What I learned from Rosh Hashannah Cooking

1. I really admire professional cooks. I am not a professional cook.
2. Every moment I spent planning was incredibly worthwhile.
3. I got Tesco to deliver the night before I began to cook giving me time to go and buy the all so essential ingredients Tesco failed to deliver.
4.I really believe we are programmed to like stodge. I made a Risotto pie from the Cranks cookbook that went down really well and was so simple. In fact good simple food goes down really well. Three simple recipes that go down really well include:
Hannah's tomatoes.
My daughter halves baby plum tomatoes and mixed with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. She then roasts them at about 120 for an hour or so. Really nice. Apologies for those who like exact amounts in recipes. my daughter does not do exact amounts.
Herby sweet potatoes
This is one of mine. I attempt to grow food in pots in a small London back yard. The beans were great, the peas failed completely and  London did not provide the sun to turn my tomatoes red. But I have found the herbs in pots very useful I am not a great gardener but I do know that herbs need a big pot. Forget those cutesy pots specially designed for herbs they are basically herb killers.
Anyway roast hunks of sweet potato in olive oil with fresh sage and rosemary for around 40 minutes at 200. I guess I am as enthusiastic about exact measurements as my daughter
Cranks Spinach Risotto Pie
from The New Cranks Cookbook-interestingly they define this as a starter.
25g bouillion powder
1 litre boiling water
50 ml olive oil
250g onions
3 cloves garlic-crushed
pinch nutmeg
500g Arborio rice
500g spinach
100g Parmesan cheese-grated
6 eggs
1-2 tomatoes
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 200
Make a stock with bouillon powder and keep warm. Heat the oil and add the onion, garlic and nutmeg. Fry until transparent. Now add the rice and also fry till transparent, stirring all the time. Add the stock gradually stirring continuously, until it is all absorbed and the grains are creamy but still intact. Add the spinach and stir until it is wilted. Finally add the Parmesan and beaten eggs.
Oil an oven proof dish and line with tomato slices and season.  (I left the tomatoes out and served this with Hannah's tomatoes.) Add the rice mixture and bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes