Birds in the Kitchen

Birds In The Kitchen Recipes and refreshments for the discerning business woman

Congratulations! You are the proud owner of the Birds In The Kitchen eBook. Drink and cook at your own risk. (And if your kitchen burns down, Elaine has a store that will help you furnish a new one ;)

By the Birds On The Blog

Edited by Suze St Maur (because that’s what she does for the day job)

About the authors and who this eBook benefits

All the contributors to this eBook are regular bloggers over at Birds On The Blog, the fast moving blog for women in business, about business and how it affects us.

If you have received this book for free, please consider making a small donation of just £2.00 to our girls.

£6 pays for their education for just one month. They are 5 years old and we have another 12 years to pay for.

It's a good deal; you get some fab recipes and you get to help change the girls’ future for the price of some sweets.

No table of contents – just a note to dive in....

Birds On The Booze

Want to drink greener and more ethically? Try these… (SUZE)

Fairtrade Buck's Fizz Fairtrade freshly-squeezed orange juice Dry, fizzy British white wine (organic if possible) Combine together in champagne glasses, in whatever proportions you prefer! If you want to add a little kick to this recipe you can include a dash of an orange-based (preferably organic) liqueur.

Green-aholic Coffee 1/3 part fairtrade brown sugar 2 1/2 parts organic whisky or brandy 5 parts hot fairtrade and/or organic coffee 1 part whipped locally produced organic cream Place sugar and whisky in heatproof cup or mug and mix well, then add coffee and mix again. Finally add the whipped cream very carefully, pouring it over a large spoon so it remains at the top.

Sustainable Mulled Wine 8 parts organic brandy 48 parts organic or biodynamic red wine, and/or British red wine 1 part fresh fairtrade lemon juice

1 part fresh fairtrade orange juice 1 part organic orange-based liqueur 2 parts fairtrade caster sugar Sustainably-produced spices e.g. cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, etc Combine all ingredients in an appropriately large pan over a low heat, stirring well so that the sugar dissolves properly, then turn off the heat and leave covered with a cloth or solid object. When the time comes to serve the drinks, re-heat it gently. When hot, serve with a ladle into guests' glasses or mugs.

*****

My first post on Birds On The Blog was all about the fun I had making Blackberry vodka…and I was determined to make more of it this year. It was easy, and delicious. There are buckets full of blackberries freely available and it does make a very good Christmas present. (ANN)

Sadly, when the blackberries were at their best I had the flu, and so I didn’t get around to it. But yesterday when we went for our walk, I noticed that there are still plenty of sloes to be had for the picking. I knew that traditionally they should be picked after a frost, but I’d just read Nigel Slater’s recipe in the Observer and decided to give it a try.

They did look a bit withered though. Can you use withered sloes, I wondered. So I asked my friends on Facebook and within minutes had the answer. What’s not to love about the internet? 5 copyright©2010 www.birdsontheblog.co.uk Birds in the Kitchen

One minute you’re watching a video of a squirrel foiled by a slinky, and the next you’re discussing the pros and cons of withered sloes, and the vexing question of vodka or gin. So these are the sloes I picked this morning – mostly quite plump and ripe, but a few withered and wrinkly ones in the mix too.

I had lots of advice about the pricking of the sloes too. One suggestion is to freeze and bash them – that’s also discussed in the Nigel Slater recipe. Someone else suggested an onion holder – the ones that have a set of sharpened steel tines in a wooden handle. If you plunge it into the bowl of sloes, all the ones that get picked up will have been pricked so can be pulled off and put into the vodka or gin.

Actually, I quite enjoy mindless repetitive chores, so I put some music on and sat at the table pricking them all with a needle It’s what passes for meditation around here…

Last year with the blackberries, I used 2 cups of berries, 1 cup of sugar and 2 cups of vodka – which works just about perfectly to fill up big one kilo preserving jars. Last time, each one produced about one 500 mil bottle of vodka, too.

That created a delicious liqueur, but it was on the sweet side. It worked brilliantly, for example, in my black forest gateau, and in an ice cream sundae – but it was a little on the syrupy side as a drink.

How does that compare to Nigel Slater’s 450g of fruit to 350g of sugar? Weighing it all out – a cup of sloes weighs 180g, a cup of sugar is 220g.

I sat staring at the calculator for a while and banged my head on the desk. In the end I worked out he uses more sugar with the sloes than I used with the blackberries. Hmmm. But sloes are bitter and blackberries are naturally sweet. Hmmm. So if I’d been making blackberry vodka again I would be experimenting with less sugar this time.

After all that messing about pretending to do some sums, I decided to use 2 cups of sloes, 1 cup of sugar, and 2 cups of vodka. When I measured it all into the jars, it turned out that my cups of sloes were overflowing, and I used an extra splash of vodka too.

So I poured everything into the sterilised jars. I bashed the sloes around a bit with the masher and sealed the lid. So far, compared to the blackberries, it all looks bit sludgy – at this stage it’s really not a very pretty colour at all. I hope that will improve by the time I come to bottle it, in about eight weeks

Blackberry Vodka Part 2 (ANN)

This is probably the easiest thing I’ve ever made, and also one of the most appreciated. All you need is blackberries, sugar and vodka and a bit of patience.

You’ll also need an old fashioned potato masher, a large preserving jar (or several), a sieve and some muslin.

I used 5 large 1 litre preserving jars, and ended up with 5 and a bit half litre bottles of vodka. I’m told that the end result is even nicer when matured, but apparently I’m not going to find that out this year – I don’t think any will survive until the next batch is ready. And yes, I plan to make more next year.

Make sure your preserving jars are nice and clean. You can use them straight out of the dishwasher, but be careful not to put your fingers in, or you can wash them with hot water and dry them out on a baking tray in the oven on a low heat. Make sure you’ve washed your masher too.

Wash and pick over the blackberries. Measure two generous cups full into the preserving jar, and then get in there with the potato masher and bash them around a bit. You want them to release all their lovely juice and flavour into the vodka, so don’t be too gentle. Pour in 1 cup of sugar, and 2 cups of vodka, and stir around to start dissolving the sugar. Put the lid on making sure you have a tight seal.

Now you store them for somewhere cool for between 8 and 12 weeks, and just give them a good shake twice a week.

At the end of that time comes the potentially messy part. Line a clean sieve with muslin, and strain the mixture over a clean jug one jar at a time, and then pour into clean bottles – sterilised as above.

(Don’t bake the rubber seals if you have them, you can simmer them in boiling water for a couple of minutes though). Don’t mash the blackberries around too much at this stage because you don’t want the result to be cloudy. I have to confess that I kept back a big bowl of vodka sodden blackberries and made a slightly cloudy final half bottle by squeezing every last drop out of them. No one really minded, but if you are going to give bottles as gifts, the clear dark red liquid does look wonderful, and is worth the extra care.

Oh, and you didn’t want to keep your white worktops white, did you? You might just need to keep some old fashioned bleach handy to wipe down after you have blackberry stains everywhere.

8 copyright©2010 www.birdsontheblog.co.uk Birds in the Kitchen You can, of course, use the same method with other fruits to good effect. Damsons (or sloes) with gin are traditional – although the recipe I read talked about pricking the fruits with a pin to let the juice out – sounds a bit fiddly to me. Or you can try plums or cherries with brandy, or other fruits with vodka. I did think I might try a small amount of raspberries next year – but the blackberries are freely available – which is irresistible.

Blackberry Vodka Chocolate Truffles (ANN) Again, an easy, cheat’s way to make some delicious chocolates.

The traditional method of making a chocolate ganache involves boiling cream in a bowl over a saucepan of hot water, and melting chocolate in it at the right temperature. My method was borrowed from the Barbara Kafka book, The Microwave Gourmet, and is very easy.

Chop a hundred grams of good dark chocolate in the food processor, or grate it by hand. In a microwavable glass jug, measure out half a cup of runny double cream. Zap the cream in the microwave for thirty seconds until it is warm, and then tip the chocolate in.

Zap again, for no more than 15 seconds at a time until the chocolate is almost melted, and then stop. It will finish melting in the heat already there. If you like at this point you can add a small knob of unsalted butter, which makes the flavour a bit smoother and richer…and your flavouring of choice. I used a tablespoon of blackberry vodka, but you could also use a coffee liqueur, a cherry brandy, or half a teaspoon of peppermint essence or orange essence. The brave might want to try half a teaspoon of tabasco to make chili choccies…or chopped toasted nuts, such as almonds or hazelnuts are also good.

You do need to use a small hand whisk to beat the mixure quickly until it is smooth and shiny. One of these from Lakeland, as recommended by Delia, is ideal. 9 copyright©2010 www.birdsontheblog.co.uk Birds in the Kitchen

Then cover the mixture with clingfilm, pushing down so that it touches the surface. Allow it to cool to room temperature, and then chill in the fridge overnight before shaping your truffles.

Again, this is the messy bit. You need a teaspoon and a big plate covered with good cocoa powder, and a tray covered with foil to place them on to chill.

Dig out a teaspoonful of the mixture and roll it around in your hands to create a ball. It doesn’t matter if they aren’t perfect – that is part of their charm.

They could also be made into little log shapes if you like. But your hands will get very messy so make sure they are clean, or wear surgical gloves. Then you finish the truffles off by rolling them in the cocoa powder, and place them on your foil lined tray. Chill in the fridge until they are firm.

