Halloween cup cakes.

So spooky pumpkins done and onto spooky cakes... 

Very impressed with the creativity of a 6 and a 10 year old and their pumpkins.

Delicious, dark yummy cake mix.

 

Brilliant scary Halloween icing. 

 And who ate them all????

250g butter
220g sugar
4 eggs (free range)
110g self raising flour
80g coco powder
Then add whatever goodies you fancy we did mini dark choc chips.

Pheasant, yum yum winter is coming... game season.

A pheasant purchased from a local market for only £3.50. 

Plucked and gutted by my own fair hands (I'm still a bit of a novice) and transformed into a delicious Sunday roast for two.

In the pot wrapped in streaky bacon and rosemary ready to go with a little seasoning.

After around 45 mins with lid on then 10 mins with lid off my masterpiece is complete. 

Roast pots, green beans and sprouts on the side with the most scrummy gravy but adding flour to the meat juices and whisking then add veg stock and a table spoon of red onion marmalade and squeeze then roasted garlic from the clove which come from roasting with the potatoes and whisk all together over a simmer and there you have it. Serve it all up... and enjoy.

Buttery, garlicky, special Langoustine

Ok I went to the fish monger in search of lobster for some reason even though I zero money but had a 'I'll treat myself moment'. Turns out i couldn't treat myself that much so I purchased the scary langoustine. I am so glad i did.

When I'm world famous and rich i will have a few more than 2 on a plate but popped on top of linguine pasta it was a tasty treat dish.

Ingredients:

2 Langoustine (or how any you wish for or can afford).

50g ish Butter.

3/4 Cloves garlic

Flat leaf parsley

1/2 Red chilli

Linguine

I made this up so bare with the lack of exact amounts.

-Pop on the hob two pans of salted boiling water for pasta and fishes.

-Get prepped so finely slice or crush garlic into butter add a little of the parsley too and mix, mix, mix.

-Add pasta to water will take roughly 10 mins to cook.

-Put langoustine in boiling water for 3/4 mins, then remove  and when cooled a tad, butterfly then as in photo (cut them not all the way through but just so you can open them up to expose the meat).

-Blob and spread the garlic butter over the meat and pop under the grill for a couple of mins.

-Drain pasta and add a good glug of olive oil, as much finely chopped chilli as you like and a large handful of roughly chopped parsley.

-Take langoustine out and plate your dish and enjoy your treat!

I actually added little bits of smoked salmon and cream into the pasta that I found in the fridge to juzsh it up a little.

Baked Cheese cake

This was my first attempt at cheese cake so went for the baked option and YUM! if i do say so myself.

One to try the children loved it with a few raspberries and creme fraiche.

Ingredients:

150g Butter

250g Digestive biscuits (crushed)

115g Caster sugar

3 Tablespoons corn-flour

(dont think i put this in ops)

900g Full fat cream cheese (naughty)

2 eggs (free range if pos)

115ml Double cream (again naughty) 

1 Vanilla pod (i used 1/2 teaspoon extract)

zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange.

-Preheat oven 180.

-Grease 24 inch tin.

-Mix crushed biscuits and melted butter together into bottom of tin and bake for 10 mins, remove and cool.

-Turn oven up to 200.

-Mix corn-flour and sugar together in bowl then add cream cheese and whisk until creamy.

-Beat in eggs.

-Gradually add cream until smooth.

- Then add vanilla and zesty zests.

-Pop delicious naughty creamy mixture into tin over biscuit base and shake a tad to level it out.

-Pop into oven and cook until the top is golden brown and the edges are set.

-Allow to cool then put in fridge.

(try and wait till it is nice and cool as it will be even more scrummy, ENJOY!)

River Cottage Canteen.

After a gorgeous camping (staying in my boyfriends lovely white transit van) holiday in Devon, as a birthday treat I was taken to River Cottage Canteen.

 You may now see where i got my razor clam inspiration from. This starter was AMAZING as was the rest of the meal. Which was washed down with refreshing summery Elder-flower champagne.

I was so into my food I forgot to take a photo of my delicious main course of pollock.

But what a scrummy end to my pre birthday meal. My favourite of vanilla panna cotta with crunchy topping, black currants and gooseberries. Yum. While Turner couldn't wait to tuck into his choc 

brownie. I wouldn't know how amazing it was as I didn't get a taste. I blinked and it was gone! Good sign! 

All topped off with a lovely cuppa however not sure i had enough sugar for just me?!

Well done River Cottage I have waited a long time to visit you and I was not at all disappointed. Cannot wait to return soon! 

Delicious Razor Clams

Its been a while since my last post but what can I say apart from SCHOOL HOLIDAYS!!!! 

But at last a weekend of bliss waltzing around my local Saturday market and decided on trying out razor clams. I have always wanted to give them a go and as a birthday treat I was taken to River Cottage deli and tasted them (yum yum) I thought to give them a go. Once home with my razor clams I became a little nervous. 

But look at the result I was rather pleased...

Not the best photo but I was rather hungry.

The clams were easy to cook or how I did them anyway here is how;

-Start off by cutting up spring onions, garlic and parsley add these to a fry pan and cook until soft but no colour. 

-Add water to half way up pan with 3 tbsp sugar and a got dollop of butter and allow to bubble and boil until nearly all the liquid is gone. The remove from heat. 

-Place some butter and a splash of water in a fry pan heat it up on a medium heat, throw in the rinsed clams and place on lid.

-Allow to cook a little like other clams or mussels for around 5-8 mins remove.

-Take the clam meat out of the shells and remove the flappy, grey/brown bits so you are left with the round, tube like white meat. 

-Slice the clam meat and place into the spring onion pan warm through the sauce and clams for around 1-2 mins and add a large knob of butter. Allow to melt and serve!

I served mine with some lovely summery chilled peas, shelled broad beans topped with chilli and garlic with a good helping of olive oil, salt and pepper. And ribbon raw courgettes topped with garlic and olive oil.

Try this it is very easy and so tasty, quick before summer vanishes again..!

Yummy flowers

The children and I made a crack at the city garden and what a success, edible flowers(Nasturtiums)they love them.

And look how pretty they are...


Pop them leaves and flowers into salads to add a little pretty bitterness.