Pita Recipe

In a break from scheduled holiday posts.....

Dinner tonight was awesome so I want to keep the recipe for the future.  I've added the calories to the recipes because someone asked for them.

I ate some of the pita before I thought to stuff the tabbouleh into the pockets. 

We had kingprawn tabbouleh with homemade pita.

The pita recipe was from farmgirl fare, I would add less salt in future but this was an incredibly quick recipe (considering that it was bread). It's reproduced here, converted into UK measurements:

the smell is amazing, wondrous puffy balls of yeast

Serves 8, calories in each pita 177

310g strong bread flour
1 tsp salt (reduced from 2 tsp in the original recipe)
1 Tbsp granulated sugar (for the yeast to eat)
packet of instant yeast
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup warm water

1. Preheat the oven to the highest temperature (ours didn't go up to 275). 
2. Cut out 4 bits of tinfoil (all that would fit in the oven) to put the pita on. We didn't preheat the tinfoil. 
3. In a mixer (or with a spoon) combine 125g flour with the salt, sugar and yeast. 
4. Add the oil and water
5. BEAT for 3 minutes (I just used the dough-hook and the fastest setting)
6. Stir in the rest of the flour a bit at a time (dough-hook on lower setting)
7. Knead for 6 minutes (I used a dough hook, but kneading is pretty much just folding and stretching)
8. Divide the dough into 8 pieces (I used a pizza cutting wheel)
9. Roll into balls, sprinkle on some flour and cover with a damp teatowl
10. Leave next to the oven for 30 minutes
    Now is the time to make your actual dinner/accompaniment
11. After 30 minutes, flatten 4 of the balls and then roll out to very thin (1/4 inch)
12. Put each onto foil and then use a metal spatula to slide into the oven straight onto the shelf
13. Cook them for 4 minutes, meanwhile roll out the others
14. After 4 minutes, turn them over and swap the shelves. 
15. After another 2 minutes put back onto the now less damp teatowel and wrap them up so that the pockets happen
16. Cook the others in the same way

And that's it! Took less than an hour in all of which most of it was pottering. Minimal mess too. I have pita left over for lunch today too (Mike ate his lunch portion on top of dinner). 

The tabbouleh was a spontaneous random recipe and made enough for 2 generous dinners and lunch. (Total 1292 bulky calories, 20% protein entire meal of pita and tabbouleh could happily feed 5 or 6, 8 with olives, hummous and extra salad). 

1. Pour 1 pint of boiling water over 125g uncooked bulgar wheat and leave for 30 minutes, you might need to sieve it at the end. 
2. Stirfry a packet of king prawns with 2 handfuls of mixed vegetables (we used some of Sainsburys big basic stirfry mix which is carrots and cabbage basically) and some pinenuts (optional). 
3. Meanwhile chop up an avacado, plenty of cherry or, my new favourite, vittoria tomatoes, 1/2 a cucumber, a spring onion and a handful of parsley
4. Make tzadziki (or use shop bought which we did and added extra mint to) and mix into the salad
5. combine everything with added lemon juice. We also added greek basil because it's lush.

Enjoy, for several days. 

Claire

Lazy lasagne

I seem to be posting lots of recipes, which wasn't the intention of the blog. But I cooked this for dinner last night and the recipe was requested.

I've called this lazy lasagne because, although there are quite a few steps, it can be done whilst chatting to guests, perfect dinner party food.

this picture doesn't look very appetising...

Ingredients:
- 1 carton garlicy chopped tomatoes (from sainsburys)
- half a bulb of garlic
- olive oil
- fresh thyme
- tub of ricotta
- bag of spinach
- pine nuts
- lasagne sheets
- mozzarella
- parmesan (or vegetarian hard cheese equivalent)
- an onion
- some plum or cherry tomatoes


Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
preparation
1. In a roasting dish put a carton of chopped tomatoes, the entire half bulb of garlic (skin on is fine), thyme, some olive oil, a chopped onion and a few (5?) tomatoes. Roast for 45 minutes
2. Meanwhile drain ricotta in a sieve over a bowl for 30 minutes
3. Wash spinach and then put in a pan with a small amount of butter and the lid on for 10 minutes until it wilts.
4. Pour away the ricotta liquid and, in the bowl, mix ricotta and grated parmesa
5. Use the ricotta sieve to squeeze liquid out of the spinach and add it to the bowl with some toasted pinenuts
6.  Remove the thyme from the roasting tomato sauce and use a stick blender to blend everything together. Taste and season as necessary.
assemble lasagne
7. Put a thin layer of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a deep dish
8. Add a layer of lasagne sheets
9. Add 1/2 of the spinachy sauce
10. Add 1/3 of remaining tomato sauce
11. Add a layer of lasagne
12, Add the rest of the spinachy sauce
13. Add 1/3 of the tomato sauce
14. A layer of lasagne - press down so stuff comes up the side
15. Add the rest of the tomato sauce.
16. Scatter mozzarella on top
17. Roast for 30 minutes

We will definitely be making this again

Claire
x

Raspberry and White Chocolate Loaf

Raspberry and White Chocolate Loaf

I made this loaf yesterday for a tea party. It is incredibly delicious, especially straight out of the oven. I think it's a supermarket magazine recipe but it's a 1:1:1 fat/flour/sugar basic sponge. 

