Roasted Pumpkin Barley Risotto

I love a good risotto, but was looking for something other than rice to cook with.  Finding some pot barley in the cupboard, I figured it was worth a go.  It gave a lovely nutty flavour.  This recipe would work well with just about any vegetable and you could also add some diced chicken if you fancied.

Roasted Pumpkin Barley Risotto

Ingredients

1/2 medium to large butternut pumpkin - cubed

Olive oil

Ground coriander

1 cup pot barley, (or pearl barley if you prefer)

4 garlic cloves - thinly sliced

4 tbsp dry white wine

4 cups vegetable stock, (or chicken stock if preferred) 

8 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

2 tbsp butter

1 small bunch parsley - finely chopped

Method

1.  Preheat oven to 190 degrees C.

2.  Toss the pumpkin with a splash of oil, a good shake of ground coriander and a little salt & pepper.  Spread in 1 layer in a baking tray and roast, stirring occasionally, until tender and well-browned, approx. 20-30 minutes.

3.  While pumpkin is roasting, toast barley in a dry pot over medium heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and golden, approx. 5-10 mins.  Transfer to a bowl.

4.  Cook garlic in another splash of oil, over medium heat, stirring, until pale golden, approx. 1-2 mins.  Add barley, stirring to coat.  Add wine and simmer briskly, stirring, until absorbed, approx. 1 min.

5*.  Add the warm stock, stirring and bring to the boil.  Pop a lid on the pot and turn down to simmer.  Allow to cook for approx. 30-40 mins, stirring occasionally, until barley is just tender and creamy looking.

6.  Stir in the pumpkin, cheese, butter and season to taste.  Stir in parsley.

Notes* 

At stage 5, instead of adding all the stock at once, you could cook this like a standard rice risotto as follows:... 

Add 1/2 cup stock and briskly simmer, stirring, until absorbed.  Continue simmering and adding hot broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until barley is just tender and creamy looking, approx. 30 mins.  (I use the other method because I generally have other things to do rather than standing over the hob for that long!)

Enjoy!

Caryl  ♥

Chia Vegetarian Chili

This vegetable chilli with chia seeds is so tasty and you can use just about any veggies that are lying around.

Chia Vegetarian Chili

I found the inspiration for this recipe from the "Chia - the Complete Guide to the Ultimate Superfood" book, then adapted it.


Ingredients

Olive oil

2 leeks - sliced
6 garlic cloves - finely chopped
2 medium carrots - chopped
1 large red pepper - chopped
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp dried oregano
1-1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup (approx) soy beans
1 200g tin sweet corn - drained
1 400g tin red kidney beans - drained and liquid reserved (approx. 1/2 cup)
1 cup vegetable stock
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chia gel
1 lime - juice only
Handful fresh coriander - finely chopped


Chia gel (makes approx. 1-1/4 cups)

1 cup water
1-3/4 tbsp chia seeds

Pour the water into a sealable container.  Slowly pour in the chia seeds while whisking briskly.

Wait a few mins, then whisk again.

Let the mixture stand about 10 mins or so, before whisking a third time.  Seal the container and place in the fridge.  The chia gel can be stored this way for up to two weeks.  Whisk again before using.

Method


Firstly, make up some chia gel.

While the chia gel thickens up, heat a good splash of oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.

Add the leeks, garlic, carrots and red pepper.  Sauté until the leeks start to soften.

Mix in the chili powder, oregano, cumin and cayenne pepper.  Stir for approx. 2 mins.

Stir in the soy beans, corn, kidney beans, reserved bean liquid, vegetable stock and tomatoes.

Bring the chill to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until flavours are blended and the chili and thickened, stirring occasionally.

Turn off the heat and stir in the chia gel, lime juice and coriander.

Enjoy on it's own, with rice, on top of a baked potato - whatever you fancy!

Caryl  ♥

Stewed Squid with Pasta

Years ago, I used to love eating stewed squid from one of my favourite little Greek Restaurants in London.  Unfortunately, the restaurant has been long gone, so when I came across some lovely fresh squid a little while ago, I just had to try and recreate this lovely dish.

Stewed Squid with Pasta

Ingredients

Pasta of choice
Olive oil
1 red onion - finely sliced
4 garlic cloves - finely sliced, or crushed
1-2 small chillies - seeds removed, finely diced
Handful of fresh parsley - leaves and stalks trimmed separately
1 red pepper - finely sliced
Paprika
Red wine
400g tin chopped tomatoes
500g squid - tubes sliced into rings and tentacles cut into pieces


Boil a large pan of water and cook pasta to directions on packet.

