tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80533453708169249412024-03-14T09:11:32.889+00:00Belleau KitchenAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.comBlogger1031125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-27412492068806918532016-12-05T17:11:00.000+00:002016-12-05T17:11:21.427+00:00Roast Turkey with Pork, Sage and Apple stuffing and all the trimmings<br />
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... for many, preparing the big meal on Christmas Day can be a little stressful. If you’re expecting the hoards to descend then there’s a lot to do and many people don’t realise that it’s not just the day itself, there’s a lot of preparation that goes into such a large meal and if you’ve never cooked a traditional Christmas turkey before it can be rather daunting. For me, preparation is the key. You really don’t want to be peeling veg or have a million pots on the boil 5 minutes before everyone sits down - juggling gravy-making with mashing potatoes. So many of the vegetables, the stuffing and the pudding can be prepped the day or days before and remember that a large turkey needs to rest for at least 45 minutes before serving and it will keep very warm during this period if wrapped with foil and covered in a tea-towel, so this will give you the time to do all the other little bits and bobs… but what I find really helps is a large glass of wine and enough oven and hob space to help you manage the cooking. My new <a href="http://leisurecooker.co.uk/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">Leisure</span></b></a> Range Cooker is perfect for this. It has two ovens, one of which is a tall fan-assisted oven that takes all the vegetables I want to roast and means I can leave the turkey alone in the regular oven to do it’s thing and it also has 5 rings of heat so I can fit quite a bit on top... it is, after-all, supposed to be a day of fun and enjoyment for everyone and that includes the chef!<br />
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The good folk at Leisure have asked me and the lovely Kate at <b><a href="http://veggiedesserts.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Veggie Desserts</span></a></b> to create two very different Christmas Day meals which will truly show off our range-cookers. Katie is creating a stunning alternative Christmas Feast whilst I have been given the task of making a traditional Christmas Day lunch. I've created a three course meal, the starter and pudding I will share with you later in the week but for today's post, as a special kick-off to December I'm kicking off with the big moment... the turkey<br />
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<b>Roast Turkey</b><br />
I really do love turkey and I’ve never really had an issue with it drying out. I’ve used this method – placing the stuffing under the skin on the breast, to great success as it keeps the breast meat really succulent. You’ll need to watch it though because it does tend to brown quicker that the rest of the skin, so you can cover it with foil whilst the rest of the turkey is browning. I used my standard fan-assisted oven for the roasting, leaving the tall oven in my Leisure Range Cooker to do all the veg.<br />
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Now, when I took on the commission from Leisure I hadn't really thought how impossible a task it would be to buy a fresh turkey in October! I searched every butcher in our local town and all the major supermarkets but none could be found... In the end I had to plump for a frozen bird which i've never done before but I have to say that other than the two year period it took to defrost it was deliciously moist and I do wonder if the freezing helped?<br />
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I prepped my turkey and stuffing the night before, wrapped it in foil and placed the whole thing in the fridge... if you do this, don't forget to take the bird out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature before roasting...<br />
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<b>For the Pork, Apricot, Sage and Onion Stuffing</b><br />
1 onion – grated<br />
1 small cox apple – grated<br />
3 teaspoons dried sage<br />
500g Lincolnshire sausage meat<br />
50g dried apricots – roughly chopped<br />
4 tablespoons breadcrumbs<br />
oil and butter<br />
seasoning<br />
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place a large pan on a gentle heat and melt a little oil and butter, add the onions and sauté for about 5 mins until soft, then add the apple and 2 teaspoons of dried sage, stir it all together and let it sweat for another 5 mins – set aside to cool<br />
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in a large bowl combine the sausage meat, breadcrumbs and the cooled cooked onions until well mixed – set aside<br />
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<b>For the Turkey – feeds 8</b><br />
4.5kg – 5kg higher-welfare turkey , at room temperature<br />
12 small sprigs of fresh rosemary , plus a few extra<br />
2 carrots , peeled and chopped<br />
1 large fennel bulb – chopped<br />
2 sticks of celery - chopped<br />
1 large orange<br />
olive oil<br />
2 tablespoons plain flour<br />
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock<br />
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you will need a large roasting tin, big enough to take your turkey and of course fit into your oven – line the tray with foil leaving a large overhang – long enough to wrap over your turkey.<br />
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Lay all the chopped veg into the bottom of the roasting tray.<br />
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Wipe the turkey inside and out, with kitchen paper, and place it on a board, with the neck end towards you. Find the edge of the skin that's covering the turkey's breasts and gently peel it back. Work your fingers and then your hand under the skin, freeing it from the meat. If you're careful you should be able to pull all the skin away from the meat, keeping it attached at the sides. Wiggle gently making sure you don’t make any holes. Lift the loose skin at the neck end and spoon the stuffing between the skin and the breast, tucking the flap of skin underneath to stop anything leaking out. Pop the orange into the cavity.<br />
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Weigh the stuffed turkey and calculate the cooking time (about 20 minutes per 500g/1lb 2oz).<br />
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Place the bird on top of the veg in the roasting tray, rub it all over with olive oil and season well. Cover with tinfoil and place in the preheated oven. Turn the heat down right away to 180°C/350°F/gas 4, and roast for the calculated time, or until the juices run clear from the thigh if you pierce with it a knife or a skewer. Remove the tinfoil for the last 45 minutes to brown the bird. Carefully lift the turkey out of the tray and rest on a board that’s covered loosely with foil for at least 45 mins.<br />
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When the resting time's nearly up, skim the surface fat from the roasting tray and add the flour and stock. Place the tray on the hob and bring to the boil on a high heat. When the gravy starts to thicken, strain it into a bowl.<br />
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<b>The Perfect Roast Potatoes</b><br />
To begin, let's chose a potato... Heston would chose The Maris Piper, Delia would go for Desiree, my mum always goes for something with a red skin. Today I've found some red-skinned Lincolnshire potatoes. Rather generic sounding I agree but un-washed and in the paper bag they look like they'll do the trick! I go for 4 potatoes per person.<br />
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Next, I line my shallow roasting tin with foil and drizzle a thin layer of vegetable oil into it and place it on the top shelf of my hot oven...<br />
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(a note on vegetable oil... please try and use a specified oil...rapeseed, sunflower etc... there is a massive worldwide problem with palm oil which is used in almost everything from margarine to soap and you need to make sure of the ingredients in your products... huge swathes of rain-forests are cut down every year for palm oil plantations and they are bad... if it doesn't specify the name of the oil, then don't buy it... palm oil is usually listed as just 'vegetable oil')<br />
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Now, fill a large pan with water, chuck in a pinch of salt and bring it to the boil.<br />
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Peel and cut the potatoes. I like large roasties, so, depending on size of the original i usually cut mine into 3rds.<br />
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Boil the potatoes until just before soft (really depends on size)... you don't want them to collapse. My grandma used to time this so that they were just about to fall apart and then lower each one gently into the roasting pan!<br />
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Next, I drain the water from the potatoes but leave them in the pan and add a glugg or two of extra virgin olive oil, plenty of salt and pepper and a handful of fresh rosemary, then I place the lid back on the pan and violently shake the potatoes to fluff up the flesh.<br />
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Then, they go into the hot oil in the roasting pan and into a very hot oven until golden and crispy<br />
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eat and of course, enjoy!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-10497166296605997982016-12-03T17:34:00.001+00:002016-12-03T17:36:07.509+00:00meringue wreath with mulled plums and pomegranates <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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... thrashing towards the big C with the confidence of a child with a lack of personal space awareness it can sometimes feel like the world has gone mad. I guess you notice it more in the big city as the festive lights are all around us and every street is rammed with shoppers and at all times of the day! London is manic at the best of times but bung in Christmas and a reduction in the value of the pound due to the idiotic buffoons who voted to leave the EU and sometimes it can feel perilously close to armageddon. I genuinely haven't purchased a single gift yet but if i'm honest, i'm not panicked just yet. The Viking and I are off to California for New Years Eve which is our gifts from Father Christmas to each other and for the rest of the family and friends, well I can't really think right now but seeing that I gave my mum her Christmas gift from last year about a month ago I don't think it's going to be such a big deal! I love Christmas but as the years have gone by it's of course become less and less about the whole gift thing and more and more about food and friends. I guess if we had kids it would be different although I do despair when I hear the amounts of stuff that kids receive these days - not that I ever went without you understand but it somehow feels on another level to when I was a child with the dream of Father Christmas in my eyes...<br />
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<b>meringue wreath with mulled plums and pomegranates </b><br />
the meringue wreath is a classic Christmas favourite... I believe I remember seeing Delia make it on one of her Christmas shows, always thinking that it looks so effective and yet really it's quite a light pudding to eat after a big meal such a Christmas Day lunch... if my memory holds true I believe that Delia's was a classic raspberry and cream wreath, with perhaps some mint leaves for added green but I think the principal of the idea is pretty open to interpretation. There's lots of inspiration out there too, from my cooking-demo buddy Steven Bennett's <b><a href="http://www.thelincolnshirechef.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">chocolate meringue wreath</span></a></b> to Lucy at Super Golden Bakes' impressive <b><a href="https://www.supergoldenbakes.com/2016/12/meringue-christmas-tree.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">3-tiered meringue tree</span></a></b>. I've opted for these plums baked in mulled wine and some jewels in the form of pomegranate seeds which I think work particularly well... i've also laced the whipped cream with my firm festive favourite, Grand Marnier which of course makes things all the merrier...<br />
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a little cooks note... my meringue never comes out well when it comes to early defined peaks... i've made it half a dozen ways following half a dozen different recipes and I just can't get that perfect firm peak... they always taste nice and I honestly think a nice crispy crunch, a soft mallowy centre, plenty of boozy cream and fruit and the whole thing can be quite forgiving... so I don't sweat it...<br />
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<b>for the meringue wreath</b><br />
6 large egg whites<br />
350g caster sugar<br />
1 tsp white wine vinegar<br />
1 tsp cornflour<br />
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<b>for the mulled plums</b></div>
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6 plums - halved and stoned</div>
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4 tablespoons mulled wine</div>
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1 tablespoon caster sugar</div>
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<b>for the whipped cream</b></div>
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200ml double or whipping cream</div>
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1 tablespoon grand marnier </div>
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the seeds of 2 large pomegranates</div>
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preheat the oven to 160˚C Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and draw a 30cm circle on the paper and take a 15cm metal ring, dunk it liberally in corn flour and place this in the middle of your drawn circle - set aside</div>
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place the plums into an oven-proof dish and drizzle over the mulled wine and sprinkle with caster sugar - bake for 15 minutes until the plums are soft - set aside to cool<br />
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make the meringue wreath by putting six egg whites into a mixing bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until they look like clouds.Gradually add the sugar a little at a time, whisking on maximum speed until they are stiff and glossy. Mix the vinegar and corn flour in a cup until smooth, then stir carefully into the bowl with a metal spoon.<br />
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spoon the meringue around the metal ring on the baking parchment, to make a wreath shape. Be as messy or structured as you like. Slide into the oven, then immediately reduce the temperature to 140˚C/fan 120C/gas 1 and bake for 1 hour – 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the pavlova inside for an hour to dry, after which carefully remove the metal ring.<br />
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whip the cream with the booze and then assemble your wreath by placing blobs of cream randomly on the wreath, then lay the plums like glorious glossy baubles, into the cream and sprinkle with a flourish of pomegranate seeds.... oh and a liberal spritz with some edible glitter spray helps add a festive something-something too.</div>
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eat and of course, enjoy!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-53441676776309955542016-11-28T20:46:00.001+00:002016-11-28T20:46:58.667+00:00three white loaves - a flour baking report for Homepride Flour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>A little background </b></div>
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As part of my work with <b><a href="http://homeprideflour.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Homepride Flour</span></a></b> I was asked to test their new Strong White Bread Flour by baking a basic white loaf with three different flours. This comparison test would allow them to trial the product against two leading brands. It was a task I took very seriously and of course enjoyed every moment. I love baking bread by hand and still see this as a treat even though I bake 2 loaves every Friday and have done for the past 10 years. There is nothing quite like the taste of freshly baked bread and of course the aroma that fills the house when baking is worth it alone. Most often I will bake a basic white loaf – flour, yeast, salt, water and a little extra-virgin olive oil. I find the white loaf is the most useful for the weekend and week ahead. If I’m having friends to stay or a dinner party then I mix it up and use more varied flours and shapes for the loaves but white flour is my mainstay. <br /><br />The recipe I’m using for this test is for one loaf using the ‘low-knead’ method. The recipe can be easily doubled and split at the ‘loaf forming stage’ before the final prove. (I always find it makes sense to make two of something instead of just one if it takes the same effort and energy.) <br /><br />I’ve gone for the low-knead method as I find it produces a perfect, easy loaf every time. By leaving the ingredients alone before the first low-knead you can genuinely feel the yeast get to work straight away and I love how soft the bread is when it’s ready to eat. Plus, I had three loaves to bake and I didn’t want any repetitive wrist injury for the sake of baking and I think this method saved me slightly! <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><b>The flours </b><br />I was sent three flours, Tesco Strong White Flour, Allinson Strong White Bread Flour (my current flour of choice) and Homepride Strong White Bread Flour. <br /><br />I used Allinson Easy Bake Yeast <br /><br />I made 3 ‘free-form’ loaves, firstly because I prefer this shape but also I felt I would be able to see how well the loaves kept their shape after the second proving. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>The results </b><br />If you're looking for some incredible taste sensation from one clear outstanding winner then I hate to disappoint... I have to say that the differences between the loaves was negligible. From taste, to texture, to aroma they were all delicious and made a great loaf. Out of the 6 people who tasted them, none of them could tell a marked difference (and people really wanted there to be!) I guess for Homepride this isn't a bad thing. It means they compare favourably with the top selling flours and this must be a good thing so if you're a bit of a brand junkie like me, it's good to know that one of your favourite brands produces very good quality all British wheat, bread flour... and if you're not so worried about your bread flour then you can stick with your favourite, safe in the knowledge that it's unlikely to be rivalled by another... which I think is what they call a win-win!<br /><br /><b>The recipe</b><br />400g strong white bread flour <br />1 sachet or 1 heaped teaspoon of fast-action dried yeast <br />1 heaped teaspoons salt (very important - don't leave this out or your bread will not taste nice) <br />300ml regular tap water <br />olive oil and extra flour for dusting <br /><br />place the flour, yeast and salt in a very large ceramic bowl and stir together, then pour in the water and bring together using a rubber spatula - scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix the dough until all the dry flour is gone and you're left with a sticky, shaggy mess - cover with a tea towel and set aside for 10 mins. - wash and dry your spatula as you will need it clean for the next stage. <br /><br />oil your work surface with a generous glut of olive oil and using your right hand, wipe the surface in a circular motion to coat the surface in oil. Then, use your oily right hand to remove the dough from the bowl and place it on the oiled surface then take the spatula and scrape clean the bowl, then drizzle the bowl with a little olive oil and using your right hand again, wipe the inside of the bowl to coat it in oil. <br /><br />knead the dough with your oiled hand 8 times... it doesn't even need to be a sophisticated knead, just a fold, push and quarter turn... you should, even at this stage be able to feel that the dough is soft and light... then place it back into the oiled bowl, cover in a tea towel and set aside for another 10 minutes. <br /><br />Repeat this twice more and then after the final quick knead, cover the bowl in cling film and set aside until the dough has proved to double the size... this should take roughly and hour but it depends on the warmth of the room <br /><br />pre-heat the oven to 220C and place an empty baking tray at the bottom of the oven <br /><br />oil your work surface and tip the dough out onto it. Punch the dough down and make a rough oval shape... you're now going to do some folding and turning that will put air back into the dough and create layers which in turn should create a beautifully aerated loaf... fold down the dough halfway from the top and then fold up the dough over from the bottom. A classic 'gatefold.' Give the dough a quarter turn and repeat the gatefold. <br /><br />you essentially now have your loaf and can do with it what you like. It could be tucked neatly into a classic loaf tin or you could form it into a round ball or any shape to bake, it's up to you. Whatever shape you decide upon, once it’s shaped – cover it in either a plastic bag or upturned plastic container and let it rpove once more for 30 mins. <br /><br />once you're ready to bake, spritz the top of the loaf with a spray of cold water, then pat some flour over the top and slash a couple of cuts in the top <br /></div>
