Breakfast by the sea blog

Spicy sweet potato soup

2012-02-08T16:06:00.001Z

All images © Heather Wilkinson 2012

I know my last post was a soup recipe, but the weather has been so ridiculously cold and snowy here in Sussex this week that I’ve been eating little else. Knowing that I’ve got a warm and satisfying lunch to look forward to is about the only thing that makes braving the arctic temperatures in the morning bearable.

I think this has to be one of the simplest soups I’ve ever made: quick to prepare, healthy and a really short list of ingredients. My kind of recipe.

You will need
A glug of olive oil
1 onion, chopped
½ teaspoon of dried chill flakes or ½ fresh red chilli, deseeded.
1 tsp ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, crushed and sliced
750g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into medium chunks
1 pint of warm vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste.

1.) Warm the oil in a large pan, add your onions, garlic, chilli flakes and ground coriander and cook until soft.
2.) When your onions have softened, add your sweet potato and mix it in with the other ingredients. Leave it to cook in the pan for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
3.) Pour your warmed stock over the mixture, bring to the boil and then turn down to simmer for about 10/15 mins, or until the sweet potatoes soften.
4.) Blend your soup until smooth. Serve with fresh crusty bread (this soda bread is ideal). If you find the soup too spicy then add a dollop of crème fraiche.

Cosy winter vegetable soup

2012-02-01T19:21:00.003Z

All images © Heather Wilkinson 2012

The temperature has really plummeted here this week. It’s the kind of cold weather that means you have to hop from foot to foot just to generate enough heat to stop your toes going numb. I basically live off soup when the weather’s like this, and I luckily had enough root veg to whip up a batch today. Soups of this nature can be a tad bland, so I add just a pinch of dried ginger to give it a subtle lift.

You will need

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 stick of celery, sliced
1 leek, sliced
150g potato, peeled and diced
150g swede, peeled and diced
½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
½ tsp dried ground ginger
1 litre milk
Single cream

1.) Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and fry until soft.
2.) Add your garlic, carrot, leek and celery, stir it all together and continue to fry for about 5 minutes.
3.) Next, add your swede, potato, nutmeg and ginger, salt and pepper. Add the milk, bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer for 25 minutes, or until all the vegetables have softened.
4.) Add your soup mixture to a liquidiser and blend together until it is smooth. You can run it through a sieve if you want it extra smooth.
5.) Return the soup to a clean pan, add a little cream, mix and heat thoroughly. Serve with fresh crusty bread.

Carrot cake with orange blossom icing

2012-01-30T11:11:00.000Z

All images © Heather Wilkinson 2012

Grrr, I've had so much trouble getting this post up. Sometimes Blogger totally misbehaves when I'm trying to add text and it drives me crazy! Anyway, enough of my moaning and back to the serious business of cake.

This is a pretty reliable carrot cake recipe that produces a handsome round cake. It can also be scaled down to make a generous batch of muffins or mini loaf cakes.

The great thing about this cake is it’s packed full of sweet seasonal carrots and juicy sultanas, which make it surprising moist. I use the smallest amount of orange blossom essence in the icing, but you could use a little grated orange zest instead.

I hope you like the piccies I’ve done to go with this recipe - I’ve been watching way too much Downton Abbey ;)

You will need:

For the cake

300g soft light brown sugar
3 free range eggs
300ml sunflower oil or vegetable oil
300g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp vanilla extract
300g carrots, grated
1 small handful of dried sultanas
100g shelled walnuts, chopped, (plus extra to decorate)

For the icing:
300g icing sugar, sifted
50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
125g cream cheese, cold
½ tsp orange blossom essence

1.) Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3. Line and grease a round 8 inch loose-bottomed cake tin.

2.) Put the sugar, eggs and oil in a mixer. Using a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk), beat until all the ingredients are well mixed. Next, sieve in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt and vanilla extract and continue to beat until all the ingredients are combined.

3.) Add the grated carrots and walnuts, stir together and then pour the mixture into your prepared cake tin. Bake in the preheated oven for around 1hr 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. When the tin is cool enough to touch, remove the cake and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cake has cooled you can make your icing. This process is best done in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment, but you can use a handheld electric mixer too. Just lightly hold a tea towel over the bowl when mixing to prevent covering yourself with icing sugar.

4.) Sieve the icing sugar and add into a mixing bowl along with the butter. Beat together until the mixture is well combined.

5.) Add the cream cheese and ½ tsp of orange blossom essence (this must be exact or your icing will be too runny) and beat on a medium/high speed for about 4/5 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.

6.) Ice your cake using a palette knife and decorate with a mixture of whole and crushed walnuts.

Nigel Slater's Chocolate Espresso Cake

2012-01-28T13:09:00.003Z

All images © Heather Wilkinson 2012

I’ve been in a bit of a baking frenzy this week. I do try to be healthy during the week, but when the weekend comes around I can’t resist a bit of a treat. A friend had raved about this Nigel Slater recipe, and when she mentioned the words ‘dense and fudgy’ I needed no further convincing.

It was quite easy to make but I did end up using every available pan and bit of work surface in my kitchen. I was also a bit eager with the mixer while whisking my egg whites and ended up having to give the walls (and myself), a wipe-down – boy, can that stuff travel!

The finished cake had a crisp top, a soft sponge and was delightfully fudgy inside. To be honest, it was quite rich and more like the sort of cake I’d serve in thin slices after a meal, perhaps with a bit of cream or ice-cream. It was still very delish though.

There’s a link to Nigel’s recipe here.

I'm just working on another baking post, this time with a bit of a vintage theme. Watch this space...

Signs of spring

2012-01-25T16:21:00.001Z

The first signs of spring are starting to appear in Sussex. I love each change in season and feel so lucky to be living so close to such beautiful countryside. These little crocuses were in a grass verge just near my home, straining towards the sunlight. The next day, after heavy rain, they had all closed up again.

I'm hoping to get round to some baking this week. I've got a couple of cake recipes to try out for the weekend. I've also just discovered a lovely local farm shop, so I'm looking forward to stocking up on goodies and spending some time in the kitchen.

I hope your week is going well.

Forced rhubarb, mascarpone and ginger semifreddo

2012-01-22T16:16:00.000Z

All images © Heather Wilkinson 2012

Forced Rhubarb: available January – Feb/March

I really like rhubarb but hadn’t ever tried the ‘forced’ variety before, so I eagerly bought a big bagful when I spotted it in my local fruit and veg shop.

Forced rhubarb, as the name suggests, it is literally forced to grow. The plants are grown in long sheds where they are subjected to heat and darkness so that the young shoots grow quickly in a desperate search for light. Apparently, it was originally cultivated to fill a gap in the vegetable calendar when there wasn’t much else available.

I wanted to try something a bit different from the usual rhubarb crumble (yawn), so decided to have a go at making a semifreddo. I was really pleased with how it turned out.

The ginger is the first of the flavours to come through, followed by the rhubarb – it’s almost like they politely take it in turns to tickle your taste buds.

The rhubarb flavour is a lot stronger in the sauce and balances the richness of the mascarpone cheese well.

PS: fellow Brightonians, I got my rhubarb from Taj in Western Road.

You will need
For stewing the rhubarb
200g forced rhubarb
Juice and zest of 1 large orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100g caster sugar
2 pieces of stem ginger (about the size and thickness of a 2p piece), finely chopped

For the semifreddo:
4 eggs, separated
500g mascarpone cheese
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

