Crisp bacon rosti with fried eggs.

Rösti or röschti is a Swiss dish consisting mainly of potatoes, in the style of a fritter.
It was originally a breakfast dish, commonly eaten by farmers in the canton of Bern, but is now eaten all over Switzerland and around the world.
Ingredients:
sunflower oil, for frying
2 rashers smoked back bacon, cut into small pieces
1 small onion, thinly sliced
500g/1lb 2oz floury potatoes, coarsely grated
2 free-range eggs
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 20cm/8in lidded frying pan, add the bacon and fry over a high heat until crisp.
Remove the bacon and set aside.
Add the onion to the pan and fry for 1 minute.
Cover, lower the heat and cook for 15 minutes, until soft and tender.
Put the potatoes inside a clean tea towel and wring out as much water as possible by squeezing the towel – this prevents the rosti from being soggy.
Put the potato in a bowl, add the onion and bacon.
Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
Return the pan to the heat and add 1 tablespoon oil.
When the oil is hot add the potato mixture.
Using the back of a spoon press the mixture into the pan so there is an even layer covering the whole pan.
Cook over a low heat for 5–10 minutes, then carefully turn over.
The easiest way is to turn it upside down onto a plate and then slide it back into the pan (you may need to add a little more oil into the pan first).
Cook the other side for 5–10 minutes, until golden and crisp.
Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the eggs until cooked to your liking.
Cut the rosti into wedges and divide between plates, top with the eggs and serve.

Bean and Beet Soup with Farro.

Farro e fagioli (with beets).

Makes 2 to 3 servings
1 cup dried white beans (such as Cannellini)
1 cup dried chickpeas
2 T olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1/4 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 leek, diced
1 beet, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
4 cups vegetable stock, warmed
2 sprigs rosemary
1 sprig thyme
1 stem Italian parsley
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
5 or 6 kale leaves, stems removed and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup dried farro
1 sprig sage
1 T olive oil
3 canned plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cup vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
Creme fraiche to garnish

Place the dried beans in a bowl and cover with water.
Cover and let soak 1 to 2 days, and then drain.

On the day you are making the soup, place the farro in a bowl and cover with boiling water.
Let sit until needed, at least 3 hours, and then drain just before using.

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, and add the onion and celery and cook for about 2 minutes until soft.
Add the garlic, leek, beet, carrot and garlic.
Cook for 2 minutes.
Add the red pepper flakes and beans, then pour in the stock.
Add the herbs (tie them with butcher twine to make them easier to remove later).
Bring to a simmer, and cook until the beans are very soft, between 1 and 2 hours.

When the beans just start to soften, place the farro, sage, olive oil and tomatoes in another pot over medium heat, and cover with the vegetable stock.
Bring to a low boil, and then simmer for about 20 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the farro is soft.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Once the beans are very tender, season to taste.
If you want a bit of a thicker broth, spoon out about 3/4 cup of the vegetables with some broth, puree it, and then add it back to the soup pot.
Add the kale and cook for just a minute or two until it brightens.

To serve, ladle the soup into each bowl, add a heaping spoon of farro, and add a dollop of creme fraiche.

Egg White Cake.

- Egg White Cake - great ways to use up leftover egg whites!

6 large egg whites
250 g caster sugar
160 g plain/all-purpose flour
1 heaped Tbsp potato starch or cornflour
1 tsp baking powder
100 g melted butter (just under a stick), slightly cooled

Whisk the egg whites with 2 Tbsp of sugar until thick and pale and very foamy.
Mix the rest of the sugar with flour, potato starch and baking powder, then sift into the egg mixture and fold in gently.
Finally fold in cool melted butter.
Pour the batter into a buttered bundt-form and bake in a pre-heated 180C oven for 30-40 minutes.
Test for doneness with a wooden toothpick.
Cool slightly before turning out of the cake tin.

The lovely taste!

Celeriac soup.

Celeriac soup | River Cottage:
The lovely taste!

Ingredients
50g Butter
1 Celeriac, peeled and cubed
1 Potato, peeled and cubed
1 Leek, trimmed, washed and roughly sliced
1 Onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 Garlic clove, sliced
1 litre Stock, chicken, vegetable
Parsley & walnut pesto to serve

Melt the butter in a large, heavy-based pot over a medium-low heat.
Add the celeriac, leek, potato, garlic and onion, season generously, and gently sweat the vegetables until they're all starting to soften (this will take about 10 minutes).
Add the stock, bring the soup up to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the celeriac is completely tender.
Liquidise until smooth, return to the pan and reheat over a medium flame.
Just before serving, check the soup for seasoning and serve with a drizzle of pesto.
'via Blog this'

My Orange Marmalade.

How to make perfect orange marmalade | Life and style | The Guardian:
Makes: 5 jars (370g each) + 6 jars (200g each) from 1kg Blood Orange Oranges.

1kg Seville oranges
2 lemon
1kg light muscovado sugar
1kg golden granulated sugar
1 piece of muslin

1. Squeeze the juice from the oranges, reserving the pips.
An electric citrus squeezer makes light work of this!
Cut the oranges and lemon in half and squeeze the juice, using an electric citrus squeezer.
Put the juice into a preserving pan or large saucepan.
I have 600ml of juice from 1 kg of Oranges.
It’s a good idea to add the juice of lemon - lemon is naturally very high in pectin - 1 lemon to each 500g/1lb 2oz of fruit if making marmalade.

2. Put your piece of muslin into a bowl and spoon the pips and pith into it (the pith contains a lot of pectin).
Shred the peel of the oranges in a food processor.
Put the shredded peel into the pan.
Pour over 2.0L of water.
Leave to soak overnight.
This helps to extract the maximum amount of pectin from the fruit pulp, which will give a better set.
It also helps to soften the peel, which will reduce the amount of cooking needed.

