Wednesday 24 August 2011

Strawberry Crumble

Well on monday i popped down my local Co-op and they had a 400g punnet of strawberries  reduced to £1.60.  Not the cheapest but I fancied them :)

Jake and I had strawberries and icecream for dessert (couldnt convince Lily to come anywhere near them!) and wondered what to do with the rest.

In the night inspiration struck, i'll make a crumble, quick, easy and doesnt require a load of washing up.  Jake asks if its gluten free, so thats how I made it :)

I weighed the strawberries, and despite eating a load the night before still had 400g!!

I cut them up and lined the bottom of a pie dish with them, added approx 40g caster sugar and left it on the side.

Out came the food processor into which I popped 200g butter, and 400g gluten free plain flour.  I turned the machine on and let is zuzz until I had breadcrumbs, then whilst it was still running gradually added 200g caster sugar so it all got mixed together nicely.

I then put half the crumble on top of the strawberries and popped in the oven on 200 degrees for 25 mins.  The other half of the crumble I popped into the freezer for next time.

One thing I noticed was that gluten free flour does not seem to brown?! but it still tasted gorgeous, so much so my husband had 2 slices with icecream after his dinner :)

Monday 22 August 2011

What ive made today 22/8/2011

Today has been a bit of a 'clear out stuff thats been hiding at the back of the fridge and behind the tins of beans in the cupboard' day.  Yes you've guessed it, today was stew making day!

Now my prized possession is my slow cooker, I kicked and screamed, stamped and wailed, delaring to all and sundry I did not need nor did I want a slow cooker, but my mother bought me one and its my new best friend (kitchen appliance wise)

So, this week is late shift for my husband which means that I can pretty much make anything and he will eat it being so hungry by the time he gets home, perfect stew day.  Now being a winter dish, I usually get moans about its too hot, he wants something cold . . . . you get the picture, but late shift, thats anything goes :)

What did I do, well having a rummage, I found half an onion, some carrots the rest of yesterdays roast beef, and the last 2 potatoes in the bottom of the drawer in the fridge, so everything gets peeled and chopped and put to one side.  Cupboard reveals, a couple of oxo cubes from unknown date of purchase (been using bisto best for 2 years as oxo has gluten so they got to be old!) a new tub of mixed herbs and a half used tube of tomato paste.

So chopped onions went into the wok (i like using woks for this its much easier to keep everything in when your stirring) and got fried in a bit of oil, chucked in the cubed beef and a bit of plain flour.

Mixed the 2 oxo's into 600ml oof water and chucked that in on top, gave it a stir.  In go the carrots, potatoes and some peas I dug out the freezer, then the herbs and the puree.

Quick stir and into the slow cooker on low which will be left now until he gets home later.

I love this meal because you can just bung in anything you like and it can use up that veg in the fridge thats going a little bit past its best, you dont have to follow any quantities, just put in what you've got, plus its cheap!

I'll probably make some dumplings following the recipe on the suet packet and pop them in too at about 6pm. which means its all ready for when he gets home.

Serve it up in a deep cereal bowl with some bread and butter and you've got a lush dinner for the price of a bit of rummaging.

Changing my mind

I have mainly used this blog to post my various jewellery designs, but due to declining health its got to go onto a back burner.  This leaves me with a blog and no content.  hmm what to do . . . . i'll change my mind :)

This will no longer be a blog of designs (though im sure a few might shoulder their way in along the way) nope this will be a blog of ramblings about my various cooking and baking.

You see im an avid baker, have been since I was old enough to hold a saucepan without dropping it on my foot.  Give me a recipe and i'll make it, wont eat it (too many allergies/intolerances/just plain dont like it) but i'll make it and usually serve it up to the family for approval.

The other thing is my son is a coeliac, so I do alot of gluten free baking so this may also become a site of links to various gluten free recipes that I have tried and have been given the thumbs up by Jake :)