These chocolates really should be eaten in a couple of weeks, because of the cream. Keep them in the fridge, or you could freeze them for a little longer. You can buy pretty little glassine or foil cases to sit them in a box if you want to give them as a gift, or you can wrap them in foil sweet wrappers and pop them in a cellophane bag with a ribbon. You can buy these from the Jane Asher Sugarcraft shop.

I don’t usually like liqueur based chocolates, but these were quite subtle, and taste very fruity. You may want to try with a little extra blackberry vodka or other liqueur if you want more kick – but not too much or you will make the ganache mixture too runny. I made one batch with 1/4 cup of chopped toasted almonds that had an almost Toblerone like texture, which some people enjoyed. And if you like you can finish them off by dipping them in melted chocolate.

(CATHY) OK – it’s a hard job, but somebody had to do it. As Europe descended into icy chaos and the snow lay thick on the ground, I have been slogging away for you, trialling recipes for the best hot winter drinks Germany can provide. It’s been a tough assignment. I hope you all appreciate the terrible sacrifice I’ve made.

Glühwein is the German standard drink at this time of the year. You get it everywhere, from the Christmas market to the local pub, the café or even the Bundesliga stadium. With the snow we’ve been having (and the way Borussia Mönchengladbach have been playing), you wouldn’t want to drink anything else. Or would you?

Actually, the Germans do an impressive range of warming alcoholic beverages at this time of the year. If you look around you in any German pub, you’ll see a variety of strange steaming punches, nogs and grogs being downed by cheery Teutons. In fact the whole pub will take on a heady scent of hot rum mixed with cinnamon, aniseed, cloves and oranges. Add a crackling log fire and the buzz of happy conversation and you definitely won’t want to leave before closing time.

This unforgiving assignment meant I had to learn the very alchemy of being German. I have been slaving over a hot mulled-wine pot, whisking up egg punch and even tackling the queen of all Germanic specialities – the Feuerzangenbowle (which is traditionally served on New Year’s Eve) This involves the sort of sugar-pyrotechnics which someone who already polished off two mugs of Glühwein, a grog and a mulled apple wine, really shouldn’t attempt without calling the fire brigade first.

The good news is that my house is still standing, even if I’m not. The better news is that I have now whittled the many fine recipes down to five outstanding winter tipples with which to keep warm this advent.

The cockles of your heart will be delighted!

Glühwein recipe • 1 litre dry red wine • 50ml rum • 2 whole organic oranges, cut into slices • Juice of 2 oranges • 7 cloves • 2 cinnamon sticks • 1 star anise • 50g brown sugar (or more according to taste) Put the wine, spices, sliced oranges and orange juice into a enamel or stainless steel pan and heat on a low flame. Do not boil! Add the rum and sugar, stir until the sugar has dissolved and serve hot.

Egg punch recipe (Eierpunsch) • 10 medium sized eggs • 1 cup of rum • 1 cup of water • 375 g sugar • 1 lemon (grated rind and juice) • 1 litre white wine Place the eggs, sugar, rum, water and grated lemon peel in a double boiler and fill up with white wine up to around 2 cm below the rim. (If you don’t have a double boiler, put a smaller pot inside a large pan of water). As the water in the outer pot starts to boil, whisk the egg-wine mixture vigorously, so that it does not stick. As soon as it starts to thicken, it is ready to drink.

Mulled Frankfurt Apple wine • 1 litre of Frankfurt Apple wine (cider works just as well) • 125ml water • 60g Sugar • ½ cinnamon stick • 3 cloves • Grated rind of 2 lemons Put the sugar, water, lemon rind and spices into a pan and bring to the boil. Allow to cool for 30 minutes, then strain and add to the apple wine. Heat the apple wine until just below boiling point and serve.

Grog • 200 ml water • 4cl rum • 3 tsp brown sugar • Put the sugar and rum in a mug. Boil the kettle and pour hot water into the cup. Stir and drink.

Feuerzangenbowle (Flaming red wine punch) • 4 litres of sweet red wine • 2 cinnamon sticks • 10 cloves • 1 whole organic lemon • 2 organic oranges • 40g whole almonds (in their skins) • 2 tsp whole aniseed • 10 cardamom pods • 1 loaf of sugar (in Germany you get pyramid shaped sugar loaves – but you can make your own by putting 300g damp sugar into a mould and letting it dry. Alternatively it’s a great way to use the rock hard old bag of sugar that’s lurking in the back of your cupboard….) • 1 bottle of rum

13 copyright©2010 www.birdsontheblog.co.uk Birds in the Kitchen Put the wine into a large pot. Peel and slice the oranges and lemons and add them to the wine. Add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, almonds and aniseed. Cut open the cardamom seeds with a knife and add them too. Leave to steep overnight in a cool place.

When ready to drink, warm the wine in a pot over a low flame until it starts to give off steam (do not boil!)

Place a wire rack over the pot and put the sugar loaf on this.