Meanwhile, heat a spoonful of oil in a large saucepan.  Gently stir-fry the onion, garlic, chilli and parsley stalks until soft.

Add the peppers and a shake of paprika and fry together for another minute or so.

Add a good splash of red wine and the tomatoes. Stir and bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.

Bring back to the boil and stir in the squid pieces. Cover and simmer very gently for 4 minutes.  (You don't want to overcook the squid, or it will become rubbery!)

Sprinkle the parsley leaves over and serve with pasta.

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥

Cavolo Nero Pesto

I know, you looked at the title of this post and thought, "Cavolo Nero Pesto, what was she thinking????!!

Well, I really love leafy green veggies, but my family can be a little fussy, so I've been playing with ideas on different ways of using them.  After a not-so-successful attempt at Kale Crisps the other day (I am going to need a food hydrator for things like that), I decided on a pesto instead.  This turned out really well, very garlicky - so you may want to reduced the amount used, if you're not as garlic mad as I am - and there is enough for an easy pasta meal, as well as for basting fish, and/or stuffing under the skin of a chicken before roasting.

Cavolo Nero Pesto

Ingredients

1 bunch Cavolo Nero - washed and stripped from their stalks.  Discard stalks.

Sea salt

40g Butter - approx.

Olive Oil

3 cloves garlic

75g Parmesan - grated

Boil a large pot of well-salted water, plunge in the Cavolo Nero leaves and cook for five minutes.   Remove and drain.

Place the cooked Cavolo Nero in a food processor along with the butter, a couple of tbs of oil, garlic and parmesan and purée until smooth.  Add more oil as needed.

Note*:  I poured a little oil over the top of the pesto in the jars, so it should last a bit longer when stored in the fridge ..... although I think we'll be using it up pretty quickly!

Enjoy!

Caryl  ♥

Prawns and Samphire Risotto

Having discovered the deliciousness and goodness of samphire recently, I've been playing around with different ways of serving it.  Samphire is also known as sea asparagus and is becoming very well-known as another superfood.  It's actually lovely served with butter and lemon, alongside a piece of fish, but tonight I had other plans.

Prawns and Samphire Risotto

Ingredients

3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 onion - finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic - finely chopped
5-1/2 cups or so of stock - (see note*)
1-1/2 cups Carnaroli rice - (or any other type of risotto rice)
1/2 cup white wine
1 large clove garlic - finely chopped
1 small chilli - finely chopped
350g raw prawns
100g samphire - rinsed in cold water
grated parmesan
black pepper
lemon

Note*:  The stock I used for this was actually the cooking water from a bunch of asparagus I cooked the other day.  You could use any fish or vegetable stock though. 

Also, I made this risotto a little drier than usual.  If you like yours more wet, add more stock.

Melt 2 tbsp of the butter in a large pan and fry the onion until soft and lightly browned.  Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.

Add the rice and stir well until all the grains are coated with the butter.

Add the wine, stir, and simmer until it has been absorbed.

This is where I cheat a bit, as in traditional risottos it is recommended to add about 1/2 cup of stock and stir until absorbed, then repeat, until all the stock has been added.  

What I do instead is add all the stock, stir really well and bring to a boil.  Then turn down to a simmer and pop a lid on top until all the stock has been absorbed and the rice is soft, but with a little bite - approx. 20 minutes.  Check and stir once in a while and add more stock if needed.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining 1 tbsp of butter in a large frying pan.  Add the garlic and chilli and cook for 1 minute.

Add the prawns, stir and cook for about a minute or so.  You will see them turn a lovely pink colour.  Remove the prawns with a slotted spoon and add the samphire to the pan.  Stir for a minute or so and remove from the heat.

