Baked Beans in (lots of) Tomato Sauce

I’ve always like baked beans, but recently I’ve eaten quite a lot of them. After reading the list of ingredients on a tin I realised there’s a bit more sugar and salt than I would ideally like to consume, and so I decided to make my own. The recipe I've given here makes a massive portion, so that you can freeze some of it in handy sized portions for easy use at a later date.

Makes about 10 servings

300g dried haricot beans, OR 600g ready boiled/tinned ones

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion

1 teaspoon salt

3 x 400g tinned tomatoes

140g tomato puree

10 large basil leaves

½ tablespoon honey

⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika powder

⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Prepare the beans according to the instructions on the packet. Normally this means a 12 hour soaking plus 1 ½ hours boiling time. You can soak the beans overnight, plus during daytime before you are ready to boil them. A slightly longer soaking does not hurt them; it instead makes them a little bit softer.

While you boil the beans, make the tomato sauce.

Start off by very finely chop the onion. I whizzed mine in my magimix, to get the onion completely mashed. This makes for a smoother sauce. Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan, and add the onion to it. Add a teaspoon of salt, and sweat the onion for about 5 minutes.

Pour the tinned tomatoes into your magimix and whizz until you have a smooth mixture. Pour this onto the sweated onion. Alternatively, if you don’t have a magimix; pour the tomato liquid onto the onion and finely chop the tomatoes and then add them too. Add the tomato puree, stir well, and cover. Leave to simmer for about 30 minutes.

Add the beans once they are cooked and drained.

Finely chop the basil leaves, and add to the sauce along with the honey, paprika powder and cayenne pepper. I’ve suggested some amounts here, but you should taste while adding and find amounts that suit your taste buds. You might like your beans sweeter than I do, or maybe spicier.

Leave the beans to cool down, then place portion-size amounts in small containers, label them, and freeze until you want to eat them.

Breakfast at The Natural Kitchen (London) – Monday 16 January 2012

The weekend in London had turned out to be a bit of a foodie indulgence, and the morning of the last day was to be no exception. We’d walked past this place the previous day, and decided that since it was not far from the hotel, and on the way to the tube, it would be a good place to go for our last breakfast together before catching trains back to our homes.


The Natural Kitchen looked very tempting from the outside, with lots of produce on display, and a delicatessen counter that brimmed with delicious-looking food. We went upstairs to the signposted café, and found a table in the corner, where our luggage wouldn't be in anyone’s way.

Having been quite naughty previously this weekend, and eaten more gluten than my body could cope with, I tried to find something on the menu that was edible. Disappointingly I didn’t have much luck, but I asked the nice waitress if there was anything they could make up for me, and she explained that there wasn’t, but that I could go downstairs, buy a loaf of gluten free bread, take said bread upstairs and they would make me a lovely sandwich. This sounded to me like a viable option, so my friends ordered their breakfast, and I ventured downstairs for bread.


To my disappointment I was told that they did not have any gluten free bread on sale. I am not normally the sort of person who gives up, so I asked if there was anything else that I could take upstairs, explaining that my friends were eating there and the waitress had told me to find food downstairs. I was abruptly told that there was nothing that could be sold there and eaten in the café upstairs. Feeling rather disappointed with this news I sighed and asked again if there was anything at all that I could take with me, feeling frustrated with the miscommunication and lack of service, but trying to smile and be friendly. By this point the waitress from the café appeared, looking quite confused when told that there was no gluten free bread. I was promptly told off by the deli staff for being negative, but was finally rescued by a lady who offered a gluten free quiche with a side of salad.


Feeling exasperated and sad I headed back upstairs to await my food, finding my friends enjoying their tea. I sank down into my seat, wondering if anything would appear, and if so, what it would be like. It turned out that when food eventually arrived (we were jokingly wondering if they had to grow the food first, concluding it was a good thing that our trains weren’t leaving for quite some time) it was delicious. However, I don’t think that it was delicious enough that I would go through the stresses of ordering gluten free food there again.

Breakfast at La Fromagerie (London) – Sunday 15 January 2012

We discovered this treasure-trove by chance the previous day, and decided that it would be a good place to have breakfast. So on a sunny Sunday morning in London we set out to find the cheese shop again. Luckily it wasn’t too far from our hotel, my legs were still tired from all the walking we had done the previous day, and I was ready for some proper breakfast. As it turned out, we had come to the right place. After a couple of minutes’ wait (there were not many tables, but a steady stream of customers wanting to eat) we were directed to four available seats in the middle of a long table. It was a homely wooden table with benches; it had that French rural feel to it, and with it an anticipation of great things to come. 

I ordered a plate of the home made baked beans, and went in to the cheese room (yes, a whole room filled with cheese, kept behind a closed door to keep cool) to choose a cheese platter to go with it. My friends selected an assortment of toasties and granola, and judging by the look on their faces when the food was tasted they were very happy with what they were served. And so was I. The beans were coated in a thick and tasty tomato sauce, and the cheeses were wonderful.

