Heart Jam Biscuits

I found this recipe on the ASDA recipe website a couple of weeks ago and have been meaning to try it ever since. 

Makes 6
Ready in 2 hours
Price per biscuit 10p

Ingredients (can easily be doubled as needed):

55g butter, softened
30g caster sugar
¼tsp vanilla extract
85g plain flour, sifted, plus extra for rolling
40g white chocolate, chopped
Icing sugar, for dusting
About 2tbsp raspberry jam (preferably seedless)

Method

1. Beat the butter, caster sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt until combined. Stir in the flour, then bring the dough together with your hands. If the dough is very soft, wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.
2. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 4mm thickness. Cut out 12 heart shapes with a 6cm cookie cutter. Put them on the baking sheet. Cut out heart centres from six of the dough hearts with a smaller heart-shaped cookie cutter (you can bake these and serve as mini-biscuits). Chill both baking trays for 10 minutes in the freezer.

 3. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Bake the shortbread until golden round the edges (9-10   minutes for the cut-out hearts and 11-12 minutes for the solid ones). Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

4. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of warm water, stirring frequently. Set aside for 10-20 minutes to cool and thicken. Dust the cut-out cookies with icing sugar.
5. When cool, spread ½tbsp white chocolate over each solid white heart cookie, leaving a border round the edge. Put a blob of jam in the centre of each. Sandwich the cookies with the sugar-dusted tops and add a little extra jam in the cut-out centre, if needed. Chill for 10-20 minutes or until the chocolate has set, then store in a cool place.

Tips and review:

•    I found it fiddly to put the cut out heart outlines on top of the large hearts. So I think next time I will just do heart sandwiches, small and large which is what I did with the left over biscuits anyway.
• These biscuits would also be great just on their own, or perhaps dipped in chocolate for their decoration

Creamy Pesto Pasta

Pork or Lamb Kebabs with Tasty Marinate, Stir-fry Veg & Brown Rice

This recipe works well with either lamb or pork and I'm sure would also work well with beef (though I haven't yet tried it) and if you need to make your meat go further add a sausage or two.

This time I'm trying it with pork fillet.

TIP: Always make sure you go for lean/ fillet cuts of meat.

Marinade as long as you are able to, I usually do it before leaving the house for work ready for the meal that evening.

As far as vegetables go, just use whatever you have. I tend to use things like onions, mushrooms, and peppers.

Here is a photo of my ingredients:

 

Tasty Marinate Ingredients and Method:

Meat Marinading:

Finished Dish:

Summer Honey and Mustard Salad Dressing (Phil Vickery)

I've been having this on my lunch time salad all week, it's very nice indeed. I halved the quantities for my purposes which made a small jam jar to take into work with me. I have also worked out that taking the dressing separate from your salad in your lunch bag works wonders for freshness - much better. - Enjoy!


Makes approximately 250ml

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: none

Ingredients 2 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp honey 4 tbsp white wine vinegar

Salt and coarse ground black pepper 150ml extra virgin olive oil

Method
1. Combine the ingredients together.
2. Whisk in the olive oil last, to make a nice thick dressing.
3. Taste and add a little more vinegar or honey as you like it.
4. Cover securely.
5. Store in the refrigerator and serve at room temperature.

Phil Vickery’s Top Tips
1. Dressings really can be made from any oils or vinegars.
2. Always add the dressing to a salad at the last moment to keep the salad crisp.
3. Make the dressing and keep in a used jam jar, it’s easy to shake when needed.
4. Dressing added to warm new potatoes makes a great starter.
5. Also good with steamed or poached fish instead of sauce.


Original link 

Good Food Melting Chocolate Puddings

I was introduced to these puddings by my lovely friend Charline when we were round there apartment for dinner one day. They are very naughty, but very nice and great for dinner parties as everyone gets their own little individual pot. Perfect with a fresh scoop of good vanilla ice-cream on top!

