Gelato

Saw this made by James Martin, not this exact recipe, but it looked good and I found a recipe online that I adapted slightly. I love it because there is no custard to make and you can use powdered sweetener. This is the basic recipe, ideas for flavours are at the end. 1 1/2 (750ml) pint full cream milk 1 cup (100g) skimmed milk powder 6 oz (125 g) caster sugar or equivalent sweetener Put all the ingredients into a pan and heat gently, stirring all the time. Bring up to boiling point and immediately pour into a large mixing bowl and add flavouring Stir and leave to cool. When cool transfer to an ice cream maker and follow your usual instructions. I have a maker which freezes as well as churns and this quantity made 2 batches, each took about 10 minutes to freeze so much quicker than custard based ice cream. FLAVOURS (add to hot mixture to develop flavours) Vanilla, add the seeds scraped from a vanilla pod Coffee, I use Camp coffee as the flavour is better. About 1 tbsp to half the mixture but add slowly to your won taste. Chocolate, put 2 tbsp cocoa powder in a bowl and mix to a smooth paste with the same amount of the hot liquid. Mix into the the rest of the liquid. I will try other flavours with the soft fruits when we have them available and I want to try coconut, using coconut cream instead of some of the milk but that will be experimental.

Christmas cookies

500g plain flour
300g cold butter, salted
100g soft brown sugar
100g ground almonds
2 large egg yolks
4 tbsp cold milk

Out the flour and butter into a food processor and pulse till it looks like breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and ground almonds and pulse again. Whisk the egg yolks and milk in a bowl then add to the flour mix with the processor running in a steady stream till dough is formed.

Tip onto a surface and knead lightly then divide into 4, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough a piece at a time and roll to 5mm thick. Cut out 2 stars of each size, just one of the smallest. Place the stars on a tray lined with non stick baking sheet. Prick with a fork and chill again for 15 minutes, heat the oven to 160 fan. Bake until golden, 12 to 20 minutes depending on the size. Leav to cool then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pack lightly into airtight boxes and freeze until the day before they are wanted.

Defrost slowly then assemble the tree. Decorate as required..

Peppermint Creams

225g icing sugar
4-6 tbsp condensed milk
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
Green food colouring, optional
Cutters

Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl. Gradually add the condensed milk and peppermint extract, mixing with a wooden spoon. The mixture should be like dough.

Sprinkle a little icing sugar onto a clean surface, turn the dough out and shape into a ball. Knead until smooth.

If you want different colours separate the dough into 2 even sized pieces and colour one.

Roll the dough to about 4mm thick and cut with the cutters. Arrange on a sheet of parchment and leave to dry out overnight. Pack into pretty boxes.

Quails egg scotch eggs

9 quail eggs

500g pork sausagemeat

2 tablespoons of plain flour

1 egg beaten

8 tablespoons of breadcrumbs

Boil the quail eggs for 2 and a half minutes to 3 minutes. Drain the eggs and run under cold water. Then remove the shells.

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees C or gas mark 6.

Divide the sauagemeat into 9 pieces and roll into balls.

Make an indent in the sausagemeat ball and put the quail egg inside and then pinch the sausagemeat together and roll into a ball shape. Repeat for each egg.

Roll the sausagemeat ball in the flour, then dip in the beaten egg and finally roll the ball in the breadcrumbs. Repeat for each ball.

Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

Can be served hot or cold. They will keep in the fridge for 2 days. Ideal for picnics and packed lunches, or serve them with a salad or mash potatoes and beans.

Orange & Almond cale

Saw this on Saturday Kitchen, looks so easy.

2 oranges

225g/8oz caster sugar

6 free-range eggs, separated

250g/9oz ground almonds

4 tbsp flaked almonds

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease a 23cm/9in springform cake tin.

Simmer the orange in a saucepan of simmering water for 45-60 minutes, or until very soft. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the oranges to cool in the water.

Drain the oranges and roughly chop, discarding the pips. Blend to a purée in a food processor.

Whisk half the sugar and the egg yolks in a bowl until thick and pale. Whisk the puréed orange into the mixture and then mix in the ground almonds.

Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. Whisk in the remaining sugar and continue to whisk until the mixture is thick and glossy.

Fold the egg whites into the orange mixture until just combined.

Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and sprinkle over the flaked almonds.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, then cover loosely with aluminium foil and bake for a further 25-35 minutes, or until cooked through (a skewer inserted in the middle should come out clean).

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Salted Carmel Pear Butter

makes four 1/2 pint jars

1/4 cup of apple juice

5 tablespoons lemon juice

3 1/2 pounds pears, cored and quartered

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon good salt

Combine apple juice, 3 tablespoons lemon juice and pears in a large, heavy bottomed pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat.Lower heat, cover and cook until the pears are very soft. Press pear mixture through finest blade of a food mill.  Return to pot, add remaining lemon juice, sugar, nutmeg and salt.  Bring to a boil and stir until sugar dissolves.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook uncovered until thick, about an hour.

Ladle pear butter in to prepared 1/2 pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Process in water bath for 10 minutes.

Staffordshire Oatcakes

My goodness these are healthy.

 

8 oz fine oatmeal

7 oz whilemeal flour

1 tsp quick acting yeast

pinch salt

825ml water (1 pint 9 3/4 fl oz)

1 tbsp baking powder

12 tsp oil

Mix together the oatmeal,flour, yeast and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre then gradually add the water, stir with a wooden spoon until well mixed and the consistency of double cream. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and set aside for between 3 and 8 hours.

Once ready to cook whisk in the baking powder. Heat one teaspoon of oil in a non stick frying pan, when hot add a ladle full and swirl it round the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes then flip and do the other side. Repeat until all the batter is gone, should make about 12.

Malaysian BBQ Chicken

My adaptation on Steve Reichlen's Primal Grill recipe.

1 chicken (3-1/2 to 4 pounds)

For the marinade:
1/4 cup grated coconut (fresh or dried)
6 cloves garlic, peeled and rough chopped
1 medium onion rough chopped
2 tsp lazy lemongrass
2 tsp lazy ginger
1/2 sp red chilli flakes
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoons salt
lime wedges for squeezing
Directions

Spatchcock the chicken. Make 2 deep slashes to the bone in each leg and thigh. Fold the wing tips back behind the wings. Place the bird in a non-reactive baking dish just large enough to hold it.
Make the marinade. Place the dried shredded coconut in a dry cast iron or stainless steel skillet (not nonstick) and cook it over medium heat until browned and fragrant, stirring with a wooden spoon to prevent scorching. Transfer the coconut to a bowl to cool.

Place the garlic, shallots, lemongrass, ginger, chillies, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and salt, puree the ingredients in a food processor. Again, add water as needed to obtain a thick but pourable paste. Spoon this mixture over the chicken, forcing it into the slits in the legs, turning the bird to coat well on both sides. Marinate the chicken for 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Set up your grill for direct grilling and preheat to medium. Brush and oil the grill grate.

Drain the chicken and arrange it on the grill grate bone side down. Grill until golden brown and cooked though, 15 to 20 minutes per side, turning half way through. Move the chicken as needed to dodge any flare-ups. To check for doneness: use an instant read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh but not touching the bone: the temperature should be about 170 degrees.

Alternatively, make a cut in the chicken meat where the thigh connects to the body: there should be no traces of red at the bone.

To serve, transfer the chicken, skin side up, to a serving plate. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing.

Coffee marinated chicken

Take 2 chickens and spatchcock them. Make the rub as follows

Espresso Rub – enough for 2 full chickens

2 tablespoons ground dark roast coffee
2 teaspoons coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 teaspoon pure chile powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix all together and rub on all sides of the chicken. Leave to absorb the flavours for 2-4 hours in the fridge.

Mocha Mop Sauce

1 cup cold brewed coffee 
3/4 cup beer 
2 tablespoons cocoa powder 
1 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)

Mix all together in a bowl until the salt is dissolved.

When the BBQ is medium hot place the chickens skin side up with a drip tray underneath (scrape the coals to either side so there is room). Cook for 40-50 minutes, after 30 minutes use the mop sauce to baste. Turn the chickens over, baste with the sauce again and every 5 minutes till the chicken is cooked.

Flat bread on the BBQ

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1-1/4 cups warm water
2-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for brushing
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

At least 2 hours ahead of grilling, prepare the dough for the bakes. Combine the yeast, sugar, and 1/2 cup of warm water in a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until the yeast and sugar are dissolved. Let the mixture stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes, then stir in the remaining water. Sift in the 2-1/2 cups flour, the baking powder, and salt. Stir the mixture with the wooden spoon to form a stiff but moist dough, adding flour as necessary. (See Note below.) The dough will be moister than conventional bread dough, but not so wet that you cant roll it out. Knead the dough in the bowl until smooth and elastic, 5 minutes.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, place it in a warm, draft-free spot, and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours.
Preheat the grill to medium-high.
Punch the dough down by stirring with a wooden spoon. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Dust the balls with flour. Working on a liberally floured work surface with a floured rolling pin, roll each ball into a circle 6 to 7 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick.
When ready to grill the bakes, oil the grill grate. Lightly brush the bakes with oil and arrange them on the hot grill grate. Grill them until blistered and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes per side, turning them with a long spatula. Keep the bakes warm in a bread basket lined with a towel.

Aubergines in tomato sauce

2 aubergines, cut into 1.5cm/½in thick strips

100ml/4fl oz olive oil

1 tbsp tomato purée

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 garlic, crushed

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Meanwhile, heat 50ml/2oz of the olive oil in a frying pan and gently fry the aubergine pieces for five minutes.

Stir in the tomato purée, tomatoes, garlic and cumin and cook on a low heat for 25 minutes.

Add the rest of the olive oil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for a further five minutes, stir in the parsley.

