courgette recipes and red cabbage curry !!

Hi all

I am on hols !!
You wont miss me because I have a treat for you. Margaret who is a fab cook but in a completely different style will be doing the recipes for me. Enjoy something a bit different and new..

Sarah

From Margaret … some organic recipes

Courgettes
I love courgettes, they are so versatile eaten small, large or medium. I plan to grow again this year so I get the lovely flowers to stuff and deep fry. I also like marrow that dreaded and maligned veg. Courgettes are a great base and take strong flavours well. I eat courgette sliced lengthways to about 1/4 cm thick and then griddled with a little oil on a hot grill pan. Then marinate in chopped garlic and lemon juice for a few hours (and if I have in the garden lots of chopped parsley). This is good as a sandwich filling maybe with goats cheese, as part of a pizza topping or a veggie tart or as a side dish with other salads. It keeps in the fridge for a few days.

I like to fry courgettes in olive oil with some garlic on the pan and have as a side dish with maybe grilled chicken. This time of the year they can also be added to a risotto with whatever other greens you have around; young nettles if you have time to forage.

For a healthy option slice lengthways to 1/2 cm thick or in halves if courgettes are small and use instead of pasta in lasagne. Surprisingly nice and tasty…

Or chocolate courgette cake.. always moist. Here is a link to Riverford organic http://www.riverford.co.uk/recipes/recipe.php?recipeid=414&catid=8. My 5 and 2 year old nephews love making cakes chocolate if possible so this or chocolate beetroot brownies are favourites. The great thing is these cakes cant really go wrong as they dont rise too much. You can add some healthy spelt flour instead of the white if you want.

For a light supper or a lunchbox try Courgette Fritters.
For 2-3 people
Ingredients
2 medium courgettes grated and then squeezed in a clean tea towel
1 egg beaten (or use 2 tbsp chickpea flour and water)
1 tbsp plain flour or potato flour
1 teaspoon cumin seed or cumin and caraway mixed (lightly toasted on dry frying pan)
black pepper
chopped red chile (optional)
oil

Method
Heat oven to 150 -175
Put the grated courgette into a bowl and season with pepper.
Mix in all other ingredients.
Roll into small balls with your fingertips. Or make into patties if easier.
Heat oil in a wok at about 3 inches depth.
Carefully brown fritters on all sides then remove and dry on kitchen paper.
Put on a roasting tray in the oven for 15 minutes.

The fritters can be eaten hot of cold with a sour cream or greek yoghurt dip.

Sour Cream dip
To sour cream or greek yoghurt add a squeeze of lemon and chopped coriander or parsley or chives or dill…. Whatever beckons. I like to grow herbs in the garden as they can add that needed bit of flavour. I had these first with a Munich friend of Indian descent made to take to the beer garden for a picnic!! Happy memories

Eat with some green salad for a light supper !!

To vary fritters
Add grated carrot or spinach and eat straight out of the oven with an Indian style tomato sauce.

Red Cabbage

I like red cabbage best slow braised with apples in the oven. Sarah already has a recipe on the blog for this. It is great with pork or duck or game. As with any cabbage red is also good shredded stir fried and wilted with
sesame oil, vinegar and rice wine/sake and soy or possibly try cider vinegar, mirin and pomegranate molasses.
Another classic is a hearty borchst with red cabbage, tomatoes and beetroot topped with sour cream.

For an alternative try a simple Indian style curry with Red Cabbage. The spices help to make the cabbage more digestible !!

red chillies

Indian style curry with Red Cabbage
Ingredients

1 tsp mustard seed (optional)
1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves or garlic finely chopped
1cm piece of ginger finely chopped
1 chile finely chopped (if you dont like too spicy go for half a chile and put some in a bowl on the table for other people to add)
2 tomatoes finely chopped (I find canned better for this)
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 red cabbage shredded
a cup of sliced courgette or whatever other veg you have to hand like shredded carrot or beetroot
optional some cooked aduki beans
oil
salt
half can coconut milk or about 1/4 block of coconut
fresh chopped coriander or curry leaves
1 tbsp of garam masala
optional 1 tsp poppy seed 25g cashews ground together in food processor

Method
Heat oil in deep pan and pop the mustard seed. Then add the onion and fry gently in some oil till softened. Add ginger and garlic and chile.
(a good trick here if busy is chop onion earlier in day with garlic add some oil and maybe some stock and roast in a low oven for 40 minutes then puree)
Then add tomatoes and fry gently.
Add sugar and sprinkling of salt.
Add the veg and stir and cook for a few minutes stirring and put lid on and cook for 15-20 minutes adding some water to nearly cover veg if needed.
Then add the coconut milk or shredded block coconut with little water .
Stir in the masala and the ground seed and nuts if using.
If you have a lime or lemon handy a squeeze is always good just before serving.
Serve with plain rice and some chutney.

Enjoy Margaret

Brussels Sprouts and Red Cabbage for Christmas

Hi everyone,
 
All our bags this week have a head of Red Cabbage which can of course be used in salads but a great, and very seasonal, way to use this variety is to cook it slowly with Apple, Spices, Red Wine Vinegar and Sugar which gives it a beautiful sweet and sour flavour. It’s a dish some people serve on Christmas day (and I’d say it makes just about any roast) so if you’re stuck for ideas this might be just the thing especially because you can make it the day before and it looks really beautiful (you can do that Nigella thing of matching your food to your outfit with this one)
 
Braised Red Cabbage with Apple and Spices (This recipe will serve 4-6 as part of a roast meat meal but as it keeps well you may want to make more)
Finely shred 500gr Red Cabbage discarding the core and any tough leaves. Finely slice 1 large Onion and sauté over a lowish heat with a generous knob of Butter until soft. While the Onions are cooking, in a casserole dish (or any ovenproof dish with a lid) combine the Cabbage, 1 Large Apple grated, 4-5 Cloves, a Cinnamon stick (or generous pinch of powdered Cinnamon), 1/4 teaspoon Allspice, 1/4 Ground Nutmeg, 4 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar, 150ml Water, 2 Tablespoons of Dark Brown Sugar and 2 Tablespoons Blackcurrant Jam ( a friend of mine swears by a dash of Ribena instead of this but I’ve yet to try it). Add the Onions and mix everything up seasoning well with Salt and Pepper.Cover and put into a medium oven for about an hour and a half stirring every 30 minutes or so.
 
I thought I’d put Brussel Sprouts in the bags this week because in most houses they’re only ever cooked on Christmas day when they are usually overcooked ,because nobody knows what to do with them, then neglected on the plate and finally thrown in the bin. It’s a shame because they are actually very nice if you know what to do with them and my gratin with Bacon(organic more than ever of course!) , Parmesan and Cream will prove it. We ate it last night with lamb and lots of other good things and everyone reckoned it was the highlight of the meal. 
 
Brussel Sprouts Gratin with Bacon and Parmesan (for 2)
Prepare your Sprouts by peeling back the discoloured outer leaves and making a cross at the base with a sharp knife (nobody knows why you have to do this but you do). Bring them to the boil and cook for about 5 minutes until soft with a hint of bite (i.e. not the pulp you might be familiar with). Drain and allow  to cool down a bit while you chop up 3 streaky Rashers and sauté in a pan. When the Sprouts have cooled halve them and in an ovenproof dish combine them with the Bacon and 2 Tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. Season well with Salt and Pepper then add 150 ml double cream. Mix everything allowing the cream to coat all the Sprouts and then top with another 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan and a light sprinkling of breadcrumbs. Bake in a hottish oven (Gas mark 6) for about 24 minutes until golden brown.
Vegetarians can leave out the Bacon and it still tastes great.
 
If you want to eat this on Christmas days (and you will)  prepare everything up to the oven stage the day before or on  the morning and then stick it in the oven 25 minutes  before you carve.
 
If you want to keep it simple on the day things to try would be steaming your sprouts  then tossing them on the pan with ……….
sautéed Onions and Butter
flaked Almonds
toasted Hazelnuts
Chestnuts
Sesame seeds, Sesame oil and a little Tamari or Soy sauce
 
 
Have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy new year.
 
