Thai Truffles. Prawn, Ginger and Lime.

Oh my word.  I can’t decide whether these are more beautiful or more tasty.  They seem to win in both categories.  A sort of Thai fish cake, coated in black sesame seeds and pan fried in sesame oil.  A perfect canapé or starter for an Asian inspired meal. 

I like them just as they are, while the hubbie dipped them in a sauce of soy, lime juice, rice wine and grated ginger.  Either way they taste so deliciously light and delicate, and best of all can be prepared 24 hours in advance of serving.

Ingredients (makes 8)

1 medium potato, cooked and mashed

1 spring onion, finely sliced

½ green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated

zest of a lime and juice of ½ the lime

60 g cooked prawns (I defrosted some from the freezer)

1 ½ tsp pesto (preferably homemade using Thai basil, sesame oil, cashews, garlic and parmesan shoved in a blender)

1 ½ tbsp breadcrumbs (I grated ½ a slice of bread)

2 large handfuls of black sesame seeds (look in Chinese supermarkets)

sesame oil for pan frying

Method

1. Combine all the ingredients bar the sesame seeds in a bowl.

2. Take teaspoons of the mixture into the palm of your hand and roll into balls, then roll in the sesame seeds.  Place them, covered, in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

3. Just before serving heat some sesame oil in a large frying pan and cook the balls over a moderate heat for a minute or two turning as you go.  Serve immediately.

Simply stunning.

French Chicken, Shallot and Tarragon Pie. Divine.

I completely adore recipes that combine chicken, tarragon, cream and mustard.  There is something provincially French about the union.

This is my French puff pastry chicken pie, a complete delectable joy.  However, feel free to omit the pastry and cook the sauce for longer on the hob, or until the chicken is cooked through, and then serve on some tagliatelle with a good sprinkling of parsley.  Scrummy.

Ingredients (serves 2-3)

3 skinless, free-range chicken breasts chopped into bite-sized cubes
300 g shallots, halved
100 g mushrooms, a mixture would be fine
 olive oil and butter for pan frying
3 garlic cloves
170 g creme fraiche
2 tbsp cream
100 ml white wine
4 tsp dried tarragon
4 tsp Dijon mustard
2 dessertspoons lemon juice
salt and black pepper
100 ml vegetable stock
250 g all butter puff pastry (from the freezer section of good supermarkets)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Heat some oil and butter in a saucepan and seal the chicken on all sides, then place in a bowl.  In the same saucepan add a little more oil and butter then fry the mushrooms and garlic over a moderate heat.
3. In a small saucepan melt a little butter and oil then add the shallots, cook with the lid on over a low heat, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes, or until the layers come apart easily.

4. Once the mushrooms have softened, remove from the heat and add the chicken and shallots to the pan.

5. Deglaze the shallot pan by pouring in the white wine, scrapping the base of the pan with a wooden spoon and cooking over a high heat for a few moments, or until the wine has greatly reduced.  Then add the creme fraiche, cream, tarragon, mustard, lemon juice, seasoning and vegetable stock.  Bring to the boil and then cook over a gentle heat for 15 minutes, stirring often.
6. Stir the sauce over the chicken mixture then pour into a pie dish.

7. Press a strip of puff pastry around the rim of the pie dish then top with the remaining pastry.

Crimp the edges.  There is no real point in trimming the excess, rather just pile it on top around the edge.

Brush with the beaten egg and cook in the oven for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden.

Delicious with mash and peas.

Luxury Smores. Such fun.

Oh my word these are INCREDIBLE.  A luxury version of the all-American campfire treat of cookies topped with dark choc and a toasted marshmallows. 

These smores have the same base of a simple cookie but I then topped them with dark chocolate orange ganache and meringue.  They would be perfect to serve at a bonfire night dinner party, as a midnight feast or as a novel dinner party pud.  You can assemble all the components a few hours in advance of serving then combine and pop under the grill for 30 seconds before eating.  How perfect.

Ingredients (makes 10)

10 plain biscuits

For the ganache

75 g dark chocolate, chopped

18 g cocoa powder

60 ml double cream

1 shot orange triple sec or Cointreau (optional)

1/2 orange, juice and zest

For the meringue

1 free range egg white

50 g caster sugar

Method

1. First make the ganache.  Mix the chocolate, cocoa powder, orange juice, zest and spirit (if using) in a bowl and place over a pan of barely simmering water.  Allow to melt, stir into a paste and remove from the heat.

