Pinenut and Almond Cookies

These little cookies are sweet morsels with a crusty outside and soft and moist centre. This recipe is kind of a mix between an Italian style pinenut macaroon and Claudia Roden's Maronchinos from her 'The Book of Jewish Food '. I liked the sound of both recipes so combined the elements of each that I liked, the texture of the maronchinos and pinenut topping of the macaroon. They turned out yummy and would be great to serve with coffee. They are quite sweet and rich so you only need one or two to be satisfied which is why this recipe only makes around 15. They are best served the day they are made as they can lose their crunch after a day or two.

Cauliflower, Almond & Saffron Soup

I have had a cauliflower sitting in the fridge for over week now and I have been at a loss as to what to do with it until today when I needed a warming lunch. I added some ground almonds as I was worried that the soup might be a little thin and unsatisfying without any dairy or potatoes. The nuts add a nice richness and make this a really filling soup. I thought of adding some safffron after reading an interesting recipe for a cauliflower and saffron pasta sauce from Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook, (a book which I really love and which has some great recipes in by the way). So next time you are wanting something different to do with cauliflower try this rich and velvety soup. 

Dairy Free Sweet Potato Topped Fish Pie

Ok so this is my first purely non vegetarian recipe where I am not providing a meatless version. However, I promise that the next recipe that I do will be vegan just to make up for this one. Non meat eaters should look away now!

I made this fish pie for J as he used to love a classic fish pie when he could eat dairy but a rich white sauce with a cheesy potato topping really isn't going to cut it in these dairy free days. So I made this fish pie with a veggie packed wine and herb sauce and topped it with sweet potato instead which really isn't too bad and J never feels like he is missing out. Well it isn't as rich as a classic fish pie but is a little bit healthier and lighter. 

Spiced Elderberry Cordial

The season seems to be turning now with the occasional nip in the air and the trees and hedgerows are laden with autumn fruit. This drink is most definitely an autumn delight which is packed with vitamin C to help fight off the colds that are so often rife as this time of year.

This recipe is based on one I found in this months Country File magazine with some extra spices and less sugar added than the original. Don't be surprised if it smells like Christmas in your house after making this. It is very easy to make and you can also pick a double batch and freeze half the elderberries to make a second batch later in the year, just remember to leave plenty of fruit on the trees for all the local birds and animals. I foraged for these elderberries from some local hedgerows. In the UK elderberries (Sambucus nigra) are common all over on scrubby areas and in hedges. If you cannot get elderberries you could always try this recipe with blackcurrants or blackberries instead.

Saffron & Pea Risotto in Romano Peppers

Saffron and pea risotto was one of my favourite suppers when we lived in the UK. I would make a big pile of it just for myself and standing there and stirring it is a great way to wind down after a hard day at work. Rediscovering this dish as been great like meeting an old friend you haven't seen for a while and wondering why you lost touch in the first place. 

This dish was too stodgy for Singapore's climate not too mention that I could never find the right rice so it is great to be able to enjoy this recipe again. For this recipe I used Carnaroli rice which makes quite a creamy risotto but you could use Arborio  or even better use Vialone Nano instead. I used to throw in a handful of  cheese such as Parmesan at the end which you can do if you are dairy inclined.

A quick warning to those on a gluten free diet I have read that it is not always advisable to order risotto in Italy or traditional Italian restaurants as it is quite common to use pasta water to feed the risotto rice which will contaminate the whole dish with gluten. Not sure how widespread this practice is but worth being aware of as it is certainly not something I would have thought of.

Minted Courgette/Zucchini Soup

The best thing about being back home is seeing my family after nearly a year away from them. I was lucky enough to make a flying visit up to my parents in our first week back to the UK. I  saw the alloment plots that they have been working on all this year and see (and eat) all the lovely produce that is ready for harvesting. Here is a picture of my parents' alloment looking very neat and tidy after a little weeding and trimming. It is hard to believe that less than 6 months ago this area was just a regular field grazed by the occassional cow and it is now feeding lots of people with yummy organic produce.

Needless to say I managed to bring home a massive bag of produce freshly picked from the allotment. A pretty good exchange for a couple of hours gardening. However, as with most vegetable garden owners there comes a point when you just don't know what to do with all your zucchinis or courgettes as we call them in the UK. Hence this yummy soup came about to use up a few. I have to say this was yummy with a real summery feel to it and along with curried courgettes and courgette cake this makes a lovely way to use them up.

Calm Down London- Gluten Free Camomile & Courgette Cake

Well, it has been a crazy month but we are now back in London just in time for some riots and looting! No one here can quite believe the anarchy that our beloved city descended into. Not sure what the future holds for the UK at the moment but we definitely know that we are not in safe and comfortable Singapore anymore. I am definitely regretting my occasional rants that Singapore didn't have enough edge to it. Now London has so much edge that people are hurting themselves and others.

With so much stress and angst I thought it might be nice to make Harry Eastwood's Courgette and Camomile cupcakes from her Red Velvet Chocolate Heartache book. What could be more summery and calming than these little lovelies. Unfortunately, as we are staying in temporary accommodation with a lovely but not well equipped kitchen, I have no muffin or cupcake tins. I thought that I would break one of Harry's cardinal sins and make the recipe as a cake instead as I figured that even if the texture wasn't as good as her cupcakes, a half decent cake is better than no cake at all! And the texture was great, well risen and moist but I guess the cupcakes would be even lighter and fluffier. You could do either I guess but the book advises that this recipe makes 12 cupcakes. I have only given weight measurements rather than cups to ensure a good texture as this isn't your normal kind of cake recipe as it has no oil or margarine in it which makes it more important to get measurements right.

I am proud of all the Londoners out there who came together to help clean up the mess left and who are trying to work together help protect their communities. So lets all sit back, make a cup of tea and enjoy these soothing little cakes and for hope for a return to little normality in the world.