Fantasy Veggie Dinner Guest - PRINCE

I grew up with Prince's music so it was a shock to hear of his premature demise. I would like to think of him at my fantasy dinner table. 

Prince was, in fact, a vegetarian already.

Knowing that he was an eccentric, I don’t think I would waste my time by trying to serve him any usual main course. Instead, knowing that he liked to be spoilt and made a fuss of (and that his minder always had to taste any food first), I think fairy cakes would be the logical answer. Especially these purple ones.

LAVENDER BUNS

Makes 12

125g/ 4oz caster sugar

125g/ 4oz self-raising flour

125g/ 4oz butter

2tbsp fresh lavender flowers, rinsed and dried
12 whole lavender flowers (for decoration)

2 free-range eggs

2tbsp milk

350g/ 12oz icing sugar

Purple (or a combination of red and blue) food colouring

Method

Mix the lavender flowers with the sugar and flour in a food processor.

Pass through a sieve and throw away any of the rough flowers which are left.

Add butter and eggs and mix until smooth.

Place 12 bun cases in a bun tray and spoon the mixture into the bun cases.

Bake for about 15 minutes until they have risen. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and mix with 6 tbsp of cold water. Add food colouring to stain it a purple colour. (This should make more than you think you will need.)

When the buns are cool, spread the icing over them. Allow the icing to drip - just place some kitchen roll beneath the wire rack. 

When this layer has dried, spread another layer on top. Repeat until you have a nice thick covering.

Remove the paper cases and place on a plate. Top each bun with a lavender flower.

BRIE AND CRANBERRY BAGUETTE SLICE

This is called a baguette slice because I just had a section of the whole baguette for my lunch.

Brie and cranberry is a classic combination.

There are no hidden secrets about making this; just assemble and enjoy!

Cut a section of the size you require from a baguette or French stick. Cut this almost in half lengthways.

Spread each side with butter or spread.

Spread one side with cranberry sauce.

Cut slices of brie and place inside.

FALAFELS

Middle Eastern street food makes a lovely light lunch.

Serves 2 - 4

3tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2tsp curry powder
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground coriander
handful chopped parsley
1 egg
2tbsp flour (plus extra for forming)
4 pitta breads
salad to serve

Heat 1tbsp oil in pan and fry onion until almost soft.
Add garlic, curry powder and spices and fry for a minute or two more. 

Stir well so that the spices have coated everything. Allow to cool a little.

Tip into mixer with chickpeas and parsley.
Blend until rough and chunky. 

Then transfer to a mixing bowl.
Add egg and flour and season. Blend together well with a wooden spoon.

With well-floured hands, shape into patty shapes and set aside until ready to serve.

Now prepare the accompaniments to suit your taste. (I used lettuce, cucumber, tomato, spring onion, mayonnaise, sweet chilli sauce and lemon wedges.)

Cut pitta breads in half.
When ready, heat the remaining oil. Fry patties until golden brown and firm, turning regularly.

They should be brown and crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. 
Place on kitchen paper to drain off any excess oil. 
Then place in a bowl.

Serve in pitta breads with the salad accompaniment.
We had them for lunch, outside at the picnic bench.

FRIED HALLOUMI

halloumi cheese

plain flour

olive oil

salt and pepper

Drain and rinse the halloumi cheese and cut into slices.

Dip the cheese slices into the seasoned flour. 

If they are dry, dampen them again first.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the coated cheese slices.

Fry for a couple of minutes each side until golden brown. (it doesn't matter of some of the flour comes off in the oil.)

Drain on kitchen paper before serving.

I accompanied the halloumi slices with some mixed leaves and a splodge of chilli sauce. 

They are also tasty sprinkled with paprika.

Can be a starter for one...

...or a sharing plate.

ANY OLD PORT IN A STORM - A Meal for Donald Pleasence

When Jenny at Silver Screen Suppers asked for test cooks for her Columbo Cookbook, Zelda was happy to volunteer and picked some vegetarian recipes which had been suggested by some of the guest stars in the numerous episodes.

Then she saw Donald Pleasence’s No-name Curry which was actually fish-based, but easily lends itself to a vegetarian makeover, as it is the sauce itself which is the important part of the dish, and fancied making a veggie version of it.  The original recipe can be found here. 

The Context

As the psychiatrist in Halloween, the prisoner of war who becomes almost blind in The Great Escape and Bond villain Blofeld in You Only Live Twice (among many other roles), Donald Pleasence certainly made his screen presence known.

In the 1973 Columbo episode Any Old Port in a Storm, he plays a vintner who will kill to protect his interests.

The Recipe and my Variations

Just like Johnny Cash’s Chilli, this was not originally a vegetarian recipe but with a few tweaks it can easily become one.

I have used the usual names for the herbs and spices so that sourcing is easier. I would have had no difficulty finding these in the local supermarket (although most were already in my ‘storecupboard’).

I find it easy to measure in teaspoons and tablespoons but have also included the metric equivalent.

I am used to cooking out the spices a bit more at the start of a recipe, so I have slightly changed the order of cooking and added an extra stage. Because I was using tofu instead of salmon drained from a tin, I needed to make sure that this was cooked so I did that at the start of the cooking, too.

The recipe states that it goes from the hob to the oven to the grill so be prepared to move it about a bit and keep those oven gloves handy.

