The rain starts to fall, a drop at a time but before long it's bucketing down as if gods sink had blocked and in a desperate attempt not to flood the heavens he's got every saint and sinner chucking buckets of water on to earth - so I cook and let him get on with it.
Lamb is, it has to be said one of my favourite meats. I wasn't too keep on it as a child but I can still remember where and when I feel in love with it. For those who know me and have dined with me know I love small, quirky, independent restaurants, especially French ones. It was in one such restaurant on Berwick street in London where the love affair began and in no better format than that of a shank. Lamb is at it's best around early summer, after giving them time to graze (at their on pace), allowing their meat to develop flavour. So when it's "out of season" slow cooking is my preferred method as it really draws out the full flavour. My executive decision of the day, there has to be one in every day, was to have lamb on the menu. This is a great winter warmer, simply yet full of flavour and mmmm oh so moreish!!
You need;
1kg lamb shoulder
4 medium onions
small glass of white wine - keep the rest for dinner ;)
4 garlic gloves
2 large tomatoes
400g white beans (or similar)
1pt water
bouquet garni - I like to use it fresh from my herb garden but I also have the bought version in my cupboard for the winter months when my herb garden has wilted - which I used today
olive oil
Prep
Tim the lamb of excess fat and cut meat up into chunks
Slice up the onions
Chop the garlic cloves
Peel, seeded and chop the tomatoes - if you want to know the best way to do this check out instructions on my post "homemade pasta with sausage and chili tomato sauce"
Heat 2 Tsp of oil in a large pot then add the chunks of lamb and brown all over
Remove lamb for pot, reduce heat and throw in the sliced onions
cook onions until they are soft, stirring regularly - 10 mins or so
Add the wine and water (sounds like something from the bible)
Add the chunks of lamb again, with the bone - this helps give a great flavour and it's also a special treat for my dog :)
Add the garlic, bouquet garni and tomatoes and season with salt and pepper
Sit back with a glass of wine and let it simmer for an hr or so.
Then add the beans and again leave to simmer for another hr or so.
Remove the bouquet garni and your ready to serve.
This is great with rice or mashed potatoes but equally as good on it's own
Monday, 17 January 2011
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Why January is not the month for dieting and extreme detoxing
After weeks of celebrations - work do's full of over indulgent nights of festive meals and copious alcohol - time with friends, utilising the season of goodwill to celebrate what we should all year round, with shopping, shots, suppers and for those who are inclined or profusely drunk, singing galore, and this is all before we get to sit down with family for what includes 3 days of none stop drinking, eating and for most fighting. Then with the week build up to new years we continue the indulgence in part because the country seems to come to a halt with the exception of the same heart-beat increasing activity of exercise; January sale shopping!!!Then comes the ultimate in celebrations, the end of one and the beginning of a new year. A night that is celebrated to the max - though whether this is for a fantastic year just gone, a year best left behind or the beginning of something new, a new beginning, a new start, a once in a year chance to start to follow our dreams and live a happier existence - is purely dependant on the individual. No matter what the reasons, the celebrations are just as extravagant and indulgent.
Though, in the northern hemisphere, the shortest day has been and gone - 21st December, which in 2010, due to the lunar eclipse, was the shortest day in nearly 400 years - spring is far from here. The cold wintry days of northerly winds and icy rain will undoubtedly continue through January and into February. With no "reason" to celebrate, the self induced pressure to change for the new year and the continued darkness in the days it is now that we need to love our bodies more than ever. Tiredness, lack of motivation, extra weight and forms of depression or SAD are all too common. Starving our bodies or putting them through extreme changes in diet is a recipe for disaster. January is a month of re balance and nourishment, both for our bodies, which have gone through weeks of debauchery, and our minds, which with the continued lack of sun light, rolling bills, vast drop in celebrations, increase in VAT, etc, need essential nutrients to cope. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not claiming the cure for depression or financial pressures, I'm just sharing, from personal experience, how food plays an important role in helping us cope through.
February, for all those who wish, with the longer days and warming sunny mornings, is a better and albeit more likely to succeed time to alter your diet.
So for now, let's re balance our bodies and fuel our minds with some good wholesome food recipes for January
On Sunday I roasted a chicken for dinner, stuffed with chunks of onions and whole garlic gloves and plugged with an apple which was accompanied with mango rice - I was a bit over the veg after the Christmas feasting and there was a mango sitting in my fruit bowl staring at me for days, wondering if I was ever going to take any notice of her. Well I did and she married very well with the rice :)
As if by magic, Monday morning I wake with the sniffles!! I had watch over the previous month as everyone close to me fell foul to one bug or another, sympathising with their pain but not daring to empathise for fear of tempting faith! Alas, it had caught me but really at no better time, as the chicken carcase was still fresh and on the verge of chucking to be made into a wholesome heart chicken soup. As much as I love home made chicken soup and swear by it's miraculous powers of well being I was wanting for something different. Without a further thought out came some pine nuts, which I began to roast in my big boiling pot, as they were I quickly chopped up some onions in large chunks and just as the nuts began to golden and their sweet nutty aroma filled the room in went the onions on top, where I allowed them to soften, almost caramelise, a little bit of water added to deglaze the pot and lock in those flavours and them the chicken carcase which was then covered with water and seasoned, lowering the heat I left it to simmer away for a few hours. After a few hours, with the carcase fallen apart I began the rather boring task of "de-carcassing" the broth. So with my delicious chicken soup base which I brought back to a simmer I added what was left of some frozen veg (which I always have in the freezer in case I ever get snowed in) and noddles which I had a the back of my cupboard - even I get surprise at what I find back there sometimes!! 5 minutes later I was serving up the final dish, with it's subtle nutty flavour it was divine, totally wholesome and ultimately body loving - Perfect January food!!
