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Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category
Sunday, January 31st, 2010 by urban foodie
 As regular readers will know, I am no baker. I think it is something to do with my style of cooking which is of the handfuls and glugs school, rather than the more precise gs and mls - it seems I can’t try a recipe without tinkering, and that so often spells disaster in (beginner’s) baking.
For evidence please see earlier posts on the cupcake - my nemesis.
However, there is nothing quite like home baked bread on a weekend morning. Biscuits, tarts and cookies make the very warmest of presents that everyone likes to receive, simple gestures of affection that don’t carry any financial baggage.
So, for the last few months, I have been trying my hand at baking, with the help of a bread machine for Christmas and a new sieve.
I had not a few early disasters, but I ploughed on with help from various cookbooks, forums and, most of all, from better bakers on Twitter (special thanks go to @scandilicious, @goodshoeday and @foodnetworking for genuinely helpful tips and tricks).
Now I have nailed the breadmaker thang, the last two loaves (a spiced fruit loaf and granary bread, pictured) were fab and my ginger biscuits are truly scrumptious!
I’m not claiming to be a pro, but having now got a slightly firmer hold on this baking lark I thought I’d share the knowledge I have picked up so far, in case you have use for it.
Oh, and I’ve included the recipe for ginger biscuits at the end as these are really, really great.
 Tips & Tricks
- If a recipe calls for cold butter, make sure it is really, really cold butter – freeze for a few minutes before using then grate into your flour. Also, pop the formed biscuits into the freezer for a few minutes just before they go in the oven.
(this helps the outside of the cookie to remain butter free)
- Creaming (room temp) butter and sugar with an electric hand-whisk - cream the butter first with the whisk then add the sugar bit by bit.
(this avoids getting sugar all over the kitchen – see this vid)
- Use only quick yeast in the breadmaker – and make sure it is high quality and FRESH
(I use Doves Farm, the Tesco quick yeast didn’t work very well)
- If you use olive oil instead of butter your bread will be more like a light ciabatta, very tasty!
(I’ve only tried this with white – note when I say tried I mean experimented as had no butter and it was midnight…)
- Atmospheric pressures can have an effect on bread if it is raining and your loaf top is soft/bread a little doughy use 10-20ml less water.
- Use the measuring spoon that came with the breadmaker.
BEST ginger biscuits
Ingredients
Makes about 20
100g butter (unsalted, at room temp)
175g golden caster sugar
250g plain flour
150-200g crystalised ginger
1.5 tbsp golden syrup
2.5tsp ground ginger
0.5 tsp bicarb of soda
pinch salt
- Preheat oven to 180 C (Fan), lightly grease 2 baking trays with butter
- Chop crystalised ginger quite finely
- Whizz butter in a deep bowl with an electric hand-whisk, gradually adding sugar, cream well (3-4 mins – you can also do this by hand with a spatula, just takes longer)
- Sieve flour into the bowl, mix well and then add other ingredients and mix again (to make a sticky dough)
- Shape dough into 20 walnut size balls, lay on tray giving them enough space to spread.
- Bake for 12-15 mins, they will look a little pale and will be very soft but they firm up out of the oven
- Once firmed up (3-4 mins) transfer to wire rack to cool – can be stored in an airtight box for up to a week
Tags: baking, baking disaster, easy baking, ginger biscuits
Posted in Food Facts, Recipes | No Comments »
Monday, January 18th, 2010 by urban foodie
 If there’s one thing I love about winter it’s the squash, coming in all shapes and sizes and adding some much needed colour to the veg box.
They look great before you cook them and taste utterly divine cooked, all that melty sweetness. There is a simple formula with squash, match it with butter, bacon, onions or a combination of all 3. I chose to leave out the bacon and use feta instead (it’s the saltiness that works, you see) in this simple supper dish that I’ll certainly be making again.
I used a squash from my aunt-in-law’s allotment, not sure what kind, a sort of long gourd with pale yellow skin and a thick green pinstripe, you can use whatever squash is to hand. I’m of the school who doesn’t like to eat the skin but I know there are those that do, if you are one - go for it!
