Roast Lamb with Coffee & Cream

I know this seems very strange, but believe me it is truly delicious. No-one can quite detect the secret ingredient but just watch them line up for seconds.

Serves 6

1 leg of lamb, approximately 2.5 kg

3 large onions, roughly quartered, no need to peel

300 ml hot strong unsweetened black espresso coffee

25 g butter

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups hot lamb or beef stock, can be made from cubes

3 tablespoons red currant jelly

½ cup crème fraiche

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 220˚C.

Place the leg of lamb and the onion quarters into a roasting tin and cook for 45 minutes. Turn the temperature down to 180˚C, pour the hot coffee over the meat and continue roasting for a further hour or until the lamb is cooked to your liking. Remove the meat from the roasting tin and keep warm, covered in a tinfoil tent.

Strain off the liquid from the roasting tin and reserve, discarding the onion. Sprinkle the flour into the tin, add the butter and whisk together. Gradually whisk in the strained coffee liquid and the hot lamb stock. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes, stirring as it thickens like a gravy. Stir in the red currant jelly and crème fraiche and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve the lamb with the sauce poured over as a gravy.

Roast Potatoes with Crispy Polenta Crusts

Serves 6

6 – 8 large roasting potatoes, I use Agria variety

3 tablespoon olive oil, or traditional dripping

½ cup fine cornmeal or polenta

sea salt flakes

Preheat oven to 200˚C.

Peel and cut the potatoes into even size pieces, about 3 pieces per potato. Place in cold salted water and bring, covered, to the boil. Boil for 10 minutes. Drain off the water and shake about in the saucepan to roughen up and crush the edges. Sprinkle over the cornmeal and shake to evenly coat the potatoes.

Heat the oil or dripping in the roasting tin until very hot before adding the potatoes. Turn to coat well in the oil and roast about 45 minutes, stirring a couple of times until the potatoes are golden and crispy. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes before serving. Make sure the potatoes are served piping hot or maintain crispness.

Cappuchino Date Slice

Makes 30 pieces

2 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

180 g butter, melted

½ cup milk

2 tablespoons sweetened coffee & chicory essence,

available in the coffee section of the supermarket

1 cup dates, pitted and chopped into small pieces

1½ cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Preheat oven to 150°C. Spray 20 x 30 cm slice tin with non-stick baking spray and line the base with baking paper.

Beat eggs in a large bowl, add all other ingredients and mix well to thoroughly combine. Spread into the prepared tin and bake for 30 minutes. Cool in the tin. Spread with coffee icing and cut into 30 slices when cold.

For the coffee icing:

2 cups icing sugar

1 tablespoon sweetened coffee & chicory essence

25 g butter, melted

boiling water

Mix all ingredients together adding enough boiling water to form a smooth glossy spreadable icing.

Earl Grey Currant Loaf

1 cup strong tea, Earl Grey is nice

1 cup dried currants

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups self-raising flour

1 egg

Place hot Earl Grey tea, currants and brown sugar in a bowl and soak until the tea is cold, can be overnight.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Spray a loaf tin with non-stick baking spray and line with baking paper.

Mix the flour and egg into the currant mixture. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for one hour. Cool on a wire rack and serve sliced and buttered.

Vanilla Peanut Blondies

A family favourite biscuit. A big vanilla taste in a pale nutty cookie – like a blonde version of a peanut brownie.

Makes 36

300 g butter

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

2 cups self-raising flour

2 cups shelled roasted peanuts, is use salted peanuts

Preheat oven to 180ºC.

In a bowl, beat together butter and sugar until creamy. Add vanilla essence, flour and peanuts. Place teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto a baking paper lined tray leaving room to spread between each. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool a few minutes on the tray before removing to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

Jo’s Fabulous Fudge

If you like a smooth creamy luxurious fudge, not at all sugary or hard, and one that is easy to cut into portions without crumbling, then this is the one. Definitely not part of a daily diet. Make for special occasions only.

