Categories
Bakes Recipes

Carrot & Orange Traybake

Give the humble carrot a whole new taste twist in this delicious traybake!

Coarsely grated, carrot helps the cake mixture to stay moist, and adds texture. Together with soft brown sugar and a dusting of cinnamon, the cake is firmly on the brown/orange/cream colour spectrum, which I find very pleasing, and very 1970s.

What’s more, flavouring the soft cheese frosting with orange gives me a basis for adding one of my favourite ever bands to the ADK Playlist.

More of the music in a moment. First of all, here’s how to make Carrot & Orange Traybake.

Servings

How many individual portions this makes depends on how small (or large!) you decide to cut the slices. Mine made around 20 slices, each about 6cm x 4cm, to fill two tins, one of which is shown below.

Timings

10 – 15 mins to prepare the mixture, and 25 mins to bake in the oven at 180C. Add 10 mins for the orange frosting.

You Will Need

  • 225g butter or spread
  • 225g soft brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 225g self-raising flour
  • half tsp salt
  • 3 tsps mixed spice
  • 300g carrots

For the orange frosting:

  • 100g butter, softened
  • 100g icing sugar
  • 200g soft cream cheese
  • 1 tsp orange extract
  • cinnamon for dusting

Method

  1. Turn the oven on at 180C. Grease and line a baking tin (the one I used is 23cm square).
  2. Put the softened butter and sugar together in a bowl and mix with an electric whisk until light and fluffy.
  3. Add in the eggs, one at a time, with a spoonful of the flour after each one. Mix in each time, using the whisk.
  4. Add in the rest of the flour, the salt and mixed spice, and fold in with a spatula to incorporate.
  5. Grate the carrots – I used an electric food processor with grating tool fitted. Add the grated carrot into the mix and fold in again with the spatula. Make sure that all the grated carrot is wet with a coating of the mixture.
  6. Scrape the mixture into the baking tin and level the surface. Put in the oven for around 25 mins, until it is golden all over and a skewer put into the middle of the cake comes out dry.
  7. Let it cool in the tin for about 30 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to complete the cooling.
  8. Make the orange frosting by putting all the ingredients in a bowl and mixing together with an electric whisk.
  9. When the cake has completely cooled, transfer to a chopping board. Spread the frosting evenly over the top, and dust with a little cinnamon. Cut into slices and keep in a box or tin till they’re all eaten. That won’t be long, however.

Customise it!

If you wish, you could use chopped walnuts to sprinkle over, in place of the cinnamon. I used orange extract as it gives an intense flavour, but if you like you could use a little orange juice, and/or zest in the frosting, instead.

Did someone say Orange Juice? Here’s Edwyn and the lads with Felicity.

Categories
Desserts Recipes

Eton Rifles Mess

“Sup up your beer and collect your fags,
There’s a pick your own farm down near Slough….“

Ok, well maybe those aren’t quite the opening lyrics of the classic song written by Paul Weller, The Eton Rifles. However, this time of year means strawberries in the fields, summer days spent picking the juiciest and ripest to fill your punnet, and making them into that seasonal classic dessert, Eton Mess.

This dish originated at Eton College in the 1930s, and consists of broken meringue pieces, chopped strawberries and whipped cream. However you combine them, in my experience, they always end up looking a bit of a mess, hence the name (my main photo above is a case in point, though please note the sprig of fresh mint strategically positioned for artistic effect).

“Get out your mat and pray to the west,
I’ll be in the kitchen making Eton Mess…

That also may not be a totally accurate quote from the song. However, for me, this dish always brings to mind The Jam’s classic track about class hierarchy perpetuated by old public schools.

Ready to tear down the House of Commons in your brand new shoes? No? Settle for making some nice meringues?

Here’s how to make Eton Mess.

Servings

This should give you dessert for 4 people.

Timings

The meringues take 1 hr 30 mins to bake, during which time you can prepare the cream and strawberries. Once the meringues cool, it will then take seconds to combine.

