Magi-mixing

I am loving my magimix -its letting me make and try new things and it speeds up others. For example:

New things
I quite like fish, but don't eat much of it - with the reason mostly being that Mr C doesn't really like fishy fish. He enjoys the Tuna Burgers I make but has never really enjoyed any of the salmon dishes I have tried.

Today, however, with the help of a fish booklet that fell out of Delicious Magazine we may now have a salmon dish to add to our menu. The salmon fillet is coated in a Chermoula which was very tasty and served with a light accompaniment of couscous...

For 2
2 salmon fillets

Chermoula
1 small garlic clove, chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
just less than 1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chopped red chili
Pinch saffron strands
1/2 tbspn lemon juice
small handful coriander & same of mint
1 tbspn olive oil
small pinch salt

Couscous
1 red pepper
175ml chicken stock
140g couscous
1 tbspn extra-virgin olive oil
1 knob of butter
1/2 lemon juice
1 tbspn chopped mint

Pre-heat oven to 200°c (fan)
Roast pepper for 30 mins & the pop in bag to cool - once cool remove skin seeds - chop finely
Once pepper is cooked tun oven up to 210°
Make the chermoula - put all chermoula ingredients into magimix & blend
Line baking tray with baking paper.
Season skin side of salmon with salt & pepper then spread with some chermoula.
Turn fillet over, season again and add chermoula.
Cover the baking tray with tin foil - seal tightly
Pop salmon in over & set timer for 12 minutes
As soon a s salmon goes in the oven, make sure the stock is in a pan & boiling. Take it off the heat, add the couscous & cover (keeping it off the heat).
After 5 mins, fluff up the couscous, add butter & olive oil and mix well - popping back on heat briefly to ensure its warm through.
Take off heat again and add lemon juice, roasted pepper, chopped mint and season well.
Serve couscous and salmon for a very tasty meal...


Speedy things
I've used the magimix to make cakes twice. The first time we weren't impressed by it but yesterday, due to time constraints, I used it to make some cupcakes and they worked much better. I did take a photo but the camera isn't brilliant so you'll have to wait until next time ;)

Its Mr C's birthday on Tuesday though so I will be baking again but I think I'll stick to my Dualit hand mixer for that!

Today I made some more bread & the magimix comes with a dough hook so I thought it silly not to give it a go. The outcome was a tasty fresh loaf and hardly any mess. All the ingredients are thrown in the magimix, it forms a dough ball and then you leave it in situ for half an hour. After this time you need to pulse the magimix 3 or 4 times and effectively, knock the dough back. The mixture then gets transferred to a big bowl and left to rise for 2 hours in the airing cupboard.

After two hours the dough is tipped out, gently moulded into a rectangle and placed in a loaf tin. I left it settle and rise again for 10 minutes whilst the oven heated up to 200°c. It cooked for about 35 minutes and produced a really nice loaf...

Soupalicious

The nights are drawing in and soup is most definitely the order of the day. This years soup making started up in Scotland when I made a hearty pan of Yellow Split Pea Soup - it was thick and filling and extremely tasty.

I think one of the best things about soup is that simple ingredients produce flavours that normally exceed your expectations. For example tonight I made Butternut Squash & Rosemary soup:

Serves 4

1 Butternut Squash
Few sprigs Rosemary
150g well rinsed red lentils
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 Pint Vegetable Stock
salt & pepper

Set oven to 200 °c
Halve squash - scoop out the seeds & fibrous flesh, then cut squash into large chunks
Put squash pieces on baking tray, season with salt & pepper and sprinkle with rosemary
Cook for 45 minutes

Whilst the squash is in the oven -
Rinse lentils well then put in a pan & cover with water - boil rapidly for 10 mins. Drain well
Wash out pan & then put lentils back in with the chopped onion and vegetable stock
Simmer for 5 minutes

When squash is cooked, carefully scoop out the flesh & mash with a fork.
Add squash to soup & simmer for 25 minutes

Serve with crusty bread.
We both had a hearty bowlful for tea and now there should be enough left to take to work for lunch.

Since we have been back from Scotland I've made soup at least four times & I've made enough to take for a lunch. We bought some cheap flasks from Tesco & so far they work very well. I may even invest in something a little more substantial as 'real soup' makes such a difference to a 'cup-a-soup' which is what I have resorted to in the past.

I'll post some more recipes soon, but so far we have tried & thoroughly enjoyed the Yellow Split Pea soup and Fennel & Lemon soup.

I also have quite a few parsnips in the cupboard which I need to use up, so if you have any good parsnip soup ideas let me know!

Saturday Evening Feast

As part of the 'bags weekly challenge I decided to cook scallops this weekend. Now this is something I've been wanting to try for ages and ages but Mr C is not a fishy man at all but I persuaded him with a starter sized portion and combining it Nigella style with Chorizo. Very quick & simple - I enjoyed it & would love to try scallops again.
For mains I cooked something that was on my To Do list - Spicy Chicken with Aubergine and Naans:

Ingredients
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
1/2 lime, juice only
salt and pepper
2 chicken breasts, boned, skinned, halved horizontally and flattened slightly
1 small aubergine, sliced horizontally into eight
Natural low fat yoghurt (we used a small pot)
1in piece cucumber, diced
1/2 tsp mint, chopped
4 mini naan breads (or 2 normal sized)
fresh coriander
lime wedges to garnish

Method
1. To make the marinade, combine the oil, cumin, ground coriander, ginger, chopped coriander, lime juice, salt and pepper.
2. Pour the marinade over the chicken and chill for 15 minutes (though I left for about an hour)
3. Brush the aubergine with oil, season and grill on both sides until golden.
4. Grill the chicken for about 12 minutes until golden. Slice into pieces.
5. Make the dressing by mixing the yoghurt, cucumber, mint and seasoning.
6. Warm the naan and layer the aubergine, chicken pieces and yoghurt dressing on top.
7. Garnish with coriander and lime wedges (if you remember before you eat!!)

It really was very tasty and something we'll have again.

Eating Out in the Highlands

As I have already mentioned we had a fab time when we went oop North. We stayed in a beautiful cottage at Tormore Distillery - whilst we were there we went on the look for dolphins, but the blighters didn't keep to their appointments - twice we sat in the cold wind and for nothing. We also:

• had a lovely walk through the Glenlivet Estate
• saw snow on the top of Cairngorm (it was -4° one night)
  
• Mr C played golf at Craggan and I was official photographer/videographer and scorekeeper
• went on a horse trek through a forest
• Mr C watched Elgin City beat East Stirling 6-0
  
• visted two distilleries and one organic brewery
• ate out lots

The first night we stayed over in Perth & went into town to eat - Mr C gave me a Pizza Express club membership so we headed off there. We both had dough balls to start and then I had my usual Fiorentina pizza & Mr C had a Pollo ad Astra.

The next morning we headed North up the A9 - and after a detour to the small distillery of Glenturret (whose whisky is part of the Famous Grouse blend & is now branded as the Famous Grouse Experience). After a tour of the distillery we stopped for lunch in what appeared, I thought, to be a dull little restaurant - however we both had soup and a doorstopper slice of fresh bread and it was very tasty indeed.

Our next dining delight was the following day at Glenfiddich (anyone spotting a trend here?!). We ended up here earlier than expected during our week away as the weather was quite dull and it seemed to make sense. Last year we had enjoyed two fabulous baked potatoes here and we had both been looking forward to going back. So after another distillery tour (well, it is free & you get a dram) we stopped for lunch in the beautiful restaurant. We both repeat ordered our jackets - mine with smoked salmon and cream cheese, Mr C had Orkney cheese & ham. All I can say is they were delicious (picture to follow).

Tuesday was spent dolphin watching and as you already know they didn't show. So after spending a few hours wrapped up like a pass-the-parcel we gave up, went 'home' & I made some delicious Yellow Split Pea soup.
(The day light was quite bright, so the sunglasses aided my water watching as I didn't have to squint!)

The next day we had a lovely walk through the Glenlivet Estate. It was probably about 2.30pm when we'd finished the walk in the car park of Glenlivet distillery however after popping in to look at their lunch menu we decided to hop in the car back to Glenfiddich! This time we both had a sandwich - they make delicious food there so if you get a chance do go in and have a look.

In the evening we went to the Mash Tun in Aberlour. The food was nothing less than fantastic & considering the leaflet we had which classed the establishment as having boutique hotel accommodation we were surprised to find the meals were inexpensive. I enjoyed deep fried brie with an onion chutney and Mr C experimented with Haggis, Neeps and Tatties with a whisky sauce. His plate was clean in minutes - I think he really enjoyed it! For mains I chose the only veggie option which was Savoury Bread & Butter pudding with feta and roasted vegetables. I don't think I would have instinctively chosen this but it was excellent - the portion sized beat me though and I had to leave some. Mr C opted for his all time favourite - a trio sausages (1 haggis, 1 wild boar & leek and 1 venison) served with mash and gravy. Doubtless to say there was another clean plate!

We tried to burn off some of the calories the next day walking around the golf course at Craggan - it was very, very windy but most enjoyable. I mean how can you not enjoy it with scenery like this...
On Friday we went for a horse trek through a forest at Loch Alvie. Lucy, my horse may have been the slowest in Scotland but was very adorable. Mr C rode Murphy...
On Friday evening we took my mum & dad up to the sunset dining experience at Cairngorm which is 3600 feet above sea level - the highest in the UK. After arriving at the base, a funicular takes you up to the summit. Unfortunately it wasn't the clearest evening for the sunset but the views were still fantastic - if you ever go I'd recommend taking a nice warm jumper or coat as its very windy at the top!
Its not the cheapest meal in the world but with the views and experience we would definitely do it again. I started with Mussels and Smoked Haddock with Orkney Cheese sauce and Mr C had Breast of Pheasant with pink peppercorn mousse , red onion marmalade and watercress salad. Mine was delicious but I did have a quick taste of the pheasant & it was divine - something we've never tried before but something I'd definitely have again.
For mains I had the veggie option - Spiced aubergine and lentil parcels with vegetable couscous. Mr C chose the Fillet of Aberdeen Angus beef with rosti potato, asparagus and Ptarmigan whisky sauce.
For dessert we both enjoyed the Hot chocolate fondant with home made vanilla ice cream.
The next day was our last full day in the Highlands so the boys went to watch Elgin City and then we ended the holiday in true Anderson family fashion - with some of the best fish & chips ever and as we were in Scotland we had to have a white pudding too. We sat by the banks of the Spey to devour it and it was the perfect end to a perfect break.

Penne Alla Vodka

Courtesy of Nigella's book, Feast...

To serve 5 (or 2 hungry mains & 2 lunches):
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon garlic oil (or normal oil + 1 smushed up garlic piece to remove before eating)
1 x 410g chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon of double cream
500g penne pasta
65ml vodka
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Parmesan for serving

Heat oil & gently cook onion until soft (with a good sprinkling of salt) - about 15 mins
Tip in the tomatoes & simmer for 15-20 minutes nb. 10 mins before your ready put your pasta on.
Take sauce off heat & stir in cream.
Drain pasta & put back in pan with butter & vodka
Mix pasta in with sauce and serve with parmesan and some black pepper

Its so simple but deliciously moreish. Nigella says she thinks the pasta is especially good cold - I don't agree, its much better warm but by making this much we have plenty for an easy lunch the next day and with a nice side salad it fills me up for the afternoon.

Scotland: Foodie presents

We managed to bring back quite a few foodie treats from Scotland, mostly with thanks to the Spey Larder in Aberlour. Here is a quick list:

Spey Larder Deli -
Eggs from a local farm in Elgin
4 Butteries (the nicest we had!)
1 real Haggis
2 x bags of polenta
1 x quinoa (let me know if you have any ideas for this please!!)
Celery salt
Bay Leaves
Organic Sesame seeds
Blue Poppy Seeds
Ground Mace
Gardeners Spicy Tomato Chutney

And from other places -
Isle of Arran Cheese
Real Tomato Sauce
2 Veggie Haggis
2 Mealy Jimmies (white puddings)
Walkers Shortbread
Black Isle Brewery beer
6 Posh Chocolates
1 Granery Loaf from the Water Mill at Blair Atholl
1 bag of bread flour from the Water Mill at Blair Atholl

I think that's about it... some bits I bought for cooking whilst up there, others I just fancied picking up for a change. I'm looking forward to making some nice soups & home-made bread rolls - hence the sesame seeds & poppy seeds. I did take a picture of my haul but due to us having broken one camera the photo is quite poor in quality...

We are still catching our breath...

Last night we got back from a fabulous week (well, just over a week) in Scotland. The holiday was refreshing and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We even managed to fit in quite a few culinary delights which I will blog about very soon. But for now (well Nigella has just started!) here is one of my favourite pictures from our break... how cute is he?