Original Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 150g self-raising flour
• 4 tbsp cocoa powder
• 50g ground almonds
• 100g dark chocolate , roughly chopped
• 200g caster sugar
• 175ml milk
• 50g butter , melted
• 1 egg

SAUCE

• 150g dark muscovado sugar
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder 

Method:

1. To make the chocolate sponge pudding, heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, ground almonds, chocolate and sugar together. Then stir the milk, butter and egg together and mix into the dry ingredients. Spoon into 6 individual ramekins or ovenproof dishes.
2. To make the sauce, mix the sugar and cocoa powder and gradually stir in 300ml boiling water. Spoon this over the sponge mixture.
3. Bake the puddings for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 170C/fan 150C/gas 3 and cook for a further 10 minutes until the sponge feels firm to the touch - the sauce will be lurking underneath. Serve straight from the oven with cream. 

  

  

My Meatballs and Spaghetti

 

  

  

tip: when liquidizing the onion if the blade is struggling to turn round then, very slowly, add a little water until it starts to turn. 

 

This is the quantity of  meatballs which you should expect to get from the quantities given in the ingredients list. In my oven I cooked each side for 8 minutes, but your oven may vary.

  

(please excuse the less than artistic shot here - I'm afraid I was mid way through tucking in before I realised I hadn't yet taken a photo!)

Peppercorn Sauce (perfect for steak and chips)

I am a massive fan of peppercorn sauce on my steak and chips it must be said. My Adam was cooking me steak and chips for Valentines so I thought I would make some as an accompaniment.

I found this Oliver Ker recipe and thought I would give it a go - yum yum yum!

Ingredients:

• A small pot of  Double Cream
• 1tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 beef oxo cube
• Splash of white wine (I used red as it was what I had in and that worked fine)
• Splash of hot water
• 1tsp of crushed peppercorns

Method:

1. Add the cream to a small saucepan and heat gently.
2. Crumble the oxo cube into the cream
3. Add Dijon mustard, and most of the peppercorns leaving some for the steak
4. Add wine and water stirring all together
5. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper
6. keep stirring until quite hot

Blueberry & white chocolate muffins (GoodFood)

Three words - yum yum yum! Try them - love them :)

First published in the BBC Olive Magazine but I found it on the Good Food Magazine website, which is definately one of my favourite for recipes.


Ingredients:

• 150g plain flour mixed with 50g golden caster sugar, ½ tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt
• 1 egg , beaten
• 50g butter , melted and cooled
• 100ml milk
• 75g blueberries(I used frozen blueberries here and they were great, just leave them on the side to defrost an hour or two before cooking)
• 75g white chocolate , chopped into chunks with a sharp knife (or white chocolate drops if you have access to them)

 

(Straight out of the oven)

Potato Dauphinoise (my first atempt)

I've always fancied trying to cook Potato Dauphinoise, it is previously something which I have only had in restaurants. Anyway had my sister Tess round for dinner this evening and thought I would try it out as something different with potatoes to accompany my maple chicken drumsticks which I was already cooking. 

I googled it and came up with this recipe from the Potato Council (which I had never heard of - but figured they of all people will know what they are doing when it comes to potatoes)

To summarise this recipe in just a couple of words they would have to be naughty but delicious! Treat yourself

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Serves: 4
Oven Temperature: 180˚C, gas mark 4

Best Potato Varieties

• Desiree
• King Edward

Ingredients

 

• 500g King Edward potatoes, thinly sliced
• 200ml double cream
• 100ml milk
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 50g Gruyere cheese, grated

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C, gas mark 4
2. Place the sliced potatoes in a bowl of cold water to prevent them from browning. Rinse then pat dry with kitchen paper.
3. Place the cream, milk and garlic in a large saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the potatoes, cover and simmer for 10 minutes until just tender. Season well.
4. Transfer to a buttered ovenproof dish and sprinkle over the cheese. Bake for 25 minutes until golden.

