recipe: sesame prawn & squid toastie bites w/ wild garlic

sesame prawn & squid toastie bites w/ wild garlic

sesame prawn & squid toastie bites w/ sweet chilli sauce

IngredientsMakes: 300g (16)

270g		sesame prawn & squid toastie	(recipe below)
30g		sweet chilli sauce

Make sesame prawn & squid toastie and leave in the fridge over night to set.

Cut the toastie into 4, then cut each quarter into 4 again.

Toast the edges in an oil glazed pan, then drizzle with some sweet chilli sauce.

sesame prawn & squid toastie

sesame coated french toast stuffed w/ herbs prawns & squid

IngredientsMakes: 540g (2)

80g		squid
20g		spring onions
30g		wilted wild garlic	(recipe below)
5g		butter
60g	(4)	king prawns
80g		mixed root mash	(recipe below)
80g		sweated peppers	(recipe below)
0.5g		salt
3g		lemon balm
3g		chocolate mint
3g		chives
1g		black pepper
186g	(4)	multigrain sliced bread
20g		sesame seeds
55g		eggs
40g		milk

Inspired by prawn toast & sweet chilli sauce.

The mash and sweated peppers were leftovers to add a little flavour and help the squid bind the contents once cooked.

Cut the prawns into thirds, large prawns give a nice texture to the bite! Or use smaller ones but don't cut them up!

Whisk the milk into the egg in a bowl large enough to hold the sliced bread.

Place the sesame seeds in a similar sized bowl.

Blend the squid until smooth.

Chop the herbs, and mix everything except the bread, beaten egg & sesame seeds into a thick mash.

Take two slices of bread and spread half of the mix onto each.

Then squash the other two slices on top to make to sandwiches.

Dip each side into the egg then the sesame seeds and place into a medium heat pan for 3 mins on each side.

Be patient so the squid and prawn are cooked through, keep going until the sandwiches a re a dark golden brown!

Slice into 4 & serve w/ a sweet chiili sauce for dipping!

wilted wild garlic

IngredientsMakes: 114g

200g

wild garlic

Wilt the wild garlic & squeeze out excess water once it's cooled a little.

mixed root mash

mash of parsnips, sweet potato & potatoes w/ milk & butter

IngredientsMakes: 1040g (4)

386g		parsnips
187g		sweet potato
385g		potatoes
20g		butter
20ml		milk

Boil in salted water until soft: 6-8min after water started boiling, depending on chunk size!

Drain while still hot, spread out on a tea towel,

Allow them to steam until cool. (removes a lot of moisture)

Add butter and milk and mash

Serve w/ seasoning.

sweated peppers just cooked peppers

IngredientsMakes: 144g

165g		red peppers
2g		olive oil
0.5g		salt

Deseed red pepper & cut into strips as wide as they are thick.

Place into a hot oil glazed pan & toss to coat.

Put a lid on the pan and turn it to medium.

Cook for around 8min tossing frequently

If you are in Hereford check out Growing Local on facebook/meta they currently have all sorts of seasonal veg available grown right here in Hereford using organic practices!
Sign up for veg box here / or for wholesale here.

recipe: steak & mushroom on wild garlic chapo (Kenyan Chapati / roti)

steak & mushroom on wild garlic chapo (Kenyan Chapati / roti)

wild garlic chapo brushed w/ mango chutney & topped w/ mushrroms, seared ribeye steak, fruit couscous & kimchi

IngredientsMakes: 385g (1)

100g		wild garlic chapos	(recipe below)
10g		asd mango chutney
80g		sweated mushrooms	(recipe below)
110g		seared ribeye steak	(recipe below)
20g		mayo
10g		lime juice
3g		coriander
2g		red chilli
10g		mango chutney
30g		light apricot couscous fruity	(recipe below)
20g		kimchi no3	(recipe below)

Method

Make the mushrooms, prep the tomatoes, couscous & kimchi.

Brush the chapo w/ mango chutney & put on low on a skillet to warm.

Make the steak and place on a wooden board to rest.

Deglaze the steak pan with the touch of water butter & the mushrooms then assemble the whole thing on the skillet so it stays warm.

Chapo, mango chutney, mayo, coriander, chillies, steak, couscous, kimchi & finally a ouch more mango.

Serve on a warm plate! Too good . . . .

This took less than 15mins to make when I got in from work . . . chapos were in the freezer, kimchi on the counter, sauces in the fridge & cupboard.

Couscous was left over from yesterday. Very pleased with the outcome!

sweated mushrooms

soft cooked mushrooms - think, breakfast, side, wraps, bugers, pasta, pizza . . .

IngredientsMakes: 113g

150g		mushrooms
10g		butter
1g		salt

Method

Thick slice the mushrooms.

