Hello! Firstly I would like to share some news, I have been given the opportunity of hosting some cookery weeks throughout Autumn in Andalucia in A beautiful Hacienda, the weeks are for both cooks and non cooks and are designed to be fun with sightseeing and of course lots of good food and wine, if you are interested in joining me contact me on 07990966144 for further details.
I cant believe it is May already, I love this time of year and with the threat of warm weather on the way we can look forward to lots of alfresco eating and red wine! I have some really nice Summer recipes to share with you in the coming months. The nice part about doing these monthly recipes is I cook every one before going to print and my hubbie photographs the finished dish and of course gets to eat it so he is very happy.... Thank you Richard!
I hope you enjoy this months Asian delight very simple again, and of course you could add more dishes to make it a more formal meal.
Please dont forget to comment it is always nice for me to receive feedback good and bad. so get writing!! Meanwhile enjoy the warmer weather while it is here!
Cameliaxx
Friday, 1 May 2009
A Tasty Asian Treat
The thing I love about Asian food is, it is designed for the shared table: a few dishes, a bowl of rice, some nice wine with good company - to me that makes good eating. I have put together a cheap simple menu ideal for a midweek supper or, with a few more dishes added, could be a more formal menu. Pork ribs are such good value, try to choose the smaller ones as they tend to be sweeter and more tender. The shaoshing wine can be bought in some supermarkets or in Asian stores. If you can’t find it, sherry is equally as good. Again all can be prepared in advance with little effort, especially good after a busy day, and for some reason there is something really wholesome about chewing bones and getting in a sticky mess. Enjoy! Sheng ti jian kung. (Good health).
Sticky Chinese Ribs:
Ingredients Serves 6
For the ribs:
2 x 1.3 kg rack of ribs
Black pepper
For the marinade:
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 tblspn ginger finely grated
250 ml soy sauce
125ml honey
3 tblspn shaoshing wine or sherry
1 tblspn Chinese five spice
125ml Hoi Sin sauce
To Serve:
2 tblspn coriander leaves
2 spring onions chopped on the diagonal
3 dried chillies split and chopped (optional)
Lime wedge quartered
Warm Rice Salad:
Ingredients:
300g jasmine or long grain rice
1 red pepper finely chopped
1 yellow pepper finely chopped
2 spring onions finely chopped on the diagonal (green bits as well)
1 tblspn toasted sesame oil
A few splashes of Tabasco
salt and pepper
Wilted Sesame Spinach:
Ingredients:
1 pack of young fresh spinach leaves
1 teaspn toasted sesame seeds
A splash of light soy sauce
A splash of sesame oil
Ingredients Serves 6
For the ribs:
2 x 1.3 kg rack of ribs
Black pepper
For the marinade:
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 tblspn ginger finely grated
250 ml soy sauce
125ml honey
3 tblspn shaoshing wine or sherry
1 tblspn Chinese five spice
125ml Hoi Sin sauce
To Serve:
2 tblspn coriander leaves
2 spring onions chopped on the diagonal
3 dried chillies split and chopped (optional)
Lime wedge quartered
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 160C/gas 2. Put the ribs on a baking tray and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour, or until the ribs are tender.
2. While the ribs are in the oven, put the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, honey, wine, five-spice powder and Hoi Sin sauce in a small saucepan. Place the pan over a medium heat and cook the sauce for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened.
3. Baste the ribs with the sauce and continue roasting for another 20 minutes.
4. Put the ribs on a chopping board, baste again with the sauce and cut into individual ribs.
5. Garnish with coriander, spring onions and chillies and accompany with lime wedges.
1. Preheat the oven to 160C/gas 2. Put the ribs on a baking tray and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour, or until the ribs are tender.
2. While the ribs are in the oven, put the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, honey, wine, five-spice powder and Hoi Sin sauce in a small saucepan. Place the pan over a medium heat and cook the sauce for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened.
3. Baste the ribs with the sauce and continue roasting for another 20 minutes.
4. Put the ribs on a chopping board, baste again with the sauce and cut into individual ribs.
5. Garnish with coriander, spring onions and chillies and accompany with lime wedges.
Warm Rice Salad:
Ingredients:
300g jasmine or long grain rice
1 red pepper finely chopped
1 yellow pepper finely chopped
2 spring onions finely chopped on the diagonal (green bits as well)
1 tblspn toasted sesame oil
A few splashes of Tabasco
salt and pepper
Method:
Place the rice in a heavy based pan, add the water and a pinch of salt and bring to the boil.Cover with a tight fitting lid, reduce the heat to low and cook for approx 15 to 20 mins until all the water has gone and the rice is soft. Fluff up the rice and mix all the ingredients into the warm rice putting the oil and Tabasco in last. Check for seasoning
Place the rice in a heavy based pan, add the water and a pinch of salt and bring to the boil.Cover with a tight fitting lid, reduce the heat to low and cook for approx 15 to 20 mins until all the water has gone and the rice is soft. Fluff up the rice and mix all the ingredients into the warm rice putting the oil and Tabasco in last. Check for seasoning
Wilted Sesame Spinach:
Ingredients:
1 pack of young fresh spinach leaves
1 teaspn toasted sesame seeds
A splash of light soy sauce
A splash of sesame oil
Method:
Place a small amount of water into a large pan and bring to the boil. Add the whole bag of spinach for about 30 seconds just enough to wilt and drain well, carefully removing the liquid. Then toss in the sesame seeds, soy sauce and sesame oil.
Place a small amount of water into a large pan and bring to the boil. Add the whole bag of spinach for about 30 seconds just enough to wilt and drain well, carefully removing the liquid. Then toss in the sesame seeds, soy sauce and sesame oil.
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
The sweet smell of Spring
Hello!
At last Spring is in the air, longer evenings and a time to fill our homes with lovely Spring blooms. Firstly thank you for all your comments and hope you continue sending them, dont forget if I can help with any foodie questions or ideas please write in.
This months recipe Fish Tagine is a simple fresh dish packed with flavours of the Middle East, it is an easy entertaining dish especially lovely on a warm eve Ha Ha! if that is possible! The dish originates from the Moorish influence in Southern Spain and many older Spanish housewives still cook this type of food. So many people ask me if I run courses on cookery so I am very excited to introduce my new cookery days in the comfort of my home " A Taste Of Andalucia" these days are for people that would like to learn more about Spanish and Moorish home cooking, a typical day will include wine tastings, preparing and eating a tapas lunch, then preparing a dish to take home, recipes and more, all in a friendly relaxed enviroment. There will be a max of four persons to keep it more personal. If interested contact me on 07990966144 for dates and details.
Meanwhile I wish you all a Happy Easter, and remember home is the place to be so get cooking!
Cameliaxx
At last Spring is in the air, longer evenings and a time to fill our homes with lovely Spring blooms. Firstly thank you for all your comments and hope you continue sending them, dont forget if I can help with any foodie questions or ideas please write in.
This months recipe Fish Tagine is a simple fresh dish packed with flavours of the Middle East, it is an easy entertaining dish especially lovely on a warm eve Ha Ha! if that is possible! The dish originates from the Moorish influence in Southern Spain and many older Spanish housewives still cook this type of food. So many people ask me if I run courses on cookery so I am very excited to introduce my new cookery days in the comfort of my home " A Taste Of Andalucia" these days are for people that would like to learn more about Spanish and Moorish home cooking, a typical day will include wine tastings, preparing and eating a tapas lunch, then preparing a dish to take home, recipes and more, all in a friendly relaxed enviroment. There will be a max of four persons to keep it more personal. If interested contact me on 07990966144 for dates and details.
Meanwhile I wish you all a Happy Easter, and remember home is the place to be so get cooking!
Cameliaxx
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
A Moroccan moment
A tagine is a Moroccan stew cooked in an earthenware pot of the same name traditionally on an open flame. You can buy tagines in most cook shops. The unusual triangular shape is designed to force condensation to the bottom keeping the food moist, I bought mine from a village in the Atlas Mountains and use it all the time. If you do not have a tagine you can easily make this recipe in a large lidded frying pan or saucepan.This recipe is very simple and can be prepared in advance and would be great for easy Easter entertaining, the real beauty of this dish is that it hardly needs anything to go with it - perhaps a simple salad or some bread to dip in.
The charmoula is a classic fish marinade of cumin, garlic coriander, paprika and lemon and can be used to marinade most fish. I love this recipe it’s so colourful and I have made it many times, and with spring looming its nice to taste some early sunshine!
