Rachel’s Food for Living

Rachel’s Food for Living

Rachel Allen

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my Grandmother, Sheila O’Neill, and my Grandfather, Hans Reichenfeld, with love.

Table of Contents

Cover Page

Title Page

Dedication

Introduction

Food for the Soul

Spanish Chorizo and Chickpea Soup

Leek, Potato and Blue Cheese Soup

Italian Baked Pancakes with Cheese and Tomato

Rigatoni with Courgettes, Lemon and Basil

Creamy Coconut Prawns with Spiced Banana Raita

Pasta with Roasted Peppers and Mozzarella

Slow-cooked Lamb Shanks with Piperonata

Perfect Mash

Pork and Mushroom Pie with Gentle Spices

Greek Lamb, Onion and Butter Bean Stew

Bacon and Sausage Stew with Beans

Childhood Favourites

Dad’s Brown Bread

Baked Cheesy Pasta

Old-fashioned Lemonade

Sesame Goujons of Fish with Mushy Peas and Oven Roast Chips

Irish Stew

Pork Chops with Apple Sauce and Mustard Mash

Flapjacks

Banana and Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding

Ballymaloe Balloons

Rhubarb and Custard Tart

Making Memories

Cheesy Sodabread

Wholemeal Honey Bread

Fruity Pancakes

Homemade Pizzas with Quick Yeast Dough

Joshua’s Croque Monsieur

Burgers with Guacamole and Crispy Bacon and Cucumber Relish

Lucca’s Chicken Wings with Corn on the Cob and Shelled Peas

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

Polka-dot Cookies

Something to Celebrate

Canapés

Spagettini with Caviar and Crème Fraîche

Hot Buttered Lobster

Langoustines with Brétonne Sauce

Champagne Dover Sole with Clams and Julienne of Vegetables

Carpaccio of Fish with Peppers and Fresh Herbs

Fillet Steak with Mushroom and Brandy Sauce and Tomato Fondue

The Lazy Sunday

Freshly Squeezed Juices

Baked Eggs with Chorizo, Cream and Cheese

Blueberry and Almond Muffins

The Big Sunday Roast

Slow Roast Chicken with Lemon and Chilli

Honey Roast Parsnips with Sesame Seeds

Broccoli with Garlic, Lemon and Parmesan

Slow Roast Spiced Lamb with Roasted Root Vegetables

An Elegant Afternoon

Sweet Scones with Blueberry Jam

Iced Vanilla Cup Cakes

Afternoon Tea Cake

White Chocolate Buns

Oaty Shortbread

Tea

Greek Almond Crescents

Chocolate and Hazelnut Caramel Bars

Teatime Sandwiches

Champagne Cocktails

Pleasure Without the Guilt

Zac’s Aztec Soup

Salad with Beetroot, Goat’s Cheese and Toasted Hazlenuts

Squid, Cucumber and Tomato Salad with a Black Olive and Basil Vinaigrette

Baked Fish with Tomato, Cucumber and Ginger Salsa

Chicken and Puy Lentil Salad with Coriander

Asian Chicken Salad

Chicken with Lemon and Honey

Korean Beef with Avocado Rice

Yoghurt, Cardamom and Orange Panna Cotta

Fresh Fruit Sorbets

Food for Romance

Heart-shaped Toast with Eggs, Asparagus and Truffle Hollandaise Sauce

Oysters

Crab and Prawn Coconut Soup

Pan-fried Scallops with Truffle Beurre Blanc

Fish Cakes with Lemon and Pine Nuts

Arabian Spiced Rack of Lamb with Couscous

Love Potions

Light and Fluffy White Chocolate Mousse

Little Mocha Kisses

For the Love of Chocolate

Chocolate Amaretti Cake

Torta di Cappuccino

Stacked Chocolate Fudge Squares with White Chocolate and Raspberries

Chocolate Biscuit Cake

Chocolate Sticky Toffee Pudding

Chocolate

Chocolate and Rosemary Mousse with Rosemary Shortbread

White Chocolate Truffles with Cardamom

Chocolate Cocktail

Classic Dishes

French Onion Soup

Baked Plaice with Herb Butter

Dutch Cheese Croquettes

Smoked Fish Pie with Hard-boiled Eggs

Mussels with Garlic and Breadcrumbs

Roast Loin of Pork Stuffed with Prunes and Apples with a Calvados Sauce

Classic Lasagne with Roast Garlic Bread

Chicken Kiev with Saute Garlic Rosemary Potatoes

Pan-grilled Steak with Béarnaise Sauce and Twice-cooked Chips

Pavlova with Mango and Crystallised Ginger

Lemon Tart

Index

Author’s acknowledgements

Copyright

About the Publisher

Introduction

Food has the amazing potential to be comforting, uplifting, restorative, nurturing, energising and many other things besides. It plays a hugely significant role in our personal lives, both physically and emotionally and can lift us up when we are low and keep us up when we are on top of the world. Eating can be steeped in ritual or be utterly spontaneous but one thing is for certain – the feelings that food stirs go far beyond mere biology.

