Halloween Finger Biscuits

Found a fabulous recipe from bbcgoodfood.com for biscuits in the shape of fingers for creepy Halloween party food. Easy and anything, you just put the ingredients together in the food processor blend away until it forms a dough, then roll out with your hands, make some crease marks with a knife and push on an almond for the nail. Creepy.




Finger Biscuits
100g caster sugar
100g butter
1 egg yolk
200g plain flour
½ tsp vanilla extract
20 blanched almonds
red food colouring

Method

Place the first five ingredients and a pinch of salt in a food processor and whizz just until a ball of dough forms. Tear off a golfball-size piece of dough and use your hands to roll into finger-size cylinders - you should get about 20. Place on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment - a little apart as they will spread during baking. Use a knife to make a few cuts, close together, for the knuckles. Place an almond at the end of each finger and trim away excess pastry around the edge to neaten. Place in the fridge for 30 mins, heat oven to 180C/160F/Gas 4, then bake for 10-12 mins just until firm. Leave to cool a little, then paint the almond with food colouring, if you like. Makes 20.

Get the full recipe from BBC Good Food here.

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Hate to Love: Jamie's 30 Minute Meals

Ok, so here's where I come across as a food snob, but I am just so over the Jamie Oliver early 2000's 'scrunch it up', 'bish, bash, bosh' style of cooking, or so I thought until I got hooked on Jamie's 30 minute meals. On Channel 4 daily at 5:30pm this programme is aimed at the stay at home mum, the student or the one person who managed to negotiate flexi-time, not so much aimed at the rest of us who don't even dare sit back in their office chair until 6pm for fear of being branded a part-timer.

However, with the brilliance that is 4OD (if you don't know what this is either you're from outside the UK or have such an exciting life that watching the entire series of Kitchen Nightmares in one sitting doesn't appeal) I can sit back and watch the 30 minute show that I do hate to love. What I usually love to watch in intricate towers of patisserie glazed with sea urchins tears and sprinkled with diamond-dust a la Masterchef, but this programme has got me downloading the recipes and giving a few things a go.

The main thing that really appeals in that he cooks a main, sides and dessert in 30 minutes that no only goes but creates a great meal. Ok, so most twenty-somethings won't go for dessert seven nights a week, but as an avid dinner party holder I really appreciate this menu construction angle. I think most of us struggle to pith a main and a dessert with complimentary flavours and a good balance of portion size, so here Jamie has cracked the 30-minute berry sorbet, accompanied by sea bash on sweet potato mash with Asian spiced green AND a lemon ginger cocktail on the side. Blimey, this man is on fire! (See here is you don't believe me!)




So after my long standing anger with Delia Smith for her Frugal Food series involving tinned mince and pre-chopped onions, Jamie has restored my faith that cookery fashion is headed the right way - towards those who enjoy Moroccan lamb with a mango kulfi, not a cottage pie made from tinned goods. What's more every recipe that you see being made is available straight away on Channel 4's website!

Great programme, but I'm looking forward to the next Jamie's revolution. Vive la Food Revolution!

Chevre Chaud

I didn't think I'd be putting on factor 20 in Salford, but it has been a summer of surprises over in Chimney Pot Park. As we watched England crash out of the world cup we couldn't bring ourselves to put on a big Sunday roast so we opted for the quickest summer comfort food to ease our sadness. Out comes the chevre slices, and ten minutes later we sit in the sunshine reminded of last years summer holidays at their place in South-West France. OK, the goats cheese was from Salford market and the wine was Australian, but if you closed your eyes and blocked out next doors Lady Gaga on full blast you could almost imagine!



The success of this relies solely on good goats cheese (no tesco value!) and a sunny day, or else you're eating mediocre cheese in the rain - not fun.

Chevre Chaud

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 x half inch thick round slices of good quality goats cheese with the rind on
a few sprigs of thyme
a baby gem lettuce, washed
handful of watercress if you fancy
30g walnut halves (or smashed bits if you're shelling them yourself)
2 slices of white bread
4 tbsp olive oil
2tbsp runny honey

For the vinaigrette

½ lemon, juice only
1 tbsp walnut oil (or olive oil)
½ Bramley apple, grated


1. Pre heat oven to 200°C/gas 6.

2. Place the goat's cheese on a baking tray. Arrange a walnut half on top of each cheese. Smash up the remaining walnuts a bit and set aside. Drizzle the cheese with honey, scatter over the thyme leaves and season with black pepper.

3. Bake in the oven for 6 minutes, or until the cheese has melted inside but retained its shape.

4. Shred the lettuce before transferring to a bowl. Add the crushed walnuts and toss to mix.

5. In a glass mix the lemon juice with 1 tablespoon of walnut oil and 4 tablespoons of olive oil (to taste). Grate in half the apple, season with salt and pepper and mix to combine.

