Good Grub

Olive oil specialist Filippo Berio has put together this gorgeous dish that’s perfect for the cooler evenings.

Italian Butterfly Lamb
Serves 6-8
Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus overnight marinating
Cooking time: 40 minutes, plus 15 minutes standing

1 leg of lamb, approx 1.8 kg/4lb, boned
3 large sweet onions
Filippo Berio Olive Oil
Sun-Dried Tomato and Balsamic Vinegar Marinade:
120ml/8 tbsp Filippo Berio Olive Oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
4 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
4 tsp dried oregano
5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp salt

Method:

1. Open out the boned leg of lamb, discard excess fat, and cut through the centre slightly so the meat can be laid out in a long flat piece. Put into a large dish.

2. Mix the marinade, and pour over the lamb, turning it so it is covered all over. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

3. Bring the lamb to room temperature before cooking. Peel and thickly slice the
onions, brush with oil on both sides.

4. Place the lamb on a medium hot barbecue, and cook for 20 minutes each side. Transfer the lamb to a carving board, cover with foil and stand for 15 minutes before carving.

5. Meanwhile, cook the onion slices on the barbecue and serve with the lamb.

Cook’s tip: Ask the butcher to bone the lamb or buy a joint that has been boned and rolled, then remove string and unroll.

www.filippoberio.co.uk/recipes

Tags: autumn, Filippo Berio, Italian, lamb, October, olive oil, recipe

MOCHA CHOCCA CHIP CAKE – FRUISANA RECIPE OF THE MONTH – DECEMBER

Fed up with traditional fruity festive fare? Don’t like fruit cake, stollen or mince pies? Look no further as help is at hand from the Fruisana Kitchen – this recipe for a delicious moist Mocha Chocca Chip Cake which is great for the lunch box and yet rich enough to serve as dessert with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream.

Mocha Chocca Chip Cake

175g butter, softened

100g Fruisana Fruit Sugar

3 large eggs

200g self-raising flour, sieved

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 tablespoon coffee essence

100g chocolate chips

Place the butter and Fruisana into a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy.

Beat in each egg then fold in the flour, cocoa powder, coffee essence and chocolate chips.

Place the mixture in a lined 2lb loaf tin and bake fan oven 160°C, electric oven 180°C or gas oven mark 4 for 1 – 1¼ hours until well risen and firm to the touch.

Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out and cooling completely.

There are lots more recipes to be found on the Fruisana Fruit Sugar website www.fruisana.com

Tags: cake, chocolate, Chocolate chip, Christmas, December, fruisana, Mocha, recipe

Home baking is enjoying a resurgence – it’s official: the WI reports renewed interest in its baking courses, with sales of courses up 60 per cent*; retailers report a dramatic sales increase in baking utensils with one online retailer reported to be selling a biscuit cutter every 15 minutes**. Fruisana Fruit Sugar reports renewed interest in the baking recipes on its website www.fruisana.com And it’s not surprising – the plethora of cookery programmes on TV, foodie websites and our love of cookery books, have shown us how easy and rewarding home baking can be.

The feeling of satisfaction when you take your freshly baked cake from the oven, combined with the delicious smell and the promise of the pleasure to come when you share it with your friends and family takes some beating, and more and more of us are choosing to spend our spare time relaxing this way.

By using Fruisana Fruit Sugar in your baking instead of regular sugar, you will find that the flavours are enhanced. You need use less Fruisana than ordinary sugar and your end result will be more satiating as well as tasty. If you choose foods which have a low Glycaemic Index (GI), there will be minimal impact on raising the blood sugar level, thus reducing those energy peaks and troughs. Fruisana’s GI value (only 19) means longer lasting energy and reduced temptation to snack, because it helps prevent the hunger pangs associated with low blood sugar levels.

Here, fresh from the Fruisana Kitchen, is a simple recipe which is sure to become a firm family favourite – the cardamom adds a lovely spicy flavour and it is fabulous for afternoon tea.

Cardamom Cake
Ingredients:

225g butter, softened
175g Fruisana Fruit Sugar
4 large eggs
150ml natural yogurt
200g self-raising flour, sieved
200g wholemeal self-raising flour, sieved
10 cardamom pods, remove the seeds and grind them in a pestle and mortar
or use 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom
175g raisins
100g chocolate chips

Method:

1. Place the butter and Fruisana into a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy.

2. Beat in each egg then beat in the yogurt, fold in the flours and ground cardamom seeds mix thoroughly.

3. Gently stir in the raisins and chocolate chips, place the mixture into a lined 23cm (9inch) round deep cake tin.

4. Bake in a fan oven 160°C, electric oven 180°C or gas oven mark 4 for 1½ – 2 hours until well risen, golden in colour and when tested by placing a skewer in the centre it comes out clean.

5. Allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out to cool completely.

And once you have tried this recipe you can experiment with your own. The Fruisana website www.fruisana.com has a host of more recipes and welcomes feedback and recipe suggestions. You can also become a Friend of Fruisana for advance news of events and special promotions.

To obtain a free set of recipe booklets from Fruisana, just phone 0800 279 1114 or email information@fruisana.com

Tags: cake, fruisana, fruit sugar, recipe, tea time

Tags: almond, buns, easy, fruisana, homemade, macaroons, quick, recipe

ARE YOUR BARBECUE SKILLS UP TO SCRATCH OR DO YOU NEED A B.A. IN BARBECUING*?

Quality Standard beef and lamb help turn even the most hesitant cook into a Natural Born Griller this summer season

Are you ready for the barbecue season? Well fear not, Beefy and Lamby, the original ‘Natural Born Grillers’, are here to help! As the sun starts to shine, seize the opportunity to gather family and friends, light the coals and enjoy some alfresco eating with a mouth-watering menu of barbecue dishes…

Whether it’s a local festival, picnic in the park, a camping trip, or a summer party entertaining friends, make sure you celebrate the summer season by cooking up some Quality Standard beef and lamb dishes.

Get into the barbecue mood and brush up on your skills by checking out www.naturalborngrillers.co.uk – offering hints, tips and you can even join Beefy and Lamby’s Barbecue Academy to earn your very own B.A. in Barbecuing*. Beefy and Lamby have been back to school working alongside Barbecue Ben, Ben Bartlett – the first ever winner of ‘Britain’s Best BBQer!’, to create an online course. The BA in Barbecuing* is a simple and informal step-by-step guide to barbecuing which has everything you need from safety and good hygiene practices, how to start a barbecue properly, marinating with dry rubs and sauces to succulent beef and lamb recipes for you try.

During the summer months barbecuing is a great way to enjoy alfresco dining. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or expert, following the Natural Born Grillers guide to barbecuing will help you become a master of the barbecue. Show off your skills by selecting a recipe to suit your barbecuing level, from beginner to expert, there are recipes to suit every level with a selection created by celebrity chefs, Oliver Rowe and Angela Hartnett.

To ensure your family and friends know where to go for the barbecue of the season, while encouraging them to bring along some dishes and outdoor dining essentials, Quality Standard have created a Summer Barbecue facebook widget. Simply send a virtual invite to get organised via Beefy and Lamby’s Summer Barbecue facebook widget at www.naturalborngillers.co.uk/facebook or go direct to facebook and search for: Beefy and Lamby’s summer bbq. So, make sure you share the fun this summer season, invite all you know to join your barbecue while being in with a chance of winning a brand new barbecue and some blingtastic accessories!

When it comes to hosting a quality barbecue, sourcing quality ingredients is an important step. The Quality Standard Mark, found on beef and lamb is an easy way to select meat that has been specially selected for its consistent eating quality – to be succulent and tender.

Angela Hartnett, Celebrity Chef and Quality Standard Ambassador says; “This time of year is perfect to make the most of seasonal produce, get out of the kitchen, spend quality time with family and friends and cook something quick and tasty on the barbecue. One of my favourites is a juicy, tender steak. I’m often asked for hints and tips to create the perfect steak. My answer is always the same; buy good quality meat. When shopping for steak I recommend looking out for Quality Standard beef.

Look out for the patchwork fields logo in supermarkets or independent butchers to select meat that has been independently assured, from farm to fork, and produced to standards above legal minimum. With the Quality Standard Mark I feel safe in the knowledge that the beef I am buying is succulent and tender for the perfect eating quality – what every family needs for a successful barbecue’.

There’s never been a better time to become a natural born griller, check out www.naturalborngrillers.co.uk for a host of savoury outdoor eating options from steaks to kebabs and burgers to cutlets, top barbecue tips and ensure you earn your BA in Barbecuing* to be a sizzling success this summer!

*Barbecuers should note: This is not a recognised, accredited Bachelor of Arts degree or certification. It does not confer a qualification of a recognised UK institution for the purposes of the Education Reform Act 1988 (“the Act”).  Beefy and Lamby’s Barbecue Academy is not a degree conferring institution and the ‘BA in Barbecuing’ is not intended to confer a qualification that might be confused with that of a recognised educational degree for the purposes of the Act. The BA in Barbecuing is a fun exercise to educate and test your barbecue knowledge and skills – to make your summer a sizzling one!

Tags: barbecue, barbeque, BBQ, beef, cooking, grill, lamb, quality, recipe

 Summer is here and what better way to enjoy the warm weather than to indulge in a spot of alfresco dining with Young’s Seafood prawns.

Less than 100 calories per portion, a natural source of Omega 3 and naturally low in fat, prawns are the perfect healthy summer addition to any barbeque, picnic or outdoor party.

All Young’s prawns are easy to use and come packaged ready to eat. Simply defrost from frozen or use the chilled variety direct from the pack. They need only need to be added a couple of minutes before the end of preparing the dish to heat them through.

Young’s Greenland and Caribbean King prawns are incredibly versatile and can be used across a variety of dishes. They are perfect when tossed in with a salad, used as a sandwich, stir-fried or included in curries.

For the more adventurous, why not use the recipes below

Potted Prawns

These prawns are amazingly sweet and really delicious, mixed with butter

Serves 4

You will need:

375g Young’s Greenland prawns

Good pinch of cayenne pepper

Good pinch of mace

Pinch nutmeg

A twist or two of black pepper

Butter

To make:

Pound the prawn flesh to a paste in a pestle and mortar. Season with cayenne and mace. Mix in plenty of softened butter and put into ramekins. Chill in the fridge for an hour or two before serving with hot toast.

© Mitch Tonks

Quick Fried Caribbean Prawns with Ginger and Chinese Greens

These prawns have an amazing texture and added to a quick stir-fry like this, they are fantastic. Everyone loves these Chinese flavoured prawns.

Serves 2

You will need:

200g Young’s Caribbean prawns

1 inch piece of fresh root ginger (finely chopped)

1 garlic clove (finely sliced)

25ml Chinese rice wine

25ml Chinese rice vinegar

1tsp brown sugar

Pinch ground star anise or five spice powder

50ml soy sauce

2 heads of pak choy

To make:

Mix together the soy, five spice, rice wine, sugar and rice vinegar. Add a little oil to a hot wok or frying pan, then add the garlic and ginger. When it starts to brown, add the greens and the prawns and stir-fry for a few minutes until the greens start to wilt. Pour in the sauce and cook for a further minute. Then serve. Fantastic.

© Mitch Tonks

The Best Prawn Cocktail

I love a good prawn cocktail. It can’t be beaten!

It’s really about the quality of the prawns and I like to use the really sweet Greenland prawns and mix in a few of the firm textured Caribbean ones. They are a great combination together and make a luxurious lunch or starter.

Serves 2

You will need:

150g Young’s Greenland Prawns

150g Youngs Caribbean Prawns

2 little gem lettuces (finely shredded)

4 spring onions (finely sliced)

Squeeze of lemon

For the cocktail sauce

Small jar of mayonnaise or about a cup full of homemade

4 tablespoons tomato ketchup

Dash tabasco

Splash whisky or brandy

Pinch cayenne pepper

To make

Mix the lettuce with the spring onions, a little salt and a squeeze of lemon and put in the bottom of two glasses. Make the sauce by mixing all the ingredients together until it is to your taste, adding a little more or less of everything to suit you. Stir the prawns into the sauce and place on top of the lettuce. Garnish with a sprinkling of cayenne.

© Mitch Tonks

Spaghetti with Caribbean Prawns, Fresh Tomato and Chilli

This is a really quick dish and I love pasta with shellfish. This makes a fantastic dish to share and goes well with a nice cold bottle of Pinot Grigio.

Serves 2

You will need

200g Young’s Caribbean Prawns

150g Dried spaghetti

8 ripe cherry or baby plum tomatoes sliced in quarters

Small handful chopped basil

2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

1 mild chilli (seeds removed and finely chopped)

Squeeze of lemon

Salt and pepper to season

To make:

Add a splash of good olive oil to a frying pan and add the garlic. When it starts to turn golden, add the chilli and tomatoes and cook for a minute or two, until the tomatoes start to “melt” adding the prawns. Cook the spaghetti until it has just a firm bite, then add to the pan with a handful of basil and a squeeze of lemon, mix well and serve.

© Mitch Tonks

www.youngsseafood.co.uk

Tags: caribbean, greenland, prawns, recipe, seafood, spaghetti, youngs

Harvest Sausage Casserole

Ingredients:
200g (8oz) pork chipolatas
Large Bramley apple (peeled & sliced)
200g sliced pre-cooked carrots
1 medium onion (peeled & sliced)
1 chicken or vegetable stock cube
3-4 slices bread (crusts removed)
75g grated Cheddar cheese

Fry the chipolata sausages in a saute pan until browned. Remove to a warmed plate, then clean the pan. Fry the sliced onions in a little light olive oil until soft. Add the apple and fry until soft. Add the stock and carrots. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 7 minutes. Remove from the heat. Place the slices of bread on top, pressing down gently to absorb some of the gravy. Sprinkle with grated cheese then put the saute pan under a pre-heated grill for 3-4 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is starting to brown. A complete meal as it is, or serve with potatoes for hungry appetites.

Tags: apples, casserole, recipe, sausages

Marmalade Making the Easy Way!

February is Seville Orange season and marmalade making time!

The normal method is to chop the fruit first, and put the pith and pips in a bag to extract flavour and pectin. It’s much, much easier to cook the fruit first and then chop it. The addition of a litre of orange juice gives the finished marmalade extra flavour and body.

Makes about 10 x 1lb jars

1.5kg Seville oranges
2.5kg sugar (you can use jam sugar for high pectin fruit or ordinary sugar)
2 lemons
1 litre water
1 litre orange juice

Wash the oranges and lemons; make a slit in the skin. Place in a preserving pan with one litre of water.

Gently cook the whole fruit for around an hour, to an hour and a half, or until the oranges are very soft.

Leave to cool (overnight is good).

Lift the fruits out of the liquid, and squeeze each one into the liquor to remove juice and fruit pulp. Don’t squeeze so hard that the pith comes out as well.

On a large board, open up the fruit (discard the lemons if you prefer), scrape out the pith, which comes away easily, then chop/slice the cooked peel according to preference.

Put the chopped peel, orange juice and sugar into the liquor in the preserving pan.

Slowly bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Bring the marmalade to the boil and boil rapidly for 15 minutes.

Then test for a set:

If you have a suitable thermometer, put it in the middle of the pan. You should have a set when it reads 105C (220F).

OR:

Put a saucer into the freezer to cool down.
When you think the marmalade is ready, take the saucer out of the freezer and put about 1/2 teaspoon of marmalade onto the plate.
Allow it to cool.
Push your finger through the marmalade: if it wrinkles, you’ve got a set.
If not, boil for a further 5 minutes and test again.

Allow to cool, and remove any scum from the top.

After around 20 minutes, stir again to distribute the orange peel.

Pour into hot, sterilised jars and cover.

Note: to sterilise a jar, wash the jar and lid in soapy water and rinse well. Put upside down in an oven at 100C for 20 minutes.
OR
Use straight from a hot wash in a dishwasher.

Tags: citrus, easy, marmalade, oranges, Preserves, recipe

Makes a large loaf.

360ml/10fl oz flat beer
30ml/2tbsp veg oil
60ml/4tbsp wholegrain mustard
475g/1lb white bread flour
200g/7oz wholemeal bread flour
30ml/2tbsp skimmed milk powder
15ml/1tbsp granulated sugar
7.5ml/1.5tsp easy blend yeast
7.5ml/1.5tsp salt

pour oil and beer into machine.
Sprinkle over the flours
Add the milk powder
Add salt and sugar than add the yeast
Set the machine to basic/normal setting/medium crust.

Tags: beer, bread, machine, mustard, recipe

Recipe
1 small onion
1 medium carrot (or two small ones)
200g overripe fresh tomatoes
2 rashers bacon
1 carton passata
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1 tablespoon plain flour
sprigs of rosemary, thyme and basil
1 bay leaf
2 vegetable oxo
1 tablespoon sugar
half a pint of boiling water
125ml double cream
a dash of olive oil
Method
Cut carrot, onion and bacon into small pieces, fry in a small amount of olive oil in a saucepan.
When the onion is soft, prick the skins of tomatoes and add to the saucepan.
Add herbs.
Fry for one more minute, then sprinkle on plain flour and stir quickly until flour has coated the mixture and browned slightly.
Slowly add boiling water, stirring all the time.
Put a lid on the saucepan and simmmer for 30 mins.
Remove from the heat and blend the mixture using a hand blender or jug blender. If you don’t have a blender, then strain the mixture and rub through a sieve.
If you used a blender, strain through a fine mesh strainer and rub through as much as possible.
Return the liquid to the cleaned-out saucepan.
Add the carton of passata, tomato puree, crumbled oxo cubes and sugar.
Stir to mix and dissolve sugar and stock powder.
5 minutes before serving, add the cream, heat through and simmer gently to thicken.
Serve in bowls with a swirl of cream and chopped parsley if in season.
Eat with crusty bread.

Recipe by Jean Smith.

Leftover soup meal ideas:

Add minced garlic and use as a spaghetti sauce base – add julienne of ham, tongue and mushroom for Spaghetti Milanese or cooked beef mince and oregano for a Spaghetti Bolognese.

Tags: cream, homemade, recipe, soup, tomato