Lovely with veggie parcels, pasta etc

Tomato Sauce–cold

Roast, grill or BBQ 6 tomatoes and 2 shallots. If you can’t get shallots then use a medium onion cut in half through the root, so it holds together. Cook them until they are lightly charred then remove the skins and roughly chop the tomatoes and onion. Put in a blender with a little red wine vinegar (other vinegars can be used – see at the end), seasoning, finely chopped parsley and extra virgin olive oil. Blend till it changes colour to a thick pink sauce. Chill for a while then serve with BBQ meats, fish. or vegetables.

I didn’t have red wine vinegar the first time I made this so used white wine vinegar, it was fine. I will try it using lime juice next time, instead of the vinegar.

Pork Pie

Ingredients

For the filling

• 400g/14½oz pork shoulder, chopped

• 150g/5oz lean smoked bacon, chopped

• 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage

• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

• ½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg

• ½ tsp ground allspice

• 2 tsp anchovy essence (or 1-2 fresh salted anchovies, finely chopped, or 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce)

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pastry

• 450g/16oz plain flour

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 50ml/2fl oz whole milk

• 50ml/2fl oz warm water

• 150g/5¼oz lard, chopped

• 1 free-range egg yolk, beaten

Preparation method

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

For the filling, place half of the pork shoulder and bacon into a food processor and pulse to a coarse mince.

Combine with the rest of the pork, bacon, sage, rosemary, nutmeg, allspice and anchovy essence (or 1-2 fresh salted anchovies, finely chopped, or two teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce), and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

For the pastry, sift the flour and salt and freshly ground black pepper into a bowl and set aside.

In a pan, heat the milk, water and lard together and gradually bring to a simmer, or until all the lard has melted.

Bring the milk mixture up the boil and then pour this onto the flour mixture. Mix well with a wooden spoon to create a firm dough.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead the dough quickly for a few minutes.

Roll the dough out flat, then press the dough into a pork pie tin, saving a quarter of the dough for the lid.

Spoon the meat mixture into the pastry-lined pork pie tin.

Roll out the remaining quarter of pastry so that it's slightly larger than the tin all round.

Brush the beaten egg yolk all over the pastry lid, then place the pastry on top of the meat mixture and press down the edges to seal.

Cut a small hole in the top of the pastry and transfer into the oven for 45 minutes to one hour, or until the pastry is golden-brown and the meat is completely cooked through.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin.

Chilled Gazpacho

I adore this cold soup, the only cold one I do like and it is so easy to make.


Serves 4-6
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: none

Ingredients
2 red peppers
2 yellow peppers
½ cucumber, peeled
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes in juice
4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 onion, peeled, roughly chopped
1 litre good quality tomato juice
100g (approx 2 slices) white bread, roughly broken up
1 tbsp Worcester sauce
2 tsp Tabasco sauce
2 tbsp vinegar (any will do but I use sherry)
1 tbsp sugar
150ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper

Liquidise all the vegetables, juice, bread and oil together, and then pass through a fairly fine sieve, not too fine. Then add the Worcester sauce, Tabasco, sherry vinegar and sugar, and mix well. Finally add the olive oil, salt and pepper in small quantities until you have the desired taste. To finish chill well and serve in mugs, cups or glasses.

Fish Fritters

I saw these being made by Rick Stein after he had found them as Tapas in a market in Barcelona. He suggests using any firm fish that is not too oily, so salmon, cod, haddock, bass etc including smoked.

Yield: 4-6 Servings as an Appetizer

Ingredients:

1 lb. salt cod

2 potatoes

1 to 1 1/4 cup milk

6 green onions

2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp chopped parsley

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

juice from 1/2 lemon

2 eggs

flour for coating

1 cup breadcrumbs

olive oil for frying

salt to taste

lemon wedges

 

If you are using salt cod rinse it under cold water to remove any caked salt from the outside. Cut cod into small pieces – about 1 to 1.5 inches. This will help cod absorb the water. Place fish in a glass baking dish and cover with water. Place in refrigerator and soak for at least 24 hours, changing water 2-3 times.

Pour out water and place fish in a colander, rinsing the pieces of fish under the faucet. Allow to drain for 5 minutes, then pat dry with a paper towel and place on a plate.

This is the starting point if you are using any other fish.

Boil potatoes with skin until cooked (soft and tender). Run until cold water and when it is cool enough to touch, peel. Cut potatoes into pieces and mash with a fork in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Finely chop the green onions. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté half of the onions. Add milk and heat. Add cod and simmer on low for 10 approximately 10 minutes. Take pan off stove and use a fork to break fish into small flakes. Remove bones.

Add cod mixture to mashed potatoes and mix. Add rest of onions, parsley and nutmeg. Drizzle in 1-2 Tbsp olive oil, adding lemon juice to taste. Mix thoroughly.

Beat 1 egg in a small bowl. Mix into the cod-potato mixture, then refrigerate until mixture firms – about 30 minutes.

Beat 1 egg. Place breadcrumbs in a small bowl.

Remove cod mixture from refrigerator and shape into balls, then flatten slightly

Pour 1/2 inch olive oil into a large frying pan and heat.

When oil is hot enough, roll each ball in breadcrumbs and dip in beaten egg. Fry over medium-high heat, until golden. Then, turn.

Remove balls from pan and drain on a paper towel.

Serve cod fritters with sofrito (tomato sauce) or alioli, Spanish garlic mayonnaise – or serve with both sauces!

Fruit Tart

• 500g/1lb 2oz puff pastry or packet of fresh, ready rolled all-butter puff pastry

• plain flour, for dusting

• 1 free-range egg, beaten

• 85g/3oz white chocolate, in pieces

• 2 tbsp Poire William liqueur

• 300ml/10fl oz full-fat milk

• ½ vanilla pod, seeds only

• 3 free-range egg yolks

• 85g/3oz caster sugar

• 2 heaped tbsp corn flour

• 150g/5½oz blueberries

• 2 medium plums, quartered

• ½ mango, peeled, cut into small chunks

• 1 small bunch seedless green and/or black grapes, halved

• 4 tbsp apricot jam

Preparation method

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry and cut out a rectangle measuring 36cm x 20cm/14in x 8in (alternatively use ready-rolled puff pastry). Place on a baking tray.

Using a table knife, score a 1cm/½in border around the edge, making sure you don’t cut all the way through (hold the knife like a pen, place your index finger against the outer edge of the pastry and run the knife along).

Brush the border with the beaten egg, taking care not to allow any to dribble down the sides because this will prevent the pastry rising evenly.

Prick the base of the tart (not the border) with a fork and leave the pastry to chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Bake the pastry for 20-25 minutes, or until golden-brown and crisp.

Slide the pastry onto a wire rack and set aside to cool. Once cooled, gently press the centre of the pastry down to leave the frame around the edge.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water (do not let the base of the bowl touch the water), and brush the melted chocolate over the bottom of the pastry (not the border). Set aside until the chocolate has hardened

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl. Pour the hot milk onto the egg mixture and whisk together. Pour this mixture back in the pan and bring to a simmer.

Whisk the corn flour into the pan, stirring continuously to avoid any lumps, until the mixture has thickened. Pour the custard into a bowl and set aside to cool.

Spread the custard mixture over the pastry base.

Draw shallow lines in the mixture with a knife to create four sections and arrange each different fruit in a section on top so that each section is a contrasting colour.

Heat the jam in a small saucepan and, with a pastry brush, glaze the fruit.

Allow to set before serving.

More flavours for those Christmas Whirls

I was watching a baking show on TV yesterday and these were suggested for some similar things.

Pesto, Sun dried tomatoes mixed with rosemary and tapenade.

Microwave Chocolate Pudding

4 oz self-raising flour
4 oz caster sugar
pinch salt
2 oz cocoa powder
2 oz butter/margarine
1 (beaten) egg
4 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
4 oz soft brown sugar
quarter pint hot water



1. Place flour, sugar, salt and 1 oz cocoa into a mixing bowl.

2. Melt butter on high for 45 seconds.

3. Add melted butter to flour, along with egg, vanilla essence and milk. Beat well.

4. Pour mixture into 8" souffle dish or medium-sized, high-sided microwave-proof dish.

5. Mix together brown sugar and remaining 1 oz cocoa and sprinkle over top of mixture. Pour over hot water until covered.

6. Cook on high power for 5-6 mins or until set on top.

The pudding will separate on cooking, giving a chocolate fudge sauce at the bottom. Serve with cream, custard or ice-cream.

Tip: Ingredients can be weighed out in advance and the pudding cooked before clearing up the main course.

Fillet of Beef

This was shown on James Martin’s Saturday Kitchen and I really want to try it. It is very expensive as it is Fillet but there should be no shrinkage so may go further. Cooked correctly it should just melt in the mouth.

2 tbsp oil

500g/1lb 2 oz middle-cut well-hung beef fillet

250ml/9fl oz red wine

250ml/9 fl oz beef stock

1 tbsp sherry vinegar

1 tbsp redcurrant jelly

75g/3 0z butter

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 60C/140F/Gas 1/4. Heat half the vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add the beef and fry until browned on all sides – this should take no more that 2 minutes in total.

Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.

Wrap the cooled beef in cling film and place onto a roasting tray. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes.

Check the meat with a meat thermometer, for medium rare it should be 57 – 59 C, if this has not been reached increase the temp of the oven slightly for 10 minutes then test again. When ready remove from the oven.

Heat the remaining oil and butter in a frying pan. Cut the beef into 4cm/ 1 1/2 inch slices, season with salt and pepper. When the butter and oil is foaming add the beef and fry for no more than 30 seconds on each side.

DONE

Whoopy Pies

These are supposedly all the rage at the moment so I gave them a try, I can’t eat them (too many carbs) but they went down a treat with the others.

