homecooking

Totes Masc Pizza

| adamcockle

 

This pizza has beer in it, and two kinds of pork.  Eat it while building a bookshelf or watching the sportsball.

Ingredients:

Serves 2

  • 4g instant yeast
  • 75ml warm water
  • 1tbps olive oil
  • 125g bread flour
  • 1tsp table salt
  • 4 rashers smoked streaky bacon
  • 2 of your favourite sausages (skins removed)
  • 20g butter
  • 20g plain flour
  • 100ml of your favourite beer (though ideally a blonde or pale ale)
  • 100ml milk
  • 50g mature cheddar cheese (grated)
  • 50g of that pre-grated mozzarella
  • 2 eggs

Method:

 

For the pizza base:

Put the warm water in a bowl and add the yeast.  Stir until the yeast is dissolved and then add the olive oil.  Add the flour and salt and mix until roughly combined.  Empty onto a floured surface and knead until smooth (about 5 mins).  Put aside in a covered container until doubled in size (about 45 mins).

Pre-heat your oven to its highest temperature.

For the toppings:

Place the bacon in a lightly oiled (cold) pan and turn up the heat to medium.  Turn occasionally until golden and crispy and transfer to some kitchen paper to remove the excess fat.  Chop into rough pieces.

Add the sausage to the same pan and break up with the side of the spoon to form a mince-like texture.  Cook until golden and starting to crisp.  Put aside to cool.

For the beer-cheese sauce:

Put the butter and flour in a pan and cook on medium, stirring constantly to form a smooth golden paste.  Add the beer a little at a time whilst stirring and then add the milk.  Bubble away until thick and smooth and then reduce the heat to low.  Stir in the cheddar cheese and stir until melted.  Season to taste.

To finish:

Press the dough onto a lightly oiled baking tray to form a thin, even layer.  Spread on the beer-cheese sauce and sprinkle with the bacon and sausage bits.  Cover with the grated mozzarella.

Pop the pizza in the oven and keep and eye on it.  Once the sauce is bubbling and cheese is starting to turn golden remove the pizza from the oven.  Using the back of a spoon, make two little wells in the pizza toppings and break an egg into each.  Add a little pinch of salt and a grind of pepper to the yolk of each egg and return to the oven.  Your pizza is ready to go when the white is cooked and the yolk still has a bit of wobble.

Cheesy pasta bake

| adamcockle

pastabakeblog

Its normally around this time of year, with the days getting shorter and the weather getting cooler, that people start talking about craving ‘wholesome’ or ‘stodgy’ food – things like stews and bakes.  However, for me – and this may explain my, shall we say, well-upholstered physique – there is never a time of year that I’m not reaching for that packet of pasta or yearning for something stodgy and swimming in gravy.  This recipe is one of my speedy – and sooooo satisfying – staples, and one that’s delicious anytime of year.

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

  • 2tbsp butter (heaped)
  • 2tbsp flour (heaped)
  • 500ml milk (I used semi-skimmed)
  • 50g grated cheese of your choice (and a wee bit more for scattering over the top of your bake)
  • Salt and pepper

Other bits:

  • 250g dried pasta (I used rigatoni)
  • 1 ‘head’ of broccoli (or you could use cauliflower or a combination of both) – broken down into similarly sized florets

Method:

For the sauce:

Melt the butter in a medium hot pan until it starts to froth.  Add in the flour and stir into the melted butter to form a roux.  Keep stirring for a couple of minutes until the gloopy paste turns a shade darker and becomes golden.  Gradually add the milk and stir-stir-stir – the contents of the pan will turn super-thick and then thin out again.  Let this mixture bubble away for a few minutes until glossy and thickened, and VOILA – you have created a white sauce.

Remove from the heat and stir in the grated cheese (I used a wacky smoked Welsh goats cheese that was on offer in the supermarket) until it has melted away.  Return the pan to a low heat and cook for a few more minutes.  Taste and season to your liking.

Depending on how you are getting along with your pasta and veggies, you can either let the sauce blip away on a very low heat with an occasional stir, or remove from the heat and place a layer of clingfilm on top to prevent an icky skin from forming.

For the rest:

Preheat your oven to 180c

Fill a large pan with water and a generous amount of salt and bring to the boil.  Pop in your pasta and cook for 2 – 3 minutes less than the recommended cooking time.  When your pasta has about 3 minutes left to go (so about 5 minutes less than the cooking time on the packet – I hope you’re following?) add the broccoli to the pan.  After 3 minutes drain the pasta and veggies into a colander.

Mix the pasta, veggies and sauce in a large ovenproof dish or deep baking tray and scatter the top with more melted cheese.  Pop the bake in the oven and cook until the top has turned golden and crispy and the sauce is bubbling away at the sides (about 10 – 15 minutes depending on your oven).  I like to let my bake sit for a bit and cool slightly, to become a bit more solid and sticky, before serving.

pastabakeblog2

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

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

 

Squash and chickpea curry

| adamcockle

bncurryblog2

I am very much the carnivore (and find that I’m becoming increasingly more carnivorous as I get older), but sometimes you can’t beat a delicious vegetarian meal.  This is one of my favorite go-to vegetarian recipes.  The squash and chickpeas lend this dish a bit of heft and leaves you so satisfied that you won’t even notice that you’ve gone veggie for dinner!

Ingredients:

  • 1 small butternut squash (or half a large one) peeled and cut into small cubes
  • 1 courgette (chopped into chunks around the same size as your squash cubes)
  • 1 large onion (roughly chopped)
  • 2 cloves garlic (peeled and squished flat with the side of a knife)
  • 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger (peeled and roughly sliced)
  • 2tbsp curry powder (blend of your choice – I used my own tikka mix)
  • 1tbsp white wine vinegar (or cider vinegar)
  • 1tbsp maple syrup
  • 2tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tin coconut milk
  • 1 tin chickpeas
  • 1 bag of pre-washed baby spinach
  • Handful of fresh coriander (finely chopped)

To serve:

  • Basmati rice (enough to serve two)

Method:

Scatter the squash cubes on large baking tray, drizzle with oil and season generously.  Place in a medium-high oven for about 10mins until the cubes start to colour at the edges and then stir in the courgette.  Cook for another 10mins until the vegetables are softened and have gained a bit of colour.  Put aside until later and get your rice cooking according to the packet instructions.

Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion, garlic and ginger until the onion starts to turn golden at the edges.  Sprinkle in the curry powder along with a splash of water to prevent the spices from burning.  Stir for a minute or two until everything is coated and golden and then transfer the contents of the pan to a blender.  Blend on high speed and add in just enough coconut milk to form a thick paste.

Return the paste to the pan along with the vinegar, fish sauce and maple syrup.  Once the paste is bubbling, add in your squash and courgette pieces along with the (drained) tin of chickpeas.  Add more coconut milk to the pan (you may not need all of it depending on how ‘saucy’ you want your curry – or you may need to add additional water if the curry seems too dry).  When your sauce is bubbling away happily, stir in the spinach and coriander and cook for a few minutes until the spinach has wilted.  Now is the time to taste your sauce and add salt and/or pepper to your liking.  

Serve immediately with boiled white rice and perhaps a naan bread (or two).

bncurryblog3

BMT Spaghetti (Bacon, mackerel, tomato)

| adamcockle

bmtblog2

I don’t know about you, but my shopping can be a little . . . chaotic.  Most of the time I go to the supermarket with no idea what I’m going to buy, or what meals I’m going to make in the week.  I tend to grab items at random, and hope that it all comes together into something delicious when I get to the kitchen.  This recipe is the product of one such shopping trip.

Ingredients:

  • 200g spaghetti (I used wholewheat)
  • Packet of cherry tomatoes (about 300g)
  • 4 rashers bacon (I used smoked streaky)
  • Pinch of chilli flakes
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1tbsp butter (or my citrus and herb compound butter)
  • 4 pre-cooked mackerel fillets
  • Parmesan cheese to finish

Method:

Set your pasta cooking by following the instructions on the packet.

Chop the bacon into fine strips (I use scissors for this) and fry in a large frying pan, adding a little bit of oil if you need to.  Once the bacon starts to turn golden around the edges, halve the tomatoes and add them to the pan.  Fry on a medium-high heat until the tomatoes have released their juices and the pan looks dry.

Add the chilli, butter and lemon juice and continue to cook until the lemon juice has sizzled away.  Remove the skin from the mackerel fillets and flake them into the pan.  Stir everything gently together, trying not to break up the pieces of mackerel. Drain your pasta and add to the pan, stirring together with the sauce for a minute until everything is well coated.

Serve with a generous grating of parmesan cheese.

bmtblog