tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14692424663318647502024-03-14T09:46:03.528+00:00Dinner at Maya'sUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-63753330187268536012012-12-23T14:38:00.000+00:002012-12-25T21:57:02.696+00:00Mince Pies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Using a jar of mincemeat makes this Christmas classic a breeze to create. I made my own pastry to give a little extra zing with some orange zest and enhanced the flavour of the jarred mincemeat by adding a little whiskey, cinnamon and nutmeg. These additions and small visual imperfections from home baking these pies brings them a step above the store bought varieties. Pair this with small glass of port.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TWa9nkA7QVs/UNcT04WGBJI/AAAAAAAABhA/KRgSmoJ1cWw/s1600/DSC_4163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mince pies picture christmas" border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TWa9nkA7QVs/UNcT04WGBJI/AAAAAAAABhA/KRgSmoJ1cWw/s640/DSC_4163.JPG" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
1 jar store bought <a href="http://www.waitrose.com/shop/ProductView-10317-10001-1969-Waitrose+mincemeat">mincemeat</a><br />
1 cup plain Flour<br />
1 tbsp light brown Sugar<br />
1 tbsp dark brown Sugar<br />
1 tsp confectioners Sugar (<i>optional - for dusting)</i><br />
1/2 cup of Butter, cubed<br />
1 tsp Salt<br />
3 tbsp ice-cold Water<br />
1 shot of Whiskey or Brandy<br />
1 orange, Zest only<br />
1/2 tsp Cinnamon<br />
1/2 tsp Nutmeg<br />
a bit of Milk<br />
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<u>Recipe</u><br />
Start with the shortcrust pastry, which is the same from my previous recipe. Mix the flour, light brown sugar and salt and rub in the cubed butter until the texture is like that of soft bread crumbs. Add the cold water and form into a dough - no need to knead, treat the dough with care! Cover with clingfilm and and leave to chill in the fridge for at least half an hour.<br />
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When the dough is ready, pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees and grease your pan of choice. I used a regular 12 hole muffin pan. Roll the dough over a floured surface as thin as you can make them, then cut out rounds for the base. I didn't have pasty cutter that was large enough for my muffin pan so I used a pasta crimping wheel around a <i>Bonne Maman </i>lid which happened to be the perfect size. Slide the rounds into the muffin tin and then spoon one level tablespoon of mincemeat into each casing. This ended up using just over 2/3 of my 450g jar, so I was able to make a few more the next day.<br />
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Using the rest of your dough either cut out a round as the top layer for your mince pies, or cut shapes. I opted for heart shapes as I was feeling brave and creative. Lay them on top and snip a hole in the center if you're doing a full top layer. Brush the tops with milk and sprinkle over some dark brown sugar. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown at the edges. When they come out of the oven leave them to cool for a few minutes before transferring onto a serving plate and sprinkle over some confectioners sugar. Enjoy with brandy butter. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-57917395576424147162012-12-16T12:30:00.000+00:002012-12-16T12:30:51.804+00:00Orange and Apricot "Bakewell" Tart<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This isn't your classic Bakewell Tart. I have made some additions and substitutions but the cooking method and essence of the classic is still there. I added orange zest and juice to the cake mixture for a more holiday feel. Then instead of the raspberry jam, I used apricot jam to for the base of the tart. In all this is a far more subtle tart than the classic but with sophisticated flavours. Team this with a mug of English breakfast tea for a match made in heaven.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-trkVppkoRGE/UM26_PXBsCI/AAAAAAAABfs/BYoiyoby9Hs/s1600/DSC_4140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-trkVppkoRGE/UM26_PXBsCI/AAAAAAAABfs/BYoiyoby9Hs/s640/DSC_4140.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
1/2 cup cold Butter, cut into cubes<br />
1/2 cup softened Butter<br />
1 cup plain Flour<br />
1 cup ground Almonds<br />
1 Orange, zest and juice<br />
1/4 cup Suet<br />
3/4 cup of Sugar (I used a combination of dark demerara and natural)<br />
1 tsp Baking Powder<br />
1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda<br />
1 tsp Xanthan Gum<br />
4 Eggs<br />
3 tbsp Apricot Jam<br />
1/4 cup of flaked almonds to garnish<br />
1/2 tsp of icing sugar to garnish (optional)<br />
1 tbsp Cointreau (optional)<br />
Cold Water<br />
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<u>Recipe</u><br />
Make the shortcrust pastry first by adding the cold butter to the flour with the suet and a tablespoon of sugar for sweetness. Using your hands, press the butter into the flour mixture and rub to form clumps the size and texture of soft breadcrumbs. Slowly add a bit of cold water and using a knife bring mix together until it forms a crumbly dough. Don't worry if it's too crumbly to roll out, put the ball of dough onto a piece of clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge or 10-15 minutes in the freezer.<br />
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Pre-heat the oven while you are waiting for the dough to 180 degrees. When the dough is ready, dust a clean table liberally with flour. Roll your dough to 0.5cm thickness and line your baking tin. Poke the bottom with a fork so that no air bubbles form and then line with greaseproof paper before pouring in baking beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and let the pastry cool.<br />
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To make the filling, cream the softened butter with the rest of the sugar and add orange zest. I like adding the zest at this point as it brings out more of the orange flavour. Once it's light and fluffy, add the eggs ground almonds, baking power, bicarb, xanthan gum, orange juice and Cointreau (if using) and combine well. I used the xanthan gum as I didn't add flour to my cake mixture, so the gum will improve the overall crumb due to the lack of gluten.<br />
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Using a tablespoon, spread the apricot jam over the base of the pastry. Then pour in your cake mixture. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes and then top with the flaked almonds. Bake for a further 12 minutes until the top of the cake is a golden brown and the almonds have lightly roasted. Leave to cool on a rack and sprinkle with icing sugar. I enjoyed this cake warm with Brandy butter and a large mug of tea.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FYVuoG_BF6A/UM27ChVLTaI/AAAAAAAABf0/B-Bak80G4wU/s1600/DSC_4142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FYVuoG_BF6A/UM27ChVLTaI/AAAAAAAABf0/B-Bak80G4wU/s640/DSC_4142.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-39364827123418454832012-12-09T17:24:00.000+00:002012-12-09T17:25:27.551+00:00Cinnamon Rolls<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img class="slideshow_stream_img" src="http://distilleryimage4.s3.amazonaws.com/3547503e422411e2ae7122000a9f0a14_7.jpg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 6px; border-bottom-right-radius: 6px; border-top-left-radius: 6px; border-top-right-radius: 6px; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 100%; text-align: -webkit-auto; vertical-align: middle;" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">My take on these delicious beauties. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Recipe can be found here (Note this is the small batch version of the Pioneer Woman's classic recipe)</span></div>
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<a href="http://blog.kitchenmage.com/2011/01/small-batch-pioneer-womans-cinnamon-rolls.html">http://blog.kitchenmage.com/2011/01/small-batch-pioneer-womans-cinnamon-rolls.html</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-26166001630645677282012-12-02T12:06:00.002+00:002012-12-16T12:39:24.835+00:00Swede Cakes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B19IurCNavQ/ULs_1RUrxNI/AAAAAAAABdk/c4VP_1y1vtI/s1600/Swede-Illustration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B19IurCNavQ/ULs_1RUrxNI/AAAAAAAABdk/c4VP_1y1vtI/s400/Swede-Illustration.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
This delicious recipe came from my friend,<a href="http://thecraftbureau.blogspot.co.uk/"> <i>The Craft Bureau</i></a>, while we were having some veg-box musings on the train. This time of year veg-boxers are likely to get quite a few of these "alien" vegetables and I feel that there must be more to them than mash. These delightful cakes are mashed swede to begin with but when fried they have a lovely crispy exterior, and the addition of spices makes these far more versatile.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wk8XvzotGdU/ULtB0LdmAXI/AAAAAAAABd0/RfICRfrEDbY/s1600/DSC_3952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="444" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wk8XvzotGdU/ULtB0LdmAXI/AAAAAAAABd0/RfICRfrEDbY/s640/DSC_3952.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lq7ACgiLRo8/ULtBxS-Z15I/AAAAAAAABds/oUchW3KTJQM/s1600/DSC_3943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lq7ACgiLRo8/ULtBxS-Z15I/AAAAAAAABds/oUchW3KTJQM/s640/DSC_3943.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>Ingredients</u><i> makes 8 cakes</i></div>
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1 medium Swede, peeled and roughly diced</div>
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Salt & Pepper</div>
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Spices of choice - I used chili powder & garam masala</div>
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splash of Milk</div>
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1 cup of plain Flour</div>
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1/2 Leek, or Onion, quartered</div>
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1 small Potato, peeled and roughly diced</div>
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cooking Oil or Fat</div>
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<u>Recipe</u></div>
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Heat water in a large pan and boil the diced swede, potato and leek in a pan for 50 minutes or until the swede is very soft. Drain water and leave in the colander for a good 5-10 minutes to get all the water out. Toss the cooked vegetables back into a pan, add a splash of milk and mash well. It's ok if the vegetables are a bit lumpy. </div>
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The swede holds a lot of water so your mash is probably wet and lumpy at the moment. Take a wooden spoon, add your spices and mix the mixture well. Add half of the flour and combine. You want the mixture to become more dough like, but not too dry. Think of the consistency of dry starchy mashed potatoes, and add flour until you reach that. </div>
