Welcome to Mum&sons

My two eldest boys challenged me to start a cooking blog with simple recipes that we can cook together - and my youngest one has now joined in. I am hoping they pick up some cooking and photograph skills... or that at least they learn to design and run a blog.


TART LORRAINE

This is a very simple tart-version of quiche Lorraine that works well for the Summer, whether for lunch of for a brunch. You need:
 - a packet of puff pastry
- two handfuls of grated cheese
- 150 gr bacon or pancetta (diced)
- half a teaspoon of salt
- 125 gr cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Preheat the oven at 200 degrees.  Roll out the puff pastry to make a rectangle (if you buy ready-rolled out pastry, roll it a bit more between two pieces of baking paper so that you get a very thin base-. Put the pastry on top of an oven tray covered with baking paper and prick it with a fork all over. Bake for 10 minutes.
Take the pastry off the oven. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Arrange the tomatoes on top of the cheese (do not cut the tomatoes as otherwise the tart will become too watery and the pastry soggy). Heat the pancetta on a frying pan for 3-4 minutes (on in the microwave for minute). Get rid of the recess fat (by putting the hot pancetta on a bit of kitchen paper) Sprinkle the pancetta on top of the tomatoes. Sprinkle a tiny bit of salt on top of it all and paint lightly the tomatoes with the olive oil (with a brush). Bake for 15-17 minutes until golden.
My youngest likes to put the tomatoes on top and paint them with the oil.


MADE IN SPAIN BOOK COVER

…and here you have a link to the Amazon video on our book… this is being so much fun!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/b?ie=UTF8&node=10253152031

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Made-Spain-Recipes-stories-country/dp/147363900X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1465161540&sr=8-1&keywords=miriam+gonzalez



FILO ORANGE CAKE

We are on a  bit of a filo pastry theme (simply because I have bought too much) so we have tried a Greek orange cake called 'portokalopita'. I am afraid I simply could not swallow it as it is one of the sweetest desserts I have ever tasted (probably together with baklava, which I also dislike as I cannot stand honey) I nevertheless love the name and the smell that this leaves in the kitchen. The kids thought the taste was OK. And if you have a very sweet tooth this is definitely your dessert. We got the recipe from a website called 'my greek dish' but we cut down the amount of syrup (no offence to the Greeks but this cake will massive improve by not using any syrup at all and serving it with yogurt)

You need:
- a packet of filo pastry
- 300 ml orange juice
- 300 g sugar
- 300 ml sunflower or corn oil plus a bit more to grease the tray
- 200 gr greek yogurt
- zest of 1.5 oranges
- 4 teaspoons baking powder (this is not a typo, it really is four)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the syrup:
- 200 gr water
- 150 gr sugar
- zest of an orange

Open the  filo pastry and let it dry overnight ( or for an hours).
Preheat the oven at 175 degrees.
Mix the yogurt, oil, orange juice, zest, sugar  and vanilla extract. Then add the baking powered. Finally crumble the filo and add it to the mixture. Grease a baking tray with the oil and pour the mixture in. Bake for 45 minutes.

While it is baking make a syrup (if you are using it) by boiling the water, sugar and zest of the orange. Let it simmer for 10 minutes and then let it cool down.

As soon as you take the cake out of the oven pour the syrup on top.  Let it all cool down before eating it.