Makes about 60 pieces.

2 x 400 g cans sweetened condensed milk

2 cups firmly packed soft brown sugar

250 g butter

100 ml liquid glucose syrup

3 tablespoons golden syrup

400 g white(or milk or dark) chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla

Spray and line with non-stick baking paper, a 20 x 30 cm, quite deep (at least 4 cm) tin, or 2 smaller tins.

Place all ingredients, except the chocolate and vanilla, in a large heavy based saucepan and stir over medium heat until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and boil gently until it becomes very thick and changes colour to a dark caramel brown paper shade – about 6 minutes, to the soft ball stage, 116°C on a sugar thermometer. Stir often to prevent it catching on the bottom – I find a silicon spatula the best gadget to stir with. Remove from heat and stand until the bubbles subside. Stir in the chocolate and vanilla until melted and smooth.

Pour into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Cool to room temperature (about 3 hours) then refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 weeks – if you’re lucky.

Fairy Mushrooms

Makes 24

An unashamedly nostalgic treat for children and adults alike.

12 fruit stick sweets, purchased from the local dairy

24 soft marshmallows, pink and white

1 cup chocolate melts or buttons, melted in the microwave

½ cup coconut

Cut the fruit sticks in half and poke into the marshmallows. Dip into melted chocolate then into coconut. Allow to set on a sheet of tinfoil. Store in an airtight glass jar.

Smoked Salmon on Potato Rosti

Serves 4

6 medium potatoes, Ilam Hardy are good

2 tablespoons oil

250 g spreadable (could be lite) cream cheese

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon grated lemon rind

salt & freshly ground black pepper

150 g smoked salmon

4 teaspoons caviar or smoked salmon roe

Peel and grate the potatoes onto a clean tea towel. Squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible.

Heat oil in a frypan and, using a spatula, flatten piles of potato, cooking until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels and keep warm as you cook the batch.

Mix cream cheese with the herbs, lemon and salt & freshly ground black pepper. To serve, layer rosti, cheese mixture and smoked salmon in a double stack on each plate garnished with a teaspoon of caviar.

Colcannon Jacket Potatoes

Serves 4

4 medium to large potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled

2 tablespoons oil

3 rashers lean bacon, chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cups finely shredded cabbage (crinkly Savoy or Chinese cabbage is best)

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

½ cup grated tasty cheese

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bake the potatoes in a 200°C oven for 30 – 40 minutes until cooked or microwave to speed up the process.

Cool the potatoes so that you can handle them comfortably. Cut off the tops and scoop out the cooked potato into a bowl and mash this with a fork. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the chopped bacon and onion and cook for 3 minutes before adding the cabbage. Stir fry a few minutes. Add the mashed potato and parsley and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spoon the mixture back into the potato jackets, sprinkle with grated cheese and replace the “lids”. Reheat either in the oven or the microwave to serve. These can be prepared up to a day in advance and stored in the fridge.

Beer Bread

A wonderful quick bread that has the texture, taste and best of all the smell of a lovely fresh from the oven farmhouse loaf.

3 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 can beer (approximately 400 ml, just rinse out the can with water to make up the volume) don’t use low alcohol beer.

1 handful (about ½ cup) grated cheese.

Preheat the oven to 200ºC.

Mix Flour, baking powder, salt and beer in a large bowl until well combined.

Tip into 1 large 20 cm x 10 cm non-stick or well-greased loaf tin. (Alternatively use two 8 cm x 15 cm small tins). Sprinkle the top with grated cheese.

Bake the large size loaf for 50 to 60 minutes or the two little loaves for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown. Tip out and cool on a wire rack before slicing.

This bread keeps well and also makes excellent toast.

