This weekend I was on call for catering staff bookings, bar shifts and chef placements. We had 45 of our Catering team out at various locations across Bristol, North Somerset, Bath and the Cotswolds covering a Wedding, birthday meal and a local football game.
During the afternoon on Saturday I decided that I would put my hand to a bit of baking again. This time I decided to bake a Banana Tea bread. Perfect with a nice cup of Tea :)
Ingredients
175g Plain wholemeal flour
50g Medium oatmeal
100g Butter, softened
100g Dark muscovado sugar
2 tsp Baking powder
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
3-4 ripe bananas, about 350g peeled and mashed
100g Walnuts, roughly chopped
• Preheat the oven to 180°C/ Gas 4/ fan oven 160°C.
• Butter and line the base of a 1 kg loaf tin with baking paper.
• Put the wholemeal flour, oatmeal, butter, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and eggs into a large bowl and, using an electric hand whisk, beat together until evenly mixed.
• Stir in the bananas and walnuts, taking care not to over mix.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 1 ¼ hours or until a skewer inserted comes out clean (cover the cake with foil halfway through cooking to prevent the top from overbrowning).
• Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, and then carefully turn out, peel off the lining paper and cool completely on a wire rack.
Foot note: This bread was very easy to make and tasted absolutely divine. This is a definite winner.
Does the banana make this cake 1 of your 5 a day?
Monday, 28 February 2011
Monday, 21 February 2011
Whats in the cooking pot this week?
This week I decided to get my head into one of my Catering college recipe books. I spent 2 years studying to be a Chef and Hotel Manager and have found that this set me in good stead to run the restaurants and head up the kitchens that i have over the last 18 years.
So after looking through my cook book I decided to make a classic Leek and Potato soup. Nothing too taxing but perfect for this time of year.
Ingredients
400g Leeks (trimmed and washed)
25g Butter
750ml White stock
Bouquet garni
200g Potatoes
Salt
Pepper
• Cut the white and light green of leek into 1/2cm paysanne.
• Slowly cook in the butter in a pan with a lid on until soft, but without colouring.
• Add the stock, the bouquet garni, the potatoes cut into 1/2cm,
paysanne, 2 mm thick, season with salt and pepper.
• Simmer until the leeks and potatoes are cooked, approx. 15 min.
Paysanne: To cut into even, thin pieces, triangular, round or square.
Bouquet Garni: A foggot of herbs; Parsley, thyme and bay leaf usually tied inside pieces of leek and celery.
Foot Note: This soup was very warming and went perfect with a nice piece of focaccia bread.
If you are looking for a Chef, Catering Assistant or waiting staff then please contact us on 0117 904 1001.
So after looking through my cook book I decided to make a classic Leek and Potato soup. Nothing too taxing but perfect for this time of year.
Ingredients
400g Leeks (trimmed and washed)
25g Butter
750ml White stock
Bouquet garni
200g Potatoes
Salt
Pepper
• Cut the white and light green of leek into 1/2cm paysanne.
• Slowly cook in the butter in a pan with a lid on until soft, but without colouring.
• Add the stock, the bouquet garni, the potatoes cut into 1/2cm,
paysanne, 2 mm thick, season with salt and pepper.
• Simmer until the leeks and potatoes are cooked, approx. 15 min.
Paysanne: To cut into even, thin pieces, triangular, round or square.
Bouquet Garni: A foggot of herbs; Parsley, thyme and bay leaf usually tied inside pieces of leek and celery.
Foot Note: This soup was very warming and went perfect with a nice piece of focaccia bread.
If you are looking for a Chef, Catering Assistant or waiting staff then please contact us on 0117 904 1001.
Monday, 14 February 2011
Whats the Chef cooking this week?
This weeks recipe is a very much tried and tested Parmesan Chicken Breasts with Crispy Posh Ham. I have cooked this dish on a number of occasions in Bristol for my family and friends.
Being in the Catering recruitment business it is important that I keep myself in the chef industry. Having worked with various levels of catering staff in North Somerset and the Cotswolds I am always interested in seeing how different caterers prepare their food to high volume. So here is a great recipe that can be easily made for Wedding parties, Birthday celebrations or outside Catering events.
Ingredients
30g Parmesan cheese
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 skinless chicken breasts, preferably free-range or organic
freshly ground black pepper
I lemon
6 slices of prosciutto
olive oil
To prepare your chicken
• Grate your Parmesan
• Pick the thyme leaves off the stalks
• Carefully score the underside of the chicken breasts in a criss-cross fashion with a small knife
• Season with a little pepper (you don’t need: salt as the prosciutto is quite salty)
• Lay your breasts next to each other and sprinkle over most of the thyme leaves
• Grate a little lemon zest over them, then sprinkle with the Parmesan
• Lay 3 prosciutto slices on each chicken breast, overlapping them slightly
• Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining thyme leaves
• Put a square of cling film over each breast and give them a few really good bashes with the bottom of a pan until they're about I cm thick
To cook your chicken
• Put a frying pan over a medium heat
• Remove the cling film and carefully transfer the chicken breasts, prosciutto side down, into the pan
• Drizzle over some olive oil
• Cook for 3 minutes on each side. Turning halfway through, giving the ham side an extra 30 seconds to crisp up
To serve your chicken
• Either serve the chicken breasts whole or cut them into thick slices and pile them on a plate
• Serve with some lemon wedges for squeezing over, and a good drizzle of olive oil
• Lovely with mash and green veg or a crunchy salad!
Foot Note: I like to serve this with sweet potato mash and a mustard sauce. This is a really easy dish to make and it wows your friends making them think you have some really good catering skills.
Being in the Catering recruitment business it is important that I keep myself in the chef industry. Having worked with various levels of catering staff in North Somerset and the Cotswolds I am always interested in seeing how different caterers prepare their food to high volume. So here is a great recipe that can be easily made for Wedding parties, Birthday celebrations or outside Catering events.
Ingredients
30g Parmesan cheese
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 skinless chicken breasts, preferably free-range or organic
freshly ground black pepper
I lemon
6 slices of prosciutto
olive oil
To prepare your chicken
• Grate your Parmesan
• Pick the thyme leaves off the stalks
• Carefully score the underside of the chicken breasts in a criss-cross fashion with a small knife
• Season with a little pepper (you don’t need: salt as the prosciutto is quite salty)
• Lay your breasts next to each other and sprinkle over most of the thyme leaves
• Grate a little lemon zest over them, then sprinkle with the Parmesan
• Lay 3 prosciutto slices on each chicken breast, overlapping them slightly
• Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining thyme leaves
• Put a square of cling film over each breast and give them a few really good bashes with the bottom of a pan until they're about I cm thick
To cook your chicken
• Put a frying pan over a medium heat
• Remove the cling film and carefully transfer the chicken breasts, prosciutto side down, into the pan
• Drizzle over some olive oil
• Cook for 3 minutes on each side. Turning halfway through, giving the ham side an extra 30 seconds to crisp up
To serve your chicken
• Either serve the chicken breasts whole or cut them into thick slices and pile them on a plate
• Serve with some lemon wedges for squeezing over, and a good drizzle of olive oil
• Lovely with mash and green veg or a crunchy salad!
Foot Note: I like to serve this with sweet potato mash and a mustard sauce. This is a really easy dish to make and it wows your friends making them think you have some really good catering skills.
Monday, 7 February 2011
Chef Agency makes a new recipe
As a Catering recruitment agency it is important to have a good knowledge of Chef skills and Chef work. In Bristol I have worked as a Chef de Partie in a few different restaurants and in Bath I had the Sous Chef job in a Hotel.
With various Chef work and Chef Jobs in North Somerset and South Wales I am still keeping on with my new year Catering recruitment blog and have cooked a Minced Beef Wellington.
