Cake, cake and more damn cake!

It was my wonderful friend Hannah's birthday on the 1st, so on the 7th we threw her a 'do! I promised I would bake her a big cake.  And big it was.

It is covered in chocolate ganache and on the inside it's chocolate and vanilla sponges.  I baked a bit tipsy so I think it turned out well!  Everyone seemed pleased with it, so that's a plus!  It was a lovely evening and the next day I had to make yet another cake for a colleague of my boyfriend who has just had a baby! 

I had just bought a piping set from Tala baking and the squeezy bottles are so easy to use, I have no patience for bags, I always mess them up! They work beautifully so I must recommend.

The above cake is a Lemon drizzle with buttercream.  Again it went down very well.  So with being a bit drunk when I made Hannah's cake and then having a stinking hangover when I made the Lemon one I think that overall it was a fantastically successful baking weekend! 

I will follow up with the recipes for each cake later but I wanted to get on and show you the results of a busy weekend of cooking! 

Loch Fyne, Covent Garden

Long time without posting, which I know is bad seeing as I am trying to launch something wonderful that people love to read. 
Enough of the grovelling!  I wanted to write a quick post about our dinner out on Wednesday evening.  We went to Loch Fyne in Covent Garden and I have to say it was really enjoyable.  As I have mentioned before in this blog I adore seafood, and it was a first for my boyfriend in a lot of areas, Lobster, Oysters and Langoustine.  Yummy.

All of my favourites in there!

  As you can see it was beautifully presented.  My gripe is, and it was £40.95, is that on the menu it says that it feeds four as a starter and two as a main course.  Do they mean birds? Or small children?  This was not a main for two people!  And for the price it was!  It's cold seafood there was no cooking involved at all.  Needless to say it was delicious but I am so happy that we ordered chips, that were fabulous!  Really crispy and just so moreish!  I really do think that we would have gone hungry if we hadn't ordered chips and then the cheese board for dessert.

My biscuits were broken!

The cheese board was lovely too, a glorious blue cheese that totally knocked our socks off!  Our wine was really delicious too.  However again a complaint.  The biscuits on my cheese board were broken as though they were from the bottom of the packet and chucked on the plate.  My partner and I rarely get to to out to eat and spending £80 on a meal that wasn't totally filling was disappointing.  Michael's chip shop up Leyton way know how to portion.  Massive fish, loads of chips, you are never disappointed by size or price! 

Just Deal With It

I have previously written about Jamie Oliver and how I feel that he is jumping on a 'recession' bandwagon. http://cuttingcooks.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/mr-olivers-recession-bandwagon.html 

Today as I tuned into Twitter I discover that he has said some really dubious things about eating culture in today's cash-strapped Britain.  
First of all he told the Radio Times that he was 'not judgemental' when it came to poor families.  OK so first of all he is trying to promote a book and series to just these types of households and second of all he is 'non-judgementally' attacking them in the same breath.  

I haven't written a blog with any new recipes for a while.  This is because my staples are all listed here and I haven't had the money to experiment or try anything new, so it has been difficult thinking of something to write.  Jamie, thank you for the inspiration. 

So as I sit here in front of my big telly, (which was a gift, so there) I contemplate the media culture of recession porn.  TV shows, guest spots and news stories gearing us to think 'It's OK to be struggling, this is how you get around it'.  Well maybe I would like to be paid more, maybe my partner would like a raise, maybe I would like our council tax to be lowered or stay static.  Thinking about Thames Waters' potential price rises are giving me a dicky tummy.  Another £30 a month, no problem.  Also TFL (Transport for London) hiking prices, again.
How these companies think that they can take another piece out of our non-rising wages is a joke.  These are the things that need to be fixed before we ask people to 'just deal with it'. 

The government has to be realistic.  If we are going to pay all these rising prices, shouldn't they be represented in our pay packets?  Look I am not an economist, I barely got away with Maths GCSE.  Barely.  All I know is that we are just going to get deeper and deeper into debt as the government tries to dig itself out.  We break our backs for them and what do we get?  Chips, Cheese and big TV's according to multi-millionaire Oliver. 

This is not a Jamie Oliver 'hate blog' but he is not doing himself any favours lately, his obvious snobbery does not sit well in my stomach.  He is not the only one at it.  Kirstie Allsopp is at it too.  You can buy things cheap second hand!?  Maybe even get it for free from local message boards, Gumtree etc!? My goodness, there was something I didn't know.  (Need sarcasm font obviously).

This 'just deal with it' attitude from the media has to stop.  How about you make programmes criticizing and investigating the governments role in the demonisation of the poor, the squeezing of a middle-class that is shrinking at a rate of knots.  People earning what my partner and I earn shouldn't have to squeeze as many pennies as we should.  While saying that it brings up another gripe.  Our letting agents sticking their oar in to the tune of £600 before we got into our flat.  Make a TV show about that. 

