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Pipsqueak posts

The Pipsqueak Posts Episode 1: the one where they meet

Kate Hardy

Hello! We’re Archie and Dexter, English springer spaniels, also known as Senior and Junior Edit-paw-ial Assistants to Kate Hardy, our pet author (henceforth referred to as Mum). We’re half-brothers because we have the same father, and we’re exactly three and a half years apart in age. [Pet Author note: at the time of writing, May 2020, Archie is 3 and 3/4 and Dexter is 8 weeks.]

Archie says: so this is the moment I first met Pipsqueak, in our back garden.

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I wasn’t very impressed with him. Apparently he’s 1/15th of my size. Mum had told us about social distancing because of something called Covid 19, so I took the rules very seriously and insisted on putting some distance between me and Pipsqueak. (Mum said it doesn’t apply to people who live in the same house, and he was my baby half-brother. I was no longer an only dog. It seemed that Pipsqueak wasn’t just a visitor: he was staying.)

I soon discovered that puppies are exhausting. They run around *all* the time, they yip when they want something because they don’t have any manners, and then there are the needle-sharp teeth! The only way for a dog to deal with the situation is to hop up onto the sofa (where the puppy can’t reach you, even if he does a bit of bouncing and yaps at you to come down and PLAY WITH ME NOW) and to maintain a dignified silence. Thankfully, puppies eventually crash out and sleep for ages, giving a Senior Edit-paw-ial Assistant a chance to catch up with Mum and check out the new toys in the house. (I’m not allowed to have squeaky teddies because apparently I shred them – hmm, isn’t that the point of teddies? But there are new squeaky tennis balls, which is a Very Good Thing. Pipsqueak has a tiny one that I’ve got my eye on. He likes my oversized one. We can possibly arrange a swap.)

Once Pipsqueak had crashed out, I had peace and quiet to think. I decided I ought to take charge and teach him a few things… And thus began the Pipsqueak Posts.

Archie and Dexter, Uncategorised, Writing life

The arrival of Dexter

Kate Hardy

We have a new arrival in the house – Archie’s baby half-brother, Dexter. They have the same father but different mums; but there are distinct family resemblances in some of their markings, and they have the same sweet, joyful nature.

He’s settled in very well – here he is just arriving home.

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He absolutely adores my daughter, husband and son.

Archie isn’t too sure of him at the moment, but is allowing him a little closer every day. We’re taking it at his pace; he’s a lovely-tempered, well-socialised dog who wants to be friends with everyone, but it must be a bit of a shock to find the space you’ve occupied for three and a half years to suddenly have a pipsqueak in it. We’re making a fuss of him and ensuring he gets treats first.

Dexter will grow up to be Junior Edit-paw-ial Assistant (Archie is obviously Senior EPA). Duties include napping at my feet and sitting nicely for the last couple of spoons of porridge at breakfast, and as you can see Archie is taking his training duties seriously.

The early-morning walkies needs rescheduling (can’t leave the pup alone for an hour, and although the kids are home for lockdown they don’t fancy a 6am start), but I have discovered that a plot-walk can be replaced by plot-puppy-cuddling. And I’m working when baby’s asleep!

Lockdown, Recipe

Lockdown recipe: lime drizzle cake

Kate Hardy

Easy recipe – takes 35-45 mins cooking + 15 mins prep. Can swap limes for lemon or orange, or a mix. Makes 12 slices (works out at 8 weightwatchers points a slice)

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Ingredients:

  • 75ml vegetable oil
  • 200g sugar (+ 1 tbs for the drizzle)
  • 250g plain flour
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 3 limes, zested and juiced
  • 225ml soya milk (almond or oat also works)

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180C and line a 2lb loaf tin.
  2. Mix the oil, sugar and lime zest together.
  3. Add the flour, milk, bicarbonate of soda and 1tbs lime juice.
  4. Pour into the lined tin and bake for 35-45 mins (depends on your oven, and you might need to put some foil over the top for the last 10 mins of baking to stop the top catching).
  5. Meanwhile put the remaining 1tbs sugar and remaining lime juice in a bowl. Just before the cake is due to come out, heat in the microwave for 30 secs (you don’t have to, but it means the syrup soaks deeper into the cake).
  6.  When the cake is done (springs back when touched), take it out of the oven, pierce with a skewer and spoon the syrup over the cake.
  7. Cool and enjoy.
Lockdown, Recipe

Lockdown – gnocchi

Kate Hardy

Serves 2; takes 5 mins to cook both batches, plus 20 mins prep and an hour to bake the potatoes

Ingredients:

  • 500g medium-sized floury potatoes (Maris Pipers work really well)
  • 75g plain flour

Method:

Bake the potatoes for about an hour at 200C. When a knife goes into them easily, take them out, cut them in half, scoop out the potato and mash well (if you have a ricer, great – if not, a sieve will do – don’t add butter or any liquid).

