it's plum season in britain.
accordingly, tesco magazine featured a mini plum cobbler recipe. which looked delicious and made me want to try it.
then sainsbury's had plums on a two-for-one special.
clearly it was a sign.
you're supposed to make this in mini raimkins, but as always, i made them in muffin cups.
plums
4 oz self-raising flour
50 g butter, cut into small pieces
75 g brown sugar
1/2 t powder
3 oz milk
water
cut up plums and fill raimkin or muffin cups. put 1/3 sugar over plums, then add some water.
mix dry ingredients, add butter. crumble butter and dry with fingers until rough crumbs. make a well, add milk, stir until dough. turn out and knead for a bit til smooth. make patties out of dough and plop atop plums. cook til fluffy and golden.
according to original instructions, push half a plum soft side up into topping before baking.
so good.
also, if you just make the dough and bake it as muffins, it's very tasty with strawberry jam.
Sunday, 26 October 2008
strawberry muffins
so on the way home from the market yesterday i apparently managed to squish a good many of my strawberries. not my fault, as i was battling 60mph wind gusts on a slopey surface. however, it did present the problem of what to do with them. some topped the last couple of sponge cakes (from the second batch) and some were simply eaten. that still left a good many bruised fruits, however. so this morning became a search for a strawberry muffin recipe. i found one that looked promising on www.slashfood.com entitled food porn, in case anyone wants to google something other than "strawberry muffin whole wheat".
it calls for half whole wheat, which works. and also for streusel topping, which doesn't. the batter isn't strong enough to hold the streusel and it tries to pull of a high rise, which pushes any streusel on the edge of the muffin onto the top of the pan, where it burns. but aside from the topping, this proved an excellent recipe.
so:
Basic Strawberry Muffins with(out) Crumb Topping
Preheat the oven to 375.
Stir together 1 c. all-purpose flour, 1 c. whole wheat flour, ½ c. granulated sugar, 1 T. baking powder, ½ tsp. baking soda, and a pinch of salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs, ¼ c. (½ stick) melted butter, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, and 1 c. buttermilk.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix gently only until combined. Fold in 1½ c. coarsely chopped fresh or frozen strawberries, dredged.
(I would suggest putting your strawberries when your mix is almost all wet, so you don't lose any rise)
Separate into muffin cups and bake 15-20 minutes or til done.
it calls for half whole wheat, which works. and also for streusel topping, which doesn't. the batter isn't strong enough to hold the streusel and it tries to pull of a high rise, which pushes any streusel on the edge of the muffin onto the top of the pan, where it burns. but aside from the topping, this proved an excellent recipe.
so:
Basic Strawberry Muffins with(out) Crumb Topping
Preheat the oven to 375.
Stir together 1 c. all-purpose flour, 1 c. whole wheat flour, ½ c. granulated sugar, 1 T. baking powder, ½ tsp. baking soda, and a pinch of salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs, ¼ c. (½ stick) melted butter, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, and 1 c. buttermilk.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix gently only until combined. Fold in 1½ c. coarsely chopped fresh or frozen strawberries, dredged.
(I would suggest putting your strawberries when your mix is almost all wet, so you don't lose any rise)
Separate into muffin cups and bake 15-20 minutes or til done.
veggie burgers, finally
as probably anyone who's talked to me in recent weeks will attest, i have been absolutely drooling over the homemade veggie burger recipe on twofatals for ages. and i finally got together enough of the ingredients to attempt it on friday.
Here’s what they said to do:
Ingredients:
3/4 cup dried brown lentils
3/4 cup bulgur
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 1/2 tsp table salt
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup leek or scallion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. white mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup unsalted cashews
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 cups panko
Instructions:
Bring lentils to boil in 3 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Reduce to simmer and cook for about 25 minutes, until falling apart. Drain in a mesh strainer, dry and set aside. While lentils are cooking, boil 2 cups of water for bulgur, add bulgur and turn off heat. Let it cook until water is absorbed. Put bulgur aside. In a large pan, heat oil. Add onions, celery, garlic and leek or scallion, and cook for about 8 minutes. Set aside, then add mushrooms to the pan and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. In a food processor, process cashews until fine. Combine cashews, lentils, and bulgur with cooled vegetables and cashews. Add mayonnaise. Food process (pulse) in batches until mixture is cohesive but roughly textured. Stir in panko, and salt and pepper to taste. Form into 12 patties. Cook on the grill or in a pan, about 5 minutes per side. Serve with favorite fixings.
Of course, I omitted the cashews, celery, panko, and food processing. Also subbed in apple puree for mayo. I would suggest maybe trying a half a flax egg and half apple puree. Also maybe add a pinch of dried colman's english mustard. But aside from the bit where they don't hold together at all, excellent recipe.