Just deal with it!? No I won't Messrs Oliver & Allsopp et al.  I'm going to fight until we get what we deserve.  A life without constant struggle.  

Chilli Cheese Scones

I felt an autumnal chill in the air this morning, is it just me?  Anyway it got me thinking that it is approaching one of my favourite times of the year.  So I thought I would try a new recipe for the coming coolness in the air and made scones.  I didn't have anything sweet in the cupboards.  I love fruit scones with lots of butter and jam, but I decided to change my recipe for these up a bit.

You can make all sorts of tweaks to this recipe which is why it is so wonderful.  


Chilli Cheese Scones:

Recipe makes 6 big scones, you can double up if you want more, which will be the case after you've tried them once!

Ingredients:

200g plain flour
50g butter (cold and cubed)
80g strong cheddar cheese
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 heaped tsp sugar
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chilli
1/4 tsp salt
100ml milk

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220c then measure out the flour and add the other dry ingredients and mix them together.
2. Drop in your cubed cold butter and rub together until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Now add the cheese and mix so evenly distributed.
4. Gradually add the milk and mix with a knife until it starts to clump together into a dough.  Get your hands in and knead softly to form a ball.
5.  Turn dough out onto a floured surface and roll, or pat out until it is about 2cm thick.  I use a wine glass to cut out my scones because I don't have a cutter but the size is up to you.
6.  Place onto a baking tray and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes.  Don't leave them for longer than 10 minutes without checking because depending on the oven they can burn quickly.

Take them out when golden and crisp on the outside.  Serve them with a bit of butter, but if they are just out of the oven I think they are good on their own.  Bizarrely they might be nice with jam if you're into that sweet and savoury thing.  Lovely.  Again these, with a cup of tea are glorious.  

Mr Olivers Recession Bandwagon!

So Jamie Oliver's new book and show will deal with waste, money saving tips from the restaurant trade.  Wonderful.  We are going to have a multi-millionaire raiding the fridges of people who don't know how to save, or cut corners in the kitchen.  

Press Release on Channel 4, Jamie cooks up meals on a budget. 

Frankly I've had a bad day today and this news really put the cherry on my cake.  

I have never had much of an issue with Jamie.  I was fully behind his campaign to improve school dinners, his attack on the evil Michael Gove and being part of the campaign about sourcing more sustainable fish.  Some of his recipes are great too.  Especially some of the 15 Minute Meal ideas, which I find fantastic, apart from his love of serving things on a chopping board.  Awful.

I can think of all sorts of things that Mr Oliver can throw his weight behind rather than trying to tell people with the smallest amounts of cash how to spend part of it on food.  I think that the premise of this show/book is good.  People do need to know what to do with very little in the kitchen.  God knows the subject of waste can get me going too.  But I don't see how these people can stand being preached to by someone who will never have money problems for the rest of his life.  Someone who couldn't possibly understand the drudgery of the daily, weekly or monthly shop on a pittance.  

I would say that I am pretty creative in the kitchen, and I don't struggle with a few ingredients put in front of me.  A lot of people do, which is one of the reasons why I started this blog.  If through this programme/book Jamie actually spent time living on the budget that his subjects are I would be surprised.  It is not indicated anywhere on the press release or amazon article.  If that was the case then it might be a more interesting venture.

It is hard, and it is stressful, it is depressing and it is sometimes very boring.  I can't understand someone who hasn't had these worries being able to tell people what is going to work for them.  Especially since he isn't coming from any semblance of experience that I can discover.

I know this blog entry may come off slightly as if I have a touch of the green-eyed monster but that is not (totally) the case.  I feel strongly that Mr Oliver is jumping on some sort of 'recession bandwagon', it's kind of distasteful.  With so many people struggling with the basics of life, people resorting to the food bank, and other charitable organisations are we really going to listen to someone worth approximately £150 million tell us how to 'save'?  I certainly can't, well maybe with a big pinch of own brand salt. 

This is my Potato Cake recipe, there are many like it, but this one is mine!

Cheese and Bacon Potato Cakes

I love cakes, so if I can have them for tea then that is all the better.  These are obviously savoury but really delicious.  Crunchy on the outside and soft, fluffy and cheesy on the inside, with pretty little flecks of piggy, you can't go wrong.  Either for a snack or as part of a meal I think these are great.

I am not going to suggest that you have a ton of leftover mashed potato either, because that hardly ever happens Messrs Slater, Ramsay & the rest!  You just need to boil about a pound of potatoes for this recipe.  More if you got more, less if you got less.  The thing with this recipe is that you can adjust the quantities depending on your requirements.  I'm feeding three, and my recipe makes 6 big fat yummy cakes.

