Here’s a recipe for Pancake Day on Tuesday – a stack of smoky and slightly spicy sweet potato pancakes, with cheese and portobello mushrooms, served with one of my guilty pleasures – reggae reggae sweet potato wedges.

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Smoky Sweet Potato Pancakes

Ingredients

For the pancakes (makes 16):

For the stack:

For the potato wedges (serves 4):

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.  Place sweet potatoes for wedges into a microwaveable bowl and microwave for 2 minutes.  (You can skip this step if you don’t have a microwave).

2. Leave the sweet potatoes for the pancake batter in their skins, and boil for 20 minutes or until tender throughout.  Remove from the water and leave aside to cool.

3. Toss the wedges in olive oil and reggae reggae sauce and place on a baking tray in the oven for 20 minutes or until crisp and cooked through.

4. When the boiled sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skins, cut into pieces and pass through a sieve into a bowl.  Add the flour, baking powder and a small amount of the milk and mix well to combine.  Then add the remaining milk, eggs and chipotle paste and whisk thoroughly to form a batter.  Season well with salt and pepper.

5. Place the mushrooms and tomatoes on a baking tray in the oven drizzled with olive oil and seasoned well with salt and pepper.  Bake for 10 minutes until juicy and tender.

6. Heat a large frying pan on the hob for at least a minute or two until very hot.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil and then add the batter to form small pancakes.  (Each should use 2 tbsp of batter – add one first which will set quickly to form the shape, then pour another tablespoon on top to make it thicker).  When small bubbles appear on the surface, flip the pancake over with a spatula and cook on the other side for 30 seconds or so.  Remove to kitchen roll on a plate and continue cooking the rest of the pancakes.

7. Create the stacks as follows – pancake, mushroom, pancake, cheese, pancake, mushroom, pancake, tomatoes.  Add a dollop of sour cream dip, and serve immediately as they lose their heat quickly!

“Meat-free cooking is in the spotlight. High-profile food writers are devoting books to delicious meatless food, and there are established restaurants, street-food vendors and new eateries offering vegetarian and vegan fare to diners of all stripes. Is it time for all restaurants and cafes to offer fantastic vegetarian food that doesn’t feel like an ‘add-on’ to the menu?

In this edition of the Food Programme, Sheila Dillon asks if the British public are increasingly opening their minds to the possibilities of a complete plate of food with no meat?  The Food Programme’s Carnivore-in-Chief Tim Hayward embarks on a mission to experience what vegetable, pulse and grain can offer.

Along the way meet Yotam Ottolenghi, Denis Cotter and encounter a flower-strewn van, some perplexed football fans and ‘pasta’ made from radishes.”

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In other news, big thanks to Claire from The Vegetarian Experience for a lovely write-up in her guest post for Foodies 100 - cheers m’ dear!

Meat-eating friends often admit that the best thing about roast dinners are in fact the ‘trimmings’ – roast potatoes, yorkshire puddings, vegetables and gravy, and the meat is just there out of habit or tradition. 

I realise this is quite a mountain of food and don’t recommend that this is a daily occurrence, but if you’re entertaining family or friends and want a Sunday Lunch with wow factor, this really hits the spot.

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Trio of Yorkshire Puddings

filled with garlicky Marsala mushrooms, red wine braised red onions, and balsamic roasted cherry tomatoes

Yorkshire Puddings

Mine were shop-bought I’m afraid, but if you have the time and inclination to make your own try this recipe - you might want to make them in a 12-hole muffin tin rather than a proper yorkshire pudding tin, otherwise they will be just enormous!

The fillings:

Garlicky Marsala Mushrooms

Melt a knob of butter in a small frying pan and add a clove of crushed garlic and thickly sliced or quartered mushrooms (about 2 per person).  Season generously with salt and pepper and cook gently for 5 minutes until juicy and then turn up the heat and add a glug of Marsala (madeira or sherry would also work well).

Red Wine Braised Red Onion

Melt a knob of butter in a small frying pan and add a thickly sliced red onion (1 onion will serve 2 people generously – the rest can go into gravy if necessary!).  Season with salt and pepper, and cook on a low heat for 15 minutes until translucent.  Turn up the heat and add a glug of red wine (about a tablespoon per person).  Cook for a further 2-3 minutes until the wine has reduced to a sticky sauce.

Balsamic Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

In a small tin place 3 cherry tomatoes per person.  Drizzle with olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with salt.  Roast for 20 minutes at about 180ºC.

I served this with roast potatoes (made using the same method as my Perfect Potato Wedges, but just halved rather than ‘wedged’!) , purple sprouting broccoli, braised red cabbage and red wine gravy.

Leftovers? As if!