As we were eating it was coming to the end of breakfast service, and lunch was put out on a nearby table. At the same time the queue of people waiting to be seated quite exploded – it was like they all knew what was in store and were waiting patiently for their turn at the table. I have to say the lunch items looked fantastic; I decided there and then that I have to go back next time I’m in London to try it out.

For our pudding (one should always have pudding after breakfast on a Sunday) we had hot chocolates, made with Valrhona chocolate. Nothing can beat hot chocolate made with real good quality chocolate, and these were no exception.

I look forward to going back for lunch some day.

Creamy Yellow Split Pea Soup

There’s something very comforting and warming about soups that make them perfect lunch fodder during winter. At least I think so. And pulses are both healthy and filling. Also, even better, they are relatively cheap, which means you can use more money on something else, like a new handbag or those shoes you’re been drooling over for weeks..

Serves 2 to 3 people

180g dried yellow split peas / 440g ready boiled ones

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large yellow onion

1 clove of garlic

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

⅛ teaspoon mustard seeds

⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

750ml water

1 vegetarian stock cube

a pinch of herbal salt

100ml double cream

If using dried yellow split peas, they should be prepared according to instructions on the packet. Usually they need to soak in water for at least 12 hours (I like to leave them for 24 hours to make them a bit softer) and then they should be boiled for about 40 minutes or until soft. I normally boil them for just over an hour, but then I like my peas a bit soft. They still won’t be as soft as tinned peas, but they’ll be pleasant to eat.

Peas, as all pulses, grow when soaked in water, so 180g dried ones turn into about 440g boiled ones. If you think this is a bit of a hassle to do every time you’re about to make pea soup, then you can boil a big load and freeze whatever you don’t use in portion packs – ready to be used at a later date.

Once your peas are ready to use, and you are starting the soup itself; chop the onion and warm the oil in a saucepan. Turn down the heat and sweat the onion in the oil, chop the garlic and add. When the onion is soft, add the turmeric and stir well.

Use a pestle and mortar to crush the cumin and mustard seeds (or use ready ground ones if you prefer). Add these to the onions. Add the cayenne pepper, and continue sweating the onions for a couple of minutes, to soak up the flavours.

Boil the water and add to the saucepan, along with the stock cube. The reason it’s good to use warm water is that this prevents the onions cooling down, and so it doesn’t slow down the cooking process.

Leave the soup to simmer for about 15 minutes. Taste to with herbal salt, and use a hand-held kitchen blender to whizz the soup until it is quite smooth. It can be nice to leave some lumps though, so blend it as much as you feel like, or not at all.

Finally add the double cream and bring back to the boil.

Soups are delicious served with bread; if you are feeling particularly adventurous you could toast a slice of bread and chop it up into croutons.

Afternoon Tea at The Langham (London) – Saturday 14 January 2012

I have to admit that this was not my first visit to the Langham Hotel in London. I went there for afternoon tea last spring as well, and it was so pleasant I decided it warranted another visit. So when I found myself planning a weekend in London I just had to book a table for an afternoon of indulgence.

Afternoon tea at a posh hotel is not something that I can afford to do every day, but that makes it even more of a treat when I do splash out on something like this. There were two menus to choose from, the Wonderland Afternoon Tea (£38 per person) and the Stephen Webster Bijoux Tea (£49 per person). We chose the Wonderland menu, and did not regret it.

There is an extensive tea menu to choose from (some teas are included in the menu price, whereas others have an additional charge). Luckily you are given plenty of time to make your choices, and should you have any questions there is a tea sommelier at hand to help.

Once we had finally made our tea choices (much more difficult than the food choice), we were rewarded with an amuse bouche; a rhubarb jelly with custard. It was mouth-wateringly delicious. And then our teas and sandwiches arrived in a steady stream of pots, plates and waiters. Our cakes arrived at the same time, standing there – tempting us with their presence. 

Being a vegetarian I asked for an alternative to the standard menu, which included fish and meat. This request was no problem at all, and I received sandwiches that looked, and tasted, just as delicious as the standard ones. There was even a refill of sandwiches if we wanted.

Our cups were refilled throughout the meal, and more pots of tea were provided when we ran out. My tea was the rose-bud tea, a deliciously fragrant one.

When we had finished our sandwiches it was time for scones. They were served warm, in a little basket, with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Sometimes scones can be a bit heavy and cloggy; not so these ones. They were light and airy, and melted in our mouths. As did the clotted cream and home-made jam.  It was one of those moments when I wished I’d had more room in my tummy; I could have eaten many many more.

Finally it was time for cakes; we had looked at them in anticipation for a very long time (at least it felt like it). The only problem was which one to eat first? I went for the salty popcorn and toffee macaroon, since it sounded a bit dubious and I wanted to get it out of the way first, so that I could enjoy the nicer-sounding ones afterwards. How wrong I was. It was absolutely delicious, possibly the best one out of the lot. Slightly salty but sweet, buttery and more-ish.