6. Drizzle a little vinaigrette over the salad and toss together.

7. Toast the bread until golden. When ready, use pastry cutter or chef's ring to cut the toast into 4 round discs.

8. To serve, arrange the dressed walnut salad onto serving plates. Place the toast on the salad and top with the goat's cheese drizzle over a little more honey if you like. Spoon over the remaining vinaigrette and serve.

Enjoy with a glass of French white in the sun!

Swiss Lunch & Apline Macaroni

So today's recipe is courtesy of a week in Switzerland, for a true swiss experience take a few slices of hand swiss chesse, some dense dark bread i.e rye or multigrain, add some butter - voila! Swiss lunch for two. Wow, now don't you feel better for knowing that recipes.

Food on our Swiss trip was really lovely, as we were right up high in the Alps at Saas Fee the food was more 'fuel' based than nouvelle cuisine. Everything was pretty much cheese based, which was perfect as I could happily eat by body weight in cheese! But nevertheless we got to try the famous alpine macaroni, macaroni cheese with stewed apple on top. Pretty much a heart attack on a plate but the most incredible comfort food! (See my 1970's style photo from Dom restaurant in Saas Fee - pretty shiny and bright!)

My favourite version of this recipe is based on Valentine Warners from his glorious book What to Eat Now.




Alpine Macroni by Valentine Warner

Serves 4

250g Gruyere cheese, grated
25g Butter
1 good tbsp plain flour
200ml Riesling white wine
1 tsp mustard
150ml single cream
sea salt
150g rashers of smoked streaky bacon
300g dried macaroni pasta
2 cloves garlic

Apple Sauce:
3 Braeburn or cox apples, peeled, cored and diced
125ml water
1 tsp caster sugar
splash of white wine vinegar

Method:
Melt the butter in a non-stick pan, add the flour and mix the two with a whisk. After it has foamed for 15 seconds add the wine a bit at a time until emulsified. After all the wine has gone in add the cheese and whisk until melted, then add mustard and cream. Season with the salt and put aside.

Take the diced apple and put in a pan with the water, sugar and vinegar and simmer partially covered until the apples are soft. Mash to make an apple sauce consistency and leave aside.

Cut the bacon into 1cm strips and fry them in a tiny bit of oil until nearly crisp.

Cook the macaroni is hot salted water until cooked (not al dente) whilst this cooks, slowly heat up the cheese sauce and apple sauce. Drain the macaroni, add to the cheese, throw in the bacon and garlic and mix well. Put into a big serving dish or plate up to be topped with the apple sauce.

Glorious indulgence!

Hangover Tart

Will a pounding head and an unquenchable thirst I dragged my intoxicated body out of bed to try and help my insides recover. My mother always told me that as alcohol paralyzes the stomach you need something hearty to get it moving again. So, peering into my fridge I managed to locate half a block of puff pastry, a few sad looking tomatoes and some goats cheese - voila, a tart for kings! (or hungover queens...)




Serves 4 for lunch

4 ripe plum tomatoes
100g soft or solid goats’ cheese (just break up solid into pieces)
good sprinkle of chopped fresh thyme (or dried)
1/2 pack of ready-rolled puff pastry
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly milled black pepper

First pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5, 375°F (190°C), well done you're halfway there!
Next roll out the pastry onto a floured surface until you get a rectangle which can be cut into 4 decent tart slices. Cut into 4 and place on oiled foil on a baking sheet & score a border inside each like a picture frame so the outside can puff up. Spread or sprinkle on the goats cheese and sprinkle thyme and garlic. Lay slices of tomato on top (not too thick or you'll get raw watery tomato) and drizzle some olive oil and salt and pepper.

Put in the oven until puff sides are golden and tomato looks roasted.
Collapse in front of trashy E4 safe in the knowledge your insides are on the way to recovery!

Stilton Fondue with Walnut Bread and Pears

Stilton Fondue with Walnut bread and Pears

300g Stilton, derinded and cubed
200g Mascarpone cheese
4 tbsp vodka


Walnut Bread
400g strong wholemeal flour
250g strong white flour
120g walnut pieces, chopped
2 tbsp light Muscovado sugar
1tsp salt
7g sachet yeast
3 tbsp walnut oil
450ml warm water

For the Bread:

Put the wholemeal and white flour into a large bowl, add the walnut pieces, muscovado sugar and salt. Sprinkle over the yeast, then pour in the oil and warm water. Mix together until the mixture combines to a rough ball.
Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 mins until smooth and elastic. Shape into an oval and put on to a greased baking tray (You can score to top with diagonal lines). Cover loosely with greased cling film and eave in a warm place for about 40 mins until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Remove cling film from bread and bake the bread for 35 mins until golden and the base sounds hollow when tapped.