So, in one large bowl You have:
peel (shreded in a food processor)
juice 600ml - (using an electric citrus squeezer)
pulp
pips
2.0 water
This is a rolling boil, when the timing to a set starts! Anything less is a simmer.
3. The next day:
Bring to the boil over a low heat, before simmering for two hours or until the peel is soft and the mixture has reduced by half.
Remove the muslin bag and allow to cool in a bowl.
It needs to be cold enough to squeeze.

Wash your jars in warm soapy water and allow to dry in a 100C oven.

4. Squeeze the muslin bag hard into it – a good quantity of gloopy juice should come out.
Stir this in and then add the sugars and stir well until dissolved.
Warm gently so that the sugar dissolves completely, stirring occasionally.
Do not boil, before the sugar is dissolved.
Bring the marmalade back to a simmer.
Put a few saucers into the freezer.

5. Turn the heat up and boil rapidly until the marmalade reaches setting point which should take 15 to 20 minutes – a sugar thermometer will be helpful here (start checking when it reaches 104C) but to confirm this, put a teaspoonful of the marmalade on to a cold saucer and put in the fridge for a minute or so.
If it crinkles when you run a finger through it, and your finger leaves a clear line in the preserve, it's ready.
If not, check it every five minutes or so.

6. Allow to sit for 15 minutes then spoon into clean jars and seal immediately.
The marmalade should keep for up to a year.

Related recipe:
There are lots of different schools of thought as to how to do this, Nigel suggests scoring with a small knife into quarters then peeling.
Others halve the oranges, squeeze out the juice and then hollow them out before cutting each half into larger chunks.
Your call.
- Marmalades Archives - Vivien Lloyd:

- How to make perfect orange marmalade | Life and style | The Guardian:

- Easy Seville Orange Marmalade recipe | The Cottage Smallholder:

- A bittersweet blob of Seville | The Independent:

- Seville orange marmalade | BBC Good Food:

Breakfast buns. Cranberry-orange.

cranberry-orange breakfast buns – smitten kitchen:


Dough:
4 large egg yolks
1 large whole egg
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
6 tablespoons (85 grams) butter, melted, plus additional to grease pan
3/4 cup (175 ml) buttermilk
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated (to be used in dough and filling, below)
3 3/4 cups (470 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting counter
1 packet (7 grams or 2 1/4 teaspoons) instant dry yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse or kosher salt, or more to taste
1 teaspoon oil for bowl

Make the dough:
In the bottom of the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter, buttermilk and 3/4 of the orange zest together (saving the rest for the filling).
Add 2 cups of the flour along with the yeast and salt; stir until evenly moistened.
Switch to the dough hook and add the remaining 1 3/4 cups flour and let the dough hook knead the mixture on low speed for 5 to 7 minutes.
The dough should be soft and moist, but not overly sticky.
Scrape the dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl (I usually scrape my dough briefly onto the counter, oil the mixing bowl, and scrape the dough back into it) and cover it with plastic wrap.
Let dough rise at room temperature until doubled, which will take between 2 and 2 1/2 hours.

Prepare the filling:
Filling:
1 1/2 tablespoons (20 grams) butter
1 cup (190 grams) packed light brown sugar
1 cup (115 grams) fresh cranberries
Orange zest leftover from above
Melt the butter and set it aside.
In a food processor, pulse the whole cranberries until they’re ground to a coarse rubble, but not fully pureed.
You’ll need to scrape the machine down once or twice. Set them aside.

Assemble the buns: Butter a 23x33cm/9×13-inch baking dish, a heavier ceramic or glass dish is ideal here.
Turn the risen dough out onto a floured work surface and roll it into a rectangle that is 45cm/18 inches wide (the side nearest to you) and 30cm/12 inches long. (It’s okay if it goes longer/thinner.)
Brush the dough with the melted butter.
Sprinkle it with the brown sugar.
Scatter the ground cranberries over it, then the remaining orange zest.

Roll the dough into a tight, 45cm/18-inch long spiral.
Using a sharp serrated knife, very, very gently saw the log into 4cm/1 1/2-inch sections; you should get 12.
Arrange the buns evenly spread out in your baking dish.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or up to 16 hours.


The next morning, bake the buns: Take your buns out of the fridge 30 minutes before you’d like to bake them, to allow them to warm up slightly.
Heat your oven to 176-180C/350F.
Bake your buns until they’re puffed and golden (the internal temperature should read 87-90C/190F), approximately 30 minutes.

Icing:
3 1/2 tablespoons (55 ml) orange juice
2 cups (240 grams) powdered sugar

Transfer pan to a cooling rack and let cool slightly.
Make the icing by whisking the orange juice and powdered sugar together.
Spread a little on each bun, or drizzle it over the whole pan.
Serve immediately.

Related Recipes and Links:

- Make your own buttermilk – smitten kitchen.

- Too many egg whites? – smitten kitchen.
- Egg White Cake - great ways to use up leftover egg whites!

Breakfast Buns.

