Final Recipe of this Year

Gluten Free Goat’s Cheese and Red Onion Tarts

My recent attempts at sweet pastry being such a success I felt emboldened to try a savoury version (some said it couldn’t be done, I beg to differ). There is nothing nutritionally good for you in this recipe, however the health kick doesn’t start until the 1st of January so I make no apologies as I use up my final goodies of this year. 

The recipe makes one large tart, or if you’re having friends over for New Years Eve, try making bite size tarts in muffin tins, they are lovely with drinks and may assist in absorbing some of the alcohol.

Ingredients for the pastry

100g brown rice flour
100g cornmeal
75g gluten free plain flour
100g butter
1 egg, beaten
100g grated mature cheddar
pinch of salt and pepper
leaves from 2 stalks of thyme

Ingredients for the filling

4 large red onions, finely sliced into half moons
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
leaves from 2 stalks thyme
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
knob of butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 log of goats cheese, cut into thin slices

Method

• Mix all the dried ingredients for the pastry either in a food processor or a large bowl. When it resembles breadcrumbs, add the egg and a small amount of water until the dough comes together, it should be firm. Place in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least one hour before using.
• Meanwhile, heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan and add the finely sliced onions. On a very low heat fry the onions for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme leaves and balsamic vinegar and let them cook down for 1 hour, stirring occasionally until the liquid has reduced. Leave to cool.
• Heat oven to 180 degrees and roll pastry thinly between 2 sheets of clingfilm. If using a large tart tin roll out slightly larger than you need before placing gently in the tin. Trim off excess and bake in oven for 10 minutes to firm up. If making mini tarts place pastry into each tin and bake for 5 minutes.
• Add onion filling (in mini tins use a teaspoon of mix in each tin) Top each tart with a thin slice of goats cheese. Cover the large tin with sliced goats cheese and bake.
• The mini tarts will take a further 5 minutes, the large tin, about 20 minutes or until the goats cheese is bubbling and slightly melting.
• Delicious served hot or room temperature.

Happy New Year... and bring on January, I’m ready!

Having survived the Christmas feasting that included cooking my first goose, a bird so rich and delicious I feel it may feature for years to come at our house over the more usual turkey, I am left with a fridge full of cheese and a wide array of goodies approaching their use-by date and a stomach groaning for healthy interesting dishes.

My friends and family gifted me some amazing foodie presents, including a hamper of Mexican ingredients that are sure to feature in future recipes, including an unusual ingredient which if used too generously is poisonous but can apparently counteract the effects of eating too many beans. If all goes quiet on the blog front in the next few weeks you’ll know I’ve overdone it.

I also got a funky new camera so bear with me, when I learn how to use it, I hope the photography will improve somewhat.

So what’s to come in the next few weeks. In January the emphasis will be on frugal feasts as
with the festivities dwindling, hangover mostly fading and the inevitable empty-wallet feeling that the long month routinely brings, we hope to offer a little help, good food with main ingredients costed to feed four for under a fiver but lacking none of the taste and warmth that is so needed as the cold seeps through the layers of clothes and deep into the bones.

From warming filling soups, rich casseroles and vegetable based dishes to nod our heads towards a healthier 2013 I hope you find something to tempt you into the kitchen, after all beside the cooker is often the warmest place to be.

The exceptions to our costings are largely seasonings and spices but we will use products reduced or on special in supermarkets hence if replicated they may come a little over our £5 budget.

See you all soon

Blue Moon

1 Talbot Road, Northampton, NN1 4HZ, 01604 627861

Our intention was to visit another indian restaurant but as with most good intentions, these often require a level of organisation that fails us, it was fully booked. Standing in the cold debating our options we decided to try the Blue Moon, a small restaurant located on the corner of Talbot Road and Kettering Road. We had been several years before and were impressed with some less common dishes on their menu and although our memories are now somewhat dulled with time, we remembered the food being tasty and good value.

The lack of other diners at 7pm on a Saturday night not long before Christmas could have dampened our spirits, indeed the atmosphere suffered in more ways than staff outnumbering customers three to one.
In terms of decor the restaurant seems very dated and whilst most of the dining room was clean and well maintained, the table across from us was laid out with the Argos catalogue and various newspapers giving an impression that dining in customers were few and far between. The music, (forgive us here as our tastes may be less than mainstream) was an unusual hybrid of Bollywood musical and DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince circa late 1980’s. Not really conducive to a relaxed meal for two.