You Will Need

  • 3 egg whites
  • 175g caster sugar
  • 100ml double cream
  • a 250g punnet of fresh strawberries

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 150C.
  2. In a clean bowl, whisk up the egg whites with an electric mixer till they form silky, white peaks.
  3. Add the sugar in spoonfuls at a time, whisking again after each one until all the sugar has been combined.
  4. Line a baking tray with baking paper, and drop the meringue mix on to it in dollops. You should get around 10 meringues.
  5. Place in the warmed oven for around 1 hr 30 mins, till golden. Leave to cool. They will be crispy on the outside, and slightly chewy at the centre.
  6. In a separate bowl, whisk the double cream until thick.
  7. Chop the strawberries.
  8. Crush the meringues into pieces, and mix with the strawberries and cream to make a right old mess.
  9. Place in the fridge until serving.

Customise it!

It is possible to add other summer berries, like blueberries, if you wish. You could also try mixing mascarpone in place of the double cream.

No surprises as to choice of track for the ADK Playlist. This is The Jam with The Eton Rifles.

Categories
Blog

Here Comes the Summer!

We’ve been enjoying a sustained period of warm and sunny weather in the UK recently, and my normal routine has adapted accordingly.

Foodwise, the gas barbecue has been in action in the back garden. I jointed up a chicken and prepared it in a couple of different ways.

The breast meat I diced and marinaded in the Qatari spices I bought at the Souq Waqif in Doha, on my trip there a few months back. After several hours in the fridge, I threaded the pieces on to skewers with slices of red pepper and courgette – see my main photo above.

The Qatari spices have been a reliably good blend that hasn’t disappointed – the meat is turned a golden yellow (which I guess must be the turmeric), and it delivers a spicy yet subtle kick.

It was also great cold the next day, sliced in a sesame bagel with mayo and salad from the garden.

I slashed the thighs and drumsticks with a sharp knife and coated them in a Mississippi Spice Rub I was given as a present. These I am allowing to cool, before taking off the bone for use in a salad.

Musicwise, I have some outdoor concerts coming up that I am really excited about, as they feature some of my favourite bands. First up next week is the Arctic Monkeys, and then Muse at the end of the month. More about these in upcoming posts.

My daytime exercise regime has moved primarily from indoor gym and yoga to outdoor swimming. The Club I belong to has a heated open air pool, with terrace and cafe bar, that is a great resource this time of year. On weeknight evenings I play bowls in the local leagues. Now it’s June, there is sufficient light for us to play until around 9pm, before both teams adjourn to the pavilion for drinks and chit chat.

Whatever you get up to, make the most of summer! Enjoy this feelgood track from The Undertones – Here Comes the Summer.

Categories
Drinks Recipes

Fresh Elderflower Cordial

Summer weather has arrived! One of the pleasures of this time of year is sitting in the garden on a sunny afternoon with a cold, refreshing drink of elderflower and sparkling water with ice.

Even better when the elderflower cordial is fresh and home made from the blossoms on local trees. I can’t claim any credit for this as it is my wife Lesley who makes it for us. Over to Lesley for a guest post, on how to forage for and make fresh elderflower cordial:

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I enjoy watching what is in season in the hedgerow at different times of the year. This was particularly true during lockdown, when the only thing to do was cycle or walk around local footpaths.

In May, Elderflower trees burst into blossom, looking very pretty and with quite a distinctive smell. The scent is the sure-fire way of telling that you have got the correct creamy white umbilifers.  It’s a little bit musty and lemony and definitely light and summery.

Collect the ones that are just bursting out into flower. A tree or hedgerow on a quiet lane, with no passing vehicle traffic, is ideal. I snip the heads with scissors and put them into a canvas bag inside my backpack. The scent when you open it up is incredible!

