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.