Warming Winter Sausage and Apple Bake

This recipe was one that my grandparents made and has never been written down. I haven't cooked it in years and when I made it today I wondered why it had been so long. I was given a glut of home grown cooking apples and thought of as many ways to use them as I could.

The quantities are variable and feel free to adjust them to suit you.

Ingredients: 

• 1 pack of sausage meat
• 1 large onion, finely sliced
• 1-2 cooking apples, peeled and sliced
• Enough potatoes to mash and cover your baking dish (I'm not good on weights)

Method:

• Cut the potatoes and cook until tender, then season and mash. Meanwhile:
• Press half the pack of sausage meat onto the base of a casserole dish or baking dish.
• Spread the sliced onion evenly across the sausage meat to cover the dish.
• Dot the remaining sausage meat over the onions.
• Arrange the sliced apples over the mixture to completely cover the meat and onions. Top with the mashed potato, place in the oven and cook 35 minutes until golden.

Serve with whatever accompaniment you fancy. We had stir fried cabbage and carrots but baked beans would also go well.

It might not look the most attractive meal but it's a tasty supper which is perfect for an Autumn evening

Best Christmas Pudding Ever

I spent most of my life never venturing into the world of puddings. I must admit that I've never really liked Christmas pudding. In my view it was dark and bitter and had none of the enjoyment I've experienced in a Christmas cake. And then I had a revelation when we visited Australia over Christmas and their pudding was a whole different ball game. It was light and delightful (although I wasn't so keen on it being served with cold custard). And so began the mission to find the right recipe.

I have made Christmas cakes since my 20s but some-how I thought puddings were too complicated.  How wrong I was!  My first attempt I scoured the internet for lots of different recipes. I followed recipes by both Jamie Oliver and Nigel Slater. This involved a lot of pudding eating to make a final decision. The first year I made them we enjoyed both but by the following year we had forgotten which we preferred. Then followed more pudding tasting. I made both in various sizes and then we cooked portions of both and tasted together to compare. The third year I decided to mix and match the best of both and create my own. 

This year I have also increased the mixture size so that I can create more loveliness to last me through the year. My recipe is predominantly inspired by Jamie Oliver but has a distinct ginger twist. His recipe is intended to fill one large 1.5 litre pudding bowl and I prefer a selection of smaller ones. Therefore instead of one large pudding I have increased the ingredients by half again and made three puddings. The saying goes that a dog is not just for Christmas and I believe the same applies to puddings!

• Ingredients:
• 250g raisins
• 250g sultanas (possibly add more if you feel it's not dense enough)
• 80g cherries
• 100g apricots
• 100g cranberries
•  160g dates
•  100g finely chopped crystalised ginger
• 180g plain four
• 150g fresh bread crumbs
• 185g suet ( used whole 200g pack)1
• 175g golden caster sugar
• 80g macadamia nuts (or mix with almonds)
• 2 eggs
•  200ml milk (or adjust according to texture)
•  Zest of one orange
• 1-2 tsp ground ginger (add whatever spices tickle your fancy)
•  Pinch of salt
• 140ml ish of alcohol (your favourite liqueur, mine is amaretto)

Method:

·         I like to soak all the fruit overnight with the alcohol … don’t worry if you leave it longer. Chop the dates and apricots. I also like to cut the cherries so there are more pieces in each mouthful.

·         Start by greasing your pudding basin with a knob of butter. I found that these quantities made three 2-pint puddings with basin filled ¾ full; or one 2pt basin and two 1pt basins filled to brim.

·         In a bowl beat the egg and milk together and put aside.

·         In a large bowl mix all the other ingredients together. Pour the egg and milk mixture into this bowl and stir or mix with your hands until everything is combined.

·         Spoon this mixture into the greased bowls and cover with a layer of buttered greaseproof paper. If steaming without specific designed lids add a double layer of foil and secure these layers around the rim of the bowl using a piece of string. I use purpose made basins with lids.

·         Place the bowl (s) in a large saucepan and pour cold water into the pan until it comes halfway up the side of the bowl. Bring the water to the bowl, then cover with a lid and simmer for 2-3 hours. If using a small bowl adjust cooking time.

I use an electric steamer and can fit more than one bowl in at a time. Ensure the pan does not boil dry and top up as indicated. 

·         If storing puddings, reheat for further 2-3 hours before serving. Remove greaseproof paper and turn out. Enjoy with your favourite accompaniment … brandy butter is Jamie’s recommended indulgence; my husband likes brandy sauce and I like custard. Even ice-cream is good but it needs to be a good Madagascan vanilla.

Oat and Raisin Cookies

I had never made cookies before discovering this recipe and now they are a regular feature in our cake tin. They are simple to make and have been a great success at every event I have taken them to. Although the recipe says to use raisins I often use sultanas as they seem a better size to go in a cookie. I also love ginger and thought how I could adapt the recipe. My friends seem to like the ginger best but it's an easy variation. Once the basics are mastered you can try out any combination of favourite flavours. I'm now thinking about Christmas and maybe cranberry and white chocolate would work; or even orange and dark chocolate ... let me know what you try!

Ingredients:

• 100g SR flour
• 100g soft brown sugar
• 100g butter
• 100g oats
• 1 egg
• 50g raisins (or chopped crystalised ginger)
• 1 tsp cinnamon (or 2 tsp ground ginger)

Method:

Preheat oven to 180*C / 160*C

Mix the four and cinnamon together in a bowl. 

Cream the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the egg and beat until smooth.

Add the flour and mix well.

Stir in the oats and raisins to make a stiff dough.

Put the dough onto parchment paper, shape into 20cm / 8" cylinder wrap and chill until firm (I have made in advance and left chilled for 24hrs until I'm ready to bake). Lightly grease 2 baking trays.

Cut dough into 7-8mm / 1/4" thick slices and place on greased baking trays, maintaining round shape.

Bake for 18-20 mins.

Cool on baking tray for 3 minutes before lifting onto wire rack to finish cooling.

Allow to cool if you can before tucking in ... be warned, they are very moreish!

Chimichurri

I have been enjoying bunched carrots for decades but until this month I had not considered eating the lush green tops. They have always been donated to a friend's rabbit. Unfortunately the poor bunny will now be going hungry as I have discovered Chimichurri. This is a sauce or marinade that originated in Argentina / Columbia and Uruguay. Traditionally made with parsley or coriander I have discovered a recipe using carrot tops, so ... waste not want not!  As per usual there are numerous versions but this is the one I settled on and I have eaten it every day for two weeks. I may branch out and try a few variations but I'm happy enough with my first attempt. Once the carrot top season is over I shall continue to make it and adjust proportions of parsley and coriander; I may even add in fresh chillies rather than dried.  

All ingredients are store cupboard staples for me so it's easy to knock up in a few minutes and Hey Presto we have a tasty dip ready.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup finely chopped carrot tops (or parsley / coriander
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp sweet paprika (when I ran out normal paprika works just as well)
• 1/2 tsp crushed chilli flakes
• 1/4 tsp cumin (I ground them)
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1/4 cup virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• ground pepper

Method:

This is the simple bit ... Mix all the ingredients together!

Eat and enjoy in whatever way you fancy. I particularly like it with crusty bread, but it was also divine as a topping on a pan fried tuna steak.

Fruited Apple and Almond Tea Loaf

This recipe is one that I tore out of a Waitrose magazine a year ago and it's taken me this long to get motivated enough to actually make it. I wish I hadn't waited so long as it's delicious and definitely on my regular bake list.  One word of warning: if you're as spontaneous a baker as me please be aware that you need to allow time for soaking the fruit before you start. I was all set to bake for VE Day and ensured I had all the ingredients available but it wasn't until I set out to make it in the morning that I realised I should have soaked the fruit overnight. I compromised by soaking for four hours instead, and it turned out fine but maybe I could have had an even more succulent loaf if I'd been better prepared.  

I apologise that this is an inadequate photo but we'd eaten nearly all of it before I thought that I would need a photo to share this amazing recipe with all of you!

It supposedly serves 10 (possibly tiny fairy people with minuscule appetites!)

Allow cooking time of 1 hour 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 200g mixed dried fruit
• 200ml strong, freshly made English Breakfast tea, tea bag left in
• 30g salted butter, melted (plus extra to grease)
• 175g self-raising flour, sifted
• 150g demerara sugar, plus 2tsp for the top
• 1 tsp ground mixed spice
• 85g ground almonds
• 1 braeburn apple (about 150g), skin on, 1/2 grated, 1/2 sliced into thin wedges
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 Tbsp milk

Method:

• Put the dried fruit and tea in a bowl. Cover and leave until plumped - about 4 hours, or preferably overnight. 
• Grease a 900g loaf tin; line with baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 160*C. Drain the fruit over a bowl; reserve the tea and discard the tea bag. Put the flour in a large bowl; stir in the sugar, spice, almonds and a pinch of salt.
• Add the melted butter, soaked fruit, grated apple, egg, milk and 2 Tbsp of reserved tea and stir into a thick batter. 
• Spoon into the tin and level the top a little. Dip the apple slices into the leftover tea, scatter over the cake and press in a little, then sprinkle over 2 tsp sugar.
• Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, covering with foil for the final 20 minutes if the top is browning too much. When ready, the cake will be risen and golden and a skewer inserted into the middle will come out clean or with just a few damp crumbs.
• Cool in the tin for 30 minutes and then lift out using the paper, and cool on a rack. 
• Serve warm or cold, spread with butter if like.

