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Featured/ Puddings

Jaw-breaking Sticky Toffee Pudding

Jaw-breaking Sticky Toffee Pudding

For hammering out indecision

This Sticky Toffee Pudding is Jaw-breakingly good! Packed with sticky dates and smothered in a velvety sauce it will undoubtedly set your teeth on edge, bounce you into sugar rush central, place you back on earth with a sticky smile on your face and hopefully help you hammer out any indecision.

It’s blowing a gale outside, and I’m stuck with some turbulent, job related decision making. I’ve never been a fan of toxic environments, where people tear each other down rather than supporting each other and building something up. I needed something to smash through my indecision, help me put things into perspective and to break the problems down into bite-size pieces. What better than this glorious British favourite to help cut through the crap.

Eating Conditions

Best eaten in your favourite armchair, in front of a windswept window on a cold autumn afternoon. Feet up, phone off, thinking cap firmly in place!

Jaw-breaking Sticky Toffee Pudding

Jaw-breaking Sticky Toffee Pudding
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • For the pudding
  • 200g fresh pitted dates
  • 90g softened butter
  • 170g dark brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp golden syrup
  • 2 tbsp black treacle
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 200g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • For the sauce
  • 200ml double cream\80g butter
  • 80g dark soft brown sugar
  • 4 tbsp black treacle
  • 2 tbsp golden syrup
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 200oc and grease 8 x 150ml dariole moulds.
  2. I have also been known to use 2 x large foil take away trays to make loaf style pudding, this is a great option if you want to freeze half!
  3. Place the dates and 300ml water in a pan and bring to the boil
  4. Whisk the butter and sugar until fluffy
  5. Gradually add the syrup, treacle, vanilla extract and the eggs to the mixture
  6. Then add the self-raising flour and mix well until all is combined
  7. Using a blender, puree the date & hot water mix, add the bicarbonate of soda
  8. Quickly add this to the egg and flour mix, stirring to combine
  9. Fill the moulds, bake in the oven for 20-25 mins, if using the foil trays, it will need an extra 7-10 mins - check the top is firm to touch before removing
  10. For the sauce
  11. Place all the ingredients in the pan and bring to the boil
  12. Simmer for 3-4 mins until glossy
  13. Remove the puddings from the moulds/ portion pudding and pour the sauce over the top
  14. Serve with clotted cream, ice cream or eat it just as it comes!
  15. Sugar rush- jaw-breakingly delicious!
Featured/ Vegetarian

Rainspotting Porcini Mushroom Risotto

Rainspotting Mushroom Risotto

Porcini & pecorino risotto, laced with sherry and creamy goats cheese

For some serious SOS soul food, this rich risotto, laced with sherry and intense porcini mushrooms helps to release doom and gloom. Use your frying pan as your cauldron, mindfully throw in your negative thoughts into the furious simmering pot and bubble the troubles away. serve up with soothing creamy goats cheese and punchy pecorino. Perfect food for mulling over problems or sitting alone rainspotting in your favourite chair.

How did I get here, to this dark risotto day?

All is not well. Jobs are not going as expected, dreams are not coming true, the reality is kicking in that maybe after a year of considerable changes we are still not on the right path.

This isn’t the first time our family has found ourselves in this situation and I’m certain it won’t be the last, but with an international house move, two children having to change schools and having to say goodbye to an array of friends, great neighbours, fantastic colleagues – I’m beginning to question WHY on earth did we move.

It’s a sobering thought to think you’ve made a colossal life mistake. After all this time, we are still struggling to find our fit, coping with toxic work environments and unstainable circumstances, the ground we exist on feels shaky and uncertain. This just sends me spiralling into self-doubt, bringing with it waves of sadness and regret.

For me, solitude follows sadness. I stop talking and reach out to no one. I pent up my doubt, frustration and fear, carrying it around all tightly packed inside my head.

Whilst my logical part of my brain tells me that talking this out would help, it’s often overshadowed by the irrational, emotional me that helps me to keep secrets. I’m the world’s best secret keeper. None of those secrets have served me well.

As the autumn light changes and the dark nights set in, the tug and pull on my total being is palpable. The weather turns and all I can do is rainspot; Lashing. Downpour. Drizzle. Sheet. Torrential and so it cycles only adding to my gloom.

