random risotto

I don't know if anybody else has this issue, but I've noticed every time people come around for dinner, it doesn't matter when  they come around you'll never have anything to cook the following evening. It can be a Monday night dinner party, but you'll have nowt in the fridge on Tuesday despite going shopping on Saturday. And this is despite the fact everybody ordered take away. Does that happen to anybody else, or is it just us?

Anyway, we're down to the bare bones tonight but there's enough in the cupboard to knock up an experimental risotto. Well, we've always got some sort of vino in the house...

It's a fairly earthy number: there's dried porcini plus a couple of sad-looking chestnut mushrooms from the fridge, and the peas. Also, we only had red wine left-over from last night, which added some oompf.

I have to say I love making risotto now I've nailed it, it's a very zen process. And wine is involved.

angela boggiano's tuna, cannellini bean and red onion salad on tomato bread

Mini-update today because rather than cooking tonight, we've got the mighty Mani-Itchers and McPartsons coming over for a take-away this evening.

Instead I'm going to wow you all (hopefully) with a lunch thingy: Consider it a tangential benefit of redundancy as lunch is getting big in the SW14, mainly because I've really got nothing better to do than cook and go running...

Anyhoo, idly flicking through some back issues of Delicious I came across this Angela Boggiano doozy from the 2008 Italian issue. Even better, we've got everything in the cupboard - apart from the Tomato Bread of course, because who the flock ever has tomato bread.

To be honest it's not massively different to some of the other tuna and white bean salads we've had, but the addition of the sour-dough smeared some sun-dried tomato paste actually makes it a pretty good addition to the cannon. Deffo one for the Yummington.

wine time
*Obvs* we're not drinking at lunchtime, but if we were we'd be totally going super-citric and dry as this has got a hefty whack of lemon juice, plus the cherry tomatoes also have a fair dose of acidity. If you're feeling flush, don't rub it in but feel free to get a Sauternes as it'll be divine. Those of us spending the Government's cash, steer clear of the Stella, but seek out a white Bordeaux as the mixture of Sauvignon and Semillon will do the same job at half the price.

sources
tuna, cannellini bean and red onion salad on tomato bread - Angela Boggiano, Delicious, May 2008, p95

rosemary salt-crusted roast chicken and salad

Cobblers, cobblers and double cobblers! I forgot to take a picture of tonight's dish du jour, which is in fact quadruple cobblers as it's my own freakin' invention.

It's an annoying way to end a top day, full of jobless fun. Seriously though, actual jobless fun because Ana's still on half-term, so whilst Milo's at school a-book learnin' we spend a nice day at The National Portrait Gallery. I wanted to go to the Imperial War Museum but was sadly over-ruled, still it was sunny and warm, and I did get to see some of my favourite pictures including Catherine Parr, Fanny Burney, Richard III and a moody-looking John Donne. For the record, Ana's favourite picture appeared to be Sam Taylor-Wood's video of David Beckham sleeping - WHICH IS NOT ART, IT'S PORNOGRAPHY!

Anyway, after a top post-school play in the park, and a manic playdate, it's time for experimental roast chicken'n'salad. It's a classic in this house, and it's a fab way to use up some frozen chicken legs, but tonight's difference is inspired by the huge bunch of rosemary drying out in the fridge: Ground up with some rock salt and rape seed oil, and slathered on the thighs it makes brilliantly crispy, salty skin, with tender, juicy meat underneath. Delish, and clearly I'm a genius... although not on the photography front.

sources
My genius.

hugh's mexican tomato and bean soup

After yesterday's distinct touch of summer, we're back to a definite grip of spring today. It's not exactly cold, but there's an edge to the wind as we trek around Richmond Park in the next stage of Operation Negative-Fattie-Boom-Batties.

Actually, with Milo back at school today, we've got a week of quality time together (or pointlessly bickering depending who is in what mood - I was in the doldrums today), but today we're clearing the decks post athleticism.

With monkey chops in bed we're at a bit of a loss what to cook. It's a slight case of recipe ennui combined with forgetting to take anything out of the freezer, and forgetting where I spotted a fab-looking recipe for a mixed bean soup. Could've been 'magic bean' though, which sounds even better.

