Saturday 26 June 2010

Get your children cooking!

Everyone has a favourite recipe or two for their own special treats. My children have a few recipes up their sleeves and quite enjoy getting every kitchen utensil out of the drawers and cupboards, flouring all of the kitchen surfaces including the floor, and baking some goodies to eat. Personally, I think that it is a good thing to get your children cooking at home. I choose to let my children get on with it and close my eyes when I am in the kitchen, or better still just stay out of the kitchen and only help when they need to use the oven!




This weekend my eldest (age 10) and youngest (age 7), along with some friends, decided to make some cheese biscuits and some chocolate crispies. 




The end products were equally brilliant. I particularly liked the cheese biscuits, which could be gobbled up just plain. They were very tasty and could easily be served with a blob of tomato relish and a small sprig of basil on top accompanied with a glass of wine.


So go on, let your children experiment in the kitchen. They really can cook some wonderful treats. Just ignore the trail of flour, butter, egg and sugar. It really is worth it.

Cheesy biscuits


These biscuits are a great recipe for children to follow and cook. They also make great biscuits to have with drinks before dinner. You can serve them plain, or to make them more like a canape add some chopped tomato and garlic drizzled with a light dressing and top them with some sprigs of basil. Delicious!

Cheesy nibbles
INGREDIENTS
Makes 30 biscuits

200g/4oz plain flour
100g/4oz unsalted butter
2 yolks of a medium sized eggs
10 teaspoons of cold water
150g/6oz grated cheddar

METHOD
1.Pre-heat your oven to 190 C/375 F/Gas mark 5. Grease two baking trays.
2. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Cut the butter into chunks and add to the bowl, then rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
3. Mix the egg yolks and water in a separate bowl. Put four teaspoons of this mixture in a separate cup to brush over the biscuits later.
4. Stir half of the grated cheese into the big bowl and then stir in the egg mixture to make a dough.
5. Squeeze the dough into a ball and cover with clingfilm. Put the dough in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
6. Sprinkle flour onto a work surface and roll out the dough until it is about 1cm thick.
7. Using pastry cutters, cut out lots of shapes and put them on to the baking tray. gather together the pastry scraps, roll them out and cut out more biscuits.
8. Brush the shapes with the remaining egg mixture reserved in the cup. Sprinkle the biscuits with the remaining grated cheese.
9. Bake the shapes for 12 minutes until they are golden brown. Leave them on a wire rack to cool.

Chocolate crispies


INGREDIENTS
Makes 10

225g/8oz plain chocolate
50g/2oz unsalted butter
2 tablespoons of golden syrup
100g/40oz cornflakes

METHOD
1.Put 10 paper cases into the holes of a baking tray.
2. Break the chocolate into pieces and put them into a large pan. Add the butter and the golden syrup to the pan.
3. Heat and stir the mixture very gently until the chocolate is melted.  
4. Turn off the heat and add the cornflakes to the mixture. Stir the cornflakes until they are coated in the chocolate mixture.
5. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases. Then leave them to set in a fridge for half an hour.
6. Eat them all up!

Tuesday 22 June 2010

Dinner Party Club Menu

Every 6 weeks or so I get together with a group of friends and we take it in turns to make and take one of the three courses for our gathering. We have a glass or two of wine, chat and eat. It is a great way to catch up with your friends. It is also relatively stress free as you only cook one of the courses every twelve weeks and we also get to try out new dishes.

For our recent gathering the menu consisted of watermelon and green bean salad with grilled Halloumi for the starter. This is a simple yet deliciously refreshing dish.  Our main was a wonderfully aromatic ensemble of Lamb Koftas served with a spicy tomato sauce, greek yoghurt, cous cous with roasted vegetables and flat breads. I was assigned the pudding dish and opted to make a Vanilla Pannacotta served with a fruit compote. 

Pannacotta is rich and unctuous. It’s like eating a bowl of delicious ice-cream that is at fridge temperature, not frozen. I like to serve pannacotta with a fruit compote. The acidity of the fruit works well with the cream. Serving a few biscuits alongside the pudding adds a crunchy dimension to the dish which I quite like. The three dishes worked very well together and so did the diners!

Watermelon & green bean salad with grilled Halloumi

This dish is very refreshing, in fact it is perfect for a hot sunny day. You can serve this dish as a starter or a main course by just increasing the portion sizes. I do not have the exact recipe for this dish, however it is a pretty straight forward dish that is quick to make, fun to throw together and totally delicious. It goes something like this.....


