cabbage roses and cupcakes

sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 07:15:00 +0000

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gentle winds stirring through seasoned branches,
verdant and unyielding,

sharp mineral smell of rain on the gentle air
softly cloaking my shoulders;

thoughtful, quiet;
grateful for all that I am blessed with . . .

peaceful thoughts to nourish the soul . . . gentle food to nourish the body: we become what we are made of

Super Simple Superfruit Smoothie

ingredients:

1 cup fresh (or frozen) mixed summer berries
2 juicy nectarines - roughly chopped
1 cup fresh spinach leaves
juice of half a lemon
2 cups water
2 teaspoons ground flax seeds
a few coconut flakes to decorate

directions:

blitz all of the ingredients except coconut flakes together in blender / smoothie maker until completely smooth
adjust with more water if needed to get the consistency you prefer

relax and enjoy :)

. . . and maybe listen to a little Holden - Renata (Daphni remix)

note: if you like things a little sweeter add some honey/agave nectar, or replace nectarines with banana - although doing this will mean it isn't suitable for food combining.

There are lots of theories and diets surrounding the idea of 'healthy' eating - it can be very confusing, but I definitely feel better and more energetic when I eat food that's as close to nature as possible (organic and non-processed), that's mostly alkaline forming (check out a list of alkaline foods on this wonderful blog by The Alkaline Sisters, a large proportion of raw food, and in a beneficial combination that works with my body rather than against it!:

mostly veg and fruits (lots of variety and lots of greens!)

nuts and seeds

quinoa

eggs and fish

and lots of water - here's why!

it really doesn't have to be complicated - but it does have to be packed with flavour and delicious :))

change . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 11:34:00 +0000

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so . . . gradually, slowly, I can feel life shifting, changing - and it's changing all because I decided to go live the life I had imagined.

When I realised that my life is what it is because of my expectations and the choices I make, and that those start with thoughts, it was all very simple!

I needed to start making choices based on what I really wanted, instead of what I thought I could have . . .

Well, that may sound very simplistic, and it is . . . once I realised that if I wanted my life to be a certain way it was no good making choices that didn't reflect that. If you want beautiful things in your life, you'll never have them while you choose second best in the belief that it's the best that you can have - if it's not right, don't compromise. If you compromise your dreams then you have a life full of compromises and not the beauty, love, and bright energy that we all carry inside us, but so often hide, just because someone else says they don't like us that way!

It's taken me a long time to get here, and every lesson learned has been a blessing . . . but now it's time to claim 'me' back. Now that I know that it's me who creates it, it's time to go live that wonderful life; without apology and with grace and love . . .

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The way I think about food is changing too - although way back in the 80's I got interested in the principles of the Hay Diet as an approach to eating better, and it grew my life-long fascination with the connection between food and well-being. Food as sustenance as well as just great taste; surely one of life's great pleasures is sharing food with those you love!

With so many fabulous blogs out there, an alternative take on what we eat is so easy to explore now, with exciting and inspiring ideas and so many wonderfully creative people . . . so here's a start with some fantastic grain free pancakes that will leave you energised and wanting more, instead of full and flumpy like the traditional heavy ones made with wheat!

After all - wheat's not the only grain - think outside of the box!

Grain Free Banana Pancakes

(very slighlty adapted from the wonderful straight into bed cakefree and dried blog)

Ingredients:

1 large banana
1 large free range egg
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup arrowroot
ground almonds - any nuts will do, but I had almonds to hand

Directions:

Blitz all ingredients except the nuts and the arrowroot in a food processor
pulse in arrowroot briefly until mixed
slowly add the ground nuts - I used almonds - until you get a fairly thick batter - think drop-scones or american pancakes!
heat your skillet and lightly oil, then drop in about 2 tablespoons of the mixture at a time and cook over a lowish heat to avoid them burning before they're cooked through

I topped mine with some home-made salted caramel that I still had from making cupcakes a while back, and some toasted almonds for crunch - yum!

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined"

Henry David Thoreau

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april showers and chocolate mousse!

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:18:00 +0000

Another blustery wet April afternoon sent me to the kitchen in search of comfort . . . . .and I found it in the form of Chocolate Mousse!

I've had this recipe from the amazing blog My New Roots earmarked for quite a while, and today seemed like just the perfect day for something indulgent. But, what makes this even better is that it's made from avocado and dates so it's actually good for you too!

. . . and, it tastes amazing!

I've been aware of vegan/raw alternatives for Chocolate Mousse for a while, in terms of getting the chocolate hit without all the heavy dairy. Although I wasn't quite convinced that it really would taste like the real thing.