Though, in the northern hemisphere, the shortest day has been and gone - 21st December, which in 2010, due to the lunar eclipse, was the shortest day in nearly 400 years - spring is far from here. The cold wintry days of northerly winds and icy rain will undoubtedly continue through January and into February. With no "reason" to celebrate, the self induced pressure to change for the new year and the continued darkness in the days it is now that we need to love our bodies more than ever. Tiredness, lack of motivation, extra weight and forms of depression or SAD are all too common. Starving our bodies or putting them through extreme changes in diet is a recipe for disaster. January is a month of re balance and nourishment, both for our bodies, which have gone through weeks of debauchery, and our minds, which with the continued lack of sun light, rolling bills, vast drop in celebrations, increase in VAT, etc, need essential nutrients to cope. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not claiming the cure for depression or financial pressures, I'm just sharing, from personal experience, how food plays an important role in helping us cope through.
February, for all those who wish, with the longer days and warming sunny mornings, is a better and albeit more likely to succeed time to alter your diet.
So for now, let's re balance our bodies and fuel our minds with some good wholesome food recipes for January
On Sunday I roasted a chicken for dinner, stuffed with chunks of onions and whole garlic gloves and plugged with an apple which was accompanied with mango rice - I was a bit over the veg after the Christmas feasting and there was a mango sitting in my fruit bowl staring at me for days, wondering if I was ever going to take any notice of her. Well I did and she married very well with the rice :)
As if by magic, Monday morning I wake with the sniffles!! I had watch over the previous month as everyone close to me fell foul to one bug or another, sympathising with their pain but not daring to empathise for fear of tempting faith! Alas, it had caught me but really at no better time, as the chicken carcase was still fresh and on the verge of chucking to be made into a wholesome heart chicken soup. As much as I love home made chicken soup and swear by it's miraculous powers of well being I was wanting for something different. Without a further thought out came some pine nuts, which I began to roast in my big boiling pot, as they were I quickly chopped up some onions in large chunks and just as the nuts began to golden and their sweet nutty aroma filled the room in went the onions on top, where I allowed them to soften, almost caramelise, a little bit of water added to deglaze the pot and lock in those flavours and them the chicken carcase which was then covered with water and seasoned, lowering the heat I left it to simmer away for a few hours. After a few hours, with the carcase fallen apart I began the rather boring task of "de-carcassing" the broth. So with my delicious chicken soup base which I brought back to a simmer I added what was left of some frozen veg (which I always have in the freezer in case I ever get snowed in) and noddles which I had a the back of my cupboard - even I get surprise at what I find back there sometimes!! 5 minutes later I was serving up the final dish, with it's subtle nutty flavour it was divine, totally wholesome and ultimately body loving - Perfect January food!!
Monday, 20 September 2010
Arroz al Horno - rice in the oven
The last week or so has been inspiring, supporting and nothing short of exciting!!
Firstly I have a Spanish tenant - when building your own business you need to be very resourceful and I decided to rent out my spare room. Susana, my tenant, is a true joy to have around. Not only does she love food and consequently my cooking but she also brings a different dimension to my life. Never before have I had someone stand behind me, watching and taking notes of every dish I prepare. To add to this, as she is here learning English, I also need to describe what I'm doing in the clearest way possible so that she understands the recipes. She has said that she came to London to learn English but is delighted to have not only learned English but also had copious cooking classes too!! Though I wasn't letting here away with just taking my recipes, I wanted some of hers too!! :) Not only to learn some of her national and regional dishes but also to savour the beauty of being cooked for - it's a rare treat for me and were it not for my sister in law Maria (who's south American cooking I adore) it would be rarer than rare - blue in fact!! Under my watchful eye, Susana has prepared the classic Tortilla de Patatas Fritas, Arroz al Horno and, uncharacteristically, a Lasagna. Susana is a self professed disaster in the kitchen but I found her care free "add some of this to a bit of that" attitude to cooking rather intriguing and I must confess all dishes were simply delicious!! The Arroz al Horno - translated means "rice in the oven" - is a dish from Valencia, Susana's home town. Don't let the name fool you, this dish is more than just rice! I wanted to share this wonderful recipe with you but Susana doesn't work with quantities so I need to prepare it myself and write down the correct quantities before I share it with you :) I'll post the recipe in a few days
I wish I could say with all sincerely that life as a caterer was a glossy as cooking up some delicious dishes for people and tasting other peoples food creations but, alas, it is far from that. There have been many weeks trying to build or follow up on leads for events with what initially appears to be little response. It's to be expected, calling in the caterers is not something that you do every day. However by the end of this week I was genuinely humbled by the support of those I had discussed Edesia Caterers with and their proactive interest in building the business, drawing on their own contacts and embracing me and Edesia Caterers into their circles. Frances who runs Sanglier Wines, a wine merchant dealing directly with wines from the south of France and in particular the Languedoc region, was just one. Our businesses share the same business ethics which is why we are affiliated. If you care for good wine, responsibly source from a wine merchant with personal relationships with the vineyards then Frances at Sanglier Wines is definitely someone to keep in mind. She has an offer on some wines at the moment which I'd highly recommend, check out this link if you're looking for wines with a difference http://www.sanglier-wines.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=Special002
One special thing that came out of this week was that Edesia Caterers will be getting involved in our first charity event. The event, held on the 31st October, is the first of it's kind in London. Cupcake Camp London, is an open to the public event with what will probably be the biggest cupcake event ever!!! (don't quote me on that :) ) From Edesia Caterers, I'm donating cupcakes for the event which is to raise money for the North London Hospice. There is also a cupcake competition, with 6 different categories to enter into which I'll be submitting a special entry for - I think I've a winner on my my hands but I'll reveal what it is the day of the competition :) Check the event out at www.cupcakecamplondon.co.uk - put it in your diaries and make sure you get down there!! It's a very worth cause and bound to be a lot of fun and really!!?? who can resist a cupcake camp!!!
Speaking of which, back to my mixer I go to get the perfect cupcake!!
