Turkey and tarragon crepes

For all your left overs…..

this makes around 12 crepes.

Ingredients

For the crepes

• 60 g all-purpose flour
• 1 eggs
• 60 ml milk
• 60 ml water
• 0.8 g salt
• 15 g butter, melted

55 g butter

20 g finely chopped onion

30 g all-purpose flour

235 ml milk

180 ml chicken broth

60 ml dry white wine

 2g chopped dried tarragon or 1g freshly chopped tarragon

2 egg yolks

280 g diced cooked chicken

salt to taste

60 ml milk

 

Prepare a basic crepe recipe in advance. Crepes can be made and frozen up to several weeks ahead of time.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook 2 minutes. Stir in flour until blended. Slowly whisk in 1 cup milk, whisking constantly until smooth. Mix in broth, wine, and tarragon; stir over medium-low heat until thickened (about 4 minutes).

In a small bowl, gradually stir 3 tablespoons of the hot milk and broth sauce into the egg yolks; then pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking briskly. Cook 1 minute more, then remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, mix together half of the sauce with the chicken. Season with salt to taste.

Fill each crepe with 3 tablespoons of chicken mixture. Roll crepes, and place seam-side down in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Thin the remaining sauce with 1/4 cup milk, and pour over crepes.

Bake in a preheated oven 20 minutes, or until sauce begins to bubble.

This also works with dill, sage or more spicy spices such as paprika and cumin.

 

Eggnog -not typically British, but my current guilty pleasure

Ingredients

1. 2 pints milk
2. 5 whole cloves 
3. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4.  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5. 12 egg yolks
6. 12ozs caster sugar
7. 1 and 1/4 pints light rum
8. 2pints single cream
9. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10.  1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  Directions

1.  Combine milk, cloves, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and cinnamon in a saucepan, and heat over lowest setting for 5 minutes.
2.  Slowly bring milk mixture to a boil.
3. In a large bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar. Whisk together until fluffy.
4. Whisk hot milk mixture slowly into the eggs. Pour mixture into saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes, or until thick. Do not allow mixture to boil.
5. Strain to remove cloves, and let cool for about an hour.
6. Stir in rum, cream, 2 teaspoon vanilla, and nutmeg.
7. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

 

I’m back…..

Life got in the way…but my cooking has improved in my absence.

New recipes on the way…

Happy holidays

 

Coconut Ice

This is a good recipe for uncooked coconut ice. Perfect for Halloween candy or as a Christmas treat.

 

• 10oz Icing sugar
• 4 tbsps condensed milk
• 6 tbsps dessicated coconut
• a few drops of natural food colouring (pink)
• a few drops of strawberry flavouring

Mix together the condensed milk and the icing sugar, then add the dessicated coconut.

When mixture becomes stiff divide into two parts.

Colour and flavour one half of the mixture with the food colouring and flavouring.

On a brownie baking tray shape out the white mixture then shape out the pink mixture beside it, into two identical sized bars.

Press bars firmly together. Dust with sifted icing sugar and leave to firm.

 

 

Crispy Chilli Beef with broccoli

Serves 2, not suitable for freezing.

This is a nice fresh difference to the Chilli Beef you buy in from takeaways. However, you must cut the steak really thin if you want it to crisp up.

• 300g minute steak (thin cut sirloin sliced into strips)
• 3 tbsp cornflour
• 2 tsp chinese five spice powder
• 500ml vegetable oil for deep frying
• 2 cloves of garlic – sliced
• 5cm piece of root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 red chilli  – deseeded and finely chopped
• 5 tbsp caster sugar
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• juice of two limes
• 1/2 bunch spring onions – diagonally sliced.
• small head of broccoli – cut into florets

Put the cornflour onto a plate and mix in the chinese five spice.

Toss the steak into the cornflour and ensure you have an even coverage

Heat 2cm depth of oil in a wok and until very hot.

Fry the steak in batches until dark and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

Pour off most of the oil and stir fry the broccoli, garlic, ginger and chilli for 1 minute. Mix together the soy sauce and caster sugar, then add to the vegetables along with the lime juice.

Cook for two minutes.

Toss in the beef and spring onions and warm. Serve with rice or noodles.

 

 

Two tone fudge

This is a lovely creamy two tone fudge that is chocolate and vanilla combined.

Dark brown layer.

• 24ozs Granulated sugar
• 4 tbsp cocoa powder
• 11/2 tbsp golden syrup
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp butter
• 12 fl ozs double cream

Combine sugar, syrup, cocoa and cream in large pan. Stir and boil to 234F (Soft ball stage) stirring continuously.

At soft ball stage remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.

Beat until creamy but still of pouring consistancy.

Sugar thermometer in fudge at soft ball stage (234F)

Pour into a buttered dish to set.

Light brown layer

• 24ozs granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp golden syrup
• 12 fl ozs double cream
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp butter

Combine sugar, syrup and cream in large pan and mix. Boil to 234F (soft ball stage) stirring continuously.

Add butter and vanilla. Beat until creamy but still of pouring consistancy.

Pour on top of dark layer, they will not run into each other.

Allow to set.

 

Note: A sugar thermometer is the easiest way to achieve the soft ball stage, however you can do the soft ball test (see HELP ME page).

You can also add a vanilla pod seeds to the light layer for extra vanilla flavour.

Two tone fudge

 

Pancetta wrapped pork fillet withh Hasselback potatoes.