Makes 12

Ingredients•125g/4½oz butter

•150g/5½oz chocolate, (70% cocoa solids), plus extra for melting (optional)

•225g/8oz sugar

•3 eggs

•1 tsp vanilla extract

•250g/8¾oz flour

•30g/1¼oz cocoa powder

•½ tsp baking powder

•18 marshmallows

To serve

•Cocoa powder

•Icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 3. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. (Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water.)

Whisk the sugar, eggs and vanilla together in a separate bowl then fold in the chocolate mixture.

Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder together, then fold into the chocolate and egg mixture.

Place tablespoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking tray (the mixture should make 36 biscuits) and bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set aside half of the biscuits on a cooling rack. Turn the remaining biscuits over and place a marshmallow on top of each. Return to the oven for 2-3 minutes, or until the marshmallows have softened.

Remove from the oven and set aside on a cooling rack to cool slightly. Press the cooled biscuits on top.

8.Optional: Melt 100g/3½oz extra chocolate and pour this over the cookies, then set aside to cool.

One pan roast chicken pieces

Chicken pieces to feed the number of people you have.

4 oz (100g) new potatoes per person

1 lemon

1 bulb of garlic

Olive oil

Flat leaf parsley

Fresh thyme

white wine (approx 100ml for 4 people)

Chicken stock (same amount as the wine)

Heat the oven to 200C/Gas 6.

Cut the potatoes in half and put into the roasting tin with 1 tbsp olive oil, season and mix well. Finely chop the parsley and the thyme and add to the potatoes along with the garlic broken into cloves – no need to peel them (it is a fiddly job anyway!).

In a frying pan with a little olive oil, brown the chicken pieces then place them on top of the potatoes with the lemon cut into slices. Season and drizzle over the remaining oil, add the stock and the wine. Roast for 30 minutes or till the potatoes and the chicken are cooked. (This will be longer if you are using chicken on the bone, say about 45 minutes)

Serve with your favourite veggies or a green salad.

Liptaur Cheese

This is purely self indulgent. We used to be able to get this from Safeway in the Kings Road, Chelsea when I lived there way back when!! This is Nigella’s recipe and I will be getting the ingredients when I shop next – or maybe I need to get them right now!
• 18 ounces cream cheese
• 2-1/4 cups cottage cheese
• 4-5 tablespoons capers
• 8 cornichons, chopped
• 3 teaspoons paprika
• Pinch of salt
• Good grating of black pepper
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 2 teaspoons French mustard

• 1-quart mold or bowl

For drizzling over:

• 1-2 tablespoons flavorless vegetable oil
• Fat pinch of paprika

Beat the two cheeses together until they are smooth, and then add all the other ingredients. Mix everything together well, and then turn into a small bowl with a capacity of approximately 2 pints, lined with plastic wrap for easier unmolding later. Smooth the top with a spatula and cover with the overhanging plastic wrap. 

When it has become cold enough to turn out—a few hours should do it—unwrap the folded-over plastic wrap on top, place a plate over the now uncovered bowl, turn it the other way out and unmold. Pull the plastic wrap off and drizzle over a rust-red ooze, made by mixing the oil with a pinch of paprika.

Serve this with bread or poppy-seed-sprinkled bagels, gherkins, and, if you like, some chopped red onions.

Gruyere & courgette muffins

I have just watched these being made on BBC’s Something and they looked wonderful and very easy to make. Shhh don’t tell Jackie they have courgette in them

225g/8oz self raising flower

100g/3½oz courgette (zucchini) , grated

salt and freshly ground black pepper

100g/3½oz Gruyere (Cheddar will do as well) grated

175ml/6fl oz full fat milk

1 free-range egg beaten

75ml/2¾fl oz olive oil plus extra for greasing

1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

butter, to serve

Preparation method

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease 10 of the holes in a 12-hole muffin tray with olive oil.

Mix the flour, courgette, seasoning and cheese together in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, egg and olive oil together until well combined. Add the liquid mixture and rosemary to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.

Divide the mixture among the muffin holes and bake for 20-25 minutes in the oven, or until risen and golden-brown.

Serve the muffins warm, with butter.

Barbecue ribs with coleslaw

 

This comes from This Morning, ITV’s daily show. I use individual ribs rather than a rack as they are often on offer in out local supermarket. I also substitute other vinegars if I don’t have cider vinegar.

Serves 4

Ingredients
rack of pork ribs
1 onion grated
3 cloves garlic crushed
150ml tomato ketchup
100ml cider
3 tbs cider vinegar
2 tbs dark brown sugar
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp English mustard
1 tsp fennel seeds ground
1/2 tsp chilli flakes ground
black pepper

1/2 red cabbage shredded
1 small red onion very finely sliced
1 carrots grated
1 apples grated
1/2 green chilli finely diced
2 tbs flat leaf parsley chopped
5 tbs mayonnaise
juice 1/2 lemon
1tsp sugar
salt and pepper

Method
1. Fry the onion and garlic in some oil for around 5 mins until softened, grind the fennel seeds and chilli in a pestle and mortar, add the other ingredients along with the spices and cook over a medium to high heat until reduced and thick.

2. Add the ribs to a large pan of salted water and bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 mins, drain and place on a rack sitting in a baking tray, brush with the glaze, pour some boiling water into the tray and bake in a pre-heated oven set at 190c for 1 hour.

3. Add the cabbage, onion, carrot, chilli, apple and parsley to a bowl and mix, add the mayonnaise, lemon juice and sugar, combine and season with salt and pepper.

Quick summer fruit tart

This is so easy to do , and so versatile.

Take one prebaked sweet pastry tart case – buy or make, your choice.

1 large tub of Greek yogurt

1 medium pot (about half the size of the yogurt) cream, creme fraiche or mascarpone

1 tblsp  Splenda

Fresh fruit of your choice. Cut to raspberry size.

Mix the yogurt, cream (whipped to soft peak) and splenda in a bowl. Add enough fruit to make it tasty, leave some for decoration. Spoon the mix into the pastry case and scatter a few pieces of the remaining fruit to decorate. Pop in the fridge to chill until ready to serve.

Lemon Curd

I love this and it is really good as an alternative filling for a sponge cake, fresh and slightly zingy. It isn’t difficult to make, a double boiler is the best but a heatproof bowl over gently simmering water will do. It really mustn’t be cooked quickly or you will get lemon flavoured scrambled eggs –YUK!

4 lemons, rind and juice
4 eggs
110g/4oz butter
450g/1lb sugar

Grate rind of lemons and squeeze out juice. Put sugar, rind and juice, butter and beaten eggs into a large basin on top of a pan of simmering water. Stir with a wooden spoon until thick and curd coats the back of the spoon. this takes up to 20 minutes so be patient. Pour into warm sterile jars, cover, seal and label. Refrigerate. It doesn’t keep long, only about 3 weeks – it doesn’t last that long anyway, it is so yummy.

Anti-Dandruff Hair Oil

OK so this isn’t a food recipe but one I mean to use as both of us suffer from this. I can’t make it right now as we don’t have any lavender flowers out – well it is only March!. I may give it a try using essential oil instead though. It comes courtesy of the program Grow Your Own Drugs on BBC1

6 tbsp fresh rosemary
3 tbsp fresh thyme
3 tbsp fresh lavender
250ml coconut oil
20 drops peppermint essential oil

Wash and chop all the plants and place in a glass heat-proof bowl. Stir in the coconut oil. Cover the bowl with a lid and place over a pan of boiling water to create a double boiler. Heat on a medium to low flame for 1 hour. Leave to cool.

When cool, stir in the peppermint essential oil. Strain and pour the hair oil into bottles.

USE: Apply 3 teaspoons to hair and massage well into the scalp. Wrap hair in a towel and leave for 30 minutes. Then wash hair a couple of times with normal shampoo to get the oil out completely. Use 3 times a week for the first 2 weeks, and once a week as a preventative measure.

CAUTION: Avoid the eye area, and if you feel any discomfort, wash off immediately.

STORAGE: Will keep for up to 1 year in a cool dark place.

Fruit cobbler

I wanted to cook a dessert to go with Sunday lunch and found some frozen apples from the garden and some left over cranberry sauce from Christmas so I mixed the together and put a cobbler topping on them. Any cooked fruit will do, just check the sweetness, I had to add more Splenda as the cranberries were a bit sharp.

Take an ovenproof dish and put the fruit in the bottom, you can even use tinned fruit (in fruit juice is best) but watch how much juice you add.

For the topping

250g/9oz self-raising flour
pinch cinnamon
250g/9oz white sugar
3 free-range eggs
250g/9oz softened butter

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, add the butter and rub it into the mix until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Beat the eggs and add to the mix then stir to mix to a soft dough. Now there are recipes that say you need to roll this out and cut scone sized pieces but I make it more rustic. I just take pieces and roughly shape them and pop them on top of the fruit. There should be small gaps in the topping, they will fill up as the dough expands.

Cook in the oven at 180C for about 20 minutes or until the top is just browning. Serve hot or cold with custard, ice cream or (in our house) cream.

If you are on a Low Carb regime you can make this using CarbQuik, there is a recipe on their website.

Snake & Pygmy Pie

Like the name? That was what Jackie used to call Steak & Kidney pie so time to add it to the list.

500g stewing or braising steak

1 pigs kidney

Oil

flour for dusting

liquid for cooking, this can be water, beer, wine, stock – your choice

salt and pepper

1 sheet of ready rolled puff pastry or shortcrust if you prefer.

This needs preparing the day before you want to eat it so you do need to be a bit organised.

Day 1

Put a couple of tablespoons of flour into a polythene bag with a pinch of salt and 2 or 3 pinches of ground black pepper. Cut the beef into  about 2 1/2 cm cubes and put into the bag with the flour and shake so all the meat is covered. If there is any flour left do the same with the kidney remembering to remove the white bits in the middle of the kidney or they will be really tough to eat.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, chop the onion and fry gently till opaque. Remove the onion and add a little more oil of required then fry the cubed meat, a little at a time. (About 5 or 6 pieces is good or the meat will boil and not fry, frying creates flavour and colour). When browned remove and drain on kitchen paper.

