Honey-Glazed Baby Onions...

Roasted onions are the best! Whenever we have a roast dinner I always chuck a handful into the pan. I love it when they go all sticky, sweet and oozy.  However I started wondering what rule had been set in place determining that these little gems could only be served with a roast dinner. I soon concluded that it was a nonsense and decided then and there that roast onions should be enjoyed whenever possible. Fortunately I am not alone in this belief.

All I will say about this recipe on the GE Healthahead website is that we have enjoyed it on a weekly basis since discovering it. It is simply that good! It is best to use smaller onions such as pickling, baby, pearl or shallots. These are delicious with roast meats, mashed potatoes, cheeses, in sandwiches and on their own. Seriously give these onions a try -they are amazing!

Honey-Glazed Pearl Onions

Ingredients

450g baby or pickling onions

250ml vegetable broth (I have also used chicken stock)

113g runny honey

2 Tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon dried sage (I have also used fresh thyme, fresh sage and bay leaves)

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 180°C / Gas mark 4

Cut the root end and remove the papery outer layers from the onions, leaving them whole.

Place in a 9-inch square-baking dish sprayed with vegetable cooking spray. (I haven’t greased the baking dish at all while making this and so far haven’t had any issues)

Stir together remaining ingredients and pour over onions.

Bake at 180°C, stirring occasionally, for 50 to 60 minutes or until onions can be easily pierced with a knife.

Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Ready for the oven

My Grandfather’s Classic Caesar Salad...

My Grandfather is a pretty good cook. Actually giving it a bit more thought I will say he is a very VERY good cook. He has a few stand out dishes and this Caesar Salad is one of them. Always a treat, I can’t think of anyone in our family who doesn’t look forward to tucking into it.

Perhaps my favourite memory surrounding this dish is of my Grandmother who sadly passed away a few years ago. She was in charge of washing (and drying) the Romaine lettuce. With no salad spinner in sight the leaves were dried on separate bits of paper towel carefully spread around the kitchen. I loved helping her with that task. Although time consuming it was an important part of the ritual in making this incredibly delicious salad.

This is perfect on its own or as a tasty side with fillet steak and frites or a piece of grilled chicken.

My Grandfather’s Caesar Salad (serves 4)

Ingredients

1 large head of Romaine lettuce

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 strips of bacon cooked until crispy and then chopped or crushed finely

1/2 cup plain croutons

* * The ingredients below should be added in order to create the basic dressing * *

2 garlic cloves

1 anchovy fillet or 1 Tbsp of anchovy paste

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 egg yolks slightly beaten (If you prefer not to use raw eggs because of salmonella concerns then substitute about 2-3 Tbsp of plain Greek yoghurt which will give the dressing richness)

3 Tbsp “Maille A L’Ancienne” mustard (a Dijon type of mustard with seeds) This is a very important ingredient

Juice of 1/4 lemon

1/2 cup of olive oil

1 dash of Worcestershire sauce

2 dashes of Tabasco sauce

3 Tbsp of Parmesan cheese

Directions

Wash the Romaine lettuce and dry it thoroughly

Shred or chop it into bite sized pieces

Add the basic dressing ingredients together and toss the Romaine lettuce with it

Add the 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and toss everything again

Just before serving add the chopped crispy bacon bits and croutons

Toss once more and serve immediately

Enjoy!

A Caesar Salad wouldn’t really be a Caesar Salad without croutons – so why not make your own. It’s a great way of using up stale bread and aside from putting them in salad they are also really yummy when added to soup (perhaps with a bit of Gruyere cheese on top)

Here is a quick simple recipe for making your own croutons

Luna Raye’s Quick And Easy Croutons

Ingredients

Approximately 4-6 slices of stale bread (fresh can also be used but stale is much better)

A good glug of olive oil

Seasonings are optional and can include; garlic, rosemary, thyme, chili flakes, lemon myrtle, salt, pepper, marjoram, sage etc etc – be creative and have fun

Directions

Cut the bread into nice bite sized chunks

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a moderate heat

Don’t let it get too hot – after about 30 seconds add the bread chunks and give everything a good stir

You may need to add more more oil – I like to make sure the bread is well coated but not drenched – go with your kitchen witch instincts on this

Once the bread is nicely coated it’s time to add whatever spices or herbs you have chosen

Sprinkle them on top and give everything a good mix around

Keep an eye on the heat as you don’t want the bread to burn

When the croutons are nicely browned and a bit crisp remove them from the pan

Add to soups, salads or even munch them on their own as a snack

They will keep in an airtight container for about 2 days

A Perfect Summer Meal: Luna Raye’s Light and Ea...

Summer has well and truly arrived. For the past few weeks the sun has been shining everyday and it has been hot, hot, hot! This lovely weather has worked wonders on my garden and everything seems to be thriving (which makes a change from last years disappointing efforts.)

There is an abundance of herbs and I have been incorporating them into as many of my meals as I can. Last night I had a craving for pasta. Sometimes you just can’t beat a bowl of spaghetti served with a nice chilled white wine.

Although I am growing tomatoes, they haven’t started to bear fruit yet so I bought some plum tomatoes from a greengrocer that specializes in local Kent produce. I also bought a few chestnut mushrooms. Once I had assembled those ingredients I went out into the garden to collect some herbs. I decided on Parsley, Coriander, Sage and Lemon Thyme.

It was a very light and refreshing meal and the flavour of the herbs came through beautifully. I really love being able to use ingredients from the garden and I can’t wait until we can use our own tomatoes!

So here is my recipe for a perfect summer meal:

Luna Raye’s Recipe For Light and Easy Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Herbs from the Garden.

Ingredients

Spaghetti (I used enough for 2 people approx 160 – 200 grams).

9 Plum Tomatoes cut roughly into chunks (Cherry Tomatoes also work well. What’s important is that they are fresh).

9 Chestnut Mushrooms sliced ( I like mine a bit chunky but they can be sliced thinner if you prefer).

A selection of Fresh Herbs preferably from your garden! I used Curly Parsley, Coriander, Sage and Lemon Thyme. I used approximately about 4 Tablespoons of the chopped mixed herbs.

Drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese.

Directions

Cook the pasta in lightly salted water according to the package directions.

While the pasta is cooking roughly chop the tomatoes and slice the mushrooms. Set them aside.
Roughly chop the herbs and also set aside.

When the spaghetti is al dente drain it and do not rinse. The idea is to keep a small amount of the cooking water in the pot.

Put the spaghetti back in the pot and add the tomatoes, mushrooms, herbs and a drizzle of olive oil.
Mix well and transfer to serving bowls.

Add some freshly ground pepper and parmesan cheese to taste.

Enjoy it out in the garden with some chilled white wine!

NOTES:

For ages whenever I cooked pasta I would add a wee bit of olive oil to the water which I thought would prevent the pasta from sticking together. This was not only rather costly it can actually impair the flavour of the dish. The pasta becomes oily and is unable to absorb any sauce.

I also remember being told that it was important to rinse cooked pasta after it’s been drained. This isn’t a good idea either. Rinsing pasta cools it down which means it stops the pasta from absorbing sauces. This can also impair the over all flavour of the dish.

Rinsing also washes away any starch that is left on the pasta. This starch is important for thickening sauces, so it’s beneficial to always reserve some of the cooking water from your pasta.

I first tried this technique when I made Nigella Lawson’s Linguine with Lemon, Garlic and Thyme Mushrooms and it was wonderful.

Here is a great article by Shirley Corriher on How To Cook Pasta Properly.

Light And Easy Pasta With Fresh Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Herbs

The Abundant Garden.

A Very Trying Week But We’re Finally Feline Fine...

The past 10 days has been a very trying time for my husband and I. We noticed our beloved moggy Nutmeg was drinking much more water then usual. We also thought she was sleeping more then normal and wasn’t her usual busy body self.

I took her to the Vets where they did some tests and after a few days it was confirmed that she has diabetes. Over the next few days I brought her back for more tests and to be shown how to inject her with insulin. At this point I want to give a big shout out to the wonderful veterinarian who has made time for all my many questions, who has helped ease my worries and anxieties and who patiently showed me how to handle the medication. The vet visits are only just beginning as we need to get her stabilized but after 2 days on insulin she is already showing huge improvements.

Diabetes has affected many members of my family so although I wasn’t overly thrilled with the news about Nutmeg, I did take some comfort in the fact that it is something I know a bit about. I won’t lie and say that I didn’t cry or have moments of complete despair and fear, but once I calmed down and spoke to my mom and sister (who by the way has been successfully managing her diabetes for over 30 years), I felt much more positive. There are many great websites with lots of information on the subject of feline diabetes as well as supportive forums where you can go when it all gets a bit too overwhelming. At this point I would also like to thank the lovely Jules who has been working with me on this site, as soon as she heard about Nutmeg she sent me the following link to this very helpful website. Another site I found has a great forum and I have been getting some good pointers there.

