Meat – Free Bolognese

Traditional Bolognese

Gino D’Acampo wrote that a traditional bolognese needs 25 ingredients and 18 hours of cooking time.  Well it was 5pm and I most certainly did not have time to cook a traditional bolognese.  Sometimes we just have to make do with what we have.  Luckily in my freezer I had quorn and frozen peas.  We can’t always stick with tradition, so when you deviate from it you might as well make the deviation worth while.  Here is my yummy meat free bolognese. Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Gino D’Acampo’s fantastico! Modern Italian Food (Kyle Books, 2011).

Ingredients:

4 tbsps olive oil, 1 onion (finely chopped), 450g quorn mince, 100ml red wine, 600g passata, 2 tbsps sun – dried tomato paste, 30g spinach (washed and chopped), 50g carrots (peeled and sliced).

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion over a medium heat until soft.
2. Add the quorn mince and fry for about 8 minutes and stir constantly.
3. Add the wine, stir well and continue to cook for another 5 minutes to all the alcohol to evapourate.
4. Pour in the passata, tomato paste and carrots and stir well.
5. Cover half of the pan with a lid and simmer for 25 minutes.
6. Add the spinach and stir then serve after 5 minutes or until the spinach has cooked.

Not- So – Cornish Pasties with Sturdy Shortcrust Pastry

Just for mummy

It is a really lovely thing to be able to look after the people who raised you.  After a long day of work it is good to make something that is filling and packed full of nutrients.  To replenish so much lost energy.  These pasties can be made in advance a frozen so all I needed to do was make a batch of them and heat them up before mummy comes home.  This is food to feed, it’s delicious.

This recipe was adapted from Lorraine Pascale’s Home Cooking Made Easy (Harper Collins Publishers, 2011).

Ingredients:

250g strong white bread flour, 250g plain flour, 175g butter, 5g salt, 2 large eggs, 200g kidney beans, 1 medium – sized sweet potato (boiled to soften and cut into a few pieces), 150g carrots (peeled and cut into slices), 1 tbsp dried thyme, 1 tsp tomato paste, 4 tbsps tomato ketchup, salt and pepper, 50g butter, 1 egg (lightly beaten).

Method:

1. Rub the flours, butter and salt together to make fine breadcrumbs.
2. Add the eggs and form into a round dough ball.
3. Place the dough in the fridge for a few minutes.
4. Mix all of the ingredients except the butter and beaten egg in a bowl.
5. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut out a few large circles.
6. Add the ingredients to the centre of the circles.
7. Add a little butter on top of every filling.
8. Parcel the pastry and the filling and pinch at the top.
9. Beat the egg and brush over the pastry.
10. Place the pastries on a baking paper on a baking tray.
11. Place in the oven for 30 – 35 minutes at 200 degrees C.

Angel Food Cake

Spirituality

So lately I have been trying to understand the religions of various spiritual people.  Not of mainstream religions, but religions which do not necessarily have such a high volume of reading materials and scholarly journals.  I am fascinated by religious and historical studies and seeing as there has been so much discussion about spiritual entities it felt right to bake a cake which symbolised something beautiful and light.  A cake which makes you feel as good as it looks.  I have indeed heard many times that heaven should taste like a great cake.  I would recommend serving the cake with light fruits.

This recipe was taken from Cake Days: the hummingbird bakery (Harper Collins Publishers, 2011).

Ingredients:

butter ( for greasing), 170g plain flour (extra for dusting) 10 egg whites, 1 tsp cream of tartar, 180g icing sugar (extra for dusting), 1 tsp vanilla essence, 1/2 tsp lemon zest, 1/2 tsp almond essence.

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C.
2. Lightly grease the tin with butter and dust with flour.
3. In a large bowl and using a hand held electric whisk, whisk the eggs and cream of tartar until the egg whites for into soft peaks.
4. Sift together the flour and icing sugar and carefully fold into the whisked egg whites incorporating 3 tbsps at a time.
5. Add the vanilla essence, 1/2 tsp lemon zest, 1/4 tsp almond essence.
6. When mixed well pour into the prepared tin, gently smoothing the surface with the back of a spoon.
7. Then place in the oven and bake for approximately 50 minutes or until the top of the cake is golden brown and bounces back when lightly pressed.
8. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool slightly in the tin before turning it out on a wire rack to cool completely.
9. When cooled.  Dust with icing sugar.

Creamy Kidney Bean Soup

Well and Truly Out

I had my tooth taken out.  I was not scared as I was put under anesthesia and to be honest I was so happy to have the tooth out I welcomed all the pulling and squeezing.   Having been swallowing my own blood for 24 hours the last thing I wanted was a red soup, but alas tooth pain means soft food only.  Tinned soup can become boring very very very quickly so here is a toned down version (less chilli) of a lively soup that hits the spot and requires little work.

This recipe was adapted from The Soup Book (Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2009).

Ingredients:

225g dried kidney beans soaked over night, 2 red onions (peeled and diced), 400g can chopped tomatoes, 1 tbsp tomato puree, 5 garlic cloves (peeled and halved), 5cm fresh root ginger (roughly chopped), 1 tsp chilli flakes, salt and pepper, 150ml single cream.

Method:

1. Drain the kidney beans and get rid of the soaking liquid.
2. Put the beans in a very large heavy – bottomed pan with 3 litres of water.
3. Add the onions, tomatoes, puree, garlic cloves, ginger and chilli flakes.
4. Cover the pan and simmer for about 3 hours until the beans start to break up.
5. Top the liquid up if required during cooking.
6. Once the beans have cooled slightly then liquidize.
7. Season well with salt and pepper.
8. Reheat and stir in the cream.

Potato and Coriander Soup

Poor Tooth

My tooth was hurting more by the day, it was becoming unbearable.  I have had this problem for 2 – 3 years and the pain just kept coming back no matter what the dentists did.  Complete con artists! Whatever will get them the most money! I cannot believe how expensive healthcare is.  Even if you are exempt from some fees you still have to pay for various procedures.  I understand that dentists need to be paid, but it really sucks that people have to endure tooth pain… any kind of pain for that matter longer than they should because they cannot afford it. This is a recipe for all my poor sick people.  And even if your not sick and poor cook it anyway and think about how  lucky you are.  This soup is lovely, full of flavour, easy to make if your’re sick and easy on the teeth. The high carbohydrate content helps food cravings.  Sweet potato can be added as well/

This recipe was taken from The Soup Book (Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2009).

Ingredients:

1 small bunch of fresh coriander, 2 onions (peeled and chopped), 2 garlic cloves (peeled and chopped), 3 tbsps olive oil, 900g British potatoes (peeled and cubed), 2 pints chicken stock, salt and pepper.

Method:

1. Cut the stalks from the coriander and tie them in a bundle with string.
2. Chop the leaves finely and reserve for later.
3. Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large pan and fry the onion and garlic.
4. Add the potatoes and coriander stalks, stir them and cover on a low heat for 5 minutes.
5. Add the stock, salt and pepper and then bring to the boil.
6. Simmer until the potatoes are very tender.
7. Remove the bundle of coriander stalks.
8. Liquidize the soup.
9. Stir in the coriander leaves and re heat gently.
10. Season to taste before serving.

White Loaf

White loaf

I have never used honey in a loaf before and although I was skeptical at first I was very happy with the outcome.  I love this bread recipe, nothing nicer than a warm soft dough made from fresh milk and good strong flour.  Reward yourself as often as you can with a fresh loaf of white bread.

This recipe was adapted from Lorraine Pascale’s Baking Made Easy (BBC Books, Harper Collins Publishers, 2011).

Ingredients:

560g strong white bread flour, 1 tsp salt, 7g fast – action dried yeast, 380ml warm milk, 1 tbsp honey, vegetable oil, 1 egg.

Method:

1. Put the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl.
2. Make a hole in the centre and pour in the milk and honey.
3. Mix well to combine, then knead for 10 minutes by hand on a lightly floured work surface.
4. The dough may seem quite damp, but do not be tempted to add more flour.  The wetter the dough the lighter the loaf, so keep kneading and it will become less sticky.
5. Place the dough in a loaf tin and cover loosely with oiled clingfilm.
6. Leave to rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size.
7. Once the dough is well risen carefully slash the top with a sharp serrated knife and preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
8. Brush the dough with the beaten egg and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until the bread is well risen.
9. When ready leave to cool on a wire rack.

Beer – Braised Beef

Raw Meats 

Beer- Braised beef is a fantastic recipe to use as an introduction to cooking raw red meat.  I am not familiar with cooking red meat at all and the smell at the butchers is just awful.  But alas I want to be able to cook red meat, after all not everyone can be a vegetarian or pescatarian.  Whether you drink beer or not it actually smells really good with beef and the best thing about this recipe is that you can use it in a variety of dishes.  I used this  recipe as a filling for burritos and it tasted awesomo… Apparently.

