Spring Recipes

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doodles
Posts: 8300
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:19 pm

Spring Recipes

Post by doodles »

As you may have gathered that after the 11+ my favourite topic is cooking!! :lol:

Does anybody have any nice Spring recipes? Coming out of casserole season and fancy some fresh flavours again. Has anybody tried making hot cross buns or a simnel cake at all?

Anybody got anything nice to share?
Amber
Posts: 8058
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: Spring Recipes

Post by Amber »

I am only replying because it is horrid when no one does - this might not be what you wanted :oops: .
I do have lots of recipes but am not really one for writing them out - I always adapt them and make my own up and they're not always transferrable. But here is my tip..cook outside. My DS2 built me a little structure out of bricks the weekend before last. I don't mean a barbecue - we put wood on it. It is on the patio so I can just put stuff from the kitchen on without tramping off down the garden- we have stuck a wire rack on the top and a metal ash catcher underneath.. The kids make the fire and call me when the embers are ready and we cook out there - you don't have to eat outside if it's too cold but fish is so much better (trout, salmon etc, marinaded a bit first in whatever takes your fancy, we like lime and coriander and maybe fresh ginger); and steak cooks really nicely too, as do things like sliced aubergines and courgettes. We also stuff garlic into lamb and cook that in a fire (as in, a rather bigger fire, down the garden, and you need to double wrap it in foil and stick it deep into hot embers). The children love bananas with slices of cooking chocolate stuffed in them done like that too - you don't need long and they are nice with ice cream. And of course marshmallows toasted. In summer we cook outside almost all the time and it doesn't just have to be hot dogs (but if they are, make sure you do loads as you end up with extra children over and they eat more than you think in the end) ! It is sociable and we often sit out just looking at the stars as we gather round the hot remains of the fire...the bonus is that children often talk to you, as in really talk, when there is dark and no time pressure.
Pixie
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2010 6:04 pm

Re: Spring Recipes

Post by Pixie »

I've made Marry Berry's simnel cake (I bought Mary Berry's Baking Bible for the children to give me for Mother's Day!). It turned out really well, although next time I won't bother with the marzipan on top of the cake as I think the layer in the middle is enough. Have since found that the recipe is widely available on the iternet:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/wo ... mnel-cake/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Have also bought a supermarket's own simnel cake this year, but my home cooked one was much nicer :)
doodles
Posts: 8300
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:19 pm

Re: Spring Recipes

Post by doodles »

Hi Pixie, I've downloaded it and added the ingredients to the shopping list, thanks, I like Mary Berry recipes so I'll definately be giving it a go.

Amber, I like the idea of outside cooking and you've given me an idea. A couple of year's ago DH bought me a BBQ thingy for my birthday - not as bad as it sounds, we got it at Chelsea Flower Show (probably paid far too much for it) and it is a firepit with a metal grill that you can swing over the top and cook on. I am going to go into the shed this afternoon and drag it into action straight away. We only tend to BBQ in the high summer, but I think that we will start earlier this year. I've got some nice pork chops in the freezer so I'm going to marinate them in orange and honey and start cooking outside tomorrow.
Just1-2go
Posts: 523
Joined: Wed Apr 01, 2009 4:43 pm
Location: Twells

Re: Spring Recipes

Post by Just1-2go »

If you plan on barbequeing, Jamie Olivers barbeque sauce on a butterflied leg of lamb is great, you start it off in the oven then finish off outside. It is in Jamie at Home but I think you may be able to track it down on the internet too - maybe channel 4 website.
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