Allium B Kitchen: Baked eggs

Sunday mornings are our favourite.

It calls for eggs. and not just any eggs...baked eggs. There are lots off variations all over the internet, and after cooking it many times now (aren't we good to you) it really doesn't have to be a palaver at all.

You will need for two people-

1 tin off chopped tomato's
2 cloves of garlic crushed
dash of olive oil
a handful of chopped chorizo
1 chopped pepper
tsp of salt, smoked paprika, coriander and chilli flakes
blob of honey or maple syrup
Sprinkling of cheese (of your choice)
2 eggs
toasted bread off your choice

1. Heat you pan with olive oil on a medium heat and add the garlic and chorizo
2. Once browned add the tinned tomato's and peppers
3. Add the seasoning, Smoked paprika, chilli flakes, coriander and honey
4. Mix together and cook for 5-8 minutes to reduce the mixture slightly
5. Divide you mixture into 2 bowls and crack one egg on the top OR keep in the pan and crack the 2 eggs on top
6. Put under the grill for 5 minutes or until eggs are cooked
7. Sprinkle the cheese on top, butter your toast and get dipping

Allium B Kitchen-Courgette Fritters & Tzatziki

Summer is our favourite season to cook in. With the sun shining and longer evenings it makes us head to the kitchen to put together light, vibrant and fresh food to serve in the garden. So if you don't find yourself heading on a jet plane for some greek food, then why not bring it to you.

We put together a light greek meal to enjoy outside for the first time this year, and thought it would be rude not to share.

To make courgette fritters for two, you will need-

2 cups of grated courgette
1 cup of grated potato (uncooked and peeled)
2 medium eggs
2tbsp of chopped chives
2tbsp of chopped mint
1 lemon
salt

For your tzatziki you will need

350g of greek yoghurt
1 grated cucumber
1 lemon
2 crushed garlic cloves
pinch of paprika
splash of extra virgin olive oil




1. Grate you veggies, sprinkle with salt and leave in a sieve to dry them out, you can now start  your dip
2. In a large bowl mix together your yoghurt, cucumber, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Put a splash of olive oil in, and mix together. Cover with cling film and pop it in the fridge for the flavours to develop.
3. Go back to your veg and squeeze out as much moisture as you can.
4. In another bowl beat the eggs and add the mint, lemon and chives. Then stir in the courgette and potato, until mixed through.
5. Now it's time to cook them. Put a pan on a medium heat and add a good glug of olive oil. 
6. Spoon your mixture into small circles and flatten. It's best to cook 3/4 at a time so you can keep an eye on them.
7. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, and leave on a plate in a warm oven until the rest are cooked.
8. Serve with your tzatziki, and add a dusting of paprika for some added flavour. Eat as a starter or a side to a freshly cooked roast chicken. Perfect for a beautiful summers evening. 

Allium B Kitchen: Homemade fruit smoothies

With hints of Summer now appearing one of the top things on our list is to get into the swing of making smoothies throughout the week, to either drink on the way to work, or sip in the garden for Breakfast. There are lots of different concoctions you can make, but we find that keeping it simple is the way forward. Above we have made a mixed fruit smoothie, and it's normally purely what we have in the house that day, but for the above drink we used this recipe-

1 cup of bananas
1 cup of strawberries
1 cup of blackberries
3 ice cubes
1/2 cup of milk

Put all of the above in a food processor and whizz until smooth. Luckily fruit is great mixed together whatever the amount, and you can use anything you have in the fruit bowl.

It is the best way to start in the day in our books :)

Allium B Kitchen:Charred tomatoes with fried eggs on garlic toast

Brunch is my favourite type of food, especially after a leisurely lie in on a Sunday and needing something yummy to start the day. With a slight twist on a normal egg sarnie this is quickly becoming my go to recipe, especially if we have friends over and need to whip up something quickly.

You will need (for two)

Slices of rustic bread/normal bread/french stick - Whatever takes your fancy
1 glove of garlic, peeled
1 tb extra virgin olive oil
4 large eggs
Salt and Pepper
4 small cherry tomatoes (or slice normal tomatoes if that's all you have to hand)

1. Rub toasted bread with garlic and bush with oil
2. Heat oil in a large pan, crack eggs and cook undisturbed, season and then transfer to a plate
3. Place cut tomatoes into the pan, until charred
4. Transfer eggs and tomatoes onto the bread

Grab the paper, put some music on and tuck in with a cuppa - enjoy

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Allium B Kitchen: Easy Garlic Prawn Pasta

With spring in the air and the evenings getting lighter I can't help but share my absolute favourite dish that I have been cooking every week without fail since I discovered it. It may not look like much, but it is packed with light and bold flavours which is very easily thrown together after a hard days work.

You will need- for two

250g spaghetti pasta
250g cooked and peeled prawns
45g Butter
4 Garlic cloves crushed
1 tsp of Chilli flakes
1 lemon + zest
Handful of fresh parsley
lug of olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Half a glass of white wine

Cheese (of your choice) for serving


1. Cook the pasta in boiling water.
2. When nearly cooked melt the butter with the oil
3. Once melted add the garlic, chilli Flakes, Juice of half the lemon plus zest, Salt and Pepper, Parsley, White wine and prawns
4. Stir through until prawns are heated through
5. Add your cooked pasta, and mix the sauce through
6. Squeeze the remaining lemon over the pasta and sprinkle with additional parsley
7. Serve with cheese if desired

The Allium B Kitchen: Homemade strawberry jam

You will need-

• 1kg /2lb 3oz strawberries
• 1kg/2lb 3oz granulated sugar or caster sugar
• ½ lemon, juice only
• small knob of butter
• 
  

1. The day before you wish to make the jam, hull and halve the strawberries. Check for soft spots (which must be removed) and discard any berries with bruises or that are overripe.
2. Place the strawberries into a large bowl with 500g/18oz of the sugar. Turn carefully to mix and coat well, then cover with cling film and place into the fridge overnight.
3. The next day, place a saucer into the freezer to chill - you'll need this when you come to test the setting point of the jam.
4. Sterilise the jam jars - first wash the jars in soapy water and rinse in clean warm water. Allow them to drip-dry, upside down, on a rack in the oven set to 140C/275F/Gas 1. Leave them there for at least half an hour while you make the jam.
5. Pour the strawberries, their juice and any residual sugary juices into a very large pan or preserving pan, remembering that the mixture will rise as it boils, and add the remaining 500g/18oz sugar and the lemon juice.
6. Stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has completely dissolved.
7. Bring the strawberries up to the boil then boil hard until the jam reaches setting point. Check the setting point every ten minutes, although it may take up to half an hour to reach setting point.
8. To test the setting point, remove the pan from the heat. Take your saucer from the freezer and place a drop of jam onto the cold plate. After a few seconds push the jam with your finger.
9. If the jam surface wrinkles then it has reached setting point and is ready. If it slides about as a liquid, then it hasn't reached setting point and should be returned to the heat and boiled for a few more minutes before testing again.
10. When setting point has been reached, turn off the heat. Stir in the butter and skim off any scum on the surface of the jam with a large spoon.
    Watch technique0:34 mins
11. Let the jam cool and thicken in the pan for ten minutes, so that the strawberries don't all sink to the bottom in the jam jars.
12. Carefully remove the sterilised jars from the oven with oven gloves - try to avoid touching the insides of the jars with the oven gloves, which might introduce unwelcome bacteria.
13. Stir the jam, then ladle it into the sterilised jars. Use a jam funnel, if you have one, to avoid spilling too much jam.
14. Cover the top surface of the jam in each jar with waxed paper discs that have been cut to size - they should cover the entire surface of the jam. Press the wax disc down to create a complete seal.
15. Cover with a lid while still hot, label and store in a cool, dark cupboard for up to a year.

It's 5 o'clock somewhere

With that in mind, this is the perfect excuse to grab these few ingrediants and snuggle in front of the TV on a Friday night, or invite a few friends round to share (maybe)

This very easy recipe first appeared on A Beautiful Mess by the lovely Elsie & Emma

For your own spiked Apple Cider Float you will need (serves one)

2 cups apple cider
Ground Cinnamon
Ground Allspice
Maple Rye Whiskey
Vanilla Ice Cream

1. Simmer apple cider with a pinch of allspice and  ground cinnamon. Heat until warm. 
2. In a glass, combine apple cider, 2 ounces whiskey and 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream. 
3. Sip with a paper straw and enjoy!

(recipe & photos from A Beautiful Mess)

The Allium B Kitchen: Dippy eggs

Eggs are my best friend.
They make the perfect companion for either breakfast, lunch or dinner and they have so many options, but my favourite has to be dippy eggs. I used to love having these for dinner when I was a kid and always remember turning them upside down once I had finished and telling my mum that I wasn't hungry and didn't want them. A joke I still seem to do to this day.
I love how easy they are to make as well, and I am still trying to prove to everyone that yolk is seriously the best sauce you will EVER have.

To make your super quick breakfast, lunch or dinner you will need,

• how ever many eggs you fancy off your choosing ( I normally have 2)
• 2 slices of bread (again this is obviously to your choosing)
• Place boiling water into a saucepan (with enough water to cover the eggs) this speeds up the process
• place your eggs carefully into the pan and boil for 5 minutes
• Once boiled serve in egg cups, butter your toast, cut into soldiers (obligatory) and dip away

Now I am off to make some for my lunch as looking at these photos is just too irresistible for me.

