went down a treat with the kids!
You will need:

1 cup risotto rice
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup dried fruit
2-3 cardamon pods
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2-3 cups vegetable stock
1 dessert spoon oil
some butter for melting

first heat the oil in a saucepan.
next, add the rice, tumeric and cardamon pods. cook for about a minute, then sprinkle over some mixed herbs.
add 2 cups of the vegetable stock and bring to the boil.
reduce the heat and simmer until the rice is almost cooked, adding more liquid if needed.
when the rice is just about ready, srir through the grated carrot and dried fruit.
serve hot with a knob of butter melted on the top.
delicious!!!

february so soon: more food for thought

Well, here we are on Valentine's Day!
A wonderful time of year I think...time to take stock, reflect and give thanks. It's not so much about romance necessarily, but of recognition and awareness of others.
I think I've always been less than enthralled with Valentine's Day, simply because my birthday falls on February 12th, and that always tends to be much more interesting! I need to make a concerted effort to get anything organised for the 14th, and to get out of that 'it's my birthday' mode!
Any hint of Spring does tend to put people in a better mood...today I've been enjoying tiny crocuses and hyacinths which are just starting to push their way up...sooo exciting!!!

Quick Banana Loaf

This is a favourite sweet loaf, which makes a good breakfast if you are in a hurry!!!
You will need:

2-3 medium bananas, mashed
1 large egg
1 cup wholemeal flour
1 cup plain flour
2 tablespoons natural yogurt
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine the oil and sugar in a bowl and mix well.
Add the egg, mix well, then add the mashed bananas.
Next, seive the flour and cinnamon into the bowl.
Continue to mix well, and stir in the natural yogurt.
When you have a smooth [ish] texture, put into a greased cake tin.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at about 180 degrees C for 25 minutes, or until brown on top.
Cool on a wire rack and serve in thick slices!

Mum's Lamb Hot Pot

My Mum is an amazing cook. She serves this fantastic hotpot with heaps of creamy mashed potato!

You will need:

Some lamb: best end of neck, diced
1 large onion
1 tin canellini beans
1 small cup puy lentils
3-4 carrots or parsnips
1 dessert spoon vegetable oil
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
2-3 cups vegetable stock
1 fresh lemon
Salt and pepper to taste.

First preheat the oven to around 170 degrees C.
Fry the meat in the oil until browned.
Then fry the onions and garlic and add the chopped or sliced vegetables.
Add the stock and canellini beans and allow to stew for around 15 minutes
 Place in a covered casserole dish, and slow cook for about 2 hours.
Around 20 minutes before serving, squeeze over the lemon juice and add the puy lentils.
Season to taste and serve hot!

Heartwarming Risotto

This is a a wonderful dish for a cold night, and is a fantastic supper for children.
You can improvise a lot on this simple structure.

You will need:

2 cups of risotto rice
1 tin of green lentils, drained
1 small onion
1 dessert spoon olive oil
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
3-4 cups water or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup grated cheese [cheddar or gouda]

First, heat the oil in a saucepan.
Chop the onion as you like and add to the pan.
When the onion is soft, sprinkle over the mixed herbs and add the rice.
Mix together and pour over the lentils.
pour in the water or vegetable stock and bring to the boil.
Add the bay leaf and stir well.
Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the rice is cooked. Add more water or stock if needed.
Just before serving, sprinkle over some grated cheese and plenty of black pepper!

p.s If you prefer a more creamy version, add a bit of grated cheese to the rice about 5 minutes before removing from the heat. Delicious!!!

succulent roast chicken with paprika

This is a dish which my family absolutely love.
It's very soothing when anyone has been ill, but is truly tasty any day of the week.

You will need:

one medium chicken
2-3 cloves garlic
salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
one teaspoon of paprika

First, preheat the oven. it should be fairly hot to start with, about 210 degrees C.
Whilst the oven is heating up, crush the garlic and mix with the olive oil.
Place the chicken in a roasting dish, and sprinkle with salt.
Next, rub the olive oil and garlic mixture onto the chicken until well coated.
Sprinkle a generous amount of paprika onto the chicken, and place on the medium shelf in the oven.
Cook for about 20-25 minutes, so that the skin starts to turn brown.
By this time, you should have a bit of juice from the chicken.
Remove from the oven and baste the juices all over.
Turn down the oven to about 175 degrees C.
Cover the chicken with foil and return to the oven.
Cook for about 1 hr 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and cook for a further 30 minutes. by this time, the chicken should be perfectly done, with lots of delicious juice to go in your gravy!

restorative rice

this is a favourite fast food of mine.
you will need:

one cup of rice
1/2 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
oil [enough to coat the bottom of the pan]
1/2 cup chopped veg [whatever you prefer, i love mushrooms/sweetcorn/spinach etc]
2 cups vegetable stock

first, rinse the rice and set to one side.
next, heat the oil in a saucepan.
add the onion and cook until is starts to go soft.
add the ginger and chilli flakes and stir in the rice.
add the vegetables and stir well.
pour over the vegetable stock and bring to the boil.
reduce the heat, and simmer [witth a lid on the pan] for about 10 minutes.
stire well before serving.
this is great topped with a fried egg and some chilli sauce!

p.s if you like garlic, throw in a couple of crushed cloves with the onion and chilli flakes. you can also add a bit of flat leaf parsley to the rice, and stir it through before serving.