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Ruth's Spring Recipes AUBERGINE AND PEPPER PARMIGIANA Ingredients 2 x 400g (14
oz) cans of chopped tomatoes 30 ml or 2 tbsp olive oil 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed 30 ml or 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil 5 ml or 1 tsp grated lemon rind Pinch of sugar Salt and pepper to season 4 large red peppers - deseeded and quartered 3 aubergines 225 g or 8 oz Cheddar cheese, grated 50 g or 2 oz of freshly grated or pre-bought, grated
Parmesan cheese Serves 6 Method The first thing to make is the tomato sauce. To do this you need to place the chopped
tomatoes in a saucepan and add half of the quantity of oil and then add all
of the garlic basil, lemon rind and some seasoning. Bring this to the boil, then cover and
simmer it for 30 minutes. Remove the
lid and cook the sauce for a further 15 minutes, then allow this to cool. Meanwhile, place the quarters of pepper on a grill,
brush with a little olive oil and grill them for 5-6 minutes on each side
until charred and tender. Then
transfer them to a plastic bag to cool. Next cut the aubergines lengthways in to thick
slices, place them on the grill and brush them with oil and grill them in
turn for 6-8 minutes on each side, then leave to cool. Next peel the cooled peppers. Then take a casserole or oven dish and grease the
bottom of it. Then spoon a little of
the tomato sauce mixture at the bottom of it, then add a layer of aubergines
then peppers. Sprinkle over a little
of the Cheddar cheese, then continue to add layers of sauce, vegetables then
cheese. Make sure there is enough cheese left for the topping. Then sprinkle over some Parmesan. Then bake this dish in the oven at either 200 deg C,
400 deg F or Gas Mark 6 for 30-40 minutes until bubbling and golden. Serve straight away. FLORENTINES Makes about 30 Ingredients 100 g or 3 1/2 oz butter 125 g or 4 oz of caster sugar 125 g or 4 oz of flaked almonds 25 g or 1 oz of sultanas 5 glace cherries chopped 25 g or 1 oz chopped mixed peel 15 ml or 1 tbsp or single cream or milk 300 g or 10 oz of plain or milk chocolate Method First of all, line two - four baking trays with
greaseproof paper. Then take the 3 1/2
oz butter and melt it in a saucepan over a low heat. Next take the 4 oz of caster sugar, add it
to the butter and then boil this whole mixture for a minute. Remove this from the pan, and then add in all the
remaining ingredients: the flaked almonds, sultanas, chopped cherries, mixed
peel and milk or cream, except for the chocolate. Stir all this well together and then drop the
mixture in to small rounded heaps on the greaseproof paper (make up to about
30). Then bake them in the over at 180
deg C, 350 deg F of Gas Mark 4 for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. After taking them out of the oven, press around the
edges of the biscuits to neaten their shape.
Leave the florentines for 5 minutes on the greaseproof paper or until
they're beginning to firm, then cool them on a wire rack. When the biscuits are cool, melt the
chocolate over a low heat or over a bowl of hot water, and leave this to cool
until it coats the back of a spoon, say around 15 minutes, and is just
beginning to set. Next spread the chocolate over the backs of the
biscuits and make some wavy lines across them with a fork. Then leave them to set and then they're
ready to eat as part of say afternoon tea or for pudding, or perhaps as a
delicious treat whatever the time of day. Ruth's Winter Recipes Smoked Haddock Kedgeree Ingredients 1 large onion, sliced 2 tbsp sunflower oil 1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed pinch of ground tumeric 1 tsp ground cumin 350g (12oz) of basmati rice 700g (1Ib 9 oz) smoked haddock fillet or smoked cod 4 soft-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered 3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander for the end Serves 6 Add the sunflower oil to a pan, followed by the
sliced onion. Cook this over a medium
heat for 7-8 minutes until softened and brown. At this point stir in all the spices listed and cook
for a further minute. Then add the rice to the mixture and coat it
evenly. Pour cold water over the rice
to cover it by at least an inch or 2.5 cm. Bring the rice mixture to the boil, then cover and
simmer it for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Set the pan aside with the lid on for five further
minutes. (Alternatively you can cook the rice separately, and add it to the
onion mix after it's been cooked and drained). Meanwhile, grill the haddock for 6-7 minutes until
just cooked. Remove any skin and
bones. Flake the flesh and gently stir
it through the rice mix with the eggs and the chopped, fresh coriander. Serve the dish immediately. Chocolate Fudge Tart Ingredients 23 cm or 9 inch loose-based tart tin Base: 225g (8 oz) plain flour 1 tsp cocoa powder 2 tbsp icing sugar 125g (4.5 oz) butter chilled 1 large egg, beaten Fudge Filling: 125g (4.5 oz) dark chocolate, broken into pieces 125g (4.5 oz) butter, chilled 4 tbsp cocoa powder 150 ml (1/4 pint of single cream) 175g (6 oz) soft brown sugar 3 large eggs, beaten icing sugar, for dusting chocolate shavings, optional To make the pastry base, use either your hands, or a
processor, to make a light dough. First of all either rub, or mix, the flour,
cocoa, icing sugar and butter together until they resemble fine bread crumbs. Then make a well in the centre of the dry mix and
add the egg and mix it all together with a flat knife till it resembles a dough.
Alternatively, repeat as necessary in a food processor. Add a few drops of water if required to make a light
dough mixture. Then wrap this in cling
film and chill it for 30 minutes in the fridge. Next roll out the pastry on a lightly floured
surface and use it to line the loose-bottomed pastry tin. Also place this in the fridge again loosely
covered in cling film to chill once again. At this point, preheat the oven to 190 C or 170 C
for a fan oven, 375 F or Gas Mark 5. Now turn to make the filling. In a pan, gently melt the dark chocolate,
butter and cocoa on a low heat. Once
this is done, remove it from the heat and beat in the cream, sugar and 3
pre-beaten eggs Take the chilling pastry out of the fridge once more
and pour in this mixture, place on a tray and bake in the oven for 30-35
minutes until just set. Leave the fudge tart to cool. Then before serving, dust it with icing
sugar and serve with either cream or ice cream, and chocolate shavings if
desired. |