In the UK we are more likely to label ground garlic as garlic powder. Donald was extremely vague about the amount to be used. I tried it with 2tsp and was happy with the result (after all we only want it to enhance the other flavours, rather than taste on its own). In the same way, what is listed as shredded coconut is usually known as desiccated coconut in the UK. (I like this – it sounds so dramatic!)

I think that Don (as I think I can now call him) spent more time reading scripts than refining his recipe, so he did not specify the type of cream (either for UK or US cooks). I have gone with double cream which I think the Americans call whipping cream. 

Many vegetarian substitutes are available, but I felt that this would benefit from an alternative, rather than a substitute, so I used tofu. It is sold in all major supermarkets, is easy to prepare and cook and is so versatile. It is also an ingredient in many Thai curries and Donald’s is very similar to one of these, particularly with its inclusion of coconut.

Finally, Mr Pleasence made no mention of temperature at any stage of the cooking process. If it were up to him it might just be a cold mush. I have gone with what seemed suitable and added it in below.

NO NAME CURRY

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp ground turmeric

 ½ teaspoon chilli powder

1 tbsp/ 15g butter

½ tsp ginger

2 tsp ground garlic

½ pint/ 10 floz milk

2 tbsp double cream

I pack (usually 396g) tofu

2 tbsp desiccated coconut

Cooking

Rinse the tofu and dry with kitchen roll or a clean tea towel. Cut into cubes.

Melt the butter in a pan, over a medium heat on the stove.

Add coriander, turmeric, chilli powder, ginger and garlic. Stir well until the spices are cooked.

Then add the tofu and stir until coated with the spice mixture.

Add the milk and cream, stirring until yellow. 

Transfer to a casserole dish with a lid.

Cook in oven at Gas 7/ 220°C/ 425°F for another 15 minutes.

Just before serving, remove lid, sprinkle shredded coconut over and grill until lightly brown. 

Serving

Serve in bowls with rice. 

Donald said it served 4. I agree with Jenny that 2 is more like it.

The Verdict

For Dave it was far too mild. In fact, his words were (and I quote): “If it was the only port in a storm, I might consider heading for it.” But we do need to remember that this is the opinion of a man who likes his curry so hot that it makes him sweat (and, on occasions, cry).

I enjoy more subtle flavours (and get ridiculed for being ‘Korma Girl’ when we go to an Indian restaurant with friends). I can't honestly say, though, that I really enjoyed this. For one thing, there was too much liquid. 

It is, though, a quick and easy recipe, which you could whip up when you fancy something tasty and simple, and you would have most of the ingredients in the cupboard.

I might make this again with coconut milk and some lime, rather than the double cream and milk combination to make it more reminiscent of a lovely Thai-style curry.

The Experience

As has become the routine, we had this as a TV meal. All you need is a tray and a DVD player to enjoy eating the food while watching the episode. 

Fantasy Veggie Dinner Guest - FRANK SINATRA

Frank Sinatra was one of the most iconic and influential singers of the 20th Century.








His renditions of My Way, In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning and Chicago are legendary, but this is my favourite:

With his Italian roots and American influences, I think he might be partial to a bit of lasagne.

Lasagne is a dodgy thing to make. Everyone has their own idea of what it should be like. This one is, however, particularly tasty, as well as being meat-free.

VEGETARIAN LASAGNE

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 350g pack quorn mince

1 500g box passata

I tin chopped tomatoes

2 tsp dried mixed herbs or 2 tbsp fresh

40g butter

40g plain flour

500ml milk

salt and black pepper

100g cheese, grated

1tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 lasagne sheets (see note below)

If you buy fresh lasagne sheets make sure that you have enough of the correct size to fit the dish you are using. You need three layers, so you may need to cut and join smaller sheets, although this will not affect the end result.

Method

Make the Bolognese Sauce

Fry onion in oil for a couple of minutes. Then add garlic and fry for a couple of minutes more until golden.

Pour in the chopped tomatoes and then add the quorn mince. Pour the passata over the top and stir well until the quorn has absorbed the moisture.

Season and add the mixed herbs.

Make the Cheese Sauce

In a separate pan, melt the butter and then add the flour. 

Stir until it makes a thick paste and cook out for a couple of minutes

Add the milk, a little at a time. Stir continuously until sauce becomes creamy and silky.

Mix in 70g of the cheese and season well.

Assemble the Lasagne:

Put one of the lasagne sheets into a pan of boiling water. 

Put one third of the Bolognese mix in the bottom of a large dish. Pour about a fifth of the cheese sauce over it.

Then carefully remove the lasagne sheet, refresh in cold water and pat dry.

Place on top of the first layer.

Repeat three times.
Pour the remainder of the cheese sauce over the top and spread out well to completely cover the pasta.

Put on a baking tray and top with the rest of the grated cheese.

Cover loosely with foil (you don't want it to stick to the topping).

While it is cooking, you may wish to prepare a salad for accompaniment.

When ready, heat in the oven for 20 minutes at Gas 8/ 220C, then remove the foil.

Cook for a further 15 minutes or so until the cheese is bubbling and slightly browned.

This was my plate with my slice of lasagne and my choice of salad:

After I had arranged his portion for the photograph, Dave added an extra spoonful, thereby ruining the artistic effect but proving that he was looking forward to the meal!