Batata vada/spiced potato balls

I have gone Indian street food crazy at the moment. Also, I had the best teacher, ever, in Mother Toast this weekend to help me make some spicy and comforting batata vada. She also loves to cook something different for Gipsy Spread each time (her own personal challenge), so she made these for breakfast and served them to him as the 'pau vada', stuffed inside floury baps topped with chutnies. The dish is a cousin of the 'pau baji', which if you have not come across before, watch this space.


Batata vada is a very popular fast food in Mahastra, however, we of course make Gujerati batata vada. This consists of spiced balls of potato mash ('batata' means potato) encased in a light gram flour case. They are often served with a variety of chutnies, the usual green or tamarind chutneys, as well as a cooling coconut chutney.

What you will need

250g potatoes
2 onions

1 thumb sized piece of ginger

4 fresh green chillies

2 tea spoons lemon juice

1 tea spoon sugar

1 tea spoon garam masala

1/4 tea spoon turmeric powder

1 tea spoon red chili powder (optional)

1 tea spoon ground cumin
Pinch of asafetida
Fresh coriander


For the batter
150g gram flour

¼ tea spoon baking Soda

1 tea spoon lemon juice
100ml water

Oil for frying

Salt to taste


Firstly, place the potatoes onto boil/steam, ready for mashing when cooked.


Also, chop the onions and soften in some oil for 5-10 minutes.


Meanwhile, grate the ginger and chop the chillies. Mix together with the spices, garam masala, tumeric, chilli powder, ground cumin and asafetida with the lemon juice and sugar.


When the potatoes are cooked, season with salt, add the onions and mash well. Mix through the spices, ginger, chilli and lemon; along with freshly chopped coriander. Leave aside whilst you make the batter.
 

 

Make the batter by mixing together the gram flour, baking soda, some salt and one tea spoon of lemon juice, then start adding the water until you reach the desired consistency of yoghurt.


Once the potato mix has cooled, roll the mash into small balls and set aside.


When ready to cook, place some oil on to heat for frying the 'batata vadas'. When the oil is hot (you can test with the batter), dip each ball into the hot batter and fry until crisp and brown on the outside. This should take 3-4 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper to drain.

Serve hot or at room temperature, simply with a selection of tangy chutnies. Alternatively, as Mother Toast did, provide some toasted flour baps in which to place the batata vada as a filling and then top with chutnies and enjoy.


For those that way inclined, this also a great dish for vegans as there is no meat or dairy involved.

Linguine with garlic mushrooms in smoked oil

We have just come back from Mother and Father Toast's. After a weekend curry fest, we took a night off last night with an easy chickpea salad; but joy of joys, we have some left over chana masala and naan breads for tonight - no cooking!.


So, thinking ahead that we are at the theatre tomorrow night celebrating a birthday with Daffydos-the-III and also exciting ourselves for the US Road Trip (can you guess the play yet?); I knocked up this simple pasta dish for our lunches tomorrow. It also enabled me to use one of my amazing three pack of Sussex Gold oils I got for Christmas. This will surely fortify and leave us free to mirror the drinking activity going on, on the stage at 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'.


What you will need
250g chestnut mushrooms
1 red onion
2-3 cloves garlic
1-2 tea spoons of smoked rapeseed oil
2 tea spoons lemon zest
Linguine
Fresh parsley
Parmesan


Firstly slice the red onion and the mushrooms. Next add a small amount of olive oil or plain rapeseed oil to a pan and soften the sliced red onions for five minutes before adding the crushed garlic cloves and sliced mushrooms. Season well with salt and cook for a further five minutes until the mushrooms have softened. Finally add the smoked rapeseed oil and switch the pan off.

Meanwhile, place enough linguine for two on to cook as per packet instructions.


When the linguine is cooked, drain, reserving some cooking water. Toss the linguine through the mushrooms, garlic and smoked oil, adding the cooking water as you go.

Serve the dish topped with plenty of black pepper, the lemon zest, some chopped fresh parsley and fresh parmesan.

Beetroot soup with feta cheese

What more to do with beetroot than (many many) salads and cake? Well this sweet and savoury soup is an excellent way to use fresh seasonal beetroot or even leftovers from a vacuum pack bought in the supermarket. Gipsy Spread was extremelly dubious about this soup, but beetroot and feta are natural bed fellows and crumbling the salty feta on to this sweet soup notably lifts it. The soup can also be served either hot or cold, providing you with a host of options for dishing it up.


It is also a beautiful looking velvety soup that is sure to impress the eye.


What you will need

3-4 medium beetroot (about 500g)

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

2 cloves garlic

2 onions
1/2 tea spoon chilli flakes

500ml vegetable stock

Firstly chop the onions and garlic and soften in some oil for 5-10 minutes. Next add the peeled and cubed beetroot to the pan with plenty of salt and pepper. Top with the vegetable stock, chilli flakes and chopped tomatoes. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until the beetroot has cooked through (if using raw).

 

Transfer to a blender and blitz into a soup. Add more water as necessary to thin the soup.

Serve this drizzled with some cream or creme fraiche and crumbled over feta cheese.

Suffice to say Gipsy Spread changed his mind about the soup!

Mushroom and green lentil bake

Gipsy Spread has had a weekend of eating steak and in order to restore the balance I decided he needed a vegetarian diet detox for the rest of the week. I had also picked up some wild mushrooms at Borough market this week, so wanted to make a dish where the mushroom is king (or queen). This simple dish places the humble mushroom at the fore and is so easy to make.


I have always wanted to be a forager and have in the past come across wild mushrooms that could be the beautiful cep, but equally could be something that might poison me. So, if in doubt, just head to Borough or another supplier of good wild mushrooms!


What you will need
2 onions
2 garlic cloves
200g wild mushrooms
250g good quality mushrooms
2 table spoons smoked paprika
150g lentils vert
500ml vegetable stock
2 table spoons creme fraiche
Fresh thyme
2 potatoes


Start by thinly slicing the potatoes. These can be peeled, however I do like to keep the skins on. Put these on to par-boil or steam for 5 minutes.


Next chop the onions and garlic and quarter the larger mushrooms. Place the onions and garlic on to soften in some oil for 5-10 minutes before adding the mushrooms to cook for a further 2 minutes. Next add paprika, green lentils and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and stir through the creme fraiche and thyme. Simmer for 20-25 minutes until the lentils have cooked.

Transfer the mushrooms and lentils to a casserole dish and top with the potatoes.

Drizzle over a small amount of oil and bake at 180 degrees for 35-40 minutes until the potatoes have browned and crisped up.

Pea and feta puff pastry tart

I love pastry, however I do try to limit my intake. Now that I have been doing the 5:2, I revelled in being able to make this, the most simple yet delicious of dishes for dinner tonight. We are of course in February and this dish is so fresh and vibrant that it screams springtime. It is also the perfect minimum effort dinner for the first day back at work after the weekend.


What you will need
1 packet of ready rolled puff pastry
200g green peas
2 spring onions
1/2 tea spoon chilli flakes
1 tea spoon lemon juice
100g feta cheese
Fresh mint
Fresh lemon thyme


Firstly, make sure the peas are cooked (I used thawed frozen green peas). Season well with salt and pepper and add to a bowl with the sliced spring onions, chilli flakes and lemon juice.

I use a potato peeler to burst open my peas and bring the flavours together. You might want to give them a small mix together in a blender.


Next, roll out the puff pastry in a rectangle and add to a baking tray. Score around the edge about 1 cm in.


Next spread the pea mix in the middle of the pastry then tear over the mint and add the fresh thyme leaves, finally crumbling over the feta cheese.

Bake in a pre heated oven at 200 degrees for 18-20 minutes until the pastry has cooked and the feta has singed.

Serve with a crisp green salad (and yes, ok, a nice new potato salad, but dressed with lemons and mustard and not mayonnaise).

