Saturday, 11 November 2023

Sweetcorn and Cheese Savoury Muffins


 

 

 Ingredients.


Dry.

250g self raising Flour

1 tsp Bicarb

200g grated Cheddar Cheese

Kernels from two cooked sweetcorn

(You can use a tin of Sweetcorn kernels if you don't have fresh)

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper (Optional)

1 to 2 tsp Dried Thyme

1/4 cup chopped chives 

 

Wet.

250ml Milk

2 Eggs

100ml Oil

 Method

 

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.

Whisk together all the wet ingredients in a bowl

Mix all the Dry Ingredients together in a separate bowl. 

Mix all the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, taking care to not over work but ensuring that there are no patches of dry flour remaining. 

Using a spoon, put the batter into greased muffin tins (I got 6 large and 4 small muffins out of this recipe).

Place in the oven for 30 minutes.

Serve cut in half with butter. 

Tuesday, 24 October 2023

Award Winning Lamb Curry Potjiekos Recipe



Ingredients.

1.5kg lamb leg chops cut into bite size pieces. Leave bones on for added flavour. Trim some fat if you want but I think fat = flavour

1Tbsp cooking oil

10 whole cloves

6 cardamon seed pods

1 tsp cumin seeds

a few broken up cinnamon sticks 

2 onions chopped

2 Tbsp garlic and ginger paste

1 and 1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp tumeric powder

2 tsp masala powder (Your choice. I like mother in law or Leaf).

1 and 1/4 tsp chili powder or more if you like hotter

1 can coconut milk  

1 packet of mixed vegetables (Carrots, beans, baby marrows and butternut were in mine from WW) I avoid potatoes as they do not freeze well and there are always leftovers.

Method

Heat pot on the fire or gas and add oil. When this is hot, add onions, cloves, cumin seeds, cardamon pods and stick cinnamon and cook for about 5 minutes until onions are soft and starting to brown. 

Add meat to the pot, stirring occasionally to ensure even browning.  

Add garlic and ginger paste and salt and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring to ensure even coating. 

Add the rest of the dry spices and cook into the meat stirring quite a bit for about 10 minutes. This is the secret trick told to me by an Indian work colleague to avoid the curry giving you heartburn.

Add the tin of coconut milk and reduce heat and simmer for an hour.

If the sauce is too runny, leave the lid off or ajar for it to reduce.

Add the vegetables on top of the meat. Do not stir and cook for another hour with the lid on.

Remove lid and check for seasoning and consistency. Should be o.k. if you have used enough salt.

Sir the vegetables into the curry and serve with rice.

 

Tuesday, 12 September 2023

White Bread Loaf No Knead


 



Ingredients.

450g Stone ground white bread flour (550g large loaf)

320g/ml water at 40 degrees C (390g/ml larger loaf)

1 teaspoon instant yeast (1and 1/2 large loaf)

1Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons salt 


Method. 

Stir the sugar into the warm water until dissolved. Add the yeast to the jug of water and stir until dissolved. Let stand for 15 minutes and if your yeast is active a layer of foam will form on top.


Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl and add the olive oil and the water/yeast mixture. Stir until well combined. I use a silicone spatula for this.

Cover with clingfilm or a plastic shower cap and let stand for a minimum of 8 hours for the dough to ferment/prove.

Turn out onto a floured surface and using well floured hands lift into a well oiled bread tin and cover again. Let it rise for an hour or two.

Bake in a 200C oven for 45 minutes.

Let stand on a wire rack for it to cool a bit.

Enjoy.





Tuesday, 15 August 2023

Pizza Dough Recipe



 This recipe makes enough dough for two Pizza's

Ingredients.

330g Eureka Stone Ground White Bread Flour

200ml warm water (40 degrees C).

1 teaspoon Instant Yeast

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Sugar

1teaspoon Olive Oil plus more to coat the dough


Method.

Stir the sugar into the warm water in a jug until it is dissolved.

Add the yeast to the water and whisk or stir until it is well mixed in.

Let the yeast mixture stand for 10 minutes or so. It should start forming a layer of foam on top when it reacts to the sugar in the water. If after15 minutes there is no foam then your yeast is dead and no good. You will need to repeat all this with a fresh packet of yeast.

