Gordon Ramsay's Blueberry and Honey Pots

So today was my first half marathon since bringing my little sproglet into the world two years ago.  In fact, it was my first race since just before I fell pregnant back in 2009.  And boy, did it show.

I could go on and on about all the things I did wrong, but most of you aren't runners and would find it tedious.  And those of you who are should just be content in knowing that I broke every single rule in the runners handbook and will be paying the price for it for some time (running in too new shoes, running just days after having a chest infection, running after not having run for four weeks....blah blah blah...)

However, I made it round all 13.1 miles in the blazing sunshine.  I have a fetching tan-lines (damn those 3/4 length tights) and the blisters to prove it.  And more than anything, I had the support of Aan amazing bunch of people who encouraged me to get out there, do it and made me feel good when I finished, even though I was much much slower than last time I ran the Bath Half.

There are raspberries in there...somewhere...

I managed to raise just under £200 for Guide Dogs but another two promised sponsorships should take me beyond my target which makes it all worthwhile.  Most of the people that sponsored me wouldn't even know my blog existed so a big group thanks to them.  And special thanks to my three lovely Twitter friends @KateSelwood1, @DickyBundock and @Tarb2010.  All people who I've only ever met in the Twitterverse and haven't known that long, but they all generously sponsored me and kept me going with their support.  Amazing people.  And if you're on Twitter and don't follow them, do so now.  Because they're such a funny and caring bunch.  A little cheeky now and again, but they brighten every day.

Anyway, having spent the day first gaining aches, pains and blisters and then the rest of it mincing around trying not to make things hurt too much, I didn't really have time for anything elaborate.  Even Miss A's ministrations to get into the kitchen for some egg cracking, rolling and cutting fell on deaf ears.  So I've had to settle for a dead simple recipe from Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food.

It feels like one of those lazy recipes that I probably could've thought up myself if I liked honey and if I'd ever eaten Greek yogurt before.  So there's a tick on my list of goodness for having tried a new recipe and a tick for having tried two new ingredients (okay I've put honey in things before, but generally if it's in it's "raw" state in a recipe, I'll always use maple syrup).

I made one pot to eat after tea and another for my breakfast tomorrow.  Dead simple and nice tasting, however there was far too much honey in it for my liking and I found it drowned the taste of the berries.  If I did it again, I'd definitely use a spoon of maple syrup instead - a personal preference.  Or maybe it would be better with different honey, but as I'm not a fan I generally buy the cheapest I can find as it only goes into hot toddies.  I also used a mix of berries because normally I find blueberries quite bland but these ones for a change had a real bite to them which I'm sure much enhanced the dish. 

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp flaked almnds
• 150ml Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp runny honey 
• 250g blueberries (I used a mix of blueberries and raspberries)

1. Dry toast the almonds in a frying pan, taking care not to burn. Remove and leave to cool.
2. Starting with the berries, layer the berries, honey and yogurt in four individual pots.  Top with the toasted almonds and serve.

Gordon Ramsay's Chorizo, butter bean and red onion soup

There are some meals that are best eaten with your eyes shut.  Or at least while reading your Twitter timeline on your phone.  Or if you have decent company at the dinner table, then maybe flattering lighting will be enough to distract you from what's on your plate.  Whatever works for you, I suggest you do it if you try this recipe.

With a flattering Flickr filter it doesn't look so bad

Don't get me wrong, it's very tasty.  It does get boring after about half a bowlful (or maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it) but you just don't really want to look at it while you're eating it.

Although my photography skills leave a lot to be desired (hey, it's not easy finding time to artfully photograph with a rubbish cameraphone when you have to blog every single day), I do appreciate the benefit of flattering lighting and Photoshop.  It's great for hiding things like crows feet and dark circles and grey hairs.  And that the beautifully red chorizo that you lovingly chopped up has now gone all grey and insipid thanks to the paprika leaching out into the broth.  Or that the vibrant red onions, are now equally monochrome and unappealing after being simmered for ten minutes.

My once red chorizo turning grey

The rubbish picture really belies the true mess that was left in my bowl.  Honestly it just looked like nasty grey lumps of insipid gristle.  Kind of how I imagine school dinners to have been before they were Jamie Olivered (although I probably qualified for free school meals, I used to have a packed lunch).

