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Baked Blackberries & Mascarpone

2011-02-09T10:54:00.003Z

For 6

1kg blackberries
2 vanilla pods
3 egg yolks
500g mascarpone cheese
30g icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6.
Wash the blackberries and pick them over.
Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pods.
Mix the mascarpone, egg yolks, vanilla seeds and icing sugar together.
Put the blackberries in a small baking dish. Spoon the mascarpone over and bake in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes, until the mascarpone begins to brown.

Spectacular Rice Pudding with Raspberry & Redcurrant Jam

2011-02-09T10:35:00.003Z

For 4

Large knob of unsalted butter
1 vanilla pod
570ml whole milk
40g round grain rice
freshly grated nutmeg
2 tbsp caster sugar
double cream
raspberry & redcurrant jam, to serve

Preheat the oven to 150C/Gas 2.
Butter an ovenproof dish.
Split the vanilla pod, put it in a saucepan with the milk and bring this to the boil.
Rinse the rice and put it in the dish with some flakes of butter, grated nutmeg and the sugar.
Remove the vanilla pod from the hot milk, pour the milk over the rice and stir.
Put the ovenproof dish into the preheated oven and take out to stir two or three times over the next hour. After about an hour, stir in a good dollop of double cream and leave in the oven until the rice is quite cooked, but before all the liquid has been absorbed; this will take about 20 minutes. Keep checking, as you don't want it to be dry.
Serve with the raspberry & redcurrant jam.

***
This is the first time I've made rice pudding and this recipe felt fool-proof. It also didn't feel like enough for 4 but then my friends and I are just greedy! I'd definitely make more next time.
Also the recipe for the raspberry & redcurrant jam comes from the same book and I have yet to create that so I just used a really good raspberry jam and it was super!

Taken from: Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook

Fig Ice Cream

2011-02-09T10:06:00.004Z

450g Very ripe figs
3 tbsp Water
375ml Whipping cream
110g Sugar
plus:
1 tbsp Sugar
3 Egg yolks
Vanilla, to taste
Cognac or brandy (optional), to taste

Wash the figs, cut off the stem ends, and cut in quarters into a non-corroding saucepan. Add the water and cook slowly until very tender, about 20 minutes, stirring often. The cooking time will depend on the variety of fig you are using and how thick the skin is.
Coarsely chop the figs in a food processor, or put them through a food mill, or crush well with a potato masher.
Warm 1 cup of the cream with the sugar in a non-corroding saucepan, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Whisk the egg yolks just enough to mix them and whisk in some of the hot cream mixture to warm them. Return to the pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard coats the spoon.
Strain through a medium-fine strainer into a container.
Add the remaining cream and 1-1/2 cups of the fig puree.
Flavor to taste with a few drops each of vanilla and Cognac or brandy.
Chill thoroughly. Freeze according to the instructions with your ice-cream maker.

***
I found figs in the local market for a bargain price and although I've never been able to really appreciate their taste I thought I'd snap them up and bring them home and figure out what to do with them. It was really hard to find a recipe for fig ice cream that didn't use dried figs so thank goodness for the internet!
This was absolutely delicious. I only had a few tastes of it when it finished its spinning in the ice cream maker but it had a really rich flavour. And I totally forgot to add the vanilla! I also didn't add either Cognac or brandy.

Also, I never understood the custard coating the spoon thing, I knew if you ran your finger through it and the line stayed clear it was done, but it seemed to do that from the very beginning. However, I finally saw it on tv and had a Eureka moment, the line has to remain clear when you tip your spoon, the liquid should be thick enough that it won't run. Hurrah!

Taken from: The Internet

Blueberry (Or Blackcurrant) Muffins

2011-02-08T14:39:00.005Z

Makes 8

115g plain flour
15ml/1 tbsp baking powder
pinch of salt
65g soft light brown sugar
1 egg
175ml milk
45ml/3 tbsp vegetable oil
10ml/2 tsp ground cinnamon
150g fresh or thawed frozen blueberries or blackcurrants

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Thoroughly grease eight muffin tins.
With an electric mixer, beat together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, egg, milk, vegetable oil and cinnamon until smooth.
Fold the blueberries or blackcurrants into the flour mixture until just evenly combined.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tins, filling them about two-thirds full. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then transfer the buns to a wire rack to cool completely.

***
So these are easily the best muffins I've ever made, but still not perfect.
I didn't grease the tins, because honestly, it just seems so much easier to use the paper wrappers. I can't see that it affects their cooking at all. Maybe I should try without and see. I feel as though there might have been a few too many blueberries that made the inside of the muffin soggier than it could have been. I see experimentation in my future.

Taken from: The Cookie & Biscuit Bible

Tips & Hints

2011-02-08T11:02:00.004Z

I love little tips & hints, I have books on just this thing on my shelves and so I had to have a place to remember my favourites. I can see it'll be a slow growing list.

Cooking tips:

If your recipe calls for only using some, not all, of the holes of your muffin pan, cover the bottom of the others with a layer of water to protect them.

Food tips:

If your recipe calls only for egg yolks, don't discard the whites, save and freeze them. Remember to note on your freezer bag, how many you've frozen, then simply defrost and use in your recipe.
Store your hard cheeses in the freezer. Something like parmesan will last much longer and doesn't grate any differently. As a single person I was finding that I wasn't using it often enough and it was going off before I could finish a pack.

Storage tips:

If you are saving jars for preserving, screw up a piece of newspaper and place inside the jar, this will absorb any moisture and help prevent any rust forming on the lid.

Greengage Sorbet

2011-02-07T15:57:00.003Z

Serves 6

150g sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
675g greengages

Bring 150ml water and the sugar to the boil, and cook for 3 minutes. Allow to cool and add the lemon juice.
Preheat a moderate oven - 180C/Gas 4.
Either halve the greengages and remove the stones or just leave them, stones, skin & all, put them in an ovenproof dish and cover with foil. They need no extra liquid.
Bake in the preheated oven until they are really soft and, if you have left the stones in, just pick them out with a knife and fork. Put the whole lot into a food processor and process until you have a thick, smooth puree.
Add the cooled sugar syrup, process to combine and put into a bowl. Cool and cover until you are ready to make the sorbet.
If you have an ice cream machine, empty the contents of the bowl into the machine and freeze/churn for 15-20 minutes, until the mixture is thick but still easy to transfer into plastic containers for the freezer.
If you don't have a machine, pour the mixture into a plastic container, making sure that you have a depth of about 4-5cm. Cover and freeze. After an hour or so, beat or process the mixture and put back into the freezer. Repeat a couple more times over the next 4 hours and then cover and freeze until you want it.
Allow the sorbet to thaw for about 20 minutes in the fridge before eating.

***
After I'd put this in my ice cream maker and it had chilled, I dipped a teaspoon in. It's fair to say that after that first taste it took enormous willpower not to sit, eat the whole bowl and feel incredibly sick.
I'd eaten a raw greengage and it wasn't at all to my taste but I didn't want them to go to waste so this was excellent.

Taken from: Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook

Crushed New Potatoes

2011-02-07T15:30:00.003Z

Serves 4

600g new potatoes
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp creme fraiche
salt and pepper

Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the potatoes. Boil until tender.
Drain and crush with the back of a fork.
Stir in the butter and creme fraiche and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Serve.

***
I'm a giant wuss with overactive tastebuds so I leave the pepper for crazy folk to add as I can tolerate precisely zero specks of it. I did though, use Maldon sea salt because I am in love with it and use every damn excuse to use it.
We kept the leftovers and the following day my sister mixed them in with a tablespoonful or two of mayonnaise and a small can of sweetcorn. Absolutely delicious!

Taken from: BBC Food

Wild Mushroom Tartlets

2011-02-07T15:22:00.002Z

Over Christmas, to attempt to ease the load my sister and I cooked a couple of meals as well as preparing different things for Christmas Day dinner.
This was part of my Christmas Eve main. They were absolutely delicious and as is par for the course with me, nice and easy.

I served them with crushed new potatoes and green vegetables.

Old-Fashioned Ginger Cookies

2011-02-07T14:58:00.004Z

Makes 60

300g plain flour
5ml/1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
7.5ml/1 1/2tsp ground ginger
1.5ml/1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1.5ml/1/4 tsp ground cloves
115g butter or margarine, at room temperature, diced
350g caster sugar
1 egg
60ml/4 tbsp black treacle
5ml/1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3. Grease three baking sheets.
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices into a small bowl. Set aside.
Place the butter or margarine and two thirds of the sugar in a bowl and cream together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Lightly beat the egg and stir it in.
Stir in the treacle and lemon juice. Add the flour mixture and mix in thoroughly with a wooden spoon to make a soft dough.
Shape the dough into 2cm balls. Roll the balls in the remaining sugar to coat and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 5cm apart to allow for the dough spreading.
Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the cookies are just firm to the touch. With a spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack and leave to cool.

***
These came out looking brilliant. I think i was most proud of the appearance of these - for the most ridiculous of reasons, they looked as if they could be shop-bought, which is a stupid standard to want to attain. Maybe it's the good-enough-to-pay-money-for standard.

Taken from: The Cookie & Biscuit Bible

Plain Chocolate & Peppermint Crisps

2011-02-07T14:36:00.002Z

Makes 30

50g granulated sugar
50ml water
5ml/1 tsp peppermint essence
225g plain chocolate, chopped

Lightly brush a large baking sheet with unflavoured oil. In a pan over a medium heat, heat the sugar and water, swirling the pan gently until the sugar dissolves. Boil rapidly until the temperature registers 138C/280F on a sugar thermometer (hard ball stage*).
Remove from the heat and add the peppermint essence, swirl gently to mix. Pour on to the baking sheet and leave to set and cool.
When cold, break into pieces. Place in a food processor fitted with a metal blade until fine crumbs form.
Line two baking sheets with non stick baking parchment. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a small pan of hot water. Place over a very low heat until the chocolate has melted, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the peppermint mixture.
Using a teaspoon, drop small mounds onto the prepared baking sheets. Using the back of the spoon, spread to 4cm rounds. Cool, then chill for about 1 hour, until set. Peel off the parchment and store in airtight containers with baking parchment between the layers.

* You can test sugar for "hard ball stage" by spooning a few drops into a bowl of cold water; it should form a hard ball when rolled between your fingers.

***
I was really pleased with these, they're pretty easy to do and they were lovely. They stacked up nicely as part of my gift tins of chocs!

Taken from: The Cookie & Biscuit Bible

Chocolate Box Cookies

2011-02-07T13:59:00.004Z

Makes about 50

175g self-raising flour
25g cocoa powder
5ml/1 tsp mixed spice
50g unsalted butter
caster sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk

For the decoration:
150g milk chocolate
150g white chocolate
100g plain chocolate
whole almonds or walnuts
cocoa powder, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease two baking sheets.
Put the flour, cocoa powder, spice and butter into a food processor. Process until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. Add the sugar, egg and egg yolk and mix to a smooth dough.
Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead gently. Cut the dough in half and roll out each piece under the palms of your hands to form two long longs, each 33cm long.
Cut each log into 1cm slices. Place the slices on the prepared baking sheet, spacing slightly apart, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Bake for 10 minutes until slightly risen. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
To decorate, break the chocolate into three separate heatproof bowls. Place each bowl, in turn, over a pan of gently simmering water and stir frequently until melted.
Divide the cookies into six batches. Using a fork, dip one batch, a cookie at a time, into the milk chocolate to coat completely. Place on a sheet of baking parchment.
Taking the next batch of cookies, half-dip in milk chocolate and place on the baking parchment.
Continue with the next two batches of cookies and the white chocolate. Completely coat one batch, then half-coat the second.
Continue with the remaining cookies, completely coating one batch in the plain chocolate and half-dipping the other. Press a whole nut on to the tops of the plain chocolate covered cookies.
Put the leftover white chocolate in a small plastic bag and squeeze it into one corner. Snip off the tip, then drizzle lines of chocolate over the milk chocolate coated cookies.
Dust the white chocolate coated cookies with a little cocoa powder. Store all the cookies in a cool place until ready to serve.

***
These were really simple and really effective. They stored well, I made them before Christmas and they were good for at least a couple of weeks, although not too many made it that long!

Taken from: The Cookie & Biscuit Bible

Cinnamon & Orange Tuiles

2011-02-07T12:35:00.003Z

Serves 15

2 egg whites
90g caster sugar
7.5ml/1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
finely grated rind of 1 orange
50g plain flour
75g butter, melted

For the dipping chocolate:
75g Belgian plain chocolate
45ml/3 tbsp milk
75 - 90ml/5-6 tbsp double or whipping cream

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Line two or three large baking sheets with non-stick baking parchment.
Whisk the egg whites until softly peaking, then whick in the sugar until smooth and glossy. Add the cinnamon and orange rind, sift over the flour and fold in with the melted butter. When well blended add 15ml/1 tbsp of recently boiled water to thin the mixture.
Place 4-5 teaspoons of the mixture on each tray, well apart. Flatten out and bake, one sheet at a time for 7 minutes until just golden. Cool for a few seconds then remove from the sheet with a metal spatula and immediately roll arond the handle of a wooden spoon.
Place on a rack to cool.
Melt the chocolate in the milk, then stir in the cream. Dip one or both ends of the cookies in the chocolate and leave to cool.

***
Total and utter failure.
First make sure the tuiles are well flattened out before baking, they need to be thin.
Do not waste any time trying to get these damn things around the handle of the wooden spoon. By the end of the batch I was about getting it. Don't bake more than two at a time or they'll have gone hard and you won't be able to roll them.
Then the chocolate? It would. Not. Set. An hour to cool on the side, an hour in the fridge. Nope. If I made these again, I would just make them with straight melted chocolate.
As they wouldn't set, I couldn't package them up for Christmas gifts so I ate a few then had to dump the rest, very sadly.

Taken from: The Cookie & Biscuit Bible

Rose Water Thins

2011-02-07T12:27:00.004Z

Makes 60

225g slightly salted butter
225g caster sugar
1 egg
15ml/1 tbsp single cream
300g plain flour
pinch of salt
5ml/1 tsp baking powder
15ml/1 tbsp rose water
caster sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.
Soften the butter and mix with all the other ingredients to make a firm dough. Mould the mixture into an even roll and wrap in greaseproof paper.
Chill until it is firm enough to slice very thinly. This will take 1-1 1/2 hours.
Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheets allowing enough space for them to spread during cooking. Sprinkle with a little caster sugar and bake for about 10 minutes until they are just turning brown at the edges.

