Chillies and Chocolate in Fife - Part One

So where do you think Claire, Foodie Quine, and I are posing?  Are we on a cruise the Med or the Norwegian Fjords?   Well, no actually, we are in the Kingdom of Fife in Scotland on a Chilli-Chocolate Food Trip with Welcome to Fife. More about where this sunny photo was taken in part two.


We started our chilli-chocolate tour of Fife in Ceres and travelled a few miles to visit Chillilicious, Scotland's first chilli farm.  I met with Patricia Galfskiy at the chilli farm where she and her daughter have developed this family run food and art venture cretaing homemade chilli food and gift items. The  new visitor's centre provided an opportunity to taste some of the Chilli chutney that Patricia makes, I tried them all, well it would be rude not to, and they were all very good.  Most memorable for me was the Monkey Punch Chilli Chutney which contains banana, kiwi, lime and jalapeno chillies.  I loved this combination of flavours really unusual.

 Possibly my favourite thing in the Chillilicous shop was the Pimento Ginger Beer.  I love ginger beer and this has the most amazing chilli kick, right at the back of your throat, a must for all chilli lovers.


We then moved on to the chilli tunnel  where you can pick your own chillies or buy plants.  Chillilicious grow approximately 4,000 chilli plants per ear and their speciality is the wide and varied range of rare and super-hot chillies, growing between 50-75 different varieties every year.  Last year the talk of the chilli world was the Carolina Reaper and this year it's all about the Chocolate Bhutlah, both of these chillies are grown at Chillilicious.


These are the chillies that I picked, unfortunately I can't remember the name of them all.  What I did learn is that the more crinkly the chilli, the hotter is going to be!  I'm hoping to cook up some recipes with these chillies soon.



Sophie had made a tray of Chocolate Chilli Truffles for us to try and she cut them and coated with cocoa powder, the chilli heat was subtle although I have to say that Sophie kindly gave us some to take away and when I tried them again at home, I felt that there was more heat, it may have been that my palate had been blunted by too much chocolate and whisky!


Behind the chocolate boutique there is a quirky cafe, The Cocoa Tree Cafe.  Here you can enjoy a relaxed lunch, coffee, afternoon tea or one of those gorgeous hot chocolate drinks.  There is plenty of reading material in the cafe, some of it under the glass on the table tops, but also a range of chocolate themed books to read.  The staff were delightful and it is clear that Sophie's passion and high standards pervade the whole establishment.  I would highly recommend a visit to the cafe and chocolate boutique.

Coming in part two of Chillies and Chocolate in Fife - Seafood and Gin! 

Disclaimer: I was the guest of Welcome to Fife and I'd like to thank them and the host organisations  who made this a truly memorable trip.

Labels: chilli, Chillilicious, chocolate, chutney, Drinking Chocolate, Fife, Laphroig, liqueur, Pittenweem, review, The Cocoa Tree Cafe, truffles, Welcome to Fife, whisky

posted by Janice @ 07:00 10 Comments

Spicy Tomato Pork Tenderloin and the Slow Cooked Challenge is back!

It's been a pretty miserable summer here in Scotland and I've been making many more Slow Cooked dishes than I would usually.  The Slow Cooked Challenge has had a bit of a break over the summer, but as we head into September, it's time think about slowly cooked stews, soups, curries and cakes.

I'm delighted to announce that I have a new co-host for this challenge, the very talented Lucy of Baking Queen 74. Lucy is the queen of baking in her Slow Cooker and will be hosting the Slow Cooked Challenge every other month.


If you are not familiar with the Slow Cooked Challenge, it is a monthly blog challenge dedicated to making recipes using a Slow Cooker/Crockpot or by slow cooking in the oven, aga or other slow method of cooking. Each month there will be a theme e.g. soup, dessert, vegetarian  or an open challenge.



This month it's an OPEN challenge, so you can enter any Slow Cooked recipe.

