60 DC DAYS 23-25

It’s turning out to be impossible to cook every night. Monday and Tuesday evenings we’re on courses and don’t get home until 11pm. By the time Wednesday rolls around all I want to do when I get home from work is crawl into bed – mostly I fall asleep on the couch. So I really look forward to the second half of the week when I get to enjoy the kitchen again!

We started the cooking spree with grilled salmon, beurre blanc sauce a la Julia Child, served with mashed potatoes and leek sautéed with a touch of coriander powder. I use the white and green parts of the leek since they give different textures and I love the vibrancy of the darker green

I experimented with gougeres, a puffy cheesy nibble that makes a great canapé. Water, butter and flour with Parmesan and gruyere cheeses (I use an aged gruyere for extra flavour). Flavoured with herbs of your choice and a smidge of nutmeg or paprika (which Martha Stewart uses in her recipe) it makes a very moreish snack.

I tried a recipe from Saraban, a Persian cookbook I bought last week. Actually the book is half travelogue, half cokbook. Anyway, I decided to start with a soup. Called sop-e jo it’s a barley based soup flavoured with leek, onion, carrots, orange rind, lemon rind, ginger, thyme, bay leaf (I used wild laurel instead), sugar, lime, salt and pepper. The result has an unusual, but not unpleasant, taste. The lime is quite noticeable and it’s a little sweeter than I like, but then I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. I’ve left some in the fridge to see if the flavour develops further if left overnight.

I made my favourite granola: oats, pecans, walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds,sunflower seeds, oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, dried sour cherries and dried blueberries (until the fresh ones come into season). I use groundnut oil since it’s light and so doesn’t leave a greasy feel which some of the heavier oils do. I eat it with greek yoghurt and a fresh banana for a filling, yummy breakfast full of crunch, softness from the banana, sweetness from the granola and tang from the yoghurt. Thank you La Tartine Gourmande for the idea.

Sunday finished with a quick-n-easy dinner: chicken and chickpeas in a tomato sauce. I started by preparing the chickpeas by soaking them overnight then boiling them with a little baking soda. When they were ready, I fried an onion until it was soft, then added some dried cumin for a minute. Then came the chicken breast, which had been cut into chunks, which I sautéed until browned. One tin of chopped tomatoes followed, along with a little splash of homemade chicken stock. That cooked for 5 minutes after which I added he chickpeas to warm through, and a good tablespoon of tomato purée for a touch of thickness and a stronger tomato punch.

Now it’s Monday morning again and the cycle starts again!

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60DC day 6: an early summer

We’d had a couple of warm days here in Luton so I decided to go for a summery theme for dinner last night. Sadly the weather didn’t hold but we had a taste of what will inevitably come by way of a light salmon dish. It was simple to make and good to eat, although next time I’m going to reduce the sauce more and add a few chilli flakes for a little winter warming kick, and maybe a little soy or Thai fish sauce.

Here’s what I put in the sauce: orange juice and zest, carrot juice, lemongrass, lime, ginger, sugar, salt, pepper, coconut milk. I boiled up everything except the coconut milk then left to steep for 30 minutes for the flavours to develop. Then the coconut milk went it, I fried up the salmon, then added it to the sauce. That’s it. I served it with baby leeks, small chantenay carrots and tiny steamed baby potatoes with with a drizzle of butter. A dusting of chopped coriander finished the dish.

I’d like to thank  Beatrice Peltre and her book “La Tartine Gourmande” for this morning’s breakfast of homemade granola (see previous post). The mix is a bit different from what I usually use, but the recipe is a keeper. That’s despite my first effort being a little overcooked (still getting used to the oven in our new home).  I’m having it with a topping of fresh blueberries and greek yoghurt. That should get my day started off the right way!

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60DC day 4: finally the fish

Day 4 and the Andhra fish curry finally made its entrance. It was worth the wait though –  a rich, spicy very more-ish curry with a thick gravy-like sauce. I did the prep before I left for work in the morning so all I had to do when I got home was cook the sauce, add the fish and make the rice. That’s a second success, which I’m thrilled about since I’ve been known for making claggy rice for years. I used cod loin which has a firm texture and enough taste to stand up well to the sauce.

I got up early this morning to make saag paneer for tomorrow’s lunch (today’s is leftover fish curry). It took longer than normal since my spice grinder has packed it in so I’m having to all the spices and pastes in a mortar and pestle – a minor annoyance although I’m trying to look at it as an extra opportunity to burn off all those calories I eat 🙂

Also had time to prep the makings for homemade granola. It’s so peaceful in the kitchen as the sun starts to rise and the birds are chirping away. The prep table stands by floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking our garden, which is starting to come into flower and the squirrels and foxes are starting to visit again. I appreciate being able to ease gently into the day with my lovely ingredients – vanilla oats, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts, pecans, almonds, dried sour cherries and a new maple syrup I’m trying out. I’ll make that tonight so I have something better than cafeteria food that’s been sitting under warmers for hours. Some greek yoghurt on top, maybe an additional drizzle of honey (depending on how sweet the new maple syrup is). Yum!

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