Nigella's Chocolate Salame

I follow Nigella on Instagram and this was one of her Recipe of the day last week. The recipe is here and I can confidently say that this is not only delicious but it's the perfect gift at Christmas. I decided that this year I would make proper Italian chocolate salame as it has that extra special quality and richness that our chocolate biscuit cake misses out on and I think it's the creaminess from the eggs. It will slice straight from the fridge and goes perfectly with some after dinner espresso.

I watched this video on how to string the salame, made one and a half quantity of the recipe to produce one medium and two smaller salmae as gifts. If you are giving them as gifts and want a nut free version I think it would be acceptable to add digestive biscuits, dried fruit and some glace cherries as an alternative :) 

Ed's Mother's Meatloaf (Nigella Lawson)

It's just beginning to to get cool round these parts, the trees are gradually changing colour and at last I can get stuck into proper comfort food....my absolute favourite food!

I, for one am very glad to be back into the swing of things - we had the most wonderful summer here - but I just love the Autumn and especially September. It's the cool crisp air and the beautiful autumnal colours that bring a smile to my face.

Regular readers might have noticed that I took some time out from blogging this summer, it allowed me to spend time with my family.

We had a wonderful summer of day trips and just lazing around the house, but now my batteries are fully charged and I am ready to get back to blogging again.

Cinnamon and Date Buttermilk Scones

It was on a day out with my children at a lakeside café that I came across these scones. It is a strange thing when something as harmonious as dates and cinnamon are combined, it takes you by surprise...now why didn't I think of that - it's so obvious! 

Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

Smooth white chocolate the perfect companion for tart dried cranberries, to further my pleasure it's all wrapped up in a light crisp cookie!

Nigella's Spanish Chicken with Chorizo and Potatoes

 

Okay this is so simple and tasty to make that it would be unfair to get into any long discussions, so here is the important bit, this is the handiest dinner you will make this summer! Seeing as we are actually experiencing some real summer weather this week I'll just let you get on with it.....

Recipe adapted from Nigella's Kitchen 

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 tbsp Olive oil

12 Chicken thighs

750g Chorizo sausage, cut into large chunks (if you cut them too small they'll burn)

1kg Baby salad potatoes, cut in half

1-2 Red onions, peeled and roughly chopped

2 tsp Oregano (dried)

Zest of one orange

Method

Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/Gas Mark 7. Rub the olive oil into the bottom of two baking sheets (like the ones that come with your new oven, large with shallow sides) the oil will stop everything sticking to the baking sheets. Rub the chicken, skin side down in the oil, turn upright so they will cook with a beautiful crispy skin. 

Divide the chicken between the two baking sheets, interspersed with the potatoes,chorizo chunks and red onion, sprinkle over the oregano and orange zest. It's going to be very crowded but that's okay, it will all cook perfectly don't worry.

Cook for 60-65 minutes, swapping the trays halfway through so everything gets evenly crisp and caramelised. The chicken is cooked through when there is no pink meat and the juices run clear (no pink juices).

Serve with a green salad, a beautifully sunny day and a glass of something cool in a glass!!!

Buttermilk Scones

I find baking very cathartic, I slip into my own world, forgetting all the going's on around me. The kind of recipes that I find most rewarding are the ones that turn up really quick results. This recipe falls into that category, not only are they really quick to make but they look and taste beautiful. With every recipe I learn something new, so here are the main points of this learning exercise!!

Flour your cutter, the scones will rise much better than ones cut with an unfloured cutter. I used an unfloured cutter on one of the scones and it didn't rise as much as the others, it just spread out. I have the two scone's pictured (right) the unfloured cutter scone is on the right. Try not to overwork the dough, it will lead to tougher scones. If you are looking for a real treat, sprinkle the top of the scones with white sugar just before you put them into the oven. I can't tell you how nice these are with fresh whipped cream and a large dollop of strawberry jam...heaven!!

Recipe complements of Nigella Lawson's Kitchen

Nigella says:

Scones provide one of the best vehicles for clotted cream. The buttermilk in these scones not only gives them a slight tang - all the better to enjoy the jam and cream on top - but is also what yields such a melting, tender crumb. Until you have made a batch of scones you won’t have any idea how easy they are to throw together. Frankly, it shouldn’t take longer than 20 minutes to make and bake them, from start to finish.

Makes 10 (using an 8cm cutter)

Ingredients

500g Plain flour, plus extra for dusting

2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp Cream of tartar

2 tsp Caster sugar

50g Unsalted butter, from the fridge

25g Soft vegetable shortening

300ml Buttermilk

1 Egg, beaten, for an egg-wash (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 220ºC/450ºF/Gas Mark 7. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. 

Put the flour into a bowl with the bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar and sugar. Chop the butter and the vegetable shortening into pieces and drop them into the flour.

Rub the fats into the flour using your fingertips – or just mix any old how – and then pour in the buttermilk, working everything together to form a dough.

Lightly flour your work surface. Pat the dough down into a round-edged oblong about 4cm/1½in thick, then cut out 6cm/2¼in scones with a fluted cutter (I used an 8cm cutter).

Arrange the scones fairly close together on your lined baking sheet, and brush with beaten egg (to give golden tops), if you wish.

Cook for 12 minutes, by which time the scones will be dry on the bottom and have a relatively light feel. Remove them to a wire rack to cool, and serve with clotted cream and jam (or lemon and orange curd).

Nigella's Prawn Cakes

I've been craving some Thai food recently and although these aren't Thai in origin, they could act as a base for quick Thai fish cakes. I served these as a starter, which I arranged on a plate with some sweet chilli dipping sauce and then we enjoyed large bowls of steaming Thai Chicken Rice Soup for the main course. All very filling and satisfying comfort food I can assure you, these prawn cakes are really quick to make and in true Nigella style are fuss free. I have no deep fat fryer so I omitted the water and pan fried them instead until they were firm to the touch.

Recipe adapted from Nigella Bites

Serves 2

Ingredients
250g Raw prawns, finely chopped (I used cooked prawns)
1 Garlic clove, finely chopped
2 Whole scallions (spring onions), finely chopped
1/2 tsp Salt
50g Plain flour
4 tsp sherry
Olive oil

Method
Process or blend the prawns with the garlic, scallions, salt, flour, sherry, and enough water to make a thick batter. (I added no water so that I could pan fry rather than deep fry the cakes)

Let stand, covered with plastic film, for about 1 hour.

Then fry, in drops of 1 heaping teaspoon, into the oil poured to a depth of 5cms (2 inches) in a pan, for about 1 minute each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the most unbelievable cookies and should by right come with a health warning! However, if you are in serious need of a chocolate hit then these are the cookies for you.

Nigella's No Churn Pomegranate Ice Cream

Pomegranate's are divisive in our house, Andrew and I love them, taking ages ferreting out the juicy seeds, however my husband and daughter don't enjoy this particular experience at all, this recipe unites both sides of the divide. My Daughter has no idea that this is made with pomegranate juice, if so she wouldn't eat it, so to her it's the "pretty pink ice-cream" and it tastes too good not to have a least one bowl!!

I love all no churn ice cream because they're really simple and no different from the machine made stuff. This is smooth and sweet well worth trying. It is so easy to make that this post has more pictures than words!!

*Recipe complements of Nigella Lawson's Nigella Express

Serves 8

Ingredients
2 Pomegranates
1 Lime
175g Icing Sugar
500ml Double Cream ( I used two 284ml cartons Elmea Double Cream, so my ice cream is slightly paler)

Method
Juice the pomegranates and the lime and strain the juices into a bowl (very satisfying work this!).

Add the icing sugar and whisk to dissolve.

Whisk in the double cream and keep whisking until soft peaks form in the pale pink cream.

This is a perfect recipe for little helpers!!

Spoon and smooth the ice cream into the air tight container of your choice and freeze for at lease 4 hours, or overnight (I used an air tight 1.5ltr tub with a lid).

Scatter with some pomegranate seeds before you eat it.

Nigella's Mini Meatloaves

Nigella is the one of my favourite authors when it comes to cookbooks, her food is tasty and simple. I had an impression that she was a bit of a lightweight and it was just about good television, but having received as a present Nigella Express, I'm a convert!
I have her recipes dotted throughout my blog  and this is a firm favourite. Now just so you know I used ordinary rolled oats in this recipe, the Sausagemeat was skinned sausages and I've replaced A1 steak sauce with BBQ sauce, all for handiness. You can eat these hot or cold we've done both, plenty of times waiting for my husband to registered for a run, we've happily sat and eaten these as a picnic. Your choice, enjoy either way.

Serves 6
Ingredients
500g Sausagemeat
500g Minced Beef  (Iused Quorn Mince)
80g Quick Cook Oats
70g A1 Steak sauce
2 Eggs, beaten
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 Table salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 Degrees C/ Gas mark 6. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl really well with your hands or a fork.




Divide the mixture into 12 balls, and then shape into mini loaves. Sit the mini Meatloaves on a lined baking sheet with space between each and cook in the oven for 30 minutes.

Nigella's Quick Chilli

This is my all time favourite meal, especially when I need to be comforted and warmed. The majority of the ingredients are very easily stored in your cupboard until you are in need of a feast.