Valentine's Day Dessert

Coffee Meringue Semifreddo

A truly indulgent and grown up treat this requires a little preparation time but none of the steps are complicated. I have made my own coffee meringues but you could substitute these for plain shop bought if you are in a rush. 

The joy of this recipe is it does not require an ice cream machine, just time in the freezer. Make a day ahead and remove an half an hour before required, it’s a perfect end to a romantic Valentine’s Day meal. I have served this two ways, for a dinner for two in cute cappuccino cups but if you are making this for family or friends, double up the ingredients for the semi-freddo and use a 1 litre container (I used a loaf tin lined with clingfilm).

It does contain raw eggs so usual rules apply.

For the meringues

2 egg whites
1 small cup of strong espresso, cooled
100g caster sugar

• Heat the oven to 140 degrees. In a clean bowl beat the egg whites until stiff and gradually add the sugar until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Slowly add the cooled espresso, the mix will slacken slightly.
• Place large spoonfuls of the mixture on a piece of baking parchment over a baking tray. This mixture will make about 8 meringues. Cook for 35 minutes, turn off the oven and leave to cool completely before removing the meringues.

For the semifreddo

2 eggs, separated
50g caster sugar
250ml double cream
2 tbsp kahlua, or other coffee liqueur
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or seeds from 1/2 vanilla pod
1 small cup espresso coffee, cooled
few chunks of good quality dark chocolate to decorate. I used Green & Blacks Espresso 70% cocoa solids
A lot of bowls and a hand mixer, or the arm strength to whisk.

• Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and thick. Set aside.
• In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until firm, gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk and sugar mix.
• Whisk the double cream until thickened. Add the Kahlua and the espresso coffee and fold in gently until combined. Fold in vanilla seeds until well mixed.
• Crumble the meringues into the mixture and fold in gently.
• If you use coffee cups pour in the mixture until nearly full, cover with clingfilm and freeze until needed, at least 4 hours.
• If you are making a larger size, line a container with clingfilm and pour in the mixture. Cover with clingfilm and place in the freezer until needed, this size will probably be best frozen overnight.
• Remove from the freezer about 30 minutes before serving. Grate chocolate over the top of the coffee cups and serve.
• For the larger size, turn out onto a plate and decorate with grated chocolate.

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.

To Steal Someone’s Heart

For Garlic Lovers

I am old and cynical enough to be a little dismissive of the commercialisation-fest that is Valentine’s Day. Restaurants put up their prices or serve set menus that rarely excite and are rammed full of couples, or potential twosomes in that short-lived flush of new love. That is until the bill arrives.
I’m not unromantic albeit it might appear so by my opening gambit. It's just I would rather show it in other ways that enable us to eat more than baked beans for the rest of the month.

The next few posts give a few ideas for recipes to cook for a special meal for two. Starting with a recipe for garlic lovers, try this lamb shoulder cooked in garlic and white wine, a lovely alternative to heavier red wine braised lamb dishes. Of course for this to win someone’s heart you both have to like garlic.

Although there is a whole two bulbs of garlic in this recipe, the long slow cooking breaks the cloves down into more of a rich creamy sauce and the remaining garlic flavour is much more subtle than you would think. Try to buy garlic bulbs with big fat cloves otherwise you’ll be peeling them for ages. We served this with roasted new potatoes with an additional couple of cloves of garlic. Yum!

Garlic Braised Lamb with Orange Glazed Carrots

Ingredients

Half lamb leg or two good sized lamb shanks (approx weight 900g)
2 bulbs of garlic, cloves peeled and left whole
1/2 bottle dry white wine (I used Chenin Blanc)
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 pint good quality chicken stock
8 medium carrots, 2 finely chopped, remaining cut in half lengthways
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
1 twig of fresh rosemary
Peel from half lemon, pith removed
2 tsp cornflour
3 tbsp double cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Zest and juice of half orange
50g butter
1 tsp honey

Method

• Brown the lamb in a hot frying pan with a tbsp of vegetable oil until meat is well coloured. Set aside.
• In the same pan, add finely chopped onion, celery,the finely chopped carrot and bay leaves and fry for about 5 minutes until vegetables have begun to soften.
• Add the vegetables to the base of a large casserole dish, place lamb on top. Add peeled cloves of garlic, wine, chicken stock, lemon peel and rosemary to the dish. Put lid on casserole and place in a preheated oven at 150 degrees and leave for 3 hours. Add cornflour to a small dish, add 1 tbsp cold water and mix well. Remove casserole from the oven, add cornflour and stir sauce to help thicken. Place dish back in the oven for 1 hour. Add double cream just before serving, stir well to incorporate. Serve remaining sauce in a gravy boat if desired.

