Herb Garden

This cooler weather is really starting to take it’s toll on my herb garden.

First Pumpkin Of The Season

First pumpkin of the season, it’s going to taste so good cut in half, seasoned with a good sized pinch of salt and pepper and then simply roasted in a hot oven.

Simple Beef Goulash

It's getting late in the year, the nights are long and dark and the met office is forecasting a prolonged cold snap. Can you think of a better time for cooking stews and soups? No, me neither and this flavour bomb from eastern europe is one of the richest, most warming and outright comforting stews there is.

You will need:
2 tbsp vegetable (rapeseed) oil
700g stewing steak, cut into chunks
2 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp hot paprika
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 onions, thinly sliced lengthways
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 green peppers, thinly sliced lengthways
1 tin chopped tomatoes
500ml water

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 140°C.
2. Add half the oil to a cast iron casserole dish (or any other hob resistant casserole dish) and warm over a medium/high heat.
3. Mix the paprika, flour, caraway, salt and pepper in a bowl, add in the beef and toss to coat.
4. Add the beef to the casserole dish and cook until golden brown and nicely crusted. Do this in batches so you don't overload the dish. Once browned remove the beef from the dish and set aside in a bowl.
5. De-glaze the dish with a small amount of water, scraping the bottom to get any tough bits and pour over the beef.
6. Pour the remaining oil in to the dish, add in the onions and cook until softened and starting to brown.
7. Stir in the tomato puree and the remaining flour mix and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring very regularly.
8. Add in the peppers, return the beef to the dish, including the juices from the bottom of the bowl, pour over the tinned tomatoes and add enough just enough water to cover.
9. Cover with the lid and cook in the oven for at least 2 hours, the longer the better, occasionally checking the water level and adding more if it looks dry.

Notes:
This is a such a rich, flavoursome and versatile dish that it can be served over rice or pasta, alongside mashed potatoes, with dumplings or even just in a bowl with hunks of buttered bread.

Autumnal Cooking

So it turns out that I've basically spent the day cooking, not that it's a bad thing, I actually quite enjoy cooking. I made a thoroughly weather/time of year appropriate rustic root veg, chicken and noodle soup with a side of buttered toast. The basic recipe can be found here "Chicken "Noodle" Soup", I added some hefty chunks of parsnip and swede to make it extra hearty and warming for the time of year.

Simple Pumpkin Pie

Another autumnal sweet treat with a few warming spice notes thrown in. This is probably better known as an American classic, traditionally served around Halloween and Thanksgiving, but I've tried to cater it more for my personal tastes by reducing the sugar and ramping up those spices.

You will need:
500g ready made shortcrust pastry (I suck at making pastry so nearly always use ready made)
2 large eggs
75g soft brown sugar
75g granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 can (425g) pumpkin puree
1 can (410g) evaporated milk

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.
2. Roll out the pastry and use it to line the base of a 9 inch flan tin.
3. Line the pastry with baking paper, fill with baking beans, I don't have baking beans so I used uncooked rice, and bake blind for about 15 minutes until just cooked.
4. In a large bowl lightly beat the eggs together.
5. Mix the sugar and spices, in a small bowl, until thoroughly incorporated. I find pre-mixing the sugar and spices helps prevent the spices from clumping in the eggs.
6. Add the sugar mixture and pumpkin puree to the eggs and stir until well mixed.
7. Gradually stir the evaporated milk into the pumpkin mixture, until the desired colour or consistency is reached, I used about 2/3 of a can.
8. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C.
9. Pour the filling mixture into the pastry base, return to the oven and bake for a further 35 to 40 minutes.

Notes:
Another great accompaniment to a freshly brewed coffee and a crisp cold evening.

Simple Pumpkin Loaf

A sweet and spicy loaf that is really easy to make and unquestionably autumnal. The pumpkin puree makes for a moist and uniquely flavoured loaf that is a real treat alongside a freshly brewed pot of coffee.

You will need:
250g self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
175g unsalted butter, softened
175g light brown sugar
175g granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 can (425g) pumpkin puree

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 170°c and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking parchment.
2. Add the flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and ginger to a bowl, mix until thoroughly incorporated and set aside.
3. In a large bowl mix the butter and sugar until just blended.
4. Add the eggs to the butter mix, one at a time, mixing well after each egg.
5. Add in the pumpkin puree and mix until completely incorporated.
6. Add in the flour and fold through the mixture thoroughly.
7. Spoon the mixture into the lined loaf tin and bake for about an hour or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Notes:
This can be eaten warm or cold and is great lightly toasted and buttered.

That Autumn Mood

It’s getting late in the year and the weather is starting to cool off, the nights are dropping cold and that always puts smile on my face. I love waking up in the morning to the feeling of cool air against my skin, it makes my blankets seem extra cozy. I love nothing more than to wrap myself up in them, with just my head sticking out and enjoy those last few minutes before I know I have to get up. The only problem is that it makes it extra hard to get out of bed and get myself ready for work Monday to Friday.