Selected Recipes - Steve Scott

All these recipes are designed to be produced from minimal ingredients, using herbs that can be around in the cupboard. Probably apart from the breads, they can all be improved by using fresh herbs and ingredients.

Onion, Sundried Tomato and Pine Nut bread

Bread maker recipe, large loaf setting, ingredients in order.

3 cups lukewarm water, 3 table spoon skimmed dried milk, 2 table spoon soft brown sugar, 2 teaspoon sea salt, 3 table spoon Olive Oil, 2 cups wholemeal bread flour, 2 cups strong white bread flour, 5 sundried tomatoes cut fine, 1 desert spoon dried onions, 1 table spoon pine nuts, half sachet yeast in a depression in the flour.

Onion, Garlic and Black Pepper Bread

As above but replace the tomato and pine nuts with 2 or 3 reasonable size cloves of garlic chopped and ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper.

Garlic Bread replacement

I did this to be a garlic bread with less calories than the sort with garlic butter for someone on a diet, but it has been requested again by several people. As above but use white flour only and replace the onion, tomato and pine nuts with a teaspoon of garlic powder.

Basic Quick Vegetable Curry (Balti)

Serves 2-3

1 red onion, 3 cloves garlic, 2 table spoon Olive Oil, 6 medium chestnut mushrooms, 4 medium potatoes, 1 sweet potato, half green pepper, half red pepper, large handful spinach, 4 baby sweet corn, drained can of chick peas, 1 table spoon garam masala, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon dried chillies, 1 desert spoon dried coriander, ½ table spoon bouillon, table spoon tomato puree

Wash and chop potatoes and put to boil,

Peel and chop sweet potato and add to potatoes after they have boiled and simmered for a couple of minutes.

Fry the sliced onion in the olive oil fairly hot (Balti requires fast, hot wok style cooking turning over all the time) until reasonably caramelised. 5 minutes

Add the garlic sliced fine, and all the spices and keep turning to cook the spices. You may need to add a spot more oil or a knob of butter to stop sticking. 3 minutes

Add the mushrooms and peppers. 1 minute

Add the other ingredients and 2 table spoon of the water from the potatoes and stir.

Add the bouillon and tomato puree and stir,

Drain the potatoes (add a little more of the water to the wok mix if it is looking too dry), add them to the mix and stir in.

This can be served straight away (I often serve with garlic and coriander wraps for speed), but is best with a little more fluid and another 5 minutes simmer to thicken.

Thai Style Courgette, Butter Bean and Mushroom Curry (Balti) Ruth's Favourite

Serves 2-3

1 red onion, 4 cloves garlic, 2 table spoon Olive Oil, 8 medium chestnut mushrooms chopped, ½ medium courgette, 1 pak choi, 3 spring onions chopped, 4 large tomatoes chopped, drained can of butter beans, 1 table spoon garam masala, 2 chopped chillies, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 desert spoon dried coriander, ½ teaspoon cumin seed, teaspoon lime juice, ½ table spoon bouillon, 25 grms butter, tablespoon of coconut block shredded, tablespoon plain or Greek yoghurt, salt to taste.

Fry the sliced onion in half the olive oil fairly hot until reasonably caramelised. 5 minutes

Add the chopped courgette, and pak choi. 3 minutes

Add the butter then crushed garlic, and all the chillies and spices and keep turning to cook the spices. 3 minutes

Add the other ingredients (except the coconut and yoghurt) and 2 table spoon of water and stir.

Simmer for 5 minutes, crushing some of the butter beans to help thicken and taste the sauce

Add the coconut and yoghurt and stir just allowing to warm up again.

Thai Style Sweet Potato and Butter Bean curry (Balti) Another of Ruth's Favourites

A theme seems to have developed of slightly sweeter, but spicy dishes and this one really worked well.

1.5 Onions, 1 good sized Sweet Potato, 1 tin of Butter Beans, 3 medium sized potatoes, 1 carrot, 2 satsumas, 1 cox apple,1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seeds, 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, 1 red chilli stripped of seeds and chopped finely, 1/3 litre stock, 1 tbl sp crunchy peanut butter, 1 teaspoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 dst sp flour, 1 tbl sp olive oil, 1 tbl sp butter, salt and black pepper.

Peel and dice the potatoes, sweet potato and carrot. Put the potatoes on to boil, add the carrot when the potatoes have come to boil and then finally the sweet potatoes about a minute after the carrots. Cook until just tender.

While the vegetables are cooking, chop and fry the onion in the oil until it starts to go brown and caramelise. Add the butter and the chilli, garlic and spices and cook for 2 minutes, sprinkle the flour over and turn over to make sure the flour absorbs the oils and starts to cook (about 1 minute), add the soy sauce, lime juice and the chopped fruit and turn in. Add half the stock and the peanut butter and stir until it starts to thicken. Drain and add the butter beans. Drain the vegetables and add to the mix with enough of the stock to make a dish with a moderate amount of sauce. Turn and cook for a couple of minutes or until the flour has obviously stopped thickening.