INGREDIENTS & METHOD
Green beans, blanched for 1 minute in boiling water and then run under a cold tap. Drain and set to one side
Watermelon, cut into chunks
Slices of Halloumi, grilled
Olive oil and lemon juice dressing, salt and pepper to season

Lamb Koftas


INGREDIENTS
Serves 4
500g minced lamb
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 fat garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp chopped mint
oil for brushing
SERVE WITH
Make a tomato sauce (see sauces recipes) and make it spicy with a dash of harissa
Greek Yoghurt 
Cous Cous with roasted vegetables of your choice and herbs
Cous Cous with roasted aubergine, feta and basil

METHOD FOR LAMB KOFTAS 
1. Mix together all the ingredients until well blended. Divide into 8 balls, then roll each ball on a board with a cupped hand to turn them into ovals.
2. Thread onto 4 metal skewers and brush with oil. To cook on a griddle: heat the pan until you can feel a good heat rising and cook for 3-4 mins each side. Don't turn until they are well sealed or the meat will stick to the grill or pan. Season if you want, and set aside. Serve the koftas with Greek Yoghurt, spiced flat breads and cous cous with 

Vanilla pannacotta with fruit compote

Pannacotta is rich and unctuous. It’s like eating a bowl of delicious ice-cream that is at fridge temperature, not frozen. I like to serve pannacotta with a fruit compote. The acidity of the fruit works well with the cream. Serving a few biscuits alongside the pudding add a crunchy dimension to the dish.


INGREDIENTS
Serves 6
1 vanilla pod
900ml/1 ½ pints double cream
50g/2oz caster sugar
3 gelatine leaves

METHOD
1. Split the vanilla pod in half lengthways, scrape out the seeds and add them to a saucepan with 600ml/1 pint of cream and sugar. Heat the cream on a low heat, stirring until the sigar has completely dissolved. Turn t he heat up slightly and allow the cream to boil. Remove from the heat immedialtely.

2. Place the gelatine in a bowl and cover with cold water. Allow the gelatine to soften. Once the gel;atine is soft, remove it form the water and squeeze out the excess water.

3. Add the gelatine to the heated cream and whisk until it has all dissolved. Leave to cool but do not refrigerate.

4. Whisk the remaining 300ml/10 floz cream until it forms soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream, into the cooled vanilla cream.

5. Pour the cream into greased moulds that hold 150ml/5floz of liquid (dariole moulds work the best). Leave to set in the fridge for at least 4 hours. You can make the pannacotta a day in advance.

TO SERVE
Pour some boiling water into a bowl and dip the moulds into the water for a few seconds, taking care not to allow the water to flow into the pannacotta. Turn the pannacotta out onto a plate (ease them out with a knife to break the suction).

Surround the pannacotta with the fruit compote and add a few fresh berries to the top of the pudding. Serve with biscuits.



Fruit Compote


450g/1lb of frozen or fresh berries (one variety or mixed)
1tbsp icing sugar

Place the berries into a pan and slowly heat them up releasing all of the juices. There will be a little more water in frozen berries so no additional water is required. With fresh berries add a splash of water to prevent sticking and burning. Once the berries have cooked down, remove form the heat and stir in the icing sugar. Taste the berries and add as much or as little sugar as you think is required.

Monday 14 June 2010

Slow roast belly of pork & carmelised onions


There is no substitute for a good local butcher. They will always procure special orders of meat for specific dishes, they will help prepare pieces of meat for you (chining bones, deboning, chopping and slicing), and they are always able to vouch for the provenance of your meat.  

My butcher does all of the above. This weekend whilst in their shop, I decided that I would prepare a slow roasted pork belly for family and friends who were joining us for our Saturday evening meal. The piece of British pork was promptly chopped to the right size for the number of people I wanted to feed, scored and made ready for me to cook.

Crackling is always a big hit in our house. My children always fight for extra portions. The good thing about pork belly is that there is lots of it to go around.
This recipe is truly delicious and finger licking good. It is cooked for just over three hours, falls to pieces when it is ready and has some wonderful onion marmalade that is slowly caramelised under the joint. I served the pork with some stir-fried greens. Every plate was empty at the end of the meal, which is always a good sign.

INGREDIENTS
1.3kg piece pork belly , boned, rind left on and scored (ask your butcher to do this)
2 tsp sunflower oil
1 tsp white peppercorns , crushed
6 large onions, sliced
2-3 tbsp clear honey
2 tsp ground cumin
1 red chilli , deseeded and chopped

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Lay the pork, skin-side up, on a rack in a roasting tin. Trickle with a little oil and run into the skin. Once this is done lightly press on the crushed peppercorns and a sprinkling of coarse sea salt. Place in the oven, then cook for 1 hr. Remove from the oven and baste with the juices. Continue to cook for a further 1½ hrs, basting every 20 mins.
2. Put the sliced onions in the roasting tin under the pork. Mix the honey together with the cumin and chilli, brush it over the pork, then increase the oven to 200C/fan 180C/ gas 6. Cook for a further 30-40 mins, basting occasionally, until caramelised with a rich, golden glaze over the pork. Once cooked and tender (this can be easily tested by piercing the flesh with a knife), remove pork from the oven, then leave to rest for 10-15 mins.
3. While the pork is resting, heat the tin on the stove with the onions, adding 2 tbsp water. This will lift any residue from the pan, creating a moist cooking liquor. Divide the onions between 6 plates. Carve pork into 6 portions, and serve. Pour any remaining liquor over and serve with the vegetables. (This dish is also very good served with mash potatoes).

