Simple, Classy, Delicious

Today I'm going to tell you how I make one of the typical recipes of late summer and early autumn - roast vegetables! They are super easy, and you probably don't need telling how to make them, but everyone does them slightly differently, and I'm going to show you my version! In my opinion, you don't want any flavours to overpower the vegetables, you just want some ingredients that will complement their sweetness.

Some of my favourite vegetables to roast include butternut squash, courgettes, garlic, tomatoes, beets and carrots. I'm not a fan of cooked onions, but I hear that if you are they are especially nice when roasted.

Here we go!

Roast Vegetables

First, chop up the veggies of your choice.  I used what I had on hand;

Courgettes

Butternut squash

Cherry tomatoes - make sure you either cut these or prick them, otherwise they will explode! (I have also just realised that all of the "veg" I'm using are actually fruit - oh well)

When they are in nice big chunks, chuck them in a roasting pan or baking dish.

Drizzle on some nice olive oil

Sprinkle on some garlic powder

Then season well with salt and pepper, and toss everything around so all the "vegetables" are well coated in the oil and seasonings.

Now, put the "vegetables" in the oven at 400 F for forty-five minutes or so, stirring them after about half an hour to turn them all over.

Then eat them! These are actually a bit underdone - you want them to be a bit browner than this, but I was too impatient and hungry to wait the extra ten minutes!

I served them with salt-and-pepper chicken, but they also go well with lamb, with couscous, or with pasta or rice (if you add a bit more oil or use a lot of tomatoes)

Recipe: Teriyaki Salmon With Soy-Braised Vegetables

I made this for dinner tonight, and it actually turned out pretty well.  I also remembered to take some step-by-step photos, although I have to apologise for the lighting - it was light when I started, but just when I was about to start cooking the veg the fire alarm went off and we all had to evacuate the building and sit around in the commonsblock for ages.  By the time I got back the sun was setting and the light was terrible.
Anyway, here we go!

Teriyaki Salmon With Soy-Braised Vegetables


Start off with a nice fillet of salmon, and some store-bought teriyaki sauce.  Put the salmon in a dish and slather the top and sides with around a tablespoon of the sauce.

then cover the dish with cling film and put it in the fridge to marinate while you prepare the veggies!

Chop up some veggies of your choice - I used cabbage, courgettes and curly kale, but next time I think I won't have the courgette because it goes mushy in the time it takes to cook the cabbage and kale.  However, if you like mushy courgettes, go for it! Also, peel two cloves of garlic and grate about a teaspoon of ginger root (I use the ready-grated stuff you can buy in jars, it's way easier).

Next, heat some vegetable oil in a deep frying pan or wok (one with a lid would be best), mince the garlic and throw it in with the ginger.

Cook for a minute, then add the vegetables, along with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and half a cup of water - this is the "soy-braised" part.  Mix it all together, then cover and leave it all to cook while you do the salmon.

Heat some oil in a pan - there is probably a bit too much here.

Put the salmon in, skin side down, then leave it alone for a few minutes.  Don't even think about touching it - I mean it! The idea here is to crisp up the skin and render the fat underneath it.  Salmon is a fatty fish and can be too rich and greasy if you don't let the fat render out of it.

When it looks a bit like this, you can turn it over...

Then cook it for a few more minutes until it looks more like this!

Plonk it on a plate, then add your veggies, which should be cooked by now...

and there you have it! Teriyaki salmon with soy-braised veggies!
If you want to change it up a bit, I think the addition of some sesame oil or seeds to the veggies would be nice.  It would also be good served with rice or plain noodles.  You could probably substitute the salmon for a chicken breast too if you don't want fish.

here's the ingredient list again:
Fillet of salmon
1 tbsp teriyaki sauce
veggies of your choice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 tbsp soy sauce

Weekday Staple

UPDATE - I now have caffeine/cold-induced jitters - that coffee was definitely a mistake!

So I'm writing this post in an hour-long break I have between biology class, and, well, another biology class (such is the life of a biology student). I am in the student union building accompanied by a very large and probably ill-advised iced coffee. Today I want to share with you a recipe I came up with last week based on a few recipes I found and what I had in the fridge. It actually came out really well, and I only just finished the pot today.  This dish will last for a while since it is so hearty you will be satisfied after just a bowl or a cup of the stuff

Spinach and Rocket Soup
NB - this recipe requires the use of a blender



50g (very large blob) butter
1 onion, diced
1 celery stick, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon flour
1.2 litres chicken stock
250g spinach leaves
250g rocket (arugula) leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground/freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste

Melt the butter in a large deep saucepan, then add the onion, celery and carrot and cook gently in the butter for 10 minutes, until slightly softened and thoroughly coated in the butter. Sprinkle in the flour, and stir to coat all the vegetables in the flour, then cook for another minute before adding the chicken broth. Bring to the boil, stirring as you go, then turn down to a simmer and leave to cook for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes of simmering, add the spinach and rocket, then as soon as the leaves have wilted, whizz batches of the soup in the blender until smooth and bright green. Then transfer back to the pan and season to taste with the salt, pepper and nutmeg.

You can serve it immediately, but it also reheats really well - just keep it in an airtight container in the fridge, and reheat as much as you need either in a pan or in a bowl in the microwave. It should keep for 5-6 days