A Wee Pinch of Sugar

My Ideas, My inspirations, My food

It’s a week for a warming spicy soup.

By 1 Comment

Last week saw the start of a new soup section on a Wee Pinch of Sugar, aimed at bringing lots of healthy ideas for a range of seasonal soups. With the stormy winter weather battering us this week, we all need a bit of extra heat and comfort,  so a pot of  hearty and warming soup with a few added spices, is just what the doctor ordered.

I’ve chosen my spicy lentil soup this week and with ingredients like fresh ginger, cumin and coriander it’s guaranteed to warm you up. If you fancy some extra heat, do what my boys do and add chopped fresh chilli or a sprinkling of chilli flakes to serve.

Spicy and warming lentil soup ticks all the boxes for a bowl of magic medicine.

Spicy and warming lentil soup ticks all the boxes for a bowl of magic medicine.

There are a lot of health benefits in this soup,  lentils are a good source of protein and with the addition of the spices and the vegetables, I’d say it’s definitely a bowl of magic medicine. Firstly, ginger, good for the circulation and digestion, along with garlic for it’s anti bacterial and anti fungal qualities. Cumin and coriander, described by my friend Yasmin at Scotia Spice as being the ying and yang of spices. Used together they are calming, bring balance and are also good for the digestion. The vegetables of course add the body to the soup and bring their own health benefits. Carrots are a good source of vitamin A and celery, vitamin C and a gentle diuretic. Why not cook up a pot of this to warm the family up this week.

Spicy lentil soup
Print Recipe
This spicy and warming lentil soup is packed full of goodness and is guaranteed to keep you warm during the cold weather. Serve with either crusty bread, chapatis or similar Asian or middle eastern breads. Garam Masala sprinkled over the soup will also add some extra spicy flavour.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Spicy lentil soup
Print Recipe
This spicy and warming lentil soup is packed full of goodness and is guaranteed to keep you warm during the cold weather. Serve with either crusty bread, chapatis or similar Asian or middle eastern breads. Garam Masala sprinkled over the soup will also add some extra spicy flavour.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Ingredients
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large pan.
  2. Add the onion and cook gently for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a further 1 minute.
  3. Add the spices, stir to mix well and cook for 1 minute.
  4. Add the lentils, carrots, celery and stock and cook for approximately 25 - 30 minutes until the lentils are cooked and the vegetables are tender.
  5. At this stage the soup can be blended, part blended or served as it is.
  6. Serve sprinkled with chopped fresh coriander and garam masala if using.
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe

I’ll be checking out this weeks veg bag to see what seasonal vegetables will be making the next hearty winter soup.

 

 

 

 

Let food be thy medicine with a healthy bowl of soup

By Leave a Comment

Soup, nostalgia in a bowl, or magic medicine?

Soup, nostalgia in a bowl, or magic medicine?

A recent article in the Guardian got me wondering about about how we view the food and ingredients that we use for cooking our everyday meals. The piece was headed up, ‘Comfort soups, nostalgia in a bowl or magic medicine’.

Of course, lots of foods we eat can be nostalgic, reminding us of many of the dishes that we enjoyed as children. That’s likely down to our sense of smell as it’s intrinsically linked with our emotions and in an instant can transport us right back to our childhood. Maybe that’s why I’m such a soup lover as both my mother and grandmother were great soup makers and there was rarely a day we didn’t eat soup for lunch. I’ve taken over that mantle and similarly, there’s rarely as day passes that I don’t make soup. Which brings me back to the question, ‘comfort soup, nostalgia in a bowl or magic medicine’? As someone who advocates cooking with  fresh, seasonal and healthy ingredients, I’m going to opt for the ‘magic medicine’. I’ve always favoured the wise advice from Hippocrates, the father of medicine, ‘let food  be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’. This approach supports my theory of looking after your health, rather than your illness.

Hearty and wholesome lentil soup.

Hearty and wholesome lentil soup.

So, what is so special about that bowl of magic medicine? Soup made with fresh ingredients, vegetables, herbs, fish, meat, poultry is a powerhouse of nutrition and provides many health benefits. Countries all over the world have their own versions and all are packed with health giving ingredients and goodness. Think of our own Scottish, Scotch Broth, made with meat stock and vegetables; carrots, turnips, onions, leeks, barley and parsley. Beef or lamb, rich in iron, vitamins, mineral and protein, with the vegetables and herbs adding in their own medicine. Carrots, a good source of vitamin A, parsley a natural diuretic  as well as being rich in vitamin C, iron and other minerals and barley a good source of fibre and energy. What is there not to like about soup?

