Recipes, kitchen tips and tricks

[summerisle]

Not a big fan of ginger, but these were lovely, and easy to make. I omitted the vanilla and crystalised ginger. I put the milk chocolate in chips with the cake mixture instead of being melted over the icing, which I thought was a bit of an overkill chocolate wise. When making the icing it needs a little water.

Ingredients :

110g marg/butter
110g caster sugar
75g S/R flour
10g ground ginger
2.5ml vanilla extract
2 medium eggs
50g milk chocolate
crystalised ginger

For the Icing

75g softened butter
175g icing sugar
45g cocoa powder

Chocolate Ginger Cupcakes​

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Place the Baking Cases into a cupcake tin.
Step 2: Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs and the Natural Vanilla Extract. If the mixture starts to curdle, add a little flour. Then fold in the remaining flour.
Step 3: Place spoonfuls of the mixture into the Baking Cases and bake for 15-20 minutes until well risen and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a cooling rack.
Step 4: To make the chocolate icing, place the softened butter into a bowl. Sieve in the icing sugar and whisk until smooth. Add the cocoa powder to the butter and sugar and stir until smooth.
Step 5: Cover the cupcakes with a generous layer of chocolate icing using a palette knife or a piping bag.
Step 6: Gradually melt the chocolate and drizzle over the cupcakes and leave to set before serving. To decorate, sprinkle with crystallised pieces of ginger.

 

[Sassy Colombian]

Not a big fan of ginger, but these were lovely, and easy to make. I omitted the vanilla and crystalised ginger. I put the milk chocolate in chips with the cake mixture instead of being melted over the icing, which I thought was a bit of an overkill chocolate wise. When making the icing it needs a little water.

Ingredients :

110g marg/butter
110g caster sugar
75g S/R flour
10g ground ginger
2.5ml vanilla extract
2 medium eggs
50g milk chocolate
crystalised ginger

For the Icing

75g softened butter
175g icing sugar
45g cocoa powder

Chocolate Ginger Cupcakes​

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Place the Baking Cases into a cupcake tin.
Step 2: Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs and the Natural Vanilla Extract. If the mixture starts to curdle, add a little flour. Then fold in the remaining flour.
Step 3: Place spoonfuls of the mixture into the Baking Cases and bake for 15-20 minutes until well risen and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a cooling rack.
Step 4: To make the chocolate icing, place the softened butter into a bowl. Sieve in the icing sugar and whisk until smooth. Add the cocoa powder to the butter and sugar and stir until smooth.
Step 5: Cover the cupcakes with a generous layer of chocolate icing using a palette knife or a piping bag.
Step 6: Gradually melt the chocolate and drizzle over the cupcakes and leave to set before serving. To decorate, sprinkle with crystallised pieces of ginger.

I'm a big fan of ginger, these look delicious.

 

[Flynnthistle]

Been trying to explore some more European style foods recently. I'm very one dimensional and stuck in my ways in many respects. So I tried a Greek lemon chicken with roast potatoes tonight. Marinated for about 16 hours. Was an utter delight, skin crispy, chicken succulent, lovely soft potatoes, a perfect summer's evening meal. Not my recipe. Excuse the poor presentation.

Recipe here.

Κοτόπουλο λεμονάτο με πατάτες

Κοτόπουλο λεμονάτο με πατάτες από τον Άκη Πετρετζίκη. Συνταγή για το κλασικό, παραδοσιακό και μαμαδίστικο κοτόπουλο λεμονάτο στον φούρνο!

akispetretzikis.com

 

[Sassy Colombian]

Been trying to explore some more European style foods recently. I'm very one dimensional and stuck in my ways in many respects. So I tried a Greek lemon chicken with roast potatoes tonight. Marinated for about 16 hours. Was an utter delight, skin crispy, chicken succulent, lovely soft potatoes, a perfect summer's evening meal. Not my recipe. Excuse the poor presentation.

Recipe here.

Κοτόπουλο λεμονάτο με πατάτες

Κοτόπουλο λεμονάτο με πατάτες από τον Άκη Πετρετζίκη. Συνταγή για το κλασικό, παραδοσιακό και μαμαδίστικο κοτόπουλο λεμονάτο στον φούρνο!

akispetretzikis.com

Congrats on being less one dimensional in your eating and exploring other European foods. I also enjoy letting my palate discover new flavors.

Thanks for sharing this recipe too I make a similar one but instead of having the chicken cut into pieces it is a whole chicken and I don't add honey or mustard but next time I make it I'm going to try this recipe instead.

 

[verreauxi]

Roasted beets with good quality Mexican queso fresco turned out to be a lovely combination with some good bread and a dash of olive oil and lemon.

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

I had Malfatti tonight. Very nice but seldom seen.