Here’s what they said to do:
Ingredients:
3/4 cup dried brown lentils
3/4 cup bulgur
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 1/2 tsp table salt
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup leek or scallion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. white mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup unsalted cashews
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 cups panko
Instructions:
Bring lentils to boil in 3 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Reduce to simmer and cook for about 25 minutes, until falling apart. Drain in a mesh strainer, dry and set aside. While lentils are cooking, boil 2 cups of water for bulgur, add bulgur and turn off heat. Let it cook until water is absorbed. Put bulgur aside. In a large pan, heat oil. Add onions, celery, garlic and leek or scallion, and cook for about 8 minutes. Set aside, then add mushrooms to the pan and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. In a food processor, process cashews until fine. Combine cashews, lentils, and bulgur with cooled vegetables and cashews. Add mayonnaise. Food process (pulse) in batches until mixture is cohesive but roughly textured. Stir in panko, and salt and pepper to taste. Form into 12 patties. Cook on the grill or in a pan, about 5 minutes per side. Serve with favorite fixings.
Of course, I omitted the cashews, celery, panko, and food processing. Also subbed in apple puree for mayo. I would suggest maybe trying a half a flax egg and half apple puree. Also maybe add a pinch of dried colman's english mustard. But aside from the bit where they don't hold together at all, excellent recipe.
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
mac'n'cheese nests
wanted to try a mac and cheese variation i'd heard of on bones (yep, i'm sad) but i didn't have any mac. thus:
enough spaghetti for about two servings
shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
butter (2-3T)
1 large egg
about half a cup of milk (any but skim)
1 tsp of salt
some cayenne
5-6 tbsp leeks, chopped, sauteed in butter
break spaghetti into pieces about an inch to an inch and a half long. cook until very al dente. drain. rinse.
grease pan. grease again. (deadly serious)
layer cheese, butter, pasta, leeks in muffin cups
beat together egg, milk, salt, cayenne
pour liquids in equal proportion over each muffin cup
bake at 350 until done
makes about 8 nests
recipe, less leeks, spaghetti, and muffin cups, adapted from http://www.macaronicheeserecipes.com/Southern-Macaroni-and-Cheese.htm
damn tasty if i do say so myself
enough spaghetti for about two servings
shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
butter (2-3T)
1 large egg
about half a cup of milk (any but skim)
1 tsp of salt
some cayenne
5-6 tbsp leeks, chopped, sauteed in butter
break spaghetti into pieces about an inch to an inch and a half long. cook until very al dente. drain. rinse.
grease pan. grease again. (deadly serious)
layer cheese, butter, pasta, leeks in muffin cups
beat together egg, milk, salt, cayenne
pour liquids in equal proportion over each muffin cup
bake at 350 until done
makes about 8 nests
recipe, less leeks, spaghetti, and muffin cups, adapted from http://www.macaronicheeserecipes.com/Southern-Macaroni-and-Cheese.htm
damn tasty if i do say so myself
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
sponge cake
oh i am weak.
found this recipe in the tesco magazine when i was cleaning the kitchen this morning. or rather, found the magazine. then, this afternoon, tore out all the interesting-looking recipes. then, after attending a comedy show tonight that had me out under the royal mile until ten, came home and made sponge cake with creme fraiche and fresh sliced strawberries.
as always, it gave instructions in grams and ounces rather than volumes, so aside from the butter and eggs i pretty much made up the rest of the recipe to the point that it ran something vaguely like
4 oz butter
3/4-1 c sugar
2 flax eggs
something in the general neighborhood of 2 c self-rising substitute
cream butter and sugar until fluffy. beat in eggs gradually. fold in flour.
bake at 150 (centigrade) in muffin tins until done.
i cooked until a mite past done and either didn't have enough levening or took to many strokes folding in the flour. so they had depressions in the centre and tasted just a bit like kettle corn.
topped with fresh sliced strawberries and creme fraiche beaten just until it holds its shape. would suggest beating creme with confectioners sugar, should you have it.
in any event, quite tasty.
found this recipe in the tesco magazine when i was cleaning the kitchen this morning. or rather, found the magazine. then, this afternoon, tore out all the interesting-looking recipes. then, after attending a comedy show tonight that had me out under the royal mile until ten, came home and made sponge cake with creme fraiche and fresh sliced strawberries.
as always, it gave instructions in grams and ounces rather than volumes, so aside from the butter and eggs i pretty much made up the rest of the recipe to the point that it ran something vaguely like
4 oz butter
3/4-1 c sugar
2 flax eggs
something in the general neighborhood of 2 c self-rising substitute
cream butter and sugar until fluffy. beat in eggs gradually. fold in flour.
bake at 150 (centigrade) in muffin tins until done.
i cooked until a mite past done and either didn't have enough levening or took to many strokes folding in the flour. so they had depressions in the centre and tasted just a bit like kettle corn.
topped with fresh sliced strawberries and creme fraiche beaten just until it holds its shape. would suggest beating creme with confectioners sugar, should you have it.
in any event, quite tasty.