Firstly I have a Spanish tenant - when building your own business you need to be very resourceful and I decided to rent out my spare room. Susana, my tenant, is a true joy to have around. Not only does she love food and consequently my cooking but she also brings a different dimension to my life. Never before have I had someone stand behind me, watching and taking notes of every dish I prepare. To add to this, as she is here learning English, I also need to describe what I'm doing in the clearest way possible so that she understands the recipes. She has said that she came to London to learn English but is delighted to have not only learned English but also had copious cooking classes too!! Though I wasn't letting here away with just taking my recipes, I wanted some of hers too!! :) Not only to learn some of her national and regional dishes but also to savour the beauty of being cooked for - it's a rare treat for me and were it not for my sister in law Maria (who's south American cooking I adore) it would be rarer than rare - blue in fact!! Under my watchful eye, Susana has prepared the classic Tortilla de Patatas Fritas, Arroz al Horno and, uncharacteristically, a Lasagna. Susana is a self professed disaster in the kitchen but I found her care free "add some of this to a bit of that" attitude to cooking rather intriguing and I must confess all dishes were simply delicious!! The Arroz al Horno - translated means "rice in the oven" - is a dish from Valencia, Susana's home town. Don't let the name fool you, this dish is more than just rice! I wanted to share this wonderful recipe with you but Susana doesn't work with quantities so I need to prepare it myself and write down the correct quantities before I share it with you :) I'll post the recipe in a few days
I wish I could say with all sincerely that life as a caterer was a glossy as cooking up some delicious dishes for people and tasting other peoples food creations but, alas, it is far from that. There have been many weeks trying to build or follow up on leads for events with what initially appears to be little response. It's to be expected, calling in the caterers is not something that you do every day. However by the end of this week I was genuinely humbled by the support of those I had discussed Edesia Caterers with and their proactive interest in building the business, drawing on their own contacts and embracing me and Edesia Caterers into their circles. Frances who runs Sanglier Wines, a wine merchant dealing directly with wines from the south of France and in particular the Languedoc region, was just one. Our businesses share the same business ethics which is why we are affiliated. If you care for good wine, responsibly source from a wine merchant with personal relationships with the vineyards then Frances at Sanglier Wines is definitely someone to keep in mind. She has an offer on some wines at the moment which I'd highly recommend, check out this link if you're looking for wines with a difference http://www.sanglier-wines.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=Special002
One special thing that came out of this week was that Edesia Caterers will be getting involved in our first charity event. The event, held on the 31st October, is the first of it's kind in London. Cupcake Camp London, is an open to the public event with what will probably be the biggest cupcake event ever!!! (don't quote me on that :) ) From Edesia Caterers, I'm donating cupcakes for the event which is to raise money for the North London Hospice. There is also a cupcake competition, with 6 different categories to enter into which I'll be submitting a special entry for - I think I've a winner on my my hands but I'll reveal what it is the day of the competition :) Check the event out at www.cupcakecamplondon.co.uk - put it in your diaries and make sure you get down there!! It's a very worth cause and bound to be a lot of fun and really!!?? who can resist a cupcake camp!!!
Speaking of which, back to my mixer I go to get the perfect cupcake!!
Friday, 10 September 2010
Quiche Lorraine recipe
It's been a busy two weeks, for many of us. What with the August holidays coming to an end, getting ourselves back into the swing of our work routines and dropping the kids off to the first day of school term, transport strikes and the likes. I laughed when I heard one friend describe the reaction of her son as she drove up to the school front, "oh no, not this place again", he moaned! A classic line, I had felt the same, deep in my gut at the beginning of each school term but had not the courage to ever let it pass my lips - or did I? No doubt my mother could recall, though the advantage to being from a large family of 8 is that as adults, though she remembers things being said or happening, more often than not she can't recall exactly who where the culprits :)
As for not being able to recall things, I'm finding it increasingly difficult to keep tabs on who comes and goes from my house. The thought of putting a sign-in sign-out book had crossed my mind but then again how anal can someone really get!!! Don't get me wrong, that is in no way a complaint, I love a full house. The hustle and bustle, the constant chatter and laughter and of course, food being prepared and eaten!! Take last Friday for example where I had a busy morning costing out some recipes for Edesia Caterers with full expectation of having a friend pop in for afternoon tea and later family over for dinner. It was to be a simple Quiche Lorraine and salad for dinner and I thought I should whip up something sweet at some point too, considering I had a stream of visitors over the next 24 hrs. There had been a carrot cake on my mind for the past 3 days. You know that constant niggling feeling, that little craving deep inside, the one the harder you try to push away the strong it comes back, eventually resorting to playing visual mind games with you, where by the book you are reading suddenly becomes a carrot cake, moist and rich with the sweet aroma of carrot, cinnamon and walnut filling the air you breath. Well that's what I had, and no longer could I put up with the embarrassment of longing looking at a book while sitting in my local cafe, mouth open, on the verge of salivating (had I not forgot my manners) so carrot cake it was going to be.
Now the art to life is timing. From being in the right place at the right time with the right attitude, albeit not always an easy feat but that's why it's so important to start each day focusing on the positive we have been blessed with. The same goes for food and my day had been planned out to incorporate my guests timings and my own work. However, flexibility in life, especially in a cosmopolitan lifestyle, is also key, as I undoubtedly found out this very day. A panic phone call from my afternoon tea guest profusely apologising but in desperate need of a cake, as she herself had a dinner party to attend after our catch up. Well I knew what I had to offer and that it would go down a treat at her dinner party but to have it all ready, including cooling time for icing the cake so it could travel and stay in one piece plus have dinner ready was going to be a challenge. I couldn't leave a damsel in distress, now could I!?
