Parma Ham Pitta Pizzas

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I enjoy a meal prepared for me at home. My own children came up with this real winner a couple of years ago… a pizza made with a ready-made base but imaginative topping that can be on the table I next to no time. They used naan bread instead of pitta for theirs but both work fabulously well.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 8 tsp regular or sun-dried tomato puree
  • 8 mini or 4 large white or wholemeal pitta breads
  • 4 medium tomatoes, sliced
  • 2 tsp dried Italian mixed herbs
  • 100g mozzarella cheese, grated
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 black or green olives
  • 8 slices Parma ham
  • basil leaves, to garnish

Method

  1. Preheat the grill to medium/hot or the oven if necessary to 190°C/Esse Dial Guide HOT. (Aim for the dial reading to be at the low end of HOT).
  2. Divide and spread the tomato puree evenly over one side of each pitta bread. Arrange on the grill rack or on a baking tray and top with the sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle with the mixed herbs, grated mozzarella and pepper to taste.
  3. Grill for 3-4 minutes or bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Top with olives and Parma ham. Scatter over a few basil leaves and serve at once.

Variation

Parma Ham and Pesto Pitta Pizzas: Prepare as above but replace the tomato puree with red or green pesto and omit the dried Italian mixed herbs.

Big Breakfast Frittata With Smoky Beans

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For a treat of ‘breakfast in bed’, this recipe hits the spot every time for me. It’s a variation of a ‘Full English’ with eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes and tomatoes in one pan with a side portion of smoky beans. It’s simple enough for any teenager to prepare and it can also be made well ahead and just reheated (by those who dislike early mornings).

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • sunflower or olive oil
  • 1 onion, cut into 6 wedges
  • 225g new potatoes, cooked and sliced
  • 2 sausages, cooked and sliced
  • 2 rashers lean back bacon, cooked and chopped
  • 5 eggs
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 6 cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
  • 400g can baked beans
  • ½-1 tsp smoked paprika

Method

  1. Smear a large non-stick frying pan (with heatproof handle) liberally with sunflower or olive oil. Heat, add the onion and cook for about 6-7 minutes or until browned.
  2. Add the potatoes, sausage and bacon. Cook for a further 7 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.
  3. Beat the eggs with seasoning to taste and the parsley. Pour gently over the potato mixture to cover evenly. Return to a low heat and cook gently for a further 15 minutes until the eggs are just set. Add the tomatoes to the top if using.
  4. Meanwhile, preheat the grill until hot. Place the frittata under the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes until the top is lightly browned. Alternatively place in a very hot oven and cook until the top is lightly browned.
  5. At the same time, place the beans in a pan with the smoked paprika and heat until hot. Serve the frittata cut into wedges with a portion of beans on the side.

Get Ahead!

The frittata can be prepared a day ahead then chilled until required. Reheat in a moderate oven until hot, about 10-15 minutes. The smoky beans are best made fresh.

Oaty Baked Strawberry Cheesecake

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This cheesecake looks stunning and tastes divine, yet takes only minutes to prepare. It can be topped with almost any prepared fruit of your choice and is wonderful with a little single cream to serve. If liked some sultanas or chopped stem ginger could be added to the basic cream cheese mixture.

Serves 8

Ingredients

  • 50g butter
  • 50g clear honey
  • 150g rolled porridge oats
  • 400g cream cheese
  • 3 medium eggs, separated
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 150g fresh strawberries, thinly sliced
  • mint sprigs, to garnish

Method

  1. Preheat the oven if necessary to 180˚C/Esse Dial Guide MODERATE. (Aim for the dial reading to be at the top end of MODERATE or very low end of HOT).
  2. Melt the butter and the honey in a pan then stir in the oats, mixing well. Press onto the base of a 20cm round, loose-bottomed cake tin.
  3. Whisk the cream cheese with the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla essence until smooth.
  4. Whisk the egg whites until stiff then fold into the cream cheese mixture. Pour into the cake tin.
  5. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden and just firm to the touch. Allow to cool before removing from the tin and transferring to a serving plate.
  6. Chill well then top with the sliced strawberries and mint to serve.

Variation

Oaty Baked Rhubarb Cheesecake: Prepare as above but top with 225g cooked rhubarb mixed with 5 tbsp warmed preserve. Rhubarb compôte is particularly good.

