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Courgettes galore!

8/11/2015

2 Comments

 
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My fridge is full of courgettes, so is the cool cupboard.  Even extra shelves in the garage are full of odd shaped, too round, too long or just too odd excuses for courgettes, green & yellow shapes of nutty deliciousness! Actually, there are even courgettes piled up beside my ironing basket.  It's difficult to say which there is more of, courgettes or ironing.  Happily for the courgettes (and for me), I hate ironing and love cooking courgettes.  Anyone who has even just 1 or 2 plants will know just how abundant these generous plants can be.  They seem to produce a never ending supply.  One of the reasons we have so many in the house is also because when friends come to dinner, they bring with them generous amounts of their own courgette harvest.  They smile, knowingly, when they are served courgette soup with courgette fritters, stuffed courgette with feta and pine nuts & to finish, courgette and ginger pudding.  Yes, there can be too much of a good thing!

If you are looking for a little inspiration, look no further, some of these suggestions may help!

Raw courgette salad
Before you even lift a pan, try grating some firm, small courgettes into a dish and dress with olive oil and sherry vinegar, with salt & pepper to taste.  Alternatively, just use a potato peeler to obtain lovely long but very thin strips. Try adding some very finely sliced red onion, toasted pine nuts and feta.  It's very good with a poached egg surprisingly, but I tend to say that about almost anything. It is perfect with some very lightly cooked salmon or even smoked salmon as a starter.  Add some chilli if you will.

Steamed Courgette & pea cake
We often have this instead of Yorkshire puddings on Sunday, it's massively moreish and endlessly versatile. Pour a little oil into each cup of a muffin tin and grease well. Find a roasting tin that the muffin tin will fit into.  Boil the kettle. Preheat the oven to 200.  Roughly chop 100g of courgette, blend in a food processor with 70g frozen peas, thawed, with the juice of one lemon , 2 tbsp. vegetable oil, good chunk of peeled and chopped root ginger with 120ml water.  Stir in 140g Gram flour,  1/2 tsp. salt,1 tsp. baking powder & 1 tsp. bicarbonate of soda.  Divide the mixture between the muffin tin and place the tin inside the roasting tin.  Carefully pour the hot water into the roasting tray so that it comes half way up the muffin tin.  Cover loosely with tin foil.  Place into the oven for 15-20 minutes until risen and reasonably firm.  Serve hot or cold, on their own or with almost anything else, even roast beef!

Deep fried courgette flowers and baby courgettes
One of the tastiest ways to serve courgettes and their flowers is to coat them in a light batter and deep fry!

16 courgette flowers or baby courgettes
175g/6 oz plain flour
110g/4 oz corn flour
1 egg
Approx. 250 ml/8 oz fizzy water, chilled
Salt
Sunflower oil for frying  

Method


  • Half fill a pan with the oil and put on to heat.
  • Mix the corn flour, flour, salt, and egg together.  Add the water little by little stirring all the time to avoid lumps.  The thicker the batter the thicker the flowers will turn out to be.  For a thinner batter, add more water.  This batter does not need to rest and should be used at once.
  • Make sure that the flowers are free of any insects by tapping against a sink gently (or leaving in a dark place over night), but do not wash.
  • Coat the flowers in the batter and then drop into the hot oil taking care not to add too many at a time as the oil will cool down.  Remove and drain on kitchen towel.  Repeat until all of the flowers have been cooked.
  • Serve at once with chilli jam, some fresh lemon juice or soy sauce.

Courgette fritters
These are my children's absolute favourites!  So easy to make although I often end up munching on them as I batch cook them!

Ingredients


Serves 4
2 free range eggs
5 tbsp. milk (approx.)
25g/1 oz butter, melted
110g/4 oz plain flour

2 courgettes, roughly grated

2 scallions, finely chopped
110g/4 oz cheese, e.g. feta/cheddar/gruyere/mozzarella
1 tbsp. fresh chives, finely chopped
Zest of a lemon
Olive oil for frying
Salt & pepper

 For the Tzatziki:
1 fresh cucumber, washed and coarsely grated but not peeled
2 plump cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tsp. lemon juice
600ml/1 pint organic natural yoghurt
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint

Method
  • Whisk the eggs with the milk and melted butter.  Slowly whisk in the flour and season well.
  • Squeeze the courgette well once it has been grated, to get rid of any water it may contain.  Stir the courgette into the batter mixture with the scallions, lemon zest, cheese and chives.  Combine well together.  Adjust the seasoning as necessary.
  • Heat some oil in a large pan.  Pour in small spoonfuls of the batter depending on what size you would like the fritters to be, and fry for 1-2 minutes either side.  The fritters should puff up slightly and appear golden.
  • Remove to a plate with some kitchen towel and continue frying until all of the batter has been used. 
  • Mix all of the ingredients together for the Tzatziki, adding salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve the fritters hot with the Tzatziki.

These are just a few ideas so far. Possibilities are endless, try courgette bread or cake, pickled courgettes, courgette jam, frittata, soup, barbecued, stuffed, chargrilled...just go on and on!






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Liz Moore Cooks-January/February newsletter 2013

1/28/2013

1 Comment

 
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Liz's recipes & news of events
Like me on facebook and follow my (short!) recipes on twitter @lizmoorecooks
Happy New Year Everyone!
 2012 was a very eventful year for me! I have been incredibly busy, traveling all over the country.  I have met so many new food producers and foodie friends so I'm looking forward to seeing you all again during 2013. 

Have a look at the Valentine's recipes below!

Cookery demonstrations have proved to be very popular and I have ended up in such a variety of places from food fairs, to the middle of fields and then in some beautiful houses.  I will be in Canada later on this year with celebrity chef Massimo Capra, working on some cookery programmes and dinner events which will be fun so I'll keep you posted about that too.

I'm delighted to continue my relationship with "Weber Stephens" barbecues and I'm sure you'll spot me at some stage over the year cooking up a storm over some hot coals.  I will also be working with "Kitchen Aid" and will be delighted to talk to anyone heading to Birmingham to the N.E.C. in February.

As you know, the G8 Summit is coming to Fermanagh, so it will be a busy time here in June for all concerned.

If you use Facebook, please "like" my lizmoorecooks page! 
I post a lot of recipes and foodie ideas and photos, and food events around the country too.

For cookery demonstrations or private catering, contact me at  liz@lizmoorecooks.com
Tel +44 (0)770 9435556

Liz's demos:
Last year, we raised over £9,000 for the N.I. Cancer Fund for Children in just one evening.
8th March
Killylea Primary school
"Marvellous Mother's day Meals!"
Come and join Liz for a fun evening of simple but impressive recipes to treat your Mum on Mother's day! Contact Killylea Primary School, Armagh for details.028 3756 8621
20th March
Jones Memorial Primary School, Enniskillen
"Kitchen Sectrets"
Tickets will be available from Jones Memorial School office between 9.00-9.30am and after school.
Tickets cost £10 including recipes.
Mullylogan, Enniskillen,
County Fermanagh,BT74 5H Tel 028 6632 3420
 info@jonesmemorial.enniskillen.ni.sch.uk

 PRIVATE COOKERY LESSONS IN YOUR OWN KITCHEN
If you prefer the idea of cooking in your own kitchen instead of a cookery school or would just like to learn some new techniques, I will come to you for the day instead of the other way around! You can invite friends to cook with you for £40 per head (minimum of 5 people) plus travel and ingredients.  Either learn to cook dishes of your own choice or cook from my vast collection of up to date recipes.  I will supply ingredients and enough aprons and knives for you and your fellow cooks and any other specialist equipment that we may need.  Otherwise, we will use whatever you have in the kitchen and wash-up there too.  I can, of course, even bring someone to wash up if you’d prefer! Combine it with a dinner party for that evening or prep. food for the next day.
 COOKERY DEMONSTRATIONS
If you like the idea of having a cookery demo in your own home, school, theatre or church hall for your friends or to raise money for something, please get in touch by phone or email.  I am happy to do demos country wide.  Flogas provide my demo units and a typical demo lasts for about 2 hours with 7-8 recipes on any theme you like.  Together we will think of a theme and I’ll put a demo together for a fun morning or evening of cookery entertainment!

Recipes
Warm chocolate mousse!
Ingredients
Serves 4
 
300g/11 oz dark chocolate
200g/7 oz butter
2 free range eggs
4 free range egg yolks
60g/2 oz caster sugar
A little cocoa powder
A little icing sugar
 
Method
  • Melt the chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan and leave to cool.
  • Combine the eggs, egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk to a stiff sabayon.
  • Fold the melted chocolate mixture very carefully into the egg mixture.
  • Fill 4 ramekins with the mousse and smooth the surface.
  • Bake in the oven preheated to 170C/325F/Gas mark 3 for 7 minutes.
  • Leave to cool to room temperature.
  • Just before serving warm slightly and then dust each mousse first with cocoa powder then with icing sugar.
 
