Fabulous Flapjacks

For those with a sweet tooth, there is something a bit morish about these chaps.
Golden syrup is the key ingredient!

• 250gms rolled porridge oats
• 125 gms of butter
• 125gms of soft brown sugar
• 3 tbsp of golden syrup

(and for a really different taste, add 50gms of cranberries (dried) - Whitworths do a nice one.

Melt the butter in a dish in the microwave - 20/30 seconds should do. Then place all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until evenly coated in all that goodness!
Put into a baking pan/tray. I like a thick flapjack so a 20cms square tin works well but if you want it thinner try a larger rectangular tray. Press the mixture down into the pan and if you are adding cranberries try and get them to be below the surface.
Bake in a pre-heated over (180degC Fan or 200degC conventional) for 15 to 20 minutes until golden.

When you take out of the oven, score the mix with a knife to portion up and then allow to cool. Then remove from the tray and cool further.

The photo show the pre-cooked ones on the left and the ones on the right are ready to devour!

Macaroni Cheese

(Apologies to the original author - I seem to have lost their name.)

Time: 15 minutes for cooking pasta; 25 minutes in the Thermomix; 30-40 minutes baking

Yield: 4 generously

As reassuring as a goodnight kiss, mac ’n’ cheese is comfort food at its best. It ticks every box in the book: it can be made ahead of time in total or in various stages, it can be made just for two or to feed a crowd, reheats like a dream, it won’t break the bank and everyone likes it. And what’s not to like? This ostensibly humble dish pops up on smart menus all over our most food-obsessed cities. We like it as a main dish but it’s also a classic steakhouse side-order and has even been sighted at Neil Perry’s much-awarded Rockpool restaurants. Our recipe uses three cheeses, giving a beautiful creamy texture to the sauce with no graininess, plus depth of flavour. Once you’ve tried this one it will be a bit like pulling on your favourite jeans; you know it will always be good, whatever the occasion.

•             160grams dry macaroni, cooked in boiling salted water until al dente

•             40grams each of cheddar, gruyere and parmesan cheeses, cut into pieces

•             500grams full-cream milk

•             ¼ onion, peeled

•             1 bay leaf

•             2 whole cloves

•             50grams salted butter

•             50grams plain flour

•             1teaspoon Dijon mustard

•             1 egg yolk

•             1 pinch salt and ground white pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced.

2. Place all three cheeses in the mixing bowl and chop 5 seconds/speed 8. Set aside.

3. Pour the milk into the mixing bowl and add the onion, bay leaf and cloves. Infuse by heating 5 minutes/60 degrees/reverse/speed 1.

4. Pour the milk and flavourings into a jug and allow it to stand and infuse for a further 5 minutes or so.

5. Meanwhile, place the butter into the mixing bowl and melt 3 minutes/60 degrees/speed 2.

6. Add the flour and cook 4 minutes/Varoma/speed 4. The mixture should be sizzling slightly and look a little sandy; if not cook a minute further.

7. Strain the warm milk back in to the mixing bowl then Cook 5 minutes/90 degrees/speed 4. Then cook again 2 minutes/100 degrees/speed 4, the mixture should be boiling at the end of the cooking time.

8. Take the lid off and allow the sauce to cool for a few minutes. Then add the grated cheeses, mustard and egg yolk. Mix 30 seconds/speed 4.   

9. Combine the sauce with the cooked macaroni and turn into a buttered 1-litre shallow ovenproof dish.

10. Bake in the centre of the oven at 170C (fan-forced) for 30-40 minutes, the sauce should be bubbling at the sides and the top nicely browned.

11. Serve with greens and crusty bread.

AND … Your call as to when to boil the macaroni. You can do it while the sauce is in the Thermomix so they’re ready at about the same time but if you cook the pasta first, give it a light coating of butter or oil as soon as it’s drained so it doesn’t form clumps while you’re waiting for the sauce to cook. Or, keep the finished sauce in the fridge for a day or three until you’re ready to boil the pasta and do the bake.

I think the recipe is great BUT I wonder is a little more cheese is required. You try it nad tell me what you think

Caesar Salad Dressing

I had to make this when I didn’t realise we had none in the fridge!!

