Category: Cooking

Roast Squash with
Moroccan Spices

! butternut squash, about 1kg
8 small shallots
1 tbsp. harissa
3 tbsp. garlic olive oil + extra for drizzling
450g can of butter beans, rinsed and drained
100g baby spinach leaves
1 rounded tsp clear honey

To serve: Couscous flecked with chopped coriander, lemon wedges
Heat oven to 180C. Cut squash into chunky wedges, deseed and peel. Scatter the squash onto a large shallow baking tray. Peel and halve the shallots lengthways. Scatter over the squash. Mix the harissa and oil together and pour over the vegetables. Gen-tle toss together with your fingers and season with fresh black pepper. Roast for about 2o mins until squash is tender and the shallots starting to brown. Shake tray half way through cooking. A few mins before the end of roasting, tip the butter beans over the squash, toss briefly in the juices, then return to the oven to warm through. Remove from the oven and scatter the spinach over. Gently toss together without breaking the squash until the spinach starts to wilt. Drizzle with the honey and olive oil, season with sea salt and fresh black pepper. Serve with the couscous and lemon wedges.

Pasta with Garlicky Greens

1 tbsp garlic olive oil
3 leeks finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
250g baby spinach leaves
200ml double cream
400g orecchiette or other short pasta
75g blue cheese, crumbled

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the leeks and garlic and soften for about 10 mins. Stir in spinach leaves and allow to wilt for a few mins. Add the cream, stir and remove from the heat. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water. Drain well and return to the sauce pan, stir in the leek sauce. Serve in bowls with crumbled blue cheese on top. Serve with good crusty fresh bread, and may be a glass or two of good Italian white wine.

 

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White Fish with Sweet and Sour Peppers

1 tbsp olive oil

3 mixed peppers, deseeded and finely sliced

1 fennel bulb, finely sliced

2 large garlic cloves, finely sliced

50ml white wine vinegar

zest and juice of 1 large orange

handful of chopped parsley + extra to serve

400g can chopped tomatoes

4 fillets white fish, 150g each [ cod, coley, hake, or pollack ]

Preheat oven 180C. In a large pan, heat oil, peppers and fennel. Cook gently until softened, stirring now and again. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 min, then stir in vinegar, zest and the juice of the orange. Bubble for a short time until the smell of the vinegar has gone. Stir in the parsley and the tomatoes, and cook for about 5 mins. Season with fresh ground pepper and sea salt. Transfer to an oven proof dish. Sit the fish on the top and bake for about 10 – 15 mins until fish is cooked through. Serve with extra parsley. Serve with a green veg and buttered baby new potatoes.

Fish and Prawn Gratins with Oaty breadcrumbs [An evening meal for 2]

340g bag of baby spinach, roughly chopped

400g can of chopped tomatoes, with garlic and herbs

250g white fish fillets, cut into large chunks

small bunch basil, shredded

150g cooked and peeled prawns

2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan

2 tbsp. breadcrumbs

2 tbsp. oats

Put the spinach in a large colander and pour over boiling water. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze out any excess water then season. Tip the tomatoes into a frying pan, season, and simmer for about 5 mins to thicken. Add the fish and heat for about 5 mins. Stir in the basil. Heat oven to180C. Divide the spinach, fish, prawns and tomato sauce between 2 gratin dishes. Mix the Parmesan, breadcrumbs and oats together and sprinkle over the top. Bake for about 15 – 20 mins until golden and bubbling. Serve with cooked buttered broccoli and fresh crusty bread.

 

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Easter Chocolate Fudge Cake

150g unsalted butter, softened

150g light muscovado sugar

40g cocoa powder

150g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bi-carb of soda

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

142ml soured cream

2 tbsp. golden syrup

For the ganache;

250ml double cream

250g dark chocolate [Bournville is ideal ]

To decorate;

1 chocolate flake, crumbled

120g tub mini eggs

Heat oven to 180C, grease and line two 200mm sponge sandwich tins. Beat together the butter and sugar until pale. In a separate bowl, sift the cocoa, flour, baking powder, bi-carb and a pinch of salt, mix well together. Add to the creamed butter and sugar. In a jug, whisk the eggs with vanilla, soured cream and syrup. Pour over the dry ingredients and beat together. Divide the mixture between the two tins. Bake for about 20 – 25 mins until springy. Leave to cool for a few mins and transfer to wire racks to cool completely. For the ganache. In a bowl over simmering water melt the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove from the heat, stir briefly until combined and smooth [DON’T OVERSTIR]. Leave to cool for about 1 hr, or thick enough to spread. Use slightly less than half to sandwich the cakes together. Spread the remaining ganache all over the cake [top and sides] the decorate with the eggs and flake.

