Thinking cap!

Ice cream on its own doesn't look particularly exciting, even if it is home-made. Whilst the sundae mentioned previously does sound fab it's a little too much of a sweet hit for my personal taste and for that matter, for my guests and friend too.

With that in mind what better to go with a rich chocolate truffle ice cream than oranges – oranges are the best fruit! Surely one of the best marriages, chocolate and orange.

Orange segments are the answer – although creating the perfect one can be a tricky business.

There are three elements you'll need to tackle, the thick outer peel, the white pith on the inside and finally the thin, tough outer membrane of each segment.

Choosing the right type of orange also matters – “naval” fits the bill since it has no pips (or seeds if you like).

You don't need a fancy dancin' posh piece of kit for this chore either – I find that a serrated bread knife is just the job – naturally used CAREFULLY AND SAFELY!

Wear gloves if you are offended by sticky hands from the orange juice. You'll need a container for your segments.

Get yourself organised before you begin. Decide how many oranges you want to divide. As a guide you'll get 10 ish segments per orange – it will vary – at least you'll have an idea, depending on how many guests you're serving.

You can serve the segments as is or, if you are serving adults you can soak them in either Cointreau or Grand Marnier – add 1 tbsp of liqueur to 100mls of additional fresh orange juice per two segmented oranges.

Give a thought to decoration – small amaretti biscuits would meet the brief, as would tuile biscuits – a little added crispy texture.

Have I got your attention?

The Road Test!

taken from “delicious.” magazine

March issue

“Chocolate truffle no-churn ice cream

300g dark chocolate, preferably 70%

cocoa solids, chopped into chunks

397 tin condensed milk

500ml double cream

100g milk chocolate, chopped into small chunks

Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a plan of simmering water – don't let the water touch the bowl, remember it's the steam that melts the chocolate! Leave it to cool to just above room temperature, then stir in the condensed milk.

Put the double cream into a large bowl, whip softly until just holding its peaks. Fold in the condensed milk/chocolate mixture, using a balloon whisk, carefully so that you don't knock the air out. Once combined add the milk chocolate chunks. Transfer to a freezer suitable container and freeze for at least 8 hours. Bring it out of the freezer 10 minutes before you want to serve it to allow it to soften.

Makes 1 – 1.2 litres

It will keep in a properly sealed container for up to 1 month.”

Full details are in the magazine along with another serving suggestion, “Banana, peanut and caramel chocolate ice cream sundae”.

The Road Test ice cream was served as a dinner party dessert and then to my friend who was visiting and an ice cream connoisseur to boot – verdict from both – oh yes, yes, yes!

A “delicious.” magazine!

A while ago now a friend asked me if I'd like a subscription to “delicious.” magazine as a Christmas and birthday gift – it sounded like a good plan!

Ordinarily I'm not a buyer of magazines – definitely the phrase “style over substance” comes to mind. As I've said before though there's always the exception that breaks the rule. There's something quite decadent about having a posh glossy mag delivered each month and I can truthfully say that I look forward to its arrival.

If you are thinking of treating yourself then this one gets my vote.

This month, with Easter approaching, not surprisingly there are lots of ideas for the holidays and there's an extra - “delicious. THE COLLECTOR'S EDITION CHOCOLATE 10 OUTSTANDING RECIPES TO PULL OUT AND KEEP” It was worth the £4.20 for this supplement alone. (If you do decide to take out a subscription it will be considerably cheaper).

My rule of thumb with both cookery books and/or magazines is that if I get a couple of ideas that I can tweak, or am so inspired by a variation on a theme I already use, then it has absolutely been worth the financial investment.

There's an absolute cracker of a recipe for a no-churn ice cream. Regular readers will know that I'm a real fan – mainly because if it means you don't have to shell out on expensive pieces of kit it gets my vote. Jack pot hit on two counts and counting.

So, on your behalf what follows is the result of a road test – I aim to please!