Char Siu Pull-apart Pineapple Bun.
Dough:
2 cups (242 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (60 grams) white rice flour
1 1/2 tsp yeast
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (120 grams) whole milk
1/3 cup (100 grams) sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup (60 grams) water
2 1/2 tbsp (37 grams) unsalted butter, softened

“Pineapple” crust:
4 1/2 tbsp (60 grams) unsalted butter, soften
1 large egg yolk (reserve the white for egg wash)
1 tbsp coconut cream
1/2/ cup + 2 tbsp (90 grams) powdered sugar
3/4 cup (93 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda

Make the buns:
In a stand-mixer with hook-attachment, combine all-purpose flour, white rice flour, yeast, salt, whole milk, sweetened condensed milk and water.
Knead on medium speed until a soft dough as formed.
Add the unsalted butter, 1 tbsp at a time, and knead until fully incorporated.
Turn to high speed and knead for another 5 min until the dough is very elastic and smooth.
The dough should be sticky but pulls away cleanly from the bowl when the machine is running.
If the dough is not sticky at all, add 2 tsp more water, or if too wet, add a bit more flour.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until fully doubled, approx 2~4 hours depending.
Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 12 equal portions.
Shape each into small balls, then stuff each ball with about 1 heaping tbsp of filling and pinch to close.
Repeat with the rest, then arrange them inside a 8 x 11 inch retangle pan (or 9" square pan, or any other container you'd like to serve them in), then cover tightly with plastic wrap.
You can now freeze them until needed (you can do this a few days ahead).
A Few hours before baking (at least 4 hours to be safe), leave the pan in a warm place and let thaw and proof until fully doubled again.

Meanwhile, make the crust.
In a stand-mixer or food-processor, cream unsalted butter and yolk together until creamy and pale.
Add coconut cream and powdered sugar, and cream again until fluffy, approx 5 min.
Add flour, salt, baking powder and soda, and mix until just combined. Transfer in between 2 pieces of parchment, then shape into a square.
Refrigerate until cold, then roll them out into a sheet slightly larger than your pan.
Brush the proofed buns with egg white, then drape the crust over the top (don't worry about tearing).
Trim off any excess on the edges, then brush the crust with egg white.

Bake in a preheated oven at 400F/200C for 18~20 min, until the crust is golden browned.
Serve immediately.

Related recipe:
cranberry-orange breakfast buns – smitten kitchen:

Comfort food.

Meatballs with Fermented Cabbage and Fried Potatoes.

- Pan-fried potatoes topped with onion and carrot. Recipe!
- Homemade Sauerkraut. Recipe!
- Meatballs in tomato sauce. Recipe!

Blood Orange Marmalade with Beaujolais - red wine.

- Blood Orange Beaujolais Marmalade | Serious Eats
Blood Orange Beaujolais Marmalade.
As I researched recipes for blood orange marmalade, I came across one in Better Homes & Gardens that incorporated a cup of Beaujolais, a light-bodied, high acid French red wine made from the Gamay grape.
Intrigued by how the wine might enhance the flavor and color of my marmalade, I borrowed the idea.
The flavor is a bit sweeter than traditional marmalade, with notes of raspberry and wine.
It would be absolutely delicious sandwiched between layers of almond or polenta cake, or try it with cornmeal biscuits.

5 cups sugar
6 small to medium blood oranges
1 cup Beaujolais or other light-bodied red wine - Pinot noir.
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons regular powdered fruit pectin
1/4 teaspoon unsalted butter

This recipe makes six half-pint/284 millilitres jars.

1.Measure the sugar into a large bowl and set aside.
2.Wash the blood oranges and remove the rind in quarters.
Thinly slice the rind lengthwise, then roughly chop them crosswise into smaller pieces.
Transfer the rind to a large pot and add the wine, baking soda, and 1 1/4 cups of water.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer until the rinds have softened, 15 minutes.
3.Meanwhile, coarsely chop the oranges and remove any seeds.
Transfer the oranges to a food processor and pulse until the orange pieces are broken up but still chunky, about 8 pulses.
Add the oranges to the pot with the rind and bring to a simmer.
Simmer, covered, 15 minutes.
4.Measure the mixture.
You should have about 5 cups. (If you have less, add a bit more wine. If you have more, discard the extra.)
Stir in the pectin and butter and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
Add the sugar all at once and return the mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly.
Boil hard for 1 minute.
5.Remove the pot from the heat and skim any foam from the surface of the marmalade with a cold metal spoon.
Ladle the marmalade into hot sterilized jars and process them in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Beaujolais Pronunciation: bow-zhuh-LAY
Notes: This is a region in Eastern France that produces light, fruity, fresh-tasting red wines that are relatively low in alcohol.
Beaujolais wines should be drunk while young.
Substitutes: Gamay OR Pinot Noir OR Burgundy OR Chianti OR Barbera.

How to cook rice.

Millions of cooks are endangering their health by cooking their rice incorrectly, scientists believe.
Putting more water in the pan or even steeping it overnight is the best way to flush out traces of the poison arsenic, they found.
The chemical contaminates rice as a result of industrial toxins and pesticides which can remain in the soil for decades.
Experts have long debated what level of arsenic is safe, with new limits set by the EU in 2016.
Chronic exposure to the toxin has been linked to a range of health problems including developmental problems, heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
But experiments suggest that the way rice is cooked is key to reducing exposure to the toxic but naturally occurring chemical.
Prof Andy Meharg, from Queens University Belfast, tested three ways of cooking rice for the BBC programme Trust Me, I’m a Doctor.
In the first, he used a ratio of two parts water to one part rice, where the water is “steamed out” during cooking.
In the second, with five parts water to one part rice, with the excess water washed off, levels of arsenic were almost halved.
And in the third method, where the rice was soaked overnight, levels of the toxin were reduced by 80 per cent.

How to cook rice.
Measure the dry rice in a jug.
Soak rice overnight
Wash then rinse the rice really well, until the water is clear.
Drain really well.
Place rice in a saucepan with five parts water to one part rice (plus a little salt) and stir once.
Bring to the boil, then turn the heat all the way down and cover the pan tightly with a lid.
Cook on the lowest heat possible for 10-15 mins without uncovering the pan.
Use a fork to fluff up the cooked rice.

