Flapjack

Sorry this is a repost somehow I deleted this blog entry from Sunday ( found in cache though)

Brownie points earned in multiple this weekend not only did Nick sit through Sweeny Todd the Barber of Seville ,  while I gazed enraptured at Alan Rickman and Johnny Depp singing ,its going to be a long time until I eat a pie.  Instead a little Thai food and a trip on the Nottingham Eye .

Could it get better , well yes after a lie in on Saturday woke up to the smell of baking , Nick had made a  packed lunch for our 9-miler in the Peak District  including home-baked flapjack , they needed some time to cool though so instead we took some soft eating ginger liquorice from Lakeland  This is lovely spicey chewy stuff

Eating flapjack as I speak , he is guarding the recipe , and without resorting to CSI style spectral analysis I would say raisins , oats , pumpkin seeds sesame seeds and offer up my recipe  from a year ago

Flapjack

Made with oats cranberries hemp seeds , pumpkin seeds , sunflower seed goji berries.
* 250g oats
* 250g soft light brown sugar
* 225g butter
6 tbsp of golden syrup
* 100g of the cranberries hemp seeds , pumpkin seeds , sunflower seed goji berries.
Baked at 175degC for 30 mins , I found it best to then leave overnight and cut the next day

« Pasta with kale, chilli and anchovy

Chicken Peanut Stew

I was searching for inspiration from my Flickr pictures from last year .. decided to share this Chicken Peanut Stew  a food from my childhood and fantastic store cupboard food , dare I say in in the wake of the all the controversy around How to Cheat at Cooking  .. this is about as cheating as I get .

Chicken Peanut Stew

4 Chicken Thighs
4 heaped tablespons of peanut butter – I favour crunchy
1 tin of plum tomatoes( 400g)
1 tbsp of worcestershire sauce
1tbsp dried chilli flakes

1. Turn oven onto 200degC
2. Place the  chicken thighs in a cast iron pan
3. Mix together all the over ingredients and pour over the chicken
4. Cover the pan and bake in the oven for 30 minutes removing the lid for the last 10 to allow the skin to crisp and sauce to thicken
5. Serve with rice or  pitta bread.

The sauce is warm generous and far above what you would imagine from the ingredients .

Carrot Turnip and Apple Salad

My heart sank a little when I saw the turnip in the vegebox this week.  They are heavy , dense and woodsy great for  poaching a chicken   and  good in a long slow cooked stew however I have a few weeks home alone and was going to take the opportunity to make light and probably vegetarian food.

I am not sure this even needs and recipe but for anyone else struggling for light flavour packed salad -perfect

Shred equal amounts of carrots , turnip and half the amount of grated apples , add a sprinkling of fresh coriander , ground coriander , walnuts ( toasted in a hot pan for a few minutes)  and a squeeze of lemon juice to cover.

Pasta with kale, chilli and anchovy

Lots of cavolo nero ( kale) in the vegebox hunting around for a recipe without having to hunt out extra ingredients hit upon a recipe at The Times online . I suspect may become one of my storecupboard classics with all the ingredients to hand . It tasted almost summery with the kale adding a iron touch salty anchovies and a punch of chilli .

Pasta with kale, chilli and anchovy

Tin of anchovies in olive oil 25g
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Good pinch of dried chilli flakes
Large bag of cavolo nero 300g
300g dried pasta I used linguine
Extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt
Parmesan cheese
Juice of 1 lemon, optional

1. In a frying pan, heat the anchovies with their oil. Stir over a gentle heat until they have disintegrated.
2. Add the garlic and chilli flakes, stir for 30 seconds or so, then remove from the heat and set to one side.
3. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
4. Strip the kale leaves from the tough stems. Discard the stems and roughly chop the leaves.
5. Five minutes before the end, stir in the kale leaves and continue cooking until the pasta is al dente.
6. Drain the pasta and kale then add them to the anchovy mixture.
7. Return to a gentle heat and stir in a good glug of olive oil
8. Stir well and add a little grated parmesan and squeeze of lemon

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Falafel with beetroot and carrot salad

I have celebrated fixing my oven full story below , by making Falafel , I love falafel but can never made to make the deep-fried variety at home , they always disintegrate in the pan . This recipe is full proof and quick to make.

Baked Falafel

300g of canned chickpeas, drained
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoons of coriander or flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1tbsp olive oil

1. Food process all the ingredients except the chick peas to a paste
2. Add the chick peas and pulse a few times
3. Form into 2cm balls and place on an oven tray
4. Bake at 200degC for 20 minutes , turning the balls over half way through

Carrot and Beetroot Salad

1. Finely shred carrot and beetroot
2. Dress with lemon juice and a teaspoon of tahini

Yogurt Dressing
Yogurt mixed with chopped fresh coriander

This weekend all the fuses blew in the flat , traced the source to the oven , though the fan spinning there was no heat

A quick Internet search showed that the fan element was probably broken , the fan was till working but no heat . I ordered an element online its arrived promptly the next day , there are lots of sites online offering advice and guidance on fitting elements including You Tube vidoes , all with the disclaimer that …. “Attempting work or repairs on electrical appliances can be dangerous and should only be carried by a suitably qualified person using the correct tools and test equipment, with the appliance disconnected from the mains supply.”