It is still early days with Nutmeg but I am feeling much more hopeful about things. She is such a special little girl and we immediately fell in love with her the moment our local Cats Protection League brought her into our lives. Not a day goes by that I don’t thank the Universe for sending her our way. If you notice your animal companion acting strangely then please don’t wait – go the vets immediately.

Things to look out for are:

• Excessive thirst.
• Excessive urination. They may urinate outside of their litter box.
• Weight loss. Going off their food.
• Extreme lethargy.
• Eating more than normal.
• Any behaviour that seems out of character.

Well during this time I must confess that cooking and eating were not really top of my list of priorities. This was a mistake as by not eating properly I wasn’t able to handle stress effectively. I know that in order to properly care for Nutmeg I need to properly look after myself. Tonight was the first night we actually felt like eating a meal. We hadn’t been shopping for ages so the cupboards and fridge were pretty barren.

Fortunately we had some turkey mince in the freezer which I defrosted. I then put it in a pot with a few other ingredients I found and made a very warming and comforting chilli. In honour of everything we have been through these past few days I have called this recipe Luna’s Finally Feline Fine Chilli. So here it is:

Luna’s Finally Feline Fine Chilli

Ingredients

1 package of turkey mince (500 grams)
½ Spanish onion chopped finely
1 drizzle of maple syrup.
2 Tablespoons of olive oil.
4 cloves of garlic.
1 pinch of salt.
½ teaspoon of oregano.
½ teaspoon of thyme.
½ teaspoon of chilli flakes.
1 pinch of Nutmeg (the spice not the moggy!)
1 ½ cups of vegetable stock.
1 can organic plum tomatoes.
1 can organic cannellini beans, rinsed.
Parmesan cheese.

Directions

Sautee the chopped up onion in olive oil and maple syrup, until soft and translucent.

Add the turkey mince and mix in with the onions until the mince is completely cooked.

Add the garlic. You can mince the cloves but I like to chop them in chunkier pieces. You also don’t have to use as many cloves but as we were feeling run down we thought we would give ourselves a boost of garlic power!

Once garlic is mixed in add the herbs, salt and pinch of nutmeg. Mix well.

Add the vegetable stock and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes.

Then add the can of tomatoes and mix in well, adding the beans at the end.

Allow everything to simmer and stir occasionally. I let mine bubble away for 45 minutes.

Grate some parmesan cheese over top.

Serve with steamed rice or crusty bread and enjoy!

Luna's Finally Feline Fine Chilli

A little pinch of Nutmeg.

I also just wanted to say that if you are considering welcoming an animal companion into your home please do think about adopting from a local shelter.

Beltane Celebration: Get Out In Nature And Don’t...

Despite the dark gloomy clouds and bouts of torrential rain we had in most parts of the UK we still managed to have a wonderful Beltane weekend. Beltane is the Celtic festival of fire and light and it is celebrated on April 30th – May 1st.

It’s a wonderful time of year. The days are lengthening, flowers and plants are starting to blossom and bloom, butterflies and bees are making an appearance in the garden and everyone has a slight spring in their step.

One of the best ways to celebrate this time of year is to get outside in nature. Whether it’s a walk around the block, a 10 mile hike, a visit to your local park or even just pottering around in your garden, make the effort to get out doors. This weekend I stayed away from my computer and spent as much time as I could (rain permitting) in the garden.

We sowed some seeds, Rocket (Arugula) which is a wonderful peppery salad leaf and some Genovese Basil. My mouth is already watering in anticipation of a Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil Salad. The pots are all lined up in our little greenhouse and we hope to see some spouting soon.

Last year we bought some herbs from our local farmers market and they have really taken off. I have really enjoyed being able to cook with fresh Sage, Rosemary, Lemon Thyme and Tarragon. This year we decided to add a few more herbs to our garden; Coriander, Curly Parsley and Apple Mint. Although we had problems previously growing tomatoes and chillies we thought we’d have a go at some sugar snap peas. Our not so very green fingers are crossed!

Beltane is also a very special time for working with Fairies. There are many things you can do to honour them and show your commitment to nature:

• Look into recycling schemes.
• Support animal and environmental charities.
• Buy more organic produce.
• If you’re in a park or on a hike and you see some litter then (if it isn’t too disgusting) pick it up and dispose of it properly.
• Give away unwanted clothing and goods to charity.
• Use gentler more natural cleaners in the home instead of harsh scary chemicals.

