BEST EVER HALLOWEEN PARTY

MOST EXCELLENT HALLOWEEN PARTY

HAD SUCH GREAT FUN MAKING MUMMY'S TOES AND GRUESOME FOOD FOR ALL THE KIDS AND DECORATING THE HOUSE ALL SPOOKY

Made fabulous triple chocolate cupcakes and decorated with chocolate and vanilla butter icing, then the fun decorations moulded with sugar paste and icing pens, finished off the presentation with a spiders web cupcake casing.  Pirate cup cake stand just magic...

 

CHEESEY HORROR FINGERS

 Dairy lea slice cheese, rolled up and then with a skewer imprint the characteristics of a real finger and then a thin square of green bell pepper as a horror finger nail...

MUMMY'S WRAPPED TOES

Cocktail sausage wrapped in a thin sliver of flour tortilla, I painted jam on the tortilla to encourage the wrap to stick and a thin square slice of red bell pepper for the toe nail...

HALLOWEEN PIZZA'S

Standard pizza dough with flour, salt, yeast and water, not left to prove at all to keep the dough as a thin crust, pasted with a tom puree, herbs and mozzarella, used black icing pen for the eyes, as guessed olives would give such a better effect but not really child friendly lol...

MUMMY WRAPPED SAUSAGES

Sausage mummies, lol half cooked some local pork chipolatas then let them cool and wrapped a strip of puff pastry painted with egg wash around the sausage, leaving room for the face, another egg wash and into the oven to finish off, a real smash hit with the kids.

WITCHES BREW RECIPE STATION

This was such fun, just lemon squash and natural red food dye in the fountain, plus lots of worms, cockroaches, fly's and bugs lol, then on the side some eyeballs, dead mans toes, teeth, jelly worms, bats poo and bugs, recipe cards on the wall for everyone to make their own witches or wizards brew, ice bucket full of skull and bones ice cubes and some sawn off fingers, pirate glasses to finish off.

Kids buffet station no adult supervision required lol let them loose...Standard and the best ever egg mayo sandwiches, ham sandwiches, pizza spooks, mummy's toes and fingers and mummy wrapped sausages, cherry toms spiked with witches hats, cheesey strings and carrot sticks...

PUMPKINS CARVED

COMFORT FOOD FOR US GUYS

Very easy hot buffet, hardly any effort so I can enjoy the party too...My biggest passion is bringing people together with food...Fantastic quality hot dogs and hand made buns, tommy k, mayo, mustard (know in my family as stripes) fried onions, chilli con carne and cheese (optional) but makes a fab chilli dog, (funny that is the name of our cocker spaniel...).  Then twice ground chuck steak chilli con carne, with mexine chilli spice from mexico, big batch of rice.  Made a roux nachos cheese sauce never ever done that before, I always believe in real cheese and the grill but for the buffet I have experimented for the nachos in the American style then realised done such a perfect job and it tasted just like American nachos cheese sauce that I had to up grade it, so Parmesan and mature local cheddar did the upgrade, thank you Mum, Dad and Clive, corn chips, home made guacamole, sour cream, red and green jalapenos, and personally a ton of fresh chopped garlic and chillies plus for me chilli con carne.  Dad made his famous chick pea and chorizo soup stew, as usual none left so I didn't get any!!! and butternut squash and sweet potato soup. in all we did not get any left overs !!!

NOT TOO MUCH TO CLEAR UP

OH FEET UP!!!

AUTUMNAL SQUASH & HONEY SAGE SOUP

I JUST LOVE THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, HARVEST VEGETABLES FROM THE GARDEN MAKE THE MOST WONDERFUL SIMPLE TASTY SOUPS

ooil

1 onion finely diced

1 clove garlic chopped

peeled and diced butternut squash

chicken stock or veg

dash of clear honey

6 sages leaves

salt and pepper

Gently fry off the garlic and onions keeping them translucent, add the squash and cook for approx 20 minutes until soft, add the chicken stock to cover about 2 inches above the squash, add the sage.  Cook until very tender then puree and push through a sieve, return to the pan and add the honey and season to taste.





CHICKEN NOODLE & BROCCOLI BROTH

Homemade chicken stock
fresh corriander
spring onion chopped
broccolli sliced
1 red chilli sliced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp tom yum paste
1/4 can coconut milk
1 ptn wholewheat noodles
left over roast chicken

In saucepan heat the stock, add the chicken and simmer for a few minutes, add the rest of the ingredients except the noodles and simmer till hot, in a bowl place the noodles and pour over the hot stock, season to taste.

POACHED FRENCH CHICKEN IN BROTH

1 whole chicken
carrots
baby leeks
bay leaves
peppercorns
salt
fresh bread

In a large pot place all the ingredients and fill 3/4 with water, bring to a gently simmer and leave for approx 2 hours or until the chicken is falling off the bone, strain off the stock and put back on the heat simmering, check for seasoning.  Pull apart the chicken and place in the serving bowl, add the carrots and baby leeks and then pour over the simmering stock.  I love to eat this with hunks of fresh bread and butter and sometimes have dumplings with this too in the winter.

EGGS BENNEDICT BREAKFAST

HOLLINADISE SAUCE
2 egg yolks
butter
lemon juice
salt and white pepper

In a bowl over a pan of simmering water, place the two yolks and season, whisk constantly until the yolks have become thick and velvety, now slowly drizzle in the clarified butter whisking all the time, take off the heat and add a squeeze of lemon juice, now taste and adjust seasoning and lemon juice to taste, pour over poached eggs.

I LOVE SUSHI

I JUST LOVE THIS FOOD



250g sushi rice
Wild Alaskan salmon thinly sliced
Fresh tuna thinly sliced
Large shell on prawns (peel and slice in half)
Raw baby squids cleaned and sliced
Smoked salmon sliced
12 Fresh oysters
6 Fresh scallops
ginger fine shards
peppers sliced
spring onion sliced
soy
sake
mirin
kenjap soy
sesame oil
rice wine vinegar
wasabi paste (don't bother with the powder)
Japanese ginger for sushi
tempura batter mix
soda water (must be cold)
potato flour
oil for frying

I know this seems a lot of ingredients, but most of these items can be kept for over a year once opened in your larder, I use these ingredients a lot more than I thought I would now they part of my standard larder.

Sushi Rice - Wash the rice 3-4 times in cold running water, place in a saucepan with 330ml water, cover and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on, then turn the heat off and don't touch for another 10 minutes.  Tip out onto a plate and cool quickly. 

Form into sushi balls and oblongs by firmly pushing the rice together in the palm of your hands, TIP keep your hands wet or the rice will stick.

Place a small amount of wasabi on the rice and then place a slice of the fish, and there you have it SUSHI.

Dips for sushi, first dip, mix soy dash sake, dash sesame oil and a  dash of rice wine vinegar.  Second dip, soy, kenjap soy and rice wine vinegar.  Third dip, rice wine vinegar, soy, wasabi and mirin.

Oysters Tempura, make the batter with approx 125ml ice cold water, don't stir, use chopsticks and just gently half mix, you want lumps of flour in the mix as this will puff up and creates that light spiky batter.  Fry in 200 degrees and drain before serving.

Ginger scallops, pan fry spring onions, peppers and lots of ginger, add the scallops for approx 3 minutes till just cooked, a couple of tablespoons of water and season to taste.

SUPER FAST ALMOND & BLACK CHERRY DANISH



Filo pastry, ooil for brushing
almond marzipan
black cherry jam homemade
icing sugar drizzle

So fast and easy, brush the filo with ooil, layer almond marzipan slabs in the centre and top with black cherry jam, bring up both sides of the filo to the centre and bake for 10 minutes at 180 degrees, once cooled drizzle icing sugar over the danish.

SIMPLE FILO QUICHE AND CHEESE LUNCH



1 pack filo pastry
ooil
strong cheddar cheese
ham
onion caramelized
8 eggs
dash double cream
raid the deli for accompaniments

Paint the filo pastry with ooil not butter for lower calories, line a greased flan tin, filo pastry is very forgiving so don't be to perfect with it.  Gently beat the eggs, season and add the cream, in the tart dish layer some cheese, ham and caramelized onion in the tin, pour over some of the egg mixture repeat till all used up.  Bake for 20 or so minutes at 180 degrees.
Served warm with chunk of olive bread, tomato's and cheese from the local farm deli.

FROM FRIDGE TO TABLE IN 5 MINUTES WHEN YOUR STOMACH JUST CANT WAIT

FROM FRIDGE TO TABLE IN 5 MINUTES, WHEN YOUR STOMACH JUST CAN'T WAIT

FOR ME:
Thai prawn & yellow bean curry soup, in a pan heat chicken stock to a simmer, add small handful diced peppers, & spinach, 1spring onion, 1 chilli, 10 prawns, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp thai yellow bean curry paste, simmer till prawns are just cooked add tbsp torn coriander.  Using the same stock base you can add any ingredients you have in the fridge.
FOR HIM:
Old fashioned prawn & lemon cocktail, finely slice some iceberg lettuce, mix 2 tbsp mayo with 1 tsp tk, dash of lemon juice, white pepper & caynne pepper.  Mix the prawns in the sauce, in a bowl put the lettuce and topp with the prawns in sauce.

