Teatime Treats with Tiggy

Baked Lasagne

2015-07-10T04:01:00.003-07:00

Lasagne is a favourite with a lot of people including our family. Being a tad lazy I usually just throw it together with my quick fire bolognaise sauce which I have perfected to about 10 minutes preparation and then simmering till required for spaghetti or as a lasagne filling.

Sometimes however it is nice to spend some time and really develop the recipe. This is not a quick fix for a week night tea. It takes a seriously long time to prepare and cook the elements before even considering the putting together and final cooking. The final dish is most certainly worth the effort and the dish does not hang around long in our household.

Ingredients

Beef Mince

Vine Tomatoes

Bacon Lardons

Onion chopped finely

Celery chopped finely

Garlic chopped finely

Carrot chopped finely

Sugar

Red Wine Vinegar

Red Wine

Beef stock

Mixed Herbs

Bay Leaves

White Sauce

Parmesan Cheese

It might seem a strange start but wash your mince through in a colander - it helps break up the strands and allows each bit to cook and become crispy.

Lay this mince, which is now quite waterlogged, on a flat baking dish and cook in the oven for 40 minutes (190°c)

Prepare the tomatoes. When investing the time and effort in a meal like this it is worth getting good tomatoes (and good quality mince if you can). Cut the tomatoes in half and lay on another baking tray. Sprinkle with salt and sugar; these both bring different qualities of taste to the forefront and transform a good tomato sauce into a fantastic one. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes or until they are charred and very soft - this may take longer if they are at the same heat as the mince.

Begin to prepare the rest of the sauce. Fry the bacon lardons till they are turning crispy. Add the onions and garlic. I like to get vegetables into the family and have long used carrots, celery and sometimes even peas in dishes like this. None of which are strictly Italian. Add any carrots and/or celery at this point (peas can be added shortly before putting the dish together)

Cover the mix with a large spoonful of sugar followed by a good slug of Red Wine Vinegar. These work as a great combination together.

Follow with a large glassful of Red Wine.

Heat through allowing the liquid to be soaked up by the vegetables.

If the tomatoes are not ready, remove the mix from heat and let the flavours marry together in a fusion of hits and delicious blends.

When the tomatoes are soft and charred add beef stock to the mix with the mince and tomatoes, also add the herbs. Italian herbs are great, or a mixture of oregano, rosemary and thyme. My mother always added a couple of bay leaves to any Italian dish and I follow the tradition popping them in now.

Let the mixture bubble away for a while before layering with pasta sheets. There needs to be some juice still in the mix but not too much as it will seep out during the baking process.

Layer pasta, sauce, pasta sauce, finish with a layer of pasta.

Top the lasagne off with a layer of white sauce (I don't add any cheese yet) which I had also added a sprinkling of mustard powder to add depth to the sauce. I like to let the white sauce cool slightly before pouring over the top of the lasagne.

Then finish with lots of grated Parmesan cheese. This is one recipe where it is worth getting the real cheese and grating over. Remember though, Parmesan is strong so you may need less than you think.

Pop back into the medium oven for about 30 - 40 minutes and serve to a hungry crowd

It is your choice how you serve this, garlic bread, green salad, glass of red wine or even chips but the dish can hold it's own in the centre of your table.

Enjoy and let me know the occasion you might serve this dish. The wait is certainly worth it but I say again this is not for a speedy supper, so enjoy the meal.

Tiggy

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Rhubarb Pots

2015-05-10T22:43:00.003-07:00

Sometimes the seasons dictate our dinner table and when offered some home grown rhubarb it was great to dig out this popular family recipe, so easy to make and very quick to disappear once served. I like to serve them in individual pots and it gives me the opportunity to do some fancy decorating but it would do just as well in a large bowl with or without decoration.

This is terribly easy to make and very cleansing after a large meal. This also is quite a good pudding if you are on a diet with a little tweaking.

Ingredients

Butter

Rhubarb chopped

Sugar

Fromage Frais

Vanilla Extract

Raspberry and Mint leaves to decorate

Melt the butter in a hot pan and add the chopped rhubarb with a good sprinkling of sugar. Turn the heat down slightly.

Keep this on a low heat stirring occasionally till the rhubarb is completely soft. you could add a touch of water or some of the vanilla extract if it becomes too dry.

Allow to cool slightly.

Put the fromais frais (I use this but you could use whipped cream, or greek style yoghurt) in a separate bowl and stir in the vanilla extract. Add the remainder of the sugar here.

Once cool, add the rhubarb to the fromage frais and then mix well, using a liquidiser.

This can be as soft as you prefer. Just pulsing the machine allows texture to the pudding. Share the pudding out into the individual dishes and decorate as you wish. I chose the raspberry and mint leaf.

It really is that simple. Leave the pots in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.

Enjoy and let me know what you think. This is a great pudding and is even enjoyed by my boys who do not like rhubarb, so it has to be cleverly disguised and this works.

Tiggy

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Spanish Chicken

2015-01-25T23:50:00.000-08:00

I love Chorizo, it is so versatile and can be used as the main ingrediant in many dishes or as in this Spanish Chicken dish it is the subsiduary ingredient that gives a piquant flavouring to chicken. This technically is more like Mediterranean Chicken rather than just Spanish but the name has stuck in our house.

