Ginger & Pear Pudding

 

Sometimes a recipe just jumps out of the few things you’ve had around you in the kitchen for the last day or two. 

I baked sourdough croissants at the weekend, the few remaining ones have waited patiently whilst slightly drying out. Sylvia kindly brought some pears some time ago. I considered a bread & butter pudding that incorporated pear when suddenly stem ginger popped into my head. I always have a jar or two of stem ginger in syrup, one of the most useful store cupboard ingredients and one that keeps for ages. 

For this recipe you will need; 

3 or 4 day old croissants 

4 eggs

2 peeled pears

300ml of double cream

300ml of milk

220gm of stem ginger in syrup (drained & chopped) see note 

100gm of caster sugar 

Butter for greasing the ovenproof container  

A pinch of salt. 

Method 

Begin by cutting up the croissants into 6 to 8 pieces and placing into a buttered, ovenproof container. A lasagna dish is perfect. Slice up the pears and sprinkle amongst the croissant pieces, then sprinkle over the chopped ginger. 

Whisk together the eggs, milk and cream along with the pinch of salt. Pour over the croissants, pear and ginger and place in a low to moderate oven, 160C for an hour, when the custard mixture should be perfectly set. 

This is delicious served warm with a little pouring cream.

 

 

Notes.

The amount of ginger I have used in this recipe makes it a ginger lover’s pudding, ginger is very much a major player and it get my vote but there is nothing to stop you reducing the amount or even leaving it out, but why would you. 

Amaretto Madeira Cake

During Lockdown, this has been my go to cake recipe. Easily digested, delicious with a cup of Russian Caravan tea and although it's the perfect cake to offer to visitors, it's nice enough to enjoy when common sense keeps visitors away from my door. I would say when loved ones cannot visit, then this cake is necessary snackage. 

For this recipe you will need;

250gm of unsalted butter

240gm of caster sugar

4 medium size eggs

200gm Self Raising flour

100gm of ground almonds

50ml of Amaretto liquor

a pinch of salt

Method

Begin by creaming together the butter and the sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well to incorporate. Finally add the flour, ground almonds, amaretto and salt and mix just well enough to fully incorporate. 

Transfer the cake batter to a lined 2 pound loaf tin and bake in a moderate oven (180C) for 55 minutes to an hour, a cocktail stick should come out clean when pushed into the centre. Allow to cool in the tin. 

Notes

Ovens vary, so if you find the top of the cake is browning a little too quickly or too much, simply slip a small sheet of kitchen foil over the top to protect it for the last 15 minutes. 

Kashmiri Potatoes

I'm quite sure there are as many different recipes for dishes in India as there are households and eateries making them, it makes me feel a little bolder about offering my recipe for example for this potato dish.
There is virtually nothing about this recipe that resembles many other Indian dishes. No use of cumin, coriander, turmeric and cardamom for instance, apart from ginger, there is also an absence of familiar ingredients such as onion and garlic. The result, however, is a delightful dish which is unmistakably from that part of the world and in my opinion sits very well alongside other dishes we might be familiar with.
For this recipe you will need;  
500gm of potatoes, scrubbed or peeled, as you wish.
1 tablespoon of tomato oil Click here for the recipe
 If you don't wish to make the tomato oil, then substitute a tablespoon of vegetable oil and a teaspoon of tomato puree.
1 teaspoon of ground fennel seeds
A thumb sized piece of  fresh ginger, finely chopped
150gm of fresh tomatoes, finely chopped
A handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped
50ml of double cream.
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of Kashmiri chili powder, possibly less if you are using a different chili powder.

Method.
Begin by washing and peeling or scrubbing the potatoes before roughly cutting into small cube shapes, Place the oil, tomato puree (if using), salt, ground fennel and chili powder into a large bowl and add the potato cubes. Mix well to evenly cover the potatoes before transferring to a baking sheet and roasting in a moderate oven (180C) for 25 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender,

You will find the oil has separated from the potatoes to some extent, I drain this off and use it then to gently fry the chopped ginger for 2 or 3 minutes before adding the potatoes and the chopped tomatoes. Cook gently for 8 to 10 minutes until the tomatoes have softened, add the chopped mint and stir in the cream, Check the seasoning before serving.

Notes
 If you have a small spice grinder, it is well worthwhile grinding some Kashmiri chilies in order to make your own chili powder, Kashmiri chilies have a little less heat and have a wonderful flavour.

Mushroom and Kidney Bean Paté

This is an ideal vegetarian starter which if you substitute vegan spread for butter, easily becomes a vegan starter. It's packed with flavour and the butter content gives it a smooth texture making it easy to spread on toast. We've had such a mild Winter, I still have fresh watercress in the garden.

For this recipe, (serves 6 to 8) you will need;
500gm of mushrooms
250gm of cooked red kidney beans
130gm of shallots
100gm of unsalted butter
3 or 4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of marsala or dry sherry
1 tablespoon of oil
black pepper
1 teaspoon of Marigold Bouillon powder or 1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of fresh thyme.

Begin by slicing the mushroom and frying over a medium heat in the oil. If you want to get the full flavour of mushrooms it is essential to fry them until you achieve a nice brown caramelisation, see the photograph. There is never any need to increase the amount of oil when frying, if the mushrooms, which are naturally absorbent, seem to have dried out the pan simply throw in a tablespoon of water, this creates steam and the absorbed oil will be released. De-glaze the pan with the marsala and add the chopped shallots. Continue to cook for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, add the garlic and after another 2 minutes put a lid on the pan and switch off the heat. This helps to ensure the shallots and garlic are fully cooked.
Place the cooked kidney beans, butter, thyme, seasoning (bouillon powder and pepper) and mushroom mixture in a food processor and process on pulse until the mixture is as fine as you like. Personally I like it a little coarse, but it's possible to process until you have a totally smooth paté.
Chill, for 4 hours, either in a single container or in small ramekins to serve.

High colour when cooking mushrooms ensures a strong umami flavour

Notes:
You can vary the flavour of this paté very easily, by using different beans. I used chestnuts the last time I made it. You can also use wild mushrooms or a combination of wild and not so wild mushrooms. Use Sage or oregano instead of thyme if you fancy. As with many of my recipes, this should act as a foundation for experiment.

Oat & Walnut Cookies

My kitchen has been blessed with the addition of a Nutribullet, such a useful device, I highly recommend it. I used it this morning to produce oat flour from some porridge oats in order to make these cookies. Making your own oat flour of course means you can make these cookies gluten free if you need to.

Ethiopia, welcome. No 151!

For this recipe you will need; (makes 26 to 30)
300g of oat flour
200g of light muscovado sugar
200g unsalted butter
80g of walnuts
1 egg
1 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt.

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process until you have a soft dough.
Heat the oven to 180C.
Line a couple of baking trays with baking parchment.
Form the dough into small balls, roughly the size of a large walnut. I found having wet hands makes this process considerably less messy,
Space the balls of dough out with enough space to double in size, they will spread. Flatten them just a little. Bake for 17 minutes. If they are a little soft when baked for this length of time in your oven, simply extend the baking time by a minute or two.
Allow to cool completely on the tray, to allow them to firm up.

Notes:
This basic recipe gives you lots of options to vary the flavour, you can add powdered ginger and small pieces of crystallised ginger or chocolate chips or dried cranberries for instance.