Basmati rice contains lower levels than other rice
Brown rice usually contains more arsenic than white rice (because of the husk)
Growing rice organically doesn’t make a difference to levels
Rice cakes and crackers can contain levels higher than in cooked rice.
The levels of arsenic found in rice milk far exceed the amounts that would be allowed in drinking water.


If you want fluffy rice that will stay separate even after cooking, go for a long grain – either white or brown.
If you need your rice to be cooked in a hurry but still retain its flavour, choose basmati.
For sweet and sticky rice, opt for a glutinous grain.
Unless you're making a risotto, take care to rinse your rice thoroughly before you cook it.
Wait until the water begins to run clear, showing it is free of starch.

Risotto is a tricky dish to get right and the secret lies not only in the method, but in the type of rice you choose.
Diana Henry recommends going for the 'carnaroli' type: "Carnaroli has a great flavour and produces a very creamy risotto.
Vialone nano has smaller, less starchy grains, so the finished risotto seems lighter.
Arborio is the most basic and widely available but overcooks easily.
I always go for carnaroli or vialone nano."

Blood orange, rhubarb and cardamon marmalade.

Makes approx 1.3kg (3lbs)

0.4Kg (1lb) rhubarb
1kg (2.2lbs) sugar
juice of 1 lemon
seeds from 14 cardamom pods, crushed
800g (1.75 lb ) blood oranges

Rinse the rhubarb stems and chop into 1cm (1/2 in) evenly sized pieces, slicing thicker stems lengthwise to make the pieces uniform.
Place them in a bowl with the sugar and lemon juice.
Tie the crushed cardamom seeds, pods and all, in a piece of muslin and push them inbetween the rhubarb, then cover with baking paper or clingfilm and leave overnight or for up to 24 hours, so the juices ooze out of the rhubarb and turn the sugar to syrup.
Wash the blood oranges and remove the peel with a sharp knife or potato peeler, leaving as much of the pith on the fruit as possible.
Finely cut the peel into shreds.
Squeeze the fruits, collecting the juice and tie the remaining pulp, pith and pips together in a muslin bundle.
Place the shreds, juice and bundle in a pan, add 1.4ltr (2 1/2pt) water and simmer for 2 – 2 1/2 hours until the peel is cooked through and tender.
Remove the muslin bundle and, when cool enough to handle, squeeze the juice from it back into the pan, then discard.
Pour the peel through a sieve and collect and measure the liquid, adding more water if necessary to make it up to 1ltr (1 3/4 pts).
Prepare the jars and canner if you plan to hot water process the marmalade, otherwise, make sure your jars and lids are clean and place them in a warm oven to heat and sterilise.
Place the cooked shreds, cooking liquid and the contents of the rhubarb bowl in a preserving pan and bring slowly to the boil, stirring to make sure all the sugar is dissolved.
Bring to a rolling boil and cook on a high heat until setting point is reached, that is when a small blob of the syrup on a cold plate quickly forms a skin when you run your finger across the surface.
It took me 20-25 minutes for the marmalade to reach setting point at a fast rolling boil, showing 104C (220F) on a thermometer.
Remove the cardamom bundle.
Fill the jars, leaving the appropriate amount of headroom for canning, and seal.
Hot water process for 10 minutes, then remove from the canner, leave till cold and test that the lids are sealed.
Label and store.
Alternatively, without canning, top jars with sterilised lids or use traditional wax paper circles and cellophane with elastic bands to seal.
This marmalade should store safely without canning, but hot water processing will make doubly sure that your jam will keep and store without a hitch.

From - http://www.laundryetc.co.uk/2014/02/02/blood-orange-and-pink-rhubarb/

Crêpes with orange butter sauce.

By Michel Roux.
Ingredients
For the crêpes
125g plain flour
15g caster sugar
pinch salt
2 medium free-range eggs
325ml milk
50ml double cream
few drops orange flower water
20g clarified butter
For the orange butter sauce
10 oranges, 6 juiced, 4 segmented
100g icing sugar
125g butter, diced, softened
4 sprigs fresh mint
Method
For the crêpes, whisk the flour, sugar, salt, eggs and a third of the milk in a bowl to a smooth batter.
Gradually stir in the rest of the the milk and all of the cream.
Leave the batter to rest in a warm place for about an hour.
Just before cooking, stir in the orange flower water.
Brush a small 18cm-20cm/7in-8in frying pan with a little of the clarified butter and place over a medium heat.
Add a ladleful of the batter and tilt the pan to cover the base thinly; cook the crêpe for a minute each side.
Transfer the crêpe to a plate and repeat, stacking the crêpes between sheets of greaseproof paper, until all of the batter has been used up.
For the orange butter sauce, strain the orange juice through a sieve into a saucepan and add the icing sugar.
Gradually bring the mixture to the boil and cook until the volume of liquid has reduced by half.
Turn off the heat and whisk in the butter, a little at a time.
To serve, scatter the orange segments over each crêpe and roll up.
Spoon over the orange sauce and garnish with a sprig of mint.

OR:
- Crepes with blood orange sauce | Ichigo Shortcake:
To make the blood orange sauce
- 1/4 cup (55g) caster (superfine) sugar
- 1 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp orange flavoured liqueur (I used Cointreau)
- 1/2 cup (125ml) blood orange juice, or 2 medium blood oranges
- 1/2 blood orange, sliced to roughly little more than half cm thick
- 30g butter
- 2 tbsp extra orange flavoured liqueur
1. Place sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until just combined and sugar is melted.
2. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil, without stirring, for roughly 4-5 minutes or until light golden. Swirling the mixture when the edges are caramelised. (You’re essentially making caramel here).
3. Add in 2 tsp orange liqueur, mix and cook for further 30 seconds.
4. Add blood orange juice, stir through and bring to the boil.
5. Add in blood orange slices and cook for 6-8 minutes or until the rind is translucent.
6. Add the butter and extra liqueur to the mixture and stir through until the mixture is thickened and glossy.
7. Serve crepes hot with the blood orange sauce and top with candied blood orange slices.
8. Dust with icing sugar (optional – although I actually forgot to do this in the end)

Crêpes suzette.

