Well, I have been flat out ,having friends found here, or else going out for the past eleven consequtive days. So what's been on the menu?
More chicken and leak pie made with filo pastry, a duck, spicy sausage and tomato and white bean casserole(this before it became so unseasonably warm).Various interesting salads,especially a BEETROOT, SWEET POTATO AND SMOKED MACKAREL SALAD. made with roasted vegetables, some red onion added to the mix, some limejuice and then the whole lot tossed in a horseradish and cream sauce while it was still warm.
Served with some rocket leaves for colour.
Lots of red fruits, mangoes, pineapple for dessert, home made breads,made with a flour that had seeds in the mix, but to my taste ,somewhat heavy.
lots of Easter biscuits,
Recipe below.
EASTER BISCUITS.
250grammes of plain flour
175grammes if butter
150 grammes of caster sugar
4-5drops of oil of Cassia(more if you
I've a stronger taste)
1egg,well beaten
100 grammes of currants.
cream the butter and sugar till it is pale,then add the oil to the egg,and mix them into the sugar and butter.
Add the flour, and then the currants.
This will make a VETY SOFT dough.
Take a quarter of the mixture at a time ,and roll out ,using plenty of flour,you need the biscuits to be the thickness of a pound coin.
Place the m onto a baking sheet,using a fluted citter.
Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes,and then bake in a hot oven. 180 degrees,for 12 to 15 minutes, but watch them carefully ,as they burn when you take your eye off them
This amount should make around two dozen biscuits. They won't last long.....
Saturday, 31 March 2012
Tuesday, 20 March 2012
New iPad,so trying to find my way round it!
Having a. New machine to write on is qiuite a challenge. I still haven't worked out how I put photos onto it, but I'll get there soon.
I made a great chicken and leek pie last week, using fill pastry. Rather than shortcrust
Tomorrow I'm doing a fish pie, using salmon, seabream, cod and smoked haddock ,in a slightly cheesey sauce and with spinach leaves added to the sauce. mashed potato with lots of chives,a salad, and then sliced strawberries and mango,as one of my friends has given up puddings(except for fruit)for Lent.
In the evening, 2 more friends come for supper,where we will have braised pork with of onions and red cabbage,probably with some carrots for colour.
I might try to concoct some Filo baskets with smoked salmon,cream and egg yolks,they would be nice made in muffin cases.we will see.
Apologies for no pictures, but hope that you understand!
I made a great chicken and leek pie last week, using fill pastry. Rather than shortcrust
Tomorrow I'm doing a fish pie, using salmon, seabream, cod and smoked haddock ,in a slightly cheesey sauce and with spinach leaves added to the sauce. mashed potato with lots of chives,a salad, and then sliced strawberries and mango,as one of my friends has given up puddings(except for fruit)for Lent.
In the evening, 2 more friends come for supper,where we will have braised pork with of onions and red cabbage,probably with some carrots for colour.
I might try to concoct some Filo baskets with smoked salmon,cream and egg yolks,they would be nice made in muffin cases.we will see.
Apologies for no pictures, but hope that you understand!
Sunday, 4 March 2012
Busy cooking on Saturday.
I have been busy nearly all day yesterday, as I had a friend for lunch and another for supper.
I want to share the recipe for venison which I cooked in the evening
VENISON AGRIDOLCE
800 grms of leg steak
2 onions and 3 cloves of garlic chopped
2 carrots ,2 sticks of celery and half a bulb of fennel roughly chopped, bay leaves, thyme, sage leaves,a aprig of rosemary ,plus some parsley and finally 3 extra cloves of garlic , some choped parsley and basil to be added later.
Red wine and olive oil for the marinade,
Half a pint of game stock or beef stock ,plus pepper and salt.
A handful of sultanas, some pine nuts and some choped candied orange peel , 4 squares of dark chocolate and 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. 3 Amarreti biscuits crumbled. This is added for the final 10 minutes of cooking .