If you would like to take part, then please:

• Make your recipe in your Slow Cooker or other slow cooking method and post a photograph and the recipe, or a link to a recipe, on your blog
• Link to Farmersgirl Kitchen and Baking Queen 74
• Use the Slow Cooked Challenge logo in your post
• If you use twitter, tweet your post with @FarmersgirlCook @BakingQueen74 and use #SlowCookedChallenge and we  will re-tweet it to our followers AND post your picture on the dedicated Pinterest Board. 
• A round up of all the entries will be posted on the host's blog.

Rules:

• Please do not publish recipes from cookbooks on your blog without permission, they are copyright.
• If you are using recipes from another website, please link to the recipe on the website rather than publishing the recipe.
• One entry per blog.
• Recipes must be added to the linky by the 28th of each month and a round up will be posted on the host blog. 

Spicy Tomato Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
450g pork tenderloin (fillet)
Salt and pepper
Freshly ground black pepper
400g can of chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 clove garlic crushed

1. Place pork tenderloin in bottom of slow cooker 
2. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Stir together the canned tomatoes, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, chilli powder and garlic  in a small bowl and pour over the sauce.
4. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
5. Check seasoning before serving. 

Labels: challenge, chilli, Pork, slow cooked, Slow Cooked Challenge, slow cooker, spicy, tenderloin, tomato

posted by Janice @ 07:00 14 Comments

Asian Spiced Shoulder of Lamb, Mango Quark Cheesecake and the Aldi Challenge

Asian Spiced Shoulder of Lamb with Chantenay Carrots and Garlic Cream Potatoes

The last time I featured Aldi products it was to showcase some of their top of the range frozen foods, this time I've been asked to take part in the Aldi Challenge. The Aldi Challenge is an initiative to ensure that every shopper can enjoy January, if you shop at Aldi  you will still have money to spare for enjoying new activities and eating well.

Here is my shopping comparison, I couldn't believe how much I saved.

• The Rolled Shoulder of Lamb at Aldi was Scotch Lamb with the QMS mark on it and the comparative lamb at the major supermarket was 'British' Lamb with the Red Tractor.  Generally Scotch Lamb is more expensive than British Lamb. 
• The ice cream I bought at Aldi was a named brand and the comparative tub of ice cream was top of the range own brand. 

I first saw this recipe demonstrated by Jacqueline O'Donnell, of The Sisters Restaurant, for Quality Meat Scotland.  She kindly gave me a copy of the recipe and says "this dish is worth all the effort in time for maximum taste" I would certainly agree with that. 



Asian Spiced Shoulder of Lamb Serves 6 -8

Labels: Aldi, Cheesecake, chilli, Ginger, mango, quark, Scotch Lamb

posted by Janice @ 07:00 3 Comments

Fish Tacos with Red Cabbage and Celeriac Coleslaw

I love Mexican food, there is something about all the layers of  textures and flavours, the tortillas, the chillies, the tomatoes, the sour cream and the cheese.  When they all come together they seem to make a magical combination that is quite delightful.

I've made Mexican dishes with chicken, with beef and with vegetables but never with fish, time to put that right.  If you have been reading my recent fish recipe posts you will know that I've been eating oily fish twice a week but I hadn't had any fresh mackerel.  Mackerel has quite a strong flavour and a solid meaty texture, so it can stand a bit of chilli heat without being overpowered.  It's also No. 2 in the top 30 Omega 3 rich fish, second only to herring, so really good for you.


Mackerel is also really good value for money, I got three medium mackerel for £2.54.  I prepared them myself but if you don't have the stomach for that, then I'm sure you could get mackerel fillets or ask your fishmonger to fillet them for you.

Have you tried these new Stand N Stuff Soft Tacos from Old El Paso? The tortillas have been shaped in the little baskets making them much easier to fill and eat.  The Chunky Guacamole is a good stand by to keep in the fridge too, for those times when you don't have a ripe avocado!

