THEGAYUK

Category: Lifestyle

  • RECIPE | Beetroot Ricotta Crackers

    Prep 25 mins | No Cook

    Enough beetroot mix for 50-60 crackers

    Bold (and in season) beetroot paired with mellow, sweet ricotta and maple syrup make a delicious combination in both visual and flavour. Salty & toasty black sesame crackers make a perfect podium for the shocking pink topping.

    If you don’t want to make as many as 60 canapés, the beetroot mix will keep in the fridge for a few days and would be lovely as a dip for crudites, breadsticks or tortilla chips (blue tortilla chips would look amazing alongside the beetroot mix).

     

    Ingredient.

    300g cooked beetroot, juices drained and patted dry

    250g ricotta

    2 tsp maple syrup (or honey)

    50g pistachio kernels, blitzed or finely chopped

    60 black sesame crackers (or use an assortment)

     

    Method.

    1. In a food processor, blitz the beetroot and ricotta until smooth.
    2. Add the maple syrup and season, blitzing again for a few seconds. If you’re not assembling immediately then cover and place in the fridge until required.
    3. Use a teaspoon to put the beetroot mix atop crackers, and finish with a bit of pistachio dust.

  • RECIPE | Cauliflower Cheese “Snowballs” with a fiery goji berry dip

    Makes 20-25 |  Prep 15 mins | Cook 30 mins

    Scrummy mouthfuls of mellow gruyere and cauliflower matched with a smoky, spicy tomato and goji berry dip. I serve the dip inside a red cabbage leaf as the colours really compliment each other, and it’s a cheerful way to present dips in general, I think so anyway.

    You could still make the dip without goji berries if you don’t have them, but replace with something like a pitted date, or a tablespoon of honey for sweetness.

    Ingredients.

    snowballs

    150g gruyere, grated

    100g fresh breadcrumbs

    300g cauliflower florets, blitzed into tiny pieces

    2 organic eggs, beaten

    1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)

    100g panko breadcrumbs

     

    dip

    1 large tomato (80g)

    125g sundried tomatoes

    2 tbsp goji berries, covered in a little water and left to plump for 10 mins

    1/2 lemon, juice only

    1 red chilli, deseeded

     

    Method.

    Preheat your oven to 210c / 190c (fan) / Gas Mark 6-7

     

    1. First make the dip. Drain any water from the goji berries, combine all ingredients in a food processor and blitz until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until required.
    2. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and oil very lightly with coconut oil or similar.
    3. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the snowballs except for the panko breadcrumbs and mix thoroughly, season with pepper.
    4. Lay the panko breadcrumbs on a plate.
    5. Using your hands, take a small amount of the cauliflower cheese mix and roll into a ball.
    6. Roll the ball around on the plate of panko breadcrumbs and place on your lined baking tray.
    7. Repeat the rolling process until all the mix has been used up.
    8. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
    9. Remove from the oven and serve with the dip straight away, although these are pretty damn tasty the morning after from the fridge!

  • RECIPE | Christmas Chutney

    Prep 30 mins | Cooking time approx. 1 hour 45 mins.

    Whether you are looking to liven up that after dinner cheeseboard, wishing to impress at a Boxing Day buffet or wanting to give a unique, homemade gift, then a sharp, tangy chutney won’t go amiss. It may take a little time to prepare, but the results are well worth it. Store in spring clip jars and whether you enjoy it by heaping it on cheese and biscuits, serving as a fruity dip or using it to liven up that leftover turkey sandwich, home-made chutney is delicious

     

    Ingredients.

    250g apples

    400g pears

    2cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and very finely chopped

    50g dried apricots, quartered

    75g sultanas

    200g Demerara sugar

    250ml cider vinegar

    ½ tbsp wholegrain mustard

    ½ tsp ground cinnamon

     

    Method.

