Archive for the 'Sides' Category

Ingredients:

12 ripe plum tomatoes, skinned and deeseeded
1 1/2 cups good quality olive oil
2 large sweet Spanish onions, peeled and finely diced
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp Pimientón (Spanish sweet paprika, smoked)
1 tsp chilli powder (hot or whatever you prefer
1 bay leaf (laurel)

Method:

After skinning, scrape the seeds from the tomatoes into a sieve set over a bow (using a small spoon) cover and leave to “drip”. Blitz the tomatoes, add the juices from the seeds (I do this because the “water” is tasty, although it does prolong the cooking time)

Place a non stick pan over a medium to low flame, add the olive oil

Add the chopped onions,caster sugar and sea salt, fry slowly … stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or spatula … until the onions become tender and turn a light golden brown – this should take around five minutes, then add the tomatoes and stir, bring up to heat

Add the pimentón, chilli powder and bay leaf

Reduce to heat to medium-low and cook for about 20 minutes, stir occasionaly to ensure the sauce does not stick or burn

When ready the tomatoes will break down, colour of the sauce will deepen and the sauce will split, ie the oil will separate from the tomatoes

Push through a sieve, bottle and cap, refrigate until ready to cook. It is best to prepare the sauce only a short time before use

Plain Suet Dumplings::
2 oz self-raising flour
1 oz shredded suet
Salt and black pepper
6-8 tbsp cold water – to mix

Mix the flour and shredded suet in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and add enough cold water (6-8 tablespoonfuls) to make smooth dough

Place the dough on a lightly floured board lightly knead, divide into 6 dumplings, shape and put them on to the soup, casserole or stock, return the lid and allow them to simmer for around 20 to 25 minutes.

Do not overwork the dough. This amount serves 2 to 3 people

Herb Dumplings – add ½ tbsp of fresh mixed herbs, very finely chopped, ie thyme and parsley

Potato Dumplings – Recipe 2
¼ cup flour
¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1½ cups cold mashed potatoes
2 eggs – lightly beaten

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl, gradually work in the mashed potatoes and eggs. Knead very lightly on a floured board and shape into balls, drop into the soup, casserole or stock, cover and cook for 25 minutes

Sage Wholemeal Dumplings – Recipe 3
4 oz self-raising wholemeal flour
1 tsp of English mustard powder
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp of fresh sage – finely chopped
2 oz vegetable suet
2 tbsp milk

Sift the flour, mustard powder and sea salt into a mixing bowl, stir in the herbs and vegetable suet. Add the milk and mix to a soft dough, being careful not to overwork

Form into mixture into small dumplings, place them into the casserole, soup or stock then simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the dumplings have “puffed up”. They normally puff up and rise to the top when ready

Ideal served with roast meats, Chickpea mash is a wonderfully warming and flavoursome addition.

Ingredients::
600 grams of tinned chickpeas
1 shallot
2 tbsp olive oil
Paprika

Method::
Drain the chickpeas and place into a pan of lightly salted water, bring to the boil and then lower the heat to a simmer, leave on the heat until heated through

Peel and finely slice the shallot, place in a frying and sweat off in a little olive oil over a moderate heat and cook until translucent and soft

Drain the chickpeas, place in the bowl of a food processor

Strain the shallots through a sieve over a bowl, add the olive oil to the chickpeas, blitz until smooth

Transfer to a serving dish and stir in the shallot, paprika, sea salt and white pepper to taste

One of the things I love about living in this country is the abundance of beautiful fresh orange and lemons. Unlike the UK, where there is an abundance of these all year round, this country is very much one of seasonable produce. This means you have to make the best of it when they are in season.

Today I decided to experiment with a marmalade recipe of my very own, using my Mum’s recipe to form an orange and lemon version.

The results were absolutely amazing, and are currently settling in our kitchen. Here is the recipe. Its unusual because it utilises half brown and half white sugar – something that was not totally intentional, just we lacked sufficient quantity of white sugar. However, it is something I would repeat because the results were a lucious and dark marmalade, with a traditional British bitter aftertaste.

Ingredients
3 pints of cold water
4 large unwaxed thin-skinned lemons
4 unwaxed oranges
1 1/2 lb White granulated sugar
1 1/2 lbs Brown Sugar

Method
1. Scrub the fruit and halve
2. Squeeze the juice and pips into a basin
3. Cut up the peel into thin strips or chunks, as preferred
4. Put the peel, any soft pulp and the water in a large heavy-based pan
5. Strain the juice
6. Put the pips in a muslin bag and tie to the handle so that it hangs well down in the water
7. Cook the fruit gently for 2 hours, or until the peel is tender
8. Lift out the muslin bag and squeeze it between two spoons over the pan before discarding
9. Add any citrus juice and sugar – stir until the sugar has completely dissolved
10. Bring to the boil, and boil rapidly until setting point is reached
11. Remove from the heat and skim off any impurities, ie scum, cool for 10 minutes and then stir well to distribute the peel
12. Pot, seal and label
13. Store in a cool, dark dry cupboard, larder or pantry

Important Notes 

To check to see if a marmalade has reached setting point. I tend to check this every five minutes or so, because once marmalade is overdone, its really overdone. Put around 4 saucers or small plates in the fridge before starting the marmalade, or in the freezer for 2-3 mins just before you reach this final boiling stage. When you are ready to test the marmalade remove one of the saucers and place a teaspoon of the mixture onto the saucer. Whilst you are doing this make sure the marmalade is off the heat. When the mixture on the sauver is reasonably cool to the touch, push your finger through it slowly – if it wrinkles its done.

Ensaladilla Rusa is a popular tapas in Spain, and it is one I enjoy a great deal in particular.

Ingredients:

1 lb potatoes – diced
1 large carrot – diced
4 oz fresh peas – shelled
3 oz green beans – cut into ½ inch pieces
1 small onion, finely diced
1 small red pepper, finely diced
5 small gherkins, sliced
2 tablespoons baby capers – rinsed if in brine
10 anchovy-stuffed olives
1 hard boiled egg, thinly sliced
6 fl oz mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Garnish:

1 large tomato – thinly sliced
Fresh parsley – chopped

Prepare a mixing bowl just large enough to hold all the ingredients by lining with cling film leaving sufficient spare at the top to cover the salad

Preparation:

Put the prepared potatoes and carrots into a saucepan of lightly salted water, bring to the boil and simmer until done. Add the peas and beans to a pan of boiling salted water, bring back to boil and simmer until tender. Drain and place the potatoes, carrots, beans and peans into a mixing bowl. Add the onion, red pepper, gherkins, baby capers, anchovy-stuffed olives and egg slices and carefully stir to combine.

Place the mayonnaise, lemon juice and mustard into a separate bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Spoon the mayonnaise into the bowl and mix until all the ingredients are coated in the sauce.

Sprinkle with black pepper and toss.

Transfer the salad to the prepared bowl, smooth the top, cover with the cling film and refrigerate until required.

Peel back the cling film at the top and turn out onto a serving plate. Remove the cling film from the salad and discard.

Arrange sliced tomatoes around the outside of the dish and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Ingredients
3 lbs beetroot (cook in boiling water, allow to cool, skin and dice)
1 lb cooking apples
1 lb onions
1 lb sugar
½ teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons salt
1 pint white wine Vinegar (or malt if you prefer)
Juice and finely grated zest of one unwaxed lemon

Method
First prepare the beetroot – keep it to one side.
Peel, core and dice the apples and put into lemon water to stop from browning. Dice the onions. Put ingredients, other than beetroot, into a saucepan and boil gently (ie not a hard rolling boil) for 20 minutes.
Add the beetroot and boil for a further 15 minutes, or until thickened. Allow to cool.
Put into warm sterilised jars and seal.

This was a request made during the course of the day via email. Pigs in Blankets are so exceptionally simple a recipe really is not required.

Ingredients

Cocktail Sausages [or other sausages sliced into 3 or 4 pieces]
Streaky Bacon or Panchetta

Instructions

1. Wrap the sausage and other filling in the bacon or panchetta
2. Roast for 30 minutes or grill for around 10 minutes

Liven up by adding other ingredients – stuffing, apricots, or oyster

This is my own recipe made up on the cuff one fine Christmas day several year ago.

Its transpired transpired because I lacked a recipe at the time – and once we had it this way no other recipe would do. Once you have tasted homemade cranberry sauce you’ll never buy the readymade again! Personally I love to experiment with my own ideas, and this was a definite winner with my family.

Ingredients

1 orange
175g/5oz caster sugar
5 tbsp Red Wine [approximate, I tend to slosh red wine in..]
359g/12oz cranberries, fresh or frozen

Instructions

1. Place cranberries in pan, grate over the zest of the one orange, and add the juice. Throw in the red wine [4tbsp or a good slosh, depending on what you fancy]
2. Cook for 8-10 minutes [longer if you are using frozen cranberries] until the fruit is soft and the juices thick
3. Add further 1tbsp of red wine or another good slosh. Serve warm or cold

Brussel Sprouts have a bit of a raw deal as far as their reputation is concerned – but being the granddaughter of a vegetable grower I have always adored my veggies – especially brussel sprouts. I mean what would a traditional dinner be without a side order of these green gems? I particularly like tossed in olive and lightly fried bacon. But most recently, and this is an addition to this past I made in 2009, I came up with a Bubble & Squeak recipe which has them hidden within – and believe me, your guests will adore them. To see this recipe for yourself please go here

Ingredients

Brussel Sprouts
2 slices of bacon, panchetta [or even jamon serrano is fantastic]
1tbsp Olive Oil
1 small knob of butter [to taste]

Instructions

1. Steam [or boil if you must] Brussel Sprouts until tender
2. Warm Olive Oil in a frying pan, and add butter and bacon. Fry for a minute or two
3. Add Brussel Sprouts and toss together. Making sure the oil, butter and bacon coat the sprouts
4. Serve and enjoy!

I despise boiled brussel sprouts. Steaming them maintains their colour much better, and you don’t run the risk of getting soggy mushy sprouts that do nothing for your constitution [or your taste buds]

My Grandfather used to grow parsnips in abundance, and they were always served at dinners in abundance.  My Grandfathers used to coated in goose fat and sprinkled with a light sprinkling of salt and freshly ground black pepper. They were the most delicious vegetables I had ever tastes as a child, and it is with some regret that parsnips bought today never really live up to expectations. That said I came up with a modification recently that really did lift the most lifeless shop grown offerings – and it was the recipe below.

Ingredients

Parsnips
Grain Mustard
Honey
Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Par cook parnships in boiling water [or steam] for five minutes
2. Place oil in roasting pan and warm
3. Mix the Grain Mustard & Olive Oil. Toss parsnips in the mixture and put in the roasting pan
4. Roast until done. 30-40 Mins until crisp and golden