Ingredients: 

4 tsbp of vegetable oil
1 lb of potatoes
150-250g of grated Mature (is there any other kind?) cheddar 
4-5 rashers of smoked bacon chopped finely and cooked
Salt and Pepper to taste
A few sprinkles of flour

Method:

1.  I am not going to tell you how to boil potatoes but one they're done mash them all up with some salt, pepper and milk.  Get as smooth a mash as you can.  My masher is rubbish, but I toil away until I get something decent.  
2.  Mix in your bacon, make sure everything is cool(ish) because A) You don't want to burn your hands and B) You don't want the cheese to melt.
3.  Scatter in the cheese and mix in bit by bit so it doesn't clump together.  Then season and taste the mixture making sure its perfect for your tastes.
4.  Grab a handful and shape into a burger type form so you can handle them well in the pan.  Place them onto a floured surface, sprinkling the top of them too, I used a baking tray.

5.  Once they are all done put them in the fridge for about 30 minutes to ensure they're stuck well together.
6.   Heat the oil in a pan and when at a good frying temperature (use a bit of bread to check) place your cakes in the oil.  I did two at a time so I didn't crowd the pan too much.  

Once these gooey beauties are done serve them with anything you like, or eat them on their own.  Regardless, they are fantastic!  Enjoy!

Carrot Cake, Karate Cake...

Today was a cooking day, it was lovely.  The weather was nice, I had the back door open and Radio 2 on.  God I'm getting old!
Digressions aside I decided to attempt carrot cake.  Or Karate Cake as dubbed by my brother.  Who also said 'ew, it's got carrots in it' before eating a slice and declaring it moist and yummy, which it is.

Carrot Cake/ Karate Cake

Ingredients:

175g light muscovado sugar
175ml of vegetable oil
3 medium eggs beaten
150g of grated carrots
1tsp of baking soda
1 heaped tsp of cinnamon
1 half tsp of nutmeg

Method:

1.  Preheat the oven to 180C and prepare your tin by greasing it lightly and dusting it with a little flour, I used a loaf tin, but you could use a regular cake tin if you like.
2.   Mix together your sugar and eggs until combined and a lovely dark colour, then add the carrots and stir till combined.
3. Sift the dry ingredients into your bowl and mix to combine the mixture.  Once done pour the mixture into your tin and place in the oven.  Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.  

This recipe was done with what I had in my kitchen.  I would have loved to have added the zest of an orange or lemon perhaps.  Maybe prepared an icing or a zesty syrup to go on top of it.  This would be lovely sliced with a bit of fresh cream also.

Regardless of this I must say a slice of this cake with a cup of Yorkshire gold really did hit the spot today.  Wonderful.  

A note about the lack of photos

I know I've been naughty by not posting too many photos of my dishes on here, but more often than not they are demolished by my household within minutes of plating up.  I will be updating them much more as time goes on.  

I am also a rubbish photographer.

I am still getting used to this blog thing and I will endeavour to make it much more attractive and easy to look at in the very near future.

I do recommend that you have a look at The Foodie Bugle because they know how to do pretty and their website is gorgeous and they are on twitter too! @TheFoodieBugle 

http://thefoodiebugle.com/ 

 

Macaroni Cheese

Here is the recipe for my all time favourite dish.  My Mum gave me the recipe and it is a family favourite.  When I say family favourite, I mean the rest of the family aren't as passionate about it as I am!

The recipe is pretty straightforward but it takes a bit of time.

Ingredients:

500g macaroni
1tsbp of olive oil
1 medium onion chopped finely
1 red pepper chopped finely
1 green pepper chopped finely
1tbsp of dried basil
3-4 rashers of smoked bacon sliced thinly or replace this for lardons or pancetta if you're feeling flash!
A few leaves of fresh basil
2 tomatoes sliced thinly
350g strong cheddar cheese grated
1 pint of milk
40g butter
40g plain flour
1tsp English mustard
Salt and pepper to taste.

Method:

1. Cook your pasta to al dente.
2. Place onions in the pan with the dried basil and bacon, soften the onions and cook bacon.  Add the peppers and cook through.
3. In another pot place the butter and melt, add the flour and make a roux, when combined add a little of the milk until combined with a whisk, do so until all the milk is combined with the sauce, keep whisking lightly.  Keep on a low heat and add some salt and pepper, then the mustard.  When all is integrated start adding your cheese, not all of it, just to taste, the rest will go on top of the finished dish.  When you are happy with the sauce it is time to assemble your dish.
 4.  Take a large baking dish and add the pasta and onions, bacon, peppers and mix well.  Then add the cheese sauce stirring to combine the ingredients evenly.  Don't be too aggressive with it or it'll go everywhere! When it is all together throw the rest of the cheese over the dish.  Put the tomatoes over the top neatly, each with a basil leaf underneath, this is optional but it looks very pretty and helps to portion the dish.  Drizzle a little olive oil over the finished dish and bake in a 200C oven for 20-30 minutes or until it is golden brown on top and bubbling! 

You can serve this dish with a nice salad or some garlic bread.  I love it on it's own.  It is so delicious.  And there are almost always leftovers to pick at later or the next day!  However it never lasts long in my house!  Enjoy! 
 

