Chocolate and Digestive Biscuit Brownies.

Chocolate and Digestive Biscuit Brownies.

The girls have friends coming round which means brownies! We have done a few versions and this is our newest invention. My older daughter made these by herself with mum in charge of washing up and the oven. She is such a perfectionist, 300g is not 299 or 301g.

Equipment:

20x20cm square tin lined with baking paper.

In a large saucepan, put in,

-200g dark chocolate, broken into chunks, with

-150g chopped butter.

Cook stirring until both ingredients have melted.

Take off the heat, add

-300g caster sugar, stir to combine, add

-3 whisked eggs, stir well. Put in

-150g plain flour,

-1 tsp baking powder,

-1 tsp vanilla bean paste.

-pinch of salt. Stir well to combine, add

-100g roughly chopped digestive biscuits.

Spoon into the prepared tin. Spread evenly.

Bake in 160c fan forced oven for 35 minutes. Skewer shouldn't come out clean.

Leave to firm up for at least 2 hrs.

Garlic and Chilli Prawns กุ้งผัดพริกกระเทียม

Garlic and Chilli Prawns กุ้งผัดพริกกระเทียม

The sun is out and this seems to make you want to eat healthier. This quick and easy prawns recipe is fresh, spicy and summery. Chillies are supposed to speed up your metabolism so add as many as you can handle and get ready for those summer dresses. Wok to stomach in around 10 minutes.

   Preparation:

In a pestle and mortar, pound

-2 cloves garlic, with

-1tsp black peppercorns,

-1tsp coriander seeds.

Pound until well combined.

2 sliced chillies.

2 sliced spring onions.

In a large wok, on high heat, with a tablespoon of vegetable oil, put in

-500g cooked prawns.

Leave the prawns to cook, without stirring for around 30 seconds to get some char marks. Stir, then add,

-pounded garlic/pepper mixture.

Leave for another 30 seconds. Stir well to coat the prawns in the spices, add

-chillies,

-spring onions,

-1tsp salt.

Continue to cook for around 20 seconds.

Serve.

Stem Ginger with Peach Cream.

Stem Ginger with Peach Cream Slice.

This 'leftover' cake has turned out better than I had hoped. I was going through my fridge and cupboards to see what needed using up, found these ingredients and turned them into a rectangular cake. I love my rectangular cake tins, they seem to make everything prettier.

Equipment:

30x15cm(x2) cake tins, or

2x20cm springform cakes tins, lined with baking paper.

In a large saucepan, put in,

-250g butter,

-250g soft brown sugar,

-100g finely sliced stem ginger (and a tablespoon of ginger syrup),

-pinch of salt.

Cook, stirring, until the butter and sugar have melted. 

Leave aside.

   For the cake.

Use an electric mixer, beat, 

-400g self raising flour,

-2tsp baking powder,

-5 eggs,

-1tsp vanilla bean paste,

-pinch of salt.

Stir through,

-butter mixture.

Spoon into the prepared tin.

Bake in 180c fan forced oven for 18-20 minutes. The skewer should come out clean.

Leave to cool completely in the cooking tins.

Drain 410g tinned peaches.

Chop into 1cm chunks.

   Cream Topping.

Use an electric mixer, beat

-600ml double cream, with

-3 tbsp icing sugar,

-1tsp vanilla bean paste.

Beat until the cream just holds its shape,

Stir through,

-chopped peaches.

Refrigerate until needed.

     To assemble.

Sandwich the cake layers with the peach cream.

Ham and Pea Soup.

Ham and Pea Soup.

This is a happy and delicious byproduct of a glazed ham. The ham poaching liquid is so well spiced, full of flavour and I never throw it away. I normally divide the liquid into 500ml portions and stash them away in the freezer.

This is one of my quickest and easiest recipes and I can assure you it's delicious, the sweetness of the peas contrasts so well against the saltiness of the ham stock.

Serves 2.

In a large saucepan, put in

-1 litre ham stock, with

-500g frozen peas.

Bring up to the boil.

Turn the heat off.

Use a hand blender to blitz the peas. (I like chunky soups so I left some peas whole).

Put the soup back on the heat, add

-100g chopped ham,

-1tbsp chopped chives,

-plenty of black pepper.

Cook, stirring, for around 30 seconds.

Serve.

Lemon Cream Pie.

Lemon Cream Pie.

I am obsessed with panna cotta at the moment but I don't think it's fair to do another straight forward panna cotta and expect great excitement. I am, therefore, encasing the panna cotta in a pie crust, this has also given a great texture against the smooth and creamy panna cotta. I also find that lemons are the magic ingredient to use in a dessert when you are catering for those that are not 'into' desserts. I have yet to come across anyone who could turn down lemons.

Equipment:

25cm loose bottomed tart tin.

   For the pie.

In a food processor, put in,

-300g ginger biscuits or digestive biscuits.

Process the biscuits until fine breadcrumbs form. Tip into a large bowl, add

-120g melted butter.

Stir well to combine. Press the mixture into the base of the tin. Refrigerate until needed.

In a large heatproof bowl, put in

-200ml, put in,

-a small heatproof bowl with 2tbsp hot water, add

-12g gelatine granules.

Stir the gelatine until dissolved.

Leave to stand in the hot water bath.

    For vanilla panna cotta.

In a large saucepan,put in 

-200ml double cream,

-250g mascarpone cheese,

-150ml whole milk,

-120g caster sugar,

-2tsp vanilla bean paste.

Leave to come up to the simmer on medium-low heat.

Stirring occasionally.

When the cream mixture is almost at boiling point, turn the heat off.

Add dissolved gelatine.

Stir well.

Transfer into a jug.

Pour into the tart case.

Leave to stand for 30 minutes.

Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.

When the first layer has set, make 

   Lemon filling.

(Follow the instructions for dissolving the gelatine but use 6g for this recipe).

In a heatproof bowl, put in,

-4 eggs, whisk well.

In a heatproof bowl, put in,

-zest and juice of 4 lemons,

-200g caster sugar,

Place on a pan of simmering water, cook stirring until the butter and sugar have melted.

Add

-1/2 cup of hot syrup to 

-egg yolks.

You need to be whisking all the time. Continue to add hot syrup this way until all the liquid has been used. This is to stop the egg mixture curdling.

Pour the mixture into a saucepan, cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened, around 10 minutes.

Add dissolved gelatine.

Stir well.

Transfer into a jug.

Pour over the set vanilla panna cotta.

Leave to stand for 30 minutes.

Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.

Note: this was a huge hit.

Sweet and Sour Glazed Ham.

Sweet and Sour Glazed Ham.

Ham is delicious and great for feeding a big crowd when you are short of time. The 2 hours, that is required to cook the gammon joint, can be done the day ahead or whilst you are getting on with other elements, such as a dessert or use that time to do more exciting and rewarding chores, such as housework 😩. The preparation time will take around 15 minutes.

Serves 8.

Equipment:

Large stock pot.

In a large stock pot, put in

-2.3 gammon joint, with

-3litres water, 

-10-15 cloves,

-1tsp black peppercorns,

-1 cinnamon stick,

-2 star anise,

-1tsp coriander seeds,

-2 carrots, cut into chunks,

-2 stalks celery, cut into chunks,

-1 large onion, quartered.

Bring to the boil and turn the heat down to a gentle simmer.

Cook for 2 hrs. Leave the ham to cool in the stock pot.

    For the glaze.

In a large frying pan, with a tablespoon of vegetable oil, fry

-2tbsp chopped fresh ginger with

-2 cloves chopped garlic.

Cook, stirring occasionally, on medium heat, until the ginger have softened, add

-3tbsp balsamic vinegar,

-2tsp sesame oil.

-2tbsp brown sugar,

-1tsp ground ginger,

-1tsp ground cinnamon,

-2tbsp plum jam.

Cook, stirring constantly, until the jam has dissolved, leave aside until needed.

Oven 180c fan forced.

When the ham is cooled enough to handle, 

-remove the fat, 

-score the skin.

Spread the glaze liberally over the ham.

Bake 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes.

Note: if you like to make soups, divide the ham stock into portions and freeze to use later.

Lentil, Chicken and Ginger Soup.

Lentil, Chicken and Ginger Soup.

This soup is fresh and healthy. The lentils are deliciously nutty, earthy and low in calories. This is health food so I eat plenty of it.

Serves 2.

Preparation:

In a large bowl, put in

-200g dry lentils,

-plenty of cold water.

Leave to soak, around 1 hour.

Rinse well under running water.

Boil the lentils for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Drain and leave aside.

In a large stock pot, put in

-1.2litres water,

-3cm thickly sliced ginger,

-1 stalk celery, cut into chunks,

-1 carrots, cut into chunks,

-1 onion, quartered,

-1tsp salt and pepper,

-2tbsp soy sauce,

-2 free range chicken thigh fillet.

Bring it up to a gentle simmer and leave to cook on low heat for around 30 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave the chicken to cool in the stock for around 10 minutes.

Drain through a sieve into a large heatproof bowl. 

Pour the stock back into the saucepan, add

-cooked lentils.

Leave to simmer whilst you shred the chicken (around 5 minutes).

Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Spoon into serving bowls, add

-shredded chicken, with

-a few ginger and spring onions strips for added freshness.