Welcome to our blog. We are The Merrychefs (Scot and Carola) and we like to cook new food, classic food and experiment a little whilst having a glass or 2 of wine of course. Take a look round our blog and I hope you enjoy. :)
An interesting thing to do to use up chick peas from yesterdays Greece experience.
Chick Pea Chocolate Cake with poached pears (Gluten Free) Cake
250g plain chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 (400g) tins chickpeas, rinsed and drained
4 eggs
150g caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon gluten free baking powder Poached Pears
4 Pears (serves 8 people)
Half bottle or red wine
5 tbs sugar
1 tsp cinnamon powder
5 whole cloves
Couple of pinches of nutmeg
Methodology Cake:- Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas mark 4. Grease a 23cm round cake tin, line with parchment and then grease again.
Place the chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl.
Cook in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds after the first minute, until chocolate is melted and smooth.
Combine the chick peas and eggs in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth.
Add the sugar and the baking powder, and pulse to blend.
Pour in the melted chocolate and blend until smooth, scraping down the corners to make sure chocolate is completely mixed.
Transfer the batter to the prepared cake tin.
Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Cool in the tin on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes before turning out onto a serving plate.
Methodology Poached Pears:- Peel the pears and leave whole with stalk on
Add Wine, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, pears to a pan.
Bring to simmer and cover for 30 to 40 mins or until pears are soft. Turn pears every 5 mins.
Once pears are soft remove them and slice in half. Each half is for 1 person.
Reduce wine sauce down until it forms a nice sweet sauce.
Plate up piece of cake with pear half and drizzle with wine sauce.
Optional Serve with a dollop of clotted cream or ice cream.
CREDITS: The Chick pea cake recipe came from the following user CCUMMINS from www.allrecipes.com
Greece also known as Hellas and officially the Hellenic Republic is a developed country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula. The country has land borders with Albania, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of mainland Greece, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has thetenth longest coastline in the world at 14,880 km (9,246 mi) in length, featuring a vast number of islands(approximately 1400, of which 227 are inhabited), including Crete, the Dodecanese, the Cyclades, and the Ionian Islands among others. Eighty percent of Greece consists of mountains, of which Mount Olympus is the highest at 2,917 m (9,570 ft).
Modern Greece traces its roots to the civilization of ancient Greece, generally considered the cradle ofWestern civilization. As such, it is the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy, the Olympic Games, Western literature and historiography, political science, major scientific and mathematical principles, and Western drama, including both tragedy and comedy. This legacy is partly reflected in the 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites located in Greece. The modern Greek state was established in 1830, following a victorious uprising against Ottoman rule.
FOOD
Greek cuisine is a typical Mediterranean cuisine, sharing characteristics with the cuisines of Italy, the Balkans, Turkey, and the Levant. Contemporary Greek cookery makes wide use of olive oil, vegetables and herbs, grains and bread, wine, fish, and various meats, including poultry, rabbit andpork. Also important are olives, cheese, aubergine, courgette, and yoghurt. Greek desserts are characterized by the dominant use of nuts and honey. Some dishes use filo pastry.
Meze is a collective name for a variety of small dishes, typically served with wines or anise-flavored liqueurs as ouzo or homemade tsipouro. Orektika is the formal name for appetizers and is often used as a reference to eating a first course of a cuisine other than Greek cuisine. Dips are served with bread loaf or pita bread. In some regions, dried bread (paximadhi) is softened in water.
---------------------------
Hummus 1 can chickpeas or 2/3 of a jar of El Navarrico Chickpeas (Garbanzos) 2 garlic cloves Juice of one lemon 3 tbs tahini 2 tbs olive oil 1 tsp cumin seeds salt & pepper
Methodology:- Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth Add to serving dish and drizzle with olive oil, fresh parsley and some salt
-------------------------------
Moussaka 500g minced beef or lamb 3 tbsp of Olive oil 1 tin chopped tomatoes 2 gloves garlic diced 1 aubergine 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 2 tsp of dried oregano 1 large onion diced 1/2 glass of red wine Bread crumbs grated cheddar salt and pepper Bechamel sauce 40 grams butter 60g flour 200ml milk 18 grams parmasan or grated cheese 1 egg yolk
Methodolody:- Heat oven to 200° Slice Aubergine and add to salted water for 30 mins Heat pan and add olive oil, onion and fry for a few mins Add the garlic and fry for a few seconds Add the mince to pan and fry for 5 mins stiring occassionally Add the chopped tomatoes, cinnamon, oregano, red wine and salt and pepper Continue to cook for a further 10 mins stiring occassionally Remove Aubergine from water and squash out any excess water Heat a frying or griddle pand and add oil. Fry the aubergine in batches untill browned both sides and set them aside on kitchen paper Get a baking dish and add half the aubergine level in bottom of dish Then add half the mince mix level on top of aubergine Then add the other half of aubergine leveled onto and then the rest of mince mixture Make the bechamel sauce as follows Heat a pand and add the butter and let melt Remove from heat and stir in flour until very thick Add milk and cheese and put back on heat and stir until thick sauce Stir in the egg yolk and pour sauce over the mince mixture Cover thinly with bread crumbs and sprinkle with a little extra cheese Bake in oven for 30 mins.