Allium B Kitchen: Lazy Lasagne

As the weather outside is utterly horrendous, we have a little treat for you in the form of rich, cheesy goodness. As usual we are good to you and have made it as easy as possible, so you spend less time in that kitchen. Although we are not positive that the picture does it any justice, it really does taste amazing.

You will need (for 2)

250g beef mince
1 onion, chopped
2 large cloves of garlic
100g mushrooms
1 beef oxo cube
1 tbsp lea & perrins
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1/2 tube of tomato puree
1 glass of red wine
3 tbsp mixed herbs
1 bay leaf
1 large squirt of tomato ketchup (very technical)
mozzarella/parmasan
cheddar cheese
lasagna sheets (fresh or packet)

1. Heat a large pan/wok on a high heat, add the mince and brown for about 5 minutes
2. Add your chopped onions, garlic and lea & perrinns into the mince and cook for another 2-3 minutes
3. sprinkle your oxo cube over the mince and mix
4. Add your tin of tomatoes and turn down to a medium heat
5. Add your wine, puree, ketchup, herbs, bay leaf and stir all together
6. Simmer and stir for another 5 minutes
7. Now add your lasagna sheets so they cover the mixture entirely. This will work better with fresh pasta as it won't take anytime at all, but you can still use sheets from a pack (that's what I did)
8. You will need to cover the pan with a lid (I used a microwave lid) and leave for 10 minutes so the pasta can cook. You will need to check on the mixture so the mince doesn't get stuck to the bottom of the pan. If you are using fresh pasta please follow the packs instructions for cooking times, it's normally only a few minutes
9. Once your pasta is nearly done, lift the lid and add the mozzarella all over the mixture. You can add as much as you like.
10. Cover with the lid again, so the heat can melt the cheese
11. After you feel the mixture looks gooey enough, take it off the heat and give it a stir to mix it all up a bit, and you will be left with a very lazy lasagne
12. For good measure you can sprinkle with cheddar/parmesan or any cheese of your fancy

Allium B Kitchen: Toad in the Hole

I'm back again with another very seasonal recipe post. I personally think that this dish is the epitome of winter, and I normally save this dish for bonfire night every year (although in this case I had to make it early for blog purposes, but I can't complain) I look forward to it all year, I know there isn't actually anything stopping me from making it, but to me it makes it more special. 
So follow the recipe for your bonfire ready dinner

You will need for 2 people
4-6 sausages (depends how hungry you are)
bacon (optional)
2 eggs
300ml milk
100g plain flour
1 tsp mixed herbs
1tsp salt&pepper 

1. Start with pre-heating the over to 170 degrees
2. Oil a roasting dish, place the sausages (wrapped in bacon if you wish) into the oven to brown for 10 minutes
3. Now it's time to make the batter, sift the flour, add the eggs, milk, herbs and seasoning and mix all together until the mixture is smooth
4. Add to the roasting tray and leave to cook for 1 hour
5. You will need to check on it, but do not open the oven, otherwise it stops the batter from rising
6. Once the batter is browned all over you are ready to go
7. I normally eat mine with sweet potato (find our recipe here) and baked beans. You can put the sweet potato in at the same time as the sausages. 

Allium B Kitchen: Apple & Strawberry Crumble

I currently have a very ripe apple tree occupying my garden, and all I seem to do everyday is pick apples off the ground and chuck them away, but the other day it occurred to me that instead of throwing them away I should actually use them, so after some googling, I found a few recipes to try, and ended up creating this very simple crumble. I am still getting compliments two days later with hints of when the next one will end up on the table, so without further ado here is the very simple recipe. 

You will need

3 cooking apples
200g strawberries
150g plain flour
50g granulated sugar
75g salted butter
pinch of salt
2 tbs granulated sugar (for the strawberries)
1 tbsp plain flour (for the strawberries)

1. If you're planning to cook it straight after preparing, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. If you want, however, you can make the crumble beforehand, and cook it later.
2. hull and halve the strawberries. Place them in a large bowl with 2 tbsp sugar, the flour and salt. Set aside.
2. Half fill a large saucepan with water, and peel, core and chop the apples into 1-2cm chunks. Place them in the saucepan to stop them from ruining
3. Drain all of the water from the saucepan, add another 2 tbsp of water and 50g of the sugar, and place on a medium heat on the hob. Stew until the apples become mushy. 
4. Once mushy, put the apples and strawberries into an ovenproof dish.
5. Place the flour and the remaining sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and use your hands to mix everything together until the mixture resembles large breadcrumbs. 
6. Cover over your mixture
7. Place in your pre-heated oven for 30 minutes
8. serve with warm custard or cream



Happy Autumn

Allium B Kitchen: Apple Cocktails

1. Apple ginger cocktail from A Beautiful Mess // 2. Pomegranate-apple cocktails from Country Living // 3. Apple Cider cocktail from Sugar and Charm

Autumn brings beautiful colour, snuggly jumpers and lots of apples. The tree in my garden is bursting with apples ready for a picking, and after 2 Autumns of never using them, it's about time this changed. First up a few ideas for some apple cocktails to warm our bellies, whilst the temperature drops outside. 
What's your favourite autumn drinks recipe? Let us know

Allium B Kitchen: Honey roasted carrots

Carrots have never really been my favourite veg. To be honest I don't normally eat a lot of veg, it's normally just for colour and to try and 'pretend' to be eating healthy. I'm not sure why, but maybe because they have always tasted a little bland, so that's why I decided to mix things up a little bit and make 'veg' a little more exciting.

