Hangover Cure: Part 1

Brunch Frittata

This is a wonderful and simple recipe for brunch and it contains all the necessary ingredients to help ease the worst of hangovers. You can use up many odds and ends from the fridge as it’s easy to adapt and a great way to use up leftovers. We used 4 cheeses which sounds a little extravagant but you only need a little of each so be creative and tell us what worked well for you.

Ingredients- Serves 3-4

6 medium eggs

4 rashers of smoked bacon

Handful of new potatoes, sliced thinly and boiled until cooked through

1 red/orange pepper, cut into thin strips

1 medium onion, finely sliced

2 cloves garlic, grated

1 birds eye chilli, finely chopped

25g of each cheese, we used feta, parmesan, mature cheddar and goats cheese

Salt and pepper

Fresh basil leaves

A little oil

Method

• Preheat the oven to 160 degrees and lightly oil an oven-proof dish.
• Add a little oil to a frying pan and when hot fry off the bacon until crispy. Remove. In the same oil fry the onion and pepper for a few minutes until they soften, then add garlic and chilli. Cook for a further 2 minutes, set aside to cool.
• Add the eggs to a bowl and whisk lightly. Add 3 tablespoons of cold water and season the eggs with salt and pepper.
• Add the cooled bacon, potatoes and the onion and pepper mix. Stir gently to mix.
• Add the cheeses and mix again, pour the mix into the oven-proof dish and place in the oven for 35 minutes.
• Once removed from the oven, scatter with a few basil leaves and serve with a green salad, Serve hot or cold.

When Only A Cake Will Do

Gluten Free Chai Tea Loaf

It’s a baking day but I probably should be outside enjoying the first sunny day of the year but I’ve a craving for cake that must be fulfilled. This tea loaf takes a little time but for any of you who like chai tea, the spicing of this cake is delicate and tastes better a day or two later as the flavours develop further (nothing lasts that long in my house) whilst the cake remains moist due to all the tea soaked fruit.

You can use your favourite chai tea mixes but I have infused the milk with my favourite spices by bringing it up to nearly boiling, then leaving to cool completely. Once the milk is infused, strain the milk through a sieve and discard the spices. I used a 2lb loaf tin but you can make 2 smaller loaves if you have 1lb tins and put one in the freezer to eat another time.

Ingredients

1 tea bag (your choice, I used English breakfast tea)

50ml milk

2 inches cinnamon

1 star anise

200g mixed dried fruit, I used sultanas, cranberries and raisins

10 crushed cardamom pods

1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

1/4 nutmeg, grated

Pinch of salt

200g butter, softened

200g light brown sugar

250g gluten free self raising flour

additional pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon

3 eggs

Method

• Make a strong cup of black tea. Discard tea bag and put in a large bowl. Add dried fruit and allow the fruit to plump up while the tea cools.
• Add milk to a saucepan. Add whole spices and vanilla bean paste, then bring the milk to just below boiling. Turn off the heat and allow the milk to cool completely.
• Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one and mix well. Add the cooled milk and 50ml of the cold tea mixture.
• Add the soaked fruit and stir gently with a spatula or wooden spoon.
• Fold in the flour until you have a smooth batter. The mix will seem a little wet but the cake is cooked for 50-60 minutes in a low oven (140 degrees).
• Pour into a greased 2lb loaf tin and place in a preheated oven. Check after 50 minutes by inserting a skewer into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean the cake is done. Leave to cool completely.
• Serve as it is or spread slices thickly with butter. I hope you’ll agree it’s delicious.
  
  

A wheat free weekday favourite

Toad in the Hole

(So good you won’t know it’s gluten free)

This is one recipe where those with wheat or gluten intolerances don’t have to feel short-changed in terms of flavour or texture with a gluten free alternative. My partner makes this for me when I’m considering risking the pain of slipping off the gluten free wagon and it does the job perfectly. Like a typical ‘toad’ the batter when cooked becomes crisp and golden on the outside while the inside is fluffy and light.




Make sure if you are cooking this for people who cannot tolerate gluten or wheat that the sausages are also gluten free. You can get good quality, high meat content sausages from some major supermarkets that carry the gluten free mark, but also many independent butchers are meeting the need for gluten free products so it’s definitely worth an ask..
Serve with onion or a red wine gravy and mustard mash for a wonderful comforting weekday meal.

Ingredients

115 g gluten free self raising flour
280 ml semi skimmed milk
1 egg
Salt and pepper
1 tsp xanthan gum
Pinch of chives
Few leaves of fresh sage
1 pack gluten free sausages (6 sausages in my pack)
3 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

• Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Cook the sausages for 15 minutes and set aside. Add 3 tbsp vegetable oil to a heatproof dish and place in the oven.
• Add flour, xanthan gum and seasonings to a large bowl and mix. Make a well in the centre and add the beaten egg and half the milk. Mix well, The mixture at this point doesn’t look too promising, but as you add the rest of the milk it will become smooth albeit thicker than a normal ‘toad’ batter.
• Gradually add the rest of the milk and add the herbs, mix.
• Remove the heatproof dish from the oven and add the batter (the oil should be extremely hot at this point) Place the sausages into the batter and put the dish back in the oven for 40 minutes or until crispy and golden on top.

A little Sunshine on your plate

Chicken, Chorizo and New Potato Stew

It’s very cold today, I feel like something warming that makes me dream of warmer climes and higher temperatures. This is a Spanish inspired dish but I have used my favourite chipotle chillies to heat things up a little, it’s not too spicy for those of you who are scared off by their frequent appearances in my recipes, they just give a lovely warming kick, not too brutal if you remove the seeds.

The joy of this dish is you can make a small pack of chicken thighs go an exceptionally long way, just up the amount of new potatoes if you are feeding more than 3 people. I don’t usually serve this with anything else but some nice crusty bread to soak up the sauce would go very well.

Ingredients

1 pack chicken thigh fillets, chopped into rough large chunks
1 chorizo, sliced
1 chipotle chilli
1 large onion, sliced into half moons
4 garlic cloves, crushed
200g new potatoes, sliced into halves
1 pepper (your choice of colour, sliced into strips)
Pinch of saffron, soaked in warm water
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 pint chicken stock
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp cornflour (mixed with a little water to thicken)

Method

• Soak chipotle chilli in a little warm water for 20 minutes, remove seeds and chop very finely.

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan. Add sliced onion and fry for 5 minutes on a medium heat until the onions are slightly coloured. Add crushed garlic and fry for a further 2 minutes.
• Add chorizo and chicken and continue to fry for a further 5 minutes. Add halved potatoes, saffron and the water it was soaked in, the chopped chipotle and the pepper and stir well.
• Add the chicken stock, oregano and tomato puree. Stir and place a lid on the pan. Simmer for 35 minutes.
• About 5 minutes before serving, season with salt and pepper and use the cornflour to bring the sauce together.

A Simple Decadent Dessert

Cardamom Panna Cotta with Berry Compote

Sometimes you just need something sweet! Not tooth-achingly so, I don’t as a rule have that sweet a tooth but my house is beginning to resemble a home again following our recent home improvements and now I want a reward. So this is my choice. No it’s definitely not healthy, it contains loads of dairy and a little booze but I’ve worked incredibly hard... I deserve this, so do you.

I don’t have fancy moulds (yet) but find shot glasses or martini glasses great to serve this in. If you are feeling brave turn them out or serve straight up in the glasses with the berry compote poured on top, I’ve showed both but I think either way is equally attractive. The cardamom imparts a subtle flavour to the panna cotta and compliments the sharpness of the berries and the beauty of this dessert is that while it looks impressive, it is so simple and can be prepped in minutes.

Ingredients for 4-6 small servings

400ml double cream
40g caster sugar
6 green cardamom pods, broken open with a rolling pin or heavy object
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or seeds from 1/2 vanilla pod
3 sheets gelatine, soaked for 5 minutes in cold water

For the syrup

150g mixed frozen berries
1 tbsp grand marnier or other orange liqueur
1 tbsp caster sugar
Juice of 1/2 lime

Method

• Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water. Add cream, caster sugar, bashed cardamom seeds and vanilla paste or seeds to a heavy based saucepan. Heat very gently and stir until the sugar is dissolved, this will only take a couple of minutes. Do not boil the cream.
• Remove from the heat. Sieve out cardamom pods.
• Squeeze excess water from the gelatine leaves and add to the cream mixture. Stir until dissolved.
• Pour carefully into your chosen glasses and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

For the berry compote

• Put frozen berries in a saucepan. Add 50 ml water and 1 tbsp of caster sugar. Heat gently until the fruit softens and the juice becomes slightly syrupy. Mash fruit slightly to release juice. Remove from the heat and add the juice of 1/2 lime and 1 tbsp liqueur. Leave to cool.
• To turn out of the glasses, place glass in bowl of hand hot water for about 20 seconds, loosen with a sharp knife if the panna cotta resists. Serve drizzled with the berries and syrup.
• If you make these far in advance, remove from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature before serving.

