Home Made Beans on Toast

Eating beans on toast is one of life’s simple food pleasures.  Whilst I’m not averse to opening a tin now and again, it doesn’t feel creative or the end result feel like a meal, more of a children's snack.

My  homemade baked beans recipe is more sophisticated than any store-bought equivelent and is delicious spooned over hot buttered toast.

Homemade Baked Beans for around 6 people

1kg dry haricot beans

300 mls vegetable stock




200mls pasatta

2 tsp. Mustard Powder

50mls cider vinegar 

100g soft brown sugar 




1 large onion, finely diced

1 level tsp smoked paprika

A large pinch of sea salt

Several grinds of black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil for serving

Toast for serving

Method

First the beans need to be soaked overnight or for a miniumum of eight hours. Rinse the soaked beans in plenty of fresh cold water. Boil for around 40 minutes, or until they start becoming tender.

Drain in a colander and set aside.




In a heavy frying pan cook the onions in a little olive oil until soft and slightly caramelised.

 

 

Next add all the other ingredients apart from the beans to the onions and bring it to a  simmer. Whisking occassionally.

When the sauce becomes smooth and a good consistency, add the beans to the pan, reduce the heat and cook for 1.5.hrs The liquid will reduce down in this time and create a nice thick sauce. It is important to keep an eye on the sauce during this time and add additional water if you feel it is drying out too quickly.

Serve with hot buttered toast and enjoy.

 






The above recipe can be used for butter beans, just substitute the mustard for a tbsp of yeast extract, add in some oregano and parsley and halve the cooking time (the soaking time is the same).

The Art of Freezing Vegetables

I hate to see vegetables go to waste, but with the best will in the world sometimes it is impossible to use up the vegetables purchased with the grandest and best of intentions before they start to turn. I find that the most effective way of preserving surplus vegetables is freezing. Some vegetables  are unsuitable for freezing, including chicory, cucumber, kale, lettuce, radishes and Jerusalem artichokes. Whilst potatoes and other roots are best stored in other ways, but they will freeze with good results. 

In order to achieve successful freezing, you will need to blanch the vegetables before freezing. Blanching is the technique in which vegetables are plunged into boiling water and then plunged into ice cold water to halt the cooking process.  For more information on the blanching process visit http://suite101.com/a/freezing-fresh-produce-keep-down-weekly-shopping-bill

Prepared and blanched correctly, vegetables will retain their colour, vitamins and nutrients when frozen.

 

                                                  HOW LONG DO I BLANCH FOR?