I'd actually got to the point of having rice and dried porcini mushrooms on the worktop for a risotto, but in the end we opt for an equally-great, and more importantly, warming St Hugh soup:

 We've definitely had this before, so I can't believe I can't find it in the blog, but on the basis my promises of 'catching up' are at best vague, let's consider this it's first appearance here. It's a great soup, and an interesting variation on similar tomato and pulse-based dishes, mainly because it feels so fresh, light and zingy. The lime juice obviously helps here, but the whole thing sits a little easier than the infinitely heavier chickpea, tomato and chorizo soup for example.

Obviously we have half portions (twice) and Ana teams it with Ryvita. Cos we is fit, innit.

sources
mexican tomato and bean soup - HFW, River Cottage Veg Everyday! p138

melissa's morrocan chicken stew

I've alluded to this recipe a couple of times, especially the first few times we had the turmericky Delicious version we know and love. However after a beautiful balmy Sunday spent prepping the garden for a great summer of barbeques, we both have a craving for Melissa's version of Moroccan Chicken, stuffed with cinnamon, apricots and raisins, and a thick savoury gravy - perfect to be soaked up by cous cous.

I think the Delicious version is homelier; the combination of the turmeric, ginger and the gremolata making it more of a winter/autumn warmer than this version. The fruit and the lemon juice make Melissa's version lighter and fresher.

The trick here is the chicken needs a good few hours marinading for the spice, garlic and lemon juice to do their work. When we lived in Putney (pre-blog, darlings) I used to make it first thing in the morning before work, and then we'd have it that evening. No such luck today, but a good couple of hours whilst I cut and re-seeded the lawn whilst Milo was at a birthday party, just about did the trick.

Even better for our waistlines, we're using up some sort of barley cous cous, which has a nuttier taste than the usual stuff and clearly is much healthier by dint of fact it's got the word 'barley' in it. Feel the roughage!

sources
Moroccan chicken stew - Melissa Turner, The Black Book

spinach, tomato and chick pea curry

I know Chaucer favoured April showers, but this is getting ridiculous. Not only has it tanked down for a whole week, the weather gods have kindly thrown in some arctic winds into the mixer. Thanks Thor.

To make matters worse, I'm in a right, redundancy-based grump and spend most of the day picking arguments with lovely Ana. It could be our new alcoholic cold turkey of course. Anyway, she gamely plays along for a while, pointing out my inadequacies, before finally snapping and kicking me out for a run in the tempest on the basis it'll cheer me up.

15K later, she's almost right as I return damp, cold and marginally mollified. Even better, not only have Ana and Milo made a tray of brownies, perfect for post-run energising, but there's also the latest Scandi-crime-drama, Arne Dahl, on TV to look forward to.

Chilled to bone, I'm half tempted to join Milo in the bath, but just about sort myself out with a shower and a temporary injection of brownies. I still manage to fall asleep on snuggling duty.

Still, curry for dinner and seeing as it's so cold, I double the ginger to drive out the damp. No photo though, sorry...

sources
spinach, tomato and chick pea curry - Waitrose Recipe Cards, Early September 2010

double fish-whammy

After a week on the glorious(ly wet) Isle of Wight we return home to a slightly-controversial fish double-whammy. I suspect we're still slightly delirious from the sea bream success the other day, so we temper our fishy appetite with two dishes we know we like.

First off, we have a hale and hearty lunch with classic Yummington warm tuna salad with white beans. Sadly no accompanying vino though. Well, it is only lunchtime and we've got an annoying five year-old who would rather watch - and explain whilst it's happening on TV - the storyline of Captain America.

We follow this up with a stab at seasonality with another classic, pancetta-wrapped salmon with griddled asparagus. Here's a question though, given we're supposed to be at the start of British Asparagus Season, how come all the angiosperms in Waitrose come from Chile?

I'm so outraged, I take an out-of-focus picture.

Fuzzy picture aside, I've discovered my newly-fashionable enamel baking tin is perfect for making this dish as it allows the asparagus to bake without drying out, and the salmon can sit on top and crisp up - aces!

sources
warm tuna and white bean salad - Delicious, October 2012, p27
pancetta-wrapped salmon with griddled asparagus and lime creme fraiche - Delicious, June 2010, p23