All posts tagged recipes

Queen Of The Cupcakes Lily Vanilli Shows You How To Get Your Boys Into The Kitchen

Think of all the famous chefs you know. Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, Marcus Wareing, Heston Blumenthal, Marco Pierre White. Notice a trend? They’re all men. And traditionally, all the best bakers are male too. Recent research has shown that 46% of dads would rather BBQ than bake, but there is no reason why they would not excel in the kitchen.

The majority of baking at home is done by women, and there are also thousands of toys targeting young girls to help teach them to bake, even if it’s mud pies or a batch of imaginary muffins, however this is not the case for boys.

Now a new campaign is launching to show how easy it is for men and boys alike to express their creativity in the kitchen while retaining their masculinity. ‘Baking for Boys’ is an initiative coinciding with Fairtrade Fortnight – the Big Swap (Monday 22 February to Sunday 7 March), who are encouraging people to swap their usual products for Fairtrade ones. This could be switching to Fairtrade bananas or Tate & Lyle Fairtrade sugar which doesn’t cost you a penny more.

The research also shows that 47% of dads find baking with their child stressful. Well help is at hand. In the following video, cupcake queen Lily Vanilli and her godson Alfie prepare some simple and fantastic edible delicacies as she passes on her craft to an eager helper who shows men can bake.

To view the video directly in your browser click this link.

After the fold the recipes for Lily Vanilli’s Fairtrade Bacon and Banana Cake and Fairtrade Devil’s Food Ale Cakes…

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Two Valentine’s Day Recipes

Valentine’s Day gives us the perfect opportunity to treat that special someone to a romantic dinner at home. And this year, impressing the other half will be a doddle thanks to two of the UK’s finest chefs – Ainsley Harriott and Simon Rimmer.

The chefs have teamed up with Tabasco to develop some fantastic recipes demonstrating the versatility of the famous pepper sauce, and it just so happens that the following recipes have the perfect ingredients for ensuring a little romance.

With the renowned aphrodisiac qualities of shellfish, chocolate and, of course, chilli these delicious recipes will certainly turn up the heat!

AINSLEY HARRIOTT’S BAKED MUSSELS ON CHERRY TOMATO AND TABASCO RISOTTO

350g cherry tomatoes
1 red onion finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
300g risotto rice such as Arborio or Carnaroli
150ml white wine
750ml hot vegetable stock
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon Tabasco + extra to serve
1kg live mussels, cleaned
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pre-heat the oven 200c/400f gas mark 6. Place the cherry tomatoes in a large roasting tin and scatter over the onions. Drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and stir in the risotto rice, wine, stock, rosemary, teaspoon of Tabasco then return to the oven for 20 minutes until the rice is almost tender and the liquid has almost all been absorbed. Scatter the mussels over the top of the rice, cover tightly with foil and put back in the oven for a further 15 minutes. Take out of the oven, lift the foil and check the mussels, discarding any that have not opened. Scatter over the chopped parsley. Serve at the table immediately with a bottle of Tabasco for those who like an extra kick.

SIMON RIMMER’S TABASCO CHOCOLATE FUDGE PUDDING

450g/1lb dark chocolate, minimum 70 per cent cocoa solids
200g/7oz unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
10 free-range eggs
3 tbsp soured cream
300g/10½oz caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, split, seeds scraped out
200g/7oz plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp baking powder
10ml of Tabasco Pepper Sauce

For the sauce
250ml/9fl oz whipping cream
60g/2oz unsalted butter
100g/3½oz cocoa powder
100g/3½oz caster sugar
100g/3½oz soft dark brown sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
100g Strawberries and whipped cream to serve
Method
Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over simmering water. Whisk the eggs, sugar, soured cream and vanilla over simmering water for 5 minutes until fluffy and voluminous. Stir in the chocolate mixture. Sift the dry ingredients together, fold into the chocolate, together with the Tabasco. Spoon mixture into a lined ovenproof dish and bake at 160c/g3 for about 1 hour. Sauce – put it all in a pan and stir for 4-5 minutes until gooey and yummy. Serve a piece of pudding covered in sauce and a few delicious strawberries and cream.

  • Chocolate banana bread (gastronomydomine.com)
  • Madagascar Coffee and Walnut Cake (winecountry.co.za)
  • Chocolate and beetroot cake recipe (telegraph.co.uk)
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TV chef Sophie Michell’s top recipes for cooking with South African fruit

Whilst we are all attempting to stick to our New Year’s resolutions to lose those last few pounds and keep them off this winter, it doesn’t mean we cannot indulge in something sweet and tasty when we fancy it. We all crave a little sweetness in our diet now and again and fruit is an excellent way of getting part of your five a day whilst satisfying our sweet cravings.

Many of us may be suffering from the winter blues at the moment. But for those of us with a nagging sweet tooth, going ‘cold turkey’ does not have to be an option, as it’s possible to balance our taste for sweetness without having to compromise on our healthy lifestyle. The beautiful country of South Africa has some fantastic fruits available this winter, to keep you warm, full and healthy, including plums, peaches, nectarines and grapes.

So for those of us looking to satisfy our hunger pangs, fruit can provide a natural alternative to sugar that satisfies our sweet cravings without being too high in calories.

Here to help us is Sophie Michell, author, chef and presenter of Channel 4’s Cook Yourself Thin, with several great recipe ideas. From delicious roasted brown sugar plums to chargrilled nectarines, there are a variety of sweet fruit recipes that can provide that sugar fix the healthy way.

Clicking this video link should load the video straight into your browser.

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Maille Mustard Competition

Win the opportunity of a lifetime, courtesy of Maille, France’s leading mustard producer. The prize, which will be offered to one winner and their seven guests, on all Dijon and Wholegrain jars of Maille, is a sumptuous dinner prepared by highly acclaimed chef, author and food writer, Paul Gayler. Paul, who is the Executive Chef of The Lanesborough (one of London’s finest 5 star hotels), will create the most incredible feast incorporating Maille in each course. He will demonstrate the versatility of mustard and how, with a little bit of know how, it can be used to enhance all sorts of dishes – even desserts!

In order to be in with a chance, all you have to do is visit www.maille.co.uk and register; you’ll then be automatically entered into a draw. When visiting the site, look out for additional opportunities to enter more than once! If you’re not lucky enough to win the main prize, don’t worry, because fifty runners up will also receive a luxurious hamper filled with Maille merchandise and products - enough Maille to prepare your own fabulous feast.

The promotion will run in store from late November for around three months, but for those of you who fancy experimenting with Maille in the meantime, Paul has kindly developed these exclusive recipes plus a few mustardy tips…..

BAKED SALMON WITH MAILLE MUSTARD , LEMON AND CAPERS

4 X 170g Skinless Salmon fillets
1 tb MAILLE Dijon mustard
1 tb honey,warmed
Juice and zest of one lemon
1 beaten egg, mixed with a little cold water
150g white breadcrumbs
2 tb olive oil
50g unsalted butter
2tb superfine capers
1tb chopped flat leaf parsley
2 lemons, peel and pith removed, cut into slices
Salt, pepper

Mix the mustard and honey together and brush liberally over the salmon fillets
Season with salt and pepper
Dip the fillets into the beaten egg, then dredge through the breadcrumbs
Heat a large non stick frying pan, add the oil, when hot lay in the salmon fillets, and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.
Remove the cooked salmon and keep warm.
Remove any excess fat from the pan, and add the butter.
When the butter begins to foam up and turn golden, add the capers, parsley and zest and juice of the lemon.
Place the salmon on serving plates, top with the lemon slices, pour over the caper butter and serve immediately.

CELERIAC, POTATO AND MUSTARD SOUP
25 grams unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
1 small leek, chopped
1 medium sized celeriac, peeled and chopped
2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 l chicken stock
100 ml double cream
1 tsp MAILLE mustard
1 tbs chopped chives

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and leek, cover and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes until soft. Add the celeriac and potatoes and cook for a further two minutes. Pour on the chicken stock and bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth. Reheat the soup to the boil, whist in the mustard, cream and chives. Season to taste and serve.

Mustard tips:

• Add a little MAILLE Dijon mustard to a basic cheese sauce to accentuate the flavour of the sauce.
• MAILLE is delicious when mixed with a little honey and brushed on barbeque chicken or pork, great for barbeques.
• Add a little MAILLE mustard with tomato ketchup, great served with fish and chips.

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Cooking Seasonally With Pork

pork_dishPork is one of Britain’s favourite meats – yet many of us have no idea how to cook it, or what other foods to put with it bring out the full flavour.

We all know how to stick some bacon or sausages in a pan - some of us may also be a dab hand at creating a pork Sunday roast. However when it comes to cooking with more adventurous cuts like pork belly, shoulder, ribs or creating crackling, many of us are scared we will make a pig’s ear of it.

Pork is a very versatile meat – and an ideal accompaniment to a variety of flavours and ingredients, and can feed a family of four for less than any other red meat. There is also a multitude of ways to cook it.

Pork might not be the first meat that springs mind when it comes to cooking curries for example, but Spicy Pork Pumpkin Curry, which requires only five ingredients, is perfect served with crusty bread and seasonal vegetables as the evenings start to grow longer.

Of course no pork recipe collection would be complete without traditional Sunday roasts and family-favourite chops and the new Love Pork booklet doesn’t disappoint. So after a long day at work, give the Pork Chops Topped with Bramley Apple and Cheddar Cheese a try. Taking just 20 minutes to cook and using just four ingredients this dish couldn’t be easier.

Liz McClarnon will be touring the country from Monday 14th September to hold exclusive cookery demonstrations in London, Bournemouth, Cambridge, Derby, Chesterfield and Leeds. This is just one of the recipes that Celebrity Masterchef winner Liz McClarnon has devised for her Autumn Pork Collection. Below are details on how to make this and two other succulent pork dishes.

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