Lorraine Pascale's Blog, page 5

Lorraine's blog: How I poach my breakfast eggs

I have eggs for breakfast on most days. It's a ritual of mine. I know there has been much hullabaloo about eggs and cholesterol, however after a very extensive blood test my doctor has told me that my cholesterol is at optimum levels all round, so I'll continue with my eggs :)

It's tricky for me to put daily pictures of my breakfast, as each and every day is the same. People often ask me how to poach an egg and there are various ways to poach one.

There is the 'cheffy' way, which entails bringing a pan of water to a gentle boil, then swirling the water to create a whirlpool to which the cracked egg is gently slipped in to.

Then the plan is that the egg white envelops the egg yolk to create a wonderful pocket of poach eggness. But through various attempts I am often told that when people try this method the egg white tries to run away from the yolk, and that the white sprawls like Casper the friendly ghost reaching out to all areas of the pan. The yolk is left alone with a few white entrails attached looking semi-naked and dejected.

My method is somewhat simpler. I take a small pan and fill it half-full with water, which I bring to the boil.

I then turn down the heat to a slightly angry simmer, add 1 tbsp of white wine vinegar and then carefully crack open the egg - as close as the heat and asbestos hands will permit me to open the shell and let it fall gracefully into the water.

I have had folk on social media talk ill of my white wine vinegar approach but I feel it makes the egg whites set more quickly giving less opportunity for Casper like eggs.

The eggs jumble about in the water for three minutes precisely (I cook two at a time) for a nice set white and a runny ochre yolk.

Gruyère and thyme soufflé

These are a little higher in sat fat than I would have liked (like pretty much all cheese soufflés), but I played around with them a bit and have got it right down as low as I can.

To make them healthier, I have done things like omitted the breadcrumbs on the side of the dish as I find the soufflés rise without them and replaced some of the butter with olive oil to lower the saturated fat. These are as light as air and collapse so, so quickly, so get them to the table as soon as you can!

Makes six soufflés

EQUIPMENT & INGREDIENTS

6 x 175ml ramekins, bowl and hand whisk or hand-held electric whisk or freestanding electric mixer set with the whisk attachment

Spray oil

25g unsalted butter

1 tbsp olive oil

50g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tsp English mustard powder

300ml semi-skimmed milk

75g Gruyère cheese, roughly grated

4 eggs, separated

2 tsp finely chopped fresh chives

Leaves from 3 sprigs of fresh thyme

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve

Crisp green salad

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200°C, (Fan 180°C), 400°F, Gas Mark 6. Put a baking sheet into the oven to get nice and hot. This will ensure that the soufflés have some bottom heat, which will help them shoot up (and also, putting all the ramekins on a sheet makes it much easier to take them in and out of the oven). Spray the insides of six 175ml ramekins with oil, dust lightly with flour and set aside.

Put the butter and olive oil into a medium pan on a medium heat and allow the butter to melt. Then add the flour and mustard powder and mix well to form a thick paste before removing from the heat. Add the milk gradually, stirring all the time until well blended. If you add it slowly while stirring, then you will avoid any lumps forming in the mixture. Once all of the milk is added, return the pan to the heat and bring it to the boil, stirring continuously. Reduce the heat to simmer for 5–6 minutes, continuing to stir all the time now until it begins to get nice and thick. Add the cheese, mixing well until fully melted, and then remove from the heat. Beat in the egg yolks, chives, thyme and seasoning until it is all combined and uniform. Scoop it out into a mixing bowl and set aside.

Next, put the egg whites into a bowl and whisk them up until they are nice and frothy, almost meringue-like. Be careful not to over-whisk them or they will go like bubble bath and not mix into the sauce well at all (and I have been there many times!The soufflé still tastes good and will rise, but the texture is a bit different and not quite as good). Stir a third of the egg whites into the reserved sauce. Don’t worry about folding it in this time, just mix it in really quickly and well so that it loosens the sauce. Then, add the remaining egg whites to the sauce in two batches, folding it in more gently this time to keep the air in. Everything should now be well combined.

Next, divide the mixture equally among the six ramekins. Bang the ramekins on the work surface to make sure the mixture has fallen in to all the ‘corners’. Then run your thumb down into the edge of the soufflé and along the inside of the ramekin, going all the way around. This will help to prevent the soufflé from sticking to the sides and therefore rise more easily.

Carefully remove the hot baking sheet from the oven and place the ramekins on it. Bake the soufflés in the oven for 12–15 minutes or until golden on the top and well risen. Don’t open the oven before the soufflés are cooked as they will collapse. Having said that, once they are back in the oven they will rise up somewhat, but not to the heights of their pre-oven opening former glory! Once ready, remove the baking sheet from the oven, take it straight to the table and serve asap.

Calories 213 Kcal | Fat 15.1g | Sat Fat 6.9g | Sugar 2.6g | Protein 11g | Salt 0.45g

From Lorraine's A Lighter Way To Bake.

Chestnut mushroom and Bulgar wheat pilaf with pecans and ginger

INGREDIENTS

Serves 1

Salad

I large handful of chestnut mushrooms sliced

70g bulgar wheat (cooked)

1 handful of baby spinach sliced

3 spring onions finely sliced

I handful of tenderStem broccoli cut into bite sized pieces

Dressing

1 tbsp sesame oil

A couple shakes of soy sauce

2cm piece ginger minced

A couple of pecans on top to serve.

METHOD

Fry the mushrooms in a non stick pan. When they are cooked add the broccoli and spring onions and cook for another two minutes. Tip into a serving bowl along with the spinach. Mix together the dressing ingredients and add to the salad. Gently toss everything together and serve with a couple of pecans on top.

Quick cous cous kedgeree

INGREDIENTS

125ml smoked haddock

I/2 tsp curry powder

Pinch of turmeric powder

100g cous cous (cooked)

I small handful of freshly snipped chives

METHOD

Cook the haddock by either poaching it for about 5-7 minutes in a little water or until cooked through. Or pop the haddock in a bowl, covered and cook on high in the microwave for 120 seconds or til cooked.

Place the fish in a small serving bowl, add the curry powder, turmeric, cous cous, chives and gently mix together flaking the fish apart as you go and then serve.

Five spice cous cous with coriander and mint

INGREDIENTS

60g chick peas (tinned, drained)

120g cous cous, cooked

1 chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces

1/4 bunch coriander, roughly chopped

1/4 bunch mint, roughly chopped

Five spice

Squidge of honey or 1 finely chopped medjool date

Oil

Salt

METHOD

Put the chick peas in a bowl with the cous cous and set aside.

Put a little oil in a pan and once it is hot add the chicken and sprinkle over a generous amout of five spice and a pinch of salt.

Cook for about 5 minutes or until the pieces are cooked through and then tip into the bowl with the cous cous.

Stir together and add a tiny squidge of honey or some chopped up dates. Mix it all together along with the coriander and mint and serve.

Lorraine's New Year's Eve Menu

For me, there's no better way to see in the New Year than with friends, fun and of course, great food!

So, if you're looking for a little inspiration for your soirée, I've put together a New Year's Eve menu with cocktails and canapés, a selection of main courses to choose from plus some delicious desserts... (there's also a vegetarian version).

These are recipes from from my books old and new, ranging from Home Cooking Made Easy right up to How To Be A Better Cook.

Download your very own menu here.

Enjoy!

Lorraine xx

Cocktails

Recipe: Lychee, Basil and Mint Bellini

(From How to be a Better Cook)

Recipe: Lovely Limoncello

(From Fast, Fresh and Easy)

Canapé

Feta, pomegranate and mint Vol-au-vents

(From Baking Made Easy)

Main Courses

Recipe: Prawn Bisque with Basil and Brandy

(From Home Cooking Made Easy)

Recipe: Mini Beef Wellingtons with morel mushrooms, sherry and thyme

(From Home Cooking Made Easy)

Dessert

Recipe: White Chocolate Mousse with Crème Fraîche and Stem Ginger

(From Home Cooking Made Easy)

Lorraine's vegetarian New Year's Eve Menu

For me, there's no better way to see in the New Year than with friends, fun and of course, great food!

