(Untitled)

[woodjuice]

The organic veg and fruit box is starting to get really tasty. This week we have plums, a cute little melon, watercress, beetroot, lettuce, onions, carrots, bananas and potatoes. Everything is properly dirty and muddy, with a slug or two hiding behind a a large green cupped leaf

Comments

[woodjuice]

It's all exciting finding a heap of food on your doorstep. I have a couple of chickens, though, so I have to get there before they do!
But I'm no where near an organic saint. It's really delicious, but I buy lots of other non-organic stuff, too.

Mmm, dahl. Of course the recipe is no secret! :) Plus, it's ridiculously easy - woot! The kind where you just chuck stuff in, stir it around, and usually get good results.

6oz of red split lentils
Approx. 1 pint of water
1 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt
Unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 dried red chillies, chopped

You put all the lentils, water tumeric, cumin and salt into a saucepan and bring it to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered for 8-10 mins, stirring frequently. Then you cover the pan and simmer for 30 mins, stirring occassionaly. (I don't know if this is my cooker, but I do this at a really low heat as it tends to get a bit crazy and start sticking to the pan and looking a little like a lentil geyser!)
Whilst that's cooking, melt the butter into a frying pan and fry the onion until soft, then add the garlic and chillies until softly browned.
When the lentil mixture has had its 30 mins, remove from the heat, and add the onion mixture.

Simple! :)

[treewitch]

Yum, I really like the sound of that. I am sure I have some red lentils festering in the cupboard and all those ingredients save for the garlic and chillies - if I thought my kids would eat it I would make it, but they are not so very keen on lentils. I may make it for myself!:)

[woodjuice]

Do! It's a real comfort food, especially with basmati rice. (Pilau is gorgeous, but takes more than 12 mins, so I get impatient!)

Did my letter get to you, miss? x

[treewitch]

Yes it did, I meant to say and then forgot, my brain being dead like it is lately. Thank you very much, it brightened my day.:) x

[woodjuice]

You are welcome!

[vondage]

Yum! That really does sound easy! And I have all that stuff in the cupboard. I'm going to have to try it this weekend. I also got some coriander crazy reduced to 6p in the supermarket yesterday, so I might add some in. I had a dahl from a takeaway with liberal amounts stirred in and it was gorgeous!

Thankyou! x

[woodjuice]

Fresh coriander for 6p??! Ha, we love a bargain. Ooh, and have you ever tried houmous with cumin stirred in? It sounds a little strange, but I had some in this little wholesome cafe, with a jacket potato and olives and it was delicious. But my homemade houmous always tastes a bit rank. Everyone I've spoke to who have made their own houmous says the same. WEIRD.

[vondage]

That's weird, our home made houmous is really good! I love being able to give it a rougher texture, and that its so much lower fat than ones from the supermarket! If you want the measurements I use to try then just say.

At the moment we've been making a lot of basic bean paste, I did it one night when I was recovering from a migraine and just wanted something super plain and simple to eat without thought. Just a whizzed up can of butter beans with some stock powder, little water and then when it's hot I stirred in some nutritional yeast because I can't get enough of the stuff. It's just so plain and satisfying! I've started having it on toast a lot :).

[woodjuice]

Bean paste (I've only tried my own, so I'm probably doing something disgustingly wrong!) has always made me gag! It's just that weird texture and bland beany thing going on. Eugh. ;)

If you could give me your houmous recipe, that would be super! Thankyou!

P.S. Toast at night with a hot juice drink (and the granny blanket and slippers) has truly made me realise I am not a cool young hip n happenin' thing anymore. I never was but it's cool to delude myself.
But toast.. Yum!

[vondage]

The blandness was what I was going for, particularly the first time, I had it with mashed potato - baby food! We have really nice veg stock powder at the moment though, it has a lovely taste so adding more of that makes the whole thing taste like real food. And I'm just obsessed with nutritional yeast and am adding it to everything, so it's a handy conduit for it.

I just discovered we don't have the houmous recipe written down anyway as we've done it so many times we just do it by eye so apologies if it's not as foolproof as I thought! Anyway:

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tblsp tahini
1 tblsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic (although the garlic strengthens, so if you're making it to use the next day bear it in mind and use less, or you'll have garlic paste! not that there's anything wrong with that...)
1 tblsp olive oil (or less, it just adds to the texture)
1-2 tblsp water (plus a tblsp instead of oil if you want to cut out the fat)
1/4 tsp salt

Essentially, just blend it all together! Then taste and add more lemon juice, garlic or salt if wanted. You probably will want more salt at least but better to under salt at first! It should be thick and creamy, if you want it creamier add more water, it sounds weird but it really changes it.

Mmmm, houmous on toast. Especially with a little cheese! I am definitely no longer young, hip and happening but I'm happy and that's a lot more fun!

[woodjuice]

Thankyou! I think I may have been adding too little water as it was always like beige coloured cement.
Yay for your happiness. :D