Its a curry thing

 

We all know we are a nation of curry lovers. Many of you have indeed fallen in love with our Brazilian Moqueca Curry Paste with its spices and creamy coconut and its great to hear you have been trying out our recipe for the Brazilian fish stew, Moqueca de Peixe. But if you are not a massive fish fan or just want some alternatives to an Indian curry we’ve got some great recipes for you.

A takeaway has become a bit of a treat in our house – the expense alone feels a little extravagant and we have certainly cut down on the amount of visits to our local (and very good) Indian restaurant.  I also find that we tend to buy the same dishes and afterwards feel as greasy and full as the brinjal bhajee and peshwari naan themselves when all that is left is some empty foil containers and stains on the table.

So making your own curry at home certainly has its appeal (especially as you can guarantee exactly what is in it!).  As our children are getting more adventerous we like to introduce them to more flavours so these recipes can also be adapted for chilli lovers or not as the case may be. So there is the opportunity to make something for everyone using the same Moqueca paste but still give a diverse range of flavours.

A quick word about portions – these recipes are for a 300g per person and I’ve allowed slightly less meat than usual – you can of course increase the amount of meat but in these animal conscious days I have been working on recipes that use more vegetables or protein alternatives to supplement the meat so you will see chick peas, cashew nuts as well as aubergines, potatoes and spinach but feel free to substitute at will!

All recipes should feed 6 and are great served in a bowl to eat with a spoon with a side of something to mop up the juices. You can of course thicken the curry if you like with a little corn flour (mixed with water first) or reduce the liquid over high heat if you prefer a thicker, dryer curry. Also switch the Secret Firecrcacker Spices to Secret Wild Garlic Spices if you prefer a mild flavour and vice versa to spice it up!

So here is a quick curry guide and the links to the recipes:

 

 

The Hot One: Moqueca Chicken Curry- recipe here
Hot and fruity with coconut milk - try this one if you like a Chicken Ceylon or Madras.
Uses: 3 tbsp Moqueca Curry Paste + 2 tbsp Thai Dressing with Kaffir Lime + 1 tbsp Secret Firecracker Spices

 

The Medium One: Moqueca Lamb Curry - recipe here

Rich and savoury with potatoes and spinach - try this one if you like Bombay aloo or Bhuna

Uses: 3 tbsp Moqueca Curry Paste + 2 tbsp Miso Dressing with Ginger + 1 dsp Secret Firecracker Spices

The Mild One: Moqueca Mushroom Curry - recipe here

Mild and creamy with chick peas and roasted cashew nuts - try this one if you like Korma
Uses: 3 tbsp Moqueca Curry Paste + 2 tbsp White Wine & Porcini Finishing Sauce + 1 tsp Secret Wild Garlic Spices


Enjoy!

Clare
x

 

Sweet Heart Honey Buns

Pancake day and Valentines day in one week - aren't we lucky! Shrove Tuesday is the day before Lent and pancakes originated as a way to use up ingredients that would traditional be avoided for the next 40 days and nights (butter, sugar, eggs). Valentines day has its origins in a fertility festival and feast so what better reason to make something lovely for your lovely?

Somewhere between a crumpet and a pancake, these soft fluffy buns are made with our Original Beer Bread Mix and new Secret Honeycomb Spices and then doused in our new Hibiscus and Rose Nectar.  Really easy to make, they can be whipped up in a jiffy and made to whatever shaped metal cutters you have at home.

Sweet Heart Honey Buns
Makes at least 4 buns - depending on the size of cutter used
1/2 pkt My Secret Kitchen Original Beer Bread Mix
1 tbsp My Secret Kitchen Secret Honeycomb Spices
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 large egg
1/4 pint milk
Vegetable oil / butter for frying
My Secret Kitchen Hibiscus & Rose Nectar, to serve

In a large jug, stir together the Beer Bread Mix, Secret Spices and sugar.  Add the egg and milk and whisk together to make a smooth batter.  Heat some vegetable oil (or butter) in a frying pan and place a metal cookie cutter (heart shaped if you have it) in the middle of the pan. Pour the batter into the cutter until it is half full (the batter will expand and bubble up on cooking).

Reduce the heat (watch they do not burn on the bottom) and continue to cook gently until the top of the bun looks dry and is ready to be turned over. Quickly flip and cook for a few seconds just to lightly brown the top. Whilst still warm, spoon over the Hibiscus & Rose Nectar.

And for those of you with less of a sweet tooth or if you and your lover are cheese lovers, we have some perfect partners to these mini camembert hearts - clockwise from the top, Tapenade with Smoked Garlic, Balsamic Reduction, Fig Pudding Pickle, Jumping Jack Chilli Jam.  All make great accompaniments for a range of cheeses and a hearty red wine (excuse the pun) or bubbly - lay down a rug for an oh-so-romantic indoor picnic.

So whatever the origins and meanings to the celebrations this week, Happy Pancake Valentines and here's to great reasons to love yourself and others with My Secret Kitchen.

