The Future is Bright - Chicken with Lemon and Thyme #BrightFutures

Amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s easy to forget about the things that really matter, in my case, spending enough quality time with my children, as I know that by teaching them and investing in them, you create bright futures for all that come into contact with them, either directly or indirectly. We talk about waste; we talk about caring for the environment; we talk about helping those less fortunate than us.

That is why I am enthusiastic about the idea of promoting a #BrightFuture, Unilever’s drive to promote sustainability, ethical practice and their dedication to improving people’s lives across the world. As this is a food blog, I want to talk about the ways in which you can create brighter futures for others by thinking seriously about how we buy, treat and consume food.

Unilever’s involvement with Rainforest Alliance certified products is one way in which you can do something pretty great by doing very little. A PG cuppa, for example, and a sit down with those who you love is an immediate hit of kindness and an example of caring for those around you, whilst supporting those in the tea plantations around the world who wish to farm sustainably. Making a simple choice of putting a Rainforest Alliance banana into your child’s lunchbox means that you are thinking about the health and wellbeing of your children as well as helping those on banana plantations have a better life. Crumbling a Knorr stock cube to make a chicken stock is supporting the idea of farming sustainability because of their desire to improving agricultural practices in the production of their goods.

So what do I do? What can we do?

Seasonality

I buy in season. Buying strawberries in winter is crazy because they take like wet cotton wool and have been flown half way around the world. The taste of the first strawberry from the garden in late spring/early summer, when it has been gently warmed by the sun is the stuff that makes us foodies swoon with delight… and most kids too.

Buy what I need.

I can’t get to the supermarket in the week as I am usually hiding behind a veritable ‘Great Wall of China’ of exercise books. So, I do it all online, but only after planning what I intend to cook for the week and buying just what I need. I used to throw out loads and feel guilty about the (wo)manpower that had been wasted to make it, the energy needed, the fact that people are starving in many parts of the world and I am filling a bin full of food that, with more forethought, could have produced a tasty meal.

Leftovers are pretty fabulous.

The joy of making that oversize cottage pie/lasagne/chilli is that you get to put what’s leftover into a plastic container and take it to work the next day. Bung it in the microwave, wait for the ping and hey presto, you’ve avoided wasting petrol and additional costs by not going to the pie shop (if you’re me, that is…)

Sustainability and Ethical Practice

The selecting of products which support growers and producers is something that can be easily accomplished. You’re probably supporting many of these great causes already by buying products that support producers worldwide and happily, many of these products are not necessarily more expensive than those that are not as ethically orientated. Win win. However, it’s worth considering those products that might be dearer, especially something like chicken, which tastes so much better when there has been ethical treatment of the chook before it reaches the bright lights of the fridge section.

Talking of chicken, and this is where there has to be a recipe, for this is a food blog, I love getting all of us sat down round the table sometime of a weekend and having a really good meal. Brighter futures start at home; those moments where I can spend quality time with Lola and Finn, chatting, laughing, teaching, caring… Cooking is one of the ways that I show my love and in my own way I am creating a safe, happy environment which I hope that will encourage my children to pass on as they grow.

Easter Chicken with Thyme and Garlic, adapted from ‘Eat Greek for a Week’ by Tonia Buxton

Ingredients:

1.5kg free range/organic/corn-fed chicken

2 lemons (unavoidable air miles, due to a lack of Mediterranean climate…)

1 bay leaf

3tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp thyme leaves

Approximately 40 cloves of garlic (unpeeled, thankfully)

2 large onions (or you could use 10 peeled shallots)

150ml white wine

250ml chicken stock (I used a Knorr stock cube – see my preamble)

100ml Greek yoghurt (many small producers make their own versions of ‘Greek’ yoghurt)

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 180c Put a lemon and a bay leaf into the cavity of the chicken. Season the chicken all over, including the inside. Brush the oil over the chicken skin and season it with salt and pepper. Sprinkle one tbsp. of the thyme leaves over the chicken.

Place the cloves of garlic and the onions in the bottom of a large ovenproof casserole and put the chicken on top.

Cut the remaining lemon into quarters and tuck them in under the bird.

Pour over the wine and the chicken stock, then cover with a tight fitting lid. Put the casserole onto a moderate heat until it reaches a simmer, then, place in the oven for about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours. Ensure the chicken is cooked through by piercing the thickest part of the leg with a skewer or knife to see if the juices run clear.

Carefully remove the chicken, onions and garlic to a warmed dish, leaving the ‘sauce’ in the bottom of the casserole. Cover with foil. Skim the sauce for any fat that has risen to the surface then add the remaining thyme and the yoghurt to make a ‘creamy’ sauce. Bring to the boil for a couple of minutes, season to taste and then pour the sauce into a warmed jug.

Serve the chicken with the sauce and whatever suitable accompaniments you fancy.

 This post is an entry for BritMums #brightFuture Challenge, sponsored by Unilever and linking to http://www.brightfuture.unilever.com.

Lola's Lovely Lunchbox with help from Hartley's

I remember being quite happy with a paste butty and a bag of crisps for a packed lunch back in the 70s when I started primary school, but today’s 'packed luncher' is a little more discerning and now that I have two children who have recently returned to packed lunches after some time on school dinners, I need to think about what they like and what is good for them. I also need to think about the ease in which the packed lunch can be put together, because, there is a small window of opportunity of a weekday evening between falling in through the door with a pile of marking and hurling what’s for dinner in the general direction of the oven when the packed lunch is made, packaged and placed in the fridge for the next day.

So, for me, it is a boon when I am able to place in my child’s lunch box something that has sweetness and is healthy, avoiding the need for something sugary, and a pot of Hartley’s Jelly is just the thing here. And whilst it might be just as easy to throw a piece of fruit in the lunchbox, having jelly feels like a proper pudding, and let’s face it, you could have the fruit and the jelly; Lola does!

And whilst I am looking for a lunch box that is quick and easy, I am looking for food that interests and engages my children, but doesn’t really impinge on a general shortness of time. It might mean using a bagel instead of sliced bread, or a particular favourite that I saw in France that Lola loves: ham and cucumber wheels:

ham and cucumber wheels:

Ingredients:

Two slices of bread (or, better, wraps which admittedly makes for an easier 'roll')

 sliced ham

Cucumber

Method:

Make the sandwich by putting the ham on to the bread, but then cutting the cucumber lengthways. Cut the cucumber quite thinly so that it will bend without snapping. You could also do this with a vegetable peeler, shaving off a couple of slices to put onto the sandwich.

Trim any overhanging filling if necessary, then remove the crusts if you like and cut into three ‘soldiers’

Roll up the soldiers in a ‘swiss roll’ action and secure with a toothpick (or if you wish, place all three on a longer wooden skewer, thus creating a ham and cucumber‘kebab’ and voila, a sandwich, but not as they know it.)

Or, when I am making some of the week’s meals on one of my get ahead Sundays, a frittata is a great way to avoid the uninteresting sandwich. Mostly, my frittata consists of cooked potato, bacon bits and some spring onions, encased in egg, though it can include any manner of sad looking vegetable, leftover ham that is lurking in the fridge. A slice of this instead of butty is a tasty, filling alternative.

And then there is the ‘play food’.  Lola’s regular ‘getting home from school snack’ was slicing a pepper and opening a tub of houmous. She even made it herself. This little snack now often takes centre stage in her lunchbox.

But, whatever you decide to start with, a jelly is a great way of finishing. And even better, In store from July onwards, Hartley’s will offer consumers the chance to collect 12 special edition green lids from across the No Added Sugar Jelly Pots (115g), to claim a free Hartley’s lunchbox and stickers.

Consumers can claim their exclusive lunchbox by heading to the Hartley’s website www.hartleysfruit.co.uk. Each one comes complete with a sticker sheet of Hartley’s much loved characters and a sticker alphabet for children to personalise their lunchbox.

This post is an entry for BritMums #HartleysYourLunchbox Linky Challenge, sponsored by Hartley’s Jelly http://www.hartleysfruit.co.uk/.

Angel Delight - not just for pretty sundae glasses! Angel Delight 'Cheesecakes'.

 

 

Angel Delight. I must have eaten gallons of it when I was a kid. I wasn't fussy about which flavour - I just used to love the way that within minutes there was something to eat that sweetened the mouth after having my tea - I suspect that my mum loved it as much as me, as it was a quick and economical way of putting something on the table for us all to enjoy.

 

And, as it goes, things haven't changed. I know it's nice to make everything from scratch but you know, sometimes it doesn't happen that way, and that's okay because Lola and Finn adore Angel Delight, so I find myself, like my mum used to, whipping up a pack of Angel Delight to sate the sweet cravings of my bubs once dinner is over, secure in the knowledge that it is made using only natural colourings and is suitable for vegetarians.

