"Your Chef"

Wedding 2001, Chicken Liver pate

2009-11-16T15:02:00.001Z

Hi Everyone?

Yet another bust week at ?Your Chef?, soup deliveries are all done and dusted, just over 2000 portions of homemade soup, made and delivered.

We had Julian Newells 40th Birthday to cater for on Saturday and an excellent night was had by everyone who attended. I think there may have been one or two sore heads on Sunday morning!! But if it?s any consolation to Julian, he didn?t look?or act?40 !!

We?ve had our first wedding enquiry for 2011 today. That?s the earliest one we?ve had so far, I love people who think ahead and book early, I really hate disappointing people when they have left it too late to get the date they want.

This weeks recipe is a personal fave, it?s great to make in advance and freeze for Christmas. It will freeze for 4-6 months.

Chicken Liver Pate
Makes approx 6-8 portions

8oz 2lb Butter
8oz 2lb Chicken Livers
180ml double Cream
4 egg yolks
3 tbsp Port
3 tbsp Brandy (drink the rest of the bottle!!!!!!)
2 cloves Garlic
S&P
Blitz everything together in a food processor and put in an oven proof dish that is lined with clingfilm or greaseproof paper.
Cook in oven for 45 mins - 1 hour depending on depth of the dish.
Chill overnight until firm

Serve it with salad as a starter and some melba toast or dish it up for lunch with some crusty bread and red onion chutney.

Quite a busy week coming up, lots of running around and thinking ahead for our Christmas functions. Most of December is booked up but we do have a couple of dates free if anyone is planning a last minute Christmas bash. Anyway not a lot to tell you this week I?m afraid, been to busy to make interesting notes..!
The usual array of things to cater this week, never a dull moment!!

Thanks for reading, have a good week.

?YourChef? Chris Sharpe

Soup, Fairy Princess party, Passion Cake Recipe

2009-11-09T09:52:00.005Z

Hi, sorry for no blog last week, it was a very busy week and I never seemed to get the time to sit and write about it!! Anyway, at least I have plenty of things to tell you this week. I am still on the soup contract so am delivering 600 portions of soup for another week. We have tried to have a different flavour each day but a couple have been repeated due to public demand.

We did a children’s fairy princess party on Saturday which was absolutely lovely, the girls were all sooooo well behaved. It was very girly, they all have fairy dust in their hair, finger nails painted and they all seemed to love it. Much quieter than boy’s parties….!

The other good news from last week was that we got our scores on the doors rating from North Lincs council and we got a 4 out of 5 which is very good. You can view the report at www.northlincs.gov.uk/NorthLincs/Environment/food/foodsafety

Or at www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk

I for one was very pleased with the score we attained.

So this week we have soup to deliver every day, a luncheon, a dinner for around 80 and a fortieth birthday party on Saturday. So all in all another busy week.

This weeks recipe is one that a friend has asked me for and she wants to make it to sell for children in need, it’s very easy and absolutely fool proof. It’s called a passion cake but it’s more like a carrot cake.

Passion cake

Ingredients

250g / 9oz Self raising flour

200g / 7oz light muscovado sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

2 free range eggs

200ml / 7floz sunflower oil

2 bananas mashed

125g / 4oz grated carrot (about 2 decent sized ones)

50g / 2oz desiccated coconut

50g / 2oz chopped walnuts

50g / 2oz raisins

50g / 2oz chopped nuts or macadamia nuts

For the filling

100g / 3.5 oz butter or margarine

100g / 3.5 oz cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla essence

250g icing sugar

Method.

Pre heat oven to 180C/Gas 4 and line two 7-8” sandwich tins

Mix the flour, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and stir in the eggs and oil, gently fold in the bananas, carrot, coconut, walnuts, raisins and nuts. Divide the mix between the 2 tins and bake foe 30-35 mins or until the top springs back when gently pressed. Do not over bake.

Leave to cool.

For the filling, cream together all the ingredients and put half in between the cooled cakes to sandwich them together and the other half on the top. Sprinkle with a few chopped walnuts,

Make a coffee and enjoy a large slice!!!

As ever if there are any recipes you would like to see on here please let me know.

Not many suggestions for what we can do for children in need so put your thinking caps on….

Thanks for reading, have a great week.

"Your Chef" Chris Sharpe

Spice Pumpkin Soup, Halloween, Dinners, Luncheon, Sultana Bread

2009-10-26T15:00:00.001Z

Hi there, just returned from delivering soup so thought I?d better do my blog before it gets to Tuesday! Well we have delivered our 100 portions of soup every day last week and it seems to have gone down very well. We haven?t run out of flavours yet either. We are delivering 120 portions every day this week, with us delivering Pumpkin soup on Friday as it?s Halloween the day after. We did the Sea Cadets Battle of Trafalgar dinner on Saturday night and the young cadets who helped out with the waiting on really showed what the sea cadets are all about. This week brings us a dinner, two luncheons and of course our daily soup trip
.
We are going to do something to raise some cash for Children in need this year, if anyone has any suggestions as to what they might like to see us do (clean and legal suggestions only please) then please do let us know. I?m sure it will involve food, probably music and almost definitely?us looking a bit daft!

November is looking like a busy month with dinners, luncheons, 40th birthday parties and children?s party all coming up. December is getting rather full so if you need anything catering in December get it booked now as there are not many free dates left.

This weeks recipe has to be pumpkin related as it?s Halloween and one of my favourite recipes is spiced pumpkin soup. You can scoop all the insides out and use it for soup then use the shells for making pumpkin faces. Please send any pictures of your sculptures that you have and we can post them on our Facebook page.

Spiced pumpkin soup

Serves 3-4 people

Ingredients
? red onion chopped
Drizzle of olive oil
1 clove of garlic
450g diced pumpkin
2 tsp Mr Hudas Universal paste
1 tin of coconut milk
200ml water
2 tbsp maple syrup

Method
In a pan big enough to take all the ingredients soften the onion in a little oil.
Add all the other ingredients and simmer for 35 mins, blitz with either a hand blender or in a food processor, and serve with sultana bread or home made crusty bread.

Thanks for reading, have a great week.

Soup, dinner party, Sea cadets

2009-10-19T14:31:00.001+01:00

Well what a busy spell?..so busy in fact that I am in trouble for not doing a blog last week! Ooh err sorry?.

We had a different request from a company in Scunthorpe and we are delivering 100 portions of soup every day for potentially three weeks, they are having their central heating replaced and want to keep their employees warm, nice to hear about a considerate company. Any soup suggestions would be very welcome just in case I run out of ideas!

A mixture of dinner parties and luncheons with week, ending with a battle of Trafalgar dinner at the end of the week. The young sea cadets help us and it?s always a great night. Another busy week in store, it would appear.

This weeks recipe is using beetroot, which is in season, grown locally and very good for you. Locally grown beetroot can be found at Brigg Fruit and Veg shop in Brigg town centre or at Johnny Walkers farm shop at Wrawby, both are excellent quality and very sweet. Having used the local beetroot to make this recipe I can highly recommend it, try it with a good quality cheedar or wth cold meats. It is relatively easy to make and my friends all gave it a thumbs up?and they are my best critics!
Ingredients:
1.3kg peeled beetroot, boiled until soft, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
675g apples, peeled, cored and chopped
600ml vinegar
1 tsp freshly-grated ginger
1 tsp salt
225g sugar
juice of 1 large lemon
Method:
Combine all the vegetables and fruit in a pan with the vinegar, bring to a boil and cook for about 50 minutes, or until the ingredients form a pulp. Add the ginger, salt and sugar and continue boiling for 15 minutes then add the lemon juice. Take off the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before transferring to jars that have been sterilized and warmed in an oven pre-heated to 120?C for 10 minutes. Secure with vinegar-proof lids and place in a cool, dark, cupboard to mature for at least 4 weeks before using.

Thanks for reading, have a great week.

"YourChef" Chris Sharpe

Apple Chutney, Lincolnshire Day, Mr Huda's, Chilli

2009-10-09T07:32:00.001+01:00

Well a late blog I?m afraid, could make a list of excuses but thought it was better just to get on with it!

With Halloween looming I am coming up with some pumpkin recipes today so they will be in next weeks blogg. We have been sent some Canadian wild rice mixes to try and so far they are looking good so they will no doubt be incorporated into the pumpkin somehow!

Last week I was with Mr Huda in Binns in Lincoln joining in the Lincolnshire day exhibitions. We cooked up some Chicken Tikka and some Spiced meat balls which went down a treat with everyone that tried them. Exhibiting next to us was Deborah from Gringley Gringos who grows chillis and makes some fantastic products with them. I bought a good selection of her products and have to say I think I am becoming addicted to the Grape Jelly with Thai Chilli and the Lime and Coriander Chilli Jelly is one of the nicest things I have tasted lately. I will try and incorporate some of it into a recipe before I eat it all ! Visit their web site www.gringleygringo.com

This weeks recipe will help you use up all your wind fall apples that are now in abundance. Its really easy will make you a couple of good sized jars and will keep for about 3-5 months unopened. Once you open it, it won?t last long at all?..

Apple Chutney
15 tart apples - peeled, cored, and finely chopped
1 med onion, quartered
2 inch pieces fresh ginger root, peeled and left whole
235 ml white wine vinegar
100 g white sugar
110 g brown sugar
1 pinch of cinnamon
1 pinch white pepper
A pinch ground cardamom
A pinch of nutmeg
In a saucepan, mix the apples, onion, ginger, vinegar, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, white pepper, cardamom, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the apples are tender. Mix in some water if necessary to keep the ingredients moist. Remove the onion and ginger, and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
It?s great served with cheese or just on the side of some pork steaks.
We have a quiet weekend this week so I will be in my kitchen for most of it cooking up things with wild rice, pumpkins and chilli jam! Watch this space!

Thanks for reading, have a great week.

Canadian Wild Rice, House Of Fraser, Asian Food

2009-09-28T17:38:00.001+01:00

Well?..another busy week at Your Chef! We had a couple of dinners , a cake buffet, which was a dream to prep for ( I love baking cakes) and a lunch. We rounded off the week yesterday with a harvest festival lunch for 80 people, the excellent topside of beef supplied by Waters butchers in Brigg went down a treat.