I don't know if it's something I did wrong with the cooking - it's hardly a taxing recipe - or if the picture in Gordon's Fast Food also benefited from flattering lighting and Photoshop.  But honestly, I can't express how manky it looked when I was done with it.  I was hoping for something more warm and red and comforting along the lines of the recipe by the lovely Mr Bridestock that partly inspired this blog.  As I said the other day, if you find a good recipe, stick with it and move on.  There's a lot to be said for not chasing perfection.  Either that or you have to be prepared to kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince.  How many time did Edison fail in his efforts to make a lightbulb?

Anyway I'll stop before I enter into another stream of conscious rambling.  Final thought for the day.  My spaniel really appreciated the leftovers.  Then again, he'll eat anything bar leeks.

Recipe from Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food

• 225g chorizo, skin removed
• 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
• 2 red onions, peeled & finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled & very finely sliced
• few thyme sprigs
• 2 x 420g cans butter beans, drained & rinsed
• sea salt & black pepper 
• squeeze lemon juice
• large handful flat parsley, roughly chopped

1. Chop chorizo into small bite size pieces. Put kettle on to boil.
2. Heat olive oil, in heavy based saucepan & add onions, garlic & thyme. Cook, stirring, for 2 mins, then add chorizo. Stir over high heat for a few mins until oil has taken on reddish-golden hue from chorizo.
3. Tip in beans and pour in just enough boiling water to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for about 10 mins.
4. Season generously and add squeeze of lemon. Scatter over parsley and ladle into warm bowls to serve.

Chickpea, Feta and Flatbread Salad AND Corn Oil Flour Tortillas

Gordon's chickpeas

Tonight, I'm bringing you another two-recipes-for-the-price-of-one blog.  I was actually tempted to save one of the recipes for a blog on another day and have a little night off.  But cheaters never prosper and I figured I'd get caught out.  In all honesty, I'm only competing against myself with this challenge but I'd be cheating all my lovely readers (*waves at @TamaraLSpencer and @BridestockBride) so here is the truth.

Having thought about several things I might want to try for tea today - Tuscan White Bean soup, baked leeks, something with cheese and potatoes, Gordon's Chorizo and white bean soup - I ended up discounting all of them either through a lack of ingredients (the leeks, and cheesy potatoey things) or because I was all souped out (it was so cold at Super-Spy HQ today that I consumed an entire winters-worth of soup in one day).

Anyhow, leafing through Gordon's Greatest for some storecupboard recipe or another, I happened across his recipe for chickpeas with feta and flatbread.  Ticked off all the ingredients, save for the red onion.  Found a bit of white onion in the 'half-used-veggies-to-use-later' bag and Bob was my uncle.  Until I realised that the wraps I'd planned so use instead of flatbread were discarded on Saturday due to yet another Ocado short sell-by date issue.

Dammit!

*Cue super-hero music*

Dan Lepard's Short and Sweet to the rescue!

Okay, I'm obsessed.  Even more obsessed than I was with Thomasina Miers' Easy Mexican Food (or whatever it's called) when I first got that.  Fourth recipe in four days from Mr Lepard.  And yet again, absolutely spot-on (which is more than I can say for Gordon and his chickpeas).

Rolling pin made by my lovely great Uncle, RIP x

I love bread.  Seriously.  I would rather poke my eyeballs out than go on a carb-free diet.  If I was told I could never ever eat carbs ever again I'd probably be more upset than when I left my teddy on the Isle of Wight ferry (I was six at the time).

The tortillas are so simple to make that I will never buy shop-bought again.  As there's only two of us, I so often buy a packet of eight and end up throwing six away (I do sometimes remember to freeze them and should be better at being inventive, but sometimes, I just cannae be bothered).

It uses no special ingredients - just plain flour, baking powder, salt, milk, water and vegetable or corn oil.  Just over an hour for the dough to relax, five-ten minutes of rolling (do as Dan says and roll them out first - rolling and cooking at the same time only leads to expletives being uttered and burnt fingers).  Mine weren't perfectly round because I disregarded the roll-first advice but oh my gosh.  Warm, homemade flour tortillas.  Fab-u-lous darling (said in a Craig Revel-Horward kind of voice).

Finished tortillas, shortly before I ate most of them

I made a tiny one just so I could taste-test it.  Mistake.  I then ate two more after taking the picture.  Mmmmm.  This is why I'm fat.  In fact, using the third one in Gordon's recipe spoiled it a bit because they're not so nice when they're baked and crunchy as when they're warm and soft.  And this from someone who will always pick a crusty roll or toast over a soft white loaf or a flour bap.

