St George’s Day savoury bread & butter pudding

April 23, 2020April 23, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ 4 Comments

Celebrate this St George’s Day like a true Brit, with my savoury twist on an English classic. This cheese and onion bread and butter pudding is cheap, easy and a great way to use up any stale bread you happen to have lying around. Happy St George’s Day chaps!

Savoury bread & butter pudding
Serves 4-6 / Hands on time 20 mins / Total time 50 mins / V
2 red onions, roughly sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly sliced
400g white sourdough loaf (or any bread you happen to have. I like sourdough as it’s a little more robust and tends to keep its form).
75g medium vegetarian cheddar cheese, grated
75g cheese of your choice grated or crumbled (I used a combination of Emmental and cheddar but you can use any cheese you like)
Handful fresh thyme sprigs
5 eggs
500ml semi-skimmed milk

TIP: I often half the recipe and make a smaller version for 2 in a smaller dish. It’s a great way of using up any unwanted slices of stale bread you have lying around. Also, you don’t have to use sourdough, regular sliced bread works too – although bear in mind you may need more of it. If halving the recipe, use 3 eggs.

Method
1. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6. Roughly slice the onions and put them to one side.
2. Butter a 2 litre oven dish and begin slicing the bread. Once sliced, pick up the slices as a loaf and put straight into the oven dish. Pull the slices apart to fill the dish creating a zig zag effect (see image below). If you’re using odd bits of bread, just arrange them as best as you can – doesn’t have to be perfect. Roughly slice the onions and the garlic clove.
3. Grate or crumbled all the cheeses, saving a handful of hard cheese for the topping (a hard grated cheese is better for sprinkling). Put to one side.
4. Evenly distribute the sliced onions and garlic through the layers of bread before packing with the cheeses. Insert a few thyme sprigs throughout and put to one side.
5. In a separate bowl or jug, whisk the eggs and milk together until combined before pouring slowly over the pudding, making sure you manage to soak all the bread. Season well with salt and pepper before topping with the remaining handful of grated cheese. Bake in the oven on the middle shelf, for 25-30 mins.
6. Remove from the oven, discard the charred thyme sprigs and serve with a simple green salad a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V– Vegetarian

Leek & cheddar loaf

February 3, 2020March 24, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ 2 Comments

Currently unemployed/freelance, I seem to spend most of my days, actively avoiding doing any form of work. Whether it be cleaning, job hunting or working on my ‘brilliant’ life changing new business ideas, I just seem to find myself watching episode after episode of Judge Rinder and eating slice after slice of this delicious leek and cheese loaf. Well a girl has got to eat and Judge Rinder is very wise… I can change my life tomorrow.

This loaf goes great with hearty soups and can also be enjoyed as a breakfast on the go or simply toasted spread with butter. So get your loaf on and become a lazy bum like me #lifegoals.

Leek and cheddar loaf
Makes 1 loaf / Hands on time 20 mins / Total time 1hr 20 mins + cooling / V ❄
You’ll need: 2lb/900g loaf tin, baking paper
Rapeseed oil or butter for greasing
150g leek (1 medium leek) finely chopped
75g strong mature vegetarian cheddar, grated
250g self-raising flour
50g wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp sea salt flakes
250ml semi-skimmed milk
2 eggs
Few springs of thyme, leaves picked
Black pepper
40g vegetarian Italian hard cheese or Parmesan*, grated
Small handful pumpkin seeds

TIP: If you have any extra root vegetables to use up, replace the leeks with whatever you have to hand. Grate hard vegetables such as carrots and butternut squash and finely chop fibrous greens. You can also replace the cheddar with a cheese of your choice.

Method
1. Preheat an oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ 350°F/gas mark 4. Grease a loaf tin with oil or butter and line the bottom with baking paper. Put to one side.
2. Finely chop the leek and grate the cheddar. Mix together in a medium sized bowl and add the Italian hard cheese, keeping a handful a side for later.
3. In a larger mixing bowl, measure out the flours, baking powder, salt and mix until combined. Add the leek and cheese mixture, thyme leaves and a good crack of black pepper and mix well until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
4. In a mixing jug, measure out 250ml of semi-skimmed milk and crack in 2 eggs. Beat with a fork until fully incorporated. Pour straight into the dry mixture and mix quickly until combined – adding the wet ingredients to the dry activated the baking powder so the sooner you can get it in the oven the better.
5. Pour into a loaf tin and top with the remaining cheese and a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds. Bake in the oven for 1 hr.
6. Remove and cool in the tin for 10 mins before turning out and cooling fully on a rack. However, if you’re desperate to eat it warm feel free, just bear in mind the loaf will be a little soft so slice carefully. Serve on its own or spread with butter. Wrap in foil and keep refrigerated for up to 5 days.

