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here they are, double egg washed, edged
and sprinkled, ready to bake or chill if you prefer
note the “dessert fork” edging
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fresh from the oven!
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bagged and tagged – you can give them away
if you want to show off – or may be keep and eat?
It's good to have recipes up your sleeve for a rainy day – you can never have enough!
This recipe might be a tad late for the holidays – I include it because these dainties really are yummy - perfect for a snack or part of a “picky bits” supper any time!
Three Cheese dainties
100g mature Cheddar, 75g Red Leicester
and 75g Gruyere, grated
1 large onion, finely chopped
drop of rapeseed oil
2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
celery salt and black pepper
1tbsp of Dijon mustard
1 x 320g puff pastry sheet
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp Nigella seeds
Pre-heat oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6
Use a medium sized saucepan, heat the oil and then add the onion and sweat on a low heat for 5 minutes until softened. This element can be prepped ahead, cooled, boxed and fridged until required.
Unroll your pastry sheet on a board or work surface – don't remove the pastry from the paper liner – it's perfect for your baking sheet for cutting out, filling and then lifting on to your tray and baking. No mess! The sheet will give you 15 circles using an 8cms/3” cutter. You may need to re-roll the pastry for the final 3.
Add the cheeses, seasoning, mustard and parsley to the onion. Place a teaspoon of filling in the centre of each circle, edge half the circle with the beaten egg, then fold to create your dainty, use a dessert fork to edge the dainty then egg wash. Use two teaspoons to form the filling, it helps to keep it firm and easy to place. Make a mental note where you begin to egg wash, leave for a couple of minutes, then repeat. Place the tray of dainties in the fridge until required.
Sprinkle with Nigella seeds and then bake for 20 minutes – check after 15, until golden brown.
A word of warning … it's very difficult not to consume these when taken out of the oven – you might want to plan another batch!
If you want to make ahead, having double egg washed and fridged, you can then freeze them on the tray until frozen and then bag, ready for when required. At least that way you won't be able to eat them all!
Here's a photo or three ...
You won't need your slow cooker – you can use a large frying pan or a casserole.
Following the recipe, substitute the braising steak with Quorn pieces – you won't need to seal the Quorn pieces.
Gently fry your onion and garlic in a generous drop of rapeseed oil. Add the spices and cook together so that the spices are able to release their deliciousness!
Add the passata and the chilli sauce and bring to the boil.
Add the Quorn pieces and simmer for 12 minutes if frozen – 9 minutes if not - set aside until you're ready to roll.
The optional extras are the same – even the chorizo! Try M&S Plant Kitchen “No chorizo puppies” - they are freezable. Made with red pepper, smoked paprika and roasted garlic, mushroom and caramelised onion to name but a few ingredients!
Slice the chorizo and fry with a little oil, turning frequently. If you're adding sweet baby peppers sauté them in the chorizo oil.
When you're ready to serve add the chorizo and peppers and the residual oil with the kidney beans to your chilli and re-heat gently until piping hot!
Serve with whatever takes your fancy – rice, good bread or wraps.
Yum!
Happy New Year
Seal the diced steak in batches in a large frying pan using a drop of rapeseed oil then set aside in your slow cooker.
Gently fry your onion and garlic, using another drop of rapeseed oil if necessary. Add the spices and cook together so that the spices are able to release their deliciousness!
Add the passata and the chilli sauce and bring to the boil. Add to the sealed diced steak and then slow cook for 4 hours. Turn off and then leave to cool. Freeze in boxes to suit your needs – remember – you can pull out two boxes if you need to, rather than have to throw away from a larger quantity.
Defrost thoroughly in your fridge. Re-heat gently on the stove adding your kidney beans, sweet baby peppers or chorizo.
For the optional extras :
Use a large frying pan and fry the chorizo gently so that it releases its oil. Set the chorizo aside, leaving the oil in the pan.
Sauté the sliced, sweet baby peppers in the chorizo oil.
If you enjoy a spicy hit you can use mixed beans in a chilli sauce instead of ordinary red kidney beans.
Serve with rice if you like but I think it's fab in a bowl with a blob of sour cream served with some rustic bread of your choice on the side or with wraps with bowls of relish of your choice – mango would work well.
Freezing serves dishes like chilli or curry very well – the freezing process allows the spices to develop. Here's a thought – you could double the recipe and serve as a supper or as part of a larger supper buffet.
Hot food seems to go down so well and it's easier to cook and serve.
A veggie version ...
… and a well deserved break for the cook!
Use your trusted slow cooker and make a chilli but not any old chilli. What makes this chilli special, nay posh, is it uses diced steak and slow cooks it. The only remaining task is to add the red kidney beans and any garnishes. A word of warning – just in case you've forgotten – do not slow cook the kidney beans.
Posh Chilli
Serves 4
500g diced braising steak
A glug of rapeseed oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of roasted garlic paste or 2 cloves crushed
tsp = teaspoon
half tsp ground cumin
half tsp ground coriander
half tsp ground cinnamon
quarter to half tsp chilli powder (to taste, depends how much of a kick you like – I used a quarter tsp)
500g jar of passata
60ml sweet chilli sauce
390g can of red kidney beans, rinsed
optional extras :
150g small dice or sliced chorizo
sweet baby peppers, de-seeded and
finely sliced
Method up next …
This dish ticks two boxes – it's for those who love “stuffing” with their roast and with the extra ingredients it becomes a vegetarian roast in its own right.
It's tried and tested, here it is :
Chestnut and Apple roast
170g/6oz of dried breadcrumbs
2 tsps dried sage
100ml/3fluid oz boiling water
or
1 packet of sage and onion stuffing mix – 170g/6oz
1 packet – 180g/7oz of vac packed chestnuts, blitzed to a
crumb – not dust!
Vac packed chestnuts are available all year in
larger supermarkets
300g of chunky apple sauce – preferably Bramley apple
OR
Portion of apple sauce – 225-350g/8-12 oz
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Drop of rapeseed oil and knob of butter.
2 additional knobs of butter
I used an oval cast iron oven proof dish measuring 25x17x5 cms – 10”x7”x2” in old money.
For your dried breadcrumbs, remove the crusts and tear up into chunks – weigh to achieve 170g/6oz. Pre-heat oven 150fan/170c/Gas 3. Blitz the bread in a food processor until you get an even crumb. Spread the crumbs onto a baking tray and bake for 6 minutes until they are golden. You can make a finer crumb by blitzing again when cooled. Add dried sage to taste – I'd suggest 2 tsps.
You don't have to make your own breadcrumbs, you can buy them dried.
Alternatively if you're short of time, use a sage and onion stuffing mix.
To assemble … have a look at these photos :
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Hey presto!
Merry Christmas everyone
I was able to get preserving sugar, which was
a surprise
dice the red onion as finely as you can manage
it makes for a more refined texture – if that makes
any sort of sense!
I used good quality cranberries – the American variety
if you can get them – plumptious
Here's the finished relish – delish
A choice of jars – those mentioned above
and a small kilner jar
Perfect with the cheese scones or with Christmas turkey, ham or a little of the veggie roast for a fab sandwich later in the day or Christmas supper – if you've any room left! Personally I always prefer the sandwich and there's very little washing up.
Enjoy!
