Tuesday 28 June 2011

Chocolate fridge cake

400g plain chocolate,broken into pieces
100g butter
225g madeira cake,crumbled
30g rice crispies
50g glace cherries
4 digestive biscuits,broken
50g raisins
2tbsp golden syrup
white icing pen

Line a loaf tin with baking paper.Ment 275g chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.Melt the butterand add to the chocolate along with the madeira.Mix in the rice crispies,cherries,digestives,raisins and syrup,and mix well.Pour into the loaf tin and chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours until set.Remove the cake from the tin ,peel away baking paper and put on a plate. Melt the remaining chocolate and spread over the top of cake and leave to set.Then decorate with the icing pen.Cut into squares and serve.

Ginger pork stir-fry

300g long-grain rice
2tbsp sunflower oil
540g diced pork
2 red peppers,deseeded and sliced
1/2 bunch spring onions,trimmed and sliced
170g mangetout
3cm piece fresh ginger,peeled and grated
3tbsp soy sauce
3tbsp orange juice
3tbsp sweet chilli sauce

Put the rice in a large pan to cook while you cook the pork.Heat the oil in a pan and add the pork.Gently stir-fry the porkfor 3-4min.Add the peppers,spring onions,mangetout and ginger.Continue to stir-fry for another 3-4min.Pour over the soy sauce,orange juice and sweet chilli sauce.Heat through and serve with the rice.

Dates not to miss

For you foodies out there don't miss out on these fab food festivals.
9-10 July Cherry festival,Brogdale farm,Faverham,Kent.
9-10 July Dorset seafood festival,Weymouth.
27 July Nantwick cheese show,Cheshire.
All with cookery demonstrations and tastings so don't miss out.

Cherry pancakes

Sift together 125g plain flour and 2 level tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt.Gradually beat in 1 egg and 150ml milk and 1 level tbsp caster sugar for a thick batter.Heat a little oil in a pan,and add tbsp of batter and cook until bubbles appear on surface.Flip the pancakes and cook until golden.Repeat until all the batter is used.Keep warm.For the sauce stone and half 150g cherries and put in a pan with 4tbsp apple juice and 4tbsp maple syrup.Heat gently until the cherry juices run,simmer for 2min.Pour over the pancakes and serve.

Sunday 19 June 2011

Peanut butter bears

40g/1 1/2oz rice krispies
75g/2 1/2oz icing sugar
2 tbsp sesame seeds
100g/3 1/2oz smooth peanut butter
40g/1 1/2oz unsalted butter
To decorate
16 chocolate buttons
mini m&ms
black writing icing

Put the rice krispies in a large bowl and stir in the icing sugar and sesame seeds.Melt the peanut butter and butter in a pan over a low heat.Pour the mixture into the bowl and stir until everything is well mixed together.Divide the mixture into 8 parts squish each one together with your hands,then roll into a ball.Put the balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment.Squish down slightly to flatten.Put chocolate buttons into the sides for ears and push in mini m&ms for eyes and noses.Use the writing icing to draw mouths.Chill in fridge for 30min.

Strawberry and chocolate flan

175g plain flour,plus extra for rolling out
2tbsp icing sugar
100g butter,chilled and cubed
150g dark chocolate
25g caster sugar
2 lrg eggs
2-3 drops vinilla extract
250g strawberrys,trimmed

Preheat oven to 200c/180c fan/gas 6.Sift flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl.Stir in the icing sugar and rub in butter with fingertips until it looks like breadcrumbs.Sprinkle over 2tbsp chillied water and mix with a knife until it forms clumps.Gather with your hands to make a dough.Put the pastry on a floured surface and roll out to a thickness of a £1 coin.Use to line a 23cm flan case.Prick the base and lay some baking paper inside.Weigh the paper down with dry rice.Bake for 10min.Remove the paper and rice and return to the oven for another 5min.Reduce the oven to 160c/140c fan/gas 3.Break the chocolate into squares and put in a bowl.Heat the cream until it is almost boiling and then pour over the chocolate.Stir until the chocolate melts.In another bowl,whisk the caster sugar,eggs and vanilla until creamy.Pour on the chocolate,then pour into the pastry case and cook in oven for 25min.Leave to cool.Slice strawberries and serve some on the flan.

Tuesday 7 June 2011

Tikka chicken

100g greek style yoghurt
100g tikka curry paste
1tbsp lemon juice
chicken quarters

Mix the yoghurt,tikka paste and lemon juice add the chicken
and cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.BBQ the chicken over a direct
heat for 5min on each side.Then continue to cook over an indirect heat
for 45-55min turning occasionally,until cooked through.
Serve with tomato and red onion salad and nann bread.

Wine of the month

MAS MIRALDA CAVA ROSADO BRUT
£4.49 75cl from asda.This pink fizz is great
for summer parties.It's a delicious bubbly cava with
fantastic strawberry fruit flavours with a soft finish.

