Sweet Potato and Marshmallow Ice Cream

It has been a while since I have made ice cream, so I thought I would give this month's Kavey Eats 'Bloggers Scream for Ice Cream' challenge a go. The theme for November is savoury, ' with the proviso that you can either make a fully savoury ice cream or simply use a savoury ingredient in a sweet ice cream' . Since reading about the challenge I have been toying with a few key ingredients including cheese, carrot, tomato and bread but decided to plump for sweet potato. I realise potato ice cream sounds rather odd but all the talk of Thankgiving this week reminded me of an American friend with a penchant for sweet potato and marshmallow pie.  I had not heard of the dish before but when I looked into it online, I thought why not try an ice cream version. Whilst making this recipe I did keep questioning the point of making it and the idea of savoury ice cream in general but, for me, ice cream is about fun and experimenting with flavours; certainly the case here. Upon tasting the ice cream, it is a little sweeter than I imagined but whilst you can taste the potato it is not too overpowering, so overall I think it works quite well. If you feel like something a bit different then give it a go

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato
25g tub of mini marshmallows
250ml double cream
250ml full fat milk
50g sugar
3 egg yolks
1 tbs vanilla essence
pinch cinnamon

Method

1. Bake the sweet potato in the oven, until very soft, and leave to cool. Scoop out the mixture from the skin and blend until very fine.
2. Make a vanilla ice cream base by mixing the cream and milk in a pan  and bringing it to the boil, before adding the sugar and stirring until it dissolves. Add in the vanilla essence, cinnamon and the egg yolks and whisk together.
3. Fold in the sweet potato mixture and half the marshmallows and store in the fridge overnight
4. Sieve the mixture before placing in your ice cream maker and slowing add in the remaining marshmallows as it churns and freeze for a while before serving.

This weeks scribbles

Liverpool ' Food for real film festival '

You may have read my bog a few months ago about Squash Nutrition, a local enterprise about all thinks food, growing you own, supporting local communities, amongst other great things.If you really want to get to know all about Squash and their love of celebrating food then you need to get along to the Foodfor real film   festival, coming our way this November.

Food for real film is Liverpool's first food and film festival and promises a' gourmet gathering that will explore, witness and savour the social, cultural and political impacts of the foods we eat . A grassroots festival with an international reach, Food for real aims to create an open, creative space where people from diverse food backgrounds with varied food interests can connect '

Tickets are free and I have snapped up mine already so if you fancy having your taste buds tickled then check out the full list of events here 

I am going along to the events at Dutch Farm, with it's very own poly tunnel cinema, Camp and Furnace, where there is a ' cycle through noodle cinema ' and Blackburne house for the festival launch plus some great films about ' food for real women '. If you don't have much on this week then it is definitely worth popping along to one of the events Squash are putting on.

This weeks scribbles

Wild Boar Ragu

Without wanting to go all Nigella on you, I am just going to say once more that I love Italian food. Whist it does not offer the same spicy hits as my favourite Asian foods, Italian food hits all the right buttons when it comes to food that makes you feel alive. I realise that does sound very cheesy but , for me, food is that deep sometimes. I love food that can stir your senses and bring back memories from good times in the past; which Italian food certainly does. It may be me getting older but I get huge enjoyment when sat around a big table with my family, enjoying simple home cooked food.  I am one for indulging now and again and I love the odd fancy meal with smears and smudges of this and that but simplicity is key for me. Now before I indulge any further and start to get my liquorice case out, I will get on with sharing this lovely recipe for wild boar ragu. Obviously we do not have wild boars on our doorstep to kill one day and have on our plate the next but if you look about you will find a supplier somewhere. There are some good butchers online but delivery charges can be expensive and it does not do much for local traders if are food is shipped from miles away. I manage to pick up boar at farmers markets and food festivals but there is no harm in asking your butcher if they can source it. This recipe is very simple, and much like what you would get on a tuscan family table, without the views of course.

Ingredients

1.5 llb wild boar ( I used haunch steaks diced )
1 large onion
1 large carrot
1 stick celery
4 cloves of garlic
250ml red wine
500ml beef stock
1 tin of good quality chopped tomatoes
small handful of fresh basil
olive oil for frying
small amount of flour
salt and pepper to season

Method

1. Lightly dust the boar with flour and sear in a casserole pan with the olive oil, until browned
2. Chop the onion, celery and carrot, add to the pan and stir until softened
3. Crush or chop the garlic and add to pan with seasoning
4. Add in the wine and simmer for 15 minutes then add in the stock, tomatoes and basil
5. Place lid on dish and place in the oven for at least 3 hours, until boar is very tender and has started to fall apart into ragu. Keep checking the oven and top up with a cup of water every hour to make sure it does not dry out.

I serve with rigatoni and top with a little more fresh basil. There is no need for cheese on this dish but I always like a bit so you can add if you like.

Kasbah Liverpool: restaurant review

I have been wanting to visit Morocco for a while now but have still not got around to booking a trip, so whilst it sits on my to-do list I'll just have to make do with eating Moroccan food at home. Until recently I have had to make do with making tagines and cous cous at home but now Liverpool has a great little Moroccan restaurant that offers a relaxed and authentic meal without the washing up. Kasbah, situated on Bold Street in Liverpool city centre, has been open a while now and I have eaten great food there a couple of times. As a lover of spice, I always welcome new restaurants that offer something a little different than the standard curry houses or the abundance of eat all you can chinese. Whilst there are some great restaurants that offer Indian and Asian food, the city is lacking in places that offer traditional African cuisine. I love the subtle spices and string aroma of Moroccan food offers, and this is certainly what hits you when you walk into Kasbah. The restaurant has a very warm and welcoming feel, offering a traditionally decorated room; not simply a cheesy themed establishment. There is a small areas dedicated to selling Moroccan gifts and spices, which is a little pricey but offers something a little different if you feel like splashing out. My visit was not about shopping though, it was all about the delicious smelling food that was on offer.

The menu offers light meals and tapas dishes, if you are just popping in for a quick lunch, or more substantial meals for an evening meal or, like me, just very hungry. My husband and one year old joined me on my latest visit, for a late lunch after a day out at the museum. With such a great menu it was hard to pick out what we wanted so we decided to share a couple of the tapas dishes and a chicken tagine. Our first tapas choice was Briouats mama, light filo pastry rolls filled with spiced minced lamb, that tasted really good with the sweet tomato and chilli chutney served on the side. The rolls were crisp and fragrant and were not too greasy, as often lamb and pastry can be. Falafal was our second tapas dish , which was packed full of flavour and not too dry.The ' tagine de Marrakech ' was next up, with strong flavours of saffron and lemon coming through but not spoiling the delicate chicken. The side dish of cous cous was a little bland and could have packed a little bit of flavour to compliment the tagine but it did not spoil our meal at all. Good flatbread helped soak up the juices of the tagine and finished off an all round good meal. . Kasbah is an alcohol free restaurant but the great food more than make up for the lack of wine and you could always pop along to one of the great bars in and around bold street afterwards. They do serve great mint tea though, served in beautiful pots, again offering a traditional take on moroccan dining.The restaurant is great value for money and offers lunch deals that are much better then grabbing a soggy meal deal somewhere.

Creamy Plum and Almond sponge

I recently had great fun baking cakes and raising money for Macmillan along with Cosy Bean Coffee, Say it with Flours and The Mixing Bowl. Cosy Bean is a great independent coffee shop that has a lovely community feel and has regular events to bring in the locals. Say it with flours and The mixing bowl are both small baking businesses based in South Liverpool, providing home baked treats to local coffee shops and homes. We all decided to get together to share our love of cake and raise a few pennies for a really good cause. I made a Brazil nut cappuccino cake, iced buns and a creamy plum and almond sponge cake, all of which went down very well but the plum cake was a particular success. I decided to make the cake as I had a fresh jar of homemade plum and almond jam that I was looking forward to using. For the jam I made this basic plum jam recipe and then added 2 drops of almond essence to give it an extra flavour.

Ingredients

For the sponge

3 medium eggs
175g self raising flour
175g caster sugar
175g unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp almond essence

For the filling

3 tbsp plum jam
150ml fresh double cream, whipped

For topping

150g icing sugar
1tbsp milk
pink icing for piping

Method

1. Preheat oven to Gas mark 4/180 degrees. Make the sponge by beating the butter and sugar until smooth then adding eggs, vanilla and almond essence and milk. Once combined sift in the flour and mix gently. Divide the mixture between 2 round cake tins ( I used 20cm tin)
2. Whip the double cream and poor onto one of sponge bases, once the cake has cooled. Once the cream is spread onto the cake add on the jam and spread before adding top layer of sponge.
3. Mix the icing sugar with the milk and spread the icing on to the top layer. Once the icing has set, pipe the pink icing in lines, first of all vertical then horizontal to make a criss cross pattern on top of cake.

Project scouse chicken and barley soup

I wrote this recipe down a few months ago for Project Scouse and thought I would post on here now, seeing as though the jumpers and gloves are out and we will all be thinking of comfort food. When asked to think of traditional scouse dishes my mind immediately went to sitting on Nanna Kitty's couch on a Saturday afternoon, watching TV whilst she cooked in the kitchen. One of the dishes she made quite often was chicken and barley soup, something which I think was a firm staple for a lot of people growing up in Liverpool and something that I still love to cook. The soup uses only a few ingredients, with the key ingredient of chicken being taken from leftovers of the previous nights tea. The fact that the soup uses few ingredients, is quick to make and goes a long is probably why it was a huge favourite for everyone but for me it is a favourite because it not only tastes great but it takes me to a nice warm place full of lovely childhood memories.

Each family will have their own little take on the dish but here is my Nanna Kitty's recipe if any of you would like to give it a try.

Ingredients

Makes large pan

Leftovers from a whole roasted chicken, including bones. If you don't have left overs then use a small cooked breast and a leg or thigh *
1 cup of pearl barley
2 carrots
1 large onion
1 bayleaf
50ml milk
salt and pepper to season

* If you choose to use breast only then you will need to add half a chicken stock cube

Method

1. Roughly chop your onion and carrots and fry in a large pan with a little oil until onion are softened.
2. Take your leftover chicken and remove any fat or skin.  Take any flesh from the chicken and set aside then place the larger bones into a the pan, adding water until the pan is 3/4 full
3. Once water is brought to a boil, add the bay leaf and seasoning and allow the bones to simmer for 30-45 minutes. Remove all bones from pan
4.  Add in the cup of barley and the flesh from the chicken ( I like large shredded strips). Cook for 30-40 minutes. Remove all bones.
5. If the soup looks too thick for your taste then add a little water. Serve with homemade bread and butter.

