Double Chocolate Brownies & a chat with Sam Taylor

In a perfect world I would have hours and hours of free time to spend reading through food blogs. I love discovering a beautiful blog, getting inspired by the recipes and images, and finding out a little bit more about the author. I first came across Pomegranate Days a few months ago, around about the time I started Cupcakes & Couscous. I was immediately drawn in by the friendly tone of the writing, the stunning images and mouth-watering recipes. I knew I had found a gem.

Caramelised Beetroot Tartlets with Salmon Trout and Lentil Stacks

So what would you make with a bunch of fresh beetroot, brown lentils, puff pastry, cream cheese, cucumber and smoked salmon trout? This was my final challenge in the Freshly Blogged campaign. 

Tapas À La Miro

Just over a week ago I received the details of the 8th challenge in the Freshly Blogged competition, which I have been participating in since June. Each week the contestants are given a list of ingredients and a few days to create, cook and photograph a dish using these ingredients. The public have a chance to view the recipes online and vote for their favourites, and each week a panel of judges send a few of the contestants to the chopping block, as it were. 

Week 8's challenge entitled "Eat Your Art Out" had me scratching my head for a while. The ingredients we were given were superb and well suited - a whole chicken, chorizo sausage, potatoes, onion, garlic, lemon and sherry. We were told, however, that the recipe and styling had to be inspired by art - an interesting twist! 

Roasted Butternut and Rice Pizza

This week we got back to basics with a new challenge in the Freshly Blogged campaign. Round 7 saw us presented with a list of some of my favourite kitchen staples - butternut, leeks, tinned tomatoes, fresh thyme, rice and a baguette. I almost always have these ingredients on hand, they are the building blocks of many of my favourite meals. The challenge here would be to combine them in an interesting and creative way. And including rice, baguette and butternut in one delicious carbo-loaded dish was going to require some thought! 

I decided to focus on using the rice in an unusual way. When the idea of making a rice pizza came to mind I had no idea whether it would work, but after a small, successful trial run I decided to go for it - and the risk paid off!

Now pizza-lovers, hear me out! I, like you, am an extremely loyal fan of the traditional yeast dough base. Far be it for me to mess around with this timeless and perfect dish, this was not an undertaking I took lightly! I was surprised to discover though, that rice base is a refreshing change, with a pleasant, tender texture. I included leeks in the base for some extra flavour and used egg to stick it all together - hardly a grain was lost when the pizza was sliced! 

I topped the base with a homemade herby tomato sauce, balsamic roasted butternut, crumbly feta and buttery croutons. This was finished off with a thyme and garlic oil which added a final hit of flavour. The flavours came together perfectly! 

One thing is for sure - after creating this recipe I will never look at rice the same way again!

As usual, the recipes have been published on the Freshly Blogged website and voting has now opened to the public. Please take a few seconds to vote for this recipe by clicking HERE. Thanks! 

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ROASTED BUTTERNUT and RICE PIZZA

Makes 1 x 30cm pizza (Serves 2)

For the butternut:

250g butternut, cut into 2cm cubes 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed
a good pinch of salt
freshly ground black pepper

For the base:

1 cup long grain rice
4 cups water
pinch of salt
1/4 cup finely chopped leeks
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large eggs

For the sauce:

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
400g tin chopped tomatoes
3 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed
1/2 teaspoon sugar
pinch of salt
freshly ground black pepper

For the croutons:

small baguette, preferably a day old
2 tablespoons butter
black pepper

For the thyme oil:

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
pinch of salt
freshly ground black pepper

To assemble:

100g plain feta cheese

Step 1.) Preheat your oven to 200°C. Place the cubed butternut in a small roasting tray and drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with the thyme leaves, salt and pepper. Cover the tray with foil and roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes, until the butternut is just tender. 

Step 2.) Place the rice, water and salt in a pot. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the rice is cooked.

Step 3.) Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, thyme leaves, sugar, salt and pepper and stir well. Allow to boil gently for 8-10 minutes until the sauce has reduced and is thick. 

Step 4.) Make the croutons by cutting a piece of baguette, roughly 10cm long, into 2cm cubes. They don't have to be perfect! Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the cubes. Toss the bread in the butter and add a good grinding of black pepper. Continue to fry the baguette cubes for about 5 minutes until crispy and starting to brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. 

Step 5.) By now the rice and butternut should be cooked. Set the roasted butternut aside and increase the oven temperature to 220°C. Line a 30cm pizza pan with greased baking paper. 

Step 6.) Drain the rice well then place in a bowl to cool for a few minutes. Stir in the leeks and olive oil. Whisk the eggs lightly with a fork and add to the rice. Mix everything together well. Tip the rice onto the pizza pan and gently flatten into an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes. 

Step 7.) Meanwhile prepare the thyme oil by combining the olive oil, crushed garlic, thyme leaves, salt and pepper. 

Step 8.) Spread the tomato sauce over the rice base. Sprinkle the butternut cubes and croutons on top. Crumble the feta over the pizza and drizzle with half of the thyme oil. Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes until the feta starts to brown. Drizzle the remaining thyme oil over the pizza and serve immediately. 

Dinner Party Feast!

The Freshly Blogged competition is in week 6 already, wow! This week's challenge was sponsored by Robertsons Spices and it was a double whammy with a brief that said that we had to create two dishes, both containing cayene pepper and cinnamon. The other ingredients we had to use were chicken livers, cream and white chocolate, and we could also include any 3 fresh ingredients and 2 grocery items. 

I was feeling inspired when I got the challenge and had my dishes planned out within an hour - that is definitely a record for me! Spices are a big part of my every day cooking, and I love experimenting and finding unexpected ways of including them in my dishes. These creations are no exception! First up were the chicken livers. I wanted to use these in a less conventional way and the idea of ravioli appealed to me immediately. I included fresh sage in the pasta and created a sage, white wine and cream sauce to be drizzled on top. This dish has a wonderful rich flavour and is great fun to make. You can get the whole family involved in the pasta making process which is always easier with a few extra pairs of hands! 

Next up was the white chocolate, and I decided to be adventurous and make a double chocolate meringue cake. It has a bottom layer of moist, dark chocolate cake with a hint of chilli, while the meringue topping is flavoured with warm cinnamon and sweet dashes of white chocolate. This is a sublime combination of flavours and textures and will look very impressive on your dinner party table. 

As usual, all of the recipes are available on the Freshly Blogged website. If you like the sound of my dinner party feast you can vote for it HERE. A big thank you to everyone who has been loyally voting in previous rounds, I appreciate every vote. 

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CHICKEN LIVER RAVIOLI IN A SAGE CREAM SAUCE

&

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE MERINGUE CAKE

Serves 4 

For the pasta:

270g plain flour
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons finely chopped sage
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 egg yolks

For the ravioli filling:

2 teaspoons flour
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon cayene pepper
250g fresh chicken livers
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

For the sauce:

3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped sage
1 cup white wine
1 cup cream
salt
pepper
olive oil
12 sage leaves to garnish

For the chocolate meringue cake:

2 1/4 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1.5 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon bicarb
5 tablespoons cocoa + extra for dusting
pinch of salt
1/8 teaspoon cayene pepper
1.5 cups hot water
3/4 cup sunflower oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
160g castor sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 egg whites
80g white chocolate, finely chopped

To prepare the pasta:

Step 1.) Combine the flour, salt and sage in a bowl. Add the eggs, olive oil and egg yolks and mix until mostly combined.

Step 2.) Tip everything onto your work surface and knead for 10 minutes until you have a smooth dough. Dust the dough with pasta if it becomes sticky.

Step 3.) Cover the dough and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes while you make the filling.

To prepare the filling:

Step 1.) Combine the flour, salt and cayene pepper in a bowl. Add the chicken livers and toss to coat.

Step 2.) Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan. Add the cinnamon, onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Step 3.) Using the same pan, cook the chicken livers for 5-6 minutes until well browned and cooked through.

Step 4.) Add the onion mixture back into the pan. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook for a further minute. Remove from the heat. Use a food processor to blend into a smooth filling.

To prepare the ravioli:

Step 1.) Divide the pasta dough into 2 pieces for easier rolling. Use a pasta machine to roll the dough into a long, thin sheet - starting on the largest setting and working your way up.

Step 2.) Place a strip of pasta (mine was roughly 14cm wide) in front of you. Roll small teaspoonfuls of chicken filling into balls and place them along the sheet of pasta, approximately 4cm apart and 4cm away from the edge.

Step 3.) Brush the pasta sheet with water, along the edges and inbetween the balls of filling. Carefully fold the pasta edge that's closest to you over to enclose the filling and gently press out any air bubbles. Fold the pasta over again. Use a knife to the cut the pieces of ravioli apart.

Step 4.) Cook the ravioli in a pot of boiling salted water for 6-8 minutes until tender but still firm.

Any excess pasta can be rolled and cut into strips or lasagne sheets.

To prepare the sauce:

Step 1.) Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the sage and sauté for a further minute.

Step 2.) Add the white wine and cream. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for approximately 10 minutes until the sauce has reduced by half.

Step 3.) Pop the sauce in a food processor and blend until almost smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Step 4.) Heat a dash of olive oil in a frying pan. Fry the sage leaves for a few seconds on each side until crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside on a piece of kitchen towel.

Step 5.) Dish the ravioli onto heated plates. Drizzle with the sauce and top with fried sage leaves.

To prepare the meringue cake:

Step 1.) Preheat your oven to 180°C. Grease a 22cm round springform cake tin and line with baking paper.

Step 2.) Sift the flour, baking powder, white sugar, bicarb, cocoa, salt and cayene pepper into a bowl and mix.

Step 3.) Add the hot water, sunflower oil and vinegar and mix until you have a smooth batter.

Step 4.) Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for 35 minutes.

Step 5.) While the cake is baking you can make the meringue. Mix the castor sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Whisk the egg whites to soft peak stage. Continue whisking while you gradually add the cinnamon sugar. Continue whisking until you have a thick, glossy mixture.

Step 6.) Fold the white chocolate into the meringue. Carefully pile the meringue onto the hot cake and spread over the top. Return the cake to the oven for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Step 7.) Allow the cake to cool completely before removing from the tin. Dust with cocoa powder and serve.

Pear, Rosemary and Almond Praline Tart with Chocolate and Amarula Sauce

The 5th challenge in the Freshly Blogged competition had all the bloggers excited because it was a sweet challenge for a change. Personally, I was thrilled as this was just what I had been hoping for! The ingredients list was a cook's dream, with a myriad of recipe options to choose from: Amarula cream, dark chocolate, pears, blanched almonds and cream crackers. The challenge also stipulated that the dish had to include a custard based recipe. The hardest part of the challenge was deciding what dish to make! In the end I decided on a pear and rosemary tart, filled with almond praline pastry cream and served with a chocolate Amarula drizzling sauce.

We were allowed to omit one ingredient and add one of our choice. Although I had a few ideas for the cream crackers I decided not to incorporate them into my final dish. My additional ingredient was rosemary which I added to the pastry. Although this might sound a bit strange this flavour really does work in the dish, adding a subtle savoury tone to an otherwise sweet tart. The custard component of the dish came in the form of a luxurious almond praline pastry cream. I was a bit nervous about making the pastry cream as I haven't made one in years, but it was much easier and quicker than I remember, and the addition of the almond praline gave it a lovely, nutty richness.

This has been my favourite challenge so far and I thoroughly enjoyed creating this dish. The tart does require a bit of effort and time, but it isn't difficult to do. It's perfect for that special tea or dinner party when you want to wow your guests! The tart is best served at room temperature and will keep in the fridge for a few days. 

If you like my recipe please click HERE to vote for it in the Freshly Blogged challenge! There is an Amarula hamper up for grabs, so get voting! 

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PEAR, ROSEMARY and ALMOND PRALINE TART WITH CHOCOLATE and AMARULA SAUCE

Makes 1 large rectangular tart (Serves 8)

For the rosemary sweet pastry:

150g butter, room temperature
80g castor sugar
2 large eggs
370g flour
pinch of salt
10ml finely chopped fresh rosemary


For the almond praline pastry cream:

90g castor sugar 
2 tablespoons water
50g blanched almonds
4 egg yolks
80g castor sugar
40g plain flour
500ml milk

For the poached pears:

4 tablespoons castor sugar 
500ml water 
3 pears, peeled, halved and cored

For the chocolate Amarula Sauce:

80g dark chocolate, finely chopped
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon Amarula

Icing sugar for dusting (optional) 

To prepare the pastry:

Step 1.) Cream the butter and castor sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs and mix to combine.

Step 2.) Sift in the flour and salt and mix to form a dough. Tip the dough onto your work surface and sprinkle with the rosemary. Knead a few times to incorporate the rosemary and to make a smooth dough.

Step 3.) Flatten the dough into a disc shape. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the tart. (The dough should be left to chill for at least an hour.)

To make the almond praline pastry cream:

Step 1.) Grease a small baking tray and pallet knife well.

Step 2.) Put 90g castor sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir over a low heat to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil and allow to cook until the syrup is a deep golden colour.

Step 3.) Add the blanched almonds, give the mixture a quick stir then tip onto the greased baking tray. Use the pallet knife to flatten the mixture.

Step 4.) Allow the mixture to cool before breaking into chunks and chopping by hand. Then use a food processor to grind to a powder. Set aside in an airtight container.

Step 5.) Whisk the egg yolks and 80g castor sugar together until pale and creamy. Sift in the flour and whisk.

Step 6.) Heat the milk in a saucepan just until boiling point. Remove from the heat. Slowly add half of the milk to the egg mixture while whisking continuously.  

Step 7.) Add the egg and milk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Bring to the boil while whisking. Allow to cook for a minute until thickened then remove from heat.

Step 8.) Transfer to a clean bowl. Cover with a piece of clingwrap to prevent a skin forming. Set aside to cool.

To prepare the pears:

Step 1.) Place the castor sugar and water in a saucepan and heat to dissolve the sugar.

Step 2.) Add the pear halves making sure they are covered in water (add additional water if needed). Cover and simmer for approximately 10 minutes, or until the pears are tender.

Step 3.) Drain the pears and set aside to cool.

To assemble and bake:

Step 1.) Grease and lightly flour a 36cm x 12cm tart tin. Roll the dough to a 5mm thickness. Carefully lift and lower into the tin and press in. Use the rolling pin rolled over the tin to cut away excess pastry and neaten the edges. Rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 180°C while the dough is resting. 

Step 2.) Cover the pastry with a piece of baking paper weighted down with dry beans and blind bake for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 6 minutes. The pastry should be just cooked but still pale. 

Step 3.) Fold the ground almond praline into the pastry cream. Spread a layer of pastry cream over the base of the tart. Next, place the pear halves rounded side up in the tin (you may only need 5 halves). Dot the remaining pastry cream around the pears. 

Step 4.) Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. Allow to cool completely before removing from the tin and serving. 

To make the chocolate Amarula sauce (can be made just before serving):

Step 1.) Place the dark chocolate in a small bowl. Heat the milk to boiling point, then pour over the chocolate. Whisk well until the chocolate is melted and you have a smooth sauce. Whisk in the Amarula. 

(Note: the sauce will thicken if stored in the fridge but will soften easily in the microwave.)

Dust the cool tart with icing sugar, slice and drizzle with chocolate Amarula sauce to serve.

Pan Fried Pilchards with Veggie Timbales and Brown Rice Salad

Week 4 of the Freshly Blogged challenge saw us presented with a rather interesting, and I'll admit, challenging list of ingredients. The shopping list looked a little something like this: cabbage, tinned pilchards, feta cheese, green beans and brown rice. We were not allowed to omit anything on the list and the dish had to be cooked on the stove top, so grilled pilchards was not an option! We were also not allowed to include any grocery items - just 2 fresh ingredients (fruit, veg or herbs) as well as the approved pantry items. 