Camelia xx
FISH TAGINE WITH POTATOES TOMATOES AND OLIVES
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 white fish steaks or fillets approx 225gm each. Hake is best but hard to source so I have used pollack. Cod or any firm white fish is fine
3 tblspns olive oil
20 small new potatoes such as Charlotte variety
4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
15 cherry tomatoes halved
4 green peppers grilled until black, skinned, seeded and sliced into strips
A few black olives
100ml water
Salt and pepper
Charmoula marinade:
2 garlic cloves
2 tspns grnd cumin
1 tspn sea salt
Juice of 1 lemon
Half tblspn red wine vinegar
1 bunch fresh coriander
1 tblspn olive oil
Ingredients:
4 white fish steaks or fillets approx 225gm each. Hake is best but hard to source so I have used pollack. Cod or any firm white fish is fine
3 tblspns olive oil
20 small new potatoes such as Charlotte variety
4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
15 cherry tomatoes halved
4 green peppers grilled until black, skinned, seeded and sliced into strips
A few black olives
100ml water
Salt and pepper
Charmoula marinade:
2 garlic cloves
2 tspns grnd cumin
1 tspn sea salt
Juice of 1 lemon
Half tblspn red wine vinegar
1 bunch fresh coriander
1 tblspn olive oil
Method:
1. Firstly grill the peppers until black and blistered all over. Place whilst hot in a bowl cover with cling film and leave to get cold. Once cold, the skin will easily peel away. You can do this in advance.
2. Make the charmoula in a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic with the salt until smooth then add cumin, lemon juice, vinegar, paprika, coriander and olive oil. Rub two thirds onto the fish and place in fridge between 20 mins and two hours.
3. Boil the potatoes until tender. Drain and cut in half lengthways.
4. Heat 2 tblspns olive oil and fry the garlic until lightly brown, add the halved tomatoes and toss until slightly soft. Stir in the green peppers, the remainder of the charmoula and season.
5. In a 25cm tagine or lidded pan spread the potatoes over the bottom, then scatter three quarters of the pepper tomato mix over the potatoes then place the marinated fish on top. Place a little of the remaining pepper mix on each fish and scatter the olives. Add the water and drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top. Finally check seasoning and put a lid on and steam over a medium heat for 15 to 20 mins until the fish is cooked through.
6. This will happily stand for about 15 mins.
7. Enjoy!
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
Buenos Dia!
Hello! Welcome to my blogspot, I am really looking forward to hearing your comments and answering any foodie questions you may have, but firstly a big thank you for all the lovely comments and support I receive from Town and Village readers. I feel very lucky to have the chance of sharing my passion for food with all the readers and hope I can encourage people that wont cook to start cooking! Food is the one thing we all share and with the tight budgets of recent times home is definately the best place to be, entertaining family and friends. If you have any questions or any suggestions as to the types of recipes please let me know.
I have recently just returned from Spain after organising a 210 years birthday house party.....my hubbies 50th, mums 80th and father in laws 80th!! It was great fun, I even learnt to dance Flamenco with two friends to surprise ( or maybe shock) everybody. Food was obviously a focus and once again I was thrown into catering for the masses! I must say a thank you to Suzy who came in to cook for a couple of the nights her Moroccan recipes were especially good and am looking forward to sharing some of those recipes with you shortly.
This months recipe is a treat for Mum, a simple tea to spoil her on Mothers day! Make the cakes a day in advance and you too can enjoy the day.
I look forward to receiving your comments.
Camelia xx
I have recently just returned from Spain after organising a 210 years birthday house party.....my hubbies 50th, mums 80th and father in laws 80th!! It was great fun, I even learnt to dance Flamenco with two friends to surprise ( or maybe shock) everybody. Food was obviously a focus and once again I was thrown into catering for the masses! I must say a thank you to Suzy who came in to cook for a couple of the nights her Moroccan recipes were especially good and am looking forward to sharing some of those recipes with you shortly.
This months recipe is a treat for Mum, a simple tea to spoil her on Mothers day! Make the cakes a day in advance and you too can enjoy the day.
I look forward to receiving your comments.
Camelia xx
Tuesday, 3 March 2009
Tea fit for Mum
We all have lovely memories of standing in the kitchen helping and watching Mum bake something delicious, the house filled with the aroma of freshly baked cakes just waiting for them to cool to have the first bite. So I thought it would be nice to spoil our mums on Mother’s Day with a few ideas for some great teatime treats. I have included some suggestions to make your sandwiches more interesting and look pretty too, I’m sure she will appreciate all your hard work.Triple Deckers
Use two slices of brown and one white in the middle, cut off the crusts all together to keep a sharp edge and fill with your choice.
Checkerboard sandwiches
Equal amounts of brown and white of the same thickness, cut off crusts and fill with your choice (these are best with less chunky fillings) cut into equal sized squares then alternate on a plate to make a checkerboard effect.
Rolled Sandwiches
Take some slices of bread and cut off all crusts except one end. Spread each one, cut each slice into three with the crust facing away, place chosen filling on the end nearest to you and roll away towards crust. Pack vertically into a dish and chill for 30 mins.
Some suggestions for fillings
Grated cheese mixed with finely diced celery mixed with mayonnaise and black pepper.
