Countdown to Christmas

Bread Sauce

And

Cranberry Sauce

Bread Sauce

1 pint milk

1 large onion, studded with 8 cloves

6 peppercorns

1 bay leaf

100g white breadcrumbs

1tbsp butter

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg

2 tbsp double cream

Put the milk in a saucepan with the clove studded onion, peppercorns and bay leaf. Bring very slowly to boiling point, then remove from the heat and set aside for 30 minutes.

Strain the milk into a bowl. Stir in the breadcrumbs and butter, season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on a very gentle heat for 10 minutes, add a good grating of nutmeg and just before you serve, add the cream.

Cranberry Sauce

225g cranberries

150g granulated sugar

Put the sugar in a heavy bottomed pan, add 125ml of water. Stir over a gentle heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the cranberries and simmer gently for 10 minutes until the cranberries are tender and beginning to burst. Spoon into a bowl and leave to cool.

Tip

For a richer sauce, add 1 tbsp ruby port before cooling.

Carrot Coriander and Parsley Soup

with Cheese Straws

450g carrots, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp crushed Coriander seeds

1 tsp ground Coriander

900ml vegetable stock

1 tbsp chopped flat leaf Parsley

Flat leaf Parsley leaves to decorate

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and saute the onion and garlic until softened. Add the carrots and cook gently for 10 minutes. Add the crushed Coriander seeds and ground Coriander, cook for a further 2 minutes. Pour in the vegetable stock, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Puree the soup with a blender or processor, then season with salt and pepper. Reheat gently and pour into warmed bowls. Garnish with Parsley leaves and serve with cheese straws.

Cheese Straws

Preheat the oven to200C/400F/gas 6

125g ready made puff pastry

1 egg yolk

50g medium strength Cheddar, finely grated

25g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

On a lightly floured surface roll out the pastry to 1/8" thick. Brush the pastry with egg yolk, sprinkle with the grated cheeses, press the cheese onto the pastry. Cut into strips 10cm long and 1cm wide. Twist each strip to form a coil. Place the strips on a greased baking tray, sprinkle over sesame seeds if using them. Bake for 6 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

A Sweet Treat For Halloween

Chocolate Fudge

50g butter

100g granulated sugar

50g dark chocolate

1 large tin condensed milk

2 tbsp golden syrup

75g fondant icing

Put butter, sugar, condensed milk, chocolate and syrup in a large saucepan and melt gently over a low heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved.

Bring to the boil and boil gently, stirring constantly until it reaches soft ball stage 116C/240F.

(Test for soft ball stage by dropping a teaspoonful of the mixture into a cup of cold water, remove it and press between forefinger and thumb, it should feel like a soft ball).

Remove the pan from the heat and mix in fondant , stir gently until melted. Pour into a buttered 18cm tin.

Cut into cubes when cold.

Seasonal Recipes

Pumpkin

Originally posted early October but definitely worth another look with the addition of a pumpkin curry recipe.

With Autumn comes the pumpkin season and this great, fat, spherical gem deserves more than being sculpted into a lantern for Halloween. You will find there is a lot of mileage in one modestly priced pumpkin.

Don't throw away the seeds. Clean them and lay them on an oiled baking tray, in a single layer, sprinkle with salt and roast for 20-25 minutes, they can be scattered on top of your soup, added to salads, eaten as healthy snacks or stored in an airtight container to use at a later date.

After the flesh has been scooped out , why not use it for some of these tempting dishes.

Pumpkin and Apple Soup with Pumpkin Crisps V

Pumpkin Risotto V

Pasta Pumpkin and Bacon with Pumpkin Sauce

Pumpkin Curry V

Pumpkin and Apple Soup

Ingredients

2 onions, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

500g Pumpkin

2 cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced

300ml dry cider

570ml vegetable stock

2 tbsp olive oil

Freshly grated nutmeg

For the Pumpkin crisps

Thin shavings of Pumpkin

Vegetable oil for frying

Heat the olive oil in a heavy pan and add the onions and garlic. Fry for 2 minutes to soften. Add the pumpkin and apple and fry for a further 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the cider and cook for 1 minute. Add the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

Cool the soup down a little before blending. Return the soup to the pan add freshly grated nutmeg and heat through without boiling.

Fry the Pumpkin shaving in hot vegetable oil until golden, drain onto kitchen paper and serve on top of the soup.

Pumpkin Risotto

1 large Pumpkin, quartered

3tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 stick celery, finely chopped

400g risotto rice

1.5 Lt's vegetable stock

150g grated Parmesan

60g butter

1 tbsp finely chopped sage leaves

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/ gas 6

Drizzle the Pumpkin quarters with 1 tbsp olive oil and roast in the oven for 45 minutes until soft. (This will give the soup a nice nutty flavour). Scoop out the flesh, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a heated pan and sweat the onions, garlic and celery for 1-2 minutes, add a pinch of salt then the risotto rice, stir for 1 minute.

Add the stock and cooked, chopped Pumpkin and keep stirring for 12-15 minutes.

Test the rice by squeezing a grain between your thumb and index finger, if there is a white line running through the centre of the grain, it is ready.

Add the grated Parmesan, butter and Sage, stir gently to combine.

Rest the risotto for a couple of minutes and serve in warm bowls.

Pasta Pumpkin and Bacon with Pumpkin Sauce

Ingredients

500g Macaroni

200g smoked bacon lardons

200g Pumpkin, diced

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

For the sauce

2 shallots, chopped

30g butter

75ml sherry

200ml sweet white wine

1 garlic clove, chopped

250ml vegetable stock

50ml double cream

1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper

2 sage leaves, finely chopped

500g Pumpkin, roughly chopped

To make the sauce

Melt the butter and soften the onion and garlic, add the chopped Pumpkin and cook for 5 minutes to soften the Pumpkin. Remove the vegetables and de-glaze the pan with the sherry and wine. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring continually.

Add the stock and return the vegetables to the pan, add the chopped Sage, cook for 20 minutes until the liquid is reduced by half.

Cook the Macaroni, drain and set aside

Fry the bacon, onion and diced Pumpkin in olive oil until soft.

Add the bacon mixture and cooked Macaroni to the sauce, stir to combine.

Serve with a crispy green salad dressed with a little extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Tip: If you are roasting your Pumpkin seeds to use as snacks try replacing the salt with garlic salt or adding Cayenne pepper or herbs.

Pumpkin Curry V

Ingredients

500g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1" root ginger, peeled and grated

1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped

2 tsp ground Coriander

1 tsp Turmeric

1 tsp ground Cumin

1 dessertspoon Garam Masala

1 400g tin coconut milk

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Coriander leaves and dessicated coconut to garnish

Heat the oil in a large heavy based frying pan, over a moderate heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add ginger and chilli and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring continuously add all the spices except Garam Masala and cook for 1 minute. Add the pumpkin and stir to coat.

Pour over the coconut milk, turn down the heat and simmer, without a lid until the pumpkin is tender, taste and season, turn off the heat and sprinkle over the Garam Masala leave to stand for 5 minutes. Serve on a bed of brown rice, garnished with coriander leaves and a little dessicated coconut.

Tip

An ideal supper for bonfire night or Halloween. Make it the night before and the flavours will really come through. Leave the Garam Masala and garnishes until just before serving.

Toad in the Hole

with Onion Gravy

This has got to be one of the most inexpensive comfort foods and a real treat for a midweek meal.

What could be nicer on a wet miserable day than a piping hot Toad in the hole, straight from the oven, served with onion gravy, creamy mashed potatoes and peas?

Ingredients

For the batter

75g plain flour

Salt and freshly ground pepper

75ml milk

55ml cold water

1 egg

Sift the flour and salt and pepper into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and break in the egg. Mix the water and milk together and add a little to the flour and egg. Beat together, adding a little milk at a time until you have a smooth batter.

500g good quality pork sausages

Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas 7

Heat 1 tsp oil in a roasting tin (23x15cm) over the hob, add the sausages and brown them at a high heat. When the tin is very hot, almost smoking, add the batter and put straight into the oven. Cook for 30 minutes until puffy and golden.

For the onion gravy

200g onions, sliced

Good pinch of sugar

1 heaped dessertspoon plain flour

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 tsp mustard powder

50ml red wine

375ml vegetable stock

1 tbsp olive oil

Heat the oil in a heavy based frying pan, over a medium heat, add the onions and sugar and fry until beginning to caramelise. Stir in the flour and mustard powder and cook for 1 minute. Add the red wine and stock, season with salt and pepper and simmer gently for 5-6 minutes.

Serve the toad in the hole straight from the oven with mashed potato, peas and onion gravy.

Thai-Style Chicken Noodle Soup

Try this warming chicken noodle soup, its a perfect meal for the long autumnal days.

Serves 4

225g dried egg noodles

2 tsp sesame oil

225 g boned chicken breast

2 stalks lemongrass

1 tbsp groundnut oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp crushed garlic

1.2 lts chicken stock

400 ml tinned coconut milk

2 small chillies. deseeded and finely sliced

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp sugar

2tsp Thai green curry paste

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp lime juice

Coriander leaves to garnish

Cook the noodles, drain and plunge into cold water. Drain and toss them in sesame oil. Shred the chicken. Crush the white part of the lemongrass with the edge of a knife and cut into 3 inch pieces. Heat a large pot over a high heat, add the groundnut oil then the onion, garlic and lemongrass and stir fry for a few minutes. Stir in the stock and coconut milk and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chicken, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar curry paste, salt and pepper. Add the noodles, cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the lemongrass, stir in the lime juice.

Serve in warm bowls and garnish with Coriander leaves.

Dundee Cake

200g plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

150g butter

150g caster sugar

4 eggs, beaten

100g glace cherries, quartered

150g currants

150g sultanas

100g seedless raisins

50g chopped mixed peel

50g ground almonds

grated rind of 1 lemon

50g split almonds

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/ gas 4

Line and grease an 18cm round cake tin. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.

In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar till pale, beat in the eggs and fold the flour mixture, cherries, dried fruit, peel and ground almonds into the creamed mixture. Add the lemon rind and mix well.

Spoon into the prepared tin and make a slight hollow in the centre. Bake for 20 minutes, by which time the hollow should have filled in. Arrange the split almonds on top.

Bake the cake for a further 40-45 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 160C/325F gas 3 and bake for 1 hour more. Cool on a wire rack.

Mushroom Fritters V

Mushrooms must be the most versatile of foods and almost every country include them in their cuisine in some form or other.

Although we can now eat cultivated mushrooms all year round I still think Autumn mushrooms taste the best, especially local field mushrooms (if you can get them).

Mushroom fritters can be eaten as a starter, an accompaniment to a main course or for a simple supper, with poached eggs (my personal favourite).

Ingredients

115g plain flour

Pinch of salt

75ml lukewarm water

30ml olive oil

1 egg white

225g large mushrooms

oil for frying

Method

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the olive oil. Mix to a smooth batter. Let it stand for an hour or two if you can. Just before using, fold in a stiffly beaten egg white.

Dip the mushrooms in the batter and fry in very hot oil until puffy and golden. Drain on kitchen paper.

Serve as a starter with Tartare sauce.

Vintage Recipe

As it was written in the 1930 s

Mint Sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1 dessertspoon boiling water

3 tablespoons of mint

Up to 6 tablespoons vinegar

Put the sugar in a sauce boat and add the boiling water to dissolve the sugar, let it cool then add the finely chopped mint. Mix together and add enough vinegar to dilute the taste. It is then ready to serve.

Note: Mint sauce can also be made in the following way. Chop a little mint finely add a little sugar to taste and add the juice of a lemon instead of vinegar.

Chicken and Sage Wrapped in Prosciuttio

With Jacket Potato and Salad

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts

4 fresh sage leaves

4 slices Prosciuttio ham

25g butter

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

Method

Slightly flatten the chicken breasts between cling film, using a rolling pin. Place 1/4 of the butter and 1 sage leaf inside each chicken breast, lightly season, roll up and wrap in the Prosciuttio ham, sealing with a cocktail stick.

Preheat the oven to 180C/355F/gas4

Heat the oil in a heavy based frying pan and sear the chicken on all sides. Transfer to the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with Jacket potato and a crisp green salad.

Fresh Lemon Curd

This will keep in the fridge for 1 week and can be used for sponge cakes, sandwiches and believe it or not, 1 tbsp added to chicken stir fry at the end of cooking is delicious.

Ingredients

Grated rind and juice of 1 large lemon

75g caster sugar

2 large eggs

50g unsalted butter

Place the grated rind and sugar in a bowl. In another bowl whisk the lemon juice with the eggs, then pour this mixture over the sugar. Add the butter cut into little pieces, and place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until thickened, about 20 minutes. Then cool the curd and use it to sandwich together a lemon sponge cake