Coconut Cauliflower Mash

Rather than taking the easy way out and making a hearty vat of soup everyday this 'Soft Food & Soft Music Week', we're trying to think outside the box and deliver something with a little more imagination. This simple dish is a perfect example. It's taken from Tim Ferris' book, 'The 4 Hour Chef', and in turn, he adapted it from a recipe by a leading US sports nutritionist. What can we say? We're trying to recover our health after a pudding-fuelled British Food Week last week. There are only good calories to be had here...

(to serve 2 as a main meal)

Ingredients: 1 cauliflower, coconut milk, cashew nuts, salt, curry powder & cinnamon.

Method: First of all, remove as many leaves from the cauliflower head as you can. Second, wrap the head in a large tea towel, and happily smash it on the sideboard! This removes the heads from the stalks. Throw the heads in a large pot, or even better, a Dutch oven. Pour over half a tin of coconut milk (approx. 180ml). Bring to the boil, and then turn down to a simmer. Throw over the salt and curry powder, and leave to simmer for 20mins. Mash with a fork, and serve with a sprinkle of cashew nuts, and a generous throw of cinnamon.

Tips: Believe us, this is perfect as a main meal all on it's own!

Music: 'Fade' by Solu - it's soft music, but strong, and it's a track which doesn't compromise on meaning, sound, rhythm or melody for it's soft-ness.

Sweet Potato Fries With Roasted Red Pepper & Ricotta

I had braces once. Being male, I naturally don't remember too much, but I remember I also made the careful choice to have braces, bleached blonde hair, and a relatively high level of acne at the same time. This perhaps explains why I don't remember too many specifics in terms of the awkwardness of having a brace fitted. I do, however, remember enough to know that it was a pain in the ass, or more accurately, the mouth and head. 

Statistically speaking, half the workforce here at Cafe Pump have recently had a brace fitted, which means that crunching into an apple, chewing down on some steak, and snapping into refrigerated chocolate is strictly off-limits. So, in honour of those who are making the sacrifice for better and healthier teeth, this week is 'Soft Food & Soft Music' week here at Cafe Pump.

You would be forgiven for thinking that fries are off-limits, too, but have you ever ordered our sweet potato fries? They're drizzled with just the right amount of extra virgin olive oil, and a tiny amount of honey, and baked for just long enough to be a perfect combination of cooked, soft, and almost succulent. Not bad for something which comes from the ground. The combination of the baked red pepper and ricotta completes the palette for a wonderful light lunch or early dinner.

(to serve two at home)

Ingredients: 1 red pepper, 1 sweet potato, ricotta cheese, mushrooms, black olives, olive oil, honey, salt, pepper, and fresh basil.

Method: Pre-heat the oven to 250c, and drizzle oil and honey over the halved red pepper. Roast for 30mins. In the meantime, cut a sweet potato into thin strips for the fries. Drizzle them with olive oil and honey, and bake for an undisclosed amount of time. i a small pan, gently warm some black olives and mushrooms. Remove the pepper, and layer the mushrooms and olives, and a generous dollop of ricotta. Add the fries, and garnish with salt, pepper, parmesan, and a fresh basil leaf.

Tips: We're not telling you the perfect timing for the yams, sorry!

Music: Robert Cray - Right Next Door: It's about as soft as it gets, but not in a weak way.

30 Days of Joyful Cycling

The pragmatic Dutch, and particularly those hardened Amsterdammers, are famed for their cycling tendencies. Ask a local about the bicycle culture here in Amsterdam, and your response will most likely be an arrogantly vacant stare. Vacant because so deeply engrained in everyday life is the bicycle, that separating it and labelling it hasn't ever occurred, and arrogant because they know deep down that Amsterdam is THE cycling city, and they know you're only jealous. 

Over here, the bike is King. That's it. Plain and simple.

Even the majority of the bikes are plain and simple. Despite the resurgence of retro racers and road bikes appearing, and the Spring bringing more and more sightings of the MAMILS (middle aged men in lycra) on their road bikes around the outskirts of the city, the bikes you're most likely to see around here are the kind of bikes your grandparents might have used. People of all ages, of all social standings and professions, all glide merrily around the city sitting up straight. It makes for quite a beautiful sight, one that is well-documented . In most other cities in the world, the 'bike culture' needs to be alternative, it needs to be championed by bearded hipsters on colourful fixies and documented on Instagram, and it needs to scream to get attention.

Over here, the bike is King. That's it. plain and simple.

Whether you've been pedalling around Amsterdam for five minutes, five years, or a lifetime, it's easy to forget that not everywhere in the world is like this. Sure, other cities around the globe might be blessed with an agreeable climate, a kindly flat terrain, wide streets or boulevards, or a significant bicycle infrastructure, or have a sub-culture of cool kids cycling, but the fact remains that no other city (with the possible exception of Copenhagen) has had strong Governmental backing, and the humble bicycle at the forefront of town and city planning like Amsterdam. Sadly, it's not possible for every town and city across the world to adopt such policies and approaches to cycling. However, it is very possible for each and every able body to make a choice and jump on their bicycle. Cycle. Go ride. Pedal to the shop. Amble on two wheels rather than walking around town. Use your bike to commute. Take the appropriate steps to make yourself as comfortable and safe as can be, and do it with a smile on your face. Anyone can do one or more of those things, no matter your ability, fitness, confidence, location, or choice of bike.

Which is why that '30 Days of Biking' is such a great initiative. A doddle for a local here, but more of a meaningful statement of intent elsewhere, the pledge to ride your bicycle at least once everyday April 1-30. The organisers are working to provide bicycles to privileged children for every thirty online pledges. So despite biking being as normal as breathing in and out where we live, one that we're fully supporting, and will enthusiastically shout about.

Make your pledge here: http://30daysofbiking.com/

Over at @30daysofbiking on Twitter, you can follow a global community of joyful cyclists, and share in the adventures by using the hashtag #30daysofbiking.

See you on the tarmac, 
or gravel,
or road,
or designated bike path,
or mountain,

Glenn & Em :)

Rhubarb & Orange Crumble

Laud the concept of good, old fashioned British cuisine if you will, but one thing which cannot be debated is the high and hefty standards of the British sweet - irresistibly heavy puddings and desserts. Undoubtedly, one of the classics has to be Rhubarb Crumble.  We gave this old dame a slight twist with a paired addition of fresh orange zest and juice, and a delicate hint of dark chocolate. Heaven in a bowl.

(serves 6)

Ingredients: Rhubarb, 1 large orange, caster sugar, 155g plain flour, 300ml milk.

Method: Chop the rhubarb into 2.5cm lengths, and spread evenly in the bottom of an oven dish. Pre-heat the oven at 175c. Sprinkle the caster sugar on to the rhubarb, along with the juice and zest of 1 large orange. Leave to stand for a while. In the meantime, 

Tips: Perfect custard =  a secret blend of single cream and milk!

Music: 'At Last' by Etta James -  Absolute indulgence.

Spotted Dick & Custard

While the name might suggest a misplaced article on sexual health advice, for those who aren't in the know, spotted dick actually refers to THE classic British dessert. Loaded with calories, heavy, and yet oh-so-heavenly. It can be made in a more traditional 'roly-poly' presentation, or, as it's more common, in a round pudding mould. Either way, the taste doesn't change. The name apparently derives from the Dutch and German words for dough (deeg and teig), and of course the spotted element comes from the appearance of the raisins.

(serves 6)

Ingredients: 225g self-raising flour, 115g suet, 55g caster sugar, 140g raisins, 1 lemon rind, 155ml milk, 2tbsp butter, and for the custard: 425ml single cream, 4 egg yolks, 3tbsp caster sugar, and vanilla extract.

Method: Mix together the flour, suet, sugar, raisins, and lemon rind. Add the milk and form a soft dough. Then either roll out on to a floured surface to roll into a roly-poly, or pour into a pudding mould. Wrap/cover with foil, and place either above a boiling water source, or on a rack above boiling water in the oven. Steam for 1-1 and a half hours, consistently checking the water levels. For the custard: heat the cream in a small source pan, and simmer. Cream the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract in a measuring jug. Add the hot cream to the jug, stir, and return the mixture to the pan. Serve warm with generous amounts of custard.