When rice is ready, gently stir the prawns and samphire into the risotto.  Add a good sprinkling of parmesan cheese, black pepper and a squeeze of lemon and stir again.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥

Aubergine & Mushroom Lasagne - 2

There is always more than one way to create a recipe, especially as I tend to make things up as I go along - depending on what ingredients I have lying around.  Here is another of my vegetable lasagne versions - it is easier than my Aubergine & Mushroom Lasagne - 1, and still delicious! :)


Ingredients

Olive Oil
4 x garlic cloves - peeled and finely chopped
1 onion - diced
2 medium aubergines (eggplants) - diced
1 large courgette (zucchini) - diced
200g brown mushrooms - quartered
Dried thyme
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
Dried chilli
Fresh basil - roughly chopped
Lasagne noodles
400g Mozzarella cheese - cut into slices
Cheddar cheese - grated
Parmesan cheese - grated


Gently fry the garlic and onion in a large pan with some oil.  When softened, add the aubergines, courgette, mushrooms and a good shake of thyme.  Stir well and cook until the vegetables soften and start to create their own juices - approx. 30 mins.

Pour in the tomatoes, a good shake of chilli and the basil.  Stir well and cook for another 10 mins or so until slightly thickened.

In a large ovenproof dish, place approx. 1/2 a cup of the veggie sauce, to coat the bottom.  Add a layer of lasagne noodles.  Spoon half the veggie mixture over the top of the noodles, then add a layer of sliced mozzarella and a sprinkling of cheddar.  Repeat with more noodles, sauce and cheese, then sprinkle over some parmesan.

Bake in oven preheated to 190C for approx. 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve with a crispy lettuce salad and enjoy!

Caryl ♥

Carrot & Lentil Soup

This was a quick "throw-together" soup because I wanted to use up some carrots.  It was so good that the bowls were taken away and emptied before I could get a photo!

Ingredients

Butter
1 onion - roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic - roughly chopped
3 stalks celery (including leaves) - roughly chopped
6 large carrots - roughly chopped
Ground cumin
Chilli powder
250g red split lentils
1 tin tomatoes
6 cups vegetable stock
Fresh parsley - finely chopped


Melt a small knob of butter in a large pan. Add the onion, garlic and celery and stir until onion starts to soften. Add the carrots and let cook for approx 5 mins.

Shake in a good sprinkling of cumin and chilli. Stir well until vegetables are covered in the spices. Pour in the lentils and stir until combined.

Add tomatoes and stock. Stir well and bring to the boil. Put a lid on the pan and turn down to a simmer for approx. 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

When carrots are soft and lentils are cooked, take the pan off the heat. Use a hand blender to blend until smooth. Season to taste.

Ladle into individual bowls and top each with a sprinkling of parsley.

We ate this with freshly baked cornbread muffins and a green leaf salad.

Enjoy!

Caryl ❤

Sweet Potato & Cauliflower Curry

It was time for another tasty and warming curry tonight and I had sweet potato and cauliflower available.  This is what I came up with.

Sweet Potato & Cauliflower Curry

Ingredients

1 onion - diced
2 large garlic cloves - finely chopped
1 inch (approx) fresh ginger - grated
Ground cumin
Garam masala
1 x 400g tin tomatoes
1 x 400g tin coconut milk
2 cups vegetable stock
1 large sweet potato - cut into cubes
1 small cauliflower - cut into small florets
1 cup frozen peas
2 tsp cornflour
2 tbs water
1/2 cup shelled pistachio nuts - roasted
1 bunch fresh coriander (cilantro) - roughly chopped


Heat a little oil in a large pan and gently cook the onion, garlic and ginger for a minute or so.

Add a good shake of cumin and garam masala.  Cook, stirring until nicely fragrant.

Pour in the tomatoes, coconut milk and stock.  Stir well and bring to the boil.

Add the sweet potato and cauliflower pieces.  Stir, cover the pan and turn the heat down to a simmer.  Cook for 15 minutes or until veggies are just beginning to soften.  Add the peas, stir and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or so.

Mix the cornflour and water together in a small bowl.  Add to the veggies and stir well.  Continue to cook for a little longer.

Stir in the nuts and most of the coriander, reserving a little for garnish.

Serve with brown basmati rice.

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥

Chilli Con Lentils

I do love my lentils and the fact that they are full of protein makes them even better.  This is a delicious vegetarian chilli which should really be called "Chilli Con Lentejas", which translates to chilli with lentils, as opposed to "Chilli Con Carne" which is known as chilli with meat.

