Turkish Baked Pancakes

These are a bit like the gozleme I get from the Turkish shop down the road from me, except the shell on these is a bit harder, I suspect because it is baked rather than cooked over a brazier thing. I loved them anyway, a nice project for a Sunday lunch!

Turkish Baked Pancakes (from The Telegraph)
(Serves 4)

150g 00 pasta flour
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 salt
75-120ml ice-cold water

For the filling
225 feta, crumbled
4 tbsp chopped mint
4 tbsp chopped dill
4 tbsp chopped coriander

Put the flour into a bowl and add the olive oil and salt. Add 75ml of water and mix until a soft, smooth dough forms, adding more water if necessary. Dust the dough ball lightly with flour, wrap in cling film and put into the fridge for 30 mins.

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Remove the dough from the fridge and cut into 4 pieces. Dust the worktop with plenty of flour then roll one piece out into a small disc. The dough will become tight, so leave to rest for a couple of mins until soft again.

Roll it, resting from time to time into a circle. When it measure 25cm across it should be paper thin.

Scatter a thin layer of cheese and herbs over half the dough, leaving a 1cm border round the edge.

Brush the edge with water then lift and fold the other half of the bread to make a semi circle.

Lift carefully onto a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 mins until puffed and pale gold.

Tuna Burger

This is a yummy tuna burger. Add as much or as little chilli as you like depending on your tolerance. Lovely Asian flavours.

Tuna Burger
(Serves 2)

150g tuna steak
1 egg
15g fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp grated lime zest
1 cm ginger, grated
2 tbsp chopped coriander
1/4 red chilli, chopped
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
squeeze lime juice
2 wholemeal buns

Put the tuna in a food processor and whizz until quite finely chopped but not pureed.

Mix the salmon with the egg, lime zest, ginger, coriander and chilli. Shape into 2 large flat burgers.

Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add a little oil. Add the burgers and cook for 4-5 mins per side.

While the burgers are cooking, mix together the mayonnaise, chilli sauce and lemon juice.

Lightly toast the bun and spread the sweet chilli mayo on both halves. Top with the tuna burger nd some lettuce and serve.

Swede and Leek Soup

This came out the newsletter that comes with my veg bag. It's a delicious veg soup, lovely and warming for this chilly weather.

Swede and Leek Soup (from Organiclea)
(Serves 4-6)

2 tbsp oil
700g swede, peeled and diced
225g potatoes, peeled and diced
450g leeks, sliced
1 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 tsp mixed herbs
1.5l vegetable stock
salt and pepper
150ml milk

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and saute the swede, potatoes, leeks and garlic for 5 mins.

Add the mixed herbs, veg stock and season.

Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 mins or until the veg are soft.

Using a hand blender, puree the soup until smooth. Stir in the milk, reheat and serve.

Prawn Okonomiyaki

My second lot of pancakes. This a Japanese pancake normally made with just cabbage but I thought I'd add some prawns in. It is absolutely delicious drizzled with sriracha hot sauce and mayonnaise.

Prawn Okonomiyaki (adapted from The Guardian)
(Serves 1)

1 egg
50g plain flour
50g stock, cooled
1-2 tsp spring onions, chopped
½ tsp fresh ginger, grated
125g cabbage, thinly shredded
10 king prawns, cut into 3
oil

To garnish
mayonnaise
sriracha sauce

Mix together the egg and flour, then stir in the cooled stock, making sure that there are no lumps. Add the spring onions, ginger, cabbage and prawns.

Heat a thin layer of oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Pour the mixture into the pan, and fry for five mins each side. Add the garnishes to taste, and serve immediately.

Squash and Sweetcorn Pancakes

I'm loving pancakes at the moment, in all sorts of varieties. I made slightly larger pancakes and I served them with hummus, yoghurt and cherry tomatoes. Yum!

Squash and Sweetcorn Pancakes (from Little Grazers)
(Makes 10 little pancakes)

100g butternut squash, cubed
100g plain flour
120ml milk
1 egg
45g frozen sweetcorn
1/2 tsp paprika
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
vegetable oil

Add the butternut squash to a steamer over some boiling hot water and steam until softened. Add to a bowl and mash, set aside and allow to cool.

Add the flour and egg and whisk until you have a smooth slightly thick batter. Stir in the cheese, sweetcorn and paprika.

Grease a frying pan over a medium high heat with some vegetable oil. Add heaped tbsps of the mixture to make mini pancakes and cook until golden on both sides.

Chicken, Bacon and Mushroom Potato Pie

I made this for my parents a couple of weeks ago. I liked it but the sauce split. I'm not sure why. It was pretty tasty though, I like potatoes as the pie crust.

