S Caulfeild

Stories from Sophie as she cooks at home and travels around

[scaulfeild-blog]

A Warm Salad of Roasted Vegetables, Apricots, Sumac, Coriander & Farro served with Barbecue Chicken

This was inspired by a salad containing freekah that I ate in Brixton Market. Freekah is a nutty grain that is made from green wheat and it goes really well with roasted vegetables for a hearty, healthy dish. I couldn't find any in my local Tesco but I did spot some Farro which is an Italian wholewheat grain hand has a similar nutty firm texture when cooked. Plus, on the pack said it only took 10 minutes to cook so I thought I’d give it a go…

This makes the perfect summer salad served warm or chilled with barbequed meats. The addition of the apricots adds a sweet tang that perfectly complement chicken or pork.

Ingredients:

1 carrot

1 celery sliced

½ diced red onion

1 desert spoon sumac

Olive oil, salt & pepper

Balsamic vinegar

8 apricots

Handful coriander

125g farro

  Method:

First heat the oven to 180 degrees, chop the celery, onion + carrot into roughly the same size ½ chunks, toss in olive oil, salt + pepper and place on a baking tray to roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

In the meantime bring some water to boil in a pan and throw in the farro, cook for 10 minutes until it is tender but still firm to bite. Rinse in cold water and then leave to drain.

Chop the apricots into similar chunks to the vegetables and finely slice the coriander. Place them in a bowl and then mix in the cooled farro grain.

When the vegetables are cooked through but not black around the edges take them out the oven and leave them to cool for a few minutes before adding them to the bowl of apricots & farro. Stir everything through and add the sumac, a drizzle of olive oil and splash of balsamic vinegar. Season to taste.

Serve with roasted or barbecued chicken or pork.

[scaulfeild-blog]

Feta, Sun-dried Tomato, Artichoke & Basil Mini-Pasties

The sweet tang of the tomatoes mixed with the saltiness of the feta and the herby basil make a perfect combination.

I often find pasties too large and stodgy so the ones I made are miniature and perfect for picnics or packed lunches.

Feta can be quite dry on its own so I added some cheddar for extra flavour and a smoother texture.

Ingredients: (Makes about 16)

2 potatoes peeled and grated

1 pack of ready made shortcrust pastry (cheat...)

5 sun- dried tomatoes (from a jar)

5 cooked artichokes (from a jar)

a handful basil

50g feta cheese

50g grated cheddar cheese

2 eggs

Salt + pepper

Method:

First make the filling by chopping up the basil, tomatoes, artichokes & cheddar and then mix with the grated potato and cheddar. Season well and then add in one beaten egg to help the mixture combine.

Roll out the pastry until it is about 4mm thick and then cut into rounds that are roughly 10cm in diameter. You may need to squish the cuttings together and roll out the dough again to get the most out of your pastry.

Beat the other egg in a bowl and get our your pastry brush. Place a heaped desert spoonful of the filling onto each of the pastry rounds and brush around the heap with the beaten egg (this will act as a seal when you close it up) - right up to the end of the rounds. Then bring the edges of the pastry together and pinch so that you seal in the mixture into cute 1/2 moon pastry shapes. Repeat until you've done this with all the pastry shapes and then place them on a greased baking tray.

Brush the little crescents with egg and then pierce them gently with a skewer in the top so that the air can come out and they don't explode.

Place in a 180 degree oven for around 20-25 minutes until they are golden brown and the pastry is cooked through but not too crispy!

They can be served warm or kept in the fridge and served cold (although they will keep their shape the pastry will go a bit soggy as they cool).

[scaulfeild-blog]

Wholewheat soba noodles with a soft boiled egg & stir-fried greens with a sesame butter sauce.

  This meal was inspired by my trip to Japan where they often put a soft boiled egg or yolk onto hot rice which is then mixed in and creates a thick, rich glossy coating/sauce. I thought I'd experiment to see if it works with noodles too and the result was delicious.

The greens are given added flavour by being topped by a sesame butter sauce. Steamed spinach is often served with sesame in Japanese restaurants but here I went for what I had leftover in the fridge - bok choy and celery. You could use any other greens from courgette to mange tout.

I served it with a coriander, soy and sesame dipping sauce to add extra flavour and a bit of zing.

It's the perfect light lunch containing slow release carbs, protein and greens and only takes about 20 mins to prepare in total.

  Ingredients:

1 head of bok choy

2 stalks of celery

1 egg

handful of wholewheat soba noodles

handful of sesame seeds

soy sauce

honey

sesame oil

rice wine vinegar

1 desert spoon of tahini

handful of coriander

  Method:

Bring two separate pans of water to boil. In the first pan place the soba noodles and simmer for 3-4 minutes until they are tender, then drain and set aside. In the second pan boil the egg for 2-3 minutes, drain and then peel under cold water (it should be quite delicate as the yolk should still be soft).

