Butter Sauce

This recipe is really useful. It goes well with so many different things and is rich and delicious. I had it for lunch today over green beans and a poached egg. I tried Heston Blumenthal's method for making the egg and I'm impressed. Came out perfectly - the white soft but totally set and the yolk runny.
This sauce also works well over fried sprats (or tinned sardines), chicken, hard boiled eggs... what ever you have handy.

1 egg yolk
2 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp white wine vinegar

Put all the ingredients into a bowl over a pan of hot, steaming water. If you have a very thick bottomed pan you might just get away with making it straight in there (I have one that works) but it is much less likely to scramble over an indirect heat. Keep stirring while the butter melts and then until it begins to thicken. Serve immediatly.

Custard

Homemade custard is nice and easy and very tasty. You can make it without the flour but it's slightly tricker and you need to cook it over a double boiler. I tend to make this cheaters version!

10 fl oz cream
3 egg yolks
1 tbsp splenda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cornflour or arrowroot

Put the yolks, cornflour and sweetener in a bowl and mix. Heat the cream and vanilla to near boiling. Pour a little of the hot cream into the yolk mixture and stir quickly in. Keep adding the cream a little at a time until it's all combined. Pour the custard back into the saucepan and gently heat until thickened.

Ketchup

I was having a domestic goddess like day today and made three bottles of this! It's from a Jaime Oliver programme I think.

2 onions
2 tsps fennel seeds
2 heaped tsps coriander seeds
4 cloves
2 thumb size pieces of ginger
4 cloves garlic
2 red chilies
500g ripe tomatoes
handful of fresh basil
1 litre passata
250 ml red wine vinegar
50g brown sugar
12 level tbsp sucralose (splenda)

Chop and sweat the onions with a little olive oil for 15 minutes. Grind the fennel seeds, coriander seeds and cloves with a coffee grinder or pestle and mortar and add to the onions. Chop the ginger, garlic and chili and add. Halve the tomatoes and add with the passata, vinegar, sugar and sweetener. Cut the leaves off the basil and set aside. Chop the stems and add. Simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes. Take off the heat and add the basil. Blend it in batches and sieve. Bottle in sterilised jars.

Note - my kids liked this but much prefered the next batch where I used about 170ml of vinegar instead. I loved the sharper one but it's not so kid friendly.

Mayonnaise

I love home made mayonnaise - so creamy and delicious. It isn't that hard to make (despite it's reputation) and the process is like magic - how the glossy and creamy mayo appears from yolks and oil! Plus it makes a great dairy-free butter substitute for my son (we have also been using hummus but I can't see that making a great egg salad).

1 egg yolk
6 fl oz oil (I used a light olive oil but any oil or fat will work - even lard)
pinch salt
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
* 1 tsp whey or sauerkraut juice (optional)

Whisk or blend the egg yolk with a pinch of salt. Add a drop of oil and whisk/blend in. Once that is gone then add another drop. Keep adding oil - really slowly - for a few minutes. The mixture should be getting thicker. Add the mustard and lemon juice and whisk in. Then keep adding the oil. As you go on you can start adding the oil a little faster but be patient and don't rush things. If you do add the oil too quickly and the mixture curdles then don't panic. It can be fixed really easily. When no one is looking grab a clean bowl and a new yolk and slowly add the curdled mixture a drop at a time (like you were adding oil). It will come out just as normal. You can also get creative and add things like garlic, chopped herbs and spices to make flavoured mayonnaise's. They will keep for 3-4 weeks in the fridge.

* If you can tolerate dairy then you can also add a tsp of whey to the mixture. Then if you leave it to stand for 7 hours at room temp before refrigerating you get a probiotic mayonnaise which will be a little thicker and last longer. If dairy is a problem then you can substitute sauerkraut juice to the same effect.

Cheese dip

This is a very simple and lazy cheese dip and it tastes just divine! Just add some finely grated cheese to creme fraiche and enjoy! You can use different cheese for different tastes - blue cheese is delicious but a mix of cheddar and Parmesan is more kid friendly (to most kids - mine love Stilton - definately my kids!).
You can add extras - like onion or chives. Or leave out the cheese and add garlic and dill. All good!

Creme fraiche

This is really easy to make. I make it myself because I can't buy organic creme fraiche and I also know that is it live and full of goodness.

Take 250g of double cream and put it in a jar. Add a tablespoonful or so of live cultured buttermilk (most supermarkets will have this). Stir through and leave in a warm spot for about 24 hours. There - creme fraiche! I just put mine into one of my kitchen cupboards the night before I want to use it and just like magic, the next evening it is set and ready.

A spoonful of creme fraiche is just the thing to finish off soups.

