Monday 17 November 2014

Smoked Mackerel


Two quick and tasty things to do with smoked mackerel


Use a fork to pull the fish from the bones and skin

Smoked Mackerel Pate

Mash up with some butter/spread (I usually use about an ounce for three fillets), some black pepper, lemon juice (and some parsley). Lovely on crusty bread or crackers with some salad.

(If you get a pack of mackerel that is already coated with pepper, lemon or parsley then adjust accordingly!)


Smoked Mackerel Rice Salad

Mix flaky chunks into cold rice with plain yoghurt and some black pepper. Add in salady bits for extra taste and crunch - chopped peppers and/or sweetcorn and/or spring onions can be added in advance. Chopped cucumber and/or tomatoes are lovely in it too, but unless you add them just before serving or scoop out all the seeds, it will go watery.


You might also like

Rice with chorizo, prawns/chicken

Spicy Chicken Drumsticks

Chicken and Bacon Casserole





Things to have with Poppadoms

Smoked fish and prawns in lemony white sauce

Spicy Golden Rice with Chicken


For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas





Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Wednesday 12 November 2014

Spicy Golden Rice and Chicken

Quick and tasty. Serves 4 (probably with leftovers)


This mildly spicy rice can make a small amount of chicken go a long way - one or two breasts or two or three thighs will seem like loads


Chop the chicken into small pieces and gently cook in small amount of oil or butter/spread in a pan for a few minutes until all white on the outside. (As it will continue cooking, you don't need worry about whether it is still pink in the middle.)

Add one or two finely chopped onions, some crushed garlic (up to about half a bulb according to how garlicy you like things) and some chopped peppers (I usually add a red and a green one to contrast the colours a bit) and cook gently until they are softened.

Then add the spices:

3 tsps ground coriander

2.5 tsps ground cumin

1.5 tsp turmeric

1 tsp paprika 

1tsp cayenne pepper 


(you can vary the amount of paprika and cayenne if you prefer it milder or spicier, eg 1.5 paprika and just half cayenne will be milder) 

Stir the spices through on a gentle heat for a couple of minutes and then add 8 oz of rice (I usually use basmati), stir to coat the rice and then add 15 fl oz of boiling water and one or two tablespoons of lemon juice. (You can also add half or a whole chicken stock cube if you like, especially if you are using less chicken).

(If I want to make sure of leftovers for lunch the next day I usually add 10 oz of rice and just under a pint of boiling water)

Bring to the boil, then turn the heat right down and leave with a lid on for 5 minutes. Stir well and put the lid back on for another 2-3 mins, and check and stir again and repeat. When the rice is soft and the liquid all absorbed it is ready (Usually about 10-15 mins total cooking time for the rice)

It tastes great as is, but serving with some yoghurt (plain or greek) really enhances it.


1tsp = 5ml
1tbsp = 15ml

15 fl oz is about 425 mls


You might also like

Rice with chorizo, prawns/chicken

Spicy Chicken Drumsticks

Chicken and Bacon Casserole





Things to have with Poppadoms
For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas





Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Saturday 27 September 2014

Pork Rib Marinade


This will comfortably do 1.5kgs of ribs.

(It is not a particularly hot marinade despite the quantities of spices)

Mix together

6 tsps of paprika (half plain and half smoked paprika is also nice)
0.5-1tsp of cayenne pepper
0.5-1tsp of black pepper
big pinch of thyme
small pinch of salt
5 fl oz honey (a half cup)
2.5 fl oz red wine vinegar (a quarter cup)
4-5 cloves of garlic (finely crushed)


I usually leave ribs marinading for a couple of hours, then take off any excess marinade and put them in the oven for 30-40 mins. About half-way through cooking I pour off the meat juices, mix with the marinade, and simmer gently in a pan to reduce down a bit. I then thicken it (mix about a teaspoon of cornflour with a little water, add a bit of the sauce to this, mix together then return to the pan and give it a whisk) as a sauce for the ribs, which I serve with potato wedges

For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas



Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Saturday 6 September 2014

Stuffed Peppers

Put the oven on to about 200 c/GM 6

Cut the peppers in half (lengthways) and remove the stalk and seeds. It's nice to have a good mix of colours and each person will probably eat three or four halves. 