Coming up?.if you are in Lincoln on Thursday pop into House of Fraser (Binns) and I will be cooking up some curries along with Maff Huda of Mr Huda?s Surma secrets. We will be cooking and distributing samples of some great Asian dishes. If you pop in come and make yourself known.

Weddings are getting booked up for next year at a nice rate of knots. I have even had an enquiry for 2011 !

What is in season this week?well I though I?d go for Damsons, my friend Joyce makes the best damson jam ever. I had a bash at it last week with some damsons that my neighbor gave me and I was quite pleased with the results. The recipe I used was on the following website http://homepage.ntlworld.com/family.lindop/Jam/damson.htm
It worked very well for me.

I have some Canadian wild rice to cook up and try this week so I will have some recipes involving that next week.

Thanks for reading, have a great week

"YourChef" Chris Sharpe

Surprise party, figs, Olympics

2009-09-25T20:14:00.001+01:00

I am in trouble for not doing my blog last week, many apologies, I was very busy at the beginning of the week and then the weekend loomed and before I knew it the week had gone. Anyway, we have obviously had another busy week. The surprise party was truly a surprise to Sally and her husband Glynn had done a great job of organizing it all, she turned up to a garden full of 50 of her friends and family, a live singer, a hot buffet and more present and flowers than you could shake a stick at! Both Sally and her surprise guests all had a great time, and what a nice crowd of people they all were. I hope there were not too many sore heads the following morning.

We had dinners, lunches and a buffet to cater last week and have the same mix to cater for this week, I have an afternoon tea to deliver tomorrow and I’m looking forward to the baking this afternoon, I don’t very often get the chance to bake fancy cakes so that will be something different to do.

Following my recent efforts in the race for life I have decided to up my training and try and get fit enough to do the great north run next year. If anyone has any training tips or fancies a running buddy let me know.

What’s in season this week, well, in my garden my Fig has just delivered me my very first figs! I have had 5 of them and they are the first I have had from my 5 year old fig tree. So I thought I would give you a fig recipe as they are a delicious fruit and hugely under rated.In ancient Greece athletes would eat figs in training for the Olympics so I am going to eat my 5 and hope they help me in my training!! This is a really easy recipe and great if you haven’t cooked or eaten fresh figs before. Fresh figs will only keep for about 2 or 3 days so don’t buy them too far in advance.

Ingredients

12 ripe fresh figs
4tbsp clear honey
200g tub of Greek natural yoghurt
25g flaked almonds, lightly toasted

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180C. Trim the end of the stalks off each fig and then cut a cross into the top of each one and open it up slightly.
2. Place the figs in a non stick oven proof dish 3. Spoon the honey equally over the fruit cook at around 180C for 15 minutes until tender.
4. Add a good spoonful of Greek yoghurt to each one, sprinkle with the nuts and eat while they're still warm.

Thank you for reading, enjoy your week.

Hull Food festival, Curried Crusted Cod, Surprise Party

2009-09-07T12:28:00.001+01:00

Another varied week at ?Your Chef?, a rather wet demonstration at Hull Global food fest and a couple of buffets thrown in for good measure!

In conjunction with Mr Huda?s Surma Secrets I did a demo at the Hull Global Food Fest last Friday, I demonstrated Tikka salmon, balti cous cous, a mushroom bahjee and some mint and tamarind dip. All the dishes went down very well, despite the weather deciding to degenerate just as I went on stage. Helen Philpot was an excellent host on stage and kept amazingly cheery and up beat even in the grey drizzle that persisted. So thanks to her for that. All the recipes that I did can be found on Mr Hudas website which is www.mr-hudas.co.uk they all went together really well and were very well received by the cagoule clad spectators!

This week we have a function on Wednesday night and a garden party on Friday, followed by a surprise party on Saturday. (I believe it is still a secret so details cannot be given as yet?!)

Seeing as I did some Curry demonstrations last week I thought I would carry on the spiced theme and give you this recipe for Curry Crusted Cod, it?s much, much healthier than fried fish and in my opinion its tastier. I really like this on Pollack as you can still taste all the flavours once the dish is put together. Its great served with a green salad and a small jacket potato, and the Mint and Tamarind dip goes perfectly.

Curry Crust for fish...
A quick easy dish that is healthier than deep fried fish but just as tasty...

This topping will be enough for 2 decent sized fillets (8-10oz each) of white fish such as Cod, Haddock or Pollack

2 thick slices of stale white or granary bread
2-3 tsp Mr Huda universal curry paste
A handful of fresh coriander..chopped
1 oz melted butter (can be ommitted or substituted for something more healthy)

Place all the ingredients except the butter in a food processor and pulse until your have something that looks like the texture of crumble topping, when this is done add the butter and pulse half a dozen times to mix the butter through the crumb mix. Put the crumb on top of the seasoned fish and pat down lightly, if you press too hard it will be too heavy and it you don't press it hard enough it will be too crumbly, so use your best judgement. Bake on a greased baking tray at about 180-200 C for about 20 minutes.Serve with a large mixed salad and some mint and tamarind yoghurt dip..

I always welcome any feedback from anyone who tries my recipes. It is always nice to know if they were easy to follow etc?so please do let me know if you try one.

If you cannot find a supplier for Mr Huda?s Curry spices let me know and I will let you know where your nearest supplier is located. It?s a great product and deserves to be tried.

Thank you for reading, enjoy your week.

?YourChef? Chris Sharpe

Hull Global food Fest, RAF, Reunion, weddings, Mr Huda's

2009-09-02T17:30:00.003+01:00

What a very productive week we have had. We catered for the whole weekend for the RAF reunion at Elsham and what a lovely atmosphere it was, and what lovely people we encountered.

We are doing a demonstration at Hull Global food fest this week and can be seen on stage at around 11.30 on Friday 4^th September. We will be demonstrating several dishes using Mr Huda’s Surma secret spices. If you come and watch please come over and say hello. If you can’t catch us at the demo itself then come to Mr Huda’s stand and make yourself known.

We have a surprise party to cater for next Saturday so I obviously can’t give you any more details at present in case something gives the game away, but I will report back after the event and let you know how it went.

I think next year is going to be a good wedding year as we have had several bookings already, and more enquires are coming in each day.

This weeks recipe is using Plums, which are in season and extremely plentiful. The sharpness of the vinegar and the sweetness of the plums complement the pork really well. You can also make a plum compote to go with roast pork by using the same ingredients and simmering it for around 25 mins in an uncovered pan. Give it a try I hope you like it.

INGREDIENTS for 4 people

4 (3/4 inch thick) boneless pork chops
4 ripe plums, pitted and quartered
180 ml pineapple juice
30 ml balsamic vinegar
40 g brown sugar
2 g ground cinnamon
0.4 g ground ginger
0.8 g ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS

Place the pork chops, and plums into an oven proof casserole with a lid. Mix together the pineapple juice, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a bowl, stirring to dissolve the sugar, and pour the mixture over the pork chops and plums. Cook on 180 for around 1 hr 30 mins then remove the lid for 20 minutes and return to the oven. .

Thank you for reading, enjoy your week.

"YourChef" Chris Sharpe

Dressings and Dips, Maple Syrup Salad Dressing, Birthday Buffet, Wedding catering

2009-08-24T11:28:00.002+01:00

Hi Everyone,

Well what an interesting mix of things we have done this week. On Wednesday I gave a talk on Dressings and Dips to Brigg District Farm Women’s club and it was very well received, many thanks to them for making me so welcome, and to Margaret for her kind words after the demonstration. On Saturday we catered a wedding in Scartho and the weather was absolutely perfect, they had a lovely garden party and it was a pleasure to be there. Wishing the newly weds every future happiness. A birthday buffet in the middle and a picnic delivery rounds off the week. I love the variety my weeks throw at me, never a dull moment at “Your Chef”.

A busy week ahead, we are catering the RAF Elsham reunion celebrations all next weekend and it is always a lovely weekend, makes me feel very proud of the veterans and what they did for us all. There will be entertainment provided and I’m sure they will all have a great time.

For this weeks recipes I decided to give you a couple of dressing recipes that went down very well with the Farm Womens club, with the warm evenings upon us it is almost warm enough to be Al Fresco so I thought something along salad lines might go down well.

Maple Syrup Salad Dressing

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbs horseradish

4 tbsps red wine vinegar

5 tbsps olive oil

1 glove crushed garlic

Blitz together, drizzle over a leaf salad

Stilton or blue cheese dressing

50g/2oz blue cheese

1 tsp of mustard

100g low fat yoghurt

2 tbsp mayonnaise

2 cloves garlic

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Whisk all the ingredients together and serve over your salad or as a dip with crudités.

I hope you try the recipes they are both personal favourites of mine, if you do, let me know what you think, feedback is always appreciated.

As always if there is anything you would like to see, or any recipes or culinary dilemmas that you have do not hesitate to ask.

Thank you for reading, enjoy your week.

"YourChef" Chris Sharpe

Curried Liver Stir Fry

2009-08-19T10:09:00.004+01:00

Another busy week at “Your Chef” I’m pleased to report. We catered for a lovely gathering at Wrawby on Sunday and the weather was extremely kind to us, the wind dropped and the sun shone perfectly for the duration. We provided a barbecue for the very appreciative guests and the home made desserts went down a storm.

This week I have a demonstration to so for the Farmers Wives and the theme will be salad dressings and dips. I have produced a recipe leaflet to go along with the talk so if anyone would like a copy please e mail me your name and address and I will post you one. There are 8 recipes on it all of which will give your salads a nice twist.

We have a wedding to cater on Saturday and it is a garden party so fingers crossed that the weather is as kind to us this weekend.

Craig, who works for us part time, is getting married to Kim on Friday so many congratulations to them, wishing them every future happiness together.

As most of you know I do some development work for Mr Huda’s Surma Secrets and Mr Huda asked me to try and come up with a liver recipe utilising his herbs and spices. I decided to give a liver stir fry a go and I was extremely pleased with the results, it was very tasty. It has lots of vegetables in it, is high in iron because of the liver and it is full of flavour, if you cut the liver up really small you wouldn’t even know it was liver. And apart from all that it’s very quick to prepare and cook.

