Reads Recipes

Chickens !

2012-02-01T19:20:00.001Z

They have arrived !

We picked them up yesterday tea time and I love them already! Pictures will follow soon.

Bitter sweet !

2012-01-22T14:57:00.005Z

Made my first lost of marmalade ever yesterday and its lovely!

I used

2 lb of Seville Oranges

4lb sugar

4pints water

juice of 1 lemon

I sliced the oranges thinly and removed all the pips. The sliced oranges were put in a very large pan with the water together with all the pips tied in a muslin cloth, and the lemon juice. The pan was then boiled quite rapidly for about 2 hours or until the liquid had reduced by half.

I added the sugar and stirred continually over a low heat until all the sugar had dissolved and then increased the heat and boiled again this time for about 10 mins. I used a jam thermometer and once the temperature reached 221 f. I took the pan off the heat and then tested for a set on a cold plate. Perfect!

I left the marmalade to cool for about 10 minutes before pouring into jars. I got 7 jars, and it met with hubbies approval !

There are only six in the picture as the other one was opened and is being used !

Souper !

2012-01-14T14:45:00.006Z

I have been making lots of lovely soup recently and my current favourite is Celeriac Soup. Recipe from HFW@ River Cottage - thanks Hugh

Celeriac Soup

50g butter (I used about a tablespoon of olive oil)

1 Celeriac

1 Potato, peeled and cubed

1 Leek, trimmed, washed and sliced

1 Onion, peeled and chopped

1 Garlic Clove, sliced

1 litre of stock either veg or chicken (I used veg)

Melt butter (or heat oil) in a large pan over a medium heat then add the veg and sweat for about 10 minuted until just starting to soften.

Then add the stock and bring to the boil. Once boiling reduce heat and simmer for about 20 mins or until celeriac is soft.

Liquidise until smooth check seasoning it will need some salt and pepper, then serve - yummy This keeps well in the fridge for a good week.

This is such an easy soup to make and really quick. I had mine with homemade Soda Bread. Which is also easy and quick to make.

Eggciting times !

2012-01-12T09:32:00.003Z

We are getting some chickens at the end on January. We are getting three chickens to start with and I cant wait. The coop is in the garden ready for their arrival.

Hope to be making some eggciting recipes in the near future, watch this space !

Yorkshire Tea Cakes

2011-10-25T11:44:00.004+01:00

I have never really made a lot of yeast based products except some very hard and heavy hot cross buns! I do however make roasted red pepper and garlic bread, but I use the bread maker to knead the dough.

So yesterday I was looking through an old cook book and found a recipe for Yorkshire Tea Cakes and thought I would have a go.

Wow they are lovely, was going to take a pic, but there are only two left (hubby having taken some to work). My only criticism however would be that they were a bit too big and next time I make them I will make them smaller.

The recipe was very easy (the only difficult bit being the kneading).

Yorkshire Tea Cakes

1lb (450g) strong plain flour

1tsp (5ml) salt

1oz (25g) butter

1oz (25g) caster sugar

2oz (50g) currants or sultanas

2tsp dried yeast

1/2 pint (300ml) milk, lukewarm

extra milk for brushing

Firstly sift the flour into a bowl with the salt and rub in the butter. Then add the sugar and fruit and toss lightly together.

Dissolve 1tsp sugar in the lukewarm milk and sprinkle the yeast on top. Leave for about 10 minutes in a warm place until frothy.

After ten minutes I added the frothy milk to the dry ingredients and mixed well until I had a firm dough (you may need a little extra flour)

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and then knead for about 10 minutes (the dough should be smooth and elastic) put dough in a bowl and cover and then leave in a warm place until doubled in size (this took about an hour).

Once the dough had doubled in size, I turned it out onto a floured surface and kneaded lightly again and then cut the dough into six pieces (I would probably do 8 or even 10 next time). Shape them into balls and flatten to about 1cm thick. Then place on a lightly greased baking tray, brush the tops with milk and then cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm place to rise until nearly doubled in size. This time it took about half an hour.

Then put in the oven at gas 6, 200 c or 400 f for about 20 minutes. Once cooked remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

These went down really well. I think when I make them next I will add a little mixed spice or even some nutmeg for a bit more flavour.

Plums, plums and more plums!

2011-08-23T21:29:00.000+01:00

I have been quite busy over the last year especially with the children! Although over the last few weeks I have been picking some fruit locally. So far I have made the following;

Blackberry and crab apple jelly

Plum jelly

Plum jam

Damson jam (12 jars!) and

Crab apple jelly

What's next I wonder probably more apple as my neighbour has said I can have the apples from his tree when they are ready, in exchange for a jar a jam and an apple pie, quite a fair trade I think!

Check this out

2011-05-11T11:17:00.001+01:00

Jen has created a new blog, detailing here Crafting creations that she sells on ebay.

Click here for more information.

A few photos

2010-08-31T15:54:00.004+01:00

Peter, born 25th June 2010, on Ruby's 3rd birthday !

This photo was taken on Sunday,
Peter is now 9 weeks old !

Its about time !!

2010-08-23T09:57:00.003+01:00

So, its been nearly a year since the last post, and what a year its been. Having had a baby boy just 8 weeks ago, I decided it was time to gather some fruit. Firstly, it was plums, and then blackberries and elderberries.

I made two lots of plum jam with a mixture of locally picked plums. Having stoned the plums (not an easy job) I then put them in a large pan with about 4 tablespoons of water and boiled gently until the flesh was pulpy. I started with about 3lb fruit and then added 3lb of sugar. I gently heated the mix (stirring all the time) until the sugar had dissolved. I then increased the heat and boiled the fruit and sugar until setting point was reached (this took about 10 minutes). In the meantime, I had some clean jars and lids in the oven sterilizing.

I then potted the jam into the jars and sealed. This was yummy with the scones I made on Sunday.

Yet more chutney !

2009-10-13T12:16:00.000+01:00

We had a last picking of green beans and there were a lot ! So I made some chutney as an alternative way of preserving them.

2lb runner beans
4 or 5 onions
1 1/2 lb brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
1 1/2 tbsp english mustard powder
1 1/2 tbsp cornflour
1 1/2 pints malt vinegar

Firstly, peel and chop the onions, then slice the beans and boil together with the onions in salted water until both the beans and onions are soft.

Drain the onions and beans well and put back into the saucepan with 1 1/4 pints of the vinegar and boil for about 15 mins.

Mix together the turmeric, mustard and cornflour with the remaining vinegar and then add to the beans and onions.

Boil for about 15 mins, allow to cool then pot into sterilized jars and seal.

Getting Saucy !

2009-10-13T11:58:00.000+01:00

Sorry for the lack of updates of late - tomatoes, lovely juicy and ripe, but there are so many...... what to do with them. Well I have made some tomato sauce and this is how I did it;

1.5 kg of ripe tomatoes (I used a mixture of red and yellow)
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped or grated
a large handful of basil, chopped
about a tablespoon of dried mixed herbs
salt and pepper
a pinch of dried ginger
200 ml red wine vinegar
70g soft brown sugar

Firstly cut the tomatoes in half and placed them in a large roasting tin with the onion, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper and about 2 tsp of the sugar. Place them in the oven gas 5 /190 C / 375 F to roast for about an hour and a half, gently stirring half way through.

After about an hour and a half the tomatoes should be really soft with some colour to them. Leave them to cool slightly and then liquidise the mixture until smooth.

Place the smooth mix into a saucepan with the remaining sugar and the vinegar and slowly bring to the boil. Stir continually until the sugar has dissolved and then simmer gently until reduced and thick.

Pour your sauce into sterilised jars or bottles and then seal tightly.

This sauce should keep for about 6 months

I also made another version of this sauce but I added 2 or 3 chillies to the tomatoes before roasting, yummy and what a kick !

Right where are the chips ??

Another Cake

2009-09-25T16:12:00.001+01:00

This recipe is for Sticky Marmalade Cake, a cake that I make regularly and it is so easy.

Ingredients:

225g self raising flour
175g caster sugar
175g butter or margarine
3 eggs
2tsp ground ginger
1tsp mixed spice
1/3 jar orange marmalade
1tsp baking powder

Firstly heat the oven gas 4 / 350 F / 180 C then line a loaf tin with baking parchment.

Next put all of the other ingredients (except 1 dessert spoon of the marmalade) into a bowl and mix together, this is easier with an electric whisk.

Once mixed, pour into your lined loaf tin and put in the oven for about 1 hour. Once cooked, cool for a few minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a cooling rack. Once the cake has cooled then put the reserved marmalade into a small saucepan and heat gently until syrupy then brush the marmalade over the top of the cake to make a sticky topping. Lovely with a cup of tea.

Butternut Squash Cake !

2009-09-25T13:03:00.000+01:00

How yummy is this cake, I made it a few days ago and it lasted just that day, even Sammie who is a fussy 14 year old loved it !!

So, this is how I made it ;

Ingredients:

300g self-raising sugar
300g light muscovado sugar
3tsp mixed spice
2tsp bicarbonate of soda
175g sultanas or mixed fruit if you prefer
1/2tsp salt
4 eggs
200g butter, melted
zest of 1 orange
1tbsp orange juice
500g (peeled weight) butternut squash flesh grated

Firstly heat oven to 180 C/ 350 F/ gas 4. Line a baking tray approx 30 x 20 cm or a small roasting tin, with baking parchment.

Put the flour, sugar, spice, bicarbonate of soda, sultanas and salt into a large bowl and mix together. Beat the eggs into the melted butter and then stir in the orange zest and juice and mix together.

Then add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine and then lastly add the grated squash.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and place in the oven for about 40-45 minutes (but check after about 30 minutes) until golden and springy to touch

This cake cuts into about 12 or 15 pieces.

You could, if you prefer, use pumpkin for this recipe and also you could cover with an orange frosting which is made as follows;

Ingredients for frosting:

200g pack of soft cheese
85g butter, softened
100g icing sugar
zest of 1 orange and juice of half

Beat together the cheese, butter, icing sugar, orange zest and 1tsp of the juice until smooth and creamy then put in the fridge until required.

Once the cake is cooked and has cooled for about 5 minutes turn it out onto a cooling rack. Prick it all over with a skewer and drizzle with the rest of the orange juice while still warm and then leave to cool completely.

Then, give the frosting a beat to loosen it, and using a pallet knife, spread the frosting over the top of the cake. Yummy.

This cake is nice both with and without the frosting and will keep well in an airtight container for a good few days. Remember though that if you use the frosting, then you will need to keep the cake covered in the fridge and it will keep this way for up to 3 days - if it lasts that long !

Gone Bananas

2009-09-17T13:49:00.000+01:00

I noticed this morning that some of the bananas that I bought last week were still there and not looking their best, so I decided to use them for a very easy loaf / cake.

Ingredients;

3oz (85g) butter or margarine
4oz (100g) light brown sugar or regular caster sugar is fine
1 egg
2 large ripe bananas mashed
8oz (225g) self-raising flour
1/2 tsp mixed spice
pinch of salt

First of all, cream the butter and sugar, then add the egg and whisk until incorporated into the mixture. Then add the bananas and whisk again. The mixture will look as though it has curdled, but this is ok.

Then add the flour, salt and spice and fold in until all mixed together.

Line a loaf tin and then pour in the mixture and spread with a spoon.

Put into the oven gas 5 /190C / 375F for about 40 mins.

Enjoy with a cup of tea! Or coffee !

Moussaka !

2009-09-17T13:10:00.000+01:00

I decided yesterday that I would make a moussaka. I didn't have any aubergines so I used ............. courgettes instead, well one very large courgette to be precise

Although I had made moussaka before, I had always used pre-mixed spices and herbs, but as I didn't have a pack of these I just threw a few things together and it was delicious, this is what I did;

Ingredients;

500g lean lamb mince
1 very large courgette, cut into 1cm slices
1 large red onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic crushed or chopped
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2tsp mixed herbs - I used dried herbs
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 lamb stock cube
and a glug of red wine, about half a glass

Firstly I top and tailed the courgette and sliced it into 1cm thick pieces. Lay the courgette circles on a baking tray (I used 2 trays as there was a lot of courgette) and drizzle with a little olive oil (I used spray oil), season with salt and pepper then place in the oven gas 5/ 190C / 375F for about 20 minutes until soft.

Next I browned the lamb mince in a frying pan, by cooking it over a low heat for about 5 mins. I then drained the mince through a colander to remove the excess fat.

Return the mince to the pan and add the chopped onion and garlic and fry for further 5 minutes or so until the onion is just soft.

I then added all the other ingredients and cooked this uncovered for about 25 minutes until most of the liquid in the pan had gone.

For the White Cheese Sauce;

This is a low fat white sauce.

1 pint milk - I used skimmed
2 tbsp cornflour
1tsp mustard powder
salt and pepper
100g cheese grated - reserving some to sprinkle on the top

First, put most of the milk into a pan and heat gently, reserving about 4 tbsp. Mix the cornflour and mustard powder with the reserved milk until you have a paste. Once the milk is nearly boiling, add the cornflour mix and stir continually until it is incorporated into the milk, then bring the milk to the boil still stirring to avoid any lumps. This needs to be cooked for about 2 mins. After 2 minutes, remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and add about half the grated cheese.

