Posts by Jess

Lavender Shortbread

January 11, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

I’m afraid homemade shortbread is one of my weaknesses. This basic recipe has never failed me and has been handed down throughout the family. If you ever look at a shortbread recipe with more than 3 ingredients, chuck it and use this! Although a complete triumph on its own, I like to add a few cheeky additions now and again and here I had some fragrant lavender to hand. However, its open to experimentation with any flavours that get the heart racing, from lemon and poppy seed to ground hazelnuts or allspice. Lavenders one of those marmite flavours I think. Too much and it tastes like a bowl of your Grandma’s potpourri but added with a delicate hand it adds a quirky kick. I added an intuitive sprinkle to the basic recipe which is as follows. They’ll melt in your mouth like a snowman on an agar….believe me.

125g unsalted butter
175g plain flour
50g caster sugar
A sprinkle of lavender, lemon zest, ground nuts etc or any added extra flavour of your choice (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
In a food processor, mix all ingredients together until it forms a breadcrumb-like texture then continue until it comes together into a loose dough.
Before it forms a ball of dough, stop the machine and turn the mixture out onto a floured surface.
Form together into a ball using your hands. You can chill it now, wrapped in cling film, to let it rest but I’ve always found that the world will not end if you use it straight away, just make sure the room or your hands are not too hot as this will make it really soft when handling.
You can either roll it out onto a floured work surface and cut out into biscuit shapes or place as a thin whole sheet into a lined baking tin.
Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes for biscuits and 15-20 minutes for a thicker sheet in a baking tray but check regularly. They will be ready when golden but try and get them out just before they turn too brown to ensure that melt-in-the-mouth texture and that they are not too crunchy.

Dark Chocolate Sorbet

January 9, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

Nothing additional added. No secret extra ingredient. This hasn’t been fiddled with. I’m known for always adding twists and tweaks to recipes to add an extra special touch and style which is usually appreciated. However, after what must have been the 100th time at knocking out the standard cauliflower cheese for a mid week supper, I decided to explore the tasty addition of a few added flavours. Don’t get me wrong it was delicious but with a few glaucoma-like glares from the family, I soon realised some dishes are best left untouched. This is one of them. The chocolate flavour (and I am by no means a chocolate lover) confidently powers through like Usain Bolt in 100m final. As a milk chocolate hater but a 90-100% addict, this is perfect for the dark chocolate fans. Left alone, you can experiment with what its eaten with instead….This recipe was helped by one of my favourite ice cream master David Lebovitz.

555ml water
200g caster sugar
75g ‘Green & Blacks’ dark cocoa powder
Pinch salt
170g dark chocolate, chopped finely
Splash vanilla extract

In a saucepan, whisk together 375ml of the water, the sugar, the cocoa and the salt. Heat, whisking for a few minutes until all the cocoa is combined and mixed into a silky texture. It may not look like its going to mix but keep whisking.
Bring to the boil and bubble for about a minute, until a little more thickened and syrupy.
Remove from the heat and add the finely chopped chocolate and vanilla and whisk until the chocolate has melted. Add the 180ml of remaining water and mix.
Transfer to a blender and give it a few pulses to blend it all together thoroughly. Chill until cold.
Then churn in an ice cream maker until thick and soft textured (about 30-40 minutes)

Cornbread

January 8, 2013 Comments Off read Extras

I love this American derived cornbread as it has a really deep rich flavour. Our family loves a good bowl of spicy chilli and rice when the colder months hit but sometimes rice gets a bit dull and this makes a really hearty change. Cornbread is a traditional Southern American staple which I love! I’ve added popular ingredients like cheese, chilli and sweetcorn but the usual cornbread is actually fairly plain, made with polenta (cornmeal) and baking powder which makes it rise.

140g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp salt
125g polenta/cornmeal
1/2tsp chilli flakes
75g mature cheddar, grated
4 spring onions, chopped including the green tops
25g melted butter
2 eggs
150ml whole milk
150ml buttermilk
150g sweetcorn

Preheat the oven to 220°C.
Traditionally made in a skillet, I made mine in a flat square brownie tin (23cm x 23cm and 4cm deep) but also feel free to use a loaf tin. Grease and line with baking parchment.
Combine the first 9, dry, ingredients in a large bowl.
Whisk the eggs and milk together in a jug.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and, working quickly as the bicarbonate will begin to react with the buttermilk for the rising effect, whisk in the melted butter followed by the egg and milk. Stir in the sweetcorn, and transfer quickly to the prepared tin.
Bake in the centre of the oven for about 20 minutes until golden and cooked.
This is best served warm with salty butter and a bowl of steaming chilli, soured cream and guacamole smothered all over the top like there’s no tomorrow.

My favourite foodie Christmas gift….

January 6, 2013 Comments Off read Uncategorized

Naturally this year I received a range of cooking related presents for Christmas, from cookbooks to knives to a, what feels like, 20 tonne granite pestle and mortar that was ‘wrapped’ and tagged innocently with ‘Dear Jessie…..for when you get cross….’ These were all much appreciated and loved, but by far my favourite gift was from my best friend and dining partner in crime. With a creative flare she casually knocked out this little beauty……….. (For more of her amazing work, head to KV Studios)

Palmiers

January 3, 2013 Comments Off read Extras

almiers. Crispy, buttery, puff pastry filled with delicious filling and a perfect savoury nibble to follow a glass of Champagne at New Year or for a dinner party! I made these with a collection of leftover ingredients that were cluttering up the fridge but as usual whenever I assume ingredients a write-off, they turn into something much more sophisticated than anticipated. You can put anything inside these, sweet with sugar and cinnamon or savoury cheeses, meats or spreads. For these two variations I made a red pesto, basil and Parma ham version and a black olive, feta and rosemary alternative!

(Makes about 40)

2 x ready rolled puff pastry sheets (or buy a block and roll it out into a long rectangle about 35cm about 1 pound coin thickness)
1 pack Parma ham slices
2 tbsp red pesto
Handful basil leaves
Handful of crumbled feta cheese
1 sprig of rosemary, leaves picked, chopped finely
2 tbsp black olive spread
1 egg, beaten

Roll the first pastry sheet out onto a floured surface with the short edge of the rectangle facing you.
Spread with the red pesto evenly over the entire sheet
Sprinkle with the torn basil leaves
Now line up the Parma ham slices down the rectangle
Brush some beaten egg down the two outermost long edges and then starting on one side, tightly roll into the centre. Do the same on the other side, keeping the pastry tight until it meets in the centre with the other side.
Brush a little beaten egg between the touching rolls, wrap tightly in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Repeat this process with the feta, olive spread and rosemary following the same principle or with whatever ingredients you like
Preheat the oven to 200°C
Once both ‘log’ have rested for 30 minutes, remove from the fridge and line a baking tray with parchment. Cut the puff pastry logs into about 1.5cm slices with a sharp knife (or thicker if you like) and line on the baking tray
Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until golden, crispy and cooked through
Leave to cool a little and serve warm with some bubbly!

Red pesto, basil and Parma ham palmiers

Feta, black olive and rosemary palters.

WINE: Of should I say something sparkling? Try with a crisp dry Champagne, English sparkling wine or a Prosecco. Try Biancavigna, Prosecco Spumante available at Armit Wines.

Pannacotta with salted caramel

January 1, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

This was everything you’d could want in a dinner party dessert for a special occasion such as New Years eve where this little treat made a welcome appearance. It’s creamy, sweet, satisfying and elegant and will fill that sweet spot when you think there is just no room left after, perhaps an evening full of decadent dinning and some good fizz. Naturally as the choice for the hidden surprise I had to add salted caramel due to my love of salt and its increasing popularity as the foodie trend of 2012! Served alongside some mini tartlets filled with hazelnut or ginger mascarpone topped with diced pear and shards of honeycomb, I think its safe to say these were crowd pleasers…..

Pannacotta (serves 6)

250ml double cream
250ml milk
1 vanilla pod, seeds removed
2 ½ gelatine leaves
50g caster sugar

Salted Caramel

200ml single cream
125g caster sugar
2 tsp runny honey
2 tsp water
Large pinch of maldon salt

Begin with the salted caramel. Place the cream in a saucepan and warm gently on a low heat.
Meanwhile, heat the runny honey in another saucepan for a few minutes. Add the water and the caster sugar and allow to dissolve.
Once dissolved, let it bubble for about 5 minutes and it will begin to turn golden. Watch it closely, giving it a swirl every so often.
Continue to bubble until golden and caramel coloured. Do not let it get too dark or it will begin to burn and taste bitter.
Once it reaches the right golden colour (being VERY careful as it will splutter at you) stir in 1/3 of the warm cream and stir. Add the rest of the cream and stir, keeping it on the heat and bubbling for about 2 minutes until syrup-like and smooth.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool (this can also be used for smothering over ice cream to heart attack inducing levels or to line a pastry case for a twist on banoffee pie. It also goes really well with salted peanuts, peanut butter or chocolate)
Now begin on the pannacotta. Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, warm the cream, milk, sugar, vanilla seeds (pop the pod in as well) on a gentle heat until the sugar is dissolved. Bring up to the near boil and then remove from the heat. Remove the vanilla pod.
Squeeze the excess water from the softened gelatine leaves and whisk into the the hot cream until dissolved.
Get your serving glasses or ramekins (glass works well as you can see the layers) and spoon about 2 tbsp of cooled salted caramel into each base. Top with the panncotta mixture, carefully to avoid it disturbing the lower layer but this is not a problem if you do.
Place in the fridge and leave to set for a minimum of 3 hours

Mini sweet pastry tart cases filled with a hazelnut mascarpone and a ginger mascarpone cream, topped with diced pear and honeycomb…..

