Traditional CiabattaFor the starter - biga150 g plain white flour1/2 teaspoon dried active yeast110 ml warm waterPut the yeast and half of the water in a small mixing bowl and mix inAdd the rest of the water and whisk in the flour, which is sieved into the bowl until a dough formsMix with your hands or a wooden spoon to get a very smooth doughCover and leave at room temperature for at least 8 hours (overnight will do)For the main dough1/2 level teaspoon of yeast as before40 ml warm milk2 tablespoons oil (olive or sunflower)175 ml warm water250 g strong bread flower1 level teaspoon saltStir the yeast and milk together and cover - leave for 15 minutesCombine the oil and waterSieve the flour and salt into a mixing bowlMake a well and add the starter, the mild and yeast mixture and the water and oilStir well with a spoon or your handsThe mixture will be quite wet, knead for ten minutes in the bowlCover and leave to prove for 2 hours or until it has doubled in sizeFolding the dough - keep it in the bowl and fold the end over backwards, rotate the bowl a little and repeat. Repeat this process about 8 timesRest the dough for 20 minutes and then repeatFlour a surface well and tip the dough out. It will be a little wet but don’t worry.Shape the dough onto a large or 2 smaller loaves.Fold the dough over on itself to form a rectangle and lay on baking paper and rest for 20 minutes.Preheat the oven with a baking tray inside to 220ºC, 450ºF, Gas 7Place the bread along with the paper on the hot baking tray and bake for 35 - 45 minutes for a large one, 25 - 30 minutes for smaller onesTest by hitting the bottom for a hollow sound

Recipe for the day

Ciabatta

BBQ marinaded pork skewer kebabsA simple dish served on rice, Can be as low fat as you like.To make the marinade1 dessert spoon sesame oil2 tablespoons soy sauce2 tablespoons water1 tablespoon honey1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds2 grated garlic clovesMix the ingredients together Cut 400 g pork pieces into 1 cm strips and add to the marinade, coating all the meatLeave overnight for the flavours to developTo assemble the kebabsChoose vegetables of your choice8 Mushrooms1 large red capsicum1 courgettes Pieces of onion, anything you enjoy and skewer together with the pork.Tiy can then BBQ them, or griddle them. Use the left over marinade to brush over the kebab whilst they cook.Serve with a sauce made fro 3 tablespoons Hoi Sin sauce, 3 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon soy, heated together in a small pan.Pour over the kebabs and onto a bed of boiled rice.Of course you could serve with pitta and salad!

Marinade Pork Skewer Kebabs

Ginger LoafSpices and Autumn (Fall) seem to go together. They are hibernation food, getting all cosy food. This ginger loaf just fits the bill.You will need Preheat the oven to 170ºC, 325ºF, Gas 3200 g butter1 1/2 tablespoons syrupMelt these together and mixSieve together180 g Self Raising flour25 g wholemeal flour1 rounded teaspoon ground ginger1 level teaspoon cinnamonWhisk together 150 g soft brown sugar3 eggs1 heaped teaspoon of grated fresh gingerHaving whisked the eggs etc in a large bowl, whisk in half the flourThen whick in the butter / sugar mixFold in the rest of the flourGrease and line a loaf tin and pour the batter into itBake for 40 - 45 minutesTest by using a skewer, giving an extra 5 minutes where necessary.

Ginger Loaf

Mash the potato Sieve the flour and salt and mixAdd the egg and form a doughLeave the dough to rest for a while and then cut off strips which are then rolled out to 1 cm sausage shapesCut each roll into 1 cm piecesCook in boiling, salted water – it takes 3 minutes for them to rise to the surface, when they are readyFor the sauceYou will needOil for roasting15 small ripe tomatoes4 garlic cloves peeled and halved1/2 small red onion1 teaspoon fresh origano (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsleySalt and black pepper400 ml passata1 teaspoon paprikaPreheat the oven to 200ºC, 400ºF, Gas 6Place 2 - 3 tablespoons oil into a roasting panHalve the tomatoes and garlicChop the onion finelyAdd to the pan and coat with the oil, add salt and pepperRoast for 20 minutes until the tomatoes are browningTransfer to a pan and on a low heat add the passata and herbs and simmer for 3 minutes - do not boilServe with the gnocchi