Pour rum over the sugar loaf until it is soaked through and then light it (this can be quite dramatic… watch your eyebrows…). The burnt rum-sugar drips into the hot wine, giving it a fabulous flavour. Add more rum (carefully!) until the sugar loaf is used up. Drink hot.

Festive foods from the Birds

Possibly the best-known of the Hannukah culinary delights are latkes… not exactly what you’d call low calorie, but absolutely delicious! We’ve been making these at home ever since my son was taught how to do them for Hannukah at his junior school … they’re very easy and a lot of fun to do. Here is a basic recipe: (SUZE)

Basic Latkes • 1kg baking or other large, floury potatoes • 1 largish onion • 1 egg, well beaten • 25g matzoh meal or plain flour • Salt • Pepper (white) • Frying oil of your choice Peel the potatoes and onion, then grate them together into a large bowl. Once you’ve done that put it all into a colander, or towel, and squeeze to extract as much liquid as possible. Now mix that with the beaten egg, salt and pepper plus the matzoh meal or flour. Next, heat your oil in a heavy frying pan until it’s not far off smoking point, then drop very large spoonfuls of the latkes mixture into the oil to sizzle for a few seconds. Then reduce the heat a bit, squash the latkes down with an appropriate implement to make them into flattish cakes, and continue cooking for about five minutes per side. Watch you don’t fry them too quickly on too high a heat; if you do they’ll go dark and crispy on the outside but won’t be cooked through. Now you need to drain as much of the oil off the latkes – and in one of the recipes I read I found a useful tip.

Instead of using the more obvious kitchen paper or roll, use ordinary brown paper bags. I haven’t tried this myself yet but I’m assured the brown bags absorb excess oil while leaving the latkes far more crispy. Finally … serve with the traditional sour cream and apple sauce. If you want to be more creative with your latkes, there are numerous variants using different vegetables, and there are even some “lite” versions! A quick Google will reveal many resources; I found this site had some particularly yummy ideas.

Harisseh is a very easy and quick dish to make. Low in cost, high in nutrition and calories, which delights on those cold winter evenings… hope you enjoy. (SUHAD)

This sweet dish is a very old one in the Middle East, especially the Levant area (Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Lebanon).

In the Gulf there is a dish called Harisseh which is made of lamb, completely different to this one, although equally delicious.

In Morocco Harisseh dish is another savoury dish which has different ingredients. So make sure what you order depends on where you are in the Middle East.

This is one of my mother’s recipes. There are different recipes to the Harisseh sweet dish. However, this is the simplest and yummiest too..

For the Harisseh mix:

• 1 cup semolina flour • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder • 1/2 cup white sugar • 1/2 cup chopped almonds • 1/2 cup plain yogurt • 1/2 cup vegetable oil • 1 tablespoon rose water • 25 blanched almond halves for garnish

If you like the taste of powder coconut, you can add ½ cup of coconut and another ½ cup of yogurt to the above ingredients to keep the balance.

For the sugar syrup:

• 2 cups of water • 3 cups of sugar • 3 tablespoons of orange blossom water and rose water • (or as desired) • 1 teaspoon of lemon juice • 1 teaspoon of butter

Directions

1. Stir together semolina, baking powder, sugar, and chopped almonds until evenly blended. Stir in yogurt, vegetable oil, and rose water until a soft dough forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. (In case of adding the powder coconut, just add the coconut and the extra yogurt to the mix and follow the rest of the recipe)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Press the dough into a 9×9 inch square baking dish, and smooth the top. Score the top of the dough to create 25 squares, then top each square decorate with an almond half.

17 copyright©2010 www.birdsontheblog.co.uk Birds in the Kitchen Bake in preheated oven until the top has puffed and turned golden brown, about 20 minutes. The Harisseh is done when the top is golden, and the centre has firmed. When done, remove from the oven, and allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes.

While the Harisseh is cooling, you can prepare the sugar syrup. as follows: • Mix the sugar and water and place on the stove stir till water is diluted and leave to boil on medium heat • Boil for 20 minutes then add the lemon juice and butter • Let it boil for another few minutes and remove when it’s thickened • Add the rose and flower water at the end to keep its aroma

To serve, cut the warm Harisseh into 25 squares, pour the rose water syrup over it, making sure all of the pieces are moist, then place the pieces onto a large serving platter.

Nutritional Information: Amount Per Serving: Calories: 162 | Total: 6.1g | Cholesterol: < 1mg Enjoy your taste of the Middle East!

During Ramadan Muslims enjoy their feasts and as many of the dishes prepared on daily basis can be eaten through the year, but instead prepared in batches for Ramadan, there are few dishes that are exclusive for and during Ramadan, the Qatayef is one of these few dishes…. (SUHAD)

It is almost impossible to buy Qatayef from any shop outside Ramadan even in the Arab world. In London you can find them in very few shops in little Arabia (Edgware Road.) However, this simply recipe will make it possible for you to have them anywhere any time you wish….

Ingredients: To make the actual Qatayef (pancakes) – 24 pieces: • Flour – 6 cups • Yeast – 1 tea spoon • Milk – 6 cups

To make the filling – you either fill the Qatayef with walnuts or sweet cheese.

Walnut filling: • 3 cups crushed walnuts • 1 cup of sugar • 3 spoons of orange blossom water and rose water (you can find them in Arabic, Asian shops or the foreign section of big supermarkets) • 2 table spoons of ground cinnamon

Cheese filling: • Arabic white cheese which is not easy to find and can be substituted with haloumi or mozzarella cheese. • Frankincense (called mistake in Arabic)

To make the syrup: • 2 cups of water • 3 cups of sugar • 3 table spoons of orange blossom water and rose water (or as desired) • 1 teaspoon of lemon juice • 1 teaspoon of butter

Preparation: Qatayef: • Whisk together the flour, milk, and yeast until the batter is smooth. Then leave for about 30 minutes to rest or till it has doubled in size. • To cook the pancakes (qatayef) pour a small amount of the batter using a ladle or an oil drizzler into a non stick pan to create a piece of qatayef that is 10cm (4inches) in diameter.

19 copyright©2010 www.birdsontheblog.co.uk Birds in the Kitchen • Cook on top of a hot stove like you would a pancake until bubbles start appearing on top. Then turn them over for few seconds and remove onto a dry dish.

Filling: • Walnut filling: mix the ingredients together. • Cheese filling: soak the Arabic cheese to rid it of its saltiness till it’s sweet and soft; alternatively you can boil it. If you are using hallomi or mozzarella cheese there’s no need to soak. Then break into small pieces, add the frankincense and mix together.

Syrup: • Mix the sugar and water and place on the stove without stirring and leave to boil on medium heat • Boil for 20 minutes then add the lemon juice and butter • Let it boil for another few minutes and remove when it’s thickened • Add the rose and flower water at the end to keep its aroma

Cooking the Qatayef:

To fill the qatayef, hold the pancake in your hand. Fill with the walnuts or cheese mixture and fold it into a crescent shape. Make sure to seal its edges firmly.

You can either deep fry the filled pancakes in very hot oil until golden and crispy, or brush with butter and place them under a pre-heated grill for 10 minutes or until golden then turn once.

Once cooked pour the sugar syrup over the Qatayef as desired….

Enjoy them and sahteen w afia as we say in Arabic!

Artichoke Dip Recipe (LYNN)

Very quick and easy and quite delicious. No good for anyone who’s dieting! Preparation time – 15 minutes.

Ingredients • 2 x 400 ml cans of artichokes (packed in water, not oil) • 50 ml of freshly grated Parmesan cheese • 250 ml of mayonnaise • Salt and pepper

Method

Drain the artichokes from the can. Roughly chop them into medium size pieces.

Combine chopped chokes, Parmesan, and mayo into a microwave or oven-proof serving dish.

Microwave on high heat for 5 minutes, pausing occasionally to stir, to ensure that the dip gets heated evenly. Add freshly ground pepper and salt to taste.

Serve with toasted, thinly sliced French baguettes, crackers, crisps or even endive leaves.

Leaves you more time for the most important things in life!

21 copyright©2010 www.birdsontheblog.co.uk Birds in the Kitchen This Good Friday morning, the children and I tucked into hot cross buns for our breakfast. The traditional ones for my girl and me, and some chocolate pretenders that suit the palate of my boy (a.k.a. fussy toad). (BABS)

We will eat them today and today only.

When did it stop being a tradition for hot cross buns to only be eaten on Good Friday? I am not impressed that at some time over the past 30 odd years the supermarkets have decided that we want to eat fruit buns with crosses on the top all year! Why? Just make the buns and leave the crosses for the once a year!

I can remember as a kid having to collect our buns from the bakery on Maundy Thursday, so that they’d be wonderfully fresh. Not everyone had a freezer then; I think the first my mother had was a monster of a chest freezer in which loaves of bread and home-frozen vegetables loitered for many a month. And there was no call for bakers to bake hot cross buns for any other day than Good Friday – so that is what they did!

Excuse my rambling rant – it’s just something that bothers me. And whatever happened to Easter Biscuits? I can still taste them and must try out a recipe so that I can make my own. These scrummy but simple biscuits were sold everywhere. Surely this was not just a west country tradition? I suppose these are easily home-baked, and I’ll be using the following recipe for mine – and be sure that they are not thin, meagre offerings! I did come across some in Morrissons and they are the thinnest things! They taste OK but are very hard offerings with none of the crumbly texture I remember from years gone by. So…

Easter Biscuits (BABS)

• 110g/4oz caster sugar, plus extra for dusting • 110g/4oz butter, softened to room temperature

22 copyright©2010 www.birdsontheblog.co.uk Birds in the Kitchen • 1 free-range egg, separated • 225g/8oz plain flour, sieved if you want to faff about with such • a good pinch mixed spice • 55g/2oz currants – or a few more if you fancy • 3 tbsp milk • and I like to add just a dash of grated zest of a lemon, but that’s my taste

1. Preheat your oven 160C/325F/Gas 3 (note how cool this is compared to many recipes). Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper or run over it with some butter, or use on of those wonderful reusable baking sheets.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Thoroughly beat in the egg yolk.

3. Fold in the flour, then stir in the spice and currants. Add enough milk to form a stiff dough.

4. Roll the dough onto a floured surface and cut out your biscuits with whatever you fancy. I remember Easter biscuits as being quite large, but of course you should make yours to suit your taste, or can use some cute cutters, of course. Place onto the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

5. Remove the biscuits from the oven, brush with the egg white, sprinkle with sugar and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes, until pale golden-brown.

6. Remove the biscuits from the tray and set aside to cool on a wire rack (if you can bear to).

With thanks to James Martin and the BBC recipe site for the base of this recipe

Enjoy!

Uncomplicated Chicken (LYNN)

For 4-6 people depending whether you serve things on the side.

Find a roasting pan – even better if you have a lid. If there’s no lid make sure you have tin foil to hand.

Turn the oven up high – don’t worry too much about numbers – just the 2nd highest setting should do.

Oh yes, buy a medium sized chicken. Unwrap chicken, check there’s no giblets or plastic bags inside and some H&S specialists say pour boiling water through said chicken’s cavity.

Did I mention lemons, onions or garlic in the ingredient list? No, well if you are partial to any, now is the time to stuff one or more in the empty cavity and rub garlic and place lemon slices on the skin. Season with salt, pepper and anything else you fancy – like herbs. Oh, you could also slap some bacon rashers over the skin too.

So your oven is on, the chicken prepared and ready to be placed in the covered dish or in the pan and covered completely [airtight] with tin foil.

Put dish in oven. Look at the clock. Set a timer for an hour and a quarter.

Go watch a DVD, check emails, write your blog, play with children and forget about the wafting aroma from the kitchen.

Unless of course the chicken is to be served for an occasion which merits accompaniments of vegetables in which case :

Stick small new potatoes in to roast with chicken at the same time or cut up large potatoes into small cubes. And if you want to

Prepare green vegetables – or any other colour that matches your décor.

Boil large pan of water and depending on the green/coloured vegetable cook in reverse order so that finished pan has a wonderful mélange of mixed veg.

Lay table and decorate according to that lovely American lady, Martha Stewart who is allegedly a domestic goddess.

Pinger’s gone – your chicken is ready.

Put chicken on a carving board and leave to stand for 15 minutes or so, and voilà – there’s your uncomplicated roast chicken.

There’ll be some lovely juices in the bottom of the pan which you can add a swig of wine to and serve as gravy.

NB: Don’t forget it’s easy to make stock and soup from the carcass. Once the meal’s over use the same pan and stick all the bones back in for another hour with loads of water and leftover gravy – an additional onion or carrot doesn’t go amiss either.

Cooking made easy! Enjoy

Comfort Food – Chicken Soup (LYNN)

It’s that time of year again when we’ve been afflicted with nasty colds, and as usual the only food that will do is some good chicken soup. There are many claims that suggest it really does have medicinal qualities, but in the end, who cares – it tastes good even when one is blocked up and miserable, and it’s actually quite easy to make.

If at all possible I would recommend making your own chicken stock for this – if you really don’t want to do that, then you can buy good chicken stock from the supermarket, or in a pinch use one of the better cubes. But that will make what is an inexpensive meal into a luxury – or in the case of the cube, it really won’t taste anything like as good. Chicken stock isn’t difficult to make. It does take a bit of time, but it’s mostly elapsed time while the stock is simmering away gently on the stove.

I make mine using the carcass of a roast chicken. Use a good free range or organic chicken, and before you put it into your biggest stock pot take as much of the remaining meat off the bones as you can and set aside. They will go into your soup later. If you haven’t got a roast chicken carcass, you can always buy, as I do sometimes, cheap organic chicken wings and backs – and roast them first for half an hour or so in a hot oven. 26 copyright©2010 www.birdsontheblog.co.uk Birds in the Kitchen

Into the stockpot with the chicken, I usually add a chopped up leek, carrot and onion, and a whole garlic bulb cut in half, plus a couple of bay leaves. I cover the lot with cold water, add any leftover gravy, and simmer the lot for two to three hours. It’s really important to keep the heat low, once the stock has reached the boiling point. Other than that it doesn’t need any attention at all. Then all you have to do is strain the stock, and store it in the fridge or freezer until you want to use it. I usually get between three and four pints of stock from two chicken carcasses – enough for a big stew and a risotto or soup.