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quickly open the oven and pour a jug of water into the baking tray in the bottom and then place your loaf into the oven... bake on 220C for 10 minutes and then reduce the heat to 180C for a further 20 minutes... the bottom of the loves should sound hollow when tapped... hard as it may be, set aside to cool completely before eating! </div>
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Homebred Strong White Bread Flour is available exclusively at tesco stores.</div>
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eat and of course, enjoy!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-43365263835293687182016-11-23T13:33:00.001+00:002016-11-24T15:26:36.803+00:00sausage, mushroom and pea risotto<br />
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... so I have news... In a few weeks time - just in time for Christmas in fact, I will be migrating my blog to a self-hosting site with a lovely new wordpress template. Yes, i've finally taken the plunge to give this little old blog a facelift. I'm really not 100% quite sure why i'm doing it but I think it's because I feel like I need a little kick up the backside... a refresh... a new lease of life... and I felt it was something I couldn't do here on clunky old blogger and it means i'll begin 2017 with a fresh outlook on a world that I was increasingly becoming a little tired with. I've complained before about how busy my real life has become (it feels dreadful to complain about a successful life but it's more a moan about the levels of stress rather than the actual work.) I love what I do in both my events work at The Persuaders and of course I love my blog but I was beginning to resent it all a little - not having the time to blog because work was so busy which made me not want to use up my rare and valuable free time working on the blog but also resenting work which is utterly stupid. I think i'm over that hump now and I think it came from learning to let go and be free from the chains of the dreaded SEO and just get on and do my thing without having to worry about all that. Don't get me wrong, I still want Belleau Kitchen to be successful but it needs to be on my terms... so a new platform to shout from is the way forward. I'll admit that i'm a little nervous about how used to blogger I am and how I hate learning new things but i'm assured that it will all be very user-friendly and that i'll get on just fine. What it does mean for you lot out there is that there may be some slight disruptions to service over the next couple of weeks but rest assured my url will remain the same and I will be back up and showing off in time to share some rather delicious Christmas goodies I have planned. Until then, here's a risotto...<br />
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<b>sausage, mushroom and pea risotto</b><br />
so Dad came to stay at the cottage a couple of weeks ago and you know what it's like as a food blogger, you're always trying to think of something to cook that will impress to that your house guests will depart with the knowledge that you do actually know what you're doing and those pictures you post on instagram every week aren't fake... anyway, as it happens, for reasons too dull to explain here I had to spend the weekend baking a large number of frangipane mince pies for the freezer so that they'd be ready for the demo-cooking i'm doing next weekend at the <b><a href="https://www.lincolnshireshowground.co.uk/food_gift/lincolnshire-kitchen.php" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Food and Gift Fair at the Lincolnshire Showground</span></a></b> but this meant that whilst dad was oohing and ahhing over the glorious Christmas aromas wafting in from the kitchen, he couldn't actually eat any of it... and by the time i'd spent all of Saturday and most of Sunday baking I really didn't want to be chained to the kitchen cooking meals... so I made a risotto. Now this may sound ridiculous to you... surely a risotto is the antithesis of not being chained to the kitchen but actually I love making risotto. It's my happy place. I adore watching it all slowly come together. There's something so satisfying as you slowly add the liquid and watch the rice gently swell and become creamy. This risotto is divine. The sausage meat crumbles as you cook it and infuses the whole dish with a wonderfully comfort food vibe and of course the peas just give the whole dish a perky lift at the end... needless to say it went down a storm and the tow of us polished off the lot in one sitting!<br />
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<b>serves 4 (or two greedy buggers)</b><br />
a little butter and olive oil<br />
5 spring onions -roughly chopped<br />
6 good quality sausages - roughly chopped (I used some pork and apple sausages)<br />
150g chestnut mushrooms - sliced<br />
250g risotto rice - arborio rice is my preferred grain<br />
1 glass white white<br />
1 litre good quality vegetable stock<br />
100g fresh or frozen peas<br />
at least 80g of hard cheese such as parmesan or strong cheddar, I actually used a little of both and probably a little more than 100g<br />
1 teaspoon oregano - dried or fresh<br />
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in a large pan gently heat plenty of butter and olive oil then saute the spring onions along with the sausages. The sausages should breakdown into what's essentially a mince but they should brown nicely along with the onions. Halfway through the cooking add the mushroom slices along with plenty of ground black pepper and fresh herbs and continue to cook until the mushrooms are soft<br />
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add the rice and stir around to coat all the grains then turn up the heat a little and throw in the white wine and begin to gently stir<br />
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add the stock a cup at a time, stirring gently between each addition... at first the rice will soak up the stock quite greedily as you stir but after the fourth or fifth addition of stock it will take longer and the risotto should be creamier<br />
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when you've used up 2 thirds of the stock throw in a handful of grated cheese between each addition of stock and continue to stir. Once all the stock is gone your rice should be tender. Throw in a handful of grated cheese and the peas, stir and set aside for 5 mins before serving. The whole process should take roughly 25 minutes but it can sometimes be quicker. Don't have the heat on too high at any point but not too low either, it's a fine balance.<br />
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eat and of course, enjoy!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-12601290723876692172016-11-21T16:19:00.003+00:002016-11-21T16:19:27.274+00:00chocolate truffle meringue pie<br />
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... we spent last weekend working outside in Edinburgh and even though it was unbelievably cold (and when I say cold I mean freezing cold... I haven't been that cold in quite some years - it was that unbearable coldness that eats into your bones) it's still my favourite city in the UK. I love how it feels like a village but is quite clearly an international city with so much history and culture, which also makes it a really romantic place too. It's also so wonderfully easy for walking around. You can see the lay of the land from the top of the Castle Rock but you also catch glimpses of the coast as you wander up and down the hills and bridges. There are some incredible restaurants there too, with some adventurous chefs serving some very interesting Scottish twists on international cuisine. We stayed at the <b><a href="http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-9058-ibis-styles-edinburgh-centre-st-andrew-square/index.shtml" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Ibis Styles</span></a></b> hotel in St Andrew's Square which was also rather impressive for both its budget prices but also it's rather clever use of interior design. But mostly we were impressed with the beautiful Christmas decorations. The whole city was aglow with such beauty. Lights twinkling on every street and there was very little tacky stuff but a lot of impressive wreaths wrapped with an abundance of lights... some of them so incredible we actually stopped to stare in wonderment and awe. <b><a href="http://www.thedomeedinburgh.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">The Dome</span></a></b> bar was particularly impressive and gave us the full, head-on Christmas experience. I also ordered my first Amaretto on Ice of the season which always makes me feel so warm and tingly inside...<br />
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<b>chocolate truffle meringue pie</b><br />
an indulgent pudding to say the least but very special there's no doubt... I had a glut of my favourite almond and cream cheese pastry left-over from prepping for my forthcoming demo-cooking weekend at the Lincolnshire Food and Gift Fair as well as 5 large free-range egg whites so I knew a meringue pie was in the mix. I would have usually gone for lemon or something else sharp but a surprising lack of lemons combined with a lot of rain meant that I had to make do with what was in the house so the two bars of chocolate become a chocolate truffle pie! The pastry is genius as it's so rich and so light it doesn't need to be blind-baked yet I promise it will come out perfectly crispy and flaky... I have no idea what happened with the meringue. It came out of the oven nice and high but seems to have collapsed overnight as it cooled. Perhaps I over-beated the eggs, so do watch out for this...<br />
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<b>for the almond and cream cheese pastry</b><br />
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300g plain flour </div>
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3/4 teaspoon baking powder </div>
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112g caster sugar </div>
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150g unsalted butter </div>
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100g full fat cream cheese (I used cottage cheese which was excellent) </div>
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75g ground almonds </div>
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1 egg yolk a little milk to bind</div>
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<b>for the chocolate truffle filling</b><br />
200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped<br />
150g unsalted butter<br />
60g golden caster sugar<br />
2 large free-range eggs, plus<br />
3 large free-range egg yolks<br />
80g plain flour<br />
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<b>for the meringue</b><br />
5 large free-range egg whites<br />
275g caster sugar (i used coconut sugar)<br />
1 tsp cornflour<br />
1 tsp vanilla bean paste<br />
20g cocoa powder</div>
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i'm using a 22cm round loose-bottomed fluted tart case which i have generously greased with butter<br />
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start with the pastry - sift the flour, baking powder and sugar into a bowl, add the butter and rub until it resembles breadcrumbs - add the cream cheese, ground almonds and egg yolk, take a knife and mix until it comes together into a dough, you may need to add a little milk here, as I did. - chill the dough for at least 30 mins</div>
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pre-heat the oven to 180°C</div>
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roll out your pastry on a very well-floured surface - I am very generous with the flour on the top and underneath this pastry - and then roll out (I adore this pastry nice and thick)</div>
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lay the pastry into the case and gently tease it into the fluted sides and press down then trim the edges, pop it into the fridge whilst you make the truffle filling</div>
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for the filling, put the chopped chocolate into a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water (don’t let the water touch the bowl). Melt gently, stirring now and then, then add the butter and stir until combined - remove from the heat and set aside</div>
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whisk the sugar, eggs and egg yolks for about 8 minutes until pale and creamy then stir in the melted chocolate until it’s all incorporated, then gently fold in the flour using a large metal spoon... remove the pastry tin from the fridge and spoon the chocolate filling into the pastry case, level the top with a spatula, then bake for 12 minutes.</div>
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now make the meringue using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Gradually whisk in the sugar until you have a stiff, billowy meringue whose peaks stay standing when you lift out the whisk. Beat in the cornflour, cocoa powder and vanilla bean paste.</div>
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after the chocolate truffle filling has been in the oven for 12 minutes, remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 150°C, then using a metal spoon, carefully spoon the meringue on top of the chocolate tart, swirling slightly as you go. </div>
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return the tart to the oven and bake for 20 minutes more or until it has a thin crust on top but is still soft in the centre. Leave to cool completely before removing from the tin.</div>
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eat and of course, enjoy!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-91534244924014683272016-11-14T18:27:00.000+00:002016-11-14T18:27:38.723+00:00caramelised onion and cheddar 'tear n share' loaf<br />
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... as regular and observant readers of the blog will know, the lovely people at <b><a href="http://homeprideflour.co.uk/community" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Homepride Flour</span></a></b> have been providing me with their self-raising and plain flour for a few months now as i'm part of their Homepride Bakers community... I've been baking, using only this flour and i'm sure you'll agree that the results speak for themselves. I'll be totally honest with you and say that up until being part of this community I genuinely didn't think twice about which brand of flour I purchased, normally going directly to the supermarket own brand and have never had an issue but I can see the difference in the Homepride flour - the fact that it's pre-sieved is blatantly obvious the moment you touch it - but also the fact that it comes in the resealable boxes is handy beyond what I would have ever thought. I've always loved the brand and grew up with the bowler-hatted little icon Fred on TV adverts as a little boy. Mum even had a set of ceramic Fred flour jars that I believe she still has to this day. As well as the nostalgia and of course quality, to me the brand represents the best of British, particularly this year with the announcement that all their flour comes from 100% British wheat which of course if wonderful for our farmers.<br />
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Homepride also have another very exciting announcement to make, one which I have had the privilege of working on in secret with them for some time... this week they will launch their first ever Strong White Bread Flour! The flour is very good. I've been developing and testing recipes with it for the past couple of months and i've baked some exceptional loaves. I even completed a very interested taste test comparing three of the UK's best-selling bread flours alongside this new flour and it faired very favourably. It comes in the traditional sealed, round edged box and completes the perfect set of flours for your larder. The flour will be sold exclusively in Tesco stores and online at tesco.com. I love that a brand as traditional as Homepride has recognised the growing trend in home bread baking and with the popularity in such shows as the Great British Bake-Off, has moved with the times to develop a new flour to meet the needs of the population. So often these retro brands sit in a world of nostalgia and don't move to develop or change but thankfully wise little Fred is not so stubborn and continues to strive for quality.<br />
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<b>caramelised onion and cheddar 'tear n share' loaf</b></div>
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as part of my recipe development for the launch of the new Homepride Strong Bread Flour I was asked bake a regular white loaf, which I will post the results of another time, along with something a little more complex, such as this divine 'tear n share' loaf. I adore caramelised onions and onion bread in general. There is nothing better than the glorious aroma of toasted onion bread and this tear and share loaf toasts beautifully and delivers that deeply rich scent very generously. This bread works well with a fondue or dips and so great for the forthcoming party season but also works well with a bowl of soup - a great sharing meal if you have friends popping by, simply bung a large bowl of soup on the table and this loaf and let them all tuck in... utterly heavenly.</div>
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<b><br /></b>500g Homepride Strong White Bread Flour<br />
7g / 1 teaspoon / 1 sachet – fast action yeast<br />
7g / 1 teaspoon fine salt<br />
350ml luke warm water<br />
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil <br />
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3 large white onions – peeled, halved and thinly sliced<br />
1 teaspoon sugar<br />
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil <br />
a large nob of butter<br />
fresh rosemary and thyme<br />
100g strong cheddar – finely grated<br />
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start with the onions – in a large pan, heat the olive oil and butter and throw in the onions and the sugar and stir around until all the onions are coated, then turn the heat down and let them gently sweat and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid the onions sticking<br />
<br />
after 30 minutes, add the fresh herbs and plenty of salt and pepper and stir in. leave on the heat for another 30 minutes or until the onions are a dark golden brown and gloriously sticky and caramelised.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast and salt with the water and stir together using a rubber spatula. Turn out onto a well floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until soft and elastic (this process can be done really easily in a stand mixer with a dough hook, for 15 minutes)<br />
<br />
Oil a large bowl, add the dough, cover tightly with cling film and set aside to prove for at least 1 hour or until doubled in size.<br />
<br />
Take a roasting tin (roughly 12inches x 8inches) and oil it very generously and set aside.<br />
<br />
After your dough has had its first prove, liberally oil a large work surface and turn the dough out onto this. Using your oiled hands, spread the dough out to form a thin, rough rectangle, roughly 20 inches x 12 inches… the dough will be elastic and want to spring back (and the oiled surface won’t help) but leave it for a few minutes and then go back to it and gently tease it larger<br />
<br />
Take your caramelised onion and tip it onto the dough rectangle and evenly spread it out covering the entire surface, then sprinkle on the grated cheese, followed by some more fresh herbs and salt and pepper<br />
<br />
Carefully roll the long edge up the work surface, creating a long roll of dough and onions, then cut this into sections, each one roughly 3inches wide and place these into your oiled roasting tin until it’s full<br />
<br />
Cover the tin with oiled cling film and set aside to prove for 30 minutes and turn your oven on and set to 200C<br />
<br />
After 30 mins, remove the cling film and place the bread into the oven for 10 minutes on 200C and then a further 20 minutes on 180C<br />
<br />
remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely before eating.<br />
<br />
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<br />
eat and of course, enjoy!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-86957554739448557022016-11-10T18:24:00.003+00:002016-11-10T18:24:55.085+00:00tenderstem broccoli, spinach and cottage cheese quiche<div style="margin: 0px;">
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<br />
... what a week. There was genuinely a moment this week when I didn't know what day it was. I believe today is Thursday but i'll just have to say it is and then go for it. Sleepless nights, manic days and oh yes that ridiculous election in America. It's hard not to be effected by the outcome, particularly when the man who would be got to where is is so divisively with such ugly rhetoric... but this is not the place for that rant... it's perhaps all a little too manic for me to even post much and you don't really want to read stuff about my busy week because you may weep even further into your cornflakes...so i'll leave you all with some lovely pictures of quiche. Served warm it made a glorious brunch for friends this week and warm quiche has the power to make things good again... maybe I should send one to the white house...<br />
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<b>tenderstem broccoli, spinach and cottage cheese quiche</b><br />
I do love a quiche and whilst they can be quite a summery dish they are lovely any time of year and with all the big Christmas festivities about to happen they're a nice, light way to ease into the season... plus they also work very well as party food. My mum's staple at any gathering were a couple of 'warm-from-the-oven' quiches and they were always winners. This broccoli and spinach one is divine and uses cottage cheese for a little healthier difference. The cottage cheese adds sharpness to the richness of the cream. Any vegetables work well in a quiche but the tenderstem is particularly good for texture and crunch.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>for the pastry</b></div>
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250g plain Homepride flour</div>
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100g butter</div>
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50g finely grated strong cheddar cheese<br />
3 chive leaves - finely chopped</div>
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water to mix</div>
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<b>for the filling</b></div>
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1 bunch of spring or salad onions - finely chopped<br />
150g tenderstem broccoli - chopped into decent sized lengths<br />
200g baby spinach leaves</div>
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butter and olive oil<br />
2 sprigs fresh rosemary<br />
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon thyme or regular thyme</div>
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salt and pepper</div>
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4 large free-range eggs - beaten</div>
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150ml single cream<br />
100ml cottage cheese<br />
<br />
i'm using a 25cm, 3cm deep fluted tin with a loose bottom which i've greased well<br />
<br />
pre-heat the oven to 160C fan</div>
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start with the pastry by rubbing the butter into the flour in a large bowl until you have something resembling breadcrumbs, stir in the grated cheddar and chopped chives then add a tablespoon or two of cold water and bring together into a dough with your hands, you may need to add a little more water to create the dough but you will feel how 'short' the pastry is. Flatten out the ball slightly, wrap in cling film and pop in the fridge for at least 30 minutes</div>
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<br />
in a large pan gently melt a generous amount of butter with a little olive oil and throw in the finely sliced spring onions, let them saute on a gentle heat for about 5 mins... a little colour is nice but don't take it too far. Add the broccoli, stir well and pop the lid on to let them steam for about 5 mins until they soften a little but still have bite, then add the spinach, lid back on and let it soften as the broccoli cooks - turn the heat off and let the pan cool on the hob</div>
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now your pastry should be ready, roll it out and line your greased quiche pan. Scrunch up some baking parchment to make it pliable, then flatten it out and then lay this into the pastry case and pour some baking beans on top. Blind bake for 15 minutes on 150C<br />
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after 15 mins, remove the pastry and carefully lift out the beans - place the pastry back in the oven for another 5 mins to allow the base to turn golden</div>
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once your pastry is pale gold, take it out of the oven and set aside whilst you beat the eggs into the cream and cottage cheese - season well.<br />
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carefully tip the cooked veg into the pastry case - I do this by hand to get an even arrangement and the veg is usually cooler by this time, finally pour the cream egg mix all over and bake on 160C for about 15-20 minutes until golden and risen, set aside on a wire rack to cool. The quiche should easily slide out of the tin.<br />
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eat and of course, enjoy!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-54031817260543152602016-11-03T12:16:00.001+00:002016-11-03T13:35:27.799+00:00a cake for bonfire night<br />
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<br />
...whilst the global domination of the American version of Halloween is all very well and good - and don't get me wrong, I love Halloween - us Brits must always <i>Remember, Remember, the 5th of November. Gunpowder, Treason and Plot.</i> For the 5th of November sees us celebrate the night that Guy Fawkes attempted and failed to blow up parliament. You hear a lot of grumbling about how Bonfire Night has been forsaken by the great unwashed in favour of Halloween but in fact if you live outside of the major towns and suburbs, a great many of the unwashed celebrate it in style and have done since 1605. This very evening in-fact, I gave an old jacket to a school-teacher friend who will be using it to create an effigy of Guy Fawkes to be burnt on a giant bonfire they're building at school so they can teach the kids a history lesson. We're off to a local firework display on Saturday evening taking place in the field of a friendly farmer who is currently building a giant bonfire that i'm convinced can be seen from space. I cannot wait for the fun to begin! I believe that these traditions are the kinds of things that are essential to keeping our national identity... they're also great fun and gives us a great excuse for some wonderful food and drink to be consumed on the night...<br />
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<b>triple layer bonfire cake</b><br />
this really is just a bit of fun and i'm sure a slice of each for the people attending the bonfire night will happily tuck in... i've gone for three layers with varying degrees of 'fire' colours and have used the old-faithful <b>Matchmakers</b> to create the sticks and logs for the bonfire. A bit of a process here but it was all fun to put together and i'm quite please with the results!<br />
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<b>for the triple layer sponge </b><br />
270g un-salted butter - at room temp<br />
270g granulated sugar<br />
5 large free-range eggs<br />
270g Homepride self-raising flour<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste<br />
red food colour gel<br />
2 tablespoons cocoa powder<br />
yellow food colour gel<br />
<br />
<b>for the buttercream icing </b><br />
200g slightly salted butter – room temp<br />
300g icing sugar<br />
red food colour gel<br />
2 tablespoons cocoa powder<br />
<br />
raspberry jam and matchmakers - or chocolate tubes<br />
<br />
<b>for the chocolate bonfire flames</b><br />
200g white chocolate, chopped</div>
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red food colour gel</div>
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yellow food colour gel<br />
<br />
grease and line your baking tins and pre-heat the oven to 170C<br />
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in a large bowl add the butter and sugar and beat well until light and fluffy... this will take roughly 4 minutes in a stand mixer</div>
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<br /></div>
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continue beating on a low speed and add 2 of the eggs followed by half the flour and continue to beat on low until combined, followed by the 3 last eggs and the rest of the flour... beat gently until combined, you want a decent, thick batter with a dropping consistency of thick double cream.<br />
<br />
divine the batter into 3 even portions in 3 bowls. In bowl one add the cocoa powder and a few drops of the red food gel and beat together until combined - you're looking for a nice burnt red colour. In bowl two add the red food gel only - go as shocking as you dare... and in bowl three go for a bright yellow colour. Remember to beat them all well so that all the colour is combined.</div>
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<br /></div>
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divide the batter between the three cake tins and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cakes are risen, golden and springy to touch - set aside to cool for 5 mins in their tins and then remove from the tins and let them cool completely.<br />
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to make the buttercream, beat the butter until soft and light, then carefully add half the icing sugar and beat in, follow this with the remaining sugar, a little lemon zest and beat till you have a thick but spreadable consistency. Divide the butter cream in half and to one half beat in some red food colour and the other half beat in the cocoa powder. <br />
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to build the cake, layer each cake with a generous slathering of jam followed by the next layer on top... once all the layers are covered simply smooth the chocolate icing on the lower half and then the red icing on the top and upper half - don't worry if the colours bleed into each other, this will add to the effect... next, stick on the matchmakers in very random angles, break a few up... be nice and messy.<br />
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to make the chocolate bonfire shards, melt the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. One melted, divide into three bowls and add the food to each amount and beat well in<br />
<br />
cut 3 lengths of greaseproof paper and roughly spread the chocolate onto each - I kept the layers of chocolate quite thick as I wanted thick shards. Place the greaseproof paper into the fridge to set.<br />
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after 30 minutes, take the paper from the fridge and using a large sharp knife, cut it into shards - place these shards randomly onto the top of the cake to create the flames</div>
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seeing that this cake is heaped full of chocolate gorgeousness I am linking it to one of my favourite bloggers link-ups - <b>We Should Cocoa</b> devised and hosted by the lovely Choclette over at <b><a href="http://tinandthyme.uk/2016/11/13-cheeky-chocolate-recipes/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Tin and Thyme</span></a></b><br />
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eat and of course, enjoy!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-46525102671908995162016-10-27T15:32:00.002+01:002016-10-27T15:32:10.390+01:00mushroom and kale white lasagne<br />
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<br />
... so cold and flu be done! I went for a training session with the lovely PT this morning and even though I had to drag my tired and sorry arse out of bed and I really didn't feel like it at all it actually did me the world of good. I feel alive for the first time in weeks. It's quite amazing how healing it can be when you actually get yourself motivated... I almost wish i'd done it sooner. Usually it's food that makes everything good again. What better cure for a malaise is there than a glorious bowl of hot, clear chicken soup... what better way to cheer the day up than with a naughty, triple-layered chocolate cake... and what can be more wonderful for the soul than the smell and taste of freshly baked bread? The issue is that when you have a cold and a blocked nose you really can't taste anything and I hate a wasted calorie if I can't taste the lovely food. So my new solution is to get the body moving. Don't sit around for too long because when you get to a certain age it all starts to seize up and that's no fun for anyone...<br />
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<br />
...Denby have recently launched a <b><a href="http://www.denby.co.uk/NEW-Cookshop/icat/cookshop/cast-iron-cookware/icat/castiron" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">new range of cast iron cookware</span></a></b> and they have very kindly sent me this beautiful 30cm round shallow casserole dish to test-drive. Denby is a classic British tableware brand, founded in 1809. They've had something of a revival recently, updating their traditional ranges with some stunning contemporary designed tableware that has a clear nod to the brands roots whilst enabling them to not get left behind in the marketplace by newer, style-led companies. I've been genuinely impressed with their collections and this new addition to the Denby family of stunning and colourful cast iron is more than a welcome. I love cooking with cast iron. If you've never owned a piece then I implore you to go out there and invest. Cast Iron is versatile, strong and easy to use, cast from molten iron and then enamelled, this multi-layered manufacturing process means the post heats up faster and stays warmer longer making them brilliant for all kinds of meals and the brilliant thing is that they can go from hob to oven and back again without a worry which means they're ideal for 'one-pot' cooking... I love the weight and solid quality Cast Iron brings. There is nothing more comforting and warming to the soul than a slow-cooked casserole being delivered to the table is a beautiful, enamelled dish.<br />
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<b>mushroom and kale white lasagne</b><br />
probably not the most classic of dishes to cook in this shallow casserole but then that's another thing that I love about cast iron is that they are so versatile and you can really do what you like with them... I adore this dish. I love a white lasagne with all that wonderfully velvety cheesy sauce. So creamy and rich and warming. It's as close to a 'one-pot' meal as I could make it but I had to make the cheesy sauce in another pan or I think i'd have gone slightly mad. This is a great sharing dish for a manic family meal but it also lasts a couple of days and is rather divine eaten cold, sliced into wedges which is exactly what The Viking and I did, eating it over the weekend for lunches and snacks. Kale of course is the trendy option for the green in this lasagne but you could use any kind of green leaf from spinach to watercress to nettle, it's entirely up to you.<br />
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<div>
1 medium onion - finely chopped<br />
2 stalks of celery - finely chopped<br />
2 cloves of garlic - peeled and crushed<br />
150g bag of chopped kale<br />
150g bag of mixed leaves - I used rocket, watercress and spinach<br />
4 portobello or field mushrooms - thickly sliced<br />
fresh rosemary and fresh thyme<br />
1 large teaspoon of orgeno - dried or fresh<br />
olive oil and butter<br />
salt and pepper<br />
roughly 10 sheets of your favourite lasagne<br />
<br />
<b>for the cheesy white sauce</b><br />
550ml full fat milk<br />
200 good quality vegetable stock<br />
75g unsalted butter<br />
2oz plain flour<br />
250g strong cheddar - freshly grated<br />
salt and freshly ground pepper<br />
<br />
pre-heat the oven to 170C<br />
<br />
start with the white sauce by boiling the kettle to make the vegetable stock, then pour in the milk and stir together so that you have 750ml of liquid... then take a medium sized pan and melt the butter, then remove from the heat and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until you have a thick paste. Put the pan back on a gentle heat and cook the flour, stirring continuously for about a minute<br />
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<br />
take the pan off the heat again and add a little of the milk, continuing to stir. Adding the milk slowly and stirring like this will ensure no lumps form. Continue to add the milk a little at a time until it is al encorporated, then return the pan to the heat and cook until the sauce comes to the boil, season, turn down the heat to its very lowest and cook gently for another 15 minutes, making sure to stir often... it should thicken nicely to a smooth thick sauce, then add the grated cheese and stir until melted. - set aside whilst you make the filling...</div>
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in your shallow casserole dish, heat some olive oil and butter and then saute the mushrooms with a little oregano, rosemary and thyme until soft, use a medium heat and let them really gently sweat down, after about 10 minutes add a lot of freshly grated pepper and then cook for a further 5 mins or until soft and golden - remove from the dish and set aside<br />
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add a little more olive oil to the pan and throw in your celery, garlic and onion and let them gently sweat until soft - roughly 8 minutes, then remove and mix with the mushrooms in a bowl.<br />
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turn the heat to very low, add 2 tablespoons of water to the pan and pile your greens in - pop the lid on and let them soften for about 5 mins - remove and set aside.</div>
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now it's time to construct the lasagna... I started with a layer of kale followed by a layer of mushrooms and onions, then a layer of lasagne pasta, then béchamel and then repeated until used up... finish off with the béchamel and perhaps a sprinkling of grated parmesan or cheddar<br />
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bake in the oven for 30 mins until piping hot and serve immediately<br />
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eat and of course, enjoy!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-22809462862144795562016-10-25T18:42:00.001+01:002016-10-28T11:56:22.941+01:00earl grey triple layer cake<br />
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... well this darn cold has stuck with me and I can't seem to shake it. I'm now just ignoring it but I think this probably isn't the best self-advice i've ever given. Oh wouldn't it be lovely to be able to take a few solid days in bed, although i'm not entirely convinced this is the way to go either. I hate the idea of the world passing me by whilst I lay there... it gives me itchy legs. I always remember as a young teenager, when I used to be sick, I could never stay in bed. Mum used to work half-days and so i'd spend the morning basking in her love and glory and then once mum had gone to work I would be out of bed and into the kitchen... I used to pretend I was on a TV cookery show, speaking into the 'camera' whilst I prepared dishes to cook. Sometimes I didn't even have an end dish in mind and I would just chop and mix and throw stuff into pans but other times I would meticulously plan ahead and prepare little bowls of pre-chopped ingredients like they do on TV so that I could have all the 'TV chat' down pat. Come on now, don't read this with that incredulous look on your face... you've all done some kind of 'fake TV moment' whether it's winning the fake Oscar or pretending to present to camera... I can't be the only one... Inevitably I would make an absolute mess of the kitchen and mum would always come home and have to clear up after me and more often than not I would have used every tool available to me in the kitchen, so there'd be a lot of mess. I think she tolerated it because she could see that it made me happy and I was inspired by something... plus there would always be something wonderfully homemade for her to try...<br />
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<b>earl grey triple layer cake with lemon buttercream frosting </b><br />
I love the history of this original <b><a href="https://www.twinings.co.uk/tea/earl-grey-tea" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Twinings</span></a></b> quality blend tea... A British diplomat was given a case of tea by a Chinese Mandarin. He presented it to The Earl Grey, British Prime Minister from 1830 to 1834. He liked it so much that he asked Twinings (at the Strand) to replicate the blend for him. This bespoke blend was later made available to the public. Today, it carries the signature of Earl Grey VII. A delicate tea with a delicious twist of citrusy bergamot. If you've never tasted it before I think it has quite a floral taste and aroma to it, I remember as a kid I used to hate it, thinking it tasted of washing up liquid but as my pale has matured i've grown to love it and its light, delicate and refreshing blend of citrusy bergamot is now my favourite black tea. Even though Earl Grey has quite a distinctive taste there’s a subtlety to it which makes it perfect when baked into a cake. It has a lightness that is unmistakably floral which is further enhanced by the lemon buttercream but be careful with the amount of lemon you use as you don’t want the heady lemon oils in the zest to overpower the earl grey flavour, it’s a fine balance....<br />
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...i’ve used my favoured ‘weigh-the-eggs’ method here for the sponge and plumped for 5 large free-range eggs which weighed in at a staggering 270g and have therefore used an equal amount of butter, sugar and flour. No vanilla or other spices as I want the Earl Grey tea to be the lead flavour note. I’m using my favourite 18cm loose-bottomed cake tins as they create a smaller yet taller cake. <br />
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<b>for the triple layer sponge </b><br />
270g un-salted butter - at room temp <br />
270g granulated sugar <br />
5 large free-range eggs <br />
270g Homepride self-raising flour <br />
4 Twinings Earl Grey teabags steeped in 100ml of boiling water <br />
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<b>for the lemon buttercream icing </b><br />
200g slightly salted butter – room temp <br />
300g icing sugar <br />
the finely grated zest of one lemon <br />
the juice of half a lemon <br />
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grease and line your baking tins and pre-heat the oven to 170C <br />
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boil the kettle, place 4 Earl Grey teabags into a mug and cover with boiling water – set aside to cool <br />
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in a large bowl add the butter and sugar and beat well until light and fluffy... this will take roughly 4 minutes in a stand mixer</div>
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continue beating on a low speed and add 2 of the eggs followed by half the flour and continue to beat on low until combined then pour in 2 tablespoons of the tea liquid followed by the 3 last eggs and the rest of the flour... beat gently until combined, then add at least 2 more tablespoons of the tea and beat in... add more tea if you like, you want a decent, thick batter with a dropping consistency of thick double cream but any more liquid than this and it will be too wet.</div>
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divide the batter between the three cake tins and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cakes are risen, golden and springy to touch - set aside to cool for 5 mins in their tins and then remove from the tins and let them cool completely.<br />
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to make the lemon buttercream, beat the butter until soft and light, then carefully add half the icing sugar and beat in, follow this with the remaining sugar, lemon zest and juice and beat till you have a thick but spreadable consistency.<br />
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to build the cake, keep it simple and 'naked'... layer each cake with a generous slathering of icing followed by the next layer on top... one all the layers are covered simply smooth the rest of the icing all around and on top... and then leave it at that - nothing fancy, simplicity speaks for itself.<br />
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Twinings sent me their lovely tea so I could create this wonderful advertorial with them and so that we can all, eat and of course, enjoy!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-80519333080884395312016-10-22T12:51:00.002+01:002016-10-22T12:51:27.219+01:00pumpkin and cinnamon mini pumpkin buns<div>
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... so this week i've been mainly sick with a proper cold. It's lasted all week but I think it's been lurking in the background for a while. I'm hoping that this is my big flu of the season and that I won't suffer again, which would be nice but who can say these days? I seem to spend a ridiculous amount of time on the tube which i'm convinced is just a giant cylindrical carrier for germ incubation. What we all really need is a decent drop in temperature so that all the bugs are knocked out but that too seems less and less likely to happen now that our winters are so mild. I'm also in particularly annoying amounts of pain because i've had to fly up and back to Edinburgh for the day which of course means a lot of air-pressure changes and anyone who's ever had blocked sinuses will know that this is not pleasant... so yes, this man has the flu and i'm being a proper grump about it. In other news, I have the pleasure to have been asked to judge one of the categories in the <b><a href="http://www.lincolnshirelife.co.uk/posts/view/taste-of-excellence-food-drink-awards-2016" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Lincolnshire Life, 2016 Taste of Excellence Awards</span></a></b>. It's for Chef of the Year. Four chefs from four top Lincolnshire restaurants and each will prepare a 3 course meal for us to judge, very much in the style of the Great British Menu. The judges have the terrible task of having to eat all the food and then decide which meal was the best. It's all done 'blind' so we don't know who the chefs are which makes it all the more exciting! I've got to say that not only am I really looking forward to the food - I mean i'd have to be dead inside not to enjoy myself... but I also feel that it's a wonderful privilege to have been asked whilst also laying quite a big responsibility at my door. For the winner it means recognition of a year of incredible cooking in what can often be an incredibly stressful environment. These chefs have a passion for their craft and their food celebrates the best that they and the county has to offer. I am very excited! The awards night itself will take place on the 3rd November at the wonderful <b><a href="http://www.oaklandshallhotel.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Oaklands Hall Hotel</span></a></b> in Laceby and I shall report back on the whole evening later in November.<br />
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<b>pumpkin and cinnamon mini pumpkin buns</b><br />
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things have been so bonkers round here lately that I hadn't even had time to think about my favourite ever festival of Halloween! I'm not even sure i'm going to have the time to celebrate this year but I have a cluster of previous recipes to look back on plus there's just so much out there on the internet... of course I simply don't have times to make everything i'd like to make but these <b><a href="http://www.handletheheat.com/pumpkin-bread-rolls-cinnamon-butter/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">cute little pumpkin breads</span></a></b> really caught my eye, so i've adapted them a little and am sharing them here with you. They're so easy to make and perfect to snack on during those chilly autumn evenings... i've made them sweet and gloriously scented with cinnamon but they could easily work without the sugar as savoury breads to dip into a warm <b><a href="http://www.belleaukitchen.com/2013/09/organic-roast-butternut-squash-soup.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">roasted pumpkin soup</span></a></b>.</div>
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<b><br />for the breads</b><br />
7g packet (1 heaped teaspoon) instant fast action yeast<br />
1/2 pint or 245ml milk - heated and then cooled<br />
50g granulated sugar<br />
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted<br />
115g <span style="color: #bf9000;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tinned-Pumpkin-Filling-100%25-Natural/dp/604037022X/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1476891799&sr=1-1&keywords=pumpkin+puree" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">pumpkin puree</span></b></a> </span><br />
1 large egg<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
3 teaspoons cinnamon<br />
500g plain flour<br />
pecan halves for the stalks<br />
1 large free-range egg for the glaze<br />
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in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, stir the yeast, milk, sugar, butter, pumpkin, one egg, and salt until well combined. Gradually add the flour and knead on medium-low speed until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl - roughly 5 mins then turn off the mixer and let the dough rest for 3 to 5 minutes.<br />
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continue to knead the dough on medium-low speed for another 5 minutes, or until the dough is soft and smooth. If it seems too sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.<br />
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transfer the dough to a large greased bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.<br />
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punch the dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 15 equal pieces and shape into balls. Use the palm of your hand to flatten each ball slightly.<br />
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using a sharp knife, cut 8 slices around each ball, (think of each cut as North, South, East and West etc - being careful not to slice all the way into the centre, to make the pumpkin shape.) Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.<br />
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preheat the oven to 190C.<br />
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use your finger or the tip of a wooden spoon to poke an indentation in the center of each roll to create a space for the “stem.” In a small bowl beat the remaining egg with 2 teaspoons of water and brush all over the rolls. Bake the rolls for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown then remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Place a sliced pecan piece into the indentation of each roll.<br />
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... a note after baking... they're actually not as sweet as you'd expect... I reckon they'd taste divine, warm out of the oven or freshly toasted with marmalade or jam...<br />
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eat and of course, enjoy!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-87550301916764405382016-10-19T12:14:00.001+01:002016-10-28T11:55:25.269+01:00english strong breakfast tea, tear and share sticky buns - and a twinings tea giveaway!<br />
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... is there anything better than a cup of tea... quite frankly I think not. Whilst The Viking is a coffee fan (and when I say fan, I mean more of an addict,) I am most definitely a cup of tea person. For me it goes all the way back to childhood, being at home with the family and I guess mum being a good northern lass, it seems that all of the worlds problems were solved with a decent cuppa. Of course with my mum it couldn't be any old cup of tea it would always have to be the real deal, tea-leaves, the whole ritual from warming the pot to the fine china mugs and this was for all eventualities not just special occasions. I even remember writing a very important essay when I was about 10 years old on the origins of tea, it had hand-drawn pictures and everything! I start my mornings with a very strong cup of tea, with milk, no sugar and it's only when that cup is finished that the day can properly start. So it's a good thing that the folk at <b><a href="https://www.twinings.co.uk/twinings-bake-off?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=BAKE-OFF-OCT16" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Twinings</span></a></b> have been kind enough to share with me two of their most wonderful teas so I could create an advertorial with them; the English Strong Breakfast and the Earl Grey, both of which happen to be my favourites and with Twinings you know you're getting a beautiful cup of tea because they are a quality tea brand with over 300 years of experience so you can really taste the care and attention that goes into every cup!<br />
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I can't eat cake without cup of tea. This may sound like a very British thing to do but somehow it doesn't seem right... it makes the cake taste better, like a warm hug on a cold night... and we're a fussy lot us Brits, we like our cakes just right and much like baking a cake, making tea is a step by step, complex process but then this is what helps deliver such a great cup. The brilliant thing is that i've been encouraged by Twinings to use their tea in my recipes, so it's like the ultimate double whammy - tea and cake in one! I've made two glorious bakes, one with the Earl Grey which I shall share in another post but for this post i've used the <b>English Strong Breakfast</b>. Strong by name, strong by nature. Bold and full of flavour. The Twinings Master Blenders have travelled the world to find the perfect balance of leaves from the best tea gardens in Assam, Africa and Sri Lanka. Of these, the African teas grown to the East of the Great Rift Valley make it particularly special. East of the rift, African teas get the perfect amount of sun and rain. They add a real brightness and character to this blend. For a bold lively taste - the perfect cup if you like your breakfast tea a little stronger like me!<br />
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<b>english strong breakfast tea, tear and share sticky buns</b><br />
this recipe may seem a little simple but I wanted to keep it that way so that you could really taste the tea... so i've eliminated any spices and kept the flavours clean and it's worked really well... the sultanas have a good hour to really soak up the tea and they add moisture, flavour and plumpness to the buns, each one bursting with a wonderful tea taste... and to top it all off i've even used milk in the icing so these buns really are like a classic cup of tea...<br />
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<b>for the sticky buns</b><br />
500g strong white bread flour<br />
250ml luke warm water<br />
100ml milk<br />
7g (1 teaspoon) fast action yeast<br />
7g (1 teaspoon) salt - I use regular table salt for bread baking<br />
1 tablespoon melted butter<br />
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<b>for the filling</b><br />
2 twinning english strong breakfast tea teabags<br />
100ml boiling water<br />
100g sultanas<br />
100g almonds - roughly crushed<br />
100g hazelnuts- roughly crushed<br />
100g dark brown sugar<br />
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<b>for the glaze</b><br />
150g icing sugar<br />
2 or 3 tablespoons milk<br />
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place all the sticky bun ingredients into a large bowl and bring together with a rubber spatula until roughly combined then tippet onto a lightly flour-dusted surface and knead well for 10 minutes - this can be done easily in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment for 15 minutes<br />
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once beautifully glossy, place into a week oiled bowl, cover tightly with clingfilm and set aside for the first prove during which it should double in size - roughly one hour.<br />
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meanwhile place the sultanas into a bowl along with the teabags and cover with boiling water and let this steep for at least an hour<br />
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pre-heat the oven to 200C, oil and line a 22cm loose-bottomed cake tin<br />
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place a large rectangle of greaseproof paper on your work surface and lightly rub an oiled hand over it, then tip you proven dough onto the paper and gently tease the dough into a rough rectangle shape. your should be able to get it easily to 30cm x 15cm<br />
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sprinkle this surface with dark brown sugar, followed by the sultanas and crushed nuts ensuring you have an even coverage all over the dough<br />
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carefully,using the greased proofed paper as leverage, roll up the dough from the long edge... I find it easier to roll backwards away from myself then cut the long sausage into 6 even rings, placing each one into your cake tin to create a pretty flower shape with one ring in the centre and the other five evenly around it - cover with cling film and set aside for 30 mins to prove<br />
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bake for 10 minutes on 200C followed by 25 minutes on 180C or until beautifully golden, once it's out of the oven brush with a little honey and let it cool completely in the tin<br />
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to make the icing simply whisk the milk into the sugar... you want a thick paste that can be literally drizzled all over the bread.<br />
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... excitingly this post doesn't just end with me eating cake and gloating about tea... no, you guys get the chance to win some lovely Twinings tea too... I have 1 box of Earl Grey with 100 tea bags, 1 box of Spicy Chai with 20 envelopes and 1 box of English Strong Breakfast with 80 tea bags to give away to one lucky Belleau Kitchen reader. All you have to do is answer the simple question given in the little widget below...<br />
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="620c980122" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/620c980122/" id="rcwidget_0w9c1svl" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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eat and of course, enjoy!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-66684167271145462742016-10-16T12:31:00.004+01:002016-10-16T12:31:39.695+01:00beef and venison meatballs with slow-cooked chilli tomato sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />... lovely long and slow weekend back at the cottage. So far it's rained all weekend but sometimes I really love this. It somehow forces us to stay in and unwind ( i mean I know that we could go out but it's raining...) and relax. It's like mother nature has written us a sick note to give to the gym and gardening and all our other chores. Still busy cooking and writing but I'm currently finding this less of a chore and more relaxing as I potter around the kitchen baking and making notes. The Viking and I are currently addicted to playing scrabble so any excuse to sit down and play is alright by me... do we sounds like a couple of old fuddy-duddies? Am I not painting the picture of the cool, modern couple that you've come to expect of us? Well I think many people would be disappointed if they came to visit and expected us to be in full 'London' mode all the time, ready to entertain with a cocktail shaker in hand. It's quite the opposite and we're quite thankful for that because I think we'd potentially explode if we had to be 'on' all the time. Yesterday for instance, I cooked a little and The Viking watched the motorbike racing... we lit the fire in the evening and ate too much cake, oh and I think there may have been a bath involved at some point. When I get back to London next week my work-colleagues will ask me what I did this weekend and i'll say something flippant like 'nothing much, very relaxing' and the truth of the matter is that that's exactly what we did... nothing much... and I love it.<div>
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<br /><b>beef and venison meatballs with slow-cooked chilli tomato sauce</b><br />the good people at <b><a href="http://www.smeguk.com/product/smmg01/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">smeg</span></a></b> are spreading the love again and have sent me the most wonderful multi-food grinder attachment for my stand mixer... now as you know, we're not massive meat eaters here at Belleau Cottage and i'm also not the biggest gadget fan but you all know how much i've fallen in love with my stand mixer so any excuse to get it out and have a play is alright by me, plus on further reading I can pretty much grind anything with this beauty from nuts to vegetables so i'm seeing a lot of terrines and pates coming up in our lives.. particularly with the big C coming I can see this getting a lot of use. The grinder fits simply and cleverly onto the front nose of my stand mixer into a little slot I didn't even know existed until yesterday. It has 3 different gradients for grinding and even has a sausage nozzle so I can make my own sausages which is rather exciting plus it all packs down into a handy and tidy little box for storage... essentially I am expecting great things, so you should too! <div>
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I learnt to make these glorious meatballs - or Polpette as they're known in their Italian homeland from Florence Knight, the head chef at Polpo and they really are the best meatballs i've ever eaten. The mixture of meats - you can use sausage meat instead of venison if you can't find any - gives them a great fat to meat ratio and the milk-soaked bread makes them so unbelievably soft in the mouth that each bite is like eating a little fluffy cloud of meaty heaven. Great fun for kids to make too... i've only used half the mixture here for my meatballs and frozen the other half to use in a stuffing for Christmas. For the slow-cooked tomato sauce - which i've adapted from a recipe also given to me by an Italian, well a Sicilian to be precise - it really does get better and better every hour after the atoll 'must-have' 2 hours shown here. I realise it seems like a log time but boy it's worth it. I'm yet to make this in the slow cooker and as I type this i'm kicking myself for not doing that yesterday as I think 6 hours on low in the slow-cooker would make this utterly incredible...</div>
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<br /><b>for the chilli tomato sauce</b><br />this sauce needs a minimum of two hours, longer if possible<br />2 medium onions - finely chopped<br />2 cloves of garlic - crushed<div>
2 teaspoons dried chilli flakes (more or less to your taste)<br />butter and olive oil<br />2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes<br />1 x tin's worth of half white wine, half stock or water<br />rosemary, thyme and oregano<br /><br /><b>for the meatballs - makes 35 small meatballs</b><br />1 medium onion - finely chopped<br />1 clove of garlic - crushed<br />2 teaspoons oregano<br />250g venison - ground unless you have a grinder<br />450g chuck steak - ground unless you have a grinder<br />half a loaf of basic white bread - crusts removed and roughly torn<br />a dash of milk<br />olive oil<br /><br />to start with we're going to caramelise the onions for both the tomato sauce and the meatballs so use all three onions and all the cloves of garlic at the same time... add them to a large hot pan with olive oil and a little butter and gently saute them for about 20 mins on a medium heat, with a pinch or two of sugar and some chopped fresh herbs... keep your eye on them, they want a little golden colour but you don't want them to stick...<br /><br />once they're done spoon out about a third and set aside, then add the tinned tomatoes, wine and stock to the remaining onions, turn the heat to it's very lowest and let them plop away gently for at least 2 hours if not longer.<br /><br />grind your meats, add plenty of salt and pepper and set aside.</div>
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place the bread in a large bowl add the milk and stir until it's all absorbed... next add the rest of the ingredients and the onions and get your hands stuck in and bring at all together ensuring it's well mixed<br /><br />prepare a baking tray with foil, then pour some oil onto your hands and form little meatballs from the meat mixture, you want them the size of a large marble... lay them out evenly on the baking tray and then bake in the oven on 180C for 20 mins or until golden and gorgeous<br /><br />add them to the sauce before serving either as they are or with some pasta or rice</div>
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<br />it's been ages since i've submitted any entries to any blogger link-ups but I love the community and feel like I should highlight the hard work that my favourite bloggers do to bring us all together to for this post i'm submitting my tomato sauce to the brilliant <b><a href="http://farmersgirlkitchen.co.uk/2016/10/slow-cooker-tamarind-and-orange-chicken/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Slow Cooked Challenge</span></a></b> hosted alternatively each month by <b><a href="http://farmersgirlkitchen.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Farmersgirl Kitchen</span></a></b> and <b><a href="http://bakingqueen74.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Baking Queen</span></a></b> and celebrates all things slow-cooked</div>
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<br />eat and of course, enjoy!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-70584126291327664842016-10-14T21:03:00.001+01:002016-10-14T21:03:28.067+01:00focaccia and mushroom 'bread and butter pudding'<br />
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... so even though we're busy at work, we're trying really hard to come back home to the cottage as much as we can. This usually means late on a Friday or if we're really lucky then a Thursday night but it doesn't always work this way. I'm not complaining of course it's just that it means I spend much of my weekend cooking and developing recipes for the blog so that I have enough posts to go out during the week. I love being at home in the kitchen and even in these older months it's the best place to be in the house as inevitably the oven is always on keeping me in and cosy... but if course time is scarce so, dear reader, you find me tonight as I write this blog post from the car. Don't panic - The Viking is doing the driving as I bash away at the keyboards, cursing at my dodgy 4G connection from my tethered iPhone. It's so funny, I feel that i'm at the age where i've always been at the forefront of technology; we were the first in the school to be taught how to use computers back in the 80's, the first to get an email address and the first, albeit reluctantly to get a mobile phone and I think I was an early adopter when it came to blogging so I find it quite frustrating that mobile wifi technology isn't a little further on than it is... I know, I know, I shouldn't complain, the technology is really quite astounding, I mean come on, I'm blogging from the car for goodness sake but I guess my patience is stretched and I want it all to go a little faster so that I can go a little slower when I get home...<br />
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<b>focaccia and mushroom 'bread and butter pudding'</b><br />
you know sometimes you just need comfort food and nothing else will do plus it has to be tasty and it has to be fast, well this is it... kind of. Of course the making of the focaccia isn't quick but you can cut this hand-made step out really easily by picking some up in a store but everything else is pretty damn simple to drag together... i'm even using gravy powder here folks... proper comfort food! There is a story behind this dish that i'd better explain just in case you think i've gone completely mad. So I got back to the cottage last Friday and I was desperate to bake some bread. We wanted fresh bread for breakfast the next morning and in my haste to bake I made the choice to not worry that I didn't have enough yeast for one loaf, let alone two. I thought i'd get away with it but actually the final prove didn't work too well, so I made focaccia. It was OK but a little too doughy and so The Viking suggested I make a savoury bread and butter pudding with gravy instead of custard... such a simple idea... such an obvious suggestion... damn him for his northern upbringing and the idea that bread and gravy could be better than anything in the world! The Viking would have been happy with just that but I thought it would benefit from the inclusion of some saluted onions and mushrooms to make it into something more than a side-dish...<br />
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<b>for the focaccia</b><br />
makes 2 focaccia loaves in two 30cm x 20cm baking trays<br /><br />800g strong white bread flour<br />650 ml water<br />2 teaspoons easy bake yeast<br />2 teaspoons salt<br />plenty of extra virgin olive oil<br />2 or 3 large sprigs of rosemary<br />plenty of sea salt or kosher salt flakes<b><br /></b>
<b>for the rest of the dish</b><br />
3/4 litre good quality gravy - I used half Caramelised Onion Gravy Powder and half Marigold Bouillon<br />
1 glass white wine<br />
150g button mushrooms<br />
1 medium onion - finely chopped<br />
1 celery - finely chopped<br />
2 twigs of fresh rosemary<br />
<br />start with the focaccia - place the flour, yeast and salt into a very large ceramic bowl and then pour over the water and bring it all together with a rubber spatula until you have a sticky mess - clean the spatula as you'll need it again shortly, then cover the bowl with a tea towel and set aside for 10 minutes<br /><br />drizzle a generous amount of oil onto your work surface and spread it around with your hand, then with the oiled hand remove the dough from the bowl and place it onto the oiled surface, use the spatula to scrape out the bowl. Take some oil and drizzle into the bowl and wipe around the inside of the bowl. Now knead the dough 8 times then place back into the bowl, cover with a tea towel.<br /><br />repeat this twice more then cover the bowl in cling film and set aside for an hour or until the dough has doubled in size<br /><br />oil your surface one final time and remove the dough from the bowl and punch it down, fold it over itself and punch down again, turn one quarter, fold and punch, repeat twice more and set aside<br /><br />sprinkle some olive oil into both baking trays and spread around with your hands, now cut the dough in half and place each half into one of the baking trays and push it out to the edges... it won't fully cooperate but play with it quite freely and it will stretch, then set aside for 30 mins and during this time it will fill the trays and rise a little<br /><br />oil your finger and push regular indents into the dough, then take a small sprig of rosemary and place it into each hole<br /><br />bake on 190C for 20 mins or until it starts to turn golden then remove from the oven and generously drizzle the top of each focaccia with more olive oil and then sprinkle with salt... you can be as generous as you like here, I like it very salty.<div>
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allow the focaccia to cool completely before slicing thickly and laying into an oven proof dish</div>
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meanwhile, heat a large pan and melt some butter and olive oil and gently saute the onions and celery until soft then add the mushrooms and fresh rosemary and plenty of pepper for roughly 10 minutes until the mushrooms are soft and have golden edges, turn up the heat and add the gravy, stock and wine to the pan, stir and let it bubble away for five minutes</div>
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carefully pour the gravy all over the cut focaccia, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes on 170C, then take the foil off and bake for a further 10 minutes</div>
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serve immediately with peas and carrots then eat and of course, enjoy!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-14915588936413314762016-10-12T16:28:00.002+01:002016-10-12T16:28:21.371+01:00apple, almond and ginger lattice tart<br />
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... so I was in the little village of Laceby a few weeks back having our Mini serviced and I was approached by a chap who'd clearly come out of the service yard. He told me that he and his wife were very disappointed that I wasn't at the <b><a href="http://www.lincolnshireshowground.co.uk/whats-on/event/foodandgift16" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Lincolnshire Food & Gift Fair</span></a></b> last year as they'd turned up especially to see me. It's hard to know what to say in situations like this - I love what I do and writing a blog is a platform that by its very nature is out in the public domain, but there's an element of anonymity provided by the internet. When it comes to food-demoing you're very much out there. People can see who you are, how you work and, most importantly, can actually taste your food then and there. Of course this doesn't really worry me as I really enjoy the live aspect of it all and it really thrills me when people feed-back that they've looked forward to me being somewhere or that they've gone away and cooked my food is always surprising and rather humbling.<br /><br />So the point to this all is, is that I'm back at the show and demo-cooking in The Lincolnshire Kitchen, which is very exciting. I love this show! It celebrates everything I love about gifting; firstly, there's my love for Christmas itself. It's quite simply my favourite time of year - there's just so much joy around. Time for family and friends and eating wonderful food and the Lincolnshire Food & Gift Fair really reflects this.. I mean, two halls filled with Christmas! Secondly is all the artisan producers creating beautiful things that clearly show the love in the making and therefore make the gift all the more special. The fair brings all these brilliant people together under one roof, from cheese makers to candle makers and everything in between.<br /><br /><br />As one of the demo-cooks I'm also really privileged as we get to cook with some of the gorgeous produce. I know I have my eye on some very scrumptious looking festive mincemeat from <a href="http://www.saintsandsinnerspreserves.co.uk/"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">Saints and Sinners Preserves</span></b></a> to use in the special frangipane mince pie tarts I'll be making. Last time I was there I made my <b><a href="http://www.belleaukitchen.com/2013/11/christmas-cake-brownies.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Christmas Cake Brownies</span></a></b>, which went down really well but they're a breeze to make and I always like to challenge myself - especially when I'm in front of a live audience. This year's recipe is a twist on the classic mince pie, jazzing it up a little with a very special shortcrust pastry which I will be latticing on top of the tart so if you've ever wondered how to create that lovely lattice look, or just want to come along to see me making a mess of things, then do feel free to pop along... the show is at the beautiful Lincoln Show Ground and is on the 26th and 27th November... now, talking of lattice...<br /><br />
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<b>apple, almond and ginger lattice tart</b><br />
so this divine little pie is more like my mums apple strudel than an actual apple pie as you're using grated apple mixed with sultanas and almond flakes that are baked from raw so they don't become the delicious but gloopy mess inside your traditional apple pie. In fact everything about this tart reminds me of mums cooking... she makes these little <b><a href="http://www.belleaukitchen.com/2015/11/apple-and-sultana-strudel-biscuits.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">strudel pastry whirl biscuits</span></a></b> when she has leftover pastry that use the same ingredients in the same way and they're completely addictive. I'm also using my favourite and now go-to almond shortcrust pastry which is quite frankly the best sweet shortcrust pastry on the planet. Part pastry, part marzipan it's so simple to make and yet so heavenly, I implore you to make it. This pie makes for a lovely way to use up all the windfall apples around at the moment as the apples you use here really don't need to be pretty but I would implore you to use eating apples rather than cooking apples as they don't get much more than a sprinkling of sugar so a tart cooking apple would be a bit too sharp. A note re the lattice-work... I find latticing really easy, particularly on un-cooked pies where there's no hot filling to melt the pastry. The trick is a patient and steady hand and lots of extra pastry... don't scrimp on the pastry at all, you have enough here for a 20cm round pie tin or an oblong tin like i've used here, with plenty of pastry to spare... you'll also find that a fluted pastry wheel makes everything look a lot cleverer than it really is, however if you're still flummoxed then try this terribly cheesy <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv4809RKhzg" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">video</span></a></b> on how to...<br />
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<b>for the almond and cream cheese pastry</b><br />
300g plain flour <br />
3/4 teaspoon baking powder <br />
112g caster sugar <br />
150g unsalted butter <br />
100g full fat cream cheese (I used cottage cheese which was excellent) <br />
75g ground almonds <br />
1 egg yolk a little milk to bind<b><br /></b>
<b>for the filling</b><br />
3 or 4 medium eating apples - medium grated (I kept the skin on)<br />
100g sultanas<br />
75g almond flakes<br />
2 teaspoons ground ginger<br />
2 tablespoons golden caster sugar<br />
1 tablespoon blackcurrant jam<br />
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i'm using a 22cm long and 7cm wide fluted oblong loose-bottomed tart tin which i've liberally buttered and pre-heated the oven to 170C<br />
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make your pastry by adding the flour, ground almonds, sugar and butter into a bowl and rubbing it together with your fingertips until you have a breadcrumb texture, then add the cream cheese, egg yolk and a little drop of milk and get your hand in like a claw and bring the pastry together into a ball of dough. Flatten it out into a thick disk and wrap in cling film. Refrigerate for 30 mins<br />
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after 30 minutes take the dough out of the fridge and divide it into two even portions, placing one portion back into the fridge whilst you roll out the first portion on a well floured surface... I like my pastry a medium thickness and because this pastry is so damn good you want it to be quite thick!<br />
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carefully line your fluted tart tin insuring your gently press the pastry into the fluted sides - trim the edges with a knife<br />
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take the jam and spread it evenly onto the raw pastry in the tart tin followed by half the grated apple which you want to spread out so it roughly covers the jam, then sprinkle on half the sultanas and half the almonds followed by 1 teaspoon of ground ginger and 1 tablespoon of golden caster sugar<br />
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create a second layer with the remaining grated apple, sultanas, almonds, ground ginger and sugar then set aside whilst you roll out the remaining pastry<br />
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roll out the pastry into a shape that completely covers your tart, then using a knife or a fluted pastry cutter cut the pastry into even strips roughly 2cm wide.<br />
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using alternate trips lay them across the tart with spaces in between... I like to lay them in a diagonal diamond pattern with large gaps in between as I like to see the tart filling underneath... do not press down the edges<br />
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once these are all laid down, take one of the remaining strips and begin to weave it in the opposite direction going under and over each strip as you pass it. Continue this way until all the strips are used and you have an even lattice pattern... then push down the edges into the edges of the pastry and trim as you go<br />
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brush the top of the tart with beaten egg and sprinkle with a little cater sugar and then bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is a rich golden brown<br />
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eat and of course, enjoy!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-18008685386784517522016-10-08T14:37:00.001+01:002016-10-08T14:37:04.988+01:00lincolnshire sausage stew with butter beans and herb dumplings<br />
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... isn't it funny how your body tells you what it wants to eat? As a food blogger I get into bit of a rut sometimes and this can be frustrating but with the change of season comes a fresh approach to the food on my plate and yesterday as I trawled around the supermarket it was a though I was guided by some mysterious internal force to the root vegetables and fatty meats. I adore the spiciness of a good quality Lincolnshire sausage and they go so well with root veg such as swede, carrots and potatoes that take on all those spices... I barely had to think about which dishes were going to be made, I simply knew there'd be a stew, there'd be soup and there would be chicken thighs - although to be fair there are always chicken thighs. Recently we've not had much time to plan meals so we've been grabbing the basics and then hoping for the best when we get home in the evenings but this weekend I was desperate to plan the eating and make something wholesome and earthy and a worthy welcome to autumn. I wanted a meal in a pot that would stave off the cold as well as the hunger although as it happens the weather still hasn't really turned bleak just yet so we're pretending it's chilly out there as we tuck into this little taste of the season ahead...<br />
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<b>lincolnshire sausage stew with butter beans and herb dumplings</b><br />
this is a classic Belleau Kitchen favourite and it came out beautifully... can there be anything better than some gorgeous root vegetables, local lincolnshire sausages and wonderful butterbeans which make the whole pot so creamy... but of course the star of the show here are the herby dumplings which soak up all the wonderful sausage gravy and make this a complete one-pot meal, perfect for autumn nights and chilly Sunday lunches. The whole dish a surprisingly easy and quick to put together but of course the slow cooking time creates a wonderfully rich and warming dish. I love my dumplings big and fluffy and just a little crispy on top which is why I suggest removing the lid for the last few minutes but if you're not a fan, feel free to leave the lid on...<br />
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<b>for the stew</b><br />
4 lincolnshire sausages - each one cut into 4<br />
120g button mushrooms - halved<br />
half a bulb of fennel - chopped<br />
1 medium carrot - chopped<br />
2 stalks of celery - chopped<br />
150g cabbage - finely shredded<br />
300g tin of butter beans - drained and rinsed<br />
100ml white wine<br />
1 pint of good quality vegetable stock with 4 teaspoons Bisto caramelised onion gravy powder<br />
olive oil and butter<br />
salt and pepper<br />
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<b>for the dumplings</b><br />
50g vegetarian suet or cold grated butter<br />
75g self raising flour<br />
100ml cold water<br />
salt<br />
1 twig rosemary<br />
1 twig thyme<br />
3 shoots of chives<br />
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you'll need a medium-sized casserole dish with a lid<br />
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pre-heat the oven to 160C<br />
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start by heating the casserole dish on the hob, melting a little butter and olive oil as you do. Add the sausages and mushrooms and let them both gain a little colour, turning them frequently... this should take roughly 15 minutes, then carefully remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon, leaving a little fat behind.<br />
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add the carrots, celery and fennel and let them sweat and soften for 10 minutes, adding some fresh herbs and plenty of salt and pepper, then add the sausages and mushrooms back into the pot along with the butterbeans, wine and stock, let it simmer for a few minutes before adding the shredded cabbage. Place the lid on and pop it into the oven for and hour and a half, whilst you make the dumplings.<br />
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place all the dumpling ingredients into a bowl along with the water and bring it all together with your hand, keeping your fingers light and swift... form them into 6 similarly sized balls and set aside<br />
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after an hour and a half, carefully remove the pot from the oven, take off the lid and add the dumplings onto the top of the stew, replace the lid and pop the dish back into the oven for 20 minutes, then take the lid off the pot, turn the oven up to 180C and let the stew and dumplings bubble away for a further 10 minutes<br />
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remove from the oven and let the dish settle for 5 mins before serving<br />
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eat and of course enjoy!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-57066236893066411732016-10-05T14:58:00.002+01:002016-10-05T14:58:26.924+01:00salted cinnamon and honey swirl marble cake<br />
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... this week has been one of those glorious 'end-of-summer but 'start-of-autumn' weather weeks where the sun and warmth has clung on but you can just feel the chill in the air and the promise of those cool, crips days and fire-side nights. Regular readers of my blog will know that i'm a huge fan of autumn. There's just so much to love, what with the changing colours in the leaves, frosty mornings, warming stews and soups and of course Halloween... all followed by the dream of Christmas to come. It's a food-lovers dream with so many events for eating plus I get so bored so quickly of salads and barbecues during the summer that I relish all the long, slow cooked dishes filling the house with the aroma of home. I get such a thrill from the little things too, like walking into our local pub having braced the shocking cold winds off lake Belleau and there's a roaring fire to snuggle up in front of with a pint... or sitting on the bench outside the cottage in the crisp early mornings, wrapped in a blanket with a hot cup of tea in my hands... or collecting wood at the local farm, knowing that a mornings effort will mean a toasty home for a month... or baking a beautiful honey cake...<br />
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<b>salted cinnamon and honey swirl marble cake</b><br />
this is one of those cakes that tastes of autumn... it has all that cinnamon and sweetness and reminds me a little of pumpkins and cool October mornings. It works on so many levels as it has an incredible sweetness to it but the salty swirl takes the edge off somewhat plus i'm loving the twist to the more traditional salted caramel as I think honey has a much more earthy flavour. It's a breeze to make even though it seems a bit fiddly. It will also make your kitchen smell incredible and those notes of warm cinnamon waft through your home. I made the cake on a whim, without much planning and I wish i'd added the swirly syrup in layers rather than just on top but it tasted phenomenal nonetheless, a lesson learnt for next time...<br />
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<b>for the marble cake sponge</b><br />
210g butter - room temperature<br />
210g golden caster sugar<br />
3 large free-range eggs<br />
210g self-raising Homepride flour<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste<br />
3 teaspoons cinnamon<br />
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<b>for the syrup</b><br />
100g butter<br />
100g honey<br />
100g dark brown muscovado sugar<br />
2 teaspoons cinnamon<br />
2 large pinches of seas salt flakes<br />
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pre-heat the oven to 170C and grease and line a 2lb loaf tin<br />
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start with the syrup by placing the butter, sugar, salt, cinnamon and honey into a small pan and gently heat until just melted, then take off the heat and stir together - set aside<br />
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in a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, this can be done easily in a stand mixer, using a hand blender or with a wooden spoon<br />
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add one egg and one third of the flour and beat in, followed by the remaining eggs and flour and beat in, beating in the vanilla essence at the end<br />
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take a small bowl and scoop out one third of the cake batter and fold in the cinnamon<br />
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take the non-cinnamon cake batter and dollop 3 or spoonfuls into the loaf tin in random places with gaps in between, then fill these gaps with spoonfuls of the cinnamon batter to create a rough layer of cake batter - next, randomly drizzle in half the syrup across this layer. Make a second layer of cake batter and syrup in the same way, which should use up all the remaining batter and syrup<br />
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take a skewer and run this through the cake batter in a random swirling pattern until it is all combined (two passes through the cake should do it)<br />
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bake the cake for 30 - 40 minutes until risen and golden then set aside to cool on a wire rack<br />
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eat and of course, enjoy!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-72025344845859491752016-10-01T19:31:00.003+01:002016-10-01T19:31:57.705+01:00beetroot and manouri goats cheese galette<br />
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... one of the wonderful things about being part of the blogging community is the knowledge that you're surrounded by hundreds of other like-minded food lovers who, given the nature of the activity itself, are keen to share their recipes and food ideas. I try and be as original as I can but inevitably, like us all, I hit a brick wall of creativity once in a while and it takes research, lots of eating - which is never a burden - and the occasional random meeting of a blogger or two to get me back on track. My recent meeting with Kate from <b><a href="http://veggiedesserts.co.uk/beet-pizza-with-beet-leaf-pesto/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Veggie Desserts</span></a></b> was one such occasion with her glorious beetroot pizza and more importantly her message about eating vegetables from root to leaf. Root to leaf eating has become hugely popular over the past few years as we all begin to realise that not only is it ridiculously wasteful to throw away so much of the produce but in fact the skins, roots, stems and leaves are often the tastiest part of the vegetable. I've often left skin on potatoes and in particular garlic - mainly out of laziness - but once gently cleaned there's very little that a hot oven won't blast away and all that goodness so close to the skin is pure food gold. Nowadays it takes a pretty big reason to bother peeling any veg and I make choices in the supermarket based on which stems and leaves are still on the veg I buy... in fact when i'm in London and the choice is wider, I tend to avoid the supermarkets altogether and frequent the small grocers that populate the dodgy end of the Harrow Road here in W9. These shops are a treasure -rove of incredible and occasionally exotic produce and amongst the unusual you'll also find those ridiculously expensive brands they only sell in places like Whole Foods, where you need to take out a mortgage to shop, at shockingly cheap prices... anger-inducingly cheap in fact... but that may be a story for another day. They also seem to know their veg very well as they're catering for a myriad of communities and therefore tastes. This morning I ruffled through the beetroot looking for the fattest tubers, longest stems and leafiest leaves... it's quite possible they think i'm mad but I'm not ashamed to go back and root again for such beautiful produce...<br />
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<b>beetroot and manouri goats cheese galette</b><br />
and whilst we're shouting out to those who have inspired us, I must shout out to Karen from <b><a href="http://www.lavenderandlovage.com/2016/09/heirloom-tomato-cheese-herb-galette.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Lavender and Lovage</span></a></b> who quite frankly, is the galette queen... I totally get it. They're so easy to knock together... like a cross between a pizza and a pie they have everything going for them and are not only totally delicious but rather pretty looking too.<br />
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So it seems like there's quite a bit going on here but in fact it's mostly beetroot... I am of course using the most familiar part of the vegetable, the swollen red root itself, skin on and sliced very thinly as it's baking in the oven is it's only cooking... then i'm using the leaves, which have a spinach-like texture and taste, which i've chopped and also the stems which a beautifully sweet and crunchy. I'm layering these with some divinely creamy manouri goats cheese which is a lesser-known Greek cheese and is essentially a by-product of Feta. It's less salty than feta and much creamier and it's a discovery i'm very pleased about...<br />
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<b>for the pastry</b><br />
250g plain Homepride flour <b></b><br />
75g cold butter - cut into small pieces<br />
a pinch of salt<br />
1 large beetroot - skinned and chopped and boiled until soft<br />
a splash of water<br />
salt and pepper<br />
<br />
<b>for the filling</b><br />
one bunch of fresh beetroot with stalk and leaves on<br />
100g manouri or regular feta goats cheese<br />
olive oil<br />
balsamic vinegar<br />
fresh thyme, oregano and rosemary<br />
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to make the pastry, start with the 'pink' element which is the cooked beetroot which you should boil in water till soft then whizz to a pulp with a stick blender and then set aside (you could totally cheat here and use pre-cooked beetroot)<br />
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sieve the flour into a large bowl, add the butter and rub it into the flour, raising your hands high as you do to allow plenty of air to get into the flour until you have a rough breadcrumb texture<br />
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add two tablespoons of the beetroot puree and using one hand shaped like a claw begin to stir the flour and butter together, it should start to come together into a dough but you may need to add a dash more of the puree to bind it together, knead it well so that the pink is evenly distributed but do this fast as you don't want the flour to be tough<br />
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once the dough is formed, tip it out onto some cling film, pat it out into a flattish disk, wrap it up and pop it in the fridge for 30 mins<br />
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prepare the beetroot for the galette by washing it all very well in cold water - root to leaf, then chop the root from the stalks and remove leaves from the stalks. Finely slice the beetroot into disks and set aside... roughly chop the stalks and set aside (I pop them into a plastic container as you won't use them all and they freeze well) then bunch up a handful of the leaves and slice them thickly and set aside<br />
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pre-heat the oven to 170C and line a large flat baking tray with parchment<br />
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once the dough has had time to rest, roll it out on a well-floured surface. Try and keep the shape as round as you can and the dough not too thin... I rolled it to the size of a large dinner plate... then lift it carefully onto the prepared baking tray where you will build the galette<br />
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you can add whatever you please to your galette, leaving a large edge of pastry all the way around... I started with a layer of chopped beet leaves, then some crumbled cheese, then the thinly sliced beetroot and then more chopped leaves... I added plenty of fresh torn herbs, salt and pepper and drizzled it all with extra virgin olive oil and a dash of balsamic vinegar<br />
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now, begin to fold the edges of the pastry over into the centre, pushing down firmly as you go round... this should leave you with the familiar and rustic looking galette shape which you can now brush with a little beaten egg and milk<br />
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bake for 30 minutes until the beetroot softens and the pastry begins to turn more golden... eat as soon as you can when it's ready<br />
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eat and of course enjoy!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-91920314196287255572016-09-28T12:42:00.001+01:002016-09-28T12:46:38.087+01:00shortbread biscuits with chocolate, mixed seeds and fruit<br />
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... a couple of weeks back Niamh from <b><a href="http://eatlikeagirl.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Eat Like A Girl</span></a></b>, Kate from <b><a href="http://veggiedesserts.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Veggie Desserts</span></a></b>, Helen from <b><a href="http://www.helengraves.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Food Stories</span></a></b> and myself took part in a couple of brilliant live Tribes To Table cooking events for <b><a href="http://leisurecooker.co.uk/inspiration/lifestyle/tribe-trends/sugar-free" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Leisure Range Cookers</span></a></b>. They split us into cooking tribes and we each whipped up a dish based on these tribes in front of a live audience of media and The Guardian newspaper readers. We each used a different range cooker from the collection so the audience could also see how well the products worked. As you know from previous posts, I baked my <b><a href="http://www.belleaukitchen.com/2016/09/the-ultimate-sugar-free-brownies-join.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">sugar-free banana and fennel seed brownies</span></a></b>. Niamh was the head of the Fish Tribe and she cooked the most incredible <b><a href="http://leisurecooker.co.uk/inspiration/food/recipes/razor-clams-and-oysters-motoyaki-with-gojuchang-and-lime" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">razor clams and oysters under a silky bed of motoyaki mayonnaise</span></a></b>. I adore shell-fish and razor clams are one of my favourites so this was a huge treat for me... as head of the Vegetable Tribe, Kate baked us a <b><a href="http://leisurecooker.co.uk/inspiration/food/recipes/beetroot-pizza-with-beet-leaf-pesto" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">beetroot pizza with beet leaf pesto</span></a></b>. Kate is keen for us to use the veg from 'root to tip' and this was a really tasty and very colourful example of how to do that... and then finally Helen, as head of the Meat Tribe, made a rather fabulous <b><a href="http://leisurecooker.co.uk/inspiration/food/recipes/shwarma-spiced-lamb" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">shawarma spiced lamb</span></a></b>, influenced by her travels to the middle east. This really was a 'main event' dish and I loved that it was served with pitta bread and yoghurt as it made it all feel very hands on, which when eating is my favourite way!<br />
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<i>clockwise from top left; Helen's lamb, Niamh's shellfish, my brownies and Kate's pizza</i></div>
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It was a fun couple of days and whilst I'm always a little nervous about cooking live in front of an audience, once I got into my stride I really enjoyed myself. Each demo ended with a glorious sit-down meal where we feasted on the food we'd just cooked, which was both excellent for its indulgence but also a little scary as the good people of the media tucked into our cooking... it seems everyone departed with smiles on their faces and of course I got to spend time with some of my favourite bloggers and eat their food of course!<br />
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<i>the gang introduce themselves</i></div>
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<i>the tribes busy at work</i></div>
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<i>our delicious meal</i></div>
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<b>shortbread biscuits with chocolate, mixed seeds and fruit</b><br />
there are times when a fast cookie is the only way to happiness... it doesn't have to be a thing of beauty but of course the eyes being the gateway to the brain, it helps. These shortbread biscuits are ideal to satisfy a sweet craving and whilst all that butter and sugar is devastating for the calorie counter you're really only going to have one or two right plus the fruity and mixed seed topping has the appearance of a healthy snack so you can always fool yourself into thinking these are good for you! I adore shortbread and there are many recipes out there that include all kinds of bizarre ingredients but for me, these are the classics. They're excessively crumbly and beautifully moreish, even if, like The Viking, you brush the topping off to get to the main event... the fool.<br />
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225g unsalted butter - room temperature<br />
110g caster sugar<br />
225g plain flour<br />
110g cornflour<br />
a pinch of salt<br />
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1 packet of mixed fruit and seeds</div>
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2 tablespoons cocoa powder</div>
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1 tablespoon icing sugar</div>
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a little milk to mix<br />
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line a large tray with parchment paper - i squished all my biscuits onto one tray because i'm lazy and don't care about perfectly round cookies but if you care then use two trays<br />
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place the butter and sugar into a large bowl and cream together until light and fluffy... I used my glorious meg stand mixer but an electric hand-held whisk or even a wooden spoon would work.<br />
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sift the flour and cornflour into the bowl, add the salt and mix together until smoothly combined. bring together into a ball and set aside</div>
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stretch out a large piece of clingfilm and lay the shortbread dough onto it, gently pulling it out into a sausage shape... roll the cling film around it and then roll the sausage out to your desired thickness... I like my biscuits nice and fat, so my sausage was quite thick but feel free to go as thin as you like... wrap tightly and pop in the fridge for 30 mins for it to harden<br />
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when you're ready to bake, pre-heat the oven to 170C, unwrap the sausage from the clingfilm and slice it into biscuits, lay these out onto the baking tray and sprinkle with your selection of chopped nuts, seeds and dried fruit and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until just beginning to turn golden, then set aside on a wire rack to cool<br />
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to make the chocolate drizzle, simply add a dash of milk or water to the cocoa powder and icing sugar and gently stir to combine into a thick paste... then thin down slowly with more milk to reach the desired consistency<br />
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eat and of course, enjoy!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-10696655419222437422016-09-25T11:46:00.000+01:002016-09-25T11:46:44.023+01:00tenderstem and mushroom pie with lincolnshire poacher cheese sauce and spinach lattice pastry <br />
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<br />
... back to the cottage after our lovely holiday and it seems that the harvest is almost over! The seasons have swung their pendulum once more and we gradually drift into autumn. I am of course a huge fan of autumn so this is not a problem for me at all but it's always a shock to come home to find the golden fields gone and now furrowed with dark brown tracks, although what a lot of people don't realise is that many of them have already been sown with next years crop and before long they will be green again with tender shoots. The Viking and I celebrated our joint birthdays yesterday by chilling out at home and soaking in the garden and surrounding fields, it's like recharging the batteries, even though we've just had a holiday we were rushing around frantically absorbing the culture and so nothing beats coming home... we like to sit on the bench outside the front door, which overlooks the countryside... it's like watching a movie of the changing seasons. Last year we managed to sit outside every Sunday until November without the need of coats as it was so mild... I wonder what date we'll reach this year?<br />
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as you know, I have a huge love for locally and seasonally grown produce and so when the good folk at tenderstem got in touch to ask me to help celebrate the tenderstem growing season, which is from June to November, I jumped at the chance to show off a little Lincolnshire produce. Tenderstem are a relatively new development on the vegetable scene, created in Japan using traditional plant-breeding techniques they are a cross between broccoli and chinese kale... they have a light and sweet broccoli flavour that is not too overpowering and as the name suggests you can eat the whole stem which is brilliant as we all hate food waste and need more green stuff in our lives. We grown plenty of tenderstem here in Lincolnshire and in fact all over the UK and to celebrate, tenderstem have launched an <b><a href="https://www.tenderstem.co.uk/about/tenderstem-near-you" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">interactive map</span></a></b> which allows you to find out more about where tenderstem is sown, grown, served and celebrated... from finding farmers who harvest it in the UK and recipes from bloggers such as myself who love cooking with it, to restaurants in the local area who serve tenderstem as part of their menu.... all you have to do is enter your city or postcode to get started... well worth the visit.<br />
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<b>tenderstem and mushroom pie with lincolnshire poacher cheese sauce and spinach pastry </b><br />
the Lincolnshire Poacher cheese is really rather wonderful... I've written about it many a time on this blog but if you haven't tried it do hunt it down. In the UK it can be found at any reputable cheese shop but further afield you might want to try ordering it on-line from our local cheese shop who will deliver worldwide. It's made on a farm all but 2 fields away so it couldn't get more local and I adore it. It has the taste of a strong cheddar with parmesan overtones. I use it regularly as a parmesan replacement... it makes a knock-out cheesy sauce and works beautifully with vegetables and pasta...<br />
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i've gone for the green shortcrust for two reasons... firstly I think the green pastry is beautiful and the colour enhances the treat inside and also tastes great but I was also influences heavily by the adorable Kate from <b><a href="http://veggiedesserts.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Veggie Desserts</span></a></b> with whom I worked on the recent Leisure Cooker <b><a href="http://www.belleaukitchen.com/2016/09/the-ultimate-sugar-free-brownies-join.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Tribes To Table</span></a></b> event and who made the most glorious and bright purple beetroot pizza. Her brightly coloured vegetable cakes, pastries and breads are such incredible fun and so I was keen to have a go and this seemed like the perfect dish!... plus the aroma of baked spinach in the pastry is quite quite divine!<br />
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<b>for the pastry</b><br />
250g plain flour - i'm using a local flour milled at the beautiful <b><a href="http://www.alford-windmill.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Alford Windmill</span></a></b><br />
75g cold butter - cut into small pieces<br />
a pinch of salt<br />
100g fresh spinach leaves<br />
2 stalks of tenderstem broccoli<br />
a splash of water<br />
seasoning<br />
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<b>for the cheese sauce</b><br />
40g butter<br />
40g plain flour<br />
1 teaspoon mustard powder<br />
1 pint of milk or 1/2 pint of milk and 1/2 pint stock<br />
75g Lincolnshire Poacher cheese (or a strong cheddar)<br />
pepper<br />
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<b>for the filling</b><br />
4 large flat mushrooms (field or portobello) - halved and then thickly sliced<br />
1 sprig of rosemary<br />
1 prig of thyme<br />
fresh chives<br />
2 packs (240g) tenderstem - roughly chopped<br />
salt and pepper<br />
olive oil and butter<br />
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to make the pastry, start with the 'green' element which is the spinach and tenderstem which you should place in a large pan with a lid, add a little sprinkling of water and season well, then gently heat until the spinach and tenterstem are soft, then whizz them to a pulp with a stick blender - set aside<br />
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sieve the flour into a large bowl, add the butter and rub it into the flour, raising your hands high as you do to allow plenty of air to get into the flour until you have a rough breadcrumb texture<br />
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add two tablespoons of the green vegetable puree and using one hand shaped like a claw begin to stir the flour and butter together, it should start to come together into a dough but you may need to add a dash more of the puree to bind it together, knead it well so that the green is evenly distributed but fast as you don't want the flour to be tough<br />
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once the dough is formed, tip it out onto some cling film, pat it out into a flattish disk, wrap it up and pop it in the fridge for 30 mins<br />
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pre-heat the oven to 170C and butter a 20cm round pie-dish<br />
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to make the pie, gently heat some olive oil and a little butter in a large pan, then pop in the mushrooms and fresh herbs, stir and pop on the lid for 6 minutes.. the large mushrooms should release all their water and soften quickly, then remove the lid, turn up the heat a little add some salt and plenty of black pepper and saute until the mushrooms take on the lovely golden colour<br />
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add the chopped tenderstem on top of the mushrooms in the pan, pop the lid back on, turn the heat to it's lowest and let the tenderstem gently heat through for 6 minutes - you really don'tt need to cook them for very long as they are so tender and the crunch of the vegetables add a great texture - then turn the heat off and set aside until you've made the cheese sauce<br />
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make the cheese sauce by melting the butter gently in a small pan, once melted, remove from the heat and stir in the flour into a smooth but thick paste then add a dash of the milk/stock and stir into a paste.<br />
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place the pan back on a gentle heat and slowly add a little milk at a time, stirring well between additions... if it looks like it may become lumpy take the pan off the heat and stir until smooth. Continue this way until all the milk is gone and you have a nicely thick sauce - let it bubble away very gently on the heat for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Stir in the grated cheese and mustard powder and set aside<br />
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place the mushrooms and tenderstem into the pie dish, then pour the cheese sauce over the vegetables and set aside to cool for at least 15 minutes before you attempt the lattice pastry crust<br />
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roll out the pastry into a large oblong and then cut it into 6 long strips and 8 shorter strips (this is just a guide...)<br />
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lay the long strips lengthways along pie dish, with gaps in between, then take one shorter strip and, starting from one edge of the pie dish, weave it over and under each long strip... continue this way until all your pastry strips are woven. I like it looking quite rough and ready but feel free to trim to make it nice and neat<br />
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brush with a little beaten egg before baking for 25 mins or until the pastry is golden crisp<br />
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eat and of course, enjoy!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-17046739324680633982016-09-16T08:35:00.001+01:002016-09-16T08:35:08.195+01:00upside down victoria plum victoria sponge with salted maple syrup buttercream<br />
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<br />
... so we stole a few days this week and ran away to Mallorca... (am posting this today from a shady bench on a roof overlooking the old town of Pollenca...) it was a case of 'check the upcoming work diary and really there isn't a gap again till next Spring so let's throw caution to the wind and run away to the sun for a week.' It just so happens that there was a heatwave in the UK this week but I find that a poor excuse for not going away... would you rather be stuck in an office or by a pool? I rest my case. To be fair, The Viking and I are really bad at 'relaxing by the pool'... neither of us understand how to do this very well although we both understand the need for doing it. I get twitchy legs after about 20 minutes and The Viking gets grumpy if he's not exploring a local church or driving us up a precarious road which overhangs the side of a goat-strewn mountain but I guess our way to un-wind is by not relaxing by the pool. Not that we even have a pool - because it was all so last-minute, our usual choice of little hotel was unavailable to us so we took the plunge into a rental house and i'm so glad we did. We found the most charming old town house that from the outside looks like it could be no bigger than a one-roomed shack but inside unfolds itself, tardis-like, room by glorious room. It has a central courtyard and a roof terrace and the most adorable little kitchen which has meant I can spend time at the local farmers market and make purchases and then actually cook with them - oh the plums!... which as you can imagine is really rather special. The house is situated in the heart of the town and is surrounded by ancient narrow streets with so much character and charm and of course, so much to explore...<br />
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<b>upside down victoria plum victoria sponge</b><br />
this is undoubtably my favourite time of year... well actually it's a little early, I adore the autumn for all it's chilly mornings, tangerine tinged sunlight and orange-brown blanket of leaves but the moment September hits, I get that feeling in the air and it tingles all over. The first signal that this change is on its way is the arrival of the victoria plum, the classic British seasonal stoned fruit. If you're lucky and have your own tree, or access to a plum tree then you'll have experienced one of the greatest tastes in the world, that of a sun-warmed, dusty hued, tree-fresh, victoria plum. For those unfamiliar, what can I tell you about the taste? Well if I tell you it tastes of plum, this may not seem very helpful but so many so-called plums taste of absolutely nothing but sharpness and flesh but a freshly picked British plum has no rival...<br />
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I loved the idea of taking the classic Victoria Sponge and making her a little special with these glorious bejewelled fruit. I was inspired by an instagram photo of a similar cake by 2012 GBBO winner John Waite - who I think has become a seriously talented baker. The salted maple syrup buttercream is just an indulgence I dreamt up all on my own but boy does it shine here in this little cake.<br />
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i'm using my two 18cm loose-bottomed cake tins which i've greased and lined and placed onto a baking tray before they go into the oven. The oven has been pre-heated to 170C<br />
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<b>for the sponges</b><br />
250g butter<br />
250g golden lavender sugar<br />
4 large free-range eggs<br />
150g self-raising flour<br />
100g ground almonds<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
5 victoria plums - stoned and roughly sliced<br />
a little blackcurrant jam<br />
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<b>for the salted maple syrup buttercream</b><br />
150g butter<br />
300g icing sugar<br />
2 tablespoons maple syrup<br />
2 teaspoons maldon salt<br />
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butter and line the base and sides of your tins then butter the base on top of the lining generously with butter and sprinkle with granulated sugar<br />
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lay the sliced plums into the base of the cake tin - you can get creative with concentric rings but I really like this no-nonesense rough n ready look<br />
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mix together the flour and ground almonds and set aside<br />
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in a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in one egg followed by one third of the flour, then beat in the second egg and another third of flour followed by beating in the third and fourth eggs and the remaining flour. I always add a dash of milk and the vanilla extract at this stage which I beat in<br />
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divide the batter in two and gently spoon into the cake tins on top of the fruit and spread out carefully with a pallet knife... and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes depending on your oven but check that it no longer wobbles before removing onto a wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes...<br />
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gently flip the cake tins over and remove the tin and base very carefully then allow the cakes to cool completely on the wire rack<br />
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to make the buttercream, beat the butter until it's really pale and soft, then gently beat in the icing sugar until the buttercream is really stiff, then pour in a little maple syrup at a time until the buttercream loosens to a consistency you desire, then throw in the salt - I love to feel the flakes as i'm eating it but you make want to add the salt earlier in the process so that it dissolves<br />
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to assemble the cake, spread the first layer with a little jam and a good portion of the buttercream before sandwiching the other cake on top... serve with tea<br />
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eat and of course, enjoy!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-52485097106477238052016-09-07T11:47:00.000+01:002016-09-07T17:41:19.940+01:00the ultimate sugar-free brownies - join my baking tribe<br />
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this glorious photo was taken by <b><span style="color: #bf9000;"><a href="https://twitter.com/loveLELUU" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Uyen Luu</span></a> </span></b>as part of the #TribesToTable campaign</div>
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... if you've been following my blog over the past few months you'll know i've been developing some sugar-free recipes but you may not know the reason why. Well, i've been working closely with the good people at <b><a href="http://leisurecooker.co.uk/inspiration/lifestyle/tribe-trends/sugar-free" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Leisure Cookers</span></a></b> to who have invited me to become an ambassador for their #TribesToTable campaign... the Tribes are a celebration of cooking and no matter what you love to cook, be it a meat lover, a fish lover or a veg lover, there's a tribe for you. I have the honour of being the chief of the Baking Tribe... as you know I love all kinds of cooking but it has to be said, I adore baking. Baking is my comfort place, it's what I do to relax, whether it's bread and pastry or cakes and puddings, I feel i've make it home when there's something baking in my lovely Leisure oven... and with the brilliant Great british Bake-Off back on our screens, i'm sure you'll agree, the whole nation is pretty much baking mad, so here's to the best Tribe of all...<br />
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me in the kitchen with my wonderful new Leisure Range Cooker</div>
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photo by <b><a href="http://davidsevern.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">David Severn</span></a></b></div>
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... I was asked to develop a recipe based on a particular trend in baking and I think you'll agree, whether you love it or hate it the whole 'sugar-free' or 'clean baking' trend is pretty massive right now. Now of course I love sugar and don't have an issue with eating sugar but I know many people who cannot eat it for dietary reasons and whilst i've had a few hits and rather a few misses over the past few months, the best thing i've found about this trend is that it's opened a world of sugar alternatives that I have never explored. It's made me think so much more about what I put into my body and i've found that balanced along with a healthy smattering of regular sugar treats, some sugar-free bakes can be divinely delicious, inventive and horizon expanding. Some of the alternative sugar ingredients I use are very basic such as honey, madly syrup and fruit, whilst others are a little more obscure such as coconut sugar and apple puree but the brilliant thing is that it's made me sit up and take notice and push my love for baking into directions i'd never thought i'd go...<br />
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me in the kitchen prepping the brownies</div>
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photo by <b><a href="http://davidsevern.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">David Severn</span></a></b></div>
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... the whole Tribe activity will culminate in two very exciting Tribe to Table events tomorrow and Friday, a media event and a Guardian Readers event, where i'll be cooking my brownies along with the other Tribe chiefs; Kate from <b><a href="http://veggiedesserts.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Veggie Desserts</span></a></b> who's our Veg Lover, Niamh from <span style="color: #bf9000;"><b><a href="http://eatlikeagirl.com/" target="_blank">Eat like a Girl</a></b> </span>who's the head of the Fish Tribe and Helen from <b><a href="http://www.helengraves.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Food Stories</span></a></b> who's the Meat Lover. I cannot wait to get stuck in and talk about my passion for baking!<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"> this glorious photo was taken by </span><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><a href="https://twitter.com/loveLELUU" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Uyen Luu</span></a> </span></b><span style="text-align: center;">as part of the #LeisureTribes campaign</span><br />
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<b>sugar-free date, almond, fennel seed and banana brownies</b><br />
it’s undeniable that sugar-free baking can sometimes be a little complex with lots of ingredients needed to enhance the texture and flavours that you lose from not using refined sugar. It’s not that those ingredients are rare it’s just that they’re not your usual ‘store cupboard’ regulars and so I was keen to go back to basics with this recipe and try and knock-out something that was pretty simple to do, had mostly ingredients that you’d be likely to have in your cupboards already but that was still sugar-free and of course ultimately tasty. These brownies really hit the spot and not only are the divine but they are super-easy to make!<br />
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200g pitted medjool dates - chopped<br />
100ml boiling water<br />
1 very ripe banana - mashed<br />
50g wholemeal rye flour<br />
25g ground almonds<br />
75g unsweetened cocoa powder (or raw cocoa powder)<br />
130g unsalted butter, melted<br />
2 teaspoons fennel seeds<br />
2 large free-range eggs<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste<br />
100g almonds – roughly chopped<br />
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preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm square cake tin<br />
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place the chopped dates in a bowl and pour over the boiling water and leave to soak for about 15 minutes<br />
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gently melt the butter in a small pan along with the fennel seeds so they infuse into the butter<br />
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after 15 minutes, spoon the dates into a blender or food processor along with the banana and blitz until they are shredded, then pour in the melted butter and fennel seeds and add the rest of the ingredients, except for the chopped almonds and blitz again until you have a thick glossy paste<br />
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stir in 2/3’rds of the chopped almonds and then spoon the mixture into the brownie tin and sprinkle the remaining almonds on top <br />
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bake for 15 – 20 minutes until the top is firm to the touch – set aside on a wire rack to cool completely in its tin, then cut into squares</div>
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me in the kitchen with my wonderful new Leisure Range Cooker</div>
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photo by <b><a href="http://davidsevern.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">David Severn</span></a></b></div>
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eat and of course, enjoy and please check out my <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/belleaukitchen/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">instagram</span></a></b> and <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BelleauKitchen/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Facebook</span></a></b> feeds for updates on the TribesToTable events<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-64926603350201078012016-09-04T11:42:00.001+01:002016-09-04T11:42:52.222+01:00potato and cavolo nero frittata <br />
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... I love my real job, honestly I do. OK, I may moan about it quite a bit but it's not all bad running a creative agency in the heart of London and we at <b><a href="http://www.thepersuaders.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">The Persuaders</span></a></b> do get up to some exciting things once in a while... these past few weeks we've actually been working on a very exciting project and something a little different to our usual thing... we've spent the past 5 weeks designing and building <b><a href="http://www.thepersuaders.co.uk/#/friendsfest-2016/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">FriendsFest</span></a></b>. As the name suggests it is a festival dedicated to 90's TV show Friends. We've recreated Monica and Rachel's apartment, a full-size Central Perk, the Title Sequence where you can frolic on the infamous orange sofa in front of the fountain and we've even created a few extra little bits such as the front door of the Little Chapel of Love in Vegas where Ross and Rachel got married! Now of course i'm young enough to remember the very first episode of Friends being broadcast on UK television back in the early nineties and i've always loved the show (it is on TV pretty much 24/7 these days) but the fans who have been turning up are from all ages and from all over the globe. It's quite a phenomenon and one which we really weren't expecting even though the box office began to sell out in under a week... and the stuff these guys remember is astounding so we've had to be really detail-heavy in all the work we've faithfully reproduced. It's been a labour of love but we're quite proud of the results and it's not over yet either as the whole festival tours around the UK for the next 6 weeks!<br />
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... frustratingly for many fans, the tickets (all 60, 000 of them) have entirely sold out for all venues but we will be returning with an even bigger and better festival next year... and there's even a rumour we'll be doing a special Christmas tour in December so <b><a href="http://friendsfest.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">watch this space</span></a></b> for more info...<br />
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... in the meantime it's back to reality and some rather delightful oven-baked goodies...<br />
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<b>potato and cavolo nero frittata</b><br />
more lovely ingredients from my rather wonderful <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z91d5O2bu4U" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">#OrganicUnboxed</span></a></b> delivery, it's quite incredible how much variety there is in the world of British organic food, I will have meals for weeks...<br />
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... there seems to be not much between the frittata and the spanish tortilla other than the frittata is baked in the oven rather than fried in a pan on the hob and is therefore is a little more hands-free although to be honest there's very little in it and I quite like the control I have over the pan... however, for the sake of a little variety I've gone for the oven-baked version here. I'm absolutely crazy in love with cavolo nero. It is essentially a type of kale from Tuscany... or Tuscan Kale if you will and has the most wonderful dark dark green colour and tastes like a very rich and deep cabbage. When it's available and in-sotre I always purchase and put it into as many things as I can from soups and stews to risottos and this wonderful frittata along with some divine organic potatoes... the pre-roasting of the potatoes and onions really adds another dimension to the dish and a little extra texture too... if your guests have the patience it makes for an excellent Sunday brunch which is ready to serve in just under an hour but it is also divine served cold with salad and will keep for 2 days in the fridge...<br />
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400g organic potatoes - un-peeled and thickly sliced<br />
1 large organic white onion - finely sliced<br />
5 or 6 stalks of cavolo nero - sliced in a frivolous fashion<br />
150ml extra-virgin olive oil and a large nob of butter<br />
a sprig of fresh thyme<br />
6 large free-range eggs<br />
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for the above ingredients I am using a 25cm deep round casserole dish with a lid<br />
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pre-heat the oven to 180C, add the onions and potatoes to the dish along with the oil, butter and herbs and plenty of salt and pepper and stir around, place the lid on and roast for 15 minutes, then take the lid off and roast for 15 minutes more until the potatoes begin the turn golden and crispy, then add the chopped kale and pop the lid back on for a further 10 minutes<br />
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meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat together the 6 large eggs with a little milk and some salt and pepper, then take the roasted veg out of the oven and pour it all into the eggs, stir them all together and then pour the whole lot back into the dish<br />
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pop the dish back into the oven and bake without the lid for roughly 10 minutes, although you should keep and eye on it and take it out once it begins to fluff up and turn golden brown<br />
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let it sit for a few moments before serving<br />
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eat and of course, enjoy!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-27531076206829395292016-09-01T10:00:00.001+01:002016-09-01T10:00:46.179+01:00raspberry and chocolate yoghurt ganache shortbread #OrganicUnboxed<br />
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... i'm a big fan of organic. I think the maths are really easy. If great tasting food, high animal welfare standards and an improvement in environmental conditions are things you're concerned about then there's no argument. I'm not suggesting a change overnight and i'm not saying that I live an exclusive organic life, because I really don't but over the years, as organic farming has grown in popularity and prices have come down, i've made more and more organic choices particularly when it comes to livestock welfare and would almost always go without milk unless I know it's been organically produced...<br />
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... there was once a time when organic food production was seen as a bit of a joke but we now know the facts that organic crops are exposed to fewer pesticides, organic livestock (chicken, beef, lamb, pork etc.) are truly free range, meaning they have more space to roam and enjoy high welfare standards. Organic dairy cows are free range and pasture fed which really comes through in the taste plus, organic farming is great for farmers and more environmentally friendly... and if these aren't reason enough, recent research has also shown that organic crops are up to 60% higher in a number of key antioxidants<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8053345370816924941#_ftn1">[1]</a> and that both organic milk and meat contain around 50% more beneficial omega-3 fatty acids<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8053345370816924941#_ftn2">[2]</a><br />
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the good people at <b><a href="http://www.organicukfood.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Organic Food UK</span></a></b> have created the brilliant <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYyKSo1p6w8" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">#OrganicUnboxed</span></a></b> campaign and i've been lucky enough to have been sent one of their mystery boxes to cook from... i've even made <b>my own unboxing film</b> to show you the box and it's wonderful contents... i've actually already made 5 incredible dishes with some of the contents, which I will share with you throughout September and I still have quite a long way to go to get through it all, so I'll hope you join me exploring this wonderfully tasty and easy world of organic food!<br />
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<b>raspberry and chocolate yoghurt ganache shortbread</b><br />
shortbread is just so easy to make and so basic that I often forget to make it and it slips just how phenomenally tasty it is... there's not much not to lie, butter, sugar and flour but when it's this simple i always think it's important that those three ingredients be the best they can be and of course the organic produce i'm using is spectacularly good. The Seed and Bean Fennel chocolate is a new find for me and I almost feel as though it's been made specifically with me and my love of fennel in mind... the fennel is very subtle but glorious none the less. I've used the Yeo Valley plan yoghurt to make the chocolate ganache which adds a thrilling sourness to the chocolate and offsets the ridiculously sweet shortbread and jam perfectly and of course the stunning Hargrove Fruit raspberries are like little jewels of sweet and sharp sitting on top... a very fancy shortbread but perfectly fitting to this wonderfully mysterious Organic Unboxed experience...<br />
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125g Yeo Valley organic butter<br />
55g organic caster sugar<br />
180g Dove's Farm organic plain flour<br />
4 tablespoons Daylesford organic raspberry jam<br />
1 bar (85g) Seed and Bean Fennel organic dark chocolate<br />
4 tablespoons Yeo Valley plain organic yoghurt<br />
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pre-heat the oven to 190C and grease and line a 20cm square cake tin<br />
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in a large bowl, beat the butter and the sugar together until smooth then gently stir in the flour until you get a smooth paste<br />
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tip the paste into your prepared tin and push down and smooth out and then chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.<br />
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bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until pale golden-brown. Set aside to cool on a wire rack but before it's completely cool, spoon the raspberry jam on top and spread it our evenly<br />
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whilst it's cooling, gently heat the yoghurt and chocolate in a pan, as it begins to heat up, take it off the heat and let the chocolate melt into the warm yoghurt, stirring occasionally until you have a thick dark ganache<br />
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pour the ganache over the raspberry jam on the shortbread and carefully spread it out, then place your raspberries on top - chill in the fridge for at least an hour before cutting into squares and serving<br />
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eat and of course, enjoy!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053345370816924941.post-27669710474947474662016-08-26T19:08:00.002+01:002016-08-31T15:03:57.492+01:00chipotle roasted chicken and vegetable wrap bake<br />
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... ever since I visited my friend Shannon in Pamona, Southern California, way back when we were both younger than we can remember I've had a thing for Mexican food. Back then it really wasn't a big deal in the UK, there was perhaps one, not so good Mexican restaurant that was more 'Tex-Mex' than it was authentic as the true trend for Mexican food really didn't start till about a decade ago. We're now spoiled for choice but for the true taste of chipotle you had to pack your bags to travel. We ate at a stunning Mexican restaurant and i'm not sure if it was the incredible guacamole that the waiters made fresh at our table or the dozens of rather potent margaritas that did it for me but I fell in love hard and have never looked back. Surprisingly I don't make it at home that often, even though The Viking also loves a hot and spicy fajita as much as I but now that i've had a play with these wraps I'm definitely going to explore a little Mexican home-cooking further...<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.missiondeli.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Mission Deli</span></a></b> wraps can be used in so many different ways other than the classic 'wrap n roll' and because they're super soft they're easier to fold and hold fillings better... which of course means you can get more creative with them! I've loved working in collaboration with Mission Deli because it means i've been able to discover fun ways to use their wraps... I love using them for an extra thin pizza base when i'm feeling super-lazy and they also make incredible cheese and ham toasties (although don't tell bread or it will get hugely jealous...) and i'm even planning a sweet 'wrap and butter' pudding for later in the week... so watch this space...<br />
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<b>chipotle roasted chicken and vegetable deli wrap bake</b><br />
this is such a simple recipe and although it's quite time consuming, it's all done in the oven and so you can prepare it slowly over the long weekend and build it all together just before you plan to eat... it can be made ahead of time and heated when you're ready or even frozen before the final bake. I've roasted a whole chicken but don't feel you need to do it this way, you could simply use chicken portions or even buy pre-cooked chicken to shred. I've also prepared my own chipotle spice mix but again feel free to use a pre-mix here as the results will be just as phenomenal...<br />
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serves 6<br />
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<b>for the chipotle seasoning:</b><br />
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a packed of pre-mixed chipotle spice or...<br />
1 teaspoon ground chipotle chilli<br />
1 teaspoon garlic powder<br />
1 teaspoon onion powder<br />
1 teaspoon ground coriander<br />
2 teaspoon smoked paprika<br />
black pepper<br />
1/4 teaspoon cumin<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground oregano<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper</div>
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plenty of olive oil</div>
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1 yellow pepper - sliced</div>
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1 red pepper - sliced</div>
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2 large flat mushrooms - thickly sliced</div>
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1 large white onion - thickly sliced</div>
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1/2 cauliflower - roughly sliced</div>
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1 courgette - chopped into thick batons</div>
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1 whole chicken (or chicken portions)</div>
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1 onion - quartered</div>
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1 lime - quartered</div>
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6 misson deli wraps</div>
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100g strong cheese - grated (I used cheddar)</div>
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4 tablespoons sour cream</div>
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fresh chives - chopped</div>
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fresh tomatoes - chopped</div>
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pre-heat the oven to 180C and have handy 2 roasting tins - one for the chicken and one for the vegetables</div>
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lay the chicken into the roasting tray, stuff with the onion, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the chipotle spice mix and rub it all over. Lay the lime quarters around the chicken - cover tightly with foil and roast for an hour, then remove the foil, turn the chicken over and roast for 30mins, then turn the chicken back over and roast for a final 30 mins till golden brown - set aside to cool covered in foil... once cool, rip apart and shred in a bowl</div>
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meanwhile treat the vegetables in the same way - spread them out onto a large roasting tin, drizzle with plenty of olive oil and then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the chipotle seasoning and plenty of salt and pepper, then get stuck in with your hands and mix the whole lot together coating the veg well with the seasoning, cover with foil and roast for 30 mins, then without the foil for a further 30mins or until soft and beginning to char a little at the edges - set aside to cool</div>
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lay out your first wrap and spread a healthy spoonful of sour cream on top, then a little of the shredded chicken and a little of the spicy vegetables, then sprinkle generously with the grated cheese and roll tightly before cutting into five even pieces which you should lay vertically in an oven-proof dish... continue this way until the oven dish is full... I used half the chicken and 6 wraps</div>
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sprinkle the whole bake with a little more cheese and then bake on 160C until golden and sizzling... serve with a little more sour cream and some fresh tomatoes and cut chives sprinkled on top<br />
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the good folk from Mission Deli Wraps want to challenge people to think beyond simply putting fillings inside a wrap so I encourage you all to get creative and as innovative as you wish and then share your #WrapHacks on their <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MissionWrapsUK/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Facebook page</span></a></b> to be in the chance of winning a pack of wheat and white wraps!<br />
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eat and of course, enjoy!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431297921869969693noreply@blogger.com14