Ren Behan - Author Wild Honey and Rye

Food Writer

Autumn

Pumpkin (or Butternut) Soup with Kefir and Poppy Seeds

You can make this soup with fresh pumpkin, or butternut squash. Kefir is a gut-friendly dairy produce, but you can swirl fresh cream or sour cream through this soup, too. If you’re vegan, you can follow exactly the same recipe, but swap the kefir for some vegan/soy yoghurt instead and be sure to use a vegan-friendly, vegetable stock.

 

Aside from being packed full of fresh veggies, most of the other ingredients you’ll find in the store cupboard – red lentils, stock, a tin of tomatoes or passata and since I had a packet of poppy seeds open from making a Plum and Poppy Seed traybake, I sprinkled some over the finished soup, but the roasted seeds or any other seeds would be nice too.

leftover pumpkin soup with kefir

 

leftover pumpkin soup with kefir
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Pumpkin Soup with Kefir and Poppy Seeds

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 6 servings

Whip up this simple and healthy seasonal pumpkin soup (or use squash) for the perfect autumnal bowl of comfort for lunch or as a light supper. Add a drizzle of kefir for a dose of healthy probiotic and a sprinkle of poppy seeds for a bit of crunch.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 white onions, peeled, halved
  • 700g pumpkin or squash, peeled, de-seeded and chopped into cubes
  • 2 carrots, peeled, chopped
  • 1 stick celery, washed
  • 200g/1 cup red lentils
  • 1 x 400g tin tomatoes or tomato passata
  • 1 litre vegetable or chicken stock
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • 200ml kefir (cultured milk drink) or use natural yoghurt 
  • 1 tsp poppy seeds per bowl

Instructions

  1. Take a large 24cm pan or stock pot, add the olive oil and heat. Add the onions and fry until slightly softened and golden brown.
  2. Add the pumpkin, carrots and celery, stir well and continue to cook for 5 minutes.  
  3. Add the red lentils, tomatoes/passata and stock to the pan. Ensure everything is covered with stock, if not, add a cupful more of water.
  4. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 20 minutes until all the vegetables are soft (the carrots will take the longest to cook).
  5. Season well with sea salt and black pepper.
  6. Allow the soup to cool a little and then use a stick blender to blend the soup, or transfer into a jug blender (you may need to blend in two batches)
  7. Serve the soup with a drizzle of kefir and sprinkle over some poppy seeds, or other seeds of your choice.

You may like:

Beetroot and Kale Soup with Almond Crumble

Spiced Pumpkin, Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup by Helen at Fuss Free Flavours

Polish Forest Mushroom Soup 

 

Thank you to Jude for the pretty napkins from Anthropolgie which were a book launch gift – I love them. 

Lamb Steaks Wild Mushroom Sauce and Dill Mash

A comforting recipe for Eat Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef

welsh-lamb-ren_-2

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Lamb Steaks with Wild Mushroom Sauce and Dill Mash

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 4 servings

A creamy and comforting recipe using Welsh lamb steaks. 

Instructions

  1. Season the lamb steaks with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, on both sides. Drizzle a little oil onto the steaks and rub the oil into the meat. Set to one side.
  2. Drain the peeled potatoes and put them into a pan of fresh cold water, cover, bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Drain into a colander and set to one side to dry.
  3. Place a dry frying pan onto a low heat. Throw in the pine nuts and allow them to toast until they turn golden – this will take around 30 seconds. Tip the pine nuts onto a plate and set to one side.
  4. Add a little oil to the same pan, turn up the heat to medium-high and add the lamb steak to the pan. Fry for 5 minutes on one side then flip them over. Add the mushrooms to the pan and a teaspoon of butter and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove the lamb steaks (which will be cooked rare-medium rare) and leave them to rest on a plate.
  5. Pour the stock into the pan, swirl the stock around and allow to bubble for a minute. Add the fresh dill and double cream, stir and and bring up to the boil. Then take the pan off the heat.
  6. Mash the cooked potatoes, or put them through a potato ricer. Add one tablespoon butter, double cream and the fresh dill. Season with salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon, stir the butter, cream and dill into the mashed potatoes, until the potatoes are creamy and smooth.
  7. Divide the potatoes onto 4 plates. Slice each lamb steak in half and place on top of the mash. Spoon over over the creamy mushroom sauce. Sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts and serve straight away.

