CRISP WINTER SALAD

CRISP WINTER SALAD

Ideal to serve with cooked meats and pork pies.

In a large salad bowl, mix together a bag of prepared iceberg lettuce, 2 grated carrots, 50g (2oz) raisins, 50g (2oz) toasted cashews, 2 finely chopped sticks celery, 1 chopped red apple tossed in lemon juice.

Just before serving, toss lightly with your favourite French dressing.

MUSHROOM FRICASEE WITH COUSCOUS

MUSHROOM FRICASEE WITH COUSCOUS

This recipe comes from the back of a pack of Valley Gold, Couscous with Wild Mushroom and Garlic

Serves 2

1 x 110g pack of Wild Mushroom and Garlic Couscous

grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

salt and pepper

75g/3oz margarine or butter

225-275g/8-10oz flat or cupped mushrooms, sliced

10ml/2tsp plain flour

150ml/¼pt milk

10ml/2tsp Dijon mustard

25g/1oz pine nuts

Make up the couscous as directed on the pack, adding the lemon rind at the start of cooking.

Heat 50g/2oz margarine or butter in a frying pan and add the mushrooms.  Fry quickly until just beginning to soften.

Stir in the flour and milk and bring to the boil.  Cook for 1-2 minutes, adding a little more milk if it's too thick.  Remove from the heat and stir in the mustard and 10ml/2tsp lemon juice.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining margarine /butter in a separate pan.  add the pine nuts and couscous and cook over a high heat, stirring occasionally until pipinghot.  season and serve with the mushrooms.

Note: A 110g pack of couscous will make approx 315g cooked product.

MOROCCAN-STYLE TAGINE & COUSCOUS

MOROCCAN-STYLE TAGINE & COUSCOUS

Serves 4

250g (9oz) couscous

3 veg stock cubes

3 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, thickly sliced

1 large aubergine, cubed

2 tsp dark soft brown sugar

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

100g (4oz) small dried apricots

400g tin (14oz) chickpeas, drained

½ tsp dried chilli flakes

1 cinnamon stick

1 lemon

salt and pepper

Place the couscous in a large bowl with an equal quantity of boiling water.  Crumble in a stock cube.  Stir well and set aside for 10 mins.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pan and cook the onions and aubergine for 5-10 mins, stirring frequently  until well browned.  Add the tomatoes and sugar and cook for 2 mins.

Dissolve the remaining stock cubes in 600ml/1pt boiling water and add to pan with the apricots, chickpeas and cinnamon stick.  Simmer gently for 10 mins until veg are tender, season to taste.

Halve the lemon and cut one half into 8 pieces.  Place the pieces of lemon in a non-stick pan for 2 mins until well browned on each side and then add to the veg pan.

Stir the remaining oil into the couscous, then squeeze in the juice from the remaining lemon half.  Divide the couscous between 4 plates and serve the tagine over it.

BLUE STILTON AND WHITE GRAPE DIP

BLUE STILTON AND WHITE GRAPE DIP

This recipe is from a leaflet I got from KETTLE chips around December 2002.

Serves 4-6

150g bag of KETTLE chips : Blue Stilton & Port Flavour

150g Blue Stilton cheese, crumbled

75g full fat cream cheese

10g spring onion, finely chopped

75g seedless white grapes, cut into quarters

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp grape juice

25g sour cream

salt and pepper

Arrange the KETTLE chips in a bowl.

Mix the cream cheese and Stilton gently.  Slowly add the sour cream and lemon juice.  Fold in the grapes and spring onion.  Season and add the grape juice.  Chill until required.

ZAHLOUK

ZAHLOUK

Bake an aubergine, about 1 lb in weight altogether, in a medium oven for about 1 hour, pricking first with a fork to prevent exploding.  Cool and scrape out the flesh.

Heat a medium pan and add some olive oil, saute 4 ripe, peeled, chopped tomatoes for about 5 mins.  Add the aubergine flesh, ½tsp paprika, 1 tsp cumin, 3-4 cloves crushed garlic, chopped parsley and chopped coriander.  Reduce the heat and cover.  Cook for 20-25 m ins, stirring occasionally.  Towards the end of cooking you might want to remove the lid and evaporate off the liquid.  Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and lemon juice.  Garnish with parsley or coriander and serve warm.

CLOTTED CREAM

CLOTTED CREAM

Scald double cream in a double boiler for about 1 hour maintaining a temp of 180ºF/82ºC.  It is ready when the surface is wrinkled and straw coloured.

Refrigerate for at least 12 hours, the longer the better as it thickens.

Christmas Chutney

Christmas Chutney

A Michael Barry Recipe from Radio Times, Dec 1992

Makes approx 4 x 1lb jars

3lbs seedless grapes

1lb spanish onions

2 red peppers

2 green peppers

½lb (225g) dried apricots

grated rind and juice of 1 lemon (preferably unwaxed)

½pt (300ml) cider vinegar or white wine vinegar

1 oz mustard seed

6 peppercorns

6 allspice berries

2 dried red chillies

½lb (225g) soft brown sugar

1 dessertsp salt

Pull the grapes off the stalks.  Peel and chop the onions until very fine.  De-seed and trim the peppers and cut into ¼" dice. Cut apricots into ¼" dice.

Put fruit, vegetables and lemon rind and juice into a stainless steel or non-stick pan.  Add vinegar and mustard seed.  Crack peppercorns and allspice berries in a mortar or put them through a pepper mill, they should be ground but not finely, then add to the pan.

Bring the pan gently to the boil, stirring thoroughly and pressing some of the grapes against the side with a wooden spoon so they are lightly crushed.  Simmer for 25-30 mins until all the vegetables are cooked.  Allow to cool and stir in the sugar.

Bring gently to the boil again and cook for 5-10 mins. Add the salt and stir until dissolved.  The chutney should be thick but not solid at this stage.

Bottle in sterilised jars, screwing the lids down after the chutney has cooled and store at least 2 weeks and up to three months before consuming.