Farmersgirl Kitchen

Saturday, 10 May 2014

Spinach, Mushroom and Blue Cheese Lasagne

Lasagne is one of my favourite dishes. But sometimes it's nice to have a change from an 'al forno' meat sauce and make a vegetarian alternative. Spring bring lovely fresh green vegetables, one of which is spinach, it always seems to be a sort of magical leaf the way it fills the pan and then a few minutes later it has reduced to damp, dark green blob in the bottom of the pan! Mushrooms do a similar thing but not quite so dramatically!

Spinach and Mushroom and Blue Cheese Lasagne
Serves 6

2tbsp olive oil
180g pack spinach leaves
2 garlic cloves
250g pack chestnut mushrooms
400g can chopped tomatoes
300g lasagne sheets
600ml milk
3 tbsp cornflour
100g Castello Danish Blue Extra Creamy
100g mature cheddar
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Heat 1 tbsp of olive in a large pan, add half the garlic and spinach leaves and stir fry for 1-2 minutes until the leaves have wilted. Remove from the heat, season well and set aside.
2. Add the remaining oil to the pan, add the mushrooms and cook over a high heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are browned. Stir in the remaining garlic. Mix in the tin of tomatoes and heat for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and season to taste.
3. Make the white sauce, take two tablespoons of the milk and mix to a paste with the cornflour. Heat the rest of the milk until just below boiling point and add to the cornflour mix, then heat stirring all the time until thick and glossy, cook for 5 minutes to cook out the starch. Season well.
4. Place a layer of lasagne in the base of your dish. Top with half the mushroom mix, then add another layer of lasagne. Spoon over a third of the white sauce and sprinkle over half the blue cheese.

5. Repeat the layers. Place a final layer of lasagne on top and spread over the remaining white sauce and top with the cheddar cheese.
6. Place on a baking tray and bake for 40 minutes or until the lasagne is tender and top golden. Serve with a green salad.

This was a really tasty dish, I love blue cheese and the sharp bite of the Danish Blue was a great foil to the mild mushroom flavour and the deep earthy taste of the spinach.

I'm entering this for blog challenge 'Extra Veg' hosted this month by Shaheen at Allotment to Kitchen . Its blog challenge created by Helen at Fuss Free Flavours and Michelle of Utterly Scrummy. The theme this month is Savoury Vegetarian which fits my Mushroom, Spinach and Blue Cheese Lasagne perfectly.

I'm also entering this recipe for Four Seasons Food celebrating the vegetables of spring. FSF is run by Anneli at Delicieux and Louisa at Eat Your Veg who is hosting this month.

Thanks to Castello for the Danish Blue Extra Creamy Cheese.

Labels: Castello, cheese, Danish Blue, Extra Veg, Four Seasons Food, lasagne, mushrooms, spinach

Sunday, 13 April 2014

Chicken and 7-a-day Mediterranean Vegetables

I thought I'd better make a recipe for my own blog challenge: The Slow Cooker Challenge. The theme this month is 7-a-day Fruits or Vegetables. Now it might be pushing it to get a full seven portions of fruit or vegetables onto one plate, but it isn't that difficult to add 7 fruits or vegetables to a single dish.

Chicken
with 7 Vegetables

8 chicken thighs
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
8 mushrooms
7 small vine tomatoes
2 Aubergines (Eggplant)
3 large or 12 mini red, orange or yellow (bell) peppers
2 large courgettes (zucchini)
12 pitted black olives
2 tablespoons of pesto
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
small bunch of parsley

1. Brown the chicken pieces in a pan with a little oil, set aside.
2. Chop all the vegetables into even sized pieces and place them in the bottom of the slow cooker.
3. Mix the pesto and balsamic vinegar into the vegetables and top with the chicken pieces.
4. Cook on medium for 4 hours or on low for 7 hours.
5. Top with chopped parsley.
6. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the juices.

Join the April Slow Cooker Challenge

I'm also entering this recipe for Four Seasons Food Spring Challenge: Let's Celebrate Vegetables run by Delicieux and Eat Your Veg.

Fuss Free Flavours and Utterly Scrummy are also celebrating 7-a-day with their challenge Extra Veg.

