Kitchen Serendipity

 Read more from Gerald

Much as I enjoy browsing round food stores there are times when I don't feel like going out to shop; maybe I've been working outside and can't be bothered changing from my gardening clothes or perhaps the weather is bad… anyway, on those days I have a look to see what's in the pantry and fridge, vegetable bin and freezer and have fun putting together a serendipitous meal.

There are always jars of various lentils on the shelf, especially my favourite, Puy lentils which have the advantage of staying whole when cooked and not breaking down like others and also a selection of seeds which we use on rolled oats for breakfast; pumpkin, sesame and sunflower. For a healthy and reasonably quick lunch all I need to do is find some of the tomatoes I dried and packed in olive oil this season and I can make…

Puy Lentil Salad

200g Puy lentils – thoroughly rinsed
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 clove of garlic – peeled and crushed
50ml wine or cider vinegar
75ml extra virgin olive oil – a really tasty one
1 small red onion or 2 shallots – peeled and roughly chopped
100g sundried tomatoes – bought ones are fine – sliced
½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the lentils and bay leaf into a saucepan and cover by about 2cm with cold water. Bring this to a boil, then cover and turn down the heat and allow it to simmer until the lentils are tender, 15-20 minutes or so.

In a frypan toast the pumpkin seeds over a high heat to 2-3 minutes taking care not to burn them then set aside. Make the dressing by mixing the garlic, vinegar and oil and season to taste.

Drain the cooked lentils and put them in a serving bowl with the onion, tomato, pumpkin seeds and parsley, add the dressing and mix.

Serve by itself with bread or with a leafy side salad. It also makes a fine accompaniment to cold chicken or delicatessen.

Serves 2.    

It being that season, there will always be some form of pumpkin or squash in the pantry and if there is cream in the fridge then it could be…

Butternut Baked in Cream with Garlic and Sage

1 butternut – quartered, deseeded and peeled then each piece cut across in half
Oil for greasing the pan
1 tbsp fresh sage – finely chopped – sage must be fresh not dried
2 cloves of garlic – peeled and crushed
40g butter
150ml cream
Freshly grated nutmeg
30g grated Gruyere or similar cheese – mozzarella would do at a pinch
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200˚C.

Place the pieces of butternut in a lightly oiled roasting dish and cook in the heated oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile in a small saucepan melt the butter. Remove from the heat and add the sage and garlic and season with salt and pepper.

After the butternut has had 20 minutes in the oven pour the flavoured butter over it and return it to the oven for another 10 minutes or until tender and lightly browned at the edges.

Divide the butternut and the pan juices between 2 individual ovenproof dishes.

Preheat the grill.

Warm the cream and milk together with a grating of nutmeg and a generous grind of pepper in a small pan for a couple of minutes then pour this over the butternut, cover with the grated cheese and grill until the cheese has melted and started to brown. Serve immediately on its own or with simply grilled steak or lamb chops and a salad.

Serves 2.

For the lunchtime where speed is of the essence… or perhaps when I am just feeling lazy… I find it difficult to beat that classic and comforting French sandwich the Croque Monsieur.

Croque Monsieur

2tsp Dijon or similar smooth, mild French mustard
100g softened butter
4 slices of good white sandwich bread
100g Gruyere cheese – thinly sliced or grated
100g thinly sliced ham – the best you can afford
A little olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix the mustard with half of the butter and lightly season with a little salt and a decent grind of black pepper. Spread this mix on one side of each slice of bread then on two of the slices layer cheese then ham then cheese again and cover with the remaining slices, pressing each sandwich firmly together.

In a frypan heat the butter and a little oil then slide in the sandwiches and cook until golden, about 1-2 minutes then carefully turn and cook the other side. Lay on paper towel for a moment the serve hot.

Makes 2 sandwiches.

If you fancy, this can be topped with a fried or poached egg to become a Croque Madam. I suppose it could be made in a toasted sandwich maker by spreading some of the cooking butter on the outside of the sandwiches but like making it with Cheddar, it just wouldn't be the same.

There are usually sausages in the freezer and at this time of year I can take the opportunity with celeriac being available to make…

Mustardy Mashed Celeriac and Potatoes

1 medium celeriac root – peeled and chopped into chunks
2 large Agria potatoes – peeled and cut up
20g butter
75ml cream
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the celeriac in a saucepan of salted water, bring to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer for 30-40 minutes until tender. Boil the potatoes in a separate pan; they should take about 20 minutes. Drain both vegetables well and put them into one bowl; add the butter and mash until almost smooth. Warm the cream with the mustard and a generous grind of black pepper then add this to the vegetables and beat until fluffy.

Serves 2 generously.

Another thing that is always in our freezer is mince, beef, lamb or pork, sometimes all three and often some Indian breads like naan, in case we feel like a curry at the last minute. This is a favourite recipe for weekends with a beer while watching the rugby.

Eastern Spiced Pork Burgers with Peanut Sauce

For the burgers:
250g minced pork
½ cup chopped coriander leaves
½ medium onion – peeled and finely grated
1 tsp sambal oelek or other prepared chilli paste – use more or less to taste
½ tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 clove of garlic – peeled and very finely chopped
2cm piece of ginger root – peeled and finely grated
¼ tsp ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Oil for frying

For the sauce:
1½ tbsp crunchy peanut butter
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
Extra chilli to taste – if required
½ clove of garlic – peeled and crushed
1 tsp dark soy sauce
Salt

2 naan or other flat breads

To make the burgers mix all the ingredients together in a bowl… using your hands for this gets the best results. Shape into two patties and allow to rest while making the peanut sauce.

In a small pot heat the peanut butter together with about 2-3 tbsp of boiling water then stir in the chilli sauce, extra chilli, garlic and the soy sauce. Adjust the seasoning to taste, remove from the heat and keep warm.

Heat a frypan and warm the naan then wrap them in a tea towel to keep them warm. In the same pan heat a little oil over a reasonably high heat then cook the patties until brown on both sides and there is no pink in the middle… about 6-7 minutes a side. Serve on the warm naan with the peanut sauce.

Serves 2.

With dishes like these you can afford to pass on shopping for a day or two and providing Old Mother Hubbard doesn't run things, with a bit of imagination kitchen serendipity should provide some very enjoyable meals.