Sunday
28Feb2010
lazy sunday supper
Sunday, February 28, 2010 at 18:55 
st killian cheese. with celery and crackers. i wish i'd picked up some grapes as well.
tagged cheese in vegetarian
cheese in vegetarian Entries in cheese (26)
Sunday, February 28, 2010 at 18:55 Wednesday
03Feb2010
cheesy pumpkin and thyme quesadillas
Wednesday, February 3, 2010 at 06:00 
i made vast quantities of empanadas for our latino party. i used the smitten kitchen recipe for empanada pastry which was, as deb says, very easy to work with. it’s an interesting pastry as it contains vinegar, which i’ve not come across before, and which is slightly confusing as you smell hints of it when working with the pastry. it’s also a deliciously light and flaky pastry which would, i think, be good for lots of pasty recipes.
i made two fillings. one was deb’s chicken olive and chorizo mix, the other a cheese and pumpkin combination. both worked really well but, as my pumpkin was huge (a wonderfully textured and flavoured crown prince – if you find orange pumpkins bland and watery give this grey-green variety a try) i had lots leftover which we used to make quesadillas with.
this was my first foray into the world of quesadillas and i was surprised how easy it was and how filling they were – two each and both david and i were full. we also found the leftover chilli sweetcorn and courgette bake to be a good quesadilla filling.
tagged cheese, feta, mozzarella, pumpkin in vegetarian
cheese, feta, mozzarella, pumpkin in vegetarian Wednesday
23Dec2009
cauliflower, mustard and cheddar soup
Wednesday, December 23, 2009 at 06:01 
this cauliflower, mustard and cheddar soup recipe is perfect if you accidentally bought too many vegetables for your festive meals and have a cauliflower in need of a good home. it’s also wonderful if you love the simple flavours of cauliflower cheese and fancy them in something a bit different.
the recipe is courtesy of nigel slater and is comfort food at its best given how quick and easy it is to make, plus the fact that you can turn it from healthy to indulgent with a simple scattering of croutons (i restrained myself) and grated cheese (i didn’t).
tagged cauliflower, cheese in soup, vegetarian
cauliflower, cheese in soup, vegetarian Wednesday
09Dec2009
pumpkin, pistachio and sage ravioli with a saffron cheese sauce
Wednesday, December 9, 2009 at 21:31 
sorry for the quiet blog, it’s been a crazy few weeks – mystery bugs, food poisoning (avoid crystal palace football club!), a slip down the stairs (if anyone has any tips on how to sort out a bruised coccyx, let me know – 3 weeks on and i’m still in a lot of pain!) and a busy time at work.
however, i’m getting myself back on track and last weekend i made the effort to spend some time in the kitchen. i had a huge pumpkin which needed using so i roasted it with olive oil, chilli flakes, salt and pepper then settled down with my cookery books to find inspiration.
dennis cotter’s book was where i stopped and i decided to try his recipe for pumpkin, pistachio and sage ravioli with a saffron cheese sauce. stodge of the first degree but hopefully stodge that is soothing to make (kneading and stirring always calm me down) and delicious to eat.
sadly it wasn’t that simple. my beautiful orange pumpkin had very little flavour. i don’t know what variety it was but i’ll be sticking to butternut squash or specific varieties of pumpkin which i know taste good, such as those recommended by dennis cotter. the grey-green crown prince is a particular favourite of his.
the dish was a bit bland as a result which, for me, wasn’t helped by the very gentle flavours of the rest of the dish. i tried to add a bit of interest with some wilted spinach and a fresh tomato sauce (olive oil, garlic and tomatoes slow-cooked to make a thick sauce). the sauce really helped balance the mildly flavoured nut and pumpkin ravioli and the rich and creamy saffron cheese sauce.
this is not my kind of dish but if you want soothing stodge in the style of macaroni cheese (which i do love and it is my first choice on cold wet days) then maybe you’ll enjoy eating this as much as i enjoyed making it.
tagged cheese, pumpkin in pasta, vegetarian
cheese, pumpkin in pasta, vegetarian Tuesday
24Nov2009
a festive salad
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 at 06:00 
pomegranates and walnuts – two delicious ingredients which, i think, make eating salad a good idea despite the chilly weather.
i’m sure i’ve done something like this before. or, if this exact combination is new to me, perhaps it’s just that the various ingredients are old favourites, which i regularly turn to.
the leaves are dressed simple with walnut oil and lemon juice. i topped these with pieces of parma ham, lightly toasted walnuts and fresh goats curd before sprinkling with pomegranate seeds and a drizzle of 12yo balsamic vinegar.
it took 5 minutes to make and a similar amount of time to eat but is a great way to start a meal which is going to place more onerous demands on you and your stomach. something to bear in mind as we approach the festive season, perhaps?
tagged balsamic vinegar, cheese, goats cheese, nutcs, parma ham, pomegranate in meat, salad
balsamic vinegar, cheese, goats cheese, nutcs, parma ham, pomegranate in meat, salad 