Cut the steaks into 3 cms pieces and put them plus the vegetables and herbs into a bowl ,and pour over the marinade so that the meat is covered. Leave for up to 12 hours
Drain the meat from the marinade and vegetables ,but keep everything , as you will use it to all..
Brown the meat in hot oil,and make sure all pieces are browned all over, then add the onions and garlic. Cook until they become translucent, and then add all the vegetables,pour over the marinade and bring to a simmer.Add the extra garlic and the chopped herbs and seasoning..
Cover and cook for 1 and a half hours.
In a separate pan , To 8 tablespoons of water add the currants, the pine nuts and the peel, the chocolate ,
and finally the vinegar.Allow the chocolate to melt, then pour it into the venison , crumble over the biscuits. Cook for another 10 minutes to allow the flavours to mingle.
I served this with Polenta,to which I added some tomato and basil.
Really good if cooked one day, and served the next.
I want to share the recipe for venison which I cooked in the evening
VENISON AGRIDOLCE
800 grms of leg steak
2 onions and 3 cloves of garlic chopped
2 carrots ,2 sticks of celery and half a bulb of fennel roughly chopped, bay leaves, thyme, sage leaves,a aprig of rosemary ,plus some parsley and finally 3 extra cloves of garlic , some choped parsley and basil to be added later.
Red wine and olive oil for the marinade,
Half a pint of game stock or beef stock ,plus pepper and salt.
A handful of sultanas, some pine nuts and some choped candied orange peel , 4 squares of dark chocolate and 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. 3 Amarreti biscuits crumbled. This is added for the final 10 minutes of cooking .
Cut the steaks into 3 cms pieces and put them plus the vegetables and herbs into a bowl ,and pour over the marinade so that the meat is covered. Leave for up to 12 hours
Drain the meat from the marinade and vegetables ,but keep everything , as you will use it to all..
Brown the meat in hot oil,and make sure all pieces are browned all over, then add the onions and garlic. Cook until they become translucent, and then add all the vegetables,pour over the marinade and bring to a simmer.Add the extra garlic and the chopped herbs and seasoning..
Cover and cook for 1 and a half hours.
In a separate pan , To 8 tablespoons of water add the currants, the pine nuts and the peel, the chocolate ,
and finally the vinegar.Allow the chocolate to melt, then pour it into the venison , crumble over the biscuits. Cook for another 10 minutes to allow the flavours to mingle.
I served this with Polenta,to which I added some tomato and basil.
Really good if cooked one day, and served the next.
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Even though it's cold, I feel like eating salads
Especially as I seem to have added somewhat to my weight just recently!
So Imade a salad from the following ingredients.....
half a leek, chopped finely
a handful of both rocket and lamb's lettuice
Half a little gem lettuice, shredded
Half a hard pear, sliced in half moons
about a third of a cucumber in fine batons
There was some puttanesca sauce left. so I mixed in some more olive oil, and poured that over the greenery, chopped some fresh mint,and then scattered the mint and some sunflower seeds over the top.
it was very tasty.
Then I made another one,
Some cooked py lentils,with a soy, honey and balsamic vinegar dressing poured over them while still warm, Two red onions cut into half moons and some sweet potato in pieces,both tossed in olive oilsalt and cinnamon before roasting in a hot oven for 30 minutes.Leave to cool . Salad made with some rocket leaves, and goat's cheese crumbled over the lentils and vegatables plus a little salt and a grind of black pepper,if needed.
Finally ., my fix on chilli. I really do love chilli!
Some nests of fine egg noodles,(I used two) Put in a bowl and pour boiling water over them, and leave to cool.
One red red chilli very finely chopped, 2 shallots finely chopped, a handful of Coriander leaves,
Sesame oil, Soy sauce ,some honey to taste and the juice of a lime. Enough to mix in well, but not be too wet.
Good on it's own ,or with roasted meats.
