Sweet treats are made of these.....

I like fruit with dessert and made a deluxe version of eggy bread today. I am also going to try my sister's crumble creations (photos attached) and post the recipes later. For now try out my take on the humble bread dipped in egg!

 

I used 3 eggs whisked along with a splash of milk. Dipped a wholemeal bread slice until it had absorbed the egg mixture and cooked on medium heat in a frying pan with a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Cook on both sides until there's a nice caramelised glaze. Add chocolate buttons and drizzle with a butterscotch sauce. Serve with your favourite fruits and a nice dollop of honey yoghurt.

Crumble mixes don't have to be stodgy! These are made with a mix of porridge oats, almonds and coconut butter. One is a raspberry & mango crumble and the other is peach with a toasty crumble.

Allotment News Update: Nearly there with all our effort. Recipes coming soon in the local magazine for pickled beetroot & raspberry dessert amongst other things.

Leeks are getting fatter each day!

Giant Pumpkin fingers crossed!

White Onions

I grew this apple tree from a pip in water :)

Todays pickings

From allotment to preserves!

Back in the blogging business

After a long break I am back blogging. To cut a long story short I have moved to Barnard Castle, County Durham, where alongside the day job, I host cookery demonstrations (Asian cuisine & chocolate), take my place in regular table sales and cater for birthday parties and wedding receptions.

For the past couple of years or so, I have contributed recipes to the Teesdale Mercury magazine that comes out every two months.

So, to start this new chapter, I have chosen a couple of my favourite recipes from TM magazine publication. Enjoy!

Sticky Orange & Honey salad with pistachios

I love eating roasted orange skins and experimented with some Arabic spices to get a sweet & sour dish that has become a firm favourite for days when I’m craving for something savoury with a bit of sweetness to it. Very easy to make & can be served with meat dishes as well. 

Serves 2

Prep & Cooking time: up to an hour

Marinade

4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp zaatar

2 tbsp runny honey

Pepper

2 tsp lemon juice

Optional

Pistachios

Method

• Cut 2 oranges into thick slices and marinate overnight in a glass bowl. Squeeze orange juice from end bits into the marinade.
• Preheat oven to 200*C and place the marinated oranges in a 8” round tin overlapping to form a flower. Drizzle rest of marinade on top.
• Bake for 20 minutes then turn over still overlapping.
• Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the oranges have caramelised and have got a sticky shiny surface.
• Sprinkle 1 tbsp chopped pistachios over the top & serve with Vanilla ice cream.

Sweet potato & red onion bake

I love sweet potato as I can add any flavour to it without it losing its identity. I often eat a mix of sweet & savoury together and had some tamarind paste left over so decided to experiment with some weird & wonderful taste sensations. I wasn’t sure of its success (you can be the judge of that when you make it) but I definitely liked it!

It can be had as a side dish or part of a green salad and if you are feeling very bold, cook it a bit longer to get a tangy onion & potato crisps dipped in plain yoghurt or sour cream – veggie heaven J

Serves 2

Prep & Cook time 45 minutes plus marinate overnight

Ingredients

3 sweet potatoes peeled and sliced (width of a pound coin)

3 red onions peeled and sliced

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp tandoori spice

1 tbsp cumin powder

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp paprika

2 tbsp tamarind paste

1 tbsp runny honey

Method

• Mix everything in a freezer bag and marinate overnight
• Preheat oven to 200*C and layer the sweet potato & onion mix on a baking tray lined with thick baking sheet
• Place on the top shelf and bake for 20 minutes. Turn the pieces over and bake for another 20 minutes
• It will be a caramelised, sticky, sweet & sour to taste.

Fame at last!

A nice little article in The Teesdale Mercury, Barnard Castle's local paper, about the cookery classes held during October.

First winter warmer

With the wind blowing from the north, it was freezing over here on the coast today, so it was the first soup and roll of the winter.
The rolls were from a Paul Hollywood recipe, but the leek and potato soup was my own version and the recipe will follow once I've written it up.