28 SEP 2018 · Traditional Ciabatta For the starter - biga 150 g plain white flour 1/2 teaspoon dried active yeast 110 ml warm water Put the yeast and half of the water in a small mixing bowl and mix in Add the rest of the water and whisk in the flour, which is sieved into the bowl until a dough forms Mix with your hands or a wooden spoon to get a very smooth dough Cover and leave at room temperature for at least 8 hours (overnight will do) For the main dough 1/2 level teaspoon of yeast as before 40 ml warm milk 2 tablespoons oil (olive or sunflower) 175 ml warm water 250 g strong bread flower 1 level teaspoon salt Stir the yeast and milk together and cover - leave for 15 minutes Combine the oil and water Sieve the flour and salt into a mixing bowl Make a well and add the starter, the mild and yeast mixture and the water and oil Stir well with a spoon or your hands The mixture will be quite wet, knead for ten minutes in the bowl Cover and leave to prove for 2 hours or until it has doubled in size Folding the dough - keep it in the bowl and fold the end over backwards, rotate the bowl a little and repeat. Repeat this process about 8 times Rest the dough for 20 minutes and then repeat Flour a surface well and tip the dough out. It will be a little wet but don’t worry. Shape the dough onto a large or 2 smaller loaves. Fold the dough over on itself to form a rectangle and lay on baking paper and rest for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven with a baking tray inside to 220ºC, 450ºF, Gas 7 Place the bread along with the paper on the hot baking tray and bake for 35 - 45 minutes for a large one, 25 - 30 minutes for smaller ones Test by hitting the bottom for a hollow sound

27 SEP 2018 · BBQ marinaded pork skewer kebabs A simple dish served on rice, Can be as low fat as you like. To make the marinade 1 dessert spoon sesame oil 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon honey 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds 2 grated garlic cloves Mix the ingredients together Cut 400 g pork pieces into 1 cm strips and add to the marinade, coating all the meat Leave overnight for the flavours to develop To assemble the kebabs Choose vegetables of your choice 8 Mushrooms 1 large red capsicum 1 courgettes Pieces of onion, anything you enjoy and skewer together with the pork. Tiy can then BBQ them, or griddle them. Use the left over marinade to brush over the kebab whilst they cook. Serve with a sauce made fro 3 tablespoons Hoi Sin sauce, 3 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon soy, heated together in a small pan. Pour over the kebabs and onto a bed of boiled rice. Of course you could serve with pitta and salad!

26 SEP 2018 · Ginger Loaf Spices and Autumn (Fall) seem to go together. They are hibernation food, getting all cosy food. This ginger loaf just fits the bill. You will need Preheat the oven to 170ºC, 325ºF, Gas 3 200 g butter 1 1/2 tablespoons syrup Melt these together and mix Sieve together 180 g Self Raising flour 25 g wholemeal flour 1 rounded teaspoon ground ginger 1 level teaspoon cinnamon Whisk together 150 g soft brown sugar 3 eggs 1 heaped teaspoon of grated fresh ginger Having whisked the eggs etc in a large bowl, whisk in half the flour Then whick in the butter / sugar mix Fold in the rest of the flour Grease and line a loaf tin and pour the batter into it Bake for 40 - 45 minutes Test by using a skewer, giving an extra 5 minutes where necessary.

25 SEP 2018 · Mash the potato Sieve the flour and salt and mix Add the egg and form a dough Leave the dough to rest for a while and then cut off strips which are then rolled out to 1 cm sausage shapes Cut each roll into 1 cm pieces Cook in boiling, salted water – it takes 3 minutes for them to rise to the surface, when they are ready For the sauce You will need Oil for roasting 15 small ripe tomatoes 4 garlic cloves peeled and halved 1/2 small red onion 1 teaspoon fresh origano (or 1/2 teaspoon dried) 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley Salt and black pepper 400 ml passata 1 teaspoon paprika Preheat the oven to 200ºC, 400ºF, Gas 6 Place 2 - 3 tablespoons oil into a roasting pan Halve the tomatoes and garlic Chop the onion finely Add to the pan and coat with the oil, add salt and pepper Roast for 20 minutes until the tomatoes are browning Transfer to a pan and on a low heat add the passata and herbs and simmer for 3 minutes - do not boil Serve with the gnocchi

24 SEP 2018 · The taste of summer, though you can make these all the year round these days. Makes 12 large cup cakes 150 g frozen (but defrosted) black cherries 50 g caster sugar You can use up to 100g sugar depending on how sweet you like it Bring both to the boil and then leave to cool in the pan For the sponge 180 g butter 165 g soft brown sugar 1 tablespoon Greek Yoghurt 1.5 teaspoons almond extract 2 eggs 170 g self raising flour 30 g ground almons - stirred into the flour 2 - 3 tablespoons flaked almonds Place 12 muffin cases into a 12 hole tin Preheat the oven to 170ºC, 325ºF, Gas 3 Cream together the butter, sugar, yoghurt and almond extract Sift 4 tablespoons of the flour and almond mixture over the creamed mix Add the eggs, beaten together lightly, and beat into the mixture Add the rest of the almond and flour mix and fold in Share the mix equally into each of the muffin cases Lightly swirl a teaspoon of the cherry mixture and sprinkle a few almonds on top Bake for 18 minutes

