Bridget Jones’ English Rose for Saint George

23rd April is St. George’s Day in the UK, the patron saint of England. Whereas the rest of the countries that form the have a public holiday to observe their patron saint’s national day, we in the English part of the UK don’t (sadly), sometimes it may coincide with a late Easter bank holiday otherwise it remains unmarked by holiday festivities. However, this does not mean that we are not passionate about our English heritage, William Shakespeare, Del Boy & Rodney, Bridget Jones, Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding…. and our beloved national cricket and football teams, along with their almighty failings.

So, this week’s recipes are to celebrate all things English, they are:- Roast Beef with Caramelised Onion Gravy, Yorkshire Pudding & Bridget Jones’ Blue Soup.

My first recipe is Roast Beef with Caramelised Onion Gravy Recipe by Sarah Cook, courtesy of BBC Good Food Magazine May 2012.

Serves 6, Prep 30mins, Cook 1.1/2hrs.

1tbsp x Black Peppercorn
1tbsp x English Mustard Powder
1tbsp x Dried Thyme
1tsp x Celery Seeds
1tbsp x Olive Oil
approx 2kg/4lb 8oz x Topside Joint of Beef

For the gravy
4tbsp x Plain Flour
2 x Beef Stock Cubes
3tbsp x Caramelised Onion Chutney or Marmalade
2-3tsp x Marmite

Crush the peppercorns, mustard powder, thyme and celery seeds together with some salt, using a pestle and mortar. Stir in the oil, then rub it all over the beef. (If you have time, cover and chill the joint overnight to marinate. Bring the beef out of the fridge 1hr before roasting.)

Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and sit the joint in a snug-ish roasting tin. Roast for 12mins per 450g/1lb (about 55mins for a 2kg/4lb 8oz joint) for medium-rare, or 15mins per 450g/1lb (about 1hr 10mins) for medium-well. Remove from the oven, lift onto a platter, cover with foil and rest for 30mins. If you’re making Yorkshire puddings (see below for recipe), increase oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.

For the gravy, pour any juices from the roasting tin into a jug. Let the juices separate, then spoon 2 tbsp of the fat back into the tin – if there is no fat, use 2 tbsp butter instead. Discard any other fat. Sit the roasting tin on the hob and stir in the flour, stock cubes, onion chutney or marmalade and Marmite. Cook for 1 minute, stirring well to scrape up any beefy bits stuck to the tin, then gradually stir in 750ml hot water from the kettle. Bubble to thicken to a nice consistency, then gently keep warm until ready to serve with the beef, carved into slices.

My next recipe has to be Yorkshire Puddings Recipe by Tana Ramsey, courtesy of Market Kitchen.

Makes 6-8, Prep 5mins, Cook 20mins

170g x Plain Flour
3 x Large Eggs
425ml x Whole Milk
A Large Pinch of Salt
3tbsp x Lard

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6. Put the flour, eggs, milk and salt in a liquidizer and blend until smooth. You may need to stop the motor and scrape down the sides in order to incorporate all the flour into the mixture. Spoon the lard into the Yorkshire pudding tray, filling the holes to the top and put into the oven. As the fat begins to smoke, add the batter and return to the oven. Make sure you don’t open the door for the next 15 minutes, or the puddings won’t rise well. When golden and risen, take out of the oven and turn each pudding upside down before returning to the oven for another couple of minutes to crisp up. Serve.

And my final recipe is a very famous one for more reasons than it’s taste, Bridget Jones’ Blue Soup Recipe by Mimi Bobeck, courtesy of www.food.com

Serves 4, Prep 10mins, Cook 1hr

1 x Leek, diced
1 x Celery, diced
2 x Chopped Garlic Cloves
3 x Potatoes, chopped
750ml x Chicken Stock
250ml x Milk or 250ml x Cream
A Large Knob of Butter
Salt
Pepper
Sour Cream
Blue Food Colouring

Combine everything but the blue food colouring into a saucepan. Cook for about 30 minutes until potatoes become mush. Mash up potatoes and veggie mixture. (If you are impatient, you can put this into a blender or food processor to purée – just like Bridget did. But be careful, WARNING: make sure the soup is not boiling hot when you pour it into the blender or food processor – or else the same thing will happen to you that happened to Bridget where the contents comes spewing out all over the room. And let me tell you, you will NOT be yelling “Oh Bugger! Oh Bugger Bugger!” you will be screaming bloody murder and in the hospital with 3rd degree burns. Make sure you cool the mixture first please – remember, Bridget Jones’ Diary was a movie, in real life what she did was quite dangerous).

After the soup is puréed, add a couple of drops of blue food colouring – how much is up to you and how blue you want your soup to be. Mix soup well to blend in the food colouring. Just before serving, add a little sour cream on top of blue soup if you desire and garnish with chopped chives. If you are seriously a die hard Bridget fan, you can add a few strands of string – but I don’t recommend it- this is meant to be a delicious, edible version of this novelty soup.

A special thank you to Karen for the recommendation of the final recipe, which in itself set the tone for the whole blog this week.

Tune into my show on 6 Towns Radio Sunday morning 8-10am “Under the Covers with TheRealTonyc” at http://6towns.co.uk/ It’s what your Sunday’s were made for.

If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to do so by using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.

Hope you enjoy!!….. ChefGarfy =D

Follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/therealtonyc
www.garfysplace.blog.co.uk/
www.garfysplaceinfo.blog.co.uk/
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All Seems A Bit Greek To Me

The Greeks have always had a strong sense of family, just like the Italians, food is the centre of family life. Big flavours and big meals are essential to feed their family’s bellies to keep them going through their busy lives. So this week the recipes have a Grecian feel to them.

The recipes are:- Pasticcio, Moussaka & Spanakopita

My first recipe is Pasticcio (Greek pasta bake) Recipe by Kate Belcher, courtesy of Delicious Magazine websitewww.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/

Serves 4, Prep time 50mins, Cook time 25mins

1tbsp x Olive Oil, plus extra for brushing
1 x Large Onion, finely chopped
2 x Garlic Cloves, crushed
500g x Lamb Mince
1tbsp x Tomato Purée
1/2tsp x Ground Cinnamon
1 x 400g Can of Chopped Tomatoes
2tsp x Dried Oregano
350g x Dried Macaroni

For the topping
150ml x Greek yogurt
1 x Medium Egg, beaten
50g x Mature Cheddar, grated
50g x Feta

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5mins, until soft. Increase the heat, add the minced lamb and cook, stirring, for 5mins, until browned. Drain off the fat in a sieve, then return the meat to the pan. Add the purée and cinnamon and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, then half-fill the can with water and pour into the pan. Add the oregano, season, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20mins.

Preheat the oven to 180C/fan160C/gas 4. For the topping, mix the yogurt, egg and half the cheeses. Season with pepper. Cook macaroni in boiling water until al dente. Drain and spoon half into a deep, oven-proof dish. Season. Top with the mince and remaining macaroni. Press down, spoon over yogurt topping and scatter with remaining cheese. Bake for 25mins, or until golden and bubbling.

My next recipe is Moussaka Courtesy of Good Food Channel website www.uktv.co.uk

Serves 4, Prep 30mins, Cook 2hrs

100ml x Olive Oil
5 x Aubergines, thinly sliced
3 x Potatoes, thinly sliced
Black Pepper
1 x Onion, finely chopped
1 x 400g Can of Chopped Tomatoes
400g x Minced Pork
4tbsp x Grated Parmesan
500ml x Evaporated Milk
250ml x Water
1tbsp x Butter
100g x Plain Flour
3 x Eggs, lightly beaten

Lightly brush a 2 litre capacity oven-proof dish with a little olive oil and preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the aubergine slices, a few at a time, until golden brown, adding more oil to the pan between batches, as necessary. Remove the aubergine slices from the pan as they are cooked and set aside on absorbent kitchen towel. Repeat the process with the potato slices. Place 2 layers of the aubergine slices into the prepared dish and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Follow this with a layer of potatoes and season again. Make the meat sauce. Heat a little olive oil in a saucepan and fry the onions over a medium heat until softened. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 5-10mins, until thickened. Add the pork and continue stirring until the meat is cooked through. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour the meat sauce over the potatoes to cover them completely and sprinkle over half of the Parmesan cheese. Add 2 more even layers of aubergine slices.

To make the topping, pour the evaporated milk into a saucepan and add the water, butter and flour. Stir continuously with a balloon whisk until the mixture is smooth and has almost come to the boil. Continue stirring until thick. Remove the sauce from the heat, season to taste and allow it to cool slightly. Stir in the beaten eggs. Pour the sauce over the aubergine slices and scatter the remaining Parmesan evenly over the top. Cook for 1 1/2 hours, until the topping is set and golden brown. Serve immediately.

And my final recipe for this week is Spanakopita Recipe by Nichola Palmer courtesy of www.goodtoknow.co.uk

Spanakopita is a traditional Greek pie made with layers of crisp flaky filo pastry filled with a mixture of spinach, ricotta cheese and Feta cheese. Serve it as a main course with salad or as a starter with olives and tomatoes.

Serves 6, Prep 30mins, Cook 40mins

2tbsp x Olive Oil
2 x Onions, chopped
2 x Garlic Cloves, crushed
450g x Baby Spinach leaves, rinsed and drained
2 x 250g Pots of Ricotta Cheese
1 x Egg, beaten
Freshly Grated Nutmeg
200g x Feta Cheese, crumbled
10 x Sheets of Filo Pastry, defrosted if frozen
75g x Butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Fan 180°C/Gas Mark 6. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the onion and garlic and cook for 5mins, stirring, until softened. At the same time cook the spinach in a separate large pan, without adding any extra water, for 2mins until just wilted. Drain well and squeeze out any excess moisture. Place the ricotta cheese in a bowl, add the onion and garlic with the beaten egg. Season with freshly ground pepper and a little grated nutmeg and mix well. Lightly stir in the spinach and crumbled Feta.

Brush one sheet of filo with melted butter and use to line a 25cm diameter flan tin or shallow baking tin allowing any spare pastry to hang over the edges. Repeat with 4 more sheets of pastry placing them at different angles in the tin making sure there are no gaps. Place the spinach mixture on the top and spread out evenly. Fold any overhanging pastry over the filling, then cover with the remaining pastry sheets, brushing in between each layer with butter. Trim off any excess pastry and brush the top with any remaining butter. Bake for 35-40mins until crisp and golden. Serve warm or cold.

Tune into my show on 6 Towns Radio Sunday morning 8-10am “Under the Covers with TheRealTonyc” at http://6towns.co.uk/ It’s what your Sunday’s were made for.

If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to do so by using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.

Hope you enjoy!!….. ChefGarfy =D

Follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/therealtonyc
www.garfysplace.blog.co.uk/
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Cheap as Chips and Better for Your Family

Being able to feed your family, healthy wholesome food whilst on a budget, can be difficult in these days of austerity. Sacrificing cost for nutrition and dubious ingredients usually ends up being the result, however with some clever planning and wise shopping, this may be a thing of the past. This week’s recipes reflect that that your family can still eat healthy and cheaply, without resulting to processed or fast food meals.

The recipes are :- Pumpkin Falafel Pockets, Plum Betty & Canned Tuna Sweetcorn Cakes.

My first recipe is Pumpkin Falafel Pockets courtesy of BBC Good Food Magazine first published October 2011.