When all the meat is ‘sealed’ and draining add the liquid and stir well to incorporate all the bits stuck to the pan. This is where the flavour is and will also help to thicken the sauce.

Add the meat back to the pan and bring back to a gentle boil then transfer to an oven proof casserole or a slow cooker. The slow cooker will take 3-4 hours on high, 6-8 on low. The oven will need to be on 150C and will take 2-3 hours. Test the meat towards the end of the time to make sure it is tender, it all depends on the cut you buy.

When cooked set aside to cool the pop in the fridge till the next day.

Day 2

First make sure your pastry is defrosted if you use frozen. Get the cooked meat out and check the seasoning. I have always found it is not worth checking till this stage as it matures overnight. Add seasoning if it needs it, sometimes a dash of Worcestershire sauce is good here.

Set the oven to 190C. Put the meat into an ovenproof pie dish that the pastry will fit onto. Pop the pastry on top and brush with beaten egg. Cook for 45-50 minutes or till the pastry is golden and risen (if using shortcrust it will not rise).

Serve with mashed potatoes and veggies.

Victoria Sandwich

This is easy to make and is very versatile, in fact the basic recipe can be used to make cup cakes and butterfly cakes. Just pop the mixture into cake cases and bake for 12-15 minutes at the same temperature.

4 oz self raising flour
4 oz baking margarine or butter
4 oz caster sugar
2 large eggs

Cream margarine and sugar until light in colour, gradually add beaten eggs.
Fold in the flour then pour into greased lined 7inch sandwich tin and bake at 350F gas mark 5 for about 20 minutes.
Leave to cool

Now to finish it off. You can simply spread the top of one of the cakes with jam pop the other on top then sprinkle caster sugar the top. That is the traditional result but the variations are endless, whipped cream and fresh fruit, jam and cream, turn it into a sort of black forest gateau by using tinned cherries and cream. To make the cake a chocolate cake replace 2 oz of the flour with cocoa powder or unsweetened chocolate powder.

18th Century Apple Flan – Delia Smith

This comes straight from the BBC website and, until I try it, I won’t have anything say. Right now it looks really delicious

For the filling
600g/1lb 5oz Bramley apples, peeled, cored and sliced
50g/2oz ratafia biscuits (or amaretti)
50g/2oz butter
2 tablespoons golden caster sugar
grated zest of 1 small lemon
2 tablespoons brandy, sherry or cider
whole nutmeg, to taste
5 large egg yolks
65ml/2½fl oz double cream
For the pastry(Alternatively, use 225g/8oz ready-made shortcrust pastry, made with butter)
40g/1½oz softened butter, cut into smallish lumps
40g/1½oz softened pure lard
150g/5oz plain flour, sifted, plus a little extra for rolling
To serve
icing sugar, to dust
pouring cream

 

Lightly grease a fluted loose base tart tin with a base measurement of 19cm x 4cm/7½inch x 1½inch. 
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4.
Mix the pastry by rubbing the fats into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then add 1-2 teaspoons of water to make a dough that leaves the bowl clean. Pop the pastry into a polythene bag and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes or so, then roll it out on a lightly floured surface and use to line the tart tin. Prick the base all over with a fork and brush with one of the egg yolks. Bake for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the sliced apples in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of water, cover and cook gently until they are pulpy. Transfer the fluffy purée to a large mixing bowl.
Now crush the biscuits - the best way to do this is to lay them flat inside a polythene bag then roll them with a rolling pin to crush them into crumbs.
Add the butter and the caster sugar into the apple purée, followed by the lemon zest, the crushed biscuits, the remaining 4 egg yolks, double cream, brandy and a good grating of nutmeg, then whisk everything together thoroughly.
Pour the whole lot into the partly cooked flan case, then bake in the oven for a further 30-35 minutes until it's springy to touch in the centre.
Allow to cool, then chill for a couple of hours in the fridge before serving dusted with icing sugar and some chilled pouring cream

Ale Fruit Loaf

This makes 2 loaves and keeps really well.

500g/1Ib 2oz small currants
140g/5oz raisins
140g/5oz mixed peel
500ml/17fl oz bottle strong bottled beer, such as Black Sheep Brewery Riggwelter Strong Ale
180g/7oz soft dark brown sugar
150g/5½oz self-raising flour
180g/7oz wholemeal self-raising flour
3 tsp mixed spice
3 free-range eggs

Put the dried fruit into a large pan and cover with the bottled beer.
Gently heat the fruit until the beer is hot, but not boiling. Remove from the heat, cover and leave overnight.

When you are ready to cook the loaf, preheat the oven to 140C/275F/Gas 1. Add the sugar, flours, mixed spice and eggs to the fruit mixture. Stir well until all the ingredients are combined.
Divide the mixture between two greased 500g/1Ib 2oz loaf tins. 
Bake for 1¼ hours until risen, pale brown and firm to the touch.
Cover with a tea towel and leave on a wire rack to cool.
Wrap the loaves tightly in cling film and keep in a cool, dry place for up to 6 weeks. This loaf is delicious buttered with raspberry jam or served with a piece of Wensleydale cheese.

Now you should know me by now, I will play with recipes and this one is taking to me. It is the alcohol that I can see differently, i intend to try some left over Christmas port with water – about half of each to the same quantity as above. Also a non alcoholic one with fruit juice, probably orange but diluted with water, up to 25%. I may also make one with all wholemeal flour so I can have a small piece.

Christmas savoury biscuits

I found a recipe by Delia Smith and tried it out then changed it a bit to suit our taste. We found using Pecorino instead of her Parmesan was nicer. These little biscuits are so light and crisp I think they may become a favourite. They are also so easy to make

Take equal quantities of butter (unsalted), strong flour (bread making flour) and finely grated pecorino cheese, out them all in a food processor with a pinch of either cayenne or 2 pinches of smoked paprika. Whiz till like fine breadcrumbs. If you don’t have a processor it is easy to do with your fingers.

Tip the ‘crumbs’ into a bowl and knead gently till it all comes together, knead a bit more then form into a sausage, wrap in cling film and pop into the freezer for 30 minutes. This bit is essential as you can’t do the next bit otherwise.

 

Preheat the oven to 200C

 

So take the chilled dough out of the freezer and slice into little rounds, about 1/2 cm thick. Place them on a baking sheet, I have silicon sheets that I put ton them but a light greasing will work as well. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until just turning brown at the edges. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack where they will crisp up.

 

Enjoy!

Brummie Bacon cheese cakes

We saw this on Market Kitchen and I had to add it to the blog.

Ingredients

50 Gram Streaky bacon (2 oz)
225 Gram Self raising flour (8 oz)
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
25 Gram Butter (1 oz)
75 Gram Cheddar cheese, grated (3 oz)
150 ml Milk (5 fl oz)
1 Tablespoon Tomato ketchup
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Milk, for glazing
Watercress, for garnishing

Grill the bacon until crisp. Cut into small pieces. Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl and rub in the butter to fine breadcrumbs. Add the bacon and one third of the cheese.

Mix the milk, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce together in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to make a soft dough. On a floured board, roll out an 18 cm (7 inch) circle.

Brush with milk and cut into 8 wedges. Arrange on a greased baking sheet and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes in a preheated oven at 200 °C / 400 °F / Gas 6.

Cardamom Kulfi

I love Indian ice cream, which is what this is. It is so rich and creamy

½ tsp cornflour
2 tbsp milk
200ml/7¼ fl oz evaporated milk
200ml/7¼ fl oz condensed milk
200g/7¼oz thick double cream
seeds of 2-3 cardamom pods, crushed
Method

Mix the cornflour with the milk and set aside. In a saucepan, heat the evaporated milk and bring to the boil. Add the condensed milk, double cream, cardamom and the cornflour mixture. Stir well for one minute.

Remove from the heat. Allow to cool slightly. Place the creamy mixture in a food processor and blend for a couple of minutes to smooth out any lumps. I use a hand-held blender to whiz the mixture which works well. Pour into a plastic container with a lid and freeze for at least six hours or overnight until the ice cream is quite firm.

The ice cream is quite rich so two small scoops for one person is ample.

Spicy Potato Cakes

I adapted a recipe from BBC Food recipes, their version had a lot of chilli in it and, though we like spice we don’t always want the heat of the chilli. This is mildly spiced and we enjoyed it.

7 fl oz veg oil

1 lb raw potatoes, peeled and cut into smallish cubes

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp garam masala

2 garlic cloves crushed to a paste

salt and freshly ground pepper

7 oz boiled potatoes  mashed

plain flour, white or wholemeal

Pre heat the oven to 180C/350F. Toast the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry pan then grind to a powder.

Heat half the oil in a roasting pan, when it is smoking add the cubed potatoes and coat them in the oil. Add the spices and garlic and mix well the season with the salt and pepper.

Roast the potatoes for 20-25 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper, allow to cool for a while as you are going to use your hands in the next stage.

Mix the cooled potato cubes with the mash and form into small balls then flatten slightly. Dip into the flour to coat all over.

At this stage you can set the cakes aside to be cooked when you are ready as they are best served hot with a variety of dips.

Heat the remaining oil in a pan and add the cakes 3 or 4 at a time, cook on each side till golden brown and heated through. Drain on kitchen paper then serve.

