Category: Hilary’s Culinary Corner

Hilary’s Culinary Corner is the new (Nov 2024) cooking column

May is blooming marvellous!! It’s a month for lighter dishes that suit brighter days

Crispy Filo Tart with Seasonal Veg

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
6-8 sheets filo pastry
50g dried breadcrumbs
100g asparagus sliced in half lengthways if very thick
2 courgettes or 300g baby courgettes sliced
6 large eggs
zest 2 lemons
small handful parsley, mint or basil (or a mixture), roughly chopped
200g crème fraîche
200g block feta cheese crumbled

Method

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and pop in a baking sheet to heat up.
• Use a little of the oil to lightly grease an 18 x 25cm tart tin.
• Line the tin with a few strips of baking parchment – this will help to lift out the tart later.
• Unfold the pastry, but keep it covered with a damp tea towel. Taking 1 sheet at a time, brush each piece well with oil, then use to line your tart tin, leaving a little pastry hanging over the edges.
• Sprinkle a thin layer of breadcrumbs between each layer of pastry as you go –this keeps the pastry crisp. When you get to the final layer, brush with a little extra oil and scrunch the edges together to create a pretty border.
• Toss the asparagus and courgettes with seasoning and the remaining oil and tip onto a baking tray.
• Place the pastry case on the top shelf of the oven, with the veg on the shelf below and cook for 10 mins.
• Remove the veg from the oven. Brush the pastry case with a little beaten egg and bake for a further 5 mins until the pastry is golden brown and crunchy.
• Whisk the remaining egg with the lemon zest, herbs, crème fraîche and seasoning.
• Lay half the veg in the bottom of the pastry case and add half the feta.

Pour over the egg mixture, then top with the remaining veg and feta

• Bake for 40 mins until the filling has set. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

 

Rhubarb Crumble Bars

Rhubarb Crumble Bars

Ingredients

400g rhubarb, chopped into small pieces
100g caster sugar
200g butter
200g plain flour
170g soft light brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
30g rolled oats
1 medium egg, yolk only

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6.
• Place the rhubarb into a roasting dish and sprinkle over the caster sugar. Roast for 25-30 minutes, or until the rhubarb begins to soften and becomes jammy. Strain off any excess liquid. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
• Turn the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4.
• Put the butter, flour, brown sugar and ginger into a food processor, and whisk until fine breadcrumbs form.
• Spoon half the mixture (about 300g) into a small bowl, then stir in the oats. This will be the crumble topping.
• Add the egg yolk to the remaining mixture in the food processor and pulse until a dough forms or make dough with hands.
• Grease and line a 23cm square tin with baking parchment. Press the dough into the bottom of the tin. Prick all over with a fork, then bake for 10 minutes near the bottom of the oven to dry it out slightly.
• Strain the rhubarb and discard the juice.
• When the base is slightly crisper, spread the rhubarb on top, covering the whole base evenly.
• Gently squeeze the crumble topping using your hands so it clumps together slightly, then sprinkle it over the rhubarb. When it’s completely covered, bake for 40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the rhubarb is bubbling.
• Leave to cool for 15 minutes.

Celebrate Easter with lamb in a different but very
easy way…….
Less time cooking and more time to enjoy

Lamb Pasta Melt

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tsp dried oregano

500g pack lamb mince

400g tin chopped tomatoes

140g pitted black olives

200g frozen spinach (about 7 cubes), defrosted

30g pack dill, thick stems removed, and leaves chopped

250g farfalle or preferred pasta shape

1 ball half-fat mozzarella, drained and finely torn

Method

  • Heat the oil in a large frying pan, then add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 mins over a medium heat. Add in the oregano and lamb, turn the heat up to high and cook for a further 5 mins.
  • Stir in the chopped tomatoes, olives, spinach and dill. Season well and cook for 5 mins until the lamb is cooked through.
  • Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the farfalle for 10-12 mins, until tender. Drain.
  • Preheat the grill to medium-high. Stir the meat mixture into the drained pasta and spoon into a 1.5ltr ovenproof dish. Top with the mozzarella and cook under the preheated grill for 4-5 mins, until golden and bubbling.

