I just pulled up my blinds and couldn't believe my eyes. I know it had snowed already last night and was still at it when I went to bed at midnight, but it must have continued for most of the night. I haven't seen snow like this in years. Probably not since I lived in Oslo.
It's a day for building snowmen and making snow angels and as there's no soup left to warm me up when I get back in, I might just have to have a glass of my homemade sloe gin, or two!
Sloe Gin
450gr sloe berries
1 litre gin
225gr light brown sugar
If there's been no frost by the time you pick your slow berries, pop them in the freezer for a week or so before making the gin. They need to have frozen once at least to release some of the sugar in them.
Place the sugar into a large sterilized jar.
Prick each berry with a clean needle and add them to the jar.
Pour in the gin, seal tightly and give everything a really good shake.
Store in a cool dark place and shake every other day for about a week, then once a week for two months.
After that you can pour the gin through a clean sieve into sterilized bottles and start drinking it!
Enjoy!
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Sloe Gin
Monday, 4 January 2010
Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup
It feels like Manchester is frozen over. I just took a stroll to the local shops with E and JM and it must have taken us twice as long to get there as we were slipping and sliding all over the place. I'm beginning to understand why penguins walk the way they do.
Before we ventured out we had some hot soup to warm us up from the inside. Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup to be precise, or January Soup as E christened it, as it comes from the January page of the 2010 Good Food calendar. As I often do I made some slight alteration to the original recipe, so here is my version.
Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup (serves 3-4)
2tsp cumin seeds
a pinch of dried chilli flakes
600gr carrots, washed and coarsely grated
140gr split yellow lentils (you can use red of course as in the original recipe)
1 1/4 litre hot vegetable stock
125ml milk
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
1/2-3/4 tsp hot chilli powder
natural yoghurt
Dry fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for about one minute in a large saucepan. When they begin to release their aroma, remove half from the pan and set aside.
Add the carrots, lentils, vegetable stock and milk and simmer until the lentils are done. If you're using yellow split lentils this will take about 30minutes if using red it'll be a little quicker.
Using a stick blender, whizz the soup until completely smooth.
Return to a simmer and season to taste with salt, pepper and chilli powder.
Ladle into bowls and add about a tablespoon of natural yoghurt to each bowl, before sprinkling with some of the reserved cumin seeds and chilli flakes.
Enjoy!
Saturday, 2 January 2010
Traditional Scones
What do you do when you wake up early on New Year's Day, the sun is shining and you're looking forward to spending the day with some wonderful people? Well, you get up and bake some scones of course!
Happy New Year, everyone!
Traditional Scones (makes 12-18)
450gr self-raising flour
a pinch of baking powder
a generous pinch of salt
50gr caster sugar
110gr unsalted butter, diced
1 egg, lightly beaten
50ml double cream
200ml milk (you might need a little more)
1 egg, beaten with a little milk
Preheat your oven to 180C/ Gas 4.
Sift the flour into a large bowl and stir in the baking powder, salt and sugar.
Add the diced butter and rub it into the flour with your finger tips until you have a mixture a little like dried breadcrumbs.
Add the beaten egg, double cream and enough milk to moisten.
Mix well until you have a soft and doughy mixture that is not too moist. Don't overwork the dough.
Roll into a ball and roll it out lightly on a lightly floured surface until it is about 1inch thick.
Cut out with a round cutter and place the rounds onto a non-stick baking tray.
Gather the off-cuts and carefully roll out again (you really want to make sure that you don't overwork the dough), cut and repeat until you have used up all the dough.
Brush the tops with the egg and milk glaze and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the tops are golden.
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Port
One of my favourite things about Christmas dinner is the cranberry sauce. I know that might sound a little strange when there are also loads of other treats on the table and don't get me wrong I do also get excited about a good turkey, perfect roast potatoes and the best ever brussles sprouts.
However, not only is the cranberry sauce one of the prettiest dishes on the table it also adds the extra special Christmas factor in my opinion and it just goes so well with everything. Even once the meal is over I enjoy it for days to come (if there is enough of it) with cheese, pate, pork or game pie. My mouth is watering just thinking about it and even better since I know that there is a bowl of it my fridge right now.
