A pan should be for life

When it comes to buying pans it’s very true that you pay for what you get. If you pick up a pan from the supermarket, it might perform well in the short term, but longevity-wise it’s not going to hit the spot.

Of course we haven’t all got the cash to be splashing out hundreds of pounds on a new set of high class pans, but a recent trip to Whatley Manor in Wiltshire was pretty eye opening.

Stunning Whatley Manor in Wiltshire

American pan makers and metal crafters All-Clad packed a group of seven food bloggers and journalists off to the beautiful property so they could demonstrate their equipment to us in Martin Burge’s two Michelin starred restaurant kitchen.

Before he’d even got the pans on the go, the down-to-earth chef very simply demonstrated how the cookware he’d originally bought for his kitchens had worn out in just a few years – blackened and warped, compared to the All-Clad set which still looked sleek, shiny and brand new.

Serious bit of gleaming kitchen kit

The technology that goes into the pans is quite remarkable.  When you delve into the company’s 40 year history, you’ll find metal experts who spent years experimenting with bonding different metals together. One of the Pitsburgh-based company’s claims to fame was helping transform US currency from silver coins to the bonded layered metals in circulation today.

This science was then transferred to making pans that could perform in the professional kitchen by bonding together different metals in one pan. The pan then gains the benefits of all three materials, and therefore not only performs brilliantly but is also a more practical and hard-wearing piece of kit than if it was made of one metal alone.

The road test

Sampling Martin's dessert before having a go at making it ourselves

We were let loose on the pans when we were all paired up to cook a DIVINE dessert of pear and blackberry gratin in Martin’s professional kitchen. There were many components of the dish to make and lots of processes to get our heads around, but the results were definitely worthwhile.

I teamed up with Helen of Fuss Free Flavours, who was suffering with a dodgy wrist and ankle, but still managed to put in a stirling effort.

Martin Burge giving me some guidance on my dodgy caramel

The pans heated up super quick, so there wasn’t much hanging around and when our caramel went slightly wrong (twice) the pans cleaned up when simply rapidly boiled up with some water.

The prep bowls were utterly lush – sleek stainless steel with little handles that made them a dream to work with. Heat resistant too so ideal for making sauces and melting chocolate.

Whisking a very technical thing called a ‘sabayon’ by hand was really really hard labour – I’m super lazy as I always use my electric mixer for these type of jobs, but it was good to get back to basics and get a better technique. There were  a few exceptionally gallant members of Martin’s kitchen team on hand to take turns with the whisking

Letting a professional arm take some of the strain

Our versions of the desserts came out pretty good (in the end) and it really was superb cooking in a professional kitchen with such experienced chefs showing us the ropes.

I was hugely impressed with All-Clad pans and would definitely say that while they’re hardly cheap they’re a great investment because you wouldn’t need to replace them after 5 years like their cheaper counterparts.

If you’re putting a wedding list together – get them on there!

A huge thanks to the teams at All-Clad and Whatley Manor for such a memorable day and for providing these stunning photographs of the experience

If you fancy trying to make Martin’s dessert at home, it’s quite a bit of work but insanely gorgeous. It’s one to impress your foodie friends with so here’s the (very long) recipe:

My version of the pear and blackberry gratin - photo by Fuss Free Flavours

Pear and blackberry gratin

Recipe supplied by Martin Burge at Whatley Manor

Serves 4

Ingredients for the pear sorbet

100g Pear puree

220g Caster sugar

50g Glucose

10g Inverted sugar

200g Water

Method for the pear sorbet

Place the pear puree, caster sugar, glucose powder, inverted sugar and water into a 4 quart All Clad saucepan and bring to the boil. Prepare a bowl of iced water. Pass the mixture through a sieve and cool over the bowl of iced water. When the mixture is chilled churn in an ice cream machine. Store in the freezer until ready to use.

Ingredients for the shortbread

125g Butter

170g Plain flour

4.5g Salt

45g Caster sugar

Method for the shortbread

Bring the butter, plain flour and the salt into a paste and roll out to half a centimetre thick. Clingfilm the mix and place in a refrigerator for one hour. Take a suitable cutter and cut your shortbread to the required size. Place the rolled shapes onto a baking tray and bake in a pre-heated oven set at 120 degrees Celsius for fifteen to twenty minutes. Set aside on a cooling rack until ready to use.

