Chinese New Year Cooking Masterclass

Bring in the Chinese New Year with at-home tips from TV chef Dean Edwards

Today marks the start of the Chinese New Year of the Dragon and billions of people all around the world will be celebrating with food, fellowship, family and fireworks.

Here in Britain the occasion will be marked around the nation with celebrations, parades and fireworks displays over the next couple of weeks, so if you’re keen to get into the spirit, forget expensive takeaway dishes and cook up a delicious Chinese feast in your own home.

The lunar festival is the longest and most important festival in the Chinese calendar and lasts for 15 days – long enough to get your wok skills up to scratch. But if you feel that your confidence is lacking somewhat when it comes to trying a different style of cooking then help is at hand.

Chinese food is healthy and actually easy to make with the right ingredients and it’s a favourite of TV Chef Dean Edwards.

Former MasterChef runner up Dean has joined with Kikkoman Soy Sauce and has plenty of tips and recipes for those of us keen to bring a bit of the Chinese New Year into our lives by the way of some delicious dishes and he joins me now to reveal all.

THE EAST MADE EASY
How to cook a feast this Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year (year of the Dragon for 2012) starts on Monday 23^rd January, with celebrations lasting into February. With many of the traditions of Chinese New Year being centered around mealtimes, why not be a little bit adventurous, push the boat out and impress your friends and family by cooking a Chinese banquet in your own home? With food being a symbol of prosperity, good luck, health and long life for everyone at the table, you are sure to wow your guests with your thoughtfulness.

If you are unsure of what to cook, then look no further than our recipe video where Chef Jeremy Pang teaches Kate Thornton how to rustle up a delightful selection of dishes using the Blue Dragon range to keep things simple and quick for busy Mums like Kate, but still using all the traditional tasty Chinese flavours. Rustling up an authentic Chinese New Year feast at home couldn’t be easier, and is sure to kick start your new year with a bang!

If you want to learn how to make Steamed Whole Sea Bass with Black Bean and Ginger and Vegetable Chow Mein, topped off with Crispy Prawn Wontons with Sweet Chilli Sauce, Egg Fried Rice and BBQ Roast Pork watch the video below our recipes.

Whole Steamed Black Bean Fish

Ingredients

1 whole seasonal white fish

1 cube fresh ginger

2 spring onions

2 tsp preserved black beans

1-2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

Light soy sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation

1. Make sure the fish is gutted, de-scaled and the gills removed
2. Place the fish in a suitable steaming dish
3. Peel and finely slice the fresh ginger and place on top of the fish and inside it’s cavity
4. Slice the spring onions into thin strips and place in a small prep bowl
5. Mix the black beans with the finely chopped garlic and a pinch of salt and lightly crush in a small bowl using a teaspoon
6. Place the black bean mixture on top of the fish and spread across the length of the fish

Cooking

1. Bring a large steaming pan to boil on high heat
2. Once the water is boiling vigorously, place the fish on the steamer and cover
3. Allow 7-12 minutes depending on the size of the fish (small fish [<300g] 7-8 minutes, medium fish [300g-500g] 9-10 minutes and large fish [500g-750g]10-12 minutes)
4. Once the fish is cooked, take immediately off the heat (the meat should just fall off the bone once cooked)

Serving

1. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in frying pan until smoking hot
2. Spread the spring onion over the top of the cooked fish
3. Carefully pour the smoking hot oil over the top of the fish and serve
4. Add a good dash of soy sauce

Stir Fried Pak Choi with Chinese Mushroom sauce

Ingredients

1 Bag Pak Choi

6 Dried Shitake mushrooms (soaked in hot water overnight)

3-5 slices ginger

Corn flour paste (optional)

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 capfuls rice wine

Sesame oil

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Coriander garnish

Preparation

1. Soak the mushrooms overnight and keep the soaking water to use as stock
2. Wash the Pak Choi thoroughly and cut lengthways into quarters
3. Finely slice the ginger
4. Mix the oyster sauce and rice wine together

Cooking

The Mushroom Sauce

1. Place the mushrooms in a clay pot / medium sized sauce pan
2. Add the sauce/wine mixture and ½ the bowl of mushroom stock from the overnight soaking
3. Bring to boil on low heat
4. Cook for 30 minutes. If the sauce begins to dry up, add a little more mushroom stock to keep moist
5. 5 minutes before serving, stir in the corn flour paste to thicken

The Stir fry

1. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a wok until smoking hot
2. Add the ginger and change heat to medium heat
3. Immediately add the pak choi and stir fry
4. Cover with a lid for 4-5 minutes
5. Season well with salt and pepper
6. Add a drop of sesame oil before serving

Serving

1. Arrange the Pak Choi in layers on a large plate
2. Carefully place the mushrooms head side up on top and pour the sauce all over
3. Garnish with coriander

Crispy Wontons

Ingredients

Preparation

The Filling

1. Finely chop the vegetables and place in a large prep bowl
2. Finely dice the prawns (if using) and add to the prep bowl
3. Season with soy sauce, a pinch of sugar and cover with sesame oil
4. Mix well

The Folding

Cooking

1. Deep fry the wontons at 180°C until golden brown. They usually start to float once cooked as there will be air inside the parcels

2. Serve with sweet chilli sauce on the side

Sweet Chilli BBQ Spare Ribs

Ingredients

8 Spare Ribs

4 cloves garlic

1 cube ginger

4 tbsp Blue Dragon Sweet Chilli Sauce

4 tbsp Blue Dragon hoi sin sauce

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp Blue Dragon dark soy sauce

2 tbsp vinegar

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Preparation

1. Finely chop the garlic and ginger and place in a baking tray
2. In the same baking tray add all the sauces, vinegar, sugar and oil and mix well until the sauce becomes one colour
3. Add the spare ribs to the tray and massage sauce into the meat
4. Cover the tray with tin foil

Cooking

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C
2. Cook for 20 minutes basting the meat with sauce once in between
3. After the 1^st 20 minutes, turn the meat and cook for a further 20 minutes
4. Remove from oven and turn the grill to high heat (roughly 230°C)
5. Once preheated remove the tin foil and place the ribs on a new baking tray
6. Baste each rib with just enough sauce to cover the meat and keep the remaining sauce aside
7. Now place the meat tray under the grill for an additional 3-5 minutes. Turn once to allow each side to get a ‘charred’ finish

Serving

1. Serve with a spoonful of sauce over the top of the meat
2. Place the remaining sauce in a small bowl on the side – Finely chopped fresh spring onion is an optional addition

Fried Rice

Ingredients

1 cup cooked rice

1 egg

½ cup petit pois

2 spring onions

Light soy sauce

Sesame oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Finely chop the spring onions and place the rings into a small prep bowl

Cooking

1. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a wok on high heat
2. Crack the egg into the wok and fry
3. Once the egg is half cooked, break the yolk and cut into the white with your spatula
4. Now push the egg to one side of the wok to allow space for your rice
5. Separate the rice as much as possible using a wooden spoon / spatula
6. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil to the wok
7. Once smoking hot, add the rice to the wok and mix well, trying to separate rice so as to remove any large clumps
8. Once the rice is well mixed, add the peas and continue to stir-fry
9. Pour a substantial amount of light soy sauce over the rice and stir-fry
10. Add salt and pepper to taste
11. Finally add a dash of sesame oil and stir