Clare
x

Nibbles in Norfolk

Its has recently been team meeting time again for our lovely consultants.  Around the country our teams of pasionate and friendly foodies have been gathering to swop business tips and of course share a tasty nibble or two.  This month we have showcased a recipe from Terri Rhind (our team leader in Wiltshire) with Juliette Kidd and her team in Norfolk.

Jumping Jack & Potato Bread Puddings may sound a little unusual but I can assure you they had us all coming back for more at our recent recipe testing session. They feature one of our best selling yummy products Jumping Jack Chilli Jam and the individual savoury bread puddings make a great addition to lunch boxes (they freeze brilliantly too). The recipe also uses our extremely versatile Beer Bread Mixes and with wintery chills in the air and the darker nights, a little homely and wholesome bread baking is just what the oven ordered. You can find the full recipe here and no doubt you can come up with your own ingenious twists on this recipe. 
Happy baking!

Clare
x

Coffee Monster

Its no secret that I am the coffee equivalent of the cookie monster when it comes to my morning brew. Don't even think about talking to me until the kettle is on and I do not share. Yes I also take my own coffee pot and coffee wherever I go.

As a cooking flavour, coffee is more of an acquired taste. Enter My Secret Kitchen Mochaccino Cookie Mix. It is a brilliant cookie mix bringing coffee together with chunks of white and dark chocolate.  It was developed orignially as a biscotti mix (and you can still make fabulous biscotti with it - find the recipe and here) but in a simpler fashion it also makes fabulous soft bake cookies - amazing warm and gooey straight from the oven as well as chunky scones and to-die-for mini pecan pie coffee cookies
 
So I thought I would try to create a coffee cup cake with one of our most versatile products.  The results - the Caramel Latte Cup Cake.

Its a coffee and chocolate cup cake, doused in coffee liqueur and topped with maple caramel buttercream, sprinkled with cocoa and a coffee bean.  You can find the full recipe here and try your hand at any of the gorgeous recipes using our Mochaccino Cookie Mix.

Enjoy!

Clare
x

Mango Melba Magic

Here's the second of our adventures in cup cake land. Our Mango Melba cup cake is a creative fusion of a raspberry and white chocolate cup cake (thanks to our Chocaberry Cheese Ball Mix and Original Beer Bread Mix) with a mango glaze and topped with a velvety smooth mango cream cheese buttercream (courtesy of our Mango Mojito Dessert Sauce).  To complete the look, it is garnished with a fresh raspberry, a piece of dried mango, mint leaves and a final flourish of Mango Mojito Dessert sauce.  This is not a cup cake to be scoffed lightly, serve on your best tea plates with a little cake fork and slowly devour every mouthful.  You can find the full recipe here, Enjoy!

Clare
x

Sugar and spice and all things nice

Autumn is in the air and as we say goodbye to the last few warm days of the season and drag out our woollies, here's a little something to look forward to from our kitchen - cup cakes.  This is our first cup cake recipe as we celebrate all that is sugary, sweet, plus a little spice and of course always nice.

Thanks to our client Lisa Lovell for the inspiration for the Apple Cup Cake with Canella Buttercream.  It not only features our Beer Bread Mix and Maple Caramel Sauce but a debut recipe for our new Vanilla Pudding Spices.  I promise you, baking with this new sweet spice will fill your home and your heart with the comforts of vanilla, cinnamon and our new bff, roasted cassia.

You can find the full recipe here

Next week with the expert help from 'Cup Cake Katie' we'll be turning our hands to another cup cake sensation.

Happy baking!

Clare
x

Saving the best for last

Do you sometimes fnd yourself scraping the barrel....well ok the jar?!

We love our square jars but like you, we often find ourselves trying to reach the last elusive tasty bits that get stuck in the corners. Well here are a few recipes & tips to make sure that you get the most out of our jars!  

Our Tapenade with Smoked Garlic & Jumping Jack Chilli Jam (& even a little Fig Pudding Pickle) are great added to Bolognese, casseroles & soups so when it's not possible to get a spoonful out, add a little hot water from the kettle, give the jar a shake & then tip into your recipe. 

For super speedy and simple dressings, add the extra ingredients needed for these fab recipes straight into the jar and give it all a shake. 

Fig Balsamic & Walnut Dressing 

Tapenade Vinaigrette 

 

How about adding a secret extra to your hot drinks? A Maple Caramel Latte is a yummy treat that if you haven't enjoyed before is definitely a must for the end of the jar - just add your hot coffee to the jar & shake it into the corners to free those last bits of Maple Caramel Sauce then pour into a mug of heated/frothed milk.   Instead of coffee you could use cocoa & enjoy a decadent hot chocolate!  

Hot chocolate is another drink that we enjoy with our Chocolate Peppermint Fondue so at the end of the jar just add in some of the hot milk & shake to melt the last bits of fondue.  

Maple Caramel Sauce is also delicious with apples & pears so if you are stewing or poaching these then add some hot water to the jar to free the sauce & then add to your pan of fruit.  

We hope these tips & ideas help you to enjoy our products right down to the last drop and maybe you'd agree that we save the best for last?!

 

- Laura Virgoe