***
This Christmas I did a huge batch of baking for friends and family, wrapping selections of biscuits in cellophane with hand stamped tags. Everyone loved them and this recipe in particular has been requested over and over again.

Taken from: The Cookie & Biscuit Bible

Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Salted Peanut Brittle

2010-07-10T08:01:00.003+01:00

Serve 6-7 (approx 1kg)

For the ice cream:
400ml whole milk
400ml whipping cream
200g caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
200g smooth or crunchy peanut butter

For the salted peanut brittle:
150g caster sugar
20g unsalted butter
200g roasted salted peanuts

To make the ice cream, put the milk, cream and sugar in a pan and bring to just below boiling point. Add the vanilla extract.
Put the peanut butter in a mixing bowl and add a couple of tablespoons of the heated-milk mix to the peanut butter, stirring constantly to combine. Gradually add the rest of the heated milk and stir everything together. Allow to cool.
Churn the mixture in an ice-cream machine until it is firm. Put in a sealed container and over the top of the ice cream with waxed or greaseproof paper. Transfer to the freezer until needed.

To make the salted peanut brittle, put half of the sugar in a pan over a moderate heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves; it will become crumbly to begin with, but don't worry. Make sure all the sugar is dissolved before you add the remaining sugar. Scrape the bottom and the sides of the pan as you go along until you have added all the sugar. Cook the caramel until it reaches a lovely golden brown.
Add the butter and the peanuts and stir them around for a few minutes until the peanuts are coated in the caramel. Pour the mix onto a sheet of foil or non-stick baking paper and allow to cool.
Once cooled and hardened, break up the brittle into small or large chunks. If not using immediately, transfer to a container and store in a cool, dry place.

Serve the ice cream topped with the salted peanut brittle.

***
This is so good as to not be wholly legal. It was also a really easy ice cream to make, some seem to be really fussy and precise.
Also, because home made ice creams aren't full of all those extra ingredients, you have to remember to take it out at least half an hour before you need it to give it time to soften up a bit.

Taken from: Lola's Ice Creams & Sundaes

Rhubarb Cordial

2010-07-10T07:51:00.002+01:00

300g Rhubarb, chopped into 1cm pieces
568ml (1 pint) water
100-150g caster sugar (depending on taste)

Put the water and sugar into a pan and bring to the boil. Add the rhubarb and boil for about 10 minutes until the rhubarb is soft. Strain into a jug through a sieve; do not press the pulp through as this will result in the cordial becoming cloudy. Pour into a sterilised bottle and store until needed. Mix with water, fizzy water or lemonade

***
This was a wonderful pink shade when I bottled it and when diluted turned yellow. I'm not sure what I did wrong but a couple of weeks after I made it, I hadn't drunk any in that couple of weeks, but when I went to open it again it fizzed, which isn't a good thing. I'd kept it refrigerated the whole time so I'd have thought it would be fine. Ah well, will be trying again.

Taken from: My Skydrive Recipe folder!

Lemongrass Cordial

2010-07-10T07:39:00.004+01:00

3 lemon grass sticks
About 5cm piece of fresh root ginger
450g sugar
Juice of 3 large lemons (to taste)

Chop the tips off the lemon grass and bruise the base with a heavy knife or mallet before slicing thinly. Peel the ginger and slice it. Put these into a saucepan over a gentle heat with the sugar and 600ml water. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved before raising the heat and then allow to simmer for 5-6 minutes.
Remove from the heat, add the lemon juice and, when quite cold, strain into a screw-top bottle. Keep it in the fridge until needed, for up to about a month.
Serve as a cordial, with thin slices of lemon or lime, and topping up the glasses with flat, fizzy or tonic water.

***
I have developed an addiction to this stuff, it tastes so good that I want to drink it all the time. It's also so incredibly simple, which is only ever a good thing with recipes!

Taken from: Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook

Cinnamon Toast

2009-08-31T13:16:00.004+01:00

Serves 1

2 slices white bread, crusts removed
butter, for spreading
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon

Preheat the grill to a medium heat.
Toast the bread and then spread with the butter.
Sprinkle the slices liberally with the sugar and cinnamon.
Put the bread under the grill and toast until the sugar has melted and bubbles.

***
I just fancied something a bit different for breakfast and this was lovely. I only used a small white batch loaf so the slices were quite small. I think you get a very good idea of how much sugar and cinnamon is enough.

Taken from: The Internet

Salted Beech Nuts

2009-08-31T13:06:00.004+01:00

Preheat the oven to 220C/Gas 7.
Shell the beech nuts by removing them from their four lobed hairy/spiky outer casing.
Lay the nuts on a flat roasting tin and place in the oven for 5-10 minutes.
Turn off the oven and remove the nuts.
Peel the nuts - this is a fiddly process but once I found a method that worked for me it got easier, I preferred to take off the very tip of the nut with a sharp knife and then found that one side peeled away and it was possible to remove the nut inside.
Replace the peeled nuts into the cooling oven to dry.
When crisp, sprinkle with salt.

***
Free food at its best for me. The initial shelling is something that's easy to do as you're sitting in front of the TV or having a chat with friends. It's just that peeling that's a bit of a pain!

Taken from: Britain's Wild Larder

Choc Mint Cupcakes

2009-08-31T11:09:00.005+01:00

Makes 12

85g self-raising flour
4 tbsp cocoa powder
110g caster sugar
110g margarine, softened
1 tsp baking powder
2 large free-range eggs
100g unsalted butter, softened
225g icing sugar
1-2 tsp peppermint flavouring
green food colouring
chocolate sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3.
Line a 12 hole muffin tin with cupcake cases.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder and sugar into a large bowl, food processor or mixer. Add the margarine, baking powder and eggs. Beat well until the mixture is light and fluffy. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cases, and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until firm to the touch.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Put the unsalted butter and icing sugar into a bowl and mix until well combined. Add 1-2 tsp peppermint flavouring to taste and a drop or two of green food colouring and mix well. Place buttercream in a piping bag and swirl on to top of cooled cupcakes. Add chocolate sprinkles to finish.

***
I was so pleased with how these came out, the combination of the mint colour and the chocolate just works so well together, really eye-catching.
As an added bonus you can freeze these as well. Freeze them as they are and once completely frozen wrap them in foil or put them into containers to save damaging the delicate buttercream.

Saganaki

2009-08-20T18:05:00.002+01:00

Serves 6

600g feta cheese (3 packs), broken into rough 2cm pieces
20 large or 30 small cherry tomatoes
20 capers
15 kalamata olives, halved and stoned
2 tbsp olive oil
6 sprigs of thyme or marjoram

Pre-heat the oven to 200C/Gas 6, pbut the cheese into a shallow ovenproof dish with everything else and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and browning on top.

***
So very good, makes an excellent lunch!
I served it with warmed naan bread and it was just heavenly.

She states that you can cook this in individual foil parcels on an open fire, so I bet it would work brilliantly in a barbecue too.

I didn't make this for 6, there were just a couple of us, so whilst I obviously reduced the amount of cheese (I mean I love cheese, but that would just be going too far!) and had a few less tomatoes, I didn't reduce the olives or capers and for me it was fine. Maybe to a posher palate it wouldn't be spot on, but hell, we cleared the dish!

Taken from: Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook

Rocket & Tomato Risotto

2009-08-20T17:50:00.003+01:00

Serves 4-6

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
350g arborio rice
125ml dry white vermouth
1.5 litres vegetable stock, simmering
6 vine ripened or Italian plum tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
125g wild rocket
handful of fresh basil leaves
115g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
225g fresh Italian buffalo mozzarella, coarsely grated or diced
salt and pepper

Heat the oil and half the butter in a large frying pan. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes until just beginning to soften. Stir in the garlic and rice and cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is translucent and well coated.
Pour in the vermouth; it will evaporate almost immediately. Add a ladleful of the stock and cook, stirring, until it is absorbed.
Continue adding the stock, about half a ladleful at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding the next. Just before the rice is tender, stir in the chopped tomatoes and rocket. Shred the basil leaves and immediately stir into the risotto. Continue to cook, adding more stock until the risotto is creamy and the rice is tender, but firm to the bite.
Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining butter, and the grated Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and leave to stand for about 1 minute. Serve immediately, before the mozzarella melts completely.

***
I love risotto. Goodness knows how many times I've said that!
I didn't bother to deseed the tomatoes, call me lazy I just didn't understand why I had to.
I also didn't use any vermouth and it came out just fine. When your dinner guest goes back for seconds and you know it's not out of politeness, you know you've done okay!
I made more than enough and it reheated just fine the next day, it wasn't as nice as when first made but I thoroughly enjoyed it for lunch the following day.

Taken from: Vegetarian Bible

Pantzarosalata

2009-08-20T17:41:00.003+01:00

Serves 6

1 large beetroot (about 180g)
4 tbsp chopped walnuts
30g stale white bread, crumbled
1 garlic clove
6 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt

Cook the beetroot in boiling water for 30-40 minutes, depending on size.
Once cooked and cool enough to handle, peel it and chop it coarsely.
Blend this and the other ingredients together until smooth.

***
The scent of the vinegar is strong in this and had a flavour I really loved, but I suspect it would be quite divisive. Like olives, you either love them or hate them! However, no one could deny that the colour is just sensational.
Makes a lovely picnic dip, something just a bit different, or to have as part of a mezze perhaps.

Taken from: Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook

Preserved Lemons

2009-08-20T17:35:00.004+01:00

For a 500ml jar

4-6 organic unwaxed lemons, depending on size
3 tbsp sea salt
boiling water to cover

Scrub them clean and cut into quarters. Remove the pips and pack firmly into a 500ml preserving jar, separating the layers with a sprinkling of salt.
Top with any remaining salt and fill the jar with boiling water, turning it to expel any air bubbles.
Close firmly and store for a month before using.
Once the jar has been opened it can be kept in the fridge with a layer of extra virgin olive oil floating on the surface to exclude the air.

***
Obviously incredibly easy to put together, mine have only been maturing for a couple of weeks now so I haven't had chance to cook with them.
She states that they work well with lamb, chicken or fish stews - but as a vegetarian I won't be finding that out!
She also says that they're good for seasoning rice or cous cous, so that I definitely will be trying.
Interestingly she writes that when you do cook with them, you use the whole fruit; flesh, skin and pith! You just give them a rinse to remove any salt before adding them. I'm looking forward to giving them a go!

Taken from: Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook

Lemon (or Orange) Cordial

2009-08-20T17:29:00.004+01:00

For 2 x 750ml bottles

3 unwaxed lemons (or oranges)
900ml boiling water
850g white sugar (granulated or caster)
30g citric or tartaric acid

With a swivel potato peeler, cut thick ribbons of rind from the fruit, leaving the white pith behind.
Put the rind into a heatproof bowl and pour over the boiling water. Stir in the sugar, keeping the water moving until the sugar has all dissolved.
Leave the mixture to cool and then add the juice from the lemons (or oranges) and citric acid, and leave everything to steep overnight.
Next day, strain the rind away and bottle the cordial.

***
I poured mine into a 2 pint plastic milk carton and froze it. The remaining cordial is sitting in the fridge and is lovely. I also made it with oranges as I'd already used up all my lemons on another recipe, which I'll be adding in a moment!

Taken from: Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook

Choco-mel Muffins

2009-08-20T17:23:00.003+01:00

Serves 2

50g chocolate caramel bar, chopped
2 tbsp double cream
2 ready-made chocolate muffins
2 scoops vanilla ice cream

Put the pieces of chocolate caramel bar and the cream in a heavy pan and place over a low heat until melted and smooth, stirring all the time. Remove from the heat.
Scoop a little cake from the middle of each muffin to make a hollow, then top each one with a scoop of ice cream. Drizzle with the caramel sauce and serve immediately.

***
I'm not sure it's possible to find a dessert that's easier than this to put together.
I didn't bother chopping the caramel bar, I just broke it into pieces and it was absolutely fine, it melts and binds with the cream incredibly quickly, maybe just a minute or two.
Absolutely delicious too!

Taken from: 101 Chocolate Treats

Lemonade

2009-06-30T16:33:00.004+01:00

For 6

10 lemons
8 tbsp caster sugar
4 tbsp ice, plus whole ice cubes to serve
20 mint or lemon balm leaves

Peel the lemons, making sure you have removed all of the white bitter pith.
Then put the fruit in a blender with the sugar, ice, herbs and 1 litre of water, and whiz for 2 minutes.
Put a few mint or lemon balm leaves, some whole ice cubes and some lemon slices into a large jug and sieve the lemonade into it.
Drink straight away!

***
When I made this, I was just making enough for me, I can't tell you how complicated that was and ended up with rather more than I meant to. I should have paid more attention to maths in school.
Also, I'm not sure how much is 4 tbsp of ice, that's hard to gauge!
All that said, it was really, really good. You can't store it, so I drank all that I made, and my tongue stung for a while!

Taken from: Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook

Shallot Tatin

2009-06-30T16:19:00.004+01:00

For 6

450g shallots

175g Brie or Camembert

40g unsalted butter

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
500g puff pastry
salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6.
Peel the shallots, leaving them whole, and cut the cheese into thickish slices. Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the shallots and cook them for 5-7 minutes if they are small and 10 if they are larger. Drain and put to one side.
Heat the butter and oil in an ovenproof pan or a frying pan with a detachable handle. When the butter has melted , sprinkle in the sugar and allow it to dissolve gently before adding the shallots. Season well and allow the shallots to cook until a rich golden caramel.
Remove from the heat and roll out the pastry to a circle a bit bigger than the pan.
Spread the slices of cheese over the shallots and lay the pastry over the top, pressing it down slightly all around the edge.
Bake the tart in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until risen and golden.
Allow to cool a little and then put a large serving plate over the pan and invert it quickly so that the shallots are now on the top, with the pastry underneath.

***
This was so good. So easy. So delicious.
Not only that, I put it in the freezer, once defrosted and reheated it was still good. I wasn't at all sure how that would work so was really pleased. Especially as they were selling off shallots at a ridiculously low price at the shop so I still have half a kilo to use. I think I'll be making this again and adding a few new slices to the freezer.

Taken from: Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook

Shepherdess Pie

2009-06-30T16:05:00.004+01:00

Serves 4

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
2 celery stalks, trimmed and finely sliced
1 onion, peeled and finely sliced
350g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and chopped into bite-sized pieces
450ml vegetable stock
410g can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
410g can black-eye peas, drained and rinsed
2 red peppers, deseeded and sliced
4 tomatoes, sliced in half
1 dsp arrowroot powder
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6.
Steam or boil the sweet potatoes for 10-15 minutes until completely tender.
Place 2 tbsp of water in a medium-sized saucepan with the oil, garlic, celery and onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add the squash and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Cover, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the beans, peas, peppers, courgettes and tomatoes and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
Mix the arrowroot with a little water and add along with the parsley.
Drain the sweet potato and mash.
Transfer the filling to a pie dish and top with the sweet potato mash.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until the sweet potato begins to brown.
Serve immediately.

***
I followed the recipe, I used the quantities it quotes but there was no way in hell this was fitting in any of my pie dishes. This was huge. HUGE. I had to use a lasagne dish AND another dish just to get it all in the oven. My friend came over to eat with me and we ate pretty big portions, and I still had masses left over for the freezer, it could comfortably serve at least 5 or 6 to my mind. I also found that the sweet potato mash never really browned and I left it in for more than twice as long as the recipe stated.

Taken from: You Are What You Eat Cookbook by Dr Gillian McKeith

Tomato & Aubergine Sauce for pasta

2009-06-30T15:54:00.003+01:00

Serves 4

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tbsp oil
1 aubergine, diced
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
sprinkling oregano
salt and pepper

Fry the onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of oil for 5 minutes, add the aubergine and the remaining oil and continue to cook until soft (5-10 minutes). Add the rest of the ingredients and seasoning and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Serve with pasta.

***
This was something else I cooked for the freezer. I had a few things in the fridge that were on the verge of going to the bad side so decided to have a day of cooking, get them all used up and stored in the freezer. I have no idea at what point I came over all sensible.

Taken from: Vegetarian Grub On A Grant by Cas Clarke

Carrot Muffins

2009-06-30T15:40:00.003+01:00

Makes 12

175g margarine at room temperature, diced
75g soft dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp water
275g grated carrots
150g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Add paper muffin cases to the muffin tin.
With an electric mixer, cream the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and water.
Stir the grated carrots into the creamed mixture until evenly combined. Sift over the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir to blend evenly.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling them almost to the top.
Bake for about 35 minutes, until the tops spring back when touched lightly with your fingers. Leave to stand in the tins for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

***
So it's baking, I don't know anyone that can't have just one little cake, muffin or biscuit whilst they're still warm, instead of waiting for them to cool.
The thing with these though, they're just not that nice whilst warm.
I ate one and was disappointed and a bit put off, then the next day I put some in the car for a journey and ate another when it was cold, it was SO much better. So be patient, let them cool down, then enjoy. I'm curious to find out what they'd be like with a cream cheese topping.

Taken from: The Cookie & Biscuit Bible

Cream of Celeriac Soup

2009-06-30T15:29:00.004+01:00

Serves 6

25g butter
400g celeriac, peeled and roughly chopped
125g potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
570ml vegetable stock
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
275ml milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter and cook the celeriac, potatoes and garlic gently for 5 minutes without colouring. Add the stock and lemon juice. Bring to the boil and simmer gently until the vegetables are tender. Cool a little, then puree in a liquidiser with the milk. Taste for seasoning. The soup is delicious served both chilled and hot.

***
I made this for the freezer so didn't add the milk, instead making a note on top of the containers to add milk when I reheated it (because my memory sucks and I'd wonder why it was so thick). Anyway, the celeriac flavour was pretty strong and I'm only a very recent convert to celeriac so I'm interested to see if I'll be able to get through all the containers of it in the freezer!

Taken from: New Covent Garden Soup Company's Book of Soups

Elderflower Cordial

2009-06-18T08:38:00.003+01:00

I really love elderflower cordial so am going to try a variety of recipes and see which one I like best! I'd better get a move on before it's all gone and does anyone have a walking stick? I'm apparently quite short and struggling to reach some of the branches!

For 2 x 750ml bottles

1.35kg granulated sugar
flowers from 15-20 elderflower heads
2 oranges, thinly sliced
2 lemons, thinly sliced
2 limes, thinly sliced
30g tartaric (or citric) acid

Put 1.15 litres water and the sugar in a saucepan, and dissolve the sugar completely before bringing to the boil. Add the flowers and return the water to the boil. Remove from the heat immediately.
Thinly slice the fruit into a large bowl or jug. Add the tartaric acid and pour over the hot syrup and flowers.
Stir well and cover loosely. Leave for 24 hours.
Strain into warm sterilised bottles and seal.
This keeps for a couple of months in the fridge. If you make plenty, pour some into plastic bottles and freeze. It will last for years.

***
This had a distinctly fruity edge to it as you'd expect and it was really lovely.
However, I did misread the recipe and used 1.5 litres of water instead of 1.15 but it came out ok in the end, I will be having another go with the right amount of water! I put both of mine in the freezer so I'm looking forward to those, but possibly because I messed up the amount of water, I ended up with a much greater quantity than stated here. I've got 2 lots of 2 litre bottles in the freezer!

Taken from: Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook

Salad of Asparagus, Broad Beans, Rocket & Peas

2009-06-18T08:26:00.004+01:00

Serves 4

Bunch of new asparagus
Handful of peas
Handful of small broad beans
Bunch of rocket (or milder spinach)
Salt
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
A little chopped flat-leaf parsley
Few curls of pecorino cheese
Balsamic vinegar

Break off the tips of the asparagus and blanch for 2 minutes. Remove any coarse bits from the asparagus stalks with a potato peeler and slice thinly at an angle. Blanch these too.
Pod the peas and blanch for 2 minutes. Do the same with the broad beans and, if they're larger than a thumbnail, remove their skins, revealing the bright green beans inside.
Dress the rocket with salt and olive oil and put to one side.
Lightly dress the beans, peas and asparagus with olive oil and salt and pile on a plate.
Put the rocket on the top and toss a little, adding the parsley, curls of pecorino and a drizzle of the balsamic vinegar.

***
I have to admit that I didn't stick to just rocket for this but used whichever leaves were fresh and ready in the garden. As this has some of my favourite vegetables I thought it was just fabulous!

Taken from: Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook

Wild Garlic & Potato Soup

2009-06-07T21:56:00.003+01:00

25g butter
couple of handfuls of wild garlic leaves
2 medium-sized potatoes
800 ml of chicken or vegetable stock
salt & pepper

Melt the butter in your soup pot.
Roll the leaves, cigar-fashion, and then slice across into strips.
Add them to the pot and put the lid on.
Let them soften in the butter while you peel and chop the potatoes into cubes.
When the leaves are wilted add the potatoes and the stock.
Bring up to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are really soft.
If you like, add a spoonful of cream and liquidize the soup.

***
I do prefer to have a specific weight for my recipes, because I'm not sure what the size range is for a medium potato! However, I think I guessed right as it turned out ok and made plenty to be stored in my freezer. I'm actually going to have to start eating soup now before all the room in the freezer is gone!

Taken from: The Internet

Wild Garlic Butter

2009-06-07T21:44:00.004+01:00

125g unsalted butter
1 handful wild garlic, chopped
pinch of sea salt crystals

Mix the butter and garlic in a bowl with the sea salt crystals and a pinch of black pepper.
Roll up in a sausage shape inside a piece of greaseproof paper or foil.
Refrigerate.

***
I'm not sure how it could be any easier than this! I made about quadruple this quantity and separated them into individual pats and froze them. I've since defrosted one and it was really good on some crusty white bread!

Taken from: The Internet

Stuffed Baked Potatoes with Pesto

2009-05-06T14:50:00.004+01:00

Serves 4

4 baking potatoes
200ml creme fraiche
175g grated Wensleydale (or 87.5g Parmesan)
150ml pesto
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.
Wash the potatoes and score round the full diameter of the potato with a sharp knife, only just piercing the skin. This makes it easier to cut them precisely, so that you get two perfect halves.
Bake the potatoes until they're cooked all the way through. Remove from the oven, leaving it on, and cut them in half. Carefully scoop out the potato from the skins and put it into a bowl.
Add all the other ingredients to the potato flesh and mix thoroughly with a fork. Spoon the mixture back into the potato skins, piling them up above the edges.
Return to the oven for about 15 minutes, until the tops become golden.

These can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days or can be frozen at the just-stuffed stage.

***
I made the quantity here and had one skin for lunch, freezing the other seven, so it will be interesting to see how they come out once defrosted.
I love how easy this was and I used my wild garlic pesto this time. I'm looking forward to making some basil pesto and trying them with that.

Taken from: Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook

Wild Garlic Pesto

2009-05-05T21:27:00.006+01:00

For a large jar

2 handfuls (about 100g) of wild garlic leaves with flowers
200ml extra virgin olive oil, plus a bit more for sealing
50g pine nuts or walnuts
2 garlic cloves
50g Parmesan cheese, grated
salt and black pepper

Blanch the wild garlic leaves in boiling water for about 10 seconds. Refresh in cold water and pat dry on kitchen paper.
Put the wild garlic, olive oil, pine nuts or walnuts, together with the garlic cloves , into a food processor and blend to a puree. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the grated Parmesan. Season carefully and put into a sterilised jar.
Pour over a little extra olive oil to seal and cover tightly.

***
This was incredibly easy to do and there's a plethora of wild garlic at this time of year in the woods around me.
The recipe also states that this can be put in the freezer, but you need to omit the garlic cloves. I'm not sure if it can be frozen in glass jars or not, or if it would be better in airtight plastic containers. I've tried it with glass to see how it goes.
This recipe almost filled a large peanut butter jar, around 450g.

I've poked around on the net and I've seen that the recommended way to sterilise jam jars is to give them a good wash and whilst still damp put them in the oven for around ten minutes at around Gas 2/150C/300F.

I also read a tip recently that suggested keeping a piece of screwed up newspaper in your washed, unsterilised jam jars as it would absorb any moisture and prevent any rust to the lids or other problems.

Taken from: Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook

Pavlova Meringue Roulade with Cherries & Rosewater Mascarpone

2009-04-20T20:45:00.004+01:00

Serves 6-8

4 egg whites
225g caster sugar
1 tsp white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 tsp rose water
1 tsp cornflour, sifted

For the filling
250g Mascarpone
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 - 2 tbsp rose water
300g Cherries, halved and stoned

Preheat the oven to 180ºC, gas mark 4.
Line a Swiss roll tin with foil, folding the sides up to make a frame 4cm (11/2in) high, squeezing the corners together. Brush lightly with vegetable oil.
Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until soft peaks form. Fold in the rosewater, red or white wine vinegar and cornflour.
Add the sugar and whisk at full speed for about 4–5 minutes until stiff peaks form.
Smooth the meringue into the prepared tin with a palette knife and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until faintly browned and firm to the touch.
Allow the meringue to cool for a few minutes, then turn out upside onto another sheet of foil which has been lightly dusted with icing sugar, gently removing the foil on the base. Allow to cool completely.

For the filling:
Soften the mascarpone by gently beating, add the caster sugar and rosewater to taste.
Spread the mascarpone evenly over the meringue. Scatter the halved and stoned fresh cherries over.
Holding the foil closest to you, roll up the roulade away from you (roll the longest side, not the shortest) and leave it in the foil until you are ready to serve (it will hold neatly here for a couple of hours in the fridge).
When ready to serve, unwrap the roulade and gently push onto a serving dish using a palette knife or cake slice.
Dust with icing sugar and decorate with a few more cherries, if you wish.

***
SO good! I've never made a roulade before, or a swiss roll and this just worked wonderfully.
I also like that you can pretty much substitute any fruit that takes your fancy in place of the cherries. I used blueberries and they worked really well. I'd be interested to see how peaches or nectarines worked with the flavour of the rose water.
I'd also love to try it with some exotic fruits, maybe a combination of mango and pomegranate.
I originally saw this recipe on TV and she suggested using poached rhubarb or poached gooseberries too.
You could also try strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or grapes. There must be almost no end to the variety!

Taken from: The TV & Internet

Blueberry Bagels

2009-04-20T20:18:00.002+01:00

Makes 8-12 bagels

1 1/2 cups warm water (approx 330ml)
2 tbsp dry yeast
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
4 1/4 cups bread flour (approx 640g)
8 cups of water (approx 1760ml)
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 tbsp water
approx 30-40g dried blueberries, chopped*

In a small bowl, mix yeast, sugar and warm water together and let stand for 3 minutes.
Mix half the flour with the salt in a large bowl; then add the yeast mixture. Stir until combined and slowly mix in the rest of the flour.
Knead dough on a floured surface for 5 minutes, adding additional flour if necessary. Dough should be fairly smooth and somewhat firm. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise until double.
Punch dough down (if making cinnamon raisin bagels, add the cinnamon and raisins now - knead just enough to swirl the cinnamon through the dough). Divide and shape into between 8 & 12 balls - depending on your preference. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Bring the water to boil. Make a hole in each ball of dough and pull open about 2 inches, making a bagel shape. Place the shaped dough onto a cookie sheet and cover for 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drop 2 or 3 bagels at a time into the boiling water for about 45 seconds, turning each once.
Drain cooked bagels on a wire rack. Mix egg white and water; brush tops with egg white mixture and top with optional toppings, if using. Place bagels on greased baking sheets.
Bake at 180C/350F/Gas 4 for 35 minutes turning once half-way through baking. (If making plain bagels, you can flip the bagels, otherwise, just rotate). Bagels will be lightly browned and shiny.

* When mixing in the blueberries I found that the dough reached a maximum saturation of blueberries and it was almost impossible to add more.
You could use cinnamon, raisins, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, onion or garlic as alternatives to the blueberries too.

***
This was my second attempt at making bagels, the first went horribly wrong. I knew that the dough was wrong, it didn't rise as it should and when I formed the bagel shape I had a horrible feeling I was making something inedible. However, this recipe worked a treat. I had to dig out my cup measuring spoons to make it, but it was easy to follow and the result was excellent. I ate one fresh and froze the others, I've since defrosted a couple and toasted them and they were just as good.

Taken from: The Internet

Pak Choi with Cashew Nuts

2009-04-20T20:12:00.003+01:00

Serves 4

2 red onions
175g red cabbage
2 tbsp groundnut oil
225g pak choi
2 tbsp plum sauce
100g roasted cashew nuts

Using a sharp knife, cut the red onions into thin wedges and thinly shred the red cabbage.
Heat the groundnut oil in a large preheated wok or heavy-based frying pan until it is really hot.
Add the onion wedges to the wok or frying pan and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are just beginning to brown.
Add the red cabbage to the wok and stir-fry for a further 2-3 minutes.
Add the pak choi leaves to the wok or frying pan and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, or until the leaves have just wilted.
Drizzle the plum sauce over the vegetables, toss together until well combined and heat until the liquid is beginning to bubble.
Scatter the roasted cashew nuts over the stir-fry and transfer to warmed serving bowls. Serve immediately.

***
This will only serve 4 as an accompaniment or as a starter. Unless you eat like a bird, a very small, minuscule bird.
I added some straight to wok noodles and about double the pak choi in order to make this a main dish - and with the noodles it was really lovely and filling.

Taken from: Vegetarian Bible

Angel Hair Pasta with Zucchini, Mint & Feta

2009-04-19T20:40:00.004+01:00

Serves 3

3 tbsp olive oil
2 small zucchini (courgettes), finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and squashed a bit
1/2 tsp dried mint
100g feta cheese, cut into small blocks
250g angel hair pasta
olive oil, to serve
grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan and add the zucchini and garlic. Saute over quite high heat until the zucchini are cooked through and golden in places. If the garlic starts to burn, sit it on top of the zucchini. Season very lightly with salt and remove from the heat. Toss in the mint, crushing it between your fingers, and add the feta and lemon juice to the pan.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water,following the packet instructions. Drain the pasta, not too thoroughly, and save a little cooking water. Toss the pasta directly into the zucchini pan, if it fits. If not, return it to its own pan and add the zucchini sauce. Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil and toss quickly and thoroughly to mix it all through (add a little cooking water if it seems at all dry). Serve immediately, with Parmesan and an extra drizzle of olive oil, if you like.

***
I can't believe how fast this is, the pasta is so small that it seems to cook in an instant.
This will become a regular I think...

*Taken from: Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros

Asparagus & Lemon Risotto

2009-04-19T17:05:00.005+01:00

Serves 4-6

3 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
1 stick celery, chopped small
280g arborio or risotto rice
1 litre vegetable stock
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and chopped into 5cm pieces
6 fresh sage leaves, chopped finely
1 sprig rosemary, chopped finely
juice and grated zest of 1/2 lemon
50g goats cheese or 4 tbsp soya cream
sea salt and black pepper to taste
flat-leaf parsley or grated Parmesan, to garnish

In a large saucepan, heat the oil and cook the shallots, garlic and celery over a medium heat for 4 minutes. Add the rice and stir well. Add 2 ladles of the warmed stock and stir until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid. Keep adding the stock gradually for about 10 more minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the asparagus, the herbs and lemon zest, and continue to cook gently, stirring for a further 10 minutes. At no point should you allow the mixture to become too dry, add more stock as necessary.
When the rice is cooked, mix in the goats' cheese or soya cream and lemon juice, season to taste with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the parsley or Parmesan just before serving.

***
I love risotto. I'm sure I've said it before, but the fact you can do it all in one pan, and if you have a nice pan, take it to the table in that same pan. It can't get any easier than that, surely? The flavours in this just work together wonderfully, I want it for tea tonight!

Taken from: Linda McCartney on Tour

Lentil Soup

2009-04-19T16:58:00.004+01:00

Serves 6

2 medium onions, finely chopped
250g carrots, finely chopped
110g red lentils
3 pints vegetable stock
fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp brown sugar *
2 tbsp malt vinegar *
1 bay leaf *
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Put the soup ingredients into a saucepan, cover, bring to the boil and simmer for about 30 minutes until the vegetables and lentils are tender. Cool a little, then puree in a liquidiser.
Reheat and serve garnished with chopped fresh parsley.

***
This is intended to be made with the stock left from cooking a gammon joint, but as a vegetarian, gammon obviously isn't on the menu so I made it with a regular vegetable stock, but I added the ingredients marked * as they were required for the gammon stock and I thought it was worth adding them to the recipe to see how it tasted. And I liked it.
Although, I did make an error. I'd been reading a number of lentil soup recipes and misread this one, adding green instead of red lentils, so it didn't liquidise as well, but it was still tasty!

Taken from: Book of Soups

Lentil Soup

2009-04-19T16:53:00.006+01:00

Serves 4

1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
170g carrots, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
115g lentils
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
860ml vegetable stock or water

Heat the oil in a very large saucepan and gently saute the garlic and onion. Add the carrots and celery and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.
Wash the lentils twice in cold water. Drain them and add to the pan. Add the bay leaf, parsley, salt and pepper and stir well.
Pour in the vegetable stock, cover the pan and simmer the soup for 1 1/2 hours, until the lentils are very soft. Add a little extra stock or water if necessary.

***
I like to keep a number of soups in the freezer and lentil soups are always so filling, but there are so many different recipes for them.
I liked this one because it wasn't liquidised and therefore kept its chunky pieces.

Taken from: Linda McCartney's Light Lunches

Store Cupboard Staples

2009-04-15T12:26:00.006+01:00

I found it quite hard to remember all the recipes I'd read in my books and when I found myself looking at a bunch of beetroot in the fridge, on the verge of going to the other side, I decided I was going to make use of my love of making lists. So, call me a geek, go on, I like it, I sat with my cookery books and the laptop. I'd already kept a book which listed all the recipes I wanted to try in each book, so I went through both and made a list of ingredients - not unlike the one over there on the left - in doing so I found that some items really demanded a permanent place in the larder (and some that would last and last and last).

So here are my Store Cupboard Staples:

*Baking Powder
*Basil
*Bicarbonate of Soda
*Brandy
*Breadcrumbs
*Butter - Salted; Unsalted
*Chives
*Chocolate - Milk; Plain
*Cinnamon Sticks
*Cloves
*Cocoa Powder
*Coriander
*Cornflour
*Couscous
*Cream of Tartar
*Eggs
*Flour - Bread; Plain; Self-Raising; Wholemeal
*Garlic
*Gelatine (veggie alternative for me!)
*Glycerine
*Liquid Glucose
*Margarine
*Milk
*Mint
*Mustard
*Nutmeg
*Oil - Corn; Groundnut; Olive; Sunflower; Vegetable; Walnut
*Onions
*Oregano
*Parsley
*Pasta
*Rice
*Rosemary
*Salt & Pepper
*Soy Sauce
*Sugar - Caster; Dark Brown; Demerara; Granulated; Icing; Light Brown; Muscovado
*Thyme
*Tinned Tomatoes
*Tomato Puree
*Vanilla Essence
*Vegetable Stock
*Vinegar - Balsamic; Red Wine; White Wine;
*Yeast

So here's a question, is there anything that isn't on the list that is an absolute staple in your cupboard?

I like to keep a really, really good butter in the fridge, for when you're serving freshly baked bread with a meal, somehow fresh bread just demands an excellent butter. I like the butters with salt crystals in. Mmmm!

I also found that a lot of recipes called for ingredients like Double Cream, Lemons, Parmesan, Single Cream and obviously Potatoes but I feel I prefer to buy those fresh for the recipe, or else you find they've gone off before you have a chance to use them.

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

2009-04-15T12:15:00.005+01:00

Serves 6-8

480g rhubarb
60g soft brown sugar
60g butter
grated zest of 1 orange
125g unsalted butter
175g caster sugar
3 eggs
175g flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp milk
toasted flaked almonds
icing sugar, for dusting
creme fraiche & demerara sugar, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.
Cut the rhubarb at an angle into slices about 5cm long. Melt the brown sugar with the butter in a 26cm frying pan with an ovenproof or removable handle. Add the orange zest and remove from the heat. Cover the base of the pan with the rhubarb.
Cream the butter and sugar until whitish. Gradually add the eggs, one at a time, while still beating. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt, and fold into the mixture. Add the milk and mix well. Spread the mixture over the rhubarb with a spatula.
Bake in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until the cake mixture is firm to the touch. Leave to cool for about 20 minutes in the pan and then invert on to a large flat serving plate.
Sprinkle with the toasted flaked almonds and dust with icing sugar.
Serve warm with creme fraiche.
To reheat, put on a large baking sheet, sprinkle with demerara sugar and bake for 15-20 minutes in an oven preheated to 180C/Gas 4.

***
They had rhubarb at the market for a bargain price so I found myself buying some, but once home I wasn't sure what to do with it. I wanted to do something different to the usual crumble.
This was lovely and incredibly easy. I doubted that the rhubarb would be cooked enough and was very pleased to be proved wrong, it was deliciously soft.
I also reheated it for the second day and it warmed up beautifully as directed.
It was also the first time I got to use my cake stand and it felt rather impressive sitting there!

Taken from: Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook

Ricotta Tart with a Chocolate Crust

2009-03-13T17:17:00.004Z

Serves 8-10

100g butter, slightly softened
85g caster sugar
150g plain flour
30g unsweetened cocoa powder
1 egg, beaten

filling:
3 eggs, beaten
140g caster sugar
1 heaped tsp finely grated orange rind
750g smooth ricotta cheese
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp orange juice

To make the pastry base, use a food processor to mix together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Sift in the flour and cocoa and then beat in the egg to make a nice soft pastry. Scrape out onto plastic wrap, flatten into a disc and wrap up. Refrigerate for about an hour.
Preheat your oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface until large enough to line a 24cm loose-bottomed tart tin or springform tin with high sides. Line the pastry with baking paper and baking beans or uncooked rice and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5 minutes to slightly dry the base.
For the filling, whisk together the eggs and sugar until thick and creamy. Whisk in the orange rind and ricotta until smooth. Whisk in the lemon and orange juice and scrape into your pastry case. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until the top seems set and is lightly golden here and there. Cool before cutting into portions. This can be served slightly warm, at room temperature or even cold from the fridge.

***
I made this for pudding at my friends house after lunch. I'd been wanting to try it for a while but hadn't had an excuse, this way I can make it, try it and then leave it for her family to finish, rather than having it at home and sneaking a few extra slices.
To be fair though, it was quite rich and you wouldn't want to eat lots of it! Well, not in one sitting!

Taken from: Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros

Bagels With Leeks & Cheese

2009-03-13T17:11:00.004Z

Serves 2

2 leeks
25g butter
125g grated Gruyere cheese
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper
2 fresh bagels

Trim the leeks, discarding the green ends and split down the middle, leaving the root intact. Wash well to remove any grit and slice finely, discarding the root.
Melt the butter over a low heat in a large saute pan and add the leeks. Cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes, or until the leeks are soft and slightly browned. Leave to cool.
Preheat the grill. Mix together the cooled leeks, grated cheese, spring onions, parsley and salt & pepper to taste. Split the bagels and toast lightly on the bottom. Spread the cheese mixture over the top of each bagel and place under the preheated grill until bubbling and golden brown.

***
These were really lovely, I went to make lunch with/for a friend instead of us going out for lunch and it made a really nice change.
I'd be interested to see how these would be with a little sour cream. But that might just be my love of sour cream showing through!

Almond Meringues

2009-03-08T12:09:00.005Z

Makes about 20 small meringues

groundnut oil for the baking sheet
4 egg whites
110g granulated sugar
110g caster sugar
pinch of salt
grated zest of 1 lemon
45g almonds, blanched, chopped and toasted until golden
275ml double cream

Preheat the oven to 110C/Gas 1/4. Rub a trace of oil over a sheet of greaseproof paper and use to like a baking tray.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff and dry. Continue whisking while you add the granulated sugar, one tablespoonful at a time, until the egg white regains its former stiffness.
Lightly fold in the caster sugar, lemon zest and almonds with a metal spoon, being careful not to knock out the air. Put spoonfuls of the mixture on to the baking sheet and cook in the very low oven for about a couple of hours until crisp. Turn off the oven and, with the door open, leave the meringues until completely cold.
Sandwich the meringues together with whipped double cream, lightly sweetened to taste.

***
After making the chocolate mint ice cream I needed to find something to use up the egg whites. Couldn't bear to waste them! After flicking through a few books I found this and these meringues are delicious. I didn't bother with the cream and tried one on its own, just lovely. The lemon and almond are wonderful together.
I also just used flaked toasted almonds instead of blanching, chopping and toasting my own and it was just fine!
Oh and nor did I put groundnut oil on my greaseproof paper and they didn't stick at all - well only enough to just hold them in place whilst baking, when cooled they were easy to lift off.

Taken from: Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook

Courgette & Dill Farfalle

2009-03-08T12:02:00.003Z

Serves 4

6 small to medium courgettes, thinly sliced
salt and black pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
30g butter
2 tbsp olive oil
150ml sour cream or creme fraiche
small bunch of dill, finely chopped
350g farfalle
plenty of Parmesan cheese, grated

Put the courgetes in a colander, sprinkle with a little salt and let them drain. Dry on kitchen paper.
Sweat the onion and garlic in the butter and oil over a low heat for about 10 minutes.
When the onions are soft, add the courgettes and cook them gently together for 5 minutes without allowing them to colour. Add the sour cream or creme fraiche, and season to taste.
Let this bubble up and then add the chopped dill and immediately turn off the heat.
Meanwhile, cook the farfalle in a large pan of salted water until al dente.
Drain the pasta and combine with the courgette sauce. Add more salt and pepper to taste, and plenty of Parmesan.

***
I went with the sour cream option and it was lovely. Dill is a new herb to me in cooking, it's not one whose application I was really familiar with but I really like it.

Chocolate Mint Ice Cream

2009-03-08T11:52:00.002Z

Serves - just yourself if you hide it deeply enough in the freezer :)

300ml milk
450ml double cream
2 sprigs of fresh mint
100g dark chocolate
4 egg yolks
75g caster sugar

In a saucepan, gently heat the milk, cream and mint sprigs until almost boiling. Remove from the heat and set to one side. Finely chop the chocolate and set to one side. Remove the mint sprigs from the milk and discard. Gently heat the infused milk and cream until hot but not boiling. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and mousse-like. Pour the milk mixture in a steady stream over the sugar and yolks, whisking as you do so.
Return the mixture to the pan and coo, stirring all the time, until the mixture thickens. You can check the consistency by dipping a wooden spoon into the mixture then running your finger over the back of the spoon. If your finger leaves a clean trail then the mixture is ready. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted and fully incorporated. Leave until fully cooled, then make the ice cream according to the instructions of your ice cream maker.

***
I think I used dark chocolate with a cocoa content that was way too high, I'm also not sure if my mint sprigs were too large, but I was worried about them not infusing enough. Ooops. That said, it's chocolate ice cream, it can't really be bad. It's just rich and you can't eat much - which actually can only be a good thing!

Pea & Mint Soup

2009-03-06T23:33:00.005Z

Serves 4-6

1 tbsp Olive oil
2 Onions, sliced
1 clove Garlic, crushed
200g Potatoes, diced
1.5 litres vegetable stock
500g frozen Peas
30g fresh mint leaves
1/2 tsp caster sugar
250g Pancetta, cubed (or bacon lardons)

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the onions for 5-6 minutes until soft without letting them colour. Add the garlic and potatoes and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Pour in the stock, bring to the boil and gently simmer for about 10 minutes until the potatoes are softening but not quite cooked.
Tip in the peas and most of the mint, then bring back to the boil and simmer for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and liquidise in a blender until smooth.
Return the soup to a low heat and stir in the sugar. Fry the pancetta in a frying pan until beginning to crisp. Roughly tear the remaining mint leaves.
Ladle the soup into warm bowls, sprinkle the pancetta and torn mint on top and serve.

