I am not a fan of the chip shop mushy pea. It’s just not my thing. These however are a different matter – mushy yet minty and with a little bite. They’re a firm Bell family favourite already, even with my chip shop mushy pea loving husband.
Crunchy? Check. Well risen? Check. Golden Brown? Check. Delicious? Check. These Yorkshire puddings have it all. Some great tips for achieving the perfect Yorkshire to compliment your Sunday (or weekday!) roast.
Tasty ideas for dinner time that are quick, easy and don’t cost the earth are always welcome in our house. Here’s a speedy, tasty recipe for flour crumbed fish happily using things already in your cupboard. Kids can certainly help with the preparation and if you want to freestyle the flavouring then just add whatever takes your fancy. Dill might be nice… There’s a video too!
One year ago: Choc dipped ice-cream cones and Sweetie covered ice-cream wafers and Razzamatazz ribs
Two years ago: Banana and custard melts and Thomas fairy cakes
Flour crumbed fish
Ingredients:
Mix the flour, dried herbs, hot paprika and a little black pepper in a dish. Dip the coley fillets in the flour mixture, make sure every bit of the fish gets really well coated. Brush off any excess flour then take 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil, pop this into a large frying pan and get it onto a medium heat. You know when it’s ready because you just take a little bit of the flour mixture and just drop that in and if it sizzles straight away that means its ready.Fry for 3 – 4 minutes then flip the fish over and fry again until cooked through – another few minutes. Once it’s ready take it off the heat and pop it onto a bed of watercress.
Pork is my husband’s favourite meat; for a roast, for a stir fry, when in a restaurant – wherever the opportunity for eating pork strikes, he will take it. And perfectly crunchy crackling makes him an even happier bunny. Here’s how.
Sweet potato and butternut squash didn’t feature too regularly in my life until I had children, but my I am glad they do now. Sweet potatoes count towards one of your five a day so this is a great recipe to serve to the whole family that will satisfy that chip craving whilst still keeping everyone healthy. This recipe serves about 4.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1kg sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into chunky wedges
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Black pepper
1/2 x 28g pack fresh-flat leaf parsley
Pop 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil into a roasting tin then put into a preheated oven 200C/Fan 180/Gas 6. Once the oil is hot add the prepared sweet potatoes, garlic and black pepper to the roasting tin and give them a little shake, then roast for 35 – 40 minutes, lastly add extra flavour with some chopped fresh parsley.
Some great tips on making short work of your roast lamb joint.
Potato and vegetables fried up and served with a poached egg on to? Oh yes please. This is the kind of dish that manages to straddle winter comfort food and light summer suppers. For me the beauty is in the ultra crisp rosti next to the oozing yolk. And of course this uses up leftovers and for a lady like me who hates waste that’s music to my ears. If poaching eggs is something you’ve had problems with in the past do try my cheat’s poached eggs.
Ingredients:
Grate 400g of cooked potato into a bowl, add to that 150g of cooked carrot strips and 100g of cooked parsnip strips. Add a quarter of a pack of fresh chopped chives, some freshly ground black pepper just to season it and mix it all up. Add a beaten egg to the vegetables. Use damp hands to help the rosti mixture not to stick to you and to make really good shape patties. Scoop out one eighth of the mixture, just squash together, wash your hands and then pop 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a non-stick pan. Fry these now for 2-3 minutes on each side, until they’re really crisp and golden.
Boil a large saucepan of water and add a teaspoon of white wine vinegar. Crack one of your eggs into a ramekin dish; the reason for doing this is when you drop the egg into that simmering water it’s going to stay in one place where as if you crack it from up high it’s more likely to spread out. Simmer for 3 minutes for a perfectly poached egg. Serve the rosti with the poached egg on top, lots of black pepper and more fresh chives.
Some great tips on how to carve your chicken like a pro.
After ‘how do you ice the perfect cupcake?’ the next most popular question I get asked is ‘how do you stay so slim?’ which always makes me laugh as I am no skinny girl at all. I’m a very curvy size 14 in fact. I love food and hate having to restrict myself but every so often when I’ve been reaching for the biscuit tin that little too often or finishing off the boys tea before eating my own (such a bad habit.) I spend some time watching what I eat. I measure oil rather than flamboyantly drizzling it in the pan, I bake rather than fry and I try not to have that glass of wine when offered. This recipe is one that’s very useful to have up your sleeve for when the jeans feel a little too tight but you don’t want to compromise on flavour.
Comments gratefully received. And there’s a video too!
One year ago: Octonauts cupcakes and Walnut, fudge and Fleur de Sel cookies
Two years ago: Mutter paneer and Hot cross biscotti
Healthier fish & chips
Ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 200ºC, 180ºC fan, gas 6. Pour the oil into a large roasting tray and place in the oven for 5 minutes to heat. Carefully place the carrots and parsnips into the hot roasting tray with the crushed garlic, and mix together with a spoon until all are coated. Cook for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix together the parsley and breadcrumbs. Then place the flour, egg, and the breadcrumb mix in separate dishes. Firstly dip the fish fillets in the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumb mix. Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Place the breaded fish fillets on the tray.
Remove the carrots and parsnips from the oven, turn with a spatula, then place the courgette batons on top. Return the vegetables to the oven with tray of fish, and cook together for 20 minutes. The veg and fish will be ready at the same time. Serve the fish fillets with roasted vegetable chips and tartare sauce.
There is nothing but nothing more quintessentially English than a dainty sandwich with all the crusts removed. This filling is a great way to make expensive ingredients like smoked salmon go that little bit further. It’s also hugely refreshing. That’ll be the cucumber.
All comments gratefully received. Here are some Eastery recipes you might like too:
Last week: Cadbury creme egg mess and White chocolate and cranberry hot cross buns
One year ago: Mini Simnel cupcakes and Chocolate orange easter spiced fudge and Eastery two tone cupcakes and Easter apostles scone loaf
Two years ago: Mini chocolate birds nests and Hot cross biscotti
Cream cheese, smoked salmon and cucumber sandwich filling
Ingredients:
For Kitchen Aid users: Mix everything together using the flat beater until really light and creamy. Then spread onto white bread and remove the crusts for afternoon tea sandwiches. (For non KA users: beat the cream cheese until light and creamy using a mixer/wooden spoon, then add the other ingredients and beat until well combined.)
Holly Bell 