21 SEP 2018 · Mushroom and Blue Cheese Pasta Sauce A simply wonderful treat, well worth the expense of the best blue, and of course, the very short time it takes to make. You need for 2 people 3 tablespoons oil + big knob of butter 10 chestnut mushrooms, sliced 3 cloves of garlic, chopped finely 50 g Blue Stilton, crumbled 100 ml double cream 50 ml milk Gran Padano or Parmesan How to do it Heat the oil and butter on a low to medium heat heat and fry the garlic and mushrooms until the juices run from the mushrooms - then cook for another minute. Stir in the cheese Add the milk and the cream and stir well over a low heat Allow to bubble for a minute then turn off the heat. Serve with pasta and top with grated Gran Padano or Parmesan

20 SEP 2018 · Opera Cake This is our 400th Recipe for the Day!!! Sorry it took a week to get it out - we have been really ill! This cake was said to resemble the Opera in Paris. It is a lot of worth, but really is worth the effort. You are basically making a sponge, a coffee syrup, a creme de beurre and a ganache, then layering. So here goes… Jaconde Sponge 3 Egg whites. (You’ll use the yolks later) 15 g Caster Sugar 100 g Ground almonds 100 g Icing sugar (sieved) 3 whole eggs 30 g Sifted plain flour 30 g melted butter Method Whisk the egg whites until stiff Add sugar a teaspoon at a time until glossy Cover and set aside Mix almonds and icing sugar in another bowl and whisk in the whole eggs until very frothy Whisk in flour and the melted butter Fold into the merangue in batches Pour into a prepared tin and level the top Bake for 5 - 7 minutes in a preheated oven , 200ºC, 400ºF, Gas 6 until golden and springy Coffee Syrup 30 ml Hot water 2 teaspoons coffee 30 g Sugar Heat the water in a pan and then add the other ingredients, leave to cool. Chocolate Ganache 120 g 56% Chocolate 120 ml double cream Heat the cream until it is very hot, but not boiling Add chocolate pieces and stir carefully, adding until everything is mixed Leave to cool Creme de beurre 3 egg yolks 220 g Melted butter 75 g Caster sugar 3 tablespoons water (ONLY 3) Put the yolks in a bown and whisk gently Put the sugar and water in a pan and carefully bring to a boil to create a syrup, which you then allow to cool for a few minutes. Pour the syrup into the egg yolks while whisking and then add the butter, little by little. To create the cake Take your sponge and cut carefully four pieces of identical size Lay one slice on a platter or serving plate and brush some of the coffee into it. Then a layer of Creme de beurre (Half the total) Then another sponge Brush with more coffee Then a layer of Ganache (About half of it Another layer of sponge Brush with coffee The second layer of Creme be beurre on this A final sponge layer Ganache to cover the top

12 SEP 2018 · Baked Aubergines A really nice dish you can make either as vegetarian or otherwise as you please! You will need for 2 people 2 large aubergines oil for glazing oil for frying 1 small red onion, chopped 8 (or more) cherry tomatoes - halved or quartered 2 chopped garlic cloves 1 small red pepper chopped 1/2 to 1 teaspoon oregano salt abd black pepper 100 g grated cheese of your choice or tofu if you prefer 1 tablespoon pine nuts Slice the aubergines lengthways and brush both sides with oil, season with salt and pepper Bake on a tray for 20 minutes at 190ºC, 375ºF, Gas 5 Meanwhile chop the onion and galric and fry lightly in a little oil Add chopped pepper and fry for 3 - 4 minutes Sprinkle in the oregano and season with salt and pepper When the aubergine is ready spoon the mixture over the surface (which should have sunk a little) and and add the cherry tomatoes, cheese and pine nuts and bake for a further 5 minutes until the cheese is bubbling

11 SEP 2018 · Notes to follow

10 SEP 2018 · It’s harvest time and that means preserving! This preserve is fairly easy to create and just as tasty! You need 1 kg apple pulp - (so you need to peel core and chop more than 1 kg apples!) 450 g chopped pumpkins 2 medium onions, chopped 200 g sultanas 550 ml malt vinegar 400 g soft brown sugar 2 level teaspoons ground cinnamon 2 cm piece of fresh grated ginger 1/2 teaspoon white pepper 2 level teaspoons salt For added heat optionally add 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper