Luxury Bread and Butter Pudding

Luxury Bread and Butter Pudding

This is perfect for a relaxing celebration dinner. I love this dessert, especially when using pannetonne, I think that it just makes such a difference a much richer dessert instead of using ordinary bread and butter.

Ingredients:
200g pannetonne
65ml of single cream
3 egg yolks
275ml full fat milk
25g caster sugar
Butter to spread over the pannetonne

Method:

1.  Preheat the oven to 180C. Slice the pannetonne thinly and butter on one side. Cut into triangles and layer into a pyrex dish making sure that you cover all sides.

2. Meanwhile whisk the egg yolks and sugar and vanilla essence until creamy and put to one side.

3. Over a medium heat pour the cream and milk into a saucepan over a medium high heat until it just comes up to boiling. Once it has reached this point pour into the egg yolk mixture whisking all the time until you get a pale yellow colour, it should be light and frothy. Pour back into the saucepan stirring all the time until it has thickened slightly.

4. Pour the mixture over the pannetonne in the pyrex dish. Cook for 30-40 minutes until lightly golden brown. Serve immediately with cream if desired.

Bearnaise sauce- the perfect accompaniment to a steak

Bearnaise Sauce

I discovered this sauce a few years ago and fell in love with it. It is rich and creamy, the tarragon has such a distinct taste and flavour it really makes it. I love it on steak, with sauteed mushrooms and garlics and herbs. It does take a little time to make but it is well worth the effort.


Ingredients:

4 tbsp of white vinegar
Sprinkling of dried tarragon ( simply because I had no fresh tarragon available)
4 tbsp of water
4 egg yolks
300g melted butter
Salt and pepper to season


Method:


1. In a medium saucepan heat the vinegar water and dried tarragon until it has reduced, and there is only a couple of tbsp of water left. Put to one side to cool completely.

2. Meanwhile whisk the egg yolks together in a bowl and put to one side. In another sauce pan pour in some water and bring to a simmer. Put the egg yolk bowl over the top of the saucepan ensuring the water does not touch the mixture. Gradually whisk in the cooled vinegar until frothy and thick.

3. Take off the heat and gradually whisk in the melted butter and season with salt and pepper. If desired you could also sautee some diced mushrooms in a little butter and garlic salt and herbs to make a bearnaise mushroom sauce perfect with steak.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Perfect for winter days, when you just want pure comfort in front of the television, feet up, best after a long day at work when you need indulgence and warmth.

Ingredients:

500g lean stewing beef diced
1 onion diced finely
2 potatoes peeled and chopped into fairly small pieces
2 carrots chopped
4 maggi beef stock cubes ( if not using maggi use one beef oxo cube and one stock melt) to make 600ml stock
1 small tin of baked beans
1 tin of vegetable soup ( if you do not have heinz vegetable soup use an instant packet of soup such as asparagus or cauliflower)
Sprinkling of worcestershire sauce
2 dessertspoons of plain flour


Method:

1.  Combine everything into the slow cooker, except for the plain flour. Ensure you mix well to combine everything together. The worcestershire sauce will give the stew a nice brown colour.

2.  Place the slow cooker on high for 4-5 hours or until all the vegetables are cooked and the meat is tender. Alternatively if you have more time cook on low all day for about 6-8 hours.

3. Once you are nearly ready to serve sprinkle flour over the stew and mix well quickly to thicken the stew. Alternatively cornflour could also be used if you don't have any flour.

4. Serve immediately in large bowls. Serves about 5 people depending on how hungry you are. Goes well with some thick slices of french bread with lashings of butter. Enjoy!

Breadcrumbed chicken with roasted vegetables

Breadcrumbed chicken with roasted vegetables

Ingredients:

3 large chicken breasts cut into medium strips
2 eggs lightly beaten
Breadcrumbs
Parmesan to add to the breadcrumbs
Half a butternut cut into cubes
2 potatoes cut into cubes
4 mushrooms thinly sliced
1 onion finely chopped
Garlic and herb seasoning
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
1 courgette thinly cubed
2 peppers (preferably of differing colours) and dice


Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan oven. In a lined baking tray drizzle olive in the tray. Add all the uncooked diced vegetables and add garlic and seasoning using a spoon make sure olive oil covers all of the vegetables evenly. Sprinkle salt and pepper and mixed herbs again mixing to combine all the vegetable mixture.

