Cranberry Tomato Salsa

The perfect accompaniment to a Chestnut Roast!

Ingredients

• 2 cups cranberries
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice1
• 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Cook berries in pot of boiling water until skins just begin to burst, about 1 1/2 minutes. Drain well. transfer to bowl. Add the rest of ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Cover, chill. Serve at room temperature.

This can be made 6 hours ahead. Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Chestnut Roast

A little late for Christmas this year, but plenty of time to practice this for feeding your favourite vegetarians next Christmas *grins*. This really needs a 'moist' accompaniment and is good served with Cranberry Tomato Salsa.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon butter (or margarine or oil)
• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 celery stalk finely chopped
• 1 pound chestnuts, peeled and cooked, OR 1 1/2 cans whole chestnuts (15 ounces each)
• 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 garlic clove, crushed
• Fresh wholewheat breadcrumbs (optional)
• Salt and Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 cup oil
• Dried wholewheat breadcrumbs for coating

Modus Operandum:

1. Melt the butter (or substitute) and saute the onion and celery over moderate heat for 10 minutes until soft but not brown. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Drain the chestnuts and add to the bowl. Mash the chestnuts, onion and celery together, then mix in the chopped parsley, lemon juice and garlic. The mixture should be soft but firm enough to form into a roll, so add a few whole-wheat breadcrumbs, if necessary to get the right firmness, especially if you're using canned chestnuts.
3. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Pour a little of the oil into a roasting pan and put into the oven to heat.
4. Form the chestnut mixture into a roll about 4 inches long, pressing it together carefully, then coat it well with the dried breadcrumbs. Put the chestnut roll into the roasting pan and carefully turn it so that it is coated with hot oil.
5. Bake for 45 minutes, until it is crisp on the outside, spooning a little more of the oil over the roll from time to time during the cooking. Serve the chestnut roast cut into slices.

Serves 2-3

Maple Syrup Muffins

I got this recipe from Sara-Piperita's great foodie blog
The Kitchen Pantry. She adapted from Nigella Lawson's Feast, and I adapted it again. My own variations are those in ducky ochre yellow. This makes 12 muffins.

• 150 g walnuts (or pecans), chopped
• 275 g (wholemeal) flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 50 g rolled or crushed oats
• pinch salt
• 130 ml milk (or 65 ml natural yoghurt and 65 ml milk)
• 120 ml maple syrup
• 125 ml vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon vergeoise brune
• 1 roughly chopped ripe banana
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

1. Preheat the oven to 190° C.
2. Mix all all the dry ingredients togtehr, keeping back 3 tbsp of the nuts.
3. In another bowl, mix all the wet ingredients.
4. Add the wet mixture to the dry and combine, leaving the mixture still lumpy. Stir in the banana.
5. Spoon into greased muffin tins. Mix the remaining walnuts with the vergeoise brune and sprinkle it over the muffins.
6. Cook for 20 minutes.

Note: I missed off the walnut and vergeoise brune topping, so I only used 100g of nuts.

Mango Tea Bread

Recipes just don't come any easier than this!

Ingredients:

• 140g self raising flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch salt
• 60g margarine or butter
• 2 small eggs
• 50g vegetable oil
• 140g sugar (that's what the recipe said; I normally use just over half this amount)
• 1 large mango, peeled and the flesh cut into cubes
• 45g dessicated coconut
• 45g raisins

Beat the eggs and butter together, then mix in all the other ingredients.Turned the batter into an oiled and lined loaf tin and bake at Gas Mark 4 for about 60 mins

Apple and Lavender Muffins

• 4 oz porridge oats
• 4 oz strong white (bread) flour
• 2 level tsp dried lavender flowers
• 4 level tbsp golden granular sugar
• 2 level tsp baking powder
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 3 oz butter, melted
• 2 dessert apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 2 fl oz milk

Modus operandi:

1. Grease a 12-pan muffin tray and preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together, then add the beaten egg, melted butter and chopped apples. Add 2 fl oz milk, or more if the mixture seems to dry.
3. Mix roughtly, so the batter is till rather lumpy, then spoon into muffin tins.
4. Bake 15-20 mins.