I would like to be able to say it all went without a glitch but I would be lying. In a desperate attempt to get the cake to cool down as quickly as possible so I could ice it and have it set and ready for travel I removed it far too soon from the cake tin and it FELL APART!!!!!! Needless to say my guest, who had arrived at this point, was in fits of laughter at my miss fortune - and what could have been hers!!! But here's the beauty of icing!! it can cover up a million sins, and create a few new ones too. So like a child's big piece jigsaw I pieced the cake back to one and let cool on a wire rack. A while later it was iced and boxed and ready to go and no-one, except myself and my friend (and now you incidentally), knew any different. I hear it went down a treat at the dinner party. Hurray!! :)
Now in between all this I had a Quiche Lorraine to prepare, which needed use of the oven 3 times!!, twice for blind baking the pastry and once for the final bake, at a different temperature to the cake too, so they had to play musical ovens, so as to speak. But all in all it was a success. The quiche was divine, here's the recipe so give it a try.
Quiche Lorraine recipe - serves 4
Shortcrust pastry recipe (or you can buy ready made shortcrust pastry)
You need;
170g plain flour
100g butter - at room temperature
salt - just a pinch
1 egg yolk
ice cold water
Sift flour with salt in a large bowl
With your fingers rub the butter through the flour until all the butter is incorporated - it should then look similar to a bowl of breadcrumbs - kids love this part so get them involved!
Beat the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of the water
Pour the egg/water mixture over flour/butter and mix to a firm dough
Wrap dough in cling film and refrigerate for 30 mins
Roll your dough out and line your flan tin (8 inch) with it - again refrigerate until dough is firm
In a preheated oven of 200 degrees blind bake your pastry
wet
For the filling you need;
a nob of butter (roughly 10g)
1 large onion - sliced
80g of bacon - roughly cut
150ml milk
150ml single cream
2 eggs - beaten
1 egg yolk
60g cheddar cheese - finely grated
2 teaspoons chopped thyme
salt and pepper to season
In a sauce pan over a low heat melt the butter and add the onion
Cover with a lid and cook until onions soften - do not over cook the onions
Then add the bacon and cook through - but again do not over cook the bacon, they should be cooked through but not browning
When cooked remove from the pan
In a bowl mix together the rest of the ingredients and season
Put bacon and onions into your baked pastry case and pout over the egg/cream mixture, filling it to the brim
Place quiche in lower part of a preheat oven at 170 degrees for 40 minutes
tip: different ovens vary so make sure the filling has set
Great served hot or cold with a fresh salad
As for not being able to recall things, I'm finding it increasingly difficult to keep tabs on who comes and goes from my house. The thought of putting a sign-in sign-out book had crossed my mind but then again how anal can someone really get!!! Don't get me wrong, that is in no way a complaint, I love a full house. The hustle and bustle, the constant chatter and laughter and of course, food being prepared and eaten!! Take last Friday for example where I had a busy morning costing out some recipes for Edesia Caterers with full expectation of having a friend pop in for afternoon tea and later family over for dinner. It was to be a simple Quiche Lorraine and salad for dinner and I thought I should whip up something sweet at some point too, considering I had a stream of visitors over the next 24 hrs. There had been a carrot cake on my mind for the past 3 days. You know that constant niggling feeling, that little craving deep inside, the one the harder you try to push away the strong it comes back, eventually resorting to playing visual mind games with you, where by the book you are reading suddenly becomes a carrot cake, moist and rich with the sweet aroma of carrot, cinnamon and walnut filling the air you breath. Well that's what I had, and no longer could I put up with the embarrassment of longing looking at a book while sitting in my local cafe, mouth open, on the verge of salivating (had I not forgot my manners) so carrot cake it was going to be.
Now the art to life is timing. From being in the right place at the right time with the right attitude, albeit not always an easy feat but that's why it's so important to start each day focusing on the positive we have been blessed with. The same goes for food and my day had been planned out to incorporate my guests timings and my own work. However, flexibility in life, especially in a cosmopolitan lifestyle, is also key, as I undoubtedly found out this very day. A panic phone call from my afternoon tea guest profusely apologising but in desperate need of a cake, as she herself had a dinner party to attend after our catch up. Well I knew what I had to offer and that it would go down a treat at her dinner party but to have it all ready, including cooling time for icing the cake so it could travel and stay in one piece plus have dinner ready was going to be a challenge. I couldn't leave a damsel in distress, now could I!?
I would like to be able to say it all went without a glitch but I would be lying. In a desperate attempt to get the cake to cool down as quickly as possible so I could ice it and have it set and ready for travel I removed it far too soon from the cake tin and it FELL APART!!!!!! Needless to say my guest, who had arrived at this point, was in fits of laughter at my miss fortune - and what could have been hers!!! But here's the beauty of icing!! it can cover up a million sins, and create a few new ones too. So like a child's big piece jigsaw I pieced the cake back to one and let cool on a wire rack. A while later it was iced and boxed and ready to go and no-one, except myself and my friend (and now you incidentally), knew any different. I hear it went down a treat at the dinner party. Hurray!! :)
Now in between all this I had a Quiche Lorraine to prepare, which needed use of the oven 3 times!!, twice for blind baking the pastry and once for the final bake, at a different temperature to the cake too, so they had to play musical ovens, so as to speak. But all in all it was a success. The quiche was divine, here's the recipe so give it a try.
Quiche Lorraine recipe - serves 4
Shortcrust pastry recipe (or you can buy ready made shortcrust pastry)
You need;
170g plain flour
100g butter - at room temperature
salt - just a pinch
1 egg yolk
ice cold water
Sift flour with salt in a large bowl
With your fingers rub the butter through the flour until all the butter is incorporated - it should then look similar to a bowl of breadcrumbs - kids love this part so get them involved!
