Christmas Cake Icelandic Recipe

This is a very simple Christmas cake recipe that I had the pleasure to learn from a friend from Iceland...

If you are searching for something simple to prepare, check this out...

Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon cardamom flavored extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 175 C. Grease one 11 inch loaf pan. Cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at time beating well after each one. Pour milk, lemon and cardamom flavorings and keep stirring.

Stir in the flour and the baking powder. Sift a little flour over the raisins then stir them into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Put in the heated oven for 55 to 60 minutes.

Spaghetti Bolognese, recipe

Spag Bog

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
6 rashers of bacon, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1kg/2¼lb lean minced beef steak
3 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
12 to 20 medium mushrooms, sliced
1 x large green pepper, chopped
2 x teaspoon of mixed dried Italian herbs (Basil Tyme & Origano) or chopped fresh!
800g-1kg/1¾-2¼lb dried spaghetti
lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese, to serve
Method

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan and fry the bacon until golden over a medium heat along with the mice.
2. Fry the onions and garlic, frying until softened.
3. Increase the heat and add the minced beef. Fry it until it has browned, breaking down any chunks of meat with a wooden spoon.
4. Reduce the temperature and stir in the tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, Italian herbs Cover with a lid and simmer the Bolognese sauce over a gentle heat for 1-1½ hours until it's rich and thickened, stirring occasionally. At the end of the cooking time, stir in some fresh basil and add any extra seasoning if necessary.
5. Remove from the heat to 'settle' while you cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water (for the time stated on the packet). Drain and divide between warmed plates. Scatter a little parmesan over the spaghetti before adding a good ladleful of the Bolognese sauce, finishing with a scattering of more cheese and a twist of black pepper.

Grilled lamb chops with chilli, bean and tomato Ragur

Grilled lamb chops with chilli, bean and tomato Ragu

Serves 4

Preparation time less than 30 mins

Cooking time 10 to 30 mins
Quick Recipe
Add to recipe binder


Ingredients
For the lamb chops
 dash olive oil
 8 lamb chops or lamb rump steaks
 salt and freshly ground black pepper
 For the chilli, bean and tomato ragù
 1 tbsp olive oil
 1 onion, finely chopped
 300g baby plum tomatoes, chopped
 Basil Leaves, torn
 1 garlic clove, chopped
 1 green chilli, finely chopped
 Spinach
 250g French beans, ideally Warwick beans , cooked
 salt and freshly ground black pepper
 fresh parsley, to garnish

Method

1. For the chops, heat the olive oil in a frying pan, season the lamb chops with salt and freshly ground black pepper and fry for 2-3 minutes on both sides (for medium), or until cooked to your liking. Remove from the pan and leave to rest for five minutes.

2. For the ragù, heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the onion for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add the tomatoes, basil leaves, garlic, chilli and spinach and fry for 4-5 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the beans and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook for a further minute to warm through.

3. To serve, spoon the ragù onto a serving plate, top with the lamb chops and garnish with the parsley.

Pasta Tomato and basil with Gammon

Ingredients
For the sauce

3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 slices of gammon or 4 slices streaky bacon, rind removed, chopped
500g/1lb 2oz ripe cherry tomatoes, cut in half
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pasta

2 litres/3½pints boiling water
250g/9oz taglatelli pasta
20g/3/4 oz parmesan cheese, finely grated, to serve



Method
1. For the sauce, heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and cook over a medium heat for about 2-3 minutes, until softened.

2. Add the bacon to the pan and fry gently until lightly golden-brown, about ten minutes. Or cook gammon separately and cover with sauce at the end.

3. Add the tomatoes to the pan and stir well.

4. Reduce the heat and simmer until the tomatoes begin to break down, about five minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper, but take care with the salt as the bacon is salty.
5. For the pasta, place into a saucepan of boiling water and add the pasta.

6. Boil for 8-10 minutes, or according to packet instructions, until al dente (the pasta should give some resistance when bitten into). Drain, then add to the pan with the sauce and mix well.

7. Serve with the bruschetta with mozzarella.

Morrocan Lamb in the slow cooker

AMOUNT MEASURE INGREDIENT

2 Shoulders or Blades Lamb
2/3 Large Onions Sliced
4 Table Spoons Olive Oil
3 Cloves Garlic – Crushed or Finely Chopped
½ Stick Cinnamon
2” Ginger (Fresh) Grated or Finely Chopped
1 Tea Spoon Cumin Seeds Crushed
1 Fresh Orange (Wash skin and grate- squeeze juice)
1 Cup/1/3rd pint White wine
1 Glass Brandy
1 Mug Sultanas
250 Grams Dried Apricots (or ready to eat type not tinned)
12 Prunes (de-stoned) Cut in half
? Almonds (Blanched and Toasted)




METHOD


Sultanas, Apricots and Prunes - Place in a bowl and add white wine and brandy.
Onions - Slice and gently fry in olive oil until soft, but only slightly brown. Then place in Slow Cooker
Lamb - Cut in to reasonably large chunks. Place in slow cooker.
Garlic & Ginger - Add to the slow cooker
Cumin and Cinnamon - Add to the slow cooker
Orange peel grated & Juice - Add to the slow cooker
Sultanas, Apricots and Prunes - Add to the slow cooker

Mix the ingredients in the slow cooker together thoroughly.

Add more White Wine, being careful not to have the liquid level no more than 2/3rds height of the level of the ingredients. Slow cooking will create it’s own liquid you can always add more later should it look to be too low.

MIX TOGETHER AND PLACE IN THE FRIDGE OVERNIGHT

Cook on Auto and leave for at least six hours.

Beef stroganoff with matchstick potatoes

Serves 4 Quick Recipe

fillet of beef
Preparation time less than 30 mins
Cooking time 10 to 30 mins
Ingredients

675g/1½ lb beef fillet, preferably cut from the tail end
65g/2½oz unsalted butter
1½ tbsp paprika (hot Hungarian, if you like a little subtle heat)
1 large onion, very thinly sliced
350g/12oz button mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 tbsp sunflower oil
300ml/10fl oz soured cream
2 tsp lemon juice
small handful of parsley leaves, finely chopped
salt
freshly ground black pepper
For the matchstick potatoes
450g/1lb floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper, peeled
sunflower oil, for deep-frying

Method

1. Cut the steak into slices 1cm/0.5in thick, then cut each slice across the grain into strips 1cm/0.5in wide.
2. For the matchstick potatoes, cut the potatoes by hand into short sticks 3mm/0.2in thick or use a mandolin. Set aside in a bowl of cold water.
3. Heat the sunflower oil for deep-frying, either in a large pan or in a deep-fat fryer, to 190C/375F.
4. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large frying pan, add the paprika and onion and cook slowly until the onion is soft and sweet, but not browned.
5. Add the mushrooms and fry gently for three minutes. Transfer the mixture to a plate and keep warm.
6. Drain the matchstick potatoes and dry thoroughly in a clean tea towel or a salad spinner.
7. Plunge the potatoes into the hot oil and fry for three minutes, until crisp and golden. Drain briefly on kitchen paper and keep hot in a low oven.
8. Using the same pan you cooked the onion mixture in, heat one and a half tablespoons of sunflower oil until very hot.
9. Add half the fillet steak and fry quickly, seasoning and turning it as you do so, for just over one minute. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the rest of the oil and steak.
10. Return the onion mixture to the pan and pour in the soured cream. Bring to the boil and simmer for a minute or so, until thickened.
11. Return the steak to the pan and heat very gently for one minute - the beef should not be cooked any further.
12. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley and serve with the matchstick potatoes.