Note: If you can't find dried lavender flowers, you can dry fresh ones in the microwave to use - that's what I do!

Nettle Soup

This is my revenge for all the times I get nettled when I'm out walking! *grins* You need the tops of very young nettles for this, before the stinging hairs develop and the plant gets tough and fibrous, so there's only a short period in the spring when you can enjoy this soup.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb potatoes
• 1/4 lb young nettles
• 1 oz butter
• 3/4 pt chicken or well-flavoured veggie stock
• 2 tbsp cream
• Sea salt & black pepper

Modus operandi:

1. Chop or dice the potatoes and boil them for 10 mins. Drain.
2. Wash the nettles and chop them. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stew the nettles for 5 mins.]Add the potatoes and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins.
3. Purée in a blender until smooth. and season to taste.
4. Heat through and add the cream just before serving.

Cheesy Vegetable Cobbler

I love this recipe because not only is it extremely tasty, it's also extremely versatile! You can use whatever vegetables you happen to have in store at the time, as long as you use a good proportion of root vegetables. If you want to make a meaty version, you can add cooked chicken to the roasted vegetables before pouring in the liquid and adding the cobbler top. You really can let your imagination run amok with this recipe.

• 2 leeks, thinly sliced
• 1 small bunch broccoli cut into pieces
• About 2 cups of other vegetables. You can use sliced mushrooms, fresh peas, courgettes (zucchini), cubed butternut squash, cubed potato, parsnips cut into 1/2" pieces, chopped fresh spinach, broad beans (fava beans), green beans etc. Whatever's to hand!
• A good pinch of dried sage, or a few sprigs of fresh
• Olive oil
• 150ml vegetable stock
• 150ml double cream (heavy cream)
• 1 tablespoon French mustard
• Salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to hot 400ºF/ 200ºC/ UKGas mark 6. Put the vegetables and sage into a roasting tin, drizzle with the olive oil and season. Roast for 30 mins until browned. Mix the cream and stock with the mustard and pour over the vegetables.

To make the cobbler:

• 2oz butter
• 6oz flour (I use 2oz brown and 4oz white)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 4oz grated Cheddar cheese
• 1 large egg, beaten
• A big pinch of cayenne or paprika

To make the cobbler, sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl, rub in the butter. Add the cheese, cayenne or paprika and the egg. Form into a soft dough (add a little milk or buttermilk if the dough is too stiff). Roll out to 2 to 3 cm/ about 1 inch thick and cut into rounds, or form into small balls and flatten them slightly. Arrange the scones on top of the vegetables and scatter with a bit of extra cheese. Bake for 20 mins until the scones are brown and risen.

Serves 4.

Lentil and Mushroom Baked Pasta

As a vegetarian who isn't a great cook, I'm always trying out different variations of the trusty old faithfuls! One thing that lends itself to endless variety is the good old pasta bake. This is a variation I made yesterday, since we had a glut of mushrooms that needed using up. I used a mixture of chestnut and oyster mushrooms - if you used wild mushrooms, you'd probably need less as the flavour is more intense.

Lentil and Mushroom Baked Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 120g / 4oz sliced mushrooms
• 120g / 4oz red or green lentils
• 120ml / 1/4pt vegetable stock
• Generous slosh of red wine
• 200g / 7oz can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• Pinch each of oregano, thyme, salt and black pepper
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1 mozzarella cheese (150g), sliced
• 120g / 4oz pasta (I used spirals, but any shape will do)
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese

Way to do it:

1. Heat the oil in a pan, and fry the onions, garlic and mushrooms until the onions are soft.


2. Add the lentils, tomatoes, stock, wine, tomato purée, and seasonings. Bring to the boil and simmer until the lentils are soft (about 20 mins for red lentils, up to 40 mins for green).


3. Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water and drain.


4. In a shallow ovenproof dish, make a layer of pasta, cover it with half the lentil sauce, half the mozzarella. Repeat the three layers ending with the mozzarella, and sprinkle with the Parmigiano to taste.


5. Bake at for about 20-25 mins at 90 degrees C/Gas Mark 5, until the top is browned.

Depending on appetite and what you're serving with it (I served it with a green salad and garlic bread), this should make 2-3 servings.

Piparkökur - Pepper Cookies

Ingredients:

• 500 g. flour
• 500 g. brown sugar
• 250 g. butter
• 2 ea. eggs
• 5 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. ginger
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. powdered cloves
• 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp. paprika

Modus operandi:

1. Mix together the dry ingredients.
2. Add the soft butter and eggs and knead until smooth.
3. Stand in the refrigerator over night.
4. Roll out into even sausage shapes, pinch off small portions and make little balls out of the dough. Flatten slightly with your hand.
5. Bake at 200°C until dark brown (I found about 8 mins was right)

Own notes:I found this recipe at Jo's Icelandic Recipes. I only made half of the quantity as an experiment for visiting friends, and got about 65 cookies from that (as far as I could keep count, since several were stolen and consumed in the batch-baking process...). I have to say I was very pleased with these - they didn't last the evening and I'll probably have to make the bigger quantity next time!

Roasted Vegetable Salad

• 8 small wedges of pumpkin, unpeeled
• 650g orange sweet potatoes, peeled
• 2 parsnips or carrots, peeled and halved lengthways
• 2 unpeeled heads of garlic
• 2 red onions, peeled and quartered
• sea salt, black pepper and olive oil

For the dressing:

• 30 ml cider vinegar
• 45 ml olive oil
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to moderately hot 375ºF/ 190ºC/ UK Gas mark 5.
2. Put the vegetables intoa baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season. Bake for 35 mins until soft.
3. Remove the garlic from the dish and turn off the heat, but leave the vegetables in the oven while you make the dressing.
4. Dressing: Squeeze the garlic from its skin and place in a bowl. Add the cider vinegar, olive oil and Parmesan and blend until smooth.
5. Spoon the dressing over the vegetables and serve.

Serves 4.

For variations, you can also use cubed butternut squash, aubergines (eggplants), or courgettes (zucchini)

Malt and Apple Loaf

Ingredients:

• 2 oz sultanas
• 2 oz raisins
• 2 oz butter
• 2 oz malt extract
• 1 Granny Smith or other sharp apple, peeled and diced
• 1/4 pt hot black tea (or hot water)
• 10 oz plain or wholemeal flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp mixed spices
• 3 ground cloves

Modus operandi:

1. Soak the dried fruit in the hot tea or water for 30 mins, then drain.
2. Melt the butter and malt extract together in a saucepan.
3. Mix the dried ingredients together in a bowl, then add the butter and malt mixture and the dried fruit.
4. Mix together and turn into a greased and lined 1 lb loaf tin. Bake for 1 1/2 hours in a moderate oven Gas Mark 4.

Blackberry Muffins

• 8 oz plain or wholemeal flour
• 4 oz caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 3 oz blackberries
• 8 fl oz milk
• 1 egg

Stir everything together so the mixture is still quite lumpy, then spoon into 12 greased muffin tins. Bake for 20-25 mins at Gas Mark 6.

Vegetarian Chili with Cornbread Topping

Make the filling:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 1/2 seeded chili, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1 cardamon pod, crushed
• 75 g red lentils
• 7oz can chopped tomatoes
• 7oz can red kidney beans
• 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (the kind that comes in tubes)
• Pinch of cocoa (yes really!)

In a large pan fry the onions, garlic and pepper. Add the chili, cumin and cardamon pod, stirring.
Add the lentils, stir in the tomatoes, paste, ketchup, kidney beans and cocoa. Add water so that the liquid barely covers everything. Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 mins. Meanwhile....