One for the Kids (Big or Small)

Halloween Gingerbread

Here’s a lovely quick recipe you can make with the children over the holiday, although they disappeared as if by magic from my work when I took a box in the other day...
I’ve made these several times using gluten free plain flour and brown rice flour as the latter gives a nice texture, but all plain flour will work for those with no allergies. The ginger taste is stronger than some bought gingerbread so you may want to adjust a little for a child’s taste.
Makes about 50 small cookies.




Ingredients

175g brown rice flour
450g plain flour (plus extra for rolling out)
175g soft brown sugar
100 butter
1 egg
4 tbsp golden syrup
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp dried ginger
Pinch sea salt
Fun cutters of your choice
Icing and sweets to decorate

Method

• Add all dried ingredients and mix to ensure all lumps are removed.

• Melt butter and golden syrup and add to mixture, add beaten egg and mix thoroughly. The dough should be firm and quite dry.

• Leave to chill in the fridge for about an hour before rolling out to about the depth of a £1 coin. Sprinkle with additional flour if the mix sticks to the rolling pin.

• Cut out shapes and place on greased baking tray. I like the reusable silicone sheets you can buy in most cookshops (nothing ever sticks).

• Place in a preheated oven at 180 for about 8 minutes, remove from sheet when warm and leave to cool.

• Decorate as you like and enjoy.

Chorizo and Chickpea Soup

This is such a simple recipe, so cheap to make too I hesitated to add it to the blog but as I await my online shopping delivery the contents of my fridge is currently somewhat limited, half a chorizo sausage, onions, garlic and tomatoes. With a few basic ingredients you can cook this up in under 30 minutes and it costs about £0.50 per portion, perfect for a not-quite-pay-day-recipe. Top with some grated cheese of your choice and eat, it's delicious, warming and for my non chilli eating friends, deeply flavoured with smoked paprika rather than my kick-ass levels of chilli.

Ingredients

100g chorizo, chopped into bitesize pieces
1 large onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, grated
3 tsp smoked paprika
1 red chilli, whole, spiked to release flavour without heat
1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 large potato, cut into chunks
750 ml chicken stock
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 red pepper
Handful of chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated cheese to taste

Method

• In a tiny amount of oil fry off chorizo until crispy around the edges and remove from the pan.
• In the residual oil fry off the onion until translucent, then add garlic and smoked paprika, fry for a further 2 minutes.
• Add the cubed potato, whole red chilli, red pepper, tomato puree, chickpeas and tomatoes, cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
• Add chicken stock and half the chorizo and let simmer for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are fully cooked.
• Remove whole chilli and discard
• Season to taste, top with remaining chorizo, add herbs and serve in bowls with grated cheese.

Moroccan Lamb and Butternut Squash Tagine

Whilst doing my latest internet shop I made an error in ordering a very small amount of diced lamb, despite years of cooking, weighing and measuring I still manage to over or underestimate the amount of meat required particularly when I’m trying something new.
However this small amount of meat led me to cook a favourite as when combined with the butternut squash this tiny bit of a baby sheep will go a long long way.
I don’t as yet have the tagine pot (I’ve asked for one for Christmas) but I do this in the slow cooker or in the oven in a casserole with a lid, either way is fine but the tagine will look lovely when taken to the table.
Unlike some of our other recipes the tagine is not too chilli-hot, definitely spicy but warming and comforting.
Serve with cous cous or try with rice, chilli minted peas and flatbreads for a real feast sure to impress.

Ingredients

300g diced lamb (large chunks if possible)
1 tsp cayenne
2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp turmeric
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 large onions, cut into half moons
2 cloves garlic, crushed
500ml chicken stock, or lamb stock if you can find it
1 tin tomatoes
300g butternut squash, peeled and chopped into large chunks (similar to size of lamb pieces)
2 tsp harissa paste
pinch of saffron strands
Handful chopped flat leaf parsley
½ squeezed lemon
Salt

Method

• Mix the dried spices in a bowl and coat the meat with the mix, cover and put in the fridge to marinade overnight or at least 4 hours.
• In a little oil fry off the meat in batches until browned and add to casserole dish/ slow cooker.
• Add onions, crushed garlic, butternut squash chunks, stock, tomatoes, harissa and saffron. Place lid on casserole/ slow cooker and leave to cook on low oven, medium setting on slow cooker. Oven cooking 2 hours, I leave it simmering for at least 6 hours in the slow cooker.
• Just before serving add lemon juice, parsley and season to taste.

Just a pic of chilli minted peas, they are as easy as it sounds, blanched peas, olive oil, fresh red chilli and finely chopped mint, really refreshing and perfect as a side to this tagine.