So Imade a salad from the following ingredients.....
half a leek, chopped finely
a handful of both rocket and lamb's lettuice
Half a little gem lettuice, shredded
Half a hard pear, sliced in half moons
about a third of a cucumber in fine batons
There was some puttanesca sauce left. so I mixed in some more olive oil, and poured that over the greenery, chopped some fresh mint,and then scattered the mint and some sunflower seeds over the top.
it was very tasty.
Then I made another one,
Some cooked py lentils,with a soy, honey and balsamic vinegar dressing poured over them while still warm, Two red onions cut into half moons and some sweet potato in pieces,both tossed in olive oilsalt and cinnamon before roasting in a hot oven for 30 minutes.Leave to cool . Salad made with some rocket leaves, and goat's cheese crumbled over the lentils and vegatables plus a little salt and a grind of black pepper,if needed.
Finally ., my fix on chilli. I really do love chilli!
Some nests of fine egg noodles,(I used two) Put in a bowl and pour boiling water over them, and leave to cool.
One red red chilli very finely chopped, 2 shallots finely chopped, a handful of Coriander leaves,
Sesame oil, Soy sauce ,some honey to taste and the juice of a lime. Enough to mix in well, but not be too wet.
Good on it's own ,or with roasted meats.
Sunday, 5 February 2012
My most useful pieces of equipment.
The next is the body clamp, which I use by fixing it onto the worksurface,and pushing my body
against it(that's why it's called what it is!) The T bar presses against the jar or whatever it is that needs opening, just watch that it doesn't twist round. Apologies for the inept ness .
What I have cooked this past week.
The Soda bread was a great success.
I mixed wholemeal flour with some seeded flour and polenta, and it made for a very interestingly tasting loaf.
Made a Risotto with Prawns and Mussels for Thursday evening, using the stock I made from the prawn shells from the week before,and adding some finely chopped leeks to the basic mixture of celery and shallots. Frozen peas were just stirred in at the end,as they cook so quickly ,as do the prawns and mussels ,and I wanted to retain their bright colour ,and then some chopped parsley ,a spritz of lemon juice and a good slug of olive oil....job done!
Made an apple cake yesterday, as the boys came up after watching the football match, they were absolutely FREEZING COLD,as it must have been around -6 degreesI haven't seen so many layers of clothing for a long time. .
Apple cake
2 eggs,their equivalent weight in flour, butter and sugar. Some powdered cinnamon and ginger
3 eating aples half chopped small, the rest in slices.Put the slices in some lemon juice to stop them from going brown.
Cream the butter and sugar ,add the eggs with the flour and the spices, ten added the chopped aple to the mix. Put in a greased and lined tin, and spread the slices over the top. Cover the slices with Demerara sugar,and put in the oven at 180o for 45 minutes. The apple makes the cooking time longer, but test the cake with a skewer if you think it is cooked before then.
Take from the oven the leave to cool. No need to ice ,as the apples make a good topping.
Sorry ,no picture ,as it was allmost all eaten, and they took the rest home with them!
I mixed wholemeal flour with some seeded flour and polenta, and it made for a very interestingly tasting loaf.
Made a Risotto with Prawns and Mussels for Thursday evening, using the stock I made from the prawn shells from the week before,and adding some finely chopped leeks to the basic mixture of celery and shallots. Frozen peas were just stirred in at the end,as they cook so quickly ,as do the prawns and mussels ,and I wanted to retain their bright colour ,and then some chopped parsley ,a spritz of lemon juice and a good slug of olive oil....job done!
Made an apple cake yesterday, as the boys came up after watching the football match, they were absolutely FREEZING COLD,as it must have been around -6 degreesI haven't seen so many layers of clothing for a long time. .
Apple cake
2 eggs,their equivalent weight in flour, butter and sugar. Some powdered cinnamon and ginger
3 eating aples half chopped small, the rest in slices.Put the slices in some lemon juice to stop them from going brown.