V – Vegetarian
❄ – Once cooled, slice and wrap well in cling film or foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost fully in the fridge before consuming.
*Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiani) is always made using animal rennet, therefore it is not vegetarian. Substitute for Italian hard cheese if applicable.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

Savoury green drop scones

March 4, 2019January 5, 2021 ~ Corrie ~ 2 Comments

Let’s be honest, no right-minded person in their thirties is getting up early to make pancakes before work on Pancake Day. Chances are, you have no idea it’s Pancake Day until someone mentions it to you at work, and that’s when you realise you have no lemons, no maple syrup or anything remotely pancake-y in your house. However, if you don’t want to miss out on the ‘fun,’ but are not overly keen on the idea of lemon and sugar pancakes for dinner, then skip the supermarket on the way home and try my savoury drop scones – aka, Scottish pancakes.
Made mostly from ingredients you may already have lying around, these little babies make the perfect midweek meal. Happy Pancake Day!

Savoury green drop scones
Makes 8-10 / Serves 2 / Hands on time 30 mins / Total time 30 mins / V
175g spelt, wholemeal or plain flour
200ml semi skimmed milk
1 egg
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp rapeseed oil
3 springs onions, finely chopped
1 large handful of greens (you can use any chopped greens you like for this recipe – I use a mixture of savoy cabbage and kale but spinach, cavolo nero, chard or even brussels sprouts will work. You can also use grated root vegetables such as carrots or parsnips)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Handful fresh coriander, chopped
50g vegetarian cheese of your choice – I used cheddar
30g vegetarian Italian hard cheese or Parmesan* (optional)
½ tsp sea salt
Rocket, avocado slices and extra virgin olive oil to serve

Method
1. Preheat an oven to 100°C/80°C fan/210F/gas mark 1.
2. Weigh out the spelt flour and the baking powder and combine in a large bowl. Add 200ml of semi-skimmed milk to a jug and crack in 1 egg. Whisk the egg in the jug with the milk until fully incorporated. Put to one side.
3. Finely chop the spring onions, garlic, coriander and your selection of greens. Grate both cheeses and put to one side.
4. Add ½ tsp of salt to the flour and mix before making a well in the middle and pouring in the milk bit by bit, whisking continuously. Once you have a smooth batter, add the other ingredients until fully incorporated.
5. Put a large non-stick frying pan over a medium to high heat and add a tsp of rapeseed oil. Once hot, drop a heaped tablespoon of mixture into the pan and push down with the back of the spoon to create a round-dish shape. Repeat this process making sure the drop scones are not to close together. After a couple of minutes, flip the scones over and press down on them with the back of a spatular to help them cook through – feel free to flip them over a couple more time to insure they are cooked all the way through.
6. Turn the scones out onto a plate, cover loosely with foil and place in the warm oven while you make your second batch of scones. Repeat this process until you have no batter left. Serve warm with a simple rocket salad, sliced avocado, a good crack of black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V– Vegetarian
*Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiani) is always made using animal rennet, therefore it is not vegetarian. Substitute for Italian hard cheese if applicable.

Leek & cheese muffins

July 16, 2018January 21, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ 1 Comment

Muffins seemed like a good idea until I realised I’d have to turn the oven on in my already stiflingly-hot flat. What the hell was I thinking? It’s 30°c in London today, I should be lying under a tree somewhere, sucking on a Calippo and reading a sonnet. But no, instead, I’m angrily chopping leeks and grating cheese in a bid to jazz up my breakfasts. Was it worth it? Well, it was for Jamie. I’d only eaten one before he got to them – they never had a chance.

