Simple pork supper

Tonight I wanted something quite plain for supper, after my polenta pizza feast last night! I'm not very good at cooking simply but I think I did ok here!

For this dish I had a pork shoulder steak to use and decided to do it in the oven to avoid using oil and frying it. So here is what I did...

First, I sprinkled both sides of the pork with salt, pepper, dried oregano and some crushed fennel seeds. I placed this into a oven proof dish (no oil needed) and put some blobs of soft cheese on the top, and then I lay circles of courgette on the top. I covered the dish with foil and popped it into the oven for about half an hour on 200 degrees.

When this came out the courgettes were lovely and soft, and the pork juices and cheese made a lovely sauce around the meat. The pork was tender and the fennel coming through was delicious.

Oh, and I had some nice new potatoes with it which were scrummy mashed into the sauce.

Mmmm mmmm

Polenta Pizza

Whoops! What a delay in foodie blogging! This is down to a new job and my pure laziness in taking photos of food. I had banned myself from blogging sans photos, but, as that is making me lazy, I shall carry on without.

So, I made a delicious Polenta Pizza for my supper last night - a brilliant alternative to a wheat/bread based pizza, and nice and light. And here's what you need to do...

First make the polenta - tip 100g of fine polenta gradually into boiling water, whisking all the time. Keep whisking as the polenta goes thick, and when it has reached the consistency of mashed potato, take it off the heat and beat in some olive oil, s&p.

Working quickly, lightly oil a baking tray, and turn the polenta on to it. Spread it out into a big thin circle - this is the base for the pizza (obvious I know). Let this cool while you do the topping, and as it's pizza - anything goes here.

I softened some courgettes and onions in the oven, and chopped some chorizo into rings. I spread tomato puree on the base, just thinly and dotted some pesto here and there. Then, I spread the veg over the base, then the chorizo, some torn mozarella and lastly I grated some parmesan over the top.

This went into a hot oven (200 degrees) for about half an hour.  Taking it out, you can't move it about like a normal pizza as the polenta will be very soft. Let it cool a little and then cut into slices. You will need to serve it carefully using a fish slice and eat with a fork. This won't be a pick up and bite pizza until it is cold - which is great for next day lunch.

Enjoy!

Brioche Success!

 This morning I am writing to report a great culinary success. Yesterday, inspired by watching Rachel Khoo, and Julie & Julia, I got out my French cookbooks and decided to make...Brioche.Assuming it would be half disastrous as a first attempt, I began.

 I used a book that I bought in a French supermarket years ago, and so had to work out the recipe using rather rusty language skills. The recipe also called for fresh yeast, where I used fast action.

First thing was to create a sticky mess with flour and eggs and sugar. It's quite a tough mix and my hand got completely stuck in it!

This needs to be left for half an hour and then a yeast/flour/warm milk mix is added along with lots of butter chopped into small pieces.

 Again, mixing this up was quite a challenge, and tool a little time. In the end all the butter was incorporated and, due to the butter, my hand came free and the bowl was left clean!

I covered the dough with cling film, so it was completely airtight, and left in  warm place for 2 hours.

The dough rose nicely, and was easy to work when I took it out, but I did flour my hands and the surface.

 I made a nice ball, and made a hole in the middle, gradually making it bigger until the hole was quite large. This then had another half hour of rising time, again, in a draft free place (I put the mixing bowl over the top, but it was only just big enough.)

It came out lovely and puffed up, I painted it with a whisked egg yolk, and sprinkled almonds over the top. Hence, pic 1.

It then went into the oven for 20 mins, and cam out as above!

 And we had it, lightly toasted, for breakfast. It was buttery, and light, and delicious.

What a treat!

Oeufs in pots with polenta soldiers

I wish I had taken a photo of this one - because it looked delish. Bright yellow polenta soldiers, white eggs with a smattering of grey pepper, their sunny yolks just peeking out, and some bright green cabbage - because I am convinced of it's vitamin content and it's liking for the humble egg.

Inspired by the BBCs latest TV cook - Rachel Khoo - I attempted her 'Eggs in Pots' - though as usual I had to bodge the recipe as I don't often have creme fraiche to hand. I swapped this for some cream cheese, and carried on as instructed. The nutmeg and pepper works wonderfully, and the oeuf in a pot was lovely. Though, I wasn't sure when it was done as the white didn't seem to set due to the presence of the cream cheese, also, half the yolk was overdone due to it's proximity to the edge of the ramekin. So in future, I'll try to keep it away from the edge, and nudge it towards the middle. I need to practice, but it is a lovely recipe for a quiet night in, or a treat breakfast.

For the polenta chips, and I did impress myself with these I have to confess, I made polenta as usual by tipping 50g into 200ml of boiling water and whisking away until smooth and thick. Once it had 'plopped' or 'burped' - which I know sounds delicious! - I turned off the heat, tipped it into an old takeaway container, and put it outside the window, on the sill, to cool.

So, when it was coolish (I don't have the patience to wait long - plus, I was hungry!), I turned it out onto a board, and chopped into thick chips (about 1cm, by 1cm, by 9cm or so). In a frying pan, I heated half oil, and half butter, and laid the chips in when hot. I gave them a good time on each side, so that each side is nice and crispy. Polenta doesn't seem to brown easily - I'm still working out how the chefs do it.

