Piiizzzaaaaa

Nothing tastes better than home made pizza and it is so much easier than you think!

Ingredients:

 

2 1/2 to 3 cups flour (can use a combination of white and whole wheat if you prefer)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) yeast
3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 cup very warm water

Tomato pasata

Toppings of your choice

Gratted cheese

Method:

1. Combine yeast, sugar, 1 cup of the flour, and salt in a large bowl. Add the warm water and mix.

2. Stir in remaining flour slowly until dough is soft but not sticky. Knead until smooth.

3. Cover with a damp tea towel and let the dough rest for at least an hour in a warm dry place.

For Calzone:

4. Roll out the dough into a big rectangle ON baking paper.

5. Put sauce on the centre half of the dough.

6. Just like pizza, add your toppings (our favourites are pepperoni, olives, and mushrooms). Any small amounts of meat, cheese and vegetables can be put into the calzone.

7. Then add cheese.

8. Cut the dough on the sides at about 3/4 inch intervals. Don't cut all the way to the filling.

9. Then "wrap the baby." Start at the bottom and alternating sides, overlap the strips of dough onto the filling in a lattice pattern. You can stretch the pieces to fit all the way over the filling.

For Normal:

10. Roll out the dough on a large circle on baking paper

11. Add tomato pasata and then your choice of toppings.

12. Bake for around 20 minutes until the crust is crispy.

Soup glorious souppp!

Use this as a base to make any sort of soup you want!

Ingredients:

1 chicken stock cube

1 vegetable stock cube

2 big onions

Garlic

Pepper

Olive oil

Butter

1 potato

Mixed herbs

An assortment of vegetables – either carrots or mushrooms or leek and potato, any mix you like!

Method:

1.  Cut the onions into medium sized squares and finely chop garlic

2. Cook in a decent amount of olive oil and add a knob of butter.

3. Sprinkle over pepper, mixed herbs and mild chilli powder or paprika. (Dont add salt as there is plenty in the stock cubes)

4. Cook on a low heat for 5-10 minutes until soft.

5. Slice potato and all remaining vegetables and then add to the onions, stirring so that everything is covered in the herbs and oil.

6. Sauté for a couple of minutes.

7. Place both stock cubes in a large jug and add boiling water to dissolve.

8. Add stock to the vegetables so that all vegetables are just submerged and cover with lid.

9. Turn down the heat and leave to simmer for 20 minutes or until all vegetables are soft.

10.  Leave to cool and then blend.

- If you have used carrots add coriander to season before blending.

- If you use mushrooms you will need a lot as they shrink loads when cooked and do not use a potato, instead use an extra onion.

- Spinach soup and brocolli and stilton are also yummm!

Salmon en Croute

Great for posh dinners and when you want jazz up your salmon!

Ingredients:

Approx 10g bunch of basil

Approx 5g bunch dill

60g unsalted butter at room temperature

Zest of 1 lemon

1 x approx 1kg side of salmon, skinned, pin boned and cut in half

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

Plain flour, dust

500g shortcrust pastry

1 x egg

Olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/gas 6.

2. Dust a clean surface with flour and roll out the pastry using the salmon as a guide size. Leave to rest in a cool place.

3. Place the softened butter in a large bowl. Use scissors to roughly chop in the dill and basil before grating in the lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper and mix.

4. Pat the salmon fillets dry using kitchen paper and season with salt and pepper. Spread the butter mixture over one side of the fillet and the wholegrain mustard on the other. Sandwich the two salmon fillets together, in opposite directions so that both ends are of a similar thickness.

5. Beat 1 egg to make your egg wash. Place the salmon in the centre of the pastry and brush around it with the egg wash, season with salt and pepper. Bring up the longest pastry sides, trimming as much excess away as possible, and tuck them in before folding the shorter pastry edges over to form a neat parcel. Turn the whole thing over so that the seam is sitting on the bottom, and transfer to a non-stick baking tray. Brush with egg wash over the outside. Mark the pastry using the back of a small knife to make a cross hatch. Mark again to show 4 portions. Finally season the salmon parcel with salt and pepper.

6. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.

Winter Warmer - Chicken and Asparagus Pie

For days like today when its grey and miserable this will warm for you from the inside out!

Ingredients:

Chicken diced            

150ml white wine

2 onions    

Asparagus

1 packet of puff pastry round               

1 packet of short crust round               

½ tub crème fraiche                   

400ml chicken stock use 2 cubes

1 tbsp corn flour

The asparagus can be swapped for mushrooms/green beans/spinach etc depending on what you like!

Method:

1. Finely chop the onion and then fry in a little olive oil until just soft and starting to brown.  Remove and put to one side then fry chicken until golden brown on all sides.

2. Stir in the wine and simmer to reduce liquid slightly.  Then add the stock plus the liquid drained from the asparagus and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Stir in the onions, crème fraiche and the corn flour mixed with a bit of water to make a paste.  Bring to the boil and stir continually.

4. Season with salt and pepper and then allow to cool.

5. Pre heat the oven to 180oC.

6. Line a deep dish/cake tin with the short crust pastry and cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper, then filling with baking beans and bake for 5 minutes.

7. Remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 150oC.

8. Remove the baking beans and cook for a further 5 minutes.  Leave to cool.

9. Using a slotted spoon put the chicken into the pastry case.  Make sure there is some sauce in the case otherwise it will be too dry.  Arrange the drained asparagus on top of the chicken.  Save some of the remaining gravy for the pie later.

10. Brush the edges of the pastry with some milk and then place over the puff pastry and press gently to seal the edges.

11. Brush the top with more milk and then cook in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the pastry is risen and golden brown.

Chocolate Creme Brulee

All I really need to say on this one is...it's soooo yummy!!

Ingredients:

1/2 packet of vanilla pods
200ml milk
375ml cream
8 egg yolks
70g caster sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
100g dark chocolate

Pre heat oven 150oC

Method:

1. Run your knife along the length of the vanilla pod scraping out the seeds then chop the pods in to three.

2. Put the seeds and the pods into a thick bottomed pan with the milk and the cream.

3. Simmer slowly for 5 minutes to release the flavours.

4. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar with the cocoa power.  Still whisking add the milk mixture and mix well.

5. Remove the piece of vanilla pod and discard.

6. Place ramekins into a deep oven proof tray.

7. Chop chocolate into pieces then divide them into the ramekins.

8. Spoon chocolate custard mixture dividing it equally.

9. Fill tray half full with hot water then carefully place tray in oven cook for 30 minutes until just soft, not solid.  They should still be soft in the centre.

10. Allow to cool, then put in the fridge, later about an hour before serving, sprinkle with sugar and brulee.

Pesto puff pastry bake with brie and parma ham

Perfect posh but easy starter or lunch with salad, takes minutes to make and is a winner every time!!

Ingredients:
Pesto
Ready to roll puff pastry
Cheese - feta, brie, goats cheese
Parma ham (optional)
Tomato
Red onion
Peppers (optional)
Balsamic glaze
Other veg can be added/swapped in

Method:
1. Pre heat over to around 200 degrees (check pastry packaging) Butter a dish (about an inch in height), size depending on how many you want to feed.  Then roll out the puff pastry and line dish (covering the sides as well as the bottom.)

2. Lightly spread the pesto across the bottom, put in a decent amount so that the flavour comes through.

3. Finely slice your red onions and tomatoes and scatter half of them across the bottom to form the first layer.

4. Place strips of parma ham on top of your veg to form the second layer.

5. Place slices of brie (or other cheese) across to form the next laye.

6. Scatter the remaing red onion and tomato and any other veg acros the top and the lightly cover with a few squiggles of balsamic glaze. 

7. Bake in the oven for around 25 minutes or until pastry is golden and you have the most yummy quick dish ever!