This is something which I make from time to time and all the family just love it! It is sweet, delicious and successful. I make it in my microwave, which means that you don't have to stand stirring over a pan of hot sweet liquid...!
It makes a great gift and if you are nifty with pretty wrappings, then you will find that whoever is on the receiving end truly appreciates a homemade and wrapped gift... surely that has to be worth a try...?
WARNING.....OF COURSE.......THIS RECIPE CONTAINS PEANUTS.....!!!
Makes 36 - 42 pieces
125g butter
10g sea salt crystals
500g dark brown sugar
120ml milk
250g crunchy peanut butter
1 vanilla pod
300g sifted icing sugar
METHOD
Line 20cm square baking tray with parchment.
Melt butter in covered large glass bowl, stir in brown sugar and milk. Re-cover with cling film.
Bring to the boil and boil for 2 - 3 mins, without stirring.
Remove from microwave, stir in peanut butter and vanilla seeds.
Place icing sugar into large bowl and pour hot sugar mixture in. Beat until smooth.
Pour into baking tray and set aside to cool slightly, then place in fridge to chill completely.
Lift parchment out of tin, cut fudge into squares with sharp knife and store in airtight box.
Sunday 28 October 2012
Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
I make this with butternut squash some of the time as these are always a great price at Aldi and sometimes at Lidl too. However, we have a glut of pumpkins and squashes in the garden just now and so I made this last week with a Crown Prince squash and it was absolutely delicious! So, be brave and tinker with the recipe...it can take it!
Serves 2
400g Butternut squash - cubed
200g Arborio rice
2 small shallots - finely chopped
3 cloves garlic - pressed
1 litre chicken stock
1 bay leaf
fresh finely chopped flat leaf parsley
pinch paprika
salt & black pepper
75g parmesan cheese
25g butter
Olive oil
METHOD
Preheat oven to 200ºC/180ºfan/Gas 6
Place cubed butternut squash into ovenproof dish and sprinkle with paprika, drizzle with olive oil and bake until tender
When butternut squash is almost ready you can begin the risotto process...
Add your chicken stock to small saucepan with the bay leaf and parsley, keep on a low heat.
Put 2 tblsp olive oil in frying pan on the heat and sauté the onion and garlic for a few mins until transparent, then stir in the rice.
Add 1 ladle of the stock, stir continuously making sure that you scrape all the flavours from the bottom of the frying pan, they are much too delicious to leave behind! The rice will absorb the stock as it cooks,so just repeat adding stock a ladle at a time until there is just a tiny bit of stock left.
Now is the time to add the squash...stir it in gently, making sure you don't break up the beautiful flesh as it is quite fragile.
Warm some pasta dishes, these are ideal for this lovely dish.... ;-)
When there is virtually no stock left, remove the pan from the heat and stir in one third of the parmesan.
Divide this delectable feast between the four dishes and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan.
Season with black pepper (salt is probably not necessary as the cheese and stock are quite salty) and serve with a lovely leafy green salad...yum!
Serves 2
400g Butternut squash - cubed
200g Arborio rice
2 small shallots - finely chopped
3 cloves garlic - pressed
1 litre chicken stock
1 bay leaf
fresh finely chopped flat leaf parsley
pinch paprika
salt & black pepper
75g parmesan cheese
25g butter
Olive oil
METHOD
Preheat oven to 200ºC/180ºfan/Gas 6
Place cubed butternut squash into ovenproof dish and sprinkle with paprika, drizzle with olive oil and bake until tender
When butternut squash is almost ready you can begin the risotto process...
Add your chicken stock to small saucepan with the bay leaf and parsley, keep on a low heat.
Put 2 tblsp olive oil in frying pan on the heat and sauté the onion and garlic for a few mins until transparent, then stir in the rice.
Add 1 ladle of the stock, stir continuously making sure that you scrape all the flavours from the bottom of the frying pan, they are much too delicious to leave behind! The rice will absorb the stock as it cooks,so just repeat adding stock a ladle at a time until there is just a tiny bit of stock left.
Now is the time to add the squash...stir it in gently, making sure you don't break up the beautiful flesh as it is quite fragile.
Warm some pasta dishes, these are ideal for this lovely dish.... ;-)
When there is virtually no stock left, remove the pan from the heat and stir in one third of the parmesan.
Divide this delectable feast between the four dishes and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan.
Season with black pepper (salt is probably not necessary as the cheese and stock are quite salty) and serve with a lovely leafy green salad...yum!