Butter Chicken Chowder

Serves 4

2 cooked chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

1 tablespoon oil

5 spring onions, sliced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 – 2 tablespoons tandoori paste

1 x 400 g can cream style sweetcorn

1 litre chicken stock

½ cup sour cream or thick yoghurt

¼ cup chopped coriander

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Shred the cooked chicken meat. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and add the spring onions and mushrooms. Stir-fry 2 – 3 minutes until softened. Stir in the tandoori paste and sweetcorn, then the chicken stock and shredded chicken meat. Bring to the boil then reduce heat. Stir in the sour cream or yoghurt and the fresh coriander, seasoning to taste with salt & freshly ground black pepper. Serve with pappadums or naan bread.

Mint & Sweet Chilli Chutney

2 big handfuls mint leaves, washed & shaken dry

3 onions, peeled and quartered

3 apples, cored, skin on

1 large cup raisins

500 ml cider vinegar

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon dried mustard

½ cup sweet chilli sauce

Lemon Posset

An old fashioned English dessert recipe incredibly easy but you must follow the boiling directions exactly.

Makes 10 small servings

600 ml cream

¾ cup caster sugar

grated rind and juice of 2 - 3 lemons

Place cream and caster sugar in a small saucepan and stir as you bring to the boil. Boil for “ exactly” 3 minutes (this timing is very important for the chemistry to work.

Remove from heat and whisk in the grated rind and lemon juice. Taste and add a little more lemon if not sharp enough. Cool then pour into small glasses and chill completely for 4 – 6 hours or better still overnight.

Serve with a small dollop of lightly whipped cream and grated lemon rind sprinkled over or a teaspoon of lemon curd.

Lemon Curd

Makes about 2 ½ cups

4 large juicy lemons

200 g butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs (beaten)

Wash lemons then finely grate the rind and squeeze the juice into a small saucepan. Add the beaten eggs, sugar and butter cut up into little cubes.

Constantly stir with a wire whisk over very gentle heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens, keep the heat very low and don’t be tempted to speed it up or to stop stirring.

Pour into a plastic container and store in the fridge.

Variations: Replace the lemons with limes, oranges or tangelos or passionfruit pulp.

Lemon Coconut Tart

The quickest easiest pudding imaginable.

1 tablespoons grated lemon rind

100 ml fresh lemon juice

1 cup caster sugar

4 eggs

1 cup desiccated coconut

125 g butter, softened

1 cup cream

½ cup coconut cream

½ cup flour

icing sugar to dust

Preheat oven to 180°C. Spray a 21 – 23 cm cake tin with non-stick baking spray and line the base with baking paper.

Place all ingredients except the icing sugar, in a blender and process until smooth. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 45 – 50 minutes. Cover with a sheet of tin foil if the surface is getting to browned. Cool in the tin then refrigerate. Dust with icing sugar and serve with softly whipped cream and fresh berries.

Healthy Raisin Bran Loaf

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup bran

2 cups raisins,

or substitute other dried fruits, sultanas, apricots etc

2 cups raw sugar

2 cups milk

2 cups self raising flour

Preheat oven to 150°C. Grease or spray with non stick baking spray, 1 large loaf tin.

Soak the rolled oats, bran, raisins and sugar in the milk for 10 minutes. Stir in the flour and spoon into the tin.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Cool on a wire rack. This is great served buttered and it can be toasted too. Good if there’s no bread in the house.

Clove & Cinnamon Apple Cake

This is an easy apple cake, rich with spices that have the whole house smelling like apple pie.

150 g butter

1 x 500 g can apple pie filling,

or 2 big cups firm stewed apple, not too wet

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoon baking powder

½ cup raisins

½ cup walnuts or pecans, optional

icing sugar to dust

Preheat oven to 160˚C. Spray a 20 – 21 cm spring form tin or bundt tin with non stick baking spray and if using a spring form tin, line the base with baking paper.

Place butter in a large microwave proof bowl and melt. then add all the other ingredients and mix well. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 55 – 60 minutes. The surface will be golden brown and firm and the edges will be pulling away from the side of the tin. Cool on a wire rack and dust with icing sugar to serve. Can be served warm as a dessert with softly whipped cream or yoghurt.

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