Cauliflower Soup with Curry-fried Apple

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (November 2018) and taken from 30-Minute Vegetarian: 100 Green Recipes to Prep in 30 Minutes or Less by Ylva Bergqvist.

Serves : 4

Ingredients :
Olive oil, for frying and to serve
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
800g cauliflower
200g cooked butter beans
500ml cashew or almond milk, unsweetened
300ml water
1 tblsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt

For the Curry-fried apple
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
Olive oil, for frying
2 tsp curry powder
100g pumpkin seeds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Step One : Fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat for around 5 minutes, until soft.

Step Two : Remove the green leaves from the cauliflower, cut them into smaller pieces and reserve them. Cut the rest of the cauliflower into small pieces.

Step Three : Place the cauliflower, beans and nut milk in the saucepan. Add water to cover the contents, put on the lid and cook for around 15 minutes, until the cauliflower is completely soft.

Step Four : To cook the apple, put the apple and reserved cauliflower leaves in a frying pan with a little olive oil, sprinkle over the curry powder and fry until soft. Add the pumpkin seeds and ensure everything is warmed through. Season with salt and pepper.

Step Five : Drain a little of the milk from the saucepan into a bowl. Blend the soup until it is smooth. Reintroduce the milk and/or water and dilute to your preferred consistency. Season with the lemon juice and salt.

Step Six : Top the cauliflower soup with the fried apple and a drizzle of olive oil, to serve.

Toffee Apple Pudding

Who can resist this indulgent sticky treat? The rich toffee sauce completely coats the apples and melts right through the delicious steamed sponge.

Serves : 4
Prep time : 20 mins
Cook time : 2 hours

Ingredients for the topping:
2 cox’s apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
Juice of 1 lemon
50 g (2oz) butter
150g (5oz) caster sugar

For the sponge:
175g (6oz) butter, at room temperature
175g (6oz) caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
250g (9oz) plain flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder

Step One : Toss the apple chunks in half of the lemon juice and put into a greased 1.1 litre/2 pint pudding basin. Warm the butter, sugar and remaining lemon juice in a heavy based pan. Stir the foamy mixture occasionally until it becomes a golden brown toffee colour and then pour the mixture over the apple chunks in the basin.

Step Two : Make the sponge mixture by creaming together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs – don’t worry if the mixture begins to curdle. Fold in the sifted flour and baking powder. Spoon the mixture over the toffee apples and smooth the top of the pudding with a palette knife.

Step Three : Cut out two circles larger than the basin, one from foil and the other from greaseproof paper. Pleat each one down the centre – this allows the pudding to rise. Use them to cover the basin, scrunching up the sides to form a seal or secure with string if you prefer. Place a folded strip of foil underneath basin to help lift it.

Step Four : Half fill a large pan (preferably with a steamer) with boiling water, lower in the pudding, cover and simmer for 1hr 45 mins – 2 hrs. Top the pan up with water as needed. Carefully remove the lid and pudding, put a plate on top and slowly turn the pudding over. Serve with ice cream, cream or custard.

Tip: If you don’t have a steamer, use a large saucepan instead. Place the pudding on an inverted saucer and half fill the pan with boiling water. Put on a tight fitting lid and simmer for one and a half hours. When topping up the water during cooking, take care not to splash the pudding – or yourself.

An Apple a Day

Article taken from Psychologies Magazine (March 2019)

The latest National Diabetes Audit found that there are 7,000 Brits under the age of 25 being treated for type 2 diabetes. These simple tips from medical doctor Sarah Brewer’ can help lower the risk dramatically.
an apple a day

Replace some carbs in your diet with healthy monounsaturated fats (in olive oil, avocados, almonds and macadamia nuts) and omega-3 fatty acids (oily fish and walnuts). This can significantly improve glucose control, triglyceride levels, blood pressure and cholesterol balance in people with type 2 diabetes.
A study involving 38,000 women found that those eating at least one apple a day were 28 per cent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those eating no apples, while a recent analysis of five trials, involving a quarter of a million people, found that regular consumption of apples and pears is associated with an 18 per cent reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.
Whether black, green or oolong, tea contains antioxidants that increase insulin sensitivity, supress appetite through the effects on hormones such as ghrelin and adiponectin and stimulate fat burning to generate heat and aid weight loss. They also have beneficial effects on the liver to decrease glucose and fatty acid synthesis.

English Apple and Tipsy Bread and Butter Pudding

Serves 4

Ingredients:
175g (6oz) dry, crusty French bread, cut into bite-size pieces
3 English apples, cored and diced
25g (1oz) raisins
85ml (3fl oz) whisky
400ml (14fl oz) milk
Butter
4 eggs
100g (4oz) caster sugar

Step One : Preheat oven to Gas 5, 190°C, 375°F. Put bread, apple and raisins in a bowl, pour over whisky and half the milk and leave to soak. Butter 4 ramekin dishes.

Step Two : In a large bowl, whisk eggs with the sugar. Slowly whisk in rest of milk until smooth. Divide bread mixture between the ramekins, pour egg custard over each and bake in the oven for 30-40 mins. The custard should be just set and the top of the pudding golden.

Serve Warm.

Find more Apple dessert recipe’s here …

Apple Bourbon Pecan Cake

This recipe is courtesy of Easy Living Magazine.

Serves: 8-12 – Prep time: 20 mins – Cook time: 70 mins

Ingredients: 225g (7oz) unsalted butter, softened; 220g (7oz) plus 1 tblsp caster sugar; 220g (7oz) plus 1 tblsp dark brown soft sugar; 3 eggs; 280g (9oz) plain flour; 1 tsp baking powder; ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda; 1 tsp ground allspice; 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg; ¼ tsp ground cloves; ¼ tsp ground ginger; ¼ tsp ground cardamom; ½ tsp salt; 3 tblsp bourbon; 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks; 120g (4oz) shelled whole pecans, toasted and roughly chopped

Heat the oven to 160^oC (gas mark 2-3). Grease a 20cm (8 in) round cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper. Using an electric mixer with paddle or beater attachment (or an electric whisk), beat the butter and both sugars until the mixture is almost light in colour and fluffy in texture. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until thoroughly combined before adding the next. Scrape down the side of the bowl and mix again for 1 minute.
In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, all the spices and salt and sift twice. Add one third of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix until well incorporated. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture, then the rest of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Pour the bourbon over the apples in a bowl and mix. Fold the apples and pecans into the cake mixture. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
Bake in the hot oven for 55-70 minutes. A wooden skewer inserted in the middle should come out with almost no crumbs attached, and the middle of the cake, when pressed, should spring back slightly instead of sinking. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes if necessary.
Remove from the oven and let cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Slide a table knife all around the edge to loosen the cake, then remove from the tin. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 1 hour.

Cake tin:

Recipe taken from this book:

Rhubarb and Apple Crumble

Serves : 4-6 : Prep : 15 mins : Cook : 20 min

Rhubarb and apple make a delightful combination of flavours in this traditional favourite.

Ingredients: 1 oz / 25g butter; 1 1/2 lb/ 700g rhubarb, chopped; 1 lb/450g cooking apples, peeled and sliced; 1 tsp/5ml ground ginger; 3oz / 75g caster sugar; 3 tblsp/45ml water Topping: 6oz / 175g plain flour; 3oz / 75g butter, softened; 3oz / 75g demerara sugar; 2oz / 50g ground almonds; 2pt / 1.2 litre ovenproof dish

Melt the butter in a pan over a gentle heat, then fry the rhubarb and apples. Add the ground ginger and caster sugar and simmer gently, covered, for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to Mark 6 / 400oF / 200oC.
To make the topping, sieve the flour into a mixing bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and ground almonds.
Spoon the rhubarb mixture into the dish. Pile on the almond crumble, smoothing it to cover the fruit. Bake the crumble for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden.

Sweet Sherry Apple Fritters

A recipe by Gary Rhodes from Sunday Magazine.

I’m sure you’ve eaten apple fritters before but not with a sherry-based batter. To make the flavour really strong, I also like to soak the apples in neat sherry for 30 minutes. You can imagine the wonderful rich flavour of the apples. I find that they go very well with pouring cream, vanilla ice cream or yogurt ice cream, which really lifts the sherry taste.

Serves 4

Ingredients: 2 eating apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2 in (1.5cm) thick rings or 8 wedges; 4 tblsp sweet sherry; 2 eggs, size 2; 4 oz (100g) self-raising flour; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, optional; 1 oz (25g) caster sugar; Oil for deep frying; 1 tblsp icing sugar, optional

Soak the apples in the sherry for 30 minutes. Drain off the sherry and put to one side.
For the batter, beat together the eggs, flour, cinnamon, if you’re using it, and caster sugar. Add the sherry. Dip and coat the apples in batter. Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 180oC/350oF and fry the fritters until golden. It’s best to cook 4-5 fritters at a time and then keep them warm in a pre-heated oven while the rest are cooking.
Sprinkle on icing sugar, if you’re using it.