So, if you're looking for a little inspiration for your soirée, I've put together a New Year's Eve menu with cocktails and canapés, a selection of main courses to choose from plus some delicious desserts... (there's also a version for your meat-eating friends).

These are recipes from my books old and new, ranging from Home Cooking Made Easy right up to How To Be A Better Cook.

Download your very own menu here.

Enjoy!

Lorraine xx

Cocktails

Recipe: Lychee, Basil and Mint Bellini

(From How to be a Better Cook)

Recipe: Lovely Limoncello

(From Fast, Fresh and Easy)

Canapé

Feta, pomegranate and mint Vol-au-vents

(From Baking Made Easy)

Main Courses

Recipe: Baked Mushroom, Chestnut and Pea ‘risotto’ with Truffle Oil

(From Home Cooking Made Easy)

Recipe: Greek Spinach, Feta and Pine Nut Pie with Dill and Crunchy Filo

(From Fast, Fresh and Easy Food)

Dessert

Recipe: Neat-and-tidy Eton Mess with Blackberries and Stem Ginger Whipped Cream

(From Fast, Fresh and Easy Food)

Neat-and-tidy Eton mess with blackberries & stem ginger whipped cream

From Fast, Fresh and Easy Food.

There are times when I feel that the kitchen is my haven and wild horses could not drag me away from it. It is then that I make these white, crispy cradles from scratch. At other times (which, if you are like me, seem to occur far to often these days), then I am dashing around the kitchen to pull off a pudding in 20 minutes flat. So I have given the choice of both to alternate at your will. And the fruit and cream spiked with peppery ginger is almost good enough to eat on its own!

INGREDIENTS

1 stem ginger ball (this comes in syrup

and can be found in the baking section of the supermarket)

½ vanilla pod (or a couple of drops of vanilla extract)

300ml whipping or double cream

(keep it in the fridge until you need it so it whips up more easily)

50g icing sugar

12 meringue nests (shop-bought, or for homemade see page 225)

300g blackberries

50g white or dark chocolate, to drizzle (optional)

A few fresh mint leaves, to serve

METHOD

If you are using shop-bought meringues then carry straight on with the recipe. If you are going to make the merinuges from scratch then turn over the page for the recipe and whilst they are cooking turn back to this page to make the filling.

Finely chop the stem ginger ball and then split the piece of vanilla pod open and remove the seeds. Set both aside.

Pour the cream into a large bowl and sift in the icing sugar. Whip it up until it just begins to go thick. A hand held or freestanding electric whisk or a food mixer makes light work of this, but you can do this with a hand whisk and plenty of elbow grease.

Gently stir the ginger and vanilla seeds (or extract, if using) through with as few stirs as possible.

Arrange six of the meringues on a large serving platter or cake stand and, using half the cream, put a blob on each one. Arrange the blackberries on the cream, and then use the rest of the cream up on top.

Sit the remaining meringues on top, pretty side up.

For something really fancy, melt the white or dark chocolate in a small bowl either in 30-second blasts in a microwave or set over a small pan of simmering water. Use a small spoon or fork to drizzle it back and forth across the meringue stacks. Rip over some mint leaves and serve.

Greek spinach, feta & pine nut pie with dill & crunchy filo

From Fast, Fresh and Easy Food

An impressive-looking pie. Great hot from the oven or for a packed lunch in the office. Mini ones can be fun to make also: just use a cupcake tray and line each hole with filo, add the filling and then top with another piece of this superfine pastry.

Prep time: 25 minutes

Time baking in the oven:

20–25 minutes

Serves: 4–6

Equipment: Really large pan with lid, small pan (or small bowl and microwave), 23cm springform tin, baking sheet, sieve, pastry brush, baking tray.