Serving

1. Serve in a large bowl with spring onion scattered on top

Vegetable Chow Mein

Ingredients

Blue Dragon Egg noodles

Handful bean sprouts

1 bag Chinese greens (Choi Sum, Kai Lan or even Chinese Leaf)

2 spring onions

Blue Dragon Dark Soy Sauce

Blue Dragon Sesame Oil

Preparation

1. Soak the egg noodles in hot water for 5-10 minutes
2. Once the noodles have separated, drain the water and allow to dry (preferably overnight for best results)
3. Wash the bean sprouts and place in a prep bowl
4. Wash the Chinese greens and slice into strips. Place in a prep bowl
5. Finely slice the spring onions and place in a small prep bowl

Cooking

1. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a wok to high heat
2. Add the Chinese greens, turn down to medium heat and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes before pushing the vegetables to the side of the wok
3. Turn heat back up to high and add the bean sprouts. Stir-fry for a further minute
4. If space is needed, empty the cooked ingredients from the wok back into a large prep bowl
5. Heat 2 new tablespoons vegetable oil in the wok to high heat
6. Add the noodles and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes
7. Add the cooked ingredients back into the wok and now add the dark soy sauce and stir-fry until noodles become a consistent colour (1-2 minutes)
8. Add the spring onion and a dash of sesame oil

Serving

1. Serve in a large bowl

Busy mums at breaking point at end of school day

From the school pick up, to the after-school taxi service to clubs and sports, to the dinner rush - how do they manage?

Every day, millions of mums around the country head to the school gates straight from work or a day of numerous chores and tasks at home to pick up their little darlings, but while they may have been up since six and working hard all day, it’s more than likely that the hardest part of their day starts after 3pm.

By the time mum’s taxi service turns into mum’s café – full of picky and demanding customers – mums have been at the beck and call of their kids for hours.

And a new study shows that it reaches fever-pitch during dinner time with nearly half of all parents saying they spend anywhere between half an hour and an hour preparing meals for their children.

One in five parents say they have to make a completely separate meal for their children as an alternative to the main family meal twice a week on average, as they contend with fussy little eaters who often refuse point blank to eat what the rest of the family is eating.

In fact, parents say their kids and now getting so demanding about what they eat that 40% of those surveyed by Philips believe their children would be more critical of the meals they cook than a celebrity chef or food critic.

So what’s the solution for parents desperate to make dinner time an enjoyable part of the day, instead of the most stressful part of it?

Listen to our podcast with Beverley Glock – food writer and TV cook, discussing her tips from a cooking perspective when it comes to cutting down on cooking time and different meal preparation

For more information visit: www.facebook.com/philipshomelivinguk

James Martin Gets Young People Cooking

Celebrity chef James Martin is supporting a new campaign, which calls for young people to master at least five simple recipe dishes by the age of 25.

Research shows that the majority of 18-25 year olds (57%) are leaving home without the ability to cook even a simple recipe such as Spaghetti Bolognese.

Whilst the majority of young people claimed they could cook, when tested on popular recipes such as Spaghetti Bolognese, curry and even the humble Yorkshire Pudding, the majority simply couldn’t. Only 6% of this age group could make all three of these recipes.

5by25 is an umbrella campaign aimed at helping youth and parent groups co-ordinate their activities behind a single purpose – supporting young people to master at least five basic recipe dishes by the age of 25.

Core to the campaign is the www.5by25.com website which contains 25 basic recipes each with a Master the Dish challenge. The campaign is looking to encourage 5 to 25 year olds to visit the site and master a dish for life.

Website: www.5by25.com

Kirstie Allsopp’s: Spiced Plum Puddings

Watch Kirstie create her irresistible Spiced Plum Puddings - the perfect treat to warm up with this winter

As the evenings grow darker and the days get colder the ultimate cosy night in has to be in front of the fire with a delicious, warming pud.

Nothing beats homemade and Kirstie’s simple recipe for Spiced Plum Puddings is no exception. With a layer of juicy, fruity plums sat on a base of warm sponge they are the ultimate comfort food to enjoy with your family and friends.

Made with autumnal spices, including nutmeg and ginger, each sponge has a truly scrumptious flavour and thanks to Kirstie’s secret ingredient, Nestlé Carnation Condensed Milk ®, the sponge is extra moist.

Taking no longer than 25 minutes to prepare, you can rustle these up in no time to make the perfect after dinner treat. Best served with lashings of custard, these puddings will be a firm family favourite this winter and the perfect addition to your night in!

Log on to www.carnation.co.uk to find new delicious recipes every month from Kirstie Allsopp

Recipe

Serves 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

3 ripe plums

2tbsp sugar

85g (3oz) butter

85g (3oz) Nestlé Carnation Condensed Milk ®

1 egg

100g (3½oz) self raising flour

¼tsp baking powder

¼tsp ginger

Freshly grated nutmeg

1tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, (160°C for fan ovens), Gas Mark 4.

2. Halve the plums and remove the stones, then chop into quarters. Tip into a pan with 3tbsp water and 2tbsp sugar. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes until soft.

3. Beat the remaining ingredients in bowl until smooth.

4. Butter 4 x 150ml (¼pt) metal pudding basins (or ramekins or small robust coffee cups) and place into a roasting tin.

5. Spoon the plums into the pudding basins. Top with the sponge and level the tops.

6. Pour hot water into the roasting tin until about halfway up the sides of the puddings. Cover the whole tin with foil, carefully transfer to the oven (taking care to keep the tin level) and bake for 20-25 minutes until risen and turning golden at the edges.

7. Turn the puddings out and serve with freshly made custard.

Tip

Add any spices you like to the pudding – you could just add a good pinch or two of mixed spice or just the cinnamon. Try this recipe with cooked apples or pears when in season.

Kirstie Allsopp’s Halloween Toffee Apples

Get in the spirit of Halloween with these frightfully delicious Toffee Apples

It’s the time of year when ghosts and ghouls come out to play and these delicious, rich and golden brown Halloween Toffee Apples are the perfect ending to any fright night feast.

Kirstie Allsopp, the queen of homemade cooking brings you a recipe that combines sweet, creamy caramel flavours and crunchy apple. As always, they are simple for you to make in the comfort of your own home.

The Nestlé Carnation Caramel is what makes this sweet desert so special, as it gives the toffee a delightful creamy flavour and glossy texture. Make sure there is plenty to go round as these toffee apples will definitely get the trick or treater’s knocking at your door again.

Log on to www.carnation.co.uk to find new delicious recipes every month from Kirstie Allsopp.

