Rocket & Roses Festive Citrus Roasted Roots on Cavolo Kale/Cannellini Bed (vegan & gluten-free)

Rocket & Roses Kitchen Play List:

Joan Jett ~ Treadin' Water
Don Williams ~ You're My Best Fried
The Vaccines ~ We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
Ella Fitzgerald ~ I Love Paris
Fleetwood Mac ~ Little Lies
Suzi Quatro ~ Born To Run
The Dead Daisies ~ Lock n Load
Melissa Etheridge ~ Nervous
Sting ~ Message In A Bottle (live)
Santana ~ (Da Le) Yaleo
Fun Lovin' Criminals ~ Bump
Wild Cherry ~ Play That Funky Music
Thunder ~ I Hear You Knocking (Live acoustic)
Chris Cornell ~ Your Soul Today

Whoa...how was your weekend? Mine? Oh it was busy but thankfully for all the right reasons and not the stressful festive madness although I saw plenty of people out and about who would have benefited from a shot of valium or a large pot of chamomile tea. I am always staggered by the stress that the 'holidays' causes some people. Isn't supposed to be about fun, laughter and happiness...spending time with those you love and enduring some of those you don't! Maybe it's because I cook for large amounts of people often and it is a pleasure to do so...I actually enjoy the planning and the opportunity to spoil those I love. Ok..ok...I'm a freak. Whatever floats your boat, right? Oh hush!...anyway....

The recipe today was a last minute moment of madness inspiration. I had a stash of beautiful root veggies and a bag of lush dark Cavolo kale leaves and decided to give into a craving for some comforting roasted roots. I didn't want the old faithful white potatoes as I wanted colour and sweetness to balance out the slight bitterness of the cavolo and wholesome cannellini bean. One of my favourite festive foods is the succulent citruses and I love nothing more than sitting down with a large Navel orange and peeling away the thick skin and then devouring every sweet and juicy segment. Sometimes I get so lost in this moment that I find myself peeling away the segment skin and then letting the little pearls of juice burst over my tongue..love them. So it seemed natural to me to add some of that delicious citrus to the roasting dish. 

I cut the parsnips and swede on a uniform cube but cut slightly large cubes out of the sweet potatoes and the celery root. I also trimmed and cut 3 leeks into 1" slices. Once chopped I placed them into a large bowl and poured over the roasting liquid and made sure every piece was coated and then left them to soak for a few hours. I then roasted them very slowly in the oven for the latter part of the afternoon and quickly sauteed the cavolo and beans in a tiny amount of garlic oil. I must say now that this is a High Days & Holidays dish as I don't usually use these amounts of oil. But sometimes...its just necessary. 

We ate this dish as our evening meal but we also agreed it would be a great festive side dish too. The roasted celeriac root was a revelation and I greatly enjoyed the caramelised outer shell and the soft roasted center of every piece. The root vegetables were surprisingly light and the citrus flavours really lifted the traditional root vegetables to another level. The kale and bean bed was beautifully bitter and worked perfectly with the sweet veggies. When I was finished eating I didn't feel that usual post roast veggies bloating or stodginess...I felt satisfied and like I had eaten something a little decadent yet still wholesome. Give it try and let me know what you think? 

Rocket & Roses Festive Citrus Roasted Roots on Cavolo Kale/Cannellini Bed

 
Rocket & Roses Festive Citrus Roasted Roots on Cavolo Kale/Cannelini Bed
(Original recipe from the Rocket & Roses Vegan Kitchen)

2 med/large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2" cubes
1 celeriac root, peeled and cut into 1 1/2" cubes
3 med/large parsnips, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1/2 large swede/rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
3 large leeks, trimmed well and cut into 1" slices 
1/4 cup garlic infused olive oil
juice of one large orange
juice of one small lemon
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
generous amounts of freshly grated black pepper
sprinkle of low sodium salt 

10 Cavolo kale leaves, stalks removed and sliced into 1" thick slices
1 14oz tin of cannellini beans, rinsed well and drained 
scant amount of garlic oil or water to steam saute

Place all the chopped vegetables in a large bowl and set to one side. In a jug whisk together the oil, orange juice and apple cider vinegar until emulsified. Then pour over the vegetables and using your hands toss the vegetables until every piece is coated. Then cover and leave to soak for a minimum of 1 hour. 

Pre-heat the oven to 200'C/400'F/GM  6 and make ready a large baking dish. I used an extremely large lasagna pyrex baking dish. Uncover the vegetables and season generously with the freshly cracked black pepper and a little salt. Toss one more time to evenly distribute the seasonings. Pour the vegetables into the baking dish and even them out. Cover with a layer of foil and place in the hot oven. Immediately turn the oven down to 175'C/325'F/GM 3/4 and leave to roast for 45 minutes. 

Take the vegetables out of the oven and remove the foil lid. Vigorously turn them over in the dish and place back in the oven for another 30 minutes.  Repeat one more time making sure that the well roasted pieces are moved to the bottom and the less so to the top and roast for another 30 minutes. Repeat this action one more time but placing them back into the oven for 15 minutes more. If you find they are adequately roasted them leave them to keep warm in the oven with the oven switched off. 

During the final roasting time or warming time...take a medium skillet and heat a small amount of garlic oil and place the cavolo kale and cannelini beans into the warmed skillet. Toss briefly and place the lid on tightly and leave to steam saute until the cavolo is soft and the beans warmed through. 

Place some cavolo and beans onto a plate and top with a generous mound of the roasted roots. Make sure you get every colour in there folks...you don't want to miss those flavours. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your week gets off the a cracking start...

~Red~ 

NB: This is my creation and I have no problem with you using it. I simply ask that you give credit where it is due by linking it back to this posting. Many thanks...Namaste ~R~

  
  

 

Moroccan Table: Lablabi Soup, Marrakesh Tajine with Rocket & Roses Cous Cous Fava Beans (vegan)

Rocket & Roses Kitchen Play List:

Beth Hart ~ I'll Take Care Of You
Shakira ~ Loca
Slash/Joey Ramone ~ New York City
Soul Asylum ~ Somebody To Shove
Pearl Jam ~ The Fixer
Jack Savoretti ~ Knock Knock
The Eagles ~ Wasted Time
Creed ~ Beautiful
Skin ~ Nightsong
Hunter Valentine ~ Liar Liar
Royal Blood ~ Come On Over
Norah Jones ~ Seven Years
The Cars ~ Drive
Chopin: Prelude #15 in D Flat op 28/15 "Raindrops"

My Moroccan Table

I am finally getting my mojo back folks. Let me tell you that it is such a great relief to me. I'm not back in the kitchen every day just yet but I am creating a lot of future recipes and managing lots of 'plotting'. That being said...I did manage to throw together a small dinner party for a few friends last week. I was inspired to create a Moroccan feast and found three recipes inside the covers of World Food Cafe Vegetarian Bible Cookbook that I reviewed earlier this year.

I am a sucker for a chickpea soup and so the Lablabi Soup was a given..lol. The tajine was chosen because of its suggestion of vegetables but I had to make two changes. One of my dinner guests doesn't like dried raisins and I am not a fan of dried apricots so I had to omit them. I did add some pomegranate molasses to give that sweet fruit hit and I think it worked really well. The recipes suggested serving harissa with each dish and so I made a batch of the Tunisian Harissa. Holy hotness folks. The tip end of a teaspoon blew our heads off..so a smidge goes a very long way. So please be warned!! 

I wanted a grain dish to serve with the WFCVB recipes and I had a bag of Giant Cous Cous in my stocks. As I am 99% gluten-free now I hadn't even cracked open the bag but I was really craving a good cous cous side. I also had a tin of fava beans and decided to add them to the cous cous as it cooked. I then made a simple dressing using extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and freshly ground black pepper and whisked them until emulsified. Once the cous cous was cooked I added the dressing and replaced the lid to keep in the heat as the flavours combined. I served the tajine, cous cous and harissa with a large salad of baby leaves, cucumber (and blimey did we need those refreshing slices after the harissa!!!), yellow and orange pepper. 

Each course was an explosion of tastes and textures. The soup was creamy and comforting with an intense flavour. The tajine was full of flavour and just had that 'something' that makes a dish more special than others. It wasn't hot spicy but deeply intense with flavour. The cous cous was a comforting support to the heady delights of the tajine. I enjoyed every second of making these dishes and I know everybody enjoyed eating them too...it's good to be almost back. Now to the recipes...this weekend folks you get four of them...

NB: The Lablabi Soup, Marrakesh Tajine and Tunisian Harissa recipes are all from the World Food Cafe Vegetarian Bible Cookbook published by Frances Lincoln Limited. 