Curry Variations.

The above basic recipe can be varied considerably, both to taste (more chillies etc.), texture (more fluid or less to make moister/drier) and ingredients. If you are buying ingredients specially to cook the curry, then halve the dried coriander and add fresh coriander at the end, garnishing with a few leaves as well.

Rather than a meat substitute, I often use paneer or haloumi. Both of these I would chop into chunks and grill until brown at least on one side. In the case of the haloumi this gets rid of some of the salty moisture too. Add to the curry at the end with the potatoes.

Fresh ginger is good too if shredded. Obviously the more fresh ingredients you use the better, but they all slow preparation down a bit and require more forward planning. I use endless variations, trying to match the spice and herb variations to ingredients.

A very simple variation can be made by adding more cumin, less ginger, half the tomato puree and then adding about a table spoon of coconut block scraped into the mix after the tomato puree. This is probably a form of Korma.

Another basic variation to the basic recipe is to add a chopped fennel bulb to the cooking instead of the mushrooms and perhaps a teaspoon of dill to the spices.

To make a chana daal, leave out the vegetables (except the onion and garlic) and tomato puree, use much less oil, add another can of chick peas (or use two cans of lentils instead) and add a bit more ginger and some aniseed or fennel seeds.

A simple Thai style can be achieved by adding lemon grass and more lime juice in and perhaps a tablespoon of peanut butter and some nuts in the curry. Variations with and without coconut are good with this.

Quick Salsa

As with other things, this is improved if more fresh items available but uses some fairly accessible things that can be lying around.

6 standard tomatoes, 1 red onion, 1 courgette, ½ red pepper, ½ green pepper, 3 spring onions, table spoon bottled lime juice, teaspoon soy sauce, ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar, ¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce, teaspoon tomato puree, teaspoon dried marjoram, salt, black pepper

Put the lime juice, soy, balsamic, pepper sauce and herbs and spices in a bowl and mix. Finely chop all the other ingredients and add to the sauce mixing regularly to get the juice over them to preserve them. Add the tomato puree and mix thoroughly. Best left to stand for a while, stirring occasionally.

Variation possibilities are enormous. If there are no fresh in, I will use a tin of chopped tomatoes instead of, or to boost, the fresh ones. I often add a mix of sprouted beans and alfalfa or a tin of mixed beans. You can leave the marjoram out or substitute basil to taste. You can often top it up with more ingredients a day or so later.

Spinach and Cheese in Filo

A version of Spanakopita using cheeses other than Feta or Ricotta.

Pack of filo pastry, half a bag of baby spinach, red onion, 6 chestnut mushrooms chopped, 75 grams mature cheddar, 75 grams wensleydale, 25 grams parmagiano or similar, 2 cloves garlic chopped, ½ table spoon bouillon, 2 tablespoon milk, teaspoon lime juice, 2 teaspoon dried marjoram, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, teaspoon paprika, salt, black pepper, olive oil

Line a pie dish with 2 layers of filo oiling the dish and each layer with a pastry brush. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 15 minutes.

Fry the onion until soft, add the garlic and mushrooms and turn over for a minute. Add the spinach, herbs and spices and turn over for 1 minute. Add the milk, bouillon and grated cheese and stir until the cheese is melting and the sauce thickening. Drop in the lime juice and stir.

Add the mix to the pie dish and top with 3 layers of filo, again oiling between layers and over the top layer. Slit the filo to allow steam out. Cook in the oven at 180 degrees until golden brown (approx 25 minutes).

Saffron Potatoes

10 small washed new potatoes cut into chunks, ½ a red onion, ½ teaspoon saffron strands, 2 tablespoons butter, salt, black pepper.

Cook the potatoes. While they are cooking, gently fry the onion in the butter. Add the salt and pepper. Soak the saffron in one tablespoon of the potato stock and stir for a minute. Add the saffron mix to the onions and mix in together. Stir in the drained potatoes and serve.

Baked vegetables with spicy sauce

1 courgette, 2 new potatoes, 1 leek, 1 parsnip, 1red onion, 1 sweet potato, 4 cloves of garlic chopped, ½ tablespoon dried marjoram, tablespoon olive oil, ½ tablespoon thyme, salt, black pepper

For the sauce: ½ red onion, 5 slices of jalapeno peppers from a jar, tablespoon tomato puree, teaspoon dried dill, teaspoon paprika, teaspoon bouillon, ½ teaspoon sugar, teaspoon lime juice, salt, black pepper

Chop up the courgette, potatoes, leek, parsnip, red onion and sweet potato and put in a microwaveable container with 2 tablespoons of water. Cook in a microwave for approximately 7 minutes. Put the drained vegetables in an oven dish and add the chopped garlic and the herbs and spices. Drizzle the oil over and then stir around till well mixed in. Cook in a 200 degree oven for 30 minutes or until browning on the top, stirring occasionally.