Chicken, Bacon and Mushroom Potato Pie (from Let The Baking Begin)
(Serves 4)

1.35kg potatoes, sliced thinly
2 chicken breasts
300g button mushrooms, quartered
4 strips thick cut bacon, cut into ⅓ inch pieces
½ large onion, chopped
30g grated cheese
125ml stock
60ml single cream
salt and pepper, to taste
garlic powder

Heat a frying pan over medium heat, add the chopped bacon and render the bacon until it crisps up. Add the chopped onions to the bacon and continue cooking until the onion is golden in colour. Tilt the frying pan to the side allow the fat to drip to the bottom and remove the onion and bacon to a separate bowl.

Heat the frying pan on high with the bacon fat in it, add the mushrooms and brown them over high heat, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat. Add the salt, pepper and garlic powder, mix to coat.

Cut the chicken breast into 1 inch pieces. Add the salt, black pepper and garlic powder and toss to coat.

Layer the ingredients in the following order: chicken, half of bacon and onion mixture, light sprinkling of cheese, mushrooms, bacon and onion mixture, a little bit of salt and pepper to season the mushrooms, light sprinkling of cheese and lastly arrange most of the potatoes on top.

Mix the chicken stock and cream and pour on top. Cover the baking dish with foil or lid. Place into preheated to 220C oven and bake for 15 mins, then reduce the heat to 180C and bake for another 40 mins. Remove the foil or the lid and cook for additional 20-30 mins or until the top is golden brown. Serve.

Courgette Falafel

These were delicious, I made a full batch and I think I turned all of them into a falafel pitta sandwich with yoghurt, pickles and lettuce. Really easy to make and tasty.

Courgette Falafel (from Tesco Magazine)
(Serves 4)

1/2 large courgette, trimmed and grated
2 400g tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 tbsp plain flour
2 tsp harissa
handful coriander, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 lemon, zested and juiced

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Wrap the courgette in a clean tea towel and squeeze out any excess moisture. Set aside.

Put the chickpeas, flour, harissa, coriander, 1 garlic clove, the lemon zest and a little seasoning in a food processor. Whizz until smooth. Add half the courgette and pulse briefly to combine.

Divide the mixture into 12 equal balls, then flatten into patties. Place the patties on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 mins. Serve.

One-Pot Cod with Chorizo, Butter Beans and Goat's Cheese

I loved this dish, it was so easy to make with minimal washing up and super tasty. Really one worth making.

One-Pot Cod with Chorizo, Butter Beans and Goat's Cheese
(Serves 4)

4 pollack fillets
25g plain flour, for dusting
oil
400g can butter beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cooking chorizo cut into strips
200ml chicken stock
500g baby spinach
100g goat's cheese
2 tsp butter
crusty bread

Dust the pollack fillets with flour, shaking off any excess.

Heat a frying pan until hot, add a little oil and fry the fish fillets for 3-4 mins until golden brown. Carefully turn the fish over and fry for a further 1-2 mins or until golden and just cooked through.

Add the butter beans and chorizo to the pan, then add the stock and cook for 4 mins to heat through.

Add the spinach, goat's cheese and butter to the pan and cook until the cheese has melted. Place each fish fillet into a shallow serving bowl and spoon the butter bean mixture around. Serve with crusty bread.

Stuffed Chayote

I got a chayote in my veg bag one week. I had never heard of it or seen one before, but it's always fun to try something new! I googled and came up with this stuffed chayote recipe. These were surprisingly really tasty.

Stuffed Chayote (from Cook Pad)
(Serves 3)

3 medium chayote squash, cut in half
140g chorizo, chopped
2 small corn on the cob, kernels removed
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 tbsp chopped coriander
50g cheddar

Preheat oven to 180°C

Cook the chayote in a pot of boiling water for 20-30 mins, until tender but firm. Remove from the water and leave to cool.

While the chayote is cooling, cook the chorizo in a frying pan. When fully cooked tip into a kitchen towel. In the same sauce pan which should still have a tiny bit of grease left in pan from chorizo, add the onion and cook for 5 mins, add the corn, peppers and tomato. Saute for 1 min.

Scoop the seeds out of the chayote and discard. Scoop out meat leaving about a 1/4" shell.

Chop the chayote flesh and place in a bowl. Add the chorizo, onions, corn, peppers, tomatoes, coriander and half the cheese. Mix well.

Stuff the chayote shells with the mixture. Bake for 30 mins. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top for the last 5 mins of cooking time.

Smoked Mackerel and Beetroot Frittata

This was a delicious fritttata, it's along time since I've made one, but this was definitely a success. Yummy!