I love the way that certain aromas and flavours can instantly conjure up vivid memories. They send us back to our childhood kitchens, tugging at our grandmothers’ apron strings, or to other times and places in our lives that hold special significance. For me it is the smell of roast stuffed chicken and potatoes that fills me with joyful recollections of my mother’s incredible Sunday dinners.

Food makes the best gift, whether it’s hot buttered toast for someone with the blues or an elaborate three-course romantic feast for the one you love. The time we take to lovingly prepare a meal can pay dividends in the way it makes others feel cared for.

Even the simplest foods are enough to inspire a happy social occasion. One of my greatest pleasures is catching up with girlfriends over tea and sympathy (and a big pile of biscuits!). We all know that, ‘Come round for a cuppa’ really means, ‘Come round and let’s chat for hours and laugh until it hurts.’

This book is filled with foods that have special meaning for me or for my family and friends. I hope that these recipes will make for fun and memorable cooking and eating for you, too!

p.s. The oven temperatures in this book are for a conventional oven, but if I am using a fan oven, then I usually reduce the temperature by 10 per cent.

Food for the Soul

There are times when we all need a bit of comfort in a bowl. These are the times when you want food that makes you feel as though you’re wrapped up in a blanket, food that gives you a warm and cosy feeling, food that restores both mentally and physically. Each of us has our own comfort foods. For some, this might be as simple as tea and toast, for others it might be more substantial, such as a big meaty stew eaten while curled up on the sofa. Whatever they are, they’re sure to make you feel safe and nurtured. This chapter includes some of my favourite foods to beat the blues!

Spanish Chorizo and Chickpea Soup

This is such a soothing soup on a rainy day, and the flavours always remind me of sunnier summer days. It’s a substantial soup, but not too heavy – perfect for a meal in itself. This soup reheats well, in fact the flavours even improve. And of course you don’t need to use imported chorizo – there are many wonderful locally produced versions which are equally delicious.

SERVES 4–6

1 tbsp olive oil

125g (5oz) chorizo, diced

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed or grated

1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, undrained

2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes (or 8 fresh ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped)

1 litre (1¾ pints) chicken stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

250g (9oz) spinach, destalked and finely chopped, or baby spinach leaves left whole

1 Place the olive oil in a large saucepan on the heat and add the diced chorizo. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the chorizo releases its oils, then add the chopped onion, celery and garlic. Cook on a gentle heat with the lid on until the onion is completely cooked, about 10 minutes, then remove the lid and turn up the heat and cook for a minute to slightly brown the onion.

2 Add the chickpeas and their liquid, chopped tomatoes and the stock. Season with salt and pepper and bring up to the boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and the chickpeas have absorbed all the flavours. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.

3 While the mixture is still simmering, add the spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is soft. Serve in big, warm bowls.

Leek, Potato and Blue Cheese Soup

I love this soup – it’s rich, smooth and velvety. This makes a lovely meal on its own with some crusty bread on the side, or serve as a starter for a wintery dinner party.

SERVES 4–6

VEGETARIAN

25g (1oz) butter

2 leeks (about 300g/12oz), dark green tops removed, white bits thinly sliced

2 potatoes (about 175g/6oz), peeled and chopped

2 bay leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 litre (1¾ pints) light vegetable or chicken stock

75ml (2½fl oz) single cream

100–150g (4–5oz) blue cheese, such as Cashel Blue, Stilton, Gorgonzola or Roquefort, crumbled (see handy tip), plus 25g (1oz) for serving

1 Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan, add the leeks, potatoes and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper and cover. Turn the heat down to low and let the vegetables sweat for 10 minutes, stirring every now and then to ensure they don’t burn (see also the handy tip below).