Beans on toast and other pleasures!

I love beans on toast.  However I think everyone has their own tweaks that they like to make to it.  I like to cook the beans slowly until the sauce becomes more sticky than runny.  I like to toast the bread on both sides (some people only one, what's wrong with you!?) I like lots of black pepper on mine and lots of cheese.  If I'm feeling flash I'll fry an egg and put it on top.  Delicious.  

The reason I am writing about beans on toast is because no matter how exposed one is to the tippity-top of gourmet cuisine, no matter how wonderful the produce you are eating on a regular basis you always return to your favourites.  Although I hate the term, 'guilty pleasures' comes to mind.   

Other such delicacies I enjoy are pâté on crackers, and before you think that I'm buying my
pâté in a delicatessen, sourced locally or ethically or whatever.  No, its the 50p job from asda.  I care not about your protestations!  It is one of my many pleasures,  those things you don't often hear TV chefs mention.  

I have gained new ones since meeting my wonderful boyfriend.  Most notably scotch eggs.  Those wonderful fried meaty eggy parcels.  Yummy.  

However saying all that my absolute favourite, the absolute peak is a bag of pork scratchings.  They are so wonderful.  You see I don't understand how people can be so squeamish about them.  They might have a wee bit of hair here and there, but they are glorious.  They sell the best ones round the corner from my house in the most awful 'hive of scum and villainy' pub.  They are big, salty, crispy.  A really big bite.  

More importantly it is the ability to eat these things on my own.  So no one can ask for any.  It is the scoffing of these things in private that adds to the satisfaction of it all!

So I have heard of jam and cheese sandwiches being a favourite of some peoples, I can't imagine it myself.  I would love some feedback either on here or on twitter about your guilty pleasures food-wise.  What do you love to eat secretly?  

Oh you beauties...

Today is curry day!

My lovely curry!

I spent ages perfecting this recipe, it was always either too spicy or too bland.  I could never get the balance right.  I know that this problem is not just me.
The thing this curry requires no skill whatsoever.  It's really just throwing things into a pot at different stages.  You can make this vegetarian, or meat it up.  It really doesn't matter.  It's foolproof.

I use chicken thighs and legs roasted in the oven.  I throw away the bones and chuck in the meat.  Done!

I hope you try this recipe, I love it.  

Rachael's Curry

Ingredients:

2 tbsp of Vegetable oil
1/2 tbsp of mustard seeds
Small handful of curry leaves
3 medium onions chopped finely
1 tsp of light brown sugar
1 heaped tbsp of garlic and ginger paste (Alternatively 4 medium cloves of garlic and 1 2cm piece of fresh ginger chopped and combined.  I find the paste so handy).
1 red chilli chopped finely
500g of cooked chicken (can substitute here with heaps of veg or another meat)
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 pint chicken or vegetable stock.

 In a cup I put:
3tsp of madras curry powder
1 heaped tsp of cumin
1 heaped tsp of corriander powder
2 heaped tsps of tumeric
1 heaped tsp of garam masala

Add enough hot water to make this into a paste.  I find this helps stop the spices burning or clumping together.

 Method:

1. Put oil into pan and put in curry leaves and mustard seeds.  Turn heat on and when the seeds start popping throw in your onions and the sugar, cook until soft.
2. Add the garlic and ginger, stir to combine.  Then do the same with the spice mixture.  Then add your chilli, leave out if you don't like too much chilli.  But I feel it adds heat and it really isn't too hot.
3.  Throw in your cooked chicken and make sure it is covered in all the spice and then add the tomatoes and combine.  When it is bubbling add about a 1/4 of the stock and leave to simmer for 20-25 minutes.
 4.  Return to the pot and taste, add more stock if it needs it, or season to taste.  Leave it on the lowest heat while you prepare your extras.

Popadums, chapattis, naans or rice.  What you serve your curry with is up to you! I like to have lots of rice made with coconut milk, or chapattis with lots of butter.  It really is up to you!  

Peach Crumble

I wanted something sweet today.  Plus I didn't mind spending some time in the kitchen because my beloved was catching up on UFC, and I didn't fancy it.  Sundays after a UFC event normally leave me with plenty of free time, it goes on for hours.  

There wasn't much in the cupboards to make dessert.  Loads of savoury things to snack on but nothing sweet.  I spot a lonely tin of peaches in the cupboard, hiding between two tins of tomatoes.  Oh you cheeky devil!

This is so easy to make.  I only had one tin of peaches, but I would recommend if you're making this to use two.  I wasn't going to the shop, it's Sunday!