A pound of mince (450-500g) will stuff up to about ten peppers (I usually don't stuff this many, typically five or six and then either put the remaining mince out for people to help themselves to some more or have it with a baked potato or some bread for a lunch later in the week.)

Put the peppers in an oven dish (the best size is so they all fit in one layer next to each other without gaps) and put in the oven while you make the filling. (Peek into the oven from time to time though as you want them to soften but not char!)

Brown about 1lb of mince and then drain off the fat (but leaving the meat juices). Add one or two finely chopped onions and about half a bulb of crushed garlic and cook for three or four mins until soft.

Add about a teaspoon of paprika (half and half smoked is nice) and about half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper (adjust if you like it more or less spicy!) and stir through for a minute or two. Then add two or three teaspoons of vinegar (balsamic is nice and rich, but malt will be fine too) and give it a good stir getting the spices off the bottom of the pan. 

Add a tin of chopped tomatoes and a big pinch of oregano and some black pepper and bring gently to the boil. (You can add half or a whole beef stock cube if you like.) Add a good squeeze of tomato puree (about a tablespoon) and leave to simmer for a few minutes to thicken a bit while you slice/grate cheese to go on top.

I usually use mozzarella but anything melty (eg mild cheddar) would be fine. How much cheese you use is up to you. I can usually get eight to ten reasonable slices (ie four to five peppers worth) out of a 125g mozzarella ball.

Spoon mince into each pepper-half, pushing it flat then top with cheese.

Put back in the oven until the cheese is as melty and bubbly as you like it (usually about ten minutes)

Serve with crusty bread or garlic bread

(In a hurry? Chop the peppers and cook with the onions, serve the mince with rice, or baked potato and grated cheese)


For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas



Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Tuesday 12 August 2014

Something for Nothing

Some easy ways to make a few bob or receive free things!

Paid surveys

There are plenty of sites offering money or entries into prize draws, however in my opinion some are quite frustrating as they ask loads of screening questions before deciding too often that you don't quite match the profile for who they are wanting info from on this occasion.

My favourite is YouGov as they only seem to invite you to take surveys they do actually want you to take, you typically get 50p - £1 per survey and usually get invited to a couple a week so it quickly adds up (you do need to remember to click at the end of each survey to say you want to be credited with the cash and not convert it to a prize draw entry though). Once you get to £50 you can get the cash transferred to your bank . The surveys are usually to do with current affairs/news/politics and usually take 5-15 minutes, and are easy to do when travelling or half watching tv.

You can join YouGov here

Panelbase seems quite reasonable too


Free Things
There are lots of websites which notify you of offers for free samples. Personally I only register for things I am genuinely interested in, like toiletries (I do quite well for little tubes of toothpaste particularly, which are handy for travelling), food things and cosmetics (because I don't think it's fair to either take something I'm not that bothered for the sake of it, particularly if it is costing a small company, a not-for profit organisation or something limited availability where it will deny the opportunity to someone else).

My favourites are Money Saving Expert and Free Stuff

Blogging

If you have something to share that other people might be interested in, you can do worse than have a blog! There are plenty of free to use blogging sites (like Blogger) and on many you can add things like Adsense which will display adverts determined from the reader's own internet use and if they click on any that interest them to find out more it will earn the blogger pennies.

Loyalty Cards

Even if you don't shop at a particular store often or at all, it can still be worth having their loyalty card.

For example with Nectaryou can get points for ebay purchases, supporting Oxfam, using their internet search engine (up to £1's worth a month), then spend them at places like Argos without ever having set foot in Sainsbury's!