Take about 20 flower heads, inspect them first and reject any with little beasties. Heat about a litre of water with 400g of any type of sugar in a pan till it dissolves. Grate the rind of 3 or so lemons or limes, and add to the pan with the squeezed juice. Dunk the elderflower heads into the water and leave to infuse overnight.

It’s a really sticky mixture, so take care when pouring it. Strain the liquid into a suitable container (I use a tea towel lining a funnel) and store in the fridge. You should have just over a litre of clear, honey coloured cordial.

To make up a drink, dilute with water approx 1:2 or to your taste, and add a few ice cubes (see main photo above). I love to use carbonated water.

You can also pour some of the cordial into ice cube trays to store and freeze for later. 

As a guest contributor to A Different Kitchen, I get to add a favourite track to Kevin’s Playlist. We go to gigs these days with teams of producers co-ordinating amazing light shows and technical rigs for sound and effects. I have been looking back at 1960’s bands performing live, when things were very different. An amazing example is the Rolling Stones performing Sympathy for the Devil, live for over 8 minutes with John Lennon  amongst others watching on – raw and so obviously talented.

Cheers!

Categories
Bakes Mains Recipes

Sweet Potato, Red Pepper & Feta Strudel

Today’s post completes a hat-trick of savoury vegetarian Strudels, with my third and final filling mix.

This one is beautifully rich in colour and taste, with the bright orange and red of roasted sweet potato and red pepper peeping through the arms of the puff pastry lattice work. Cubes of feta cheese add contrast and a little saltiness. There’ll be enough here for a midweek meal for two.

For a recap on the others, check out Spicy Veg Strudel and Leek, Stilton & Walnut Strudel.

As with my previous Strudel recipes, the filling is pretty easy to put together. Put 2 – 3 medium size sweet potatoes on a roasting tray. Chop half a red pepper into 4 – 5 large pieces and place alongside the sweet potatoes. Drizzle the red pepper pieces with a little oil, and roast in the oven at 180C for 25 mins.

Once roasted, split the sweet potatoes with a knife and scrape the soft orange flesh into a bowl. Chop the red pepper (which should now be soft and a little charred at the edges) into smaller pieces and add to the sweet potato. Give it a stir to mix it up, and leave to cool. When cooled, add in 100g feta cheese, cubed or crumbled, and stir again to mix.

Prepare 250g of ready made puff pastry as shown in the photos in Spicy Veg Strudel, this time using the sweet potato, pepper and feta mix to fill. Roll up the lattice as shown in those photos and, as with the other Strudels, baste with milk and sprinkle over some nigella seeds. Bake for 25 mins at 180C.

Cut into slices of your chosen size, and serve. The Strudel can be eaten warm or cold, perhaps with a green salad or your favourite green veg.

All these references to lattice in my last few posts has been reminding me of the line ” ..crawling the tightrope along the lattice work..” from a track I’ve always admired. It’s a song about a woman who tends a mysterious garden where the sun doesn’t fall, yet the plants flourish, and where the animals are afraid to go. The chorus is “magic in her hands, she could make anything grow, magic in her hands, she had green fingers”.

In another curious twist of poetic symmetry, the artist herself has recently returned to playing live after some 15 years away from the stage, which is a joy to see.

It could only be from one person, really, so here’s a track for the ADK Playlist for any goths out there. This is Siouxsie and the Banshees with Green Fingers.

https://open.spotify.com/track/3bwffGHk0FPYKkFpvPovCU?si=0db0445784e14e4f
Categories
Bakes Mains Recipes

Leek, Stilton & Walnut Strudel

Here’s another savoury, vegetarian Strudel filling, using the technique featured in my previous post to make a latticed wrap with puff pastry.

The 3 star ingredients – buttered leek, blue stilton cheese and chopped walnuts – are a classic combo that go really well together. You should get a creamy, satisfying taste with a hint of saltiness from the cheese.