In honour of it being a Gary Rhodes recipe, here is a recipe book of Gary’s

Apple and Pear Crumble

Golden autumn fruits combine wonderfully in this popular family pudding.

Serves: 4-6; Prep: 25 mins; Cook: 35-40 mins baking

Ingredients: 500g (1 lb) cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped; 500g (1 lb) firm pears, peeled, cored and chopped; 2-3 tbsp granulated sugar
Topping: 175g (6oz) plain flour; 75g (3oz) butter or block margarine, diced; 40g (1 1/2oz) caster sugar

Preheat oven to 200oC/400oF/Gas 6.
Put the apples into a heavy based saucepan. Add 125ml (4 fl oz) water and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer over gentle heat for 5 mins.
Drain the apples and add to the pears and sugar. Mix well with a large wooden spoon and turn into a 23cm (9in) ceramic flan dish.
For the crumble topping, sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Add the butter or margarine and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the caster sugar.
Spoon the crumble evenly over the apples and pears. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the crumble is golden and the fruit is cooked. Serve hot, with custard or cream.

Cooks tip: There are several variations to try with the same crumble topping. A lovely summer recipe is to use 250g (9oz) of strawberries and 4 firm peaches. Slice up the two fruits and mix with 4 tbsp granulated sugar. Put straight into the flan dish and spoon the crumble mixture on top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve hot or cold.

A book with more crumble recipes and a dish to bake it in.

And something for the chef to wear.

Gammon Steaks with Stilton Sauce

A creamy, tangy sauce complements succulent gammon steaks

Serves: 4; Prep: 5 minutes; Cook: 25 minutes; Cals per portion: 607

Ingredients:
1 oz (25g) butter; 4 x 6oz (175g) gammon steaks; 2 red eating apples; 1 tbsp (15ml) demerara sugar; 1 tbsp (15ml) fresh sage; salt and black pepper; 1oz (25g) butter; ½ oz (15g) plain flour; ½pt (300ml) dry cider; 4oz (125g) stilton cheese, crumbled; 4 tbsp (60ml) single cream; extra sage to garnish

Method:

Melt the butter and fry the steaks for 5 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan, cover and keep warm. Slice the apples. Add to the pan and fry for 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the sugar and chopped sage. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Return the gammon to the pan. Season and cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Gradually add the cider and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the Stilton and stir until melted. Then add the cream and heat without boiling.
Serve the steaks and sauce garnished with sage.

Apple Curd Sorbet

A recipe by Gary Rhodes

Here is a variation on a lemon curd using apples which I use to make a sorbet. You can even try the curd on its own spread over pancakes or scones.

Serves: 4

Ingredients: Apple Curd: 2 lb (900g) apples, peeled, cored and chopped; 8oz (225g) butter; 8oz (225g) caster cane sugar; 1 tsp lemon juice; 1 egg, size 2; 3 egg yolks, size 2.

Sorbet: 4oz (100g) caster cane sugar; 8oz (225g) apple curd

To make the apple curd, place the apples in a large pan with 2 tblsp wate rand simmer for about 12 minutes until cooked through and soft. Pass the apple through a sieve.
Place the apple, butter, caster cane sugar and lemon juice in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Once the butter has just melted, mix together the mixture. Add the egg and the egg yolks and continue to cook and stir for 15-20 minutes until thickened. Remove from the heat, pour into a bowl and cover with waxed paper. Allow to cool, then refrigerate.
To make the sorbet, mix the caster cane sugar with 10 fl oz (300ml) water in a pan and boil until you have a syrup. Mix 5 fl oz (150ml) of the syrup with the apple curd in a stainless-steel bowl, place in the freezer and whisk every 5-10 minutes until frozen. If you have an ice cream machine, process for between 20-30 minutes.
As an alternative to the sorbet, you can make apple curd ice cream, which is really rich and creamy. Instead of mixing the apple curd with the syrup, just add 2 tblsp crème fraiche and 1 tblsp natural yoghurt. Finish as for the sorbet.