tomato dahl with lamb

This poor, poor recipe: it got bumped for weeks and weeks off the menu as other things came up, we got home late, someone invited us out... and finally we made it. It was very nice, luckily.

The lamb was supposed to be koftas but mega-juicy onions didn't allow the meat to bind into kebabs. So instead the lamb mince was mixed with onion, garlic, ginger and turmeric to make a batch of fried mince. The dhal was onion, garlic, turmeric and lentils simmered in stock, with a tin of tomatoes, to form the carb part of the dish. Not fussy, not clever, but satisfying.

(the white strips above are slivers of halloumi cheese that were sitting looking bored in the fridge lightly grilled and left on top)

balti beef

A dreadfully-named dish this one; but it inverts a standard cooking cornerstone in a way that really baffled me. It came from a Weight Watchers book of all places, though it has dubious dietary heritage.

Rather than the time-honoured tradition of: sweat onions in oil, then add meat, the method for this is to dry-fry mince until it starts to leak oil and then chuck the onions in. I suppose this is marginally healthier. I add grated garlic to this, then some patented Gary Masala and turmeric, with seasoning. Allowing these flavours to develop for a few minutes I then add a good puddle of beef stock, frozen peas and a tablespoon of mango chutney. It sounds utterly perverse, but after just a couple of minutes simmering you get a spicy, fruity, meaty bowl of food that is immensely satisfying.

roast potato

Here it is, the eponymous food of the blog. These were exceptional specimens too.

Everyone has their own method for roast potato, though that stems from how you like your spuds. Me? Fluffy inside, dark and crisp outside. The science to this is that it's surface area that collects fat - and therefore crispiness - so you want to maximise surface area. How do you do that? Think small. The potatoes need to be parboiled to the point just before they forget how to hold their shape. And the water must be salted. Once they are quite soft, drain thoroughly, and treat 'em mean. Jamie Oliver uses the phrase "chuff 'em up a bit", and he's quite right. Shake them in the colander or pan, get the edges bashed up, because it's these ridges and crumbled edges that make areas for the hot fat to attack. If I have inclination and equipment to hand, I'll boil the skin in a cloth bag in with the pots before discarding, I feel it lends an earthy tone.

Speaking of hot fat, whatever comes to hand will do, although if we're talking perfection it's goose fat for me. Your fat of choice has to be in the oven already at a hot temperature, about 225C, before the boiled potatoes hit it. Give them a good turning to ensure they're covered with fat, then let 'em roast for 45mins+. Makes sure they get turned often and always sprinkle liberally with salt before serving.

Aren't they just bliss? I've never met anyone who doesn't love a roast potato, and I don't think I'd want to know them anyway.

vegetable curry

Another one from Nigella: a filling, warming bowl of food that assuages post-Christmas guilt.

Relatively simple, tin tomatoes, whatever veg was to hand (courgette, cauliflower, onions, carrots, peas), stock and some Gary Masala, boiled up for a while and dotted with coriander.

Served with a chewy, fluffy naan, it's seriously comforting.

rocky road crunch bars

What a terrible picture. Doesn't do it the slightest bit of a justice. It's a typical Nigella orgy of sugar: melted chocolate, golden syrup and cream, mixed with broken biscuits and mini marshmallows. Set it in the fridge and cut to size. Unfortunately one piece, no matter the size, is never enough.

roasted pepper and garlic gnocchi with feta

Gnocchi is great but as you may recall from a previous entry I like to find other things to put with them besides creamy cheesy sauce, despite it's gorgeousness.

I love roasting vegetables in the oven, particularly the fleshy ones. Some peppers left in the oven here, a few cloves of garlic, both coaxed along with with olive oil, thyme and s&p. When they are ready to burst, I mash them up with a fork and toss it with some boiled gnocchi. Add some peppery rocket, some salty sharp feta and it's there.

A good one this, but six months too early. In Summer it would be divine.

sicilian meatballs

Another one from someone who's becoming a quiet hero of mine, Angela Boggiano, as usual crafting taste, thrift and technique in a clever way.

Meatballs: turkey mince, lemon zest, breadcrumbs, paprika, a little cayenne, parsley. I fry them all ove, then add some chicken stock to the pan. This gets them all moist and part-poaches them. Toss in some cooked spaghetti and a little more parsley, and you're there. Easy and tasty.

pea & leek tart with asparagus

Some friends were coming over, and I wanted something a little elegant and classy as a starter. I was cooking for a vegetarian friend, so there are considerations there. This was a recipe from Jason Gillies, actually from a magazine she had bought me, so it had a serendipity to it.

It was a bloody long process - definitely worth it, but a long process. It started with fried leeks and peas simmered with cream until tender, egg yolks added for richness, then blitzed. This was then piled into a pastry case and topped with wilted asparagus, and a little parmesan. A short burst in the oven browns it off and just sets it. Creamy, rich, yet very elegant.

I don't have a picture but I made Pizzoccheri for main, a thoroughly filling dish apparently for skiers. It's named after the pasta that it's supposed to be made with, but as it's so impossible to find I used trimmed lasagne sheets instead. Made with fried onions, blanched cabbage, par-boiled potatoes, Emmental  and a bechamel sauce, it's then baked together in an enormous dish and fills you up like nobody's business.