During yesterdays cake craving, I turned my thoughts to other sorts of cake. I had some leftover mashed potatoes and mashed celeriac. I wanted to make something a bit more exciting than a potato hash and thinking about the sweet, peppery flavour of the celeriac I thought smoked haddock fishcakes.
Delicious and really easy, I popped to town to get about 200g smoked haddock fillet. I came home, mixed the mash and the celeriac together and poached the haddock in a bit of milk, but you could use water. If you didn't have left over veggies to use, make some mash with about 300g of potatoes or make up the equivalent with celeriac too.
Once the fish is cooked and cooled flake the fish (check for bones) and mix in the the potato, season, add herbs, lemon zest, whatever takes your fancy. Add a bit of flour and an egg for binding.
Flour a board and shape into patties, about an inch thick and flour both sides. Pop onto a plate with even more flour and cover with cling and put in the fridge for an hour or until you are ready to cook them. You can also freeze them too!
Once you're ready heat up some oil in a pan and fry them on both sides to create a golden brown crust then cook them on a low heat until cooked through, turning regularly. About twenty mins. I made a cheats lemon mayonnaise but mixing 3 tablespoons of mayo with the juice of half a lemon, mix vigorously it will come back together in a smooth sauce and mix in some black pepper.
Wednesday, 30 January 2013
Craving Cakes
Yesterday due to the wind and the rain and general post holiday blues I wanted cake. I also wanted to give one to a friend as a present for looking after the house. So I decided on a loaf cake, I wasted a lot of time looking at recipes and their comments (which mainly said that the hadn't worked or they had to cook them for hours) so then through the recipe books. Can you tell I was procrastinating from doing what I was supposed to be doing? Back I went to the ever faithful Diana Henry (really it is getting out of hand, I wish she did a cookery show) and her sugar crusted lemon loaf. Err yummy! It is essentially a lemon drizzle but the genius of this recipe? No electric mixers and more importantly no creaming! This is the weak armed way to bake a cake!
Here is the recipe I made this and split the mixture between two tins
You will need a 2lb loaf tin
125g butter, diced
225g self-raising flour, sifted
pinch of salt
125g caster sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
2 unwaxed lemons
Sugar Crust
juice of 2 lemons
100g caster sugar
Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180C/350F
Line the tin with greaseproof paper.
Mix the flour and the butter by rubbing the butter into the flour with your fingertips, like making a crumble, until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Stir in the sugar, add the beaten eggs and the zest and juice of the two lemons, mix together until all incorporated but don't overwork.
Spoon into the tin, place in the oven for 45-55mins until risen golden and passes the skewer test (put a skewer into the centre of the loaf and if it comes out clean it's done).
Leave to cool for 10 mins, then skewer holes all over the cake, mix the sugar and lemon together and pour over the cake. It will soak in and leave the sugary crust on top.
Wait until it's fully cooled and DEVOUR with some Earl Grey!
Enjoy!
There wasn't any left to photograph...Ooops
Here is the recipe I made this and split the mixture between two tins
You will need a 2lb loaf tin
125g butter, diced
225g self-raising flour, sifted
pinch of salt
125g caster sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
2 unwaxed lemons
Sugar Crust
juice of 2 lemons
100g caster sugar
Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180C/350F
Line the tin with greaseproof paper.
Mix the flour and the butter by rubbing the butter into the flour with your fingertips, like making a crumble, until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Stir in the sugar, add the beaten eggs and the zest and juice of the two lemons, mix together until all incorporated but don't overwork.
Spoon into the tin, place in the oven for 45-55mins until risen golden and passes the skewer test (put a skewer into the centre of the loaf and if it comes out clean it's done).
Leave to cool for 10 mins, then skewer holes all over the cake, mix the sugar and lemon together and pour over the cake. It will soak in and leave the sugary crust on top.
Wait until it's fully cooled and DEVOUR with some Earl Grey!
Enjoy!