BY James Martin.
Ingredients
For the crêpes
250g plain flour
2 eggs
2 teaspoons melted butter, plus extra for cooking
600ml milk
For the sauce
50g butter
3 oranges, 1 zested and all juiced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3 tablespoons caster sugar
2 tablespoons grand marnier
2 tablespoons cognac

To make the crêpes, whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl to form a smooth batter.
Set aside for at least an hour in a cool place.
Place a small frying pan over medium heat and add a little butter, then a ladleful of batter and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.
Cook for 1–2 minutes until just set, then flip and cook for a further minute until the underneath is lightly browned.
Remove the cooked crêpe from the pan and repeat until all of the batter is used – you should end up with four crêpes.
Place layers of baking parchment between the cooked crêpes to stop them sticking together.
For the sauce, place all the ingredients in a large frying pan and bring to the boil, gently shaking the pan to ignite the alcohol.
When the flame dies down, fold the crêpes into quarters and nestle them into the pan of sauce. Let them warm through for a few minutes, then dish out.

Minestrone.

Adapted from recipe by Elizabeth David published in the Guardian.
Serves 6-8

50g of dried Aduki beans,
1 carrots,
1 small potatoes,
1/2 small turnip,
1 onions,
a piece of celery,
2 tomatoes or concentrated tomato purée,
1/4 a small cabbage,
2 rashers of bacon,
garlic,
herbs and seasoning,
olive oil,
1/2 a small glassful of red wine,
25g of any of the pasta made in small shapes

Put the Aduki beans to soak overnight.
Next day prepare all the vegetables, and melt the sliced onions in the oil,
adding 2 cloves of garlic,
the bacon cut into pieces,
and plenty of herbs: marjoram, thyme, basil, or whatever may be available;
add the chopped tomatoes, or a tablespoonful of concentrated tomato purée;
pour in the red wine,
let it bubble a minute or two, then add the drained Aduki beans;
cover them with 1L of hot water and let them boil steadily for two hours.
Now put in the carrots and about 15 minutes later the turnip and potatoes.
Ten minutes before serving, add the celery, the cabbage cut into strips, and the pasta.
See that the soup is properly seasoned, stir in 2 tablespoonfuls of grated parmesan, and serve more parmesan separately.

According to the season almost any vegetable can be added to a minestrone: peas, beans, spinach, leeks, small marrows; rice can be substituted for the pasta.

Marmalade panettone pudding.

Recipe by Nigel Slater published in the Guardian.
Panettone makes a fine bread and butter pudding.
Adding dollops of home made marmalade to this comforting pudding has made it even more interesting and satisfying to eat.
You could use half cream and half milk here, but the panettone adds a richness that I would argue makes such an addition unnecessary.
And a drizzle of cold double cream as you eat is excellent.
Serves 6.

Ingredients
325g panettone
5 heaped tbsp marmalade
4 large eggs
500ml creamy milk

Method
Set the oven at 180C/gas mark 5.
You will also need a deep ovenproof dish measuring roughly 30x26cm, very lightly buttered.
Slice the panettone thinly, it really doesn’t matter if it crumbles.
If it is a good panettone then I think it should anyway.
Melt the marmalade in a small saucepan.
Put half of the panettone slices in a dish.
Spoon over half of the marmalade.
Break the eggs into a bowl and beat them lightly, then beat in the milk.
Pour half of the egg custard mixture over the panettone.
Add the remaining slices, the rest of the marmalade and then the custard.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until it is puffed and golden.
Shake it gently.
It should wobble, but show no sign of uncooked custard.
Serve warm, and if you wish, with a drizzle of cream.

Seville Orange Marmalade By Nigel Slater,

From the 4th Kitchen Diaries.

So, according to the recipe you need:
Seville Oranges 1.3kg (about 15),
Lemons 2
Golden granulated sugar 2.6kg. (Golden Granulated has a glistening golden colour with a subtle caramel taste. Golden Caster Sugar substitute - Demerara.)

- Remove the peel and pith from the oranges and lemons.
Take a very sharp knife and score four lines down each fruit from top to bottom, as if you were cutting it into quarters.
Let the knife cut through the peel without going into the fruit.
The peel is then easy to remove by hand.
- Cut the peel into fine shreds (or to a size you want them if you like a chunkier texture) and put them into a large bowl.
- Squeeze all the juice from the oranges and lemons into the bowl, but catching the pips and keeping them to one side.
With hand juicer balanced over a sieve, over the bowl, made this fairly fiddly task go by with minimum fuss.
Chop the pulp up and put that in with the juice.
- Add the 2.5 litres of cold water, pouring it into the bowl with the shredded peel.
Tie the reserved orange and lemon pips in a muslin bag and push into the peel and juice.
So, in one large bowl You have:
peel
juice
pulp
pips
2.5 water
Set aside in a cold place and leave overnight.