I borrowed the correct tools , disconnected it from the mains , strapped on my headtorch and set to 45 minutes later my oven is now working , the thrill is immense

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Stuffed Hearts – the other Valentines Meat

For a minute I considered doing these for Valentines Day but instead waited for a Saturday night in .

Two hearts each is enough, these do really taste pretty luxurious the taste we agreed is between liver and game , the texture meaty not fleshy and not granular as I would have expected think the stuffing could have just about anything mushrooms , walnuts etc , I wil definitely be making hearts again .

Stuffed Lambs Hearts

6 lambs hearts

stuffing
Breadcrumbs – 100gs
fresh Thyme – 2 sprigs
2 medium Onions – finely chopped
Garlic – 3 bulbs, finely chopped
Bacon – 2 rashers
Salt and Pepper

red wine – half a bottle

1. Preheat the oven to 150degC
2. Trim the hearts , removing the tubes from the top and and inside
3. Food process the stuffing ingredients
4. Stuff the heart well , place in a oven proof dish with the opening to the top
5. Pour over the wine , cover
6. Place in the oven a slowly cook for 2 hours , or you could cook on the hob if you have a thick bottomed dish
7. you want this to cook very slowly
8. Served with butter beans added to the dish during cooking and wilted spinach

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Valentines Dinner

This was the Valentines Dinner I had planned to be light and a lot prepared in advance but with some lovely colours bit risky as I had never made any of these things before  . Quite successully secreted alcohol in both the salmon and the pudding .

Salmon cured in vodka and beetroot served with rocket and walnut with horseradish frais
Lamb Sweetbreads with Pomegranate and Spinach
Champagne Jelly

I will definitely make the salmon it cured perfectly beetrooty throughout and a good way to use a small amount of beetroot , I don’t drink vodka but in this dish it was just a tiny wisp as you ate the salmon which went perfectly with salad and frais  . This recipe came  from a few around for Beetroot Cured Salmon and raddichio Salad
and Vodka-marinated Salmon with Beetroot Salad

Salmon cured in vodka and beetroot served with rocket and walnut with horseradish frais

Salmon Cured in Vodka and Beetroot
fresh salmon  – 200g thats two salmon fillets
raw beetroot – two small
sea salt 50g
brown sugar 50g
1/2 tsp peppercorns, crushed
vodka 100ml

Prepare the salmon in advance it should cured for 24hours minimum , this was perfect after 48hours
grate the beetroot and mix  the other ingredients
cover the salmon in the marinade and refridgerate
to serve discard the marinade & thinly slice the salmon and serve with the rocket and walnut salad and horseradish frais

Horseradish Frais

fromage frais 100ml
horseradish cream 2 heaped tablespoons

Mix togehter the fromage frais and horseradish

Rocket and Walnut Salad

fresh rocket – 2 large handfuls
crushed walnuts 2 tbsp
olive oil 2 tbsp
fresh lemon juice – 2 tbsps

1. Toast the walnuts in a warmed frying pan for 2 minutes shaking well.
2. dress the rocket with the olive oil and lemon juice
3. toss the walnuts over the salad

Lamb Sweetbreads with Pomegranate and Spinach

The sweetbreads came from Alternative Meats a lovely company who have delivered a whole parcel of delicious offal to my freezer . Sweetbreads are the thymus gland of a lamb , these had already been soaked to remove blood and were delivered to me frozen , requiring only gentle simmering before frying. Next time I will give them something more full bodied to work with some mushrooms and thyme .

Lamb Sweetbreads with Pomegranate and Spinach

lamb sweetbreads – 400g 
pomegranate seeds – 1 large pomegrante
fresh spinach – 3 large handfuls
pomegranate molasses – 2tsps
balsamic vinegar – 2tbsp

1. Season a little boiling water with salt and pepper
2. add the sweetbreads and simmer for a few minutes
3. remove and leave to cool
4. once cool the sweetbreads can be sliced in a half , and fried in browned butter ( that is butter heated until it has begun to turn brown )  til golden
5. serve with the spinach dressed with the pomegranate mollasses and tossed with the pomegranate sees

Champagne Jelly

This is a Delia Smith recipe I have tweaked its
a dish my mum regularly serves for Christmas dinner pudding an air of
decandance but light . The bubbles in the cava fizz pleasantly on your
tongue when eaten and it means you have nearly half a bottle of cava to polish off.