My own soup making is mainly dictated by seasonal vegetables, and that usually means what’s been delivered in the weekly vegetable bag and also what’s leftover in the fridge, if I’ve been cooking a particular dish. There’s really nothing complicated about making soup and you don’t need a lot of ingredients. If all you have is a few vegetables and a stock cube, you have the making of a pot of soup.

On the subject of stock, again, go with what you’ve got for the type of soup you’re making. I use a variety of different stocks, beef made with bones that I usually get free from my butcher, the carcass from a chicken, chicken wings, thighs or drumsticks, ham hough and if I’ve none of these, stock cubes.

A chicken carcass or chicken pieces make great stock for many soups and in particular the famous 'Jewish penicilin', chicken soup. When I have a cold or feel under par, I always make chicken soup

A chicken carcass or chicken pieces make great stock for many soups and in particular the famous ‘Jewish penicilin’, chicken soup. When I have a cold or feel under par, I always make chicken soup

Of course you can plan and make more elaborate soup, but keeping it simple, might give you the encouragement to make it more often. By way of encouragement, I’m going to be posting a healthy seasonal soup recipe each week and to start it’s a spinach and potato soup, made with the leftover spinach and a few potatoes.

Vibrant, green, spinach,rocket and potato soup.

Vibrant, green, spinach,rocket and potato soup.

Although not in season, it was leftover from a bag of salad, along with a few handfuls of wild rocket, but nonetheless a welcome addition with it’s peppery, pungent taste.

Don’t be put off by the vibrant green colour of this soup. It’s delicious and serving with a sprinkling of cheese adds a nice twist.

Spinach, rocket and potato soup
Print Recipe
Although not a seasonal soup, this spinach, rocket and potato soup was a good way of using up the remains of a couple of bags of salad from New Year celebrations.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 5 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 5 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Spinach, rocket and potato soup
Print Recipe
Although not a seasonal soup, this spinach, rocket and potato soup was a good way of using up the remains of a couple of bags of salad from New Year celebrations.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 5 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 5 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Ingredients
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and the potatoes and continue cooking over a low heat for a further 10 minutes.
  2. Add the stock, grated nutmeg and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
  3. Turn the heat off, add the spinach and rocket and allow them to wilt. this will only take a couple of minutes.
  4. Stir in the milk and blend to a smooth puree. Check for seasoning, return to the pan and gently reheat.
  5. Serve sprinkled with grated cheddar.
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe

Slow cooked shin of beef chilli

By Leave a Comment

Comfort in a box

Comfort in a box. Quality Meat Scotland sent me this lovely box of comfort goodies when they launched the new ‘Winter Comfort Food Campaign’. As a family who love Scotch beef and lamb we needed no encouragement to get behind the campaign and cook up some great wholesome and healthy dishes.

It’s definitely the weather for comfort food and I’m supporting Quality Meat Scotland‘s winter campaign to encourage people to eat healthy and wholesome dishes made with top quality Scotch beef and lamb.    What’s not to like about a healthy winter comfort food casserole. My favourites usually involve dishes that can be made in one pot, slow cooked in the oven or overnight in the slow cooker.

A magical one pot wonder. Slow cooked shin of beef chilli.

A magical one pot wonder. Slow cooked shin of beef chilli.

Shin of beef is such a wonderful and often overlooked cut of beef but it’s perfect for this slow cooked beef chilli. I prefer to cook shin with the bone in as I think it adds that extra special bit of flavour to the dish. You might find that your butcher needs a days notice for beef shin on the bone as it’s not always a cut they have on the counter. If I can only get the meat off the bone, I ask the butcher for the bones and roast them for about 20 minutes before adding to the casserole.

The bones give added flavour

Top quality Scotch beef.The bones give added flavour

Whether the meat is cooked on or off the bones, once the beef is cooked, I scrape the marrow from the bones and stir through the casserole. This just add to the rich and silky gelatinous gravy that shin of beef produces.