This is such a simple one pot meal that everyone loves. You need time and you need to keep an eye on it but there is little effort other than that. It would lend itself well to being in a slow cooker but I would add the tomatoes earlier and may be a little more liquid (an extra tin or some water)

Ingrediants

Chicken pieces (I use skinless chicken breast but drumsticks or wings would work)
Olive oil
Chorizo sliced or cut into small chunks
Baby potatoes (salad or new)
Onions finely chopped

Zest and juice of an orange

Oregano (dried)

Tin of tomatoes

Pimento filled Olives (cut in half)

Place chicken in deep roasting dish with a little olive oil drizzled over the top.

Sprinkle over the chorizo - this determines the heat of the dish - with the children I tend to use the milder versions, but you can ramp up the heat with a spicier version according to the family's taste.

Next throw in the potoatoes and onions - all fairly randomly.
a good firm shake of the dish will help the oil disperse over the potatoes as well (you can add a touch more oil if you want and if it looks too dry but beware the chorizo will expel plenty of oil as it starts to cook)

Finally add the oregano, librally sprinkling it over the meat and vegetables and finish off with the orange zest (only). Another good shake will mix the ingredients and then place into a hot oven. I give it several hours and will turn the oven down as it all cooks and blends together. (you could just serve after an hour once cooked but the extra time deepens the intensity of the flavours)

This should be checked regularly and turned. Once the chicken is more or less cooked, turn the heat down. I also tend to cover with foil or a lid at this point to stop any more drying out. I find I need to check it often not because it needs it but it fills the room with such a heady mix of aromas that you get a stream of visitors to the kitchen "what time is tea that smells wonderful"

As the pot starts to dry add the juice of the orange and then the tin of tomatoes and stir well . This is when to turn it down if you have not already done so and you are looking at about 20 mins to 1/2 hour before serving.

With about 10 minutes to go - throw in the olives - you can slice these but I tend to cut them in half as the youngest does not like them (the ones he manages to see) and it is easier to pick them out

Serve straight from the dish and watch how quickly your dishes are cleared, a great warming dish for after a sporting weekend fixture or a telly meal curled up with a steaming bowl full.

Serve some green vegetables or a green salad with this. I like crispy kale which gives a crispy crackle as you eat. Empty a bag of Kale on to a roasting dish, cover with a little olive oil and a good sprinkling of salt and pop in the oven - probably not for long in a hot oven but I put it in the cool oven when I added the tomatoes and leave it there till serving. Beware the kale is very brittle.

Give this a try and enjoy and let me know how you get on - Add your own bits, take out the olives and use garlic earlier, switch the orange for a lemon or try it with turkey or game

love

Tiggy

Take a look at my writing blog here at Tiggy Hayes

Red Wine Lamb

2014-10-28T00:38:00.000-07:00

With the weather thinking about turning colder and Sundays filled with sporting fixtures, I dig out my slow cooker and our meals turn into casseroles, stews and slowly tenderised meats.

This is a very rich melt in the mouth alternative to the Roast which essentially uses the same ingredients but in a slightly different way.

Ingredients
Lamb Steaks
Onion
Garlic
Rosemary
Anchovies
Redcurrent jelly (or cranberry jelly)
Red Wine - bottle
Flour for thickening

I cheat and do not fry the meat off first. it is usually a question of timing and I chop the onions and garlic

Put the slow cooker on high. I don't tend to put any oil in as the meat creates its own.
Add the onions and garlic.

The only reason I skim the leaves off the rosemary is the stalks become quite woody after cooking but add the leaves to the pot

Chop the anchovies into small pieces - don't worry nobody will know they are in there (I promise), throw them into the pot as well.

Next just throw in the steaks, no need to cut them. I add my Jelly to the pot at this time. Redcurrent works really well but failing that I usually have cranberry jelly in the fridge so that can be a substitute.

Now it is the time for the Red wine - I confess it is always the bottle on offer at the supermarket and I don't quite use all the bottle. Covering the meat is the most important thing and do remember to keep a tad back for thickening later on.

Almost done, you can forget about them for a few hours. I like to turn the cooker to low if I leave the house so I would suggest after about an hour and then it can be left. Re-entering the home you are met with the most wonderful nostalgic smell of roast lamb and gravy which means I am unable to resist opening the pot and turning the meat over. By now the steaks are no longer complete but in small bite size morcels that just melt in the mouth.

At least half an hour before serving mix a little flour with some of the left over wine

Stir it into a paste and then add to the casserole.

If there is alot of excess liquid - oil can be spooned off but if there is still too much gravy then wack the heat up to high and remove the lid for a while to reduce it.

I tend to find once the flour paste is in it thickens anyway.

Take off the heat at least 20mins before serving to allow all the flavours to settle and then serve with mashed potatoes and bright vegetables with mint jelly on the side. Simply devine and no chewing required as all the flavours just explode into a wonderful reminder of childhood roasts.

If there is any sauce left, save it for gravy or stock for soup or stew.

This does not have to be cooked in a slow cooker - use a very hot oven initially with a covered stew pot then turn it to low for 5 hours or so giving you the same wonderful experience.

Enjoy this and let me know what you think - if you prefer the traditional roast see my Slow Roast Lamb here.

Have a look at the trials and tribulations of trying to be a writer at my Tiggy Hayes

love

Tiggy

Yorkshire Puddings

2014-03-09T01:31:00.000-08:00

This is a relatively quick recipe if you don't include the chilling time.

It is a very rich recipe which I have adapted over the years. It does need specific measurements and has to be eaten straight from the oven not that it would last any longer. I adapt it to go in Toad in the Hole but it makes a wonderful accompaniment to Roast Beef or a Beef Casserole.

8oz Plain Flour

8 eggs - I use large eggs
1 pint milk
dripping (good old fashioned dripping can still be bought at the supermarkets)

Weigh out the flour, you can make a well the middle but as we are adding so many eggs it will not make a big difference.

Add all the eggs and when they are all there begin to beat them in gently at first. Hand beating is best till there are no lumps left.

Add the pint of milk and mix again. Cover this mixture and leave to chill for at least a couple of hours. If I am extra organised overnight is best.

Before you cook the puddings melt the dripping in the dish on a very high heat. The dripping needs to be totally melted and piping hot when you add your mixture.

Give the mixture a final beat then pour into the baking dish. Do not overfill the individual moulds, a good tip is to fill them to 3/4 full. They need the space to rise.

Cook them in a very hot oven for about 20 - 25 minutes depending on your oven, turn the heat down to medium for the last 10 minutes. If you can cook these in a solitary oven it helps but I have to plan my roasties to tie in with this so I don't keep opening and closing the door.

When you are ready to serve bring them out and eat immediately while they are light and fluffy. Listen to the ooohs and aaahhs and watch them disappear from the plate quicker than you can serve them.

Add rosemary to the mix before chilling if you are going to serve with sausages in a toad in the hole or let me know what else you do to enhance this wonderful comforting accompaniment.

see what life is throwing at me in my other blog Tiggy Hayes

Tiggy

Leek and Potato Soup

2014-02-08T00:45:00.000-08:00

There is nothing more warming after a day cheering the children from the sidelines in the cold wind and pouring rain than a steaming bowl of soup. To serve with warm crusty homemade bread you either neither to be ultra efficient or have a partner in crime to put in the oven as you are on your way home. These days lots of places sell freshly baked so I am guilty of resorting to picking up a loaf on the way.

Many soups need to be made early on and left to cook but this one I can get away with making and serving once all the potatoes are soft and falling apart. Just time enough for them to get out of the shower as I throw the ingredients together and then I can shower and warm whilst it cooks.

Ingredients

Oil

Onions chopped

Leeks sliced lots I like it thick and warming

Potatoes cut into small pieces - again lots

Sherry - a good splash of this

Chicken stock

Cream and parsley for decoration

Heat the oil gently then add the onions and leeks . Let them soften rather than fry. It will not take long so be careful to keep an eye as they can turn quickly.

Add the potatoes. Stir well then add the good splash of sherry - this is of course optional but the alcohol cooks off and the piquancy of the sherry brings out a fresh depth of flavour in the potatoes.

Add the chicken stock and bring it to the boil. If there is not enough liquid, water can be added or if you have some vegetable water add this. Once boiling turn it to simmer and allow the potatoes to soften and fall apart when touched with a knife probably about 20 minutes.

I use my hand blender in the pan but some people prefer to liquidise and place in a fresh pan. Serve it from the pan or add to your soup tureen and decorate with the cream and parsley. Serve with a warm crusty bed and feel the warmth radiate from your insides. Windy wet sports pitches will be a distant memory in no time.

Enjoy, let me know what you do to your soups to enhance them. When do you enjoy a bowl of steaming soup?

I always try to make extra for the week ahead, unfortunately one bowl is never enough so there is never any left for my weekday lunches.

Tiggy

Have a look at what I have been up to on my other blog Tiggy Hayes

Stuffed Avocado

2014-01-25T01:27:00.000-08:00

Avocados are such a strange ingredient - I often buy them when they are on offer and they sit in the fridge never actually getting used. That is exactly how this dish was created. We were looking for something to use up what I had in the cupboard and initially I threw this together. Although we have now had it a few times, having bought the ingredients or saved them on purpose.

So what did I have in my fridge:

2 Avocados
oil
1/2 a large aubergine chopped to bite sized chunks
chilli chopped finely
onions chopped finely
garlic chopped finely
red pepper chopped in to slices
cheese

Fry the onions and as they soften add the garlic and chilli

Add in the aubergines and maybe a touch more oil followed by the peppers. Allow all the vegetables to cook through particularly the aubergines.

Mean while cut the avocados in half and take out the stone. Place on a baking tray.

When the stirred vegetables are ready, fill the avocados with the mix and sprinkle liberally with cheese. I used cheddar but stilton would go well with its strong taste. Feta or even parmisan would both be good.

Cook for about 20 minutes in a hot oven - if you cook straight from the preparation you could grill these but I prefer the Avocados to be piping hot all the way through.

Bring to the table and serve. We eat this as a complete meal; two half avocados each with a watercress salad. You could serve just one as a starter or even as an accompaniment to cold meats and pickle.

Try it with your cupboard ingredients and see how it turns out like.

Enjoy

Tiggy

see what I have been up to on my other blog Tiggy Hayes

Tip of the Week - Mashing Swede

2014-01-01T04:50:00.000-08:00

Swede is definitely a winter vegetable but I used to find it went all mushy and no matter how well I tried to drain it, water still remained.

It is such a simple trick but add a potato to the diced swede before boiling. Something in the starch will soak up the water and your swede is nice and firm to eat.

Enjoy

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Minestrone Soup

2013-12-08T02:04:00.000-08:00

Weekend lunches are always a bit hit and miss. As the children grow they have different activities. A formal lunchtime is no longer an option, so I try to create lunches which can be eaten as they and their extra friends pass through the house.

Soups are warming, welcoming and they can be as hearty and cleverly filled with vegetables without the children realising. Minestrone is a particular favourite. It takes a little more preparation but is definitely worth the extra effort. The earlier you prepare it in the day the better the flavours blend and the richer the soup tastes.

Ingredients
oil
onions finely chopped
bacon small lardons
leeks finely chopped
carrots finely chopped
other vegetables you wish to use up - chop finely
splash of sherry
tinned tomatoes
chicken stock
spaghetti chopped into tiny pieces
grated parmesan or cheddar to garnish

Heat the oil and add the onions and begin to soften

Add the bacon lardons and let them start to cook.

Add the other vegetables depending on how long they need cooking carrots should be early on with green beans if you are using followed by softer vegetables like leeks.

Keep stirring occasionally to stop it sticking.

Add a splash of Sherry or sometimes I use Masala if I have no Sherry. Stir well.

Stir in the tinned tomatoes and then add the chicken stock. bring to the boil. Allow it to boil well for a few minutes.

Keeping it boiling add the broken up pasta, allowing it to continue cooking for long enough to cook the pasta "al dente". Add extra water if required.

Keep cooking this for as long as required on a low heat, remembering to stir occaisionally.

When the time comes serve with the grated cheese and with warm crusty bread of your choice. warming, popular and great to stretch for unexpected guests.

Enjoy and let me have your soup recipes to try out.

Tiggy

take a look at my complex and busy life in my other blog Tiggy Hayes

Oven Chips

2013-11-16T13:17:00.000-08:00

Not everybody has a deep fat fryer in the kitchen or the luxury of a chippy in close proximity to their home.

This is an easy recipe that anyone can do.

Ingredients
Potatoes cut into large chips
Lard rather than oil
Paprika

Add the chip potatoes to a pan of water and bring them to the boil

In the meantime melt the lard in a hot oven

When the potatoes are soft but still in shape drain them and add them to the melted lard sprinkle with paprika and put in the oven for about an hour.

Serve and enjoy.

Tiggy

Take a look at my other blog and see what I have been up to, Tiggy Hayes

Tip of the Week - Cheese Sauce

2013-10-30T01:03:00.000-07:00

With cheese being so expensive this simple little addition to cheese sauce makes the taste deeper and appear cheesier but by using less.

As you make your roux (butter and flour) add a dollop of dijon mustard to the mix.

Continue with your sauce.

Add boiling milk rather than cold in small batches to help the silky smoothness of the sauce. This works for in all bechamel sauces.

Then use a strong / mature cheese to give lots of flavour without using too much cheese.

If you are using this as a topping (lasagne/moussaka) beat two eggs really well, allow the sauce to cool slightly before mixing them in well. This will give a richer taste and give it a light fluffy feel to the topping. You can still add a light sprinkling of cheese on top but the eggs will brown nicely.

Stir Fry Veg

2013-10-06T00:58:00.000-07:00

How often do we have odd vegetables left over; not quite enough to feed the whole family but you don't want to throw them out? In my house they sit there and fester and end up being thrown out and I am annoyed at the waste and that I have not used them in something.

A curry or a stew can take any left over vegetables cut up small and added to the pot. One of my favourite methods however is stir frying them with sweet chilli sauce at the last minute and then serving them with the main meal.

Necessary ingredients
Oil
Onions chopped finely
Ginger chopped small
Garlic chopped small
Sweet Chilli Sauce
Spinach and or Watercress -This is added at the very end and not cooked

Optional ingredients
Carrots sliced
Green beans sliced
Courgettes sliced
Red and Green peppars
Fennel, Mange Tout, Celeriac cut very small
Bacon Lardons
Chilli chopped small depending on how hot you like it
Button Mushrooms or larger Mushrooms cut into small chunks

Have all your vegetables ready chopped so you can concentrate on stir frying, take you eye off it and that is the point it will burn. I find a wok the most useful pan for this , but a frying pan will do the job just as well.

We like the freshness of this dish and the crunch of vegetables. You can pre-boil the vegetables if you want but remember you take away the texture and goodness if you do this. I don't pre-cook them for this recipe.

About 5 minutes before serving heat the oil then add the onions and garlic to fry gently.

Add the remaining vegetables, root veg first with lighter vegetables at the end. Keep the spinach and watercress out at this time. If you are using bacon add it early as it requires thorough cooking. Cut up small enough it will cook very quickly.

Keep stirring adding the other vegetables (keeping back the watercress and spinach still) as you stir.

Just before serving add in the sweet chilli sauce and make sure all the vegetables are coated. You do not need a lot.

Turn the heat off and put in the Spinach and Watercress, stir gently. Cover the pan and take to the table. The steam and heat will wilt these leaves and allow them to retain all their goodness and vibrant colour.

Serve as a side dish or as a topping for baked potatoes.

We had it with Risotto. My children will not eat risotto with any additions so instead I add a separate dish and serve it as a topping. They are quite happy with this - so am I. Not only do the children eat their vegetables, I have cleared the fridge of all the odds and ends.

I have sometimes added left over cooked vegetables at the last minute as well.

See how this goes down. It also would be great for a student all in one pot - add some sliced new potatoes (pre-boiled if possible) and keep the bacon, then use the vegetables available. They could add kale or spring greens a few seconds before end if they cannot get watercress or spinach.

Let me know any other combinations that could be added. I have served it with bbq sauce instead of sweet chilli, as a warm side salad to burgers or sausages.

Tiggy

See how life is treating us in my other blog Tiggy Hayes

5 Minute Meal

2013-09-29T22:59:00.000-07:00

Five minutes and Five easy steps!

This is such a fabulous store-cupboard quickie and absolutely perfect to send off to those youngsters starting out in the unknown territory of student digs. I rarely do this as with a family of five it no longer takes just five minutes and I forget that just because it is a fast foods it still provides all the essentials needed at mealtimes. I would agree it is not the most elegant meal served up but quick, convenient and cheap are all essentials a young student will need.