Previously the restaurant had no alcohol licence so encouraged people to bring their own drinks however they now have a licence and offer a range of reasonably priced wines and beers. When asked for our drinks order, I requested a bottle of Merlot priced at £13.95 and very courteously the waiter asked what my partner would like. Although not beyond the realms of possibility I can down a bottle of red solo, generally I would do so over the course of an evening, rather than the time taken to eat a curry.
Situation calmly dealt with and two glasses provided, we settled down with our popadoms and chutneys that I have to say were much better than those provided at many restaurants. The onion salad was fresh, while the yoghurt dip was thick and creamy, not the watery yellow fare often served. The usual red sauce (a mystery number served everywhere it seems) was surprisingly tangy with sweet and sour flavours.
Our starters arrived, I had ordered the special kebab, a mix of lamb and chicken tikka with a seekh kebab. All were moist and well spiced served with the usual shredded iceberg salad it was pleasant. My partner tried the Bombay Buffalo Wings, once again, nicely spicy with generously sized chicken wings.

The mains arrived accompanied by a seemingly never-ending dance track that I could only guess was called ‘Boom’ as the singer repeatedly broke into a rousing single worded chorus only interrupted by the frequent ring of a telephone for home delivery orders. I had the Lamb Xucati, a medium hot Goan curry, rich with cinnamon, cumin and coconut. The sauce was delicious, spicy and warming with a good kick. I was slightly disappointed by the thin slivers of lamb, tasty as they were I had to search them out from the depths of the sauce and the sauce to meat ratio swamped the tiny meaty morsels. I have tried and failed to describe the presentation of the dish, instead I believe the image speaks for itself.


My partner chose a chicken dish that forgive us, is not on their online menu and neither of us can recall the name. Alas the dish lacked memorable taste also, whilst generous again in quantities of sauce and large chunks of chicken it failed to wow on this occasion.

In conclusion Blue Moon is good value, the meal with starters and drinks came to about £40 and while the food was fresh and well cooked, the restaurant’s ambience and lack of friendly professional service leaves us unlikely to revisit. They do appear to do somewhat better with takeaway orders, the phone rang constantly but with so many Indian restaurants in the area giving great food and service it may be a long while before we try again.

Another festive GF Treat

Gluten Free Mini Mince Pies

I have a craving for pastry right now and as the sweet pastry for the tarts on the previous post worked well, I have played with it a little more to provide another lovely festive treat, it’s so buttery and light, you don’t even need to butter the tin and the addition of a small amount of gluten free plain flour makes the pastry crisp, you won’t be able to tell it’s gluten free, I promise.

If you are making these for people with gluten intolerances make sure you get gluten free mincemeat, or if you make your own, gluten free vegetable suet. My need for mince pies is great so I cheated a little and bought a good quality mincemeat to which I added a few extra goodies.
You will also need a cutter or an upturned glass and a mini muffin or bun tin and some clingfilm.

Ingredients

For the filling

400g or jar of good quality mincemeat
Zest and juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange
4 tbsp brandy
Handful of dried cranberries, roughly chopped
Small stick of cinnamon
1 star anise
Few grates of nutmeg

For the pastry

100g brown rice flour
100g cornmeal
75g plain gluten free flour
150g cold butter, cut into cubes
75g caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
A little water to bring mix to a dough
Zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon
Golden caster sugar to sprinkle
2 tbsp milk

Method

• Put all the ingredients for the filling into a saucepan and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Leave to cool. This allows the fruit and juices to mingle and absorb the spices. Remove the whole spices when completely cool.
• Make the pastry. I use a food processor for speed but it can be mixed in a bowl. Add all the dry ingredients and add the cubed butter and mix to resemble breadcrumbs.
• Add the zest and mix in the beaten egg. Add water to bring the mix to a stiff dough. I found it easier to transfer the breadcrumb mix to a large mixing bowl before adding the water. The dough should be quite stiff. Wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for at least an hour.
• In between two sheets of clingfilm, roll out the pastry until it is roughly 3mm thick and cut circles to fit base of the tin. It is quite delicate so lift carefully using a palette knife. Add to the tin, it may break a little but can be patched very easily due to the butter content.
• Place in an oven heated to 180 degrees for 5 minutes to start to firm up the pastry.
• Remove from the oven and fill each case with a teaspoon of filling. Using a pastry brush, wet the edges of each pie with milk and add a pastry top. (You will need a slightly smaller cutter for this, I use a shot glass)
• Gently press the tops onto each pie, brush with a little milk and sprinkle with sugar. I added a little edible silver glitter as it’s Christmas.
• Place back in the oven for 8 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
• This recipe made 28 mince pies but this will vary depending on your tin size, you may also need to adjust the cooking time to about 15 minutes for the final cook if you make regular sized pies.
• Serve with lashings of cream, delicious hot or cold.

