Spicy tahini lime noodles

Serves 2

Ingredients

190g thin rice noodles

40g kale, destemmed and roughly chopped

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 tbsp tahini paste

2 tsp gochujang (or substitute with harissa paste)

2 tbsp soy sauce (or substitute with tamari sauce)

2 tbsp lime juice

1 small garlic clove, finely minced

½ tbsp fresh ginger, minced

160g cooked edamame beans

½ cucumber, sliced

2 spring onions, sliced

2 tsp crispy chilli oil

1 tsp sesame seeds

Method

Place the noodles in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them soak for 5–7 mins, until tender. Drain and set aside.

While they soak, put the kale in a separate bowl, drizzle with sesame oil, and massage until it softens slightly.

In a small bowl, mix together the tahini, gochujang, soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, and ginger for a creamy dressing.

Add the noodles to the kale. Pour the dressing over and toss everything together until well coated.

Divide the noodles between two bowls. Top with the edamame, cucumber, spring onion, chilli oil, and sesame seeds. Serve warm or cold.

Taken from Stress-Free Dinners by Richard Makin

Chocolate Banana Flapjacks

Adjusted from last one I tried, yet to try

Basically for using up bananas

Last time used walnuts but now nut free for after school snacks

Designed to use coconut sugar but originally BBC recipe used maple syrup

Double quantity from last time to try to fill our Pampered Chef tray

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Ingredients

200g butter, plus extra for greasing

50g coconut sugar

1/4 tsp fine salt (or 1/2 tsp if using unsalted butter)

4 tbsp water

400g oats

140g raisins

60g desiccated coconut

4 tbsp milled linseed

4 tbsp cocoa powder

620g bananas (about 5 to 6 medium), mashed

Method

Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Grease your tin (about 20x35cm) and line with baking paper.

Peel the bananas and mash well in a large bowl until mostly smooth. A few small lumps are fine.

Put the butter, coconut sugar and salt in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until the butter melts and the sugar mostly dissolves into a loose syrup, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the water.

Take off the heat. Add the oats, raisins, coconut, linseed, cocoa and mashed banana. Mix well until everything is evenly coated, with no dry streaks of cocoa.

Press firmly into the tin and bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, until the centre is set. Check from 20 minutes and lay baking paper loosely over the top if it's darkening too fast.

Mark into 24 pieces without cutting all the way through. Leave until cold, then cut. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

Add the water last and hold some back if the mix already looks workable; the coconut and banana between them carry a lot of moisture. Easier to add than to remove.

The mix fills a 20x35x2.5cm tin to about the rim. It won't rise, so press it level.

Sugar is deliberately low and the cocoa is bitter, so it tastes only lightly sweet. Push the sugar up to 70 to 80g next time if you want it sweeter.

Butter bean curry

 This worked well and was already quite hot with our mild curry powder and no chilli

Blitzed the paste with the hand blender in the clear plastic jug, worked fine

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/curried_butter_beans_34633

Farinata

Latest recipe:

Mix chickpea flour, water, olive oil, and salt; rest the batter; bake in a very hot oven until thin, crisp-edged, and golden.

Ingredients (serves 2–3)

100 g chickpea flour

300 ml water

2 tbsp olive oil (plus extra for the tray)

½ tsp salt

Black pepper (optional)

Optional: rosemary or thinly sliced onion

Method

Whisk flour, water, salt, and olive oil until smooth.

Rest at room temperature for 1–2 hours (removes raw taste; improves texture). Skim any foam.

Heat oven to 230–250°C. Place a well-oiled metal baking tray (or cast iron pan) in the oven to get very hot.

Stir batter, then pour into the hot tray to about 3–5 mm depth. Add pepper or toppings if using.

Bake 15–20 minutes until set and golden with crisp edges. For extra colour, finish under the grill for 2–3 minutes.

Rest a few minutes, slice, and serve warm.

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Followed this recipe and it's the best I've tried:

https://www.themediterraneandish.com/farinata-recipe/#how-to-make-farinata

Took our big oven tray, heated with olive oil, they poured all batter in. Cooked for 15 minutes. Nearly didn't stick, just 1 square CM did. Don't really understand the thing about pulling the oil over the batter, but kind of dragged a wooden spoon across the surface from the olive oil pooled at the edges. Don't think it made a difference.