Theo's Cafe, Sackler Studios at the Globe, Southbank

This little gem is hidden amongst the hubbub that surrounds the Southbank and Borough market. I have walked past it many times as it is just metres from my office, but have not visited it until now. A colleague once expressed his disdain for the place as it is often teeming with foreign school children, which it has to be said that the area is often overrun with.


However, I popped in to this bijous multi-function site today for a team lunch. It is part of a charitable foundation which is linked to the Globe theatre and provides an education space for young people, but also functions as a cafe.

 

It is set up to feel like the comfortable living room of an old friend with its worn sofas and bookshelves.

The chalkboard advertises the days specials which constitute a small selection of sandwhiches, a soup, two hot dishes plus four salads. There is seriously more than enough to be getting on with here.

Everyone in my party went for the hot dish of the day which is served with a choice of salads. The vegetarian dish was the 'mac and cheese with spinach' whilst the meat eaters were offered the chicken and chickpea stew. At £5.50 for a hot lunch with fresh salad, we all came away incredibly content, basking in the joy of this 'diamond in the rough' of the Southbank in London; which we had discovered.

 

Tourists abound in the area and I wander if they make it this far; simply down a cobbled back street to the glory of a chain free, eclectic, individual and above all great value lunch in London? I really hope they do, especially the foreign children.

Stuffed aubergine with mozzarella

This is another fantastic stuffed aubergine recipe, supplemented by the addition of quorn mince. As with all aubergine dishes, the key is to cooking the aubergines perfectly as there is nothing worse than rubbery aubergines. In fact this is the reason I believe why many people don't eat aubergines. Cook this dish right however and you can convert any aubergine disbeliever.


What you will need
2 aubergines
1 red pepper
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
150g quorn mince
1 tomato
1 table spoon balsamic vinegar
Fresh basil
2 balls of mozarella
2 table spoons breadcrumbs


Slice the aubergines in half lengthways. Take the tip of the knife ane score around the edge of each half, being careful not not to pierce the skin. Cut away the flesh still attached at the bottom to leave four aubergine boats. Lightly salt the flesh of the aubergine boats and set aside to begin to soften.


Next chop the onions, pepper, garlic and aubergine flesh, season well with salt and saute in some oil for 10 minutes until softened.


Finally add the quorn mince, the chopped tomato and balsamic vinegar and cook for a further 5-10 minutes before stirring through the fresh basil.


Transfer the aubergine and mince mix to the aubergine boats. Slice the mozzarella balls and top each boat with three mozarella slices and 1/2 tea spoon bread crumbs.


Transfer the stuffed aubergines to the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes at 200 degrees or until the flesh has softened and cooked through.

Spicy sweet potato soup

Whilst at Mother in law Spread's house last weekend, I sat down and flicked through Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's 'Veg'. You'll be as surprised as I was that I don't have this ubiquitous vegetarian cookbook, from the TV series. I stole a few of the recipes that took my fancy - which was basically the ones I knew I had ingredients in the house to make. This delicious sounding spicy sweet potato soup was defnitely one such dish, and still a very welcome warmer in this horrid cold and wet weather.


What you will need
2 onions
4 cloves garlic
4-5cm piece of ginger
1-2 red chillies
1 table spoon garam masala
2 tea spoons curry powder (1 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/4 tsp tumeric and chilli powder)
3 sweet potatoes (700g)
1 litre vegetable stock
400ml coconut milk
Fresh coriander
1-2 limes


Firstly chop the onions, garlic, ginger and chillies. Put all but the chillies into a pan with some oil to soften for 5-10 minutes before adding the chopped chillies, garam masala and curry powder to the pan. Cook for a further minute before adding the vegetable stock.


Next, peel and cube the sweet potatoes, adding to the pan with the coconut milk and juice of the limes.


Leave the soup to simmer for 20-25 minutes until the sweet potatoes are cooked through before blending.

Serve with some fresh coriander and creme fraiche. This is going to perfect for our work lunches this week. So satisfying, yet so easy.