I can tell you, it tastes even better! Smooth and creamy, super chocolatey and it leaves you feeling great. Plus it's all good - avocado, dates, cocoa, honey - and topped off with some chopped pecans for a bit of added crunch.

Amazing Chocolate Mousse

( adapted slightly from My New Roots)

2 ripe avocados

6 dried dates - soaked to soften

1-2 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp good quality cocoa powder

Scoop the flesh from the avocado into a blender - add all the other ingredients and whizz everything to a smooth paste.

Pile into serving dish and dust with some crunchy chopped nuts and you're good to go!

“Every tear is answered by a blossom,

Every sigh with songs and laughter blent,

April-blooms upon the breezes toss them.

April knows her own, and is content.”

- Susan Coolidge -

Vintage baking . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 14:41:00 +0000

Yesterday I bought some really cute vintage ACME baking tins from the Car Boot sale . . .

. . and, I couldn't wait to christen them.

So, today I've made some baby Orange Poppyseed Cakes glazed with marmalade adapted from this brilliant recipe by Tom Dolby

Orange Poppyseed Cakes
Recipe

2 medium oranges

350g caster sugar
150g self-raising flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
150g ground almonds
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
3 eggs
175g caster sugar
good quality marmalade to glaze

to make cakes . . .

sllice the whole oranges thinly and poach with 400mls of water and the sugar until they are tender (about 20 mins) - leave to cool

measure the dry ingredients for the cake into a bowl and mix together

puree 100g of the oranges with 75mls of the poaching water

in a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together until they are very pale and fluffy - you'll know it's ready when the mixture looks a bit like the consistency of whipped cream

now, fold the orange puree very lightly into the whisked eggs and sugar

fold in the rest of the dry ingredients, but don't overmix or you will knock out all the air you've worked so hard to whisk in!

spoon mixture into bun cases and bake at Gas 4 / 180C for about 15 to 20 mins until they are golden and spring back to the touch

leave to cool for a few minutes while you melt a couple of tablespoons of marmalade gently in a saucepan. Then, glaze the baby cakes liberally with the marmalade

. . . they are lovely warm from the oven! . . . and the marmalade makes them a good choice for a sweet breakfast treat too

pea green and a new camera app!

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:07:00 +0000

Yes, it's true ...... I have a passion for peas!

One of my favourite ways of eating them (and there are so many!) is in a pea guacamole. Especially at this time of year, when it makes a welcome change to eat food that not only looks good, but tastes fresh and zingy too!

It's really so simple to make, and can be paired with so many things. As a dip it's lovely with tortilla chips and summer crudites - or stir in some creme fraiche and heat to make a creamy sauce for pasta or chicken - or, thin down with olive oil to make a punchy salad dressing.

Today I've added it as a side with a steamed curried fish parcel This is a brilliant, quick, no fuss way to cook fish - and also requires next to no washing up!....

Both recipes are based on versions on a theme from various sources, and tweaked to my own tastes, as ever! ........ and the colours looked so vibrant together that I couldn't resist getting creative with a new camera app

Pea Guacamole
200g frozen peas - cooked for 5 mins and cooled
half a red onion
2 cloves garlic
half a teaspoon cumin
juice of 1 lime
1 small red chilli
half a small bunch of fresh coriander
olive oil
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Method
- place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth
- drizzle in olive oil to the required consistency
- cover and chill until ready to serve

Fragrant Curried Fish Parcels
2 firm white fish steaks
1 tablespoon thick natural yoghurt
1 tablespoon curry paste of your choice
1 tablespoon creamed coconut
juice of half a lime
a couple of tablespoons of chopped coriander

Method

- mix together curry paste, yoghurt, coconut, lime juice and coriander and rub the marinade into the fish. Cover and chill for as long as possible - at least half an hour -
- to cook - set oven to 200 C / Gas 6
- place fish onto a double layer of baking paper, or foil and cover in the remaining marinade
- wrap the fish up into a parcel, being careful to make sure that it is sealed
- cook for 15-20 mins, depending on the thickness of the fish. It is cooked when the flesh has turned opaque

serve straight away with rice, green salad or the colourful pea guacamole

new arrival!

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:49:00 +0000

pretty pink and white cupcakes to welcome a new arrival!

in search of the perfect Chocolate Brownie!

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:39:00 +0000

You know how it is when you have a tried and tested recipe that you come back to time and again.....well, for years I've used a Mary Berry recipe that never fails to produce a dense, fudgy, chocolatey brownie every time. But, being me, I'm always curious to try out new ideas in search of the definitive recipe.

