Flavours of Together Challenge

Mexican Street Food inspired Sweetcorn fritters

I love challenges like this one to do with food, flavours and fun memories. Schwartz (and their parent company McCormick) are celebrating a 125th anniversary. As part of the celebrations they are encouraging people to share their 'flavour stories' you can do this either on their website here  or on their facebook page.

So far over 65,000 flavour of together stories have been shared. They would love you to pop along and add yours as they are making a donation to the charity Focus on Food for every flavour story shared.

It got me thinking about my own flavour memories and it seems I have a few flavour stories to tell... I had a giggle thinking about the time D told head chef at the Kent Cook Off finals that his favourite herb was...CHOCOLATE! He was just 6 years old at the time, but he actually adores using herbs and spices in his cooking and often uses things like basil, oregano, thyme and parsley so it was so funny that he picks out chocolate as a 'herb' and also as his favourite to use in cooking.

Seeing 'Modern Masala' as one of the trends in the Schwartz 2014 flavour forecast reminded me of one of our friends who called naan bread 'banana' bread. So whenever we asked him what he had for school dinner, he would tell us 'curry and banana bread'. That also gave us a giggle.

Another trend in the 2014 forecast is 'Mexican World Tour' and with sweetcorn being popular in Mexican cuisine (and sweetcorn being what popcorn is made from), it reminded me of my son who told daddy 'I've got popcorn' when he had chicken pox at 2 years old. Not quite sure why he got muddled with popcorn and chicken pox but it was very cute.

And it is Mexican food that inspired my recipe today. I wanted to make something quick, tasty and inspired by combining two trends that are taking the food world by storm; The 'Mexican World Tour' forecast combined with a street food style which is gaining in popularity all around the world. So we have invented our own recipe and it uses the flavour of the 'Schwartz Mexican Fajitas Flavour Shots' to give the flavour and aroma that will transport your mind and memories to the streets of Mexico.

The beauty of this recipe is that it is a really cost effective meal, uses primarily store cupboard ingredients, and is so quick to cook so can be rustled up quickly as a mid-week meal for a hungry family after a long day.

Mexican Street Food Inspired Sweetcorn Fritters

Ingredients: (makes enough for a large family) 
200g plain flour
150ml milk
Schwartz Mexican Fajitas Flavour shot
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
400g (approx) sweetcorn (either tinned or cooked from frozen)
1 small tin of Spam (or you can use hot dogs, ham, bacon, leftover sausages or even a tin of tuna)
One third of each of a red pepper, yellow pepper and green pepper
Corn tortillas
Salad to serve (optional)
A tiny bit of rapeseed oil or fry-light spray (for cooking the tortilla)

Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 200C. Lightly spray a corn tortilla with fry-light oil and cook on a baking tray in the oven for 6 minutes until crisp and golden. (For the kids portions we also cut some up into triangles, sprayed with oil and cook for 5-6 minutes).

2. In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, eggs and milk. Add in one tablespoon of the Schwartz Mexican Fajita flavour shots to make your fritters really flavoursome.

3. Add in chopped spam (or ham or whatever you are using). Spam tends to get a bad press but actually has a high meat content and used in a meal with lots of flavours added can taste fantastic as it acts as a blank canvass and takes on those flavours really well.

4. Add in the sweetcorn and peppers and mix it all together.

5. In a frying pan add in a couple of tablespoons of the Schwartz flavour shots. Heat up and then add in a spoonful of your mixture to make a fritter. Cook each one for just a minute or two on each side and then it is ready. The fritters will take on the tasty Mexican flavours as they cook.

6. Serve on top of your crispy corn tortilla, and with some salad to add some vibrant colours.

Here we have added some green lettuce, grated carrot, tomatoes and cress.

We made big fritters for the grown-ups and mini-ones for the kids so they could eat them as finger food in true 'street food' style.

Mini fritters as finger food for the kids

And they loved it!

 

“This post is an entry into the Foodies100/Schwartz Flavour of Together challenge.”  You can find out more about it here. 

Kids in the kitchen - Cauliflower and broccoli cheese

One of the things I've learnt since my seven year old son took an interest in all things food related all those years ago (he's been helping in the kitchen since he was only 2 or 3 years old), is that kids cookery shouldn't just be restricted to cookies and cakes.

To really help set them up for life with an interest in food and a knowledge of healthy eating, it is important to get them involved in all sorts of cooking. So we've been consciously getting Miss T helping with cooking both sweet treats and also savoury meals.

Today we made cauliflower and broccoli cheese, adapting the recipe as we went along and making sure there were plenty of mini tasks for Miss T to help with.

