Sunday, 11 December 2016

Moroccan Chickpea, Lentil and Spinach Stew

Ingredients:
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic
2cm fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 carrot, diced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp crushed chilli
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cinnamon
400g chopped tomatoes
800ml vegetable stock
150g red lentils
150g green lentils
420g can chickpeas, drained
200g spinach

Method:
1. Heat oil in a large pan - fry the onion until it begins to brown, add the garlic and ginger and cook for a further 2 minutes.
2. Add carrot and spices and stir well to coat the vegetables - cook for 2 minutes until you can smell the spices.
3. Add the tomatoes, stock and lentils - cook over a moderate heat for 30 minutes until the lentils have softened.
4. Add the chickpeas and spinach and heat through.
5. Serve with toasted pitta bread or brown rice.

Status
Untried, but might make it tomorrow!

Friday, 9 December 2016

Pan Haggerty

Ingredients
675g firm-fleshed potatoes (Desiree or Maris Piper)
Butter / olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
100g grated cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper

Method:
1. Peel potatoes and slice thinly on a mandolin or with a sharp knife
2. Heat the butter / oil in a heavy based pan - cover the base with a layer of potatoes, add a layer of onions, and one of grated cheese, seasoning generously.
3. Continue these layers, finishing with a layer of potatoes and a sprinkling of cheese.
4. Cover the pan tightly with tin foil, and cook over a very low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the potatoes on top are just cooked through.
5. Place the pan under a pre-heated grill for 2-3 minutes to brown - serve from the pan.

Status
Not tried yet - sounds yummy.

Monday, 5 December 2016

Apple and Spice Tea Loaf

Ingredients:
175g butter
175g light muscovado sugar
3 large eggs
1 eating apple, half grated / half sliced thinly
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g mixed dried fruit
85g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
175g plain flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Lemon or orange juice
1 tbsp apricot jam

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 160C and line a 2lb loaf tin.
2. Beat together butter and sugar, then beat in eggs and add the grated apple, vanilla, dried fruit and ground almonds.
3. Mix the baking powder, flour and spices together with a pinch of salt - fold into the fruit mix.
4. Spoon mix into the tin, top with thinly sliced apple tossed in lemon or orange juice, and sprinkle with a teaspoon of sugar.
5. Bake for 45 minutes - then cover with foil, turn oven temperature down and cook for a further 45 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.  Glaze with apricot jam.
6. Serve sliced with butter - can be frozen for up to a month.

Status
Untried

Thursday, 1 December 2016

Turmeric Flatbreads

Ingredients
125g gram flour
4 tsp turmeric
1.5 tsp cumin
Pinch of salt
200ml water

Method
1. Sift flour and spices into a bowl - mix into a smooth paste with the water.
2. Leave for at least an hour - then fry in a little oil - one ladle per flatbread.
3. Can keep in fridge for a few days wrapped in clingfilm.

Status
Made lots - recipe makes 4 flatbreads.

Monday, 28 November 2016

Spiced Apple Slices

Ingredients
450g grated apple
4 eggs
200g brown sugar
1.5 tsp cinnamon
0.5 tsp mixed spice
50g ground almonds
50g sultanas
200g self-raising wholemeal flour
150ml oil

Method
1. Whisk eggs and sugar together until thick and creamy - then whisk in oil.
2. Mix in other ingredients.
3. Bake at 180C in a large rectangular dish for 40-50 minutes until firm - sprinkle with cinnamon spiced sugar, and cut into slices.

Status
Came up with the recipe to use up a glut of autumn apples - came out a lot like bread pudding - worth making again!

Thursday, 24 November 2016

Spiced Sweet Potato and Chickpea Casserole

Ingredients: Casserole
1 onion, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, sliced
1 red pepper, chopped
150g mushrooms
400g sweet potato in bite-sized chunks
2 carrots, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp medium curry powder
125ml dry white wine
600ml vegetable stock
400g chopped tomatoes
400g canned chickpeas

Ingredients: Dumplings
100g self-raising flour
50g light vegetable suet
2 tbsp coriander leaf

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 160C - fry the vegetables and garlic for 10 minutes in a little vegetable oil until they begin to soften.
2. Add the flour and curry powder and cook for 1 minute - stir in the wine, stock, tomatoes and chickpeas and bring to the boil - then bake in the oven for an hour.
3. Make the dumplings - mix the flour, suet and coriander with 4-5 tbsp of cold water to form a firm dough - shape into 8 small dumplings and chill in the fridge.
4. Remove the pan from the oven - place the dumplings on the surface and cook for a further 30 minutes until they are golden and puffed up.

Status
Made once - very tasty!

Wednesday, 19 October 2016

Spiced Chickpeas with Cumin Spuds

Ingredients: Spuds
3 baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
Oil for roasting
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper

Ingredients: Chickpeas
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic
1 red pepper, finely chopped
2 red chillies, finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed
200ml creme fraiche
Handful of spinach
1 tbsp chopped fresh lemon balm

Method
1. Preheat oven to 200C - season potatoes, and roast in oil - after 10 minutes add the cumin and garlic, shake to mix well, and roast for another 15 minutes until crisp and cooked.
2. Meanwhile, fry the onion, garlic, pepper, chilli, and celery for 10 minutes until nice and soft
3. Add paprika and tomato puree and cook for a further 5 minutes
4. Add chickpeas and creme fraiche, season and warm through, before finally adding the spinach and lemon balm
5. Serve a good spoonful of chickpeas topped with the crispy spuds.

