Crazy Englishwoman Cooks!

I've been on a huge portobello mushroom kick this week.

If your idea of a mushroom is the bland little buttons found in the grocery store, you are missing out. I've raved before about the fabulous porcini (I keep bags of dried and put them in stews, pasta, risotto, etc.). I developed a huge love of shiitake and enoki mushrooms while living in Japan, and also adore dried morels.

A good mushroom can add an undeniably rich, earthy flavor to any dish.

So now we come to the portobello. It would be easy to think that something this large would either have no flavor at all or will have some overly bitter flavor (think giant eggplant versus the delightful mini Asian ones). But no - this is a wonderfully meaty 'shroom that is ideal as a meat replacement in burgers.

Here's a sampling of the ways I've been enjoying portobellos this week:

1. Instead of a meat patty in a burger bun with spinach leaves and a roasted red pepper garlic mayonnaise.
2. Chopped and tossed with pasta, garlic, roasted red pepper, capers, and olive oil.
3. Again in a burger bun, this time with cheese and harissa for a spicy alternative to a cheeseburger.
4. For breakfast on a bed of wilted spinach and topped with a poached egg.

What ideas can you come up with for your portobello?

Did you know that Chicken Tikka Masala is now the most popular take-away dish in Britain, more popular than even fish and chips?

Did you also know that it may have even been invented in Britain (although this is highly debated)?

The Scottish city of Glasgow has applied for chicken tikka masala to receive the Protected Designation of Origin status, meaning that, if granted, the dish would have to indicate its link to the city. According to claims, a man wandered into an Indian takeaway in the city in the 1970s, ordered tandoori and complained that it did not have any sauce. The chef quickly threw together some tomato soup, cream, and spices, and a dish was born.

However, Birmingham disputes the claim, arguing that the dish was created in their balti houses during the 1960s or 70s.

Still others, argue that the dish was in fact created in India during the days of the Raj, in response to English colonial tastes, while yet another claim is that it is from a very swanky New Delhi restaurant in the 1940s.

Whatever story you choose to believe, the fact remains that this is one popular dish in Britain. So, in honor of my roots, I decided to make it on Friday. Yum!

Do note that the recipe I found in Saveur magazine, called for red food coloring, which I did not add. If you absolutely must have a rich red color, feel free to add a teaspoon to the blender.

Chicken Tikka Masala (serves 4-6)

1 tbs ground turmeric
4 tsp garam masala
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 2.5 inch piece ginger root, peeled and diced
1 jalapeno, diced
1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes
2 lbs chicken, cut into large cubes
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
pinch salt
6 tbs butter
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbs paprika
2 onions, chopped
1 cup cream

In a blender, puree the turmeric, 2 tsp garam masala, garlic, ginger, jalapeno and 1/2 cup water until you have a paste. Put paste into a small bowl. Then blend the tomatoes and strain through a sieve, using a spoon to push through as much as possible.

Mix 2 tbs of the paste with the yogurt and salt, then marinate the chicken in the mix for at least half an hour.
Broil the chicken on a foil lined tray for about 6 minutes.

Heat the butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the coriander and cumin and toast for about 5 minutes. Add the paprika and the chopped onions and cook for another 8 minutes or so, until the onion is soft. Add the rest of the spice paste and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Then stir in the cream and 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce has thickened.

 Stir in the chicken, warm through and serve over basmati rice.

Now is the perfect time to enjoy all the fresh blueberries that are available. Although I like to use them in muffins, breads, and cobblers, I really prefer to keep things as simple as possible with this quick and delicious sauce. Keep the berries almost whole, as I do, or smash them up for a smoother sauce. We've enjoyed this sauce on vanilla ice cream, waffles, or just with plain Greek yogurt.

Fresh Blueberry Sauce

2 cups fresh blueberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbs lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Wash and crush blueberries; add sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil in a small saucepan; boil 1 minute. Add vanilla. Chill.

You know how I love to catch my carnivore husband off guard by occasionally preparing (gasp!) meat-free meals, so last week it was time to toss him another curve ball. As is usually the case, he loved the following meal, despite its lack of meat.

Avocado Enchiladas:
(Please note that the amounts I'm listing here are really vague as you can vary the fillings and spices to your own taste. The amounts listed below are for 2 people.)

1 tsp sunflower oil
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs cumin
1 tbs oregano
14oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup beer / broth
splash balsamic vinegar
avocados (I used 3 of the tiny Haas variety)
cilantro (I know some people loathe this so treat it as optional)
sprinkle of salt
red onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
splash lime juice
4 tortillas
cheese

Heat the oil in a pan. Saute the onion for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic, cumin, and oregano and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and liquid. Simmer for 20 minutes, adding the balsamic vinegar near the end of cooking.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Chop the avocados and toss with the cilantro, salt, red onion, jalapeno, and lime juice. Spread a little bit of tomato sauce in bottom of casserole dish. Dip tortillas in sauce and spoon filling into them. Roll and arrange in casserole dish, side by side, with seam facing down. Pour sauce over and sprinkle with cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, removing the foil for the last 5 minutes.

This recipe came about from several different cravings last night. Being a Brit, I adore sausage rolls. I don't mean pigs in blankets. I mean a proper sausage roll - sausage meat in pastry. Trust me - there's a big difference.

