A Christmas Grinch | Book of Elsa

The forced cheerfulness, the crowds, the inevitable rain and anxiety about ones’ whole family gathering in one place can bring me out in hives if I’m perfectly honest. But I do love food and this year I’ve decided NOT to be a Grinch and it’s about time I try to embrace the Christmas spirit or just settle for finding it.
Right, so as I type it’s the 11th December and the shopping for presents is done, tick. The (real) tree is lit up, decorated and smelling lovely, tick. Oversized red stockings are on order and Amazon assures me they’re coming, tick. So far so good. However, the Christmas cheer isn’t spreading through me so much as I’m going through the motions… So last Sunday I went shopping in Manchester city centre. I wish I hadn’t, I thought the high street was dying, that no one shopped in stores anymore, that the consumer had moved online! Who were all these people?! Breathing became a challenge in one retailer such were the swarms, there was no stopping to enjoy beautiful lights; it was all elbows and rush, rush, rush. My friends and I managed a couple of hours before giving up and going home.
Which leads me nicely to this recipe: more tinkering per se rather than cooking. Please feel free to use shop bought puff or even shortcrust pastry if you’re not inclined to bring out the heavy machinery. Making mince pies is as close as I get to the spirit of the holidays and that is quite alright.

Tiramisu | Book of Elsa

Five ingredients make a light as air coffee dessert by the name of Tiramisu. Beware though: it has to be made the day before you need it but I find that useful. Also it helps the texture of the finished dish if all the ingredients are at room temprature before you begin. 

Gateaux Bananes | Book of Elsa

Believe me when I say this is the easiest snack I know. I'm not even sure it can be classified as 'recipe' per se as there are only three ingredients: bananas, flour and salt.

The bananas have to be very very ripe, mashing them with a fork. Add a pinch of salt and enough flour to bind into a something resembling a thick pancake batter. Then fry in batches using teaspoons. Eat whilst still a little warm so not to burn your mouth.

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Pot Stickers | Book of Elsa

This recipe takes time, effort and dedication: I won't apologise for it! Whenever I make these pots stickers it is because I WANT to spend time in the kitchen losing myself and relaxing; also these make for a fantastic group exercise. 

Ingredients for the dough: 

300g Plain Flour

200ml hot water

pinch of salt

Method for the dough:

I use a stand alone mixer but a bowl and wooden spoon works well too. 

Put the flour and hot water in a mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the salt and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and bouncy. Cover with cling and rest for 20 minutes. 

If your using a bowl and wooden spoon: bring the flour, salt and hot water together until it almost gathers into a clump then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes. Don't be tempted to add more flour. The dough will come good I promise.  

Spruced-up Couscous | Book of Elsa

I'm not one to impose my will unto others. The way I see it its a live and let live kind of situation. However, I am goint to tell you this: Couscous is not BORING and this recipe is proof. Just season with salt and pepper, add some drained canned chickpeas, dried fruits and nuts of your choice. Pour over some hot vegetable stock and cover with cling for 20 minutes. Fluff it up with a fork and eat alongside whatever protein you have or as a lunch in and of it self.

Meatballs in Spiced Tomato Sauce | Book of Elsa

There's a terrible misconception about curries: they need to be hot; or even very spicy. This is not the case, a curry can be gentle and spiced without blowing mouths. Here we have just the thing for a week night meal served with plain rice and maybe some naan. 
Also the recipe below specifies a lot wich is the whole point: Leftovers taste even better. You can thank me later.

Meatballs:
500g mince beef
100g breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 onion minced
3 garlic cloves minced
pepper to taste

For the Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground tumeric
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can coconut milk
1 teaspoon of sugar

Method:
Mix all the meatball ingredients and form into golf sized balls < I get around 16 > put in the fridge to rest whilst you get on with the sauce.

In a wide pan with a lid heat the oil over low heat and add the chopped onion and salt. 
Soften for about 10 minutes then add the ground cumin, coriander and turmeric. 
Fry the spices for a couple of minutes then add the tomatoes, coconut milk and sugar bring the heat to medium and the sauce to the boil and drop in the meatballs.
Once the sauce is simmering, lower the heat and partly cover. 
Cook for 20 minutes, check the sauce for seasoning and serve.

Fish Cakes | Book of Elsa

Like most people, I work very long hours and there is no way I get home after a 12 hour day and begin peeling anything except my clothes. But, we still need to eat and eat well at that, so here is what I do: At the weekend preferably a saturday afternoon after all other chores I've been ignoring are done I prepare part of meals that can either keep in the fridge or freezer.

1. Such as couscous salad that can be eaten cold or at room temperature.
2.  Fish cakes that are frozen ready to fry/oven bake at a moments notice.

If all else fails it is ok to put some pasta on to boil <again> and open a jar of pesto; 

Life is way too short to worry about it, just take off your coat, eat, relax and move on sister.

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About 1kg of potatoes mashed with some butter and a little milk. 

Pizza | Book of Elsa

Okay so the premise is this: I cannot make bread.

Long ago I accepted that combining flour, water, yeast and salt just wasnt meant to be. I have wasted kilos of flour trying to make bread and everytime it has fallen flat <literally> until today!

The recipe below is WORKS. Just try it and you will not be disappointed.

Obviously any toppings you like will do, I used:

Pesto, cooked sausage, cheese and sweetcorn

Apple Turnover | Book of Elsa

<Large> Apple and Blackberry Turnover

The large is in brackets because I was lazy and couldn't be bothered to make a couple more reasonable sized ones which would be the normal thing to do here. 

Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat at 200℃

Peel and roughly chop a couple of eating apples, I used cox but I mean please use whatever variety you want.

Add a few blackberries

Some lemon zest

2 Tablespoons of caster sugar

2 Tablespoon of ground almonds

1 Teaspoon of cornflour

Whisk a golden egg 

Roll out puff pastry into a rough circle

Pile the dry mixture on the left side of pastry; this amount is too much I took off about half, bagged it and am freezing it for next time. 

Brush the edges with the beaten egg

 Bring the right edge to the left making a half moon. 

Crimp edges with a fork 😼

Brush the top with more beaten egg, refrigerated for 30mins

Bake for 25mins.

Eat with lashes of cream or custard.