Chilli Con Lentils - or - Chilli Con Lentejas

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups French lentils (or Puy lentils)
2 bay leaves
1 small cinnamon stick
4 cups vegetable stock
1 onion - diced
2 large cloves garlic - diced (or crushed)
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chilli (or more, depending on how hot you like it)
1 tsp paprika
1 large carrot - chopped into evenly sized pieces
2 large romano red peppers - sliced into evenly sized pieces
1 400g tin kidney beans - drained and rinsed
1 200g tin corn
1 400g tin tomatoes
2 tbs tomato paste
1 tbs brown sugar
1 cup water
Fresh coriander - roughly chopped


Place the lentils, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and vegetable stock in a large saucepan.  Bring to the boil, then turn down to simmer for approx. 25 minutes, until lentils are cooked.

Meanwhile, cook the onion and garlic in a little oil, in a large pan for a minute, until the garlic becomes fragrant.  Add the cumin, chilli and paprika.  Cook another minute or so.

Add the carrot and red peppers.  Stir until well covered with the spices.  Pour in the cooked lentils, including any liquid.  Add the kidney beans, corn, tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and water.  Stir well until combined.  Bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.

Serve in bowls, over rice.  Top with coriander.  You could also make a simple guacamole to serve with it.

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥

Pumpkin, Leek & Kale Soup

Cold, wintry weather always calls for a warming soup at the end of the day.  The snow stopped me from going shopping today so I had to create something with veggies I had available and came up with this unusual, yet very tasty combination.

Pumpkin, Leek & Kale Soup

Ingredients

1 butternut pumpkin - cut into small chunks
3 leeks - roughly sliced
1/2 bag kale - roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic - crushed
Ground cumin
Chicken stock (I used home-made, but you could use stock cubes and water)
Lemon


Melt a knob of butter in a large saucepan. Add the leeks, garlic, pumpkin and a good spoon or more of cumin. Stir well and cook for a few minutes.

Pour in enough stock to cover the vegetables and bring to the boil. Pop a lid on the pan and turn the heat down to a simmer for approx 15-20 minutes, until pumpkin is cooked.

Stir the kale into the soup and let it cook for a couple more minutes.

Take off the heat and blend it all together.  (I use a hand blender.)

Squeeze half of a lemon into the smooth soup, stir and serve.

You can add shavings of parmesan, or a swirl of creme fraiche (or both).  I also serve it with In Caryl's Kitchen: Cornbread Muffins.

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥

Red Lentil Dahl with Carrots & Sweet Potato

My daughter has recently decided to try being a vegetarian.  Luckily, I often cook vegetarian meals anyway, so this one was pretty easy.  I used carrots and sweet potato because that's all I had left, before the delivery of my next organic veggie box, but you could really add any vegetable you want.

Red Lentil Dahl with Carrots and Sweet Potato

Ingredients

2 small onions - peeled and finely chopped
3 large carrots - roughly chopped
1 large sweet potato - roughly chopped
3 large garlic cloves - crushed
1 tbs curry powder
250g red lentils
1 400g tin kidney beans - drained and rinsed
1 400g tin tomatoes
2-3 cups vegetable stock or water
1 large handful fresh flat-leaf parsley or coriander (cilantro) - roughly chopped
1-2 tbs red wine vinegar


Stir fry the onions, carrots and sweet potato in a little oil, until the onion is softened.

Add the crushed garlic and curry powder and stir until nicely fragrant.

Pour in the lentils and give it all a good stir, then add the kidney beans, tomatoes and stock.  Stir well and bring to the boil.  Cover with a lid or some baking paper and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the veggies are just cooked.  Add extra water if needed.

Stir through the parsley/coriander and red wine vinegar.  Serve over fluffy brown basmati rice or with naan bread.

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Garlic & Pine-Nuts

Brussels sprouts, I have to admit, have not been a vegetable I've liked until very recently.  In fact I used to only put up with it "for the sake of keeping the peace" at Christmas time!  However, there are so many things you can do with these special green gems of goodness, I can now say I actually enjoy them.  This is how I served them with this year's Christmas dinner, alongside the traditional baked potatoes, carrots and a newly tried Jamie Oliver's "Must-try red cabbage braised with apple, bacon & balsamic vinegar".

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Garlic & Pine-Nuts

Ingredients

500g Brussels sprouts (approx)
Butter
3 cloves garlic - finely sliced
handful pine-nuts - toasted


Wash and trim the ends of the sprouts.  Slice in half length-wise and cook them in a pan of boiling water for approx. 3-5 minutes.  Drain.

In a wok, melt a small knob of butter.  Add the garlic and stir fry until just starting to colour.  Pour in the sprouts and stir until warmed through and coated with the garlic and butter.  Add the pine-nuts and stir until combined.