Merry Christmas everyone! Frohe Weihnachten, Joyeux Noel, Feliz Navidad and God Jul!
Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Port
250gr fresh cranberries
1 orange, juice and zest of
100gr sugar
100ml ruby port
Bring the orange juice, zest and cranberries to a boil in a saucepan.
Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes, until the cranberries become soft.
Add the sugar and ruby port and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens a bit and the berries begin to become pulpy.
Remove from heat and allow to cool a little before pouring into a bowl.
Cover and refridgerate.
Thanks to the sugar and alcohol it'll keep for weeks in the fridge, if you can make it last that long.
Enjoy!
Sunday, 20 December 2009
Baked Apples
I can't believe we're only a week away from Christmas and this is my first December blog post!
This year the usual baking, pickling and cooking that usually comes with the month of December in my kitchen has not happenend. That might be partly due to having been away in New York for a week at the beginning of the month and also the fact that I am already back home at my mum and dad's house in Germany for my annual Christmas break.
It's been freezing cold here the last couple of days. We've seen temperatures of -13C and plenty of snow, which has really helped to get me in a more christmassy mood, which up until now I've been lacking. I've also been out to buy the turkey and all the trimmings for a proper Christmas dinner next week. Yes, I'm spending Christmas in Germany, but there'll be a proper English Christmas dinner at this house nevertheless, and I'm sure there'll be a few recipes to share over the next few weeks because of it.
For now I'll leave you with a recipe of Baked Apples, which my mum and I tried today, after she spotted it in a amagazine last night. It was the perfect treat to have whilst watching the snow being blown about outside!
Baked Apples with Marzipan serves 4
4 medium sized red apples
60gr marzipan paste, chopped up finely
4tbsp cashew nuts, chopped roughly (we used chopped almonds)
2tbsp raisins
rum, calvados or cointreau
Soak your raisins in some rum, calvados or cointreau.
Preheat your oven to 180C.
Wash and decore your apples.
Cut a slice of the top of the apple and carefully remove most of the flesh, until you are left with a shell that's roughly half an inch thick (1.5cm).
Finely chop the flesh you have removed and place in a small bowl, together with the marzipan, nuts and raisins.
Mix well and then divide and stuff the apples with the mix.
Place the stuffed apples on a baking tray and bake in the oven for half an hour, until soft.
Serve with custard or vanilla ice cream.
Enjoy.
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
World's Best Cheesecake
I'm off to New York for a week, so I've been thinking of diner breakfasts, bagels, smoky pretzels and of course cheesecake. You just can't beat a slice of really good cheesecake, can you? I'm gonna make sure I have some at Dean and Deluca, but even theirs can't be much better than this one.
It was my dad's 70th birthday at the end of last month and my mum asked me to bake a cheesecake for his party. All my aunties were baking cakes as well and I knew that there'd be a lot of cake competition, but I had made this cheesecake before and knew it was good.
I blame the cracked top on my mum's oven being different to mine (I like excuses), but it didn't really matter because the cake was just as rich and creamy as I wanted it to be and everyone that ate some seemed to enjoy it.
World's Best Cheesecake
1 1/2 cups digestive biscuit crumbs (fine)
1/3 cup butter, melted
2tbsp sugar
500 gr cream cheese
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2tsp pure vanilla extract
3 eggs
3tbsp cornflour
500 ml whipping cream
a pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Preheat your oven to 180C.
Mix the digestive biscuit crumbs (make them by placing digestives in a food bag and bashing them with a rolling pin) with the melted butter and sugar.
Spread over the bottom of a lined 10inch springform pan, making sure it comes up a little around the edges.
Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.
In a bowl cream the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract.
Add eggs, one at a time and mix well.
Add the cornflour, whipping cream and a pinch of salt.
Continue to beat or about 3 minutes at high speed.
Finally add the lemon juice before pouring into a prepared crust in your springform pan.
Bake for 75minutes, until the mix has set completely and the top is golden in a 180C oven.
Allow to cool in oven with door ajar for about one hour.
Remove the cake from the oven and place on a cooling rack until it has reached room temperature.
Place in the fridge for twelve hours before removing the cake from pan.
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Venison Stew
The time of year where I crave comfort food, such as stews, soups, mashed potatoes and winter vegetables has definitely arrived. The days seem to be getting seriously short (which doesn't help the feeling that I am constantly trying to play catch up on things), most of the trees are bare and my selection of hats, scarves, gloves and mittens has been excavated from the depth of my wardrobe.
Last week the wonderful people from Abel&Cole sent me some diced venison to try, because as well as the season for woolly jumpers it is of course also the season for game. I was really excited as it had been absolutely ages since I last ate venison. Some of my friends were a little disturbed by the thought of me eating Bambi, but JM and E were as excited as I was, so we had a wonderful Venison Stew on Sunday night. I served it with mashed potatoes and green beans and it was the perfect meal for a cold and dark Sunday night. If you, like some of my friends, don't like the thought of venison you can of course use beef instead. I forgot to buy bacon, so left it out and the original recipe called for roast chestnuts, but I'm not so keen so used chestnut mushrooms instead.
Venison Stew (serves 4)
800gr diced venison
100gr streaky bacon, cubed
125ml red wine
3 red onions, sliced thinly
1 celery stick, sliced
12 baby carrots, peeled
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 fresh bay leaf
250g chestnut mushrooms
(cornflour paste to thicken if desired)
Preheat the oven to 150°C/Gas
Heat some oil in a heavy-based pan and fry the bacon until golden. Remove from the pan and set aside, but make sure you keep the fat in the pan.
Brown the venison in the same pan. Fry it in batches to avoid the meat boiling in its liquid, rather than frying.
Remove the meat and transfer to a casserole or pot with a tight-fitting lid, along with the bacon and any scrapings from the pan.
Add the wine, garlic, onions, carrots and celery and increase the heat until the wine bubbles fiercely.
Add the tomato purée, herbs and enough water to just cover the meat.
Cover, bring to a simmer and cook for 2 hours in the oven.
Check from time to time – if it’s dry, add more water and reduce the heat.
After 1 1/2 hours (1 hour if using chestnuts), add the chestnut mushrooms and cook until the meat is very tender.
If you want a thicker sauce, remove the pan from the oven, add some cornflour mixed with water. Place on the hob and bring back to a simmer stirring continuously until your desired thickness has been achieved.
If necessary, season with salt and pepper before serving.
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
Aubergine Salad
I don't know where the days are disappearing to at the moment. I seem to be playing catch up constantly, at work, at home and with my blogging. I hope you won't give up on me completely!
The weather has really turned now. It definitely feels like November, grey and very wet. Most of the leafs have come down now and I have to wear gloves and a scarf when I get on my bike to cycle to work in the mornings now, if I don't want to arrive with chaffed red hands when I get there.
I'm in the mood for soup, stews and comfort food, but for now I've got another recipe from the dinner party a couple of weekends ago, a recipe for a Moroccan Aubergine Salad. I use quite a lot of aubergines in cooking and think they are a highly underrated vegetable. They are so versatile and taste great prepared in many different ways. This salad takes a bit of effort, but it is well worth it.
Aubergine Salad (serves 4)
1lb aubergines (eggplant)
oil for frying
2tsp paprika
1/2tsp cayenne pepper
1tsp ground cumin
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
6tbsp olive oil
3tbsp fresh lemon juice
salt, to taste
freshly gound black pepper, to taste
1tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Cut the aubergines into 1/2inch round slices. Rub each one with salt and place them in a colander for about half an hour, then wash off the salt and pat them dry with a kitchen towel.
Heat some oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the slices (a few at a time) until golden brown on both sides.
Remove them from the pan and rest them on some kitchen towel to absorb any excess oil. Leave to cool.
Clean the frying pan, discarding all the oil.
Chop the cooled slices coarsely and mix them well with the spices and garlic.
Return them to the pan without adding any oil and cook them over medium heat. Stir frequently and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Place in a serving dish. Add the olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
Place in the fridge to chill.
Remove from fridge just before serving. Stir well once more and top with the chopped parsley.
Enjoy!