I also use Qmee which sits quietly in the background and occasionally when I am searching for things (either through the usual search engine or on sites like ebay or Amazon) will politely offer via a sidebar some pennies if I am interested in looking at their suggested alternatives. You can get the money paid whenever you like (no minimum) to a paypal account.

Free Postcode Lottery

Free daily competition - register your postcode, check the site and if it is drawn you can claim a prize. Free to enter with winnings paid from ad revenue generated - good luck!

Free Daily Draw

Register, check daily, you may win £50 : )

Street Lottery

Register, check daily, good luck

GeoLotto

There is a free version of this treasure hunt game. Register and you get 50 free digs a day. Choose where you dig and the pennies add up. (Update - free game does not always run)



None of these are going to bring you life-changing riches, but it all adds up : )


You might also be interested in Easy Ways to Support Good Causes


For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas



Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Wednesday 9 July 2014

Favourite Things


Some of my favourite sites (with absolutely no local bias whatsoever!) - will add more as I remember them... (and feel free to share yours)

Wensleydale Creamery
Home of Real Wensleydale Cheese. My favourites are the garlic and chive, and the ginger. Well worth a visit too!

Northumberland Sausage Company
Sausages!

Northumberland Cheese Company
Cheese!

Boulevard Cuisine - North Shields
Smoked Oils and Peppers

British Beef Jerky
Jerky and Biltong from Northumberland

The Garlic Farm
On the Isle of Wight. Was recently given some smoked and elephant garlic : )

Image preview



Traditional and independent

Eat the Seasons
UK seasonal food information and tips


For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas





Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Saturday 5 July 2014

Carrot and Cucumber Ribbon Salad

light and simple


Chop some red chilli - about a quarter. (I usually stick my hand in a sandwich bag, cut the stalk off, cut in half lengthways, scrape the seeds out and then use a rocker-chopper (mezzaluna) to chop without getting covered)

(If you don't want it hot, see below for an alternative)

Add 2-3 tablespoons of wine vinegar (red or white), about a teaspoon of white sugar and a grind of black pepper. Add more sugar and pepper to taste (or fish some pieces of chilli out if it's getting a bit strong!) after it has stood for about 10-20 minutes.

Peel one or two carrots and then use a potato peeler to cut lengthways into ribbons. Add to the dressing. 

Then cut a cucumber in half and slice it lengthways using the potato peeler (up to you if you cut the half in half and scoop out the wet seeds with a teaspoon)

The carrot can be left to soak in it for a little while, but the cucumber (especially if you leave the seeds in) is best going in just before serving.


(I was asked on Twitter after posting this if there was a more child-friendly version. I suggested red pepper instead of the chilli, either chopped up, or long thin ribbons along a cut edge. I have made this without the chillies or sugar, and adding fresh basil leaves)

Image preview


Nice with salmon, grilled chicken or burgers

You might also like:







For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas





Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Saturday 28 June 2014

Burgers

Not so much recipes as ideas...

I make burgers for flavour not bulk, so leave out breadcrumbs and egg. (I don't care whether this means I make patties or whatever, not burgers!)

I tend to just use mince without adding breadcrumbs. As far as I can tell, while breadcrumbs add bulk, they just absorb the fat and I would rather have smaller meatier burgers!

Since I don't use breadcrumbs, I also don't need to add egg to bind everything together either.

My basic burger mix is just oregano/basil (dried or fresh), and black pepper (and maybe some parsley).

This is tasty in itself, in a bun (either soft white or ciabbata) with mayonnaise, or relish or with tangier sauces on the bun like Reggae, peri peri or sweet chilli...

I mix it up, divide into however many and cook (usually on a george forman grill).

Other variations include (mix and match!)

grated onion
crushed garlic
chopped chillies
coriander leaf

dash of Worcestershire sauce
dash of Tabasco

pinch of cumin
pinch of ground coriander seed

Adding a little pocket of cheese or crunchy mustard in the middle of the burger. (Make two small burgers, push a dent into the centres, add filling then squish together)

You might also like:

Citrus Cake

Barbecue Ideas

Chilli Beef Stew

Beef in Beer

Kofta Curry

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Stuffed Peppers

For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas



Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )






Sunday 8 June 2014

Chocolate Mousse


This is from a Jackie Magazine recipe from the 80s.