Vegetable	Preparation	Blanching Time
Artichokes, Globe	Remove all outer coarse leaves and stalks, and trim tops and stems.  Clean thoroughly, add a little lemon juice to the blanching water. Cool, and drain upside down on kitchen towel.	Blanch a few at a time, 7-10 min.
Asparagus	blanch the stems loosely. Cool and seerate stems with greaseproof paper before freezing	Thin stems 2 min. Thick stems 4 min.
Aubergines	Peel and slice thickly (approx 1 "). Blanch, chill and dry on kitchen towel. Freeze in layers, separated by non stick paper	4 min.
Beans, Runner & French	Wash, trim and blanch. Young beans are best.	2 - 3 min.
Beans, Broad	Shell & Blanch	3 min.
Beetroot	Choose small beets. Wash well and scald, after scalding rub the skin to remove. Beetroot under 1 inch(2.5 cm) in diameter may be frozen whole; large ones should be sliced first. If the beetroot is to be stored for a long time, consider pickling as long freezing time can make beetroot rubbery and unpleasant.	Small whole 5 - 10 min. Large cook until tender 45 - 50 min.
Broccoli	Trim off any woody parts and large leaves. Wash in salted water, and cut into small sprigs. Blanch, cool and drain well.	Thin stems 3 min. Medium stems 4 min. Thick stems 5 min.
Note:	old margarine and ice cream tubs make for ideal freezing vessles for delicate vegetables such as asparagus
Cabbage Green & Red	Use only crisp cabbage in optimum condition.Wash thoroughly, shred finely. Blanch, cool and drain well. Pack in small quantities in polythene bags. Do not exceed 1 1/2 min blanching.	1½ min.
Carrots	Scrape or peel and then slice or  dice. Blanch, cool, drain and pack in polythene bags.	3 - 5 min.
Cauliflower	Heads should be firm, compact and white. Wash, break into small sprigs, about 2 in (5 cm) in diameter. Add the juice of a lemon to the blanching water to keep them white; blanch, cool, drain and pack	3 min.
Celeriac	Wash and trim. Cook until almost tender, al dente,  peel and slice	N/A
Celery	Trim, removing any strings, and wash thoroughly.  Cut into 1 in (2.5 cm) lengths. Suitable only for cooked dishes	3 min.
Courgettes	Choose young ones, make sure that the courgettes are firm.  Wash and cut into ½ to 1in (1 cm) slices. Either blanch, or saute in a little butter or oil. Bag in small quantities before freezing.	1 min.
Fennel	Trim and cut into short lengths. Blanch, cool, drain and pack	3 min.
Kohlrabi	Use small roots, 2 3 in (5 7 cm) in diameter. Cut off tops, peel and dice. Blanch, cool, drain and pack	1½ min.
Fennel	Trim and cut into short lengths. Blanch, cool, drain and pack	3 min.
Marrow	Young marrows can be peeled, cut into ½-1 in (1 - 2.5 cm) slices and blanched before packing. If you have older marrows they can be reserved as a pickle or made into jam.	3 min.
Leeks	Cut off tops and roots; remove coarse outside leaves. Slice into ½in (1 cm) slices and wash well. Sauté in butter, olive oil or vegetable oil, drain, cool, pack and freeze. Only suitable for casseroles or other stew type dishes.	Sauté 4 min.
Mushrooms	Choose small button mushrooms and leave whole, wipe clean but don't peel. Sauté in butter. Mushrooms larger than 1 in (2.5 cm) in diameter are suitable only for slicing and using in cooked dishes. Otherwise try pickling mushrooms for a delicious salad addition.	Sauté 1 min.
Onions	Can be peeled, finely chopped and packed in small plastic tubs for cooking later; packages should be over wrapped, to prevent the smell filtering out.	2 min. Small whole 4 min.
Parsnips	Trim and peel young parsnips and cut into narrow strips. Make sure the parsnips are firm and not bendy. Blanch, cool and dry.	2 min.
Peas	Use young, sweet green peas, not old or starchy. Shell and blanch, then shake the blanching basket from time to time to distribute the heat evenly. Cool, drain and pack in polythene bags	1 - 2 min.
Peas, Mange-tout	Trim the ends. Blanch, cool, drain and pack	2-3 min.
Peppers	Wash well, remove stems and all traces of seeds and membranes. Can be blanched as halves for stuffed peppers, or in thin slices for stews and casseroles.	3 min.
Potatoes	New potatoes and salad potatoes:  Scrape, cook fully with mint and cool.  Freeze in small bags.
Sweet Corn	Select young yellow kernels, not starchy, over ripe or shrunken. Remove the kernels after blanching and store in bags.	Small 4 min. Medium 6 mins
Spinach	Select young leaves. Wash very thoroughly under running water; drain. Blanch in small quantities, cool quickly and press out excess moisture. Pack in rigid containers or polythene bags, leaving ½in (1 cm) headspace	2 min.
Tomatoes Whole	Placed whole in bags the skins are easily removed on defrosting for use in cooking.
Tomatoes Purée	Skin and core tomatoes, simmer in their own juice for 5 min. until soft. Pass them through a nylon sieve or liquidise, cool and pack in small containers or soup bags.
Tomato Juice	Trim, quarter and simmer for 5 to 10 min. Press through a nylon sieve and season with salt 1 level tsp (5 ml) salt to every 2 pints (1 litre). Cool, and pack in small containers or soup bags.
Turnips	Select small, young turnips. Trim and peel and cook fully, mash, cool and bag. Ideal for topping pies.	n/a

 

 Always remember to label your vegetables with a freezing date.

Hearty Dishes to Warm the Soul

As the snow continues to fall outside I want to enjoy a good hearty dish of country style food. Simple, filling and delicious. Today I am opting to make one f my favourite, flavoursome vegetarian delights, Mushroom and Chestnut Cottage Pie, this is a hearty dish but sometimes when I'm extra hungry I serve it with some home made bread or some delicious buttered kale.

This is an easy dish to make and it freezes well. The vegetables can be chopped and changed to suit what is in season or what you have available.

Serves 4. Cooking Time:  1 hr

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 swede
8 shallots chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp tomato puree
1 tsp yeast extract such as marmite
200g tin chopped tomatoes
225 ml vegetable stock
500g mushrooms (roughly sliced)
200g chestnuts (halved)

For the Topping:

3 potatoes, diced
2 parsnips, diced
2 carrots, diced
300g , celeriac, diced.
100g butter
50ml milk

Method:

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the carrot, swede and shallots and cook for 8-10 mins. Add the garlic, tomato puree and yeast extract and cook for a further five minutes. Add the tinned tomatoes and a little of the vegetable stock. Add the mushrooms, chestnuts and remaining stock, simmer for 8 minutes or until the sauce is thickened. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, begin to make the topping, firstly put all the diced vegetables in a pan of salted, boiling water. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Drain and then allow to steam dry for five minutes. Roughly mash the vegetables with the butter and milk and add seasoning to taste.

Heat the oven to 190oc/170c fan/gas mark .

Put the mushroom mixture into an ovenproof dish and top with the mash, cook for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbling.Enjoy!

Whilst on the subject of hearty, comfort food my mind cannot help but drift towards thoughts of jam roly-poly pudding. The sight of all this snow is making me quite nostalgic.

The Frugal Art of Making Cheese at Home | Suite101

The Frugal Art of Making Cheese at Home | Suite101

The Alchemy of Making Dairy Products: a Frugal Cook's Guide

 I love the taste of creamy butter, rich yoghurt and indulgent clotted cream and with a with a bit of time these can be produced on a small scale in a home kitchen. The benefits of making dairy products at home is not just saving money, but the delights of watching milk transform and the ability to control what goes into your cheese and yoghurt.
I have derived great pleasure from indulging in the alchemy of turning milk into delicious butter, cheese and yoghurt and what's more I didn't need any specialist equipment for producing basic recipes for own consumption. I have found that a floating dairy thermometer is a good investment (if you want to make cheese) along with a maslin pan, but these are not essential to begin with. You will need a good square of muslin available from habadashery shops. The one essential thing is good hygiene practice, you need to be extremely clean to avoid contaminating the milk and ensure that all your bowls and pans are scrupulously clean, santising and then scalding them with boiling water or running them through the hottest cycle of the dishwasher to sterilise them before use.

Recipe for Making Mascarpone Cheese at Home

Makes approx 500g

ingredients:

600ml double cream
a generous pinch of tartaric acid (from good chemists)

Method:

Put the cream into a stainless-steel pan and heat gently to 80 oC. Add the tartaric acid and stir constantly for ten minutes .
Curds should form
Next Line a colander with a sterilised muslin. (Sterilise the muslin by scalding it with boiling water). Spoon in the curds and whey.
Place the colander in a bowl in the fridge and leave overnight, allowing the whey to drain away completely.

Using the Storecupboard

Leading a busy life often means needing meal solutions fast, balancing this with frugal cooking isn't always easy. Whilst living rurally a well-stocked storecupboard is a must and I have become good at keeping one. But what exactly is a well-stocked pantry? I define a good storecupboard as meaning, there is always a weeks worth of meals ready and waiting. For me my storecupboard is a great resource and a fantastic way of making my weekly shopping budget work, simply because when I fancy something nice or something different a quick rummage in my pantry and there are endless possibilities for dinner.

I have spent time devising a good list of what I feel should be in a storecupboard, it's not exhaustive, but its a good starting point:

Wholegrain mustard English Mustard powder Olive Oil Red Wine Vinegar Balsamic Vinegar All-purpose Plain flour Cornstarch Dried Pasta Canned chickpeas Canned Tomatoes Baking powder baking soda cream of tartar Selection of dried beans and pulses olives sundried tomatoes dried mushrooms semolina arborio rice condensed milk pearl barleydried dates treacle malt extract De-activated Yeast extract

Soy Sauce a selction of dried herbs: Dried Oregano dried basil Ground Cumin Ground Coriander Curry Powder Smoked Paprika Sea Salt Black Peppercorns Extra virgin olive oil vegetable oil Bread flour Whole wheat flour Dried yeast caster sugar Brown sugar icing sugar demerara sugar Unsweetened cocoa powder Canned cannellini beans Canned kidney beans Canned Butter Beans Canned coconut milk   couscous Basmati rice Brown rice Puy Lentils 　 Oatmeal Honey Maple syrup Almonds/hazelnuts or mixed nuts Mixed seeds Pine kernels Yeast extract vegetable stock cubes SpicesGround cinnamon nutmeg silken tofu tahini camp coffee pasta flour 00 dessicated coconut Apricot Jam guerkins home made chutneys

I always keep a few tins of various beans and pulses in stock, for those times when I have forgotten to soak them overnight or just haven't planned ahead.

Exploring the Traditional Skill of Making Chutney | Suite101

Exploring the Traditional Skill of Making Chutney | Suite101

Thrifty Welsh Cooking | Suite101

Thrifty Welsh Cooking | Suite101

Thrifty Shopping for the Modern Cook | Suite101

Thrifty Shopping for the Modern Cook | Suite101

The Very British Tradition of Eating Seaweed | Suite101

The Very British Tradition of Eating Seaweed | Suite101

Little Pleasures

When it comes to food and drink we all enjoy the little pleasures and it's often our guilty food pleasures that lead to the grocery budget going out of the window. Whilst being economical with the weekly food budget, there is no need to be economical with your diet. Often foods branded as artisan and luxury command a premium price, but there is nothing more artisan than things made with love in your own kitchen.

A range of home made chutneys and savoury marmalade's make a warming site in any pantry and are simple and quick to make. Take advantage of ripe fruits, seasonal fruits and vegetables and those on offer.

 

 Onion Marmalade with Fennel Seeds.

This recipe may not seem all that frugal, but it will make a few jars and equates to being much cheaper than buying equivalents from the shops.

3 Tbsp vegetable oil
700g onions
1 tsp salt
1tsp fresh ground black pepper
150g caster sugar
150ml sherry/cider/white wine vinegar
250ml red wine
1 tbsp fennel seeds.


Heat oil in a heavy, medium sized pan.
Add the onions  and seasoning. Stir and add the sugar. Cover and cook on a low heat until the mixture produces some liquid. Uncover and cook on a gentle heat, stir from time to time, but resist stirring too frequently. Do not allow the onions to brown at all.
It should take around 30 mins for the onions to become soft and translucent. Ensure that the onions are fully cooked before adding the vinegar.
Add the vinegar, fennel seeds and wine, cook on a slightly higher heat for around 30 mins or until thickened.
Remove from the heat and pot up in sterilised jars at once.

 

 

Pear and Pumpkin Chutney

The pears in the recipe can be hard, ripe or a mixture of both. This is a great recipe for using up windfalls. Any firm fleshed squash can be used including pumpkin, butternut squash and acorn.

Makes approx 2 litres.

1 kg pears, peeled, cored and roughly diced.
500g  of pumpkin or squash, peeled, seeded and diced
500g onions diced
500g raisins
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
5cm fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
500g brown sugar
750 ml cider vinegar.
1 tsp salt
1tsp allspice berries
1stick cinnamon.


1. Place the chopped pears, squash, onions and raisins into a large heavy based pan.
2. In a blender or mortar and pestle combine the garlic and ginger with a splash of vinegar to make a paste. Add to the paste to the pan, followed by the salt, vinegar and sugar.
3. Tie the allspice berries and cinnamon stick in a piece of muslin and tie to the pan handle.
4. Put the pan on a medium heat and stir frequently until the sugar has dissolved.
5. Cook the mixture slowly, stirring frequently as it thickens.
6. When it is well cooked, remove the spice bag and pot the chutney in sterilised jars.



Serve these delicious chutneys with some home made crackers, once you've mastered this quick and simple recipe you'll never go back to store bought ever again.

 

Water Biscuits to Serve with Cheese

8 oz  plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 oz butter



Sift the flour and salt together and rub in the butter and mix with just enough water to make a firm dough. Knead well and roll out until paper thin, I like to do this between two pieces of clingfilm. Cut into rounds or squares and place on ungreased baking sheets and bake for 3-4 minutes in the top of a very hot oven.

These will blister if not rolled sufficiently thin. They do take a bit of practise, but they are so cheap and easy to produce once mastered.

Midweek Meals on a Budget

When looking to make midweek meals stretch that bit further, simple filling food is the order of the day. 

Money Wise Side Dishes

Cheap and cheerful side dishes can help to liven up your midweek meals and satisfy those appetites.

Parsnip, bubble and Squeak

Serves 4

A fantastic dish to use up leftover vegetables or any vegetables that need using up. This can be used as a side dish or serve with some fresh bread and butter as a comforting supper.

500g parsnips, diced,
1/2 savoy cabbage, shredded.
50g butter.
nutmeg, to season


If using raw parsnips (not left over ones) cook in a large pan of water until just tender, then tip in the cabbage and cook for further three minutes. Drain well, then return to the pan and mash with half the butter and  a good pinch of nutmeg and seasoning.

Next melt half of the remaining butter in a frying pan and then tip the vegetable mixture in, pressing it down to make a giant Patti. Fry for 5 mins on a moderate heat.

Dot the remaining butter on the top of mix and then grill under a hot grill until it is crisp and golden.

Serve immediately.

 

 

Savoury Jacket Potatoes

Serves 4


4 large potatoes
2 tbsp vegetable oil

plus any or all of the following:

50g cheddar grated
4 spring onions sliced
4 tomatoes
1/4 cucumber diced
2 slices stale bread, crumbed.


This recipe is great for using up the contents of the salad box or when there is an abundance of tomatoes and cucumbers in the summer.


Heat the oven to 220C/ Gas mark 7
Rub a little vegetable oil over each potato and place on the top shelf of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn the oven down to 190C/ gas mark 5 and bake 45 mins-1 hr, until the skin is crisp and the flesh nice and soft.

Cut the potatoes in half, scooping out the flesh into a bowl, combine, the diced ingredients and cheese and return to potato skins. Sprinkle the potatoes with bread crumbs and drizzle with a little oil, return to the oven for 10 mins until the bread crumbs are crisp and golden, serve immediately.