Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category

Rum and raisin tart

Monday, January 25th, 2010

Last weekend I had my future in-laws visiting and wanting to make a good impression I spent time in the kitchen whipping up culinary delights, like this rum and raisin tart.

It’s my favourite dessert, my mum and nan both make this and now I do too. It is incredibly simple to make but tastes delicious especially when served with cream! But be warned – it is quite rich.

6oz Pastry (6oz flour, 1 ½oz marg, 1 ½oz lard, cold water)
4oz raisins
2oz glace cherries, chopped
3oz butter
3oz castor sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp rum

Make the shortcrust pastry by sifting the flour and salt into a bowl. Chop the fat into small cubes and add to the bowl. Using your fingertips rub the fat and flour together until it resembles fine bread crumbs. Add two tbsp of water and mix with a palette knife, keep adding the water gradually until the dough comes together in a ball, but do not let the dough get damp or sticky. If you are short of time, ready rolled shortcrust pastry does the trick!

Line a flan tin with the pastry, trim edges.

Place the raisins in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and then allow to cool for 5 minutes. Drain off water.

Melt the butter and sugar and gently bring to boiling point. Remove from heat.

Add the rum and egg yolks and beat well.

Cover the base of the pastry with cherries and raisins and pour over the egg mix

Bake in a pre-heated oven, Gas mark 4 for approx 40 minutes.

(For larger flan tins, make 1 ½  of all quantities)

Emma P

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X FACTOR

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

You might think I can cook given I work for a food and drink PR consultancy. Well you’d be wrong.

I have one dish. I developed that out of necessity whilst living on the Guinean border in Sierra Leone for a couple of years trying to turn ex-rebels into soldiers. Based on the food is energy theory and the availability of fowl with a modicum of flesh, it was never a headline act. But my family flatter me when my Chicken Makeni is rolled out once again. I know the enthusiasm is based on its delivery being in close proximity to either X-Factor or Strictly Come Dancing (yeah – I’d rather be cooking but didn’t Darcey do well). The respite it gives them from cobbling together the Saturday evening nosh.

So I set myself a target. The aim being to get their attention and produce something that can be turned out at a dinner party and generate the enthusiastic response Greg and Michel cough up when digging into an inspiring offering from a finalist on Professional Masterchef. I wanted a dish that was self-assured and freewheeling. A mother of all dishes.

For this I called up the Leith’s Cookery Bible, which smacks of culinary authority and turned to page 421. Peppered Venison Steak. Honestly it couldn’t be easier. And when there are only seven stages, one of which is ‘ boil up the sauce again’ I thought I’d hit a winner. I couldn’t have imagined how such a fantastic dish could be so easily produced. Nor how much fun one has (another stage is the pyrotechnic explosion when lighting the brandy – WHOOPS A DAISY where’s the dog gone?). I’ve created this using Donald Russell meat and it’s sublime. ‘Created’ implies artistic input but really Prue and Caroline are such consummate story tellers it merely needs a slavish adherence to their very clear direction and you’re in with a chance at the final.

I’ll allow myself to go ‘off piste’ once I’ve concocted it sufficiently well to see real satisfaction and not the glee of an uninterrupted Cowell-fest.

PS
All my growing bravado went to nothing when I tried this with pork. Disaster.
But at least the dog was back which was useful. He’s never been picky.

Simon

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Smoky tomato and chorizo bread

Friday, October 30th, 2009

Bread. I love it. I have made a fair few loaves over the last year or so but I have to say that the Chorizo bread recipe that I’m about to divulge to you is the best yet. I took a trip to Portobello Road last week and bought my favourite chorizo from Garcia’s for a chorizo bake that I like to make once in a while. I had some left over so I decided to try my hand at making smoky tomato bread with chorizo and I took the fantastic recipe from www.bakingmad.com.

Luckily I already had all of the ingredients in the cupboard, apart from the flour, which I did a dash to the supermarket for. I decided to use Allinson’s for two reasons, the first being that it is recommended on the recipe and the second being that we recently started working for Allinson’s and bakingmad.com so I was curious to try them out.  In went the ingredients and with a quick mix, a thorough knead and a slow rise later I popped it in the oven. 30 minutes of divine smells heading from the oven and voila, a large loaf of yumminess.

If you want to try it for yourself, the recipe is below – don’t eat it all at once.

Ingredients

225ml Water
3 tbsp Sunflower Oil
2 tbsp Tomato Puree
2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
11⁄2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Smoked Paprika Powder
3 tbsp Dried Onion Flakes
50g Chorizo Sausage, finely diced
150g Allinson Premium Wholemeal Very Strong Bread Flour
300g Allinson Premium White Very Strong Bread Flour
11⁄2 tsp Allinson Easy Bake Yeast

To Glaze:
Salt Water

Method

1. Put the flours, sausage, onion, paprika, sugar, salt and yeast into a
bowl.

2. Mix to a soft dough with the tomato puree, oil and water.

3. Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.

4. Shape as desired and put into an appropriate greased tin.

5. Leave to prove slowly* until double in size.

6. Glaze with salted water and bake in an oven preheated to 220°C/425°F/Gas
Mark 7 and immediately turn the heat down to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.

7. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

8. When cooked the loaf should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

*If you want your loaf to prove faster, use 21⁄2 tsp (1 sachet) of Allinson Easy Bake Yeast.

Sarah

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Kioskiosk

Monday, August 24th, 2009

Kioskiosk is a part of the Super Contemporary exhibition at The Design Museum. It gives small independent businesses a chance to sell their products rent-free in a prime London location. Different designers occupy it daily and this weekend was my boyfriend’s turn to sell his t-shirt designs. I decided to jump in with him and sell some homemade cakes – a perfect opportunity to use a KitchenAid mixer and make a few recipes from the 90th anniversary cookbook. I invited a few of my favorite bloggers down to sample the cakes and showcased the mixer along with the cookbook. The Kiosk is a great space with heaps of character; in a fab location overlooking City Hall and Tower Bridge. Our kiosk was aptly named ‘T-shirts and treats’.

The baking commenced and first off was the bread. I used the 90th anniversary Candy Apple KitchenAid mixer (should I be getting this excited about a piece of kitchen equipment?) and produced a few recipes from the anniversary cookbook. Honey and walnut granary bread, followed by a simple white bread recipe from the BBC and the wonderful soda bread recipe from eatlikeagirl’s blog.

On to the cakes, I decided to make lemon and vanilla tart, chocolate brownies, chocolate chip cookies, flapjacks, lemon and earl grey tea chiffon cake and a range of chocolate, lemon and lime, cherry and vanilla flavoured cupcakes!

The KitchenAid swirled in one direction and twirled the opposite way as I marvelled at the egg whites turn from liquid to a spongy mass. The lemon and earl grey cake, I was happy to say was made without butter. Never had I made such a cake and I was slightly nervous as I placed the mountainous foam into the oven. I was delighted to see the result, a lightweight sponge upturned onto the cooling rack. It didn’t taste half bad either.

The flapjacks nearly turned into a crumby, albeit tasty mess but a few minutes longer in the oven hampered any chance of this happening. I used Jordans rolled oats, which are, in my opinion the best oats I have ever used when making flapjacks.

All that was left to do was decorate the 42 cupcakes…

Eight hours later I was free to collapse in front of the TV before turning in for an early night. I woke earlier on Sunday and we headed off to the Kiosk.

My first sale was two loaves of bread, something that made me glimmer with excitement. Many sales later, Sarah Moore aka fingersandtoes came to visit and it was great to meet her. I found out some very useful information on London knitting groups and she went away with a sample of the lemon and earl grey cake and a KitchenAid cookbook.

I thoroughly enjoyed the baking and we now have plans to rent a stall at London weekend markets to sell our ‘t-shirts and treats’ on a regular basis. So watch this space.

Sarah

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Sweetcorn fritters

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

My first summer in London has been amazing and I’ve enjoyed some incredible meals, although I have definitely missed the BBQs that dominate the summer menu back home.

So when the sun came out on Sunday, I gathered some friends together, bought a disposable BBQ (not quite what I’m used to cooking with!) and with meat, salad and tomato sauce in hand, we headed to the common.

My favourite and easy addition to a BBQ (or brunch) is corn fritters, and after realising that some of my English friends had never even tried them (must be a Kiwi/Aussie thing) I prepared my best batch!

Corn fritters are so easy to throw together, relatively healthy, and although nothing fancy - they are always popular.

I love them because most people already have the ingredients in their pantry, they only takes minutes to prepare and you can easily throw in selection of vegetables or spices to create your own personal variations.

Click here for a recipe, serve with dollop of sour cream and sweet chilli sauce, and done - the perfect addition to your Kiwi BBQ!

http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/food/137296/Sweetcorn-fritters

Shannon

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Superb Sunday lunch

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

Everyone loves a lazy Sunday lunch, and I can’t recommend Le Vacherin in Chiswick highly enough for the occasion. This little restaurant in leafy Chiswick gets things just right, and whilst it’s not a casual pub lunch type place, it feels very cosy and welcoming, and is certainly special enough to be a bit of a treat. It’s also the sister restaurant of the acclaimed Le Cassoulet, which has won several awards for best local restaurant. Le Vacherin’s food is fantastic, with dishes including Burgundy Snails, South Coast Seabream with Cockle Butter and Creamed Potatoes, and Tart Tatin for two. Plus the three-course Sunday lunch for £19.95 per person definitely makes it easier to indulge (well, easier on the wallet, anyway). I cannot wait for next month, when the season for the restaurant’s namesake – gooey Vacherin cheese – kicks off.

Le Vacherin, 76-77 South Parade, Chiswick, W4 5LF
020 8742 2121

Laura

Image (c) Kake L Pugh

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Summer berry crumble

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

Going for a dulcet Sunday drive in Surrey I spotted a sign in the hedge – PYO raspberries. I decided it would be a glorious way to savour, what seemed like, the rare few rays of sunshine and support the local Pick Your Own.

Having excitedly jumped out of the car, I scurried past the little stall where you could buy ready picked produce, anticipating the full enjoyment of picking my own seasonally succulent raspberries. Having taken a punnet the farmer explained that there were tayberries, raspberries and loganberries to choose from – my instant reaction being ‘what on earth are tayberries?!’. Tayberries happen to be a cross-breed of raspberries and blackberries – so with curiosity taking hold I headed to those particular vines. With few quite ripe enough, and curiosity appeased, I turned my attention to the trusty raspberries.

After a very satisfying session of selecting (and eating) the juiciest, ripest berries I headed back to London parading the evidence of my countrified afternoon. Back home, staring at the looming pile of tayberries and raspberries, I wondered what on earth I was going to do with them. One thing. Crumble.

I bought the necessary ingredients – oats, butter, pears, brown sugar and flour – it was time to get culinary!

Thirty minutes later, pulled from the oven, a beautiful, delicious, perfectly browned crumble was presented before me and I felt proud of my efforts! It was tasted by all, with one acclaiming that it was the best crumble they’d ever had. Not that I like to brag.

Edwina

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Eddie’s Lemon Ginger Cheesecake

Monday, July 13th, 2009

I love cheesecake.
Bored of banging out the same tired old vanilla cheesecake recipe I started to think what the best combinations might be for the ‘ultimate’ cheesecake. At the moment I am a HUGE fan of ginger, be it in a revitalizing ginger tea, in a Thai style dish, a sneaky little treat involving ginger biscuits or (as I have recently discovered) in a lovely long glass of Pimms as it adds a delicate spice to this refreshing summer drink.

This is where my mini cheesecake ‘brainstorm’ led me:

RECIPE (Serves 12-14)

Base
300g ginger nut biscuits (McVities are fine – the more gingery the better!)
50g butter

Mixture
900g cream cheese
150g caster sugar
2 eggs
3 tsp fresh lemon juice
3 balls of stem ginger in syrup finely sliced and cubed (this can be tricky to find in your average supermarket unless around Christmas time – you can buy it in Waitrose all year round though)
2 tsp ginger syrup

Optional:
1 small punnet of blueberries (favoured so you are on your way to ‘5 a-day’ and for aesthetic reasons when you slice)

• Grease flan dish (28cm diameter, rounded or equivalent)
• Melt butter in saucepan - remove from heat (NB. Be careful not to burn)
• Put biscuits in a plastic bag and roll into fine crumbs with a rolling pin (or blitz in a blender)
• Add biscuit crumbs to butter, mix well then press into the greased dish
• Put ginger base in the fridge for at least 30mins until firm
• Mix cheese and caster sugar together with a big spoon or an electric whisk
• Add stem ginger, lemon and ginger syrup (to taste) then add the eggs and beat well
• Pour mixture into the dish and cook at a low temperature 130 °C (fan) for 1 hour or until set. You can test this by putting your finger lightly in the middle and it should feel set not runny (make sure it doesn’t brown on the edges)
• NB. From previous experience if a cheesecake has been baked and is still too soft for serving it is best left in the fridge for 24 hours+ as it will naturally set in the cold temperatures
• Leave to cool

Give this recipe a go if you are a cheesecake fan. For those fortunate enough to work in the London branch of Wild Card there is a little afternoon treat in store as I’ve brought one in for you all to try. Constructive criticism welcome – as are suggestions for other cheesecake recipes. Anyone?

Eddie

cc

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Thou shall have a fishy on a little dishy…

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

As much as I love the culinary delights London has to offer, it was fantastic to escape the hustle and bustle of the capital for a couple of days recently and jet off to sunny (no really) Scotland for the weekend.

The weather was glorious, the company splendid and the wine plentiful, but it was the food that really stole the show. We were on The Isle of Mull so as you can imagine restaurants were hardly on every corner so we were forced to fend for ourselves. On the second day of the holiday we got up early and met the boats at the harbour and haggled with the fishermen to get the best price for their freshly caught lobster, crab, langoustines, oysters, mussels and scallops. It was then up to us to transport these still very much alive creatures back to the house. To this day my car still smells vaguely of the sea.

Once back at the ranch I was given my marching orders in the kitchen and was soon getting my Nigella on, shucking oysters and marinating moules like a pro. I even cooked my first lobster (4 minutes in boiling water I’ll have you know). It was brilliant.

By early evening the table was set and positively groaning under a veritable feast of fresher-than-fresh seafood. We started with the oysters, served with lemon juice and Tabasco, followed by the langoustines, lobster, mussels, crab and scallops, all served with hunks of bread, green salad and a good dollop of mayonnaise. It was truly one of the most magnificent meals I have ever had and yet it was so simple. And it tasted all the more delicious because we had cooked it ourselves. It was the highlight of the holiday, and definitely something we’ll be doing again when we head back to the west coast of bonnie Scotland next year.

Lucy

ln_mull1

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