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Poached Pears

18th March 201918th March 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 6

A dessert you can make ahead of time is a winner when entertaining. These pears are poached in a simple sugar syrup flavoured with vanilla and cinnamon. By all means add some other aromats; try star anise, lemon or orange peel.

The length of time they poach for will depend upon their ripeness. Mine were just ripe and took 30 minutes. But they will take less time if they are more ripe (and vice versa).

You could also go biblical and exchange the water for wine; in either case make sure you reduce the syrup by half once you have removed the cooked pears.

Ingredients:
300g caster sugar
1L water
1 vanilla pod (split lengthways and scrape out the seeds, then use both the seeds and the pod)
1 large cinnamon stick
6 Pears

Step 1: Put the sugar, water, vanilla and cinnamon in a large saucepan.

Step 2: Carefully peel your pears, leaving the stalk intact, and then slice the bottom of the pear off so that they can stand up.

Step 3: Place the pan over a medium-high heat, and once the sugar has dissolved use the stalks to carefully put each pear into the liquid. Bring to a simmer and either place a lid on the pan, or use a piece of baking parchment pressed into the surface of the liquid.

Step 4: Simmer until tender (check them after 20-30 minutes, but it will depend on the ripeness of the pear).

Step 5: Remove the pears from the spiced sugar syrup. Keep the lid or paper off the pan and reduce the syrup by half by which time it should by slightly thicker and nice and sticky.

These can be made a day or two ahead of time. Store the pears in their syrup in an airtight container in the fridge. They can be eaten hot or cold. Serve on their own or with ice cream.

Whatâ€™s for dinner?

13th March 201913th March 2019
by thefoodwife

This week weâ€™ve been revisiting some recipes from The Food Wife so here are some ideas to help you with some meal planning for the week ahead. All are gluten-free (or easily adaptable).

At the weekend we had some friends round for dinner and I went for the low prep, no fuss chicken and potato tray bake with peppers and artichokes, served with a large green salad. It meant I could minimise my time in the kitchen and maximise my time socialising! We also had some of the marinated olives to nibble on with drinks before hand which I had set marinating the night before so they were full of flavour.

Weâ€™ve also had a firm favourite midweek, simply defrosted from the freezer and reheated; the yellow split pea daal. We had it with nutty brown basmati rice and some blanched green beans. So healthy and nutritious but utterly delicious too!

Another freezer staple was ragÃ¹; stirred through pasta it makes a really quick and satisfying meal. And also with pasta weâ€™ve had the creamy spinach and pea pasta making a 15 minute meal perfect for a week night.

Lunch times have been soup-focussed and the sweet potato and butternut squash Thai coconut soup has been spicing up lunchtimes.

New to the menu was a Thai-inspired beef and noodle salad. Fresh flavours making the most of leftovers as I used left over roast beef and green beans from a family roast on Sunday.

The Food Baby has not been forgotten. At the start of the week I had a mammoth cooking session making batches of toddler-appropriate food. My main aim has been to try and get as much fruit or vegetables into him without him realising, as he appears to be able to identify and reject anything obvious at 20 paces. A batch of baby oaty ‘carrot cake’ cookies have gone down well with half being popped in the freezer for another time. I also made a big batch of veggie curry fritters, although I split the vegetables and batter and did half with the curry powder, and the other half with a teaspoon of smoked paprika and 100g grated cheese. Each batch made seven good size fritters which have been popped in the freezer for future dinners.

Hopefully our week’s meal plan has offered you some inspiration for all the family, catering for a variety of different diets, including gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan. If you haven’t already, why not sign up to The Food Wife Newsletter at the bottom of the homepage, to ensure you get every recipe each week, direct to your email.

Thai-Inspired Beef and Noodle Salad

11th March 201911th March 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 2-3

Having enjoyed roast beef on Sunday I decided that we would use some of the left-overs in a salad on the Monday. Cue this Thai-inspired salad, using rice noodles and any salad items you want. This time round I used shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato, left over green beans (again from the roast!) and thin rings of red onion.

The dressing is hot, sweet, salty and sour. You can adjust the hotness with how much chilli you add, and the sweetness with the sugar.

You could also add fresh herbs such as Thai-basil, mint or coriander to the salad too.

Ingredients:
100g rice vermicelli noodles, cooked according to the packet instructions and cooled
200g left over roast beef, thinly sliced (or a freshly cooked steak, cut into thin strips)
Salad items of choice (e.g. shredded lettuce, red onion, green beans, tomato, cucumber, carrot ribbons etc)

For the dressing:
1 inch root ginger, peeled and finely diced or grated
1 (+) red chilli, finely diced
1 lemongrass, bruised with the flat blade of a knife and finely chopped
2 lime leaves, finely shredded (or the zest of 2 limes)
Juice of 2 limes
3 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp caster sugar

Step 1: Make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients, adjusting the amount of chilli depending on how hot you like it. Check the sweetness and add a little more sugar if needed.

Step 2: In a large bowl, toss together the cooked and cooled noodles, the beef and the salad.

Step 3: Pour the dressing over and toss through just before serving.

Wings, Two Ways.

4th March 20194th March 2019
by thefoodwife

Makes 2kg

We recently had a bit of a wing-feast with my brother and sister-in-law. I canâ€™t say we remembered to take a photo of the wings, so youâ€™ll have to believe me when I say they were good. But I did get a photo of the dry rub! The marinades below are each enough for 1kg of wings.

Ingredients:
Mexican dry rub:
1 tbsp sumac (or the zest of 1 lemon)
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chipotle chilli flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp caster sugar

Korean wet marinade:
1 big heaped tbsp of gochujang (gluten-free if required)
3 tbsp soy sauce (gluten-free if required)
3 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp caster sugar

Step 1: For each of the rub/marinade, combine the ingredients in a large bowl or sealable bag.

Step 2: Toss the chicken wings through the rub/marinade until completely coated and leave to marinate for an hour or two.

Step 4: Spread the wings in a single layer on baking trays (keep the rub/marinade separate).

Step 5: Cook in a preheated oven (190-200c fan) for 50-60 minutes.

Delicious served with potato wedges and coleslaw.

Chickpea and Spinach Curry

26th February 201926th February 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 6

Good for all the family, this mildly spiced, creamy curry, is quick to make and suitable for a range of dietary requirements: dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan.

Itâ€™s made with standard store cupboard (or freezer) ingredients so you probably wonâ€™t need to do a special shop for it either and can easily fling it together on a weeknight without too much effort.

Serve with rice (I like it with nutty brown basmati) or with flat breads. It would also make a suitable side dish for a bigger Indian meal.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp (coconut) oil
2 onions, medium dice
1 fat clove of garlic, finely chopped
2 inches of ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tins of chickpeas, drained
150g red lentils
400ml coconut milk
500ml vegetable stock (ensure this is gluten-free if required)
250g spinach, fresh or frozen (defrosted) roughly chopped
Salt and pepper

Step 1: In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook for five minutes or so; when softened add the garlic and ginger and cook for another two minutes.

Step 2: Add the spices and cook for two minutes, stirring frequently.

Step 3: Add the chickpeas, lentils, coconut milk and stock. Bring to a simmer, then cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes or until the lentils are soft.

Step 4: Add the spinach, cook for a couple more minutes and then check the seasoning and adjust as necessary before serving.

N.b. Make sure you only add the spinach at the very end to keep its vibrant green colour.