Salmon Mousse - Starter

This makes a great starter as it's light so won't fill you up too much, but is still tasty. I served with melba toast. Measurements are imperial i'm afraid as it's an old family recipe!


Ingredients

1oz Butter
Half a finely chopped White Onion
1oz Flour
1/2pt Milk
Pinch Thyme (Dried or fresh)
1 Bay Leaf - Dried
Sprinkling of Nutmeg
8oz of Red Salmon - good quality tinned is easiest, but you can use cooked fresh too
1 Level dessertspoon of Gelatine (dissolved in 2tbsp water)
2tbsp Tomato Ketchup
3tbsp Mayo
Juice of 1 Lemon

Method

1.   Melt butter in a saucepan and gently  fry onion until transparent, but not brown.
2.   Stir in flour and fry off for 3 minutes.
3.   Add milk gradually - stirring all the time.
4.   Add thyme, nutmeg and bay leaf. Simmer over a gentle heat for 10 minutes until thickens.
5.   Remove bay leaf and cool slightly.
6.   Flake salmon into the sauce and beat to combine.
7.   Add gelatine.
8.   Stir in ketchup, mayo and lemon juice.
9.   Season and chill until needed.

Black Forest Cheesecake - Not for the faint hearted!

Pudding combined elements from family favourite desserts – Black Forest Gateaux and a Cheesecake to make... Black Forest Cheesecake. Be warned this is a very rich and calorific pudding. But so worth it!!!

 

Ingredients:

2 Packets of Double Chocolate Chip Cookies or Oreos

70g Butter – melted

500g Mascarpone

1tsp Vanilla Extract

300ml Double Cream

200g Milk Chocolate

200g Dark Chocolate

20 Cherries in Kirsch or Syrup - stoned

2tbsp Kirsch or syrup from the jar

You will also need a 20cm tin – spring form if possible as it’s easier! This cheesecake will need to be set overnight ideally.

Method:

1. Grease tin with butter lightly and line the bottom with baking parchment.
2. Whizz biscuits in a food processor to crumbs. Combine with the melted butter.
3. Tip into the tin and press down to form base. Place in the fridge while you make the filling.
4. Melt the chocolates in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and set aside to cool very slightly.
5. Beat mascarpone in a large bowl with the vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
6. Gently whip the cream and kirsch/ syrup. Fold into the mascarpone.
7. Fold in the melted chocolates and the cherries.
8. Pour into the tin. Smooth the top.
9. Chill in the fridge overnight.
10. Remove from the tin and spoon over some of the syrup/ kirsch from the jar and top with a few extra cherries.

 

Daupinoise Potatoes - Side Dish

Daupinoise are my favourite potatoes and are not for those watching their weight – hence why they are a special occasion dish! They aren’t normally on our Christmas day dinner menu, but they’re my favourite and as chef for the day it was my prerogative to add what I wanted on!

Serves 4 as a side dish

Ingredients:

4 - 5 Large Potatoes (I use Maris Piper) - sliced widthways about 2-3mm thick

1 Garlic clove

500ml Double Cream

Nutmeg

Butter to grease dish

Salt and pepper to season

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to about 160/ 180/ Gas 4 – 5.
2. Grease a dish about 20cm x 20cm with butter. Then rub the dish with the garlic. Finely chop or mince the garlic and add it to the cream.
3. Layer the potato slices into the dish over lapping slightly until they reach about a cm below the dish top.
4. Pour cream over the potatoes. It should reach to the top of the potatoes. Push the potatoes down so they are all coated with cream. Sprinkle over nutmeg and seasoning.
5. Bake in the oven on a tray for about 45 -50 minutes until golden, bubbling and tender!

Christmas - Stuffing

A basic sausagemeat based stuffing. Add to it with whatever takes your fancy!


Ingredients

1 Packet of good quality sausagemeat
2 White Onions - diced
1 Small Loaf of Bread -  a day or 2 old
2tbsp Mixed Herbs


Method

1.   Whizz bread into crumbs in a food processor.
2.   Combine all ingredients.
3.   Use to stuff turkey, make into balls or bake in a buttered dish until cooked through.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I've been a bit slack this month with posts. Party season took over with a vengence and I have been trekking to various places for them! In the space of 3 weeks I covered Northampton, Bedford, MK, Aylesbury, Shropshire and London. Boy do I need a few days off at Christmas to recover. I hope you all had an amazing season too!

This year my mum relinquished responsibility for Christmas dinner to me! Okay, so it was only for the three of us and really it’s just a large Sunday roast. But baby steps. The next few pages I will share some the recipes I used to make my three course meal. Those with a star by them will have a recipe for you soon. I’ll hopefully manage to make up some leftovers recipes soon.

If any of you have any recipes you make as a tradition at this time of year I’d love to hear about them!

The actual meal consisted of:

Starter of Salmon Mousse* and Melba Toast

Main of Turkey Crown with the following sides:

Roasted Potatoes,

Daupinoise Potatoes*

Oven roasted honey glazed carrots and parsnips

Sausages in bacon

Yorkshire puddings

Stuffing*

Brussels Sprouts with pancetta (devil food, but my folks insisted!)

Bread Sauce

Gravy

Cranberry and Port Sauce

Dessert of Black Forest Cheesecake*

Tip for you - I used a lot of the throwaway tin trays to bake things in... less washing up. And if you dress your table in silver it fits in well!

Now pretty much comatose after all that food and just in time for cheesy family movies and I am now settling down for the pinnacle (for me anyway) of Christmas Day TV... Doctor Who and Downton Abbey!

I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas and here’s to the New Year. I look forward to posting even more recipes and random updates. 2013 is a busy year!

 

Clearing out the freezer - Chocolate Tart

Chocolate Tart

As it's the lead up to Christmas I try to clear out my freezer at least a little to be able to stock up on the leftovers I'll no doubt come home with from my parents. This week I had a friend for dinner who needed a little TLC. His favourite puddings are always chocolate and anything without it in is apparently not a pudding!

So, from the freezer I took out some pastry and some frozen cream and let it defrost (I think it must have been buy one get one free!). With that and some bits I had in the cupboard chocolate tart was on the menu.


Ingredients: (All approximates as I made it up!)

300ml Pot of Double Cream
200g Dark Chocolate - broken up
50g Caster Sugar
1tsp Vanilla Extract
50g Butter
Half a block of pastry - about 250g (Shortcrust would be best, but I only had puff)
Dulce du leche - to drizzle


Method:

1. Grease and line a springform tin. Roll out pastry and place in tin so it goes a little up the sides. Blind bake for about 10 minutes until golden. Remove beans and cool.
2. Heat sugar, extract, cream and butter gently until simmering quickly. Add chocolate and mix well until chocolate and sugar have melted.
3. Pour into pastry case. Chill in the fridge for about 2 hours until set.
4. Remove from tin and drizzle with dulce du leche or other caramelly substance! It was yummy but very rich!

(Excuse the picture... drizzling isn't my forte!)

 

Spicy Tomato and Apple Chutney

I love Christmas. One of the best things has to be all of the cheeses and accompaniments that are about this time of the year! I decided to give making Tomato Chutney a go and now plan on giving a few jars away to family and friends.  After a few tweaks this is the recipe I went with.

Spicy Tomato and Apple Chutney

Makes 3 - 4 jars

Ingredients

1kg Ripe (soft) Tomatoes - peeled and chopped

2 Large Onions - chopped finely

100g Raisins or Sultanas

3 Cooking Apples - peeled, cored and roughly chopped

300g Sugar

225ml White Wine Vinegar

2tsp Salt

½ tsp All Spice

½ tsp Pepper

½ tsp Paprika

1. Place all the ingredients in a large heavy pan. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved completely.
2. Bring to the boil – stirring continuously. Simmer on a low heat, stirring regularly to stop the chutney catching on the bottom of the pan and burning.  After about an hour it should have thickened. If not keep simmering until you’re happy with the consistency.
3. Pour into hot sterilised jars and cover.
4. You can eat it after it’s cooled. But it is best left in a dark dry place for a couple of weeks to mature.

 

***To easily sterilise the jars wash them thoroughly and heat in a moderate oven for about 5 minutes – They will be hot!

Bombay Potatoes - Side Dish

As a side dish to the curry I did my version of Bombay Potatoes. Everyone is different and I like to add a bit of tomato and spinach for extra veg.

Serves 3 as a side dish

Ingredients:

3 Potatoes - cut into bite sized chunks

2 tbsp oil

¼ tsp English Mustard

1 tsp Turmeric

1 tsp Garam Masala

½ tsp Chilli Powder

½ Onion – finely chopped

200g Tin Chopped tomatoes –drained slightly – optional

2 lots Frozen Spinach (about a handful fresh) – optional and defrost first

Method:

1. Boil the potatoes for about 10 -15 minutes in lightly salted water until tender-but not falling apart. Drain and set aside.
2. Fry onion in oil until soft. Add spices and mustard Combine and fry for a few minutes.
3. Add the potatoes and coat in the spices and onion. Fry for about 5 -10 minutes
4. Add the spinach and slightly drained tomatoes. Heat through.
5. Serve!

Coconut Chicken Curry

Main course for the evening was a coconut chicken curry. I served it with plain rice, yoghurt and Bombay potatoes (see next recipe)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 - 4 Chicken Breasts - cut into bite sized chunks

2 tbsp oil

½ tsp salt and pepper

3 tsp Turmeric

3 tsp Garam Masala

1 tsp Ground Cumin

2 tsp Chilli Powder

1 Large Onion – finely chopped

Handful Mushrooms – sliced

1 Red Chilli – deseeded and finely chopped

1 Red Pepper- chopped

1 Orange Pepper – chopped

1 Garlic clove- finely chopped or minced

1 Carton Coconut Cream (or you could use a can of coconut milk)

Hot Chicken Stock

Method:

1. Fry spices in the oil for a few minutes. Add the onion, chilli and garlic. Fry until soft, about 5 -10 minutes. Add a splash of stock if gets too dry.
2. Add the chicken and coat completely. Fry for 5 minutes.
3. Add peppers and a splash of stock.
4. Add mushrooms and coconut cream. Combine. Simmer for about 20 minutes. If it is too thick for your liking add some hot stock.
5. Season to taste and serve

I forgot to take a photo of this one as was engrossed in chatting! But I assure you it tasted good and the girls enjoyed it, so there was none left to even photograph! When I make it again I'll add a piccie!

Baked Camembert in a Box

This weekend I had two good friends come to stay for a girlie weekend of gossiping and eating (with a little rugby thrown in!) Time to set aside the constant cycle of dieting we all seem to be on! They provided the wine, I provided the food. Dessert was covered with that good old retro favourite Vienetta – what can I say ice cream and chocolate can’t be beaten!

For a starter you just can’t beat try Baked Camembert. The recipe below is so easy and has always been warmly received! I’ve introduced it to numerous friends now.

1 cheese serves 2 – 4 as a starter depending on how hungry you are!

Ingredients:

1 Camembert cheese in a box – make sure you get one where the box has been stapled, not glued or it will fall apart in the oven - be warned!

Rosemary or Thyme – a few sprigs about 1.5 inches long

A glug of wine – rose or white works best

1 Garlic clove- cut into thin slices lengthways

Crudités to serve – Although I always do fresh bread or garlic bread - carb overload!

You will also need a baking dish and some baking parchment or tinfoil. I also serve with some onion chutney or redcurrant jelly if I have it. But it’s just as good alone!

Method:

1. Preheat oven to about 160/ 180/ Gas 4-5.
2. Take the cheese out of the box and place a layer of parchment or foil in the box. Put cheese back in the box (lid discarded).
3. Make a few slits in the top of the cheese skin. Push alternating garlic pieces and rosemary or thyme sprigs in the slits.
4. Drizzle over the wine.
5. Place on a baking sheet or in a dish and bake in the centre of the oven for about 20 – 25 mins until the cheese is bubbling and melted.
6. Serve with crudités or bread of your choosing.

My Mum's Pastry

Everyone’s mum has a particular dish that they are amazing at and no one else’s compares. Well for mine it’s not baking... She’ll admit that one lol! But her pastry is pretty special and for occasions like Christmas I prefer using hers to buying it in. Taught by her dad who was an army chef it’s something I’ve never really mastered. So if I’m doing a bulk load of stuff I ask her to make me a job lot and freeze some.

As it’s the lead up to Christmas it’s a useful thing to have in the freezer. I use it for sausage rolls (using good quality sausage meat and some apple sauce). But it’s equally good for mince pies and meat pies!

It makes easily enough for 25 mini Sausage rolls or 1 large Meat Pie with leftovers!

Ingredients:

4oz Lard

8oz Self Raising Flour

1 Egg – lightly beaten

Water

Method:

1. Sift flour into a large bowl and chop up the lard into it.
2. Using your fingertips combine the flour and lard until it resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Pour in the egg.
4. Add water in bit by bit and enough to form a firmish dough.
5. Knead on a floured surface until smooth.
6. At this stage it can be frozen if you wrap it well.

Banana Bread

I had a few bananas and eggs that needed using up, so decided banana bread was on the days agenda. The smell when it's baking is amazing! Really easy to make, give it a go.

Ingredients:

140g Butter , softened, plus extra to grease  
140g Self Raising Flour                                        
140g caster sugar                                                                                               
2 large eggs , beaten
1tsp Baking Powder  
2 Ripe Bananas - mashed
2tbsp Golden Syrup (optional)

This time around I added a handful of white chocolate chips because they were lying around. Milk and dark ones would work too. Or leave plain!                                        

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160/180/ Gas 4. Grease and line a loaf tin.
2. Cream butter and sugar till fluffy.
3. Fold in eggs and flour.
4. Add golden syrup and baking powder. Combine.
5. Tip in mashed bananas and chocolate if using. Combine.
6. Pour into tin and bake for about an hour. But check after 45mins as it will depend on the tin you're using. A skewer or knife should come out clean.
7. Serve warm with butter or maybe some vanilla ice cream - yummy!

Raspberry Tray Bake

As is tradition at my work when it's your birthday you bring cake in for everyone (Really who started that tradition?!) Lately it appears that everyone has taken to baking their own cakes. Now I am a little competative and didn't want to be out done. So I went with traybakes as they're so much easier to transport to work than cupcakes!Imade these and Nigella's brownies.

Raspberry Jam Tray Bake

Makes 16 to 24 squares

500g Shortcrust pastry (I used Sainsbury's Dessert one)

Enough Raspberry Jam to cover the bake (about 7tbsp)

200g Softened Butter

200g Caster Sugar

4 Eggs

100g Ground Almonds

100g Self Raising flour

1tsp Almond Extract

Pre-heat the oven to 200*C.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured board to fit into a 12 by 8 or a 9 inch square baking tin. It ideally needs to fit the base and a little up the sides.

Place the pastry into the pan and then spread the jam evenly over all.

Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until they light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding 1/3 of the ground almonds after each addition.

Add the flour and the remaining almonds. Mix well.

Stir in the almond extract.

Pour the mixture over the jam, spreading to make an even layer.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until well risen, firm and golden brown.

Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Leave in the tin. Turn out when cool and cut into squares.

Nigella's Snow Flecked Brownies (THE only brownie recipe you need)

I'm a MASSIVE Nigella fan and the only brownie recipe I use is hers. I adapt it depending on what I feel like. I've put Oreo's in it, chopped Mars Bars.You name it. But the basic recipe is below and it's a great one to have handy!

 

Snow-Flecked Brownies
From Nigella Lawson's 'Feast'.

190g Butter

190g Dark Chocolate (I use good old Bournville)

3 Eggs

175g Caster Sugar

1tsp Vanilla Extract

115g Plain Flour

1/2tsp salt

125g White Chocolate Chips or Chunks

Icing Sugar for dusting.

1. Preheat oven to 160/ Gas 3.
2. Line the sides and base of a small rectangular brownie pan (mine is 24cm x 27cm) with baking parchment.
3. Melt the butter and the dark chocolate over a medium heat.
4. In a bowl beat the eggs, caster sugar and vanilla extract.
5. Allow chocolate mixture to cool a little, then add the egg and sugar mixture. Beat well.
6. Fold in the flour and salt. Stir in the white chocolate chips/chunks.
7. Pour the mix into the prepared tin and bake for about 25 minutes. If you stick a skewer in the middle it will come out with a few crumbs on it. You want it to be a little squidgy in the middle.
8. When cool dust with icing sugar.

 

 

 

Tomato, Chilli and Red Pepper Soup

Another lunchtime soup recipe to warm you up.

Tomato, Chilli and Red Pepper Soup

It made about a week’s worth of lunches for me.

Ingredients:

1/2 Red onion – diced

1/2 White onion - diced

1pt Hot Stock (I used chicken, but use what you prefer)

2 Cloves Garlic – chopped or 1tsp Garlic Puree

1tsp chilli powder

½tsp chilli flakes

1tbsp Fresh chopped basil or 1tsp dried basil

2 x 400g Tins Plum Tomatoes (Or 700g Passata)

1tbsp oil

2 Red Peppers - deseeded and diced

1 Red Chilli – deseeded and diced

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp Creme Fraiche or cream cheese

1. In a large, heavy pan fry the onion, pepper, chilli and garlic in the oil until soft. Add the chilli flakes and powder and stir to heat for a couple of minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and mix well.
3. Pour in stock. Stir in the basil. Simmer gently for about 30 minutes. If the water reduces too much just top up with boiling water.
4. Remove from heat to cool slightly. Blend with either a hand held blender or a processor until creamy. Place back on the heat. Adjust seasoning and heat through. If you find it too thick at this stage add hot water or more stock until it suits you.
5. Before serving stir in some crème fraiche or cream cheese.

***The soup does freezer okay. But do this before you add the crème fraiche/ cream cheese.