Courses Main

Cuisine British

You may also like:

Lamb Steaks with Mint Ajika Sauce (Olia Hercules for Marley Spoon)

One-Pot Cypriot Lamb with Orzo 

Make-Ahead Lamb and Potato Moussaka

Jamie Oliver’s Mothership Roast Lamb

This is a paid recipe commission for Eat Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef. Find more Llambassador recipes here.

 

Easy Stove Top Chicken Casserole

As we ease ourselves into autumn, there is plenty to encourage us into the kitchen. Perhaps we might be inspired to preserve some of those late summer gluts, or try a recipe from an ‘up and coming’ cuisine, or to simply dig out those slow-cookers and cast-iron pans to get a nice, warming stew or casserole on the go. There are lots of recipes that have caught my attention already in the various food magazines that I subscribe to popping through the door, in particular, the classic, stove top chicken casserole I’ve shared below. I’ve also noticed a number of new cookery related supplements and magazines recently, which is a good thing, as it means larger brands and retailers are continuing to see an upwards trend in home cooking. Pinterest is another wonderful place to gather some autumnal cooking ideas together, too. This week I’ve bookmarked a lasagne soup to try as it pretty much ticks every box on my comfort food hit-list.

Cook Edition
Images taken from JohnLewis.com with permission

One of the latest, free, foodie publications that you might spot is ‘Cook Edition’ at John Lewis. I had a good flick through – very much admiring the food photography within it. I was very tempted by Trine Hahnemann’s sticky, sweet and perfectly spiced cinnamon rolls (featured on page 2 of the Autumn supplement) but in the end, I decided on a family favourite instead; a classic chicken casserole (featured on page 10, alongside some one-pot tips). If you have an ipad, you can also find Cook Edition for free via iTunes. 

Aside from my slow cooker making a reappearance, autumn cooking is also brilliantly suited to more robust pans and stew-pots. I was recently sent a 24cm lidded casserole pan in a new shade of cotton, which although takes up a bit of kitchen cupboard space, means that you can comfortably cook a casserole, or a stew for a family of four with minimum fuss. I’ve also used the pan this week to make a generous risotto. It’s also ideal for soup and can also go into the oven (with its lid) when making a roast chicken, for example, or an oven-baked casserole or pasta bake.

Le Creuset

Le Creuset is a brand that has become very well known in the UK for classic, durable and long-lasting cookware; it is made in France, each piece is hand crafted and it is guaranteed for the lifetime of the original owner, whether a self purchase or a gift. Note, the guarantee doesn’t cover wear and tear or misuse, so you do have to show your pans a little bit of love. I do put mine into the dishwasher, but in fact, they are very, very easy to clean with liquid soap and water, too. I’ve never had any issues with my Le Creuset pans or cookware – I also own a square griddle pan and two 18cm round casseroles. The diametre of the pan is etched into the lid – in case you ever want to know! I always remember my sister using Le Creuset and in fact, when she read this post, she confirmed she had owned her 24cm casserole for 24 years and that it is most often used for making a ragu al bolognese.

Classic Chicken Casserole

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Easy Stove Top Chicken Casserole

Prep

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Total

A classic stove top chicken casserole made with sweet onions, pancetta, mushrooms and baby potatoes.

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 8 pieces of high welfare chicken, e.g thighs, legs
  • 250g cubed pancetta
  • 1 large, sweet white onion
  • 200g baby chestnut button mushrooms
  • 1 litre hot chicken stock
  • 500g baby potatoes
  • 2 tbsp cornflour mixed with 3-4 tbsp cold water
  • Fresh herbs, such as parsley, to flavour

Instructions

  1. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a stove top safe casserole pan. Add the cubed pancetta and cook on a medium heat until the pancetta starts to become crispy and any fat renders. Add the chopped onions and cook for ten minutes on a very low heat, until translucent. Add the button mushrooms and cook for a further few minutes. Remove the pancetta, onions and mushrooms from the pan and set aside.
  2. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and place the chicken pieces, skin side down, into the pan. Sear them until golden brown, then carefully flip the pieces over and cook for a further few minutes.
  3. Pour in the chicken stock and add in the baby potatoes - the potatoes and chicken should be covered. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer on a gentle heat for twenty minutes.
  4. Add the pancetta, onions and mushrooms back in and cook with the lid off for a further ten minutes. The sauce should reduce slightly. Stir in the cornflour mixed with water and bring the casserole back up to the boil. The sauce should thicken.Take the casserole off the heat and leave it to sit on the stove for ten minutes before serving. Add any fresh herbs just before serving.

Notes

You can use a whole chicken and chop it into eight pieces instead if your prefer. Be careful when using poultry shears or a sharp knife to chop the chicken.

So, this week I’ve made a lasagne, risotto, a chicken casserole and a Victoria plum fruit bowl cake – what should be next on our comfort food cook list?

Here are some other recipes I have bookmarked –

Slow Cooked Beef Brisket with Celeriac Mash and Wild Mushrooms – own recipe

Veggie Packed Lasagne by Katie at Feeding Boys and a Firefighter

Healthier S’mores Smoothie – by Helen at Fuss Free Flavours

Cinnamon Apple Meringue Tartlets by Nazima at Franglais Kitchen

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of Cook Edition to review and cook from, as well as a 24cm Le Creuset Casserole and some vouchers to pay for the ingredients I used. 

Stuffed Globe Courgettes with Lamb, Cinnamon and Rice

Autumn, for me, is about slowing down the cooking. I want nourishing food; the caramelised sweetness of roasted fruits or vegetables, hearty stews and warming spices. This recipe of stuffed globe courgettes with lamb, cinnamon and rice  ticks all of the necessary cold-month boxes. The globe courgettes, which could just as easily be curvy squash, mini pumpkins or long marrows, are baked and then filled with a flavourful mixture of minced lamb slowly cooked down with onions, garlic and a sprinkle of cinnamon. They are so easy to prepare and make the perfect weekend supper.

Stuffed Globe Courgettes  

 

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Stuffed Globe Courgettes with Lamb, Cinnamon and Rice

Ingredients

  • 8 small or 4 medium globe courgettes/zuchinni or squash
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 250g or 8 ounces minced lamb
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 150g or 2/3 cup long grain rice
  • 250ml or one cup hot stock — lamb or vegetable
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Fresh mint or parsley, to serve

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  2. Chop the tops off the courgettes and set aside. Using a small knife or a spoon, carefully hollow out the insides of the courgettes. Chop the flesh, and also put aside.
  3. Place the hollowed courgettes in a roasting tin, sprinkle with two tablespoons of olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes. If using a large squash or marrow cook for 10 minutes more at this stage.
  4. In the meantime, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook gently for a few minutes to soften. Add the lamb mince and fry until brown, for about five minutes. Add the chopped courgette and cinnamon and cook for another two minutes.
  5. Stir in the rice and pour in the hot stock. Bring back to the boil and then cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
  6. After 10 minutes, take the rice off the heat. It should be tender.
  7. Take the courgettes out of the oven and carefully spoon in the cooked rice mixture. Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes.
  8. Serve immediately with chopped fresh mint or parsley sprinkled over the top.

 

Stuffed Globe Courgette

I’m linking this post up to Simple and in Season, this month hosted by Nazima at Franglais Kitchen as well as to Herbs on a Saturday at Lavender and Lovage as the fresh mint on top of these little globes is essential! 

 

What’s cooking on your stove this weekend?

Simple and in Season: February Round Up and Winner

I think this month has been one of my favourite rounds of Simple and in Season so far! We had such an array of seasonal produce, from blood oranges and a glut of lemons, to figs, rhubarb and apples in the sweet selection. Savoury recipes included grouse, pheasant, oxtail, as well as delicious salads of broccoli and pomegranate,  the lovely golden colours of swede and butternut squash, warm spices as well as fresh herbs including rosemary and wild garlic.

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