Farmersgirl Kitchen

Saturday, 2 February 2013

Yorkshire Pudding Day with Mermaid Bakeware Review

As a Scot, Yorkshire Puddings are not part of my heritage, but I do rather like them. My mum never made Yorkshires with our roast beef, although we did have Toad in the Hole which is the same batter with sausages cooked into it. There seems to be a bit of mystique around the making of them (a bit like scones) but I've never really had any trouble getting them to rise using the simple recipe below.

The lovely people at Mermaid Bakeware asked me to try out their Yorkshire Pudding tin and, never a girl to shirk a challenge, I accepted with enthusiasm. Apparently the first Sunday in February is Yorkshire Pudding Day so it would be rude not to celebrate with some golden brown, puffy puddings, whether you eat them with beef, add sausages or eat them for dessert with golden syrup.

I've never had a proper individual pudding tin, I usually just make one big one in a roasting tin so this is a useful addition to my collection. Mermaid have been making quality bakeware in the West Midlands since 1953. The 4 Cup Yorkshire Pudding Tray is made from Hard Anodised Aluminium and is approximately 245mm x 245mm x 16mm. It's oven safe up to 240C/475F/Gas Mark 9, is perfect to use with metal utensils as it is scratch resistant and will never peel or blister.

Yorkshire Pudding (serves 4)

75g (3oz) plain flour
1 egg
75ml (3fl oz) milk
50ml (2fl oz) water
salt & freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil

1. Pre-heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas Mark 7
2. Sift the flour into a bowl
3. Make a well in the centre, add the egg and mix into the flour.
4. Gradually add the mixture of water and milk beating either by hand of with an electric whisk
5. Season with salt & pepper
6. I like to let my batter stand for a couple of hours, but it's not strictly necessary
7. Put half a tablespoon of oil in each of the metal cups
8. Put the tray into the oven and heat for 10 minutes.
9. Remove the tin and pour the batter into the cups
10. Return to the oven and cook for 15 - 20 minutes until the puddings are risen and golden.

Here is the exciting part, when you see the puds starting to rise inside the oven.

I served the Yorkshire Puddings with a pot roast brisket of beef served with carrots and roast parsnips.

See more reviews and recipes from me and my fellow Mermaid bloggers in the Mermaid Bloggers Kitchen and visit the Mermaid on Facebook for offers and competitions.

I received a 4 cup Yorkshire Pudding tin from Mermaid Bakeware, I was not paid for this post and all views expressed are my own.

Labels: batter, Beef, Mermaid Bakeware, Parsnips, Yorkshire Pudding

Thursday, 15 November 2012

Roast Shoulder of Lamb with Root Veg and Red Wine Gravy

This is a little bit of a hangover from The Wartime Kitchen - Ration Book Cooking, which is why the piece of meat is so small and there are so many vegetables surrounding it! However, it gave me a chance to try out the Mermaid Deep Side Handled Roaster. Made from hard anodised aluminium, Mermaid claim their collection of bakeware will never peel or blister, withstanding the highest cooking temperatures – perfect if you need high temperatures to seal off your meat. Mermaid’s roaster is ideal for hob to oven cooking, guaranteed not to warp or buckle, plus, it’s extremely easy to clean and scratch resistant making it safe to use with metal utensils such as a whisk. So let's see if that is true!

Pot Roast Shoulder of Lamb with Root Vegetables and Red Wine Gravy

Piece of Lamb shoulder (I won't insult you by telling you how little I used!)
2 shallots, peeled and quartered
4 parsnips, peeled and cut into large chunks or fingers
6 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks or fingers
4 tbsp sunflower oil

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in the roaster on the hob, sear the lamb on all sides. Remove the meat and add the remaining oil.
2. Add the vegetables, season and place the lamb on top of the vegetables.
3. Cover with foil and cook at 160C for 1 1/2 hours.
4. Remove foil and turn up the oven to 200C, cook for 15 minutes until the vegetables start to colour.
5. Remove the meat and vegetables to a warmed serving plate and rest covered with foil.

Make the Gravy
Spoon off the excess fat. Next deglaze your dish on the hob with a medium heat to release the delicious flavours within the darker juices. After adding flour, wine, balsamic vinegar and stock and you have a delicious gravy.

Not feeling confident about making your own gravy? Mermaid have a step by step video which will 'hold your hand' until you have mastered the art of making Old Fashioned Gravy.

I followed the instructions on the video to make my gravy and they were very easy to follow. I used a metal whisk in the pan as instructed, although that was the hardest part of the whole process for me, it just seems wrong to use metal utensils on non-stick! However, I have to say that the non-stick is incredibly tough and didn't have a mark on it after cleaning.

It didn't warp or buckle, it didn't blister or peel, quite impressive given the bashing I gave it with the whisk. I also liked the handles, which made it really easy to lift the roasting tin out of the oven and to work with it on the hob.

I've used the Mermaid Deep Side Handled Roaster since to make roast potatoes, sorry no photos, and it worked well for that too. I am also eyeing it up for a giant lasagne which would feed visitors over the Christmas holidays, it's the perfect size and, with those lovely shiny stainless steel handles, I would even take it to the table.

Thanks to Sarah and Ria for providing me with the Mermaid Deep Side Handled Roaster for review, I was not required to provide a positive review and I was not paid for this post. All opinions are my own.

Labels: carrots, gravy, lamb, Mermaid Cookware, Mermaid Deep Side Handled Roaster, Parsnips, Ration Book Cooking, red wine gravy, Roast, shallots, The Wartime Kitchen

Thursday, 8 November 2012

Wartime Kitchen - Ration Book Cooking Friday 9th November

First let me show you tthe Parsnips with Cheese dish that I made for Thursday's supper

Parsnips with Cheese

Mash some boiled parsnips with a little margarine, and add grated cheese to your taste. Grease a pie-dish, put in the parsnip puree, sprinkle with plenty of breadcrumbs mixed with grated cheese, and bwon quickly in the oven. Little bits of cold meat, chopped, can be added to the parsnips for substance, if desired.

I didn't add any cold meat to mine as I didn't have any in my ration. This was a simple but tasty dish, I would recommend serving it with peas or beans. In non-ration times this would be a really nice change from mashed potatoes.

I found some fantastic clips on the BBC History website where Giles Coren and Sue Perkins investigate what life was like for a housewife in World War Two, with the help of food writer and cook Allegra McEvedy. I can really recommend these short clips, they are funny and full of information.

Now on to Friday's menu, I've kind of run out of steam on my menu planning and am realising that I needed to be a lot more prepared. One of the difficulties about these dishes is that they do take a bit longer to prepare, fine if you are working from home (as I would have been on the farm) but not when you have to go out to work.

However during WW2 most work places had canteens and the food was 'off ration', so I would probably have eaten there most lunch times and then had a light supper when I got home. However, on Friday night I am going out to a Gala Dinner to represent the place where I work. I wondered how I might include this in my ration challenge but like the canteens, restaurants were also 'off ration' so I can enjoy my dinner...as long as they do not charge me more than 5/- for my meal ;-) You can find out more about British Restaurants from Karen at Lavender and Lovage. Although I'm going out for this dinner, my husband and mother-in-law will be home and they are going to have fish and chips. Again this was not on ration, but fish was very difficult to get as most of the fishermen had been called up and the seas were an even more dangerous place to be than usual.

Friday's Ration Book Menu

Breakfast: Porridge
Lunch: Jacket Potato filled with Vegetable Yeast Extract, parsely and salt and pepper
Gala Dinner!!!

What I've got left:

WW2 Rations 1940 for three people

Butter75g

Margarine: 280g

Cooking fat/lard: 190g lard

Sugar: 650g

Meat: 1350g (3lb)

Milk: 8 pints

Tea: 50g

Jam: 125g

Dried Eggs 3 packets (36 eggs every four weeks) 9 eggs for one week

Sweets: 262g (3oz) per week.

I have found it really interesting to see what I do and don't eat, not much milk, sugar or cooking fat. I've saved my meat ration for the weekend.

Labels: Allegra McEvedy, BBC History, Giles Coren, Parsnips, Ration book challenge, Ration Book Cooking, Sue Perkins, The Wartime Kitchen

Tuesday, 13 March 2012

Galloway Irish Stew

It's St Patrick's day on 17th March and I'm celebrating this Irish festival, with some Irish dishes and products from Ireland.

So why Galloway Irish? My farm kitchen is in the south west of Scotland although not in the Rhins of Galloway which is at the most southwestern corner. Because Stranraer is the shortest sea route between Scotland and Ireland, many Irish people came to the Wigtownshire area during the Irish potato famine.

Over a period of time the dialect spoken in the area took on a distinct Irish influence and became known as Galloway Irish. You can hear the accent on this BBC recording

There is no such thing as Galloway Irish Stew, I just made that up! This stew contains lamb, potoatoes and carrots, familiar ingredients for an Irish Stew, the difference is the cut of lamb. I used a lovely leg of lamb rather than the cheaper, middle neck or scrag-end.

Galloway Irish Stew

1.1kg leg of lamb

2 onions, cut into chunks

3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

4 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks

3 sticks of celery, sliced

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 pint lamb stock

salt & pepper

As many peeled potatoes, cut in large chunks, as you can fit in the pot!

Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole, brown the meat, then remove to a plate. Turn the heat down and add the onions, carrots, parsnips and celery and saute for about 10 minutes.

Put the lamb back in on top of the vegetables and pile in the potato chunks round about it. Add the tomato puree to the vegetable stock and pour over the meat and vegetables, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Cover the pan and cook at 160C for 2 hours until the meat falls away from the bone.

More Irish goodies coming soon.

Labels: carrots, Galloway Irish, Irish, lamb, Parsnips, potatoes, Rhins of Galloway, St Patrick

Saturday, 10 March 2012

Curried Parsnip Soup

I haven't taken part in No Croutons Required (NCR) for a few months. It's Lisa's turn to host and also her birthday, she loves spicy food and has asked for spicy soups and salads this month.

There was a special offer on the veggies at the supermarket last week and parsnips featured in the offer so I ended up with a couple of packs of parsnips and decided to make a curried parsnip soup.

Curried Parsnip Soup

600g Parsnips peeled and chopped

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1tbsp Pataks Jalfrezi curry paste

1 litre vegetable stock

salt & pepper

250ml milk or cream

chopped parsley

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or pressure cooker, add the choppped onion and cook gently until transparent. Add the curry paste and cook for about a minute, add the parsnips and cook in the oil and curry paste for about 5 minutes until coated and slightly browned.

Add the vegetable stock and seasoning and cook until the parsnips are soft.

Let the soup cool slightly, either liquidise or use a stick blender to puree the soup. Add the milk or cream and adjust the seasoning to taste.

Serve sprinkled with parsley.

This is a very simple soup, but was really delicious. I've never made it with curry paste before but as I always have some in the fridge, I will definitely do so again. It seemed to add a depth of flavour as well as a little heat to the soup.

Labels: Jalfrezi, No Croutons Required, parsley, Parsnips, Pataks curry paste

Monday, 30 January 2012

More 'Bilbao' than Boston Baked Beans!

I seem to have established a bit of a reputation for comfort food. Until I started blogging I don't think I realised just how much I like warming stews and casseroles, bakes, crumbles and pies. Not wanting to disappoint my followers, here is another one! It started out as Boston Baked Beans but as I had no belly pork as per the recipe, I subsituted the spicy chorizo sausage which was in my fridge, so the dish moved continent and ended up in sunny Spain.

I'm entering this for Slow Sunday on Karen's blog 'Lavender and Lovage'

Bilbao Baked Beans with roasted roots

350g dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight and drained

1 tbsp sunflower oil

1 large onion, peeled and sliced

4 sticks celery, sliced

200g chorizo sausage, cut into chunks OR 200g Quorn Meatballs

1 x 200g can tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp molasses or black treacle

1 tsp mustard powder

600ml chicken stock

Roasted Roots

4 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks

4 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

1 small swede, peeled and cut into chunks

2 tbsp 'Do me a Flavour' Roast Parsnip Seasoning (optional)

2 tbsp sunflower oil

1. Bring the beans to the boil in a pan of fresh unsalted water. Cook them for an hour until tender but not mushy.

2. Put 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a roasting tin add the chopped veg and the seasoning, if using. Mix together and roast in the oven at 200C for 40 - 50 minutes. The swede I had was using wasn't cooking very well, so after about 30 minutes, I covered the tin with foil and cooked it for about 20 more minutes, then uncovered to finish it off for 5 minutes.

3. While the roots are roasting, make the bean dish, put 1 tbsp of sunflower oil in a pan and add the onion and celery, cook gently until starting to soften then add the chorizo chunks, or quorn meatballs (you might want to add half a teaspoon of smoked paprika if you are using the quorn) and stir around until the onion and celery start to take on the colour of the chorizo.

4. Add the beans, the tomatoes, tomato puree, molasses or treacle, mustard and stock.

5. Cover the casserole and cook in a preheated oven (160C) for 1hr 30 minutes. Add the roasted root vegetables to the casserole and cook for another 30 minutes.

This dish is quite a long way from either Boston or Bilbao but was inspired by both, and also by what I needed to use up from the fridge!

Labels: beans, carrots, casserole, chorizo, comfort food, Do me a flavour, one pot, Parsnips, tomato, vegetarian

Monday, 9 January 2012

Lamb Tagine

I bought a pomegranate last week and then wondered what to do with it! So I thought I'd make a Lamb Tagine, I used the recipe from my Good Housekeeping book but bumped up the veg content to make it go further and make it healthier. I topped it off with chopped coriander and the pomegranate seeds which I loved by were not so popular with my husband!

Lamb Tagine

1.4kg boneless leg or shoulder of lamb

4 parsnips, peeled and cubed

6 medium carrots, peeled and cubed

1/2 Celeriac root, peeled and cubed

2 tsp ground ginger

2tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp saffron strands

5 tbsp olive oil

salt & pepper

275g pearl onions or shallots (I just used ordinary onions and cut them into chunks)

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

1 tbsp plain flour

1tbsp tomato paste

450ml lamb or chicken stock

150ml sherry

2tbsp chopped fresh coriander

2tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

75g stoned dates

1 tbsp honey

coriander leaves to garnish

1. Cut the lamb into 4cm cubes. Place in a bowl with the ginger, ground coriander, saffron and 1 tbsp oil. Season, cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

2. If using pearl onions or shallots, immerse them in biling water for 2 minutes, drain, refresh in cold water and peel.

3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy based flameproof casserole and brown the lamb in batches, using more oil if necessary. Add the garlic and stir over the heat for 1 minute. Add the onions and the cubed vegetables and cook over a medium heat until slightly softened and caramelised.

4. Return the lamb to the casserole. Stir in the flour and tomato paste, then add the stock, sherry, herbs and cinnamon stick. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, cover and cook at 180C for 1 1/4 hours, stirring occasionally.

5. Discard the cinnamon and bayleaf. Add the dates and honey and return to the oven for 15-20 minutes. Garnish with coriander and serve with couscous.

Labels: carrots, celeriac, couscous, lanb, Parsnips, pomegranate, tagine

Saturday, 9 January 2010

Spicy Parsnip and Apple Soup

The snow is still on the ground and it has been as cold as -17C here recently, so soup is definitely the order of the day! This is a bit of a makey-up recipe with bits from different books to fit the ingredients to hand.

Spicy Parsnip and Apple Soup

800g parsnips, peeled and choppped
2 onions
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 eating apples, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp ground cumin seeds
300ml semi-skimmed milk
600ml beef, chicken or vegetable stock

Heat the oil in a large pan and gently fry the onions until soft, add the garlic and spices and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the parsnips and apples stirring well to cover them with the spices. Add the stock and cook until the parsnips are soft. When slightly cooled, use a hand blender or liquidiser to liquidise the soup. Add the milk and reheat. Serve with a sprinkling of cayenne pepper and lots of crusty bread.

I have to say that the photograph does not do the soup justice, it looks a bit odd and grey on there lol!

Labels: apples, Parsnips, Soup

Sunday, 10 February 2008

Spicy Parsnip Soup

I do a recipe card swap over on Bubblyfunk Forum
the theme for January was Soup and Linda sent my this Gordon Ramsey recipe for Spicy Parsnip Soup:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion peeled and chpped
2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
1 tsp ground giner
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp gram masala
4 large parsnips peeled and chopped
few knobs of butter
600-800ml hot vegtable stock or water
Sea salt and freshly gound pepper
200ml double cream (optional)

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and genly saute the onions for a few minutes. Add the garlic adn spices and stir trhough.
2. Add the parsnips and a few knobs of butter. Give the mixture a stir, cover the pan with a lid and cook over a low heat for 10 - 15 minutes until the parsnips are soft.
3. When the parsnips turn slightly translucent, pour in enough hot stock to cver the vegetables. Bring to the boil and season well. Add the double cream if using.
4. Liquidise the soup ina blender until well pureed. For a very smooth result, pass the soup through a fine sieve, back into the pan. Reheat and adjust the consistsency and seasoning addinga little more hot stock or boiling water if it is too thick.
5. Serve warm witha drizzle of olive oil and a grating of black pepper.

I did follow most of the recipe but I wasn't hanging around waiting for the parsnips to saute to a translucent state - life is too short to stuff a mushroom, as they say! So made sure the butter was melted and mixed it around, then bunged in the stock, stuck the lid on my pressure cooker and cooked it for 20 mins. Didn't use the cream and added some milk after I had pureed the soup with my hand blender. It was very yummy - so I don't think I lost anything by taking a short cut.

Labels: Gordon Ramsay, Parsnips, Soup

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Farmersgirl Kitchen

Saturday, 2 February 2013

Yorkshire Pudding Day with Mermaid Bakeware Review

Yorkshire Pudding (serves 4)

Thursday, 15 November 2012

Roast Shoulder of Lamb with Root Veg and Red Wine Gravy

Pot Roast Shoulder of Lamb with Root Vegetables and Red Wine Gravy

Thursday, 8 November 2012

Wartime Kitchen - Ration Book Cooking Friday 9th November

Parsnips with Cheese

Friday's Ration Book Menu

Tuesday, 13 March 2012

Galloway Irish Stew

Saturday, 10 March 2012

Curried Parsnip Soup

Monday, 30 January 2012

More 'Bilbao' than Boston Baked Beans!

Monday, 9 January 2012

Lamb Tagine

Saturday, 9 January 2010

Spicy Parsnip and Apple Soup

Sunday, 10 February 2008

Spicy Parsnip Soup

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