Monday 17 September 2012

Tandoori Roast Duck with Yoghurt & Sweet Potato Gratin / COMPETITION


Total Greek yoghurt are hosting a competition to celebrate releasing
 1000 new recipes and usage suggestions on their website

They also have a brand new facebook app so you can search for
 a recipe or inspiration without even leaving facebook!



Ingredients
2 duck breasts, trimmed & scored
2 tbsp tandoori paste
Salt and pepper

For the gratin:
400g sweet potatoes, peeled & thinly sliced
3 egg yolks
1 clove of garlic, crushed
150ml milk
Salt and pepper
For the raita:
½ cucumber, peeled into long ribbons
1 tsp coriander, chopped
½ red onion, diced


1. To make the marinade, mix the 100g TOTAL Greek Yoghurt and 
tandoori paste together and season. Cover the duck breast with 
the marinade and chill in a refrigerator for 12 hours.


2. On the day of serving, make the gratin.  
Preheat the oven to 400˚F / 200˚C / Gas Mark 6.

3. In a saucepan, mix the milk with the garlic and bring to the boil. 
Place to one side to allow the garlic to infuse with the milk. After 10min, 
add the 200g TOTAL Greek Yoghurt and the egg yolks. Season to taste.

4. Layer half the potatoes in the oven proof dish, overlapping the slices, 
sprinkling each layer with a little salt and pepper. Pour over half the liquid
 and finish layering, then add the rest of the liquid. Bake in a moderate
 oven until golden brown. 

5. Mix all the raita ingredients together in a bowl and chill for 30 minutes.


6. Meanwhile lay the duck in a pan and quickly seal the meat over a 
medium heat for approx 1-2 minutes. No additional oil is needed, as 
the fat from the duck will be sufficient.

7. Next pop the same pan (containing the duck) into a moderately hot 
oven for around 8 minutes. Add an additional 5 minutes, if you prefer 
your meat well done. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.


Total Greek yoghurt is the only authentic Greek yoghurt on sale in the UK.
Because it's made in Greece in the traditional way it is much thicker and
 more robust than Greek- styled yoghurt.As such it is much better to use in 
cooking and is still just as good for you.TOTAL Greek yoghurt is 100% 
natural. See more on their yoghurts here

We are one of 30 recipes that are involved in the recipe Treasure Hunt
 competition where the more you find the better chance you have of winning
 the grand prize. Speaking of the prize TOTAL Greek yoghurt asked top chef
 PAUL MERRITT to put together his list of essential cooking equipment.
The lucky winner will get this AMAZING wish list including the very 
best cookware worth more than £800.


The instructions of this recipe were very easy to follow and every
component for the dish came together perfectly.
The different flavours from the Duck to the sweet potato gratin
and the raita have their own crisp clean flavours and when combined 
compliment each other so well.The whole meal was a delight to the eye
and certainly tantalised the taste buds and was very 
satisfying indeed!

Friday 14 September 2012

Cake & Bake Show Giveaway


The first live event dedicated to the world of cakes, breads and the art of baking



We are giving away 4 tickets to the Cake & Bake Show 2012
Held in Earls Court London 22nd & 23rd September 2012

Rules: 
UK Only
Winner has 24 hours to reply to winning email due to
dates of the event
Do follow the rafflecopter instructions as I will check
Entry is via rafflecopter 






a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday 13 September 2012

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning




Alan Sillitoe adapted his 1958 novel of the same title for the silver
screen in 1960. Directed by Karel Reisz, it was a box office
success up and down the U.K.

Audiences loved the anti-establishment 'blood' that was to coarse
through the veins of the entire film. It was perfectly set, with the
gritty realism of life for the main character Arthur Seaton (played
superbly by the great Albert Finney ), in the bleak and grim
industrial streets and factories of Nottingham.