- The next day, tip the mixture into a large stainless steel or enamelled pan, or a preserving pan and push the muslin bag down under the juice.
Bring to the boil then lower the heat so that the liquid continues to simmer merrily.
It is ready when the peel is totally soft and translucent.
This can take anything from 40 minutes to a good hour-and-a-half, depending purely on how thick you have cut your peel. (I left mine a good hour and a half to be sure, and the peel was then soft and the pith translucent).
- Once the fruit is ready, lift out the muslin bag and leave it in a bowl until it is cool enough to handle.
Start adding the sugar to the peel and juice then turn up the heat, bringing the marmalade to a rolling boil.
- Squeeze every last bit of juice from the reserved muslin bag into the pan.
Skim off any froth that rises to the surface. (If you don’t your preserve will be cloudy.)
Leave at a fast boil for 15 minutes.
Remove a tablespoon of the preserve, put it on a plate, and pop it into the fridge for a few minutes.
If a thick skin forms on the surface of the refrigerated marmalade, then it is ready and you can switch the pan off.
If the tester is still liquid, then let the marmalade boil for longer.
Test every 10 to 15 minutes.
Some mixtures can take up to 50 minutes to reach setting consistency.
- Mine did work after 15 minutes.
After turning the heat off I got my assortment of jars soaking in water with sterilising tablets.
I then ladled the hot, burnt orange juice into the sterilised pots and sealed immediately.

6 jars (370g each) from 1kg Seville Oranges.

Ways to Fix Over-Salted Food.

5 Ways to Fix Over-Salted Food: "used in this lentil recipe"
- Add a starch. Stir in some cooked (unsalted) rice, barley, quinoa, pasta or couscous.
These salt-thirsty ingredients will absorb quite a bit from a sauce.
Depending on the dish, simmer or bake it for a bit with a splash of liquid to meld the flavours and allow the grains to absorb the excess salt.
If it’s a soup, curry or other saucy dish, you can add large chunks of potato to soak up excess salt then discard when tender.

- To desalt vegetable stew add the rice, more water, more fresh veggies, a cut up sweet apple, 2 teaspoons of sugar (one at a time to taste if it worked), and the juice and entire insides of 2 oranges (minus seeds)
...add 2 dollops of plain yogurt and the contents of another orange.

- When faced with an over-seasoned dish, your first move should be to try to balance out the flavors.
Typically, this is done by playing with sugars and acids.
Try adding a squeeze of lemon or a spoonful of sugar to your dish, then taste test again and proceed from there.
Depending on the dish, switch up the acid and sugar sources - sub in vinegar for citrus, or honey in for sugar.

- Rice, beans, or any other other neutral grain will help round out the flavor.

- Parsley, or other very leafy stuff. Specifically, I've noticed that adding parsley to a dish that's too salty works wonders. It's good for almost any sauce you're making, as well as pasta or casserole.

Lemon or Lime – A few drops of an acid like lemon or lime juice will help even out the saltiness of a dish.
Choose between the two depending on the flavor of the actual dish.
Only use a few drops and then taste after each addition to figure out how much you need to fix the dish you’re cooking.
Vinegar – Vinegar is also an acid, which means it does a good job of helping to cut through too much saltiness in food.
Like the lemon juice and lime juice, adding a minimal amount to the dish, as you stir and taste is key since vinegar has a very strong taste and you don’t want to alter the flavor too much.
White Granulated Sugar or Brown Sugar – For mixed dishes and dishes like chili, a small spoonful of brown sugar or regular ‘ole white granulated sugar can quickly fix the problem of too much salt.
While the sweetness of sugar can balance out the sodium, adding too much can make your dish too sweet, so keep an eye on how much you’re adding and taste it frequently to adjust the amount you need to add.
Oil – For sauces, marinades, and salad dressings, adding a little bit of oil can help cut down the saltiness.
This goes back to the same principles that help cut the salt in soup dishes: dilution.
Since most dressings and marinades are oil based, adding more oil will dilute the recipe and help manage oversalting.
Sour Cream – Another option for soups and mixed dishes is to add something creamy.
Sour cream and heavy cream are generally used for this, as they can thicken up soups without changing the flavor profile too much.
It can also work wonders for mashed potatoes and similar dishes, since the sour cream weakens the salt flavor, and also adds the creaminess that you want in mashed potatoes.
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Brandy-roasted chicken with mushroom pearl barley.

Recipe by Donna Hay published in the Mail Online.

SERVES 4-6
1 x 1.8kg whole chicken
4 cloves garlic, crushed
125ml brandy (Calvados)
60ml olive oil
sea salt and cracked black pepper
50g unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, extra, sliced
30g dried mixed mushrooms, rehydrated in 250ml boiling water
500g fresh mixed mushrooms
210g pearl barley
125ml dry white wine
375ml chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F/gas 6).

Place the chicken, garlic, brandy, oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and toss to coat.
Place in the fridge for 1 hour to marinate.

Secure the chicken legs with kitchen string.
Heat a large nonstick frying pan over a high heat and cook the chicken, breast-side down, for 5 minutes or until golden.
Remove from the pan and set aside.

Melt the butter in the pan, add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion is softened.
Strain the dried mushrooms, reserving the liquid, and add to the pan with the fresh mushrooms.
Cook for 5 minutes.
Add the barley and wine and cook for 1 minute or until the wine is absorbed.
Add the reserved mushroom liquid and stock and stir to combine.
Transfer to a baking dish and top with the chicken.
Cover with aluminium foil and roast for 55 minutes.
Remove the foil and roast for a further 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is golden and cooked through.
Serve with the mushroom pearl barley.

Substitute for Brandy:
- Water, white grape juice, apple cider or apple juice, diluted peach or apricot syrups.
Substitute equal amounts of liquid.

Pasta Frittata.

Pasta Frittata Recipe - NYT Cooking:
Pasta pancake (frittata).
Leftover Pasta Reborn as a Pie!
Creamy and solid at the same time, the pasta frittata is more substantial than a regular frittata, but no less versatile.
“Substitute almost any cheese for the Parmesan (or leave it out altogether) and toss in any cooked vegetable or meat.
Make it your own.
A handful of parsley stirred into the mix is nice.
The key to extreme enjoyment is to make sure that some ends of pasta pieces protrude from the top of the mixture when you put it in the oven.
They will become crunchy, giving the leftover pasta yet one more pleasant dimension.
It is best to use fairly low oven heat to keep the eggs from overcooking, but as long as you remove the pie the moment the eggs no longer look runny, it will be fine.”