We found it was perfect as it was and did not need butter.

Give it a go and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Chargrilled Halloumi with Chilli Pesto

A little taste of summer to keep me going through the winter. I am a great one for collecting magazines and not reading them for months. Therefore this recipe from the Summer Waitrose magazine was waiting in a stack to be read and when I eventually got around to cooking it we were in winter rather than summer but who cares?  The recipe may be intended for summer barbecues but all of the ingredients can be found at any time and it worked perfectly as a starter for us.

Supposedly served 4-6 but I halved the pesto mix and we had a generous amount for two of us. For the halloumi I just bought the pack size in the supermarket and sliced it evenly for the two of us. I have a very gung ho approach to cooking that used to worry me and now I embrace it!

Ingredients: 

• 750g halloumi, thickly sliced lengthways
• 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, juice

For the Pesto:

• 150ml light olive oil
• 75g pine nuts
• 2 red chillies, roughly chopped
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed (I didn't bother halving this ingredient)
• 50g mint leaves
• 50g basil leaves

Method:

• First, make the pesto. Put the oil, pine nuts, chillies, garlic and a pinch of sea salt in a food processor, then blend to a coarse paste. Alternatively use a pestle and mortar and a fair amount of effort.
• Set a dry frying or griddle pan over a high heat (or prepare your barbecue so that the coals are at a medium-high heat). Brush the halloumi slices on both sides with olive oil, grill for 2 minutes on each side, until golden and lightly charred. Lay them on a warmed serving plate, spoon over the pesto, squeeze over the lemon juice and serve at once.

Duck with Spiced Plum Jam and Watercress

I'm a little late in posting this but it was a meal served for Valentine's Day and went down exceedingly well. I'm usually a bit reticent about cooking duck at home as I once filled the kitchen with black smoke from all the fat. However, this was easy to cook and divine to eat with no nasty smoke to ruin the mood.

Photography is not my strong point ...
the perspective implies enormous pak choi and tiny duck 

The recipe is one that I've had sitting neglected in a file for a while, but now it has been given the attention that it so rightly deserved. So get to the butcher and order juicy duck breasts and get quacking!  As always the recipe is designed for four but I amended it to suit the two of us. I used a whole breast each but the recommended three would work well for four as we were very full!

Ingredients: 

• 2 heads pak choi
• 3 duck breasts
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• a bunch of watercress to garnish

    for the plum jam:

• 200g caster sugar
• 200ml white wine vinegar
• 1 medium chilli, chopped
• pinch of chilli powder
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• squeeze of lime juice
• splash of soy sauce
• 6 plums, stoned and chopped
• 1 Tbsp chopped coriander
• salt and ground ginger

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180*C / gas mark 4. Break the pak choi into individual leaves, then split each leaf down it's length. Set aside.
• Prepare the duck breasts by removing any sinew from the underside of the breast; use a very sharp knife to score the skin with a series of slashes, being careful not to cut too deeply and cut into the flesh.

• ** This is where I would skip to the plum jam and start making that before setting off on meat cooking ... timings will overlap so read through the recipe thoroughly and decide how you want to time things**

• Heat a frying pan over a medium heat, add the breasts, skin side down; and cook for about 3 minutes until the skin has caramelised. Pour off the excess fat and reserve.
• Lay the duck breasts, skin side down, in a roasting pan and place in the oven for 7-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
• Pour the reserved fat and any fat in the roasting tin back in the frying pan and set over a medium heat. Once hot add the pack choi and toss in the hot duck fat. Remove from the pan and season with salt and pepper.

** To make the plum jam:

• Heat the sugar and vinegar in a saucepan, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then cook until the mixture starts to thicken.
• Add the chilli and chilli powder, garlic and lime juice and soy sauce. Then stir in the plums and cook for 20-30 minutes until tender.
• Add the coriander, then remove the pan from the heat and season with salt and ground ginger.

Carve the duck into slices and divide between four plates, then serve with the pak choi and plum jam, garnished with watercress.

We both loved this, particularly the plum jam; we decided it would work really well with pork chops too ... see what you think.