This was not going to be easy! I considered various options including cabbage rolls and paella... but with so many different and dominant flavours on the ingredients list I decided that throwing them all together and hoping for the best was not the best way forward. Instead, I opted to keep things simple - combining the flavours that worked well together. 

I chose to add cherry tomatoes and carrots as my fresh ingredients. Tomatoes to add flavour to and compliment the feta in the brown rice salad. Carrots to add colour contrast and a touch of sweetness to the vegetable timbales. Added to that a selection of aromatic spices and suddenly a seemingly odd collection of ingredients became an incredibly tasty meal! 

There was yet another first for me this week. I love a fresh piece of fish but have never cooked with tinned pilchards before. I was pleasantly surprised and urge you to try them if you haven't done so. 

This is not a traditional timbale recipe, which usually includes cream. I wasn't able to include this so had to improvise a little and decided to add a basic white sauce instead - luckily it worked out! You don't have to stick to the same vegetables as me when it comes to making the timbales. Try butternut, chickpeas and red peppers - the more colourful the better!

To vote simply click HERE, it only take a few seconds.

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PAN FRIED PILCHARDS WITH VEGGIE TIMBALES & BROWN RICE SALAD

Serves 4

For the vegetable timbales:

250g peeled carrots, thinly sliced

220g cabbage leaves, shredded

250g green beans

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup milk

pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 egg yolks

For the brown rice salad:

pinch of saffron

1 tablespoon warm water

1 cup brown rice

1 tablespoon olive oil + 2 tablespoons for dressing

pinch of salt
3 cups water

1 teaspoon light brown sugar

pepper

200g cherry tomatoes, halved

120g plain feta

For the pilchards:

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

1/4 teaspoon medium curry powder

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1 x 400g tin Lucky Star pilchards in tomato sauce

salt and pepper

To prepare the vegetable timbales:

Step 1.) Steam the carrot slices and cabbage until tender.

Step 2.) Top, tail and slice the green beans. Boil in salted water for 6 minutes or until soft.

Step 3.) Use a food processor or stick blender to purée the vegetable seperately. Set them aside while you make the white sauce.

Step 4.) Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute.

Step 5.) Take the saucepan off the heat and gradually whisk in the milk. Add a pinch of a salt and the nutmeg. Whisk over a medium heat until the sauce bubbles and thickens.

Step 6.) Divide the white sauce between the three puréed vegetables and mix in. Mix an egg yolk into each purée.

Step 7.) Return the green bean purée to the stove and heat for a few minutes to thicken slightly.

Step 8.) Divide the cabbage purée between four well greased dariole moulds. Smooth the top with a teaspoon so you have an even layer.

Step 9.) Next add a layer of carrot purée, remembering to smooth the top.

Step 10.) Add the green bean purée next. Smooth the top so that the purée goes right to the edges of the mould.

Step 11.) Cover each mould with a piece of tin foil. Place the moulds in a deep saucepan and carefully add hot water to the pan. The water should come halfway up the sides of the moulds. Cover the saucepan and allow to simmer for an hour, or until the timbales have set.

Step 12.) To serve: invert a dariole mould onto a plate. Give the plate a good shake, carefully lift the mould and the timbale should come out easily.

To prepare the brown rice salad:

Step 1.) Soak the saffron in a tablespoon of warm water for a few minutes.

Step 2.) Put the rice, a tablespoon of olive oil, saffron and a pinch of salt in a pot. Add the water. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer with the lid on for 40 minutes or until cooked. 

Step 3.) Whisk the brown sugar with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Step 4.) Stir the cherry tomatoes and olive oil dressing through the hot rice. Crumble in the feta.

To prepare the pilchards:

Step 1.) Heat the sunflower oil in a saucepan. Add the curry powder and paprika and cook for a minute.

Step 2.) Drain the pilchards, reserving the tomato sauce. Add the pilchards to the saucepan and cook for 3 minutes. Carefully turn them over and cook for a further 3 minutes.

Step 3.) Add the tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the sauce is heated through.