For the Fondue:

Put the Stilton and Mascarpone in a small saucepan over a very low heat and warm through for 5 minutes, stirring, until melted. Stir in the vodka and remove from the heat. Chop the pears and the bread into bitesize chunks when ready to serve. Warm through some small ramekins or a fondue pan and pour in the Stilton mixture. Serve with fondue forks along with the bread and pears to dip in.

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Butter

So as promised I'm kicking off my Instant Restaurant recipes with one of my starters, Butternut Squash Ravioli served with a Sage Butter - tasty seasonal and light!

Handmade Butternut Squash and Goat's Cheese Ravioli with Sage Butter
Makes 24

Sage Butter:
75g butter
12 sage leaves (from the garden)

Pasta
550g ‘oo’ flour
4 fresh eggs (for 2 duck eggs)
salt

Filling
1 butternut squash
I medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove
100g strong goat's cheese
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tbsp sage, chopped
120g parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve
Salt and black pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 190C, cut squash in half and remove the seeds from the butternut squash and brush all over with olive oil and place cut side down on a baking tray. Bake in the oven for about 35-40 minutes, until very soft. Meanwhile sautee the onions without browning. Scoop out the butternut squash flesh into a bowl, add the parmesan and some olive oil. Mix well, using the back of a fork to squash the butternut squash into a thick puree. Season to taste and set aside to cool.

Make pasta by hand into long sheets (by mixing flour, eggs and salt until into elastic dough then run through pasta maker until setting 1 thin.). Cut out circles and fill with squash mixture and crumble in the goat's cheese.

Blanch for 30 seconds ready to cook to serve. When ready to serve cook for 2 minutes in boiling salted water until cooked.

For the sage butter, heat butter until frothy, add in sage leaves until crispy, pour over ravioli to serve.

Smoked Haddock Tartlette

I had a burst of energy on a cold September evening and decided to try this Smoked Haddock Tart. It may look complicated but it's surprisingly easy, make pastry, cook haddock, combine filling and cook! It tasted like a quiche but without all the cream and calories. Make double and freeze for those cold autumn nights.

Smoked Haddock Tartlet with a Poached Egg

Makes 4 tarts

For the pastry
125g plain flour
pinch of salt
55g butter, cubed
2-3 tbsp cold water

Filling
400g smoked haddock with the skin
400ml milk
2 egg yolks
tsp English mustard

Cheese sauce
25g butter
25g plain flour
100g Gruyère, grated

To serve
4 poached eggs
25g butter
bunch chives , chopped
handfull baby spinach leaves
1 tbsp olive oil

For the pastry put the butter and flour in a processor and pulse until breadcrumbs, add the water and blend until it combines. Wrap in the clingfilm and refrigerate for 15 mins.

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Divide the pastry into 4, thinly roll out each piece, then cut out 4 circles big enough to line 4 x 12-14cm tartlet tins. Press the pastry into the sides of the tin and trim the edges with a knife. Place in the fridge to cool for 10 mins, then prick the base and line each tartlet with baking parchment and baking beans. Bake for 15 mins on a baking sheet, remove the beans and paper, cook for 10 mins more until golden, then remove from the oven.

While the pastry is cooking, place the haddock in a medium saucepan with the milk. Season the milk with a little black pepper, place on the heat and bring to a steady boil. Turn off the heat, then set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the fish from the milk and strain the milk into a jug.

To make the sauce, wipe out the haddock pan and place back on the heat with the butter. When the butter has melted and is starting to sizzle, stir in the flour and cook until combined to a sandy consistency. Gradually stir in the poaching milk, stirring well after each addition, then gently simmer over a low heat for 5 mins until you have a smooth white sauce. Take the sauce off the heat, then stir in the Gruyère.

Break the haddock into large flakes into a bowl and discard the skin and any bones. Tip the egg yolks and mustard in with the haddock, then stir in the cheese sauce.

Divide the filling between the tartlet cases, then bake for 20 mins until the filling is puffed up and golden brown like cheese on toast. Leave the tarts to cool slightly while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.

To serve, poach 4 eggs (see video link, above). Gently melt the butter in a small saucepan, then add the chives. At the last minute, lightly toss the spinach leaves with a drizzle of oil and a sprinkling of coarse sea salt, then you're ready to plate up.

Overlap the spinach leaves around the plate in a petal formation. Sit the tartlet on top of the spinach in the middle of the plate. Gently place a poached egg in the centre of each tartlet. Spoon some chive butter over each egg and serve straight away.

