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The basic formula for fritters is vegetables + flavourings (herbs & spices) + cheese + binding agent (egg & flour), formed into patties then fried until crispy.

Vegetables I like to use are:

• Grated root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, beetroot, butternut squash
• Frozen veg like peas or sweetcorn
• Grated courgettes or potatoes (these need to be salted, drained and squeezed to remove moisture)
• Cauliflower and broccoli – cut in small florets and steamed

When it comes to fritter flavours, the world is your oyster!  You can mix and match the vegetables and use whatever cheese takes your fancy.  Crumbly goat’s cheese or feta will add a nice, salty hit, while cheeses like cheddar, mozzarella or other hard cheeses will bring melty ooziness.  Or try sprinkling finely grated parmesan on the outside of the fritters before frying for additional cheesy crunch.

Aromats like garlic, chopped spring onions or finely chopped onion or shallot are all welcome additions, and you can further ramp up the flavour with plentiful soft herbs like parsley, coriander, dill or mint or spices like cumin, paprika, chilli and curry powder.

Once you’ve created your perfect fritter flavour combo, you’ll need to bind the ingredients together.  Plain flour and egg is an ideal choice, but you could use self-raising flour for a lighter texture.  If you need to keep it gluten free, gram (chickpea) flour is a good (and high protein) option.

BASIC FRITTER RECIPE:

Ingredients:

1. 650g vegetables of choice
2. 2 large eggs / 3 medium
3. 50-75g cheese (grated or crumbled)
4. 4-8 tbsp plain, self-raising or gram flour
5. 1-2 tbsp finely chopped herbs / or / 1 tsp ground spices
6. 1 clove garlic, minced
7. 2 spring onions, finely chopped
8. 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
9. pinch ground black pepper
10. 2 tbsps olive or vegetable oil

Method:

• Prepare your vegetables:
  • Grate root veg such as carrots, parsnip, beetroot on a medium-sized grater
  • For higher moisture veg like courgettes or potatoes, grate, then toss with a teaspoon of salt and place in a colander over a bowl for about 30 minutes. This will make them release water.  Rinse to remove the salt, then use your hands to squeeze as much moisture out as possible.
  • Defrost frozen (or drain tinned) peas and sweetcorn
  • Cut broccoli or cauliflower into florets and steam until just tender. Cool a little, then chop into small (pea-sized) pieces
• Put your vegetables, cheese, flavourings (herbs, spices, aromats) in a large bowl. Add flour bit by bit so you have enough to coat the vegetable mix.  Add your eggs and mix well.  Test the batter to see if it holds together in a patty – if it doesn’t, add a little more flour.

• Add enough oil to a large, ideally non-stick frying pan to cover the base, then heat over a medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering. Add spoonfuls of the batter to the pan, spaced about an inch apart.  Use a spatula to flatten them slightly and fry gently for about 3 minutes or until they are browned and set on the bottom.  Flip them over and continue to cook until brown and crispy on both sides and cooked in the middle.
• Remove and drain on kitchen towel before serving.

Notes:

• You can also cook fritters in the oven (200C for about 20-25 minutes), although pan-frying will give you a better, crispier result.
• Fritters will keep well in the fridge for about 1 week
• You can freeze cooked fritters (interleaved with baking parchment) for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in a 200C oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

The post Any Vegetable Fritters appeared first on Forkful Food.

Because they are so pretty, it’s great to use blood oranges in recipes which will showcase their gorgeous colour.  I’ve combined two favourite cakes – a straightforward citrus polenta cake and a saffron & lemon syrup cake which is an upside-down cake decorated with candied lemon slices.  The lemon syrup cake is to my taste, a little on the sweet side, so I decided to replicate the candied element with slices of the beautiful blood oranges and replace the syrup cake with the citrus polenta mix.  The blood oranges, being thinner skinned than normal oranges turned out to be perfect for candying and I used them to line the base of the (now upside down) cake with them.  What really makes the citrus polenta cake so delicious is soaking it with an orange and lemon syrup.  Usually, you soak the top of the cake, but I decided to see if it would work soaking the bottom of the cake before turning out, and it did, brilliantly.  Click here to download the recipe.

But back to the fruit.  It’s not only blood oranges that give us a reason for cheerfulness as this dreary winter drags on.  All the citrus fruits are in peak season in February, so make sure you make the most of them all.  Most citrus fruits can be had all year round, but a special shout out winter visitors such as Seville oranges, kumquats and pomelos.  Seville oranges are very tart and used to make marmalade.  If you’ve never tried to make it before, give it a go – it’s a very soothing process.  Kumquats, that look adorably like miniature oranges, are thin-skinned and very bitter and are great made into a marmalade, jam or chutney.  Finally, pomelos, the largest citrus fruit, make a visit to our shores from South East Asia.  They have extremely thick pith with segments encased with tough membranes.  With a taste a bit like a sweeter, less acidic grapefruit, the flesh within the segments is unusually dry.  They are best eaten fresh – take off the peel then remove the flesh from the tough membranes and break into pieces.  I love them added to a fresh, zingy and spicy Asian style salad with plenty of lime, coriander, mint, chilli and maybe some toasted peanuts.

Blood Orange Citrus Polenta Cake

Makes 8-12 portions

Ingredients

Equipment

23cm loose-bottomed or springform tin, greased with the base lined with a disc of baking parchment

For the candied oranges

2-3 Blood oranges, thinly sliced (about 2mm)

220g Caster sugar

125ml Water

For the cake

3 Egg yolks

125ml Vegetable oil (any veg oil will do – a mild olive oil would be fine)

110g Caster sugar

1 Orange, grated zest of

1 Lemon, grated zest of

100g Ground almonds

75g Polenta

¾ tsp Baking powder

20g Caster sugar

3 Egg whites

Method

Candied orange slices:

• Place the sugar and water in a saucepan over a low to medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Turn the heat up to medium high and add the blood orange slices and bring to the boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the peel looks semi-translucent.
• Remove the orange slices with a slotted spoon to a tray lined with baking parchment.
• Add the juice from the zested orange and lemon to the syrup, bring to the boil and boil until it thickens slightly. Remove from the heat and set aside.

The cake:

• Heat the oven to 180C
• Put the egg yolks, vegetable oil, caster sugar and orange and lemon zests in a bowl and beat until smooth and combined.
• Put the ground almonds, polenta, and baking powder in a medium-sized bowl. Add the egg yolk mixture and fold in until combined.
• Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, then add the 20g sugar and beat until combined. Fold the whisked egg whites into the cake mixture.
• Pour into the prepared tin being careful not to displace any of the candied orange slices. Put in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until brown on top and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
• Remove the cake from the oven and cool for about 10 minutes. Pierce the cake all over with a skewers, then slowly spoon the syrup over the cake, allowing it to sink in before adding more.
• Leave the cake to cool completely before turning out onto a serving plate.

Tips:

• If you want this cake to be gluten-free, ensure that the baking powder you use is GF
• This cake works with any citrus fruit, so you can replace the orange and lemon with limes or grapefruit
• You can flavour the cake, and the syrup, with different spices should you wish.  For instance, try adding a teaspoon of ground cardamom to the cake batter, or flavour the syrup with a teaspoon of cinnamon or ½ a teaspoon of ground spice.

The post Reasons To Be Cheerful in February – Blood Oranges appeared first on Forkful Food.

Put your leftover sprouts to good use in this crunchy, tangy and refreshing coleslaw.

I threw this coleslaw together a few Christmases ago to use up a leftover bag of brussels sprouts and generally clear out the fridge in the days after the big day, and it has now become a firm favourite with the family.  It’s a great way to use up whatever vegetables and salad items are still lurking in the fridge and goes beautifully with cold turkey and ham.  And not only that, it will give your body a lovely injection of light and fresh food – always welcome after the over-indulgence of the previous days!

It’s easy to make and you can play around with the ingredients.  I love replacing the traditional cabbage with brussels sprouts, but you can use whatever you like.  Just make sure you have a cabbage-like base, some crunch (chicory, celery, carrots, radishes), something oniony (spring onions, or finely chopped red onions steeped in lime juice), some fruit (pomegranate seeds and tinned clementines) and if you’re a nut-eating household, some nuts for sweetness (I like pecans).  But the most important part of this particular salad is the dressing, combining mayonnaise for creaminess, buttermilk for tang, maple syrup for smoky sweetness, and lemon juice or wine vinegar for acidity.

DOWNLOAD THE TWIXMAS COLESLAW RECIPE HERE

Makes 6-8 portions

Ingredients

500g    Brussel sprouts

1          Red or white chicory

1          Bunch of spring onions

2          Carrots

2-3      Sticks of celery

100g    Radishes

50g      Rocket

150g    Pomegranate seeds

1 can   Clementine segments

100g    Pecans, toasted

Dressing:

6tbsp   Mayonnaise

3 tbsp  Buttermilk

2 tbsp  Maple syrup

1 tbsp  Lemon juice or wine vinegar

Method

• Pecans: Preheat the oven to 180C.  Place the pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 6-7 minutes.  Remove from the oven, cool and roughly chop
• Brussel Sprouts: Trim and finely shred the sprouts (use the fine slicing blade of a food processor or mandolin if you have one) and place in a large bowl
• Radishes: Top and tail the radishes, then finely slice them in your food processor or with a mandolin
• Carrots: Peel the carrots and remove the ends, then coarsely grate (use your food processor for this) and add to the bowl
• Celery: Finely slice the celery and add to the bowl
• Chicory: Roughly slice and add to the bowl
• Spring onions: Trim the onions and remove the outer leaves, then finely slice and add to the bowl
• Clementines: Drain the clemetines and add to the bowl
• Dressing: Whisk all the ingredients together.  Check for seasoning and add more syrup or lemon juice if you feel it’s needed
• Toss the dressing with the ingredients in the bowl until well-combined. Add the rocket and pomegranate seeds and toss again.  Arrange the coleslaw in a nice serving bowl and scatter over the spring onions and pecan nuts

Tips:

• Replace the brussel sprouts with any kind of cabbage, finely shredded
• Use fresh clementines, segmented, instead of tinned
• Use any type of nut instead of the pecans – pinenuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds would also work well
• Finely sliced fennel would also be delicious in this coleslaw

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To make the pizza dough you can use either bread or Tipo 00 (a.k.a. pasta) flour or a mix of the two.  Both are “strong” flours with high protein contents.  When flour is mixed with liquid and kneaded, the protein develops into gluten which is what makes bread doughs elastic and the cooked product chewy.  The key difference between bread and 00 flour is their protein content (higher in bread flour) and how the gluten in each develops.   Using bread flour will create a more elastic dough and the resulting pizza base will have a chewier texture, while 00 flour creates a pizza with a good bite, but less chew.   But if the urge for homemade pizza hits and you don’t have either of these flours in stock, you can just use plain flour; you’ll get a slightly different texture, but it will work.

While we’re talking about special ingredients, it is well worth seeking out a packet of semolina, which is a coarse flour made from durum wheat.  Sprinkle it on your pizza peel to stop the dough sticking and help it slide easily into the oven.  I’ve used normal flour in the past and it works to an extent, but eventually becomes sticky and less effective.  Last word on semolina – you’ll find it in either the baking aisle in the supermarket, but more likely in the ambient dessert aisle with the rice puddings, meringues etc.

Pizza Dough

Makes 6-8 pizzas

Ingredients

• 900g      Bread or Tipo 00 flour
• 7g           sachet Easy blend yeast
• 700ml   Water, lukewarm
• 10g         Fine sea salt
• 30ml      Olive oil
• Semolina, for dusting

Method

• To make the dough: Put the lukewarm water in a large bowl. Add the sea salt, 50g of the flour and stir to combine.  Mix in the yeast and leave for 2 minutes for the yeast to bloom.
• Stir in the remaining flour and mix until you have a soft dough.
• Rise #1: Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel or cling film and leave to rise for 1-2 hours at room temperature, or until doubled in size.
• Knock the air out of the risen dough with your fist, then turn it out onto a floured worksurface and knead by hand for 20 minutes, or 10 minutes in a stand mixer, or about 7 minutes in Thermomix on the dough setting until it becomes smooth and feels velvety.
• Rise #2: Roll the dough into a sausage shape and cut it into 6-8 equal sized pieces (approx 200g for 8 balls which will make 8-9 inch pizzas, or 265g for 6 balls which will make 12 inch pizzas). Place, well-spaced apart on an oiled tray, drizzle with olive oil, cover with clingfilm and leave to prove in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight which will develop flavour and create an easy to work with dough.

Topping:

• Whiz the drained plum tomatoes, olive oil, basil leaves and salt together in a high speed blender (or with a stick blender) until smooth and fully combined to create a fairly thin liquid.

To make the pizzas:

• Remove the dough from the fridge. Place a pizza stone in your oven and preheat it to 240C or its highest setting /or/ heat your pizza oven.
• Sprinkle some semolina on your work top, take a ball of dough and stretch it to a 10-12 inch round, pinching the edges to make a thicker rim. Sprinkle a pizza peel with a little more semolina and slide the pizza onto it.  Spread a couple of spoonfuls of the tomato mix over the base.  Top with you chosen ingredients (thinly sliced mozzarella, basil, salami, nduja, etc), then slide off the peel onto the pizza stone/into the pizza oven and cook for 7-10 minutes in the oven, 3-5 minutes in the pizza oven until cooked and crispy.  Remove, drizzle with a little more olive oil and enjoy!

Tips:

• You can make the dough several days in advance and do the first rise in the fridge. The cold will retard the action of the yeast so the dough rises very slowly.  This will allow enzymes in the yeast to develop great flavour.  For a slow rise #1 in the fridge, mix the dough and put it in an oiled bowl covered with clingfilm.  Leave for up to 5 days.  When you take the dough out of the fridge, allow 3-4 hours for it to come up to room temperature, before proceeding with knocking back, kneading etc as per the recipe.
• You can also freeze the dough. This is best done after the first rise and before the second rise.  Knock back and knead the dough, form into balls and lightly coat with oil.  Either place individually into ziplock bags, or put the dough balls on an oiled tray and open freeze for about an hour, then put in a bag or box and freeze for up to 3 months.  When ready to use, remove the dough from their containers and place, well-spaced on an oil tray and cover with clingfilm.  Defrost overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temperature (3-4 hours) before shaping, topping and cooking.
• You can also freeze pre-cooked pizza bases. Shape the pizza bases and spread with the pizza topping sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes so that they are just cooked.  Wrap well with parchment paper and clingfilm and freeze for up to 3 months.  To use, thaw, top and bake for 10 minutes as per the recipe.

The post Pizza dough and pizza topping appeared first on Forkful Food.

