Chilli Crab Risotto

Ingredients:

1 crab weighing about 800g-1kg, cooked, the meat removed and shells reserved 
60g butter 
200g carnaroli rice 
1-1.5ltrs approx of hot crab stock* 
2-3 red chillies, finely chopped 
2-3tbsp chives, finely chopped 
100g unsalted butter to finish 
60ml double cream

*For the crab stock:

1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 medium leek, washed and roughly chopped 
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped 
20g butter 
The shells from the crab, broken with a rolling pin or back of a knife 
A few sprigs of thyme 
1tsp fennel seeds 
10 peppercorns 
1 bay leaf 
150ml white wine 
2ltrs fish stock (we used Knorr fish stock cubes)

To make the stock, gently cook the onion, leek and garlic in the 20g of butter for a few minutes, until soft. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to the boil and simmer for 1 hour, giving the occasional skim.

Strain the stock through a fine-meshed sieve. The stock should be strong in flavour: if it's not, reduce it until the flavour is concentrated. You should be left with about 1-1 litres.

To make the risotto, melt the 60g of butter in a heavy-based saucepan, add the rice, stirring it well with a wooden spoon over a low heat for a minute. Gradually add the hot stock a little at a time, stirring constantly. When the rice is almost cooked, add the chilli and continue cooking for a few minutes, then add half the crab, the unsalted butter, double cream and chives; season if necessary. Warm the rest of the crab through under a grill, spoon the risotto on to warmed serving plates and scatter the crab on top.

(We served our risotto topped with pan fried haddock, we also added the trimmings from the fish to the crab stock)

Vegetable Crumble

Ingredients:
For the crumble topping:
Butter or margarine 100g
wholemeal flour 175g
Cheddar cheese, grated 100g
Mixed seeds 50g
Sesame seeds 2 tbsp

Base:
Mixed root veg (parsnip, swede, turnip, potato, carrot etc) 675g
1 large onion
Butter or margarine 50g
wholemeal flour 25g
300ml vegetable stock
142 ml milk
3 tbsp chopped parsley

Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add the cheese and seeds and mix in.

Chop the vegetables then melt the butter in a large pan and cook the onion until transparent. Add the prepared veg and cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes. Stir in the flour then add the remaining ingredients. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until the veg is just tender.

Transfer to an oven proof dish. Press the crumble topping over the veg and bake in the oven at 190c for about half an hour, until golden.

(serves 6)

Brighton

 Recently we spent the weekend in Brighton, staying with Ash's sister & her boyfriend to celebrate her 30th Birthday. I've never been to Brighton before, but after hearing them all tell me repeatedly how much I would love the shopping over the years I was definately looking forward to finally visiting!

I was not disappointed! Shopping in The Laines was a great experience, pretty much all the shops are small & independently owned, so you are guaranteed to get something unusual. I could quite easily have spent a small fortune, so I feel I was very controlled with my 3 purchases!

We went for coffee & cake in the most extravagant fashion, stopping off in a French macaroon shop for a 'pick me up'. The cakes arrived looking almost too good to eat (but only 'almost'!) and tasted even better. An extravagant coffee stop, but well worth it for the experience!

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Ingredients:
115g butter
100g caster sugar
2 eggs
115g self-raising flour
grated zest & juice of one lemon
3 tablespoons lemon curd
to decorste:
150g cater sugar
2 egg whiles

makes 12 cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 180c, then line a muffin tin with 12 cases.

Beat butter & sugar together in a bowl until pale & fluffy. Bent in the eggs one at a time. Sig t the flour into the mixture & fold in, then stir in the lemon juice & zest.

Spoon a dollop of the mixture into each muffin case & make an indentation in the center with a teaspoon. Drop in a dollop of the lemon curd, then top with the remaining cake mixture.

Bake for 17 minutes until risen & golden. Allow to cool.

To decorate, put the sugar & egg whites in a bowl & set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly for about 5 minutes until the mixture is thick & glossy & stands in peaks. Use a piping bag to pipe a whirl onto the top of each cake. Leave to set for at least 30 minutes, longer if you want a firmer meringue.

Home-Made Butternut Squash Tortellini

Our hand-made tortellini (spot Ash's ones in the bottom right corner! He delegated the rest of them to me after these deformed efforts!)

The finished dish

This recipe is really yummy & also good for you as the gyoza dumpling dough is lower in calories than fresh egg pasta. I promise you won't be able to tell the difference!

Ingredients:

Dough:
300g strong white flour
1/2 tsp fine salt
200ml boiling water

Filling
500g butternut squash
1tsp olive oil
1 red onion
3tbsp quick-cook polenta
25g parmesan
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
salt & pepper

Sauce
3 tbsp half-fat creme fraiche
handful basil leaves
2 big handfuls of baby spinach leaves
Chilli flakes

First make the dough. Sift the flour & mix in the salt & then stir in the boiling water with chopsticks until a ball forms. If the dough seems too wet add a bit more flour. If it's too dry add more water. Cover the dough & leave it to stand & cool for an hour. 
Preheat the oven to 200c. Peel the butternut squash & cut it into 4cm chunks. Toss them in oil, season & then roast in the oven for 25 minutes. Finely slice the red onion. Toss it in the remaining oil & add to the squash after the 25 min cooking time & cook for a further 10 minutes. 
Allow the veg to cool for 5 minutes, then add to a blender with the polenta & blitz it to make an orange puree. Set aside to cool for an hour, then stir in the parmesan & nutmeg. 
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface & knead for 5 minutes until it is very elastic. Roll the dough out very thinly & cut out circles using a pastry cutter - you can't re-roll this dough, so get as many as you can out of it in one go. 
Take a disc of dough & lay it flat in the palm of your hand. Place a heaped teaspoon of the filling in the middle, dip your finger in water & brush it around the edge. Fold the pastry over & press the edges firmly to form a semi-circle. 
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Drop the tortellini gently into the hot water & cook for 5 minutes until the pasta is tender. Drain & then tip the pasta back into the saucepan. Add the creme fraiche, basil & spinach leaves. Season well, add chilli flakes, then toss together over a low heat until the spinach wilts. 