 

St Clement’s Roast Lamb

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This is a British classic. I’ve tweaked it a bit with the addition of orange and lemon… it rings the changes if you’ll excuse the pun! I still like to serve it with my signature-dish of flageolet beans (with the lamb juices stirred in) but fennel is a great accompaniment too.

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 2kg leg of lamb
  • 2 oranges
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 lemons, sliced
  • 3 tbsp dry white wine or white grape juice

Method

  1. Preheat the oven if necessary to 200˚C/Esse Dial Guide HOT. (Aim for the dial reading to be in the middle of HOT).
  2. Grate the zest from the oranges then cut the orange flesh into slices. Make several deep incisions over the surface of the lamb and season. Press the thyme and orange zest over the lamb and into the slits.
  3. Place the orange and lemon slices in a large non-stick roasting tin and put the leg of lamb on the top. Open roast for about 11⁄4 hours for pink meat and about 11⁄2 hours for medium to well-done meat, basting occasionally. About 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time pour the wine or grape juice over the lamb and continue to roast.
  4. When cooked, cover with foil and leave to rest for 15 minutes before carving. Remove any excess fat from the cooking juices and use to make a gravy or jus if liked or stir into cooked seasonal vegetables or canned beans (like flageolet) as liked.

Tip

Roast potatoes or potatoes boulangère makes a fine accompaniment. Why not try roasting a mixture of white and sweet potatoes for variety?

Roasted British Asparagus With Chilli And Lime Butter

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Roasting asparagus, instead of boiling or steaming, produces a starter or vegetable dish with a good intense flavour. Here it is served with a butter that has a zesty kick. It would make a wonderful light Spring lunch dish or a superb accompaniment for a simple poached or baked salmon.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 100g butter
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds, roughly ground
  • juice of ½ lime
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 bundles British asparagus
  • olive oil
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Esse Dial Guide HOT. (Aim for the dial reading to be in the middle of HOT).
  2. Bring the butter to room temperature then mix in the chilli, coriander, cumin, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Place on a sheet of cling film, roll into a sausage shape then chill until firm.
  3. Trim the ends of the asparagus and place on a roasting tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast in the oven for 6-8 minutes until just tender but still with a little bite.
  4. Transfer to 4 warmed serving plates. Top each with a slice of the prepared butter and a wedge of lime. Serve at once.

Get Ahead!

The butter can be made up to 5 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator, ready for slicing when required. It is also delicious to serve with simply cooked fish fillets and chicken breasts.

Honey, oat and raisin cookies

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Serves 22

Ingredients

  • 100g rolled oats
  • 50g bran flakes (I use fruit and fibre)
  • 90g desiccated coconut
  • 185g plain flour
  • 140g soft light brown sugar
  • 100g raisins
  • 185g butter
  • 60g runny honey
  • 30ml water
  • 1 orange zest
  • 1 lemon zest
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate soda

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 170°C vent open / Esse Dial Guide MODERATE (Aim for the dial reading to be in the middle of MODERATE).
  2. Line 2 trays with baking parchment.
  3. Combine all dry ingredients except bicarbonate soda. Melt water, butter, honey together and add bicarb. Pour this into the dry and mix well. Roll into balls of 40g.
  4. Place on your lined trays 5 cm apart.
  5. Bake 18-20 mins.

If you don’t want to bake them all, freeze the raw dough balls and bake whenever you want some.

Recipe baked in the ESSE Ironheart wood fired cooking stove by Dominique Ashford.

Dominique runs Dale House Barn and B&B in the Forest of Bowland, offering gourmet countryside and cooking retreats. Guests can experience bread making and game cookery using the ESSE electric range cooker and relax by the warmth of the Ironheart after a day exploring Gisburn forest or the heather moorlands of Bowland Knots.

Roast potatoes

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Serves 4

  • 1 lb (450g) King Edward potatoes
  • 1 oz (25g) Goose fat, dripping or 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1 tbsp Plain flour (or a mixture of polenta, ground rice, seasoning and mixed herbs)

Method

Oven: ESSE 220 (thermodial at about 25 past the hour)
Prepare ahead: 24 hours, reheat on 2nd runners in 220 oven for 10 minutes in a shallow tin
Freeze: Yes. Reheat from frozen on 2nd runners in 220 oven for 25 minutes in a shallow tin

  1. If using dripping or goose fat, set in a bowl on the back of the cooker to melt.
  2. Line a shallow roasting tin with greaseproof paper. Cut the potatoes into even sized pieces. Put into a pan of cold water. Cover, bring to the boil, and simmer for a minute. Drain then add the flour or polenta mixture. Shake well, then pour in the fat and shake again.
  3. Tip the coated potatoes into the tin and hang from the second set of runners and cook for about an hour, until crisp and golden.

Christmas Shortbread

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Makes 24 pieces

Ingredients

  • 12 oz (325g) Plain flour
  • 8 oz (225g) Butter
  • 4 oz (110g) Caster sugar
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 jar (340g) Mincemeat
  • Icing sugar to finish

Method

Oven: ESSE 180 (thermodial at about half past the hour)
Prepare ahead: Will keep in a tin for a few days if well hidden
Freeze: Yes. Cut into squares before freezing so it is easy to take out as many or as few as you need

  1. Line a tin 20 x 20 cm (8 x 12”) with greaseproof paper.
  2. Put the flour, sugar, salt and butter into a processor and whizz until the consistency of sand. Tip about half of this into the tin and press down firmly – use the bottom of a tumbler or your hand!
  3. Spread the mincemeat over the tin, then tip on the rest of the shortbread mix. Spread over and press down.
  4. Cook for 25 minutes until pale golden. Allow to cool completely before turning out, cutting into squares and dusting with a little icing sugar.

Brussels sprouts cheese bake

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Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1lb (450g) Brussels sprouts
  • 1 oz (25g) Butter
  • 1 oz (25g) Plain flour
  • ½ pint (300ml) Milk
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 Eggs
  • 3 oz (75g) Cheddar cheese
  • Salt and pepper

Method

Oven: ESSE 200 (thermodial at about 25 past the hour)
Prepare ahead: 1 hour
Freeze: Before baking

  1. Trim and halve the sprouts (if they are large) and put into a pan, cover with water and put onto the boiling plate. Boil for 3-4 minutes until tender. Drain and pile into an ovenproof dish (2 pints / 1 litre). Put into the slow cooking oven to keep warm while you make the sauce.
  2. Melt the butter in the still-warm pan and stir in the flour, off the heat. Slowly add the milk, stirring all the time. Set onto the simmering plate and bring to the boil, stirring.
  3. Grate the cheese and separate the eggs.
  4. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the cheese, mustard and egg yolks. Whisk the egg whites then fold them into the sauce.
  5. Pour over the sprouts and then cook in the centre of the hot oven for 15-20 minutes until puffed up and golden.

Sesame roasted sprouts

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Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1lb (450g) Sprouts
  • 2 tbsp Sesame
  • 1 tbsp Sesame seeds
  • Salt and pepper

Method

Oven: ESSE 220 (thermodial at about 25 past the hour)
Prepare ahead: Prepare and coat the sprouts and chill for up to 24 hours before cooking
Freeze: No

  1. Line a shallow baking tray with greaseproof paper.
  2. Trim and prepare the sprouts.
  3. Pile into the roasting tin with the sesame oil and seeds, shaking to coat everything in the oil.
  4. Hang the tin from the second set of runners and roast for 8 – 10 minutes, season and serve.

Traditional Welsh Bara Brith Tea Loaf

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This tea loaf which translates from the Welsh as “speckled bread” uses dried fruit soaked in hot tea the night before and then slowly baked in the ESSE oven. There are many variations but I am keeping mine simple and frugal. I used Earl Grey tea and 100% wholemeal flour for a healthier loaf but you can always use self-raising white flour.

Ingredients

  • 350g mixed dried fruit
  • 300ml strong hot tea
  • 175g light muscovado sugar
  • 275g wholemeal self-raising flour or just self-raising flour
  • 11/2 teaspoons mixed spice
  • 2 eggs, beaten

Method

  1. Put all the dried fruit into a bowl, add the sugar and pour over the hot tea.  Stir well, cover and leave overnight.
  2. Preheat the oven to 150C.  Lightly grease a 2 lb loaf tin and line it with parchment paper.
  3. Stir the flour, mixed spice and eggs into the fruit mixture, mix thoroughly and then spoon the mixture into the prepared tin.  Spread the top as flat as you can.
  4. Bake for about 1 ½ hours or until well risen and firm to the touch.  Check if the cake is cooked by inserting a clean skewer into the centre and it should come out clean.
  5. Allow to cool in the tin for before removing from the tin and leaving to cool completely on a wire rack.
  6. Serve in slices, buttered.

Recipe from Philippa Vine, Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen

Seville Orange Tart

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January is the month we hit ‘peak orange’ when the harvest of these citrus-packed fruits begins across southern Europe.

This year has seen a bumper harvest of ‘naranjos’ or Seville oranges – the iconic fruit of southern Spain.

Marmalade – that quintessentially English delicacy – is what we usually associate with Seville’s finest, but the orange harvest also serves as a reminder of sunnier times ahead, when we can look forward to enjoying al fresco lunches in a delightful Andalucian plaza as spring returns to the Med and the orange blossom is everywhere.

This dish takes us beyond Marmalade to a wonderfully zingy yet surprisingly delicate dessert – think classic tarte au citron – but with more natural sweetness and a dash of Spanish passion. Salud!

Ingredients

Sweet pastry shortcrust pastry case

For the Filling

  • 3 Seville oranges, zest and juice
  • 3 eggs
  • 110g caster sugar
  • 300ml double cream

Method

  1. You will need a 25cm x 4cm tart tin.
  2. Line the tart tin with pastry and bake it blind in your ESSE at 180C (vent open) for about 25 minutes.
  3. Place the zest and juice of the oranges in a bowl with the eggs and the sugar.
  4. Mix together and then add the cream.
  5. Lower the oven or use the bottom oven set at 150C (vent closed) and carefully pour into the baked pastry case.
  6. Bake in the oven for about 25 – 30 minutes until the filling is set.

Recipe by Philippa Vine, Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen.

Italian Olive Oil Cake

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Roxy Bannerman has shared this super-simple dairy-free recipe which Italians traditionally eat for breakfast.  It’s the perfect excuse for cake in the morning. Cake for breakfast…why not?

Ingredients

  • 175g 00′ flour or plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • pinch salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 150g olive oil
  • 150g caster sugar
  • juice and zest of 1 lemon

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180. Grease and line a loaf tin.
  2. Mix together the eggs, sugar, oil, lemon juice and zest in a large bowl until well combined.  Sift over the flour and baking powder and fold in with the salt.
  3. Pour into the loaf tin and bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
  4. Cover with foil after 30mins if you think it’s browning too much.
  5. Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Recipe by Roxy Bannerman

Raspberry Cake

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This sumptuous summer cake isn’t too sweet and makes the most of seasonal soft fruit which should be at their best around now.

It’s nice and moist and benefits by being served with some berries or a fruit compote and a nice dollop of cream, crème fraiche or ice-cream on the side. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 210g soft butter
  • 210g caster sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 250g Self raising flour
  • 150g ground almonds
  • 50g flaked almonds

Method

  1. Grease and line a 20cm cake tin.
  2. Cream the butter and the caster sugar together. Add the eggs gradually, taking care not to split the mix.
  3. Sieve the flour and add the ground almonds, then mix this into the butter, followed by the raspberries.
  4. Fill your cake tin. Smooth over and sprinkle with the flaked almonds.
  5. Bake at 170˚C for 50 mins, vent closed, middle shelf of top oven.

Recipe by Dominique Ashford

Roasted Red Pepper, Mint and Halloumi Tart

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Delicious served with summer salads and to make it even easier, use a jar of roasted peppers. If you can get good quality halloumi, then all the better. A useful tip when making pastry, keep the flour and butter cold in the fridge or freezer, it will make it easier to roll out and handle and it is a ‘no blind bake’ pastry recipe too! You will need a 23cm loose-bottomed flan tin.

Ingredients

For the pastry:

  • 150g plain flour
  • 35g polenta
  • 90g butter, cold
  • 1 egg

For the filling:

  • 3 large red peppers, roasted and peeled or use a jar ready roasted, chopped
  • A good handful of fresh mint, finely chopped
  • 250g halloumi, drained and coarsely grated
  • 2 egg yolks and 2 whole eggs
  • 284ml (a carton) single cream
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 190C (375F, Gas mark 5).  To make the pastry, put the flour, polenta and butter in a food processor and process briefly until breadcrumb consistency.
  2. Add the egg and continue processing until it forms a dough.  Roll out and carefully line the flan tin.
  3. Place the tin on a baking sheet ready to put in the oven and before you add the filling. Fill the pastry case with half the halloumi and peppers and cover with chopped mint.
  4. Beat the eggs and cream together and plenty of black pepper (do not add salt as the cheese has the ideal amount).
  5. Carefully pour the egg mixture into the tin and top with the remaining cheese and peppers.
  6. Cook in the oven on the base of the ESSE and cook until set and tinged golden brown for about 30 – 35 minutes.

Recipe by Philippa Vine

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