UNDERPANTS DON'T FIT ANYMORE SO ON A DIET !!!

CAN'T FIT INTO MY UNDERPANTS !!! ACTION REQUIRED...

IF IT TASTES NICE DON'T EAT IT...

Fresh air
Boiled chicken
Boiled fish
Low fat protein
Gallons of water
Antioxidants
Green stuff
No starchy foods
Lots of wine (I am not giving up my wine!)

Calories down to 1000 daily, carbs 30g for 2 wks then increase by 10g weekly, protein 200g, sugar 1g, fat 30g, salt 3g, I like my salt, back off salt police!!!  Daily exercise, is sweeping top yard and mucking out stables, that is normal but now to do it vigorously, cycle round the block everyday, 2 x 15 minutes sessions on the horse ridding exercise machine (i joy ride)!!! and hoover and mop house daily

CABBAGE SOUP MY WAY

GREEN CABBAGE SOUP THAT IS SO INVITING AND TASTES SO GOOD THAT IT CANT POSSIBLY BE THAT GOOD FOR YOU





1 pint chicken stock
sliced green cabbage
broccoli florets
1/4 diced red pepper
1 sliced spring onion
1 hot chilli fine diced
1/4 stick of lemon grass
2 tsp tom yum paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 can low fat coconut milk
handful torn coriander

Bring the stock to a rolling simmer and add the cabbage and broccoli, simmer for 5 minutes and then add all the other ingredients, simmer for a further 2 minutes and serve.

HIS N HER'S HOMEMADE BURGERS

HIS N HER'S HOMEMADE CHUCK STEAK BURGERS



1lb twice minced chuck steak

salt and pepper

cheese

potato's

oil for frying

salad

toasted bun

homemade tomato ketchup

Season the chucksteak, if you want to test your seasoning, fry off a mini pattie to taste. form with your hands two 8oz burgers, pan fry and topp of with your choice, best served in a toasted bun with crispy salad and homemade tomato ketchup.  Hand cut twice fried fries and a side of mayo.













BEAUTIFUL SOFT BOILED EGGS GLORIOUS

SOFT BOILED EGGS FROM THE GIRLS IN GRANDADS EGG CUP,  ASPARAGUS WRAPPED IN JAMON SERRANO WITH A RICH VELVETY HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

2 fresh eggs
2 egg yolks
125g melted clarified butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper
two slices jamon serrano
asparagus spears

TIMING IS THE KEY FOR THIS BREAKFAST WHICH MEANS PREP...

In a small tall pan fill 1/2 way with water, put the two eggs in and turn on high heat and time eggs for 6 minutes, as soon as 6 minutes is up take the eggs out and place in the egg cups, turn the pan down to medium heat and put the asparagus in, place a small bowl on top of the pan to make a bain marie, add the egg yolks and whisk, do not stop whisking, within a couple of minutes the yolks will have become thick and glossy, start to drizzle in the butter slowly but whisking all the time, once all the butter is in add the lemon juice and season to taste with white pepper and salt, don't stop whisking until you have turned off the heat, with the other hand lift out the asparagus and turn off the heat leaving the hollandaise sauce on top.  Wrap the jamon around some of the asparagus spears, drizzle over the hollandaise sauce and enjoy your sunshine on a plate.

CLIVES RUSTIC PEAR AND APRICOT TART

CLIVE'S PEAR AND APRICOT TART WITH ROUGH PUFF PASTRY

1 8oz batch of homemade rough puff pastry
4 pears
1/3 jar smooth apricot jam

Really quick and simple roll out the rough puff pastry and line a large loose bottom flan tin, peel the pears and roughly slice, brush the bottom of the pastry in the flan tin with apricot jam, arrange the pears in a manly un-uniformed pattern, and spoon over the rest of the apricot jam, bake for 25-35 minutes, leave to cool slightly and remove from tin.  Clive ate this warm with way too much cream.

SMOKED HADDOCK AUTUMNAL CHOWDER

AUTUMN SUNSHINE IN A BOWL



Naturally smoked haddock
Fresh prawns
1 stick of celery fine diced
1 shallot fine diced
1/2 leek fine diced
Diced butternut squash
1 sweet potato diced
1 tbsp butter
dash ooil
11/2  pint of milk
300ml dbl cream
bunch torn parsley

Heat 1/2 the milk in a saucepan to a gently simmer and poach the haddock and prawns till just cooked, this should only take a couple of minutes, drain.

In ooil and butter gently pan fry the celery, shallots, leeks, squash and sweet potato till soft, add the milk and cream and bring to a gently simmer until the squash is soft, add the prawns and haddock , season to taste and sprinkle on the torn parsley.