-------------------------------
Jumbo Prawns in Garlic & Orange juice
4 tbs of olive oil
4 garlic cloves diced
4 Jumbo Prawns
2 shots of Brandy
1/4 cup of fresh orange juice
Salt and ground black pepper
some chopped fresh parsley
Methodology:-
Heat oil in a pan and add the garlic then add the Prawns and sauté for a couple of mins each side
Then add brandy to deglaze the pan and add the orange juice cook for a few mins
Remove the prawns and set aside in serving dish
Add salt, pepper, parsley and splash of water to pan and bring to the boil.
Boil for about 5-8 mins until liquid has reduced to a small amount of sauce.
Pour sauce over the prawns and garnish with some more parsley.
Fiji officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands, is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about 2000 km northeast of New Zealand's North Island. Its more immediate neighbours are Vanuatu to the west, France'sNew Caledoniato the southwest, New Zealand's Kermadecto the southeast, Tonga to the east, the Samoas and France's Wallis and Futuna to the northeast and Tuvalu to the north. Fiji has had inhabitants since the second millennium B.C. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dutch and the British explored Fiji. Fiji was a British colony up until 1970; British occupation lasted almost a century. Because of the abundance of forest, mineral, and fish resources, Fiji is one of the most developed economies in the Pacific island realm. Today, the main sources of foreign exchange are its tourist industry and sugar exports. The country's currency is the Fijian dollar.
FOOD
Fijian food has a wonderful mix of the spicy curries that are influenced by the Indian people and the coconut, fish, sweet potato, cassava and other vegetables that the Fijians bring to the culture. Over time this food has developed and evolved to the current mix of flavours we experience now.
The people are extremely talented and are able to cater for their large families with very basic equipment and supplies. They often just have a gas hob, a large basic pot with no handle, spoon, bowl and a cast-iron Roti pan, something that all households seem to have. The country is also very traditional in the way they believe it is a women’s role to do the cooking. This often includes wadding out into the sea to catch a fresh fish for the meal. These ladies are amazing to watch, making delicious meals without measuring the ingredients, it is all done by taste and years of practice of cooking their Fijian food.
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom.It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental Europe. Most of England comprises the central and southern part of the island of Great Britain in the North Atlantic. The country also includes over 100 smaller islands such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.
The area now called England has been settled by people of various cultures for about 35,000 years,] but it takes its name from the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes who settled during the 5th and 6th centuries. England became a unified state in AD 927, and since the Age of Discovery, which began during the 15th century, has had a significant cultural and legal impact on the wider world. TheEnglish language, the Anglican Church, and English law—the basis for the common law legal systems of many other countries around the world—developed in England, and the country's parliamentary system of government has been widely adopted by other nations. The Industrial Revolution began in 18th-century England, transforming its society into the world's first industrialised nation. England's Royal Societylaid the foundations of modern experimental science.
FOOD
English cuisine encompasses the cooking styles, traditions and recipes associated with England. It has distinctive attributes of its own, but also shares much with wider British cuisine, largely due to the importation of ingredients and ideas from places such as North America, China, and India during the time of the British Empireand as a result of post-war immigration.
Since the Early Modern Period the food of England has historically been characterised by its simplicity of approach and a reliance on the high quality of natural produce. This, in no small part influenced by England's Puritanheritage, resulted in a traditional cuisine which tended to veer from strong flavours, such as garlic, and an avoidance of complex sauces which were commonly associated with Catholic Continental political affiliations.
Traditional meals have ancient origins, such as bread and cheese, roasted and stewed meats, meat and gamepies, boiled vegetables and broths, and freshwater and saltwater fish. The 14th century English cookbook, theForme of Cury, contains recipes for these, and dates from the royal court of Richard II.
Other meals, such as fish and chips, which were once urban street food eaten from newspaper with salt and malt vinegar, and pies and sausages with mashed potatoes, onions, and gravy, are now matched in popularity by curriesfrom India and Bangladesh, and stir-fries based on Chinese and Thai cooking. Italian cuisine and French cuisine are also now widely adapted. Britain was also quick to adopt the innovation of fast food from the United States, and continues to absorb culinary ideas from all over the world while at the same time rediscovering its roots in sustainable rural agriculture.
--------------------------
Roast Beef and 4 Veg Gratin Roast Beef:-
1Kg roasting beef joint at room temperature
Chopped fresh rosemary (2 tbl spoons)
Chopped fresh Thyme (2 tbl spoons)
Salt and pepper
2 Red onions halved
2 Garlic cloves
Olive Oil
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup of water
Methodology:-
Preheat oven to 200°C/Gas mark 6
Rub oil into joint of beef
Spread rosemary and Thyme across a board or clean surface and roll joint over until covered
Season well with Salt and pepper
Add baking dish for beef to hob and heat up.
Add beef and sear until nicely brown and crispy on all sides of beef.