Feeling Christmassy yet?

Mulled Plum Frangipane Tarts

This is another gluten free recipe but feel free to make with sweet shortcrust pastry, the filling is delicious and despite there being three stages to do, each takes minutes to prepare and none are too complicated. 
While these are baking the house is filled with the smells of mulled wine and almonds and for those not able to eat regular pastry, I think this is a very good sweet pastry substitute and has gone down very well with those who can tolerate gluten..

Ingredients

For the Mulled Plums

2 glasses red wine, I used Cabernet Sauvignon
75g brown sugar
1 stick cinnamon
2 cloves
2 star anise
pinch grated nutmeg
1 orange
1 lemon
Punnet of plums, about 12

For the pastry

175g fine ground brown rice flour
100g cornmeal
75g ground almonds
150g butter
75g caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
cold water to bind

For the frangipane

100g softened butter
100g icing sugar
100g ground almonds
2 eggs, beaten
3 tbsp reserved mulling syrup

Method

• Add all the ingredients to a saucepan except the plums and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Halve and de-stone the plums, add these to the mulled wine mixture and continue to simmer gently for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the plums to cool in the syrupy wine mix.
• Make the pastry. Combine the flour, ground almonds, cornmeal, sugar, salt and butter in a food processor to resemble breadcrumbs. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the eggs. Bring the dough together and add a small amount of cold water if needed to make a firm dough.
• Wrap in clingfilm and leave in fridge for up to an hour to chill.
• Remove plums from wine mix and reduce on a low heat for 10 minutes or until reduced to a thick syrup. Slice plums thinly and put to one side.
• Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of clingfilm until a few millimetres thick. Lift gently with a palette knife and transfer into a bun tin. Cook in a pre-heated oven for 10 minutes.
• Make the frangipane. In a bowl mix together the butter and sugar until fluffy, add ground almonds and 3 tbsp of the reduced wine syrup and mix until thoroughly combined.
• Add frangipane to each pastry case and add slices of the plums gently on top. Place in the oven for a further 12-15 minutes.
• Finally brush the tops of each tart with some of the remaining syrup and leave to cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or cold with lashings of whipped cream.

Cheese + Bacon = Delicious

Goats Cheese and Bacon Croquettes

These cheesy morsels are delicious at any time but go especially well with drinks particularly if you make them canape sized. It’s also a way of turning leftover mashed potato into something wonderful. 

I have used gluten free breadcrumbs and flour but just replace as you wish.

Make a large batch of these in advance of a party and warm them in the oven just before serving.

Ingredients

Makes about 30 croquettes
3 large baking potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed.
2 rashers of smoked bacon, finely chopped
6 fresh sage leaves
Salt and pepper
4 slices gluten free bread
Oil for frying, about 2cm in depth
1 goats cheese log, about 125g
2 eggs
Knob of butter

Method

• Peel and chop potatoes and boil in salted water until cooked through. Drain and mash with a little butter and leave to cool.
• In a separate pan, fry off the finely chopped bacon with 2 chopped fresh sage leaves. The bacon pieces should be golden and slightly crispy.
• Add bacon to the mashed potato, season with salt and pepper to taste and leave to cool completely before adding crumbled goat’s cheese. Mix lightly
• Blitz the bread with the remaining sage leaves until breadcrumbs, dry out in a hot oven until lightly browned, in a hot oven this will only take 2 or 3 minutes. Leave to cool.
• Assemble all the ingredients, you will need a plate for the breadcrumbs, a bowl with a beaten egg and a plate with some plain seasoned flour.
• Check seasoning and shape mash mixture into small cylindrical shapes about 2cm long. Roll each in flour, then egg and finally breadcrumbs until all are coated.
• When all the croquettes are ready heat the oil (if you are using a deep fryer to 160 degrees) in a deep frying pan use a medium heat. Fry in batches of no more than 5 until golden brown. These will take about 5 minutes to cook.
• Drain on kitchen paper and serve warm, I like to dip in a little chilli jam to spice things up.

Serve with wine and friends. Let the festivities begin, more party recipes to follow soon