Sarah

Red Cabbage

Hi everyone,
 
This week our selections all have a Red Cabbage which, like all Cabbage, is packed with Iron, Calcium, Potassium and fibre and is high in Vitamins C, B1, B2. B3 and D. Like most veggies it is of course at its most nutritious if you eat it raw so I’ve always tended to use it in salads where it works really well with Carrots, all kinds of nuts, Avocado, Goat’s Cheese, Feta Cheese, Onion, Asian Flavours etc etc.

Recently though, I’ve start cooking with it and find it works really well in soups and stirfries. As the weather’s turned so nippy my first recipe this week is for a kind of Lentil soup/stew that is perfect for this kind of weather. It’s really simple to make and it’s a great way to get kids to eat loads of vegetables. As Lentils are so nutritious (they also lower cholesterol I found out recently) this dish is a meal in itself especially if you eat it with some brown rice.This recipe will give you enough for about 4 or 5 servings. Leftovers will freeze well or make a very quick lunch the next day with bread and cheese.

I should say that the list of ingredients is not at all prescriptive but a guide – feel free to add any root veg you have lying around as well as Celery, Peppers and Tomatoes. If you add spuds don’t add them until after the first half hour of cooking as they will fall apart and go to mush. Courgettes don’t really work as they just disintegrate and Aubergines need too much precooking which just slows down the cooking.

Puy Lentil Vegetable Soup

You’ll need:

Olive Oil

3 Medium Onions

3 Medium Carrots

200gr Mushroom (about what you have in your bag this week)

1/2 head Garlic

1 Tablespoon fresh Thyme or 1 Teaspoon dried (don’t worry too much if you don’t have this)

A couple of Bay Leaves

1 Red Cabbage

1 tin Chopped Tomatoes

250gr Puy Lentils (or any other kind you have)

2L Vegetable Stock (as usual I use Marigold)

As time is almost always of the essence for me these days rather than preparing all the veg before I start I chop and add the ingredients to the pot as I go. So, begin by chopping your Onions and saute over a low to medium heat in a generous amount of Olive Oil (ie enough to stop you having to stir things constantly). As the Onions get going dice your Carrots and then throw them in followed by the Mushrooms (roughly chopped). Add some Salt, the Thyme and Bay Leaves and turn up the heat slightly to allow the veg to fry rather than sweat for a few minutes. Roughly chop your Garlic and throw it in turning down the heat slightly. Shred the Cabbage and throw that in too. Cook for a few more minutes then add the Tomatoes. Rinse the Lentils and throw them in then add the stock.

Allow things to come to the boil then turn down the heat and cover. Cook for about 50 minutes stirring occasionally.

To serve drizzle a little Sherry Vinegar on top or sprinkle with grated Parmesan.

Another recent discovery for Red Cabbage has been stirfried with rice which you can serve with fish, tofu or dahl. Either way the red Cabbage looks gorgeous. As I mentioned above I tend to cook rice at the beginning of the week so I’ve always got something to take the panic out of cooking midweek. I prefer shortgrain Brown Rice which you’ll find in the healthfood shop (the Hopsack in Rathmines is my fav) as it’s way more nutritious than white and has a delicious nutty flavour

Stir-fried Red Cabbage with Ginger and toasted Pumpkin seeds(for 2)

You’ll need:

Enough brown rice for 2 people

2 Medium Onions

1/2 Red Cabbage

4-5 Cloves Garlic roughly chopped

A piece of Ginger about the size of your thumb peeled and minced

Fresh or dried Chilli (optional)

A handful of Pumpkin Seeds

Begin by chopping the Onions and shredding your Cabbage. Heat some vegetable oil on the pan and throw on the Onions and toss them over a medium to high heat for a few minutes. Add the Cabbage and continue to toss everything. Turn down the heat a bit and add the Garlic and Ginger along with a little Chilli of you fancy some heat. Continue cooking until the Cabbage has wilted and reduced in size and the Garlic has softened.

Add the rice and continue cooking until it has warmed through then turn off the heat. Toast the Pumpkin seeds on a dry pan over a medium heat until they have started to pop and change colour. Mix them through the rice along with a dash of Soy sauce or Tamari and serve.

Hope you enjoy these recipes,

Have a spooky weekend,

Sarah