Beetroot, goats cheese and pine nut tart

Over the past few weeks I have appeared to have accumulated an abundance of beetroot, either from local farmers markets, food festivals or my weekly veg delivery from Windmill Organics . As a child all I knew of beetroot was the pickled kind that made your cheese butties go purple but I have since discovered the delights of fresh beetroot in the like of soups, cakes or, at it's best, simply roasted.  Beetroot is great source of iron and vitamins and is a tasty way of adding to your five a day. I am planning on trying some beetroot bread soon but have been keeping things simple so far, with this Beetroot and Goats Cheese Tart with Pine Nuts being a recent favourite. I picked up some lovely goats cheese from the brilliant Liverpool Cheese Company, that added a great depth of flavour to the tart without overpowering the beetroot. For more beetroot recipes check out Love Beetroot for a little inspiration. such as the intriguing sound of Lamb and Sweetfire beetroot burgers with feta.

Ingredients

Rough puff pastry made using Dan Lepard's  recipe from the brilliant ' Short and Sweet '

400g beetroot ( peeled and roasted)

2 onions

1 clove garlic

25ml balsamic vinegar

125 ml red wine

small amount of fresh thyme

1 tbps maple syrup ( can use honey but I hate the stuff)

200g soft goats cheese

Salt and pepper

50g pine nuts

olive oil for roasting and frying

Method

1.Prepare the pastry as per ' short and sweet' light rough puff recipe. The pastry can be rolled out roughly into any shape you like but I used a large quiche tin for mine, in order to give it a little bit of structure.

2. Roughly chop the beetroot into small wedges, drizzle with oil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until softened.

3. Heat some oil in a deep frying pan and add in the chopped onions. Cook the onions until they are soft and add in the chopped garlic, thyme then after a couple of minutes add in the wine, vinegar and syrup then season. Stir in the beetroot, half the pine nuts and half the cheese until loosely combined.

4. Poor the beetroot mixture over the centre of the pastry, leaving the edges uncovered. Cut the rest of the cheese into tick slices and place on top of the mixture along with the rest of the pine nuts then cook for 20-25 minutes until pastry is golden and cheese is melted.

Cupcake fun

Seeing as it is National Cupcake Week, I thought I would write a post on cupcakes! I know that a lot of ' foodies' turn their noses up at the overly sweet smell of cupcakes but I think they bring a lot of fun to the baking world. Don't get me wrong, if I had the choice of a big fat wedge of lemon drizzle cake, that looks a bit rough around the edges and a perfectly formed cupcake with enough icing on it to give you a week long sugar rush, the lemon cake would win every time. Generally the cupcake is more about style over substance but sometimes a lady just loves pretty things and as much as I love lopsided, homely looking classics; I just cannot help but to smile at a well designed, guilt laden cupcake. Another reason I like cupcakes is that they are usually the first port of call when cooking with children, which is always fun and if made from scratch it means children get to learn how to bake a tasty treat rather than eat a cardboard like creation that has been sat in a box for months. I know that any cake is not the best for you but, as a little treat , homemade is always better than one full of salt and too many E numbers. It would be an understatement to say that the market is saturated with cupcake makers at the moment but in amongst the mass of generic cupcakes lie some pretty good bakers and cupcake artist; with good flavour combinations and thoughtful design. Say it with flours, is one cupcake decorator that I think ticks all the boxes when it comes to cupcakes; great tasting, inventive, fun and made from the heart rather than to simply make a few pennies.

I have made quite a few cupcakes in my time but I admit that my food always tastes a hell of a lot better than it looks, especially when it comes to delicate finishings. So, when I heard Say it with flours was holding a decorating class I thought I would pop along to get a few hints and tips. The class was held at Crafty Corner, a great local organisation run my a group of artistic mums that cater for all things crafty for children; well worth a visit if your little ones need entertaining. I usually shy away from anything that involves groups of women on a night out together but the session was relaxed, fun and informative and I'm glad I went along. Cupcakes may not be everyones cup of tea but, minus a bit of the icing, I certainly like the odd one with my brew.

Spread the word

I am taking a little stray away from food, as a one off, so that I can talk about my other love; books. The 8th September sees the world celebrate International Literacy day; a day in which book lovers and literacy enthusiasts bring awareness of literacy issues across the globe. As a book geek and a new mummy, I am passionate about reading and education and believe that all children should have access to books. Unfortunately there are children who have little or no access to books, even when they attend school, which is why it is important to support great organisations like Book Aid International. Book Aid helps increase access to books and supports literacy, education and development in Sub- Saharan Africa. Take a look at their website to hear more about the work they do and how they are helping to celebrate world literacy day this year.

As an ambassador for Barefoot Books, I want to support Book Aid by donating £1 for every book sold  via my online sales this month. For just £2 per month Book Aid can send a book out to Africa, so hopefully you can help send a few more out this month, whilst having a new book to share with your little one. As well as back to school favourites and books about world culture, there are lots of food related books if you have any budding foodies on your hands. All you need to do is take a look at the Barefoot shop using the links in this post and I will donate the money to Book Aid at the end of the month.

Don't forget to add discount TWENTY12 to get 20% off, if this is your first buying from Barefoot.

Snack time with Duke of Delhi

As my regular readers will know, I am a little obsessed with all things chocolate and very obsessed to all things spicy; so I was both intrigued and excited to try a new product from Duke of Delhi. Duke of Delhi offer a range of snacks that deliver ' traditional Indian flavours with a British zing '. As well as bombay mix style snacks, there is a range of biscuits on offer with flavours such as orange, chilli and chocolate and fig and cashew nut. The combinations of a curry like flavour and chocolate does sound quite strange but as a fan of chocolate and chilli combinations I thought I would give it a try. I was sent a tub of the Chocolate chunk Delhi mix to taste and it was certainly very interesting. The product is a mix inspired by Chevedo; an Indian street food that we would liken to Bombay mix. I am a fan of Bombay mix but it can often be too powdery and/or greasy; not this mix, it is light, crispy and, for me, has a good level of spice that gives just enough kick. The addition of a soft, not too bitter, chocolate is a strange yet moreish addition. My husband could not quite work it all out but that did not stop him going in for another handful. I shared his confusion and am still not 100% sure if the combination works; it is not an unpleasant taste but not something that I would naturally put together. For me this is a tasty product that is great for parties or group get togethers; to share and have a bit of fun with. Like I said, even though we could not quite get it the combination but it was fun to eat and the proof was in the wanting to have another taste, so why not tickle your taste buds and give it a go.

I am not one for endorsing a lot of products but I love companies that value their independence and take care in the production and promotion of their products. Duke of Delhi ensure that they make their food my hand using natural ingredients, from ethical sources. Not only that, they give 7% of their profit to the Elephant Family charity, which is a very nice touch. If a mix of spices and chocolate is not your, the great biscuit selection may just be.

Almond yoghurt ice cream with gooseberry ripple

I know I'm inundating you with ice cream recipes but once I take the machine out to make one batch I always think of another new flavour. I recently used fresh blackcurrants from the garden to make blackcurrant and liquorice ice cream and could really taste the difference from using bland supermarket fruit. Where possible, I like to use produce is in season and is local, which is exactly what the gooseberries I picked up at church view farm were. As soon as I bought the gooseberries I made up a quick gooseberry jam that I could store and use for scones and desserts. With yoghurt that was about to go out of date, I made this quick almond yoghurt ice cream and added some of the gooseberry jam for a ripple of extra flavour. If you cannot make the jam then you can always go out and buy some but I always prefer homemade jam as bought in jams are often too sweet for my taste.

Ingredients

250ml natural yoghurt
100ml milk
75g sugar
1 tsp almond essence
4 tblsp gooseberry jam
2 tbsp water

Method

1. Add sugar and milk into pan and heat gently for around 10 minutes, until sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool.
2. Add almond essence and yoghurt to the milk mixture and store in fridge, preferably overnight but for at least 2 hours if you are in a hurry. Follow instructions for your ice cream maker and churn.
3. Add the water and jam to a saucepan and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes, so that the jam loosens and is easy to ripple. Allow to cool.
4. In your storage container pour a thin layer of the ice cream then drizzle over the jam mixture, continue to add layers until all of the mixture is used up. be as messy as you like with the drizzle so that it mixes well with the yoghurt.

Blackcurrant and liquorice ice cream

I know we have not had much sun this summer but, for me, ice cream is a treat to be enjoyed all year round. As a child my mum moaned about the ice cream van coming around in the rain, " why would people want to buy ice cream when it's this cold? " she would say, the answer would always be " but I want one ". Whilst my taste for ice cream may have matured with the cheap Mr Whippy not washing with me anymore, it is still fun to eat ice cream on a blowy walk down the beach of a Sunday afternoon. It always surprises me that there are not that many ice cream parlours about but not to worry as it is always fun to make your own and experiment with flavours. My recent rhubarb, strawberry and anise sorbet went down a treat, the subtleness of the anise added a nice twist to a straightforward recipe. I wanted to try another ice cream made with anise and seeing as though the garden blackcurrants were ready to pick I decided on a retro sweet classic; blackcurrant and liquorice. I was really pleased with the results and I think I got the taste I wanted but you could always replace the anise with liquorice essence.
 

Ingredients

200g blackcurrants
4 Star Anise
25ml water
100g caster sugar
250ml double cream
50ml milk ( I used semi as had no whole)

Method

1. Place the blackcurrants in a saucepan along with the water and anise and cook for around 10-15 minutes or until skin has softened. Add in the sugar and keep on heat for a further 5 minutes, so the sugar fully dissolves and mixes with your juice. Be careful not to heat for too long as you do not want to create a jam like mixture.
2. Allow the blackcurrant mixture to cool then pass through a sieve to remove all bits ( save the anise flowers to put back in once mixed with other ingredients)  Allow to cool then mix in the milk and cream.
3. Cover your cream mixture and keep on the fridge overnight or at least 2 hours if you are in a hurry.
4. Remove the anise and then follow instructions for your ice cream maker and churn away . This is great served simply with a handful of fresh blackcurrants.

Restaurant review: Maharaja Liverpool

I started this blog with the intention to share my love of food, cooking, eating and visiting local restaurants but until now I have not written a restaurant review. The demands of a small baby has meant less time for eating out and more time to spend on my own recipes, although I have visited far too many coffee and cake shops since being on maternity leave. I have not been a total restaurant recluse, the odd babysitter now and again plus some great family friendly restaurants in Liverpool have provided me a fix of good food without the washing up. One place I have visited a few times recently is Maharaja; a Keralan restaurant on London Road, which is definitely one of the best Indian restaurants I have visited in England. I absolutely adore Indian food, it has always been the top of my list and I am always in search of more authentic recipes and restaurants. I have visited various regions of India, including southern India and can definitely say that the curry houses that we have over here rarely hit the spot when it comes to authenticity. That is not to say that I have not found good Indian restaurants in England ; UNI, Sultan's palace and Mayur ( the quail massala there is great) are all worth a visit if you are in Liverpool. After hearing good words, Maharaja had been on my ' to go ' list for a while but was one of those I did not get around to until a few months ago and now I kick myself for leaving it so long.

My recent visit was for a family meal, with nine of us tucking into a mini feast. My mum was a little hesitant about going as she is not that adventurous and was worried about the food being too hot but that is the thing about good Indian food; it is all about spices and flavours not how much heat you can take before breaking out into a sweat. The obligatory popadams were ordered, which arrived with a large selection of dips including a punchy lime pickle. The menu is quite big but not too overwhelming, with a good selection of vegetarian and fish dishes as well as meat dishes, including beef which is popular in the south of India. For starters, the Kerala Bonda was the dish of the choice for a few of us; lightly spiced potato balls fried in chickpea flour that were not too heavy and left plenty of room for mains. The others ordered chicken butter fry and chicken puffs for starters, both of which were good although the puff was a little dry. For our main meals, me and my husband shared the lamb mappas; a  richly spiced curry with ginger, chilli and garlic, and  the masala dosa which we had on our first visit and was so delicious that we hard to order again. It is very hard to get a ' proper' dosa in Liverpool, in fact Maharaja is the only place which I have found them to be like the ones you get in India. You can also enjoy traditional ' Idli ' , that can also be hard to find. The dosa, a (very) large folded pancake,  comes filled with spiced potatoes and comes with a bowl of dhal and coconut chutney on the side; to be eaten with the hand. As with all of the meals we had ( highlights included the chicken Olatha and lamb chops)  the dosa is probably a bit too much for one person if you are ordering starters, rice and bread, so I would recommend sharing a few dishes if you are in a large group and sharing the rice and breads if in a couple. 

I never have a pudding in Indian restaurants, partly as they are usually just bought in frozen desserts but mostly as I am always too full after my main meal. Maharaja do have two or three homemade desserts on the menu, as well as the ice creams, but we all enjoyed are food so much we couldn't fit anymore in. The crockery and tableware is not fancy here and it could do with a lick of paint but what is most important is the high quality food, great service and excellent value for money; two courses plus paratha, rice and drinks came to around £20 each, which is a bargain these days. If you have not tried Maharaja and want to eat traditional Indian food then give them a visit, it is not often I struggle to find flaws in restaurants but this one really does tick all my boxes.

Chocolate, walnut and avocado sponges

I recently made a beetroot cake for the first time and was quite impressed by the subtle flavours and moistness it offered. Carrot cake is another favourite of mine as, again, I like the subtle flavour the carrot brings as well as great texture. I always make cakes with fruit in but I have never tried making a dessert with avocado due to its lack of sweetness but as my beetroot cake was a success I thought I would give it a go. Whilst avocados are not sweet, they have a high fat content, which makes them a great addition to a dessert; in my recipe I use a small amount of butter but it can be left out altogether if you prefer. I did not have a problem finding ripe avocados in our house as my daughter is currently weaning and loves them. Avocados do have a high fat content so we should never eat them in abundance but as with all foods ( in my opinion) everything in moderation is good for you, whether that be on the body or the mind. There are lots of great vitamins to be found in avocados and you can make great salads, sandwiches and savoury treats with them but for this recipe I have gone for the full on treat that will give you a different chocolate fix. This recipe also includes vanilla essence to give an extra dimension to the cake. I used Ndali vanilla, which is a great fair-trade product that I came across when reading Vanessa Kimbell's experience of spending a week in Uganda visiting Ndali.

Ingredients

For sponge

125g self-raising flour
125g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
50g butter
1 avocado
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp milk
1tsp vanilla essence
50g chopped walnuts

For filling

1 avocado
150-200g icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Method

1. Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl, until sooth then mash in the avocado until fully combined.
2. Add in the eggs and whisk together then add in the vanilla, milk cocoa powder and walnuts
3.  Fold in the flour and baking powder to complete your mix
4.  Line a baking tray with grease proof paper and place 6 greased stainless steel ' finishing ' rings ( I used rings that were 8cm ) onto the sheet. Fill each ring until 2/3 full and cook in an oven preheated to 180 degrees/gasmark 4 for 15 minutes.
5. Whilst the sponge is cooking, make the creamy filling by mashing the avocado with the vanilla essence then adding in the icing sugar bit by bit until you get a soft mixture that is thick enough to spread onto cake.
6. Once out of the oven allow the cakes to cook slightly then carefully remove rings. Slice the cakes in half through the middle of the cake, top the bottom half of the cake with the avocado cream then place the top half on top of the cream and dust the top with icing sugar.

A growing community

If you read my last post about going local, you will know that I love everything about supporting independents and growing your own. For me, it is always great to hear about local events and projects that encourage awareness of what we eat.  When looking for something to do on a sunny Saturday recently, I came across an event at a local community centre that was holding an Eco fun day. The event was held by Windsor Grass roots, Green shoots, ' a creative urban growing collaboration between  Squash Nutrition, Windsor primary school, Toxteth TV, Toxteth library and local green-fingered activists, to ' green-up ' get growing and cooking lovely food in the Windsor street area '. On entering the event we were given a very warm welcome by the organisers and invited to eat free food, pick up free plants and learn all about what they do. Chatting to different people from the community and seeing the passion they have for the work they are doing was great; really inspiring. I realise that sounds a bit gushy but in the age of ready meals and self service check out, it's great to people really getting involved with food and sharing their love.

There was also a free ' veggie tombola ' in which everybody won a prize, mine being this lovely beetroot grown on the lovely on site allotment

I quickly made a lovely Chocolate and Beetroot cake and a quick beetroot, feta and walnut salad. I got the cake recipe from BBC Good Food and for the salad I simple peeled and sliced the beetroot, cooked it in the oven with oil and balsamic vinegar for 20 minutes, added feta and walnuts then put back in the oven for a further 5 minutes so the cheese warmed through; delicious.

Throughout 2012, Squash will be working on various projects as well as providing great courses where you can go along and learn all about cooking, preserving and even beekeeping. There really is a lot of great work going on around our city, with lots of projects interested in getting people involved. I have just registered with Project Dirt and am looking forward to getting involved with some of the projects and events in and around Liverpool, so why not take a look, get involved and bring back a sense of community.

Rhubarb, Strawberry and Anise Sorbet

When I think of British summertime strawberries are the first thing that pop into my head; I just love them. Growing up, our next door neighbour grew his own strawberries every year and always brought big bowls of them in for me; ' the strawberry queen ' as he called me. I always try to buy food in season, which means I try to avoid imported strawberries and gorge on British strawberries throughout summer. Another fruity favourite of mine is rhubarb, again this was grown in both our garden and our next door neighbours garden so crumble was often on the menu growing up. During a recent drive, I stopped off at the lovely Church view farm and picked up a gorgeous bunch of rhubarb and a big punnet of strawberries, my summer heaven despite the rain. When I got home, rather than making an obligatory crumble I decided that a sorbet was in order, as the ice cream maker has not been out of the cupboard for a few weeks an there was a little ( short-lived) hint of sunshine on the way.

I love how easy it is to make great ice-cream and it is a great way of using up fruit. I bought an ice-cream maker as a present for Mr Giannasi and it is honestly one of the most used presents I have ever bought, not one of those gadgets that get used once then collect inches of dust in the back of the cupboard. We take turns in making ice-cream and sorbets, each time trying to out do each other and declare that we have made the best yet. Well , with this recipe, we have both agreed that my rhubarb, strawberry and anise is the best so far, it really does taste so good and I haven't been able to resist dipping my spoon in over the last couple of days. I decided to add the anise in for an extra flavour that is light and fragrant without being too over powering and I am really happy with the results.  As this recipe is a very fruity affair , I am entering this in to the  Kavey Eats June bloggers scream for ice cream challenge

Ingredients ( makes 1 litre tub)

2 large stalks of rhubarb, roughly chopped
1/2 punnet of strawberries
Juice from 1/2 lemon
150 ml water
4 star anise
100g golden caster sugar

Method

1.  Simply add all of the ingredients to a pan, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes.
2.  Drain the the mixture, keeping the juice in a separate pan. Remove the anise from the fruit mixture and and blend the fruit into a fine pulp.
3. Add the blended fruit into the drained juice and stir. I gave the mixture an extra sieve once I had mixed with the juice, to get a smoother finish but you could leave the sieving out if you don't mind a sorbet with some ' bits' .
4. Chill the mixture in the fridge for at least 2 hours but I always leave overnight to ensure a smoother ice cream/sorbet, as the cooler the mixture the quicker it comes together in the ice cream maker; meaning less ice crystals forming.
5. Follow instructions for your ice cream maker and there you have a lovely juicy sorbet. If you don't have an ice cream maker simply freeze in a pot and take out to stir every few hours to avoid large ice crystals.

Go Local

Everywhere you look these days there is organic this that and the other, but is organic food really better for us? Don't worry I'm not going to get into that debate here as quite frankly I cannot decide which side of the line I sit. Part of me buys into the fact that organic food can offer good quality, chemical free products that often taste better and are kinder to the environment. The other half, however, cannot help but feel that organic food is something of a foodie trend that can be over hyped, over priced and not always as eco friendly as we think. Ultimately I think it is great that we do have ever increasing options to buy organic food, if the quality and ethos of the product warrant the extra strain on the purse. For me, the fact that we have a greater awareness of what we are putting into our bodies and, on the whole, are eating more fruit and vegetables is something that I think is more important than whether or not the product is organic. I do want to buy products that do not have lots of salt, sugar and preservatives, which both organic and non organic are often guilty of. Personally I am passionate about supporting producers and suppliers that offer food that is both independent and local. I am proud that I have not been in a certain supermarket chain, that is slowly taking over the world, for over 2 years now as I would rather support local shops where every little bit does actually help. That is not to say that I do not shop in supermarkets at all, unfortunately that is too hard for me, but I do try to make smarter choices to where I do buy.

One place that I really do love to shop is Windmill Wholefoods, a small independent based on Aigburth road in Liverpool. Windmill is run by Liverpool Green Cooperative and delivers fresh, organic whole food to Liverpool, stocking fair trade, vegan, organic, vegetarian and ethical products. As well as a great variety of interesting products in store, Windmill provide a local ' veg box ' delivery service, which is great value for money. I have had veg boxes from other companies in the past but found that they could often consist of more style over substance, so I feel better supporting a local business that focus on quality produce rather than great branding. I love picking up my bag from the doorstep and rummaging inside to see what I have for the week and thinking of what I can cook rather than buying the same veg week in week out from a supermarket.

Another great source for local food is the brilliant Big Barn. Big Barn have a great website full of information on where you can buy from your local suppliers and there are some products that can be bought online. As well as being able to search for  great food, Big Barn provide lots of news, thoughts and ideas on how we can all do our little bit to keep it local. It easy to get caught up in the world of the supermarkets, processed food and ready made marvels but it really is easy to make small changes and support our independents. In some areas it is hard to find a good butcher, fishmonger etc but they are about and maybe if we all shopped in them a little bit more then there would be more of them. It is also nice to go for a drive to visit some great farms such as Claremont Farm on the Wirall and Church View Farm in Lydiate plus there are lots of farmers markets popping up all over merseyside, so why not get out and about and give local a go!

Mandarin and Almond cake

On a recent visit to wonderful Bold Street Coffee I tried a slice of their clementine and almond cake and subsequently fell in love, it was so good. I have made and bought a whole lot of cake in my time but this was definitely up there with the best. Desperate for my next fix I decided to try my own version at home and whilst it was not as good as the one I bought, it definitely did not disappoint. Clementines, tangerines and satsumas are all varieties of mandarin so it does not really matter too much which variety you choose for this cake; I used satsumas. I ate the cake with coffee and found that the flavours really complimented each other but I am sure it tasted great with a good old cuppa too.

Ingredients

3 Mandarins ( any variety)
125g ground almonds
3 medium eggs
100g caster sugar
150g self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbs milk
100g butter
Icing sugar for dusting

Method

1. Bring a pan of water to the boil and simmer the mandarins, including the skin, for 1 1/2 - 2 hours to soften.
2. Preheat oven to 180 degrees ( Gas mark 4) and grease your cake tin ( I used a 20cm round tin)
3. Once the mandarins have finished simmering allow them to cool before breaking them with your hands and removing any pips. Blend the mandarins into a fine pulp and set aside whilst you make your cake mixture.
4. Whisk the sugar and butter together until soft and fluffy then one by one add in the eggs. Add in the milk almond and baking powder followed by the mandarin and finally sift in the flour and mix until all ingredients are combined.
5. Pour mixture into your dish and back for 35-40 minutes, until a knife comes out clean when placed in middle of the cake.
6. Sift icing sugar over the top of the cake and allow to cool.

Greek inspired meze

Sometimes I cannot decide on what I want for tea at home or what meal to have in a restaurant, which is why I am a big fan of tapas and mezes. Last night was one of those nights were I had taken some lamb chops out of the freezer but hadn't really thought of what to do with them. So, I looked in the fridge and cupboards to see what I could find and decided to make a few bits and bobs with a greek theme. When we were last in Greece,Mr Giannasi fell in love with the courgette and feta fritters that we had at our favourite restaurant, so I have been making my own version ever since. Along with the fritters and lamb I made Greek style butter beans and Tzatziki and warmed up a few Kalamata and Halkidiki olives.  I served all of this up on a plate, just for ease on a monday night, but these are great dishes to put out on the table, along with haloumi, hummus , souvlaki etc, and let everybody help themselves if you have friends around.

Courgette and Feta Fritters

Ingredients ( Makes 8 fritters)

1 courgette
1 large potato, preferably a dry potato such as Maris Piper or King Edward
100g feta cheese
30g cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 tsp dried oregano
small bunch fresh mint, chopped
salt and pepper to season
1 egg
small cup of flour
olive oil for frying

Method

1. Grate the courgette into a large bowl and add a little salt, to dehydrate it. Leave for half an hour then drain the water from bowl. I always give an extra squeeze with hands to take out any excess water.
2. Boil the potato, allow to cool and add to the bowl along with all of the other ingredients and combine
3. Divide the mixture into 8 balls and put on a plate in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up slightly
4. Beat the egg in one bowl and add flour to another bowl. Heat the oil in a frying pan then fry then dip the courgettes into the flour, then the egg and finally back into the flour before putting in the pan and cooking until golden brown. Be careful not to cook for too long as they will go a little sloppy but they will still taste great!

Lemon and Cumin Lamb Chops

Ingredients

4 lamb chops
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp parprika
Juice of half a lemon

Method

Simply mix the spices together in a cup along with the a little of the olive oil and lemon juice and coat the chops in the mixture. Leave for an hour or so and fry the lamb in olive oil for 4-5 minutes on each side. Allow to rest a little before serving.

' Giant ' Butter Beans in Tomato sauce

Ingredients

1 can of butter beans
1 can of tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 chopped onion
50ml white wine
salt and pepper to season
olive oil for frying

Method

1. Fry the chopped onion in a little olive oil, until soft, then add in the garlic and fry for another 20 seconds or so, be careful not to let the garlic burn.
2. Add in the tomatoes, herbs and wine and simmer for 30 minutes
3. Add in the drained butter beans and season. Cook for a further 15 minutes then serve.

Tzatiki

Ingredients

Small pot of natural greek yoghurt
1 clove garlic, crushed
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 cucumber
pinch of salt

Method

Grate the cucumber and use hands to squeeze out excess as much water as possible. Add the lemon juice, salt then garlic to the yoghurt then stir and combine with the cucumber. I always put in the fridge before serving to keep it cold and allow it to thicken a little.

Vada Pav

I have mentioned before that indian food is my absolute favourite thing to eat, I really could eat it every day. After a recent visit to the excellent Maharaja restaurant in Liverpool ( see review at Seven Streets) I was inspired to make some of my favourite Indian recipes. During my last visit to India I was brave enough to sample the local street food and boy am I glad that I did. Amongst my favourites was vada pav, a potato based take on a burger that originates from the Maharashtra region. If you are ever in Pune, visit ' JJ Garden ' for a vada fix but if not then give this recipe a try. Vada refers to the potato patty, that is quick and easy to make and includes ingredients that any spice lover will have in their cupboard.  Pav is the small bun, almost square in shape, that holds the patty. You can buy the buns if you are short on time but I made them using Dan Lepard's soft white bap recipe from Short and Sweet, just make them smaller than the recipe states. Traditionally vada pav is served with a green chutney, which I have included in my recipe, but you could replace with other Indian chutneys or simply fry a little chilli and onion add on top.

                               JJ's garden Pune, picture from Pune Diaries



Ingredients

 ( makes 10)

For the Vada

6 large potatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1cm cube fresh ginger
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric
2 -3 green chillies
6-8 curry leaves
small handful of fresh coriander
salt and black pepper
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
small cup of gram flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
oil for frying

For the chutney

bunch fresh coriander
small handful of fresh mint
1 green chilli, finely chopped
juice of half lemon
1 tsp grated coconut ( optional)
1/2 clove garlic
1 tsp olive oil

Method

For the Vada

1. Boil the potatoes until soft and roughly mash in the pan.
2. Blend together the ginger, garlic, chilli and coriander with a little water, in a food processor until a paste is made
3. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and gently cook the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves, until the seeds start to ' pop '.
4. Add the turmeric to the frying pan and stir then add in the mashed potatoes
5. Stir the mixture and mash until smooth but be careful not to let it get too runny. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Mix the gram flour, bicarbonate of soda, chilli powder and gram masala in a large bowl and add a little water to make a thick batter.
7. Divide the potato mixture into 10 ball shaped pieces, dip into batter and fry until golden brown. Remove from fryer and drain excess oil.

For the chutney roughly chop the coriander and mint and mix in a small bowl with all other ingredients.

To serve, take your pre-prepared pav and spread some of the chutney onto both sides. Pop in one of your warm pieces of vada and enjoy. If you do like your food with a little more kick then add a few extra chillies on top.  In Pune the locals wash their food down with sugar cane juice but I prefer with a beer or three.

Osso Buco

Apart from Indian food, Italian has to be my favourite. I love the fresh, simple ingredients and flavours that you get from many Italian dishes and the smells that take me back to Tuscany are amazing.  I can only dream of living in Italy at the moment but in the meantime I am happy to look forward to holidaying there and cooking great Italian dishes at home. Tomatoes, basil and pasta are always available in my kitchen for when I just need to throw something together quickly but it is always nice for me to try something to further explore my Italian food crush .Wild boar stew, Tuscan bread soup and veal Milanese are all favourites of mine along with this lovely recipe for Osso Buco.

Osso Buco is a rich, braised veal dish made with veal shin. In Italian, Osso is the bone and Buco is the hole, which refers to the bone marrow that is essential to the dish. You don't have to eat the marrow as the the dish will pick up the rich flavour throughout the cooking process but for that extra bit of naughtiness it tastes delicious. Traditionally the dish is simply braised with vegetables and served with gremolata but a more modern version incorporates a tomato sauce, which is the dish I have made. This is a great dish for preparing quickly then leaving it to cook slowly whilst you crack open a bottle of red ( it tastes great with a nice Chianti or Montepulciano D'Abbruzzo ).

Ingredients

( for 2 people)

2 veal shin steaks, with bone marrow
2 celery sticks
2 carrots
1 large onion
3 cloves of garlic
250ml white wine
500ml chicken stock
1 tin of good quality chopped tomatoes
small handful of fresh oregano
2 bay leaves, preferably fresh but dried is ok
1 tbs flour
1 tbs olive oil

Method

1. Lightly dust the veal shins with flour and sear in a casserole pan with the olive oil, until browned
2. Chop the onion, celery and carrot, add to the pan and stir until softened
3. Crush or chop the garlic and add to pan
4. Add in the wine and simmer for 15 minutes then add in the stock, tomatoes, oregano and bay leaves
5. Place lid on dish and simmer for 1 1/2-2 hours, until veal is tender and marrow is soft enough to be able to scoop out.

Serve with polenta or potatoes.