Ingredients
1 Medium Onion
1 Carrot
1 Stick of celery
1 Potato
2 Cloves of garlic
2 Large Portobello mushrooms
olive oil
4 Sprigs of fresh rosemary
A Big handful of frozen peas
1 large egg,
500g good-quality minced beef
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Plain flour, for dusting
500g Puff pastry, chilled
To prepare your mince
• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4
• Peel and chop the onion, carrot, celery and potato into I cm sized dice
• Finely grate the garlic
• Clean and roughly chop the mushrooms so they're about the same size as your other veg
• Place all the veg into a large frying pan on a medium low heat with 2 lugs of olive oil
• Pick the rosemary leaves off the woody stalks, finely chop them and add to the pan
• Fry and stir for around 8 minutes or until the veg soften and colour lightly
• Add the frozen peas and cook for another minute
• Put the vegetable mixture into a large bowl to cool completely (approx 20 mins)
• Crack the egg into a cup and beat it up
• Add the minced beef to the bowl with a good pinch of salt and pepper and half the beaten egg
• With clean hands, scrunch and mix up well
To roll and fill your pastry
• Lightly dust your clean work surface and rolling pin with flour and roll out the puff pastry so it is roughly the size and shape of a small tea towel
• Dust with flour as you go
• Turn your pastry so you have a long edge in front of you and place the mince mixture along this edge
• Mould it into an even, long, sausage shape
• Brush the edges of the pastry with a little of the beaten egg
• Roll the mince up in the pastry until it's covered completely
• Squeeze the ends together - it will look like a big Christmas cracker!
• Dust a baking tray with flour and place your Wellington on top
• Brush all over with the rest of the beaten egg
• Bake in the preheated oven for an hour until golden
To serve your Wellington
• Slice the Wellington up into portions at the table
• Lovely served with some lightly boiled or steamed greens, cabbage tossed in a little butter or mashed potato
Final Verdict: This dish went really well with steamed spinach with garlic. Next time I will add more vegetables to the recipe. I also think that this would taste good as a spicy meat wellington with chilli and kidney beans.
With various Chef work and Chef Jobs in North Somerset and South Wales I am still keeping on with my new year Catering recruitment blog and have cooked a Minced Beef Wellington.
Ingredients
1 Medium Onion
1 Carrot
1 Stick of celery
1 Potato
2 Cloves of garlic
2 Large Portobello mushrooms
olive oil
4 Sprigs of fresh rosemary
A Big handful of frozen peas
1 large egg,
500g good-quality minced beef
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Plain flour, for dusting
500g Puff pastry, chilled
To prepare your mince
• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4
• Peel and chop the onion, carrot, celery and potato into I cm sized dice
• Finely grate the garlic
• Clean and roughly chop the mushrooms so they're about the same size as your other veg
• Place all the veg into a large frying pan on a medium low heat with 2 lugs of olive oil
• Pick the rosemary leaves off the woody stalks, finely chop them and add to the pan
• Fry and stir for around 8 minutes or until the veg soften and colour lightly
• Add the frozen peas and cook for another minute
• Put the vegetable mixture into a large bowl to cool completely (approx 20 mins)
• Crack the egg into a cup and beat it up
• Add the minced beef to the bowl with a good pinch of salt and pepper and half the beaten egg
• With clean hands, scrunch and mix up well
To roll and fill your pastry
• Lightly dust your clean work surface and rolling pin with flour and roll out the puff pastry so it is roughly the size and shape of a small tea towel
• Dust with flour as you go
• Turn your pastry so you have a long edge in front of you and place the mince mixture along this edge
• Mould it into an even, long, sausage shape
• Brush the edges of the pastry with a little of the beaten egg
• Roll the mince up in the pastry until it's covered completely
• Squeeze the ends together - it will look like a big Christmas cracker!
• Dust a baking tray with flour and place your Wellington on top
• Brush all over with the rest of the beaten egg
• Bake in the preheated oven for an hour until golden
To serve your Wellington
• Slice the Wellington up into portions at the table
• Lovely served with some lightly boiled or steamed greens, cabbage tossed in a little butter or mashed potato
Final Verdict: This dish went really well with steamed spinach with garlic. Next time I will add more vegetables to the recipe. I also think that this would taste good as a spicy meat wellington with chilli and kidney beans.
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