My favourite cook books

I have a little obsession with cook books-my brother in law calls them my porn!  I read them every day!  I have a few vegan and vegetarian cook books but I tend to favour more garden type cook books.  So here  are a list of some of my current favourites:
Nigel Slater 'Tender" both volumes 1 and 2.  They are amazing, little stories, beutiful photographs and simple delicous food.
http://www.amazon.com/Tender-Cook-His-Vegetable-Patch/dp/0007248490/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300434642&sr=1-2

I also love Sarah Raven's "Garden cook book"-
http://www.amazon.com/Sarah-Ravens-Garden-Cookbook-Raven/dp/0747588708/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300434795&sr=1-3

My other current favourite is Skye  Gyngell, who is the head chef at the Petersham Nurseries Cafe in Richmond, Surrey.  I have two of her books which I frequently dip into-"A year in my kitchen" and "How I cook"
http://www.amazon.com/Year-My-Kitchen-Skye-Gyngell/dp/1580080529/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1300435049&sr=1-1

Focus on Ingredients: Buckwheat

I love the strong, earthy flavor of buckwheat which was first introduced to me by a friend at St. Andrews. It is treated as a grain, though actually it is a fruit seed, related to rhubarb and sorrel. Hulled buckwheat seeds are called groats, or if roasted, kasha, which is also the name for cooked buckwheat groats.

They are a staple in Eastern European countries.  To prevent them from disintegrating into mush- toast the groats first, then cook them in an oven in heavy earthenware or cast-iron pot.

Use one part whole groats, two parts boiling water or stock, and salt to taste. First, stir the buckwheat groats in a lightly oiled pot over medium-high heat until they are dark and toasty, then add the simmering water or stock and salt. Cover and bake in a 350-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed.

Buckwheat is also a very good source of manganese and a good source of magnesium, as well as flavonoids like quercetin and rutin. The protein in buckwheat is a complete protein, containing all eight essential amino acids.

You can also get buckwheat noodles called Soba which are easy to cook and contain no gluten! 

Smoky Lentil Soup

 Chipotle chillies in adobo sauce are AMAZING!  I used to get my supply from a friend with the Mexican Embassy in Nairobi, who has since moved on, but my supply is closely guarded!  Chipotles add a wonderful smoky-spicy element to this lentil soup. Lentils combine well with smoky flavors — that’s why they’re so often cooked with sausage or bacon.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 1/3 cups brown lentils, rinsed and picked over

6 cups vegetable stock or water

Salt to taste

1 to 2 canned chipotle chillies in adobo, to taste, rinsed, seeded and sliced, plus a teaspoon of the adobo sauce

Croutons or toasted tortilla chips for garnish (optional)

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and tomato paste. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Stir in the lentils and stock/water, add salt to taste (1 to 2 teaspoons) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the lentils are very tender, about 50 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

2. Using a hand blender, coarsely purée the soup, or purée half the soup in batches in a blender.  Stir the blended soup back into the pot, and combine well. Add the chipotles, and heat through. Taste and adjust seasonings. Garnish each serving with croutons or toasted tortilla chips if desired.

Chilli Jam

I love chilli Jam-need I say more?!

500 grm very ripe tomatoes
4 garlic cloves-peeled
4 large red chillies-seeds left in if you want your jam very hot
6cm piece root ginger-sliced
300 grms golden caster sugar
2 tablespoons braggs liquid aminos or tamari (or fish sauce if you use it)
100 ml red wine vinegar-a little splash or raspberry vinegar is yummy added in as well

Blitz half of the tomatoes with all the garlic, chillies and ginger in a food processor.  Poir into a heavy based saucepan.  add the sugar, tamari, and vinegar and slowly bring to the boil, stirring slowly.  Reduce to a simmer.
Dice the remaining tomoatoes finely and add them to the pan.
Simmer for 40 mins, stirring from time to time.  The mixture wil turn slightly dark and sticky.
Store in warm dry sterilised jars and seal while the mixture is still warm.  The longer you keep this jam the hotter it gets.  It keeps for bout 3 months in the fridge. 

Curly Kale (or cavolo Nero) with Rosemary and Chilli

This is excellent as a side dish with roast free-range chicken, or as a topping for bruschetta - griddle slices of good bread, rub with raw garlic, top with the cooked kale and then finish with a spoonful of mild, creamy young goats' cheese.  It is one of Sophie grigson's recipes-I eat it with rice and avocado, simple and tasty enough for me. 