Cream the butter and sugar ,add the eggs with the flour and the spices, ten added the chopped aple to the mix. Put in a greased and lined tin, and spread the slices over the top. Cover the slices with Demerara sugar,and put in the oven at 180o for 45 minutes. The apple makes the cooking time longer, but test the cake with a skewer if you think it is cooked before then.
Take from the oven the leave to cool. No need to ice ,as the apples make a good topping.
Sorry ,no picture ,as it was allmost all eaten, and they took the rest home with them!
Saturday, 28 January 2012
The perils of being onehanded
Deepest gloom!! I was s having my family for lunch and had made a large lasagna. Put it on a tray to get it into the oven, and ,yes,youv'e guessed...it slipped and shattered on the floor. Broken glass, wet lasagna, mess everywhere, and there I was ready dressed to go to a Memorial Service with them that afternoon .
Fortunately a neighbour was at home, and she very kindly came and cleared the mess off the floor , before the family arrived. We had to eat a takeaway.Not what I had anticipated at all.
Today, for a surprise Birthday party I have made a
Meringue Roulade, filled with lemoncurd and passion fruit cream and fresh fruit.
This was OK, but I managed to get an egg on the worksurface as I was trying to separate the eggs. As there were so many egg yolks,I decided to make some lemon curd whileI was doing the Roulade. I found it tricky to roll the Roulade, probably because I was trying to do 2 things at once.
Maybe one day I will learn not to do this.
No unsalted butter for the lemon curd , but some in the freezer, so I put it in the Microwave, and didn't realise that the paper was metallic! A flash of bright white light, and a loud pop...... and a nasty smell.However, it still seems to work.
Far better was Thursday when I had 2 dear friends to lunch for their birthdays,(both on the same day, AND their wedding Anniversary too) We had Pheasant Pate,with a small salad,and some chilli jelly , and then I cooked Jamie Oliver's
Salmon fillets wrapped in Proscuitto with Py lentils ,and wilted spinach. Served with some plain yoghurt,and herbs, I used flatleaf Parsely, Chives ,Dill and the last of some GreekBasil all chopped fine and added to the yoghurt. They passed on the cheeses,which were a selection of Goat's cheese,and we had Coffee Jelly, topped with Dates infused with Coffee and Cardamom,and a blob of clotted cream underneath the dates. They loved the jelly, which I have done before,and there's a photo to prove it further back in the blog..
Tomorrow I shall make some Soda bread I think.
Fortunately a neighbour was at home, and she very kindly came and cleared the mess off the floor , before the family arrived. We had to eat a takeaway.Not what I had anticipated at all.
Today, for a surprise Birthday party I have made a
Meringue Roulade, filled with lemoncurd and passion fruit cream and fresh fruit.
This was OK, but I managed to get an egg on the worksurface as I was trying to separate the eggs. As there were so many egg yolks,I decided to make some lemon curd whileI was doing the Roulade. I found it tricky to roll the Roulade, probably because I was trying to do 2 things at once.
Maybe one day I will learn not to do this.
No unsalted butter for the lemon curd , but some in the freezer, so I put it in the Microwave, and didn't realise that the paper was metallic! A flash of bright white light, and a loud pop...... and a nasty smell.However, it still seems to work.
Far better was Thursday when I had 2 dear friends to lunch for their birthdays,(both on the same day, AND their wedding Anniversary too) We had Pheasant Pate,with a small salad,and some chilli jelly , and then I cooked Jamie Oliver's
Salmon fillets wrapped in Proscuitto with Py lentils ,and wilted spinach. Served with some plain yoghurt,and herbs, I used flatleaf Parsely, Chives ,Dill and the last of some GreekBasil all chopped fine and added to the yoghurt. They passed on the cheeses,which were a selection of Goat's cheese,and we had Coffee Jelly, topped with Dates infused with Coffee and Cardamom,and a blob of clotted cream underneath the dates. They loved the jelly, which I have done before,and there's a photo to prove it further back in the blog..
Tomorrow I shall make some Soda bread I think.
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