This is my second product round-up, designed to tell you all about new products I've been trying out in my kitchen and tell you what I think of them!
Trek Bars
I was sent some lovely bars by the good people at Natural Balance Foods. These protein flapjacks are really very tasty and each one packs an impressive 9g of protein; perfect if you are trying to increase the amount of protein in your diet. I've been having them for breakfast and really enjoyed them.
Price: Around £1 per bar
Score: 9/10
Bloom & Wild
Anyone that knows me will know I love fresh flowers. I think they are the perfect way to cheer up a room and I always smile when looking at a beautiful bouquet. So, when I heard about Bloom & Wild I KNEW I had to give them a go. They pack the freshest flowers into a box that is small enough to fit through the letterbox (crazy, eh?!) Full arranging instructions are provided, though I don't know much about flowers so some of the names left me a bit baffled. Not to worry though, they were still beautiful and lasted well.
Price: I got the Charlotte, which retails at £20
Score: 9/10
Craving Curries
I do love a good curry and a good curry this certainly was! Craving Curries sell fantastic little kits filled with the spices you need to recreate some of your favourite indian dishes. I received the Chicken Tikka Masala kit and from the moment the scent hit me as I picked up the envelope from the doormat, I knew I was going to love it. The kit did not disappoint! For me, the curry is definitely a Saturday dish as it needs a little bit more time than I have during the week to prepare; it is certainly worth the wait though!
Price: The Chicken Tikka Masala kit is a very reasonable £4.49
Score: 10/10
So, all in all it has been a very good month! Come back soon when I'm sure I'll have more delicious recipes for you.
I've always found bread very appealing. I don't know if it's the science behind how to make a good loaf or the 'magic' moment when you take the cloth off your bowl to see your little ball of dough has swollen into a puffy monster; perhaps it's both and more besides. Whatever it is, I just keep coming back to make more and more!
Last week, I bought some lovely black iron loaf tins. I HAD to try those out over the weekend, so I came up with this fun and very tasty version of a 'tear and share loaf' packed full of tasty ingredients.
You could easily customise this recipe with other fillings if you wanted, perhaps adding salami or roasted veg or even using sweet fillings for a dessert loaf; I bet it would be delicious with some custard!
I used Pomora Extra Virgin Olive Oil in this recipe. I was recently sent some to try and I think it really is an excellent quality olive oil. What makes it even better is the ethics and business ideas of the company.
Pomora recognise the financial struggle that smaller olive oil producers face but also see the fantastic quality product they can produce. So, they offer the opportunity for you to 'adopt' an olive tree from the farm and in return you get sent oil from that tree once every quarter. Neat idea, huh?
At the end of this post, I am giving away a subscription for a WHOLE YEAR so one lucky reader can try this excellent oil for themselves.
But first, on to the recipe... I have included a lot of images below, because I know some of you like to see how something is made as well as having it described.
A tasty tear and share bread, packed with filling. An idea addition to any lunch.
Ingredients
250g strong white flour
3g fast action dried yeast
4g fine salt
0.5tbsp extra virgin olive oil
150ml warm water
50g mature cheddar cheese, cubed, plus extra for topping
1 slice good quality ham, cut into small pieces
1 medium onion
Instructions
1. Place the flour, yeast, salt and oil into a bowl or a stand mixer. Always place the yeast and salt in opposite sides of the bowl, to ensure the salt doesn't come into contact with (and kill) the yeast (image 1). Gradually add the warm water until the mixture comes together as a dough.2. Knead for at least 10 minutes (image 2) or until the dough is ready. A good test for this is the 'window pane test'; simply stretch the dough between your fingers and if it holds together enough to see light through it then it is ready (image 3).3. Leave the dough in the bowl, covered, for 1-2hrs or until doubled in size. I use a shower cap to cover the bowl, it makes for a perfect see-through cover! (image 4)4. Meanwhile, slice and fry the onion in a little olive oil until soft and allow to cool completely (image 5).5. When the dough is ready, give it a quick knead to knock out the air and pull into a rough rectangle shape. Lay the onion, cheese and ham in rows across the dough (image 6) and roll up like a swiss roll.6. Cut the dough into small pieces around 2cm across; a dough scraper is the perfect tool for this. Roll the cut pieces into rough balls and place into a loaf tin greased with more extra virgin olive oil (image 7).7. Top with some extra grated cheese (image 8) and cover with the trusty shower cap (image 9). Leave for another hour to rise. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 200ºC.8. Bake for around 20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked all the way through (image 9).9. Leave to stand for 5 minutes then remove from the tin (image 10), tear apart (image 11) and ENJOY!
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: One 1lb loaf
Use the below widget to enter the giveaway. See here for more details of the prize. Please note: Entry is open to UK Residents ONLY and a blog comment telling me your favourite way to use olive oil is mandatory.
Disclaimer: I received some Pomora Olive Oil for free to review. As always, I wasn't expected to write a positive review and all views expressed are my own personal opinions.
So, I've had my Froothie Optimum 9400 for a while now and I've used it for so much more than just blending up soups and smoothies.
Its super high speed motor creates friction as it blends which opens up a whole world of recipes that need to be heated as they're mixed. Inspired by the lovely Jacqueline from Tinned Tomatoes and her Froothie Lime Curd, I've developed this recipe for a Passion Fruit and Lime Curd that is simply divine!
You can use this curd in so many different ways; it's perfect in pastries and tarts, wonderful on toast and (my favourite) delicious on a spoon straight from the jar! I think this curd is better than curd made by other methods, mainly because the blending incorporates air into the curd which gives a lovely light texture. I also love it because it's so quick and simple and cleanup is a breeze.
If you don't have a high speed blender you could make this by whisking in a pan over a low-med heat for around 30 mins or until thickened. Don't try to heat too quickly or you'll end up with some sweet scrambled eggs...! (Don't ask me how I know...)
For a super quick dessert, I layered pre-made meringue nests, whipped cream and the curd into delicious mini pavlovas. I'd certainly recommend you try this!
A luxurious fruit curd, made in a high speed blender!
Ingredients
5 medium eggs
Flesh of 6 passion fruits
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 tbsp cornflour
200g caster sugar
100g butter, cut into small pieces
Instructions
1. Place the passion fruit flesh into the blender and blend on speed 2 for around 10 seconds to separate the soft flesh from the seeds. Pass through a sieve and put back into the blender.2. Add the lime zest and juice, eggs, cornflour and sugar and blend on max speed.3. Whilst mixing, add in the butter a piece at a time until it is all incorporated.4. Continue to blend until piping hot and thickened then pour into sterilised jars. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: Around 2 large jars, or 4 smaller jars!
Craving Curries