Poppyseed pastry for biscuits, savoury & sweet tarts
Ingredients
Makes 1 tart case

110g/4 oz plain flour
45g/1½ oz blue poppy seeds
1 tbsp. soft dark sugar
75g/3 oz butter, cut into cubes and chilled
1-2 tbsp milk

Method
• Sieve the flour into a bowl.  Rub in the butter and sugar until it begins to resemble breadcrumbs.
• Add in the poppy seeds and milk.  Mix to a dough and knead briefly. Chill or freeze until needed. 

Seared scallops with Thai salad
Ingredients
Serves 4 
For the salad, mix together:
½ green cabbage, stalk removed and very finely sliced
1 large red onion, very finely sliced
3 tbsp. cashew nuts
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
Lots of fresh coriander
1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
Juice of 1-2 limes
1 tsp. light brown sugar
1 tsp. fish sauceHeat a pan and season 12 fat scallops.  Sear them for 1 minute each side depending on the size. 
Serve at once with the salad. 
 
What's in season in January & February?
 
January
Vegetables: Beetroot, red, white and green cabbages, celeriac, kohlrabi, leeks, onions, potatoes, spinach and chard
Fruit and nuts:  last of apples, pears and nuts
Game: Matured partridge, pheasant, mallard, pigeon, rabbit and hare
Fish: Brill, cod, flounder, John Dory and scallops
Cheese: Bonchester, Sharpham and Appleby Cheshire. From France - Bresse Bleu, Cantal, Pont l'Eveque and Roquefort.
 
February
Vegetables: Brussels sprouts, Brussels tops, salsify and shallots
Game: Feathered game now at an end, except for varieties of wild duck. Plenty of wild rabbit and hare
Fish: Lemon sole and other flat fish. Wild salmon season begins
Cheese: Farmhouse Cheddar, blue Cheshire and Cotherstone. From France - Brie de Meaux, Tomme Arlesienne and Bleu des Causses

 Did you know?
...that everything you freeze should be wrapped in 3 layers.  Firstly greaseproof paper to absorb the moisture and prevent ice crystals.  Secondly, in cling film to keep it fresh and thirdly in tin foil because it will prevent the cling film from perishing.  Wrap everything like this, raw and cooked and add 2-3 months of shelf life!

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Marvellous Mackerel!

7/13/2012

1 Comment

 
For years, I have been be-moaning the fact that there wasn't a fish monger in Enniskillen and although Asda & Tesco offer a wide range of fresh fish, you just don't get that shopping satisfaction you do when you're in a specialty shop.  I love being able to patiently browse and have someone there to answer my questions instead of bluffing their way through it. So now, hurray, we have "Molloy's fish market" (www.molloysfishmarket.co.uk) at 23 Belmore Street.  This is an exquisite little shop with brothers Shane & Conal their to help with any query you might have.  Their fish comes directly from their family business in Killybegs and the counter is stuffed with everything from coley, salmon and whiting to John Dory, squid and languostine.  The prices are amazingly competitive.

I know from having run a cookery school for long enough that as an "island nation" people tend not to put fish on their priority shopping list.  Is it mainly the bones that put people off?  Is that why the most popular fish is the fish most easily filleted, salmon, monkfish and cod?  Or perhaps it's the price. Whatever it is, it's a shame.  As a standard, we eat too much meat and as far as chicken goes (as a nation we eat more chicken than beef), a lot of it is bad quality and "sadly" if not badly reared (or GROWN as many producers put it which is another sadness).  Right now is a great time to be eating fish, mackerel in particular.  It's a cheap fish, easily filleted but has quite a lot of bones.  Pin bone them with a tweezers if you're very patient, if not, cut the central bone sleeve out once filleted.  It must be VERY fresh or the texture and flavour will really change and not for the better.  They actually freeze very well but only do so if they really are fresh.  Freeze whole complete with guts(!) and make sure to wrap them in greaseproof paper then clingfilm and finally in tin foil.  It's really the only way to keep them fresh enough to enjoy 3 months later.