First course: Lablabi Soup

Lablabi Soup   Serves 4

8 tbsp olive oil (I used half that amount)
10 garlic cloves, finely chopped
12oz/350g chickpeas, soaked overnight and then drained
1 large red onion, diced
3 carrots, diced 
6 celery stalks, diced
1 heaped tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander 
1 tsp paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
juice of 1 lemon
handful of chopped coriander leaves to garnish
harissa to taste (recipe below)

Heat half of the oil in a saucepan/ when hot, add the garlic and saute until golden. Add the chickpeas and enough water to cover them by 1in/2.5cm. Bring to the boil, removing any foam that rises to the surface, and then reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer until the the chickpeas are soft. (Or cook the garlic in the oil and then add two drained tins of chickpeas, cover by a good 2" of water and cook for 20 minutes ~R~)

Meanwhile heat the remaining oil in a wok. When hot, add the chopped onion, carrots and celery, and saute until soft; it helps if you cover the wok and let the vegetables sweat. Towards the end of cooking, add the cumin, coriander and paprika. Stir the vegetables into the cooked chickpeas, followed by salt and black pepper to taste. Pour half the soup into a food processor and blend until smooth. Return it to unblended soup, adding more water if necessary, and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice.  Serve with coriander leaves to garnish. 

Main course: Marrakesh Tajine

Marrakesh Tajine   Serves 4

5 tbsp olive oil
2 red onions, thinly sliced
1 level tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 heaped tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground saffron or turmeric
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 aubergine, diced or cut into 1/2" half moons
4 small potatoes, cut into quarters
1 large sweet potato, chopped into large chunks
1 red and 1 green bell pepper, deseeded and cut lengthwise into 2.5/1" strips
salt 
6 artichoke hearts (fresh or canned)
125g/4oz green beans
4 medium tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tbsp tomato puree
handful of flat-leap parsley, chopped, plus more to garnish
handful of coriander leaves, chopped, plus more to garnish
small handful of raisins 
small handful of dried apricots 
OR 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses 
85g/3oz stoned olives
harissa, to serve recipe below

Heat the oil in a large pan and, when hot, fry the onions until they start to soften. 

Add the spices, stirring to prevent sticking. Add the aubergine, potatoes, sweet potato and green and red peppers. Sprinkle with a little salt as this helps prevent the aubergine from absorbing all the oil. 

When the aubergine starts to soften, add all the remaining vegetables and the tomato puree with just enough water barely to cover the vegetables. Add the parsley, coriander, raisins, apricots, (0r molasses) and olives. Bring to the boil and simmer gently until all the vegetables are really soft and the sauce is reduced until it is thick and rich, with the oil returning on the top. 

Garnish with lots of parsley and coriander, and serve with harissa and cous cous.

Side dish: Tunisian Harissa

Tunisian Harissa   Makes 1 very heaped cup of paste

1 red pepper
1 tbsp ground caraway seeds
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2oz/60g dried red chillies, soaked in hot water
1oz/30g ground cumin
2fl oz/60ml olive oil
salt to taste

First grill the red pepper on all sides until blackened. Place in a bowl and cover with cling film for 10 minutes to make it easier to peel. Peel, deseed and dice the pepper. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Store in the fridge in and airtight container.

And be warned...extremely hot!!!

Finally my contribution to the Moroccan Table....

Side dish: Giant Cous, Cous with Fava Beans

 

Rocket & Roses Giant Cous Cous with Fava Beans    Serves 4
(Original recipe from the Rocket & Roses Vegan Kitchen)

1 packet of giant cous cous 
OR gluten free maize cous cous
1 tin of fava beans, rinsed and drained 

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 
generous amounts of freshly ground black pepper

Cook the cous cous to the packets instructions adding the drained beans towards the end of the cooking time to heat through. 

In a small bowl whisk the dressing until it has emulsified and then drizzle over the hot cous cous and stir well. Recover with the lid to keep warm until serving. Spoon into a serving bowl...

Enjoy!! 

I know these recipes use a lot more oil than I usually advocate but it is entirely your call on how much you use. I wouldn't serve these kind of dishes on a regular basis because of the oil factor so would class them as High Days & Holiday Dishes. 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your weekend is a fantastic one folks....

~Red~ 

NB: The Lablabi Soup, Makkaresh Tajine and Tunisian Harissa recipes are not my creation. They are the hard work and creation of Chris and Carolyn Caldicott and theirs alone. I take no credit for them whatsoever but do send thanks for sharing such great recipes. The Giant Cous Cous and Fava Bean recipe is mine. I have no problem with you using the recipe or sharing it. I simply ask you give credit where its due as I always try to. Many thanks...Namaste. ~R~  
 

 
  

 

D.K's Grilled Sesame Asparagus

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo's Film Reviews ~ Stephen Mangan

Well as the good and the great have sung...what a difference a day makes! R & R HQ was only on the virtual market for four hours yesterday and we now have two viewings booked for this weekend. Yikes...I'll admit it..it's a little overwhelming and fantastically scary. Both of us thought this weekend would be a 'breather' weekend after the full on situation we have been in for the last few weeks. But no..fate had other plans for us and the reality of the potential possibility of being moved in six weeks, if one of these people want to buy our house, is daunting.  No pleasing some people, eh? lol.Having slept on this news I am much more settled but my dreams were a moving disaster loop. *deep breaths* Anyway...

