Lamb Meatballs in Red Wine Sauce with Mint Chimichurri …
Lamb Meatballs in Red Wine Sauce with Mint Chimichurri … Submitted by Karol on February 15, 2012 – 2:44 pmNo Comment. I also made a red – wine sauce , and simmered the meatballs to add richness. Turns out, I like the sauce enough …
http://www.wineglaze.com/

Ingredients for Smoked cheese croquetas with chimichurri sauce

Ingredients

For the croquetas

60g/2oz unsalted

1 Tablespoon olive oil

½ leek, finely chopped

60g/2oz plain flour, plus extra for rolling

250ml/9fl oz soya milk

100g/4oz smoked cheddar, grated

75g/2½oz fresh or frozen peas

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh coriander

2 free-range eggs

150g/5½oz fresh brown breadcrumbs

Olive oil to deep fry

For the chimichurri sauce

8 large handfuls of coriander, chopped

5 garlic cloves, chopped finely

½ red onion, very finely chopped

2 handfuls of chopped oregano

150ml/5fl oz extra virgin olive oil

50ml/2fl oz sherry  vinegar

½ lemon, juice and zest

Method

For the Chimichurri Sauce

For the chimichurri sauce, mix together all the ingredients in a bowl and serve alongside the croquetas. Make it first so the flavours develop.

Heat the butter and oil in a saucepan and gently fry the leeks for 3-4 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the flour a little at a time and cook for five minutes. Add the milk gradually and then cook for 15 minutes, stirring all the time. Take off the heat and add the cheese, when it is melted add the peas, nutmeg, coriander and seasoning. Cover the sauce with wet Clingfilm to stop it forming a skin.

For the coating, beat the eggs in a bowl and sprinkle the breadcrumbs onto a plate. Heat a deep heavy-bottomed saucepan half full of olive oil to 180C/350F, until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns brown when dropped into it.

Once cooled, roll the croqueta mixture into cylinders of approx 7.5cm/3in long, using floured hands.

Dip the croquetas in the beaten egg and then roll them in the breadcrumbs to coat completely. Repeat the egg and then breadcrumbs, which will give a real crisp coating. Fry the croquetas for 3-4 minutes, or until crisp and golden-brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.

  Butternut, walnut, ricotta and sage Pasty

may not be your idea of a Pasty and truth to tell it is not the archetypal Cornish pasty, which is made with onion,minced meat and root vegetables, but Butternut, walnut, ricotta and sage Pasty does share some common characteristics. The walnuts add texture which the minced meat does, the ricotta adds a creaminess which replaces the gravy, and the sage adds a characteristic bitterness.

Cornwall is famous for its tin mines and the miners used to take the pasty down for lunch. Sometimes it had jam at one end and the meat in the other, but as neither end was marked it was pot luck whether or not you got your dessert first.

Butternut, walnut, ricotta and sage Pasty is perfect served warm as a snack or cold on a picnic because as the pastry is robust it travels well. The next time I make it wild mushrooms will make a nice addition.

Butternut, walnut, ricotta and sage Pasty

Ingredients

1kg/2lb 3oz butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into 1.5cm/½in cubes

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

20 sage leaves, shredded

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

800g/1lb 12oz ready-made shortcrust pastry

120g/4oz walnuts, toasted

500g/1lb ricotta

4 tablespoons pumpkin seed oil

1 free-range egg

Pinch salt

3 tablespoons flour, plus extra for dusting

Preheat the oven to 200C/390F/Gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.

Method

Mix the butternut squash, onion, olive oil and half the sage together, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and place inside the lined baking tray. Roast until the squash is cooked (when a fork goes through it easily), then take from the oven and leave to cool.

Divide the pastry in half and roll each half out to a 60x20cm/24x8in rectangle on a lightly dusted work surface. Using a 20cm/8in diameter plate as a template, cut out three rounds from each piece.Lay these on a baking sheet and put in the fridge to rest for at least 20 minutes.

Once the butternut squash has cooled, tip it into a large bowl and mix in the walnuts, ricotta and pumpkin seed oil, making sure you don’t crush the squash.

Take the pastry rounds from the fridge and allow them to come up to room temperature. Beat the egg with a pinch of salt and brush the pastry completely on one side with the egg-wash – it’ll be easier to do this one piece at a time.

Take one-sixth of the butternut squash mixture and dollop it in the centre of a pastry round, and then carefully fold the pastry in half, making sure the filling is enclosed. Dip a fork in the flour and use it to press down and seal the edges. Try to squeeze out excess air as you do this – otherwise it can make the pasty pop open in the heat of the oven. As you finish each pasty, place it on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Brush the remaining egg-wash over the pasties and prick each one several times with the fork. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until the pastry is golden and cooked. Serve hot or cold.