Fry the half onion in olive oil until starting to turn brown, add the herbs and spices and turn for ½ minute. Add the water from the vegetables, the bouillon, sugar and the lime juice and stir. Add the jalapenos chopped fine and the puree and stir. Simmer gently for approximately 10 minutes or until reasonably thick consistency. Serve over the vegetables.

Spicy Marrow and Tomato Soup

½ reasonable size marrow, 2 large potatoes, 1 onion, 2 chopped cloves garlic, teaspoon marjoram, ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon dried chopped chillies, teaspoon bouillon, salt, black pepper.

Fry the chopped onion in olive oil until beginning to brown. Turn in the garlic, herbs and spices. Add ½ litre of water, the bouillon and the potato and marrow, chopped small. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Liquidise and serve.

Carrot and Dill soup

4 large carrots, 1 large potato, 1 onion, 1 clove garlic, tablespoon dried dill, teaspoon bouillon, salt, black pepper.

Same basic cooking method as the spicy marrow above. Can add a couple of bay leaves and then remove before liquidising. Can also be altered to Coriander by adding a handful of fresh coriander to the boil and then a small amount fresh just before liquidising.

Parsnip and Parmesan soup

4 medium sized parsnips, 2 medium potatoes, 1 large onion, 2 cloves of garlic chopped finely, 1/4 teaspoon dill, 1/4 teaspoon tarragon, 50 grams parmesan or similar cheese, 1 tsp bouillon, salt, black pepper.

Cook as for the above soup and add the grated cheese at the end 1/4 minute before liquidising.

Spicy Sweet Potato Soup

This was probably the best soup I've ever made.

1 good sized sweet potato, 4 egg sized new potatoes, ½ large red onion, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon crushed chillies, teaspoon soy sauce, teaspoon balsamic vinegar, dessert spoon bouillon, 25g butter, salt, pepper. Four thick slices brown bread, 50g mature Chedder, 1 spring onion.

Gently fry most of the onion (save a little for later) in the butter until soft, add the spices and fry gently for a couple of minutes, add the new potatoes, chopped with skins on and cover with water. Bring to the boil. Add the sweet potato, peeled and chopped, and the bouillon, soy and vinegar. Bring back to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, brown one side of the bread under the grill then turn over and spread the cheese on top. Sprinkle on the onion that was saved and the spring onion, chopped finely. Grill so that it is ready as the soup finishes.

Liquidise part of the soup (I use a hand one in the pan), leaving some potatoes and onion whole. Pour into four bowls and drop the cheese on toast on top (probably best ripped into two). Serve

Spicy Parsnip soup

2 large parsnips, 3 small potatoes, 1 red onion, 1 small green chile, inch chunk of ginger root peeled and chopped, teaspoon mixed herbs, 3 pints of stock, glass white wine, tablespoon tomato puree, salt and black pepper., butter

In the soup pan, fry the onion and ginger for a minute in the butter, then add the rest of the ingrediants and cook until the parsnips and potatoes are tender. Liquidise and serve.

Thai Style carrot soup

Three large carrots, a few small potatoes, three kafir lime leaves, one onion, two finely chopped green chillies, tablespoon chopped root ginger, 1/8 teaspoon of cumin seed, 1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of lime juice , desert spoon of creamed coconut , desert spoon of bouillon powder, desert spoon of crunchy peanut butter.

Put carrots and potatoes into a pan roughly chopped and cover with water with about an inch on top. Add a small amount of salt and a few kafir lime leaves. Bring to the boil and simmer until the carrots are just softening.

Meanwhile fry one onion in olive oil until starting to caramelise and then add two finely chopped green chillies and a tablespoon of chopped root ginger. Turn over for a minute. Add a small amount of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of cumin seed, 1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of lime juice and turn over for about two minutes. Add some of the excess stock from the carrots and then scrape in about a desert spoon of creamed coconut and add a desert spoon of boillon powder and a desert spoon of crunchy peanut butter. Stir for about a minute.

Remove the lime leaves from the carrot pan and add the mix from the wok. Liquidise and serve.

Feta Stir Fry

1 pack of family stir fry or equivalent selection, 8 mushrooms, half pack of feta, teaspoon ground ginger, teaspoon dried coriander, teaspoon lime juice, desert spoon soy sauce, teaspoon bouillon, 1½ sheets noodles, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ tablespoon sesame oil, tablespoon milk, salt, black pepper.