I came across a recipe from The Hairy Bikers for a sausage plait but then decided to add some cranberries since they go well with pork.

I'll be the first to admit that mine was not overly pretty when it came out of the oven. My pastry wrap was too small or I had too much filling (if there can ever be such a thing). Long story short - my plait was open as opposed to fully enclosed. Who cares - it tasted delicious.

Now you know me, I don't make pastry so I used store bought puff pastry, but you can make your own shortcrust if you like.

I did make my own cranberry sauce, but you can use ready made if your prefer.

To make your own cranberry sauce:
150g cranberries
90g sugar
90g water

Bring to a boil and leave to cook for about 10-15 minutes until the berries have popped. Cool.

OK, so here's how to make your sausage plait:

Chop 1 onion and put in a skillet with your choice of herbs. Allow to gently sweat until the onion is softened.

Roll out your pastry and put on a baking sheet.

Layer the onions on the pastry, leaving enough pastry bare on either side to fold up and over the filling.

Lay pork sausagemeat on top of the onions. If you do not have sausagemeat, simply cut open some sausages and discard the skins.

Layer the cranberry sauce on top of the sausagemeat.

Now cut slits into the sides of the pastry so you have lots of strips that you can then bring up over the filling in a "braid" or "plait".

Brush with a little egg and milk to give a nice golden color.

Bake in the oven (450F) for about 20 minutes.

We're looking forward to the cold leftovers tonight.

Thinking I needed to try something different for dinner, I asked hubby to pick a country. Of course, I assumed he would opt for someone where in Asia - perhaps Thai, Indian (I hadn't made my vindaloo in a long time).

He chose Tunisia.

Don't ask me why - I have no idea.

So I spent the week looking for Tunisian recipes. The following may be Moroccan; it may be Tunisian. Hence the vague "North African" title. Either way, it was delicious, a definite keeper.


Lamb Meatballs and Couscous

2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbs coriander seeds
2 oz breadcrumbs (I use Japanese panko)
1 garlic clove , crushed
1 lb ground lamb (Sadly, lamb is so expensive here in the US. One of my goals is to eventually have a large chest freezer so we can buy a share of a lamb from a local farmer.)
juice 1 lemon
1 egg , lightly beaten
About 1 oz fresh mint
2-3 tbs oil (I currently use an organic soy oil but vegetable, sunflower, whatever you prefer)
150ml natural plain yogurt

couscous (enough for however many people you are serving)
2oz butter
2 tbs harissa

A note about harissa: I opted to buy this, although thinking about it, that turned out to be a time-consuming option since I had a hard time finding it anywhere. It is absolutely delicious though, a Middle-Eastern alternative to salsa, I suppose. Very tasty, and something I will soon learn to make myself since I predict we will be using it again and again.

Heat a heavy pan over a low heat. Add the cumin and coriander seeds, then toast for 2-3 mins until fragrant. Crush using a pestle and mortar.

Mix the breadcrumbs with 2 tbs water and the garlic. Add the lamb, lemon juice, crushed spices, egg and most of the mint. You can either neatly chop your mint or (as I do) tear the leaves haphazardly. Season with salt and pepper. Shape into balls (somewhere between about 16 and 20). Chill for 30 minutes - this helps them keep their shape during cooking.

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Fry the balls for 6-7 mins, turning now and then, until golden brown and cooked.

Meanwhile, put the couscous in a large bowl. Add the butter and harissa. Pour over sufficient boiling water (read couscous packet for directions). Cover and leave for 10 mins. Fluff up and toss in the remaining mint.

Serve the meatballs and couscous with harissa and yogurt.

If you're not a lamb lover, I suppose you could also use ground beef or even turkey for this. Personally though, I adore lamb.

The spices and mint give a fabulous flavor without being overwhelming. The harissa kicks it up a notch, and the yogurt cools the heat of the harissa.

Since I'm not a huge fan of eggplant (aubergine), I opted to serve this with a homemade Greek salad.

Now I'm just waiting to see what country he picks next!

After promising to take a dessert to a friend's home for July 3rd, I decided to add a twist by making something with a mystery ingredient. They would have to guess what it was. They all eyed the dense, dark chocolate cake and picked up their forks. The guessing game began.
Mint?
No.
Wheat flour?
Not obscure enough.
Soy?
Guess again.
Only after a few comments about our reddening faces in the sun, did they guess. The secret ingredient in this cake is...
...
BEETROOT!

My sister Jo sent me the recipe a while back and I'd been itching to try it. The resulting cake is very rich and dense, and it doesn't rise much. I usually prefer a much lighter textured cake, but this is definitely one way to get a few more vitamins and antioxidants into your kids' diets.

Beetroot Chocolate Cake

50g cocoa powder
175g plain flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
200g caster sugar
250g cooked beetroot
3 medium eggs
200ml sunflower oil
100g dark chocolate, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350F/ gas 4. Grease & line a 9 inch springform cake tin. 
Sieve the cocoa, flour, baking powder and sugar into a large mixing bowl. 
Drain the beetroot and blend in a food processor. With the machine running add the eggs one at a time and then pour in the oil. Blend until the mixture is just smooth. 

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix in the chocolate. Pour into the tin and cook for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.