Chop and soften a leek in a saucepan, with a knob of butter. After about 10 mins, chuck in 100g of crumbled blue stilton cheese and 50g of chopped walnuts. Give it a good stir so the cheese melts in the warm buttery leek and the walnuts are spread throughout the mix. Set aside to cool for another 10 mins or so.

Roll out and prepare 250g of a pack of puff pastry as shown in the series of photos in Spicy Veg Strudel, this time filling it with the leek, stilton and walnut mix. Fold it up as shown in the photos, baste with a little milk and top with a sprinkling of nigella seeds. Cook in an oven at 180C for 25 mins, till golden and looking like the main photo above.

Serve warm, in generous slices. Enjoy.

There’s one more strudel filling idea to come, so check it out in the next midweek post.

Here’s a track I heard by chance on the car radio recently, and really liked, so I thought I would share it here. It’s by German DJ/producer Timo Maas – To Get Down.

Categories
Bakes Mains Recipes

Spicy Veg Strudel

Strudel – isn’t that a German dessert with spiced apple? Well, yes that’s true. However, I had the idea of making a savoury version with a vegetarian filling and, instead of a dusting of icing sugar, topping it with a sprinkling of nigella seeds.

Once you’ve made the filling and let it cool, it is fairly quick to put together, especially as I’ve used a pack of pre-made puff pastry. It’s fun to make, as you’ll see from the photos below, and looks great when it emerges from the oven.

Servings

A tea time meal for 2.

Timings

15 mins to make the filling, and 10 mins to roll it up. About 25 mins in the oven at 180C.

You Will Need

  • drop of oil
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • half a red onion
  • 4 – 5 mushrooms
  • 1 celery stick
  • 1 400g tin of kidney beans
  • 1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
  • a handful of fresh coriander
  • a few leaves of kale or spring greens
  • half a 500g pack of puff pastry (i.e. 250g)
  • a little milk for basting
  • a handful of nigella seeds

Method

  1. Put the onion, celery and mushrooms in a food processor with blade fitted and blitz until finely chopped (but not pureed).
  2. Warm the oil, garlic, chilli powder and cumin seeds in a pan till sizzling. Add the blitzed vegetables and leave for a few minutes to soften.
  3. In the meantime, put the kidney beans, tomatoes, coriander and kale/greens into the food processor and blitz again till finely chopped (but not pureed). Tip into the frying pan.
  4. Give it all a good stir and leave to cook. You want the water to evaporate leaving a thick, mixed vegetable paste that will hold its shape and not be runny. Leave to cool, and turn the oven on to 180C.
  5. Open the pack of puff pastry and cut in half, putting one half back in the fridge to use another time. Roll the other half out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface, to make a rectangle approx. 40cm x 20cm.
  6. Cut a piece from each of the corners as shown in the first photo below. Make cuts in each side to about one third of the way across, again as shown in the first photo. It should look like a Christmas tree on it’s side, with a top and bottom, and branches about 1 – 2cm thick.
  7. Place the cooled filling along the centre (the trunk of the tree). It is important that it has cooled, otherwise it will start to melt the uncooked pastry.
  8. Tuck in the flaps at the top and the bottom, then fold in each of the arms alternately, as shown.
  9. Baste with the milk, sprinkle over the nigella seeds.
  10. Place in the oven for about 25 mins or until golden brown.
  11. Serve by cutting off slices of your preferred size (see my main photo at the top of this post).

Customise It!

A food processor is ideal for making the mix, as it needs to be finely chopped to mesh and bind together to make the filling. However, you could chop the veg finely with a knife and mash it all with a masher while in the pan, if you need to.

Feel free to add or swap in other veg and spices. Peppers add colour, as will chopped or grated carrot, for example.

The pastry and the filling ingredients make this a self-contained, balanced meal in itself, perhaps just accompanied by some red or brown ketchup. You could serve with a salad if you wish.

This went down very well the first time I made it, to the extent that I have made it again with different fillings. It is easy once you’ve mastered the latticing technique shown in the photos. I will feature another of the fillings in my weekend post.

For choice of music, I think it’s time we added something by The Chemical Brothers to the ADK Playlist – here’s Let Forever Be.

Categories
Bakes Desserts Recipes

Cappuccino Cake

Hats off to our friends at Waitrose for this week’s recipe bake, an ideal cake for coffee lovers. With a sponge base made from real coffee, topped with a coffee cream frosting and a sprinkling of cocoa powder, it’s no surprise that this is given the title of Cappuccino Cake.

Servings

About 8 generous slices.

Timings

15 mins to prepare, 40 mins to bake.

You Will Need

  • 100g butter
  • 3 tbsp single cream
  • 2tbsp black coffee (made from ground coffee if poss, but instant will do)
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 50g light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 100g self-raising flour
  • half tsp salt
  • 100g mascarpone
  • 3 tbsp icing sugar
  • cocoa powder for dusting

Method

  1. Warm the oven to 170C. Grease and line a 450g (1lb) loaf tin.
  2. Heat the cream and coffee in a microwave till mixed, then allow to cool.
  3. In a separate bowl, take 1 tsp of the cooled coffee cream and mix with the mascarpone. Set aside to chill in the fridge for use as frosting.
  4. Cream the butter and sugars with an electric mixer. Gradually beat in the eggs, vanilla and the rest of the coffee cream.
  5. Fold in the flour and salt, and combine to a smooth batter. Scrape into the lined loaf tin and bake for 40 mins.
  6. Transfer to a rack to cool.
  7. While the cake is cooling, finish off the frosting. Combine the chilled coffee mascarpone with the icing sugar and beat together with an electric mixer. Spread over the top of the cooled cake, and dust with the cocoa powder for that cappuccino effect.

Customise it!

If you are ok with nuts, you could add around 75g chopped walnuts to the sponge batter, effectively turning this into a cappuccino-topped coffee and walnut cake.

You can make the black coffee as strong as you wish – why not take the 2 tbsp required from a dark espresso, while you drink the rest.

Turning to choice of music, this week we heard the sad news of the passing of Andy Rourke, bass player in The Smiths. Andy was responsible for many wonderful bass lines in the band’s music, and here is one example – This Charming Man.

Categories
Bakes Recipes Snacks

Choc & Sea Salt Cookies

It’s sensory overload time with a double hit of sheer indulgence. Bite into one of these cookies for a taste of rich, buttery dark chocolate, closely followed by a wave of sea saltiness. Add chopped fruit, nuts, seeds or even white or dark chocolate pieces for even more heavenly pleasure.

The inspiration for these cookies came from a recipe by culinary legend Nigella Lawson, so thank you Nigella. She added pumpkin seeds to hers, which I am sure would also taste divine.

Servings

This makes 12 cookies.

Timings

15 mins to make, 15 mins to bake.

You Will Need

  • 50g butter
  • 70g caster sugar
  • 50g soft light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 80g plain flour
  • 35g cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp bicarb of soda
  • 80g choc chips
  • 80g mixed fruit and chopped nuts
  • a few twists of sea salt from a grinder

Method

  1. Turn the oven on and heat to 180C.
  2. Beat together the butter and sugars in a bowl, with an electric mixer. Add the egg and vanilla and mix again.
  3. In a second bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, bicarb and a few twists of the sea salt.
  4. Combine the contents of the two bowls and stir together with a spatula to mix. Fold in the choc chips, fruit and nuts.
  5. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the mix into 12 lumps, rounding each gently between your palms, roughly into the shape of a ball. Place each on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Don’t crowd them – they will flatten into discs as they bake, so leave a few cm of space around each one. Use a second tray if necessary.
  6. Before placing in the oven, grab that sea salt grinder again and give them all a twist or two over the tops. Place in the oven and cook for 10 – 15 mins. Keep an eye on them so they don’t overcook.
  7. When removed from the oven, allow them to rest on the warm tray for a few minutes, during which time they will start to firm up. Then carefully lift each one with a spatula on to a wire rack to cool.
  8. The cookies can be eaten warm or when cold – they are delicious either way. They will also keep in a sealed box for 2 – 3 days, though I guarantee they will all be eaten before then!

