PIZZAS

We have some young visitors coming today so I plan to make a couple of pizzas - always a favourite. The base is simple to make using strong white flour, olive oil, salt, water and dried yeast. I like to make different toppings using Cheddar and Mozzarella cheeses.

To make the pizza dough you will need:

375g strong white bread flour

Half teaspoon of salt

1 packet active dry yeast (7g)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

250ml lukewarm water

Method: 

1. Mix together the flour, salt and yeast then gradually add the olive oil and water. I use a mixer and knead for a couple of minutes.
2. Place the covered bowl in a warm place for about one hour to rise until doubled in size.

Meanwhile, prepare your chosen toppings.

1. Sweat one chopped onion and a clove of garlic in olive oil then add a can of chopped tomatoes and some Italian pizza herbs and let it simmer slowly until thickened.  I strain this with a slotted spoon when ready to use.
2. Slice some mushrooms, grate the Cheddar cheese and slice the Mozzarella. Other ingredients I use are pitted black olives and sliced chorizo.
3. Divide the dough into two pieces and roll into two circles and place on greased baking sheets or pizza tins.  Use the floured tips of your fingers to ease the circles outwards.
4. With a spoon, spread two spoonfuls of the tomato mixture onto the circles, leaving the edges clear.
5. On the first pizza, add the sliced mushrooms and top this with the grated Cheddar. Drizzle some olive oil around the edges and a little on the top.
   
   

   

   Mushroom & Cheddar Pizza
   Ready for the oven

    
   
   
   

   

   Chorizo and Mozzarella Pizza
   Ready for the oven

   
   

On the second pizza, overlap thinly sliced chorizo on top of the tomato base then top with slices of Mozzarella cheese, finishing with a few pitted black olives.

Bake in a preheated oven 220C/Gas Mark 7 for 15 to 20 minutes.

Be adventurous and experiment with a variety of toppings.  We love to add tinned anchovies for a tasty topping. You could use parma ham, spinach, goat's cheese, chopped peppers, basil - the decision is yours!

Serve with a mixed green salad for a well balanced, nutritious meal.

Here are the two pizzas, lightly cooked.  They will only need a few minutes in a hot oven when our visitors arrive!



Chorizo & Mozzarella Pizza



Mushroom and Cheddar Pizza with Rocket

BAKING SESSION

Another family favourite are my Bakewell Almond Slices. Here is my recipe:

Wendy’s Bakewell Almond Slices

Pastry                     Ingredients for filling

150g/6 oz flour	100g/4 oz butter
¼ teaspoon salt	100g/4 oz caster sugar
40g/1 ½ oz butter	1 egg
40g/1 ½ oz lard	25g/1 oz ground almonds
	75g/3 oz ground rice
	Few drops almond essence
	1 -2 tablespoons raspberry jam

                  

Method

Pastry– you know how!

Line a Swiss roll tin with the pastry.

1.     Heat butter in a saucepan till melted, stir in sugar and cook for 1 minute, add egg, almonds, rice and essence.  (I mix this in the pan off the heat).

2.     Spread jam on the pastry with the back of a dessert spoon, pour in the filling.

3.     Bake for 30 minutes till golden.  160◦C your oven may vary.

I usually cover it with baking parchment after 15 minutes to prevent over browning.

Topping

This can be fairly plain.  You can sprinkle flaked almonds on during cooking when once the filling is beginning to set.

Or

My favourite is to toast the flaked almonds in the oven at the end of baking.  Make a small amount of water icing using a few drops of almond essence as well as a very small amount of water.  When the tart has cooled pour the icing over to make lines all over.  Sprinkle the toasted almonds on top to decorate. 

When cold and set, cut into fingers or squares.

Store in an air-tight container.  It keeps well and also freezes well.

Sometimes I make this in a large round flan dish to serve as a dessert.

Today I made one and a half times the stated amounts to make enough to freeze. ( one egg is still OK.)

I packed most of the slices into a freezer proof box and popped a few in a cake tin to enjoy over the next couple of days.

Finally, I made a batch of sausage rolls for the freezer.  I usually make my own rough puff pastry or shortcrust pastry but decided to try a pack of ready made butter puff pastry.  This turned out well and has a good flavour.



Sausage Rolls packed between parchment sheets for freezing



BAKING SESSION

Today I have had a baking and cooking session to stock my freezer. I used some lovely Aberdeen Angus minced steak to make a lasagne.  This is now cooling and ready for the freezer.  It is always handy to have a ready meal in the freezer for unexpected guests or when I am busy in other ways.

To satisfy my husband's sweet tooth I made a Victoria Sandwich cake and filled it with my home-made jam.  This is one of his favourites! A few drops of vanilla essence added to the mixture gives it a pleasant flavour. Do use real vanilla essence as it is so much better than vanilla flavouring.





Victoria Sandwich Cake



Ingredients:

150g/6 oz softened butter
150g/6 oz caster sugar
3 large free range eggs
150g/6 oz S R Flour
Few drops vanilla essence

Jam to fill
Icing Sugar or caster sugar to dust



FLAPJACKS

Recently I was delighted to receive some new baking tins as a birthday gift - just what I needed as mine have seen better days


To test out the smaller of the two tins, I have just made a Flap Jack mix:

Ingredients:

220 g/8 oz Porage Oats +

150g/6 oz Butter

100g/4 oz sugar (Demerara or granulated)

A good rounded tablespoon golden syrup

A  ¼ teaspoon salt

Note: It is one of those recipes where you don’t have to be really accurate.  Sprinkle in a few more oats if it looks much too wet.  Some makes of oats vary. 

It is such a quick and easy recipe.

Melt the butter slowly in a pan, add the golden syrup and sugar and stir till dissolved.  Add the oats and salt to bring out the flavour. Stir the ingredients well.  Place in a square tin, lined with baking parchment, smooth it evenly then pop in the oven for twenty to thirty minutes  at 160C.(Timing depends on the size of your tin). It should look golden and bubbly when cooked. 

Mark out the flapjack whilst still warm



Delicious served with a cup of tea

When cooling mark into squares or fingers and leave in the tin to set.  Delicious served with a nice cup of tea!

Redcurrant Jelly



Redcurrants growing in my garden

 It has been a good season for soft fruit, the recent rains swelled the fruit and the sunshine has ripened them quickly.

I have been able to pick a good quantity for making reducurrant jelly and the remainder has been frozen for later use.

Earlier in my blog I mentioned about the jelly making which turned out successfully and here is a picture of the finished jelly. Just perfect to accompany roast lamb or to make a Cumberland sauce for baked gammon.



Redcurrant Jelly



Using my Homemade Jam

I couldn't wait to try the jam I made a few days ago so decided to make a Victoria Sandwich sponge cake and used some of the raspberry and loganberry jam for the filling.  It tastes great. Here is a picture of some of my jams.


Potted and labelled jams 2011

I have now stored the jars of jam in a dark, cool cupboard where they will keep throughout the year!

Bear in mind, my jams are made with fresh fruit, water and granulated sugar.  There are NO additives but the sugar content works as a natural preservative.




Gooseberries



Gooseberries topped and tailed!

The lovely sunny day has been perfect for picking soft fruit. I picked four containers of gooseberries to be frozen for use in the winter.  My husband helped to top and tail these whilst sitting on the patio. This was a great help. They have now been put in the freezer.

Gooseberries ripening

I have left some gooseberries on the bushes to ripen further and will be use them to make Gooseberry Fool, tart and crumble.

More gooseberries

Dwarf French Beans


I love gardening as much as cooking and nothing pleases me more than to gather produce from my vegetable garden.



Dwarf French Beans in my garden

 It is a glorious day today and I have been able to pick the first crop of dwarf French beans.  I planted the beans straight into the ground back in April and they are now full of white flowers and small green beans.  When once you taste beans straight from the garden you will never be tempted to buy green beans imported from Kenya or elsewhere. I will now be picking over the coming weeks.

My first picking of Dwarf French Beans

A second crop is just showing above ground so that I will get further pickings during August.

Runner Beans in my garden

The runner beans have reached the top of the canes and are full of scarlet flowers attracting bees and other insects.  That is a good sign that pollination is taking place.



Traditional Salt Beef

Beef in Brine Solution

Some days ago I was clearing out my freezer and decided to use a piece of topside to make traditional salt beef. It is a method little used these days but is worth the effort (no trouble really - you just have to be patient!).

The first thing to do is to make a brine solution using rock salt, spices, bay leaves and water and bring it to the boil and then cool completely.  When the brine is cold pour it over the beef (defrosted, if frozen) and cover with a plate to weigh it down.

Beef covered and weighed down

Ready to cook with onion, peppercorns, carrot and bay leaves

  I usually place a heavy weight on top, this keeps the meat submerged. Place in the fridge and turn it daily.  After about ten days it is ready to cook. Rinse the beef in water and discard the brine solution.  Place the beef in a pan and cover with water.  I usually add a quartered onion and a couple of carrots and bay leaves to add to the flavour.  Simmer gently, skimming off the scum when it first comes to the boil. Cook for a couple of hours, depending on the size of the joint. Vegetables can be added towards the end of the cooking time.

Skimming off the scum!

I like to serve this hot with the vegetables, parsley dumplings and broccoli or green vegetable  in season. The meat cuts out beautifully to serve cold with mustard, gerkins or chutney and some crusty bread.



Salt Beef with vegetables and parsley dumplings



Brisket of beef is an even better choice for this dish as it is cheaper and tasty. Silverside can also be used.

Reserve the cooking liquor for sauces or making soup.

Delicious! Enjoy!