Status
Serves 4 - made a couple of time - very tasty (don't think I've ever added the lemon balm, and have used greek yoghurt or philly instead of creme fraiche).

Wednesday, 12 October 2016

Bavarian Apple Torte

Ingredients: Crust
115g butter
40g caster sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
115g plain flour

Ingredients: Cheese mix
200g cream cheese
55g caster sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients: Apple mix
6 apples, peeled and thinly sliced
40g caster sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Method
1. Preheat oven to 210C
2. Cream butter, sugar, vanilla and flour to form a dough - press mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch flan case - set aside.
3. Blend cream cheese and sugar - beat in egg and vanilla - pour mix over crust.
4. Toss sliced apples in the combined sugar and cinnamon - spread over cheese filling.
5. Bake for 10 minutes - reduce heat to 180C and continue baking for 25 minutes until firm.

Status
Very nice!

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Stew

Ingredients 
2 cans 400ml tinned tomatoes
1 can coconut milk
2 large sweet potatoes
2 aubergines
1 bag of spinach
1 can 400g chickpeas
4 tbsp tomato puree
4 tsp turmeric
4 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne
4 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Cut sweet potato into chuncks and steam for 15 minutes - chop aubergine into bite size pieces
2. Put tomato puree, vinegar, garlic,spices and salt into a pot with some olive oil - heat for a minute until bubbling
3. Add tomatoes, coconut milk, aubergine, and sweet potato to the pot and heat until boiling.
4. Simmer for about 45 minutes, then add drained chickpeas and spinach - cook for a further 15 minutes.
5. Serve with brown rice or quinoa

Status
Should serve 4 - comes out well, and suitable for vegans.

Tuesday, 6 September 2016

Gooseberry Meringue Pie

Ingredients: Pastry
175g plain flour
100g butter
1tbsp icing sugar
1 egg yolk

Ingredients: Gooseberry filling
500g gooseberries
55g caster sugar
25g cornflour
25g butter
2 egg yolks

Ingredients: Meringue
3 egg whites
175g caster sugar

Method
1. Make pastry and put aside to chill - use to line a flan dish, chill for another hour then blind bake in a 180C oven for 15 minutes, remove foil / baking beans, then return to oven for a further 5 minutes or so until pastry is golden brown.
2. Top and tail gooseberries, cook with sugar and a couple of tablespoons of water for about 15 minutes.
3. Drain and reserve juices - leave gooseberries to cool, and top up juice to 300ml with water.
4. Blend juice with cornflour, then heat, melting in butter - bring to boil, then simmer for a couple of minutes until smooth - cool slightly.
5. Beat in egg yolks, and stir in gooseberries.
6. Whisk egg whites until they form stiff peaks, and then whisk in the sugar in two batches.
7. Spoon gooseberry mix into tart case, and top with meringue - bake in oven at 160C for around 20 minutes until meringue is crisp and slightly coloured.

Status
Made once - gooseberry mix is lovely, mucked up the blind baking a bit, forgot about how the pastry would shrink - otherwise very nice.

Wednesday, 16 March 2016

Simnel Muffins

Ingredients: Muffins
100g Dark brown sugar
100g Light brown sugar
120g Salted butter
450g Self-raising flour
1 tbsp Mixed spice
125g Glace cherries (roughly chopped)
50g Marzipan (cut into small pieces)
3 large eggs
1,5 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
170g Dried mixed fruit
200ml Buttermilk (50ml milk / 150ml yoghurt)

Ingredients:Topping
1 egg
25g Dark brown sugar
1 tbsp Plain flour
175g Marzipan (cut into small pieces)

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan).
2. Make topping by beating egg and stirring through flour, sugar and marzipan
3. Whisk together sugars and butter - gradually beat in the eggs
4. Sift together flour, bicarb and mixed spice - coat the dried fruit and cherries in the flour mixture
5. Gradually add flour mixture and buttermilk to egg / butter mix until just combined
6. Half fill 12 muffin cases - dot with 50g of reserved marzipan - top up with other half of mix - spoon over marzipan topping
7. Bake for 30 minutes until sponge is cooked - cover with foil if browning too much - cool on rack.

Status 
Made once - recipe makes 12 muffins in tulip wraps - instead made lots of smaller cakes, which worked ok except topping was more difficult to handle . . .

Saturday, 5 March 2016

Ginger Biscuits

Ingredients
75g unsalted butter2 tablespoon caster sugar
75g wholemeal flour
2 teaspoon baking powder1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 teaspoon ground ginger1 1/2 tablespoon golden syrup
45g stem ginger, chopped

Method1. Preheat oven to 180C.2. Cream butter and sugar.3. Add sifted dry ingredients, mix, and add golden syrup / stem ginger - mix until combined.4. Roll into 16 balls - place on greased or lined baking trays and flatten slightly. 5. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.  Cool on tray.

StatusNot tried yet.