Spaghetti Squash.

From plot to plate.

Spaghetti squash.
I decided to grill it!
Halved, skin side down, over direct medium heat.
The trick is not to cut the squash lengthwise.
Through the middle — the equator — because, I learned, the strands run from side to side, not stem to bottom.
Removed the seeds from the squash, brushed the cut sides and interior with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper, got it on the fire, and closed the lid.
It took 45 minutes for it to get tender.
While it cooked, I put together a simple tomato sauce made from two pounds chopped fresh tomatoes sautéed with a ton of garlic; at the end I stirred in fresh basil.
So - cut in half, turned on the grill for about 45 mins, on high but indirect heat.
- tossed them with the sauce.
...a subtle but very present smoke flavor that combined seamlessly with the tomato sauce.

Check out Instagram feed @markbittman.

Apple Date Cake.

Apple Date Cake with Salted Butter Caramel Glaze

Pumpkin, apple & ginger jam.

- The Physic Blogger: Pumpkin Jam Anyone?
Makes about 6-7 x 225g/8oz jars, 3-4 x 450g/1lb jars.

500g pumpkin or any firm, orange fleshed squash (prepared weight), peeled, deseeded & diced into 1cm cubes or grated
350g cooking apples (prepared weight), peeled, cored & diced into 1cm cubes or grated
30g fresh ginger, peeled & diced as tiny as possible or grate with fine microplane-type grater
1 chunk of crystallised stem ginger, finely grated as above (If you're really not a fan of ginger, leave these out.)
250g pumpkin purée (optional)
1/2 tsp ground ginger (or to taste)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (or to taste)
2 lemons, juiced
2 oranges, juiced
700g granulated sugar
250ml water

Place diced raw pumpkin, apples, gingers, cinnamon, lemon & orange juice, and water in a heavy bottomed pan, simmer gently until the pumpkin, ginger and apple chunks are tender, stirring occasionally.
Grating the pumpkin & apple will mean it cooks quicker but I like the chunky texture of diced.
Meanwhile, wash the jars in hot soapy water, rinse and sterilise in oven at 100C for 15-20 mins.
Add the pumpkin purée if using & stir in.
Then add the sugar and stir to dissolve. (It helps to warm the sugar in a very low oven first.)
Simmer until reduced, thick and gloopy, there's no need to test for setting point with this jam.
It's ready when a spoon pulled across the pan reveals the base.
Cool slightly then pour into the jars & seal with fresh lids or waxed paper discs & cellophane covers while still hot.
Store in a cool, dry place and use within a year.
Open opened, store in fridge and use within 4 weeks.

Persimmon.

Persimmon fruit and vegetables
The season of persimmons.
Persimmons are in season between November and February.
Persimmons are high in beta carotine and minerals such as sodium, magnesium, calcium and iron, and studies have found that they also contain twice as much dietary fibre per 100g as apples, plus more of the phenolic compounds thought to ward off heart disease.

Storage
For good eating, a very firm Fuyu persimmon may need to be put aside for just a day or two.
An unripe Hachiya, packed with mouth-puckering tannins, will probably need more time to soften and lose its astringency.
There is still some controversy as to the best way to ripen these fruits.
You can leave persimmons at room temperature in a paper bag along with an apple, which will produce additional ethylene gas (to hasten the ripening), and turn the fruit occasionally for even ripening.
For Hachiya persimmons, however, the process may take a number of weeks.

Another approach for Hachiya persimmons a modified version of a technique Japanese shippers use incorporates two ripening principles: When the oxygen supply is diminished, it causes the persimmons to produce aldehydes (which counteract the astringency of the tannins).
And, when persimmons are exposed to alcohol, it encourages the fruits to produce their own ethylene gas.
The kitchen adaptation of this technique is quite simple: Stand the fruits in a plastic food storage container, place a few drops of your favourite spirits (brandy or rum, for instance) on each of the leaflike sepals, then cover the container tightly.
Fruit treated in this manner may ripen in less than a week. (Note: As the fruits lose their astringency, they will also soften considerably, so don't expect to be able to slice them.)

- Persimmon & membrillo galette | BBC Good Food

Brûléed Bourbon-Maple Pumpkin Pie.

Brûléed Bourbon-Maple Pumpkin Pie Recipe | Bon Appetit

Тыква + апельсины + Имбирь = джем.

500гр тыквы (очищенная)

500гр апельсинов (очищенных) - у меня были без косточек
кожура 2 апельсинов
сок 1 лимона
50 г очищенного и натертого свежего имбиря
500гр сахара с пектином

1. Нарежьте апельсины и тыкву в кухонном комбайне тонкими дольками.
2. Поместить тыкву, апельсины, сок лимона, сахар и тертый имбирь в кастрюлю с толстым дном и варить на слабом огне на медленном огне примерно 30-40 мин, помешать часто.
3. Тем временем мелко порезанные апельсиновые корки положить в небольшую кастрюлю с кипящей водой, варить 10 минут затем поменять воду и снова кипятить 10 минут. Сделайте это три раза (джем кипит в это время 30 мин), что сделает кожурки мягкими и удалит горечь.
4. Добавить отцеженные корки в джем и кипятить на медленном огне еще 20 минут все вместе.
5. Разложить ложкой горячее варенье в стерилизованные банки и закрыть крышками.
6. Перевернуть - поставить на крышки и дать остыть.

Техника:
Стерилизованные банки в духовке
1. Вымыть банки в мыльной воде и прополоскать в чистой теплой воде.
Дать стеч воде, поместить в духовку, установить термометр на 100C.
Выключить духовку, когда температура достигнет 100 градусов
Оставить банки там, пока вы варите варенье.
Осторожно вынуть стерилизованные банки из духовки - попробуйте не прикасаться к внутренности банок.

How to make perfect cottage pie!

How to make perfect cottage pie | Life and style | The Guardian

Cottage pie or shepherd's pie is a type of savory pie.
It is made with minced meat, with mashed potato on top. It comes from the United Kingdom.

1kg floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper, peeled
150g butter
Knob of beef dripping (optional)
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 sticks celery, diced
1 tsp dried thyme
600g shin of beef, chopped into small pieces
350ml good quality beef stock
1 tsp cornflour
Worcestershire sauce

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
Cut your potatoes into evenly sized chunks, and put in a large pan of cold, salted water.
Bring to the boil and simmer until tender.

2. Meanwhile, heat the dripping, if you have any left over from your last roast, or butter in a pan over a moderate heat, then add the vegetables.
Soften, but do not brown.

3. Add the thyme, and then the beef.
Brown it all over, and then add half the stock.
Whisk the other half with the cornflour, and then stir into the meat mixture.
Add a generous dash of Worcestershire sauce and allow to simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes.

4. Drain the potatoes and mash with a generous slab of butter.
Season to taste.

5. Taste and season the meat, adding more Worcestershire sauce if necessary.
If it looks dry, pour in a little water.

6. Put the meat into a large baking dish and top with the potato.
For a nice crispy top, I like to add it in lumps, or you can run a fork over the top if you prefer.
Dot with small pieces of butter.

7. Put into the oven for about 40 minutes, until the potato is crisp and slightly brown, then serve.

Is cottage pie better than shepherd's pie – and can they really, as Nigella suggests, be made with the leftovers of any old roast, duck included?
How do you make yours, and what do you serve it with?

- Mary Berry Absolute Favourites Part II: Cottage pie with crushed potato topping | Daily Mail Online

Shepheds, Cottage Or Cumberland Pie.

Jamie's Home Cooking Skills
Shepherd's pie is a classic British dish - a meat pie with a crust of mashed potato.
In England they would call the beef dish a “cottage pie” and the lamb dish “shepherd’s pie”.
Topping the potato crust with breadcrumbs actually turns your dish into a “Cumberland pie”.
SO - in a shepherd's pie, the meat is lamb (there is a clue in the name) yet in a cottage pie it is beef.
A Cumberland pie can be either meat.
Otherwise, they are all but the same.

