Another book.. lots of recipes 

https://amzn.eu/d/03z0iCsA

a couple of books I’ve written.

Link to my books https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kitchen-witch-Lou-Radford-Books/s?k=Kitchen+witch+Lou+Radford&rh=n%3A266239

Lovely Tagine

Feeds four hungry adults
light the oven on gas mark 6
You will need either a Tagine dish or a cast iron casserole that will go in the oven

Ingredients
5 tbs olive oil
2 carrots (sliced)
1 sweet potato (cut into chunks)
1/2 a butternut squash ( in chunks)
1 courgette (sliced)
1 small aubergine ( in chunks)
1 red pepper diced
1 thinly sliced onion
3 thinly sliced cloves of garlic
1 tin of tomatoes
1 tin drained chick peas
1 tbs tagine paste
1 tbs maple syrup or honey
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
A few dried apricots

Method

1. Toss  the prepared vegetables in 3 tbs of olive oil in a bowl with plenty of salt and pepper
2. Heat a non stick frying pan and cook the vegetables in batches for 3-4 mins till starting to brown a little... then pop them in a bowl for later
3. When the veg is done add the rest of the olive oil to the pan and gently fry the finely sliced onions for a few minutes until soft and just starting to brown
4. Add the thinly sliced garlic the coriander and cumin, fry for a couple of minutes
5. Add the tomatoes the tagine paste and the maple syrup or honey stir the mix to amalgamate
6. Add the chickpeas apricots and the pre prepared vegetables mix together and cook for about 5 minutes.. 
7. Transfer all to the tagine dish. Bake for 30 minutes

Nature Walking...

Hedgerow Elixir

I Had such a lovely day yesterday collecting ripe fruits from the hedgerows to make this lovely elixir.. diluted in hot water, it's a delicious way to end the day when the winter chill sets in. Full of Vitamin C it strengthens the immune system and leaves a warm afterglow... And just look who popped out of the hedge bottom to make their presence felt...

Ingredients
Altogether you will need roughly 2 kg or 4 lbs of fruit it really depends on what's available on the day
Yesterday I gathered
1 kg/2 lbs  of elderberries taken off the stalk
500 grams/ 1lb of rosehips
300 grams/10 oz hawthorn haws
200 grams/7 oz blackberries
1 pint/ 500 mls water
2 inches bashed fresh ginger root
2x 2 inch cinnamon sticks
A couple of star anise
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp allspice
A couple of pounds of sugar or honey (depending on how much juice you make)
A glug about 5 fl oz of Brandy (if you like)

Method

1. Pop all the fruit, water and spices into a pan, cover and bring to the boil
2. Simmer for about an hour
3. Mash up and leave to cool (overnight if possible)
4. Strain the fruit from the juice through a muslin in a sieve

5. To each pint/500 mls add either a pound/500 grams of sugar or 12 oz/750 grams of honey return to the pan and bring back to the boil

6. Simmer for 15 mins

7. Cool, add the brandy (optional) 

8. Pour into clean, sterilised bottles and set aside until winter sets in...

Tumeric paste and golden milk

Tumeric paste

Ingredients 

1/2 cup tumeric powder

1 cup water

1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

2 teaspoons coconut oil

Method 

1: Combine everything in a saucepan

2: Stir the mixture over a medium heat until it combines and makes a paste

3: Cook out for about 5 mins 

4: Cool, put in a suitable container and refrigerate ( will store for up to two and a bit weeks)  

Now to make a delicious cup of golden milk

Golden Milk

Ingredients 

1: 1 cup of milk (this can be any milk)

2: 1 teaspoon turmeric paste (as above)

3: 1 teaspoon coconut oil

4: Sweetner of choice 

Method

1: Combine milk, tumeric paste and coconut oil in a saucepan 

2: Gently heat until just under boiling 

3: sweeten to taste...

Soda bread

Ingredients
For one loaf
250 grams wholemeal flour
250 grams plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon salt
400 mls kefir or buttermilk

Note: I use spelt flour because my daughter is intolerant to normal wheat and kefir because we always seem to have a surplus.

Method
1. Place dry ingredients in a bowl and mix them together
2. Add the kefir or buttermilk
3. Bring the mixture together into a soft dough... but no heavy kneading
4. Shape into a round and slash a cross right across quite deeply
5. Place on a well greased baking tray and rest for 20 mins
6. Preheat oven to gas mark 6
7. Bake for about 30 mins until bread sounds hollow when smacked on the bottom.

Aubergine Parmegaro (for weight watchers)

This lovely Italian dish, which you layer (as you would a lasagne), is surprisingly filling it can be used as a side dish or a main. The nice thing is it works well when you have guests because it looks and tastes sensational and certainly seems more than the sum of its parts. Your non-slimming friends can have crusty bread with it. We had it last night with a crisp mixed salad and an oven cooked large portabella mushroom (sprayed with the oil mister) topped with a tsp of caramelised onions and 20 grams of Stilton cheese (use any cheese you like cheddar and brie are both good). All round it was a delicious combination.

