THE GREAT BRITISH BBQ- A VEGETARIAN VERSION

Marinated Cornish Sardines.

BBQ’s are the easiest thing, bung on a few sausages, some home-made burgers, the odd kebab. I’d never really done much fish on the BBQ, a few marinated prawns on sticks but never full blown fish. They always seemed a bit fiddly and messy..not a good excuse I know but true.

However when faced with a vegetarian needing more than just a vegetable kebab I realised now was the time to embrace my fear and go for it.

Little did I realise how easy it would be. Especially once I had bought a holder thing..the first time we cobbled together two wire cooling racks to keep the fish in together, however we did manage to lose one of them in the flames. Not great!!

BBQ Cornish Sardines

BBQ'd Cornish Sardines

Now I am pleased to say with this handy gadget it is SO simple.

Waitrose BBQ Grill basket

http://www.waitrose.com/shop/ProductView-10317-10001-264468-Waitrose+Outdoors+bbq+grill+basket

Over the Bank Holiday weekend we went to Hengistbury Head in Dorset, a truly beautiful area, strolling along the beach you could see faint trails of smoke curling up as little groups gathered for beach BBQ’s. The smell of the smoke, the sea, and cooking food was so tempting.

Great British Seaside, Dorset, England.

Dorset, England

We were visiting friends and Si had just been out fishing and caught mackerel which we BBQ’d that evening, stuffed with garlic and olive oil. It was simple and delicious.

Back home this week when the rain stopped we BBQ’d sardines. Sadly not caught by us I hasten to add, but still delicious.

Beach Huts in Dorset, England.

BBQ CORNISH SARDINES

Serves 4

Preparation time 2 minutes

Cooking time 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

4 Large sardines or 8 smaller ones

4 cloves of garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

Juice of a lemon

Handful of fresh fennel

WHAT TO DO:

1.      Rinse the fish then place in a large bowl.

2.      Crush the garlic into a small jug or cup, put in the olive oil, lemon juice and the  chopped fennel then pour over the fish, coating it well. Season with salt and pepper.

3.      Allow this to rest for an hour or so if you have the time, or whilst you light the BBQ.

4.      Place the fish in the BBQ turner and cook for about 5 minutes on each side.

Serve with lots of crusty fresh bread and a green salad and extra lemon slices.

So if you have shied away from fish give it a go, it’s so easy!!

Sardines all gone...

WARM LENTIL SALAD

Warm lentil salad with sun dried tomato

We’re in that in between period aren’t we?

We've had a taste of proper spring with blue skies and sunshine but it has been short lived. Summer feels a long way off as I get drenched cycling home in yet another down pour. I even end up picking rhubarb in the rain as it just doesn’t seem to show any signs of stopping.

Rhubarb in the rain

I don’t want winter warmers but I’m really not ready for just a cold salad yet.

Spring flowers in the rain

This warm lentil salad is a real in between recipe and can be adapted to suit Vegetarians and meat eaters alike.

We have had it with mozzarella and rocket, so that the cheese melted slightly and oozed over the lentils but we've also had it with spit roasted chicken..sorry to offend any staunch veggies by mentioning chicken- look away now!!

Warm lentil salad with chicken and creamy lemon sauce

 

If you are in search of other salads do check out La Tartine Gourmand- a blog I love

http://www.latartinegourmande.com/2013/05/10/giuten-free-quinoa-salad-asparagus-fava-beans/

Bea is a French food writer and photograph who I admire greatly and has just posted a delicious quinoa, asparagus and broad bean salad recipe.

So here is the warm lentil salad recipe, it’s easy delicious and worth trying for a change.

Sun dried tomatoes

WARM LENTIL SALAD

Serves 4

Preparation time 5 minutes

Cooking time 20-25

INGREDIENTS:

1 large red onion

30 g sun dried tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic

Good glug of olive oil

500ml of good vegetable stock- or chicken stock if you can!

250g Puy lentils

WHAT TO DO:

1.     Slice the onion finely, chop the garlic and fry gently in a pan in a glug of  olive oil, until the onion is soft.

2.     Add the chopped, or snipped sun dried tomatoes. I find snipping them up with scissors much easier and quicker.

3.      Tip the lentils into the mixture and coat with the garlic onion oil let them absorb the  flavour for a minute or two, but keep stirring them so they don't stick.

4.     Add the stock and cover for about 15 minutes. Check them to make sure they aren’t drying out. If they seem to just add a little more stock, until they have absorbed all the liquid and are nice and soft. This takes about 20-25 minutes 

It is great served with a young green leaf salad and mozzarella. 

Warm lentil salad

Sun dried tomato

SPRING ON A PLATE

Blossom

It’s amazing what a difference a week makes isn’t it. Suddenly the blossom is out, everywhere looks green and it feels warmer. 

Eggs from friendly chickens.

A colleague I work with keeps chickens and came in with boxes of freshly laid eggs. It seems his hens are equally relieved with the arrival of spring and are laying an abundance of eggs. So we have been enjoying lots of omelettes, and eggs for breakfast. Thank you chickens!

They are a lovely range of shapes and colours. Nothing like the uniform ones you get in the supermarket.

As I cooked a pan of asparagus the other day followed by a delicious bright yellow omelette with the eggs from the friendly chickens, I couldn’t help thinking that it was spring on a plate.

Asparagus

The fresh woody tasting asparagus with lashings of olive oil, black pepper and lemon juice followed by a simple fresh omelette with peppers and herbs, YUM..

What could be healthier and fresher than that!

Asparagus ready to steam

Ok this isn’t a recipe, but for those of you reading this who have never cooked asparagus ( I had a friend who had never cooked a piece of fish and was intimidated by it until I explained an easy fail safe way)  it’s really easy and requires very little time or effort.   

Asparagus

COOKING ASPARAGUS

INGREDIENTS:

One bunch of asparagus

Drizzle of olive oil

 Black pepper

Juice of half a lemon

WHAT TO DO:

Steam the asparagus for about 10 minutes or until tender, if you don’t have an asparagus steamer then use a lager steamer or saucepan.

Remove from the pan, place on a large dish, drizzle with olive oil and squeeze the juice of half a lemon over and liberal helpings of black pepper

Serve as a starter with fresh mayonnaise or with parma ham or dipped into boiled eggs. Then follow with an omelette and wow!

TINTIN, WALNUTS AND A TASTY RISOTTO RECIPE

Walnuts

We have just returned from a FANTASTIC few days staying with friends in Belgium visiting Brussels, Ghent, Leuven and the Tintin Museum - Brussels is the birthplace of Herge and home to the Tintin Museum-

http://www.museeherge.com/en

 a real must for all you fellow lovers of the boy reporter and his faithful sidekick Snowy.

We returned with some interesting Belgium beer, some great Tintin pictures and

 a bag full of walnuts..

Yes, walnuts. Not what you normally find amongst your holiday mementos but a much appreciated, very delicious gift, and a welcome change from postcards and boxes of chocolates.

Tintin everywhere

Belgium walnuts

As those of you who have kindly been following for a while know I always like to sample the local food and specialities, so you will be pleased to learn that the Not Just For Rabbits team sampled a range of waffles- plain, sugar and chocolate waffles and even ate a range of Stoofvees, the traditional beef in ale stew served on chips that is so traditional in Brussels.

Lots of places to eat in Brussels

None of these can really warrant a post in their own right, despite their popularity, however the walnuts proved the inspiration for a healthy risotto this evening.  I was really stuck for inspiration and just wanted something simple and veggie and luckily the walnuts were sitting on the kitchen top.

In this recipe the nuts and spinach provide an earthy simplicity and the raisins create a balance and add a subtle sweetness, whilst the cheese adds a light creaminess.

 WALNUT, SPINACH AND RAISIN RISOTTO

Serves 4

Preparation to plate time 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

250g brown rice

200g fresh spinach

2 red onions

40g raisins

1handful of fresh cracked walnuts about 50g saving some to sprinkle over the finished dish

Mixture of parmesan and cheddar cheese shavings- about a handful

Lots of salt and pepper to flavour

A glug of olive oil for frying

WHAT TO DO:

1.     Heat a pan of water and start to boil the rice for about 5 minutes.

2.     Finely chop the red onions and lightly soften in a large frying pan in the olive oil. After about 5 minutes add the broken walnuts and raisins and allow them to flavour the oil.

3.     Drain the rice into a bowl, keeping the water and tip into the pan with the onions, adding a couple of ladles of the rice water to enable it to continue to cook.

4.     Check every 5 or so minutes and keep adding more rice water to keep it cooking. Also at this stage add a couple of handfuls of spinach every few minutes and allow to wilt into the pan as you go.

5.     After about 20 minutes add some shavings of parmesan and a few shavings of cheddar and keep the rice moist until soft and creamy.

Spinach,walnut and raisin risotto

I used brown rice which takes longer to cook than traditional risotto rice but does add an earthiness to the flavour.

It took about 25 minutes in total but is an easy really tasty dish. You could use a blue cheese instead of the parmesan and cheddar but I think it would mask the sweetness of the raisins which would be a shame.

Ghent in Belgium

VEGETARIAN LIGHT FISH CURRY

LIGHT FISH CURRY

I can’t believe it has been so long since I posted.

Lots happening in all our lives which is exciting. Also Teen V started to eat a bit of meat after two and a half years of being vegetarian, only until she is 100% better she says, so my daily quest for tasty new vegetarian recipes has diminished a little.  That said, we were also hit by a bout of the novovirus over Easter so my plans and my lovely pictures of Easter treats were redundant.

Great timing! 

Nothing mattered once that took hold. For several days food has not been a priority, as you can imagine. Thankfully we are all better and up and about again.  

Hurray!

Also it finally feels like Spring’s here after a very long cold winter. 

Primroses- it must be spring at last

After a busy day we all fancied a proper curry. Not the Friday night blow your brains out type though, something with a bit more subtlety and depth of flavour. This curry has a great mix of flavours and is very fresh, light and fragrant. It is really easy to make and very economical.  The mix of tomatoes and coconut combine really well here to create a well blended rich sauce.

So if you fancy a change try this. It’s delicious and can be made in 20 minutes.

LIGHT FISH CURRY

Serves 4

Time to make 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

2 onions

4 cloves of garlic

2tbsp sunflower oil

1 tsp gourmet garden ginger paste or 1 inch fresh ginger

½ tsp gourmet garden chilli paste or 1fresh green chilli

1tbsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 160g can of coconut cream

1 400g can of chopped tomatoes then fill the can up half full and add

4 portions of white fish- I used frozen coley portions

2 handfuls of fresh spinach

Juice of 1/2 lime

½ tsp mango chutney

WHAT TO DO:

1.     Fry the chopped onion in the oil with the crushed garlic and ginger for about 5 minutes until softened.

2.     Add the spices- turmeric, coriander and chilli to the onions in the pan along with the tomatoes and the coconut and the mango chutney. Top up with half a can of water as well and then simmer for 10 minutes.

3.     If you are using frozen fish cut it up and add to the simmering mixture now. If you are using fresh fish wait until it has simmered before adding after 10 minutes. Fresh fish will take about 4-5 minutes to cook, frozen longer!!

4.     Season with salt and pepper and add a squeeze of fresh lime before you serve.

 

Limes

Serve with Brown rice, naam bread and mango chutney.. yumm