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Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Treacle Tart

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This sweet and sticky dessert is very fun to make, and it’s very tasty, especially when served warm with Custard or some fresh single cream – if you want, really push the boat out, and use some Vanilla Ice Cream or Clotted Cream.

Treacle Tart

It takes around an hour to make, including cooking time, but you can heat it up again after it’s been made, so you can eat it in one or two sittings if you can resist eating it all at once!

To serve 6
500g Shortcrust Pastry
Plain Flour, for dusting
400g Golden Syrup
225g Fresh White Breadcrumbs
Grated Zest of 1 Small Unwaxed Lemon
2tbsp Lemon Juice

1. Heat an oven to 200C, before rolling out the Shortcrust Pastry on a lightly floured surface, and line a twenty three centimetre flan tin.
2. Mix the Golden Syrup with the Breadcrumbs, Lemon Zest and the Lemon Juice until evenly mixed. Spoon into the Flan Tin, and evenly spread out the mixture, levelling out the top.
3. Cut the remaining Shortcrust Pastry into strips about a centimetre in width, and lay out in a lattice pattern on the top. Seal the strips to the edges of the flan, using water to dampen the edges and pressing together.
4. Bake for ten minutes at 200C, then reduce the heat to 180C, and bake for a further thirty minutes.

Photo Courtesy of: jbracken

Fresh Seafood Stew

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Taking just over an hour to prepare and make, this dish is very simple and easy to make – once it’s on the heat, you can forget about it until nearly done.
Various Seafood
Make sure you use Seafood which is as fresh as possible – if you’re using frozen Fish, make sure that it is thoroughly defrosted but still chilled.

To Serve 6
4tbsp Olive Oil
900g Onions, peeled and finely sliced
450g Thick Cod Fillets, skinned and cut into 5cm pieces
225g Plaice Fillets, skinned and quartered
175g Raw Tiger Prawns, peeled
Salt and Pepper
450g Plum Tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and chopped
2tbsp Tomato Puree
4tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped
2tbsp Fresh Marjoram or Oregano, chopped
150ml Dry White Wine
225g Cooked Mixed Seafood

1. Heat half of the Oil in a large flameproof dish and cook the Onions over a low heat for five minutes until softened. Using a slotted spoon, lift out half of the Onions and set aside.
2. Spread the remaining Onions over the base of the dish, and cover with half of the Raw Fish and Prawns – don’t add any of the Mixed Cooked Fish yet. Season with plenty of Salt and Pepper to taste.
3. Cover half of the Tomatoes and the Tomato Puree, and then repeat the layers – Onion, Raw Fish and Prawns, then the Tomatoes. Sprinkle the Parsley and Marjoram on top, before pouring over the Wine. Drizzle the remaining Olive Oil over the top, and cook on a very Low heat for thirty minutes, or until the sauces have thickened slightly. Stir in the Mixed Seafood, and heat through on a higher heat for around five minutes.

Photo Courtesy of: Avlxyz

Pumpkin Ravioli with Herbs

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This dish is a great use for the flesh of Pumpkins, especially around Halloween Time.

Pumpkin Ravioli

When cutting into shape, you can easily re-roll the Pasta dough to make a more regular shape in order to roll more Ravioli.

To Serve 4
200g ‘00’ Pasta Flour
3 Eggs
450g Wedge Pumpkin
2tbsp Olive Oil
75g Prosciutto (or Parma Ham)
50g Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
1 1/2tbsp Chopped Fresh Basil
1 1/2tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley
Freshly Grated Nutmeg, to taste
2tbsp Double Cream
Salt and Pepper

1. Coat the wedge of Pumpkin with Olive Oil, and bake at 190C for around an hour, then scoop the flesh out and mash until smooth.
2. In a large bowl, add the Pumpkin flesh, Prosciutto, Parmesan Cheese, Basil, Parsley, Nutmeg and Double Cream, and mix well.
3. On a clean work surface pour the Pasta Flour into a cone shape, and make a well shape in the centre. Break two of the eggs into the centre, and begin to mix the Flour in with your fingertips to form a dough. Knead lightly for around five minutes, before wrapping in cling film and leaving for fifteen minutes.
4. Roll the dough out as thinly as possible into two sheets on an unfloured work surface. Keep covered with cling film to prevent it drying out.
5. Cut into strips about ten to twelve centimetres wide, and spoon heaped teaspoonfuls on every six centimetres along the Pasta. Brush the edges and between filling with a little bit of Water.
6. Cover with another sheet of Pasta, and press down between the stuffing to seal. Cut into squares about six centimetres each way, and repeat to make around twenty to twenty four individual pieces of Ravioli.
7. Cook in batches in boiling water for about three minutes until the sealed edges are tender (or al dente). Drain, and serve tossed in melted butter with chopped herbs

Photo Courtesy of: schopie1

Linguine with Crab and Crispy Crumbs

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Linguine and Crab Pasta
This posh treat is a treat for the eyes and nose, and is also a delight to eat. The textures that you get will make you want to keep eating more and more of it, and it’s very easy and fast to cook – taking just twenty five minutes to prepare and cook this meal for four people.

To Serve 4
4 Slices of Garlic Bread
400g Dried Linguine Pasta
6tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Large Garlic Cloves, Thinly Sliced
½ Large Red Chilli, Deseeded and Finely Chopped
4tbsp Flat-leafed Parsley, Chopped
170g White Crab Meat
Juice of 1 Lemon

1. Toast the Garlic Bread until both sides are golden, and then process in a food blender until rough breadcrumbs
2. Cook the Linguine Pasta in large pan of Salted water – make sure that the water isn’t too salty! Follow the instructions on the packet, making sure that it’s cooked through.
3. Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large pan, and then fry the Garlic and Chilli over a high heat for one or two minutes, until the Garlic is golden brown. Mix half of the Parsley and all of the Crab Meat into the hot oil, and then cook over a medium heat for one or two minutes until hot through, and then add the lemon juice – making sure you don’t drop any seeds in!
4. Drain the pasta, and toss with the Crab Meat mixture. Add the remaining Olive Oil, Parsley and the Breadcrumbs. Season the mix to taste, and serve.

Photo Courtesy of: Ozchin

Goulash

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Goulash and Rice

This traditional Hungarian Stew has many different versions, dating all the way back to the ninth century. Try to find a Sweet, Hungarian Paprika for this recipe, as it suits it the best – the Caraway seeds taste a little like aniseed, so you may want to slightly change the quantity or even not include them altogether if you’re not a big fan of the taste.

To serve 4
4tbsp Sunflower Oil
650g Braising Steak
2tsp Plain Flour
2tsp Paprika
300ml beek Stock
3 Onions, chopped
4 Carrots, diced
1 Large Potato, diced
1 Bay Leaf
½ to 1 tsp Caraway Seeds
400g Canned Chopped Tomatoes
2tbsp Soured Cream
Salt and Pepper

1.       Heat half of the Oil in a large heavy based frying pan, and cut the steak into cubes about an inch across. Add the Steak cubes to the pan, and cook over a medium heat and cook until browned all over. Reduce the heat, and stir in the Flour and Paprika. Stir constantly for two minutes, and stir in the Stock, before bringing to the boil, then transfer the mixture to the slow cooker.

2.       Rinse the frying pan out, and heat the remaining oil in it. Add the Onions and cook over a low heat for five minutes until soft. Stir the Carrots and Potatoes and cook for a few minutes more, before adding the Bay Leaf, any of the Caraway Seeds and Tomatoes (with the Juices from the Can). Season to taste with Salt and Pepper.

3.       Add the vegetable mix to the Slow Cooker, and stir well. Cook on low for nine hours, until the meat is tender.

4.       Remove and discard the Bay Leaf, and then stir in the Soured Cream, and serve immediately.

Photo Courtesy of: RoolRool

Haddock and Potato Soup

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Haddock Potato Soup

This is a thick, creamy soup, with lashings of flavour and colour. This soup is a great Winter Warmer as a lunch, or brilliant served as a Starter for a meal. Serve with fresh, crusty rolls, and garnished with fresh Chopped Parsley. If you can’t find any Haddock, any white fish will be okay – just make sure there are no bones in there!

To Serve 4
2tbsp Butter
1 Onion, chopped
1 Leek, chopped
2tbsp Plain Flour
850ml Milk
1 Bay Leaf
1 tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley
350g Smoked Haddock Fillets
450g Potatoes, cooked and mashed
6tbsp Double Cream
Salt and Pepper
Fresh, Crusty Rolls

1.       Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the Onion and Leek and cook for three minutes or until soft, stirring frequently.

2.       Mix the flour in a bowl with enough of the milk to make a smooth paste, and stir into the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly for two minutes, before gradually adding the rest of the milk.

3.       Add the Bay Leaf and Parsley, and season to taste with Salt and Pepper, before bringing to the boil, and reducing the heat and simmering for fifteen minutes.

4.       Rinse the Haddock fillets under cold running water, drain and cut into small chunks. Add to the soup and cook for fifteen minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and soft.

