The 21st Century Housewife’s© Apricot and Almond Loaf Cake

The wonderful flavour combination of apricots and almonds makes this cake almost sinfully delicious.  It’s seriously moist, so it is best if you can make it the day before and allow it to rest overnight before slicing into it.  (It tastes even better after it has sat for a while.)  However, every time I make this it smells so good while it is cooking I find myself cutting into it when it is still warm.  It tends to crumble and make a bit of a mess if you do that but it is so worth it because it tastes absolutely ambrosial - if I do say so myself! Actually, even when it has cooled, this tends to be a very crumbly cake so I always use a very sharp knife to cut it.  Sadly it is definitely not low-calorie, but I comfort myself with the thought that dried fruit and nuts are really very good for you!   

1¾ cups all purpose flour

¼ cup ground almonds

¾ cup white sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ tsp salt

¾ cup chopped dried apricots (ready to eat ones)

1 cup desiccated coconut

¾ cup chopped almonds

2 eggs, beaten

1/3 cup oil or melted butter, cooled a bit

1 cup buttermilk or milk

1 teaspoon almond extract

Mix the flour, ground almonds, sugar, baking powder, dried apricots and coconut together in a large bowl.

In another bowl or large pitcher mix together the eggs, oil or melted butter, buttermilk or milk and almond extract.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones all at once and stir thoroughly to blend. 

Pour into a large (2 lb) greased and floured or lined loaf tin, or you can divide the mixture between two smaller ones.  Bake at 350℉ or about 170℃ (160℃ fan) for 40 to 50 minutes (30 to 40 minutes if you use smaller loaf tins) or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. 

The 21st Century Housewife’s© Sausage, Pesto and Asparagus Pasta

The other night I had some beautiful fresh pork and caramelised onion sausages and some fresh asparagus to use for dinner.  This is the dish that evolved from those two ingredients and various other things I had on hand.  I love inventing dishes like this, especially when they turn out as delicious as this one did!

You could easily make this recipe suitable for vegetarians by omitting the sausage and adding a few more mushrooms instead. 

Serves 3 to 4 adults generously

3 or 4 leeks, topped, tailed and cut in thin slices, washed and drained

a handful of your favourite mushrooms, sliced

1 large bunch asparagus, washed and trimmed, each piece cut in half

2 tablespoons olive oil (or other cooking oil such as sunflower or Canola)

6 good quality sausages

2 to 3 generous tablespoons basil pesto (I used Sacla brand)

2 generous tablespoons low fat crème fraîche or sour cream

8 ounces pasta

(I used Fiorelli shaped pasta but penne, rigatoni or just about any pasta shape would be fine.)

Put the sausages in an oven safe dish, drizzle with a bit of the olive oil and place in the oven at about 350℉ or 180℃.  Cook for about half an hour until no pink remains inside, turning half way through. 

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil over low heat in a large frying pan.  Add the leeks and cook slowly until they begin to soften.

Stir in the mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring occasionally. 

When the sausages are nearly done, cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.  Boil or steam the asparagus for two to three minutes.  Drain and set aside. 

Remove the sausages from the oven, and using a fork and sharp knife, cut them in half inch slices. 

Add the sausages to the leeks and mushrooms, along with the pesto and crème fraîche.  Stir in the asparagus.

Very gently add the cooked pasta and stir to coat with the sauce.  Serve on warmed plates or in warmed bowls. 

The Real Food Festival

If you happen to be in London this weekend, do go along to Earl's Court and pop into The Real Food Festival.  A fantastic food show that allows you to taste wonderful food and drink while also supporting small producers, it's a great place to spend a few hours.  There is something for everyone, and a key focus of the Festival this year is about educating people about healthy, sustainable food from an early age.

The first thing I noticed on entering the show were the animals - baby lambs, pigs and calves, as well as their more grown-up counterparts.

There was also a Sheep Show, which illustrated some of the realities of real food production by combining education and entertainment very effectively.  They even demonstrated how to sheer a sheep, something I dearly hope I never need to do, but which was very interesting indeed!


There were a number of demonstrations and talks going on throughout the day, and there are also some top chefs scheduled to attend and present including Raymond Blanc, Giorgio Locatelli and Thomasina Miers.  The ethos of the Festival is to promote good, seasonal, nutritionally dense food and drink that has been produced in a sustainable and ethical way, and it features over 400 producers.

