Sun dried tomato and cashew nut pesto

Published on June 30, 2016 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: DF, N, S, SF, Uncategorized, V, WF

Delicious with just about anything, this is a grazing plate and BBQ’d burger’s best friend. But given our monsoon weather, maybe opt for the slathered over toasted sourdough, avocado and / or bacon option. The ‘clarted over courgetti’ (or pasta) variety makes a regular appearance on my instant healthy supper table. With jamón and cold meats; stirred through tomato dishes to give them, well… more. I’m sure my tips are superfluous, I doubt anyone’s a stranger to pesto. Add parmesan if you want but the flavour’s so good, it really isn’t necessary. This lasts for weeks, I make a big batch ensuring I’m never without.

INGREDIENTS

200g sun dried tomatoes
2 tbsp cashew nuts
4 tbsp olive oil – I use the oil from the tomato jar.
1 tsp dried red chillies. Or 1 tsp Kema Kulo if you have it.
1 clove garlic – optional.
Pinch sea or Himalayan pink salt
1/2 tsp turmeric – untold health benefits

METHOD

Add all ingredients to a blender, Magimix or Vitamix and blitz until you a have rough paste. Basically as you would pesto.

Store in the fridge in an airtight jar or container for as long as you would sun dried tomatoes. My guess would be you’ll eat it long before it goes off.

Broad bean & cashew pesto

Published on July 23, 2014 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: DF, LF, N, S, SF, Uncategorized, V, WF

This is one of my favourite fridge staples; it tastes amazing and goes with just about just about anything. In theory you should hull broad beans. Every. Single. One. I did this once, turning grey in the process. According to several guinea pig friends, though, this tastes so good it’s worth the effort. Unfortunately, I don’t have the patience of Ghandi so threw caution to the wind and tested with skins on. The result: zesty, clean, creamy, bang on summer and ready in 10 minutes. A delicious alkaline and raw dip with this week’s Sticky sweet potato wedges, or unbeatable with courgette spaghetti. Alternatively, dollop on salads, rye, fritters or pasta.

Makes 1 350ml jar

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup cashew nuts
1 1/2 cups broad beans or soya beans, steamed – I like 50/50.
1 dsp tahini
pinch sea salt
2 limes, juice of
1 tbsp cottage cheese or yoghurt – optional
50ml water or olive oil

METHOD

Blitz the cashew nuts in a Magimix or blender for 20 secs or until you get a breadcrumb texture. Chuck in your chosen beans and whiz briefly.

Add in the remaining ingredients, following with the water. You should have a hummus-like consistency.

Decant to jars in the fridge, eating within 3 days.

Tip

I love this with a tablespoon of cottage cheese or yoghurt whizzed through at the end – more protein and a bolder, tangier flavour. In the interests of vegan / dairy free / paleo friendly options, I’ve omitted from the above.

Sticky sweet potato wedges

Published on July 23, 2014 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: DF, LF, S, SF, Uncategorized, V, WF

Coconut oil seems to be the key that sets this recipe apart from the now ubiquitous orange wedge. It works much better than olive oil, resulting in a sticky, sweet and salty flavour. The good news: coconut oil’s so ridiculously healthy, fitness gurus are eating it by the desert spoon for breakfast. Literally. What’s more, sweet potatoes are low GI, packed with anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals and the recipe takes all of 5 mins to prep.

INGREDIENTS

3 sweet potatoes
1 dsp coconut oil
2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric – for gut health
1 tsp sea salt
Good grind black pepper

METHOD

Pre-heat oven to 220C / 375F. Scrub sweet potatoes, removing any particularly scraggly bits, and retaining the skins. Cut lengthways into wedges approx. 8 per potato.

Transfer the wedges to a baking tray, skin side down is ideal as you want them to char and blacken. Dot the coconut oil around the tray and sprinkle with spices and salt.

Bake for 35 mins, or until soft in the middle and charred on the outside. Turn the wedges half way through cooking to coat your wedges with the coconut oil and spices.

