Lemon madeleines

A variation based on my previous Honey and Cointreau madeleines, these little cakes are absolutely gorgeous. And I was really pleased because they raised better than last time, so that they had a nice hump on their back!


Makes ~24 madeleines:

3 eggs, lightly beaten
120g self-raising flour
100g butter
80g caster sugar
Grated rind of 1 lemon
1 TBSP lemon extract (or Limoncello)
1 pinch cinnamon
1 pinch salt

1. Melt the butter on low heat.

2. Mix together the eggs and sugar. Add half of the melted butter and honey, mixing slowly.

3. Add the sieved flour then the rest of the honey/butter mixture. Add the Limoncello/Lemon extract, lemon rind, cinnamon and salt.

4. Pour into the madeleine pans, 1 tablespoon into each form.

5. Leave at room temperature for 1 hour, then in the fridge for 45 minutes, then at room temperature again for 20 minutes.

6. Bake in a 230C pre-heated oven for 8 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 180C and cook for another 5 min until golden.

Afternoon nap with Chatouille

Cuba Cycle - Day 5

Day 5: Viñales - Cayo Jutías

Now I wish I had spent the time to complete this report on our Cuban trip on our return, as my memory of the event's details is starting to fade away.

I remember the 5th day of cycling as fairly easy and short in comparison with the previous days. Also, we were much rewarded as the last few kilometres were along a narrow peninsula, with a striking blue sea on both sides of the road, and a bright sunshine above our head. But let's start with the beginning ...

There were a few hills, of course, as the photo below shows, but luckily, we cycled this particular one down :D
The landscape was gorgeous again and the vegetation luxuriant. We were hopeful that pine trees meant that the sea was not too far away by then.


The contrasting colours of the land, vegetation and sky were striking, and so beautiful...

The sea!!! The sea!!! The sea!!!
(if you carefully look at the horizon)

This was wonderful news. What? We even SMILED pedalling uphill!!! This meant the end of the hard pedal-pushing challenge under the burning sunshine and the beginning of the much deserved and awaited sun-bathing and relaxing afternoon.

These were the last hills before reaching the coastal flat grounds.

Look at the smile on our face!!!


Below is a village where most of us took the wrong turn. We soon realised that the road was not going to lead us to the beach, so we asked the locals for our way. It turned out that it was actually (very badly!) sign-posted.



There are 2 official currencies in Cuba. The Convertible Peso (CUC), which is exchangeable 1 for 1 with the US Dollar and to be used by non-resident only, and the Cuban Peso (CUP), which not exchangeable and must not leave the country, and is used by the locals. There are shops where you can buy things only in CUP, and others where you can pay in CUC. Officially locals are not supposed to own CUC, but people in contact with tourism will obviously be delighted to receive CUCs, as their value is much higher than CUC. One of the group leader got hold of a 3 CUP bank note, the most prized by tourists (like us!) as it features Che Guevara.


We saw a few fields of tiny mango trees. From the road, we were not quite sure what they were. For a moment we even believed they were hemp.

Just before reaching the peninsula, we gathered altogether for a last water stop. There was a guard post. The duty of the guards is to control that no Cuban passes this point, the government fearing that some people may escape by swimming across to Mexico. I don't recall them checking for passports but I think they asked for the number of people going, etc... Our Cuban guides were authorised to come with us, but they may have had to leave their name & address or something. I wish I had asked them the question at the time.


We gathered under a big mango tree for a group photo before the last few miles of our journey.


And there it was, the cherished sea, with a dream-like island surrounded by white sand...


Cycling along this peninsula was like being in a dream, literally. It was surreal, out-of-this-world, magic!


And after a few kilometres of this dreamworld cycling, we arrived at the beach, and hugged and congratulated each other on our exploit. There were some laughs, some tears, and anything in-between, it was quite an emotional moment for some!

And Charlotte made another very touching speech. (note that she is already wearing her flip-flops, ready for the beach)


After a few group photos, we were very quick to grap our lunch pack from Chino, a refreshment from the beach bar (yes, even such a remote place had a bar, and there was almost nobody else but us on the beach), and lied down on our beach towels.