Customise It!

Mix the added fillings to your taste. In place of the fruit and nuts, you could add biscuit pieces and mini marshmallows for a rocky road vibe. The next time I make these, I plan to add chilli flakes and lime zest.

Musical choice this time is a track I really like by Death in Vegas – Scorpio Rising. It features a guest vocal from the unmistakeable Liam Gallagher.

Categories
Recipes Snacks

Eurovision Popcorn

This weekend I am looking forward to watching the Eurovision Song Contest. It is, believe it or not, the 67th year of Eurovision. How much it has grown in that time, with hundreds of millions of viewers around the world each year, on TV and online.

This year is something of a one-off, however. The tradition is that the country that wins, hosts it in the subsequent year. 2022’s winner was Ukraine, immediately presenting a challenge as to the 2023 host. As most of you will have noticed, our friends in Ukraine are currently otherwise engaged in repelling an act of aggression from a neighbouring state, to the extent that hosting a massive, televised, international song contest is not exactly a top priority right now.

Step in the UK, who were runners-up in 2022 and have kindly offered to act as host this year. The musical extravanganza will take place on Saturday night, in Liverpool. The acts will follow in the footsteps of the city’s considerable pop music heritage, including the Beatles, Gerry & the Pacemakers, Echo & the Bunnymen, Teardrop Explodes, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, The Lightning Seeds, The Farm, and more…the list goes on. No pressure then!

Most of us in the UK have grown up with Eurovision as an annual event. In the early years, the UK had a reasonable degree of success, but wins, and indeed high rankings, have been hard to come by in recent years. The suspicion was that our well-publicised rejection of certain European institutions (I am refusing to mention the ‘B’ word) was translating into low scores from the juries of our neighbours. That theory was thrown into doubt last year, however, when Sam Ryder’s Space man came 2nd in the voting overall, teeing up the UK to act as surrogate host for Ukraine.

Over the years, Eurovision has grown into what is now a week-long event, with semi-finals in the lead-up to Saturday’s final. It’s a sign of its success, with so many more countries (including EU accession states from the former Soviet bloc, and even our friends down under in Australia – G’Day!) now wanting to associate themselves with membership of such a great European institution (I am still refusing to spoil the mood by mentioning the ‘B’ word).

Eurovision night is television party night, so get those finger foods ready. My staple, while watching the show live, will be homemade popcorn. The recipe for this is already posted, from my last major televised party occasion, the NFL Superbowl – please see Smoked Paprika Popcorn for details. It really is very easy to make, nutritious, fills the kitchen with a wonderful aroma and tastes great!

As it’s Eurovision, here are some alternative, themed options for toppings you can add at stage 6 in the recipe:

  • France: infuse a crushed clove of garlic in some olive oil, then shake over the popcorn to coat, with a few sprinkles of herbes de provence
  • Italy: drizzle over olive oil and a shake of pizza seasoning, then mix to combine
  • UK: drizzle rapeseed oil over the cooked popcorn, with a few twists of Cornish seasalt and cracked black pepper, then combine
  • Australia: an homage to our friends down under – mix a couple of tbsp Vegemite with the same amount of boiling water, to loosen, then coat the popcorn and mix

Feel free to come up with your own combinations for popcorn toppings and give them a try – German Mustard, Swiss chocolate, Balsamic vinegar and Scotland’s Irn Bru are all just waiting to take their place in this – a kind of crazy Eurovision Popcorn Contest, no less.

Musical choice for the ADK Playlist has to be the track that has brought Eurovision to the UK this year. Here is Sam Ryder with Space man.

Enjoy Eurovision, enjoy the popcorn.