Chocolate Fudge Cake
This is a firm favourite in our family...moist, light and tasty! It must be good for you, it is made with sunflower oil!! If you are in a hurry, this has to be one of the easiest and quickest cakes out there, why not give it a try? It is one of my most popular recipes, friends always ask for it once they have tasted a slice!
Makes 12 slices
Oil a tin 20cm x 30cm and line with baking parchment
Cake:
2 large free-range eggs - we use eggs from our own hens ;-)
150ml sunflower oil
150ml milk
2 tablespoons golden syrup
150g caster sugar
190g self-raising flour
25g cocoa
1 level tsp baking powder
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
Fudge Icing:
50g sunflower margarine
25g cocoa - sifted
3 tbsp milk
225g icing sugar - sifted
METHOD
Break eggs into large mixing bowl, add milk, oil, sugar and syrup and beat well. Sieve the flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarb into the mixture and beat well. I use my Kenwood Chef , but you could use a food processor or indeed a wooden spoon, but this will take quite a while! The mixture makes a quite sloppy batter.
Tip batter into lined tin and bake at 160ºC/ 150ºC fan/ Gas 3 for 30-35 minutes. Strip off papers after 10 mins and cool on wire rack.
Now for the icing: melt the margarine with the sieved cocoa in a glass basin, in the microwave and cook for about a minute. Remove, stir in icing sugar, beat in milk and spread on top of cake. Fork pattern in icing. Store in airtight box.
Makes 12 slices
Oil a tin 20cm x 30cm and line with baking parchment
Cake:
2 large free-range eggs - we use eggs from our own hens ;-)
150ml sunflower oil
150ml milk
2 tablespoons golden syrup
150g caster sugar
190g self-raising flour
25g cocoa
1 level tsp baking powder
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
Fudge Icing:
50g sunflower margarine
25g cocoa - sifted
3 tbsp milk
225g icing sugar - sifted
METHOD
Break eggs into large mixing bowl, add milk, oil, sugar and syrup and beat well. Sieve the flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarb into the mixture and beat well. I use my Kenwood Chef , but you could use a food processor or indeed a wooden spoon, but this will take quite a while! The mixture makes a quite sloppy batter.
Tip batter into lined tin and bake at 160ºC/ 150ºC fan/ Gas 3 for 30-35 minutes. Strip off papers after 10 mins and cool on wire rack.
Now for the icing: melt the margarine with the sieved cocoa in a glass basin, in the microwave and cook for about a minute. Remove, stir in icing sugar, beat in milk and spread on top of cake. Fork pattern in icing. Store in airtight box.
Fresh Pork Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with Pasta
Serves 4
400g good quality Pork Sausages - I use Sainsbury's Taste the Difference 97% Outdoor Bred
4 tblsp olive oil
1 Red onion - finely chopped
1 fat clove Garlic - pressed
1 tin Chopped Tomatoes - I use Suma Organic...no stalks just rich juice and loads of fruit!
1 dsp Sugar
Salt and Black Pepper
Handful chopped Basil/1 tsp dried Basil
500g pasta - dry weight
METHOD
First of all, slit all the sausages and remove the skins. Divide into 18 equal pieces with floured hands... continue rolling each piece of sausagemeat into a ball making sure you keep enough flour on your hands.
Heat half the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Place meatballs in pan and cook on all sides until sealed. Continue to cook for about 6 - 8 mins.
Remove to a plate and rest them until sauce is made.
Put water for pasta on to boil.
Heat remaining oil in frying pan and cook onion until transparent, add garlic and cook but be careful not to burn.
Add tomatoes and heat through, stir in sugar and seasoning, make sure all is well combined.
Keep sauce on low heat being careful not to reduce it too much.
Return meatballs to frying pan and cook through.
Place pasta into boiling water and then add salt. Cook until al denté.
Serve meatballs on bed of pasta with grated parmesan, side salad and garlic bread if desired!
400g good quality Pork Sausages - I use Sainsbury's Taste the Difference 97% Outdoor Bred
4 tblsp olive oil
1 Red onion - finely chopped
1 fat clove Garlic - pressed
1 tin Chopped Tomatoes - I use Suma Organic...no stalks just rich juice and loads of fruit!
1 dsp Sugar
Salt and Black Pepper
Handful chopped Basil/1 tsp dried Basil
500g pasta - dry weight
METHOD
First of all, slit all the sausages and remove the skins. Divide into 18 equal pieces with floured hands... continue rolling each piece of sausagemeat into a ball making sure you keep enough flour on your hands.