Serves 4, Prep 20mins, Cook 30mins + 10mins chill

1kg x Pumpkins or Butternut Squash, de-seeded and cut into wedges
1 x 400g Can of Chickpeas, drained, rinsed and dried
1 x Garlic Clove, chopped
½ tsp x Chilli Flakes
1 tsp x Ground Cumin
A small bunch of Parsley, roughly chopped
2 x Slices of White Bread, whizzed to crumbs

For the salad
2 x Carrots, coarsely grated
½ x Small Red Onion, finely sliced
100g x Feta Cheese, crumbled
4 x Wholemeal Pitta Breads to serve

Put the pumpkin in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with cling film. Cook on High for 10mins or until soft. Tip the chickpeas, garlic, chilli flakes, cumin and half of the parsley into a food processor, then whizz until the chickpeas are finely chopped but not smooth.

Allow the pumpkin to cool slightly, then scoop the flesh from the skin and add to the chickpea mix with some seasoning and the breadcrumbs. Give everything a good stir, then shape into 12 little patties with your hands. Put the falafels on a plate and chill for 10mins.

Meanwhile, mix the remaining parsley with the grated carrot, onion and feta cheese, then set aside. Heat the grill to Medium, then cook the falafels on a baking tray for 3-5mins on each side until golden. Split the pitta breads lengthways and fill with the warm falafels and some of the feta salad.

My next recipe is Plum Betty Courtesy of BBC Good Food Magazine first published September 2010.

Serves 8, Prep 20mins, Cook 55mins

200g x Wholemeal Bread, torn into chunks
85g x Butter, melted
85g x Demerara Sugar
1 tsp x Cinnamon
1¼kg x Plums, quartered and stoned
2 tbsp x Caster Sugar
1 tbsp x Cornflour
Yogurt, to serve

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Whizz the bread to chunky crumbs in a food processor. Spread over a large baking tray and bake for 10-12mins, stirring now and then until evenly crisp. Scrape into a bowl and stir in the butter, sugar and cinnamon. Reduce oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.

Put the plums, sugar and cornflour into a large lidded pan. On the heat, stir for 1-2mins until the cornflour is incorporated. Add 200ml water, cover and simmer for 15-20mins. Layer up the plums and crumbs in an oven-proof dish, finishing with a layer of crumbs, and bake for 20mins.

My final recipe is Canned Tuna Sweetcorn Cakes Recipe by Lucy Netherton, courtesy of BBC Good Food Magazine October 2012.

Makes 4, Prep 15mins + chill time, Cook 25mins

450g x Potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 tbsp x Mayonnaise, plus extra to serve
2 x 185g Cans of Tuna, drained
1 x198g Can of Sweetcorn, drained
A small bunch of Chives, snipped, or 1 tsp dried parsley
2 x Eggs, beaten
100g x Dried Breadcrumbs
Sunflower oil, for frying
Salad and your favourite dressing, to serve

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until really tender. Drain and allow to steam-dry in a colander. Tip into a bowl, season and mash. Stir in the mayonnaise, tuna, sweetcorn and chives or parsley. Shape into 4 cakes and chill until cold and firm. Dip each cake into the egg, letting the excess drip off, then coat in the breadcrumbs. Chill for 15mins.

Heat a little of the oil in a pan and gently fry the cakes for 2-3mins on each side until golden. You may need to do this in batches – keep warm in a low oven. Serve with extra mayonnaise and salad leaves.

Tune into my show on 6 Towns Radio Sunday morning 8-10am “Under the Covers with TheRealTonyc” at http://6towns.co.uk/ It’s what your Sunday’s were made for.

If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to do so by using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.

Hope you enjoy!!….. ChefGarfy =D

Follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/therealtonyc
www.garfysplace.blog.co.uk/
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From Small Acorns Mighty Oaks Grow

When I first started writing this blog at (www.garfysplace.blog.co.uk) at the beginning of March 2010, I never thought that 4 years and over 500 recipes later my blog would have been viewed over 70,000 times and the accompanying info blog (www.garfysplaceinfo.blog.co.uk) viewed over 85,000 times. And this is all down to you guys, thank you to all of you for viewing and supporting my blog, in all it’s shapes and forms.

