Gooseberry Pecan Oat Bars

 

Gooseberry Pecan Oat Bars 

From Waitrose recipe

Preheat the oven to 200˚C, gas mark 6; lightly grease and line a 20cm square baking tin with baking parchment. Put 400g topped and tailed gooseberries with 75g sugar in a saucepan set over a low-medium heat. Stir often for 10-15 minutes, until jammy and thick; set aside. Mix the flour, cinnamon, oats, pecans and salt together. Melt the butter and remaining 100g sugar together over a low heat. Mix into the flour and oat mixture until you have a dough. 

Press ½ the dough over the bottom of the baking tin. Spread the gooseberries evenly over the dough. Carefully top with spoonfuls of the remaining oat mixture, spreading it out roughly (you don’t want it too smooth) with the back of a spoon to make an even layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes, then cool completely in the tin (or ideally overnight). Cut into 12-16 bars or squares, as wished. 

200g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing 
400g Waitrose Cooks’ Ingredients gooseberries, topped and tailed 
175g soft light brown sugar 
200g wholemeal spelt or rye flour, or a mixture 
¾ tsp ground cinnamon 
150g rolled porridge oats 
100g pecans, chopped 
½ tsp fine salt

Slow Cooker recipes

A couple of weeks of making the most of the slow cooker:

Black Bean Beef - worth doing double quantities to have some in the freezer

Spanish bean and chorizo stew - I used a chorizo ‘ring’. Definitely worth having crispy bits on top (I crisped by microwaving for a bit)

Satay chicken wraps. Use boned chicken thighs and add handful of chopped fresh coriander at the end

Bean Chilli is good. Himself had modified version of Mexican fish stew (prawns rather than squid). Update: We have also used as basis of a chilli con carne and a chilli non carne (as in made with soya mince) for large gathering that included a vegetarian.

Banana Oat cake

 352g pureed bananas (if frozen, defrost and drain off any liquid). Sprinkle over 0.5tbsp baking powder and mix in thoroughly. Stir in 135g porridge oats and level tsp cinnamon.

Pour into a lined 7inch tin. Bake at 180C for about 30 minutes, until the top looks dry and is firm to touch.

When cooled, cut into 8 slices.

Black bean and sweetcorn enchiladas

With additional chicken/turkey for the carnivores.

Finely chop a red onion and gently fry in small amount of oil until starting to turn translucent.

Stir in 1tsp of ground cumin and half tsp chilli powder and cook for a couple of minutes. If using meat, add good handful of chunks of cooked chicken/turkey.

Add large tin worth of sweetcorn (I typically use frozen), a drained tin of black beans and a few tablespoons of passata and heat through.

Divide between 6 tortilla wraps, form into enchiladas placing in large lasagne dish (either greased and/oron a small amount of home made tomato sauce). Top with rest of tomato sauce and grated cheddar. Cook in oven at 180C for about 30 minutes

Christmas 2022

Christmas Eve

Mary Berry Clementine glazed gammon - the only difference was I cooked in slow cooker on low overnight allowing it to cool completely during the day. Might try doing so during the day, as in for 8 hours rather than 12.

Orange Tofu https://www.theconsciousplantkitchen.com/orange-tofu-recipe/ was good idea but not as crispy as should have been, possibly as it was in the oven at the same time as the gammon. As in will try and find a different recipe for new year.

Christmas Day

As for the last couple of years the turkey (5kg) was crowned and legs and thighs deboned and cooked as per Jamie Oliver Turkey crown and legs with Apricot and sausage stuffing. 

Chicken wing gravy  was made in advance. Not sure if will do again but it did save some time on Christmas Day (and I have a number of chicken rissoles in the freezer as a byproduct).

For the pescatarian James Martin’s Salmon en croute (including the buerre blanc). Said pescatarian would have preferred the skin to be removed first. Those eating it the following day were more than happy to have skin on. 

Didn’t actually eat pudding on Christmas Day as our guest came with an array of wonderful cheeses and crackers.

Sitting in the freezer awaiting for when I do cook the pudding is:

Brandy Ice cream

Separate 4 eggs. Whisk the whites until stiff then gradually whisk in 100g caster sugar until you have a thick glossy meringue. Fold in the egg yolks.

Whisk together 300ml double cream with 4tbsp brandy until thick. Fold into the meringue mixture.

Freeze overnight (for at least 12 hours).

Quinoa and Turmeric Fritters

 Great friend was enjoying these so much cold on a recent walk I had to try them. Based on Deliciously Ella recipe:

340g sweet potato peeled, chopped into chunks and cooked in microwave until soft

260g quinoa rinsed under cold water until the water runs clear. Put in saucepan with juice of a lemon and 600ml of boiling water. Boil for a couple of minutes and then cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the quinoa is fluffy (all water should have been absorbed. If it gets too dry then add more water)

Blend the sweet potato with juice of a lemon (yes another one), 4tbsp tahini (or a nut butter), 4 tbsp tomato puree, 2 tsp ground turmeric, 2tsp ground cumin, 8 tbsp buckwheat flour and S&P until smooth.

In a bowl combine the sweet potato mix and the Quinoa 'until nice and sticky'

Divide into 12 fritters and bake in a 180(fan) oven for 20 minutes.

Afternoon tea - Platinum Jubilee Weekend

 Sandwiches:

- Salmon, Cucumber, cream cheese in white bread

- Egg and cress mayonnaise in wholemeal bread

- Humous, avocado, tomato and rocket in multigrain bread

Coronation chicken / Coronation chickpea in little gem lettuce leaves

- the sauce: 1tbsp mango chutney, 3tbsp  mayonnaise, 1tbsp crème fraiche (replace with an extra tbsp of mayo if you don’t happen to have an open pot), 1tsp medium curry powder

- I added chopped blanched french beans in the chickpea variant and sultanas in each.

Pineapple and cheese on cocktail sticks.

Cheese straws made from pre rolled puff pastry with cheddar and sprinkling of cayenne rolled in centre and extra cheese on top. Needed a sprinkling of salt.

Lemon shortbread: https://www.theenglishkitchen.co/2020/10/marys-perfect-shortbread.html adding lemon zest to go with lemon posset, and to replace the shortbread recipe in

 https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/lemonpossetwithlemon_85812 

Coconut macaroons https://www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/baking-and-desserts/coconut-macaroons/

Peanut butter cups https://tasty.co/recipe/3-ingredient-peanut-butter-cups (Really must put into mini cupcake paper cases next time).

Scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream.