I make - Puy lentils with mustard and cream

This mustard lentils dish has to be one of the tastiest dishes I've made in the recent years. So good that we can't stop eating just the lentils (for devout carnivores, this says something). And the combination with grilled salmon of crispy skin is just out of this world. This combination is so simple and elegant. The reward is a lot more than the ingredients combined.

Puy lentils with mustard and cream

- 1 cup of puy lentils, stone picked, washed and drained
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 leek, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 2 cups of water (or stock)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons of mustard (Dijon, whole grain or English), to taste
- 2 tablespoons of creme fraiche (whipping cream or cream cheese)
- lemon juice

Boil 2 cups of water in a kettle. Pour 1 cup of hot water to soak the drained puy lentils while you prep the vegetables. You can be flexible with the veggies but the essentials are onion and garlic. Diced carrots are nice or a few cherry tomatoes.

In a frying pan with 1 tablespoon of oil, fry the onion, leek and celery until light brown. Add in garlic, tomato paste and bay leaves. Stir for 1 minute and deglaze the pan with white wine. Pour in the soaked lentils (liquid and all) and add in the remaining hot water. The water level should just be enough to cover the lentils. Being the pot to boil, lid on and cook on low heat for 20 minutes. Lentil cooking time varies so extend or shorten the time to suit your lentils.

With the heat off, stir in mustard and your source of cream. I use a mixture of grainy and English mustard because I like my mustard. If you just want a hint, use Dijon or use teaspoons instead. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, drizzle some fresh lemon juice. This will be one of the most memorable lentil dishes you make.

2019 weekly - Week 17

22/04/2019

Last day of the Easter weekend, as glorious as the previous three days, sunny, breezy, not too hot nor cold, just perfect.

I took a walk along the backs. But it's Christ college which took my surprise initially. It's usually behind the paying gate but today everyone went in no bother. So I quickly followed. Oh, how magnificent are the wisterias! Numerous pretty purple petals, each of them lightly scented, clustered on old gnarl branches, welcome you when you enter the college. If there is flower which reminds me of Cambridge, I will not hesitate to say Wisteria!

This is another area while I went deeper into the college garden. How lucky are these people who get to spend time here.

Then I went to the backs. Spring time has its magic in the air and it's everywhere in the backs. The energy, the optimism, the smile, anything which is ready to spring you over. I know I've said it many times but I still have to pinch myself to realise that I live in such a beautiful place. I am blessed.

2019 weekly - Week 16

15/04/2019

This is just heart breaking, too painful to watch. More than 800 years of history which has stood the test of time and two world wars went up in flame in 21st century.

I am no Christian nor French but I am a human being who has marveled and treasured the place no less than anyone who has grown up with it. It will be rebuilt, showing the resilience once more.

19/04/2019

Good morning, Good Friday.

I make - Lemon drizzle cake

There are many variations out there but here is a recipe I use and like.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

125 g butter, room temperature
200 g caster sugar (100 g sugar + 2 tablespoons Truvia)
zest from two lemons, juice kept aside for the batter and the drizzle
3 eggs
pinch of salt
210 g self-raising flour
3 tablespoons ground almond
75 ml lemon juice
45 ml yogurt or milk

For drizzle
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons caster sugar

Preheat the oven at 180C. Prepare a loaf tin for baking.

Mix sugar and lemon zest in a bowl with a spatula. Work the zest into the sugar to release the aroma. Beat the butter in with an electric beater until light and fluffy. Add in eggs one after another. Sift in salt, flour and ground almond. Stir gently a few times and add the lemon juice and yogurt (milk) in. Stir gently to mix. Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 40 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.

While the cake is cooling, prepare the drizzle by mixing both ingredients together. Brush or spoon over the warm cake top.

I make - Light Fruit Cake

Light(er) in fruits and equally delicious. This dried fruit cake is adapted from Mary Berry's Simnel cake. My main contribution is to add the dried cherries soaked in Amaretto. If you haven't tried dried sour cherries before, I urge you to give it a go. Its distinct sour taste adds a nice twist to the fruit cake. It's gentle but memorable.


Light fruit cake

For the cake
175g light muscovado sugar (or caster sugar)
175g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
zest from 1 orange

3 large eggs

1 tsp of vanilla extract

175g self-raising flour

50g/1/2 cup ground almonds
3 tbsp orange juice (or milk)
100g/1/2 cup dried sour cherries, soaked in 1 tablespoon of Amaretto
50g/1/2 cup candied mixed peels (or sultanas)
100g dried apricots, cut into small pieces

For the topping
15 g melted butter

15 g powder sugar
30 g ground almond

1/2 beaten egg

Preheat the oven at 180C. Prepare your loaf tin or round cake tin for baking.

Beat the softened butter with sugar and orange zest until fluffy. Add in eggs one by one.  Mix in dried fruits (sour cherries, mixed peels and chopped apricots) and vanilla. Stir to blend in. Sift the flour and ground almond before adding into the butter mixture. Stir everything gently to combine. Pour the batter into a loaf tin or a 20-cm round cake tin.

Mix all the topping ingredients together and pour on top of the cake batter.

Bake at 180C for 50-60 minutes. Turn the cake around half way through the baking. Cake is done when it passes the toothpick test.

2019 weekly - Week 15

07-08/04/2019

The sudden drop in temperature got someone sick last week. I'd been waiting. I knew I had to be very strict about not sharing any forks/spoons and so on but I am still the one who has to wash the extra 10 cutlery pieces !!

So, just to confirm my own theory that I am now also under the influence of bugs. A mild one, I hope. A more pronounced headache than before but I don't feel I am getting worse.

Ha, famous last word.

Wish me luck!

08/04/2019

Originally from Burnt Norton by TS Eliot, mentioned by Charlotte Church.

Distracted from distraction by distraction
Filled with fancies and empty of meaning
Tumid apathy with no concentration

What did TS Eliot talk about? And Ms Church? And what would you fill in the blank?

2019 weekly - Week 14

04/04/2019

Met an ex-colleague who left suddenly today. I like this colleague socially. I thought professional this person was well respected as well but I didn't work in the same team. Nevertheless, I decided to keep in touch and have had a few events lined up together.

In fact, removing the layer of work may help better for the friendship. I look forward to the events later this years.

06/04/2019

Just made my first babka, an easy version but oh my word, isn't this the easiest yeasted dough I've ever made? And it tastes light, just sweet and satisfying!

I used a recipe from King Arthur Flour. I reduced the amount of yeast to 1 teaspoon and added the zest from 1 orange. I am so thrilled about the taste that I have to post it asap! Next time, I will make a lemon syrup instead. It would further lighten up and provides some contrast as well for the cake.