Monday 26 January 2015

The Power of Puree

I have an addiction to cutting out recipes from magazines because they look good and I want to try them ... and then I file them away in the 'one day' corner of my mind. Last weekend I found a folded up piece of paper torn out of the Sunday Mail You magazine from July 2000.  It had four recipes on it and I can't remember now which one I wanted to try, but Tim's carrot puree with basil looked good when I needed a different way to cook the interminable supply of carrots in my fridge.



And now there is no going back ... the best carrot recipe ever!

Ingredients  (serves 2 adults and 2 small children):
500g / 18oz medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 Tbsp chopped basil
60g / 2 1/4oz parmesan cheese, freshly grated
salt and black pepper
a knob of butter (optional)

Method:
Steam or boil the carrots until tender, then drain.  Add the basil, parmesan and seasoning and puree in the blender or food processor until smooth.  Finish with the butter, if you like.



This recipe is too good not to share - you really should give it a go.  
It's quick, easy and tasty ... what more could you want

Sunday 25 January 2015

A Little Taste of Christmas Crumble

I have not started the year with blogging reliability but I will now try to do better (sounds like a school report).  I have been remiss about my commitment to post in the first week of each month but better late than never.  Christmas was inevitably busy and I never got round to making half the things I intended to, although the cake was a great success as always and is now long gone.  

I have a treasured recipe from an old Somerfield magazine of many years ago for a 'Spiced Crumble'  I much prefer to call it a Christmas Crumble as the addition of cranberries and cinnamon give it that distinctive Christmas flavour.  It is the perfect thing for cold winter evenings when we need something simple but tasty.

A crumble's a crumble ... but this is a little different

  • Heat the oven to Gas mark 4 / 180*C.  Soak 200g mixed dried fruit in warm water for 30 minutes and then drain.
  • Cut 200g chilled unsalted butter into a mixing bowl, add 150g plain flour and rub together unitl it has a breadcrumb like texture ( I use a food processor)
  • Add the zest of 2 lemons, 60g soft brown sugar and 180g whole rolled oats and mix well
  • Peel and cube 2 large Bramley apples and place in an ovenproof dish. Mix in the juice of 2 lemons, the juice and zest of 1 orange, 100g fresh or frozen cranberries (I have used dried when no fresh available), the pre-soaked dried fruit and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder.
  • Scatter the crumble over the fruit and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Serve warm with whatever you like.  The original recipe suggested clotted cream ice-cream but I prefer custard, and you can always have cream if you want to be indulgent.