Cottage cheese mixed with chopped spring onions a dash of curry powder and spoon of mango chutney.
Corned beef with dill cucumber and wholegrain mustard mixed with a little mayo.
Ham and caramelized red onion chutney.
Smoked salmon or trout with cream cheese and black pepper.
Cheese roasted pepper and sweet chutney
TANGY LEMON CAKE (A favourite in my house)
125grms butter
175grms caster sugar
Grated rind and juice of two lemons
2 beaten eggs
175grms self raising flour
A little milk
50grms granulated sugar
Method
Heat oven to 180c/ 350f/gas mark 4, grease a 1kg loaf tin.
Cream together butter sugar and lemon rind.
Gradually beat in the eggs.
Mix in the flour and about 4tblsns of milk until you have a dropping consistency.
Place in tin and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden and firm on top.
Just before cake is ready prepare the lemon syrup. Heat the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
As soon as the cake is out, pierce the cake with a skewer and pour over the syrup,
leave to cool in tin.
Clotted cream tea cupcakes
You can use any fruit and jam of your choice with these muffin style buns.
Ingredients:
175grms golden caster sugar
150 ml pot natural yoghurt
3 beaten eggs
140grms self raising flour
1tspn baking powder
100grms ground almonds
175grms melted butter
1tspn vanilla extract
Raspberry jam
A small pot of clotted cream
A punnet of fresh raspberries
Method
Heat oven to 190c/170c fan /gas mark 5 and line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.
Mix together the yoghurt, eggs and vanilla extract into a bowl. Put all the dry ingredients in another bowl with a pinch of salt and make a well in the middle.
Pour the yoghurt mix and the melted butter into the dry ingredients working quickly with a metal spoon do not overwork the mix.
Spoon into the cases filling almost to the top and bake for 18 to 20 mins until firm to touch.
Cool in tin for a couple of minutes then place on a rack.
When cold slice the top off the muffins and put a dollop of jam, clotted cream and raspberries and place top back on. Dust with icing sugar.
Use two slices of brown and one white in the middle, cut off the crusts all together to keep a sharp edge and fill with your choice.
Checkerboard sandwiches
Equal amounts of brown and white of the same thickness, cut off crusts and fill with your choice (these are best with less chunky fillings) cut into equal sized squares then alternate on a plate to make a checkerboard effect.
Rolled Sandwiches
Take some slices of bread and cut off all crusts except one end. Spread each one, cut each slice into three with the crust facing away, place chosen filling on the end nearest to you and roll away towards crust. Pack vertically into a dish and chill for 30 mins.
Some suggestions for fillings
Grated cheese mixed with finely diced celery mixed with mayonnaise and black pepper.
Cottage cheese mixed with chopped spring onions a dash of curry powder and spoon of mango chutney.
Corned beef with dill cucumber and wholegrain mustard mixed with a little mayo.
Ham and caramelized red onion chutney.
Smoked salmon or trout with cream cheese and black pepper.
Cheese roasted pepper and sweet chutney
TANGY LEMON CAKE (A favourite in my house)
125grms butter
175grms caster sugar
Grated rind and juice of two lemons
2 beaten eggs
175grms self raising flour
A little milk
50grms granulated sugar
Method
Heat oven to 180c/ 350f/gas mark 4, grease a 1kg loaf tin.
Cream together butter sugar and lemon rind.
Gradually beat in the eggs.
Mix in the flour and about 4tblsns of milk until you have a dropping consistency.
Place in tin and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden and firm on top.
Just before cake is ready prepare the lemon syrup. Heat the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
As soon as the cake is out, pierce the cake with a skewer and pour over the syrup,
leave to cool in tin.
Clotted cream tea cupcakes
You can use any fruit and jam of your choice with these muffin style buns.
Ingredients:
175grms golden caster sugar
150 ml pot natural yoghurt
3 beaten eggs
140grms self raising flour
1tspn baking powder
100grms ground almonds
175grms melted butter
1tspn vanilla extract
Raspberry jam
A small pot of clotted cream
A punnet of fresh raspberries
Method
Heat oven to 190c/170c fan /gas mark 5 and line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.
Mix together the yoghurt, eggs and vanilla extract into a bowl. Put all the dry ingredients in another bowl with a pinch of salt and make a well in the middle.
Pour the yoghurt mix and the melted butter into the dry ingredients working quickly with a metal spoon do not overwork the mix.
Spoon into the cases filling almost to the top and bake for 18 to 20 mins until firm to touch.
Cool in tin for a couple of minutes then place on a rack.
When cold slice the top off the muffins and put a dollop of jam, clotted cream and raspberries and place top back on. Dust with icing sugar.
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