Serves 2 (but quantities increase well)

Melt 4oz of milk chocolate in a bowl (either microwave or over a pan of hot water). Can be cooking or eating chocolate.

Separate two eggs. Beat the yolks and add into the melted chocolate (mix fast and thoroughly).

(Fun way to separate eggs here)

Beat the two egg whites until they are stiff (do the 'upside-down bowl over head test' at your own risk), then fold into the chocolate mixture. (Use a metal spoon to fold: cut and lift it -not stir- to keep it light and fluffy)

Put it into whatever you are serving it in and chill for an hour or two.

Good to serve with some cream on and a bit of grated chocolate, or slices of kiwi fruit

Although it won't set quite as well with, this is also nice with a bit of rum mixed into the chocolate and yolk mix (NB Rum not included in the original recipe aimed at pre and early teens!)


You might also like:

Citrus Cake

For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas



Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )





Citrus Cake


If you already make nice cakes, this isn't the recipe for you!


Baking isn't really my thing, you have to be too precise, and it always seems a lot of time and effort for regrettably disappointing results but this simple recipe for a loaf cake produces consistent and presentable results for even reluctant bakers like me - foolproof! 

Whisk an egg, 4 fl oz of milk and 4 tbsps of vegetable oil in a bowl.

Grate in the zest of an orange or a lemon and whisk in 2 oz of brown sugar and 2 oz of white sugar.

Whisk in half a teaspoon of salt, 2 tsps of baking powder and 8 oz of plain flour and beat to make a batter.

Line a small loaf tin with greaseproof paper and pour in the batter. Put it in the oven heated to about 160c/GM4.

While the cake is cooking, add the juice of the orange or lemon to a pan with about 2 oz of white sugar (if you are using lemon juice, add a couple of tablespoons of water too, you need a total of about 100mls of liquid). Bring gently to the boil then simmer for about 5 minutes to make a syrup.

After about 25 minutes stab it with a thin knife or skewer. If there is wet batter stuck to the knife, put it back in and keep checking every 5 mins or so. (Don't worry about leaving holes in it.)

When the knife comes out clean, take the loaf out of the oven. Prog lots of holes down into it, then pour the syrup over to soak down into the holes and leave to cool.

(If you don't have any citrus fruit, this is still okay without any zest in the batter and using orange or lemon juice for the syrup or using just sugar syrup (100mls of water), or putting a few spoons of marmalade or lemon curd over the top)


You might also like:

Chocolate Mousse

For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas



Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )




Saturday 7 June 2014

Potato Cake

Like a Potato Rosti or Hash Browns


Great with a traditional British Breakfast 

How many potatoes you do really depends on whether you are doing this as a small side for a full breakfast for a few, or as the main staple for one or two with an egg or a bit of bacon or a sausage instead of bread. One decent sized potato (what I would call a medium size for baking) will do this as a guide.

Grate the potato (I use Maris Pipers) and then squeeze the liquid out.

I just squeeze small amounts at a time and use my hand, but you can also put it in a (clean) tea-towel to squeeze. (But I reckon I'll be washing my hands anyway and I don't want bits of potato in my washer! You can use kitchen roll instead of a tea towel, but you may end up picking bits of paper out of your mix.) I would recommend squeezing it over a bowl, otherwise you can clog the sink up (to say nothing of losing half the potato down it if you try to do too much at once). The starch in the water is quite interesting for kids to play with later too

Put the potato in a bowl and sprinkle on a small pinch of salt and grind on some black pepper and mix it in (If you can see the pepper is well distributed, you can assume the salt is too).

Lightly oil a frying pan and then press the potato into the pan. Push it down firmly and go round the edges pushing them in and down.