So what a lovely surprise to find that Zurich is a brilliant place to be if you’re veggie.

Reason #1: Hiltl

Europe’s oldest vegetarian restaurant, Hiltl was opened in 1898 and serves absolutely excellent food.  We went for the Sunday Brunch Buffet, an ‘eat as much as you like’ affair, and golly, we took advantage of it.

An interesting mix of dishes, we had to take the ‘little and often’ approach as there were many things you wouldn’t want on the same plate;

- Pancakes and maple syrup, fresh fruits, yoghurt, proper swiss museli, honey, jams

- Hot breakfast dishes – scrambled eggs, hash browns, mushrooms, tomatoes, one of the best röstis I’ve ever eaten

- Indian selection – amazing aubergine curry, spiced chickpeas, lemon rice, samosas, nan bread, popadoms, various sauces and chutneys

- Hot buffet – my favourites were stuffed and breadcrumbed jalapenos, broccoli quiche, potato wedges, pastries, and so on

- Cold buffet – cheeses, an amazing selection of salads, freshly baked rye bread

- …. all washed down with a glass of prosecco

At other times of the day you can either order a la carte, or choose from the buffet above and pay by weight – quite a novel concept.  An amazing place – worth adding to your ‘to do list’ if you’re ever in Switzerland.

Reason #2: Péclard

Hot chocolate will never be quite the same again for me.  This place seems determined to induce sugar comas on its customers, (not that I’m complaining).

The picture gives you an idea of the completely outrageous opulence of the décor – understated chic this is not, but their hot chocolate and patisserie are quite befitting of the gold leaf, velvet, chandeliers and general bling.

Have a look at their patisserie gallery here.  Their hot chocolate is, as you would expect in Switzerland, simply molten chocolate and cream – we counted it as lunch, it was so rich.  The price tag of 14.50 CHF (that’s over £10!) is probably just as well – this is definately something that should be an occasional treat rather than a regular tipple!

Reason #3: Raclette

The very traditional Swiss Raclette is my idea of heaven – melted fondue cheese, baked new potatoes, gherkins and pickled onions – what’s not to like?

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In other news, there’s been three excellent articles in the Guardian in the last week which might be of interest:

1. Vegetarian Cookbooks: Pick of the Crop oops… I think my Amazon wish list just grew a little…

2. Recipe – Burns Night Supper: Vegetarian Haggis this looks brilliant, I’m definately going to give it a try.  I love MacSween’s veggie haggis,  (I’ll confess to being sceptical when I first tried it, but it is fantastic – a great ingredient to use in all sorts of ways).

3. Race to serve up artificial chicken for $1m prize a very interesting article – not at all sure that I would eat even lab-generated ‘meat’ – how do you feel about it?

What could be more Russian than cabbage? How about cabbage with vodka?  This is a brilliant side-dish for a full-on Sunday lunch, and also works well cold with cheese & biscuits, as you would use a chutney. 

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Cranberry & Vodka Braised Red Cabbage

Ingredients

Method

1. Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage, cut it into quarters, remove the thickest part of the heart and slice the rest of the cabbage very thinly.

2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and fry the onions for 5 minutes.  Add the mixed spice and stir. 

3. Add the red cabbage to the pan, followed by the chopped pear halves, water, sugar and sultanas. Cover and cook for at least an hour until collapsed and there is almost no liquid left on the bottom of the pan.

4. Just before serving, stir through the cranberry sauce and vodka.

Not a brilliant photo, but it tastes divine!

Mushroom Soup forms part of the traditional ‘Holy Supper’ eaten on Christmas Eve in Russia (6th January), and here I’ve added that classic Russian ingredient, vodka, for an added kick.  This is a faily thin broth-like soup that is packed with flavour, so ideal for a starter before a fairly substantial meal so as not to fill up your guests!

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Wild Mushroom & Vodka Soup

Ingredients

Method

1. Put the dried mushrooms into a bowl or heatproof jug and cover with boiling water.

2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the onion.  Cook gently for 10 minutes until translucent, and add the garlic and chopped portobello mushrooms.  Cook gently for a further 5 minutes.

3. Pour the dried mushrooms’ soaking liquid into the saucepan through a fine sieve to remove any dirt.  Tip the soaked mushrooms onto a chopping board, chop roughly and add to the saucepan.

4. Add the puy lentils, 500ml boiling water and stock cube, and simmer for 20 minutes.

5. To serve, stir through the vodka, spoon into bowls, drizzle with a teaspoon of double cream and sprinkle with parsley.

On Christmas Eve it is a Russian tradition to eat a special bread which is dipped first in honey then in garlic.  The honey symbolises the sweetness of life, and garlic the bitterness of life.

