Tuesday 27 March 2012

VEGGIE Home made pasta & AMAZING!!!


Me and my brother made Granddad get the torch out and check out what the secret corner cupboard had in it...and not only was there the mincing attachment, but the sieve and pasta making attachment for my Kenwood Major (not just the Chef....that lucky!!) I'm OBSESSED, I even got in one night and put the 20minute dvd of 'What your Kenwood is capable of' on....that obsessed.


So despite my NO carbs diet have got on the pasta making...I LOVE PASTA!!


Nans 'vintage' Kenwood book...still in use!


Granddad please with his extra cupboard space and happy modelling the pasta attachment...


A recipe I made when I was about 5 at school...and Nans kept it!!  :-)


500g plain flour or '00' flour
4 x Free Range Medium eggs
1 x tsp of salt
1 x tsp /2.5ml of olive oil
(Mix with K beater on speed 1 until it's crumbly- 1/2mins then add in small portions to the pasta attachment)


Just like this....and nothing like when making it by hand- spend 4/5mins kneading it by hand until spongey then roll through pasta machine working your way from highest to lowest setting.


The pasta was a bit thick...but that was the attachment...might need more practise with this, it's whole new world of pasta making!



PASTA!!!!



Goats Cheese & Lemon Zest to finish


1 x White Onion Diced
2 x Dried Red Chili / or 1 x fresh red chili -seeds taken out
A big generous glug of rape seed oil- enough to cover the onions with-better to cook with than olive Oil
1/2 Lemon zest grated into it
Salt & pepper
3 x Garlic crushed then sliced (add these a few minutes after the onions as you want the onion to cook more than the garlic and don't let the garlic go brown and burn.
1 x tsp of white sugar 

-Once you let the onions go transparent then take off the heat, add a few large handfuls of washed spinach and finely slightly cooked/preserved red peppers (I take it off the heat because I don't the spinach to over cook and shrivel to nothing)



Save the goats cheese, feta or whatever you fancy to add when serving.


Drain the pasta but don't shake the water off too much as this adds to the sauce.


Mix pasta into pan.
Add 2 x tbsp of pesto
1/2 Lemon zest to serve
2 x fresh and diced tomatoes
Big sprinkle of parmesan
Loads of extra black pepper


This still doesn't look as great as it tasted- my photography might have let this dish down but try it coz it's a great and beyond fit veggie dish.


Sprinkle with chives or parsley- I was using up whatever I had in the fridge.


YUM







SOOOOOO GOOD!


OMG I LOVE THIS



Sunday 18 March 2012

Nans Sausage Plait & Peppermint Chocolate Gateau


Sausage Meat
Sage & Onion Paxo- Cooked /Water added
Onions cubed
Pepers cubed
Celery
Salt & Pepper (white pepper is yum with sausage meat)



Lay the sausage meat out on the pre rolled puff pastry
Add some decorative red pepper if you like, sometimes Nan does it in rings, whatever you fancy, mushrooms are also a good addition.


Do the plait- Slice the sides of the pastry and take it in turns to fold over the meat then glaze with a whisked egg so it goes golden. 



Make a few extra if you've got left overs- mini sausage rolls.

NANs TOP TIP- Rinse the baking tray with water and leave it quite wet so that it steams and makes the pastry even more crispy when it cooks-
Also ODn't over fill the plait, it will take forever to cook and the waits the hardest part!
Heat the oven to 220 and cook for 30mins.


SO GOOD!! YESSSSSS NAN!!!


Nan served it with roast potatoes, veg and a tomatoes sauce, sometimes its a curry sauce or just mustard and piccalilli or salad or just on it's own :-)


YUM


Sneaky pic of Granddad :-)


Nans chocolate peppermint and cherry gateau :-)


Very pleased with the cake...nearly as much as I was.



LOVE THIS


Have to recreate this...



Nans recipe...try it.

Saturday 10 March 2012

All the good stuff...PIES, CHEESE, PORK SCRATCHINGS & SLOW SLOWWWWWW ROAST PORK BELLY.


The peaceful journey to on a Sunday morning to the little farmers market in the school yard...through/past 'cunts (sorry) corner' (less busy while it's still a chilly)


Here's ALL the good things...


YUM


Really YUM


Always YUM


Once home it didn't last long...YUM



Love anything green mixed with butter...lightly fried or steamed (if being good)


All earthy and how it should be...



The canal...looking pretty/still dodgy!!!


Pretty


Spring




Summers defo on it's way!


The hugest yorkshires...ALWAYS 4 x lrg eggs & PLAIN FLOUR- makes sure the bottom bit stays stodgy enough for my liking- always keep the mixture thick enough and in the fridge for as long as possible before adding the super hot oil. 25mins on 220 or 20mins depending on how you like them & NEVER open the door when cooking!


The pork belly was cooked for 6hrs, the first 25mins on the highest heat the oven will go to (just add salt and pepper and slice into/score the skin) then cook on 130/140 for the next 6hrs...let it rest for 25mins before serving. AMAZING crackling and juicy stringy pork. IDEAL :-)


NAILED THE ROAST...can you say that??!! 


FIT


2mins in...scoffed it!