Roasted Butternut, Feta and Pumpkin Seed Tart.

My Mummy came out to visit just before Christmas and bought me a great new cookbook - 'South Africa Eats' by Phillippa Cheifitz.  I love a new cookbook and this one is particularly wonderful as it documents all all the different food influences in this diverse and beautiful country.  

I slightly adapted a savoury tart recipe from the book (by using low-fat feta, a hint of rosemary and a rectangular tin) over Christmas when we were in need of an easy lunch.  It went down a storm and so here it is for all of you who also start to snooze at the thought of another quiche lorraine.

Ingredients (makes one 32 x 21.5 cm rectangular tart, or a 30 cm round tart)

For the Pastry

150 g cold butter, cut into bits
150 mature cheddar, grated
200 g plain flour

For the Filling

850 g peeled and cubed (1cm) butternut squash
1 handful of rosemary leaves
100 g butter
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp parmesan, grated
225 g feta, I used low fat to great results
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
salt and black pepper
4 large free range eggs
750 ml single/whipping cream

Method

1. First make the pastry.  Rub the butter into the flour, then stir in the cheddar. Gather together into a ball, cover with cling film and pop in the fridge for an hour.

2. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200C and roast the butternut with the butter, rosemary, oil and seasoning for 40 minutes, or until cooked and starting to caramelise.
3. Reduce the oven to 180C. Use the pastry to line the tart tin (butter the tin first).  Prick all over with a fork and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until cooked but not coloured.
4. Allow the tart case to cool in the tin then scatter in the squash, feta and pumpkin seeds...

Season then mix the eggs with the cream and pour over the tart...

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until set.

Serve scattered with fresh rocket.  So very delicious.

Giant Frangipane Mince Pie. Stress Free.

Jam tart tins are near impossible to buy in SA - muffin tins are everywhere but the little-shallow-ridged-tart tins so perfect for holding up tiny pastry cases are in short supply.  So this year I opted to make one giant mince pie and my word I will do the same in every coming year.  No hours of watching the oven door to switch tins for me, oh no.  One large tart and everyone is happy.  

This recipe is also a winner by snazzing up bought mincemeat and topping it all with frangipane rather than pastry.  The result is a completely delicious Christmasssy treat that is perfect with a cuppa round the fire/air con, or heated up with a dollop of ice cream for pud.  Oh and it freezes incredibly well, so I've given quantities for two - one for now and one for the freezer.   A perfect recipe for a stress-free Christmas.

Ingredients (makes two 36 cm x 12 cm rectangular tarts)

For the Pastry

225 g unsalted butter
200 g caster sugar
2 large free range eggs, lightly beaten
500 g plain flour

For the Mincemeat

2 x 450 g jars fruit mincemeat
4 apples, peeled, cored and grated
2 oranges, zest and juice
150 ml brandy
2 tsp mixed spice

For the Frangipane

125 g unsalted butter

125 g caster sugar

2 large free range eggs

100 g ground almonds

100 g flaked almonds to scatter

Method

1. First make the pastry.  Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs, then stir in the sugar.  Make a well in the centre and add the eggs.  Bring the dough together with a blunt knife and then with your fingers.  Don't overwork it.  Wrap in cling film and leave in the fridge for at least an hour.
2. Now make the mincemeat.  Pop all the ingredients into a large bowl, and set aside.

3. Finally make the frangipane.  Beat the butter and sugar together then add the eggs, one at a time.  Stir in the ground almonds.  Pop in the fridge.

4. Preheat the oven to 180C. Roll the pastry out as best you can and use it to line the two tins.  Don't worry if it breaks, just patch up the edges and trim the top.  Pop in the fridge for another 30 minutes, then prick all over with a fork and pop in the oven for 10 minutes.  Then allow to cool.

5. Fill each tart tin with mincemeat then dollop over spoonfuls of frangipane, then finish with a sprinkling of flaked almonds.
6. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden.   Allow to cool before removing from the tins.

Delicious.

Stollen Spirals. Doughy Deliciousness.

I have been dying to make this BBC Good Food recipe for ages and now, in my lady of leisure state, I at last have had the opportunity.  

The recipe is surprisingly easy to make and freezes incredibly well.  Although don’t imagine that you’ll be getting the dense almost stale consistency of the shop-bought stollen, this is a recipe that more resembles a Christmas hot cross bun dough with a line of marzipan and orange soaked fruits.  Perfect for a Christmas tea by the fire (or by the sea) and even more perfect for a quick and easy breakkie.

