Mum's Famous Brown Rice Salad (v)

I once posted this on an internet forum, after nabbing the recipe from my mum, and loads of people made it and said how nice it was, so it's a travesty that I haven't yet blogged it on here. Sorry mum.

For 8 generous portions you need:

4-6oz brown rice cooked till tender
Handful chopped apricots
Handful chopped dates
Handful sunflower seeds
Handful pumpkin seeds
Handful pine nuts
2 sticks celery chopped
1 red and 1 green pepper de-seeded and chopped

Dressing:
2 cloves garlic crushed
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp cider vinager
2 tbsp apple juice
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chilli
1/2 tsp tumeric
2 tbsp soya sauce

Mix dressing together and pour over warm rice, add veggies/seeds and mix. Best made 24-48 hrs in advance to let flavours develop. Keeps for 4 days or so.

Tofu Sweet Chilli Noodle Salad (v)

This is inspired by what used to be my favourite M&S salad bowl (king prawn & sweet chilli noodles) and is based on a recipe in July's Good Food magazine (p56)

For 4-6 portions you need:
3 bundles of medium noodles (soba or udon work well)
1/2 cucumber
1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 pack marinated tofu chunks
zest and juice of 2 limes
4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
rocket/watercress and spinach salad mix (1 large handful per serving)
fresh corriander sprigs
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp light soya sauce/shoyu

Begin by cooking the noodles as per instructions on the pack. Drain and toss through the sesame oil and soya sauce. If you prefer shorter noodles roughly cut them (or break the dry noodles up as you add them to the pan to cook).

Halve the cucumber, scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon and then cut into half moons. Grate the carrot. Add to the drained and seasoned noodles. Mix together the chilli sauce and lime juice/zest and mix well. Place the noodles in a tub and add the salad leaves, topping with the sesame seeds.

Carrot, Peanut and Sultana Salad (v)

This is nice in place of coleslaw but is also good on it's own as a summer lunch.

For 4-6 portions you need:
4 large carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
1/4 cup sultanas
1/4 cup unsalted peanuts
salt and pepper
3 tbsp orange juice

Combine everything in a bowl and scoff. Yes, that's it ;-)

Thai Green Curry (v)

I have neglected my poor blog recently due to being away at too many conferences and in too much of a giddy spin now the news of my NTFs success is public (it's a hard life yada yada yada...). This was a quick, post conference dish to throw together and a nice tasty one too :)

For 6 portions you need:
1 pack marinated tofu chunks
1 onion
2/3 tub green thai curry paste (the small tub, natch)
1/2 cauli cut into florets
2 small head broccoli cut into florets
2 carrots, sliced
1 pack baby corn, cut into thirds
2 tins cocnut milk
1 pack coconut cream
fresh corriander, chopped

Begin by sauteeing the onion in 1 tbsp oil. Then add the curry paste and cook out. Add the veggies and coconut milk and cream and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 mins. Add the tofu, heat through and serve in bowls with lashings of rice. Simple.

Bermuda Creams (v)

I have no idea why these are called this, and I am sure that this recipe is not what the original was. But who cares. It's tasty, and easy. I remember these from when I was a child at Christmas gatherings :)

For each cream you need:
natural yogurt (use vegan yogurt if you wish, otherwise I recommend Total 0%)
dark brown muscavado sugar

Place 1 tsp sugar in the bottom of a ramekin/serving glass. Place 3-4 tbsp yogurt on top (as much as you want) and then top with another 1 tsp sugar. Leave to 'bleed' in the fridge for at least a couple of hours and then enjoy.

Disgustingly Healthy Lunchbox Bulghar Wheat (v)

Tomorrow is meat free monday which for me means a vegan day. I'm also in the throes of trying to empty out my completely over full cupboards in preparation for the imminent house move so this is an eclectic gathering of ingredients, but trust me as it's also very tasty. And healthy, did I mention that already?

For one person you need:
1/3 cup bulghar wheat
2/3 cup boiling water
1/4 tsp vegan stock powder
1 large pinch spices (I used moroccan seasoning)
2 tsp each of hazlenuts, cashews and pine nuts
4 dried apricots, sliced into small pieces
1/2 yellow pepper, diced
1 stick celery, cut into small dice
1/2 small red onion, diced
2 tsp olive oil


Place the blughar wheat and stock into a tub and pour over the water. Stir. Add the onion, nuts and apricots and soak till all the stock has been absorbed (it's important to add the nuts and apricots now as you want them to soften and plumpen with the wheat and onion needs to lose it's harshness in the water too). Add the seasoning, oil, pepper and celery and stir. Leave to get to know each other over night and scoff for lunch the next day. Feel truly virtuous.

Leftover Potato Tortilla

I hardly ever make 'real' tortilla, i.e. potatoes and onions and eggs a la Spanish tapas regular. But we had some leftover cooked new potatoes languishing in the fridge so I tried it. Truth be told it was a bit bland for me, next time I think it will need some additional garlic, maybe some mustard to kick the cheese a bit more and certainly some more seasoning. But as a blandish side dish with some other tapas it was perfectly acceptable.

For 4-6 portions you need:
2 cups cooked new potatoes, sliced into thin slices
2-3 onions, sliced
olive oil for sauteeing the onions and potatoes
6 eggs, beaten
some cheese if you fancy (I used 1/4 pack ready grated gruyere that needed to be used up)
seasoning

The pan you use for this is important as it should be non stick and also able to be placed in the oven. If you don't have an ovenproof one then grill the top instead towards the end.

Begin by frying the onions in the oil. Take it slow and easy and keep 'em cooking till they're lovely and caramalised. Add the potato slices and gently heat them, trying to get some of the edges nice and browned. Once this has been achieved (it'll take about 30 mins probably) add the seasoned eggs and cheese (if using). Cook gently on the hob till the bottom is set. Transfer to the oven and finish off the cooking process. Take care not to over cook. Eat warm, or chill and enjoy cold the next day.

Triple Chocolate Slice

This is basically a brownie by any other name. But obviously includes three types of chocolate. Cos one just isn't enough...

For about 16 slices you need:
90g plain chocolate
90g milk chocolate
150g plain flour
125 butter
2 eggs
100g soft brown sugar
130g white chocolate chunks

Melt together the milk and plain chocolate and butter. Leave to cool for a few mins. Then mix in the flour, eggs, sugar and white chocolate chunks. Pour into a lined swiss roll tin and bake at 160 degrees for about 30 mins till set. Leave to cool and then slice and scoff.