recipe: cavolo nero & couscous broth

cavolo nero & couscous broth

cavolo nero & chicken stock livened up w/ a bit of fruit & nut couscous - super low calorie

IngredientsMakes: 630g (1)

600g		boiling water
5g		fish sauce
10g	(1)	chicken stock cube
80g		cavolo nero
120g		light fruit & nut couscous	(recipe below)
5g		soy sauce
5g		lime juice
10g		coriander

Method

I used leftovers from [light fruit & nut couscous] or [cauliflower califoria & greens].

If making from scratch make the couscous first.

Remove the centre stalks from the cavolo nero leaves & cut into quarters across the leaf.

Wash the leaves to remove any mud or critters.

Add them, the stock cube & fish sauce to the water and bring to the boil. Simmer with the lid off for 8mins.

Pour the broth out into a warm bowl & add the couscous.

Season w/ soy sauce & lime juice then top w/ coriander. Job done!

Good for 'fasting' days. If I need to bump up the protein, I'll crack an egg on top & microwave it for 2mins.

light fruit & nut couscous

dried fruit & nut couscous, leaning more towards fruit & nut

IngredientsMakes: 350g (2)

225g		cooked couscous	(recipe below)
30g		spinach
15g		flaked almonds
10g		butter
10g		red onion
20g		mange tout
20g		spring onions
15g		dried apricots
20g		dried cranberries
10g		yellow pepper

Method

Put the couscous on first and prep the rest while it hydrates.

Melt some butter in a pan and put the almonds on to toast on a low heat so they don't burn while you wilt the spinach in another pan.

Leave them to cool once tehy're ready.

Brunoise the red onion, fine slice the mange tout & spring onions.

Chop the apricots, cranberries & red pepper.

Use a fork to break up the couscous until no lumps remain then chop the spinach & mix it in.

Add all the ingredients into a warm serving bowl & stri to combine into a warm couscous salad.

cooked couscous

plain couscous

IngredientsMakes: 280g

100g		couscous
180g		boiling water
2g		salt

Method

Couscous is pre-cooked so all you really have to do it rehyrate it properly.

Good rule of thumb is 1.8 times as much boiling water as couscous by weight.

7g per kilo of couscous and water of salt.

Pour the couscous into a pan, and sprinkle with salt then pour the boiling water evenly over the couscous making sure it's completely covered.

Put the lid on the pan to seal the moisture in, leave for at least 20mins on the counter top.

When removing the lid there should be no sign of water.

Drag a fork across the top of the couscous repeatedly to release it into a light grain.

Keep going until there are no lumps. Use as required.

If you are in Hereford check out Growing Local on facebook/meta they currently have all sorts in stock grown right here in Hereford using organic practices!
Sign up for veg box here.

Sneaky Chorizo

This week we put on a few hits including our signature "Fish and Chips" which we were told we totally undersell by calling it that. The tuna sashimi together with my homemade crunchy chips always pleases our guests and their reaction to it is always lovely to hear! Uyen's carrot and coriander salad with it's super refreshing dressing, always makes my taste buds tingle with delight : )

I had a bit of fun doing the test runs for one of the the seared trout with ginger and lemongrass broth, will post recipe later this week. Who would have thought this:

Turns into this!!!!

This weeks menu:
Turkish Garlic Bread w/ Beetroot Dip
Sashimi Tuna & Chips
Spicy Chicken, Carrot, Mooli & Coriander Salad W Prawn Crackers
Miso Aubergine
Rainbow Trout w/ Lemongrass, Lime & Ginger Broth
& GlassNoodles, Pak Choi & Beansprouts
Sweet Potato w/ Chorizo Red Wine Jus & Rocket
Lime & Chilli Chocolate Topped Mousse

I love our guest's reaction to the Egyptian Beetroot dip, it's sooo bright purple, looks like it should be used to colour in crazy cartoons! "I don't really like beetroot but the dip is fantastic!" Yup, especially when combined with some fresh garlic Turkish bread, golden with butter from the oven, soft on the inside and crunchy on the out, fantastic combo! (So I'm told that is...) 

Dip me, dip me!

Love to load a bit of refreshing salad onto one of these babies, taste explosion loveiness!

Sometimes we have a little battle about my menu designs, and Uyen insists on dropping something, and sometimes rightly so (pretty rare tho!), this weeks menu was all over the place in terms of geography, South East Asia, Africa, Mediterranean, and America- key limes - India would have been there too but the spicy coconut mushrooms got culled. I'm glad I insisted on keeping the chorizo, soft and juicy spicy sausage cooked in red wine and served with roast sweet potatoes and rocket, drizzled with the red wine jus, cracking! Our guests liked it too, which is always nice specially if we've not put it on the menu before, there's always a bit of trepidation, only one leaf of rocket came back : ) taking that as a good sign! 

Must add a little note, I picked up the chorizo from a great little place just off the Holloway Road, I cannot emphasise enough how good it is. It's a cafe deli combo and they take a great deal of care in sourcing their ingredients as you can tell when you bite into anything they serve you. It's called Le Peche Mignon and I totally recommend it: great coffee, great food and very friendly folk!

Lime and Chilli Chocolate Topped Mousse

Where's mine? Do I get some? Do I? Do I?

This weeks guests were lovely - we've been very lucky in this respect - including Cass Titcombe, Chef/Owner of  Canteen and also has a funky book out called 'Canteen, Great British Food'.

Doing more test runs this week recipe posts to come! Sx