Curried liver stir fry

Makes 2 portions

8oz (200g) Pigs liver cut into thin strips

2 tsp olive oil

2 tsp Mr Hudas Universal curry paste

300g finely sliced vegetables such as onions, peppers, mushrooms, bean sprouts, cabbage, carrot and courgette.

400g fresh egg noodles

In a bowl stir together the finely sliced liver 1 tsp olive oil and the 2tsps of Mr Hudas universal curry paste.

You need a lidded frying pan and a non stick wok. Heat the lidded frying pan and add the liver and curry paste mix, stirring for 3-4 minutes until the liver is sealed and starting to colour slightly. Turn down the heat and place the lid on, leave to cook slowly for 7-10 minutes. Meanwhile heat 1 tsp of olive oil in the wok until hot, add the vegetables and stir fry unitl they have the desired texture, add the egg noodles and stir fry until they are heated through. Finally add the liver and stir through the vegetable and noodle mix. Serve immediately.

Have a great week, don’t forget to send any culinary questions you may have, if we get enough we will put them on the web site so everyone can benefit.

"YourChef" Chris Sharpe

50th Birthday, Web Site, Bramble and Apple Crumble

2009-08-10T14:05:00.003+01:00

Well an eventful week at your chef, we have catered family celebrations, 50th birthdays and we’re looking forward to barbecues this week so finger crossed for the weather to be good at the weekend! A dinner for 100 on Wednesday and then we go onto a busy weekend. The 50th birthday yesterday was blessed with vast amounts of sunshine, so hurrah for the weather men getting it right.

Our new web site is now up and running, check it out at http://www.yourchef.uk.com/ thanks to Mike Thorold for getting up and running and looking great. Please have a browse through it and let us have your comments on it. If anyone needs web services Mike comes highly recommended, please contact us for his details if you require any assistance in this field.

This week’s recipe in keeping with the past few weeks is using seasonal produce. The wonderful bramble, in season, full of flavour, lots of uses, one of your 5 a day etc etc..I was always advised to only pick and eat fruit that ripened above 18” but I suppose it depends on how large the dogs are in your neighbourhood!!

Bramble and apple crumble with oaty topping.

Ingredients:
450g or 1 lb brambles
3 large cooking apples
75g or 3 oz caster sugar
275g or 10oz plain wholemeal flour
75g or 3 oz Scottish rolled oats
100g or 4 oz soft light brown sugar
150g or 5oz butter
Directions:

1. Wash the aggregate fruits
2. Peel, core and chop the cooking apples into cubes.
3. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
4. Stew the blackberries and apples together in the caster sugar and a 2tbsp of water for 10 minutes.
5. Pour the stewed fruits into a shallow pie-dish or individual ramekins.
6. To make the crumble topping, rub together the light brown sugar and the wholemeal flour until a crumbs texture.
7. Then add the rolled oats and soft light brown sugar to the topping mixture and mix the ingredients until balanced. Scottish oats in this recipe can be substituted with oatmeal for a softer texture.
8. Spoon the crumble topping over the stewed blackberries and apples.
9. Bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on cook’s preferences for crunchy texture. The topping should be golden brown before serving warm.
10. Serve with custard, ice cream or fresh cream.

We’ll do a meaty recipe next week. As usual if there is anything you would particularly like to see a recipe for on here, just drop us a line. There are some anglo asian recipes on the new web site so it’s definitely worth a look.

Have a great week, don’t forget to send any culinary questions you mat have, if we get enough we will put them on the web site so everyone can benefit.

Have a good week……. "YourChef" - Chris Sharpe

Your Chef Blogg end July

2009-08-04T16:07:00.002+01:00

“Your Chef” Blogg

Well firstly congratulations to Louise and Matthew who got married on Saturday in Brigg, we catered for their reception and they had a lovely day. The rain didn’t dampen their enjoyment of the day one iota. The groom’s band played and there were really very good. We wish them every future happiness together.

A busy time ahead at “Your Chef”, with bookings in August being up on last year despite the recession. We have also taken wedding bookings for next year. Christmas parties are proving to be very popular this year and The Angel are holding Christmas parties which promise to be a great night out and which are filing up fast, with some being sold out already. Contact Karen at the Angel Suite for further information.

This week’s recipe is for Lemon Curd Brulee, a really simple but very effective dessert; it is quite rich so make it in small pots. I thought with the jam making season well under way some of you may be also making lemon curd. It is nice served with a ginger snap and a few fresh berries.

Really easy Lemon Curd Brulee (delicious gluten free pudding)
5 minutes plus chilling time
Ingredients
568ml/1 pint double cream
200g/8oz Lemon curd
4-5tsp icing sugar
Method
Whip the cream until nearly stiff
Fold in the lemon curd and spoon in ramekin dishes
Chill over night or for 4 or 5 hours
Sprinkle with icing sugar and blow torch or grill on a high heat until Golden brown

If you have any ideas for recipes to include on the blog please ask away.

