Meatless Monday - The 21st Century Housewife's Tofu Pesto Pasta

Tofu is often associated with Asian or fusion recipes, but I find it works really well in Italian dishes too. This recipe is proper comfort food - tasty and warming on cool autumn nights. It couldn’t be easier to prepare, and if you use whole wheat pasta it is even more nutritious.

In all honestly, I’m still slowly coming to grips with tofu - it is something I enjoy eating but am still not a hundred percent sure about cooking with. I rely on the pre-marinated variety for most of my recipes as I find it less intimidating to prepare, but there is absolutely no reason not to use the kind you have to press and drain if you are braver than I am!

To serve four to six adults you need:-

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 red pepper, de-seeded and sliced

1 cup of mushrooms, sliced

1 cup of frozen peas, thawed a little if you have time

(or any other green vegetable of your choice - green beans work well here)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup of chopped or sliced tofu

(Do be sure that your brand of tofu is not made with genetically modified soy!!)

1 lb of pasta (I use whole wheat penne)

3 or 4 generous tablespoons basil pesto (homemade is lovely, but from a jar is okay too, just be sure that it is made with vegetarian cheese)

1 to 2 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream (you can use low fat if you like)

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling, salted water according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion, red pepper and mushrooms for a couple of minutes until they begin to soften.

Add the tofu and stir fry for about five minutes, or as directed on the packaging. (If you are using green beans instead of peas add them here too.)

Stir in the peas, tomatoes, pesto and crème fraîche and warm through.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it and return it to the pan. Stir in the tofu pesto mixture and serve in warmed bowls or on warmed plates.

Serve with some grated vegetarian Italian cheese to hand round at the table for garnish if you like. 

A Lovely Saturday Morning Breakfast

We needed to drop our son off at the train station in Reading this morning, so my husband and I decided to go into town and run a few errands while we were there. As it was an early start, we had not had time for breakfast, so I suggested we visit the new place in town, Bill's. 

This new Reading branch is one of three. The first restaurant, in Lewes, was started back in 2001 by a greengrocer named Bill Collison in the shop he had run for over twenty years. As you would expect of a greengrocer, the focus in Bill's restaurants is on fresh food and produce, and the ethos is really wonderful - customers sit amongst the fresh produce and other goods for sale, eating freshly prepared dishes and also being able to take the ingredients away with them to make them at home. In fact, if you fill out your shopping list, the staff will do your shopping for you while you eat and add the items to your bill. What a fantastic way to shop!


The restaurant is bright and welcoming.

As well as specials on the chalk boards, there are recipes for both dishes offered on the menu and also for the individual items of fresh produce. It's a great place for the avid foodie! 


The menu offers a great selection of breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes, all sounding absolutely mouthwatering and causing us to decide almost immediately that we definitely needed to return as soon as possible. My husband ordered Bill's breakfast, which arrived beautifully presented and was absolutely delicious.

I had a bacon sandwich that tasted wonderful with lovely crisp bacon encased in fresh homemade bread. Our tea arrived in a nice big traditional pot, and we were given proper teacups, something I always feel is a really nice touch.  


The attention to detail at Bill's is outstanding, and the atmosphere is really convivial. They have been sensitive in their restoration of their historic location and the decor is very effective. There are two more dining rooms upstairs for use when the ones downstairs get full - and they do - one of the ladies sitting next to us said she had eaten upstairs the previous Sunday - and also for private functions, which Bill's are happy to cater on site. 

The service is quick and efficient, but we never, ever felt rushed. Bill's menu offers good value for money and servings are generous without being overwhelming. I'm looking forward to returning again soon - and this time, I'll bring my shopping list with me!






Bill's is located in St Mary's Church House on Chain Street in Reading, RG1 2HX. 
Phone +44 (0) 118 939 1365


The 21st Century Housewife was not paid for this post. 

The 21st Century Housewife's Cinnamon Dolce Latte Cake

I have a serious fascination with marble cakes - most likely because my family and friends love them. There is something about the lovely swirls in the batter that somehow make them taste extra good.

This particular cake came into being because of that famous coffee company you see on virtually every street corner. Originally I was trying to duplicate those cute marble loaf cakes they have with the pink marbling. Unfortunately I was never happy with the results, and I was struggling to get the effect I wanted. I found this odd, because my traditional Marble Cake is my most oft requested cake, but for some reason, this slight variation was foiling me.

Then I got to thinking about my absolute favourite coffee at the aforementioned coffee shops - a Skinny Dolce Cinnamon Latte - which I can only get in the US as we don’t have the cinnamon syrup in the UK yet. And the idea for this cake was born. It is not as spectacular in appearance as my original marble cake  - several test cakes later the marbling is pretty, but just not as pronounced - but it tastes absolutely wonderful, and is - not surprisingly - a real treat with a cup of coffee. 

¾ cup butter, softened

1½ cups sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 cups all purpose flour (unbleached if possible)

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup milk

1 heaping tablespoon instant coffee granules (I use decaff)

about 2 teaspoons boiling water (use as little as possible)

Preheat oven to 350℉ or 160℃.  Grease and flour or line two eight inch round pans.

Cream the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.  Add the vanilla and beat together. 

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Gently blend this mixture into the buttery eggy mixture alternatively with the milk - keep the electric mixer keep it on low to avoid being covered in flour! 

Remove about half to three quarters of a cup of batter from the mixing bowl and put in a small bowl. Dissolve the instant coffee in as little boiling water as possible and beat this into the mixture in the small bowl

Divide the larger bowl of batter between the two baking pans. Now dollop three spoonfuls of the coffee flavoured batter in three different places on top of the batter in each of the baking pans. Using an ordinary dinner knife, gently cut through the batter so that the coffee flavoured batter marbles through the plain batter. Here’s how each layer should look before baking.

Place the pans in the oven and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a piece of dried spaghetti or skewer inserted into the centre of the cake layers comes out clean. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for about ten minutes.  Remove from the pans and cool on wire racks.  When completely cold, the layers can be frosted and sandwiched together to make a two layer cake.  Fill and frost as desired. 

The frosting I use consists of 6 tablespoons softened butter creamed with 3 cups icing sugar (confectioner’s sugar) in an electric mixer.  I then add enough milk or cream to make a spreadable icing (usually about 1 to 3 tablespoons). Add about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and beat through. This should give you enough frosting to cover the top and sides of this cake, with a thin layer in the middle too. 

The Gallery at Fortnum and Mason

The Gallery at London's iconic Fortnum and Mason department store is a wonderful place for lunch, and I was lucky enough to find myself there with my two favourite people on Sunday. Just up the stairs from Fortnum's amazing food hall, The Gallery focuses on seasonal ingredients for menus that highlight foods available in the Fresh Food Hall.  


Their menu has lots of variety and caters for just about every taste, and they also offer a spectacular afternoon tea. We chose from their lunch menu and were very impressed by the dishes that were on offer. 


My husband and I both ordered fish. I had one of their daily specials - loin of cod on a bed of cannellini beans - and my husband had a wonderful fillet of John Dory served on a bed of shaved yellow and green zucchini in a light lemon sauce. 

Loin of Cod on Cannellini Beans

John Dory

Our son chose the rib eye steak which was served with a herb butter and chips.

Sadly he was not given a steak knife, and unfortunately he did need one. The flavour of the meat was nice but the steak itself was on the tough side. The chips, on the other hand, were wonderful.


We also ordered a side salad and some sauteed spinach, both of which were lovely. There is a superb wine list and wines are available both by the bottle and the carafe which I always think is a nice touch as sometimes a bottle is just too much at lunchtime. We shared a beautiful Sancerre.


It did take us rather a long time to order our desserts after our main course plates were cleared away. I am sure there is no way we can have offended our waiter as we were very enthusiastic about the food and incredibly polite, but he became utterly distracted and at one point stood and stared off into space ignoring all his tables while other waiting staff flew around him. When we finally managed to discreetly attract his attention after about twenty minutes we were able to order some lovely desserts and very refreshing coffee.


I chose a Tarte Tatin - which was listed as apricot, but as they did not have enough in season apricots I was served the traditional apple variety. (The waiter did tell me this as I ordered.)

It was outstanding - perfectly caramelised and not too sweet. My husband chose the raspberry Eton mess. 

A glorious retro fuschia, it tasted lovely (he shared) with a perfect balance of tart fruit and sweet cream. I was also allowed to taste this beauty ordered by our son.

A brandy snap with cooked cherries served a la mode, this was one of those 'why didn't I think of that' desserts - simple but spectacular. The cherries were neither too sharp nor too sweet - in fact they were the perfect flavour and texture. Even my husband, who is not a fan of cherries, really loved it.


We had a wonderful lunch at The Gallery. I would not recommend their steak, but everything else was absolutely scrumptious. All the dishes were beautifully presented too. The service was rather hit and miss, but I'm hoping that it was just a one off, and I will definitely be returning to find out!

The 21st Century Housewife's Blueberry Pancakes

Perfect for Sunday brunch, these pancakes don’t take a minute to throw together. The sour cream gives them a wonderful flavour and texture and they really are the fluffiest pancakes I have ever eaten. Don't worry if you haven't got any blueberries, they taste great plain too!

This recipe makes about ten medium size pancakes.

1½ cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

generous pinch of salt

½ cup sour cream or crème fraîche, preferably a low or fat-free version

1 cup milk

2 eggs, beaten

¼ cup melted butter, cooled a bit

about 1 cup blueberries, washed and drained

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the sour cream or crème fraîche, milk, beaten eggs and melted butter.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones all at once, stirring just until combined. If you add the blueberries at this point you will end up with a blue streaked batter, so I prefer to add them to each pancake individually after I have put it in the pan.

Place dollops of batter (a scant quarter cup of batter makes a good size pancake) on a hot, lightly greased griddle or frying pan. Add a few blueberries to each pancake as you put it on the pan.

Cook on one side until bubbles form and break on the surface, and then turn over to cook the other side. Keep cooked pancakes warm in a low oven so you can serve them all at once.

The 21st Century Housewife's Blackberry and Apple Muffins

I'm continuing on the blackberry and apple theme because it is definitely that time of year here in England. Folks are picking blackberries by the side of the road and along the paths and the new season's harvest of British apples is just beginning to appear at the market and in farm shops. It’s a great time of year to be in the kitchen.

These muffins are filled with fruit, nuts and whole wheat flour so they really are good for you, They taste really lovely either for breakfast or with a cup of tea in the afternoon.

This recipe makes about 12 large muffins.

1 cup all purpose flour, unbleached is best

1 cup whole wheat flour

¾ cup walnut or pecan halves, roughly chopped

¾ cup brown sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon mixed spice (a blend of cloves, cinnamon, coriander, ginger and nutmeg) or you can use pumpkin pie spice if it is not available

2 eggs

⅓ cup sunflower oil or other mild light oil

1 cup buttermilk (ordinary milk works too)

1 large apple, peeled and grated at the last minute

1 cup blackberries

Blend together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Gently stir in the grated apple, blackberries and chopped nuts.

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl.  Beat in the buttermilk and oil.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir together gently but thoroughly. Try to avoid breaking up too many of the blackberries.

Bake at about 350℉ (170℃ or 160℃ if you have a fan assisted oven) for 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the muffins comes out clean. (It may be streaked with blackberry which is fine; what you don’t want is any batter sticking to it.)

Cool on a wire rack. Once cool, these muffins are best kept in the fridge and brought to room temperature or gently warmed before eating. 

The 21st Century Housewife's Lemon Shrimp Risotto

As it is Friday, I thought I would post a fish recipe. This one is easy enough for a weeknight, but special enough for a dinner party - just the kind of recipe I like! 

Risotto has a reputation for being tricky to prepare, but it is very undeserved. Although risotto is a very hands-on dish, it isn’t difficult and only takes about a half hour in total to make. It is lovely with fresh vegetables from the garden or market in the summer, and in the depths of winter you can always use frozen green vegetables in it. I use thawed cooked shrimp in this recipe - they can be big ones or little ones - both are delicious!

The quantities below serve 3 to 4 people as a main course.

1 tablespoon butter

1 onion, finely chopped

1 cup risotto rice

1 glass of white wine (optional)

(Please don’t use ‘cooking wine’ - better to leave it out - only wine you’d want to drink from a glass.)

4 to 5 cups chicken stock

the juice of half a lemon

2 cups green vegetables cut in bite size pieces (green beans, asparagus, peas, whatever you have to hand)

2 cups frozen cooked shrimp, thawed

(please buy line caught, sustainably fished seafood)

2 to 3 tablespoons light cream of half and half

In a large saucepan, melt the butter of medium heat. Add the risotto rice and stir to coat with the butter. Cook for a minute or two, but don’t allow the rice to brown. Stir in the glass of white wine, if using, and continue to stir until it has been absorbed by the rice. Then gradually add the stock (if you don’t use the wine you may need a bit more stock), stirring until it is absorbed after each addition.

Just before the last addition of stock, toss in the green vegetables so that they can be cooked to tender crisp with the risotto. When the stock is all absorbed and the rice is al dente, stir in the shrimp and the lemon juice. Heat through, and then stir in the cream or half and half.

Serve in warmed bowls with a basket of hot rolls or crusty bread for folks to help themselves to on the side. 

The 21st Century Housewife's Blueberry Sauce

I developed this recipe a couple of Sundays ago, when I discovered that I had covered all the bases for Sunday lunch except dessert. Faced with serving a frozen store bought Blueberry and White Chocolate cheesecake that was hiding at the back of the freezer, I wondered how I could bring it up a level and make it a bit more special. A rather large package of frozen blueberries provided me with the inspiration I needed.

The best thing about this sauce is that as it uses frozen berries, cooked from frozen, so not only can you make it all year round but it is also great when you need something special at the last minute. It’s nice to know you have a recipe up your sleeve that you can keep all the ingredients on hand for. Of course, you can definitely make this from fresh blueberries, although I only needed a teaspoon or so of cornstarch when I tested making the sauce that way. (It’s a hard job, but someone’s got to do it!) The frozen berries give off more water so they need a bit more help to thicken, especially if you include the tiny alcoholic kick I like to add.

I used Ocean Spray’s newest juice, their Light Blueberry juice, the first time I made this but orange juice works just as well. The Cointreau or Grand Mariner could just as easily be brandy or Amaretto if you preferred, and of course the alcohol is purely optional and can be left out entirely.

I served this at room temperature with the cheesecake on the Sunday and it was scrumptious, and then I kept the remainder refrigerated. Monday night I warmed it gently for a few minutes and we had it over vanilla ice cream as pictured above. It took hardly any effort to put together but it looked and tasted pretty impressive - exactly the kind of dessert I like!

4 cups frozen blueberries

¼ cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange or blueberry juice

2 tablespoons Cointreau or Grand Mariner (optional)

1 tablespoon corn starch mixed with a little water

Bring blueberries, sugar and juice gently to a boil.  Turn back the heat a bit and cook for several minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the Cointreau, if using, and cook a little more. Add the cornstarch and water mixture, stirring through thoroughly.  Cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens, stirring constantly. Turn the heat to low and continue to stir and cook for a few minutes to cook away any taste of the starch. Pour into a heat proof container and allow to cool a bit.

Can be cooled and stored in the fridge for a day or so.