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Previous Recipes of the Day: November
Friday 21 November
Roman Gnocchi
These are little fingers made with cheese and semolina, then baked in the oven with butter. Simple, inexpensive but really good. They can be served with a fresh tomato sauce, but I don't think they need it.
Thursday 20 November
Spanish Pork Stew with Potatoes and Chorizo
Although there are a couple of subtle cheats here, this one does end up tasting quite authentic. This is mainly due to the inclusion of a very authentic ingredient, Heinz Tomato Frito. As we all know, Heinz have long had a special relationship with the tomato, and I can’t praise this careful blend of ripened Spanish tomatoes highly enough. All the recipe itself involves is some initial chopping, followed by an extremely quick assembly job. Then the whole lot is popped into the oven out of sight and out of mind for 1½ hours.
Wednesday 19 November
Slimmers' Scrambled Eggs
This recipe is devised for people on a diet or for those who have to cut down on fat. Nevertheless, it's extremely good, and on diet days I like to spread it on to sesame Ryvitas. I like it best made with quark, which is a skimmed-milk soft cheese, but it also works well with cottage cheese.
Tuesday 18 November
Poor Man's Cassoulet
This is a modern version of an original recipe that appeared in my book Frugal Food and I suppose whilst it lacks sophisticated ingredients like preserved goose it's still very much on the theme of the original.
Monday 17 November
Spinach and Ricotta Lasagne with Pine Nuts
This recipe is an absolute hit with everyone who eats it – even my husband, who professes not to like spinach!
Sunday 16 November
Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Tart
In the summer, one of my favourite starters is Piedmont Roasted Peppers. What I have done here is try to capture all those brilliant flavours and make them into a warm tart more suitable for a winter starter.
Saturday 15 November
Chocolate Blancmange with Cappuccino Sauce
This is so simple: make a custard, add melted chocolate and gelatine. The result – absolute perfection, a good texture, the right amount of wobble and a lovely frothy coffee sauce to pour over.
Friday 14 November
Luxury Smoked-fish Pie
I first introduced this in 1978, but I've changed it into less of a family supper dish and into something more suitable for entertaining. Serve it with some sprigs of watercress for garnish, and I always think fish pie is lovely with fresh shelled peas.
Thursday 13 November
Braised Lamb Shanks with Cannellini Beans
This is delightfully simple as everything goes into one pot, no accompaniments are needed, and it provides a complete menu for two people. It is also very good with flageolet or borlotti beans to ring the changes.
Wednesday 12 November
Apple, Almond and Mincemeat Crumble
This, in all my years of cooking, is my favourite crumble topping and any leftover mincemeat mixed with apples is a great filling.
Tuesday 11 November
Minestrone with Macaroni
I think a good home-made minestrone, in spite of its peasant origins, is in the luxury class simply because of its rarity.
Monday 10 November
Spaghetti with Anchovies, Mushrooms and Olives
If you like lots of gutsy flavour in food, you'll like this recipe, which should be made with the very best olive oil and served with lots of fresh Parmesan.
Sunday 9 November
Lemon Millefeuille
My husband, since his school days, has always referred to this dessert, rather unromantically and for reasons he can't explain, as a flat harry – but I really don't think that this description does any justice to its ethereal quality and exquisite flavour.
Saturday 8 November
Baked Eggs in Wild Mushroom Tartlets
It's quite a long time since I made a quiche or tart for entertaining. I feel that serving them individually is prettier and more practical, and people seem to really enjoy them.
Friday 7 November
Salmon Coulibiac
This is one of the best fish pies ever invented. It's perfect for entertaining as it can all be made well in advance. Serve it cut in slices, with a large bowl of mixed-leaf salad tossed in a sharp lemony dressing, and hand round some Foaming Hollandaise sauce.
Thursday 6 November
Old-fashioned Rice Pudding
This is the real thing – a mass of creamy rice and a thick brown speckled nutmeg skin. Don't forget to take a sharp knife and scrape off all the bits of caramelised skin that stick to the edges – my grandmother always did that and gave everyone an equal amount.
Wednesday 5 November
Chicken and Leek Pot Pie
This is what I call comfort food - the kind of thing to make on a cold, grey winter's day. You can vary the vegetables if you like (I quite like it with mushrooms replacing half the leeks).
Tuesday 4 November
French Onion Soup
There are few things more comforting than making a real French Onion Soup – slowly cooked, caramelised onions that turn mellow and sweet in a broth laced with white wine and Cognac. The whole thing is finished off with crunchy baked croutons of crusty bread topped with melted, toasted cheese. If ever there was a winter stomach warmer, this is surely it!
Monday 3 November
Slimmers’ Wild Mushroom Risotto
This is an oven-baked risotto with the deep, fragrant flavour of mushrooms. It’s extremely creamy and luscious but – can you believe it? – it contains no cream, no butter and, what’s more, no cheese. The secret of all this lies in one simple ingredient – low-fat evaporated milk. Hard to believe, I know, but try it and see.
Sunday 2 November
Traditional Apple Pie with a Cheddar Crust
This is a huge family apple pie, which I often call 'More Apple Than Pie' as it has four pounds of apples in it. Putting Cheddar in the crust gives it a lovely crisp, flaky texture without a strong cheese flavour.
Saturday 1 November
Roast Pheasants with Chestnut Stuffing and Port and Chestnut Sauce
Those of us who lament the loss of real free-range flavour need look no further than pheasant, one of the finest flavoured game birds. Chestnuts, which have a great affinity with pheasant, thankfully now come ready peeled, which cuts out a lot of tiresome work.