Beat the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of the water
Pour the egg/water mixture over flour/butter and mix to a firm dough
Wrap dough in cling film and refrigerate for 30 mins
Roll your dough out and line your flan tin (8 inch) with it - again refrigerate until dough is firm
In a preheated oven of 200 degrees blind bake your pastry
wet
For the filling you need;
a nob of butter (roughly 10g)
1 large onion - sliced
80g of bacon - roughly cut
150ml milk
150ml single cream
2 eggs - beaten
1 egg yolk
60g cheddar cheese - finely grated
2 teaspoons chopped thyme
salt and pepper to season
In a sauce pan over a low heat melt the butter and add the onion
Cover with a lid and cook until onions soften - do not over cook the onions
Then add the bacon and cook through - but again do not over cook the bacon, they should be cooked through but not browning
When cooked remove from the pan
In a bowl mix together the rest of the ingredients and season
Put bacon and onions into your baked pastry case and pout over the egg/cream mixture, filling it to the brim
Place quiche in lower part of a preheat oven at 170 degrees for 40 minutes
tip: different ovens vary so make sure the filling has set
Great served hot or cold with a fresh salad
Wednesday, 25 August 2010
Home made pasta with sausage and chilli tomato sauce recipe
Monday has been and gone and I was asked, after last Monday's blog, what happened this Monday? no blog? no recipe? My apologies to those who were expecting a laugh :) Here it is, the shenanigans of my Monday night dinner. Though first .......
Last week I held a little competition on Ciaran's Kitchen page, on facebook, so that I could give some of my delectable Baileys Truffles out to people who kindly support me. Simply put, when the page reach 80 "likes"(it had 59 then and over 100 now) the first person to write "I want my truffles" on the wall were sent a sample of truffles. As a surprise for the 80th person a sample of truffles were also sent. With making up a new batch to send to them, cooking breakfast Saturday morning for a dear friend of mine; french toast with goats cheese, crispy bacon and maple syrup, sausage and herb scrambled egg with freshly brewed coffee, what a great way to start the weekend :) I digress, so whilst packing up and sending out the truffles to my competition winners I also sent another package with my delightful Baileys Truffles to the manager of a trend bar in Soho, who, I learnt while I was down there having a great the other week, was introducing a "tea room" at the weekends and was looking for someone to cater them with an array of sweet desserts. I had left my Edesia Caterers business card for him with the staff member who had told me about this but thought what better way than to follow up by sending him a sample of my treats - and really? what better treats are there but Truffles!? So off they went with a cover letter and ...... fingers crossed :)
With all the hustle and bustle of the weekend's goings on - I was also treated to a dance show at Saddler's Wells, a love story through the sensual form of Tango :) - Monday's dinner was again last thing on my mind! Admittedly, it amused me. I'm sure there was some subconscious part of my mind which kept me from doing my weekly shop on Saturday so I would be faced with the challenge of a bare kitchen again. But how bare, I really was not prepared for!!
So picture with me, if you will, for a moment. Walk into my kitchen. On the kitchen table sits a large glass fruit bowl, in it are 3 perfectly ripe bananas, 4 red juicy apples, oh roughly 8 sticks of crunch celery, 1 large firm carrot, a red hot chilli and a couple cloves of garlic. In my fridge, as much to my surprise as to your shock were 1pt semi skimmed milk (for my weetabix in the morning), 2 pts of full fat milk (for cooking), 2 onions, some nutty chestnut mushrooms, half a red pepper (that most probably should go into the compost bin), a good few juice tomatoes, 2 trays of eggs, a few packs of butter and different cheeses ..... oh and 4 Actimel (my all important friendly bacteria :) ). oh and one more thing, sausages! SAUSAGES!!!!! oh good lord! what has become of me .........
Well, in my defence, the sausages I had bought from the local butcher in readiness for making breakfast for my dear friend on Saturday. A dear friend who rocked up to my door after only getting 4hrs sleep. Breakfast started, just to put some perspective on this, at the very decent hour of 10am (it was Saturday after all)
So there I was, stumped. If I wanted to make an English breakfast (for dinner granted) I was missing ingredients, if I wanted to make a bolognese ... well I had celery, the carrot, garlic and I suppose the tomatoes but erm .... what's a bolognese with out the beef!! Oh mama would turn in her grave with the thought of it!! (that's no reference to my mother of course, who is thankfully alive and well - she even posted a comment on my blog recently, which really touched the cockles of my heart). However, the thought of something Italian, maybe pasta, all of a sudden really appealed. Now I know it's not exactly summer food but let's be honest here, we create these labels like "summer food", on the assumption that we have summer weather!! Yeah, well mother natures playing funny games with us here at the moment and I wanted something warm and hearthy to go with her joke.
Out came the tomatoes, the mushrooms, garlic, an onion, the chili, olive oil, butter and the Sausages!! That wasn't too difficult, pasta with chilli tomato sauce and sausage, perfect!! Now where's my pasta? hmmm, none in the cupboard!! ah, but there is the spaghetti jar but on closer inspection it was a spaghetti jar alright and only a spaghetti jar! There was no spaghetti left in it! How could this happen?! Running out of dry goods didn't even happen during the blitz for goodness sake!! Well, I was left with the option of going down to the local shop or going hell for leather and making the pasta myself. Something crazy inside me said "make it yourself". Not that making pasta is crazy by any means however when a man is hungry a man is hungry and as any of my close friends will tell you this rule is magnified when it comes to me. Grumpy is generally the word used when I get hungry. But I was going to persevere. I had the eggs and the flour so after I quick but thorough clean down of the counter the process began.
For the pasta - this makes enough for 2
200g of plan strong flour
2 eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sift flour into bowl. Make a well in the centre and put the eggs and oil in it
Using 1 hand gradually mix the eggs, oil and flour by drawing in the flour from the side of the well until a stiff dough has formed
Place dough on clean surface and kneed dough until smooth and elastic, roughly around 15 mins. When done, wrap dough in cling film and leave aside in a cool place for 1 hour
After an hour tear dough into small pieces and roll each one out until paper-thin. It is very important that you get the dough as thin as possible.
