Tuesday 4 October 2011

In the mood for some baking? Leisure Range Cooker 90 teams up with Jo Pratt


Range cooker specialist, Leisure, has enlisted the assistance of TV chef Jo Pratt to create a simple yet delicious set of recipes.

With years of expertise working alongside a host of top name chefs, Jo Pratt brings her flair for fine flavours and fresh ideas to this collection of recipes. Tweaking classic dishes and using familiar ingredients in original and inventive ways, Jo’s recipes are effortless to recreate in the comfort of the home with the aid of the Leisure Range 90 Cooker.

Sweet or savoury, one of the six mouth watering dishes is bound to capture the imagination. If you are tiring of wintry menus, the “Tomato and Asparagus Ricotta Tart” will evoke that al fresco feel. For those wishing to tackle the evening meal, a classic with a twist such as “Fish Pie with Crunchy Topping”, is guaranteed to appeal. Interested in something a little bit different? The “Savoury Sausage and Tomato Bread and Butter Pudding”, will definitely tickle the taste buds. For something sweet, the “Strawberry and Vanilla Cream Sponge”, “Pecan Pie” or “Blueberry Muffins” are sure to satisfy cravings.

Bringing to light all of the clever and easy to use features the Leisure Range 90 Cooker has to offer, the different recipes by Jo Pratt take advantage of its proficient oven, hob and grill. Whether you are baking a batch of “Blueberry Muffins” in one of the large capacity triple ovens, or grilling sizzling sausages for the “Savoury Sausage and Tomato Bread and Butter Pudding” recipe, this energy efficient range cooker will make it a breeze.

Created for Leisure by Jo Pratt, all of the recipes are available online at www.leisurecp.co.uk including; “Tomato, Asparagus and Ricotta Tart”, “Fish Pie with Crunchy Topping”, “Savoury Sausage and Tomato Bread and Butter Pudding”, “Strawberry and Vanilla Cream Sponge”, “Pecan Pie” and “Blueberry Muffins”.

The Leisure Range 90 Cooker has an RRP of £1,199.99, one of the more affordable 90cm range cookers on the market.

Leisure is one of the original range cooker brands, and as well as its traditional and contemporary 90cm models, also offers 100cm electric and dual fuel models. To support the traditional-style range cooker line up, Leisure also offer the Mini Gourmet Cooker, a standard 60cm cooker width with all the style and features of the larger range cookers. The 100cm models have an RRP of £949.99, while the 60cm models cost around £549.99.

See www.leisurecp.co.uk/recipes for videos of Jo Pratt creating each recipe.

TOMATO, ASPARAGUS AND RICOTTA TART
serves 4-6
Preparation time - 10-15 mins

• 10 spears of asparagus
• 375g ready-rolled puff pastry
• 250g ricotta cheese
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 50g Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• a large bunch of basil leaves, finely shredded, plus extra for garnish
• 4-5 ripe tomatoes, quartered
• olive oil

Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC/fan 180ºC fan oven/gas 6.

Place the pastry on to a lightly oiled baking tray and prick several times with a fork.

Mix together the ricotta, eggs, half of the parmesan, garlic, basil and seasoning and beat until smooth. Spread over the pastry base, leaving about a 2cm border.

Trim or snap the tougher woody ends from the asparagus, then lay, with the tomatoes on top of the ricotta, pressing down gently. Season lightly, scatter with the remaining parmesan and drizzle over a little olive oil.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the filling has set and the pastry is golden. Serve warm or at room temperature cut into pieces.

FISH PIE WITH CRUNCHY TOPPING
Serves 6
Preperation time - approx. 25 mins

For the filling:

• 75g butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 50g flour
• 150ml white wine
• 200ml milk
• 600g salmon fillet, cut into 3cm cubes
• 200g raw tiger prawns
• 200g scallops (optional, the equivalent weight of salmon can be used)
• 3 eggs, hard boiled and chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped dill

For the crumble topping:

• 1 ciabatta loaf
• 50g finely grated parmesan cheese
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• small bunch of parsley

Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC/fan 180ºC fan oven/gas 6.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and gently sauté the onion with the bay leaf until the onion is softened but not coloured. Stir in the flour for about 30 seconds before gradually adding the wine, stirring to prevent any floury lumps, before doing the same with the milk. Bring to a simmer and cook for a few minutes until you have a thick sauce.

Stir in the salmon, prawns and scallops (if using) and return to the simmer. Cook for a few minutes, until the prawns are pink, before adding the eggs, dill, salt and pepper. Spoon into a large ovenproof dish and keep to one side.

To make the topping, tear the ciabatta into pieces and place in a food processor. Blitz to a rough crumb. Add the parmesan, olive oil and parsley, then briefly blitz to combine.

When you are ready to cook the pie, scatter the topping over the top of the creamy fish sauce and place in the pre-heated oven for 30-40 minutes (or slightly longer if you are cooking the filling from chilled) until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling at the edges.

SAVOURY SAUSAGE AND TOMATO BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING
Serves 4
Preparation time - Pudding - approx. 30 mins

• 6-8 good quality sausages, of whatever flavour you prefer
• 9 medium slices of white bread
• 40g butter, at room temperature
• 4 tbsp bought caramelised onions/ onion relish
• 12-16 cherry tomatoes
• 5 large eggs
• 200ml double cream
• 1 tbsp English mustard powder
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 100g mature cheddar, grated

You will also need a 1.5-1.8 litre baking dish.

First of all you need to cook the sausages either in the oven, grill or frying pan. Once cooked, and cool enough to handle, slice into roughly 1 cm pieces.

Butter the bread, then cut each piece diagonally in half. Spread the caramelised onions on the bottom of the buttered dish. Arrange the bread in the dish, in overlapping layers, adding slices of the sausages and tomatoes in between the layers.

In a large bowl beat together the eggs and then mix in the cream, mustard powder, thyme and half of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper, then slowly pour this over the bread, pressing down so the slices are submerged. Scatter over the remaining cheese, and leave to stand for about 10 minutes, for the mixture to soak into the bread.

Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC/fan 160ºC fan oven/gas 4.

Place on a baking tray and then put into the oven for 30-40 minutes until the top is golden and the eggs are set when you press the centre of the dish.

Serve hot with a vegetable of your choice.

STRAWBERRY AND VANILLA CREAM SPONGE
Preparation time -20-25 mins

For the sponge:
• knob of butter, melted
• 225g butter, at room temperature
• 225g caster sugar
• 4 large free-range eggs
• 225g self-raising flour, sifted, plus 1 tbsp extra for dusting the tins

To serve:
• 250-275ml double cream, lightly whipped
• 1 vanilla pod
• 2 tbsp good quality strawberry jam
• 150-200g fresh strawberries, stalk remove and halved or quartered
• 2 tbsp sieved icing sugar, plus extra for dusting the finish cake

• You will also need 2 x 15cm-17.5cm cake tins

Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC/fan 160ºC fan oven/gas 4.

First of all, to prepare the tins brush inside with the melted butter. Place a circle of greaseproof paper in the base of both tins, then coat the inside edges with a dusting of flour.

Place the butter and caster sugar in a bowl and beat well until light, creamy and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, with a spoonful of flour with each egg, to prevent the mixture from curdling, the gently mix in the remaining flour.

Divide the mixture evenly between the tins. Spread over the surface with a palate knife or spatula and place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when pressed gently with a finger and are pale golden in colour.

Remove from the oven and take them out of the tins after about 5-10 minutes. Place them on a wire rack to cool completely (for about half an hour).

While the cakes are cooling, place the cream in a bowl. Split the vanilla pod, and scrape out the seeds into the cream. Add the icing sugar and whip to form soft peaks.

Once the cake is cool, spread the jam on the surface of one sponge, and the cream on the other. Sit the strawberries on top of the cream, and place the strawberry jam sponge on top, pressing lightly to hold in place.

Dust the top of the cake with icing sugar and serve.


PECAN PIE
serves 8
Preparation time - 30 mins plus 20-30 mins resting time

For the pastry
• 150g plain flour
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar
• a pinch of salt
• 100g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes

For the filling
• 250g pecan halves
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 125g golden syrup
• 175g soft brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons whisky or orange juice
• 40g unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• you will also need a 23 to 24cm loose–bottomed tart tin

First of all, you will need to make the pastry. Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor or mixing bowl and blitz or rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 2 tablespoons of cold water and bind until it just comes together, adding a little more water if it is needed. Knead very lightly on a floured surface to form a smooth dough. Roll out and line the tart tin. Prick the base several times with a fork and chill in the fridge for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/fan 180ºC fan oven/gas 6.

Line the chilled pastry case with a piece of greaseproof paper and fill with a layer of baking beans or rice. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove the paper, brush the base with a little of the beaten egg and cook for a further 5 minutes until the pastry is just becoming golden.

During the last 5 minutes of cooking the pastry, spread the pecan nuts on baking tray and toast them in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove and leave to cool slightly.

Reduce the oven temperature to 160ºC/fan 140ºC/gas 2–3.

Roughly chop half the pecans and mix with all the rest of the filling ingredients, including the whole pecans. Pour and spread into the pastry case. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the centre is just set.

Serve warm with the extra-thick cream, clotted cream or ice cream, or cold with pouring cream.
PS…
If you don’t have time or prefer not to make your own pastry, use about 300g bought shortcrust pastry and sprinkle over 1-2 tablespoons of caster sugar while you roll it out to add a little sweetness.

EASY MINCE PIES WITH ORANGE AND CINNAMON CRUMBLE TOPPING
Makes approx.12
Preparation time - 20 mins

• approx. 375g shortcrust pastry
• 250g good quality mincemeat
• 50g plain flour
• 4 tbsp demerara sugar
• 40g butter
• finely grated zest of ½ orange
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• you will also need 1 or 2 x 12 hole patty tins.

Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC/fan 180ºC fan oven/gas 6.

Thinly roll out the pastry and using a 7.5-9cm pastry cutter, cut out as many disks as you can, re-rolling the trimmings as you go. Press the disks into the holes of one or two 12 hole patty tins.

Spoon a couple of teaspoons of mincemeat into each pastry case and set aside.

To make the crumble topping, rub together the flour, demerara sugar, butter, orange zest and cinnamon until you have a chunky crumble mixture. Scatter over the top of the mincemeat and place in the oven for around 15 minutes or until the mince pies are golden and the tops are crisp.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes before taking out of the tins. Cool on a wire rack and dust with icing sugar to serve.

PS…
For those who aren’t lovers of mincemeat, a delicious alternative is to replace it with some apple pie filling, and make as above with the crumble topping.

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
Makes 12
Preparation time - Blueberry muffins - 20 mins

• 250ml milk
• 50ml vegetable oil
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 75g caster sugar
• 250g plain flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 200g blueberries

Streusel topping:
• 25g plain flour
• 2 tbsp Demerara sugar
• 15g cold butter

• you will also need a 12 hole muffin tin lined with 12 muffin cases


Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC/fan 180ºC fan oven/gas 6.

First of all, you need to prepare the streusel topping by rubbing together the flour, Demerara and butter until you have a crumble consistency.

To make the muffins mix together the wet ingredients (milk, oil, vanilla extract and beaten egg).

Add the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Mix briefly, just enough to moisten the flour, giving you a lumpy batter. Keeping it slightly lumpy will ensure lighter muffins once cooked. Fold in the blueberries and then divide the mixture between the 12 muffin cases.

Scatter the streusel mixture over the top of each muffin and then place in the oven to cook for 20-25 minutes until they are golden. Once cooked, cool slightly before leaving to cool further on a wire rack.

CORNISH PASTY
Makes 4
Preperation time approx. 45 mins

For the pastry
• 400g plain flour
• good pinch of salt
• 100g butter, chilled and cubed
• 100g lard, chilled and cubed
• cold water to mix
• beaten egg, to glaze

For the filling
• 1 medium-large potato, about 175g, peeled weight
• 175g swede, peeled weight
• 400g braising steak, cut into small pieces (0.5-1cm big)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• freshly ground white pepper
• 4 small knobs of butter

First of all, to make the pastry, season the flour and sift into a large bowl. Add the butter and lard, then rub into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with 6-7 tablespoons of chilled water (enough to just bind the dough) and draw the mixture together with a round-bladed knife.

Turn onto a floured work surface and knead gently to bring together then wrap the pastry in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

Pre-heat the oven to 220ºC/fan 200ºC fan oven/gas 7.

To make the filling, slice potato and swede into thin, small pieces about 1-2cm across.

Dust the work surface with flour. Roll out the pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin. Using a small plate cut out four circles (around 15cm diameter). Moisten the edge with milk or water and support half of the pastry nearest to you over the rolling pin. On the other half, put a small layer of prepared vegetables then a layer of beef, seasoning with salt and freshly ground white pepper as you go. Repeat this once but be careful not to have too much filling as this will cause the pastry to burst during the cooking process.

Add a small knob of the butter and sprinkle a dusting of flour over the filling, which will help to make a gravy. Fold the other half of pastry that has been resting on the rolling pin over the filling and squeeze the half circle edges firmly together. Starting at the right side whilst supporting the left side with other hand, using first finger and thumb turn the edge over to form a crimp. Repeat this process all along the edge making sure you get a good seal.

Brush pasty with beaten egg wash and put a 1-2cm cut in the centre of the top to allow steam to escape. Sit on a baking tray and place in the hot oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180C/160C fan ovens/gas 4 or a further 45 minutes. If they are browning too quickly cover loosely with greased paper.

Cool slightly before eating.

FACTFILE:
• With a 200 year history, Leisure is at the forefront of cooker design and innovation. Part of Beko Plc, the UK’s third biggest white goods manufacturer, Leisure has built its reputation around a high standard of quality.
• Designed to suit both traditional and contemporary kitchens, the Good Housekeeping endorsed Leisure Range 90 Cooker is available in both electric and dual fuel versions, to ensure it matches perfectly. Allowing the user to easily keep track of the cooking times, the range cooker also features a handy large LED clock.
• Accustomed to creating scrumptious recipes, Jo has three books under her belt including The Nation’s Favourite Food, In The Mood For Food and In The Mood For Entertaining. Working with big name chefs such as Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver and John Torode, Jo Pratt has really come in to her own within recent years with her recipes featuring on TV shows such as Saturday Kitchen, Great Food Live, Taste, Soapstar Superchef and Market Kitchen.
• Website: www.leisurecp.co.uk Telephone: 0845 600 4916

Monday 3 October 2011

Sunday 2 October 2011

That's Christmas: Festive cheer from Guylian this Christmas

That's Christmas: Festive cheer from Guylian this Christmas: Christmas is all about enjoying time with family and friends. What better way to do this than with a box of Guylian chocolates? The world’s ...

Monday 26 September 2011

Guoman Hotels joins London Restaurant Festival celebrations


Guoman Hotels, has announced the Grand Imperial London will be celebrating the London Restaurant Festival for the first time by hosting Oriental Tea & Jazz afternoons in its bar lounge from 3-17 October 2011, bringing authentic Hong Kong Cantonese food at its finest.

Guests will be able to indulge in an Eastern take on Afternoon Tea with a selection of savoury and sweet dim sum.  Surrounded by the splendid Feng Shui setting of the restaurant's bar lounge, accompanied by jazz on the piano. The Oriental Tea & Jazz afternoons are a chance for guests to take their palate on a sumptuous journey to the East.

The Oriental Afternoon tea includes classics such as 'Char Sui Bao', 'Concubine Chicken Wrap' and Grand Imperial's signature 'Chocolate Dim Sum' or a velvety 'Green tea brulee'. To accompany these treats, guests can select their favourite soothing Oriental tea or opt for a glass of Balfour Brut English Rosé and, exclusively for the festival; they can pick any cocktail including the latest popping Boba drink. Throughout the festival guests will also have the opportunity to sample the restaurant's Oriental bar menu offering an extended choice of delicious Cantonese treats.

London Restaurant Festival returns to the capital in 2011 from the 3rd to the 17th of October and is a two-week celebration of London's extraordinarily diverse range of restaurants. Grand Imperial London will also celebrate with a bespoke 2 course menu, available by reservation only and which includes specialities such as 'Crispy duck salad' and 'Black cod with honey pepper sauce'.

Oriental Afternoon Tea & Jazz will be served up every day between 3-6pm and priced per set with the option of an extra glass of champagne or a cocktail.

Located in landmark heritage hotel The Grosvenor, Victoria, Grand Imperial London is headed up by Chef Rand Cheung and is one of Malaysia's leading restaurant groups with a premium reputation in fine dining. Featuring original pieces of artwork and calligraphy excerpts, Grand Imperial London has been designed around the ancient practice of Feng-shui, along with traditional artefacts and a private dining room to entertain up to 24 guests.

Thursday 22 September 2011

That's Christmas: Wolf Blass Sparking Rose wine for Christmas

That's Christmas: Wolf Blass Sparking Rose wine for Christmas: Dazzle your guests this party season with Wolf Blass Yellow Label Pinot Noir Chardonnay Sparkling Brut and Yellow Label Sparkling Ros é. P...

Spicy ice cream? It's time for the Llangollen Food Festival!


SPICY ice cream and beer shampoo are among the more weird and wonderful products making their début at this year's Llangollen Food Festival.

The annual culinary spectacle is in its 14th year and has garnered a reputation for attracting exciting, independent producers from across England and Wales, and provides a great day out for any food lover.

Among those will be Mon ar Lwy, an award-winning ice cream maker from Anglesey trialling Hellish Relish, an ice cream "sizzling" with spices and chilli. And local brewers Llangollen Brewery will be selling soap and hair products with its Welsh Black ale being a key ingredient!

Held over the weekend of October 15 and 16, few food feasts boast a more beautiful location and the tree- and heather-clad hills above the Vale of Llangollen will be ablaze with autumnal colour providing an amazing day out for all the family.

Centred on Llangollen's Pavilion venue, home to the world-famous Musical Eisteddfod, the festival will star Welsh TV chef Dudley Newbery and Graham Tinsley from ITV's "Taste the Nation" as they share simple home cooking through a series of workshops and demonstrations.

This year's festival has a back-to-basics theme. Recognising the household spending squeeze, there will be a greater emphasis on grow-your-own ingredients and smarter shopping - how to buy from small, independent traders and save money.

A real ale trail will feature a courtesy shuttle bus linking the festival site with more than a dozen pubs in and around Llangollen.

Festival entry is £5 (under 16s enter free). For more information visit www.llangollenfoodfestival.com

World Cup Winning Indian Cricket Team Visit Chak 89 for a Meal



Indian Cricket Team Visit
 Chak89
Chak89 were recently visited by some of the victorious Indian Cricket World Cup winning team. Virat Kohli, R.P Singh, Pravin Kumar and Munaf Patel enjoyed their meal with the owner Mr. Frank Khalid. A few members of the team joked that they not eaten an Indian meal for 8 days and that they had been eating mainly pasta. They all really enjoyed the food and complimented Mr. Frank Khalid on the exquisite cuisine. They loved the food and said that they would like to come back but next time with the rest of their team mates.

Mr. Frank Khalid said “The food must have helped them because the following day the 4 players almost won the Lords One-Dayer. R.P Singh took 3 wickets, Pravin Kumar 1 wicket and Munaf Patel 1 wicket and 1 run out but unfortunately the rain came down and took away their victory.”

Chak89 are not only one of the best Indian restaurants in London, but they are also a perfect solution for all types of wedding celebrations and great Indian wedding venues, they can accommodate and cater for up to 650 guests in two adjoining banquet halls. They are also the ideal choice for business conferences, or they can bring the CHAK89 experience to you by allowing their Indian caterers to stage your special day at any venue of your choice.

Wednesday 21 September 2011

Tuesday 20 September 2011

Monday 19 September 2011

Reinventing The Takeaway?

Serial entrepreneur Simon Prockter is hoping his latest venture will help change the way we look at takeaway food, for good.

He's about to launch the UK's first gourmet takeaway service – www.housebites.com - starting in London this week.

The site has received six figure backing from a group of private investors, including Bebo co-founder, Paul Birch.

Housebites gives food lovers the opportunity to enjoy individually prepared meals, made by top cooks and delivered straight to their door.

However, whilst the food is of a restaurant quality it won't come with a restaurant price tag, with customers able to pick up a main meal for around the same price as a delivery pizza.

The site has already attracted a wide range of local chefs who have worked at some of the capital's top restaurants including The Ivy, Le Caprice, Barrafina, Fifteen, The Bluebird and The Sanderson Hotel.

In addition seasoned cooks will also be given the opportunity to sell their dishes in their area, regardless of restaurant experience, as long as they pass the taste test.

MasterChef finalist Andy Oliver has also been brought in to advise the site on catering strategy, having previously spent two years working at London's prestigious Nahm restaurant.

Mr Prockter, whose previous ventures include SpeedDater, Europe's largest dating events company and activity holidays firm Adventura, says housebites caters for consumers who demand more from their takeaway.
  
He explains: "'I'd been exploring ideas within the food sector for the last 18 months and whilst so many traditional industries are being disrupted by the internet such as hotels and car-hire, I couldn't see anything great happening in food.
"We believe housebites will change the way people eat, for good. No longer do consumers have to settle for a soggy, cold pizza or a stodgy Chinese takeaway, instead they can eat restaurant quality meals cooked to order by a local chef, for the same price.

"A wide range of dishes will be available including classics such as curry and pizza and we're confident they will be made using superior ingredients and cooking expertise than down the local takeaway."

The site was recently shortlisted for Real Business' Future 50 award, which details Britain's top 50 most exciting start-ups.

Using housebites couldn't be easier with customers entering their post code, browsing the menus of local cooks, placing an order and then waiting a maximum of one hour for the food to arrive. The site promises the highest levels of quality control - just like the Michelin Starred kitchens many of the local chefs have worked in. Cooks will be asked to prove their credentials by cooking a signature dish which will be assessed, before being allowed to expand their menu.

Feedback through social media is a key part of the experience allowing users to rate their food, tweet local cooks, add comments to the Facebook page and interact in forums.

Mr Prockter says not only will the site benefit consumers, it will also offer local chefs a great way to earn a living working from home.

He said: "By working just four days a week local chefs could earn a greater wage than if they were spending the time in a restaurant's kitchen. If they're able to fill orders five days a week they'll make around £65,000 a year, which is a great work from home income.

"We're confident this flexibility and salary will attract more and more top cooks to join the service as time goes on. This will also ensure that the quality of the food on offer will continue to grow as competition for customers increases."

Mr Prockter says he believes his site will make serious inroads into the UK delivered food market which is currently worth £1.6bn and is expected to rise to £2.5bn within three years.

He said: "The market is extremely wide ranging and due to our pricing model we will be competing with a variety of takeaway favourites. The difference is consumers will know exactly what each dish comprises of and also who will be cooking and delivering it, which we believe is a real plus.
"By using the site we think people can eat better and try a wider range of foods, which will cost around the same price as the dishes they've been eating for years."

"The UK market for delivered food is huge and expanding rapidly. We have a quality yet affordable offering and are confident we can capture a significant market share."

Link to the site's Future 50 shortlisting - http://bit.ly/oTweLR