Chocolate Mousse with bling……..

December 29, 2012 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

This was the perfect little dessert this Christmas time. A really light, simple chocolate mousse that even a academically and domestically challenged young child could manage, spiked with some extra flavours and accessorized with some crunchy gold shards of honeycomb and melting pecan shortbreads to add the Christmas sparkle. It was perfect to shove onto a big wooden board and plonk into the middle of the table at the end of a tiresome boxing day marathon meal for your guests to greedily help themselves to as they wish.

Chocolate Mousse (Serves 6)

150g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
50g nutella
125ml double cream
50 ml milk
4 eggs whites
25g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Heat the cream, milk and vanilla in a pan until just beginning to boil. Then quickly remove from the heat and add the chocolate.
Mix until melted, smooth and shiny
In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add the caster sugar spoonful by spoonful until the meringue is shiny and glossy.
Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate, a third at a time, keeping as much air in as possible.
Once all has been combined, spoon into individual glasses or ramekins and chill in the fridge for about 2 hours.
I served mine with some shortbread biscuits and some crispy honeycomb!

Honeycomb

100g caster sugar
4 tbsp golden syrup
1.5 tsp bicarbonate soda

Begin by spreading out a large sheet of parchment on a cold flat surface and oil lightly.
Mix the sugar and syrup in a pan until dissolved. Do not stir once dissolved but swirl the pan to combine
Bubble for a few minutes until it begins to turn golden brown. It will be very hot so be careful. Watch closely, if it does not boil long enough it won’t set, too long and it will taste bitter
Once it turns golden, remove from the heat and working quickly add the bicarbonate of soda and whisk briefly. It will bubble fiercely. Once it has aerated, quickly tip onto the parchment and leave to cool and set solid.
Break into shards and book a dentist appointment before enjoying, dipped into your chocolate mousse!

Pea and Smoked Ham Tart with Parmesan parsnips

December 28, 2012 Comments Off read Meat, Vegetables and Salads

This is a pleasingly alternative and delicious use of Christmas leftovers after exhausting the usual recipes with the turkey. My brief from the family for dinner was a light, fresh but tasty meal after a heavy week of Christmas delights, rich meats and glasses of guilt. So, with a fridge full or assorted cheeses, a cooked smoked ham and a few of our giant allotment parsnips that were looking very sorry for themselves, I enthusiastically took up the mission.

Cheesey Shortcrust pastry

100g wholemeal flour
150g plain flour
125g unsalted butter, cubed
70g cheddar cheese, grated plus and reserved handful
Salt and pepper
Cold water

Filling

250g frozen peas
3 eggs
75g creme fraiche
Juice of half lemon
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard (optional)
A few large handfuls of smoked ham, cubed or flaked into pieces
Salt and pepper
Splash of milk

Begin with the pastry. Preheat the oven to 200°C. In a food processor, combine all the pastry ingredients, except the water, and blitz to form a breadcrumb-like texture. Or rub the butter into the flour by hand.
Tip out into a bowl and add cold water, spoonful by spoonful, and mix in with a knife until you have a mixture that forms a dough when your gently press together with your hands. Form a ball of dough.
Roll into a disc shape, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, line a tart tin (I used one about 23cm wide but use whatever is to hand) with parchment and butter the sides. This recipe in my case lined two tart tins so I made two and froze one for another time.
After 30 minutes, thinly roll out your pastry on a floured surface and use it to line the tin, pressing the pastry up the sides. Prick all over with a fork to prevent it rising up while baking.
Line the tine with parchment and fill snugly with baking beans or rice if your don’t have any beans.
Blind bake for about 20 minutes until the edges are golden.
Remove the beans and parchment and bake for another 5-10minutes until the base is cooked and crisp. Brush with a bit of beaten egg to seal the fork pricks and return for 1 minutes. Remove and leave to cool.
Make the filling. Boil the peas for a few minutes until cooked. Drain and cool thoroughly with cold water.
Reserve a handful of the peas and puree the rest in a processor or mash with a fork until you form a coarse paste. Add the lemon juice, seasoning, mustard, eggs and creme fraiche. Blitz again in the processor to mix thoroughly.
Add a splash or so of milk to form a texture that is loose but not too watery, a bit like custard.
Sprinkle the base of the pre-baked tart case with the flaked ham and the reserved whole peas.
Fill this with the egg custard until distributed evenly and full but making sure it dose not overflow the edges of the pastry case. You may not need it all.
Scatter over the remaining grated cheddar and bake in the oven at 190°C for about 25-30 minutes until the middle is cooked and set.
Grate over a bit of lemon zest and serve with a green salad and some crispy baked Parmesan coated parsnips in my case….!