After our afternoon tea was devoured we were sat there looking at each other, knowing that we eventually would have to move, but wondering how we were going to manage. I have not felt that full for a long time, although not unpleasantly full, just full in a very content and happy sort of way. We’d been there for a couple of hours, eating our way through mouthful after mouthful of delicious food, being waited on hand and foot, enjoying the complete relaxation and break from reality that The Palm Court at Langham is.

Dinner at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon – Friday 13 January 2012

I’d been looking forward to this dinner for some time. I’d heard of the restaurant quite a while ago, and then it was featured in the BBC programme ‘Master Chef – The Professionals’, and I decided I had to go there. Soon.  So when a visit to London was planned I seized the opportunity and booked a table.

The prices were quite steep, at least for my wallet, so we went for the pre-theatre menu. This is a somewhat reduced list of options, but there is still enough of a choice that there is something for most people’s tastes. The only drawback, I found, was the limited time when it is available (5.30pm to 6.15pm). We had the three courses for £32, and even a picky eater like me found something that I fancied. Not bad.

Before our starter arrived we were presented with an amuse bouche, a little taster to get our appetite whet. My friends received a foie gras jelly topped with parmesan foam, and I was given the vegetarian option; fennel jelly with lemon foam. Delicious.

I started off with the L’OEUF COQUE SANS COQUE, while my friends had the LE SAUMON D’ECOSSE, accompanied by a glass of their house champagne. Lovely. Both were good choices. The egg was runny but in a good way (I don’t normally like runny yolks), and the mushroom sauce was divine. The salmon was served paper thin, with delicate yet flavoursome spices.

For our main courses we chose LES SPAGHETTI (Spaghetti with confit cherry tomatoes in basil, black olive and parmesan, the only vegetarian option – but oh so yummy), LA VOLAILLE (Chicken with chips), and LE LIEU (Pollock with leeks and lemongrass). The amazing thing is that these dishes sound so ordinary but taste so out of this world. You could ask who goes to a two Michelin starred restaurant and orders spaghetti, but it was honestly the best spaghetti I’ve ever had. It melted in my mouth, and was both spicy and mild at the same time. Definitely something to aspire to when cooking at home. We had a white wine with our main courses; a Chablis, which turned out to be perfect. One of us had an apple juice, which was freshly pressed and beautifully presented.

There was no hesitation from any of us when ordering the desserts, it had to be the LE CHOCOLAT TENDANCE (Creamy Manjari chocolate, bitter chocolate sorbet and Oreo cookie crumb) for all of us. It was stunningly beautiful to look at, and even better to eat. It was one of those moments when you dive into a creamy chocolaty heaven, and never want to leave again. The creamy chocolate was light and airy, the sorbet was cold and refreshing, and the oreo cookie crumb was a perfect contrast to the rest.

I assume the main menu holds many more delights, it definitely looked lengthy, but the pre-theatre menu was more than good enough for me. I can understand why they have received their Michelin stars, the ambience was lovely, and the waiters were always present but discreet.  I loved the décor as well, with a black and red colour scheme, and a living green wall to one side. The kitchen was open so that we could see the chefs at work, but still there was no noise, no screaming and shouting – it was all very tasteful and pleasant, and professional. I’d love to go back there.

Baked Chocolate Cheesecake

I made this cake recently, for a friend’s birthday, and it was a bit hit. We managed to make it stretch to feed 20 people, but we could easily have devoured it between 10 of us. I found the recipe in a Norwegian magazine last year, and have been dying to make it since I saw its photo. It takes a while to make, because of the long baking time it requires, and because it needs to cool down completely before the glazing is added. But it is definitely worth the wait.

Serves 10 to 12

300g biscuits (I used gluten free bourbon biscuits)

70g butter

800g cream cheese

200g sugar

6 eggs

500g dark chocolate

150ml double cream

100g white chocolate (I used Green & Black's)

1 tablespoon butter

chocolate buttons for decoration

Crush the biscuits in a food processor, melt 70g butter and add this to the biscuits. Press the biscuit mixture into a 20cm cake ring, and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, mix sugar and cheese until you have a smooth mixture. Whisk in the eggs, but don’t whisk to heavily at this point.

Break up the dark chocolate and melt it slowly with 100ml cream in a thick-bottomed saucepan. When it is fully melted, add it to the cream cheese mixture. Mix well until it is smooth and even, and pour it onto the base which you have retrieved from the freezer.

Bake the cake in the oven on 130^oC for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 120^oC for 30 minutes, and then finally bake it on 100^oC for 90 minutes. Turn the oven off and open the door. Leave the cake to cool in the oven until it is at room temperature.

Break the white chocolate and melt it slowly with 50ml cream and a tablespoon of butter in a thick-bottomed saucepan. Stir until it is even and smooth. Pour it over the cheesecake, and leave the cake somewhere cool for a couple of hours.

Remove the cake ring, and decorate with chocolate buttons.