Another thing I have learnt over the years is that kids don't need to be able to help with every stage in a recipe - as long as they can help with some things, they can still get a lot out of it. So with this in mind, Miss T was able to help with various tasks. 

First up she prepared the cauliflower by picking off the leaves. I love her little tongue sticking out in concentration. 

She was also able to help chop some pieces of cheese to go in the cheese sauce. We used a plastic picnic knife for this to keep things safe.

Miss T tore up some bread which I then blitzed with the chopper to make some breadcrumbs. 

Measuring the flour and oil were also activities that she was able to help with. 

Here's the recipe if you fancy making it yourself. We often have a 'softer' cauliflower cheese without any topping over it but this time wanted to try adding a bit of 'crunch' so we topped it with breadcrumbs, some grated hard cheese (we used Galbani Paesano Grattugiato which is like a grated parmesan), flaked almonds and sunflower seeds. 

Ingredients:

One cauliflower (broken into florets)

One broccoli crown (broken into florets)

50ml rapeseed oil

100g plain flour

900 ml milk

100g cheese (grated or chopped into small pieces)

Black pepper

1 tsp English mustard

For the 'crunchy' topping (optional):

3 slices of bread blitzed into breadcrumbs

A small handful of flaked almonds

A small handful of sunflower seeds

A little grated cheese 

A sprinkle of hard grated cheese (either Parmesan or similar as already described earlier in this blogpost)

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190 C

2. Boil or steam the cauliflower and broccoli florets (for around 5-10 minutes)

3. Whilst the broccoli and cauliflower are being steamed, prepare the cheese sauce as follows. Heat the rapeseed oil in a large saucepan on the hob. Add the flour and mix. Add the mustard. 

4. Now slowly add the milk little by little stirring continuously. You may need to stop adding the milk while you stir out any lumps. Keep the hob on a low setting. 

5. Once all the milk has been added, it should start to thicken. Keep stirring. Add in the grated/chopped cheese. 

6. Add some black pepper. 

7. Strain the broccoli and cauliflower and place into a large ovenproof dish. Pour over the cheese sauce. 

8. If you are adding the crunchy topping, put all the ingredients for it over the top. Otherwise you might want to just sprinkle a little extra grated cheese.

9. Pop into the oven (190 C) for around 30 minutes. 

Using rapeseed oil instead of butter which is often used in cheese sauce helps reduce the saturated fat content. We think it works out at around only one sixth of the saturated fat by using rapeseed oil so it is a really healthy swap to do. 

I've been doing this swap in quite a few recipes lately and although I haven't quite worked out the exact ratio for swapping butter for rapeseed oil, it seems to work out like this; for 100g butter in a recipe, I would use 50ml rapeseed oil instead and that seems to work as a rough guide. 

If anyone has a more accurate guide to it, I'd love to hear. 

Linking up with Raisie Bay's fantastic Kids in the Kitchen linky:

Outdoors for Big Bubbles - Miss T at 23 months

We've really been cooped up indoors a lot over the past week. Each of us being unwell in turn has meant that we've hardly gone out at all. Yet with the bright glorious sunshine we had the other day it seemed a crime to stay inside, so we wrapped up and went in the garden.

We've avoided the garden all winter as we lost fence panels in the October storms which haven't been fixed yet and it doesn't feel safe out there with all the broken bits of fence with nails sticking out of it. So I tried to drag them a little out the way and we stood in a tiny corner of the garden to do bubbles.

This photo was taken 'through' a big bubble - you can see some of our fence damage too

First we started with regular sized bubbles. Using a bubble 'pipe' helped Miss T learn to blow the bubbles.

Then I got our giant bubble wand out. We used to make our own giant bubbles with a contraption I had made using sticks and string and bubble mixture with glycerin added to it but it was always a bit 'hit and miss' whether it would work. But a bubble wand from Bubble Inc works brilliantly so we invested in one after a friend recommended it.

We also remembered our friend's advice which was that "foam is the enemy of bubbles" - so when the mixture started to look too foamy, we decided it was time to head back indoors.

We got some temporary tattoos out and Miss T chose a Moshi one of Big Bad Bill and some LEGO ones too for the other arm. She adores Moshi Monsters and especially Poppet and can even do the Moshi Village app on the iPad pretty much by herself.

She is now 23 months old. Here are some other things she loves to say and do:

On 3rd March she said 'I love you' for the first time!

She is starting to string a few words together to get her meaning across like 'mummy do it', 'draw cat', 'mummy job' or 'daddy up' (meaning she wants daddy to get her out of her cot in the mornings and gets cross if mummy does. She really is a daddy's girl!)

She can be quite bossy and will tell us 'sit' 'play' 'tuddle' (cuddle) to demand these things when she wants. She also initiates games with herself, her toys and her brothers. They play a chasing game together called 'catch the robber' where she runs away and squeals whilst they chase after her to catch her.

She's still enjoying helping with cooking, loves to draw and is enjoying getting to a few more toddler groups these days. Now the boys are back at school we get to do some special things geared towards her.

I'm hoping to link up with some linkys this week - am a bit behind with blogging - but if I get the linky badges in, it might just remind me to link up:

Linking up with Coombe Mill's country kids (for the first time ever and so long overdue as I always see so many lovely Country Kids posts and think to myself that we really must join in):


And also linking up with Savouring the season:

A Mothers Day gift from Hotel Chocolat

I was so excited to have been nominated by the lovely Rachael Jess to receive a Mothers Day treat from Hotel Chocolat. I was blown away by the kind words she had written on her blog. Thank you so much Rachael!

We love reading Rachael's blog as she has some amazing creative ideas. We adore her upcycling ideas for how to revamp pieces of furniture, photo frames, and so on - she seems to have an idea for how to upcycle anything and everything and make it look stunning.

Rachael has nominated me to receive this gorgeous Cocoa Juvenate Hand Cream. It arrived in a striking black and white Hotel Chocolat gift bag and to receive such a pretty looking gift, I felt pampered already before I even opened it!

And no, I had no idea that Hotel Chocolat sold products other than edible chocolate items. So it really was a lovely surprise!

As soon as I unwrapped it from the cellophane packaging, I was totally wowed by the scent that was being emitted from it before I'd even opened the box.

'Notes of bergamot, green tea, lime, exotic florals and warm sandalwood' surrounded me and I excitedly opened the box itself and squeezed some out onto my hands.

The cream itself smells sensational and would rival the best perfumed lotions in terms of quality and scent. The scent was rich and longlasting making me feel pampered as I went about my day. It transformed my mundane as I dreamt about exotic holiday destinations.

It uses cocoa butter in it to smooth and soften but doesn't smell of chocolate itself.

As my hands seem to be constantly changing nappies, washing dishes and all the other tasks that go hand-in-hand with being a mum, this really was a fantastic choice of gift. Thank you Rachael for nominating me and thank you Hotel Chocolat for sending me this lovely gift.

I had a quick peek at the Hotel Chocolat website and they have a wonderful range of Mother's Day gifts, starting at very reasonable prices. For example, the 'For my mum pocket selection' starts at pocket money prices under a tenner so even little ones can buy mum a gift themselves.

When I told Hotel Chocolat just what a special idea it was that they were doing this Mother's Day project, as it made me think of someone I knew who really deserved a Mother's day treat, they very kindly said that I could nominate that person. 

So Steph from Steph's Two Girls can lookout for a little treat from Hotel Chocolat soon. Although I can actually think of at least a dozen people who really deserve a Mothers Day treat, Steph immediately came to mind because she has been a great blogging friend to me (and I know she adores Hotel Chocolat!)

Although we've never met in real life (well we did once for about 3 seconds as J was bursting for the loo so there was literally only time for a quick hello) I just know that if we do get to meet up properly someday that we would just 'click' as friends. I see so much of J's situation in her daughter Sasha. And so I know just how up and down each day can be for her and yet she takes it all in her stride and works to help others with similar diagnoses. 

I love how her blog reflects not only her family's personal journey but acts to raise awareness of ASD and PDA. 

Thank you Steph for being a great friend! 

Disclosure: Hotel Chocolat very kindly sent me this gift but I was not asked to write about it. I chose to do so to say thank you to them and to the lovely Rachael Jess who nominated me to receive a Mother's day gift. 

Draw With Me - March 2014: Spring

Spring Time by J, aged 9

This month we've been plagued with tiredness and illness so far so I've let the two younger ones off from joining in with this months 'Draw with me'.

But J was very keen to join in when he heard the theme was 'Spring'.

When I saw his picture, I could see exactly why. It was the perfect opportunity for him to show off his sense of humour and how he loves a good play on words.

He has drawn some 'springs' as in the boingy bouncy type with flowers on top of them. He's always loved jokes that play on words. And whilst some children with Aspergers take sayings and words literally, J does understand the difference but likes to make a joke of things like this.

For example, if you ask him to 'keep an eye' on something, he will know exactly what you mean but you will find him with his eyeball virtually touching whatever it was you asked him to keep an eye on.

The other day when I was cooking he asked me why there was no such thing as 'helicopter flour'. Puzzled I asked him what he meant. He said, 'well you're using plane (plain) flour so why isn't there helicopter flour?' Again he was joking around with a play on words.

So I hope you enjoy his take on 'Spring time'!

Salad Skewers and Evo3 inspired dressing

Evo3 asked us to come up with a salad dressing inspired by their new Extra Virgin Organic olive oil that is just launching. Evo3 is one of those brands with a real story to tell and I would urge everyone to pop over and have a read of their website to find out more.

It is a Greek Olive Oil produced on the Island of Lesvos, and created by the founder who wanted to find a truly authentic olive oil and whose provenance could be traced (unlike many other olive oils in Europe which interestingly cannot always be).

Add into the mix social responsibility, where a tree is planted in a deforested area for every bottle of Evo3 olive oil sold, and you truly have one of those unique brands with passion and ethics at the heart of all they do.

Here's the recipe I was inspired to come up with:

Dressing: 
50 ml Extra Virgin Olive oil (I couldn't get hold of Evo3 in time, but this recipe is bound to taste even better with Evo3)
Tahini (one spoonful)
25 ml Lemon juice
Cinnamon (a pinch)
Ground cumin (a pinch)
Dried Oregano (a pinch)

I put all these ingredients into a clean jar and shook well to make the dressing.

Salad Skewers:
I decided to make salad 'skewers' as I thought they would be a bit different and fun to make. I know my kids love to get involved in cooking and so this is a fun way that they can get involved.

Ingredients for the Salad skewers:
Halloumi cheese (cut into pieces and griddlled)
baby tomatoes
Red, yellow and green peppers cut into pieces (fresh)
Red, yellow and green peppers cut into pieces then brushed with olive oil and roasted.
Bread pieces dipped into olive oil and baked in an oven to make croutons.

Having some of the peppers fresh and some roasted makes the flavours and textures more interesting on your salad skewers.

The roasted peppers and chunky bread croutons will need to be baked for around 10-15 minutes in an oven pre-heated to 200C. Keep your bread pieces deliberately chunky so that they thread onto the skewers easily. I used some granary bread rolls cut into chunks.

Then simply thread onto some skewers which can then be drizzled with your dressing or dipped into the dressing. Some green lettuce leaves complement the salad skewers perfectly.

This salad provides a nutritionally balanced meal in its own right as it has foods from all the major food groups. The halloumi cheese covers the dairy and protein elements of the meal, the bread croutons provide carbohydrates, the peppers and tomatoes are healthy colourful vegetables along with the lettuce and if you use an Organic Extra Virgin olive oil like Evo3, you will get the health benefits of that.

Evo3 have told us that they would love to hear from you with recipes and they have said that will offer a 15% off promo code to everyone who enters with their Greek Island inspired recipe. You could win a bottle of their Evo3 Extra Virgin Organic Olive Oil. You can send details of your recipe to Evo3 via the contact form on their website (use the 'General Inquiry' option on the subject field).

They can also be found on facebook here.

This is our entry into the Evo3 Salad / salad dressing competition. 

Our Foodimal Peacock

To celebrate the release of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 on DVD and Blu-Ray, Tots 100 and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment have come up with a challenge to make our own foodimal. So here's our meal that looks like an animal. Our 'Foodimal' Peacock:

Quote from Tim Lockwood: They came here to help you, and so are we. So let us (lettuce).

Our kids are huge fans of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, so we jumped at the opportunity to create our own foodimal. 

The kids came up with lots of ideas like a crocodile made of cucumber, or jacket potatoes that looked like mice, but in the end, we wanted to create something that would make a complete meal and our 'Peacock' with lettuce tail feathers and pea pasta was perfect as a family meal. 

We try to make our meals nutritionally balanced too with food from all the main food groups and so the aubergine and salad are from the 'fruit and veg' food group (as well as the peas), and we decided to add the pretty farfalle pasta which provides carbohydrates. We added some shavings of Parmesan cheese as 'protein' and 'dairy'. 

Lots of healthy salad and veg in this foodimal meal

The Peacock's colourful tail 'feathers' are made of Romaine lettuce with the 'eye' part made of half a grape, layered up on a thin slice of radish, carrot and kiwi and held together with a cocktail stick. 

A few chicory leaves around the base of the romaine lettuce leaves adds a different shade of colour and more texture. 

You can make this as a family meal or as a centerpiece when guests are visiting. When everyone has finished admiring the Peacock foodimal simply slice the aubergine lengthways in half, score the flesh and rub with a little olive oil and crushed garlic. Roasted in the oven this makes a really tasty addition to the rest of the pasta and salad meal. 

With a drawing of 'Berry' from Cloudy 2

They couldn't wait to get stuck into eating our Peacock foodimal

This post (specifically the first photo in the post) is our entry into the tots100 / Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 Competition. You can find more details here.