A Year of Flavour with Herbs & Spices : April

It's time to share April's culinary hints, tips and recipe ideas from Schwartz - although looking out of the window, it's still not very springlike !

Schwartz say : "As the blossom begins to appear, spring is well under way. This month provides inspiration for traditional Sunday lunches and home baking ideas, particularly if you have to shelter from the April showers ! Try our April hints and tips for a little helping hand with your home cooking."

Hints & Tips

Oats - For a delicious granola, sprinkle a little Mixed Spice onto mixed rolled oats, pumpkin seeds and hazelnuts. Drizzle with a little honey and bake on a tray for 20-25 minutes . Excellent served with yogurt.

Fish - Pan fry onion and garlic, add a dash of white wine, chopped tomatoes, black olives and Fennel Seeds, then use to top white fish before baking.

Apple - To liven up apple sauce, add Sage to seasoned stewed apples, perfect for that Easter family roast dinner.

Salad - For that extra burst of flavour, sprinkle Cumin Seeds over salads, coleslaws and vegetables.

Potatoes - For a tasty little twist to your roast potatoes, why not try Schwartz Garlic & Rosemary Roasties Recipe Mix, for perfect roasties every time?

Chicken - Try mixing garlic granules, parsley and 25g softened butter for a tasty garlic herb butter to coat your chicken.

Lamb - Juniper berries have a bittersweet pine flavour that complements lamb perfectly. Simply crush them then sprinkle over lamb chops before grilling.

Pork - Instead of the usual classic roast dinner, why not try Schwartz Somerset Pork Casserole Recipe Mix? A delicious pork dish with herb and cider sauce that the whole family will enjoy.

Melon - Enjoy a refreshing Melon, Orange and Ginger fruit cocktail dessert. Simply stir 1tsp ground Ginger, 100g sugar and 100ml water in a small saucepan and heat gently until sugar has dissolved. Boil for 5 minutes to form a syrup. Place in fridge until completely cold and arrange chopped melon, orange and kiwi in individual serving dishes. Pour cold ginger syrup over the fruit. Chill before serving and garnish with a twist of sliced orange or orange peel.

Recipe : Mini Carrot Cakes

Individual carrot cakes, delicately flavoured with Cinnamon and topped with a delicious Vanilla flavoured cream cheese topping. Ideal for fun baking with the children this Easter.

Ingredients

3 eggs, separated

100g (4oz) soft light brown sugar

2 tbs ground almonds

Zest of 1 orange

100g (4oz) self-raising flour

1 tsp Schwartz Cinnamon Ground

1 medium carrot, grated

For the Topping:

1 Schwartz Vanilla Pod

175g (6oz) low fat soft cheese

2 tsp clear honey

Method

STEP 1

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas Mark 4.

STEP 2

Whisk the egg whites in a large, clean bowl until stiff. Set aside.

STEP 3

Put the egg yolks, sugar and ground almonds into a bowl and whisk until thick and light. Stir in the orange zest.

STEP 4

Sift together the flour and Cinnamon and fold into the mixture with the grated carrots.

STEP 5

Fold a spoonful of the egg whites into the mixture to loosen and then gently fold in the remaining egg white. Spoon into muffin cases and bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes.

STEP 6

Leave to cool in the cases for about 30 minutes.

STEP 7

Split the Vanilla Pod in half lengthways and carefully remove the seeds with a small sharp knife. Add the seeds to the cheese and honey and beat together. Spread over the cakes. Decorate with fondant icing carrots.

Nutrition per serving

115 kcalories, protein 4g, carbohydrates 15.2g, fat 4.2g, saturated fat 1.8g, fibre 0.7g, salt 0.1g

For more information and recipe ideas : http://www.schwartz.co.uk

Disclosure : I received a box of Schwartz herbs and spices, along with their A Year of Flavour book, in order to "Add a little, change a lot" in my cooking.

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

A Year of Flavour with Herbs & Spices : March

A Year of Flavour with Herbs & Spices : February

A Year of Flavour with Herbs & Spices : January