Picnic Loaf Recipe

This is not your average sandwich - a delicious shareable savoury treat packed to the brim with Parma ham, brie, roasted red peppers, cucumber and so much more! Kids will really enjoy helping to make this picnic showstopper. You can make this up to 2 days in advance and store tightly wrapped in the fridge until needed.

Ingredients

·         2 tbsp pesto

·         4 tbsp good-quality mayonnaise

·         100g (3 1/2oz) roasted red peppers, drained and chopped

·         50g (2oz) sundried tomatoes, drained and chopped

·         small handful fresh basil, chopped

·         85g (3oz) Parma ham or 100g (3 1/2oz) wafer-thin cooked ham

·         100g (3 1/2oz) sliced jarlsberg cheese

·         200g (7oz) brie

·         100g (3 1/2oz) sliced salami

·         1/4 cucumber, thinly sliced 

·         4 leaves little gem lettuce 

·         1 medium sourdough loaf or round cobb loaf

Method

1.      Combine the pesto and mayonnaise in a small bowl.

2.      Mix together the peppers, sundried tomatoes and basil and season well.

3.      Cut the loaf in half horizontally, then scoop most of the dough inside to make room for the filling. Kids will love helping you with this.

4.      Spread the pesto mayonnaise inside both pieces of the loaf and layer up with the pepper/tomato mix, ham, jarlsberg, brie, salami, cucumber and little gem leaves. Replace the top of the loaf, press together gently, wrap tightly in cling film and chill for 2-3 hours.

5.      Cut into wedges to serve.

Tip: The bread you scoop out of the middle can be made into breadcrumbs in a blender, tipped into a bag and frozen for up to a month.

--Recipe taken from Tesco Real Food--

Chocolate Lava Dutch Oven Cupcakes

Cooking Tip: One of the secrets to easily making these Chocolate Lava Dutch Oven Cakes in a Dutch oven is to use Foil Cupcake Liners because they stay in place as you pour the batter in each cup and they hold their shape as the batter bakes. Just place the liners in the bottom of the oven and pour an even amount of batter in each cup.

In bowl, combine the following ingredients and beat by hand till sugar is dissolved:

§  5 large eggs

§  ½ cup sugar

§  Pinch of salt

§  1 tablespoon flour

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the following:

§  1 cup unsalted butter

§  1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Remove saucepan from heat and stir in the egg/sugar mixture until smooth.

Pre-heat 12-inch Dutch oven, add foil cupcake liners to fit bottom of the oven (will make about 12 cakes),Pour equal amounts of batter in each liner and bake approximately 8-10 minutes, you want the batter to puff up BUT not enough to set the centre (this is where the lava comes from…yum!)

Let these little Chocolate Lava Dutch Oven Cakes cool slightly in the bottom of the oven by removing the lid and setting the oven away. They will fall as they cool. If you like serving them when they are slightly warm and gooey don’t let them cool too much.

Just before serving, sprinkle them with a little bit of powered sugar. Be careful when removing the cakes from the Dutch oven because the oven will retain heat for a period of time.

§  1 tablespoon powdered sugar

--Recipe taken from Camping for Foodies--

Victoria Sandwich - Fit for a Royal Wedding

Ingredients

• 3 medium eggs
• 175g (6oz) butter, softened
• 175g (6oz) caster sugar
• 175g (6oz) self-raising flour
• 142ml carton double cream
• 4-6 level tablespoons raspberry jam
• caster sugar, for dredging
• 2 x 18cm (7in) round sandwich tins, greased and base lined with baking parchment

  Method

• Tip all the ingredients into a bowl and beat until smooth. Divide mixture between the sandwich tins and level the surfaces.
• Bake the cakes in the centre of a preheated oven – 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 20-25 mins, or until the cakes have risen and are golden, and spring back when lightly pressed in the centre.
• Remove the cakes from the oven and leave them to cool in the tins for 5-10 mins, then turn them out on to a wire rack and leave them to cool completely.
• Spread the jam over the base of one of the cakes. Lightly whip the double cream and spread it over the base of the other cake. Sandwich the two cakes together. Dredge with caster sugar before serving.
• The unfilled Victoria sponge cakes can be packed in freezer bags and frozen for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost before filling.

Best roast leg of lamb

WITH PROPER HOMEMADE MINT SAUCE

Ingredients

·         2 kg leg of lamb or hogget

·         1 bulb of garlic

·         ½ a bunch of fresh rosemary

·         1.5 kg potatoes

·         1 lemon

·         olive oil

·         MINT SAUCE

·         1 bunch of fresh mint

·         1 teaspoon sugar

·         3 tablespoons wine vinegar

 

Method

1. Remove the lamb from the fridge 1 hour before you want to cook it, to let it come up to room temperature.
2. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºC/gas 6 and place a roasting dish for the potatoes on the bottom.
3. Break the garlic bulb up into cloves, then peel 3, leaving the rest whole. Pick and roughly chop half the rosemary leaves. Peel and halve the potatoes.
4. Crush the peeled garlic into a bowl, add the chopped rosemary, finely grate in the lemon zest and drizzle in a good lug of oil, then mix together.
5. Season the lamb with sea salt and black pepper, then drizzle with the marinade and rub all over the meat. Place on the hot bars of the oven above the tray.
6. Parboil the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water for 10 minutes, then drain and allow to steam dry. Gently toss the potatoes in the colander to scuff up the edges, then tip back into the pan.
7. Add the remaining rosemary sprigs and whole garlic cloves to the potatoes, season with salt and pepper, then drizzle over a good lug of oil. Tip the potatoes into the hot tray and place back under the lamb to catch all the lovely juices.
8. Cook the lamb for 1 hour 15 minutes if you want it pink, or 1 hour 30 minutes if you like it more well done.
9. Meanwhile, make the mint sauce. Pick and finely chop the mint leaves, then place in a small bowl. Mix in the sugar, a good pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon of hot water and the vinegar.
10. When the lamb is cooked to your liking, remove from the oven and leave to rest for 15 minutes or so. Carve and serve with the roast potatoes, mint sauce and some seasonal greens.

Tips

Try putting a few parsnips or carrots in with the roast potatoes.

--Jamie Oliver Recipe--