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At this point or post boiling, the mixture can be left covered in the fridge to pick up the flavour of the spices overnight. This will also make it a bit easy to shape your cakes for frying. When you're ready to start frying, heat a pan with some cooking oil or fat. I had some dripping to hand so used that to provide an extra flavour. Keep the pan on medium heat and spoon a serving spoon sized mixture carefully into the oil. They will take about 4 minutes on each side, don't flip them over until their bottoms come cleanly off the pan and are nicely browned. </div>
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Place on kitchen towel to soak up the oil and then serve. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9zszM38vzSs/ULtB2BSH9uI/AAAAAAAABd8/JPKdYooRtMo/s1600/DSC_3956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9zszM38vzSs/ULtB2BSH9uI/AAAAAAAABd8/JPKdYooRtMo/s640/DSC_3956.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For a quick breakfast, heat up some swede cakes and serve with a fried egg</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-34924900904105273982012-11-24T11:38:00.000+00:002012-11-24T11:38:46.319+00:00Step-by-Step Perfect Bone-In Rib Eye Steak<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Every so often, you will find a <a href="http://www.waitrose.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductView-10317-10001-15143-essential+Waitrose+British+beef+bone+in+rib+steak+(per+kg).html?storeId=10317">Bone-In Rib eye steak</a> in <i>Waitrose </i>sitting on the shelf. These things sell out so fast that if you see them, you must buy them all! So once you have acquired this beautiful piece of meat, here's a simple recipe to cook it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Og1qnw4ofvc/ULCtNq7_zHI/AAAAAAAABbs/L-9jIaA9Y2s/s1600/DSC_9278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Og1qnw4ofvc/ULCtNq7_zHI/AAAAAAAABbs/L-9jIaA9Y2s/s640/DSC_9278.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1. Marinate your beef. I used salt, pepper, fresh parsley and lemon zest to keep it nice and simple. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PgZXSQId1Qw/ULCtQ34s-NI/AAAAAAAABb0/7_gY7oankPE/s1600/DSC_9282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PgZXSQId1Qw/ULCtQ34s-NI/AAAAAAAABb0/7_gY7oankPE/s640/DSC_9282.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2. Rub the marinade in with a bit of oil and leave it to rest for 10-30 minutes or longer in the fridge so that the flavorings permeate the meat.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JpoPE6rDRyk/ULCtULDb7FI/AAAAAAAABb8/1rjEwWetaSw/s1600/DSC_9288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JpoPE6rDRyk/ULCtULDb7FI/AAAAAAAABb8/1rjEwWetaSw/s640/DSC_9288.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3. Make sure you remove any blue elastic bands from the herbs when you come to cook your steak otherwise someone will have some rubbery nastiness. Take the steak out 30 minutes before cooking to allow it to get to room temperature. During this time you can make the sides, some <a href="http://dinneratmayas.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/garlic-hassleback-potatoes.html">hassleback potatoes</a>, potato salad, rocket salad, <a href="http://dinneratmayas.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/roasted-butternut-squash-potenta-chips.html">Polenta chips</a>, mushroom sauce or whatever takes your fancy. Heat up a griddle pan large enough to hold your steak until it's almost smoking. You don't need to add oil to the pan as there is already oil on the steak. Carefully place the steak on the griddle and for a piece this size (750g), I cooked mine for 5 minutes on each side for a nice medium rare.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aKtinbwL7lM/ULCtW0oJKdI/AAAAAAAABcE/zNBFzE1IguU/s1600/DSC_9292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aKtinbwL7lM/ULCtW0oJKdI/AAAAAAAABcE/zNBFzE1IguU/s640/DSC_9292.jpg" width="522" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4. After 5 minutes, flip the steak over. As you can see the meat has a nice crust on it from the longer cooking time. Remember crust = flavour. I normally press down on the fatty eye and other fatty bits to ensure those render down properly. They should sizzle!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ru-7PyR5qSY/ULCtaVW0ygI/AAAAAAAABcM/VyCpONWzxKg/s1600/DSC_9297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ru-7PyR5qSY/ULCtaVW0ygI/AAAAAAAABcM/VyCpONWzxKg/s640/DSC_9297.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5. When ready, allow your beef to rest on a plate tightly covered with foil. This will allow the meat to relax and the juices to flow back into the steak.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dC7HfGn5q6Y/ULCtdFTBYmI/AAAAAAAABcU/maEabOjwGA0/s1600/DSC_9302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dC7HfGn5q6Y/ULCtdFTBYmI/AAAAAAAABcU/maEabOjwGA0/s640/DSC_9302.jpg" width="488" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6. If you're sharing this steak with a fried, slice through the meat so everyone gets a bit of everything and plate up. Check out the pinkness in the middle. Glorious!<br /><br /><a href="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_click?lid=41000613802239658&pid=1078147&adurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.my-tool-shed.co.uk%2Fp1078147%2FCampinGaz_C-Line_2400_Super_Barbecue%2Fproduct_info.html&usg=AFHzDLtDfzniJx-SYhiM9ccrvcuxQQXafg&pubid=593288" rel="nofollow">CampinGaz C-Line 2400 Super Barbecue (Google Affiliate Ad)</a></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-32479163367243980512012-11-18T17:03:00.000+00:002012-11-18T17:03:33.184+00:00Salmon Caviar, Poached Egg and Hollandaise<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">I had some leftover Salmon roe from an evening I made sushi and woke up the following morning craving it's salty fishy taste. This is a pretty and in my opinion, tastier version of the class smoked salmon and egg breakfast. The eggs are resting on some large cress leaves for a kick of pepper.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-um46Bj2kG50/UKkRkGBcjcI/AAAAAAAABaY/HKJRfHmtBEs/s1600/DSC_7171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-um46Bj2kG50/UKkRkGBcjcI/AAAAAAAABaY/HKJRfHmtBEs/s640/DSC_7171.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>Ingredients</u></div>
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2 tsp Salmon Caviar (easily available at <i>Waitrose</i> or your local fishmonger)</div>
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3 organic Eggs</div>
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2 slices of Toast</div>
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1 tbsp Vinegar</div>
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1/2 Lemon, juice only</div>
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Salt & Pepper</div>
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Watercress <i>optional</i></div>
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1 sliced Spring Onion, <i>optional</i></div>
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<u>Recipe</u></div>
To make the hollandaise, put the yolk in a bowl and whisk in a bit of salt and pepper. Add vinegar and lemon to a small saucepan and heat until it starts to bubble. Pour this into the egg mixture and whisk in. Then slowly pour the melted butter in a thin stream into the bowl as you whisk away. The sauce should be thick and creamy. <br />
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Boil some water in a shallow pan and add a small bit of vinegar in the water, this will help keep the whites of the eggs together. Crack each eggs into separate glasses or small bowls for easy pouring into the water. When the water reaches a rolling boil, whisk the water to create a whirlpool and drop the eggs in one by one. Turn the heat down and cook for 3 minutes. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and rest on a kitchen towel so they are not too watery.<br />
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Serve by placing some hollandaise on your toast, then the watercress, followed by the poached eggs and topped with the salmon caviar. Drizzle more hollandaise and sprinkle with chopped spring onions, salt and pepper. Enjoy with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-87212701343261880582012-11-04T13:04:00.000+00:002012-11-04T13:04:01.782+00:00Piri Piri Chicken<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This a recipe inspired by a trip to Portugal earlier this year - the famous Piri Piri Chicken. I bought a bottle of piri piri sauce back with me but you can use a supermarket brand for the same effect, or <a href="http://leitesculinaria.com/7745/recipes-portuguese-piri-piri-hot-sauce.html">create your own</a>! It's so easy and a definite crowd pleaser.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WLkcASledz0/UJZUq5nu5MI/AAAAAAAABZM/czjuT-eCzZw/s1600/DSC_9270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WLkcASledz0/UJZUq5nu5MI/AAAAAAAABZM/czjuT-eCzZw/s640/DSC_9270.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
1 tbsp Piri Piri sauce (use more depending on how hot your sauce is and how spicy you want your chicken)<br />
1 whole organic Chicken, butterflied<br />
Salt<br />
Pepper<br />
a couple of springs of lemon Thyme<br />
Chips or Salad to accompany<br />
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<u>Recipe</u><br />
About an hour before cooking, marinate your bird in the piri piri sauce. I poked a few holes with a knife into the thighs and breast area so that the sauce would get under the skin and penetrate into the meat. My sauce was eye-wateringly hot so I only used a small amount and rubbed it on with a spoon, I wouldn't recommend using your hands unless you wear gloves and the chili oils can get everywhere. If your sauce is milder and you need to use more of it, I would recommend putting the chicken into a ziplock bag with the sauce and shaking it about to coat the meat. Keep the chicken in the fridge while it's marinating.<br />
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When you are ready to start cooking, pre-heat your grill to 220 degrees. Take your chicken out of the bag and lay it onto an oven dish with a rack below it. I like to season the skin at this point with a bit of salt and pepper so that it would crisp up nicely in the grill. For a 1.5kg chicken, grill your meat for 30-35 minutes. To test if it's done, I take a metal skewer or knife and poke it into the thickest part of the chicken and then lightly touch it against the edge of my lip, if it's done it should sting a little from the heat.<br />
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Take the chicken out, and rest it on a plate covered with foil while you prepare any final accompaniments. Garnish with the sprigs of lemon thyme and serve to the hungry hoards. Enjoy.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-47289873884451741872012-10-20T15:56:00.002+01:002012-10-20T15:58:07.991+01:00Foodie Snaps from Portugal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">I had a little break from blogging as I moved house and jobs over the past month. I've returned and as a way of catching up with you all, here's some foodie inspired snaps from my trip to Southern Portugal way back in April.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2GIc_aht5-w/UIJdSf0r7nI/AAAAAAAABTw/ueD0dwUCw9M/s1600/DSC_8514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2GIc_aht5-w/UIJdSf0r7nI/AAAAAAAABTw/ueD0dwUCw9M/s640/DSC_8514.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love these custard tarts, I had one with a coffee at every town we stopped at.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8I0ld1Ys2L8/UIJde2QFxjI/AAAAAAAABUI/Kd1fnUvt0jI/s1600/DSC_8624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8I0ld1Ys2L8/UIJde2QFxjI/AAAAAAAABUI/Kd1fnUvt0jI/s400/DSC_8624.jpg" width="265" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WlYIzczpVQY/UIJdsfm-RpI/AAAAAAAABUs/PQ0cHu0B4ss/s1600/DSC_8792.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WlYIzczpVQY/UIJdsfm-RpI/AAAAAAAABUs/PQ0cHu0B4ss/s400/DSC_8792.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicious soft cheese with bread</td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BHR88lN5Y7Y/UIJdkroRPcI/AAAAAAAABUY/d3wNr_I5U9M/s1600/DSC_8628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BHR88lN5Y7Y/UIJdkroRPcI/AAAAAAAABUY/d3wNr_I5U9M/s640/DSC_8628.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--EwD1As-h5w/UIJdn7xmuuI/AAAAAAAABUg/lKb9OKDGH8M/s1600/DSC_8633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--EwD1As-h5w/UIJdn7xmuuI/AAAAAAAABUg/lKb9OKDGH8M/s640/DSC_8633.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cannot go to Portugal without sampling the grilled sard</td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PcxxtOfga7Y/UIJdvYvngBI/AAAAAAAABU0/8GKTitwEvXs/s1600/DSC_8799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PcxxtOfga7Y/UIJdvYvngBI/AAAAAAAABU0/8GKTitwEvXs/s640/DSC_8799.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thinly sliced tuna with lemon, olive oil and garlic.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9qPN3uRmT60/UIJeBL2wQ4I/AAAAAAAABVk/qShL7UKrOI4/s1600/DSC_8850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9qPN3uRmT60/UIJeBL2wQ4I/AAAAAAAABVk/qShL7UKrOI4/s640/DSC_8850.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stuffed Squid</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IJ0EbF-5-mI/UIJd6Ow_SqI/AAAAAAAABVU/HNYJ2VI33Uo/s1600/DSC_8846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IJ0EbF-5-mI/UIJd6Ow_SqI/AAAAAAAABVU/HNYJ2VI33Uo/s640/DSC_8846.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grilled Tuna belly</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piri Piri Chicken</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pork and blood sausage stew with cabbage and potatoes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KDWg5BWGAdQ/UIJfK6U7G-I/AAAAAAAABXI/EfyUd-7W2xc/s1600/DSC_9092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KDWg5BWGAdQ/UIJfK6U7G-I/AAAAAAAABXI/EfyUd-7W2xc/s640/DSC_9092.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild Boar stew</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hf6lo0YKyhI/UIJfY6DqLQI/AAAAAAAABXc/Iv-baXXp5sQ/s1600/DSC_9096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hf6lo0YKyhI/UIJfY6DqLQI/AAAAAAAABXc/Iv-baXXp5sQ/s640/DSC_9096.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This time it was an almond tart, like a mini bakewell with puff pastry</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C90hJBW7xgo/UIJfR9K-VTI/AAAAAAAABXQ/11H5aO1nazs/s1600/DSC_9095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C90hJBW7xgo/UIJfR9K-VTI/AAAAAAAABXQ/11H5aO1nazs/s400/DSC_9095.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Firewater</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-10779045931080853852012-07-02T12:44:00.000+01:002012-07-02T12:44:51.733+01:00Grilled Mackerel with Oranges and Onion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-emRCjgDd30g/T_GFHCEIBHI/AAAAAAAABRU/4sOAxJJGMLw/s1600/Raw-Mackeral-Illustration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-emRCjgDd30g/T_GFHCEIBHI/AAAAAAAABRU/4sOAxJJGMLw/s400/Raw-Mackeral-Illustration.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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A recipe adapted from Levi Roots' <i>Spice It Up </i>cookbook that takes mackerel to a new level. The oil in the fish help the mackerel to stand up to the chilli and the allspice with the thyme perfectly complimenting it. The oranges and onion add a sweet note to an otherwise spicy dish. I serviced this with the same rice dish from my <i><a href="http://dinneratmayas.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/vanilla-and-coconut-pork.html">Coconut and Vanilla Pork</a> </i>recipe from the same cookbook. I paired this with a <i>Meantime</i> IPA.</div>
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<u>Ingredients</u></div>
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2 red Chillies, deseeded and finely chopped</div>
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6 Allspice berries</div>
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6 black Peppercorns</div>
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1 1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon</div>
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Salt & Pepper</div>
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Olive Oil</div>
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1 Orange, cut into thick slices</div>
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2 Onions, cut into wedges</div>
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2 tsp light brown Sugar</div>
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3 sprigs lemon Thyme</div>
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2 Bay leaves</div>
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2 Mackerel, butterflied or filleted</div>
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squeeze of Orange juice</div>
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<u>Recipe</u></div>
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Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees. Grind the chillies, allspice, peppercorns and 1 tsp of salt until fine. Add the cinnamon and a bit of oil to make a loose paste. Brush the orange slices and onions with some of the paste and roast them in the oven for 20 minutes until the onions are tender.</div>
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Ensuring your fish is dry, add three diagonal cuts into the skin side of the fish. You may need to pinch the fish slightly to do this if it's too slippery. Add the paste into the crevices and all over the fish. </div>
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Take your dish out of the oven, and s<span style="background-color: white;">prinkle sugar over the oranges and onions, then add the lemon thyme and bay leaves over the top. Lay the mackerel slices over the top of the oranges and onion. Drizzle the fish with olive oil, and the orange juice, add a sprinkle of salt to season as well. Return in the oven to grill for another 10 minutes. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Serve over spicy rice. </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fRP8lJYGYkc/T_GFNPH3MNI/AAAAAAAABRc/rGTU9dCTxqI/s1600/DSC_9306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fRP8lJYGYkc/T_GFNPH3MNI/AAAAAAAABRc/rGTU9dCTxqI/s640/DSC_9306.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-34903369498824625482012-06-11T09:00:00.000+01:002012-06-11T10:50:33.825+01:00Spatch-cock Quail and Kusheri<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nAuASpKU8d0/T9Ouj98x-2I/AAAAAAAABPs/ZOc4GjFDop4/s1600/Spatchcock-Quail-Illustration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="spatchcock raw quail illustration" border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nAuASpKU8d0/T9Ouj98x-2I/AAAAAAAABPs/ZOc4GjFDop4/s400/Spatchcock-Quail-Illustration.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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Delicious spiced quail with Egyptian kosheri (rice with lentils), another classic Ottolenghi recipe perfect for summer. Char the skin quickly on a griddle pan or barbeque to make them extra crispy while the meat stays moist inside. Perfectly paired with a cold Riesling.</div>
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<u>Ingredients</u></div>
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<i>for the quails</i></div>
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2 Quails, spatchcocked</div>
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1 tsp ground Cinnamon</div>
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1/2 tbsp ground Cumin</div>
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3 green Cardamom pods</div>
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1 Allspice berry</div>
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1/4 tsp Paprika</div>
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1 clove of Garlic, peeled</div>
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1 inch piece of Ginger, grated</div>
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1/2 tbsp Honey</div>
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Olive oil</div>
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Salt & Pepper</div>
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<i>for the kusheri</i></div>
1/2 cup green Lentils<br />
1/2 cup of Rice<br />
2 tbsp Butter<br />
small handful of vermicelli Noodles broken into pieces<br />
2 cups of chicken Stock<br />
1/2 tsp grated Nutmeg<br />
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
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<u>Recipe</u></div>
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Put all spices and a pinch of salt in a pestle and mortar and grind to a fine powder. Add garlic and ginger and work to a paste. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the oil and honey, mix well. Add your quails and massage the marinade into the meat. Put in a small covered container for at least four hours, preferably overnight.</div>
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To cook the quail, place a griddle pan over a medium heat and leave for a few minutes until it's hot. Lay quails onto the pan and grill for 10-15 minutes turning them over halfway through. If the birds darken before they cook through, place them into a hot oven. </div>
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For the kusheri the first thing you need to do is fry the onions and noodles in oil until translucent and starting to brown on the edges. Set this to one side. Pour the lentils, rice, stock, cinnamon and nutmeg into a saucepan on high heat until the stock starts to boil. When the stock is boiling, turn the heat down and put a lid on. Cook for another 10-15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.