This winter feels particularly cold and damp, not to mention interminable!  Everyone I meet at the moment seems to be battling one of the many bugs doing the rounds or slowly recovering from one.  Whichever side of the sickness fence you find yourself on, this punchy but soothing infusion will bring a bit of comfort and relief.  It’s packed with immunity-boosting ingredients well-known for their infection-fighting properties:

• Garlic, ginger and turmeric’s immune-boosting properties can help fight infection. The medicinal benefits of garlic come from a concentration of sulphur-containing compounds that have antibacterial properties and can help boost immunity. (You might feel put off by the idea of adding garlic to an essentially sweet drink, but the flavour is really subtle and far outweighed by the benefits).  Ginger is another ingredient many turn to after getting sick and is great for bringing relief from the common cold.  It’s a potent anti-inflammatory that can help reduce the symptoms of a sore throat and it can also help with   Turmeric comes from the same family as ginger and contains the chemical compound curcumin, well-known as a powerful anti-inflammatory and immunity-booster.
• Most of us automatically turn to vitamin C when we have a cold or flu, and rightly so. Vitamin C helps support our immune systems and is believed to increase the production of white blood cells, which are key to fighting infections.  While vitamin C won’t prevent you catching the common cold, it can certainly reduce the amount of time your sickness lasts.  Our immunity brew doesn’t only get its vitamin C from lemon juice, but also the red chilli which, serving for serving, contains more vitamin C than an orange!
• As well as being high in Vitamin C, chillis are also a great source of Vitamin A which is essential for supporting mucosa tissue, such as your respiratory passages, urinary tract and intestinal tract. These systems are the body’s primary defence again outside infections and germs, so Vitamin A can also help you avoid winter bugs. But if you do fall victim, a good spicy chilli will definitely help clear congestion!
• Finally, honey is a wonder-ingredient with multiple medicinal properties, including antibiotic, antiseptic and antioxidant properties which make it effective in fighting respiratory infections, soothing coughs and relieving sore throats.

Immunity Brew

Makes 750ml

• 1                      Lemon, juiced
• 1inch               Fresh ginger, sliced
• 1 inch              Fresh turmeric, sliced (or 1 tsp powdered turmeric)
• 1-2 tbsp           Honey (optional – add to taste)
• 1                      Red chilli, chopped
• 2                      Garlic cloves, unpeeled, kept whole
• 750ml              Water

 

Method:

• Put all the ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to the boil.
• Simmer for 15 minutes, then strain into a jug.  Serve warm, with extra honey if desired.
• This will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge and can be reheated as needed.

 

The post Immunity Brew appeared first on Forkful Food.

By now, most of us have taken onboard the health message that we need to eat less meat and more plants. However, it can be easy forget that “plant” doesn’t only mean fruits and vegetables, but also the wider world of pulses, peas & legumes, nuts, and those little powerhouses, seeds.

It’s easy to overlook the power of seeds. Packed with nutrients, seeds are a rich source of protein, fibre, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals. Low in carbs, they will keep you fuller for longer and keep blood sugar levels steady thanks to their slow-releasing energy. A great plant source of the essential fatty acids, omega-3 and omega-6, seeds have numerous health benefits, and can help support cardiovascular, cognitive, immune, bone, skin and gastrointestinal health as well as being anti-inflammatory.

Seeds are cheap and widely available, and most supermarkets sell handy packets of mixed seeds that cover all the bases. So rather than just throwing a few onto your morning yogurt and berries, here are some quick and easy recipes that give you truly delicious way of incorporating more seeds into your daily diet. I hope you enjoy them!

Berry Chia Breakfast pots

Serves 4

• 2 tbsp Chia seeds
• 5 Dates, chopped
• 300ml Milk – any type – cow’s or plant
• 225g Frozen cherries or other berries
• 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
• 200ml Greek style yogurt (cow’s or plant-based)
• 4 tbsp Low Carb Seedy Cinnamon Granola
• 40g Nuts of your choice, roughly chopped

Method:

• Soak the chia seeds and dates in the milk for at least one hour, or overnight.  Defrost the berries at the same time.
• Blend the chia mix with the berries and cinnamon until smooth and creamy.
• Spoon into 4 glasses or bowls, top with yogurt, granola, nuts, and some extra berries.
• Per serving (with semi-skimmed cow’s milk):

Calories: 364 / Carbs: 19.4g / Fats: 25.7g / Protein: 12.7g / Fibre: 5.6g

Low Carb Seedy Cinnamon Granola

Serves 18

• 2 tbsp Flax seeds
• 160g Seed mix (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, flax)
• 200g Mixed nuts
• 25g Desiccated coconut
• 3 Dates, pitted and finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Water, boiled
• 1.5 tbsp Coconut oil, melted
• 1 tbsp Honey or Maple syrup (optional)
• 2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 2 tsp Ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp Sea salt flakes

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C fan / 200C non-fan.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put the chopped dates into a large bowl and pour over the boiling water.  Mash together to form a thick pulp.

Melt the coconut oil in a small pan, add the honey and stir until melted.  Add the cinnamon and vanilla extract and stir to combine.  Pour into the mixing bowl containing the dates, then add all the dry ingredients.  Stir well until everything is combined and all the nuts and seeds are coated in the liquid.

Tip the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it out evenly.  Bake in the oven to 10-15 minutes until lightly browned.  Remove from the oven as set aside to cool.

Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Per 25g / 1 tbsp serving:

Calories: 146 / Carbs: 4g / Fats: 12.3g / Protein: 4.9g / Fibre: 2.2g

Pumpkin seed, rocket and chilli pesto

Serves 12

• 60g Roasted pumpkin seeds
• 30g Parmesan, grated
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 100g Rocket
• 1 Green or red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice
• 125ml Extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp Salt

Method:

To roast the pumpkin seeds, heat them in a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat until they start to turn darker and pop.  Set aside and cool.

Put the pumpkin seeds, parmesan, garlic and chilli in a food processor.  Pulse for 10-20 seconds until the seeds are almost ground.

Add the basil, half the lemon juice and the olive oil and pulse for 30-40 seconds until all the ingredients are combined, being careful not to overprocess.

Transfer to a bowl, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and more lemon juice if needed.  If the texture is too stiff, loosen it with a little more olive oil.

Store in the fridge for up to a week, ensuring that the top is level and covered with a thin film of oil to prevent oxidation.

Per 25g / 1 tbsp serving:

Calories: 129/ Carbs: 1g / Fats: 12.8g / Protein: 2.6g / Fibre: 0.5g

Mixed Seed Crackers

Serves 6

• 150g                    Mixed seeds (sesame, pumpkin, sunflower & flax/linseeds, also known as omega mix)
• 75g                       Rolled oats
• 1 tbsp                  Chia seeds
• 2 tbsp                  Psyllium husk powder
• ¾ tsp                    Fine Sea salt
• 1 tbsp                  Maple syrup
• 1 ½ tbsp             Coconut oil, melted
• 175ml                 Water

Method:

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Whisk the water, maple syrup and oil together until combined.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until everything is completely combined, and the dough thickens.

Divide the dough into two pieces.  Place one piece of dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper and roll out to a 3mm thickness, or thinner.  Place on a baking sheet, remove the top piece of paper and leave uncovered for 2-3 at room temperature.

Repeat with the second piece of dough, or freeze for later use.

Preheat the oven to 180C (fan)/190C non-fan.  Bake the crackers for 20-25 minutes, then flip over onto the baking sheet and remove the parchment paper.  Cook for a further 10-15 minutes until the dough is fully dry and starting to crisp at the edges.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely on the baking sheet – they will crisp up as they cool.

Break into pieces and store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Per 45g serving:

Calories: 237 / Carbs: 14.2g / Fats: 16.1g    / Protein: 6.9g / Fibre: 7.1g

If you would like to discuss catering for your home function, please get in touch!

The post Feeling the need for seeds? appeared first on Forkful Food.

An answer to this catering conundrum lies in the stuffed picnic loaf – basically a hollowed out loaf of bread stuffed with lots of good things.  The idea originates in Nice where “pan bagnat” (which literally translates as “bathed bread”) is essentially salad niçoise in sandwich form.  It typically contains tuna, anchovies, tomato, olives, boiled egg, oil and vinegar, served in hollowed out day-old bread which soaks up all the juices on the inside, while maintaining a firm crust on the outside.