2. Heat the cream in a saucepan.  As soon as it comes to the boil pour into the chocolate mixture, stir to combine.  Allow to cool then cover with cling film and pop in the fridge.

3. Whisk the egg whites until they form peaks then whisk in the sugar a tsp at a time until all is added and you have made a glossy, stiff meringue.  Cover with cling film and pop in the fridge.

4. When you are ready to eat simply spread each biscuit with a good dollop of ganache and then top a tbsp of meringue, forming it into spikes.  Pop under a hot grill for 30 seconds or until starting to brown and serve immediately.

Perfect for grown up children.

Coconut and Lemon Meringue Cupcakes.

The combination of a couple of leftover egg whites in the fridge (thanks to the mayo session), a hankering to experiment with lemon meringue pie and a jam jar of homemade lemon curd lead to my creating these delicious cupcakes.

They are so easy to make and are a little different thanks to the coconut sponge, a truly delicious partner to lemon.  The meringue is outrageously easy to make, whipped egg whites and sugar, you just spoon it on top of the cupcakes when they come out of the oven, then pop the whole lot under the grill to brown.  Each bite of cupcake gives you the sweet softness of meringue, a tang of lemon curd and light soft coconut sponge.  What's not to love?  And they look pretty damn pretty to boot.

These are especially for my father-in-law who I have heard on the grapevine is a fan of lemon meringue pie and is recuperating after a nasty tennis accident.

Ingredients (makes 9)

90 g unsalted butter
125 g caster sugar
165 g self raising flour
50 g dessicated coconut
2 eggs
90 ml milk
pinch of salt
couple of drops vanilla essence
9 tbsp lemon curd (homemade if possible, see my previous blog, or organic shop bought if not)

For the meringue

2 egg whites
100 g caster sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and grease or line a muffin tin.
2. In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Then beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well between additions.  Stir in the vanilla essence

3. Mix the flour, salt and coconut together in another bowl and then stir into the egg mixture alternating with the milk.  Stir to combine.
4. Soon the mixture into the tins and top, make a little dip in the centre of each and spoon in one tbsp of lemon curd per cupcake.

5. Pop in the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until risen and golden with the sponge bouncing back when pressed lightly with a finger.  Turn the oven to a high grill setting.

6. Whisk the egg whites until they form gentle peaks then whisk in the caster sugar a tsp at a time and whisking well between additions.
7. Remove the cupcakes from their tin and place on a wire rack on a baking tray.  Spoon oven large dollops of the meringue and shape into spikes...

then pop the muffins under the grill for a minute or two until golden brown, remove and devour...

Delicious and so beautiful.

Homemade Lemon Curd. Sunshine.

Lemon curd, the stuff of childhood tea-times - fresh doughy white bread, a slab of butter and golden, tangy, sweet lemony joy pooling over the top and spilling down the crusty edges and onto your fingers...Heaven.  And the wonderful news?  It is as easy as pie to make, takes seconds and tastes so much better than any shop bought stuff.  

Please please please use organic free-range eggs, it will make all the difference and give your curd a beautiful golden colour.

Ingredients

3 organic, free-range egg yolks

55 g caster sugar

juice of 1 lemon, and zest of half the lemon

75 g cold unsalted butter cut into cubes

Method

1. With a balloon whisk mix together the egg yolks, sugar and lemon zest and juice in a bowl over a pan of just simmering water.

2. Add a cube of butter then whisk until combined, continue until all the butter is added.  The absolute key is not to over heat the bowl, I find it's best if you keep moving the saucepan and bowl off the heat every now and then or else you will end up with scrambled eggs.

3. Once all the butter is added stir the curd over the heat until it noticeably thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, again do not allow to boil.

4. Pour the curd into a cold dish and cover with cling film.  When cold decant into a jam jar and keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. 

So very delicious. 

Homemade Mayonnaise. Smooth and Creamy.

As ever I grab onto a seemingly throw away comment by the hubbie and run to the kitchen.  This time he pondered aloud (in my direction) how delicious homemade mustard mayo would be with chips.  And indeed it is. 