Cook gently for about 5-10 mins (depending on how thick the potato layer is) pushing it down all over and in and down at the sides again a few times, until you can see no more raw potato on the top. Have a quick check underneath that that side has gone crispy, if it hasn't turn up the heat for a quick blast and keep pressing it down.

Turn over to crisp off the other side. This will only take a few minutes, as the potato is already cooked through. (If you have thicker layer, you might want to quickly turn it back over to the first side to give that another quick recrisp)

This is a basic potato cake, and while good as is, you can add any herbs, seasonings and fillings you fancy. Parsley and/or thyme is good, so is garlic, chillies and/or onion (onion does make it a bit wetter so takes slightly longer to cook and crisp) or chop in some cooked bacon, ham or gammon (probably won't need any salt)

You might also like:

Spicy Chicken Drumsticks

Mushroom Rice

Burgers


For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas



Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )



Saturday 17 May 2014

Barbecue



Here are links to ideas on my blog that are great at barbecues


Spicy Chicken Drumsticks
similar heat to tandoori

Barbecue Marinade/Relish
great as a marinade for ribs or as a sauce or relish

Salsa Salad
With chillies and fresh coriander, this salsa salad is packed with flavour

quick marinaded chicken, great with pitta bread, peppers and yoghurt

Sticky Onions
caramelised-ish onions

great as a sauce or relish

how do you like yours?

Ribbon Salad
Carrot and Cucumber

For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas



Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )


Tuesday 13 May 2014

Easy ways to support good causes

Supporting Good Causes

A non-food post, but I just wanted to share some easy ways to support good causes financially without costing you a penny!


everyclick

Use everyclick for your ordinary internet searches (it's powered by Yahoo) and each one you make will raise a small amount for your nominated good cause (there are over 200,000 to choose from), whether it is a small local charity to a national organisation. You can track your contribution and it's quite satisfying to see it add up!

(If it's a small organisation, it may be worth checking that they know about everyclick to access the funds raised for them!)

www.everyclick.com


freerice

Freerice supports the United Nations World Food Programme.

Choose your quiz subject (for example vocab, languages, countries, flags, chemistry, famous paintings, landmarks...) and for each question you get right, grains of rice are donated to help end hunger.

You can track your contribution  - you see a bowl fill up for each session, or your all time contribution if you register.

I often play this when half watching tv, and my daughter quite enjoys it too - educational, worthy and a computer game!



lendwithcare

Lendwithcare is an initiative from CARE International UK, an aid and development organisation.

You can support an entrepeneur in the developing world with a mico-loan for their business Choose who you support from their profiles from a range of countries and businesses (for example food production, agriculture...)

Although this one isn't quite  no-cost as you need to make a loan of at least £15, I am including it since you can have it repaid if you don't want to keep loaning it back out to others (through recycling I have made loans totalling about six times the value of the amount I have originally contributed)

www.lendwithcare.org

You might also be interested in Something for Nothing

For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas



Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Thursday 24 April 2014

Chilli Beef Stew

A spicy stew that makes a nice change from chilli with mince

Chilli Beef Stew

Serves four

Gently heat a tiny drop of oil and dot of butter/spread in a heavy casserole pan that will go in the oven (if you don't have one, use an ordinary pan and transfer it into a oven dish later or just do on the hob) and lightly brown 1lb of stewing/casserole/shin beef.

Add some crushed cloves of garlic (I usually use about half a bulb) and a couple of onions (I usually chop finely to disappear into the sauce) and soften for a few minutes.

Add (according to how hot you want it to be) a total of three teaspoons of cayenne pepper/paprika (I usually use one-and-a-half teaspoons of each and that is quite spicy), stir through then add a tin of chopped tomatoes, a large pinch of oregano, some black pepper, about a tablespoon of vinegar, about a tablespoon of tomato puree and then add some water (about three-quarters of the empty tin of tomatoes).

