All posts by Heather

Christmas Spiced Beef

Beef, Family Favourites

IMG_1021NB,the butcher needs to keep this in the brine for 3 weeks so order early! Also remember this takes a couple of days to prepare and best kept for a week before serving.

Ingredients
1.5 K  Boned salt silverside brisket
Ground black pepper
Soft dark sugar
1 tablespoon Whole Allspice berries
1 tablespoonful Juniper berries
2 teaspoonfuls Whole cloves

Method
Soak the joint in cold water for 3 hours, changing the water a couple of times.  Make several incisions into the beef to allow the spices to get all the way through.  Cover the joint generously with the black pepper then cover thickly with the sugar.  Crush the allspice and juniper berries in a mortar then press into the sugar.  Stick the cloves all over the meat.  Wrap the beef in foil, place in an overproof dish and leave overnight at room temperature.

Set oven at 140C, cook beef for 4 hours.  Pour off juices, seal the foil and place a board and weights on top and leave in a cool place overnight.

Now wrap in fresh foil and store the Christmas Spiced Beef in the fridge for up to a week.

John’s White Beans & Clams

Family Favourites, Fish, Holidays

IMG_0259

This is a take on a number of very typical Portuguese dishes, such as Octopus Rice, White Beans and Shellfish, and Rice and Shellfish.

Ingredients:
500 gm White Beans
1kg of Fresh Clams in Shells
600 gm Tinned Tomatoes
1 Onion Chopped
1 Pint of Chicken Stock
2 Cloves of Garlic Chopped
1 x Small Chorizo – Cubed
3 x Sprigs of Rosemary
1 x Handful of Coriander
1 x Teaspoon of Oregano Flowers

Method:

Fry off the garlic and onions and chorizo for a few minutes, add the tomatoes, and the herbs into the pot, add the chicken stock and season with salt and pepper.  Add the beans either rinsed from a jar or can or drained from soaking overnight. Stew for about 1.5 hours, then take out some beans and mash them up with a fork and add back to the pot.  This will help to thicken the sauce.  Also add a touch of Tomato puree/polpa if you think it necessary . Add clams when ready to serve and simmer gently for 10mins or until all shells appear to be open.

Chinese style Chicken & Sweetcorn Soup

Chicken, Soups

Ingredients for 4
1 tin creamed sweetcorn
4 tin measures of chicken stock
1/2 tin measure frozen corn
1 chicken breast, poached and shredded

Garnish
2 sliced spring onions
Splash of sesame oil to taste, careful it is strong

Method
Put all ingredients in a pan and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes, add garnish.  Check for salt and serve.

Katie’s Focaccia

Family Favourites, Holidays, Starters, Vegetarian

unnamedIndredients
500g strong white flour
7g sachet fast action dried yeast
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp fine sea salt
300mls warm water
2 tablespoonfuls olive oil
Another 2 tablespoonfuls of olive oil

Method
1. Put flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a big bowl. Mix up the olive oil and water and por onto flour mixture. Stir to mix and bring together with your hands into a rough ball.
2. Put the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes to a smooth fairly soft dough. Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover loosely with cling-film and leave to rise in a warm place for an hour until it has doubled in size.
3. Lightly oil a large baking tray 15″x10″.
4. Put the dough on to a floured surface and flatten out with your knuckles into a rectangle shape the same size as your baking tray and press out to the edges of the tray.
5. Again cover with loose cling-film and leave in a warm place for another half hour.
6. Preheat oven at 220C.
7. Now the focaccia should look puffed up and spongy. Poke the dough into dimples all over.
8. Drizzle the focaccia with 2 tablespoonfuls of olive oil and sprinkle with chopped up rosemary leaf and sea salt. A few sprigs of rosemary will make it look nice.
9. Bake in middle of oven for 15-20 minutes or until risen and a golden brown.

Serving suggestions
Serve up when still warm with even more intense olive oil and salt, or as per photo, let it cool a bit and serve up full of good Italian ingredients like mortadella, rugala (rocket), roasted peppers, sundried tomato, mozzaralla and more.

Cauliflower Tabbouleh

Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetarian

IMG_1462
INGREDIENTS
1 Cauliflower
1 Red onion, chopped
4 Radishes, sliced
2 Large tomatoes, diced
2 Handfuls of chopped parsley
1 Handful of chopped mint leaves
Juice of one lemon
Salt, pepper and a splash of olive oil

METHOD
Process raw cauliflower in food processor until it looks like rice. Put in bowl and cover with cling-film. Pierce film and microwave on high for 7 minutes. Allow to cool totally and mix in all the other ingredients. Mix well and add a sprinkling of flaked almonds as garnish. How healthy does it get?