So, when I saw this recipe for Fudgy Coconut Brownies on the Good Food website I was immediately intrigued; coconut in brownies? hmmm, that's an interesting twist! I have had the recipe bookmarked for ages, but the other day was grey and miserable with just enough of a hint of Autumn in the air to make me think of the warm comfort of baking and filling the house with the aroma of chocolate! The perfect excuse to try out - Coconut Brownies!

This time I didn't make any adjustments to the original recipe because I really liked the way they turned out. Unlike other brownie recipes there is no melted chocolate in the mixture, but they tasted so deeply chocolatey that you would never guess. Despite the name there is really just a hint of coconut in the taste, but it gives the brownies a lovely chewy texture.....and they are very addictive; I had eaten two before they'd even cooled down!

Coconut Brownies

(Recipe from BBC Good Food)

100g cocoa

250g butter

500g caster sugar

4 eggs

100g self-raising flour

100g dessicated coconut

Heat oven to 180C / Gas 4 and line a 21cm square tin with baking paper - I used a standard size swiss roll tin

Melt the butter gently in a large saucepan and then stir in the cocoa and caster sugar until melted and combined. Be careful because it will catch and burn if not stirred constantly

Take off the heat and cool for a few minutes then beat in the rest of the ingredients until well mixed

Pour into prepared tin and bake for about 40 mins until set. Leave to cool in tin and then turn out, dust with icing sugar and cut up into chunky pieces

Beware - they won't last very long!

fresh peach and blackberry muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 13:23:00 +0000

Following on from my foray with the summer berries and loaf cake, I'm continuing with a bit of a Summer theme.....this time with peach and blackberry muffins. It's not quite blackberry season yet so I did 'cheat' a bit and used frozen blackberries, and they turned out just fine!

...slightly crunchy on top, very fluffy inside and not too sweet, with mouthfuls of fruit that burst through the soft sugary vanilla cakiness.....

I've been searching for some good muffin recipes lately, and this one Strawberry Muffins was one I came across on the Australian website Taste.com. I did tweak it a bit, just because I can't leave anything alone!!

So, here's my version of the recipe - with tweaks - although, as you can see from the comments on the original recipe, this is a very forgiving mixture so you can be inspired to add 'tweaks' of your own! Happy baking!

Fresh Peach and Blackberry Muffins

Recipe (by Alfie)

400g self-raising flour

175g unrefined caster sugar

250g mixed peaches (cut into small chunks) and blackberries

2 eggs

300mls buttermilk

80g melted butter

3 tsps good vanilla extract

set oven to 190 / Gas 5 and put your prettiest muffin cases in to a 12 hole muffin tin

mix together all of the dry ingredients, and then stir in the fruit

mix together all of the wet ingredients

quickly add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix lightly until it just comes together - it's important not too over- mix if you want light fluffy muffins!

fill muffin cases almost to the top and then bake in the centre of the oven until they are golden and firm to the touch - about 30-35 minutes

leave to cool in tin for about 10 minutes just to allow them to firm up a little, and then cool on a cooling rack

perfect for a lazy Sunday breakfast, tea-time treat - or just because!.....

summer berry and vanilla loaf cake

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 07:06:00 +0000

You know, I think that (well, for me anyway!), the answer to everything is cake! ....Every challenge, every problem is always soothed by the therapeutic alchemy of mixing up lots of sweet, fragrant goodies to a glossy goo, putting it into the oven, and ending up with this wonderful transformation into something beautiful, with the added bonus of filling the house with the evocative and comforting smell of vanilla, chocolate, cinnamon, or, in this case, blackberries!.........

I have decided that I don't cook enough cake!

That may sound a little strange seeing as I am always making cupcakes, and, much as I love making those little cuties, whilst looking through all my cuttings and books for inspiration for new flavours I realised that I had so many cake recipes that I wanted to try out. So, that's just what I'm going to do; work my way through all of my cuttings, folders, and books, of all the cake recipes I have wanted to make, but just never quite got around to.......starting with this loaf cake. I feel I must say, in defence of loaf cake, that although it may not sound all that inspiring, it delivers good, down to earth scrumptiousness with no fuss or frills, just good honest comfort food!

This recipe is really just an amalgamation of several that I've had book-marked for ages, and it produced a wonderfully fragrant slab of fruity indulgence - thanks to the delicate perfume of the blackberries and raspberries and the warm vanilla, and the addition,(just because I couldn't resist it!) of drizzly pink icing and fresh fruits on the top. In fact, in the end it tasted more like a pudding than a cake, reminiscent of warm blackberry crumble!