    1. Peel the apples and pears with a vegetable peeler and use a sharp knife to core and cut the fruit into small bite size chunks. Don’t cut them too small, or they will turn into mush during the cooking. Store the chopped fruit in a large bowl of cold water whilst preparing them to avoid them going brown.
    2. Place all of the chopped fruit into a large pan along with the ginger, apricots, sultanas, sugar, vinegar and cinnamon
    3. Add the mustard and heat the mixture gently, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Continue cooking for around 90 minutes, until you have a thick, syrupy texture.
    4. Spoon the chutney into sterilised, warmed jars, taking care not to trap any air in the chutney as you put it in the jars. There are a number of options to sterilize your jars. Use a baby bottle sterilizer (such as Milton fluid / tablets); place the jars in a steamer or (after removing any rubber seals on the jars) place in a low oven (140c/275F/Gas Mark 1) for about half an hour
    5. Cover the top of the chutney using cling film and leave to cool. Once sealed in your jar, store your chutney in a cool dark place.
    6. Your chutney will taste best if you leave it to mature for a month and will keep for up to six months in the fridge.
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  • RECIPE | Green Eggs And Ham, Christmas Morning Surprise

    Makes 6 |  Prep 20 mins |  Cook 20 mins

    Whip the batter up for these make-ahead muffins on Christmas Eve and then place in the fridge in their baking tray until you’re ready to cook them in the oven on Christmas morning. Now that’s a wake and bake!

    They smell amazing as they’re cooking and come out festively green, packing an energy & antioxidant punch from Matcha green tea. You can of course leave the Matcha out if you want to (although it’s undetectable on the palette), and vegetarians can swap the pancetta for wild mushrooms or cherry tomatoes.
    INGREDIENTS.

    6 large organic eggs

    100-150g cubed pancetta

    25g grated parmesan (or cheese of choice)

    1 tsp dried oregano

    1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 1 finely chopped garlic clove)

    1 tsp baking powder

    1 tbsp matcha green tea powder (optional)

    small handful pumpkin seeds

    METHOD.

    • Grease a 6” mould muffin baking tray with butter or oil.
    • Dry fry the pancetta in a pan until golden and crisp (about 5 mins on high). Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen towel, placing another piece of towel on top, pressing down to soak up excess oil.
    • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 6 eggs.
      Sieve in the baking powder and matcha green tea. Add the garlic powder, oregano, and parmesan, continuing to whisk well together for a few minutes.
    • Transfer the egg mix to a jug so you can now easily pour the mixture into the muffin moulds. Distribute the pancetta pieces (reserve some for scattering at the end) between the moulds at this point too. Cover and put in the fridge until morning, or if cooking straight away, continue with below steps…
    • Have your oven heat to 200c / 180c (fan) / Gas Mark 6.
    • Use a teaspoon to give each muffin a little stir and top with a scattering of pumpkin seeds.
      Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until they have risen slightly, and are firm to the touch.
    • Remove from the oven and leave to cool in their tin for about 5 minutes before serving, scatter over any reserved pancetta. Epic either hot, warm or cold.

     

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  • Recipe | Butternut Stew, Perfect for A Christmas Eve Get Together

    Butternut Stew | Serves 2 (or 4 with salad / steamed vegetables) |  Prep 15 mins | Cook 45-60 mins

    This is totally comforting and satisfying (not to mention nutritious). Mouthfuls go from moments of mellow tomatoes, squash, leeks and carrot (I like purple carrots in this recipe), to spikes of chilli, smoky chorizo and fresh, green coriander. Non meat eaters feel free to omit the chorizo.

    A one pot winner perfect for Christmas Eve or anytime that you require minimal; effort, expense, and washing up.

    Ingredients:

    1 onion, chopped roughly

    1 leek, chopped roughly

    2 carrots, chopped into 2-3cm chunks

    1 small butternut squash (250g of large chunks)

    4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

    1 large red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced

    100g cooking chorizo, sliced

    50g pearl barley

    300g jarred herby passata (or use a 400g tin)

    2 bay leaves

    2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped (or 1 tbsp dried)

    1 tbsp dried marjoram

    1 tsp ground ginger

    400ml hot water, with 2 tsp bouillon (or use a stock cube)

    1 tbsp coconut oil, or other cooking oil

     

    to serve

    handful pumpkin seeds

    fresh coriander

     

    Method

    1) Heat the coconut oil in a large non-stick saucepan and over a medium heat begin to fry the chorizo, onions and leeks.

    2) After 5 minutes add the rosemary, chilli, marjoram, ginger and garlic. Stirring around the pan for a few minutes.

    3) Add the passata and bay leaves, and allow to bubble out for a couple of minutes.

    4) Add your pearl barley, butternut squash, and carrots and cover with the stock water.

    5) Once the sauce has reached boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and leave for 25 minutes, shaking the pan every now and then.