Mix the flour and salt together in a mixing bowl.

Add the Olive Oil and the Yeast mixture and combine together using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula.

When combined, turn out onto a floured surface/counter and knead for 10 minutes.

Clean the mixing bowl and add some Olive oil and smear it around the bowl. Add the kneaded dough back into the bowl and turn it over to cover with a film of oil.

Cover the bowl with cling film (I use a plastic shower cap from the Crazy Store) and place it in a warm spot for an hour or two to rise until it is doubled in size.

Divide the dough into 2 and roll into balls. I let these rest for about 15 minutes to relax.

Roll out each ball using your fingers and a rolling pin into a thin Pizza base. I never get mine quite round but that's o.k.


Saturday, 1 July 2023

Wholewheat Fruit Soda Bread

 


Ingredients.

250g Cake Flour

250g Wholewheat Stone Ground Flour

2 heaped teaspoons Baking Soda (Bicarb)

1 cup Raisins or Sultana's

1/2 cup Mixed Seeds

1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground Cloves 

1 cup Sugar 

Half a teaspoon of Salt

1 x 75g tub of mixed Citrus Peel (optional, as I use a cake mix instead of raisins which already has some in it)

1 Egg

500ml Buttermilk

Method.

Preheat your oven to 230 degrees C

Mix all the dry ingredients together thoroughly in a large bowl

Beat the egg and buttermilk together in another bowl. I put a couple of tablespoons of milk into the buttermilk container and swill it around to get all the buttermilk out of it and add it.

Only when the oven is almost ready, mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. You do not want it to stand as it will then not rise as much. Make sure that everything is mixed well but do not overwork. (Edit. It depends on your oven. Ours heats up quite quickly so I get all the ingredients prepared and the pot greased before I switch it on)

Put the mixture into a well greased cast iron enamel pot, sprinkle with Sesame Seeds (optional) and place into the oven without a lid.


 

After 10 minutes, turn the oven down to 190 degrees C and bake for a further 50 minutes.

Turn onto a wire cooling rack and allow to cool.

I just serve spread with butter. 

 



 

Sunday, 18 June 2023

Angela's Chili Con Carne recipe

 Chili Con Carne




1kg beef mince
2 x 400g tins kidney beans (drained)
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
250ml red wine
3 tbs Worcestershire sauce
3 large cloves of garlic, finely diced
2 Beef stock cubes
2 heaped tbs tomato puree
1 large onion, finely diced
1 large red pepper, finely diced
2 tbs paprika
2 tbs cumin
2 tbs chili powder
1 tsp origanum
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Olive oil, as needed

To serve:
Rice
Grated cheddar cheese
Lime wedges
Sour cream
Fresh coriander

Add a splash of oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, red pepper & garlic and fry until they begin to soften and take on a tinge of golden colour.

Add the mince, break it up with your wooden spoon and continue to fry over medium heat until there is no sign of pink in the meat. Stir in tomato puree and deglaze with red wine. Allow to simmer for a few minutes to soak in the wine.

Add the canned chopped tomatoes, add in the drained kidney beans, beef stock cubes (dry, crumble in), Worcestershire sauce, and all spices, herbs, sugar, salt & pepper.

Give it a good stir as you bring to a simmer, making sure everything is well blended. Once simmering pop on the lid, turn down the heat to low and allow it to bubble away for 1 hr 30 min, stirring occasionally.

Take off kid and allow to simmer until sauce thickens to your desired consistency. Adjust seasoning/spice with chili powder, salt, sugar and black pepper if needed.

Friday, 26 May 2023

Marieta's Dumpling recipe

A dear friend from our camping club gave me this. I have tried dumplings before but this is the first one that has come out really well.

Dumpling Recipe.

2 cups of flour

4 t baking powder

half t of salt 

Sieve the above together in a mixing bowl 

2 T soft butter, use finger tips to mix into the flour mixture 

Add 3/4 cup of milk and mix well, if to dry add a bit more milk. 

I take a half fistful of dough depending on the size of your pot and put on top of your meat and veggies. 

Make sure there is enough gravy in the pot before you put the dumplings in.

Place the lid on to the pot and don't lift it for 20 to 30 minutes. It's the steam under the lid that cooks the dumplings.

😊