This is a lovely recipe that I concocted the other night.  It's really yummy and probably good enough to serve to your friends.  It would also be worth making a few to have in the freezer.  Don't forget the 3 wrapping layers though!

Mackerel with basil, peas & garlic wrapped in Parma Ham
This recipe makes a sort of mackerel ballotine with two fillets sandwiching an aromatic filling and then wrapped in Parma ham.  You can use any fish really and also any type of filling, so swap anything you like!

Ingredients
Serves 4

8 mackerel fillets, completely boned and skinned
8 slices of Parma ham or similar cured ham
Small handful of basil, finely chopped
110g silvered almonds, toasted and cooled
1 clove garlic, finely sliced or grated
50g uncooked baby peas
2 tsp. anchovy paste
1 tbsp. rapeseed oil plus some for frying
Salt & pepper

Method
  • Start by mixing the filling ingredients in a bowl.  Stir the basil, almonds, garlic, peas, anchovy paste and oil together.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • On a clean board, lay 2 slices of Parma ham out, one slightly overlapping the other.  Lay one mackerel fillet in the middle but slightly off-center.  Season lightly and then spread a spoon of the basil mixture over the fillet.  Lay another fillet on top.
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  • Wrap the mackerel fillets relatively tightly and neatly to form a sort of roll.  Chill or freeze until needed.
  • Remove the mackerel rolls from the frdige about 25 minutes before cooking to come back to room temperature.
  • To cook, preheat the oven to 190C/375 F/gas5.  Heat a pan with a little more oil and fry the fillets for about 2-3 minutes per side.  Finish in the oven for about another 4 minutes.  Allow to rest before slicing and serve with sliced new potatoes and baby peas or a tomato salad. Delish!
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For the gluten free glutton and friends! (Melting moments with lucious chocolate center)

5/29/2012

0 Comments

 
I'm always on the look out for really nice gluten free recipes.  Not just because a number of my friends avoid gluten like the plague but because it's a real challenge!  You have no idea just how much gluten affects the textures of baked foods until you try to cook without it.  It's also a real pain for those who are longing for that delicious slice of white bread (that used to make them very sick) or a crumbly, buttery cookie.  Bread I will tackle another day but here is a really easy recipe for melting moments with a chocolate butter filling.  They are perfect for after dinner with coffee but also delicious if you ignore the filling and just dust them with icing sugar!

Gluten free melting moments with chocolate
Ingredients
Makes about 14 depending on the size of the dough balls you make!

150g/5 oz corn flour
150g/5 oz gluten free self-raising flour
225g/8 oz butter
50g/2 oz icing sugar
1 large tsp. lemon zest

For the filling:
50g/2 oz butter
110g/4 oz icing sugar
1 level dessert spoon cocoa powder

Method
  • Preheat oven 160C/325F/Gas3.
  • Mix all the ingredients for the melting moments in a food processor or food mixer until it comes together in a dough.
  • Roll into small marble sized balls and place on a non- stick tray or lined tray, well apart from each other as they spread.
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Bake for 10-12 minutes in batches and cool. The biscuits shouldn't be allowed to brown too much on top or they will taste quite bitter.  Also, try to be patient enough to leave them on the baking tray long enough for them to firm up, otherwise they will fall apart when you try to move them!
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  • Mix the filling ingredients together until very smooth in a food processor (if it's a small bowl - there's not enough mixture for a large processor bowl) or use a whisk and mixing bowl.  Using a teaspoon or piping bag, sandwich the biscuit halves together.  Dust with icing sugar. Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to two weeks.  They are even better a few days after making!
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They are really delicious and you can't necessarily tell that they are gluten free which can only be a good thing!  Use this dough to make tart cases and all sorts of flavoured cookies.  It's a good all round base to have in your repertoire!
Lizmoorecooks.com
29-05-12
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Oh blog it!...I'm hungry again!

4/13/2012

1 Comment

 
I've been cooking for roughly 20 years now and I still dream about food.  I think about it in the morning, afternoon and last thing at night too.  I marvel at the different combinations, the ones I know about AND the ones I haven't discovered yet.  What a great world! I've had all sorts of involvement in food from running a catering company, a cookery school, cooking on t.v. and for private events.  I have nearly always managed to steer clear of restaurants...a mad, mad world BUT I still can't get enough food. That is to say, not to eat exactly although my friends and family will tell you that I will never be last to the table (there may be nothing left otherwise!) but I'm really talking about the endless combinations that exist only to be discovered.