Add onion and garlic to baking dish and 1/2 cup of water
Cook in oven for 40 mins and remove beef
Rest for 10 mins and it's ready to carve
In the meantime add the oven dish with juice and caremalised meat and onion back on hob
Heat up on hob again and add the wine, continually scrapping all the flavours off base of pan
Do this until the sauce reduces to a thick tasty gravy.
Siv into pourer and its ready.
--------------------------
4 Veg Gratin
4 Medium Potatoes
1 Small sweet potato
1 Medium carrot
1 medium Parsnip
1 red onion diced
2 Garlic cloves grated
1 knob of butter
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper
350ml single or double cream
Grated cheddar
Parmesan
Methodology:-
Heat oven to 220°C/Gas mark 7
Butter small deep baking tin
Slice up Potato, sweet potato, parsnip and carrot into small thin pieces
Add sliced veg to baking tin then add onion, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper.
Add cream and stir then add knob of butter on top and put in oven for 30 mins
Remove from oven and stir in some of the grated cheddar
The ancient capital of Burgundy was once called Divio. The city of Dijon offers very interesting historical visits, cultural activities and fine restaurants. Not only famous for mustard, it was also the birth place of Gustave Eiffel,
who built the Eiffel tower in Paris.
The city is now the most important between Paris and Lyon, with major road communications and
the high speed train called the TGV, getting to and from Dijon is easy.
The city has the largest amount of buildings more than 300 years old, which are still standing, this make the old town centre very agreeable to walk around, for example the Rue de la Chouette and Verrerie are very charming, with half-timbered houses and narrow cobbled streets.
FOOD
Dijon is home to some of the finest French cuisine. Well-known regional dishes include Beef bourguignon, Coq au vin, Escargot, Gougère and pain d'épices (the local form of gingerbread). The tradition of pain d'épices de Dijon dates to the 14th century. Today it is predominantly made of rye flour and honey, with the addition of spices such as clove, ginger, cinnamon and sometimes anise. It is often garnished with candied fruits. The recipe is recognizably similar to what is called gingerbread in England, though the term pain d'épices is sometimes used in English to make the distinction. Modern commercial Dijon recipes are generally quite different from the harder gingerbreads that are sold as carnival food in Germany.
Metodology:- 1. Heat the butter in a large pan and gently cook the onion and thyme until the onion is softened but not browned - about 40 minutes stiring often. until the onion becomes carmelised and golden. 2. Add the sherry and simmer for 2-3 minutes. 3. Then add the stock and bring to the boil and season and Simmer for 10 minutes. 4. Meanwhile, toast the bread, rub each slice with garlic, then drizzle with a little oil. 5. Mix the 100g of Gruyere with 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard 6. Spread a little of the Gruyere and Dijon on toasted bread and grill until golden and bubbling. 7. Serve the soup with the cheese croutons on top. 8. Grate a little extra cheese over top
---------------------
Beef bourguignon with Potato, Sweet potato and parsnip mash Beef bourguignon 3 tsp goose fat 600g beef shin, cut into large chunks 100g smoked streaky bacon , sliced 350g shallots or pearl onions, peeled 250g chestnut mushrooms (about 20) 2 garlic clove , sliced 1 bouquet garni (Rosemary, Thyme, Parsley sprigs wrapped in bay leaf and tighed together) 1 tbsp tomato purée 750ml bottle red wine , Burgundy is good Potato, Sweet potato, parsnip mash 2 Large Potatoes 1 Large Sweet potato 1 large parsnip 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp fresh rosemary diced 1 tsp of fresh thyme diced 1 tsp of Dijon Mustard 4 cardamom pod seeds
Methodology:- 1. Heat a large casserole pan and add 1 tbsp goose fat. Season the beef and fry until golden brown, about 3-5 mins, then turn over and fry the other side until the meat is browned all over, adding more fat if necessary. Do this in 2-3 batches, transferring the meat to a colander set over a bowl when browned. 2.In the same pan, fry the bacon, shallots or pearl onions, mushrooms, garlic and bouquet garni until lightly browned. Mix in the tomato purée and cook for a few mins, stirring into the mixture. This enriches the bourguignon and makes a great base for the stew. Then return the beef and any drained juices to the pan and stir through. 3.Pour over the wine and about 100ml water so the meat bobs up from the liquid, but isn't completely covered. Bring to the boil and use a spoon to scrape the caramelised cooking juices from the bottom of the pan - this will give the stew more flavour. 4.Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Make a cartouche: tear off a square of foil slightly larger than the casserole, arrange it in the pan so it covers the top of the stew and trim away any excess foil. Then cook for 3 hrs. If the sauce looks watery, remove the beef and veg with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Cook the sauce over a high heat for a few mins until the sauce has thickened a little, then return the beef and vegetables to the pan. 5.To make the mash, peel the potatoes, sweet potatoe and parsnip and cut into cubes. Add to a pan and cover with water and bring to boil and simmer for 15 mins. Then strain off the water. 6.Add the olive oil, rosemary, Thyme, Dijon Mustard and cardamin pod seeds veg in pan and mash until creamy and season with salt and pepper if need.
D 