Ingredients (makes 11-12 buns)

I orange, zest only

4 tbsp Cointreau or Triple Sec

85 g dried cranberries

85 g dried mixed fruit

550 g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting

2 x 7 g dried yeast

85 g caster sugar

half a nutmeg, finely grated

85 g unsalted butter

1 large free range egg

250 ml warm milk

25 g chopped nuts (unsalted)

300 g golden marzipan

To decorate

Melted butter and icing sugar, icing sugar missed with a little water

Method

1. Stir together the zest, booze, cranberries and dried fruit, warm then cover and set aside.

2. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and nutmeg in a large bowl.  Add ½ tsp salt and run in the butter.

3. Beat the egg into the milk, make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in.  Use a dinner knife to stir in the flour then get your hands mucky.  Bring together to form a soft dough, adding a little more milk if absolutely necessary.

4. Tip onto a work surface and knead for a couple of minutes.  Oil the bowl, return the dough to the bowl, cover with cling film and allow to sit in a warm place for an hour, or until doubled in size.

5. Line a smallish roasting tin with butter then greaseproof paper and heat the oven to 190C.

5. Tip the dough onto a floured work surface and roll into a rectangle 70 x 18 cm.

6. Sprinkle over the fruit and nuts.  Roll the marzipan into a sausage 70 cm long and then place along one long edge of the dough. 

7. Roll up the whole lot like a sausage roll, then trim the ends and cut into 11-12 pieces.  Sit cut side up in the roasting tray.  Cover with clingfilm and allow to rise until double in size.

8. Remove clingfilm and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden.  Allow to cool on a wore rack and then freeze or ice and eat immediately.

Smoked Haddock Pate. Perfect.

I made a batch of smoked haddock pate for the carol service picnic last week.  In the past I’ve always made mackerel pate, but being on a quest to free up some freezer space I defrosted a couple of smoked haddock fillets and the rest is gastronomic history.  

I spooned the pate into enamel mugs, topped them with melted butter and a sprig of fennel (like a Christmas tree?!), allowed them to set in the fridge for a few hours, then packed them in the picnic bag along with some thinly cut toast.   Well all I can say is that it is completely and utterly greed inspiring.  A zing of lemon, a slight cayenne hit and smoky creamy haddock.  What is not to love? Perfect in enamel mugs for a picnic or in china ramekins for a smart dinner party.

Ingredients (serves 4)

500 g smoked haddock, I used two large fillets

1 l whole milk

2 bay leaves

1 lemon juice and zest

75 g melted butter, plus extra for topping

½ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp ground white pepper

salt to taste

2 tbsp extra thick double cream

sprigs of fennel to garnish

Method

1. Place the fish in a deep frying pan, cover with the milk and add the bay.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 7-8 minutes, or until the fish is cooked.  Remove from the milk, allow to cool then flake into chunks (removing any bones).

2. Place all the remaining ingredients in a blender along with the fish and whiz up until you have a smooth-ish pate.

3. Spoon into serving dishes, cover with the extra melted butter, gently set a sprig of fennel in the top and pop in the fridge until set.

Delicious with toast.

Angel Cupcakes. Zero Fat for Christmas!

I have been on a major ice-cream making drive this week - I decided that ice cream would see us through a hot Christmas.  But, thanks to chocolate, brandy butter and vanilla tubs sitting merrily in the freezer, I'm drowning in egg whites...  

So I decided to give angel cakes a go.  Being without cream of tartare I used lemon juice to stablise the whites - a perfect solution methinks.  I continued the citrus theme with lemon icing, then sprinkled over some coloured almonds, made a few cake signs and handed them over at a housewarming party last night.  

They are a fun way of using up egg whites and would be delicious with a dollop of cream and a few fresh berries for a healthy-ish pud.

Ingredients (makes 27 cup cakes)

13 egg whites (at room temperature)
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp lemon juice
375 g icing sugar, sifted
210 g plain flour, sifted
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 lemons, finely grated zest only

Icing

300 g icing sugar, sifted
4 tbsp lemon juice


Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C.
2. In a very clean dry china or copper bowl (don't use plastic) whisk the egg whites, salt and lemon juice until stiff peaks form when you remove the whisk.

3. Whisk in the sugar a couple of tbsps at a time, whisking for 30 seconds between each addition.

4. Fold in the sifted flour (carefully, you don't want to get rid of all the air), then fold in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.

5. Spoon the mixture into cupcake liners, in a cupcake tin (a good dollop in each) and bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden.

6. Allow to cool on a wire rack then make the icing.  Mix together the icing sugar and enough lemon juice to give you a drizzling consistency. Spoon over the cupcakes.