Parmesan Parsnips

2-3 parsnips, peeled and cut into batons shaped
200g brown bread crumbs
100g finely grated Parmesan cheese
Handful of flour
2 beaten eggs
Sunflower oil or light olive oil

Preheat the oven to 190°C
Boil the parsnips in water for about 4-5 minutes until tender and soft when pierced with a knife but still with a bit of resistance.
Drain and allow to steam for a few minutes.
Set up 3 bowls. Fill one with seasoned flour, another with beaten egg and the third with the breadcrumbs combined with the grated cheese.
When the parsnips have cooled slightly, dip into the flour, then the beaten egg and finally coat in the breadcrumb mix.
Repeat this with the remaining parsnips and place them on a lined baking tray.
Drizzle generously with sunflower oil and bake in the oven, turning halfway through, for 30 minutes until crisp and golden

Green Chutney

December 17, 2012 Comments Off read Extras

This green chutney is undoubtedly packed full of herby flavour and is the PERFECT addition to the Indian marinated lamb (or chicken) we scoffed…

About 35g coriander, stalks included (or a big bunch)
35g mint leaves
1 garlic clove
2.5cm ginger, grated or chopped
½ small onion
1 green chilli, seeds removed
15-20 pistachio nuts
2 tbsp lemon juice, grated zest of half a lemon
salt
3 tbsp water
1-2 tbsp yoghurt

Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.
Process until thoroughly chopped. I added a couple of heaped tablespoon of natural yoghurt just to make it more ‘spoonable’ but feel free to add lots more if you’re after a more cooling chutney! Toasted coconut is also a nice addition!

Kohlrabi, Apple and Celeriac Winter Coleslaw with Falafel

December 7, 2012 Comments Off read Vegetables and Salads

What the hell do you do with a kohlrabi you ask….What does it taste like…..? Its a lovely refreshing root vegetable with a similar taste to celery and mild celeriac. Shaved raw it went really nicely with some apple, celeriac and crumbled toasted walnuts, tossed with a tangy creamy yoghurt dressing for a winter coleslaw. I served my cool coleslaw stuffed generously into the floury arms of a warm pitta bread, some comforting Moroccan spiced falafel, a squeeze of lime and a scatter of coriander…..

Coleslaw

1 kohlrabi, peeled
½ celeriac, peeled
1 Cox apple
Handful of toasted, crushed walnuts
120g plain natural yoghurt
1 heaped tbsp mayonnaise
1 teaspoon of fennel seeds
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Flat leaf parsley, chopped

I used the blade attachment on my Magimix to get the shaved sticks from the kohlrabi and celeriac (However, you could grate them or slice on a mandolin but the processor makes it a lot easier) I recommend slicing the apple into matchstick by hand as they are quite juicy when put into the processor.
Combine the shredded kohlrabi and celeriac in a large bowl in roughly similar amounts. Add the apple.
Toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan, then crush and add to the vegetables.
Toast the fennel seeds similarly and crush in a pestle and mortar.
To make the dressing, mix the yoghurt, mayo, fennel seeds, chopped parsely and season to taste. Add enough lemon juice to taste to give it a nice punchy flavour.
Toss the dressing with the vegetables. Add as much as you like for the desired texture.

Falafel (makes about 14)

1 can chickpeas
1 red chilli
1 bunch coriander and in addition, either mint, parsley, basil or whatever is in season or takes your fancy
1 garlic clove
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp yoghurt
Salt and pepper
Splash of extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ heaped tsp of the following mix of ground Spice Mix (toast 1tsp of each fennel, cumin, coriander and fenugreek seed with 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cardamon pods and 1 star anise in a dry frying pan until hot, fragrant and beginning to pop, remove and grind in a pestle and mortar until fine).
Approx 50g fine white breadcrumb

Place all the ingredients except the oil into a food processor and pulse until well combined, scrapping the mixture down from the sides every now and then.
Add a splash of oil to loosen but do not allow the mixture to become too loose (This is my hummus recipe too, so if you want hummus and not falafel, simply add more oil to get a spoonable texture)
Now place the mixture into a bowl and mix in enough breadcrumbs until the mixture is stiffer. It should be stiff enough to roll into about 14 golf ball sized falafel. If it is too wet, add some more breadcrumbs.
Now roll into about 14 falafel balls and fry in hot oil until crisp on the outside and fluffy in the middle.