This is a very loose interpretation of that tradition – a white plaited loaf topped with honey and garlic butter.  I cheated with a packet of white bread mix, but its almost no more work to make your own.

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Honey & Garlic Plaited Loaf

Ingredients

Method

1. Make up the bread mix according to packet instructions, cover and leave to rise in a warm place for an hour or more until doubled in size.

2. Divide the dough into three equal pieces, and plait together on a baking tray.  Preheat the oven to 210°C, and leave the plaited dough to rise again for a further 30 minutes.

3. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom.

4. In a food processor or pestle and mortar mix together the butter, garlic and honey.  Slather (technical term) all over the loaf and leave aside until just before serving.

5. Return to the oven for 4-5 minutes until your kitchen smells suitably of garlic, and serve immediately.

Happy New Year!  I’m back to the blog at last after a busy Christmas break, and far too much good food.

Last weekend was our official Christmas Dinner with the in-laws, and as it fell on 6th January we came up with the idea of a Russian-inspired feast, (Christmas is celebrated on 6th January in the Russian Orthodox tradition).  So every day this week I’ll be posting a Russian-inspired recipe for your deliberation and delectation. 

Today’s recipe is a small bite-sized canapé – what could be more Russian than a blini?  I cheated and bought mine from a supermarket, but if you have the time and inclination you could make your own. 

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Beetroot, Sour Cream & Walnut Blinis

Ingredients

Method

1. Cook the red onion gently in the butter for 10 minutes or until translucent and cooked through.  Set aside to cool.

2. In a food processor or blender, combine the red onion, beetroot, figs, half the walnut pieces, and Marsala.  Blend to a smooth paste.

3. Reheat the blinis according to packet instructions.  Top each with a ½ teaspoon dollop of soured cream, followed by a slightly larger dollop of beetroot mixture, and finish each with a walnut piece and small parsley leaf.  Serve as soon as possible.

If you’re stuck for ideas for an informal festive supper, look no further.  Pizza, the ultimate comfort food, topped with all the flavours of the season – port, stilton, walnuts and rosemary.  Probably not the most authentic pizza recipe, but hey…. its Christmas!

Christmas Pizza

Ingredients

(makes 2 large or 4 medium-sized pizzas)

Method

1. Make up the bread mix according to packet instructions, and leave to rise in a warm place.  Preheat your oven to 200ºC

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onions and sultanas, and turn down to a low heat.  Cook very gently for 20 minutes until collapsing and translucent.  Stir in the port, remove from the heat and set aside.

3.  When the dough has risen, divide it into 2 (or 4) equal pieces, roll each thinly on a floured surface and place on baking trays, (pizza trays with holes in the base are fantastic).  Divide the passata between each base and spread right to the edges.

4.  Top each pizza with mozerella, then scatter with the onions and sultanas, walnuts, stilton and rosemary.  Season with black pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil.

5. Cook the pizzas for 12-14 minutes until golden and bubbling.  Serve immediately.

I’m rather partial to a mince pie or seven at this time of year, but find that too much pastry can be a bit dry.  Here’s a recipe for a batch of 24 mince pies – 12 topped with crumble topping, and 12 topped with that beautifully light almond sponge known as frangipane.

For mince pies with wow factor, a bit out of the ordinary, these really fit the bill.  The pastry is rich and melt-in-the-mouth, the toppings different and delicious, and an extra slug of brandy really perks up even shop-bought mincemeat.

There are just two pictured as Mr F. has eaten the rest.  (And you think I’m joking…)

Mince Pies (Frangipane- and Crumble-topped)

Ingredients

For the pastry

For the Crumble Topping

For the Frangipane Topping

Method

Preheat your oven to 180ºC.

1. Make the pastry: Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.  Stir in the ground almonds and sugar, then add the egg yolks and water and bring together with your hands to form a paste.  Wrap in cling film and chill for 20 minutes.

2. Roll out thinly and cut into circles just larger than the holes of your muffin tins.  Line all 24 holes and trim off any excess pastry.  Chill in the fridge until required.

3. For the Crumble Topping: Rub the butter into the flour and ground almonds – don’t worry if there are still a few lumps of butter.  Stir through the sugars and cinnamon and set aside.

4. For the Frangipane Topping: Cream together the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy.  Whisk in the eggs, then stir through the flour, ground almonds and almond extract.

5. To assemble, put 1 dessert spoon of mincemeat into each pastry case.  Top 12 cases with crumble topping and 12 with frangipane.  Place in the oven (ideally with frangipane tray on top shelf, crumble tray on bottom shelf), and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and frangipane sponge is firmly set.

Serve immediately, or else freeze in their trays, then transfer to freezer bags.  Defrost and refresh for 5 minutes in the oven before serving.

Happy Christmas!