What do you do when you’re feeling this way?

I eat,  make food and eat it, often alone. I don’t think I’m alone here on the emotional eating front (I can’t say I always eat great food either), I’ll eat whatever’s in the house, including the kid’s sweets!

So, sometimes (not always) I plan what I’m going to eat, make something nice and invite someone over to share it with me, using the blog, recipe testing as a guise for the invite.

I then listen. Listen to that person talk. Usually, people really open up to me, sharing all kinds of problems. I give lots of advice, something which I’m fabulous at, but can barely take it for myself. Somehow, somewhere between the food and the conversation I always find perspective. I’m always astounded by the struggles and what people quietly carry around with them. Whilst it takes me an average of 9 months to open up about anything!

Be kind. You never know how tightly people are holding their masks just to make it through the day. Our worlds have become so busy, laden with technology, to-do lists, fast paced, high pressured, next day deliveries and yet people of all ages are becoming more isolated. If you’re out of words remember;

A smile is the shortest distance between two people, even if the walls are falling down around you – connection is everything.

If it all gets too much, your alone and there are no smiles left, just take a look at these links, courtesy of a great ITV resource (saves hours of google trawling)

Reach out here…

Rainspotting Mushroom RisottoRainspotting Mushroom Risotto

Rainspotting Mushroom Risotto
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Vegetarian
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 25g butter
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 140g sliced chestnut mushrooms
  • 15g dried porcini mushrooms
  • 1 fat clove of garlic, crushed
  • 140g arborio rice
  • 150ml sherry
  • 500ml vegetable stock
  • 2 tbsp chopped thyme
  • 25g grated pecorino
  • 1 slice of a goats cheese round, to finish
  • Salt & pepper to season
Instructions
  1. Place the dried mushrooms in a mug or small jug and cover with boiling water.
  2. Set aside for 10 minutes until softened
  3. Heat the oil and butter in a large deep frying pan
  4. Add the onion and fry gently for 5 minutes until transparent and soft
  5. Stir in the mushrooms and garlic and fry for a further 2-3 mins
  6. Strain the porcini mushrooms and add to the frying pan
  7. Rinse the rice under cold water and drain
  8. Add the rice to the frying pan and coat with the onion and mushroom mixture
  9. Pour in the sherry and simmer over a moderate heat for about 3 minutes.
  10. Reduce to a gentle heat, add half of the stock, stir well and bring to a slow and gentle simmer
  11. Keep slowly adding the rest of the stock, stirring, simmering until the stock is absorbed
  12. Check the rice is tender, sometimes you may need to add a little more stock.
  13. Stir in the grated pecorino, save some back for finishing
  14. Add the thyme and stir through, save a sprig or three back for finishing
  15. Season to taste with salt and black pepper
  16. Portion into deep bowls, adding a slice of goats cheese in the middle
  17. Sprinkle the remaining pecorino and thyme
  18. Eat and enjoy!

 

Carnivore/ Main

Slow-Cooked Moroccan Romney Marsh Lamb

Slow-Cooked Romney Marsh lamb puts an end to a fast and furious week

Thankfully it’s Friday!

There’s nothing better than beating my way through a wet and windswept day, than coming home to the smell of warm simmering spices.

This is the best kind of one-stop shop cooking I love, prepared the night before so the meat has time to marinate in the wine & other ingredients. Pop the ceramic slow cooker vessel in the fridge and as soon as your up in the morning, pull it out and plug it in – it really is as simple as that.

The depth of flavours absorbed by melt in your mouth lamb wrapped up in warming Moroccan spices is deeply satisfying. Perfect for a autumn like September evening!

We are very fortunate to have Romney Marsh close. Providing well cared for, fantastic lamb. A far better choice than the vac-packed New-Zealand variety (which I’m sure is the perfect choice if you live in New Zealand!) Here in the UK we have an abundance of fresh, local produce. Keep those lambs feet walking local and carbon footprints low by opting for something closer to home!

Slow-cooked Moroccan Lamb

Print Recipe
Serves: 6 Cooking Time: 10

Ingredients

  • 200ml red wine
  • 1 medium white onion, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 700 g /1.5 lb lamb steak, diced
  • 400g Chickpeas
  • 1 large carrot, sliced thick
  • 1 courgette, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 1½ teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1½ teaspoon coriander seed powder
  • ½ teaspoon allspice
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 large cloves of garlic, sliced
  • 6-7 dried apricots, sliced in thirds
  • Handful of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1

Add all ingredients into 5L Slow cooker

2

Cook on HIGH for 4 hours, MEDIUM for 6 hours

Notes

You can first brown the meat off in the spices, however if you have no time - throw it all in and get going!

Cakes and Bakes/ Featured

Raspberry & White Chocolate Blondie

I saw this recipe for raspberry & white chocolate blondie in the September edition of the Sainsbury’s food mag and thought – what’s not to do? A crumbly cheesecake texture with swirls of raspberry ripple and chunks of white chocolate, just looking at the picture had us all salivating. So to add a bit of raspberry fizz to a somewhat drizzly day we baked this beautiful blondie.

There’s nothing much more to say other than, they took longer to bake than expected, they tasted delicious and didn’t last long in our house!

Check out the recipe here, courtesy of Sainsbury’s.

 

 

Featured/ Kids

Black Cloud Blackberry Jam

Black and Grey, slow rolling carpet clouds, heave and pull themselves across the Rye skyline, huffing and moody as they go

Today, with the weather winds turning and the first hint of crisp autumn chill in the air, we legged it outside to plunder the blackberry bushes that line the river Tillingham.

It’s a grey September Saturday, did I mention it was grey? Another weekend of my husband being away, another weekend of sole parenting. The type of weekend when you realise the only people you’ve spoken to are your children or yourself.

During these long haul days, music, baking and jam making help to lighten the load. I’ve been listening to The Cure and remembering fleeting moments of a misspent youth. The album Seventeen Seconds picks through the air waves of my kitchen. Hardly uplifting or energising, but the jangling reverbed fender guitar riffs twist memories around in my mind, the old yet familiar lyrics and gloomy arrangements strangely soothing. All those teenage hours in a box room in Runcorn, singing along whilst inhaling a mist of Inset hairspray, never did I imagine I would be jamming with blackberries, two children in an oversized townhouse whilst listening to A Forest (Keira & Dylan doing a fine job of air guitar, and constantly asking me to play it again) This track has the ability to transport me, and so the hours go by…

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Black Cloud Blackberry Jam

Print Recipe
Cooking Time: 20mins

Ingredients

  • 450g Jam sugar
  • 450g Blackberries
  • 2 Tablespoons of Pectin
  • The juice of 1 Lemon

Instructions

1

Rinse the blackberries

2

Place a stainless steel or copper pan

3

Add the sugar and Lemon juice and turn up the heat

4

Keep the mix at a roaring boil

5

after about 20 mins, once the blackberries are visibly broken down, check the temperature with a sugar thermometer

6

The temperature should be no less than 104oc

7

Allow to cool down slightly

8

Transfer into sterilised glass jars, sealing the lid.

9

Label and store in a cool dark place.

Bread/ Salads/ Vegetarian

Blackberry, Goats Cheese & Spelt Toast Salad

The day after the day before. Sunday. A Sunday salad is just what I need. We still have blackberries, left over from our Black cloud blackberry Jam making session. I’ve made the executive decision (with myself) to make something knock out for lunch. I like this combo lots as it picks on local ingredients and can be thrown together in no time.

The lamb’s lettuce and ruby chard, courtesy of our lovely neighbours greenhouse, hand-picked blackberries, Kentish honey from across the county boarder and a strong Sussex goats cheese, with a sharp acidic kick that is softened by the silky sweet honey and balsamic dressing . A quick and easy, classy crowdpleaser or perfect for a moment of selfish indulgence.

Blackberry, Goats Cheese & Spelt Bread Salad

Print Recipe
Serves: 1 Cooking Time: no time!

Ingredients

  • A handful of blackberries
  • A good quality goats cheese
  • Organic Spelt bread
  • Mixed salad
  • 1 tablespoon Honey
  • 1 large splash of Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 large splash of good quality olive oil

Instructions

1

Toast the spelt bread

2

scatter the goats cheese & salad on top

3

How on a few blackberries

4

Mix the olive oil, honey and balsamic vinegar together

5

Drizzle over the top - just before serving.