Slow roasted duck with Bramley apple sauce

My Mum made this for us yesterday - delicious!

The duck was placed in a roasting pan on a trivet with half a lemon (use the other half for the apple sauce) in the cavity and covered with tin foil. She then roasted it in a low oven (gas mark 3 or 4) for about three hours, removing the foil for the last 20 minutes to crisp the skin. Mmmmm!

Bramley apple sauce

1 lb Bramley apples
1 oz unrefined sugar
4 tbsp water
juice of half a lemon
knob of butter

Peel and roughly chop the apples. Place in a pan with the lemon juice, water and sugar and stew (covered on a low heat) for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can then whisk or puree the sauce to the consistency you like, adding the butter to make it silkier and delicious.
If you have any left over this is great with pancakes or porridge the next day. Also (famously) goes well with pork.

Tuna cobbler

No posts for a few days - we've all had a terrible tummy bug so food has really not been on my mind!

Breakfast
Kids: soaked oat porridge
Me: Fruit kefir smoothie


Lunch
Fried egg and chips. Still not quite back to healthy eating....


Dinner
Tuna cobbler with broad beans and peas

Tuna cobbler
Savoury scones - probably 2 per person depending on appetite
Tinned tuna
White sauce

Pour the white sauce over the (drained) tuna and top with the scones! This is a comfort food from my youth - my mum used to make it a lot.

White sauce
1 oz butter
1 oz plain flour
1 pt milk

Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Add the flour and stir until it is all combined. Cook for a moment or two over a gentle heat. Add the milk very slowly, a splash at a time, stirring it all in before adding the next splash. When all the milk is added, bring to the boil and simmer gently, stirring for a few more minutes so that the flour is cooked through.

Thai chicken salad,

Breakfast

For the kids: breakfast cookies: smoothie
For me: smoothie (and a breakfast cookie that broke so of course had to be tasted!)

I used 2 tbsp of sugar in the cookies this morning, and 1/4 cup of yogurt instead of milk and they were delicious. No not sweet enough complaints from dd and they all vanished extra quickly.


Lunch

Thai chicken salad
Left over cooked chicken
salad leaves
1-2 tbsp peanut butter
1/4 cup yogurt
1 tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 tbsp lime juice

Mix together the peanut butter, yogurt, chili sauce and lime juice in a pan. Warm through and pour over chicken and salad leaves.

Dinner

For the kids: the dinner they didn't touch last night (roast chicken, new potatoes, cabbage and gravy) - they were too tired after spending the weekend with their Dad
For me: coconut chicken soup

Fruity kefir smoothie, buttermilk scones, onion gravy

Breakfast

For the baby: Eggs scrambled with butter and chicken stock
For me: fruity kefir smoothie

Fruity kefir smoothie

I thought I'd write this down as it was so tasty!

1/2 cup kefir (I used some that had aged 24 hours at room temp so it was sour and fizzy)
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 large banana
1/2 pack of raspberries (a good handful)
1 egg yolk

Blend! This was delicious - sweet and sour and refreshing. I think next time I'll add a spoonful of coconut oil to it though as it didn't quite keep me going until lunch - I was starting to get grouchy!


Lunch

Pies from the market and salad. These pies are great - made locally from natural ingredients and they are just delicious.

Dinner

Sausages, buttermilk scones, onion gravy, baby broad beans and cabbage. The first broad beans from the garden this year!

Buttermilk scones
(makes 6)
1 1/2 cups freshly ground whole wheat flour (use 1/3 white flour for a lighter scone)
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp melted butter or lard
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Mix the flour and buttermilk into a thick dough and leave to soak 12 - 24 hours in a warm place. Knead in the remaining ingredients (can use food processor if you can be bothered washing it up - I couldn't!) and roll out to 3/4 inch thickness on a well floured surface. Cut out scone shapes with a glass or cutter. Bake in a 350oF oven for about 20-40 minutes (I know - big time difference! The recipe says 40 minutes, but mine were done in 20 so start checking early).

This recipe is from Nourishing traditions (under biscuits - it's American). It gives a dense scone but it has loads of flavour - nutty and delicious. Great with onion gravy (what isn't?) and I would bet fab made with sugar and raisins and served with clotted cream and jam (so have to try that out!). These do work much better with some white flour in - otherwise they can be a bit bullet-like.


Onion Gravy
2-3 onions (sweet red ones are ideal)
50g butter
250 ml chicken or beef stock
1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)

Fry the onions in the butter, stirring regularly, until soft (about 20 mins). Turn the heat right down and leave to cook, uncovered, for 1-2 hours, until caramelised and delicious. Add the other ingredients and bring to a simmer. Check the seasoning and serve.
I could eat this with every meal - so tasty.

