Saturday, 29 January 2011

Goat Curry

Don't be put off by the cooking time – make it on a day when you have time to spare and you haven't just come in from work – it may be a long time, but believe me it is 100% worth it!
Goat is something I had never tried before (I presume that’s the same for most people) but I saw this recipe and I thought I had to try it. However goat can be difficult to come across especially where I live – thankfully my dad works with someone that uses goat regularly and so we were able to get some (if you can’t get goat mutton is a perfect alternative)
Ingredients – Serves 4 – Ready in 4 hours 30 minutes
  • 1kg goat shoulder (or other braising cut)
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp ground cumin or cumin seeds
  • ½ tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 star anise
  • 4 cardamom pods , lightly crushed
  • 1 tsp unrefined light brown sugar
  • a few curry leaves (optional)
  • 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 400ml chicken stock or water
  • a handful of coriander leaves, for garnishing
CHILLI PASTE
Now for the How To:
  • To make the chilli paste:
  • Put all the ingredients into a small food processor and whizz to a fine paste.
  • Stop the machine and scrape down the bowl two or three times to ensure it's all evenly ground.
  • Scrape the paste into a small bowl and set aside.
  • For the curry
  • Cut the goat shoulder into small, bite-size chunks and season with salt and pepper.
  • Heat half the oil in a wide saucepan.
  • Fry the meat in two batches until golden brown all over.
  • After each batch, remove to a plate and set aside.
  • Tip the chilli paste into the pan and stir over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
  • Add the dried spices, sugar and curry leaves, if using.
  • Continue to stir for another minute.
  • Add the chopped tomatoes and stock to the pan and stir well.
  • Reduce the heat, cover the pan and cook slowly for 3-4 hours until the meat is just tender.
  • Remove the lid and skim off the excess oil.
  • Gently simmer for another 20-30 minutes until the curry has reduced and thickened. The meat should be very tender.
  • Season to taste and serve topped with coriander leaves.
goat curry
This was a truly amazing curry! The goat was so tender it completely fell off the bone and melted in the mouth, the paste was zingy, but wasn't over powering – I seriously have no faults on this recipe – if the idea of goat puts you off try it with mutton, as it’s cooked for such a long time the meat is delicious and so tender! We all thought it was worth the lengthy cooking time – something like this needs to be done correctly and it wasn't worth risking ruining it by trying to speed up the cooking process!

Make it at a dinner party and everyone will love it!

I think goat now stands at the strangest thing I have eaten – what about you? Have you tried anything out of the ordinary?

Bye for Now! X

Halloween pumpkin cake

So another recipe with pumpkin, this time it’s a cake! Again it was another recipe I was a bit dubious about, simply because my mind couldn’t compute a vegetable in a cake! I didn’t think it was going to be that nice, but I'm not afraid to say I was wrong! So with your remaining pumpkin, try the following!
Ingredients - serves 15 portions – ready in 50 minutes
For the cake
  • 300g self-raising flour
  • 300g light muscovado sugar
  • 3 tsp mixed spice
  • 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 175g sultanas
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 4 eggs , beaten
  • 200g butter , melted
  • zest 1 orange
  • 1 tbsp orange juice
  • 500g (peeled weight) pumpkin or butternut squash flesh, grated
FOR DRENCHING AND FROSTING
  • 200g pack soft cheese
  • 85g butter , softened
  • 100g icing sugar , sifted
  • zest 1 orange and juice of half
Now for the How To:
  • Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
  • Butter and line a 30 x 20cm baking or small roasting tin with baking parchment.
  • Put the flour, sugar, spice, bicarbonate of soda, sultanas and salt into a large bowl and stir to combine.
  • Beat the eggs into the melted butter, stir in the orange zest and juice, then mix with the dry ingredients till combined.
  • Stir in the pumpkin.
  • Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and springy to the touch.
  • To make the frosting:
  • Beat together the cheese, butter, icing sugar, orange zest and 1 tsp of the juice till smooth and creamy, then set aside in the fridge.
  • When the cake is done, cool for 5 minutes then turn it onto a cooling rack. Prick it all over with a skewer and drizzle with the rest of the orange juice while still warm. Leave to cool completely.
  • Give the frosting a quick beat to loosen, then, using a palette knife, spread over the top of the cake in peaks and swirls.
  • If you're making the cake ahead, keep it in the fridge then take out as many pieces as you want 30 minutes or so before serving.
  • Will keep, covered, for up to 3 days in the fridge.
pumpkin cake 1pumpkin cake 2
I was told that this reminded people of carrot cake, but seeing as I’ve never tried carrot cake I can’t really comment on that! My grandparents thought it was brought (I didn’t tell them I made it until after they ate it) the grandparents couldn’t figure out that pumpkin was used in the cake; also the women at work loved it! It was a hit all around!
Next up is something really special, and possibly the best thing I tried so far... goat curry! It is to die for!
Bye for Now! X

Pumpkin and Chickpea curry

All the years of being young and trick and treating and carving pumpkins I've never before tried pumpkin – so I thought it would be worth a try – at least I will know one way or another if I like it or not. I brought a medium sized pumpkin and good lord you get a lot of flesh on those things! It felt like I had pumpkin coming out of my ears! I swear I was close to overdosing on it!
Ingredients – Serves 4 – ready in 30 minutes
  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 3 tbsp Thai yellow curry paste
  • 2 onions , finely chopped
  • 3 large stalks lemongrass , bashed with the back of a knife
  • 6 cardamom pods
  • 1 tbsp mustard seed
  • 1 piece pumpkin or a small squash (about 1kg)
  • 250ml vegetable stock
  • 400ml can reduced-fat coconut milk
  • 400g can chickpeas , drained and rinsed
  • 2 limes
  • large handful mint leaves
  • naan bread , to serve
Now for the How To:
  • Heat the oil in a sauté pan, and then gently fry the curry paste with the onions, lemongrass, cardamom and mustard seed for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
  • Stir the pumpkin or squash into the pan and coat in the paste, and then pour in the stock and coconut milk.
  • Bring everything to a simmer, add the chickpeas, and then cook for about 10 minutes until the pumpkin is tender.
  • The curry can now be cooled and frozen for up to 1 month.
  • Squeeze the juice of one lime into the curry, and then cut the other lime into wedges to serve alongside.
  • Just before serving, tear over mint leaves, then bring to the table with the lime wedges and warm naan breads.
pumpkin curry
The good thing about this recipe is that it is vegetarian, vegan, dairy free and it is only 293 calories per serving – so you get a great tasting curry which is really good for you – so any of you still on your New Year diets – this is one to try!
Next up is another cake.... this time pumpkin cake! Its wonderful!

Monday, 24 January 2011

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Believe it or not, in all the years I've been baking cakes and everything else I had never made a lemon drizzle cake, and it was only after my friend made one that inspired me to make one, they are easy to make, but the cake is amazing with a nice cup of tea or coffee (depending on your preference)
Ingredients – Serves 10 slices - Ready in 60 minutes
  • 225g unsalted butter , softened
  • 225g caster sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • finely grated zest 1 lemon
  • 225g self-raising flour
FOR THE DRIZZLE TOPPING
  • juice 11⁄2 lemon
  • 85g caster sugar
Now for the How To:
  • Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
  • Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy, then add the eggs, one at a time, slowly mixing through.
  • Sift in the flour, then add the lemon zest and mix until well combined.
  • Line a loaf tin (8 x 21cm) with greaseproof paper, then spoon in the mixture and level the top with a spoon.
  • Bake for 45-50 mins until a thin skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
  • While the cake is cooling in its tin, mix together the lemon juice and sugar to make the drizzle.
  • Prick the warm cake all over with a skewer or fork, and then pour over the drizzle - the juice will sink in and the sugar will form a lovely, crisp topping.
  • Leave in the tin until completely cool, then remove and serve.
  • Will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.
lemon drizzle
My personal tip is to use more lemons than the recipe above says – you want the lemon flavouring to stand out (but not to overpower.) I ended up using the juice of two lemons and also the zest of two. I made this cake for the people at work and it was another one that went down a storm, crumbs weren't even left so I think that's a pretty good sign!
Another top tip for this recipe – if you are into the silicone bake ware make sure that you put the silicone loaf tin inside a normal loaf tin – learn from my mistake – the silicone tin wasn't strong enough to hold the cake as it cooked and half of it ended up spilling over the sides and onto my oven – using the sturdy tin will just help the cake to keep its shape and cook evenly – I don't know if this is a probably with all silicone loaf tins – or just mine as I got it from a bargain shop :-)
Next up we have a couple of recipes involving pumpkins!
Bye for Now! X

Goan Fish Curry

This may sound a little strange… but where I live we actually have a mobile fish monger. So basically they drop around a leaflet advising you of the fish they have and prices etc and every couple of months they will give you a call and see what fish you want and how much. So my dad signed up for it and it’s an excellent service, much cheaper than the supermarkets and the fish is caught that morning and then transported around!
Anyway… because of this we ended up having a lot of fish in the freezer and so I wanted to do something different with it and to try a different style of curry, and so Goan it was!
I thought this was an excellent curry, I thought it might have been a bit spicy, but the flavours were brilliant and the fish was so tender and it was just lovely all round, and as an added bonus its ready in less than 30 minutes, a perfect midweek curry!
Serves 2 – ready in 30 minutes
Ingredients
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 dried red chilli
  • olive oil
  • 1 onion , halved and sliced
  • a small piece root ginger , finely grated
  • 2 garlic cloves , crushed
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
  • 1 tsp tamarind paste
  • 1-2 green chillies , finely sliced
  • 300g sustainable firm white fish such as haddock , Pollack or cod, cut into chunks
  • steamed rice to serve
Now for the How To:
  • Toast the seeds and dried red chilli, then grind in a pestle and mortar, or spice grinder.
  • Heat a little oil in a pan and cook the onion with a big pinch of salt until soft and golden.
  • Add the ginger, garlic, turmeric and ground spices and fry for 1 minute.
  • Add the coconut, tamarind and green chillies and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Add the fish and cook for 3-4 minutes until just cooked. Serve with rice.
goan fish curry
Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Next up is a Lemon Drizzle Cake!
Bye for Now! X

Sunday, 23 January 2011

Dandelion & Burdock Cake

 
Yes you are reading that correctly! A cake based on the popular fizzy drink, I was dubious before making this, even though I love the drink, I didn’t know how it would work out in a cake – but the result is one of the best cakes I've made! I also made this for my birthday cake treats for the people at work and it went down a storm! hmm all this talk of cake has made me want some… 

Serves 6 - 8 – Ready in about 60 - 90 minutes

Ingredients 

·         225g / 8oz Plain Flour
·         225g / 8oz Caster Sugar
·         1 tsp Bircarbonate of Soda
·         100g / 3 ½ oz Mini Marshmallows
·         65g /2 ¼ fl oz Vegetable Oil
·         3 tbsp Cocoa Powder
·         200ml / 7fl oz Dandelion and Burdock drink
·         100g / 3 ½ fl oz Buttermilk
·         2 Free Range Eggs

For The Icing:

·         65g / 2 ¼ oz Unsalted Butter
·         1 ½ tbsp Cocoa Powder
·         50ml / 1 ¾ fl oz Dandelion and Burdock Drink
·         150g / 5 ¼ oz icing sugar
·         100g / 3 ½ oz chopped pecans

Now for the How To:

·         Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line a 30cm/12in baking tin.
·         Sift the flour, sugar and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl, then add the marshmallows.
·         Meanwhile, heat the butter, oil, cocoa powder and dandelion and burdock in a saucepan until boiling.
·         Pour the butter mixture onto the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Mix in the buttermilk and eggs.
·         Pour the cake batter into the cake tin and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the sides of the cake are coming away from the sides of the cake tin and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
·         Meanwhile, for the icing, heat the butter, cocoa powder and dandelion and burdock in a saucepan until boiling. Sift in the icing sugar and mix until well combined. Stir in the chopped pecans.
·         Spread the icing over the cake and set aside to cool completely.


The end result is so good it’s a bit sticky but delicious, the dandelion and burdock flavor isn’t over powering, it just adds an extra flavor into the cake, most people can’t even establish the pop is used, but it just tastes amazing!

Next up is Goan Fish Curry

Bye for Now! X

Gumbo Style Chicken

I’ve often read about gumbo and I tried it in a restaurant once and ever since then I have been hooked on the stuff! It is a must try! 
Serves 2 – Ready in 1 hour

Ingredients 

·         4 skinless chicken thighs (or breasts if you prefer) cut into chunks
·         Groundnut Oil, or other flavorless oil
·         2 Rashers of smoked streaky bacon, chopped
·         1 onion, finely chopped
·         2 garlic gloves, chopped
·         2 celery stalks, finely chopped
·         2tsp plain flour
·         1 x 400g tin plum tomatoes
·         300ml chicken stock
·         1 green pepper, cut into chunks
·         2 bay leaves
·         2 sprigs thyme
·         1 tsp cayenne pepper
·         100g cured smoked sausage (EG Kabanos) sliced
·         Crusty bread to serve
Now for the How To: 
·         Season the chicken then brown in 2 tbsp oil until golden. Scoop out of the pan.
·         Add the bacon and cook till crisp
·         Add the onion, garlic and celery.
·         Cook until softened and starting to colour.
·         Sprinkle over the flour and cook, stirring until the bacon, vegetables and flour turns golden.
·         Tip in the tomatoes and break up with a spoon, and keep stirring till everything is combined.
·         Stir in the stock then add the pepper, herbs, cayenne pepper and sausage.
·         Add the chicken and season really well.
·         Simmer for about 30 minutes until the chicken is really tender and the sauce reduced. Serve with crusty bread. 

This dish is so tasty – I would highly recommend it! Next up Dandelion and Burdock cake! YUMMY

Bye for Now! X

Saturday, 22 January 2011

2010 Movie List

I know it’s something you have all been waiting for, and now it’s finally here! 

My film list of 2010! I know I posted a couple of items at the start of the year and then I slacked off - but here is the list in its entirety! I still haven’t been able to reach my target of a film a day! I made 287 movies this year! Unfortunately my brother actually made it to 365 movies AND he got a letter in Total Film printed because of it! 

Next Year I will WIN!

So read the list and let me know what have been your favourite or most watched movies in 2010! also what releases are you looking forward to in 2011? Hit the comments and join in!

January 

1) Shark Tale
2) Superman Returns
3) Friday 13th (remake)
4) Corpse Bride
5) The Simpson Movie
6) Post Grad
7) Fame
8) Wendy : Homecoming Warrior
9) Armored
10) Stepfather
11) 3 Men & a Little Lady
12) Pirates Of The Carribean 3
13) Are We There Yet?
14) Whip It
15) House Broken
16) Princess and The Frog
17) Sherlock Holmes
18) Behind The Mask
19) A Cinderella Story
20) Another Cinderella Story
21) Its Complicated
22) The Ringer
23) Hook
24) How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days
25) National Treasure
26) Brief Interviews With Honest Men
27) Notting Hill
28) Jump In
29) Aladdin
30) Heart and Souls
31) Prince Charming
32) I Love You, Beth Cooper

February

1) Independence Day
2) Music and Lyrics
3) Evan Almighty
4) The Collector
5) Cool Runnings
6) The Spy Next Door
7) Mulan
8) 50 First Dates
9) The Vampires Assisstant
10) New Moon
11) From Hell
12) Click
13) Liar Liar
14) House On The Haunted Hill
15) Footloose
16) The Holiday
17) New York, I Love You
18) Van Wilder Party Liason
19) The Break Up
20) Dracula Dead And Loving It
21) Fantastic 4
22) Fantastic 4: Rise Of The Silver Surfer
23) Big Fish
24) Lake Mungo

March
 
1) Catch & Release
2) American Pie: Band Camp
3) Did You Hear About The Morgans
4) Leap Year
5) 10 Things I Hate About You
6) Jack
7) Wedding Crashers
8) Percy Jackson : Lightening Thief
9) Decent 2
10) Are We Done Yet
11) Stardust
12) Old Dogs
13) Mighty Joe Young
14) Bring It On : All or Nothing
15) Cop Out
16) Slammin' Salmon
17) Hope Floats
18) American Pie: Naked Mile
19) Brothers Grimm
20) City Of God
21) The Final
22) Stick It
23) Shutter Island
24) Defender
25) Casino Royale
26) Harry Potter : Chamber Of Secrets
27) Tooth Fairy
28) 007: Quantum Of Solace

April 

1) Look Who's Talking
2) Cinderella
3) Harry Potter: Prisoner of Askaban
4) 13 Going On 30
5) The Covenant
6) Accepted
7) Mission Impossible 3
8) Lara Croft - Cradle Of Life
9) Harry Potter: Goblet of Fire
10) Harry Potter: Order Of The Pheonix
11) The Bounty Hunter
12) X-Men 2
13) Over The Hedge
14) Clash Of The Titans
15) Nine Dead
16) Run, Fat Boy, Run
17) Back Up Plan
18) 2 Fast 2 Furious
19) Kick Ass
20) The Crazies
21) Iron Man
22) Jersey Girl
23) Blades Of Glory
24) Dear John

May 

1) Fast & Furious : Toyko Drift
2) Grease
3) Go Figure
4) Sleepy Hollow
5) Waterworld
6) Valentines Day
7) Antz
8) Lemony Snicket
9) Book Of Eli
10) The Mummy
11) Nightmare On Elm Street
12) Wes Cravens New Nightmare
13) Freddy VS Jason
14) Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)
15) Godzilla
16) Perfect Man
17) The Human Centipede
18) Just Friends
19) Alice In Wonderland
20) The Losers
21) Butten
22) My Super Ex Girlfriend
23) Seven
24) Heartbreak Kid
25) Waitress
26) Battle Royale 2
27) The Stranger
28) Youth in Revolt
29) Napolitian Dynamite
30) Wedding Planner
31) Twins
32) Stealth
33) When In Rome
34) 13teen
35) Annie
36) National Treasure

June

1) Heartless
2) Rampage
3) Shrek 2
4) Robin Hood (Disney)
5) Prince of Persia
6) Out of My League
7) Goonies
8) Date Night
9) Bewitched
10) Hot Tub Time Machine
11) Back to The Future
12) Beast with a Billion Backs

July

1) What A Girl Wants
2) Con Air
3) Kangaroo Jack
4) Predators
5) Lizzie Maguire Movie
6) Karate Kid
7) Toy Story 2
8) Killers
9) Ferris Bueller's Day Off
10) Oceans Eleven
11) Oceans 11
12) The Rock
13) Incredibles
14) Toy Story 3
15) A Team
16) The Last Song

August 

1) Toy Story 3
2) Shaun Of The Dead
3) As Good As It Gets
4) Devil Wears Prada
5) Big Fat Greek Wedding
6) Bring It On In It To Win It
7) How She Move
8) Gone In 60 Seconds
9) Mickey Blue Eyes
10) Hocus Pocus
11) Evolution
12) Oceans 12
13) Sleepless In Seattle
14) American Pie 2: Band Camp
15) Family Stone
16) Wrong Turn
17) You Got Mail
18) Eclipse
19) Grown Ups
20) Salt
21) Wrong Turn 2
22) Splice
23) The Experiment
24) Death At A Funeral
25) Texas Chainsaw Masacre
26) Yours Mine Ours
27) Stand By Me
28) Longest Yard
29) Phantom Tollboth
30) Expenables
31) Summer Holiday
32) Drag Me To Hell
33) The Other Guys

September 

1) Casper
2) Road Trip
3) Date Movie
4) Nanny Mcphee 2
5) Paradise Lost
6) Diary Of A Wimpey Kid
7) Cloverfield
8) Macgruber
9) Transformers
10) Wedding Daze
11) Licence To Wed
12) Machette
13) Wanted
14) Now & Then
15) Good Will Hunting
16) Fools Gold
17) Jackass
18) Jackass 2
19) Jackass 2.5: The Lost Tapes
20) Knight & Day
21) Charlottes Web
22) Camp Rock 2
23) Knocked Up
24) Get Him To The Greek

October

1) Jonah Hex
2) Phone Booth
3) 27 Dresses
4) Back To The Future
5) Piranha
6) Paranormal Activity 1
7) Paranormal Activity 2
8) Uptown Girls
9) Never Been Kissed
10) Candyman 1
11) Candyman 2
12) Scream
13) Scream 2
14) Scream 3
15) ET
16) Gremlins

November 

1) Teen Wolf
2) Teen Wolf 2
3) The Switch
4) Inception
5) Social Network
6) Scott Pilgrim VS The World
7) Deck The Halls
8) Good Luck Chuck
9) Sorcerers Apprentice
10) Bedtime Stories
11) Elf
12) Easy A
13) Dinner for Smucks
14) No Reservations
15) Grounded
16) Sweeny Todd

December 

1) Elf
2) Home Alone
3) Home Alone 2
4) Home Alone 3
5) Intolerable Cruelty
6) Singing In The Rain
7) The Santa Clause
8) The Santa Clause 2
9) The Santa Clause 3
10) On The Line
11) Sex And The City 2
12) Muppets Christmas Carol
13) Christmas Vacation
14) Unstopable
15) The Addams Family
16) The Addams Family 2
17) Tangled
18) Who Framed Rodger Rabbit
19) Enchanted
20) Shrek 3
21) Love Actually
22) American Tail
23) Strictly Ballroom
24) Mary Poppins
25) Cheaper By The Dozen 2
26) The Great Outdoors

Total - 287 Movies (3 Repeats)