Mince Pie Twists

With the festive season drawing to a close, my adaptation of Gizzi Erskine's Mince Pie Straws are a novel and delicious way to use up any leftover mincemeat. These flakey puff pastry twists would make great sweet canapés or a lovely festive pud when served alongside a little crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream. With the inevitable 'New Year Detox' looming, this is your final excuse to indulge in some Christmassy baking - enjoy!

On another note - a massive thanks to those of you who voted for us as we have (miraculously) been shortlisted in the Food & Drink category for a UK Blog Award for the second year running! We're not quite sure how it happened as we totally forgot to promote it, so thank you to anyone reading for your ongoing support! 

Check out our competition here: http://www.blogawardsuk.co.uk/food-drink-shortlisted-finalists/

For 24 twists you will need…

2 tbsp caster sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Flour - to dust

1 packet of all-butter puff pastry

200g sweet mincemeat

1 egg yolk - beaten

Icing sugar to serve

You will need to...

- Preheat your oven to 200C.

- Mix together the sugar, lemon zest and cinnamon in a small bowl.

- Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface until it is the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut the pastry in half widthways. Spread the mincemeat over one half and place the other ontop, pressing/rolling together firmly.

- Trim the edges to create a neat rectangle, then brush the top with the egg yolk. Sprinkle over the lemony, cinammony sugar. Cut the pastry into 12 strips lengthways, then cut all across the middle to create 24 straws in total. 

- Twist each strip a couple of times and place on a lined baking tray - leaving plenty of room for expansion.

 - Bake at 200C until golden brown, puffed up and crisp - this could take anywhere between 15-30 minutes.

- Serve with a generous dusting of icing sugar. 

Enjoy! C x

Peas, Watercress & Brown Shrimp on Toast

This is an adaptation of a Lindsey Bareham recipe that I tore out of a magazine a couple of years ago, and quickly became a favourite simple-yet-polished lunch in our household. As well as being relatively healthy and simple, with only a handful of ingredients needed, the blitzed watercress and pea mixture is really bright and fresh, and looks great on the plate. Despite being a good lunch dish, this would also work well in smaller quantities as a starter, or add more of everything to make into a light supper. If you can't find brown shrimps (Waitrose usually have a good supply) feel free to substitute them with prawns or crayfish. Although this is really quick to throw together it's worth noting that a good food processor or hand blender is essential to blitz your greens!

For two generous lunches you will need…

100g peas (fresh or frozen)

1 large handful of watercress

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp cider vinegar

Salt & pepper

Knob of butter for the toast

2 slices of good sourdough bread

50-100g brown shrimps

Lemon to serve

You will need to…

- Cook the peas in boiling water, then drain and add to your food processor along with the watercress, mustard, olive oil and cider vinegar.

- Blitz until it becomes a thick herby sauce and season to taste. You might want to adjust the vinegar/oil balance too - I like it quite tangy.

- Toast your sourdough slices and butter generously.

- Spread with a thick layer of green paste and top with the shrimp. Serve with a wedge of lemon.

Enjoy! C x

Malteaser Cake

This Malteaser Cake is always a show stopper. During my cooking jobs in Scotland over the summer this cake was a favourite for afternoon tea, and I assure you it takes a very hungry army of people to demolish the whole thing in one sitting! Infact, it is so rich and chocolately that it could almost be served with cream as a pudding. I have enjoyed many an hour sitting aligning every malteaser to make this cake look symmetrical - the first time I made it, it certainly didnt look like my latest one in

these photos! 

To serve 12 hungry people you will need... 

For the chocolate sponge 

150g soft unsalted butter

250g caster sugar

150g self raising flour

100ml sour cream or double cream

4 medium eggs

50g cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder 

a pinch of salt 

1/2 a vanilla pod or a few drops of vanilla extract 

For the icing (these quantities ususally make a bit extra)

100g dark chocolate

550g icing sugar 

250g soft butter

2tbsps milk/water 

4x 135g malteasers (make sure you have enough or else you wont cover the whole cake!) 

You will need to... 

-Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4 

-Grease and line two 8 inch loose bottomed cake tins

-Put the butter, sugar, flour, cream, eggs, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and vanilla into the large bowl of an electric mixer and mix until smooth. 

-Pour the mixture into the two cake tins and bake in the oven for 25/30mins or until a skewer comes out clean, Leave to cool for a couple fo minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.

- When the cakes are cool make the icing, First melt the dark chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water stirring occasionally. 

- Put the icing sugar in the electric mixer (no need to sieve if using a mixer) then add the butter and and milk/water until light and smooth. Then pour the melted chocolate in with the mixer still running. 

- Place the sponge on the plate you will be serving it on- it is difficult to move once you start covering the cake in malteasers. Then using a palet knife, spread the chococlate icing over the bottom layer before placing the second layer on top and covering the top and sides of the whole cake with icing.

- Then begin to stick the malteasers on, I find doing it in straight lines makes the neatest looking cake!

Enjoy, Z x

Blackberry and Raspberry Galette

With an abundance of blackberries growing in the hedgerows at this time of year, this rustic autumnal pud is a quick, easy and delicious way of using them up - get picking and you'll have yourself an (almost) free pudding! A galette is somewhere between a pie and a tart, though I'd argue better than either as it is freeform so doesn't require a tin or dish, and folding over the edges ensures maximum delicious crusty pastry. This one has a few raspberries thrown in as well but it works just as well with only blackberries, or some finely chopped apples instead.

To make a galette to serve four you will need…

100g plain flour

50g butter

1 dessert spoon icing sugar

A pinch of salt

3 tbsp cold water

300g fruit (blackberries, raspberries, chopped apple or a combo)

1 dessert spoon caster sugar 

1 dessert spoon cornflour

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg for egg wash

A little extra caster sugar to sprinkle on top

You will need to...

- Make shortcrust pastry by combining ingredients in a food processor (if lazy) or by hand by rubbing cubed butter into the mixture of flour, icing sugar and salt until fine breadcrumbs form. Add enough cold water and combine until the pastry just comes together, then wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for minimum 1 hour. 

- Preheat oven to 180C. Line a baking tray with greased baking parchment. 

- Place fruit in a bowl then gently stir in the cornflour, caster sugar and vanilla until combined - try not to squish the berries too much.

- Roll out your chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface to form a rough circle. Transfer onto the prepared baking tray.

- Spoon fruit into the middle of the pastry, then fold up the edges as pictured.

- Lightly beat the egg in a small bowl, then brush over the pastry and top with a sprinkle of caster sugar.

- Bake for about half an hour or until pastry is golden and crisp.

- Serve warm with a generous helping of single cream.

 Enjoy! C x

A Flavour of France II

If you follow us on Instagram you will know that I spent a few weeks holidaying in France this summer with my family. Aside from sunbathing, swimming and a little canoeing, the holiday involved a lot of eating (naturally). If you are a long-term reader of Not Just A Pretty Plate you may remember a similar post last year in which I threw a handful of French-inspired recipes into one post. Once again, please excuse the slightly haphazard and vague ingredients/quantities/timings used in these recipes. In true holiday spirit, all the cooking was fairly relaxed and thrown together so don't worry too much about being precise! I've included canapés, a starter, two main course dishes and also a pudding, but if that doesn't satisfy your appetite for french cuisine be sure to check out last year's Flavour of France for some similar recipes. Bon appétit! 

Goat's Cheese and Grape Bruschetta

Despite bruschetta being Italian, these nibbles are inspired by South Western France, a region know for it's goat's cheese. This is a slightly different take on the tried and tested combination of sharp cheese and sweet fruit. They literally take minutes to prepare - simply slice a small and slightly stale baguette into thin slices and place on a baking tray. Warm in the oven for about eight minutes until slightly toasted, then top with a slice of goat's cheese and half a grape. Serve slightly warm to ensure the cheese is melting a little in the middle. 

Melon and Jambon Sec Salad

 This is a bit of a seventies throwback, but the fact that it has stood the test of time is testament to the fact that it is simple, good, tasty food. With only four ingredients, this is a classic example of how good food need not be fussy or overcomplicated, and if you have good produce it can speak for itself. To prepare all you need to do is artfully combine chunks of Cantaloupe melon and wafer thin sheets of jambon sec or parma ham on a plate, then top with a drizzle of walnut oil and sprinkling of ground pepper.

Baked Salmon with Roasted Veg

This is SO easy and basic it really doesn't warrant a recipe. As well as being an ideal dish to throw together on holiday when you'd rather be spending time on a sun lounger than in the kitchen, this is also makes a great weekday supper. All you need to do is: lay a few fillets or whole side of salmon on a large sheet of baking parchment on a baking tray. Top with a few slices of lemon, a couple of handfuls of chopped parsley and some salt and pepper. Wrap the parchment over to create an envelope for the salmon - as well as gently steaming the fish in its own juices, it also removes the skin underneath as it sticks to the paper as it cooks. Bake for about 20-30 minutes until just cooked through. For the roasted veg chop up a selection of vegetables such as onions, courgettes, peppers and garlic. Dress with olive oil and toss through some dried oregano and fresh rosemary and thyme as well as plenty of salt and pepper. Roast in a hot oven for about forty minutes or until all the veg is cooked through and starting to crisp at the edges.

Duck Confit with Puy Lentils 

Now I have to confess that these delicious duck legs weren't confit-ed by myself from scratch - the ingenious French supermarkets sell them ready-confit-ed and vacuum packed in duck fat so all you have to do is whack them under the grill for ten minutes to heat them through and crisp up the skin nicely. I'm not sure you can buy them like this in the UK although I shall be keeping my eyes peeled. Having confit-ed from scratch before, I can assure you it isn't particularly difficult but involves buying a LOT of duck fat to cover your duck legs in! We served ours on Puy lentils with a touch of crème fraîche - a regional classic. To make the lentils you will need: 

2 onions, 

1 celery stick

2 small carrots

1 small potato

2 garlic cloves

500g Puy lentils - rinsed well in cold water

1 bouquet garni - tie together a few sprigs of rosemary, thyme and a bay leaf

1 stock cube

Boiling water

Red wine vinegar

1 small bag of spinach

1 tbsp crème fraîche plus more to serve

-Finely dice your celery, onions, potato and garlic and sauté in a large pan until softened. 

-Stir in the lentils, bouquet garni and stock cube. Add boiling water to cover.

-Simmer gently for about 40 minutes or until soft - keep an eye on it and add more water if necessary.

-Stir in the bag of spinach and allow to wilt.

-Take off the heat and stir in a good slug of red wine vinegar, a tablespoon of crème fraîche and some generous seasoning. Adjust to taste. 

-To serve spoon the lentils onto a plate, add a teaspoon of crème fraîche and top with your confit duck.  

Maple Roasted Nectarines

These are inspired by The Londoner's Honey Roast Peaches although I've substituted peaches for nectaries and honey for maple syrup. If you haven't checked out Rosie's blog before then go and have a look - her simple yet delicious recipes are great and the photography is always on-point. To make this pudding you need to half and de-stone your nectarines and place them in a baking tray. Pop a small knob of butter in each half and drizzle the whole lot generously with maple syrup. Scatter over a handful of flaked almonds and bake for about 20 minutes. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche and a couple of spoonfuls of the syrupy buttery nectarine juice. 

Enjoy! C x

Puy Lentil and Quinoa Sumac Salad

With summer coming to a close, this salad is ideal for the transition into autumn, being fresh and herby yet substantial and filling enough for the colder days to come. Despite containing big bunches of various different herbs, none overpower the dish, and together with the tangy sumac and citrus they manage to uplift the quinoa and Puy lentils - pulses which, lets be honest, can sometimes be lacking in the flavour department. As well as being delicious, this salad is also very nutritious - perfect for those of us who may have over-indulged a little on holiday... The recipe comes from Sabrina Ghayour's debut book Persiana which I found very inspiring and an ideal starting point if you're fairly new to Middle-Eastern cooking. Although it makes a great lunch or light meal by itself, this salad also works well as a side-dish with chicken or fish.

For a large bowl to serve 6-8 you will need…

200g quinoa

250g Puy lentils

500g cherry tomatoes, halved

100g flat leaf parsley, stalks and leaves finely chopped

20g coriander, stalks and leaves finely chopped

40g mint leaves, finely chopped 

1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced

4 tbsp olive oil

Juice of 2 large or 3 small lemons

1 heaped tbsp sumac

Salt & pepper to season

You will need to…

- Cook lentils and quinoa separately as per their packet instructions. Rinse well in cold water then drain and set aside to cool. N.B - When cooking quinoa be sure to toast it in a dry pan before simmering in water, as develops the nutty flavour. See our Quinoa Superfood Salad recipe for more instructions on this.

- Combine all the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Add the cooked and cooled quinoa and lentils and mix well to endure everything is evenly coated in the dressing. Be sure to taste your salad and adjust seasonings to suit you.

- Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving to allow all the flavours to develop.

 Enjoy! C x

A Trip to Turin & Soft Hazelnut Biscuits

Earlier this summer I headed to Italy for a few days to visit a friend ending her year studying abroad in Turin. I completely fell in love with the place, from the delicious food and coffee to the glorious weather and architecture. Keen to take a piece of Italy home to the fam in (then) rainy England, I picked up a bag of authentic-looking biscuits called 'dolcetto morbido alla nocciola' from a delicatessen, however after trying them I soon realised I should have purchased multiple bags - they were seriously good. After a bit of googling it became clear that unless I wanted to pay a small fortune to order them direct from Italy, there was no way of getting them in the UK and so I would have to create my own recipe. The best way of describing them is like a soft amaretti biscuit, but with hazelnuts instead of almonds. The chewy nutty inside is reminiscent of Nutella without the chocolatey-ness - very fitting seeing as Turin is the home of the infamous spread. Anyway, if you are a biscuit or nut-lover, I suggest you give these a go as they are not only quick and easy but a totally delicious and morish teatime snack. I have included some of my touristy snaps of beautiful Turin, however for some more professional photography of the place be sure to check out my friend Mhairi's travel journal HERE - she's a lot more pro with a camera as you will see…

To make 12 larger or 24 little Dolcetto Morbido Alla Nocciola (Soft Hazelnut Biscuits) you will need…

- 100g ground hazelnuts (I blitzed whole hazelnuts, skin on, in a coffee grinder)

- 100g caster sugar

- 1 tbsp plain flour

- A pinch of salt

- 1 large egg white

You will need to…

- Sieve together the ground hazelnuts, sugar, flour and salt in a large bowl.

- Whisk the egg white until almost soft peaks, then stir into the dry ingredients. Knead with your hands until a soft dough comes together.

- Break off small amounts and roll the dough  small balls - dust your hands with icing sugar if it is a bit sticky. Place the balls on a lined baking tray leaving a little space to spread, and press gently to slightly to flatten each one.

- Preheat your oven to 150 C, leaving the biscuits to sit and dry for about 15 minutes whilst the oven warms.

- Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until tops are firm and cracked and the bottoms are a little golden. Leave to cool on the tray for a couple of minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

 Enjoy! C x

Smoked Mackerel and Quinoa Salad

This is a healthy salad which only takes about 20 minutes to make. The smoked mackerel gives a strong flavour to the quinoa, and no extra salt needs to be added as the mackerel provides a strong salty flavour. This recipe would also work with any other fish of your choice. I used the dressing from our Quinoa Superfood Salad to add a lemony flavour which ties the dish together nicely.

To serve 4 you will need...

- 4 smoked mackerel fillets

-2 red peppers

- 200g cherry tomatoes

-250g quinoa

-1 chicken stock cube

-1/2 a pint of water

-Chopped parsley to garnish

For the dressing...

-1 tsp lemon juice

-1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

-1 tsp Dijon mustard

-Seasoning

You will need to...

-Preheat the oven to 180C

- Chop the peppers into strips and half the cherry tomatoes, place in a large baking tray season and drizzle with oil.

- Place the mackerel fillets onto a sheet of tinfoil, squeeze some lemon juice over them, season and wrap in tinfoil, if there is room in the baking tray then place them next to the chopped veg, if not place on a separate baking tray and place in the oven for 10-15 mins.

- Meanwhile place the quinoa in a dry sauce pan and toast on a fairly high heat for a few minutes until golden brown. Keep shaking it around the pan to stop it burning then add 1/2 a pint of chicken stock to the pan.

- Bring to the boil, cover with a lid and simmer for approximately 10 minutes, then remove from heat and leave to steam with the lid on for approximately 5 minutes. Meanwhile remove the mackerel from the oven and check the peppers and tomatoes and cooked, if not turn up the heat and leave the veg in for 5 minutes longer.

-To make the dressing, combine the mustard, oil and lemon juice - season to taste.

- When the veg is done place quinoa in the middle of your serving dish surround with the roasted tomatoes and peppers, then peel the skin away from the mackerel, this should be easy when the fish is hot. Break the mackerel up removing any bones you come across and mix into the quinoa. Add the dressing and scatter with chopped parsley.

Enjoy! Z x

Lime and Mango Panna Cotta

Last night I cooked a dinner party for 20 people and this Lime and mango panna cotta was definitely the star of the show. It was the first time I had followed this Jane Lovett recipe,  I saw and tasted this panna cotta prepared by Jane at one of her cooking demonstrations last month. You can prepare this pudding up to 3 days in advance which is helpful when cooking for a large crowd! I used ramekins to serve the panna cotta however you can also use martini glasses or one big bowl for people to help themselves to. The subtle lime flavour contrasts well with the sweet mango pulp topping; you can either buy the mango pulp in a tin or make your own from fresh mangos which is what I did.

 

 

To serve 8 you will need...

 

One 400ml tin of coconut milk

400ml double cream

5 tbsps caster sugar

3 limes

4 leaves of gelatine

1 ripe mango or 400ml of tinned mango pulp

1 tbsp icing sugar

Raspberries or strawberries and mint leaves to decorate

 

 

 

You will need to...

 

-Put the gelatine leaves into a large flat dish for five minutes to soften.

- Put the coconut milk, cream and sugar into a large saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil stirring occasionally and simmer for a minute or two. Add the juice of 3 and zest of  1 lime and remove from the heat.

- Remove the gelatine from the water squeeze out any excess water and add to the cream mixture, (do not boil the gelatine or it wont set) pour into ramekins, glasses or a bowl. Cool cover and refrigerate until set- it is best to leave them over night.

- To make the mango puree peel and slice a mango into a food processor, add icing sugar to taste and process until smooth.

- Decorate with strawberries or raspberries or lime zest.  

 

 

 

 Enjoy Z x