My mother-in-law sent me this rabbit in almond and liver sauce recipe to try because I mentioned that we don’t often cook rabbit at home. It’s not as popular and easy to get hold of here in the UK as it is in the rest of Europe, probably because it was so cheap and plentiful during WWII that it was later associated with food rationing. I think it’s making a comeback though, as I’ve seen it in some restaurants and “gastropubs”. And with the economic downturn, it makes a cheap and lower fat alternative to other meats.
Also, it’s in season all year round, but my butcher tells me that the best sized rabbits are available from July to December. I suggest buying wild rabbit; it’s free range and has a natural diet, which means it’s tastier and better for you. Most butchers should have it – just check that it’s wild and British.
If you’ve never tried this meat, I really recommend this dish, as the almond sauce goes really well with the subtle game taste of the rabbit. And why not also try my paella valenciana? Or this braised rabbit?
Pasta – a soft and sensual art in creation and consummation…
Home-made pasta offers a world of discovery. Try making this asparagus and cream cheese ravioli. Asparagus is in full season from April to June. So why not take advantage of the season and also try this asparagus and cheese pudding?
What you need:
What to do:
1 hour to prepare plus chilling time, 10 minutes to cook
Makes 4 servings
Continue readingHave a go at this rich shepherd’s pie with red wine stock, using the best of the season’s lamb. (For a a more vegetarian-friendly aubergine bake, try this baked aubergine parmesan with tofu pesto.
What you need:
What to do:
Less than 30 minutes to prepare, 40 – 60 minutes to cook
Makes 4 servings
Continue readingButter beans tend to have a fairly limited growing season in the UK – late spring to early summer. They tend to do a little better in warmer climates, but you can grow them successfully in the UK. Try planting them after the last frost and harvesting them 80-90 days later.
My butter bean and chorizo stew recipe uses large butter beans, which incidentally are low in fat and a great source of iron. As we all know, we are fortunate enough to be able to buy butter beans pretty much year-round, either dried or with salty water in jars. I usually buy them ready-to-use in jars, which avoids the overnight soaking and cooking stages.
I love to make this stew on those spring evenings that still have a chill in the air, on April shower days or crisp early May nights to warm and comfort the family. (Another great option is this bacon, carrot, butter bean and coriander soup.)
What you need:
What to do:
Great served with home-made garlic bread or Rosemary Focaccia to tear and dip.
15 minutes to prepare, 50 – 60 minutes to cook
Makes 4 generous servings
Continue readingPaella Valenciana is a Spanish dish from the coastal region of Valencia. During certain fiestas in Spain, the whole village congregates in celebration, and a feast is cooked up for everyone in a gigantic paella dish (which can be metres wide)! Everyone is there. The kids play and the grandparents sit and talk in the sun. I’ve been to a few of these events over the years, and I love both the community feeling, and watching on as the paella is cooked over coal.
One of the secrets of making good paella is this – when you add the stock, stir everything once, then don’t stir it again for the rest of the cooking time. This way you can create a pretty arrangement of all of the ingredients and they stay in place. This is particularly effective with seafood paella such as this prawn paella with chorizo.
What you need:
What to do:
20-30 minutes to prepare, less than 45 minutes to cook
Makes: 4 main courses
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As you may have noticed if you read my blog regularly, one of my favourite vegetables is asparagus, particularly the green kind. Not only is it tasty, it is also really good for you, being a good source of fibre, potassium and folic acid. It also helps to prevent water retention and lower cholesterol. Asparagus is still in season in June, so this is a good time to make a nice, smooth cream of asparagus soup, before summer really gets going and it’s too warm to for hot soup.
I don’t use cream in my recipe, as I prefer the taste of extra virgin olive oil, and I’ve realised that a little of it is enough to give the soup that rich, creamy texture. Plus, it’s much better for you!
If you love asparagus as much as I do, try these other recipes: Curly Asparagus Salad with Goat’s Cheese and Medjool Dates, Steamed Spring Vegetables with Toasted Pine Nuts or asparagus risotto.
Clams are best of season in January and February in the UK, but you may be lucky and find some in the first half of March too. I love this combination of seafood and noodles, a little like a noodle paella I guess. The garlic and the fish stock bring wonderful flavours to the dish.
Spanish noodles with king prawns and clams is a slightly anglicised variation on a dish from the Spanish region of Valencia, where sun and seafood are abundant. Be sure that your clams are fresh, properly prepared and checked before you cook them – if in doubt, ask at the fish counter. You can also substitute the clams for mussels if you prefer.
What you need:
What to do:
Ready in less than 30 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
Continue readingWhen out of the UK for a few years, I was missing those wonderful Covent Garden soups, especially my favourite – carrot and coriander. So after a fruitless search to uncover them on the supermarket shelves, I decided to get making my own version which I call comforting carrot, coriander and cumin soup, and I’m so glad I did. I like the alliteration, but the flavour’s even better, because nothing beats fresh home-made soup! Carrots are a delicious root vegetable packed with carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A.
I’ve given this traditional recipe a little extra kick with the addition of cumin. I like to make mine pretty intense for extra comfort, but you can vary the amount to your own taste. I’ve kept the cumin content moderate in this recipe for you, so add or take away as you wish.
What you need:
What you do:
20 minutes to prepare – 20-30 minutes to cook
Makes 4 servings
Note: In general, carrot and coriander make for a great combination in soups. If you want to add a bit more protein, try this bacon, carrot, butter bean and coriander soup. It’s a bit heartier, so keep it in mind if you are quite hungry.
Continue readingThis succulent scallops and spicy chorizo recipe is one of the fastest, easiest and tastiest dishes I’ve prepared. You’ve really got to try it. Rich in omega 3, and low in calories, scallops are in season now. Their soft succulence, combined with the rich spice of the Spanish chorizo is a heavenly combination. With the zest of lemon and the freshness of parsley your taste-buds will be zinging! This is a perfect starter for a special occasion. Add your splash of sophistication by serving in scallop shells. But hey, they taste just as good eaten from a beautiful bowl.
You will find fresh scallops in fish markets in January, or for those pressed for time, grab a bag of frozen ones from the supermarket, they taste great too.
You can find chorizo in most supermarkets. If you find one labelled spicy, go for that. You don’t need to add any oil to your pan, the chorizo has plenty. As you cook it, the paprika and oil release to create a wonderful rich colour in the pan. If you have any leftover, try chorizo braised in red wine.
What you need:
What to do:
1. Cut the chorizo into thin slices.
2. Put a frying pan on the heat and when hot, fry the chorizo dry for a couple of minutes only, until beginning to crisp on each side. You will see the oil released in the pan.
3. Put the chorizo in a bowl, then fry the scallops in the wonderful orange chorizo oil for around a minute each side.
4. Return the chorizo to the pan with the scallops, squeeze in the lemon juice and sizzle for a few seconds.
5. Serve in the thoroughly washed scallop shells or in small bowls sprinkled with fresh chopped parsley.
Note, if you are buying scallops in their shells, be sure to find out how to prepare them before cooking first.
10 mins to prepare and cook
Makes 8 starters or 4 main courses
A little more about scallops…
Do you remember Botticelli’s painting The Birth of Venus? It depicts the Greek goddess Aphrodite rising from a scallop shell! Could eating scallops be an aphrodisiac?
The logo of the petrol company Shell is based on the scallop shell.
Most species live in tropical waters, but several live in polar waters. It is the muscle part that we eat.
The 5th May is a special day in Mexico. Mexican pride and heritage are celebrated in the Cinco de Mayo festival, when Mexican chicken mole, Puebla style is often cooked up communally.
Puebla is one of the three states that claim to be the founder of mole. There are myths and legends surrounding the origin of the dish. You can find out more if you want to because they are rather fascinating.
For some people, mole might be an acquired taste because it combines many interesting flavours such as chocolate and chicken. These two ingredients might not normally go together, but in mole and in this chicken thighs with a chilli chocolate sauce recipe, they are absolutely fantastic!
What you need:
What to do:
15 minutes to prepare, around 45 minutes to cook
Makes 3-4 servings
A little more about ancho chillies: Ancho means ‘wide’ in Spanish. These are dried; deep reddish brown chilli peppers about 7.5cm wide and 10cm long which have a sweet, hot flavour. When fresh, they are called poblanos. Anchos are flat, wrinkled, and heart-shaped.
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