So light and guilt free!

Pea and Smoky Bacon Soup. So Easy.

Last night we went to a carol concert, South African stylee - Ladysmith Black Mambazo in the Durban Botanical Gardens.  What fun it was. While they made a good go at Jingle Bells, my favourite is still their rendition of Old MacDonald Has a Farm...!

So needing to make a picnic for the event as well as needing some space in the freezer I decided to whip up some pea and bacon soup.  It is so unbelievably easy and works so well either as a filling picnic soup or a sunday night snuggle mug.

Ingredients (makes enough for 4 hungry people)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 kg bag of frozen peas
200 g free range smoked bacon bacon, cut into chunks
2 tbsp veg stock powder
3 spring onions, trimmed but kept whole
salt and black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan then add the bacon.  Fry on a moderate heat until cooked then pour in the frozen peas, spring onions, stock powder and enough boiling water to cover.  Season, bring to the boil and simmer for 4 minutes.

2. Remove from the heat, discard the spring onions, puree and serve.

So easy, so delicious and so last minute dot com.

Radioactive Christmas Piccalili. With Apple.

It wouldn't be Christmas without an oversized ham, a groaning cheeseboard and a dollop of radioactive piccalili.  So despite being seriously late (you are supposed to make this months in advance), I set to work this week making a few pots for the coming weeks.  

Not only is piccalili surprisingly easy to make, but it is a great use for bland cauliflower.  And best of all the homemade version looks just like the bought stuff despite being devoid of any E-numbers.  I added a little more sugar to ensure it is edible next week (rather than needing time to 'mature') and as a result it was pretty edible from the saucepan...I'm never ever going to buy piccalili again, instead my radioactive culinary moment will be a pre Christmas ritual forevermore.

Ingredients (makes 4 large jars)

2 cauliflowers, cut into small florets
10 shallots, cut into quarters
5 easting apples, cored and cut into small chunks
500 g courgettes or baby marrows, cut into small chunks
100 g salt
1.5 l cider vinegar
200 ml malt vinegar
a medium piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 tbsp coriander seeds
500 g caster sugar
8 tbsp cornflower
5 tbsp English mustard powder
4 tbsp tumeric

Method

1. Sterilse your jars and lids by popping them throw a cycle in the dishwasher.
2. Mix together the vegetables and apples in a large bowl, add the salt, cover with 2 l of water, cover with cling film and allow to soak overnight.

3. The next morning, drain the veggies, rinse, then pop in a large saucepan with the vinegar, ginger, coriander seeds and sugar.
4. Bring to the boil and simmer for 8 minutes or until the veg is starting to think about becoming tender. Drain the veg reserving the liquid.
5. In a large bowl mix the cornflour, mustard powder and tumeric together then gradually add the vinegar mixture, whisking as you go to stop lumps forming.

6. Return the yellow sauce to the saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring, until it thickens (about 5 minutes). Stir in the veg and spoon into the jars.

7. Cover with a wax disc and keep for as long as you can resist in a cool dark place, I'm sure it will be fine for up to a year.

Just so delicious in any sarnie.

Spiced Apple and Honey Cake. Christmassy.

We are heading up to the Drakensburg mountains this weekend for some hiking and self-catering.  So before packing any clothes, topping up the meter or remembering where I wrote down the booking, I set to work on making a breakfast cake.  Cake for breakfast is a big thing in our household.  Especially when on an adventure.

Whether you have just climbed a mountain, walked along the beach or are staring out of your window, there is nothing better than a flask of proper coffee and a slice of homemade cake as the sun is coming up.  Cake doesn't require re-heating, milk or even a plate.  Just a slice of the good stuff in one mitt and a mug of coffee in the other and you know the day will be a goodie.  Historically, my staples for breakfast cakes are, in no particular order: lemon polenta http://bizandthebear.blogspot.com/2012/04/over-easter-weekend-we-hatched-plan-to.html, Nigella's banana http://bizandthebear.blogspot.com/2012/05/nigellas-banana-cake-wondefully.html and orange and bran http://bizandthebear.blogspot.com/2012/05/breakfast-cake-cake-for-breakfast.html.  

However, given that we are now in advent, something spiced was essential for this trip.  So here is my spiced apple cake - it makes the whole house smell of Christmas, takes seconds to make, keeps like a dream and is just perfect for a December breakkie (or the times when you don't fancy offering yet another mince pie). 