Serve immediately, or keep warm until ready.

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥

Courgette & Potato Soup

I craved a filling and wholesome soup and wanted to finish up a few veggies before my next organic fruit and vegetable delivery.  This easy and delicious soup was the answer.

Ingredients

Olive oil
2 medium onions - diced
2 large garlic cloves - chopped
1 leek - sliced
4 large courgettes (zucchini) - cut into chunks
7 small potatoes - cut into chunks
4 cups vegetable stock
150ml cream cheese with chives (you could use one without the chives, but this was what I had in the fridge.  I probably would have added chives anyway!)
parsley - chopped
lemon


Cook onions, garlic and leek in a little oil, until just starting to brown.  Add courgettes and potatoes, stirring until softened.  Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to the boil, then simmer for approx. 20-30 minutes.

Cool slightly, then blend all together.

Stir in cream cheese and parsley, with a good squeeze of lemon juice.  Serve with cornbread muffins - recipe found at: In Caryl's Kitchen: Cornbread Muffins.

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥

Mackerel with Coriander & Lemon Chickpeas

My husband is generally and meat, potato and veggie kind of guy, but whenever I cook something like this he asks when I'll do it again!

Ingredients

Olive oil
1 onion - finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves - crushed
1 lemon - zest and the juice of one half
2 x 400g cans chickpeas - drained and rinsed
150ml vegetable stock
1 x 400g can tomatoes
4 mackerel fillets
1 large bunch coriander (cilantro)


Heat a little oil in a pan.  Add the onions, crushed garlic and lemon zest.  Cook until onions are just soft.

Add the chickpeas and stir until well coated.  Add the stock and tomatoes, stir well, then simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Meanwhile, heat a little more oil in a large frying pan.  Season the mackerel fillets on both sides and fry for approx. 3 mins on each side.

Add the coriander and lemon juice to the chickpeas, stir well and season to taste.

Serve the chickpeas onto plates and top with the mackerel fillets.

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥

Ham, Broccoli & Kale Flan with Chia Seed Pastry

Having opened the fridge door and finding just a handful of ingredients, this flan was born. :)

First, prepare the easy Chia Seed Pastry, as instructed at - In Caryl's Kitchen: Chia Seed Pastry.

Filling Ingredients

1 onion - diced
2 cloves garlic - crushed
1 small head Broccoli - cut into very small pieces
1/2 bag Kale - roughly chopped
6 slices of ham - roughly cut into pieces
4 eggs - beaten
1/2 cup creme fraiche (or sour cream)
3/4 cup milk
strong cheese - grated


Fry the onion and garlic together in a little olive oil.  Add the broccoli and stir gently until it just starts to soften.  Add the kale and a drop of stock, or water, stir well.  Cover the pan with a lid for a minute or so, then stir again when kale has just started to cook down.  Stir in the ham and add seasonings to taste.

Mix together the eggs, creme fraiche and milk.

Spread ham mixture evenly into pastry case.  Sprinkle with cheese.

Pour over the egg mixture.  Note:  It is best to do this part after placing the flan on the oven shelf, to avoid spilling over.  (Especially important if you've been drinking while cooking! ;))

Bake in 190 degree C oven for approx. 30 mins.

Serve with a salad and a nice crisp white wine.

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥

Roasted Ratatouille

Roasting veggies is such an easy way to cook, especially when you've got other things to do.  I love experimenting with different ways of putting them together and this my version of a roasted ratatouille.

Ingredients

2 medium aubergine (eggplants)
3 courgettes (zucchini)
1 red pepper (capsicum)
1 orange pepper (capsicum)
1 large onion
1 bulb garlic - peeled and cloves separated
Olive oil
Salt
Rosemary
5 tomatoes - roughly chopped
Parmesan - grated


Cut the aubergines, courgettes, peppers and onion into large pieces.  Put them into a large bowl, with the garlic cloves and pour a nice glug of oil over them.  Sprinkle with salt and rosemary and stir well.

Spread the veggies out onto two oven trays and place in the oven at 200 degrees C.  Roast for approx. 45 minutes.  Divide the roughly chopped tomatoes between the two trays, stir well and return to oven for a further 30 minutes until the tomatoes soften and the other vegetables are browned.  Add a good sprinkling of grated parmesan and stir again.

Serve warm, with baked fish, or anything else for that matter!

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