Thai Green Curry

This is a basic recipe of a Thai Green Curry. Add the chicken if you wish, but I recommend to keep it veggie, the flavours are simply amazing as they are. I hosted my first cooking lesson (yes I am now available for hire , please contact on olitchkaking@yahoo.co.uk) and one of my kind friends had to put up with my bossy ways! On the other hand I quiete enjoyed having her wonderful company around, helping me and asking questions and general chatting! We made this curry, and it was super delicious! The recipe is for 6 adults, we had to put some curry paste aside (it will keep in the fridge for 3 weeks).
For the curry paste:
Green Chillies: 4-6 (deseeded)
Shallots: 2
Ginger: 2" piece (chopped)
Garlic: 2 cloves
Fresh Coriander: a small bunch
Lemongrass: 2 ,chopped
Lime: 2 zest and juice
Coriander Ground: 1tbsp
Cumin: 1 tbsp
Black Peppercorns: 1 tbsp (crushed)
Thai Fish Sauce: 2 tbsp
Olive Oil : 3 tbsp
Place all the ingredients in the blender and whiz it well! The curry paste is ready!

For the curry we will need:

3 tins of light coconut milk

1 aubergine/eggplant(chopped)

2 courgettes(chopped)

10 baby potatoes, halved

300 gr green beans , halved

a splash of olive oil 

a pinch of salt

fresh spring onion and coriander to garnish

Heat up the olive oil in the pan, put the curry paste and warm it up. When the flavours have been released (i.e. after heating it up for a few minutes) add the coconut milk.

Bring it to the boil, turn the heat down, add the vegetables. 

If you are making it for dinner, cook for a further 20 min. on low heat. My advice is to make this in the morning, bring the curry to the boil point, switch off. Allow to stand all day and infuse, heat up for 30 min., in the evening.Serve with plenty of rice.

Enjoy!

Spinach Roll with Feta and Pine Nuts.

Happy New Year to everyone!
I hope that this year is going to be the best for your families , may all your wishes come true and everything you do will be successful! In Russia, the traditional holiday season is still going , it finishes on the 14 of December with the "Old Style New Year". I couldn't even dream of starting to explain that one!
I'm sure that by now you all are sick and tired of the Holiday Season food extravaganza.
So , here, in my kitchen, I try to come up with some vegetarian main dishes recipes , which are delicious, filling (it is still cold out there), but not too heavy on your tummy.
Even if you are a carnivore, like my husband, you are going to like this. Use the best puff pastry you can buy, unless you prefer making your own.This roll is great hot or cold, I would recommend to serve it with some green salad. The recipe makes enough for 6 adults.If there are less of you, still make the full recipe, keep it for the lunch next day, still delicious!
300 gr of fresh spinach
200 gr feta cheese
50 gr pine nuts, toasted
a small pinch of salt
pepper to taste
nutmeg to taste (I love loads of it)
approximately 300 gr good quality puff pastry sheet

Preheat the oven gas mark6/200C.
Boil the kettle, and pour the boiling water over the spinach, this will cook it. Squeeze the excess water out.

Line the baking tray with some baking paper, lay the pastry sheet on it. 

Put the spinach on it, crumble the feta cheese and sprinkle the pine nuts. Season with salt,pepper and nutmeg.

Gently roll it up.

Brush the top with some milk and make a few incisions with a knife.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until all puffed up and golden. Allow to cool in the oven for a few minutes.

Now slice and serve! Easy and tasty!

Enjoy!