Category: Dairy-Free

Tromboncino Pickle

Makes approximately 2-2.5L

About 15 years ago I tried a pickle made from pumpkin that was simply delicious. Sweet and vinegary with a lovely bite to the flesh. The perfect accompaniment to cold meats and cheese. I was thinking about this pickle (as you do) and wondering if I could make my own version with my hardened tromboncino squash this winter (normally a summer squash, used raw). The neck of a tromboncino lends itself perfectly to being cut into the thin rounds for the pickle, with minimum effort (all it needs is to be peeled and thinly sliced).

If you don’t have a tromboncino squash, then by all means use a butternut squash or pumpkin, it will just take a little extra effort to cut them into the small rounds (about two inches wide is best).

The pickle is made in two stages, each stage taking about half an hour. I would recommend starting stage one (step 1 on the instructions) in the evening and finishing with the pickling the next morning.

Over time the pickle will soften and lose its lovely bite so this is best eaten fresh (I am intending to devour mine over the next couple of months).

• Ingredients:
• 1.2kg tromboncino neck, peeled and cut into thin (3mm) slices
• 400g white onion (about 4 medium), peeled and cut into thin rounds
• 100g salt
• 3 cups of cold water

• For the pickling liquid:
• 3 cups of cider vinegar
• 3 cups of caster sugar
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp turmeric

Step 1: Place the prepared squash and onion rounds in a large bowl and cover with the salt and water. Cover with a layer of cling film or a plate, and then place a heavy object on top (I used a cast iron cooking pot but a pan filled with water would work) and leave for about 12 hours (or over night).

Step 2: Drain the salted water from the squash and onion and then rinse thoroughly under cold running water to wash off any excess salt.

Step 3: In a large pan heat the vinegar, sugar and spices until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is just boiling.

Step 4: Add the rinsed squash and onion and bring the whole thing back to a simmer. Switch off immediately and then ladle into sterilised jars.

Celeriac, Leek and Potato Soup

Serves 4

I do try and grow some of my own vegetables and I put some veg trugs in our garden last year. The arrival of our baby rather stopped my propensity to pop out to the garden and see how my vegetables were getting on, and alas my crops went to waste. Or so I thought. At the end of April, as the weather started to turn nice, I did venture out to survey what I needed to do, and lo and behold some of the plants had hung on in and I was able to rescue some leeks and celeriac. I am a big fan of leek and potato soup and decided celeriac would make a good addition to this classic.

I was keen to make this low fat and low calorie (although see my notes at the end if you want to make it naughtier!) and the result is very pleasing. I chose to add just a few shredded celeriac leaves to the soup, as when I tasted the celeriac raw, it wasn’t brimming with flavour. Adding just a few leaves really helped. This may be something to bear in mind, although if your celeriac has a good flavour, it won’t be necessary.

Despite my first making this in April, I’m sharing this now as if you are growing your own it (hopefully) won’t be too long before you will be able to harvest your vegetables. And if you aren’t, then leeks and celeriac are in abundance in the supermarket!

• Ingredients:
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 small/1 large leek, thoroughly washed and sliced
• 1 celeriac, peeled and diced
• 1 large potato, peeled and diced
• 1l vegetable stock
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Step 1: Heat the oil in a sauce pan on a medium-low heat and add the leek, allow to soften gently (do not brown).

Step 2: Add the diced celeriac and potato. If you like add a few sliced celeriac leaves. Stir.

Step 3: Add the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Put the lid on and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the celeriac and potatoes are soft.

Step 4: Remove from the heat and blend (I used a stick blender) and season to taste.

Try serving this with some crumbled blue cheese (we’re big fans of Blue Monday) or grated cheddar or even a swirl of cream. These additions do, of course, remove its dairy-free and vegan status, but it’s very tasty served as it is.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Over the years I’ve seen so many Pinterest pins for spaghetti squash and have wanted to try it for so long. They are so called as their cooked flesh shreds into spaghetti-like strands and so are often used as an alternative to pasta. I’ve never seen one for sale in the UK so decided I would buy some seeds and grow my own (or in this case ask my mum to grow them at her allotment as I didn’t have enough garden space this year!).

So, the day has come for me to finally cook and eat one! I decided to go for a low carb mac and cheese (where the squash would replace the macaroni). These instructions will tell you how to roast one to achieve perfect stands of spaghetti squash.

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 200c and put a small amount of water (50ml or so) in the base of a large lipped baking tray.

Step 2: Carefully cut the squash in half length ways and use a spoon to scrape out the seedy middle until you have a clean hollow.

Step 3: Place each half in the tray, flesh side up. Season with a little salt and pepper and then transfer to the oven.

Step 4: Cook for 50 minutes and then remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes before you use a spoon to shred the flesh from the skins.

Serve with the accompaniment of your choice, such as a cheese sauce. One spaghetti squash will serve 2-4 people.

Spiced Potatoes

Serves 2

Having a busy day planned doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a home-cooked flavourful meal come the evening. Before heading out for the day I set some chicken legs marinating in a mixture of plain (Greek) yogurt and tandoori spices along with a dash of vinegar. I knew that I could transfer these to the oven in the evening (180c for about 45-60 minutes) and I could make accompaniments whilst they were cooking.

I decided a spiced potato dish would make a suitable pairing and I could freshen everything up with some minted yogurt and a crunchy mango salad, both of which could be made whilst the potatoes were cooking (see notes at the end for details).

• Ingredients:
• 1 heaped tsp coconut oil
• 300g white potatoes, cut into 1cm cubes
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 2 small pieces of cassia bark
• 2 cardamom
• 2 cloves
• 1/2 tsp crushed chilli flakes (optional, leave out if you don’t want the heat)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (whole or ground)
• 1 tsp coriander seeds (whole or ground)
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp brown mustard seeds
• Large pinch each of salt and pepper
• 

Step 1: Heat the oil in a (preferably non-stick) frying pan, over a medium heat. Add the potatoes and stir for a minute or two.

Step 2: Cover with a lid and lower the heat, allowing the potatoes to gently soften in the natural steam. If needed add a dash of water from time to time to create a little steam. Cook for about 15 minutes.

Step 3: Add the garlic and spices, along with the salt and pepper and continue to cook for a few minutes (lid on). Serve when the potatoes are tender, the garlic is softened and the spices have warmed.

If you want to recreate this meal but don’t have a tandoori spice mix, just using some garam masala mixed with the yogurt will suffice. To make the crunchy mango salad I diced up half a ripe mango, finely sliced half a head of little gem lettuce and a handful of finely sliced red cabbage and tossed it all in the juice of a lime. The minted yogurt is simply Greek yogurt with fresh mint chopped up and stirred through.