Leek & cheese muffins
Makes 6 large or 12 regular muffins / Hands on time 20 mins / Total time 45 mins + cooling / V ❄
Dry
2 leeks (150g) finely diced
100g vegetarian Italian hard cheese or *Parmesan, grated
Few sprigs of Thyme, leaves picked
¼ tsp Nutmeg
½ tsp dried parsley
½ tsp herbs de Provence
1 tbs pumpkin seeds (extra for sprinkling)
200g spelt or wholemeal flour
50g oats
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Wet
2 large eggs
250g semi-skimmed milk
4 tbs rapeseed oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Method
1. Preheat an oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6. Line a tin with muffin cases and finely dice your leeks – put both to one side. Combine the dry ingredients together (excluding the leeks and a small handful of grated Italian hard cheese) in a large bowl and give it a good mix.
2. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until fully incorporated.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir with a wooden spoon until roughly combined, being careful not to over-mix. Add the diced leeks and stir until evenly distributed.
4. Evenly spoon into the muffins cases and top with a sprinkling pumpkin seeds and a little parmesan. Bake in the oven for 20 mins for 12 muffins or 25-30 mins for 6 large muffins. The muffins are cooked when a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. Leave to rest in the tin for 5 minuets before turning out onto a cooling rack. Serve warm with butter or leave to cool completely and enjoy on the go.
STORE: Either in an airtight container and gobble up within a couple of days or freeze and defrost on demand (that’s what I do).

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V – Vegetarain
❄ To freeze, cool fully before wrapping individually in a few layers of clingfilm and freeze for up to 3 months.
*Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiani) is always made using animal rennet, therefore it is not vegetarian. Substitute for Italian hard cheese if applicable.

Savoury bread & butter pudding

November 7, 2016May 10, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ 3 Comments

`’Oh and I think your blog is soooo great, all your food looks soooo delicious and you’re just soooo funny…”
Oh stop it I blush. I’m really not that funny. I smile goofily at my computer screen and wave my hand at it as if to say, ‘get outta here’.
I read on…
‘The majority of people food blogging aren’t very interesting, so it’s nice to stumble across someone who doesn’t make me skip straight to the recipe. I especially like the blogs you do with your son…”
What did she say? Son? What son?… I haven’t got a son! The only person that features on my blog other than me is… NOOOOOOO!
SHE THINKS MY BOYFRIEND JAMIE IS MY SON?!
Am I that old and shrivelled that she’s mistaken me for my boyfriend’s mother? Well this is a new low. Perhaps I should sit down? NO! That’s what old people do. Maybe he just looks freakishly young? I’m only 32 for god sake! Perhaps I should ask for a giant vat of ‘Olay Regenerist’ for Christmas, just in case. I wonder if it’s still made with babies umbilical cords or was just a 90’s rumour? Not sure I fancy putting umbilical cord cream on my face but as I’m ageing at an alarming rate, needs must. Oh well, at least she thought I was funny.

Anyway, speaking of mum’s, this recipe is inspired by a dish my very own mother, Lizzie, used to make. Her recipe is long lost of course – she manages to lose all of her beloved recipes, so had a go at making it from memory. It’s essentially made up of my two favourite things in life, bread and cheese. So go grab your big pants, it’s time to get your carb on.

Method
1. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6.
2. Butter a 2 litre oven dish and begin slicing the bread. Once sliced, pick up the slices as a loaf and put straight into the oven dish. Pull the slices apart to fill the dish creating a zig zag effect (see image below). If you’re using odd bits of bread, just arrange them as best as you can – doesn’t have to be perfect. Roughly slice the onions and the garlic clove.
3. Grate or crumbled all the cheeses, saving a handful of hard cheese for the topping (a hard grated cheese is better for sprinkling). Put to one side.
4. Evenly distribute the sliced onions and garlic through the layers of bread before packing with the cheeses. Insert a few thyme sprigs throughout and put to one side.
5. In a separate bowl or jug, whisk the eggs and milk together until combined before pouring slowly over the pudding, making sure you manage to soak all the bread. Season well with salt and pepper before topping with the remaining handful of grated cheese. Bake in the oven on the middle shelf, for 25-30 mins.
6. Remove from the oven, discard the charred thyme sprigs and serve with a simple green salad.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V– Vegetarian