However, Angel Delight does not just end at the bottom of a pretty sundae glass. In one of my more creative moments (it does still happen...) I decided to experiment with the versatility of the Bubblegum flavour, as stocked by Tesco's, and make something resembling a cheesecake, minus the cheese of course, but with the cakey biscuit base. Using moulds, I melted some butter whilst getting rid of any pent up anger by smashing up some digestive biscuits with a rolling pin. Once butter and biscuits were mixed, I whipped up a packet of bubblegum Angel Delight, following the instructions on the packet, and then poured it into the mould, on top of the biscuit base. A couple of hours in the fridge to firm everything up and a scattering of hundreds and thousands later, and there it was, a pretty little dessert which Lola and Finn (and dad and me, actually) devoured.

It was like being a kid all over again.

Angel Delight 'Cheesecakes'

Serves Lola, Finn, Mum and Dad.

Ingredients:

8 sweet digestive biscuits

50g melted unsalted butter

One pack of Bubblegum Angel Delight, made up using the packet instructions

Hundreds and thousands, or decorations of your choice.

I also used four circular moulds.

Method:

 

Melt the butter and crumble the digestive biscuits until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs.

 

Mix the melted butter and the biscuits together to make kind of paste.

Put your moulds on the a flat surface that you can transfer into the fridge; a plate would do.

 

Put some of the biscuit mixture into the moulds and press it down so that it forms a base.

 

Mix up the Angel Delight until it becomes quite thick.

 

Spoon the mixture into the moulds. (If your mixture is still similar to 'pouring' consistency then you need to mix further).

Flatten the tops using the back of a teaspoon and place into the fridge for a couple of hours.

 

When ready to serve, scatter some hundreds and thousands on top of the Angel Delight mixture and then run a sharp knife around the inside of the mould to release the biscuit base. A quick wobble of the mould should see the whole thing drop out of the mould and on to the plate.

This post is an entry for #AngelDelightMoments Linky Challenge, hosted by Britmums. You can learn more here: http://bit.ly/angeldelight

The ultimate family meal without breaking the bank - Sunday Roast Dinner, courtesy of Morrisons

 

 

You may be aware that Morrisons has embarked on a campaign to emphasise the fact that on 1000s of everyday products they have reduced their prices, making them cheaper than before. This, of course, is wonderful news to the ordinary customer who increasingly seems to have less and less money in their pocket, but that money has to stretch to cover those basics that had to be covered when everyone felt just a little bit more comfortable. It was with enthusiasm therefore that I volunteered to become a #MorrisonsMum, and visited my local Morrisons to see just how I could make my shopping budget go a little bit further, and to see the great produce on offer.

 

If the weather had been slightly kinder, then I may have ventured down the barbeque route, sampling some of the wonderful looking cuts of meat from the butcher, or perhaps would have suggested a picnic with the family, after visiting the deli and buying some excellent meats and cheeses, but living in the North, there was always a chance that wall to wall sunshine would be at a premium, so I reverted to the old faithful, the family meal that puts us all around the table on a Sunday afternoon, chattering and enjoying one another's company: a roast dinner with all the trimmings.

 

 

 

My choice to do this meant that I could take advantage of some of the great offers on fruit and vegetables on 'Market Street'. It is so pleasing to see that fruit and vegetables, so vital in a healthy diet, are prominent amongst the new 'cheaper' prices. I bought carrots, broccoli and onions for a great price, and also bought Morrisons 'Signature' King Edward potatoes in the hope they would produce a suitably majestic roast potato. I was not disappointed.

 

 

 

Morrisons also had excellent offers on beef joints this week and it meant that I could buy a substantial topside joint which if it wasn't devoured during the meal, accompanied by a dash of horseradish and an unctuous homemade gravy, would be great for sandwiches the next day. Finally, a walk along the drinks aisle revealed so many wines that I was tempted by, but I selected a Morrisons Specially Selected Rioja, it being a favourite wine in this house, and again being competitively priced.

 

So, the roast dinner. Well, here is how I do it...

 

Roast Beef Dinner with Roast Potatoes, Yorkshire Puddings, Vegetables and Homemade Gravy

 

Serves Lola, Finn, Mum, Dad and two others

 

Ingredients:

 

Yorkshire Puddings

 

3 Morrisons free range eggs

300ml Morrisons milk

200g Morrisons plain flour

2 tsp dried thyme

 

1kg of Morrisons 'Signature' King Edward Potatoes

3 tbsp. goose fat

1.1kg joint of Morrisons Topside at room temperature

1 Morrisons onion, peeled and sliced

salt and pepper

300g Morrisons carrots, peeled and sliced

1 head of Morrisons broccoli, separated into florets

 

To accompany - horseradish sauce

 

Method:

 

 

 

Firstly, make the Yorkshire Pudding batter. Combine the milk and the eggs together thoroughly, then slowly start to add the flour, whisking vigorously to ensure a smooth batter without any lumps. This may take a few minutes. Once the batter is smooth, stir in the dried thyme. Allow the batter to stand for at least half an hour before using.