Monday, 20 October 2008
beets
the british seem to love vaccuum packed, pre-cooked beets. apparently these are ready to eat and can be served hot or cold. but they kind of weird me out. anything sold on the vegetable aisle should require further cooking unless it is going in a salad (or is a carrot; also, i must mention here that the brits have the sense to put avocados in the fruit aisle). anyway, this sent me searching for a recipe for my beets. i found this at veggie venture:
BEETS IN ORANGE SAUCE
Active time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 15 minutes
Serves 4
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon butter (omitted, didn't miss at all!)
1 cup orange juice
2 15 ounce cans beets
Salt & pepper
Place medium saucepan on MEDIUM heat. Working quickly while saucepan heats, mix brown sugar, cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in the saucepan with a wooden spoon, working out the lumps. Slowly add the orange juice, stirring so lumps don't form. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. While sauce cooks, drain the beets. Stack several slices and dice by cutting in thirds, first one way and then the other. Add beets to sauce and cook until beets are heated through and sauce bubbles. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
being me, however, i felt the need to deviate vastly from the recipe. so i used the juice of one small-med sized orange, no butter, three little beets, and flour instead of cornstarch. i also added cayenne. that's just the sauce ingredients.
i made the sauce without ever boiling it and put into it not only beets but also a very small apple, chunked. and the kernels from about three-fifths of an ear of corn (added late so as not to cook to mush). cooked, stirring constantly, until everything was hot.
not the greatest thing ever (if you have more oranges, add more orange juice), but i think the apple and corn really helped. i would also suggest adding onion, probably pre-cooked just to translucency.
would probably do well served with roasted new potatoes with rosemary.
BEETS IN ORANGE SAUCE
Active time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 15 minutes
Serves 4
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon butter (omitted, didn't miss at all!)
1 cup orange juice
2 15 ounce cans beets
Salt & pepper
Place medium saucepan on MEDIUM heat. Working quickly while saucepan heats, mix brown sugar, cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in the saucepan with a wooden spoon, working out the lumps. Slowly add the orange juice, stirring so lumps don't form. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. While sauce cooks, drain the beets. Stack several slices and dice by cutting in thirds, first one way and then the other. Add beets to sauce and cook until beets are heated through and sauce bubbles. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
being me, however, i felt the need to deviate vastly from the recipe. so i used the juice of one small-med sized orange, no butter, three little beets, and flour instead of cornstarch. i also added cayenne. that's just the sauce ingredients.
i made the sauce without ever boiling it and put into it not only beets but also a very small apple, chunked. and the kernels from about three-fifths of an ear of corn (added late so as not to cook to mush). cooked, stirring constantly, until everything was hot.
not the greatest thing ever (if you have more oranges, add more orange juice), but i think the apple and corn really helped. i would also suggest adding onion, probably pre-cooked just to translucency.
would probably do well served with roasted new potatoes with rosemary.
Sunday, 19 October 2008
apple bread success
stole the recipe below from the ever wonderful twofatals.com
being a poor student, i omitted the walnuts, used substitutions for the baking powder, used butter instead of smart balance, used whole milk instead of skim, and made flax eggs. i also only used grated apple for half of the apple requirement and put apple puree (have i mentioned the crazy brits don't believe in applesauce?) in for the other half. turned out very well, but needs nuts, or maybe raisins. sonja, my flatmate, suggested eating it with cream cheese. we didn't have any, so we tried it with highland crowdie instead, to excellent results.
oh right, as always, i baked this in muffin tins as i have no loaf pan.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted smart balance
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups skim milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup apple, peeled and grated
1 cup walnuts, chopped
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350. (or 175 C, wtv) Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, milk and butter (and vanilla) together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients, apples, and walnuts into it. Using a spatula, mix everything the batter together. It should be pretty lumpy. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake it for about an hour, until a knife comes out clean. Let it cool, then serve. (or just serve)
being a poor student, i omitted the walnuts, used substitutions for the baking powder, used butter instead of smart balance, used whole milk instead of skim, and made flax eggs. i also only used grated apple for half of the apple requirement and put apple puree (have i mentioned the crazy brits don't believe in applesauce?) in for the other half. turned out very well, but needs nuts, or maybe raisins. sonja, my flatmate, suggested eating it with cream cheese. we didn't have any, so we tried it with highland crowdie instead, to excellent results.
oh right, as always, i baked this in muffin tins as i have no loaf pan.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted smart balance
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups skim milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup apple, peeled and grated
1 cup walnuts, chopped
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350. (or 175 C, wtv) Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, milk and butter (and vanilla) together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients, apples, and walnuts into it. Using a spatula, mix everything the batter together. It should be pretty lumpy. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake it for about an hour, until a knife comes out clean. Let it cool, then serve. (or just serve)
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