This is _yet another_ Hummingbird recipe, but oh MY! it's good! I made it for a work fuddle and it went down a storm.
For 32 teeny tiny portions you need:
Brownie Base
200g dark chocolate
200g butter
250g icing sugar
3 eggs
110g plain flour
For the Cheesecake Layer
400g cream cheese (don't be tempted to use half fat like I did, it doesn't work as well)
150g icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
For the raspberry cream mousse topping
300ml double cream
1 punnet raspberries, defrosted if frozen
Begin by making the brownie base. Melt the chocolate. Beat the butter and icing sugar together and then add the flour a dollop at a time. Mix in the chocolate and splat into a lined baking tin.
Whisk together the cream cheese and icing sugar and eggs and vanilla. Pour over the brownie base. Bake in a moderate oven for about 30 mins.
Once cooked, leave to cool and then chill in the fridge. Just before serving whip the cream and raspberries till very thick and fluffy. Smear on to the cooked base and then sigh in pleasure as you devour each. Little. Bite. Utter, utter bliiiiiiiiis!
Saturday, 18 September 2010
Monday, 13 September 2010
Sort of Egg Fried Rice
We're at the tail end of a zero waste week which basically means we have no veggies left and not much of anything else. This is a good thing, but it's called for some creativity when making meals! This was a quick, tasty and filling dish thankfully!
For 3-4 portions you need:
2 cups cooked basmati rice
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup sweetcorn
2 quorn sausages
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 onion
1/2 chilli
2 cloves garlic
Fry the onion in a wok for a few mins then add the garlic and chilli. Add the rice and cook through thoroughly. After 3 or so mins add the diced sausages, peas and sweetcorn. Beat the eggs and add those, mixing well to cook it properly. Season with soya sauce and serve with sweet chilli sauce.
For 3-4 portions you need:
2 cups cooked basmati rice
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup sweetcorn
2 quorn sausages
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 onion
1/2 chilli
2 cloves garlic
Fry the onion in a wok for a few mins then add the garlic and chilli. Add the rice and cook through thoroughly. After 3 or so mins add the diced sausages, peas and sweetcorn. Beat the eggs and add those, mixing well to cook it properly. Season with soya sauce and serve with sweet chilli sauce.
Sunday, 12 September 2010
Parkin (v)
This is an excellent vegan cake, that doesn't need any strange combinations of ingredients to replace the missing eggs. It's spicy, warming and gets better with age. Assuming you can keep it for more than a few days.
For 1 2lb loaf cake you need:
100g plain flour
100g butter/vegan margarine
100g dark brown sugar
100g treacle
100g golden syrup
175ml soya milk
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp baking powder
100g oats
Melt together the marge/butter, syrup, treacle and sugar. Leave to cool for 10-15 mins or until you can comfortably put your hand against the side of the pan. Meanwhile mix together the dry ingredients. Once the sugar/syrup/fat mix is cool enough mix them together along with the soya milk. Don't worry about the batter being very thin! Pour in to a lined loaf tin and bake at 160 degrees for about 30 mins till risen and cooked.
For 1 2lb loaf cake you need:
100g plain flour
100g butter/vegan margarine
100g dark brown sugar
100g treacle
100g golden syrup
175ml soya milk
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp baking powder
100g oats
Melt together the marge/butter, syrup, treacle and sugar. Leave to cool for 10-15 mins or until you can comfortably put your hand against the side of the pan. Meanwhile mix together the dry ingredients. Once the sugar/syrup/fat mix is cool enough mix them together along with the soya milk. Don't worry about the batter being very thin! Pour in to a lined loaf tin and bake at 160 degrees for about 30 mins till risen and cooked.
Saturday, 11 September 2010
Quick Braised Red Cabbage (v)
We've had a lot of red cabbages lately, and I am growing tired of them as I am the only person who seems to like them. However this recipe was tried by Lex for the first time last night and (hold the front page) he loved it. Maybe it had something to do with the fact I told him he couldn't have any cos it had too much alcohol in it (a complete lie) but he tried it and loved it and now I can share my love of braised red cabbage with someone else...! This is a quick version as opposed to the one where you have to cook it for hours and hours...
For 4-6 people you need:
1 red cabbage, shredded finely
2 apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp veg oil
2-3 good glugs red wine vinegar
2-3 good glugs sherry
salt and pepper
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
Begin by sweating the cabbage, apple and onion in the oil for about 5 mins. Add the sugar, vinegar and sherry and cook down for 15-20 mins. Season and serve. Simples.
For 4-6 people you need:
1 red cabbage, shredded finely
2 apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp veg oil
2-3 good glugs red wine vinegar
2-3 good glugs sherry
salt and pepper
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
Begin by sweating the cabbage, apple and onion in the oil for about 5 mins. Add the sugar, vinegar and sherry and cook down for 15-20 mins. Season and serve. Simples.
Saute Potatoes (v)
Lex adores these. And I have to admit I do too... They're crunchy and sweet and savoury and moreish. What else do you want?!
For 2-3 portions you need:
2-3 baking potatoes or other fluffy potatoes
1 onion
salt and pepper
1 tbsp sunflower oil
Begin by chopping the potatoes into a small-ish dice. Leave to soak in a bowl of cold water to draw out some of the starch. Drain and dry well on tea towels. Meanwhile chop the onion. Toss the potato and onion in a bowl with salt and pepper and the oil. Tip on to a baking tray and cook in a hot oven for 30 mins or so until the potatoes are golden brown, sizzling and soft and yummy. Scoff.
For 2-3 portions you need:
2-3 baking potatoes or other fluffy potatoes
1 onion
salt and pepper
1 tbsp sunflower oil
Begin by chopping the potatoes into a small-ish dice. Leave to soak in a bowl of cold water to draw out some of the starch. Drain and dry well on tea towels. Meanwhile chop the onion. Toss the potato and onion in a bowl with salt and pepper and the oil. Tip on to a baking tray and cook in a hot oven for 30 mins or so until the potatoes are golden brown, sizzling and soft and yummy. Scoff.
Vegetable Crumble with Pine Nuts and Almonds (v)
This was a bottom of the veg box use-it-all-up idea which turned out good. Very good. It's not strictly a crumble I guess as I cheated and used bread crumbs on the top, but it worked well to give a crunchy, tasty, nutty crust to counter the vegetables below. Omit the cheese for a vegan version. The veggies given below are what we needed to use up. Other combinations would also work!
For 4-6 portions you need:
1-2 onions, chopped
1-2 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
1 squash, peeled and cut into chunks
2 ears corn, with the kernels stripped off
1 courgette, thickly sliced
2 tsp vegetable stock powder
3 slices brown bread with seeds
handful grated cheddar
salt and pepper
1 tbsp roughly chopped herbs (thyme, rosemary, parsley)
1 can butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp light olive oil
2 tbsp pine nuts
2 tbsp flaked almonds
Begin by sauteeing the onion in the oil. Add the squash and carrot and cook for a further 2-3 mins. Add the courgette and sweetcorn and enough water to come half way up the sides of the pan (you don't want too much). Add the beans, stock powder, herbs and season. Cook for 5 mins or so.
Meanwhile blitz the bread in a food processor till fine crumbs. Tip the veggies and stock into a large oven proof dish and sprinkle over the breadcrumbs. Add the cheese if using and then the pine nuts and almonds. Bake in a moderate oven for about 20 mins until the veggies are all cooked and the crumbs are browned. Serve with saute potatoes and braised red cabbage. Yum yum yum.
For 4-6 portions you need:
1-2 onions, chopped
1-2 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
1 squash, peeled and cut into chunks
2 ears corn, with the kernels stripped off
1 courgette, thickly sliced
2 tsp vegetable stock powder
3 slices brown bread with seeds
handful grated cheddar
salt and pepper
1 tbsp roughly chopped herbs (thyme, rosemary, parsley)
1 can butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp light olive oil
2 tbsp pine nuts
2 tbsp flaked almonds
Begin by sauteeing the onion in the oil. Add the squash and carrot and cook for a further 2-3 mins. Add the courgette and sweetcorn and enough water to come half way up the sides of the pan (you don't want too much). Add the beans, stock powder, herbs and season. Cook for 5 mins or so.
Meanwhile blitz the bread in a food processor till fine crumbs. Tip the veggies and stock into a large oven proof dish and sprinkle over the breadcrumbs. Add the cheese if using and then the pine nuts and almonds. Bake in a moderate oven for about 20 mins until the veggies are all cooked and the crumbs are browned. Serve with saute potatoes and braised red cabbage. Yum yum yum.
Monday, 6 September 2010
Cheddar and Leek Tarts
These were inspired by an @deliciousmag recipe which was very timely as I had some leeks and leftover filo pastry to use up in the fridge. Mine used cheddar and gruyere as we had no blue cheese. And very tasty indeed they were too :)
For 3 medium and 3 small tarts you need:
1/2 pack filo sheets
2 eggs
about 1/2 cup double cream
good handful grated cheddar
2 tbsp gruyere cut into small chunks
2 leeks, sliced
knob butter
salt and pepper
Begin by suateeing the leek in the butter till soft. Line some individual tart tins/muffin tins with the filo pastry. Lay the sheets in the tins - you'll need about 4-5 sheets per tin to ensure no gaps/holes. Mix together the eggs, cream and seasoning and then add the cheddar. Place the cooked leeks in the base of the lined tins. Pour over the eggy, cheesy, cream mixture and then stud the top with the gruyere. Bake in a hot oven for about 15 mins till puffy, golden and crispy. Serve with salad and potatoes.
For 3 medium and 3 small tarts you need:
1/2 pack filo sheets
2 eggs
about 1/2 cup double cream
good handful grated cheddar
2 tbsp gruyere cut into small chunks
2 leeks, sliced
knob butter
salt and pepper
Begin by suateeing the leek in the butter till soft. Line some individual tart tins/muffin tins with the filo pastry. Lay the sheets in the tins - you'll need about 4-5 sheets per tin to ensure no gaps/holes. Mix together the eggs, cream and seasoning and then add the cheddar. Place the cooked leeks in the base of the lined tins. Pour over the eggy, cheesy, cream mixture and then stud the top with the gruyere. Bake in a hot oven for about 15 mins till puffy, golden and crispy. Serve with salad and potatoes.
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