Georgina Hayden

Feeding since 1982

Sorrel and sausage spaghetti (Lady and the Tramp style)

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Before I start rabbiting on, I just want to start by saying that I love this recipe. LOVE it. It’s so delicious and so easy! (I pretty much ate that entire platter all on my own. I’ll obviously make it again later for Pete…)

So, the reason for this post. Well, yes, you guessed it, it’s for Valentines day. I’m not a big V-day lover I have to say, I like the sentiment, telling people you love them, but do I need a set date to do that? Unfortunately it just feels like another way to get us to spend money. Boo. But we’re not total cynics, Pete and I. We’ll always make each other something, usually a card and a meal. Ok, cooking is something we do almost everyday anyway, but we do try make it a bit more special and imaginative. And this year I have been inspired by that classic Disney love story ‘Lady and the Tramp’. I’m making a platter of meatball spaghetti for 2. Whats more romantic than sharing a plate of food?! (Unless you’re one of those people that doesn’t like sharing food? In that case feel free to plate it up on separate plates of course).

Romantic dinner for two
A Disney inspired romantic dinner for two
Sorrel pesto
Sorrel pesto

However instead of going classic Italiano meatballs with tomato sauce, I thought I’d try something a little different, and boy I’m glad I did. I found a big ol’ bunch of sorrel today at the market and decided to play with making a sorrel pesto. Read more…

Prawn Gyozas

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I want to let you into a little secret. Gyozas are insanely addictive. To make, to eat, the lot. Once you master making these little beauties, you’ll never stop. Pork, prawn and crab, chicken, veggie… You’ll be making them quicker than you can eat them.

A few weeks back my mum came to visit, so I set about making gyozas en masse. I knew full well she’d love them (she’s obsessed with dim sum) but mainly I wanted her to take them home to my dad. My mum and dad struggle with their evening meals – my dad is a pescatarian and my mum is a carnivore that doesn’t eat fish. Its a bleedin nightmare! The only thing they do agree on however is prawns; it’s the only protein they will both eat. So with that in mind I sent her home with a box of these gyozas to see how they’d go down. They were an all round hit. So much so that my dad hasn’t stopped talking about them since! So, a week later, when I had an evening to myself, I stocked up on ingredients and started to make a stash of them for their freezer. It was so incredibly relaxing. Pete was working late and I just stood there folding gyozas for a few hours. It was almost meditative – I highly recommend it for mental well being. And the best bit is they’re not unhealthy. They’re lightly fried to get that gorgeous crispy bottom but that’s it (although I’m sure the amount of soy I drench them in is questionable!), nice and light.

Prawn gyozas
Lightly fried Prawn gyozas with soy and chilli dipping sauce
Lined up and ready for to go
Lined up and ready for to cook

So, here you go. Impressive little prawn parcels, perfect for a party, for a snack or as part of a main meal. Heck, on honeymoon I even had them for breakfast – its all good.

Read on for recipe…

Dukkah egg and avo hash

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What an intro to 2015! There have been lurgies, house hunts, port binges and last week I started back at work part-time. Its been lovely to see friendly faces, and even though it’s a bit scary/ daunting at times, I’m enjoying the routine and sociability of it. I just don’t know how I used to get anything done though! So today I stripped it back, went to the gym and made myself some nice food. Super simple day. It feels good to have time at home again and time to breathe.

I’ve genuinely missed my ‘lunches for one’ over Christmas and New Year. I feel like I’ve nourished myself over the last few months, and taken time out to make myself strong again. It feels like a crucial part of my journey, so it’s been good to get back in the kitchen.

Today for lunch I made myself a bang on trend brunch dish (eggs and dukkah) but with a more substantial base. If you ever come to stay at our house chances are I will make you a hash at some point. I love it. Anything goes and its one of our favourite weeknight dinners. And as a very wise person once told me ‘there is no meal that can’t be improved with an egg on top’ and I actually think they’re right.

 

Dukkah egg and avo hash
Not the most perfect egg but tasted darn good!

 

DUKKAH EGG AND AVO HASH

Serves 1 (multiply as needed! Simple as that)

  • 350g potatoes (I like to use half maris piper and half sweet potato for a lighter dish)
  • Olive oil
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • A few sprigs of coriander, leaves picked
  • 1/2 a small onion (or 1/4 of a normal one) red or white, peeled
  • Red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tablespoon runny honey
  • 1/2 a ripe avocado, sliced
  • 1 large egg, free range or organic
  • 1/2 teaspoon dukkah, homemade or store bought – see below
  • Squeeze of lemon juice

Start by giving you potatoes a good scrub (I leave the skins on for added nutrients and texture) and then cut into even sized chunks. Place in a pan of boiling salted water and boil for around 8 – 10 minutes, depending on the size of your pieces, until cooked through.

Whilst the potato is cooking slice the onion as finely as you can and place in a bowl. Cover with a good splash of red wine vinegar and the honey. Give it all a good stir, making sure the onion is covered in the vinegar mix and leave to one side.

When the potato is cooked drain completely and mash the potatoes in the pan (I like to keep the hash a little chunky so mash the veg enough to break them down but not completely smooth). Add most of the coriander leaves, season well and poor a lug of oil into the bottom of the pan and place it back on a medium heat. Fry the the hash for around 8 – 10 minutes, mixing it up and flipping it over now and then, till it is golden and crisp, with lovely crunchy bits throughout.

Half way through frying the hash, place a small pan of water onto boil and poach the egg to your liking – I do mine for 2.5 minutes for a runny yolk.

Plate up! Spoon the hash onto a plate, scatter over the lightly pickled onions (leaving the vinegar behind) and top with the sliced avocado. Squeeze over a little lemon juice, and finish with the poached egg and sprinkled dukkah (and an extra pinch of salt and pepper). Scatter over any remaining coriander leaves and tuck in.

 

EGYPTIAN DUKKAH

You’ll find dukkah in the spice aisle of most supermarkets now. However if you struggle to get hold of it, or just fancy making your own, it’s dead easy to make. It lasts ages and is fantastic sprinkled on almost anything, especially eggs.

  • 100g sesame seeds
  • 100g blanched almonds or hazelnuts (or a mix)
  • 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
  • 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 
  • 1 heaped teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat your oven to 180. Spread the nuts out in a tray and roast in the oven for around 4 minutes, until lightly golden. Pour onto a plate or into a bowl and leave to one side to cool.

Toast the sesame seeds into a dry frying pan until golden and again, spoon into a bowl, and leave to cool. Toast the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds for a minute or so until they start to smell wonderful and remove from the heat. Once all the nuts and seeds have cooled either grind them in a pestle and mortar, or blitz in a food processor with the salt and pepper until you have a coarse blend. Et voila! Homemade dukkah.