Fish Tacos
Serves 4

3 medium whole mackerel, filleted
1 tsp hot smoked paprika
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 Old El Paso Stand n Stuff Soft Taco Kit (contains 8 Stand N Stuff Soft Flour Tortillas, 1 Tomato Stir in Sauce, 1 Cool Herb Topping Mix)
3 tomatoes
100ml sour cream
100g grated cheese
1 lettuce
Old El Paso Chunky Guacamole

1. Cut the fillets into chunky pieces and place in a glass or ceramic dish.
2. Mix the spices and salt together and sprinkle over the fish pieces, mix together to cover the fish with the spices.  Place in the fridge and leave for at least 30 minutes.
3. De-seed the tomatoes and chop finely, place in a bowl and set aside.
4. Mix the Cool Herb Topping Mix with 100ml sour cream in another bowl.
5. In a hot pan, add a splash of oil and add the spiced fish mixture until the fish becomes opaque.
6. Turn down the heat and add the Tomato Stir-in Sauce and stir gently for 2 minutes.
7. Add half the grated cheese (50g), stirring until the cheese has melted.
8. Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds or on a baking tray, covered with foil in the oven at 165C/Gas 3 for 7-9 minutes.
9. Fill the Stand and Stuff Flour Tortillas as follows:

• Lettuce
• Fish mixture
• Chopped Tomatoes
• Grated Cheese
• Cool Herb Topping Mix
• Squeeze of Chunky Guacamole at each end!

I served the Fish Tacos with Red Cabbage and Celeriac Coleslaw



Red Cabbage and Celeriac Coleslaw
Serves 4-6

1/4 red cabbage, finely sliced
1/2 medium celeriac root, finely sliced into julienne strips
1 large carrot, grate half and julienne slice the other half
1/2 a small onions, finely chopped

Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix.

To make the dressing
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
25 ml olive oil
1 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp soured cream
salt and freshly ground pepper

Place all the ingredients into a jar or dressing shaker (or you can whisk in a bowl) and shake until completely mixed.  Pour over the vegetables and mix.  Chill until ready to serve.


What a tasty supper dish, we really enjoyed it.  The fish held together well and combined well with the spices.  I loved the Stand N Stuff Tacos, they held the fillings so well and I could see them being really brilliant for buffets and much easier for children to manage than the traditional tortilla.  As long as you don't fill them too full, you can pick them up and the filling will stay in while you bite into them.  I was also pleasantly surprised by the Chunky Guacamole, it definitely tasted of avocado and no obvious artificial flavour, not as much texture as the real thing but handy to keep in the fridge.

Read more about the benefits of eating oily fish at the Fish is the Dish website. 

The mackerel is a really thrifty buy, and the coleslaw is pretty cheap to make too. The meal can also be made with standard tortillas to make it less expensive.  With all these money savers I'm entering this recipe for Credit Crunch Munch, the blog event run by Fuss Free Flavours and Fab Food 4 All and currently being hosted by My Little Italian Kitchen 

I was provided with the Old El Paso products for review, I was not paid and all opinions are my own. 

Labels: celeriac, chilli, coleslaw, fish, Fish Tacos, Mackerel, Old El Paso, red cabbage, spicy, Tacos, Tortillas

posted by Janice @ 09:30 7 Comments

Slow Cooked Challenge Round Up for October

Many thanks to everyone who took part in the first 'Slow Cooked' Challenge.  Despite having opened up the challenge to any kind of slowly cooked food, it is the Electric Slow Cooker or Crock-pot which still dominates the entries for the challenge which is fine by me, but I'm glad to welcome anyone who wants to enter a slow cooked recipe to the challenge.

The first of two Apple Butter recipes.  Stuart at Mr Cakeyboi brings us Easy Apple Butter.  I've never made Apple Butter but I can see the attraction and I will add it to my recipe bucket list now I've seen how easy it is to make in the slow cooker.

Caroline of Caroline Makes enjoyed a simple baked potato in her Slow Cooker, deliciously topped with a blue cheese dressing and parsley combo.  A perfect lunch or light supper.

Deon at Food Jam made this Paprika Beef Stew before she went off on holiday, freezing some for when she returned.  What a lovely comforting dish to come home to.

