Tana Ramsay’s Family Kitchen: Simple and Delicious Recipes for Every Family. Tana Ramsay
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
salt and pepper
Serves: 1
Prep time: ½ hour to infuse
Cooking time: 10 minutes 7
1 Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the chives, salt and pepper and gently mix together with a fork. Leave for about half an hour, if you can, to allow the flavours to infuse.
2 While the egg and chives are doing their thing, slice the tomatoes and arrange on a plate. Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients and pour over. Let the flavours develop while you make the omelette.
3 Heat the pan over a medium heat for about a minute before adding the oil and then the butter (this will stop the butter burning). Swirl the oil and butter around the pan, making sure the surface is evenly coated.
4 Turn up the heat to the highest setting and, as soon as the butter starts to foam, pour in the eggs. Gently rotate the pan to make sure the eggs evenly coat the surface of the pan.
5 After about 5 seconds, tilt the pan to an angle of about 45 degrees. Using a flat spatula, pull it up from the edge of the pan to the centre, allowing the liquid egg to fill the empty space. Keep doing this until there is only a small amount of liquid left on the surface.
6 With the help of the spatula, flip one side of the omelette over to the centre. Take the pan to a warm plate and tip the omelette onto it, folding it over as you do so.
7 Serve immediately with the tomato salad.
An old favourite! These are great in a lunch box – often I slip these in for a Friday treat. If the children smell these cooking at home they always hang around – no doubt about it, these are at their best when they are cooling and the chocolate is all gooey!
300g/12oz good-quality milk chocolate
200g/8oz softened unsalted butter
100g/4oz caster sugar
150g/6oz soft light brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
300g/12oz plain flour
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Makes: 40 cookies
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10–15 minutes
1 Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/GM4.
2 Lightly grease a baking sheet.
3 Firstly, break the chocolate into small chunks, then place into a plastic bag and hammer with a rolling pin to make smaller. Watch your fingers!
4 Beat together the butter and the sugars in a large mixing bowl until light in colour and smooth. Beat in the eggs, stirring through. Add the flour, vanilla essence and bicarbonate of soda, and stir in the chocolate chunks.
5 Spoon mounds of the mixture onto your greased baking sheet, ensuring you leave space around each mound, as they will spread.
6 Bake for 10–15 minutes until golden brown. They will continue to set while cooling, so be careful not to over cook. Once removed from the oven allow 10 minutes to set then place onto a wire cooling rack.
oatmeal and cranberry crunch biscuits
100g/4oz wholemeal flour
100g/4oz plain flour
75g/3oz oatmeal
75g/3oz bran
125g/5oz Muscovado sugar
½ tsp ground ginger
100g/4oz unsalted butter
150ml/¼ pint cold water
100g/4oz dried cranberries
Makes: 48 biscuits
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20–25 minutes
1 Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/GM4.
2 Put all the dry ingredients except the cranberries into a large mixing bowl and mix well. Rub in the butter until the mix resembles breadcrumbs, then add the water and the cranberries and mix into a dough.
3 Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the dough to approximately 1cm thickness. Cut out with a round cookie cutter approximately 6cm in diameter.
4 Place the crunchies onto a lightly greased baking tray and bake for 20–25 minutes.
5 When ready, remove from the baking tray immediately with a flat slice and leave to cool on a wire rack – this just ensures the bottoms do not overcook.
Tips
• These are great for a mid-morning snack.
• You can substitute any dried fruit for the cranberries.
You know you are full and that you probably shouldn’t, but somehow you find the room …
50g/2oz whole shelled hazelnuts
25g/1oz almonds
25g/1oz shelled pistachio nuts
400g/15oz milk chocolate
50g/2oz raisins
Serves: 6, as a snack
Prep time: 10 minutes
Setting time: 2½ hours (or make the night before)
1 Peel any brown skin off the hazelnuts and almonds, and break in half. If you prefer smaller pieces, crush them up. Toast along with the pistachios in a shallow frying pan – do not use oil. This only takes 5–6 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, break the milk chocolate into small chunks and melt in a small bowl over a pan of simmering water. When melted, pour the chocolate into the bottom of a shallow baking tray lined with baking parchment. Sprinkle the nuts and raisins onto the top of this and gently shake the tray to allow them to slightly sink into the chocolate.
3 Place the tray into the fridge and leave to harden. This takes at least 2½ hours, but is best if left overnight.
4 When it is set and you are ready to indulge, remove from the fridge and gently peel the parchment off