Chop the celery and bok choy into thin slices. Heat some sesame oil in a frying pan and add the celery, stir-fry on a high heat for a minute before adding the bok choy and frying for a further 2 minutes. the veg should still have some crunch and be a vibrant green colour.

Make the sesame butter sauce by mixing together 1 desert spoon of tahini with a desert spoon of rice wine vinegar, a small drizzle of honey, some sesame oil and a desert spoon of soy sauce. Drizzle this over the greens and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

For the dipping sauce mix 1 tbsp of soy sauce with 1 desert spoon of rice wine vinegar. Finely chop the coriander and add it to the mix then add in the leftover sesame seeds.

The noodles should still be warm at this stage so place them in a bowl and top with the egg - slice it open as you lay it on the noodles and the yolk should drizzle down to coat them.

I like to serve everything in separate bowls as the Japanese do, but you can mix it all together as the flavours work well when combined.

[scaulfeild-blog]

The busier side of Tokyo...

My experience of Tokyo was a surprisingly relaxed and peaceful stay in the expat area. I cycled on the pavement, shopped in small boutiques and drank tea in florist cafes. But if you're looking for the Lost In Translation experience, it's not that hard to find...

The craziest sight for me was the robot restaurant (pictured above) with it's flashing LEDS, bikini clad drummers and robot eating sharks assaulting the senses in an electrical basement.

Shibuya crossing and Akihabara (the electronic distric) were the other two places where the mass of people, colours and activity overwhelmed me.

And to get a real view of how far the city extends, I headed to the Park Hyatt New York Grill bar - I couldn't  take my eyes away from the changing lights as the sun sets. A sea of concrete as far as the horizon.

[scaulfeild-blog]

Chorizo, Spring Onion and Pea Frittata

This was made using eggs from my mother's hens. They were beautiful in their imperfection with straw stuck on their bumpy shells and one egg so big it had two yolks (pictured above).

I fried off some chorizo followed by some spring onions and chopped mange tout before adding the whisked eggs into the pan and cooking on a low heat.

When the bottom was bubbling, I grated on some mild cheddar and sprinkled over some chives before popping it under the grill for 4 minutes till the top was also bubbling, firm and golden.

Served with some peppery rocket.

[scaulfeild-blog]

Skinny Pancake Day

  I did a bit of experimenting with a sweet and savoury recipe for Pancake Day this year and tried to make something healthier than my usual maple syrup or Nutella laden crepe of the gods.

My pancakes were made with semi-skimmed milk to keep the fat content down but also to retain some flavour. I tried to get them as thin as possible in the pan so I didn’t use too much batter (less calories) and so they were wonderfully light and translucent rather than thick and stodgy.

I came up with the following two toppings

Savoury: Courgette, spring onion and lemon

I grated half a courgette and quickly blanched it to soften up the flesh, then I stirred in a ½ finely chopped spring onion and mixed this with 1tsp olive oil, a light squeeze of lemon, black pepper, salt and a small grating of the zest of the lemon.  If you’re feeling like it’s too much like salad then stirring in some Philadelphia really works. I like the freshness of this though which is different from your average pancake recipe.

Sweet: Skinny Blueberry Cheesecake

I mixed together 1 tbsp low fat cream cheese with 3 tbsp icing sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice. I then drizzled this mixture over the crepe and topped it with blueberries and lemon zest. The cream cheese mixture tastes like really good cupcake frosting.

[scaulfeild-blog]

Spring

I've become a bit fed up with the gloom of winter and so decided to try and brighten up my living room.

I bought some cheap bunches of gorgeous daffodils and have scattered them around the house in miss-matched vases that I 'borrowed' from my mother. A friend of mine also gave me a gorgeous bunch of tulips which are now crowning my dining table.

The rich yellows and reds spirits up every time I look at them and remind me that winter will soon be over.

[scaulfeild-blog]

Chicken Orzo Broth with a Lemon & Basil Oil

This feels like spring -  it’s full of greens, warming and has a lemony zing. Perfect if you’re feeling a bit low or need a health boost.

Ingredients:

½ leek

1 stalk celery

3 handfuls chopped curly kale

3 spring onions

3 cloves garlic

1 lemon

Small bunch of basil leaves

2 cups orzo pasta

2 chicken stock cubes

1 tbsp bouillon powder

3 chicken breasts

Olive oil

    Chop the spring onion and celery and let it sweat with some oil in a large pan over a low heat. Thinly slice the garlic cloves and add it to the softened celery and onion, cook for 1 minute more before adding 1.5 litres of water, the bouillon and stock cubes. Simmer on a low heat.

In the meantime, cook the orzo in a separate pan until it is soft but still has a slight bite (about 5 mins in salted boiling water). When it is cooked, drain it off and leave to one side to use later (add a bit of oil to it so it doesn’t stick together).