Soaked oat porridge, cottage pie

Breakfast

For me - surprise - another smoothie!
For the kids - soaked oat porridge

Soaked oat porridge
Serves three small children with big appetites
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 tbsp yogurt/whey/kefir etc or 2 tsp vinegar/lemon juice
1 tbsp freshly ground wheat (optional)
Milk or water

Mix the first three ingredients together with enough water to slightly cover the oats. Cover with a towel and leave in a warm place overnight.
Put the oat mixture in a pan and add milk or water. How much depends on how thick you like the porridge, but add enough to cover the oats. Heat through, stirring until the oats are cooked (only takes a minute or two). My kids love this with a little cold milk poured over the top and some maple syrup.


Lunch

A salad made with veg from the garden, a tin of tuna, some sauerkraut and sauerrueben and blue cheese dressing.

Blue cheese dressing
This comes from nourishing traditions
Makes 1 cup
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp plus 1 tsp raw vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp expeller pressed flax oil
2-4 tbsp blue cheese

Pulse ingredients in a food processor until well combined. You could also mash the cheese in with a fork but this takes ages - worth washing the food processor for!

Dinner

Cottage pie

500 g beef mince
2 carrots, chopped
1-2 tbsp cooking oil
1 onion chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 cup beef stock
4 medium potatoes, cooked and mashed with butter and milk
Grated cheese and sesame seeds (optional)

Fry the onion in the oil until translucent. Add the beef and brown. Add the carrots, tomatoes and stock and simmer until reduced to a thick sauce.
Place meat into a casserole dish and top with the mashed potatoes. Use a fork to mark the top into lines (helps it go crispier) and add cheese and sesame seeds, if using.
Cook at gas mark 6 for about 45 minutes, until the cheese is golden and crispy. Alternatively if you are in a hurry you can eat it as is, or brown the top under the grill - though this doesn't give the same crispiness.

Broccoli and peanut soup, Lentil Dal, Parathas, Raitha

Breakfast

Eggs scrambled with coconut oil, butter and milk

Lunch

Broccoli and peanut soup
Serves 4
Large head of broccoli
Onion
Pint of stock (I use chicken but vegetable would do)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons peanut butter
Dash of cream

Peel and chop onion. Saute in the butter. Wash and chop broccoli and add to pan when onion is softened. Add stock and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Add peanut butter and blend. Add a swirl of cream to the bowls when serving.
Variation - if you have no stock then use a pint of milk instead and leave out cream.

Popular with my kids as long as I call it peanut butter soup and forget to mention the broccoli!


Dinner

Lentil dal with parathas and cucumber raitha

Dal
Serves 4
7 oz red split lentils or puy lentils (washed and soaked overnight)
1 1/2 pints water
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
2oz ghee or unsalted butter
Onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground corriander
1 fresh green chilli, seeded and finely chopped
salt and pepper

Drain lentils and transfer to large saucepan. Add water and tumeric and bring to the boil. Skim off any scum that comes to the surface and simmer on a low heat for 1-1 1/2 hours, until lentils are tender and mushy.
Heat ghee/butter and fry onion and garlic until soft and browned. Add spices and chilli and cook until they smell wonderful (2-3 minutes). Stir onions into lentils and add salt and pepper to taste. If using red lentils you can stir them up to a mushy paste if you like, or leave them more intact.

Paratha
Serves 4 , or one of my kids!

6oz wholemeal flour (preferably fresh ground)
6 1/2 oz plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
About 10 tablespoons coconut oil or melted ghee
7 fl oz water

Mix flours and salt in a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and rub in until it looks like course breadcrumbs. Add the water a bit at a time until you have a soft ball (takes 5-7 oz usually). Turn out onto a clean surface and knead for about 10 minutes. Rub with 1/4 tsp oil and cover with plastic. Leave for at least 3 hours.
Put a large cast iron frying pan over a medium-low heat. Divide dough into 12 equal balls. Using flour where needed, roll the first ball out into a 6 inch circle. Brush half of the circle with 1/4 tsp of the oil and fold in half. Brush the top with a little more oil and fold again. Roll out again into a triangle with 7 inch sides. Place in frying pan and brush the top with 1tsp oil. Cook for about 30 seconds on each side - the parathas should have reddish brown spots on them. When they are cooked, put them on a plate with another plate inverted over the top, or cover with tin foil.

Cucumber raitha

300 ml natural yogurt
1/4 Grated cucumber
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or 1 tsp mint sauce

Toast cumin seeds in a dry frying pan until darker brown and aromatic. Mix all ingredients together and allow to sit in the fridge a while for the flavours to combine.

No pics today - it all got eaten too fast!