Recipe

Makes 6 Toffee Apples
Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients

6 eating apples

175g (6oz) light buttery spread

100g (3½oz) maple or golden syrup

225g (8oz) light brown soft sugar

200g (7oz) Carnation Condensed Milk

Method

1. Dunk the apples into a large bowl of boiling water for 30 seconds, remove with a slotted spoon and allow to cool slightly before wiping the skins with kitchen paper – this will remove any wax from the apples and allow the toffee to stick better to the skin.

2. Holding the apple firmly, insert a chopstick or lolly stick into the apples near the core. Place a piece of parchment onto a baking sheet.

3. Place the remaining ingredients into a large pan and melt gently over a low heat. Then bring to the boil for about 15-20 minutes stirring frequently – if you have a food thermometer the temperature you need is about 130C! IT IS VERY HOT SO BE CAREFUL! It will be quite a deep brown caramel colour and will have a cinder toffee smell.

4. Remove from the heat, and very carefully take each apple and roll in the toffee to coat completely. Leave to set on the parchment until hard.

Tips

If your caramel doesn’t set hard on the apples – it will be because the toffee did not get hot enough. It still makes a lovely chewy caramel but a good test of ‘readiness’ is if you drop a small bit of the toffee into ice cold water and it forms very hard toffee. Small strands should shatter, if it is soft and chewy then it needs to get hotter!

How to make

Mince Masala and Lamb Rogan Josh

Watch our video to see Kyran Bracken and Cyrus Todiwala show us how to get involved this National Curry Week

In the UK most of us enjoy a curry at least once a week. But while it’s clear we love to eat the hot-stuff, when it comes to making one ourselves, we’re not so skilled.

So instead of just ordering in a takeaway, curry fan and rugby legend Kyran Bracken has teamed up with top Indian chef Cyrus Todiwala to encourage everyone to get involved in this year’s Big Curry Cook-in. Working with Red Tractor beef and lamb they are helping to show everyone just how quick and simple it can be to whip up our favourite dish whenever we fancy it.

When cooking your own curry at home, make sure you’re getting good quality meat by looking for a quality mark such as the Red Tractor logo; then you will know that you’re getting farm-assured beef or lamb.

For more information visit www.simplybeefandlamb.co.uk/bigcurry

Watch this video to see Cyrus give Kyran top tips on how to master a Mince Masala and a Lamb Rogan Josh, and if Kyran can do it then so can you!

RECIPE: Mince Masala

Serves 4

Preparation time: Approximately 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients:

450g/1lb lean beef mince

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1 x 2.5cm/1inch piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 x 425g can chopped tomatoes

1-2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

Salt and freshly milled black pepper

10ml/2tsp garam masala

2 handfuls freshly chopped coriander

Method:

1. Heat a large, shallow, non-stick frying pan until hot and cook the mince, onion, garlic and ginger for 5-7 minutes.

2. Reduce the heat and add the tomatoes, chillies, seasoning, garam masala and half the coriander.

3. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Garnish with the remaining coriander and serve with plain basmati rice, poppadums and a cucumber raita, or a selection of relishes.

Tip:

If preferred, replace the garam masala with a prepared curry paste of your choice.

RECIPE: Lamb Rogan Josh

Serves 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 1-1½ hours

Ingredients:

450g/1lb lean lamb shoulder or leg cubes, cut into 2.5cm/1 inch cubes

15ml/1tbsp oil

2 medium onions, peeled and chopped or 1 x 500g pack prepared diced onions

5ml/1tsp garlic purée

1 x 420g (approx.) jar prepared Rogan Josh sauce

6 small new potatoes, halved

100g/4oz prepared cauliflower florets (frozen are good too)

Salt and freshly milled black pepper

Natural yogurt, to garnish

Freshly chopped coriander leaves, to garnish

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan and brown the lamb with the onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes.

2. Add the sauce, bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and cook on the hob for 1-1½ hours or according to the jar instructions.

3. 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time add the vegetables and continue to cook. Remove from the heat, season, if required and garnish with the yogurt and coriander.

4. Serve with prepared basmati rice and a selection of Indian relishes and poppadoms or naan bread.

Kirstie Allsopp’s Sticky Toffee Banoffee Muffins

Enjoy Halloween with these gooey scrumptious delights

It is almost half term and Halloween on the way, so what could be better than making these delicious Banoffee Muffins – created by the queen of all things homemade, Kirstie Allsopp.

Packed with banana as well as gorgeous caramel swirls, these delightfully soft, sticky and sweet banana muffins are not only the perfect afterschool treat on occasion but are also ideal for a coffee morning with friends. What’s more, they are really easy to make!

The Nestlé Carnation Caramel gives these muffins a delicious creamy toffee flavour, making them truly irresistible. Share them with your family and friends and be sure to save one for yourself as they won’t last long!

Log on to www.carnation.co.uk to find new delicious recipes every month from Kirstie Allsopp.

Recipe:

Makes 12 large muffins

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

275g (10oz) self-raising flour

1tsp baking powder

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 eggs

150ml (¼pt) milk

5tbsp vegetable oil

2 large ripe bananas, mashed

1tsp vanilla extract

397g can Carnation Caramel

100g (3½oz) chopped pecan nuts (optional)

You will also need:

12 hole muffin tin and muffin cases

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C, 375°F or Gas Mark 5.

2. Place the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl and mix well.

3. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, milk, oil, mashed bananas and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, without beating.

4. Drop spoonfuls of the caramel into the mixture, gently swirl through, but don’t mix it in – its nice to see little pockets of caramel bubbles in the finished muffins.

5. Place muffin cases in the tin and spoon the mixture into the cases until quite full. Top with the chopped pecan nuts, if using.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes and eat fresh and warm.

Mummy and Me: Jo and Olly’s Tuna Spring Rolls

Finding a mid-week meal which is quick, tasty, healthy and everyone enjoys can be a parental nightmare. The Tilda Taste Panel understands this better than most. The panel, made up of three mums, are experts in nutrition and food. Panel member and cookery writer, Jo Pratt, has created a simple recipe that kids will love.

In this video Jo demonstrates how to make her easy to follow spring roll recipe alongside her four-year-old son Olly – who is a particular fan! These tasty treats work well as a side dish or as a main course for smaller children. Best of all they are ready in less than 30 minutes and are packed full of fish and fresh vegetables.

Cook along with Jo and Olly in this handy video. For more information and further recipes please visit us at www.tilda.com or like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/TildaRice and follow us on Twitter @Tildabasmati

Prawn or Tuna Spring Rolls

Makes 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 pack of Tilda Steamed Basmati Egg Fried Rice (alternatively you could use Tilda Steamed Sweet Chilli and Lime or Tilda Steamed Pure)
• 100g small cooked prawns or 100g flaked tinned tuna
• 100g carrot, coarsely grated
• ½ red pepper, cut into small pieces
• 1-1 ½ tsp sweet chilli dipping sauce, plus extra to serve (or tomato ketchup if preferred)
• 12-16 square sheets of fresh filo pastry 
• Vegetable oil for brushing

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

Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Lightly massage the pack of rice to separate the rice grains. Tear the top of the pack halfway across and cook for 2 minutes in the microwave.

