There's no knead for that...

Hahahaha........am I the only person laughing at the hilarious food pun?

Much as I can appreciate the care and attention that goes into kneading and shaping a hand-made loaf......sometimes I just can't be bothered doing it. Enter *da-da-da-da-daa-daaaa* this fab little no-knead loaf.

The recipe was developed by a little lady called Doris Grant in the 1940's, if you google 'Doris Grant loaf' you get tons of hits. Okay I accept, not many of you will be joining in on that one.

• 2tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
• 700g wholemeal flour
• 200g white flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 7g fast action yeast
• 850ml warm water

Grease 2 large loaf tins (if you don't have loaf tins you can use any tin with a side 3cm of higher).
Mix the dry ingredients in a big bowl, then add the oil and water. Mix well with a spoon, at this point it will look highly unappetising. Divide the mix into your tins, then cover with tea towels and leave to rise (doesn't have to be in a warm place) until the mix has doubles in size. Mine took ages because my kitchen was chilly that day, about 3 hrs. Be patient otherwise your bread will be too heavy.

Cook the bread in a hot 200degree oven for 40 mins, until they are crispy and golden. Then take them out of their tins and give them another 10mins in the oven. Give the base a tap, if it sounds hollow, it's ready.

It comes out fairly dense, a good healthy bread that freezes really well.

I have been enjoying mine toasted with avocado/lime juice/sesame seeds/salt/pepper

Mmmmm canapes

Had a little canape job on last week, only 40 people so nice and easy. Thought you might like to see what the finished result looks like so here is a wee selection.

First up 'Curry Puffs' these had a samosa style filling .......potato, pea, loads of spices......often I do these with minced chicken too which are Stokesy's favourite for packed lunch.

Aaah the 'Garlic Butter Popcorn' you all know that savoury popcorn is well trendy nowadays? Course you do! I went for individual bags rather than serve a big bowl of popcorn, not only does it look a lot cooler, it is also waaay more hygienic.

I made the popcorn for gathering at home with garam masala, chilli and butter.....t'was good

Last, but certainly not least 'Meringues with Baileys cream, toasted hazelnuts and chocolate', I guess these little beauties are my signature canape. I would tell you how to make them but I'd have to kill you.

I managed to eat 15 one day, in my defence they are quite small :o)

Italian night with Big Momma, CB + BB

After scoring big on the food front when my brother came from Italy for Xmas we had to have a go at an Italian-ish evening. We soon discovered that this ended in us stuffed to the gunnels with carbohydrate and having to undo top buttons.

To begin we had a nice little antipasti plate: Bresaola from my bro :o) , chorizo from errrm Spain, some nice little mozzarella balls with basil/olive oil/parmesan, then I made foccacia with a cumin/coriander/salt crust. Foccacia as taught by Liz on the Bread Making day at the school.

Next up....pizza :o)

We used a Jamie recipe which you can read in full here in our piccie CB helpfully demonstrates the flour well method. Look at the determination in his face, grrrrr mix it!

Him hungry ug!

After much friendly 'discussion' re. toppings we went for a few options: red onion/mozz/chorizo, mozz/tom/basil (me being boring.....ahem...classic) and a meaty feast option aswell.

MIdnight snack - welsh rarebit

Stokesy and I had a hankering for a little late-night sustenance so decided to try a traditional Welsh Rarebit, it is essentially cheese on toast for people with too much time of their hands.

Here's what you need:

• 4 slices bread
• big knob of butter
• 1 leek, finely sliced
• 2 handfuls of grated cheddar - we used the IOM Creamery black peppercorn one
• 2 tsp worcester sauce
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp mustard

Toast your bread while you make the topping. Sweat the leeks in the butter til soft. In a bowl combine the rest of the ingredients, then add the leeks, it should be a mushy paste (ours looked rather unappetising at this point). Then just spread the mix over your toast and lash it under the grill til it's lovely golden brown.

I couldn't decide which sauce to have so tried tommy sauce, brown sauce and Reggae Reggae with it. The Reggae was top of the list for me. Hey check out my super-glam slippers, Nigella you have no competition from me.

Show recipes - Southern and Royal - Part 1

Kipper and mustard pate - Serves 4

Ingredients
o 1 pair of filleted and deboned kippers
o 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
o 2 tbsp Manx butter, melted

Method
Place all of your ingredients in a medium size bowl.
Simply mash together with a fork. Taste and add more mustard if necessary. Delicious served with crusty bread and green salad

Crab pate - Serves 4

Ingredients
o 100g mixed brown and white cooked crabmeat
o 75g melted butter
o 1 garlic clove, crushed
o Black pepper
o Lemon juice

Method
Place all of your ingredients in a medium size bowl.
Simply mash together with a fork. Taste and add more pepper or lemon juice if necessary. Delicious served with crusty bread and green salad

Mexi-Manx Beef Tacos - Serves 4

Ingredients
o 300g minced beef
o 2 tbsp oil
o 1 large onion, finely chopped
o 2 cloves garlic, crushed
o 1tsp ground cumin
o 1 fresh chilli, finely chopped
o Dash of soy sauce
o Salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar

Method
Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the chopped onion and garlic and cook until soft and golden. Increase the heat and add the minced beef, frying until brown. Add the cumin, soy sauce and chilli. Taste and add salt, pepper and sugar as required.Serve with salsa, grated cheddar and tortillas

Mayonnaise - Makes 250ml

Ingredients
o 2 Manx egg yolks
o ½ tsp Dijon mustard
o 1 dessertspoon white wine vinegar
o Good pinch salt
o 200ml Ellerslie Farm rapeseed oil

Method
Put the egg yolks into a bowl. Add the salt, vinegar and mustard, and mix. Gradually add the oil, drop by drop, whisking all the time. You should start to see the mixture thickening. Keep adding the oil as you whisk until there is none left. Season to taste.
It should be smooth and creamy in texture, looking absolutely nothing like the mayo you buy in the shops :o)
NOTE: If you add the oil too quickly the mixture will split i.e. it will look thin and the oil will just float on top. If this happens, break another egg yolk into a clean bowl and pour the split mixture into it, drop by drop, whisking all the time until it emulsifies

Quesadillas - Makes 1 quesadilla

Ingredients
o 2 tortillas
o 1 large handful of grated Manx cheddar
o Salad – tomatoes and lettuce make a good combo

Method
Place your frying pan over a medium heat and wait for it to heat through. Add one tortilla, then your fillings, the other tortilla on top. Wait for the bottom tortilla to brown, flip it over, brown the other side. Voila! Remove from the pan, cut into triangles and eat.
TIP: Try the different flavoured cheddars i.e. black peppercorn or sweet chilli

Super Berry Smoothie - Serves 1

Ingredients
o 300ml Manx milk
o Large handful of Manx berries – Strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blackcurrant all work well
o 1 Banana
o Frozen Ushtey

Method
Put all ingredients into a blender. Hit the button! Drink!

Thai Pork Noodle Salad - Serves 2-3

Ingredients
o 350g minced Manx pork - fried until crispy
o 20 pods of Manx peas
o 1 handful of Manx green beans, boiled for 4 minutes (blanched being the fancy chef term)
o 1 bunch Manx spring onions - finely sliced
o a big handful of peanuts
o 2 tbsp fresh Manx coriander, roughly chopped
o 2 portions of egg noodles - cooked according to packet instructions

Dressing
o 2 tbsp Manx rapeseed oil
o 1" ginger grated
o 1 clove garlic grated
o 1/2 red chilli
o juice of 1 lime

Method
Combine main salad ingredients in a big bowl. Combine dressing ingredients in a jam jar and shake well. Add the dressing to the main salad, give it a good stir and leave for 5-10 minutes so that the flavours from the dressing can be absorbed by the rest of the salad.
Tip: For extra flavour pour over the pan juices from cooking the pork over the noodles.

Sweetcorn Fritters

Hmmmm second sweetcorn blog recipe in not very long. I ate loads of these fritters 2 summers ago when me and the Stokes spent the summer MX-ing in Canada. The corn there is sooooo good.

Now I am going to treat you with a proper recipe for this....hold on....I have used all gluten-free ingredients because I used this recipe on a gluten-free coking class I did last year. You can substitute plain flour if you want.

 325g can of corn kernels, drained
 4 spring onions, finely chopped
 2 tbsp fresh coriander
 2 tbsp rice flour
 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
 1 egg
 oil for frying

Combine all of the ingredients except the oil. Stir well.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan. Drop 4 tbsp of the corn mixture into the pan – avoid overcrowding. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, on each side, or until golden brown – turn carefully to prevent the pancakes breaking. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Delicious with sweet chilli sauce

Chargrilled summer veggies with chilli dressing

Forgive me father, for it is a long time since my last blog. I know, I've been a bad girl, leaving you all alone. But I've got a good excuse.....errrmm.....the dog ate my blog? No, I've been working my tail off, getting ready for some food events over here. I'll post a bit about them shortly. But more important is the piccie of my dinner above :o)

Chargrilled veg.....mushrooms from Greeba Farm and courgettes from Kim's allotment (cheers Kim!). These were cooked on a hot griddle whilst I mixed up the dressing. For this you will need:

2tbsp Ellerslie rapeseed oil, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 clove garlic, big pinch sea salt, 1 red chilli

Throw that lot into your pestle and mortar, and bash it until emulsified. Then drizzle it over your hot veggies. Yum

I Love ManxChef - The launch

Last Friday saw the launch of a new cookery competition on the Isle of Man - I Love ManxChef

We're looking for people who can cook local food with flair. A modern look at Manx ingredients is bound to score well with the judges, or knock us out with your grandma's winning cake.

For the launch, with the help of Phil Gawne MHK (that's a Manx politician) and Ray Craine (he's a farmer yessir), we created an array of dishes:

• Miniature steak sandwiches with homeade mayo and mustard cress
• Pan-fried plaice with Gujurathi-style beans and a curry foam
• Quesadillas with black peppercorn cheddar, shredded lamb and crispy lettuce
• Rhubarb Fool with rose petal garnish

Sounds pretty good hey! It was Manx produce top to bottom, the only exceptions being the sugar/salt/spices.

For more information and to download an application form go to: www.ilovemanx.org

I love summer salads...

......so you will be seeing a vast array of them over the coming months. The organic veggie box from Dot is really fantastic and contributing greatly to my salads. I have even cracked out my official summer serving bowls......woohoooo!

Here we have fried mushrooms (from www.greebafarm.co.im), herbs from Dot, a big pile of leaves from Mill @ the market, quite a few more leaves from my enormous 'garden', chickpeas, feta........all topped with a new oil from Ellerslie Farm, extra virgin cold-pressed rapeseed oil, the colour is fantastic....oh and it tastes pretty good too. It should be on general sale in a month's time. I'll update with details of when + where.

So I thought I'd done pretty well with this, but I was serving to a tough crowd (Stokesy's parents). Kenny didn't like the wait and Helene picked out all of her mushrooms. There's just no pleasing some people.

Shellfish Bisque with spring rolls

Mmm I love shellfish bisque and I love spring rolls. Luckily for me some genius at Ashburton decided to do a starter combining the two. This makes a lovely light summer lunch (until you eat eight spring rolls....oops)

Antipasti plate

Mmmmmmozzarella, it is so delicious. We're ecking the remains of the food we have left in at the moment because I'm going away for a couple of weeks on Sunday. It is nice to see that we can stil conjure up a decent meal despite not going to the shops since Saturday. Where am I going on Sunday? I'm sure you're dying to know. Well I'm off to do two weeks of cookery training at Ashburton Cookery School www.ashburtoncookeryschool.co.uk can't wait! I will post and take pics while I'm there so expect some beautiful food on here from Monday (and if I mess up my dishes I can always pretend other people's are mine hehehe).

So ......back to dinner.......pepper and baby tomatoes go into a baking dish, brush with olive oil, add salt and pepper. Roast at 160 degrees fan..........fall asleep on sofa.........wake up and stumble to oven to find slightly overdone vegetables. Tear mozzarella and basil and arrange on plate with remains of vegetables. Drizzle with olive oil and eat

No chocolate cookies tonight......I miss them :o(

Easy Friday night - Soup, scones + cake

Basil is home........yippee! He's been bike training in Lanzarote so to welcome him home we required a carb fest. I made some cute little cheesy soda scones, as taught to me by 'She who Must be Obeyed' (aka Darina Allen, you don't mess with Darina!) at Ballymaloe. I added some parsley to the dough for a little change.

450g plain flour

1 tsp bicarb of soda

1 tsp salt

500ml milk with a dash of lemon or 500ml buttermilk

2tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 230. Sieve together the dry ingredients, mixing thoroughly. Add the herbs now and mix again. Make a well in the middle and pour in most of the milk. Hold your hand stiff and shaped like a claw and gently mix the ingredients together. Handle the mix as little as possible. Tip out onto a floured surface, gently pat the mixture together. Cut into little shapes, then place on a floured baking sheet. into the oven for 12-15mins, until their bottoms sound hollow when you tap them.

We had the scones with Leek and Potato Soup, with Chocolate Amaretti Cake for puds...........I know, again..........I'm addicted!

Eggy Brunch

After dragging our butts out of bed the boyfriend and I treated ourselves to Eggs Benedict. Stokesy was on egg duty whilst I did the hollandaise. I reckon our team did pretty well!

The eggs were cooked according to Delia's specifications. Use a frying pan with 1" of water and keeping the water just below simmering point so that the eggs cook slowly giving perfect opaque/firm white and lovely runny yolk.

Check out the Nigella shot of the egg below....oooh it's oozing over the plate.....you're a naughty little egg aren't you grrrrr

Late night snacking

You know how it is sometimes, you're lurking around late at night, looking in the fridge for goodies. Stokesy and I are on a late night CSI/TV fest tonight so obviously need somethig nice to sustain us. Stokesy tempted me into the kitchen with a beetroot/carrot/apple/ginger juice and between us we made the mushroom and parsley soup. Usually I'll have bread with soup but this was so filling and delicious on its own.

Here's what you need to make it: sweat 4 shallots in butter until soft, add 25g flour and cook for 1 minute. Add 250g finely chopped mushrooms, 2 tbsp parsley, lots of freshly ground black pepper and a little salt. Heat up 400ml hot chicken stock and add 400ml milk to it. Then pour the whole lot into your mushroom pot. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Easy Dinner - Chorizo Salad

So me and the boyfriend (let me introduce Stokesy) were peckish tonight, yeah yeah I know, no change from usual. He has been plastering ceilings today so extra hungry. But we were also not in the mood for mountains of washing up. Queue our old faithful standby of quesadillas, combined with our new standby of chorizo salad.

The quesadillas, or very flat and not very filling cheese sandwiches as Basil (another hungry friend) would call them, are great for when you are in a hurry. Just stick a dry pan on the heat, place in 1 tortilla, layer up grated cheese/ham/coriander/spring onion/peppers etc and them add your top tortilla. Fry until toasted, flip, fry again and then serve with guacamole or salsa. It is the law in our house to a dunking dippy sauce which we buy in. We are always on the look out for new ones. Currently gracing our table are Levi’s Reggae Reggae and Spanks Chilli Mein.

The chorizo salad recipe was nicked from the Moro cookbook. Up top you have a pic of the salad itself. Fried chorizo, chickpeas, parsley, tomato, red onion and dressing.

And the dressing, the olive oil lurking in the background is some posh stuff that my brother gave me for Christmas. Cheers Andrew! He lives in Milan so always provides good food presents. Thinking about Milan reminds me of eating burrata there. Burrata is the most amazing mozzarella style cheese, so soft and delicately creamy. Errm sorry just having a burrata moment………it is soooo good. Okay let’s get back on track….…olive oil! I only use the really good stuff in dressings where I’m going to get the best from the flavour.

Oh yeah so you'll want to know what's in the dressing. 1 garlic clove, big pinch salt, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 4 tbsp olive oil and a squeeze of lemon