Labels: 7-a-day, aubergines, Chicken, courgettes, Extra Veg, Four Seasons Food, slow cooker, Slow Cooker Challenge, tomatoes, Vegetables

Saturday, 22 March 2014

Pan Fried Salmon and a Syrian Potato Salad

So, apparently, Spring is here! Here in Scotland it still feels like winter with rain, wind and even some flurries of snow further north. We did have a few days of more spring -like weather and I wanted to make something fresh and light.

The salmon fillets were simply seasoned with salt and freshly ground pepper and pan fried skin side down first until the salmon goes opaque about 2/3 of the way up the side of the fish. Then turn over and cook for a couple of minutes on the other side.

Syria is not a country I know much about and I wasn't aware that it also had its own cuisine. The book, Almond Bar, is named for the restaurant in Sydney, started by Sharon Salloum and her sister, Carol, to bring to life their mother's love of food. Sharon feared she might not be able to emulate the passion her mother puts into food but, after much blood, sweat and tears, she likes to believe that she has done her parents and family proud.

Almond Bar starts with a look into The Syrian Pantry, some ingredients are familiar, like chickpeas, Bulgar wheat and Haloumi. Others such as Baladieh, a semi-soft cheese, Freekeh, a green dried wheat grain and grey courgettes. There are also a couple of pages of Middle Eastern Food Suppliers to ensure you can make the recipes in the book.

Spice Blends are crucial to capturing Middle Eastern flavours and there are the instructions for four different blends. We then move on to a chapter of Sauces and Dips, I liked the Smoked Aubergine Dip, Mint and Walnut Sauce, a vibrant Beetroot Dip and the classic Labne, a dried yoghurt dip.

Finger food is a speciality of The Almond Bar and this chapter if full of tempting bites from Za'atar Pizzas to Scallops and Basturma Drizzled with Pomegranate Butter.

Learn how to make Arish Cheese and Shanklish in a step by step guide.

I think the Sharing Platters look amazing and are one of my favourite ways of eating. There were some delicious recipes like Lemony Lentil Soup, Crushed Chickpeas with Yoghurt Almonds and Pine nuts, Za'atar Prawns with Pumpkin Mash and a step by step photo guide to making Falafel.

On to Salads and Sides including one of my favourite salads, Fatoush or Toasted Bread Salad, Tabouli, Haloumi, Lentil and Watercress Salad and Salatet batata- a Syrian Potato Salad which Sharon's mother's recipe, a light fresh, well balanced salad.

Salatet batata (Potato Salad) serves 4

4 main crop or Russet Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5cm cubes

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

1/2 brown onion, thinly sliced

Large handful of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Small handful of mint, roughly chopped

Dressing

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tsp salt flakes

1 tsp sweet paprika

60ml (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil

60ml (1/4 cup) lemon juice

Rinse the potato cubes to remove any excess start, then place in a medium saucepan and cover with enough cold water to come 2cm (3/4in) above the level of the potato. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 min until tender but not soft enough to fall apart. Drain and leave to cool to room temperature.
To make the dressing, place all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix together well.
Combine the potato, tomato, onion, parsley and mint in a bowl, pour over the dressing and gently toss to coat. This salad is best served while the potato is still lukewarm bu it can be made ahead of time, refrigerated and served cold as well.

We are not finished with Almond Bar by any means, it's time for the 'Mains'. There are some really luscious dishes such as Middle Eastern Lamb Dumplings, Stuffed Small Aubergines, Minced Lamb, Parsley and Onion Skewers, Chilli Fish, Spaghetti Cooked in Milk and Cannellini Bean, Tomato and Beef Stew to name just a few.

Syrian Desserts bring a delicious Middle Eastern twist to the usual favourites, I was taken with Rosewater Ice-cream, Fig Sorbet, Sweet Semolina and Coconut Slice, Turkish Delight with Pistachio and a number of recipes using 'Middle Eastern Clotted Cream'.

Who is it for?
This is a book for the adventurous cook, someone who likes big flavours and likes to create food for sharing.

Pros
This is a beautiful book, the photographs, the styling and the graphics are stunning. There are over 100 classic and contemporary recipes with many suitable for vegetarians and plenty for meat eaters too. I loved the huge variety of small dishes in the sauces and dips section, finger food, shared plates, salads and sides. These reflect the Middle Eastern way of eating, the importance of celebrating food and sharing.

Cons
Some of the ingredients could be a little difficult to source, most of the suppliers are in London and the South East although there are some online suppliers.

The Verdict

This is an excellent book to add to your collection, even if you already own some books of Middle Eastern cookery. I will definitely be returning to make more of the recipes.

Book: Almond Bar
Author: Sharon Salloum
ISBN: 978-1-909342-57-6
Published by Jacqui Small Publishing
Cover: Hardback
RRP: £25.99

Many thanks to Jacqui Small Publishing for providing me with a copy of Almond Bar, I was not paid for this review and all opinions are my own.

I'm entering this meal for three blog challenges: Family Foodies challenge for March is Fab Fast Food and this was a quick meal to make. Family Foodies is run by Vanesther at Bangers and Mash and Lou at Eat your Veg. The 'Salatet batata' is ideal for No Croutons Required, the vegetarian soup and salad challenge run by Lisa of Lisa's Kitchen and Jac of Tinned Tomatoes. Lou at Eat Your Veg is also hosting Four Seasons Food for Spring with the theme of 'Something Fishy', Four Seasons Food is alternately hosted by Anneli at Delicieux.

Posted with Blogsy

Labels: Almond Bar, Family Foodies, Four Seasons Food, mint, No Croutons Required, onion, parsley, potoato salad, salmon, Syria, tomatoes

Sunday, 9 February 2014

Strawberry and Champagne Aphrodisiac Cheesecakes for Valentine's Day

Baking is off the agenda at the moment with my temporarily limited kitchen facilities. So I had to think creatively to 'cook' up some Valentine's treats.

Duerr's sent me a jar of their limited edition Aphrodisiac Jam, as well as containing strawberries and champagne it has some Horny Goat Weed added which is, apparently, a natural viagra!

Strawberry and Champagne Aphrodisiac Cheesecakes (no bake)

Makes 4

6 McVities Digestive biscuits (crushed)

50g butter, melted

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

100g full fat cream cheese

1 teaspoon caster sugar

100g Duerr's Aprodisiac Jam

Whipped cream (optional)

four silicone cupcake cases

1. Mix the crushed digestives with the butter and cocoa powder.

2. Divide between the four cupcake cases and press up the sides to create a cup, refrigerate for at least half an hour until firm.

3. Put the cream cheese and sugar into a bowl and mix together with a wooden spoon. Divide between the cupcakes and refrigerate for another 30 minutes.

4. Place a couple of teaspoons of Duerr's Aprodisiac Jam on top of each mini-cheesecake and return to the refrigerator.

5. Just before serving, remove from the silicone case and, if liked, top with a swirl of whipped cream.

without cream

with cream

I was concerned that the cheesecakes would be too sweet, but they were actually really delicious. I can't vouch for the aphrodisiac qualities of the jam, but it certainly tastes good!

I'm entering this recipe for a slew of Valentine themed blogger challenges:

Treat Petite is the sweet treat challenge brought to us by Cakeyboi and The Baking Explorer hosted this month by Mr Cakeyboi and the theme is 'Loved Ones'.

Four Seasons Food Feburary Challenge is 'Food from the Heart' the challenge from Delicieux & Eat Your Veg and hosted this month by Anneli at Delicieux.

Let's Cook Sweet Treats for Valentine comes from Simply.Food and is all about preparing delicious treats to woo your loved one.

The theme for Tea Time Treats is chocolate so I'm sneaking this in as it does have a teaspoon of cocoa powder in the biscuit base! Tea Time Treats is the blog challenge run by Lavender and Lovage and The Hedgecombers and this month it is hosted by my friend Karen at Lavender and Lovage.

Family Foodies is in the mood for 'luurve' and this cheesecake is as good a foodie cuddle as you could possibly want. Family Foodies is the challenge run by Eat your Veg and Bangers and Mash

I was provided with a jar of Duerr's Aprodisiac Jam I was not paid for this post and all opinions are my own.

Eat Your Veg and Bangers & Mash

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Labels: champagne, Cheesecake, Duerr's Jam, Family Foodies, Four Seasons Food, strawberry, Tea Time Treats, Treat Petite, Valentine's Day

Friday, 27 September 2013

Summer Falls into Autumn Pudding

Summer Pudding is probably my favourite British pudding. There is something about the sharpness of the fruits and the tender bread shell soaked with juice that really appeals to me, especially when doused with a liberal pouring of cream.

For some reason I didn't make a summer pudding this summer so I thought I'd bridge the seasons with a summer into autumn version. I had two ripe pears in the fruit bowl, a punnet of raspberries, brambles (blackberries) from my hedgerow and some blackcurrants from the freezer, any combination of soft fruits will do, you want ones that will produce lots of fruity juice.

Summer Falls into Autumn Pudding

Serves 6

1 1/4 kg mixed berries and currants

175g caster sugar

1tbsp Framboise (optional)

1-2 tsp Galloway Chillies, Chilli and Raspberry Jam

Half a loaf of white bread.

1. Slice the bread and cut off the crusts. Line a 1.25ltr pudding basin with cling film making sure you have plenty over the side, this helps you to remove the pudding more easily when it is ready. Line the cling filmed bowl with bread, filling in all the gaps.

2. Put the blackberries and blackcurrants into a pan with the sugar and just enough water to cover the berries and no more. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and the berries have started to release their juices, about 5 minutes. Add the peeled and chopped pears and the raspberries and simmer gently for another 2 minutes.

3. Add 1-2 tsp of Chilli jam, I used Galloway Chillies 'Special Edition' Chilli Raspberry Jam. I found that 1 tsp wasn't really enough to give a kick, so I would recommend at least two, but it will depend on the type of Chilli Jam you use. This is of course, optional!

This is what the berries should look like, still whole and not cooked out.

4. Fill the bread lined bowl with the berries and lay more slices of bread across the top. Fold in the cling film.

5. Place a saucer on top of the pudding and weigh it down with something heavy like a tin. Place it in the fridge overnight.

6. Place the remaining juice and berries in a sieve and press through to get all the juice and pulp.

7. Add a tablespoon of Framboise (Raspberry Liqueur), Cassis (Blackcurrant Liqueur) or Creme de Mur (Blackberry Liqueur) - not all of them just one tablespoon! This is optional, it will still taste gorgeous without the alcohol.

8. Unwrap the cling film from the top and turn the bowl onto a plate lift off the bowl and remove the cling film. I used a pastry brush to paint the bread with some of the sauce or you can spoon it on to cover any patches where the juice hasn't seeped through the bread.

9. Cut into slices and serve with the remaining sauce and some pouring cream. I was really pleased with the way the pudding cut and held together, it may have been the pear which helped to hold it all together.

I am entering this for Four Seasons Food a blog event featuring seasonal ingredients like the blackberries and pears that I have used here. This month the theme is 'Sliding into Autumn'. Four Seasons Food is run by Delicieux and Eat your Veg

I'm also adding my Summer Falls into Autumn Pudding for Shop Local a new blogging challenge from Elizabeth's Kitchen as it features Chilli Raspberry Jam from local producer Galloway Chillies.
Galloway Chillies produce a range of delicious chilli jams and the Hot Chilli lemon Citrus has recently been awarded a gold star by the Guild of Fine Food at the Great Taste Awards.

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Labels: Autumn Pudding, blackberries, blackcurrants, Brambles, chilli jam, Four Seasons Food, Galloway Chillies, Pears, raspberries, Raspberry Chilli Jam, Shop Local, summer pudding

This Page

Farmersgirl Kitchen

Saturday, 10 May 2014

Spinach, Mushroom and Blue Cheese Lasagne

Sunday, 13 April 2014

Chicken and 7-a-day Mediterranean Vegetables

Saturday, 22 March 2014

Pan Fried Salmon and a Syrian Potato Salad

Sunday, 9 February 2014

Strawberry and Champagne Aphrodisiac Cheesecakes for Valentine's Day

Friday, 27 September 2013

Summer Falls into Autumn Pudding

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