Ingredients

         3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

         1 large onion, sliced

         2 sprigs fresh rosemary

         1 medium or hot fresh red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced

         4 garlic cloves, sliced

         250g/9oz curly kale or cavolo nero, trimmed of tough stems, rinsed and cut into 1cm or 1/2in thick slices

         salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation method:

Heat the olive oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed lidded pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, turn down the heat and fry gently until very tender.

Add the rosemary, chilli and garlic and fry for one more minute.

Add the kale or cavolo nero and season with salt. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat to its absolute minimum and leave to cook gently for about 20 minutes. Stir once after five minutes, then again ten minutes later.

Remove the rosemary stalks, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve at once.

Millet Flour bread (Bajre Ki Roti)

Having just come back from India, one of the things I miss the most is the millet flour bread that I ate three times a day!  It is perfect for me-a cross between pancake and bread- gluten free and vegan!  What more could I want.  I was introdced to this at the incredible Mihir Garh  where we spent 5 days.  It is the staple of most of Rajasthan.

Millet flour-5 cups/500 grms
salt-a pinch

Sift the millet flour and salt together, gradually add enough warm water and knead with greased palms (I use olive oil) to make a semi soft dough.  Knead the dough 5 minutes before making the roti.
Divide the dough equally into lemon sized portions.  Flatten each portion with your palms, pressing the edges together to make 5-6" discs.  This has to be done carefully so that the edges do not break.  Avoid using a rolling pin.
Heat a griddle/or non stick pancake pan; lay the disc flat on it and roast oth sides. In India they then put it directly into a coal fire to make it crisp.
Serve with chutneys-or honey!!!! 

Hot hot roots

For the hot hot roots-by Levi Roots! 

• 2 tbsp sunflower oil, or groundnut oil
• 3 onions, peeled, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed to a paste with the edge of a knife
• 4cm/1½in piece fresh root ginger, peeled, finely chopped or grated
• 1 Scotch bonnet chilli, seeds removed, chopped
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1½ tsp ground coriander
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
• 300g/10½oz carrots, peeled, cut into equal-sized pieces
• 300g/10½oz parsnips, peeled, cut into equal-sized pieces (you could use butternut or pimpkin instead)
• 300g/10½oz sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into equal-sized pieces
• 400g/14oz small waxy potatoes, halved lengthways
• 1 litre/1¾ pints vegetable stock, or water
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• pinch soft dark brown sugar
• 75g/2½oz cashew nuts, crushed, plus extra, chopped, to serve
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 100g/3½oz French beans, trimmed, cut in half
• 200g/7oz baby spinach leaves, washed
• 4 tbsp double cream-I use coconut cream instead! 
• 1 lime, juice only

For the mango and coconut relish

• 75g/2½oz desiccated coconut, just covered with boiling water and set aside to soak for 30 minutes
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• ½ tbsp rum
• pinch salt
• 2 ripe mangoes, peeled, stones removed, julienned
• 2 red chillies, cut in half, seeds removed, very finely sliced
• 1-2 limes, juice only
• handful fresh mint leaves

Preparation method

1. For the hot hot roots, heat the oil in a casserole over a medium heat and add the onions. Fry for 4-5 minutes, or until golden-brown, stirring well to ensure they don't burn. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for a further 5-6 minutes, stirring regularly, then add the spices and cook for a further minute, or until fragrant.
2. Stir in the carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and potatoes and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes, or until softened and golden-brown. Add the vegetable stock (or water), bay leaves, tomato purée, soft dark brown sugar and crushed cashew nuts and stir to combine. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender, adding extra stock if the mixture becomes too dry. (The sauce should be thick enough to just coat the vegetables.)
4. Add the beans and spinach, cook for a further three minutes, or until the beans are just tender, then stir in the cream. Add half the lime juice and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper, adding more lime juice, to taste, as necessary
5. Meanwhile, for the mango and coconut relish, transfer the soaked coconut to a food processor (squeeze the coconut to remove any excess water). Add the mustard seeds, caster sugar, rum and salt and blend to a coarse paste.
6. Layer the mango slices with spoonfuls of the coconut paste onto a serving plate, squeezing over the lime juice and a sprinkle of chilli between each layer. Sprinkle the mint over the top of the relish. (If you're preparing the relish ahead of time, add the mint just before serving.)
7. Serve the hot hot roots scattered with chopped cashew nuts, and spoon the relish alongside.