***
It's safe to say I omitted the pancetta! But I left in with the recipe for the meat-eaters out there.
I had a hard time finding a recipe for pea & mint soup, I mean there were lots of them but some just weren't easy to use. One said a quarter of a potato, exactly how big a potato are we starting out with here?! Maybe it's the OCD in me, but I'd rather have something be quite precise in weight so I know I'm on the right track.
Oh, and I also omitted the caster sugar. Only because I forgot, I have a deep love of sugar usually.
Anyway, I just love the smell of this when it's cooking. Absolutely delicious, and such a wonderful colour when it's done. It froze, defrosted and reheated wonderfully. I read that it can be served cold, but I have issues with cold soup. I like my soup hot. I just do. I'm weird that way.

Taken from: The Internet!

Conversions

2009-02-15T16:18:00.004Z

Oven Temperatures:
Gas Mark 1 - 275F - 140C
Gas Mark 2 - 300F - 150C
Gas Mark 3 - 325F - 170C
Gas Mark 4 - 350F - 180C
Gas Mark 5 - 375F - 190C
Gas Mark 6 - 400F - 200C
Gas Mark 7 - 425F - 220C
Gas Mark 8 - 450F - 230C
Gas Mark 9 - 475F - 240C

Weights:
Imperial --- Metric
1/2 oz --- 10g
3/4 oz --- 20g
1 oz --- 25g
1 1/2oz --- 40g
2 oz --- 50g
2 1/2 oz --- 60g
3 oz --- 75g
4 oz --- 110g
4 1/2 oz ---125g
5 oz --- 150g
6 oz --- 175g
7 oz --- 200g
8 oz --- 225g
9 oz --- 250g
10 oz --- 275g
12 oz --- 350g
1 lb --- 450g
1 lb 8 oz --- 700g
2 lb --- 900g
3lb --- 1.35kg

Volume:
Imperial --- Metric
2 fl oz --- 55ml
3 fl oz --- 75ml
5 fl oz (1/4 pint) --- 150ml
10 fl oz (1/2 pint) --- 275ml
1 pint --- 570ml
1 1/4 pint --- 725ml
1 3/4 pint --- 1 litre
2 pint --- 1.2 litre
2 1/2 pint ---- 1.5 litre
4 pint --- 2.25 litre

American Cup Conversions:
American --- Imperial --- Metric
1 cup flour --- 5oz ---- 150g
1 cup caster & granulated sugar --- 8oz --- 225g
1 cup brown sugar --- 6oz --- 175g
1 cup butter/margarine/lard --- 8oz --- 225g
1 cup sultanas/raisins --- 7oz --- 200g
1 cup currants --- 5oz --- 150g
1 cup ground almonds --- 4oz --- 110g
1 cup golden syrup --- 12oz --- 350g
1 cup uncooked rice --- 7oz --- 200g
1 cup grated cheese --- 4oz --- 110g
1 stick butter --- 4oz --- 110g

Liquid Conversions:
American --- Imperial --- Metric
1 tsp --- 1 tsp --- 5ml
1/2 fl oz --- 1 tbsp --- 15ml
1/4 cup --- 4 tbsp --- 55ml
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp --- 1/4 pint --- 150ml
1 1/4 cups --- 1/2 pint ---275ml
1 pint/16 fl oz ---3/4 pint --- 450ml
2 1/2 pints/5 cups --- 2 pints --- 1.2 litres
10 pints --- 8 pints --- 4.8 litres

Halloumi, Mint, Coriander and Dill Pittas

2009-01-30T11:22:00.003Z

Serves 6

250g halloumi cheese
6 pitta breads
good bunch of dill
good bunch of mint
good bunch of coriander
2 tbsp good fruity olive oil

Cut the halloumi into slices about 1cm thick and griddle or fry the slices until warm and beginning to melt.
At the same time, warm the pittas on the griddle or fire and then cut them open lengthways. Strip the herb leaves and chop finely.
Stuff each pitta with 3-4 slices of halloumi and a good fistful of the mixed herbs, then drizzle with a little olive oil.

***
This was a super lunch and really surprisingly filling. I can't believe that I only discovered halloumi relatively recently considering my love of cheese (at least the non-blue sort), it's got such a distinctive taste and combined with these herbs it was wonderful!

Taken from: Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook

Risotto of Beetroot, Dill and Florence Fennel

2009-01-30T11:15:00.005Z

Serves 6

500g beetroot, washed but not peeled
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
300g Florence fennel, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
460g risotto rice
1.75 litres vegetable stock, heated
small bunch of dill, chopped
80g goats' cheese
salt and black pepper

Wrap the beetroot in foil and bake in an oven preheated to 200C/Gas 6 for an hour. Leave them to cool. Peel them and then dice into 1-2cm pieces.
Put the oil in a pan and cook the onion, fennel and garlic very gently until softened. Add the rice and coat it well in the oil. Then add the hot stock gradually a ladleful at a time, stirring all the time, as the liquid is absorbed. Cook it until the rice is al dente. This usually takes 15-20 minutes.
Add the beetroot and cook for a further 5 minutes, then add the dill and the cheese.
Allow to stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Then season with salt and pepper to taste.

***
This goes the most amazing colour when you add the beetroot, I expected a change of colour, but nothing quite as dramatic. It was delicious and I'm hoping I've gone a little way to changing my Mum's opinion that risotto is always just mush!

Taken from: Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook

Lychee Sorbet

2009-01-30T11:07:00.003Z

Serves 2

6 tbsp caster sugar
250ml water
425g can lychees in syrup
1 tbsp elderflower cordial*
1 egg white

Heat the sugar and water together in a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Puree the lychees and syrup in a food processor or blender, then pass through a sieve, pressing down well to extract all the juice. Add the elderflower cordial.
Pour the mixture into a shallow freezerproof container and freeze for about 2-3 hours until just beginning to hold its shape.
Whisk the egg white in a clean, grease-free bowl until soft peaks form, then add to the sorbet. Continue freezing and whisking by hand until it becomes thick and creamy, then freeze until required.
Remove from the freezer and put in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes before serving.

***
I love lychees, they just have such a wonderful flavour!
Anyway, I made this in my ice cream maker, initially I worried that it would start to firm up at all as it was so liquid but it did, after I added the egg and let it go on a bit more I put it in the freezer and it was fine. I used the recipe for Praline Pavlova Cookies to make 5 large meringues and served the sorbet with it and this way it easily served three of us.

*
The original recipe states that if you are unable to find elderflower cordial, then lemonade will have a similar effect.

Marshmallow

2009-01-22T20:59:00.003Z

1-2 tbsp icing sugar
1-2 tbsp cornflour
A little vegetable oil for oiling the tin and knife
1 small, raw, peeled beetroot
25g gelatine powder (about 2 sachets, but check the packet)*
500g granulated sugar
2 egg whites

Sift the icing sugar and cornflour together into a small bowl.
Rub a shallow cake tin of about 20x20cm with a few drops of vegetable oil and shake a little of the icing sugar mixture around the tin to coat the base and sides.
Grate the beetroot into a small bowl and pour over 125ml of nearly boiling water and leave to infuse for 30 seconds. Strain the pink, nearly boiling water into a bowl and sprinkle the gelatine on top. Stir until all of the gelatine has dissolved.
Put the sugar into a medium-sized saucepan with 250ml of water. Warm over a low heat, stirring until all of the sugar has dissolved, then place a sugar thermometer in the pan and raise the heat, allowing the mixture to boil fiercely without stirring until the thermometer reads 122°C. Remove from the heat and pour the beetroot/gelatine mixture into the hot sugar syrup, stirring until everything is well blended.
Pour the egg whites into the large bowl of a mixer and beat until stiff. With the mixer going at a low speed, slowly pour in the sugar mixture in a steady, gentle trickle. After you’ve added all of the syrup, leave the machine to carry on beating until the mixture turns really thick and bulky but is still pourable – when you lift up the beater, it should leave a ribbon trail of the mixture on the surface which takes a few seconds to sink back down into the mix.
Pour the marshmallow into the prepared tin. Leave to set in a cool place (do not refrigerate) for an hour or two.
Dust a chopping board with the rest of the cornflour and icing sugar mixture. Coat a knife with a little oil. Carefully ease the marshmallow out of the tin onto the board, helping it out where necessary with the knife. Make sure all of the surfaces of the marshmallow are entirely dusted with the icing sugar mixture. Cut the marshmallows into squares, oiling and dusting the knife as needed. Store in an airtight tin lined with baking parchment.

* For veggies, try Vegegel.

***
I haven't made this yet, I will one day, but after mentioning it in the Rocky Road Ice Cream recipe I wanted to put it here too. I think it would be interesting to try it with the vegetarian gelatine and see how it comes out.
What it doesn't note here - but was obvious from the TV show - is that it's incredibly, incredibly sticky, so if you have a go and find that, you haven't done anything wrong!
I'd love to know how it would work as part of the ice cream too.
Experiments are in my future I think!

Rocky Road Ice Cream

2009-01-22T20:48:00.002Z

100g pecan nuts
100g dark chocolate
100g mini marshmallows
100g milk chocolate
3 egg yolks
50g caster sugar
150ml milk
450ml single cream

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
Lightly toast the pecans in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the heat, leave to cool, then chop roughly. Roughly chop the dark chocolate and place in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, ensuring that the bowl is not touching the water. Stir until the chocolate has melted then remove from the heat and pour the chocolate on to a lightly greased baking tray and leave to cool and harden. Once cool break into bite size chunks and mix with the nuts and marshmallows.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl until pale and mousse-like. In a saucepan gently heat the milk and cream until almost boiling then pour in a steady stream over the sugar and yolks, whisking as you do so. Return the mixture to the pan and cook, stirring all the time until the mixture thickens. You can check the consistency by dipping a wooden spoon into the mixture then running your finger over the back of the spoon. If your finger leaves a clean trail then the mixture is ready. Remove from the heat and leave to cool fully.
When cold add the nuts, chocolate and marshmallows. Use this mixture to make the ice cream according to your machine instructions.

***
The recipe doesn't mention what is supposed to happen with the milk chocolate so I just broke it into small bite size pieces and hoped for the best. It worked out pretty well all told!
Obviously the marshmallows aren't suitable for veggies, but I like to leave them as part of the recipe. I saw a recipe for marshmallow on TV recently and must try and find it as I'm sure it's possible to make a veggie alternative.
Don't dish up a huge bowl of this because it's really delicious but incredibly rich and you'll feel a little unwell! I had eyes larger than my stomach and was beaten by it!

Roast Beetroot with Lentils and Goats' Cheese

2009-01-22T20:36:00.010Z

For 6 as a starter

Coarse sea salt
1 tbsp cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 tbsp juniper berries
1 tbsp caraway seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp star anise
8 small to medium-sized beetroot
3 tbsp olive oil
200g Puy Lentils
About 200ml white wine
2 small garlic cloves, thinly sliced
10 cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
small bunch of mint, finely chopped
15-20 mint leaves, left whole
salt and black pepper
200g goats' cheese, soft curd or cream cheese

For the dressing:
juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
3 tbsp olive oil

Preheat a medium (180C/gas 4) oven. Scatter the salt and spices over the base of a baking tray and lay the beetroot whole on top, then drizzle over a tablespoon of the olive oil.
Cook in the preheated oven for just under an hour, until the beetroot are completely soft to the top of a sharp knife. Take them out of the oven and let them cool enough for you to peel. Peel and cut into small chunks. Cover to keep warm.
While the beetroot are roasting and cooling, cook the lentils in equal parts white wine and water, with the garlic and the remaining olive oil. Cover the lentils with about an inch of liquid in a pan and then add more if they need it. Once the lentils are soft but not mushy - this usually takes about 20 minutes - take them off the heat and drain off any excess liquid. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, add the tomatoes (if using), parsley and chopped mint, and season.
Lay out some lentils on each plate. Add a few whole mint leaves, then crumble the goats cheese (or curd or cream cheese) over the top. Finish with the warm, fragrant beetroot cubes.
Make the dressing by whisking the ingredients together, drizzle it over the salad and eat while still warm.

***
I was really pleased with how well this came out, the smell that comes from the roasting beetroot is just delicious. It ought to be the new Yankee Candle range.
I discovered when I went to the cupboard that all I had in was red wine, so opted to cook the lentils in just water and they were absolutely fine that way.
The dressing was so quick and simple too, I can't believe I was always buying bottled dressings when this is so simple and refreshing.
These forays into discovering cooking have been a delight!
Oh, on a final note, I did this as a main, served with roasted Jerusalem artichokes and a green salad. Lovely!

Taken from: Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook

Home-Made Oven Chips

2009-01-02T22:22:00.001Z

Serves 2-4

500g waxy potatoes
1 tbsp oil

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into fairly thick chips. Sprinkle the oil over them, turning them with your fingers so that they are all coated with it. Spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 35 minutes, then turn them over and cook for a further 10 minutes or so, until they are crisped and golden brown.

***
I love chips! They're just perfect!

Dutch Stamppot

2009-01-02T22:10:00.004Z

Serves 4

1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 celery sticks, diced
250g carrots, diced
425g can butter beans, drained
400g can tomatoes, pureed
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme or dried mixed herbs
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp yeast extract, dissolved in 150ml hot water
500g potatoes, cooked & mashed

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Heat the oil in a pan and gently fry the onion for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add the celery, carrots and butter beans. Cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the pureed tomatoes, all the herbs and the dissolved yeast extract. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, then season to taste.
Transfer the mixture to a lightly greased ovenproof dish, cover with the mashed potato and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Vegetarian Plait

2009-01-02T22:05:00.004Z

Serves 4

1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 leeks, chopped
175g mushrooms, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
425g can kidney beans, drained
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
salt & pepper
250g puff pastry
1 egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion, leeks and mushrooms until soft. Add the tomato and the kidney beans and cook gently for a few minutes just to heat through. Stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Roll out the puff pastry quite thinly on a lightly floured work surface and arrange the vegetable mixture in a line down the middle. Slash the edges of the pastry in diagonal lines about 2.5cm apart, going almost up to the filling.
Then, starting at the top, fold the pastry sections over each other so you get a plaited effect.
Brush with the beaten egg and bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown, cool slightly then cut into slices to serve.

Tangy Sausage Wraps

2008-12-30T13:08:00.004Z

Serves 2

6 tbsp creme fraiche
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
450g herby sausages (I use a vegetarian variety of course!)
4 flour tortillas
shredded lettuce

Mix together the creme fraiche and mustard.
Cook sausages on the barbecue until well cooked.
Thickly slice sausages and divide between the tortillas.
Top with mustard sauce and shredded lettuce.
Roll and serve!

I like my tortillas warmed through too, they seem to roll better that way, as well as tasting better!
I wish it were barbecue weather right now!

Easy Peasy Pasta

2008-12-30T13:05:00.003Z

Serves 2

200g pasta shapes
125g frozen peas
125g boursin cheese
salt and pepper

Bring a large pan of water to the boil, then add the pasta. Stir, then boil until just tender.
Just before the pasta is done, add the peas. Drain and return to the pan, then add the boursin, add the salt and pepper to taste. Mix gently until everything is combined.

***
I do love how quick and simple this is. Very like a mushroom dish I like to make too, I shall have to add that at some point!

Potato Cream Pie

2008-12-30T12:59:00.005Z

250g puff pastry
3 large potatoes, finely sliced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
15g butter
salt and pepper
125-150ml single cream

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Roll out the pastry thinly and use to line a 25cm pie plate, arrange the sliced potatoes on the pastry and sprinkle over the onion and herbs and dot with the butter and season.
Roll out the remaining pastry thinly and use to cover the pie, pressing the edges together well to seal.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes then remove and make a slit in the centre, pour in the cream and return the pie to the oven for 15 minutes, then test with a knife, if the potatoes are not tender, cover the pie with foil, reduce the heat to 180C and bake for a further 10-15 minutes.
Serve hot.

Leek & Mushroom Cannelloni

2008-12-29T16:15:00.003Z

Serves 2

1 large leek
1 medium onion
olive oil for frying
125g mushrooms, very finely chopped
1 smoked cheese roll, sliced OR 125g-175g well flavoured cheese, grated
1 small onion, finely chopped
400g canned tomatoes
1 vegetable stock cube
300ml water
dash of Worcester sauce
15 no need to precook cannelloni tubes

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
Using a blender or food processor, chop the leek and onion into very small pieces.
Heat some olive oil in a pan and fry them until softened.
Add the mushrooms, then break the cheese into the pan and cook, stirring until the vegetables are golden.
Once the cheese has melted into the mixture, remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Meanwhile, in a separate pan, fry the small onion in a little oil until brown.
Stir in the tomatoes.
Mix the stock cube with the hot water and add to the onion and tomatoes with the Worcester sauce.
Cook the mixture until reduced by half.
Fill the cannelloni with the leek and cheese mixture and place them in a greased ovenproof dish.
Pour over the tomato sauce and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Serve with ciabatta bread.

Melting Cheese & Basil Pie

2008-12-29T16:10:00.003Z

Serves 4

4 eggs
600ml milk
10 thin slices bread
2 x 400g chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper
250g mozzarella, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/ Gas 6. Grease a 750ml ovenproof dish.
Beat together the eggs and milk, dip the bread into this mixture and arrange a third of the slices over the base of the dish.
Pour a third of the tomatoes over the bread and sprinkle with some of the herbs.
Season well and then top with some of the cheese.
Continue layering in this way, finishing with tomatoes and herbs.
Reserve a few slices of cheese.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, then arrange the remaining cheese on top and return to the oven until it has melted and browned.
Serve with peas or any other green vegetable.

***
This is how I like to cook so often, really simply!

Banana Cheese

2008-12-29T16:07:00.001Z

Serves 2

2 large slices of bread
1 large banana
75g cheddar cheese, thinly sliced

Toast the bread on one side, arrange the sliced banana over the untoasted side of the bread and place the cheese on top. Grill until the cheese is bubbling, about 2 minutes.

***
I love peanut butter with sliced banana on top and this is good too, a great little snack!

Gingerbread House

2008-12-29T15:51:00.004Z

300g butter
125g caster sugar
125g soft brown sugar
225g treacle, or golden syrup
725g plain flour
2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
3 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the icing for the gingerbread boys and girls
175g icing sugar
1-2 tbsp boiling water

For the 'glue' icing for the house
2 egg whites
500g icing sugar

For decorating the house
hundreds and thousands
good quality chocolate buttons
dolly mixtures,
silver balls, etc
chocolate flakes

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Gas 4. Line two baking trays with baking paper.

Melt the butter, caster sugar, brown sugar and treacle in a large saucepan.

Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and cinnamon together, add the melted butter and sugar mixture and stir well until it comes together like sticky dough.

On a floured surface flatten the dough into a 2cm thick round, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

To make the gingerbread boys and girls: Roll the dough on a floured surface to 5mm thick. Cut out 6 or 8 shapes using boy/girl cookie cutters, transfer to the prepared baking trays and bake in the oven for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

To make the icing: Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the water a little at a time, beat until you have a spreading consistency.Using a palette knife dipped in hot water, spread the icing over the gingerbread shapes. Spoon the icing into a small piping back to add details such as faces or hair. Leave to set.

To make the gingerbread house: To make the gingerbread house, first make templates with paper to the following dimensions - front and back panels 12.7 x 17.7cm (5x7inches). Two side panels 12.7 x 15.2cm (5x6 inches), the gable ends rise up to a point 7.6cm (3 inches) above the centre of the side panels. Two roof panels 11.4 x 17.7cm (4.5x7 inches).

Place a piece of parchment on a work surface dust with flour and roll out a quarter of the remaining dough to 5mm thick. Place one of the paper templates on top and with a sharp knife cut around. Repeat the process with the other templates using the remaining dough and rolling up the trimmings – until you have a front and back wall, two side walls and two roof panels.

Carefully move the pieces on their baking parchment to baking trays and bake for 12 – 15 minutes. Remove the trays from the oven and allow stand for a few minutes to firm up. Cut out a door on the front wall and windows on the side walls and reserve the cut-out pieces for later. Place on a wire rack for a few minutes, then turn over and peel off the paper and allow to cool completely.

To make the icing ‘glue’: Place the egg whites and sift in the sugar, stir to make a thick, smooth icing. Spoon into a piping bag with a small star-shaped nozzle.

To assemble the house Pipe generous lengths of icing along the vertical edges of the gingerbread walls. Using a bowl to support the walls from the inside – prop up the walls and hold the sides gently in place with your hands until the icing is dry. Leave the roofless house to dry for at lease 30 minutes until the icing is set.

Once dry remove the supporting bowl and pipe a line of icing along one long side of the roof piece and along the top edge of all the walls. Stick the two roof sections at an angle and set the two pieces on top of the house. Leave to dry for 30 minutes.

While the roof is drying attach the door to the doorway with icing so it looks slightly ajar. Stick a small piece of ‘flake’ chocolate into the roof as a chimney.

Pipe icing around the windows and stick sweets around the door and on the front of the house. To make icicles start with the nozzle at a 90-degree angle to the roof and squeeze out a pea-sized blob of icing, pull the nozzle down and then pull away leaving a pointy trail of icing.

Using the icing stick the chocolate and sugared buttons on the roof to make tiles and the gingerbread boys and girls around the house, scatter the board with sugar strands.

And here's my effort!
***
The window at this end of the house was a little wonky, I must have been sitting funny for this one!
I also chose to dust the house with icing sugar to give a snowy effect. I made some star shaped gingerbread biscuits with the leftover dough and stuck those to the board too.
When I made the glue icing I found that the egg whites quoted in the recipe weren't enough and ended up using about 2 1/2, after my first attempt with the piping bag went horribly wrong and I couldn't squeeze any icing out at all. I'd say don't put it all in the bag, put a bit in and check the consistency, because scraping it all out is a hell of a palaver!

Cinnamon Pecan Buns

2008-12-29T15:41:00.005Z

Makes 12

Filling:
100g butter, softened
1 tsp ground cinnamon
100g soft light brown sugar
100g pecans, toasted and chopped

Dough:
375g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
25g caster sugar
50g butter, softened
1 egg, beaten
200ml milk

Icing:
75g icing sugar
1.5-2 tbsp boiling water

Preheat the oven to 230C/gas mark 8. Butter and flour a 25cm cake tin.

For the filling: cream the butter and cinnamon together in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer until soft. Add the brown sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy and then stir in the chopped toasted pecans. Set aside (not in the fridge).

For the dough: sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon together into a large bowl. Add the caster sugar, then add the butter, and using your fingertips, rub it in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Whisk the beaten egg and milk together in a separate bowl, then make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in most of the liquid (all but 60ml). Using one hand with your fingers outstretched like a claw, move your hand around in one direction (clockwise or anti-clockwise) until the dough comes together. You may need to add the rest of the milk as the dough should be soft and a little sticky.

To make the buns, tip the dough out onto a floured work surface and dust with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it is a 35 x 25cm rectangle and about 2cm thick.
Spread the filling all over the rectangle, then with the widest end facing you, roll up the dough away from you so that it resembles a Swiss roll. Cut the ‘log’ 11 times to make 12 slices, each 3cm thick. Place the pieces cut side facing up, with a tiny bit of space between each ‘swirl’, in the prepared cake tin.

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 200C/gas mark 6 and cook for a further 25–35 minutes or until risen, golden brown and cooked in the centre. They should have joined together to make a lovely cluster of buns.

Allow to stand in the tin for 2–3 minutes before carefully turning out and cooling on a wire rack. When cool, transfer to a serving plate or cake stand.

To make the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add 1 tablespoon of boiling water and mix well, adding another 1/2–1 tablespoon of boiling water if necessary, until the icing is soft but not too runny. Drizzle the icing over the buns. To serve, break each bun off with your hand or cut into slices.

To toast the pecans, roughly chop them and then spread out on a baking tray and cook in a preheated oven at 230C/gas mark 8 for 4 minutes. Allow to cool before using. To reduce the cooking time, place the buns on a baking tray, spacing them further apart than in step 5. Bake for 12–15 minutes until golden on top and firm at the edges.

Here are some of my buns, deliciously pictured with Black Forest Gateau Cupcakes and Malteser Cupcakes.
***

The buns were really lovely, at least that's what we all thought!

Stuffed Aubergines

2008-12-29T15:32:00.004Z

Serves 4

225g dried penne or other short pasta shapes
4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing
2 aubergines
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400g canned chopped tomatoes
2 tsp dried oregano
55g mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
25g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
5 tbsp dry breadcrumbs
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and 1 tbsp of the olive oil, bring back to the boil and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the pasta is just tender, but still firm to the bite. Drain, return to the pan, cover and keep warm.
Cut the aubergines in half lengthways and score around the inside with a sharp knife, being careful not to pierce the shells. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Brush the insides of the shells with olive oil. Chop the flesh and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan. Fry the onion over a low heat for 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add the chopped aubergine and fry, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and oregano and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes until thickened. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the pasta.
Brush a baking tray with oil and arrange the aubergine shells in a single layer. Divide half of the tomato and pasta mixture between them. Scatter over the slices of mozzarella cheese, then pile the remaining tomato and pasta mixture on top. Mix the Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the top, patting lightly into the mixture.
Bake in a preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown. Serve hot.

***
I froze what I didn't use and I'm not entirely sure how it's going to be once I do use it. But you have to try!
It was really nice, although it did feel like I was never going to get the tomato and pasta mixture to all fit into the aubergine shells.

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

2008-11-10T12:29:00.008Z

Makes 12

I chopped and changed between two recipes for mine, so I'm leaving both sets of ingredients as they vary slightly.

Set One:
115g unsalted butter, at room temperature
100g caster sugar
2 eggs
115g self-raising flour
zest and juice of 1 lemon

Set Two:
110g self-raising flour
110g caster sugar
110g margarine, softened
1 tsp baking powder
2 large free-range eggs
grated zest of 2 large unwaxed lemons
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

I primarily stuck to Set Two - only because I've made her cupcakes before and they were always excellent, I also followed her directions.

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with cupcake cases.
Sift the flour and sugar into a large bowl, food processor or mixer. Add all the other ingredients and beat until light and fluffy.

I then reverted to the directions for the first set of ingredients and used the rest of the ingredients as follows:
3 tbsp lemon curd
150g caster sugar
2 egg whites

Spoon a good dollop of the mixture into each cupcake case and make an indentation in the centre. Drop a dollop of lemon curd, then top with the remaining cake mixture.
Bake in the oven for about 17 minutes until golden. Leave to cool.
To decorate, put the sugar and egg whites in a bowl and set over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk constantly for about 5 minutes until the mixture is thick and glossy and stands in peaks. Use a piping bag fitted with a star shaped nozzle to pipe a whirl onto the top of each cake or swirl the meringue over the cakes using a spoon.
The meringue will firm up as the cakes sit - for soft meringue, leave for at least 30 minutes and for a firm set, leave for at least 3 hours.

*****
If and when I make these again, I wouldn't put the lemon curd in before the baking. It sank to the bottom, so you can't take the cupcake wrapper off as the curd is there. I'd go the route of the butterfly cake, cutting out some of the top, inserting the curd and replacing the top, then piping the meringue over that disturbance.
All that said. My I also add YUM! These rock. Clearly my piping skills need work, but who cares! :)

Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Cookies

2008-11-10T12:13:00.004Z

Makes 36

115g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
75g butter or margarine at room temperature, diced
115g caster sugar
50g soft light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
125g chocolate chips
50g hazelnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease two or three baking sheets. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a small bowl. Set aside.
With an electric mixer, cream together the butter or margarine and the sugars. Beat in the egg and vanilla essence. Add the flour mixture and beat well with the mixer on a low speed.
Stir in the chocolate chips and half of the chopped hazelnuts.
Drop teaspoonfuls of the mixture on to the prepared baking sheets, to form 2cm rounds. Space the cookies 2.5cm - 5cm apart.
Flatten each cookie lightly with a wet fork. Sprinkle the remaining hazelnuts on top of the cookies and press lightly into the surface.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden. With a metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

***
So, the part where it says to space the cookies. Do it. I mean really do it! Otherwise, and I'm talking totally hypothetically here, because this totally didn't happen to me (ahem), you might end up with one giant cookie that fills your entire baking tray. Those suckers spread when they cook.
They also don't photograph very well. I blame this entirely on the cookie (once it was separated in a very delicate siamese cookie operation.
Oh, the other thing to note, when they came out of the oven they were really soft, but in under a couple of minutes they were very crisp.
I also used demerara as I didn't realise I was out of the soft light brown stuff.

Chocolate Crackle-tops

2008-11-10T11:48:00.003Z

Makes 38

200g plain chocolate, chopped

90g unsalted butter

115g caster sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

215g plain flour

25g cocoa power

1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

175g icing sugar, for coating

In a pan set over a low heat, melt the chocolate and butter together until smooth, stirring frequently.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the sugar, and continue stirring for 2-3 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Add the eggs, one at time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla essence.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and stir into the chocolate mixture in batches, until blended.

Cover the dough, cool and chill for at least 1 hour, until the dough is cold and is able to hold its shape.

Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3. Grease two or more large baking sheets.

Place the icing sugar in a deep bowl. Using a small ice-cream scoop or teaspoon, scoop out the cold dough and, between the palms of your hands, roll into 4cm balls.

Drop each ball into the icing sugar and roll until heavily coated. Remove with a slotted spoon and tap against the inside of the bowl to remove excess sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheets about 4cm apart.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the tops feel slightly firm when touched. Remove the baking sheet to a wire rack for 2-3 minutes, then with a metal spatula or palette knife, place the cookies on the wire rack to cool completely.

****

These were so nice and easy to make. They didn't really spread during baking, just held their shape, most of them had these lovely cracks to the top too. I was surprised that they remained quite soft, I thought they'd have a little more crunch to them.

Anyway, on the occasions I remember I shall be adding (bad) pics of the creations!

Butternut Squash Stir-Fry

2008-10-19T16:13:00.003+01:00

Serves 4

1kg butternut squash, peeled
3 tbsp groundnut oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
150ml coconut milk
100ml water
100g salted cashew nuts

To garnish:
freshly grated lime rind
fresh coriander
lime slices

Slice the squash into small, bite-sized cubes, using a sharp knife.
Heat the groundnut oil in a large, preheated wok.
Add the butternut squash, the onion and the garlic to the wok and stir-fry for 5 minutes.
Stir in the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and fresh chopped coriander, and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add the coconut milk and water to the wok and bring to the boil. Cover the wok and leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the squash is tender.
Add the cashew nuts and stir to combine thoroughly.
Transfer to warmed serving dishes and garnish with the lime rind, the coriander and the lime slices.
Serve immediately.

***
I'm always interested to find new ways to use vegetables. You get stuck in a rut so easily - and I have always done the same things with butternut squash so this was a delight. We had rice with it and it was really filling and damned tasty! Even if I did forget the coriander!

Radiatori With Pumpkin Sauce

2008-10-05T16:15:00.003+01:00

Serves 4

55g unsalted butter
115g white onions or shallots, very finely chopped
800g pumpkin, unprepared weight
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
350g dried radiatori
200ml single cream
4 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with a little salt, cover and cook, stirring frequently for 25-30 minutes.
Scoop out and discard the pumpkin seeds. Peel and finely chop the flesh. Tip the pumpkin into the saucepan and season to taste with nutmeg. Cover and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the pasta, return to the boil and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite. Drain thoroughly, reserving about 150ml of the cooking liquid.
Stir the cream, cheese and parsley into the pumpkin sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. If the mixture seems a little too thick, add some or all of the reserved cooking liquid and stir. Tip in the pasta and toss for 1 minute. Serve immediately, with Parmesan cheese for sprinkling.

***
All I have to say is: make extra. You'll want to go back for seconds and thirds but you will be too full and you'll wish you'd made more so that there you had some for the next day too.
Tasty, tasty, tasty.

Caramelized Onion Tart

2008-09-09T23:16:00.003+01:00

Serves 4-6

100g unsalted butter
600g onions, thinly sliced
2 eggs
100ml double cream
100g Gruyere cheese, grated
20cm ready-baked pastry case
100g Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated
salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently to avoid burning, for 30 minutes, or until well-browned and caramelized. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/ Gas 5. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, stir in the cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the Gruyere cheese and mix well. Stir in the cooked onions.
Pour the egg and onion mixture into the baked pastry case and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Place on a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the filling has set and is beginning to brown.
Remove from the oven and leave to rest for at least 10 minutes. The tart can be served hot or left to cool to room temperature.

***
You can't go wrong with this, it was just so simple and really lovely. Went great with my sour cream mash and some steamed vegetables.

Strawberry Shortcakes

2008-09-09T18:43:00.003+01:00

Makes 6

250g plain flour
75g caster sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
pinch of salt
225ml whipping cream

For the filling:
450g strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered, depending on size
45ml icing sugar
250ml whipping cream

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Grease a baking sheet.
To make the shortcakes, sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Add 50g of the caster sugar, the baking powder and salt. Stir well.
Gradually add the cream, tossing with a fork until clumps form.
Gather the clumps together, but do not knead the dough. Shape the dough into a 15cm log. Cut into six slices and place the slices on the prepared baking sheet.
Sprinkle with the remaining caster sugar, then bake for about 15 minutes until light golden brown. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, mash a quarter of the strawberries with the icing sugar. Stir in the remaining strawberries.
Just before serving, whip the cream until soft peaks form.
Slice each shortcake in half horizontally. Put the lower halves on individual serving plates and top with some of the cream. Divide the strawberries among the six shortcake halves. Replace the tops and decorate with mint leaves. Serve with the remaining cream.

***
Yum. And again. Yum.
I actually think if I landed on a desert island and this were the only food available, I shouldn't mind too much. I might even refuse rescue. Unless there was some of that Lost-esque black smoke in the jungle. That's enough to put anyone off their shortcakes.

Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies

2008-09-09T18:32:00.002+01:00

Makes 12

115g unsalted butter, at room temperature, diced
115g caster sugar
1 egg, beaten
200g plain flour
25g unsweetened cocoa powder, sieved
ice cream, to fill
toasted nuts, biscuit crumbs, chocolate flakes or demerara sugar, to coat

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg. Stir in the flour and cocoa powder to make a firm dough.
Roll the dough out to a thickness of 6mm on baking parchment. Using a 7.5cm plain round cookie cutter, stamp out 24 rounds and place on the prepared baking sheets.
Alternatively cut into squares or rectangles of equal size. Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes. Set aside on the baking sheets to cool.
To make the ice cream cookies, spread 2 good spoonfuls of softened ice cream on a cookie and press a second on top. Squeeze so the filling reaches the edges.
Put your chosen coating on a plate and roll the cookies in it to coat the sides. Either eat straight away or wrap individually in foil and freeze. The cookies may be kept for up to 2 weeks in the freezer.

*You could also half dip the cookies in melted chocolate. Shake off the excess, place on a sheet of baking parchment and freeze at once. Eat when set, or freeze as above

***
There are some great food combinations in the world. Cookies and ice cream is definitely up there.
I actually measured my dough when I rolled it out as it looked too thick, but it was, and my friend checked, the required thickness, but I only ended up with 6 cookies, so I'd say go thinner than the 6mm!

Big Macaroons

2008-08-20T10:56:00.002+01:00

Makes 9

2 egg whites
5ml / 1tsp almond essence
115g ground almonds
130g light muscovado sugar (or caster sugar - depending on taste)

Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Put the egg whites in a large, clean bowl and whisk until they form stiff peaks.
Add the almond essence to the egg whites and whisk to combine. Sprinkle over the ground almonds and sugar and gently fold in using a large metal spoon.
Place nine spoonfuls of the mixture, spacing them well apart, on to the baking sheet and flatten slightly. Bake for 15 minutes until risen, deep golden and beginning to turn crisp.
Leave the macaroons on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

***
I went with caster sugar, my recent discovery of the myriad of different sugars has left me a little flummoxed so I stick to what I know! I love how chewy these are, very moreish.

Lavender Scones

2008-08-20T10:36:00.003+01:00

Makes 12

225g plain flour
15ml / 1 tbsp baking powder
50g butter
40g caster sugar
10ml / 2 tsp fresh lavender florets, chopped
about 175ml milk

Preheat oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Grease a baking sheet.
Sift together the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Stir in the sugar and lavender, reserving a pinch of lavender to sprinkle on the top of the scones.
Add enough milk to make a soft, sticky dough. Bind the mixture together and then turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface.
Roll out the dough to a round about 2.5cm thick. Stamp out 12 scones with a floured cutter and place them on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with a little milk and sprinkle with the reserved lavender.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

***
I misread the recipe and put 2 tbsp instead of 2 tsp of lavender, but you know what? It was still really nice. I'm biased because I love scones though! Well unless they've got dried fruit in, I can't get on with dried fruit - apart from banana.

Luscious Lemon Bars

2008-08-19T10:15:00.003+01:00

Makes 12

150g plain flour
90g unsalted butter, chilled and diced
50g icing sugar, sifted

For the topping:
2 eggs
175g caster sugar
finely grated rind and juice of 1 large lemon
15ml / 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
icing sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line the base of a 20cm square shallow cake tin with baking parchment and lightly grease the sides of the tin.
Process the flour, butter and icing sugar in a food processor until the mixture comes together as a firm dough. Press evenly into the base of the tin and spread smoothly using the back of a tablespoon. Bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly golden. Cool in the tin.
To make the topping, whisk the eggs in a bowl until frothy. Add the caster sugar, a little at a time, whisking well between each addition. Whisk in the lemon rind and juice, flour and soda. Pour over the cookie base. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until set and golden.
Leave to cool slightly. Cut into twelve bars and dust lightly with icing sugar. Leave to cool completely.

***
Luscious is right. Sometimes I wish I had a little day cafe that did the best high tea on the planet, with my current love of baking I think I'd have a whale of a time!

Rocky Road Chocolate Bars

2008-08-19T10:07:00.002+01:00

225g butter
115g dark chocolate with more than 60% cocoa solids, coarsely broken up
30ml / 2 tbsp caster sugar
30ml / 2 tbsp golden syrup
30ml / 2 tbsp good quality cocoa powder
350g mixed digestive biscuits and ginger nut biscuits
50g mini marshmallows
75g mixed white and milk chocolate chips
icing sugar, for dusting

Line a 20cm square cake tin, measuring about 2.5cm deep, with baking parchment. Put the butter in a pan with the chocolate, sugar, syrup, and cocoa powder. Place over a gentle heat until completely melted.
Put the biscuits into a large plastic bag and smash to coarse chunks with a rolling pin. Stir these into the chocolate mixture, followed by the marshmallows and chocolate chips. Mix well together.
Spoon the mixture into the tin, but don't press down too much - it should look like a rocky road. Chill for at least 1 hour or until firm.
Remove from the tin and cut into 16 bars. If you like, dust the bars with icing sugar before serving.

***
This tastes so good, you wish you could eat it all, but that would make you SO ill!
The marshmallow needs to be removed to be totally veggie, unless they've made veggie marshmallow and nobody told me?!

Praline Pavlova Cookies

2008-08-19T09:57:00.004+01:00

Makes 14

2 large egg whites
large pinch of ground cinnamon
90g caster sugar
50g pecan nuts, finely chopped

For the filling:
50g unsalted butter, at room temperature, diced
100g icing sugar, sifted
50g plain chocolate

For the praline:
60ml / 4 tbsp caster sugar
15g finely chopped toasted almonds

Preheat the oven to 140C/275F/Gas 1. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Put the egg whites in a bowl and whisk until stiff. Stir the cinnamon into the sugar. Add a spoonful of sugar to the egg whites and whisk well. Continue adding the sugar, a spoonful at a time, whisking well until the mixture is thick and glossy. Stir in the chopped pecan nuts.
Place 14 spoonfuls of meringue on the prepared baking sheets, spaced well apart. using the back of a wetted teaspoon, make a small hollow in the tip of each meringue so it looks like a little nest. Bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes until dry and just beginning to colour. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
To make the filling, beat together the butter and icing sugar until light and creamy. Break the chocolate into even-size pieces and place in a heatproof bowl. Set over a pan of barely simmering water and stir occasionally until melted. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Add the chocolate to the butter mixture and stir well. Divide the filling among the meringues, putting a little in each hollow.
To make the praline, put the sugar in a small non-stick frying pan. Heat gently until the sugar melts to form a clear liquid. When the mixture begins to turn brown, stir in the nuts. When the mixture is a golden brown, remove from the heat and pour immediately on to a lightly oiled or non stick baking sheet. Leave to cool completely and then break into small pieces. Sprinkle over the meringues and serve.

***
Once the filling is in the meringues they need to be eaten immediately (shame eh?), I kept my filling in an airtight container and assembled them over a few days. The praline lasted for a few days as well and they were really tasty!!

Chocolate Caramel Nuggets

2008-08-19T09:50:00.003+01:00

Makes 14

150g self-raising flour
90g unsalted butter, chilled and diced
50g caster sugar
1 egg yolk
5ml / 1 tsp vanilla essence
14 soft centred chocolate caramels
icing sugar & cocoa powder, for dusting

Put the flour and diced butter in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles fairly fine breadcrumbs.
Add the sugar, egg yolk and vanilla essence to the food processor and process to a smooth dough. Wrap the dough in clear film and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Grease a large baking sheet.
Roll out the dough thinly on a lightly floured surface and cut out 28 rounds using a 5cm cutter.
Place one chocolate caramel on a cookie round, then lay a second round on top. Pinch the edges of the dough together so that the chocolate caramel is completely enclosed, then place on the baking sheet. Make the remaining cookies in the same way. Bake for about 10 minutes until pale golden.
Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool. Serve lightly dusted with icing sugar and cocoa powder.

***
So, there's biscuit, chocolate AND caramel. How can that not ever be perfect?!
I used a caramel bar to make the centre of my biscuits as I'd struggled to find anything else and it worked very nicely.

Ladies' Kisses

2008-08-19T09:42:00.003+01:00

Makes 20

150g butter, softened
115g caster sugar
1 egg yolk
2.5ml / 1/2 tsp almond essence
115g cup ground almonds
175g plain flour
50g plain chocolate

Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg yolk, almond essence, ground almonds and flour until evenly mixed. Chill for about 2 hours until firm.
Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3. Line several baking sheets with baking parchment.
Break off small pieces of dough and roll into balls with your hands, making 40 altogether.
Place the balls on the baking sheets, spacing them out as they will spread in the oven.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove the baking sheets from the oven, lift off the parchment with the cookies still on it, then place on wire rack. Leave to cool. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
Lift the cooled cookies off the paper. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Use to sandwich the cookies in pairs, then leave to cool and set before serving.

***
I love the name of these and would love to know why they got their name. They come from the Piedmont region of Italy so maybe they do something special over there.
They were very nice though and kept very well in my tupperware!