Again, I recommend you buy the book.  I won't be posting the recipe as it would be unfair of me to do so.  Sadly, Amazon have now increased the price to £12.50 but it's still worth every penny.  In fact, I would have paid full price for it if I'd been able to road-test some of the recipes first.

You can watch Gordy do the chickpea thing here.  It looks very pretty, but the taste really wasn't for me.  Not sure what's up with me tonight as I love all the component parts of this recipe but I didn't enjoy the end result.  Maybe I just wasn't in the mood - it's really a light summer dish.  Not something for a cold winter's night.  And especially not a cold winter's night when you've just stuffed yourself full of tasty warm flour tortillas.  Oops!

Baked Eggs with Ratatouille

Ratatouille is one of those things that I've often made but I've never actually followed a recipe.

My general method is to chop up lots of whatever mediterranean looking vegetables I can find in my fridge, bung them in a pan to fry for a while, pour in some tinned tomatoes, a couple of Knorr chicken stock cubes and a tin or two of chopped tomatoes et voila.  Ratatouille.

It has a runny yolk!

Today, I learned to make it Gordon's way.  And I wasn't too wide of the mark until it came to seasoning.  He doesn't use Knorr!  Or any other kind of stock.  Just some smoked paprika and cumin, a little garlic, some chilli, salt and pepper.  A complete revelation!  In fact, I'm not sure I can remember the last time I used a stock cube (except when making soup) whereas normally I bung them into everything (savoury!) to add flavour.

The other thing that surprised me was how little 'sauce' the ratatouille had.  He suggested adding just 250g (slightly more than half a tin) of chopped toms to the mixture.  I ended up using the whole tin as I had quite a large aubergine and added some mushrooms as they were kicking round the fridge and I was a little light on the bell pepper front.  In fact, it very nearly simmered dry before the veggies were soft, but in the end, it was so much nicer than my usually 'wet' version.

Not a single rat in sight

Despite the lovely, Spanish aroma emanating from the pan, it had to be seasoned within an inch of its life with salt and pepper to compensate for the blandness of the vegetables.  I've noticed that 'sleb chefs use an inordinate amount of seasoning when they're on the telly.  Is this because their food is really tasteless???

My biggest success today was getting a baked egg to have a runny yolk.  I watched the clock like a hawk and then gave it an extra two minutes because I don't have a flat-ish oven proof dish suitable for this (I think he used something like a sabayon dish) hence, a couple of extra mins for my deeper dish.

This made it really hot when trying to eat it and I now have a burnt tongue but it was a passable, reasonably healthy meal - I had it for tea, but most people would probably see it as a light lunch.  Using the rest of the ratatouille for lunch for the next couple of days, but I think I'll keep looking for a better recipe that needs less salt and pepper.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• olive oil, for frying
• 1 onion, sliced into 1.5cm pieces
• 1 aubergine, sliced into 1.5cm pieces
• 2 peppers, sliced into 1.5cm pieces
• 1 large courgette, sliced into 1.5cm pieces
• salt and black pepper
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp hot paprika
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder or chopped fresh chillies (optional)
• 250g chopped tomatoes (I used 450g)
• 4 large eggs

1. Heat the oven to 190C. In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over a high heat, then add the onion. Saute for 2 minutes, then add the aubergine and pepper, crush in the garlic and fry for another minute. Add the courgette and saute for another 2 minutes.
2. Add the cumin, paprika and chopped tomatoes and give it a good stir. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes until the vegetables are tender, stirring every so often.  Test and adjust the seasoning.
3. Divide the ratatouille amongst four shallow oven proof dishes.   Make an indentation in the ratatouille with a spoon and then crack an egg into each one.
4. Bake for 8-12 minutes until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny in the middle. Serve immediately with some french bread.

Pineapple salsa

Busy day, busy evening.
Gordon Ramsay's pineapple salsa with ham salad for lunch.
Sounds odd but strangely tasty.
Will post recipe later - it's from Gordon's Greatest Hits.

Baked Eggs Florentine

After last week's Eggs Benedict, I thought I'd give Eggs Florentine a whirl.  To me, Florentine either means chocolate almond biscuits with cherries and sultanas or something full of cheese and spinach.

