Today started off cold and raw, with heavy sleet as we walked the dogs. I then went to see my therapist for the first time in 2 years, as I felt I needed some help. She is a very caring person, but she comes armed with sharp, pointy sticks and poked me with them. It was a very emotional session, leaving me feeling wiped out and in need of comfort. Fortunately, the day brightened up and this afternoon was blue and silver and bright as we walked on top of the downs. Anyway, comfort food for tea!
Toad in the Hole (Mary Berry Aga Cook Book)
8 large sausages
100g plain flour
sat
2 eggs
225 ml milk
Take 8 large sausages and place them in the small roasting tin, and hang the tin on the second set of runners in the roasting oven for approx 10 mins. Turn the sausages over.
Meanwhile, prepare the batter. Measure the flour into a bowl, add a pinch of salt, and stir in beaten eggs and milk to give a smooth batter. Pour the batter over the sausages and return to the roasting oven for a further 25 mins until the batter is well risen, crisp and golden brown.
I am serving the onion gravy (from the chiller cabinet in Waitrose and Branston Baked Beans - much nicer than Heinz in MHO.
Chocolate and Strawberry Swiss roll (Secrets of Aga Cakes - Lucy Young)
4 eggs
100g caster sugar
75g self raising flour
25g cocoa powder
Filling
This recipe needs a proper Swiss roll tin (33 x 23 cm). I find lining tins fiddly and annoying so invested in different sizes of bake o glide so I no longer need to do this. If you don't have any, cut an oblong of non stick baking parchment just larger than your tin. Grease the tin, then line with the baking parchment, pushing it nearly into the corners to fit.
Whist your eggs and sugar until the mix is light, frothy, increased in volume and when the whist is removed, the mix that drops off leaves a trail. Sift the flour and cocoa into the mix, carefully folding in using a metal spoon.
Tip mix into prepared tine, spreading or tilting the mix into the corners.
Pop this onto the grid shelf on the floor of the roasting oven and bake for 8 mins until just shrinking away from the edges of the tin.
Take some more baking parchment a little larger than the size o the tin, place on the work surface and sprinkle with caster sugar. While still warn, tip the cake onto the sugared paper. Loosen your bake o glide or parchment and peel away. Make a score mark 2 cm in from a shorter edge, but do not cut right through.
Roll the cake up firmly with the parchment inside. Start the roll from the scored end and tuck this scored piece of sponge in tightly to make a roll. Leave until stone cold.
When stone cold, carefully unroll the cake, remove the parchment and spread with jam. Whisk the cream until stiff and fold in the strawberries. Spread this mix over the jam.
Re-roll the cake tightly, in the same way you rolled in to begin with using the parchment to guide you. Sprinkle with a little more sugar, if needed.
Keep in fridge, but eat as fresh as possible.
Friday, 16 December 2011
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Duck with sour cherry chutney, roast potatoes and stir fry cabbage & bacon
Today, after a heavy session of present wrapping, I felt we needed a special supper. I had found a lovely 2.5k reduced price Gressingham Duck and this was to be the centre piece. I decided on Duck with Sour Cherry chutney, as I had all the ingredients to hand!
Recipe (will serve 2 with some duck left over)
1 x 2.5k Gressingham Duck
Sour Cherry Chutney
2 tbs olive oil
1 finely chopped onion
75g dried sour cherries
50 ml balsamic vinegar
350g jar of Morello cherry conserve
1 star anise
Roast Potatoes (as many as you like!)
Cabbage and Bacon
Savoy cabbage, halved and cored, then finely sliced
100g pack of Lardons
Pierce the skin of the duck all over with a skewer. Place the duck on a rack in the kitchen sink, and pour over 2 full kettles of boiling water. Pat dry with a kitchen roll. This will release the fat under the skin of the duck so you end up with a crisp, non fatty result.
