Garlic Bread and Tomato Bake

You know how it is on a Saturday when you haven't really planned what to eat for lunch?  Then suddenly you find that everyone is at home and looking expectantly for you to come up with something tasty for them to enjoy.

Well that's what happened to me last Saturday.  What could I make? What did I have in the larder and fridge?

Garlic Bread and Tomato Bake
Serves 4

A single garlic baguette
6 tomatoes
4 eggs
100 ml milk
2 tbsp red pesto
75g grated cheddar
freshly ground pepper
A few basil leaves (optional)

1. Pre - heat the oven to 180C
2. Slice up the garlic bread and place in a buttered oven proof dish.
3. Thickly slice the tomatoes and layer over the bread.
4. Cover with 2 tablespoons of pesto.
5. Beat the eggs and add the milk, pour it over the bread and tomatoes.
6. Season with freshly ground pepper and cover with the grated cheese. 
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until risen and golden.
8. Tear up a few basil leaves and scatter over the top.
9. Serve with salad.

And of course Credit Crunch Munch as this is a thrifty dish which will fill up the family at very little cost.   Credit Crunch Munch is run by Helen at Fuss Free Flavours and Camilla at Fab Food 4 All

Labels: Bake, basil, bread and butter pudding, cheese, Credit Crunch Munch, garlic bread, No Waste Food Challenge, tomato

posted by Janice @ 19:45 24 Comments

Cheese and Wild Garlic Scones

I've been out gathering Wild Garlic again. The flowers are starting to bloom on the plants and soon the leaves will  become more tough and not so good for cooking.  Scones are a really good vehicle for all sorts of flavours both sweet and savoury and the cheese worked really well with the wild garlic.


Cheese and Wild Garlic Scones
makes 6-8 depending on the size of your cutter!

225g self-raising flour
1 level tsp baking powder
50g butter
100g finely grated cheese
30g wild garlic leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp of dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
1 egg
milk

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C
2. Mix the flour and baking powder and rub in the butter until it looks like breadcrumbs.
3. Stir in the cheese and the finely chopped wild garlic leaves.
4. Beat the egg in a bowl and add to the mixture, add enough milk to bring it together into a soft dough.
5. Dust your work surface with flour and gently pat the dough into a round about 2 cm thick, cut out your scones.
6. Place on a greased and floured baking tray, brush the tops with a little milk.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the scones are golden brown.
8. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Labels: Bake, butter, cheese, Scones, Wild Garlic

posted by Janice @ 20:16 22 Comments

Lentil, Cheese and Stuffing Loaf

In my pre-Christmas online shopping spree, I mistakenly ordered a couple of packets of dry stuffing mix rather than ready-made stuffing. By the time it gets to Christmas my cooking mojo has usually expired in a puddle of goose fat.  I threw them in the back of the larder and popped into the shop for the stuffing I wanted. However, once all the festivities had passed, I found the stuffing again and one of the things I like to use dried stuffing for is to bulk up meatloaf, it acts like breadcrumbs and adds flavour too. This time however, I decided to make a non-meat version, based on a couple of different Lentil Loaf recipes.

Lentil, Cheese and Stuffing Loaf
serves 6-8

180 g red lentils
240 ml liquid (I used wine, but you could use cider or water)
130g pack of stuffing mix, reconstituted as per packet instructions
135 g grated hard cheese (I used a herb cheddar)
1 egg, beaten

1. Place the lentils and the liquid in a pan and add just enough water to cover the lentils.  Bring to the boil and allow to cook almost until tender and until the liquid has been absorbed.
2. Mix the cooked lentils with the reconstituted stuffing, beaten egg and the grated cheese.
3. Line a 400g loaf tin with silicone paper and fill with the mixture.
4. Cover with buttered foil and EITHER bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about an hour, taking off the foil ten minutes before the end of cooking to brown the top OR place the tin in a slow cooker, pour boiling water around the tin (bain marie) until it is about half way up the tin and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours.

I cooked mine in the slow cooker which kept it really moist, the texture is quite close and it cuts really well when cold.  I served it with gravy, but you could also serve with a tomato sauce.


The Lentil Loaf is also really good cold and makes a great packed lunch with some homemade coleslaw made simply with grated carrots, sliced red cabbage and a little leftover cream cheese dip from New Year as dressing. This was my lunch today and I really enjoyed it.

I'm entering this for Tea Time Treats the blogger event organised by Janie at The Hedgecombers and Karen at Lavender and Lovage.  The theme this month is Packed Lunches and it's being hosted by Janie.
I'm hoping it also fits with Cooking with Herbs  Great British Store Cupboard challenge, another challenge from my friend Karen at Lavender and Lovage.  Karen is asking us to use ingredients from the store cupboard as well as including herbs. As the cheese contained herbs and the stuffing mix contained sage, I think it should qualify.

I'm also entering the Lentil Cheese and Stuffing Loaf for Credit Crunch Munch  organised, and this month hosted, by Helen at Fuss Free Flavours and Camilla at Fab Food 4 All  It's a thrifty dish, uses things that are in the store cupboard AND makes a great packed lunch!

