JK's kitchen

  'The perfect brunch' Shakshuka has its origins in the middle East. but in our family it's a traditional breakfast for birthday weekends away.  It's indulgent but easy. We did a couple of bits to make it a bit extra but it is essentially a very simple tomato and egg afair.  Ingredients An egg per person  Tomatoes (nice ripe fresh ones, you live or die on your tomatoes rough chop) Peppers (two, red and/or yellow, rough chop)  Onions (finely diced)  Cumin  Paprika  Chilli flakes  Salt  Olive oil  In an oven safe skillet soften your onions in the olive oil. When your onions are soft scatter in a teaspoon or two of cumin sautee for a few minutes until fragrant.  Add your peppers, a shake of chilli flakes and a good teaspoon of paprika sautee for a few minutes then add the tomatoes.  Let the tomatoes break down and reduce until the consistency is saucy.  Break the eggs into our shackshuka and throw the whole poodle into t...

 'the fastest dish in the east midlands' I've just started a new job and not really had time to cook, Monday night  I was determined (even in this oppressive heat, my god does the sun not know this is England!) to cook for the household.  my mom taught me this recipe and i can't think of anything quicker to make. I'm going to include a recipe for quick pickled beetroot but its a grace note that you don't need in order for this to be an absolutely delicious meal. I make this with fresh pasta because I think it makes a real difference in this one.  and if you use fresh pasta i think you could get this done in less then ten minuets. Ingredients.   Beetroot (the vacuum packed pre cooked kind) Dill (A bunch) Red chili (not a spicy one you want it to be barely perceptible, a roast chili might be nice, not tried it) Garlic (3 cloves) Fresh long pasta (linguine or tagliatelle)   Olive oil  Quick pickled Beetroot (recipe here when I get to it) 1. Blen...

'a greek treat'   Ingredients fennel garlic  filo pastry  smoked paprika potato Lemon  Dill  Garlic  Olive oil  Butter  Salt  Pepper  The Pie  1. Cut up your fennel into slender chunks and chop your onion toss with salt and pepper, roast in the oven until soft and caramelised.  2.  Gently melt some butter then turn off the heat and add smoked paprika.  3. Brush an oven proof skillet with the butter then lay on a layer of filo pastry, the brush butter onto the pastry then add another layer of filo pastry. after the fourth layer start adding a scattering of your roast fennel in between layers.  4. When you have ran out of the fennel crumple the filo to form a covering for the pie. 5. bake the pie in the oven for about 12-15 minuets 180'C  The Potatoes 1. Chop the potato into two inch pieces.  2. Parboil the potatoes for around eight minuets, then roast them in the oven on foil until they begin to crisp up...

well worth the wait  I had this idea ages ago, it is reminiscent of the one good vegetarian restaurant in the city of  Liberec. I have a lot of good memories of having a regular game of Kaboo with a friend I really valued this because it I was one of the few areas of my social life that was alcohol free. I have been trying to make it at home for at least a year but somehow we managed to be going out or too exhausted to cook every single time.   Ingredients Carrots  Harissa  paste Ground cumin  Butter beans Garlic Sugar snap peas Spring onion  Eggs 1. Cut your carrot into long quarters then toss them together with the harissa and the cumin, drizzle them with olive oil then roast them in a moderate oven until they are nice and roastie.   2. Crush you garlic then sauté in olive oil until slightly golden then add in the butter beans, poorly drained, and mash until at least somewhat smooth  3. Prepare your sugar snap peas and half your c...

One of our friends is Canadian and far from home (it's one of the greens from the soup) and it is Canadian Thanksgiving (or as close as logistics and and the inimitable Mrs Rona would allow) and especially this year which has been peevish and painful it is a solemn and joyous duty to help a friend celebrate. We moved the celebration to our place because we are obliged to celebrate outside and some of our party are notoriously nesh. We can address this problem with our collection of ways to burn wood.  My brother, having put the chicken into brine after work and before bed, rose with the sun to smoke the bird and make the gravy. I on the other hand overslept, panicked and sloped bleary eyed to the closest shop and brought a selection of vegetables. Which, three further trips to various corner shops and a full on smoky nightclub style jazz trance cooking forged into an appetising accompaniment. We ate the food. Emerald brought out a pie so good it made me laugh (I've been waiting...

'potatoes, cheese, and bacon. whats not to like?'  My nan, bless her, was not a good cook, was never interested in being a good cook(neither of them actually). so when people talk about Nonna food I feel a little jealous and bereft. that being said there are some comfort foods that bring to mind my Nan.  This is a simple layered potato gratin which is baked in the oven until it forms a crust on top and is unctuous and rich underneath.   nan would serve this with baked beans and brown sauce but i think a light acidic salad would serve. Ingredients Potato (a waxy variety cut into flat rounds) Cheese (traditionally a cheddar cheese but this isn't a fussy recipe) Bacon (I'm vegetarian so I just don't put it in my version) Onions (rings, optional) layer up in a Pyrex dish cheese, then potato then onion, then bacon, then potato, then cheese... season at every layer  Bake in the oven until the potato is cooked through and the top is crunchy and brown Serve...

I have a dream of a perfect vegetarian chilli  This is a recipe designed as my first stab at a good chilli it’s a baseline, not the baseline that i will be using for testing and modifying just something that is instinctual. I'm interested to see how different the perfect chilli is from this. I already have ideas to improve and little dissatisfactions but on the whole. Should be good enough to take to work i think. Ingredients. Aromatics and chillies Dried whole chillies (2 cascabel, two mulatto, 4 guajillo chillies, two chipotle chillies) About one teaspoon chilli flakes ¼ cup of jalapenos 5 cloves garlic 3 tea spoons cumin powder 2 teaspoons smoked paprika a tablespoon of tomato puree Sofritto 1 onion 1 green pepper 2 Carrots 2 celery stalks Soy sauce a splash Vegetable oil Liquid An assertive stout (A can) About a cup of strong coffee 1 cans tomato beans/veg White beans (one can) Black beans (one can) Black eyed peas (a can) Kidney beans (a...