Little Dishy

Halloween Ideas

2011-10-26T02:45:00.000+01:00

As Halloween is coming up I thought I'd share a few ideas from last year with you. The glittery skull in my fireplace was made from a cheap, plastic, joke shop skull that was painted with glue and covered in glitter. We then illuminated it with ice cold fairy lights and black candles.

I kept the fireplace fairly simple with black candles and some spooky cut outs on the mirrors.

Nev looked dangerous and dapper in his tux!

Another glittery skull was used to top this cupcake tower. You can't see it very well in this picture but I used red rose petals with LEDs underneath them in the fabric.

Some chocolate and berry meringues were turned into ghosts.

I just dressed as myself...

Sloe Gin Mincemeat

2011-10-09T12:46:00.000+01:00

I know it's annoying when Christmas stuff appears too early but when it comes to festive cooking being prepared is essential! If you like mincemeat you'll love my Sloe Gin version. It's spicy, aromatic and fruity, yet retains a sophisticated edge. You can find the recipe here on Gintime! If you've never made mincemeat before, please give it a try - it is so easy it cant even be called cooking.

My friend informed me yesterday that she was going to make her Christmas Cakes today, now that's dedication!

My Ultimate Chocolate Cake

2011-08-12T17:13:00.000+01:00

I've experimented with all sorts of chocolate cake over the last few years and have finally found one that's 'just right' for me. First of all I wanted it to be very dark but not bitter. Then it had to be moist but I didn't want to make one with just oil as I feel they lack flavour. Lastly it had to be light with a hint of fudgieness.

I used a Basic Victoria Sponge recipe for this: the weight of my eggs with the same weight in fat, sugar, and flour.

Juliet's chocolate cake:

Weight of eggs - to make 12 decent sized cupcakes I used 2 large eggs which was 4oz.
Fats: 2 oz butter plus 2 oz vegetable oil
Sugar: 3 oz unrefined castor sugar plus 1 oz soft dark brown sugar
Flour: 2½ oz self raising flour plus 1½ oz dark cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 180°C/gas 4. Beat the fats and sugars until well combined and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one and beat until just combined. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and fold in until just combined. Bake in a cake pan or divide amongst cup cake cases. For cupcakes bake for 10-15 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs stuck to it.

I topped my cupcakes with a chocolate butter icing.

Hot Legs

2011-08-10T22:33:00.000+01:00

Unfortunately I've lost the 'before' photo for this post. However these shorts were originally a pair of my boyfriend's old chino type trousers that had an unfortunate hole in the groin area! I think a lot of men's shorts can look too baggy and unflattering so cropping a pair of tailored trousers is a good solution for a smarter look. I used some of the chopped off fabric to patch the hole and then hemmed them with my machine. A quick refashion is much better than throwing something in the bin, it's like getting clothes for free! Do you like Nev's modelling pose? I would have been delighted to put his face in but he's too shy!

Another Baby Blanket

2011-08-10T22:16:00.000+01:00

I've been busy making yet another baby blanket after the success of blanket number one. The pattern for this one came from Attic 24, a lovely blog with plenty of crochet projects to inspire you.

My next woolly project is going to be a big thick jumper for me. I've got a few craft projects in mind for the baby but have realised I really need to get my winter wardrobe sorted out too!

I made a maxi dress!

2011-08-02T12:19:00.000+01:00

One of the best investments a woman can make is a sewing machine. I inherited my first one when I was 13 and made myself all sorts of clothes throughout my teens including ballgowns! The style at the time was for taffeta skirts under a velvet boned bodice with a taffeta shawl round the shoulders. Tartan taffeta was very popular I recall. Apologies for that sartorial horror story!

I think the quality of sewing patterns is excellent these days and you can get so many of the current trends. The difficulty with dressmaking can be acquiring the fabric you want and it's not such a money saving hobby any more if you're used to buying very cheap high street fashions. However, you do end up with something unique, that fits perfectly and in better quality fabric that you might be able to afford pre made. My sewing machine set me back £85 and it does all the stitches I need including ones for stretch fabric, hemming and button holes.

After over three months of feeling nauseous and tired I needed a glamour boost, not to mention clothes that have a bit more room for my expanding baby tummy! This pattern (Vogue 8386) isn't a maternity one but the gathers at the front are quite like some maternity dresses and it feels so easy to wear. You can probably tell from the photo above that I hate getting my picture taken (which is why I've never posted dressmaking projects on here before) but I'm going to be spending a lot of time on my wardrobe in the next few weeks so need to be less camera shy if I'm to show you what I'm up to!

Planet Mummy

2011-07-29T12:25:00.000+01:00

Although I'll definitely be blogging about baby crafts on here I don't want to turn this into a mummy and baby blog. Although I think having a baby is the most exciting thing in the world, others might disagree! So, as you do, I started another blog dedicated to everything about having and caring for a baby. If you are pregnant or have a little one you might want to check out Planet Mummy.

Martha's Blueberry Muffins with a hint of lemon from me

2011-07-26T21:41:00.000+01:00

I enjoyed my banana muffins so much I decided to give blueberry a try. I was lucky to get really sweet, tangy, large blueberries so didn't even bother measuring them and chucked two whole punnets into the batter. I used the fabulous Martha Stewart's recipe but added the finely grated rind of one lemon to the mix. To finish them off I squeezed the juice of one lemon and mixed it with 2 good tablespoons of lemon curd. I poked each muffin with a knife when they were just cooked used this syrup to drizzle inside. A dusting of icing sugar looked pretty on the top and, as you can see below, the blueberries made them lovely and jammy inside. My favourite breakfast of the moment is a muffin served with thick natural yoghurt and fresh fruit on the side.

BTW, Martha Stewart and Miss Piggy are my two main role models.

Lemon Cheesecake Ice Cream and Strawberry Sorbet

2011-07-24T21:34:00.000+01:00

I made these delicious lemon cheesecake squares recently but despite giving lots away we had too many. I decided to crumble them up and put them in a lemon ice cream. I really love ice cream and sorbet together and a strawberry sorbet with a hint of lemon was perfect for balancing the creamy cakeyness of this ice cream. There's something very decadent about eating ice cream from a wafer. I covered some plain wafers with white chocolate and sprinkles, which gave this treat a retro seaside feel.

Strawberry Sorbet
Makes 600ml

500g strawberries
Juice of one lemon
150g castor sugar
300ml water
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Put the strawberries, lemon juice, sugar and water in a pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool slightly then blitz in a food processor and sieve the seeds out. Once properly cooled, churn in an ice cream maker for ten minutes before adding the egg whites then continue to churn until frozen. Freeze until needed and allow to soften slightly before serving.

Lemon cheesecake ice cream
makes 800ml

300ml milk
Juice and finely grated zest of two lemons
4 egg yolks
100g castor sugar
300ml double cream
1 1/2 cups crumbled lemon cheesecake

Bring the milk to the boil with the lemon rind then take off the heat immediately. Whisk together the egg yolks, lemon juice and sugar. Sieve the milk then whisk into the egg mixture. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir all the time until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Cover the surface in cling film and allow to cool completely. Stir in the cream and churn in an ice cream maker until frozen. Stir in the crumbled cheesecake and freeze until needed. Allow to soften slightly before serving.

Baby Booties

2011-07-18T19:59:00.000+01:00

This was a nice easy project to make and each bootie only took me an evening to do. I can imagine an experienced crocheter could have these two whipped up in an hour! The pattern is from this book I recommended recently. I can't wait to put these on my baby's feet and will probably keep them forever to remind me of how dainty those little footsies were.

Summer Greens and Lemon Risotto

2011-07-18T19:13:00.000+01:00

The other day I saw some lovely chard in the shops and knew I had a couple of lemons in the kitchen and frozen peas in the fridge. Risotto was called for! I don't make risotto often enough but every time I do I vow we'll eat it every week.

Lemon, Pea and Chard Risotto
Serves 4

130g butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

300g Arborio Rice

200ml white wine

700ml stock

juice and zest of 2 lemons

2 large handfulls chard or other leaves such as watercress or rocket

2 cups peas

salt and pepper

50g parmesan

Melt 50g of butter with the olive oil in a pan. Put the stock in a pan over a medium heat and bring to a simmer then turn the heat down and keep just off a simmer. Add the onion, garlic and lemon zest to the pan then cook gently over a medium heat until soft. Add the rice and stir over the heat for 2 minutes. Add the wine and boil off, stirring all the time then add the stock a ladle at a time, constantly stirring the rice. Only add more stock when the last ladleful has been absorbed. Continue until the rice is cooked and all the liquid has been used up. If you need more liquid top up your stock pan with boiling water. Once the rice is al dente stir in the remaining butter, lemon juice, chard and peas. Cook over the heat, stirring until the chard has wilted. Season to taste and serve with the parmesan sprinkled on top.

Naan Bread Recipe

2011-07-17T19:50:00.000+01:00

Naan bread is something I'd never thought of making before which is a shame as it was so easy and the results were wonderful. This recipe made four large naans and although we only ate one straight out of the oven the others froze and reheated beautifully. I'll never spend money on shop-bought again! This recipe came from Bread by Eric Treulle and Ursula Ferringo.

Naan Bread Recipe

Makes 4 large naans

2 teaspoon dried yeast

250 ml milk

500g plain flour

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

3 tablespoons yoghurt

30g butter, melted

Sprinkle the yeast into 100ml of the milk and leave for 5 minutes then stir to dissolve. Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl, making a well in the centre. Pour in the yeasted milk, sugar, yoghurt and butter. Mix in and add the remaining milk to make a stiff but sticky dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Put the dough into a clean bowl and cover with a tea towel. leave to rise for 3-4 hours until doubled in size. Knock back then leave to rest for 10 minutes. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts then roll out, pulling one end to form a teardrop shape — they should be about 25cm in length. Preheat a baking sheet under the grill for about 2 minutes. Lightly oil the baking sheet then grill each bread on each side for about 2-3 minutes, until puffy and golden. Cover with a clean, dry cloth to keep them from drying out and once cooled freeze any you aren't going to eat within the next couple of days.

We had ours with some butternut squash, chickpea and spinach curry. Yummy!

Lemon Cheesecake Squares

2011-07-17T16:56:00.000+01:00

I had a craving for cheesecake the other day but also wanted something a bit more refreshing. I used this Martha Stewart Recipe to make the lemon cheesecake squares and topped them with strawberries that had been sliced then macerated in sugar and lemon juice to bring out the flavour. It really was a lovely summer dessert.

Crochet Blanket For My Baby!

2011-07-14T21:30:00.003+01:00

Yay! I finished my baby blanket. I've really enjoyed learning to crochet and it was easier than I thought it would be. I'm still very much a beginner and am sure I'll struggle for a while with more difficult projects but I was impressed at how quick crochet is. However, the main lesson I've learned is that crochet uses much more wool than knitting does and the results are denser. I had to go back to the wool shop twice for tops ups!

As we're not sure of the baby's sex I won't make another blanket until it's born but will maybe do some booties and hats in neutral colours in the meantime.

Granola Bar Recipe

2011-07-13T19:45:00.006+01:00

I've had a distinct sweet tooth since I've been pregnant and indulged in many treats. However the other day I thought I'd give sweet snacking a healthy edge by baking some granola bars. These are tasty and sweet but the oats, nuts and seeds are full of goodness!

Granola Bars

Makes 12 large or 24 small bars

100g butter

4 tablespoons honey

100g light brown muscovado sugar

150g oats

50g barley (substitute oats if you can't get hold of any)

150g seeds (I used a mixture of sunflower, sesame and pumpkin)

80g nuts (I used a mixture of flaked and whole almonds)

100g dried fruit (I used half dried pineapple and half chopped dried papya)

Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/Gas 3. Place the butter, sugar and honey in a pan and heat until the butter and sugar has melted. Place the oats, barley, seeds and nuts on a baking tray and roast for 10 minutes. Mix the butter, honey and sugar with the dry ingredients and the fruit then press into a baking tin that's been generously greased. Bake for 20 minutes until golden then remove the pan and score into squares. Allow to cool in the baking tray, then remove and store in an air tight tin.

A nice combination would be almonds, apples and apricots with a teaspoon of cinnamon added to the mixture.

Puy Lentil Stuffed Peppers

2011-07-13T19:07:00.004+01:00

In the early days of our courtship I made the mistake of asking Nev what his favourite meal was, imagining it would be the vegetarian lasagne I made him a couple of weeks earlier. Imagine my shock and dismay when he declared his number one dish to be his mother's vegetarian lasagne!

Hmph! I had been aware Nev was fond of his mum's lasagne because he mentioned that she brought one up with her every time she visited him but couldn't believe it could possibly be better than mine. However I was to be proved wrong when we went to see Eileen in Yorkshire and indeed her lentil lasagne was the business. I'd never imagined lentils could be so tasty. With some tips from Eileen and a bit of experimentation I've come up with my own version of this lentil dish, which is great for using in anything you'd normally have mince in, such as lasagne, moussaka or shepherd's pie. Here I've used it to stuff some peppers, which makes a cheap but tasty supper for us. I often make a bit more than I need then freeze some to make a last minute supper with.

Eileen still brings her lasagne with her when she comes to stay with us in Edinburgh. In fact she has been told that she'll be sent on the next train back to Yorkshire if she doesn't present one on arrival. She very kindly brings a meat one especially for me but I actually prefer her veggie version!

Vegetarian lentil filling

Makes enough for using in a dish for two with leftovers

2 cups puy lentils

vegetable stock

1 red onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

handful chopped mushrooms (portobello if possible but button will do)

2 tablespoons tomato puree

dash balsamic vinegar

dash red wine

Rinse the lentils and place in a pan then cover with stock. Bring to the boil and simmer until nearly cooked — they should still have a tiny bit of bite. Meanwhile gently fry the onion until caramelised and soft. Then add the garlic and mushrooms and continue to fry for a couple of minutes until the mushrooms are cooked. Add the puree, balsamic and wine and simmer down until thickened. Add the lentils with a couple of tablespoons of the cooking stock and cook on a low heat, stirring all the time until the lentils are fully cooked and the liquid has evaporated.

To cook peppers stuffed with this mixture: half three peppers and remove the seeds. Place on a baking tray and drizzle with some olive oil. Roast in a medium oven for ten minutes then remove, fill with the lentil mixture and top with some goat's cheese. Continue to roast the stuffed peppers for another 10-15 minutes until the filling is hot in the middle and the cheese is melted and lightly browned on top.

How to make pizza dough

2011-07-05T18:31:00.005+01:00

We don't eat a lot of takeaway food in our house as we both like to cook and would rather save up the cash for a night out. However one takeout we used to indulge in occasionally was pizza. That was until I found a good recipe for making it at home — on the side of a bag of pizza dough flour! This pizza base is really tasty and crisp, and worked for me with just baking in on a regular baking sheet. My mini pizzas above have goats cheese, spinach and egg toppings as well as mixed pepper and parma ham, and red onion and tomato.

I used really good olive oil for this as the flavour of it comes through and the flour this recipe is courtesy of is Gilchesters Organics Stoneground Pizza and Ciabatta Strong Wheat Flour.

Pizza Dough recipe:

makes 2 large pizzas or 6 small ones

375g pizza flour

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

7g packet fast action yeast

275ml tepid water

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for kneading

Mix the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle, add the water and olive oil and stir together. The dough should feel very sticky. Cover and leave for 15 minutes. Knead the dough on a lightly oiled surface about 12 times only, then cover and leave for 10 minutes. Repeat the last stage twice, oiling surface and hands each time. When the dough is ready, cut in half and knead four or five times to squash out any bubbles then roll out. Cover the the middle with toppings of your choice and bake for 12-15 minutes at 240°C/gas 9.

I've made over six large pizzas from one bag of flour so although pizza will always be indulgent for the waistline it needn't be on your pocket!

I've recently learned how to make naan bread at home and will be posting the recipe for this soon.

Learning to Crochet

2011-06-29T16:41:00.007+01:00

I've given knitting a whirl in the past and although I can knit plain things well enough, the more complicated patters are beyond me. I always seem to end up with the wrong amount of stitches! I've been inspired by some very pretty crochet projects recently, particularly by my chum Sam who has a great eye for colour and an interesting blog. She recommended Crochet Unravelled which is a great book for learning the basics.

Everything is clearly explained in this book and it and usefully has diagrams for both left and right handed people.

I've just about mastered granny squares now and am making a baby blanket for my very own sproglet, due in October! We don't know the gender of the baby but I think that even though there's a blue in this the colours are neutral enough.

One thing I'm enjoying about crochet is how quickly you see results and it makes me feel productive whilst watching the telly. Once I've finished this blanket I might attempt a pair of booties.

The easiest way to decorate a cake

2011-06-28T11:18:00.009+01:00

I love getting the piping bag out as much as the next person but sometimes there's not the time or the energy! I offered to take a cake to my friend Darcie's BBQ at the weekend but although I wanted to bring something spectacular I knew I wasn't going to have time to fiddle about with cupcakes or make fancy decorations.

So I baked a plain Victoria Sponge mix (using six eggs) and divided this between a ring shaped cake tin and a plain round one. Once baked I allowed them to cool and sandwiched them together with lemon buttercream and strawberry jam, however you don't really have to do this part if you're pushed for time. I wish I'd taken a picture but I can assure you that it looked a bit of a mess! Now comes the part where we make it look really awesome!

I whipped together 500ml of double cream with two small tubs of mascarpone (about 2/3 volume of mascarpone to cream) until it was just thick enough to hold its shape and spread onto the cake. Always make sure your cake it fully cooled before putting cream or icing on it!

I spread the cream on, not taking too much time to worry about it being even, as cream is much easier to work than icing. I then took a selection of summer berries and put lots on the hole of the top cake then stuck them on the sides so that they were cascading down.

The end result had the wow factor but was ridiculously simple.

Swiss Muesli

2011-06-23T21:11:00.006+01:00

If you've tried muesli and hated it I urge you to give this a go. Eating dry muesli with milk is very much like chowing down on cat litter for breakfast but doing it Swiss style really adds texture and it's incredibly fruity and filling too. I buy all my ingredients from a local whole foods shop and make up my own combinations. This one is tropical and summery! There's no need for a recipe but the following will give you some ideas on quantities, allowing you to create your own!

3 cups rolled oats

2/3 cup chopped dried fruit (I used half and half dried apricots and papaya)

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup coconut flakes

1/4 cup banana chips

This can be mixed and stored in a tupperware until needed.

To make up the muesli, add 1/2 grated apple to a cup of muesli and squeeze over the juice of an orange. Mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight. I make mine up whilst I'm making dinner. Serve with yoghurt and add a drizzle of honey if you like breakfast on the sweet side.

A Sip of Summer

2011-06-21T21:39:00.001+01:00

Nothing is more refreshing to me than a glass of elderflower cordial and water with a sprig of fresh mint. I dragged the boyfriend elderflower picking (he insists on calling it stealing rather than foraging!) the other day and reminded myself of how easy this drink is to make. I've got a couple of bottles in the fridge and two plastic ones in the freezer which should see me through to next year.

If you're looking for an unusual present to take to a party you could do worse than a Bottle of St Germain Ederflower Liqueur. This is a lovely addition to a martini and adds a subtle hint of summer to a glass of prosecco.

Elderflowers are always out at the same time as gooseberries so if I can find some of them in the shops I have a notion for making a gooseberry meringue pie.

A Simple Snack

2011-06-21T21:36:00.001+01:00

Every week or so I go down to my local deli and pay £2.80 for a loaf of their spectacular wholemeal bread. With some scrambled eggs on top, there's nothing to beat it. However, when I'm in the supermarket I often pop a half baked baguette in the trolly as they're so handy to make a last minute snack with. Our basil has been doing nicely on our windowsill (we recently picked the emerging flowers off to stop it bolting) and I happened to have a tomato or two in the fridge so I whipped up some super fast bruschetta.

1 small baked baguette sliced

1 clove of garlic, cut in half

2 very ripe tomatoes, chopped

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Basil

Parmesan

Rub each slice of bread with the garlic, top with chopped tomatoes and give each a generous drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and bake in a medium oven for 8-10 minutes until the tomatoes are softened and the edges of the bread become golden. Sprinkle basil on top and grated parmesan.

Grilled Mackerel with Samphire Stir-fry

2011-06-12T20:42:00.005+01:00

One upside of not being able to eat well for three months is a nice feeling of rediscovering food again. I've definitely not been stinting myself when it comes to treats, as some recent entries will show! However, I've always had a taste for healthy, fresh food and this meal really did it for me. The samphire stir-fry would be a meal in itself if you added a bit of protein such as chicken or prawns to it. I grilled a couple of butterfly filleted mackerel with garlic, olive oil and some fresh coriander and mint brushed on the flesh side.

What was so lovely about this meal is that it took no time at all to cook but felt like a really special meal. All the ingredients cost me just over a fiver so it was a bargain too.

Samphire stir-fry

Serves 2

2 handfuls samphire

1 courgette, chopped into strips

3 spring onions, chopped

1 inch knob fresh ginger, finely chopped

1/2 lemongrass stalk, finely chopped

1 red and 1 green chilli, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped coriander

sesame oil

soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds

Heat a little vegetable oil in a very hot wok. Add the samphire and courgette and fry until tender with a little bite remaining. Add the spring onion, ginger, lemongrass, chillies and garlic and fry for a further minute or two. Add the coriander and seeds then season with sesame oil and soy sauce to taste.

New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies Cookies

2011-06-12T18:06:00.003+01:00

This amazing recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies has been doing the rounds for some time now and it's well worth attempting, even if the dough does need to be refrigerated for 24 hours. This takes willpower! I found I really had to keep my eye on these as they were baking: if you overdo them they'll still be lovely but won't have the chewy middle I associate with American style cookies. I used chopped Dairy Milk Chocolate but think this would be nice with dark chocolate and hazelnuts or white chocolate and pistachios.

All munched up!

Banana, Hazelnut and Chocolate Muffins

2011-06-01T20:32:00.010+01:00

I'm sure we all know that a muffin is really a cake but because it's not called a cake it's acceptable to eat one for breakfast. Happy days.

For this recipe I added hazelnuts and dark chocolate chunks to a basic banana muffin recipe but you could add walnuts and milk chocolate instead. The muscovado sugar makes a big difference to the flavour, adding a hint of caramel that goes very well with banana.

Recipe

(makes 24 small muffins)

Wet ingredients:

75g melted butter, cooled

2 ripe bananas, mashed well

2 eggs

125ml milk

Dry ingredients:

250g self-raising flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

100g unrefined caster sugar

20g light brown muscovado sugar

100g dark chocolate, chopped

100g hazelnuts, roughly bashed up

Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Whisk all the wet ingredients together with a fork. Sift all the dry ingredients together and add the nuts and chocolate. Make a well in the middle and add the wet ingredients. Stir with a fork until just combined, the mixture should be a bit lumpy. Pour into muffin moulds or cases and bake for 15-20 minutes until risen and golden.

I also made a batch with no chocolate and drizzled some of them with unrefined icing sugar mixed with lemon juice.

And here's some fit for breakfast that would be lovely served with natural yoghurt and fresh fruit.