There is a real art to feeding your family on a budget, one that I am myself still mastering. I thought I would share some of my top tips with you in the hope that you can reduce your shopping bills too!
1. Set yourself a budget, weekly. Stick to it. Easier said than done I know, so make it realistic. Mine is £60 for a family of 4 and this includes lunches, dinners and of course breakfast with snacks.
2. Take it online! Doing your shopping online and having it delivered may seem a waste if you live close to the Supermarket, but it will stop you picking up needless extras into your trolley which soon add up.
3. Plan ahead. Don't plan your meals and then shop for the ingredients, do it the other way around! Pick ingredients for your meals that are on special offers like half price, BOGOF, multibuy deals etc and then plan the meals based on what ingredients you will have.
4. Make sure your cupboards are well stocked. Always having plenty of herbs, spices, pulses, stocks, grains and pasta etc ready to use will help you planning your meals and sticking to your budget. Again you can stock up on these when they are on offer - they will all keep for ages!
5. Buy, and even cook, in bulk. The more of something you buy, usually the cheaper it is. For example a larger pack of mince can make 2 meals instead of just one, reducing the cost per portion. One day its lasagne, the next its taco stuffing or cottage pie. The same goes for sauces - a big batch of home made tomato sauce frozen in bags can be made into just about anything.
6. Make as much as possible yourself. Fresh vegetables are always available and will make your meals stretch much further. Making your own soups, casseroles etc from whatever veg and meat you have is something that once mastered can save you a LOT of cash.
7. Treats - all kids want them. I'm sure none of us want to deny them all the time either, Trouble is that sweets, crisps and the like are very expensive, and also packed with additives. If you are buying these things then Supermarket own brands are just as good, and kids won't care that they are not branded. Also making treats yourself like chopped fruit, sugar free jelly cubes, veggies and dips will always be cheaper and healthier alternatives.
Does anybody else have any top tips to share? Get in touch, comment and share with everybody... Over the coming weeks I'll be hopefully sharing some of mine and my friends favourite family budget recipes so please get in touch to share any of yours and watch this space!
Good Health
Tony
Thursday, 23 February 2012
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Food for Thought: Supermarket Vegetables
Does anyone out there know if the almighty Tesco has changed their veg supplier or something recently?
I always prefer, where possible, to get my fruit and veg fresh from a local grocer, but in my old house it just was not possible. I eventually found that the vegetables from Tesco, the nearest supermarket, were in fact pretty decent quality.
However, this appears to have changed over recent weeks. The potatoes in particular have been awful - throwing away more per bag than I actually used has become all too common. Not had great luck with their leeks and onions either, and despite it being in season at the time I haven't been able to get rhubarb OR celeriac there.
A trip to my local Sainsburys has sorted out all of these problems, including the sourcing one. The quality now appears to be noticeably higher which was never the case before when I had compared the 2.
Just a note to Tesco I guess - a little quality control goes a long way... You may not care about the shopping needs of one man, but this one man happens to have a food blog. I'm sure I'm not the only one either.
I always prefer, where possible, to get my fruit and veg fresh from a local grocer, but in my old house it just was not possible. I eventually found that the vegetables from Tesco, the nearest supermarket, were in fact pretty decent quality.
However, this appears to have changed over recent weeks. The potatoes in particular have been awful - throwing away more per bag than I actually used has become all too common. Not had great luck with their leeks and onions either, and despite it being in season at the time I haven't been able to get rhubarb OR celeriac there.
A trip to my local Sainsburys has sorted out all of these problems, including the sourcing one. The quality now appears to be noticeably higher which was never the case before when I had compared the 2.
Just a note to Tesco I guess - a little quality control goes a long way... You may not care about the shopping needs of one man, but this one man happens to have a food blog. I'm sure I'm not the only one either.
New Recipe: Thai Style Fishcakes
Evening all!
Just wanted to share a quick recipe - I just whipped these up for tea and they turned out REALLY tasty... give them a whirl for yourself.
You will need (feeds 4-6 depending on your portioning):
1-2 Sweet Potatoes, Peeled and cubed
1 Jar Thai Green Curry Paste (or similar)
Handful Freshly Chopped Coriander
2 Tins of Tuna Chunks in Water, drained VERY well (squeeze out every drop you can in a seive)
2 Spring Onions finely chopped
Ready Made Breadcrumbs - I always have these in the freezer made from the last of a loaf
The method is really simple. Boil the Sweet Potatoes until soft, then drain and mash with the Thai Curry Paste. You can use a spoonful of Butter or Creme Fraiche if you wish to make it extra creamy. Stir through the very well drained Tuna, finely chopped Spring Onions and Coriander. Set aside in the fridge for half an hour or so to firm up.
You should then simply make balls with your hands, pat them flat into pattie shapes and roll in the breadcrumbs before frying for a few minutes each side in a very hot pan.
Finish them in the oven for a few minutes while you sort out what you are having with them... chips, salad, stir fried vegetables, whatever you fancy.
One tip though - try to get as much liquid out of the Tuna as possible or the mixture will fall apart in the pan. Keep the mash as thick as possible, don't use too much liquid in there either. If you find the mixture is too wet then mix through some breadcrumbs until you reach the desired dryness and then roll them to coat. You don't want a mouthful of mush!
I hope you enjoy, we certainly did...
Cheers, Good Health to all
Tony
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Pancake Day!
I LOVE pancakes. This is a fact. What I love even more is standing in front of my hob, churning out pancake after pancake for the girls I love, much like my dear old Mum used to years ago. Rarely having a bite ourselves but just enjoying watching everyone else love them is enough.
I use this recipe below from Delia Smith (www.deliaonline.com) - the extra butter in the batter gives them a lovely shine and richness.
110g/4oz plain flour, sifted
pinch of salt
2 eggs
200ml/7fl oz milk mixed with 75ml/3fl oz water
50g/2oz butter
Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl with a sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets an airing. Now make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Then begin whisking the eggs - any sort of whisk or even a fork will do - incorporating any bits of flour from around the edge of the bowl as you do so.
Next gradually add small quantities of the milk and water mixture, still whisking (don't worry about any lumps as they will eventually disappear as you whisk). When all the liquid has been added, use a rubber spatula to scrape any elusive bits of flour from around the edge into the centre, then whisk once more until the batter is smooth, with the consistency of thin cream. Now melt the 50g/2oz of butter in a pan. Spoon 2 tbsp of it into the batter and whisk it in, then pour the rest into a bowl and use it to lubricate the pan, using a wodge of kitchen paper to smear it round before you make each pancake.
Now get the pan really hot, then turn the heat down to medium and, to start with, do a test pancake to see if you're using the correct amount of batter. I find 2 tbsp is about right for an 18cm/7in pan. It's also helpful if you spoon the batter into a ladle so it can be poured into the hot pan in one go. As soon as the batter hits the hot pan, tip it around from side to side to get the base evenly coated with batter. It should take only half a minute or so to cook; you can lift the edge with a palette knife to see if it's tinged gold as it should be. Flip the pancake over with a pan slice or palette knife - the other side will need a few seconds only - then simply slide it out of the pan onto a plate.
Stack the pancakes as you make them between sheets of greaseproof paper on a plate fitted over simmering water, to keep them warm while you make the rest.
To serve, sprinkle each pancake with freshly squeezed lemon juice and caster sugar, fold in half, then in half again to form triangles, or else simply roll them up. Serve sprinkled with a little more sugar and lemon juice and extra sections of lemon.
Pretty Simple, but then the best things always are. No need to stop there though - make them into a savoury stack with some cheese and browned beef mince in between? Toss in a little mexican spice? The things you can do are endless... just don't forget the one standing in front of the oven making them for you!
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
Chicken Out
I just want to bring this to your attention. As you all know by now I feel very deeply against battery chickens. I urge you all to join the Chicken Out Campaign which is aimed at forcing the government to ensure that the basic welfare of chickens are met.
It only takes 30 seconds and can make the world of difference to these poor birds.
Please click Chicken Out to join our fight.
Thank you
Ant
It only takes 30 seconds and can make the world of difference to these poor birds.
Please click Chicken Out to join our fight.
Thank you
Ant
Cut Calorie Curry!
This one is especially for my old friend Lisa, who was eating a branded microwave curry when I started chatting to her about making a better (tastier!) one while keeping the cal count low. Now obviously I don't have the equipment to measure the actual count of this, but it just illustrates some really simple ways to cut the fat and calories without sacrificing flavour. This will feed 2.
200g Lean Chicken Breast or Mini Fillets, trim any fat you can. (Sub some Quorn fillets or Tofu if you really want to cut the calories)
1 small pack of fresh Baby Sweetcorn
Handful of Cashew Nuts, lightly toasted in a dry pan
3-4 ripe tomatoes, depending on size, skinned and chopped
2-3 tbsp Low Fat Yoghurt
2 Garlic cloves, chopped finely
Thumb sized piece of fresh Ginger, chopped finely
1 small Onion, finely chopped
Spices: 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp brown mustard seeds, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 1 tbsp Garam Massala, 1/2 tsp turmeric
Fresh Coriander to finish.
To start, fry the whole seeds in just a tsp of lower cal oil or cooking spray until they pop. Stir in your onion, garlic and ginger, fry until soft and slightly golden over a low heat. Add The chicken and brown in the flavoured mixture.
Next, add the chopped tomatoes and stir well, add a good glug of water from a freshly boiled kettle then add the powdered spices (garam and turmeric). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until well reduced and slightly thickened, adding more water as you go if it seems too dry. You can now stir through your baby sweetcorn (chop it first if you like) and toasted cashews. Give it a few more minutes, then stir in your low fat yoghurt and freshly chopped coriander.
Serve with simple boiled rice - no chips Lisa!
It's really simple to cut calories from anything you cook by reducing the oil, salt, fats and other things you want to avoid on your chosen diet. There is no need to resort to tasteless microwave meals, this kind o fhting will be tastier every time and will contain hundreds less calories then the way I would normally make a curry.
Try it out, and make sure to tell me what you think! Any comments and feedback appreciated - how do you cut calories in your meals without sacrificing taste? We'd love to hear your tips :)
All the best
Tony
200g Lean Chicken Breast or Mini Fillets, trim any fat you can. (Sub some Quorn fillets or Tofu if you really want to cut the calories)
1 small pack of fresh Baby Sweetcorn
Handful of Cashew Nuts, lightly toasted in a dry pan
3-4 ripe tomatoes, depending on size, skinned and chopped
2-3 tbsp Low Fat Yoghurt
2 Garlic cloves, chopped finely
Thumb sized piece of fresh Ginger, chopped finely
1 small Onion, finely chopped
Spices: 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp brown mustard seeds, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 1 tbsp Garam Massala, 1/2 tsp turmeric
Fresh Coriander to finish.
To start, fry the whole seeds in just a tsp of lower cal oil or cooking spray until they pop. Stir in your onion, garlic and ginger, fry until soft and slightly golden over a low heat. Add The chicken and brown in the flavoured mixture.
Next, add the chopped tomatoes and stir well, add a good glug of water from a freshly boiled kettle then add the powdered spices (garam and turmeric). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until well reduced and slightly thickened, adding more water as you go if it seems too dry. You can now stir through your baby sweetcorn (chop it first if you like) and toasted cashews. Give it a few more minutes, then stir in your low fat yoghurt and freshly chopped coriander.
Serve with simple boiled rice - no chips Lisa!
It's really simple to cut calories from anything you cook by reducing the oil, salt, fats and other things you want to avoid on your chosen diet. There is no need to resort to tasteless microwave meals, this kind o fhting will be tastier every time and will contain hundreds less calories then the way I would normally make a curry.
Try it out, and make sure to tell me what you think! Any comments and feedback appreciated - how do you cut calories in your meals without sacrificing taste? We'd love to hear your tips :)
All the best
Tony
Monday, 23 January 2012
Seafood - Think outside the box.
Just wanted to have a quick natter about seafood. I love it, I could eat it every day!
The variety you can get from the ocean is immense, fish, prawns, crabs, lobsters, scallops these are just a few of the things that any good fish monger will have.
But then you have the things that alot of people look at and move right past as they are a bit put off by it, the one I see most often is Octopus. On my recent trip to the Sydney Fish Markets I often heard people saying things like 'gross' and 'eewww' at the octopus, not fair in my book. I love Octopus, I usually buy the baby ones and marinade them in a simple marinade of, crushed garlic, red wine and a splash of olive oil. Sometimes I throw a chopped chili in as well. You have to cook octopus quickly, it really can toughen up but in my opinion it is the nicest meat in our ocean. If you get a BBQ nice and hot, grill them tentacle down first on a high heat and they will go crispy and add an amazing texture. You can also eat it raw, buy a larger one and cut very thin slices off the legs and have it sashimi style with a bit of lemon juice, beautiful!
So next time you go to the markets or the fish mongers, get something you have never tried before, it may just end up your favourite food in the whole world, don't be afriad to 'break the rules' and not just get a piece of fish and some prawns!!
Ant
The variety you can get from the ocean is immense, fish, prawns, crabs, lobsters, scallops these are just a few of the things that any good fish monger will have.
But then you have the things that alot of people look at and move right past as they are a bit put off by it, the one I see most often is Octopus. On my recent trip to the Sydney Fish Markets I often heard people saying things like 'gross' and 'eewww' at the octopus, not fair in my book. I love Octopus, I usually buy the baby ones and marinade them in a simple marinade of, crushed garlic, red wine and a splash of olive oil. Sometimes I throw a chopped chili in as well. You have to cook octopus quickly, it really can toughen up but in my opinion it is the nicest meat in our ocean. If you get a BBQ nice and hot, grill them tentacle down first on a high heat and they will go crispy and add an amazing texture. You can also eat it raw, buy a larger one and cut very thin slices off the legs and have it sashimi style with a bit of lemon juice, beautiful!
So next time you go to the markets or the fish mongers, get something you have never tried before, it may just end up your favourite food in the whole world, don't be afriad to 'break the rules' and not just get a piece of fish and some prawns!!
Ant
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Farmers Markets
I am going to the Sydney Fish Markets on Saturday and on the way back I am going to stop by one of the big farmers markets in Sydney. Farmers markets are really important to me, you get great produce from people that care about what they do, as well as not paying the supermarket prices.
I am hoping to get some really nice organic beef and a nice bit of pork as well.
I think its incredibly important to support our farmers and I hope you all stop by the next farmers market you see! I will let you know how I get on!
I am hoping to get some really nice organic beef and a nice bit of pork as well.
I think its incredibly important to support our farmers and I hope you all stop by the next farmers market you see! I will let you know how I get on!
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
Go Organic
Something I really wanted to add to our site was a section on the actual food we eat. Not the recipes or the way we cook it, but the food itself. I am going to start with something we are all familiar with, meat.
Free range meat is something I feel incredibly strong about, I believe that everyone should be eating it instead of the battery farms producing most of the meat on the supermarket shelves. I understand that the meat costs more, but to me the reasons for this are well worth my extra money.
Free range organic animals are reared outside where they belong, fed the actual food they require to lead a long life before slaughter, they build muscle from roaming that makes the meat so much tastier and best of all, they lead a happy healthy life.
Chickens are the best example, so many of them a reared indoors in a battery factory. Lighting is used to trick them into thinking it is always daytime so they constantly eat getting fat for the shelves. Most of them can barely walk they are so overweight and unhealthy, yet so many people still want them. Pound for pound your average battery chicken costs less than dog food, is that really good enough for you and your family?
The only reason that battery farms exist is because there is simply a market for cheap tasteless meat in the stores. If people stopped buying it, they would be forced to go free range or go bust. I know it is likely that this will never happen, and many more influential people then you or I have done their best to stop it, but if we vote with our feet, we can all make a difference.
Next time you go to the supermarket, or even better your local butcher, just buy that free range meat, just once, give it a try. I promise you the flavour of the meat, as well as the feeling of knowing it led a good life will make you spend that little extra every time you go back.
Thanks all
Ant
Relaunch
Due to certain restraints we have had to leave the site for a while. We are now back on board full time and going to take the site to other areas as well. Not just posting recipes, but also trying to educate as well as get real food back on to peoples plates.
Bare with us as we get the new content together, dont forget to hit like at the bottom of the page!!
Bare with us as we get the new content together, dont forget to hit like at the bottom of the page!!
Sunday, 4 December 2011
Pizza Pasta! Meaty, but also veggie friendly...
Yup, you read it right... Pizza Pasta. A delicious recipe all my own work, but feel free to jazz it up or switch for your own favourite pizza toppings. Just try it!
Ingredients:
500g Minced Beef
1 Onion
1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes (or 2 if you like it saucy... we know you do!)
2 Cloves of Garlic
200g Pasta (Fusilli works very well in this one)
3-4 good quality Sausages
Cumin
Oregano
Cayenne
1 ball of Mozzarella
1 cup grated Cheddar
around 25g Parmesan
Seasoning
Method:
1. Get your sausages baking in the oven, around 20 minutes at 200 should sort it. Put them on a wire rack over a baking tray to catch the fat - saves cleaning the oven for hours later!
2. Make yourself a basic pizza sauce. Get a couple of tbsp olive oil nice and hot, fry off the garlic (crushed or finely chopped) and onion (fine chopped) until starting to colour. Add your tinned tomatoes and bring to the boil, then add 2 tbsp oregano or your favourite herbs and simmer for around 20 minutes.
3. Knock up a delicious dry spicy beef. Simply fry the beef mince in a dry pan until brown all over, then add a tsp of cayenne, 2 tsp of cumin and a tsp of oregano. Feel free to use your imagination here and change the spices around, or add more cayenne if you want it hotter! I know we all like the hot stuff ;) Stir it all up, keep it frying and if you need to pour off any oil that comes out peridically to keep it dry. Leaner beef the better.
4. Cook the pasta - boiling salted water for 10 minutes should do the trick. Give it the odd stir to stop it sticking. Drain and toss well in your home made sauce, making sure its well coated.
4. Put the saucy pasta in the bottom of your casserole pan. Add a layer of your delicious dry spicy beef over the top, then top with your cheeses. Shred the mozzarella, spread over the cheddar and top with a generous helping of parmesan. Looks good? Now slice the sausages and arrange the slices on top, then bake at 180 for 25-30 minutes to let the flavours get aquainted.
Serve on warmed plates with garlic bread.
This will work well with any of your favourite pizza toppings. A delicious veggie option for my gorgeous veggie friends out there could have courgettes, sweetcorn and maybe some mushrooms tossed through? How about topping it off with some pepperoni or chorizo slices and let the oil melt right through your dish? The possibilities are endless just let us know how you get on with it.
Enjoy!
Tony
Ingredients:
500g Minced Beef
1 Onion
1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes (or 2 if you like it saucy... we know you do!)
2 Cloves of Garlic
200g Pasta (Fusilli works very well in this one)
3-4 good quality Sausages
Cumin
Oregano
Cayenne
1 ball of Mozzarella
1 cup grated Cheddar
around 25g Parmesan
Seasoning
Method:
1. Get your sausages baking in the oven, around 20 minutes at 200 should sort it. Put them on a wire rack over a baking tray to catch the fat - saves cleaning the oven for hours later!
2. Make yourself a basic pizza sauce. Get a couple of tbsp olive oil nice and hot, fry off the garlic (crushed or finely chopped) and onion (fine chopped) until starting to colour. Add your tinned tomatoes and bring to the boil, then add 2 tbsp oregano or your favourite herbs and simmer for around 20 minutes.
3. Knock up a delicious dry spicy beef. Simply fry the beef mince in a dry pan until brown all over, then add a tsp of cayenne, 2 tsp of cumin and a tsp of oregano. Feel free to use your imagination here and change the spices around, or add more cayenne if you want it hotter! I know we all like the hot stuff ;) Stir it all up, keep it frying and if you need to pour off any oil that comes out peridically to keep it dry. Leaner beef the better.
4. Cook the pasta - boiling salted water for 10 minutes should do the trick. Give it the odd stir to stop it sticking. Drain and toss well in your home made sauce, making sure its well coated.
4. Put the saucy pasta in the bottom of your casserole pan. Add a layer of your delicious dry spicy beef over the top, then top with your cheeses. Shred the mozzarella, spread over the cheddar and top with a generous helping of parmesan. Looks good? Now slice the sausages and arrange the slices on top, then bake at 180 for 25-30 minutes to let the flavours get aquainted.
Serve on warmed plates with garlic bread.
This will work well with any of your favourite pizza toppings. A delicious veggie option for my gorgeous veggie friends out there could have courgettes, sweetcorn and maybe some mushrooms tossed through? How about topping it off with some pepperoni or chorizo slices and let the oil melt right through your dish? The possibilities are endless just let us know how you get on with it.
Enjoy!
Tony
Wednesday, 29 June 2011
Pizza Bases
So after making a few soda bread loaves and a nice white loaf for my parents who both have flu, I decided it was pizza for tea. I wanted to try the pizza base recipe in my River Cottage Handbook (an absolutely fantastic book if you are considering joining me on this journey), its a pretty simple recipe, but as with everything, you never quite know the first time around how it will turn out.
It worked a treat, what a difference in taste between that and the store bought bases! It was a little thick (completely down to me not rolling it thin enough) but I can safely say its going to be a long time until I buy a pizza base again!
I made them again tonight, this time I divided the dough into 4 and it was much better, and I have half of the dough for tomorrow, I might make a garlic pizza or something to go with dinner.
The recipe is below, give it a try, I promise you will not be disappointed!
Pizza Bases
makes 4 large thin bases.
Ingredients:
500g white plain flour
5g dried yeast
10g salt
325ml warm water
1 tbsp olive oil.
Method:
Pizza Dough Tips
Step-by-Step Kneading
Ant
It worked a treat, what a difference in taste between that and the store bought bases! It was a little thick (completely down to me not rolling it thin enough) but I can safely say its going to be a long time until I buy a pizza base again!
I made them again tonight, this time I divided the dough into 4 and it was much better, and I have half of the dough for tomorrow, I might make a garlic pizza or something to go with dinner.
The recipe is below, give it a try, I promise you will not be disappointed!
Pizza Bases
makes 4 large thin bases.
Ingredients:
500g white plain flour
5g dried yeast
10g salt
325ml warm water
1 tbsp olive oil.
Method:
- Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Add water and mix with your hand to form a rough dough.
- Add in olive oil.
- Knead by hand until dough is smooth and elastic, should take between 10-15 minutes depending on your kneading style and speed. Or about 10 minutes in a mixer with a dough hook on low.
- Leave on a floured board for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
- During this time preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius with your tray (or baking stone) inside.
- Cut into quarters (halves for a thicker base) and roll flat.
- Transfer to tray and add whatever toppings you like.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until the base is crispy.
Pizza Dough Tips
Step-by-Step Kneading
Ant
Sunday, 26 June 2011
The End of Store Bought Bread
I was watching my favourite cooking program, River Cottage, when an episode came on about making your own bread. I will be totally honest, I have not really ever thought about it, I didn't see allot wrong with the store bought bread and thought it just a hassle to make it yourself. Then Hugh asked the viewers to do something, go to your cupboard and count how many ingredients are in the last loaf you bought. I did this and there was 13. I was almost shocked at the number, 13 ingredients in a loaf of plain white bread?! Hugh knocked up (making it allot easier than I was sure it was) a simple white loaf with just 5 ingredients; flour, yeast, sugar, salt and water and didn't it look fantastic when it came out of the oven!
I decided that I was going to head to the shops the next day and have a go at making my own loaf, I picked up the ingredients and headed home. I followed his basic recipe (posted at the bottom) and away I went. I decided to use the mixer with a dough hook as I didn't really know much about kneading.
I made up the dough, let it rest, knocked it back, let it rest and then put it in the oven. Within 5 minutes the house smelled of fresh bread, there is no better smell in the world to me. I patiently waited about 30 minutes then out she came, it looked lopsided, uneven and a bit dark, perfect!
It tasted amazing, i don't think I knew what 'real' bread tasted like until that moment, the whole loaf was gone in about 2 hours and I was definitely hooked!
I am hoping a few of you will share this journey with me, I have developed a passion for baking (I have baked 3 loaves today already) and share your success and inevitable failures with us. I have made about 13 loaves in the past month, I have only had 1 that wasn't really edible, its an incredibly easy thing to do and there is no better feeling, or smell, then pulling out a loaf of bread from the oven. I have started to experiment into different loaves, white, wholemeal, soda bread and about to try a pizza base for tea, the possibilities are endless and so is the joy.
The below is a basic white loaf recipe, the one I first used using the bread hook, as we go along we will move deeper into the kneading process, proving, different types of bread and flours and much more, best of luck to all and remember, if it doesn't come out looking anything like a uniform loaf from the shop, its probably perfect!
Ingredients
7g sachet dried yeast
300ml lukewarm water
1 tsp sugar
450g plain white flour
1.5 tsp Salt
Method
1 Place the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in the bowl.
2 Using the dough hook on minimum speed, gradually mix in the water to form a soft dough.
3 Knead for 1 minute on minimum and 4 minutes on speed 1, until smooth and elastic. Remove the
bowl, cover with lightly oiled clear film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
4 Using the dough hook on minimum speed for 30-60 seconds gently knead the dough to knock
back. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Cover with oiled clear film and leave to rise for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
5 Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
So there is a basic white loaf recipe, please give it a try and let us know how it turns out, if you are anything like me this will be the first in a very long line of loaves!
Ant
I decided that I was going to head to the shops the next day and have a go at making my own loaf, I picked up the ingredients and headed home. I followed his basic recipe (posted at the bottom) and away I went. I decided to use the mixer with a dough hook as I didn't really know much about kneading.
I made up the dough, let it rest, knocked it back, let it rest and then put it in the oven. Within 5 minutes the house smelled of fresh bread, there is no better smell in the world to me. I patiently waited about 30 minutes then out she came, it looked lopsided, uneven and a bit dark, perfect!
It tasted amazing, i don't think I knew what 'real' bread tasted like until that moment, the whole loaf was gone in about 2 hours and I was definitely hooked!
I am hoping a few of you will share this journey with me, I have developed a passion for baking (I have baked 3 loaves today already) and share your success and inevitable failures with us. I have made about 13 loaves in the past month, I have only had 1 that wasn't really edible, its an incredibly easy thing to do and there is no better feeling, or smell, then pulling out a loaf of bread from the oven. I have started to experiment into different loaves, white, wholemeal, soda bread and about to try a pizza base for tea, the possibilities are endless and so is the joy.
The below is a basic white loaf recipe, the one I first used using the bread hook, as we go along we will move deeper into the kneading process, proving, different types of bread and flours and much more, best of luck to all and remember, if it doesn't come out looking anything like a uniform loaf from the shop, its probably perfect!
Ingredients
7g sachet dried yeast
300ml lukewarm water
1 tsp sugar
450g plain white flour
1.5 tsp Salt
Method
1 Place the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in the bowl.
2 Using the dough hook on minimum speed, gradually mix in the water to form a soft dough.
3 Knead for 1 minute on minimum and 4 minutes on speed 1, until smooth and elastic. Remove the
bowl, cover with lightly oiled clear film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
4 Using the dough hook on minimum speed for 30-60 seconds gently knead the dough to knock
back. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Cover with oiled clear film and leave to rise for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
5 Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
So there is a basic white loaf recipe, please give it a try and let us know how it turns out, if you are anything like me this will be the first in a very long line of loaves!
Ant
Saturday, 25 June 2011
Classic Shepherds Pie
Just knocked this little beauty out for the girls. It's gone down a treat!
700g lamb mince- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 3 carrots, diced
- 1 tbsp Tomato puree
- 100ml good red wine
- 100ml lamb stock
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- 750g mashed potato (make your own, its easy and delicious if you would like some tips on making the perfect mash then get in touch)
Heat a frying pan until hot and fry the lamb mince for 4-5 minutes, or until browned all over. Remove the lamb from the pan and set aside to drain in a sieve.
Heat a little olive oil in the same frying pan and fry the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes, or until softened. Add the carrots and the remaining olive oil and cook for a further 5-6 minutes. Return the lamb mince to the pan, add the tomato purée and stir well. Cook for a further 5-6 minutes
Add the wine, bay leaves and stock, bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5-8 minutes. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and thyme. Spoon the mixture into a large baking dish and top with the mashed potato.
Bake the shepherd’s pie in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the the topping is golden-brown and the lamb mixture is bubbling around the edge. Serve with seasonal green vegetables that you have steamed - straight from the oven to the table. Delicious!
Sunday, 19 June 2011
Yesterdays Masterchef Live adventure
Morning all
I was a little tired yesterday to blog, so here is the story of how it went.
The BBC Good Food Live show contacted me out of the blue, and offered me the chance to cook at the Masterchef Live Challenge in the Birmingham NEC Arena. I had applied about 3 months earlier and forgotten all about it. I didn't even have a signiture dish to put on the application, so I made one up at the time! Yesterday rolled around all too quickly, I had a chance to practise a few times and that was the lot - it was too late.
Myself and My 4 year old Daughter Rhianwen packed up, and headed to Birmingham with my good friends Adam and Jo. I was excited all the way there - right up until I walked in and saw the stage. Then the nerves hit me. There was a green room where I met Dhruv Baker and the other contestants, all of whom were REALLY nice and helped my nerves die down. Then it was time.
We walked out onto the stage in front of an audience of about 200 people, plus the big screens were showing it to the whole exhibition at the Good Food Show. Andy Peters , the legend of Live TV, was the host, and the judges were of course John Torode and Gregg Wallace with guest Sara Denesin Medio. The timer started and we all started cooking our hearts out with the audience cheering us on. We had 45 minutes to produce our signiture dish - for me it was A modernised classic - Chicken Kiev, Peas and Chips. I had a lot to do in 45 minutes, with cameras swirling around us and judges wandering around for a chat. I had a really nice and helpful Kitchen Assistant from the local food college who helped me so much, fetching equipment and showing me how to work things. It actually consisted of a twice cooked Chicken Breast (poached in garlic infused stock and then fried to crisp the skin), a Parmesan and Thyme Ciabatta Crumb, Fondant Potato 'Chips', a Garlic and Tarragon Wine Cream Sauce, and a Pea Puree.
I had a lot going on. Pans all over the place - chicken poaching, potatoes peeled and frying in butter, peas boiling to puree, herbs chopping, the lot was going on. Andy Peters talked to me for a while, John, Gregg and Sara all chatted a bit too about my food as well as tasting. John was impressed with my sauce, while Gregg was MAD for my potato fondant chips! Sara was very impressed with my skills too, she complimented me on my organisation and on the fact that I was the only one without a ream of notes! Sara was really nice, as were all of the people on the stage. Before I knew it the time had ticked away - I had 2 minutes to go and nothing on the plate. So I hit the accelerator:
A nice white wide oval plate. Spoonful of pea puree on the right, with a chef swirl using the back of the spoon (that Andy complimented me on!). In the centre - a small pile of the crumb. I placed the chicken on top. 30 seconds to go! A small pile of fondant potato chips on the left, neat and tidy. 10 seconds. Spoon the sauce over the breast, fingers burning from the pan and from holding the chips which came straight out of the boiling stock. Done, time up.
I look at the plate - its stunning. Exactly how I imagined it, bang on time, and all perfect (despite not getting the puree right in practise once!) I could not have been prouder of myself.
The judges only chose 3 dishes to taste from the 9 (a la Masterchef) and unfortunately mine was not one of them. I feel it would have been but I was on stage with the only dessert of the entire day, and we know how much Gregg likes his desserts! All of the dishes looked just stunning, I would have paid good money for any one of them. The dessert goes through - a delicious looking strawberry and rhubarb ice cream with some kind of crumble cake - it looked good enough to grab off the stage and run away with! I was not disappointed in the least - I had cooked my heart out and enjoyed every second of it - I was so happy with my dish that I handed it around the audience afterwards to eat and got some more great compliments. Its made me realise exactly what I want to do with my life - I WILL be a chef. The journey starts here.
In 10 years time, when you come to book a table at my sold out restaurant - mention that you once read this blog and I will make sure my staff look after you well!
Happy Fathers day everyone - I'm off to the driving range. I've just knocked out a lovely Eggs Benedict with my own recipe Golden Potato Hash (I'll post it later - a great accompaniment to breakfast or brunch!). A special mention to my Dad Alan - not the best chef in the world outside of egg and chips, but still a great inspiration to me. I still had a great day afterwards at the Good Food show too - treated myself to a fantastic whisky, tried a buffalo burger, bought some stunning cheeses and chutneys and just generally had a great time.
Be well and good eating
Tony
I was a little tired yesterday to blog, so here is the story of how it went.
The BBC Good Food Live show contacted me out of the blue, and offered me the chance to cook at the Masterchef Live Challenge in the Birmingham NEC Arena. I had applied about 3 months earlier and forgotten all about it. I didn't even have a signiture dish to put on the application, so I made one up at the time! Yesterday rolled around all too quickly, I had a chance to practise a few times and that was the lot - it was too late.
Myself and My 4 year old Daughter Rhianwen packed up, and headed to Birmingham with my good friends Adam and Jo. I was excited all the way there - right up until I walked in and saw the stage. Then the nerves hit me. There was a green room where I met Dhruv Baker and the other contestants, all of whom were REALLY nice and helped my nerves die down. Then it was time.
We walked out onto the stage in front of an audience of about 200 people, plus the big screens were showing it to the whole exhibition at the Good Food Show. Andy Peters , the legend of Live TV, was the host, and the judges were of course John Torode and Gregg Wallace with guest Sara Denesin Medio. The timer started and we all started cooking our hearts out with the audience cheering us on. We had 45 minutes to produce our signiture dish - for me it was A modernised classic - Chicken Kiev, Peas and Chips. I had a lot to do in 45 minutes, with cameras swirling around us and judges wandering around for a chat. I had a really nice and helpful Kitchen Assistant from the local food college who helped me so much, fetching equipment and showing me how to work things. It actually consisted of a twice cooked Chicken Breast (poached in garlic infused stock and then fried to crisp the skin), a Parmesan and Thyme Ciabatta Crumb, Fondant Potato 'Chips', a Garlic and Tarragon Wine Cream Sauce, and a Pea Puree.
I had a lot going on. Pans all over the place - chicken poaching, potatoes peeled and frying in butter, peas boiling to puree, herbs chopping, the lot was going on. Andy Peters talked to me for a while, John, Gregg and Sara all chatted a bit too about my food as well as tasting. John was impressed with my sauce, while Gregg was MAD for my potato fondant chips! Sara was very impressed with my skills too, she complimented me on my organisation and on the fact that I was the only one without a ream of notes! Sara was really nice, as were all of the people on the stage. Before I knew it the time had ticked away - I had 2 minutes to go and nothing on the plate. So I hit the accelerator:
A nice white wide oval plate. Spoonful of pea puree on the right, with a chef swirl using the back of the spoon (that Andy complimented me on!). In the centre - a small pile of the crumb. I placed the chicken on top. 30 seconds to go! A small pile of fondant potato chips on the left, neat and tidy. 10 seconds. Spoon the sauce over the breast, fingers burning from the pan and from holding the chips which came straight out of the boiling stock. Done, time up.
I look at the plate - its stunning. Exactly how I imagined it, bang on time, and all perfect (despite not getting the puree right in practise once!) I could not have been prouder of myself.
The judges only chose 3 dishes to taste from the 9 (a la Masterchef) and unfortunately mine was not one of them. I feel it would have been but I was on stage with the only dessert of the entire day, and we know how much Gregg likes his desserts! All of the dishes looked just stunning, I would have paid good money for any one of them. The dessert goes through - a delicious looking strawberry and rhubarb ice cream with some kind of crumble cake - it looked good enough to grab off the stage and run away with! I was not disappointed in the least - I had cooked my heart out and enjoyed every second of it - I was so happy with my dish that I handed it around the audience afterwards to eat and got some more great compliments. Its made me realise exactly what I want to do with my life - I WILL be a chef. The journey starts here.
In 10 years time, when you come to book a table at my sold out restaurant - mention that you once read this blog and I will make sure my staff look after you well!
Happy Fathers day everyone - I'm off to the driving range. I've just knocked out a lovely Eggs Benedict with my own recipe Golden Potato Hash (I'll post it later - a great accompaniment to breakfast or brunch!). A special mention to my Dad Alan - not the best chef in the world outside of egg and chips, but still a great inspiration to me. I still had a great day afterwards at the Good Food show too - treated myself to a fantastic whisky, tried a buffalo burger, bought some stunning cheeses and chutneys and just generally had a great time.
Be well and good eating
Tony
Friday, 17 June 2011
Masterchef
Hi everyone!
No recipe tonight I'm afraid, a little busy. Tomorrow I will be cooking at the Good Food Live show in Birmingham in front of thousands of people - doing the Masterchef Challenge. Quite a big deal!
My dish is Chicken Kiev, Peas and Chips. Well that's what its loosely based on, its a modern and deconstructed version of it - A twice cooked Chicken Breast, Parmesan and Thyme Ciabatta Crumb (not on the chicken!), Garlic and Tarragon Sauce, Sweet Pea Puree and Fondant Potato 'Chips'. I've tested it before, last run is tonight and then tomorrow its showtime.
My good friends Adam and Jo are coming to support me, as is my eldest daughter Rhianwen who was my inspiration to start cooking in the first place.
I'll let you all know how it goes, but right now I am off to practise my skills ready for John Torode and Gregg Wallace!
Be well friends, and good eating
Tony
No recipe tonight I'm afraid, a little busy. Tomorrow I will be cooking at the Good Food Live show in Birmingham in front of thousands of people - doing the Masterchef Challenge. Quite a big deal!
My dish is Chicken Kiev, Peas and Chips. Well that's what its loosely based on, its a modern and deconstructed version of it - A twice cooked Chicken Breast, Parmesan and Thyme Ciabatta Crumb (not on the chicken!), Garlic and Tarragon Sauce, Sweet Pea Puree and Fondant Potato 'Chips'. I've tested it before, last run is tonight and then tomorrow its showtime.
My good friends Adam and Jo are coming to support me, as is my eldest daughter Rhianwen who was my inspiration to start cooking in the first place.
I'll let you all know how it goes, but right now I am off to practise my skills ready for John Torode and Gregg Wallace!
Be well friends, and good eating
Tony
Monday, 13 June 2011
Anthony's Seafood Paella
My apologies as well for the lack of recent posts but we are both back on board now, and this is a great recipe to get us back under way. There are 2 key points to this recipe, the first is the rice, you really should try your best to get hold of Calasparra rice, you can use other short grain rice (not arborio) but none are as good as this. The 2nd is to really concerntrate on making a good sofrito, the one I have listed is easy and really nice in many types of paella, not just seafood.
Ingredients
Serves 4-6
To make sofrito paste:
200 ml extra virgin olive oil
15 ml Spanish sherry vinegar (red wine vinegar is ok if you dont have any)
3 large tomatoes, ripe is best
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 shallot
6 roasted peppers
1½ tsp saffron threads
½ bunch thyme leaves
½ bunch mint
½ bunch coriander
1 bunch chives
½ bunch parsley
½ tsp spicy paprika
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp sweet paprika
Paella:
2 tbsp sofrito paste per person
65g Calasparra rice per person
150 ml fish stock per person
2 blue swimmer crabs, quartered and cleaned
6 king prawns
12 squid rings
10 large mussels
4 baby octopus, cleaned
Method
Ingredients
Serves 4-6
To make sofrito paste:
200 ml extra virgin olive oil
15 ml Spanish sherry vinegar (red wine vinegar is ok if you dont have any)
3 large tomatoes, ripe is best
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 shallot
6 roasted peppers
1½ tsp saffron threads
½ bunch thyme leaves
½ bunch mint
½ bunch coriander
1 bunch chives
½ bunch parsley
½ tsp spicy paprika
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp sweet paprika
Paella:
2 tbsp sofrito paste per person
65g Calasparra rice per person
150 ml fish stock per person
2 blue swimmer crabs, quartered and cleaned
6 king prawns
12 squid rings
10 large mussels
4 baby octopus, cleaned
Method
Sunday, 5 June 2011
Chorizo and Feta Frittata
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
- Place the potatoes into a saucepan of boiling water. Boil for five minutes, or until just cooked. Do not overcook the potatoes or they will go mushy. Drain the potatoes of the excess water and set aside.
- Heat a 25cm/10in ovenproof frying pan. Add three tablespoons of olive oil and the sliced onion to the pan. Cover the frying pan with a saucepan lid and sweat the ingredients over a gentle heat until the onion becomes soft and slightly golden. Then remove from the heat and set aside.
- Whisk the eggs in a clean bowl until they are slightly frothy. Then add the cream, the salt and the fresh marjoram.
- Add the sliced chorizo, the cooked onions and the potatoes to the bowl and mix well.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in the frying pan. When the oil is hot, pour in the egg mixture and stir briefly to distribute the ingredients evenly.
- Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese on to the top of the mixture. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 25-35 minutes or until the centre of the mixture has set. Then remove from the frittata from the oven and allow it to cool for a couple of minutes.
- To serve, place the frittata onto a large serving plate or a large cake tin lined with baking parchment (if you want to transport it on a picnic). Serve warm or at room temperature.
Raspberry and White Chocolate Waffle Pudding
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Grease a baking dish with butter.
- Place half the waffle pieces into the baking dish and sprinkle over half the raspberries and half the chocolate. Lay over the remaining waffles and scatter over the rest of the raspberries and chocolate.
- Mix the caster sugar, flour, crème fraîche and vanilla extract together in a bowl then whisk in the beaten eggs. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
- Leave to cool then sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with vanilla ice cream or cream.
You may find you don't need the icing sugar, just scoop the gooey mess into a bowl and munch the lot. Easily one of the nicest desserts I have ever made, and really easy!
Friday, 8 April 2011
Yasmin’s Spaghetti Carbonara
Carbonara is one of the most impressive pastas you can make, fortunately it’s also one of the easiest! Below is the most basic recipe I can come up with which will get you on the right track, once you have made it a few times start to play with it, you can add all sorts of things to it, bacon, spinach, mussels, it’s a really good dish to learn and can be made in minutes so there is no reason to ring the local take away if you have had a long day!
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
200g/7 oz button mushrooms, sliced
1 cup cream
2 eggs
125g/4 oz parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 cup finely chopped chives
400g/14 oz dried spaghetti
200g/7 oz ham, chopped
Method:
1. Get some water boiling an cook the pasta according to the instructions on the pack. Its best to use home made, but that isn’t applicable for a quick meal, try and by fresh egg pasta from the shops but dries will work fine, remember to put a few pinches of salt into the water once it has boiled.
2. Once the pasta is almost done, melt butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and add mushrooms. Cook them for 5 minutes, or until tender, remember to keep stirring them. Remove from the pan and put under some foil to keep warm.
3. Combine cream, eggs, three quarters of the parmesan, chives, and a pinch of salt and few turns of pepper in a bowl.
4. Drain cooked pasta into a saucepan. Add egg mixture, mushrooms and ham. Toss over low heat until sauce thickens. Season. Serve with remaining parmesan.
Ant
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