For the glazed carrots

• Add halved carrots to a large saucepan with water and orange juice to just cover the carrots. Add honey and the orange zest and bring to a gentle simmer.
• When the water is simmering, add the butter and a little salt. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes until tender. Serve.

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.

Frugal Feasts 5

Spiced Puy Lentils with Cumin and Coriander Chicken

One of the best things about winter is the excuse to eat steaming bowls of carb-laden treats as they both warm and comfort the body and soul in a way a salad will always fail to do. However there’s a stew planned for tomorrow so I wanted something filling but light. This chargrilled chicken dish with spiced lentils is just such a dish and with some careful shopping came in at £4.94

I say careful as I am lucky enough to live near several ethnic food stores where I buy many of my spices, fruits, herbs and vegetables for half the prices you can pay at many supermarkets. For example two large bunches of fresh coriander cost 99p and lemons and limes were 4 for a £1. What a bargain! I’m sure I have a startled expression on my face at the checkout whenever I pay, it feels too little for the bagful of groceries I take.

Puy lentils are a regional variety of green lentil, you can use any lentil you wish but they should not break up or become mushy when cooked. The lentils are being served with chicken thigh fillets, a cheaper and more flavourful part of the chicken than the breast. I used skinless thighs as these were on special, but chargrilling with the skin on is fine, less healthy maybe but it does protect the meat from drying out but with such quick cooking this is not a problem with this recipe.
The chicken does not need to be in the marinade for long, I prepare the chicken first before cooking the lentils just to let the flavours develop.

Ingredients

For the chicken

400g chicken thigh fillets
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

For the lentils

250g Puy lentils
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 fresh chilli
75g leek, finely chopped
75g carrot, finely chopped
1/2 stick celery, finely chopped
600 ml stock, I used chicken stock
1 lemon
Handful fresh chopped coriander

Method

• Put the oil, coriander, cumin, lemon juice and zest and salt and pepper into a dish. Season and add chicken, coat chicken well and set aside.
• Rinse the puy lentils in cold water and drain. Heat oil in a saucepan. When hot add chilli, cumin, ground coriander, red onion and garlic and stir for 2 minutes until onions begin to soften. Add carrots, leek and celery and stir for a further 2 minutes. Add lentils, stir to mix with vegetables and add stock. Simmer for .... minutes until lentils are cooked. Put lid on to keep warm.
• Heat chargrill pan or frying pan until searingly hot. Add chicken and reduce heat to medium. Depending on the thickness of the thighs cooking time should be about 5 minutes per side, less if they are very thin.
• Just before serving add the juice and zest of the lemon to the lentils and stir through the fresh coriander.

Costing
Chicken thighs £2.50
Puy lentils £1.00
2 lemons £0.50
1/2 red onion £0.10
Garlic £0.05
Chilli £0.05
Leek, carrot and celery £0.15
1 chicken stock cube or pot, I used Knorr Chicken Stockpot £0.49
Coriander £0.10

Frugal Feasts 4

Chipotle Pork Patties with a spiced Apple Chutney

This is another Mexican inspired recipe with a nice smoky heat coming from the chipotles while the traditional apple and pork combo is given a spicy kick with the addition of the habanero. If you are cooking this for children you may want to reduce the chillies, particularly in the chutney.

I serve this with a simple green salad or baby gem lettuce leaves used as scoops for the patties and this works extremely well for relaxed evenings with friends, although you could serve them with the Mexican slaw from an earlier post. I must admit I keep making more as it’s so much lighter than regular coleslaw and the lime juice makes it something quite special.

Ingredients

For the patties

750g pork mince (I found this on special at Sainsburys for £3.00
1 onion, finely chopped
2 fat cloves garlic, grated
1 bay leaf
Small stick cinnamon
2 chipotle chillies, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes
2 tsp oregano (Mexican if you can find it)
2 slices bread, blitzed into breadcrumbs
1 egg
Salt and pepper

Method

• Fry the onion, garlic, bay leaf and cinnamon stick in a little oil until the onions are just beginning to brown. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
• In a large bowl add the minced pork to the cooled onion, remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf and mix well.
• Season well with salt and pepper and add breadcrumbs. Chop the chipotles finely removing the seeds if you want to temper the heat a little.
• Add the chipotles and oregano, mix well and add an egg to bind the mixture. Form the mix into balls slightly smaller than golf balls and squash a little. Put in fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 180, meanwhile pan fry each pattie for 3 minutes a side in a little vegetable oil. Place on a tray in the oven for 8 minutes to finish cooking.

For the chutney

Ingredients

4 apples, (cooking or eating apples are fine for this) chopped into chunks
1 large onion, roughly chopped
100g muscovado sugar
2 tsp mustard seeds
50g sultanas
2 tsp ground ginger
200ml cider vinegar
1 habanero chilli, finely chopped with seeds removed
* If you made the patties, add the cinnamon stick to the chutney as it will still impart flavour

Method

• Add all ingredients to a large saucepan, simmer on a low heat for 1 hour stirring occasionally. If using eating apples, mash slightly as the apples soften to break them up a little more.
• Put in a bowl and serve cold.
• The chutney can be stored in an airtight sterilised jar, otherwise cover in the fridge and use within a week.

Costings

Pork Mince £3.00
2 onions £0.20
Garlic £0.05
2 slices bread £0.05
1 egg £0.24
4 apples £0.60
50g sultanas £0.15
Cider vinegar £0.70

Total £4.99

Frugal Feasts 3

Spiced Chicken Livers 

This won’t appeal to all, I know many people are put off by the mere mention of liver, indeed until recently I was one of those people. For the most part it was due to the cook rather than the foodstuff, cooked quickly on a high heat with a good hit of spice and herbs which manages to obliterate any negative childhood memories of rubber bullet-like  unpalatable weapons served up with the promise that they were full of goodness.

If you can bring yourself to try them and please do as I hope you too will be converted, the chicken livers themselves are roughly £0.50 per pack, so for 4 people £1.50 for a high protein source leaving plenty in our £5.00 budget to tart them up a bit. Unless you have a good local butcher you will probably find the chicken livers in the frozen food section of most supermarkets so defrost thoroughly before using.

This is delicious as a light lunch served on some nice toasted bread but I have chosen to serve this with simple lemon and coriander rice and a shredded carrot and onion salad as a main course. The cost excluding dried spices and seasonings came in at £4.84.

Ingredients

For the chicken livers

750g chicken livers
4 fat cloves garlic
Handful of coriander stalks, retain the leaves for later
4cm grated ginger
3 chillies (I used green medium heat Fresno chillies but use what you can find and vary the quantity if you don’t like it too hot)
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 tsp honey or agave syrup
Salt to taste
2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil

Method

• Make the marinade for the livers. Place all the ingredients apart from the oil and coriander leaves into a pestle and mortar or a food processor and bash or blitz to a fine paste.
• Although I call this a marinade you don’t need to wait too long, the marinade only needs about 20 minutes to 1 hour over the livers.
• Clean the livers, I don’t bother with soaking in milk but if you want to reduce the iron richness you can. Cut off any grubby bits or sinew and place in a dish, then pour over the marinade.
• Once marinaded heat a pan until searingly hot. Add a small amount of vegetable oil, about 2 tsp and brush off excess marinade before placing the livers in the pan. The livers will take 30 seconds a side so don’t leave them. Once turned, add remaining marinade to the pan along with the fresh coriander leaves, coat livers gently and serve.
• 

For the rice

Ingredients

200g basmati rice
1 tbsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lemon, zest and juice
1/2 tsp tumeric
Pinch sea salt
Fresh coriander, chopped

Method

• Wash rice and cook according to instructions. Once cooked set aside
• Heat oil in a frying pan. Add mustard seeds, when they start to pop add the tumeric. Pour oil and spices onto the rice.
• Add lemon zest and juice and fork through the rice, add chopped coriander and season with sea salt if needed. Serve

Nearly done folks
Finally the carrot and onion salad

Ingredients

2 carrots, grated
1 red onion, finely sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp natural yoghurt
Small handful of chopped coriander
Salt and pepper

Method

• Mix all ingredients together and allow to sit in the fridge for an hour before serving to allow flavours to develop.

Costings

Chicken Livers £1.50
Garlic £0.30
1 bunch coriander £0.99
Chillies £0.20
3 lemons £0.90
Basmati rice £0.60
Carrots £0.20
Red onion £0.15

Total £4.84