INGREDIENTS

Vegetable oil

1 bunch of spring onions

1 garlic clove

600g baby spinach leaves

50g butter

200g feta cheese

Small handful of fresh dill

200g cream cheese

50g toasted pine nuts (you can buy them ready toasted from the supermarket)

50g raisins

3 medium eggs

Big pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

6 sheets of filo pastry

4–6 small vines of cherry tomatoes

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200°C, (fan 180°C), 400°F, Gas Mark 6.

Place a really large pan with a drizzle of vegetable oil on a medium heat. Trim and finely slice the spring onions (the green and white bits), peel and finely chop the garlic and add them to the pan along with the spinach and some salt and pepper. Put the lid on and leave to cook for a few minutes until completely wilted, tossing from time to time.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan or in a small bowl in the microwave. Use some of it to grease the inside of the springform tin and set aside on a baking sheet.

Tip the wilted spinach into a sieve and leave it for a few minutes until cool enough to handle.

Whilst that cools, crumble the feta cheese into bite-sized pieces. Trim the dill stalks off and discard and then roughly chop the leaves.

Going back to the spinach mixture, get your hands in and squeeze as

much liquid as possible out of it.

Return the spinach mixture to the pan (turn the heat off), add the feta, dill, cream cheese, pine nuts and raisins. Crack the eggs in, add the nutmeg and some salt and pepper (not too much salt as the feta is pretty salty). Mix everything together gently. At this stage in the proceedings the mixture won’t look like the most beautiful thing in the world, but after a little magic in the oven it will come good.

Open out the filo pastry sheets and brush the top one with some of the melted butter. Lay it buttered side up in the prepared tin, pressing it in against the bottom and sides and leaving the excess hanging out over the top. Repeat with three more sheets of pastry, brushing each with butter and laying them not directly on top of one another but overlapping so all of the inside of the tin is covered.

Tip the spinach mixture inside and spread it out evenly. Fold the excess filo pastry inwards to enclose the filling. Then lightly scrunch up the remaining two sheets of pastry and arrange them on top, pressing them down lightly, to give a ruffled-effect top. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter and then bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes.

Arrange the vines of cherry tomatoes on a baking tray, drizzle a little olive oil over and season well. When the pie has been cooking for about 10 minutes, place the tomatoes in to roast for 10–15 minutes.

After 10–15 minutes, remove the tomatoes and pie from the oven. The pie should be crisp and golden on the outside and warmed through. Carefully remove the pie from the tin and use a sharp knife to cut it into

four or six wedges.

Place a wedge of pie on each serving plate with a vine of roasted cherrytomatoes and serve. This dish is also delicious served cold.

White chocolate mousse with crème fraîche & stem ginger

From Home Cooking Made Easy.

When I first made these mousses, I ended up eating nearly half of the mixture before it made its way into the glasses to set. You can make these up to 24 hours in advance and whip them out just as you are ready to serve.

Makes 4 large glasses (V)

INGREDIENTS

150g crème fraîche

300ml double cream

400g white chocolate, melted (see page 195)

3 x 1cm pieces of stem ginger, finely chopped

METHOD

Put the crème fraîche in one bowl and the cream in another. Mix the crème fraiche until it loosens up and becomes a bit thinner. Whip the double cream until it is almost the same consistency as the crème fraîche.

Making sure these two mixtures are more or less the same consistency will give it the best chance of not becoming lumpy. Now tip the crème fraîche into the whipped cream mixture and stir them together to combine.

Put a dollop of the crème fraîche mixture into the melted chocolate and stir it together. Add another dollop of the crème fraîche mixture to the chocolate and stir. Repeat, stirring well until all the crème fraîche and chocolate has been combined and the mixture looks silky and smooth, then fold in the stem ginger. Pour into four glasses and pop in the fridge to set for a minimum of 1 hour. For a very gingery taste, spoon a little extra ginger syrup over the top of the mousse just before serving.