Summer Berry and Vanilla Loaf Cake
Recipe (by Alfie)
125g caster sugar (vanilla sugar is good if you have some)
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
80g butter, melted
60mls natural yoghurt
300g self-raising flour
250g of mixed summer berries (fresh, or frozen)

Set oven to 180 C or Gas 4 and grease a standard loaf tin - you can also line it if you want, although with a non-stick loaf tin you probably won't need to

Whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla until frothy, and then pour in the melted butter and yoghurt

Combine dry ingredients together and then toss in the fruit to coat with the flour. If you are using frozen fruit there is no need to thaw it first as it will go a bit too mushy

Add the wet ingredients to the flour and fruit and gently mix until it just comes together. Don't be tempted to over-mix, it will look a little lumpy, but that's fine

Then, just put the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for around 50 mins to 1 hour - until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean - and let the magic happen!

Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins and then when the cake is completely cool, ice with a little icing sugar mixed with some fruit puree. Or just leave it plain for a more 'rustic' look

Served warm, this also makes a very yummy pud with ice-cream or thick double cream!

I was going to show you a photo - but it didn't last that long!!

Just for fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:37:00 +0000

summer weddings

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:17:00 +0000

Having fun with wedding cupcakes and samplers.......

Vanilla with lemon and raspberry buttercream frosting and fresh flowers.......so pretty!

Chocolate Truffle with rich chocolate frosting and Vanilla Raspberry

Chocolate Truffle, Banana Maple and Carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting - very elegant

chocolate puddle cookies...and fluffy pink marshmallows

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 07:43:00 +0000

Is it wrong to eat Chocolate Truffle cupcake for breakfast?......

well.....I just couldn't resist when I'm surrounded by them! Over the last couple of days I've baked and iced dozens of cute Valentine Chocolate Truffle cupcakes - chocolate heaven, seeing them all lined up neatly, ready to be boxed and delivered in time for Valentine's Day.

I always love delivering the cupcakes.....to see the smile on people's faces, but delivering the Valentine ones has been especially enjoyable. I've dropped them off with an air of planned subterfuge, and have shared the sense of excited anticipation as I've handed over the gift boxes filled with decadent chocolate treats, knowing that they will later be presented to unsuspecting loved ones!

So,...... with all these chocolate truffle cupcakes in production I found myself left with surplus Pink Velvet cupcakes . and lots of egg-whites that needed using up, and.....the obvious solution was Pink Cloud cupcakes!! Moist fluffy raspberry vanilla sponge, topped with clouds of the pinkest marshmallow meringue frosting

......and these little fluffy pillows of delicate pink raspberry marshmallow using this marshmallow recipe from James Martin.....I'm a sucker for anything pink and edible, especially when it's so pretty!

Coincidentally, I'd also come across this recipe for Chocolate Puddle Cookies the other day on one of my favourite blog sites while looking for some healthy dinner ideas - honestly! (it's amazing how easily distracted I become with chocolate) It was a perfect coming together of serendipitous circumstances; a recipe for fudgy chocolatiness, and spare egg-whites.....

These are soooooo good. I couldn't wait for them to cool, and had to have one while it was still warm from the oven. It was chocolate heaven, soft, fudgy, and dense in the middle, and what's even better - they don't contain any wheat so they're gluten-free, a perfect indulgence, so that even those chocolate lovers with a wheat intolerance don't have to miss out, or compromise on chocolatey bliss!

cupcake crazy

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 15:53:00 +0000

A New Year, a new decade, a fresh start.....

I haven't posted in so long, but it's all been a bit cupcake mad lately!!.... I decided that after a love affair with cakes and baking for years, I would start my own cupcake business Pretty Sweet. It was definitely the right idea, and I'm having so much fun doing something that I absolutely love. Seeing all the cupcakes lined up neatly in their colourful rows, and being up to my elbows in icing sugar and buttercream is my idea of heaven!......I have so many plans for new flavours whizzing around in my head for the new year, and a special valentine range in mind for February.

My own passion, as you will know if you are a regular reader (sorry guys for neglecting you for so long!) is for fantastic quality food - real food; so it's no surprise that this goes for my cupcakes too, and I'm passionate about sourcing excellent quality (and local, where possible) fresh ingredients. After all, it's not just about what the cakes look like - it's important that they deliver on taste too! So, I use fresh fruits to flavour and colour the cakes - no nasty additives. Although, I must admit that I have included a 'just for fun' range that indulges my love of all things bright and glittery, and the cake toppings are like I said, just for fun. That said, I am always trying to source additive free sprinkles and decorations.

