Christmas Chutney

I suspect this is called Christmas Chutney because of its festive red and green colours and it is a perfect complement for the cold cuts and cheese at tea-time on Christmas Day and throughout the festive season.  It is very spicy so if you want a less hot version then halve or even quarter the cayenne pepper.  It would also benefit from the addition of some raisins or sultanas, a seasonal ingredient and often added to chutney: perhaps in place of one of the red peppers, say 125g/4ozs.

The recipe came from our friend Shirley as an extra when I asked for some of her chutney and relish recipes.  The book she lent me contained a clipping for this Christmas Chutney taken from Candis magazine, November 2004 issue.  She hadn’t got round to making it, so I gave her a jar when I returned the book.

'Meanderings through my Cookbook' http://www.hopeeternalcookbook.wordpress.com

Christmas Chutney
(makes about 2.5kg/6lb)

900g/2lb tomatoes
1 large aubergine, 1 green pepper, 3 red peppers – about 900g/2lb total)
700g/1lb 9ozs onions, peeled & fairly finely chopped
4 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped
350g/12ozs granulated sugar
300ml/½pint white wine vinegar or distilled malt vinegar
1tbsp salt
1tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
1tbsp paprika
2tsp cayenne pepper

1.  Peel the tomatoes by making a cut in each, plunging them in a bowl of hot water for about 30 seconds and then draining and covering with cold water.  The skins should slip off easily.

2.  Chop the tomatoes, aubergine, peppers, onions and garlic.  Place these into a large heavy based pan and bring to the boil.  Cover, turn down the heat and simmer for 1hour, stirring until the vegetables are tender.

3.  Add the vinegar, sugar, salt, coriander, paprika and cayenne.  Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.   Boil for about 30 minutes or until the chutney has a chunky consistency and the watery liquid has evaporated.  It is important that the chutney is stirred occasionally to make sure that the mixture does not stick, especially towards the end of the cooking time when it could burn.

4.  Wash the jars well and sterilise.  I usually do this by filling the jars with boiling water and putting the lids in a bowl of boiling water.  I pour away the water just before filling each jar and immediately take the lid from the bowl and screw it on.

5.  Pot the chutney into the prepared jars sealing while still hot.  Cool and label.

Read Full Post »

Last Minute Mincemeat & Mince Pies

Updated 29 Nov 2010: The mincemeat recipe on this page is for ‘improving’ a jar of shop bought mincemeat by adding extra ingredients.  This site also has a recipe for a delicious and alcoholic Suet Free Mincemeat, made from scratch.

Mincemeat is a traditional sweetened filling which has altered down the centuries.  It no longer contains minced meat (originally mutton or pork), of course, but most mincemeat includes shredded beef or vegetarian suet.  Home made Mincemeat is relatively easy to make, but sometimes time is tight and this is a useful shortcut.  This is an easy version for improving on a standard jar of shop purchased mincemeat which turns standard mincemeat into something a bit more special!  The choice and quantities of additional ingredients is up to you. You will need a second jar for the extra mincemeat: the quantity you make will depend on the quantity of extra ingredients you add.  It is unlikely that you will have any unused mincemeat at the end of the Christmas season, but if you do I suggest that you use it up as I am not sure how well it would keep.

Margo, a friend in our last church in Ipswich, Suffolk, a cookery teacher, showed us this quick ‘cheat’ recipe at a Christmas cookery demonstration. The mincemeat can be used in a variety of ways: as the filling of a large tart or for individual mince pies. Use either a standard shortcrust pastry or Nigella Lawson’s special orange flavoured pastry, see Basic Recipe: Pastry.

 
Last Minute Mincemeat

1 jar of good quality mincemeat
(if you do not eat meat then make sure it is made with vegetable suet)

Select from the following additional ingredients:
Extra mixed dried fruit (usually a mixture of sultanas, raisins and mixed peel)
Other dried fruit ie: chopped apricots, glace cherries, small amount crystallised ginger…
Grated apple
Orange or clementine zest & juice
Brandy or liqueur
Sugar (optional)
Suet (optional)

Mix the purchased mincemeat with a selection of extra ingredients, making sure they are well combined.  Spoon into jars and ideally leave for 24hrs before using so flavours combine.

'Meanderings through my Cookbook' http://www.hopeeternalcookbook.wordpress.com

Read Full Post »

Sloe Gin

After 2 days sugar not fully mixed in but already rosy coloured.... 'Meanderings through my Cookbook' http://www.hopeeternalcookbook .wordpress.com

Sloe Gin is one of the tastes I associate with Christmas.  This delicious plummy flavoured liqueur is easy to make.  Sloes can be found in hedgerows during Autumn and are easy to pick, though the bushes are rather spiky and the fruits are inclined to hide themselves away under the leaves!  It is worth freezing a batch as they are not always easy to find: if you find a good source then make a note so you can go back another year! Ideally you should start making your Christmas Sloe Gin around the end of September/start of October as recipe books recommend that it should mature for three months before drinking.  We find this gives a rather intense drink, so if like us you prefer a lighter flavoured gin, then it can be left for a shorter time.  Made three or so weeks before Christmas gives a pretty rose coloured drink which continues to mature to a rich burgundy colour over the following weeks: I made ours two days ago and I am hoping it will be ready. 

This simple recipe is used by both my parents and my father-in-law.  I used sloes which had been frozen a year or so ago.  A similar drink can be made by substituting damsons and I have also heard of versions using raspberries or blackberries.

... and after 2 months - 'Meanderings through my Cookbook' http://www.hopeeternalcookbook.wordpress.com

  
Sloe Gin
(Makes 75cl – 1 litre, depending on size of bottle used)

8ozs sloes (freshly picked or frozen
8ozs white sugar
Gin, brand not important – about ½bottle (enough to top up the Sloe Gin bottle)

1.  Choose a 75cl-1litre bottle with a good screw lid.  One that has been previously used to store spirits is ideal.  Wash well and dry.

2.  Pick the sloes over, removing bits of leaf and stalks.  Prick well all over with a fork – a laborious but necessary job as it allows the alcohol to fully penetrate the fruit.  Post the sloes into the bottle.

3.  Using a kitchen funnel, put the sugar into the bottle on top of the sloes.

4.  Top the bottle up with gin and continue to add a little more as the bubbles rise until the level of liquid is about 1inch/2.5cm from the top. 

5.  Screw the lid on well and invert the bottle 2 or 3 times to mix. Leave in a dark place to infuse.  It will be several days before the sugar dissolves. 

6.  Every day invert the bottle 2 or 3 times, until the sugar has all dissolved. A little more gin can be added if required to top up the bottle.

7.  Once the sugar has dissolved the Sloe Gin is ready to drink as a pale version, but will not be fully ready until it has steeped for about 3 months.  It is worth straining with a tea strainer to remove any stray pieces of sloe from the drink.

8.  After three months the bottle should be emptied, the sloe gin strained to remove the sloes and bits of fruit.  The liqueur can now be bottled – if there is any left!

Read Full Post »

Smoky Fish Chowder

This comforting and reasonably quick to make fishy bowlful is best enjoyed on a cold evenings round the fire. I have been known to make it for a busy Christmas eve or Good Friday evening.   Since first making this recipe I have managed to find a good source of fish stock which is not easy to find in the UK.  When on holiday in France over the summer I bought a small tub of dried powder labelled Fumet des Poissons in Carrefour supermarket (own brand, blue tub) and I am definitely not disappointed with the added flavour it gives to this dish.  Own brands and more expensive branded versions are available in other French supermarkets – I shall be stocking up next time I go!

The original version of the recipe comes from the excellent Complete Low Fat Cookbook by Sue Kreitzman, though I have adapted it very slightly. The first time I tried it I had no parsley and as it needed some green I added peas, an addition we have kept as we liked it so much! I also left out the wine, as I was feeding young children who might not have liked the flavour and have continued to leave it out.  More recently I have added a tablespoon of white wine vinegar and some chopped bacon, both of which augment the flavour of the fish.  It is suggested that the pepper is put under the grill and warmed through until skin starts to pucker before cutting up as this draws out the sweetness.  If you want to remove the skin, especially if it chars, then put it in a plastic bag for about 5 minutes which will make it easier to peel away.

'Meanderings through my Cookbook' http://www.hopeeternalcookbook.wordpress.com

Smoky Fish Chowder
(Serves 4-6)

1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2ozs/50g chopped bacon (smoked or unsmoked)
24fl ozs/750ml fish stock (or vegetable stock or water)
2 fl ozs/50ml white wine (optional) or 1tbsp white wine vinegar
1pt/600ml skimmed milk
3 medium all purpose potatoes (boil until almost cooked, peel & dice coarsely)
1 red pepper, chopped
12oz/350g can sweetcorn kernels
4ozs/100g frozen peas (pre-cooked for 5 minutes)
12ozs/350g firm white fish (skin & cut into 1″ (2.5cm) cubes)
12ozs/350g skinned smoked haddock/hoki (cut into 1″ (2.5cm) cubes)
6ozs/175g cooked peeled prawns
freshly ground pepper
chopped fresh parsley

1. Combine the onion, 4fl ozs/100ml of the stock/water, plus wine or wine vinegar, if using, in a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Cover, bring to boil and boil for 5 minutes.

2. Uncover and simmer briskly until the onion is tender and starting to brown. Stir in the bacon and gently fry with the onion.

3. Stir in the remaining liquid and bring to a simmer.

(I like to keep about half of the liquids back and add during cooking, if needed, as when I originally cooked this recipe the end result was rather over wet. Let your own taste preference dictate what proportions of milk and stock/water you add.)

4. Add the potatoes and simmer gently for 3-5 minutes. Stir in the red pepper and corn and simmer for 5 minutes more.

5. Cool slightly, then puree half the mixture in a blender. Return to the pan, rinsing the blender with small amounts of water and adding this to the pan as well and bring back to a simmer.

6. Stir in the peas and fish cubes and simmer for 5 minutes.

7. Stir in the prawns and heat through.

8. Season with pepper and serve at once sprinkled with parsley.

9. Serve in a bowl and eat with a spoon, accompanied with a chunk of crusty granary or white bread.

(This recipe was first posted on 29 March 2008 at my original blog Meanderings along the narrow way)  Updated 16 June 2009 & 12 November 2010

Read Full Post »

Lime Syllabub

Margo, a friend in our last church in Ipswich, Suffolk, was a cookery teacher and this was one of the recipes she gave at a cookery demonstration. She recommended it as a lighter alternative to Christmas Pudding. It could be served on its own or with Sliced Caramel Oranges.

Lime Syllabub

4 tbsp lime cordial
4 tbsp water
3ozs/90g caster sugar
Juice & finely grated rind of 1 lemon
10fl ozs/284mls double cream (I use low fat whipping cream which works fine)

Mix the lime cordial, water sugar and lemon rind and juice together and leave overnight in the refrigerator to chill. When ready to serve whisk the cream into the mixture.

Serve in a large bowl or individual glasses decorated with chocolate leaves or curls of dark chocolate (made by using a potato peeler to take slivers of chocolate from a bar).

(This recipe was first posted on 5 December 2007 at my original blog Meanderings along the narrow way)

Read Full Post »

Sliced Caramel Oranges

Margo, a friend in our last church in Ipswich, Suffolk, was a cookery teacher and this was one of the recipes she passed on at a cookery demonstration. The quantities in the original recipe were very vague.  The exact number of oranges was not specified and neither was the quantity of brandy, which can be left out if you wish.  The quantities of ingredients for the caramel, however, were specified but I have halved them in my version below.  It is adequate for serving six people, but if it was to serve more diners, or if I wanted more of the crunchy topping, I would probably increase the amount.

'Meanderings through my Cookbook' http://www.hopeeternalcookbook.wordpress.com

Margot served this simple but delicious orange dessert as an accompaniment to Lime Syllabub, which she recommended as a lighter alternative to Christmas Pudding.  I have also served this as an accompaniment to Lemon Surprise Pudding and it would be good served with a complementary flavoured home made Ice Cream, for instance Lemon Meringue or Lemon Sorbet.

Sliced Caramel Oranges
(Serves 6)

About 6 oranges, depending on size
1-2capfuls (1-2 tbsp aprox) brandy – optional
2ozs/50g sugar (half original amount)
2.5 fl ozs/40mls water (half original amount)

1.  Peel oranges removing peel and pith (about one small orange a person) and slice.

2.  Layer into a shallow dish and sprinkle with a little brandy if liked (I used a capful for 8 small oranges, but felt that two capfuls would have been better).

3.  Make a caramel sauce by boiling 2ozs/50g sugar with 2.5 fl ozs/40mls water – the original recipe was double this amount).

4.  Pour the caramel over the top and leave in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours but preferably overnight. 

5.  Serve on its own as a simple dessert or with another complementary dessert.  If serving with ice cream or sorbet langue de chat type biscuits could be served on the side.

(This recipe was first posted on 5 December 2007 at my original blog Meanderings along the narrow way) – further amended 5 April 2010)

Read Full Post »