My version is play on this, with a hollowed out round sourdough loaf stuffed with roasted vegetables, pesto, and mozzarella.  Once stuffed, the loaf is wrapped and weighted so all the flavours meld together.  You can also easily modify the loaf for vegans – replace the mozzarella with houmous, and the pesto with either a vegan pesto or a vegan black olive tapenade.  Another great thing about this loaf is you can make it well in advance – most recipes advise eating within 2 days, but I left one in the fridge for 5 days and it still tasted great.

So here’s how to do it:

Mediterranean Stuffed Picnic Loaf:

1 loaf serves 8-10 people as part of a picnic

• 1 Day old sourdough “boule” (round loaf)
• 1 Red pepper
• 1 Yellow pepper
• 2 Courgettes
• 2  Large field or portobella mushrooms
• 1 Aubergine
• 50g Basil leaves, roughly chopped
• Olive oil
• 6 tbsp  Basil pesto (good quality store bought, or make your own using the recipe below)
• 2 125g Balls of mozzarella

METHOD:

1. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan
2. Cut the peppers into quarters, remove the seeds and place on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the skins have blackened.  Remove from the oven, put the peppers in a bowl and cover with cling film.  Leave to cool (the steam will loosen the skins), and when cold, remove the skins.  Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, cut the aubergines lengthways into 3-4mm slices. Brush with olive oil seasoned well with salt and pepper.
4. Cut the courgettes into 4-5mm diagonal slices and brush with seasoned oil.
5. Heat a griddle pan and when hot, grill the aubergine and courgette slices – you want to get good char lines on both sides, and cook them until they are softened but still retain a little bite. Set aside to cool
6. Slice the mushrooms into 3-4mm slices, toss in seasoned oil and place in a roasting tin. Cook in the oven for around 30 minutes until cooked through and most of the liquid they release has evaporated.  Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
7. Drain the mozzarella and pat dry. Cut into 3-4mm slices.
8. Take your loaf and slice off the top, about one third of the way down. Set this lid aside, and then carefully scoop out the inside of the loaf, leaving a 2-3cm shell of bread inside the crust (you can whizz the scooped out bread in a food processor to make breadcrumbs – freeze in a bag until you need them).
9. Spread the pesto all over the interior of the loaf, and on the underside of the lid, then start layering the vegetables, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go and scattering basil between each layer.
10. Start with a layer of aubergine, followed by courgette, peppers and mushrooms. Top with a layer of mozzarella, then repeat, pressing the filling down firmly as you go, until all the vegetables have been used up.
11. Put the lid back on top of the loaf, then wrap tightly with cling film. Transfer to a baking tray, roasting tin or similar, and place another tray on top.  Weigh down with something heavy – 4 full cans or jars are ideal – and put in the fridge to set up.
12. When ready to serve, unwrap the loaf and cut into 8-10 wedges to serve. (Re-form and re-wrap the loaf to transport to your picnic destination)
13. Enjoy!

Basil Pesto

Makes about 250ml

• 80g Parmesan cheese, cut in 2cm pieces
• 1 Garlic clove
• 30g Pine nuts, toasted
• 80g Fresh basil leaves (include the non-woody bits of the stems)
• 150g Extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp Salt

METHOD:

1. Place the parmesan in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
2. Add the garlic, pine nuts, basil and salt and turn the processor on.
3. With the food processor on, slowly pour in the olive oil until it has all been combined and you have a lovely green pesto!
4. Serve immediately, or transfer to a lidded container. Leave a 5mm gap at the top and cover in extra oil to prevent oxidation and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

The post Mediterranean Picnic Loaf appeared first on Forkful Food.

However, some press reports were distinctly down-beat, accusing the quiche of being bland, with watery spinach and hard-to-find ingredients – all accusations that can be avoided if you follow my top tips!

Making a good quiche from scratch is quite an operation, but the great thing about this recipe is that you can make all the elements several days in advance, bringing it all together on the day for the final bake.  You can make the pastry, line the tart tin, blind bake the pastry case, prepare the vegetables and mix the custard filling 3-4 days in advance so with a bit of planning you can spread the work and make it a far less onerous task.

The original recipe calls for a 20cm deep tart ring, but I’ve tweaked it to make a larger, 23cm quiche using a standard fluted tart tin, which will make 8 generous portions and up to 12-16 smaller slices.  I used my usual (and may I say failsafe) pastry recipe which omits the lard and I have increased the ingredients to fit the larger size tin.  Finally, I stuck with my usual custard formula of 4 eggs to 400ml of cream (I used half single and half double cream)

Click here for the Coronation Quiche recipe

Here are our top tips for making a perfect Coronation Quiche:

THE PASTRY:

Great shortcrust pastry should be crisp and crumbly in texture.  This is achieved by using a high solid fat to flour ratio, by adding the minimum amount of liquid to bind the ingredients together, and by handling the pastry dough as little as possible.  (You want to keep your pastry “short” by preventing the formation of gluten.  Gluten is created when water is mixed with flour, and forms into long chains or threads, and the stretchy gluten is further developed when the dough is manipulated – think kneading bread dough).

So the key to a good, tender and crumbly “short” pastry is minimal liquid and minimal handling which is very easy using a food processor.  However, it is important to have enough liquid to make your pastry pliable and easy to handle.  A dry pastry will be difficult to roll out and will likely crack when cooked.  Thankfully, it’s easy to check you’ve got the right consistency.  Pulse the butter and flour together until it resembles fine breadcrumbs, then add your liquid and pulse until it resembles small pebbles.  Take a little of this mixture and press together – if it is smooth and pliable, continue pulsing until it forms a dough.  If it feels a little dry, add a little more water, ½ a teaspoon at a time until you’ve got it right.

I find that if I’ve got the pastry just right, I can roll it out straight away and line my tart tin, without needing to rest it in the fridge first.  I also trim the over-hanging pastry at this stage by gently rolling a rolling pin over the rim of the tart tin which will cut the excess pastry off and leave you with a neat edge.  Pricking the base of the pastry all over with a fork at this stage which will prevent it ballooning up when cooked.  If you skip resting the pastry before rolling it, it is essential to chill the lined tart tin for at least a couple of hours or even overnight before blind baking it.

Don’t throw the pastry off cuts away!  If your pastry does crack when you blind bake it, you can use the left-over pastry to do a patch up job.

Blind Baking:

There are 2 stages to blind baking your pastry case and it is essential that pastry is well chilled, otherwise the butter will melt before the structure is set and the pastry shell will collapse.

First, you need to line the pastry with baking parchment and fill with baking beans (or uncooked rice, beans, lentils, sugar, or even old coins) and cook for 15-20 minutes.  This will cook and set the sides of the tart case and ensure it maintains its shape.

Next, you need to remove the baking beans and bake the tart for a further 10 minutes which will cook the base of the tart and ensure no soggy bottom!  (For added security, brush the left-over egg white over the base of the pastry and cook for a further 5 minutes to seal it).  If you have any cracks in the cooked pastry, carefully press bits of your left-over uncooked pastry to cover them up – no need to cook again as the raw pastry will cook when you bake the filled quiche.

THE FILLING:

Spinach:

An easy way to cook the spinach (if ready washed) is to pierce the bag a few times and zap it in the microwave.  Cook it on high for a minute, check for doneness and continue to cook for another minute until done – mine took about 3 minutes.  Alternatively, you can empty the spinach into a colander and pour over a kettle of boiling water.

You need to dry your spinach really, really well!  Once it’s cooked, cool it a little then squeeze it with your hands to get rid of as much water as you can.  Once you’ve done this, put it in a clean t-towel or J-cloth and squeeze again until you can’t get any more liquid out of it.  You’ll be left with a fraction of the volume of the uncooked spinach and it will form a fairly solid lump.  Put your lump on a board and chop roughly.  (You can do this a couple of days in advance).