I say tomato

So, I've managed to get enough sunlight and dedication to conjure up some home grown tomatoes - if I can do it in Salford, I can be done anywhere!
The only worthy way of using these beauties is in a French salad or tomato ketchup. I tried out the hero Valentine Warner's ketchup recipe yesterday with great results.

Grab a few lbs of tomatoes and get boiling!

Tomato Ketchup

2kg ripe (or over ripe) tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
125ml cider vinegar
75ml malt vinegar
100g light muscovado sugar
1/2 tsp flaked sea salt
1/2 tsp English mustard powder
1/2 tsp ground cloves (you can bash whole cloves yourself)
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp ground white pepper

Put all the ingredients in a large, heavy based pot and stir until brought to the boil. Cover loosely with a lid, reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours until pulpy.

Blitz the mixture until smooth and push through a sieve into a clean pan (squeeze out every last drop from the sieve!). Season if needed and bring to a simmer stirring for about 5 mins.

Sterilise one or two bottles by heating in a hot oven (180c) for 10 mins.
Pour the hot sauce through a funnel into the bottles, bump the bottle a couple of times to knock the air out and leave for half an hour before sealing with the lid.

Store for at least a month before using. Refrigerate once opened

Enjoy!

Vive La France & Cassoulet

Bonjour tout le monde! I had a brilliant week visiting my parents in the smallest corner of France, picked up some great recipes and managed to catch a little sun (at about 38 everyday - hot hot hot!). I'll start with a brilliant recipe for one of my favourite dishes Cassoulet - confit, toulouse sausage and beans - comfort food at it's best.


We found the cheapest way to do this was to make your own confit duck legs but if all that work is a little too much for you you can buy it ready preserved.




Confit de Canard

handful coarse sea salt
4 bay leaves , roughly torn
4 garlic cloves , roughly chopped
small handful thyme sprigs, roughly torn
4 duck legs
small glass of white wine

Method

At least a day before you want to make the dish, scatter half the salt, half the garlic and half of the herbs on the bottom of a small shallow dish. Lay the duck legs, skin-side up, on top, then scatter over the remaining salt, garlic and herbs. Cover the duck and refrigerate overnight. This can be done up to 2 days ahead.

Next pour the wine into a saucepan that will snugly fit the duck legs in a single layer. Brush the salt off the duck legs and place them, skin-side down, in the wine. Cover the pan with a lid and place over a medium heat. As soon as the wine starts to bubble, turn the heat down to the lowest setting and cook slowly for 2 hours, checking occasionally that the liquid is just barely simmering. After 2 hours, the duck legs should be submerged in their own fat and the meat should feel incredibly tender when prodded. Leave to cool.

The duck legs are now cooked and can be eaten immediately - or you can follow the next step if you like them crisp. If you are preparing ahead, pack the duck legs tightly into a plastic container or jar and pour over the fat, but not the liquid at the bottom of the pan. Cover and leave in the fridge for up to a month, or freeze for up to 3 months. The liquid you are left with makes a tasty gravy, which can be chilled or frozen until needed.

To reheat and crisp up the duck legs, heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Remove the legs from the fat and place them, skin-side down, in an ovenproof frying pan. Roast for 30-40 mins, turning halfway through, until brown and crisp. Serve with the reheated gravy, a crisp salad and some crisp golden potatoes.




Cassoulet

500g/1lb 2oz belly pork
65g/2½oz duck or goose fat
1 head garlic, broken into cloves, peeled and sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1kg/2¼lbs dried haricots (white) beans, soaked overnight
large bouquet garni made from leek, celery, thyme sprigs, bay leaves and parsley stalks
6 good quality Toulouse sausages
4 legs duck confit


Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Cut the piece of belly pork lengthways into three thick slices, then cut each piece across into two.
Heat 50g/1¾oz of the duck fat in a six-litre flameproof casserole dish and add the garlic and onion and fry gently until soft but not browned.

Add the beans and the pieces of salted belly pork, cover with 1¾ litres/3 pints water and push in the bouquet garni. Bring to the boil, skimming off any scum as it rises to the surface, then cover, transfer to the oven and bake for one hour or until the beans are just tender (this will depend on the age of your beans).

Heat the remaining duck fat in a frying pan and brown the sausages all over. Lift them onto a board and slice each one sharply on the diagonal into three pieces. Remove the cassoulet from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Add the sausages and the pieces of duck confit to the casserole and push them down well into the beans.

Return the casserole to the oven and bake uncovered for a further 45 minutes or until the liquid has reduced and the cassoulet is covered in a dark golden crust.
Serve straight from the pot at the table.

Salmon Heaven

If there's one thing you need to make this weekend it is this! The most beautiful smoked salmon pate that rivals even the most expensive versions but made for under £1. Genius. I can guarentee in 30 minutes time we'll be sitting on our patio with the neighbours munching away on a freshly made batch and a glass of pink champagne. Ahh Fridays.