Suggestions for dips – sour cream and chive, mango chutney, yoghurt with chives and cucumber, yoghurt with coriander (cilantro) etc

Crab Bites

3 1/2 oz fresh white breadcrumbs

2 large eggs, separated

7 fl oz crème fraiche

1 tsp English mustard powder

1 tbsp chopped fresh dill

1lb 2oz fresh white crabmeat

oil

salt and pepper

Put the crumbs in a bowl. In another bowl whisk the egg yolks with the crème fraiche and the mustard powder then add to the breadcrumbs with the crab and the dill.

Heat the oil in a non stick pan over a medium heat. Drop in the mixture in teaspoons full. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Flatten the cakes slightly and cook gently till brown and crisp, flip over and cook the other side the same.

Drain on kitchen paper the serve with lime wedges.

Pork, Cranberry & Herb Stuffing

1 tbsp oil

1 onion finely chopped

2 celery sticks, finely chopped

1 lb pork sausage meat

1 3/4 oz breadcrumbs (can be wholemeal)

1 3/4 oz dried cranberries

2 1/2 oz fresh cranberries

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp fresh sage

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

1 large egg beaten

salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and celery and cook fro about 10 minutes, till transparent.

Preheat the oven to 190C/ gas 5.

Break up the sausagemeat in a large bowl, add the breadcrumbs and dried and fresh cranberries and the herbs. Mix together then add the onion and celery, then the egg. Season well and mix thoroughly.

Form into balls, place on an oiled baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. If you want you can put the mixture into 2 tins and bake for 45 minutes.

Break

Panettone in the bread maker

1 Tbs sugar
2/3 cup warm milk
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups bread flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast
1/4 cup mixed fruit
1/8 cup raisins
1/8 cup candied peel
1 tsp anise or fennel seed
1 Tbs lemon zest, grated

Directions

Place the first 8 ingredients into the pan of your bread machine in order listed.
Select the dough cycle.
Add the chopped fruit 15-20 minutes before the last kneading cycle ends
When the nut or fruit signal sounds add the remaining fruit, lemon zest, and anise seed.
If you need to allow the dough to rise, place in a warm spot, covered with a cloth. Let rise for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, until double in size.
When the dough is done place the pan in a preheated oven and bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes. A skewer should come out clean when done.

Green Tomato Chutney

With the large number of green tomatoes we have and the even larger number of red ones we already have in the freezer, I decided to make chutney. I looked at a number of recipes and mixed them up and came up with the following.

2 kg green tomatoes, chopped
500g apples, peeled, chopped and cored
*250g sultanas
*625 g onions, chopped
*500 g sugar - I mixed soft brown and granulated
*2 tsp salt
*500ml cider vinegar/white wine vinegar mixed (I find malt vinegar is too harsh)
*1 tsp ground ginger
*1 tsp ground red chillies

Now the easy bit. Chuck it all in a pan that easily takes the whole lot in one. Bring slowly to the boil giving it a stir every now and then to dissolve the sugar. When it is boiling well (careful it can spit and will be hot) turn it down to simmer for 30-45 minutes. By this time it will be reduced and starting to thicken, keep simmering until it reaches a consistency that is a little looser than you want the end product to be as it thickens as it cools. Pour into sterilized jars and cover and label. Leave to cool before putting away.

Now if you like that you can change things round to use what ever is in season or there is a glut of. Just make sure you use all the items marked with * and change the fruit to whatever is available.

If you have a smaller quantity of fruit reduce the other ingredients in the same proportion and watch the simmering time as it will be less.

Some suggestions: peaches, courgette or marrow, mango, plums, runner beans, pears, apples on their own

The best Tomato Ketchup

Makes 1.5 litres (approx)
3 kg ripe tomatoes
2 tbls salt
600 ml white vinegar
1 1/8 cups (250 g) 9 oz white sugar
1/2 tsp each of ground cloves, cinnamon, allspice, and Cayenne pepper
method

Quarter the tomatoes, place them in a preserving pan with the salt and vinegar, and simmer until they are soft and quite broken up.

Rub the mixture through coarse muslin or a fine nylon sieve; then return it to the pan and add the sugar.

Simmer until the ketchup starts to thicken, and then add the spices to taste, a little at a time, stirring thoroughly.

Meanwhile, heat enough bottles to hold the ketchup, and prepare seal, a boiled cork to fit the bottle and either waxed or covered with greaseproof paper tied securely over.

When the ketchup is thick enough, fill the hot bottles, leaving a head-space.

Seal immediately, or allow the ketchup to cool slightly; then fill up the bottles, leaving a headspace, and sterilize at 88°C for 30 minutes.

Seal immediately. Label when cold.

Note Remember that the ketchup will be thicker when cold, so do not reduce it too much.

Tomato sauce - 2

This one is from the BBC and looks quite easy.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions ,
1 thumb-size piece fresh root ginger , finely chopped or grated
2 garlic cloves , chopped
1 red chilli , deseeded and finely chopped
800g tomatoes , briefly whizzed in a food processor or finely chopped
100g dark brown sugar
100ml red wine vinegar
2 tbsp tomato purée
coriander seeds


Heat the oil in a large, deep pan, then fry the onions, ginger, garlic and chilli for 10-15 mins until soft. Add the remaining ingredients and some seasoning, then boil for 30 mins, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened and is sticky.

Cool slightly, then whizz in a blender or food processor until smooth. If the sauce is a bit thick for your liking, stir in a dribble of boiling water. Sieve, then funnel into a bottle or jar while still hot. Cool completely before serving. Will keep for 3 months in the fridge.

Tomato Ketchup

Found this recipe online on the Southernfood site, I will be using it with our tomatoes which we have loads of this year.

This homemade ketchup takes time, but the final result is well worth the effort. I start this the day before, then I refrigerate the tomato pulp and liquid mixture to boil down and process the next day.
Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 teaspoons celery seeds
* 2 teaspoons whole cloves
* 1 (3- to 4-inch) cinnamon stick, broken into small pieces
* 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice berries
* 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
* 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
* 12 pounds tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
* 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 1 small hot red pepper, finely chopped, or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons pickling salt

Preparation:
Put the celery seeds, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, and mustard seeds in a cheesecloth bag. Tie up and set aside.

In a small stainless steel or enamel-lined saucepan, combine the vinegar and spice bag. Bring to a full boil. Remove from heat and let stand for 25 minutes. Remove the spice bag and discard. Set the vinegar aside.

In a large stainless steel or enamel-lined kettle (at least 8 to 12 quart size), combine the chopped tomatoes, garlic, onion, and red pepper or cayenne. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue at a gently boil, stirring frequently, for 25 minutes. Add the spiced vinegar to the tomato mixture and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes longer.

Drain the tomatoes into a large stainless steel saucepan, then put them through a food mill to extract as much juice and pulp into the saucepan as possible. Discard the solids. Add sugar and salt to the extracted pulp and juices. At this point, you can refrigerate this mixture overnight and finish the next day. Bring the tomato pulp mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and boil for about 2 hours, or until reduced by about 2/3 and thickened to a ketchup consistency.

Meanwhile, prepare the work area, canner, jars, and lids. See Preparing Jars for Canning and Boiling Water Processing.

Fill jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Use a small plastic or stainless steel spatula to remove air bubbles, wipe rims with a damp cloth, and fit with lids and seals.

Transfer to a rack in the canner and lower into the hot water. Add more water, as needed, so you have 1 inch over the jars. Cover, bring to a boil, and continue boiling gently for 15 minutes.

Makes 3 pints.

Red Lobster Biscuits

Our favourite restaurant in the US is Red Lobster and the main reason is their 'biscuits' which we would call cheese scones. They are light and so tasty but you must have them warm.

You can find Bisquick in larger supermarkets in the cake making section or with the batter mixes.

This recipe was posted in the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.
2 Cups Bisquick
2/3 Cup milk
1/2 Cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 Cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Heat oven to 450 degrees (220C). Mix Bisquick, milk and cheese until a soft dough forms. Drop by spoonfuls onto an ungreased cooking sheet. Bake 8- 10 min until golden brown. Mix butter and garlic powder. Brush mixture over warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet.

Chocolate Terrine

Low carb but high fat this is a recipe for a special occasion. It is yummy though.

Prepare this the day before you need/want it. Easier said than done because you will probably want it as soon as it is done!!



For the terrine
2 tsp vegetable oil, for greasing
250g/9oz white chocolate, broken into pieces
175g/6oz dark chocolate, minimum 70 per cent cocoa solids, broken into pieces
600ml/1 pint double cream, whipped until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed
2 free-range egg whites, whisked until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed

For the chocolate sauce
65g/2oz dark chocolate, minimum 70 per cent cocoa solids, broken into pieces
65ml/2fl oz double cream
½tbsp unsalted butter
75g/2½oz dark chocolate, grated, to serve

Brush a 900g/2lb loaf tin with oil, then line with cling film.

Bring a little water to the boil in a pan, then reduce the heat until the water is simmering. Suspend a heatproof bowl over the water (do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water). Add the white chocolate and stir until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.

Repeat the process in a clean bowl with the dark chocolate.

Fold a third of the whipped cream into the white chocolate until well combined then fold the remaining whipped cream into the dark chocolate until well combined.

Carefully fold the egg whites into the dark chocolate mixture until mixed in completely.

Spoon half of the dark chocolate mixture into the prepared tin. Pour over all of the white chocolate mixture, then top with the remaining dark chocolate mixture. Chill in the fridge overnight. When the terrine is ready to serve, make the chocolate sauce (This sauce should not be reheated.)

Bring a little water to a simmer in a pan. Suspend a heatproof bowl over the pan (do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water). Add the chocolate and cream to the bowl and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is completely smooth and well combined.

Add the butter and stir until it has melted and the mixture is glossy.

To serve, turn the chocolate terrine out onto a serving plate. Cut into slices. Place one slice into the centre of each serving plate. Pour over the chocolate sauce and sprinkle over the chocolate shavings.

You can of course serve this without the chocolate sauce - should you want to!

