Food

Pretzel Pumpkins

01/11/2014 by MrsSavageAngel Leave a Comment

Whether you subscribe to the traditions or even agree with it, Halloween in it’s current form is big business . Some years I join in, others I don’t. What can I say, I have a take it or leave it attitude towards dressing up and the boy is really too young to get involved. However, this year I have found myself feeling a little bit of Halloween love, partly because I was invited to several Halloween parties and partly thanks to the time vortex that is Pinterest! While this isn’t a post about Halloween as a festival or any of the other issues surrounding it (is it too commercial?, are we feeding our children too much sugar?, is trick or treating safe? etc, all of which are valid questions and should be answered by more learned folk than me!), it is about something I’ve made to give to friends this Halloween.

pumpkin

You may have seen my pictures on Instagram or Facebook of the Pretzel Pumpkins I made for the children’s party yesterday. I originally found them, via Pinterest, on a blog called Butter with a Side of Bread and couldn’t get over how cute and easy they looked. The hollows in the pretzels resemble the face of a pumpkin when covered in chocolate and despite never really going for anything quite so cutesy, this year I just couldn’t help myself! No they are not Slimming World friendly (I couldn’t even hazard a guess at how many syns one would be) but they went down a storm, with both the ladies and the children yesterday, so I’ve made some more for today’s party. And as so many people have asked me how I made them, I thought I’d write it up. You wont believe how easy they are.

Ingredients. 300g of white chocolate, 1 tbsp of shortening, Pretzels, orange food colouring and green M&Ms.

Break the white chocolate up and melt. I always melt chocolate in the microwave, but go slowly. This much only took 1 min and 10 secs. I’d start with 30 seconds, stir then blast again for another 30 seconds, stirring well each time.

The shortening is to make the chocolate thick enough to coat, but thin enough to show the hollows of the pretzels (the face of the pumpkin). Melt it with the chocolate.

I used about a teaspoon of this super concentrated Wilton colour, but you may need more or less depending on the type and brand you use. I think pastes would be better for this strong colour.

I go slowly with the colour, adding a drop at a time, then stirring really well before adding more. Keep going until the colour is as bright as you want, but remember you can always add more, you can’t take it away! I used my glass jug as it doesn’t take on any colour.

Separate out the green M&Ms. This many came from two large bags. Which does now mean I have lots of M&Ms left over. Not that Ben seems to mind! Someone suggested using green Smarties. Personally I think they’d be too big, but go for it if you’d rather.

Then getting dipping. As messy as it may look I found using good old (clean) fingers was the best and neatest way to do this. Lay the wet pretzel on a baking sheet covered in greaseproof paper and gently push an M&M into the crook at the top while the chocolate is still wet.

Now you could let them harden in a cool room, but as I have no particularly cold areas of my house and a curious toddler flying around, I felt it safer all round to put them in the fridge. Yes the chocolate sets too quickly and you loose that shine, but really, it was that or a wet chocolate pretzel covered toddler. And any way I don’t mind the matte look.

IMG_8297 (2) — And there you go. Peel them off the paper when set and enjoy. Even those who were dubious about the coloured white chocolate loved them.

I loved making them so much. I noticed the pretzel shape is also one of a heart. I think I may have a crack at making red ones for Valentines Day, although as you wont need to the see the hollows I might leave the shortening out.

Happy Halloween folks!

Easy fish for a child who wont eat fish fingers

23/08/2014 by MrsSavageAngel Leave a Comment

I eat a lot of fish. Partly cos it’s healthy and free on Extra Easy and partly cos it’s delicious and so damn versatile. With stirfrys, with chips (my lazy girl syn free chips of course 😉 ) or in stews, me and fish go back a long way. Probably one of the reasons Oscar likes it so much too. However, although Oscar loves all the fish I’ve ever given him, he just doesn’t like the childhood staple of fish fingers. I think it’s more to do with the breadcrumbs (not a favourite coating of anything for the boy) which means the fish he eats is, well, just fish. Until recently though I’ve always been a bit intimidated by fish. Preparing it, cooking it, I was never sure I was doing it right. It also struck me as a time consuming ingredient, one that need loads of time to prepare. But I’m here to tell you I can prep fish and cook it, from frozen, with the same effort it takes to remove fish fingers from the box and in the same time it takes potato waffles to cook (yeah he has grown up tastes in some respects but he’ll bite your arm off for a potato waffle).

This method could just as easily be used for adults, using bigger portions and more exciting ingredients, but this is how I make fish for a child who wont eat fish fingers.

Start by buying fillets of fresh fish. I choose whatever’s on offer. Favourites so far have included cod, haddock, pollack & salmon. Each portion only needs to be small, so buying big pieces and chopping them up always works out better value. Skin on or skin off it doesn’t matter (after cooking you’ll probably wants to remove the skin for a toddler, although this is hardly time consuming). The only thing is it needs to be bone free. You also need foil.

10424257_10153283607635616_8215247965042340881_n — Start with a rectangle of foil, folded in half, so the shiny side is front and back

Spray one side with FryLight. I use FryLight cos that's what I have in the house but you could also use oil — Spray one side with FryLight. I use FryLight cos that’s what I have in the house but you could also use oil

Add the pieces of fish and season. I use a tiny amount of salt, pepper and a sprtiz of lemon (bottle lemon juice works just as well).Other favourites have included soy sauce and lime juice, particularly with salmon — Add the pieces of fish and season. I use a tiny amount of salt, pepper and a sprtiz of lemon (bottle lemon juice works just as well). Other favourites have included soy sauce and lime juice, particularly with salmon

Fold the foil in two and seal the top by folding it over twice — Fold the foil in two, over the fish, and seal the top by folding it over twice

Fold in the sides twice. This will give you a watertight parcel for the fish to steam in

Do this as many times as you have portions of fresh fish and place in the freezer. Yes these beauties can be cooked from frozen! — Do this as many times as you have portions of fresh fish and place in the freezer. Yep that’s right these beauties can be cooked from **frozen**!

I usually cook mine on a baking tray at gas mark 6/200c for about 25 mins, but your oven may vary. While it's cooking it puffs up to look like a pillow - pretty! — When you need it take it out of the freezer and chuck it on a baking sheet. I usually cook mine at gas mark 6/200c for about 25 mins, but your oven may vary. While it’s cooking it puffs up to look like a pillow – pretty!

To check if it's done you can open one end and see. If not just fold it back up and return to the oven. Careful though - the steam is hot! — To check if it’s done you can open one end and see. If not just fold it back up and return to the oven. Careful though – the steam is hot!

And serve with whatever your child loves best. This evening's offering was flaked up and served with rostis and peas. Last week the salmon was mixed with pasta. Winner! — And serve with whatever your child loves best. This evening’s offering was flaked up and served with rostis and peas. Last week it was salmon mixed with pasta. Winner!

There you go. An easy way to cook and serve ‘real’ fish any day of the week.

Give it a go and enjoy

A lazy girl’s guide to Syn Free Chips

08/08/2014 by MrsSavageAngel Leave a Comment

Chips. You know I love ’em. With most things really. Fish (well I am British), steak, eggs, on their own. There’s just something about a chip. It’s the white shirt of the food world, dressed up to the nines one day and comfy casual the next. Trouble is chips are traditionally made by frying in large amounts of oil. Even oven chips have an oily coating to help them crisp up. Not great when you want to eat more healthily, as I do.

Slimming World rave about their syn free method of making chips from scratch, they’re quite rightly proud that they have found a way to make chips available to those who want to eat food that is better for them. Trouble is, it doesn’t matter which SW recipe I follow for Syn Free Chips, I have never been able to produce a chip I actually want to eat. So after some research on the internet, I have devised my own way of cooking them. And I bloody love them.

To start with, I forgo the par boiling of potatoes, as I found it to be fussy and wide open for error (although if you can do it, and get good results, then more power to you!). Here is the method I use – I urge you to give it a go!

This much potato will make enough for four, or two hungry gannets like me and my hubby

Pop the potatoes in the microwave, whole, for about 6-7 minutes. You want them just underdone.

When they come out and you can handle them (although I'm too impatient to wait) slice them thickly and cut into chips — When they come out of the microwave and you can handle them (although I’m too impatient to wait long!) slice them thickly and cut into chips. You can do this ahead of cooking if you need to.

Put chips on a baking tray spayed with FryLight. Don't worry if they wont quite all fit in one layer, they shrink while cooking. Spay with Frylight and add whatever seasonings you like. I most often use sea salt and pepper, but another favourite is garlic salt. — Put chips on a baking tray sprayed with FryLight. Don’t worry if they wont quite all fit in one layer, they shrink while cooking. Spray the chips with more FryLight and add whatever seasonings you like. I most often use sea salt and pepper, but another favourite is garlic salt.

Put high up in a very hot oven (I use Gas Mark 9). Shake once or twice during cooking.

Cooking times will vary depending on your oven, but I usually find they take around 45 minutes. Ish.

And there you go. No pans, no mess. Easy Peasy and they go with so much. Tonights effort was paired with gammon, poached egg, salad cucumber and mushrooms. — They go with so much. Tonight’s effort was paired with gammon, poached egg, salad leaves, cucumber and mushrooms. All Syn free.

And there you go. No pans, no mess and minimal effort.

Give them a go – I hope you enjoy!