RECIPES

1)  SPICY LENTIL CAKE

2) LEMON & DIGESTIVE BISCUIT ICECREAM

3) POTATO CAKES

4) CURRIED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND APPLE SOUP

5) FREEZER CHOCOLATE GATEAU

6) COURGETTE FRITTERS

7) ZUCCHINI (COURGETTE) SLICE

8 )  PEA, SPINACH AND MINT SOUP

9) LEA HOUSE SEVILLE ORANGE MARMALADE

RECIPE FOR SPICY LENTIL CAKES

• 12 oz Lentils – mixed (some red, brown, green & Indian moong)
• 1lb Potatoes, cooked & mashed
• 1 Small stick celery, fine chopped
• 1 Small red pepper, fine chopped
• 12 Spring onions, fine chopped
• 1 Shallot, fine chopped
• 1 1/2″ piece of ginger, peeled and very finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Approx 1 1/2 pints Vegetable stock
• 1 tsp Garam masala
• 2 tsp Sunflower oil

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add spring onion and shallot, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and some pepper.  Cook over a medium heat, stirring continuously for 3 or 4 minutes.  Add the lentils and some of the stock and simmer gently, stirring occasionally and adding more stock as necessary.  After about 20 mins add the celery and red pepper then continue cooking until the lentils are quite soft (some will be still slightly chewy if you have used different types but this gives it a little ‘bite’).  Make sure all the liquid has been absorbed  then add the garam masala, remove from the heat and mix in the mashed potato.  Allow the mixture to go cold then form into patties.  They can then be grilled.

I serve them as part of an English vegetarian breakfast and I have also sometimes made smaller patties and served 2 with some mango chutney, a spicy Indian chutney and a little salad as a delicious starter.  They freeze perfectly and can be heated either from frozen or after thawing.

Enjoy – c

LEMON & DIGESTIVE BISCUIT ICECREAM

• 4oz Digestive Biscuits – crushed to crumbs
• 8oz Lemon Curd
• 1/2 Pint Double Cream
• Juice & zest of 2 – 3 lemons
• Slug of Cointreau or other liqueur

Pour all the ingredients into an icecream maker and allow to do its thing – it is that simple!  If you have a very sweet tooth, check the mixture for sweetness and add sugar to taste.  I didn’t.

RECIPE FOR POTATO CAKES

• About 2lb Mashed Potato with butter
• 200gm Tin Sweetcorn, drained
• 1 Medium Onion, finely chopped & fried in a little sunflower oil
• 2 – 3 oz Tasty Cheddar (to taste) grated
• 2 Tbspn Fresh finely chopped Parsley
• Salt & Pepper
• Dash Tabasco
• 1 Egg, beaten, to bind
• 1 Egg, beaten to coat (you may need 2)
• Fresh breadcrumbs, lightly toasted

Combine all the ingredients (except the  2nd egg & breadcrumbs to coat) in a large bowl, and mix well.  In the palm of your hands, form into cakes about 3″ in diameter and 1″ deep and dip into beaten egg and then into breadcrumbs so well coated.   They are now done!  They can be lightly fried in butter or grilled for healthy eating.  They freeze very well and can then be cooked from frozen or thawed.   Enjoy – and don’t forget to try adding other things.

CURRIED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND APPLE SOUP

• 2 Medium Onions – chopped
• 2 Medium Butternut Squash (about 3lbs), peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
• 2 Large Cooking Apples
• 3 oz Butter
• 2 tspns Medium Curry Powder
• 1 Pint approx good Vegetable Bouillon Stock
• 1/3rd Pint approx, Apple Juice
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

Gently sweat the chopped onions in the butter and curry powder  in a large saucepan till they are soft.  Then add the chopped squash and the stock and bring to the boil, simmer until squash is tender.  Meanwhile, peel, core and roughly chop the apples and add to the pot just before the squash is cooked.  Leave simmering just until the apple has softened (not until it has disintegrated).  Take off the heat and allow to cool a little before transfering the solids, with a slotted spoon and a little of the liquor, to a blender.  Blend until quite smooth.  Return to the rest of the liquid and add the apple juice, salt and pepper to taste.  You can adjust the amount of cooking liquid and apple juice to taste and depending on the consistency you prefer. 

 Heat through, and serve with a swirl of cream and some chopped chives.  This soup also freezes extremely well.

TOP TIP FOR FREEZING SOUP – when cooking, use less stock, blend soup and freeze in portions.  Before serving, add extra stock.  This way you do not have a freezer full of frozen water!

Really Easy FREEZER CHOCOLATE GATEAU

• 5 Tbspns Liquid Glucose (or Glycerin is also fine)
• 5 Tbspns Rum or Brandy
• 1 lb 70% Plain Chocolate
• 1 Pt Dble Cream, beaten till thickened but not stiff
• 3 oz Amaretti biscuits, crushed to crumbs

Line a 9″ cake tin with greaseproof paper and lightly oil the sides.  (You can use a bread tin if you prefer a square slice).   Sprinkle the biscuit crumbs over the base ( this will form the top of the slice when served).

