Chicken and Leek Stroganoff

I've previously reviewed Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food book that I bought for my husband.  There are several recipes in there that have become firm family favourites and that my husband often cooks for us; this recipe being one of them as it's quick, tasty and very easy to prepare. Leeks give a wonderful flavour to a meal - coming from the Allium family which includes the onion and garlic, their flavour is much more subtle and delicate.

This recipe is based on Jamie's from his book.

2 Large leeks
4 Chicken breasts
2tbs Olive oil
20g Butter
250ml White wine (if it's not good enough to drink, it's not good enough to cook with)
100ml Water
15ml Wholegrain mustard
300g Basmati Rice
Bunch fresh, flat leaved parsley
300ml Single cream
1/2 Lemon
Salt & pepper

1. Put a large pan of lightly salted water on to boil.
2. Wash your leeks then cut them lengthways into quarters, from top to bottom, then slice across the stems (whites and greens) into 1cm thicknesses.

3. Cut the chicken breasts into bite sized pieces, approx. 1cm x 2cm .
4. Heat a large frying pan and add the olive oil and butter.  Heat until melted.
5. Add the leeks, wine, water, mustard, salt and pepper.
6. Stir together then bring to the boil and cover loosely with a lid or foil.
7. Put your rice in your boiling water, stir once and return to the boil.  Simmer uncovered for 10-12 minutes (according to packet instructions).
8. Chop the parsley, leaves and stalks, finely.
9. Add the chicken, parsley and the cream to the frying pan and simmer for 10 minutes.

10. Drain the cooked rice.
11. Add the juice of your lemon half to the stroganoff and stir just before serving.
12. Place a pile of rice on your plate and add a generous couple of spoons of the stroganoff.

Serve with a perfectly chilled glass of the white wine that you used to cook this dish with.

Lemon, Rosemary and Citrus Olive Oil Cake

This recipe was developed from my original adaptation of the Olive oil, Rosemary & Lemon cake that I found on the Olive Oil Times website which was contributed by Mooney Farms.  

I made this version using using Soralina's Italian Citrus Olive Oil which is a wonderful cold pressed combination of Italian fresh olives, Sicilian lemons, mandarins, oranges and pink grapefruits which are crushed together, releasing the amazing citrus oils directly in to the oil, imparting their amazing flavour and fragrance, without the need for artificial additions.  Soralina were awarded the Theo Paphitis Small Business Sunday Winner on 25th May 2014. When I met them personally at the BBC Good Food Show in May, this is clearly something that the family owned business are incredibly proud of. Mo and Sylvia were kind enough to let me have a sample of their oil to take home and try.

I know I've made this cake and published the recipe before using a fabulous Spanish Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil which turned out beautifully, but I was curious to see how the Citrus oil would enhance the flavours of the lemons used in the cake.  Time was of the essence in getting this made and into the oven, so this time, I made it using the 'all in one' method.

385g Self raising flour

1½tbs Fresh rosemary, finely chopped

2tsp Baking powder

½tsp Bicarbonate of soda

½tsp Salt

370g Granulated sugar

125ml Soralina Citrus extra virgin olive oil

125ml Milk

2 Lemons, zested

60ml Lemon juice

1tsp Vanilla extract

3 Large eggs

Icing

150g Icing sugar

15ml Lemon juice

1. Heat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C.

2. Line a 22cm/9" springform tin with a cake case (I buy mine from Lakeland).

3. In a large bowl, place all of the cake ingredients.

4. Whisk together using an electric mixer for about 5 minutes until until smooth.

5. Pour the mixture into your prepared tin and bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out cleanly.

6. Remove from the oven, but leave in the tin for 10 minutes.

7. Remove the cake from the tin, leaving it in the parchment cake case, and place on a wire cooling rack and leave until cold.

8. For the icing, mix together the icing sugar and lemon juice until you get a smooth, soft paste.

9. Spread over the top of the cooled cake. If the icing is a little too stiff, you can heat it in the microwave for 10 seconds which will make it easier to spread.

10. Decorate with a small sprig of fresh rosemary.

11. Serve and enjoy in thin slices.

As a thank you to Mo and Sylvia, I made another of these cakes for them, which I took down to the Taste of London festival in Regents Park on Sunday 22nd June.  They shared a few slices with customers who were interested in this oil, but Mo decided very early on that he was going to enjoy this gift and share it with his family.  I hope he did share it too!!! 

The oil was generously supplied to me by Soralina.  I adapted my original posting of the recipe, initially as a family cake for myself prior to making one for Mo & Sylvia. I was under no obligation to blog this recipe or to give a favourable review of their product.  The views are my own and are a genuine reflection of how I found their oil.

Elderflower, Ginger Beer & Lemon fizz

The quickest, most refreshing drink, served cold but with the heat of non alcoholic ginger beer.

Elderflower cordial

Old Jamaica Ginger Beer

Lemon juice

Fresh mint

1. Add a splash of elderflower cordial to your glass.

2. Squeeze in some lemon juice.

3. Gently rub the fresh mint to bruise it & release the mint oil. Throw this into your glass.

4. Top up with ginger beer.

5. Enjoy the perfect drink on a hot day!

Can be served over ice, or alternatively chill everything beforehand.

Mincemeat from mum's 1958 book

This recipe comes from one of the two recipe books my mum has given to me recently.

It was originally gifted to her and dad in 1958.  I aim to try many of these tried and tested recipes in an attempt to bring back good, old fashioned, baking.  As this is a vintage recipe, I've chosen to use imperial measurements first with the metric equivalent bracketed afterwards.

1lb Raisins (450g)

1lb Currants (450g)

1lb Sultanas (450g)

1lb Apples (450g)

1/2lb Candied peel (225g)

1/2lb Suet (225g)

Pinch salt

1/2lb Demerara sugar (225g)

1tsp Cinnamon (5ml)

2 Lemons, rind and juice

2tbs Orange marmalade (30ml)

1/4 pint Rum (125ml)

1. Coarsely chop the dried fruit and place into a large mixing bowl.

2. Peel and core the apples then chop finely. Add to the bowl.

3. Add the candied peel, suet, salt, sugar, cinnamon, rind and juice of the lemons, the marmalade and the rum.

4. Mix thoroughly together.

5. Place into sterilised jars and seal.

6. Store in a cool, dark place.

This recipe will make approx. 6lb of mincemeat and if kept in the right conditions should keep for a year.

Brandy may be used instead of rum.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

A cake with a crunchy, zingy top; perfect with a cup of tea.

100g Butter

175g Caster sugar

175g Self Raising Flour

5ml Baking powder

5ml Vanilla extract

2 eggs

30ml Milk

1 Lemon rind & juice

Topping:

1 Lemon juice

100g Granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 160C.

2. Grease & line an 18cm/7" deep round tin.

3. Beat all the ingredients for the cake together for 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer.

4. Pour into your prepared tin & level the top.

5. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

6. Whilst the cake is baking, mix together the lemon juice and sugar for the topping.

7. As soon at the cake comes out of the oven, spread the topping mixture evenly over it whilst it's still hot.

8. Leave the cake in the tin to cool completely.

9. Turn out on to a serving plate.

Salmon en Croute

Quick and relatively simple to make when using bought puff pastry.  Light and fresh in taste.  Good for you too!

500g pack of fresh Puff Pastry
4 Salmon Steaks/a side of salmon, boned and skinned
350g Philadelphia cream cheese
Fresh Dill, chopped
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
Fresh spinach
1 egg, beaten to seal & glaze

1. Preheat your oven to 220°C.
2. Remove the pastry from the fridge and allow to come up to room temp for about 10 minutes.
3. Mix together the Philadelphia cheese, chopped dill, lemon zest and juice.
4. Cut the pastry into half.
5. Roll out one half to a rectangle about 5cm larger both ways than the salmon steaks/side of salmon.
6. Spread a layer of the fresh spinach over the base of the pastry, leaving a 2cm border all round the edge.
7. Place the salmon on top of the spinach.
8. Spread the cheese/dill/lemon juice paste over the top of the salmon.
9. Top with a thin layer of spinach.
10. Brush the edges of the pastry with a little of the beaten egg.
11. Roll out the other half of the pastry and cover the salmon and spinach.
12. Seal the edges of the pastry together.
13. Brush the top with beaten egg and pierce a couple of holes in the top layer of pastry to allow the steam to escape.
14. Place onto a baking sheet and cook for 25-30 minutes until golden and cooked.