M&S 'dine in for £20' Valentines dinner

So, I mentioned yesterday that we decided to go out for dinner for a change on V-day. Having thought about it, I think in the last 7 years, this is perhaps the only time we have eaten out on the day of lovers. Well, we got a little bit greedy and also couldn’t help but buy this year’s M&S 'dine in for £20' offer. This meant that we go a starter to share, a main and side dish, dessert, a bottle of pink fizz and a box of chocolates all for £20 – separately the choices I had made would have come to £35.

 
So, it was going to be a weekend of love for us and I couldn't help but describe the meal here.

 
We began with the starter of breaded and baked camembert with a plum chutney from their Gastropub range. This is such a simple starter, but so rich, tangy and satisfyingly luxurious.

Gipsy Spread had (and will continue to have tomorrow), the beef wellington parcel from the Grastropub range. I of course, opted for a southern fried breaded quorn fillet as it was to be accompanied with the M&S side dish of potatoes and tomatoes with mozzarella and I also wilted some spinach to give us some simple greens.

Finally, dessert was the love themed triple chocolate heart shaped pudding.

We of course accompanied this with a bottle of pink Champagne that I had picked up at the Harveys shop in Lewes a few weeks ago, followed by the M&S pink cava, which was delightfully crisp and dry.


This is a fabulous offer by M&S which will keep me coming back each year.

North African chickpea and squash stew

This delightful dish comes from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's 'Veg' cookbook. Mother in law Spread made it for us for us to eat on arrival at her house late last Friday night. It was so delicious we also devoured it for a light lunch the next day, before heading out for dinner in Petersfield. I definitely plan on making it myself and have therefore secured the recipe.

 

 

What you will need

2 onions

2 cloves garlic

1 celery stick

1 tea spoon black pepper

1 tea spoon tumeric

1/2 tea spoon ground cinnamon

1/2 tea spoon ground ginger

100g red lentils

1 tin of chickpeas

8 saffron strands

500g tomato tomato sauce/passata

Fresh parsley

Fresh coriander

300g squash

1.2 litres vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

50g orzo

 



 

Begin by chopping the onions, garlic and celery. Soften these in some olive oil for 5-10 minutes before adding all the spices. Cook for a further minutes then add the lentils, drained tin of chickpeas, saffron, parsley and coriander along with the passata and vegetable stock.

 

 

Season well with salt and the add the peeled and cubed squash, bay leaf and orzo. Simmer for 20-35 minutes until the squash is cooked.

 

 

Serve with a drizzle of yogurt if desired.



Brasserie Blanc, Fitzrovia

We don’t normally go in for the whole ‘two hour slot’ on Valentine’s Day for dinner. We have previously bought the fantastic value M&S ‘dine in for £20’ menu and I have also cooked (as has Gipsy Spread) on V-day. However, tonight was a Friday night and we fancied going out for dinner, any excuse really, so we did. The venue of choice was Raymond Blanc’s Brasserie Blanc in Fitzrovia. This is his high street offering, but is equally as stylish and bespoke as his Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons Michellin starred restaurant.

 

We arrived for dinner at 7.30pm after a pre dinner drink at the Weatsheaf, a Dylon Thomas haunt and were seated in a spacious and very private banquette. We were offered the menu and wine list. I opted for the crisp berried rose from the cote de provence and Gipsy Spread had the savignon blanc. We relaxed into our banquette and were very much enjoying the laidback vibe when we realised the pitch perfect music was being sung live - a great touch and we were unsure whether it was just for V-day or a regular occcurance at the Charlotte Street brasserie.

 

 

I decided on the starter of celeriac with paoched egg which came in a rich creamy dressing and was perfect with the artisinal bread. Gipsy Spread had the pork rilletes, again with the fresh crusty bread.

 

The main course I chose was actually a starter, however, I really fancied the cheddar cheese souffle. This might perhaps actually be the the best cheese souffle I have ever had. The outside was crisp and firm, whilst the inside soft and fluffy like foam. It came with a delightfully tangy cheese sauce - this was a serious souffle, very much akin to a Michellin starred souffle.

Gipsy Spread could not help himself and knowing he had steak on the menu for tomorrow night's dinner opted for the fancy steak burger in a brioche bun with frites.

 

We shared our dessert which was a crisp, rich and chewy (again, perhaps the best I have had!) meringue with a chestnut puree and cream. It was still very light and devine.

 

All in all, I had a fabulous V-day dinner. I did not feel hurried or harried and the setting was beautiful, relaxed and romantic. I cannot fault the staff or service which was second to none from the moment we arrived. The food was delicious and I felt truly spoilt by the indulgent nature of the menu and the refined execution of the dishes. This is by no means your ordinary high street offering. Raymond Blanc has created something that I would suggest bridges the high street dining with Michellin starred cooking.

 

 

Chargrilled aubergine and feta salad

This is another delicious winter salad that combines lovely chargrilled aubergine slices with salty feta in a sweet and tangy dressing incorporating pomegranite molasses. This dish is so simple to knock up and showcases the aubergine perfectly. Also, you can use a low fat feta cheese to bring this dish in at under 250 kcals for those of you still on the 5:2 diet. I would also suggest thinking about barbecuing the aubergine in summer for a fabulous side salad to whatever is your chosen main event.


What you will need
1 aubergine
100g feta cheese
Cherry tomatoes
Lettuce leaves
1/2 lemon
1 tea spoon pomegranite molasses
1 tea spooon chilli flakes
Creme fraiche
Fresh coriander


Begin by preparing the griddle pan. Grease it with some oil ready to receive the aubergine.


Next, slice the aubergine about 1/2 cm thick and place in a bowl. Sprinkle over a good amount of salt to start softening the aubergines. After 20-30 minutes, place the griddle pan on to heat and top with the aubergine slices. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side, until charred and softened - there is nothing worse than rubbery under-cooked aubergine.

Prepare the oil free salad dressing by mixing together the lemon juice, pomegranite mollases and chilli flakes and set aside.


Serve the aubergine either warm or cold on a bed of lettuce, with the sliced tomato halves and crumbled over feta cheese. Top with the dressing and garnish with a dollop of creme fraiche and fresh coriander.

Of course if you want to prepare a large bowl of this and leave the flavours to mingle for awhile before serving, even better. Gipsy Spread had his with some bramley apple pork sausages from M&S.

Fez, Petersfield

For us, visiting Mother in law Spread means a break from cooking for ourselves, however, it clearly does not constitute a break for her. So, the news that we would all be dining out Saturday night was happily received by all. Mother in law Spread had come across a small restaurant where she and a friend had lunched, which she wanted to introduce us to.


After a days shopping and jam making, we dressed and headed out to this bijous spot with great anticipation. We arrived to find what seemed like a small family run Turkish restaurant with friendly staff and an extensively authentic menu.

When seated, we were brought the menus very swiftly and also informed of the specials. The restaurant proceeded to fill up as we decided on our drinks. We opted for the rose pinot grigio which was robust, fruity and very dry. It was the perfect accompaniment to all our dishes.

 

Having been told of the specials, which can be found on a chalkboard in the entrance, each of us chose a dish from this selection.

I had the falafel with hummus and greek yoghurt and a hearty salad in a piquant dressing.

Gipsy Spread and Mother in law Spread both has the lamb and chicken wraps with a yoghurt and pistachio dressing.

All the food came out very quickly and was deceptively large in its portion sizes. We all finished our main courses with glee and ended our meals feeling extremelly satisfied. However, dessert was on offer and we very much wanted to sample the home made baklava. It was perfect then that this dish came in three pieces, one for each of us. The baklava was beautifully sticky and sweet from the honey and had an elegant bite and crunch from nuts, include the pistachio - the king of nuts.

Gipsy Spread likened the feeling of the restaurant to eating in someones home. It had a very laidback and relaxed atmosphere and the staff made us feel very welcome. The food was delicious and all at a very reasonable price. We wait now in anticipation of our next visit to Mother in law Spread, when we might visit again. We were told that they also have a function room for large groups and they do a lunchtime set menu which can only be considered great value with 3 courses for £11.


Upon our departure even the chefs waved us goodbye - that's excellent service!.