Blog – Page 52 – The Food Wife

Curried Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Soup

13th September 201813th September 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 4

Autumn is upon us and with it I welcome back soup to the menu. The first Iâ€™ve made this September is sweet from the veg and lightly spiced by curry powder. Itâ€™s low calorie (especially if you use a spray oil like I did for softening the onion) but is really delicious. You could always make it more substantial by serving it with some crusty bread.

This is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan so covers a range of dietary requirements. It freezes well too. Winner!

Ingredients:
A little oil
1 large white onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
2 heaped tsp medium curry powder
600g mix of butternut squash and sweet potato, peeled and chopped into chunks (about 1.5cm)
1 litre vegetable stock
20g creamed coconut block, grated
Salt and pepper

Step 1: In a large saucepan heat a little oil (I used a spray oil) and add your onion and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes until it has begun to soften and colour slightly.

Step 2: Add the chopped garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.

Step 3: Stir in the curry powder and the pieces of potato and squash.

Step 4: Add the vegetable stock and creamed coconut and bring to a gentle simmer.

Step 5: Put a lid on the pan and cook gently until the vegetables are soft and a sharp knife can easily pass through (about 10-15 minutes).

Step 6: Remove from the heat and carefully blend until smooth (I used a stick blender).

Step 7: Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Baby Beef and Beetroot â€˜Chilliâ€™

11th September 201811th September 2018
by thefoodwife

Makes 5 mini-portions

Packed with veg and nicely spiced, this colourful â€˜chilliâ€™ is a versatile dinner for your little one. A word of warning though, it is a deep dark pink, courtesy of the beetroot, which may also have an effect on nappies! But it tastes great and has gone down a storm in The Food Wife HQ. The Food Baby has had it with rice and as a pizza topping; soon heâ€™ll be having it with potatoes or pasta.

This contains herbs and spices, but no chilli (can it still be called a chilli then?!) but I chose to use a hot paprika to give it a little kick. I used a roasted red pepper from a jar (but you could just use a finely diced pepper). For the beans I actually used baked beans but you could use any of your choosing.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
1 small red onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
200g beef mince
4 mushrooms, finely chopped
1 (roasted) red pepper, finely chopped
1 small raw beetroot, peeled and finely chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp cooked beans
Pinch of pepper

Step 1: Put a pan on a medium
heat and add the oil and onion and cook for five or so minutes, until the onion has softened.

Step 2: Add the garlic, spices and oregano and stir, then add the beef mince and continue to stir every now and then while the mince browns.

Step 3: Add your vegetables along with the tomatoes and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Finally, stir through the beans and season with a little ground pepper.

I made five portions out of this recipe, and froze them individually. You can adjust the vegetables you use and if you wanted to make this vegetarian/vegan just leave out the beef and up the mushrooms or replace with some cooked red lentils. Perhaps add some grated carrot and courgette to bulk it out further.

Roasted Vegetable and Grain Salad

7th September 20188th September 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 2-4

I found a packet of five Italian grains in the supermarket and was keen to give them a go in a salad. The mix contained spelt, barley, durum wheat, rice and oats, but you could use a combination of your choosing, or just use one grain.

Iâ€™m also a bit obsessed with tarragon at the moment. I love its aniseedy perfume and find it incredibly moreish. Iâ€™ve been keen to grow some but I struggled to find any of the French variety to grow this summer. Instead Iâ€™ve had to make do with packets of fresh herbs from the supermarket.

The dressing quantity is more than you will need for this dish, but it will store for a few days in the fridge. I used it to dress some warm green beans to accompany an evening meal the same day. It was good!

Ingredients:

For the roasted vegetables:
1 courgette, cut into 1cm dice
1 pepper, cut into 1cm dice
1/2 butternut squash, cut into 1cm dice
1/2 fennel, cut into 1cm dice
1 tbsp olive oil
A pinch each of salt and pepper

For the salad:
100g (Italian) grains
50g salad leaves
25g soft goats cheese (optional – leave out if making this vegan or dairy-free)

For the dressing:
6 tbsp olive or cold-pressed rapeseed oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp freshly chopped French tarragon
1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley

Step 1: Mix the ingredients for the roasted vegetables and spread on a baking sheet. Cook at 200c for 35-40 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

Step 2: Cook the grains according to the packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and run under cold water until cool.

Step 3: Combine the salad dressing ingredients, and either shake in a lidded jar or whisk in a bowl until amalgamated.

Step 4: In a large salad bowl, toss together the cooled vegetables, grains, salad leaves and about a third of the salad dressing. If you are using goats cheese, crumble over the salad just before serving.

I served this at lunch time with my Tarragon and Mustard Chicken. Wonderful.

Banana and Oat Pancakes

6th September 20186th September 2018
by thefoodwife

Makes 7-8

These are a real hit with the Food Baby and so quick to make. I served these for pudding with a dip of full fat Greek yogurt, with a spoonful of fruit compote or jam swirled through it and then for breakfast with a smear of peanut butter on top; both times very well received and demolished.

This picture shows just how well they first went down as the Food Baby first tried to lick the bowl clean and then eat the bowl!

Serve one or two of these at a time, the rest can be frozen (I did so in pairs) and defrosted when needed and re-heated in a toaster or a quick zap in the microwave.

Ingredients:
1 large banana, mashed
60g oats
60g self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Large pinch of ground cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
Splash of full fat milk (about 50ml)

Step 1: Mix all the ingredients together until you have a well-combined batter.

Step 2: Heat a non-stick frying or crepe pan on a medium-high heat and add a little butter or oil (I used a spray oil).

Step 3: Spoon two tablespoons of mixture into the pan (I could cook three at once) and cook for a couple of minutes until little bubbles appear and they are golden brown on the underside and firm enough to flip over, then cook for a further couple of minutes on the other side.

Of course these aren’t just for babies! Try them with chopped fresh fruit and maple syrup or Greek yogurt for a delicious breakfast.

Tarragon and Mustard Chicken

4th September 20184th September 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 2-3

Tarragon is such a beautiful herb and is a classic with chicken. Here it is paired with Dijon mustard and lemon to make a marinade that can be easily scaled up, but the quantities here are perfect for two or three chicken breasts.

Ingredients:
2-3 chicken breasts, butterflied

For the marinade:
2 tsp rapeseed or olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp light brown sugar
4 tsp tarragon, chopped
A pinch each of salt and pepper
Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Step 1: Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a dish or sealable bag and mix.

Step 2: Add the chicken and massage so the meat is coated in the marinade.

Step 3: Either cover the dish in clingfilm or seal the bag and leave to marinate for an hour or two in the fridge.

Step 4: Remove from the fridge 20 minutes before you are ready to cook.

Step 5: Grill under a high heat for about four minutes on each side until cooked through.

I sliced this into thin strips and served it with a roasted vegetable and grain salad at lunchtime. It would be good as a more substantial meal, left whole, serving a breast per person with a warm potato salad (why not use tarragon in the dressing) and a large green salad on the side.