 

 

Spanish Orange and Almond Cake

2 oranges, about 280g in total, scrubbed and rough-ly chopped [ with skin ]

5 eggs, separated

200g caster sugar

225 ground almonds

2 tbsp. flaked almonds

sifted icing sugar to decorate

Put the chopped orange in a small sauce pan, dis-carding any pips. add 1 tbsp. of water, cover and gently simmer for about 30 mins until all excess liquid has evaporated. leave to cool. Preheat oven to

180C. Line the bottom and side of a 23cm spring form tin with parchment. Finely chop the oranges in a food processor. Put the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk until they form stiff peaks. Gradually whisk in half the caster sugar, then whisk for 1 min. Using the same whisk, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining caster sugar in another bowl for 2 – 3 mins or until pale and quite thick. Whisk in the finely chopped oranges, then carefully fold in the ground almonds. Stir in 3 table spoons of the egg white to loosen the mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whites with a large metal spoon. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and level the top. Sprinkle with the flaked al-monds. Bake for 50 – 55 mins or until the cake is golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Check the cake after 20mins and again at 30mins, and cover lightly with foil if it is browning too quickly. Leave cake to cool in tin, then transfer to a serving plate. Dust with icing sugar. Cut and serve.

 

 

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Leek and Goat's Cheese Tartlets

4 med leeks, trimmed, halved and finely sliced

large knob of butter

2 tbsp thyme leaves and 4 nice sprigs

375g block of puff pastry

4 good slices goats cheese [with rind]

truffle oil or walnut oil [optional]

Wash the leeks and drain. Heat the butter in a wide pan until sizzling, [don’t bun it] then add the wet leeks, thyme leaves, fresh black pepper and a dash of sea salt. Turn heat down low and cook for about 20 mins until they have practically melted but not coloured. Add a little more butter if required. Set aside and allow to cool. Heat oven to 200C Roll out pastry to a thickness of a £1 coin. Cut out saucer sized circles and place on a prepared baking sheet. Divide the leeks to each circle and spread to within 1/2 inch of the edge. Place a slice of cheese on each tart and top with a thyme sprig. Pinch the pastry edges together to encase the leeks, then bake the tarts for about 20 – 25 mins until puffed up and golden. Serve hot and drizzle with flavoured oil. Serve alongside a green salad and sliced cherry tomatoes.

 

Fish Cakes with a difference

600g potatoes, cut into med sized chunks

2 x 120g sardines in spring water [drained]

4 tbsp chopped parsley

zest and juice of 1 lemon

3 tbsp. light mayonnaise

4 tbsp. fat free Greek yogurt

1 tbsp. seasoned plain flour

4 tsp sunflower oil

Cook potatoes and drain, Mash well with a little butter. In a large bowl, coarsely mash the sardines, [no need to remove the bones] Mix in 3 tbsp. of the parsley and half of the lemon zest and juice and fresh black pepper and a dash of sea salt. Gently mix into the mashed potatoes and season. shape into 8 fat fish cakes using floured hands, then dust with the seasoned flour. In a serving bowl mix the yogurt, mayonnaise, remaining lemon juice, zest, parsley and seasoning. Heat half the oil in a non-stick pan and fry half the fish cakes for about 3 – 4 mins on each side. Keep warm and repeat with the remaining fish cakes. Serve with the lemony mayonnaise, green salad and lemon wedges

 

 

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Christmas Sand Cookies – Spain

1cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 med eggs

2 cups plain flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cardamom [see Mr Greedy’s tip]

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt

Topping- 2 tbsp. golden caster sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. [ use a hand mixer ]. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Sift the flour,cinnamon carda-mom, cloves and salt in abowl and mix together. Add to wet mixture and mix well. Gather the dough together, wrap in cling film. Refrigerate for about 1 hour, for easier rolling. Preheat oven 175C. Roll out dough to about 3/8inch thick on a well floured sur-face. Cut into 2 inch circles and place on baking trays. leave space between cookies. Sprinkle with the topping and bake for about 12- 15 mins until golden. Cool on wire rack and enjoy

 

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Snow |Flakes – Bavaria

250g butter, melted

100g icing sugar

A few drops of vanilla essence

100g plain flour

250g cornflour

50g ground almonds

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat [ don’t burn it ]. When cool add the vanilla essence. Sift remaining ingredients into a bowl, add butter and mix well. Leave to cool for about 30 mins. Preheat oven to 175C. Shape walnut sized balls from the dough. Place on prepared baking trays. Leave space between the cookies. Inprint stripes on to the balls with a floured folk [optional] Bake for about 20 mins until risen. Dust with icing sugar when cold.

 

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Vanilla Crescents – Germany

100g butter, at room temperature

100g plain flour

25g fine corn meal

65g ground almonds

50g icing sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 vanilla pod

100g white caster sugar

Preheat oven to 180C. Cormbine the butter, flour and corn meal until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the almonds, icing sugar and egg and mix until it forms a dough. Shape into a log, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for about an hour. Split the vanilla pod and mix into the caster sugar. Remove the wrap from the dough and cut into 25 pieces. Roll each piece into log shapes, pinch each end and bend into a crescent shape [banana] Place on baking trays and bake for about 15 mins until golden brown. Dust liberally with the vanilla sugar.

 

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Afternoon Pear Cake

3 large eggs

150g granulated sugar

150g plain flour

30g cornflour

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

90g butter, melted

4 – 5 ripe medium pears, peeled, cored, cut into chunks

icing sugar to dust

Preheat oven 180C. Line the base of a 23cm spring form tin with baking parchment. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until light in colour and fluffy. In a seperate bowl, sift together the flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt. Whisk into the egg mixture, followed by the vinilla and melted butter. Fold in the pears with their juices. Pour the mixture into the tin. Bake for about 45 mins, until golden and a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack, remove the parch-ment and dust the top with icing sugar. Serve on it's own or with double cream.

 

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