No! Definitely not. I have had a few friends contact me asking what they can do to start a Christmas cake now and have it ready for the big day, but my answer to all has been, "go have a brew and forget about it until Christmas week".
That's right, forget about it. Last year I did a bit of experimenting and came up with a christmas cake recipe that is prepared and cooked within 95 minutes and then as soon as it is cool, is ready to be iced and served. There's no need for months of work, remembering to feed it with booze. It's just a simple case of mixing some ingredients in a bowl, popping in a lined tin and baking for 90 minutes, so don't even give it another thought for the time being.
Of all that tried it last year, all preferred it to traditional Christmas cake. It has all the same flavours and textures, the same booze, the same look and smell and it is just as easy to ice and decorate. In fact, the only difference is that it's a little bit more moist and tasty, but when has that been a bad thing?
I'll post up the recipe in plenty of time, so if you're one of those that wants to make your own but thinks you have left it too late, fear not, you'll be just fine. In fact, better!
Just check back in early December, or better still, sign up to the blog and you can take the worry out of your Christmas cake dilemma :-)
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Today's recipe
The middle of the week can sometimes leave many searching for inspiration and lacking the motivation needed to produce a quick and healthy evening meal. Thinking about what I am going to do for my evening meal today made me realise just how quick, easy and convenient the following recipe is and it doesn't just stop there. The nights are closing in, there are bugs aplenty making us all feel miserable and the cold is starting to set in, so what could be better that a filling, comforting and warming soup that is also incredibly healthy and supportive of your immune system?
I do this fairly regularly as a "go to" quick fix meal and it is a very basic, but super tasty chicken noodle broth. The ginger will help your immune system and give off a warming heat to give your metabolism a boost and make your tastebuds jump for joy. The garlic is good for the heart and we all know how good it feels to have chicken noodle soup. This one is just taken up a gear to give some extra benefits and flavour and it never disappoints.
Pho Chicken (Asian Chicken Noodle Broth)
Feeds 2
You will need:-
2 chicken breasts
1 large carrot
1 inch fresh ginger **
1 clove garlic
150g noodles (Flat rice noodles, any egg noodles or my favourtite, udon noodles)***
2 star anise
1 red chilli, sliced into thin rings
100g mange tout
1.5 pints chicken stock
1/4tsp chinese 5 spice
small handfull fresh coriander
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:-
Cut the chicken breasts into strips, grate the garlic, ginger and carrot and put it all into a large saucepan with a teeny bit of oil, but not olive oil as this will change the flavour. Cook over a medium heat just to seal the chicken and start the ginger, garlic and carrots for 1-2 minutes. Now add the stock hot, along with the star anise and five spice, bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, add the noodles. Whatever type you use should only take 2-4 minutes to cook, so add these, the mange tout and a few slices of chilli at the same time. Continue to simmer until noodles are done and finally, season well with salt and pepper to taste and add the chopped fresh coriander. You can also add some chopped spring onions to serve as well if you like.
Divide evenly into deep bowls and top with some extra chilli if you like a bit more heat.
There's only one way to eat this broth and that is LOUDLY! Use chopsticks, spoon, fork...in fact use whatever takes your fancy. There is no getting away from the fact that this can only and should only be eaten with lots of slurping, wiping of the chin and sucking up the noodles like your best impression of Lady and the Tramp. There's only one way to finish it too, and that is to cup the bowl in your hands and drink the broth straight from it. There are times in life for manners and etiquette, and there are times in life for not giving a jot and just enjoying what is in front you...this broth requires a definite dose of, "I don't give a damn" and you'll enjoy it all the more for getting a bit messy!
** I know a lot of people don't use fresh ginger as you can take an inch off the end and by the time you next go to use it, it's shrivelled up to nothing. I use ginger all the time, so am constantly buying it, BUT...I still use the following shortcut so that I know I will never get caught without and it is just as useful for those of you that won't use it as often.
Freeze it! Buy a decent sized ginger root and when you get home, peel it, chop it into 2 inch lengths and wrap each really well in cling film or put into seperate freezer bags. When you need it, all you do is take a piece out of the freezer, grate off as much as you need, re-wrap and pop back in the freezer. It'll last for a year in there so long as it is wrapped well and means no need to buy it again and again or substitute for less flavoursome alternatives. It's also easier to grate when frozen so you'll be a winner all around :-)
***I would always use dried noodles or fresh egg noodles for this, not straight to wok noodles. Dried noodles of any kind will cook in 2-4 minutes depending on thickness and fresh egg noodles should just be added a couple of minutes after the mange tout just to cook for a minute before serving.
I would not use fine noodles for this recipe as it benefits so much from the texture of more substantial noodles.
I do this fairly regularly as a "go to" quick fix meal and it is a very basic, but super tasty chicken noodle broth. The ginger will help your immune system and give off a warming heat to give your metabolism a boost and make your tastebuds jump for joy. The garlic is good for the heart and we all know how good it feels to have chicken noodle soup. This one is just taken up a gear to give some extra benefits and flavour and it never disappoints.
Pho Chicken (Asian Chicken Noodle Broth)
Feeds 2
You will need:-
2 chicken breasts
1 large carrot
1 inch fresh ginger **
1 clove garlic
150g noodles (Flat rice noodles, any egg noodles or my favourtite, udon noodles)***
2 star anise
1 red chilli, sliced into thin rings
100g mange tout
1.5 pints chicken stock
1/4tsp chinese 5 spice
small handfull fresh coriander
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:-
Cut the chicken breasts into strips, grate the garlic, ginger and carrot and put it all into a large saucepan with a teeny bit of oil, but not olive oil as this will change the flavour. Cook over a medium heat just to seal the chicken and start the ginger, garlic and carrots for 1-2 minutes. Now add the stock hot, along with the star anise and five spice, bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, add the noodles. Whatever type you use should only take 2-4 minutes to cook, so add these, the mange tout and a few slices of chilli at the same time. Continue to simmer until noodles are done and finally, season well with salt and pepper to taste and add the chopped fresh coriander. You can also add some chopped spring onions to serve as well if you like.
Divide evenly into deep bowls and top with some extra chilli if you like a bit more heat.
There's only one way to eat this broth and that is LOUDLY! Use chopsticks, spoon, fork...in fact use whatever takes your fancy. There is no getting away from the fact that this can only and should only be eaten with lots of slurping, wiping of the chin and sucking up the noodles like your best impression of Lady and the Tramp. There's only one way to finish it too, and that is to cup the bowl in your hands and drink the broth straight from it. There are times in life for manners and etiquette, and there are times in life for not giving a jot and just enjoying what is in front you...this broth requires a definite dose of, "I don't give a damn" and you'll enjoy it all the more for getting a bit messy!
** I know a lot of people don't use fresh ginger as you can take an inch off the end and by the time you next go to use it, it's shrivelled up to nothing. I use ginger all the time, so am constantly buying it, BUT...I still use the following shortcut so that I know I will never get caught without and it is just as useful for those of you that won't use it as often.
Freeze it! Buy a decent sized ginger root and when you get home, peel it, chop it into 2 inch lengths and wrap each really well in cling film or put into seperate freezer bags. When you need it, all you do is take a piece out of the freezer, grate off as much as you need, re-wrap and pop back in the freezer. It'll last for a year in there so long as it is wrapped well and means no need to buy it again and again or substitute for less flavoursome alternatives. It's also easier to grate when frozen so you'll be a winner all around :-)
***I would always use dried noodles or fresh egg noodles for this, not straight to wok noodles. Dried noodles of any kind will cook in 2-4 minutes depending on thickness and fresh egg noodles should just be added a couple of minutes after the mange tout just to cook for a minute before serving.
I would not use fine noodles for this recipe as it benefits so much from the texture of more substantial noodles.
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Some Halloween ideas for you all
How about some bloodshot eyeballs rolling around or suspended in Jelly? Perhaps you want to scare your guests with severed fingers or impress with a cannibal cheesecake! Read on for the recipes and some other ideas to make your Halloween as gruesomely tasty as possible.
Lychee Eyeballs
You will need :-
1 can Lychees
1 jar seedless Strawberry Jam
1 punnett of blueberries
Directions:-
Spoon the jam into a piping bag, wash the blueberries and drain the lychees. Just take a lychee, pipe in a blob of jam to 3/4 fill the hole and then push the blueberry into the jam. Pop on plate and do the next. Continue until they are all done...the jam runs a bit to make them look bloodshot and horribly good!
If you want to go for maximum effect, you can make up some jelly and either pop some eyeballs in the bottom of your glasses and top with jelly and set in the fridge, or you can make up half the jelly mix, pour and set. place the eyeballs on top, make up the remaining jelly mix and pour to top the eyeballs so that they appear suspended in the jelly. If you do this...just let the second half of the jeely cool a bit before you pour it on to prevent it melting what has already set!
Severed Fingers
You will need:-
8 x 8 inch hot dog sausages (the thinner the better)
kitchen foil
small paintbrush like a make up brush (lip or eyeshadow brush)
ketchup
puff pastry
flaked almonds
Cut the sausages into thirds, so that you have 24 "fingers". Next, cut out a fingernail size square at the tip of each finger. Think more of just shaving off a thin square layer of sausage.. Next, wrap the bottom 2/3 of the finger in 1 layer of puff pastry. Normally, 1 sheet of ready rolled will do them all.
Make a knuckle between the nail and the pastry by taking a small sharp knife and scoring the sausage with a few lines across to look like the knuckle skin. (just copy your own knuckle). Wrap foil around the exposed finger.
Place on a baking tray, nail side up and bake in a medium oven until the pastry is cooked. Remove from oven and when cool enough, remove the foil to expose the flesh. Pop back in oven for two minutes just to colour the fingers a touch.
When cooled completely, take the brush, dip in a little ketchup and paint into the nail area. Now place a flaked almond in the ketchup to be the nail. It actually works really well if you use the slightly imperfect almonds as they look like the nail has broken and the ketchup makes it look bloody too.
Pop onto a plate and they're done.
Cannibal Cheesecake
You will need:
500g mascarpone
500g cream cheese
150g icing sugar
1 lemon
300g biscuits, digestives, ginger biscuits or a combination of the two
85g butter
1/4 tsp ground ginger (if you are not using ginger biscuits in the base)
1 pack wine gums
1 bag frozen berries
50g caster sugar.
Place the biscuits in a strong bag and beat with a rolling pin until all broek up like breadcrumbs. Melt the butter and and put into a large bowl with the biscuit crumble. Mix together well and test consistency by taking a little in your hand and squeezing it. If it holds its shape, but still crumbles when pressed between the fingers, it is done. If it doesn't hold, add a little extra melted butter. If it holds but doesn't crumble, add a little more biscuit. The reason for saying this is that for many reasons, the same amount of butter and biscuit can give different results, so it's always good to have a little extra of both.
When you get the consistency right, tip into a 9 inch loose bottomed cake tin. If you have a spring form loose bottomed cake tin, even better. Press the base down with the back of a spoon and place in the fridge.
In another large bowl, add the mascarpone, cream cheese, lemon zest, juice and icing sugar and mix gently with a wooden spoon until just combined. You don't want to over mix or mix too hard or fast as this will loosen the mix. Just be gentle, take your time and you'll have a nice firm filling. Spoon it into the cake tin on top of the biscuit base and level off with a palate knife or the back of a large spoon. Pop back in the fridge for two hours or until ready to serve.
When you put the cheesecake in the fridge, you should make your fruit sauce. Pour the frozen berries into a saucepan and add a little water to about half the level of the berries and 50g of caster sugar. Pop on a medium heat until bubbling, then simmer until the fruits burst and are soft. Pop in a bowl and allow to cool a little before putting in the fridge.
When you are ready to serve, carefully place the cake on a servong plate that leaves at least 2 inches around the base. Now use the wine gums to make angry eyebrows and eyes and a big open mouth (cut a few wine gums to pointed teeth) and spoon the fruit sauce so that it is coming out of one side of the mouth and all around the base to make it look like a cannibal cheesecake.
Be sure to take pictures as you won't believe how good these will look.
Have fun and happy Halloween!
Lychee Eyeballs
You will need :-
1 can Lychees
1 jar seedless Strawberry Jam
1 punnett of blueberries
Directions:-
Spoon the jam into a piping bag, wash the blueberries and drain the lychees. Just take a lychee, pipe in a blob of jam to 3/4 fill the hole and then push the blueberry into the jam. Pop on plate and do the next. Continue until they are all done...the jam runs a bit to make them look bloodshot and horribly good!
If you want to go for maximum effect, you can make up some jelly and either pop some eyeballs in the bottom of your glasses and top with jelly and set in the fridge, or you can make up half the jelly mix, pour and set. place the eyeballs on top, make up the remaining jelly mix and pour to top the eyeballs so that they appear suspended in the jelly. If you do this...just let the second half of the jeely cool a bit before you pour it on to prevent it melting what has already set!
Severed Fingers
You will need:-
8 x 8 inch hot dog sausages (the thinner the better)
kitchen foil
small paintbrush like a make up brush (lip or eyeshadow brush)
ketchup
puff pastry
flaked almonds
Cut the sausages into thirds, so that you have 24 "fingers". Next, cut out a fingernail size square at the tip of each finger. Think more of just shaving off a thin square layer of sausage.. Next, wrap the bottom 2/3 of the finger in 1 layer of puff pastry. Normally, 1 sheet of ready rolled will do them all.
Make a knuckle between the nail and the pastry by taking a small sharp knife and scoring the sausage with a few lines across to look like the knuckle skin. (just copy your own knuckle). Wrap foil around the exposed finger.
Place on a baking tray, nail side up and bake in a medium oven until the pastry is cooked. Remove from oven and when cool enough, remove the foil to expose the flesh. Pop back in oven for two minutes just to colour the fingers a touch.
When cooled completely, take the brush, dip in a little ketchup and paint into the nail area. Now place a flaked almond in the ketchup to be the nail. It actually works really well if you use the slightly imperfect almonds as they look like the nail has broken and the ketchup makes it look bloody too.
Pop onto a plate and they're done.
Cannibal Cheesecake
You will need:
500g mascarpone
500g cream cheese
150g icing sugar
1 lemon
300g biscuits, digestives, ginger biscuits or a combination of the two
85g butter
1/4 tsp ground ginger (if you are not using ginger biscuits in the base)
1 pack wine gums
1 bag frozen berries
50g caster sugar.
Place the biscuits in a strong bag and beat with a rolling pin until all broek up like breadcrumbs. Melt the butter and and put into a large bowl with the biscuit crumble. Mix together well and test consistency by taking a little in your hand and squeezing it. If it holds its shape, but still crumbles when pressed between the fingers, it is done. If it doesn't hold, add a little extra melted butter. If it holds but doesn't crumble, add a little more biscuit. The reason for saying this is that for many reasons, the same amount of butter and biscuit can give different results, so it's always good to have a little extra of both.
When you get the consistency right, tip into a 9 inch loose bottomed cake tin. If you have a spring form loose bottomed cake tin, even better. Press the base down with the back of a spoon and place in the fridge.
In another large bowl, add the mascarpone, cream cheese, lemon zest, juice and icing sugar and mix gently with a wooden spoon until just combined. You don't want to over mix or mix too hard or fast as this will loosen the mix. Just be gentle, take your time and you'll have a nice firm filling. Spoon it into the cake tin on top of the biscuit base and level off with a palate knife or the back of a large spoon. Pop back in the fridge for two hours or until ready to serve.
When you put the cheesecake in the fridge, you should make your fruit sauce. Pour the frozen berries into a saucepan and add a little water to about half the level of the berries and 50g of caster sugar. Pop on a medium heat until bubbling, then simmer until the fruits burst and are soft. Pop in a bowl and allow to cool a little before putting in the fridge.
When you are ready to serve, carefully place the cake on a servong plate that leaves at least 2 inches around the base. Now use the wine gums to make angry eyebrows and eyes and a big open mouth (cut a few wine gums to pointed teeth) and spoon the fruit sauce so that it is coming out of one side of the mouth and all around the base to make it look like a cannibal cheesecake.
Be sure to take pictures as you won't believe how good these will look.
Have fun and happy Halloween!
Welcome to GG's Food Fix
Well, I thought I would start a food blog so that I could create a space for me to post recipes, take requests and answer questions all in one place.
I'll start with Halloween and post up some gruesome recipes in a little while, but if there's anything foody that you want to know or you would like some help cooking up a storm, just ask and I'll do what I can to help :-)
Hope you enjoy,
GG x
I'll start with Halloween and post up some gruesome recipes in a little while, but if there's anything foody that you want to know or you would like some help cooking up a storm, just ask and I'll do what I can to help :-)
Hope you enjoy,
GG x
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