Christmas is on its way Stage 4: Bake something suitably Christmassy!

Sorry for the non posting of late, I've been a bit poorly but I'm ship shape and ready to go again and I've been baking.

I decided I'd give gingerbread a bash. I am disastrous when it comes to baking any sort of remotely biscuity based thing so I was very surprised when it all turned out extremely yummy and tasty!

If you're after an excellent recipe try the Hummingbird Bakery book (I love this book so much I can't even begin to put it into words!). Everything I have ever baked from this book has turned out perfect and absolutely delicious.

Next time I think I'll cut them a little bigger, they were more of a ginger cookie than gingerbread as they weren't very soft in the middle, but you live and learn.

Christmas is on it's way: Stage 3: Gawp at Weird/Amazing Food

It's always an odd one isn't it? Things you normally wouldn't even begin to believe anyone would put together start to come alive in the aisles of local shops.

I know I'll look at something and think ewwww..... but if it looks remotely Christmassy before I have time to think it's in the trolley and being carted away to the checkout or I spend my days puzzling over what it would be like (even if the thought is disgusting) only to buy some just to see...of course.

Take the following two for example:

Mince Pie popcorn, yup, I can see how that could work. 

Christmas pudding and brandy butter crisps. I have no idea why this seems apetising. 

Yet along with the odd things there is always the old favorites coming back into play, such as (drumroll please): 

Pork, pickle and cheddar pies. This to me is a sign that Christmas is coming. I will not be able to stop myself from stuffing my face with these until Christmas. 

Slow Cooking: Spicy Beef Stew

As you might remember, or maybe not, I mentioned a few blogs ago that I'd bought a slow cooker. I was keen to get to grips it and thought I'd make something quite simple, filling, spicy and tasty as the winter is drawing in.

Based a little on a goulash of sorts, I added the following copped ingredients to the pot, left it for 9 hours on low and voila, lovely stew.

3 onions
3 potatoes
2 green peppers
2 carrots
600g casserole steak
2 cans chopped tomatoes
500ml beef stock
1 tbsp squeezy garlic
3 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp hot chilli powder
1 tbsp mixed herbs
salt and pepper to taste

Although I make the rookie mistake of not par boiling the potatoes before so they were a little hard but as I was taking this into work each day and re heating in the microwave it meant that it softened them up a little. Just something to note for next time.

Christmas is on it's way: Stage 1: Christmas Cakes

I make Christmas cakes for my family every year. This is now a grand total of four.

When I was younger my Great Nana Wilde use to do this and we'd lovingly tuck into a slice of extremely boozy cake every Christmas. I took over the tradition after a long period of shop bought cakes and thought it would be a nice thing to do for the relatives.

I don't see them very often (most are in the North East) and now the family has expended somewhat I wont be spending Christmas at my Aunty Kathleen's as she has an ever expanding number to cook for with four grandchildren, three children plus partners and that's a lot of folk to be running about after on Christmas Day!  It's my way of contributing to a family Christmas without actually having one.

So this week I started on the epic bake-a-thon that has become quite the tradition in our house, although we were leaving it a few weeks late, we usually have it all done by mid-September.

I always use Delia Smith recipe from her Christmas book and I use 3 barrels brandy as it's a good mid range brandy for cooking and feeding the cake (especially with four, it just about wont break the bank).

So here are the pics of the progress of the first three...the fourth will be complete tomorrow evening (i ran out of baking paper last night!).

Recipe: Cinnamon & Vanilla Fruit Scones

A yummy scone recipe for you, I love cinnamon in scone, it gives it such a lovely taste, especially when they're warm from the over with butter melted into them.

Makes 8.


Ingredients:


50g butter (cubed)
225g plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
50g caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
50g sultanas
150ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon 


Method:


Heat the oven to 200C
Sieve the flour into a large bowl, add the butter, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
Run in butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the sugar and dried fruit and mix.
Add the vanilla extract the milk.
Make a well in the centre of the mixture, add the milk and vanilla mixture but by bit and stir until a soft dough is formed.
Turn the mixture out onto a board and lightly knead until smooth.
Roll into a sausage shape and cut into 8.
Place on a greased baking tray and place into the oven for 15 minutes until scones are well risen.

Cool on a wire rack for as long as you can stand it, or do as I do and five them a generous 30 seconds before smothering in butter and wolfing down!

Hope you enjoy!

Father's Day: A pie from the heart

Have I ever said how amazing my Dad is?

Without going into too much detail he's had some sad times and some good times, he's funny (in that Dad kind of way) and he has always been there for me through thick and thin, through hard times and good, and I completely admire what a strong person he is and how kind and sensitive and honest he is.

He is completely my hero.

For father's day this year I made him a pie, and not just any pie, the pie of pies, the champion pie for all north easterners, the.......corned beef and potato pie!

Corned beef and tatty pie has always been my favourite pie, my Nana made it when I was little and it was always a treat to have it when we'd go visit after moving away. Unfortunately my Nana can't make it any more due to her arthritis so I thought I'd make one for my Dad as it's been years since he had a slice.

There is a recipe you can follow here (if you're going to bake a pie from the NE it needs to be a recipe from the NE).

I have to admit thought I cheated with the pastry, I am not very good at pasty, mainly because I don't make a lot of pies with my husband being a veggiesaurus.

And I made the pic in a long thin baking tray rather than a pie dish as that's how it was made when I was a lass and I thought my Dad would appreciate it. I have had word since that it was yummy (although the bottom wasn't cooked through properly - the joys of having a crap over with a top heating element!)

  

The finished pie! 

Recipe: Low Fat Veggie Chilli

Another low fat recipe for you. This time a delicious veggie chilli.

Serves 6

Ingredients 


500g frozen Quorn Chilli
1 red pepper (chopped)
1 yellow pepper (chopped)
2 red onions (chopped)
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
1 x 400g can mixed bean salad in water (drained)
500ml veg stock
2 cloves garlic (finely grated)
3 red chillies (chopped)
1 tbsp hot chilli powder
1 tsp mixed herbs
3 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp tomato purée

Method


Add the veg to a large pan along with the stock, herbs, garlic and chilli and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, tomato purée, and quorn. Bring to the boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the mixed bean salad, simmer for 10 mins.

Serve with boiled rice.


Notes: 


I like spicy food, you might want to leave some of the chillies out of you're not a spice monster like me!

Recipe: Not So Fatty Peppered Mackerel & Potato Salad

As summer is almost upon us (I can wish right?) and it being near to barbecue season I thought I'd share a lower fat recipe for potato salad with a twist.

There should be enough for six side servings (although maybe more, I love potatoes!). 

Ingredients: 

1 pack tesco peppered mackerel fillets (flaked)
500g charlotte potatoes (halved)
10 spring onions (sliced)
10 sticks celery (sliced)
20 cherry tomatoes (halved)
4 tbsp hellmans lighter than light mayonnaise
120g fat free yoghurt
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp dill
1 tsp basil

Method:


Steam the potatoes for 15 minutes, then set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, add the celery, tomatoes, spring onions and mackerel to a large bowl and mix with the dill and basil.

In a separate bowl mix the mayonnaise, yoghurt and wholegrain mustard for the dressing and set aside.

When the potatoes are cool add to the salad and mix, pour on the dressing and give it a good stir.

Chill if required.

Eat and be happy!

If you try it let me know what you think and comment below :D


Notes:

I named the brands that I use, but of course similar will do.

I have used dried herbs but of course fresh are better, just amend thee amount if using fresh.