Serve with Broad bean & cashew pesto or hummus. I almost always have a tub in the fridge to chop into salads or to tide me through a yoga class.

Shaking caipirinhas

Published on June 24, 2014 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: DF, WF

Even after two weeks of relentless (really) carnival caipirinhas in Brazil a few months back, this remains my favourite cocktail. Admittedly, I wimped out of cachaça, switching for vodka by day five. Thanks to Brazilian friend Beta, we have a visual guide to help us cheer on Brazil in the World Cup, or to see us through churrascos (BBQ’s) in the sunshine. Needless to say, measures were on the large and non specific side so feel free to adjust to your taste. Bikini optional.

Makes 2 large, kitsch caipirinhas

INGREDIENTS

3 large limes or lemons – I prefer limes for their sweetness.
5 teaspoons sugar – you might want to up this, or swap for agave.
150ml cachaça or vodka – you might want to reduce this… in line with UK measures…
1 tray ice

METHOD

A cocktail shaker is ideal for caipirinhas but you can also use a big jug and wooden spoon. I’ve included ingredients for the classic recipe but you can also add passion fruit (although you’ll need 5 of our supermarket versions for every 1 Brazilian fruit), strawberries, mint and / or ginger to the above. Passion fruit works particularly well.

Squish the limes and roll them around with the back of your hand to release the juices. Cut into quarters and transfer to your shaker or jug.

Add sugar or agave and bash with a wooden spoon for a a couple of minutes.

Half fill the shaker with ice and bash around some more, or shake with the top on.

Add cachaça or vodka, top with more ice and taste for sugar and acidity. Then shake some more…

Best served with churrascao and sunshine. Or with Pao de queijo (Brazilian cheese bread) and Pitt Cue Co chipotle ketchup. Or like me, straight up for breakfast. #recipetestingonadeadline

Grande beijo e graças ao Beta… and her passion fruit.

Pitt Cue Co chipotle ketchup

Published on June 18, 2014 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: DF, LF, S, SF, Uncategorized, V, WF

I’m not a really a ketchup eater, so the fact I went to the lengths of making this recipe, and am now blogging it, I think testifies to the flavour. With smokey chilli and tangy apple and tamarind, this straddles between a sophisticated Tommy K and HP. There are various incarnations on the web, chipotle peppers generally causing some sourcing issues; this is mine.

INGREDIENTS

1kg ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 cooking apple, cored and chopped
2 red peppers, chopped
2 small red onions or 1 large, sliced
3 tsp smoked paprika
4 tsp chipotle – if you can’t get this, treble the paprika.
1 tsp turmeric (because I add it to everything for gut health)
1 tsp sea salt
3 tsp tamarind (I’m following HP’s lead on this)
250ml cider vinegar
1 tbsp agave or 200g muscovado sugar

METHOD

Put all ingredients except the agave into a pan, bring to the boil and then simmer for 2 hours.

Remove from the heat, chill and whizz with a stick blender till smooth.

Return to the heat, add agave and simmer for a further 30 mins or until thickened slightly. If, like me, you’ve swapped sugar for agave, the sauce will remain runnier. There’s no compromise to flavour.

Decant into sterilised jars and store in the fridge for up to two weeks, according to Pitt Cue Co. I confess I’ve kept mine a lot longer and it tastes just as good… Sorry, I’m lazy and refuse to do smaller batches.

I love this with Mum Garcia’s Netherton Farm Wild Boar sausages and sourdough or Courgette fritters, bacon and avocado. But with summer picnics and BBQ’s on their way *frantically touches wood*, I reckon this is a fridge staple worth having to hand.

Tortilla (Tor-tee-ya): Spanish omelette

Published on May 16, 2014 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: DF, S, SF, Uncategorized, V, WF

I hounded Dad Garcia to make me this throughout my childhood, that and churros. And steak, egg and chips… Hmm… I’m not painting the healthiest picture here… Don’t worry, mum hid 10kg of mushy spinach in pancakes to make up for it. A bad day. Anyway, I maintain that Papi’s tortilla is the best, and after years of being his tattie sous chef, here it is. A perfect summer fridge staple for a snack or any meal of the day (seriously). For picnics in the park (maybe not this week), or to eat On the Go. ¡Aproveche!

