Tantalising Thai - who fancies a Red Curry??

OK....so the Thai flavours are, I would have to say, my favourite combinations around. Spicy Chili, tempered by the tangy lime, cool coconut and amazing coriander. Whether it's a curry, Phad Thai or even a Thai salad ... if it has Lime, Coriander, Chili and Coconut in it ... I'll eat it!

The Thai curry has become a regular favourite in our kitchen, be it red or green, and the options really are endless when it comes to what you wan to put in it. I don't eat seafood, so my curries are usually chicken, and my only other rule is red vegetables for a red curry and green vegetables for the green curry. This isn't a Thai rule.... it's just my rule......My kitchen...my rules :)

So, onto the recipe. This is one from Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute cook book, although I think the only part I follow in his recipe for the paste. Whilst this book is a great source of recipes for quick meal ideas, I don't think I've made one complete meal from it. Like I said, my kitchen my rules. Jamie's 30 minute meal book is a reflection of his taste and flavour combinations. If you don't like something ... don't use it. For me, cooking is about creating something that suits your tastes. Just because a famous TV chef says something in a recipe, doesn't mean you have to follow it to the letter.  But anyway, this isn't a review of Jamie Oliver...so lets get on with the curry.

Thai Red Curry

These quantities should serve 2-3 people

500g chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

1 x 400g can coconut milk

4-5 tomatoes, cut into 4-8 pieces each

1 red pepper, cut into bite size pieces

1 lime to serve

1 pack prawn crackers to serve

handful coriander leaves to serve

Red Curry Paste

2 stalks of lemongrass

1 fresh red chill

2 cloves of garlic

Optional: 4 faffir lime leaves

A bunch of fresh coriander

2 jarred red peppers in oil

1 heaped tea spoon of tomato puree

1 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

2cm piece fresh ginger

Method

1. Roughly chop all ingredients for the paste and place them all in a bullet blender, or a tall container for use with a stick blender. Blend into a tick paste. 

2. Place a little olive oil into a wok on medium heat, add the chicken and brown slightly, along with 1-2 tablespoons of the red curry paste. Cook through for a few minutes until the chicken is browned. 

3. Add the remaining paste to the wok, followed by the coconut milk. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.

4. Add the tomatoes and red pepper. Cover and simmer for a further 10 minutes or so on a low heat. The tomatoes will start to break down a bit. When this happens you know it's ready. Make sure you stir regularly

I serve this dish with some sticky Thai rice or basmati rice. You can serve it all in one bowl, or in an individual bowl like I have done. Coriander leaves for decoration, and some prawn crackers and you're done.

Happy cooking. :)

Hummingbird is my inspiration

Have you been to one of Hummingbird Bakery's stores? If not, make sure you do. When you are there you can pick up one of their recipe books and take the amazing tastes and treats home with you. This is where my recipe for today's blog has come.

I have made quite a few things from the Hummingbird books but I with the help of a new piping set I picked up at Lakeland, I think these cupcakes are my best effort to date.

I chose to go with the chocolate cupcakes as I wanted to focus my attention today on the icing and decorating as opposed to the cake. You can find it on Page 17 of The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook I'm very careful these days not to overcook my cakes so as not to dry them out. I always put the timer on for a few minutes less that the shortest time recommended in the recipe. You can always put them back in to cook a bit longer, but you can't uncork them.

Once the cakes were backed and left to cool on wire racks I moved to making my buttercream icing.

I made double the quantity of cakes, so went for 1 quantity of vanilla buttercream and 1 quantity of chocolate buttercream, each from page 11 of the book. As it states in the book, the trick is to beat the buttercream as much as possible to get a light fluffy consistency. 

I also went with some fondant decorations for my cakes: just some simple designs cut out using plunge cutters you can pick up at any store that sells baking tools (or Amazon like I did). However, the one tool I couldn't have done without in this instance was my piping set that I picked up at Lakeland last weekend. I have struggled in the past piping buttercream on cupcakes and the nozzles I had were so small. Upon spotting these ones at Lakeland last weekend on a trip to Bath I couldn't get to the register fast enough to hand over my hard earned pounds. You can find the one I got on Lakeland's website here. 

So, with some pink vanilla buttercream and some chocolate buttercream and a few flowers and stars made from rolled fondant that I dyed with some food colouring I carted the following cakes which were absolutely delicious!!!!

Dad's Lasagne

A friend recently asked for me to re-write this recipe out for her as she lost it, and loved it so much. However, I thought instead that I would post it here for you all to share. This recipe actually isn't mine, but rather one that was taught to me by the person that introduced me to the kitchen and cooking: my father. As far as I can remember it was one of the first things he taught me to make from scratch and I am sure he will be pleased to see it being enjoyed by so many people.

So here it is, a hearty winter lasagna that is sure to fill you up on a cold winter's night. I have started making and rolling my own pasta after recently buying a pasta machine, but the dried pasta sheets are fine for this recipe. 

The recipe should make enough to serve 6 people. 

