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Recipes inspired from our research

White chocolate eclairs with hedgerow preserve and mascarpone custard

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I wrote this recipe for a Mothers Day feature for Local Food Britain who like me champion local artisan food and drink producers here in Surrey. As the festive season is creeping up on us I thought it would be a good time to share it here too! They look as good as they taste and the choux pastries can be made in advance and frozen. You can substitute whipped cream or mascarpone for the filling but the custard is just delicious so it’s worth giving it a whirl. Its essential to make the custard the day before you need it so it can set overnight in the refrigerator. I used Wild at Heart Hedgerow preserve as it has lovely little berries and a unique flavour but I have also used home-made berry jams in its place (they need to be firm set though).

Mascarpone and vanilla custard

Download a print friendly pdf of the recipe White chocolate eclairs and mascarpone custard

white choc eclairs 6x9

2 egg yolks
50g caster sugar
Seeds from 1 vanilla pod or ¼ tsp vanilla bean paste
250g mascarpone cheese (at room temperature)
150ml whipped double cream
I jar of Wild at Heart Hedgerow preserve

Method
 In a large heat-proof bowl beat the egg yolks, vanilla seeds and sugar together until they are thick and creamy (an electric hand beater is indispensable here). Place the bowl over a medium saucepan of simmering water. Continue beating as the eggs start to cook this should take around 7-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and continue to whisk for another minute. Put the mascarpone in a small mixing bowl and beat until smooth with a rubber spatula combine with the whipped cream. Fold this into the custard until smooth and lump free. Place in the refrigerator to chill overnight.

White Chocolate Ganache
The topping for the éclairs needs to be made before you make the choux pastry. This way it will be the perfect consistency to use once the choux pastry has cooled.

100g white chocolate, broken into pieces
75ml Double cream

Place the ingredients in a heat-proof bowl and cook on high power in a microwave for 30-45 seconds. Remove from the oven and stir thoroughly until all the chocolate has melted. Cover the mixture and set-aside until later.

Choux pastry

Pre-heat the oven to 200°c /180°c fan.

Draw 12 x10 cm lines on the back of a sheet of non-stick baking paper and place on a large baking tray.

Heat 125ml water with 85g chopped salted butter in a medium size saucepan. Briskly stir in 100g plain white flour and keep mixing until a dough has formed which leaves the side of the pan. Take the pan off the heat and transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly. At this point you can use a mixer or continue to mix by hand. Crack 3 eggs into a bowl and lightly beat. Gradually add the egg mixture to the dough it will be difficult to incorporate at first but it will mix in. Add all the egg to form a shiny thick batter. Scoop the batter into a piping bag with a large circular nozzle around 1.5cm in diameter. Pipe the mixture onto the lines on the baking paper and cook in the oven for 25 -30 mins. They should be firm to touch, puffed up and golden brown. Cool on a rack completely, before filling.

white choc eclairs9x6

Decorations

This is where you can let your imagination take hold. I used a combination of crystallised rose and violet petals from Secretts in Milford. Nuts, dried fruit, sprinkles or and cake decorations would work well here.

With a small sharp knife cut a slit across each éclair. Spread each inside on the bottom with a teaspoon of preserve. Fill a piping bag with the mascarpone custard and fill each éclair. Carefully dip the top of each éclair in White chocolate ganache or spread on top with a spoon. Now decorate with your selected topping and leave to set in the refrigerator for 1 hour when they will be ready to serve.

Local Stockists: I bought crystallized rose and violet petals from Secretts at Milford. They come from a company called Uncle Roys Commestible Concoctions who also sell online.

Spiced Chicken and Spinach Tray-bake

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There is nothing better for a midweek meal that throwing a load of chopped veggies in a tray with some seasoning. Ever since reviewing Sarah Lazell’s lovely spice mixes I have been adding the mixes she kindly gave me into lots of the dishes I have been cooking. And to great effect!

We served this dish with basmati rice but it would also work well with mash or new potatoes. The spices work beautifully with the vegetables and chicken thighs and was a huge hit with my crew. I particularly like the awesome pepper mix here as its punchier than regular but adds flavour layers rather than heat to a dish.

chicken with spices

Serves 4 

Download a print friendly pdf of the recipe Spicy Chicken and Spinach traybake

8 skin on free range chicken thighs, scored diagonally with a sharp knife

2 dessertspoons olive oil

4 teaspoons of just one more thing spice mix (sub smoked paprika if you don’t have this)

½ tsp awesome pepper (sub freshly ground black pepper)

3 red onions, roughly sliced

1 large red pepper, deseeded and roughly sliced

1 large yellow pepper, deseeded and roughly sliced

1 pack of baby spinach leaves, washed and drained

Some freshly cooked basmati rice to serve

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/ Fan 160°C/Gas 4-5.

First prepare the chicken by placing in a large bowl. Drizzle over 1 spoon of the olive and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of spice mix. Rub the oil and spices into the chicken and place on a plate. Add the rest of the oil and spice mix plus the pepper to the bowl and toss in the chopped vegetables apart from the spinach. Put the vegetables onto a roasting tin and top with the chicken. Roast for 25-30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and lift off the chicken. Place the spinach on top and give it a little mix. Put the chicken back on top of the spinach and return the tray to the oven for a further 10 minutes then serve with rice.

spice range little spice9x7

 

Beetroot salad with lemon oil and pomegranate dressing

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Sadly I have nearly come to the end of my home-grown beetroot!  I cooked a few of my precious crop the other day and left them peeled, chopped beetroot 6x8 and ready to go in the fridge. Lunch arrived so I chucked in some other cooked veggies left over from a couple of meals, and in a tic whipped up a lovely autumn salad with lots of flavour. Salads for me need to have a great dressing and this one, combining the acidic caramel tones of pomegranate molasses with lemony olive oil was spot on.My crush on Carluccio’s lemon oil emerged recently having been given a bottle as part of a review for their Woking restaurant where I had a brilliant breakfast a few weeks ago. Even though my blog is all about independents occasionally I dabble in a chain, and there are a few good ones around such as Côte too.

beetrootsaladtrio6x9

Carluccio’s has a great food shop in each of their restaurants and sell some great products such as gluten-free spaghetti (one of the best I have ever tried). They have oils, dried mushrooms, pasta, sauces and some fresh products and patisserie. I also spied bottles of Vin Santo which served with a few Cantucci biscuits makes a wonderful effortless dessert.

The vegetables to compliment the beetroot used in this salad can be swapped and substituted depending on availability and I would make this with corn, fine green beans or baby runners too. I served this with a dollop of fat free Greek Yogurt sprinkled with sumac and a little of the lemon oil.

Salad
5 medium cooked beetroot peeled and roughly chopped
150g cooked broad beans
150g cooked tenderstem broccoli, chopped
2-3 fresh nasturtium flowers (optional)

Dressing
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives (or other fresh herbs such as mint)
1 dessertspoon lemon olive oil
1 dessertspoon red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the vegetables together in a mixing bowl and (apart from the flowers). Spoon the dressing ingredients straight on the salad and mix well. Place on a serving dish and decorate with flowers if you have them. If I was to serve this in the evening I would add a few finely chopped salad onions and a clove of crushed smoked garlic.

beetrrot salad with pom dressing

Tuscan Kale and Smoked Garlic Pesto

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I have grown kale for the first time this year and it’s a roaring success. From the minute I planted the seeds in my greenhouse this super-food kale 15 weeks 6x9took off (literally). Seedlings emerged after three days and four weeks later I planted them into a raised bed. Just two weeks later  I started to pick baby kale for smoothies and now we just can’t eat it fast enough; its amazing how fast it grows. In addition to smoothies we chop and wilt into stir- fries, chili, frittatas and pasta dishes;  we have embraced our kale wholeheartedly and its now  part of the family. I wanted to make pesto for dinner the other night and we had run out of basil, so kale came to the rescue. It’s a punchy version of this classic sauce with the lovely undertones of Isle of Wight smoked garlic (my current other food crush). Kale’s uses are many and it’s got that added good for you vibe plus this pesto is dead easy to make, providing you have a food processor.

1- 2  large cloves smoked garlic

75g cashew nuts (almonds, pine nuts or walnuts would also work here)

50g kale or baby kale, rinsed and roughly chopped

75g Pecorino Romano (or any Italian style hard cheese) cheese, grated

100ml extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground pepper and sea salt (smoked is even better- I use Maldon)

  1. Toast the cashews in a hot, dry frying pan till just golden and set aside to cool. Rinse and finely chop the kale.
  2. Blitz the cooled cashews and the kale in a food processor with the garlic, olive oil and cheese. Season and taste then and add more garlic if it needs it. Now take a look at it and add a little more oil if too thick to make sure you can to stir it into soup, mix it with pasta or spread on bread.

This versatile little number will last for 4-5 days if refrigerated but no longer; remember the kale is raw in this.

kale collage

 

kale at 6 weeks 9x6

I originally wrote this recipe for the Dorking Advertiser where it first appeared in August 2015

You can buy Isle of Wight smoked garlic at many independent retailers in Surrey. I get mine from Joe’s Farm Shop and Noels Farm Shop both near Guildford.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blueberry and Cashew Bars

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avocado lime cheesecakeWhen the ‘Hemsley and Hemsley’ book was published we all fell in love with their avocado cheesecake and spiralised veg to replace noodles.  I bought their book based on the avocado and lime cheesecake recipe that appeared on their twitter feed one afternoon. Intensely green, it looked wonderful. My dinner guests agreed and I couldn’t help thinking about all the possible versions you could make using their recipe as a formula. Here is my first attempt, which although rather dark in colour owing to the use of dried blueberries, was astonishingly good. When I make this again I will experiment with fruit for a lighter hue.

Before you start you need a food processor to make this and an oblong loose-based tin measuring approximately 10 x 36cm (use a round one if necessary). You also need to soak the cashew nuts and blueberries overnight. This is a great dessert to make if you are entertaining vegetarian or vegan guests. Brilliant also when soft fruits are not in season.

For the baseblueberry cashew bars

125g nuts (not roasted), pecans and walnuts work well (or use a mixture)

45g desiccated coconut

85g raw cocoa nibs (optional)

185g dried fruit (I used a blend of cranberries, sultanas, cherries & goji berries)

3 tbsp melted coconut oil

 

The topping

225g raw cashew nuts

200g dried blueberries

125ml almond milk

1 tsp Manuka honey or Agave nectar to taste

4 tbsp melted coconut oil

Edible primrose petals or other flowers to garnish

The day before you want to make the bars put the cashew nuts and dried blueberries into a bowl and pour over the almond milk. Cover and leave overnight, mixing a couple of times.

First make the base. Place all the ingredients apart from the oil in the food processor. Process until finely chopped. Add the coconut oil then pulse and tip the mixture into the loose-based pan. Press down evenly with the back of a metal spoon until tightly packed and chill whilst you make the topping. Use the food processor again for the topping. Place all the ingredients into the bowl and blitz until the mixture is smooth. It may look like a lot and be quite gloopy but it will set. Pour the mixture onto the base and chill for at least 2-3 hours before serving. Cut into bars but not too thick this is quite rich!

bb cashew bar 9x6_edited-1

Variations

For the base: Use the recipe as a formula here. You need to keep the ratio of nuts to fruit with the coconut oil. Stick to the amounts by always using 125g nuts to 185g fruit.

For the topping: Keep the ingredients the same ratio but experiment with different fruit. Blend dried and fresh fruit but be careful not to make the mixture too sloppy. Cashews are the best nuts to use for this as they blend down to a creamy texture more easily than others.

 

 

 

Apple, Carrot and Pistachio Cake with Coconut Cream

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Screen Shot 2015-02-05 at 14.43.07

 

I love making oil based cakes as they retain a moist melt in the mouth texture. By incorporating vegetables and fruit you create a denser texture but the oil ensures a lighter finish.I used duck eggs as I had them in the fridge and know that some bakers swear they make better cakes. Use hen’s eggs of course if you don’t have ducks readily available. Using a good quality stone-ground plain wholemeal flour here adds a deeper nutty texture to the sponge plus it just wouldn’t be the same with white. I usually leave the skin on eating apples when I grate them but go ahead and peel them if you prefer. This is the perfect way to use up slightly wrinkly apples from your fruit dish.

carrot apple pistachio

Makes 12 generous slices

Before you start line a 24cm round cake tin with silicone paper. Give the sides a bit of height with paper if the tin is not that deep.

Pre – heat the oven to 180°c / 160 fan° c
carrot apple cake

For the cake

3 ducks eggs, separate the whites and yolks

150g runny honey

125ml rapeseed or sunflower oil

2 sweet red eating apples, cored and grated

150g carrot, peeled and grated

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

225g fine stone-ground plain wholemeal flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

I lemon, zest and juice

75g chopped pistachio nuts

Topping

200g *Philadelphia light cream cheese at room temperature

Honey to taste (I used a teaspoon)

Lemon zest (see above)

25g coconut powder

Place the egg whites in a clean mixing bowl and whisk until its stiff enough to form stiff peaks. If you are using a stand mixer transfer the whites to another bowl for later. Add the egg yolks, honey and oil to the bowl and whisk on high until the mixture looks creamy. Using the beater gently fold in the apple and carrot. Mix the spices, flour and raising agents together and fold into the batter with the lemon zest and pistachios. Finally stir in the egg whites. Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared baking tin and place in the pre-heated oven for 35-40 minutes. Remove when the cake is firm to touch. Remove from the tin after 5 minutes and cool on a rack. Now make the topping. Mix the cream cheese in a bowl and add the honey and lemon zest. Sieve in the coconut powder and chill until required. When the cake is cool remove the silicone paper and top with the cream cheese frosting. Decorate with ground pistachio’s. I also used some dried cornflower petals which you can buy in some specialist food shops or online here.

*I don’t usually specify brands but a lot of own label cream cheeses have stabilisers in them. As soon as you mix them they break down and make the icing runny. Very annoying. Philadelphia is more stable which means you can use the light version and keep the creamy texture. For vegans use coconut cream instead.

Salted Caramel and Vanilla Baked Cheesecake

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Grim weather and cold dark nights call for a bit of comfort food. I love the salted caramel products that are around at the moment and have a jar of vanilled infused salt on the go at all times. This cheesecake recipe I saw originally in a Donna Hay magazine but the ingredients seemed to make it off the scale calorie wise. My version is a little lighter and uses ricotta. It’s perfect for entertaining and you can always substitute a jar of ready made caramel sauce (Surrey based chocolatiers Ildiko’s make a gorgeous range) for home made. Make ahead of time as it needs at least 3 hours to chill before eating!

cheesecake

Serves 8-10  

Cheesecake and base

500g plain sweet digestive biscuitsvanilla_salt

60g ground almonds
150g butter, melted
500g ricotta cheese
350g cream cheese
175g dark brown sugar
4 free range eggs, beaten
2 x 15ml spoons maple syrup
1x 2.5ml spoon vanilla infused Maldon sea salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Caramel sauce
250ml single cream
1 seeds from 1 vanilla pod
60g butter, chopped
175g dark brown sugar

Cream topping
300ml half fat crème fraiche

1 tablespoon icing (confectioner’s) sugar, sifted
Vanilla sea salt flakes, for sprinkling

Method

Break up the biscuits and place with the ground almonds in the bowl of a food processor and process until coarsely chopped.
Add the melted butter and process again to combine evenly.Press the biscuit mixture into the base and sides of a lightly greased 22cm spring-form cake tin lined with non-stick baking paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour.Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F) Place the ricotta and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 5–6 minutes or until smooth. Then add the sugar and beat for 3–4 minutes or until combined. Add the eggs gradually to combine evenly. Pour in the syrup, vanilla salt and vanilla extract and mix thoroughly. Spoon the mixture into the biscuit base. Place the tin in a baking dish and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the tin

Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until firm to the touch. Allow the cheesecake to cool in the tin then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Make the caramel sauce by placing the cream, vanilla seeds, butter and sugar in a saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to high, bring to the boil and cook for 5–7 minutes or until thickened. This can be made in advance and heated through just prior to serving.

Mix the crème fraiche and icing sugar together and spread over the top of the cheesecake. Serve each slice with a drizzle of caramel sauce and a sprinkle of vanilla salt.

Download a printable version of the recipe here for salted caramel and vanilla baked cheesecake

slice cake

Spinach, feta and tomato tart in brazil nut pastry

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The nuts demand the use of food processor to make the pastry! This makes a large tart which is great when entertaining a crowd or if you love leftovers.

Ingredients (Pastry)spinach feta tart 6x8

175g fine plain whole-meal flour (stone-ground)

75g raw brazil nuts

125g fridge cold, salted butter, cut into cubes

Smoked sea salt (plain is fine too)

2 free range egg yolks (use the whites in the tart filling)

A little cold water but only if you really need it!

Filling

2 onions finely chopped, sautéed in a spoon of olive oil until soft

*200g cooked spinach, finely chopped (I used defrosted frozen leaf spinach)

300g cottage cheese

200ml semi-skimmed milk

6 large free-range eggs, plus the leftover egg whites from the pastry

2 dessertspoons of freshly chopped chives

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 x 200g pack of  feta cheese, crumbled

200g  of red and yellow cherry tomatoes, sliced

Method

Place the flour and Brazil nuts in the food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add the butter and salt and pulse until you have a breadcrumb consistency. Drop in the egg yolks and pulse for 10 seconds. Leave the dough for a couple of minutes for the moisture to start being absorbed. Pulse again to form a dough. Do this a couple of times more and if you really need to, add a few drops of cold water. The dough should form in the processor bowl and leave the sides clean.

Remove from the bowl, wrap in cling wrap and leave to chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. While this is in the fridge, cook the onions and make the filling. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, cottage cheese, milk, eggs, chives and seasoning.

To line the flan tin hit the pastry gently to flatten with a rolling pin before rolling out as thinly as possible to fit a 28 – 30cm loose bottom flan tin. This pastry is very short and tends to crumble but you can press it all together again in the tin to make sure you seal any cracks or holes. Line with foil and baking beans and cook at 180oC/fan 160oC for 20 minutes.

Place the onions in the bottom of the pastry case and top with the crumbled feta cheese. Pour over the filling and top with the sliced tomatoes. Place in the oven for 30 – 35 minutes or until the filling has completely set. Cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Goes well with a green leaf salad tossed in a punchy dressing.

Serves 8   /Spinach and feta tart with tomatoes and brazil nut pastry

  • De-frosted spinach can be quite wet so its a good idea to just squeeze all the moisture out by wrapping it in some sheets of paper towel.

 

Text and images Shirlee

Blueberry tart

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This is my version of a recipe given me to by my uncle’s American girlfriend who is a fabulous home cook. At first sight the recipe lacked appeal, but being packed with fruit and highly recommended, I gave it a whirl. It was light, bursting with flavour and really simple to prepare. A few tweaks makes it both vegan and gluten free too. I exchanged half the flour for almonds but feel free to swap it back if you want. The vinegar adds a welcome acidity and binds the crust.

Use a 22cm loose-base flan tin

Crust:blueberry-TART

100g butter (slightly softened)
100g ground almonds
100g plain flour
25g golden castor sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Filling:
500g blueberries
1 tablespoon plain flour
100g castor sugar
3 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
Topping:
250g blueberries
Icing sugar to dust

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/ 180°C fan / gas mark 6

Prepare the crust first. Place the flour, sugar and almonds in a mixing bowl and rub in the butter. Add the vinegar to form a dough. It might be a little crumbly but that’s fine. Press the dough into the base and around the sides of the flan tin. Whizz the filling ingredients together in a blender, pour over the crust and place in the oven for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. When you are ready to serve, top with the fresh blueberries and dust with sugar. I served this with a dollop of half-fat crème fraiche and a drizzle of honey.

Download a pdf of the recipe for  blueberry tart

Text and images Shirlee
Recipe and images Shirlee

Brave marrow

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Marrows grow so fast and easy in the summer discarding them seems wicked but because they tend to be bland and watery they can lack appeal. Here’s a fetching way of getting over this by using a heroic Spanish ingredient – hot smoked paprika. This spicy roast is loosely based on patatas bravas, which simply means ‘brave potatoes’. Marrow survives this treatment admirably and is enhanced by butternut squash, adding texture and colour. It’s easy to prepare if you have a sharp peeler. I use a trusted specimen purchased a few years ago in Lakeland for under £2.00. It has a razor sharp blade, perfect for peeling hard squash and marrow, but I also use it for creating ribbons of vegetables for other dishes.

Ingredientscoated marrow6x9

1 medium marrow, peeled, halved, deseeded and sliced

1 medium squash, butternut or similar, peeled, halved, deseeded and sliced

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 dessertspoon of hot smoked Spanish paprika

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves crushed garlic

2 medium red onions, peeled and finely sliced

225g chorizo, peeled and diced

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Prepare the marrow and squash and place in a large mixing bowl. Pour over the oil, paprika, seasoning and garlic. Mix really well to ensure that the vegetables are evenly coated. Place in a roasting dish and sprinkle with the onions and chorizo. Roast for 30-35 minutes or until tender and golden. Great as a light lunch or as a vegetable accompaniment.

I served this with a fillet of wild trout that had been seasoned with fresh herbs. Simply placed on top of the vegetables 10 minutes into cooking everything was ready at the same time.

roast marrow and salmon9x6

Text and images Shirlee
Text and images Shirlee