Abandonment

Hello food.....

Sorry I have not left a Mess of the week in a while, I have been very busy celebrating birthdays and graduating. I am doing this on the wrong computer, where I have none of my recipes and no pictures, therefore this is just to say I will be back in action asap with many many new recipes! Again, anymore requests for recipes just say here, or on the facebook page! :)
xx

BBQ Madness

Hello food.....

So, after Harry Potter fun it was time for birthday fun and I had a beautiful bbq with all the wonderful people in my life! I had to work very very hard with all the food though as I made quite a feast! Luckily Jason was here to be my wonderful sous chef otherwise I would never have got through it. It was a worldwide feast with:

1. Lemon and Basil Halloumi Skewers
2. Turmeric and Lime Leaf Chicken Skewers
3. Prawn Skewers with Mango Salsa
4. Jerk Chicken Legs
5. Lamb and Mint Burgers
6. Beef Burgers
7. Various Sausages
8. Lemon Butter Haddock
9. Potato Salad
10. Pasta Salad
11. Salad Salad
12. Funky Chunky Tomato Relish
13. Meringues
14. Strawberry Cheesecake

Therefore I was very busy, but all the food went, so must have been ok. And I haven't had any reports of food poisoning yet. It was the most wonderful day with the most wonderful people! Loved it!
xx

HAAARRRYYYYY POOOTTTTTTEEEERRRRRR?

Hello food.....

So, Harry Potter final film day, the day before my birthday! What an important moment in my life, cak had to be made and cak was made.... My artistic skills amaze me some times! haha!

MESS OF THE WEEK (6) Big Bowl of Fish

Hello food..... (SORRY FOR THE AWFUL PHOTO)

So, it was father’s day and I know that Noel loves his fish, so decided to make a sort of fish stew type thing. Has some really nice, fresh flavours and is perfect for the summer or winter, as it can be a lovely outdoor eating type dish, but could also warm you up loads on freezing cold winter nights. Can vary fish and put whatever you prefer into it!

Ingredients

4 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Onion (chopped)

3 Garlic Cloves

3 Celery Sticks

3 Star Anise

400g Chopped Tomatoes

700ml Fish Stock

1 Orange (juice/rind)

1 Lemon (rind)

1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme

1 Bay Leaf

250g King Prawns (raw)

250g Mussels

250g White Fish

3 Tbsp Fresh Parsley

Salt and Pepper

Method

1.      Place Oil in Heavy Based pan and heat slowly.

2.      Add onion, crushed garlic, sliced celery and star anise, cook for 10 minutes, or until onions are softened.

3.      Add tomatoes, fish stock, orange juice and rind, lemon rind, thyme and bay leaf and cook quickly for 5 minutes.

4.      Turn down heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

5.      Add prawns, mussels, cubed white fish and cook for 3-5 minutes, until prawns are cooked through.

6.      Add parsley and test for seasoning, add salt and pepper.

7.   Serve with crusty bread!

MESS OF THE WEEK (5) Booming Crashing Banging, Bangers and Mash

Hello food.....


Now this is a recipe I’m proud of. I can’t remember when I invented this, but I have experimented a lot with this to make it how it is now. The gravy is lovely and rich and has a sweet tang from the red onions. I managed to make this for 12 people in one go on my tiny uni hob, so it’s pretty easy in some ways, but very tasty!



Ingredients
8 Sausages
3 red onions
2 Spanish white onions
2 cloves garlic
4 sprigs rosemary
4 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
1 ltr good quality beef stock
250ml red wine.
10 large potatoes
50 gms butter
50ml milk
1 tsp nutmeg

Method
1. Seal the sausages in a wok, and set to one side.
2. Slice the onions into this slices and fry quickly in the wok, along with the garlic, careful not to colour
3. Add wine and reduce until there isn’t much liquid but the onions are all red.
4. Add beef stock, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves.
5. Add sausages, season and leave to simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Boil potatoes until they are soft enough to mash.
7. Mash potatoes and add butter.
8. Heat milk and nutmeg up, add gradually to potatoes until they are light and fluffy.
9. Season potato, check seasoning on gravy and serve.

Mmmmmmmm! Enjoy!

Requests

Hello food.....

If anyone has any requests for recipes please let me know and I will do my best to either give you one straight away or experiment and create one!

Love Jess

MESS OF THE WEEK (4) Jess's Speciality - Meringues

Hello food.....

So, I can't remember when I first made these, but my family always loved them, so it became almost a tradition to make them at Christmas and every other family meal, as they're a lovely sweet, but light way to finish the meal. The recipe is ridiculously easy, but make sure you follow the instructions, so they are crispy on the outside, but nice and chewy on the inside. A perfect dessert for a sunny day, eating outside with lovely summer berries or even a cold day with winter berries, just a lovely lovely dessert! I'd always choose this!

Ingredients

3 Large Egg Whites

170g Caster Sugar

300g Raspberries

100g Icing Sugar

10ml Lemon Juice

400ml Double cream

200g Strawberries (quartered)

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 1

2. Grease baking trays and place greaseproof paper on.

3. Stiffly whisk egg whites (so you can hold bowl over your head and not get covered in them)!

4. Add sugar gradually, and whisk.

5. Place small dollops on greaseproof paper.

6. Cook for 1 hour.

7. Place 200g Raspberries, Icing Sugar and Lemon Juice in Food Processor and whizz together.

8. Put mix into sieve and push through with spoon into bowl. This is your coulis.

9. Whip double cream.

10. After Meringues cooked, leave in oven to cool.

11. When cooled, place 2 Meringues on plate, cover with cream, strawberries, remaining raspberries and coulis.

12. Sit back, relax and enjoy!

Hope you enjoy this one! It's one of my favourites!

SUCCESS!

Hello food.....

It would appear the bread day went well. I only had time to make one thing yesterday, a 'Sun dried tomato, garlic and thyme' loaf. It had a little false start, as I put it in the airing cupboard, without thinking that it wouldn't be warm in there because of central heating not being on, but, when I found a warm place it proved and then I could cook it! Tasty tasty good! I just need more people to eat all the bread I will make in the next few weeks (I can already tell it's going to be an obsession)! So if anyone has any bread cravings pleeeeaaassseeee let me know!

Bread Day

Hello food.....

Today I will be mostly making bread. I have decided to practice this, as I enjoyed making my first '"loaf" but it definitely needed improving....... successful/unsuccessful posts will follow! :)