COOKING FOR ONE: Pork with prunes/Kasha and Slavic Slaw Copyright SvD.

One medium-sized pork chop – cheaper cuts like shoulder work just as well

  

One large shallot

One clove of garlic

One small handful pitted prunes

Splash cognac or armagnac

¼ cup crème fraîche

Half a cup Roasted buckwheat – kasha

One egg

One cup water

One small red onion

¼ cup sauekraut

½ cup grated carrot

Store cupboard ingredients*: Olive oil, salt and pepper (*you probably have these already).

Method:

Cut the pork into bite-sized cubes. Discard the fat if you have to.

Peel and finely chop the shallot and garlic.

Heat a tablespoon of oil over medium high heat. Add the shallot and fry until brown – around four minutes. Add the garlic and the pork.. Stir the pan occasionally to prevent sticking. The pork should begin to brown after two minutes. Once the pork is lightly browned, add the cognac/armagnac. Make sure that all the brown bits at the bottom of the pan have been dislodged and wait for the alcohol to evaporate completely. Add the crème fraîche and enough water to barely cover the meat. Add the prunes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well, bring to the boil then reduce the heat down to low. Cover the pan and leave the mixture to simmer for at least twenty minutes.

While the pork is simmering, break the egg into a small bowl and lightly beat it. Place the kasha in a pan and add the egg. Combine well. Place the pan over medium heat and keep stirring the kasha until it is fragrant – around three minutes. Add one cup of water to the pan and a pinch of salt. Allow the mixture to boil then cover the pan and simmer on the lowest possible heat for five minutes.

Finally, prepare the slaw. Peel and halve the onion. Slice into half moons as finely as you can. Separate the slices and place in a ceramic bowl. Squeeze the sauerkraut (to remove excess liquid) and add to the bowl. Lastly, peel and grate the carrot – around one medium carrot – and add to the bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and toss all the ingredients together.

Serve the pork stew with the kasha and finish the meal with the slaw.

Tip: you can replace the crème fraîche with double cream if you fancy a richer version of the dish.

Plain, boiled potatoes go well with the dish. But do try the kasha – it cooks quickly – faster than potatoes -  and it is very nutritious.

When cooking kasha, always add double the quantity in water – so ½ cup kasha, + one cup water, one cup kasha + two cups water etc.

RECIPE: Fish with Chermoula. Copyright SvD.

Chermoula is a marinade made with herbs and spices that is very popular in Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria. The basic ingredients for chermoula are olive oil, garlic and coriander. In Morocco parsley, cumin and paprika are also added and the marinade is used to coat seafood or fish before grilling. If you don’t have an outdoor BARBEQUE at your disposal, you can make this recipe in an oven instead. Vegetarians find chermoula a delicious addition to roasted or grilled vegetables. For a more intense flavour to the chermoula you can add puréed onions, chilli peppers and even saffron. Do experiment with what you like!

Chermoula ingredients:

One large bunch coriander

One small bunch parsley

Six-eight cloves garlic, finely chopped

One third of a cup of olive oil

One tablespoon paprika (smoked paprika works very well or you can use plain)

One tablespoon paprika

One teaspoon salt

Good grinding of black pepper

Pinch saffron threads, soaked in hot water and cooled

Juice of one large lemon

Purée all the ingredients together in a food processor. The chermoula should be thick and creamy in consistency. You can store the chermoula in the fridge for up to one week in a sealed container.

Rub the chermoula all over a large fish such as whole cod, coley, haddock or pollack. Make sure the fish has been thoroughly descaled before you begin. White fish works best for this recipe although you may want to experiment using a large whole salmon. Using a sharp knife, make deep incisions along the length of the fish. Rub the chermoula into these incisions. Place a good dollop of the chermoula into the fish cavity as well.  Lay the fish in a baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake in a preheated very hot oven (220 degrees C) for one hour (smaller fish such as whole mackerel, plaice, halibut, bream, mullet, will take much less time and should be ready in twenty minutes). Serve the fish whole at the table allowing guests to help themselves to the succulent flesh.

For a quick mid week supper, you can use fillets of your favourite fish. Drizzle the chermoula over the fillets, cover with foil and bake for twenty minutes (at 220 degrees C).

Boiled new potatoes or couscous go particularly well with this recipe.

Instead of fish, why not try this vegetarian option.

Roasted vegetables with chermoula

Ingredients:

One medium courgette, cut into quarters lengthways

Three bell peppers, of different colours, deseeded and cut unto quarters

One bunch asparagus

One medium aubergine, sliced into thick rounds

One large onion, peeled and cut into quarters and layers separated

Place all the vegetables onto a baking tray. Season with a pinch of salt, black pepper and a small amount of olive oil. Toss the vegetables well to coat with the oil. If liked, add a few sprigs rosemary or thyme to the vegetables. Place in a medium oven (170 degrees C) and roast uncovered for around 40 minutes until the vegetables are beginning to brown at the edges and have wilted. You may want to check the vegetables a few times during cooking and toss them occasionally.

Serve the vegetables warm with small bowls of the chermoula on the side.

