Chocolate Orange Fudge Sauce

This months Center Parcs Challenge was inspired by Easter and encouraged us to make some sweet treats.  I often make cakes but haven't made confectionery for ages so this was just the excuse I needed to head out, to get the ingredients, to make some yummy fudge. Or so I thought..!

However, I must admit that it went down hill from there as I couldn't decided on a recipe.  I did eventually pick one but even as I was reading it, it didn't sound quite right.  And my prediction was confirmed the next morning when I found the unset fudge mixture sitting in the fridge.

So it was farewell to chocolate orange fudge but HELLO to hot chocolate orange fudge sauce which I can tell you was truly delicious over ice cream.  To be exceptionally decadent I actually decided to have mine in the bath.


Here's the recipe which is really simple.

You will need:

• 250g chocolate (I used dark but you could use milk if you prefer)
• 397g tin of condensed milk
• 1 tsp orange zest

Recipe:

• Pour the tin of condensed milk into a microwavable  bowl.
• Break up the chocolate and add to condensed milk.
• Microwave gently until everything has melted (be careful not to burn).
• Mix util chocolate and condensed milk has combined.
• Add orange zest and stir.
• Reheat as required.

I am writing this post as part of my role as Center Parcs Family Blogger. To be in with the chance to become one yourself and win a short break to a Center Parcs Village of your choice, share your chocolate innovations! Show us your pictures and recipes, and tweet us including the hashtag #CPFamilyBreaks and your blog link to @tots100 and @CenterParcsUK. The challenge ends at 4pm on the 29th March.  

Good Luck!

Pancake Day Recipes

I love pancakes!  I used to make big fat fluffy ones quite regularly for breakfast while we were without child but these days such spontaneity happens only very occasionally   Which is why pancake day was a great excuse to make that bit of extra effort and cook up some pancakes for breakfast.

My perfect lemon and sugar topping

In actual fact, pancakes are rather an easy thing to make, it just takes a little preparation and you're there.  And the good thing about them is that they are a really simple base that each person can add their own touch too.  My personal favorite is the simple lemon and sugar combination, Neil likes maple syrup and for Nye I add some grated apple and cinnamon while they are cooking in the pan.

Here's the recipe I used, and it worked a treat.

Ingredients: makes 6 medium size pancakes

• 2 eggs

• 100g plain flour

• 100ml whole milk

Instructions:

1. First I used a hand mixer to beat the eggs until thick (you can use a whisk it just takes longer)
2. Then add the plain flour and milk gradually. I add 1/4 of each alternating between flour and milk.
3. Once combined the mixture should be quite loose so that you can easily spread it thin in the frying pan.  If it's still a bit thick add a little more milk until you're happy with the consistency.
4. Leave the mixture to stand while you heat up a large non stick pan with some olive oil
5. Add one ladle full of mixture to the hot pan and as soon as the mixtures in, rotate the pan to get a good thin layer over the base.
6. After a minute or two flip the pancake over and once cooked leave it to the side and repeat until the mixture is finished.

For Nye I cut the pancake into strips, and he was gobbling them up before Neil and I had even had a chance to sit down with ours.

This post is brought to you as part of my role as a Center Parcs Family Blogger, where we are bringing you monthly posts all set around a theme.  Don't forget, you can be in with a chance of winning a short break at Center Parcs for you and your family.  All you have to do is create your own unique pancakes and take pics of the result – don’t forget to share your wonderful recipes, unless it’s a family secret, of course!

Then, just send a tweet including the hashtag #CPFamilyBreaks to @tots100 and @CenterParcsUK, linking to your blog post. This month’s challenge closes at 4pm on 22nd February.

Please find the full terms and conditions for the challenge here and do make sure to be careful with certain ingredients if you are prone to allergies.

Thanks to all the bloggers who took part in our January challenge to create a home spa experience – you can see a Pinterest board of all the entries here.

My favourite recipes

For just a few dishes in my repertoire I am rather glued to the same old recipes that I have tried and tested and don't think I can tweak to make any better.  They are usually simple and delicious

Here are a few that I wanted to share with you, all well worth a try.

Find the recipe here

I made this for the first time for a picnic on Brighton beach with Neil when we first started going out in 2008.  I had always thought that lemonade was REALLY difficult to make but it was then that I realised it was actually quite simple.  The original recipe was on one of those free recipe cards they give out at supermarkets and this is the very same recipe in all its glory.

