Chorizo hash

this is mostly from what i call "store cupboard" ingredients, so it's a good one to make when i'm out of other ideas

ingredients

• 1/3 - 1 /2 a chorizo, skinned and in small chunks
• 1med-large onion – chopped a bit chunky
• garlic – crushed
• potatoes, thickly sliced or cubed
• 2 big peppers, sliced roughly or 1/3-1/2 bag frozen sliced peppers
• handful of stoned olives
• smoked paprika powder
• dried or fresh oregano/thyme
• ½ tin chopped toms, or good dollop tom puree +water

• optional butter beans – small can, drained

method

• put chorizo chunks and onions into a heavy bottomed frying/sauté pan on a low heat, cover – stir occasionally – the fat comes out so the onions fry in the sausage fat – no need to add oil – allow at least 15 mins
• add garlic, dried herbs and paprika stir and fry a bit
• and potato chunks, stir well and cook a few minutes then add chopped toms or tom puree & water – simmer 5-10 mins
• add sliced peppers, olives and fresh herbs if using – add a bit of water if the mixture is a bit dry
• when peppers are done add butter beans and heat through
• salt & pepper to taste – serve with optional grated cheese

• for vegetarian version omit chorizo, use olive oil, extra smoked paprika and finish with chunks of haloumi or fried eggs

planning ahead

eating well needs a bit of planning, but it doesn't have to be hard work - think ahead a bit when trying a new dish or meal:

• what have i got in stock?
• what ingredients do i need? - can i get them easily? can i afford them?
• what equipment do i really need? - can i improvise? 
• does the recipe tell me exactly how to make it and what to do if things go wrong?

a few tips about recipes from books and online: 

• don't trust the photos, they are rarely realistic - the commercial ones pay people to make the stuff look that good, but it might not be what it says - many food bloggers use various food styling tricks and techniques (i use my own photos of my own food .....and it shows!)  
• check a few different ones  - it they vary hugely you might need to decide whether you trust one more than the others
• always try it out before cooking it for someone else, specially if you want to impress them!

i find that recipes and instructions from trusted sources are the most reliable e.g. people you know who cook well and care about you (or a really reliable celebrity cook,  in my experience celebrity chef recipes require higher levels of skill and expereience )

..........i will be updating this with further thoughts and tips as i go along

kitchen helpers or equipment

must haves:
sharp knives - whatever size & style you are comfortable with but they need to be kept sharp, so get a knife sharpener too  - knives will be blunted faster by a very hard chopping surface like marble, granite, glass etc
chopping board/surface - one you can lift with one hand, even when it's loaded with chopped stuff
good, heavy bottomed pans - these are a good investment - my mother still uses her 60 year old Le Creuset wedding presents, mine aren't that old but they are among my most precious possessions - i cook on gas so i don't know what the equivalent would be for induction or ceramic hobs
hand-held blender - try for one with a plastic 'head', the metal ones could scratch non-stick pans - excellent for turning leftovers into soups, lump-free sauces, mashing up stuff and plenty more - some come with a whisk and a chopping bowl attachment, also pretty useful for fancier stuff
grater - the flat ones are easiest to clean and store
sieve - metal ones are best as they don't melt if you use them for hot stuff, they also double as colanders or steamers


useful:
food processor - takes the slog out of lots of jobs but it's one more thing to wash up and you'll need storage space for it
coffee grinder - mine has never seen coffee but i use it all the time for spices, nuts, seeds, breadcrumbs.........
steamer pan - the sort with a pan and at least one or two steamer sections to stack on top - i steam most of my vegetables including potatoes, but they are also useful for keeping food warm and you can cook in the pan with or without the steamers on top as well as cooking two foods at the same time but separately ..... a really versatile piece of equipment - they often turn up in charity shops in exellent/new condition

brownies

i have tried lots of brownie recipes and always find that the trickiest part is the cooking time - i like my brownies a bit crunchy on top but gooey or squidgy in the middle

baking in a tray means that very few pieces have the perfect balance - so i have taken to baking individual ones in silicone cases (cheaper in charity shops!) - it meant a few tries as i had to reduce the baking time from the original recipe but i think i finally got it right for my oven

this recipe, based on Ruby Tandoh's Cocoa Brownies in The Guardian, is easy because it does not involve the tricky feat of melting chocolate without disasters! it does involve quite a few bowls for ingredients but it's worth it - these don't have any crunch but do stay squidgy and mature well, given a chance!

ingredients

• 125g butter (if using unsalted add a good pinch of salt to the flour)
• 2 tbsp black treacle     i use less treacle and more syrup
• 1 tbsp golden syrup     but 3 tbsp altogether
• 2 eggs, 1 separated
• vanilla essence (optional)
• 150 g sugar, granulated or soft light brown
• 90g plain flour
• 75g cocoa
• marmalade
• peanut butter, or tahini

method

• preheat oven 108C 350F Gas 4
• melt butter with treacle and golden syrup, set aside to cool - beat this together just before use, it will keep separating fairly quickly
• separate one egg yolk and white, put white aside for whisking
• weigh flour and cocao and sift or whisk together
• have 12 cup cases ready on a tray

