Pickled Onions

You know Christmas is coming as soon as you do these. In the shops around 20th October as we always did pickling in half-term week:)

3 lb Onions (Topped, tailed & skinned)

2 pints water to 2 tbsp Salt

1.   Leave to soak overnight > 18-24 hours

2.   Rinse and place in sterilised jars with handful of pickling spice and malt vinegar

Cream Scones

Only 3 ingredients and smell good :)

• 1 1/2 cups of self raising flour
• 1/2 cup of thickened cream
• 1/2 cup of lemonade (like Sprite)

1. Preheat oven to 200 °C (400 °F).
2. Place flour in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add cream and lemonade and mix to combine.
4. Turn the mixture out onto a well-floured board and knead with extra flour until smooth (mixture is very sticky initially).
5. Use your hand to flatten the scone dough out to about 2 -3 cm (1 inch) thick and then cut into rounds with floured scone cutter (Makes around 10)
6. Place scones onto a lined baking tray so that they are just touching and then bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Scones are cooked when they are golden brown

Cheats Rum Babas

Based on John Torodes easy rum baba - was very moorish :) I tried to cut down on the sugar in the rum syrup and just used 50g dark brown and some arrowroot to thicken.

For the rum syrup:

·         150 g sugar

·         150 ml dark rum

Chantilly cream:

·         200 ml double cream

·         1 tsp vanilla essence

·         2 tbsp caster sugar

6 PLAIN doughnuts

1. For the rum syrup: Put the sugar and 750ml water in a pan over heat, stirring regularly. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the rum. 

2. For the chantilly cream: In a bowl, mix the cream with the caster sugar and the vanilla. Whisk together until the consistency reaches soft peaks. 

3. For the doughnuts: Drop the doughnuts into the hot syrup and using tongs, turn them so that they absorb the liquid. Place the doughnuts on a plate. Drizzle the rum syrup over the top (you can thicken with arrowroot if preferred) and use two spoons to form the cream into 2-3 dollops to place on top. Decorate with fruit and serve. 

Chicken in Pear Cider

I did this in my slow cooker for 6 hours and added the pear slices cooked in sugar and butter about 1 hour before serving with the cream just poured on top. Quite a different flavour from chicken cooked in apple cider. This amount made plenty for 6.

•          4 chicken breasts cut in pieces
•          2 cups pear cider
•          1 cup chicken stock
•          3 tbsp tomato sauce
•          1 medium leek OR Onion, chopped
•          1-2 pears sliced
•          12 sprays 1cal sunflower oil
•          3 tablespoons light cream
•          ¼ cup flour
•          Tsp marjoram
•          1 bay leaf
•          salt + ground black pepper

1.     Dust the chicken in the flour and marjoram.

2.     Heat the oil in a large skillet and sear the chicken pieces for a few minutes on each side until they are golden brown.

3.     Transfer the chicken to a medium-sized pot then fry the onion or leek and pear slices

4.     Deglaze the skillet with half of the cider (1 cup) and stock. Let it simmer for a minute then add it to the chicken with the rest of the cider, leek, pear, tomato sauce and bay leaf.

5.     Simmer on low heat, half-covered for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

6.     Add the cream. If you want the sauce to be thicker, low-boil until the sauce reduces.

7.     Throw on some chopped parsley or chives.

Easy Eclairs

I fill these with made up thick birds custard and top with glace icing or you can do the traditional cream and chocolate. Recipe says makes 10-12 but I had just 9.

2 oz Butter
1/4 pint water
3 oz Plain Flour
2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 180C.  Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it with non-stick spray or lining it with baking paper.

Boil the water in a small pan  and add the butter and allow to melt. Add all the flour in at once and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pot.

Remove from the heat and place the mixture in the bowl of your mixer. Beat the flour mixture for about 1 minute so that it can cool and then add the eggs one by one, beating in between each addition of eggs.

Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and pipe 3inch long choux buns on the baking paper.

Bake for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and make a small cut on the side of each choux bun to release the steam. Place back in the oven, with heat now reduced to 160C.

Bake for another 5 minutes or until choux buns have now hardened. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Recipe from http://www.my-easy-cooking.com/

Welsh Cakes

I didn't have a griddle so cooked in a frying pan and a few came out well done :)

110 g butter

• 225 g self raising flour
• 80 g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 80 g sultanas
• caster sugar, for dusting

1. In a large bowl, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, eggs and sultanas. Mix with your hands until a firm dough forms.
2. Turn out the dough onto a floured board and roll out until 1cm (1/2 in) thick, then cut into rounds using a fluted cutter.
3. To cook, grease a griddle or a cast iron pan with butter and then wipe away with kitchen paper. Cook the Welsh cakes for 2 to 3 minutes until a dark caramel colour forms on the underside, then flip over and cook the same on the other side.
4. Arrange on a serving plate, then dust with caster sugar while still hot. Serve hot or cold.

Wensleydale Stuffed Chicken

I had some Wensleydale Cheese with Apricots to use up so made this and it was very tasty :)
Would not sprinkle crumbled cheese on top again as it went very black

2 Chicken Breast
2 oz Wensleydale Cheese crumbled
Streaky Bacon or Prosicutto

Heat oven to Gas 5 Fan 150
Cut a pocket in the chicken and stuff with the cheese
Wrap chicken with the bacon
Place on baking tray and cook for 40-50 minutes

Tuna Pasties

These are normally made with diced potato and creamed corn but as I had left over mash (2 portions) and peas (1 portion) I used that instead with an onion from the garden and will have the corn on the cob as a side vegetable :)

1 large potato, chopped into 1cm cubes

160g Tuna Chunks in Springwater

310g can creamed corn

1/3 cup Select Frozen Baby Peas

1 tsp curry powder (or too your taste)

frozen shortcrust pastry sheet

salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

egg, beaten 

1. Boil potato until just tender.  Drain and return to bowl.  
2. Drain Tuna Chunks and roughly flake. 
3. Add to diced potato with creamed corn and peas and season with curry powder, salt and pepper.  Bind with half the egg.
4. Roll pastry to desired shapes and wet edges.
5. Place tuna mixture into centre. 
6. Fold pastry in half and press edges together with a fork or finger.  
7. Place onto prepared tray. Brush with beaten egg, sprinkle with sea salt flakes and bake for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. 

Chicken Scaloppine with Mushroom Marsala Sauce

My version of a veal dish - very yummy (serves 4)

1/3 cup flour

Salt & Pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3 chicken breasts, cut into strips

Oil or One Calorie Spray

1oz (2 tablespoons) butter

12 ounces mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

4 fl oz (1/2) cup sweet marsala wine

4 fl oz (1/2) cup beef broth

4 fl oz (1/2 cup) light cream

1. In a bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper, and the oregano. Lightly dust chicken with flour mixture and set on a plate.

2. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown chicken in oil, turning once, till cooked about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter.

3. In the same pan, melt butter, then add mushrooms and garlic; sauté 5 minutes and transfer to a plate.

4.  Add marsala and broth to pan. Cook over high heat until slightly reduced, 5 minutes. Add chicken, cream , salt and pepper to taste. Return to a boil and add mushrooms back just before serving.

Serve with green veg and mashed potatoes.

Peach Custard Tart

I did make double the custard as it did not seem to fill my flan case enough. I would not use frozen peaches next time as they were soggy and I would place them in the custard so that they show more.
Otherwise it tasted delicious especially the pastry.

Crust

1/2 cup Butter, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup ground almonds

Filling

3 large peaches, peeled, sliced*

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 Egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sliced Almonds to decorate

*Substitute 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen sliced peaches, thawed, well-drained. Pat frozen peach slices dry with paper towels thoroughly before placing in tart.

Heat oven to 400°F / Gas 6.

Combine butter and 1/3 cup sugar in bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add flour and almonds; beat at low speed until well mixed.

Press dough onto bottom and up sides of ungreased 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Prick bottom and sides of crust with fork. Bake 10-15 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove crust from oven; arrange peach slices over hot, partially baked crust.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F / Gas 4.

Combine all remaining filling ingredients except almonds in bowl with whisk. Pour filling mixture over peach slices; sprinkle with sliced almonds or raspberries. Bake 25-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is set. Cool completely. Store refrigerated.

Recipe based on one by Anthony Worral Thompson