Thai Tom Yum Soup (Veggie)

Over the years, despite growing into a very competent home cook, the one cuisine family that has always flummoxed me is the Pan Asian cuisine, and especially Thai. All of our peers seemed to rave about it and there are many thai restaurants in our area to meet the demands of mid life professionals reliving their gap year glory days. Having never been on a gap year, I always put that down as the reason I just 'didn't get Thai', and I have always loved the butter, cream and dairy laden European diet. I also blame the horror of nasty Anglicised green curry for my rejection of this beautiful cuisine too.

However, as I near my forties, my body and digestion is changing dramatically, and I've found myself drawn increasingly to lighter, more refreshing food packed with flavour, and so... my recent experimentation with Thai and Chinese food has really taken off, and that's been helped by our local restaurant Thai Charms doing a lunch time special £8.95 menu, allowing me to discover authentic thai dishes that are simply out of this world.

Last night I made a vegetarian version of the classic Tom Yum Soup and it was deliciously warming, perfect for the freezing temperatures. It was the first time that I had ever had tofu, too. The tetra packed silken tofu for reference and it was lovely. I definitely urge you to try this type if you've been put off by the other drier tofu.

LEVEL: EASY
BUDGET: LOW (approx £1.25 a serving) 
FEEDS 2-3 comfortably as a main dish
TIME: FAST
VEGETARIAN


Budget Notes: Having a general stock of thai ingredients regularly in the fridge reduces the cost of cooking thai as a little goes a long way and will make several dishes across the week. I always have a fresh ginger root, couple of red chilis and a bunch of lemon grass in the fridge and soy and fish sauce in the cupboard; so initially the cost may be a little bit of an outlay, but it stretches very economically.


INGREDIENTS
1 lemon grass stalk
2 cloves of garlic
1tsp of sea salt
1/2 red chili or dried chili flakes to personal level
2 x good stock gels (veggie or chicken)
6-7 Shitake mushrooms
2tbsp soy sauce
Splash of fish sauce (optional)
Pak choi or dark green cabbage
Corriander
Basil
1 bundle of dried egg noodles.
1/2 pack of tetra packed silken tofu (optional)


METHOD
1) In a large casserole pan / soup pan make the stock up into 1 1/2 pints of stock. Mince the lemon grass and garlic and ginger together in a pestle and mortar with salt to help break it down. Add to the stock mix and heat until well infused.

2) Add the 2thsp of soy sauce, splash of optional fish sauce, and a tbsp of brown sugar.

3) Add the noodles and cook for approx 5 until softened.

4) Add the chopped shitake mushrooms greens, basil and coriander and heat until greens are vivid.

5) Cube the tofu and place in the bottom of the bowl. Heap the noodles and solids on top to help heat it through and then pour over the broth.

TIP: Add more or less stock depending on your tastes, and adjust salt accordingly.

Homemade Crab and herb Ravioli

Years ago, I made quite a lot of homemade pasta, and then with the busy-ness of a young family, it became a quick fix after the school run to chuck some dried pasta in the pan whilst multi-tasking. 

Today we got the pasta maker out of the cupboard, and I thought it would be the perfect mummy, daughters kind of cooking activity. As it happens, they chose to sit at the breakfast bar doing their homework and leaving me to it - yep, I have those kind of gloriously quirky kids. So, in the end, to the backtrack of Chris Country radio and the ocassional question about the Victorians, I started making pasta.

I had forgotten just how easy it was - and how glorious it is to take some really basic ingredients and turn it into something substantial and sustaining that will feed a crowd on a really small budget. Pasta making is truly an act of alchemy.

And even though the girl weren't massively engaged in making it, they certainly took a very active interest in eating it.

INGREDIENTS

200g of plain flour
2 large eggs
pinch of salt


FOR CRAB & HERB FILLING
1 tin of white crab meat
small bunch of coriander (about 10 stalks)
small bunch of dill  (about 4 stalks)
Red chilli to taste.


METHOD

1) Combine the flour, egg and 2-3tbsp of water. Mix well into a dough and knead for about 4-5 minutes.

2) Flour your pasta maker and ensure that it is on the largest setting. Feed the pasta through and then fold it in half and feed it through again. Gradually reduce the setting on the side, folding and feeding and folding and feeding so that all the glutens breakdown and you start to notice a change in the texture of the pasta. Continue doing this until you are happy with the consistency and size.

3) Flour a ravioli tin and cut a length of pasta to a little longer than the tin.

4) In a bowl, mix the crab meat and the blitzed herbs and chilli. Spoon a little mixture into each diet.

5) cover with another layer of pasta and using a rolling pin, roll over the ravioli creating a tight bond between the two sheets. Holes and open seams are your enemies (that's how the water gets in)

6) set aside on a floured board for about half an hour so that the pasta dries a little and becomes more stable.

7) cook in a large simmering pan of water for about 5-7 minutes. (They'll float to the top when they are nearly cooked and give them another 3 or s minutes when they get to that stage.)

8) In the meantime, sauté some spinach in butter and with garlic and soft poach runny eggs to sit on top.

Holy Nora - where has Bircher muesli been all my life?

So surprised how seriously lovely this was.
In truth, I was expected a rather unpleasant experience
and what I had instead was a creamy, indulgent bowl
of loveliness that gave all the 'naughty treat' vibes
whilst creating a halo of nutritional virtue. 

Breakfast - the meal of champions, or so they say. Now, I've never really done breakfast - not unless we're talking elevenses of either a full English fry up or a weekend brunch, but this whole eating just because you've got up and need to boost your energy stores -nope.

