Yellow split pea daal with spinach and cherry tomatoes

My all time favourite comfort food is daal. I love spinach in curries, so I will nearly always add it to daal if I have it to hand. Today I didn't have fresh spinach, so I just used frozen. I find the frozen spinach blocks really handy, especially for curries, pesto and soups.

I added more water to my daal to make it more soupy, so I could have some toast with it. I would normally have it with brown rice and a chapatti or pitta. I also like to use a mix of lentils like chana daal, red lentils and masoor daal but today I just fancied the humble split pea. Mix it up if you fancy, different lentils give different textures and tastes.

Yellow spit pea daal with spinach and cherry tomatoes

Serves 2-3
150g dried yellow split peas
Vegetable stock
1 inch piece creamed coconut (the block of concentrated coconut)
1 large clove garlic, chopped finely
1 tbsp panch phoran*
2 blocks frozen spinach, thawed, or a couple of handfuls fresh spinach
Handful cherry tomatoes
1 medium chilli, chopped
Squeeze lemon juice

1. Place the split peas in 4 times the amount of vegetable stock in a pan and bring to the boil. Cover, and simmer for about 1 - 1.5 hours or until the peas have become soft but still hold some shape and the water has thickened.
2. Add the coconut, garlic and chilli to the split peas. Add more water if you feel it is getting too thick. Stir to ensure the peas are not sticking to base of the pan.
3. In a dry frying pan, fry the panch phoran for about a minute, or until beginning to colour and give off an aroma. Add the spices and a squeeze of lemon to the split peas.
4. Let simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Add the spinach and whole cherry tomatoes, heat through and serve in bowls over rice, or add more stock/water to produce a more soupy consistency.

*Panch phoran is a is a spice blend used in Bangladesh and Eastern India. The spices typically used are fenugreek, Nigella seed, cumin seed, radhuni and fennel seed in equal parts. Celery seed sometimes is used in place of radhuni.
You can buy panch phoran in nearly all international supermarkets and some good supermarkets.

Homemade cheesy hash browns, fried egg and roasted tomato brunch

If I owned a cafe, I would strive to make the best breakfast in the area. Being a bit of a foodie, I am awful to eat out with as I just pick apart the meal and moan about how they could have done better. Breakfast is definitely a meal that I have rarely found a cafe that is close to the homemade meals my partner and I can cook. I'm not saying I am a better cook than the professionals, I just think that breakfast is often pushed to the side, and not given the limelight it deserves.

Homemade hash browns are one of the most wonderful additions to a breakfast. They are 100 times tastier than shop bought hash browns, and are well worth the little bit of effort. They will make an average breakfast something special, and you won't want to return to that over processed sorry state of a potato you thought were the don before.

Homemade cheesy hash browns, fried egg and roasted tomato brunch

Serves 3

4 small-medium potatoes

1/4 onion, finely diced

1 garlic clove, finely diced

25g mature cheddar cheese, grated

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

25-50g plain flour

4 eggs

3 tomatoes

Olive oil

Spinach, rocket and watercress

Ciabatta

Butter

1. Heat the oven to 220 degrees.
2. Grate the potato into a colander over a mixing bowl. Press the potato and try to squeeze as much liquid out as possible.
3. Pour away any liquid extracted from the potato and add potato to the mixing bowl. Mix in the diced onion, garlic, cheddar cheese and 1 egg.
4. Season with plenty of salt and pepper (you need more than you think) and mix well.
5. Place the whole tomatoes onto a roasting tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and season. Place in the preheated oven.
6. You may notice there is a fair bit of liquid now in the potato mixture. Drain off about 75% of this liquid. Sprinkle about 25g of flour on the potato mixture and mix well. The egg, liquid and flour should make a thin batter that should keep the hash browns together.
7. Heat about 4tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and mould the potato mixture into flat patties. Squeeze out any excess liquid so they keep their shape, and place into the hot pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you should be able to fry 3-4 at a time. Once the hash browns have browned on one side, flip to brown the other side, adding more oil if needed. If you are cooking them in batches, place the cooked hash browns in the oven with the tomatoes to keep warm.
8. Cut 6 slices of ciabatta and place in the oven to warm. Wash the salad and divide onto 3 plates.
9. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and crack the other 3 eggs into the pan. Once it has cooked on one side, season in the pan with salt and pepper, and flip to seal the eggs.
10. Place the hash browns, tomato and ciabatta on the plates, butter the ciabatta and place the eggs on the hash browns.

