I Love Brownies (and their creator)

You know that moment when you look at someone and realise for the first time that you truly truly love them, always will and will spend the rest of your lives together?

I experienced that feeling the very first time i ate one of my girlfriends triple chocolate brownies.
I Love You, I Love You, you have made me the happiest person in the world!
I think this must be how it feels for a woman when the man they love proposes to them...

The fact the recipe is actually one of Anthony Worral Thompsons doesn't change how much i love Rachel but it does mean i feel some of that very same love for the little yorkshire terrier, and have no problem with that... He might though if i ever meet him, Rachel accuses me of 'Lennying her' on occasion and the celeberity chef will get some of the same treatment!

Here's the recipe - so if you're a girl and looking to tie a good man down or a guy and don't want to rely on a woman for anything then give it a try!
Most recently i served the brownies warm with ice cream and drizzled with a little blackberry coulis (red berries would also be lovely!)
 

Ingredients -
275g/10oz plain chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
275g/10oz unsalted butter
85g/3oz pecans, broken into pieces
85g/3oz milk chocolate, cut into large chunks
85g/3oz white chocolate, cut into large chunks
175g/6oz plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
325g/12oz caster sugar
 

For the Coulis -
250g Blackberries
50g Golden Caster Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
 

  

 

• Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas3. Line a 30x20cm tin or dish with lightly buttered greaseproof paper.

• Put the plain chocolate and butter in a large bowl and melt ( microwave will do ). Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl.

• Stir the sugar into the melted chocolate then add the eggs and vanilla essence. Fold in the flour and baking powder, nuts and chocolate.

• Pour the chocolate mixture into the prepared cake tin. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.

• The top should be firm but the inside should feel soft when cooked, it should have a little shake to it! Cool and then chop into small bite size or big fist size squares

For the coulis -

• Put the blackberries and sugar into a small pan with 100ml/31⁄2fl oz water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 mins until the fruit is soft. Stir in the vanilla, remove and cool a little.

• Tip the contents of the pan into a blender or food processor, and whizz to a purée, then strain through a sieve, rubbing it through with the back of a ladle or spoon.

 
Serve the brownie warm with good quality vanilla ice cream drizzled with the coulis.

Kiss Cous Sexy Moroccan Meatballs

While visiting Marrakech a while back i bought, along with a rather unneccessary rug and silver tea pot (i'm a sucker for quality sales banter...), a large bag of '45 spice' which i have used in various dishes without really ever knowing what it is or what is in it.

I now realise it is ras el hanout; according to wikipedia 'a popular Moroccan blend of spices... The name means "top of the shop" in Arabic and refers to a mixture of the best spices a seller has to offer'

Since i have turned Rachel around to the idea of lamb and couscous, the latter just by adding plenty of butter, this recipe seemed like a perfect way to use up some more of the huge bag of spice that has been taking up too much cupboard space for some time!
 

Ras el hanout is also believed to be an aphrodisiac, hence the title, as is deer penis... This might make for a more appetising romantic winter dinner though?

Ingredients -

500g minced lamb

Red Onion, grated (be prepared for tears!)

3 Garlic Cloves, crushed

2cm Piece Root Ginger, grated 

2 heaped tsp ras el hanout 

dried chilli flakes(to taste)

2 tsp ground cumin

tsp ground cinnamon

Olive Oil

2 x 400g tins of plum tomatoes  

200ml chicken stock 

handful of coriander, chopped

For the cous cous -

200g Cous Cous

50g Butter

350ml chicken stock, piping hot
Handful of fresh coriander and parsley, chopped.

• Mix well, with your hands, the  lamb, onion, half the garlic, half the ginger and half the spices in a bowl. Roll small amounts into little meatballs.

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick pan and add the meatballs in batches, frying until browned all over. Scoop out, then add the rest of the garlic, ginger and spices and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and stock and season, break up the tomatoes while mixing in.

• Simmer for 10 minutes, then add back the meatballs and cook for another 20 minutes until sauce is thickened. Stir in the coriander.

For the couscous -

• Put the 200g in a bowl with the butter and some pepper. Pour over the chicken stock and cover tightly for 10 minutes.

• Mix in the herbs and serve with meatballs on top.

Chinese Ox Cheek Stew with Greens and Rice

The Mrs and I were both off work with the first cold of winter and feeling very sorry for ourselves. After a lunch time sinus cleansing Tom Yum Soup we decided to continue with the Asian theme and rustled up the following stew with some cheap ox cheeks from the freezer.

The result was a spicy chinese, melt in your mouth sense of relief. All the flu symptoms just evaporated away and we felt human again.

Could this combination of asian spices, tender meat and re-energizing greens be the cure for the common cold???

Well.... No, but like having ten pints of lager / 2 bottles of wine (adjust according to taste) it does allow for a little respite before having to deal with the blocked nose and achy joints all over again.

And if you aren't ill? Then this dish may just cheer up a bad day or make a good day memorable. 'remember that day we had chinese ox cheek stew' 'ahhhh, now that was a great day!'...

Ingredients -

700g (approx 2) Ox Cheeks, cut into large pieces

4 Garlic cloves, minced

2 birdseye chillis, chopped, seeds removed to taste

2 to 3cm piece of ginger, grated

3 to 4 sping onions, chopped

Plain flour

Heaped tsp of 5 spice

Star anise

tsp sugar

2 tbsp chinese rice wine

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

300ml beef stock

Olive oil.

For the Kale - 

200g bag of Kale, veg oil, garlic clove, tbsp dark soy sauce and tbsp oyster sauce.

To Serve -

Plain rice and pak choi, boiled.

• Preheat oven to 130 degrees celsius, place a medium casserole dish inside to warm.
• Dust the ox cheek pieces in a little flour and fry in a tbsp or so of oil until browned on all sides, remove.
• Fry the ginger, garlic, onion and chilli in a tbsp of oil until fragrant, add the 5 spice and star anise and fry for another minute. 
• Add the sugar and browned beef and give everything a good stir, pour everything into the casserole dish.
• Deglaze the pan with the rice wine and add this to the casserole dish too.
• Pour in the Soy and Stock and give it another stir, put the lid on and whack it in the oven for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is really tender.

For the Kale -

• Heat the oil in a wok, add the garlic and then the kale and mix together for a couple of mins.
• Add 100ml of boiling water and cook for a few mins.
• Add the soy and oyster sauces and cook until combined and the kale has wilted.

Serve the chinese stew over boiled rice with the kale on the side (you won't need any of the sauce from the wok) and some pak choi.