There wasn't any left to photograph...Ooops
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Revelling in Riga
Apologies for the lack food posts, I have been off on my travels to Riga, Latvia. A brilliant city, with lots going on all the time. Anyway whilst I was there I did absolutely no cooking whatsoever, but a lot of eating.
We went to some gorgeous restaurants, Restorans Pinot. Delicious Italian food and excellent wine topped off with even better service.We all had a little 'gift from the chef' an amuse bouche if you will, a little triangle of brie with orange marmalade and strawberry, I was of course slightly sceptical about this combination. No fear, it was of course a lovely playful taste sensation. I had carpaccio of beef, utterly melt in the mouth delicious. This was followed by tagliatelle with veal. I'm sure some of you have strong opinions on veal, but I do find it just scrummy. We couldn't manage a dessert, having spent most of the day getting stressed about travelling ( I have no idea why this is, it just seems to make me irritable) we called it a night.
The following evening saw us adventure out to International SV a brilliant restaurant with a fantastic concept. The dishes are all served in mini portions, a bit like tapas. This allows you to travel around the world, from Japan to Russia tasting fabulous food without being stuffed to the gills. Just because this is a concept restaurant, don't write it off, the food is fantastically executed and presented beautifully. We shared a wild mushroom risotto, a salmon nicoise and a vegetable terrine with goat's cheese to start. The terrine was quite honestly the best terrine I have ever eaten. We followed with a beef wellington stuffed with foie gras with a Mount Riley sauce, lamb rump with potato croquettes, goat's cheese and a rosemary and garlic sauce and a beef fillet stroganoff with mashed potatoes. All fantastically delicious. This time we definitely had room for a dessert, a cheesecake with a cherry and thyme sauce and a creme caramel with toasted almonds again yummy. Definitely worth a visit, and you can have a three course meal without having to wear an elasticated waist!
Friday night, another restaurant, this time Amerone. It is a lovely italian restaurant, again mouthwatering food, I will quickly reel off what I had to eat, anti-pasti shared with my Mum and it was divine. Followed by a veal chop served with a salad dressed in a yoghurt dressing, the sharp creaminess of the dressing really complimented the savoury/sweetness of the veal. YUM! We had room for a pudding, if only one shared between three, a homemade ice cream with sea buckthorn sauce. Sea buckthorn is a sharp and sweet berry, which is really popular in Latvia, we do have it here, I think, although I have yet to see it on a menu with the frequency of that in Riga.
Right after all the eating out I have to get back to the cooking!
I'm definitely making a cake today!
We went to some gorgeous restaurants, Restorans Pinot. Delicious Italian food and excellent wine topped off with even better service.We all had a little 'gift from the chef' an amuse bouche if you will, a little triangle of brie with orange marmalade and strawberry, I was of course slightly sceptical about this combination. No fear, it was of course a lovely playful taste sensation. I had carpaccio of beef, utterly melt in the mouth delicious. This was followed by tagliatelle with veal. I'm sure some of you have strong opinions on veal, but I do find it just scrummy. We couldn't manage a dessert, having spent most of the day getting stressed about travelling ( I have no idea why this is, it just seems to make me irritable) we called it a night.
The following evening saw us adventure out to International SV a brilliant restaurant with a fantastic concept. The dishes are all served in mini portions, a bit like tapas. This allows you to travel around the world, from Japan to Russia tasting fabulous food without being stuffed to the gills. Just because this is a concept restaurant, don't write it off, the food is fantastically executed and presented beautifully. We shared a wild mushroom risotto, a salmon nicoise and a vegetable terrine with goat's cheese to start. The terrine was quite honestly the best terrine I have ever eaten. We followed with a beef wellington stuffed with foie gras with a Mount Riley sauce, lamb rump with potato croquettes, goat's cheese and a rosemary and garlic sauce and a beef fillet stroganoff with mashed potatoes. All fantastically delicious. This time we definitely had room for a dessert, a cheesecake with a cherry and thyme sauce and a creme caramel with toasted almonds again yummy. Definitely worth a visit, and you can have a three course meal without having to wear an elasticated waist!
Friday night, another restaurant, this time Amerone. It is a lovely italian restaurant, again mouthwatering food, I will quickly reel off what I had to eat, anti-pasti shared with my Mum and it was divine. Followed by a veal chop served with a salad dressed in a yoghurt dressing, the sharp creaminess of the dressing really complimented the savoury/sweetness of the veal. YUM! We had room for a pudding, if only one shared between three, a homemade ice cream with sea buckthorn sauce. Sea buckthorn is a sharp and sweet berry, which is really popular in Latvia, we do have it here, I think, although I have yet to see it on a menu with the frequency of that in Riga.
Right after all the eating out I have to get back to the cooking!
I'm definitely making a cake today!
Wonderful Walnuts
I hadn't realised that I didn't post this before I went away, I'm so sorry, anyway enjoy....
Last night we didn't really want anything too full on, after having a mini greek meze at lunch, dinner by the fire watching silly films seemed like the most delicious idea. I didn't really want to 'cook' as such so pasta was the first thing to spark and idea. As you all know I have a cook's crush on Diana Henry and using her blueprint for a walnut pesto I set to making that. It was so simple and quick and of course utterly delicious.
This is simplicity:
Soak a piece of bread (make sure it has some structure to it) in a bit of water for about 10 mins, squeeze out the excess and pop into a blender or pestle and mortar.
100g of shelled walnuts
1 clove of garlic
Olive oil about 4 tbsp
Cream about 125ml
Parmesan, about 50g
Salt and Pepper
I would add lemon zest, about half a lemon because I think it needs a kick of something else
Bash the walnuts, bread and garlic together, add the other ingredients until it resembles a pesto like consistency. Boil the water for your pasta, tagliatelle, fetuccine or parpadelle would be good. Cook the pasta, add two tbsp of the pasta water to the pesto, drain the pasta, stir the pesto through, season and top with parsley and a bit more parmesan!
YUM
Enjoy!
Last night we didn't really want anything too full on, after having a mini greek meze at lunch, dinner by the fire watching silly films seemed like the most delicious idea. I didn't really want to 'cook' as such so pasta was the first thing to spark and idea. As you all know I have a cook's crush on Diana Henry and using her blueprint for a walnut pesto I set to making that. It was so simple and quick and of course utterly delicious.
This is simplicity:
Soak a piece of bread (make sure it has some structure to it) in a bit of water for about 10 mins, squeeze out the excess and pop into a blender or pestle and mortar.
100g of shelled walnuts
1 clove of garlic
Olive oil about 4 tbsp
Cream about 125ml
Parmesan, about 50g
Salt and Pepper
I would add lemon zest, about half a lemon because I think it needs a kick of something else
Bash the walnuts, bread and garlic together, add the other ingredients until it resembles a pesto like consistency. Boil the water for your pasta, tagliatelle, fetuccine or parpadelle would be good. Cook the pasta, add two tbsp of the pasta water to the pesto, drain the pasta, stir the pesto through, season and top with parsley and a bit more parmesan!
YUM
Enjoy!
Sunday, 20 January 2013
Dinner Disaster
Yes, that is correct, Friday night's dinner didn't really work, despite following the ever trusty Diana Henry. Of course it is not her fault, it is the fault of yellow split peas. I was so excited to make this recipe as it sounded so delicious, comforting yet zingy. However it didn't work. I will explain. I have never soaked split peas before use, and this recipe didn't call for soaking either, I put them on as described below, and after TWO HOURS of cooking they still resembled the dried split peas that had fallen out of the packet. Why? They weren't old, so I can only assume that it was just a dud batch. Never mind I thought I have the puree tomorrow, as a dip. I cooked them some more, added more liquid and still nothing. It is now Sunday I cooked them for a further 45 mins this morning and they have finally fallen into a collapsing lumpy puree, I am going to devour the puree with pitta bread and ham. I cannot wait. The rest of the recipe was a dream, the chicken delicious, served with anya potatoes which were roasted with olive oil, garlic, a splish of balsamic vinegar and a lot of dried rosemary for about 35 mins and some fine green beans.
Here is D.H.'s recipe Split pea puree with Greek lemon and oregano chicken.
Chicken
8 skin on chicken thighs
2 lemons, one zested, both juiced
8 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tbsp dried oregano
8 thyme sprigs I tried to rescue some thyme from the snow outside, it was no where near 8 sprigs but the flavour was still there.
Puree
200g split peas
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 chilli, deseeded, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Garnish
Red onion slice wafer thin
Flat leaf parsley
Extra virgin olive oil.
Mix the chicken with the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper and oregano and leaves from half the thyme, cover and leave in the fridge for 2 hours I left it in fore less than that and it was still well marinated. Turn occasionally.
Put the split peas in a pan with 1.2l of water, bring to the boil and skim off the scum. Once the water is clear add the onion, chilli and cumin, simmer uncovered until the peas break down into a thick puree. This should take 30 mins. Cool then mash with lemon juice, olive oil and season.
Whilst that is going on pre heat the oven to gas mark 6. Put the chicken in a roasting tin with the remaining thyme. Cook for 45mins or until the juices run clear. Serve the chicken hot with the puree lukewarm and add the garnish if you are doing that!
If you do manage to have this as a meal in one instead of over three days I'd love to know what it was like!
Enjoy!!
Here is D.H.'s recipe Split pea puree with Greek lemon and oregano chicken.
Chicken
8 skin on chicken thighs
2 lemons, one zested, both juiced
8 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tbsp dried oregano
8 thyme sprigs I tried to rescue some thyme from the snow outside, it was no where near 8 sprigs but the flavour was still there.
Puree
200g split peas
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 chilli, deseeded, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Garnish
Red onion slice wafer thin
Flat leaf parsley
Extra virgin olive oil.
Mix the chicken with the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper and oregano and leaves from half the thyme, cover and leave in the fridge for 2 hours I left it in fore less than that and it was still well marinated. Turn occasionally.
Put the split peas in a pan with 1.2l of water, bring to the boil and skim off the scum. Once the water is clear add the onion, chilli and cumin, simmer uncovered until the peas break down into a thick puree. This should take 30 mins. Cool then mash with lemon juice, olive oil and season.
Whilst that is going on pre heat the oven to gas mark 6. Put the chicken in a roasting tin with the remaining thyme. Cook for 45mins or until the juices run clear. Serve the chicken hot with the puree lukewarm and add the garnish if you are doing that!
If you do manage to have this as a meal in one instead of over three days I'd love to know what it was like!
Thursday, 17 January 2013
Lusting Over Lemons
I promised you (if you follow me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook) to post the recipe for the lemon curd muffins I made the other day. It was adapted from Baker on the Rise's Blog here. I had to adapt it because as usual I was making something on the spur of the moment, mainly as a distraction from the fact I don't have a job, and I wanted them NOW.
2/3 cup of sugar I used caster
Grated zest and juice of one lemon
2 cups of plain flour
2 tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp Bicarbonate of soda I actually didn't have this to hand, I don't think it altered the batter too much
3/4 cup of Sour cream I used greek yoghurt, I suppose you could use milk
8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 Large eggs
1 tsp Vanilla extract I had run out, but I would definitely add it if you had it.
Lemon curd
12 Muffin Cases.
Preheat the oven to 400f/Gas 6
Mix the sugar and lemon zest in a bowl until the sugar goes moist with the oils. Add the flour, baking powder and bicarb, mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, butter, leon juice, yoghurt and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and mix lightly, until everything is just incorporated.
Place your muffin cases in a muffin tray, add a teaspoon full of muffin mix to each one, then add a teaspoon of lemon curd to each one. Cover the lemon curd with the remaining muffin batter and put in the over for 18-20mins, they should come out golden brown and if you stick a cocktail stick into the middle it should come out clean.
All of my lemon curd exploded out of mine so you may have to experiment with how much batter you put in the cases to start with to stop that from happening.
Enjoy!
2/3 cup of sugar I used caster
Grated zest and juice of one lemon
2 cups of plain flour
2 tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp Bicarbonate of soda I actually didn't have this to hand, I don't think it altered the batter too much
3/4 cup of Sour cream I used greek yoghurt, I suppose you could use milk
8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 Large eggs
1 tsp Vanilla extract I had run out, but I would definitely add it if you had it.
Lemon curd
12 Muffin Cases.
Preheat the oven to 400f/Gas 6
Mix the sugar and lemon zest in a bowl until the sugar goes moist with the oils. Add the flour, baking powder and bicarb, mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, butter, leon juice, yoghurt and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and mix lightly, until everything is just incorporated.
Place your muffin cases in a muffin tray, add a teaspoon full of muffin mix to each one, then add a teaspoon of lemon curd to each one. Cover the lemon curd with the remaining muffin batter and put in the over for 18-20mins, they should come out golden brown and if you stick a cocktail stick into the middle it should come out clean.
All of my lemon curd exploded out of mine so you may have to experiment with how much batter you put in the cases to start with to stop that from happening.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, 16 January 2013
Furrowed Brows over Farro
Farro? Heard of it? No? Neither had I. It is one of those things, like pomegranate molasses, which I still have yet to find/try. Now you're wondering about my foodie credentials I'm sure. Actually I'm not sure about that as I don't even know if anyone is reading this. Anyway, no more furrowed brows over what to do with farro, find out here!
Back to the farro. It is Italian spelt, Waitrose in their Love Life section do a quick cook version, which is what I used. After searching for recipes it was back to Diana Henry I went. I know I'm obsessed! farro is a bit like pearl barley, but nuttier. It looks a bit like Sugar Puffs when it's cooked. Which you do in water or stock, (250g farro = apprx 700ml stock/water) like rice. The liquid should be absorbed by the farro, if you get the quick cook version I think it needs a little less liquid, but draining it isn't too much of a problem. It is important to cook it al dente, you don't want it mushy.
Taking an idea from Diana Henry and her Food from Plenty, we had ours with coquina squash, which looks like a butternut squash (actually I picked it up by accident) but is a lot sweeter, almost apricot flavoured. Roasted until caramelised, mixed through the farro, which had been cooked in chicken stock after cooking an onion and celery, with crumbled feta, chopped parsley and a dressing made of olive oil and sherry vinegar.
Healthy, delicious and a definite change, which is what I think eating in January should be all about. If you're not really sticking to resolutions but want to make a change, try experimenting with new flavours and ingredients. There was so much left over we had it for dinner last night with some chorizo that I had cubed and fried off in a dry pan. The smoky, spicy kick was even more delicious with it. Try it out and let me know what you think
Back to the farro. It is Italian spelt, Waitrose in their Love Life section do a quick cook version, which is what I used. After searching for recipes it was back to Diana Henry I went. I know I'm obsessed! farro is a bit like pearl barley, but nuttier. It looks a bit like Sugar Puffs when it's cooked. Which you do in water or stock, (250g farro = apprx 700ml stock/water) like rice. The liquid should be absorbed by the farro, if you get the quick cook version I think it needs a little less liquid, but draining it isn't too much of a problem. It is important to cook it al dente, you don't want it mushy.
Taking an idea from Diana Henry and her Food from Plenty, we had ours with coquina squash, which looks like a butternut squash (actually I picked it up by accident) but is a lot sweeter, almost apricot flavoured. Roasted until caramelised, mixed through the farro, which had been cooked in chicken stock after cooking an onion and celery, with crumbled feta, chopped parsley and a dressing made of olive oil and sherry vinegar.
Healthy, delicious and a definite change, which is what I think eating in January should be all about. If you're not really sticking to resolutions but want to make a change, try experimenting with new flavours and ingredients. There was so much left over we had it for dinner last night with some chorizo that I had cubed and fried off in a dry pan. The smoky, spicy kick was even more delicious with it. Try it out and let me know what you think
Monday, 14 January 2013
Leftover Love
It's snowing, you definitely don't want to go outside and you have no idea what to cook for dinner. I may be able to help you, well not just me, Diana Henry is pretty much the driving force! It might even help you to imagine that you're actually in a far more exotic place!
Saturday, 12 January 2013
Not quite a Sunday Roast
Now I know that I haven't posted anything for two days, that is because I haven't cooked anything! Shock horror! I have been eating delicious food though.
Thursday, 10 January 2013
Spanglish-italiano
Sorry this wasn't uploaded last night, I accidentally strayed on to The Notebook which meant that there was no chance of this being written last night!
I know most of you will be thinking, if you're supposed to be doing something similar to the Julie/Julia project, should you be getting these out of a recipe book? Well yes, but at the same time I think it is nice to share with people tried and tested recipes that can be made easily with what's in the cupboard/fridge/freezer that taste good and aren't horrendously unhealthy. So, this will be a mixture of delights from books, my head and recipes handed down to me.
I know most of you will be thinking, if you're supposed to be doing something similar to the Julie/Julia project, should you be getting these out of a recipe book? Well yes, but at the same time I think it is nice to share with people tried and tested recipes that can be made easily with what's in the cupboard/fridge/freezer that taste good and aren't horrendously unhealthy. So, this will be a mixture of delights from books, my head and recipes handed down to me.
Tuesday, 8 January 2013
Flavours that work together..
Tonight's dinner is not one from a recipe book, although elements of it did originate from various books. It is just a dinner made up of what I fancy, I feel very meat-ed out at the moment. With the leftovers from Christmas and the festive season allowing you to eat chocolate every 5 seconds, a healthy fresh, but still comforting and warm dinner is what seems to be on the cards.
Monday, 7 January 2013
Diana Henry, she knows her onions and well everything else.
Do you ever find that you just gravitate toward some food writers more than others? Diana Henry is probably my food writer crush at the moment, everything she does is so gloriously simple, yet gorgeously good looking and most importantly mouthwateringly delicious.
I have followed her through The Sunday Telegraph's Stella Magazine, and it is probably the only reason I spend £2 a week on a paper I barely read. Tonight I am cooking Fish Pie with Leek Mash, from her Food From Plenty book (if you have it p.134).
I have followed her through The Sunday Telegraph's Stella Magazine, and it is probably the only reason I spend £2 a week on a paper I barely read. Tonight I am cooking Fish Pie with Leek Mash, from her Food From Plenty book (if you have it p.134).
I'm not trying to do re-do Julie and Julia.. Honest!
Hi this is going to be a little bit of cooking a lot of experimenting and (hopefully) some tips for you, or you will be giving me tips. Anyway, if you have popped over here from my other blog (www.kategwilliam.posterous.com) which is completely unrelated, more to do with my real life as an embroidery designer, which is having a bit of a false start. So instead of burying my head in the chocolate cake I thought I would write about all the mistakes I make, the recipes I love and the improvisation when I don't have/can't afford the right ingredients.
I'm sure that some of you may have come across the foodie film Julie and Julia. I am saying this as if anyone is actually reading this, but if you are and you like food, then if you haven't watched it then you probably should. I love it, the idea of being dedicated to one cook book for a whole year is very appealing, if ludicrously expensive. I mean Julie cooks lobster for 6 people. I definitely would not be shelling (get it?!) out for that.
Right well on with the blog I suppose, and as Julia/Julie would say Bon Appetit!
Image from www.silentcritics.com
I'm sure that some of you may have come across the foodie film Julie and Julia. I am saying this as if anyone is actually reading this, but if you are and you like food, then if you haven't watched it then you probably should. I love it, the idea of being dedicated to one cook book for a whole year is very appealing, if ludicrously expensive. I mean Julie cooks lobster for 6 people. I definitely would not be shelling (get it?!) out for that.
Right well on with the blog I suppose, and as Julia/Julie would say Bon Appetit!
Image from www.silentcritics.com
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