Asparagus...for years I never really saw the fascination with it personally. But as I've never eaten butter, hollandaise sauce or ham my chances to try when out dining had been non-existent. ML loved it back in the day when it wasn't death-food and was eaten with the above accompaniments. I did have an extremely bad offering at a dinner party and I think my lovely host wasn't aware of the woody end and that was the parts I got in my serving of the dish. Then I was talked into trying Isa's brunch asparagus one Sunday...and it wasn't too bad but I still wasn't hooked like ML was. I also made a Fennel & Asparagus Soup which we both enjoyed and I decided to keep trying different ways to eat it. However since ML needed to eat a Salicylate Free diet it felt just plain wrong to bring it into the HQ.  

During my ventures back into Donna Klein's A Chinese Vegan Kitchen this week I found myself edgy with need to make an asparagus side dish. And with ML's blessing we picked up some locally grown asparagus and I got cooking. The only changes I made was using slightly less marinate than Klein instructs but that is because I have oil issues...even aromatic sesame oil...it's still oil! lol. And I used a griddle pan to cook mine as you can see by the beautiful scorch marks on my asparagus. The smell as they roasted on the griddle was intoxicating and made my tummy ache. When they were finished cooking and as I set up the plate for testing and for the photographs I couldn't wait to try one...wow!..was the actual word that escaped my lips as I bit into my chosen stalk. It was tender-crisp and therefore perfectly cooked for me. The taste was a savoury addicts nirvana and yes they were a little glossy but I found I really didn't care. I adored this dish and enjoyed it for lunch later in the day. If asparagus is cooked like this...then I am a huge fan. Yum! Great recipe Ms Klein...

D.K's Grilled Sesame Asparagus

Grilled Sesame Asparagus           Makes 4 servings..(or 2 Ahem!)
(Recipe from The Chinese Vegan Kitchen/Klein)

1 1/4 lb med-thick asparagus, tough ends removed
3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari (I used Braggs)
1 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil (I used 3/4 tbsp)
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds 

Prepare a medium charcoal or gas grill. Or preheat a boiler or place a stove top grilling pan with grids over medium heat. 

In a shallow container large enough to hold the asparagus in a single layer, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Add the asparagus and turn to thoroughly coat. Let stand 10 minutes at room temperature, turning a few times. 

Remove the asparagus from the marinade, reserving the marinade. If grilling, arrange the asparagus in a single layer on a vegetable grid. If broiling, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet with sides. Position the charcoal grill rack or oven rack 6-8 inches from the heat source. If using a stove top grill pan, arrange the asparagus in a single layer in the pan; cook in two batches to avoid overcrowding. 

Grill or broil asparagus until nicely browned but not charred, turning frequently, 7-10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle with the reserved marinade. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Klein's Cooking Tip:

To make Roasted Sesame Asparagus, preheat the oven to 425F/220C/GM7. Marinate the asparagus as directed in the recipe. Transfer the asparagus to a baking sheet with sides and place in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes, or until the asparagus are browned and tender. turning once or twice. Serve as otherwise directed. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Friday is great and your weekend filled with laughter...or peace...lol 

~Red~

NB: This is not my recipe and therefore I take no credit for it whatsoever. It is the hard work and creation of Donna Klein and hers alone.  But I send out thanks for such a great cookbook. ~R~ 
  
  

D.K's Yunnan-Style Fava Beans with Chilies, Garlic, and Star Anise (vegan & gluten free)

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Dave Gahan ~ Deeper & Deeper
Foo Fighters ~ My Hero
Bonnie Raitt ~ I Believe I'm In Love With You
Dead Boots ~ On The Rocks
Paul Weller ~ Time Passes
Glen Campbell ~ Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)
Zucchero ~ Feels Like A Woman
Thunder ~ Only One
Bon Jovi ~ In These Arms
Def Leppard ~ Bringing On The Heartbreak
Garbage ~ Dog New Tricks
Foo Fighters ~ Stranger Things Have Happened
Jackson Browne ~ Take It Easy
Garbage ~ Dumb