It became overcast after a few hours and as it started to rain, we jumped on the bus, on our way to our hotel in Viñales (yes, hotel, so much luxury was awaiting us).

Last glance at the beach...

Menu week 22

In our Mini Veg Box this week, there will be: new potatoes, carrots, onions, lettuce, mushrooms and tomatoes, based on which we have planned the following menu:

Tomato & Olive quiche served with batavia lettuce

Potato & rice curry

Buckwheat stir-fry with carrots and mushrooms


And the week after next, I will be the whole week in Amsterdam, The Netherlands for work, back on time to go and see Sandi Toksvig at Warwick Arts Centre on 8th June.

Creamy honey sauce (cold)

Ingredients:

200g creme fraiche
2 tsp tomato purée
2 tsp clear honey
1 TBSP fresh coriander or parsley, chopped

Blend all ingredients together.

Serve with potato roasts or tomato dishes.

Nutty harvest loaf

This is quite a sophisticated loaf, and will make a perfect Sunday roast for your guests. It is very easy to make, but a little time-consuming. It can however be made in advance, stored in the fridge, and cooked later in the day.

Serves 4-6

500g potatoes, diced
2 TBSP butter (I use olive oil spread)
1 onion, chopped
150g mixed chopped nuts
85g fresh bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
2 TBSP fresh coriander or parsley, chopped
150ml vegetable stock
100g mushrooms, sliced
60g sundried tomatoes, rehydrated and sliced
pepper

Sauce:
200g creme fraiche
2 tsp tomato purée
2 tsp clear honey
1 TBSP fresh coriander or parsley, chopped

1. Boil the potatoes, drain, and mash well. Set aside.

2. Melt 1 TBSP butter and fry the onion. Add the onion, nuts, breadcrumbs, egg, coriander and stock to the mashed potatoes. Season to taste with pepper.

3. Melt the remaining butter and fry the mushrooms for 2-3 minutes.

4. Press half of the potato mixture in a greased roast tin. Then layer the mushrooms, then the tomatoes. Spoon the remaining potato mixture on top and smooth the surface.

5. Cover with foil and cook in a 190C pre-heated oven for 1 hour, until firm to the touch.

6. To make the sauce, blend all ingredients together.
7. Serve immediately with a mixture of vegetables and the sauce.

Race for Life 2008

As mentioned before, I took part in the Race for Life event last weekend. It was fun. Mostly due to the fact that we cycled 30 miles (50km) in order for me to walk 3 miles (5km)!! I say 'walk' because the girls I was taking part with were not too keen on running, so I gently strolled along with them. It is a "women only" event, that's why we were wearing pink T-shirts. That's why EVERYBODY was wearing a pink T-shirt.


Trave accepted to come with me. I convinced him by saying he could sit in the pub during the race and I'll meet him for lunch later. It turned out that there was a beer festival at the race course itself!!! Even better, because the official days of the festival were Friday and Saturday only, the beer was free on Sunday: FREE BEER!!! Well, there was an honesty box, and the collections would go to the local hospice, so if you felt generous, it wasn't entirely free. There were actually 3 good reasons to drink beer:

1. It was free
2. Donations would help the local hospice
3. If not drunk, the beer would be poured down the drain, which creates watercourse pollution

We did our best... knowing that we still had a 15 mile (30km) ride ahead of us!

After the race we went into the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon for a lunch inside the oldest pub in town. After which we wanted to walk along the river but due to the refurbishment of the Shakespeare theatre, there was really nowhere to go and it was a bit cold, so we cycled home.

Broccoli enchiladas

If you are using ready-made flour tortillas, which I did, this recipe takes no time at all and is really tasty. A must try for broccoli fans like me!

Serves 4

450g broccoli florets
250g ricotta cheese
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 tsp ground cumin
200g cheddar cheese, grated
1 egg, lightly beaten
6 flour tortillas
225ml vegetable stock
3 tomatoes, diced
Chilli sauce

1. Cook the broccoli florets in boiling water. Drain well. Mash roughly and mix with garlic, cumin, ricotta and half of the cheddar. Add the egg and season with salt and pepper.

2. Fill the torillas with the broccoli mixture and arrange on a greased ovenproof shallow dish.

3. Sprinkle with the chopped tomatoes and chilli sauce. Pour over the stock. Sprinkle with the remaining cheddar and place in the oven (pre-heated at 180C) for 30 minutes.

Serve with hot salsa and a green salad if you wish.

Rice and pearl barley stew

This is a very nutrious stew which will give you plenty of energy!

Serve 4-6

100g pearl barley
100g brown rice
450g chard
1 TBSP olive oil
1 onion
800g chopped tomatoes (cans OK)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp herbes de Provence
1 litre vegetable stock
400g mixed sprouted seeds
2 TBSP chopped parsley
freshly cracked black pepper
1 TBSP Parmesan to sprinkle

1. Cook the barley and rice in simmering water for 30-35 minutes until cooked. Drain and set aside.

2. Cut the hard stems of the chard and chop. Shred the leaves.

3. Heat the oil and fry the onion for 2-3 minutes. Add the chard stems and cook for 5 minutes.Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme and herbs. Cook for a further 5 minutes.

4. Add the shredded leaves and vegetable stock and simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Stir in the sprouting seeds, barly and rice and cook for another 10 minutes.

6. Serve into warm bowls and sprinkle Parmesan, parsley and black pepper.

Menu week 21

Broccoli enchiladas (NEW!)

Nutty harvest loaf (NEW!)

Cabbage gougere

Butternut squash curry

Last weekend

Summer has finally arrived! Let's hope it stays with us for a while. Plants, trees and young vegetables look fantastic in our garden. I will post about them soon.

We had an amazing 30.8C measured by our weather station at 3pm on Sunday!!! (the sensor is in the shade all day, facing North)So, too warm to make bakes and quiches: we had a late evening barbecue instead, with potatoes, leeks, carrots, and smoked tofu cooked in papillote (I had parboiled all the veg beforehand). I thawed a little box of red wine sauce which I had made and put in the freezer some time ago, and the result was really good!

For pudding we had some raspberry pavolva icecream with fresh raspberries. I did not make the icecream myself, sadly.
There won't be much cooking going on next week as I will be in Kielce, Poland, from tomorrow until Friday.

Menu week 19

Cabbage gratin with mushrooms

Fennel risotto

Potato-topped lentil bake

Carrot and flat bean quiche

Lemon and thyme creams

These little creamy pots are quite simple to make and very refreshing. I adore lemon cakes, cream, and cheese cakes, not to forget "Tarte au citron", yum yum. I had a lemon and thyme creme brulée in a restaurant some time ago, and it was a really nice combination, so I have tried it here mixing the two types of thymes that we are growing in our border: delicious!

Makes 4 pots:

250g soft cheese (type Philadelphia)
4 eggs
60g sugar
Rind of 1 lemon
4 sprigs of thyme, chopped
1 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:

Juice of 2 lemons
3 TBSP icing sugar
1/2 tsp agar-agar (alternatively, you can use vegetarian gelatine)

1. Whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cheese and whisk well. Add the lemon rind, thyme, lemon and vanilla extract and combine well. Pour into ramequins.

2. Cook for 20 minutes in a 180C pre-heated oven, either on a baking tray or in a shallow oven-proof dish with water up to 2/3 of the height of the ramequins. This will help to cook the inside of the cream. Check with a needle that it is cooked before removing them from the oven.

3. Leave to cool down.

4. To make the lemon jelly, combine the sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved. Heat up and add the agar-agar. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, and boil gently for 1-2 minutes.

5. Pour over each ramequin and leave to cool down completely. Serve cold.

Powerisers

I just read an article about PowerStriders and searched for videos on YouTube to see exactly how these things work. they are like stilts but on springs. They look a bit weird but kind of cool and also madly dangerous.

One of the videos was a really good laugh, have a look for yourself:

Race for Life

I have enrolled in a local Race for Life event recently with women from work. Although I cycle and walk a lot, I don't run (except to catch trains/planes) so I wanted to test myself and see how easily (if at all) I could run the required 5 km.

So I went out this morning wearing my vintage trainers (bought in 1995 but still going) and holding a bottle of water (it was almost 20C), and I started running. I took the way I go to work because I know the way and I know the distances. I ran and ran and ran... not very fast admittedly, but still, I ran an amazing 10 miles (16 km)! Given that this was a first attempt at running, except for a 5 mile jog in January, I think it is quite impressive. The last mile was getting difficult, especially as it is slightly uphill. I did this in about 1h30. I am not sure as I was not carrying any watch. So, quite slow, but I did it!

I did loads of stretching afterwards, so with any luck I won't be achy.

So, I think I'll be alright for the 5 km. Also, I don't think my colleagues are eager to actually "race". I expect a stroll, at best a walk!

Maybe I'll take on running after this morning, who knows? If so, I might try to run the Two Castles Run next year. I will be coming back from a week's work in Amsterdam just before this year's race, so probably not fit for a 10km run!

Metal detector

We have a metal detector at home. Anybody who lost nails or anything similar should contact us and we can lend you our Super-Iron-Detector. Given the price of iron ore maybe we should start a scrap metal business with all the things coming out of nowhere ending up in the house.

How on earth does this happen?

Chatouille's catflap is operated magnetically. She has a magnet around her neck so that not all the cats in the neighbourhood can come inside our house. This magnet releases another magnet placed just below the flap and unlocks it when Chatouille points her nose throught 'the tunnel'.

The problem is, she is picking up all sorts of things, mostly nails, which sometimes hang dangerously on the magnet around her neck... until we spot them and dispose of them. They also get caught in the flap itself, preventing Chatouille from going in/out.

Where does she find these things??? We have cleared anything that was visible to us, most of the nails were from the shed, which we had re-roofed some months ago. I really hope she will not hurt herself, this is quite scary to think of this. Look at the size of the nail on the photo! Who wants that around one's neck!!!

Occasionally, we hear a "cling" noise, and it is her magnet being attracted to a chair leg, or the fridge... this is hilarious!

Walnut and apricot bread

This is the perfect bread to have with a cheese board, so making this was an excuse to go to the local deli to buy some fancy cheeses :D

Of course, this bread is very nice for breakfast, especially with apricot jam!



Makes 1 loaf

500g wholemeal bread flour
40g butter (or even better, walnut oil if you have some!)
1 tsp salt
2-3 TBSP chopped semi-dried apricots
2-3 TBSP chopped walnuts
5g dried yeast
250ml warm water

1. Mix all the dried ingredients except the yeast in a large bowl. Make a well. Add the butter. Sprinkle with the yeast.

2. Pour over the water, mixing a the same time with a wooden spoon. When it is too hard to mix with the spoon, use your hand and knead well until the dough is soft and not sticky.

3. Place in a loaf tin/form and leave to rise until it doubles in size.

4. Bake in a preaheated oven (200C) for 25 minutes.

5. If you want a thick crust, leave to cool down uncovered. For a thin crust, remove from the form and roll in a clean kitchen towel. Leave to cool down on a cooling rack.


I cannot remember the names of the cheeses I bought apart from Taleggio (bottom left), which is very creamy and mild in taste. The receipt from the shop does not say what they are, it just gives the price/kg. The cheese on the bottom right is from the UK, and is semi-creamy in texture, a bit like St-Paulin with some charcoal powder in the middle (that's what the label said in the shop, and still, I bought it!). The one on the top is from the French Alps and is similar in taste and texture to Gruyere. They were all very nice.

Oat flakes bread

Here is an alternative bread recipe:


Makes 1 loaf

400g strong white bread flour
100g oat flakes (porridge oats)
50g butter
1 tsp salt
5g dried yeast
250ml warm water

1. Mix all the dried ingredients except the yeast in a large bowl. Make a well. Add the butter. Sprinkle with the yeast.

2. Pour over the water, mixing a the same time with a wooden spoon. When it is too hard to mix with the spoon, use your hand and knead well until the dough is soft and not sticky.

3. Place in a loaf tin/form and leave to rise until it doubles in size.

4. Bake in a preaheated oven (200C) for 25 minutes.

5. If you want a thick crust, leave to cool down uncovered. For a thin crust, remove from the form and roll in a clean kitchen towel. Leave to cool down on a cooling rack.