Ingredients (makes one 20 cm circular cake, or one regular loaf tin cake)

125 g unsalted butter
225 g treacle sugar
2 free range eggs
225 g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 heaped tsp cinnamon
1 heaped tsp mixed spice
300 g eating apples, peeled, cored and chopped into small chunks
120 g raisins, soaked in 75 ml of rum overnight
runny honey for drizzling

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160C and line your tin.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together with electric beaters, then mix in the eggs.
3. Sift over the flour, baking powder and spices and fold in.

4. Stir in the apple and raisins (plus any juice), and pour into the tin.

5. Bake in the oven for just over an hour, or until risen, browned and starting to shrink from the edges.
6.  Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then remove, peel off the paper and sit on a wire rack on a baking tray.  While still warm, use a cocktail stick to make small holes over the top of the cake and pour over a little runny honey.

Apple, honey, spices, rum and raisin - what's not to love?

Peach, Almond and Amaretto Tart. Addictive.

Peaches and nectarines were on offer last week.  As usual I got carried away and then, days later, was left feeling guilty as the slightly squidgy beauties stared at me uneaten from the fridge. 

So here is a delicious tart recipe that was surprising easy to make, although you do need time on your side.  I actually used a combo of peaches and nectarines, you could do the same or go crazy and use completely different fruits, pears would be amazing, as would blueberries, plums or apricots.

I've sent a slice off in the hubbie's lunchbox everyday this week and not one crumb has returned.  A result methinks.

Ingredients

For the pastry case

250 g plain flour
120 g unsalted butter
75 g icing sugar, sifted
2 large free range egg, yolks only
1-2 tbsp cold water

For the filling

120 g unsalted butter
120 g caster sugar
2 large free range eggs
120 g ground almonds
30 g plain flour
2-3 tbsp Amaretto
2 caps fulls of almond essence (2 tsp)
5-6 nectarines, peaches etc, sliced

Method

1. First make the pastry.  Mix the flour and butter together until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.  Mix in the egg yolks and water until it forms a soft dough.  Wrap in cling film and allow to cool for 30 minutes.

2. Unwrap and then roll in between two sheets of cling film to the size of a rectangular tart tin or 20 cm circular tart tin (don't worry if you get cracks, just fill them in with excess trimmed from the edges).  Prick all over with a fork and chill again for 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 180C and cook the case for 20 minutes, or until just light brown.

3. Meanwhile make the filling. Soften the butter then add the sugar and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the almonds, flour, Amaretto and almond essence.
5. Spoon the filling into the cooked pastry case and top with the fruit.

Pop in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the filling is puffed up and golden brown.  Allow to cool in the tin.

Serve warm or cold with cream.  It keeps jolly well in the fridge for a few days.

The Creamiest Vanilla Ice Cream. Simple but Highly Effective.

This is the best vanilla ice cream recipe I have ever found.  I served it at a dinner party last week and at least one person said it was the best ice cream they have eaten since arriving in SA while the hubbie reckons it is the best ice cream he has ever tasted, but then again he may be biased.  

Nonetheless Angela Nilsen, writing for BBC Good Food, has struck upon a winner.  I'm never going to bother looking for another vanilla ice cream recipe, this is one for life.

Ingredients (makes 8 generous scoops)

284 ml double cream (it also works very well with single or whipping cream)
300 ml full fat milk
115 g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod
3 large free range eggs, yolks only
lots of ice cubes

Method

1. Make sure your ice cream machine is ready to go.
2. Pour the cream, milk and half the sugar in a medium saucepan.
3. Slit the vanilla pod in half down its length, scoop out the seeds with the tip of a sharp knife (be careful) and add to the cream mixture.  Cut the pod into 3 and add to the pan.

4. Heat the cream mixture over a low hear, stirring occasionally, until it almost boils (you'll see a few bubbles around the edge).
5. Take off the heat and allow to infuse for 30 minutes.
6. Put the egg yolks in a bowl with the remaining sugar and beat with a hand beater for 2 minutes or until thicker, paler and falls in thick ribbons when you lift the beaters.

7. Add a good dollop of the cream mixture to the egg yolks.
8. Heat the remaining cream mixture until it just comes to the boil then remove from the heat and stor in the egg mixture.
9. Return the pan to a low heat and cook, stirring, for 8-10 minutes until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.  Make sure it doesn't boil.
10. Poor the custard into a heatproof bowl and sit it in a bigger bowl full of iced water.  Stir occasionally for 20 minutes, or until cool.

11. Pop the custard in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight.
12. Freeze according to the ice cream maker's instructions, it will be too soft to eat when the machine has done its business, so decant into a freezer proof container and freeze for at least 3 hours before serving.