This can be prepared and even browned a few hours ahead, leaving just the final 25 minutes for baking.

Pork fillet is also known as tenderloin.

Ingredients

• 2kg pork fillet trimmed of fat and sinew
• a handful of mixed green herbs – tarragon, parsley, chives, thyme finely chopped
• about 20 thin slices of pancetta
• ground nut or vegetable oil

Fold the tail end of each fillet back over itself to make a barrel shape. Season the fillets, then cut each of them into individual portions of around 200g each. Roll each barrel fillet in the herbs so they are well covered.

Make a line of overlapping slices of pancetta, then place the pork fillet crossways on top and wrap up, smoothing the joins with your hands, the fat will hold everything in place.

Take a heavy frying pan and heat it over a medium flame. Add a little oil and when its very hot, fry the fillets in one or two batches, turning to colour them on all sides and seal the pancetta wrapper. Transfer the fillets to a wire rack set in a roasting tin.

Preheat oven to gas mark 7

Roast the pork for 10-12 minutes, then turn the fillets and cook for a further 10-12 minutes. Leave them to to rest for 5-10 minutes wrapped in foil.

Just before serving, cut each fillet in half at a wide angle.

Hasselback potatoes.

• sixteen medium size potatoes
• 55g buter
• olive oil
• finely grated parmesan
• white breadcrumbs

Peel the potatoes and leave them in cold salted water. Put the potato in the bowl of a big spoon and make crossways cuts at 1cm intervals, the rim of the spoon will control the depth of the cut.  Blot them with kitchen towel.

Preheat the oven to gas mark 7. Heat the butter and four tablespoons of oliveoil in a roasting pan.

Put the potatoes, cut side up and brush generously with the hot fat. Season and then roast for 45 minutes.

Take them out, brush with more fat and then sprinkle with parmesan and breadcrumbs,

Roast for a further 15 minutes or a bit longer if you didn’t put the parmesan on.

Remove when they are brown, crusty and tender.

 

Pancetta wrapped pork fillet,with hasselback potatoes.

 

Roast lamb rumps with red pesto

Serves 2   Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes (medium)                        25-30 minutes (Well done)      Ingredients: 2 x 150-175g/5½-6oz lean lamb rumps Salt and freshly milled black pepper For the red pesto: 1x 25-30g pack fresh basil leaves 25g/1oz pine nut kernels, lightly toasted 1 large garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped 50g/2oz sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and finely chopped 25-50g/1-2oz grated Parmesan cheese 150ml/¼pint extra virgin olive oil To garnish: Extra roasted pine nut kernels

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to Gas mark 4-5, 180-190°C, 350-375°F.
2. To prepare the red pesto, place all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and whizz together until combined, season and transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
3. Place the lamb rumps on a chopping board, season and spread with 30ml/2tbsp of the prepared pesto.  Transfer to a foil-lined metal rack in a roasting tin and cook according to your preference.
4. Transfer the lamb to a warm plate; lightly cover with foil and leave to rest for 2-3 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with the extra pine nuts, slice and serve with roasted or sautéed new potatoes, any remaining pan juices and dressed baby spinach leaves.

 

Tip:

Transfer any remaining pesto into a small jar, pour over a small layer of olive oil and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Alternatively, why not spread the pesto over a whole or half leg of lamb?  Half way during cooking, simply brush the pesto mixture over the joint and continue to roast to your preference.

 

Moroccan lamb steaks with spicy sauce

Ingredients
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 lamb leg steak, cut into 2 pieces
olive oil, for drizzling
¼ red onion, chopped
½ red pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 lime, juice only
20g/1oz fresh chives, cut into 2in pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 vacuum-packed vine leaves in brine, shredded, to decorate

 

Method
1. Mix the spices together and roll the lamb steaks in the spices and drizzle with the olive oil.
2. Heat a griddle pan until smoking hot, add the lamb and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove the lamb and keep warm.
3. Add to the pan the red onion, red pepper and garlic, and cook for two minutes.
4. Add the lime juice and chives and cook for another two minutes. Add the lamb and warm through. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5. To serve, spoon the sauce onto a plate, top with the lamb and garnish with the shredded vine leaves.

 

French Apple Tart

Ingredients:

For the pastry

• 115g/4oz unsalted butter, softened.
• 50g/2oz/4tbsp vanilla sugar#
• 1egg
• 225g/8oz plain flour

 

For the filling

• 50g/2oz/4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 5 large tart apples, peeled and sliced
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 300ml/1/2 pint double cream
• 2 egg yolks
• 25g/2oz vanilla sugar
• 50g/ 2oz ground almonds. toasted

Place butter and sugar in a food processor and blend well.Add in the egg sand blend again.

Add the flour and blend until you have a soft dough. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill it for 30 minutes

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 22-25cm/9 – 10in diameter

Line a flan tin with the pastry and chill it for a further 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to Gas mark 7/220C and place a baking tray in the oven to heat up. Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper and baking beans and blake blind on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Then remove the beans and paper and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Turn the oven down to 190C/Gas mark 5. To make the filling, melt the butter in a frying pan and lightly saute the apples for 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle the apples with lemon juice.

Beat in the cream and egg yolks with the sugar. Stir in the toasted almonds. Arrange the apple slices on top of the warm pastry and pour the cream mixture over.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the cream is just about set. It tastes much better if the cream is still slightly runny. Serve hot or cold.