I met some really interesting people and tasted some fantastic products, many of which I will blog about in more detail over the coming weeks.  I met tea producers, cheese mongers, bakers, and also folks who market products they really believe in like the Coffee Fairy, a fantastic ethical coffee company who I have blogged about before.  I enjoyed beautiful hand made chocolate buttons with gorgeous patterns embossed on them, naturally flavoured fudge and an amazing sweetening product made from fruit and carob that is reminiscent of the finest honeys.  I also met The Queen of Cupcakes and learned about Vegware, totally recyclable food packaging and catering disposables made from plants.  It was hard to believe they were not conventional products as they looked and performed exactly as traditional paper plates and plastic knives and forks!  I was really impressed.  One thing that was absolutely consistent about all the exhibitors was their passion for their products.  Everything was produced and marketed by people who genuinely care about their product and their service.


You can also learn about The Slow Food Movement, The Soil Association, The Real Bread Campaign and the School Farms Network.  Seriously, there are so many organisations out there concerned about what we eat and how it is produced, and if you are not already, once you learn about them you will be too!  Action Against Hunger, the international humanitarian charity committed to ending hunger worldwide are also active at the Festival.


If, despite all the tasting, you feel a bit hungry whilst wandering about the show you can visit the Riverford Field Kitchen and enjoy dishes cooked by one of the leading organic food distributors, the Mad Hatter's Tea Party or stop by one of the many stands offering freshly made, ethically sourced burgers, sausages and bacon sandwiches and even veggie burgers.  I plumped for the Field Kitchen as I found it hard to eat meat whilst looking at baby animals!


I was seriously impressed by The Real Food Festival, and by some of the exhibitors in particular.  I'll share some of my favourites with you over the coming weeks and as most offer mail order, UK readers can still enjoy their products even if they can't get to London this weekend.  But if you do find yourself in the capital, I urge you to pay The Real Food Festival a visit.  I'm sure you will be glad you did.


The Real Food Festival is at Earl's Court in London (nearest tube Earl's Court) from 7th to 10th May.  For opening hours, please click here and for more information, click here.

The 21st Century Housewife’s© Sirloin and Asparagus Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

This hearty salad isn't just tasty, it's good for you too.  Lean steak has lots of protein and asparagus is a great source of folic acid and vitamins.  It is also a great salad if you are watching your weight because it is filling without being too high in calories. You can use as much or as little of the dressing as you like, and because it contains the punchy flavours of balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard a little of it goes a long way.  It's also incredibly easy to throw together at the last minute - and you can always use ready prepared bagged salad leaves if you are really in a hurry.

The quantities below will serve two to three people.

4 to 6 cups of assorted lettuces, washed and torn
(I used iceberg, Boston lettuce and baby romaine)
a handful of radishes, washed and thinly sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
one large bunch of asparagus (about 20 pieces), washed
2 to 3 sirloin steaks, about four to six ounces each, preferably about a half inch thick
Montreal Steak Seasoning

Dressing:

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1 generous teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar

Trim any excess fat from the steaks and sprinkle with Montreal Steak Seasoning on both sides. Heat a frying pan and when it is nice and hot, add the steaks.

Meanwhile, trim the asparagus stalks and cut most of them in half but leave about four to six of them whole for garnish. Place in a saucepan with just enough water to cover them, pop a lid on, bring to the boil, and cook for about two to three minutes. Drain immediately, rinse in cold water to stop the cooking and then cover with the lid. Set aside.

Turn the steaks once, cooking for a total of about three to five minutes on each side depending on the desired doneness. Just before they are cooked, put them on a warm plate, cover with aluminum foil and a tea towel, and set aside to rest.

Put the dressing ingredients in a clean jam jar or other container with a lid and shake together well.

Divide the lettuce, radishes, most of the tomatoes and the cut pieces of asparagus between the plates. Toss together. Slice the steaks in fairly thin slices and place on top of the lettuce. Garnish with the whole stalks of asparagus and the remaining cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with the dressing and serve.

Waste Not, Want Not

It’s hard to believe, but despite all the articles in the media and awareness campaigns, we are still throwing away literally tons of food in the United Kingdom, North America and other prosperous countries worldwide. In fact, the Love Food Hate Waste campaign estimates that households in the United Kingdom alone throw away over eight tons of food every year. This is costing individual UK households upwards of £400 per year as we literally throw money in the garbage. But even more shocking than these statistics is the fact is that most of the food we throw away could probably be eaten.

Up until very recently, we have been encouraged by politicians and supermarkets to believe that vegetables and fruit need to be shiny and perfect to be edible. In fact, it is not that long ago that it was actually illegal to sell “irregularly shaped vegetables” in the European Union. That’s right, crooked cucumbers were not allowed! While the generation before us existed on wartime rations and would never have turned down a bruised banana, we grew up believing that nearly all apples were the same size and that beauty really was only skin deep.

An added complication is that the pace of life has changed radically over the last forty or so years. In these busy post-modern days, schedules are erratic, shopping is done in a rush and most people barely have time to cook food at home, let alone make menu plans. We overbuy “just in case”, get confused by use-by and sell-by dates, don’t realize that it is okay to use things that don’t look perfect anymore and lack the knowledge and the time to do things with them.

I have an vegetable box delivered once a week by Abel & Cole, an organic food delivery company, and their accompanying weekly leaflets are always interesting. Last week the leaflet detailed an event some of the staff from Abel & Cole attended hosted by a young group called This is Rubbish. The event included a supper called “Down to Earth Dining” which Abel & Cole reported included “a delicious gazpacho, roast carrot and cumin pate, a hearty hot pot and a refreshing fruit salad, all made with food destined for the bin.” This is not the first time This is Rubbish have done something similar. Last December they held an event in Trafalgar Square in London where they fed people with food that would otherwise have been thrown away. In the end, they fed five thousand people that day. Seriously.

Your food does not have to look perfect to be delicious, and except in the case of things like meat, dairy products, fish and other very perishable items, best before dates are just a guide. Bread is okay for toasting until it develops mould, and if you catch it in time, bread that is a little dry cut in cubes and toasted in the oven makes great croutons. Bruised bananas can be used in cakes and smoothies (and can even be frozen for use in baking and drinks at a later date), and there is no such thing as an out of date apple. Slightly soft peppers, courgettes (zucchini) and onions taste lovely roasted (as do their fresher counterparts!) and you can make soup from almost anything. Most Fridays, before my organic vegetable box arrives, I can be found making soup from any vegetables that are left over from the week before.

There are plenty of things you can do with fruit and vegetables that are slightly past their best. Here are two recipes just to get you started. The first is my soup recipe - great for using up slightly soft carrots and wilty cauliflower - and the second is a wonderful recipe for courgette pesto created by Rachel de Thample at Abel & Cole. It goes without saying that if the courgettes are a little soft, they are still okay!

The 21st Century Housewife’s Bottom of the Fridge Soup

2 tablespoons oil or butter
1 or 2 onions, finely chopped
about 3 to 4 cups of leftover vegetables, peeled and chopped
(carrots, parsnips, leeks, broccoli, cauliflower – whatever you’ve got)
about 2 to 3 litres (that’s about 4 or 5 pints) vegetable stock
(made from a cube is absolutely fine)
fresh or dried herbs and spices
(Try oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil, coriander and/or parsley depending on the vegetables you are using. I also like to add curry powder to some vegetable soups, especially those with parsnips and root vegetables in them.)
salt and pepper to taste
(If you have used stock cubes you may find you don’t need any more salt.)
milk or cream (optional)

Heat the oil or melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about ten minutes until it has begun to soften. Stir in the vegetables. Lower the heat as much as you can, pop a lid on, and let the vegetables sweat for ten minutes. (Keep checking and stirring to make sure they do not burn or stick.)

Remove the lid, increase the heat back to medium and add the stock, herbs and seasoning. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for at least twenty minutes or up to forty minutes, stirring occasionally. At this point the vegetables should be very soft.

Remove the pan from the heat and cool a little bit. Puree the soup with a blender (liquidizer), hand blender or food processor until smooth. At this point the soup can be cooled completely and refrigerated for a couple of days or frozen for up to two months. (Thaw before reheating.)

To serve, thoroughly reheat the soup over medium heat and add a bit of milk or cream if you like. If the soup is really too thick, you can add some boiling water as well as or instead of all milk/cream.

Here’s Rachel’s easy to make and absolutely delicious 'Hey Presto, Courgette Pesto'.

Pasta (penne works well here)
Garlic, peeled and finely chopped
A courgette or two
A lemon
Fresh mint leaves (or any soft, green herb like bail, chives, chervil or a combo)
Toasted pinenuts
A smallish red chilli (or you could use chilli flakes, a splash of Tabasco or even chilli powder)
Olive oil
Frehly grated parmesan or a soft crumbly goat’s cheese
Sea salt and black pepper

Cook up a batch of pasta. Drain. Add a splash of olive oil, garlic, the juice and zest from the lemon. Season with sea salt and a good bit of black pepper.

Coarsely grate the courgette into the pasta. Add the chili punch (finely chopped red chili or an alternative – this wakes the courgette up a bit). Fold it all through.

Pile onto plates. Drizzle a touch more olive oil over the top. Then, top with the cheese and tart it up with some mint or other herby leaves and toasted pinenuts. Dive in!

And there you have it. These recipes prove that there is no reason to be afraid to use up fruit and vegetables that are past their best. Not only will you be giving your taste buds a treat, you will be helping the environment and your budget!



Rachel de Thample’s recipe used with permission.
Abel & Cole deliver organic fruit, vegetables, meat and more throughout selected areas of England.

The 21st Century Housewife’s© Cod with White Wine and Shrimp Sauce

The beauty of this dish is that it uses frozen white fish fillets and frozen cooked shrimp, so you may already have the ingredients on hand. The cod loins I buy can be cooked from frozen so that makes it even easier, but do thaw your fish first if the package recommends it. Of course, fresh fish fillets work fine too. They just won’t need to be cooked for quite as long. I like to serve this dish on a bed of roasted vegetable rice, but it would be equally nice served on a bed of couscous or with a side of potatoes. If you want to make it really special, use sparkling wine or champagne in the sauce instead of white wine.

To serve four people you need:-

4 fillets of white fish (cod loin works well), thawed if necessary
about 12 to 16 large frozen cooked shrimp, thawed
4 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons butter
2 generous tablespoons flour
½ cup white wine
about 1 to 1½ cups of milk
½ teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon lemon juice

enough rice to serve four
plus roasted vegetables to mix in with it if you like or just add some cooked frozen peas to the rice for color.

Place each piece of fish in a large square of aluminum foil and top with 1 teaspoon butter. Seal the foil into packages and place on a baking sheet. Bake at about 375℉ for about fifteen to twenty minutes until the fish is done and flakes easily with a fork. (Thawed or fresh fish will take less time than fish cooked from frozen.)

Meanwhile, melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute or two. Gradually add the white wine, whisking as you add it. Gradually add the milk, a bit at at time, whisking after each addition until you get a nice consistency and medium thickness.

Pop the shrimp in the sauce and heat through, adding a bit more milk if you need to in order to keep a nice consistency. Add the tarragon and lemon juice and stir through. Taste, and add a bit of salt and pepper if necessary.

Remove the white fish from the aluminum foil parcel and place each piece on a plate on a bed of rice and vegetables. Serve the white wine and shrimp sauce on top, making sure each person gets about three or four of the large shrimp.

The 21st Century Housewife’s© Risotto Primavera

This is a wonderful recipe for this time of year, and with the exception of the asparagus, you may well have most of the ingredients to hand already. It's a great recipe for Earth Day as well as it is totally meat free, and if you use local produce it has a very small carbon footprint. (Just remember that if you are catering for strict vegetarians you need to be sure to use vegetarian cheese.) Speaking of cheese, you can use whatever kind you wish, from Gruyere to Parmesan. However, for me, the sharp tang of cheddar cheese against the soft creamy bite of the rice and gently cooked spring vegetables really make this dish. It’s a bit unexpected to use cheddar in Italian cooking, but the results are fantastic.

Risotto is definitely a hands on dish, something that has to be watched and stirred almost constantly. The finished dish is well worth the effort though and like Nigella Lawson, I do highly recommend the benefits of a little mindless repetitive stirring, particularly if you are feeling stressed (which I am this week with my son still stuck in Athens due to the volcanic ash cloud over Europe). Stirring is bizarrely reassuring, plus you get to serve and eat delicious comfort food as a result of your labours. So it is a good deal all round!

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
320 grams of risotto rice (Arborio, Carnaroli or Vialone)
1 glass dry white wine
1 litre of vegetable stock (I made mine from cubes)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup of frozen peas
a couple of good handfuls of asparagus spears, each one cut in two to three pieces and lightly steamed for two to three minutes
1 handful of grated cheddar cheese

Take the peas out of the freezer, measure out one cupful and leave them on the side to thaw out a bit. Heat the oil over medium heat in a saute pan or fairly deep frying pan (in a pinch you can use a large saucepan for this as well). Gently saute the onion until it is beginning to soften, but not brown. Stir in the risotto rice until it is well mixed with the onion and coated with oil.

Pour in the glass of wine and stir gently until it is absorbed. Now you can begin adding the stock, a few ladles full at a time, stirring each one in until it is absorbed. This will take at least fifteen to twenty minutes. Don’t be tempted to crank up the heat too much, you have to be patient with this dish. When cooking risotto the burner should never be turned up beyond medium heat.

As soon as the last ladleful of stock has been absorbed, turn the heat back a bit and stir in the cheese and the frozen peas until the cheese has melted. After a couple of minutes gently stir in the already steamed asparagus.

That’s it, you are good to go. This is not the most calorie conscious suggestion I have ever made, but we love this served with fresh bread or hot rolls in our house. However, if you are being healthy, a crisp fresh salad makes a great side dish. Having said that, risotto is perfectly fine eaten all by itself from a bowl while you are curled up in front of the television, yet it’s also good enough to serve at the most formal dinner party as a starter (in which case this would serve six easily). I hope you enjoy it as much as we do in our house!