    6) Remove the cover from the pan and continue to simmer until your butternut squash and carrots are cooked through. Shake the pan every now and then.

    7) Remove from the heat, season with black pepper and scatter over pumpkin seeds and coriander when serving.

  • Recipe: One Pot Pasta, Perfect As A Winter Warmer

    Serves 2 (with leftovers) |  Prep 10 mins |  Cook 20 mins

     

    It cannot get much easier or simpler than this. Some veg, pasta, and water all in one pot, makes a winning dinner choice for Christmas Eve, keeping prep/cook/washing up and expense down before all round and inevitable indulgence on Christmas Day. You don’t even need to drain the water with this savvy self saucing delight!

     

    INGREDIENTS.

     

    200g fusilli longhi (or spaghetti / linguine will do!)

    350g herby passata (jarred)

    100g wild mushrooms

    100g frozen petit pois

    1 medium onion, thinly sliced

    1 lemon, zest only

    15g basil, leave whole

    1 tbsp paprika

    1 tsp bouillon powder (or half a stock cube)

    500ml water

    90g ricotta cheese

    Parmesan (enough to go crazy with, it is Christmas!)

     

    METHOD

     

    1) Add all the ingredients (except for cheeses) to a large saucepan or stockpot (you may have to break your pasta in half), stir around a bit and ensure the majority of the ingredients is covered by the 500ml water.

     

    2) Stirring regularly, heat on high to reach boiling point and then reduce to a simmer.

     

    3) Test your pasta after about 10 minutes, keep testing until al dente or cooked to your liking. Remove from the heat, remove the basil stalks and discard.

     

    3) Stir in the ricotta, season with black pepper and a little salt.

     

    4) Transfer to serving bowl(s) and adorn in parmesan and freshly torn basil leaves.

    5) Served with salad and breads this meal could easily serve more people.

     

  • Devilled & Pulled Leftovers, Perfect for Leftovers on Boxing Day

    Serves 2-4 people (with salad, toasted breads)

     

    A lovely and traditional method of using up leftover chicken or turkey, pairing the dark leg and thigh meat with a spicy sauce, and the light breast meat with a cream sauce. Devilled sauce would normally call for dijon mustard but I use wholegrain, as mustard seed is a wonderful antioxidant. Curry powder is also often used but I go with turmeric for its anti-inflammatory properties, which is enhanced using coconut oil in the dish also.

     

    Pulled sauce, usually made with heavy cream, but I use half fat creme fraiche and grass-fed butter (superfood!). To plough some goodness into a usually nutrient stripped sauce I go heavy on the herbs with parsley and dill, both very good sources of vitamin C. Anti-oxidants present in parsley and dill adds to the sauce’s calcium qualities.

     

    INGREDIENTS.

    150g breast meat

    150g leg / thigh meat

     

    Devilled

    1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

    2 tbsp mango chutney

    1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

    1 tsp apple cider vinegar

    1 tsp turmeric

    1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (reserve the cayenne to stirring through after the cooking process, as cooking with cayenne actually turns its anti-inflammatory properties into inflammatory, and should always be used as a seasoning like salt or pepper)

    1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

     

    Pulled

    50g grass fed unsalted butter

    100g half fat creme fraiche

    1/2 lemon, juice of

    1 garlic clove, finely chopped

    15g parsley, finely chopped

    15g dill, finely chopped

     

     

    METHOD:

    Mix all the ingredients for the devilled sauce in a large bowl, use a fork to do this if your coconut oil is solid.

     

    Mix together the leg/thigh chicken meat with the sauce and pre-heat your grill to a medium heat.

     

    Line a baking sheet with foil and grease lightly by rubbing in a little coconut oil.

     

    Spread the chicken in its sauce out in a thin layer and grill, you’ll want to get some crispy bits on there, but keep an eye on it.

    Serve.

     

    In a deep frying or sauté pan, begin to melt the butter until it starts to bubble.

     

    Lower the heat and quickly add the creme fraiche and stir constantly for a couple of minutes.

     

    Add the chicken breast and stir into the sauce, add the garlic and herbs for the final minute and remove from the heat. Squeeze over the lemon juice, season & serve.

     

  • RECIPE: Bone Broth: A Delicious And Nourishing Boxing Day Treat

    Makes about 1 litre |  Prep 10 mins | Cook 8 hours plus! (more…)