Salsiccia e Fagioli (Italian Fennel Sausages with Borlotti beans)

Serving grilled pork sausages with Heinz beans is a common sight in the UK, particularly the morning after a night out, where you may pop a couple of slices of buttered toast for to soak up the residue alcohol from the night before.

Who would have thought the Italian also has their take on sausage and beans thou a little more refine and minus the tomato sauce (!!). I'm spoiled to have access to an Italian grocery nearby where they stock proper Italian fennel sausages (as well as other goodies); alternatively chipolata will do just fine. 

As per my previous post, Italian food is all about using simple but the best ingredients you can afford, even the extra virgin olive oil, get the best and most pure stuff you can lay your hands on. Trust me, it really does taste better. 

If you are planning to make this for breakfast at the weekend, don't think this can be made in 15 minutes - O.K. it is possible if you use tinned borlotti beans instead of the dry stuff. I guess my point is don't forget to soak the beans the night before!!

Serves 4

600g Italian fennel sausages (or chipolata) 

3 gloves of garlic, crushed

2 string of fresh thyme, finely chopped

A knob of butter

Extra virgin olive oil

300g dry borlotti beans, soak overnight in plenty of fresh water

1L beef stock

1. Preheat the oven grill to 180. Crush the garlic and thyme in a mortar and pestle, add in a generous dash of olive oil and mix well.

2. Rub the mixture all over the sausages and place them on to the oven grill pan. Let it grill for 20 - 25 minutes or and turn them over halfway. The idea is to cook until they are browned. 

3. Meanwhile, drain the soaked borlotti beans and place them in a large enough saucepan. Pour in the stock, place it on medium heat and bring it to boil then reduce to simmer for for 35 - 45 minutes. They need to be soft enough so they can be mashed easily using a potato masher. 

4. Once they are soft enough drain them but reserve 2 tbsp of the stock. Use a potato masher to crush them lightly so they are slightly broken. If it is looking a little dry, add in the reserved stock. Season with some salt & pepper.

5. Back to the sausages. Once they are cool enough to touch, cut them diagonally. Just before serving, mix in a knob of butter into the beans to give some gloss. Plate the beans and place the sausages on top.

Risotto ai Funghi (Mushroom Risotto)

Only if I could get my hands on some fresh porcini then I would have named this dish "Risotto ai Porcini" instead. Instead I resulted in using Sainsbury's British Speciality Mushrooms, which consist of shiitake, oyster mushroom, eryngii & maitake - well that's what was in my punnet and I believe they all vary slightly. 

However, instead of using bog-standard vegetable/ chicken stock cube I actually invested in some porcini stock cube from my local Italian grocery shop. Whenever I step into that shop its like a kid has gone into a sweet shop. I love to look at everything they have on the shelves, and regardless what I went in for, I always walk out with some truffle mortadella. I will have to dedicate a post on it soon... it is absolutely delectable! 

So let's get back to the risotto... True to most Italian cooking, I kept it very simple.

Serves 2

160g arborio rice

20g dried porcini, soak in hot water for 20 minutes before use

1 porcini stock cube (if you can't find them I would suggest soaking the dried porcini with some extra of water)

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 large glass of white wine

3 dollop of butter

200g of speciality mushrooms, cut into bit size

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

1. Soak the dried porcini mushroom in hotel water.

2. Finely chopped the onion; sliced the garlic cloves; dilute the stock cube with boiling water and cut the speciality mushrooms into bite size.

3. Place a frying pan on medium heat, add a dollop of butter, wait for it to melt and sizzle.

4. Add the garlic, cook until lightly brown before adding the speciality mushrooms. The idea is not to cook the mushroom thoroughly but to add some colour and garlic flavour to them. Also be careful they are not overcooked (become watery). Set them aside. 

5. Place a deep casserole dish (I used B size Le Creuset) over medium heat, add the other dollop of butter, wait for it to melt and sizzle then add in the onion. Cook until lightly brown before adding the arborio rice. Make sure the onion mixes well with the rice.

6. Pour in the white wine, stir the rice until the wine is evaporated. Add in the rehydrated porcini and the soaking water. Keep staring. 

7. When the water is nearly evaporated, gradually pour in the stock and keep staring. Add more stock when the rice is looking dry. Repeat this until the rice is cooked to al dente. 