Just a short blog this week as it is a day late and I am running out of time….
Much more to tell you this week, watch this space.

Have a great week, don’t forget to send any culinary questions you mat have, if we get enough we will put them on the web site so everyone can benefit.

Have a good week…….

Don’t forget the new website is now live visit www.yourchef.uk.com

We also have a dedicated Caterers site for the Scunthorpe region at www.caterersscunthorpe.co.uk why not pop along and have a look.
Comments as always are welcome.

WebSite relaunched

2009-07-30T09:21:00.002+01:00

Hi all

It is with very great pleasure that we can announce the relaunch of our website www.yourchef.uk.com This is the 2nd version of our site and now includes Video of Chris cooking, Anglo Indian recipes and of course menu ideas and suggestions for the Catering Services that we offer.

As always we welcome your comments and suggestions so that the site reflects not only the business but what you the visitor really want see.

Thanks all for now.

"YourChef" - Chris

60th Birthday Party, Wedding reception, Tikka Salmon Recipe

2009-07-27T14:28:00.004+01:00

Well first of all apologies for publishing a barbecue recipe last week, it seemed to put pay to the nice weather we were having!! Perhaps this week I should have done a winter warmer recipe and maybe that would bring the sun out!

We’ve had a busy weekend at “Your Chef” with family gatherings being the order of the day. Two functions catered over the weekend both were large family gatherings, one of which was a surprise 60th party and it was a complete surprise, top marks for keeping a secret.

We’re into wedding season this week with a wedding at the Angel on Saturday, the weather is predicted to take a turn for the better, so let’s hope the weatherman get sits right this time. A busy August is on the cards with more weddings, barbecues and even a talk and demo in there for good measure.

With summer barbecues and outdoor eating on the cards with the predicted heat wave, food safety should always be forefront in your mind. Keep food chilled until the last minute, keep it covered up and make sure everything is cooked thoroughly (not black on the outside and raw in the middle). For things like chicken and thicker cuts of meat always start them in the oven and simply finish it for the last ten minutes on the barbecue. Always think better safe than sorry.

With the summer in mind I have decided to do you a nice easy summer salmon dish this week. This and other curry based recipes can be found on Mr Hudas website at http://ww.mrhudas.co.uk/

INGREDIENTS:
2 boneless and skinless
salmon fillets (360g),
4 tsp (25g) of Mr Huda's Tikka Paste,
2 tbsp natural yoghurt, fresh coriander if available

Stage 1
1. Sprinkle some salt over the fish and leave aside.
2. Add the required amount of Mr Huda's Tikka Paste, oil, yoghurt and some coriander.
4. Mix well in to the salmon (use disposable glove when mixing, as to prevent staining your hand).
5. Leave to marinate in the fridge. 2nd Stage:
1. Place on a grill pan (as to allow the moisture from the fish to be kept separate)
2. Spread the fish with any excess marinade (reserve a little for basting halfway through cooking time).
3. Preheat the grill to medium. Grill the fish for 15-20 minutes until cooked, turning once and basting few times. Once cooked garnish with fresh salad, lemon
wedges, coriander and serve immediately with mint and tamarind yoghurt sauce.

Our new website should be up and running this week so check it out and let us know what you think. http://www.yourchef.uk.com/

Anyway have a good week I will update you next week…have a good one

Barbecue, Family Parties, Baby Back Rib Recipe

2009-07-23T11:49:00.002+01:00

Well we've enjoyed a tiny bit of rest and relaxation at "Your Chef" this week, a rarity indeed. But that has now come to an end as we have a rather busy weekend ahead. Family parties are the name of the game this weekend with us catering for one on Saturday and another one on Sunday.

Everyone at the moment seems to be barbecuing despite the irregular rain that blights us at regular intervals. So for this weeks recipe I thought we would have a barbecue theme. It is for barbecue ribs and you can cook them either on the barbecue or in the oven should the inclement weather catch you out.

Barbecue Baby Back Ribs

Serves 6

6 racks of baby back ribs (your butcher will trim then for you)
500ml tomato ketchup
3 tbsp brown sugar
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp chilli powder
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
A good pinch of dried tarragon
A good pinch of dried oregano
2 tsp gravy browning
100ml water

Mix all the ingredients, except the ribs, together in a large bowl and stir until the sugar the sugar has dissolved and the gritty feeling has disappeared. Put the ribs in a large tray and pour over the sauce, refrigerate overnight.
Put the ribs still in the sauce in a moderate oven (180-200°C) for around 1-1½ hours depending on the thickness of the ribs. When they are tender but not falling part remove them from the sauce. If you are going to barbecue them simply pop them on the barbecue to finish for 3-4 minutes on each side, if you are finishing them in the oven just pop them on a baking tray for 10 mins just to dry them out a little. Leave to cool for a few mins before eating or they will take the skin off your lips¦!! Enjoy with a big green salad and some roasted potato wedges.

Our new website is so near completion we can nearly taste it. Once its launched we will let you all know with a special blog all of its own, the current site is at www.yourchef.uk.com.

Anyway have a good week I will update you next week.