Ingredients for the poached pears

2 William Pears

300g Caster Sugar

20g Lemon juice

1kg Water

Method for the poached pears

In a large 2 quart All Clad sauce pan place the caster sugar, water and lemon juice and whisk the ingredients well. Peel the pear with a sharp knife and cut lengthways removing the core with a small knife and a parisienne scoop. Place the pear halves into the mixture making sure the flat side is facing up. Cut a disc of silicone paper the size of the top of the pan to cover the pears. Once this is done place the pan onto the heat, just before the pears have come to the boil turn the heat right down so that the water solution is at a very slight simmer. Do not boil the pears as this will over cook the outside and the inside will still be hard. Cooking time for the pears are dependant on the size and ripeness therefore check the pears every five minutes with a small knife. Once the pears are soft remove them from the heat and allow them to cool down. Remember the pears will continue to cook slightly as they cool down.

Ingredients for the poached blackberries

125g Blackberries

20g Caster sugar

50g Crème de mure

method for the poached blackberries

Place the caster sugar into a 2 quart All Clad saucier and melt the sugar until a blonde caramel is visible. Gradually add the Crème de mure until all of the sugar has dissolved and a syrup has formed. Add the blackberries and mix the ingredients together carefully then remove from the heat.

Ingredients for the sabayon

4 Egg Yolks

200g Stock syrup

20g Alcohol

Method for the sabayon

In an All Clad mixing bowl whisk the egg yolks, stock syrup and the alcohol together. Prepare a 4 quart All Clad saucepan of hot water and place on a low heat to simmer. Place the bowl on the pan of lightly simmering water and whisk the ingredients together to form a ribbon consistency. Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to whisk until the sabayon has cooled slightly.

Assemble the dish

Slice half a pear into six slices and drain on kitchen paper. On a suitable plate place the pear segments leaving enough space for a blackberry in between each slice of poached pear. Spoon the sabayon over the sliced pear and the blackberries. Place the plate under a grill until the sabayon is lightly caramelised. Place the shortbread in the middle of the plate. Make a sorbet ball with an ice cream scoop and place on top of the shortbread. Place a sprig of fresh mint on top of the pear sorbet to finish the dish.

Win OXO Good Grips hand-held egg beater

A vintage idea with a new look

The guys at OXO Good Grips sent me this little fella to play with – I’ve not seen a hand-held mixer like this since I did Home Economics at school!

It’s hardly a dinosaur though as this new model has a sleek and stylish design with bags of clever features. It’s much quieter and less fiddly than an electric whisk, and can stir up batters and whipped cream as well as beat eggs in next to no time.

It fits neatly in kitchen drawers – great for everyday use while saving worktop space. It’s also ideal for lefties or righties, and especially brilliant for children to use.

OXO has enclosed the fiddly workings in a white case to keep the hand mixer looking ultra modern while being extremely easy to clean – it just pops in the dishwasher. The mixer also comes with two removable stainless steel beaters, soft, non-slip handle and turning arm, and a stainless steel bridge to elevate the beaters from the bottom of the bowl as they work, taking the weight and strain out of mixing.

They cost £20 from Lakeland, or why not enter my competition to win one! I’ve got two to give away.

WIN WIN WIN!

There is one main way to enter and several ways to get bonus entries.  You must leave a separate comment for each bonus entry otherwise they will not be counted.

1. Mandatory. Leave a comment below telling me a favourite memory from learning cookery at school

2. For a second chance to win tweet a link to this giveaway as follows: Win retro OXO hand-held egg beater @cookingkt http://wp.me/pU5T8-18x #win #prize
Then leave a second comment saying you’ve done so telling me your Twitter ID.

3. Follow me @cookingkt on Twitter and comment to tell me you have done so.

4. And finally you can get another bonus entry by liking the Feeding Boys and a Firefighter page on Facebook too, not forgetting to head back here and comment to tell me you have done so.

Good Luck!

GIVEAWAY RULES

This giveaway is open to all readers over 18 with a UK postal address.  The winners will be chosen using an online randomiser and announced in a subsequent post.

I am running this competition on behalf of OXO who will be sending the prize out to the lucky winners. Their decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Closing date: 10pm Tuesday 28th February 2012

Make ahead dessert: berry fool teacups

Make-ahead desserts are a must in my book – you really don’t want to be fannying around in the kitchen when everyone else is in the middle of eating their main course – you might miss some gossip!

Frankly, if you’re having loads of your friends round for dinner or a special lunch you want to be able to enjoy their company and not be stressed about creating the perfect feast.

So with that in mind, when some old family friends came over for dinner recently I served up these little beauties:

I love serving up desserts in my granny's spode teacups

Berry fool teacups with shortbread biscuits on the side. I used frozen summer berries and shop bought shortbread, so really it was a breeze to sling together a few hours in advance.

Serving them up in my granny’s spode teacups transformed them from simple pudding to elegant dessert.

They’re not too rich and huge on flavour, so they went down very well with everyone. The recipe made masses so I put the excess into a large glass bowl to have on hand in the fridge just in case people wanted seconds. Needless to say it was all scoffed!

Berry fool teacups – adapted from a Lucy Cufflin recipe

500g frozen summer berries
100g caster sugar
400ml creme fraiche
300ml double cream
50g icing sugar

1. Put the frozen berries in a pan with the caster sugar and gently heat until they are soft. Put them through a sieve over a bowl to squeeze as much juice and pulp out of them as you can. Leave to cool.

2. Whip together the creme fraiche, double cream and icing sugar together until light and fluffy. Fold the berry liquid into the cream with a large metal spoon until well blended.

3. Pour into teacups or wine glasses and pop in the fridge until you’re ready for dessert. Garnish with a few berries on top and serve with a shortbread finger or two.

Chunky pea and leek soup

I’m in a definite pattern of making a big vat of soup at the weekend, for a relaxed lunch with enough leftovers for the week ahead. Like most people at this time of year, we’re really having to watch the pennies this month, so a frugal approach is essential.

This latest recipe was adapted from this month’s BBC Good Food mag and is really fresh and tasty. There’s no cream or potato involved, but it still manages to have a satisfyingly thick texture.

If you’re trying to be healthy this is a perfect tummy filler and is crammed full of flavour from the leeks and those gorgeous mouth-popping peas that I love so much.

Chunky pea and leek soup (adapted from BBC Good Food)
Serves 4-6

5 tbsp olive oil
5 shallots, thinly sliced
3 sticks celery, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
5 leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced
300g frozen peas
850ml vegetable stock
3 handfuls basil leaves

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan on a medium heat, fry the shallots, celery and garlic and cook for about 5 mins until soft.

2. Stir in the leeks and cook for another 5 mins, then add the peas, the stock, season well and bring to the boil. Turn it down to simmer for a further 5 mins.

3. Ladle half of the soup into a food processor or bowl with stick blender, add the basil and blitz until smooth. Pour it back in with the remaining chunky soup and stir to combine. Check the seasoning and then pour into bowls and serve with crusty bread.

Tip: This soup keeps in the fridge well for a few days, or whack individual portions  in the freezer for a quick lunch.

Sweet potato and spinach lasagne

Lasagne is such a family favourite, that when our family became part-vegetarian the search was on for the ultimate non-meat recipe.

After much trial and error I found a fabulous version in Lucy’s Food – one of my favourite cookbooks of 2011. Lucy devises menus for Ski World and filled this book with the recipes. The food served up in ski chalets is generally comfort food incarnate but also smart enough to serve at relaxed dinner parties.

I’ve adjusted her recipe to double the sauce and filling and halved the pasta and the results are exquisite.

It’s the perfect make-ahead dish for feeding a large group of people, whether it’s a lunch or dinner party it’ll go down a treat. If you’re feeding a mixed group of veggies and meat-eaters, then this is a great way to please both without having to cook two different meals.

The roasted sweet potato gives it a great texture and fills you up without the greasiness of minced beef.

Comfort on a plate

Sweet potato and spinach lasagne – adapted from Lucy Cufflin recipe
serves 6-8

For the sweet potato filling
4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 2cm cubes
4 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp black onion seeds

For the quick tomato sauce
3 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato puree
6 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tsp sugar
3 tsp dried sage

For the sauce
500g washed spinach leaves
100g butter
100g plain flour
600ml milk
large pinch nutmeg

For the lasagne
6-8 sheets lasagne – fresh if possible
150g of grated cheddar – or more if needed

METHOD

1. For the sweet potato filling: Pre-heat oven to 180C/160C fan. Take two roasting tins and pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into each one. Add the cubes of sweet potato, scatter with the black onion seeds and then toss to coat the potatoes. Roast in the oven uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the potato is soft and golden.
2. For the tomato sauce: Put all the ingredients in a large pan, stir to combine and then bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer for 10-15 mins. Remove from the heat and reserve about a quarter of the tomato sauce for the freezer or to serve up with plain pasta shapes for children who won’t eat the lasagne.
3. While everything is cooking pierce the spinach bags and cook one after the other in the microwave on full power for 3 minutes. Remove and roughly chop.
4. For the sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the flour, stirring to form a smooth paste and cook on a low heat while stirring for about a minute.
5. Add the milk and nutmeg then stir quickly until the lumps have disappeared, then whisk over a medium heat until the sauce thickens. Then stir in half of the chopped spinach
6. To assemble the lasagne:  Combine the tomato sauce with your roasted sweet potato.
7. Take a large lasagne dish and put half of your sweet potato and tomato mix into the bottom – smoothing to form an even layer.
8. Place 3-4 lasagne sheets on top, then put the remaining sweet potato mix over the top in another even layer.
9. Scatter the other half of the chopped spinach over the top of this. Then place another 3-4 lasagne sheets over the top and then pour your white sauce over the top.
10. Cover the dish with foil, then cook in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove and then scatter with grated cheese and bake without the foil for a further 15 mins.
11. Serve with mixed salad and crusty bread.

I’d like to enter this recipe into two blogging events this month. I had a brief spell of taking part in blogging events, only to to fall shamefully behind with them, and then just didn’t bother.

I’m determined to make more of an effort in 2012 and be more sociable!

First of all Presto Pasta Nights, hosted this month by Alisha of Cook.Craft.Enjoy 

Do check it out if you’re in the market for some cracking pasta recipes – you can never have too many.

And secondly for Ren’s at Fabulicious Food Family Friendly Fridays.

It’s always really interesting to see what other families are cooking up, so I’m really pleased Ren has started this event.

Also, as most of my food is family friendly I’ve always got an entry on hand –  hurrah!

Lunchbox idea: banana muffins

Fresh out of the oven

I had a bunch of manky bananas hanging on my kitchen worktop for longer than I should have – they went black and really started freaking me out so I quickly mashed them up and looked for a recipe to use them with.

I turned to Nigella’s website and found this recipe – they’re not too sweet but very tasty with plenty of nutmeg and cinammon in there to warm things up on a winter’s day.

We scoffed one each with a cuppa as soon as they were cool enough to handle, and i’ve bagged up the rest and put them in the freezer so I can use them for lunchboxes in the week.

Apologies for not writing the recipe up myself, but check out Nigella’s as a guide and then adjust according to your own nuances

Or you can check out my slightly healthier recipe for Breakfast Banana muffins here based on the same recipe.

Eat me!

I’m entering this recipe into my friend Sarah at Maison Cupcake’s latest Forever Nigella Anything Goes event.

Sarah’s been working really hard on her book and is exhausted, so I thought she might like to imagine eating one of these muffins with a nice cuppa

 

Book review and chance to win Aldo Zilli’s Fresh and Green

I’ve already written about one of the frankly divine recipes from Aldo’s latest book, and since then i’ve had a chance to make another of his creations and have a good read of the rest of the tome.

So the next recipe I tried was a truly yum coconut and coriander soup with sweet potato.

Making soup from scratch is not something I do often enough, how foolish because it’s so much better than the shop bought stuff I routinely nosh for lunch.

This veggie recipe from Aldo is very quick and simple with very few ingredients, but maximum taste. The coconut and sweet potato combo is ultra comforting and sweet enough to tempt children to try it.

I made a batch the day before Sam’s 6th birthday party so we’d have a quick and easy lunch ready to come back to after the bedlum of 30 plus children throwing themselves around a sports hall.

Warming post-party soup

I dished it up with trashy children’s party leftovers – oh-so-good…

Coconut and coriander soup with sweet potato – Aldo Zilli Fresh & Green
Serves 6

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
500g sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
600ml hot veg stock
400ml can coconut milk
1 bunch coriander, chopped, plus extra for garnish
red chilli slices, to garnish (I left these out)
crusty bread, to serve

1. Heat the oil and butter in a large pan and fry the onion and garlic for 5 mins over a medium heat until the onion is soft and golden.

2. Add the potatoes to the pan and cook for 5 mins, then add the stock and stir in the coconut milk. Cook for 20 mins until the potatoes are soft. Remove the pan from the heat.

3. Blitz the soup in a blender or food processor with the coriander and season to taste. Serve the soup sprinkled with chilli slices and coriander with crusty bread.

Aldo has very kindly given me two copies of Fresh & Green to giveaway to two lucky Feeding Boys readers, so read my review then scroll down to enter!

So, onto the book…

Who is it for?

Vegetables are like so hot-right-now darling – it feels like everyone’s having a meat-free time of it lately.

Whether you’re a vegetarian yourself, cooking for visiting veggies or just fancy cutting back on your intake, this book is a really tasty and mediterranean approach to livening up  flesh-free meals.

Easy to follow

The chapters are divided into seasons, so it’s incredibly easy to dip into the relevant bit pretty swiftly and find some recipe inspiration.

The recipes themselves are simple and easy on the eye. The text is very clearly laid out and you can cook along to it no worries. There’s not loads of ingredients or long-winded methods.

There’s also minimal waffle from Aldo – he simply gives you a simple sentence or two intro to each dish which is frankly refreshing from a celebrity chef.

Family friendly

Italian food is incredibly attractive to kids and grown ups alike – pasta, pizza anyone?! The risotto I made a week or two ago was an instant hit with everyone in our house due to it’s extreme cheese factor.

Aldo gets some wonderful flavours into these dishes, so if you can persuade your kids to have that crucial first mouthful they’re sure to be won over!

Vegetarian friendly?

Well duh! But seriously, if you’re a new vegetarian, or trying to get your head around a family member turning veggie there’s a useful introduction which details which nutrients you should be aiming to include in your diet and how you can achieve this.

He also adds a little disclaimer that when he uses Parmesan in his recipes, he’s referring to the vegetarian alternative. True Parmesan is made using rennet – a by-product of animals so therefore to be avoided by the veggie brigade.

Most likely to cook

Well i’ve already tried a soup and a risotto, next on my list are some of the puddings including rhubarb tart tatin, dinner party friendly cappuccino mousse and vegan chocolate cake.

I’d also like to branch out a bit and try the grilled polenta as it looks like it has the makings of a hearty family meal.

Least likely to cook

That’s a tough one as they all look pretty inviting.

Would you buy it for a friend?

Hell yeah! It’s a gorgeous-looking book full of recipes your friends will truly thank you for giving them.

Rating out of 10

9 – Good work Aldo!

Published in hardback by Simon & Schuster, priced £20

WIN WIN WIN!

I have two copies of Aldo Zilli’s Fresh & Green to giveaway….

1. For your main chance to win please comment on this post telling me your favourite meat-free meal that you cook at home

2. For a bonus second chance to win please tweet this post Win Aldo Zill’s veggie Cookbook Fresh & Green http://wp.me/pU5T8-17o @cookingkt  #win #prize and comment HERE telling me you have done so along with your twitter username

3. For a third chance to win please follow me @cookingkt on Twitter and comment HERE to tell me you have done so.

4. For a fourth chance to win please go and ‘like’ Feeding Boys on Facebook, and come back to this page to comment you have done so.

This giveaway is open to all readers with a UK mailing address. The winner will be chosen using an online randomiser and announced in a subsequent post.

I am running this competition on behalf of Simon and Schuster who will be responsible for sending the prizes to the winners. Their decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

There is one main way to enter and several ways to get bonus entries. You must leave a separate comment for each bonus entry otherwise they will not be counted.

Closing date: Monday 30th January, 2012

Thanks to Aldo Zilli for my review copy of Fresh & Green

Crunchy chicken bites

Crunchy chicken bites

As a general rule, the more time and effort I spend on cooking child-friendly food, the less likely my boys are to eat it. It’s pretty depressing at times, but I know a lot of my friends feel the same way.

But the exception to this rule is home-made chicken goujons. They’re messy to make, and not something you want to be faffing about with at 5pm on a weeknight, but if you have time to make them in advance they’re well worth the effort.

I’m a bit sqeamish about buying ready-made chicken nuggets so at least with home-made ones you’re safe in the knowledge that you’ve selected the meat yourself – so it’s not going to be processed muck.

Coating the chicken

I use crushed up cornflakes instead of breadcrumbs to coat the meat – it gives a very satisfyingly crunchy finish.

