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Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Easy Chocolate Fudge

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This is a very simple dish, which would prove very popular. It’s creamy, crumbly, and full of flavour.

Fudge

Try a range of different flavours, and you can also use a range of fillings – candied fruit, biscuits and dried fruit are all great ideas.

It’s easy to make, but takes a while to clean up from afterwards, so place a little water in the pan, and heat up slightly to dislodge the bits that won’t come off easily!

To make 20 Squares
Butter, for greasing
125ml Whole Milk
450g Sugar
1tbsp Cocoa Powder
25g Butter
Few Drops of Vanilla essence

1. Grease and line a baking tray about twenty centimetres square, and around three centimetres deep. Line with baking parchment, but don’t worry about being neat with it.
2. Put the Milk, Sugar, Cocoa, Butter and Vanilla into a heavy-bottom pan and cook over a low heat. After a few minutes the mixture should be bubbling slightly around the edges, use a spoon to drop a small amount into a bowl of cold water. If it stays in shape, and you can pick it up and squeeze between your fingers, it’ll be ready.
3. Remove from the Heat, and pour the Fudge into the baking tray. Let it stand for a few minutes, then add any decorations that you want – make sure you add them whilst it’s still hot, so that they’ll hold fast.
4. Leave to cool completely in a fridge, before cutting into cubes, and serving.

Photo Courtesy of: American Candy Stand Cupcakes (Aust.)

Pear, Pancetta, Toasted Pinenut and Endive Salad

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A great salad to take with you to work – it won’t go soggy and soft like some plainer salads, plus it’s a great mouth-watering treat – for the eyes and mouth!
Endive
Keep the dressing separate to ensure that your salad will stay fresh and crispy

To Serve 1
1 Unpeeled Pear, cored
1 Head Red Endive, end removed
Handful of Pinenuts, toasted
100g Smoked Pancetta, diced
Half Handful of Chervil, chopped
Fennel Tops, chopped
2tbsp Sherry Vinegar
1tbsp Honey
1tsp Whole Grain Mustard
3tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1. Cut the Pear into eight pieces – try to keep them an even size to make sure they don’t bruise as much
2. Peal the leaves apart on the Endive, then gently mix with the pear.
3. Toast the Pinenuts in a dry frying pan, paying close attention. As soon as you can smell the difference, remove from the pan, and replace with the Pancetta.
4. Leave the Pancetta to bubble and crisp for a few minutes. Once cooked, remove from the heat, leave to cool for a few minutes
5. Mix the Pinenuts and Pancetta into the Salad, along with the Chervil and Fennel Ftops, which have been roughly chopped up.
6. For the dressings, mix the Sherry Vinegar, Honey, Whole Grain Mustard and Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a bowl, and season – don’t add too much Salt, as there is already a lot in the Pancetta. Pour into a jar.

Photo Courtesy of: La.blasco

Sweetcorn and Potato Fritters

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An ideal dinner dish for two people, this is a very quick and easy dish, which looks great and tastes superb – the mixture of textures in each Fritter is really enjoyable.
Potato Fritters
As an alternative, try replacing the Sweetcorn with Peas for a different colour, texture and taste, or use a variety of spices – Paprika goes very well with this dish.

To Serve 2
2tbsp Oil
1 Small Onion, thinly sliced
1 Garlic Clove, crushed
350g Potato
200g Can Sweetcorn, drained
1/2tsp Dried Oregano
1 Egg, beaten
60g Edam or Gouda Cheese, grated
Salt and Pepper
2 Eggs
2 Tomatoes

1. Heat a tablespoon of the Oil in a non-stick frying pan, and add the Onion and Garlic, frying gently until soft and slightly coloured. Remove from the heat.
2. Grate the Potatoes very coarsely into a large bowl, mix in the Sweetcorn, Oregano, Beaten Egg, and season well with Salt and Pepper.
3. Divide the Potato and Sweetcorn mixture into two even-sized balls, and shape into two oval cakes. Heat the rest of the Oil in the pan, and then cook the Fritters gently for around ten minutes – making sure that they are brown underneath, and nearly cooked through. Keep them in shape with a spatula or palette knife.
4. Sprinkle each Potato Fritter with the Grated Cheese, and place underneath a medium heat grill, and cook until Golden Brown.
5. Waiting until the Fritters are nearly cooked, begin to Poach the Eggs.

Serve fresh from the Grill tray, with the sliced Tomatoes and Poached Egg on top of the Fritter, garnish with a Sprig of Parsley, and serve at once.

Photo Courtesy of: arvindgrover

Hot Red Jungle Curry

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Not blow your head off heat, but enough to leave you reaching for the Water…which in itself is a mistake, as that’ll make it hotter – Milk is a much better alternative!
Red Curry
If you want to add more various textures to this dish, and lower the heat slighlty, add a drained can of Bamboo Shoots as well as the other vegetables at stage two – it adds a great burst of crunch to the dish. This dish takes around half an hour to make, so it’s great to do if you’re in a rush, but it’s still a bit exotic and impressive to show off to people with.

To Serve 4
15ml Vegetable Oil
350g Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into Strips
450ml Hot Chicken Stock
2.5cm Ginger, Finely Sliced
2tbsp Red Curry Paste
2tbsp Fish Sauce
125g Aubergine, cut into bite-sized pieces
125g Baby Sweetcorn, halved lengthways
75g Green Beans
75g Button or Brown Cap Mushrooms, halved if needed
3 Kaffir Lime Leaves
1/2 Lime Rind, Grated
1tsp Tomato Puree
1tbsp Soft Brown Sugar
Lime Rind, to Garnish

1. Heat the Oil in a large Wok or Pan, and cook the Chicken off until it turns golden brown, and is cooked through.
2. Stir in the Curry Paste and cook for another minute, then add the Vegetables and Lime Leaves, stirring well to make sure that everything is coated in the Curry Paste.
3. Add the Chicken Stock, Fish Sauce, Tomato Puree, Grated Lime Rind and Soft Brown Sugar to the pan, and bring it to the boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for ten to twelve minutes, until the Chicken and Vegetables are tender, but not soft.

Serve straight away, with Rice or seasonal Vegetables.

Photo Courtesy of: RovingI