(If you like you can add chopped peppers with the onions, or kidney beans when cooking)

Bring it to the boil and let it simmer for about half an hour, before putting it in the oven for a couple of hours, about 130c/GM3.

If you are making it in advance, you can either put it straight in the oven and then just reheat tomorrow, or switch it off and do in oven tomorrow. (Or you can leave the oven off all together and just leave it on a very low heat with the lid on for a couple of hours, stirring every 15-20 mins.)

This is really nice with baked potatoes, crusty bread, garlic bread, pasta or rice.


You might also like

Beef in Beer

Chicken and Bacon Casserole

Loaded Skins


Stuffed Peppers



teaspoon = 5ml
tablespoon = 15ml
1lb is about 450-500g


For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas




Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Monday 7 April 2014

Chilli Prawn Curry

Curry quicker than a takeaway 


Chilli Prawn Curry

Serves four. Lovely with rice or naan bread and natural yoghurt

Chop an onion, a bunch of spring onions, crush three or four cloves of garlic and finely chop one or two green chillies (I usually stick my hand in a sandwich bag, cut the stalk off, cut in half lengthways, scrape the seeds out and then use a rocker-chopper (mezzaluna) to chop without getting covered).

Gently soften for about three minutes in a tiny amount of oil in a big pan, stirring (I use a wok for this).


Add 1tsp turmeric, 1tsp cumin, 1tsp ground coriander and 1.5 tsps of curry powder (I usually use Schawartz 'mild') and cook gently, stirring for a minute then add a tin of (chopped) tomatoes and 1/4 pint of water. Bring to the boil then simmer for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is reduced down to thicker than before you added the water (I wouldn't recommend trying to save time by leaving the water out and missing out the simmering, as the spices will taste gritty and the flavour won't be quite right either).


Add about 1lb of prawns (I usually use half and half big and small prawns, frozen defrosted) and a handful of chopped fresh coriander and gently heat through for three or four minutes. (Try not to have the prawns too wet or the sauce will go too sloppy and the prawns will boil tough if you try to reduce it back down. Also bear in mind frozen prawns can be a bit salty, so you probably won't need to add any salt to the sauce)


Serve with some natural yoghurt for people to stir in to taste.


(If you want to use cream, rather than serve with yoghurt, add about 1/4 pint after you have reduced it and before you add the prawns and fresh coriander, simmering for about five minutes first.)





You might also like:

Things to have with poppadoms


Chicken Kebabs


Spicy Prawn Salad



1tsp = 5ml

1/4 pint = 150mls

1lb = about 450g





For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas





Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Sunday 6 April 2014

Very Chocolatey Easter Nests

Just in case Easter isn't chocolately enough...


Easter Nests

Melt cooking chocolate and add cornflakes/rice crispies/coco pops in the usual way. Line a plastic mixing bowl with cling film and spoon the chocolate mix in up the sides to make a nest or basket. Once it's set, lift out and peel off cling film (if it sticks in bowl, you can loosen it by quickly plunging the outside of the bowl into warm water). Fill with more chocolate treats - mini eggs are good!


Other things to do with kids


For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas




Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Monday 10 March 2014

Spicy Chicken Drumsticks

With a similar heat to tandoori, plain old chicken drumsticks taste amazing!




Spicy Chicken Drumsticks

This marinade will cover about a kilo of chicken drumsticks or thighs (3-4 people)

Mix 2 tsps cumin, 2 tsps paprika, 0.5 - 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 2 tsps turmeric, 1 tsp black pepper and a pinch of salt. Add 3 cloves of well crushed garlic and 4 tbsps of lemon juice and mix into a paste to rub over the chicken pieces.

I cut into each drumstick before I rub the marinade in, one cut in the side that will be down in the roasting tin and two on top to really get the flavour right through the chicken. For thighs I cut either side of the bone underneath and two slits across the top. It's up to you whether you leave the skin on (it will still go crispy if you do). 