Meanwhile, place the prawns or tuna in a mixing bowl with the carrot, red pepper and sweet chilli dipping sauce, then add the rice. Mix well and set aside.

Lay a sheet of filo pastry on the work top or board and brush lightly with oil. Place another sheet of pastry on top and lightly brush with oil. Turn the square so that one corner of the pastry is pointing towards you. Spoon some filling onto the corner nearest you. Fold this corner towards the centre and tuck under the filling.

Fold the two outside corners to the middle so it looks like an envelope. Brush lightly with oil then roll up to look like a sausage shape. Brush once more and sit on the lined baking tray. Repeat until you have made the rest of the spring rolls.

Place in the oven for 15-18 minutes until lightly golden and crisp.

Cool slightly before eating, with extra sweet chilli dipping sauce to serve.

Ps…

For a meaty version of this recipe, finely chopped cooked chicken or turkey make a tasty alternative to tuna or prawns. For a vegetarian option, you could omit the tuna or prawns altogether and substitute with extra vegetables or even add some tofu or tinned white beans.

Sophie Michell’s Summery Apple and Pear Treats

Sophie Michell shows us how to make Sourdough crostini with roast chicken, apple, pear and celery salad

In this video, Sophie Michell shows us just how easy it is to make a light, summery treat using delicious South African fruit. Her Sourdough crostini, using South African apples and pears combine fruity flavours with the spicy mayonnaise on the crostini and is ideal for a light lunch or for canapés at a dinner party. The rustic treat is easy to prepare in advance meaning you can enjoy spending time with your guests rather than being stuck in the kitchen.

This combined with the fact that all South African fruit is completely ethically and environmentally produced, makes this recipe the perfect answer to any summer menu. So watch this video to find out how it’s done.

Colourful Citrusy Salad with a Twist!

Try this delicious and zesty ClemenGold, watercress, beetroot and goats cheese salad

As summer comes to an end and autumn sets in, many of us will be returning to old stodgy meals, but if you’re keen to keep the summer buzz going as long as possible, then why not try this citrusy salad with the superior tasting ClemenGold, fennel, watercress, beetroot and goats cheese.

ClemenGold is a wonderfully sweet, easy-peeling citrus fruit, and with a vibrant orange colour, fragrant aroma, and refreshing, juicy flavour, it is the perfect addition to any salad or chilled as a convenient school snack for kids.

In the following video, chef and author Sophie Michell shows you how to create this beautiful salad that will brighten your kitchen table and your palate.

www.clemengold.com

Baking Masterclass with Eric Lanlard

Eric Lanlard aka ‘Cake Boy’ reminds us that it’s fun to go baking mad and make a mess in the kitchen to create delicious desserts this summer

Master patissier Eric Lanlard is encouraging us all to reignite our love of baking this summer with four fabulously fruity, mouth-watering puddings. His summery recipes are easy to follow and certain to impress even the most demanding guests this season.

Eric has teamed up with Persil washing up liquid to get the country baking mad and show us how easy it is to make to make a refreshing Pink Grapefruit and Rose Champagne trifle, Arabian Orange Cupcakes, zesty Lemon and Coconut Tart and Granny Smith Apple Mousse. All four desserts look and taste great, proving to be the perfect end to a summery meal and an absolute must for any dinner party.

Watch these step-by-step videos to see just how easy it is to make delicious summer desserts while having fun and making a mess in the kitchen.

For more information visit www.persildishwash.co.uk

Original Ryvita Caramel Crunch Ice Cream

With Summer now firmly upon us, Ryvita®, with the help of top chef Valentine Warner, is giving you the inspiration to surprise your guests with a delicious new way to serve ice cream.

In this easy to follow recipe, Val proves just how versatile Ryvita Crispbread can be by creating a delicious Ryvita Caramel Crunch Ice-Cream. And don’t worry, you don’t have to be a pro in the kitchen to get this one right. This quick and simple dessert is fun to make and is sure to wow even the most discerning guests at your next dinner party.
 
Cook along with Val in this handy recipe video, and learn how to make a fantastic summery treat out of a rather unexpected ingredient!

Ingredients:

Original Ryvita Caramel Crunch Ice Cream, serves 6

4 Original Ryvita
200g sugar
8 egg yolks
400ml double
300ml whole milk                                          

Method:

• Smash the Ryvita into crumbs a little smaller than the size of corn flakes.
• Put half the sugar in a small frying pan with enough water just wet it all. Put over the heat and bring to the boil cook until caramel hazelnut colour is achieved. This will take approximately ten minutes and needs checking regularly. Do not stir with a spoon at all while sugar boils. Just as it starts to colour swirl the pan in order to get an even colouring and prevent burning in areas.
• When the caramel is ready stir the crumbs through it very thoroughly before spreading it all flattish over some greaseproof paper. When properly cooled smash the crumbs up again and leave to one side.
• Put the milk and cream together in a pan and just bring to the boil before taking it off.  In the meantime beat the egg yolks together with the remaining sugar until pale.
• Pour the hot milk and cream into the bowl with the sugar whisking all the time. Pour the mixture back into the pan and return to a lowish heat. Stir all the time for approximately 6 to 8 minutes until the mixture appears to thicken slightly. Don’t over cook the custard base or you will have scrambled eggs. Allow the custard to cool before churning.
• Churn your ice cream and only when beginning to stiffen add the crumbs to the machine. When fully set put in a freezer proof container and freeze until needed.
• Alternatively if you have no machine put the custard in a freezer proof container and every to 2 hours stir with a fork until stiffened but turning through the crumbs when it is just beginning to set.     

For more Summer recipes and information please visit www.ryvita.co.uk, follow us on Twitter @RyvitaCrunch or search Ryvita Crunch on Facebook.

The greatest thing since....

To celebrate 50 years of sliced bread, Antony Worrall Thompson shares his secret recipe for the perfect bacon sandwich

We may all know the saying but after 50 years many of us will take for granted the method which changed breakfast and lunchtimes over Britain. The method that makes bread production possible on a large scale, the Chorleywood Bread Process, is regarded as one of the most significant inventions of the last five decades. Introduced in 1961, it uses British wheat to produce over nine million loaves of bread each day - revolutionising meals and snacks across the country - from toast, sandwiches, and desserts such as bread and butter pudding.

In the following video, celebrity Chef Antony Worrall Thompson celebrates the 50^th anniversary of the Chorleywood Bread Process and gives his recipe for what sliced bread was truly made for, the perfect bacon sandwich.

For more information visit: www.bakersfederation.org.uk

Kirstie’s Scrumptious Smartie Cup Cakes

Take time to bake with the kids this summer with Kirstie Allsopp’s taste of chocolate heaven

Any ‘smartie pants’ knows that baking with the kids is a great way to keep them entertained during the summer holidays.

So follow in the footsteps of Kirstie Allsopp, the expert of all things homemade, and bake these delicious moist and fudgy Smartie Chocolate Cupcakes.  Mixing, baking, decorating and eating them is guaranteed to provide endless fun for both yourself and the little ones.

These yummy mini sponge cakes take ‘no time’ to prepare from start to finish. The key ingredient, Nestlé Carnation^® Condensed Milk, delivers a scrumptious moistness and texture to the cupcakes. It also gives the frosting a soft fudgy texture and a gorgeous sheen.

Log on to www.carnation.co.uk to find new delicious recipes every month from Kirstie Allsopp

Recipe

Makes 12 cakes

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

100g (3½oz) plain flour                           

25g (1oz) cocoa powder

250g (9oz) Carnation Condensed Milk

1 egg

½ tsp vanilla extract

85g (3oz) buttery spread*

1½ tsp baking powder                                 

Frosting

200g (7oz) icing sugar                      

2tbsp cocoa powder

55g (2oz) buttery spread*, softened

few drops vanilla extract

1-2tbsp Carnation Condensed Milk

2 boxes Nestlé Mini Smarties, to finish

You will also need:

12 hole muffin tin and cupcake or muffin cases

Method

1.    Preheat the oven to 180°C, (160°C for fan ovens), Gas Mark 4.

2.    Place the flour, cocoa powder, condensed milk, egg, vanilla extract, buttery spread and baking powder in a bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer for 2-3 minutes until pale and fluffy.

3.    Spoon into the cases and bake for approximately 15-18 minutes until springy to the touch and golden brown. Cool slightly then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

4.    Beat the icing sugar, cocoa powder, buttery spread and vanilla with enough condensed milk to bring the mixture to a soft consistency. Spread or pipe onto the cakes. Decorate with the Nestlé Smarties.

Tip

Let your imagination run wild with toppings for your cupcakes – there are loads of great decorations in the shops or chopped nuts, banana chips, curls of chocolate or silver balls.

*recipe is based on 70% fat ‘buttery taste’ spread

Kirstie Allsopp’s Super Smooth Berry Ripple Ice Cream

Create the fresh taste of summer with this tantalisingly creamy treat

Summer is finally here, so it’s time to dust off the garden furniture and head outside to enjoy some al fresco entertainment. Nothing says summer more than deliciously creamy ice cream, a perfect sweet ending to any meal.

In the following video, domestic goddess Kirstie Allsopp whips up a delicious treat for “real ice cream” lovers, super smooth berry ripple ice cream. Lusciously creamy yet fruity too – it’s guaranteed get the taste buds tingling.

The hero ingredient in this recipe is the Nestlé Carnation Condensed Milk. Not only does it sweeten the ice cream, it takes the fuss out of the method. There is no need for an ice-cream maker and you don’t even need to stir the ice-cream whilst freezing - all you do is make the mixture and leave it to set in the freezer.

It’s a great treat for the kids to scoop into cones to eat in the garden or alternatively, serve for friends and family with some succulent fresh berries. Just remember to make enough as they’ll definitely be back for more!

Log on to www.carnation.co.uk to find new delicious recipes every month from Kirstie Allsopp

Recipe

Serves 12

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 5-10 minutes

Freezing time: 3-4 hours or overnight

Ingredients

400g (14oz) fresh or frozen berries

Juice 1 lemon

55g (2oz) caster sugar

1pt carton whipping cream

405g can Carnation Condensed Milk Light

1tbsp vanilla extract

To serve:

Waffle ice cream cones

Method

1.    Place the berries in a pan with the lemon juice and sugar and cook until syrupy (about 5-10 minutes).  Cool then strain the berry sauce through a sieve to remove the pips.

2.    Beat the cream to soft peaks then add the condensed milk and vanilla and beat again to soft peaks.

3.    Pour the ice cream into a freezable container and swirl through the berry sauce. 

4.    Freeze until solid (about 3-4 hours or overnight).

5.    To serve leave out for 5-10 minutes before serving in ice cream cones!

Cooks tips

Using Carnation Condensed Milk to make ice cream means that you don’t need to stir the mixture every hour over a four hour period. The reason you would stir is to make the small ice crystals for a really smooth finish, however, the condensed milk will do this for you. What a time saving!

You can use any berries for this – try blackcurrants, blueberries or raspberries.  Adjust the sugar with the fruit according to taste.  Or just make a plain base ice cream with the cream, condensed and vanilla and swirl through Carnation Caramel or chocolate sauce.

Do you really know what’s on your plate?

How to ensure the food you buy really is environmentally friendly and ethically produced

Most of us these days are aware of just what a huge impact the food we buy has on the environment and the communities from where it is sourced.

But just how concerned are you about the ethical and environmental credentials of the food you are buying? Are your food purchasing decisions motivated more by cost?

In the following video A Place In The Sun’s Jasmine Harman takes a snap poll of the public to find out to what extent people are more likely to look at the big picture when it comes to how their food gets to their plate.

Jasmine also shows you just what to look out for as she heads to South Africa to investigate how the country’s fruit producers are leading the way when it comes to responsible food production.

For more information visit www.beautifulcountrybeautifulfruit.com 

Quick and delicious holiday recipes from Thomasina Miers

Masterchef winner whips up dishes inspired by her own travels- grilled steak with a hot and spicy chimichurri sauce and figs caramelized with lavender honey.

Holidays are all about new experiences and that’s especially true when it comes to food. For many of us, especially if you’re a foodie, the best thing about visiting foreign destinations is the chance to try out the local cuisine. Let’s face it, there’s nothing like a homemade pizza in Tuscany, or a crêpe on the streets of Paris.

Wherever you may be in the world, with a little thought and a kitchen at your disposal, locally sourced ingredients put together in the right way can make for a truly memorable culinary experience.

In the following video Masterchef winner Thomasina Miers takes inspiration from her own travels to create a perfect summer meal of Grilled Steak with a hot and spicy Chimichurri Sauce inspired by her journeys around the Americas. She finishes it off with an Italian dessert favourite of Figs Caramelized with Lavender Honey.

Visit HomeAway.co.uk to download your Travel Cookbook.

Healthy summer recipes with South African grapefruit

Sweet and savoury dishes using one of summer’s favourite fruits

Summer eating is all about fresh, healthy and delicious ingredients and there’s nothing better than using in-season fruit and vegetables as the basis of our dishes.

One of the most refreshing and healthy fruits of summer is the South African red grapefruit, which is naturally sweeter and does not require sugar. Grapefruit is also hugely versatile and can be used in both savoury and sweet dishes, thanks to the number of varieties of the fruit now available in the UK.

In the following video chef and author Sophie Michell shows you how to create a super-food fruit salad, using South African star ruby grapefruit, which is perfect for a great start to the day. She also whips up a delicious fennel, chicken and grapefruit summer salad sure to impress whoever you’re cooking for.

For more information and to hear about how you can take part in a ‘Grapefruit Challenge’ by eating a grapefruit a day for two weeks to see how eating the fruit can help you lose weight and boost your energy and concentration levels, please visit: www.sagrapefruitchallenge.co.uk (which will be live from the end of June).

For more information on South African grapefruit and more tasty recipe ideas, visit:

http://www.beautifulcountrybeautifulfruit.com/

Super-food fruit salad:

Chicken, grapefruit and fennel salad:

For more information on South African grapefruit and more tasty recipe ideas, visit:

http://www.beautifulcountrybeautifulfruit.com/

Delicious Low Fat Strawberry Cheesecake Pots

Celebrate Wimbledon and the sizzling summer with Kirstie Allsopp’s simple recipe

With Wimbledon just around the corner, it’s the ideal time of year to enjoy a spot of al fresco dining. For the perfect finale to a summer barbeque, impress friends and family by conjuring up these scrumptious and smooth low fat strawberry cheesecake pots.

Created by the queen of homemade, Kirstie Allsopp, these little pots of creaminess are super quick, easy to make, delicious and low fat – what more could you want?

To see how to make these heavenly little pots of summer yumminess, watch the video below:

 
Click here to watch the video

Log on to www.carnation.co.uk to find new delicious recipes every month from Kirstie Allsopp.

Recipe:

Serves 6

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Chilling time: 1 hour

Method

1.    Crumble 75g (3oz) light digestive biscuits into a bowl, not too fine.  Divide the crumbs between 6 wine glasses or small tumblers. 

2.    Place 200g (7oz) Carnation Condensed Milk Light (half a can) into a bowl and add the zest and juice of 1 lemon and 1tsp vanilla extract (optional).  Stir together until the mixture has thickened.

3.    Whisk 150g (5½oz) extra light cream cheese and 150g tub 0%fat Greek yogurt in a small bowl until smooth then fold into the thickened condensed milk, don’t over beat.  Spoon the creamy mixture over the biscuits.  Chill for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.

4.    Chop 250g (9oz) fresh strawberries, mix with 3tbsp strawberry jam and top the cheesecakes with the fruit to serve.

Cooks tip

Try out our magic trick to set the cheesecake with lemon juice. There is no need for gelatine, the Condensed Milk is the secret agent, just add lemon juice.

Ingredients

Preparation method

Ingredients

Preparation method

Ingredients

Victoria Sponge Cake ·         Individual jam and cream mini sponge cakes ·         Delicious Basic Sponge Cake ·         Deliciously Moist Triple Lemon Sponge Cake ·         Mocha Sponge Cake

Preparation method

Kirstie Allsopp’s Lime and Coconut Cake

Complete the perfect picnic with this gorgeous, crumbly summer treat

As the days start to hot up, dust off the picnic hamper and try conjuring up this gorgeous golden brown Lime and Coconut cake, created by the expert of all things homemade, Kirstie Allsopp.

This light sponge cake is drizzled with white icing and lime zest and is guaranteed to sweeten up any outdoor eating occasion. Plus, it’s really easy to prepare – simply beat together butter, eggs, desiccated coconut, self raising flour, the zest and juice of one lime, one tbsp of baking powder and the all-important ingredient, Nestle Carnation Condensed Milk. The condensed milk is the secret ingredient which will help to create a rich and moist sponge which all cooks crave.

For the icing, simply mix the juice of one lime into 300g of icing sugar until you have a thick pouring consistency, drizzle over the cake and decorate with strands of lime zest.

Watch the following video to see step by step how to make this simple and delicious summer treat. Perfect to pop into your picnic hamper and share with the whole family, this fresh, tropical and zesty cake will ensure that they’ll be back for seconds!

Video: http://www.linkto.tv/iframe/show/uuid/71VxV5q5VT8

Log on to www.carnation.co.uk to find new delicious recipes every month from Kirstie Allsopp.

How to make a tasty treasure chest

Food artist Prudence Staite’s recipe for a cereal treasure chest full of treats

Kids love anything pirate-related so why not spend time together and help them get creative in the kitchen whilst learning about the food they eat?

Using an easy-to-follow recipe, Prudence Staite uses a variety of Nestlé Whole Grain Cereals, which provide fibre, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, to make an entirely edible cereal treasure chest to fill with your favourite treats.

Watch the following video to see how you and your kids can have fun with your own patterns and decorations. Perfect for the whole family to make together and enjoy, you’ll have some very happy little pirates indeed!

To watch the video, click here: http://www.linkto.tv/iframe/show/uuid/9kb9XrZ0fys

For more information visit www.wholegrain.co.uk

French Cheese & Onion Tart

Watch our video for a fabulous and easy French Cheese tart with a touch of Cornwall

There’s nothing like a wedge of perfectly created French cheese at the end of a meal, but a slice or two of France’s finest can also be turned into a the basis of a classy and delicious main dish.

To help you make the most of some of the best cheese on the planet, Vive le Cheese have teamed up with some of Britain’s finest chefs to create some mouth watering cheesy classics that you can make at home.

In the following video, chef Dez Turland from Saunton Sands Hotel combines French Emmental with some classic Cornish ingredients such as Cornish ham and Cornish cider to whip up a gorgeous Emmental and French Onion Tart.

The tart can be made in just 20 minutes and combines the best of France with the best of Cornwall for a delicious meal that will impress your taste buds and your guests.

To watch video click here:

For more information visit www.vivelecheese.co.uk

Preparation time:  10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

200g French Emmental cheese

500g Roscoff onions – thinly sliced

150g Cornish Coppa ham – pre-sliced

100g unsalted butter

2 egg yolks

5 filo pastry sheets

Method

Start by melting ½ the butter and brush each filo pastry sheet. Line a 10” flan ring by layering the pastry sheets on top of each other and cook in the oven at 175^oC for approximately 10 minutes or until they are golden brown. 

For the filling, melt the remainder of the butter in a saucepan, add the onions and cook until soft. Remove from the heat and allow them to cool slightly, then mix in the French Emmental and egg yolks. To fill the tart, start with a layer of Coppa ham in the bottom, then alternate layers of the French Emmental mix and Coppa ham, finishing with the French Emmental mix.  Return to the oven and cook for 20 minutes at 175^oC.

Tip: This tart is great when accompanied by a Beurre Blanc sauce and watercress salad. 

Beurre Blanc sauce

Ingredients

150ml Cornish Rattler cider

100g unsalted butter – cold

100g double cream

30g shallots

10g rosemary

Method

For the sauce, add a small amount of the butter to a pan, add the shallots and rosemary and cook until soft.  Add the Rattler cider and reduce by ½ then add the double cream and bring to the boil.  Whisk in the cold butter and keep warm. 

Roast pork loin with warm plum and ginger chutney

TV chef Sophie Michell gives her top recipe for cooking a mouth watering dish with seasonal fruit

When cooking with pork, adding fruit is a great way to bring out its succulent flavour whilst cutting through any underlying fattiness. Yet whilst most of us may reach for the apple, the humble and juicy plum is also a great accompaniment to any pork dish. Now in season from South Africa, they are ripe for brightening up your cooking.

In this simple yet tasty recipe, Sophie Michell, author, chef and presenter of Channel 4’s Cook Yourself Thin brings together pork and plums with ginger for the final punch. Filled with antioxidants, plums are also great for the skin, hair and generally for keeping healthy. Ginger is also brilliant to boost a lacking immune system. Apart from all the science, the colour of the deep pink plum compote, bright green cabbage and succulent pork makes for an uber-satisfying dish.