Arthur Seaton spends his days toiling away in a noisy, smelly
factory. Counting each item he produces knowing he is a little
closer to going home for the day. Friday and Saturday evenings
 he spends his hard earned money on pints of Ale and Saturday
night making love to Brenda ( played brilliantly by Rachel
Roberts) the wife of Jack, a work colleague of Arthur's.

Arthur being young and rebellious, likes to 'play the field' and
soon starts a relationship with Doreen ( played by the
wonderful Shirley Ann Field). But things don't run smooth for
Arthur when Brenda reveals that she is pregnant........

The story moves along at a good pace keeping the viewer
interested. The characters are so well written that I feel certain
that many of us have met one or two people just like them for real.
The dialogue is well written and compliments the grim setting that
the film portrays so perfectly.

Bryan Pringle gives a fine performance as Jack, Brenda's husband.
As do the fantastic Norman Rossington as cousin Bert and the
utterly brilliant Hylda Baker as Aunt Ada.

Two of the best lines ever said in film have to be from Saturday
Night and Sunday Morning: 'Don't let the bastards grind you
down.' and 'What I'm out for is a good time. All the rest is
propaganda.'I think these quotations speak for themselves.
Don't you?

All in all this is a brilliant film and well worth watching. You'll love it!

Tuesday 4 September 2012

Laurel and Hardy



A genius pairing of two great comedians in their own right. Comedians
who have been described as American comedians. This statement isn't
entirely correct, in as much that Arthur Stanley Jefferson ( Stan Laurel)
was actually born in June 1890 in Ulverston , Lancashire in the United
Kingdom and Norvell Hardy (Oliver Hardy) could trace his ancestors
back to England and Scotland.

Although they started off on their own and were brilliant entertainers in
their own right. A special and magical chemistry formed between them
when they paired up. They made many short silent films. In 1929 they
made their first short film with sound. Then in 1931 they made their first
feature film, the brilliant and very funny 'Pardon Us'. they went on to
make many more hysterical short films and feature films including 'Way
out West', 'The Music Box', 'Dirty Work','Sons of the Desert' 'Our
relations' 'Saps at Sea' and not forgetting the all time classic 'Blockheads'.



They did their 'bit' to entertain the troops in WWII by being among the
first troop of Hollywood stars to travel around various locations in the
world to remind the U.S. troops they were't forgotten back home.

Oliver Hardy was also the first comedian to 'use' the camera as a 'tool'
a means of  drawing in the audience. When certain things happened
normally as a result of Stan laurel's actions, Oliver Hardy would 'look'
directly into the camera to express himself. Something which had never
been done before and something most actors and directors frowned
upon.But this brave move by Oliver Hardy was nothing but a success
and helped make the audiences warm to them even more and it became
one of his trade marks.

They continued to make films with the last one being made in 1952.
1954 was to be their last official engagement together after they
appeared on America's 'This is your life' TV show.



Oliver Hardy went on a diet and lost 150lb approximately equal to
Stan Laurel's actual weight.He suffered a stroke in 1956 and sadly
passed away on the 7th August 1957. He was cremated and his ashes
interred at the 'Garden of Valhalla' Memorial Park North Hollywood.
Oliver N. Hardy 1892-1957

Stan Laurel sadly died of a heart attack on 23rd February 1965. He
was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, Los
Angeles, California. Stan Laurel 1890-1965


Sunday 2 September 2012

Double chocolate muffins






Ingredients
8 fl oz Milk
3.5 fl oz Oil
2 Eggs
5 oz White chocolate (broken into pieces)
4 oz Golden caster sugar
1 tsp Ground cinnamon
1 tbsp Baking powder
1 oz Cocoa powder
7 oz Plain flour


Preheat oven to 22C/400F/Gas 6.
Put 12 muffin cases in a muffin tray.

Place the eggs and oil in a bowl and whisk until frothy.




Gradually whisk in the milk.




Silf the flour, cocoa powder and cinnamon and add to 
the egg mixture. Stir until all combined.



Divide equally between your 12 prepared muffin cases
 and cook in the oven for 20 mins