Ideally leave it to marinate for 2-3 hours then roast for about 40 mins at 200c/GM 7 (pour off any fat and liquid after about 20 minutes)

(The poured-off liquid and any excess marinade is nice heated up and thickened with a little bit of cornflower as a sauce to go with)

This goes well with Potato Wedges or Mushroom Rice


You might also like Chicken Kebabs or BBQ marinade for ribs


1 tsp = 5ml
1 tbsp = 15ml


For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas




Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Sunday 9 March 2014

Cooking with Kids

Fun/easy things to make with kids (will be added to as I find/remember things : )


Cinder Toffee
http://www.mumsnet.com/food/recipe/1645-Cinder-toffee

No Whisk Microwave 5 minute Meringues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcer2xUwX8Y&noredirect=1

Fudge
http://fudgerecipes.co.uk/condensed-milk-fudge.html
Don't start timing it cooking until it is melted and make sure it bubbles gently for a good ten minutes. If it doesn't set, you can scrape it back into the pan and heat it some more (you can micowave it gently to get it to pour).


Chocolate Mug Cake
(You wouldn't serve it to Mary Berry, but it's not bad for just throwing some stuff into a mug and microwaving...)

Mix 2 tbsp of flour (add half a tsp of baking powder if using plain flour), 2 tbsp of cocoa powder, tbsp of sugar in a large mug. Add 2 tbsp milk, 2 tbsp of oil and an egg white. Mix making sure you get all the dry stuff out of the corners mixed in. Microwave on high for 3 mins. Fun to watch it through the window as it looms up over the top of the mug! (From a Blue Peter recipe that no longer appears on their website, slightly adapted by me for if using plain flour not self-raising)


Separating an egg using a plastic bottle
Crack egg into bowl. Get a small clean plastic bottle. Squeeze it slightly, gently put the top of the bottle on the egg yolk and  then unsqueeze. The yolk should suck intact into the bottle!
http://www.flixxy.com/how-to-separate-eggs-using-a-plastic-bottle.htm


Glow-in-the-dark Jelly
If you dissolve jelly cubes in half the quantity of boiling water, then top up using tonic water (containing quinine), it will glow under a UV light once set : )


Easter Baskets/Nests
Melt cooking chocolate and add cornflakes/rice crispies/coco pops in the usual way. Line a plastic mixing bowl with cling film and spoon the chocolate mix in up the sides to make a nest or basket. Once it's set, lift out and peel off cling film (if it sticks in bowl, you can loosen it by quickly plunging the outside of the bowl into warm water). Fill with more chocolate treats - mini eggs are good!


Winter Scene
(Unless you are incredibly quick, you will need to do this a bit at a time and keep sticking it back in the freezer. Use the lid of a plastic box as a base, so you can use the box upside-down as a lid. How big a funnel is entirely your choice - it's nice to have a small one each, or you can do one big one to share. Trees are less fiddly than snowmen to make!)

Snowmen - Fill a funnel with white ice cream to shape the body. Use a round measuring spoon to shape a white ice cream head. Snap a Matchmaker for arms. Use cake decorating sprinkly stuff for the face and buttons (or you can finely slice a Matchmaker). Cut the corners off an After-Eight into a circle to make the brim of a hat and squish the off-cuts up to make the rest of it. Strawberry laces can be plaited or finger-knitted into a scarf.

Trees - Fill a funnel with mint choc chip to make a tree. Decorate using cake decorating sprinkly stuff, strawberry laces are good as tinsel, white chocolate buttons with sprinkles on can go on top as stars

Reindeer Hand Biscuits
http://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/graham-campbells-reindeer-hand-cookies.html 
(you can do these any time of year, varying the decorations to other animals)

(Other wintry/Christmas things to do with kids here: http://tyne-teas.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/seasonal-things-for-kids.html)


Making Butter in a Jar
If you have some leftover double-cream, put it into a clean jar and shake. About five seconds after you think nothing is happening and that you will just give up (in reality just a minute or two!), it will suddenly go into a big ball of butter in liquid. Pour the liquid off and shake a bit more to get some more liquid out. Either repeat this again, or put the butter in a bowl and prod at it with the back of a spoon to squish more liquid out. You now have unsalted butter.