Shin of beef Chilli
Print Recipe
This shin of beef chilli is a real one pot wonder. Leave it to slow cook and magically transform in the oven for at least 3 hours or overnight in a slow cooker.
Servings Prep Time
8 People 15 minutes
Cook Time
3 hours
Servings Prep Time
8 People 15 minutes
Cook Time
3 hours
Shin of beef Chilli
Print Recipe
This shin of beef chilli is a real one pot wonder. Leave it to slow cook and magically transform in the oven for at least 3 hours or overnight in a slow cooker.
Servings Prep Time
8 People 15 minutes
Cook Time
3 hours
Servings Prep Time
8 People 15 minutes
Cook Time
3 hours
Ingredients
Servings: People
Instructions
  1. In a large ovenproof casserole, heat half of the oil over a medium heat. I use rapeseed for this recipe as it has a higher flash point. Add the meat, one to two slices at a time and brown on both sides. remove from the pan and set aside.
  2. Reduce the heat slightly, add the onions and cook for 2 mins, scraping any residue from browned meat off the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and peppers and cook for a further minute.
  3. Add the spices and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato puree, stir to mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add the tinned tomatoes, beans, beef stock and red wine (if using). Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and slowly bring to a simmer. Cover, transfer the oven and cook for 3 hours.
  5. After 3 hours, remove from the oven and check that the meat is cooked and meltingly tender. Stir in the chocolate and mix well.
  6. TIP- I prefer to saute the peppers nearer the end of cooking time and add to the casserole.
  7. Serve with rice. This can be turned into a real feast by also serving with guacamole, tomato salsa, sour cream and cheese.
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe

More information about cooking with variety of cuts videos, recipes and recipe booklets can be found at Scotch Beef and Lamb and at Scotch Butchers Club  where you’ll also find a list of Scotch Butchers Club members in your area. The recipe booklets including the ‘Comfort Food’ can also be found in local butchers.

Scotch beef and Scotch lamb is among the best in the world and has been awarded PGI  (Protected Geographical Indication)  and only farms, cattle and sheep that meet the stringent standards laid down by Quality Meat Scotland are eligible be called Scotch beef and lamb. To be confident when buying  meat, look for the blue Scotch beef and Lamb label and PGI logo. That way you can be assured that what you’re buying  is quality lamb, born and bred in Scotland to the the QMS  standard.

Loving Scotch beef and lamb.

Loving Scotch beef and lamb.

I was sent the comfort box along with a £20 Scotch Butchers Club voucher by QMS. I was not expected to provide a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own

 

 

 

 

 

Salmon and broccoli with ginger and carrot rice

By Leave a Comment

A quick and healthy midweek meal for all the family

A quick and healthy midweek meal for all the family

Since I started my subscription for a fortnightly fish box delivery from Inverness company, Coast and Glen, I’ve been trying to be a bit more creative with the fish dishes I cook. Complicated cheffy cooking is not really my thing, but I still like to cook healthy food that everyone will eat and importantly, is on the table quickly.

A regular feature in my fishbox is Scottish Salmon fillets from Wester Ross Fisheries, and with salmon being a great versatile fish, I like to cook it with a variety of  flavours and cuisines.

Salmon works so well with spices and this dish is the perfect example of a quick and easy, healthy dish that all the family will enjoy. I’ve used broccoli with the salmon but you can ring the changes with other seasonal vegetables.

The chilli jam used in the recipe is from Galloway Chillies, an artisan company who produce an outsanding range of chilli products 

Salmon and broccoli with ginger and carrot rice
Print Recipe
This quick and easy salmon dish makes a healthy mid week meal for all the family to enjoy. With all the vegetables included in the dish, it's a good way of ensuring that everyone gets a few of their 5 a day.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Salmon and broccoli with ginger and carrot rice
Print Recipe
This quick and easy salmon dish makes a healthy mid week meal for all the family to enjoy. With all the vegetables included in the dish, it's a good way of ensuring that everyone gets a few of their 5 a day.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Ingredients
Rice
Salmon
Servings: people
Instructions
Rice
  1. Cook the rice according to the instructions on the packet. Once cooked, stir in the carrot and ginger, set aside and keep warm.
Salmon
  1. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the broccoli and stir fry for 2 minutes. TIP - Add a splash of water, cover with a lid to help speed up cooking.
  2. Reduce the heat slightly, add the garlic and salmon and cook for 2 minutes.
  3. Add the chilli jam, soy sauce and fish sauce (if using), season with black pepper and cook for a further 2 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked.
  4. Sprinkle with the spring onions and serve with the rice.
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe

Shepherds pie made with Scotch Lamb

By Leave a Comment

 

Mmm

Comfort in a box from Scotch Beef and Lamb

Autumn is well under way and with winter fast approaching, comfort food is the order of the day especially for family dinners. There’s nothing quite like a hearty roast, a warming casserole or a family favourite of ours, shepherds pie on a cold blustery day. These dishes fit the bill so well for Quality Meat Scotland’s (QMS) new winter campaign to promote Scotch Beef PGI and Scotch Lamb PGI as the perfect wholesome comfort food. I needed no encouragement to get cooking as we’re a family who loves our Scotch beef and lamb and to help, QMS sent me this lovely comfort box full of cosy goodies.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be cooking a range of healthy and nutritious comfort food meals that are guaranteed to provide satisfying dinners that all the family will love.

Comfort food at it's best.