It may take a little of the healthy away, but who cares, right?

You will need,
a bag of chantenay carrots
honey
1 lime

There really isn't anything to it, pop your carrots in a roasting tray and liberally drizzle over the honey, so all you carrots are covered. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over, and you are good to go.

Pre-heat your oven to 170 degrees and put them in the middle shelf for 75-90 minutes
Check on them every so often and give them a shake to stop the carrots sticking. About half way through you may even want to add some more honey (go on)



You can add carrots to many a meal, but my favourite being a good old roast.

We hope you enjoy :)

Allium B Kitchen: Courgette salad

With the sun making one last push before the Autumn chill kicks in, we are rustling one last summer dinner in the hope the sun just has one last appearance left in him (yes we think the sun is a him)
This recipe can seriously only take a few minutes to prepare and is a perfect pick me up for lunch.

You will need to serve 2
2 large courgettes
2 tbsp of Pesto (homemade or store bought)
10-15 cherry tomatoes
olive oil



1. Using a potato peeler, peel the courgette into small strips. (You will need to be light handed to get the smaller strips)
2. Half the cherry tomatoes and heat a pan on medium heat with a splash of olive oil
3. Once hot add your cherry tomatoes, and stir for about 5 minutes so the tomatoes are soft and slightly roasted
4. Stir your pesto into the courgette and scatter with your tomatoes

You can make quickly the night before work, or whip it up for a quick healthy dinner. 



enjoy x

Allium B Kitchen: Soda Bread

Having never tried making bread before, and having a craving for a crusty loaf I decided to search the that internet place for the easiest recipe I could find and without waiting hours for it to prove. I stumbled on this beauty of a recipe over at Rosies blog (who may just be one of our favourites) and got right too it.

You will need
1.5lbs wholemeal flour
1.5tsp bicarbonate of soda
1.5tsp salt
1pints butter milk 
4oz dried cranberries
(the original recipe has pine nuts also, but I didn't fancy adding them this time)

1.Pre-heat your oven to 200°C/400°F.
2. Add you flour, salt & bicarb to a big mixing bowl and throw in your berries.
3. Pour in your buttermilk
4. Mix together until the mixture is combined (but not too much you don't want to overwork it)
5. Flour your surface and place your dough on it
6. Half the mixture, and roll the 2 separate pieces into a ball and flatten slightly
7. Cut a shallow cross in the centre
8. Pop in the oven for half an hour
9. Once done, wrap the 2 loafs in separate damp tea towels (to help get that amazing crust)
10. Once cool you are ready to go. Slather with butter, or add any topping you fancy. 

Allium B Kitchen: One Pot Pasta

After discovering this original recipe on the internet and after a few tweaks, this recipe is placed firmly in my 'regular' dinner column (you must have one too?) Orginally found over at Martha Stewart I have altered the recipe slightly and added chorizo for that extra kick.

You will need for 2

6oz spagetti 

6oz chopped cherry tomatoes 

1/2 an onion, thinly sliced

1 large clove of garlic, thinly sliced

2 or 3 sprigs of basil

2 tablespoons olive oil

1tsp dried oregano 

Sprinkle of chili flakes

Salt n pepper

100g chopped chorizo

2 cups of warm vegetable stock

All you need to do is add everything to one pot, pour over the stock, cover and bring to the boil. Once boiled take the lid off and simmer (making sure to stir every now and again) until all the water is gone.

Serve with some bread and a sprinkling of cheese!

Allium B Kitchen: Cherry Salad

As the summer continues we always long for fresh, quick dinners, but coming up with different ideas can sometimes prove tricky, so try this cherry salad for a bit of variation either as a main or side.

You will need,

4tbsp olive oil
2 tbp honey
1 thick slice of bread
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of dijon mustard
mixed salad leaves
200g fresh cherries (halved and stoned)
1/3 cucumber

1. Cut your bread into chunks and put into a bowl with 1 tbsp oil, toss to coat and bake on a baking tray for 10 minutes
2. Meanwhile whisk together the red wine vinegar, mustard, oil and honey to make the dressing
3. Place the salad, cherries, cucumber in a bowl and toss in the dressing


To bulk up the dinner for a main meal you could always add some chicken.



enjoy :)