Put the duck on a rack on your large roasting tin, season with sea salt and freshly milled black pepper. Put in on the bottom rungs of the roasting oven, and roast for 1 hour 30 mins. Then remove it to Simmering Oven to rest.
Meanwhile, peel, halve and par boil your potatoes, drain, return to pan, replace lid and shake - hard. Tip into the roasting tin underneath the duck in the fat and roll them around then to roast for 1 hour. Once you have removed the duck to the Simmering oven to rest, move the potatoes up to the top of the Roasting oven.
Heat the oil in a pan on the simmering plate, then soften the onion for about 10 mins. Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce, bring up to a simmer. Pop on lid and put in Simmering oven to continue to cook until you need it.
To serve the duck, turn it over and with a good pair of kitchen scissors, cut either side of the backbone and remove it. Turn the duck back over and flatten it slightly now remove the legs as you would a chicken. Now remove the breast, with a sharp knife, cut along either side of the breastbone, keeping your knife close to the bone and ease the breast meat away from the bone.
Heat some oil in a wok and fry the lardons on the simmering plate until they release their fat. Then move over to the roasting plate. Tip in the finely sliced savoy cabbage, and stir fry until bacon is crisp and cabbage is coated.
Recipe (will serve 2 with some duck left over)
1 x 2.5k Gressingham Duck
Sour Cherry Chutney
2 tbs olive oil
1 finely chopped onion
75g dried sour cherries
50 ml balsamic vinegar
350g jar of Morello cherry conserve
1 star anise
Roast Potatoes (as many as you like!)
Cabbage and Bacon
Savoy cabbage, halved and cored, then finely sliced
100g pack of Lardons
Pierce the skin of the duck all over with a skewer. Place the duck on a rack in the kitchen sink, and pour over 2 full kettles of boiling water. Pat dry with a kitchen roll. This will release the fat under the skin of the duck so you end up with a crisp, non fatty result.
Put the duck on a rack on your large roasting tin, season with sea salt and freshly milled black pepper. Put in on the bottom rungs of the roasting oven, and roast for 1 hour 30 mins. Then remove it to Simmering Oven to rest.
Meanwhile, peel, halve and par boil your potatoes, drain, return to pan, replace lid and shake - hard. Tip into the roasting tin underneath the duck in the fat and roll them around then to roast for 1 hour. Once you have removed the duck to the Simmering oven to rest, move the potatoes up to the top of the Roasting oven.
Heat the oil in a pan on the simmering plate, then soften the onion for about 10 mins. Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce, bring up to a simmer. Pop on lid and put in Simmering oven to continue to cook until you need it.
To serve the duck, turn it over and with a good pair of kitchen scissors, cut either side of the backbone and remove it. Turn the duck back over and flatten it slightly now remove the legs as you would a chicken. Now remove the breast, with a sharp knife, cut along either side of the breastbone, keeping your knife close to the bone and ease the breast meat away from the bone.
Heat some oil in a wok and fry the lardons on the simmering plate until they release their fat. Then move over to the roasting plate. Tip in the finely sliced savoy cabbage, and stir fry until bacon is crisp and cabbage is coated.
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Shoulder of lamb in rose wine, roasted roots with balsamic glaze & tropical fruit and raspberry sorbet
I am back volunteering at the Citizen's Advice Bureau for 2 days a week now. My Mum seems to be much better (she has Acute Myloid Leukaemia) and is responding really well to the chemotherapy. Her blood results have improved in all area's and she has permission to go on public transport again!
Our junior dog, Willow, is now 5 months old and can be left for a couple of hours, with her older brother, before the dog walker comes in.
It was very stressful going back to the CAB after 4 and a half months out of the CAB, but my colleagues were lovely and very welcoming. I also had interviews on topics about which I am super confident so it all went well.
After a long dog walk in squally conditions, meeting several friends (human and canine), the dogs and I got back to make supper. They are on the BARF (Bones and Raw Food) so are easy - chicken wings, butternut squash, and brocolli for them.