Allow for one medium-ish squash per person for a main course or 1 between 2 for a tasty side to a simple grill of meat.
Ingredients
Makes 1 main course/2 sides
1 medium squash
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
big knob butter (30-40g)
100g feta (1/2 packet)
Rosemary and thyme
S&P
- Heat the oven to 190 C
- Cut squash in half, scoop out all seeds and fibres, squash garlic cloves a bit to split skin (leave on) and put in each cavity with butter and a sprig of rosemary, S&P
- Put in oven and roast for 50 minutes
- 15 minutes before end chop onion and fry gently in olive oil with a little salt
- When squash is done take out of oven, discard rosemary branch, squeeze out garlic cloves and scoop flesh into a bowl (keeping shells intact)
- Mash lightly with fork, crumble feta into bowl with rosemary and onions
- Scoop back into shells and back into oven for 15 minutes until lightly browned on top (use the grill if you are impatient to eat, as I was!)
- Serve with rice (I like brown) and a green salad
Tags: baked squash, stuffed squash, vegetarian recipe
Posted in Kid Friendly, Recipes, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, November 30th, 2009 by urban foodie
 Now that the MA is done I find myself with *gasp* a bit of actual free time. I’ve been trying to put it to good use and so have been reading lots of my fellow food bloggers’ missives. They are a great bunch (see Blaggers Banquet and WMPC for validation) and love to share their recipes.
I have also developed a soup addiction, since the massage. It’s just so easy, you make soup for lunch on the weekend, freeze 4 portions and that’s your lunch for the week. Simply reheat in the work microwave. I’ve been doing it for a few weeks now and have enough random batches to have a different soup every day!
Anyway whether you are cooking for the week or just fancy a home made, delicately spiced and sweetly flavoured lunch this is a great one, that I discovered on The Food Urchin’s excellent blog, from the delightful Moro Cookbook. It is so good that I think I’ll get off the laptop and make some more…
Ingredients
Serves 4
4 tbs olive oil
half a large onion, sliced
2 garlic gloves, thinly sliced
1 rounded tsp black cumin or normal cumin seeds
750g raw beetroot
1 large potato
1.25 ltrs of cold water
3 tbs of red wine vinegar
1 small bunch fresh parsley
100g Greek yoghurt, thinned with milk and seasoned with crushed garlic
sea salt and black pepper
- Slice onion and heat oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat
- Add the onion and a pinch of salt, cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to colour
- Meanwhile thinly slice garlic, peel and dice beetroot and potato
- Add garlic and cumin to pan, cook for 2 more minutes to release their flavour, followed by the beetroot and potato
- Pour in the water, bring to a gentle simmer and cook until soft, about 15 minutes
- Roughly chop parsley, put the vegetables and cooking liquid in a blender or whizz with a blender stick until just smooth. If using blender you can just scoop out and blend the solids, returning to the pan once done
- Add the vinegar, half the parsley and salt and pepper to taste. You may need more salt than you think to balance the acidity of the vinegar. Serve with a little yoghurt on top, the rest of the parsley and an extra drizzle of olive oil
Tags: beetroot soup, lunch idea, Moro cookbook
Posted in Kid Friendly, Recipes | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 by urban foodie
Now that the MA is done I find myself with *gasp* a bit of actual free time. I’ve been trying to put it to good use and so have been reading lots of my fellow food bloggers’ missives. They are a great bunch (see Blaggers Banquet and WMPC for validation) and love to share their recipes.
I have also developed a soup addiction, since the massage. It’s just so easy, you make soup for lunch on the weekend, freeze 4 portions and that’s your lunch for the week. Simply reheat in the work microwave. I’ve been doing it for a few weeks now and have enough random batches to have a different soup every day!
Anyway whether you are cooking for the week or just fancy a home made, delicately spiced and sweetly flavoured lunch this is a great one, that I discovered on The Food Urchin’s excellent blog, from the delightful Moro Cookbook. It is so good that I think I’ll get off the laptop and make some more…
Ingredients
Serves 4
4 tbs olive oil
half a large onion, sliced
2 garlic gloves, thinly sliced
1 rounded tsp black cumin or normal cumin seeds
750g raw beetroot
1 large potato
1.25 ltrs of cold water
3 tbs of red wine vinegar
1 small bunch fresh parsley
100g Greek yoghurt, thinned with milk and seasoned with crushed garlic
sea salt and black pepper
- Slice onion and heat oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat
- Add the onion and a pinch of salt, cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to colour
- Meanwhile thinly slice garlic, peel and dice beetroot and potato
- Add garlic and cumin to pan, cook for 2 more minutes to release their flavour, followed by the beetroot and potato
- Pour in the water, bring to a gentle simmer and cook until soft, about 15 minutes
- Roughly chop parsley, put the vegetables and cooking liquid in a blender or whizz with a blender stick until just smooth. If using blender you can just scoop out and blend the solids, returning to the pan once done
- Add the vinegar, half the parsley and salt and pepper to taste. You may need more salt than you think to balance the acidity of the vinegar. Serve with a little yoghurt on top, the rest of the parsley and an extra drizzle of olive oil
Tags: beetroot soup, Moro cookbook, tasty lunch idea
Posted in Kid Friendly, Recipes | No Comments »
Sunday, October 18th, 2009 by urban foodie
 On this grey Sunday morning, ever so slightly the worse for wear after a fun Sat night out on the town I want something filling but healthy - and sweet, definitely sweet.
Bran muffins it is then, NY style bran muffins have been a favourite since I first tasted them (what feels like) a hundred years ago in the old Big Apple and there is nothing quite like the smell of baking to warm a house right through.
These muffins are by Allegra McEvedy, Leon founder, they have them in the restaurant and in the excellent recipe book. These bran type muffins are a real delight, a great balance of goodness (bran, apple, banana) and naughtiness (syrup and sugar).
Baking, I’m told, is an exact science - however, muffins, I have found, are not. You can really mix and match as you need to with muffin recipes - as you’ll see that I have below, so long as you get the proportions right you’re good to go.
Ingredients
2 eggs
90ml sunflower oil (I used groundnut)
3 heaped teaspoons apple sauce or stewed apple (I chopped up an apple finely)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ripe banana, mashed with a fork
4 tablespoons maple syrup (I used golden syrup)
200g wholewheat flour
6 tablespoons soft brown sugar
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons bran
A big handful of chopped pecans
Scattering of oats, pumpkin or sunflower seeds for the tops
Makes 8 big muffins (I made 12 smaller ones and reduced cooking time by 10 mins)
1 Heat the oven to 180 C.
2 Whisk eggs in a bowl, beat in oil, apple, vanilla, banana and syrup
3 In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon and bran.
4 Mix dry bowl into the wet one, stir in pecans
5 Spoon into muffin cases (I only had fairy cake ones, hence making 12 instead of 8), sprinkle with oats, pumpkin or sunflower seeds
6 Bake for 30 mins (20 mins if making small ones - you can test if they are ready by inserting a skewer/fork, it should come out clean)
Allegra says that they should create proper muffin tops, mine just made tidy domes but were none the worse for it. She also says you can pour extra maple syrup on them for a teatime treat. I say bake them with the kids, they’ll love it!
Tags: bran muffins, easy baking
Posted in Kid Friendly, Recipes | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009 by urban foodie
 I’m on an economy drive. I know it isn’t January yet, none the less, I’m going to pinch those pennies.
Why? It’s simple – I had a massage. A full body massage, with oils and real ambient music and hot towels, and now I want another one, and another, and another. I think it is essential to my emotional and physical wellbeing. So, Leon and Wasabi lunches, I have you in my sight.
