23/01/2012 by D.

This is great for little ones as leek is quite mild and the overall pasta bake is whitish…

2 leeks
1 tsp butter
1/2 pint milk
1 tbs butter
1 tbs flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 cup grated cheese
1/2 cup ham cubes or broken pieces of sliced ham (optional - you could use tomato or sundried tomatoes)
500g pasta

Heat the oven to 180c.  Clean and chop the leeks.  Sweat them in the teaspoon of butter in a saucepan with the lid on and don’t allow them to brown. 

Add milk, tablespoon butter, flour, nutmeg and mustard to another saucepan and heat gently, whisking occasionally.  As it begins to heat up, concentrate on the whisking and don’t allow it to catch on the bottom.  Once bubbling gently remove from the heat and stir in half the cheese.  Season to taste.  It should have a thick texture.

Break up the leeks with a spoon -they should now be softish.  Add to the cheese sauce.  Mix in the ham.

Bring a large pan of salted water to boil and cook the pasta according to instructions on the packet.  Drain it before it becomes too soft as it will be cooked further in the oven.  Mix the sauce with the pasta, pour into an oven proof dish and sprinkle over the remaining cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes until piping hot with a brown cheesy top.

This is great for putting in mini ramikins and freezing for quick suppers (don’t do the last step of putting it in the oven as that will happen when you reheat).

Posted in Milk, Cheese, Ham, Butter, Leek, Recipe, Vegetarian, Pasta, Weaning | Print | No Comments »

12/12/2011 by D.

2 punnets cherry tomatoes
1 ‘log’ goat’s cheese
6 eggs
1/2 pint milk
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp dried thyme or 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1/2 tsp salt
couple of grinds black pepper

for the pastry:
8 oz flour
4oz fat (I use salted butter)
cold water to mix

Make the pastry by rubbing the fat into the flour (or using a food processor) and then, using a knife, slowly stir in a little cold water until it comes together.  Gently, with the tips of your fingers bring together into a dough, then leave to chill for an hour in the fridge (covered in clingfilm).

Halve the cherry tomatoes and thinly slice the cheese along the log (you should end up with around 20 slices).  Whisk the eggs with the milk, nutmeg, salt, pepper and thyme.

Heat the oven to 170 degrees.  Thinly roll out the pastry and use it to line a deep flat dish such as a lasange dish (mine is 18 x 25cm and around 5cm deep).  Place in the oven to blind bake for 5 mins.

Remove dish from oven and fill: cover the bottom with half the cherry tomatoes.  Cover them with half the cheese.  Repeat with the rest of the tomatoes, then the rest of the cheese.  Pour over the egg mix.

Cook in the oven for between 40 and 60 mins.  To check if done, stick in a knife and pull a bit to the side.  If you can see runny egg, it needs a bit longer.  Bare in mind you will see runny goat’s cheese, so make sure it is definitely the egg that is still not done.

This is lovely served with a peppery salad and reheats well for work lunches.

Posted in Milk, Thyme, Goat's cheese, Eggs, Pastry, Vegetarian, Nutmeg, Tomato, Recipe | Print | No Comments »

29/11/2011 by D.

200g smoked haddock
1/2 pint milk
2 large potatoes
2 leeks
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil
1/2 pint boiling water
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 veg stock cube (I used kallo)
1 tin sweetcorn
handful of parsley leaves to garnish

Cover the haddock with the milk in a frying pan and slowly heat to a simmer, then switch off.  Turn the fish over after 5 mins.

Meanwhile peel the potatoes and finely dice.  Wash and chop the leeks. Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan and add leek and potatoes, stirring frequently.

Lift the haddock out of the milk and put on a plate; pour the haddock milk into the saucepan with the leeks and potato.  Add the nutmeg.  Mix the stock cube with the boiling water and add to the pan.  Drain and add sweetcorn.

With your fingers, gently flake the haddock off the skin, carefully avoiding any bones.

Once the potato cubes in the soup are tender, add the flakes of fish.  Using a stick blender carefully blend some of the soup; don’t continue until all the texture has gone.

 Season to taste, and serve topped with chopped parsley and toasted buttered bagels or some crusty bread.

Posted in Milk, Smoked Haddock, Fish, Stock, Leek, Potato, Sweetcorn, Nutmeg, Recipe | Print | No Comments »

23/02/2011 by D.

These little Australian cakes are extremely morish and a fun activity to do with small children.  It is also a great way of using up sponge pieces or cakes that haven’t risen well.  Otherwise you need to make a basic sponge first.

Sponge
8oz soft butter
8oz caster sugar
4 medium eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
8oz self raising flour
a little milk

Preheat the oven to 180c.  Grease and line a large square tin, or two 7in cake tins with baking paper. 

Cream together butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy.  Crack the eggs into a separate bowl, and give them a quick beating with a fork.

Slowly add a little of the beaten egg and a tsp flour.  Continue adding egg until it is all incorporated. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Gently fold in the flour with a large metal spoon, until the batter has a soft dropping consistency.  If too stiff add a bit of milk. Spread out the mixture into the tin/tins.

Bake for 20-25 mins until golden-brown and a skewer comes out clean.  Take the cake out of the tin and peel off the paper then leave to cool on wire rack.  When cool, cut cake into 1 inch cubes.

Icing
2 cups icing sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup of milk
2 cups dessicated coconut

Mix icing sugar, cocoa powder, butter and milk in a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until thick and smooth.

Roll cubes of cake in the chocolate icing then in the coconut and leave on wire rack to set.  NB If the icing cools enough to solidify after a bit, just put it back over the hot water to melt again.

These are very moreish… you have been warned!

Posted in Flour, Coconut, Icing sugar, Vanilla, Cake, Chocolate, Eggs, Butter, Milk, Recipe | Print | No Comments »