Ingredients:

2x tins of peaches
100g wholemeal flour
100g butter cold from the fridge, cubed.
70g light brown sugar
30g granulated sugar
1 or 2 tiny drops of almond essence (optional, I love the scent of almond, it is an acquired taste so if you don't like it, don't add it)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200c.  Rub together the butter and flour until crumbs form.
2. Add the sugars to the crumble topping and mix with a spoon.  Stick bowl in the fridge until you're ready for it.
3. Decant the peaches into a bowl and separate from the juices, (I just lifted each segment out of the juice and put in the pan), Place your peaches in a sandwich tin, or suitable ovenproof container.  
4. At this point I drop the tiniest couple of drops of almond essence over the peaches.  It adds such a lovely scent.  Top with your crumble and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until your topping is crispy and brown.

I love custard so any excuse to have it I do, but you can serve this with cream or ice cream, heathens.  Joking, maybe.  Also keep the peach juices, stick them in the fridge, then drink them later, out of the fridge, at night, like a beast!

Marry, sir, 'tis an ill cook that cannot lick his
    own fingers: therefore he that cannot lick his
    fingers goes not with me.

 Romeo and Juliet Act 4, Scene 2

Quick pizza sausage rolls

So I was hungry earlier, it wasn't tea time but it was after dinner time and I had finished work for the day, as had my lovely boyfriend.  
I pottered to the kitchen opened the fridge and saw that I had some leftover pizza sauce from the other night.  This was due for the bin today however I saved it!

Pizza Sausage Rolls

Ingredients:

For the pizza sauce (makes enough to top three 10" pizzas and this recipe):
500g passata
4 medium garlic cloves chopped finely
1 onion minced (I don't have any 'new fangled' kitchen equiptment but just grate it like I did)
I also use a heaped tsp of Slap Ya Mamma seasoning (you can buy this from Amazon or http://www.americansweets.co.uk/) adds a really good kick.  
Alternatively you can use 1tsp of chilli powder and 1tsp paprika, or maybe some Tabasco.  It's up to your beautiful taste buds!
Pinch of salt.

375g puff pastry (ready rolled from Asda or other supermarket, Asda is closest to me)

5 pork sausages 

1 egg beaten


Method:

1. Unfurl your puff pastry roll.  Skin each sausage before placing onto the pastry.

2.  Place your sausages onto the pastry (I fit two and a half one side and the same on the other).  Squish them a bit.

3.  Cut the pastry down the middle.

4.  So drop some of the sauce over the sausages and roll up in the pastry, making sure the seal is at the bottom, seal with egg.

5.  Slice into the size you desire.  I cut each roll into 4.  

6.  Place in the freezer for 20-30mins.  Pre-heat the oven to 200c.

7.  When the oven is ready to go and the rolls have had their time in the freezer, brush with egg and place onto non-stick baking try and bake for 25-30mins or until golden brown and bubbling.

8.  Remove from the oven and scoff.

I cooked these and the rolls separated slightly in the oven because maybe the pastry wasn't cool enough, or because the sauce is so wet.  I have to say that regardless of this, they were so good.  Please try!

Dreams you can eat.

Heading towards payday and I am stoney broke!

Such a time to dream and fantasise about the things I am going to eat when I have money.  I am thinking of this as I write this.  

I want the world...

 I am thinking of buying two full chickens, roasting them then eating them like a feral beast in the corner of a darkened room.  Oh red meat!  How I adore thee.  
Cakes.  Buttery fluffy cakes with buttercream icing so thickly applied you can barely open your mouth wide enough to get it all in.  But of course, you can.  

All of these things I think about when I am loaded with pasta, rice or potatoes.  Cheap to eat, with nutritious accompaniments that fill and satisfy you, albeit temporarily.  

I am sitting satisfied after making pizzas from scratch with lots of cheese and a sauce of minced onion, garlic and tomato.  However I sit somewhat sad.  How greedy have I become? That after a lovely meal I am unhappy because I can't make some cake, or have a few squares of chocolate, or make ice cream, or bake something!

As a cook, having an empty kitchen is deeply unsettling.  You can't just go in there and knock something together for the pleasure of it.  I am not a total glutton, I don't even really want to eat what I bake or cook.  It is the process, the tasting, the presentation and the faces of the people eating my food fill me more than anything.  

As food gets more expensive a cook has to be more wary of the 'big shop', it is so easy to go in there on payday and buy all the things you've dreamt about for the last week leading up to it.  But you have to feed yourself, partner and brother for a month.  So it is chastening.  I still can't help it though.  That slither of dolcelatte, plus some booze, some snacks for the kids (there are no kids in this house).  Before you know it you've racked up a couple of hundred pounds worth of shopping and half way through the month you're regretting that bottle of wine.  The 'cheesefest' you had whilst watching a film.  The snacks.  Feeling guilty about the extra garlic, bread, peppers, meat and so on it could have bought to make your meals go further.  

So one of my joys in life, food shopping, has that tinge of sadness to it because now there is always a limit to what I can buy.  

So on I dream... custard tarts, fruit salads with yoghurt, apple tart tatin (which I haven't made yet but I got the Raymond Blanc cookbook from the library and I cannot wait to give it a go), a cheese selection with chutneys and lovely breads and crackers.... I can go on.  