When the rice and lentils are ready, season and add the onions, noodles and butter. Give it a good mix and then serve with the quails on top.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aVKBr4wo2Vk/TlAAZ7TBYqI/AAAAAAAAA1g/rcMfe30-lVk/s1600/DSC_4554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="spatchcock quail on griddle pan" border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aVKBr4wo2Vk/TlAAZ7TBYqI/AAAAAAAAA1g/rcMfe30-lVk/s640/DSC_4554.jpg" title="" width="552" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com010 Sheen Ln, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, London SW14 8LL, UK51.468498980011127 -0.2666759490966796951.15128648001113 -0.89838994909667969 51.785711480011123 0.36503805090332031tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-18789442837593658922012-06-09T14:23:00.000+01:002012-06-10T12:40:24.166+01:00Vanilla and Coconut Pork<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A recipe from <i>Spice it Up </i>by Levi Roots that combines unusual flavours. Don't think this is a tame dish with its smooth coconut and sweet vanilla, it packs a punch with a scotch bonnet chilli and fragrant ginger. Perfect for a quick summer week-night treat with a big bowl of salad to accompany, and a glass of Pinot Grigio.</div>
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
2 Pork steaks or chops<br />
2 Onions, finely chopped<br />
4 cloves of Garlic, finely sliced<br />
1 Scotch Bonnet, cut in half<br />
2 dried red Chillis, sliced<br />
2cm piece of Ginger, grated<br />
1/2 can of Coconut milk<br />
1 tsp brown Sugar<br />
1 Lime, zest and juice<br />
1 Vanilla pod<br />
handful of fresh Coriander<br />
1 stick of Celery, chopped<br />
1/2 cup Rice<br />
1 cob of fresh Corn, kernels removed/ small can of sweetcorn<br />
1 cup of vegetable Stock<br />
cooking Oil<br />
Salt & Pepper<br />
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<u>Recipe</u><br />
Start by cooking the rice to accompany the dish first. Heat some oil in a small saucepan, fry half of the onions, and half of the garlic until the onions have become translucent. Put the heat up and add the dried chilli and one half of the scotch bonnet. Add sweetcorn and rice and mix well. Pour in the stock and turn the heat up until boiling. Reduce the heat to low and leave to bubble away for 10 minutes. Once most of the water has gone, put a lid until all the water has evaporated. Put to one side with the lid on.<br />
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For the pork, heat some oil in a large frying pan. Season the pork meat with salt and pepper and then fry them for 2-3 minutes on each side until nicely browned. Transfer onto a plate and put to one side.<br />
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Turn the heat down to add the remaining onions and cook until soft. Add the garlic, scotch bonnet and ginger and cook until everything is soft and fragrant. Add coconut milk, sugar and half the lime juice. Slice the vanilla pod lengthways to scrape the seeds out. Add the seeds and pod to the coconut milk and cook on a low heat to avoid splitting the coconut cream. Season with salt and pepper.<br />
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Add the steaks and their juices back to the pan, and depending on the thickness of your streaks, cook for a further 20 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the steaks every so often to keep them moist. Once cooked, add the lime zest and remaining lime. Serve over the sweetcorn rice with a scattering of coriander seeds and enjoy. :)<br />
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-33580193402535577302012-05-01T16:20:00.000+01:002012-05-01T16:20:00.086+01:00Garlic Hassleback Potatoes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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These Swedish style potatoes are the perfect alternative to garlic bread. Simple to make and the flavour is the cross between a roast and baked potato, crispy edges and creamy interiors. You can fill them with any flavour you want by flavouring the butter you spread while they're still warm. These garlic ones are perfect with roast lamb.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-74nMYDJhB-E/T51bUYpvHnI/AAAAAAAABOQ/MtlO5WKMnO4/s1600/DSC_7143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-74nMYDJhB-E/T51bUYpvHnI/AAAAAAAABOQ/MtlO5WKMnO4/s640/DSC_7143.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
500g Potatoes, scrubbed clean<br />
1 tbsp Butter<br />
2 cloves Garlic<br />
Salt & Pepper<br />
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<u>Recipe</u><br />
Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees. With a sharp knife make thin slices into your potatoes, be careful not to slice all the way through. I normally leave 1-2cm on the bottom to keep them together. Put them in a roasting pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour depending on how big your potatoes are. The edges of the slices should be slightly browning and crisp while the inside is soft and fluffy.<br />
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Grind garlic with salt in a pestle and mortar to make a paste, then add the butter. Spoon this mixture over the hotel potatoes and season with pepper. Serve.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-55265523012548870442012-04-29T14:20:00.001+01:002012-04-29T14:20:55.006+01:00Pork Pibil<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-egXc7QjCCVM/T50_xhI2TBI/AAAAAAAABOE/RNYLE2jWWl8/s1600/Pork-ShoulderIllustration-Colour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-egXc7QjCCVM/T50_xhI2TBI/AAAAAAAABOE/RNYLE2jWWl8/s400/Pork-ShoulderIllustration-Colour.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
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Originating from the Yucatan peninsula, this dish is traditionally made with a whole suckling pig cooked by burying the meat in a pit. Today, you can try pork pibil tacos at <i>Wahaca</i>, a Mexican restaurant chain with branches all over London. It has a delicious floral, tangy and yet mildly spicy flavour that entices the taste buds, the primary source of this unique taste comes from the Annatto seeds. This dish is perfect for cooking for a party, be it as part of a three-course Mexican themed menu for four with plenty of leftovers, or part of a Cinco De Mayo festive table. Best served with rice, tacos, salsa and re-fried beans.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Before cooking</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Served with Coriander Rice</td></tr>
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
3-4 lbs (1.8-2kg) Pork shoulder joint</div>
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2½ tbsp <a href="http://www.seasonedpioneers.co.uk/seasoning_detail.aspx?ID=520&name=Annatto%20Seeds,%20Ground">ground Annatto (achiote) seeds</a><br />
1 tsp Cumin seeds<br />
2 tsp black Peppercorns<br />
¼ tsp Allspice<br />
¼ tsp Cloves<br />
100ml Orange juice<br />
3 cloves of Garlic, crushed<br />
Juice of 3 lemons
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1/2 tbsp white wine Vinegar<br />
Banana Leaves (optional)<br />
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<u>Recipe</u><br />
First you need to dice your pork joint. I got a de-boned shoulder and diced it myself, but you could ask the butcher to do it as it does take some time if you have the bone-in. I discarded a lot of the tough skin but not too much of the fat as this renders off during the cooking time. Add your meat to a large non-reactive container.<br />
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Place the black peppercorns, allspice berries, cloves, cumin seeds and garlic in a pestle and mortar and grind to a fine paste. Sprinkle this over the meat with the annatto and salt, give it a good rub first and then add the liquids. Refrigerate overnight to get the maximum flavour into the meat.<br />
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On the day you're ready to cook, pre-heat the oven to 150 degrees. If you were able to acquire banana leaves, line your casserole dish with the leaves. If not, use a double layer of aluminium foil instead, place the meat onto the lining of your casserole and use the excess to seal your meat in. It should look like a snug package in your casserole dish. You don't need the lid on, but I put it on anyway to retain the heat inside the casserole. Cook on a medium shelf for 3-5 hours, depending on how late your guests are! But seriously, the longer the better as you want the meat to fall off your fork as you spoon it out.<br />
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Enjoy with rice, or on a nice taco with red onions.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Leftovers</td></tr>
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-42600687332196414092012-03-25T17:52:00.002+01:002012-03-25T17:52:53.825+01:00Mushroom and Pecorino Pizza<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z0ivrViNV3Q/T27nrmFvvMI/AAAAAAAABLQ/v1lGaqztWpg/s1600/chestnut-mushrooms-colour--illustration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z0ivrViNV3Q/T27nrmFvvMI/AAAAAAAABLQ/v1lGaqztWpg/s400/chestnut-mushrooms-colour--illustration.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Pizza baked in the oven with a well prepared and cared for dough has a superb taste far superior to any supermarket ready pizza base. Assembled and baked in frying pan to ensure a crispy bottom using utensils every owns. Then topped with buttery mushrooms, a thick reduced tomato sauce and two types of cheeses; one packing salty flavour and a creamy cheese to give you those cheesy strands with each slice. Simple flavours that keep you coming back for more.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DWt7WjuhOl0/T27qeO-lM9I/AAAAAAAABLo/pTCHcSFOiCg/s1600/DSC_6768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DWt7WjuhOl0/T27qeO-lM9I/AAAAAAAABLo/pTCHcSFOiCg/s640/DSC_6768.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PgdXB6GWld0/T27qXQ3dyKI/AAAAAAAABLY/XSh_mwthels/s1600/DSC_6741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PgdXB6GWld0/T27qXQ3dyKI/AAAAAAAABLY/XSh_mwthels/s640/DSC_6741.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
<i>Enough to make 1 pizza.</i><br />
1 cup of plain Flour<br />
1 tsp quick-acting dried Yeast<br />
100 ml warm Water<br />
1 tbsp Olive Oil<br />
1 tsp Salt<br />
250g Chestnut Mushrooms, thickly sliced<br />
1 tbsp Butter<br />
50g Pecorino, shaved<br />
50g Mozzarella, torn<br />
1 clove of Garlic, crushed<br />
fresh Parsley to garnish<br />
Salt & Pepper<br />
Cooking Oil<br />
Tomato Passata<br />
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<u>Recipe</u><br />
