Recipe of the Month

JULY  

Ooops I'm a wee bit late with my recipe for July!  Sorry about that, but things have been a bit hectic of late!  I had a great couple of days at the Royal Highland Show demonstrating for the Food Standards Agency Scotland.  Met so many lovely people as I always do, and I had two lovely students to help me - thanks Maru & Maria!  I cooked a variety of dishes including some chive blinis with smoked salmon which I think are perfect for this time of year - lovely with a glass of very cold white wine on a warm summer evening ! 

Chive Blinis with Smoked Salmon - serves 8

100g SR Flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

50g fine Scottish oatmeal

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 medium free range egg

150mls semi skimmed milk

2 tablespoons very finely chopped chives

pinch salt  & freshly ground black pepper

to serve,

low fat soft cheese (i small tub)

150g Scottish smoked salmon, cut into small strips

freshly ground black pepper

juice of a lemon

Place the flour, oatmeal, baking powder, salt & pepper in a mixing bowl.  Add the oil, egg and about 1/2 the milk - whisk to form thick batter adding the rest of the milk gradually.  Stir in the chopped chives.

Heat a non stick frying pan - wipe a little olive oil over the base of the pan with kitchen paper.  Drop teaspoons of the batter on to the hot surface - leave to cook for a couple of minutes.  Turn and cook on the other side until golden brown.  Remove from the pan and leave to cool on a wire rack covered with a clean tea towel.  Drop more teaspoons of batter into the hot pan and continue to cook in batches until all the batter is used up.

Once cool place on a serving plate.  Spread  a little cream cheese onto each blini - top with strips of smoked salmon.  Grind over a little black pepper and squeeze over some lemon juice - serve immediately. 

 "Food is not about impressing people.  It's about making them comfortable'' 

- Ina Garten