2.  Place into the preheated oven for just over an hour or until cooked, stirring occasionally.

3. Meanwhile to make the chicken , place the beaten egg and breadcrumbs into two shallow dishes.  Dip the chicken first into the egg and cover completely in breadcrumbs, then place onto a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken strips. To cook, place frying pan on a medium heat, drizzling a little olive oil. Place chicken strips into pan turning occasionally until golden brown. Ensure to cook the chicken in batches, to cook them properly and evenly. Then put onto a plate and put to one side.

3. When cooked place onto a plate and put to one side. Once the vegetables are nearly ready re heat the chicken in the frying pan and serve immediately.

 

Really easy cheesecake

Really Easy Cheesecake

This dish is perfect when you want a really simple dessert, that takes no time to make. Leave to set in fridge for at least 2 hours or ideally overnight depends how long you can wait. Enjoy! You could also add fruit on top such as summer berries if desired.

Ingredients:

397g condensed milk
Juice of two lemons
1 and a half tubs of philadelphia cheese
100g butter melted
125g of digestive biscuits


Method:

1. Melt the butter in the microwave at 10 second intervals. Meanwhile blitz the digestive biscuits, into a food processor until it represents fine crumbs like gold dust. Pour into a bowl and add the melted butter until well combined. Transfer into a non stick cake pan pressing gently all round the pan making it even around all sides. Put into the fridge to set hard for about an hour.

2. Meanwhile to make the filling pour the condensed milk into a bowl. Whisk in the philly cheese and the lemon juice until well combined. Once base is hard add the filling and put into the fridge, ideally over night so that the filling is nice and firm. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Really easy slow cooker chicken casserole

Really easy slow cooker chicken style

Serves 4

Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs skins removed or 4 large chicken breasts diced roughly
1 onion finely chopped
Garlic and herb seasoning
500ml chicken stock using either 3 maggi chicken stock cubes as they are not as strong or 1 chicken stock melt and 1 chicken oxo cube
A cupful of frozen peas
2 carrots chopped roughly
Chicken spice (ina parmaan)
2 desert spoons of flour to thicken the sauce
Rice cooked according to packet instructions
4 rashers of veal bacon (or bacon)



Method:

1.Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker except the flour which you will use to thicken the sauce later. Cook on low, for 5-6 hours stirring occasionally, or if you are short of time cook on high for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is soft and tender and all the vegetables are cooking nicely.

2. At the end of cooking making sure heat is high add the flour to thicken, add a little more or less depending on how thick you want to make the sauce.

3. Serve immediately with rice and enjoy.

Really Easy Cheats Bread and butter pudding

 This recipe is perfect if you have some leftover slightly stale croissants, hot cross buns or pannetone. So quick and easy too, and again perfect for these winter days when you want something warm and comforting


Really Easy Cheats Bread and butter pudding

Ingredients:
Butter to spread on the bread whichever you are using
500g ambrosia custard
1/2 small pannetonne or enough to cover and layer into a pyrex dish ( if using hot cross buns make sure to cut quite thinly so it cooks well)


Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan oven. Meanwhile in a rectangular pyrex dish (depending on how much bread you have left over) slice the pannetonne fairly thinly and butter on one side. Line the dish and layer on top in triangles.  Then pour over the custard enough to cover all of the bread layers and place in the oven for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. Serve immediately.


Note: Pannetonne and hot cross buns work best as they have more flavour. All those currants and peel make for great flavour. If you are using croissants just cut diagonally across and butter and layer in the dish adding raisins if you wish to add more flavour.


I recently discovered pannetonne and fell in love with it. It is a sweet Italian bread infused with mixed peel,  raisins and citrus flavours. I must say that I prefer it to stollen, however I don't like marzipan so I am biased.

Chicken mushroom and potato bake

Chicken mushroom and potato bake

Perfect for these winter days, pure comfort food, all that cheese and potato ahh bliss.

Ingredients:

2 packets of white sauce mix
Mixed herbs
Ina Parmaan Garlic and herb seasoning (alternatively use garlic salt)
Salt and pepper
2 large chicken breasts cut into small pieces
300g mushrooms chopped roughly
3 to 4 large potatoes par cooked and sliced into thin slices otherwise they wont cook
1 onion chopped finely
Olive oil
600ml milk
Sprinkle of dried thyme really complements the dish
Grated cheddar cheese as little or as much as you want!

Method:

1. Firstly parboil the potatoes for about 5-7 minutes on the hob, or until you put a knife through and they are soft. Ensuring you do not cook too long otherwise they will fall apart and they will be difficult to slice. Drain away the water and slice, put to one side to cool


2.  In a large saucepan drizzle olive oil, and put on a medium heat. Add the diced chicken breast and the herbs stirring occasionally until chicken is cooked. Add the mushrooms and the onion cooking until the onion is transluscent and the mushrooms are soft. Turn off the heat and put to one side


3. Meanwhile in another pan add the two white sauce packets using a little of the milk to make a paste then adding the remainder. Cook the sauce according to packet instructions then add some grated cheddar cheese until well combined.

4. In a large glass rectangular glass dish, add the chicken and mushroom mix. Then layer the potato over the top. Pour the white sauce over the potato evenly. Sprinkle over cheddar cheese to cover the whole dish.
Cook in a preheated oven at 180C (fan) for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.


This dish would be even better if you add some cut up bacon and leeks at stage 2 until well cooked.

Pasta with Roast Butternut squash and spinach

This is not my own recipe and belongs completely to the rights of the cooking coach which can be found here: http://www.thecookingcoach.eu/?p=5665&sthash.JRXns3Vm.mjjo 

Pasta with Roast Butternut squash and spinach

Preparation Time: 25 minutes (includes roasting the squash)
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients for 4 Servings
For the Butternut Squash
2 x medium butternut squash, peeled and diced (smallish, bite sized pieces– remember though, they will shrink a bit in the oven)
2 x tsp honey
1 x tbsp olive oil
½ a freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper
For the Spinach Sauce
2 x tbsp olive oil
500gr / 1.1 lb. frozen spinach (not creamed spinach), defrosted
3 x shallots chopped finely
5 or 6 sage leaves chopped finely
2 or 3 large garlic cloves chopped finely
300gr / 10 oz. cherry tomatoes, quartered
300ml / 10 fl.oz. buttermilk
To Serve
75gr / 2.5 oz. toasted pine nuts
50gr / 1.5 oz. grated pecorino cheese (or parmesan)
Some extra virgin oil to drizzle over (optional)
Lumache Rigate pasta
Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
2. Place the butternut squash in a roasting tray big enough that you can spread it out. Drizzle over the oil, mix it through to cover all your squash, then drizzle over the honey, grate over the nutmeg, sprinkle over a little salt and pepper. Place in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes. The time will depend on how big you made your pieces of squash. The result you are looking for is that the squash has softened a little (not mushy though) and that it has taken on some colour.
3. Whilst the squash is cooking you can get on with the pasta and the spinach sauce. Drop your pasta into boiling, salted water for as long as the packaging instructs.
4. For the spinach sauce, heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan, then add the shallots, garlic and sage. Cook until they have browned then add the spinach. I like to keep any water that has come from the spinach, I don’t drain it, just add it all. Stir through and add the tomatoes, mix in. Once bubbling, add the buttermilk, mix it through, then add and some salt and pepper to taste. This part of the cooking only takes a few minutes, you don’t want to overcook the spinach otherwise it will lose its vibrant green colour.
5. When the squash is ready, add about 2/3 of it to the spinach in the pan and stir through, keep the rest back to dress.
6. To add the pasta, I don’t drain it, as I want to get a little (just a little) of the water in which it has cooked into my sauce. To do this I decant the pasta into the pan with the spinach and butternut by using a slotted spoon. Stir your pasta through, check for seasoning.
7. To serve sprinkle over the remaining squash, pine nuts, cheese and drizzle over some extra virgin olive oil if you wish.

Tweaks I made:

I used 1 big tomato instead of cherry tomatoes as I did not have any. I also didnt have sage leaves so I used mixed herbs. I also added one boursin minature and 2 tablespoons of pesto whilst making the sauce. To make the buttermilk instead of buying some I added 1tbsp vinegar to the milk mixture.  I also added 2 mushrooms diced finely into the spinach mix. Instead of the pasta stated here I used telephone cords pasta they are so much fun!

Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls (makes 15)

Ingredients:
Sachet of fast dry action yeast plus 1 tbsp
3 tablespoons of warm water
Sprinkle of salt
1 cup of warm milk
6 tbsp of warm butter
1 egg beaten
5 cups of plain flour


Cinnamon filling
3 tbsp of cinnamon ground
1/3 cup of light brown sugar
1/2 cup of soft butter

Cream Cheese frosting
4 tbsp softened butter
230g philadelphia cream cheese
2 cups of icing sugar

Method:

1. In your kenwood mixer or a regular bowl add the fast action yest and the warm water. Make sure it is not hot or it will kill the yeast. Leave for 5 minutes to double and do its work. To warm the milk and butter add all to a small jug and microwave in 30 second intervals again ensuring that it is not hot but warm.

2. Next add the salt and beaten egg, turn on the mixer make sure to use the hook. Mix on the lowest setting till combined. Turn off the mixer add two cups of flour and mix, using a spatula ensure flour round sides of the bowl is incorporated into the bowl. Add the remaining flour and beat on low setting for 5-7 minutes.

Sprinkle flour on the flat surface, turning out the dough which should not be too sticky if it is add a little more flour and punch the dough and knead  it well with your hands, the more kneading the better... 

3. Spray a large bowl and transfer the dough mixture to the bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave for 1-2 hours until it has doubled in size

4. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and roll out to a large rectangle. Make sure that it is evenly done so it is not too thick. Add the softened butter,  combine the cinnamon and brown sugar in a small bowl and sprinkle over on top of the butter making sure you go right near the edges.

5. Start rolling the dough into a roll starting from the long side of the rectangle. Make sure work surface not too sticky adding flour as you go along so that the roll is nice and firm. Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the roll into pieces. Do not worry if the rolls get a little squished once they are in the oven they will rise and fill out. Place the pieces in a greased baking tray, it doesn't matter if a little close together they will expand and rise once in the oven.

6. Bake in a preheated oven for 20-24 minutes at 160C fan oven, until golden brown.  Take rolls out the oven,  when cool ice with cream cheese frosting. To make the frosting beat the butter and philly cheese together on a medium setting then add the sieved icing sugar. Ice away!

However if you are feeling lazy and like me have some spare betty crocker vanilla icing ( cream cheese would also work well) then spread this on top of your rolls once cool as little or as much as you like.

Seafood Risotto

Seafood Risotto

Ingredients:
2 packets of seafood medley
Pinch of tumeric
1 onion diced finely
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper to season
Chilli flakes
2 cloves of garlic crushes
300g orzo
1200ml of vegetable stock with two stock cubes
1 cup of frozen peas
1 cup of frozen spinach
Garlic salt
Mixed herbs
Lemon juice (doesn't have to be fresh bottled lemon will work just as well)
1 packet (200ml) of sun dried tomato sauce or passata

Method:

1.  Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic stirring occassionally until transluscent. Add the salt and pepper, herbs, chilli flakes, garlic salt and a few dashes of lemon juice.  Add the orzo to the pan stirring for a couple of minutes until well combined.

2.  Next add the vegetable stock a little at a time stirring occasionally until absorbed. Once orzo has absorbed the liquid add more until there is none left. You may need a little extra stock to ensure the orzo is cooked. Add the tumeric to provide a nice yellow colour to the orzo. Add the sun dried tomato sauce and stir well.

3.  Once orzo has cooked and the stock has been absorbed  which takes about 25-35 minutes. Make sure you keep an eye on the orzo so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the seafood medley, frozen spinach and peas and stir occasionally until well combined for about 5 -10 minutes.

4. Serve immediately with grated parmesan if desired.