Shepherd's pie recipe!
Make sure you buy the best quality mince you can afford, as it really makes the dish.
serves 6

Ingredients
• 1 red onion
• 2 carrots
• 2 sticks of celery
• 2 cloves of garlic
• a small bunch of fresh rosemary
• olive oil
• 500g good-quality minced lamb
• 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 250ml lamb or vegetable stock, preferably organic
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1.5kg Desiree potatoes
• 100ml semi-skimmed milk
• a large knob of butter

you can continue to read with photos!
To prepare and cook your mince
• Peel and roughly chop the onion and carrots
• Trim and roughly chop the celery
• Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves
• Pick the rosemary leaves, discard the stalks
• Heat a large pan on a medium heat
• Add a good lug of olive oil and onion, carrot, celery, garlic and most of the rosemary leaves
• Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened
• Turn the heat up, add the lamb mince, and brown for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Use a sieve or slotted spoon to drain away any excess liquid from the pan, then tip in the tinned tomatoes
• Pour in the stock, season with a good pinch of salt and pepper and stir well, then bring to the boil
• Reduce to a low heat, pop the lid on slightly ajar, and simmer for 1 hour

To make your mash topping
• Peel the potatoes, cut them into halves and quarters depending on their size, and put them into a pan of salted, boiling water
• Boil for about 10 minutes until tender
• Stick a knife into them to check they're soft all the way through
• Drain in a colander and return them to the pan
• Add the milk, butter and a pinch of salt and pepper
• Mash until smooth and creamy

To assemble and cook your shepherd's pie
• Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5
• Transfer the lamb mixture to a large ovenproof baking dish
• Spoon the mash evenly over the top and poke the remaining rosemary leaves into the top
• Drizzle with olive oil, then cook in the hot oven for 25 minutes, or until golden and bubbling
• Serve with broccoli (see Brilliant broccoli) or some lovely peas

See also:- 10 things you didn’t know about shepherd’s pie - Jamie Oliver | Features
- Jamie’s vegetarian shepherd’s pie: Jamie's Home Cooking Skills

OR:
- Super shepherd's pie | Jamie Oliver

OR - Italian cottage pie - with a different topping:
A crunchy topping of Parmesan-coated potatoes - like Potato dauphinoise!
Cook the potatoes in boiling, salted water for 10 mins until almost done.
Drain well then mix with the butter and half the Parmesan.
After the meat has cooked for its 1 ¾ hr turn the oven up to 220C,gas mark 7 and top with the cheesy potatoes, overlapping.
Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and bake for 20 minutes until golden and crisp on top. Serve with a green salad.

Chocolate porridge.

Chocolate porridge | Jamie Oliver
Ingredients
200 g blanched hazelnuts
200 g Medjool dates
400 g porridge oats
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 heaped tablespoons quality cocoa powder
1 orange

FOR EACH PORTION
200 ml coconut water
1 heaped tablespoon Greek yoghurt
80g fresh fruit, such as raspberries, blackberries, sliced banana, grated apple and pear, segments of orange
1 pinch of ground cinnamon or quality cocoa powder , (optional)

Method
Toast the hazelnuts in a dry pan on a medium heat until golden, tossing often, then tip into a food processor.
Tear the stones out of the dates and add the flesh to the processor with half the oats, the vanilla extract and cocoa powder.
Finely grate in the orange zest and pulse until fine, then stir the mixture back through the rest of the oats.
Pour into an airtight jar, ready to use.

When you want a portion, simply put 65g of the mixture into a saucepan with 200ml of coconut water and heat gently over a medium-low heat for 3 minutes, or until it’s the consistency that you like, stirring regularly and adding splashes of water to loosen, if needed.
Serve each portion with a spoonful of Greek yoghurt and 80g of fresh fruit.
It’s also nice finished with a pinch of cinnamon or a dusting of cocoa, if you like.
And remember, if you up the number of portions you’re cooking at one time, simply adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Chocolate porridge – how cool is that!
Tips
Make up a batch of this dry porridge mixture and it’ll keep happily for up to 2 weeks, making your brekkie routine super-easy.

Lentil and squash salad with walnuts and cranberries.

Lentil and squash salad with walnuts and cranberries | Recipes | Gino's Italian Escape
Ingredients

400g butternut squash, cut into 1cm cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
400g dried green lentils
Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and diced
75g walnut pieces
50g dried cranberries, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180c/gas mark 4.
Put the squash in a large roasting tin, drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Roast for 25-30 minutes or until soft and slightly golden – then leave to cool.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil over a high heat.
Add the lentils and cook for about 18-20 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
Drain well and leave to cool.

Meanwhile, to make the dressing, put the lemon juice in a small bowl.
Slowly add the extra virgin olive oil, whisking constantly, until combined.
Add some sea salt and pepper.

Place the lentils and squash in a large bowl and add the lemon zest, spring onions, cucumber, walnuts, cranberries and parsley.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss.