Harissa Lamb Tagine

A new and exciting discovery this year at the BBC Good Food Show, Summer, Birmingham. I am so excited to introduce you to, Taste Collectiv. The company is new to the foodie world and is run by two very friendly people, Mark Robinson and Victoria Monaghan. Their shared love and passion for travel and food brought them to this point, in creating bases and marinades that will transport you back to those nostalgic holiday memories. They have designed a range of five products: Pesto, Romesco, Piri-Piri, Chermoula and Harissa. All of the bases are made with fresh ingredients that have been thoughtfully and carefully selected. This feel good product is aimed to inspire you in the kitchen and transport you on a culinary journey. I am so delighted and fortunate to be working with such fantastic products. I have created a Tagine dish using the Harissa base, this recipe was inspired by my upbringing and personal travels.

Harissa Lamb Tagine

Serves 4
Prep time: 30 minutes plus overnight to marinate the meat
Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total time: 2 hours
Equipment: Tagine or a heavy based ovenproof pan

Ingredients:

• 1 Harissa base
• 450g diced lamb, marinated overnight in the Harissa base
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 20g unsalted butter
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 1 aubergine, largely diced
• 450ml good quality lamb or beef stock
• 200g stoned prunes
• 100g whole blanched almonds, toasted
• 1 pomegranate, seeds only
• Half bunch of coriander, roughly chopped

Serve with:

• Natural yoghurt
• Grilled flatbreads

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160 (fan assisted)
2. In a Tagine or heavy based pan heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil, add the meat and 2 tbsp of flour, cook until golden brown, remove and set aside
3. On a low heat melt 20g butter, add the sliced onions, slowly cooking them until soft and sticky
4. Turn up the heat, add the aubergine and return the meat to the pan
5. Deglaze the pan with the stock, ensuring to scrape away any golden flavoursome bits stuck to the bottom, bring to the boil
6. Place the dish in the oven, covered with a lid or foil, cook for 1 hour
7. After an hour check on the dish, giving it a stir and adding a drop of water if necessary
8. Add the prunes and cook for a further 30 minutes
9. After 1 hour 30 minutes, the lamb should be tender and the prunes plump
10. Serve in individual dishes or in a Tagine (if you do not mind sharing), scatter with the toasted almonds, pomegranate seeds and chopped coriander
11. Accompany the dish with natural yoghurt and toasted flatbreads. I would also recommend 'Chateau Cantillac' 2014, a light and refreshing red wine that cuts through the richness of the dish.

If I could sum up this dish in a few words it would be: 'Dark, deep and rich'. If you can get your hands on some of this well balanced, smoky and intense Harissa base, please do! Visit their website to make a purchase (link above) and have a go at this recipe. Once the dish is in the oven, you can put your feet up, enjoy some wine and good company- perfect for a dinner party! Also, keep your eyes peeled as next week I will be featuring a dish using the Chermoula base.

N.B. I was not paid to promote or feature the stated product, it is genuinely fantastic. 

Creamy Carbonara

How many of you made it down to the BBC Good Food Show Summer Edition, at the NEC Birmingham last week? If so, I hope you had a fantastic time, please share any photos, goodies or recipes you took/picked up. Simply do this by tagging @BBCGoodFoodShow @CookmanHelena and using the following #GFSSUMMER as we would love to reminisce with you.
On the Thursday I managed to take some time and down to the supertheatre, and had the pleasure and privilige to watch 'The Two Greedy Italians'. They were not only comical and fun to watch, but they somehow knocked out 4 stunning dishes within so little time. One of the dishes they created was 'Spaghetti Carbonara' and since then I have been craving this delicious but simple dish. So today when I was 'standing in the fridge', browsing and thinking what I should have for lunch, I realised that I pretty much had the ingredients to make 'Spaghetti Carbonara'. I managed to rustle up a quick, easy, creamy and oh so delightful carbonara. So here is my take on the recipe, not sure the Italians would be too happy with some of my ingredient choices but it hit the spot!

Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients- Serves 2

• 150g uncooked whole wheat pasta
• 150g smoked lardons
• 1 red onion- finely sliced
• 1 garlic clove- crushed
• 2 eggs
• Dried Italian mixed herbs
• Manchego cheese- grated
• Fresh basil leaves
• Bennett & Dunn rapeseed oil
• 8 or so basil leaves- torn
• Plenty cracked black pepper

I prefer to use whole wheat pasta over white refined pasta as it is a healthier alternative but it also has more flavour and bite to it. You can alternatively use pancetta or bacon etc. instead or lardons but personally I like the richness and flavour of smoked lardons. I am sure Italians will be turning in their graves as I am not using 'Parmigiano- Reggiano'. However,  'Manchego' worked really well with the dish as it is nutty and slightly sour, balancing out the fatty rich lardons. And finally, an Italian staple would be to use 'Extra Virgin Olive Oil' but I have been converted to rapeseed oil. I discovered Bennett & Dunn last week at the show and I was absolutely impressed with their product range- so do check them out. Note I did not use any additional salt other than in the cooking water, as I personally felt their was plenty from the lardons and cheese but feel free to season it more if you wish.

Method

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions. If you want your pasta to be 'al dente' deduct a couple of minutes. But if you are using whole wheat pasta this is not usually required.
2. In a frying pan start by cooking the lardons as this will release the fat, add the sliced onion and crushed garlic. Cook until the edges of the lardon crisp up and the onion is soft and succulent. 
3. Whisk up the eggs, season with the Italian herb mix and plenty cracked black pepper- set aside.
4. Once the pasta is cooked, drain but reserve a little of the cooking water as this will add to the creamy sauce. Drizzle over a little rapeseed oil so it does not stick together. 
5. Toss the pasta through the lardon, onion and garlic mix in the frying pan so it is evenly distributed.
6. Ensure the frying pan is not too hot, pour over the egg mixture and mix continuously so the eggs/sauce thickens but does not scramble.
7. Plate up and scatter over the 'Manchego' cheese, torn basil and a final sprinkle of cracked black pepper.

And there you have it, a simple but delicious creamy 'Spaghetti Carbonara', without the addition of any cream.

Adiamo mangiare!

debbie&andrew's: Competition!

WIN! An Al Fresco Sausage Supper Kit

to celebrate debbie&andrew’s at the BBC Good Food Show Summer

NEC Birmingham,  16/19^th June 2016

If you have not yet had the pleasure in tasting debbie&andrew's sausages here is your opportunity! The company are delighted to announce that they will be returning to this year's BBC Good Food Show Summer, at the NEC Birmingham. You will be able to smell them a mile away and as you approach the stand you will hear that sizzle. And what makes debbie&andrew's sausages even better is that they are gluten free, dairy free and wheat free!

So make sure you look out for them as they have a new range on offer: 

Sweet chilli sausage:  The latest new product from debbie &andrew's, this sausage bring a taste of the exotic to pep up the finest of British Pork. Look out for the spicy hint of heat delivered by chipotle chilli's and juicy red bell peppers, which are perfectly balanced by a drop of blossom honey and a sprinkiling of Demerara sugar. It all combines to make the juicy pork even more mouth-watering. Cook on the BBQ and serve it with a peppery salad and doorsteps of warm crusty bread!

Curried chicken and Mango: A total triumph at every tasting this recipe is the idea of a fan- and was selected over 2000 entries in the #MakeMySausage challenge. The curried Chicken and Mango is a carefully balanced mix of breast and thigh meat chosen to deliver the best texture and taste and made mouth-watering by a slight hint of spicy curry and cut through with sweet mango. Inspired by the theme of Coronation chicken and is sure to be the most popular choice for BBQ's, street or garden parties held by loyal subjects to celebrate the Queen's 90th. The recipe for a Royal Celebration Chutney from Supergoldenbakes blogger, Lucy Parissi is available on the blog and debbie&andrew's website.

Even if you can not get to the show, you do not have to miss out on the sizzle!

Simply enter the competition below to win 1 of 5 sizzling sausage supper kits, worth £25. This includes a recipe book with debbie&andrew's favourite sausage recipes, a cool bag and free sausage vouchers. To enter simply comment with the answer to the following question:

Which place provides the inspiration of debbie&andrew's 97% pork sausages?

a) Harrogate b) Harwich or c) Harlow ?