Asian Prawn Noodle Broth

This yummy dish is so warming and filling - perfect for wintery evenings when you still want to feel a bit virtuous!

Ingredients:

•1 tablespoon mixed seeds (pumpkin, poppy, sun flower)

•1 quart vegetable stock

1/2 can low fat coconut milk

•1 packet of king prawns, preferably raw

•2 teaspoons thai five-spice powder

•sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

•a thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger

•olive oil

•½ to 1 fresh red chili, to your taste

•4 ounces rice sticks or vermicelli

•a handful of snow peas

•6 thin asparagus spears or 4 regular-sized spears

•6 fresh baby corn or 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels

•soy sauce

•juice of 1 lime

•a small handful of spinach leaves

Fresh coriander

preparation

1. Put a medium frying pan or wok on a high heat and add the seeds to it straight away, while it’s heating up.

2. Put a large saucepan on a high heat. Fill the saucepan with the veggie stock, heat until very hot, and put a lid on it.

3. Toss the seeds around until heated through nicely — this will take a couple of minutes.

4. While this is happening put the prawns into a bowl. Sprinkle the prawns with the five-spice powder and a good pinch of salt and pepper and stir.

5. When the seeds are done, transfer them to a plate.

6. Put the empty pan back on a high heat. Add a little olive oil to your hot pan with your prawns and cook for 3-5 minutes, until golden, tossing and turning every now and again.

7. Peel and finely slice your ginger and slice your chili.

8. Take the lid off the pan with the stock and add half the chili, all the ginger, your rice sticks (or vermicelli), snow peas, asparagus, and corn, with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce & the coconut milk. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring. Halve the lime and squeeze in the juice. 

  

9. To serve, divide the spinach leaves between your bowls and pour over the broth, rice sticks (or vermicelli), and vegetables. Divide the prawns over and scatter with the toasted seeds, coriander leaves and remaining chili.

Garlic, Spinach & Mushroom Pasta

Ingredients:

1 small bulb of garlic
olive oil
200g chestnut mushrooms
200g baby spinach leaves
200g low fat cream cheese
Plenty of freshly grated nutmeg
100ml low/reduced fat single cream
salt & pepper

Nestle the whole garlic bulb in a little foil & roast in a preheated oven, 200c for 35-45 minutes until it is tender when pierced with a knife.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the mushrooms until they are begining to brown. Add the spinach, cover with a lid and heat gently for a couple of minutes until the spinach has wilted.

Remove the roasted garlic from the oven, leave to cool slightly, then slice off the base and squeeze out the contents of each clove. Put this in a food processor with the cream cheese and nutmeg and blend until smooth.

Turn the garlic mixture into a saucepan, add the cream and heat gently, stirring with a wooden spoon, to make a smooth sauce. Add the mushrooms and spinach mixture and heat through. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Serve stirred through your favourite pasta.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Yummy, warming, filling & healthy - Does it get better than this?!

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
2 onions
2 stock cubes (I use veggie) disolved in about a litre of water
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
fresh coriander (optional)

Preheat the oven to 220c. Chop up the squash & onions and put them in a roasting dish. Bake uncovered for 45 mins or until the squash is tender. Don't worry if some of the pieces get a bit browned - this will add to the roasted flavour of the soup.

Remove from the oven. Tip into a saucepan and add the stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Let it cool. Puree in batches in a blender or food processor.

Toast the curry powder in a small frying pan over a low heat until fragrant - be careful not to burn it. Stir into the pureed soup. Season to taste. I then garnish it with fresh coriander - because I love it - but I know some people are not so keen!

Enjoy!

Coffee & Cake & All Things Nice!

If you ask me, coffee is one of life's necessities as well as a wonderful luxury! The boy & I spent Saturday in Glastonbury, exploring the shops, having a nose around a craft fair and stopping off for a well earned coffee & slice of cake. The dark chocolate & Guinness cake I had (pictured) goes straight into the top 10 cakes of all time! If you've never been to Glastonbury (the town, not the festival!) I highly recommend it - lots of one off shops & boutiques, and even a really lovely little vintage shop, which is so special it gets it's own post tomorrow!

Squash, Mushroom & Spinach Lasagne

This recipe is so easy to throw together, and makes a lovely heartwarming winter meal. You need lasagne sheets, a squash, a bag of spinach, mushrooms, cheese & a can of mushroom soup. 

Slice up the squash & roast in the oven until cooked - about 20mins should do it

While the squash is cooking fry the mushrooms & then add the spinach to wilt down

Layer up the lasagne sheets, roasted squash, mushroom soup & cooked mushroom & spinach in an oven dish. You should be able to get at least 3 layers out of the ingredients

Top with grated cheese & pop in the over (200 degrees c) until brown & bubbling - about half an hour should do it

Most important bit - have a glass of wine to reward yourself for all that work while the lasagne is cooking!

Enjoy your lasagne with a lovely green salad!