Make the topping:

• 150g cornmeal
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of cinnamon
• 150ml milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 30g grated Cheddar cheese

Combine everything except the cheese. Put the chili in an ovenproof dish, spread the topping over it, smooth it over and sprinkle with the cheese.

Bake for 25 mins at Gas mark 7.

Wassail

This old English Christmas drink usually consisted of ale, roasted apples, eggs, sugar, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. It was served in a large bowl and drunk while hot. The mild wassail was gradually supplanted, during the last century, by a punch made up of stronger alcoholic beverages. Here are two recipes: the first is the traditional ale Wassail; the second a punchier version to knock your socks off.


Traditional Ale Wassail

• 6 cups ale
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/16 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/16 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/16 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/16 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 4 roasted apples, sliced

Pour ale in deep saucepan and heat. Add sugar and spices; bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Gradually add small amount of hot mixture to beaten eggs, stirring constantly. Return to saucepan, and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Place apples in large heat-proof punch bowl. Pour hot ale over apples. Yield, 6 servings

Wassail Punch

• 10 small apples
• 10 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2 bottles dry sherry or dry Madeira
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3 cloves
• 3 allspice berries
• 1 inch stick cinnamon
• 2 cups superfine sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup brandy

Core the apples and fill each with a teaspoon of brown sugar. Place in a baking pan and cover the bottom with 1/8-inch of water. Bake in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes or until tender. Combine the sherry or Madeira, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice berries, cinnamon, sugar and water in a large, heavy saucepan and heat without letting the mixture come to a boil. Leave on very low heat. Strain the wine mixture and add the brandy. Pour into a metal punch bowl, and float the apples on top.

Waes Hael!!!

Pumpkin Scones

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups cooked pumpkin purée
• 2 cups self-raising flour
• pinch of salt
• 20g butter
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3 tbsp milk

Preheat the oven to 200°

Method:

1. Rub the flour, salt and butter together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Add the pumpkin purée and mix together
3. Add the egg and milk, mix to a dough
4. Roll out the dough to about 3cm thick and cut into wedges
5. Place on a graesed tray sprinkled with flour. Brush with milk and bake for 15-20 mins
6. Devour while still warm, split and buttered. Mmmm.

Corn Chowder

This recipe was given to me by an American friend, hence the quantities aren't in the usual British measures! I made sense of it though, so I'm sure you can too - just remember this uses American tablespoons, which is a slightly smaller measure than the UK's tablespoon (15ml as opposed to the UK's 18ml)!

• 4 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 3 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 6 tablespoons onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 cup celery, large dice
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 1/2 cups hot water
• 1 pinch white pepper
• 2 cups raw potato, peeled and cut in 1/2" cubes
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 quart Half & Half

Method

On medium heat, melt butter, then simmer onion and celery for 5 minutes until soft, but not brown. Add water, potatoes, corn and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are barely tender. Whisk the flour into 1 cup of the Half & Half, and stir into the soup. Add the remaining 3 cups of Half & Half. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the soup has thickened to a creamy consistency. Correct the seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. In order to correct the consistency or the soup you may add a little milk to make it thinner. To make the soup thicker, simmer another 5-10 minutes.

(Yields 2 1/2 quarts)

When I make this, I miss out the celery as I can't abide the nasty stuff, and substitute broccoli. I only use about half this amount of sugar too.

Pumpkin Bread

A recipe from an American friend, hence the use of 'cups' rather than ounces or grams. I have acquired a set of American measuring cups for recipes such as this! You can find them quite easily over here nowdays - I got mine from John Lewis's. I generally half this recipe, as 4 loaves is too many for one batch-bake!

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup water
• 4 eggs (beaten)
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups pumpkin
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Make a hole in the center of mixture and add eggs, water, oil, and pumpkin. Mix until smooth. Add nuts and mix. Dust loaf pans with flour. Add pumpkin mixture to the 3/4 mark. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. (When a toothpick can be poked into the center and removed clean, its done)

Makes 4 loaves.