Champagne Jelly

For two large wine glasses

water 1/2 pint
cava 1/2 pint
lemon  – 1 medium
caster sugar – 25g
 powdered gelatine 2 x 0.4 oz packets (5 g)

1. Pour the  water into a  large saucepan
2. Pare the yellow zest from the lemon and add to the pan with the sugar
3. Bring the pan to the boil remove from the heat
4. Sprinkle in the gelatine whisking the mixture with a balloon whisk
5. Continue stiring till all the gelatine is dissolved
6. Add the lemon juice and strain through a seive to remove the zest
7. Leave to cool for one hour
8. Finally stir in the cava and place in wine glasses or bowls
9. This should be left refridgerated for at least 12 hours .
10. you can serve with a little whipped cream

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Fish Pie

Finally after weeks of craving and with enough time for this dish in several steps

Would serve 6 normal people  with some peas and vegetables , but 4 people like me who if they really tried could eat the whole dish over the course of an evening

Fish Pie

500g of fresh fish ( I used 500g of fresh salmon , smoked cod )
750g of potatoes

Milk half a pint
White wine – 1cup
Onion – 1 roughly sliced
Garlic 3 cloves finely chopped
Parsley
Thyme
3 eggs boiled and quartered

1. Boil the potatoes drain and mash with plenty of butter
2. Add the milk to saucepan with the onions garlic and fresh herbs
3. Bring to the boil and add the fish on a gently simmer for 5 minutes
4. Remove the fish and check through for bones , place the fish in a oven proof dish with the boiled eggs
5. add a knob of butter to saucepan , add a tablespoon of plain flour
6. slowy add the milk/herb mixture forming a roux sauce , whisking well
7. Add the white wine and season with salt and pepper
8. pour the sauce over the fish
9. layer over the mashed potato and bake at 190degC for half an hour

Guinea Fowl with smoked sausage and butter beans

There has been a Guinea Fowl in freezer for a few weeks now bought is a flurry of shopping and intimidating me ever since , game does that too me

Native to West Africa, the guinea fowl has graced British kitchens for hundreds of years. The flavour is similar to that of chicken but it has a hint of gaminess. When roasting, the bird needs to be basted or it can dry out so casseroling is a perfect cooking method for guinea fowl as the slow cooking in liquid ensures sweet and tender meat in a flavoursome sauce . I was inspired by a recipe by Hugh Fearnley-Wittingstall in the Guardian for a for Pheasant with chorizo and butter beans

No chorizo around but we do have some Smoked Penrith Pepperpot Sausage from the Old Smokehouse ( part of a gift basket from my mum ) . This is a smokey garlic sausage more like the continental toulouse sausages with a firm texture and doesn’t dissolve on cooking .

I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of meat on the Guinea Fowl when cooked, it has also stayed deliciously moist not requiring any carving it simply fell apart . The butter beans are just below dissolving point contributing body to the rich tasty sauce that should be mopped up with crusty french bread

Guinea Fowl with Smoked Sausage and Butter Beans

A Guinea Fowl
2 smoked sausages ( about 150g) roughly chopped
2 medium onions roughly chopped
6 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
Half a bottle of red wine
Half a bottle of white
500g of butter beans ( tinned or dried and soaked)
1tsp of paprika
1 tsp of mixed dried herbs
Handful of fresh parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 200degC
2. In a pan gently soften the onions and garlic , remove from the pan and place in a cast iron pot.
3. Place the guinea fowl whole in a pan with the smoked sausage turn sloely allowing all side of the Guinea Fowl to brown
4. Add the sausage and guinea fowl to the cast iron pot with the onions and garlic.
5. Pour over the red and white wine , bring the pot to the boil
6. Add the butter beans , dried herbs & paprika
7. Cover the pot and place in the oven for an hour
8. To serve remove the guinea fowl a cut into portions it literally falls apart , pout over the butter bean and sausage sauce
9. Scatter with fresh parsley and serve with crusty french bread to soak up the tasty juices

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Salmon and Leek Fishcake with Leek and Lemon Salsa

A very busy day which meant I needed to calm down when I got home ,so was best suited to a recipe with a few steps. I had planned to have fish pie this weekend but the faggots just won me over . However I still having a fish and potatoe craving but a fish pie for one is a bit sad so have settle on fishcakes instead.

This makes 6 big fishcakes and enough salsa to accompany , three is a filling meal for one , rest will be for lunch tommorrow , if you fancy something with a more asian skew try my previos post for Spicy Fishcakes and Asian Slaw

Salmon and Leek Fishcake

200g of fresh salmon
Leek white parts finely chopped , green parts for salsa below
300g of potatoes
Handful of fresh parsley 1/2 for fishcake , 1/2 for salsa – finely chopped
1 lemon zest , juice for the salsa below
1 medium egg
Salt and Pepper

1. Boil the potatoes til soft enough to mash , steam the salmon over the boiling water
2. Mash to the potato mix in the salmon , white parts of the leek , lemon zest , salt and pepper to season
3. Add the egg and mix well
4. Shape into palm sized fish cakes and place in the fridge for 30 minutes
5. Fry in a little sunflower oil in a warm pan , should take a few minutes on each side

Leek and Lemon Salsa

Medium leek green parts finely chopped
Juice of a lemon, see above
Handful of parsley finely chopped see above
a few tbsp of water

1. Simmer together the green parts of the leek , with the lemon juice , parsley and and a little water
2. This sauce is fine warm or cold.

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