Start by making the pizza dough. In a bowl, sieve the flour, yeast and salt and mix well. Then make a well in the centre to add your olive oil and half of the water. Start whisking the water and oil with a fork and gradually include the flour from the edges until it is all combined, use your hands to pull all the flour from the edges. If it's too dry, add some more water but you don't want it too sticky. Knead the dough on a floured surface until the dough bounces back when you poke it and is smooth. Leave it to rest in a floured bowl until it doubles in size.<br />
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While you're waiting, pre-heat oven to 220 degrees and heat a frying pan. Add some cooking oil to the pan and half the butter. Fry the mushrooms in batches so they get nicely coloured, when you're done, add all the mushrooms to the pan, with the remaining butter and the garlic clove. This will ensure the mushrooms slightly pick up the flavour of the garlic which works really well with the pecornio.<br />
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If your tomato passata is too watery, reduce it down in a saucepan with a touch of seasoning until it becomes a thick heady tomato paste. Now you're ready to construct your pizza. Turn your dough out on a floured surface and knead gently to remove the air. Roll into a ball and then flatten with the palm of your hand. Place the disk onto a large round frying pan and with your fingers, gently push the dough to the outer edges of the pan, the dough should be thick enough to avoid making holes. But if you do make holes, pinch the dough back together again.<br />
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Spoon on some passata to the edges, then add the torn mozzarella, then the mushrooms and shaved pecornio and finally garnish with half the parsley. Cook in the oven for 15 minutes until golden brown at the edges. Slide out onto a wooden board and tuck in.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H0kO5liCIPc/T27qatDwmqI/AAAAAAAABLg/czQmhO60f7k/s1600/DSC_6755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H0kO5liCIPc/T27qatDwmqI/AAAAAAAABLg/czQmhO60f7k/s640/DSC_6755.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-52757721638181255282012-03-18T12:23:00.000+00:002012-03-18T12:23:36.454+00:00Banoffee Pie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5v-oQ96NuoU/T2XPBXfOcEI/AAAAAAAABKM/LtKlEYBU78Q/s1600/Carnation-and-Banana-Illustration-Colour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="279" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5v-oQ96NuoU/T2XPBXfOcEI/AAAAAAAABKM/LtKlEYBU78Q/s320/Carnation-and-Banana-Illustration-Colour.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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There is something wonderful about this desert that makes it irresistible. Whether it's the saltiness from the crushed biscuits and pecans on the base, the sickly sweetness from the caramel, the smooth texture of the just past ripe bananas, the heavenly thick whipped cream on the top, or the slight bitterness from the dusted chocolate. I don't know what the secret is, I just know that this combination of ingredients is perfection!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tJM1LkD5bpU/T2XQqEOPRqI/AAAAAAAABKU/qcoyXLuTWs4/s1600/DSC_6971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tJM1LkD5bpU/T2XQqEOPRqI/AAAAAAAABKU/qcoyXLuTWs4/s640/DSC_6971.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mY5WD-eFYnc/T2XQwsfQNtI/AAAAAAAABKk/Z6U-QW3dXQI/s1600/DSC_6990.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mY5WD-eFYnc/T2XQwsfQNtI/AAAAAAAABKk/Z6U-QW3dXQI/s640/DSC_6990.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
3/4 cup unsalted Butter<br />
1/2 cup caster Sugar<br />
1 can condensed Milk<br />
1/2 pack of Hobnobs, or your favourite Biscuits, crushed<br />
1 cup of Pecans<br />
3 large Bananas, sliced<br />
1 cup double Cream,<br />
Cocoa powder & Icing Sugar, for dusting<br />
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<u>Recipe</u><br />
Start with the caramel. Place the sugar and 1/2 cup of butter in a saucepan on a low heat. Stir until the the butter melts to combine with the sugar and starts to dissolve. Add the condensed milk and turn the heat up to bring to a boil, as soon as the mixture starts to thicken and smell of caramel, turn the heat off and leave to one side.<br />
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Melt the remaining butter in a separate pan. Crush half of the pecans, and place these in a bowl with the crushed biscuits. Add the melted butter and mix well. Spoon the crushed biscuit mixture onto the base of a round cake tin, pressing down to compress the biscuit mix. Then layer the sliced bananas on the bottom. Spoon the cooled caramel over the top, then transfer to the fridge to let everything set for 30 minutes.<br />
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When you're just about ready to take them out of the fridge, pour your double cream in a bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Spoon the whipped cream onto the banoffee pie and top with pecans. Dust everything with cocoa powder and icing sugar. Enjoy.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O6PZo_gxAEc/T2XQtx7U0GI/AAAAAAAABKc/p-JxzKKLnCg/s1600/DSC_6972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O6PZo_gxAEc/T2XQtx7U0GI/AAAAAAAABKc/p-JxzKKLnCg/s640/DSC_6972.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-55443486480041279512012-03-07T19:15:00.000+00:002012-03-07T19:15:43.909+00:00Roasted Prince Squash Cannelloni<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y15nTeNA-uU/T1ewn2JpLiI/AAAAAAAABJs/yZ8jtnlvzdM/s1600/Cannelloni-Squash-illustration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y15nTeNA-uU/T1ewn2JpLiI/AAAAAAAABJs/yZ8jtnlvzdM/s400/Cannelloni-Squash-illustration.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Roasted squash is so much more flavourful than squash which is simply fried or boiled, so why not roast to get the flavour, then purée it so it can be easily piped into the cannelloni tubes. I served mine with a simple tomato sauce and three different cheese, because I love cheese. The squash oozes out during cooking so this dish is best accompanied with garlic bread to soak up that sauce.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LcyrCRW4HJ8/T1ewzKXcLhI/AAAAAAAABJ0/f4BArqC7KR0/s1600/DSC_6951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LcyrCRW4HJ8/T1ewzKXcLhI/AAAAAAAABJ0/f4BArqC7KR0/s640/DSC_6951.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z27WzEMnVjM/T1ew12WTi8I/AAAAAAAABJ8/v_SeqaSSxL0/s1600/DSC_6958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z27WzEMnVjM/T1ew12WTi8I/AAAAAAAABJ8/v_SeqaSSxL0/s640/DSC_6958.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>Ingredients</u></div>
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1 large prince Squash, peeled, de-seeded and cubed</div>
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50g Feta Cheese, crumbled</div>
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Pecorino Cheese, shaved</div>
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1/2 ball of Mozzarella Cheese</div>
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Olive Oil</div>
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1 tin of Tomatoes</div>
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2 cloves of Garlic, crushed</div>
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1 small Onion, diced</div>
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1/2 pack of Cannelloni tubes</div>
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Salt & Pepper</div>
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1 tsp dried Sage</div>
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1/2 tsp dried Rosemary</div>
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2 tsp fresh Parsley to garnish</div>
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1/2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar</div>
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1 tsp Mushroom or Anchovy Paste</div>
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<u>Recipe</u></div>
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Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees. Season your squash and drizzle generously with olive oil, roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until softened. Heat some oil in a small saucepan, then fry your onions gently, add the garlic and dried sage and rosemary until fragrant. Add tinned tomatoes, balsamic, mushroom paste, salt and pepper and leave to simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes to concentrate the flavour. </div>
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Once the squash is cooked, put it in to a blender, or use a hand blender to purée it. Spoon into a piping bag, and pipe into the cannelloni tubes, stopping halfway to drop a small piece of feta. It really helps if you have a willing volunteer to help hold the tubes while you do the piping at this stage. In a large preferably square dish, add a layer of tomatoes, then your piped cannelloni, then some more sauce, continue until you have filled your dish end with a layer of sauce. Finally break away pieces of mozzarella and add this to the top along with the shaved pecorino. Sprinkle with parsley and baked in the oven for 20 minutes until the cannelloni has softened. Enjoy. :)</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-30947301404035858882012-02-26T19:53:00.001+00:002012-02-26T20:00:34.478+00:00Roasted Butternut Squash Polenta Chips<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2uDKRwVoxcU/T0qKrzkuq-I/AAAAAAAABJY/iTE9w3pb8G8/s1600/Butternut-Squash-IllustrationColour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2uDKRwVoxcU/T0qKrzkuq-I/AAAAAAAABJY/iTE9w3pb8G8/s400/Butternut-Squash-IllustrationColour.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This dish may take some time, but it's the kind that you can prepare part in advance leaving the frying to the last minute - these chips taste best warm. They're perfect to serve to guests while they're waiting for starters, to accompany a juicy steak or as a snack alongside beer. </div>
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I made them with garlic aioli but they will also taste great with a spicy tomato salsa. :)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mdteE5PSHZY/T0qKyy0wEwI/AAAAAAAABJg/1gp-Jb1ch2M/s1600/DSC_6498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="421" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mdteE5PSHZY/T0qKyy0wEwI/AAAAAAAABJg/1gp-Jb1ch2M/s640/DSC_6498.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
1 cup Quick Cook Polenta<br />
2 cups of Water<br />
Salt & Pepper<br />
Cayenne Pepper<br />
Olive Oil<br />
Frying Oil<br />
1 Butternut Squash, peeled and cubed<br />
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<u>Recipe</u><br />
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees. Place squash on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper for a bit of heat. Roast on a middle shelf for 25-30 minutes until softened. Leave on one side to cool enough to handle.<br />
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Pour roasted butternut squash into a blender or use a hand blender to purée. Add a bit more olive oil to make it extra smooth. Start cooking the polenta by setting the water to boil with a pinch of salt, note that I used less water than usual as I am adding butternut squash. When the water is boiling, add the polenta and stir well. Keep stirring until the polenta absorbs the water and thickens. When the polenta sticks to your spoon, add the puréed squash. Mix well, taste and season if necessary.<br />
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Pour the polenta-squash mixture onto a baking sheet or large tray and spread until the whole thing is around an inch thick. Leave to cool completely (a good hour in the fridge or by a cool location should do it). Once the polenta has cooled, test the centre to ensure it has solidified all the way through. Then cut into 1 inch thick sticks. Heat oil in a pan and pan fry the polenta for a crispy exterior. If you prefer a lower fat version, bake it in the oven.<br />
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Enjoy with you favourite dipping sauce.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-28827920463942826072012-02-19T20:24:00.000+00:002012-02-19T20:24:43.461+00:00Curry Crusted Monkfish<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c432LwXdvbw/T0FWfku_5qI/AAAAAAAABJQ/UGm9q_9UwhY/s1600/monkfish-illustrated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c432LwXdvbw/T0FWfku_5qI/AAAAAAAABJQ/UGm9q_9UwhY/s400/monkfish-illustrated.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is quite an old recipe, actually I made it on New Years Eve. I love to eat out on special occasions, it's the joy of eating something amazing that was cooked <i>for</i> you to take a break from cooking. Recently however, my boyfriend and I have decided, every once in a while, to use the special occasional to buy an ingredient we wouldn't normally due to high cost of limited availability and make a special meal at home. </div>
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I've always wanted to cook with monkfish and my boyfriend has always wanted to try it. So when we were in a fishmonger in Twickenham, we grabbed the opportunity to cook with this ingredient. My boyfriend went on a de-tour to get back home so I spent the 20 minute journey researching recipes to see what I should make with it. We wanted something spicy rather so I moved quickly away from the Rick Stein recipes and settled on the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/masalaspicedmonkfish_91048">Great British Menu dish</a> that Glynn Purnell made a couple of years ago. </div>
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I adapted the recipe slightly, eliminated the pickled carrots and used green lentils instead of red. I also don't own a vacuum packing machine so decided to pan fry then finish my monkfish in the oven, which meant experimenting a little with the timing. This is still a wonderfully lightly spiced creamy dish and it really brings out the flavour in the monkfish. We felt it was the perfect choice for this special fish.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T3P8ntj7Ge8/T0FWbmXYm0I/AAAAAAAABJI/1nSY9McVwVM/s1600/DSC_6432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="421" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T3P8ntj7Ge8/T0FWbmXYm0I/AAAAAAAABJI/1nSY9McVwVM/s640/DSC_6432.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
Salt<br />
2x Monkfish fillets<br />
Butter<br />
1/2 cup of green Lentils<br />
cooking Oil<br />
1/2 Onion, chopped<br />
1/2 tbsp Curry powder<br />
1 cup of Chicken Stock<br />
1/2 red Chilli, finely sliced<br />
2 tbsp fresh Coriander<br />
1 tin Coconut milk<br />
2 tbsp Coconut flesh<br />
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<i>for the Masala Spice Mix</i><br />
1/8 Cinnamon stick<br />
1 tsp Fenugreek seeds<br />
1/4 tsp Fennel seeds<br />
3/4 tsp black Mustard seeds<br />
2 Cloves<br />
1/2 tsp Coriander seeds<br />
3/4 tsp Cumin seeds<br />
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<u>Recipe</u><br />
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Sprinkle the salt over the monkfish fillets and leave for 5-6 minutes to remove moisture. Wash the salt off thoroughly under cold running water. Wrap the washed monkfish in a clean tea towel and leave overnight in the fridge.<br />
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For the lentils, sweat the chopped onion in a drizzle of oil for 4-5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the mild curry powder. Add the lentils, stir well, then cover with chicken stock and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. When cooked, stir in the chilli and coriander and season, to taste, with salt. Set aside.
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For the masala spice mix, place all of the spice mix ingredients into a pestle and mortar and ground to a powder. Transfer to a plate and then roll the monkfish pieces in the mixture. Melt the butter in a frying pan until foaming. Sear fish on both sides for 2-3 minutes, or until golden-brown and crisp all over. Put the pan in the oven for 10-12 minutes, then cover with foil.<br />
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Now for the sauce, pour the coconut milk into a pan and add a pinch of salt. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until reduced by half.
Heat a frying pan and toast the thinly sliced coconut strips until golden-brown and fragrant. To serve, spoon the lentils onto a serving plate and place the monkfish on top. Drizzle over a bit of the reduced coconut milk, then garnish with the toasted sliced coconut, fresh coriander. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-57045830313918273142012-02-13T13:14:00.000+00:002012-02-13T13:14:00.095+00:00Poussin, Chorizo and Butter Bean Casserole<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_4SchbV23RQ/TzauHNqqv5I/AAAAAAAABEY/TtXp4p-fkFI/s1600/Chicken-Chorizo-Butterbeans-Graphic2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_4SchbV23RQ/TzauHNqqv5I/AAAAAAAABEY/TtXp4p-fkFI/s400/Chicken-Chorizo-Butterbeans-Graphic2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Don't be fooled by the title and the seemingly conflicted graphic I have included, a poussin is nothing more than a younger chicken. This in turn makes it smaller than regular chickens and therefore require less cooking time. </div>
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On this day, I had intended to make a feta cheese and quinoa salad from the Ottolenghi <i>Plenty</i> cookbook, but I got a message from my boyfriend saying he wanted meat and must have meat! I was still craving a light dish, not a heavy stew that I have been making with the slow cooking meats as of late. I've also gone a little bean-crazy recently purchasing all the 'love life' products at <i>Waitrose</i> and adding different dried pulses to my dishes. </div>
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So when I bought the little spatch-cock poussin at the supermarket, I headed straight for the cooking chorizo and the butter beans. I already had green lentils which I added to the wild rice and basmati mixture to serve with this dish. The whole thing took 40 minutes to cook and was delicious and hearty! </div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">I definitely made my life difficult by getting spatch-cock poussin. But I wanted the whole bird so I could pump extra flavour into the sauce by adding the bones. If you want an easier life, go with chicken thighs and cook for an extra ten minutes in the oven. Or if you're short of time, leave the poultry out all together and substitute with a chicken stock cube instead of plain water as the recipe is flavourful enough even without it. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">To spice this dish, I used smoked Paprika and dried Chipotle chillis from <i><a href="http://www.seasonedpioneers.co.uk/seasoning_detail.aspx?ID=39&name=Chipotle%20Chillies,%20Crushed">Seasoned Pioneers</a></i>. </span><br />
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
1 Poussin, quartered (or 4 Chicken thighs)<br />
2 links of cooking Chorizo, diced<br />
2 Carrots, diced<br />
1 large Onion, diced<br />
1 stalk of Celery, diced<br />
1 clove of Garlic, crushed<br />
1 tsp crushed Chipotle Chillis<br />
1 tsp smoked Paprika<br />
1 tsp dried Cumin<br />
1 can Butter Beans, draied<br />
Water<br />
Salt & Pepper<br />
cooking Oil<br />
1/4 cup of Basmati & Wild Rice<br />
1/4 cup of green Lentils<br />
pinch of Saffon (optional)<br />
1 tbsp chopped Chives (optional)<br />
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<u>Recipe</u><br />
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees and get a large casserole dish on the stove to warm up. Add diced chorizo to the pot with a small dash of cooking oil. Fry on a medium heat until crispy. Remove from the pan then add the poussin or chicken thighs. Season the meat well with salt and pepper. Fry on each side until the skins have become a golden brown colour and start to crisp up. Remove the chicken and put to one side.<br />
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There should be a healthy amount of fat in the pan now from the chorizo and the chicken/poussin. Cook your onions, celery and carrots in this for 8 minutes or until the onions have become soft. Add the backbones from the poussin if using to give them a bit of colour. Stir well, then add the garlic, spices, chorizo and butter beans to the pan. Add about a cup of water (or stock) and using a wooden spoon, scrap all the lovely juices off the bottom of the pan. Bring to boiling point then add the poussin to the pot semi submerged in liquid. You want to cook the meat, but keep the skins crispy.<br />
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Put in the oven for 20 minutes. Grab a small saucepan and stir in the rice, lentils and saffron to combine. Add a cup of water and put on a high heat until boiling. Turn to the lowest setting and put the lid on, cook for 10-15 minutes until the rice and lentils have absorbed the liquid.<br />
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Add rice to bowls and serve with plenty of sauce, and garnish with chives.<br />
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-82053866378798829542012-02-10T16:41:00.000+00:002012-02-10T16:41:49.755+00:00Caramelised Leek and Onion Tart<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I don't know what's been happening at the Riverford farms but we seem to be getting white onions every week! My vegetable basket was overflowing, so I decided to make an onion friendly dish to use them up before they go soft.</div>
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I called this a tart in my title but I suppose it's really a quiche as it's made in a quiche-like way, and would have been worthy on the quiche making episode of Great British Bake Off. But Delia Smith has a similar recipe and calls it a tart, and you can't argue with Delia!
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Tarts and quiches are so simple to make that when I'm stuck for veggie friendly recipes this is normally the one I resort to. I normally have the ingredients in my larder and it only needs a fresh salad as a side. Not to mention the fact that it tastes great warm and cold so I can take some to work for lunch. Flavours tend to dull down a little when food gets cold, so make sure you pack in lots of flavours and season a bit more than usual.</div>
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Goats cheese would be a great cheese to use for the filling of this tart. I didn't have any so I went for a bit of freshness but including a leek along with the onions. I included grated mature cheddar into the pastry case and also into the egg mixture so there's a bit of savoury saltiness in there too. I also included thyme and sage in the pastry mixture which complimented the filling really well.</div>
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<i>for the pastry</i></div>
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<u>Ingredients</u></div>
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1/4 cup of cold Butter (about 50g) cubed</div>
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1/8 cup grated Cheddar Cheese (about 2 tbsp)</div>
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1/8 cup vegetable Suet (I use Atora <a href="http://www.ukcornershoppe.com/images/Atora%20Veg%20Suet.jpg" style="text-align: left;">http://www.ukcornershoppe.com/images/Atora%20Veg%20Suet.jpg</a>)</div>
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1 cup of plain Flour</div>
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1 tsp dried Sage</div>
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1 tsp dried Thyme</div>
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5 tbsp cold Water</div>
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Salt & Pepper</div>
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<u>Recipe</u></div>
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Mix together flour, thyme, sage, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the fat (butter, cheese, suet) and rub this into the flour with your fingers until the mixture turns into breadcrumbs. Then add 4 tbsp of cold water and start to bring the mixture together, it should lift off the mixing bowl. If it's too dry, add another tablespoon. Make sure it's not too sticky, and you don't need to knead it, just mould into a ball. Wrap with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. </div>
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Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees. Butter your pie dish. When the pastry has chilled, remove it from the fridge onto a floured surface. Roll into a large circle, my pastry ended up being about 3 millimetres thick. Place onto the pie dish and using your knuckles carefully press into the edges. Make sure you don't break the pastry. Roll the excess off the top and make fork holes in the bottom. Blind bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until a nice golden brown colour.</div>
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<i>for the filling</i></div>
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<u>Ingredients</u></div>
8 small Onions, or 2 Spanish Onion, sliced into rounds<br />
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1 Leek, sliced into rounds<br />
3 tbsp Butter<br />
cooking Oil<br />
1 tbsp Sugar<br />
Salt & Pepper<br />
2 Eggs, Beaten<br />
100ml Creme Fraiche or Single Cream<br />
2 tbsp grated Cheddar<br />
1 tsp smooth Mustard<br />
Milk (optional)<br />
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<u>Recipe</u><br />
Heat a frying pan with a little bit of cooking oil, then drop the butter in to melt. Add the onions and leeks with some salt and the sugar. The sugar will help the onions to caramelise. Cook on a low heat for 30 minutes stirring occasionally until browned. Put to one side.<br />
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In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the mustard, cheddar and some salt and pepper. Add the creme fraiche and whisk to combine. If it's too thick, add a dollop of milk to thin the mixture out. You want it the consistency of custard.<br />
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Fill your pre-cooked pastry case with the caramelised onions, then top with the egg mixture. Bake on a middle shelf in the oven for 20-30 minutes. Best eaten at room temperature or cold.<br />
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-61567702986783427772012-02-08T12:10:00.000+00:002012-02-08T16:14:06.785+00:00Oxtail Stew<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I am back! It's the same me but a bit a different as I've been practising a bit more with my photography and drawing. I got a Bamboo pen and tablet for Christmas, so expect to see a few more illustrations like the one above on the blog soon. I'm only just getting used to it (and Adobe Illustrator) so bear with me. :)<br />
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It has been a busy few months but I'm still cooking. And I'm still keeping up with eating as much vegetarian food as possible. I have stopped eating meat outside of my own home for various reasons but I am enjoying eating vegetarian meals. More veggie friendly food is to come.<br />
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This time, I present to you a delicious and winter warming oxtail stew. It's so simple to make, after browning the meant, I literally threw everything into a casserole pot and left it to simmer gently for a couple of hours. The result is meat so tender it falls off the bone and all that fat from the oxtail gets cooked down to deliciousness. I did have a lot of skimming to do towards the end of the cooking time, but that's virtually 10 minutes of work on my part for a fabulous dish!<br />
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
Vegetable oil<br />
3 tbsp Flour<br />
Salt and Pepper<br />
~ 2 kg of Oxtail, cut into pieces large and small<br />
1 glass Red Wine<br />
1 Onion, peeled and roughly chopped<br />
2 cloves Garlic, peeled and roughly chopped<br />
1 can of Tinned Tomatoes<br />
4 Carrots, peeled and roughly chopped<br />
2 Leeks, cleaned and thickly sliced<br />
4 Celery sticks, roughly chopped<br />
2 Bay leaves<br />
Beef Stock<br />
Green leaf veggies of choice<br />
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<u>Recipe</u><br />
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees. Put the flour with a pinch of salt and pepper into a ziplock bag and give it a little shake. Place two pieces of oxtail in the bag and shake it well so the meat is lightly dusted with flour. Then place in the meat into a heated casserole dish with a bit of oil in. Brown the meat well on each side, and do it in batches if you need to.<br />
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When the meat is ready, put it to one side and top up the pan with a bit more oil. Fry the onions and garlic until the onions have softened. Add the carrots, leeks and celery and fry for another 5 minutes or so. Add the red wine and leave that to reduce. Finally add the meat and the bay leaves, top up with beef stock so it just covers the meat. Season and place in the cover for 2 hours or more if you have the time.<br />
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At about the same time you start to prepare your starch (I used rice, but potatoes or polenta would also work well), remove the pan from the oven and keep it warm on the stove. Using tongs, carefully remove the meat from the pan, then skim the fat from the top of the sauce. I use the ladle technique, skimming the fat quickly from the top. The fat is more translucent than the sauce so skim any liquids that appear lightly coloured. Once you his dark red or dark brown then you're skimming the sauce. Once you are satisfied with your skimming, return the meat to the pan, add the green leaf veggies and put the lid on. Cook until veggies are soft then serve.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-64380729976427200282012-01-11T11:50:00.000+00:002012-01-11T11:50:50.045+00:00Hiatus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I just wanted to make a quick post to say that this blog and I will be going on hold for the next couple of months as decide on it's direction, and focus on my job outside of cooking.<br />
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Starting this blog has been a lot of fun and I've enjoyed every moment, so I'm sure I'll be back! I'll leave you with my favourite dishes from the last year, the ones I most enjoyed both cooking and eating! </div>
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<a href="http://dinneratmayas.blogspot.com/2011/11/fig-tarte-tatin.html">Fig Tarte Tatin</a></h3>
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<a href="http://dinneratmayas.blogspot.com/2011/06/pomegranate-and-halloumi-salad.html">Pomegranate and Halloumi Salad</a></h3>
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<a href="http://dinneratmayas.blogspot.com/2011/04/cheese-souffle.html">Cheese Souffle</a></h3>
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<a href="http://dinneratmayas.blogspot.com/2011/08/spiced-chicken-apricot-squash-cous-cous.html">Spiced Chicken, Apricot & Squash Cous Cous, Cucumber & Sesame Salad, Afghan Pumpkin Dip</a></h3>
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<a href="http://dinneratmayas.blogspot.com/2011/04/toad-in-hole-neep-tatty-mash-onion.html">Toad in a Hole, Neep & Tatty Mash, Onion Gravy</a></h3>
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<a href="http://dinneratmayas.blogspot.com/2011/04/poached-eggs-asparagus-hollandaise.html">Poached Eggs, Asparagus, Hollandaise</a></h3>
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<a href="http://dinneratmayas.blogspot.com/2011/07/rack-of-lamb-with-mediterranean.html">Rack of Lamb with Mediterranean vegetables, Broad Bean & Feta Salad</a><br />
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<a href="http://dinneratmayas.blogspot.com/2011/01/fish-chips.html">Fish & Chips</a></h3>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-55506730421263887692011-11-23T09:41:00.000+00:002011-11-23T09:41:22.964+00:00Green Curry Soup with Roasted Red Onion Squash<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I remember watching a Jamie Oliver episode on the TV, possibly <i>Jamie at Home</i> because I remember the fairy lights in the kitchen, where he made a quick and easy green curry soup with butternut squash. There are a few things I remember about the recipe, one was that he didn't peel the squash saying the skin was edible if cooked long enough to soften it, two that I had never had squash and green curry cooked this way before; and three that it was so good I cooked it the evening after I watched the episode. </div>
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I wanted to make this recipe again but can only vaguely remember the recipe - did he make the green curry from fresh or using a ready-made paste? I remember he cooked the rice in the curry to thicken the sauce and I remember when I tried it, it was less soupy and more wet-curry with rice like his mulligatawny recipe in <i>Jamie's Great Britain. </i>Everything else was a bit of a blur and the internet this time had failed me! </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AnCJiIIYFiU/TrgEOYcJgRI/AAAAAAAABBE/LZe0H1Cb6Zk/s1600/DSC_5546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AnCJiIIYFiU/TrgEOYcJgRI/AAAAAAAABBE/LZe0H1Cb6Zk/s640/DSC_5546.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So I decided to make my own version of this. I used a green curry paste that I bought from the local Thai supermarket near my house as a base with coconut milk. I doubled the quantities I usually use so that I could cook the rice in the curry liquid. Then for vegetables, I added bamboo shoots, some spinach and leftover romanesco broccoli for a bit of colour. Instead of adding the squash to the soup though, I peeled them, chopped them up, drizzled them with a bit of oil and salt and pepper and roasted them in the oven. Why? Because I somewhat remember this recipe lacking in interesting textures last time I made it as the squash was soft. Roasting it still gives me soft squash but the darkened outside adds a bit of crunch to the dish. </div>
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So here's the finished result, and you know what it works! I used red onion squash which has a superior flavour to butternut and much sweeter. I personally like the sweetness, as I think it compliments the saltiness from the fish sauce, the creaminess from the coconut and the heat from the chillies in the paste. And don't you think the plate looks beautiful? Try it!</div>
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NB - to make this recipe vegan, substitute the fish sauce for a combination of light soy sauce and mushroom sauce (ratio 80:20) to create the same umami flavouring. </div>
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<u>Ingredients</u></div>
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1 red onion (also known as red kuri) Squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch chunks</div>
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2 tbsp Green Curry paste</div>
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1 can Coconut Milk</div>
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1/3 cup jasmine Rice</div>
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handful of Spinach, rinsed and roughly chopped</div>
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1 can Bamboo Shoots, drained</div>
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1/2 Romansco Broccoli, separated into florets</div>
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Cooking Oil</div>
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Salt & Pepper</div>
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Fish Sauce</div>
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<u>Recipe</u></div>
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Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees. Put your squash onto a baking tray and drizzle with oil, salt and pepper. Cook in the oven tossing every 15 minutes for 20 minutes, or until softened. Red onion squash cooks a little quicker than butternut squash, so keep an eye on it. </div>
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Heat some oil in a heavy bottom saucepan and fry your green curry paste until fragrant then add the coconut milk. Stir well to combine the sauce and season with a bit of fish sauce. Let it come to the boil, then add the rice and cook for 15 minutes. Rice should be just about done now so add your vegetables starting with the broccoli. Cook for 4 minutes then in the last minute, add the spinach and the bamboo shoots. Once the spinach has wilted, check the seasoning and add a bit more fish sauce if it's lacking seasoning. </div>
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Don't wait around once the spinach is cooked because it will lose its green colouring and become brown and unappetising. So serve straight away in a small bowl with the roasted squash on top. Delicious.</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-91192557048015088262011-11-11T14:26:00.001+00:002011-11-11T14:50:11.098+00:00Fig Tarte Tatin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There is something magical about figs and before the season is over I wanted to exploit them in a dish I will remember forever. I love tarte tatin's but I have never made one myself before, so with the figs in hand and half a puff pastry block (leftovers from my sausage rolls) I decide on trying my first tarte tatin with figs. </div>
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And you know what, tarte tatin's aren't as difficult as I imagined them to be! The hardest part what trying to find something round and large enough to use as a template to cut my pastry so it would fit over my pan. In the end, I used the frying pan lid but this ended up being a little bit too small. Some of the figs ended up falling off the tarte because of this.</div>
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Perhaps the biggest inspiration for this dish was the honey liquor I bought from <a href="http://dinneratmayas.blogspot.com/2011/08/gastronomic-tour-of-western-cape-south.html">Lourensford in South Africa</a>. It has been sitting in my cupboard for a while, waiting to be used in the perfect dessert and now I found a reason to use it. </div>
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For full flavour, I macerated my chopped figs in about a shot or two of the honey liquor to bring out even more flavour from the figs and to soften them a bit. You don't need honey liquor to do this, any flavoured liquor would work, but make sure you add sugar, and extra honey later on in the dish. The main flavours for tarte end up being the sweet figs, honey and vanilla all oozing with butter, it is heavenly. </div>
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My only sadness is that I didn't have any cream based topping to sit over the top. I would recommend a big fat dollop of double cream or vanilla ice cream to go with it. </div>
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
4 fresh Figs, cut into 1/6's<br />
2 shots of Honey liquor<br />
1 tbsp Honey<br />
1 Vanilla pod<br />
100g of store bought Puff Pastry (half a block)<br />
juice of 1/4 Lemon<br />
50g of butter (2 big tablespoons)<br />
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<u>Recipe</u><br />
Pour the shots of honey liquor in a bowl and add the figs. If you're using another type of liquor, add about 1/2 tbsp of sugar to the mixture. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.<br />
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When you're ready to start making your tarte tatin, pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees and roll your pastry out and cut it into a circle large enough to fit the base of your pan. Leave the pastry to one side and warm up a small frying pan.<br />
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Add the butter and leave it to melt a little and then add the honey liquor that your figs have been macerating in, and the tablespoon of honey. Give it a mix with a spoon and cook on a high heat until it starts to caramelize. At this point your kitchen should smell gorgeous. :) Cut your vanilla pod in half and remove the seeds to add to the pan. Then add the pod itself. Cook for a further minute or until you can smell the vanilla in the syrup.<br />
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Add the figs to the pan and arrange them so they are in one layer and tightly packed. Give the whole thing a squeeze of lemon and leave the figs to warm through slightly. After 2 minutes, cover your figs with the puff pastry. Make sure you press down against the bottom of the pan so parts of the pastry can cook in the pan. Put the pan in the oven on a medium shelf for 20 minutes.<br />
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After 20 minutes, your puff pastry should be nicely browned over the top and there may be some bubbles popping out over the sides. Using kitchen gloves, take your pan out of the oven and leave it to cool for 5 minutes or so. To turn your tarte tatin over, place a plate over the pan and in one swift motion, flip the pan over. Serve immediately with your choice of creamy topping. :)<br />
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1469242466331864750.post-18277931106638269272011-11-10T10:38:00.000+00:002011-11-10T10:38:24.593+00:00Romanesco Broccoli Fritters, Parsley Dip, Pomegranate and Radicchio Salad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's that time of year again when there are a lot of cauliflowers coming in - enough to make cauliflower cheese at least once a week for the rest of the month. I'm still at it with the vegetarian weekdays which is making me see cauliflowers in a new light. They're a surprising vegetable that make a great main course dish due to their chunky size and firm texture. </div>
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This time, I went with another recipe adapted from the <i>Ottolenghi Cookbook</i> - cauliflower fritters. These are like any other fritters, but the spicing makes them taste more like a falafel than a plain sweetcorn fritter or the like. I was using Romanesco Broccoli, which has the firmness of a cauliflower and the sweetness of a standard broccoli, I think it capture the best of both brassica. It also comes in this <a href="http://www.digitalstar.net/microecologies/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/romanesco.jpg">beautiful natural green fractal shape</a>, which can make it a scary vegetable to approach. Or if you're a bit of math nerd like me, too beautiful to take apart to eat! If you're going to make these and can't find Romanesco Broccoli, I would stick with a standard cauliflower.</div>
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I had been soaking some chickpeas overnight that I was going to use to make a stew but made these instead. Since the spicing was so much like falafel, I decided to add them to the batter paste which bulked these out a bit to make enough for lunch the following day too. </div>
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The one thing I wanted to mention about the batter is that it is very very watery when you make it, but as soon as you plonk it in the oil, it firms up nicely. So what you end up with a lovely crispy exterior with a soft, moist and flavoursome interior. I have to say, the chickpeas give these a meaty quality that you just don't get with the cauliflower on it's own and it's what makes falafels taste so good! </div>
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The Ottolenghi recipe serves this with a coriander cream dip, I made a parsley one because that's what I had. I also had some pomegranates and some radicchio which is an Italian red chicory. It's bitter and peppery tasting when raw so it's normally grilled or cooked to take the bitterness away. I dressed my salad with a honey vinaigrette which balanced out the bitterness of the radicchio and worked well with the pomegranates. There's a lot of crunch to this dish, so you really can't skip out on the dip as it works a smoothing sauce to give you a nice texture in your mouth. If you want to make this vegan, then use a vegan yoghurt instead, or a light hummus seasoned with sharp lime. </div>
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
1 small Romanesco Broccoli, cut into florets<br />
1/2 cup of Chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked for 15 minutes<br />
small handful of fresh Parsley, chopped<br />
1 clove of Garlic, minced<br />
1 small Onion, finely chopped<br />
2 Eggs<br />
1 tsp ground Cumin<br />
1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon<br />
1/4 tsp Tumeric<br />
Salt & Pepper<br />
Cooking Oil<br />
1 Pomegranate, seeds removed<br />
1 heart of Radicchio, sliced<br />
1 tbsp Honey<br />
1/2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar<br />
1/4 cup of Greek Yogurt<br />
1/2 Lime, zest and juice<br />
Olive Oil<br />
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<u>Recipe</u><br />
Start by getting a small pan of water to boiling point. Add the broccoli florets to the pan and cook for 10 minutes or until very soft. When they're cooked add them to a blender to mash. You don't want to puree them so just buzz slowly leaving some small chunks. Add the mashed broccoli to a bowl, then buzz the chickpeas and add them to the bowl. Now add your onion, garlic, fresh parsley and the dried spices. Give it a little mix then crack the eggs in, season well and give it all a proper mix to ensure everything is coated.<br />
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Put the bowl to one side, and heat a frying pan with 1 cm of cooking oil. I used rapeseed because it has a high burning point and is cheap and in abundance in Britain, but you can use sunflower or vegetable oil too. Don't bother using olive oil at this point, it will give the fritters a nasty bitter taste. When the oil is hot, take a dessert spoon and spoon the mixture into the oil , if your frying pan is large enough you should be able to do about four at a time. Cook on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Then put them on kitchen towel to absorb the oil.<br />
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To make the dip, simple mix the yoghurt with about 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley, then add the lime zest and juice and season with salt and pepper. Done!<br />
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For the salad, you want to put your pomegranate seeds in a bowl with it's juices, then add the honey, balsamic vinegar and about 1 tablespoon of good olive oil. Give it a quick whisk, then season with salt but skip the pepper. Add the Radicchio leaves and give the whole thing a good toss.<br />
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Now you're ready to serve, give a generous portion of the salad, with the fritters on top and then drizzle over the parsley dip. Enjoy!<br />
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3