Class Report : They said …

Honey Roasted Beetroot & Goats cheese Crostini

… for someone who doesn't really like goats cheese it was delicious. Beetroot, goats cheese and crispy toast was lovely.

… delicious

… wonderful sweet beetroot with the slightly salty taste of the cheese – perfect. Great for a lunchtime snack with a salad. Also good for a supper starter. I shall definitely do this!

… sooooooo yummy!

Miso Maple Glazed Chicken and Maple Glazed Veggies

… this is one meal which I shall definitely use at home – often! So very tasty.

… I liked this as a no carb supper dish.

… it looked beautiful and is something I will use often at home. Chris will love it.

… chicken and stir fry with a twist, very tasty, looks so easy.

Orange Tiramisu

… another that looked easy and it was delicious – didn't want to stop eating it!

… have to say the dessert was not big enough – yum, yum, yum.

… well, what can I say. Yet another light dessert which includes cream but is not sickly. The orange juice and the booze was just the right quantity. I loved it – one of my top desserts!

… wow – zingy, light and lovely.

Thank you for all your effort, we appreciate it. X

Class Report : A decadent dessert

After an appetiser and a main that were relatively healthy it would be boring not to indulge when it came to pud!

The Orange Tiramisu first appeared in GOM: Chapter 16 “The Dinner Party ….” it was well received on that occasion – it is easy to make, can be made ahead, covered and fridged. For the purists – not everyone likes coffee – so a variation on a theme.

Orange Tiramisu

Grated rind and juice of 2 oranges

20fl oz whipping cream

4tbls Cointreau (optional)

20 sponge fingers or Madeira cake

4tbls caster sugar

8oz Mascarpone or curd cheese (Philadelphia)

2oz plain chocolate (grated)

Mix the orange rind and juice with the Cointreau.

Mix the cream carefully with the sugar and mascarpone.

Cut up the cake in shapes that suit the bowl you are using and dip into the orange mixture.

Grate the chocolate

Layer the mascarpone mixture with the sponge and sprinkle with chocolate.

I'm stating the obvious that you'd omit the Cointreau if serving to kids.

A couple of variations – decorate with small amaretti biscuits. You don't have to use plain chocolate to decorate – crushed flake works well for the milk chocolate lovers or you could combine the two as illustrated below :

Finally a thank you to my husband who made the template for me so that I'd get straight lines of chocolate for the decoration – left to my own devices it would not have been a pretty sight!

Here's the serving bowl – diameter 20 cms and with the template over the top. The Tiramisu will serve six generous portions.

Class Report : Miso and Maple

The idea for the main dish came about from an impromptu conversation during the previous class. Don't ask me why the subject of miso came up, such is the nature of the classes that completely random questions pop out of nowhere! Anyway on that occasion I uttered those immortal words, “hold that thought” and disappeared into my pantry returning clutching a packet of sweet white miso.

This is what it looks like :

It's available from most supermarkets – mine came from Daily Bread Co-operative Ltd www.dailybread.co.uk.

I first mentioned Miso Maple Glazed Chicken in The Method in my Madness – The Creaking Table as part of a supper for Christmas Eve.

For ease, here it is :

Miso Maple Glazed Chicken

4 chicken breasts

1 tbsp baking powder*

4 fl oz/½ cup maple syrup*

2 fl oz/¼ cup white miso paste*

Mix * together, add the chicken breasts and

marinate for 24 hrs

Sprinkle with chopped spring onions

Bake in a pre-heated oven 180 fan/200c/Gas 6

for 35 minutes

Again, takes no time at all and, if you marinate the chicken in one of my famous, washing-up free foil dishes, it can go straight from the fridge, into the oven.

This recipe is as easy as falling off a log.

Continuing with the “flying by the seat of my/your pants” theme, serve with :

Maple Glazed Veggies

100ml dark soy sauce

50ml Maple syrup

1 tsp garlic paste

2 tbsp light olive oil

black pepper

You can choose any veggies you like, here's my choice :

Mange tout – cut in half diagonally

Baby sweetcorn – cut in half lengthways

Carrots – peeled, topped and tailed and cut into batons -

5 cms long x 1cm, as a guide – you'll get approximately

28 batons from 1 large carrot

Red Romano pepper – topped, tailed, de-seeded and

cut into a similar size to the batons

Salad onions – topped and tailed and cut diagonally.

A word of caution – it's important that your veggies are of a similar size so that they cook evenly. Some veggies take longer than others, so, when making your choice bear that in mind.

Heat the oil until hot in a frying pan (or wok) add the salad onions and garlic paste and cook for 1 minute, tossing as you go. Add the baby corn, carrots and red pepper for 2 minutes and then finally add the mange tout for another minute.

Add the soy/maple syrup mixture and toss through the vegetables for another 2 minutes, season with black pepper.

Serve immediately in bowls and top with sliced Miso Maple Glazed chicken.

The food you eat should look appetising, hence the expression “you eat with your eyes”, more than that it has to taste good. I chose the veggies because they ticked all the boxes – eye catching colours, great flavour and great taste. An additional bonus - a carb free speedy lunch or supper.

Here are a couple of photos of the finished dish.

P.S. I know that many of you will know about miso, but, for those that may not, it is Japanese. I'm not going to blind you with science – suffice it to say it's a seasoning in a paste, made from fermenting soybeans with salt and koji, or rice or barley. There are many types but the two most common are white and red. The white is sweet and lighter in taste. The red is aged, darker and a stronger flavour. Probably the most well known miso dish is the soup – it has many other uses, in casseroles and sauces. Its benefits are that it is high in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals but above all, it tastes great!

Pps.  Another bonus - the miso is organic and gluten-free too!

Class Report

This time I decided to mix it up a bit and “fly by the seat of my pants”.

I know that I'm always suggesting using the humble beetroot and one of my most favourite recipes is Honey Roasted Beetroot. Recently I demonstrated a pie with the beetroot recipe as a side. One of my friends, who has been coming to my classes since they began had clearly missed the previous occasions when I'd used it – she absolutely loved it. So, that set me thinking and here's the result.

Honey Roasted Beetroot

& Goats cheese Crostini

or

Fly by the seat of your pants!

Ciabatta, sliced

Goats' cheese, sliced

Garlic paste, mixed with a glug of olive oil

*Balsamic vinegar – 2 tsp

*Olive oil – 2 tbsp

*Clear honey – 2 tbsp

Cooked beetroot – 500g

Salt and black pepper

*Chopped fresh thyme – 2tsp or a sprinkle

of dried if you can't get fresh

If fresh beetroot is in season, choose beets of a similar size and roast in foil - @ 180f/200c/Gas 6 for an hour and then test, leave to cool, peel and slice thinly.

For speed and/or when beets are not in season, you can use the vac packs you can get in the supermarket - as an indicator I choose beetroot that is approximately the same size – a 300g vac pack gives you 8 small to medium beetroots. Slice thinly but not so that you can see through – don't use the ends of the beets – they won't “sit” on the bread evenly – save them for a salad or a sandwich.

Combine the ingredients marked * above and season with salt and black pepper. Arrange your slices of beetroot in a foil tray, overlapping the slices to a similar size as your slices of ciabatta. Pour your combined ingredients over the beetroot. Roast in a pre-heated oven 180fan/200c/gas 6 for 10 minutes until the beetroot is sticky and glazed. Set aside.

To assemble your crostini, toast one side of the bread and spread the other, sparingly, with the garlic and oil paste, layer with beetroot and top with goats' cheese. Warm through in the oven for 10 minutes and serve.

I'll save the comments from the Ladies until later, in the meantime, here's a couple of photos

The beauty of this recipe is that you can leave it as it is – an appetiser, or you can scale it up for a lunch or a supper with a side salad.