Tips: Perfect custard =  a secret blend of single cream and milk!

Music: 'Glad All Over', by Dave Clark Five -  Good old British rock and roll.

Bangers & Mash with Red Onion Gravy

Bangers and mash. Not unlike many other quintessentially British food, 'bangers & mash' sounds somewhat playful and simplistic. This hearty dish is somewhat simple, but that shouldn't be taken as a negative. It's a beautifully simple marriage of a few textures and tastes, which, once they receive a little facelift, transform it from the pub grub leagues, to gourmet classic. Fresh parsley, a little bit of strong cheese, and leaving the skins on the spuds will set your mash apart, and provide more in terms of texture, colour, flavour, and taste. And to really make this one purr, it's all in the gravy. A carful mix of red and white onions, and a generous helping of port will proverbially and literally sugar-coat the whole meal into something more sophisticated, sexy, and mature. Think: turning Sam Fox into Sophia Lauren.

So what's in a name? The 'mash' obviously refers to the humble mashed potato, but referring to your sausages as bangers? For the answer to that, we're back to World War 2, and rations. The lesser quality sausages available at the time were made with a larger percentage of water, which means that if you weren't carful, you ran the risk of exploding your sausages as you cooked them. Bang! Thankfully today there's just a pleasant sizzle.

(for 2 people)

Ingredients: 4 sausages of your choice, 2 white onions, 1 red onion, 400g King Edwards spuds, 200ml milk, 100g butter, parsley, 200ml port/sherry, 175ml vegetable stock, salt, and pepper.

Method: Peel and wash the potatoes, and place them in a pot just so they are submerged in cold, lightly salted water. Bring to the boil. Meanwhile, fry up the sausages in a light sprinkle of oil over a low heat. Both the sausages and spuds will take approximately 30mins. In the meantime, finely chop the onions, and fry them in 60g butter in a small pot. Once they are starting to brown, add the port or sherry, and vegetable stock. Fry until sticky. After 25mins, remove the potatoes and drain well. Add 55g butter and 150ml milk, and a generous handful of fresh parsley, salt, and pepper, and mash well. Serve the mash, with sausages shaped on top, and drizzled with the onion gravy.

Tips: Leave the skins on the potatoes for some extra fibre and texture.

Music: 'Bangers and Mash' by Peter Sellers & Sophia Lauren -  "Give us a bash at the bangers and mash me mother used to make". Pure gold.

All-in-the-Fridge Omelette

Another king of thrift without skipping anything in terms of taste, texture, nutritional value, or ability to fill, the classic fridge leftover omelette! It's deemed a classic for good reason, it really does tick all of the boxes. Even the most basic of omelettes will leave you satisfied, and it's a simple task to spruce up the basic model into something with a little more flair. This will, of course, depend upon exactly what you have in your cupboards or fridge to use up. However, there are a couple of staple options that go a long way to providing that flair. Our golden rules: fresh rocket leaves sprinkled on top, a good quality strong cheese sprinkled 5mins before serving, just about long enough to have started melting by the time you eat, and colour - we're looking for a contrast of textures and colours to make this simple snack.

(for 2 people)

Ingredients: 3 eggs, mushrooms, spinach, 2 small tomatoes, pieces of ham, rocket leaves, generous chunks of Oud Amsterdam cheese.

Method: Fry up the harder vegetables in a pan with a somewhat stringent amount of olive oil, and season with salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of chilli flakes. Add the softer vegetables (for us it was a generous handful of spinach leaves and tomatoes), and fry for a further 3/4mins. Add the whisked eggs, sprinkle some more leaves, and rocket, and cover. Cook for 7/8mins. Open the lid and check on progress regularly. Just before serving, throw on some fresh rocket leaves, and the cheese. Serve warm with a simple salad.

Tips: Don't add too much, or too little. A small frying pan loosely full is perfect.

Music: Green River - Creedence Clearwater Revival Like the omelette, it's something which gently screams about the beauty of simplicity.