Smoked Mackerel and Beetroot Frittata (from The Times)
(Serves 1)

1 cooked beetroot, diced
1 smoked mackerel fillet, flaked
oil
3 eggs
1 tsp sage

Preheat the grill to high. Heat the oil in a small frying pan, add the beetroot and smoked mackerel and cook for 2-3 mins.

Whisk the eggs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Pour them into the pan, making sure all the ingredients are well spread out and are covered by the eggs. Sprinkle over the sage and cook over a medium heat for about 4 mins, until the underside is cooked.

Transfer the pan to the grill and cook for 4 mins, until the eggs have set. Serve.

Meal Planning Monday

Last week was busy. My veg bag arrived, last week I got jerusalem artichokes, carrots, turnip, leeks and kale. I've already made Leek and Swede Soup.

I also had my work's Christmas Dinner on Friday night at The Elgin on Ladbroke Grove. I only managed to take a picture of my starter; Bubble and Squeak with Poached Egg and Hollandaise Sauce. That was really good and the best part of my meal.

This week is also busy. I've got a cooking workshop at the Foundling Museum on Tuesday, which I'm really looking forward to and also some theatre on Thursday. At the weekend I'm going to the Delaunay again with my family. I'm really looking forward to that too!

Monday
Smoked Salmon and Sundried Tomato Barley Salad
Cannelloni Nicoise Style with Salad

Tuesday
Borlotti and Runner Beans with Sage and Tomato
Out at a workshop

Wednesday
Mushroom Galette with Salad
Glazed Pork Steak with Mash and Veg

Thursday
Leek and Swede Soup with Bread
Out before the theatre

Friday
Bacon and Leek Quiche with Salad
Courgette and Quinoa Burger

Saturday

Out at The Delaunay

Sunday
Baked Turkish Pancakes (The Telegraph)
Chicken and Broad Bean Pilaf (Hairy Dieters)

Leftover Turkey Green Enchiladas

I got to take some of the turkey leftovers from Thanksgiving home. The first thing I made were these enchiladas. I had tomatillos from the garden, so I used them to make a green enchilada sauce along with some poblanos from the garden too. Please adjust the chills to your liking. I also made my own tortillas using a Jamie Oliver taco recipe from Money Saving Meals. They were a lot of fun to make and definitely tasted better than shop bought ones.

Leftover Turkey Green Enchiladas
(Serves 4)

For the enchilada sauce

450g tomatillos
4 garlic cloves
2 jalapeno chillis, sliced
2 poblano peppers, sliced
2 serrano chillis, sliced
2 tbsp chopped coriander
½ tbsp cumin
1 tbsp spicy chili powder
salt and pepper
500ml chicken stock

1 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
300g leftover turkey
200g green beans
100g sweetcorn
300g leftover turkey
1 tbsp chipotle paste
60g cream cheese
8 tortillas
100g cheddar, grated

First make the sauce. Preheat the oven to 180C.

Peel and rinse the tomatillos. Chop them in half and set them skin sides up onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Add the peppers and the garlic to baking sheet and bake for 20-30 mins, or until the pepper skins are nice and charred. Remove from heat and leave to cool a little.

Peel the skins from the peppers and add the peppers to a food processor with the tomatillos and garlic. Add the coriander, cumin, chili powder and salt and pepper. Process to combine. Add the chicken stock and blend until smooth.

Heat a frying pan and add the oil. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 mins. Add the green beans and the sweetcorn and cook for 5 more mins. Add the leftover turkey and chipotle paste a cook stirring for a couple of mins. Add the cream cheese and stir to combine.

Put a little of the sauce in the bottom of an ovenproof dish.

Divide the filling between the tortillas, roll up and then place in the oven-proof dish. Cover with the rest of the sauce and top with the cheese. Bake in the oven for 30 mins until golden on top.

Chicken Salad with Raspberry Dressing

This was a yummy salad. It used up some of the loganberries that I picked from my garden in the summer. I added the veggies to the salad as I needed to eat them and I love to throw green veg in anywhere I can!

Chicken Salad with Raspberry Dressing (adapted from Waitrose Kitchen Magazine)
(Serves 4)

2 tbsp oil
150g bread, torn into chunks
6 chicken thigh fillets
salad leaves
veg (beans, broccoli, peas), cooked and cooled
1 shallot, sliced
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
150g raspberries

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan and add the bread, fry for 2-3 mins until golden.

Rub the chicken with 1/2 tbsp oil, season and fry for 4-6 mins on each side until cooked through. Cover with foil and set aside to rest.

Meanwhile, arrange the salad leaves and the veg on a platter, top with the croutons.

Add the last 1 tbs oil to the pan and fry the shallot for 2 mins, until softened. Add the vinegar and the raspberries, then warm over a low heat until the berries start to burst. Season, then slice the chicken and add it back in to the pan. Spoon over the salad and serve.

