Garlic Potato Salad (V)

A good thing to bring to a BBQ, picnic or an accompaniment for a meal or another recipe of mine (*cough* HERE *cough*)

Serves 4

600g Charlotte Potatoes, cut in half
Bunch of Spring Onions, chopped
Bunch of Chives, Chopped
2tbsp Half Fat Creme Fraiche
2 tbsp Mayonnaise
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
Splash of White Wine Vinegar
Splash of Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper

1. Boil the Potaotes for 5 - 10 minutes until soft. Drain and to cool.

2. Make the sauce, mix the mayonnaise, creme fraiche, Garlic, white wine vinegar, lemon juice and garlic cloves with salt and pepper.

3. In a large bowl add the potaotes, chives and spring onion with the sauce. Give a good mix until the potatoes are covered. Serve

Summer Roast Chicken

The weather outside is lovely and I want a lovely end of the week meal to reflect this. The main attraction is this chicken. Serve with potato salad, salad leave, couscous or whatever you want.

Serves 4-6 People

1 Whole Chicken
1 Lemon, cut into wedges
Handful of Rosemary Sprigs
Handful of Thyme Sprigs
200ml White Wine
Olive Oil
4/6 Strips of Streaky Bacon
Salt and Pepper
6 Garlic Cloves

1.Preheat the oven to 190c/170c Fan Assisted (If the packaging has different times follow those)

2. Begin by taking the chicken out of the packet and cutting the string. Prepare the chicken by putting lemon wedges around the chicken (between the legs and the wins) and any remaining in the chicken. Do the same with the garlic cloves. Pour the wine over the chicken.  Scatter the herbs around the chicken and a few in the chicken. Layer the bacon the strips over the breasts. Rub olive oil over the chicken and grind salt and pepper over the chicken. Cover with foil

3. General rule of thumb for roasting a whole chicken is 45 minutes per kg, plus 20 minutes. For my chicken it was in the oven for 1 hour and 45 minutes. (do the math and comment what the weight of my chicken was). Remove foil 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time.

4. Leave to rest for 10 minutes. Test the chicken is cooked thoroughly by sticking a skewer through the thickest part, if the juices are clear then it has cooked thoroughly. If they don't then put back in the oven. Cut up and serve.

Lemon Drizzle Cake with Candied Peels

Another Birthday, another cake. Was really proud of this one. The person's favourite cake is lemon drizzle and I don't like to disappoint. Super moist and candied peel made a lovely addition which made it unique. Dedicated to Dan, whose Birthday I baked it for.

Makes 1 Cake

You will need 20cm Square Cake Tin

Cake Batter
225g Butter cybed at room temperature
225g Caster Sugar
2 Zests of Lemon
250g Self Raising Flour
2 tbsp Lemon Curd
25g Poppy Seeds
1 tsp Baking Powder
3 Large Eggs

Drizzle
100g Granulated Sugar
3 tbsp Lemon Juice (Use the juice of the lemons)

Candied Peels
40g Caster Sugar
100ml Water,
Sliced Rinds of Lemons

1. Grease a 20cm cake tin with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan assisted.

2. In a bowl cream the butter and sugar together. Then add the eggs and mix. Add the lemon zest, lemon curd, poppy seeds, baking powder & self raising flour and give a good mix.

3. Tip the mixture in the greased cake tin and put in the centre of the oven for 30-40 minutes.

4. To make the candied peels, in a pan add the ingredients and allow to boil. Once the sugar has dissolved allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Get some greaseproof paper and place the candied peels on the paper. Allow to cool. They should begin to harden.

5. To make the drizzle, mix the ingredients. Once the cake has baked, allow to cool and remove from tin. Top with drizzle and place the candied peels on top. Enjoy!

Easter Milkshakes

So did not update last week and thought I would give you two Easter treats. I love a milkshake sweet and delectable. You can put anything. There are two (yes, two recipes) that are Easter themed. Super yummy.

Serves 2

Creme Egg Milkshake

3 Creme Eggs, chopped
4 Scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream
500ml Whole Milk

Topping
Whipped Cream
Chocolate Sauce
1 Creme Egg cut in quarter (optional)

1. In a blender, blend the creme eggs, ice cream and whole milk. Should be combined.

2. Around a glass squirt chocolate around the rim of the glass so it drips round the glass. Pour in the milkshake, then squirt the whipped cream, top with 2 quarters of creme egg and squirt a bit of chocolate sauce.

Malteaster Bunny Milkshake

3 Malteaser Bunnies, chopped
4 Scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream
500ml Whole Milk

Topping
Whipped Cream
Chocolate Sauce
2 Mini Malteser Bunnies (optional)

1. In a blender, blend the malteaser bunnies, ice cream and whole milk. Should be combined.

2. Around a glass squirt chocolate around the rim of the glass so it drips round the glass. Pour in the milkshake, then squirt the whipped cream, top with a mini malteaser bunny and squirt a bit of chocolate sauce.

Beast from the East Stew

Where is all this snow coming from? We need another cold weather warmer now. Bring in the stew

Serves 6-8

750g Stewing Beef

75g Plain Flour

250g Chestnut Mushrooms, quartered

1 Large Onion, chopped

1.25l Beef Stock

1 Sweede, Chopped

1 Turnip, chopped

1 tbsp Tomato Puree

2 tsp Dried Rosemary

2 tsp Dried Parsley

2, Garlic Cloves, crushed

1 tbsp Dijon Mustard

Couple of Shakes of Worcestershire Sauce

250ml Glass of Red Wine

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

1. In a freezer bag add the flour, salt and Pepper and the beef. Close up the bag and give a shake until the beef is coated. In a frying pan add the olive oil and heat over a medium heat and add the beef in batches. Cook the beef until it has browned. Put aside for later. 

2. In the frying pan add the onion, garlic and mushrooms. Fry for 2-3 minutes until onions have softened. Add more olive oil if not much oil in pan. 

3. In a slow cooker add the beef, onion, garlic, mushrooms and rest of the ingredients. Give this a good mix.

Leave for the following:

- Low - 7 - 8 Hours
- Medium -  5 - 6 Hours
- High - 3 - 4 Hours

4. Serve with mash and carrots

Lemon and Poppy Seed Cake

Never cooked/baked with Poppy Seeds  before and I thought I would give it a go. The combination of poppy seeds and lemon worked really well. Plus super easy to make. 

Need a 20cm square cake tin

50g Poppy Seed

200ml Whole Milk

225g Caster Sugar

3 Eggs

350g Self Raising Flour

225 Butter

1 Lemon, Juice and Rind

Topping

300g Icing Sugar

5 tbsp Lemon Juice

Poppy Seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan assisted. Grease the cake tin with greaseproof paper.

2. Cream the butter and caster sugar together. Then add the eggs and give a good mix. Then the milk and mix.

3. Gradually add the flour and mix. When fully mixed add the juice and rind of the lemon and poppy seeds. Once all combined put the cake mixture in the cake tin. Put in the oven for 40-50 minutes in the centre of the pre heated oven. Check if its baked all the way through by checking the centre of the cake is fully baked. 

4. Once baked leave out on a wire rack to cool. Mix the icing sugar and lemon juice 1 tbsp at a time. You should get a thick consistency. Spread on top of the cake when cake has cooled. Sprinkle on poppy seeds. Serve

Quick and Simple Strawberry Cheesecake

So you want a dessert but don't want to spend too much time on it? Or you want something quick and easy for Saturday night? I made this in 10 minutes. It will surely impress the guests

Serves 4

4/5 Shortbread Fingers (You can use homemade ones)
Punnet of Strawberries
300g Cream Cheese
2 ½ tbsp Icing Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Essence

You will need 4 Ramekins

1. Put the shortbread in a freezer bag and crush with a rolling pin. Put these in the base of the ramekin

2. In a bowl add the cream cheese. 1½ tbsp Icing Sugar and optional vanilla. Give a good mix til combined, Put on top of the crushed shortbread.

3. Blitz all the strawberries apart from 1 with a tbsp of icing sugar. Top the cream cheese with the blitz strawberries. Cut the last strawberry into quarters and top the cheesecake. They can be made a few hours before just refrigerate