Sweet potato and peanut stew

I am in the Mara and on the menu board was sweet potato and peanut stew-both chefs came to me and said they did not know how to make it.  I have never made it before either but I liked the sound of it!  So here is our attempt-I tihnk its yummy!

4 smallish sweet potatoes-boiled in their skins until tender, chopped into 1 pound coin size
1 tin red kidney beans
2 onions
1 large piece fresh ginger-the size of your thumb
1 fresh red chili
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground coriander
2 cups veg stock
2 large/heaped tbsp of peanut butter
1 lime-grated and juice of
a handful of fresh coriander leaves
1 tin tomatoes-or if you have fresh -4 large toms with skins removed and finely chopped

Chop the onion, chili and ginger, fry off in olive oil until soft, add the spices and stir well.  Add the tomatoes, kidney beans, the chopped sweet potato, the stock.  Bring to simmer. Add the peanut butter stirring well until you have a smooth sauce.  Simmer until thick-only a few minutes.  Add the lime zest and juice to cut through the peanut butter!
Serve with a handful of fresh coriander and a wedge of lime.  

A lentil stuffed marrow:

I get asked about lentils a lot, I love them and find endless things to do with them.  When I was at school in England the kitchen always made me amazing stuffed vegetables and I guess unlike most school food this is one that has stuck!

This lentil filling works just as well with pumpkins.

Small brown or green lentil-puy work well-200g

A medium sized marrow-or pumpkin

Olive oil

Shallots-2 large, or an onion

Garlic-2 large cloves

Tomatoes-6 medium

Chili sauce-harissa or a smoky chipotle work well

2 handfuls of chard or spinach

grated parmesan-2 tablespoons-optional

Set the oven at 180 degrees or gas mark 4.  Bring a pan of water to the boil in which to cook the lentils.  Add them to the water and leave to simmer, until they are tender-soft rather than al dente.

Cut the marrow in half length ways but do not peel it.  Scoop out the core and put both halves into a roasting tin, then brush with olive oil and put in the preheated oven.  Leave the marrow until tender and translucent–about 20 minutes-then remove from the oven.

Meanwhile peel and slice the shallots and garlic and soften them in a saucepan with about 3 tbsp of olive oil.  Chop the tomatoes-if they have tough skins peel them by dunking them in into boiling water then peel off the skin, and add them to the pan.  Let them cook a while, till they are soft and mushy, the stir in our chili sauce, a teaspoon or two is enough for me!  The amounts depends on what chili sauce you have and how hot you want your lentils to be.   Pour in about a teacup of water, just enough to make a slushy sauce and be generous with the salt and black pepper.

Drain the cooked lentils, then stir them into the onion and chili sauce.  Tear the spinach or chard leaves into small pieces and stir them into the lentils.  Bring to the boil, then cover and leave to simmer on a low heat till the greens are silky soft.  Spoon the lentil mixture into the hollows in the marrow, scatter with the parmesan-if using-cover with foil and bake for twenty minutes.

A pan-cooked pumpkin with garlic

This is good on its own, with a yummy sharp green salad or as a side dish for cold meats.  It is a layered potato, pumpkin, thyme and garlic dish.

Potatoes-4 medium sized, floury or waxy it doesn’t matter

Pumpkin-600g

Duck fat or olive oil (I use olive oil!)-3 lightly heaped tablespoons

A few sprigs of thyme-or rosemary

A single clove of garlic, chopped

Peel the potatoes and pumpkin and slice them no thicker than a two-pound coin.  Melt the duck fat-or heat the olive oil, in a shallow non-stick pan, add the potato and pumpkin slices, neatly or higgledy-piggledy, season them with salt, black pepper, thyme or rosemary leaves and a little chopped garlic as you go.  Turn the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid.  Let the slices cook for about 25-30 minutes.  As they start to soften, press them down with a spatula so they form a sort of ‘cake’ that will be golden underneath, with slices of potato that are soft right through.  You can check for tenderness by inserting a skewer right down through the centre.  If it goes in effortlessly then they are done.  Serve straight from the pan!

Carrots

I went to a party on Friday night and a friend came up to me and told me my blog was rubbish!  He wanted    to see more recipes and more gardening tips!  So here goes-I guess I am reluctant to give gardening advise as I have always thought of JP as the green fingered one of the family. I will start with carrots as they seem an easy place to start.
Soil type: deep, loose, light soil.  For poor quality soil dig in a small amount of organic compost a month prior to planting.
How to grow: Directly sow seeds at a depth of 5 mm-mixing seeds with wahed sands helps spread them when sowing.  When seedlings are 5 cm high thin out to 2cm apart.  Thin out again when seedlings are 15cm high to 5cm between seedlings.
Avoid successive crops in the same plot.
Pests and organic control:  carrot root fly is the most common pest.  Use a crop cover or a resistant variety!
Companion planting: Lettuce, peas, leeks, chives, onions, beans, tomatoes and rosemary will deter carrot fly.
Nasturtiums are a bait plant for aphids.
Harvest a few young carrots-if they are pale the soil is too acid.  A dose of lime sprinkled around the plants and watered in will improve colour.

Thyme scented oatcakes

These are divine, I made them for the first time today and I am totally addicted to them!
225g fine oatmeal or oak flakes
2 tbsp fruity olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
about 8 tbsp boiling water

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C/Gas mark 4. Tip the oat meal, oil, salt and 2 tbsp fresh thyme into a food processor.  Whizz to chop and combine.  With the motor running, pour in the boiling water.  Whizz for about 45 seconds-the mixture will start to come together and look sticky and thick.  Tip in the remaining thyme and pulse to chop roughly.
Gather the dough into a ball with your hands.  While it is still warm, roll the dough out on to a floured (I use chickpea flour to avoid wheat) surface to a thickness of about 2 mm.  Cut out using a round or star shaped cutter.  Place on a greased (I use olive oil) baking sheet.
Bake for 15-2 mins or until lightly colored.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool and crisp.  Store in an air tight container up to three weeks

Warm lentil and Squash salad

This is a good warm winter salad-or in our case here a good rainy season salad!

1 Large butternut squash-peeled, deseeded ad cut into large chunks
2-3 red onions cut into 8th's
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig of rosemary-finely chopped
Salt and black pepper
100g packed roasted chestnuts-roughly chopped
2 red chillies-deseeded and finely chopped
juice and grated zest of one lemon
3 good handfuls of small leaf rocket-or other salad leaf
Large bunch of flat-leafed parsley, chopped
Large bunch of fresh corriander, chopped
-250 grms feta cheese, crumbled (optional!)

For the lentils:
200 grms puy lentils (or something similar!)
3 cloves garlic
1 good sprig of rosemary
450 ml veg stock
200 ml dry sherry or wine
3 tbsp olive oil

For the dressing:
2 tbsp extra irgin olive oil
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees or gas mark 5.
Put the squash and onions into a plastic bag with the olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper and toss together well.  Empty into a roasting tin.  place in the oven for about 40 mins, until soft and just beginning to brown on the cut edges.  Add the chestnuts and roast for another 5 mins-giving them time to heat through.
Meanwhile put the lentil into a medium sized sauce pan with the garlic and rosemary sprig.  Pour in the stock, the olive oil and sherry and bring to the boil.  Cook over a medium heat for about 20-25 minutes.  Keep an eye on the pan and add extra liquid if necessary.
when the lentils are tender but not mushy, drain and remove the garlic and herbs.  Add another tbsp of olive oil, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and leave to cool a little.
Add the chillies, lemon zest and juice to the lentils and stir everything together. then add the rocket, parsley and corriander, and lay out on a large serving plate. Check seasoning.
Scatter with the roasted veg and crumbled feta .
Mix together all the dressing ingredients and dress the whole dish.  This is best served warm

Asparagus Stir fry

toasted sesame oil-or olive oil
1 block of fresh firm tofu-cut into thin slices
2 large white onions-finely sliced
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 bunch of asparagus-cut into 1 inch pieces
a couple of pinches of fine grain sea salt
3 cloves of garlic-chopped up a bit
1 big handful of flaked almonds-or cashew nuts chopped up a bit
a few handfuls of chopped chard or kale
zest and juice of one large lime
2 tablespoons of braggs liquid aminos-or tamari or soy sauce (hoisin sauce also works!)
1 large handful of basil, chopped

Have all your ingredients prepped and ready to hand.  Heat a splash of oil in a large pan-I use a non stick one, over a medium heat.  When it is hot add the onion and ginger-let soften, then add the asparagus and salt.  Continue cooking for a minute or until asparagus is bright green, add the tofu. When the tofu is golden add the chard/kale, nuts and ginger.  Stir fry for another minute or until the chard wilts.  Stir in the soy sauce and lime zest.  Cook for another few seconds, stirring all the while.

Remove from the heat and stir in the basil.  taste and add more salt if needed.