Sausage, Cheddar and Mushroom Pasta Bake

I made this delicious pasta bake for dinner a couple of weeks ago. It was fab, really easy to make. I made a couple of changes, I added green beans to the recipe and I put tomatoes on top before the finally bake as I love tomatoes in macaroni cheese!

Sausage, Cheddar and Mushroom Pasta Bake (from Sainsbury's Magazine)
(Serves 6)

8 sausages
2 tbsp oil
2 red onions, chopped into wedges
300g mushrooms, halved or quartered
400g macaroni
200g green beans, chopped in half
400ml crème fraîche
200g mature cheese

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Cut each sausage into three and put in a large roasting tin. Drizzle over the oil, season with black pepper and toss. Roast for 15-20 mins until the sausages are starting to colour.

Mix in the red onion and mushrooms and cook for a further 20 mins or until they are tender and the sausages are golden.

Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta for 10 mins adding the green beans for the last 3 mins of cooking time. Drain and toss in the tin with the sausages, onions and mushrooms. Spoon over the crème fraîche and stir it through, along with half of the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake for 10-15 mins until golden and crusty.

Meal Planning Monday

So, although I did go out for meals during the week. None of them were particularly notable! Then on Saturday I struck gold! For lunch I went to Mamie's on Catherine Street in Covernt Garden for galletes. I went for the Forestiere Complet, which was cheese, ham, mushroom and egg and was absolutely delicious. They have this ipad ordering system which you do all yourself at the table.

Then for dinner I went to the Delaunay. I chose it because the friends I was eating with are vegetarian and they have a good fish selection and a separate vegetarian menu. The meal was absolutely wonderful. I started with Salmon Tartare, which came with picked veg and toast and was very tasty. I followed that with Mushroom Stroganoff and Spaetzle, which again was really very good. Then I had Kaiserschmarren for pudding, which is cut up pieces of dough with plum compote. It was huge but so so good. I had to chare it with one of my friends in the end! I will definitely be going back.

This week I have several evenings out of theatre and then my Works Christmas Meal on Friday. I also made lots of soup this weekend, so I'm stocked as it's definitely the weather for it! I can't decide on Sunday lunch but hopefully inspiration will strike later in the week!

Monday
Cavolo Nero and Potato Soup with Bread
Out before the theatre

Tuesday
Curried Carrot and Butterbean Soup with Bread
Out before the theatre

Wednesday
Ham and Cucumber Wrap with Crisps
Cod with Chorizo and Beans with Bread (Waitrose)

Thursday
Salmon Pasta Salad
Chicken Curry, Onion Bhaji and Paratha

Friday
Curried Courgette Soup with Bread
Out for Work Christmas Do

Saturday
Out at Cafe Pacifico
Mixed Veg Stir Fry

Sunday
Okonomyaki
Tuna Burger (WeightWatchers)

Creamy Parmesan Mushroom and Spinach Tortellini Soup

This was a delicious creamy soup. Perfect for these cold winter evenings.

Creamy Parmesan Mushroom and Spinach Tortellini Soup (from Closet Cooking)
(Serves 4)

2 tbsp butter or oil
225g mushrooms, quartered or sliced
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp thyme, chopped
30g plain flour
125ml white wine
1.5l vegetable broth or chicken broth
225g cheese tortellini
40g parmesan, grated
280g baby spinach, coarsely chopped
125ml cream or milk
salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a pan over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms and onion and cook until they start to go golden, about 10-15 mins.

Mix in the garlic, thyme and flour and cook, stirring, until the flour starts to turn a light golden brown, about 2-3 mins. Add the wine and deglaze the pan.

Add the broth and tortellini, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the tortellini is tender, about 10 mins. Add the parmesan, let it melt, add the spinach, let it wilt, add the cream, season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Serve.

Steamed Salmon and Lemongrass Pilaff

This was really delicious. Perfectly cooked. I added the veggies in at the same time as the salmon. Yum!

Steamed Salmon and Lemongrass Pilaff (from The Times)
(Serves 4)

1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, sliced
40g fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp oil
salt
300g long-grain rice
750ml chicken stock
4 200g skinless salmon fillets, cut into 3cm pieces
handful coriander leaves
handful thai basil leaves
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 red chilli, thinly sliced
soy sauce, to serve

Place the lemongrass, ginger and garlic in a small food processor and process until the mixture is finely chopped.

Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the lemongrass mixture and salt and cook, stirring, for 4 mins.

Add the rice and stir to combine. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 12 mins.

Place the salmon on top of the rice mixture, cover and remove the pan from the heat. Allow to stand for 6 mins. Top the pilaf with coriander and basil leaves, spring onions, chilli and soy sauce to serve.