With a sharp knife cut the rolled out dough into long strips, go for the tagliatelle style
Let strips dry for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
In a large pot of boiling salted water cook the fresh pasta until al dente
For the chilli tomato sausage sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
knob of butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
6 mushrooms, sliced
500g of fresh tomatoes - skin off* and chopped, which is roughly 6/7 plum tomatoes (if using tinned tomatoes change quantity to 400g)
4 sausages, cut into thick slices
*To take the skin off the tomatoes, place them into a saucepan of boiling water, sing happy birthday really quickly or give them 10 seconds, then plunge into cold water - cut into quarters and easily peel the skin off.
Heat the oil and butter in a large pan over medium heat
Add the onions, fry for 10 mins until soft and golden
Add the sausages, fry for 5 mins until lightly browned
Add mushrooms, fry for 3 minutes
Add the chopped tomatoes, chilli and garlic
Bring to the boil and season with salt and pepper
Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes
Pour the sauce over the pasta, mix in some chopped parsley and serve with grated Parmesan.
Yummy!! Home made pasta with sausage and chilli tomato sauce
Last week I held a little competition on Ciaran's Kitchen page, on facebook, so that I could give some of my delectable Baileys Truffles out to people who kindly support me. Simply put, when the page reach 80 "likes"(it had 59 then and over 100 now) the first person to write "I want my truffles" on the wall were sent a sample of truffles. As a surprise for the 80th person a sample of truffles were also sent. With making up a new batch to send to them, cooking breakfast Saturday morning for a dear friend of mine; french toast with goats cheese, crispy bacon and maple syrup, sausage and herb scrambled egg with freshly brewed coffee, what a great way to start the weekend :) I digress, so whilst packing up and sending out the truffles to my competition winners I also sent another package with my delightful Baileys Truffles to the manager of a trend bar in Soho, who, I learnt while I was down there having a great the other week, was introducing a "tea room" at the weekends and was looking for someone to cater them with an array of sweet desserts. I had left my Edesia Caterers business card for him with the staff member who had told me about this but thought what better way than to follow up by sending him a sample of my treats - and really? what better treats are there but Truffles!? So off they went with a cover letter and ...... fingers crossed :)
With all the hustle and bustle of the weekend's goings on - I was also treated to a dance show at Saddler's Wells, a love story through the sensual form of Tango :) - Monday's dinner was again last thing on my mind! Admittedly, it amused me. I'm sure there was some subconscious part of my mind which kept me from doing my weekly shop on Saturday so I would be faced with the challenge of a bare kitchen again. But how bare, I really was not prepared for!!
So picture with me, if you will, for a moment. Walk into my kitchen. On the kitchen table sits a large glass fruit bowl, in it are 3 perfectly ripe bananas, 4 red juicy apples, oh roughly 8 sticks of crunch celery, 1 large firm carrot, a red hot chilli and a couple cloves of garlic. In my fridge, as much to my surprise as to your shock were 1pt semi skimmed milk (for my weetabix in the morning), 2 pts of full fat milk (for cooking), 2 onions, some nutty chestnut mushrooms, half a red pepper (that most probably should go into the compost bin), a good few juice tomatoes, 2 trays of eggs, a few packs of butter and different cheeses ..... oh and 4 Actimel (my all important friendly bacteria :) ). oh and one more thing, sausages! SAUSAGES!!!!! oh good lord! what has become of me .........
Well, in my defence, the sausages I had bought from the local butcher in readiness for making breakfast for my dear friend on Saturday. A dear friend who rocked up to my door after only getting 4hrs sleep. Breakfast started, just to put some perspective on this, at the very decent hour of 10am (it was Saturday after all)
So there I was, stumped. If I wanted to make an English breakfast (for dinner granted) I was missing ingredients, if I wanted to make a bolognese ... well I had celery, the carrot, garlic and I suppose the tomatoes but erm .... what's a bolognese with out the beef!! Oh mama would turn in her grave with the thought of it!! (that's no reference to my mother of course, who is thankfully alive and well - she even posted a comment on my blog recently, which really touched the cockles of my heart). However, the thought of something Italian, maybe pasta, all of a sudden really appealed. Now I know it's not exactly summer food but let's be honest here, we create these labels like "summer food", on the assumption that we have summer weather!! Yeah, well mother natures playing funny games with us here at the moment and I wanted something warm and hearthy to go with her joke.
Out came the tomatoes, the mushrooms, garlic, an onion, the chili, olive oil, butter and the Sausages!! That wasn't too difficult, pasta with chilli tomato sauce and sausage, perfect!! Now where's my pasta? hmmm, none in the cupboard!! ah, but there is the spaghetti jar but on closer inspection it was a spaghetti jar alright and only a spaghetti jar! There was no spaghetti left in it! How could this happen?! Running out of dry goods didn't even happen during the blitz for goodness sake!! Well, I was left with the option of going down to the local shop or going hell for leather and making the pasta myself. Something crazy inside me said "make it yourself". Not that making pasta is crazy by any means however when a man is hungry a man is hungry and as any of my close friends will tell you this rule is magnified when it comes to me. Grumpy is generally the word used when I get hungry. But I was going to persevere. I had the eggs and the flour so after I quick but thorough clean down of the counter the process began.
For the pasta - this makes enough for 2
200g of plan strong flour
2 eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sift flour into bowl. Make a well in the centre and put the eggs and oil in it
Using 1 hand gradually mix the eggs, oil and flour by drawing in the flour from the side of the well until a stiff dough has formed
Place dough on clean surface and kneed dough until smooth and elastic, roughly around 15 mins. When done, wrap dough in cling film and leave aside in a cool place for 1 hour
After an hour tear dough into small pieces and roll each one out until paper-thin. It is very important that you get the dough as thin as possible.
With a sharp knife cut the rolled out dough into long strips, go for the tagliatelle style
Let strips dry for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
In a large pot of boiling salted water cook the fresh pasta until al dente
For the chilli tomato sausage sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
knob of butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
6 mushrooms, sliced
500g of fresh tomatoes - skin off* and chopped, which is roughly 6/7 plum tomatoes (if using tinned tomatoes change quantity to 400g)
4 sausages, cut into thick slices
*To take the skin off the tomatoes, place them into a saucepan of boiling water, sing happy birthday really quickly or give them 10 seconds, then plunge into cold water - cut into quarters and easily peel the skin off.