Toad-in-the-Hole - South African style!

We're onto week 3 of the Freshly Blogged challenge already! I'm having so much fun creating these recipes and I hope you'll give them a try too. The theme for this challenge was "S.A's best" and the ingredients list read something like this: Drosty-Hof Pinotage (or any Drosty-Hof red wine), mielie meal, ostrich sausage, waterblommetjies or green beans, chutney and mixed dried fruit. As usual we were allowed to omit one of these ingredients and this time around we were able to include 3 fresh ingredients and 3 spices.

There was something else in the fine print too... part of the dish had to be cooked over the coals. The minute I finished reading the challenge details my head started buzzing with ideas, and before I knew it I had a whole page of thoughts and scribblings for potential dishes. This is what I love about this competition - I have been so inspired to get creative in a completely different way. My notebook is brimming with ideas for future recipes and blog posts!

Back to the recipe at hand though. My dish is a South African take on the British classic - toad-in-the-hole. It's made with ostrich sausage and mielie meal and all the cooking is done on the braai. Can you get any more South African than that? I've paired the dish with a rich and velvety gravy made with red onions and Drosty-Hof Claret (not forgetting some good old S.A. chutney). This is accompanied by a fresh, minted green bean salad (a truly delicious way to enjoy your greens). Casual, colourful, full of flavour and proudly South African! 

Two things to note: Toad-in-the-hole is best served immediately. The gravy, however, can be made ahead of time and reheated when it's time to dish up. 

As usual I would be so grateful if you could take a few seconds to VOTE for this recipe on the Freshly Blogged site. Remember there are prizes up for grabs! 

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TOAD-IN-THE-HOLE with RED ONION GRAVY & GREEN BEAN SALAD

Serves 4

For the gravy:

1 tablespoon butter
2 red onions, sliced
2 tablespoons plain flour
125ml Drosty-Hof Claret (or other red wine)
3 tablespoons chutney
375ml beef stock
salt and pepper

For the toad-in-the-hole:

1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup mielie meal
pinch of salt
3 large eggs
250ml milk
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
500g ostrich sausage

For the green bean salad:

200g green beans
pinch of salt
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil 
small handful fresh mint, roughly chopped
black pepper

To make the gravy:

Step 1.) Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the sliced red onions and cook over a low heat for 15 minutes until soft, stirring regularly. 

Step 2.) Sprinkle the flour over the onions and cook for a further minute. 

Step 3.) Add the red wine, chutney and beef stock and stir well. Leave the gravy to simmer for 8-10 minutes until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. 

To make the toad-in-the-hole:

Step 1.) Sift the flour, mielie meal  and a good pinch of salt into a bowl. Whisk the eggs and milk together in a jug. Gradually pour this into the dry ingredients whisking between each addition. Continue to whisk until you have a smooth batter, then set this aside. 

Step 2.) Pour the sunflower oil into a 20cm fireproof pot. Arrange the sausages in a single layer on the bottom of the pot. Cover and place on a grid over the very hot coals and allow to brown for 10 minutes. 

Step 3.) Drain most of the excess fat from the pot (you can leave a little behind). Cut the sausage into 7cm pieces. 

Step 4.) Pour the batter over the sausages. Cover the pot and place in the hot coals for 5 minutes until the batter has set around the edges of the pot and is starting to set in the middle.

Step 5.) Move the pot to a grid placed over the coals. Continue cooking until the batter has risen and cooked through. (Cooking times will vary but mine took about 20 minutes to cook.)  

To make the the green bean salad:
(you can do this while the "toad" is cooking)

Step 1.) Top and tail the green beans and halve each one. 

Step 2.) Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add the green beans and boil for 6 minutes. (They should be tender but still have some bite.)

Step 3.) Combine the garlic, olive oil and mint in a bowl. Drain the beans, then toss everything together with a good grinding of black pepper. Serve immediately.

Moroccan Beef with Spiced Flatbreads

It's week 2 of the Pick 'n Pay Freshly Blogged challenge! Voting has opened and this is the recipe I produced for the second round - a Moroccan inspired beef dish served with delicately spiced flatbreads.

The ingredients list for this challenge was as follows: beef shin, beef suet, Knorr beef stock pot, a soup pack (containing various vegetables), star anise and white wine vinegar.  We were allowed to omit 1 of these ingredients and add one grocery and two fresh items of our choice. I decided to use all the ingredients on the shopping list and add in an onion, fresh coriander and ground cumin.

As I pondered the ingredients list the first thing that came to mind was slow cooking - the cooking method best suited to beef shin. This got me mulling over stews and casseroles, which turned my thoughts to tagines and then to Morocco, which then got me thinking about my favourite spice - cumin! I don't need any excuse to use this versatile and warm seasoning in my cooking, and so I decided to make a Moroccan inspired beef "stew" served with lightly spiced flatbreads to soak up all those lovely juices.  

I have to admit that I have never used suet before, it isn't the most appetising ingredient to use. But I was excited to try something new and decided to incorporate it into the flatbreads. I would have saved myself some trouble if I'd asked the butcher to mince it for me! Nothing my good old stick blender couldn't sort out, but if you're making this recipe try and get minced or shredded suet to save yourself the extra work.

If I'd been able to add other ingredients I probably would have included some extra spices - some turmeric and a pinch of chilli would have gone well with this dish I think, but even without these spices this dish was super tasty with the cumin and star anise turning ordinary beef into something special. The beef shin was deliciously tender and coated in a thick, rich gravy which my family enjoyed scooping up with the warm flatbreads - a wonderfully hearty winter supper which I'm sure you'll also love. 

If this sounds good to you please pop onto the Freshly Blogged website VOTE for my recipe. (Prizes to be won!) Thank you to everyone who voted last week - let's keep it going! 

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MOROCCAN BEEF WITH SPICED FLATBREADS

Serves 3

500g beef shin
3 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons ground cumin
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped celery
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1cm slices
1 teaspoon star anise
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 Knorr beef stock pot
500ml water
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
small handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

For the flatbreads (makes 6):

2 cups plain flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
60g beef suet, minced or shredded
210ml warm water

Step 1.) Cut the beef shin into 2-3cm cubes. Combine the flour and cumin with a pinch of salt and a good grinding of black pepper, then toss the beef in this mixture and set aside.

Step 2.) Heat the sunflower oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion, celery and carrots and fry for 2 minutes. Add the star anise pieces and cook for a further minute.

Step 3.) Add the beef to the pan and brown for 3 minutes stirring constantly. Add the white wine vinegar, cover the pot and leave to cook over a low heat for 5 minutes.

Step 4.) Add the Knorr beef stock pot and the water to the pot and mix well. Replace the lid and cook over a gently heat for 1 - 1.5 hours (stirring every 20 minutes or so) until the beef is very tender.

Step 5.) While the beef is cooking you should prepare your flatbreads, see separate instructions below.

Step 6.) Try as best you can to remove the star anise pieces from the beef stew, then stir in the chopped parsley and coriander. Allow to simmer for a further 5 minutes with the lid off.

Step 7.) Season the beef with salt and pepper. Dish onto warmed plates, top with some parsley or coriander leaves and serve with freshly made flatbreads.

To make the flatbreads:

Step 1.) Sift the flour, cumin, salt and baking powder into a bowl and add the suet. Mix everything together.

Step 2.) Add most of the water to the flour and mix to combine. Continue adding water until the dough starts coming together, then tip onto a work surface and knead for 5 minutes until you have a soft dough. Place the dough back in the mixing bowl, cover the bowl with a tea towel and allow to stand for 30 minutes.

Step 3.) Divide the dough in half, then divide each half into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Dust your work surface with a little flour, then use a rolling pin to roll each ball into a circle about 2-3mm thick.

Step 4.) Heat a dry griddle pan over a medium to high heat. Place the flatbread in the pan and cook for 1.5 minutes. Flip the flatbread over and cook the other side for a further 1.5 minutes or until it starts to char and puff up. Repeat with the other 5 flatbreads.