Put the noodles to cook. After cooking in water and drained these are best fried in 1 tablespoon of sesame oil very hot, being careful not to let them stick. Alternatively just boil and add to the mix as below.

Put the oil in the wok (sesame only if not frying the noodles) and get hot. Add the mushrooms and stir till coated and just tending to brown. Add the herbs and spices and toss. Add the stire fry mix and keep tossing until beginning to soften. Add the bouillon, soy sauce and lime juice and stir in. Add the milk and drained noodles and stir in. Chop the feta into small cubes and add to the mix after it has been turned off. Stir until feta is warmed through and then serve.

Fennel Couscous Pie

Personally I’m not that fond of pastry or bread crumb toppings, so this uses couscous instead.

3 new potatoes, 1 bulb fennel, ½ red onion, 1 clove garlic, handful of baby spinach leaves, 2 tablespoon milk, teaspoon bouillon, teaspoon of dried dill, dessertspoon of plain flour, salt, black pepper

For the couscous topping: 3 tablespoons couscous, ½ teaspoon bouillon, 25 grams grated chedder.

Boil the potatoes until just under done.

Prepare the couscous according the instructions on the packet, adding the bouillon to the water.

Fry the chopped onion and fennel gently for about five minutes in olive oil. Add the chopped garlic, herbs and spices and the spinach and stir round for 2 minutes. Add the flour and stir round, making sure it doesn’t stick. Add the milk and bouillon and stir for about 4 minutes.

Add in the drained potatoes to the mix and drop it into a pie dish. Cover with couscous and top with the cheese. Bake at 200 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Broccoli and Cabbage Bake

1 small cabbage, 1 onion, thumb sized piece of ginger, 1chile chopped and seeds removed,3 cloves garlic, half teaspoon cumin, salt, half block of pepper chopped into thin squares, ¼ litre stock, tablespoon,tomato puree, butter

Cook broccoli and shredded cabbage and put in a shallow, oven proof dish.

While the above is cooking, fry onion, ginger, chile, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, panir, in butter. Add stock, tomato puree and stir together. Pour over veg in dish and top with bread crumbs. Bake at 210c until brown.

Root Veg Side dish

Sweet potato, swede, carrot, potato, onion

Saffron, paprika, rosemary, marjoram, tomato puree, salt pepper, butter, garlic.

Cook the root veg and meanwhile fry the onion, garlic and herbs (not the saffron) in the butter. Add a bit of the hot water from the veg to the saffron and stir round for a short while. Add to the frying pan along with the tomato puree. Drain the veg and stir into the frying pan. Serve.

This same mix makes a great soup if you add stock and liquidise.

Tandoori? Roast Veg

For Tandoori sauce:

1/2 onion chopped finely, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, desert spoon garam masala, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger. 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder, desert spoon soya sauce, desert spoon flour (I used gram flour), 2 tablespoons milk, tablespoon lemon juice, small amount of salt, tablespoon olive oil.

For the roast veg:

1 butternut squash peeled and cubed, two handfuls of small new potatoes chopped into quarters, 1 carrot cut into 3cm slices, a few heads of purple sprouting, half an onion chopped finely, 1 large mushroom sliced, 1/2 green pepper sliced, tablespoon olive oil.

Put a roasting dish in an oven at 200c with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in.

Put the potatoes and carrots in a pan of water and bring to the boil, add the squash (the water should just cover it) and after about 5 minutes add the sprouting and cover. Cook for another 2 minutes.

While the veg are parboiling, heat the olive oil in a pan and add the finely chopped half onion. When the onion is softened, add the spices and cook for 2 minutes, add the soya sauce and stir. Add the flour and stir. Add the milk and stir until starting to thicken. Add the lemon juice and keep stirring until smooth and thick. Remove heat until the veg are ready.

Stir the veg into the sauce, including the half onion, green pepper and sliced mushroom, so that it is all well coated. Drop the coated veg into the hot oil in the roasting dish, stir and return to the oven. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring once.

I served with a salad and a cold couscous and vegetable mix.

Patatas Bravas

Dice potatoes in skins reasonably small and set to boil in a pan of water. Fry half a red onion until softening. Add teaspoon paprika and a quarter teaspoon of chile flakes, salt and half teaspoon of ground black pepper and turn over for 2 minutes, drain the potatoes, saving the stock, and add the potatoes to the mix and keep turning so that the potatoes start to brown. I added a tablspoon of grilled Halloumi at this point as well because I was grilling some as a salad accompaniment and that certainly makes it even better. Add about three tablespoons of the potato stock and a little bouillon to the mix and then stir in one tablespoon of tomato puree and cook for 2-3 minutes. Shred around 10 basil leaves in and stir for 1 minute. Serve with a small dollop of mayonaise on top.