Pink meringues with strawberry sauce

100g caster sugar
75g icing sugar
3 egg whites
1-2 drops pink food colouring
250g strawberrys,trimmed and sliced
2tbsp strawberry conserve
300ml double cream

Preheat oven to 120c/110c fan/gas 1.Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.Mix the caster sugar and icing sugar together.Whisk the egg whites in a clean dry bowl until they form stiff,glossy peaks.Add a dessertspoon of the sugars,one at a time,whisking until stiff again after each addition.Add the colouring with the last spoon of sugar.Using 2 dessertspoons,put the mixture into 12 piles on the baking trays,lifting it out with one spoon and easing it off with the other.Bake for about 1 hour.Puree a third of the strawberrys with the conserve.Whip cream until it just holds in shape.Fill the meringues with the rest of the strawberrys,cream and sauce.

Monday 6 June 2011

Homemade pork pie

500g ready to roll shortcrust pastry
flour for rolling out
1 med egg.
400g pork fillet
454g lincolnshire pork sausages
2 rashers lean back bacon,chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme,chopped
1 tbsp parsley,chopped

Preheat oven to 190c/170c fan/gas 5.Roll out pastry into 2 circles of 26cm and 23cm in diameter.Use the larger one to line a 20cm cake tin and let the excess pastry hang over the rim.Lightly brush with beaten egg.Cut the pork into cubes.Skin the sausages and mix with pork,bacon,thyme and parsley.Put the meat  mixture in the pastry case and shape with a slightly damed top.Lay the 23cm pastry circle on top.Trim off the excess pastry.Make three cuts in the top to allow the steam to escape.Brush with egg.Bake for 45-50min.Let cool before serving.

Saturday 4 June 2011

Raspberry and orange tiramisu

2 x  pots mascarpone
500g pot fresh custard
300g raspberries
4tbsp cointreau
6tbsp orange juice
26-28 sponge fingers
1tbsp cocoa,sieved

Put the mascapone in a bowl and stir to soften.Gradually whisk in the custard until smooth.Spread one third of the mixture in the base of a dish.Scatter on half the raspberries.Mix the cointreau and orange juice together and dip in half the sponge fingers for a few seconds.Arrange them neatly in the dish.Cover with another third of the mascarpone and remaining raspberries.Dip the rest of the sponge fingers as before and arrange on the top.Cover with the last of the mascarpone.Chill for at lest 2 hours.Dust the surface with cocoa before serving.

Quiche with salad leaves and balsamic dressing

500g Ready to roll shortcrust pastry
Flour for dusting
100g Fresh/frozen peas
1tbsp oil
1 red pepper,deseeded and cut into small pieces
1/2 bunch spring onions,trimmed and sliced
75g Emmental,grated
4 lrg eggs
300ml single cream
3tbsp milk

Baby salad leaves
2tbsp olive oil,1tbsp balsamic vingar,to serve.

Preheat the oven to 200c/180c fan/gas 6.Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface then use to line a 22cm square flan tin.Prick the base with a folk and lay a piece of foil inside.Weigh it down with baking beans or dry rice and bake for 10min.Remove the foil and beans/rice and return to oven for 5mins.Turn oven down to 180c/160f/gas 4.Boil peas and drain.Heat oil in pan and cook pepper and spring onion till soft.Scatter in the base of the flan case with the peas and emmental.Beat the eggs,cream and milk together.Season,then pour the mixture into the flan case.Bake for 25min or until lightly set.Make the dressing by mixing the olive oil and balsamic vinegar together.Toss with the salad leaves.Serve with the cooled quiche.

Friday 3 June 2011

King Prawn kebabs

Raw king prawns,thawed
1tbsp groundnut oil
1tsp sesame oil
2tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1tbsp soy sauce
1tbsp lemon juice
250g pack mushrooms
6 cherry tomatoes

Peel the prawns,leaving the tails on.
Mix oils,sweet chilli,soya and lemon juice together.
Add prawns and marinade for 10min.
Thread on skewers with the mushrooms and tomatoes.
Brush with leftover marinade.BBQ for 4-8mins.

Halloumi and lime kebabs

Zest of 1/2 lime,finely grated
4tbsp lime juice
6tbsp olive oil
2tbsp coriander,chopped
1 garlic clove,crushed
2 x 250g packs halloumi,cut into cubes
8 baby plum tomatoes
1 red,1 yellow pepper,deseeded
2 small red onions,in wedges
1 med courgette
Mix the lime zest and juice,oil coriander and garlic together.
Add the Halloumi and marinate for 1 hour.
Thread on skewers with the vegetbles.Brush with the
remaining marinade and barbecue for 8-10 minutes.

Aldi's Banana Ghosts

500g Greek Yogurt 100g Desiccated Coconut 25g Milk Chocolate Chips 4 Large Bananas (firm, not overly ripe) Method Peel the bananas and cut i...