Heat half the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Place meatballs in pan and cook on all sides until sealed. Continue to cook for about 6 - 8 mins.
Remove to a plate and rest them until sauce is made.
Put water for pasta on to boil.
Heat remaining oil in frying pan and cook onion until transparent, add garlic and cook but be careful not to burn.
Add tomatoes and heat through, stir in sugar and seasoning, make sure all is well combined.
Keep sauce on low heat being careful not to reduce it too much.
Return meatballs to frying pan and cook through.
Place pasta into boiling water and then add salt. Cook until al denté.
Serve meatballs on bed of pasta with grated parmesan, side salad and garlic bread if desired!
Tuesday 16 October 2012
Chicken Curry in creamy mango spices
Serves 4
1 medium onion ~ diced
2 large cloves garlic ~ minced
1 tblsp olive oil
½ tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin seeds - crushed
1 tsp baharat
½ tsp ground coriander
30g organic plain flour, seasoned.
1 tblsp olive oil
3 or 4 chicken breasts ~ the better quality the meat, the less you will need! 200ml chicken stock
2 tblsp mango chutney ~ I use Geeta’s 4 tblsp cream/Elmlea® (double light)
METHOD
• Place oil into large frying pan and cook the onion until transparent. Add in the garlic and do the same, be careful not to burn
• Add in the spices and cook out these for about 5 minutes. Keep your eye on them, not too high a heat and make sure they are moved around your pan or they could catch and burn
. Meanwhile, cut up your chicken into bite-size pieces and coat with seasoned flour
• Heat second tablespoon of oil and
add meat; toss around until all is sealed. Cook this until all chicken is beginning to colour a little
• Mix in mango chutney
• Add in hot stock, mix well and turn down flame/hob to a low simmer for about 10 minutes; the sauce should thicken as it cooks
• Finally, add cream/Elmlea® and mix. Stir for final minute
• Serve with boiled/pilau rice
© Rachel Heard 2007
Slow-braised lamb's liver and bacon with herby dumplings
Here is an economical meal made using lamb's liver. Don't dismiss it based on memories of how that was cooked at school...this is nothing like that!!! This is slow-braised and delicious, it melts in the mouth, literally. My local butcher sells 500g for roughly £1.50...surely it is worth a try?
I use pickling onions as they are cheaper than shallots; leave them whole and they will be sweet and yummy! It's also time to sow some now... Buy streaky bacon and you are away! If you can, sow a few flat leaf parsley seeds every other week in a 5-6" pot for your kitchen windowsill. A packet of seed will last a while and they are so much cheaper than buying pots from the supermarket. Useful in lots of cooking. Try www.nickys-nursery.co.uk for seeds. Nicky sells a huge variety for a really good price and they all come in a plain packet, no frills BUT you get a label and loads of seed for your money! Let me know how you get on with this one. Rachel x
Serves 4
500g Lamb’s liver - sliced and tossed in flour
1 tblsp olive oil
225g streaky bacon
12 small shallots or pickling onions - peeled, left whole
500ml hot beef stock
Herby Dumplings
225g self raising flour - sifted
110g suet
Good grind of salt and black pepper
Chopped flat leaf parsley
Milk to mix
METHOD
Simply, seal liver in pan and add onions and bacon. Fry until bacon is just cooked and onion is translucent. Place all in ovenproof dish. Add stock and stir gently. Cook at Gas 2/150°C/300º C for 4 hours. Turn oven temp up to Gas 5/190°/375°C. Then pop dumplings in for last half hour.
Dumplings...
Place flour in bowl and add suet. Season and stir with fork. Stir in chopped parsley and mix to a firm dough with milk.
Divide into 8 equal pieces with floured hands.
Place dumplings on top of liver and bacon for the last half hour of cooking.
I suggest that you serve this with finely shredded Primo cabbage, julienne of carrots and the herby dumplings.