5.       Add the Mashed Potatoes and stir in the Cream, before cooking for a further two or three minutes. Remove from the heat, and discard the Bay Leaf.

6.       Serve in warmed bowls and with Fresh rolls and garnish with freshly chopped Parsley.

Photo Courtesy of: Bucklava

Steak with Pineapple Salsa

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The thin slices of Steak, with a fresh, fruity Salsa accompaniment create a range of flavours and textures that you don’t see very often, but create a dish suitable for such a wide range of tastes and preferences.

Steak and Pineapple Salsa

Using Fresh Pineapple instead of Canned will help the flavours blend easier and better, but make sure you don’t leave any of the skin or core in, or these pieces will become quite tough and hard.

To Serve2
2 cups of Peeled, Cored and Chopped Fresh Pineapple
300grams Mandarin Orange Sections, Drained
½ Cup Chopped Red or Green Sweet Peppers
1/3 Cup Picante Sauce
350grams Beef Flank or Boneless Sirloin Steak, cut ½ Inch thick
½ tsp Chilli Powder
1tbsp Olive Oil
6 Cups Mixed Salad Greens

1.       For the Salsa, mix the Pineapple, Mandarin Oranges, Sweet Peppers and Picante Sauce in a blender, before setting aside for at least an hour to allow flavours to mix

2.       Trim the fat from the Steak, and slice across the grain in the Meat, and sprinkle the Steaks with Chilli Powder.

3.       In a large pan, cook half of the steak over a medium-hot heat for around five minutes, before cooking the other half of the meat.

4.       Arrange on the plate, with the Steak on top of the Salad Leaves and Salsa over the top of the Steak.

This meal goes very well as part of a larger spread – very nice with a fresh made Potato Salad, Cous Cous or as part of a picnic meal.

Photo Courtesy of: Galant

Classic American Hamburger

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Almost three quarters of Americans believe that the Cheeseburger is the most Classic American Burger, and over eighty five percent prefer Beef over Turkey, Pork or veggie Patties inside.

Classic American Hamburger

The mix of the sauce is also down to personal preference. Add small amounts at the start, and slowly increase the quantities until you get the right taste.

The Burgers can be stored in either the fridge or freezer and then make sure you defrost them thoroughly before cooking, and allow them to get to room temperature before cooking to make sure that they taste as good as possible.

To serve 4
600g Minced Beef
Hamburger Bun
Thousand Island Dressing
Dijon Mustard
Hot Sauce
Fresh Lettuce
Ripe Tomato
Onion
Salt
Pepper
Mixed Herbs

1.       Mix the Beef with Salt, Pepper and the Mixed Herbs, and refrigerate for at least fifteen minutes

2.       Cook the Burger in your preferred method (grill, from or bake – my preference is to Grill them) until the temperature reaches 70C.

3.       Whilst the Burger is cooking, mix the Thousand Island Dressing, Dijon Mustard and Hot Sauce to taste.

4.       Lay the slice of cheese on top of the Burger for thirty seconds, before removing from the cooking tray

5.       Grill the bun for fifteen to twenty seconds on each side, just enough to make it crisp.

6.       Spread the Sauce mixture over the bun, and slice the Tomato and Onion before adding that to the bun, as well as a couple of slices of fresh, crisp Lettuce.

7.       Add the Burger and Cheese to the Bun, and serve either with Chips, or a salad.

Photo Courtesy of: pointnshoot

Vegetable Curry with Aromatic Rice

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Vegetable Curry with Aromatic riceThis dish is comfort food, but healthy and fast to make at the same time! If you want to make it hotter, add fresh Chilli in with the Garlic, or replace the medium Curry powder with a hotter variety.

The mix of vegetables in this dish mean that you can easily tailor it into something that you may be more comfortable with – try aubergine, courgettes, red onions and anything else that looks appetising.  The long list of ingredients is what gives this dish all the wonderful flavours and textures that you’d be looking for from a curry.

To Serve 4

1tbsp Vegetable Oil

1 sliced Onion

1 clove of finely chopped Garlic

200g Potato

200g Sweet Potato

125g Carrots

4tbsp Medium Curry Powder

125g Leaf Spinach

3 Tomatoes

75g Baby Corn

4tbsp Plain Yoghurt

Bunch of Coriander

½tsp Coriander Seeds

½tsp Cumin Seeds

2 Cardamom Seeds

200g Basmati Rice

1 Cinnamon Stick

5cm Lemon Peel

1.       Peel and chop the Potato, Sweet Potato and Carrots, quarter the Tomatoes, and chop the Coriander.

2.       In a large pan, heat the oil, and cook the onion for four minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for a further minute.

3.       Add the peeled and chopped Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes and Carrots, then cook for two more minutes. Add the Curry Powder, and stir in well.

4.       Start to cook the rice – crush the Coriander, Cumin and Cardamom seeds, and add these into the rice with the strip of Lemon Peel and Cinnamon Stick.

5.       To the large pan, add 200ml of water, and simmer for fifteen minutes with the lid on. Stir well, adding the spinach, tomatoes and corn, then replace the lid and cooking for five more minutes.

6.       Cook for five minutes, before adding in the yoghurt and lowering the heat for three or four more minutes to heat everything through.

Photo Courtesy of:

Chicken Pot Pie

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Chicken Pot PieNothing beats the taste, look and satisfaction of eating a home made pot pie. So easy to make, and can be frozen un-cooked for up to three months to make easier to cook for quick meals. Serve with fresh, seasonal vegetables for a great meal.

To Serve 4

3 Chicken Breasts

500g Chicken Stock

2 Leeks

250g Chestnut Mushrooms

25g Butter

25g Flour

100ml Crème Fraiche

3tsp Flat Leaf Parsley

500g Puff Pastry

1 Egg

1.       Poach the Chicken Breasts with the Chicken Stock for ten minutes.

2.       Trim the Leeks, and slice them into thin half-rings, before adding and simmering for a further ten minutes.

3.       Drain the chicken and Leeks from the liquid (but keep the liquid!), and dice the Chicken (the smaller the pots, the smaller sized pieces), before setting aside.

4.       Boil the stock for ten minutes until it’s reduced. Measure out 300ml, and you can either save, or discard the rest.

5.       Quarter the mushrooms, before cooking in a tablespoon of oil, and set aside.

6.       Melt 25g Butter in the pan, add the flour, then gradually add the stock and heat until the mix is boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the Crème Fraiche, Parsley, Chicken, Leeks and Mushrooms.

7.       Evenly spread into either four small dishes, or a single pie dish, and leave to cool. At this point, you can freeze it if you’d like.

8.       Heat the oven to 200 C or Gas Mark 6.

9.       Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface, until 3-4mm thick, and cut out a large enough size to cover the dish, and a long strip to head around the rim of the pie.

10.   Brush the top of the pie with the beaten egg, and bake for twenty five to thirty minutes, or until golden.

Photo Courtesy of Gtrwndr87

Crunchy Garlic and Herb Chicken Parcels

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Herb and Breadcrumb Chicken ParcelCrispy and golden on the outside, tender and full of juices on the inside, posh cooking doesn’t get much more enjoyable than these Parcels!

You can prepare these a day early, and chill in the fridge. This can allow the chicken to absorb some more of the flavours for longer, developing the tastes better.

To Serve 6

125g Softened Butter

5 crushed cloves of Garlic

6 plump, skinless Chicken Breasts

4tbsp Plain Flour

200g Breadcrumbs

1tbsp Dried Parsley

½tsp Paprika

1tbsp Dried Thyme

2 Eggs, Beaten

200ml Vegetable Oil

1.       Heat the oven to 200 C – Gas Mark 6.

2.       Mix the Butter, Garlic and Parsley together, and season to taste. Roll it into a long, thin sausage shape, and wrap tightly in cling-film. Place in the fridge to chill.

3.       Mark a cut into the side of each Chicken Breast to make a pocket, where you need to insert some of the chilled Herb Butter (after taking it out of the Cling-film!)

4.       Mix the Breadcrumbs with the Paprika and Thyme. Season well with Salt and Pepper. Pour the beaten Egg onto a large plate, the breadcrumbs on another plate and the flour on another.

5.       Cover the Chicken in the Flour, then into the Egg, then finally the Breadcrumbs, making sure that all of the chicken is well coated. Secure each Chicken Breast with a Cocktail stick in order to keep as much butter inside as possible.

6.       Heat the oil until very hot (a piece of bread should turn golden in about thirty seconds). Fry each Parcel for a minute or two until golden, then transfer into a large baking tray, and cook in the oven for fifteen to twenty minutes.

7.       To serve, remove all of the cocktail sticks, and drizzle and of the extra sauce over the top.

Photo Courtesy of Megan.Chromik

Spicy Meatballs

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Full of flavour, with a small chilli kick to them – these Italian meatballs will become a firm favourite in any family house. If you want, remove some of the white wine.

Serve with some fresh made, toasted Ciabatta, and garnish with a sprinkle of parmesan and basil.