Terms and conditions apply: Entrants must be UK residents of 18 and over. The competition will run until midnight on the 19/06/2016. Winner will be announced on the 20/06/2016.

BBC Good Food Show Summer 2016

Press Release

BBC Good Food Show Summer, NEC Birmingham, 16 – 19 June 2016

Get ready for a warm welcome from the BBC Good Food Show Summer, sponsored by Lexus, this June.  The Show returns to the NEC Birmingham, promising to be one of the summer’s tastiest days out and a great way to spend a day with food loving friends. With many of the nation’s favourite chefs and celebs, a wide range of local and regional artisan producers and everyone’s favourite big name brands, there’s something for everyone.

Highlights in 2016 will include:

The Supertheatre

The Supertheatre will host a range of chefs and celebs including Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, The Hairy Bikers, Tom Kerridge, Michel Roux Jr, James Martin and more. A BBC Good Food Show first, Alan Titchmarsh joins Mary Berry in the Supertheatre on Friday for a home-grown extravaganza. Visitors can watch delicious demonstrations live and take home the recipes in an exclusive Showguide. Afterwards, they can get the latest cookbooks signed by their favourites at the Book Shop, sponsored by WH Smith.

BBC Good Food Stage

The BBC Good Food Show Summer are delighted to unveil the newest feature at the Show, the BBC Good Food Stage, sponsored by Lakeland. Hosted by Barney Desmazery and Cassie Best from the BBC Good Food cookery team, this stage features a combination of celebrity interviews and recipe demos. Visitors can hear from celebrity chefs and experts and discover their culinary secrets and top tips for summer food and get recipe ideas from live demonstrations.

Discover and Learn by Lexus

Discover and Learn by Lexus is an interactive feature at the BBC Good Food Show Summer consisting of three themed masterclasses which focus on different foodie areas; Cupcake decorating with Marcus Bean, Sushi Making with Yo Sushi and Taste Sensation with Flavour Sense Nation. Lexus will take guests on a journey of discovery with expert hosts, who will share their knowledge and expertise in 30-40 minute, step by step masterclasses, for all ages and abilities. Guest will leave with a repertoire of knowledge to share with friends or recreate at home. See website for booking details.

Producers’ Village

The Producers’ Village is a huge speciality food market at the heart of the show, packed with small artisan producers. Look out for BBC Good Food Champions and Bursary Award Winners who pride themselves in the quality and provenance of their produce.

Ludlow Producers Market

The Ludlow Producers Market section of the Show brings together a fantastic collection of producers from Ludlow and the Marches. With an emphasis on local, independent food and drink producers this is a great area to pick up some interesting products that visitors won't find in the supermarkets.

Chinese Pavilion

NEW for the 2016 Show, visitors can discover far eastern flavours in the Chinese Pavilion. Browse and shop from a selection of producers specialising in a variety of teas, wines and spirits.

BBC Good Food Kitchen

The BBC Good Kitchen is the perfect place to enjoy a relaxing lunch at the show where visitors can savour dishes inspired by bbcgoodfood.com seasonal recipes.

BBC Gardeners’ World Live

Tickets to the show include free entry to BBC Gardeners’ World Live which takes place alongside the food show. See gardening experts including Monty Don, Carol Klein, Joe Swift and Alan Titchmarsh live on stage sharing their expertise, unearth tips for growing fresh ingredients at home, get equipped for BBQ season or simply enjoy a picnic amongst the beautiful Show Gardens with tasty purchases from the shopping aisles.

ENDS

For more information, interviews and competitions please contact kj.sullivan@riverstreetevents.co.uk  or call 0203 405 4286.

Details correct at time of print.

Super tickets, including Supertheatre seat, from £24.50 (including free entry to BBC Gardeners’ World Live). Read more at www.bbcgoodfoodshowsummer.com

The BBC Good Food Shows are organised and presented by River Street Events Ltd

The GoodFood word mark and logo are trademarks of BBC Worldwide Limited. Copyright 2015 BBC Worldwide Limited

About BBC Worldwide Ltd. BBC Worldwide Limited is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). BBC Worldwide exists to support the BBC public service mission and to maximise profits on its behalf. It does this through investing in, commercialising and showcasing content from the BBC around the world, in a way that is consistent with BBC standards and values. The business also builds the reach and reputation of the BBC brand overseas and champions British creativity. 

Brian Turner's Mincemeat, Pear & Honey Tart

If you were at the BBC Good Food Show, Winter edition, you may have seen some celebrity chefs cooking up a storm on the Stoves Kitchen. The following recipe was demonstrated by Brian Turner. This simple yet effective recipe would be a show stopper for dessert this Christmas. The aromatic smells, juicy pears and crisp puff pastry work perfectly together. And the finishing touches of speckles of green from the pistachios and dusting of icing sugar make it look like a winter wonderland.

Please find the recipe and other delights on http://www.stoves.co.uk/conversation/recipes?page=2

Serves 6-8
Prep time 40 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
Temperature 180 fan















Ingredients

• 1lb/450g of puff pastry
• 4 pears, peeled and cored
• 150ml water
• 150g sugar
• Juice of half a lemon
• Cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• 6oz/180g mincemeat
• 2 tbsp runny honey
• 2tbsp chopped pistachio nuts
• 1 egg, whisked
• Icing sugar

Method

1. Peel and core the pears ready for poaching,
2. Place the water, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon stick and star anise in a pan- bring to the boil until the sugar has dissolved. Pop in the pears, cover with parchment paper/foil and poach for 10 minutes. Once cooked let cool,
3. Roll out your pastry so it is about 1/4 of a cm thick and 25cm in diameter. I used a tray as a template, ensuring that there was excess pastry to form the edge. Prick the centre with a fork,
4. Spread the mincemeat across the pastry. Half your pears, and place on top, making sure the 'stalk' end is facing the centre,
5. Brush the pears with honey and the pastry with the egg,
6. Bake for 20 minutes @180 fan
7. Once baked, sprinkle with chopped pistachios and dust with icing sugar.

Tips:

• Use any left over pastry and mince meat to make mini mince pies.
• Keep the poaching liquid from the pears. Use it as a base to making mulled wine or add into whipped cream to serve with the tart.

Press Release- BBC Good Food Show Winter 2015

The BBC Good Food Show Winter offers all the ingredients for a great day out

The flagship BBC Good Food Show, sponsored by Lexus, returns to the NEC next week on the 26-29 November to set visitors up for the perfect festive, foodie season. Visitors can enjoy live cookery demonstrations in the Supertheatre sponsored by Kenwood and learn top culinary tips from familiar faces Paul Hollywood, James Martin, The Hairy Bikers, Tom Kerridge, Mary Berry plus Michel Roux Jr. as he makes his debut at this year’s Winter show. 

The BBC Good Food Show Winter will also host a variety of demonstration stages, all with star-studded line-ups. Visitors will be inspired by a range of delicious winter wonders, learning great tips and techniques from some of the country’s finest. Don’t miss the themed Eat Well sessions from industry experts, including Lorraine Pascale and learn how to create top quality dishes in the Michelin Made Easy sessions from the likes of Theo Randall on the Winter Kitchen Stage, sponsored by AO.com. Visitors can head down to The Bakes & Cakes Stage, sponsored by Magimix, and learn direct from some of their favourite baking personalities, including Nancy Birtwhistle, as they make, bake and share their expert tips and techniques. In addition, the official appliance supplier to the BBC Good Food Shows, Stoves will also be hosting their own Stoves Live Cook Stage and Hotpoint's "Love Your Kitchen" live demos are a must-see if visitors want to catch their favourite chefs cooking up a storm on a range of Hotpoint ovens, hobs and small appliances.

For the first time at the Show, visitors can have their culinary queries answered by the chefs attending the Show, with a friendly grilling on the Interview Stage, sponsored by Lakeland, and share the secrets of their success. In addition, the Book Shop run by WHSmith features a large collection of the latest and popular cook books at great Show prices. Visitors can pop along and make a purchase, and take the opportunity to have it signed by the chefs themselves.

There is so much to taste at the BBC Good Food Show Winter this November. Visitors can stock up on the best of speciality produce in the Producers’ Village and a hand-picked selection of outstanding artisan producers in the BBC Good Food Champions area. Visitors should head to the Ludlow Producer Market within the Show for a fantastic collection of producers from Ludlow and the Marches. With an emphasis on local, independent food and drink producers this is a great area to pick up some interesting products with a local flavour. Visitors can also pop-by and show their support to Legges of Bromyard, the clear and well deserved winner of the coveted title of Midlands’ Best Deli or Farm Shop.

After all this shopping, visitors can make full use of The Shop & Drop supported by Guide Dogs for the Blind, where they can drop off their shopping for collection later, leaving them free to relax and enjoy the Show. Plus, for an extra special experience, visitors can head to the BBC Good Food Kitchen where they can dine on dishes inspired by recipes from bbcgoodfood.com.

The BBC Good Food Shows team has been searching the UK and Ireland to find the most outstanding artisan food and drink producers. The Producers’ Bursary Awards called for applications from small artisan producers with companies carefully shortlisted and all entries tasted at the BBC Good Food Test Kitchens by a team of experts. Visitors to the show will be able to meet, taste and buy from this year’s impressive winners, including mouth-watering selection of charcuterie from Sedgewicks Charcuterie.

If visitors are keen for a tipple during the day, there’s plenty to choose from. The Drinks Cabinet provides a variety of tipples and artisan spirits for the festive season. Plus, The Campaign for Real Ale will be back hosting their unmissable tutored beer tastings with industry experts. During the sessions, visitors will have the chance to explore new tastes, learn about the art of brewing and gain an insight into the diversity of British beer. In addition, visitors can join a 30-min Cocktails at Home Masterclass and learn how to make incredible tasting, party-starting festive drinks in just a few simple steps. Cocktail gurus Tom & Frankie will get visitors making delicious drinks using easy to access ingredients that they can re-create at home.

This year, The World Cheese Awards, the largest cheese competition on the planet, are returning to the BBC Good Food Show Winter. Visitors can watch the judging take place on the first day of the Show, or join one of the tutored tours across the weekend to sample and discover more about the world's best cheeses.

ENDS

For more information on interviews, competitions or features, please contact Katie-Jane Sullivan on 0203 405 4286 or email kj.sullivan@riverstreetevents.co.uk

Adult standard super tickets start at £24.75 for BBC Good Food Show Winter

The BBC Good Food Shows are organised and presented by River Street Events Ltd

The GoodFood word mark and logo are trademarks of BBC Worldwide Limited. Copyright 2015 BBC Worldwide Limited

About BBC Worldwide Ltd. BBC Worldwide Limited is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). BBC Worldwide exists to support the BBC public service mission and to maximise profits on its behalf. It does this through investing in, commercialising and showcasing content from the BBC around the world, in a way that is consistent with BBC standards and values. The business also builds the reach and reputation of the BBC brand overseas and champions British creativity.

In 2012/13, BBC Worldwide generated headline profits of £156m and headline sales of £1,116m and returned £156m to the BBC. For more detailed performance information please see our Annual Review website: http://www.bbcworldwide.com/annualreview

Banana Muffins

In my previous blog post I created a dish using ingredients from suppliers that will be featuring as this years BBC Good Food Show, Winter, Birmingham.
Here is a simple yet delicious banana muffin recipe using 'Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil' and 'Honey Munchy Seeds'. This recipe is great as it uses up any of those "unwanted" bananas, creating a healthy snack, great for a chilly Autumn afternoon.

Prep time 20 mins
Cooking time 20 mins
Makes 12

Ingredients

• 210g self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 225g caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 bananas- mashed up
• 100 ml Mellow Yellow Rapeseed oil
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Topping

• 12 tsp of Honey Munchy Seeds
• 1 tbsp of honey- melted

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius (fan),
2. Place all the dry ingredients in one bowl,
3. Mix the mashed banana, rapeseed oil, egg and vanilla essence in another bowl,
4. Combine the dry and wet ingredients together, 
5. Pour the mixture into a measuring jug and divide between the 12 muffin cases,
6. Sprinkle 1 tsp of 'Honey Munchy Seeds' on top of each, pushing them down gently with the back of the spoon,
7. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown and the mixture is cooked through,
8. Whilst hot, brush over the melted honey,
9. Enjoy warm with a cuppa!