I use packet mash potato as this was given to me by a vegetarian cook who balanced all her meals. Packet mash contains certain necessary nutrients lacking from real mash, it also means the meal can be produced in 5 minutes.

Packet of instant mashed potato
Tin of Tuna
Tin of baked beans
Cheese - cheddar grated

Mix the mash according to packet instructions.

Empty the tin of tuna and mix in

Add the baked beans and again mix in

Finally put in half the cheese and stir through

Top with remaining cheese and cook in the oven, under the grill or I have been known to zap in the microwave. As the potato is already hot when you begin this all takes minutes to prepare. When the potato browns and the cheese melts it is ready. My son loves it with lashings of tomato sauce, I prefer a sprinkling of course ground pepper. You don't really have to add anything it is fine as it is.

Sit down at the table and enjoy before rushing back to finish that essay.

See how this goes down, it is easier and quicker for one person than for a family but is such a great standby in case. Do you have any student recipes let me have them to share?

Tiggy

See how I am coping with the business of day to day living in my other blog Tiggy Hayes

Warm Chicken Salad

2013-09-15T01:22:00.000-07:00

Autumn, particularly early on is a difficult time. Just too hot for the full roast but too cold for another Sunday barbecue so what do you serve? Having planned according to the weather forecast I was doing a roast dinner. The day turned out to be far too hot and we ended up have an extra four people so this went down very well.

Chicken 1 - 2 for roasting
Oranges - halved
Onions - unpeeled but halved
Cranberries (I had some in the freezer. Pomegranate seeds would work as well but I would add right at the end as decoration) - defrosted
bag of mixed Spinach, Watercress and Rocket

Stuff the chickens with the Oranges, onions and cranberries. I used four oranges so put two halves in then the onions and then finished with the other two oranges.

I did use pepper and salt over the skin before cooking.

Roast these according to your normal cooking process, removing them when they are brown and crispy on top.

In to a bowl carve the chicken, or pick it to bits keeping the legs and wings separate.

Add the salad to the chicken bowl and mix well with hands. The heat of the chicken allows the salad to begin to wilt.

Taking out the oranges, squeeze any remaining juice from them into the roasting dish. Let any cranberries fall into the dish.

Pour some of the juices over making sure all the cranberries are used. (This is when I would add the pomegranates if using).

Arrange on serving platter and then add the reserved legs and wings on top.

Serve with buttery minted new potatoes and a warm bean salad.

Enjoy and let me know what different combinations you come up with.

Tiggy

See the last of the Swanwick trilogy at my other blog Tiggy Hayes

Caramelised Fruit Crumble

2013-09-08T01:02:00.000-07:00

My husband and I found ourselves scrumping apples from a pub garden the other day. It is not quite as naughty as it may sound; we did have full permission from both the owner and the chef who had so many apples he did not know what to do with them and these were the ones he could not cope with.

The apples themselves were eaters but very sharp and by caramelising them they softened and sweetened. Added to them I had other fruit needing using up so it became a full on fruit mixture.

Butter
Apples - peeled, cored and sliced
Pears - peeled, cored and sliced
Blueberries
Brown sugar
Flour
Seeds - I used Vanilla flavoured pumpkin and sunflower

Melt the butter and add the fruit depending on what you are using. I cooked the apples first with sugar.

When they had softened and the sugar dissolved into a dark liquid coating the apples I added the remaining fruit which did not require as long.

I cooked this stirring regularly allowing the blueberries to split and the differing tastes harmonise amongst themselves. Then I transferred to the serving dish.

With a crumble top I do like to use measured ingredients, this is what I use for the family of 5 or 6 but double for more people. 175g of plain flour with 75g of butter which you rub together until it resembles the texture of breadcrumbs.

Then I add the same amount of brown sugar (75g). Mix it through thoroughly and then scatter over the fruit. It should cover the fruit liberally. I had ready mixed seeds in the cupboard but any neutral seeds or oats could be sprinkled at this point. It gives an added crunch to the crumble.

Cook in a pre-heated oven until you can see the fruit bubbling round the edges and the top has turned a deep golden brown. Top with ice-cream, clotted cream, regular double cream or warm custard. I can guarantee this will go down a treat.

Crumble is a wonderful winter's pudding but I try to utilise what fruit is available. Blackberries are another great free fruit that has its abundance in the autumn, with sugar added to these they do not necessarily need the pre-cooking.

I also serve my family a wonderful spicy plum crumble when the plums are falling and in abundance. Cut lots of plums in half and remove the stones, add to a pan of melted butter. Add a star anise, freshly grated nutmeg and a couple of cinnamon sticks. Cover this with red wine, golden syrup and some sugar (not too much by now) and allow the fruit to break down and marry the flavours before transferring to the dish. This particular crumble is great if you have visitors, it tastes exquisite and looks professional.

Fruit puddings are a fabulous way of getting fruit into children and mine love the different combinations which work well with each other.

Have you any different combinations that surprisingly work well, share them with me and my other readers.

Take a look at what I am up to in my day to day life at Tiggy Hayes

Tiggy

Beetroot and Fennel Gratin

2013-09-01T23:27:00.000-07:00

Sometimes especially with side dishes I am a little more adventurous and cook separate sides for us and the children. We had this to accompany our fish but it would go equally well with cold meats or could stand alone as a vegetarian alternative.

In a bid to try and be a bit more diet conscious I tried to do away with the heavy cheese sauce which I know works but used low fat yoghurt and a dash of cheap mayonnaise. This worked surprisingly well adding an extra dimension to the dish.