Perhaps one of the easiest ways to honour the Fairies and to celebrate this wonderful time of year is to get off the couch, get away from the computer or television and go outside! You may also want to leave a little treat for Nature’s Angels as a thank you for all their hard work.

For the Garden Fairies I like to put out seeds (sunflower and pumpkin are good) as well as chopped fruit (apples, pears, plums, blackberries and blueberries). For my House Fairy I like to leave out some milk and honey or mead as well as something sweet like organic chocolate, cookies or cake. If you have an animal companion please make sure they can’t get at any Fairy Treats you leave out, chocolate is toxic to many animals but especially to dogs.

The leaving of a gift is a lovely way to acknowledge the Fairies and thank them for their continual help in watching over your garden and plants, protecting your home and animal companions, and to celebrate the beauty and abundance of nature. Breathe some fresh air, listen to the birds and don’t forget the Fairies!

Fairy and Violets

Sage, Lemon Thyme, Rosemary and Tarragon

Maple Syrup Glazed New Potato Salad With Crispy Pa...

I love watching cooking shows and one of my favourites here in the UK, is Saturday Morning Kitchen hosted by James Martin. They always have a wonderful selection of chefs that demonstrate a broad range of delicious recipes you can easily try at home.

Just the other week I watched as chef Shaun Rankin prepared the most amazing salad of maple syrup glazed new potatoes with crispy pancetta and squid. This was a recipe I knew I had to try. On the show he actually used Jersey Royal New Potatoes. This lovely little potato has a firm texture and slightly nutty- sweet taste. What makes these potatoes so special is that to be a true Jersey Royal New Potato it has to come from the island of Jersey itself.

What really excited me about this recipe (aside from the fact that it involves one of my all time favourite food items: Maple Syrup!) is that it also uses squid; something I love to eat but have never tried to cook at home. I guess the idea of preparing and cooking squid always concerned me. Luckily our local fish monger did the deed as I didn’t think I was up to that particular task– I felt cooking it was enough of a challenge for one day! To my amazement I discovered squid is actually very easy to cook – the only real danger is in over cooking it. It really doesn’t take very long at all.

While the addition of maple syrup may seem odd, trust me when I say it really is the magic ingredient that brings all the beautiful flavours of this dish together. If you want a recipe that is perfect for an elegant Sunday brunch then this salad is for you! My husband and I were really impressed with the results and will absolutely be making this again. I’m glad I watched Saturday Morning Kitchen as it really inspired me to try something new!

Maple Syrup Glazed New Potato Salad with Crispy Pancetta and Squid

Kitchen Tools: A Main Ingredients Hand Grater....

It’s important to purchase good quality kitchen tools. Not only can they make your life easier in the kitchen but they can also help introduce you to new techniques and cooking methods.

I recently purchased a large Prestige Main Ingredients Hand Grater which is the perfect tool for zesting lemons, limes and oranges. It is also wonderful for finely grating garlic and ginger and for putting those extra special touches of parmesan cheese on pasta dishes, salads and soups.

For ages the only grater I had was a box grater. It is perfect for grating large blocks of cheese but I found it hard to use when I needed things finely grated or zested. The hand grater is a great and inexpensive kitchen tool and I would recommend one of these for anyone who is serious about cooking.

One of the first recipes I used the grater for was Nigella Lawson’s, Linguine with lemon, garlic and thyme mushrooms. In fact, I bought it so I could make this very dish, and it was absolutely worth it!

Give this recipe a try. It is simple, elegant and delicious and while you’re at it, why not treat yourself to some new tools for your kitchen!

Grilled and Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Gorg...

Tonight was a night for trying something new. A few weeks ago I saw one of my favourite chefs from the food network, Giada De Laurentiis, prepare a wonderful looking meal for her friends.

Mushrooms have always been one of my favourite foods and Giada’s recipe for Grilled and Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Gorgonzola looked too yummy to pass up. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get all the ingredients so I did have to make a few compromises.

Instead of turkey or chicken sausages, I used plain pork ones. I also didn’t have any mascarpone cheese. The mixture did need some moisture to help blend everything together so I added just a touch of double cream.

I served the mushrooms with a simple watercress salad on the side. The peppery flavour of the watercress complemented the gorgonzola nicely. This was a huge hit and I will definitely be making it again.