 

 

 

Next, peel your potatoes and cut them into decent size chunks. For the average size potato I tend to just cut them in half. For bigger potatoes, cut them into thirds. Put them into a pan of salted water and bring them to the boil and allow them to simmer until they are just par-boiled. If you can feel the potatoes yield slightly when you stick a sharp knife into them, then they're done. Drain, but reserve the potato cooking water for gravy. Allow the potatoes to steam by covering them with a clean tea towel until required.

 

 

 

To prepare your beef, take the sliced onion and scatter them across the bottom of the roasting pan. The aim is that they provide a 'bed' for the beef to sit on. Remove any packaging from the beef, sit the beef on the onions and then season the beef. Once cooked, the soft, slightly caramelised onions will add wonderful flavour to your gravy.

 

Place the beef into the middle of a preheated 180c oven. By approximate rule, for medium beef you should allow 20 minutes per 500g plus 20 minutes. I cooked my beef for about 70 minutes. Baste occasionally.

 

About 20 minutes after the beef has gone into the oven, put the goose fat into a roasting tin and put at the top of the oven. Allow the fat to melt and become very hot. Meanwhile, shake your potatoes together under the tea towel in the colander to rough up the edges and therefore create lots of gloriously golden crispy bits!

 

 

 

Once the fat is melted, bring the roasting tin out of the oven and place it on top of the stove, over a heat if your roasting tin will stand it. Quickly add your potatoes, coating them in sizzling fat. Immediately put the potatoes on to the top shelf of the oven. Check them periodically, turning them over so that they crisp up evenly and don't burn.

 

Next, using either special Yorkshire Pudding tins, or muffin tins, (which I use) pour a little oil into the bottom of each 'mould'. Once done, place these in the bottom of the oven, allowing enough time for the oil to become very hot. Transfer your Yorkshire Pudding batter into a jug so it is easy to pour into the tins when the time comes.

 

Now is time to quickly peel and prepare your vegetables. Of course you might decide to prepare your vegetables when you prepare the potatoes, in which case I would be now opening the wine. However, if you haven't done so, peel the carrots and slice them. Put them into a pan of salted water. Prepare your broccoli and either put in a separate pan of salted water, or if you have a steamer, steam them above the carrots, once you begin to cook the carrots.

 

Once the beef is cooked, take it out of the oven and put it onto a plate before covering it in foil. Reserve the residue left in the bottom of the roasting pan to make your gravy. When the beef is out of the oven, increase the temperature up to about 220c, turn your potatoes in the fat for the final time. Move the potatoes down to the middle shelf. By now, the oil for your Yorkshire puddings should be very hot. Put these tins onto the top shelf and then pull the shelf out with the tins on them. Carefully pour the batter into the Yorkshire pudding tins, about a third of the way up the moulds. The oil and the batter should sizzle. Once finished, quickly but carefully put the tins back in the oven, shut the oven door and do not open it for twenty minutes. If your oven door has a window in it, this of course is a less daunting prospect...

 

Allow the beef to rest for about 20 minutes. Whilst the beef is resting and the Yorkshire puddings and potatoes are cooking, put your vegetables onto cook using a medium heat and make the gravy.

 

Decant as much fat as possible from the residue left in the bottom of the pan you roasted the beef in. (I have been known to pour all the juices into a jam jar and put it in the freezer; it solidifies the fat slightly on the top of the beef juices so it is easy to get rid of). Put the pan with the beef juices and caramelised onions onto the top of the hob. and add the reserved potato cooking water as required. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the residue into the liquid. Once the liquid begins to look like gravy, cook for a little longer to allow the gravy to thicken to the consistency you require. Taste for seasoning. Reduce the heat under the roasting tin if necessary.

 

Begin to carve the beef; pour any juices from the beef into the gravy. Once carved, put back under the foil to keep warm.

 

By this time, your Yorkshire puddings should have puffed up significantly and be more or less ready. Your potatoes should also be done and your vegetables be ready. Pour your gravy into a warmed jug or gravy boat.

 

 

 

You could plate up yourself. Personally I just put everything into (or onto) warmed dishes and allow everyone to dig in as they wish. Get everyone in, pour the wine, sit down, enjoy.

 

So how much did it cost? Well, the total cost of all of the ingredients used plus the wine was approximately £22.00, so at around £3.70 per serving I would say that for the most prestigious meal of the week, Morrisons are right when they say 'I'm cheaper!'

If you want to compare the prices you pay with the prices you could pay, visit http://www.morrisons.com/pricecuts/ for more details.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's no place like a Great British Home (even though this recipe is a little bit French) Spring Lamb Stew

 

 

In preparation for this blogging challenge, hosted by Britmums about my #GreatBritishhome, I took the Victoria Plumb quiz which ascertained what my style was. Apparently I am elegant, which for the people who know me well at least will be a source of great amusement. I am only presuming that 'a bit rough with the odd delusion of grandeur' wasn't an option. However, on closer reading what 'elegant' encompassed was not necessarily so incongruous as it did mention some of the things I love, dark wood, period pieces, traditional food...

"Elegant and classy, you just adore period décor and style. You love the classics; subtle wallpaper, dark wood and rich colours. 
You have a penchant for opulent fabrics and secretly covet a Steinway 
piano for your living room. You search antiques fairs until you get the 
perfect piece. At home, your tastes are high-class classics; game pie, roast beef and all the trimmings or a fillet of plaice." 

 

 

 

 

So my take on a Great British Home would be comfortable surroundings for sure, the dark wood, the gilt edged mirror, the leather couch, the vibrant coloured curtains encasing doors opening out onto the garden, mixed in with just a little touch of shabby chic. Having moved home just lately, one of my favourite acquisitions was a bargain cabinet to put my posh cups and saucers in. Phill hates it, but adorned with fairy lights, it says all you need to know about me and my style.  Elegant can be quirky and shabby.

Quirky and shabby...

Family...

Food and Drink (Courtesy of Grandma's Willow Pattern crockery).

But actually there is something much more fundamental which creates my Great British Home, and that is the food on the table, the company, the sound of chatter as we all tuck in and talk about anything and everything. It may not happen like this all the time but when it does, all of us sat about, the clatter of forks and spoons, sharing whatever is on the table, then it is the epitome of 'home' for me.

So, Sunday, we had friends around and as it was a bit unexpected the easiest, and most homeliest thing to have was a stew. I decided on a spring lamb stew seeing as it the time of year was fitting, served with some crusty French bread and butter. It was a lovely light stew with plenty of vegetables in relation to meat and importantly, every mouthful felt good for you. Just like home should feel...

Spring Lamb Stew, adapted from The French Bistro Cookbook by Richard Bertinet

Ingredients:

40g butter

2 tbsp. olive oil and more if necessary

900g boned shoulder of lamb, trimmed and cut into chunks. (I used diced lamb leg)

2 shallots, finely chopped (I used two sliced onions)

1 tbsp. sugar

1 litre of strong lamb stock

2 tbsp. tomato puree

1 bouquet garni, (I used some chopped fresh parsley, 1/2 a tsp of dried thyme and a little less of dried rosemary)

16 new potatoes, peeled and halved if large

2 turnips, peeled, cut into halves and then into eighths

12 Chantenay carrots, peeled, topped and cut in half

5oz frozen peas

chopped parsley to garnish

Serve with crusty baguette and butter.

Method:

 

 

 

Melt half of the butter with the oil in a suitable casserole and begin to brown off the lamb, Do this in batches so as to allow the lamb to colour well. When browned, remove to a plate.

 

 

 

Melt the rest of the butter with the fat left in the casserole. Add the onions and stir them into the butter ans the oil. Cook out a little and then sprinkle them with sugar. Increase the heat and allow the onions to caramelise but keep an eye on them as they can burn quickly.

 

 

 

Add the stock to the onions, and then pour the meat and the juices into the casserole too. Stir in the tomato puree and herbs. Stir and season and bring to the boil. Put the lid on the casserole and reduce the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.

 

 

 

Add the vegetables to the casserole and continue simmering for another 15 minutes. Then add the peas and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes. You could cook a little further to thicken the sauce if you wish. Once you are happy with the consistency taste for seasoning and then garnish with chopped parsley.

 

 

 

Serve with baguette, for soaking up the juices.

This post is an entry for the #GreatBritishHome Challenge  sponsored by Victoria Plumb, a source of quality bathrooms for every type of home. Take its “What’s Your Celebrity Home Style?” quiz to discover what your home says about you.