Pizza Buns

| adamcockle

pizzatwistblog2

Pizza is my favourite.  My FAVOURITE.  If I had to choose my last meal, or if I could only ever eat one thing for the rest of my life, it would be pizza.  My desire to make my own pizza’s was the inspiration to begin baking bread at home and is the ideal place to start with homemade breads.  This recipe is super-fun and super-versatile.  I’m giving you the ‘basic’ sauce, but you can add whatever toppings tickle your fancy.

Ingredients:

For the pizza dough:

  • 200g bread flour
  • 50g semolina flour
  • 150ml warm water
  • 7g fast-acting yeast
  • 1tsp fine salt (heaped)
  • 1tsp sugar
  • 2tbsp olive oil

For the filling:

  • 500g carton of passata
  • 50g black olives
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1tbps tomato puree
  • 1tsp sugar
  • 1tsp dried oregano
  • 1tsp dried basil
  • 1tbsp olive oil

To finish:

  • 25g parmesan

Method:

For the sauce:

Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium high.  Veeeeeery finely chop the onion and garlic and add to the oil along with a pinch of salt.  Cook for a few minutes, stirring regularly until the garlic starts to brown.  Add in the rest of the ingredients (apart from the olives) and let the sauce blip away on a low heat until it is thick and rich.  Veeeeeery finely chop the olives and stir into the sauce.  Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning to your liking.  Leave aside to cool.

For the pizza dough:

Put the water, sugar and yeast in a large bowl and stir together until the yeast has dissolved.  Add the flours, oil and salt to the bowl and stir together until combined into a sticky lump.  Transfer your dough to a clean floured board and knead for 10 – 15 minutes until smooth and elastic.  Return to the bowl and cover with clingfilm.  Place the bowl in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size .  Once the dough has risen turn it out onto a board or clean floured worktop and ‘knock back’ by giving it a good bash to force the air out.

Using your hands or a floured rolling pin roll the dough into a rough rectangle about 1/2cm thick.  Spread a thin layer of sauce over the dough (just like you would with a pizza) and grate over the parmesan cheese (its at this point that you can add your other fillings).  Now this is the messy bit – roll your dough up like a swiss roll, trying your best to create a tight spiral without all of your yummy sauce squishing out the sides.  Once rolled up, divide into 4cm thick portions and place – spiral up – on a lined backing sheet.

Cover with clingfilm and put aside for about 30 minutes to puff up once more.

While your waiting for your buns, preheat your oven to 180c.

Once the oven is hot, pop in your buns (make sure you remove the clingfilm) and bake for about 18 minutes until golden and crisp.

Eat straight from the oven with a side-salad (great if you want to convince yourself that you’re having a healthy dinner).  These buns are also great for snacking and for lunchboxes.

pizzatwistblog

Ginger, Lime and sesame cupcakes

| adamcockle

sesamecupcakeblog2

So I had a little epiphany while watching The Great British Bakeoff.  When it comes to savoury cooking I’m quite adventurous with my use of flavours and techniques, but when it comes to sweets I tend to stick to the traditional – your chocolate, coffee and citrus.  Now while there is nothing wrong with the classics, I felt it was time to give my cupcakes a twist (oo-er) and try something new.  This recipe was inspired by the contents of my cupboards and being too lazy to go the the supermarket.

Ingredients:

For the sesame brittle:

  • 1/2 cup caster sugar
  • 1tbsp honey
  • 1/2 cup sesame seeds
  • Pinch of salt

For the cake:

  • 3 medium eggs (separated)
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
  • 1/2 cup of sour cream
  • 1/2 cup of melted butter (left to cool to room temperature)
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tsp ground ginger

For the sugar syrup:

  • 1/2 cup caster sugar
  • 1/2 cup lime juice (juice of 4 or 5 fresh limes)
  • 4 – 5 ‘disks’ of fresh ginger (you can leave the skin on)

For the icing:

  • 125g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
  • 250g icing sugar
  • 3 – 4tbsp sugar syrup

Method:

For the sesame brittle:

Put the sugar and honey in a pan and heat on medium high until the sugar has melted and turned golden and bubbly.  Be patient and resist the temptation to stir, you can ‘swirl’ the contents of the pan from time to time.  Stir in the sesame seeds and salt and pour immediately onto a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper.  Leave aside to cool.  Once cooled, bash the brittle in a pestle and mortar to create a sugary, sesame crumble.

For the syrup:

Put all the ingredients in a pan and leave to bubble away on a medium high heat until reduced by half.  Leave aside to cool.

For the cake:

Preheat your oven to 180c.

Beat the egg whites in an electric mixer with the whisk attachment until firm and dry.  In a separate bowl mix together the egg yolks, sugar, lemon, yogurt and butter.  Add the flour to the egg yolk mixture along with the ginger, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and stir to combine.  Finally fold in the egg whites with a metal spoon until the mixture is uniform in colour.  Transfer the mix into cupcake cases in a cupcake tray (about a tablespoon of batter per cupcake). Bake for about 12 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre of each cake comes out clean.  Remove the cakes from the tray and place on a wire rack.  While the cakes are still warm, drizzle on a tablespoon-full of lime and ginger syrup.

For the icing:

Put the butter in an electric mixer and beat on high speed using the blade attachment.  Once smooth, add in the icing sugar a bit at a time and continue to mix until the sugar is incorporated.  With the mixer still running add in the syrup and continue to mix for a few minutes.

To finish:

Sprinkle a layer of the crumbled brittle onto a plate or baking sheet.  Spoon a generous dollop of icing onto each cake.  Dip the cake into the sesame brittle so that the icing is all coated.

I served these exotic little beauties with a steaming cup of oolong tea (it seemed a fitting combination).

sesamecupcakeblog

Confetti Blends: Citrus Salt

| adamcockle

citrussalt

As I continue on my journey to becoming a proper kick-ass cook, one of the things I’ve learned is the importance of seasoning.  I feel that, perhaps, its becoming a little bit untrendy to add salt to your food in recent years.  I’m not sure if this is a health thing or what – but I can say with great confidence that I am not jumping on board the no-salt train.  The no salt-train only leads to one destination, and that is Blandsville.

So – salt away my friends, don’t feel guilty for reaching for that little tub of sea salt.  Season at every stage of your dish and taste, taste, taste!

And what easier way of adding a bit of extra pizzazz to a dish than to sneak it in along with the salt, and what better way to bring us to the point of this blog – Citrus Salt.  I am an admitted fruit-o-phobe, my greatest nightmare is finding fruit in places it has no right to be – imagine my horror at discovering a raisin lurking in a curry dish, and don’t get me started with pineapple on pizza! But citrus fruits? Oh my. Manna of the gods.  Friend of of all creatures of the sea.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large orange
  • 2 plump lemons
  • 3 juicy little limes
  • 100g sea salt (I used Cornish Sea Salt)

Gadgets:

  • Spice grinder (I used my beloved Krups)

Method:

Remove the peel from your miscellaneous citrus beauties using a small, sharp paring knife.  Try to avoid the bitter white pith as much as possible and aim for long strands of peel.

Place your peelings on a large baking sheet and pop in a low oven (I went for about 80c) for an hour or two until everything has become stiff and dry, peak into the oven regularly to make sure nothing is burning.  Remove from the oven and leave on some clean kitchen paper for a day or two to complete dry out.

Whiz the peel in your spice grinder to form a fine golden powder.  Add a tablespoon or two of salt and whizz for a few more seconds.  Mix the ground salty peel with the remaining salt and voila!

Sprinkle liberally on seafood and veggies.

citrussaltblog42

Eating Out: Pizza Workshop, Bristol

| adamcockle

pizzaworkshopblog

One thing.  Made well.  Thats the motto of the latest newcomer to trendy North Street in Southville, Bristol.  Boasting a menu of just 6 classic pizza’s (and one or two specials) does Pizza Workshop bring enough to the table (geddit!?) to compete with the big chain pizza delivery places already at home on the high street?

The restaurant itself boasts a casual aesthetic with Wagamamas style bench seating that has you shoulder to shoulder with your fellow pizza lovers.  The menu presents you with 6 classic, uncomplicated pizza choices, a million miles away from the crazy combinations and inch thick piles of toppings that you might find elsewhere.

Made with a thin, crisp sourdough base, the pizzas are topped with a tomato sauce that is made simply from crushed San Marzano tomatoes and finished off with Fior di Latte mozzarella – pizza purists rejoice!

I plumped for the Number 3 – a delicious combination of mushrooms artichokes and olives – and, while not the hubcap sized portion you might expect in the likes of Pizza Hut and Dominoes, I received a perfectly meal-sized pizza, a steal – in my opinion – for only £8.50.

So – the final verdict – do Pizza Workshop do that thing that they do, and do they do it well?  Well, the answer is a definite yes, and I look forward to returning to try options 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 – though can a bring myself to ask for a number 2 (snort) in polite society?

Follow the link below for Pizza Workshop’s website.

Pizza Workshop

pizzaworkshopblog2

Pulled Pork 3 Ways

| adamcockle

pphashblog

What could be better than pulled pork?  How about pulled pork served in three distinctive and delicious dishes? Pulled pork hash, pulled pork noodles and pulled pork bbq beans!

Ingredients:

For the pulled pork:

  • 2kg pork shoulder joint
  • 4tbsp olive oil
  • 1tsp course sea salt
  • 1tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 carrots chopped into long thick pieces

Method:

For the pulled pork:

Preheat your oven to 140c.

Leave the pork joint out of the fridge and allow to come to room temperature.  Drizzle the joint with oil and rub all over with salt and pepper.

Put the carrot pieces in the bottom of a large, deep baking tray and place the seasoned pork joint on top.  Cover tightly with tinfoil to keep in all the steam.  Place in the centre of the oven for 2 – 3 hours.  Remove the foil and whack your oven up to full for about 30 – 40mins until the fat has gone golden and a dark crust has formed on the pork.  Remove from the tray and leave aside to cool.  Once the meat has cooled, pull it apart with two forks (or get stuck in with your hands) into haphazard chunks.

PULLED PORK HASH

pphashblog2

Ingredients:

For the pulled pork hash:

  • 500g pulled pork
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 large potatoes (peeled and cut into small cubes)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1tbsp butter
  • 1tbsp flour
  • 500ml chicken stock

Method:

Place the cubed potato in a large pan of boiling salted water and boil for about 6 – 8 minutes until tender with a  just little bit of bite.  Drain and allow the excess water to steam away.

Heat a little oil in a large non-stick frying pan and add the pulled pork.  Fry the pork until it starts to go golden at the edges and then pop in the potatoes with a good pinch of salt and paper.  Stir in the potatoes until coated in oil and well distributed amongst the pork and then begin to press down with your wooden spoon or spatula.  You want to compress the potato pieces and get them crisp in the bottom without turning it to mash.  Stir occasionally and repeat pressing down until everything in the pan is crisp and golden.  Sprinkle in the Worcestershire sauce at this point and stir together one last time.

Heat some oil in a separate pan and break in your eggs.  Cook to your liking (I like mine crisp around the edges with a runny golden yolk).

For the gravy:

Melt the butter in a small pan until it starts to foam and  then add in the flour.  Stir together for a few minutes until you have formed a golden brown paste or roux.  Gradually add in the chicken stock, stirring constantly.  Let the gravy bubble away for a few minutes until it has become lovely and thick.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Plate up your hash and top with a fried egg.  Serve with gravy on the side.

PULLED PORK NOODLES

ppnoodlesblog

Ingredients:

For the pulled pork noodles:

  • 500g pulled pork
  • 1 bunch of spring onions (about 10)
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 thumb sized piece of ginger
  • Half a red chilli
  • 5tbsp light soy sauce
  • 5tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 5tbsp orange juice (freshly squeezed if you’re fancy, or from a carton is fine)
  • 5tbsp maple syrup (or honey)
  • 2tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 150g pre-cooked noodles (I used Udon)
  • 1tsp sesame seeds

Method:

Heat a little oil in a large frying pan or wok.  Finely chop the chilli, garlic and ginger (I used a grater for the ginger) and add to the oil.  Stir around for a few seconds to let the flavours infuse, but do not let the garlic burn!  Add the pulled pork and spring onions and cook for a few minutes until the pork starts to develop a bit of colour.

Mix the soy sauces, maple syrup and vinegar in a small bowl and gradually add to the pan, stirring all the ingredients so that everything gets coated and syrup.  Pop in your noodles and stir through for a minute or two (if the pan seems a but dry at this point just add a splash of water)

Serve immediately and sprinkle with sesame seeds,  Chopsticks and slurping is essential!

PULLED PORK BBQ BEANS

ppbbqbeansblog

Ingredients:

For the pulled pork bbq beans:

  • 500g pulled pork
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 cloves smoked garlic
  • 2 tins Heinz baked beans
  • 2tbsp maple syrup
  • 2tbsp cider vinegar
  • 1tbsp tomato puree
  • 1tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1tsp (heaped) hot chilli powder
  • Sour cream to serve

For the corn cakes

  • 2 large eggs
  • 60g plain flour
  • 60g semolina flour
  • 1/2tsp baking powder
  • 1tsp salt
  • 150g sweetcorn
  • 1 – 2tbsp milk
  • 1tbsp oil (and extra for cooking)

Method:

For the corn cakes:

Heat some oil in a large frying pan.  Mix all the ingredients together leaving the milk until last.  Add the milk a little at a time until you have a thick ‘dropping’ consistency.  Add heaped tablespoon-fulls of the batter to the pan and flatten gently with the back of the spoon.  Cook for a minute or two until small bubbles start to form on the top surface and the bottom has turned golden yellow.  Flip over and cook till golden on the other side.  You can leave the corn cakes on a plate in a low oven until ready to serve.

For the bbq beans:

Heat a generous drizzle of oil in a large frying pan.  Roughly chop the onion and add to the pan, stirring frequently until it becomes translucent.  Finely chop the garlic and add to the onions, cooking for another minute or two.  Pop in the paprika and chilli powder along with a little slurp of water and stir for a few minutes until the onions are all coated in the spice.

Add the remaining ingredients to the pan (apart from the sour cream) and cook on a medium heat for about 8 minutes until bubbly and thick.  Taste for seasoning (its not too late to add some more chilli powder at this point, a bit of heat really suits this dish).

Serve piled high in deep bowls with a stack of warm corn cakes on the side and a cooling dollop of sour cream on top.

Lemon loaf cake

| adamcockle

 drizzleblog

One of the problems when you’re a prolific baker is when your work colleagues find out, and demand to be provided with baked treats on a weekly basis.  This lemon loaf cake is simple and delicious and ideal for transporting and portioning.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

  • 3 medium eggs (separated)
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
  • 1/2 cup of yogurt
  • 1/2 cup of melted butter (left to cool to room temperature)
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • zest of 1 lemon

For the icing:

  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 100 – 150g icing sugar

Method:

For the cake:

Preheat your oven to 180c and grease and line a 900g loaf tin.

Beat the egg whites in an electric mixer with the whisk attachment until firm and dry.  In a separate bowl mix together the egg yolks, sugar, lemon, yogurt and butter.  Add the flour to the egg yolk mixture along with the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and stir to combine.  Finally fold in the egg whites with a metal spoon until the mixture is uniform in colour.  Transfer the mix into the cake tin and bake for approx. 40mins until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.  Remove the cake from the tin and leave on a wire rack to cool.

For the icing:

Put the lemon juice in a bowl and gradually whisk in the icing sugar until you have achieved a thick but pourable texture.  Drizzle generously and haphazardly over the cooled cake.  Leave until the icing has set and then cut into thick slices.  Feed to your grateful workmates for immediate brownie points (lemon cake points?).

drizzleblog2

Warm bulgur wheat salad with yogurt dressing

| adamcockle

bugurblog

Despite what the British weather would lead you to believe, it is – in fact – summertime.  There is no better summer teatime treat than this fresh, herby, zesty salad recipe.

Ingredients:

For the salad:

  • 200g bulgur wheat
  • 100g green beans (trimmed)
  • 100g asparagus (woody ends chopped off)
  • 1 large courgette
  • A generous handful or two of fresh herbs (I used chives and parsley)
  • Zest of one lemon
  • Pinch of dried chilli flakes
  • 1tbsp butter
  • Salt and pepper to season

For the dressing:

  • 5tbsp full-fat yogurt (I used greek style)
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 1tsp English mustard
  • 1tsp maple syrup
  • Salt and pepper to season

Method:

For the dressing:

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.  Cover and pop in the fridge to get nice and cold.

For the salad:

Preheat your oven to 180C

Put the bulgur wheat in a large bowl and cover with boiling water (so that there is about an inch of water above the level of the wheat).  Add a pinch of salt and stir together.  Cover and leave aside for about 15mins.  After this time the grains should have plumped up but still have a nutty bite.  Drain off any excess water and leave aside in a sieve or colander for the remaining liquid to evaporate.

Meanwhile, place the butter in a large frying pan set to a medium high heat.  Once the butter starts to sizzle, pop in the lemon zest and chilli flakes and stir together for a moment or two.  Add the drained bulgur wheat to the pan and stir together for a few minutes until the butter has been absorbed and the grains start to crackle and pop.  Transfer the bulgur wheat to a clean bowl.  Finely chop the herbs and mix in with the warm bulgur wheat.

Dice the vegetables into bite-sized pieces and place on a large baking tray.  Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.  Pop in the oven for about 10 – 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender and then stir together with the bulgur wheat.

Serve warm with a drizzle of cold yogurt dressing.  I had my salad with some simple panfried chicken breast on the side.

bugurblog3

Butternut squash soup and saffron knots

| adamcockle

buttsoupblog

Being a lazy shopper (and just generally lazy) I like to keep my visits to the supermarket to a minimum.  As such its always a good idea to buy versatile ingredients that can be used in different ways to create unique dishes.  This recipe has a lot of the components from my Squash and chickpea curry but presented in a delicious and different way.

Ingredients:

For the soup:

  • 1 butternut squash
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 cloves garlic (peeled and squished flat with the side of a knife)
  • 1tsp (heaped) curry powder (blend of your choice)
  • 1/2 can coconut milk
  • 2tbsp fish sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the coriander oil:

  • Handful of fresh coriander (leaves, stalks and all)
  • Olive oil
  • Pinch of salt

For the saffron knots (makes about 6 rolls):

  •  Pinch of saffron
  • 7g fast action yeast
  • 225mls hot water
  • 100g semolina flour
  • 275g bread flour
  • 1tbsp olive oil
  • 1tsp salt
  • 1 egg yolk

Method:

For the saffron knots;

Place the saffron in the hot water and put aside to steep until the water has come down to room temperature (or luke warm) and has become golden yellow. Strain through a sieve and discard the saffron strands. Add the remaining ingredients (apart from the egg yolk) and mix together in a large bowl until it all comes together in a sticky mass.

Tip your dough onto a clean floured surface (or into an electric mixer) and kneed until smooth and elastic (about 8  – 10 minutes).  Transfer the dough to an oiled, covered container and leave until risen to twice its original volume.

Once the dough has risen ‘knock it back’ by flattening it down with your hands or by folding it in on itself.  Divide your dough into roughly 100g portions and roll each piece into a thin sausage shape (about 8′ long) and simply tie into a knot shape.  Place your knots onto a floured baking tray.  Cover with clingfilm and leave aside for 30mins to plump up and meanwhile set your oven to preheat on full.

After 30mins brush your knots with a little egg yolk (lightly beaten with a splash of water) and pop in the oven.  After 5 mins reduce the oven temp to 180C and cook for a further 10mins.  Remove the knots from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.

For the coriander oil:

Place the coriander and salt in a blender and blend at high speed while drizzling in the olive oil.  Keep adding the oil until you have a smooth, pour-able consistency.

For the soup:

Preheat your oven to 180C

Peel and chop the butternut squash into small cubes and dice the onion into large chunks.  Place together on a large baking tray along the the garlic.  Drizzle with oil, season generously with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the curry powder.  Mix everything together so that all the ingredients are coated in the spices.

Pop in the oven for about 20mins (removing from the oven occasionally to stir everything around) until the squash has softened and started to catch on the edges.  The onion will have become quite dark and crisped at the ends by this point, but do not worry, this adds to the flavor.

Transfer your cooked squash, onion and garlic to the blender (ideally the same one you made the coriander oil in and left unwashed) and blitz on high along with the coconut milk and fish sauce.  Blitz until smooth and add in water a little at a time until you achieve your preferred consistency (some people like a very thick soup, others a bit more runny) and season to taste.

Portion up into clean white bowls and drizzle with a little coriander oil.  Serve piping hot with a couple of warm saffron knots on the side for dipping.

knotblog

Mocha squares

| adamcockle

mochablog2

So yeah, I’m a little bit obsessed with coffee cake.  If I’m ever in two minds about what flavour of cake to make, coffee always tends to win by default.  This delicious tray bake is given a mocha twist by the addition of cocoa powder to the batter and made extra moist with ricotta cheese.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

  • 3 medium eggs (separated)
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
  • 2tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1tsp instant coffee (dissolved in a splash of water)
  • 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup of melted butter (left to cool to room temperature)
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the icing:

  • 100g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
  • 200g icing sugar
  • 1tsp instant coffee
  • Good quality high-cocoa dark chocolate

Method:

For the cake:

Preheat your oven to 180c and grease and line a 20cm square cake tin.

Beat the egg whites in an electric mixer with the whisk attachment until firm and dry.  In a separate bowl mix together the egg yolks, sugar, coffee, ricotta and butter.  Add the flour and cocoa powder to the egg yolk mixture along with the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and then finally fold in the egg whites with a metal spoon until the mixture is uniform in colour.  Transfer the mix into the cake tin and bake for approx. 30mins until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.  Remove the cake from the tin and leave on a wire rack to cool.

For the icing:

Beat the butter in an electric mixer with the blade attachment until smooth.  Add the icing sugar in two batches and beat on high until pale and smooth.  Add the coffee and beat again.  You may need to add a splash of milk to your icing to gain the ideal consistency.

To finish:

Spread a thick layer of icing on the cooled cake and grate a generous dusting of dark chocolate over the top.

Cut into generous squares and serve with steaming cups of good quality coffee.

mochablog