8. When the rice is almost cooked, reheat the fresh mushrooms in the frying pan. Season with some salt & pepper. 

9. Add in a handful of grated Parmesan cheese to the rice and mix well.

10. Just before serving, add the last dollop of butter and mix well. This is to give the rice a bit of shine.

11. Serve up the rice and place the fresh mushrooms on top, then sprinkle with more Parmesan. 

The Classic Milano Panettone

Christmas is only round the corner (again), how time flies... Being a childless adult with no responsibilities, apart from the food and an excuse to have lots of gatherings, I am indifferent about the festive period. Lots of people generally putting so much emphasis on the whole thing, the pressure of having a good time is such an anticlimax. 

For most workers we can effectively have 10 days off work - the perfect length for a holiday somewhere away from the frenzy, and that's precisely what I am doing, jetting off to soak up some winter sun and top up my Vitamin D. Before we jet off, there are guests to be entertained, food to be made and consumed!!

I do enjoy good quality mince pies, especially there freshly baked ones by a local baker. That said, i am not a fan of Christmas pudding or Christmas cake. In the same boat and struggle to think of something Christmasy to serve your guests as pudding? Well, the Italian panettone could be your saviour. This sweet bread loaf/cake originates from Milan, and you will be amazed how much tastier to make your own. 

Because it is a bread/ cake loaf, the preparation time is rather long. If you are thinking of making some at night to take into the office in the morning, I would recommend allow 2 days for this process. If you are preparing this in the morning for a evening meal then that should allow enough time. 

Instead of getting a special panettone tin I used a muffin instead. I also think it is nice to serve mini one.

 1st batch

2nd batch

Wrapped a couple up as gift

Make 6 (muffin size)

250g good quality plain flour

250g Italian 00 grade flour

200g caster sugar

160g good quality butter

12g easy bake yeast

4 large free range eggs

3 free range egg yolks

150g sultanas

80g Waitrose Italian cut mixed candied peels

Zest of 1 lemon

15ml pure vanilla bean paste

A splash of milk and warm water

A shot of brandy

1. Combined the 2 flour and put them trough a sieve.

2. Measure the sultanas and soak them with a shot of brandy mixed some warm water. Leave to one side.

3. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast with a splash of milk mixed with warm water. 

4. Mix in 75g of the combined flour, knead until smooth then shape into a ball. Slash the dough with a cross over the surface and place into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave it to rise in a warm place. This should take approximately 45 minutes.

5. When the dough has doubled in size, add an addition 250g flour and 2 eggs. Knead until smooth. 

6. Add 100g of sugar and knead until the sugar is mixed into the dough completely. Add 60g of butter and knead again until it is well combined. Again, leave it to rise in a bowl covered with cling film in a warm place. The dough should double in size in an hour or two.

7. Once risen, Add 2 eggs, 3egg yolks and the remaining flour into the bowl and knead until smooth. Add in the remaining sugar and knead until the sugar is mixed into the dough completely. Add the remaining butter and knead again until it is well combined. 

8. Mix in the sultanas, lemon zest, candid peels and vanilla bean paste. Mix for 5 minutes and again leave it to rise in a bowl covered with cling film in a warm place for another 2 or 3 hours.

9. Meanwhile, oil the muffin tin and line it with muffin casing or greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven at 200°C. 

10. Carefully transfer the dough mix into each mould. Let it for 5 minutes or so for it to rise a bit further before baking.

11. Place a small bowl of water in the oven before place the muffins onto the lower shelve of the oven. Bake of 5 minutes, take them out and slash a cross on the surface of each panettone (this is to stop them expanding into muffin tops in the heat), place a dab of butter int he middle of the intersection of each, return to the office and cook for further 10 minutes before reducing the heat to 180°C and cook for 30 - 45 minutes, depending on the ovens' power and efficiency.

12. To test if the panettone is cooked, put a skewer all the way though in the middle. If it comes out clean and not sticky then it is ready.

Merry Christmas!

Classic Carbonara

The typical carbonara that are available at high street eateries are usually laden with béchamel sauce. The cheesier it is, the better, and that's we define a 'good' carbonara. I am sure most Italian who come across these ghastly concortion of which we christianed carbonara would fell off their chair. 

An authentic carbonara is a very simple and light pasta dish, consist of pancetta, pasta and and egg to garnish. Here is my take on this classic. In this recipe I used macaroni pasta for no particular reason, apart from I have some left over from macaroni cheese. 

Serves 2

150g high welfare smoked pancetta

1 small red onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

150g closed cup mushrooms, sliced

1 small free range egg, whisked

160g macaroni, cooked in accordance to instructions on packet

1. In a deep frying pan, up some rapeseed oil in medium heat and cook the pancetta till they are starting to turn crispy.

2. Add the garlic and onion. Cook till soften.

3. Meanwhile, cook your pasta of choice in accordance to the instructions on the packet.

4. Add the mushroom and cook for a couple of minutes. Be careful not to overcook the mushrooms or they will go watery and grey.

5. Drain the cooked pasta and stir in with the pancetta mix.

6. Season with salt & pepper.

7. Take it off the heat and mix in with whisked egg. Be sure to keep folding the pasta mixture whilst adding the egg.

Enjoy!

Prawn & Oyster Mushroom Risotto

Summer is finally here! Weather has been gorgeously lately, even over Bank Holiday weekend which is unusual. Time to change our diet and go for something lighter. Asparagus is in season at the moment. Best to make the most of these sweet and tender shoots before the season ends. British strawberries are also appearing in the shop, bought my first punnet this weekend, and many more to come :D No other strawberries taste as great as the British variety. 

This is the first of many recipes that are great for the hotter months and it is easy to make. Minimal chopping, maximum stirring, with wine! 

Serves 2

200g cooked prawns

220g oyster mushroom, halved 

160g risotto rice

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 knob of butter

175ml white wine

500ml vegetable stock 

Handful of parmesan shavings 

Handful of fresh chives, chopped

1. Bring the saucepan to a temperature where as soon as the butter touches the surface will melt straight away.

2. Add half the garlic and onion. Cook the onion until soft.

3. Add the risottos rice. Coat it with the onion and garlic then pour in the wine.

4. Once the wine has almost evaporated, pour in enough stock to just cover the rice. Stir well.

5. Put the lid of and let the rice simmer. Keep checking the liquid and stir frequently. Once the rice has absorbed all the liquid, pour in more stock and stir. Repeat this until the rice is almost cooked.

6. In a separate frying pan, melt a knob of butter and add the rest of the crushed garlic. Add the oyster mushroom and ensure it is only half cooked.

7. Back to the risotto rice. Stir in the prawns and add the garlic-infused half cooked oyster mushrooms. Sprinkle the parmesan shavings for umami.

8. Dish up the risotto and sprinkle some chopped chives.

Conchiglie with pancetta, mushroom, black olives & pesto

A perfect midweek dinner, quick, simple and tasty! Ingredients are fridge and pantry stable and its great with any type of pasta you have at hands. Conchiglie is fantastic with dry or wet pasta sauce. The shell-like shape helps to scope up the delicious sauce. 

I don't weight pasta for portion control, instead I use my hands to measure. Depending on pasta shapes, for conchiglie, penne, fusilli usually 2 handfuls per person. It is always tempting to cook more than needed, just remember pasta expand after cooking so do be cautious. If you must weight them, I would say 100g of dry pasta per person (depending on appetite of course!) 

Serves 2

200g Conchiglie, cooked per packaging
90g pancetta
1 red onion, thinly sliced
150g chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced
Dozen black pitted olives in brine
1 tbsp basil pesto
Fresh chives, chopped
Sprinkle of finely grated parmareggio

1. Boil the kettle and cook the pasta as per instructions on the packaging.

2. In a frying pan, frying the pancetta in medium heat until brown.

3. Add the onion and cook until it is soften.

4. Now the mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes or until they begin to go soft. Be sure not to overcook them or they will release moisture.

5. Drain the pasta and mix in with the pancetta mixture.

6. Add the black olives and turn the heat off.

7. Mix in the pesto thoroughly.

8. Serve in a bowl, sprinkle with chives and parmareggio.

Baked Butternut Squash and Chorizo Risotto

Butternut squash has a deliciously clean and sweet taste. It is especially popular in winter dishes as it is a winter squash. My favourite way to cook this beauty is roasting. Because of its naturally sweet flavour, it is an excellent companion to salty chorizo.

Serves 2

1 small butternut squash, roughly chopped
250g chorizo, sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
160g arborio rice
300ml chicken stock
1 small glass of white wine
100ml creme fraiche

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degree. Place the chopped butternut squash in a roasting tin, add a splash of rapeseed oil and seasoned with salt and better. Ensure the butternut squash is smothered with oil. Place it in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden and soft.

2. Meanwhile, in a large pan, cook the chorizo for 8 minutes. It should be looking crispy and the aroma starting to fill the kitchen.