After a quick survey of a fairly empty fridge and even emptier veg basket, decided to repeat the Shoulder of Lamb recipe, but with a half shoulder of lamb which would also use up the rest of the bottle of Rose. We don't drink, so if it isn't cooked with, it gets chucked!
Shoulder of Lamb with Rose Wine, Anchovies, Olives and Garlic
I decided to tweak the seasoning, add the anchovy oil to the pan whilst I was searing the meat, and substitute lemon thyme instead of normal thyme and use olives marinaded in herbs.
Roasted Roots with herbs and balsamic glaze
I am serving this with roasted roots (potato, red onion, beetroot, parsnip and garlic), peel and chop your veg into chunky chip size, (leave garlic cloves whole) drizzle with garlic oil, tossed with fresh herbs (lemon thyme, parsley and sage) and 1 tsp of dried chilli seeds and roast on the top shelf of the roasting oven for an hour. After 50 minutes, remove and ensure roots are toasty brown where they have caught, then drizzle 2 tbs balsamic vinegar and replace in oven for a further 10 mins
Chopped Tropical Fruit with Raspberry Sorbet
I have cheated - I have hulled strawberries and tipped in a punnet of raspberries and blueberries and a carton of chopped mango. I then serve with a scoop of Raspberry sorbet.
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Baked Gammon with Parsley Sauce and Apple & Cranberry Crumble
Today has been yet another golden sunshine day in November. We did a new walk through the coppiced woods near Ditchling with the dogs and enjoyed fantastic views of the South Downs.
Husband is still poorly but as usual as I am out this evening, so prepare food for him to cook. Sainsbury's had smoked gammon half price so, with an eye for a bargain, snapped one up. It is one of our favourite meals and then we have cold meat for sandwiches left over.
Baked Gammon
2kg gammon needs to be dried, covered in foil and popped in the roasting oven on the bottom rung for 2.30 hours. Remember to remove the foil for the last 30 mins and when done, cover again, and pop back into the simmering oven to rest.
Jacket potatoes are a perfect match, and for largish potatoes (a man's fist), I suggest an hour and a quarter at the top of the roasting oven. Again, when done, pop them into the simmering oven to keep warm.
I am using up the rest of the Cauliflower cheese and will be serving frozen peas. Again, once done, tip them into the warmed serving dish and pop into the simmering oven. This means, I can make a parsley sauce whilst my husband carves.
Parsley Sauce (for 2)
40g butter
40g flour
300ml milk
salt and pepper
2 tbs chopped flat leaf parsley
Melt the butter on the simmering plate and add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook out for approx one minute and GRADUALLY add the milk, stirring continuously until it is all added. Bring slowly to boil, season to taste and then remove from heat and finally add chopped parsley. Pour into warmed jug and serve!
Apple and Cranberry Crumble
Fruit
600g apple puree
300g popped cranberries (add 2 tbs water to berries, place lid on saucepan and heat gently on the simmering plate until popped)
2tbs honey
Crumble
225g plain flour
100g butter
50g demerara sugar
Whizz in food processor and then tip on top of prepared fruit. I often make double and tip the extra crumble mix in a plastic bag in the fridge for another day.
Husband is still poorly but as usual as I am out this evening, so prepare food for him to cook. Sainsbury's had smoked gammon half price so, with an eye for a bargain, snapped one up. It is one of our favourite meals and then we have cold meat for sandwiches left over.
Baked Gammon
2kg gammon needs to be dried, covered in foil and popped in the roasting oven on the bottom rung for 2.30 hours. Remember to remove the foil for the last 30 mins and when done, cover again, and pop back into the simmering oven to rest.
Jacket potatoes are a perfect match, and for largish potatoes (a man's fist), I suggest an hour and a quarter at the top of the roasting oven. Again, when done, pop them into the simmering oven to keep warm.
I am using up the rest of the Cauliflower cheese and will be serving frozen peas. Again, once done, tip them into the warmed serving dish and pop into the simmering oven. This means, I can make a parsley sauce whilst my husband carves.