Gnocchi with tomato sauce

The taste of summer, though you can make these all the year round these days.Makes 12 large cup cakes150 g frozen (but defrosted) black cherries50 g caster sugarYou can use up to 100g sugar depending on how sweet you like itBring both to the boil and then leave to cool in the panFor the sponge180 g butter 165 g soft brown sugar1 tablespoon Greek Yoghurt1.5 teaspoons almond extract2 eggs170 g self raising flour30 g ground almons - stirred into the flour2 - 3 tablespoons flaked almondsPlace 12 muffin cases into a 12 hole tinPreheat the oven to 170ºC, 325ºF, Gas 3Cream together the butter, sugar, yoghurt and almond extractSift 4 tablespoons of the flour and almond mixture over the creamed mixAdd the eggs, beaten together lightly, and beat into the mixtureAdd the rest of the almond and flour mix and fold inShare the mix equally into each of the muffin casesLightly swirl a teaspoon of the cherry mixture and sprinkle a few almonds on topBake for 18 minutes

Cherry Almond Cakes

Mushroom and Blue Cheese Pasta SauceA simply wonderful treat, well worth the expense of the best blue, and of course, the very short time it takes to make.You need for 2 people3 tablespoons oil + big knob of butter10 chestnut mushrooms, sliced3 cloves of garlic, chopped finely50 g Blue Stilton, crumbled100 ml double cream50 ml milkGran Padano or ParmesanHow to do itHeat the oil and butter on a low to medium heat heat and fry the garlic and mushrooms until the juices run from the mushrooms - then cook for another minute.Stir in the cheeseAdd the milk and the cream and stir well over a low heatAllow to bubble for a minute then turn off the heat.Serve with pasta and top with grated Gran Padano or Parmesan

Stilton and Mushroom Pasta sauce

Opera CakeThis is our 400th Recipe for the Day!!!Sorry it took a week to get it out - we have been really ill!This cake was said to resemble the Opera in Paris. It is a lot of worth, but really is worth the effort.You are basically making a sponge, a coffee syrup, a creme de beurre and a ganache, then layering.So here goes…Jaconde Sponge3 Egg whites. (You’ll use the yolks later)15 g Caster Sugar100 g Ground almonds100 g Icing sugar (sieved)3 whole eggs30 g Sifted plain flour30 g melted butterMethodWhisk the egg whites until stiffAdd sugar a teaspoon at a time until glossyCover and set asideMix almonds and icing sugar in another bowl and whisk in the whole eggs until very frothy Whisk in flour and the melted butterFold into the merangue in batchesPour into a prepared tin and level the topBake for 5 - 7 minutes in a preheated oven , 200ºC, 400ºF, Gas 6 until golden and springyCoffee Syrup30 ml Hot water2 teaspoons coffee30 g SugarHeat the water in a pan and then add the other ingredients, leave to cool.Chocolate Ganache 120 g 56% Chocolate120 ml double creamHeat the cream until it is very hot, but not boilingAdd chocolate pieces and stir carefully, adding until everything is mixedLeave to coolCreme de beurre3 egg yolks220 g Melted butter75 g Caster sugar3 tablespoons water (ONLY 3)Put the yolks in a bown and whisk gentlyPut the sugar and water in a pan and carefully bring to a boil to create a syrup, which you then allow to cool for a few minutes.Pour the syrup into the egg yolks while whisking and then add the butter, little by little.To create the cakeTake your sponge and cut carefully four pieces of identical sizeLay one slice on a platter or serving plate and brush some of the coffee into it.Then a layer of Creme de beurre (Half the total)Then another spongeBrush with more coffeeThen a layer of Ganache (About half of itAnother layer of spongeBrush with coffeeThe second layer of Creme be beurre on thisA final sponge layer Ganache to cover the top

Opera Cake 400

Baked AuberginesA really nice dish you can make either as vegetarian or otherwise as you please!You will need for 2 people2 large auberginesoil for glazingoil for frying1 small red onion, chopped8 (or more) cherry tomatoes - halved or quartered2 chopped garlic cloves1 small red pepper chopped1/2 to 1 teaspoon oreganosalt abd black pepper100 g grated cheese of your choice or tofu if you prefer1 tablespoon pine nutsSlice the aubergines lengthways and brush both sides with oil, season with salt and pepperBake on a tray for 20 minutes at 190ºC, 375ºF, Gas 5Meanwhile chop the onion and galric and fry lightly in a little oilAdd chopped pepper and fry for 3 - 4 minutesSprinkle in the oregano and season with salt and pepperWhen the aubergine is ready spoon the mixture over the surface (which should have sunk a little) and and add the cherry tomatoes, cheese and pine nuts and bake for a further 5 minutes until the cheese is bubbling

Baked aubergine

Gammon and vegetable stew with cheese dumplings

It’s harvest time and that means preserving! This preserve is fairly easy to create and just as tasty!You need1 kg apple pulp - (so you need to peel core and chop more than 1 kg apples!)450 g chopped pumpkins2 medium onions, chopped200 g sultanas550 ml malt vinegar400 g soft brown sugar2 level teaspoons ground cinnamon2 cm piece of fresh grated ginger1/2 teaspoon white pepper2 level teaspoons saltFor added heat optionally add 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Apple and Pumpkin Chutney

Caramel and Apple CakeCaramel and Apple Cake is a seriously yummy cake. Just perfect for the autumnal glut of apples, and once eaten, you’ll want to make it again and again.Grease or oil and line a cake tin.You will needFor the caramel apples50 g soft brown sugar45 g butter2 cored, peeled and chopped dessert applesAdd the sugar and butter to a shallow frying pan and heat on a low light to allow the sugar to melt - don’t stir it.Add the apples and increase the heat. Stir all around and when the bubbles are getting bigger, turn the heat off and cool.For the cake200 g butter150 g sugar1 tablespoon youhurt1 teaspoon vanilla extract3 tablespoons maple syrup3 eggs and 3 tablespoons of milk210 g self raising flour1 level teaspoon cinnamonGrating of nutmegAdd the butter, sugar, yoghurt, vanilla, maple syrup and beat togetherSieve the cinnamon and flour and nutmeg and fold a little of the mixture into the butter mixBeat in the eggs and the milkFold in , beat in the rest of the flour into the mixLine the tin with the applesBake at170ºC, 325ºF, Gas 3 for 30 - 40 minutes depending on the size of the cakeWhen cooled, spike the cake and drizzle the topping over the topFor the topping1 heaped tablespoon icing sugar3 tablespoons maple syrup

Caramel and Apple Cake

Making BiltongThere are lots of recipes out there for Biltong, it’s completely up to you really how you do it, but the two essential ingredients are salt and no water. What I mean by ‘no water’ is the meat is dried, completely. That with the saltiness of the meat is enough to preserve. Now of course you can get it in little packets, not very much for quite a lot of money.Living in a wet climate, we use the dehydrator to force the water from the meat. Traditionally, so the story goes, biltong was made by putting meat under the saddle and it was then rode on all day. That way the meat was salted by horse sweat. No idea if this is true! I have also heard it about kebabs and Ghengis Kahn’s men, so who knows?In this recipe you needVery thin slices of beef - around 2 - 3 mm thickCarraway seedsFennel seedsCuring salt - with nitrates already added - we used Weschenfelder Continental Cure, which is very low in nitrates. But then I feel it is important to have some in this uncooked product to guard against botulism.Balsamic vinegarPut a sprinkling of salt in the bottom of a container and lay out some strips of beef on topSprinkle a layer of curing salt on top of the meatThen sprinkle a layer of carraway seedsThen a layer of fennel seedsThen splash the laters with balsamic vinegar (Some recipes call for Worcestershire sauce instead)Then lay another load of beef on the top and repeat the process until your beef is finsihedCover with food wrap and refrigerate for 24 hoursAfter 24 hours wash off the seeds and place in the dehydrator and process until completely dry and moisture freeYou can freeze it - in vac bags preferably, otherwise eat them within about a week - which is no problem with us. Of course, if you live in a dry windy environment you can dry them outside - it is probably better that way.

Biltong

This is an easy meal for anyone, quick and very tasty!You need 3 Tablespoons oil2 medium onion2 cloves of garlic550 - 600 g pork tenderloin1 1/2 teaspoons paprika1/3 rounded teaspoon sage300 ml stock or water150 g button mushroomsSalt and pepper1 dessertspoon cornflour slaked in a little waterFry the vegetables until soft but not colouredAdd the meat and cook for a few minutesThen all the rest of the ingredientsCook for about 40 minutes at a strong simmer

Paprika Pork and Mushroom Casserole

A recipe each day to inspire and have a lot of fun in the process.All the recipes are easy to make, and there are a few surprises along the way.

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Recipe for the day

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