Pea & Broad Bean Risotto

2008-08-19T09:36:00.004+01:00

Serves 4

200g fresh peas, podded weight
200g fresh broad beans, podded weight
1 tbsp olive oil
200g cold butter, diced
1 small shallot, chopped
175g risotto rice
100ml white wine
625ml hot stock
150g Parmesan, grated

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and blanch the peas and beans for one to two minutes. Drain and set aside.
Heat the oil and 25g of the butter in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent - about two minutes. Stir in the rice and cook for a further two minutes. Turn up the heat and add the wine - it should sizzle as it hits the pan. Cook for about two minutes to evaporate the alcohol.
Once the liquid has reduced, begin adding the hot stock a ladleful at a time over a medium heat, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding the next, and stirring continuously. The rice should always be moist but not swimming in liquid. The process of adding and stirring should take about 16-18 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add the peas and broad beans, then stir in the remaining butter. Finish with the Parmesan, then season well and serve.

***
Delicious! Fat content: off the scale! But damn, for an occasional treat, hell yeah!

Late Night Cookies

2008-08-14T16:58:00.004+01:00

Makes about 12 large or 20 regular cookies

75g butter, softened
75g golden caster sugar
75g soft light brown sugar, sifted
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
150g self-raising flour
25g cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
100g chopped plain chocolate or chocolate chips
ice cream or milk, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas4. Butter two heavy, non-stick baking sheets. Cream the butter and both sugars together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla essence.
Sift the flour with the cocoa and salt. Gently fold into the egg mixture with the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips. Place four heaped tablespoonfuls of the mixture, spaced well apart, on each baking sheet. Press down and spread out with the back of a wet spoon.
Bake for 12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute, then remove to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Store in an airtight container when cold.
Serve with ice cream sandwiched between, or eat on their own with a glass of ice-cold milk.

***
These again, were lovely. I'm really enjoying getting into baking although it's a shame that my wrist doesn't share my enthusiasm.
I was surprised at how much these cookies spread during cooking, they need a good bit of room, I know it says to space them well apart, but my interpretation of that was definitely wrong!

Chocolate Truffle Cookies

2008-08-14T16:51:00.003+01:00

Makes 18

50g plain flour
25g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
90g caster sugar
25g butter, diced
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp cherry brandy or orange juice
50g icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.
Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder into a bowl and stir in the sugar. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Mix together the beaten egg and cherry brandy or orange juice and stir into the flour mixture. Cover with clear film and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Put the icing sugar into a bowl. Shape walnut-size pieces of dough roughly into a ball and drop into the icing sugar. Toss until thickly coated then place on the baking sheets.
Bake for about 10 minutes, or until just set. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

***
When I went to roughly shape the first piece of dough it was a lot stickier than I was anticipating so did the rest with teaspoons. I didn't make quite 18 and I think they would have been better a little smaller. All that said they were delicious!

Spaghetti With Green Vegetables In Cheese Sauce

2008-08-14T16:42:00.004+01:00

Serves 4

For the sauce:
25g butter
1 dessertspoon flour
275ml warm milk
75g Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 small cauliflower, washed and broken into florets
225g courgettes, washed and diced
110g green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
110g peas, fresh or, if frozen, defrosted
juice of 1/2 lemon
25g butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper

350g spaghetti
salt

First prepare the sauce. Melt the butter in a small pan, add the flour, cook the roux for a few minutes. Then pour on the warm milk and, stirring constantly, bring it to the boil. Let it simmer over a gentle heat for 5 minutes. Then add half the Parmesan cheese and parsley.
Meanwhile prepare all the vegetables and steam them, either in a steamer or in a covered colander set over a pot of boiling water. Start with the cauliflower and after 5 minutes add the courgettes, beans and peas. When the vegetables are just tender, remove them from the heat and toss them in a large dish with the lemon juice, butter, salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water for 8-10 minutes, then drain it and put it into a warm serving dish. Pile the vegetables on top of the cooked spaghetti and then sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan cheese. Serve straight away and hand the sauce round separately.

***
For me, if you've got pasta, vegetables and cheese it really is a winner. It was different having the sauce separate, we're all so different about sauce quantities.
I know I adore the sauce on a Caesar salad but my mother doesn't... so getting what you want is perfect.

Caramel Honey Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

2008-08-14T16:37:00.003+01:00

75g granulated sugar
50g honey
250ml milk
250ml double cream
75g dark chocolate chunks

In a small saucepan, heat the sugar with 100ml of water, stirring from time to time until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat to a rolling boil and cook without stirring until the sugar starts to caramelise, then remove from the heat and add the honey, stirring to mix. Stir in the milk and cream and leave to cool fully. Use this mixture to make the ice cream according to the instructions of your ice cream maker. Add the chocolate chunks 5 minutes before the ice cream has finished churning.

***
It's safe to say I messed this up. Don't talk on the phone whilst waiting for sugar to caramelise. Upon adding the honey I ended up with a pretty solid ball of sugar and honey, which only seemed to solidify further upon the addition of the milk and cream. I did my best to break it up as it went into the ice cream maker and it still wasn't half bad...

Chocolate Orange Ice Cream

2008-08-14T16:32:00.002+01:00

150g dark chocolate
6 egg yolks
75g caster sugar
200ml whole milk
300ml double cream
finely grated zest of 1 orange

Finely chop the chocolate and set to one side. In a mixing bowl whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and mousse-like. Gently heat the milk and cream in a saucepan until almost boiling then pour in a steady stream over the sugar and yolks, whisking as you do so. Return the mixture to the pan and cook, stirring all the time, until the mixture thickens. You can check the consistency by dipping a wooden spoon into the mixture and then running your finger over the back of the spoon. If your finger leaves a clean trail then the mixture is ready. Remove from the heat, add the chopped chocolate and stir until fully melted. Leave until cool. Stir in the orange zest and then use this mixture to make the ice cream according to the instructions of your ice cream maker.

Black Forest Gateau Cupcakes

2008-08-14T16:25:00.003+01:00

Makes about 12

85g self-raising flour
4 tbsp cocoa powder
110g caster sugar
110g margarine, softened
1 tsp baking powder
2 large free-range eggs
1 x 450g jar black cherry jam
200ml double cream, whipped
60g dark chocolate (at least 70%), grated
glace cherries, to decorate (optional)

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with cupcake cases.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder and sugar into a large bowl, food processor or mixer. Add the margarine, baking powder and eggs. Beat well until the mixture is light and fluffy. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cases, and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until firm to the touch.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Once cool, smother the top of each cupcake with a generous amount of the jam then pile the whipped cream on top. Finish with some grated dark chocolate. And a cherry on a cocktail stick, if you dare.

***
These really are gorgeous! I didn't use anywhere near the amount of jam in the recipe though and I was honestly generous with it. I probably used quarter of a jar and it still felt like loads!

Chocolate Maltesers Cupcakes

2008-07-06T22:40:00.003+01:00

Makes 12

85g self-raising flour
4 tbsp cocoa powder
110g caster sugar
110g margarine, softened
2 large free-range eggs
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp milk
1 x 400g jar of Nutella or other chocolate hazelnut spread
bag of Maltesers or other chocolate malted milk balls (size depends on your generosity)

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake cases.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder and sugar into a large bowl, food processor or mixer. Plonk in all the cake ingredients and mix away until pale and fluffy. Plop heaped teaspoons of the mixture into the prepared cases, and bake in the oven for around 20 minutes until firm and springy to the touch. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Once cool, spread Nutella on top of each cupcake, then place Maltesers on top. You can be as generous as you want. If you want to create a veritable tower, use a splodge of Nutella to glue the Maltesers together.

***
I'm really enjoying getting into baking, there's something really heartwarming about it.
I can't believe how easy these were and how well they turned out. I mixed it by hand, instead of using electric mixers and they came out really light, moist and fluffy. I do wish I'd bought a bigger bag of Maltesers though!

Peanut Crunch Cookies

2008-07-06T22:27:00.006+01:00

Makes 25

115g butter at room temperature, diced
115g light muscovado sugar
1 egg
150g self raising flour
2.5ml/ 1/2 tsp baking powder
150g crunchy peanut butter
icing sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Grease two baking sheets.
Put the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until pale and creamy. Beat in the egg, then add the flour, baking powder and peanut butter. Beat until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Place heaped teaspoonfuls of the mixture on to the greased baking sheets; space well apart to allow the cookies to spread while baking. (If necessary, spoon the dough on to the baking sheets in batches.)
Bake the cookies for about 20 minutes until risen; they will still be quite soft to the touch.
Leave the cookies on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. To serve, lightly dust with icing sugar.

***
These were just lovely. As my guest said, how can you go wrong, cookies AND peanut butter. I couldn't agree more.
I found myself sneaking off to bed with a cookie and a glass of milk when I went to read my book. The ultimate in comfort food I think!

Peaches & Cream Ice Cream

2008-07-06T22:20:00.004+01:00

400g can peaches in light syrup
40g caster sugar
150ml double cream

In a pan heat the peaches and their syrup with the sugar, stirring from time to time, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and set to one side to cool. Once fully cooled, blend the peaches and the juice to a puree in a food processor or blender. Stir in the cream then use this mixture to make the ice cream according to the instructions of your ice cream maker.

***
I love, love, love ice cream. So, this year I got an Ice Cream maker for my birthday, this was the first that I made with it and I'm really pleased with it. It was delicious, it might not be wholly healthy, but it only has three ingredients. I'm going to look at the ingredients on the shop-bought stuff and see how many they have.
It only took about 15 minutes to actually create the ice cream once it was in the machine, and the preparation before that took barely moments.
The only shame is that I have to freeze the bowl for 24 hours prior to use. One day I'll save for one with an in-built freezer!

Fennel & Lentil Au Gratin

2008-07-06T22:12:00.004+01:00

Serves 3-4

1 onion, peeled and chopped
40g butter
175g split red lentils
400ml water or unsalted stock
1 bayleaf
juice of 1/2 lemon
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
450g fennel
a few dried crumbs
a little grated cheese

Fry the onion in 25g of the butter in a medium-sized saucepan for 5 minutes, then add the washed lentils and the water or stock and bayleaf and simmer them gently for 20-30 minutes, until the lentils are soft and golden-beige. Then remove the bayleaf and liquidise the lentil mixture, adding the lemon juice and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Preheat the oven to 375F/190C/Gas 5. Wash and trim the fennel, reserving some of the leafy green pieces. Cut the white part into chunky pieces and cook in a little boiling salted water until just tender; drain well. Use the remaining butter to grease generously a shallow ovenproof casserole dish. Put the cooked fennel in the base of the dish and pour the lentil mixture evenly over the top. Chop up about a tablespoonful of the reserved fennel leaves and scatter them over the lentil mixture, then sprinkle with dried crumbs and grated cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, until crunchy and golden on top and hot and bubbling underneath.

***
I really like fennel, but it's something I struggle to be inventive with so it's nice to find some new recipes to use it in and this was lovely, especially with lentils which I really enjoy. Feels wholesome!

Banana & Chocolate Chip Muffins

2008-07-01T20:27:00.003+01:00

Makes 12

2 tbsp vegetable oil
200g peeled bananas, coarsely chopped
1 whole egg plus 2 egg whites
250ml skimmed milk
400g self-raising white flour
150g caster sugar or soft light brown sugar
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp finely grated orange zest
50g dark chocolate with 70% cocoa solids, finely chopped

Heat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Using a pastry brush and 1 tbsp of oil, lightly grease a muffin pan with cups measuring 6cm across.
Using a food processor or hand-held mixer, puree the bananas with 1 tbsp of oil, the whole egg and egg whites and the milk.
Sift the flour, sugar and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl, and stir in the orange zest and chocolate. Fold in the banana mixture until just blended; if overmixed, the muffins will be heavy. It does not matter if a little flour remains unincorporated.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan, filling the cups about two-thirds full. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the muffins have risen and are lightly browned.Remove from the oven and take the muffins out of the pan. Serve them hot or at room temperature, preferably on the day of baking.

***
These went a little wrong, I'm wondering if I overmixed it as it was indeed a little heavy and not at all as delicious as I'd expected, but I'm quite sure that's totally my fault!
I also was without a muffin pan which I think also had some bearing on their rubbish finish!

Continental Lentil Toad-In-The-Hole

2008-07-01T19:31:00.003+01:00

Serves 4-6

125g continental lentils
4 tbsp oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
125g mushrooms, washed and sliced
1 tsp thyme
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

For the batter:
125g self-raising wholewheat flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 eggs
275ml milk

Wash, soak, rinse and cook the lentils, then drain them.
Preheat the oven to 425F/220C/Gas 7.
Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a good-sized saucepan and fry the onion and garlic for 5 minutes, letting them brown lightly, then add the mushrooms and fry for another 5 minutes. Stir in the continental lentils, thyme and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season; keep the mixture hot.
Put the remaining oil into the shallow baking tin in which you are going to cook the toad-in-the-hole, and heat in the oven.
Next, make the batter. Sieve the wholewheat flour and sea salt into a bowl and tip in the residue of bran left in the sieve. Make a well in the middle and add the eggs and about a third of the milk; beat vigorously with a wooden spoon, gradually incorporating the rest of the milk; beat well.
Pour the batter straight into the sizzling hot fat, then quickly spoon the lentil mixture on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until risen and golden. With gravy, potatoes and vegetables, this makes a good cheap family meal.

***
This was really good. The batter came out perfectly, really big and fluffy and the mixture of the lentils and mushrooms was really hearty, almost meaty.
Delicious.

Bean Cooking Times

2008-07-01T19:24:00.002+01:00

I'm hoping this will stop me both trying to memorise this and trying to find the book that I knew I saw the list in once upon a time!

Aduki Beans - 30 minutes
Black Beans - 1 hour
Black Eyed Beans - 30-45 minutes
Borlotti Beans - 1 hour
British Field Beans - 30 minutes (someone tell me what these are?)
Broad Beans - 1 1/2 hours
Butter Beans - 1 1/4 hours
Cannellini Beans - 1 hour
Chick Peas - 1-1 1/2 hours
Continental Lentils (soaked) - 30-45 minutes, (unsoaked) - 1-1 1/4 hours
Ful Medames Beans - 1 hour (another new one on me)
Haricot Beans - 1-1 1/2 hours
Kidney Beans - 1 hour
Lima Beans - 45-60 minutes
Mung Beans (soaked) - 20-30 minutes, (unsoaked) - 30-40 minutes
Peas - 45 minutes
Pinto Beans - 1-1 1/4 hours
Red Split Lentils (soaked) - 15-20 minutes, (unsoaked) - 20-30 minutes
Soya Beans - 3-4 hours
Split Peas (soaked) - 30 minutes, (unsoaked) - 40-45 minutes