February

As we draw into yet another dark and cold winter month it is easy to feel despondent. With the warm glow of spring seeming far away, and the bounteous harvest of summer further still, cooks can’t help but feel lost at what to whip up for supper.

But in fact this is a time to realise the wonders that lie in the larder, utilising dried beans and grains to create comforting dishes. With Shrove Tuesday on the horizon what could be better than a stack of steaming pancakes generously drizzled with syrup, the perfect comfort food for a cold February evening.

Pancakes were traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday, to use up the luxuries in the pantry before 40 days of restrained eating began. Pancakes were a good way of using up lavish ingredients such as milk, eggs and sugar before Christians would begin their fasting, which often meant that no meat, eggs or dairy would be consumed during this period.

So with this in mind why not indulge while you can, filling your pancakes with a multitude of extravagant fillings.  For those wanting a savoury treat why not try filling you pancakes with fried seasonal greens and covering with a blanket of cheese sauce, before burnishing the top under the grill. Or for those of you, like me, who have more of sweet tooth why not dip into the preserves; jam is perfect to spread on warm pancakes with a scoop of ice cream.

However you like to serve your pancakes one thing is for sure, you can never have too many- so stack them up high and enjoy the festivities before the restraint of lent begins.

Mini Chocolate Oaty Cakes

Burns Night

Burns Night is traditionally celebrated, in Scotland, on 25^th January each year. This night commemorates the birth of their famed poet Robert Burns. Burns wrote a wealth of poetry and lyrics, in his signature romantic style, which have long been enjoyed by the Scots.

In order to shows their love for The Bard, the Scots hold Burns suppers. These feasts include a wealth of Scottish fare such as haggis, whisky, oats and, of course, neeps and tatties.

I will be celebrating the Scotch poets work with some hearty oats, and have been experimenting with ways in which to incorporate these into a delicious snack. So if you don’t have time to sit down to a traditional Burns supper, simply bake up a batch of these oaty treats and embrace your inner Scot!!

Mini Chocolate Oaty Cakes (5)

This recipe conveniently makes 5 little cakes, one to keep you going through each day of the working week J I have added in chocolate and a hint of warming cinnamon to gently waken you, before the oats carry you through the rest of the day.

Ingredients                     

·         100g porridge oats

·         ½ teaspoon cocoa powder

·         ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         1 tablespoon honey

·         300-400ml milk (skimmed, full fat, soy- whatever you prefer)

Method

1.       Preheat the oven to 170°C, and line a bun tin.

2.       Add the oats, cocoa and cinnamon to a large bowl and mix together.

3.       Slowly pour in the milk, and mix, until you have a mixture that resembles porridge. You may need more or less milk dependent on how much liquid your oats absorb.

4.       Spoon the mixture into the bun cases.

5.       Bake for approx 15 minutes, until the cakes are firm to the touch.

6.       Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a baking sheet.

These cakes also freeze well, so you can make up a bigger batch and stock up so that you are never without the power of oats.

Roasted Carrots with Coriander

Vegetables are often overlooked when it comes to the Sunday roast, often only functioning as a supporting act rather than the main attraction. But this needn’t be the case; vegetables have so much to offer to this weekly feast and can easily be transformed into dishes that are thrifty, comforting and delicious.

Also the fact that this meal is a British tradition doesn’t mean that we should be confined to our own cuisine, I find the addition of Middle Eastern spices can really lift this meal and bring much needed warmth to a cold winter’s day.

So if your roast could do with a makeover, give this recipe a go and begin your celebration of roast vegetables.

Roasted Carrots with Coriander (4)

Ingredients

·         600g carrots

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         2 teaspoons ground coriander

·         Salt and pepper

Method

1.       Preheat the oven to 200°C

2.       Cut the tops off the carrots, and give them a good wash. I prefer to leave the skins on to maximise their flavour, though if this troubles you feel free to peel away.

3.       Cut the carrots into chunky batons and place of the baking tray.

4.       Add the olive oil, coriander, salt and pepper to the carrots and toss together until they all have a coating of the spiced oil.

5.       Bake the carrots in the oven for 25-35 minutes, until golden.

6.       Serve alongside you Sunday roast, or with other vegetable dishes.

These carrots also make a great alternative to chips- a great way to get children into vegetables.

January

Christmas and New Year have been and gone for another year, leaving many of us feeling slightly worse for wear after a month of feasting and culinary extravagance. I am sure that many people are now setting about the dreaded New Year diet in an effort to overcome the festive bulge, acquired from endless stream of mince pies, but fear not the winter brassicas are at hand to help us all through this time.