Serve with carrots and boiled potatoes.

Baked Cheesecake

10 Digestive biscuits, crushed

65g Unsalted butter, melted

500g Fromage frais

500g Philadelphia cheese

4 Eggs

1 Lemon, zested & juiced

25g Plain flour

100g Caster sugar

75g Sultanas 

1. Preheat your oven to 170°C.

2. Grease & line the base of a round 23cm/9" loose bottomed tin.

3. Mix the biscuits & butter together and press firmly into the bottom of your tin.

4. Place in the fridge to cool while you prepare the filling.

5. Whisk together the Fromage frais, Philadelphia, eggs, lemon zest and juice, flour & sugar until fully combined and smooth.

6. Stir in the sultanas to evenly distribute.

7. Remove the tin from the fridge and pour your filling in to it.  Smooth the top.

8. Place in your oven for 50-55 minutes until you can see the edges just starting to brown and there is still the slightest wobble in the centre.

9. Switch off the oven, leaving the cheesecake inside.

10. Leave the door slightly open and leave the cheesecake in there to cool completely.

11. Remove the cold cheesecake from the oven and transfer it to a serving plate.

You can serve this on its own or with puréed apricots or cherries poured over the top.

If you prefer a chocolate version of this, then omit the lemon juice, zest and sultanas. Replace them with 2tbs of cocoa combined with 2tbs water.

Cheesecake

We love cheesecake, but the stuff that supermarkets pass off leaves something to be desired, not to mention the frozen ones you can buy (don't get me started on the taste & mushiness of these), so, as requested by some of my friends over on my Facebook page, Freycob's Cakes, here's my recipe.

We were invited to friends for a BBQ today, and this is what I made for dessert to take with us. The conclusion was that this was the BEST cheesecake they've ever tasted!

400g digestive biscuits
200g butter
300ml double cream
600g Philadelphia cream cheese
1 lemon, juice & rind
4tbs caster sugar
Fruit for topping
Caster sugar to taste

1. Crush the Digestive biscuits.
2. Melt the butter.
3. Mix the butter and biscuits together then press firmly into an 20cm (8") springform tin. (I line the base of mine with parchment to make it easier to remove).
4. Place in the fridge for 30 mins to cool & set the butter.
5. Whisk the cream, Philadelphia, lemon juice, rind & sugar together until well combined and thick.
6. Spread on top of the cooled base.
7. Return to the fridge for at least an hour to cool.

You can leave it plain or use berries in season to top the cheesecake or make your own coulis as follows:

8. Blitz a large punnet of blueberries with 100g of frozen raspberries and 50g (or to taste) of caster sugar.
9. You can sieve your fruit if required, or as we like it, leave it as it is.
10. Top your slice of cheesecake with a generous portion of fruit and enjoy!

If you prefer, you can defrost 400g of frozen berries to mix with your sugar to use as your topping.

Home made Hummus

I was after something quick and tasty to cook for lunch today so this is what I made.

There are lots of recipes out there for Humous (as well as lots of ways of spelling it!) This is the one that I use;

1 x 400g tin Chick peas, drained and rinsed

½tsp (2.5ml) Sea Salt (or to taste)

3 cloves of Garlic, peeled
4 tbs (60ml) Tahini paste
1 Lemon, juiced
¼tsp (1.25ml) Cayenne pepper (or to taste)
2-4tbs Soured cream

And this is how easy it is to make...

1. Place all of the above into a food processor, apart from the soured cream, and blitz to a smooth paste (this takes a few minutes).

2. Stop the processor after each minute or so and scrape down the sides to ensure that it is all evenly blended.

3. Adjust the lemon juice, salt and Cayenne pepper to your personal taste; adding a little more if necessary.  This mixture will still be quite thick.

4. Mix in a couple of tablespoons of soured cream and blend further.

5. Continue to add the soured cream, a tablespoon at a time, and then blend until you achieve the right consistency.  Personally I like it to 'blob' off the spatula.

6. Serve with hot toasted pitta breads or vegetable sticks such as carrots, celery, peppers etc.