Warm  the chocolate with the glucose or glycerin over hot water till just melted and then add the rum or brandy.  Allow to cool slightly till still warm but not setting.  Fold in half the cream and then fold the mixture into the rest of the cream.  Spoon into cake tin and chill at least overnight.  Can be stored in the freezer and moved to fridge an hour or so before serving as it doesn’t freeze hard.  Turn out onto a flat plate and cut the desired sized slice.    It is very rich so a small slice is sufficient. 

Good to serve either with some cold fruit or some ice-cream.

COURGETTE FRITTERS

• 600gm Courgettes, topped and tailed
• 2 Shallots, finely chopped
• 2  Spring onions, cut in rings
• 175gm Breadcrumbs (made from good quality, stale bread and crusts)
• 150gm Cheddar cheese, good quality, strong
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 2 tbspns Olive oil
• 2 tbspns Finely chopped parsley
• 1/2 tspn Salt, or to taste
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 Small hot chilli, green or red, finely chopped, to taste

Grate the courgettes and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.  (I use an old-fashioned lemon press, otherwise squeeze in your hands). Fry the shallots and spring onions in the hot olive oil till just translucent.  Add the chilli and remove from the heat.  In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well with a fork.  The mixture needs to be quite dry.  If necessary, add some more breadcrumbs or a little plain flour.    In hands, form into patties approx 2 1/2″ diameter and flatten slightly.  At this point you can either cook them immediately – fry in olive oil turning a couple of times till golden, or grill.  Or you can freeze them on trays to cook later.  They can be grilled or cooked in the oven, from frozen or thawed.   This recipe makes about 10 patties.

ZUCCHINI SLICE

• 375g zucchini (courgettes)
• 1 large onion
• 3 rashers of bacon
• 1 cup (75g) grated cheddar cheese
• 1 cup (120g) self raising flour
• 1/2 cup sunflower oil
• 5 free-range eggs
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 finely chopped chilli/few drops tabasco – to taste

Grate unpeeled zucchini coarsly, finely chop onion and bacon.  Combine zucchini, onion, bacon, cheese, sifted flour, oil and lightly beaten eggs and season to taste with salt, pepper and something with a zing.  Pour into a well-greased baking tin (approx 16cm x 26cm) and bake at about 180 C for 30 – 40 mins till just browning and fairly firm.   Serves 4 – 6 

The quantities can be adjusted proportionately at will, and things other than the bacon can be added (flaked smoked haddock; grated carrot, peas etc for veggies).

This is soo simple – enjoy

PEA, SPINACH AND MINT SOUP

• 2 oz Butter or Willow
• 2 Medium Onions, chopped
• 10 oz Frozen Spinach, thawed
• 10 oz Frozen Peas, thawed
• 1 Cup of tightly packed fresh Mint Leaves
• *Vegetarian Stock (I use 1/2 Vecon, 1/2 Swiss Bouillon granules)
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Double Cream or Creme Fraiche

Melt the Willow in a large saucepan (with lid) and then cook the onions slowly till translucent – about 10 mins should do.   Add the thawed spinach and peas and just enough stock just to cover.  Cook until peas are tender (approx 15 mins) then add mint leaves and cook a further 5 mins.  Cool enough to put in a blender and liquify until very smooth (make sure pea skins are well blended).  At this point you can either cool and freeze in portions or continue and finish the soup. 

Thin to desired consistency by adding further stock and double cream/creme fraiche, whilst heating through, and serve.  Enjoy.

* You can of course use chicken stock, if you do not want it to be vegetarian.

LEA HOUSE SEVILLE ORANGE MARMALADE

• 3lb fruit (8-10 Seville oranges & incl. 2 lemons)
• 5lb suger
• 1 1/2pints water
• 1 level tspn bicarbonate of soda
• 1 bottle Certo
• 1 dstspn dark molasses

Wash fruit, skin in quarters, shave off about 1/2 the white pith, shred skins as finely as you want the finished marmalade (this is what takes the time).   Bring skins, water & bicarb of soda to the boil, simmer covered for about 10 mins till skin squashes easily between thumb and finger (don’t burn yourself!)  Meanwhile cut up the fruit, discarding ALL pips and any tough skins (from segment centres).  Now add fruit pulp and any juices to cooked rind and simmer for 20 mins.

Now take a large, heavy bottomed pan and put in the sugar and 3pts of the cooked fruit (make up by adding water if nec).  Heat gently till sugar is all dissolved (make sure it doesn’t stick).  Now – add small knob butter and the molasses (which just give it a nice rich, dark colour) and bring to full rolling boil and boil fast for 5 mins.  Remove from heat and stir in Certo.  Now is the time to capture any pips that have got away – they will float to the surface if you stir gently.  Also remove any ‘scum’ that may have formed (the knob of butter largely prevents this). 

Meanwhile, make sure your jars are clean and have been sterilised by putting in a warm oven – 100C – for 15 mins,.  Ideally, a wide jam-making funnel is well worth the investment, and you can now bottle, put the lids on straight away, and leave to get cold.  Do not panic if the marmalade appears to still be runny.  It will set!  If, for any reason it doesn’t (and it has only happened to me once in 20 yrs), it is ok to reboil for a couple of mins and rebottle – but that really won’t happen! Enjoy.

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