Ingredients:

1 onion (chopped), a pound of beef steak (chopped), 400g chopped tomatoes, 250ml beer, 2 tbsps molasses, 1/4 tsp salt.

Method:

1. Pour some oil into a large deep pan and set on a medium heat.
2. Add the onion and beef.
3. When the beef has browned pour in the tomatoes and beer.
4. Leave to simmer on a low heat for 4 hours.
5. Stir in the molasses and salt.
6.  Leave to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Cinnamon Pecan Blondies

Spice 

It really bothers me in recipe books when spice is used for certain dishes and you can’t taste the spice in the food at all.  What is the point of seasoning if food doesn’t taste seasoned.  I was not impressed with these brownies because they tasted pretty boring despite the nice addition from the cinnamon and pecans.  You can bake these foods and hand them out as tray bakes to those who like simple tasty food but don’t be expecting anything awesome.  It you really wanna hype up these bad boys… watch this space.

This recipe was adapted from Linda Collister’s Brownie Bliss: Brownies, Blondies and Heavenly Chocolate Treats (Ryland Peters & Small, 2010).

Ingredients:

100g unsalted butter, 300g light muscavado sugar, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 large eggs (lightly beaten), 150g plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 100g pecan halves/

Method:

1. Beat the sugar and butter together in a mixing bowl.
2. Beat in the rest of the ingredients and fold in the pecan halves.
3. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
4. Pour the brownie mix into a tray bake baking tray.
5. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes.
6.  Leave to chill out of the oven completely before cutting and distributing.

Classic Fudge Brownies

Trying but not Trying 

There was church function and I wanted to make a good impression, however I felt that if I made too much of an effort it would seem as though I was being attention seeking.  At church everyone should be equal, but low and behold this wasn’t an ordinary after- service.  My treats helped feed the congregation, but it was clear there was a hierarchy.  I was over thinking things.  Over thinking everything.  Yet although I sensed out a strange atmosphere amongst the church goers baking something simple (but not too showy) was an easy way to make a good impression and remain hidden enough to sense out the room.  Brownies are delicious, inviting and great for sharing.  Without decoration tray bakes seem very boring, but once tasted they are far from it.

This recipe was taken from Linda Collister’s Brownie Bliss: Brownies, Blondies, and Other Heavenly Chocolate Treats (Ryland, Peters and Small Ltd, 2010).

Ingredients:

100g dark chocolate, 125g unsalted butter softened, 275g caster sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 large eggs (lightly beaten), 85g plain flour, 2 tbsps cocoa powder, 100g pecan halves (crushed), 50g dark chocolate roughly chopped.

Method: 

1.Break 100g of dark chocolate and place in a heat proof bowl.
2. Set the bowl over simmering water.
3. When melted set aside.
4. Put the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat in the caster sugar.
5. When creamy beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
6. Sift in the plain flour and cocoa powder.
7. Fold in the pecan halves and the rest of the dark chocolate.
8. Pour into a brownie baking tray and bake in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees C for 25 minutes.
9. Leave the brownies to cool completely before serving.

Raspberry muffins with brown sugar topping

Sweet Crispness

Raspberry muffins with a brown sugar topping is the best idea since the last best muffin idea.  I love it.  The natural sweetness from the crisp sugar topping and the hot raspberry burst is wonderful.  It is a good thing I made many because these ran out fast.  Pay up to £4 at Starbucks for one muffin or spend £4 making 12?  It’s a no brainer, not to mention your kitchen will smell so inviting.

This recipe was adapted from Lorraine Pascale’s Home Cooking Made Easy (Harper Collins Publishers, 2011).

Ingredients:

350g self – raising flour, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, pinch of salt, 250g soft – light brown sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 350ml buttermilk, 2 eggs (lightly beaten), 150g butter, melted and cooled, 200g fresh raspberries.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C, Gas Mark 6.
2. Line the muffin tin with paper cases.
3. Put the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt, the sugar and cinnamon.
4. Add the buttermilk, eggs and butter.
5. When everything is mixed well fold in the raspberries and reserve some to place a few at the top.
6. Divide the mixture into the paper cases and press the remaining raspberries into the centre of each muffin.
7. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until cooked to a golden deep colour.
8. Take the muffins out of the oven and sprinkle a little brown sugar on top.
9. After 10 minutes or until lightly golden  remove from the oven and leave in the tin to cool.