Saturday 10 July 2010

Jamaican Ginger Cake

@HallyMk1 tweeted that he was making Jamaican Ginger #cake earlier today. What a jolly fine idea I thought to myself. And promptly made some too.

For 2 lovely loaves you need:
175 g butter
175 g soft brown sugar
175 g golden syrup
200 ml milk
2 eggs, whisked
325 g self-raising flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

Melt the butter, syrup and sugar together. Mix in the milk and then add the flour, eggs, bicarb and ginger. Turn into lined loaf tins and bake at 150 degrees for about 90 mins. You may need to cover the top of the cake with paper after the first hour. This cake improves with keeping. Assuming you can keep it that is...

Summer Pudding (v)

Well it *is* officially summer so it would be rude not to wouldn't it... And I am feeling extra smug cos all the fruit came from our garden *polishes halo*

This is basically St Delia's recipe :)

For 6-8 portions you need:
225 g redcurrants
110 g blackcurrants
450 g raspberries
150 g vanilla sugar
8 slices white bread, crusts removed and cut into strips. Save 1 slice for the lid.
1/4 cup water

Begin by placing the fruit, sugar and water in a pan and slowly bringing to the boil. Cook for no more than 3 mins or so and take off the heat.

Meanwhile line a pudding basin with cling film and then place the strips of bread, overlapping them, in the basin. Pour in the fruit and juice, reserving about 1/2 cup of the juice for later. Place the bread 'lid' on the top and fold over the clingfilm. Weight down the top and chill in the fridge for a good few hours. Serve with cream and remember the summer.

Monday 5 July 2010

Mexican Bean Salad with Tortillas (v)

Whenever I go to a certain up market food store for a posh sarnie, I am always tempted by the mexican bean wraps. And always, always, always, without fail, they are a big disappointment: soggy, flaccid and tasteless. Bleck. This recipe on the other hand is spicy, vibrant and refreshing. My DH declared it "really nice" which is high praise indeed. You have been warned...

For 4-6 portions you need:
1 can mixed bean salad in water, drained
1 can sweetcorn, drained
1 red pepper, diced into pieces about the same size as a sweetcorn kernel
1 red onion, diced
8 radishes, diced
1/2 small bag fresh coriander, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander tbsp red wine vvinegar
juice 1 lemon and 1 lime
1 chilli, finely chopped
zest 1 lime
1 avocado, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp good quality cold pressed rape seed oil
salt and pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 large, beefsteak tomato, chopped

To serve:
Tortillas
Grated cheese (optional)
Tomato salsa
Sour cream (optional)

Mix all the ingredients for the salad together in a large bowl and leave to marinate for about 30 mins or so. When ready to eat, spoon the mixture into the centre of a tortilla and top with whatever you fancy (or indeed leave au natural). Fold up the tortilla and scoff, scoff, scoff. Yumsome :)

Sunday 4 July 2010

Orange and Onion Salad with Radishes (v)

Another dish from our tapas meal. A lovely light and refreshing salad to cleanse the palate of some of the stronger flavours and spices on the table...

For 4 people you need:
2 oranges, cut into segments (reserve the juice)
1 red onion, cut into rings
1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
2 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
salt and pepper
6 radishes, sliced
Olive oil

Lay the oranges on a plate and scatter over the remaining ingredients. Season and then drizzle with about 2 tbsp good quality olive oil. Leave to marinate for a couple of hours so the flavours develop and the onion loses some of its strength.

Butterbean and Cheddar Burgers with Oats

The oats in these burgers give more than just bulk, they also add some welcome texture to the burger.

For 8 burgers you need:
1 can butterbeans, drained
1 onion, roughly chopped
1/2 cup oats (WARNING!!! you may not need this much, it depends on how sloppy the mix is so add bit by bit by bit till the right texture is reached! Or you may need some more...)
1 egg
salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated mature cheddar
2 cloves garlic

Place the butterbeans, onion, egg and garlic in a food processor and blitz till smooth. Tip into a mixing bowl, season and add the cheese and parsley. Mix well. Add enough oats to bring the mixture together into a fairly stiff dough. Form into 8 patties and place on a lined baking sheet. Bake in a hot oven for about 20 mins, turning halfway through, till golden brown and cripsy on the outside. Serve in a burger bun with all the trimmings :)

Summer Berry Trifles

If you can call this a trifle that is. Am not sure if trifle needs sponge. But this doesn't have any in it. Just berries, custard and cream. It's quick and delicious :) It was adapted from BBC Good Food magazine's August edition (p36)

For 4 portions you need:
2 tbsp bon maman strawberry jam
juice 1 orange
1 large cup chopped mixed berries (I used strawberries, red currants, raspberries and blueberries)
1 small carton ready made custard
1/2 cup double cream, lightly whipped

Mix the jam with the OJ and then add the berries and mix gently. Whip the cream till billowy. Layer some berries in the bottom of serving glasses and then add 1/4 of the custard. Add some more berries and then finish with a dollop of cream. Serve soon after assembling or it'll meld in to a gooey, but yummy, mess.

Patas Bravas (v)

This is not an authentic recipe but it hits the spot.

For 4 servings you need:
700g new potatoes, cooked and cut into large chunks
1 onion, sliced
2 tbsp tomato puree
4 tbsp sherry
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chilli flakes
salt and pepper
2 tbsp red wine or sherry vinegar

Begin by sauteeing the cooked potatoes in a pan over a high heat to give them some colour. This takes about 10 mins. Add all the remaining ingredients and cook out for a further 5 mins or so. You want the potatoes covered in the sauce, but no sauce left in the pan. Serve warm or cold.