Learn How to Make Cornish Pasties in a Eclectic Manor House …
Is it time for your mid-day tea break? Then pour your self a cuppa and learn how to make authentic Cornish pasties in this short but entertaining video from The Guardian, a UK newspaper. Our cook today is Kay Bolitho and …
http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

In Spain we have the most wonderful octopus and fresh chorizo and together they are a taste made in heaven. I will grant you that fresh octopus is not the most exciting thing in the world, and if is cooked wrong then it is awful – rubbery and hard. However this recipe calls for the octopus to be boiled first and then it is very very quick to assemble. The article below shows what an intelligent animal it is as well. This recipe was adapted from a recipe from the BBC.

Baby toys.. for an Octopus? | Marine Biology
The article I found was pretty interesting to me because it was talking about how an octopus is able to learn how to figure out simple mazes, figure out how to.
http://blogs.cordovasd.org/marinebio/

Ingredients for Octopus, chorizo sausage and oregano with orange, nasturtium and herb salad

For the octopus
1 octopus, about 1.75kg – 2kg/4lb - 4lb 8oz
1 tablespoon sea salt flakes
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
250g/8oz cooking chorizo sausage, cubed
5 spring onions, sliced
1 handful fresh oregano leaves
For the orange, nasturtium and herb salad
2 Spanish oranges, segments only
1 handful mint leaves
1 handful oregano leaves
15 unpitted  Kalamata olives
5 spring onions, sliced
nasturtium flowers or orange pansies
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ lemon, juice only
1 teaspoon  sesame seeds

Method for Octopus, chorizo sausage and oregano with orange, nasturtium and herb salad

For the octopus, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Beat the tentacles lightly with a meat mallet to tenderise then peel the skin away. Cut the head from the body, just below the eyes. Remove the beak from the centre of the tentacles by turning it inside out and pushing the beak through.

Add the salt to the boiling water then dunk the octopus three times in the boiling water. Add the vinegar then return the octopus to the pan and simmer for one hour. ( Cooks tip Dunking the octopus makes sure that the tentacles don’t seize during cooking and become hard and chewy. The key is to cook the octopus very slowly in simmering water; the vinegar helps tenderise the octopus.Dunking also stops the tentacles from curling)

Cut the tentacles into small chunks. Heat a frying pan until hot, add the chorizo and cook for few minutes until crisp. Add the spring onions and octopus pieces, along with the oregano leaves, and cook all together for further two minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

For the salad, combine the orange segments, herbs, olives and  spring onions. Scatter with the flowers, drizzle with the olive oil and lemon juice then add the sesame seeds and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with the octopus and chorizo.

Octopus, chorizo sausage and oregano with orange, nasturtium and herb salad, tenderising tips

If you have struggled to make octopus that is not rubbery buy from frozen as the action of freezing tenderises it. Then dont forget to dunk it in the boiling water.

Cheese and Onion Scone With Melted Cheese

This recipe was inspired after reading the article below, because I had memories of my mother making scones for me and teaching me how to do it when I was about three. I can see her now raising my arms high and saying a light touch and air is necessary. In those days her scones were made with cream and raisins, or cherries, but always sweet. As I have got older I have veered more to savoury scone recipe and next time I make these I will use brown flour.

Cheese and Onion Scone With Melted cheese Variations

Use brown four instead of white
Add a little salami or chorizo to the middle before serving

Ingredients

225g self-raising flour
55g butter
30g grated cheddar cheese
150ml milk
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon grated red onion
A pinch of kosher salt
1 egg yolk and a little milk, whisked

To serve

Wedges of cheese
Melted Cheese

Heat the oven to 220C, gas mark 7.

Method
Fry the onion in a little butter until soft. Mix together the flour, salt and cayenne pepper and rub in the rest of the butter.Add the grated cheese and milk and mix to a soft dough, add the onion.

Place on a floured surface and lightly knead, then cut into 2cm thick rounds and lay on a baking sheet. Brush with the milk and egg mix, and bake for about thirteen mins until risen and golden.
Serve with loads of melted cheese and whatever pickle you chose.

This recipe was inspired after reading the article below, because I had memories of my mother making scones for me and teaching me how to do it when I was about three. I can see her now raising my arms high and saying al ight touch and air is necessary

Keeping Memories Alive
Memories of our past, good or bad, many times fill a very important part of our daily lives. We draw continuously on the knowledge we have acquired over the years. But, over time, much of this knowledge and wisdom is lost due to forgetfulness or lack of review.
http://ezinearticles.com

Christmas dinner: Beef Wellington with Madeira Sauce recipe

Beef tenderloin is best cooked no more than medium-rare. Trim and tie the roast with butchers twine. Place roast on wire rack set above rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, for 24 to 48 hours. To prepare the duxelles: In a food processor, …
www.freep.com

Individual Beef Wellington

Recently I saw an Emeril Lagasserecipe for individual Individual Beef Wellington and thought that sounds a great idea, now everyone can get their perfect beef Wellington.

I changed this to my favourite recipe, because everyone loves their coating differntly I love to use a duxelle of mushrooms whilst other people use pate.

It makes no difference what you use some people just use Dijon mustard, the function is to keep the meat moist because the pastry need a really hot heat and you do not want dried meat.I like my beef wellington with crispo watercress for pepperyness and with a morel mushroom sauce.

Individual Beef Wellington

Ingredients

500g/1lb 2oz packet ready-made puff pastry(all butter)

plain flour, for dusting

20g/¾oz dried porcini mushrooms or large morels

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 x 180g/6oz slices beef fillet

4 small shallots, peeled and very finely chopped

knob of butter

500g/1lb 2oz chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped

generous glass of dry  sherry or vermouth

large handful fresh thyme leaves

1 free-range egg, lightly beaten

300ml/10fl oz double cream

Method

Roll the puff pastry out on a floured work surface to a 5mm/¼in thickness. Trim the pastry into a 36cm/14in square. Then cut into four smaller squares and place onto two baking trays. Chill in the fridge for five minutes.

Rinse the dried mushrooms in cold water, then put them into a bowl and cover with hot water. Leave to soak for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan until very hot. Season the beef well all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fry for one minute on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Place the shallots into the pan and fry for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add the butter and chestnut mushrooms and cook for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, drain the dried mushrooms and finely chop, then add them to the pan with the glug of sherry, if using. Increase the heat and cook until most of the sherry has evaporated.

Add the thyme, cook for one minute, then remove the pan from the heat and set aside. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Remove the pastry from the fridge and place a tablespoon of the mushroom mixture into the middle of each piece of pastry; spread it out to the same size as the beef steak. Top with the steak and brush the edges with the beaten egg.

Draw up the corners and edges of the pastry so they meet and overlap slightly in the middle. Turn it right-side up and shape it round the sides a little with your hands. If the pastry is soft, chill it in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to firm up.

Slash the tops of the Wellingtons with a knife and brush them all over with the remaining beaten egg. Bake for 12-14 minutes (for medium-rare), or until cooked to your liking.

Five minutes before the Wellingtons are ready, reheat the remaining mushroom mixture. When it is hot, add the double cream and cook on a high heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, season, with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then cover with a lid to keep warm. Serve the Wellingtons with a spoonful of the sauce.

Serving Suggestions Individual Beef Wellington

Beef Wellington is also wonderful with broad beans, and baby asparagus. Be sure to use an all butter puff pastry if you are using a shop bought pastry because nothing screams elegance more than a beef wellington and nothing is worse than ordinary puff pasytry, it has to be made with butter. An Individual Beef Wellington can be made to suit your favourite vegetables or season. In Winter Individual Beef Wellington can be made heartier by the addition of roasted vegetables. As I served myIndividual Beef Wellington on Three kings day in Malaga it was too warm for a heavy meal.

baked herbed scotch eggs

The old fashoined idea of fried scotch eggs has long gone there are healthier ways of making Baked herbed Scotch Eggs, they are tasty as well as healthier. I tend to use a Cumberland sausage bought in a roll rather than conventional sausages.

It is a very tactile recipe and it is difficult to get it done wihtout getting your fingers messy, but Lorrainne Pascuale recommends that you wrap the hardboiled eggs already dipped in flour in squashed sausage meat in cling film.

Lorraine Pascale’s Herbed baked scotch egg – celebritykitchen’s …
Lorraine Pascale’s Herbed baked scotch egg ·
http://celebritykitchen.posterous.com/

Baked herbed Scotch Eggs

Ingredients
4 large organic eggs hard boiled (duck eggs are great)
500g of cumberland sausage skinned
2 large handfuls of your favourite soft herbs,
Flour to coat the eggs with
1 beaten egg to dip the final sausage covered egg in
Fresh breadcrumbs from a wholemeal loaf
A low fat spray to coat the Scotch eggs in

Method
Hard boil the eggs dip in flour so that the sausage meat has something to stick on. Take a handful of sausage meat and herb mixture, and press the hardboiled egg into it, and press around to seal the egg. It is not as vital that the Baked herbed scotch egg because it is less likely to part company from the egg when baked. Dip the coated egg in the beaten egg then in fresh crumbrumbs. Add a cooking spray and bake for about thirty minutes.