Ingredients

Bolognese Sauce

500g Beef mince

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 pepper, finely chopped - you can use any combination of red green and yellow

2 sticks of celery, finely chopped

2 bulbs garlic, crushed

2 x cans peeled or chopped tomatoes

1/2 - 1 tube tomato puree - add this to taste however you like it

1/2 teaspoon Oregano 

1/2 teaspoon Mixed Herbs

1 Pinch chili flakes

1/2 teaspoon dried basil - if you have fresh Basil, use approx 3-5 medium sized leaves

Red Wine

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cheese Sauce

1 x knob of butter

2-3 tablespoons of plain flour

Milk

1-2 teaspoons of hot English mustard

1 x hand full cheddar cheese, grated

1 x hand full mozzarella cheese, grated

1 x 500g tub Natural Yogurt

Lasagna

1 packet lasagna sheets

Mozzarella cheese, grated - I usually buy a 200g packet and use a handful for the cheese sauce and the remainder for the lasagna

Cheddar cheese, grated - you probably want around 200g

200g Greek Feta cheese


Method


First you want to make the bolognese sauce. I sometimes make this in advance and freeze it. You can then just defrost it and use it on pasta or to make a lasagna.

1. In a large, heavy based saucepan, brown the mince over a medium heat. This should probably take 5-10 minutes. Remove from the saucepan and drain the fat away over a bowl.
2. Add a little olive oil to the pan, place it back on the heat and brown the onions for a few minutes before adding the peppers and celery. Add the garlic, herbs and chili flakes and fry for a further 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the canned tomatoes (if they are not chopped you can use a knife to break them up using the back of a wooden spoon in the pot) and mix in the vegetables.
4. Add the mince to the pan, along with the tomato puree (I use a whole tube, but it depends how thick you prefer the sauce as to how much you want to add). You will either need to add a good glass of red wine to thin out the sauce, or just some water if you don't have any wine handy.
5. Leave the sauce to simmer on a low heat, stirring regularly whilst you prepare the remaining items.

Secondly you want to make the cheese sauce. Once again you want a heavy based saucepan as you need to make a rue to start with (for instructions on how to make a rue click here).

1. Make a rue using the flour butter and milk as required. Make sure not to make it too runny as you are adding the yogurt to the sauce which will thin it out.
2. Once the rue is complete, add the yogurt, cheese and English mustard and stir well.
3. The sauce should be quite thick as the cheese melts.

Now it's time to assemble the lasagna, which I don't think I really need to explain in detail. In brief, I start with a little bit of bolognese sauce just to ensure the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the dish. Then layer pasta, cheese and bolognese sauce alternatively until you approach the top of the dish. I usually get 3 layers in the average size lasagna dish. After the 3rd layer of pasta, top it with bolognese sauce, and then pour the cheese sauce on top, making sure not to overflow the dish as it will bubble up in the oven. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, followed by the feta cheese, cut or crumbled into small pieces. This part is my favourite of the entire dish as the feta goes brown and crispy on the outside and gooey in the middle once the lasagna is cooked.

Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 20 - 30 minutes (I usually put another disk underneath it in the over to catch any overspill as burnt lasagna is a nightmare to clean from inside your oven). It will be done when the top is golden brown, and the pasta feels cooked when a knife is inserted into the centre of the dish.

The one piece of advice I would give it try not to make either your bolognese or cheese sauces too runny as it can make serving the lasagna a bit messy.

Bank Holiday baking - Jubilee style

With the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations gripping the country, I though it only fitting dedicate my baking this weekend to the celebrations.

So, as I was invited to a Queen's Jubilee party on Sunday I offered to bring a cake. I've once again used the recipe from The Hummingbird Bakery for their Chocolate Guinness cake that I made a few weeks ago (see here for recipe).

This time, instead of covering the cake with cream cheese icing, I decided to use rolled fondant to cover the cake and decorate it in a jubilee themed union flag.

Chocolate Guinness cake covered in butter cream and rolled white fondant.

After covering the cake in white rolled fondant I decided to add the base decorations of polka dots. I simply rolled out some red and blue modelling paste and used the large end of a nozzle from my piping set to cut out some large polka dots. Then it's just a matter of simply wetting them with a little bit of warm water (I soaked a clean blue cloth with cooled boiled water and then just rested the dots on it to absorb a bit of water so as not to destroy their shape by over handling) and attaching to the cake.

Guinness cake covered in rolled fondant and polka dots made from modelling paste. 

Next was the flag to top the cake. I simply printed out a template of the flag and cut it up into it's components before tracing the pieces out in red and blue modelling paste that I had rolled out. I left mine resting on some spoon handles to give it a 3D look when placed on top of the cake.

Flag made of modelling paste.

Finally, the assembly. I made the mistake of putting the flag onto the cake a bit early so some of the flag cracked a little. (I left it drying for about 6 hours. I would recommend leaving it for at least 24 hours to dry completely before moving it, especially if it needs to hold a shape).

Chocolate Guinness cake complete with Jubilee decorations and Union flag. 

Summer time Thai salad

I was beginning to think that the day would never come when summer 2012 would decide to poke its head through the big, miserable grey clouds. Obviously my fears have been averted as the UK basks in the first glorious heat wave of the year. So, in the spirit of the warm weather my menu plan for the week was adjusted from the hearty winter soups and curries to some lovely summer dishes, including this one: a Thai grilled chicken salad. The Thai flavours: chilli, lime, ginger and coriander have to be my favourite combination of flvaours and are great in both a curry in winter, or a salad like this in summer.


I cooked my chicken on the BBQ, but it would work just as well on a griddle pan on the hob, or even a plain old frying pan. The BBQ obviously gives you a bit more of a smokey flavour though. 


Thai grilled chicken salad
I pulled this recipe together from a combination of other recipe ideas I found. I just added things I liked, and removed things I didn't. The figures below are just a guide. You can adjust this recipe to feed as many of you like. Just use your judgement and add as much or as little of everything as you like. The quantities below serves 3.


Ingredients

1 Carrot sliced into matchsticks

4 Spring onions, sliced 

1/4 Cucumber, sliced into matchsticks

1 hand full Cherry tomatoes, chopped in half

1 small bunch fresh coriander leaves

1/4 red & yellow peppers, sliced into matchsticks 

100-200g vermicelli noodles, dry or wet is fine (depends how much you want to make. Add more noodles to make the salad go a bit further.)

1 2cm piece fresh ginger, sliced or chopped finely

300g Chicken breast pieces.

2 lime wedges per person

Optional extras
1/4 small cabbage, finely sliced 

1 hand full bean shoots

1/4 Mango, finely sliced

Fresh Chilli, red or green, finely sliced

Marinade/Dressing

I make this up twice. Once to marinade the chicken before I cook it, and once to pour over the salad. Once again, make it to taste depending on how much you like. 

• 1/4 cup sweet chilli sauce
• 3 teaspoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons lime juice

Method

1. Slice the chicken breasts into large pieces, but small enough to cook quickly. You should get 2-4 pieces  from each average sized breast piece. Place in a large bowl with marinade and place in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

2. Prepare vegetables and place in a large salad bowl, tossing when complete (including optional extras if using)

3. Cook the chicken. If using the BBQ, make sure the coals are hot and no longer flaming. It will probably take anywhere between 8-15 minutes depending on the temperature of the BBQ and the size of the chicken pieces. The best way to tell if it's done is to take the biggest piece off the heat and slice it in the middle to check it. Make sure you use any remaining marinade in the bowl to baste the meat whilst it's cooking.

4. Once cooked, remove from the BBQ/pan and slice into strips.

5. Dress salad with second quantity of the dressing/marinade and toss. Assemble on the middle of your plates. Pile sliced chicken (and mango if using) on top of the salad and serve with lime wedges and enjoy.

A country drive

With the purchase of a new car completed, we thought we would expand our horizons and par-take in the fabulous British tradition of a Sunday pub lunch, this time in the countryside. As such, today we decided to take a trip to one of the few Michelin stared pubs in the UK: The sir Charles Napier in Oxfordshire.  

A quaint, cosy pub on a country road was our destination after a frustrating crawl through the south west London traffic.  Walking through the front door we were greeted by welcoming staff, a cosy front room, complete with log fire, and rustic country bar. Window sills and tables adorned by an eclectic collection of stone and marble sculptures (my favourite was the hippopotamus in the ladies bathroom) gave the rooms an interesting talking point, whilst the low ceilings and exposed beams provided a cosy, country feel. 

Lunch for all 3 of us consisted of the Roast loin and shoulder of middlewhite pork with apple sauce and crackling, which was perfectly cooked and accompanied by some of the best roast potatoes I've ever had. I had intended to have the Roast sirloin of local beef, but it had sold out by the time we arrived at 3pm, so a tip to anyone planning a trip is to go early if you want the pick of the menu. Dessert for my 2 lovely companions was sticky toffee pudding with banana Millie-feuille and passion fruit sorbet, whilst I tried the Chocolate Pavè with honeycomb and lime ice cream. Both were what we all thought to be unique flavour combinations, but worked extremely well! 

A quick stroll around the beautiful gardens (missing a croquet pitch we felt haha) complete with a few more resident statues was a lovely finish to a perfect afternoon in the English countryside. I could certainly see the gardens full on a lovely summer's afternoon. 

If you are ever in the area and fancy a fabulous lunch I'd certainly recommend the Sir Charles Napier (although remember the prices do reflect their possession of a Michelin star). A perfect afternoon away from the hustle and bustle of the big city with some amazing food thrown in.

The begining

The Bank holiday is the perfect time to catch up on all those things you have been meaning to do for so long, but never seem to have the time for. For me, this blog is one of those things. It's something I have been thinking about for a while but has never really been that important that I could prioritise it above getting the washing done and attending people's birthdays. 


So, from now on (at what will probably be irregular intervals as life always has a way of getting in the way of things want to do with things you have to do) I intend to share some of my cooking and baking experiences with you, so stay tuned. 


For this weekend I leave you with a cake recipe that I have discovered. The A-Mazing 'Hummingbird Chocolate Guinness Cake' (which can be found here). It's so good I couldn't wait to take a picture before having a second slice!