Watch the following video to see Sophie go through this delicious recipe step by step: Click Here To Watch Video

For more information visit www.beautifulcountrybeautifulfruit.co.uk

RECIPE:

Ingredients

750g Pork loin

4 Garlic cloves

500g New potatoes

25ml Olive oil

450g Red plums

1 Medium shallot

½ inch piece fresh ginger

75ml Cider vinegar

75g Brown sugar

1 Medium Savoy cabbage

Pinch of sea salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/350F.
2. Wash and halve the potatoes and lay in a large roasting tray. Scatter over the garlic, drizzle with olive oil and season. Also season the pork and lay the whole loin on top of the potatoes in the roasting tray. Place in the oven and cook for around 45-60 minutes.
3. Peel and finely slice the shallot and ginger. Stone the plums and cut into 8 segments, add to a saucepan along with the shallot, ginger, sugar and vinegar. Bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until cooked down and until the vinegar smell has completely cooked out.
4. Then trim the ends and any torn leaves off the cabbage, cut out the core and finely slice. Heat up a little oil in a saucepan, add the cabbage, season and sweat down with a splash of water.
5. When the pork is cooked, rest for 20 minutes and then serve with the chutney and cabbage.

Getting time together

Professor Geoff Beattie offers advice on making the most of family meal times

Spending quality time together as a family without distractions can seem ever more difficult in modern times. No longer just competing with the television for our children’s attentions, so many of us are forever glued to other screens too - our Blackberries, iPhones and laptops. Switching off can seem impossible but what is this constant remote communication doing to our more immediate family relationships?

According to a survey by Bisto, only a quarter of families now eat together every day and more than half admit they regularly eat their dinner sat in front of the telly.  In the survey of 2,000 families across the UK, nearly a third confessed to eating dinner in front of a computer screen and almost a quarter said that they used social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter whilst eating with their family.

The research was commissioned to launch Bisto’s ‘Power Down for Dinner’ campaign set to encourage families to re-embrace the quality family meal without the disruption of emails, calls and virtual pokes.

So how can we make the most of our time together as a family? Do we remove ourselves from technology distractions entirely?  Lead by example? Or is it possible to find a happy medium? In the following video, Professor Geoff Beattie, who has studied the importance of the family meal, talks about the harm we could be doing by failing to sit down together at night. He also offers his tips for making the family dinner a regular occurrence and how to make the most of that time spent together.

For more information visit www.powerdownfordinner.com 

Meet the Fisherman’s Friends

Music group of 10 Cornish fisherman talk about their rise to fame

They are the 10 friends from a small Cornish fishing village who signed a million pound record deal after being ‘discovered’ singing on the seafront at Port Isaac and became one of Universal Music’s biggest selling new acts of the year.

And following on from the phenomenal success of their first album, Port Isaac’s Fisherman’s Friends, the group have won the ‘Good Tradition’ Award at this year’s Radio 2 Folk Awards in London.

Brought to the attention of Universal Music by record producer Rupert Christie, who spotted them whilst on a holiday in Port Isaac performing in the local pub, the label signed them for a whopping £1 million in March of last year.

A month later their debut album was released and became the third highest selling album on the Universal Music roster for 2010. They will release their next single, a double ‘A’ Side of the famous Young’s song 'When The Boat Comes In' and 'What Will We Do With A Drunken Sailor" in April and will be performing at various festivals this summer ahead of a nationwide tour later this year.

Their success is evident as this year their story is to be made into a movie by the world famous Ealing Studios and they have recently been signed as the ‘all-singing’ faces of a new TV advertising campaign for Young’s Breaded range - the first ad will be directed by twice Oscar nominated Peter CattaneoIt - a phenomenal success story for the group who are or have been fishermen, lifeboat men and coastguards (as well as builders, artisans, hoteliers, and shop keepers) in Port Isaac.

With some great characters and stunning tunes, they’ve known each other since childhood and learnt their powerful brand of Cornish harmony singing at the local Methodist chapel.

In this video, these 10 fisherman from Cornwall talk about music and their new found fame:

Click Here to watch the Video 

For more information visit www.facebook.com/youngsseafood  

Yorkshire’s aren’t just for Sunday roasts

Why not try some more unusual ways to use the famous British pud?

• Serve cooked mince beef and carrots, a bolognese sauce, or even chilli con carne with Yorkshires, instead of potatoes or rice

• Serve sausages and baked beans with a Yorkshire pud, for a tasty lunch or supper

• Enjoy a late brunch with crispy fried bacon and hot Yorkshire puds drizzled with delicious maple syrup, for an American style breakfast

• A great sofa snack for watching TV is Aunt Bessie’s Midweek Mini Yorkshires, to dip and dunk into sour cream and sweet chilli sauce                                                                                     

Whether it’s the Tasty Giant Yorkshire, Tempting Bite Size Yorkshires, or even the Perfect for Chicken Yorkshire Puddings - there’s an Aunt Bessie’s pud to suit any occasion.

For more delicious recipes from Aunt Bessie’s see below, or visit www.auntbessies.co.uk

Giant Yorkshire Puddings filled with Sausage and Creamy Mash

Serves: 2

1 twin pack of Aunt Bessie's Tasty Giant Yorkshires

4 sausages, variety of your choice

4 red potatoes

50g of frozen peas

2 large tomatoes

Aunt Bessie's gravy granules

Yorkshire Puddings with Raspberry Sauce

Serves: 12

1 pack Aunt Bessie's Irresistible Yorkshires

200g raspberries

75g icing sugar

75ml full bodied red wine

2.5cm piece lemon peel

15ml lemon juice

Vanilla ice cream

For more delicious recipes from Aunt Bessie’s visit www.auntbessies.co.uk

A Light and Homemade Start to the Year with Kirstie Allsopp

Watch the following video for a step by step guide on how to produce a delicious yet light Key Lime Pie

Kirstie loves all things homemade, especially when it comes to treating her family and friends to scrumptious desserts and puddings. This year she has created a series of quick and easy dessert recipes, made with Carnation - perfect for putting a smile on your loved ones faces.

With all the food excesses of Christmas, everyone wants to cut back come the New Year. But just because it’s January and you’re watching the calories you don’t need to miss out.

Kirstie has created a lighter version of the classic Key Lime Pie, so tasty; you won’t be able to tell it’s lower in fat. Plus it’s so easy to make that even the busiest of mums can whip it up in no time.

With zesty lime and luscious condensed milk this is a lovely light and refreshing dessert which doesn’t skimp on creaminess.

In the following video, she shows you just how simple to make this Key Lime Pie really is. So what are you waiting for? Grab your apron and mixing bowl and make this homemade dessert guaranteed to make your loved ones smile.

Click here to view:

Log on to www.carnation.co.uk to find new delicious recipes every month from Kirstie Allsopp.

*Carnation Condensed Milk Light has all natural ingredients, no preservatives, no added flavours and best of all – it’s virtually fat free so you can indulge without the guilt…

Celebrate the launch of Theo Randall's "Pasta"

Theo Randall was head chef at River Cafe for 10 years and now runs his own award-winning restaurant, Theo Randall at the Intercontinental. This friendly, accessible and stylish cookbook will prove indispensable for all who love unfussy yet delicious food.

Simplicity and the quality of the ingredients are the keynotes to Theo's cooking. Shop at natoora and you'll be getting the same quality seasonal foods as supplied to Theo Randall both at home, and at his restaurant.

Our speciality is a superb and unique range of fruits and vegetables from the markets of Milan and Paris. We have nearly 2,000 products sourced from the best local suppliers as well as in Italy and France, including: hand-rolled buffalo mozzarella; quality fresh meats and charcuterie; artisan cheeses and hand-made fresh pasta.

Hand Rolled Buffalo Mozzarella

It can be difficult to find good quality mozzarella in the supermarkets, which is why at Natoora we have sourced a range of fresh mozzarella, including real buffalo mozzarella.
Caseificio Serra has created this outstanding hand-rolled Italian mozzarella and it really is worth trying. It’s a delicious buffalo mozzarella with a gorgeous springy texture and pleasant taste, made by a first class producer. The fresh mozzarella is hand-pulled to make this amazing cheese, creating a very thin glossy rind.
This perfect porcelain white sphere of buffalo milk mozzarella is a real treat, and as always, when you buy mozzarella from Natoora, you can be absolutely sure that it will taste fantastic.
1 Ball of 250Gr
Our Price £4.99 (£19.96 per Kg)

Italian Charcuterie Selection

Discover some of our favourite freshly sliced Italian meats with this delicious selection. Savour slice after slice of our superb proscuitto toscano, beautifully accompanied by the rich and aromatic mortadella, and of course the flavoursome proscuitto cotto. Then try the classic, velvety-smoothness of finocchiona and elegant speck, along with a delightful bresaola and traditional coppa di Parma.
1 Selection of 700Gr
Our Price £17.35 (£24.79 per Kg)

Egg Pappardelle

Fantastic fresh ribbons of pappardelle, which is traditionally paired with rich, meaty sauces such as ragu.
This is the same fresh pasta supplied to some of London's top chefs. Vittorio Maschio even supplies this amazing pasta to Giorgio Locatelli at Locanda Locatelli.
All VIMA's fresh pastas are made by hand, the same morning we prepare the order. They use bronze dies to extrude the pasta which makes it bind really well to the pasta sauce. Fresh pasta is also extremely quick to cook so you really can have a fantastic meal in minutes!
1 Packet of 1Kg
Our Price £11.00 (£11.00 per Kg)

Smoked Trout Tartare with Fennel Apple & Watercress Salad Serves 2

4 smoked trout fillets
1 tablespoon crème fraiche
1 teaspoon chopped chervil
1 teaspoon chopped chives
½ teaspoon of horseradish
1 teaspoon of caviar or herring roe (optional).

1 granny smith – cut into batons
1 bulb of fennel – cut in strips
50ml rapeseed oil
juice ½ lime
pinch sugar
watercress

Shred trout fillets finely add herbs, crème fraiche and horseradish. Place in a ring mould in the middle of plate, remove mould, garnish with teaspoon of caviar.

Mix oil, lime juice and sugar to form a vinaigrette. Dress apple and fennel strips together and then dress watercress. Arrange around the trout.

Duck Breast, Cabbage stuffed with Duck Leg, Garlic Pomme Puree, Red Wine Sauce Serves 4

1 whole Duck
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery Stick, chopped
1 onion finely, chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 green Cabbage
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground mace
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
50g bacon fat processed to a puree
Splash cognac
1 slice white bread soaked in milk
6 large baking potatoes (Maris Piper)
375ml double cream
600ml red wine
600ml chicken stock
Bay leaf
8 juniper berries
8 white peppercorns
8 green peppercorns
Splash port
Butter

Remove breast from duck, slow roast rest of carcass at 165c until legs are cooked through. Remove meat from legs and shred whilst warm. Place in a bowl with the spices, salt, pepper and bacon fat. Squeeze excess milk from bread, add to mixture with a splash of cognac. Mix well. Gently fry off 2 tablespoons of onion and 1 garlic clove until softened, add to duck leg mix.

Blanch cabbage leaves, drain and dry. Brush 4 ramekins with butter, line with cabbage leaves, season inside of leaves then place leg mixture in each. Seal at the top with cabbage and chill until required.

Fry carrot, rest of onion, celery and if you have it, duck neck and wings with 1 clove of garlic until well browned. Deglaze pan with port, add bayleaf, juniper, peppercorns and redwine. Reduce until 1/3rd of original volume. Add chicken stock. Reduce to desired thickness(light syrup consitency is best). Strain through fine sieve into seperate pan. Season. Set aside until needed.

Bake potatoes. Remove flesh whilst still hot. Put through a potato ricer twice. Boil cream with crushed 4 crushed garlic cloves until cream is 1/2 orginal volume. Add to potatoes, fold in gently, season, then slowly fold in 125g of butter cut into cubes.

Season duck breast, pan fry to desired level. Place ramekins with cabbage in steamer for 8 mins or microwave at 850w for 2mins (or until warmed through). Reheat mash and sauce. Place a line on mash in the middle of the plate, turn cabbage out of ramekins and place at one end. Arrange sliced duck breast along rest of potatoes and spoon over sauce.

Raspberry, Lychee and Rosewater Macaroons Serves 4 (adapted from Pierre Hermé)

Tin of lychees, chopped and drained overnight
Punnet of raspberries
Rosewater
145g egg white
145g ground almonds
200g icing sugar
145g granulated sugar
1g powdered egg white
Red food colouring
100g butter
Rose petals

Make the macaroons bases up to 72 hours ahead. Beat almonds, 1/2 egg whites, 145g icing sugar together to form a paste. Add food colouring until deep pink.

Beat remaining eggs whites with egg white powder until medium stiff. Heat 45ml of water with granulated sugar in a pan until it reaches 121c. Trickle sugar syrup over eggs whites whilst continuing to beat them (best done with an electric whisk). Whisk all syrup in then continue whisking until temperature falls to 40c, very slightly warm to the touch. Combine 1/5 of the meringue mix with the almond paste beat in well. Then fold in remaining meringue. Place in a piping bag and pipe 55mm diameter rounds onto a parchment lined baking sheet/tray. You'll need 8 to serve 4 people. Best make more in case of breakages, uneven cooking etc. Place in a warm dry place for 45 minutes until a skin forms and they are no longer tacky to the touch.

Bake in 165c oven for about 20-25 mins until the surface is crisp and they lift easily of the baking sheet. Cool and keep in airtight container until needed.

Beat butter with remaining icing sugar until soft and creamy. Add rosewater to taste. Cover base of macaroon with rose buttercream. Arrange raspberries on base to the outside, spoon lychees into the middle. Cover underside of the top with rose butter cream. Place small amount of butter cream on a rose petal and stick to top. Refrigerate until needed (up to 48 hrs) Remove 30 mins before serving.