© Rachel Heard 2000
I use pickling onions as they are cheaper than shallots; leave them whole and they will be sweet and yummy! It's also time to sow some now... Buy streaky bacon and you are away! If you can, sow a few flat leaf parsley seeds every other week in a 5-6" pot for your kitchen windowsill. A packet of seed will last a while and they are so much cheaper than buying pots from the supermarket. Useful in lots of cooking. Try www.nickys-nursery.co.uk for seeds. Nicky sells a huge variety for a really good price and they all come in a plain packet, no frills BUT you get a label and loads of seed for your money! Let me know how you get on with this one. Rachel x
Serves 4
500g Lamb’s liver - sliced and tossed in flour
1 tblsp olive oil
225g streaky bacon
12 small shallots or pickling onions - peeled, left whole
500ml hot beef stock
Herby Dumplings
225g self raising flour - sifted
110g suet
Good grind of salt and black pepper
Chopped flat leaf parsley
Milk to mix
METHOD
Simply, seal liver in pan and add onions and bacon. Fry until bacon is just cooked and onion is translucent. Place all in ovenproof dish. Add stock and stir gently. Cook at Gas 2/150°C/300º C for 4 hours. Turn oven temp up to Gas 5/190°/375°C. Then pop dumplings in for last half hour.
Dumplings...
Place flour in bowl and add suet. Season and stir with fork. Stir in chopped parsley and mix to a firm dough with milk.
Divide into 8 equal pieces with floured hands.
Place dumplings on top of liver and bacon for the last half hour of cooking.
I suggest that you serve this with finely shredded Primo cabbage, julienne of carrots and the herby dumplings.
© Rachel Heard 2000
Monday 8 October 2012
My Ginger Seeded Flapjack
This is one of my weekly staple bakes...Tim just loves it! The delicious flavour of crystallised ginger and the goodness of mixed seeds cumulate to make this one of life's essentials....enjoy!
12oz butter - chopped into 2cm cubes
6oz soft brown sugar
2 tblsp golden syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
4oz crystallised ginger - chopped, we like Suma Organic
2oz Omega seeds - we like Suma
3oz plain flour - sifted
13oz oats
METHOD
Preheat oven to 170°C fan/ 180°C/Gas 4.
I use my microwave, you can use a pan on the hob if you prefer to melt butter, syrup and vanilla together until just melted.
Add ginger, sugar and seeds...stir well.
Stir in oats and flour, mix until all combined.
Line deep rectangular tin 8"x12" with parchment and spread mixture until even.
Bake in oven for 20 mins or until golden brown. Leave in tin until cool. Place on cooling rack until completely cold, cut into 24 pieces on board, store in airtight box.
12oz butter - chopped into 2cm cubes
6oz soft brown sugar
2 tblsp golden syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
4oz crystallised ginger - chopped, we like Suma Organic
2oz Omega seeds - we like Suma
3oz plain flour - sifted
13oz oats
METHOD
Preheat oven to 170°C fan/ 180°C/Gas 4.
I use my microwave, you can use a pan on the hob if you prefer to melt butter, syrup and vanilla together until just melted.
Add ginger, sugar and seeds...stir well.
Stir in oats and flour, mix until all combined.
Line deep rectangular tin 8"x12" with parchment and spread mixture until even.
Bake in oven for 20 mins or until golden brown. Leave in tin until cool. Place on cooling rack until completely cold, cut into 24 pieces on board, store in airtight box.
Tuesday 2 October 2012
Chicken Pelau.....with seasonal veg and Apple and Blueberry Crumble
I wandered down to our vegetable plot this morning with the help of my husband...as you get to know me, you will understand why that is. We looked at our crops to see what was ready for picking today; great, we thought...yum! Runner beans, mini-sweetcorn, green and yellow courgettes, Bramley apples and raspberries. What a feast we can make with all this...so for today's meal
6 boneless chicken thighs- skinned
1 tsp jerk chicken seasoning
2 tsp Madras curry powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tblsp Soy sauce - dark
1 onion - finely chopped
2 garlic cloves - pressed
1 tin chopped tomatoes (we love Suma organic - full and flavoursome)
1 tin baked beans
1 Knorr Stock Pot Jelly - chicken
300ml boiling water
2 sprigs fresh thyme/ 1tsp dried thyme
300ml brown rice
400ml boiling water
1 tin red kidney beans
METHOD
I use our slow cooker for this delicious one pot meal. Preheat on high for 15 mins with lid on. You could cook slowly in your main oven, at about 130°C, if you don't have one.
Stab each thigh 2 or 3 times. Rub with jerk seasoning. Place chopped toms, baked beans, onion, garlic and remaining spices into slow cooker...mix well. Add soy sauce, jelly stock and water. Stir until jelly has dissolved. Add chicken pieces making sure they are submerged. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. DO NOT PEEP DURING THIS TIME!!
