thefoodwife – Page 23 – The Food Wife

Chocolate Dipped Stawberries

7th May 20227th May 2022
by thefoodwife

Iâ€™ve been thinking about homemade edible gifts, full marks if they are homegrown too! The strawberry plants on my allotment are in flower and Iâ€™m eagerly anticipating the arrival of the berries (~~Iâ€™m also anticipating the slugs will get to some of them before I do too).~~

So at the moment Iâ€™m relying on punnets of shop bought strawberries but it wonâ€™t be long before I can harvest my own or indeed you can visit a PYO.

These are super easy to make. Make and eat them fresh (within a day or two). Use them as a garnish on a dessert or as the dessert if you are hosting a dinner party or bring a box of them if youâ€™re the guest.

Ingredients:

Approx. 100g chocolate (white, milk or dark) per 300g strawberries

Step 1: Carefully wash the strawberries and dry them (gently!) using a clean tea towel.

Step 2: Melt your chosen chocolate (if making these gluten-free and/or dairy-free use an appropriate chocolate) either in a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water (donâ€™t let the bowl come in contact with the water) or in a bowl in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring after each time.

Step 3: Line a tray with baking paper, and then use the stalk to hold each strawberry as you dip it in the molten chocolate. Use a spoon to help cover then gently shake off any excess and carefully place on the paper. Leave a gap between each one so they donâ€™t stick together. Allow to set in the fridge and store in the fridge until ready to eat!

Indulgent Chocolate Breakfast

5th May 20225th May 2022
by thefoodwife

Serves 3-4

I just got asked how the diet was going. Hereâ€™s the answer. We just had this for breakfast and we could not be happier! Yes itâ€™s indulgent but my goodness itâ€™s delicious.

I donâ€™t think I need say anything else, other than try itâ€¦

Ingredients:

4 slices of white bread

Chocolate spread

2 eggs

Milk

Pinch of sugar

2 tbsp (vanilla) caster sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp vegetable oil

50g dark chocolate

1 tsp coconut oil

Step 1: Begin by making two chocolate spread sandwiches. Cut each in half and then each half into three fingers. Set aside.

In a bowl mix the two tablespoons of caster sugar and the cinnamon together. Set aside.

Whisk the two eggs, a splash of milk and a pinch of sugar together in a wide dish. Set aside.

Melt the 50g of dark chocolate and the coconut oil together in a bowl. I do this in the microwave in 30 second bursts stirring each time until you have a smooth chocolate sauce. Set aside.

Step 2: Heat a tbsp of oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium high heat.

Step 3: While the oil and pan are heating up, dip each sandwich finger in the eggy mixture, allowing it to soak up some of the liquid before flipping each one over to coat the other side.

Step 4: Now that the pan is hot add the eggy sandwiches and cook for a couple of minutes a side until golden. Remove from the pan and toss in the cinnamon sugar, and arrange on a serving plate.

Step 5: Once all sugar-coated sandwiches are on the serving plate, drizzle the chocolate sauce over. Serve immediately.

Pad Thai

9th April 20229th April 2022
by thefoodwife

Serves 2 as a main meal or 4 as a side

One of my favourites! The garnishes really make the flavour of this and you can control the heat by adding the chilli to your own taste. If making this gluten-free ensure you the oyster sauce you use is – Lee Kum Kee do one.

You can easily scale this recipe up, and add any extra protein you like; prawns or chicken work well. You can make the sauce up in advance of the final cooking the dish, the same goes for the frying of the tofu and the egg. Doing so makes the final cooking quick and easy.

Ingredients:

Sauce:

3 tbsp fish sauce

2 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce (gluten-free if required)

2 1/2 tbsp tamarind purÃ©e

4 1/2 tbsp packed/heaped light soft brown sugar

Stir fry:

2 handfuls of Stir fry vegetables of your choice (onion/pepper/baby corn/carrot ribbons work well)

3 handfuls of bean sprouts

225g firm tofu, pressed and cut into cubes

2 eggs, beaten

200g wide flat rice noodles, cooked according to the packet instructions (then run through with cold water to stop them from sticking. You could also add a few drops of sesame oil to help keen them separate too)

Garnish:

1 lime cut into wedges

Fresh coriander leaves

Crushed chilli flakes

Crushed roasted peanuts

N.b. Steps 1-3 can be done in advance and stored in the fridge. If adding extra protein, stir fry before adding the vegetables in step 4.

Step 1: Mix all the sauce ingredients into a smooth sauce. Set to one side (if making in advance store, sealed in a tub, in the fridge).

Step 2: In a wok, fry the tofu in vegetable oil over a medium high heat, turning until nicely coloured and slightly crisped. Remove from the pan. Set to one side (if making in advance store, sealed in a tub, in the fridge).

Step 3: In the same wok, using the residual oil, scramble the eggs and cook until it is in dry pieces. Remove from the pan. Set to one side (if making in advance store, sealed in a tub, in the fridge).

If you have done steps 1-3 in advance remove from the fridge 20 minutes before cooking to allow them to come up to room temperature.

Step 4: Heat a little oil in the wok over a high heat. Stir fry the vegetables, moving them about the pan. Add the cooked rice noodles and keep tossing or stirring them, then add the fried tofu, egg and sauce, keep tossing everything so that it is all is coated in the sauce and heated through.

Step 5: Once everything is piping hot, serve, with fresh coriander, wedges of lime, crushed peanuts and chilli flakes. Delicious.

Jazzies

14th March 202228th March 2022
by thefoodwife

Who doesnâ€™t love a jazzy? Little pools of chocolate covered in colourful sprinkles. Living the dream!

These are as simple to make as it gets and I had fun making these with my two little ones.

Ingredients:

100g chocolate (your choice of white, milk or dark)

1-2 tbsp Colourful sprinkles

Step 1: Begin by lining a tray or baking sheet with grease proof paper. Ideally it needs to be able to fit flat inside a fridge or freezer.

Step 2: Melt the chocolate. You can either do this in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (ensure the bowl is not in direct contact with the water) or in a microwave. If doing this in the microwave do it in 30 second bursts to ensure the chocolate does not burn, stirring after each burst.

Step 3: Use a teaspoon to carefully make little puddles of the chocolate on to the lined tray. Leaving a gap between each one to ensure they stay separate.

Step 4: Next sprinkle your sprinkles on to the puddles. Allow to cool (a fridge or freezer is best) and then peel them off the grease proof paper and you have your finished jazzies!

Sweet and Sour Tofu

14th February 202214th February 2022
by thefoodwife

Serves 2-3

It was Valentineâ€™s Day 2022 when the Food Husband asked for seconds of tofu. High praise indeed!

Here is a vegan sweet and sour, which uses tofu in place of the more traditional chicken or pork. Baking the tofu with the five spice really makes a difference. My one year old loved eating the baked pieces when I got them out the oven. He got about three pieces in when I started getting worried about whether thereâ€™d be any left for our dinner!

If youâ€™re not fussed about making this vegan then of course you can use chicken or pork. Simply stir fry with the vegetables, but do add a couple of pinches of the five spice still.

N.b. You can of course add pineapple, just add at the same time as the tofu at the end of the cooking.

Ingredients:

500g firm tofu, drained and cut into large pieces (approx 1.5cmx1.5cmx3cm)

Oil

Chinese five spice

1 tbsp Vegetable oil

1/2 tsp Sesame oil

1 white onion, large dice

1 pepper, large dice

1/2 carrot, peeled and cut into thin rounds

1 salad tomato, cut into wedges

1 inch ginger, peeled, grated or finely chopped

250ml apple juice

2 tbsp soy sauce (gluten-free if required)

2 tbsp cider vinegar

3 tbsp soft brown sugar

1 tbsp cornflour

Step 1: Begin by preheating your oven to 180c (fan). Place the pieces of tofu carefully on a baking tray (allow a little space between each piece). Spritz with a little oil and then use a couple of pinches of Chinese five spice to sprinkle over the tofu. Then carefully flip each piece and repeat. Bake in the oven for an hour, turning half way through.

Step 2: In a large frying pan or a wok, add the vegetable oil and sesame oil over a high heat. Stir fry the onion, pepper, carrot, tomato and ginger for a few minutes.

Step 3: Combine the apple juice,tomato purÃ©e, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and corn flour in a jug and mix until smooth. Add to the vegetables and cook out for a few minutes until thickened. Check the seasoning.

Step 4: Transfer the cooked tofu to the sweet and sour sauce. Stir through until all coated and glossy. Serve with rice.