Find the recipe here

A chocolate chip cookie needs to be soft on the inside.  You wouldn't think these were from the picture but don't be deceived   And my MOST favourite thing to do is to make double the mixture and roll up half in clingfilm for the freezer.  Then when you are desperate for a treat just simply get it out, and cut into slices. HEAVEN!

Find the recipe here

There aren't many things that are more hearty and comforting than cottage pie.  I always call it Shepherds pie but I always mean cottage pie really because I don't like lamb mince.  Dishes like this remind me of being a child and just of such simple pleasure.  I'm normally in a hurry and never leave it to simmer for the full amount of time but I did last week and it was worth stopping myself being so impatient for once.  It is a classic, what's not to love about delicious mash, mince and gravy.

Find the recipe here

I think this is probably my defining dish.  I started making it in 2007 again from a recipe card from Waitrose and I've never grown bored of it.  I like to think I've made it my own as I have my own recipe for meatballs and when I have a chance I make fresh gnocchi but it works well without.  This is one I hope to make to cheer up my children on a bad day.  It's perfect too because it still tastes good if you make it in a hurry with pre made gnocchi and meatballs and everything you need we always have in the cupboard.

Do you have any go to recipes you can't live without?  

Banana and Oat Teething Biscuits - Baby Led Weaning Recipe

I have had 2 rather over ripe bananas sitting in the fruit bowl for some time and yesterday seemed like the last day of their life span.  We are due a weekly shop and therefore have no eggs so I was on the hunt for something I could make for Nye using cupboard ingredients. Whilst googling I came across a recipe for some lovely teething biscuits which I have adapted.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oats
• 1/2 cup wholemeal flour
• 1/2 plain flour (I used spelt flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 small overripe bananas, mashed
• 3 tablespoons oil (I used rice bran)

Directions:

1. Pre heat the oven to 180°c 
2. Mix the 'dry ingredients' in a large bowl (oats, flour, cinnamon and baking powder)
3. Mix the wet ingredients in a small bowl (bananas and oil)
4. Add the wet ingredients to the large bowl of dry ingredients and stir until combined.
5. Once combined, take a teaspoon of mixture and roll into a long snake.
6. Place the 'snake' on the baking paper and squash down flat.
7. Bake in a pre heated oven for 12-15 minutes.

Thai Chicken Curry with Cauliflower Rice with TOTAL Greek Yoghurt

I heard on the radio the other day that it is estimated that most people have 8 recipes that they use to get them through the week.  I often feel so tired of the usual suspects, working out what to pair with potato, pasta or rice.  So it's nice to do something a bit different, and add something delicious to the usual repertoire.

A few weeks ago I spotted a lovely Thai Red Curry recipe on the TOTAL Greek Yogurt website and asked if I showcase it here.  I was sent the ingredients on Friday and couldn't wait to make it for you all.  This is just one of a thousand new recipes and usage suggestions.  You can find out more their website

Ingredients:

• 100g TOTAL Greek Yoghurt 
• 30g creamed coconut
• 100ml boiling water
• 1tbsp coconut oil
• 150g thinly sliced chicken (aprox 2 chicken breasts) (or tofu)
• Thai curry paste, to taste (I used 2 tbsp for baby 3 for us)
• 2-3 peppers, chopped in to strips
• 2 x handfulls mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup of green beans
• 1/2 cup of mangetout
• 50g cauliflower, grated

Directions:

1. Boil 100ml of water in a smal saucepan and add the creamed coconut until it had softened.
2. In a frying pan or wok, heat the coconut oil and add the chicken. Lightly fry until cooked through.
3. Add the creamed coconut and water mixture to the chicken,  then add the yoghurt, Thai paste, mixed peppers, mushrooms, mangetout  & green beans.
4. Simmer on a medium heat for 10 - 15 minutes, stirring every so often. Add more water if you prefer a runnier curry.  I added a bit more yoghurt to make it nice and creamy with a thicker sauce.
5. Grate the cauliflower using a cheese grater, knife or food processor, until it resembles rice.
6. Place the cauliflower in a microwavable bowl and cover with cling film. Poke holes in the cling film. It is important to NOT add water. Microwave on full blast for 4 - 5minutes until soft.
7. Serve the cauliflower with the curry and tuck in!

I have to say this dish was really delicious and Nye really liked it too.  He had a good suck on the peppers and managed to get through several pieces of chicken.  I didnt add any seasoning but it was really full of flavour.  The thing that really surprised me was the cauliflower 'rice'. It was so quick and easy  but I worried the strong flavour and smell of cauliflower would overpower everything else.  In the end it added a lovely sweetness to the spicy curry.  I can't help but marvel at what an amazing alternative to rice it is.

I would usually have made this kind of recipe with coconut milk which I don't often have in the fridge so it is fantastic to realise that I can make this with yogurt  and use the coconut oil to give it that nutty taste.

Many thanks to Total Greek Yoghurt for letting me share this recipe and for providing me with all the ingredients to do so.  We've been at a wedding all weekend and I couldn't wait to get home and finish off the leftovers!

This recipe is one of many others being profiled on blogs across the interweb, see if you can find them all and you can win a fantastic prize.  Find all 30 recipes posted across the blogospher and you can win Paul Merrett's list of essential kitchen equipment. The lucky winner will get this amazing wish list including the very best cookware worth more than £800.  For more information you can visit their website or their brand new Facebook app, so you don’t even have to leave Facebook to get inspiration for dinner ‐

Blackberry and Chocolate Cupcakes

I had a cake craving and there was not much in the house apart from a few pilfered blackberry's from a bush in the park and a tub of coco powder.  They collided and a match made in heaven was born!

I can't actually believe how good these taste, especially since I just threw them together so they were in the oven by the time we sat down to eat dinner.  As they were quite literally thrown together, these are the weights, I think I put together as I didn't use any scales or measurements.

• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 150g plain flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• 150g sugar
• 150g margarine (I used olive oil spread)
• 2 eggs
• 2 hand fulls of blackberry's

I first sieved all the dry ingredients together then I added the margarine and eggs and stirred until incorporated.    Once the mixture came together, I put 1 tbsp of mixture into a cupcake case and then pushed in 2-3 blackberry's into each case.

These took about 15minutes to cook at 180 degrees C and the mixture made about 18 small cupcakes.

I then iced them using a simple butter icing which I coloured with lavender food colouring.  To finish them off I swirled in some Cadburys chocolate Philidelphia spread and added some chocolate stars I had lying around.  Even neil, who is a new convert to any kind of fruit, loved these.  They kind of taste like chocolate goodness with little bits of fruity jam bursting in your mouth.

Cheesy Lentil and Pepper Quiche Recipe

I have almost used up my previously baked lunch items for Nye and I was recommended the Lentil Quiche Recipe from The Baby-led Weaning Cookbook by Gill Rapley & Tracey Murkett.


I've adapted the original recipe to what I had available in my fridge so here's my version.  I had enough left over pastry from the 9inch dish to make a mini quiche which I have photographed.


This recipe has no salt as it is for for Nye but you could use Salted Butter or add some to the mix to taste.

Cheesy Shortcrust Pastry:

• 200g (7oz) - Plain Flour]
• 100g (3 1/2oz) - Unsalted Butter
• 100g (3 1/2oz) - Grated Cheese
• 3 tbsp - Cold Water

- Lightly grease the baking tin (I used a 9inch sq tin so I can cut it easily into fingers)
- Rub the butter and flour together until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs then add the cheese and lightly mix.
- Slowly add the water and stir in with a knife until the mixture comes together.
- Knead the pastry on a lightly floured surface until it forms a stiff dough.
- Roll it out to fit your chosen baking tray
- Blind bake in oven  @ 190°C (375°F/Gas Mark 5) for 10-12 minutes




Lentil Quiche Filling:

• Unsalted Butter for frying
• 1 Garlic Clove, finely chopped
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 175g (6oz) - Red lentils, rinsed in cold water and drained
• 600ml (1pint) - Milk
• 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme
• 2 eggs
• 75g (2 1/2oz) - Cheese, grated
• 1 sweet red/orange/yellow pepper, sliced

- Heat the butter in a pan and fry the garlic and spring onions until soft.

- Add the lentils and stir.

- Add the milk and Thyme and bring to the boil.

- Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes (most of the liquid will be absorbed)

- Check and stir the mixture every 5 minutes.  It is done when the lentils are soft.  

- Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F/Gas Mark 5)

- In a bowl/jug beat the egg and stir in half the cheese.

- Fish out the Thyme Sprigs and add the egg mix to the lentils and stir until mixed (be careful the pan is not too hot or it will scramble!)

- Pour the mixture into the pre-cooked pastry case and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

Sun, Sea and a Picnic in Brighton.

Oh I've been a bit slow on the update scene! And now I have a few minutes I barely know where to start. Perhaps with the weather and the weekend!? It has been so beautifully sunny the last few days, and yesterday seemed like the perfect opportunity to take Nye to the seaside. It started off rather cold when we left London but as we drove it got warmer and warmer until we reached the edges of Brighton and I sat in the car waving my hands in the air shouting "I can see the sea." Nye of course was asleep in the car and didn't really have a chance to see the sea very much but I know he could hear it as the waves crashed down whilst we had a lovely picnic on the pebble beach.

With me at home looking after a baby fulltime the pennies are a little stretched so instead of going out for a meal we decided to take a picnic.  When we were first together Neil and I made a picnic and actually made a couple of recipe cards that you get free at Waitrose (normally they just sit cluttering up my shelves. Just me!?)  We had a steak and beetroot salad with home made lemonade.  This time I made the lemonade  but managed to leave it in the fridge, doh!

Instead of the steak and beetroot salad I tried to recreate a delicious salad I had at the Blue Brick Cafe in Dulwich last week. (Well worth a visit).  My version was tasty but not quite as good as the original but basically it was a roasted butter nut squash salad with mixed leaves, coriander, crumbled feta and walnuts.  I think there was a dressing on the proper version which I'm still trying to work out, possibly some kind of citrus.

We also picked up some froxen macaroons from Lidl to see what they were like and I can tell you that they were delicious and £2.99 for 12 mini ones.

Tuesday Linking Love

More links this lovely Tuesday evening.

I love flowers!

 

I still REALLY want to make a patchwork blanket for Nye.  This one is gorgeous and matches my plans for his changing table....

OMG crochet booties

And finally... food for thought! These look fresh and delicious.

Lemon Creme Fraiche Sponge

Had a friend round for tea the other day and needed to throw some baking together pretty quickly.  It was mid-week and stores in the fridge were dwindling. So I threw the following together, despite a lack of anything similar online (I usually google to check that my ideas of what goes together arent TOTALLY off the wall.)

So here goes:

photo from pinterest (I forgot to take a photo)

Basic sponge a la delia with a fresh lemon twist.

Ingredients
For an 8 inch (20 cm) cake:
6 oz (175 g) self-raising flour
1 rounded teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs at room temperature
6 oz (175 g) very soft butter
6 oz (175 g) golden caster sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract (ours has run out so I used a packet of vanilla sugar from Lidl,
For the filling:
7 fl oz (200 ml) (half a tub) Creme Fraiche
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 3, 325°F (170°C)

For the topping:

1/2 cup water
1 lemon juice and rind
1/2 cup caster sugar

This recipe is taken from How to Cook Book One and Delia's Complete How To Cook

Method

Put the flour and baking powder in a sieve and sift it into the bowl.

Add all the other cake ingredients to the bowl (soften butter in microwave if necessary).

Use electric hand whisk and whisk everything together until you have a smooth, well-combined mixture, which will take about 1 minute. 

Divide the mixture between 2 tins, and place the tins on the centre shelf of the oven. The cakes will take 30-35 minutes to cook and don't open the oven door until 30 minutes have elapsed. To test whether the cakes are cooked or not, I shove in a fork to see if it comes out clean.

Next, remove from the oven, then wait about 5 minutes before turning them out on to a wire cooling rack and wait till they cool before adding the filling.

Place the first sponge cake on a plate or cake stand, then spread the creme fraiche evenly over the surface.

Next place the other cake on top, press it gently so that the filling oozes out at the edges.

Finally prepare the lemony topping.
Heat the water and sugar in a saucepan over a medium heat and add in the grated rind and juice of one lemon and heat until it thickens and bubbles.

Poke a few holes in the top of the sponge for the lemon to drizzle through then poor the sticky mixture on top and quickly spread with a knife before it cools and hardens.

Delicious Toffee Apple Muffins (Perfect for breakfast)

I have invented one of my first ever baking recipes, I normally don't trust myself to alter the wet and dry ingredients for fear of failure.  However I am pleased to report it's not as scary as first thought and these muffins are DELICIOUS!

For the cake mix:

• 110g butter
• 110g soft brown sugar
• 110g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 handful of chopped walnuts
• 1 handful of oats
• 2 x eggs, beaten
• light sprinkling of cinnamon

For the apple:

• 30g butter
• 30g soft brown sugar
• 0.5 x lemon, juice only
• 2 x eating apples 1 x bramley apple, peeled, cored and sliced

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

I always make the apple first, I'm not really sure why!

• Heat the butter in a medium non-stick, oven-proof frying pan, over a medium heat
• When the butter begins to melt, add the sugar, and allow to begin to caramelise, then add the lemon juice
• Add the quartered apple wedges to the pan, tossing well, to thoroughly coat them in the caramel, and continue heating through for 4-5 minutes then take off the heat and leave for later.

Putting together the cake mix -

• Cream together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl
• Add the flour and baking powder, mixing well, as you do
• Gradually add the beaten eggs and then stir in the walnuts and oats
• Gently fold in the apple mixture
• Half fill 12 muffin cases with mixture
• Top with a sprinkling of brown sugar, cinnamon, oats and chopped walnuts
• Bake in the oven for around 13minutes.

Quiche numero uno

Today I decided to give quiche a go. I was inspired predominantly by Episode 2 of The Great British Bake Off where I drooled over a number of unusual quiche concoctions.

So, in a fit of enthusiasm I headed to the kitchen to prepare quiche for our lunch. Here's the concoction I came across in the fridge which made it's way in to the mix.

So first for the crust: (Taken from here)

Ingredients

• 125g/4oz plain flour 
• pinch of salt 
• 55g salted butter, cubed 
• 2-3 tbsp cold water 

1. Put the flour and salt in a large bowl and add the cubed butter. 
2. Rub the butter into the flour until you have a mixture that resembles breadcrumbs with no large lumps of butter remaining. 
3. Using a knife, stir in the cold water until the mixtures comes together as dough. 
4. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for 10-15 minutes before using. (I didn't bother but you know if you have the time!) 
5. Once ready roll out thinly into your chosen quiche dish and blind bake for 10minutes in a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius.

And now for the filling:

• 4-5 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large or 2 small red onions thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove finely diced
• 1 tbs of olive oil
• 3 broccoli florets sliced
• 3 pork sausages skinned
• 2 large eggs
• 100ml of milk
• A large handful of cheddar cheese grated
• salt and pepper to season
• 1 tbs of plain flour

1. Sauté the onion, garlic and mushroom in the olive oil until soft and remove from the pan

2. Add the skinned sausages to the empty pan and break up into small pieces as it cooks until browned

3. Whisk the milk and eggs together and add salt and pepper to season

4. Next add the grated cheddar, flour and cooked ingredients to the milk and egg mixture.

5. Once mixed add to the blind baked pastry case and bake at 160 degrees Celsius for 35minutes or until golder brown.

Neil's Yummy Pasta Recipe

- Neil recently invented a very good vegetarian pasta recipe to help use up our mammoth bag load of orange peppers from Lewisham Market.  I asked him to write it up so I could pass the love around. So here we go 

P.s Picture from the first time N made the sauce to accompany stuffed chicken breast wrapped in bacon. Also delicious!
__________________________________________________________________________________


Hello!

This is a diamond of a recipe – great on its own with pasta as a quick lunch or supper, but equally makes a wonderful alfresco lunch with a chicken breast wrapped in bacon.

4 Peppers – any colour but green. I love the orange ones for the colour.

Half a packet of passata (or half of any canned tomato)

2 tbsp of light muscavado sugar

1 vegetable stock cube

“splash” of balsamic vinegar

couple of fresh basil leaves

A good “twirly” pasta like a fusilini :

Equipment

Griddle Pan (Or Grill on high heat if you do not have one)

Saucepan

Food Processor (Or Blender).

1. Prepare your peppers' by cutting out the seeds and remaining gunk. Press these flat down so they will lie as flat as possible on your griddle pan. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat your griddle pan to a strong heat. Once its too hot to hold your hand over the surface, place the pepper skin down. Your looking for the skin to charcoal, which should take 8-10 minutes. Then, flip these over and griddle for another 5 minutes (NB the flesh is more sensitive then the skin side)
3. Take the pepper off the heat. If you have one, place these a sandwich bag –  or alternatively an air lock container for a couple of minutes. This will help “steam” the charcoaled skin off the pepper.
4. Peel the blackened skin off the pepper – I find it easier to do this under a running tap!
5. Get the water into the saucepan and boil ready for the pasta.
6. Chop up the pepper and put into a pan with the tomato, sugar, stock cube and balsamic vinegar. Just after doing this, pour the pasta with some salt and olive oil into the saucepan and bring to the boil.
7. Keep the sauce on the heat for 10 minutes and let it thicken
8. After 10 minutes, tear the basil leaves into the sauce and pour the source into the food processor. Blitz until smooth.
9. Drain your pasta, mix the two together and enjoy!
   
   
   N.B - I (Jenni) love this with salad and a good vinaigrette to balance the sweetness of the sauce.