The secret here is plenty of seasoning and using salmon trimmings. Sainsburys do a pack for 88p and that will last you portion after portion of pate.




Smoked Salmon Pate

255g/9oz smoked salmon
110g/4oz cream cheese
2 tbsp double cream
½ lemon, juice only
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives (plus some extra chives to sprinkle over the top)
pinch of sugar
salt and freshly ground pepper

Put everything in a food processor/blender and pulse until the consistency you like - I like mine creamy but with rough pieces of salmon in to avoid sloppy pate.

I keep mine in an airtight jar in the fridge and it keeps at least ten days. But I'd recommend eat the sooner the better.

The Thinnest Pastry

My first proper attempt at pate de sable Went brilliantly - if you discount that I didn't make enough so the cases look rather raggedy however I assure you they tasted as intended. Since my mother gave me the sacred bible of pastry by Michel Roux I have been working through the long list of pastries in an attempt to perfect them all. Pate de sable was excellent in making biscuits so I thought I'd give the recipe a try as rhubarb tarts. The fingertip rubbing of butter and sugar for about half an hour is pretty tiring and could make most people reach for the food mixer but it does work, the mixture was soft as flesh and produced light biscuit thin as paper bases which were great with summer deserts when a thick slab of pastry is too much with your pink champagne!

I'll update the recipe when I get home as it's in the book and wouldn't want you trying an inferior version!

Death by Pierogi

One one the many fabulous things about having so many polish people in our area is the superb pierogi you can buy at the polish supermarket. Going round to our neighbour Peters for pierogi almost killed us, we ate enough for an army - I actually thought I would die from overeating! But it's so easy to do - they are amazing and addictive!

Like a polish potato based ravioli, pierogi can be stuffed with almost anything but for the classic flavours meat or cheese are the best choices. Just beware - don't eat too many!

Chesse Pierogi

For the Dough

300g plain flour
2 Eggs
4-5 tbsp water

Chesse Filling

2 large Potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed
200g cream cheese
1 bunch Spring onions, finely chopped
1 bunch Chives, finely chopped

Also
50g Butter (to serve)




Method

1. In a food processor mix the flour, eggs, a pinch of salt and the water to form a smooth dough.

2. Work the dough on a board until smooth and elastic.

3. Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a thin sheet on a floured board. Use a pasta machine if possible as it will save you a lot of hard work. The dough should be of a ravioli-like thickness. If it's a bit thicker though not to worry especially if you like your pierogi heavy!

4. Cut the dough into small rounds with a buscuit cutter or wine glass, about 8-10 cm in diameter.

5. To make the filling; mix together the mashed potato, cream cheese, spring onions and chives. Season well with salt and pepper.

6. Arrange a spoonful of the filling along one edge of a piece of dough, 3cm from the edge.

7. Dampen the edges with a little water. Fold over and press the edges of the circle firmly together to seal.

8. Repeat the process until all the ingredients are used up.

9. To cook, boil a large pan of water, and cook the pierogi as you would ravioli or gnocchi, covering the pan so that they will steam. When the pierogi rise to the top of the water, they are done.

10. To serve; serve in the traditional way with melted butter on top or alternatively, gently cook the pierogi in the butter until lightly browned, and then eat immediately.

Lamb Shoulder Casserole

For all the bad things said and written about supermarkets the one thing our local does well is reduce meat. On a Friday evening we managed to grab a haul of lamb shoulder, lamb chops, lamb casserole pieces, lincolnshire sausages and goosnargh duck breast for about 60p for each meat. Bargain! Really, eight premium sausages for 50p, you're practically stealing. Large haul of meat in tow Egbert and I set about deciding what to freeze and how on earth we were going to cook the things we bought. So for tonights' dinner we're having shoulder of lamb casserole with rosemary potatoes followed by a summer spiced fruit tea cake. As I write these things are cooking away in the oven with hopefully a great result! So the problem I had today was finding a decent shoulder of lamb recipe that was made for a boneless cut and didn't take all day to make (Egbert has no patience plus a large hangover so there was an air of haste in today's cooking!).
Having seen the Two Fat Ladies to a brilliant lamb shoulder casserole on an old clip for Saturday Kitchen (BBC1) last week I set about recreating a similar rather fresher version.

Here's hoping...



Lamb Shoulder Casserole

500g Lamb Shoulder, de-boned (allow more weight for boned)
olive oil
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
1 tin haricot verts or berlotti beans (plus juice)
6 cloves garlic
fresh rosemary sprig or two
1 large red onion, peeled and quartered
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 sticks celery, cut into pieces
1 leek, trimmed and cut
1 tinned whole or chopped tomatoes
2 bay leaves
Half a bottle of white wine

1. Firstly preheat oven to 170°C and pop in your casserole dish with a little oil in the bottom. Rub shoulder with oil, then rub sea salt in all the nooks and crannies. Stab the rosemary sprigs into the meat.

2. Taking the heated casserole dish out of the oven put shoulder in the pan skin side down to seal it in the hot oil. Take out and place in onions and bay leaves before placing the lamb on top. Cover with the tinned beans (plus juice from tin), the garlic cloves, onions, carrots, celery, leeks and tin of tomatoes give a gentle stir to mix about - trying not to disturb the meat. Pour over the white wine and season with black pepper.

3.Cover with a lid or double layer of foil and place in the centre of the over for at least 2 and a half hours - until lamb falls apart early when prodded with a fork. Keep checking casserole in case it is drying out if so add a cup full of water.

4. When ready leave to rest for ten minutes before serving with rosemary potatoes.

Enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

And that's why I love him. To come home from a horrible days work when the client has the design expertise of a flea but thinks he knows what looks good, and to have Egbert present me with his homemade roasted butternut squash soup and olive ciabatta. And no, I don't rent him out for the weekend - although think of the money to be made....

Egbert as he's having technical problems i.e. we have no internet is the house at the moment leaving him bored out of his mind in his unemployed architect state. So I will write up his lovely recipe for you all, although now all I have is my head is the Mighty Boosh song...
Soup a Soup, A tasty soup a soup
Spicy carrot and coriander
Chilli chowder
Crouton Crouton, crunch friends in a liquid broth
I am gespatchio, Oh!
I am a summer soup Mmmm!
Miso Miso, Fighting in the dojo
Miso Miso
Oriental Prince in the land of soup


Ok, sorry, will carry on with the recipe now.

Butternut Squash Soup

15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil (and extra for drizzling)
30g (1 oz) butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
900g (2 lbs) butternut, peeled and sliced
900ml (1½ pints) vegetable or chicken stock
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp cream, for garnish

Cut the butternut squash into large chunks (2in) and spread out onto a baking tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and season. Put into the oven at 190c until cooked through (test with a fork to see if soft). When squash is ready heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and garlic and gently sauté. When the onion has softened after about 5 minutes, add the butternut and stock and stir well. Bring to the boil then allow to cool for a few minutes.
Blend the soup with a hand-held blender. Season to taste and garnish with a swirl of cream.

Pear and Ginger Treacle Tart (& Lamb Shank too)

Last weekend the family descended on my tiny (but beautifully formed) house to have a mothers day lunch - minus my father as it was a day for the ladies. So as it was up to me to coordinate the lunch (my sister bought the ingredients for the lamb shank as her contribution!) with a selection of crab and smoked salmon pates, with some Scottish smoked salmon with lemon slices - simple yet effective!

As Egbert and I were running behind the lamb shank went in a little late but in the true style of my family everyone else was late so it seemed perfect timing.
The lamb shank has to be the simplest of recipes with the most amazing return for very little investment. Buy you lamb shanks for the butcher if you can as you tend to get a bigger meatier shank than the supermarket. As there were five of us we had to use a combination of Sainsbury's and the local butchers - both worked very well but the butcher were not only cheaper but much bigger. I've written as accurately as I can my lamb shank recipe but usually I go but estimates, it's very hard to go wrong with this recipe! Famous last words...


Lamb Shank with Root Vegetables

Ingredients
4 lamb shanks
200g butter (softened)
Olive oil, for coating lamb
1-2 leeks, finely chopped into matchsticks
4 Carrots, finely chopped into matchsticks
1 head Garlic, broken up into cloves (unpeeled)
4 Bay leaves (optional)
4 sprigs Thyme
4 sprigs Rosemary
375ml White wine (about half a bottle will be plenty)

Mix the softened butter in a small bowl with the thyme until a combined paste. Next wash and pat dry your lamb shank. Looking at the bottom of the shank (wide part) make an incision with a small knife up the shank alongside the bone. A small pocket should already exist but often needs to be opened up. Stuff the butter mixture down this cavity in the shank until the mixture fills it. Spike the sprig of rosemary into the lamb alongside the butter. Rub shank all over with a little olive oil and season well.
Next make four squares of foil large enough to completely cover the shank and fold in the edges slightly to stop any ingredients falling off. Onto each piece of foil divide the carrots and leeks between the four pieces and pile in the centre of the foil - season well. Sit the lamb shank on top and place a clove or two of garlic alongside it and the bay leaf if desired. Bring the sides of the foil up to the top of the shank making a parcel with the exposed bone poking out of the top. Making sure all the sides are sealed pour in the wine (a few glugs is usually enough) which will help make the gravy.

Put into the oven at about 200c for a fan oven for two hours. When ready take out shank and put vegetables and gravy onto a deep plate sitting the shank on top. Serve with mash or potatoes dauphinoise.


For desert I decided to make a pear and ginger treacle tart and dug out this recipe from Good Food Magazine that had been lurking in my cookery folder desperate to be made. I started by making pastry in my new/old magimix (my god it's amazing) adding a touch of ground ginger to the pastry, using Rachel Allen's short-crust recipe and adding ginger. So by adapting the recipe made the most amazing tart ever! I have since had to stop myself from making it for dinner instead of a main course. But it's so so nice, calories shmalories.


Pear and Ginger Treacle Tart

500g pack sweet shortcrust pastry or make your own (see below)
a little flour , for dusting
300g granulated sugar
3 lemons , zested
5 firm pears , peeled
300g (one tin) golden syrup
50g caster sugar
1 ball stem ginger, finely chopped, or a third of a tub of pre-chopped glace ginger.
180g breadcrumbs
3 eggs

Pastry
400g plain flour, sifted
Pinch of salt
200g (3½oz) chilled butter, cubed
2 medium eggs, beaten
just under 1 tsp ground ginger

For the Pastry
Put the flour, butter and a pinch of salt in a food processor and process briefly.
Add half the beaten egg and continue to process. (You might add a little more egg, but not too much as the mixture should be just moist enough to come together.) If making the pastry by hand, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse bread-crumbs then, using your hands, add just enough egg to bring it together.
With your hands, flatten out the ball of dough until it is about 2cm thick, then wrap it in cling film or place it in a plastic bag and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or, if you are pushed for time, in the freezer for 10–15 minutes, before using.

For the Tart
Roll out the pastry with a little flour and use to line a loose-bottom 23cm round tin (it needs to be about 5cm high). Leave the excess pastry overhanging the sides, then chill for 30 mins.
In a large saucepan, melt the sugar with 800ml water and the zest of 1 lemon. Increase the heat until just simmering, drop in the pears, then cover and poach for 12-15 mins until almost tender (7-10 if the pears are already ripe). Lift out the pears, then set aside on some kitchen paper.
Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Line the pastry case with baking paper, fill with baking beans, then bake blind for 15-20 mins until a pale biscuit colour. Remove the paper and beans, then bake for a further 5 mins. Meanwhile, put the golden syrup in a small pan with the sugar, remaining zest, juice of 1 lemon and the chopped ginger and syrup, then warm until runny. Tip the breadcrumbs into a large bowl, then stir in the warm syrup and eggs.
Reduce oven temperature to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Slice a little off the bottom of each pear so they stand upright, then space them out in the tin. Carefully spoon in the filling and bake for 50 mins-1hr until golden and set. Cool to room temperature, slice off the excess pastry to neaten the edges, then serve with cold cream or hot custard.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Ah the lemon meringue, paradise in a pie. Sharp lemon curd with sweet soft meringue in a buttery pastry combines all the indulgences with not so much of the guilt usually associated with a slice of desert this large. For years I've tired variations on a theme, strawberry meringue pie, lime pie to name a few and nothing compares to the combination of lemon and sugar. For the event of my sisters dinner party (and our first snoop round her new house) I spent the best part of the evening creating the pie of champions - well very feminine champions.

Having scoped out all my recipes I settled on Angela Nilsen's 'Ultimate Lemon Meringue Pie' as it involved making everything from scratch and had the word 'Ultimate' in the title!
First I made the pastry by hand, but as it requires the lightest touch to create the perfect short-crust I would recommend a magimix to keep your warm hands away from it which turns it into cardboard. Having purchased a new ceramic tart tin from Sainsburys (£2.99 - bargain) I was determined to make it work without the help of a metal tin but apart from having to blind back the pastry for about twice as long as the recipe suggests it was a success! As I had to work around Egbert, who was enthusiastically making mushroom risotto, and to avoid eau de rice meringue the curd had to sit out for a while, I'd recommend heating it back up slowly and a dash of water to sort out the lumps created s it sets. Apart from tat the recipe was a success and while I prefer my meringue golden you may want to cook it for a little less time to create that just-cooked look.



For the Pastry
* 175g plain flour
* 100g cold butter , cut in small pieces
* 1 tbsp icing sugar
* 1 egg yolk

Lemon Filling

* 2 level tbsp cornflour
* 100g golden caster sugar
* finely grated zest 2 large lemon
* 125ml fresh lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)
* juice 1 small orange
* 85g butter , cut into pieces
* 3 egg yolks and a 1 whole egg

Meringue

* 4 egg whites , room temperature
* 200g golden caster sugar
* 2 level tbsp cornflour

1. For the pastry, put the flour, butter, icing sugar, egg yolk (save the white for the meringue) and 1 tbsp cold water into a food processor. Using the pulse button so the mix is not overworked, process until the mix starts to bind. Tip the pastry onto a lightly floured surface, gather together until smooth, then roll out and line a 23 x 2.5cm loose-bottom fluted flan tin. Trim and neaten the edges. Press pastry into flutes. The pastry is quite rich, so don't worry if it cracks, just press it back together. Prick the base with a fork, line with foil, shiny side down, and chill for 1⁄2-1 hour (or overnight).