I have always told my students in the past that there are no right or wrong combinations.  Food is a very personal thing and different combinations appeal to different people.  I hate food snobbery.  I also hate bad food.  So on second thoughts maybe I am an inverted snob.  Face it, life is to short too eat bad food and drink cheap wine as the saying goes.  What I love, is the idea that anyone can cook up a feast, big or small, in their own homes and really not have to spend a fortune to do it.  An interesting thing about a recession is that it throws up cuts of meat and new recipes that perhaps people have never seen before.  Although I think that by enlarge we eat too much meat, it's fun to find a cut that is so easy to cook, cheap and naturally delicious too. 

Such a cut is Beef Cheek. Oh, please don't be put off just because it's a slightly odd bit of meat.  The great thing about is that it's so versatile.  It doesn't have that really deeply beefy flavour that shin, for example, can have but  it's delicious all the same.  It is good enough to replace you Sunday roast, really it is.  I'm going to add a recipe for cooking it and turning it into Canelloni which can then be frozen or sit in the fridge for a couple of days.  If you're having it for a dinner party, just use the first recipe for slow cooked beef cheek.  It will slice beautifully.  Just don't tell anyone it's actually cheek until the plates have been licked clean!
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Braised beef cheeks in red wine
Ingredients
Serves 4
2-3 beef (ox) cheeks, trimmed of tough sinew
Olive oil and a knob of butter
½ bottle good red wine
1.7 litres/3 pints chicken stock
1 onion, finely diced
2 sticks of celery, finely diced
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
4 rashers of streaky bacon, cut into thin strips
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 tsp. cocoa powder
Olive oil
4 fresh bay leaves                                    To garnish:
1 sprig thyme                                            Flat leaf parsley
Salt & pepper                                            
2 star anise                                    
4 spice cloves

Method
•Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3.
• Heat a large, heavy pan and add some olive oil.  Season the beef cheeks very well and sear all over until very brown and crusted.  Remove from the pan and set aside.
•Add the butter, bacon, garlic, diced onion, celery and carrots to the pan with some salt and pepper.  Cook gently for a few minutes and then stir in the cocoa powder.  Pour in the red wine and chicken stock.
•Add the bay leaves, thyme, star anise and cloves.  Return the browned meat to the pan and immerse in the liquid.
•Bring the pot to the boil and then place in the oven for 2 ½-3 hours.
•Once the meat is meltingly tender, carefully remove it from the pot.  Reduce the liquid by half over a medium heat.  Re-season if necessary and stir in some fresh parsley and a knob of butter.
•It should be possible to slice the cheeks even though they are so tender.  Serve hot with crispy potatoes and any vegetable you like!

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Beef Cheek Canelloni
Ingredients
Serves 6-8

500g/1 lb. 2 oz cannelloni pasta tubes
75g/3 oz parmesan cheese

For the béchamel:                                                For the filling:
50g/2 oz butter                                                    2 slow cooked beef cheeks
50g/2 oz plain flour                                           and 600ml of sauce as per recipe
600ml/1 pint warm milk                                 above
Freshly grated nutmeg                                      250g tub ricotta
Salt & pepper

Method
•Start with the filling.  Cut, shred and pull the beef cheeks apart and mix into the sauce.  Season to taste
•To make the béchamel, make a roux first.  Melt the butter and stir in the flour.  Cook for a few minutes over a medium heat but do not allow to brown.  Remove for the heat and add the warm milk little by little whisking well constantly until all of the milk has been added.  Replace on the heat until the sauce begins to thicken.  Simmer for 2-3 minutes, whisking all the time.  Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
•Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Fill each pasta tube with some of the beef mixture.  Add some of the left over sauce on the base of an oven proof dish and dot all over with half the ricotta.  Add the pasta tubes in layers and then add the other half of the ricotta and any left-over beef cheek mixture.  Top with the béchamel sauce and sprinkle with parmesan.
•Bake for 40-50 minutes until bubbling, golden and piping hot. 
Serve with a dressed salad and crusty bread.

www.lizmoorecooks.com

1 Comment

    Author

    I've been cooking for roughly 20 years now and I still dream about food.  I think about it in the morning, afternoon and last thing at night too.  I marvel at the different combinations, the ones I know about AND the ones I haven't discovered yet.  What a great world!

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