Baked herbed Scotch Eggs Serving suggestions

Scotch eggs are great picnic food, they transport really well for a packed lunch for the kids, a snack or a full grown picnic. Theyare best served at room temperlature once cooled, though they can be served warm from the oven. Use any combination of fresh or dried herbs in the sausage meat. You can also use other flavourings such as garlic, chutney, relish or piccallilli.

I like to eat mine for lunch with a huge bowl of green salad, but they are also great with a baked sweet potato that is crisp and coveredwiht alioli, a garlic mayo. Baked herbed Scotch Eggs are also good as a brunch or supper dish or a snack, in fact there uses are only restricted by your imagination.You can add mustard to the sausage meat or any fresh relish. If you add fresh onion very finely chopped, it gives the baked herbed scotch eggs some texture as well as taste.

Pear and Parmesan crumble

Pear and Parmesan crumble

part of the joys of Christmas for me is white Stilton, port and fresh figs. These were the inspiration for this dish. I remembered Nigel saying that he was particularly looking forward to eating his Apple and Parmesan cheese crumble with sausages.

This week I bought some magnificent Cumberland sausage which is a regional Speciality from Cumbria. It is a thick sausage usually an inch thick,and made into one round It is redolent with spices. It is perfect Served with a thick onion gravy made with port.

Pear and Parmesan crumble with White Stilton

6 hard conference pears
Butter
White Stilton

Crumble topping
Plain flour,
butter
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 slices of multi seeded granary bread grated.

method

Peel the pears and quarter them, take out the cores. Gently poach the pears in butter,until they slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Whilst the pears are poaching, make the crumble topping with flour and butter, a two second job in a food processor. When the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs add the grated bread, which will give the finished dish texture and about four tablespoons of freshly grated parmesan.
Lay the poached pears into an ovenproof dish break some white Stilton cheese over the top and add the topping and bake in a medium oven until golden brown and serve with sausages.

This may seem like a weird a wonderful concoction, but it works perfectly.

Coconut bread and butter pudding with caramelised bananas

Coconut Bread and Butter Pudding With Caramelised Bananas

Bread and butter pudding is an old classic British pud, and whilst it is delicious on its own, made with coconut milk it is inspired. This new take on an old classic is packed with vanilla, cardamon, and cinnamon, wrapped around a delicious unctuous coconut creamy taste.

One of the secrets to cooking this classic dessert is to cook it slowly in a medium oven for over na hour, if you cook it to fast the egg custard base just turns into an omelette. Another secret is to let it sit for an hour so that the bread soaks up the liquid. Although you can layer it anyway you like in this instance I made the bread stack up high so that it had crispness to it when it was cooked.

You can use any bread you like, raisin bread is fantastic, as is panetonne, as is a sweet jewish bread, a fruit loaf, or just white bread.I have even made it with brown bread in the past.

Coconut Bread and Butter Pudding With Caramelised Bananas

Ingredients
For the bread and butter pudding

2 oz/ 50g soft butter
10 slices white bread, cut diagonally across
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/ teaspoon cardamon
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Tin of coconut milk
2 fl oz/ 50 ml heavy/double cream
2 large free-range eggs
1 oz/ 25g brown sugar
The seeds from a vanilla pod

For the caramelised banana
2 bananas
butter
brown sugar

Method

Whisk the eggs and the coconut milk and cream together, pour in the cream and add the spices. Butter the bread or if you are lazy just melt the butter and pour it over the bread. Layer the bread in an ovenproof dish and pour over the egg custard. Leave to stand for at least an hour and just before popping it into the oven sprinkle the brown sugar over the top.

Cook for an hour to an hour an a quarter in a medium oven. Whne it is ready fry the bananas for about four minutes in butter and then add the brown sugar. Serve with the pudding with lashings of single cream.

This year I have had a request for a carrot cake, and that does nothing to easy my guilt, because my usual carrot cake recipe is fast and made in the microwave. It is the only thing I actually cook in the microwave, normally I use mine to heat baked beans!

Anyway the carrot cake recipe I usually make is the best I have ever tasted, but I feel I ought to make more of an effort. However, I am still feeling whimsical about my carrot cake. So first of all I made my microwave carrot cake recipe, but used an apricot cream cheese icing, normally I prefer my carrot cake plain, but what the heck it is Christmas.

Ingredients
1 x 15ounce jar of red kidney beans, drained
1 small red onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 large handful of fresh of coriander, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 tablespoon of cumin
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mash the beans roughly with the chopped garlic and onion. Blend together and add the rest of the ingredients except the oil.
Shape into golf sized balls and place in preheated baking dish. Drizzle the olive oil over and bake for 15 minutes, turn them over halfway through cooking. Serve hot when they are golden brown with a salad and hummus.

Baked falafel would be great with this borani esfanaaj a Persian Salad