Strawberry Brownies

I have been craving baked goods for few weeks. And what made it worse was that I craved a home-made (or cafe/restaurant made) cake, not the store bake muffins. Considering I'm a horrible baker and my refusal to pay £5 for a slice of cake, I was frustrated. And then my lovely friend, S, who is an adept baker suggests me to try baking using Betty Crocker brownies mix. She convinced me that it is a fool proof method even for a disastrous baker, like me. So I gave it a go and since I happened to have fresh Spanish strawberries, I thought adding the glorious red berries would have made the good slightly healthier. And it was the best brownies I ever tasted (yes, I am being subjective) 

I'm not even sure if I need to put recipe here, it's soo simple. Just follow the instruction in the box and once the dough is ready and add chopped strawberries into the dough and just bake.

After 25 - 30 minutes. voila, fresh strawberry brownie.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to me.
I haven't been cooking but I have certainly been eating. Ever since I decided to indulge my brain by going back to University, I have inadvertently over indulge my belly hence I am now slightly smarter and significantly bigger. I did try to eat more healthily and to move more, and just like any new year's resolution, it lasted less than a week. Prove? Here I am, in the middle of the night, watching CSI rerun and trying so hard to finish my assignment before my last minute weekend away to Amsterdam, whilst eating a family size of crisps.

My other resolutions are to cook more and to actually learn to bake. I have always want to but I either never had the time or simply too dissapointed by past attempts. My final resolution is to learn how to sew, I mean I did it when I was in High School and I do have the machine, so this can't be that difficult.

I'm so not sure about this.

Strawberry Jam

Do you know that it only takes about half an hour to make your own Strawberry Jam? I didn't. I always thought jam making was complicated but I was so wrong. I highly recommend everybody, especially the ones with young children, to try and make this ridiculously easy jam.

Strawberry jam is rather tricky compared to blueberry or others as it can contains low pectin and might have high water content. The ones I used were smaller than most Strawberries, which helped the process, but if yours are regular or even larger, do not worry, just let it boil longer and do the setting test. If you are a professional jam maker with sugar thermometer and methylated spirit then you don't need to worry but if you're just an amateur like me there is a simple way to do the test. It's called the Saucer Test and basically all you need are a saucer or a plate and your finger. Drop a spoonfull of the hot jam on to a chilled plate and leave it to cool. Push your finger through the jam, if the surfaces wrinkles, the jam is ready. If not then let it boil a little longer. Repeat the test if necessary.

This jam can keep for a year unopened if stored correctly. You need to make sure to spoon the hot jam in to a sterilised jar immediately. If your forget to cover them while the jam is still hot then you have to leave until its completely cold as mould might grow on the surface.

So are you ready to start?

Strawberry Jam

Ingredients:
900g Strawberries (Hulled and washed)
1kg Sugar with pectin (Sugar jam)
Juice of 1/2 Lemon

Method:
1. Put the strawberries in a huge pan (the biggest one you can find) with sugar and lemon juice. Heat gently until sugar has dissolved, stirring frequently.
2. Bring to the boil and boil steadily for about 4 minutes or until setting point is reached.
3. Remove from the heat and remove any scum with a slotted spoon. Leave to stand for 15 - 20 minutes. 
4. Stir the jam gently, then pot into a sterilised jar and cover. 



To find out more on how to sterilise jam visit this website.

Me and Roy have tasted the jam with toasts and they are to die for. The recipe above makes about 1.8kg or 4 jars (250g). I find mine a tad too sweet (yes, I know jam is supposed to be extra sweet) so the for next batch I'm adding more strawberries.

Portuguese Tart

Portuguese Tart is lovely. It's one of the lovelies tart I have ever tasted and I'm proud to say I'm getting addicted to it. I never made it my self because it requires two ingredients that if you make it from scratch it culd take hours. Puff Pastry and Custard. Pfft..

But for the sake of KBO, I'm declaring this month challenge is Portuguese Tart which has to be made from scratch! In here, ready made pastry and custard are easy to buy and damn cheap but hey, where is the fun in that.