As I stated yesterday I am still working my way through Donna Klein's The Chinese Vegan Kitchen for the second time. And I have been experimenting with a few side dishes and today's recipe was chosen because I am always trying to find new ways of cooking broad bean's as they are known in England. I have a love/hate relationship with them...I hate the need to peel each and every one and the smell they kick out as they are cooking...but I love the taste. One of my favourite hummus's is a broad bean based one. I decided to be pro-active for this recipe and I sat with my measured amount and peeled the skins whilst catching up with a tv show ML and I have been watching on Netflix...Alphas...heard of it? But despite this move to make the process easier...I still lost the will to live after the first cupful...lol. However finally...FINALLY..all skins were removed and the beans were safely stashed in a tightly sealed box in my fridge until the next morning. I lost count of how many times I had to wash my hands to get rid of the that smell. Ewwww! I'm really selling them to you, aren't I? lol

In all honesty that was the hard part of making this dish because the rest of the kitchen work was simply chopping garlic and fresh chillies. During its cooking time in the hot wok the bean smell is minimised by the garlic and Star Anise so that really helped. I have no idea what I was expecting from this dish but what I ended up with was a little bit of a shock. Shock is maybe too strong a word but I definitely looked down at my wok and had serious...Huh! moment. I knew the addition of a cornstarch mix at the end of cooking would thicken up the sauce but the end result almost resembled mushy peas. Which I happen to like thankfully..lol. I was planning to serve mine with brown rice and steamed veggies but after seeing the results I really wasn't sure what to do with it. So I waited and thought...

...and still had nothing. I decided to simply just taste test them and I still could not decide if I liked them. The beans were beautifully cooked, the sauce comforting in its texture...definite heat from the combination of the chilli and Star Anise and although I'm usually a fan of Star Anise I felt it overpowered the dish. I confess I didn't get past the taste testing of this side dish but I will try it again in the future with a fraction of the Star Anise. It's definitely a spicy side dish and I will also try it again using edamame beans as D.K suggests. I think I will enjoy it better with the added freshness of the soy beans. I didn't dislike this side dish...I would just need to make a little change to it, for me to enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. But who knows..you may love it as D.K intended for us too. If you try it...please drop me a line at rocketandroses@aol.com and let me know what you thought...

D.K's Yunnan-Style Fava Beans with Chilies, Garlic & Star Anise

Yunnan-Style Fava Beans with Chilies, Garlic, and Star Anise   Serves 6
(Recipe from The Chinese Vegan Kitchen/Klein)

2 cups shelled fava beans (broad beans) or 2 cups of shelled edamame 
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 - 2 fresh red chilli peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 
1/2 tsp star anise pieces
1 cup low sodium veggie broth
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste 
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp cornstarch blended with 2 tbsp water 

If using fava beans: In a medium stockpot filled with boiling water, cook the fava beans 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse immediately under cold running water to stop the cooking. To remove the outer skins, pinch each bean on the side opposite where it was attached to the pod; the bean should easily slip from the skin. Remove and discard the outer skins. Set the beans aside. 

In a wok or large non-stick skillet with a lid, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the chillies and garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add the fava beans and star anise and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the broth and salt and bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until beans are tender, about 15 minutes for fava beans and about 7 for edamame, stirring occasionally. Stir in the sesame oil and add the cornstarch mixture; cook, stirring, until liquid is thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve over brown rice for a heartier meal. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have the glorious sunshine I do today...

~Red~ 

NB: This recipe is not mine and therefore I take no credit for it whatsoever. It is the hard work and creation of Donna Klein and hers alone. I do send out thanks for a great cookbook. ~R~  

Crispy New Potato Bake ~ High Days and Holidays Dish

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Calvin Harris ~ I'll Be Thinking 'Bout You
LeAnn Rimes ~ Can't Fight The Moonlight
Bodyrockers ~ Round & Round
Kaiser Chiefs ~ You Can Have It All
JET ~ Black Hearts (On Fire)
Meredith Brooks ~ It Don't Get Better
Jose Carreras ~ Santa Lucia
Guns N' Roses ~ Welcome To The Jungle
Jackson Browne ~ Doctor My Eyes
UB40 ~ Singer Man
Clawfinger ~ Warfair
Meredith Brooks ~ Bitch
Cyndi Lauper ~ True Colours
QOTSA ~ In My Head


Today...today is a good day. I have just finished a phone call with one of my consultants who was able to pass along some good news for a change. I had some brutal tests recently and the results have come back...clear...wehooooooo. *doing happy dance around the desk*. Please forgive me but I am a little relieved and somewhat giddy. So please raise a glass, a bread stick or a carrot stick to my continued good health news and celebrate with me for a brief moment...*bowing* thank you. 

