A good mash to serve on the side with some sausages, grillede bacon or grilled chicken. You can also make Double Cheese Mash by scooping the mash into an ovenproof dish , scattering with a good handful each of Parmesan and fine breadcrumbs, then baking in a very hot oven until the top is golden and fairly crisp. The recipe is from ” Real Food” by Nigel Slater.
Green beans are cooked in olive oil like this in Turkey , where they are usually served warm, or at room temperature, rather than hot. This recipe is from ” Comfort” by Yotam Ottolengji, and the beans will keep in the fridge for up to three days.
Cavolo Nero is one of my favourite winter greens and this is a winning way to cook it from ” The Art of the Larder” by Claire Thomson. It goes very well with grilled meat ( if you do) , but is also good piled on to garlic rubbed toast, with or without some ricotta, or perhaps with a poached egg on top.
Here is another favourite recipe from Sophie Grigson’s ” Sunshine Food”. It will feed four as a light vegetarian main course or 8 as a side. Serve hot or warm. Its best to use a winter squash such as butternut, red kuri, crown prince or onion, but pumpkin will do if its all you have.
This is from ” Madhur Jaffreys Indian Cookery” which was published in 1982 to accompany her series on BBC 2. This was the first recipe book I bought and i still have my now very stained and dog eared copy. This is an everyday vegetable dish from the state of Gujerat which goes with any Indian meal but is also a good accompaniment to pork chops. The ingredients are readily available in supermarkets now but back then many could only be sourced in specialist Indian groceries.
A very good storecupboard standby supper from ” Veggie Family Cook Book” by Claire Thomson. Sauerkraut is fermented cabbage and it is now widely recognised that fermented foods can play an important role in supporting gut health.
Home made Beetroot Crisps trump the packet version hands down, and can be served on their own, in salads or to accompany game and duck. This recipe is from ” Simply British” by Sybil Kapoor. The crisps can be made in advance and reheated in a low oven.
Yesterday was my birthday and as a surprise my husband took me out to the relatively recently opened Mowgli in Bristol. I was sorely tempted by these Treacle Tamarind Fries but managed to resist. However, here is the recipe from the excellent cookbook ” Mowgli Street Food” by Nisha Katona.
These flavour packed and very moreish roast potatoes can be served as a side or a main. If serving as a main top with a fried egg and a drizzle of chilli oil. The recipe is from ” The Asian Pantry” by Dominique Woolf. and goes very well with the Thai Chicken Curry Pie from the same book.
These chips can be easily baked at home and are very good served with any versions of Shakshuka or similar egg dishes. They also go very well with Muhammara. The recipe is from ” Sebze” by Ozlem Warren.