Homemade falafel and halloumi mezze wraps with roasted peppers and chilli mint yogurt

Mezze is one of my favorite cuisines. I love to have the option to pick and choose my flavour combinations, textures and heat. This style of cooking can take time to prepare but it is definately worth it, as you will end up with some complex flavours that will please anyone who is lucky enough to taste it.

My falafel didn't cook as well as they should have after my first batch. This was because I didn't wait for the oil to heat back up to temperature (350 degrees or higher). If your falafel balls don't sizzle as soon as they touch the oil, they are at risk of not sealing and therefore just disintergrating as they cook. This can also happen if there is too much water in the mixture, so when preparing keep the water to a minimum.

Also, if you didn't want to deep fry your falafel, you can heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and shallow fry them, flipping them once they are brown on one side. I have tried baking falafel before but  they became dry and crumbly, which is not what you want from a good falafel.

Homemade falafel and halloumi wraps with roasted peppers and chilli mint yogurt

Serves 4
Falafel
2 cans of tinned chickpeas,drained OR 200g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
3 garlic coves, crushed and diced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
handful of fresh coriander,stalks and all, chopped
1/2 tsp paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Plain flour
Sunflower oil (over 2 inches for deep frying, or 2 tbsp for shallow frying)

Peppers
1 red onion, sliced in half then into strips
1 yellow pepper, sliced into strips
1 red pepper, sliced into strips
A good lug of olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chilli mint yogurt
2 medium chillies, diced (we left the seeds in but it depends on your chillies and your tastes)
Bunch fresh mint leaves, chopped
Bunch coriander leaves,chopped
300g Greek yogurt
Squeeze lemon
Freshly ground black pepper

Extras
250g halloumi, sliced
Pot of organic houmous
Sweet chilli sauce
Olives
Sundred tomatoes in oil
Iceberg lettuce
Watercress, spinach and rocket
Cherry tomatoes,sliced in half
8 tortilla wraps

1. Heat the oven to 220 degrees and place peppers and onions in a heatproof dish. Drizzle with plenty of olive oil, season and place in the oven.
2. Bring all the falafel ingredients together and whizz in a food processor or use a hand blender. Slowly add the plain flour until the mixture holds together well when moulded. Heat the oil over a high heat.
3. Combine all of the chilli mint yogurt ingredients together.
4. Roll the falafel into balls a little smaller than ping pong balls and flatten a little. Drop into the hot oil. They should begin to sizzle straight away. Flip the falafel if you are shallow frying once they have browned. You will need to do this step in batches. Once one batch is cooked, place the falafel on kitchen paper to drain and begin the next batch.
5. Heat a griddle or frying pan on a high heat and dry fry the halloumi slices. Flip once one side has begun to brown
6. Heat up the wraps in the oven for a couple of minutes once your falafel is almost fully cooked
7. Serve falafel, halloumi,  peppers, yogurt, salad and other extras all seperate so friends and family can have the pleasure of building their own wrap. I recommend putting everything in the wrap (see above).

Sicilian smoked paprika aubergine, olive and tomato spaghetti

Today I made the mistake of waltzing into a gym class without looking at the description. I saw Body Pump, so I thought aerobics, some heart pumping exercises... how wrong was I. Now I realise 'pump' probably stands for 'pumping iron', I was sandwiched between a bunch of ripped men and women, having to do bench presses and squats for an entire hour. I can still barely lift my arms, so I needed something comforting, carby and quick to cook when I got home.