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

- 520g baby spinach leaves, washed
- 50g '00' flour
- 250g ricotta
- 1 large free-range egg, beaten
- 200g grated Parmesan
- flaky sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 200g semolina
- 100g butter
- a handful of picked sage leaves

Steam the spinach for 3 minutes, then drain away from the excess water and chop the leaves very roughly. Set aside. Mix the flour and ricotta in a large bowl until it resembles lumpy, moist breadcrumbs. With a wooden spoon, stir in the egg and three-quarters of the Parmesan. Add a good pinch of salt, a decent twist of pepper, the nutmeg, and the spinach, and combine everything thoroughly.

Take a large, stemmed wine glass and drop in a dessertspoonful of semolina. Using a separate, clean dessertspoon, dollop a glob of the mixture into the glass. Swirl around for a few seconds until you have a walnut-sized dumpling. Place on a generously semolina-dusted tray. Repeat until all the mixture is used up. When you have finished, you should have 24 or so little malfatti.

Fill a large pan with cold water and bring to a hearty boil. Drop in the malfatti as quickly as possible, bring back to the boil, then continue to simmer for about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over a medium heat, melt the butter and add the sage leaves. When it bubbles, reduce the heat to very low.

The malfatti will float to the surface when they are ready. Turn off the heat, remove the malfatti with a slotted spoon and drain the excess water on a clean tea towel. Evenly distribute on to four warmed plates, pour the butter and sage over the top and finally scatter over the remaining Parmesan.

 

[Sassy Colombian]

Roasted beets with good quality Mexican queso fresco turned out to be a lovely combination with some good bread and a dash of olive oil and lemon.

Sounds delicious. I have never tried them with queso fresco but with feta cheese. Now I’m also going to explore this option.

I find beets so tasty, I try growing them every summer. Sometimes I’m more successful than others. We will see how this year’s crops do but one thing is for sure, there is nothing like eating beets that come straight from your garden so I’m really hoping I get at least one good crop.

 

[Sassy Colombian]

- 520g baby spinach leaves, washed
- 50g '00' flour
- 250g ricotta
- 1 large free-range egg, beaten
- 200g grated Parmesan
- flaky sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 200g semolina
- 100g butter
- a handful of picked sage leaves

Steam the spinach for 3 minutes, then drain away from the excess water and chop the leaves very roughly. Set aside. Mix the flour and ricotta in a large bowl until it resembles lumpy, moist breadcrumbs. With a wooden spoon, stir in the egg and three-quarters of the Parmesan. Add a good pinch of salt, a decent twist of pepper, the nutmeg, and the spinach, and combine everything thoroughly.

Take a large, stemmed wine glass and drop in a dessertspoonful of semolina. Using a separate, clean dessertspoon, dollop a glob of the mixture into the glass. Swirl around for a few seconds until you have a walnut-sized dumpling. Place on a generously semolina-dusted tray. Repeat until all the mixture is used up. When you have finished, you should have 24 or so little malfatti.

Fill a large pan with cold water and bring to a hearty boil. Drop in the malfatti as quickly as possible, bring back to the boil, then continue to simmer for about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over a medium heat, melt the butter and add the sage leaves. When it bubbles, reduce the heat to very low.

The malfatti will float to the surface when they’d are ready. Turn off the heat, remove the malfatti with a slotted spoon and drain the excess water on a clean tea towel. Evenly distribute on to four warmed plates, pour the butter and sage over the top and finally scatter over the remaining Parmesan.

Amigo, gracias! I appreciate the recipe. I have never made malfatti but they sound yummy so I must give them a try. I’m still trying to figure out the wine step but YouTube is always there to show me what I will need to do the wine step correctly lol

Do you accompany the malfatti with anything else?

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

Amigo, gracias! I appreciate the recipe. I have never made malfatti but they sound yummy so I must give them a try. I’m still trying to figure out the wine step but YouTube is always there to show me what I will need to do the wine step correctly lol

Do you accompany the malfatti with anything else?

Think of it as a pasta dish. Tonight I had it with sides of capresi and bruschetta.

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

And olives

 

[Sassy Colombian]

Think of it as a pasta dish. Tonight I had it with sides of capresi and bruschetta.

Have I ever told you how much I love pasta? lol I’m ready to make it, I just need to shop for the ingredients this weekend.

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

Have I ever told you how much I love pasta? lol I’m ready to make it, I just need to shop for the ingredients this weekend.

Well, you must not forget a good wine to accompany the meal. I had a nice Vermentino di Gallura with tonight's meal.

 

[Sassy Colombian]

Well, you must not forget a good wine to accompany the meal. I had a nice Vermentino di Gallura with tonight's meal.

A good wine is always a good partner to go along with pasta. A glass of Vermentino would be perfect for me too. I like red but I prefer to drink white wine and prosecco

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

A good wine is always a good partner to go along with pasta. A glass of Vermentino would be perfect for me too. I like red but I prefer to drink white wine and prosecco

Siddùra "Maìa" Vermentino di Gallura Superiore DOCG 2019

Named one of the Best Italian wines for summer (Decanter) this premium white by Siddùra offers flavours of lime, peach, melon, honeysuckle and jasmine.

www.independent.wine