DIY Sushi

Thoughts of sushi can often take us to an expensive restaurant, overly fussy and lengthy presentation times, and to thoughts of expensive fresh fish inside the rolls of delight. However, as long as your prepared to substitute the fresh fish for a vegetable or egg alternative, the homemade or DIY sushi can be surprisingly thrifty, and fun to make. We serve ours ready for you to make yourselves, with the rice spread on the nori, and the ingredients cut into strips. You're free to pick and choose your ingredients from basic omelette strips, avocado, cucumber, pepper, courgette, and of course we're on hand should you find it too tricky. As long as it's relatively fresh, and can be cut into long thin strips, whatever you have left in the fridge will work fine.

Ingredients: Sushi rice (cooked some hours before), carrots, courgettes, cucumber, avocado, eggs (basic omelette), peppers, soy sauce, and of course, nori.

Method: Cook the sushi rice at least a few hours before making your rolls, or the night before is fine. Then chop all the ingredients into long and thin strips. Set aside and prepare the rolling mats and nori. Once cooled, the rice should be spread thinly on the nori, leaving a couple of cm's at the bottom, and a little more at the top. Have a bowl of water ready for the rolling, and un-sticking of your hands!

Tips: Don't add too much before rolling your sushi - a small well-resented one is better than an over-flowing messy one!

Music: Turning Japanese - The Vapers because god loves a lazy lyrical connection!

Sexy Beans On Toast

Whereas the tendency might be to 'strip down' for cheap week, if you'll excuse the pun, this Beans On Toast dish gets the opposite treatment. Regular, run-of-the-mill beans on toast gets all 'sexified' and 'poshed-up' with whatever you have in the fridge. And there's the reason this works well for a cheap treat. Whatever you might have in the fridge that needs using up, it's more than likely to add something to this beautifully basic British dish. Providing you have a tin of beans in the cupboard, bread to hand, and some extras in the fridge, this becomes a valuable cyclists lunch or dinner. Furthermore, on a cool day the post digestive flatchulence will warm your lycra and propel you that little bit quicker.

Ingredients: Some good quality brown bread, beans, and whatever is in need of being used in your fridge. May we suggest celery, mushrooms, cheese, bacon bits, and red onions.

Method: Fry what you need to fry, then heat together with the beans. Serve on toast.

Tips: Don't add the cheese too early, it shouldn't be completely melted once served.

Music: Come Together - The Beatles

Vietnamese Chicken and Broccoli Curry

This is a good one for the more serious cyclists, packed full of protein and the good sorts of energy, and warming enough to be a big reward as winter slowly turns to spring. Based on a Nigel Slater recipe, it's more soupy in texture, so make sure you get your carbs in the way of some good bread for mopping and dipping. What can you say, 'you can take the man out of England, but you can't take England out the man'.

Ingredients: Duck/chicken legs, red curry paste, salt, pepper, 200g broccoli, 200ml chicken broth, 400ml coconut milk, courgette, curry powder, brown sugar, 1 lime, and chilli flakes.

Method: In a large pan or Dutch oven fry the duck or chicken in a generous splash of olive oil. Once a tender-looking golden brown on all sides, add the red curry paste, broth and coconut milk. Bring to the boil, and cook for a few mins before reducing to a simmer. Cook for 20mins. Finally, add the courgette and broccoli and simmer for a further 5-10mins. Serve piping hot, and season with salt, pepper, and a splash of lime juice.

Tips: Remove as many broccoli stems as you can.

Music: Van Morrison - Into The Mystic

Green Thai Fish Curry

This is one is one of Glenn's specialities. A simplistic yet flavourful dish full of taste, proteins and energy. 

Ingredients: White fish filets, coconut milk, green curry paste, mixed veg of your choice, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and whole grain rice.

Method: Gently fry the fish in a large pan until slightly done. Add the veg mix, and fry together over a lower heat, stirring as necessary. After 5/6mins, add the coconut milk and stir again. Adjust the heat to slightly lower than a simmer, and cook for 20mins. Use whole-grain rice, which requires a little longer to cook. Serve the curry on a bed of rice.

Tips: Brown sugar - a generous sprinkle brings everything together. Always.

Music: Van Morrison - Into The Mystic