I cannot believe it is Wednesday already and I apologise for not posting since Sunday but it's been all hospital appointments and catching up with old friends so far. But today I have managed to find some time to make something other than buckwheat pancake breakfasts and noodle soups/salads for lunch. I have had a strange craving for olives since Saturday and I wanted something a little springlike for my evening meal today. What is more spring like then the humble new potato? I don't eat a lot of white potatoes and I have recently lost my love of the sweet kind. But I do enjoy new potatoes and I am most definitely a skins on kinda gal. When I found this recipe for a crispy new potato bake that included olives in its list of ingredients...well I was sold. I had to make one adaption by using apple cyder vinegar in place of white wine vinegar but otherwise I made the recipe as it was created. And yes I did tremble at the use of 6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil but when recipe testing I tend to use the suggested amount and then make adaptions to the recipe for the next time I make it...if I make it again. I'll have my serving as the main part of my meal and then serve it with a good portion of steamed green veggies...then maybe with a good salad the next day. I'm hoping I can freeze a serving and then I'll give a serving to my Mum to test when she visits later. The recipe makes four servings....very generous servings in my opinion. 

It is easy to make as the only effort is the boiling of the potatoes for 12 minutes before adding everything together. I just brought my pan to a boil and got the potatoes going then went off and enjoyed my breakfast...no stresses here. lol. However the only problem I had was the lightly crushing of the potatoes. I used Charlotte potatoes and the recipes asks for Jersey Royals which are a little more soft when cooked. And because of this my potatoes didn't stick to each other in the baking process but I still ended up with a great dish. I would definitely used a fraction of the oil next time. The olives and capers gave the dish an edge which I liked. The thyme and wholesome new potatoes gave it an earthiness and incredible savoury hit. A crispy potato was definitely a good description for this recipe. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this recipe because I usually prefer my new potatoes steamed with no additions...well back in the vegetarian days I liked a little (ahem!) salad cream with them. I still crave that combination..lol. But this dish was good for a High Days and Holidays dish...but as I am celebrating today...it counts. 

Crispy New Potato Bake

Crispy New Potato Bake    Serves 4 generously

1 kg Jersey Royal new potatoes
handful of capers 
2 handfuls stoned black olives
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
1 tbsp white wine vinegar (I used apple cyder vinegar)

Heat the oven 240'C/425'F/GM 9 and line a swiss roll type baking sheet with parchment paper being sure to leave a generous edge overlapping the sides. Set to one side. 

Boil the potatoes whole for a full 12 minutes and then remove from the water and halve and put them straight into a large bowl. Add in the thyme, olives and capers and generously grate black peppercorns over. Drizzle 4 tbsp of the oil over and then stir to evenly distribute and lightly crush the potatoes as your stir. 

Pour the potatoes into the prepared tin and press them down evenly. Mix the remaining two tbsps of oil and the vinegar together until emulsified and then drizzle over the potato mix. Place in the hot oven and bake for 40 minutes or until they are golden brown. (I removed mine at the 30 minute mark) Serve...

Hot out of the oven...so aromatic. Gratuitous foodie shot...

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope that your week has begun well....

~Red~ 

NB: This is not my recipe and therefore I take no credit for it whatsoever. It was posted by Anon but I would be happy to amend this posting and credit where it is due. rocketandroses@aol.com ~R~

Socca ~ Chickpea Flatbread (vegan and gluten free)

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Dani Wilde ~ Some Kinda Crazy
QOTSA ~ Mosquito Song
Anna Nalick ~ These Old Wings
Shakira ~ Fool
McAlmont & Butler ~ Different Strokes
Michael Buble ~ Home
AC/DC ~ Back In Black (Live)
Glen Campbell ~ The Moon's A Harsh Mistress
Billie Myers ~ First Time
Lady Antebellum ~ Friday Night
Orianthi ~ You Don't Wanna Know
Chopin: Nocturne #7 in C Sharp Major 
Michelle Branch ~ I'd Rather Be In Love 
Buckcherry ~ Open My Eyes 

Well as the saying goes...what goes up, must come down! I have been enjoying a spell of wellness recently but today I have woken up and I feel broken again. I know its a temporary blip so I am listening to my body and taking a rest day. But heck I am disappointed and frustrated. lol. Thankfully I had a marathon cooking session yesterday morning...phew! I am sat trying to write this post with little Layla snuggled up on my lap and she is chomping on a rather large carrot..lol Chomp, chomp, chomp...anyway...

I have wanted to try making my own Socca/Chickpea Flatbread for a while especially since going gluten free. This recipe worked really well and I have enjoyed pieces of flatbread with my breakfast yesterday and today. I still have a tub full in the fridge so 1 cup of chickpea flour goes a very long way and you will be stunned by how simple it is to make.  

Socca is not a light and fluffy flatbread but it's beauty is in it's dense texture. But despite this it's a light bite and doesn't weigh heavy on your tum. On its own it is tasty but when paired with a beany dish it takes on a whole new taste. (see tomorrows post for a great pairing) And its very economical and you will never be able to look at a shop bought flatbread again...lol.

Socca ~ Chickpea Flatbread (vegan and gluten free)

Socca ~ Chickpea Flatbread  Makes one 8" x 12" flatbread

1 cup chickpea flour
1 cup water 
1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 plump garlic clove, micro-grated

In a small bowl whisk together the flatbread ingredients and set to one side to rest for 2 hours for the flour to soak up the liquid ingredients. 

Preheat your oven to 425'F/220'C/GM 7 and line a deep rectangle baking dish with parchment paper. Pre-heat the dish for 5 minutes.

Pour in the batter and swirl the dish around to make sure the batter is evenly spread over the base of the dish. Then place into the hot oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the batter is cooked through and has started to bubble. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Peel away the parchment paper and then cut into desired pieces...serve

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Saturday is a splendid one...

~Red~ 

NB: This recipe is  much adapted from a recipe I found many moons ago and therefore don't take all the credit for it. And the original was posted by that great cook ANON. ~R~

 



Preheat the oven to 425'F/220'C/GM 7 and line a large rectangle baking tin with parchment paper and set to one side. 

 

Gujarati Cabbage

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel ~ Make Me Smile
Billies Myers ~ Opposites Attract
PCD ~ Feelin' Good
Bob Marley ~ Wisdom
Nelly Furtado ~ Wait For You
Alanis Morrisette ~ Let's Do It
Soundgarden ~ Like Suicide
Gary Moore ~ With Love (Remember)
Cyndi Lauper ~ Stay
Cat Power ~ Lived In Bars
Meredith Brooks ~ Bitch
Shakira ~ No Creo
Halestorm ~ Familiar Taste Of Poison
Pink Floyd ~ Wish You Were Here

It's Saturday! Woo! It has been one long week...and despite a very bad night which has left me a little worn out I am very much looking forward to my sister and the little ones visiting today. I need the hugs..I need interactions...I need the contact. Tonight I am spending the evening with my chosen family. We are meeting up at a friends house to enjoy an evening of games. Can't wait. I love Saturdays. But first...breakfast..fuel for the day ahead...

I am always on the hunt for new fillings for my tofu omelette breakfasts. This recipe blipped on my radar via Pinterest and the posting gives 'credit' to James Oseland therefore so do I. lol. Cabbage is one of my favourite veggies because I love it's versatility. I can eat it plainly steamed with no additions and never tire of it. But it doesn't hurt to mix it up occasionally, eh? And this recipe definitely does that.

The lightly cooked fresh savoy cabbage (any cabbage will do, that was just what I had in my stocks), peppers, chilli and intense spice mix with a hit of lime really sounded fantastic to me. I really didn't think the salting of cabbage was necessary because my savoy was quite dry to start with but I went along with it. And not a single drip of moisture was released...nope..not one! Anyway...this recipe is easy to make and I personally loved the constant need to be stir frying the cabbage. I also enjoyed the aroma as the spices went into the skillet. But then, I was smiling because of the uplifting smell as I juiced the limes..never fails to put me in a happy place.

The results were as I expected...one heck of a powerhouse of flavours. Great texture from the cabbage and the spices gave it a interesting colour indeed. And in every mouthful you have the lime bursting out at you and it really did define the term...zingy! lol. When writing my notes on the recipe whilst eating it, zingy was the only word I could come up with. It worked very well as my omelette filling too. I plan on eating it this was one more time and then making a Chickpea Fritatta with the leftovers. (Update: this worked great as the filling for the Fritatta..delish!)

Gujarati Cabbage - Yep that colour is all spice baby..lol

Gujarati Cabbage       Serves 4 

1 cabbage, cored and shredded 
salt to taste 

2 tbsp peanut oil 
2 tsp black mustard seeds
2 tsp Asafetida 
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp ground turmeric
10 fresh curry leaves
3 plum tomatoes chopped
3 Italian frying peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
1 Serrano chilli, thinly sliced 
5 tbsp roughly chopped cilantro 
1/4 cup fresh lime juice 
2 tbsp sugar 

Toss cabbage and salt in a bowl. Let wilt for one hour. Squeeze excess liquid from cabbage, set aside. 