Add the flour – cut it in with a knife, then work it in with your hands and knead lightly until it’s a non-sticky dough. (You might need a little more flour if it’s still sticky.)

Divide the dough into four and roll each piece into a sausage about 2cm thick; cut off slices about 1.5cm thick and roll into an oval. Place a fork on your work surface, so the tines are sticking up; hold the handle of the fork with one hand, and with your other hand roll your gnocchi up the tines and flip it over the edge (so you get ridges on one side and a light thumbprint on the back).

Drop half the gnocchi into a large pan of boiling water. When they rise to the surface (about 2 mins), they’re done. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm while you cook the second batch.

Serve with whatever sauce you like – the classic sauce is melted butter with fried sage, but we used an arrabbiata sauce (aka passata, garlic, onion and a bit of chilli) mixed with roasted Mediterranean veg.

Lockdown, Recipe

Lockdown – baked veggie risotto recipe

Kate Hardy

Based on a WeightWatchers recipe. Could swap the beans for 300g cooked diced chicken; and add Parmesan at the end when you serve. Is also nice cold with salad for lunch the next day.

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Serves 4
Takes 35 mins + prep

Ingredients:

  • 1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  • About 2cm of red chilli pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
  • 1 medium courgette (zucchini), diced
  • 150g mushrooms, diced
  • 275g arborio rice
  • 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes in juice
  • 1 x 400g tin aduki beans, drained and rinsed
  • 350ml stock
  • A little oil

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Heat the oil, saute the onions for 5 mins until soft, add the garlic and chilli and cook for another minute.
3. Add the rice, and stir for a minute.
4. Add the tomatoes, stock and vegetables.
5. Bring to the boil, add the beans, then transfer the lot to a casserole dish, cover, and bake for 25 mins until the rice is tender and liquid absorbed.

Lockdown, Recipe

Lockdown – cashew, chili and red pepper pasta sauce recipe

Kate Hardy

Easy and quick! Takes about 2 mins + 10 mins soaking for the cashew cream, then up to 20 mins, depending on what you do with sauce…

Serves 1 (easy to change quantities)

This is a very tweakable recipe. The basic cashew cream can be made sweet by adding a dash of vanilla extract; or you flavour it however you like to use with pasta (it’s very bland on its own!). You will need a blender (a stick blender will do).

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Ingredients:

  • 80g (1/3 cup) cashews
  • hot water to cover
  • half a red pepper, deseeded
  • About 2 cm of red chili, deseeded and finely sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  • a little oil

Method:

To make the basic cashew cream, tip the cashews into a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to soak for 10 mins, then tip the lot into a blender and whizz until smooth. (If you’re making it sweet, add vanilla extract to taste and whizz again; if savoury, see below…)

Put the red pepper on a plate and microwave for about 3 mins (if you don’t have a microwave, spray lightly with oil and roast for 20 mins). Leave to cool slightly and remove the skin.

To make the cashew cream, tip the cashews and water into a blender and blend until smooth. (Keep it in the blender for now as we’ll add more ingredients in a second!)

Heat the oil in a small pan, add the chili and garlic and sauté until soft. Add to the blender with the red pepper, and blitz again. (If you’re serving with pasta, start cooking the pasta at the same time as you heat the oil.)

Pour the sauce back into the pan and heat through – you might need to add a little water, depending on how thick you like your sauce. Serve with the pasta.

Tweaks: 

  • Alfredo: omit the chilli and red pepper, swap the oil for sunflower margarine and sauté 125g of sliced mushrooms with the garlic; then add the cashew cream and heat through)
  • Omit the red pepper and chilli, add a teaspoon of prepared wholegrain mustard to the garlic, add the cashew cream and then stir in some roasted veg and heat through
Lockdown, Recipe, Uncategorised

Lockdown – squash, pepper and bean curry recipe

Kate Hardy

SQUASH, PEPPER AND BEAN CURRY

Takes 30 mins + prep; serves 4

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Ingredients:

  • 1 red onion, diced
  • Olive oil
  • 25g fresh ginger, chopped (or 1/2 tsp ground)
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 X 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 red pepper, cored and cut into chunks
  • 600g squash, peeled and diced (can swap this for same weight of courgette, aubergine, other coloured peppers etc)
  • 1 X 400g tin black beans, rinsed and drained (or other beans, or chickpeas)
  • 150ml stock
  • couple of large handfuls of spinach (opt)

Method:

  1. Heat the oil in a large pan and saute the onion for 2 mins
  2. Add the garlic, ginger, spices and tomato puree, and saute for 1 min
  3. Add chopped tomatoes, stock and other veg, simmer for 20 mins
  4. Add the beans, simmer for 5 mins
  5. Add the spinach, if using, and wilt

Serve with rice or naan bread

Lockdown, Recipe, Uncategorised

Lockdown – butternut squash soup recipe

Kate Hardy

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP 

Serves 4 generously (keeps in the fridge for 3 days)

Takes about 35 mins + prep

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Ingredients:

  • 1 butternut squash, peeled and seeded and diced (or buy it prepped – 600g)
  • 1 pepper, seeded and diced
  • About 3cm of fresh red chilli, seeded and finely sliced (opt)
  • 2 ribs celery, chopped
  • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 1 red onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 1 litre stock
  • 2 tsp olive oil

Method:

  1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion, garlic, celery and carrot, and saute for 3 mins.
  2. Add the squash and stock, bring to a simmer, cook for 30 mins until the squash is cooked.
  3. Cool a little, then whizz through a blender and check the seasoning. (You might need to add a little bit more stock/water, depending on how thick you like your soup.)

Alternatives: 

  • Spicy: end of stage one, add spices and stir for 30 seconds: add 1tsp smoked paprika and 1 tsp cumin; or 1/2 tsp mild dried chilli; 
  • Orange: with the stock, add grated rind of an orange (and stir in the juice after you’ve blended it)
Lockdown, Recipe, Uncategorised

Lockdown – potato and leek soup recipe

Kate Hardy

Serves 4; takes about 30 mins + prep

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Ingredients:

  • 450g potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 3 medium leeks, washed well and cut into 1/2cm rings
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 litre stock
  • 1/2 tbs olive oil

Method:

  1. Heat the oil, then saute the leeks for about 3 mins.
  2. Add the potatoes, garlic and stock.
  3. Simmer for about 25 mins, until the potatoes are soft.
  4. Let it cool a little, then blend and season. 
  5. Garnish with snipped chives and a swirl of plain yogurt
Lockdown, Recipe, Uncategorised

Lockdown – veggie soup recipe

Kate Hardy

Super-easy – takes about 30 mins + prep

 

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  • 1 red onion or leek, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely sliced
  • about an inch of red chilli pepper, deseeded and sliced (or a pinch of dried chilli flakes)
  • 1 tsp ground smoked paprika
  • A litre of veggie stock (or 1 tin chopped tomatoes in juice plus fill the tin with water once or twice again, depending on the amount of veg you use)
  • Veggies – all roughly chopped – of your choice, roughly one large handful prepped per portion of soup (I’d use red/orange/yellow pepper, courgette, butternut squash, sweet potato, parsnip, a couple of ribs of celery…) (if you’d rather have a brothy soup, cut to small dice rather than roughly chop)
  • Big handful of dried red lentils
  • a little olive oil

Method:

  1. Heat a little oil in a pan; add the onion, carrot, celery, fresh chilli and garlic; saute on medium heat for 5 mins. 
  2. Add spices and cook for 30 secs.
  3. Add veggies and stock (and dried pulses if using), and simmer for 25 mins or until veggies are soft. 
  4. For smooth soup, whizz through a blender; for brothy soup, you’re already there 🙂

You can also get away with just dumping everything but the oil in a pan, bring to a simmer, cook for 25 mins (makes it even more low cal/easy effort).