Heat the oil and butter in a large pan over medium heat
Add the onions, fry for 10 mins until soft and golden
Add the sausages, fry for 5 mins until lightly browned
Add mushrooms, fry for 3 minutes
Add the chopped tomatoes, chilli and garlic
Bring to the boil and season with salt and pepper
Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes
Pour the sauce over the pasta, mix in some chopped parsley and serve with grated Parmesan.
Yummy!! Home made pasta with sausage and chilli tomato sauce
Tuesday, 17 August 2010
Majadra and roast balsamic chicken recipe - the perfect Monday dinner
The weekend is over and whether it involved taming the family or untaming your friends, if you're anything like me you won't have put much thought to what to make for dinner. It is, after all, Monday, right? Right!
So I went to the ktichen this evening in full knowledge that, apart from a lot of random ingredients for baking, there was really nothing inspiring for me to choose from. There were some chicken thighs in the fridge for sure and though I do love the simplicity and basic scrumptiousness of roast chicken, this evening I wasn't quiet satisfied with the idea of roast chicken and salad - generally a Monday favourite of mine. Opening up the cupboard I stood there and just this once I wish I had thought about Monday's dinner. It's not so much that I couldn't come up with something out of whatever the cupboard had to offer it was more the fact that, it was Monday!!! and I really didn't want to think about cooking, hence why roast chicken and salad is my favourite Monday dinner :) Alas, there in front of me, well not quite as it was actually at the back of the cupboard however there was very little in it's way to block our meeting, were some lentils!! I know, I hear what you say, "lentils!!" not really something to get excited about. However, since my days of traveling to and from Israel they have a similar resonance for me as (being Irish) potatoes do. I know, I know, snigger as you may but it's all about homeliness, wholesomeness, almost comfort food - though granted most of us go for ice-cream or chcocolate these days for comfort food, as do I, but this is something with a longer last effect, this is a meal. This, in essence, is what Monday's need after all!!
Now all I needed was rice, bingo! there it was; although to no surprise as there is always rice in my cupboard - it's dried so it keeps much longer than potatoes do ;) So that was it, Majadra it was going to be. Majadra a middle eastern dish made primarliy up of rice, lentils, onion and some spices. That, with the roast chicken was the perfect answer to my Monday dinner woes.
Now, don't get me wrong, when I say it's a perfect Monday dinner I do not mean it to be bland! quiet the contrary. It can just be rather simple to put together and, as I have just figured, it's always good to have rice and lentils stored somewhere at the back of the cupboard.
This dish has many different variations depending on the country and even region within the middle east, even the name can differ - mine is an interpretation from an Israeli friend
All you need is:
Chicken thighs - I use 2 per person
Rice (I prefer brown but it's Monday, right? so what ever is there) - 1 cup
Lentils - 1 cup
Onion - 1 large cut into slices
Cumin ground - 1 tsp
Cinnamon ground - 1/4 tsp
Paprika ground - 1/4 tsp
olive oil
knob of butter
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
For the Majadra
cook the rice (as per instructions on pack)
cook lentils (again as per instructions on pack)
Caramelise the onions - it's common to lightly fry the onion for this dish but I prefer them caramelised for extra flavour.
Take onions off the heat and season with spices.
Mix lentils, rice and onions together and season with salt and pepper (traditionally the onions are set on top of the lentil and rice mix but again I prefer to just mix it all together, to work the flavours through
There is your Majadra!!
For the roast chicken
Place chicken thighs in a bowl, drizzle balsamic vinegar over them to coat, season with salt and pepper and mix with your hand to evenly coat the thighs.
Put thighs on to a baking tray and place a knob of butter on each thigh.
Cook in a preheat oven at 190 degrees C and cook for 40 mins
and there you have your roast chicken with majadra
So I went to the ktichen this evening in full knowledge that, apart from a lot of random ingredients for baking, there was really nothing inspiring for me to choose from. There were some chicken thighs in the fridge for sure and though I do love the simplicity and basic scrumptiousness of roast chicken, this evening I wasn't quiet satisfied with the idea of roast chicken and salad - generally a Monday favourite of mine. Opening up the cupboard I stood there and just this once I wish I had thought about Monday's dinner. It's not so much that I couldn't come up with something out of whatever the cupboard had to offer it was more the fact that, it was Monday!!! and I really didn't want to think about cooking, hence why roast chicken and salad is my favourite Monday dinner :) Alas, there in front of me, well not quite as it was actually at the back of the cupboard however there was very little in it's way to block our meeting, were some lentils!! I know, I hear what you say, "lentils!!" not really something to get excited about. However, since my days of traveling to and from Israel they have a similar resonance for me as (being Irish) potatoes do. I know, I know, snigger as you may but it's all about homeliness, wholesomeness, almost comfort food - though granted most of us go for ice-cream or chcocolate these days for comfort food, as do I, but this is something with a longer last effect, this is a meal. This, in essence, is what Monday's need after all!!
Now all I needed was rice, bingo! there it was; although to no surprise as there is always rice in my cupboard - it's dried so it keeps much longer than potatoes do ;) So that was it, Majadra it was going to be. Majadra a middle eastern dish made primarliy up of rice, lentils, onion and some spices. That, with the roast chicken was the perfect answer to my Monday dinner woes.
Now, don't get me wrong, when I say it's a perfect Monday dinner I do not mean it to be bland! quiet the contrary. It can just be rather simple to put together and, as I have just figured, it's always good to have rice and lentils stored somewhere at the back of the cupboard.