Shepherds pie, made with leftover Scotch lamb. Comfort food at it’s best.

The first dish, shepherds Pie was traditionally made with the leftover meat from Sundays roast and would be served up for dinner on Monday. The meat would be minced and my mother talks of also using leftover vegetables by mincing them with the meat to make the base for the pie. If I’m lucky enough to have leftover meat it’s how I like to make shepherds pie but in the absence cooked meat I use minced lamb.

Mincing leftover cooked lamb makes the best shepherds pie.

Mincing leftover cooked lamb makes the best shepherds pie.

This is real tasty comfort food and I’ve been making this recipe for 30 years and to be honest it’s never really changed much. When the boys were small they loved it with baked beans but as they’ve got older I serve it with whatever seasonal vegetables are available.

Potato, parsnip and leek mash makes a delicious topping

Potato, parsnip and leek mash makes a delicious topping

 

Shepherd's Pie
Shepherds pie
Print Recipe
Shepherds pie made from leftover cooked minced lamb is a delicious comfort food dinner.
Servings Prep Time
4 20 Mins
Cook Time
30mins
Servings Prep Time
4 20 Mins
Cook Time
30mins
Shepherd's Pie
Shepherds pie
Print Recipe
Shepherds pie made from leftover cooked minced lamb is a delicious comfort food dinner.
Servings Prep Time
4 20 Mins
Cook Time
30mins
Servings Prep Time
4 20 Mins
Cook Time
30mins
Ingredients
topping
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a large saute pan, add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the carrots and mushrooms and continue cooking for 5 minutes until the vegetables start to colour.
  2. Meanwhile prepare the potato and parsnip topping. Place the potatoes and parsnips in a large pan of salted water, bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 15 minutes until tender. Drain and mash with the butter and milk. Beat in the leek if using.
  3. If using cooked minced lamb - add the stock, ketchup, Worcester sauce and thyme to the pan and mix together. Gently fold the cooked lamb through the mixture and gently heat through. Season with black pepper and salt if required.
  4. If using uncooked lamb mince - add the lamb to the saute pan with the vegetables and brown, stirring to break up any lumps. Sprinkle on the flour and mix through. Cook for 1-2 mins, stirring to make sure the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the stock, tomato ketchup, Worcester sauce, black pepper and cook over a low heat, simmering for approx 45 minutes. Check seasoning and adjust if required.
  5. Add the meat to a medium sized ovenproof dish and top with the potato mixture, using a fork to spread and make ridges on top.
  6. place in the oven and bake for about 25 - 30 minutes until piping hot and the potato is golden.
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe

 

A healthy and nutritious meal

A healthy and nutritious meal

More information about cooking with variety of cuts videos, recipes and recipe booklets can be found at Scotch Beef and Lamb and at Scotch Butchers Club  where you’ll also find a list of Scotch Butchers Club members in your area. Scotch beef and Scotch lamb is among the best in the world and has been awarded PGI  (Protected Geographical Indication)  and only farms, cattle and sheep that meet the stringent standards laid down by Quality Meat Scotland are eligible be called Scotch beef and lamb. To be confident when buying  meat, look for the blue Scotch beef and Lamb label and PGI logo. That way you can be assured that what you’re buying  is quality lamb, born and bred in Scotland to the the QMS  standard.

 

Loving my Scotch Lamb

Loving my Scotch Lamb apron. Look for the blue Scotch lamb and Scotch Beef logo when buying meat

 

I was sent the comfort box along with a £20 Scotch Butchers Club voucher by QMS. I was not expected to provide a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A feast for St Andrews day – smoked salmon bake

By Leave a Comment

Smoked salmon bake

Smoked salmon bake

Can you think of a better way to celebrate St Andrew’s day than feasting on Scottish Salmon, after all St Andrew himself was a fisherman. We live in a country blessed with an incredible natural larder of outstanding food, produced by some very outstanding farmers and producers, so why not cook your St Andrew’s day meal with some of the finest ingredients available. Throughout the country and indeed the world, people will be gathering to celebrate the day and many menu’s will feature top quality Scottish Salmon, beef and lamb.

If you’ve been reading  my recent posts, you’ll see that I teamed up with Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation and Marine Harvest to learn more  about how we produce the wonderful quality salmon that is one of Scotland’s top exports.

Salmon can make a great centre piece for a special meal, but it’s also ideal for casual dining and easy midweek meals. I’ve chosen this Smoked salmon bake as the family’s St Andrew’s Day meal, mainly as I want to encourage you to include more salmon in their weekly meals. You’ll find that both salmon and smoked salmon are very  reasonably priced and it can be cooked in a variety of ways with lots of different flavours.