2 After 10 minutes add the stock, increase the heat and simmer for a further 8–10 minutes until the potatoes and leeks are soft. Remove the bay leaves, add the cream and the crumbled blue cheese and transfer to a liquidiser. Whiz the soup until it is smooth and velvety. Return to the saucepan to re-heat, tasting and seasoning if necessary.

3 To serve, pour the soup into warm bowls and sprinkle with the extra crumbled blue cheese.

Rachel’s handy tips

If making this soup with a strong blue cheese like Roquefort or Gorgonzola, I only add 100g (4oz), but if you are using a milder blue cheese like Cashel Blue, you might need 125–150g (4½–5oz).

When sweating onions or other vegetables for a long time, I like to cover them with a butter wrapper or a piece of greaseproof paper as well as the saucepan lid. This helps to retain the moisture and makes sure they don’t burn.

Italian Baked Pancakes with Cheese and Tomato

This recipe was inspired by a conversation I had with the great Italian chef Aldo Zilli. He told me a wonderful story about his mother using light pancakes as an alternative to pasta in certain dishes, and I’ve discovered they work wonderfully with rich tomato sauces. This recipe uses the pancakes in place of lasagne sheets, which adds a fluffiness to the dish. I love the way it comes out of the oven, sizzling and bubbling to the table. It’s a perfect family dinner.

SERVES 4–6 VEGETARIAN

FOR THE PANCAKE BATTER (MAKES 8)

125g (5oz) flour

Pinch of salt

2 eggs

125ml (4fl oz) milk

125ml (4fl oz) water

15g (½oz) butter, melted

Sunflower oil, for oiling the frying pan

FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE

3 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, peeled and finely sliced

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed or grated

Salt, freshly ground black pepper and sugar

2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes or 900g (2lb) fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped

3 tbsp torn fresh basil leaves

FOR THE FILLING

300g (11oz) fresh mozzarella, grated

100g (4oz) ricotta

25g (1oz) Parmesan cheese, finely grated, plus a bit extra for sprinkling

1 First make the pancakes. Place the flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and drop in the eggs. Start to whisk, gradually add in the milk and water, whisking all the time, until the batter is smooth and free of lumps. Add in the melted butter and set aside. The batter can sit like this in the fridge for 24 hours.

2 Next make the tomato sauce. Place the olive oil in a wide saucepan, add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, then cover and cook on a low heat until the onions are completely soft. Add the tomatoes and half the basil, leave uncovered and cook for about 20 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and the sauce has thickened. Add the remaining herbs and season to taste with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar.

3 While the tomato sauce is cooking, you can make the pancakes. Place a medium-sized frying pan on a high heat and allow to become very hot. Pour the batter into a jug for easy pouring. Wipe the frying pan with an oiled piece of kitchen paper. Pour in just enough batter to cover the base of the pan – it will start to cook as soon as it hits the pan so swirl it around the base immediately.

4 Cook on a high heat for 30 seconds–1 minute until the pancake is golden brown around the edge. Using a fish slice or palette knife, carefully but quickly flip the pancake over (you might need to take the pan off the heat while you do this) and cook the other side for another 30 seconds–1 minute until golden brown. Remove to a plate and cook the remaining pancakes in the same way. You will need a total of eight pancakes.

5 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4.

6 Mix the cheeses together in a bowl, to make a spreadable paste.

7 To assemble the dish, place a pancake on the bottom of a 25cm (10in) square or round ovenproof dish, spread with a thin layer of the cheese mixture, top with another pancake and continue assembling, alternative seven layers of pancake and filling. Finish with a top layer of pancake. Pour the tomato sauce over the top, sprinkle with the remaining 25g (1oz) grated Parmesan.

8 Place in the oven (though it can also be stored in the fridge overnight or frozen at this stage). Bake for 30–40 minutes until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the centre feels hot when a skewer is inserted. Take out of the oven, cut into wedges and serve with a lovely green salad.

Rigatoni with Courgettes, Lemon and Basil

This is one of my all-time favourite comfort foods. It’s surprisingly refreshing for a pasta dish due to the fresh flavours of the lemon, courgette and basil, but the mascarpone and cream cheese are warmly satisfying.

SERVES 4

VEGETARIAN

450g (1lb) rigatoni or other pasta shapes

2 tbsp olive oil

4 small or 2 medium courgettes, halved lengthways, seeds removed and thinly sliced at an angle

100g (4oz) mascarpone cheese or soft cream cheese

3 tbsp milk

Finely grated zest of ½ lemon 3 tbsp torn or sliced fresh basil Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Bring a large pot of water to the boil with a good pinch of salt, then cook the pasta according to the packet’s instructions.