Jamie Oliver has a cheat version that supposedly as good as the original.
Jamie's Portuguese Tart

TARTS (MAKES 6)

• Plain flour, for dusting
• 1 x 375g pack of prerolled puff pastry
• Ground cinnamon
• 125g (4½oz) créme fraîche
• 1tsp vanilla paste or vanilla extract
• 5tbsp golden caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 orange

• Dust a surface with flour. Unroll the pastry, then cut it in half so you have two 20cm x 20cm (8in x 8in) squares. Sprinkle over a few pinches of ground cinnamon, then roll the pastry into a Swiss-roll shape and cut into 6 rounds.
• Put these into 6 of the holes in a muffin tin, and use your thumbs to mould the pastry into the holes, so the bottom is flat and the pastry comes up to the top. Put on the top shelf of the oven and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly golden. 
• Spoon the créme fraîche into a small bowl. Add the egg, vanilla paste or extract, 1tbsp golden caster sugar and the zest of 1 orange. Mix well. 
• Take the muffin tin out of the oven, and use a teaspoon to press the puffed-up pastry back to the sides and make room for the filling. Spoon the créme fraîche mixture into the tart cases, and return to the top shelf of the oven. Set the timer for 8 minutes. 
• Put a small saucepan on a high heat. Squeeze in the juice from the zested orange and add 4tbsp golden caster sugar. Stir and keep a good eye on it, but remember caramel can burn badly so don't touch or taste
• Pour some caramel over each tart (they'll still be wobbly). Put aside to set.

But if you prefer to try the original version like me then you should give this recipe a try (adapted from UKTV Portuguese Tart)

• 250 g puff pastry
• 4 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 egg yolk, beaten

For the custard:

• 6 large eggs
• 6 tbsp clear honey
• 2 vanilla pods
• grated zest of 1oranges
• 600 ml double cream

For the caramel:

• 6 tbsp caster sugar
• 3 tbsp water

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6.
2. Finely roll out the puff pastry. Sprinkle over the sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon.
3. Fold up the pastry and roll out again. Form the pastry into a log shape.
4. Finely slice the pastry into 10 thin round slices.
5. Press the pastry slices into a greased 10-tartlet patty tin, pricking the base of each pastry case
6. Line each pastry case with greaseproof paper. Fill each case two-thirds full with baking beans. Bake for 8 minutes.
7. Remove the greaseproof paper and baking beans. Brush the pastry cases with beaten egg and bake for a further 4-6 minutes at 180°C/gas 4. Cool the pastry cases on a wire rack.
8. Meanwhile, make the custard. Whisk together the eggs and honey until thick and pale.
9. Place the cream in a heavy-based saucepan. Slice open the vanilla pods lengthways and scrape out the vanilla seeds into the cream. Stir in the orange zest.
10. Heat the cream to boiling point.
11. Whisking as you do so, gradually pour the hot cream into the egg mixture and mix well.
12. Pour the egg and cream mixture into the saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes until the mixture thickens into a custard. Take care not to let it come to the boil. Strain into a bowl.
13. Divide the custard among the pastry tart cases and set aside to cool.
14. In a small saucepan, heat together the sugar and water, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
15. Bring to the boil and cook without stirring until the syrup caramelises and turns a deep golden brown.
16. Drizzle the hot caramel over the custard tarts. Serve the tarts with cream if desired, stirring now and then to prevent a skin from forming.

 So if this challenge meet the requirement of miss administrator then let's start baking!

KBB Challenge - Baking Pizza (Alternative version)

Who doesn't love Pizza?
Me. I don't.

I'd eat it but it will never be my first, second or even a third choice. Me and Roy do have the occasional Pizza night but it's more because he loves Pizza and I feel bad for not saying yes to his choice for once.
I like dough, I love tomatoes and I adore cheese. So why don't I like Pizza?? It's a mystery.

 

So this baking challenge is not exactly my cup of tea. Why? First, as mentioned above, I don't like Pizza. Second it involves yeast and kneading two things I just don't have the patience to do. Third, I'm a terrible baker with a long history of ruining fool proof recipes. However, since Roy loves Pizza I do have these guilty feeling in my guts for not letting him order Pizza as much as he wants to or for not making him one. So driven by the guilt, last year, I decided to try something new - a Mexican pizza (ish) dish. It's basically a tortilla tops with meat, red sauce and cheese and cook in the oven for 10 minutes, just enough to melt the cheese. Depending on what I have in the fridge, the topping varies from sliced beef steak to tinned sweer corn. This style of Pizza also works best with Panini or Ciabatta bread and serve it with fresh crisp salad.

Pizza Tortilla

Ingredients
Tortilla
Red Pesto (Green pesto works too)
A handfull of cherry tomatoes (or Plum tomatoes but avoid Salad or Beef tomatoes as they contain too much water and less flavour)
200 grams of Cheddar Cheese, grated.
200 grams of Mozarella, finely sliced.
50 grams of button mushroom, finely sliced.
A handful of chopped dried apricots (optional)
A handful of fresh basil

Method:

1. Turn the oven on to Gas 6
2. Spread one tablespoon of pesto on one tortilla then add the rest of the ingredients except basil and pepper.
3. Cook the Tortilla Pizza in the oven for 10 minutes (or less if you don't like your Tortilla Pizza extra crispy)
4. Take the Tortilla Pizza out of the oven, add black pepper and some basil leaves on the topping.
5. Serve warm

Spring!

I love Spring. Everything changes daily from the moment the snow started to melt ,the new buds and snow drops to extended daylight. But my most favorite spring things are the spring vegetables and fruits. Finally, after months of Leeks, Neeps and Tatties (Not that I dislike them I just would like a change) I can now see more than roots veggies in the market. Even the spring tatties has sprung! New potatoes are really the best this season and my favorite is still the one from Jersey, it's one of those potatoes that doesn't need a lot of work - just boil and serve it with a knob of butter. Delish.

I went to a market at the weekend and you should see what I got for a mere £5! A bunch of fresh asparagus (Devon grown apparently), a big bag of tomatoes (UK), a bag of mixed peppers (Dutch), a handful of limes and a kilo of Golden Delicious Apples. I will struggle to eat them all in a week but Roy and I have promised to try our best.
And I can't wait to go again this weekend (just) to see what I can get! Ooh, also because I saw the bluest blueberries on one of the grocerries but it was so expensive £4 for 250g so I'm hoping after a couple of days under the sun, my grocer would put the price down a bit.

Bring on Friday!




By the way, I'm going to endorse these Golden Delicious Apples as they are wonderful. Although I still prefer Royal Gala for sweetness, this type of apple is certainly a good change. And it certainly goes well colour-wise with my limes.

Asparagus Fritata

When we were growing up, Asparagus were more of a treat. It's one of those vegetables who only available in supermarket not in our regular market. My first Asparagus exeperience was at a wedding (dad's colleague's daughter) and God it was horrible. And I never tried it again until I moved to Edinburgh where Asparagus is one those veggies which you can find anywhere, everywhere and anytime. So I gave in but before I became a fully believer I spent days, even weeks reading how to cook Asparagus. Exactly a year ago I cooked my first Asparagus and I've been a fan ever since. Hubby is still sticking to his not-in-a-million-years so it is still a delicacy in our household.

This is my take on Spanish Fritata with Garlic Asparagus.

3 Eggs
100 grams of cooked potatoed, finely sliced
200 grams of baby potatoes, boiled in salt water. 
a handful of frozen peas
100 grams of dried apricots, finely chopped.
200 grams steak mince
1 red onion, sliced
Corianders
Cheese

* Beat the eggs, add milk, salt and pepper. Leave it aside.
* Heat up the skillet (make sure this skillet is big enough for the whole mixture if not use two medium size skillet), add the mince and cook until brown but not cooked.
* Add the onion, apricots and the cooked potatoes. Mix it well  and cook for another 15 minutes. Then add the egg mixture and peas and cook for another ten minutes.
* To make sure that the eggs are cooked thoroughly put the skillet under the grill and in a low heat grill the mixture for another 5 - 7 minutes or until is golden.
* Test it with a fork or a skewer to make sure it's well cooked.
* To finish the dish chopped a handul of coriander and grated some cheese, and sprinkle on top.

 No pictures of the dish but I did have the a picture of the Asparagus fresh from the market