I'm looking forward to the spring when all the flowers start to bloom again - they are just beautiful sitting pretty on top of the pastel cupcakes for the naturals collection and this is something that I want to develop even more. Of course, there has been a lot of cupcake eating (in the name of research, naturally!) so.... I think my new year will start with getting back to some healthy detox foods - though, of course, this will just allow me to start again with more 'research'. I wish you all a magical New Year....I have a feeling it's going to be a good one :o)

trawling 'Folksy'

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:03:00 +0000

do you remember those yummy foil covered teacakes - all gooey marshmallow covered in crispy chocolate?.....

This is definitely on my 'wish list'!! - from the UK version of Etsy, the curiously named 'Folksy'

why we love retro

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 12:22:00 +0000

Little known early prototype of the iPod!!

from a wonderfully nostalgic site Bills Retro World

blackberry lime friands

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:41:00 +0000

These lovely little treats are very popular in Australia, and may be derived from the traditional French petit four financiers. They have a slightly crunchy exterior and a buttery-nutty flavor; outside they are a bit chewy, inside, soft and almondy.

They are such a perfect treat with morning coffee, and very moreish. But, then again they are equally good served warm with ice-cream or cream!

Traditionally friands are cooked in oval friand tins, but I don't have any, so have cooked these in a standard muffin tin.

blackberry lime friands

(Adapted from Mary Cadogan)

100g unsalted butter

140g icing sugar

45g plain flour

85g ground almonds

4 egg whites

grated rind of 2 limes

preheat oven to 190 degrees / Gas 5 and butter muffin tin.
melt butter and leave to cool
whisk the egg whites for about a minute until you get a light, floppy foam
sift the almonds, flour, and icing sugar into the egg whites and stir to just combine
stir in the melted butter and lime rind lightly and then divide between the tins
drop one to two blackberries onto the top of each cake (don't overdo the fruit as the friand mixture is very light and won't hold together too well if there's too much fruit to the batter)
bake in the centre of the oven for 20-25 minutes until light golden and firm to the touch
leave to cool in the tin for at least 5 minutes to allow the friands to firm up a little before running a knife around the outside of each friand to loosen them

the friands will store in an airtight container, or in the fridge. But, they are really best eaten on the day that they are made!

eat real butter.....

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Sun, 31 May 2009 14:46:00 +0000

......not only because it's better for you than synthesised chemical margarines, but,.....you also get to use a proper butter dish too, like this vintage 50's one!

How many people, I wonder, would enjoy those spreads that the manufacturers tell us are 'just like butter', and are so good for us because they will look after our hearts, if they really knew just how it's made! I've known about the process since being a Home Ec. student way back in the eighties, and I haven't touched the stuff since! Give me 'real' food any day. You know, the stuff that generally doesn't come with a list of 'ingredients' (or is that artificial chemicals masquerading as 'food'!)

"Margarine is man made. And it is one of the most chemically processed and refined substances to be found in the modern kitchen."

Firstly the raw ingredients of margarine manufacturing must undergo a series of preparatory measures. The oil - maize, coconut, olive, cottonseed, and soybean - is treated with a caustic soda solution to remove unnecessary components known as free fatty acids. The oil is then washed by mixing it with hot water, separating it, and leaving it to dry under a vacuum.

Next, the oil is sometimes bleached with a mixture of bleaching earth and charcoal in another vacuum chamber. The bleaching earth and charcoal absorb any unwanted colorants, and are then filtered out from the oil.

The oil is then hydrogenated to ensure the correct consistency for margarine production, a state referred to as "plastic" for very good reason! The oil is subjected to extremely high temperatures (about 500ºF) and pressure, and hydrogen is forced into the molecular structure to harden it. This process requires toxic substances, such as nickel oxide. The oils are mixed with finely ground nickel, a highly toxic substance that serves as a catalyst for the chemical reaction during the hydrogenation process.

An unintended side-effect, however, can result from this hydrogenation process. If the oils are only partially hydrogenated, some will become trans fats, and these have long been identified as being harmful to health

The end result of this process is a lumpy, grey, greasy substance. This is then emulsified to get rid of the lumps and steam cleaned to remove the odor of chemicals, which again involves high temperature and pressure.

The oil now needs to be bleached, coloured, and artificially flavoured again to make it palatable - after all, who wants to spread tasteless grey gloop on their toast!

Now, call me old-fashioned, but I would much rather have a rich, golden totally 'natural' knob of real butter on my toast. After all, how can it be worse for our body than a totally artificially produced tub of chemically altered substances.

Although margarine has synthetic vitamins added to it to mimic the nutritional content of butter, and the manufacturers are working to reduce the amounts of harmful trans fats. Thereby, arguing that this product is more 'healthy' for us. I think this totally deflects from the whole argument that margarine is essentially an 'artificial' substance, stuffed full of, synthetic chemicals.