The brassica family consists of a multitude of hearty green vegetables including cabbage, broccoli, and (yes, you’ve guessed it) sprouts. Now, many of you will feel that it was enough of a struggle eating your way through the scattering of little green goblins that adorned you Christmas dinner plate but there is more to this vegetable than first meets the eye.

Sprouts are often very badly treated, boiled away for hours until they are left grey and shrivelled, but this doesn’t have to be the way. They are a wonderfully versatile green and can be used raw in coleslaws and winter salads, fried up with a handful of chestnuts or added to a creamy potato bake.

Personally I feel they work wonderfully in soup, and on a cold January night what could be nicer to return home to that a warm and yielding bowl of soup? So give the little guys another chance, after all sprouts aren’t just for Christmas!

Sprout Soup (4)

Ingredients

·         2 shallots

·         1 tablespoon olive oil

·         500g sprouts

·         1 litre vegetable stock

·         Salt and pepper

·         100g chestnuts (optional)

Method

1.       Finely chop the shallots, and fry in the olive oil over a low heat until golden.

2.       Trim the sprouts and add in to the pan along with the salt, pepper and stock.

3.       Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. At this stage you can add in the chestnuts, which will bring a wonderfully luxurious texture to the finished soup.

4.       Blend the soup to a smooth puree, adding more stock is required.

5.       Serve straight away with chunks of bread

This soup freezes well, so you can enjoy warming soup for supper throughout the winter months.

Christmas Spiced Biscuits (20 small biscuits)

Scandinavian chic is taking to UK by storm with shows like The Killing causing a strong rise in Christmas knitwear sales, so why not embrace the baking expertise of our Nordic neighbours and cook up some festively spiced biscuits.

Ingredients

·         3 oz Plain Flour

·         1 ½ oz Margarine

·         1 ½ oz Brown Sugar

·         1 Tablespoon Honey

·         1-2 Tablespoons Water

·         ½ Teaspoon Ground Ginger

·         ½ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

Method

1.       Preheat the oven to 170° C, and grease 2 baking sheets.

2.       Rub together the margarine and flour, until they resemble sand.

3.       Mix in the sugar, honey, ginger and cinnamon, and then gradually add in the water until the mixture comes together into a firm dough.

4.       Roll out the dough on a floured surface, using a rolling pin, until about the thickness of a pound coin.

5.       Cut out festive shapes, using your favourite pastry cutters, and place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheets.

6.       Bake the biscuits for 5 – 10 minutes until lightly golden, make sure to watch carefully as they burn easily, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

7.       These biscuits can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks- if they last that long!

Tip: For an extra festive flourish why not decorate your biscuits with white icing or melted chocolate, a delightfully messy task for enthusiastic baking children (and adults).

Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry Sauce

Makes 3 jars

Ingredients

·         250ml water

·         225g granulated sugar

·         175g fresh cranberries

·         125ml port

Method

1.       Add the water and sugar to a medium saucepan, place on a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.

2.       Now carefully add the cranberries into the pan, and continue to cook until the berries have popped (this should take about 5 minutes).

3.       Then continue to cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, for a further 10-15 minutes until the mixture thickens.

4.       Take the pan off the heat and stir in the port.

5.       Pour the sauce into sterilises jars.

6.       The alcohol in this sauce helps preserve the fruit, meaning it can be stored for up to a year in the cupboard. The perfect accompaniment to your Christmas dinner, whether it be Turkey, Goose or Nut Roast.

Mincemeat

Mincemeat

Makes 5 medium jars of mincemeat

Ingredients

·         450g cooking apples

·         260g currants

·         260g sultanas

·         260g raisins

·         140g mixed peel

·         1 orange

·         3 tbsp brandy

·         170g dark muscavado sugar

·         ½ tsp ginger

·         ½ tsp cinnamon

·         ½ tsp nutmeg

Method

1.       Peel, core and cube the apples. Place apples in a pan, and cook over a low heat until they begin to break down and resemble apple sauce. At this point turn off the heat and leave the apples to cool.

2.       In a separate bowl add the currants, sultanas, raisins and mixed peel. Grate the rind of the orange into this mixture, juice the orange and add this to the fruit.

3.       Add the brandy, sugar and spices to the mixture and stir thoroughly. Making sure that the apples have cooled, add them to the mincemeat mixture and mix until everything has been evenly distributed.

4.       This mincemeat should then be decanted into sterilised jars, and can be used to make mince pies throughout the season. Mincemeat also makes a great Christmas present for the foodie in your life, just get creative with some festive ribbon and you have the perfect edible gift.

Hint: For a gluten-free Christmas treat, why not use this mincemeat as an ice cream topping.