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Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Apple and Fig Strudel

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Surprisingly healthy, this dish can easily be changed to an Apple, Apricot and Almond Strudel, but replacing the Figs with 125g of No-Soak Dried Figs, and adding 2tbsp of Ground Almonds and half a teaspoon of Cinnamon to the filling.

Apple Strudel

It’s great served fresh from the oven, dusted with a little Icing Sugar, and a drizzle of Single Cream.

To Serve 6
125g No-Soak Dried Figs, roughly chopped
Grated Rind and Juice of 1 Lemon
25g Fresh White Breadcrumbs
450g Cooking Apples
4 Sheets Filo Pastry
25g Low-Fat Spread
1tsp Caster Sugar

1. Place the Figs into a large bowl, and add the Lemon Rind, Lemon Juice and Breadcrumbs.
2. Peel, quarter and core the Apple, before slicing thinly and mix with the rest of the ingredients in the bowl.
3. Lay two pieces of Filo Pastry side by side on a clean tea towel, overlapping the edges by two inches (around five centimetres), and brush with a little of the low-fat spread, before topping with the other two sheets (in the same pattern) and brush again.
4. Place the Apple and Fig mixture down one side of the Pastry, and using the tea towel, begin to roll it up. Place onto a non-stick baking tray, curled around if necessary. Brush with the rest of the Low-Fat spread, then sprinkle the Caster Sugar over the top.
5. Bake in the Oven at 190C for around thirty to thirty five minutes, until the Pastry is golden brown, and the Apple filling is soft – loosely cover with Foil if the Pastry begins to brown too soon.

Photo Courtesy of: Rubber Slippers in Italy

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

Courgette and Bacon Frittata

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A classic, simple dish, which is very useful and fast to make. It got a mix of textures and tastes, so can easily be adjusted to suit any palette if required. Serve fresh out of the pan, along with fresh bread or rolls to bulk up into a bigger meal.

There is a Cypriot Version of this dish, which is much simpler – no Bacon or Onion, and much fewer herbs, and served as part of a larger Meze, along with dishes like the Keftedes, Dolmades and Koftas.

To Serve 4
1tbsp Vegetable Oil
450g Courgettes, thickly sliced
125g Rindless Smoked Streaky Bacon, chopped
50g Onion, peeled and chopped
2tbsp Chopped Fresh Thyme
1tbsp Chopped Fresh Rosemary
2 Eggs
Salt and Pepper

1. Heat the Vegetable Oil in a medium sized pan over a high heat, and sauté the Courgettes, Bacon and Onion together for four to five minutes, until the Onions and Courgettes have softened, and the Bacon begins to brown off.
2. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the Eggs, along with the Chopped Thyme and Rosemary, before seasoning well with Salt and Pepper.
3. Lower the heat for the Pan, and pour the Egg mixture into the pan, and leave to set for around two to three minutes. When it begins to solidify, start to move around in the pan with a Fish Slice to change to a scrambled-egg texture.
4. Serve immediately, and garnish with fresh-chopped Herbs.

Photo Courtesy of: Girl Interrupted Eating

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

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

Roast Duck

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Succulent, juicy and a great treat – and becoming more and more popular as an alternative to Turkey as a Christmas Dinner.

Roast Duck

All you have to do is look at the image above to see how juicy it is!

To serve 4
1 large Duck
The Neck and Giblets
1 Small Onion
1 Celery Stick
1 Carrot
Oil
1 Bay Leaf
1 small glass Red Wine
½ teaspoon Redcurrant Jelly

1.       Heat the oven to 220 C, and if the Duck is tied up, untruss the Duck – cut the string and pull the legs out away from the body gently – this will help the heat get around them easier

2.       Remove the wing tips on them – there’s no meat on them, but keep them to help with the flavour of the Giblet Stock. Chop up the Neck, Heart, Gizzard and Wing tips, plus the Onion, Celery and Carrot roughly. Fry them over a medium-hot heat in a little oil to brown them off, and the vegetables are slightly caramelised. Put these into a saucepan, as well as the Bay Leaf, cover with just over half a litre of water and simmer for around one and three quarters of an hour.

3.       Remove any extra fat from inside the cavity, and prick all over the fatty area of the skin – make sure you prick where the breast joins the legs, and you don’t go too deep, and season with Salt and Pepper.

4.       Place the Duck in a roasting tin, and cook for around twenty minutes, until the fat starts running. Turn the heat down to 180 C and baste the bird, before returning it to the oven.

5.       Baste the bird every twenty minutes or so, and check to see if the juice is clear after around ninety minutes. Tip the Duck to make sure any juices and fat are back in the Roasting Tin, and then transfer the Duck to a warmed plate or carving tray.

6.       For the gravy, pour the juices from the roasting tin, deglaze the tray with the red wine, and then strain the giblet stock into a clean pan. Boil down to reduce into a rich, syrupy gravy, and add some of the redcurrant jelly to make sweeter if you’d like.

Photo Courtesy of: Avlxyz

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