Thursday 10 June 2010

Focaccia - Italian Bread

I love Focaccia. It is a quick bread to make and perfect served with salads on hot sunny days. Try the black olive version with a mozzarella and tomato salad drizzled with an extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing.

Alternatively you can adapt the bread recipe by adding a selection of your own flavours.  Goats cheese and caramalised red onions are a very good combination, or for a simple flavour just add some sage, or some rosemary with coarse sea salt.

INGREDIENTS
30g/10z fresh yeast or I sachet dried yeast
225ml/8fl oz warm water
450g/1lb strong plain flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil.

METHOD
1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.
2. Sift the flour with the salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the dissolved yeast and the oil. Gradually draw in the flour and when the ingredients are all well mixed, knead the dough for 8-10 minutes.
3. Put the dough into a greased bowl. Cover with clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place (for about 1 hour).
4. Knock back the dough and shape as required. For Focaccia make into oval and place on an oiled baking tray. Add olives and rosemary and cover with clingfilm again. Leave to prove (rise again) until it is 1½ times its original size.
5. Preheat the oven to 230 C/450 F/gas mark 8.
6. If using course sea salt in the Focaccia add to the bread before baking. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on top of the bread and bake the bread for 10 minutes ad the turn the oven down to 190 C/375 F/gas mark 5 and bake for a further 15-20 minutes until it is cooked. Transfer to a wire rack until cool.

Sunday 6 June 2010

Chewy meringues


This weekend my daughters and I ran our local 5 kilometre ‘Race for Life’. Of course my daughters were keen to run this race and raise money for charity. They also quite liked the idea of receiving a shiny medal at the end of the race and the idea of having a delicious family Sunday lunch with some chewy meringues for pudding.

Number one daughter (age 10) ran a very respectable race and charged ahead completing the course in sub 30 minutes. My youngest (age 7) also ran super quick and for most of the way round the course. It made our lunch taste even better. The girls especially liked the meringues. This recipe makes a deliciously chewy meringue, the kind of meringue that will leave your family and friends fighting over the last one.


INGREDIENTS
Serves 12
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
115g/4oz caster sugar
115g/4oz icing sugar
To serve:-
Double cream and berries 

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to fan 100C/ conventional 110C/gas 1⁄4. Line 2 baking sheets with Bake-O-Glide non-stick liner or parchment paper (meringue will stick on greaseproof paper and foil).
2. Tip the egg whites into a large clean metal mixing bowl – make sure the bowl is clean and do not use a plastic bowl. Beat the eggs with an electric hand whisk until the mixture is fluffy and stands up in stiff peaks when the blades are lifted.
3. Next, start to add the caster sugar. Continue beating once all of the caster sugar is added and mixed in stop the whisks. It’s important not to over-beat the mixture. The mixture should be thick and glossy.
4. Sift a third of the icing sugar over the mixture and then gently fold it in with a big metal spoon or rubber spatula. Continue to sift and fold in the icing sugar a third at a time. Again, don't over-mix. The mixture should now look smooth and billowy once all the icing sugar has been combined.
5. Scoop up a heaped dessertspoonful of the mixture. Using another dessertspoon, ease it on to the baking sheet them into rough rounds. Alternatively you can make two large round meringues if you prefer.

6. Bake for 1 1⁄2hours in a fan oven, 1 1⁄4 hours in a conventional or gas oven, until the meringues sound crisp when tapped underneath and are a pale coffee colour. Leave to cool on the trays or a cooling rack.

The meringues will now keep in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks.
Serve two meringues sandwiched together with a generous dollop of softly whipped double cream and some berries. If you have made large meringues then top with whipped cream and berries and serve in slices

Wednesday 2 June 2010

Asparagus and Parmesan Tart


Asparagus and Parmesan work very well together and this tart is sure to please all. Serve warm or cold with salad and some iced lemonade.

Asparagus and Parmesan Tart
(serves 6-8)
INGREDIENTS
For the pastry:-
140g plain flour
85g butter, cubed
85g cheddar (such as Montgomery), or other hard cheese, finely grated
For the filling:-
5 eggs
175ml milk (for a creamy tart use 100ml milk & 75ml single cream)
100g Parmesan, grated
300g asparagus, trimmed and cut in half lengthways
METHOD
1. Put the flour in a bowl, add the butter to the flour and rub in with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the grated cheddar into the pastry and mix. Add 3 tbsp cold water and mix until the pastry forms a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill for 5 mins. Butter a 20 x 6cm deep loose-bottom tart tin, or a 35 x 12cm rectangular tart tin.
2. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Lightly dust the work surface with flour, roll out the pastry and line the tin. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes, then line the pastry case with baking paper, fill with beans and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and paper and return the pastry case to the oven for 10 minutes.
3. Crack the eggs into a jug, whisk, then add the milk and whisk again. Sprinkle half the grated cheese over the pastry case, then add the asparagus, egg mix and remaining cheese (if using a rectangular tin, you may not need all the mixture, so add it gradually). Bake in the lower half of the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the egg mix is set.