Chris "Yourchef"

Catering for 300!!!!

2009-07-15T08:41:00.000+01:00

Well we upped the ante a bit at “Your Chef” this week and pushed the limits a bit further…as we like to do…..and we did a function for 300! Definitely the biggest we have done so far and thanks to a tight knit well experienced team and good organisation it all went like clockwork. We did a summer garden hog roast and the pigs were cooked to perfection by Barry Turner many thanks go to him, perfect crackling…mmmm…

Wedding season is now upon us and the Angel Suite is proving to be a popular venue this year, for all sorts of functions actually not just weddings. It is a lovely airy room, if you visit the "your chef" web site you can see pictures of the room laid up for a wedding. It lends itself very nicely to may different colours and layouts, so must be worth considering as a venue.

We are already receiving wedding enquires for next year so if you know anyone looking for caterers please put us forward, dates are filling up so I would hate anyone to miss out.

We have booked our stall at the Brigg Christmas market on Fri 4th December so will be giving away samples and canapés on the night. I know it may seem a bit premature but it will be here before we know it.

Anyway…culinary talk now…Broad beans…that's what we’ll cover this week. A much maligned vegetable. There are two types of broad bean, the Longpod which has about 8 beans in each pod and the Windsor which is a shorter pod with about four or five beans in it, both are currently in season, the Windsor being the most flavorsome of the two but usually the dearest.

Broad beans are good sources of protein, fibre, vitamins A and C, potassium and iron. They also contain levodopa (L-dopa), a chemical the body uses to produce dopamine (the neurotransmitter associated with the brain's reward and motivation system). I have included a recipe for broad bean pate this week and it is lovely served on crusty bread.

Broad Bean Pate
900g broad beans, shelled
10ml ground coriander 10ml ground cumin 10ml turmeric 2 cloves garlic, crushed juice of 1 lemon 60ml olive oil salt and pepper
1. Cook the beans in boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid.
2. Place the beans and spices in a liquidiser and blend for 30 seconds.
3. Add the lemon juice and garlic, thin the mixture with a little of the reserved liquid, to form a thick purée.
4. Gradually stir in the oil a little at a time, until the desired thickness of pâté is reached.
5. Season to taste and serve with crudités or bread and a sprinkle of turmeric.

So a pate full of vitamins and its vegetarian and gluten free…all bases covered I think!

Anyway have a good week I will update you next week…have a good one

Race For Life - Cookie Recipe - Jersey Royal Potatoes

2009-07-07T08:40:00.000+01:00

Well we all completed race for life and we did it within the target 30 mins and raised about £300 for Cancer research, so thanks to the team for entering into the spirit of it all. We did run in our “Your Chef” uniforms so if saw us let us know…

We all went back to school for the day on Wednesday….well college actually to renew our Food Hygiene certificates so you can be sure you are in safe hands when we cater for you.

Our weekly culinary note has to include Jersey Royal potatoes, a personal favorite I have to say. Cook them in lightly salted water until cooked and then leave them to cool for 5 minutes. Toss in some olive oil and freshly chopped garden herbs and serve with a mixed leaf salad and a piece of grilled salmon…perfect summer tea. Also still in season is beetroot, peel and roast then drizzle with some balsamic syrup when almost ready.

Someone sent me this recipe this week and it does make THE most fabulous cookies so please try it.

NEIMAN-MARCUS COOKIES:

½ cup butter170g chocolate chips1 cup flour½ cup brown sugar½ tsp. Bicarbonate of soda Pinch of salt½ cup Castor sugar125 g Grated Cadbury chocolate1 cup oatmeal1 eggs½ tsp. baking powder½ tsp vanilla essence¾ cup chopped nuts (optional)Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour,oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda. Add chocolate chips, grated Chocolate and nuts. Roll into balls, and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees (180 C).
The above quantities make 30 cookies. Enjoy!

Another busy week over, and looking forward to this weeks challenges……
As usual any culinary queries of suggestions as to what you would like to see here please drop us a mail at chris@yourchef.uk.com

Have a good week……

Lincolnshire Show Results -

2009-06-29T18:22:00.000+01:00

Wow….what a week it’s been. The demonstrations at the Lincolnshire show went very well…and they were terrifying, but having done it once I would definitely do it again. If you did come to see us let us know what you thought. The weather was kind to the show this year and it was very busy on both days which was a great reward for everyone’s hard work.

This week team “Your Chef” are running race for life…..if we can get on the television, in the paper, or on the radio we will, so keep yours eyes peeled, we’re not sure what we are wearing yet that will draw attention to us but we will do our best. All sponsorship will of course be gratefully received and I will let you know how much we raise between us next week. Its all for a good cause and it’s got us fit in the process. I have actually enjoyed getting up early and pounding the pavements for the last three months.

We did a lovely wedding last weekend at Holme, a beautiful setting, beautiful weather, it was just idyllic. The marquee was decked out to perfection by Franks Marquees and all the proceeds from the bar went to charity.

