Blog – Page 65 – The Food Wife

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry

4th May 20184th May 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 6

Iâ€™ve been ~~sneakily~~ trying to work more vegetarian recipes in to my husbandâ€™s diet, and this has become one of his favourites. It is so satisfying that I donâ€™t think he realises heâ€™s missed out on the meat! This recipe is actually vegan, gluten free and best of all, delicious. It is mild in heat but rich in spices and is pleasingly creamy, though lighter on calories due to the relatively small amount of coconut milk used.

Whilst this recipe serves 6, I will make a batch for the two of us and freeze two extra meals to enjoy later. I simply defrost in the fridge for 24 hours and gently reheat to serve.

I like to serve this with brown rice but it is also great as part of a thali (try it as a smaller portion with a daal, rice and a small side salad).

You will also find a version suitable for baby weaning on my website, here.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp coconut oil (or oil of your choice)
2 onions, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
2 inch ginger, peeled and diced
3 tsp cumin seeds (ground if you prefer)
1 tsp mustard seeds (ground if you prefer)
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp garam masala
2 cloves
8 cardamom
2 pieces of cassia bark or cinnamon
2 small handfuls of curry leaves
Small tin coconut milk (160ml)
300ml vegetable stock
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tins of drained chickpeas
Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Melt the coconut oil on a medium heat and add the diced onion, garlic and ginger. Soften for a couple of minutes and then add each of the spices, stirring to ensure they donâ€™t burn.

Step 2: Add the small tin of coconut milk along with the vegetable stock (ensure you use a gluten free stock if you need to keep the curry suitable for those with a gluten intolerance/allergy).

Step 3: Add the cubed sweet potato and simmer until tender (this should take about 10 minutes).

Step 4: Five minutes before you are ready to serve the curry add the 2 tins of drained chickpeas to the pan, and heat through. Season as necessary (be aware that the stock you have used may well be salty enough).

This week I served it with some homegrown Swiss chard, roughly sliced and sweated in a little coconut oil with a crushed garlic clove, 1/4 tsp of dried chilli flakes, 1/2 tsp coriander seeds and 1/2 tsp of ground cumin seeds. Delicious.

Rhubarb Crumble Tray Bake

2nd May 201820th August 2018
by thefoodwife

Makes 12 slices

I love rhubarb. Iâ€™m sure to choose anything on a menu that features this beautifully tart fruit. Last summer I had a few sticks sitting in my fridge and nothing quite did what I wanted it to from my recipe collection, so I started throwing some ingredients together, thinking about flavours and textures that just work, and came up with this moreish tray bake cake.

Last weekend I decided to make it again, and it was just as good as I remembered and so had to share it with you all.

Whilst it is delicious cold as a cake, it would also be equally pleasing served warm with hot custard as a pudding.

Ingredients:

For the tray bake:
225g plain flour
200g light brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of one orange
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 eggs
2 tbsp plain yoghurt
125g melted butter, cooled
300g chopped rhubarb (1 inch pieces)

For the crumble topping:
50g melted butter
75g light brown sugar
100g oats

Step 1: Mix all of the traybake ingredients (minus the rhubarb) together in a large bowl, using a hand or electric whisk.

Step 2: Pour evenly into a greased traybake tin.

Step 3: Dot the top of the traybake with the chopped rhubarb.

Step 4: Combine the crumble topping ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle over the top of the rhubarb-studded tray bake.

Step 5: Place the tray bake in the oven for 35 mins at 180c and then for 20 mins at 150c.

Step 6: Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Cut into 12 pieces.

I have successfully frozen this cake once it has been cut and individually wrapped in clingfilm and then sealed in a freezer bag.

Baby Weaning Ideas #1

30th April 20181st May 2018
by thefoodwife

Hereâ€™s a little round up of what Austin has been enjoying over the last week… for anyone weaning their baby this might give you some new ideas. He approves of them all.

Cheesy scrambled egg

Ingredients:
Knob of butter
1 large free range egg
Splash of full fat milk
Pinch of smoked paprika
15g mature cheddar, grated

Step 1: Whisk the egg and milk together

Step 2: Melt the butter in a small saucepan on a medium low heat.

Step 3: Add the whisked egg to the pan and gently fold the cooked layers into the raw until it is a soft scrambled consistency.

Step 4: Add the paprika and grated cheese and fold through. Serve immediately.

Banana Yogurt with Cinnamon

Ingredients:
1/3 banana
3-4 heaped tea spoons of full fat Greek yogurt
A pinch of ground cinnamon

Step 1: Roughly mash the banana

Step 2: Add the Greek yogurt and cinnamon.

Step 3: Mix together until combined.

Sweet Potato and Coconut Curry

Ingredients:
1 tsp coconut oil
1/2 onion diced
1/2 garlic clove finely diced
1/2 inch ginger, peeled and diced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala
Pinch of curry leaves (optional)
50ml coconut milk
1 sweet potato peeled and cut into one-inch cubes

Step 1: Melt the coconut oil on a medium heat and add the diced onion, garlic and ginger. Soften for a couple of minutes and then add each of the spices, stirring to ensure they donâ€™t burn.

Step 2: Add the cubed sweet potato and add the coconut milk along with enough water to just cover the potato.

Step 3: Simmer until tender (this should take about 10 minutes).

Step 4: Blend the mixture until smooth. Divide into portions.

If you have used whole spices these will remain but should be small enough not to cause an issue. I simply blend the curry leaves too but you may wish to omit them. I freeze this in portions and defrost it when needed. Iâ€™ve also added tinned chickpeas, lightly mashed with a fork to add more texture.

Spiced Butternut Squash, Feta and Pomegranate Salad

30th April 201822nd July 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 2-4, depending on appetite

Sweet, roasted, spiced orange flesh with sharp and creamy cheese. Do you need any more encouragement to give this salad a go? Whilst this is a rather summery dish it is delicious at any time of the year. Indeed, I have eaten this salad a lot recently. Iâ€™ve had it as a main meal paired with warm flat breads, as part of a lunch with falafel and houmous, and itâ€™s also well suited to accompany other salad dishes.

I have tried the two spice mixes on the squash and both work well. Youâ€™ll get a milder herb/spice from the zaâ€™atr and the addition of sesame seeds brings a nuttiness, whilst the ras al hanout has a hotter, more complex spice blend.

The dressing will make enough for two salads, and will store happily in the fridge for a week or two.

Ingredients:

Roasted butternut squash:
1/2 butternut squash peeled and cut into 1cm dice
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp zaâ€™atr spice mix or ras al hanout

Salad:
50g feta
1/4-1/2 pomegranate (seeds only)
Salad leaves
3 sprigs mint, chopped

Dressing:
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Step 1: Mix your diced butternut squash, oil and chosen spice together in a bowl.

Step 2: Spread on a baking tray and roast in a 200c oven for 20 minutes or until softened and lightly browned.

Step 3: Add the dressing ingredients to an empty jam jar and shake vigorously for a few seconds (or whisk in a bowl) until combined.

Step 4: In a serving bowl add your roasted butternut squash, the pomegranate seeds and salad leaves. Crumble in the feta and add the mint.

Step 5: Pour half of the dressing over the salad and toss gently to ensure it is evenly distributed.

Sticky Chilli Chicken

28th April 201828th April 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 4-6

There is something deeply satisfying about eating juicy meat straight off the bone, and my sticky chilli chicken does not disappoint. The ingredients are simple and, if youâ€™re anything like me, they are probably things youâ€™ll find lurking in the fridge or cupboard.

Ingredients:
1kg chicken pieces (a mix of thighs and drumsticks)
1 red onion cut into thin wedges
2 carrots cut into batons
1 red pepper cut in to one inch pieces
1/2 orange cut into eight pieces
Juice of half an orange
1 inch ginger peeled and diced
1 heaped tbsp chilli jam
2 heaped tbsp apricot jam
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Step 1: Add all ingredients into a large sealable bag (I like using the large ones from IKEA – Iâ€™m sure you know the ones I mean, they are frequently listed as a must-have purchase when paying the big blue box a visit). Squish everything together so the meat and vegetables are pleasingly coated in the sticky mixture. Leave (preferably overnight) in the fridge to marinate.

Step 2: Spread the contents of the bag in a baking tin and put in a 190c oven for 50 minutes.

Serve with rice, and if you fancy some extra veg, some steamed greens.