100g spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine or other long pasta (or about 1/2 pound cooked pasta)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced pancetta, bacon or prosciutto, optional
6 eggs
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese (our cheese of choice here is Gruyère - Gruyère is a nutty cheese that melts well)
Some frittata recipes don't use any cream or milk (1/4 cup), but we find that doing so adds a lovely creaminess and protects the eggs from becoming rubbery.

If using leftover cooked pasta, chop it up.
If using dried pasta, bring a large pot of water to a boil, and salt it.
Cook pasta until barely tender, somewhat short of where you would normally cook it.
Drain, and immediately toss it in a wide bowl with half the butter or oil.
Cool it a bit.

Heat oven to 180C.
Put remaining butter or oil in a large nonstick ovenproof skillet, and turn heat to medium-high.
If you are using meat, add it, and cook, stirring occasionally until crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. (If not using meat, proceed.)
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk or half and half until fully combined.
Stir in cheese and season with salt and pepper.
Combine pasta with ingredients, along with salt and pepper (less salt if you are using meat).
Pour into skillet, and turn heat to medium-low.
Use a spoon if necessary to even out top of frittata.
Cook undisturbed until mixture firms up on bottom, then transfer to oven.
Bake just until top is set, about 10 minutes.
Be careful not to overcook it.
Remove, and serve hot or at room temperature.

Once you've made a few frittatas and are comfortable with the technique, you'll be able to adjust the ingredients according to the season and your taste: blanched dark greens in the fall, for example, or roasted winter squash later in the year.
Usually it starts on the stove and ends in the oven, where it develops a nice, golden finish.
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Yellow Split Pea soup.

Yellow Split Pea soup Recipe on Food52:
This is a simple soup.
It does take some time to cook and will require regular stirring but there is very little preparation and few ingredients.
Its a comforting, cheap meal that freezes well.
I'll come back to this recipe!

200g dried yellow split peas
140g carrots, chopped
1 onion
2 tablespoons vegtable oil
1 liter vegetable stock
2-3 bay leaves
Salt and pepper

Soak the dried yellow split peas overnight in cold water.
Drain and rinse the split peas.
Heat the oil.
Gently fry the carrot and onion together in a large sauce/stock pan.
This is not to brown but just to add flavor.
When the onions start to become translucent add the drained split peas and the vegetable stock and bay leaves.
Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 10 minutes then simmer until the split peas are cooked through.
Now I find that the times differ - I'm not sure why.
Sometimes it takes 45 minutes for the split peas to soften, other times more than an hour.
Use your judgement here but you may need to top up the stock so the soup doesn't boil dry and stir regularly!
Fish out the bay leaves.
Puree the soup with a blender or stick blender.
If too thick you may need to add a little more stock.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
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Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Pumpkin & Quinoa Gluten Free.

Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Pumpkin & Quinoa Gluten Free Recipe:
Marinade
3 garlic cloves
2cm piece of ginger
1 small brown onion
½ cup coriander leaves
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp cinnamon
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp cracked pepper
1 tbs sea salt

1 kg lamb shoulder, deboned, cubed and trimmed of fat
2 cups chicken stock
Juice of 1 lemon
300g butternut pumpkin cut into medium cubes.
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
Pinch of sea salt

Combine all marinade ingredients in a food processor and blitz to form a paste.
Combine the lamb and marinade in a bowl and let the meat marinade for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Heat a heavy based casserole pot over medium to high heat. Drizzle a little olive oil in the pot then add lamb and marinade and stir occasionally for 5 minutes or so until lamb is browned.
Add the chicken stock and lemon juice, place the lid on the pot and place in the oven for 2 hrs.
Remove pot from oven, stir in the pumpkin and return to the oven for 30 minutes.
In the meantime prepare the quinoa by rinsing under water to remove grittiness.
Place in a pot with water and salt, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until moisture is absorbed.
Remove from heat and place a paper towel between the pot and lid to absorb moisture.
Fluff with fork.
Remove lamb tagine from oven and adjust seasoning if necessary, scatter with coriander leaves and serve with quinoa.

Fennel and potato salad, roasted leeks and crispy chickpeas.

Ingredients
440 g tin chickpeas, rinsed, drained and dried
juice and finely grated rind of 1 lemon
1 tsp sumac
2 tbsp extra–virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper
2 slim leeks (see Note), white and pale green part only
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled, halved
280 g (4 small) kipfler potatoes, scrubbed, halved lengthways
1 baby fennel, fronds reserved
4 cups picked watercress
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Combine half the chickpeas, lemon rind, ½ teaspoon of sumac and 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Season to taste and toss until evenly coated. Spread on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Wrap the garlic cloves in foil and place on the oven tray, along with the leeks. Transfer the ingredients to the oven and roast for 20–25 minutes until the chickpeas are golden and crisp and the leek and garlic are soft and tender. Remove from the oven, unwrap the garlic and set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the potato and boil gently for 14–16 minutes until tender. Drain well and allow to cool for a few minutes.

For the dressing, mash the roast garlic with a fork into a paste. Add 1½ tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and ½ teaspoon of sumac. Season to taste, mix until well combined and emulsified.

When the leeks are cool enough to handle pull away the tough outer layers and slice into 2 cm-thick rounds. Finely slice the fennel and place in a bowl with the watercress. Add enough dressing to lightly coat. Divide watercress between plates then arrange the potato, raw chickpeas and cooked chickpeas on top. Drizzle with the remaining dressing, serve immediately.

