Note from Scope's online community team - A big thank you to @veriterc for once again pulling out all the stops to serve us a helping of summer scrumptiousness. We appreciate you taking the time to write and share your community kitchen with our members, we need to sort a virtual garden party asap! Verite begins:
My favourite hotel in Rome is the Hotel Quirinale - one of Europe's Grand Hotels, with its cool garden (below) that was a haven in the noise and heat of a Roman summer. Sitting on the restaurant terrace, overlooking the garden, my favourite meal was the chef's chicken salad. Here is my version - the nearest I can remember.
Chicken Salad Quirinale - per person
- 2
tablespoons chopped cold chicken breast
- 1/2
tablespoon chopped celery
- 1/4
tablespoon blanched or flaked almonds
- 1
tablespoon runny mayonnaise (make your own - see recipe below, or mix
some white wine vinegar into shop-bought mayonnaise)
- Sea
salt to taste
- black
pepper - not too much
- Chopped
dill (optional) to decorate
Mix it
all up, then serve on baby crisp lettuce leaves
If you
are going to serve this to friends, sprinkling chopped toasted flaked almonds
and dill - if you have it - on the top makes it extra special
Mayonnaise
If you
want to make your own, it does taste that much nicer, but beware of the raw
eggs if you are pregnant!
- 2 free-range egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 250mml oil (olive, sunflower, etc. whatever
you have available and to taste)
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or lemon
juice
- Sea salt to taste
Whisk
egg yolks, add Mustard, then slowly dribble in oil - drop by drop at first,
until it starts to thicken then you can add more. Add in vinegar and sea
salt to taste. If you are making the recipe above, add more vinegar to
get a runny consistency to coat the chicken and celery.
Cooking comfortably
One
thing I have learnt is to pace myself; don't try to do everything all at once.
- Assemble all the ingredients - it won't do them any harm to stand around and
get up to room temperature
- Mix ingredients and often you can leave them to cook later, unless they
have whipped egg whites in the recipe
- Cook when you are ready
Another
rule is to ensure I have as much vitamin C and protein in my diet as possible.
According to a leading nutritionist, Lily Soutter, how to
be veggie and still get lots of protein is one of the main questions she is
consistently asked. And, in a new YouGov survey commissioned by Goodlife, protein was highlighted as one of the most important
factors for Brits when it comes to their daily diet.
I call
these Protein Biscuits. They make a tasty snack.
- 120g
Plain Flour
- 120g
Butter
- 120g
Mature Cheddar Cheese (protein)
- 1/2
tsp Mustard Powder or Cayenne pepper if you prefe
- 1 egg (protein)
Set oven to 170C/fan
150C/gas 5.
Rub
all dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl using your hands until they form
crumbs, then bind together with an egg until dough is formed
Roll
out the dough to a thickness of 5mm. Then use a cutter to cut out the
biscuits. You can grate more cheese on top for extra crunch - Parmesan
cheese is good, if you have it.
Place
the biscuits onto a greased baking tray and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes
or until golden and crispy.
Soda Bread
Vegan friends tell me
this is a 'goodie', and pretty well everyone enjoys it. It doesn't need
any kneading, so is ideal if you can't make ordinary bread. And some
people can't take spelt and other 'heavy' ingredients - so again this is ideal.
- 225 g plain flour, plus a little extra for
dusting
- Half
a tsp bicarbonate of soda
- Pinch of salt
- 200 g plain natural yoghurt (or plant-based
live yoghurt) (protein)
- 40-60 ml milk (or plant-based alternative)
(protein)
Preheat
the oven to 200°C (400°F). Lightly dust a baking sheet with flour.
Mix
flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the yoghurt and half
the milk and stir to combine.
When
the ingredients start to make a dough ball, use your hands to bring everything
together. If the dough is dry, add a little more of the milk (You may not need
it all).
Tip
out the ball of dough onto a floured surface, turn and shape the dough into a
round loaf and transfer to a baking sheet which has been lightly dusted with
flour.
With a
sharp knife, cut a deep cross in the top of the loaf - you want to go almost
right through but be careful not to cut the soda bread into pieces!
Bake
for 25-30 minutes until risen and golden brown. When cooked, the loaf will
sound hollow when you tap on the bottom.
Allow to cool for a few minutes, then slice and enjoy!
The
American cancer charity Livestrong often has useful vegan recipes on its
website with good ideas such as this one.
Using up egg whites
Make
meringues with the egg whites left over when making mayonnaise, see recipe in this previous edition of community
kitchen. Use 2 tablespoons of caster sugar to one egg white.
You
can then use them for Eton Mess, or for Pavlova:
Make
little nests of meringue, cook in very lukewarm over for 1 - 2 hours, then when
cold fill with a layer of thick cream and then a layer of soft fruit -
strawberry, raspberry etc.
Fruit
There
has never been a better time to show your support to British farmers who are
managing to get their fruit and vegetables into a store near you. Have a
look at the labels and make an effort to support local farmers - it's better
for the environment and our health!
In season now - and at their peak of
deliciousness - include:
Apricots (yes, we've grown them for years in England),
Blackberries Blackcurrants, Broad Beans, Carrots, Cauliflower, Cherries,
Chicory, Cucumber, Gooseberries, Greengages, French Beans, Loganberries, New
Potatoes, Onions, Peas, Potatoes, Radishes, Raspberries, Redcurrants, Rhubarb.
If you have a large family, search online for cherries or any
fruit that you fancy and up may come details of farms that deliver to your
home in 1 - 5 kg quantities. Expensive at first but share with
family/neighbours and the cost reduces dramatically.
Furthermore,
local markets should have piles of goodies, or if you live near allotments, you
could wander down there - growers often have surplus for sale.
Enjoy!