So now is the time to assemble the moussaka, start by lightly greasing the dish, then lay the softened courgette in a single layer on the bottom of the dish. Then add the meat mixture and then another layer of courgettes and finally cover with the cheese sauce and sprinkle with the remainder of the grated cheese.

Place in the oven for about 40 mins at gas 5 / 190C / 375F it should be bubbling and golden brown on the top. We had it with salad, yummy.

Courgette Chutney

2009-09-14T20:41:00.000+01:00

I was wondering what to do with the remainder of the courgettes, and decided to make some chutney;

Ingredients

1kg (2 1/4lb) Courgettes, chopped
4 large red onions, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1tbsp ground coriander
2tsp mustard seeds
200g (7oz) sultanas
350g (12oz) white granulated sugar
2tsp salt or to taste
500ml (16floz) white wine vinegar
1 level tbsp ground ginger
2tsp chilli flakes

Put all the ingredients except the sugar into a pan and heat gently to a boil then turn down the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the veg is soft.

Then, add the sugar and stir gently over a low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Turn up the heat and simmer until most of the liquid has gone. The courgette should still be quite chunky.

Pot into jars and seal.

Although we tried this chutney on Sunday and it was very nice, I believe it would be much better once matured, so I will try it again in 2-3 weeks. I will let you know how it tastes then.

Courgette again

2009-09-12T22:38:00.000+01:00

Well I have lots of courgettes and I was looking through a Rosemary Conley cookbook and found a recipe for Courgette and Basil Soup, so thought I would share it with you;

Ingredients;

2lb courgettes
2 medium onions chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 pint of vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1/2 pint skimmed milk
salt and pepper
approx 20 fresh basil leaves

So, first of all top and tail the courgettes and roughly chop. Place them into a large pan with the other ingredients, except the milk and basil. Bring the pan to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 - 20 mins until the veg is soft.

Allow the soup to cool slightly and then liquidise in batches until smooth, adding a little milk and a few basil leaves to each batch

Return the soup to the pan and season to taste.

You can adjust the consistency of this soup by adding more or less milk, depending on how thick you like it.

You could of course add any veg that you like to the soup, not just courgettes.

This soup also freezes well so is a good way of preserving your courgettes to enjoy in the winter months.

Courgettes

2009-09-12T22:15:00.000+01:00

Hubby went to the allotment yesterday to water the plants and came home with a bag of courgettes from another plot holder who had too many so this is what I made today;

Courgette, bacon and cheese muffins

Ingredients;

8oz self raising flour
1/4 tsp salt (I used just a small pinch as the bacon is quite salty)
freshly ground pepper - to taste
1tsp mustard - I used powder
2oz soft butter or margarine
2 courgettes, around 6 inch long, grated
6 rashers of bacon, finely chopped
3oz cheese - whichever you prefer
2 medium eggs
6floz milk

Firstly, sieve the dry ingredients together into a bowl and then add the butter. Rub the butter into the flour until you have fine breadcrumbs. Then add the courgettes, bacon and cheese.

Secondly, lightly beat the milk and eggs together before adding to the dry ingredients and mixing gently until all the ingredients are mixed together.

Next, spoon the mixture into muffin tins and put into the oven and bake at Gas 6 /200F / 400F until light brown - approx 25 minutes.

These are really tasty, but I think that next time I make them, I will add some herbs and spices, maybe some cayenne pepper or paprika would be nice.

What about Beetroot !

2009-09-09T14:51:00.001+01:00

Decided I am fed up with plums for now, although I still have a lot to use..... more on this later.

So, a few weeks ago I made some beetroot chutney. I opened a jar today and it is lovely, so thought I would share the recipe with you;

Ingredients;

1kg uncooked beetroot
500g onions
750g cooking apples
500g seedless raisins
3tbsp ground ginger
1kg granulated sugar
1l malt vinegar

So, firstly you need to peel the beetroot - messy I know - then you need to grate it - even messier. I found it easier to use my food processor to grate the beetroot, but you can do it by hand. Peel and chop the onions and apples.

Put all the ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil slowly, then simmer until thick. Put in jars and seal. I found that it took a few hours to become thick. This recipe makes about 2kg of chutney.

Bit of an experiment

2009-09-09T10:48:00.000+01:00

I still have a load of plums and again I made some jam, but just to make it a bit more interesting, I added a chili to the mix !

I used a basic jam recipe 3lb fruit and 3lb sugar, but I also added a chilli which I pierced with a knife to release some of the heat. Before the sugar was added I tasted the tart fruit pulp and it was very hot with the heat of the chilli, but once I added the sugar, it seemed to take some of the heat away. I passed the mixture through a sieve to remove the chilli and its seeds after it had been boiled with the fruit. Don't want any nasty surprises!

When I was putting the jam into jars and I tasted it, I noticed there was a little heat from the chilli but not too much, I may leave this jam to mature for a while before using.

Now, what other combination's could I use .........

Plum Cake

2009-09-07T10:06:00.000+01:00

This recipe doesn't use many plums, but it is very tasty.

Ingredients:

8oz self-raising flour
1tsp ground cinnamon (or you could use mixed spice if you prefer)
3 1/2oz butter or margarine
2oz sultanas
2oz soft brown sugar plus 2tblsp for the topping
2 large eggs
4tblsp golden syrup
8oz plums, stoned and chopped

So, firstly preheat oven to 160C/325F /Gas 3. Then grease and line an 8 inch square cake tin.

Rub the butter and the flour together with half the cinnamon until you have a fine breadcrumb mixture. Add the sultanas and sugar and stir together.

Beat the eggs and golden syrup together in a separate bowl and then add the plums, stir and then add to the flour mixture. Mix together and then transfer to your cake tin.

Mix the 2tblsp of reserved sugar with the remaining cinnamon and then sprinkle over the top of the cake mixture.

Place in the centre of the oven for about 40-45 mins. It should be risen and just firm to the touch when cooked.

Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes then cut into squares and enjoy.

Relish the Thought !

2009-09-06T09:36:00.000+01:00

So, apart from jam, what else can you make with plums? What about chutney or relish.

Apple, Plum and Onion Relish to be precise. A lovely relish that would go well with cold meats, burgers, sausages or even a nice mature cheese !

Ingredients;

5 plump garlic cloves
fresh root ginger about 4 inch piece
2 green chillies
2 1/4 lb cooking apples
1 1/2lb onions
1lb 2oz plums
12fl oz cider vinegar
10oz granulated sugar
1tbsp salt (or to taste)
2tbsp chopped fresh sage

So, firstly using a food processor (if you have one) or pestle and mortar, work the garlic, ginger and chillies into a paste. Once this is done, put all the ingredients except the sage into your pan and bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.

Then, over a fairly low heat, simmer the relish for about 40 minutes or until reduced and quite thick. Then stir in the sage and simmer for a further 2-3 minutes.

Pot the relish into hot sterilized jars and cover with vinegar proof lids. Store this in a dark cool place. This relish keeps for up to a year!

A lovely mix

2009-09-04T21:29:00.000+01:00

When hubby picked some more plums yesterday, he also came home with a bag containing Elderberries, Damsons and Blackberries with a total weight of about 2lb. Not enough of each to really do anything with, so I decided to make some mixed fruit jam.

So having put Ruby to bed I set about washing the fruit ready for the pot. I put the fruit in a large pan with about half a pint of water and simmered for a good half an hour until the fruit was really soft and pulpy. At this point I then strained the fruit through a sieve (I really don't like the pips). Once strained I then added the sugar to the juice, stirring until the sugar had all dissolved. Once dissolved, I then increased the heat until boiling and then boiled for about ten minutes until setting point was reached.

This made 4lb of mixed fruit jam plus one small ramekin for the fridge! Wow! Just had some of the jam on toast, really different , but very nice.

Yummy Jam

2009-09-04T13:43:00.000+01:00

Well, here is the first of hopefully many recipes......

Plum and Cinnamon Jam

Ingredients;

2kg (4 1/2lb) plums
2kg (4 1/2lb) white granulated sugar
about a level tablespoon of ground cinnamon
3/4 pint of water

Firstly, I stoned and chopped the plums and put them into a large pan with the sugar and water. This was heated gentle over a low heat stirring until the sugar had dissolved (about 10-15 mins) . Once the sugar had dissolved completely, I then increased the heat and boiled rapidly until setting point was reached. I found this took about 30 mins, but do check at regular intervals. I used a cold plate to check for a set. Once a set had been reached, I turned off the heat and stirred in the cinnamon. I then potted into warm steralized jars and labelled once cooled. Enjoy !

New blog looming!

2009-09-03T07:42:00.001+01:00

WATCH THIS SPACE !