Back when I worked in Exmouth Market (not actually on a market stall) my favourite sandwich shop made a toasted Florentine ciabatta - containing a mix of cheddar, mayo, mushrooms and spinach.  A recipe for thunder thighs if ever there was one.  It was like a hug in a sandwich.  And during a particularly rubbish time of my life, I had a lot of sandwich hugs!

Would've looked more inviting with a runny yolk!

So reading Dame Mary's recipe for Eggs Florentine didn't surprise me that it had gallons of cheese sauce but I felt a bit guilty about such wanton abandon so I tried one from Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food instead.  This just used creme fraiche and even though mine was half-fat, it was still a gloriously rich dish.

Still have to get the hang of my new oven though as one minute the egg was barely cooked - the next the yolk had gone all solid.  I'm sure a runny yolk would make it even better.

Definitely a luxury breakfast or a light lunch with crusty bread.

Serves 4.

2tbsp butter
1lb (450g) spinach leaves
sea salt and black pepper
4 large eggs (room temp)
6-8tbsp creme fraiche
nutmeg

• Heat oven to 400F. Melt butter in large pan over high heat. Add spinach and some seasoning and stir until wilted.
• Divide spinach among 4 buttered individual ceramic dishes and spread evenly, making a slight indentation in centre. Let cool slightly.
• Crack an egg into each indentation, then carefully spoon creme fraiche around. Season with sprinkle of salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Bake in oven 10-12 min until egg whites are set, but yolks are still quite soft and runny. Serve immediately.
  
  

Chocolate Mint Truffles

Bah humbug!  Christmas.  I'm so over it already and it's only October!  I used to love Christmas as my birthday is just a few days before so when I was a kid, it was just one long round of presents and fun.  But of course, as you get older, your family dwindles, old faces leave and unless there are new additions to the family, Christmas can lose its sparkle to the point of becoming a tedious chore of filling the coffers of big corporations.

Now we have Miss Abigail, Christmas is starting to have a little sheen to it again and I'm *trying to make an effort* to make it a bit more meaningful - ie not surfing doing all my shopping on Amazon on my birthday because I can't be doing with the crowds at Cribbs Causeway.

As part of the grand plan, the 'rents and my lovely Grandad have been invited to Christmas dinner (although they're staying for three days - oh the new recipes I'll get through!) and I'm again going to make edible gifts for friends and family rather than spending a fortune in Thorntons.

The first contribution to the effort has been Gordon Ramsay's mint and chocolate truffles.  I had some mint left over from the mojito cupcakes and some cream I'd bought for a tarte au citron that never saw the light of day last weekend so it seemed the perfect recipe to try.

Rustic looking truffles

Sceptic that I am, I wasn't convinced that the mint flavour would cut through the very strong chocolate because although the kitchen smelt lovely and minty, the cream tasted of...well....cream even after steeping the mint in it for the recommended six minutes.  I also nearly didn't put the honey in as I am not a fan - preferring maple syrup wherever I can get away with it - but as I said a few days ago, The Sweary One is a multi-Michelin starred chef and I'm just a slummy mummy/business analyst/wannabee cakery owner (although I still think he needs advice on how to put spice in his banana oat muffins!).

Sticking faithfully to the recipe was quite clearly the right thing to do because once the chocolate has been cleared from the palate, the mint gives a lovely little after-kick.  So much nicer than recipes that use peppermint flavouring.  In fact, I would consider using mint-steeped cream to flavour frosting for any future bakings of the mojito cupcakes from yesterday - I feel some experimenting coming on shortly.

The only issue I encountered was that the mixture took a long time to set and I ended up freezing it for ten minutes to get it to a workable consistency.  And why is it that I spend my life with cold hands and wearing gloves when it's virtually summer outside, yet whenever I make pastry or truffles, my  palms are sweatier than a politician submitting an expense claim?  Someone should invent chillable gloves for chefs that keep your hands at a suitable temperature...

I always roll my truffles in Green and Blacks Hot Chocolate Mix which lends a lovely, sweet, slightly crunchy texture to the outside - I find cocoa dusted truffles a little too bitter for my liking.  In some ways, I guess it's the modern take on using vermicelli.  Although vermicelli is so retro, it's probably the fashionable choice for truffle coating, but I'm not that 'down with the kids' of the chocolate world.

They are now hidden in the freezer, ready to be defrosted and packaged nearer the big day.  Not sure how many people will actually get any as they may...erm...disappear over the coming weeks...

Anyhoo, the recipe is over on the Tesco Real Food website and has come from Christmas with Gordon which hasn't yet been published as I write.