Heat a pan to medium high heat, & rub it with a stick of butter to coat the surface.

Add the mushroooms, sprinkle w/ salt & toss to coat. Turn the heat to medium.

Toss them a few times as they become soft & cooked though. Use as necessary.

seared ribeye steak

IngredientsMakes: 213g (1)

227g		ribeye steak
2g		veg oil
1g		salt

Method

Brush the steak with oil and season it, cook it to taste in the same pan.

Once cooked put the steak onto a warm serving plate to rest and deglaze the pan with water or wine.

Once the liquor is reduced to a third add the juice from the steak on the plate.

Mix and pour over the steak - serve immediately.

light apricot couscous fruity

dried fruit & nut couscous, leaning more towards fruit & nut

IngredientsMakes: 350g (2)

80g		couscous
145g		chicken stock	(recipe below)
20g		mange tout
20g		spring onions
15g		dried apricots
20g		dried cranberries
10g		red pepper
15g		butter
30g		spinach
10g		red onion
15g		flaked almonds

kimchi no3

classic korean fermented vegetables w/ ginger garlic & chilli

IngredientsMakes: 1450g

530g		cone cabbage
140g		chinese cabbage
260g		carrots
280g		red peppers
60g		radishes
60g		spring onions
30g		red onion
32g		garlic
250g		7.5pc brine
18g		chilli flakes
60g		ginger
3g		sweet smoked paprika
20g		sriracha chilli sauce
30g		sugar
80g		7.5pc brine
40g		olive oil

Method

Make the brine the night before so any chlorine in the water evaporates - better for fermenting process.

Make 3L of 7.5% brine - 225g salt 2775g water.

The 240g in the recipe is approximately what finally ends up in the jar.

Shred the veg & garlic - all ingredients up to the brine - & cover w/ brine.

Put plate on top to keep veg submerged.

Leave for 12hours / over night. Remove from brine - keeping the brine.

If the veg is not salty enough return to brine for longer. If too salty rinse w/ fresh water & drain.

To make the flavouring sauce simply mix the peeled & chopped ginger w/ the chilli flakes, smoked paprika, sriracha chilli sauce, sugar & brine.

Mix this w/ the drained veg until its mixed completely.

Pack the mix into a kilner jar and top w/ brine. Insert a gauze to keep the veg submerged.

If you are in Hereford check out Growing Local on facebook/meta they currently have all sorts of seasonal veg available grown right here in Hereford using organic practices!
Sign up for veg box here / or for wholesale here.

recipe: wild garlic chapos (Kenyan Chapati / roti)

The first time I made these, my thoughts were, 'Hmmm these are something else!' They are surprisingly flexible, and very moreish. It does seem like a bit of faf making them, but definitely worth it. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of tearing into a warm, flaky Kenyan Chapati (affectionately called 'chapo'), you know it’s less of a side dish and more of the main event.

While they share an ancestor with the Indian paratha, Kenyan chapos have evolved into a distinct culinary icon. Here is how I’d describe the experience:

The Texture: Layered Perfection, hhe hallmark of a well-made chapo is the layering (coiling).

The Outside: Golden-brown with distinct 'freckles' or charred spots from the hot skillet. It should have a slight, buttery crispness.

The Inside: This is where the magic happens. A perfect chapo is soft, stretchy, and can be peeled apart into thin, translucent layers. If it’s stiff like a cracker, something went wrong in the kitchen!

The Flavor: Subtly Rich, unlike a plain tortilla, a Kenyan chapati has a rich, savory profile. Fat is key, made with plenty of oil (or ghee), giving it a satisfying richness.

You don't eat a chapo with a knife and fork. It is a tactile experience; you tear off a piece, fold it into a scoop, and use it to hitch a ride for some beef stew, or coleslaw, or fill it with a selection of things from the table.

It’s richness makes it highly versatile, just as good at 7AM with a cup of chai, as it is at 7PM wrapped around a pork & red pepper filling.

wild garlic chapos

chapos - kenyan style chapati

IngredientsMakes: 900g (6)

260g		wild garlic
10g		butter
200g		water
450g		chapatti flour
8g		salt
5g		sugar
25g		veg oil
76g		olive oil / ghee

Remove the stalks from the leaves until you have 260g leaves, chop them up & wilt them with some butter.

Place into a blender jug on zero'd scales and top up with cold water until the contents weigh 320g.

Blend until smooth.

Place all the ingredients except the olive oil / ghee, into a standing mixer.

Mix the dough S1 / 1m, then knead S2 / 5m.  The speeds on mine go up to 6 for context.

Then rest for 30-40mins w/ a lid on the container.

Fold the dough into itself for a minute or two to strengthen it.

Divide in 6 portions.

Fold each into itself into a ball.

Roll into a long rectangle, drizzle w/ a little oil & dust w/ flour.

Roll the rectangle into a sausage, then roll the sausage into a swirl - like a cinnamon swirl.

Roll it flat, drizzle with oil & lob it onto the oil glazed skillet.

Cook on a medium high heat until it's started to bubble, and getting crispy and brown then turn it.

Then get on with the next one while it cooks. For plain chapos it's the same process: Make the dough from 450g chapatti flour, 8g salt, 5g sugar, 25g veg oil, 280g water and fold in the rest of the fat - 76g olive oil / ghee - during the rolling process.

If you are in Hereford check out Growing Local on facebook/meta they currently have all sorts of seasonal veg available grown right here in Hereford using organic practices!
Sign up for veg box here / or for wholesale here.

experiment: growing figs

Well, if this is anything to go by, there will be some fig recipes later in the year! Top tips . . . a touch of lemon and sugar whilst pan frying, will bring out the colour and really highlights the flavour of a fig.

experimental recipe: pepper & serrano ham mini calzone

pepper & serrano calzone

experiment w/ dough for calzone - serrano ham, peppers, 2 cheeses & onions

IngredientsMakes: 520g (4)

330g		new york pizza dough	(recipe below)
20g		plain flour
80g		tomato rosemary & garlic sauce	(recipe below)
40g		orange pepper
18g	(2)	double stuffed olives
30g		sbs red leicester cheese
20g		red onions
1g		black pepper
52g	(4)	serrano
50g		mozzarella

Method

Small calzone using a domestic oven . . . experiment.

Turn the oven on to 225C with the thick metal baking sheet inside on a high shelf.

There should be at least 3 inches of clearance from the top!

Dice the pepper, olives, onions, and add the grated red leicester & freshly ground black pepper mix together.

Roll each slice of ham and slice into rounds - 1 slice per calzone.

Cut mozzarella into sticks.

Cut dough into 4, form into balls & roll out into a 10 inch round.

Spread a generous tbsp of sauce on the front half, top w/ tbsp of veg mix, then serrano & mozza.

Fold over & seal.

Use a peel or dough blade to transfer it to a cold flat bake sheet dusted w/ ground rice or semolina to stop it sticking.

Repeat for the second one then load them onto the hot tray - only opening the oven to remove and return the tray.

Bake 225C / 7m.

Make the other two while they cook and repeat.

~130g 360kcals each - 180kcals / half.

new york pizza dough

minimal effort pizza dough

IngredientsMakes: 1115g (4)

15g		sugar
10g		dried yeast
30g		olive oil
420g		water
630g		00 flour
10g		salt

Method

Makes enough for 4 pizzaa ~280g per pizza.

Mix the sugar, dried yeast, olive oil & water and leave for 15mins to activate the yeast.

Add the salt to the flour, then add the wet ingredients combine into a smooth dough.

Place into a sealed plastic container and leave in the fridge for 72 hours.

BTW you can get very passable results after 24 hours!

Turn the dough out onto a flourless surface, and knock back until smooth & silky, form into a tight ball.

Cut the dough into 4 pieces and make a ball of each.

Place on a plastic tray & cover w/ cling film then leave for an hour to prove.

Once risen, the dough balls shouldn't really be touching!

tomato rosemary & garlic sauce

rich fried tomato sauce flavoured w/ rosemary & garlic confit

IngredientsMakes: 854g

100g		extra virgin olive oil
10g		rosemary
140g		onions
520g		tomatoes
80g		confit garlic	(recipe below)
15g		tomato puree
10g		chicken stock cube
300g		water

Method

Peel & chop the onions & tomatoes.

Add the picked and chopped rosemary to the olive oil and let it sizzle for 1 min then add the onions and cook until soft.

Squeeze the garlic out of casing and add it and the tomatoes and cook for another 5mins.

Finally add the puree & chicken stock & simmer for 20mins.

Blend with a stick blender until smooth and use as needed.

confit garlic

slowly confit garlic bulbs & rosemary & thyme infused olive oil

IngredientsMakes: 200g

320g		garlic
10g		rosemary
10g		thyme
20g		olive oil

Method

To cover the garlic you'll probably need 300g of olive oil. Use a container in which the garlic fit as snugly as possible.

Bruise the rosemary & thyme w/ the back of a knife & place it in the bottom of ovenproof saucepan.

Add the whole garlic bulbs and pour in olive oil until they are completely covered.

Bake 150C / 3h

If you are in Hereford check out Growing Local on facebook/meta they currently have all sorts of seasonal veg available grown right here in Hereford using organic practices!
Sign up for veg box here / or for wholesale here.