Monday 17 September 2012

Frozen Spinach

As I said, I’m moving out very soon (this week in fact…I must get packing!) and have been using up what’s in the freezer when along came a pack of frozen spinach. Originally bought as a substitute for fresh in Saag Aloo (I promise I’ll post a recipe, but I seem to have lost the photos and thought I’d get this one up first), I just keep finding it more and more useful. Although it does cook down into a rather mushy substance and I would not advise serving it as a side alone, it does wonders to bulk up stir fries, use it in curries or stuff your lamb with it. Oh, and it won’t go off!

Spinach and Mint Stuffing



As well as substituting for fresh spinach in my previous recipe, you could also try this version.

Ingredients


1 small or ½ white onion
1 clove garlic
1 red chilli
A few handfuls of frozen spinach
Small handful of mint leaves
Small handful of parsley leaves
1 slice stale bread


Dice the onions, chilli and garlic. Slowly cook with a glug of olive oil for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn’t burn. Meanwhile, whiz the bread in a food processor to make breadcrumbs and bake in a high oven for 5 minutes or so until crisp.


Add the frozen spinach to the onion mixture and turn up the heat slightly. Cook until the spinach has defrosted, using a wooden spoon to separate it (mash it up!?) as it cooks.


Once the spinach has all defrosted add the breadcrumbs, stir in and cook for a few more minutes before turning off the heat and adding the mint and parsley (roughly chopped).


Stuff into meat (I did it with lamb, it was delish) or cook in a small and shallow oven dish for 15-20 minutes in the oven. 


Saturday 15 September 2012

Stock Cupboard Stir Fry

She also included these lovely chopsticks!

I recently participated in Foodie Pen Pals for the first time, this is a scheme where each month you get somebody whom you send a parcel of foodie related goodies to, and somebody else sends you a monthly treat. In September, my box came from a lovely lady also called Charlie who sent me a box with a lot of Asian goodies in. Well I don’t know if she realised how amazingly useful this would be!

I’m moving out of my house very soon and so its got to that time where I HAVE to use up what is in the house and am definitely not allowed to just go out and buy loads of other ingredients. Well, luckily enough Charlie had sent me a packet of udon noodles (my favourites, they are like wiggly worms) which meant that all I needed to conjure up were a few veggies and bobs your uncle, you are done! Pretty much any vegetables will do, though I’d try to include some onion for flavour.  I used…1/2 sweet red pepper, ¼ white onion, 4 mushrooms, handful frozen spinach and ½ green chilli.

The key to stir-fries is written in the title, they need to be cooked on high and kept constantly moving. This ensures the veg keep their crunch and is a great speedy meal as it’s ready in less than 10 minutes.

Essential Ingredients


1 tablespoon sesame oil (actually, this isn’t essential but if you don’t have it  it is well worth thinking about getting some in if you enjoy oriental cooking)
1 tablespoon flavourless oil (light olive, vegetable, groundnut)
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 lime (juice of)
1 tablespoon honey
1 packet soft noodles

Heat the oils in a wok on high and add the chilli and garlic keeping it moving, when it is just starting to colour add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes KEEP IT MOVING.


Add the pepper (or harder vegetables) and frozen spinach and cook for a minute before adding the soy sauce, lime juice and honey. 


Cook for another 2-3 minutes before adding the mushrooms (or softer vegetables) and a minute or so later, the noodles.Check that the liquid and add more soy sauce if needed then cook for 2-3 minutes and serve.  


Monday 10 September 2012

Teatime Treats


I know, I know…I have been a truly awful blogger this past month. I don’t have any excuse so how about some sweet treats to get your taste buds excited!

With this gorgeous weather we’ve been having recently (finally summer arrives) it seems the perfect time for afternoon tea picnics, and in fact that’s just what I’m doing as a surprise for the boy to celebrate our anniversary (shhhh, don’t tell him!). So here are two recipes to make your high tea even yummier!

Fairy Cakes


These are seriously a doddle and you only have to remember 2, 4, 4 and 4. That is; 2 eggs and 4 ounces each of flour, sugar and butter. Seriously, that’s it! If you want bigger quantities then just increase the mix (3 eggs, 6 ounces, 4 eggs, 8 ounces and so on). This is a classic sponge recipe and can be adapted for various things, adding chocolate drops, cocoa, cut it in half and put jam in the middle…its like recycling, the possibilities are endless! Oh and don’t make the mistake of adding baking powder, it will be give your cakes nipples.

Ingredients


2 eggs
4 oz plain flour
4 oz butter (at room temperature)
4 oz caster sugar

You will need an electric whisk or  some guns (muscles that is)!
  
Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl (cutting the butter into small cubes makes this next bit much easier) and whisk together (start at low on electric whisk and increase to high as mixture gets softer and less likely to go all over your kitchen.)  You want to whisk these together until they are pale and creamy, and then keep whisking some more!


I can’t stress how important this step is, this should be what takes the longest time whilst making these as its this step that ensure they have enough air in to rise and be light and fluffy.

Sift half the flour into the bowl, make a well and crack one egg into it. Mix on a low speed until its all incorporated and then repeat with the rest of the flour and last egg. And voila! You have cake mixture.


Put a dollop of mixture into each fairy cake case, put into a preheated oven at about 180 and bake for 13-17 minutes. They are ready when you can lightly press the top and it springs back.


Scones


Whereas I have been making fairy cakes since year dot (my Grammy was an excellent baker and helpfully had a slow oven) scones are a new addition to my repertoire, but I don’t know why it took me so long to try them out!

If you don’t have buttermilk you can use a homemade substitute. One cup of milk with one tablespoon of lemon juice left for 15 minutes will turn and is perfect to use instead.

This recipe comes from my very trusted Good Housekeeping Step-by-Step cook book.

Ingredients


8 oz self-raising flour
3 oz butter
1 ½ oz caster sugar
1 egg
4-10 tbsp buttermilk
Pinch of salt

You will need some kind of round cookie cutter
  
Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Cut the butter up into cubes and add to the bowl, then rub the butter into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs (somebody once told me the way to do this is to tickle the butter and flour like a baby’s bottom!) Add the sugar and mix in.


Break the egg into a bowl/jug/appropriate sized receptacle and add 2 tablespoons of buttermilk. Make a well in the centre of the flour mix and pour in your egg and buttermilk mixture. Using a normal kitchen knife, mix together until it’s too stiff to use the knife, then it’s time to get your hands dirty! 


If it’s too dry to bring together into a ball, add more buttermilk a tablespoon at a time; the end result should be soft but not sticky.


Flour the work surface and roll out the dough until it’s about an inch thick. Cut out the scones using the cookie cutter and place onto a greased baking tray (or onto floured greasproof paper). You will most likely have to reshape and re-roll the dough in order to cut the scones out efficiently.


Bake at the top of the oven at 220 (200 for fan ovens) for about 10 minutes until golden on top and cool on a wire rack.