Banana and Oat Muffins

In go the oats

"What would be the first thing you'd buy if we won the jackpot on the Euromillions?" I asked the husband today.  "A Ferrari, of course" came the reply.  "Do you know what I'd buy?" I asked.  Silence.  "I'd buy a really big kitchen and hire a cleaning lady."  Cue bemused look.

Stirring is hard work

Because as a responsible parent, I can no longer dream of jetting off to laze on sun-drenched beaches for the rest of my days - there's a hole in the ozone layer, didn't you know and I can't be dealing with the 'I'm not wearing suncream' tantrums from Crowdey snr and Crowdey jnr on a regular basis.  So my next best dream is to have a big house, with a big kitchen and someone to clean up behind me - because I'm never going to have a figure like Kylie and my people would never spontaneously burst into song and dance around me (I always wanted to live in a musical when I was a kid), no matter how rich I may be in this fantasy.

My little monster mash(ing)

And I'd learn to cook lovely things, every day.  I'd hire someone like James Martin to come and teach me to be an amazing chef.  I've got the sweet-front covered but I still need to work at the savoury side of things.  Difficult when you're feeding fussy eaters who will only eat chicken and rice (Crowdey snr) or pasta and cheese (Crowdey jnr).  And then I'd hire 'friends' like Nigella does to come and sit at my dining table and coo over my culinary prowess...

Making her own mini muffins

Enough rambling.  On to today's recipe.  Over-ripe bananas in the fruit bowl and a Saturday with nothing to do with the child so I decided we'd make banana muffins.  She was actually quite good at it.  Stirring and mashing and spoon licking and waving goodbye to the muffins as they went into the shiny new oven and proudly showing them to daddy as they were cooking as we actually have a light in our cooker for the first time in about four years!  It's the small things.

The big ones - finished

But oh.  Mr Ramsay.  Banana muffins need mixed spice in them.  What were you thinking?  I faithfully followed your recipe because you are a mega-celebrity, multi-Michelin-starred chef and I am, but a mere housewife and what would I know?  That bananas and mixed spice work far better than bananas and salt.  You might want to edit that recipe for the next edition of your book?

Despite this, they were a hit with Miss Abigail and she is FUSSY.  So top marks to you from her, but a thumbs down from me and the hubby.

PS: This recipe was from Gordon Ramsay's Greatest Hits but I understand it was also published in his 'Healthy Appetite' book meaning it's probably good for brides who are trying to fit into their wedding dresses ;-)

Makes 12

• 200g plain flour
• 1.5tsp baking powder
• 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 0.25 tsp salt
• 100g oats
• 100g light brown sugar
• 4 ripe bananas
• 60g melted butter
• 1 large egg
• 75g chopped walnuts

1. Preheat the oven to 180c (160c fan).  Put muffin wrappers into a 12-hole muffin tin.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a mixing bowl.  Add the oats and sugar and mix well.
3. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork (we used a potato masher - easier with a toddler!) and then mix in the egg and the melted butter.  Add to the dry ingredients.
4. Spoon the mixture into the cake cases and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. Best served warm.

Bircher Museli

Thankfully, I rarely travel with my job these days.  In fact, this is the first trip outside of Bristol in three years.  To Tamworth.  Rock and Roll!

Of course, it's made me have to do some strategic thinking about what new recipe to try today.  I am sure that by the time I get home, I won't be in the mood for cooking, let alone cooking for someone who doesn't like change.  So I figured that breakfast was the way to go.

Like my picnic fantasies, I often dream of lazy breakfasts, of eggs benedicts and baskets of freshly baked pastries, in bed.  But even pre-toddler, the closest I got to that was a couple of croissants and some jam on my birthday and I even had to go and buy those myself.

My normal breakfast is porridge in winfrey and today with peanut butter in summer - a runner's breakfast. And not very exotic.  So today's recipe is Gordon Ramsay's Bircher Museli, taken from Gordon Ramsay's Greatest Hits.  It serves 4. Not bad for cold porridge :-)

200g rolled oats
400ml semi skimmed milk
1 apple, coarsely grated
4tsp honey or maple syrup
fresh berries
handful chopped nuts

Place oats in a bowl and cover with milk.  Refrigerate overnight.

Stir the yogurt, honey and grated apple into the mixture, adding a little more milk if it's too stiff.

Top with the nuts and berries.