And this meal was delish - crunchy polenta chips dipped in soft egg yolk, soft egg white, mixed with cream cheese, nutmeg and pepper tipped over soft green savoy cabbage! Yum.

Roast Chicken, Provencale Potatoes and Melting Moments

Ah, what a long day. I bought three pairs of shoes, two nail varnishes, and took part in some filming. And all before baking and cooking! What fun.

Came home from successful shopping trip to find husband and friends heading out for the £4 all day breakfast that the cafe opposite does so well. Alas, they were back in 5 minutes - the breakfast not being as all day as they had hoped. So, I scrambled together a tortilla/omlette affair and toast. And when I offered a round of toast and jam for pud - it went down very well! Am concerned that my culinary reputation has been lost by showcasing this classic dessert!                 

 Back to the day's baking! Whipped up some Melting Moments, chosed by the husband from a book recently sent to me by my new mother-in-law.  A lovely easy mixture, similar to a rock bun, rolled into balls, and rolled in coconut and oats - before popping a bit of cherry on the top and baking. They have a nice little crunch on the outside and are soft, sweet and buttery on the inside. Just right with a cup of tea!

During my first week at a new job, I was taken to The Fox, (near Old St), and had a whopping meal, consisting of a black pudding starter, and then 1/2 a chicken with the yummiest of potatoes. So, thought I would try and recreate the dish for Sunday supper. Large chicken legs are just right for two, and the potatoes make a great alternative to roast, or dauphinoise - and are nice and healthy!

First I set the oven to 200. This was probably a bit high for the potatoes - which would be best having a long, slow cook at a lower temp - but I wanted the heat for the chicken.

Next, in a bowl I mixed, olive oil (a good few glugs), salt, pepper, a good shake of dried herbs, 3 crushed cloves of garlic, an onion (chopped roughly but quite small), and a large tomato (again, chopped into a rough, large dice).

Having mixed this up together, I chopped 5/6 potatoes, into thick (1cm ish) slices. Skin on. These go into the bowl with the tomato mixture and shake around to get a good coating on all the potoato slices of the oil and herbs and garlic. Shake the whole mixture into a roasting dish, so that the potatoes can spread out (a rough layer of 2 thick should be fine). Cover with foil and put in the oven.

I gave them an hour or so in a hot oven, but they would be good cooking slowly underneath a whole chicken.

With the chicken, I rubbed some butter, salt, herbs and pepper under the skin and some more salt on top. These had half and hour in the oven with foil on the top, then half an hour without it.


When I took the chicken out, I let it rest covered with the foil and made gravy from the juice. And we had a little kale too - just for greenery.

2012: Biscuits galore!

Happy New Year! A new rolling pin, spatula, citrus juicer, hand electric mixer, book of baking treats, and ceramic baking beans for Christmas heralds a lovely year of baking and cooking. During my two weeks off over the festive period I did hardly any baking, as I was just enjoying doing nothing. I did host a party over New Year and made a dinner of Steak and Ale Pie, Pork and Cider Cobbler, Mash and Carrots, followed by a gooseberry cheesecake - which were a steaming success, and the recipes may follow - if I can one day remember what I did.

But back to today, have tried again with Jamie Oliver's Ginger biscuits, which have come out beautifully, recipe here. However, I forgot the bicarb, and used 1tbs golden syrup and 1tbs treacle, as it is far too much faff to measure the sticky stuff. I also added some crystallised ginger. They are sill cooling but I am excited about the results!

Also on the menu, is Cottage Pie - no recipe yet as I haven't pefected the recipe....

Pumpkin Soup

This is my first attempt at pumpkin soup, and I'm only halfway through so no news yet on how it's going. I've started with spices, cumin, corriander and cinnamon, salt & pepper, and a bay leaf. I warmed these in some oil and added two chopped onions. I sweated these until the onion was soft and translucent, and then added peeled and copped pumplkin. Once mixed and warmed through, I added chicken stock, to which I had also added the juice from half an orance. It is bubbling away and smelling delicious, but only time will tell....

It's a success. Once pumpkin very soft and squashable, I turned the heat off. Then I broke up the chunks of pumpkin with the back of a spoon and took out the bay leaves. Then, I added a good slurp of milk and blitzed it till smooth and creamy. Then, back on the heat for a final warm through, and it's ready to serve.

Meanwhile, I've made a basic biscuit dough, split it in half, and made two types of biscuit - lemon drops and jam swirls.

For the lemon drops I made a sausage out of the dough, about 1 1/2 inches accross. Then, sliced it into 1cm rounds. Then, I placed these on a baking tray, they need to be well spaced as they spread a little. Then, I made  well in the centre of each with my finger, and put a little drop on lemon curd in each one. These went into the oven for 15 minutes, they are still soft when they come out, and harden as they cool. Mr Me has eaten two already....


For the jam swirls, I rolled the pastry into a rectangle, keeping it at least half a cm thick. Then with the longest side towards me, I spread the dough with jam - I used gooseberry, but you could use just about anything (I have mincemeat in mind for christmas..). And then roll... Start by gently rolling the closest edge, and gradually roll until then end, don't push down too hard as you roll, or you'll squash the jam out! Again, slice the biscuits into rounds and place, well spaced on the baking tray. You'll have to wipe the knife with each slice or it'll all get very sticky.

Yum!