Dominic at Belleau Kitchen was the trigger for the Slow Cooker Challenge becoming the Slow Cooked Challenge.  He kept telling me he wanted to enter but didn't have a slow cooker, so what happened when I changed the rules?  Dom got himself a Crock-pot just in time to enter this month's challenge!!  I am going to forgive him though because Dom has created this glorious Slow Cooked Lentil and Vegetable Stew with Polenta Dumplings.


Laura at "I'd much rather bake than..."  gives us a very unusual combination it's Slow Cooker Apple Pie Chilli I rather intrigued by this recipe and Laura certainly sells it well, describing the joys of this tomato free chilli dish. Check it out!

Now time to head from Mexico to North Africa for this 'fall apart' Slow Cooked Harissa Spiced Beef Stew  I just love the look of this warming dish created for us at De Tout Coeur Limousin

Now this is the perfect dish for Bonfire night: Bonfire Bangers and Barbeque Bean Casserole This warming dish comes to us from Karen at Lavender and Lovage, it looks so good.


Nessie was Shaheen of A2K's neighbour when she lived in Glasgow and this is Nessie's Apple Butter, it's so nice when good recipes are handed on and now Shaheen is passing it on to us.


Lucy of Baking Queen 74 is always surprising me with the recipes she manages to produce from her Slow Cooker, I'm learning a lot about Slow Cooker baking from Lucy.  This entry of Slow Cooker Plum and Almond Cake looks like another winner.

Just in case you missed it, this is my own Slow Cooked Challenge entry of Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons. 


The November Slow Cooked Challenge will be published on  Monday 3rd November,  I hope you will join us as we move into the true season of slowly cooked food.

Labels: Apple Butter, Beef, Beef Stew, cake, chilli, Harissa, Lentil stew, Plum, Polenta, potatoes, sausages, Slow Cooked Challenge, tagine

posted by Janice @ 08:24 13 Comments

Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood at BBC Good Food Show Scotland 2014

Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood

Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood were definitely the stars of the BBC Good Food Show Scotland this year. I attended the show on Friday 17th October, this was my first show in Scotland and the first time as a GFS Blogger, so let me tell you all about my experience.

Mary and Paul opening the show and at the Supertheatre

The show was opened by guess who?  Yes, Mary and Paul stepped up with the giant scissors to cut the ribbon and start the show.  They were also first up at the Supertheatre where they entertained the packed theatre with great recipes and the kind of banter that you have come to expect from watching The Great British Bake Off and the spin off  Masterclasses.

The Showguide and Recipe Collection

I was super-impressed by the Showguide and Recipe Collection.  Not only was it well laid out, with the floor plan and event timetables, featured right at the front, but it was also full of recipes featured in the shows and some extras too.  There was a full A-Z listing of all the producers and a product guide which was also helpful.

The Good Food Show Bloggers

Just a few of the producers at the BBC Good Food Show, Scotland clockwise from the top left Heck Food (fabulous sausages which previously featured at Farmersgirl Kitchen in some chorizo burgers I made from a Nigel Slater recipe); local to me in the SW of Scotland,  Waulkmill Cider from Langholm;  Seed and Bean Chocolate from Cornwall  and Award winning David's Chilli Oil.

Across the top:  sauces, mayonnaise, mutard chutney and relishes from Le Mesurier;  The Little Veg Company, a veg box delivery company in Glasgow and the West of Scotland;  Scotia Spice, authentic Punjabi Cookery School and Spice Kits and the bottom photo shows Gusto Artisan Foods purveyors of a wide range of oils and vinegars.


Once I knew I was going to the BBC Good Food Show, I was on a mission to get my 30+ year old Fast Cakes by Mary Berry signed by Queen Mary herself.  Although I have been baking since I was a child, this is the book that really gave me confidence to bake and also the understanding of baking to allow me to experiment and create my own cakes and bakes.

The rules for book signings are pretty strict and only certain books could be signed.  I saw one poor girl who had stood for 30 minutes turned away because she had a Bake Off Book rather than a Mary Berry book.  I bought Mary's latest book, Mary Berry Cooks the Perfect,  to be signed and given as a gift (that's why I'm not showing it here) and slid my old, cake batter splattered and scribbled on book underneath.  I was nervous as I approached the table, wondering if I would be refused the signature.  However, I need not have worried, as I handed over the new book, I explained about Fast Cakes and there was no problem at all.  Mary signed and gave me a big smile, then continued working her way through the long queue.

Janice meets Paul Hollwood

After the 2.30 pm Supertheatre show, the bloggers had the opportunity to go back stage for a photo opportunity with Paul Hollywood.  There was no opportunity to speak to Paul or to Mary, who was there only fleetingly, on her way to the Interview stage.  I have to say I was hugely impressed by Mary Berry's stamina, she had few breaks and still looked fresh - she is the ultimate professional.

Overall it was a great day out and I can thoroughly recommend it.  The Scottish show is over for this year, but there are still loads more BBC Good Food Shows that you can visit in the coming months.

Labels: BBC Good Food Show, chilli, chocolate, Christina's Cucuna, Food, Glasgow, Mary Berry, Paul Hollywood, Scotland

posted by Janice @ 19:48 13 Comments

Chilli Lime Cupcakes - National Cupcake Week Part 2

How is your National Cupcake Week going?  I hope you have managed to bake or eat at least one cupcake this week, if not you still have time to get baking.  On Monday I shared Salted Caramel Apple Cupcakes with you and showed you the nifty gadget from OXO Good Grips for coring cupcakes, today I invite you to get your teeth into these gloriously festive Chilli Lime Cupcakes.


These cupcakes are also cored and then filled with Chilli Lime and Ginger jam (mild) made by my friend Sheena at Galloway Chillies.  If you haven't tried Galloway Chillies Jams then you don't know what you are missing and you should get some ordered up immediately so you too can 'spread a little wildfire'.


As soon as I saw this flavoured icing sugar from Sugar and Crumbs I knew I had to have some and that it would pair perfectly with the Galloway Chillies jam.


Chilli Lime Cupcakes

For the cupcakes
125g caster sugar
125g soft butter
2 eggs
grated zest of a lime
2 tsp squeezed lime juice
150g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder

For the filling
1 tsp Galloway Chillies, Chilli Lime Ginger Jam (mild)

For the Icing
75g soft butter
150g Sugar and Crumbs Chilli Lime Icing Sugar
grated zest of  1/2 lime
1tbsp lime juice

To decorate
grated zest of 1/2 lime
Red cake sprinkles (or if you are really into chilli, finely chopped fresh chilli)

Using a stand mixer beat the sugar and butter together, then add the eggs one at a time, finally add the lime juice and beat the mixture for about 3 minutes until it is light and fluffy.  Sift the flour and baking powder into the butter mixture and beat until incorporated, fold in the grated lime zest.   Spoon the mixture into eight paper case.  Heat the oven to 180C, bake for 20 -25 minutes until golden and when pressed on the top they feel firm.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Once cooled, core the cupcakes and fill with a teaspoon of the Chilli Lime and Ginger Jam. Cut the core in half and replace in the hole to cover the jam.

For the Icing
Beat the butter for a few minutes until light and fluffy, sift in the icing sugar, add the lime juice and zest and beat for a further few minutes until the sugar and butter is combined.  Spread the icing over the top of the cupcakes.

Decorate with grated zest of lime and red sprinkles or finely chopped chilli.

These cupcakes are such a treat, the lime cuts through the sweetness of the jam and icing making the cupcakes taste really fresh and delicious.



I'm entering them for Treat Petite the baking challenge for individual sweet treats run by Mr Cakeyboi and The Baking Explorer - the theme is 'Anything Goes'.


I was provided with the cupcake corer and icing spatula by OXO Good Grips and the Flavoured Icing Sugar by Sugar and Crumbs.  I was not paid for this review and all opinions are my own.

Labels: chilli, cupcakes, lime, National Cupcake Week, OXO Good Grips, Sugar and Crumbs

posted by Janice @ 06:30 5 Comments