Heat oil in a large skillet over a med-high heat. Add mustard seeds, Asafetida, cumin and curry leaves; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add reserved cabbage, turmeric, tomatoes, peppers and chilli; cook, stirring, until the cabbage is crisp tender, 6-7 minutes. Stir in cilantro, lime juice and sugar. Season with salt; cook until flavours meld, 3-5 minutes. Serve...

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Saturday is everything you hoped it would be...

~Red~ 

NB: This is not my recipe therefore I take no credit for it whatsoever. 

Indian Spinach and Potatoes with Garlic & Fennel

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Kyung Wha Chung: Sibelius: Violin Concerto
Calvin Harris ft Ellie Goulding ~ I Need Your Love 
Norah Jones ~ Creepin' In
Calvin Harris ft Florence Welch ~ Sweet Nothing 
Court Yard Hounds ~ I Miss You 
Norah Jones ~ The Long Day Is Over 
Jennifer Lopez ~ I'm Gonna Be Alright 
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band ~ (Long) Gone
KT Tunstall ~ Another Place To Fall
Bob Marley ~ Brand New Second 
Stone Temple Pilots ~ Vasoline
JET ~ She's A Genius
Jack Johnson ~ Banana Pancakes 
Jewel ~ Jupiter

There is something special about cold winter days...well for me anyway..and a pan of something warm and spicy bubbling away on your stove top. Yesterday I had the pleasure of the company of my friend Ann for a few hours and she was dropping off the four legged fella for me. She was also staying for lunch and I decided to make something from one of my favourite cookbooks, Mridula Baljekar's The Low Fat Indian Vegetarian Cookbook. Ann is a big fan of the Indian cuisine so I knew she would enjoy it. The recipes are easily veganised and most are naturally vegan anyway so it's all good.

I decided to go with an old favourite which I have made many times over the years. It has simple ingredients and big flavours...it's also quite light for a potato based dish and perfect for lunch. I served Ann's with a side of Chapati's as Mridula suggests, however, I didn't partake as they aren't GF, eh?

I'm not the biggest fan of cooked spinach and I usually prefer to get my spinach quota in by having it raw in salads or in smoothies. Oh and blitzed in soups like Lentil & Spinach Soup. And if I do have it cooked it has to be chopped to small pieces..if there is a hint of stringiness...I'm outta there. lol. I struggle with frozen spinach for this very reason. And if anyone mentions creamed spinach to me...well..nope..let's just not go there! However this recipe is cooked spinach and I love it. Hey, I am contrary...I own it. lol. Mridula instructs you to finely chop the fresh spinach and that is just fine with me as I find the chopping relaxing and I can be reassured there will be no strings of nasty after I have finished the spinach massacre. lol. And the cooking of this recipe is not hard work..and the results are a intensely comforting. The spinach sauce is silky and packed with spice and melts in your mouth. The potatoes are perfectly cooked and give you the extra level of comfort without filling you up too much. Scooped up into hot chapatis it makes for one seriously enjoyable taste of India. 

Even with my spinach issues I love this dish so if you are on the fence over the green stuff...try this recipe...it may make the difference...

Indian Spinach & Potatoes with Garlic & Fennel

Indian Spinach & Potatoes with Garlic & Fennel        Serves 4
(Recipe from The Low Fat Indian Vegetarian Cookbook/Baljekar)

370g/13oz/2 2/3 cups old potatoes, peeled, cut into 5cm/2" cubes
3 tbsp sunflower oil or olive oil ( I used 1 tbsp)
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds 
1/2 tsp fennel seeds 
1/4 - 1/2 tsp crushed chilli seeds 
8 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 
1 onion, finely sliced
1/2 tsp ground fennel 
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground turmeric   
275g/10oz/5 cups of spinach, finely chopped
1 tsp salt or to taste
150g/5oz/ 2/3 cup canned chopped tomatoes, including juice
1/2 tsp garam masala 
1 tbsp tomato paste

Boil/Steam the potatoes until tender but still firm. Then set aside. 

Meanwhile heat the oil in a saute pan over a medium heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the mustard seeds. As soon as they pop, add the fennel seeds, crushed chilli seeds and garlic. Stir fry for 30 seconds. 

Add the onion and stir fry for 4-5 minutes or until soft and just beginning to colour. 

Add the ground fennel , cumin and turmeric, and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the spinach and salt, and stir fry for 3 minutes, until the spinach has shrunk to half of the original size. 

Add the tomatoes, potatoes, garam masala and tomato paste. Increase the heat to high and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently, then remove from the heat and serve with chapatis. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Wednesday has been very good for you...

~Red~ 

NB: This is not my recipe and therefore I take no credit whatsoever for it's creation. It is the hard work and creative talent of Mridula Baljekar and I thank her for creating such a great cookbook. ~R~