Rice pudding

A taste of childhood… but actually better than I remember! It’s so easy to make, lovely with cows milk or soya milk. Try different flavourings and extra’s such as adding raisons, or almonds, or using it as a bed for poached fruit. There are many variations on the rice pudding recipes, but this is a great one to start with…

Ingredients

200g (7oz) Italian risotto or pudding rice or sticky rice
350ml (12oz) water
up to 1 litre (1 three quarter pints) milk (or soya)
175g (6oz) sugar or to taste
zest of half a lemon (optional)
vanilla essence (optional)

method

put the rice in a large pot with the water. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered for about 5-6mins, or until the water is absorbed. Keep an eye on it, and stir so that the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add half to three quarters of the milk, bring to the boil and simmer on a very low heat for 30-40 mins, or until the rice is very soft and the milk almost absorbed (if this happens to quickly add the rest of the milk) stirring occasionally so the rice doesn’t stick. Stir in the sugar and the lemon zest and a vanilla essence to taste. Cook for a few mins longer. Serve hot or cold.

Illustration © Lois Blackburn please visit www.loisblackburn.co.uk for more.

Pork sausage with lentils

My other half made this variation of an Italian recipe tonight and I have to add it here, its delicious and cheap and cheerful! Its inspired by Gennaro Contaldo’s recipe Zampone con lenticchie, but replaced Italian sausage with locally produced pork sausages..

Ingredients

350g puy lentils
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 courgette, finely chopped
1 large potato, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 tbs finely chopped parsley
3 whole garlic gloves, crushed
4 tbs olive oil
about 1.5 litres veg stock
pork sausages (we used 6 from our fantastic local butcher)

method

wash the lentils. Drain and place in large pan with carrots, courgette, potato, celery, parsley, garlic and olive oil. Pour in enough stock to cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 40 mins, or until the lentils are soft and the dish has a stew like consistency.

Meanwhile, fry the sausage until coloured, chop it up, and add to the stew for the last 10mins or so of cooking. This way the sausage gives even more flavour to the stew.

Remove from the heat, and serve with seasonal green veg. (we used steamed cabbage which was lovely)

Illustration © Lois Blackburn www.loisblackburn.co.uk

Fruit pie

Pies = a little bit of heaven


And at this time of the year, can cost next to nothing. With blackberries to pick and apples in season to scrumpy (or ask nicely for from a friendly neighbour)
Here’s a recipe for you to play with what ever fruit is in session… blackberry and apple like me, or apple, raisins and cinnamon or rhubarb and lemon…. The list goes on..

Ingredients

6oz short crust pastry (make your own for economy, or cheat like me and get it out of the freezer)
1 and half lb of fresh fruit
4 oz sugar

method

place the fruit in a pie dish with sugar spread on each layer, finish with a layer of fruit piled high in the middle, add a little water, cover with pastry.
Bake just above centre in a hot oven (425o-450oF) gas mark 6-7 for 15 mins, then lower the temp a little for about 20mins until the fruit is cooked. Dredge with sugar and serve hot or cold… with custard, with icecream, with cream, with a cup of tea, the choose is yours.

Today’s illustration © Lois Blackburn. www.loisblackburn.co.uk for more.

Meringue

Its got to be one of the sweetist, cheapest pudding bases....For that Eton Mess, or for Pavlova, or with icecream, or.....

2 egg whites
100grams golden caster sugar
quarter teaspoon of baking powder

Preheat the oven to gas mark 2/150 degrees C
Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
Whisk the egg whites until they reach soft peaks.
Beat into the egg whites the sugar a tbs at a time, whisking for 30sec between each spoonful.
Add the baking powder, whisk until consistency of shaving foam.
Spoon, pipe or use a spatula to spread the meringue mix onto the baking sheet.
Bob the meringue mix into the oven and immediately turn the oven down to gas mark 1 or 140 degrees C.
Bake for 2 hours, don’t be tempted to open the oven after the 2 hours, but instead turn the oven off and leave the meringue inside it, until the oven and it are completely cool. (easiest just to leave it overnight)
You should end up with a delicious, sweet meringue, crispy on the outside and gooey in the middle.

lentil soup

There are so many versions of lentil soup, this is a truely delicious version, very cheap, very healthy (no fat in it at all, lentils are full of protein, iron, full of fiber, vit B1 and minerals.) and so, so easy to make.... Not really what you think of to eat in August I know, but we are having a British summer...

1 large onion, chopped finely
350g (12oz) of red slit lentils
1.75 litres (3 pints) of good quality meat, chicken or veg stock (if vegan or vegetarian)
1 tsp of ground cumin (I like to use cumin seed and freshly grind it in the pestle and mortar- get a wonderful taste and aroma)
juice of a lemon
salt and pepper

In a saucepan, put the lentils, onions, stock and salt and pepper, and simmer gently until the lentils have disintegrated. (about half an hour will do, but I like a longer time for mine) Add water if soup needs thinning. Then stir in the lemon juice and cumin, and more salt and pepper if needed.
delicious.

Liver and Bacon

You maybe put off this one by memories of thick, rubbery slabs of meat, force fed to you as a child. However, when fresh liver is sliced thinly and cooked quickly in butter, served with crispy bacon and its own tasty juices, its truly delicious. I urge you to try it. Plus of course it’s very economical! This version is based on my bible, Mrs Beaton’s Every-day Cooking.

Ingredients: 1lb of liver (I like lambs for this recipe) Half a lb of bacon cut into small pieces, flour, salt and pepper.

Method: put the liver into a basin and cover with boiling water, leave it there for 10 mins. Then drain, dry well and cut into thin slices. Season with 1tbs of flour and 1tsp of salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Dip the liver into the mixture. Heat the frying pan, fry the bacon, then remove to a hot dish until required. Fry the liver in the fat of the bacon, but quickly so that its browned on both sides but not over cooked. Transfer to a hot dish. Sprinkle in about a tbs of flour, let it brown, then add about half a pint of water, stir until it boils, thickens and reduces, then strain over the liver. Arrange the bacon on the top and serve hot.

Oh and liver is a fantastic source of Iron, Vitamin A, (essential for healthy skin and eyes) Vitamin B2 (promotes good health and is necessary for maintaining good vision, nails, skin and hair) Vitamin B3 (improves cirulation and reduces high blood pressure) and B12 (prevents anaemia) and of Vitamin D…

Today’s illustration is a monoprint ‘sheep’ © Lois Blackburn. Please visit http://www.loisblackburn.co.uk/ for more images.