 

 

Delia's Chicken Basque (for dinner with my Dad)

Original Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 x 3½ lb (1.75 kg) chicken,

jointed into 8 pieces (or drumsticks)

2 large red peppers (or whatever colour you have)

1 very large or 2 medium onions 

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

5 oz (150 g) chorizo sausage, skinned and cut into ½ inch (1 cm) slices  (for this I used half a pack of the ready sliced ones and that worked fine)

2 oz (50 g) sun-dried tomatoes in oil 

2 large cloves garlic, chopped 

1 level tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste 

½ level teaspoon hot paprika (I used smoked paprika here instead)

brown basmati rice measured to the 8 fl oz (225 ml) level in a glass measuring jug 

10 fl oz (275 ml) chicken stock (or stock made from Marigold vegetable bouillon powder) 

6 fl oz (170 ml) dry white wine 

½ large orange, cut into wedges (clementine or satsuma)

1 level teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

2 oz (50 g) black olives (pitted if you prefer) 

salt and freshly milled black pepper

Method:

1.      Start by seasoning the chicken joints well with salt and pepper. (I would suggest that you get your chicken on and cooking as soon as possible as it takes some time to brown through, before you do your chopping, preferably in a flat pan of some sort)

2.      Next, slice the red peppers in half and remove the seeds and pith, then slice each half into six strips. Likewise, peel the onion and slice into strips of approximately the same size.

3.      The dried tomatoes should be drained, wiped dry with kitchen paper and then cut into ½ inch (1 cm) pieces.

4.      Now heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the casserole and, when it is fairly hot, add the chicken pieces – two or three at a time – and brown them to a nutty golden colour on both sides. As they brown remove them to a plate lined with kitchen paper, using a draining spoon.

5.      Next add a little more oil to the casserole, with the heat slightly higher than medium. As soon as the oil is hot, add the onion and peppers and allow them to brown a little at the edges, moving them around from time to time, for about 5 minutes.

6.      After that, add the chorizo, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic and toss these around for a minute or two until the garlic is pale golden and the chorizo has taken on some colour.

7.      Next, stir in the rice and, when the grains have a good coating of oil, add the sun-dried tomato paste, paprika and chopped thyme.

8.      Pour in the stock and wine, and add some seasoning. As soon as everything has reached simmering point, turn the heat down to a gentle simmer.

9.      Add a little more seasoning, then place the chicken gently on top of everything (it's important to keep the rice down in the liquid).

10.  Finally, place the wedges of orange in among the chicken and scatter with the olives.

11.  Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook over the gentlest possible heat for about 50 minutes-1 hour or until the rice is cooked but still retains a little bite. Alternatively cook in a pre-heated oven at gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C), for 1 hour.

      I have to say that this is the first Delia recipe which I have ever followed and it has to be the most easy step by step, so well detailed, but in no way patronising recipe which I have ever followed. I highly highly recommend her. I am now definitely a fan. 

Enjoy! x

My Grandma Jo's cake method...

This is a method for making perfect sponge cakes of any flavour past down through our family, from my wonderful Grandma Jo, who I miss very dearly, may she rest in peace, I hope I make her proud. 

She who always welcomed us with a fresh cake and pot of tea to whenever we turned up at her house. 


Basic ingredients for every flavour of cake:

eggs
self raising flour
margarine or butter
caster sugar

Method:

The secret to this wonderful recipe is "measure to the eggs"

Regardless of how many eggs you decide to use, weigh them, with shells on, at the beginning, write down the measurement and weigh all of the remaining above ingredients to that measurement.

Preheat your over to 160'C

Mix marge/butter and sugar first

Then add the eggs and flour

Mix thoroughly until you have a lovely smooth mixture

This will make a very nice cake, just as it is, but now you have the choice to add whatever flavouring you like. Here are some of my favorites:

• For chocolate, add 4 heaped spoons of coco powder
• For classic victoria sponge add a teaspoon of vanilla extract
• For ginger and raisin add a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger root and a good handful of raisins (this is the option which I went for today as you will see from my photographs)

Mix your chosen flavour into the mixture well. 

I recommend that you use a food processor/ food mixer/ or electric whilst to get the smoothest quickest outcome, though elbow grease will do just as good a job, just might wear you out a little. It is definately fun to do it by hand if your cooking with children though.


Ladle/ spoon your mixture into a pre-prepared cake tin or cake cases.

Place into your hot oven for 15-20 minutes. Test your cake/s when you think they're done by putting a clean knife into the middle. If the knife comes out clean then it's done, if it comes out dirty then it need a little longer.

 

Serve and enjoy!

 

Lamb Braised in Milk & Fennel like things!

The recipe which I was going to try this evening was Simply Recipes' Lamb Braised in Milk with Fennel, however fennel was missing from my food delivery so I'm just going to try it with a variety of different fennel like things, namely fresh garden herbs, dried tarragon and fennel seeds.

Here is the original recipe:

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 1/2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 1 fennel bulb, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (or chopped)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley (or whatever fresh herbs you have)
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed (use mortar and pestle, or chop finely with a chef's knife)
• 2 cups milk (or one mug)
• 1/2 cup (small pot) heavy cream (or single)
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 onion

• 2 cups farro (can substitute brown rice) - one mug of brown rice served two adult portions + two lunch/child portions
• Salt and Pepper

Method

1 In a large (5 to 6 quart) thick-bottomed Dutch oven, heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil on medium high. Pat dry the lamb pieces. Season well with salt and pepper. Working in batches, place lamb pieces in the pan (do not crowd). Do not stir. Turn only once a side has browned. Brown all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.

2 Reduce heat in pan to medium. Add remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add the diced fennel and cook a few minutes until softened, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Add the garlic, onion, parsley, crushed fennel seeds. (I shock up my fresh herbs, jarred tarragon, fennel seeds and a little olive oil in my flavour shaker here until they were a paste before adding them all to the pan)

3 Add the meat back into the pot. Add the milk and cream. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, add the sprig of rosemary, cover. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until meat is tender.

4 While the lamb is cooking, prepare the farro (or brown rice). The farro will take about 45 minutes (brown rice takes 25mins) to cook, after which it can be kept warm, so time accordingly. Rinse farro through a sieve until the water runs clear. Add it to a large, thick-bottomed saucepan. Cover with about two inches of water and add about a tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, partially cover and let cook for 45 minutes or until tender. Drain of excess water and set aside until you are ready to use it.

5 Once the lamb is tender, remove the pieces from the pot and set aside. Discard the rosemary. Bring the milk cream sauce to a boil over high heat and reduce to about 2 cups. Working in batches, purée in a blender (or with an immersion blender) until smooth. (When puréeing hot liquids in a blender it's best to work with relatively small amounts, filling just maybe a quarter of the blender. Otherwise the pressure can blow the top off the blender and make a hot mess.) Return the sauce and the lamb to the pot and if needed heat until warm through.

 Step 5 is optional...

Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Before serving, stir in the fresh chopped parsley.
Serve the braised lamb over warm farro.

I will let you know how I get on....

The trick is, no matter what you are cooking/ planning to cook never panic, improvise instead!

I saw this recipe through a posting on Facebook and I liked the idea of it. That was enough to make me want to cook it. 

I, as I said before, initially planned to cook as per the recipe but the fennel was missing from my food delivery, so I had to get creative...I know what sort of taste fennel is, it's like an aniseed sort of flavour, so I started thinking about what I did have. I did have the fennel seeds, as per the recipe, and I did have jarred tarragon so I knew I would use those. Again I didn't have the specific fresh herbs listed in the recipe but I did have some other ones, so I went out to my garden and cut myself some oregano, thyme and rosemary, and I knew these would work together so that is what I have used instead.

Here are my ingredients for tonight:

This mentality goes for equipment too, always ask yourself; "what do I have?" rather than the opposite. Think about what you have used in similar recipes which worked well and have the confidence to give it a go. 

More examples: I don't have  a mortar and pestle but I do have a Jamie flavour shaker which I barely ever use so I decided to use that.


I don't have a dutch oven/ on hob casserole pot but I do have but I do have a tagine, and I know how delicious dishes are cooked in my tagine so again thought I'd give it a go.

 

This was delicious. The one tip I have is to add the cream at the end as I found that by adding it with the milk, as it said in the recipe, it curdled somewhat when I did it.