Hello Bread Week! Gosh I’ve missed you! All the smells, taste, textures… been so long! Ingredients: 500g strong white bread flour plus extra for dusting, 10g dried east, 10g salt, olive oil for kneading, baugette baking tray. Method: Put the … Continue reading
Heston Blumenthal Dual Platform Precision Scale. Tried and tested. And it has to be said: it is my gadget of the month!
Heston nailed it. It is top quality. What is more it has a pinch of original futures and a dash of sharp modern design. Chic, sleek and very much practical kitchenware to cook in style.
It doesn’t take up more space than my previous Salter. And thanks to two platforms, one large capacity and another high precision, it is best ever for dual action in the kitchen. I love its slim design and large display. It is the most elegant kitchen scale I have ever seen and owned. Perfection, designed by professional chef for better living, must-have for anyone who loves cooking and baking. Thank you Heston! Thank you Salter!
What love most:
Heston Blumenthal Dual Platform Precision Scale available at Salter Housewares. Price £49.99
On my new blog…
As it was my 1st ever Easter Simnel Cake I had to follow Mary Berry’s recipe… my undisputed queen of cakes! Results?!? Well have a look! …and yes tastes delicious!
Ingredients:
100g glacé cherries, cut into quarters
225g butter, softened
225g light muscovado sugar
4 large eggs
225g self-raising flour
225g sultanas
100g currants
50g chopped candied peel
2 lemons, grated zest only
2 tsp ground mixed spice
For the filling and topping
450g marzipan
1-2 tbsp apricot jam, warmed
Preheat the oven to 150C. Grease and line a 20cm cake tin.
Place the cherries in a bowl with the butter, sugar, eggs, self-raising flour, sultanas, currants, candied peel, lemon zest and mixed spice and beat well until thoroughly mixed. Pour half the mixture into the prepared tin.
Take one-third of the marzipan and roll it out to a circle the size of the tin and then place on top…
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In need of a crowd-pleasing lunch recipe?
Here is my really simple and delicious lentil and potato salad.
Great to serve if you have lots of friends round for a light lunch. And yes, you might think that lentils are not everyone’s favourite but hey, you will be surprised. Lentils give such a nice texture and yummy flavour that everybody will enjoy.
Lentil and potato salad
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
500-600 g baby potatoes
200 g green lentils
4-5 spring onions, chopped, including green parts
salt
pepper
for the dressing:
4-5 tbsp mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp white vine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp milk or natural yoghurt
Cook baby potatoes in salted water for 10-15 minutes, till soft. Drain well and chill. Then cut into bite size chunks and transfer to a large bowl.
Place lentils in a medium-size pan and cook according to package instruction. When soft (but not mushy), drain and add to the bowl with potatoes.
Add salt, pepper and half of a chopped spring onions.
Make the dressing: in a bowl or jug place all dressing ingredients and mix well.
Add 3/4 of a dressing to the salad.
Gently mix together and garnish with rest of a spring onions. Serve immediately, adding more dressing if needed.
Voila all ready!
When it comes to quick and nutritious meal, a bowl of soup alongside fresh roll and baguette are the perfect solution. And with just few ingredients you can create truly delicious quick snack, lunch or evening meal.
Sweet potato and carrot soup
serves 3-4
Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
2 medium carrots, peeled and cubed
1 large red onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced
600 ml stock, vegetable or chicken one (plus more water if needed)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp dried turmeric
1/2 tsp dried ginger
salt
pepper
fresh chive, few springs to decorate
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the onion, garlic, sweet potato and carrots, saute for 6-8 minutes. Pour the stock. Add turmeric, ginger, salt and pepper. Simmer gently until all vegetables are cooked.
In a blender or food processor, blend the soup in batches until smooth.
Ladle the soup into warm soup bowls, decorate with few chive springs and serve with fresh bread rolls or baguette.
Bon appetit.
Make your mornings brighter. Flush out toxins and shine bright like a diamond.
Your skin will love it! Your tummy will love it! …and if you are dieting it will cleanse the system and help you lose weight.
Have a glass first thing in a morning and see, feel the difference!