1.) Roughly chop your rhubarb and place in a saucepan with the orange juice, orange zest, 100g caster sugar and chopped ginger. Then add enough water to the pan to just about cover your rhubarb.
2.) Bring to the boil and simmer for about 7 minutes until the rhubarb is soft.
3.) Sieve the rhubarb over a clean bowl. Set the juice aside and pop it in the fridge when it’s cooled.
4.) Next, whip the egg whites into soft peaks with a pinch of salt.
5.) In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla for a few minutes and then add the mascarpone cheese.
6.) Whisk the cheese and egg yolk mixture for a couple of minutes until smooth, then stir in your stewed rhubarb (not the juice). Add one tablespoon of the egg whites and stir in with a metal spoon.
7.) Carefully add the cheese and rhubarb mixture to the egg whites and stir gently. Take care not to knock the air from the beaten egg whites.
8.) Line a freezer-proof container with cling film and pour in the mixture. Freeze for around 4 hours (or overnight).
9.) Remove the semifreddo from the freezer and leave to stand for around 5 mins while you make the sauce.
10.) For the sauce, pour the chilled rhubarb juice into a small saucepan, bring to the boil and cook down until it thickens.
11.) Carefully lift out the semifreddo using the cling film, place it upside down on a serving plate and remove the cling film.
12.) To serve, cut even portions of the semifreddo and drizzle each the sauce. To finish, sprinkle with crushed amaretto biscuits (optional).

Chicken and leek risotto

2012-01-17T14:53:00.001Z

Here’s the final recipe in my ‘Give life to your leftovers’ series. This recipe not only makes good use your remaining roast chicken, but also includes delicious leeks, which are currently in season. And the addition of parsley and lemon zest (optional, of course) really brings this dish to life.

The secret to great risotto is to take your time over it, adding the stock gradually and stirring slowly to allow it to be fully absorbed by the rice. This recipe serves 2.

You will need
Your remaining chicken meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
175g Arborio risotto rice
600ml of chicken stock
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 clove of garlic, crushed
½ large leek, diced
2 tbsp of crème friache
1 small onion, chopped into small pieces
A generous handful of finely grated parmesan cheese
Handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley
A teaspoon of grated lemon zest
salt and pepper to taste

1.) Heat the stock
2.) In a separate pan, heat the olive oil and add the onions, garlic and leeks. Fry very slowly for about 15 minutes until softened.
3.) Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes until the rice is coated and glossy.
4.) With the heat on a simmer, carefully add your chicken stock, one ladle at a time, to your saucepan of rice and stir using a wooden spoon.
5.) Keep adding ladlefuls of stock, allowing each to be absorbed by the rice before adding the next. This will take about 15 minutes. You're aiming for your rice to be soft but with a slight bite.
6.) When all of your stock has been used and absorbed by the rice, add your chicken, stir, remove the saucepan from the heat and add the parmesan, 2 tbsps of crème fraiche, stir and season to taste.
7.) Divide the risotto between two bowls, top with lemon zest, parsley.

Chicken noodle soup

2012-01-15T13:20:00.000Z

In my last post, I promised recipe ideas for leftover roast chicken. So, here goes with the first, ideal for this time of year when you want something warm, satisfying and healthy. This recipe serves two people.

You will need:
2 pints of chicken stock (read my last post for a how-to)
1 tsp caster sugar
half a red chilli
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
2 tbps of dry sherry
2 portions of dried egg noodles (thick, thin, or whatever you prefer)
½ small leek, shredded
Leftover roast chicken, cut into small slices or bite-sized pieces
2 tsp sesame oil
A handful of fresh coriander

Add the stock, a mug of cold water, soy sauce, chilli, sugar, star anise, cinnamon and sherry to a large saucepan. Bring to the boil and then turn the heat right down and allow to simmer very gently. In a separate pan, cook your noodles, drain and then toss in the sesame oil. Remove your soup mixture from the heat and sieve it over a bowl or pan.

Divide your noodles between two big bowls, ladle the soup over the noodles and then add chicken. To finish, add shredded leeks and coriander and, if you’re feeling adventurous, some thin slices of red chilli too.

Keep your eyes peeled over the next few days for the final roast chicken recipe.

I almost forgot to mention that I was really chuffed to be featured on Fiona Beckett's (Guardian food and wine columnist) lovely blog recently. Thanks Fiona!

Give life to your leftovers

2012-01-13T15:18:00.004Z

Is there anything better than a fat, juicy roasted chicken for Sunday lunch, accompanied by golden, crispy roast potatoes and mountains of seasonal veg?

Before roasting, I like to lovingly massage my chicken with a generous amount of butter and then pop a lemon up its *ahem* bottom for maximum flavour.

There tends to be plenty of meat leftover if I’m just cooking for two, so I make sure I’ve got some decent recipes up my sleeve to make full use of the remaining meat and carcass. Over the next few days, I’m going to post a couple of recipe ideas for you to try. For both recipes, you will need to make stock from your chicken carcass.

You will need
1 chicken carcass
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 stick celery, washed and roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled
Freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme

Makes 2 litres
1/2 hours cooking time

1. ) Put the chicken carcass into a large saucepan, add enough cold water
to cover it. Place on the heat and bring to the boil.
2.) Reduce the heat to a simmer, skim off any froth and fat that rises to the surface.
3.) Add all the vegetables, garlic and a good grinding of black pepper to the saucepan.
4.) Push all the ingredients under the surface of the stock and bring back to the boil. The idea is to boil the carcass for as long as you can to give your stock as much flavour as possible. I'd advise anywhere between 1 and two hours.
5.) Skim once more and set to simmer for half an hour, skimming the surface when necessary.
6.) Strain and cool. Will keep for up to three days in the fridge. Freezes well too.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe

Seville Orange Marmalade

2012-01-08T16:24:00.022Z

Seville oranges: Now in season – January/February

Bringing a blast of colour to the bleakness of winter are Seville oranges. Aromatic, with a bumpy thick skin, Seville oranges are notable for their intense bitter taste – perfect for cooking, especially marmalade. Happiness in a jar.

The process of making marmalade with Seville oranges is incredibly pleasurable. It's also slightly magical because the oranges contain high levels of pectin, a natural gelling agent which, when combined with sugar and cooled, sets to form a firm amber-coloured jelly.

If you Google how to make marmalade you will find loads of different recipes, and so it’s just a case of picking whichever one takes your fancy and having a go. And whether you like your marmalade with thick or thin-cut peel, with no peel at all, or with a glug of booze, the beauty of making your own is that you’re free to adapt it to your own exact preference.

A word of warning: you’ll need to make marmalade in two stages, so I’d advise making it when you’ve got a free weekend.

After a bit of trial and error, I found Nigel Slater’s recipe to be the best, especially as his method of scoring the oranges meant I didn’t lose any juice, the peel was easy to remove, and could easily be cut up into neat little strips. I’ve used his recipe in part with my own adaptations.

You will need
12 Seville oranges
1 lemon
1.25kg unrefined golden caster sugar
1 or 2 muslin cooking bags.
Large cooking or preserving pan

1.) Using a small sharp kitchen knife, score four lines down each fruit from top to bottom, as if you were cutting the fruit into quarters. Let the knife cut through the peel but without piercing the fruit.
Cut each quarter of peel into fine shreds. On my first attempt I thought I’d managed to cut the shreds pretty fine but on reflection they were still a bit too chunky. It’s personal preference, of course, but I’d advise aiming to get your slices thinner than a matchstick if you can.

2.) Squeeze each of the peeled oranges and lemons into a jug, removing and reserving all the pulp and pips.

3.) Make the juice up to 4 litres with cold water, pouring it into the bowl with the shredded peel. Use more than one bowl if you need to. Tie the reserved pith, squeezed-out orange and lemon pulp and the pips in muslin bag and push into the peel and juice. Set aside in a cold place and leave overnight.

4.) The next day, tip the juice and shredded peel into a large stainless steel or enamelled pan and push the muslin bag down under the juice. Bring to the boil then lower the heat so that the liquid continues to simmer. It is ready when the peel is totally soft and translucent. One my first attempt, with really chunky peel, this took about an hour and 10.

5.) Place a small plate or saucer into the fridge to cool. Sounds strange but you'll need it later.

5.) Once the fruit is ready, lift out the muslin bag and leave it in a bowl until it is cool enough to handle. Add the sugar to the peel and juice and turn up the heat, bringing the marmalade to a rolling boil. Squeeze as much juice as you can from the reserved muslin bag into the pan. As you squeeze you should feel that the juice coming out of the muslin is thicker than when you started. Leave at a fast boil for 15 minutes.

6.) Remove the chilled plate from the fridge, add tablespoon of the preserve and then put it back in the fridge for a few mins. Your marmalade has reached setting point if a crinkly skin has formed on the top. Test it by dragging your finger across the surface. Test every 10 – 15 mins (some mixtures can take up to 50 mins so be patient!)

7.) Skim off any scum from the surface and then switch the pan off and leave it to settle for 15/20 mins (if you don’t then you the peel will rise to the top of your marmalade).

8.) Ladle into the sterilised pots, seal immediately and leave alone until the jars have cooled completely.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Chocolate-dipped flapjacks

2012-01-04T14:14:00.001Z

I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to the Christmas foodie treats, so I thought I’d buck the new year diet trend and do a bit of comfort baking. Another adaptation from a Nigel Slater recipe.

I absolutely adore flapjacks. They’re a synch to make and great to slip into your rucksack if you’re out walking,and they have got a bit of fruit in them so they aren’t all bad - if you ignore the sugar, and butter and chocolate…

You will need:
30g/1oz dried apricots
30g/1oz pumpkin seeds.
30g/1oz sour cherries
50g/2oz hazelnuts
50g/2oz unsalted butter
100g/3 ½oz caster sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
200g/ 7oz porridge oats
100g/ 3 ½oz good quality dark chocolate
1 tbsp ground almonds

1.) Warm the oven to 180c/350f/gas 4. Grease and line an oven tray.
2.) Roughly chop the apricots, cherries and hazelnuts and put into a bowl. Add the ground almonds and pumpkin seeds.
3.) Slowly melt the butter, golden syrup and sugar in medium saucepan.
4.) Next, add your oats, nuts and fruit and mix until combined.
5.) Put your flapjack mixture into the oven tray and spread around evenly. Bake in the oven for around 25 minutes.
6.) Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly and stiffen. Then cut your flapjacks into squares (or triangles, if you prefer).
7.) On a low heat, melt the chocolate in bowl over a pan over simmering water and gently dip each of your flapjacks into the chocolate and place on a piece of baking paper.
8.) Chill your flapjacks in the fridge for 15/20 mins to allow the chocolate to harden.

Celebrating New Year 2011

2011-12-30T15:55:00.001Z

I know a lot of people have smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for breakfast on Christmas morning, but I much prefer to save a foodie treat for New Year’s day instead.

So, here’s my method of making smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, learnt from my mum. This recipe serves 2 people.

You will need
A knob of butter
4 medium eggs
60g packet of smoked salmon
1 tablespoon of single cream
2 bagels, lightly toasted

1.) Break the eggs into a bowl and gently whisk until the yolks and whites combine.
2.) In a separate bowl, chop the salmon into small pieces, add the cream and mix. Add pepper if you wish.
3.) Melt the butter on a low heat in a non-stick saucepan and then, keeping the heat low, add your eggs.
4.) Keep stirring your eggs with a wooden spoon or spatula. Once your eggs start to turn creamy, add your salmon mixture to the pan and stir for a further minute.
5.) Remove the pan from the heat and continue to stir. The eggs will continue to cook with the heat from the pan.
6.) Serve on the warm bagels.

Goes very nicely with a glass of Bucks Fizz – if you didn’t overindulge the night before, of course!

Sending you all the very best wishes for 2012!

Hot chocolate and the feeling of Christmas

2011-12-20T14:56:00.001Z

We’ve had some very strange weather this last week in Brighton: rain, sleet, snow, gale-force winds. Yesterday, we awoke to a heavy frost and, for me, it really felt like Chrismas. When I peeked out of the curtains I saw the most beautiful fox in the garden; a really healthy-looking chap with a thick russet coat. I watched him sniff around the lawn happily for a few minutes before he disappeared into the garden next door.