Makes 8 good sized trozos (slices)

INGREDIENTS

1.2 kg potatoes, peeled
1 large onion
3 tsp sea salt
300ml olive oil – 200ml will be drained off!
6 eggs

METHOD

Peel and chop potatoes to approx. 2” chunks. Peel and chop onion – quartered and halved is enough. Set oil to heat in heavy based frying pan on a high heat.

Mix potatoes, onion and salt in a bowl and add to boiling oil. Reduce to a medium to low flame (the potatoes need to simmer as opposed to steam), cover and cook for approx. 45 mins, gently stirring every 15 mins.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs with sea salt. Test to see if potatoes are soft, drain off oil and return to heat. Pour over eggs, shaking the pan to ensure all ingredients are mixed. Cook for 3 mins, pulling the edges away from the pan with the back of a wooden spoon.

Shake to ensure base is loose, place a plate on top and flip. Transfer back to the frying pan for 1 – 2 mins and cook the reverse, again pulling down the sides to give your tortilla a curved edge.

Place a knife in the centre to test. I like the egg to still be slightly wet in the middle but you can also cook through, both are delicious.

Transfer to a serving plate and allow to cool slightly before eating. Perfect hot or cold with salad. My preference has always been for the latter; I find the salty, waxy, olive oil potato and caramelised onion flavours come through more when at room temperature. But that’s just my opinion…

Aubergine, chilli & coriander salsa

Published on October 22, 2013 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: DF, LF, S, V, WF

I dreamt up this salsa after 4 months of craving raw, crunchy salads in India. There’s nothing I like more than fish and spice but there comes a point when even the most dedicated curry fans need to macerate. So, said recipe materialised on a Middle East stopover at my bother’s, where aubergines are as integral to the local diet as tatties are to the Irish. Once charred or roasted, few ingredients compare to the flavour and ‘meatiness’ of this super berry . For me, this salad’s at it’s best with steak or at a BBQ. You can also pair with chicken, fish or even toasted sourdough for a light lunch or supper.

Feeds 6

Ingredients

3 aubergines
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 red onion
150g tomatoes
1 bch / tbsp coriander, chopped
1 lime, juice of

Method

Pre-heat oven to 200°C. Slice aubergine into 1 inch rounds, mix with oil, salt & pepper. Lay flat on baking tray and place in oven for 45 mins, or until browned. Turn each slice every 15 mins – you want a mix of soft, charred and crispy slices for flavour and texture.

Dice tomatoes and red onion and mix with chopped coriander and lime juice.

Chop cooled aubergine into approx. 2cm pieces, mix with salsa and serve.

To salt or not to salt? Originally done to remove bitterness, today’s auberignes rarely suffer from the affliction of their ancestors. Salting can help to reduce the amount of oil absorbed during cooking, however. Once cut, sprinkle with sea salt and place in a colander for ½ hr.

Basil pesto

Published on August 7, 2013 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: Featured, S, SF, Uncategorized, V, WF

Is there an ingredient which tastes of summer more than basil? Thanks to Mum Garcia’s tireless efforts to appease her offspring, you can store up summer and dollop it on your salad, chicken, salmon or pasta whenever the sun shines. Or doesn’t. I’m pretty confident this is the best pesto recipe I’ve eaten. Ever.

Ingredients

60g basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, crushed
50g pine nuts
50g parmesan, grated
¼ tsp sea salt
150ml olive oil – increase this if you like a runner pesto or more of a dressing

Method

Blitz all ingredients except the olive oil into a Magimix or food processor for 10 secs.

Scrape down the sides and turn on the machine again, adding the olive oil in a steady stream. Decant to a jar and store in the fridge.