Morning lemon, ginger & honey water
Ingredients:
makes 2
500-600 ml water
10 slices fresh ginger,
1/2 lemon, without peel
2-4 tbsp clear honey
In a hob place water, ginger and lemon and gently simmer for 15 minutes.
Strain and place water in a glass. Let it cool down a bit and add honey.
Best drank lukewarm.
Alternatively boil ginger in the water and then just add 1/2 lemon juice and mix. This way it will be less lemony.
Here is my little twist on fried eggs. And it is egg-cellent! Ridiculously tasty!
Have those for breakfast, brunch or light supper for 2.
Fried aubergine and egg toast
Serves 2
Ingredients:
brown bread, 2 slices, toasted
aubergine, 4 thick ish slices
2 large eggs
1 tsp capers
2 handfuls of green salad leaves of your choice
2-4 tbsp lemon infused rapeseed oil
salt
black pepper, freshly ground
Heat lemon infused oil in a medium sized frying pan. Fry aubergine slices for 2-3 minutes on one side than flip over and fry for further 2-3 minutes, till lightly browned. Set aside on a warm plate.
Crack eggs into a pan and fry, 2-3 minutes, until whites are set. Season with salt and pepper. If you like your eggs over-easy, flip them partway through cooking once the bottom has set.
And now time for a crafty arrangement!
Place salad leaves on the toasted bread, then warm aubergine (2 on each slice of bread) and fried egg. Scatter capers and voila!
All ready to …indulge!
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Recently we had the privilege of staying at The Montcalm Hotel at The Brewery London City. And we were simply wowed on entering its doors. Tasteful, elegant and truly amiable staff – that’s how we can describe it. Located in … Continue reading
Christmas and of course time for festive cakes and bakes.
Panettone bread is one of my favourite and always brings a little bit of indulgence to a Christmas breakfast and afternoon tea. And a homemade is simply scrumptious.
Panettone Bread
Ingredients:
300g white strong flour
80-100ml milk, lukewarm
40-50g caster sugar
120g butter, softened
3 eggs, at room temperature
juice out of 1 fresh orange
lemon zest
7g yeast
5g salt
60g sultanas
60g currants
60g glace cherries, halved
20-30g flaked almonds
optional: icing sugar to decorate
Also you will need panettone tin (6 inches) or tall cake tin, greased and lined with baking parchment.
In a large bowl of a free-standing mixer fitted with a dough hook place: flour, salt, yest, sugar, eggs and milk. Mix slowly for 5 minutes until you have a soft dough. Then add butted and orange juice and mix for a further 5-6 minutes. Add dried fruits and almonds and mix until all is well incorporated.
Transfer dough into well oiled bowl, cover with cling film and keep overnight in a fridge so that the dough has almost doubled in size and firmed up.
Remove from fridge and knock back the dough on well floured surface and shape into a ball. Place in a middle of a tin, cover with cling film and leave it to prove in a warm place for 2-3 hours.
Brush the top of the panettone with milk.
Preheat oven to 175ºC and bake for 20 minutes then reduce temperature to 150º and bake for further 30-40 minutes (test by inserting skewer in the middle).
Remove from a tin and leave on a wire rack to cool.
Sprinkle top with icing sugar and serve with a butter.
Bon appetit and Merry Christmas!
Cheese or no cheese?!? That’s the question!
Cheese for me of course and you …well it’s for you to decide.
Gratin Dauphinois
serves 3-4
Ingredients
½ kg potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
½ tsp butter
2 tsp plain flour
3-4 tbsp cheddar cheese, grated
100 ml double cream
100 ml milk
fresh chives, few springs, chopped
salt
pepper
Boil potatoes in hot water for 5 minutes and then drain and cool for few minutes.
Layer the slices of potatoes in a buttered dish, sprinkling each layer with chives, salt and pepper.
Gently beat milk and double cream with the flour until smooth and pour over the potatoes. Sprinkle cheese over the top and bake at 200ºC for 30-40 minutes till brown at the top. When ready sprinkle more chives and serve hot!
Voila! Enjoy!
She Wolf In The Kitchen 