Ingredients

175g Sifted SR flour

175g unsalted butter

175g caster sugar

1tsp vanilla extract

3 medium eggs

200g white chocolate

200g raspberries

Line a loaf tin with greaseproof for easy lifting and preheat oven to 160 degrees C  (fan oven, slightly more if not a fan).

1. Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla extract (I used a mixer).

2. Add a tbsp flour and beat in eggs one by one.

3. Fold in the rest of the flour

4. Fold in 100g white chocolate smashed up and 100g of raspberries

5. Bake for 30 minutes

6. Cover with a sheet greaseproof (to prevent burning) and bake for another 25 minutes (check with a skewer if cooked through)

7. Lift out as soon as cool enough to touch the paper and put onto a cooling rack. 

You can stop here, we ate a little bit that 'fell off' and it was very squishy and tasty when still warm*. 

8. Once cool, melt the rest of the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and drizzle some onto the top of the loaf, then add the rest of the raspberries and the rest of the white chocolate. 

*Straight out of the oven, pre-topping

I didn't get to eat much of it at the tea party but apparently it was very good.

Claire
x

lemonade scones

I made the lemonade scones today from the vintage tea party book (highly recommended by the way). They don't keep very well at all but they also don't last long because they're are so incredibly light! I didn't believe that this recipe could work but they were very yummy.

ingredients:
325g SR flour, sifted
6 fl oz lemonade (the better quality lemonade adds more lemon flavour but these can be made with fizzy water)
6 fl oz thick cream (I added some craime fraiche too).

Mix the liquids together and fold into the flour leaving the tiniest amount for glazing. Don't mix too much and don't worry if the mixture seems very wet. Grab small bits and roll in slightly floured hands into balls before flattening onto a lined baking tray. Glaze with the liquid and a sprinkling of sugar. Cook on 180 for 15 minutes and take off the paper as soon as you can touch them or they'll stick.

Enjoy!

Artichoke and feta tart

Another recipe post... We hosted pastorate on Wednesday, 9 people from church for dinner. We cooked 3 different tarts - a nigella recipe, a jamie oliver recipe, and a one I made up. Guess which people asked for the recipe for? Anyway here is the recipe as best I remember it (I meant to take a photo but it was eaten before I could). 


Ingredients:

• 320g puff pastry
• 2 tbsp black olive paste
• tub of artichokes (I used some fresh antipasti tubs from a supermarket deli counter)
• 100g Total 2% (or some other thick greek yoghurt)
• 50g philidelphia (you can alter the ratio of these two ingredients depending on health)
• half a block of feta
• 2 eggs
• lots of basil

Method:

1.  Take a 320g block of ready rolled puff pastry and line a quiche tin with it (I used a silicon one)
2. put it in the oven for 10 minutes (200 degrees ish) but check it doesn't burn
3. press the pastry to make a tart, it'll be hot so use a potato masher or something
4. spread the olive paste onto the base
5. then add artichokes and feta
6. mix the other ingredients together and then pour into the tart (I then put it onto another roasting dish incase it spilled)
7. cook for 15 minutes

It was very good! 

I am still trying to decide on my next blanket, hoping to start one over the bank holiday weekend. 

Claire

x

Rainy weekend baking

We woke up to lots of rain on Saturday which meant our usual walk couldn't happen. Instead we stayed in bed reading. I chose famous five on the iPad kindle app. There was a recent article in the guardian about the famous five's eating habits (huge feasts eaten as a picnic) and it inspired me to build a den in the living room, and bake a picnic feast of our own. I made a treacle tart, some scones and husband made bread. I also made some cardamom and orange marmalade (recipe below) and my goodness it was tasty. We ate a whole jar in 3 days!

Marmalade recipe 
This recipe doesn't involve many specifics other than the amount of sugar to water and the fact that it has to set.

• So firstly grab some oranges, use a peeler to get a thin layer of the zest off and chop it up. Then peel the pithy bit and chop half of it finely.
• Next chop up the oranges and put them into a pan. Mash them up a bit and add the zest and the chopped pith.
• Now crush some cardamom pods and separate out the seeds. I used 10 and 4 oranges and it's very prominent! Add the seeds to the oranges in the pan.
• Put the rest of the pith in a Muslin bag (or a foot of a pair of tights) with the cardamom pods and some ginger. Tie it tightly and snuggle it among the oranges.
• Now use a measuring cup to pour water over the oranges. Keep track of how much water you need until the oranges are only just covered.
• Slowly simmer the oranges for an hour or so. Mash them up as you go along.
• After an hour remove the muslin bag.
• Now you are going to add the sugar, in the same quantity as the water. Add 1 cup of preserving sugar (it has pectin added), 1 cup of brown sugar (for a treacly taste) and then the rest of normal sugar.
• Bring the marmalade to the boil and keep boiling and stirring. I tested the set after 30 minutes but it took 45 to set. To test a set, you need to pour a tiny bit onto a cold saucer and take the marmalade off the heat. If after 2 minutes it has the right texture it's done, otherwise reboil for another minute.
• As soon as its done, pour it into clean jars and screw the lid on so that they seal as they cool.

Then enjoy!