JW Recipes

Archive for November, 2011

What you need:

250 g each of raisins, sultanas and currants
100 g candied orange, finely chopped
200 ml of brandy or rum
250 g butter, plus extra for greasing
275 g (1¼ cups) firmly packed brown sugar
1 orange and 1 lemon, finely grated rind only
4 eggs, lightly whisked
150 g (1 cup) plain flour
½ tsp each salt, mixed spice, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda
60 g (½ cup) almond meal
140 g (2 cups) fresh breadcrumbs

What you do:

Combine dried fruit and candied orange in a bowl, scatter with rum or brandy, cover and stand overnight.
Using an electric mixer, beat together butter, sugar and rinds until pale and fluffy, then slowly beat in egg. Sieve together flour, salt, spices and bi-carb soda. Add to mixture in batches, alternating with soaked fruit mixture and almond meal. Stir through breadcrumbs.
Brush a 1.8 litre-capacity pudding bowl with butter, line the base with a circle of baking paper and dust with flour. Pour pudding mixture into bowl and top with another circle of baking paper. Cover with two layers of foil and tie with string.
Place pudding into a large saucepan with a wire rack or tea towel lining the base. Fill with enough water to come halfway up the side of the bowl. Cover and simmer for 6 hours, topping up water when necessary. Pudding may be made ahead and cooled in bowl. Reheat in a large saucepan of simmering water for 2½ hours. Serve with brown sugar custard.

What you need:
12 oz/350 g plain flour
8oz/ 225 g butter, cubed or an half & half mix of margarine and lard
1 beaten egg + 1 cold water as needed
1 jar of mincemeat
icing sugar ( to dust )

To make the pastry…

Place the flour, butter  into a large clean bowl.
Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, working as quickly as possible to prevent the dough becoming warm.
Add the egg to the mixture and using a cold knife stir, add cold water a teaspoon at a time until the mixture binds but don’t make it too wet that it is sticky.
Dust a work surface lightly with a little flour and roll out two-thirds of the pastry to 1/8″/3mm thick. Cut circles to line the cups of your tin, don’t worry if the pastry doesn’t come to the top.
Fill the pastry lined tins 2/3 full with mincemeat.
Roll out the remaining pastry to the same thickness and cut smaller circles to fit as lids on the tarts or to be decorative, cut stars or other fancy shapes.
Dampen the edges of the tart bases with a little cold water and press the lids on. Make a small hole in the surface of each pie with a small sharp knife to allow the steam to escape.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 mins or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the icing sugar.

What you need:

3/4lb Parsnips (chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
1 small cooking apple (grated)
1 pint of chicken stock
1/2 oz butter / margarine
1 tbsp mild curry powder
single cream ( amount of your choice to thicken)

What you do :

Place butter in saucepan and add the chopped parsnips, chopped onions and grated apple and gently fry for 3 mins.
Add the curry powder and fry for another 2 mins.
Pour in the chicken stock and simmer for 30 mins or until cooked.
Liquidise then add enough single cream to thicken the soup.
Serve hot , with crusty bread or croutons.

What you need:

1lb chicken fillets diced
1lb carrots sliced
1 parsnip diced
1 swede diced
8 oz peas
2 leeks sliced
1 onion chopped
1 1/2 pt chicken stock

for the dumplings
100g/4ozs self-raising flour
50g/2ozs shredded suet
5 tbsp cold water, aproximately
Mixed dried herbs to flavour – optional

What to do:
Place the chopped chicken, sliced carrots, diced parsnip & swede into slow cooker, then add the chicken
stock.
Cook on low for 6 to 8 hrs (or alternatively on low over night)
or medium heat for 5 to 6hrs.

To make the dumplings ..

1. Mix the flour, suet, dried mixed herbs with the water. It should not be sticky but soft and pliable. If too dry add a little more water: if too sticky add a little more flour.

2. Using floured hands divide dough into 8 pieces and shape into balls.

3. Place on the top of a stew or casserole where the liquid is already simmering for about 35 /40 mins
before serving.

What you need:

9oz / 250g packet of fresh tortellini
6 tbsp low fat creme fraiche
Zest of half a lemon (grated)
2 tbsp of fresh chives ( chopped)
3 1/2oz /100g smoked salmon cut into large pieces
1/2 tsp of chopped parsley to garnish.

What to do:

in a saucepan , boil the tortellini for 3 mins then drain.
Gently heat the creme fraiche in a saucepan along with the lemon zest. Then mix together with the tortellini, chives & smoked salmon.
Garnish with the parsley and serve immediately.

What you need:
1lb / 450g Penne pasta
1lb / 450g pork sausage meat
700g sugocasa tomato sauce
9oz / 250g mozzarella cheese ( drained & roughly diced)
1oz / 25g freshly chopped basil leaves ( plus extra to garnish )

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F / gas mark 6.
Boil a large pan of water & cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
In the meantime, pull off pieces of sausage meat & roll to form balls to the size of your choice.
Drain the pasta and pour into a large oven-proof dish ( or roasting tin).
Stir in the tomato sauce and mix well.
Add the mozzarella cheese, sausage balls, and chopped basil leaves and mix altogether.
Cook in the oven for around 20 mins until the cheese has melted & the meatballs are golden in colour & cooked thoroughly.
Sprinkle on the remaining chopped basil leaves to garnish and serve immediately.

What you need:

1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
8oz / 225g spaghetti
1 large onion chopped
150g pesto sauce
7oz / 200ml creme fraiche
1or 2 fresh tomatoes chopped into pieces.
Parmesan cheese (grated)

What to do:
Heat the oil in a frying pan, and gently cook the chicken, turning until fully cooked.
Cook the spaghetti following the packet’s instructions.
Remove the cooked chicken from the heat, and stir in the chopped onions, pesto and creme fraiche blending well.
Drain the pasta and mix in with the chicken mixture.
Divide into 4 serving bowls & garnish with the chopped tomatoes, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to serve.

What you need:

2 oz / 55g butter
1 onion chopped finely.
8 oz / 225g mushrooms (sliced)
1oz / 25g plain flour
15 fl oz / 425 ml hot chicken stock
5 fl oz / 150 ml milk
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley ( plus extra to garnish)
4tbsp single fresh cream.

What to do:

In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion & cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally until softened. Add the mushrooms, and cook for around 5 mins.
Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1 minute stirring all the time.
Remove from the heat and slowly stir in the hot chicken stock.
Return to the heat & bring to the boil stirring continually. Stir in the milk.
Pour the soup into a food processor ( or liquidizer ) & process to a smooth puree, then return to the saucepan to reheat gently.
Stir in the cream & fresh parsley. Do not allow to boil.
Ladle the soup into warmed soup bowls, garnish with the rest of the freshly chopped parsley.

Serve with crusty bread or croutons .

What you need :

An 8 inch/ 20cm ready-made pastry case
2 small ripe bananas
1 sliced mango
3 1/2 tbsp cornflour
6 tbsp demerara sugar
10 fl oz /300 ml soya milk
5 fl oz / 150 ml coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
toasted coconut chips for decoration.

What to do :

Slice the bananas & arrange half of them in the pastry case along with half of the mango pieces.
In a pan, put the cornflour, & sugar & mix together. Slowly whisk in the soya milk & coconut milk until mixed together. Simmer over a low heat, stirring constantly for 2 -3 mins or until the mixture thickens.
Stir in the vanilla essence, then pour the mixture over the fruit.
Top with the rest of the fruit & toasted coconut chips.
Chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

What you need:

1lb / 450g of mushrooms
6oz /175g of melted butter
2 cloves of garlic crushed
grated rind & juice of 1/2 lemon
2tbsp fresh parsley chopped

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 220C /425F /gas mark 7.
Arrange the mushrooms round side down in a oven proof dish.
In a bowl mix together the butter, garlic, parsley, lemon juice & rind and divide the mixture between the mushrooms.
Place the dish in the oven and cook for 15-20 mins until the mushrooms are soft and the garlic butter is sizzling hot.
Serve immediately.