Cyder with Eloise

July 30, 2010

Thali

Filed under: Recipies — Tags: , — tamara @ 8:00 pm

Thali – A number of different dishes served typically for sharing, normally includes Indian breads, dal, curry, rice and pickles.

Or it could just be that I raided the freezer and this is what I found. An Indian Tapas meal – for the recipes follow the links.

Burmese Chicken Curry – One Lenny had made while I was away.
IMG_3295
Masoor dal with Pumpkin

Indonesian style Lamb Curry with Mushrooms

Cauliflower and Mushroom Curry

Lime Pickle

Mango Chutney – Ok I admit it I bought this one.

Mint Raita
200ml Yogurt
1 tbsp Dried mint (or fresh but ensure it is very finely chopped)
1/2 tsp Tamarind paste
1/4 tsp Garam Masala
1/4 tsp Turmeric
Blend all ingredients well and then leave to chill preferably for about 3 hours before serving. The chilling is not essential but i does encourage the flavours.

Poppadoms – Also purchased

March 9, 2010

Broccoli & Bacon Flan

Filed under: Recipies — Tags: , , , , — tamara @ 7:00 pm

There was an argument in the office the other day over the differences between a Flan and Quiche. I’m not sure who won, but I’m calling this a Flan as it can be served hot or cold and it’s not quite as eggy as a Quiche. If you have a definitive answer the this debate then please let me know.

This is also a great way to use up some otherwise forgotten greens. I thought my broccoli had given all it could the other week and was ready to pull her up but she is still producing some very small buds but along side the buds some very tasty fresh leaves. You can use other greens in place of the broccoli such as spring greens, kale or even beetroot tops.

Short Crust Pastry
225g Plain Flour – Sifted
Pinch of SaltBroccoli Flan
50g Lard – Cubed
50g Butter – Cubed
1 cup Cold Water

Flan Filling
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 Celery stalk, finely chopped
50g Butter
1 Garlic clove, crushed
50g Bacon, diced
150g Sprouting broccoli leaves, finely sliced
150g Cheese, such as gruyere, grated with extra for the topping.
2 Eggs, beaten
Salt & black pepper

Method
To make the pastry, rub the lard & butter into the flour and salt to until the mixture is like fine breadcrumbs.
Sprinkle enough water over the crumbs to bring the pastry together, but not too wet.
Knead lightly on a floured surface until smooth.
Wrap the pastry in cling film and refrigerate until required.
Preheat the oven to gas mark 5 (190c/375f). Roll out the pastry to fit your pie dish. Cover with greaseproof paper and blind bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Keep any off cuts of pastry as you can cut them into 1cm strips to line the top of the flan.
Fry the bacon in a pan until crispy and set aside on some kitchen paper, to remove some of the fat.
Cook the onion and celery in the butter until soft, be careful not to brown the onion as this will taint the flavour of the egg later. Add the garlic, broccoli leaves and bacon and cook until the leaves start to soften, then remove from the heat and stir in the egg and cheese and add some salt & pepper for seasoning. Empty the filling into the pie casing. Use any left over pastry to line the top of the flan, brush over the exposed pastry with egg white or milk and sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
Bake for 25 minutes.

January 9, 2010

Snowy Saturday

Filed under: Blog,Recipies — Tags: , , , , — tamara @ 5:00 pm

The fridge is finally empty from Christmas so after spending an hour pouring over recipe books for inspiration for my shopping trip today I’m now regretting suggesting a game of Badminton this morning, it’s going to throw the whole day out of kilter, especially as it means going out twice on the icy roads.

For breakfast I was going to have toast but the bread had little blue specks on it so I have had to go out in the snow and feed it to the birds instead, I think they need it more then I do, even our resident pheasant (nicknamed “Lunch”) was brave enough to come close for a feed.

So instead I have made some porridge. About 6 months ago we decided to ditch our microwave, it was taking far too much space up in the kitchen and we realised we only really used it for heating up milk anyway. I normally have breakfast at work so it wasn’t until I had prepared it all in the bowl I suddenly realised I was going to have to cook it on the stove. opps! But really it’s not that hard, I don’t know why we even bothered with the microwave.

How do you like your porridge? At work I normally have it with just milk and water, but at home I like to add some ginger syrup, try it it’s delicious. I also normally only buy the plain oats, I have tried numerous different packet oats with added fruit but I’m not enamoured by them.

Pasta with roasted tomato and aubergine

Ingredients
100g Cherry tomatoes, halved
3 Cloves of garlic, peeled but kept whole
1 Aubergine, chopped into 2 cm cubes
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp Oregano
1 tbsp Olive oil
Sea salt & black pepper
75g Linguine

Method
Preheat the oven to gas mark 4.
Layer the tomatoes, garlic and aubergine on a baking tray and sprinkle over the basil, oregano and olive oil, then season.
Roast for 1 hour.
Serve with pasta.

Apple & mincemeat bake
While clearing out the fridge this morning I found the last of a jar of mincemeat so as there was not enough to make more mince pies (even if I could fit another one in) I decided to put together a quick dessert. I can’t think of a proper name for it yet – any suggestions?

Serves 2 small portions, but you could easily increase the quantities.

IngredientsApple & Mincemeat
50g Mincemeat
2 Apples, peeled, cored and chopped into quarters.
1 tsp Demerara sugar
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp Golden syrup
30g Toasted almond flakes

Method
Preheat the oven to gas mark 6.
Grease a small dish and spread a layer of mincemeat across the bottom, layer the apples over the mincemeat.
Mix the sugar, lemon and syrup together to dissolve the sugar as much as possible.
Sprinkle the flaked almonds and drizzle the mixture over the apples.
Bake for 25 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and golden.
Sprinkle over some pomegranate seeds and serve with double cream.

December 30, 2009

Turkey Curry with Basmati Rice

Filed under: Recipies — Tags: , , — tamara @ 4:45 pm

Turkey: Yes there is still some left and I’m not bored of it yet! That’s got to be the best £50 I have ever spent. We normally have Goose for Christmas, but I’ve never made it stretch this far.

The spices used in this recipe are a good basic mix that I use over and over again in quick curries. You may like to use less turmeric and chilli powder then I do, you can always add more if you like the strength.

For the vegetables I have used parsnips, parboiled and chopped into 1 inch cubes, but I also like to use chick peas, which if dried, I cook in chicken stock for 1 hour first. This works very well with chicken.
Other suggestions are green beans or okra.

Ingredients
350g Turkey, left-over meat both brown & white.
1 Large onion, peeled and chopped
3 Garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
2 Red chillies, chopped
15 Cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tsp Ground cumin
1 tsp Ground coriander
3/4 tsp Turmeric
3/4 tsp Chilli powder
1 tsp Garam masala
150g Vegetables or Pulses of your choice.
300ml Stock (Turkey, chicken or vegetable will do)

Method
Parboil or prepare the vegetables or pulses and set aside.
Heat the oil in a heavy based pan and lightly brown the onions. Add the garlic, chilli and tomatoes and 50ml of the stock. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes to let the tomatoes soften.
Add all the spices and stir for 1 minute to let the flavours infuse, then add the vegetables or pulses and 200ml of the stock and cover again. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the meat. Fold in the meat to coat in the spices and heat through, adding more stock if required.
Meanwhile, rinse the rice before boiling in water with two crushed cardamom pods and a stick of cinnamon.
Serve with poppadoms and some homemade lime pickle.

December 29, 2009

Sausage & Bean Casserole

Filed under: Recipies — Tags: , , — tamara @ 3:41 pm

I find that I can never follow a recipe to the letter. I always deviate even from my own recipes! In this one I have included some mushrooms, purely as they needed using, so I recommend you do the same – have a rummage through the fridge and see what needs to be used up and throw it in, every meal is an adventure!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
250g Cannellini beans
If using dried beans, first soak over night and then boil for 1 hour or until soft in a large pan with 1 tsp smoky paprika, 1 spring of rosemary, 1 bay leaf.
6 Sausages, grilled and chopped into 1 inch chunks
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 Onion, peeled and chopped
2 Celery stalks, chopped
3 Cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
1 Red pepper, sliced
100g Mushrooms, sliced
400g Tinned tomatoes
200ml Stock
I have used turkey stock as I had some left over, but you could use chicken or vegetable.
1 tsp Smoked paprika
1 Bay leaf
1 tsp Sage
Salt & Black Pepper

Method
Pre heat the oven to gas mark 4.
In an oven proof pan, heat the olive oil and soften the onion and celery. Add the garlic, pepper, mushrooms and pre cooked sausages. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the tinned tomatoes. Swill out the tin with some of the stock and add all of that, then the drained beans and the seasoning’s.
Bring to the boil on the stove and simmer for 5 minutes with the pan lid off and then put the lid on and move to the oven. Leave to cook for 1 hour. If you feel you need to reduce the sauce then remove the lid for the last 1/2 hour, but keep and eye on it. You don’t want it to go dry. Likewise, if you think the dish is too dry, add some more stock or water. Taste for seasoning and serve with a hearty chunk of bread to wipe the plate clean.

December 28, 2009

Turkey Enchiladas

Filed under: Recipies — Tags: , , , — tamara @ 4:18 pm

In this recipe I make both the filling sauce and topping sauce in one go. It’s quicker and it means you get an even flavour though the dish, which for me is preferable.

Of course, this recipe can be done with other meats such as chicken.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
500g Left over Turkey, both brown & white meat, sliced
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, peeled and chopped
1 Celery stick, halved and sliced
1 Red Pepper, sliced
3 Garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
400g Can of chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp Tomato Purée
100 ml Turkey stock
1 tsp Ground cumin
1 tsp Ground coriander
1/2 tsp Chilli seeds
1/2 tsp Coco powder
Salt & Pepper to taste
150g Grated cheese (Mild: Monterey Jack or Spicy: Mexicana Cheddar )
8 Corn Tortillas (If your not making your own the I recommend Old El Paso)

Method:
Pre heat the oven to (180°C) gas mark 4.
In a heavy based pan soften the onions and celery in the olive oil.
Add the red pepper, garlic, tinned tomatoes, 1 tbsp of tomato purée and the stock, then bring to a simmer.
Add the spices and taste for seasoning. Add extra chilli if your feeling brave, and to help ward off a winter cold.
Simmer to let the flavours develop for about 10 minutes.
Next, you need to separate approximately 200ml of the sauce with as little of the vegetables as possible. The easiest way to do this is to strain the sauce through a colander, or something similar with large holes. (A sieve would be too fine.)
Put the thicker of the two sauces (filling sauce) back in the pan and add the turkey and 1/2 of the cheese. Stir in well.
Spoon the filling onto the middle of each corn tortilla and wrap, then place them folded side down into a lightly greased baking dish.
Stir in 1 tbsp of tomatoes purée to the topping sauce and pour over the dish then sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is browning and the sauce is bubbling.

NB:
Schwartz do a blend of Chilli & Cocoa Bean which works quite well inplace of the individual spices.

December 27, 2009

Potted Turkey

Filed under: Recipies — Tags: , , , — tamara @ 1:18 pm

You can modify this recipe to suit other cold meats. I have used pink peppercorns with turkey, but you might like to add some thyme with chicken, or cloves with ham, but be careful not to over do the seasonings.

Potted meats are great served with sour dough bread (from Hambleton Hall, if your lucky), pickles and cheeses.

Ingredients:
200g Left over cold turkey, mixture of both brown and white meat
60g Salted butter, softened
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/4 tsp Pink peppercorns
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
Pinch of grated nutmeg
1/4 Lemon, juice only

For sealing:
50g Unsalted butter
Pinch of salt
Pinch of grated nutmeg

Method:
Blitz all the potting ingredients in a food mixer until quite fine.
Pack into ramekins or kilner jars, pressing the meat mixture down firmly.
Melt the remaining butter and seasoning’s in a pan and pour over the meat to seal.
Store in the fridge to set but remember to remove at least an hour before serving.

December 13, 2009

When in the face of adversity – Cook.

Filed under: Blog,Recipies — Tags: , , , , , , , — tamara @ 2:11 pm

Our fridge freezer has broken down. I’ve not started to panic yet, luckily my mother has some room in her freezer for storage but there is still a lot of food that I need to save. I’m just praying when they come to fix it next week I will not hear the words “we’ll not be able to get the part before Christmas”.

When we lived in Canada I remember at this time of year we could open the back door and use the wall of snow as a deep freeze.

All the beautiful fruit I had stored to see me through to next summer I’m going to have to find a new way to eat up or preserve for the next few weeks.

Fruit leathers are essentially dried fruit puree’s. Cut into strips and rolled up, these thin, pliable sheets of fruit make tasty and relatively healthy sweets, they will keep in the fridge for up to a month or can be frozen – if you have a freezer!

This recipe is taken directly from the book preserves by Pam Corbin
. She calls it a fruit leather but we have been making beef jerky this week so I’m following a theme.

Apple & Blackberry Jerky

Ingredients
500g blackberries
500g apples, peel cored & chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
150g wild flower honey

Method
Preheat the oven to a very low setting – I use 60C. Line two baking sheets, measuring about 24 x 30cm, with baking parchment.
Put the blackberries, apples and lemon juice into a pan. Cook gently until soft and pulpy, about 20 minutes. Rub the mixture through a sieve or mouli into a bowl; you should have about 700g smooth fruit puree. Add the honey and mix well.
Divide the puree between the two baking sheets. Spread it out lightly with the back of a spoon until the puree covers the sheets in a thin, even layer.
Put the baking sheets in the oven and leave for 12-18 hours, until the fruit puree is completely dry and peels off the parchment easily. Roll up the leather in greaseproof paper and store in an airtight tin. Use within 5 months.

Variations
There is no end to the possible variations here – you can turn any fruit into a leather. All you need do is create a smooth thick puree with your chosen fruit before drying it out. Try plums, spicing the puree with a little cinnamon; or peaches, infusing them with a few honeysuckle blossoms as they cook. For a savory leather use half and half apples and tomatoes seasoned with celery salt.

November 24, 2009

Cauliflower & Potato Curry

Filed under: Blog,Recipies — Tags: , , , — tamara @ 11:02 pm

Here is a little insight into how my mind works. I would absolutely love to do a challenge like the Masterchef Invention Test, although they would tell me off for using everything!

So it’s 5.30 on Tuesday night, the vegbox is due tomorrow, no point going shopping and there are still a few items left to eat up from last week. So I go to my fridge and start creating.

I have a cauliflower & a courgette, humm but we had cauliflower cheese last week. I know how about a curry. So I pop on the internet for a recipe and get distracted by interesting blog posts. It’s now 7.00 and I’m hungry. So now I’m looking for something quick to cook. I have decided none of the recipes I found were quite right or would have required a trip to the shop.

Lets see what’s in the cupboards, some chickpeas hey. I prefer dried chick peas but tinned will have to do tonight.

While the onions and garlic are browning I have a route around in the spice cupboard and find some left over root ginger, so I decided to pop that in too!

I pick out some spices based on my knowledge of curry’s and the fact that I think nigella seeds and brown mustard seeds will look pretty along side the cauliflower. This is not always a good practice, luckily tonight it seems to be working.

In the fridge is the last jar of my slow roasted tomatoes from our garden, not bad that they have seen us though to November and I’m quite sad to be using the last jar.

Lenny quite sensibly has opted for lamb chops with new potatoes, so I steal a few potatoes to bulk up the curry, which I think is already going to be coming to work with me tomorrow there is quite a lot. I resist the urge to use up the spinach that I put in the freezer the other week, although I’m sure there is another recipe there – watch this space.

The result – quite delicious. I have omitted the root ginger and courgette from the recipe below, a step too far I feel, but you don’t know until you try. If you do try this one please let me know how you get on.

Serves 4

Ingredients
200g Chick Peas, dried (or a small tin)
1/2 Large Cauliflower, cut into florets
3 New Potatoes, cut to approx 1 inch
2 tbsp Groundnut Oil
1 Onion, Chopped
2 Cloves of Garlic, Finely Chopped
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Ground Coriander
3/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Brown Mustard Seeds
1/2 tsp Yellow Mustard Seeds
1/2 tsp Nigella Seeds
10-15 Crushed Curry Leaves
400ml Tomato Passata (I used my recipe for Tomato Purée)
100ml Water
1 tbsp Chopped Fresh Coriander

Method:
If using dried chick peas soak overnight and then boil in slightly salty water with a bayleaf for an hour or until al-dente.
Parboil the cauliflower and potatoes, drain and set aside.
Lightly brown the onions in the oil, add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the spices and fry lightly for another minute, as soon as the mixture starts to dry out add the tomatoes & water.
Add the potatoes, chick peas and cauliflower and simmer for 15 minutes to let the spices develop and the potatoes to soften, add extra water if required, then add the fresh coriander. Cook for a further 5 minutes.

October 7, 2009

Spanish Omelette

Filed under: Recipies — Tags: , , , , , , , , — tamara @ 8:44 am

UPDATED: 17th March 2010

This is great picnic food, it will keep warm without spoiling in tin foil but is also great eaten cold, served with some alioli, and will keep for a couple of days.

If you are making this recipe from scratch then slicing the potatoes before parboiling reduces the cooking time, but this recipe is even better when you use up left over new potatoes.

Ingredients:Spanish Omelette
600g new potatoes, sliced into approximately 3mm slices, just a guide no need to be too exact this is a rustic dish after all.
6 eggs
Pinch of saffron
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
Salt & black pepper
3 tbps olive oil
1 large red onion, finely sliced
1 clove of garlic, finely sliced
100g chorizo, diced into approximately 1/2cm cubes
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red pepper, diced
1 red chilli pepper, finely chopped

Method:
If required parboil the new potatoes and then rinse in fresh water and set aside in a large bowl.
Beat the eggs together lightly with the seasoning’s.
Soften the onions in 2 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan and then add the garlic, chorizo, tomatoes, pepper and chilli. Cook for 5 minutes to release the flavours from the chorizo and soften the tomatoes.
Tip the contents of the frying pan into the potatoes. Add the remaining olive oil to the frying pan, do not rinse the frying pan as you want to keep all the lovely chorizo flavoured juices.
Add approx 1/2 the egg from the already beaten eggs to the potato mixture and stir well to combine all the ingredients.
Pour the potato mixture into the frying pan and cover with the remaining egg. Flatten the omelette down into the pan. Cook on a low gas for 1 minute on the base and then brown off the top under a hot grill until the egg is cooked through.

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