Sweet Chilli Mushroom Pasty - recipe

It's been a while since I blogged a recipe, so here is a lovely, quick to make, almost storecupboard, one for you.

A Sweet Chilli & Mushroom Pasty.

As usual, no measurements, just chuck in what you think will work - honestly, it's the best way to cook!

You will need:

• Mushrooms
• Cheese Spread (I used Seriously Strong Sweet Chilli, but any will be good)
• Ready to use Puff Pastry (or make your own)
• Egg (for wash)

What you do:

• Wash, chop and put your mushrooms in a pan with a little drop of olive oil, sunflower oil or even butter.

• When they are cooked down and soft, drain off any excess juices.

• Then add a good blob of cheese spread  (Philadelphia Cheese will also work)

• Mix..... then leave to cool.

• Meanwhile, roll out your pastry and use a side plate or saucer to cut a large circle.

• Plop some mushroom mix just off centre.

• Then fold over.  Add a little bit of water to the rim and press to seal.

• Give it a brush with beaten egg and slit the top to let the steam escape while cooking.

• Serve with mash and veg for a main meal, or eat on it's own as a snack.

Nom!

Festive Rum Butter Recipe

Now that we’re heading into December it’s now acceptable to get in the festive spirit!

Personal touches are what makes Christmas so special, and so with this in mind, Wren Kitchens have asked a range of food, craft & interior bloggers to help them put together their #24DaysOfWren interactive advent calendar – which showcases a variety of Christmas inspiration behind each window! With everything from mince pies…to handmade nativity outfits it aims to get everyone in the festive spirit!  I was thrilled to be asked, so here is my Christmas offering.

RUM BUTTER.  Is there anything more perfect to spread on your toast on Christmas morning?  I think not.

Now, for those who do not know, there are two types of Rum Butter - Cumberland and Westmorland.

The Westmorland recipe requires the butter to be creamed into the sugar, whereas in the Cumberland recipe you melt the butter then stir it in.

So basically you need 1lb of soft brown sugar to half a pound of butter and a "glass" of rum.  My glass was rather large, but there's no point having a weak rum butter is there?  :)

Here is how you make it:

First, find a jar (or jars).  I picked this cute little hexagonal one from Hobbycraft.

Sterilize the jars by washing thoroughly in boiling water then popping in a hot oven to dry off. Don't forget to do the lids too.

Then, slug a generous splash (be quite generous, you do want to taste it) of Rum into the sugar and stir to mix.

Melt the butter.

Mix the butter into the sugar, this will take a little while as the sugar dissolves.  You will need a good beating arm.

When it is totally mixed through, leave it to cool for about half an hour, then go back and give it a really good beat.  At this point I use the electric mixer to make it a little easier.

It makes the Rum Butter creamier if you repeat this step - leave it for another half hour, then go back and beat it again.  You will see at this point that the colour changes and it becomes lighter.

I leave it another 15 minutes and give it another whisk to make it light and fluffy.

Next you need to pop it into the jars, I thought a spoon would be too tricky so I filled up a piping bag and piped it in.

(Lots of little jars all full to the brim with delicious Rum Butter)

To give as gift I added a little material circle to make the lid prettier, and an ingredient label.

If you want to see the rest of the crafty Advent calender, then please visit:  http://www.wrenkitchens.com/blog/24-days-of-wren/

Sweet Potato & Mushroom Pie - vegetarian recipe

Don't you just love pie!  Especially on cold evenings, with the curtains closed and the fire on, there is nothing better than a good belly warming pie to warm up your soul.

I really fancied pie last week, but after having a root about my fridge and cupboards, seemed to have very little to go in it - a sweet potato and a handful of sleepy mushrooms.   That would have to do!

I chopped up the potatoes, tossed them in a little olive oil and sprinkled some rock salt and chilli flakes over the top for a bit of a kick.

Then I bunged them in a hot oven to roast for about 20 mins.

Meanwhile I needed a sauce of some sort, so I found a cup-a-soup - I like using these as sauce bases, they are always in my cupboard and work very well.  This one had croutons which I had to pick out as I really didn't want soggy lumps in my pie.

Always use less water that directed when making up the soup, as you need it thicker.  Try half the amount of water to start, you can always add to it later.  Leave it to  cool.

Next roll out the pastry for your pie.  I like to have a ready-to-roll pack in the freezer.  I appreciate the ready rolled sheets are easier but you get more for your money if you roll it out yourself. One pack does two good sized pies.

Once the sweet potatoes were roasted I mixed them with the washed, chopped, but uncooked, mushrooms and the soup mix.

Then into the pie it went, it was a generous pie  :)

Lidded and egg washed - you know to do your egg wash before you cut slits in the lid right?  Otherwise the wash will seal the slits and your pie wont have any air escape routes.

Then bake - half an hour at around Gas mark 6 will be good.

Then all you have left to do it enjoy it.  You don't actually need anything to accompany this pie as it has the veg and potatoes inside.  You can make them before you need them too, just keep them in the fridge until baking time.

#ShareYourTeaTuesday

Pickled Cucumber Recipe

When going for an Afternoon Tea at The Butterfly & The Pig in Glasgow a few months ago, we were served a gorgeous marinated/pickled cucumber dish on the side of the sandwiches.

Since then I have been craving it!!  I did ask for the recipe at the time, but it is a closely guarded secret  ;)   So, I had to make my own, based on what flavours I could taste at the time.

Here is my version of pickled cucumber.

What you need:

• Half a Cucumber
• White Wine Vinegar
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Rock Salt
• White Sugar

What you do:

• Thinly slice the cucumber and lay it out on a plate.  Sprinkle it with Rock Salt and leave it for a while to draw out the juices.  Pat with kitchen roll or a clean tea-towel.  Shake off the salt and pop it in a dish.

• Then add a teaspoon of white sugar.

• Next a tablespoon of white wine vinegar and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.

• Into the bowl it goes.  Now let it soak those juices right in, give it a stir now and again.  The longer you leave it the more soggy and tasty the cucumber becomes.  You can even jar it up and keep it in the fridge for a few days.

• Serve   :)

Pine Nut, Spinach & Feta Cheese Pasta

I LOVE pasta, it has to be one of my favourite things, and when I featured this on my Facebook page as part of #ShareYourTeaTuesday, I promised I would post the recipe.

So, you will need:

• Pasta of your choice  (we have wholewheat twists)
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Feta Cheese
• Bag of Baby Spinach
• Pine Nuts
• Olive Oil
• Dried Basil

What you do:

• First of all cook your pasta, and when it is just a few minutes off being done, continue with the next step.......

• Heat up a bit of Olive Oil in a non-stick frying pan, pop in some dried basil and chuck in the tomatoes, swishing them about to let them cook.

• Toss in some pine nuts and toast them quickly in the oil with the tomatoes.

• Next pop in a huge pile of baby spinach - this stuff wilts down to nothing, so be generous.

• See? Wilted  :)

• Chop up the feta cheese into small, dice size cubes.

• Then at the last minute chuck them in the pan and stir.  Don't put them in too early, you don't want them to melt, just to heat through slightly.

• Finally mix it all together with your pasta and serve.  (Careful eating those tomatoes though, they hold their heat for ages - trust me, I know these things!!)

Enjoy!

Spaghetti with Greens & Peanutty Sauce - Recipe

For #ShareYourTeaTuesday this week I made this.....

Wholewheat spaghetti with broccolli, fine beans, spinach and a peanutty/soy sauce.

The sauce came from me having no ready to use sauces in the cupboard.  Hmmmm, I think, scratching my head, what can I make from vinegars, soy sauce (slightly out of date) and toast topping stuff?   A kind of satay sauce perhaps.

First of all pop your pasta on to cook, and while cooking you can get on with the rest.

So, mix 2 tbsp of peanut butter with 1 tbps soy sauce and half a tbls of oil.

(I changed the little pot as it was hard to mix in, and swapped to a jug  :) )

Give it a good mix until you get this very unappetising lump of brown nutty stuff.  Put it to one side for now.

Chop the broccoli up into bite sized pieces.

Heat a little oil in a non stick pan and chuck the broccoli in to start to brown.

Trim the fine beans (fresh is best for this recipe as you want them to stay a little crunchy)

Once the broccoli starts browning, add the beans.

When they are both tender, but still firm, add handfuls of spinach.  It may look a lot but it wilts down to nothing.

Let it wilt while stirring.

Chuck in the brown tar like sauce mixture you prepared earlier.  The oil will help it melt down and coat your vegetable.

At this point I halved the mixture as Hubster wanted spirals and I wanted spaghetti.  

Drain the pasta well and mix with the green nutty stuff.

Then serve  :)

Let me know if you try it  :)