Butter only has one ingredient - milk. I'd rather eat a little less of this natural food, than risk the unknown effects to my body of a cocktail of synthetic chemicals.

the edible May garden

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Fri, 29 May 2009 15:27:00 +0000

Inspired by Nic of Cherrapeno's lovely pictures, and the balmy spring sunshine, I ventured into the garden to capture some glimpses of the garden in May.

It's amazing really, when you stop and look there are so many wonderful things that nature gives us for free!

dainty white thyme flowers look beautiful sprinkled over salads

lemon thyme gives a wonderful aroma when used with lamb or chicken on the BBQ

coriander flowers to add a colourful touch of spice to Asian dishes

ripening figs will soon be ready to enjoy, plump and rich with tangy goats cheese and mellow honey

and who can resist cherries that later will be bursting with redolent juices, just right for summer puddings, clafouti, or cheesecake, or this intriguing Cherry Beet Cake by Dan Lepard

the lemon tree is doing well in it's first 'season' and those buds are a hopeful promise of the waxy yellow fruits to come

and......busy bees fussing over the palest pink blackberry flowers

It's so exciting; the whole garden in coming alive with a burgeoning bounty, most of which has already has found its way to the dinner table in one form or another. What could be more delicious than food picked and eaten fresh, just as it's meant to be.

'credit crunch' garden salad with herbs and flowers

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Sat, 23 May 2009 13:19:00 +0000

Everyone has been affected by the so called 'credit crunch' that we all now find ourselves trying to navigate through. But, does this mean that we can no longer eat good, nutritious, elegant food? - no, of course not! It just means we have to get a little more 'creative'.

I love salad, but not usually the price. So, yesterday when I found huge dewy, crunchy salad greens at a local vegetable store for only 69p each I was ecstatic! You may smirk, but they truly were the best buy of my day, and I couldn't wait to get them home and wash and 'spin' them. I wasn't disappointed either, because, with using only half of each lettuce head I still had a HUGE bowl of the freshest, crispest, plump and mouth-watering greens you could ask for. A proud reminder that the sad, and very expensive, washed lettuce bags that we are fobbed off with by the supermarkets all winter in our attempt to produce a passable mixed plate of greenery, are now but a memory, as, once again - for a few months at least! - we can pile our plates high with magnificent drifts of locally grown frisee, raddicchio and lollo rossa.........hurrah for spring! Perhaps I should change this post title to 'ode to lettuce'!

Anyway, having extolled the virtues of the humble salad leaf, so often pushed around the plate to be left wilting in the remains of the dinner's main star - or even worse - used merely as a whimsical decor. I would like to encourage it's use as the main 'player', along with other overlooked treasures of our gardens. After all, the herbs and vegetables that we now take for granted were once little known wild 'weeds' themselves. 'Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is one of the oldest known vegetables, developed from prickly lettuce (L. serriola), a wild plant around the Mediterranean and Caucasus regions which was used as a medicinal herb. Some reports point back as far as the Egyptians in 4500 BC, but it was certainly cultivated by ancient Greeks and Romans. The Emperor Caesar Augustus even had a statute made memorializing the romaine-type lettuce he believed cured him from an illness.' Susan Mahr, Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Now is the perfect time to look further than the end of the supermarket aisle, and explore the edible delights that can be found in our own back yards!

So, let's get to the salad in point. This is intrinsically such a basic dish - hard boiled eggs, salad greens, salty olives, herbs and flowers,and a tangy garlic and herb dressing - but, when put together it truly does show that basic eating doesn't have to be boring eating. You may have already noticed that I love 'pretty' food, as well as food with integrity; good wholesome, natural ingredients, and no artificial anything! Well, this simple, delicate salad is a feast not only for the taste-buds, but also for the eyes. Bright yellow just boiled eggs sprinkled with smoky paprika (I like M&S Smoked Paprika mix); strong earthy flavours cut through with the saltiness of black spanish olives, and the tang of a garlicky dressing. All complemented with the delicate herbs and flowers and the crisp, crunch of the salad leaves.

Garden egg, herb and flowers salad

(Alfie - Cabbage Roses and Cupcakes)

Hard boil two eggs per person for around 7-8 minutes, so that they are still a little soft. Meanwhile wash and arrange a colourful mixture of salad leaves on each plate.

When the eggs are done, put them under a running cold tap to quickly cool them down and prevent the dark sulphur ring forming. Then peel and halve and arrange on the salad leaves.

Finally finish off the salad with a sprinkling of paprika over the eggs, and then add the olives and a variety of whatever herbs and flowers you have to hand. I used chives, dill, parsley, and viola flowers.