Add the rice, thyme and 400ml boiling water, stir well. Cook for further two hours on high, then add red kidney beans and cook for another 40 mins.
Serve with runner beans, mini-sweet corn and young courgettes...delicious!
Pudding....
Bramley Apple & Blueberry Crumble
4 large Bramley Apples
100g Raspberries- washed
75g Demerara sugar
2 tblsp water
150g plain flour - sifted
75g butter
25g wheatgerm
25g oatmeal
100g Demerara sugar
METHOD
Peel, core and slice apples. Place into microwaveable dish and add first Demerara sugar and water. Micro for three mins. Meanwhile, make crumble: tip flour and cubed butter into processor. blitz for one minute. add wheatgerm, oatmeal, and second Demerara. As apple finishes, remove from microwave and drain water. Spread into flat ovenproof dish, add raspberries, evenly spaced and top with crumble mixture. Cook at 160°C for 25 mins approx or until golden and bubbling.... Serve with custard, cream or ice cream x
HANDY TIP
When making crumble, I usually make up loads and freeze it. You can use it from frozen. So...here is a bulk recipe in case you are interested.
1.5kg Marriages Organic Plain Flour - I cook/bake loads and find this gives reliable tasty results
750g butter - cubed
250g wheatgerm
250g oatmeal - Mornflake crushed
1kg Demerara sugar
METHOD
As this is so much mixture, I use my Kenwood Chef. So, place flour in mixer, whizz for 10 seconds (equivalent to sieving) then add butter and whizz again until like breadcrumbs. Add wheatgerm, oatmeal and sugar. Finally give it a mix until all combined. This then goes into an airtight (I use a Lock & Lock) box and straight into your freezer. Can be used direct..just shake box a little to loosen.
6 boneless chicken thighs- skinned
1 tsp jerk chicken seasoning
2 tsp Madras curry powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tblsp Soy sauce - dark
1 onion - finely chopped
2 garlic cloves - pressed
1 tin chopped tomatoes (we love Suma organic - full and flavoursome)
1 tin baked beans
1 Knorr Stock Pot Jelly - chicken
300ml boiling water
2 sprigs fresh thyme/ 1tsp dried thyme
300ml brown rice
400ml boiling water
1 tin red kidney beans
METHOD
I use our slow cooker for this delicious one pot meal. Preheat on high for 15 mins with lid on. You could cook slowly in your main oven, at about 130°C, if you don't have one.
Stab each thigh 2 or 3 times. Rub with jerk seasoning. Place chopped toms, baked beans, onion, garlic and remaining spices into slow cooker...mix well. Add soy sauce, jelly stock and water. Stir until jelly has dissolved. Add chicken pieces making sure they are submerged. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. DO NOT PEEP DURING THIS TIME!!
Add the rice, thyme and 400ml boiling water, stir well. Cook for further two hours on high, then add red kidney beans and cook for another 40 mins.
Serve with runner beans, mini-sweet corn and young courgettes...delicious!
Pudding....
Bramley Apple & Blueberry Crumble
4 large Bramley Apples
100g Raspberries- washed
75g Demerara sugar
2 tblsp water
150g plain flour - sifted
75g butter
25g wheatgerm
25g oatmeal
100g Demerara sugar
METHOD
Peel, core and slice apples. Place into microwaveable dish and add first Demerara sugar and water. Micro for three mins. Meanwhile, make crumble: tip flour and cubed butter into processor. blitz for one minute. add wheatgerm, oatmeal, and second Demerara. As apple finishes, remove from microwave and drain water. Spread into flat ovenproof dish, add raspberries, evenly spaced and top with crumble mixture. Cook at 160°C for 25 mins approx or until golden and bubbling.... Serve with custard, cream or ice cream x
HANDY TIP
When making crumble, I usually make up loads and freeze it. You can use it from frozen. So...here is a bulk recipe in case you are interested.
1.5kg Marriages Organic Plain Flour - I cook/bake loads and find this gives reliable tasty results
750g butter - cubed
250g wheatgerm
250g oatmeal - Mornflake crushed
1kg Demerara sugar
METHOD
As this is so much mixture, I use my Kenwood Chef. So, place flour in mixer, whizz for 10 seconds (equivalent to sieving) then add butter and whizz again until like breadcrumbs. Add wheatgerm, oatmeal and sugar. Finally give it a mix until all combined. This then goes into an airtight (I use a Lock & Lock) box and straight into your freezer. Can be used direct..just shake box a little to loosen.
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