Servings:  enough for about 8 salads

Total Time: 12 Minutes

Ingredients:

1 small garlic cloves, minced

1 small anchovy

2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Pinch of salt and freshly gound pepper

In a bowl, whisk together the garlic, anchovy, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce.

Add the mayonnaise, parmesan, salt and pepper and whisk until well combined. Season to taste.

Superb Onion Gravy

This is one of those sauces that is a must when you are eating comfort food such as bangers and mash. No fancy bangers – just good quality pork ones and use Mozart variety potatoes for a lovely mash - don't forget plenty of butter!!

Ingredients (enough for 2 people)

• 50gms of butter (slightly salted)
• 1 large onion thinly sliced
• ½ tbps of plain flour
• 50ml of red wine (I use Cote du Rhone)
• 200ml of good beef stock
• ½ tsp of Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tsp of Colemans english mustard
• Salt & Pepper to taste (careful with the salt)

Melt butter in a pan and then cook onions until soft. Reduce heat and cover. Cook until unions are brown which is about half an hour or so.

Stir in the flour can cook for a few minutes – stirring.

Add all of the other ingredients (except salt & pepper) and simmer for about 20 mins – stirring occasionally.

When done, season to taste.

Red Onion Relish

This is a perfect accompaniment to my Foie Gras Burgers! You will have to wait for that recipe!

Ingredients:

• 4 Medium Onions (red) – finely sliced
• 50 gms of butter
• 3 tbsp of brown sugar
• 2 tbsp of vinegar
• 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

Cook the onions in the butter over a low heat for about 15 minutes until soft.

Add the remaining ingredients and cook until the liquid is syrupy. Cool and then strore in the fridge until required.

Sweet Potato Soup - with a dash of curry!

There seems to be a lot of sweet potatoes in the shops at the moment, so what better time of the year to make a hearty soup!

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 600gms of sweet potatoes
• 50gms of butter
• ½ large or 1 small onion
• 700ml of decent chicken or vegetable stock
• Heaped dessertspoon of curry paste
• Salt & Pepper to taste.
• Cream (as required)

Peels and chop the veg and heat with the butter and curry paste in a pan for a few minutes. (If using the Thermomix, chop on speed 5 for 6 seconds.)

Add the stock and simmer until soft. (In the Thermomix, 12 mins/speed2/100deg)

Liquidise using a stick blender (Thermomix 1 minute, speed 9)

Salt and Pepper to taste.

I tend to use Balti Paste but any form of curry paste to your preference will do.

Pour into a bowl, add a splash of cream if you want and  serve with some warm bread. sit in a chair by a fire and enjoy!

Guinness Bread

Want to be able to make an impressive bread? One that is easy as well? then here you go!

Ingredients:

• 325g of Malted Blend stoneground wholemeal flour
• 125g of plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tbps of Demerara sugar
• 50g of butter
• 1 tbsp (heaped) baking soda
• 300ml of Guinness
• 150ml of milk
• 2 tbsp of treacle

Place all the dry ingredients into a bowl (except the soda) and rub in the butter until the mixture is even and looks like breadcrumbs, lifting as you go. Add the soda to the mixture and mix thoroughly. Add Guinness, milk and treacle to the dry mix and mix until you have an even wet mix. Put in a baking tin and bake for about 50 minutes to 1 hour until risen and hollow when tapped underneath (180degC fan). Cool on a wire tray.

This bread is so easy to make and there is no proving etc. It is quite a heavy bread but cut thinly it is delicious with cheese, pate or soups. Or simply with some good butter!

Simple Roasted Nectarines

I love simple dishes especially if they are easy and tasty as well! This makes for a very easy pudding and you will wish you had cooked one extra nectarine! Maderia is quite a rich sweet wine which you may not have. A dessert wine could be used or just replace with water and add a little extra sugar to the water in the tray.

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 4 ripe nectarines, halves and stones removed
• 1 tbsp of demerara sugar
• ½ teaspoon of butter per half
• 1 glass of Madeira wine
• 1 glass of water
• Pinch of cinnamon per half

What simpler dish than a roasted peach or nectarine!