There are many different recipes for chicken soup, but this is our favourite – borrowed from a Thai neighbour, Rapee, who used to feed me delicious morsels of interesting food over the garden fence.

Thai Style Chicken Soup (LYNN)

Serves 2 – 3 generous portions.

It looks like a long list of ingredients but is really easy once you get used to it – the balance of flavours between the seasonings is important though. And you can make it easy by using jars of lazy garlic and ginger.

• 1 piece fresh root ginger the size of half your thumb • 2 big cloves of garlic • 4 spring onions • Soy sauce to taste • 1 teaspoon of nam pla – Thai fish sauce • Few drops of Tabasco • 1 lime or lemon • 1 1/2 pints of good chicken stock • 2 “sheets” of Chinese dried medium egg noodles • 1 teaspoon Chinese sesame oil • leftover chicken from a roast • 4 ounces of mushrooms, sliced

1. Prepare the noodles according to the pack directions. Toss in the sesame oil after draining. These may be cooked ahead and stored in the fridge, or bought ready cooked.

2. Peel and grate the ginger and the garlic into your soup pan. Snip in the spring onions. Add the soy sauce, the nam pla, tabasco and the chicken stock. Bring to the boil.

3. Add the mushrooms and simmer for a couple of minutes.

4. Add the noodles and cooked chicken meat. Simmer for a minute or two until heated through.

5. Add the spinach and stir in until wilted- a few seconds.

Finally, turn the heat off and add the juice of a lime or lemon. Serve immediately.

Chicken Stew (ANN)

In winter I often make up a big pan of chicken stew, keeping leftovers in a covered container in the fridge. This will heat up by the bowlful in minutes in the microwave, making a very quick and satisfying lunch when I am too busy to cook.

To make 8 – 10 portions, I usually use for the basics three or four pints of stock, 1 red and 1 white onion, 2 big leeks, half a dozen carrots and half a dozen big potatoes. I always use a large bulb of garlic too.

To start off with I dice and fry the onions in a little olive oil. I might cut up half a dozen chicken thighs (I think they keep a better taste and texture in stews than the breast) into four pieces each, and I put them in and brown them. Then I add the stock, and start to prepare the vegetables. I chop up the leeks and carrots and simmer them in the stock for fifteen to twenty

28 copyright©2010 www.birdsontheblog.co.uk Birds in the Kitchen minutes. I peel the garlic, and just cut the cloves in half. I then add a drained rinsed tin of chick peas, or a couple of handfuls from the freezer. (If I’m really organized I cook up a bag of dried ones and freeze them for later use – I love chick peas). The potatoes go in for the last twenty minutes.

At the end I also add fresh herbs, black pepper (don’t tell Ryan he thinks he doesn’t like it) and any extra fresh vegetables I might have on hand – I especially like a handful of sliced mushrooms and baby spinach, or chopped broccoli, or just a few frozen peas and sweetcorn just to brighten up the colour. Once the potatoes are cooked it is ready to serve – unless you like it slightly thickened in which case stir in a tablespoonful of cornflour, mixed to a paste with a little cold water, and bring back to boil – stirring so it doesn’t catch on the base of the pan.

Ladle into soup plates and serve. When it’s cold and wet and windy, I could happily live on this stew – and it’s a really easy and tasty way to get your 5 a day vegetables in too. If you are wary of the garlic, try it with a little less or miss it out – but it does mellow and of course it keeps the vampires away.

Frittata (LYNN)

A nice easy recipe – in which you can use leftover vegetables if you want instead of what’s listed. • Serves 6 • olive oil • 2 small courgettes diced • 150ml milk • 2 tbsp cornflour • 6 eggs lightly beaten • 142ml carton single cream • salt and black pepper • 50g gruyère cheese grated • 140g cherry tomatoes quartered

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat, add the courgettes [or left-over vegetables] and cook for 5 minutes or until just softened.

Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, blend a little of the milk with the cornflour, then add the eggs, cream and remaining milk. Season well with salt and pepper, then whisk until smooth. Stir in the gruyère.

Grease and line a 20cm x 30cm baking tin with baking paper. Pour in the egg mixture, then scatter over the courgettes and tomatoes.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until firm and golden round the edges. Serve warm or cold, cut into squares.

Who’s on a diet and is bored with green leaves?

Here’s a simple, easy and low calorie salad that can take the munchies away

Tomato and Avocado Salad (LYNN)

Ingredients:

• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped • 1 avocado, chopped • 1 tablespoon olive oil • Half diced red onion • 1 teaspoon lemon juice • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste • chopped parsley to decorate

Preparation:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and toss together.

2. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley

3. Let stand for about 5-10 minutes before serving.

Yes, that’s it. A quick, easy and tasty refreshing salad. Enjoy

Mince Pie Muffins (KATE)

When I was a child (many, many years ago) I used to make presents for my family. Not because I was creative in any way, shape or form, but because my Mum made me. It’s only now as an adult and a Mum myself that I can see the value in it. I absolutely adore receiving a gift that somebody has made themselves now – it makes me feel very special when somebody gives up their precious time to think about what I might like then actually make it for me.

For the past couple of Christmases my 10 year old and I have made boxes of funky sweets for him to give to his grandparents and various other family members. He’s really enjoyed doing it

31 copyright©2010 www.birdsontheblog.co.uk Birds in the Kitchen and they have loved receiving them. This year I think we’re going to ring the changes with some Christmas biscuits although if he has anything to do with it they’re likely to be football shaped. Of course, all of this has the added bonus of being relatively easy on the bank balance too!

This morning I made a batch of Mince Pie Muffins to take to my last ChildLine training session before they (hopefully) let us loose on the youth of the UK. Something festive was in order to celebrate the fact that we’ve survived 3 months of quite hardcore training together and these are perfect. Obviously I have sampled them to ensure that they are edible first.

If you’ve not made muffins before then a word of warning before you start – they are not the same as cupcakes. They’re far less precious in the making! You simply put all your dry ingredients into a bowl then add all the wet ingredients at the same time then mix it around a bit.

The two golden rules are:

Sift ALL your dry ingredients – even the sugar. Yes, really.

Don’t over mix the batter – only mix until they are just combined, a few streaks of flour don’t matter but over mixed batter will create tough muffins!

Another word of warning – edible glitter is just that. It is not, however, digestible and what goes in must come out. If you have kids, be prepared for plenty of hilarity about glittery poo.

So here it is – a recipe for a stonkingly good alternative to mince pies. Husband claims to not like mincemeat but loves Christmas pudding. He’s really not normal at all…

Ingredients:

• 300g/10oz/2 cups plain flour • 1 tbsp baking powder • 115g/4oz/ ½ cup caster sugar • ½ tsp ground ginger • ¼ tsp nutmeg • 175 ml/6 fl oz/ ¾ cup milk • 2 tbsp of whatever booze you fancy. I used Cointreau this morning but brandy, Grand Marnier or Calvados would work well too • 1 egg, beaten • 115g/4 oz butter, melted • Finely grated zest of 1 lemon • About 6 tbsp luxury mincemeat • Icing sugar and silver edible glitter for dusting

Preheat the oven to 200c/400f/Gas 6. Grease or line a 12 hole muffin pan

Combine the flour, baking powder, caster sugar, ginger and nutmeg and sift into a large bowl.

In a separate bowl combine the milk, booze, egg, butter and lemon zest. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir together until just combined.

Half fill each muffin case, add a good dollop of mincemeat then cover with another dollop of muffin batter

Bake for about 20 minutes (mine have never needed more than 18 minutes but every oven is different) until risen and golden.

When they’re cold, decorate with the glitter and dust with icing sugar.

One last thing – muffins do not keep and must be eaten the day they are made. Shame, eh?

It’s BBQ time at last – well at least that’s what we’re being told. So I’m sharing with you my three simplest and most delicious BBQ recipes so that you can make the most of the outdoor dining with minimal effort: (ELAINE)

The Ivy Burger

Believe it or not, this unbelievably simple recipe is from The Ivy – it couldn’t be easier and they’re the best!

• Fresh steak mince moulded into burger patties • Good quality burger buns

For the sauce • 1 tblspn American mustard • 4 tblspns tomato sauce • (as much as you need in this ratio)

Dressings (if you like, though I prefer them naked with sauce smothered on;)) • Sliced dill pickles • Sliced Beef tomatoes • Sliced red onion

Grill the steak burgers and inside of the buns on the BBQ – and fill with sauce and dressings!

Honey & Soy Chicken (ELAINE)

4 chicken breasts sliced

For the marinade • 2tblspns honey • 2tblspns light soy sauce • 1 teaspoon 5 spice powder

For the sauce (optional) • 2 tblspns mayonnaise • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds • 2 teaspoons whole grain mustard • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Ciabatta rolls or pitta breads (optional)

Mix marinade ingredients and add chicken – leave in fridge for at least 2 hours. Grill on BBQ (I use one of those wire fish holders to keep the chicken from slipping into the coals)

Either just eat the chicken as is, or serve with the sauce, or in ciabatta or pitta pockets with the sauce smothered on it. Seriously yum.

Go Bananas (ELAINE)

8 small bananas (unpeeled)

For the Mascarpone cream • 1-2 tblspns caster sugar • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon • 2 teaspoons marsala • 250gms mascarpone

Mix all cream ingredients. Grill the bananas on the BBQ until black on all sides. Peel and spoon cream on them. Phwaoor!!