roasted aubergine with slow cooked onion and feta

my love affair with jerusalem continues. i’m still trying new recipes but am also starting to make for the second, third or more-th time some of the dishes which i’ve particularly enjoyed.

this roasted aubergine with fried onion and chopped lemon is one such dish. it’s very simple – the aubergines are halved and the flesh scored in a criss-cross pattern before roasting, skin side down, until they are golden and cooked through.

the topping is a simple of mix of slow-cooked onions to which chopped chilli, cumin, sumac and, most interestingly, feta are added. the final few minutes when these are cooked is when the feta starts to melt and integrate the flavours of the onion, chilli and spices. the final touch is a “sauce” of chopped lemon, minus the pith and skin, plus a little more chilli and garlic which adds a wonderful freshness to everything.

served at room temperature with just warmed onions and the lemon sauce, this is easy to make ahead and perfect as part of a jerusalem feast!

orang-a-tang

so, sober january is out of the way and its time to get back onto the cocktails. this has a passing nod to healthiness with all the orange and line juice it contains. the cointreau, vodka and dark rum are what liven it up!

shake with ice 1 ½ shots vodka, ¾ shot cointreau, 3 shots freshly squeezed orange juice, ¾ shot lime juice, ½ shot grenadine syrup. stain into a tall ice-filled glass and float* ½ a shot of dark rum.

* i’m not sure about the value of this and preferred the drink once i’d stirred it in.

lentil soup

january is traditionally a month of austerity, a time when we try to make amends for our overindulgence with food, booze and spending.  lentil soup is a great store cupboard dish which counters all of the above indulgences but in a way that doesn’t feel like it’s a dish of deprivation.

i was convinced i hadn’t blogged this recipe but given i’ve been cooking for almost twenty years, perhaps it is unsurprising that i have.

it’s a rose elliott recipe which can be kept cheap and simple – onion, carrot, red lentils, stock and a bit of milk – or oomphed up with cream, yoghurt or croutons. the main thing for me, whichever version i make, is the squeeze of lemon juice which makes it nice and tangy.

exploring edinburgh

 

at the end of last year, david and i spent a few very lovely days in edinburgh, which was a much-needed break and exceeded our expectations. i have to confess that when it comes to scotland i always choose glasgow over edinburgh but, having had such a lovely time and eaten such delicious food (keep reading for details of all the places we enjoyed), i think i might be more even-handed when i make decisions in future.

we stayed in leith which is just out of the city centre and, being located on the waterfront, is an area that has long been referred to as edinburgh’s port. it is also home to several restaurants, some of which are michelin-starred, as well as plenty of pubs and cafes. we stayed local on our first night and ate at michelin-starred martin wishart.

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spiced caramel apples

i go through phases with certain dishes – i develop an obsession which means i cook something as often as possible for as many people as possible. sometimes the dish then enters a less regular rotation or i need a complete break – there’s no rhyme or reason but there is usually something that grabs my attention.

last winter it was farro with pumpkin and slow-cooked cavolo nero (cavolo catches my eye every year and i buy it constantly whenever it is in season). during the summer and autumn i moved onto ricotta gnocchi. both of these are recipes from suzanne goin’s sunday suppers at lucques. this book is also responsible for the plate of deliciousness above, which will, i think, be a new passion of mine.

butter is browned with some vanilla and then mixed with sugar (a mix of white and brown), spices (i used cloves and nutmeg) and brandy. halved apples are tossed in this mix and then roasted, with the sugary mix used as a baste every ten minutes. we ate this with double cream and had double portions. all the way through i kept pausing to reflect how delicious the caramel was, with it’s spice and tang of apple, contrasting with the soft sweet apples and rich cream.

heaven on a plate. i can’t wait to make it again.

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