I can promise you this, dear readers, I will make the same mistake again when I go shopping on Friday.  I will buy the wine, I will buy the cheese, I will buy all the things!!!

I am, in fact, a brunette otherwise this is an accurate depiction of me on pay day

 

 

Chilli cook off!

Best episode of the Simpsons ever!

I wish I knew of a chilli cook off nearby in London that I could enter.  I don't get arrogant much but I can say that I make the best chilli con carne ever.

I am only sharing the recipe in the hope that someone will share an easy brisket or pulled pork from scratch recipe.  That would be lovely.

Chilli Con Carne

Ingredients

1kg stewing steak (small cubes)
4 slices of smoked bacon finely chopped
1 medium onion finely chopped
3 fat cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 400g tin of Kidney Beans
1 400g tin of Black beans
1 400g tin of tomatoes
400 ml beef stock (you won't need all of this but keep it to hand in case your chilli becomes dry)
2 tsp chilli powder
1 heaped tsp paprika
1 heaped tsp cumin
1 heaped tsp brown sugar
2 tsp tomato purée

Method

1. Dredge the beef in flour and brown in the pot, do this in batches so you get an even colour.  Set aside.
2. Add oil to the pot and add the onion, and the teaspoon of brown sugar.  Soften onion, then add garlic then the bacon.
3. Take a small cup and add your chilli, paprika, cumin and tomato purée, add some hot water and mix to a loose paste, then add this to your pot and stir until all the onion, bacon & garlic are covered in the spices.  
4. Once the bacon is cooked through add the beef, coat in the spice mixture.
5. Add the tomatoes and 200ml of the beef stock and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
6. Keep adding stock as the stock appears to reduce.  A little at a time.  The consistency is up to you, but I like it thick and stew-like. 
7. Once you can see that the beef is tender, normally 2 1/2 hours into cooking, add the beans.
8.  Bring sauce to the boil and voilà! 

This chilli is fantastic and a meal with rice, tortillas and some cheese.  Or it is wonderful leftover.  If your are cooking this chilli from the fridge pour in some water to loosen the chilli.  Pour over some roast potatoes, or chips! It is so delicious, I promise.

Do try this recipe it is really wonderful. 
 

Total meltdown

I struggle when it's hot.  I have tremendous trouble sleeping and I get cranky because of this.  Much to his indoors chagrin.  Also when it comes to food and cooking I struggle. with the heat.  Mostly because my audience can't be doing with anything green.  Salads, vegetables and fruit seem to be out.

I enjoy a salad, the fattening kind obviously.  Lots of dressing, bacon too, OH and cheese!  My boyfriend will eat anything I put in front of him and say 'it's amazing' because he likes a stress free environment and he enjoys it.  But my brother Callum (23) who is living with us at the moment is the fussiest fusspot of fussington.  I am doing the guy a favour letting him stay at my home, rent and bill free, while he tries to find a job.  

However his dietary requirements are becoming a problem.  


'Don't like Onions, unless they are chopped really small, or deep fried'

'I'm not a berry man, I mean I could have Raspberry if it was like in a doughnut or something'

'This chicken isn't as good as the one Dad makes' (My dad buys cooked chicken breasts, I use thighs and legs, decide for yourselves)

'Is that all I get?'

'Your cakes aren't big enough, only 8 slices'

'This tastes funny'

'I could make this'

'I don't like rice'  eats all of it.  

'Why do you have to put THAT in it, ruined it'  

'Ruined it' 

'Pasta, again?'  

'Why did you put lemon in MY cake?' (cake was for everyone)

'Make me a cake'

'Make pancakes'

'Make another one of those'

And so it goes, well hopefully I'm helping his palette become more developed.  I long for the day when I can make anything I want for tea and everyone would be happy.  

As a cook one wants to make everyone happy.  We long for that approval so whatever I do I cannot help but want to please our house guest.  He is my brother after all!
 

'You've ruined it'

 

  
 

Chicken... it doesn't have to be boring!

Mmm... chicken...

 I have written before in this blog about leftovers, how TV Chefs manage to pull all sorts of wonderful leftover ingredients out of their store cupboards.  However one thing that will always be leftover in my house is some roast chicken.  Mostly because there is only three of us.  I am not suggesting that if you have a bigger household that this will be the case.  If that is so Asda, and  I am sure other supermarkets do a bag of frozen chicken pieces (legs and thighs) that are reasonably cheap.  Roast these up and add the pieces to the soup. 

I love roast Chicken.  It enjoy it on the day with crispy potatoes and onions, the day after in a soup or in lots of other recipes, the possibilities are endless. 

Get yourself a nice big fat chicken.  I am not going to go into the benefits of an organic bird simply because that isn't going to fit into everyone's budgets.  Especially not mine.  

This isn't a recipe as such because it is so so simple.  Put your bird onto a deep roasting tray rub with olive oil and season.  I use sea salt and black pepper.  Slice a head of garlic (you can use to roasted garlic for the base of a chicken soup, yummy!) and a lemon and stick it in the carcass.  Peel and prepare enough potatoes and onions to fit around the bird.  Cover them in olive oil, coating all of them and scatter them around the chicken.  Cover with foil and roast for 1 hour.  Then remove your foil and roast until brown and crispy.  Normally 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Again this depends on the size of your bird.  

I think there is nothing nicer than crispy chicken skin.  It is delicious.  Serve your roast chicken and veg with some greens of your choice.  I am a fan of steamed broccoli.  I also love peas with chicken.  


The next day... 

Hehehe weird Carrot!

Chicken Soup 

Ingredients

Chicken carcass plus meat from thighs, legs and wings etc.
3 stock or bullion cubes
1tbsp olive oil
Garlic left over from roast (optional)
Big handful of parsley
1 small onion
1 leek
2 large carrots

Method

1.  Get your big pot on the stove and place your carcass in, pour over 1 1/2 litres of stock made from your cubes and boiling water.  Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.  
2.  Remove from the heat and remove the chicken carcass and discard, it's given all it can, poor thing.
3.  Chop and prepare all your veg and chicken so it's ready to chuck in.
4.  Fry the onion in the oil until soft and glossy, add the garlic stir and then add the leeks and carrots.  
5.  When your veg has softened slightly throw in the chicken.  Then add your stock and finally the parsley.
6.  The last step is down to personal preference.  I add maybe a bit of pepper and that's it.  However if you want you can add dumplings.

This is a great recipe to know as your lovely chicken won't go to waste.  Chicken soup is the best thing to be able to pull out of the bag when the weather is pants or you want something homely and easy on the pocket and the belly.  I had it on Sunday with some soda bread I had made (recipe below).  

I threw some potatoes into this one.

Contact the Elderly and the Banana bread

The aftermath of my tea party

In May this year I hosted a tea party for some elderly people from my local area.  If you are unfamiliar with Contact the Elderly they are a national charity that organises regular events, tea parties and such for older and more vulnerable elderly people throughout the UK.  As they say on the website, for people who live on their own Sunday can be a particularly lonely day and if all I have to to is give up a few hours of my time then I am more than happy to do it.  As a host it was my responsibility to entertain these lovely people and put on a bit of a spread.  

I baked for two days.  I loved every minute because I love baking.  My boyfriend was delighted because there were loads of leftovers.  Not that what I cooked was terrible but because I cooked way too much.  No banana bread can be seen in the picture though.  That went.  All of it.  As it seemed like the most popular recipe I thought I would give you all the recipe too.  

Banana bread

Ingredients

280g of Plain Flour
1tsp of Baking Soda
1/2tsp Salt
120g Soft unsalted butter
225g Caster Sugar
2 large eggs
80ml whole milk
1 &1/2tsp vinegar
4 medium bananas mashed
1tsp Vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C and grease your loaf tin (20cm x 12.5cm is best but slightly bigger or smaller should have no ill effects on the outcome)
2. Combine the milk and vinegar in a bowl or jug, leave to curdle. (About a minute or so should do this but I do it when I'm starting the process so I have it when I need it)
3. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl
4. Add and combine the eggs, vanilla, bananas and milk to the butter and sugar.
5. Add your dry ingredients, flour, baking soda and salt.
6.  Combine these ingredients until you see no flour in the mixture.
7. Pour your mixture into the tin and place in the oven to bake 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean.
8.  When cooked turn out of the tin carefully and leave to cool for as long as you can.

You can also add chocolate chips to this recipe (dredging the pieces in flour before you add them to the mixture will stop them from sinking to the bottom) which would be delicious but I like it on it's own with a cup of YORKSHIRE tea.  

This is an easy yet impressive recipe.  A real lip-smacker. 

Waste.

Watching the BBC's Eat Well for Less this evening and I was struck by one thing.  Waste.  Gregg Wallace went to Tom Kerridge's Michelin starred kitchen to talk about chips.  A noble quest I say.  Chips are great.  

However I was watching Mr Kerridge's technique, he was coring the potato with an apple corer.  The leftovers were obvious.  I am not suggesting that with his stars and all that he makes a bad chip, his customers on the twitter seem to think they are the Bee's knees.  However I feel that the programmes title, Eat Well for LESS did not seem to come to a satisfying conclusion, the test audience prefering the more expensive option of fish and chips as opposed to the cheaper.  I would love to spend my money on line caught fish (although I wouldn't cook it, see previous post) and fry my potatoes in duck fat but I don't have the money for that.  