• whisk together egg yolk, second egg, vanilla and sugar until light and frothy - until the whisks leave a trail when lifted out
• with clean whisk beat remaining egg white until stiff
• return to the egg and sugar mix - gently stir in alternate batches of butter/syrup mix and flour/cocoa in about 3 - 4 batches
• fold in the beaten egg white until just blended
• put a spoonful of the mixture in each case, to cover the bottom - (optional) spoon in 1/4 tsp each of peanut butter then marmalade - cover with more mixture
• bake 15 mins - a skewer should come out of the middle lightly coated - if you wait til it comes out clean they won't be squidgy

cool - these are better the next day if you can wait!

chunky broad bean "pesto"

more of a chunky paste than a smooth pesto, this is a surprisingly versatile way of using broad beans - it can be served hot, warm or cold, as a pasta dressing, a canape or brushetta topping, a mezze style dish, a stuffing for hollowed out panini or ciabatta . . . . . i'm sure you'll come up with your own variation

i know that peeling broad beans sounds like a complete waste of time but it really is worth it for this  . . . . and you can do it sitting down listening to the radio

no measures for this one, make it up as you go along!


ingredients

• broad beans - frozen or fresh, not tinned
• crushed, finely chopped garlic
• parmesan cheese - freshly grated if possible
• olive oil
• chopped mint - fresh or frozen are best, dried will do*
• lemon juice
• fresh ground black pepper
• optional - slivers of good salami, parma ham, pancetta or dry smoked bacon 

method

• cook the broad beans for a few minutes in boiling water, strain, run under cold water
• peel the beans - nick the skin at one end gently squeeze, throw away the skins (in the compost bin)
• mash about half the peeled beans in a bowl with garlic, parmesan and mint*
• add olive oil and lemon juice to taste . . . . and to adjust the consistency of the paste
• stir in the remaining beans and add pepper to taste
• if using pancetta or bacon fry it  and add to the paste with the un-mashed beans
• mash a bit more if you want it more spreadable

serve stirred into pasta, as a spread or however you prefer it

* mix dried mint with a little lemon juice beforehand to rehydrate, add both to the paste 

cooking rice - a basic skill

a lot of my dishes involve rice, i use 2 basic methods; boiling and absorption - i have never made risotto the 'proper' way, i'm sure it's worth the effort but i can't be bothered

some sources recommend repeated rinsing and soaking of the rice before cooking - i have tried it but it didn't seem to make a noticeable difference so now i don't bother - i'd like to know if this is a hangover from the days before food processing was so strictly quality controlled

boiled rice

• plain boiled is straightforward and instruction are given on the packet BUT sometimes you need to use your own judgement about how long to cook it for, so check a few grains before the recommended time is up
• if you are going to be adding more ingredients it is often best to undercook rice slightly as it will absorb moisture from the other ingredients
• use lots of water, rice likes plenty of room to swim in! also you are less likely to have to rinse the rice after cooking - it may seem like a waste to boil lots of water for a little rice but it saves having to boil more to reheat the rice after you have rinsed off the excess starch in cold water!
• 'easy cook' rice is more forgiving about timing but tends to need longer cooking - basmati and thai fragrant rices need more precision so use a timer and take it with you if you wander off! 

method: 

• have the rice ready in a bowl and a sieve or colander ready
• bring the water to the boil, tip the rice in and stir well until the water gets back to boiling point - if you don't do this the rice sticks together and to the bottom of the pan
• turn the heat down to a simmer for the time recommended on packaging
• turn off the heat and check a few grain to make sure it is cooked, if it is not ready yet cover it and let it stand for another minute before checking again - if it'is very undercooked you may have to simmer it for a bit longer but keep checking it
• strain in a colander or sieve, return to pan or warmed serving dish and serve

absorption method or pilau rice

•  this uses measured amounts of rice and liquid, the rice absorbs all the liquid during cooking, leaving you with fluffy individual grains. . . . . in theory!
• until you are confident with the pilau method it is best to use plain boiled rice and add other ingredients afterwards, then keep hot or warm to allow the flavours to develop
• a cup of rice is plenty for the two  with hearty appetites - i normally use 1/2 to 1/3 of a cup per person
• for basmati or othe normal white rice i use 1 measure of rice to 11/2 measures of liquid, for risotto and paella rices i use more like 1 : 11/3 - my mum uses 1 measure of rice to 2 measures of liquid - i find her rice mushy although i thought it was perfect for the first 30 years of my life!  she thinks mine is underdone ........ conclusion; you might have to experiment a bit
• if possible use hot liquid, this way it's quicker to get everything to boiling point
• a good heavy bottomed pan is important - it spreads the heat evenly and allows you to turn the heat right down and cook things slowly without burning on the bottom ....usually

method

• heat a little oil or butter and soften a little chopped onion, shallot or whatever other flavourings required
• add the rice and stir to mix everything thoroughly, turn the heat up
• add your hot measured liquid and stir well (to stop the rice from sticking together an to the bottom of the pan)
• as soon as the liquid is boiling give it a final stir, put the lid on and turn the heat down to very low
• cook for 18-35 mins depending on the type of rice - 18 for basmati, a bit longer for risotto or paella rices,  35 for brown 
• at the end of the cooking time your rice should be cooked through, with a little firmness but not gritty - cover the pan with a cloth or kitchen paper and replace the lid, set aside for 15-20 mins before serving - this allows the steam to be absorbed and the rice should fluff up

potential problems:

sloppy gritty rice - needs cooking for longer or possibly at a slightly higher temperature

sloppy mushy rice - too much liquid

gritty rice - not enough liquid - try

some gritty rice on top, cooked underneath - stir in the gritty rice gently, replace the lid and cook for another minute 

rice stuck to bottom of pan and/or burnt - cooked on too high a heat or pan too thin - in Iranian cooking this is done on purpose to produce a crispy crust of rice which is regarded as the best bit, but not when it's burnt!

fast farinata, my way

recently this has become my favourite hot breakfast - i'm sure the genuine article takes a bit more time and trouble but this one is good enough for me - it's a great base for all sorts of added flavourings, fillings and toppings, also a good substitute for flour-based flatbreads

the "real thing" is baked in the oven, but this is more convenient for a quick light meal

no quantities, just a bit of guessing! basically chickpea flour, water or water & milk/yoghurt, a pinch of baking powder or bicarb with seasonings to taste

this one had fresh thyme, chopped red onion, green olives,
 green pepper and some crumbled feta

ingredients

Chickpea flour - also known as Gram flour

water or water with some milk or yogurt

a good pinch of baking powder or bicarbonate of soda

olive oil

flavourings to taste: salt, pepper, fresh or dried herbs, chopped onion, other finely chopped veg (and/or meat scraps)

method

for one "pancake" in a small pan i use a couple of well heaped tablespoons of chickpea flour whisked to a thick crepe batter with the chosen liquid

i am told it is better if you can make it in advance and let it stand with any herbs, salt and pepper you are adding 

whisk in baking powder/bicarb and add other chopped flavourings

heat your pan with some olive oil, so that the batter will sizzle a bit when added - pour in the batter and turn the heat down a bit once it has "set", bubbles should also appear

flip and cook the other side - you can also top it with some cheese while the second side cooks

serve and eat warm

eva's persian-ish casserole

can be made as a vegetarian, low-meat or meaty dish

approximate measures, alter to taste 

• onions - at least I medium to large 
• garlic - 2 good juicy cloves 
• baharat - 2 rounded teaspoons  
• mint - dry 1tbsp, fresh ???? 
• dill - dry 1heaped tbsp,  fresh ??? 
•  beans/brown lentils for veggie version

or

• lamb (and/or beans/brown lentils ) 1 lamb shank or other cheap cut or 4-8oz lamb mince 
• walnuts - I good heaped tbsp, then grind/chop fine 
• dried apricots - 6-10 chopped fine 
• veg - any on of the following or a mixture:  diced courgette, sweet potato, pepper (any colour), green beans

usual casserole method: 

• soften and brown onions a bit (to taste) add crushed garlic and soften 
• add ground walnuts and chopped apricots, then spices & herbs (if dried), stir around a bit to mix thoroughly, 
• add meat, cubed or mince (meat on the bone gives better sauce*) and brown a bit 
• add water, just enough to cover ingredients 
• simmer on low heat until meat tender - for mince cook as long as you like 
• add veg and herbs if fresh - cook until done  

much better if cooked the day before 

*I used a lamb shank which I added to the sauce ingredients whole - when cooked I took it out, partially liquidised the sauce, cooked the remaining veg in the sauce and added the broken up meat near the end 

Serve with rice, bulgar or maftoul 

baharat

a persian spice mix - you can get it from some specialist middle-eastern suppliers, or you can make your own version, it might not pass the test with persians but i love it

• 4 parts black peppercorns 
• 3 parts coriander seeds
• 3 parts cinnamon
• 3 parts cloves
• 4 parts cumin seeds 
• 1 part cardamom * 
• 3 parts nutmeg
• 6 parts paprika 

grind in a coffee grinder, unless you have the energy to use a pestle and mortar!

* I have green and black so I use a mix of whole green ones and seeds from the black ones 

I have no idea if it is parts by weight or by volume so I did it by weight

persian-ish style rice

ingredients

• chopped red onion 
• about 1tbsp barberies* (aka zeresk), pre-soaked in hot water and drained 
• some ground dried rose petals* or rose water
• 1 levelish tsp sumac*
• basmati rice (+ water if uncooked)

method

• brown onion, add the rest with a little water & butter if you like, warm through and allow the flavours to develop and blend a bit 
• either add to cooked rice or make pilau by absorption method 

optional garnish - toasted or fried flaked almonds, pine nuts or chopped pistachios

great with middle eastern dishes and you can add any veg you fancy to make it more of a complete side dish - it's also good as a base for a rice salad

* available online and from specialist middle-eastern food stores