This recipe ticked all the boxes, with very few ingredients and good full bodied flavours. I have called the recipe Sicilian because it was a take on a Jamie Oliver Caponata recipe, which can be found here: Incredible Sicilian aubergine stew. I also found a really good looking recipe by Sophie Dahl, which I will hopefully be testing out soon Sophie Dahl's spicy aubergine and tomato with poached eggs.

Sicilian smoked paprika aubergine, olive and tomato spaghetti

 Serves 2-3
Olive oil
1 medium purple aubergine, cut into 2cm cubes
1 large garlic clove, crushed and chopped finely
1 red onion, chopped roughly
1 can chopped Italian tomatoes
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Splash balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Handful olives, chopped roughly
100g wholemeal spaghetti
70g rocket leaves
1/2 avocado
Lemon juice

1. Heat a splash of olive oil in a medium sized saucepan over a medium heat and throw in the aubergine with a pinch of salt. Shake the pan every so often to ensure the aubergine doesn't burn, and so it colours on every side (about 4-5 minutes).
2.  Place the wholemeal spaghetti in a pan of boiling, slightly salted water and cover. Turn down the heat and leave at a rolling boil. Keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn't bubble over. (Note: if you are using white pasta, it will take around 5 minutes less to cook, depending on the brand, so start this step after you have completed the next step)
3. Add the red onion and garlic to the aubergine, and leave to cook through for another 5-6 minutes, or until the onions begin to turn translucent.
4. Throw in a splash of balsamic vinegar and let this evaporate away.
5. Add the smoked paprika, black pepper, olives and chopped tomatoes. Turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, wash some rocket leaves (or the salad leaves of your choice) and dice up some ripe avocado. Squeeze some lemon juice on the salad to stop the avocado turning brown.
7. The pasta should be al dente now, so check it is cooked and drain.
8. Check the seasoning of your sauce and adjust if necessary, and pour over your cooked pasta. Mix all together and serve with the salad.

Roasted butternut squash salad with soy balsamic dressing

This was really, really good. The textures were amazing, and I love having hot ingredients in a cold salad. Roasting the squash gives it a lovely soft texture and intensifies the flavour. Also, if you're feeling like peeling a butternut squash sounds like a whole lot of trouble, then don't. The skin cooks and turns a little caramalised and chewy, just adding more texture and flavour. Cheers for that tip Jamie Oliver!

I found this recipe on BBC Good Food, one of my favourite recipe websites. I'm not one to plagiarise so here is the link: BBC Good Food roasted butternut squash salad with soy balsamic dressing. I couldn't help adapting it a little, but ultimately it was the same recipe.

Roasted butternut squash salad with soy balsamic dressing

Serves 2
Half a medium butternut squash , peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
Olive oil, to drizzle on squash
80g Puy lentils
100g rocket, washed
Handful cherry tomatoes, halved
Red cabbage, sliced thinly
1 large garlic clove
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
Chilli flakes, to your liking
1 tsp clear honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Drizzle the butternut squash with olive oil in a roasting tray and season with a little salt and pepper. 
2. Add the whole garlic clove, skin and all and place in a pre-heated oven on 220 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Shake the pan to ensure the squash does not stick every now and then.
3. Pick over the puy lentils to ensure no stones are left in. Cover the lentils with double the amount of water and bring to the boil. Cover the pan, turn down the heat and simmer for about 20-25 minutes.
4. Whilst the lentils and squash are cooking, make the dressing. Mix together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, chilli flakes and honey.
5. Bring the rocket, cabbage and tomatoes together on the serving plate. 
6. Once the squash is soft and beginning to get colour, take it out. Peel the garlic (this should easily come out of the skin and chop finely. Mix the garlic into the dressing.
7. The water that the puy lentils were cooked in should have evaporated, and the puy lentils should be cooked through, but not lost their shape. 
8. Serve the lentils and squash over the salad, and drizzle over the dressing

Cream of mushroom and spinach soup

I promise will start posting more adventurous recipes other than soup, but it is cold outside and soups are a healthy, cheap way of filling up. One of my new year's resolutions is to make my lunch for work every day, so I am cooking lots of soups to keep up my resolution. Sandwiches just don't cut it in the winter.