Note: if using a Vitamix or tall blender, add the oil at the beginning. Depending on your blender, you may need to stop to press the ingredients down several times throughout blending. In spite of the hype around new blenders available on the market (which I have), I still find the Magimix hard to beat. Such a shame it doesn’t clean itself.

I always seem to inhale before it goes off but mum has an almost constant supply, keeping in the fridge for a couple of weeks at a time. I make double quantities and store in the freezer. Because I’m lazy.

Top tip: Stir in some olive oil to make a dressing for a simple side salad of spinach, watercress, rocket, tomatoes (sun dried outside of summer) and toasted pine nuts. Great with roast chicken for a picnic.

Garam masala & tamarind chicken

Published on February 21, 2013 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: DF, S, Uncategorized, WF

Sweet and spicy garam masala and chilli with tangy tamarind do something magical with chicken. It takes a modicum of willpower not to devour the whole dish straight from the pan. Perfect in salads and soups, I almost always have a Tupperware of this in the fridge. Don’t be put off by the anchovies; other than bringing a greater depth of flavor and meatiness, you’d never know they’re there.

Feeds 2. Cooking time: less than 30 mins.

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp crushed chillies
2 anchovies, chopped
3 tsp tamarind
3 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 dsp tomato puree
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tin plum tomatoes, optional

Method

Coat the chicken in the ingredients, bar the olive oil and plum tomatoes, and set aside, ideally overnight. You can also cook straight away (I often do), but the flavour’s better if you’re able to leave to marinate.

Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the chicken breasts until browned. About 4 mins. on the first side and 2 on the reverse.

It’s at this point that you add, or not, the tinned tomatoes. I alternate between the two, depending if I want more sauce to have with some rice, or if I’m cooking chicken to go straight to the fridge for a Toolkit lunch.

Turn down to a relatively low heat, cover and cook for 15 mins, or until the chicken is still tender, yet cooked through. If you’ve gone for the plum tomato option, take the lid off 5 mins before the end so that some of the liquid evaporates and your sauce thickens.

Eat straight away with crusty bread, rice or mash. Or chopped into a salad.

With either dish, make sure you keep some chicken aside in the fridge for salads, wraps, stir-fries or soups.

Tip: Drop the tinned tomatoes and cook your Garam masala chicken on the BBQ in the summer. Tandoor chicken. Ish.

PP (150g): Kcal: 360, Pr: 50.5g, Carb: 9.3g, OWS: 1.6g, Fat: 13.6g, Sat Fat: 2.3g, Salt: 0.7g

P/1/2 breast: Kcal: 180, Pr: 25.3g, Carb: 4.6g, OWS: 0.8g, Fat: 6.8g, Sat Fat: 1.1g, Salt: 0.4g

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Roast butternut & fennel seed

Published on February 21, 2013 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: DF, S, SF, Uncategorized, V, WF

Another faithful Toolkit recipe that’s as impressive at a BBQ or dinner party (a hit at Yotel’s Christmas party!) as it is fridge staple for adding to packed lunch salads and wraps. I’ve even topped it with a poached egg, feta and coriander for brunch.

Feeds 6. Prep: 10 mins. Cook: 40 mins.

Ingredients

1 butternut squash – approx.
2kg 2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 head garlic, halved – no need to remove skin
1 tsp dried chilli flakes – optional
1 tsp sea salt
Black pepper, good grind

Method

Preheat oven to 200C / 400F / Gas 6. Half butternut lengthways – skin stays on. Remove seeds and cut at into 1.5″ thick semi circles.

In a bowl, mix by hand with remaining ingredients. Transfer to a baking tray, placing skin side down where possible.

Bake for 30 – 40 mins, till flesh is soft and skin slightly blackened. Charring is key for smoky, salty skin and to avoid toughness.

Pile on a platter for dinner party awe, served warm or at room temperature, with roast lamb or chicken. Or store in the fridge to add to salads or wraps – so good with feta, hummus and rocket!

P/4 semi-circles: Kcal:128, Pr: 3.6g, Carb: 23g, OWS: 12.1g, Fat: 3.4g, Sat Fat: 0.4g, Salt: Trace

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