Once you’ve mastered the incredibly easy generic recipe for mayo you can make up a large jar of the plain stuff and keep it in the fridge for a week, over which period you can take out spoonfuls and flavour according to your daily whim.  This avoids you filling your fridge with a vat of, perhaps rather niche, anchovy flavoured mayo.  You could flavour your mayo by adding extra lemon juice and zest for a lemon mayo, chopped olives for a (you guessed it) olive mayo, substituting the lemon juice for lime juice and adding some zest for a lime mayo, adding a large dollop of extra Dijon or wholegrain for a mustard mayo, or blitzing in watercress, garlic, capers, gherkins, truffle, anchovy paste…the list is near endless.  Whatever combo you try the resulting gloopy, creamy mixture will liven up each and every meal.  For example, I once made a sarnie for my brother-in-law after he had had a weekend partying in London and was about jump on the train home.  It took minutes to make but my wonderful brother-in-law raved about it for weeks after.  The secret?  Homemade lemon mayo.  I spread it on a fresh white baguette and topped it with peppered mackerel and watercress.  A jar of shop bought gunk would have wrecked the whole affair.  

Finally, using organic free range eggs produces a proper sunshine yellow mayo which begs the question - why is the mass produced stuff bright white?  Hopefully after trying this fantastically easy recipe you'll never buy the preservative packed gloop again.

Ingredients (makes about 375 ml)

3 free range organic egg yolks

 2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp lemon juice

300 ml olive oil

Method

1. Pop everything bar the oil in a blender and pulse to combine.

2. Slowly and with the motor running pour in the olive oil in a thin stream until it is combined and emulsified.

3. Thin the mayo by mixing in a tsp or two of boiling water.

Store in a covered jar in the fridge for up to a week.  Delicious.

Raisin, Bran and Carrot Spiced Muffins.

A great friend of mine is going to have a baby and has asked for a few sweet but healthy recipes that she can bake and take to work.  So I have invented these rather delicious and nutritious muffins especially for her.  Mummy-To-Be Muffins…

They contain much goodness like grated carrot, bran, bananas, raisins, nuts, oats, unrefined sugar and yoghurt, things which I reckon will not only keep her energy levels up but will also provide some much needed nutrients during this baby growing time.  Although, I have to admit that un-pregnant me completely loves munching them - they seem perfect for breakkie, elevenses, lunch, tea….

Ingredients (makes 10)

For the muffins

200 g plain flour

25 g wheat bran

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

small pinch of salt

2 eggs

90 g unrefined brown sugar (I used muscavado)

1 ripe banana, mashed

175 ml plain yoghurt

40 ml vegetable oil

1 carrot, grated finely

80 g raisins

25 g chopped nuts (I used blanched almonds)

For the streusel topping

45 g plain flour

45 g brown sugar

100 g unsalted butter

1 tsp cinnamon

15 g rolled porridge oats

handful chopped nuts

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C and grease or line a muffin tin.

2. Mix in a large bowl all the ingredients on the list from the flour to the salt (inclusive).

3. In a separate bowl mix together all the ingredients from the eggs to the oil (inclusive) then stir into to the flour mixture.

4. Add the carrot, raisins and nuts to the bowl, stir to combine.  Spoon into 10 muffin holes.

5. Mix all the topping ingredients together, either pulse in a food mixer or use your hands to rub the butter in.  Sprinkle over the top of the muffins.  You will probably have some topping left - use as a crumble topping or to sprinkle over a cake or more muffins.

6. Place the muffins in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean....

Allow to cool for a few minutes in the tin, then remove to cool on a wire rack.

Just try and resist whether you are pregnant or not...

Health Bread. So Easy.

The husband requested kippers for breakfast this weekend.  A request I’ve converted to a late brunch having always had a problem with protein in the morning.  However, excited as ever to have a random food request, I managed to root out some rather lovely looking kippers in the freezer section of the supermarket and baked some healthy bread in preparation - my recollection of Scottish holidays is that you serve kippers with brown bread? 

Either way this bread is completely delicious and looks rather lovely thanks to the stripes of seeds on top (the hubbie suggested I call it four seed-sons bread…).  As with all homemade bread it won’t keep doughy-fresh for days.  I tend to keep it in an airtight container out of the fridge for two days and serve it un-toasted, then I move it to the fridge and toast slices from the fridge until it’s used up.