Prepare the nectarine halves and put into a baking dish. Add the wine and water around the halves (the halves being placed cut side up). Place the butter in the hollow of the nectarine and sprinkle each half with demerara sugar followed by a pinch of cinnamon. Roast for approx 30 minutes in an over at 190degC or until soft and golden. Serve with a couple of spoonfuls of the liquor in the pan and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Simple and delicious.

Chicken and Chorizo - Catalan Style

(photo to follow!!)


Well, it’s what I perceive it to be!! This dish is simple to do and can be left to simmer away to ensure the flavours permeate out. It is real soul food. There is a variety of chorizo to use but use a soft cured or uncooked type – it will be much more tender in the dish. I prefer the softer cured type as it has a little bite when you eat the dish and is a good contrast to the soft chicken. Plenty of paprika and off you go…

Ingredients: (Serves 2/4 depending on how hungry you are!)

• 250gms of boned chicken thighs
• 250gms of chicken breast
• Half a horseshoe shaped chorizo - diced
• 1 tbsp light olive oil
• Half a large red pepper (or one small one) deseeded and chopped
• 1 onion – chopped
• 1 or 2 cloves of garlic – sliced or chopped
• 1 heaped tsp of smoked paprika
• 1 tsp of regular paprika
• 1 tin of chopped tomoatoes
• 500ml of decent chicken stock
• 1 tin of cannelloni beans or butter beans
• Sugar to taste – I usually use a teaspoon but it depends on the tomatoes
• A little salt and pepper

Dice the chicken pieces and brown in a the oil. Set to one side. Add the chorizo and  then add the onions and cook for a little until softened over a medium heat. Then add the garlic and red pepper and soften a little. Now add the paprika and mix well. When mixed add the chopped tomatoes and stock together with the browned chicken and then simmer for about 40 minutes (covered). At this stage, check the liquid and taste – add salt, pepper and sugar to taste and uncover to allow the liquid to reduce. At this stage you can add the beans. Do not add the liquid the beans are in but I really see no reason in washing them.  When you have a reduced sauce (not too thick) the dish is probably ready. Serve with plain basmati rice and a  large glass or Rioja!!

Gingery Rhubarb Fool

This, my friends, is a very easy and fast desert that will impress. Not everyone likes stem ginger and so this can be left out without and detrement to the dish. When in a hurry, I use the jars of rhubarb compote available in supermarkets but it is best with freshly made rhubarb. Ready made custard can also be used but again home made creme anglais is best.

Ingredients:

• For the Rhubarb -
• 200ml of white wine
• 2 tbsp of caster sugar
• 1 tbsp of aprocot jam
• 1/2 vanilla pod or equivalent vanilla extract
• 2 stalks of rhubarb - young and tender, trimmed and cut into batons
• For the cream -
• 150ml of custard
• 150ml of double cream, whipped into peaks
• 1/2 vanilla pop or equivalent extract
• Optional - 1 tbsp finely sliced stem ginger
• For serving -
• Half a pack of gingernut biscuits (crumbled)

In a pan put the wine, sugar, jam and vanilla seeds and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and then poach the rhubarb for about 8 minutes until tender. Remove the rhubarb and set aside. Keep the syrup for serving.

Fold the vanilla, cream and custard together until combined. I do not mix too much as it makes the cream less light and I like the contrast between the cream and custard. To serve, place biscuit crumbs in the bottom of the bowl followed by some rhubard and a very small amount of syrup. Then cover with some cream mixture. Repeat the process again and then sprinkle some crumbs on the top. (you don't have to do two layers and sometimes the dish is just as good with a single layer of each of the above) You could add a couple of slivers of stem ginger if you wanted!

I serve in a cone glass bowl so the diner can see the layers.

Lobster Thermidor (sauce)

I have had a few varieties of sauce that is served as Thermidor, whether it be for Crab or Lobster. Some of them are great and some are so so. This one I would put into the great category  I like it because it it doesn't use any cheese. Feel free to experimnet with a little Parmesan or Old Winchester.

This sauce was supposedly created in France to celebrate a play called Thermidor.....and the word comes from Greek, meaning heat. Well there you have it, enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 200ml of fish stock
• 200ml of white wine (dry and good quality)
• 300ml of bechemal sauce
• 100ml of Double cream
• 1 tsp of Dijon Mustard
• 1 tsp of English mustard powder
• 50g of butter (chilled and diced)
• Salt
• Pinch of cayenne pepper

In a saucepan add the white wine, stock and shallot and boil and reduce until about 1/3rd left. Add the bechemal and and cook over a low heat for about 15-20 mins stirring every now and then. Pour in the cream and simmer for 5 mins. Mix the English mustard with a little water and then add both mustards to the sauce and cook for a couple of minutes. Now take off the heat and whisk in to the sauce bit by bit.Taste and season with salt and cayenne. I have been advised that you can add a little brandy at the end of the cooking - I have not tried it but is sounds like a good idea!

What you now do is your choice! But I would be tempted next time to try this with some grilled fresh mussels - done in a sort of gratin!

My sister has pestered me to put this up on the blog - I hope you enjoy and if you need me to come over and do some tasting, let me know!

Lamb Shanks with Rioja, Chorizo and Garlic

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 4 good sized Lamb shanks
• 300ml Rioja
• 250ml Balsamic vinegar
• 125 grams Chorizo
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Bulb of garlic
• 2 Bay leaves
• 3 Sprigs Rosemary
• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• 300ml quality beef stock
• 1 Red onion
• 2 Carrots

Its not often I follow a recipe from the TV but this recipe from Lorraine Pascal is really very good – and very easy to do. In fact the mash probably takes more time! I have modified it a little but not to its detriment.

Season the shanks and brown in a little oil in a frying pan. In a large pan (that has a tight fitting lid – such as Le Creuset) – mix the wine and vinegar and bring to the boil. Once the shanks are brown, add to the boiling mix together with the garlic, rosemary, chorizo, bay leaves, paprika, peppercorns and stock. Fit the lid and place in a 150C oven for 2 hours.

Slice carrots and chop onion into large pieces.

After 2 hours take the shanks out of the oven and add the vegetables and put back into the oven for another 30 mins at 150C

Removes the shanks and the vegetables from the pan and strain the liquid back in the pan to be reduced. Turn the heat up on the hob and boil the sauce until it starts to thicken and turn a dark rich colour. You may wish to skim some fat off the top of the liquid that comes from the shanks and the chorizo.

Serve with mash and pour some of the rich sauce around and on the shanks together with some of the vegetables.

Beef Stroganoff

There is a restaurant in Lanzarote that is a bit like going back in time! The building is an old Castillio near the town of Arricefe. Its design is very similar to what was considered ultra modern in the 70’s and now it still looks good – black iconic chairs and black tablecloths! There are 2 amazing things about this place – one the view from the panoramic glass windows and two, the beef stroganoff that is cooked at your table (very 70’s). This dish, like the crepe suzette they serve, is cooked at the table by waiters who look like they have worked there since the 70’s.

The point of this intro is to why I keep getting asked to make beef stroganoff at home! This is close but still not quite as good as the one from Castillo de San Juan (They have prepared sauces that are in jugs and its difficult to tell what is in each one!)

Ingredients (serves 2):

• 1 small onion - sliced
• 200g of mushrooms - sliced
• 700gm of fillet steak – cut into thin strips
• 1 tsp English Mustard
• 3 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1.5 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 100ml brandy
• 100ml pasatta
• 100ml beef stock
• Single cream 75ml
• Butter

Fry the onion in a small amount of butter until soft and then add the mushrooms until all are soft. Remove from the pan. Cut the fillet steak into thin strips and fry in some more butter until brown all over. Add the brandy and ‘flame’ off the alcohol. When the alcohol has burnt off, remove the steak from the frying pan and keep to one side. The remaining sauce can now have the mustard stirred in and the remaining ingredients (excluding the cream) added. Reduce slightly then add the onion mixture and the steak at the end to warm up again. Stir in the cream and then serve with soft rice. I’ll add a few phots when I find them!!!