Later that morning after a little walk in the nearby woods, I returned from the cold with a hankering for something sweet. Only one thing for it: hot chocolate.

Grate 50g of good quality dark chocolate into a saucepan of almost boiling whole milk (enough milk to almost fill your mug or cup). Add a teaspoon of sugar and continue to warm on the hob until the chocolate has combined with the milk but is not boiling. At this stage, I like to add a pinch of cinnamon. A pinch of chilli works well too. You can even use flavoured chocolate. Brighton-based Montezuma’s do a great range: here.

Intense chocolate cookies

2011-12-18T14:55:00.001Z

On a cold winter's evening, there's something very comforting about curling up on the sofa with a mug of hot tea and a chocolate biscuit. Even better if the biscuit is homemade.

I'd been recommended this Nigella Lawson recipe by a friend, so thought I'd give it a try. To be honest, although they were really easy to make, the chocolate hit was a little too much for me - choc chips, cocoa and real dark chocolate. I think they might be nicer with a bit less choc and some chopped hazelnuts, but hey, it was a Nigella recipe so what was I expecting! I might have a go at my own version...

Check out Nigella's recipe for Intense Chocolate Cookies here.

Sloe gin

2011-12-16T14:05:00.010Z

Sloes tend to start appearing in late September, and a lot of people say that they are usually at their best picked after the first frost. Unless you’re lucky enough to have a sloe bush in your back garden, you’re often better off picking them when you see them (provided they are ripe, of course) - chances are they will be gathered up by another keen forager if you don’t!

I made my batch in late September, and although I’m not usually known for my patience, I managed to resist temptation until now, and I’ve been rewarded by a beautiful deep red flavoursome gin.

You will need:
450g/1lb sloes
225g/8oz caster sugar
1 litre/1¾ pint gin
A large bowl
A large sterilised jar (Kilner jars work well)

1.) Put your sloes in a sieve and rinse.

2.) Prick each of your sloes all over with a clean needle or pin and put into your sterilised jar

3.) Pour in the sugar and gin, seal tightly and shake well

4.) Store in a dark cupboard and shake every other day for a week. Then, shake once a week for at least two months.

5.) You’re aiming for your gin to turn a rich burgundy colour.

6.) Serve a small measure on its own with a couple of ice cubes, or as a long drink with soda water.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe

Soda bread

2011-12-12T13:20:00.021Z

Making your own bread is incredibly satisfying, but it does take a bit of practice to get it right. Soda bread is a great option for beginners: it’s quick, tasty and even a novice baker can produce a very handsome loaf.

Makes 1 medium loaf
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40-45 minutes

You will need

500g plain flour
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp fine sea salt
Approx 400ml buttermilk or live yogurt
A little milk (if necessary)

1. Preheat the oven to 200oC/gas mark 6

2. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing box and stir in the salt. Make a small well in the centre, pour in the yogurt or buttermilk and stir. The mixture should form a soft dough so if it’s a bit dry, add a dash of milk until all the ingredients combine and it becomes a bit sticky.

3. Lightly flour your worktop and tip out your dough. Knead your dough for roughly a minute and shape into a round. Heavy kneading is not required with this recipe!

4. Lightly dust your baking tray with flour (this will prevent your bread from sticking), place your dough on the tray and then dust generously with flour.

5. Mark a deep cross in your loaf with a sharp bread knife and then place in the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes. If you get a hollow sound when you tap the underneath then you know it’s done. Tip: If your loaf starts to brown too quickly, simply cover loosely with foil.

6. Place your bread on a wire rack to cool a little and then serve while still warm. Serve with butter, jam or marmalade. For a summer picnic treat, try spreading with garlic cheese.

Click here for printable version of the recipe

Adapted from River Cottage recipe

Beef bourguignon pie

2011-12-08T12:43:00.010Z

This a great pie to make when you’ve got some spare time available, as the meat will need to slow cook so that it melts in the mouth. Perfect for rainy winter days when you just want to stay tucked up at home, even better if accompanied by a glass of red wine or beer.

