Try these recipes with Today's Special Value

If Today's Special Value silicone bakeware set has taken your fancy, then take a peek at these tasty recipes from Mal Harradine. The guest expert from cook's essentials has collected the recipes over the years from his loyal fan base, and thought he'd share them with you…

"Hi everyone, Mal here,

I simply love Today's Special Value and thought I'd share a few recipes with you that will cook beautifully with the silicone bakeware set.

Here's a recipe from Margaret Johnson who I met at the Royal Cornwall Show in Wadebridge, Cornwall.

An emmet Cornish pasty - the Cornish call anyone who isn't Cornish an emmet!
 
Ingredients
1.5lb ready made short crust pastry
2.25lb partially boiled potatoes cubed
4oz diced raw smoked bacon
3tbsp chopped chives
2tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 medium free range egg
25fl oz milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
• Roll out half of the pastry and to make an oblong about 3mm thick and then do the same with the remainder of the pastry to make an identical shape.

• Pile the potato cubes and spread to within 1/4" of the edge of the pastry.

• Sprinkle on the diced bacon on top of the potatoes, followed by the chives and finally drizzle over the Worcestershire sauce.

• Season with the salt and the pepper and then with the end of a wooden spoon, prod little holes into the mixture.

• In a bowl, lightly beat the egg with the milk and then pour three quarters of the mixture into the ready made holes.

• With the remaining egg wash brush the edge of the pastry and then cover with the second rolled out pastry crimping the edges together with your fingers.

• Brush the remaining egg wash over the top of the pastry and place onto the baking sheet.

• Place in a preheated oven and bake at 400F for 45 minutes or until the pastry is golden.

If you think that sounds good, take a peek at Mum Harradine's delicious old fashion recipes.
 
Dark bread pudding

Ingredients
1.5lb bread
2.5 pints of boiling water
1tbsp black treacle
2 eggs
1tsp each of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ground ginger
3oz sultanas
3 oz mixed peel
2.5 oz currants
1 rounded tbsp dark brown soft brown sugar
 
Method
• Tear the bread into pieces and place into a mixing bowl.

• Pour the boiling water over the bread and allow to soak until the water goes cold.

• Using a clean tea towel wring out the bread and place back into the dry mixing bowl.

• Add all the remaining ingredients and mix in well.

• Place the mixture into the square silicone roaster and spread out evenly, then cover with foil.

• Bake on the middle shelf at 355F for 1 hour.

• Take off the foil cover and continue to bake for a further 15 minutes.


Swiss tarts

Ingredients
8oz margarine
2oz caster sugar or icing sugar
Few drops of vanilla extract
12 tsp raspberry jam

Method
• Cream the margarine and the sugar together until light and fluffy.

• Add the vanilla extract and the flour and beat in until well combined.

• Place the mixture into a piping bag with a small star nozzle and pipe the mixture into the 12 silicone cups. Start at the centre and swirl to make a spiral, leaving a depression in the centre.

• Place in the oven on the middle shelf and bake for 30 minutes at 375F.

• Take out of the oven and spoon in the jam into the centre.


And lastly, here's a recipe I picked up from a butcher I met at the Cook and Dine cook shop in Doncaster about six weeks ago.

Stuffed chicken breast with Stilton and seedless grapes

Ingredients
2 free range chicken breast, skin removed
8 slices prosciutto ham
2tbsp olive oil
4tbsp Stilton cheese
8 seedless grapes, halved
2tbsp fresh basil, torn
Black pepper
 
For the sauce
3 spring onions, chopped
4 chestnut mushrooms, chopped
250ml white wine
250ml chicken stock
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
25g unsalted butter

Method
• With a paring knife, carefully make a slit into the chicken breast along the whole of the breast until you have make a pocket.

• Stuff the pocket with the Stilton cheese, basil and the seedless grapes.

• Lay four slices of prosciutto ham onto a board overlapping each slice and lay the chicken piece in the middle. Season with the black pepper and gently roll up the chicken breast. Repeat with the second chicken piece.

• In a frying pan add the olive oil and let it get hot. Sear the chicken until the ham is golden brown and transfer to the square or round silicone roaster and keep warm.

• In the meantime, make the sauce by returning the pan to the heat and get fairly hot. Add the onions, mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes on a medium heat.

• Pour in the wine and reduce the liquid to half the volume.

• Add the chicken stock and again reduce by half and then season to taste. 

• Pour over the chicken and place in the oven and cook for 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

• Serve with potato rostis and steamed mixed peppers.

Hope you enjoy cooking these fantastic recipes. Let me know how you get on by leaving a comment in the box below."
 

Comments

[Mrs Clifford]

You said the lamb casserole recipe would be on here, but I can't find it. And it looked gorgeous. I would love to try it. Thankyou very much.

[Lisa Andrews]

Well done Malcolm, you have made my water with those recipes

[Ryan's daughter]

The recipes sound delicious Malcolm, but I am afraid you haven't specified the amount of flour required to make your Swiss Tarts.