'Homemade' Oatmeal Soap
http://www.allfreecrafts.com/bath-and-body/soaps/soap/ 


Spaghetti and Hotdogs
http://veryculinary.com/2011/10/27/threaded-spaghetti-hot-dog-bites  
(we put four half strands through each quarter and call them octodogs)

For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas




Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Cooking Quirks

A collection of links that have made me smile 
more to be added as I come across them : )

Theseus's recipe:
http://notalwaysfriendly.com/a-recipe-for-disaster/34252

How not to cook spaghetti:
http://metro.co.uk/2012/07/10/two-men-set-flat-on-fire-after-cooking-tin-of-spaghetti-on-top-of-toaster-3372714/

Not so much stealth veg as deceitful:
http://notalwaysrelated.com/not-just-the-cake-thats-lying/30256

70s and 80s foods
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/you-grow-up-70s-80s-7201567

An interesting way to peel spuds!
http://t.co/xt1yG5hjXp

Quick way to peel apples
http://www.thepoke.co.uk/2014/09/05/how-to-peel-apples/


Tetris Cheese Sarnie
http://t.co/ySNCA22QAj

For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas




Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Thursday 20 February 2014

Sticky onions

A quick cheat alternative to caramelised onions that livens up an everyday dish


Sticky Onions

This is nice with steak, lamb chops or even sausages

Thinly slice a couple of onions and gently soften them in a frying pan in a little bit of butter/spread for four or five minutes (so they are no longer crisp, but not to the point they are mushy).

Add in four or five teaspoons of honey, a pinch of thyme and some black pepper and heat gently stirring occasionally for about five minutes. At first the honey will go really runny, and then it will thicken up. When it is really sticky, add a two or three teaspoons of vinegar and gently heat for a couple of minutes stirring until it is sticky again.

(also nice with a few chilli flakes in)


For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas



You might also like:

Burgers

Barbecue Marinade

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Monday 17 February 2014

Potato and/or cauliflower curry

Somewhere along the lines of bombay aloo or cauliflower bhaji...this is a lovely side-dish for a curry (or makes a good snack or lunch)



Potato/Cauliflower Curry


You can use raw potatoes or cauliflower, or it's a great way of using up leftover boiled new potatoes and steamed/boiled cauli.

You can use all potatoes, all cauli or a mix. This will do about a pound of potatoes or a medium cauliflower (or a proportionate combination)

It's best made the day before to let the flavours develop.


Put a small amount of oil in a pan, and soften one or two chopped onions and two or three cloves of garlic.

Stir in a teaspoon of coriander, a teaspoon of cumin, half to one teaspoons of cayenne (or use paprika or chilli powder if you want it milder or hotter. I usually don't add quite enough cayenne and end up adding some tabasco), and about a quarter teaspoon of turmeric.

Add a tin of tomatoes (if they are whole, bash them up in the pan) and about half the tin of water (if you are using a bit more potatoes or cauli, and especially if raw you may need a full tin of water so there is enough liquid for them to cook in and then the sauce to reduce a bit).

Add in some ground black pepper, a pinch of salt, a bay leaf, three cardamoms and about a tablespoon of lemon juice, then bring gently to boiling.

(If you don't have them, you could leave out the turmeric, cardamoms and bay leaf without any great loss.)

Add your chopped potato and/or cauliflower and let it all simmer until softened, about ten to twenty minutes. (Chop potatoes into bite-sized chunks, break the cauli into small florets and chop the stalks finely)

You might need to add a little bit of tomato puree if you either have a bit too much potato and cauli in it to make the sauce stretch, or if you added too much water and need to thicken it a bit.


You might also like:

Things to have with Poppadoms

Mushroom Rice

Spicy Chicken Drumsticks


For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas




Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )