Blog

• 100g plain flour
• 2 eggs
• 300ml semi-skimmed milk
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil or vegetable, plus extra for frying
• pinch salt

1. Blending in the flour: Put the flour and a pinch of salt into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Crack the eggs into the middle, then pour in about 50ml milk and 1 tbsp oil. Start whisking from the centre, gradually drawing the flour into the eggs, milk and oil. Once all the flour is incorporated, beat until you have a smooth, thick paste. Add a little more milk if it is too stiff to beat.
2. Finishing the batter: Add a good splash of milk and whisk to loosen the thick batter. While still whisking, pour in a steady stream of the remaining milk. Continue pouring and whisking until you have a batter that is the consistency of slightly thick single cream. Traditionally, people would say to now leave the batter for 30 mins, to allow the starch in the flour to swell, but there's no need.
3. Getting the right thickness: Heat the pan over a moderate heat, then wipe it with oiled kitchen paper. Ladle some batter into the pan, tilting the pan to move the mixture around for a thin and even layer. Quickly pour any excess batter into a jug, return the pan to the heat, then leave to cook, undisturbed, for about 30 secs. Pour the excess batter from the jug back into the mixing bowl. If the pan is the right temperature, the pancake should turn golden underneath after about 30 secs and will be ready to turn.
4. Flipping pancakes: Hold the pan handle, ease a fish slice under the pancake, then quickly lift and flip it over. Make sure the pancake is lying flat against base of the pan with no folds, then cook for another 30 secs before turning out onto a warm plate. Continue with the rest of the batter, serving them as you cook or stack onto a plate. You can freeze the pancakes for 1 month, wrapped in cling film or make them up to a day ahead.

Check out the Greenpan Kyoto pancake pan on offer at £24 reduced form £32!

0 Comments

Posted by ------- in Cookware, Recipes

Had this last night with some delicious fresh baby spinach from Primrose Vale Farm Shop.  Really simple and makes an excellent addition to all sorts of summer meals.

Ingredients:

400g fresh spinach 

3 rashers bacon or 50g pancetta

1 clove garlic

Splash of balsamic vinegar

Splash of olive oil

Method:

-Fry bacon and garlic in oil until crispy then remove from pan and allow to cool.

-Add balsamic vinegar to the pan and gently whisk to make a dressing.

-Put it all in a bowl and toss together.

-Serve!

Spinach nutrition isn't just about the vitamins and minerals found within its leafy, green exterior. To be sure, it is loaded with such antioxidants as Vitamins A, C, E, K, B1, B6, minerals like potassium, calcium, zinc, and so much more. But, more than this, the major healthy properties of spinach are attributed to special substances it contains. For example, research has shown that spinach is packed with over a dozen phytonutrients.

These phytonutrients are potent substances that have properties that can fight cancer. In fact, extracts of spinach used by researchers have reduced the occurrence of skin cancers on tested animals and lessened cell division in stomach cancer cells. The incidence of breast cancer may also be cut with the consumption of spinach by women. For men, prostate cancer risk may be slashed because of a carotenoid substance spinach contains called neoxanthin. Women who are worried about osteoporosis should consume spinach because it is a rich source of calcium and vitamin K. For the millions of people who are concerned about cardiovascular health, the healthy effects of spinach are promising due to its free radical fighting antioxidants. More and more, a substance called homocysteine is believed to be just as an important marker of heart disease and high levels are also associated with elevated risks of stroke. However, one of the components of spinach nutrition is folate. Folate can help neutralize harmful homocysteine.

Do you suffer from arthritis? You'll be glad to know that one of the healthy properties of spinach is that it harbors anti-inflammatory nutrients.

Are you worried about macular degeneration and other common eye diseases people get as they age? Spinach has lutein, which is a nutrient that has been extensively shown in Government studies to protect against not only macular degeneration but also cataracts.

Spinach has a long history of providing good nutrition. History books reveal that it was consumed in China in the 7th century and, later, in Europe by royalty.

0 Comments

Posted by ------- in Recipes

Light, fresh and firm in texture, sea bass is the ideal choice for a quick weekday supper. Easy to cook all types of sea bass, from Chilean sea bass to Black sea bass can be served in so many ways: pan-fried, grilled, steamed or baked, and they go brilliantly with all sorts of different spices and herbs, so are very versatile. Who needs fast food if you have a couple of sea bass fillets fresh from the fishmonger?! They’ll be cooked and ready to eat in no time and are healthy too.

This recipe pan-fries the fillets, de-glazing the pan with balsamic vinegar, but you can grill the fillets and steam the vegetables if you prefer to keep things as fat-free as possible. Just brush the fillets with a light coating of oil before grilling and season them.