Chop the chicken breasts into thin slices and add to the simmering stock.

Whilst the chicken is cooking, whizz together 3 tbsp olive oil, the juice of the lemon, the zest of ½ the lemon and the basil with a hand blender. This is the lemon basil oil which you can drizzle over the broth once it’s finished.

Once the chicken is cooked through, slice the leek and add it to the pan with the curly kale. Cook for a further 4 minutes and then stir in the orzo pasta.

To serve, ladle the broth out into a bowl and drizzle with the lemon basil oil to taste.

Because of the pasta, you don’t really need to serve this with bread

[scaulfeild-blog]

Lemon, Black Pepper and Spring Onion Mackerel Pate

This is a seriously simple dish to make; all you need is a food processor.

I serve it with sourdough toast as a starter or add a few more spring onions mix it with pasta as a main course. Crème fraiche makes it a little lighter but you can make it with Philadelphia for a slightly richer taste.

 Ingredients:

2 black pepper smoked mackerel fillets

1 spring onion

Zest and juice from ½ lemon

350ml Half Fat Crème fraiche

 Remove the skins from mackerel fillets and put them in a food processor with the crème fraiche, lemon zest and lemon juice. Blend until it all comes together but still has a bit of texture. Sprinkle with spring onions before serving. It’s that simple.

[scaulfeild-blog]

Winter at Kew Gardens

In the winter you can find some deep rich colours in the plants at Kew. I thought the above purples and greens were a beautiful colour palate for the colder months.

Even if you don't like plants, the greenhouses (if that's the right word for the enormously ornate glass and painted iron structures) are a thing of beauty in themselves and a standalone reason to visit.

[scaulfeild-blog]

Chocolate Chip Peanut Granola with Quinoa

Quinoa is the caviar of the grain world – when boiled it becomes slippery and pops on the tongue (without the fishy burst). But when it’s baked the texture is completely different. In this granola it adds extra crunch, protein and fibre, which I suppose makes this a healthy granola especially as the ingredients are ‘all natural’ (dark chocolate being a natural source of happiness).

Ingredients:

2 cups oats

1 cup of quinoa

1/2 cup peanut butter (I went crunchy)

¼ cup maple syrup

1tbsp honey

½ cup chopped hazelnuts

¼ cup dark chocolate pieces

I preheated the oven to 180C and mixed together all the ingredients (except the chocolate) thoroughly in a bowl. I transferred the mixture into a baking tray and then baked for 50 mins, taking it out and stirring at intervals to make sure it wasn’t burning.

Once it was golden and crunchy I took it out the oven, left it to cool and then stirred in the chocolate pieces. As it cools it gets crunchier and to retain this it’s best to store it in an airtight container at room temp.

[scaulfeild-blog]

Bread and Butter Pudding

After FoodCycle this weekend we still had a sack (no joking) of bread leftover so I decided to try out some bread and butter pudding recipes with the rather stale loaves that would have otherwise been thrown away. 

These cupcake versions were easy to transport to a Sunday lunch I was going to and bringing the pudding for (no heavy dish to carry or awkward asking for it back 6 weeks later).

They're based on the Guardian's classic recipe with a few twists:

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/jan/06/perfect-bread-and-butter-pudding

I tried out three versions:

- the classic recipe with currants but using vanilla instead of lemon zest

- a chocolate hazelnut version using almond croissants and adding my homemade Nutella and chopped hazelnuts (the most popular)

-  an orange and lemon version too by adding lemon zest and Seville orange marmalade - this could have done with a little more sugar to balance out the bitterness of the oranges.

[scaulfeild-blog]

Mosaics

These Roman mosaics that I saw in the National Museum of Rome contain elements of graphic design are still cool today.

[scaulfeild-blog]

Oaty Soda Bread with Homemade Blackberry Jam

I often bake soda bread as it is so easy to make (no kneading or proving) and it has a wonderfully crumbly texture like a scone.

This recipe is from BBC good food:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1432/irish-soda-bread

I served it for breakfast with homemade blackberry jam that I made last autumn from a batch of blackberries I picked whilst walking on the Sussex Downs.

[scaulfeild-blog]

Italian Sculptures

These are a few of my favourite sculptures that I photographed on my travels round Italy.

My favourite is the first Greek bronze sculpture of The Boxer of Quirinal, it can be found in the National Museum of Rome

[scaulfeild-blog]

Smorrebrod

These were inspired by my recent trip to Copenhagen:

Slow roasted cherry tomatoes with balsamic and thyme on toasted rye bread

Crème fraiche, ham hock, spring onions and Dijon mustard on toasted rye bread

and...

Crushed avocado with Marmite, chilli flakes and olive oil on toasted rye bread.

[scaulfeild-blog]

Yellow Stone in Cordoba