This dish is very quick and easy to make and will make a great family meal.

Xxx

Smoked salmon bake, a quick and easy family meal for any day of the week.

St Andrew's Day. Smoked salmon bake
Smoked salmon bake
Print Recipe
This all in one salmon bake is quick and easy and a great way of getting the family to eat more fish and vegetables.
Servings Prep Time
4 15 minutes
Cook Time
20 mins
Servings Prep Time
4 15 minutes
Cook Time
20 mins
St Andrew's Day. Smoked salmon bake
Smoked salmon bake
Print Recipe
This all in one salmon bake is quick and easy and a great way of getting the family to eat more fish and vegetables.
Servings Prep Time
4 15 minutes
Cook Time
20 mins
Servings Prep Time
4 15 minutes
Cook Time
20 mins
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Pre heat the oven to 190C/ 170 fan Gas 5. Par boil the diced potato in salted water until it is soft but not completely cooked. Drain and leave to cool.
  2. In a large bowl, gently mix together the salmon, cooked potatoes, spring onions, peas, parsley or dill, creme fraiche and milk.
  3. Season with salt and pepper and pour into a medium sized oven proof dish. Mix the breadcrumbs and cheese together and sprinkle across the top to cover the fish mixture.
  4. Cook in the pre heated oven for 20 minutes until piping hot and the topping is golden brown.
  5. If you want to serve some extra vegetables, broccoli works well as a side.
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe

For further information about the St Andrew’s day and Scotland’s winter festivals, have a look at ‘What’s on Scotland’ on the scotland.org website

 

Let the Christmas cooking begin. Christmas Pudding

By Leave a Comment

image

If there’s one part of the Christmas preparations I love, it’s all the cooking in the run up to the big day and of course the dinner on Christmas Day. Already the supermarket shelves are groaning with with puddings, cakes and mince pies, regardless of whether you buy the luxury, the finest, or even the value, nothing tastes quite as good as the homemade versions.

The cooking always starts with the Christmas pudding and stir up Sunday, the Sunday before the start of advent, when traditionally everyone in the household  gave the mixture a stir and made a wish. Our family Christmas Eve and day is always a traditional celebration and as I always make several puddings, stirring up the pudding signals the start of getting ready for Christmas.

The recipe I use has changed over the years, sometimes even on stir up Sunday when I’ve realised that I’ve got rum and no brandy or too many raisins and not enough currants. This year, as well as making my own recipe, I’m trying this new recipe from Chef Neil Forbes from Edinburgh’s Cafe St Honore. I tasted the pudding last year when I attended one of Neil’s Slow Food master classes so I know it is a recipe worth using.

Neil has kindly shared the recipe for us all to have go, so get stirring up and make your Christmas pudding now.

Chef Neil Forbe's delicious homemade Christmas pudding.

Chef Neil Forbes delicious homemade Christmas pudding.

 

Recipe.  Serves 4 (1 pudding)

Ingredients

125g sultanas
125g currants
125g raisins
20g glacé cherries, chopped
20g mixed peel
½ bramley apple, grated
20g carrot, grated
2 tsp finely grated orange zest
40g prunes, stoned and chopped
50g plain flour
20g ground almonds
60g bread crumbs
1tbsp milk
50g soft dark brown sugar
75g proper beef suet
1 tbsp golden syrup
1 egg
Pinch each of salt, mixed spice and cinnamon
Glug each of brandy, sherry and rum
4 tbsp stout

Method
· Place the sultanas, currants and raisins in a large bowl. Add the alcohol and leave to soak overnight.
· Line a 2 pint pudding basin with muslin, leaving enough spare to tie at the top.
· Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl of soaked fruit and mix well.
· Fill the lined pudding basin with the mix and tie up the muslin with a piece of string.
· Gently steam the pudding for 2 hours in a lidded pot (water covering half the pudding basin). Don’t allow to boil dry.
· Before serving, check that the centre of the pudding is piping hot.
· Serve with brandy sauce or pouring cream.

The pudding maker, Chef Neil Forbes.

The pudding maker, Chef Neil Forbes.

And a final word from Neil, “Nothing gives me greater pleasure at this time of year than making our Christmas puddings. They are simply stunning, stuffed with plump brandy soaked Californian raisins and organic ingredients. We make them all by hand at Cafe St Honore“.

If making your own Christmas pudding doesn’t appeal then Neil’s puddings are available from Cafe St Honore, Edinburgh, priced £12.50 including the lovely ceramic bowl they come in. You can pick one up from the restaurant or email eat@cafesthonore.com or call 0131 226 2211.

 

Images: Paul Johnston, Copper Mango

 

 

 

Scotch Lamb Street Festival

By Leave a Comment

image If you thought Scotch lamb was just for Sunday dinner then think again. A recently held Scotch Lamb Street Festival in Glasgow showed just how easily different cuts of lamb can be cooked and how well it works with different cuisines. With an invitation from Scotch Lamb I was keen to find out just what the city’s street food chefs would be cooking and headed along with the hungry food loving Gillon boys in tow. These boys love their food and when it comes to good street food hot and spicy is what they look for.

The food was organised by Glasgow’s popular and successful Street Food Cartel and like all their events this was  top notch street food with a difference. First thoughts on the combination of lamb and street food might conjure up thoughts of the ubiquitous donner kebab, but, I’m glad to tell you that these guys did so much more with Scotch lamb and produced some outstanding food. With influences from around the world, Moroccan, Mexican, Italian and Thai, the boys were happy to eat their way around the festival.

Lamb

Some of the delicious street food served up at the Scotch Lamb Street Festival.  Pics by Food and Drink Glasgow

Scoop  in their well known Silver Bullet served up a favourite of mine (pic top left), braised neck fillet of lamb, ras el hanout with pomegranate and sultana couscous. I love these Moroccan flavours and having visited the country recently this was a really well flavoured authentic dish. I also liked the use of neck fillet in this dish as it’s a cut that’s very often overlooked by shoppers. Maybe one to try next time you’re buying  Scotch lamb.

Pad BKK served a lamb massaman curry with jasmin rice, prawn crackers, crispy shallots, peanuts and herbs (botton left) and this was another crowd pleaser. The lamb worked really well with the Thai flavours and overall it was super tasty sweet and spicy dish.

So La Ti Dough, the sister company of Scoop treated us to lamb shoulder, slow roasted in the wood fired oven, with vine tomatoes, rosemary and garlic (pic bottom right). This was such a delicately flavoured dish and didn’t overpower the sweetness of the lamb.  The thick slices of lamb were served on focaccia, making this a really hearty and filling dish.

The final dish was Mexican inspired and was served up by Antojito Cantina. Being lovers of chillies and Mexican food the boys made straight for this and were not disappointed. The Barbacoa lamb served in soft taco’s with sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo  ticked the spicy box for them. I cook Mexican food regularly and this was another great example of being creative with lamb, breaking away from the usual chicken, fish and beef  as the main ingredient.

2014 Scotland Food and Drink Ambassador and chef patron of The Sisters Restaurant, Glasgow, Jacqueline O’Donnell, was in charge of the food demonstrations and as usual Jacqueline’s very relaxed style made it easy to see how the food she was cooking was something you could do at home. If you’ve seen Jacqueline in action before, you’ll agree that she’s one of the best when it comes to cooking with Scottish produce, and her Scotch lamb dishes were no exception. Her demos are always more than just cooking up a recipe; she always gives lots of tips on cooking meat, how to get the best flavour and what cuts to ask your butcher for. Jacqueline’s three dishes used different cuts of lamb, loin, shoulder and mince, and each one showed how incredibly quick and easy it is to to produce great family meals with Scotch lamb. I loved all three and I’ve included her ideal street food food recipe, sizzling lamb kofta for you try at home. I’ll add Jacqueline’s other  Scotch Lamb recipes in the near future.

Chef Jacqueline O'Donnell

Chef Jacqueline O’Donnell

Sizzling Scotch lamb kofta
Print Recipe
These sizzling lamb koftas are a joy - as soon as they come off the grill they are rolled in smashed nuts and spices, before being wrapped up with pickles and crunchy veg in a soft tortilla. They're super simple to make, filling, and in various ways have been the ultimate street food for hundreds of years.
Servings
4 People
Servings
4 People
Sizzling Scotch lamb kofta
Print Recipe
These sizzling lamb koftas are a joy - as soon as they come off the grill they are rolled in smashed nuts and spices, before being wrapped up with pickles and crunchy veg in a soft tortilla. They're super simple to make, filling, and in various ways have been the ultimate street food for hundreds of years.
Servings
4 People
Servings
4 People
Ingredients
Servings: People
Instructions
  1. Add the very finely sliced cabbage to a bowl along with the vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Gently scrunch with your hands and set aside.
  2. Blitz the pistachios and fennel seeds in a food processor until fairly fine, sprinkle over a chopping board and set aside.
  3. In a food processor, blitz the bread into breadcrumbs and add to a bowl with the minced lamb. Season well and mix together. Divide the mixture into 4 pieces and mould each into a sausage shape. If cooking on a BBQ, mould each kofta around a wooden skewer that's been soaked in water.
  4. Heat a griddle pan on a high heat and when hot add the koftas and cook to your liking, ensuring that they are cooked all the way through. Remove from the heat, brush with chilli sauce, then simply roll in the nuts and spices until well coated.
  5. Briefly warm each tortilla on the griddle (give it a quick wipe first), then add the lettuce, a kofta, radishes and a dollop of yoghurt. Squeeze the excess salty liquid from the pickled cabbage and add a small handful of cabbage to each tortilla and serve.
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe

With so many different cuts of lamb, it’s  good to have some knowledge of what to ask your butcher for and to know what works well with a particular recipe. The  Scotch Lamb Club Butcher on hand was the very person to ask and along with his demonstrations there  helpful advice on what to look for and how to choose different cuts. A butchery lesson also gave some of my fellow bloggers  the opportunity to get hands and learn how to butcher and bone a leg of lamb.

Butchery demo

Butchery demo

Even watching the lesson was helpful and I’m sure with a sharp knife I’ll feel more confident if I ever have to trim and bone a leg of lamb.

Many thanks to Scotch Lamb for inviting us to the street food festival and the Street Food Cartel for such great food. If you would like to find out more about cooking with Scotch Lamb, check out Quality Meat Scotland’s  Scotch Beef and Lamb, Scotch Kitchen  where you’ll find videos, recipes and free recipe booklets to help you cook with different cuts of lamb.

Scotch Lamb is among the best in the world and has been awarded PGI  (Protected Geographical Indication)  and only farms and sheep  that meet the stringent standards laid down by Quality Meat Scotland are eligible be called Scotch lamb. To be confident when buying  lamb, look for the blue Scotch Lamb label and PGI logo. That way you can be assured that what you’re buying  is quality lamb, born and bred in Scotland to the the QMS  standard.

FFF

Look for the blue Scotch Lamb label and the PGI Logo

The Scotch Lamb Street Food Festival was also a great opportunity to meet up with some of my fellow blogging chums, Mark from Glasgow Food & Drink and Janice from Farmers Girl Cooks. You’ll find further posts about the event on their sites. Also thanks to Mark  for saving the day when I lost some of my pics.

I was invited as a guest to the Scotch Lamb Street Festival, I was not paid and all opinions expressed are my own

Cooking with Tinned Fish

By Leave a Comment

 

5 fish collage

Tinned fish, admittedly mainly salmon and sardines are always in my store cupboard. Salmon is ideal for sandwiches and I just adore sardines on toast for my lunch or as quick healthy and filling snack. One of my speedy standby meals is pasta with sardines in tomato sauce, healthy, quick and on the table in 10-15 minutes. So, when John West asked me if I was interested in cooking some meals with a selection of their products, I wanted to find out more about tinned fish.

John West has a great selection of healthy tinned fish.

John West has a great selection of healthy tinned fish.

Fish Facts.

Quality – The fish used in canned seafood is not inferior. The quality is as good as fresh fish.

Economical – Canned seafood is an economical way to buy seafood.

Healthy and full of flavour – Canned seafood is great for making quick and healthy meals. There’s a great selection to chose from including, tuna, salmon, sardines and mackerel and you’ll also find these with with added sauces including tomato, lemon, mustard or BBQ. Tinned fish is packed full of health giving  nutrients, especially  omega 3 (except tuna as the omega 3 is lost in the canning process), which has been shown to have so many health benefits. These healthy fats are good for our brain, our heart and can also have a role in maintaining a normal blood pressure.  Health experts currently recommend we eat two serving of fish a week, one of which should be an oily rich fish.  So, given that a tin of sardines with soft bones provides around half of an adults daily calcium requirements,  it’s definitely worth considering tinned fish as part of your weekly diet.

I decided it was time to think outside the tin and try some new recipes. The John West website has a wide range of recipes and I used some as a basis for the recipes in this post.

We love fishcakes in our house and the tinned red salmon was perfect for this recipe. It worked well and made a really tasty family meal. When my boys were small I used to make fishcakes as it was a good way to get them eating a variety of fish and to make sure they were getting their omega 3s. This recipe will work with any tinned fish and as well as making an easy family meal, it will also be excellent for making some canape size fish cakes.

Salmon fishcakes - a healthy family meal from tinned salmon.

Salmon fishcakes – a healthy family meal from tinned salmon.

Ingredients: 170g John West pink salmon skinless & boneless drained. 150g mashed potato chilled. 1-2 tbsp chopped parsley. Zest of half a lemon. 1 egg beaten. 50g breadcrumbs. (I used breadcrumbs from sundried tomato bread) 2-3 tbsp rapeseed oil. Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To prepare the Salmon Fishcakes recipe preheat the oven to 190c or gas mark 5. In a large mixing bowl add the mash potato,  tinned salmon,  parsley and lemon zest. Season with a little salt and milled pepper and mix together.  Divide into 4 balls and shape into fishcakes. Leave to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes. Meanwhile place the flour, egg and breadcrumbs into 3 separate bowl.

Roll into ball and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes

Roll into ball and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes

Dust the fishcakes in flour until completely coated,dip then dip into the egg and roll in breadcrumbs.

Ready to cook

Ready to cook

In a large frying pan, heat the rapeseed oil  and gently cook the fishcakes until golden on both sides. Place  onto an oven tray and pop into the oven to warm through, for about 10 minutes. Serve with tartare sauce and vegetables.

Tinned Mackerel – Mackerel, Bacon and Rosemary Gnocchi

The second recipe is made with tinned mackerel and this was one fish product I had never used before, preferring to stick with either fresh  or smoked mackerel. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it tasted and what surprised me more was that the entire family gave it the thumbs up. The addition of the gnocchi made it a nice filling dish and like tinned salmon it is packed full of nutrition and is great for famly meals.

Delicious, healthy and colourful.

Delicious, healthy and colourful.

 

 Ingredients : 100g diced pancetta. 1 red pepper chopped. 1 tbsp rapeseed oil (optional, see cooking instructions) 1 small tub of half fat creme fraiche.  2 110g cans of John West steam cooked mackerel – natural with no added brine. 400g gnocchi. Half a bunch of chives snipped or rosemary chopped. 5 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan.

Cook the gnochhi according to the instructions on the packet and drain.  Cook the pancetta and red pepper for 5 mins. If using a non stick pan, no oil will be needed but otherwise add 1tbsp of rapeseed oil. Mix the natural with no added brine. 400g gnochhi. Half a bunch of chives snipped or rosemary chopped. 5 tbsp freshly grated creme faiche, herbs and half of the Parmesan together with the mackerel fillets and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Stir in the gnocchi, pancetta and red pepper and pour into large oven  proof dish. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until bubbling hot and golden brown. Serve with vegetables.

Mackrel, bacon and rosemary gnochhi is a filling and healthy meal.

Mackerel, bacon and rosemary gnochhi is a filling and healthy meal

This post is the first of a two part series on cooking with tinned fish. Find up more inspiration for cooking with the John West product range and other fishy tales on the John West website

image

 

I was provided with a box with a range of John West Products. I was not paid and all opinions are my own.

Show the love for pumpkins

By Leave a Comment

Pumpkins are for eating, not just for Halloween

Pumpkins are for eating, not just for Halloween

Call me a killjoy, if it was Christmas you could call me Ba Humbug, but I really dislike the waste of  food at Halloween. I saw it when my own kids were young, bags of sweets and fruit from trick or treating, and of course the huge numbers of pumpkins that are wasted. Okay, that’s the lecture over so let’s look at loving and eating pumpkins this year.

I was delighted to find a great big pumpkin in my veg bag delivery this week and even more delighted to find that it also included a recipe for spicy pumpkin soup. My bag comes from Bellfield Organics and they’re always happy for me to include the recipe in blog posts. I’m on a mission this month to think outside the pumpkin. It’s not just for Halloween, it’s for eating. Make soup, use it it casseroles, roast it, make it cakes, whatever you do, cook pumpkin and eat it.

This gorgeous pumpkin was in my organic veg bag this week

This gorgeous pumpkin was in my organic veg bag this week

This was quite a big pumpkin and I still have more than half leftover. The pumpkin seeds can also be used so don’t thrown them away. I’ll be roasting them in oil and using in salads and snacks.

Don't throw the seeds away, roast and use in salads or as snacks.

Don’t throw the seeds away, roast and use in salads or as snacks.

This is the first of several recipes I’ll be posting this month and I hope it encourages you to be adventurous with pumpkins while they are in season.

Warming and spicy pumpkin soup

Warming and spicy pumpkin soup

Show the love for pumpkin.
Print Recipe
A delicious warming and seasonal soup. Add more spice or fresh chilli if you prefer a spicier soup.
Servings Prep Time
-6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
-6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Show the love for pumpkin.
Print Recipe
A delicious warming and seasonal soup. Add more spice or fresh chilli if you prefer a spicier soup.
Servings Prep Time
-6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
-6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Ingredients
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and garlic, cook gently for about 3 minutes or until the onion has softened.
  2. Add the pumpkin and the potato and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the chilli flakes and coriander and cook for a 1 minute.
  4. Add the stock, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Blend until smooth and stir in cream. Adjust seasoning as required.
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe