Thursday, 31 July 2008
Wot to do with Melons 1
Melon 'carpaccio' with feta and thyme
Preparation time less than 30 mins; Cooking time no cooking required
Ingredients
½ cantaloupe melon, peeled, seeds scooped out, very finely sliced
30g/1oz feta, crumbled
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp chopped fresh mint
2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
Method
1. Lay the melon slices out onto a large plate and place into the freezer for 5-10 minutes to chill.
2. Remove from the freezer and top with the remaining ingredients and serve immediately.
Preparation time less than 30 mins; Cooking time no cooking required
Ingredients
½ cantaloupe melon, peeled, seeds scooped out, very finely sliced
30g/1oz feta, crumbled
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp chopped fresh mint
2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
Method
1. Lay the melon slices out onto a large plate and place into the freezer for 5-10 minutes to chill.
2. Remove from the freezer and top with the remaining ingredients and serve immediately.
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
Pavlova
3 large egg whites
6oz caster sugar
preheat oven to 150oC
whisk egg whites until softly peak and stay in bowl when turned upside down - this really impresses your kids
whisk in sugar 1 tblspn at a time
8 inch circle on silicone sheet then add blobs to circumference
swirl the blobs with a skewer tip
put in oven for 1hr turning down to 140oC
turn off and leave in oven overnight
275ml of whipped double cream does the business saving extra for the table jug (whipped or pourable)
12oz soft fruit topped with a little icing sugar to be really decadent.
6oz caster sugar
preheat oven to 150oC
whisk egg whites until softly peak and stay in bowl when turned upside down - this really impresses your kids
whisk in sugar 1 tblspn at a time
8 inch circle on silicone sheet then add blobs to circumference
swirl the blobs with a skewer tip
put in oven for 1hr turning down to 140oC
turn off and leave in oven overnight
275ml of whipped double cream does the business saving extra for the table jug (whipped or pourable)
12oz soft fruit topped with a little icing sugar to be really decadent.
The Vicar's wife's Alternative Recipe
3 egg whites
6 oz sugar
2 tsps corn flour
1 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
beat up the whites adding the sugar gradually
turn mixer to slowest speed and add the cornflour and vinegar and vanilla escence
put on a tray, and cook for one hour and then turn off the oven and leave to cool for 30 minutes
fill as required but will last for weeks in a sealed container
Monday, 21 July 2008
Chicken stuffed with Mozzarella & Wrapped in Parma Ham
Anything potato based works well with this, or a green salad for a lighter option.
You will need:
4x skinless chicken breast
2x pack of parma ham
1x mozzarella ball
2x tablespoon of sun-dried tomato puree
A few pinches of dried basil – depending on taste
Olive Oil
- Divide mozzarella ball into four portions (if you tear it into little bits rather than use a knife it’s easier to stuff into the chicken…)
- Slice each chicken breast as if cutting in half, but not right through.
- Spread half a tablespoon of sun-dried tomato puree into the cut (add more if you’re a big fan of it), & then add a pinch of basil.
- Squish a portion of the mozzarella into each chicken breast.
- Then wrap each piece of chicken in one or two (or even three) slices of parma ham, depending on size of chicken & number of slices in pack – you don’t have to cover to the very ends of the chicken breast, just make sure the stuffed part is wrapped or else the cheese will escape…
- Preheat oven to 200 (or 180 for fan ovens) & warm a baking tray with a little olive oil on it.
- Place chicken breasts on tray, & season with black pepper – drizzle over some olive oil (basil oil is nice for this if you have it)
- Cook for 30 mins - serves 4.
Onion Marmalade
I pinched this from BBC Good Food, & have added my own comments in italics at the end
Ingredients
2kg red onions or regular onions
4 garlic cloves
140g butter
4 tbsp olive oil
140g golden caster sugar
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
75cl bottle red wine
350ml sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
200ml port
Halve and thinly slice the onions, then thinly slice the garlic. Melt the butter with the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a high heat. Tip in the onions and garlic and give them a good stir so they are glossed with butter. Sprinkle over the sugar, thyme leaves, chilli flakes if using and some salt and pepper. Give everything another really good stir and reduce the heat slightly. Cook uncovered for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions are ready when all their juices have evaporated, they're really soft and sticky and smell of sugar caramelising. They should be so soft that they break when pressed against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon. Slow cooking is the secret of really soft and sticky onions, so don't rush this part.
Pour in the wine, vinegar and port and simmer everything, still uncovered, over a high heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring every so often until the onions are a deep mahogany colour and the liquid has reduced by about two-thirds. It's done when drawing a spoon across the bottom of the pan clears a path that fills rapidly with syrupy juice. Leave the onions to cool in the pan, then scoop into sterilised jars and seal. Can be eaten straight away, but keeps in the fridge for up to 3 months.
Ingredients
2kg red onions or regular onions
4 garlic cloves
140g butter
4 tbsp olive oil
140g golden caster sugar
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
75cl bottle red wine
350ml sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
200ml port
Halve and thinly slice the onions, then thinly slice the garlic. Melt the butter with the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a high heat. Tip in the onions and garlic and give them a good stir so they are glossed with butter. Sprinkle over the sugar, thyme leaves, chilli flakes if using and some salt and pepper. Give everything another really good stir and reduce the heat slightly. Cook uncovered for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions are ready when all their juices have evaporated, they're really soft and sticky and smell of sugar caramelising. They should be so soft that they break when pressed against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon. Slow cooking is the secret of really soft and sticky onions, so don't rush this part.
Pour in the wine, vinegar and port and simmer everything, still uncovered, over a high heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring every so often until the onions are a deep mahogany colour and the liquid has reduced by about two-thirds. It's done when drawing a spoon across the bottom of the pan clears a path that fills rapidly with syrupy juice. Leave the onions to cool in the pan, then scoop into sterilised jars and seal. Can be eaten straight away, but keeps in the fridge for up to 3 months.
- Don't panic that you'll need dozens of jars - I made this & by the time it'd cooked down it filled three ordinary sized jam jars
- I made it with red onions, which I think make a nicer colour - may try it with white next time
- I used dried thyme rather than fresh & it was fine
- When it says heat on a high heat to start with, it means it! I was worried about cooking the onions too quickly so didn't have the heat high enough - consequently the butter hadn't cooked off enough when I added the wine etc. This didn't affect the taste, but definately gave the marmalade a rather bizarre buttery appearance once it'd set in the jars...
- It will stick to the bottom of the pan!
- Goes well with main meat dishes such as steak, pork, sausages or chicken, & v good with cheese & biscuits (altho my favourite is to have it on fresh bread with cheese...)
Sponges
- Big Sponges / Small sponge cakes in cases (about 18)
- 12/6oz caster sugar
- 12/6oz soft marg’
- 6/3 eggs
- 11/5oz self-raising flour
- 1oz cocoa
- tsp baking powder
- tblsp / 2tsp boiling water
- warm Kenwood bowl and beater with water & dry
- mix sugar & marg in kenwood and BEAT for 3+mins on fast
- add all but one egg, one at a time, beating each time (medium)
- add last egg with 1 tblsp of sifted flour, Beat slowly then increase
- remove beater, add water and sieve in flour, Bpowder & cocoa
- fold in – round, fold over & cut, turning bowl slightly [mixing without losing air]
- case up & bake for c.25/15 mins @ 180C
- [bake big cakes in tins with turning bottoms – grease don’t line]
- press gently to check if cooked; if they spring back up or are moving away from the sides then they are done.
- (if you've got a dint, they need 2-3 more minutes.)
Saturday, 19 July 2008
Chocolate Brownies
- preheat oven to 160C
- 250g butter
- 500g caster sugar
- 100g cocoa powder
- 4 eggs - beaten
- 100g self-raising flour
- melt bcc in microwave, stirring and allow to cool slightly
- stir in beaten eggs
- fold in flour and pour in greased / lined tin for 35 mins approx
- aim for firm but fudgy
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