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Foodisan

This week I discovered a new website: Foodisan.  Foodisan is a fantastic company that showcases a plethora of scrummy goodies that come from small, independent food producers.  Such producers can’t always afford to give their products the marketing they deserve, especially on a limited budget and Foodisan gives them the opportunity to sell above and beyond farmer’s markets or local shops and makes their products accessible to the likes of you and I.  Hurrah!  So far they have 43 producer partners signed up and over 900 products on their live database which means one thing; my bank balance will shrink as my tummy grows…

One ingenuous idea they have developed and branded is their ‘tasting box’.  You can buy a one off or subscribe. For £19.99 you will receive a box of 5/6 gorgeous products to tickle your taste buds and expand your repertoire of artisan foods.  They also do a gift box, which I think is an excellent idea.  When you think how much you pay to send someone flowers or suchlike, this makes a much better idea for a present.  For a birthday, Father’s Day or even a corporate thank you, I think this would be a really classy and much enjoyed gift.  Free delivery too.  Bargain!
I was also very impressed with the style and ease of their website.  A doddle to negotiate and with a very friendly feel.  There is opportunity for you to recommend products too, which is great because so often independent producers rely on word of mouth – well now Foodisan can speak up for them too!
I have waxed lyrical long enough, but I do recommend you visit the site and see for yourselves.  It’s like that posh deli down the road and a farmer’s market rolled into one and available in the comfort of your own home!  Get drooling at www.foodisan.com.  Enjoy!
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FOODIES100 Jubilee Challenge

Foodies100 were throwing down the Jubilee gauntlet to create something bakey and jubilee-ey and also win lots of Dr Oetker stuff to bake even more stuff with!

So, I had a think…Jubilee….Queen….Corgis!

This is my baking effort to celebrate the Jubilee!  Although not (really) for the corgis!

I made vanilla biscuits and then iced them.  Using royal icing I lined the biscuits and then flooded them with runnier icing to fill them in.  They may look like fancy bonios, but I can assure you they were very yummy.  In fact I needed to eat four of them to make sure of this.

To make the biscuits: beat 1 large egg with 1/2 tsp of vanilla essence.  Sift 100g of self raising flour and 350g of plain flour together then rub in 125g of cold diced, salted butter to make fine breadcrumbs. When evenly mixed add 125g golden syrup and the egg mix and form into a dough.  Squish the dough into 2 flat discs and refrigerate for half an hour before rolling out and cutting. Bake at 170ºC for 14-18 mins.  When cooked (just turning golden – don’t overcook!) remove carefully with a spatula and transfer to a cooling rack.  Careful though else they’ll break…

To ice:  I make the line icing by mixing 900g of royal icing with 150ml of cold water.  To colour use a gel and dip a cocktail stick in the dye and then mix in.  Keep going until you get the colour you want, but believe me, it happens very quickly!  Using a fine nozzle and a steady hand, pipe around the cooled biscuits to form an outline.

To make flooding icing you repeat the above but add enough drops of water to make it a smooth mixture with the pouring consistency of custard.  Then with a thicker nozzle, fill in the biscuit until it is fully covered but not overflowing.

Let them set and admire them with patriotic pride!  Then eat them.  And DON’T give them to the dogs!

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Avocado & Mozzarella Platter

We eat this a LOT!  I can’t even remember where I got the recipe from, but it is a lovely mixture of Italian flavours and even better with a large glass of wine!  I urge you to try this – delicious!   I haven’t really given specific amounts as you can use as much of each ingredient as you please but as a guide, for two people I would use one avocado and one packet of mozzarella.  Try to buy the best you can afford – it makes a difference!

Heat oven to 200ºC.  Put 2 bunches of cherry vine tomatoes and either 2 cloves of chopped garlic in a roasting tin.  Drizzle over 2 tbsps of olive oil and cook for about 15 mins (when the skins have split).

Meanwhile, decorate plates with a generous drizzle of balsamic glaze* and then arrange slices of avocado and mozzarella.  Toast some pine nuts and scatter them over the plates too.  Divide the roasted tomatoes between the plates and drip the left over garlicky oil over the mozzarella.  Eat and enjoy – mop up any juices with some crusty ciabatta!
*I recommend Waitrose balsamic glaze – it is thick like a syrup and you can zig zag across the plate like a pro!


Variations:Feel free to use large tomatoes cut in half and small mozzarella balls.  For the more rustic approach I sometimes tear up the mozzarella and scatter everything haphazardly over the plate.  Whichever way the wind takes you…there are no rules!

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Cod & Chorizo with Green Salad

This is a healthy and delicious meal with some of my favourite flavours in it – chorizo, lemon and thyme – yum! Serves 2.

Fry 90g of chorizo chunks over a high heat for about 5 mins, then remove from heat and stir in the thyme.

Put 2 skinned cod fillets in a roasting tin and season with salt & pepper.  Sprinkle over a pinch of paprika and the grated zest of 1/4 lemon (you’ll need another 1/4 later on).  Drizzle over half a tablespoon of olive oil and scatter about 10 cherry tomatoes and 8 cloves of peeled garlic around the tin.  Place 2/3 of the chorizo over the fish and bake at 200ºC for 8 minutes.  Then add the rest of the chorizo and lemon zest and cook for another 5 minutes.  Check the fish is opaque inside so you know it is cooked properly as some fillets are chunkier than others!  Serve with a green salad, or indeed whatever you fancy!

p.s. What do you think of my photos?  I am slowly improving my photographc skills…..

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Another Monday, another diet….

Due to the enormous amount of pastries and biscuits I have consumed in recent weeks (not sure why) I have decided to dig out my Atkins book, ignore most of it but de-carb.  Again.  I do this at regular intervals and it really does work and as a sufferer of IBS I feel much better for it.  Trouble is, carbs are my achilles heel and it only takes a brie and chutney panini to get be back on the slippery slope to Sunday morning croissants with a pain au raisin chaser.  However, I have two big events coming up and I would like to look my best for them.  So the carbs have got to go.
Alas, with a husband and three kids it is harder to actualise than you might think especially as I do NOT want my kids to know I am dieting (although as I am constantly on one diet or another, I imagine they won’t notice any difference!).
So as I sit to plan the week’s meals I find myself centred around meat and veggies.  No rice, pasta, bread or potatoes.  *sobs*  I can’t cut all the carbs in sauce type of stuff – just the basics for me.
It’s not too bad in the summer (when there’s sun) as it is all salads and BBQs but the weather lady informs me the rain is coming back and miserable weather just makes me want to eat biscuits.
I will compromise.  No carbs (or wine) all week then Fri-Sun night I can eat what I like.  This allows me pizza with the kids on movie night, a sandwich and a coffee in Costa on Saturday and a full Sunday roast.  Potatoes, stuffing and all.  There will be light at the end of the weekly tunnel!

So, this week’s dishes are:

Cod & chorizo with a green salad


Avo & mozzarella with roasted tomatoes


Chicken stuffed with Le Roule and wrapped in parma ham with green beans and baby sweetcorn


Deli platter – Cheeses, meats, pickles & chutney


I will endeavour to share these wondrous creations with you…