Food & Drink section.qxp_Layout 1 17/02/2022 16:10 Page 20
MENDIP TIMES
FOOD & DRINK
Say goodbye to winter . . . hopefully!
With KATY BEAUCHAMP
Welcome to March – winter is on the way out and the evenings are getting lighter… but it can still remain cold outside. This month I’ve created some dishes to keep you toasty: a creamy, peppery sauce you can use in all sorts of ways; a hearty baked potato pie and a scrumptious vegan peanut butter cake.
BAKED POTATO PIE INGREDIENTS
(serves 5-6) 4 large baking potatoes 200g of grated cheese or use a batch of the pepper cheese sauce from the previous recipe 400g minced pork 1 diced onion 2 grated carrots 1 tin chopped tomatoes Heaped tsp each of mixed herbs, ground coriander, cumin, garlic granules and smoked paprika Tortilla chips Tomatoes Gaucamole
This is everything you want from a baked potato, loaded with cheese, and a warming pork chilli. Made this way you can easily serve large and small portions.
METHOD Bake potatoes until soft (I do mine in the microwave for ten minutes and then finish off in the oven). Meanwhile, fry the mince, onions and carrots for ten mins., then add all the other ingredients and cook for a further 20 minutes. To assemble the pie, slice up the potatoes and layer up (like a lasagne)in an oven proof dish, starting off with a bed of potatoes. Spread a layer of mince then a layer of sauce or grated cheese, or both. Sprinkle some cheese on the top and bake in the oven until hot and bubbly! Decorate with tortilla chips, tomatoes and guacamole.
PEANUT BUTTER CAKE
PAGE 20 • MENDIP TIMES • MARCH 2022
CREAMY PEPPER CHEESE SAUCE
This a lovely versatile sauce that could be served over pasta, gnocchi or used as a dip for crudités. I made some courgette fritters to accompany mine.
A versatile sauce which can also be used as a dip
INGREDIENTS For the sauce: 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks 150g hard cheese (I used Red Leicester) 150ml double cream 2 tsp cornflour 1 tsp garlic granules
For the courgette fritters: 200gr grated courgette 1 tsp garlic granules 1 tsp tarragon 2 eggs 75g self-raising flour
This cake can easily be made vegan, if you use a plant-based milk. METHOD Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and pour into a lined 2lb loaf tin and bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 160ºC. Leave to cool. Melt chocolate and peanut butter together and pour over the top. This cake is best eaten on the same day but will taste gorgeous the next spread with peanut butter or chocolate spread and chopped nuts.
METHOD For the sauce, blend the raw pepper, cheese, cream and garlic and then cook over a low heat for 15 minutes. Mix the cornflour with a little water and stir into the sauce to thicken, season with salt and pepper pepper and it’s ready to serve! For the fritters, squeeze the excess water from the grated courgettes and mix together with all the other ingredients, then gently fry spoonfuls of the mixture in olive oil for three minutes each side.
INGREDIENTS 300g self-raising flour 150g sugar 400ml milk/vegan substitute 200g peanut butter, crunchy or smooth Teaspoon of salt Topping 100g chocolate (vegan) 80g peanut butter Chopped nuts (of choice)
