carrot fried rice + mint raita

This delicious Indian style fried rice served with fresh mint raita comes from Swasthi’s Recipes. It makes a great meal on it’s own or can be served as part of a larger spread. Cook the rice in advance if possible – good quality extra long basmati rice makes all the difference. Soak 1 cup of…… Continue reading carrot fried rice + mint raita

carrot risotto with chilli

This risotto, made from everyday ingredients, is wonderfully creamy and naturally sweet with a great contrast of roasted carrots and crispy chilli on top. Adapted from this recipe by Alexa Weibel from NYT Cooking. Heat the oven to 205ºC (400ºF). Finely chop or grate 340g (¾ lb) of carrots and set aside. Now slice another…… Continue reading carrot risotto with chilli

enoki and carrot pickle

Enoki mushrooms have a mild fruity flavour and a great crunchy texture. In Japan, pickles (otsukemono) are served with every meal and this sweet pickle (amazuzuke) is a delicious example. Remove the bottom part of a bunch of enoki mushrooms and gently break them apart. Peel and cut 1 or 2 carrots into batons of…… Continue reading enoki and carrot pickle

habanero hot sauce

Named after the Cuban capital Habana, Habanero chillies actually originated in the Amazon. These small, usually red or orange chillies were once considered the hottest in the world. Measuring 100,00-350,000 SHU (Scoville Heat Units) they have been overtaken by far hotter chillies (the Carolina Reaper measures up to 2,200,000 SHU). The habanero’s floral aroma and flavour…… Continue reading habanero hot sauce

roasted vegetables with tahini yoghurt sauce

A simple and delicious Middle Eastern twist on roast vegetables. Preheat your oven to 190ºC (375ºF). Wash and cut some cauliflower into florets, some leeks into chunky rounds and some sweet potatoes and carrots into diagonal slices. Put all the vegetables into a bowl along with some whole unpeeled garlic cloves. Season to taste with…… Continue reading roasted vegetables with tahini yoghurt sauce

stewed chicken with shimeji mushrooms + carrot kinpara

This sweet and sour Japanese style stew is easy to make and just delicious. And carrot kinpira, a Japanese way of cooking root vegetables, is an excellent accompaniment. Serve them with rice. Bring some salted water to boil in a small saucepan. Trim the green beans, cut them into shorter lengths and cook them in…… Continue reading stewed chicken with shimeji mushrooms + carrot kinpara

two cooked salads

These two Middle Eastern style salads make an excellent accompaniment for fried halloumi cheese, or grilled meat, chicken or fish. You could also serve them as part of a mezze (appetiser) first course. In this salad the combination of sweet onions and peas is balanced by salty preserved lemon. Heat some olive oil in a…… Continue reading two cooked salads

pork cotoletta + 3 veg

Cotoletta is the Italian version of the ubiquitous Schnitzel. Unlike schnitzel, though, it is not usually breaded with egg but dipped in oil and then breadcrumbs and often grilled, not fried. It’s also often cooked with the bone in. Traditionally veal, I chose pork for this meal and made Italian vegetable accompaniments. The 3 veg I served…… Continue reading pork cotoletta + 3 veg