 

So for this week’s recipes I’m taking to all back to where it all started, the first 3 recipes they were :- Carrot & Coriander Soup, Bolognese Sauce & Rump Steak with a Red Wine Sauce & Creamy Mash.

 

My first ever recipe was, and this week is Carrot & Coriander Soup, recipe by Tony Cordon.

 

Serves 4, Prep 15mins,Cook 25mins

 

1tbsp x Oil Veg or Olive oil
1 x Chopped Onion (white or red)
1tsp x Ground Coriander
1 x Chopped Potato (small cubes)
450g x Chopped Carrots
1.2 litres x Vegetable Stock (organic stock is preferable)
A handful of chopped Fresh Coriander

 

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and fry for 5mins until softened. Stir in the ground coriander and potato, then cook for 1 minute. Add the carrots and veg stock, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and cook for 20mins until the carrots are tender.
Tip into a food blender along with the chopped fresh coriander, then blitz til smooth (you may need to do this in 2 batches). Return to the pan, taste and season according to taste, reheat and serve hot.

 

My next recipe is Bolognese Sauce courtesy of Slimming World magazine.

 

Serves 2, Prep 20mins, Cook 30mins

 

6 x Finely Chopped Shallots
1 x Finely Chopped Carrot
4 x Peeled & Crushed Garlic Cloves
A Handful of Chopped Basil Leaves
1tsp x Dried Oregano or Mixed Italian Herbs
1 / 2tsps x Artificial Sweetener
2 x 400g cans of Chopped Tomatoes
2tbsps x Gravy Granules

 

Place a medium, heavy-based saucepan on a medium heat. Add the shallots, carrot, celery and garlic and stir for 2-3mins. Add the dried herbs, tomatoes and artificial sweetener. Bring to the boil. Stir in the Basil and reduce the heat. Cover and cook on a very low heat for 20mins, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Stir in the gravy granules until the granules have dissolved. Season well and remove from the heat.

 

And my final recipe for this week is Rump Steak with a Red Wine Sauce & Creamy Mash.Recipe by Tony Cordon.

 

Serves 2, Prep 30mins, Cook 20mins

 

2 x Rump Steaks
3 x Medium sized Potatoes – chopped into small cubes
4 x Fennel Leaves – sliced thinly
6 x Button Mushrooms – Sliced thinly
1 x Banana Shallot (or a medium Onion) – sliced thinly
½ tsp x Caraway Seeds
1 x Garlic Clove – crushed(or 1tbsp purée)
3tbsps x Soft Cheese
3tbsps x Gravy Granules
1 – 1.1/2tbsps x Red Wine Vinegar
1tsp x Sugar
250mls x Boiling Water
2tbsps x Olive oil

 

Put the potatoes cubes in enough boiling water to cover them and cook until soft. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan sautee the shallots (or onions) and fennel until soft, remove from pan and put to one side. Put the mushrooms into the pan and cook them until they go slightly opaque but firm to the touch. Preheat your oven to Gas Mark 4.

Refresh the pan with the remainder of the oil and cook the steak to the desired taste. Put the steak on a tray and put in the oven to continue to cook through. Put all the mushrooms, shallots and fennel back into the frying pan. To this add 50mls of boiling water, then 200mls of ready made beef gravy and stir. Once thoroughly mixed add 1 – 1.1/2tbsps of Red Wine vinegar to the mixture and again stir. Leave to bring up to temperature, then add the caraway seeds. Whilst this is coming to temperature, prepare the mash by adding the soft cheese and garlic, stirring until mixture becomes creamy.

This recipe is also good with sweet potatoes and chestnut mushrooms all dependant upon your own tastes.

 

Tune into my show on 6 Towns Radio Sunday morning 8-10am “Under the Covers with TheRealTonyc” at http://6towns.co.uk/ It’s what your Sunday’s were made for.

 

If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to do so by using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.

Hope you enjoy!!….. ChefGarfy =D

Follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/therealtonyc
www.garfysplace.blog.co.uk/
www.garfysplaceinfo.blog.co.uk/

www.6towns.co.uk