Parsley Sauce (for 2)
40g butter
40g flour
300ml milk
salt and pepper
2 tbs chopped flat leaf parsley
Melt the butter on the simmering plate and add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook out for approx one minute and GRADUALLY add the milk, stirring continuously until it is all added. Bring slowly to boil, season to taste and then remove from heat and finally add chopped parsley. Pour into warmed jug and serve!
Apple and Cranberry Crumble
Fruit
600g apple puree
300g popped cranberries (add 2 tbs water to berries, place lid on saucepan and heat gently on the simmering plate until popped)
2tbs honey
Crumble
225g plain flour
100g butter
50g demerara sugar
Whizz in food processor and then tip on top of prepared fruit. I often make double and tip the extra crumble mix in a plastic bag in the fridge for another day.
Friday, 25 November 2011
Cauliflower cheese with parmesan crust, perfect mash and ice cream sundae
It has been a stressful day - woke up to a beautiful day, and then Dottie, the Jack Russell. one of our regular walking companions got lost for about 2 and a half hours on the common. She was found by her owner, in more or less the spot she got lost, despite best searching of several people and dogs.
My husband is very over tired and has now become poorly with mouth ulcers, sinusitis and head aches as he has been burning the candle both ends and melting it in the middle. He has cancelled his plans to go out tonight and the animals have all attempted therapy in their own way. The Cat walked along him as he lay on the sofa and settled down under his face. The Junior Dog attempted to lick him all over and nipped him as he didn't respond, the Senior Dog was a help.
So, comfort food is required. The remains of yesterday's pie, home made cauliflower cheese and mash!
Mash
Peel and dice Maris Piper potatoes and put in cold salted water, bring to boil and simmer until v soft (10 mins or so). Take off heat, drain and add a thick slice of butter, salt and freshly ground pepper and cover with a clean tea towel for 5 mins. Slosh in the highest fat milk in the fridge (I usually have cream of some sort needing using up) and then beat using your Kenwood beaters. This produces beautifully fluffy, creamy lump free potatoes every time.
Cauliflower| Cheese with Parmesan Crust
Remove leaves and debris from cauliflower, break into large florets and drop into boiling, salted water. Simmer until tender (5 mins or so). Once tender, drain and tip into oven proof dish.
Make a cheese sauce, using a roux. I use 1 oz flour, 1 tsp hot mustard powder, 1.5 oz butter and 15 fl oz milk. Add the milk in little by little and whisk if you are at all fearful of lumps. Bring slowly to boil, and once thickened then add 4 oz grated vintage cheddar and stir until melted and mixed,
Pour over the cauliflower, then sprinkle over frozen white breadcrumbs - no need to defrost. (Every left over loaf, cut off the crusts and whizz in food processor and freeze in large zip lock bags until needed).
Mix in grated parmesan cheese, more grated cheddar and sprinkle over 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper.
Pop this into the baking oven on 2nd set of runners for 30 mins until golden brown.
After all this, pudding is going to be easy. Excellent quality vanilla ice cream, mango chunks, and raspberry coulis served in a large goblet.
My husband is very over tired and has now become poorly with mouth ulcers, sinusitis and head aches as he has been burning the candle both ends and melting it in the middle. He has cancelled his plans to go out tonight and the animals have all attempted therapy in their own way. The Cat walked along him as he lay on the sofa and settled down under his face. The Junior Dog attempted to lick him all over and nipped him as he didn't respond, the Senior Dog was a help.
So, comfort food is required. The remains of yesterday's pie, home made cauliflower cheese and mash!
Mash
Peel and dice Maris Piper potatoes and put in cold salted water, bring to boil and simmer until v soft (10 mins or so). Take off heat, drain and add a thick slice of butter, salt and freshly ground pepper and cover with a clean tea towel for 5 mins. Slosh in the highest fat milk in the fridge (I usually have cream of some sort needing using up) and then beat using your Kenwood beaters. This produces beautifully fluffy, creamy lump free potatoes every time.