Broad Beans:

Broad beans are just coming into season, but even if you can find fresh, I’d advise using frozen beans which are smaller and sweeter.  Whatever you use, you’ll need to remove the silver-grey casing on the beans which can be tough and bitter – this is a little time-consuming so worth doing in advance.  To cook the beans, simply place them in a bowl and cover in freshly boiled water to defrost.  Leave for a few minutes, then drain and refresh under cold water.

To remove the skins, pinch the between your fingers until the bright green kernal pops out.  I reckon the skins account for about 25% of the total weight of the bean, so you’d need about 100g of frozen beans to achieve 75g once skinned.  (You can do this a couple of days in advance).

Cheddar Cheese:

I’d advise using the strongest cheese you can get your hands on and have suggested extra mature cheddar. You can grate the cheese any way you want, but a quick and easy way is to cut it into cubes and whizz in a food processor until it forms a crumb-like texture – but be careful not to take it too far as it will clump if over-processed. (You can do this a couple of days in advance).

The Filling:

It’s essential to season any egg-based recipe such as a quiche or soufflé really well.  This is because as the eggs rise and expand, the flavour will be diluted.  So you need to be pretty heavy-handed with the salt – your uncooked custard should taste distinctly salted before you cook it, otherwise the finished product risks being bland.

SUBSTITUTIONS:

If you can’t find broad beans, you can use edamame beans which is the substitution suggested in the original recipe.  However, I think frozen peas or petits pois would also work well and a mix of peas and edamame would be delicious.

If fresh tarragon is nowhere to be found, use 1 tsp of dried tarragon instead.  Failing that, a mix of chopped dill and flat leaf parsley would taste great too.

You can use frozen leaf spinach instead of fresh, in which case, defrost it and squeeze out the water as per the instructions above.

The post CORONATION QUICHE – top tips for a perfect pie appeared first on Forkful Food.

Yes, it’s that time of year again.  Valentine’s day!  Yup, hearts, flowers, chocolates and fizz … and quite possibly your favourite restaurant fully booked!

Instead of going out, why not treat you and your loved one to a romantic dinner à deux in the comfort of your own home?   Our VALENTINE’S DAY DINNER…DELIVERED! menu gives you  a hassle-free three courses, ready prepped for you to heat and serve.  We do all the hard work, so you can enjoy delicious, restaurant quality food with the absolute minimum effort on your part.

Available for delivery between 13th – 18th February in and around Wandsworth, London SW18, our mouthwatering menu offers you a tempting choice of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options.

OUR VALENTINE’S DAY DINNER MENU

STARTERS

Beetroot-cured salmon, shaved fennel & cucumber salad, horseradish cream

or

Twice-baked Roquefort soufflé with roasted red pepper sauce

MAIN COURSE

Seared duck breast with cherry sauce, gratin dauphinois, medley of green vegetables

or

Garlic & herb mushroom Kiev, gratin dauphinois, medley of green vegetables

DESSERT

Individual passionfruit tartlet with lemon curd sauce and hazelnut praline

or

Individual chocolate tart with miso caramel, miso butterscotch sauce and hazelnut praline

Our Valentine’s dinner costs £100 for 2 people, and includes free local delivery.  But if you want to spread the love further,  why not throw a dinner party for your favourite people instead and invite additional guests for £40 per head.

To book your dinner delivered reservation, contact me at ruth@forkfulfood.com or call me on 07711034928.  Order by 10th February 2023 for delivery on 13th or 14th February, and by 14th February for delivery on 17th or 18th February.

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I was using different recipes for my pancakes and waffles, and it struck me that as they involved the same ingredients, it would be great to work out a multi-tasking batter that would work for both.  A little research revealed that waffle batters generally have a slightly higher fat content which delivers that delicious crispy surface.  Waffle batter is also a little runnier than pancake batter, making for a light and fluffy end result.

A little experimentation led me to the perfect waffle/pancake formula.  As with all batters, you start with a dry mix and then add your wet ingredients.  The composition of the dry mix for both pancakes and waffles is the same, while the wet mix needs a slight variation in the quantity of egg, milk and butter for perfect results.  The absolutely best results came from separating the eggs, adding the yolks to the wet mix and whisking the egg whites to add to the batter just before cooking.  If you don’t have the time or inclination for this, then you can just whisk the whole eggs into the milk mix – I don’t think you’ll get any complaints!

You can make the batter ahead of time – it will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.  Uneaten pancakes and waffles can be refrigerated or frozen and reheated in the toaster.

Waffle & Pancake Batter:

Serves 4, generously

Dry mix:

• 1 cup / 125g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1tbsp caster or icing sugar
• ½ tsp fine salt

Wet mix:

• 30g butter, melted & cooled slightly
• Pancake:  175ml milk + 1 egg
• Waffle: 150ml milk + 2 eggs
• 1tsp vanilla

METHOD:

1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a good-sized bowl
2. Melt the butter and cool slightly
3. Measure the milk into a jug and add the vanilla
4. Separate the eggs; put the whites into a clean, grease-free bowl and add the yolks to the milk (if you want to skip whisking the whites, just add the eggs whole to the milk)
5. Make a well in the dry mix and slowly whisk in the milk, followed by the melted butter. (Alternatively, you can whizz all the ingredients together with a blender or stick blender)
6. Whisk the egg white to soft peaks, then gently fold this into the batter
7. To make waffles, heat your waffle iron following the manufacturer’s instructions and brush with a little oil or butter. Cook according to the machine’s instructions – usually for about 5-6 minutes until the waffles are golden brown and crisp.
8. To make pancakes, heat a flat griddle or frying pan over a medium heat. Wipe the pan with a little butter or oil, then plop tablespoons of the batter onto the pan spaced well apart.  When bubbles start to appear, carefully flip them and cook until golden brown and cooked through

Let me know how you get on with these!

And get in touch if you’d like to chat about catering for an upcoming event.

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Opening the fridge to see whether I could avoid a supermarket run in the heat (and to cool down a little!) I found the usual suspects in the salad drawer – tomatoes (for once deliciously ripe), peppers, and cucumber. Rather than make a salad, I realised that these could be whizzed up into a quick and effortless gazpacho along with a few other kitchen staples that are always to hand – a little bread, some good olive, a clove of garlic and a splash of (preferably Sherry) vinegar.  And my goodness, it was delicious, refreshing, and the leftovers kept in the fridge for several days.

So here is how to do it…

Gazpacho:

• Approximately 900g-1kg ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 red pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 green pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• Approximately 2 slices good quality stale white bread (100g),
• 75-150ml extra virgin olive oil
• 2tbsp sherry vinegar
• Salt & pepper to taste.

METHOD:

1. Soak the bread in water for 20-30 minutes, then squeeze it out.
2. Put all the vegetables, the bread, garlic and 75ml of the olive oil into a blender (or a food processor will work if you don’t have a blender). Blend until smooth.
3. Add the vinegar and season to taste with salt & pepper.
4. At this point you can add more olive oil – pour it in slowly while the blender is running. Check for taste and texture – you can add a little iced water or ice cubes if you want to thin it down a little
5. For a completely smooth soup, stain through a fine sieve
6. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Serve your gazpacho with a swirl of olive oil.

You can also add some toppings to each bowl – for instance chopped black olives, diced cherry tomatoes, red peppers and cucumber.  Finely sliced Serrano ham is also great, and some people like to add chopped hard boiled egg.

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So here is a very easy, very tasty basic sponge cake recipe which uses the “all-in-one” method (seriously quick & foolproof).  I’ve given quantities and cooking times for a variety of round and square cake tin sizes, as well as quantities to make enough buttercream to fill and cover a 2 tier cake. You can also vary the flavour of your cake and I have included suggestions and quantities for flavourings for both the cake and the icing.

The recipe is based on a traditional Madeira cake which is made with more flour than a Victoria sponge cake, and therefore has a denser texture.  This makes it perfect to cut into different shapes and as it’s less crumbly, it’s also easier to ice. The cake also freezes well (undecorated) for up to 3 months

This type of sponge cake is often cooked in single, deep cake tin; the resulting cake can then be cut into layers and iced.  Alternatively, you can divide the batter between 2 shallow cake tins which you can sandwich together, or for a 4-layer showstopper, cut each cake in half horizontally to make 2 layers.  I have given cooking times and temperatures for both types of cake tin – basically you need to cook the deep cake “low & slow”, while the cakes cooked in shallow tins need a higher oven temperature and shorter cooking time.

Basic Sponge Cake

Method

1. Grease and line your cake tins
2. Preheat the oven to 150C (300F) fan oven for a single, deep cake, or 170C (340F) fan oven for 2 x shallow cakes. For non-fan assisted ovens, increase the cooking time by 10 degrees C (50F).
3. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and then add the rest of the ingredients (including your chosen flavourings). Using a stand mixer or hand whisk, combine all the ingredients together on a slow speed.  Once the mix has come together, increase the speed and beat for one minute.
4. Spoon the mixture into your prepared tin and smooth the top. Cook in the centre of the oven for the specified length of time.
5. To test whether your cake is done, lightly press the middle of the cake – it should be golden brown spring back. A skewer inserted into the middle of the cake should come out clean.  If it’s not quite done, cook for a further 5 minutes and check again.
6. Leave the cake in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

Buttercream

Method – Buttercream

1. Sift half the icing sugar into a bowl with the softened butter and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the remaining icing sugar, then beat in the milk and/or flavourings.
2. Continue beating until you achieve your desired consistency – the more air you beat in, the lighter and fluffier the icing will be.

Flavourings – for the cake and the buttercream icing

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I don’t know about you, but with post-Covid(?) life getting back to normal(ish) I feel a bit like Sleeping Beauty waking up from 100 years of sleep.  Suddenly every aspect of life – work, social, family, travel – is as busy as ever it was, but I’m constantly rubbing my eyes and trying to rouse myself out of the torpor of the past couple of years and jump back into the fast lane.  Now that work is really busy again, I’m finding planning meals and keeping the fridge stocked can be a challenge, and on the days when I’ve failed to get to the shops I’m always glad to fall back on these two store cupboard staples which are easy, delicious and made from ingredients that I always have in the cupboard.  I hope these two recipes come to your rescue as often as they do me!

TUNA SPAGHETTI ALLA PUTTANESCA

“Puttanesca” literally translates as “in the style of prostitutes,” supposedly because the pungent aromas of garlic, anchovies, capers, and olives tossed with pasta were how Neapolitan sex workers would lead customers to their doors. While this theory is probably apocryphal, what’s irrefutable is that puttanesca sauce is quick and easy to make and packs a serious punch!  You can tone it down by using tinned tuna in place of the more traditional anchovies.  To make this dish vegan, omit the fish and add extra capers.  If you don’t have any basil, switch it for flat leaf parsley or even rocket leaves at a pinch.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed or sliced
• 1/2 – 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 5 anchovies, chopped, or 160-200g tin of tuna in oil or water, drained
• 2 tbsp capers
• 120g pitted black olives
• 300g spaghetti
• Handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped

Serves 4

METHOD

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion along with a generous pinch of salt and fry gently for 10 minutes or until soft but not coloured. Add the garlic and chilli, and cook for a further minute. Add the tomatoes, tuna (if using), olives and capers and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 15 mins. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Cook the spaghetti until just “al dente”. Once the pasta is cooked, reserve a mugful of pasta water, then drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Add a little of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed, stir in the basil and serve with grated parmesan.

OVEN BAKED TOMATO & BASIL RISOTTO

Italians look away now! What this baked risotto lacks in authenticity it makes up for in speed and simplicity, offering a great alternative cooking method when warm and comforting rice is what you crave but you don’t have the time or inclination for all the stirring and attention a traditional risotto requires. We’ve given you a vegetarian tomato and basil dish using ingredients that you’re always likely to have to hand, but you can use this basic method to create your own masterpieces. Pea & bacon, Chicken & mushroom, Pumpkin, sage & blue cheese… the options are endless!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 250g cherry tomatoes
• 250g risotto rice
• 400ml vegetable stock
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 75g Parmesan (or cheddar), grated
• Handful of basil leaves (or parsley), roughly chopped

Serves 4

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F. Put the oil, onion, garlic and cherry tomatoes in roasting tin approx. 26x20cm (or use any suitably sized ovenproof dish). Place in the oven and cook for around 15 minutes until the tomatoes are roasted and beginning to burst.
• Meanwhile, add the tinned tomatoes to 400ml hot vegetable stock and give it all a good stir. Remove the onion & tomato mix from the oven and stir in the risotto rice and tomato/stock mixture. Stir to combine, season well, then return to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring twice. It’s done when the stock has been absorbed and the rice is cooked.
• Remove from the oven and add the grated cheese and basil – you can also add a knob of butter for extra richness. Check the seasoning and serve on its own, or with salad or steamed vegetables.

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Working out how much booze to buy for a party can be a bit of a conundrum.  Miscalculate and you risk running out of drinks just as the party gets going and your thirsty guests are having the time of their lives.  While a quick dash to the off-licence usually saves the day, it’s a stressful interruption that could easily be avoided.  Conversely, a big over-calculation can be an expensive error, and while you might think “we’ll drink it anyway”, the delights of prosecco or a summer rosé might start to wane after a time!

To help you avoid these pitfalls, Forkful Food has put together a simple, downloadable “Party Booze Planner” which helps you work out:

• How many drinks to supply per person
• How many drinks you get from a bottle of wine, fizz, spirits, or a keg of beer
• How many soft drinks to allow
• How many glasses (and what types) you’ll need
• The best and quickest way to chill down your drinks

You can download our Party Booze Planner here, but in a nutshell, this is all you need to know to get your drinks planning right:

1. Allow 2 alcoholic drinks per person in the first hour of the party, and one per hour thereafter
2. Allow 350-500ml of soft drinks per person per party
3. Allow 1.25 glasses per guest – generally you’ll need wine glasses (use 175ml glasses for both red & white wine), hiballs and champagne flutes
4. A 750ml bottle will yield 6 x 125ml flute glasses of fizz, 4-5 glasses of wine (depending on size of pour) and 16 x 45ml servings of spirits (for which allow 100-150ml of mixer per drink)
5. A beer keg contains about 80 pints and a mini keg holds 18-36 pints (keg size varies from supplier to supplier)
6. The best and quickest way to chill drinks down is in a chiller bin filled with a mix of ice and water – a bottle of wine will only take about 30 minutes to reach perfect drinking temperature.

In our experience, this calculation has always served us well and heavier drinkers will be balanced out by non-drinking guests and those that leave earlier.  Deciding what split of drinks to serve will, however, rely on a little educated guesswork on your part.  Are your guests a champagne crowd, or would a keg of beer be more their style?  Whatever you decide, here are a few observations to bear in mind:

1. Generally, if you’re serving fizz, guests will drink it until it runs out, so make half to three quarters of your drink allocation bubbly
2. Fewer people will drink red wine in the summer than in the winter, so weight your wine purchasing accordingly
3. In our view, it’s better to keep things simple rather than try to offer all things to all men. That being said, if you decide to serve only champagne or other fizz, make sure that you’ve got a few bottles of red and white wine available for those who dislike or can’t tolerate bubbly wine.
4. You’ll probably need to hire in glasses, chiller bins and purchase ice. High street wine merchants such as Majestic offer free glass hire (with purchase) rent chiller bins, supply ice and they also deliver.  Some supermarkets, such as Waitrose, offer free glass hire (no purchase necessary).  In both these cases, you get basic quality “party glasses” that you will need to clean yourself before returning.  You will find a wider selection and better quality glasses from catering hire companies which will arrive sparkling clean (not always the case with the free hire glasses) and are returned dirty, so no washing up the following day with a hangover!  However, bear in mind that delivery and collection charges will be relatively high and charges for lost or broken items can quickly rack up.

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Summer Berry & Elderflower Jelly

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 140ml Elderflower Cordial
• 425ml Prosecco
• 4 leaves Gelatine
• 2 tbsp Caster Sugar
• 400g Strawberries, hulled, large ones cut in half or quartered
• 300g Raspberries
• 300g Blueberries

Method:

• To make a large jelly, wet the inside of a 2lb loaf tin with water and line with cling film (or you can make individual jellies in small glasses)
• Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water until soft.
• Put the elderflower cordial and sugar in a small saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is hot.  Add the gelatine and stir until completely dissolved.
• Pour the gelatine/cordial mix into a large jug and add the Prosecco
• In order to create layers of fruit and jelly, pour about 1/2 cm of jelly into the base of your mould and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes or until set. Scatter a layer of berries over the set jelly, then pour enough jelly mix over to just cover the fruit.  Return to the fridge and chill until set.  Continue until you have used up all the jelly mix and all the fruit.  Refrigerate until the jelly has set completely.
• To serve, invert the loaf tin on a plate and carefully remove the cling film and serve in slices.

And here are a few jellytastic tips to help you make jelly like a pro:

• How much gelatine? 1 leaf of gelatine will set 100ml liquid firmly enough to turn out, and will set 125ml of liquid less firmly (to serve in a glass)
• Four sheets of leaf gelatine roughly equates to 1 tbsp of powdered gelatine
• Powdered gelatine must be “sponged” in a little water until it has absorbed the liquid; then the hydrated gelatine can be mixed into the warm (but not boiling) liquid to be set.
• Leaf gelatine must be soaked in cold water for about 5 minutes, squeezed out, then added to a warm liquid.
• Jelly melts at about 35C, so if the weather is very hot, think about increasing the amount of gelatine you use.
• The same is true if you are setting a liquid which contains alcohol.
• Pineapple, kiwi fruit, mango and papaya contain an enzyme which interferes with the setting properties of gelatine… so just don’t even think about making jelly with these fruits!
• Dairy products strengthen the setting properties of gelatine, so bear this in mind when you make, for instance, pannacotta or blancmange.
• Gelatine is made from pork, so is not suitable for vegetarians and some religions. Other gelling agents you can try include Agar Agar, Carragheen and VegeGel

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Like most people, I’m trying to put my Corona downtime to good use, learn some new skills and brush up on some old ones.  Top of the list is breadmaking and given that you can’t get bread flour or yeast for love nor money at the moment, I’m clearly not alone in planning to become a part time baker.  So hopefully my GUIDE TO THE BASICS OF BREADMAKING will be timely aid to help you (and me!) navigate our way through the mysteries of rising, proving, kneading and knocking back.

I’ve taken the basic ingredients that make up a loaf of bread, and explained what they do, how they act and given outline quantities where possible. Then I’ve looked at the basic breadmaking technique and gone through each stage, explaining how to do it, what it’s for, and most importantly, how you can tell each stage is successfully completed.  I haven’t included any recipes as this is general information which you should be able to apply to whatever recipe you are following.  I hope it helps demystify the simple yet complex process that is bread making.

BASIC INGREDIENTS:

A basic loaf is made up of flour, yeast, salt, liquid and fat.  Understanding a bit more about them will help you on your bread-making journey:

YEAST: A living organism that needs food (in the form of sugar in the flour) and warmth to grow.  As the yeast grows it produces carbon dioxide which gets trapped in the dough creating bubbles (think bubble gum).  Heat will kill yeast, and its action can be slowed down by excess salt, sugar or a cold environment.

There are different types of yeast which all need slightly different quantities and treatments:

• Fast action yeast:  very easy to use as it can be added directly to the flour and doesn’t need to be activated.  Use 1tsp/7g per 450g of flour
• Dried yeast:  needs to be dissolved in a little water before it can be added to the flour with the rest of the wet ingredients.  Use 15g dried yeast per 450g flour
• Fresh yeast: needs to be “sponged” before use – stir it together with a little water and 1 tsp of sugar, leave for 5 minutes until frothy, then add to the rest of the liquid and mix with the flour.  You can buy fresh yeast from bakery counters and it freezes well.  Use 30g per 450g of flour.
• Wild or natural yeasts – these form the basis for sourdough bread made from a “starter” created from the naturally occurring yeast and bacteria in flour and the environment.  Next level breadmaking!

FLOUR: Bread, or “strong” flour is made from wheat with a higher proportion of gluten than ordinary flour.  Gluten is what makes bread dough stretchy and elastic.  It is  formed when liquid is added to the flour, and developed when the dough is kneaded.

LIQUID: Most recipes call for tepid (ie blood temperature) water (or other liquid); cold water/liquid will also work but it will take longer for the dough to rise.  If your liquid is too hot, however, it will kill the yeast and your bread will fail.  It’s really important to understand that every batch of flour will absorb water differently, so be prepared to add more water than stated in your recipe, and remember, when it comes to bread dough the mantra is “the wetter the better”.

SALT:  You need a good amount of salt for a good flavour – generally around 1tsp of fine salt per 250g of flour.  But beware, too much salt will slow the yeast down and could result in a dense, cakey-textured bread.

FAT:  most breads have fats added to make a softer loaf – oil, melted butter or hard butter are most often used.

BASIC TECHNIQUE:

MIX – KNEAD – RISE – KNOCK BACK & SHAPE – PROVE – BAKE … EAT!!

MIXING:   Mix the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, add the oil and water, and mix well (with your hand, a wooden spoon, table knife.  You can also use a stand mixer with dough hook or food processor – follow the manufacturer’s instructions). If the dough seems stiff or tight, add 1-2 tbsp water.

KNEADING:  continues the mixing process and helps the gluten develop.  There are many different kneading techniques, so find the one that suits you best (YouTube is full of videos).  Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer and dough hook.  Generally, it takes 10-15 minutes to knead by hand, 5-10 minutes in a mixer.  Your dough will be sticky to start with, then gradually become smooth, elastic and satiny in appearance.
TEST: You can tell if you have kneaded  your dough enough by rolling it into a ball and giving it a firm prod with your finger. If the indentation springs back quickly, you’ve done enough.

RISING:  Rising is the stage when the dough is allowed to stand in order for the yeasts to reproduce, emitting carbon dioxide which stretches the gluten in the dough and makes it expand.  Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl cover with oiled cling film or a clean cloth and leave to rise until doubled in size.  This will generally take an hour at an ambient temperature of 22°C – but it will take a bit longer in a cooler room.  You can also rise your dough in the fridge, in which case it will take about 8 hours or overnight and should result in a more complex-flavoured bread.
TEST: When it looks like the dough has doubled in size, test to see if it has risen enough by using your fingers to make an indentation about ½ an inch into the dough.  The indentation should remain, indicating that the gluten has been stretched to its full capacity.

KNOCKING BACK AND SHAPING:  Once your dough has risen sufficiently, you need to give it a good punch (this is knocking back) until the dough is flattened, and then knead it for a couple of minutes.  This process knocks out the bubbles that formed during the rise, re-distributes the yeast and evens out the final texture of the bread.  It can now be shaped.  Line a baking sheet with parchment and gently shape the dough into a ball. Place on the baking sheet, cover loosely with oiled clingfilm.    Alternatively, shape your dough and place in a greased loaf tin. These come in 2lb/800g and 1lb/450g sizes and refer to the weight of the dough. As a rough guide, a 2lb (900g) loaf tin is about 21cm long, 11cm wide and 7cm high (8 x 4 x 3 inches approx) and a 1lb (450g) loaf tin is 16cm long, 11cm wide and 7cm high (6 x 4 x 3 inches).

PROVING:  Proving is the final rise of the shaped dough before baking – make sure to cover the dough loosely with oiled cling film to stop it drying out.  During this “second rise” the dough will assume its final shape and grow almost to its final size.  Proving takes 30 minutes to one hour when the dough will have pretty much doubled in size again.  It’s important to get this stage right – an under-proved dough will result in a heavy, close textured bread, and an over-proved dough will develop large bubbles under the crust and may even collapse altogether.
TEST: the proved dough should feel soft and pillowy.  Use your finger to make an indentation along the side of the bread; if the indentation bounces back halfway that means the bread is proved and ready to bake.  (If it bounces back completely without any indentation left, the dough is under-proved and needs a bit longer.  If the indentation remains and the dough doesn’t bounce back, it’s been over-proved.).

And finally….

BAKING:  Baking cooks the dough and sets it in its final shape.  During baking the dough will continue to rise for about 10 minutes until it hardens and the yeast dies.  Make sure you pre-heat your oven properly before baking.  Whatever the cooking temperature and timing of your recipe, the way to test for done-ness is the same:
TEST:  the baked bread should be golden brown, and loaves cooked in tins should have shrunk slightly from the sides of the pan.  Remove the bread and tap the bottom of the loaf – if it sounds hollow when you tap the bottom, it is done.  If not, give it another 10 minutes.  Cool your loaf on a wire rack – it will continue to cook during the cooling process, so no matter how tempted you are to take a slice and slather it in butter, you need to leave it to cool completely.

Which goes to “prove” (geddit!!!) that the best things in life are worth waiting for.

The post Your Daily Bread appeared first on Forkful Food.

Speltotto has many advantages over traditional rice risottos: lighter and healthier, spelt needs far less attention (you only need to stir it occasionally) and doesn’t rely as much on butter and cheese for flavour and texture.   I used pearled spelt in my recipe, but you can also use pearled barley or farro perlato – just make sure you use a “pearled” grain where the outer husk has been polished off, making it quicker to cook.This is a great vegan dish if you omit the butter and replace the with sprinkle of nutritional yeast.

Until I can get back to Borough for seconds, I’ve had a stab at making my own version – I hope you enjoy my recipe!

Click here (or right-click to save) Forkful Food’s Mushroom Speltotto Recipe

The post Mushroom Speltotto appeared first on Forkful Food.

Roast beef is one of life’s great pleasures but a really good joint of meat doesn’t come cheap so you’ll undoubtedly want to get the cooking right.  In theory, achieving perfectly pink roast beef should be a doddle:  weigh the meat, heat the oven and roast for the prescribed amount of time.  But it’s not that simple.  A quick Google search for roast beef brings up 198m results and the only thing they have in common is that they’re all different!

Some recipes give cooking times and temperatures for a specific cut and weight of beef, while others offer advice on times and temperatures per 500g.  Some recipes instruct you to sear the meat before roasting, while others advise a short blast in a ferociously hot oven followed by a slower, lower roast.  Confusing huh.

But it doesn’t end there.  Choosing a particular cooking method still won’t necessarily get you out of the woods.  Cooking comes with any number of variables which can throw a googly at unwary chefs, and cooking beef is a great example. For instance, if your recipe instructs you to cook a 1.5kg piece of boneless topside for 1 hour at 200C, you might think that success is guaranteed.  But if you forgot to take your beef out of the fridge a good hour or so before cooking it to bring it up to room temperature, and it goes into the oven fridge-cold, it won’t cook correctly in the stated time.  Likewise, if you want rare roast beef to serve cold, following cooking instructions for rare roast beef that will be served hot will leave you with dry, overcooked meat, not the juicy, ruby red feast you had anticipated because the meat will continue to cook, albeit slowly, while it cools.

So is there a secret to success every time?  Yes there is!  Here at Forkful Food we’ve come up with a foolproof method that cuts through the confusion and should ensure perfect results every time.  You just need to:

• Invest in a digital thermometer (widely available with plenty of modestly priced options)
• Get acquainted with internal meat temperatures – these are the temperatures at which you want to serve the meat (for instance medium-rare beef would be 55-58ºC)
• Factor in the effect resting will have on the end result – residual heat in the meat will continue to cook it (known as “carry over cooking”) and can increase the internal temperature by 3ºC to a whopping 14ºC
• Decide on a cooking time and temperature (we usually do 20 minutes per 450g at 200ºC for meat to be served hot, and 12 minutes per 450g at 200ºC for cold rare roast beef – but you’ve got about 198m options to choose from!), and make sure your meat is at room temperature
• Follow the internal temperature guidelines in the table below. The first column tells you what temperature to take the meat out of the oven, and the second column tells you what the internal temperature you should serve the meat at.

Internal Temperature Guide for Beef:

And finally, if you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: resting meat is really important.  When you cook meat at a high temperature all the juices naturally retract into the centre of the joint.  Resting allows these juices to redistribute back through the meat, making it tender, juicy and more flavoursome – and avoiding pools of blood when you carve it.  I know, you want to know how long does this resting business take?  As a rough guide, rest steaks for 3-5 minutes, and joints for 10-20 minutes – or follow the old chef’s rule of 1 minute resting for every 100g of meat.

Perfect Yorkshire Puddings to go with your Perfect Roast Beef

• 350g Plain flour
• 550ml Milk
• 6 Eggs
• Salt & pepper

Whisk the milk and eggs together in a jug.  Put the flour in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and slowly whisk in the milk mixture until you have a batte

r.  If possible, make the batter a few hours or up to a day ahead.

While your beef rests, turn the oven up to 220ºC.  Put a little vegetable oil, lard or duck fat in the base of 8-12 Yorkshire pudding moulds or deep muffin tins and put in the oven to heat up.  Once the fat is smoking hot, pour in the batter, return to the oven and cook for about 25 minutes until the Yorkies are well risen and golden brown.  Serve as soon as possible.

Serve 4-6

You can also make your Yorkshire puds in advance and reheat them.  As soon as they are cooked, transfer to a wire rack to cool (this prevents them going soggy).  Reheat in a hot (200C) oven for a few minutes until heated through and crisp.

Yorkshire puddings freeze well.  Allow to cool, then freeze in a freezer bag for up to one month.  To cook from frozen, heat the oven to 220C/200C fan and reheat for 6-8 minutes.

The post The Beef about Roast Beef appeared first on Forkful Food.

I recently bought a copy of Donna Hay’s “Basics to Brilliance” cookbook – a collection of really good, tried and tested basic recipes each of which is followed by clever variations and simple flavour change-ups, so one recipe becomes many and your repertoire naturally grows.  I tried this banana loaf the other day and it was amazing!  So, so simple to throw together, and far and away the best banana bread I’ve ever made.  So here is the recipe – with a couple of Forkful simplifications – for you to enjoy!  (Click on the title for a downloadable PDF).

Banana Bread

Makes 1 x 2 lb loaf

Ingredients

• 4 Overripe bananas, mashed (approximately 400g)
• 125ml Vegetable oil
• 250g Brown sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 3 Eggs
• 225g Self-raising flour
• 1 Banana (optional) sliced lengthways to decorate the top of the cake

Method

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.  Grease and line a 2 lb / 900g loaf tin.

Mash the bananas in a large bowl, then add the vegetable oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract.  Stir to combine, then add the flour and cinnamon and stir until just combined.

Pour into the prepared tin and smooth the top.  Place the sliced banana halves on top, cut side up.   Bake for about an hour until cooked through.   Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.

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