Labels: cheese, Cooking with Herbs, Credit Crunch Munch, frugal, Lentil loaf, packed lunch, Stuffing, Tea Time Treats

posted by Janice @ 19:44 24 Comments

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

posted by Janice @ 21:32 22 Comments

Cheesy Treats for Easter Weekend

It's not been possible for me to make any Easter treats to share with you, so instead I'm going to share some quirky recipes created by gastronaut Stefan Gates for Castello cheese which you can make to impress your guests this Easter. 
 


Chocolate eggs are so last Easter!! This year, speciality cheese brand Castello has paired up with gastronaut and foodie adventurer Stefan Gates to creatively craft innovative Easter egg recipes with a cheese twist. Stefan has turned tradition on its head with a cheeky take on the classic egg and soldiers, and a chocolate cream egg that is bound to make your guests do a double take.

Proving the versatility of cheese, Stefan has used the Castello range to devise playful recipes that are sure to inject some fun into your Easter weekend. And to ensure the holiday wows, top wine expert Matt Day has co-ordinated delicious and surprising drinks pairings to get the best flavours from your meal.

Stefan Gates said, “Castello cheeses are so versatile, from the tangy taste of Tickler extra mature cheddar to the lusciously soft Pineapple Halo - you can really have fun with them even turning some into a sweet treat. If you’re not constricted by cheese convention, you will be surprised by the flavour combinations out there. I wanted to rethink the Easter cream egg and traditional egg and soldiers turning them into crowd pleasers yet still easy to make at home.”

Ingredients (serves 4)
350g Castello Tickler Extra-Mature Cheddar (grated)
200ml fine strong cider
1 tablespoon of cornflour, mixed to a paste with 2tbsp cold water
½ tsp Worcester sauce
1tbsp truffle oil

Soldiers
8 slices sourdough
200g Castello Tickler Extra-Mature Cheddar thinly sliced
100g butter for frying
Juice of 1 lemon

Method
1.        Put a thick-bottomed saucepan on a medium heat, add the cider and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat, mix in the grated cheese, cornflour paste and Worcester sauce. Stir gently until all the cheese has melted. It should be as thick as Greek yoghurt, so if you need to thicken or loosen it add more cheese or cider. Keep it warm until you’re ready to serve
2.        Lightly toast the sourdough slices, then make four unbuttered sandwiches with cheddar slices inside
3.        Heat a large knob of butter in a frying pan until sizzling, then just as the butter turns brown, add 1 tbsp of lemon juice and turn one of the sandwiches in it to coat and continue frying until slightly crispy. Repeat with the rest of the sandwiches, then slice them into soldiers and put them on plates
4.        Stir ½ tbsp. truffle oil into the fondue, taste and add another ½ tbsp. if you need to (truffle oils can vary in strength). Put each egg-shell in an egg cup and fill with the fondue (there’ll be more leftover for seconds!) and serve

Drinks
Why not complement the savoury eggs with a chilled glass of champagne or an icy beer. Choose one of Matt Day’s suggestions to bring out the tangy taste of the Tickler:
Leffe Blonde Beer (£2.99 widely available)
Tesco finest* 1531 Blanquette de Limoux (£8.49)
Le Mesnil Blac de Blancs Champagne 2004 (Waitrose £33.99)

Who would have thought cheese tastes great with chocolate? True to form, Stefan surprises with a delectable dessert that is both quick and fun to conjure up. This recipe is the perfect way to enhance both the pineapple, papaya and almond aromas found in the soft cheese, Pineapple Halo.

Ingredients (for 2 eggs)

2 hollow chocolate eggs
½ wheel of Castello Pineapple Halo
4tbsp crème fraiche
Zest of one orange

Method
1.        Carefully slice the top off the chocolate eggs using a hot knife dipped in water from a boiled kettle. Put them into egg cups
2.        Put the cheese, crème fraiche and ¾ of the orange zest into a bowl and mix it together with the back of a fork. Fill each eggshell with the mixture, and then put the remaining orange zest on top to look like the yolk
Drinks
This naughty but nice chocolate treat works perfectly with one of the following:
Mimosa (Champagne, Grand Marnier, Fresh Orange Juice)
Brown Brothers Orange Muscat & Flora (Ocado £7.49)
Fontana fredda Moscato D'Asti Moncucco (Asda £12.47)





For more information about the Castello range visit: www.castellocheese.co.uk


I was not paid for this post, but received some packs of Castello Cheeses to try.

Labels: Castello, cheese, chocolate, cider, Easter, Fondue, Mature Cheddar, pineapple

posted by Janice @ 20:37 3 Comments

Comfort Food to Banish the Winter Blues

What's your favourite comfort food?  In a recent poll, insurer Axa found that a roast is our favourite comfort food, shepherd's pie, chips and lasagne came next followed by spaghetti bolognese, macaroni and Cheese on Toast.  While most of the top comfort foods require a bit of time and effort to prepare, Cheese on Toast can be put together in minutes providing a pick-me-up which, Psychologist Donna Dawson says, reminds us of our childhood as we associate them with family and feeling safe.

• 302 calories per 100g
• 22g of Fat per 100g
• 750mg of Calcium per 100g

 350g of Pilgrim's Choice Extra Mature Cheese Lighter costs around £3.40

I was supplied with a pack of Pilgrim's Choice Extra Mature Cheese Lighter to review, I was not paid for this post and all opinions are my own.
 

Labels: cheese, comfort food, lighter, Pilgrim's Choice, toast

posted by Janice @ 21:38 21 Comments