Serves 6

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cooking time: approx 3 hours

You will need

2 tablespoons olive oil
600g braising steak, cut up into medium chunks
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped into small pieces
25g plain flour
500ml red wine
400ml beef stock (2 small stock cubes)
1 few sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 250g pack of cubed pancetta
250g of chestnut mushrooms cut into wedges
350g short crust pastry
1 egg beaten

1.) Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan. Fry the beef until browned all over, then remove from the pan and set aside.

2.) In the same pan, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and cook the onion and garlic for 5 minutes until soft.

3.) Roll the browned meat in flour and then add it to the pan with the onion and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly so that the mixture doesn’t stick to the pan.

4.) Next, add the red wine, beef stock, sprigs of rosemary and the bayleaf to the pan. Keep stirring the mixture until it is boiling, turn down the heat and, cover and leave to simmer for 1 hour.

5.) In a separate pan, fry the pancetta, red onions and mushrooms together for 2-3 minutes and then add them to the beef pan. Stir, cover and then simmer for another hour.

6.) Next, remove the lid and cook down for 30 minutes (this should cook off some of the liquid so you’re left with a thickened gravy) and then add to your pie dish. At this stage you can remove the sprigs of rosemary and the bay leaf.

7.) Preheat the oven to 200oC, fan 180oC, gas 6. Roll out the pastry to about ¾ cm thick. You want your pastry lid to hang generously over the side of your pie tin to allow for shrinkage in the oven.

8.) Carefully place your pastry over the top of the pie mixture and dish. Trim the pastry edges and then brush with beaten egg (this will give the pie a lovely golden sheen).

9.) Bake your pie for around 30 minutes, or until bubbling and golden. Serve with mashed potatoes (or even parsley mash)

Click here for printable version of the recipe.

Photo walk to Preston Park

2011-12-07T12:29:00.004Z

Stunning weather today so I took a stroll to Preston Park, hoping to catch some winter sun. Preston is one of Brighton's nicest parks and inside the walled garden, attached to Preston Manor, there is a pet cemetery. Quite sweet in a morbid kind of way.

Spiced pumpkin and sultana cake

2011-12-04T14:41:00.005Z

I baked this cake using the fresh pumpkins I bought at the farmer’s market on Friday. It’s a recipe adapted from the ‘River Cottage Veg Everyday’ book (a fantastic book with plenty of do-able recipes). I added orange zest, juice and sultanas instead of raisins; I often prefer sultanas because they tend to be much more juicy than raisins.

The perfect cake for a relaxing Sunday afternoon while curled up in front of a film.

You will need:

Butter or sunflower oil for greasing your tin
200g light muscovado sugar
4 large eggs, separated
200g finely grated raw pumpkin
Finely grated zest and juice of half lemon
Finely grated zest and juice of half an orange
100g of raisins or sultanas
100g ground almonds
200g of self-raising flour
A pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

1. ) Preheat the oven to 170oC/Gas Mark 3. Lightly grease a loaf tin, about 20 x 10 cm, and line with baking paper.

2.) Beat the sugar and egg yolks with a whisk for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is pale and creamy. Lightly stir in the grated pumpkin, lemon and orange zest and juice, raisins and ground almonds. Sift the flour, salt and spices together over the mixture and then fold them in, using a large metal spoon.

3.) In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Stir a heaped teaspoonful of the egg white into the cake mixture to loosen it a little, and then fold in the rest as lightly as you can.

4.) Pour the mixture into your loaf tin and gently tap the tin on the worksurface to level the mixture.

5.) Bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

6.) Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe

Lewes Farmer's Market

2011-12-03T14:58:00.005Z

I was up early yesterday to pick up some seasonal goodies at Lewes Farmer's Market. Celeriac (first photo) mash and local sausages are on the menu tonight.

What's good to eat this month: December

2011-12-03T14:51:00.000Z

Photo walk

2011-12-01T12:08:00.000Z

Sticky toffee pear cake

2011-11-24T19:13:00.061Z

325g (11oz) caster sugar (you’ll need 150g of this for the toffee, the rest for the cake mixture)

4 medium pears, peeled, cored and sliced into quarters

175g (6oz) self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

125g (4½oz) butter, melted

2 free-range eggs

50ml (2fl oz) semi-skimmed milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Thick double cream

1. Preheat your oven to 180oC (160oC fan) gas mark 4.

2. Line an 8in loose-bottomed round cake tin with baking paper.

3. Put 150g (5oz) sugar in a heavy-based saucepan and add 3 tablespoons of water. Dissolve the sugar over a gentle heat, then turn up the heat and boil until the sugar turns a rich amber colour. Don't stir the mixture! Simply swirl the pan to distribute the heat evenly.

4. As soon as it turns to toffee, remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture into the base of your prepared tin (it’s a good idea to put your cake tin on a baking tray in case any of the mixture leaks out)

5. Allow the toffee mixture to cool, then arrange the pear slices in a neat circular pattern on top.

6. Next, sift the flour and baking powder together. Add the remaining sugar, and stir until well-blended. Add the melted butter, eggs, milk and vanilla, then mix at high speed for 1 minute to form a smooth batter.

7. Pour into the cake tin and bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour, or until the cake springs back when pressed in the centre.

8. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then invert on a wire rack and serve warm with a generous spoonful of thick cream and a dusting of icing sugar.

Roasted parsnip and chestnut soup

2011-11-23T16:16:00.029Z

This delicious thick soup is a combination of seasonal ingredients, perfect for those crisp autumnal days.

25/30 chestnuts

750ml of vegetable stock

5 medium sized parsnips, peeled and cut into rounds

50 ml pouring cream

1 tbsp olive oil or a knob of butter

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 medium sized potato, peeled and cut into chunks

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat your oven to 2200C.

2. Put the parsnip rounds into and roasting tray, top with tbsp of the olive oil or butter and then pop the tray into the oven and roast for 30 minutes until softened.

3. Next, score the chestnuts with a little cross, put them onto a baking tray and roast for 20 minutes. When the chestnuts are done, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for a moment. The shells retain a lot of heat from the oven so if you don’t leave them to cool you risk burning your fingers! However, it is much easier to get the shells off while they're still warm)

4. Carefully shell the chestnuts, cover them with foil to keep warm and moist and set aside.

5. In a large saucepan, warm a tsp of olive oil (or butter). Sauté the onion and garlic until soft and add your parsnips and potatoes, gently mix all the ingredients together.

6. Pour the stock over the mixture and leave the saucepan (with its lid on) to gently simmer for 15/20 minutes or until the potatoes begin to soften and fall apart in the liquid.

7. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cream a bit at a time, stirring after each addition.

8. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with chunky granary bread.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe

Tip 1: If you want your soup to be silky smooth then push the mixture through a sieve to get rid of any small lumps – I favor rustic soups so I personally never bother with the sieving.

Tip 2: It’s important to score fresh chestnuts them before putting them in the oven or they are likely to explode when cooked!

Autumn in Sussex

2011-11-23T14:54:00.009Z

There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been!

Percy Bysshe Shelley

Greek yogurt and warm berries

2011-11-17T10:44:00.010Z

The weather was beautiful here in Brighton today, the sun was shining and the sky was a clear pale blue. Being in the warm sun made me pine for summer fruit, and then I remembered that I’d stashed away a bag of mixed berries in the freezer back in August. To impatient to wait until they had thawed out, I decided to warm them on the stove and then pour them over a bowl of creamy greek yogurt. An absolutely divine breakfast!

What's good to eat this month: November

2011-11-01T14:44:00.001Z

A trip to Paris

2011-07-01T13:19:00.001+01:00

Just a few photos from my recent trip to Paris. We did so much walking that I thought I'd need another holiday to rest my poor feet. Making macaroons is next on my 'to do' list.

Fantastic city, great food, lovely people and plenty to see.