To serve 4

400g Lean Minced Beef

2tsp dried mixed Italian Herbs

30g breadcrumbs

1 Small Red Onion, finely chopped

4tbsp Olive Oil

4 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped

1 mild red Chilli, finely chopped

125ml White Wine

2tso fresh Oregano, or 1/2tsp Dried

1can of Chopped Tomatoes

180g Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half

4 sprigs of Basil, left whole

350g of your favourite Pasta

4tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese

1.       Mix the herbs, breadcrumbs, meat and onion in a large bowl, and season.

2.       Roll into twenty, even sized balls, before heating 2tbsp of Oil In a frying pan. Fry the meatballs in batches for around five minutes each batch, turning until light brown all over. Remove from the pan, and set aside.

3.       Heat the remaining oil in a pan, add the Chilli and Garlic and cook for one minute, add the wine and then boil until reduced by half. Stir in the Oregano, Tomatoes and Basil, and then bring to the boil for fifteen minutes.

4.       Add the meatballs, and simmer for five minutes.

5.       Cook the pasta according to taste, drain, then serve with the meatballs, with a sprinkle of Parmesan and basil for decoration.

Photo Courtesy of Avlxyz

Pumpkin Pie

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A great use for the inside of those pumpkins you’ve turned into Lanterns. For best results, use ‘Pie Pumpkins’ – usually available from late September through to mid December. They’re smaller, sweeter and have a more edible texture (less grainy than the lantern type). If you do want to use the Lantern type, add 25% more sugar, and blend for much longer after cooking.

Serves 8

Pumpkin

1 cup Sugar

1.5 tsp ground Cinnamon

1 tsp ground Cloves

1 tsp ground All Spice

½ tsp ground Ginger

½ tsp Salt (optional)

4 large eggs

3 cups pumpkin puree (that you’ll be making!)

1 ½ cans of Evaporated Milk

½ tsp Vanilla Extract (optional)

Pie base

1.       Wash the exterior of the Pumpkin in cool or warm water – with no soap, before cutting the pumpkin in half. For cutting the pumpkin, use a blade that’s serrated – a bread knife, or a handsaw (as I’ve seen happen for large amounts of pumpkins!)

2.       Remove the stringy substance and the seeds (keep the seeds for this recipe: roasted pumpkin seeds)

3.       Cook the Pumpkin. You can steam it, microwave it or bake it until soft. I’d recommend microwaving it – the simplest way of doing it. Start off with fifteen minutes, and add more time in small increments – it might take twenty or thirty minutes

4.       Scoop out the cooked pumpkin. It should be soft enough to scoop with a large smooth spoon (like a tablespoon). If cooked well enough, and in large enough chunks, it should be able to be peeled off with just your hands. If there’s any standing water, you might want to let it set for thirty minutes, before pouring any excess off of the pulp.

5.       Puree the Pumpkin. This is where you need to add any extra sugar (if you’ve used a Lantern Pumpkin). Use a handheld blender to make sure that there are no lumps, and that it’s a constant, smooth satiny texture. It should take around two or three minutes, depending on the amount of Pumpkin.

6.       Make the pie crust. You can either make a shortbread pie crust, or buy one from the store. Pre-heat the oven to 210 C or 425 F

7.       Mix the remaining ingredients using a hand blender or mixer.

8.       Pour the pie mix until it’s 1cm (1/2 inch from the top of the dish). Don’t worry if it looks very runny.

9.       Bake the pie at 210 C for the first fifteen minutes, and then turn down to 175 C or 350 F, and bake for another forty five  to sixty minutes – until a clean knife inserted into the centre of the pie comes out clean.

10.   Enjoy! Serve warm or chilled. Whipped Cream, Ice Cream or on it’s own, it’s a beautiful pie – and goes very well with coffee!

Photo courtesy of Maggie Hoffman

Flaky Pie Crust

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This light pie crust comes out of the oven nice and crisp, and suits so many types of pie – both sweet and savoury.

Pie Crust

Makes a ten inch shell

1 ½ cups Plain Flour

2 tbsp Sugar

½ tsp Salt (optional)

2 ½ tbsp Cold Vegetable Shortening

1/3 cup Cold Butter

¼ Cup cold Water

1.       Mix the flour, shortening agent and sugar together. If you’ve got a blender, use this to make sure it’s mixed thoroughly.

2.       Start to add the water. Add it in slowly, until you get pieces sticking together the size of a pea.

3.       Roll out the dough to an even thickness, until it’s just an inch or two wider than the pan you’ll be using.

4.       Place the flattened dough into the pie pan. Don’t worry if it breaks in small areas, they can be fixed by using some of the leftovers with a small amount of water to ‘seal’ the breaks.

5.       Ready to be filled, and then put in the oven to cook!