Enjoy!!!!

RECIPE: Chicken with preserved lemon. Copyright SvD.

I do all my meat and veg shopping at a biodynamic farm in East Sussex where the meat is very flavoursome and the vegetables taste like vegetables. The chicken at the farm is quite gamey and the  tartness of the preserved lemon balances it nicely.

Ingredients:

One whole chicken cut into half, then quarters and then separated into pieces (you can also use thighs and drumsticks only for this recipe if you prefer).

Two preserved lemons

One large onion

Few sprigs thyme

Dash dry white wine.

Two cups chicken stock or water

Handful fresh chives

Unsalted butter

Olive oil,

Salt and pepper

White flour

Method:

Dredge the chicken pieces lightly in flour. Dust off excess flour.

Heat around one third of a cup of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add a knob of butter. When the butter begins to foam, add the chicken pieces and brown for approximately three to four minutes on each side. Note: you can remove the skin and then dust the meat in flour if you are worried about fat. While the chicken is browning, peel and finely slice the onion into rings. Once the chicken has browned, remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. You may wish to remove some of the oil and leave around a tablespoon only in the pan. Now add the onion and stir to brown evenly (around seven minutes). Do keep the onion slices moving in the pan so they do not burn.

Add the dash of white wine and scrape up all the bits in the pan. Increase the heat sufficiently for the wine to bubble and reduce quickly.

Slice the lemon as thinly as you possibly can – the slices should be as thin as paper if possible. Discard the seeds. Add the lemon slices to the pan along with the thyme. Return the chicken to the pan and add the chicken stock or water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring the pan contents to the boil, cover and reduce to a bare simmer. 

Leave to simmer gently for around 45 minutes.

The chicken is ready when it falls away easily from the bone and the sauce is thick, unctuous and fragrant.

Garnish the chicken with very finely chopped chives.

Serve the chicken with crispy roast potatoes and steamed vegetables.

Tip: cooking is about texture. Crispy potatoes complement the tangy melt-in-the-mouth chicken and steamed vegetables provide a clean and fresh-tasting accompaniment to the meal. If liked, dress the vegetables with a dash of balsamic vinegar and a good quality extra virgin oil just before serving.

Dancing grasshopper.

No, he's not dancing but seen from his underside as he sits (outside) on the window.

The most beautiful things are free.

Here's a daisy from a field near my home.

Photo copyright SvD.

Moving to London?

PROPERTY ARTICLE: How to furnish a flat for rental. Copyright SvD.

 

How to furnish a flat for rental

I am often asked by landlords for advice on furnishing a property for letting. Some landlords go a little crazy when furnishing a property and can overdo it somewhat by using the wrong colour paint, chintzy furnishings and too may trinkets laying around which serve absolutely no purpose.. Other landlords seem to think that a furnished property means basic furniture but no appliances. Others provide furniture and appliances but no cutlery or pots and pans! So what is the happy medium?

The first obvious thing to consider is that a happy tenant will stay in the property and be a good asset which can only benefit the landlord. Tenants should not be shy of insisting that a furnished flat is indeed furnished. Take nothing at face value and ask questions. I recently let a one bedroom flat that was supposedly furnished but there were no kitchen utensils or small appliances. These items are not that expensive to buy and a small investment up front could keep a tenant for many years to come.

Here are some ideas for the basic items that one should find in a furnished property:

For the kitchen: one basic set of pots and pans. One set of glasses for drinking water. Two to four coffee mugs. A set of cutlery. Cooking utensils such as a set of knives, a chopping board, a bread knife. A set of  (four) plates, both dinner and side plates.

For each bedroom: one set of sheets including duvet and duvet cover. Pillow cases. Eiderdown or blankets. Mattress cover. One bed and at least one side table per bed. Note: mattress covers extend the life of mattresses and are widely available.

Bathroom: one set of new towels- face cloth, hand towel and bath towel. One bathmat placed near either the shower cubicle or bath. A vanity cupboard above the bath sink to store personal items.

Living room: one sofa or two arm chairs. One coffee table or side tables for the sofa or chairs. Bookcase which can double up as TV stand and stereo stand. Adequate lighting to read at night (a good reading light is always a thoughtful touch from the landlord).

Dining room: dining table and chairs (four chairs or more for larger apartments or two chairs for a studio). Sideboard (optional).

Lighting: all lights should be covered with a shade or other appropriate fixture – please, no naked bulbs. I have seen upmarket flats with naked bulbs throughout. The usual excuse is that the property is a new build and the tenant could install fixtures of their choosing. This is grossly unfair.

Windows: curtains and black out blinds. Again, I have seen expensive properties with no curtains! Black out blinds are a thoughtful addition especially since London suffers with terrible light pollution.

Flooring: adequate flooring such as wood effect or carpet in a neutral colour.  There are very good laminates available at a lesser cost than real wood. The same applies for carpets- choose a good quality that is durable.

Finally, landlords, remember that a rental property is not your home but temporary accommodation for a tenant. As such, landlords should remember not to place expensive items or family heirlooms that once damaged or lost, can never be replaced!