Ingredients

300 g brown bread flour

200 g white bread flour

25 g wheat bran

 1 tsp salt

30 g sunflower seeds, plus extra for sprinkling

30 g pumpkin seeds, plus extra for sprinkling

30 g poppy seeds, plus extra for sprinkling

30 g sesame seeds, plus extra for sprinkling

10 g sachet instant yeast

1 dessertspoon runny honey

400-450 ml warm water

1 egg white

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl then add the water a little a time.  You may need a little more or a little less water.  When the dough comes together use your hands to gather it up and knead on a lightly floured surface until it forms a smooth dough. 

2. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with oiled cling film, leave to rise in a warm  place for an hour or until doubled in size.

3. Preheat the oven to as hot as it will go and grease and flour a loaf tin.

4. Knock the dough back down to size and shape into a log and pop in the prepared tin, cover again and allow to rise in a warm place. 

5. Brush the loaf with the egg white and sprinkle over the seeds in stripes, using a piece of card or similar to make the sharp divide.

6. Pop in the oven, spraying some water in the oven to create some steam to help the crust along, and bake for 40 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the base. 

7. Remove from the tin and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

 So very tasty.

Vegetarian Chilli. Flavour Without the Fat.

I am a fan of jumping on the ‘meat-free Mondays’ bandwagon, it must be better for the world and our wallets if we tone down our carnivorous urges and explore veggies and pulses now and again.  However, having accustomed to the relaxed African vibe, Wednesdays are our meat free Mondays. 

This week saw a lentil chilli inspired by a Sophie Dahl cooking show where she substituted lentils for the mince in her shepherd’s pie.  Don’t be put off by the list of ingredients, you should feel free to switch the veggies for ones that you have lying around or that are in season, the rest are simple store-cupboard staples.

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

3 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 green chillis, deseeded and sliced

200 g mixed mushrooms, quartered

3 courgettes, chopped

1 beetroot, peeled and grated

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp chilli powder

½ tsp sweet smoked paprika

1 bay leaf

4 juniper berries, crushed

1 dessertspoon tomato puree

1 tin plum tomatoes, chopped

150 g rinsed black lentils

1 dessertspoon balsamic vinegar

Salt and black pepper

100 ml milk

Juice ½ lemon

2 desertspoons plain yoghurt

1 tin of red kidney beans, rinsed

Sour cream to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan then add the onion and carrot.  Fry over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until the onion is transparent but not coloured.  Add the garlic, chilli, mushrooms and courgettes and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring.

2. Add all the spices, the beetroot, tomato puree and tin of tomatoes to the pan.  Fill the empty tin of tomatoes with water and also add to the pan.

3. Add the lentils and all remaining ingredients except the kidney beans, salt and lemon juice.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender.  Then add the kidney beans, lemon juice and salt to taste.  Cook for 5 minutes, taste, adjust the seasoning if necessary and serve with rice or bread, a dollop of sour cream and perhaps some guacamole.

Delicious.

Spiced Apple Crumble. Homely.

I admit it, I am rather anti crumble.  It has always seemed an incredibly yawn inspiring pudding.  However, this weekend, and for the first time in years, I pushed my boundaries and made an apple crumble.  It was on demand by the hubbie and irritatingly rather yummy.

I had instructions not to use muesli, nuts, oats or anything in the topping that would make it exciting in my book and sacrilegious in my husband's.  No the hubbie wanted a pure crumble and nothing fancy.  However, I did manage to sneak in some ground almonds in the topping and spices with the filling which went down very well.

Ingredients (serves 4)

Filling
4 apples (a mixture of eating and dessert apples would be best but I only had eating apples)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed spice
2 dessertspoons muscavado sugar
a handful of raisins
25 g butter cut into slices

Topping
30 g ground almonds
125g plain flour
70 g unsalted butter plus extra for greasing and 'dotting'
60 g muscavado sugar

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C and butter an ovenproof dish for four.
2. Core and cut the apples into chunks (I don't believe in peeling anything, what's the point?) and place in the serving dish.  Add the remaining filling ingredients and mix together with your hands then pour over 50 ml water if you are using eating apples less if you are using desert apples.

3. Rub the topping butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs then stir in the almonds and sugar.  Use to cover the apple mixture, dot the top with more butter...

...and cook for 30 minutes or until the top is golden and the juices are bubbling up the sides.

Serve hot with cream or custard.