Note:
- Slim leeks are regular length but only about 5 cm in diameter.
If unavailable you can use normal leeks but they will take an extra 5–10 minutes in the oven.

Spiralised zucchini puttanesca.

For those of us trying to find alternatives to pasta, a spiraliser, which looks a bit like a giant serrated pencil sharpener and shreds chunks of veg into wonderful strands of ‘vegetti’, has become one of the must-have pieces of kitchen equipment.
Ingredients

4 anchovies, from a jar or tin, drained and chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
¼-½ tsp chilli flakes or fresh chilli, deseeded and finely diced
2 tbsp olive oil
200 g tinned chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp capers, rinsed
50 g pitted black olives, sliced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 large zucchini (about 200g), spiralised
Instructions
Over a gentle heat, fry the anchovies, garlic and chilli in the oil for 2-3 minutes. Press the anchovies against the pan with a wooden spoon to form a paste. Then add the tomatoes, capers, olives and oregano, and cook gently for 20-30 minutes without a lid.

About 5 minutes before the sauce is ready, steam, microwave or boil the spiralised zucchini for 2-3 minutes, so that it is still slightly al dente.

Serve the sauce on top of the spiralised zucchini along with a light salad.
Note
Other spaghetti alternatives:
- Konjac-based low-carb noodles.

- Finely sliced cabbage, steamed or boiled green beans, shredded lengthwise (available in some supermarkets, frozen is fine).

Skinny eggplant ‘lasagne’.

An excellent low-cal, low-carb Mediterranean-style vegetarian meal for anyone missing pasta.
Ingredients
50 g raw spinach (or defrosted frozen spinach), chopped
50 g parmesan, grated
100 g cottage cheese (or ricotta, but note it has more calories and less protein)
½ red capsicum, deseeded and finely chopped
200 g mushrooms, chopped
1 fat garlic clove, crushed
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
300 ml passata
1 tbsp olive oil
200 g eggplant, sliced lengthwise in ½ cm strips
12 cherry tomatoes, halved, or 6 larger tomatoes, chopped
50 g cheddar, grated
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Finely chop the spinach and mix it with the parmesan and cottage cheese in a bowl, and season to taste. Place the chopped capsicum and mushrooms in a separate bowl along with the garlic, herbs, passata and olive oil. Season well.

Spread half of the veg mixture over the bottom of a rectangular ovenproof dish or tin, followed by alternating layers of sliced eggplant and the cheese and spinach mix. The last layer should be eggplant.

Pour the rest of the veg mixture over the top and dot with the cherry tomatoes. Cover the dish with foil and bake it for approximately 30 minutes or until the eggplant feels soft and thoroughly cooked. Remove the foil and sprinkle grated cheddar over the top of the lasagne. Put it back in the oven for another 10–15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and browned. Serve with a crunchy green salad.

Note
- You could add Quorn or minced meat to the tomato mix if desired.
- if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.

Michael Mosley’s secret weapon.

Easy health hack: a late breakfast is Michael Mosley’s secret weapon : SBS Food:
"The plain-speaking doctor on why fasting is easier (and healthier) than you think, why we all need to ditch low-fat diets and the perks of eating Mediterranean-style."
The breakfast solution:
It was healthier to skip breakfast!
“If you go for longer periods without food, 10 or 12 hours at a time, your body goes into what’s called negative protein balance, and instead of producing new proteins it starts to get rid of the old, broken-down ones.”
Why Mediterranean matters:
But if you think that means fettuccini and pane di casa on high rotation, stop right there.
According to Mosley, the true Mediterranean diet (and the one used in the trial) is based on lots of vegetables, fruit, nuts, extra virgin olive oil, fish and full-fat yoghurt.

A crusade against carbs:
Refined, starchy carbs like bread, pasta, potatoes, processed cereals and white rice are omitted, because they rapidly convert into sugars in the blood.
Reassuringly, an element of decadence is embraced through the inclusion of full-fat cheeses, yoghurt, butter, eggs, olive oil and avocado.

Taking his own advice:
So, what exactly does a fasting day look like for Mosley?
“I’ll have scrambled eggs with a bit of smoked salmon, plenty of tea, coffee and water, a low calorie miso soup at lunch with some vegetables, then in the evening I’ll have a big pile of vegetables with some salmon or steak,” he says. “It’s not a starvation diet by any means.”
...helping him lose 9kg in 12 weeks and reverse his type 2 diabetes, which he was initially diagnosed with back in 2012.

Mosley approves of dense, dark rye bread.
As for pasta? “If you pre-cook it, cool it, then reheat it, it becomes what’s called resistant starch, which reduces how much sugar your body absorbs,” he says.
“When you make a smoothie it mashes up a lot of the fibre, which is the critical thing to slow the absorption of sugars, so I think you’re better off eating whole vegetables and fruit,” advises Mosley.
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Fermented food recipes.

BBC Two - Trust Me, I'm a Doctor, Series 6, Episode 1 - Fermented food recipes:
Fancy making your own fermented foods and drinks?
Why not try these recipes courtesy of Simon Poffley, Gaba Smolinska Poffley, Anna Drozdova and The Fermentarium.

Just remember that if you’re making your own fermented foods it’s important to prepare them safely so as not to encourage the growth of ‘bad’ bacteria.
This means using the right equipment and ingredients, following a recipe and storing the food at an appropriate temperature for the correct amount of time.
If you are unsure, seek expert advice.
Recipe:
- Milk Kefir
- Vegetarian kimchi
- Kombucha
- Cabbage and apple sauerkraut
- Homemade cottage/farm cheese