Pan-fried Sea Bass recipe

Ingredients
2 sea bass fillets
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
mange-touts
mushrooms
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Score the skin of the sea bass fillet just into the flesh several times about 1 cm apart. Blanche the mange touts in boiling water for 1 minute and set aside on a warm plate.

Chop mushrooms into quarters or slices depending on the size.

Season the Sea Bass with a little salt and pepper.

Heat a frying pan until hot and then add 2 tablespoon of oil. Put the sea bass fillets into the pan skin side down and then press them with a fish slice so they don’t curl up. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 3-4 minutes until the flesh has coloured to about 2/3 of the way up the fillet. Turn the fish and cook the other side for another 2 or three minutes until just done. Remove to a warm plate to rest and drizzle some of the oil and juices from the pan over it.

Turn the heat back up and fry the mushrooms in it for 2-3 minutes until they are just cooked.  Add to the warm plate. Deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar, letting it bubble and stirring so it picks up all the flavours from the pan.

Serve the sea bass fillet on a bed of mange-touts and mushrooms with the balsamic reduction drizzled over them.

Other flavours to add to your sea bass recipe:
•    Instead of using mushrooms to accompany your sea bass why not throw a handful of capers and a few anchovy filets into the pan after the fish is cooked, add a squeeze of lemon and scatter them over the fish for added depth of flavour.
•    Try other things to de-glaze your pan: white wine, sherry or just a good squeeze of lemon juice.
•    For baked sea bass, place the fillets in an oiled roasting tin, brush them lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper or other spices and bake at 200C / 400F for 15-20 minutes according to the thickness of the fish.

0 Comments

Posted by ------- in Recipes

I havn't tried this yet but it looks interesting.  Let me know the results if anyone tries it.

0 Comments

Posted by ------- in Recipes, Video

Just had these Jamie Oliver flatbreads for dinner and they are amazing!  So easy to make but super tasty and they freeze well so good for a batch bake. I used a Kitchenaid Artisan Mixer to make mine and cooked on a nice hot cast iron griddle.

Makes 10

Ingredients:

• 600g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 heaped teaspoon sea salt
• 2 heaped tablespoons baking powder
• optional: 1 teaspoon dried herbs or spices, such as thyme, parsley, sumac
or crushed fennel seeds
• 6 tablespoons olive oil

These flatbreads are a sort of cross between Indian naan breads and Mexican tortillas. They’re used for breakfast, lunch or dinner and carry, complement or mop up whatever is being served with them. Apparently, in the old days, if a Navajo woman couldn’t whip up a batch of fluffy flatbreads, her chances of marrying a decent bloke were pretty low. No pressure! These are brilliantly simple to make.

Mix your flour, salt, baking powder and herbs or spices (if using) in a large bowl, using a fork. Make a well in the centre, then pour in the olive oil and about 150ml of warm water. Use the fork to gradually bring in the flour from the edge of the bowl, and add another splash of water if you think it’s too dry. Once it starts to combine, wet your hands and use them to really bring it all together until you have a nice ball of dough.

Dust your hands and a clean work surface with flour and knead the dough with your hands until it is smooth and elastic. This will take about 5 to 10 minutes. Pop the dough back into the bowl, dust it with a bit more flour, then cover and leave to relax.

Divide your dough into 10 equal-sized balls, then lightly oil your hands and squeeze each ball between your palms to flatten them slightly. Dust with a little flour as you go, and pat and slap the dough from the palm of one hand to the top of the other. Turn and twist the dough about in a circular movement as you go and keep slapping from hand to hand – each flatbread should be about 1cm thick. You’ll probably mess up a few, but practice makes perfect.

Normally the flatbreads are cooked as you’re making them. You can do this on a barbecue or in a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. Cook them for a few minutes on each side and check the underside – you want them to puff up with a nice bit of golden colour. Keep them warm in a basket covered with a tea towel until you’re ready to serve them.

Serve them while they’re lovely and warm, or you can reheat them with anything from burgers, to stews and soups, to salads.

0 Comments

Posted by ------- in Recipes

Ingredients:

10 asparagus spears, each trimmed and cut into 3 pieces on the diagonal

100g broad beans , podded

Handful watercress

100g crabmeat (I used a mixture of white and brown)

For the dressing:

1 large egg

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1½ tsp golden caster sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

3 tbsp double cream

Method

 Boil the asparagus and beans in salted water for 2 mins, drain well, then cool quickly under cold running water. Slip the outer skins from the beans.

 For the salad cream, put the egg into a pan of boiling water, then boil for 5 mins. Cool quickly under running water, then peel. Cut the egg carefully in half, then scoop the yolk into a bowl.

Whisk in the mustard, sugar, lemon juice and seasoning. Whisk in the oil and cream.

Arrange the watercress, asparagus and beans over two plates. Pile the crab in the centre, then drizzle with the dressing.

Recipe Courtesy of BBC Good Food

0 Comments

Posted by ------- in Recipes