Cauliflower| Cheese with Parmesan Crust
Remove leaves and debris from cauliflower, break into large florets and drop into boiling, salted water. Simmer until tender (5 mins or so). Once tender, drain and tip into oven proof dish.
Make a cheese sauce, using a roux. I use 1 oz flour, 1 tsp hot mustard powder, 1.5 oz butter and 15 fl oz milk. Add the milk in little by little and whisk if you are at all fearful of lumps. Bring slowly to boil, and once thickened then add 4 oz grated vintage cheddar and stir until melted and mixed,
Pour over the cauliflower, then sprinkle over frozen white breadcrumbs - no need to defrost. (Every left over loaf, cut off the crusts and whizz in food processor and freeze in large zip lock bags until needed).
Mix in grated parmesan cheese, more grated cheddar and sprinkle over 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper.
Pop this into the baking oven on 2nd set of runners for 30 mins until golden brown.
After all this, pudding is going to be easy. Excellent quality vanilla ice cream, mango chunks, and raspberry coulis served in a large goblet.
Thursday, 24 November 2011
Chicken, bacon and mushroom pie
So, today I need to use up the rest of the roast chicken and so will be making a pie. I happen to have some shortcrust pastry in the fridge (special offer at Sainsbury's) so roll that out to fit my pie tin and leave 1\3 over to make a lid.
Put the chunks of cold chicken onto the base of the pie and make the sauce filling. Again, I am using odds and ends from the fridge for this. On the simmering plate, add a glug of oil to an Aga pan, then fry off the bacon until the fat runs out, then move onto the roasting plate to crisp it up. I then add a bunch of spring onions finely sliced, and a small pack of button mushrooms and fry until soft, moving the pan back to the simmering plate.
Sprinkle in about 1 tbsp of plain flour and stir and cook for about 1 min, then gradually add milk to make a thick roux sauce. If you have any type of cream in the fridge, you can substitute that it to use it up. .Lastly, season to taste, and add herbs (I like either fresh thyme or tarragon) Bring the sauce gradually up to boiling point and it will thicken. Leave it on the side to cool slightly.
Roll out pie lid to fit, add filling, and crimp together, put a couple of holes in the top to let the steam escape then egg wash.
Stand pie tin on floor of roasting oven for about 25 - 30 mins until golden brown. Serve with mash and greens to appreciative sighs!
Put the chunks of cold chicken onto the base of the pie and make the sauce filling. Again, I am using odds and ends from the fridge for this. On the simmering plate, add a glug of oil to an Aga pan, then fry off the bacon until the fat runs out, then move onto the roasting plate to crisp it up. I then add a bunch of spring onions finely sliced, and a small pack of button mushrooms and fry until soft, moving the pan back to the simmering plate.
Sprinkle in about 1 tbsp of plain flour and stir and cook for about 1 min, then gradually add milk to make a thick roux sauce. If you have any type of cream in the fridge, you can substitute that it to use it up. .Lastly, season to taste, and add herbs (I like either fresh thyme or tarragon) Bring the sauce gradually up to boiling point and it will thicken. Leave it on the side to cool slightly.
Roll out pie lid to fit, add filling, and crimp together, put a couple of holes in the top to let the steam escape then egg wash.
Stand pie tin on floor of roasting oven for about 25 - 30 mins until golden brown. Serve with mash and greens to appreciative sighs!
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Herb Roast Chicken with orange/purple roast veg and choc brownies
We are on a very quick turnaround this evening, as we have to be at puppy training classes by 7. I have taken the Corgi's out for their second walk of the day and need a quick and easy dinner - luckily Waitrose had large 2 kg chickens marked down!
I am a great believer in letting the roast do the work and make the gravy. So, chop up a lemon into 4, give them all a little squeeze as you put them into the cavity and then add bruised tarragon. Carefully pull back the skin on the breast and stuff some bruised tarragon between skin and flesh to perfume the meat.
