Tasty Tart

So, I did my Bootea diet, which I actually liked doing and will be doing again before my friends wedding, but definitely went back to my old ways quite quickly (especially after my lovely but greedy boyfriend came home) and got right back into making creamy, fatty, yummy things.

This quiche is, again, a really simple dish that is satisfying and tasty and Ashley loves it. It's cheesy, sharp, oniony, and has a bit of bite in it from the mustard. I use Paul Hollywoods pastry recipe as it's the best one I've used so far - it doesn't crack or split and it keeps it's shape in the oven. I'm not a pro at crimping though so the photo is simplistic to say the least, but you get the idea.

One of the best things about this recipe is the ingredients can be changed and altered to suit different tastes. With the milk/egg base for the quiche so many different flavours can be added - to keep it traditional broccoli and stilton, or some ham or bacon, roasted peppers, or could put some char-grilled vegetables like courgette and aubergine in with some chillies and various herbs and spice to mix it up. However, this recipe is just a simple one that pleases many palettes.

Cheese, Onion, and Tomato Tart
For this you will need a 23cm loose-based fluted tart tin

Pastry
225g plain flour
120g unsalted butter
3-5tbsp ice cold water
Pinch of salt

Filling
Large knob of butter
8 small onions / 4 large onions, thinly sliced
200ml whole milk
4 medium eggs
2 egg yolks
1-1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp chopped chives
50g grated mature cheddar cheese
1 large handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and pepper

Pastry First

• Place the flour in a bowl and rub in the butter with the finger tips until it becomes a breadcrumb mixture.
• Mix in enough cold water to bring it together. When it's brought together, knead into a ball and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or get pre-made pastry and put into a tin.....)
• Preheat your oven to 180C fan. 

Then:

• While the pastry is cooling, heat the butter in a large, heavy bottomed frying pan and cook the onions on a low heat until browned - for around 30 minutes when sticky and brown.
• Take the pastry out of the fridge. Lightly flour a surface and roll out thinly to fit the tart tin with a little bit hanging over the edges. 
• Fill the tart tin with the pastry then get a piece of baking parchment (a big square piece) with your hands and scrunch into a ball, then flatten it out into the middle of the tin and push it into the sides. Pour in the baking beans/dry rice/pasta that you choose to use, and bake for 15 minutes.  
• Remove from the oven, remove the baking beans and then put back into the oven and bake for a further 8 minutes. 
• Remove and begin to fill.

And then the filling:

• While the pastry is cooking or after it's come out of the oven, mix the eggs, egg yolk, milk, chives, mustard, salt and pepper in a jug until well mixed.
• Arrange the browned onions and grated cheese on the pastry, then arrange the tomato halves on top. Pour the milk/egg mix over the top - when I do this I try to pour it in between the tomatoes so they stand out when cooking but for flavour it doesn't matter. Also, if you're not confident at moving a full tart from the side to the oven, place the flan on a baking tray in the oven then pour in the milk/egg mix when while on the tray and slide into the oven.
• Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing. 
• Serve with salad, jacket potato or coleslaw. 

I only took one photo of this and it was a mini one I made on the side but I think it looks quite satisfying....

So the sound track for this one was a Kisstory so was a bit of a mixture but a couple of my favourites were the following:

Super Smoothies

I tired out the Bootea 14 day teatox as I'm a bridesmaid for my friend in August and rather than do a diet I wanted to try something that would allow me to eat certain things that I love and just cannot give up. So, rather than go on a conventional diet I've tried to combine the Bootea teatox idea with clean eating which I've been getting more interested in - mainly because you can eat hummus without restriction which is such a bonus. I absolutely love hummus and after I've finished my exams I am going to be experimenting with some yummy hummus flavours too, but for the moment time is a little tight.

I am not a great breakfast fan and am definitely not the type of person to sit down and have a bowl of cereal and I can't stand fry ups. Meat for breakfast is just one of those things I've never really enjoyed. So breakfast for me doesn't normally happen until 10/11 am and is some fruit or a massive mocha, which it has been for me lately. While doing the Bootea I'm starting off the day with a smoothie which I find really satisfying and does the job.

These are two of the smoothies that I've made which are so simple but tasty and satisfying.

Banana and Peanut Butter
1 ripe banana
1 heaped tablespoon peanut butter - I use crunchy for texture
1/2 pint/300ml coconut milk, almond milk, or other milk alternative
2 tbsp rolled oats (optional - I add it for extra source of fibre)
Runny honey (optional - if it's not sweet enough with just the banana)

So simple!

Very straight forward.
Put the milk, banana, peanut butter, and oats (if using) in a liquidiser or food processor and blitz until fully combined.
Have a taste and add some honey if you like. Serve in a large glass and enjoy.
*As it has been so hot, I've made some ice cubes from the milk alternative I've been using and just pop them in the top at the end without diluting it.

Sadly my photographic skills are still poor.
However, this smoothie is delicious and energising,
even though it doesn't look it....

Strawberry and Mango 
1/2 pint/300ml coconut milk, almond milk or other milk alternative
1 big handful of ripe strawberries, halved
1 big handful of ripe mango, cubed
2 tbsp rolled oats

Again, super simple.
Put the milk, strawberries, mango and oats into a liquidizer or food processor and blitz until fully combined and becomes a smoothie consistency.
Same as the banana and peanut butter one, some clear honey can be added if you like it a bit sweeter.

Such a great alternative to a conventional breakfast.

As these are so quick to make I didn't have a specific soundtrack for making them but I had the radio on in the background and heard a couple of songs by Ella Henderson which I love - Mirror Man and Glitterball, which is a such a get up and go song, and seemed to go with the energising drinks.

Clean and Delicious Soup

I love soup and can eat it all year round and have never really agreed with the idea that soup is a winter food. I was doing some revision for my law exam and felt like I was going to fall asleep with boredom. I needed some energy and to eat something that would help me concentrate so, using some bits I had around the kitchen, I whipped up this butternut squash soup and I was so pleased with the results. It looked fantastic as it was bright orange. It was tasty, healthy, zingy, fresh and so easy to make, it is definitely something I will be making again.

Summery Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

1 large or 2 small onions, chopped

3 garlic cloves

1 red chilli, sliced

1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped into cubes

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 tin coconut milk

600ml vegetable stock

Juice of half a lime

1 Handful of sage leaves, chopped

1 heaped tablespoon of good quality honey

Salt and Pepper

In a large saucepan, fry the onion in some olive oil, or coconut oil if you have it, until softened. 

Smash the garlic using the flat side of a knife and your palm or using jar then throw them in with the onion along with the chilli.

Add the butternut squash and carrot then sprinkle over the sage. Give it all stir.

Add the coconut milk and stock to the pan, bring to the boil and let it simmer for around 30 minutes.

Using a knife, test the squash and carrot to see if it is soft. If it is, add the juice of half a lime, the honey, salt and pepper. Stir it all together and then blend with a hand-blender or put it into a liquidizer. 

I like my soups thick and smooth, but if you want it a bit thinner you can add some more stock. 

I just served mine up in a bowl as I was starving so it didn't look fancy but if you were serving it, frying some sage leaves to put on top would give it a presentable finish. As people who may have read this blog before, I am not great at presentation but I am ALL about the flavour.

I needed some calming music while making this as I was feeling pretty stressed about my work. I've played the piano since I was 8 and have had the pleasure of playing and listening to so much wonderful classical music but Erik Satie's music is lovely and one of my favourites.

Charity Cake Competition

Last Sunday, I entered a charity cake competition in the very fine city of Norwich. I really enjoyed doing this as I haven't had a chance to bake for so long that I was starting to get baking withdrawal. The competition was at The Alexandra Tavern on Stafford Street, a lovely, comfy and traditional pub serving a great range of beers (I did sample a couple while the cakes were being judged which made a sunny afternoon even better).

I actually planned to make a delicious lemon cake with cream cheese icing, but on the Saturday night before, I did and it was a disaster! After about 15 minutes in the oven it completely collapsed and sank in the middle. So frustrating as I had made the recipe so many times and it has always worked so well. So, on Sunday morning I made my go to cake which I absolutely love - a coffee and walnut cake. Some people, I'm sure, find this cake traditional and boring but it is one of my favourite cakes when made well. I like really strong flavours, and do find when trying them out that they can end up being a bit bland, so my recipe really packs a strong coffee punch and I pulse walnuts in the food processor and put into the sponge mix which intensifies the flavour.

I only came third, which I am actually really pleased with as I made this cake in a bit of a rush and I have to say the winners three tiered chocolate cake with ganache, and in second place, the orange and almond polenta cake, which I am going to have a go at because it was delicious, were very good.

Anyway, I think my cake is delicious, and the judge said himself that it was so coming third out of twenty is not bad and I recommend making it as it's easy and delicious. 

Look at all the yummy cakes ready for tasting.
Was such a great afternoon and for a great cause.

Coffee and Walnut Cake

For the sponge:

8oz butter/stork

8oz golden caster sugar

4 eggs

8oz self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

3-4 tsp instant coffee granules - using a strong coffee gives a more intense flavour, for example Carte Noire

2oz walnuts

For the butter icing:

12oz icing sugar

5 oz butter

3-4 tsp coffee granules

14 walnut halves

This is a simple sponge recipe, so you can do either an all-in-one method or a creaming method. I, personally, opt for the creaming method but cheated and did it in the food processor.

• Heat the oven to 160C fan and pulse 2oz walnuts in the food processor until a desired size. I like mine really small but if you like yours a bit chunkier then pulse less. Tip into a bowl and set aside.
• Place butter and sugar in the food processor and mix together until light and fluffy. 
• Once this is done, using boiling water, dissolve the coffee granules a cup with the smallest amount of water possible. I used 1 tsp of water for each tsp of coffee granules. Leave to cool.
• Add in the eggs one by one until fully incorporated. I like to add my coffee now. Often at this point it the mixture can become speckled if perhaps the coffee is slightly too warm but it doesn't matter at all for the finished texture of flavour.
• Fold in the flour and baking powder, then tip in the crushed walnuts.
• divide between two greased and lined cake tins and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven when the cakes start to come away from the side of the tins. Leave in the tins for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire cooling rack.

Butter icing

Again I do this in the food processor because it's so easy.

• For the coffee, same as with the cake mixture. Pour boiling water over the coffee - 1tsp of water for 1tsp of coffee. Can add a little more if the coffee is not dissolving.
• Ensure the butter is at room temperature and place in the food processor. Whizz for a minute on it's own as this will help the icing sugar to fully incorporate.
• Sift the icing sugar in and mix until fully incorporated. It may look a little dry at this stage but it will be nice and moist after adding the coffee.
• Add the coffee mixture to the butter cream and whizz until a lovely rich brown coffee colour.

Once the cakes have cooled, spread the butter cream evenly between the middle and the top. I like to toast my walnuts for 5 minutes before arranging on top as it gives the walnuts a deeper flavour. 

Arrange the walnut halves on top - 12 round the edge an 2 in the middle. 

This is the only photo I've got - post tasting.
I think it looks yummy. 

Serve to everyone. It's yummy. 

The soundtrack for this cake making experience was a relaxing one. Due to the disaster of the night before I needed nice calm background music and for this I chose the Amelie soundtrack. I Absolutely love this film and the music is a personal favourite as I also play the piano. Always my go to piano music for a chill-out. If you like that sort of thing obviously.

Simple Sushi

I really love sushi and have done ever since my parents introduced me to it from a young age. After being at university, I remember thing how amazing it would be to have a go at making it myself, but at the time thought how crazy expensive it would be and so gave it a miss. A couple of months later, I returned home and a friend of mine's boyfriend (at the time) made my family and myself some and showed us how simple it was - the actual problem being that it was quite time consuming.

So, a few months later I had a go. The first time, I admit, was a bit of a disaster not least because I don't actually like completely raw fish (blergh) but later on I tried an angelcised version of the sushi and, using a recipe book I found at my mum's house as a base, I made the following sushi adapting the recipe as follows:

Sushi Rice
400ml Sushi rice
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp sea salt

Wash the rice thoroughly, changing the water several times. If you're short of time, soak the rice in cold water for 15 minutes and rinse in a sieve and leave to drain for 15 minutes.

Once drained, place in a deep bottomed saucepan and fill with 500ml water. Cover, bring to the boil and leave for 5 minutes without removing the lid. Turn the temperature down and leave to simmer, covered for about 10 minutes. Don't lift the lid, then remove from heat and leave, still covered, for about 10 minutes.

Transfer the cooked rice to a large, shallow dish and sprinkle with the vinegar dressing. Using a large wooden or plastic spoon, fold and cool the rice as quickly as possible (I put mine in a dish, under a plate to cool and it worked a treat).

Once the rice has reduced to room temperature, get your nori and pass over a hot plate/hob or if neither of those things don't worry about it! Get a bowl of room temperature water and dip your finger tips in, then grab a couple of tablespoons and flatten 1/3rd on the nori. Once flattened place the fillings - cucumber/carrot/pepper/spring onion/avacado etc - and fill, then roll, tightly, running a wet finger along the crease of the nori to ensure the seal is made.

I have made a variety of sushi using the same method but with different ingredients in the middle, so I promise anyone who reads this, it is so easy and satisfying. Do it!!!

Finished product.

Loves x X x

I do love The Rolling Stones, and they helped me through.

I Miss You - Rolling Stones

Beast of Burden - Rolling Stones

Astonishingly Appetising Apple and Almond Tarts

It's been a long time since writing on my blog, and I'm sad to say it's because I have hardly done any cooking. I have been completely snowed under with work for my masters and feel that there just aren't enough hours in the day to get anything done.

Today, I procrastinated and spend a couple of hours in the kitchen whipping up these amazing little tarts, and I have to say for an experiment they were completely delicious, so simple, and I would absolutely recommend to anybody reading this.

I love using ground almonds in cooking because they add such a lovely texture and flavour and make a sponge mix beautifully moist. I had lots of almonds in my cupboard, and had lots of apples to use up as they were getting on a bit, so decided to mix it up and add the two flavours together to see what happened - I was so happy with the result and will definitely be making these again.

I used a Mary Berry recipe for the pastry (of course - who else?) and then made some stewed apple and then an almond sponge mix, or a bakewell mixture, to top it off. This recipe made 14 tarts as I rolled out my pastry very thin.

Apple and Almond Tarts 

For the pastry - this is my favourite sweet pastry, and I find that it doesn't crack when rolled even very thin, a problem I have had with nearly all other pastry recipes I've used in the past.
200g plain flour
125g butter, chilled and cubed
1 tbsp caster sugar (I use golden, but white is fine)
1 egg yolk beaten with 2 tbsp very cold water

I used a food processor to make my pastry as it is so much quicker.
Place the flour, sugar, and butter in the food processor and blitz until a breadcrumb texture. With the processor still going, pour in the egg and water mixture and continue to pulse until it comes together. If it doesn't quite come together after adding this, add another 1/2 or whole tablespoon of water just to make it bind together. Once it has formed a ball, tip onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball, making sure that it is not handled too much. Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for 15-20 minutes. It is then ready to use.

For the apple
3 apples - I used eating apples as I think they're sweeter and I like stewed apple to have some firm bits of apple in, but cooking apples would do absolutely fine. It depends who's eating them!
1 heaped tbsp granulated sugar
juice of 1/2 a lemon

Peel and chop the apple into quite small cubes (0.5cm ish). Then place in a saucepan with the sugar and apple and a tsp of water and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes, until you have a consistency that you like. As I said earlier, I like a bit of bite to mine, but if you like it smooth simmer for longer and then press on the bits of apple with the back of the spoon to soften them.
Leave this to cool in the saucepan until you need it.

For the almond sponge
100g butter
100g caster sugar
85g ground almonds
25g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
2 eggs
A few drops of almond essence

For this, the easiest thing was to do an all in one method, so, if using a free standing mixer as I did, all you need to do is put everything in the mixing bowl and then beat together until everything is incorporated and there are no lumps. Use a hand mixer and mix everything together in a bowl if no free standing mixer, or beat together with a wooden spoon if you fancy a bit of a work out.

To assemble, I used 2 muffin tins (as it made 14....) and made sure they were well greased.
Lightly flour the side and roll the pastry out and cut out 14 circles. If you like your pastry a bit thicker it will probably make 12. I don't have proper cutters so I used a little bowl with a diameter of 11.5cm which cut the perfect size to fit into the tins. Once cut, press the pastry into the tins making sure that they're up the sides to the top of the tin. As you will see from the picture down the page, mine were not very neat so I wouldn't bother crimping or anything like that, but if you've got the skills then go ahead.

Once all the pastry has lined the tins, place a teaspoon of apple in each one. I didn't use all the apple, but again depends on how much you like. I found a teaspoon was a good amount.
Dollop the almond mixture on top of the apple and press down with the back of the spoon to make the sponge cover the apple and ensuring it touches the pastry round the outside.

Bake in a preheated oven fan 170C for 25 minutes until golden brown on the top.

Remove from the oven and leave in the tins for 5 minutes to cool a little bit. Then, using a pallet knife, go round the edge of all the tarts to loosen them and place on a cooling rack.

Waiting for them to cool!

Serve as they are or drizzle with some double cream or custard. Yum!

Still warm - they were so delicious!

As always, I have a lovely playlist going on in the background as I can't seem to cook without it. Today it was some Emeli Sande. A perfect accompaniment to this bake.

Smoked Salmon Pasta - sounds simple, tastes amazing!

After a long Wednesday (hump day as it was called in my last job), a tasty, warming and filling meal was definitely needed and this one absolutely did the trick. It was easy, tasty, smoky, creamy, and I would recommend giving it a go. For this recipe, I made the bread and the pasta from scratch so it is time consuming, but not complicated. I really would recommend having a go though, if you have the time.

This particular recipe, for the creamy sauce, is adapted from Jamie Oliver magazine, but I changed the recipe and it has the added bonus of home made garlic bread and pasta. This pasta recipe can be used to make any pasta shape - lasagne, ravioli, spaghetti. Just shape into which ever is wanted, and off you go!

Pasta

400g '00' flour (or plain flour will do fine - I only buy 00 flour when it's on offer as it's more expensive than regular)

4 Free Range Eggs

1-2 tbsp warm water 

• To make the pasta, either place the flour into a mixing bowl or food processor and pulse with the eggs and water until it is combined, or place the flour on a work top and make a well in the middle. Crack in the eggs and water and whisk into the flour with a fork. 
• Once combined, with floured hands, knead the dough until it is shiny and smooth (around 5-8 minutes).
• Shape into a ball, wrap in cling film and leave to rest for a minimum of 30 minutes. I leave mine out at room temperature, but it can be put in the fridge if it's particularly warm. 
• Once rested, I cut my ball of dough into 3 and rolled out each individually then cut into strips for tagliatelle.
• I hung mine over the side of a large bowl or jug to stop them sticking together.

The pasta dough, after kneading.

Bread

 

This is a really easy recipe and makes simple white bread which can be shaped in any which way you like. It can be made either in a free standing mixer or by hand.

500g Strong White Flour

10g Active Dried Yeast

1tsp sugar

1tsp salt

350ml tepid water

• Put the flour in a bowl with the yeast on one side of the bowl, and the salt and sugar on the other.
• Pour in the water and mix together with a large spoon until combined.
• Get your hands in and gather it all together, then knead it for 7-10 minutes.
• Grease a bowl in olive oil and put the dough in, rolling it in the oil to make sure it's covered.
• Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to rise for 1-2 hours, until it's doubled in size. 
• Once risen, turn it out onto a floured surface, knock it back and knead for a couple of minutes.
• Cut up and shape - to make rolls, shape into balls. I got about 8 medium/large rolls from this batch so you could get 10 small ones or 6 large ones (if you've read this already, you know I like big ones)
• Place the balls on a shallow baking tray that has been greased with olive oil. If making rolls, place the balls with a little space between them. As they rise they will fill the space.
• Leave to rise for another 30-45 minutes or until they've doubled in size (this might take more time that that, but be patient - it's worth it).
• Once risen, sprinkle with plain flour and place into a pre-heated oven at 200C and bake for 18 minutes. Do check on them as you go to make sure they're done to your liking.
• Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a cooling rack. Smother in butter, use as a burger bun, rip to pieces and dip in oil and balsamic, hummus, taramasalata, gravy, or make into garlic bread with the following recipe...........

Floured baps - always good.

To make garlic bread, mix 1 tbsp butter with 1 clove garlic crushed, and a sprinkle dried or fresh basil. Slice the rolls in half and spread the garlicky butter on, then bake in the oven (around 8 minutes) until golden and smelling delicious.

Smoked Salmon Sauce

The above pasta recipe.

1 tbsp butter

350g Creme freche (low fat if you prefer)

300g smoked salmon, sliced into small slices or chunks

zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 Handfuls of frozen garden peas

1 heaped tsp dried tarragon

salt, pepper and parmesan to serve

• Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and add a glug of olive oil and the pasta. Leave to simmer while making the rest of the dish.
• Melt the butter in a pan, add the garlic and fry for a couple of minutes on a low heat.
• Add the creme freche and heat until simmering.
• Add the zest and juice of the lemon, tarragon and peas and make sure it's simmering.
• Add the salmon and heat through until the peas are cooked. 
• Drain the pasta (it should be ready after about 8 minutes - add more or less times depending on how you like it) and add to the creamy mixture.
• Dish up onto warmed plates, season well, grate over a generous amount of parmesan and serve with the garlic bread.

This is a massive portion but you won't want much less.

It will serve 4 people.....if you like small portions.

I really loved this dish and can't wait to eat it again.

The soundtrack to this meal was a variety as it was quite a long process (kneading, rising, kneading, resting etc) but Charlie XCX is one of my favourites at the moment.....