'Eggplant Kibbeh'

It's been far too long since I updated - sorry! Went through a spell of not cooking so much or else eating things I've already posted or eating new things but forgetting to post! Anyway, I'm back.

I recently purchased the amazing Appetite for Reduction and this is the first thing I made out of it. It turned out really tasty but it's very much a side dish whereas I'd expected to eat it on its own and not have anything else with it. Would easily feed four with some nice spicy veg. The recipe below is exactly as per Isa's book - obv eggplant is aubergine. I had no mint (snow killed it!) so used parsley.

1 cup bulgar (200g)
1 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1lb eggplant, 1/2 inch dice (450g)
salt and pepper
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped

Cover the bulgur with boiling water, cover and let steam for 40 mins. Drain off any water.
Saute the onion in oil for 5 mins then add garlic. Then add eggplant and season. Cook for 15 mins - should break down and release liquid and go all mushy. Add tomatoes and cumin and cook for another 10 mins. Add bulgur and mint.
Spray an 8inch baking pan with cooking spray and press the mix into it. Bake for 25 mins. 

Courgette and sweetcorn soup

Sorry no pic with this one - it was so good I ate it all before I remembered to take one! It is again adapted from Easy Vegan, in that I sped up the cooking process and left out the coriander which is yuck ;-)

1 onion, diced
1 chilli, finely sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 courgettes (zucchini), diced
250g potato, diced
160g frozen corn
1 litre veg stock

Simply put it all in a pot and simmer until potato is cooked. I would use more chilli next time!

Garlic, chilli and rice soup

I've bought A LOT of new cookbooks recently so have decided that I really must start making some new recipes. This is adapted from Easy Vegan - I didn't quite have all the ingredients and I made less of it. This makes two portions for normal people... or one dinner for me!!!

2 cloves garlic, crushed
4-5 scallions (spring onions), chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped, add more or less depending on your heat preference
1 tablespoon of grated ginger
1 tbsp of shoyu or soy sauce
100g long grain white rice
500-600ml veg stock
Half a bag of spinach (or other greens, I only had spinach)

Fry the garlic, scallions, chilli and ginger in some oil or spray oil then add the shoyu, rice and stock. Simmer for 15 mins until the rice is cooked then stir in the greens until wilted. You will love it, I promise!

Slow-cooked aubergine and lentils

I do love my slow cooker, the best £15 I've ever spent! I reckon it's one of the best ways to cook aubergine - I make a lot of ratatouille in mine and also the aubergine and chickpea stew as blogged below.

Having an aubergine to use up, I decided to try something a bit different with a tin of green lentils and it turned out really well :-)

1 red onion
1 red pepper
1 aubergine, all diced
1 tin of green lentils, drained
1 carton of passata
1 tsp of dried oregano

Put all in slow cooker and cook on high for 2.5 to 3 hours. Even better the next day!

A breakfast and a supper

I had some lovely meals during the week but these have been two of my favourites. I'll start with the brekkie:

This is a sliced small banana, a pot of raspberry soya yogurt and a handful of M&S prebiotic 3-grain granola. The granola is really tasty and is sweetened with agave instead of the usual honey. I'd highly recommend it!

The supper is a recipe called 'lentil supper' passed on to me by my generous friend Etretia, via her mum and possibly a very old cookery magazine. I added a chopped pepper when cooking the onions and I served it with some steamed veg, but it's so adaptable that you could pretty much make any substitutions or serve it with anything. The recipe makes three good portions and I have to say it tasted even better the next day!

4oz Green Lentils
8oz Potatoes
1 Onion
Garlic
3/4 pint stock
1 tsp mixed herbs
Tin chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp tomato puree

Fry onion and garlic, add all the rest, bring to boil, simmer, cook for 40 mins

A curry without a picture!

I cooked such a good curry for my friend and I tonight... we ate it all before I remembered to take a photo! This was all of my own invention and tasted really good!

1 onion, diced
12-15 cherry tomatoes, halved
2-3 tsp curry paste of your choice
100g red lentils
1/2 a butternut squash, peeled and diced
250g potato, diced
600ml stock

Fry onion and tomato in a little oil or fry spray then add curry paste and mix. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for about 30 mins. Enjoy!

Birds birds birds!

Sorry I've not been about - had PC problems last week which OH kindly fixed for me by popping my drive in the freezer overnight! Seriously!

Anyway I've not been doing much cooking, although I plan to remedy that this week, but I have been doing a lot of birdwatching. I took part in Big Garden Birdwatch last week and recorded 2 blackbirds, 2 robins, 1 starling, 1 blackcap, 1 house sparrow, 4 chaffinches, 4 great tits and 2 long-tailed tits. I was a bit disappointed as I've had plenty of days when I've seen many more birds than that and also because my greenfinch didn't show. I've been watching out the window this morning and had at least 5 great tits and 6 long-tailed tits. They look so cute and fluffy in the rain. Have had a pigeon and two magpies too but not as exciting! Betty Blackcap comes every day and spends ages but she is very shy and easily bullied by the bigger great tits. Keep trying to get a decent picture of her!