The plan is that every time I take homemade lunch to work I can put £5 in the massage kitty, once it hits £50, bingo! Ultimate relaxation.
It’s a double winner because everyone knows that home made lunch is best – best for the tastebuds, best for your body, best for the planet.
And then I was watching an old Jamie at home where he makes Jamie’s English onion soup, just onions, stock and a bit of bread and cheese. Ding! Do you see where I’m going with this… That’s right, cheap tasty lunchtime soup.
Here is my version, slightly adapted from his (I found the onions need longer than his 50 minutes). Takes a while to make so cook it on a slow afternoon when you can just let it simmer away till it’s ready then you’ll have enough for at least 5 lunches. You can always freeze it in portions if you don’t fancy a week of onion soup!
Ingredients
Serves 6-8
2 medium brown onions
2 medium red onions
1 enormous brown onion (the kind you get in Turkish shops, or substitute for 2/3 brown ones)
1 leek
5 cloves garlic
50g butter
big slosh olive oil
3 big pinches sage
2 L stock (chicken, beef or veg, as you wish)
S&P
Slightly stale bread for toasting
Cheddar for grating
1 Chop the onions and leeks (be warned this will make you cry, but it does clear the sinuses), peel and flatten the garlic
2 Melt the butter then add oil, veg, sage and S&P (lots of P)
3 Fry gently, covered, for 50-60 minutes – then uncovered for a further 15-20
4 Add the stock and simmer gently for 15 mins, uncovered
5 Toast the bread, ladle the soup into a bowl, lay toast on top and grate some cheese over it - grind a bit more pepper on top too
6 Pop it under the grill until cheese bubbles, enjoy.
Obviously when I take it to work I won’t be able to finish it off like this, but I reckon if I take some grated cheese and pepper to add to the soup before microwaving and heat up a pita in the oven with the soup, it won’t be half bad.
Posted in Recipes | 4 Comments »
Saturday, September 12th, 2009 by urban foodie
 Inspired by many a spaghetti ai frutti di mare eaten in Italian restaurants far and wide, I decided to recreate this favourite pasta dish at home, and was delighted to discover a really rather splendid supper dish to add to the list.
It’s quick to make and doesn’t rely on hard to find fresh seafood, the supermarket seafood mix (prawns, mussels, squid) is quite good enough - although if you are lucky enough to have some then use that by all means.
I am convinced that a little bit of alcohol really brings out the best in tomatoes, here I’ve found another use for that bottle of Vermouth lurking in the cupboard (that way you can claim it is for cooking and not for those late night dirty martinis…).
Ingredients
200g seafood mix (or equivalent seafood)
1 tin chopped toms
1 onion
2 fat cloves garlic
1 green pepper
2 capfuls Vermouth
1 bunch parsley (generous handful when chopped)
1 lemon
250g Spaghetti
Olive oil, S&P
Serves 2
1 Chop onions and fry gently in olive oil
2 Whilst they are frying, chop green pepper finely and add to pan, then start chopping garlic
3 After 5 mins (onions should be soft, not browned) add Vermouth and cook off alcohol (2 mins)
4 Add toms and garlic, cover and simmer gently
5 Put pasta on and start picking and chopping the parsley
6 When pasta is done, add seafood and squeezed lemon juice to pan, drain the pasta and add to sauce along with chopped parsley. Lovely with a drop of dry rose and a hunk of bread to mop up the sauce
Tags: easy supper
Posted in Recipes | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009 by urban foodie
 Missing the summer sun? Either because you haven’t been away, or if you have and are now pining.
Well, this dish is full of Mediterranean sunshine and, as ever, really easy to rustle up. You’ll need a griddle pan (frying just isn’t the same) and, be warned, there will be lots of smoke so shut the kitchen door and open all the windows. The trick with griddling is get the griddle really really hot - leave it for at least 7 minutes on the heat before you put anything in there, and brush the veg with oil rather than oiling the pan - although this second one isn’t a law that can’t be broken if the going gets frantic…
Ingredients
1 medium aubergine
1 big red pepper (or two small red/yellow/orange in combination)
10 (approx) cherry toms
1 packet haloumi
1 tablespoon harissa
150-200g couscous
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
1 lemon
Serves 2-3
1 Put the griddle pan on to heat
2 Chop up aubergine, pepper(s) into 5cm chunks and mix with cherry toms, harissa, a glug of olive oil and the same of vinegar, salt and peper and set aside
3 Put the kettle on and soak the couscous as per instructions
4 Start griddling the veg in batches, no need to oil them as the marinade does that job for you. I put in enough to cover bottom of griddle pan and leave for a good few minutes until the underside is stripily scorched. When one batch is ready keep it warm in a bowl covered by a plate (this is a dish best eaten luke hot not piping)
5 Whilst the veg is cooking slice the haloumi into thick slices and then griddle last, once veg is all done
6 Whilst the haloumi is griddling go back to the couscous and add a good glug of olive oil, the juice of the lemon and S&P, mix well
7 Turn the haloumi, when it is ready add veg on top of couscous and then the haloumi and serve with a good table wine, in the evening sun, if there is any. If you want a side dish a little dressed green rocket/watercress salad is all you’ll need. Also great for lunch as leftovers, if there is any left.
N.B. This is also a great vegetarian bbq option, just cut the veg and haloumi to suit your bbq grill.
Tags: barbeque
Posted in Kid Friendly, Recipes | No Comments »
Sunday, August 23rd, 2009 by urban foodie
 Unless its a weekend or you live a charmed life, breakfast is usually a purely functional affair. That doesn’t mean it has to be a tasteless one.
In the winter nothing is quite as good as a bowl of steaming porridge with banana and brown sugar for setting you up all cosy for the day, worth getting up 10 minutes early to make, but in the summer something all together cooler is in order.
This smoothie has no added sugar, 1.5 of you 5 a day and a good dose of your fibre - not to mention slow release energy and the goodness of milk. Plus, I love it because if you use mostly cherries as the berry ingredient it tastes like ice cream. Great for kids big and small.
A hand blender whizzes it up in just a jiffy.
Ingredients
1 handful frozen berries (any you like, cherries and blueberries are a great combo)
1/2 handful oats
1/2 banana (put the other half in the fridge for tomorrow)
250ml milk (or to taste)
2 tablespoons yogurt (optional)
1 Put all ingredients into the tall jug of a hand blender
2 Whizz for about 10 seconds, enjoy the cool drink immediately for top refreshment
Tags: easy breakfast, healthy breakfast
Posted in Kid Friendly, Recipes | No Comments »
Saturday, August 15th, 2009 by urban foodie
 This is a realy quick and easy pasta sauce, a variation of an easy pasta dish I made earlier. The tomato sauce is big and sweet, garlicky with just the hint of warmth from the chilli. It’s a great base to add to, here I have used some chorizo that was lingering in the fridge, the other version is a veggie one with very young, soft goat’s cheese, the kind that doesn’t have a skin yet.
Ingredients
1 tin whole tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
1 capful balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes or a whole red chilli
2 big handfuls spinach (approx 200g)
20cm chorizo or 100g young, fresh goat’s cheese
Basil/oregano
S&P, olive oil
1 Crush/chop the garlic and fry gently in olive oil for a minute, add tinned toms (don’t break them up), chilli (the powder or the pepper kept whole) and balsamic plus oregano - if using - cover and simmer for 20 minutes, cover and simmer for 20 minutes
2 After 10 minutes put pasta on to boil
3 After 20 mins break up the toms with your spoon and add washed spinach (and basil, if using), cover to wilt
4 Once wilted, add goats cheese or lightly fried chorizo with it’s pan juices (no need to use any oil in your pan the sausage has plenty)
5 That’s it! Mix in the pasta and enjoy, dinner in 30 minutes
Tags: easy supper, mmm pasta
Posted in Kid Friendly, Recipes | No Comments »
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