Meal of the Month Part 4

Using lavender in this recipe gives your dish a deliciously subtle and different flavour.
But you can use ordinary sugar, or honey, if you prefer.

Use soy milk for a Vegan

The photo shows the Rice Pudding sprinked with edible lavender flowers

Makes 4 Servings

Butter or oil to prepare cooking dish
65 gms Round Grain (Pudding) Rice
1-2 Tablespoons Lavender Sugar to taste (or Brown Sugar or Honey)
1 pint / 568mls Milk
Flavouring such as Vanilla essence, Cinnamon or Nutmeg to taste, if you are not using lavender sugar
Edible lavender flowers - optional

1) Lightly oil or butter an ovenproof pie dish
2) Put Rice into small saucepan and add enough water to cover it
3) Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for approx. 5 minutes until the rice has softened
4) Turn off the heat, stir, cover with lid
5) Leave to stand for about 5 minutes, then drain off any surplus water
6) Place Rice into the prepared dish
7) Add sugar to taste and most of the milk, mixing well
8) Sprinkle with Cinnamon or Nutmeg, or add vanilla essence, if you are not using the lavender sugar
9) Bake at 150dec C for about an hour. If it becomes too dry add the remaining milk
10) Add more milk when serving if needed.
11) Sprinkle with edible lavender flowers (optional)

Can be reheated in a microwave oven

To vary: use rose sugar or a few drops of rose water

Photo shows Rice Pudding with Lavender Flowers

Makes 3-4 servings

1 Onion
3 or 4 Carrots
1 clove Garlic
1 Tablespoon Oil
Juice and grated zest of 1 Orange
500 ml Vegetable Stock - homemade, or use a Vegetable Stock Cube dissolved in hot water
Salt to taste

1) Chop the Onion and Carrots
2) Finely chop the Garlic
3) Heat the Oil in a saucepan
4) Add the vegetables, stir, cover the pan and lower the heat
5) Let the vegetables gently cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not brown them
6) Add the Orange juice & zest, and the Stock
7) Bring to the boil, cover, and simmer over a low heat for 15-20 minutes
8) Let it cool, and then blend, liquidize or push through a sieve with the back of a spoon
9) To serve, reheat and add Salt to taste

Makes one large serving as a main dish or 2-3 as a side dish

Beware: the spices will stain so avoid contact with plastic containers or clothing

1 small Onion sliced
Oil
Pinch of Turmeric
½ teaspoon Chilli powder
Salt to taste
250gms cooked potatoes cut into small chunks
50gms Peas, frozen or cooked

1) Heat 1 Tablespoon of Oil and fry the sliced Onion over a gentle heat until tender
2) Add Salt, Turmeric and Chilli and stir for a few seconds
3) Add the Potatoes, stir until all the chunks are coated
4) Cook over a moderate heat for approx 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the potatoes are browned and have a nice crusty coating
5) Add more Oil or Salt if needed
6) Add the Peas for the final few moments of cooking
7) Ensure the peas are hot before serving
8) Serve as a main course or side dish
9) Can be reheated in a microwave oven

This is a quick way to make a Creme Brulee.

You will need a KITCHEN BLOW TORCH for the Brulee topping. Or you can heat it under a hot grill / broiler

Use thick yoghurt, such as Greek Yoghurt - low-fat if you prefer.

I use my own home-made yoghurt, which I strain through cheesecloth until it's thick and creamy.

You can add fruit or preserves of your choice.

Makes 4 servings.

16 oz of thick yoghurt
4 Tablespoons brown sugar for the topping
Fruit or preserves, such as peaches or strawberries, or blackcurrant jam
Sugar or honey to sweeten the yoghurt, to taste
(You could also try vanilla essence, rose water or lavender sugar, to ring the changes)

1) Take 4 ramekin dishes and place fruit or preserves of your choice into the bottom of each dish.
2) Sweeten the yoghurt to taste, and use it to top up the dishes.
3) Sprinkle the brown sugar on top of the yoghurt.
4) Use the kitchen blow-torch to heat the sugar topping until it caramelizes (or heat under a grill).
5) Take care not to let it burn.
6) Let it cool before serving so that your guests do not burn their tongues.

In the UK, sage and onion is the traditional stuffing for chicken or turkey.

This recipe has the sage and onion flavour of Christmas dinner, but is non-meat.

The croquettes can be prepared in advance and freeze well.

Omit the egg for a VEGAN, and add tahini or peanut butter instead, to help bind the mixture.

Makes 12 small croquettes

1 Onion finely chopped
Oil for frying
Large tin Butterbeans, drained & rinsed with fresh water
1 Egg
1 teaspoon dried Sage, or chopped fresh sage
1-2 slices Whole Wheat bread, made into breadcrumbs
Salt to taste
A little Flour to coat the croquettes, or use oats or sesame seeds

1) Fry the chopped Onion in a little oil until soft
2) Add the Butterbeans and heat gently until softened
3) Mash the Onion and Beans together
4) Add the Egg and herbs, and mix well
5) Now stir in enough breadcrumbs to make the mixture firm enough to form into croquettes
6) If the mix is too dry add a little water
7) Taste the mix and add Salt or more herbs to taste
8) Use about 1 Tablespoon of the mixture to make each croquette, forming them into shape in your hands
9) Coat each croquette in flour and fry in a little hot oil until brown on both sides; to vary use oats or sesame seeds instead of the breadcrumbs
10) Serve hot or cold with a nice sauce
11) These can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge or freezer. Heat in the oven when required (cover to prevent them drying out)

To vary: try adding a Tablespoon of smooth Peanut Butter or Tahini at stage 4 ,especially if omitting the egg