Had oven at 250C but oil hit smoke point while preheating. Next time try 200C.

Roast halibut

Bought 2.5kg halibut loin from Billingsgate for £55. About 1cm thick at one end and 2.5cm at other end. Alex and Femke helped cook for NYE.

- Pan cooked some strip of roast pepper

- Sliced red potatoes and parboiled

- Roasted halves of small onions

- Made a big parcel from foil. Put in potatoes, scattering of onions and peppers. Also capers and lemon slices. Put halibut on top and closed parcel.

- Roasted for 45 mins (at 180c?). After 30 mins the thinner part was cooked but the thicker part definitely needed more time.

- served with sauce of oil, capers, parsley + extra peppers

Went well, would do same again exactly.

Bought from stall at back of Billingsgate near cafe, around 5:30am. They weren't very friendly. Next time could try the one MSC certified place, which was closed when I was there.

Recipes used for reference:

https://food52.com/recipes/289-halibut-and-vegetables-en-papillote

https://www.thespruceeats.com/simple-lemon-caper-sauce-3060546

Shortcrust pastry

 Haven't tried it yet, but this looks good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjtxrY0jTaA

250g flour

125g butter (tried with vegan block)

1 egg yolk

50ml water

pinch of salt

Parsnip, feta & butter bean pie

This worked very well but was quite a lot of work. On the other hand it made lots. Could probably simplify the filling. But the principles are very useful - fill a pie with creme fraiche, eggs, feta and veg and it's delicious.

I used a spelt flour pastry instead of the one here, pastry recipe in another post. I used 400g of flour (doubling quantities in the other recipe) and had loads - enough to make 2 pies one in the round ceramic lidded dish with the flowers, and the other in a silicone loaf tin. And still had pastry left over for an apple flan.

• Prep:35 mins
• Cook:1 hr and 35 mins plus resting and cooling
• Serves 8 - 10

Ingredients - pastry

• 400g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 150g rye flour
• 300g cold butter, cut into cubes
• 1 tbsp thyme leaves
• 2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk to glaze
• pinch of dried thyme or mixed herbs

Ingredients - filling

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 600g parsnips, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
• 2 large eggs
• 200g crème fraîche
• 200g feta, crumbled
• 1/2 small bunch of thyme, leaves picked
• 2 x 400g cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ tsp ground mace (skipped)
• 1 lemon, zested

Method

STEP 1

To make the pastry, put both flours into the bowl of a food processor with the butter, thyme leaves and ½ tsp fine sea salt. Pulse for a few seconds until the mixture resembles sandy rubble, then add the whole eggs and 2-3 tbsp cold water. Pulse again until it comes together into a ball, then transfer to a lightly dusted work surface and knead briefly until smooth. Wrap and chill for 30 mins.

STEP 2

To make the filling, heat the oil in a frying pan over a low-medium heat, and cook the onion for 30 mins until sticky, golden and caramelised. This will take some time, but it will add depth and sweetness to the pie. Add a splash of water if the onions start to darken too quickly or catch.

STEP 3

Add the parsnips and 250ml water. Cook for 15 mins, stirring often until the water has evaporated and the parsnips are tender and just starting to colour. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

STEP 4

Mix the eggs and crème fraîche together in a large bowl until smooth, then fold in the feta, thyme, butter beans and the veg mixture. Add the mace, lemon zest, ½ tsp black pepper and a little salt.

STEP 5

Cut off two-thirds of the pastry and roll it out on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of 3-4mm. Use it to line a 23cm cake tin or round pie dish (it should be about 7cm deep), leaving some pastry overhanging. Spoon in the filling, levelling the top.

STEP 6

Roll out the remaining pastry until it’s large enough to cover the top of the pie. Brush a little of the egg yolk around the edge of the pie, then lift the pastry lid over the top and press the edge to seal. Trim any excess pastry with a sharp knife. Make a steam hole in the middle of the lid, then glaze with the rest of the egg yolk. Sprinkle over the dried herbs, then chill for 30 mins. Will keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

STEP 7

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan. Bake the pie for 50 mins until the pastry is golden, crisp and dry. Leave to rest for 15 mins before cutting and serving.

Source: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/parsnip-feta-butter-bean-pie