I’m not hugely keen on getting bits of raw chicken under my fingernails, so as it’s a supermucky process I’d definitely recommend getting some disposable gloves for the job. I just use Sainsbury’s own brand ones.

Crunchy chicken bites (feeds 4)

2 chicken breasts
flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 handfuls cornflakes, crushed
oil for frying

1. Remove skin from chicken breasts and then cut into equal fish-finger sized strips.

2. Place your flour, beaten egg and crushed cornflakes in separate shallow bowls. Dunk each chicken strip into the flour to give it an even coating, then egg then a good roll around in the crushed cornflakes.

3. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan and then cook the chicken strips for approx 3 minutes until golden on one side, then turn them all over until thoroughly cooked. Remove from pan and sit on a piece of kitchen paper. Serve with pesto-coated new potatoes and your kids’ fave vegetables.

Tips:

1. Make them in advance up to the end of step 2, then chill or freeze until ready to cook them.

2. I fried mine, but i’m sure they’d be just as easily cooked on a baking sheet in a hot oven for 15 minutes. Let me know if you try this method!

Ever so cheesy baked risotto with tomato and mozzarella

I’ve got a new cook book that i’m every so slightly in love with… it’s a vegetarian book by Aldo Zilli called Fresh & Green.

I got my mitts on it last month at an event with the Italian chef himself, and after comparing notes about cooking for our vegetarian spouses he gave me a copy of his new book before it’s even hit the shelves – result!

You’d normally associate Aldo Zilli with fish, but let me tell you he’s done wonders with vegetables in his latest tome, and it’s family-friendly too which is perfect.

I’ll try and do a full review of the book later in the month, but for now let me whet your appetites with a stonking risotto recipe that I tried out this week.

It’s a VERY cheesy affair – boasting not only mozzarella but pecorino too. You get your veggie fix from the shallots and tin of tomatoes, but this is strictly comfort food we’re talking about here.

It does take up an hour of your life to get it on the table – from the chopping, endless stirring and then baking. But it IS worth it.

We ate it in bowls sitting around the table on a chilly bank holiday in our warm PJs and it felt pretty damned blissful!

Baked risotto with tomato and mozzarella – from Fresh & Green by Aldo Zilli
(Serves 4 generously)

2 tbsp olive oil
50g butter
4 banana shallots, finely chopped
325g arborio rice
250ml white wine
1.5 litres hot vegetable stock (I probably used more like 1.2 litres)
400g tin chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 tbsp pecorino cheese, grated
200g mozzarella, torn into pieces
4 tbsp breadcrumbs

1. Heat the oil and half the butter in a large deep frying pan. Gently fry the shallots for 5 mins until soft. Add the rice and stir until coated with the butter. Turn up the heat and pour in the wine, cook until the liquid has been absorbed.

2. Keep your stock in a separate pan on a low heat and add one ladle at a time to the rice, stirring over a medium heat until the liquid disappears before adding the next ladleful. Once the rice is close to being cooked add the tin of tomatoes and season.

3. Once the rice is cooked remove from heat and stir in the parsley, pecorino and remaining butter. Stir in the mozzarella.

4. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/160′C fan/Gas 4. Grease a roasting tin with butter and then sprinkle over 2 tbsp of the breadcrumbs so coated on the bottom and sides. Pour the risotto into the prepared tin and then scatter the top with the remaining breadcrumbs. Cook for 20 minutes until golden.

The stringy cheese made it fun to eat

It’s the first recipe I’ve cooked from the book, but it was such a hit with the boys that I’m going back for more, so watch this space.

Happy New Year and December’s winners

Happy New Year from the boys of feeding boys!

I just wanted to say a BIG thank you for visiting my blog this year and leaving so many nice comments about my recipes and entering my competitions.

I started this website on a whim in 2010 and it’s now become a huge part of my life, so it means a lot that I’ve got such a fab crowd of readers out there

So to sign off for 2011, here’s a list of those lucky winners of my December giveaways:

Pipers Farm Turkey

Sioned Davies 

Asda Extra Special Leiths Hamper

Angie Sandhu

Aggie’s Family Cookbook

Claire Smith
Stacey Guilliatt

A case of McGuigan’s wines

Laura Pritchard 

OXO salt and pepper grinders

Gillian Holmes 

Thanks for the incredible amount of entries that flooded in this month! Come back for more family-friendly recipes, product reviews and giveaways in 2012