You will need

An oil mister

A large ovenproof dish or roasting pan

A griddle pan

Pre heat the oven to 180 or gas mark 4

Ingredients for 6 (works out at 12 points the lot)

1 large or 2 small aubergines

2 Sprays of olive oil from mister (2 points)

100 grams grated Parmesan cheese (10 points)

For the tomato sauce

1 vegetable stock cube

1 onion diced

2 cloves garlic

1 red pepper diced

1 tbs. tomato puree

Fresh Basil to taste

Either 3 tins of tomatoes in juice or 2 lbs of fresh tomatoes

A large jar of passata

Seasoning

Method

First make the tomato sauce

1.     Put about half and inch of water in the bottom of a saucepan add a vegetable stock cube bring this to the boil

2.     Add the onions and garlic simmer for a few minutes until the onions are getting soft

3.     Add the red pepper and if you are using fresh tomatoes add them here too and continue to simmer till the pepper is cooked

4.     Add basil and tomato puree

5.     Then if you are using them add the tinned tomatoes

6.     Add the passata

7.     Season to taste with salt and pepper

8.     Simmer gently for about 20 minutes

Whilst the sauce is simmering away deal with the aubergines

1.     Slice the aubergine into slices about ¾ of an inch thick

2.     Lay them on a chopping board and spray them with the oil mister on both sides

3.     Heat up the griddle pan and when it is hot cook the aubergines on both sides

Then construct the dish

1.     Place a layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of your oven proof dish

2.     Layer the aubergines on top

3.     Sprinkle with half the Parmesan

4.     Add another layer of tomato sauce

5.     Finish with the remaining parmesan

6.     You can either cook it now for 30-40 minutes in the preheated oven or it will keep chilled for up to three days.. it also freezes very well

Caponata (For weight watchers)

This is a Sicilian dish that can be eaten hot as a side dish or stirred through cooked pasta or cold as antipasto. Of course (being Italian) it traditionally would be made with lashings of olive oil… but I'm trying to loose weight… so I have devised a way to do without and it still tastes great if you really cant do without the oil for an extra point a spray from an oil mister at the end of the process would mean you could still taste it… any way enjoy

Ingredients: serves 4…

1 Vegetable stock cube

1 onion (finely chopped)

2 celery stalks (finely chopped)

I garlic clove (crushed)

2 medium aubergines (diced into 1 cm cubes)

Large tin chopped tomatoes

A tablespoon of tom puree

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tsp soft brown sugar 

30 g sultanas 

2 tablespoons baby capers

30 g stoned green olives (sliced) 

Seasoning to taste

Method

1.     Pour about half and inch of water into the bottom of a saucepan and crumble the stock cube into it

2.     Bring to the boil and add onions, celery and garlic cover with a lid and sweat until soft

3.     Add the aubergines and continue to cook until they are soft but not soggy

4.     Add the tomatoes and the juice from the can simmer gently for a few minutes to thicken the sauce

5.     Add the vinegar, sugar, sultanas, olives and capers

6.     Cook for about ten minutes

7.     Serve hot either as a side dish or stirred through cooked pasta or cool completely and serve with antipasto 

Roasted Garlic

Whole Roasted Heads of Garlic

This way of cooking garlic is totally delicious do not be deceived by its simplicity the resulting paste is luscious, rich and sumptuous.

When making jacket potatoes I often serve roasted garlic and onions as a couple of side dishes and it’s so easy: - just stick a few heads of garlic and a few small raw onions in the oven about 35-40 minutes before the potatoes are cooked.

You can also mash the roasted garlic cloves with a fork and use in any dish calling for garlic.

Garlic puree is delicious spread over warm French bread (the ultimate garlic bread) or mixed in to cooked pasta with olive oil, fresh basil and Parmesan.

Method

1.               Preheat the oven to 400°F

2.              Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact.

3.              Using a knife, cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic 

4.             Place the garlic heads on a baking tray

5.              Drizzle a couple tsp of olive oil over each head, season with salt and pepper

6.              Bake at 400°F for 35-40 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when pressed

7.              Once the garlic has cooled enough to handle… get involved…  squeeze the individual cloves with your fingers either strait into your mouth or on to your plate

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

8 oz sun dried tomato in oil and a good splosh of the tomato oil

2 cloves garlic

30 or so basil leaves

1 or 2 chili pepper/s (optional and to taste)

Method

Pop the lot in the blender and wiz

'bloomin' marvelous sauce keeps for ages in a jar in the fridge and very versatile.. it's excellent with pasta, just dilute with a little of the pasta cooking water and add some parmesan cheese.. I spread it as a base on homemade pizza, use on crostini with a slice of cheese and lightly toasted or just spread on bread.. go for it

Lemon Ginger Syrup

This is a wonderful remedy for winter blues it warms the cockles of your heart! It is also an effective defence against the symptoms of colds and chills.

Take a tablespoonful (or more to taste) of the syrup in a tumbler full of hot water and add a slice of lemon and enjoy.

You will need

Sterilised bottles for storage

Ingredients

113 grams/4oz whole ginger

1 litre/2pints water

2 lemons

A tablespoon of citric acid (available from chemists or Asian stores) 

A Quantity of sugar

Method

1.      Bruise the ginger and place in a saucepan with the water and the thinly pared rind of the lemon

2.     Bring to the boil and simmer with a lid on for ¾ of an hour

3.     Strain and measure and for every pint of liquid add 450 gm (1 lb) of sugar and the juice of a lemon

4.    Return the lot to the pan and re-boil for ten minutes

5.     Bottle, label and seal for storage.

Delicious Dandelions

So what can we do with dandelions then? Well The young leaves are eaten as salad. Some find the older leaves too bitter... there is however, a good way of reducing the bitterness in the leaves... keep them out of the light by covering them with flowerpots. The roots may be grated or chopped and again eaten in salad or they may be roasted and used to make coffee. Dandelion flowers are fermented to make a pleasing country wine.

Italian style dandelion salad (for one for lunch)

You will need

A mixing bowl and a serving bowl

Ingredients

For the salad

A large handful young dandelion leaves

 ¼ cup chopped spring onion

 ¼ cup pine nuts,

¼ cup walnuts

2 sliced radishes

Dressing

Squeeze of lemon juice

1 tablespoon good olive oil

Also

A generous sprinkling of shaved Parmesan and a few croutons  

Method

1.      Place all salad ingredients in mixing bowl

2.     Wiz up the dressing pour over salad and toss

3.     Arrange in serving bowl with Parmesan shavings and croutons 

Passata... easy but time consuming..

You will need 

A quantity of tomatoes we used about 5 kg

A large pan

A small flame

A good deal of patience

1. Chop your tomatoes and place in a large pan

2. Cover pan and place over a small flame after a couple of hours it will look like this

After a couple of hours

3. keep bubbling away and after about eight hours it will look like this

After about eight hours 

4. Now pass through a sieve.. I blended mine first it makes it easier but is not essential

Blended tomatoes 

Sieve to remove skin and pips

5. Gently simmer resulting mush until required consistency

Finished Passata

6. Pack into freezer bags and store for use in winter months

Crudatrerra Link

Hey guys here is a link to my raw food blog... http://crudaterra.blogspot.com/ and my holistic dimension web site http://www.holisticdimension.co.uk/welcome.htmlhttp://www.holisticdimension.co.uk/welcome.html
Enjoy

Lovely Lemon Posset

This is a truly delightful thing

serves 4-6

1 600 ml carton double cream
45 grams of castor sugar
2 large lemons (juice of both zest of 1)

Method

1. Bring cream and sugar to boil stirring constantly. Simmer for 3 mins
2. Off the heat add zest and juice of lemon stirring well
3. Cool for a few moments then pour into either a large or several small containers to set
4. Chill for at least 3 hours in the fridge by which time it will be set 

Absolutely delicious served alone but is also good with raspberries or some fruit compote

Elderflower syrup

A superb syrup lovely mixed with either still or sparkling spring water or poured over ice cream

Ingredients
10 heads of elderflower
2 lemons
1/2 oz citric acid
3 lbs sugar
3 pints of water

Method

1. Remove elderflowers from main stem leaving behind very little green
2. Halve the lemons squeeze juice and put the lot including elderflowers in a large mixing bowl
3. Bring sugar and water to the boil pour it over the elder and lemon
4. Cover and leave overnight 
5. Next day strain and reboil add the citric acid and bottle
6. It's ready to drink straight away

Lovely Harvest Photos

Elderberries

 

Rosehips

  

Crabapples

Hawthorn Berries

Sloes

Wild Damsons

Carluccio's Crab apple and Horseradish Relish

Antonio Carluccio's recipe for this relish is really good so I'm including it and I just hope he doesn't mind....

4 lbs small crab apples
3 lbs 5oz sugar
18 fl oz water
7 oz freshly peeled and grated horseradish (or use a bottle of grated horseradish)

Method
1. Wash apples put sugar and water in a pan over low heat. let sugar melt till its transparent, then add apples.

 

2. Bring back to boil and simmer gently for about an hour over a very low heat                               

3. Let the apples stand for a couple of days at room temperature so they absorb more sugar        

4. Bring back to simmering point the add the grated horseradish       

5. Cook and stir for a further 30 mins.

6. Cool then bottle