This dish has many different variations depending on the country and even region within the middle east, even the name can differ - mine is an interpretation from an Israeli friend
All you need is:
Chicken thighs - I use 2 per person
Rice (I prefer brown but it's Monday, right? so what ever is there) - 1 cup
Lentils - 1 cup
Onion - 1 large cut into slices
Cumin ground - 1 tsp
Cinnamon ground - 1/4 tsp
Paprika ground - 1/4 tsp
olive oil
knob of butter
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
For the Majadra
cook the rice (as per instructions on pack)
cook lentils (again as per instructions on pack)
Caramelise the onions - it's common to lightly fry the onion for this dish but I prefer them caramelised for extra flavour.
Take onions off the heat and season with spices.
Mix lentils, rice and onions together and season with salt and pepper (traditionally the onions are set on top of the lentil and rice mix but again I prefer to just mix it all together, to work the flavours through
There is your Majadra!!
For the roast chicken
Place chicken thighs in a bowl, drizzle balsamic vinegar over them to coat, season with salt and pepper and mix with your hand to evenly coat the thighs.
Put thighs on to a baking tray and place a knob of butter on each thigh.
Cook in a preheat oven at 190 degrees C and cook for 40 mins
and there you have your roast chicken with majadra
Friday, 13 August 2010
Secret underground dinner parties
It's been far to long, I know. So much time has passed, how could I possible fill in all the gaps in one blog? I couldn't!! So let's just say it's been a busy few months and business, for Edesia Caterers still needs a good boost but as the age old saying goes, no pain, no gain.
So let me explain the title of today's blog. I'm finding that when you are offering, primarily, a service it's more difficult to get your message across to people. Though it still has it's challenges, granted, when you have a product it is easier to get people to notice you. You have something to give them, sell them, something they can hold in their hands, put in their mouths, taste with their taste buds. Though I have a product, that product is only accessible via a service, that service being catering. So I said to myself as I sipped my coffee one morning (it's the most inspirational time of the day for me) "Ciaran", I said, "you have to bring the people to your product to experience your service". And so with that the idea of holding secret underground dinner parties was born.
Now this is no new thing, in London it has been growing steadily over the past few years and ultimately reverts back to the day when "restaurants" actually began. The oldest running is arguably the Sobrino de Botin, Madrid, Spain Though the main difference today is that women and men can participate. Thank goodness for those women who rallied up for the first wave of women's liberation at the beginning of the 18th century. The idea is simple, a cross between a dinner party and a restaurant.
Obviously these are not your everyday run of the mill events and therefore have to be promoted in an altogether different way. "Ciaran's Kitchen" facebook page is my main way of getting the word to spread and the more underground dinner parties I do the more the word will spread - well that's the theory anyway :) so if you have a facebook account please feel free to "like" the page and keep updated with future dinner parties and general food stuff from my test kitchen. Click on the title of this blog and it will take you directly to the page.
So that's my update for now, got to dash but will be back sooner than later for more :)
So let me explain the title of today's blog. I'm finding that when you are offering, primarily, a service it's more difficult to get your message across to people. Though it still has it's challenges, granted, when you have a product it is easier to get people to notice you. You have something to give them, sell them, something they can hold in their hands, put in their mouths, taste with their taste buds. Though I have a product, that product is only accessible via a service, that service being catering. So I said to myself as I sipped my coffee one morning (it's the most inspirational time of the day for me) "Ciaran", I said, "you have to bring the people to your product to experience your service". And so with that the idea of holding secret underground dinner parties was born.
Now this is no new thing, in London it has been growing steadily over the past few years and ultimately reverts back to the day when "restaurants" actually began. The oldest running is arguably the Sobrino de Botin, Madrid, Spain Though the main difference today is that women and men can participate. Thank goodness for those women who rallied up for the first wave of women's liberation at the beginning of the 18th century. The idea is simple, a cross between a dinner party and a restaurant.
Obviously these are not your everyday run of the mill events and therefore have to be promoted in an altogether different way. "Ciaran's Kitchen" facebook page is my main way of getting the word to spread and the more underground dinner parties I do the more the word will spread - well that's the theory anyway :) so if you have a facebook account please feel free to "like" the page and keep updated with future dinner parties and general food stuff from my test kitchen. Click on the title of this blog and it will take you directly to the page.
Speaking of dinner parties, I recently got acquainted with a very intriguing young man by the name of Alan Rosenthal. He founded and runs a company call "Stewed!", which are one pot stews which are available for sale in some major supermarkets. If that wasn't impressive his first cook book, by the same name, is out in October and already on sale through Amazon. What intigued me most about Alan is, despite his success, he is an extremely modest man. I've had the pleasure of a sneak preview of his book and must say it's a must for any kitchen, even the Irish Stew recipe was spot on. If you wish to purchase the book copy and paste this link http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stewed-Alan-Rosenthal/dp/0091938023/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274372524&sr=1-1
Anyway, so back to the story, Alan invited me over for dinner for some food talk. Now when you get two food lovers together there is a common wish to share, so I offered to take over dessert with me. Great idea until I was faced with the dilemma of what to make!! Well, to be honest, it didn't take me that long to decide. I had recently persuade my mother to part with her recipe for "Tarte de pommes a la Normande" (Normandy apple tart) with frangipane and a touch of mothers little secret. I loved this tart as a child, both for it's visual effect and sumptuous flavour. Here's a picture I took. It seemed to work a treat on Mr Rosethals taste buds and I'm sure it was the reason behind the bonding of a good friendship :)
Anyway, so back to the story, Alan invited me over for dinner for some food talk. Now when you get two food lovers together there is a common wish to share, so I offered to take over dessert with me. Great idea until I was faced with the dilemma of what to make!! Well, to be honest, it didn't take me that long to decide. I had recently persuade my mother to part with her recipe for "Tarte de pommes a la Normande" (Normandy apple tart) with frangipane and a touch of mothers little secret. I loved this tart as a child, both for it's visual effect and sumptuous flavour. Here's a picture I took. It seemed to work a treat on Mr Rosethals taste buds and I'm sure it was the reason behind the bonding of a good friendship :)
So that's my update for now, got to dash but will be back sooner than later for more :)
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