But in the interests of the Frugal Snob project, I have been trying to eat a better breakfast knowing that in my heart of hearts, it's the 'better' thing to do. My go to has been a slice of wholemeal toast with peanut butter, because the salty creaminess is just about bearable.

However, Jonathan is a breakfast man (he also does that whole healthy drinking water thing, too) and having spent quite a bit of time in the Nordics, we have come across the idea of that nordic style of breakfast - oats, muesli, flax, sunflower seeds, fruits, yogurts, all that healthy stuff.

You've seen the beautiful images floating around Fantasygram I'm sure. Big socks, giant knits and fairy lights - little kilner jars of ridiculously healthy 'cold porridge'.

It's never really appealed to me as I'm the 80's generation who grew up on Readybreak with five tablespoons of sugar but as we have said, The Frugal Snob project is all about experimentation and doing things differently - embracing a more healthy lifestyle and so.....

I went out yesterday and purchased a kilner jar (although I have since discovered this isn't entirely necessary) and 2 giant bags of oats from TESCO for 70p a bag - which I have now discovered was a) slight oat overkill and b) ridiculously economical for the amounts you make.

Putting on my new wave nordic folk - which actually, I am genuinely a massive fan of (check out the incredible Rebecca Karijord and Anna Ternheim, who I'm listening to at this moment) I set about making Bircher muesli

The idea is to make it the night before, so it's perfect for those who are in a rush in the mornings or who want to take it to work as part of their commute ritual - which is what Jonathan has done. Although be warned, as pretty and instagramable as his blueberry and pistachio Bircher was when he made it in his kilner jar, he's just messaged me to say that after a 40 minute overland and underground commute it looks like it's now been through a washing machine.

I have a plan for that - and it's going to involve a sewing machine; watch this space for Hipster commuter Bircher Museli carriers coming soon.

INGREDIENTS for 2 generous servings (but you can multiply and it will keep in fridge for 3-4 days)

110g Porridge oats
200ml Greek yogurt
350ml Whole milk or semi-skimmed

You can fiddle with these quantities depending on your personal preference of consistency.


TOPPINGS:

Grated apple, sunflower seeds, flax, chi seeds and honey

Blueberry compote (simple cookdown Blueberries with a tablespoon of honey)

Fresh blueberries, pistachios, honey or maple syrup

Cherry compote with flaked almonds


METHOD: 
In a tupperware box add the oats, yogurt and milk and then leave over night to soak and chill.

Add your toppings.

Yep, it really is that simple and I can't imagine us now ever looking back.

The ultimate mouth party: Spicy chickpea cakes with Red onion and coriander Salad

Throw a party for your mouth and embrace
Meat Free Monday in style. Perfect
pick you up for a cold and gloomy day
as it has tastes of summer. Don't stomp
on the citrus element of this dish. It's the
ingredient that makes it. 

Okay, so I have fallen in love. If you are people who love BIG flavours then these moreish little chickpea cakes are for you. They are fabulous for entertaining on a big scale because you can just multiple the quantities and batch cook them.

There is a definite nod to Indian cuisine and I went quite heavy on the green and red chilli because I like it spicy.

This recipe is an adaptation of Delia Smith's Chickpea Cakes in her fabulous book Vegetarian Collection (A book I can't recommend highly enough).

I've stripped down the rather long methodology and tweeked a few ingredients due to my own stock cupboard staples and the result is divine.

LEVEL: EASY
COST: SUPER CHEAP (approx)  £1 per person
TIME: 30-40minutes all in.

SERVE on top of a big salad platter. I added avocado to the salad just to balance out with the heat of the chick pea cakes.

INGREDIENTS: (Serves 3 as a main or 6 as a starter) Makes about 12 cakes.

1 Tin of chickpeas
1 finely diced medium onion
1 red onion
1 bunch of coriander
1 tbsp of low fat mayonnaise.
1 egg
1 lemon
cup of flour.
2 medium garlic cloves
1/2 a green chilli
1tbsp fennel seeds
1/2 tbsp caraway seeds
1tbsp turmeric
pinch of dried red chilli flakes

METHOD

The smell that will fill your
house is amazing and will
make you feel instantly
uplifted. 

1. First thinly slice the red onion. Place in a nice serving bowl. Roughly chop half the bunch of coriander (approx 10-15 stalks) and then squeeze the juice of half a juicy lemon (1 full not so juicy lemon) and let sit whilst you prepare the rest of the meal. 

2. Place the caraway and fennel seeds in a heavy based frying pan. Warm and then add the diced white onion and cook until softening down and taking colour.

3. Add the garlic, turmeric and chopped green chilli. Stir for a couple of minutes.

Don't over blitz your chickpeas.
You want them to still hold some
structure and texture. 

4. Meanwhile: Using a blender, pulse the chickpeas and about 15 stalks of the coriander until they are broken down but retain some texture.

5. Add this to the frying pan with the onion mixture and give a good stir. Squeeze in the juice of half a juicy lemon. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

6. Add the mayonnaise and stir thoroughly.

7. Taking a table spoon, heap the mixture and then work in your hands until it becomes a small ball. Dust it in flour and then using a pastry brush, brush with beaten egg.

Would make a great buffet
party dish, too. 

8.
Fry off in batches until it takes a golden colour. Place on a baking tray in the oven for 10 -15 minutes whilst you prepare the salad.

Serve on one big platter and get folks to dip in.

TIP: They would be nice served with a pot of lemon mayo or a yogurt and mint raita. We served ours with a mango and apricot chutney we had lurking in the back of the cupboard (part of some random hamper we got at christmas LOL)