Eats

Lemon Meringue Slice

Now that those rat-bag kids have returned to the petting zoo, I can find time again to write and to cook. What better recipe for these hot nights and the heaving lemon tree, than a very simple slice. It’s actually Son Number 1′s recipe, but I’m poaching it. What’s best about this recipe is the meringue rises to the top all by itself.
Here we go:

PASTRY:
1 1/2 C flour
3/4 C caster sugar
150g butter

Whizz the butter with the rest of the ingredients to form a dough.
Grease a flan dish.
Bake pastry 170 degrees for approx 15min or till lightly golden.

FILLING:
4 large eggs
1 3/4 C sugar
Finely grated zest & juice 4 lemons
1/3 C Plain flour

Whisk eggs & sugar together till very thick (a large bloom is best for this – you want as much air as possible in the mix. I use my hefty old Kenwood mixer and she’s fab).
Fold in lemon juice & zest, then flour.

Pour over crust and bake 140 degrees approx 40 min or until set.

Serve cooled.

Voila!

 

 

Betty’s Sticky Date Pudding
370g stoned dates
2 Cups water
2 tsp baking powder
120g melted Butter
4 eggs beaten
370g brown sugar (about 3/4 C)
3 Cups self-raising flour

Cook dates (no need to chop them) and water together in a saucepan to reduce to a jam consistency. Allow 15 min to gently simmer.
Throw date mixture into a bowl filled with all other ingredients and blend. 
Pour into a greased and floured cake tin.
Bake at 180 c for about an hour or until cooked.

Sauce: 250g Butter
300g Brown Sugar
300ml cream

Melt butter, mix in B sugar. Slowly add cream.
Bring to the boil, simmer 5 min.

Top cake with caramel sauce. Serve warm with cream or icecream.

Bon Appetite!

 

Okay, new recipe folks. Handed down from generations. It’s a Moroccan one-pot-wonder, and best of all, involves only run-of-the-pantry ingredients. Easy as pie, but tastier.

SERVES 4 Adults

CHERMOULA FISH TANGINE
Chermoula is a classic moroccan sour+spice sauce used for marinading, or tarts up a nicoise salad no end…

CHERMOULA:

Simply pound all ingredients with a mortar and pestle to form a rough paste.

I bunch fresh parsley or coriander
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp each of ground cumin, coriander, paprika
1 small red chilli, seeded
1/2 tsp sea salt
juice of 1 lemon 
1/4 cup olive oil

FISH:
4 carrots, 4 celery sticks, 4 tomatoes thickly sliced
1/2 cup water
800g fresh fish fillets
1 cup of chermoula
Lemon wedges
Layer the bottom of a large casserole dish (or deep-dish fry pan works) with the carrots and celery. Add water and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Arrange tomatoes on top, then the fish. Pour the yummy chermoula over the top.

Cover and cook over a gentle heat for 30-40 minutes. Serve with lemon.

Aglio e Olio

A perfect concoction for when the cupboard is bare. Which, by they way, is the state of mine tonight. Also, fresh pasta makes the most fun party food, as guests can all have a turn at rolling out the sticky goodness and drying swathes of it on one arm whilst cradling a glass of red in the other. It’s worth every drop of flour on your favourite pinnie. 

The most basic of pasta dishes, Aglio e olio (oil and garlic) is quick comfort food which my fierecly growing brood snaffle up with contented sighs. So here we go:

SERVES 4 adults

YELLOW PASTA
3 free-range eggs
2 Cups flour

First put on some music. Good cooking music’s best. 

Throw ingredients in a whizz or blender (or put the flour on the bench, make a hole in the centre for the eggs and mix by hand) stopping when you have a sticky dough. Turn onto a floured counter and knead until smooth. 
You can do this earlier in the day if you like. Just cover with gladwrap and place in the fridge till needed. ESTIMATED TIME: 10 minutes (yes, just 10 minutes!!)

Divide the dough into quarters and run each portion through your pasta maker slowly minimising the thickness as you go until you have four thin sheets. Re-flour them, then put them through the fettuccine cutter. (You can of course do these steps by hand if you don’t have the tool). ESTIMATED TIME: 15 minutes

Let your pasta hang over the kitchen cupboards to dry while you prepare the sauce.
Put a large pot of salted and oiled water on to boil. 

AGLIO E OLIO
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated parmesan (optional)
2 knobs of butter (optional) 
and of course liberal dashings of salt and pepper

Mix ingredients together. Throw over the cooked and drained pasta, (only should take approx 4 minutes) Put the lid on for the flavours to infuse while you set up your favourite tablecloth and bowls. Even light a candle. Why not? This home cooking after-all. ESTIMATED TIME: 6 minutes

Bon appetite! 

Aunt Betty x