This is the BBC's Cost of Living season of programming the intentions of which are lost on me.  I recently watched Nick & Margaret – Benefits: How Much Is Enough? and was infuriated by some woman (Debbie) tagging along to the supermarket with a woman (Kelly) who was doing the shopping on a budget she was quite clearly used too.  Debbie said she would return the full chicken ad buy chicken fillets instead.  Now most cooks with an ounce of sense know that a chicken (in this case one that was just under a fiver) would feed a small family for more than one meal.  The cost of chicken fillets is really high and tend not to be very versatile.  

I feel that I do need to challenge the Michelin route of wasting ingredients.  It does infuriate me when I see it on the telly.  The BBC's Great British Budget Menu was a good watch.  Seeing people struggle in the various situations they are in.  Both working families and the elderly are highlighted in this programme.  They were, at the end of the programme, presented with a cookbook full of useful nutritious recipes.  It was really wonderful to watch.  On the BBC website there is a link to perfect and cheapest store cupboard items* and on the BBC Food site a list of said recipes, wonderful and essential stuff.

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/tv/budgetmenu/gbbmstorecupboard.pdf 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/programmes/b036x3pv 

Irish Soda Bread

This bread is my favourite.  I make it every weekend.  My boyfriend loves it.  He has also made it himself to some success.  This is the man who burns toast regularly.  It really is so so easy.  

Ingredients

250g wholemeal flour (have some extra for dusting)
250g plain flour (have some extra for dusting)
1tsp baking soda
1tsp salt
400ml whole milk 
1tbsp white vinegar

Method

1.  Preheat the oven to 200°C
2.  Measure out the milk, and drop in the tablespoon of vinegar.  Leave to curdle.  Or if you are as grumpy as me in the mornings just look at the milk, it should curdle.  Just joking.  Use the vinegar.
3.  Mix up all the dry ingredients then add the now gloopy milk.
4.  Mix and combine the ingredients by hand.
5.  Drop out onto a floured surface (plain flour).  The mixture may seem very wet but cover it in the flour.  Do not knead this mixture just create a fat ball and drop onto a lined baking tray.
6.  Now you must let the devil out!  Cut a deep cross in your pretty ball, say 3/4 of the way down and sprinkle over some wholemeal flour.  And place in the oven.
7.  Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until a tester comes out clean.  TIP: Place another baking tray or oven proof dish with some water in the oven.  The steam will stop the crust being too hard.  

I love this bread, it goes great with eggs and bacon.  With some butter and cheese.  With soup and so on.  It is versatile and tasty.  Or you can slice it thickly and make my dad's speciality soda bread pizza, this is especially nice when the bread is a day or two old. 

Fear of Seafood

I love seafood.  I love fish, shellfish.  Raw, cooked.  Any cuisine.  I am not bothered.  When I eat out I almost always order the fish dish.  I could quite happily be a pescatarian.

The point of this post is to mention how terrified I am of cooking it at home.  As it is such an expensive ingredient I would be incredibly upset, moved to tears if I brought home a lovely, albeit pricey, morsel and completely messed up the cooking of it.  It would break my heart.  I would take a run at any other kind of meat.  Not a problem.  However my favourite I won't attempt at home.  

It is something I must challenge simply because as such a passionate cook I should have a seafood dish in my repertoire.  I should because I love it so much.  

There must be home cooks out there with the same fear.  Or maybe not.  Maybe I am destined to live without home cooked seafood. 

The best seafood I have ever had was back home in Ireland.  A seafood chowder made in a pub by the sea.  The chowder was so creamy and the fish was so soft with clams, mussels and prawns.  The whole thing was packed full of flavour.  Peppery and sweet at the same time.  Served with dense wheaten bread and soft butter.  It was absolutely delicious.

Seems so simple doesn't it?  I just don't have the stones!

    

The Kitchenaid

Thanks BBC, I pay my licence so I can use this right?

Ah the Kitchenaid.  Everywhere you lurk.  Next to cardigan Jim from last years Great British Bake Off, they all had them, the swines! Next to Nigella, the lovely Anna Olson has one, everyone has one.  EVERYONE!

Kitchenaid must have the best marketing team in the culinary world.  They have noticed that these programmes are on all the time, and they've thought 'these people should be using our equipment '.  They have probably given all these beautiful little machines away for free.  The reason for this is clear.  They know they have a glamorous product and the want is there.  I mean I sit there jealous, counting the Kitchenaids.

So I decide I need one.  I go to Google.  Goodness gracious me, all the colours.  All the lovely little features.  £429.  I'll stick with my homely whisk thank you.  It was only £3 from Asda.

So the clever little devils at Kitchenaid with their lovely mixer that costs a fortune are rubbing their (probably clean and flour-free) hands with glee.  Counting the money as each episode of Great British Bake Off airs.  

It is quite clear that there are other companies at this too, but Kitchenaid are ever present, looming large, in the homes of my favourite chefs, saying 'you can't make this recipe without me'.  I haven't seen such a professional piece of product placement in a long time.  Hats off to them.  I am currently saving for one.  The price be damned.