Now, my other half has a love/hate relationship with mushrooms so this recipe won't go down too well with him, but I am a fan of the funghi. There is nothing better than a good mushroom soup when you're feeling a little under the weather. I also try to get as many iron-rich leafy greens into my diet as possible, and this recipe is no exception. This soup is a pale greenish colour, which I think is much more interesting than the boring beige of most mushroom soups.

Cream of mushroom and spinach soup

Olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, diced
1 litre vegetable stock
Pepper
15-20 mushrooms, chopped (I use button and chestnut but any mushroom is lovely)
Handful fresh baby spinach
Fresh Alpro Soya cream (or dairy cream)

Handful freshly chopped chives, plus extra to serve

1. Heat the olive oil on a medium heat in a heavy based pot and throw in the chopped onions. Stir until onions are beginning to turn see-through, about 5 minutes, then throw in the garlic. Turn down the heat and stir occasionally for about 15 minutes or until the onions have begun to slightly brown.
2. Add the mushrooms and stir occasionally until they begin to release water take on colour, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, a good pinch of pepper and cream and heat through, but do not boil.
3. Add chopped chives and fresh spinach at the last second, blitz with a hand blender/food processor and check seasoning. If the soup is too thick, add more stock.
4. Ladle into bowls and dress with chopped chives.

A very hippy happy breakfast smoothie

Saturday... a day for many that usually brings a sore head, and today I join the masses. That bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon in hindsight was a terrible idea. I would usually turn to a big British fry up right now, but after last night's Birthday cakes (yes, there were three) and a new blender, I thought I would start the day off with a nice healthy smoothie.

This kept me going for a fair while and was nicely satisfying. The ground flaxseed is added for extra protein. If you don't have any than I'd recommend buying a bag from your local healthfood store, it is about £4.50 but a bag lasts you ages and keeps well in the fridge. It is great in porridge/salads/soup/smoothies/sauces and is soooo good for you.

Blueberry breakfast smoothie

100g of blueberries
1 banana (if you don't like bananas, leave it out and add more oats to thicken)
Handful of oats
Soya milk (or dairy milk)
Squeeze of agave nectar (or honey)
1 tsp ground flaxseed
Dash of vanilla extract

1. Stick it all in a blender and blend
2. Add more milk until you get the right consistency
3. Serve over ice for a chillier start to the day

Butternut Squash, Ginger and Lentil Soup

Yes, another soup. It was a VERY frosty morning this morning and cycling into work was not the enjoyable feat it usually is. However, knowing I had a lovely thick and warming soup to look forward to for lunch gave me the courage to plough on.

I have had a huge butternut squash in my kitchen for a while now, I think the size of it daunted me, but I have finally finished it by making 2 soups and a curry out of it. If my next few recipes are butternut squash based, now you know why.

This soup is great for when you're feeling ill, especially in this chilly weather.

 

Serves 3-4

1 onion, diced

2 inch piece peeland and grated fresh ginger

500ml vegetable stock

1/3 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks

1 can chopped tomatoes

75g red lentils

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Sauté the onion in a medium pan on a low-medium in a splash of olive oil until translucent. 
2. Add the ginger and squash and cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the stock, tomatoes, lentils, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the squash and lentils are cooked.
4. Puree the soup until smooth with a hand blender or food processor. Return to the pot, reheat, and check seasoning.
5. Serve with warm crusty bread.

Butternut Squash, Ginger and Lentil Soup

Avocado, apple chilli jam and salad pitta pockets

I'm a big fan of avocado. It is so creamy and delicious. When I am feeling lazy I like to make this for a quick dinner with a nice big side salad. It is great for packed lunches too.

My friend Rachael's mum made the apple chilli jam and it goes wonderfully in this recipe. I will have to see if I can get the recipe, but it may be a Bloomer family secret... Another friend Lucy B inspired me to put chilli with avocado, and my god does it work. To be honest, my friends are my main inspiration, I love you guys :)

Avocado, apple chilli jam and salad pitta pockets

Serves 2 

2 wholemeal pitta breads

Extra virgin olive oil

1 medium ripe avocado

sunflower seeds, lightly toasted in a dry pan

Apple chilli jam

Lemon juice

Paprika

Salad leaves (I like spinach but use whatever you like)

Cucumber

Tomato

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Toast the pitta bread until warm and cut open the pocket on one side. Sprinkle a little olive oil into the open pocket.Spread on a good portion of apple chilli jam.
2.  Slice open the avocado by cutting all around from end to end. Twist the avocado, pull apart and take out the stone. Using a spoon, spoon out the flesh of each side of the avocado and place into a bowl.
3. Squirt with a little lemon juice and a sprinkle of paprika and mash, seasoning to taste.
4. Wash the salad, tomato and cucumber and cut up.
5. Add the avocado in to the pittas and sprinkle on the sunflower seeds. Place the salad onto the top of the filling and serve.
   
   Variations: Use lime juice instead of lemon, salsa instead of chilli jam and fresh coriander for a more Mexican style sandwich. Good with tortilla chips.

Beetroot, cumin and walnut soup

 I have been threatening to do it for a little while, but I have finally started a food blog.

My reasoning of starting this blog is because I love to cook. I find it relaxing almost to the point of therapeutic. It is also excellent payment when a kindly soul does you a favour or offers a place to rest your weary head. And I love the satisfaction of cooking a good meal and enjoying it with friends. I also started this because I think I was starting to drive my friends crazy with a constant stream of Facebook updates about how amazing my dinner was...

If you know me then you might be aware of my massive collection of recipe books. This is all for show however, as I'm not one to follow recipes. Don't get me wrong, I love reading them, as I speak I have two cookbooks in bed with me now (hello, Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall) but I just can't stick to a recipe. I'm what you may call an intuitive cook (or more accurately, throw-it-in-and-hope-for-the-best cook), but more often than not it works.

I am vegetarian so expect practically everything to be so. I also don't have much dairy so some recipes may use soya milk but you can obviously substitute this for normal milk, or whichever alternative you wish.

A few days ago I made a lovely beetroot, cumin and walnut soup. I love soup. It is so warming and nutritious, and after the Christmas binge some virtuous eating will never go amiss. Fresh beetroot is great at this time of year, although I had some pre-cooked beetroot in the cupboard so that is what I used.

This was an adaptation from a salad recipe from Hugh Fernley-Whittingtall's new book 'River Cottage Veg' (I mentioned him above, no I definitely would NOT want the real thing in my bed)... I thought the ingredients sounded earthy and warming, which was very close to the truth after trying it.

Beetroot, Cumin and Walnut soup

1 large onion, chopped finely
Olive oil
Vegetable stock
4 cooked beetroots, chopped (NOT in vinegar)
1tsp whole cumin seeds
Handful walnut pieces
1-2 garlic cloves
Soya milk (or alternative)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the olive oil and gently fry the onion and garlic for 10-15 minutes, or until they turn translucent (this is boring but makes a huge difference to the taste)
2. Heat a dry frying pan and toast the cumin seeds and walnut pieces until they begin to brown and start giving off an aroma. Once they have browned put them to the side.
3. Add the beetroot to the onion mixture and stir, browning the beetroot slightly to give a deeper flavour
4. Add the cumin and walnuts to the pan and mix
5. Add enough stock to cover the mixture and leave to cook for 5 minutes
6. Blend the soup (I use a hand blender). It should be quite a thick consistency.
7. Slowly add the milk to achieve the consistency you wish. This should lighten the soup and give it a wonderful red/purple colour.
8. Heat the soup back up, and serve with crusty bread