Beetroot - top and tailed.

Fennel

Spinach

Low fat Yoghurt

Mayonnaise

Cheese

Bake the beetroot in a hot oven until you can prod with a knife and it comes out easily. About 40 minutes for the three medium sized ones I used.

Peel them while they are still warm. Then slice them roughly.

Cover the base of your serving dish with lots of spinach.

Add in your fennel. I don't pre-cook this as I love the crunchy texture but if you wish to pre-boil this before adding it will work the same.

Layer the beetroot slices on top of the dish then I mixed low fat yoghurt with a dollop of mayonnaise and dotted it over the vegetables. (Cheese sauce is a good substitute)

Cover in a good sprinkling of grated cheese. I used cheddar but low fat varieties are available.

Bake in the oven until it is golden brown on top, then serve as a truly delicious accompaniment.

This is a great combination of vegetables that seem to be in abundance late summer and a change to the normal plain vegetables that I serve up for my pernickety children.

Enjoy and let me know other combinations that work together.

Tiggy

check out what I have been up to at my blog Tiggy Hayes

Cheesecake

2013-08-21T00:48:00.000-07:00

Do you remember those delicious home made cheesecakes from your childhood when they were still uncommercialised and had a lighter flavour? I serve this up for the children sometime who actually do not like cheesecake normally, they love this version.

This is not a last minute pudding as it needs chilling to allow it to set.

Packet of biscuits - digestives or I used ginger nuts
Butter
Tub of Soft Cheese
Tin of Condensed Milk
Sheet of Gelatine
Tin of Mandarin Pieces

Break up the biscuits in the old fashioned way - a bag and a rolling pin or you can use a chopper to get them really small and even.

Melt the butter and add the biscuits - mix well

Cover the bottom of the dish with the biscuit mix, leaving a slight well in the centre. Leave to chill for a good hour or so - I use the freezer to help things along.

Soak the gelatin according to the packet instructions - as different makes have different ways of making it. I use leaf gelatin so it needs to be soaked in cold water.

Meanwhile, in a blender add the cheese and the condensed milk and whisk well till it is a runny consistency. Add in the soaked geletine and whisk again. You could add vanilla extract or lemon juice at this point but it is fine without.

Pour into the hard biscuit base and return to the freezer / fridge for chilling.

Make sure the centre is solid before serving then remove from fridge and add the drained mandarins. At this point any fruit can be used, strawberries, raspberries or any other.

Serve to the delighted family but be warned - there is enough for about 10 people so I tried to save some for the next day. The fridge imp was obviously hungry overnight and there was non left the following day!

Have a go and let me know any variations you come up with.

Tiggy

check out my trip to the Swanwick Writing School on my other blog at Tiggy Hayes

BBQ Sauce

2013-07-13T00:39:00.000-07:00

Yet another sunny weekend - it is such a pleasure to be able to plan a BBQ and almost be guaranteed a warm barmy evening to enjoy the last rays of the sun with a cool glass of wine, a few friends and the odd child running round the garden.

Of course it is so easy these days to nip to the supermarket and buy ready prepared meat for the barbie. However on days like this when I have a plan I prefer to buy meat from the butcher and prepare it myself. This is such a quick and simple marinade / sauce which has wonderful results.

2 tbs Clear Honey
1 tbs Soft Brown Sugar
1 Tbs Worcester Sauce
2 tbs Tomato Ketchup
1 teaspoon of mustard
dash of soy sauce

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan.

Heat very gently stirring regularly till everything has become smooth, blended and there are no sugar granules left.

Take of the heat, allow to cool slightly then pour over the meat. If you have enough put some in a small jug to serve separately on the table (I sometimes do double amounts and then split it)

Leave the meat in a covered bowl or plastic bag in the fridge to marinate.

Take the meat from the fridge a little ahead of cooking and when the coals are ready lay the meat over the BBQ and pour any residual sauce over the top, cook depending on meat and bring to the table.

Serve with the reserved jug to rapturous plaudits.

I have used this with chicken, beef steaks, pork ribs, kebab meat or vegetables marinaded before being skewered.

A very versatile quick sauce; add more honey for a really sticky marinade, add a chopped chilli or extra mustard for hot tangy sauce. Or add some sweet chilli sauce and a touch of coconut milk (once taken off the heat) for a more oriental flavour.

I also now use this as the basic for a smoky stir fry sauce, again adding touches depending on mood.

Give it a try and let me hear your adaptations.

Enjoy.

Tiggy

Find out what I am up to in my other blog Tiggy Hayes

Butterscotch Sauce

2013-07-01T22:34:00.000-07:00

We are in the season of strawberries and there are so many different recipes to create. This is not necessarily to be restricted to strawberries but they work so well together. I love the ease and simplicity of this recipe that then produces an unbelieveably delicious complement other than cream.

Do not be fooled into thinking this is the calorie free alternative to clotted cream this is pure indulgence. I remember it by 2 x 2 x 2 + 2.5.

2oz / 50g Butter
2oz / 50g Sugar (brown sugar works best)
2ozv / 50g Golden syrup
Vanilla Essence
2 1/2 fl oz / 75ml double cream
Juice of lemon (optional)

Over a very gentle heat combine the butter, sugar and golden syrup.

Watching it carefully and stirring occaisionally allow the ingredients to melt into to each other. Do not allow it to burn.

As the last of the butter melts stir well to mix

Remove from the heat and add the vanilla essence. This is the time to add the lemon. I find it cuts the sweetness and adds a subtle tang but my children definitely prefer the pureness of all sugar so we often have it without.

Allow to cool slightly before adding the cream. Mix well so that all ingredients form a combined thick gloopy sauce.

This can be served warm on fresh strawberries but equally can be prepared early in the day or the day before. As it cools the sauce becomes thicker.

Serve over fresh strawberries and enjoy. My family were sceptical that there is any thing to beat clotted cream or double cream but finally were persuaded to try it. Now such a firm favourite one son will only eat strawberries with this on.

Try it out on your own brood and see what they think. Such an easy and impressive addition to strawberries you can serve it up to guests feeling confident they will enjoy and be impressed.

Enjoy

Tiggy

see what I am up to at Tiggy Hayes

Caramelised Onion and Tomato Tart

2013-06-01T00:44:00.002-07:00

Some times you have a glut of something left in the fridge and nothing seems to use these particular ingredients so they sit around waiting to go off. That is when I try to create something and regular dishes find themselves having added ingredients.

We had a surplus of tomatoes and onions having been given a whole load of each. I was not going to waste them. In this instance I had made my own pastry but bought would work just as well.

Ingredients
Pastry
Onions lots and lots sliced thinly
butter (butter is best for caramelising but you could use oil if necessary)
brown sugar - I use muscavado and probably not as much
Spinach - I always have this in the fridge and it lines the dish giving it a rich colour but you don't have to use it.
Tomatoes - lots again sliced
Mozerella cheese - roughly torn into small chunks

Melt the butter and fry the onions very gently, stirring often so they don't burn.

when they are really soft add the brown sugar and stir in well.

initially it will liquify but keep stirring to coat the onions really well and continue on a really gentle heat.

When the sugar has all evaporated and the onions are almost golden in colour take it from the heat and allow to cool slightly. We are now ready to put it all together.

Roll out your pastry and line your dish

you can build your layers however you want; I like spinach on the base, onions in the middle with the tomatoes spread over the top. This could be repeated if you had enough of the fillings.

It was after the tomato layer I threw in some salt and a good helping of pepper but that is a matter of choice

a good covering of mozzerella cheese and the tart is ready for the oven.

A hot oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melting, bubbling and turning golden. The smell of fresh tomatoes wafts through the house and the children miraculously appear demanding food.

This makes a great lunch dish or if you have to take a dish to some buffet event, you don't have to eat it hot.

Enjoy and let me know if you have any recipes for using up extra.

Tiggy

Check out my other blog at Tiggy Hayes

Caramelised Onion Marmalade

2013-05-21T23:13:00.000-07:00

Not the kind you add to your breakfast toast but fabulous with sausages and any cold meats. It will keep for a while in the fridge so bring it out at BBQ time.

This is dead easy to make and I have given the measurements I was first given which will make about 6 jam jars. I usually don't measure and use a few onions the rest is a bit here and there but we don't tend to make it in big batches.

Ingredients

butter 100g or olive oil will work
onions lots about 2kg all sliced
dark brown sugar 300g
red wine vinegar 300ml
red wine 250ml
balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons
whole grain mustard 2 teaspoons
pinch of chilli flakes (for optional kick)

I only use a little butter and melt it over a medium heat

Lower the heat then add the sliced onions.

Allow them to soften then add about half the sugar. Stir regularly and let the onions caramelise but not burn

Add all the other ingredients and bring it to a fast boil.

Allow the pot to simmer for up to an hour till most of the liquid has evaporated and the consistency is similar to that of marmalade. The smell pervades the whole house and unlike pickle cooking it is enticing and reminiscent of hot dogs.

I tend to serve it still hot with sausages but it can be put into jars once cool and kept in the fridge. I always think I have done enough but it still goes.

Enjoy

Tiggy

See what every day life throws at me in my other blog. Tiggy Hayes

Weekend Hot Pot

2013-04-21T22:58:00.000-07:00

This came about one still cold weekend when going through the freezer. I had a bag full of ends of Lamb. There were a few chops and spare ribs and a few other odd bits; none of which would make a meal for us on their own.

The great thing about this dish was I threw it all in the slow cooker and left it. It cooked slowly all day and melted in the mouth when we came to eat it but it would work just as well in a casserole dish in a low oven.

Ingredients

Olive oil
onions
garlic
celery
carrots
lamb - bones included (This would work well with chops or spare ribs but plenty)
Rosemary
Mint
Potatoes
Red Wine - good covering
Chicken Stock

Chop the onions and throw them in the warm pot with some oil. Add the chopped garlic.

Let them warm together for a while before adding the carrots and celery.

Add the meat on top

Chop the mint and rosemary. I removed the stalks from the rosemary and chopped the leaves with the mint then sprinkled them over the meat which by now was already beginning to brown itself.

Add a generous glug of red wine over the top then add enough stock to cover everything in the pan including the potatoes which you can add now or wait and add nearer serving time.

I made this first thing in the morning then about lunch time threw some spuds in. This was also the first and only stir I gave the whole dish. Add more water or stock if there is not to cover the potatoes.

There is a warm and welcoming aroma as you come back into the house in the evening after this has cooked all day. On a cold wet winter's evening this is so warming and cosy and the meat just melts off the bones. I would normally just use a bunch of chops for this but the spare ribs worked really well together.

Enjoy and let me know what else you could add to the dish. The other ingredient I would normally add but had run out of was anchovy fillets which I cut small so no one knows, they just add a depth to the dish but nobody can taste fish.

Tiggy

you can also see my other blog Tiggy Hayes to see what I get up to when I am not cooking.

Dorset Apple Cake

2013-03-30T08:37:00.000-07:00

There must be so many differing recipes for this cake but a friend of mine brought her version in for her birthday cake and it was so light and full of fruit that I nagged her for the recipe.

A very popular cake to serve instead of a pudding, which does not last very long in our house nor for that matter did it last in the staffroom on my friend's birthday. I am sure an airtight tin and a good hiding place might help.

Ingredients - I will give rough measurements with this
225 g plain flour
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
110 g butter
225g of peeled, cored and finely chopped apples - I used a bit more and they were not that finely chopped
juice of 1/2 a lemon in a bowl of water
110g unrefined granulated sugar
75g currants or raisins
2 large eggs

I am suppose to use a loose bottom cake tin but as I don't have one I used my Christmas square tin and greased it really well.

I like to prepare my ingredients before I start, so I chopped all my apples into chunks and left them in a bowl of water into which I had squeezed the lemon.

Mix the flour, baking powder and cinnamon together.

Add the butter and rub it in as if you were making crumble

Stir in the sugar followed by the dried fruit then the apples

Beat the eggs really well so they give the cake the light airy feel that was so good.

Now it is time to mix the eggs into the mixture. With a large spoon stir the mixture well so that it now resembles a dough, clingy and thick. Make sure you get to the very bottom of the bowl and mix all the dry ingredients in well.

Turn the mixture into the tin and smooth the top out. Sprinkle with more sugar before covering lightly with greaseproof paper.

Cook the cake in a low heat oven 160C (325F) for about an 1 1/4 hours if the top is not completely golden remove the greaseproof paper and finish off for about 10 mins.

Remove from the oven and leave for about 10 minutes before turning out.

Serve with a dollop of Devon Clotted Cream if you can get it or double cream goes wonderfully with this. My boys quite like ice-cream especially if I serve it still warm.

Enjoy this and let me know what you think.

Tiggy

Find out what I am up to in my other blog Tiggy Hayes

Potato and Leek Soup

2013-03-23T08:36:00.000-07:00

Saturday lunchtime during the cold miserable winter will find me at home having made a pot of warming soup with some home made bread to complement it. I have a huge repertoire of differing soups but we always come back to the family favourite; Potato (and leek). With three fussy boys and an abhorrence of any kind of green vegetables the soup soon became just Potato; I get away with it as the veg is all puréed at the time of serving.

This is quick and simple to make, but like most good soups does benefit for leaving to simmer for an hour or so. I like the ease of hardly chopping the vegetables and just throwing them in the pot.

Ingredients
butter /oil
onion skinned and chopped roughly
leeks (top and tailed) then roughly chopped
potatoes - lots peeled and chopped into large chunks
sherry
stock
cream to serve
parsley to serve

Heat the butter or oil in a large saucepan
Turn the heat down and add the onions and leeks
Fry gently

Add the potatoes and toss well

Add the sherry (my secret ingredient that gives depth to the soup). I add a good slug and mix the veg well so they are all coated.

Let the veg cook very gently (low heat) in the sherry till it has all gone and appears almost caramalised.

Add your stock. Use plenty and you can top up with water if you do not have enough. (I use my own stock - ham water, chicken bones and veg boiled up - this makes the soup already quite salty but a stock cube works just as well)

Bring the soup to the boil and turn the heat down again allowing the soup to simmer. This can be served after the potatoes are soft enough to begin to break down, however the longer the soup is left the deeper the taste.

When you are ready to serve the soup, put it in the blender and liquidise it. It should be thick and warming, rather than liquid.

Serve with a spiral of cream, a parsley garnish for the more discerning and home made bread still warm from the oven (Middle Son made these delicious cheese buns)

Enjoy. Let me know your secret ingredient and what it brings to a simple bowl of soup

Tiggy

Find out what I am up to in my other blog http://tiggyhayes.wordpress.com/

Chewy Breakfast Bar

2013-02-24T06:01:00.000-08:00

This is another of my sneaky ways of getting fruit into the children and even better I got Mini Son to help me make them. They were very popular and just because they have cereal in them does not mean they have to be kept for breakfast.

The sugar, butter content probably negates the fibre from the fruit but it is better than a lot of the snacks you can buy over the counter and the children love these.

Ingredients

100g or so of dried fruit - I used a premixed supermarket pack
100g of mixed seeds (these were included in my pack)
280g of oats - i used a mix of jumbo and porridge
50g of multi-grain hoop cereal
200g of butter
200g sugar - light muscavado
200g golden syrup

Mix the oats, fruit, seeds and cereal together in a bowl

Using a large heavy based pan melt the butter, add the sugar and then the golden syrup gently stirring until the sugar has completely melted.

Once melted remove from the heat and add the dry ingredients stirring well

Pour out into the baking tray and even out. I tend to use the pampered chef bar pan which I still line with greaseproof paper with but this is more to lift out than prevent sticking. If you use a standard baking tray make sure you grease it well.

Bake at a low heat 160C/gas 3 for about 20 minutes until they are golden brown then remove and leave to cool completely. I score the bars when they come out of the oven and again when they are cool to make it easier to cut them.

In theory these could last 3 days in an airtight tin in practice I cannot get them to last more than a day. No matter where I hide the tin it is found and all I get are a few fruit crumbs.

Enjoy these and get the children to help which will make them even more tempting. You could coat the top in melted chocolate or dip each bar half way in once they are cool enough. Mine don't last that long. I think they are very similar to flapjack but my children prefer these.

Tiggy

Check out what I am up to in my other blog Tiggy Hayes