Using up Christmas leftovers can be a bit of a chore. I hate wasting food, but trying to use up cooked veg is a nightmare. Being a couple of greedy-guts' Mr H and I always have left overs and I'm sorry but sprouts do not work in a curry! This year I made a Christmas leftover risotto, it was lovely :)
I also found a recipe on the BBC Goodfood Website for making Risotto in the oven. This is a fab recipe, particularly just after Christmas when you maybe a bit cooked out! You just need to throw it all in a pan, stick in the oven and go and have a glass of wine for 18 mins then serve it! Perfect!
Serves 4
300g Risotto Rice
25g butter
1/2 glass of Wine
50g Parmesan
1 Onion
cooked Christmas veg (roast parsnip, sprouts, carrots, roast spuds!)
cooked stuffing
Cooked Turkey
700ml stock (chicken or even better turkey)
1, Pre-heat oven at 200C
2, Fry the onion for a couple of mins in the butter until soft(use an oven proof pan with a tight fitting lid which is also oven proof!)
3, Add the rice and mix well. Pour over the wine, mix well and cook gently until wine is absorbed.
4, Stir in your veg and meat then the chicken or turkey stock (make sure veg and meat is cut into bite size pieces)
5, Mix well, put on lid and pop in oven for 18 mins
6, remove from oven and check liquid has been absorbed, if not pop back in for a few minutes. When ready stir in the grated Parmesan and serve
Saturday, 27 December 2008
Friday, 19 December 2008
How to make the best Christmas Sausage Rolls
Anyone can make sausage rolls, so this year, don't buy them from the Supermarket, make them! Homemade are so much better and after all, it's not Christmas without them!
Rule No. 1 = Good quality sausage meat. There is no way of getting away from the fact that the filling makes the pie! Go to a butcher and get fresh proper sausage meat. Check its British pork. (for reasons why, see the attached article http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/food_matters/britishpork.shtml
Rule No. 2 = Short crust or Flaky Pastry? That is the question. Ok, I personally prefer a flaky for a sausage roll, it also gives me a great excuse to buy a ready-made pastry! You can get decent ready made pastry these days, and too be honest, as much as I love cooking, I have no desire to make my own flaky pastry! If you prefer shortcrust, go for it. Short crust pastry is dead easy to make. (Note - There is no shame in buying ready made pastry) ;)
Rule No. 3 = Add Some Red Onion Jam :) Oh yes, this is what makes them best in my opinion.
So... roll out the pastry into a large rectangle. Smear red onion jam along the centre, going down the long side. Add the sausage meat. Now, remember you want to keep the width fairly thin as you need it to cook through, but not so thin it cooks away to a crunch! About the width of a 50p is a good ratio! Add a nice long thin snake of the meat, brush round the rectangle's edges with a beaten egg, then roll. Cut into 1" long pieces, and cook on approx 175 for 35 mins.
Cool on a cooling rack, remember that jam is going to be very hot!
Rule No. 1 = Good quality sausage meat. There is no way of getting away from the fact that the filling makes the pie! Go to a butcher and get fresh proper sausage meat. Check its British pork. (for reasons why, see the attached article http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/food_matters/britishpork.shtml
Rule No. 2 = Short crust or Flaky Pastry? That is the question. Ok, I personally prefer a flaky for a sausage roll, it also gives me a great excuse to buy a ready-made pastry! You can get decent ready made pastry these days, and too be honest, as much as I love cooking, I have no desire to make my own flaky pastry! If you prefer shortcrust, go for it. Short crust pastry is dead easy to make. (Note - There is no shame in buying ready made pastry) ;)
Rule No. 3 = Add Some Red Onion Jam :) Oh yes, this is what makes them best in my opinion.
So... roll out the pastry into a large rectangle. Smear red onion jam along the centre, going down the long side. Add the sausage meat. Now, remember you want to keep the width fairly thin as you need it to cook through, but not so thin it cooks away to a crunch! About the width of a 50p is a good ratio! Add a nice long thin snake of the meat, brush round the rectangle's edges with a beaten egg, then roll. Cut into 1" long pieces, and cook on approx 175 for 35 mins.
Cool on a cooling rack, remember that jam is going to be very hot!
Monday, 15 December 2008
We got Chickens!
We have been talking about it for ages, and we finally did it. Pete and Dud have arrived. Yes, rather a strange name for girls! They were named before their arrival, in all honesty their names were chosen years ago when Mr H and I talk about our dream of a small holding. I felt guilty that there poor girls had boys names, so although we call them Pete & Dud, their full names are now Petal and Dandelion.
Hopefully we will get eggs, free range organic eggs! They are also apparently great pets, easy to look after as well. Our research persuaded us to go for an Egglu. If you are interested in owning chickens, check out their website. I really would recommend them, the service is second to none and the Hen House is SO easy to clean ;)
http://www.omlet.co.uk
Here are some pictures of the girls!
Dud (left) Pete (right)
In the Egglu
The Cat watches on.... He thinks DINNER!
Hopefully we will get eggs, free range organic eggs! They are also apparently great pets, easy to look after as well. Our research persuaded us to go for an Egglu. If you are interested in owning chickens, check out their website. I really would recommend them, the service is second to none and the Hen House is SO easy to clean ;)
http://www.omlet.co.uk
Here are some pictures of the girls!
Dud (left) Pete (right)
In the Egglu
The Cat watches on.... He thinks DINNER!
Christmas Red Cabbage, by Phil
I love slow braised red cabbage, but not with dried fruit or apples, I don't know why, I just don't. I have tried and failed my own recipes, and I have tried internet recipes, and none live up to the mark of how I want my red cabbage!
My wonderful foody friend, Phil, gave m this recipe, her own, which I tried. Yes, it was perfect. Thank you Phil, you're the best! :)
1 red Cabbage, sliced
4 tbs Red Wine Vinegar
4 Tbs Brown Sugar
1 Red Onion, sliced
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 large glass of red wine
Glug of olive oil
Knob of butter
1, Fry the sliced cabbage and onion in olive oil and butter for about 10 mins until softening
2, Add Spices and mix well
3, Then add vinegar and brown sugar, mix well
4, Finally add the win and mix well.
5, bring to the boil, then tip into a casserole dish with a lid, stir and cook in oven on approx 150 for 2 hours.
My family tradition means no leftovers on boxing day, mum always made roast beef! As fate would have it, Mr H is the only person I know who's family did the same! This red cabbage dish I think works so well with roast beef. However, this year Mr H and I are having roast venison for boxing day, and again, this is going to work really well.
My wonderful foody friend, Phil, gave m this recipe, her own, which I tried. Yes, it was perfect. Thank you Phil, you're the best! :)
1 red Cabbage, sliced
4 tbs Red Wine Vinegar
4 Tbs Brown Sugar
1 Red Onion, sliced
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 large glass of red wine
Glug of olive oil
Knob of butter
1, Fry the sliced cabbage and onion in olive oil and butter for about 10 mins until softening
2, Add Spices and mix well
3, Then add vinegar and brown sugar, mix well
4, Finally add the win and mix well.
5, bring to the boil, then tip into a casserole dish with a lid, stir and cook in oven on approx 150 for 2 hours.
My family tradition means no leftovers on boxing day, mum always made roast beef! As fate would have it, Mr H is the only person I know who's family did the same! This red cabbage dish I think works so well with roast beef. However, this year Mr H and I are having roast venison for boxing day, and again, this is going to work really well.
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