New web site update…. We’re nearly there, Mike has nagged me mercilessly for pictures which I have now eventually got done. .so watch this space it will be good! If you want to follow us in Face Book and see what we are up to invite Chris Sharpe-Chef and you can be our friend…we like friends…

On a culinary note….English raspberries have to be my pick of the week, due to the ideal weather they have had for growing they are fat, sweet and full of flavour. I can’t get enough of them, very high in vitamin C of course and one of your different coloured 5 a day.

From next week I am intending to put a weekly recipe on the Blogg so if there is anything you particularly like a recipe for let me know and I will include it.
Any suggestions or questions please to chrisisyourchef@yahoo.co.uk
Have a good week…..

Lincolnshire Show Appearance - Barbeque- 50th Anniversary

2009-06-22T12:02:00.000+01:00

First and foremost this week, don’t forget to come and see us at the Lincolnshire show on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. I personally, will be found in the Co-operative marquee doing cookery demonstrations with Mr Huda (Maf to his friends). We will be demonstrating at 2.15pm and 3.30pm on Wednesday and at 2pm and 3.30pm on Thursday, and will show you how to make Asian delights such as Vegetable Balti, Salmon Tikka, Balti Cous Cous and Mushroom bajee. So don’t miss us if you are there. All the recipes are available on recipe leaflets that can be found within your local Co-Op stores(Lincolnshire only at present) so even if you don’t go to the show at least try the recipes and tell us what you think.

We have had a good week at “Your Chef” having catered for the Conservative dinner at the Angel in Brigg, a Diamond Wedding Anniversary and a surprise Barbecue for a 50th birthday. The weather treated us well and the Barbecue was a roaring success (no pun intended) due to the lack of rain!

This weeks culinary note has to be…..buy gooseberries. They are just in season and a much maligned fruit. Not just for crumble but try making a gooseberry compote and serving it with some breaded Pork escalopes, a lovely contrast.

If you would like recipes let me know and I will post some for you to try
.
During the next couple of weeks our new web site will be up and running with some great photos courtesy of Reg Moore and Nick Hill and some new menus and videos, all put together courtesy of Mike at Thorold Enterprises so watch this space as it’s all looking very good!

“Your Chef” can now be found on Facebook with pictures and information being regularly updated, request us on Chris Sharpe-Chef and have a look at what we do.
Must go an collect my tickets for the Lincolnshire show or I won’t be there at all.

Have a good week..

"Your Chef" Chris

Week Ending 14th June

2009-06-15T12:35:00.000+01:00

Well we survived the trials and tribulations of another week at “Your Chef”.

Went to a seminar on how to get free publicity in the press so be prepared to see us splashed all over the press…well almost! May even try to blagg a bit of radio…watch this space! Did a children’s party at the Montessori School on Saturday, what a great place and the children entertainer was brilliant!

On a more culinary note, English strawberries are now in the shops so when you buy make sure you buy the English ones, they are more flavoursome and much sweeter than the European imports. Asparagus is in the shops as well, but please do not overcook it. All the bunches I have had so far are full of flavour and only need the minimum of cooking to bring out the best in it.

A busy week ahead we have a diamond wedding to cater for, many congratulations on that score and a fiftieth birthday, along with a dinner for 80 on Friday, along with all the usual day to day stuff so should have plenty to report for next week…so watch this space!

If you have any culinary questions or would like any help with recipes or foody ideas just ask away and I will do what I can to help you.

Anyway, must crack on just getting some things organised for the Lincolnshire Show, come and see us with Mr Huda in the Co-Operative marquee. I will publish more details about what we are doing and when a bit nearer the time so keep checking and come and say hi to us.
Have a good week.

Your Age by Chocolate Maths!!

2009-06-11T10:24:00.001+01:00

Yes its a question we ladies like to keep secret but now you can use this great calculator to work out any ones age by their chocolate consumption!! (useful exercise for when the kitchen is quiet)

Its True it can be done but DON'T CHEAT BY SCROLLING JUST FOLLOW THE STEPS

1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate (more than once but less than 10)

2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)

3. Add 5

4. Multiply it by 50 -- I'll wait while you get the calculator

5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1759 ...If you haven't, add 1758.

6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.You should have a three digit number The first digit of this was your original number(i.e., how many times you want to have chocolate each week).

The next two numbers are YOUR AGE! (Oh YES, it is!!!!!)

THIS IS THE ONLY YEAR (2009) IT WILL EVER WORK, SO SPREAD IT AROUND WHILE IT LASTS.

welcome to "Your Chef"

2009-06-11T10:03:00.000+01:00

Hi and welcome to the "Your Chef" blog. I am "Your Chef" Chris Sharpe and will be keeping you in touch with just what happens in the day to day life of a professional caterer. I will be posting tasty recipes and hints and tips that will allow you to increase your cooking skills and knowledge. Of course we will also add those little mishaps that happen now and again and how we got around them.

The most exciting news is that I am just in the process of finishing my new website, the address will stay the same: www.yourchef.uk.com but the design and content is all new. As soon as it is launched I will let you all know.

To help all of you with an interest in food and cookery I am happy to help out on questions or recipe ideas you may need assistance with. Just add your post to the blog and I will try and answer as quickly as possible.

I look forward to reading your requests and issues.

Chris