Mini Egg Cheesecake

Mini Egg Cheesecake

This mini egg cheesecake is a no bake recipe, so dead simple but needs a few hours to set or ideally overnight in fridge.

Ingredients

For the base

250g/9oz chocolate digestive biscuits

80g/2¾oz unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for

greasing

For the filling

680g/1lb 8oz full-fat cream cheese, at room

temperature

90g/3¼oz icing sugar

1½ tsp vanilla bean paste or maple syrup is a good

substitute

320ml/11fl oz double cream

320g/11½oz sugar-coated chocolate mini eggs,

roughly chopped, plus extra to decorate.

Method

  1. To make the base, line the bottom of a 20cm/8in
    springform or loose-bottomed cake tin with baking
    paper and lightly grease the sides.
    2. Add the biscuits to a food processor and blend
    to a fine crumb texture. Alternatively, add them to a
    food bag, seal and bash with a rolling pin. Pour the biscuits into a bowl and stir in the melted butter.
  2. Tip the biscuit mixture into the tin and use the
    back of a spoon to press down firmly and evenly.
    Place the tin in the fridge to chill.
    4. To make the filling, place the cream cheese,
    icing sugar, vanilla and half of the double cream in a
    large bowl and beat until smooth and thick. Stir in
    the chopped chocolate eggs.
    5. In a separate bowl, whip the rest of the double
    cream until it forms stiff peaks. Fold this into the
    cream cheese mixture.
    6. Pour the filling into the tin and level the top.
    Leave to chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours or
    overnight.
    When ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from
    the tin.

Curry & Chocolate Cake

There are one or two simple recipes that every cook should include in their repertoire. A good quick standby curry that isn’t expensive or hard to make but always delicious! The other is a chocolate cake, the ultimate comfort food in my opinion….

Curry

Ingredients

1 medium chopped onion

25g margarine or own choice fat/oil

1 medium apple, peeled and sliced

1-2 heaped tsps. curry powder (for mild curry)

2 large tomatoes (sliced) or medium tin of tomatoes

1 heaped tbsp flour

½ tsp sugar

Pinch of salt

55g sultanas

½ pint stock (or cube and boiling water)

400-450g cooked leftover meat or fish

Method

Fry the onion in the fat/oil until transparent. Add the chopped apple and cook until soft. Stir in the curry powder and the flour followed by the tomatoes and stir until it thickens.

Season with salt and sugar. Add the stock and the sultanas and simmer slowly over a low heat for about 30 mins, stirring occasionally.

Add the meat or fish and allow to heat thoroughly.

Almost any kind of left overs, meat or fish can be added.

Try diced beef, lamb, prawns, flaked cooked cod or diced potato and carrot for vegetarian meal.

 

 

Easy-Peasy Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

175g soft butter or margarine

115g caster sugar

4 tbsp golden syrup

175g self-raising flour (sifted)

2 good tbsp cocoa powder (sifted)

Good pinch of salt

3 eggs beaten

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/360F/Gas 4. Mix together all the ingredients using an electric mixer or elbow grease and wooden spoon! Add a little milk if the mixture seems too stiff. Divide the mixture immediately between two 7 inch greased sandwich tins. Bake for about 30 mins.

When cold, sandwich with filling of choice i.e. butter cream and icing sugar frosting.

Butter cream

140g butter

280g icing sugar

1-2 tbsp milk

¼ tsp vanilla extract.

Beat the butter in a large bowl until smooth. Add half the icing sugar, 1tbsp milk and vanilla extract and beat the mixture until creamy and smooth. Beat in remaining milk to loosen mixture if necessary.

 

Quick and Easy Macaroni Cheese & Easy Christmas Cake

Pacific Pie

A childhood favourite, loved by kids and almost impossible not to have all the ingredients making it a good standby supper……..

Ingredients for 4

3 large floury potatoes
3 tbsp milk
1 tbsp butter
450g tinned tuna (keep the oil)
2 medium onions
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1tsp sugar
1tsp red or white wine vinegar
300g frozen peas (thawed)
1 pkt ready salted crips, smashed up
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

  • Boil the potatoes until tender, then drain.
  • Mash with milk and butter.
  • Preheat oven to 200c or mark 6.
  • Heat oil from tuna and fry with onions until tender, don’t let them brown.
  • Add tomatoes, sugar and vinegar and season to make the tuna sauce.
  • Transfer tuna sauce to bottom of baking tray and cover with mashed potato like a shepherds pie.
  • Cook for 30 mins and sprinkle crisps on top just before serving.
  • Serve with mayo or tomato ketchup!!

 

Nutty Carrot Cake Traybake

Using a combination of granulated sweetener and muscovado sugar helps to reduce the sugar in this yummy tray bake!

Ingredients:

150g plain flour

3tsp baking powder

40g light brown muscovado sugar

10 tsp table top sweetener

60g walnuts, chopped roughly

120g carrots, grated

2 medium eggs,

50g low fat spread, melted

2 tsp ground cinammon

30g sultanas

Method:

  • Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
  • Line a tin approx 20cm by 20cm with baking paper.
  • Sift together dry ingredients into a bowl, flour, baking powder, sugar, sweetener and cinnamon.
  • In another bowl beat 2 eggs and add the melted low fat spread.
  • Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture, then add the carrots, walnuts and sultanas, fold and don’t over work mixture.
  • Pour into lined tin and bake for 30-35 mins, using skewer to check centre which should come out clean when cooked

 

 

Sausage and Mash Pie & Moist Ginger Cake

 

As the weather turns, and the nights draw in, we’re in the mood for warming comfort food to see us through the chilly evenings. Some favourites to try

Sausage and Mash Pie

Ingredients

75g butter

6 pork sausages, roughly chopped

2 leeks, sliced

2 carrots, roughly chopped

2 celery sticks, roughly chopped

3 tbsp. onion gravy granules

200g frozen peas

500g floury potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

2 tbsp. wholegrain mustard

Method:- Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) Mark 6. Melt 25g butter in a medium casserole dish over medium-high heat. Add the sausage pieces, leeks, carrots and celery and cook for 10-15 mins, stirring occasionally, until the sausages are golden. Stir in the gravy granules, 300ml water and plenty of seasoning. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2mins, stirring until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the peas. Make the mash. Put the potatoes into a large pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat and simmer for 10-15 mins, or until tender. Drain, reserving a cupful of the starchy cooking water. Leave the potatoes to steam dry for 5 mins. Return potatoes to the empty pan and mash. Mix in the remaining butter, season and a small splash of the reserved cooking water (add more if mash is dry). Stir in the mustard. Top the sausage mixture with the mash. Cook in the oven for 25mins, or until golden and bubbling.

Moist Ginger Cake

Ingredients

350g golden syrup

125g block butter

250g plain flour, sifted

½ level teaspoon salt

1 ¾ level teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

1 level teaspoon ground ginger

½ level teaspoon mixed spice

1 large egg

275ml milk 

Method: –  Pre – heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan)  gas mark 4. Weigh a saucepan on the scales and  weigh the syrup into it. Then add the butter to the  saucepan and melt the two together over a gentle  heat. Measure the dry ingredients into a bowl, then  gradually pour in the syrup mixture, mix well. Beat  the egg and milk together in a separate basin then  add that bit by bit, again mixing thoroughly. The  cake batter will seem very liquid at this stage but  that ’ s OK so don ’ t worry, just pour it into the  prepared oblong tin, well buttered and with a liner.  Bake near the centre of the oven for about 45 – 50  minutes or until the centre is springy. Cool in the tin  for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire tray to  cool. When it ’ s cold, cut it into squares .