Next, chop an onion in half and put it cut side down in the roasting dish, season the chicken and pop it into the roasting oven for 2 hours (I also do mine on the first set of rails up).
I am doing Brownies for pud (always a crowd pleaser) so put my choc and butter in a pyrex bowl to start to melt on the back of the Aga. I am always far too impatient to wait so end up putting it over simmering water on the simmering plate but always start it off at the back.
While the chicken is roasting, I prep by peeling and thickly slicing the purple and orange veg = sweet potato, butternut squash and chantery carrots with red onions and beetroot. Pop these onto the roasting tray, add several whole cloves of garlic (minus papery outside) drizzle it all with olive oil, season and add 1 tsp dried chilli seeds.
The veg will take about an hour, just before you put them in, heat the tin on the roasting plate then pop them on the top rungs of the roasting oven (make sure you have the fan on) and leave them alone. This also helps to ensure the roast chicken doesn't over brown.
Now, on to the chocolate brownies - try Secrets of Aga Cakes by Lucy Young. The joy of this recipe is that its fit perfectly into the small roasting tin. I have invested in Aga bakeoglide as I hate, hate, hate the faff of cutting out circles of paper etc. Absolutely pure ingredients - 350g dark choc, 225g butter, 4 eggs, 225g caster sugar and 75g SR flour. Beat the eggs and sugar together, pour in the melted choc then stir in the flour, then pour into the tin. I add in some large out of season raspberries which are languishing in the bottom of the fridge. On my Aga, I reckon 30 mins on the grid shelf on the baking oven floor and then pop in a cold shelf for another 10 mins or so.
Lastly plates in, awaiting return of husband to do a quick carve, pour over gravy, and tuck in whilst watching Strictly: It takes two. Am getting used to Zoe Ball, but she's no Claudia.
I am a great believer in letting the roast do the work and make the gravy. So, chop up a lemon into 4, give them all a little squeeze as you put them into the cavity and then add bruised tarragon. Carefully pull back the skin on the breast and stuff some bruised tarragon between skin and flesh to perfume the meat.
Next, chop an onion in half and put it cut side down in the roasting dish, season the chicken and pop it into the roasting oven for 2 hours (I also do mine on the first set of rails up).
I am doing Brownies for pud (always a crowd pleaser) so put my choc and butter in a pyrex bowl to start to melt on the back of the Aga. I am always far too impatient to wait so end up putting it over simmering water on the simmering plate but always start it off at the back.
While the chicken is roasting, I prep by peeling and thickly slicing the purple and orange veg = sweet potato, butternut squash and chantery carrots with red onions and beetroot. Pop these onto the roasting tray, add several whole cloves of garlic (minus papery outside) drizzle it all with olive oil, season and add 1 tsp dried chilli seeds.
The veg will take about an hour, just before you put them in, heat the tin on the roasting plate then pop them on the top rungs of the roasting oven (make sure you have the fan on) and leave them alone. This also helps to ensure the roast chicken doesn't over brown.
Now, on to the chocolate brownies - try Secrets of Aga Cakes by Lucy Young. The joy of this recipe is that its fit perfectly into the small roasting tin. I have invested in Aga bakeoglide as I hate, hate, hate the faff of cutting out circles of paper etc. Absolutely pure ingredients - 350g dark choc, 225g butter, 4 eggs, 225g caster sugar and 75g SR flour. Beat the eggs and sugar together, pour in the melted choc then stir in the flour, then pour into the tin. I add in some large out of season raspberries which are languishing in the bottom of the fridge. On my Aga, I reckon 30 mins on the grid shelf on the baking oven floor and then pop in a cold shelf for another 10 mins or so.
Lastly plates in, awaiting return of husband to do a quick carve, pour over gravy, and tuck in whilst watching Strictly: It takes two. Am getting used to Zoe Ball, but she's no Claudia.
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