3. Spoon up the chorizo and leave them to rest on a plate. In the same pan, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until its soften.

4. Now, add in the arborio rice and the chorizo, stir for a couple of minutes. Pour in the white wine and cook on a medium heat until most of the liquid is evaporated.

5. Turn the heat down and gradually pour in the stock one ladleful at a time. Be sure to stir the mixture regularly and pour in more stock when it is absorbed by the rice. Cook for approximately 25 minutes.

6. For the butternut squash, once it is cooked, take it out of the oven to cool. Keep a dozen or so aside and blitz the rest to a smooth texture in a food processor or use a handheld blender.

7. Mix the smooth and diced butternut squash into the rice mixture.

8. Stir in the creme fraiche just before serving.

Ratatouille with roast chicken legs

Ratatouille is a colourful Provencal vegetable dish that is flavorsome and wholesome enough to serves as a main dish, with a rustic French baguette; or it would make a fantastic side dish to go with any roast meat. It is debatable as what an authentic and traditional ratatouille should contain, but having studied various recipes, the key ingredients are aubergine, courgette, onion, tomato and garlic. Do avoid chopping the vegetables too small or risk them being dried up.

I served mine with a whole corn fed free range chicken leg. This dish would go nicely with a roast leg of lamb or pan fry fish. It is a hassle-free dish, great for entertaining friends and family over this Easter weekend!

Serves 2

Courgette, roughly chopped

Red onion,  roughly chopped

Red pepper,  roughly chopped

Yellow pepper,  roughly chopped

Leek,  roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, leave whole

Punnet of button mushrooms, halves 

Tomato passata 

Pinch of Herbes de Provence 

Lemon, thickly sliced

Pinch of thyme 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degree.

2. Prepare all the vegetables and place them onto a roasting tin. Drizzle a generous amount of rapeseed oil, season with salt & pepper and Herbes de Provence and massage the vegetables gently. 

3. Place the lemon slices in a separate roast tin and put the chicken legs on top. Drizzle rapeseed oil, season with salt & pepper and sprinkle a pinch of thyme over the meat. 

4. Place the vegetables and chicken into the oven for approximately 45 minutes or until cooked through. Check them periodically and turn the vegetables over every 20 minutes or so. If the chicken became dry, spoon the chicken and lemon juice over the skin to dehydrate. 

Enjoy!

Italian Kitchen - Homemade Pizza

The proper traditional Italian pizzas usually have a very few toppings and not dripping with cheese like the one we have in the UK. Nonetheless, I must admit I love to overload mine with everything, especially cheese! Being with someone who is lactose-intolerant means I seldom have pizza as dinner, unless it is homemade, of course. Yes, 'His & Hers' pizza is the best way, no arguments over who should have the last slice or how much olives should go on it etc.

This one clearly is a 'Hers' pizza :D 

Making your own pizza is rather therapeutic process: choosing ones favorite toppings and leaving out the capers and pineapple (yuck)! The dough was machine-made by bread maker following its manual. Depending on individual's preference, my base was rolled out as extra-thin. The tomato sauce was made by the ex-pizza chef (the other half) and as for the toppings I opted for: sliced mushrooms, sliced onion, roasted red pepper, sliced black olives, spinach, tinned anchovies and A LOT of grated extra matura cheddar AND parmesan! 

I was in pizza heaven that evening :) 

Harvey Nichols Risotto Kit with White Truffle Seasoning

Ah it has been a while since I last updated my blog. In most industry quarter 4 is always the busiest of all, winding down before year end and planning for the next financial year.

Of course no matter how busy one gets, food will always be on ones mind. With less time on hands to prepare delicious homemade dinners, I did result to instant alternatives on a number of occasions.

I have this Harvey Nichols Risotto Kit in the kitchen cupboard for a while but can never find the right moment to consume this. It would seems that I have saved it for just the right occasion!

The kit contained a bag of risotto rice, seasoning and white truffle oil. All I had to do was to boil the kettle, cook the risotto rice and seasoning in boiling hot water until soft. I mixed in some baby spinach leafs and blanched some fine beans to boost up my 5-a-day! Seasoned with black pepper, pour over the  white truffle oil and sprinkled some parmesan on top!

It has a very strong truffle flavor which I love. It must have been a physiological barrier in stopping me to enjoying it fully, knowing it pretty much came out from a packet.... wroth a try thou! 

Minestrone Soup

Cold nights, fancy something comforting, quick, tasty and economical for dinner? (Not asking a lot here!) This is just the right recipe to fit the bill. Everybody likes a minestrone soup now and then, it is hearty, filling, packed with goodness and non-pretentious, you know exactly what to expect and not often let down by it.

Depending on your personal taste, most vegetable should goes well together.

Serves 6

2 onion, chopped
2 carrot, chopped
2 courgettes, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
200g garden peas (fresh or frozen)
1 tin of white kidney beans
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
Tomato puree, 50g
1.5l boiling organic vegetable stock
100g minute pasta such as orzo, puntine

To garnish:

3 garlic cloves
1 bunch of basil leaves
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chili oil
Pinch of sea salt

1. In a large stockpot, heat the oil and cook the garlic and onion until soften.

2. Mix in the bay leaves, dried thyme and cook for 5 minutes.

3. Add in the onion, carrot, courgettes and the tomato puree, cook for further 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft but not cook through.

4. Add in the white kidney beans and stock, turn the heat down and allow it to simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, in a small food processor/ choper, add in the garlic cloves, basil leaves, salt and both the oil. Blitz the content until fine like a paste. Season to taste.

6. 10 minutes before serving, add in the peas and minute pasta. Once they are cooked then the soup is ready to serve, with a dollop of the basil garnish.

Norfolk Mussels with Oven-roasted Diced Potatoes

Norfolk mussels are in season at the moment and are usually plentiful, available at most local fish mongers but not usually at the supermarkets, as they tend to stock up Scottish ones all-year-round. Absolutely nothing wrong with that but if something is in season and is local then I would much prefer supporting local produce and suppliers.

Seeing how fresh they are I felt I must get some for dinner. At £3.50 a kilo it really is fantastic. Some people are unsure of shellfish, because they are difficult to eat or fear that they will get food poisoning. OK it may not be your choice of main course if you were on a first date, but food poisoning is quite rare, unless they are contaminated. There are recipes that involve way too much flavour than needed, but I prefer to keep it simple to preserve its sweet taste.

Serves 2

1 kilo Norfolk mussels, rinsed and scrubbed
3 garlic cloves, crushed
A thumb of ginger, finely chopped
1 red chili, halved and deseeded
Dash of oil
100ml Japanese cooking wine

For the oven-roasted diced potatoes:

4 medium size potatoes, peeled and diced
Sprinkle of sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried rosemary
Dash of oil

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degree (fan oven).

2. Season the diced potatoes with salt, pepper and rosemary in a baking tray, and rub them with oil. They should take about 30 minutes in the oven or until they are golden.

3. Meanwhile, in a stockpot, heat a dash of oil, cook the ginger, garlic and red chili until their aroma is released but not burnt.

4.  Throw in the mussels, pour in the wine, put the lid on and bring it to simmer for 15 minutes or until mussels are open.

5. Serve with seasonal vegetables (keep it plain and simple) and perhaps a lice of farmhouse bread to mop up the juices!

Simple Midweek Supper - Pasta with broccoli, anchovies, mushroom & chili

A quick, delicious and filling midweek supper dish with most of the ingredients should be readily available from the cupboard, apart from the broccoli perhaps.... oh whilst you're in the shop for broccoli, might as well check out the wine section to see if a nice bottle of red is on offer (I did!).

I tend not to give an exact quantity in most recipes, as cooking really should be a joyous experiment, 'add and taste' is the key. More importantly, each individual has a slight different preference on the same dish: some prefer more garlic and some might prefer very little mushrooms. So long the key ingredients are present then it is entirely up to you how much or how little you want to use each ingredient.

Serves 2

Tin of anchovies in olive oil

A broccoli

Onion, finely chopped

Fresh red chili, finely chopped (or a pinch of dried chili flakes)

Punnet of mushrooms, sliced

Fresh cloves of garlic, crushed

Juice of half a lemon

Enough pasta for 2 people, cook in accordance to pack instructions

1. Cook the broccoli in salted boiling water until soft. Note: Be sure not to over cooked the broccoli, it should have some crunch to it still. Drained the broccoli but save the water for cooking the pasta. Leave it to one side to cool.

2. Pour the broccoli water back into the saucepan, bring back to boil and cook the pasta (I used whole-wheat) in accordance to the pack instructions.

3. Meanwhile, cut the cooked broccoli into small florets.

4. Heat the anchovies infused oil in a large frying pan and cook the crushed garlic and  onion until brown.

5. Stir in the fresh red chili and mushroom, cook until the mushrooms are soft but not wet.

6. Add in the anchovies, cook for a minute or so then stir in the drained pasta, toss everything together and not to forget the lemon juice.

Serve with a (large) pinch or two of parmesan.

Bon Appetit! I hope you will enjoy this dish?

Harvey Nichols - Sugo Con Ricotta Forte

As the title suggests, I will indeed be giving my verdict on this tomato passata with ricotta forte pasta sauce. When it is cold and grey outside, all one really wants (and needs!) is some comfort food, and I tend to consume an awful lot more carbohydrates-heavy food in the winter months: potato, bread, chocolate (with nuts only), pasta..... etc.and tonight I really fancy a hot bowl of spaghetti for dinner.

Dave didn't feel the spaghetti love so I took the liberty to make a pasta dish using this sauce and it contains some basic mix of ingredients:

3 rashes of smoked bacon
1/2 a courgette, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, crushed
Sugo Con Ricotta Forte pasta sauce
Salt and pepper to season
A healthy shaving of Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 serving of spaghetti (some for tomorrow lunch)

I purchased this sauce when I was putting together Christmas food hampers for friends and family with shops-bought and homemade goodies. There are only 6 ingredients in this sauce (tomato, onion, extra virgin olive oil, ricotta forte, basil, salt) with no preservative. If tasting the sauce on its own it was actually quite acidic, but mixing it thoroughly with the Parmigiano-Reggiano has helped to reduce some of its acidity.
It is true to say that sometimes less is more. This simple dish has satisfied the winter comfort which I was after and there's even some for tomorrow lunch, win win!

Winter Wonder - Veggie Chili

Temperature has plummeted to sub zero since Tuesday and it looks like the freezing old weather (literally!) will linger around till next week! Mega effort was required each morning to drag oneself out of the warm and cosy duvet. Concentration level is low as all I could think about at work is 'What shall I have for dinner?' or more like 'What's Dave planning to cook for me tonight?'

I suppose I'm rather blessed to have a boyfriend who enjoys cooking and very good at it! What's better than coming home to a delicious home cooked dinner in the winter (or anytime of the year!)?

Since the beginning of 2013, Dave and I have made a lifestyle choice to actively eat less meat (especially processed meat), and have more vegetable orientated dishes. It hasn't been easy as a lot of the common vegetarian recipes use a lot of dairy product (Dave is lactose-intolerant), and I am OBSESSED with cheese - having recently attended a cheese tasting session when I was on holiday in Amsterdam! (blog to follow). I personally prefer Asian vegetarian dishes, as they use a lot of tofu product as substitute, and the texture (and taste!) and the taste of the dishes could easily rival meat dishes!

With a little bit of imagination and using the correct spices and herbs, Dave has rustle up this flavorsome veggie curry the other night. This recipe is easy to make and uses a lot of ingredients you may already have in the pantry, with a few staple vegetables. The flavor would greater enhance if cooked the night before serving.

Serves 4

Splash of rapeseed oil

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, finely chopped

1 stalk of celery, finely chopped

1 tin of black eyed beans, rinsed with water and drained

1 tin of chickpeas, ditto

1 tin of red kidney beans, ditto

2 tins of chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tbsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tbsp paprika
1 fresh red chili
Yellow and red peppers, roasted
Dash of red wine
250ml of bouillon
1 tbsp of tomato purée
Bay leaf
Salt and pepper, season to taste

1. Prepare all the vegetable and heat a splash of oil in a casserole dish.

2. Brown the garlic, fresh red chili and onion

3. Soften the celery and carrot. Add in the spices.

4. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and add a dash of red wine. Bring it to simmer.

5. Add the beans and bay leaf. Pour in enough bouillon until the beans are covered, season with salt and pepper. Bring it to boil then simmer for 20 minutes.

6. Add the roasted peppers and the tomato puree then leave to simmer for a further 30 minutes or until the beans are cooked through.

7. Serve with boiled basmati rice or tortillas

Depending what kind of beans are available at the time, different type of beans would work just as well (apart from Heinz's baked beans!). Also, depending on how tolerable you are with heat and the type of chili that is being used, some may find one chili is not enough. Nonetheless, lesson has been learned that it is always wise to put a small quantity of chili at the beginning and gradually add a bit more later if it is preferred.

It was a very heartwarming dish and I sprinkle some grated Cheddar with mine serving :)