Dress with a simple garlic, herb vinaigrette made from 1 part cider vinegar to three parts good olive oil, with a crushed clove of garlic and some chopped basil and parsley all whisked up together in a bowl or glass jar.

It's nutritious with protein and iron from the eggs, and a good helping of vitamins and minerals from the various herbs - so it just goes to show that just because money is a bit tight, we don't need to sacrifice good eating!

hazelnut truffle torte....in search of the ultimate chocolate cake!

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:47:00 +0000

In my truly altruistic (well, that's what I tell myself anyway!) quest for the ultimate chocolate cake I have tried many, many, many recipes; searching for that all-elusive tangible experience of dense, velvety chocolatiness; not too sweet, not too bitter - not too heavy, not too dry. Just lately, I've decided to go along the gluten-free route, and following on from the truly indulgent chocolate mousse cake, I was after something a little more firm, that would cut and serve more like a traditional 'cake'. Of course this meant trying out lots of recipes - it's a tough job!........and, in the end I settled on the best bits of all of them. The result is a VERY rich, dark and wicked, truffley chocolate 'cake' that gives you the just the sense of hedonistic guilt that only a true chocolate lover would settle for!

So here it is.....

hazelnut truffle torte

(by Alfie)

400g good quality dark chocolate

6 eggs

50 g caster sugar

175g ground hazelnuts

250mls double cream

topping

75g good quality dark chocolate

2 tablespoons double cream

25g butter

to make the cake, grease and base line a 20cm deep spring-form tin, and set the oven to Gas 2 / 150 C / 325 F
break the chocolate into pieces and put this together with 50mls of the cream in a bowl set over simmering water until it has melted
whilst the chocolate is melting, whisk the eggs and the sugar together for 5-7 minutes until it is thick and creamy and will leave a trail across the top of the mixture
slacken the melted chocolate mixture by adding a little of the egg/sugar mixture (about 2-3 tablespoons) until it becomes a bit more runny, and then stir the chocolate and the egg/sugar mix in together with the ground hazelnuts
whisk the remaining cream until it forms soft peaks, and then quickly fold this into the chocolate batter so that it is all amalgamated
pour into the lined tin - if your tin is not completely water-tight you will need to wrap it in foil
place the cake tin into a roasting pan and pour in enough hot water to come half-way up the cake tin - about 2cms
bake in the oven for about an hour until a skewer comes out clean

for the topping

melt all of the ingredients together over a pan of simmering water. Leave to cool and thicken just slightly, and then pour over the cake
decorate with whatever takes your fancy, and enjoy........but be warned, you know what they say about too much of a good thing!

rustic pan-fried chicken in creamy mushroom sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 13:13:00 +0000

This simple Saturday lunch also makes an effortlessly elegant meal for entertaining. It's a recipe that I've made a few times now, originally adapted from a recipe that I'd had lurking around in my 'to cook' pile from 'BBC Good Food'. It's unfailing ability to hit the spot with it's creamy, tangy, garlicky mushroom sauce, has made it a favourite of mine, especially as it is sooooo easy to make! So, on that basis, because we all love dishes that are uncomplicated and easy to throw together, but look, and taste like we've spent hours in the kitchen, I thought that is was really worth sharing....

Rustic Pan-fried Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

(recipe by Alfie)

1 tablespoon oil

50g butter

handful of fresh or dried herbs (basil, coriander, parsley, oregano, thyme all work well!)

6 chicken breasts or large chicken legs divided into thighs and drumsticks

700mls vegetable stock - I like to use Marigold vegetable bouillon

300mls dry white wine, or whatever you have in the fridge

50g butter

1 onion

400g mixed wild mushrooms - although chestnut mushrooms will do just as well

2-3 cloves garlic

2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

330mls creme fraiche

50-75g ground almonds

another handful of fresh herbs to finish

Fry off the chicken in the oil, butter, and herbs to seal it. This will take about 10 mins, until they're golden brown. You may need to cook the chicken in several batches to avoid overcrowding the pan and steaming the meat.
Transfer to a large saucepan and pour over the stock and wine to cover the chicken.
Bring back to the boil and cover the pan and simmer the chicken for about half an hour.
While the chicken is cooking, fry the onion in the remaining 50g butter until soft but not coloured. Add the mushrooms and fry for about 3-4mins. Grate over the fresh nutmeg and add the grated garlic for a further 1 min, then leave aside until the chicken finishes cooking.
When the chicken is cooked, drain off the stock. Set the chicken aside and add the mushrooms and onion to the stock. Bring back to the boil, and reduce by about a half - at this stage you can reduce it further if want a thicker sauce that will just coat the chicken.
Add the creme fraiche, and the ground almonds and fresh herbs and simmer for 5-10 mins to heat the chicken through, and thicken the sauce slightly.

This is fabulous served simply with hunks of crusty bread warm from the oven for a sumptuous Saturday, or weekday lunch. Or you can dress it up with wild rice, and asparagus or some wilted spinach for an impressive meal for friends. Either way it really is wonderful!

blackberry vinegar

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 11:46:00 +0000

I don't know about you, but I love the contrast of salty goats cheese with the sweet acidity of fruit. Somehow it seems to cut through the heaviness to produce a combination that's perfect!

So, when I found a recipe for raspberry vinegar I knew I had to give it a try.....well actually I found several recipes for raspberry vinegar, or raspberry 'shrub' as it was known in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. It was a popular drink and is actually very refreshing in hot weather, served with ice! I know it may sound strange to have a fruit cordial with a vinegar base, but the acidity cuts through the sweetness in a very pleasing way. Apparently, it's even good for sore throats diluted at 1 dessertspoon to 250mls of water!

Anyway, not one to be able to leave a recipe alone, I thought it would make a great fruit vinegar to use in dressings too, so I cut the sugar down in the last stage to keep the tartness. There were blackberries on sale in my local market and I couldn't resist using these instead, just because I love their deep, jammy colour!

Blackberry shrub

The vinegar itself is very simple to make..... you just put your blackberries (or whatever fruit you choose to use) - I used about 500g - into a kilner jar or bottle and cover them with white vinegar.

Leave them to stand for a week, stirring well each day. Then strain the fruit and add one pound of sugar to one pint of liquid ....or in metric, about 500g sugar to 500mls of liquid (though I think it sounds much more evocative in imperial measures!) and boil it up for about 20 minutes, until it gets syrupy. Finally, skim off any white foam, and pour into sterilised bottles, then seal when it is cold. As I said, to make it more of a fruit vinegar I put in less sugar - about half of the amount used for the shrub.

Goats cheese and mango salad with blackberry vinaigrette

Now, you've got your gorgeous burgundy jewelled fruit vinegar...... so here's an idea of how to use it... mix two parts blackberry vinegar to three parts oil (rapeseed is a good oil to use because its delicate flavour won't overpower the fruit) to make a basic vinaigrette that's a little heavier than normal on the vinegar. Liberally drizzle the dressing over a goats cheese and mango salad, all that lovely palate of colours and saltiness and acid fruitiness....then, just sit back and enjoy!

when life blows you a raspberry.....

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 19:54:00 +0000

...blow it right back with White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Cupcakes with a raspberry cream cheese frosting! Ha!... right back at ya with sprinkles on - or raspberries!

These are actually a bit of a mish mash of lots of things that I love all mussed into one, a desire to use up a cream cheese 'surplus' from a carrot cake recipe, plus a whimsical notion to put it all together with white chocolate.....and why not!

So, what I ended up with is a white chocolate cupcake, based on my Banana Chocolate Muffins, using white chocolate instead of dark chocolate. Thrown in with a smattering of fresh raspberries and cheesecake (I snuck the idea of how to incorporate this from David Lebovitz's ..... Cheesecake Brownies )

Then, as if that wasn't enough gorgeousness overload in one cake, I felt like topping it all off with a raspberry ripple cream cheese frosting, based on the cream cheese frosting for the carrot cake!

Definitely just the thing to make the world right again!

pretty pea and lettuce soup

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 13:00:00 +0000

This soup is vibrant, and delicious. Just right for brightening up these dull winter days. With a hunk of just baked crusty bread and lots of lovely butter......mmm

It's so simple to make too, which is another plus!.....and who would have thought, lettuce, in a soup would work, but work it certainly does; adding texture and verdant green flecks to set off the delicate pale pea green. Add a couple of succulent and crispy slices of grilled parma ham, and there you have it, perfection in a bowl!

Pea and Lettuce Soup with Parma Ham

(Recipe by Alfie - adapted from various sources)

2 onions

2-3 cloves garlic

2T olive oil

1 lettuce, shredded

500g frozen peas

600mls veggie stock

200mls creme fraiche

half a teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg

salt and pepper

4-6 slices of parma ham

Fry off the onions and garlic for a few minutes until soft and starting to brown - but not too much.

Add the lettuce and peas to the pan and cook for a few minutes more. Only just enough to thaw the peas though.

Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 4-5 mins, but not too long, otherwise you will lose the lovely bright green colour.

Then add the creme fraiche and the seasonings to taste. Blitz with a hand whisk, or in a blender.

Grill the parma ham until crispy, and then serve the soup with the parma ham arranged on the top.

a rose by any other name........

noreply@blogger.com (Alfie) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:39:00 +0000