Mixed Berry Creamy Cake

I saw Simon Rimmer make this on Market Kitchen and I so want to try it when we have berries in the garden or freezer later in the year.

250g Butter
100ml double cream
1 vanilla pod
3 Eggs
275g caster sugar
550g Flour
1 lemon, zest only
2 tsp Baking powder
500g mixed frozen berries
icing sugar and whipped cream, to decorate

Grease and line a 20cm round springform cake tin. Melt the butter, cream and vanilla together in a saucepan over a low heat, then set aside to cool. Beat the eggs and sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the butter and cream mixture to the eggs and sugar and stir to combine. Fold in the flour, lemon zest and baking powder, followed by the frozen berries. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake at 180C/ gas 5 for 45-50 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, before turning out onto a wire cooling rack.

Serve as a cake or with a fruit coulis and cream as a dessert.

Warming, filling winter soup

This is so easy to make, and so versatile.


you will need

Bacon bits. I can get really chunky ones in our supermarket and I prefer the smoked ones for flavour.

1 Onion or leek
1 tin tomatoes - chopped
2 tbsp tomato puree
root veggies of your choice, I always have carrots and parsnips then add whatever else I can find. e.g swede, celeriac. I rarely add potatoes but they can be added.

Cop the bacon into bite sized pieces and, if there is fat on the bacon fry it off in the large pan you will use for the soup. This will draw the fat and add to the flavour. Chop the onion (or leek) and add once the bacon bits have browned a bit. Stir every now and then while you peel and chop the root veggies into bit size pieces. Throw them in the pan, add the tomatoes and the puree and enough water to almost cover it all. Season and bring to the boil then simmer until the bacon is tender, can take about an hour but the testing is fun - you get to eat a bit of the bacon!

For a change you can add some small pasta bits and turn it into a rustic minestrone. Other additions can be kidney beans, chick peas, (I use canned in both cases) or een baked beans.

I sometimes serve with chunks of bread or dumplings.

Juicy turkey

I adapted Nigella Lawson's brined turkey recipe for this years turkey and it was the best we have had. The breast didn't dry out at all, even when it was cold it was moist.

The adaptations I made were because I didn't have some things and I either had powdered spices instead of whole or I couldn't get the whole ones in time.

OK so you need to have a bucket large enough to take your turkey and you need somewhere cold to store it for 24-36 hours before cooking time.

Ingredients - the list is long but shorter than the original.

The following is enough for a 12 lb turkey

turkey - remove any string, elastic bands etc
5 oz table salt
2 small oranges - satsumas etc, halved
1 lemon halved
1 lime halved
1 tbsp whole black peppercorns (I had these but 1 tbsp of ground black pepper would do
1 piece of thyme )
1 piece of rosemary ) 1tsp of dried of each wo9uld suffice
3 or 4 sage leaves )
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp allspice
2 tbsp mustard seeds
2 onions quartered - don't worry about peeling them
1 tbsp ground ginger
bunch of parsley - just the stalks

Put about 2 pints of cold water in the bottom of the bucket and add everything except the turkey, mix it all well with a wooden spoon then put in the turkey. Add enough cold water to cover the turkey. I found I needed to move the larger pieces of onion and the fruit so the turkey sat on the bottom, and I put a small plate on top to keep it under the brine mixture.

Put in a cool place for between 24 and 36 hours before cooking.

1 hour before it is due to go in the oven drain the turkey and let it stand to come to room temperature. Discard the brine liquid, it is no good for anything.

Preheat the oven to 200F, baste the turkey with oil before putting in then turn down to 180 and cook for 2 1/2 hours, make sure you test the thickest part of the leg to see that the juices run clear, or use a meat thermometer.

Take it out of the oven when cooked and allow to stand, with a foil tent over it, for 30-40 minutes before carving.

Chocolate cake with a twist

This is so rich - yum. Thanks to James Martin for this.

250g/9oz self-raising flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
300g/11oz caster sugar
2 free-range eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g/9oz butter, plus extra for greasing
175ml/6fl oz cola
250ml/9fl oz full-fat milk

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease a 24cm/9½in spring-form cake tin with butter and line it with parchment paper.
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder into a bowl.Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract and beat well to combine.

Place the butter into a saucepan and melt over a gentle heat. Add the cola to the butter and stir to mix, making sure the mixture does not boil. Stir in the milk and remove the liquid from the heat. Quickly whisk the cola mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix gently, but thoroughly. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for about 15 minutes. Once cooled, remove the cake from the tin and discard the parchment paper.

Chocolate sauce

75g/3oz caster sugar
75g/3oz water
200g/7oz dark chocolate, chopped

place the sugar and water into a saucepan and cook until the sugar has melted. Add the chocolate and continue to cook for a couple of minutes, stirring well until you have a glossy sauce

Yogurt Recipes

I have had an EasiYo yogurt maker for ages and I have used it quite a bit but I have now got a good, reasonable source of the powders so I will be using it more. I have just got some Greek yogurt to make and was searching for recipes. The following are from the website with some notes from me on what I think I can do with each one.

BLUE CHEESE DIP

• ½ cup drained EASIYO Yogurt (drained overnight)
• ½ tsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1 pinch of salt

From preference I would use Stilton cheese and I would leave the salt out. Just mash the cheese in with all the other ingredients and leave for a few hours for the flavours to develop.

SALMON MOUSSE

• 425g canned salmon
• 1 1/2 tbsp gelatine
• 1 cup drained EASIYO yogurt (4-5 hours)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon rind
• 1 cup EASIYO yogurt
• dash of Tabasco to taste
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 3 sprig onions, finely chopped
• salt and ground pepper
• fresh basil to garnish

I would use smoked salmon offcuts for this, probably cheaper than canned salmon and certainly tastier.

Mix gelatine with water and heat until dissolved.

Mash salmon and blend with drained yogurt, lemon juice, lemon rind, the extra EASIYO yogurt, Tabasco and nutmeg.

Fold in dissolved gelatine and spring onions. Season to taste.

Pour mixture into lightly oiled 1 litre mould. Smooth the top and refrigerate until set.

For serving, quickly dip the bottom of the mould into hot water to loosen, then turn onto serving plate. Garnish with fresh basil

Use a fish shaped mould for a special occasion.

LOUISIANA YOGURT DRESSING

2 cloves garlic
• 2 shallots
• 1 teaspoon tabasco sauce
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• ½ cup Easi Yo Natural Yogurt


Crush, peel and finely chop garlic. Peel and finely slice shallots.
Mix garlic, shallots, tabasco sauce and vinegar and yogurt together.

Do you know I wouldn't change a thing with this, sounds wonderful.

YOGURT SATAY SAUCE

• ½ cup EASIYO yogurt
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ cup peanut butter
• ½ tsp chilli sauce
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger

Mix them all together and taste, adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Chocolate Truffles

This is the easiest recipe I have found for an old family favourite

1 1/4 cups double cream (heavy whipping cream)
9 oz dark chocolate 79% cocoa solids

You can either chop the chocolate or throw it into a food processor and blitz it.

Heat the cream but do not let it boil. At the same time melt the chocolate in a bowl over hot water, this needs to be done slowly or the end product will be grainy. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate to the cream stirring all the time.

Leave to cool then chill till it is firm enough to roll. This will take about 3 hours.

This is the messy bit and you may need to return the paste to the fridge if it gets too soft. Take small quantities of the paste and roll into bite size balls, place on a baking sheet. Continue until it is all done then chill for an hour before rolling in cocoa powder to finish. An alternative is to roll them in chocolate sprinkles before chilling.

Key Lime Pie

Though this is traditionally made with a crumb crust I like it with a pastry one. I have to admit to buying my pastry these days as it comes ready rolled as well ( cheat - well yes but a good one).

Ingredients

One pack of ready rolled shortcrust pastry
The grated zest of 3 limes
The juice of 4-5 limes, about 150ml
3 large egg yolks (save the whites for meringues)
1 tin condensed milk

Preheat the oven to 180C 350F. Line an 8 inch loose bottomed flan tin, a deep one is needed to take all the filing, with the pastry. Put a ring of foil or greaseproof paper in the base and fill with baking beans. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, remove form the oven and take out the foil and the beans and the return for another 5 minutes then remove and leave to cool slightly.

While the pastry is baking make the filling by putting the egg yolks and the lime zest in a bowl and mixing with an electric hand whisk for a few minutes, it will start to thicken. Add the condensed milk and whisk for a further 4 minutes then add the lime juice. The mixture will thicken readily when this is done.

Put all the mix in the pastry case and bake for about 20 minutes. It should feel firm in the middle. Leave to cool completely,cover with foil or cling film before popping in the fridge. Serve with cream or creme fraiche.

Cupcakes

I have been experimenting with cupcakes for ages, trying to find an easy and foolproof recipe. Here it is courtesy of BBC - Good Food

Ingredients
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
125g/4oz caster sugar
125g/4oz soft margarine
125g/4oz self-raising flour

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and beat them together until the mixture is smooth and slightly lighter in colour.
Line a bun tin or cupcake tin with paper cake cases and half-fill each case with the cake mixture.
Cook the cakes for 18-20 minutes. You can tell they are done when they have risen up, are golden in colour, and spring back into shape when lightly pressed.

Decorate as you wish, I have a number of different ideas for celebrations etc.

I also think the vanilla extract could be substituted with other flavourings, lemon oil, orange oil, cocoa and so on. Also chocolate chips could be added

Crabmeat cheesecake

While we were on the Outer Banks in North Carolina we had lunch in Roanoke, at a small, privately run restaurant. I had this amazing crabmeat cheesecake and asked about the recipe. It comes from the Palace Cafe, New Orleans and I have tracked it down so here it is. I have left out a sauce as I think it is just great served with a green salad. Also the original comes with a pecan crust but I am not fond of pecans, the one I had just had a basic crust. A simple pastry ring is what I will use.

Crabmeat Cheesecake

Serves 8

Base
Ready rolled pastry cut to fit the base of a 9" flan dish.

Filling
½ cup Onion, small diced
1 tbsp Butter
4oz Crabmeat
8oz Cream cheese, room temperature
⅓ Cup cream cheese or sour cream
2 Eggs
1 Tsp Hot pepper sauce
Rock salt and white pepper to taste

Garnish
2 Cups Sliced, mixed wild mushrooms
3 tsp Butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350°. Line the base of a 9" flan dish with the pastry, gently butter the sides of the dish. Cover the pastry with parchment and fill with baking beans then bake the crust for 20 minutes, or until golden.

Preparing the Filling
Sauté onion in butter until translucent. Add crabmeat and cook just until heated through, then remove from heat. Blend cream cheese until smooth in a mixer fitted with a paddle, or by hand using a wooden spoon. Add the cream cheese and mix well. Mix in eggs one at a time. Gently fold in crabmeat mixture. Stir in hot sauce and season to taste with salt and white pepper. Spoon filling into prepared crust. Bake at 300° for 30-40 minutes, or until firm to the touch.

Onion Tart

This takes a while but is so delish hot or cold!

One sheet of ready rolled shortcrust pastry
8 medium onions
3 oz butter
2 fl oz white wine vinegar
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 tsp rock salt
2 oz grated parmesan

Heat the oven to 200C, gas 6. Take a sheet of ready rolled short pastry and put it on an 8" flan case, loose bottomed is best. Don't worry about the edges we will deal with them later. Line with parchment or baking paper and fill with ceramic beads or rice. Cook for 25-30 minutes, till golden. Remove the paper and the beans and bake for a further 5 minutes. Take it out of the oven and trim the edges of the pastry.

While the pastry is cooking peel and chop the onions finely, a food processor is fine. The finer the onions the better. In a large saucepan melt the butter over a medium heat then add the onions. They need to cook slowly with a lid on, stir them occasionally. They must be completely soft before moving on to the next stage. This is the slow bit - it takes a bout 2 hours to get them just right, remember the heat must be low. OK so the onions are now really soft so you can add the vinegar, sugar and salt. Let the vinegar evaporate off, this again takes a while but you must let it happen. Once it as gone the mix will start to caramelise, just stir regularly and bring in the slightly brown bits. This stage will take about 25 minutes so be patient and don't leave it or it will burn.

Put the onion mix in the pastry case and smooth over, sprinkle with the cheese and return to the oven for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

SLOW-ROAST LAMB

Lamb is a family favorite and just occasionally I get a whole leg for a treat. We find that the shoulder has the sweeter meat so this recipe is great to add flavour to the leg.

Ingredients

a leg of lamb say 4lb 1 large onion, roughly chopped
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary 4 cloves of garlic
1 Tbs sea salt flakes a pinch of sweet paprika
1 Tbs cumin seeds 3 Tbs fresh thyme leaves
2 Tbs olive oil a large knob of butter

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 160C.

Peel the garlic cloves and lightly crush them together with the salt. Add the cumin, thyme and paprika then gradually add the oil so make a thick paste. Melt the butter in a small pan and stir into the paste.

Plae the lamb in a roasting tin and rub the spice paste all over. Hands are best here but a wooden spoon is fine. Make a few holes in the flesh with a skewer and insert the rosemary sprigs. Scatter the chopped onion around the meat and put the roasting tin in the oven for 35 minutes uncovered.

Pour in 250ml water (red wine if you are feeling generous) and baste the meat. Roast for a further three hours, basting every hour.

After the 3 hours is up remove from the oven, place the meat on a plate and leave to rest, covered with foil. Pour off as much of the fat as you can from the top of the juices. Use as it is as a gravy, check for seasoning.

The meat should just fall apart, serve with your choice of potatoes and veggies.

Pear and Lemon Jam

We have a big crop of pears this year so I have searched for recipes to use. I will be bottling some in plain syrup and there is the usual chutney but I found this recipe for an unusual preserve, on the Cottage Smallholder site and will definitely give it a try.

2 kilos of pears (peeled, cored and chopped
3 medium lemons (strained juice and zest)
1 kilo of granulated sugar
1 litre of water

Peel, core and chop the pears and place in a large covered bowl, to stop them browning.

Remove the zest from the lemons carefully to avoid adding the bitter pith. Set zest aside. Squeeze the lemon juice and strain.

Add the water, chopped pears, lemon zest and juice to a large heavy bottomed saucepan.

Simmer very gently until the pears are just soft. Pour in the sugar and stir, over a medium/low heat until the sugar is dissolved.

Bring the heat up to a rolling boil . Allow to boil hard for ten minutes before testing for a set. If it has not reached setting point. Continue to boil rapidly, checking for a set every four minutes or so. When the jam has set remove from the heat.

Allow the jam to stand for a few minutes and pour into warmed sterilised jars. Cover with screw top lids or wax disks and cellophane tops. Label when cold. Store in a cool dry place.

Slow cooked lamb

shoulder of lamb
3 tbsp cooking oil
2 lb small onions, peeled but left whole
handful of thyme sprigs
1/2 pint red wine
chopped parsley to garnish

Heat the oven to 160C. Rinse the meat off and dry then season.

Heat the oil in a heatproof casserole - make sure it is big enough for the meat to go in whole. Fry off the onions until they are gently colored then remove them from the pan. Put the meat in the casserole and brown all over, add the onions and the thyme, cook for about a minute then add the wine. Check the seasoning and when right put a tight fitting lid on the casserole and cook for 3 hours. Remove the thyme before serving and garnish with parsley.

Serve with creamy mashed potatoes.

The oh so easy sponge cake

Yes I said easy - if you follow a few basics.

Once the cake is in the oven DO NOT TOUCH IT for at least 20 minutes or it will fail.

Remember a medium egg weighs 2 oz and you need equal quantities of flour, eggs, butter and sugar. You will need to work in pounds and ounces though as the conversion is not that simple.

Brush the tins with melted butter - all over, then line the base with a circle of baking parchment.

So to the recipe

6 oz butter at room temperature
6 oz flour
6 0z caster sugar
3 medium eggs (remember each one weighs 2 oz)

Heat the oven to 180C, 160C if you have a fan oven and Gas 4. Butter and line 2 7" sponge tins as above .

Put all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until the mixture is smooth.

Divide the mix evenly between the 2 tins and pop in the oven. Bake for 20 mins then check to see if it is cooked. If it is done the edges should just be coming away from the tin and the cake should be springy to the touch.

Take out of the oven and leave until cool enough to handle, turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack and leave until completely cool.

FILLINGS

Traditionally the filling was strawberry jam and the top sprinkled with caster sugar. I prefer the next variation.

Whipped cream and fresh summer fruit, put this in the middle and sprinkle the top with sugar.

Mocha cake - substitute 3 oz of the flour with the same quantity of good cocoa powder. For the filling use a tub of mascarpone cream, add 3 oz caster sugar and 4 tbsp very strong coffee. Use half in the middle and the other half on top. Grate some dark chocolate on top to finish.

Cheats Pizza

I love this, the pastry makes for a much lighter base than pizza dough, and it is so easy to make.

Take a sheet of ready rolled puff pastry and place on a baking sheet.

Spread the top with passatta or a tin of peeled tomatoes blitzed up and strained so you have a thick paste.

Top with whatever you want and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes till the edges of the pastry are browned.

Se I told you it was simple!

Sticky Toffee Pudding

This is a double tribute recipe, first it is my Husbands favorite desert and second it is from my favorite UK celebrity chef James Martin. It is not for anyone who is on any form of weight loss diet!!!!

Ingredients
55g/2oz butter 170g/6oz demerara sugar
2 tbsp black treacle 1 tbsp golden syrup
2 eggs 200g/7oz self-raising flour
200g/7oz pitted dates 290ml/10fl oz boiling water
1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda ½ tsp vanilla extract

For the sauce:
110ml/4fl oz double cream 55g/2oz butter, diced
55g/2oz dark muscovado sugar 2 tbsp black treacle
1 tbsp golden syrup

For the moulds:
30g/1oz soft butter 30g/1oz flour

Butter the moulds and dust with flour and preheat oven 200C/400F/Gas 6.2. Using a food processor cream the butter and sugar together. Slowly add the golden syrup, treacle and eggs. Continue mixing until the mixture looks smooth, then turn down to a slow speed and add the flour. Mix until everything is well combined.

Add the boiling water to the dates and tip into a blender. Secure the lid firmly and blend to a purée. Add the bicarbonate of soda and vanilla. Pour this into the batter while it is still hot and stir well.

Pour into the moulds and bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops are just firm to the touch.

Make the sauce: simply place all the ingredients in a pan, bring to the boil, stirring a few times and then remove from the heat. Put to one side until ready to use.

Remove the puddings from the moulds and place on plate. Coat with the warmed sauce and serve with good vanilla ice cream.

Crispy Chinese Pork

For the meat

3lb piece belly pork, boned but with skin on
2 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
2 tsp coarse sea salt

For a dipping sauce
4 tbsp soy sauce
grated fresh ginger (lazy ginger will do) about 2 tsp
1 tsp sweet chili sauce
1 sprign onion (scallion) finely chopped

Score the skin on the meat and rub in the 5 spice and the salt. Put in the fridge uncovered for at least 2 hours. It is important to leave it uncovered so the salt dries the moisture out of the skin. This helps the crispness.

Heat the oven to it's hottest , lay the meat on a rack in a roasting tin with the skin on top. Roast for 10 minutes then turn down to 180C Gas 4 for 1 1/2 hours. Take a look and if the skin isn't crisp turn the oven up to 200 and cook for another 30 minutes - keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn. When done remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before chopping up into bite size pieces. Don't worry it will keep warm enough to eat.

To make the sauce simply combine all the ingredients with 2 tbsp water.

Lamb Souvlaki

This is mainly for my husband as he loves Greek food, but it is a great flavour and good to cook on the BBQ.

4 Lamb steaks
2 lemons
1 tbsp salt
Leaves from 2 springs of thyme
250ml Greek yoghurt
2 red chillies de seeded
small bunch of coriander (cilantro)
1/2 tsp each of cardamom, cloves and turmeric

Rub the meat with the lemon, slat and thyme and leave for a couple of hours to tenderise the meat. Out the yoghurt, chillies, coriander and spices in a food processor and whizz to a paste. Pour the paste over the lamb, rub well in and then refrigerate overnight.

BBQ the meat for about 20 minutes, turning frequently. Finish with a squeeze of lemon ad serve with flat breads and tsatsiki.

Things to do with Strained Yoghurt

I make my own yoghurt most if the time, I have an EasyYo which is so simple to use and I can get all sorts of different types including low fat, Greek style and lots of flavours which i rarely use. The plain ones can be strained overnight which makes it more like a curd cheese. The following ideas and recipes came with the strainers.

Sour Cream Substitute

1/2 cup strained yoghurt
1/2 tsp maple syrup or honey
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives.

Mix all together and use on salads, jacket potatoes and other veggies.

Garlic & Herb Spread

2 whole garlic bulbs
12 black peppercorns
2 tsp rosemary
4 tbsp strained yoghurt
6 sundried tomatoes rehydrated and mashed
12 juniper berries (optional)

Take a slice off the top of the garlic bulbs, wrap them in foil and bake for 35 mins at 375F 180C. When cool enough to handle squeeze the flesh from the skin and mash well. In a grinder whiz up the rosemary, peppercorns and juniper berries if used. Put everything in a bowl and mix well. This is good on toast, crackers, jacket potatoes etc

Baked cheesecake

This really gorgeous, takes a bit of preparation in advance so you really need to start the morning before you need it. Get it all made that day and it will be perfect.

FOR THE BASE
1 1/4 ox unsalted butter
3 oz digestive biscuits finely crushed

THE FILLING
1 1/2lb soft cheese (Philly will do)
6 oz caster sugar
3 tbsp cornflour
1 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
5 oz fromage frais

FOR THE TOPPING
1 oz caster sugar
8 oz soft fruit - blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, currants
1/2 tsp finely grated lime zest
4 oz fromage frais

Heat the oven to 180C Gas 4. Line an 8" (20cm) loose bottomed cake tin with baking parchment and stand on a baking sheet. Melt the butter ans mix in the biscuit crumbs till they are all coated with the butter. Press this mixture into the base of the tin, make sure it is all covered evenly then bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and then turn it up to 240C Gas 9.

In a large bowl beat the cheese with an electric hand mixer till smooth, add the sugar gradually then the cornflour. Slowly whisk in the lemon juice, zest, vanilla extract and then the eggs. Scrape the edges of the bowl then add the fromage frais. By this time the mixture should be quite runny. Pour it over the crumb base and make sure it is level, break any air bubbles that come to the surface (gentle shaking helps to bring them to the top). Bake for 10 minutes then turn the oven down to 110c Gas1/4 and bake for another 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and then leave in the oven for 2 hours. Remove from the oven and run a knife round the edges and return to the now cold oven for 1 1/2 hours to finish cooling.

Spread the fromage frais over the top of the cheesecake then chill, covered, for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Make the topping by putting the sugar in a pan with 3 tbsp water, bring to a simmer then leave to bubble for 1-2 minutes to make a thin syrup. Add the fruit and poach gently for a couple of minutes, do not over cook at this stage. Add the lime zest and stir gently then leave to cool.

Take from the fridge about 1 hour before serving, loosen the sides and put the cake on a serving dish. Serve each slice with some of the fruit sauce.

Pavlova

My mum used to make the most wonderful meringues so this one is for her.

FOR THE MERINGUE
5 egg whites (I use the yolks to make home made mayo with)
10 oz caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cornflour

TO FINISH
1/2 pint double cream
3 1/2 fl ox creme fraiche
4 oz caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Selection of fruit - see notes at the end

Heat eh oven to 140C/gas 1. Make the meringue by whisking the whites till they are really, really stiff. Use a perfectly clean bowl as the slightest bit of grease will stop them from whipping properly. I usually wipe the inside of the bowl with a bit of kitchen paper and a few drops of lemon juice. When the whites are stiff add half the sugar and the vanilla extract and beat in. Mix the cornflour with the remaining sugar and then add to the egg whites. Whisk again until stiff peaks form.

Take a baking sheet and cover with baking parchment. Spoon the mixture on and shape into a circle with a dent in the middle. Cook in the oven for about 1 hour until the meringue is crisp and just starting to change colour. Remove from the oven an allow to cool completely before moving on. You can make this up to 2 days in advance as long as you store the meringue in an airtight box once it is cold.

When you are ready to serve whip the cream until it is stiff, add the creme fraiche, sugar and vanilla extract and whip again until stiff. Spread over the hollow in the meringue then top with fruit.

FRUIT SUGGESTIONS

Summer berries - strawberries, raspberries, currants, blueberries. Any combination or just one.

Tropical fruit - mango, banana and passion fruit

any other fruits that you like, a bit of colour is good but the flavour is the most important

Roast lamb with garlic and herbs

6 cloves of garlic (more if you like!)
1 bunch oregano
zest and juice of a lemon
6 tbsp olive oil
1 leg large lamb (the timings are for a 6lb 8 oz or 3 kg leg)

Heat the oven to 240C/gas 9. Cream the garlic with half the oregano, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Either use a pestle and mortar or a blender.

Stab the meat all over with a sharp knife then rub the garlic mix all over and massage into the holes in the meat.

Roast for 20 minutes then turn the oven down to 180C/gas 4 for 1 1/2 hours. Chop the remaining oregano and sprinkle over potatoes before you roast them to serve with the meat.

Adjust the time of the cooking for the lower oven temperature for a smaller piece of lamb.

Herby cheesy roast chicken

1 chicken about 1 1/2 kg or 3 1/2 lb
150g/6 oz pack garlic and herb soft cheese
1 tbsp olive oil

Heat the oven to 190C/gas 5. Carefully loosen the skin of the chicken from the breast and the legs as much as possible. Push the cheese between the skin and the flesh, smooth well so it is evenly spread over the breast and legs as much as possible. Put into a roasting tin and drizzle with the oil then roast for 1 hr 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest for 20 minutes before serving with your choice of veggies.

Veggie moussaka

Everyone seems to be saying we need to eat to 7 portions of fruit and veggies a day, this goes a good way towards that in one portion.

2 peppers, yellow, red, green doesn't matter. Cut into chunks
2 red onions quartered
2 courgettes (zucchini)
1 large aubergine (eggplant) cut into chunks
1 tbsp olive oil 3 oz feta cheese
1 egg
200 ml Greek yogurt
700 g (about 1 pint) bottle passata or minced tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 2 tsp dried

Heat the oven to 200C/gas 6. Put the veggies in a roasting dish, pour over the oil and season. Mix well then roast for 25 minutes till cooked.

Break up the cheese with a fork then mix in the yogurt and the egg. Pour the passata over the veggies and sprinkle the herbs over the top then pour the cheese mix over. Turn up the oven to 220/gas 7 and bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is brown and bubbling.

Serve with crusty bred

Quick and easy banana ice cream

This is so simple but you do need a food processor.

4 bananas
¼ tsp vanilla essence
3-4 tbsp sugar or sweetener, to taste
150ml/5fl oz buttermilk or creme fraiche

Peel the bananas and cut into chinks then freeze. Once totally frozen place in a food processor with all the other ingredients and whizz. There you go, perfect and delicious ice ream.

This can also be done with frozen raspberries, blueberries, in fact any soft fruit but you may need to adjust the amount of sweetener to taste.

Cheeseburger Casserole

This comes all the way from North Carolina, thanks Glenda.

I have changed a few words to fit the UK version and I may need to change the name of the croissants when I have been to do the grocery shopping.

1 lb minced beef (ground beef)
BBQ sauce
Chopped onions
2 packs of Pilsbury croissants
Sliced cheddar cheese

Cook the beef completely, drain grease. Mix with your favorite bbq sauce until covered completely (but not soupy). You can also add chopped onions if you like them.

Take can of Pilsbury croissants, open and roll out, but do not separate.
Lay it on the bottom of a casserole dish, covering the bottom completely.
Top with the ground beef mixture. Top that with slices of cheese.
On top of all that, put the other can of crescent rolls (rolled out, but not separated). Make sure it covers the top completely.

Bake according to the directions on the crescent roll can. I think it is about 375 for 15 or 20 minutes.

Banana Ice Cream

4 firm but ripe bananas
juice 1 orange
juice 1 lemon
2 tbsp sugar or sweetener
1/4 pt/150ml whipping cream

Put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend till smooth. Put into ice cream maker. When done turn into a container and pop into the freezer. Remove for 15 minutes before serving.

If you don't have an ice cream machine the mix into a freezer proof container and freeze until half frozen then remove from the freezer and mix really well to break up any ice crystals and return to the freezer till required.

Prawn cakes

3 slices of wholemeal bread
2 shallots
1 clove garlic
14 oz/400g raw peeled prawns - for alternatives see at the end
freshly grated nutmeg
1 large egg
2 tbsp sunflower oil

Put all the ingredients except the oil, in a food processor and blitz until well blended. Shape into 12 - 18 rounds then chill for anything up to a day then fry gently a few minutes on each side until golden.

ALTERNATIVES
If raw prawns are not available use the same quantity of white or smoked fish or fresh or tinned crab