RACHEL ALLEN
Home Cooking
Contents
Title Page
Introduction
Breakfast
Lunch
Sunday lunch
Suppers
Dessert
Snacks, treats and sweet
Boby purées
Basics
Index
Acknowledgements
Copyright
About the Publisher
Introduction
Home cooking is also about the joy of learning old skills and kitchen crafts such as making home-made sweets. Its about feeling proud as a parent when making by hand your childs very first foods. Its about the wonderful kitchen smells and sounds and flavours that you just cant get any other way.
In this book, youll not only find recipes for many occasions from breakfasts to dinners, youll also find trusted kitchen tips, such as home freezing, which not only saves time, but money too. Youll also find hints on menu planning and how to encourage healthy eating habits.
I hope you and your loved ones enjoy every meal together, that you eat well, that you take a moment to appreciate one anothers company around the table, and above all, have fun cooking at home!
Rachel X
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Breakfast Homemade yoghurt MAKES ABOUT 425ML (15FL OZ) · VEGETARIAN
Making your own yoghurt is very satisfying as well as being a good way to encourage children to eat it, as they can add their own flavours. It is crucial to use sugar-free yoghurt for the recipe to work. It is also important that the milk and yoghurt mixture stays in a warm, draught-free place like an airing cupboard or beside an Aga or radiator. Pouring into a flask will also help if you have one.Remember to keep 1 teaspoon of the yoghurt back to make the next batch!1 litre (1¾ pints) whole milk
25g (1oz) skimmed milk powder
1 tsp natural probiotic yoghurt
1 Pour the milk into a large, heavy-based or cast-iron saucepan on a gentle heat. As the milk is beginning to warm up, add the milk powder, stirring to dissolve. Heat the milk until it reads 90°C (194°F) on a cooking thermometer (if judging by eye, the milk will be sweet smelling and just coming to the boil steaming heavily and frothing around the edges).
2 Remove from the heat and leave to stand for about 15 minutes to cool until it reads 40°C (104°F) on the thermometer (or the milk has stopped steaming and feels just tepid when you dip your finger in and leave it there for a few seconds).
3 Stir in the yoghurt and cover with a double layer of foil. Wrap with a tea towel and leave in a warm place (or in a flask) until the mixture thickens, which will take 45 hours. Remove the towel, transfer to a bowl, cover and place in the fridge to cool overnight.
Variations
Apple and sweet geranium yoghurt:Raspberry yoghurt: Make a raspberry coulis (see page 337) and stir into or drizzle over the yoghurt to serve.
Orange curd yoghurt: Ripple a spoonful of orange curd (see page 336) through the yoghurt.
Natural yoghurt with fresh fruits: Serve the yoghurt with one of the fresh fruit salads on page 14.
Natural yoghurt with poached fruits: Serve the yoghurt with some poached fruits (dried or fresh, see pages 44 and 212) or chop them up and stir them into the yoghurt.
Porridge SERVES 2 · VEGETARIAN
My dad always used to make us eat porridge before going to school, and now I appreciate why. Oats are a great slow-release carbohydrate and so porridge makes a good, hearty breakfast. It can be slightly sinful, depending on what you serve it with, but if you choose healthy toppings its a lot more healthy and nutritious than many breakfast cereals.100g (3½oz) porridge oats
Pinch of salt (optional)
225ml (8fl oz) milk (optional)
1 Place the oats in a medium saucepan, add a pinch of salt (if you wish) and pour over 500ml (18fl oz) water, or a mixture of water and milk.
2 Cook on a lowmedium heat, stirring regularly, for 710 minutes or until the oats are tender and the porridge creamy and thick. (Feel free to add more liquid if you prefer a thinner consistency.)
3 Serve in warm bowls and make more interesting with one of the tasty additions suggested below.
Additions
* Add a dash of cream or milk, or drizzle over a little natural yoghurt.
* Try adding dried fruit such as raisins, sultanas, apricots or prunes before cooking the oats.
* Top your porridge with your favourite nuts or seeds for a crunchier texture.
* Try flavouring your porridge with added ground cinnamon, cardamom or nutmeg, either during or after cooking.
* For a serious weekend brunch for grown-ups, you could even go so far as to add a splash of whiskey and cream over your porridge now that is pure indulgence.
Rachels tip
Crunchy granola MAKES ABOUT 1.5KG (3LB 5OZ) · VEGETARIAN
A bowl of granola, bursting with different textures and flavours, is a fantastic way to start the day. Serve it either with milk or natural yoghurt and feel free to mix and match the ingredients; you could use rye or barley flakes instead of some of the oat flakes, for instance, or add chocolate chips or dried cranberries. Whatever takes your fancy.125g (4½oz) butter
150ml (5fl oz) honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
500g (1lb 2oz) rolled oats
50g (2oz) pecan nuts, roughly chopped
150g (5oz) hazelnuts, roughly chopped