Plum Frangipane Tart with Honey & Black Pepper

A delicious tart full of juicy plums with a dash of local honey and seasoned with black pepper. This may sound odd, but plums work well with black pepper - try it!

You can choose to either make the pastry or buy it ready made. I do both, but this time I made sweet pastry which was pretty quick (recipe for the pastry at the bottom of the page).

I haven't cut into this yet, but looking forward to a slice later today, with lightly whipped cream. Delicious!

Plum Frangipane Tart with Honey & Black Pepper.

Ingredients:

1 sheet ready rolled or homemade shortcrust pastry
6 plums, destoned and sliced  
125g caster sugar
100g softened butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp. runny honey
180g ground almonds
50g plain flour
a few grinds of black pepper

Method:

Line your tart case (9 inch) with the pastry, trim the edges and pop in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. Set oven to 180C (or 170 fan oven). 

With an electric beater, or by hand, mix the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time along with the vanilla and honey and continue to mix well. 

Next add the flour, ground almonds and a few grinds of black pepper. Fold into the mix until incorporated. Pile into the pastry case. Place the sliced plums in a circle (see picture) and press gently into the frangipane mixture. Paint milk on the pastry edges and pop in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the plums soft. 

Leave to cool a little and enjoy with cream, custard, ice cream.. your choice. Enjoy!

Sweet pastry: 

With your fingertips, rub 110g cold diced butter in to a bowl containing 225g plain flour. Stir in 80g caster sugar. Add one large egg and mix, first with a knife and then bring together with your hands. You shouldn't need any more liquid - but if you do, a dash of milk can be added. Wrap in cling film (saran wrap) and chill for 30 mins in the fridge. 



  

Wild Garlic Pesto Pasta with Ham

Buying the wild garlic leaves was one of those spur of the moment things, with no idea what I was going to do with it. So it sat in the fridge for a couple of days, taunting me every time I opened the fridge door. So yesterday, I decided it was the main part of dinner. 

Pesto has been around quite a long time, starting with the basil version, then the sundried tomato and various others. I haven't seen pesto made with wild garlic (it may well be in the shops and I have missed it) - but I figured, why not? 

Ingredients:

70g wild garlic
40g parmesan, finely grated
40g pine nuts
Approx. 60ml olive oil  
salt & pepper

Method:

Add the wild garlic, parmesan and nuts to a small food processor or hand blender and blitz, until a paste. Slowly add olive oil until it comes to a loose consistency and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

This makes about a small kilner jar worth. If you top with olive oil you can keep in the fridge for several weeks. 

Add to pasta and toss through. Its really delicious!

Roast Squash, Asparagus, Parmesan and Basil Salad

As the winter nights draw in I still want my steak with salad so I tend to have 'hot' salads. Sometimes with stir fried baby gem lettuce, sometimes just a couple of complimentary vegetables. Here I have roast butternut squash (skin on), with asparagus. Parmesan adds a salty note and basil adds a little floral note. Pine nuts also work well with this. 

Added to a medium rare fillet steak, with a spoonful of hot horseradish. Delicious! And only takes 40 mins to cook.

Ingredients:    (Serves 2)

Half a small butternut squash (small cubes)
half a white onion, chopped, large
2 cloves garlic, slicked thickly
1 tbsp. olive oil
125g asparagus, trimmed and halved
handful grated parmesan
a few basil leaves, torn


Method: 

Set the oven to 200 C. Put the squash and onion into a roasting tin and drizzle with the oil. Cover with foil and roast for 20 mins. Take out of the oven, add the garlic and asparagus and shake the pan. Leaving off the foil this time, put back in the oven for another 20 mins. 

Serve on a plate or platter and scatter over the parmesan and basil. Lovely with a good steak but also stands up on its own as a lunch.

   

Simple Apple Tarte Tatin

This has to be one of my favourite desserts, particularly as I like any desserts that are quick to make, impressive to serve and delicious to eat. It originated back in the 1880's from the French Tatin sisters who ran the Hotel Tatin.

You can use whatever apples you like really (I think I used small braeburn apples) and you don't need to worry about them discolouring as you peel and cut them - it does them no harm if they brown a little. You will need a frying pan with a metal handle, as it will be going into a hot oven.

I used ready rolled puff pastry - but you can make your if you prefer. Again, I love how quick this is to put together. Simple apple Tarte Tatin.

Ingredients:

5 small apples (braeburn, cox..)
320g ready rolled puff pastry
200g white caster sugar
50g butter

Method:

Peel the apples, core and cut into quarters. The best way to know exactly how much you need is to place in a single layer, round side down, in the pan you intend to use and then put into a bowl. Wipe the pan clean and add the sugar with 50ml of water. Put on a medium heat and keep an eye on it, The sugar will melt and you need to wait for it to turn a little darker, a golden fudgy colour. Add the butter and quickly stir in. The butter will cool the caramel, so work quickly.

Take off the heat and add the apples, round side down in a circular pattern. Put it back on the heat for a couple of minutes and then take off the heat and leave to cool completely. 

Heat the oven to 200C. Cut the pastry to just a little larger than the apples and place over the top, tucking in the edges. Put in the oven for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden. Leave to cool a little for 5 minutes, then put an upturned plate over the pastry. Using a tea cloth (it will be hot), swiftly invert the tart onto the plate. 

Serve warm with cream or ice cream. Delicious!

Asian Pork Belly with Szechuan Cabbage

We rarely eat pork belly in our house. I have never been a fan of fat and although you can render a great deal of it out of pork belly (when cooked properly), it still seems wrong. BUT, having said that - a little on a rare occasion makes it okay to me. Having properly prepared it, marinated and cooked for some hours..it was ready and the smell in the house was amazing.

I like rice and cabbage with this dish but I felt it needed a good sauce to go with - so here it is. Asian Pork Belly with Szechuan Cabbage and a delicious sauce. Enjoy!

Ingredients:      (Serves 3-4)

For the pork:
800g-1kg piece pork belly
2 tbsp. brown rice miso paste
1 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. light brown sugar
1 tbsp. five spice powder

Score the pork skin and fat only, in about 1 cm slices. Pop in a (clean) sink and pour over a kettle full of boiling water. Remove, pat dry with kitchen paper and put in the fridge, uncovered and skin side up on a plate, to dry out while you make the marinade.

Mix the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved. Take the pork belly and turn it over exposing the flesh. Using a sharp knife stab lots of small cuts into the flesh (making sure not to go right through). Pour the marinade over the flesh only and rub in well. You can put this back in the fridge to marinate if you have time. If not, it can be cooked straight away.

Pre heat oven to hottest setting (about 240C or so). Find a wire rack that fits into a roasting tin and place the pork belly on it, skin side up - roast for 20 mins to let the skin bubble up. Then oven the oven door and add some water to the roasting tray, about an inch. Turn the oven down to 160C and leave to roast for a further 2.5 hours, topping up the water if it dries out. When then time is up (see note at the bottom), remove from the oven and leave to rest for ten minutes or so, while you make the sauce.

For the sauce:
1 tbsp. sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. sweet chilli sauce
2 tbsp. tomato ketchup
1 tbsp. light brown sugar
1 tbsp. Chinese rice vinegar
3 tbsp. soy sauce

Put all of the sauce ingredients into a saucepan. Bring to the boil and then turn down to simmer for 5 mins.

For the cabbage:
Half a head of savoy cabbage, roughly chopped
1 tbsp. Szechuan peppercorns
1 tbsp. oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
pinch chilli flakes
1tbsp. soy sauce

Heat the oil in a wok (or similar) and add the peppercorns. Stir fry until fragrant ( a couple of minutes on a high heat) and then use a slotted spoon to remove them, keeping the hot flavoured oil in the pan.

Add the cabbage to the oil along with the garlic and chilli flakes. Stir fry for a few minutes, still on a high heat, until the cabbage is tender. Add the soy sauce for the last minute of cooking. 

To serve:

Slice the pork belly and arrange on a plate. Add some cabbage and rice and dress with the warm sauce. Garnish with coriander and spring onions. Enjoy!

Note: If the skin isn't crispy enough at the end of cooking time, you can put back in the oven on a high heat for 5 minutes.

Cauliflower and Bacon Salad

Still trying out more salads this week and decided on giving cauliflower a go. Although I do like raw cauliflower, with this recipe I like to cook it for just a few minutes to let the dressing really get into it.

You can use bacon, pancetta, speck, whatever you have in the fridge. I had some serrano ham so used that. The juices from cooking it, makes the dressing delicious either way.

I served this with some spicy chicken kebabs which were simply marinated in a mix of peri peri sauce and Franks sauce. Then put the meat on the skewers and painted on more marinade whilst the kebabs were grilling. Delicious!

Cauliflower & Bacon Salad

Ingredients:         

1 small head cauliflower
1 tbsp. olive oil
5-6 slices bacon (serrano, speck)
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
half tsp dried parsley

1 small clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
salt & pepper


Method:

Cut the cauliflower into the smallest florets you can, it takes a bit of patience, but will taste better if smaller. Pop into a saucepan with boiling water and cook for approx. 5-6 minutes, until tender. Drain and let dry out on a clean tea towel.

Fry the bacon in a hot pan with a little oil until crispy. Remove the bacon and set to one side. Pour the flavoured oil into a small bowl and add the garlic, mustard, vinegar and 2 tbsp. olive oil. Season and whisk well.

Put the cauliflower into a bowl. Add the red pepper, parsley and crumble in the crispy bacon. Add the dressing and mix thoroughly. Serve and enjoy!

I had mine with spicy chicken kebabs. Delicious.

Spicy Chicken Kebabs

 

Chickpea Salad with Grana Padano

Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are a staple in my pantry and good for you as they are high in protein, fibre and vitamins. I generally tend to use them mostly for hummus or curries but I wanted to try something else with them.

This is a lovely creamy salad which goes with pretty much everything. In this case we had chicken wings and as its been hot recently I am getting really bored with eating leaf salads (most days). This is a lovely side dish and its filling too.

Ingredients:                 (Serves 4)

1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 small clove garlic, crushed
1 red chilli, seeds removed and thinly sliced
juice of 1 lemon
5-6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 red pepper, roasted (fresh or jar) and chopped
400g tin chickpeas, rinsed
50g Grana Padano cheese, finely grated (or parmesan)
1 tbsp. olive oil
salt & pepper
a little parsley, chopped

Method:

Gently heat the rinsed chickpeas on a low heat, and then put 80% of them into a large bowl. Mash the remaining chickpeas with the back of a fork in the saucepan, and then add to the bowl. This helps makes the dressing creamy.

Then add the onion, garlic, chilli, lemon juice, tomatoes and peppers and mix well. Add the grated cheese and stir gently along with the oil and season to taste. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Delicious!

Moroccan Chicken with Aubergines

This is a dish we had the other night, when I realised that we haven't had Moroccan food for AGES! Also I had some baby aubergines (eggplant) that I was meant to use in another dish, but hadn't.

So pulling out the dried apricots, flaked almonds and various spices, I set to work on this. Moroccan Chicken with Aubergines, couscous and yoghurt.

Ingredients:    (Serves 3-4)

3-4 chicken breasts
a little olive oil
1 large aubergine or a few small
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
about 10 dried apricots, soaked and halved
400g tin plum tomatoes, halved
handful flaked almonds


Method:

Set the oven to 200 C. Halve the aubergine(s), set on a baking tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and season. Bake for about 35-40 minutes until soft. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Flatten the chicken breasts (I put one at a time into a freezer bag and hit firmly with a rolling pin until about 1 cm). Cut in half, widthways. Heat a little oil in a large pan and fry the chicken each side until just turning golden. Drain on kitchen paper and set to one side.

In the same pan, add the onion and garlic and fry in the oil and juices until golden. Add the spices and fry to release the aromas and then add the apricots and tomatoes and stir well. Scrape the cooked aubergines from the skin with a spoon and chop. Add to sauce and stir in along with the chicken, spooning the sauce over. Squeeze in the juice of a lemon and leave to simmer gently for about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, garnish with fresh coriander and flaked almonds and serve with couscous and yoghurt.

For the couscous:

Put 1 cup couscous into a bowl and add one vegetable stock cube. Add just over 1 cup boiling waiter and stir. Cover with cling film and leave to steam for five minutes. Add anything you like - I added chopped tomatoes, chopped raw courgette, finely chopped red onion and some chopped coriander stalks. Serve this with the chicken, lots of sauce and a dollop of yoghurt, sprinkled with paprika. Enjoy!

Baked Hake with Serrano, White Beans & Baby Greens

Normally when I have hake, which is a meaty fish similar to cod, I tend to cook it with a Spanish stew, but the weather is so warm at the moment and I wanted something more summery.

I spotted a tin of cannellini beans in the store cupboard, so imaging France, wine and cassoulets.. I came up with this light and tasty supper. Hake fillet, sprinkled with a little paprika and baked. A cassoulet with beans, garlic, white wine, serrano and shredded baby greens. (Which with the serrano, paprika and Spanish wine, turned out to be possibly Spanish anyway!). Enjoy!

Ingredients:   (Serves 2)

2 x hake fillets, skinned and boned
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
70g serrano ham, slices halved
1 glass white wine
100ml vegetable stock (cube is fine)
400g tin cannellini beans
100g baby leaf greens, shredded
juice of 1 lemon

Method

Drain the cannellini beans in a colander and rinse, set to one side. Cook the shredded greens in boiling water for 5 minutes and add to the beans in the colander.

Add the olive oil to a large pan and fry the onion, garlic and serrano for a few minutes until onion is cooked and serrano browning and beginning to get crispy. With the heat up, add the glass of wine and cook on a high heat until the wine evaporates. Add the stock, beans and greens and stir through well. With the back of a fork, mash the beans into the sauce to thicken. Turn heat to simmer.

Put the hake in a shallow dish and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and a little paprika (smoked paprika if liked). Bake in a 200 C oven for 10-12 minutes, or until cooked through.

Season the cassoulet with a little salt and pepper and the juice of a small lemon, tasting to check the seasoning.

Serve the fish on top of the cassoulet and drizzle with a little oil. Have with crusty bread and a glass of white wine, if liked. We had Trisquel and it was perfect! 

Home made bread is lovely with this.

Delicious Spanish wine.