2 While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a medium-sized frying pan over a high heat, then add the courgettes. Cook for 3–4 minutes until just softened and lightly golden. In a bowl, mix together the cheese, milk, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of the basil. Add to the courgettes in the pan and toss together on the heat for 1 minute, until the cheese has melted. Season to taste.

3 Drain the pasta and return to the large pot. Add the creamy courgettes and gently stir to mix. Then pour into a warm serving bowl and scatter with the remaining basil. Serve immediately.

Rachel’s handy tip

If the courgettes are 12cm (4½in) or smaller, there is no need to halve them lengthways or remove the seeds. Just remove the ends and slice thinly.

Creamy Coconut Prawns with Spiced Banana Raita

This is an absolutely divine Bengalese recipe, given to me by a friend, Arun Kapil, who imports spices from his family in India. Seafood is central to the region’s cuisine – every day the locals catch the freshest fish and the plumpest prawns in the Bay of Bengal and typically combine them with tamarind, mild spices and coconut, according to traditional family recipes. Here, Arun has devised this deliciously simple recipe combining prawns, creamy coconut milk, exotic tamarind and an Indian spice blend, panch puran.

SERVES 4

FOR THE PANCH PURAN

1 tsp brown mustard seeds

1 tsp whole nigella seeds

1 tsp ground fenugreek seeds

1 tsp ground fennel seeds

1 tsp ground cumin seeds

2 tsp turmeric powder

1 level tsp salt

FOR SPICED BANANA RAITA

400ml (14fl oz) natural yoghurt

½–1 tbsp Garam Masala spice

2 good handfuls of raisins (optional), soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes, then drained

2 tbsp freshly chopped mint

1 banana, very thinly sliced

Juice and zest of ½ lime

FOR THE COCONUT PRAWNS

4 tsp mustard oil (or sunflower or corn oil)

1kg (2lb 4oz) peeled tiger prawns

1 tbsp butter, clarified butter or vegetable oil

1 heaped tbsp gram flour (or 1 tbsp of plain flour)

1 x 400ml tin coconut milk

1 generous tbsp tamarind paste mixed with 2 tbsp hot water till mushy, then pushed through a sieve to get rid of the stones

1 chilli, deseeded and diced

450ml (16fl oz) fish stock or water

Salt, to taste

Handful of fresh coriander, chopped

1 To make the panch puran spice blend, mix together all of the ingredients in a small bowl.

2 Then, in a medium-sized bowl, mix the mustard oil and 1 teaspoon of the spice blend. Add the tiger prawns, mix well and set aside for 30 minutes.

3 Make the raita by mixing the ingredients in a medium bowl. Add seasoning to taste and keep to one side.

4 In a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan or wok, heat the clarified butter or oil to smoking point and add the rest of the dry spice blend. Reduce the heat and toast for 10–15 seconds, constantly stirring. Add the flour and stir or whisk until smooth (this should only take about 2 minutes). Don’t worry how it looks at this stage – you’re making a kind of roux and it’s supposed to be a dry(ish) paste.

5 Add the coconut milk, tamarind paste, diced chilli and a good pinch of salt, and keep stirring or whisking until it’s smooth (another couple of minutes). Add the water or fish stock bit by bit until it’s the thickness of double cream.

6 Add the prawns, turn up the heat and bring rapidly to the boil. Turn the heat back down and simmer for only 1 minute until the prawns are just cooked; any longer and they become rubbery.

7 Turn off the heat, add the coriander and a squeeze of lime juice and season to taste. Serve immediately with plenty of basmati rice and the raita.

Rache’s handy tips

You can buy panch puran ready-made from many Asian shops or big supermarkets if you’re short on time. You can also serve this with the Yoghurt and Cucumber Raita on page 119; use half the quantity.

Pasta with Roasted Peppers and Mozzarella

Sometimes the simplest recipes make the best pick-me-ups. This is such a quick and easy meal, and you can just close your eyes and dream of the Tuscan hills. If you keep roasted peppers in the fridge, it’s all the faster to make!

SERVES 4–6

VEGETARIAN

FOR THE ROAST PEPPERS

Olive oil

2 peppers, choose from red, yellow or orange (green peppers can be bitter)

FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE

3 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, peeled and sliced