2. Put a baking sheet in the oven and heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Bake the pastry case 'blind' (filled with dry beans) for 15 mins, then remove the foil and bake a further 5-8 mins until the pastry is pale golden and cooked. Set aside. (Can be done a day ahead if you want to get ahead.) Lower the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas4

3. While the pastry bakes, prepare the filling: mix the cornflour, sugar and lemon zest in a medium saucepan. Strain and stir in the lemon juice gradually. Make orange juice up to 200ml/7fl oz with water and strain into the pan. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. Once the mixture bubbles, remove from the heat and beat in the butter until melted. Beat the egg yolks (save white for meringue) and whole egg together, stir into the pan and return to a medium heat. Keep stirring vigorously for a few minutes, until the mixture thickens and plops from the spoon. (It will bubble, but doesn't curdle.) Take off the heat and set aside while you make the meringue.

4. Put the egg whites in a large bowl. Whisk to soft peaks, then add half the sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking between each addition without overbeating. Whisk in the cornflour, then add the rest of the sugar as before until smooth and thick. Quickly reheat the filling and pour it into the pastry case. Immediately put spoonfuls of meringue around the edge of the filling (if you start in the middle the meringue may sink), then spread so it just touches the pastry (this will anchor it and help stop it sliding). Pile the rest into the centre, spreading so it touches the surface of the hot filling (and starts to cook), then give it all a swirl. Return to the oven for 18-20 mins until the meringue is crisp and slightly coloured. Let the pie sit in the tin for 30 mins, then remove and leave for at least another 1⁄2-1 hr before slicing. Eat the same day.

Enjoy!

Bread: The First Attempt

Apart from an experimental classroom exercise with bread making when I was about six years old which involved dubious shaped globes of a rock-hard yeasty substance, I have never attempted to make my own bread. Aware that it is the staple activity of the Waitrose-shopping fifty-something ho-rah Henry, I felt a little young and un-horsey and poor to be partaking in the endevour of bread making.

Nevertheless I set about making my first loaf on a cold Sunday afternoon after deciding it was too cold to venture to Sainsburys, and I'd have to locate not only socks but shoes aswell, and plus think of my 30p saving and the feeling of achievement.
I was right about one thing, the feeling of achievement was immense, I can make bread, if the world fell apart I could make bread and survive! Oh the dreams of having a bakery are alive again.

So investigating my enormous collection of recipes I settled for the fool-proof option of Jamie Olivers simple basic bread recipe. Involving only honey, white bread flour, water, yeast and salt it was the least complex.

• 1kg or just over 2lb strong bread flour
• 625ml or just over 1 pint tepid water
• 30g/1oz fresh yeast or 3 x 7g/¼oz sachets dried yeast
• 30g honey or 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 level tablespoon fine sea salt
extra flour for dusting




The first task is to get half a pint of tepid water (warmish) and mix in the honey, salt and yeast until dissolved. Then making a well in the pile of flour poured out of the table you pour the yeasty mixture into the well, swirling it around to incorporate the flour until its been absorbed. Massive problem for me here was a river of yeasty mixture escaping out of the side of the flour and shooting across the table - not good. Next time I'd do it in a large bowl to save losing half the yeast!

Next add another 1/2 pint of tepid water and mix with your hands until a dough forms - by kneading it like mad for about 5 minutes. Yes, it sticks to your hands but just rub them together and it comes off, and plus it feels pretty nice really.

Ok, next you need to flour the dough ball, and put in in a bowl, cover with cling-film and leave somewhere warm to prove until it doubles in size.

When its doubled in size knead it again for a minute then shape into anything you fancy, plaits, baguettes, balls, or opt for miscellaneous shapes like mine. Score the top to make cool patterns like a proper baguette, and leave to prove until doubled in size again (about 30 mins - an hour).

Carefully put on a flour dusted baking tray in the preheated oven at 180c/350f/Gas 4 and bake away! Don't slam the door you'll knock all the air out of it and have lumps of rock.

You know when it's done when golden and when you tap the bottom it sounds hollow. Leave to cool, or eat hot with loads of butter....

You can experiment by kneading in cinnamon and raisins, or try sun dried tomatoes.
And there you have it bread. Amazing.