06/12/2022
Yesterdays list…which has moved to today!! Two children playing tag at being ill and at home…got one back today…only to have the other at home now!!!
all your Christmas to do lists are going well!! ### 🎄🎄
Lucy Hoyle Food
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- Lucy Hoyle Food
I am an experienced, innovative cook specialising in the design and creation of delicious canapés,
(3)
17/10/2022
What a lovely job last week…cooking up some little mouthfuls for the gorgeous ladies who were shopping the new Autumn collection at . Think the favourites were the gluten free date squares…just the right amount of crunch, chew and sweetness I was told and totally thrilled with the comments. Or maybe it was the Caesar salad croustades…crunchy bacon…quails egg and homemade garlicky parmesan dressing..hmm 😋
Thank you for having me Sophie and Emily-and if you didn’t make it over there drop them a message and pop over to their studio…you’ll not be disappointed and you never know you might come away with some goodies…I might have done just that…strictly for Christmas presents you understand! (For me obviously 🤣🤣)
12/10/2022
I am very excited to be cooking up some little morsels for the fabulous Sophie and Emily at the Ozzie and Clementine Autumn Launch on Friday this week. Please do come along…see invite above ⬆️ they’ve got a gorgeous new Autumn Collection Xx Hope to see you there! Xx
10/06/2022
Re posting this from a couple of years ago…but fancied doing them again as getting a bit bored with brek!
Great for getting ahead, do the night before, into a jam jar go oats, grated apple, mixed seeds, dried fruit pour over milk of choice pop in the fridge with lid on. Then enjoy with a spoon of yog on top, some fresh or frozen berries, or sliced up banana for a great super healthy and slow release breakfast to set you up for the day whether that’s exams, cricket matches or just getting through the school run fellow mums!! ☑️###x
23/03/2022
Just fabulous to be doing what I love doing. Creating an event to bring smiles to faces and tummy’s….AND the sun shone too what more can you ask for?
Thinking of a party? Get in touch, we’d love to chat you through our delicious canapé menu…you won’t be able to resist ###
22/01/2022
Marmalade day today. I’ve had varying success with marmalade…my Granny made the best marmalade. But it’s been hit and miss for me. Sometimes had to reboil as soooo runny despite the wrinkle test working…other times it’s been like glue. 🍊
I can cook but I don’t always succeed but I do give it a jolly good go. It’s a bit like running…I can physically do it but I’m not always successful…😆😆😆
Good luck with whatever you’re doing today…give it a good whirl and I’ll let you know what happens and whether Sunday mornings toast will be smothered in delicious perfect consistency marmalade!!! X### keep an eye on my stories 👀 for updates!
20/01/2022
Pantry staples…they transport a pretty basic tasty dish to an extremely tasty dish.
Take last nights supper. I had taken some pork meatballs out of the freezer in the morning and I was looking for a bit of inspiration to elevate it. Heading to the pantry I found a jar of artichokes and a jar of chilli, pepper and garlic in olive oil.
I did a quick tomato sauce (olive oil, chopped onion, tinned tomatoes, little stock) but added some of these at the end. Make sure the meatballs are cooked and the sauce reduced a little then stir in the extras and finish with some cooked tagliatelle. The result was super tasty, with more texture and a deliciously warming flavour from the chilli.
I always try and have these types of ingredients in the pantry as they are so helpful on those last minute evenings that we all have. You don’t even need the meatballs to be honest just sauté the chilli,pepper and garlic and stir through some cooked pasta-simply delicious ###
Swipe to see some ideas to look for on your next shop ➡️
(This is not an ad by the way…I wish😆)
18/01/2022
Homemade sausage rolls so quick and so easy. This was from Saturday. Not sure about you but we seem to have a Saturday lunch tradition and it normally revolves around a good old banger. Depending on the time available on the morning it could be a banger in a bun on the hoof before heading out the door, more time on offer definitely bangers and mash or like this weekend I had time to make some sausage rolls.
They are always a huge hit and I try and make double so some go into the freezer for the last minute meals…that is if they don’t all get snaffled on the Saturday 😜I had to literally move my 13yr old on from the island as I was putting them into a freezer bag!! He’d just played in a hockey match and had already had match teas…and then supper at home too?!! Where do they put it???
Here’s the recipe xx
2 packs of ready rolled puff pastry
2 packs of sausage meat
2 apples grated
Salt and pepper
Grated nutmeg
- Preheat oven to 200 C (depending on your oven) I use the top oven of Aga but with the cold sheet in
- Take your pastry out of the fridge and let it warm up before rolling it out on a sprinkling of flour a little larger but keeping as an oblong
- Cut the pastry into 2 long strips
- Mix together the sausage meat and the grated apple
- Season with salt and pepper, and a sprinkling of grated nutmeg
- Using your hands create a long sausage shape with the meat and lay down the middle of one of the pastry strips
- Dab a little cold water along the top edge of the pastry and then bring the top over the sausage meat to meet the other side and seal
- Roll gently to make one long sausage roll
- With a serrated knife cut into lengths about 5-6 cm
- Repeat with the rest of the pastry
- Brush with a little beaten egg then using scissors make 2 snips in the top
- Cook in the oven until golden brown, approx 20-25 mins
- Best served warm! Brilliant for picnics too…not in this weather maybe but once spring gets going. Pop them in a tin with foil wrapped round and they keep warm.
###
13/01/2022
For us this month is all about cooking your favourites. I have a mental list of everyone’s and we’ve been going through them to keep everyone happy, fed and watered.
One such dish is this deliciously warming, spicy Shakshuka. Naturally a fantastic brunch dish but also a winner for supper. So incredibly easy, and ingredients that I bet if you thought about it right now you wouldn’t have to leave your house for.
I know I’ve posted this before but as I said old faves here so hopefully a little reminder for another supper to add to your weeks plan.
If you’ve never…give it a whirl…you’re welcome ❤️
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions sliced
2 red peppers sliced
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
4 eggs
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
(Use spring onions if no herbs)
80g feta (optional)
2 large handfuls of kale/spinach/chard
S & P
Chilli flakes or fresh chillies
Place a large heavy based frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil, sliced onions and peppers, salt and pepper and cook gently until just cooked with the peppers still having a little crunch to them.
Add the crushed garlic and cook for a minute, followed by the cumin, cayenne and caraway.
Next add the tomato purée and the tinned tomatoes, adding half a tin of water too.
Stir until combined, and add a little more water if required. Simmer for approx 8 minutes, and add the herbs.
Make 4 wells in the mixture and crack the eggs into the wells. Crumble over the feta, and cover with a lid and cook until the whites are just cooked. Feta definitely optional but gives a lovely tangy finish ###
23/11/2021
You may have seen on my stories that my shallots were sitting in water….free to you all a handy hint if you soak them in boiling water they are much easier and quicker to peel the skins off! Normally I’m wearing ski goggles to stop the crying but this time not so bad…made sure I stayed nice and high…away from them as I peeled!!! Whatever works!
Happy peeling 🧅 xx
15/11/2021
I don’t know about you but this year I feel much more ready to start getting organised for Christmas much earlier than normal?? I’m quite a last minute lady but this year something has definitely changed. I’m sure it’s another thing we can put down to covid but this is a positive outcome in my eyes.
We’ve taken down the birthday bunting after my daughters birthday, and I got quite excited about the fact that next time it goes up the Christmas decs will be up too! My husbands birthday is in December so it’s always a mixture of Christmas and birthday decs that are up for that.
Of course my mind naturally turns to Christmas food prep too…mince pies are some of the first to go into the freezer, followed by chocolate orange filo parcels and the infamous Diplomatic bags. Canapés are my absolute favourite food to design and have fun with. The bookings for parties have definitely been slow to start but they are now coming in thick and fast so if you’re teetering on the edge of wondering if you’re going to host and would like to see my canapé list please don’t hesitate too much longer!!
I shall also be doing my Christmas freezer food so keep an eye on my stories for when these are available.
Have a happy Monday and watch this space! Xx
09/11/2021
Better late than never!
This weeks menu… ps tonight’s supper inspired by cooking a squash curry. Let’s hope she remembers to take the squash out before the dog walk today…😆😍😍###x
Ps unfortunately I forgot to get the chocolate Krispy cakes out for the birthday party on Saturday…so Um elevensies is looking good this week if anyone fancies popping in 😉 ###
18/10/2021
Pumping everyone full of fruit this week! Keeping those vits up with half term around the corner….so here’s the week ahead…what they don’t know is with every meal there’ll be more veg than ever!
Good luck with all coughs and colds and getting to Friday in one piece my friends xx 💪 🍎 🥦
Ps the one pot wonder recipe of chorizo etc is on website under Pantry Recipes on her blog which you can find at www.myenglishcountrycottage.co.uk ###x
05/10/2021
“HELLO ME “FRIES Still one of my favourite jokes in the world the halloumi joke…you know it yes??
Got some positive vibes about these on the weekly planner last week so thought I’d do you all a huge favour and rewrite the recipe..it was on my grid but then I archived it (by mistake) and now it’s not in the archive as you might imagine it should be??!!
Anyways here you go…super quick yummy supper serve with big green salad…or your children’s favourite greens (hah 😆as if) or a quick number to add to a grazing plate on a Saturday night maybe? Great dipped in a chilli jam, or make a delicious homemade salsa with ex v olive oil, red onion, chilli, ripe tomatoes, lime juice, garlic and coriander xx you’re so welcome
*Cut your halloumi into chunky chip size pieces
*3 shallow dishes
- 1 with 2 tbsp plain flour (top up as you need)
- 1 with 2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs (again top up as you go)
- and last one 2 beaten eggs (again you guessed it top up as you need!)
*coat the fries in flour first shaking off excess before coating in the egg and finally into the breadcrumbs
*place on a large plate
*you can cook either with a little oil in a pan and fry a couple of mins each side then pop in the oven at 180 to finish. Or you can heat the oil in a baking tray and put the fries straight into oven. Cook for 3 minutes on one side, then turn to finish.
If you’re feeling full of super powers 🏋️♀️🏋🏽make double quantities and once you’ve coated them lay them in a tray cover with cling and freeze. Once frozen you can pop them into a freezer bag to grab from your perfectly labelled freezer when you need a quick fix!
To spice things up you could add some paprika or cayenne to the flour if you like a little kick.
Sorry about very dull photo…it was last week when was waiting for my Covid result so was finishing children’s tea clad in gloves and mask 😷before retreating to the spare room🙄!!
Enjoy the fries!! Much love ###
01/10/2021
We’ll call this The Week That Never Was!! Sorry for the rather tardy…ie a week late weekly plan. Hopefully you can get ahead and have it all added to your Friday shop for next week instead!
The reasons why this week wasn’t what we had planned is hopefully explained by what surrounds me on the table…the dreaded C entered our house and the boys school in a big way this week so we have hunkered down…made friends at our local PCR drive thru (4 visits), Netflix has really come into its own and all those random bags of frozen food have been defrosted and sometimes enjoyed 😆😆.
Here’s to recovery ❤️🩹 and a better week ahead! Happy cooking, much love ### Ps Friday is steak night! Sorry I chopped it off 🤪
20/09/2021
Right here we go! Just eaten the most delicious feta, spinach and tomato omelette and felt inspired to plan my weeks menu! I haven’t put these down but there’ll be lots of veg going with most of these too.
Been rubbish at getting organised recently so today need to get back to it and get sorted. With after school clubs it’s so important to still make sure there’s a good hot meal for everyone at the end of it all….not least for yourself!! Hope it inspires you to do the same, even if it’s only a day at a time…try to plan..it also saves money as I know we all have those weeks where supper is planned whizzing into the supermarkets three times a week! Don’t tell me I’m the only one that does this please!!
Anyway hope this might help just one of you! And if helpful let me know!
01/09/2021
Love is….sharing your TMS radio with your wife at ☺️☺️14 years as Mr and Mrs Hoyle…pretty chuffed to have found this guy and as a result have these 3 beauts love you all N,C, B and A xx 💙❤️
06/05/2021
If you’re a fan of potato dauphinois and need a very quick and easy idea for Saturday lunch or supper this weekend look no further mes amis!!
A variation on a Swedish dish sees a very pimped up potato dauph adding smoked salmon, celeriac, spinach and Parmesan.
For the full recipe pop into my bio and head to Rebecca’s blog.
Ps while you’re there you can get some ideas for adding to your garden too from the brilliant who is all about dahlias, astrantia and much more! It’s a for all things!! Xx
29/04/2021
Final shape for my Friday loaves before their overnight prove...
Not quite as easy as in lockdown as I had nowhere to go!! Now I’m making them around school runs, clubs, prepping walls for painting and planting some seedlings...life is nearly getting back to normal 🤪🤪
One of these days I might actually do some cooking videos...well one step at a time..😆🥖🥖
28/04/2021
This weeks recipe over at has got Bank Holiday Brunch written all over it my fellow recipe hunters.
Or you could rustle it up for Saturday supper...it’s a one pot wonder so no excuses open up your spice rack and get cracking to produce the deliciously simple but bold Shakshuka...whenever I say that I feel like doing a little dance 💃 you know??! So join me with your dancing shoes on and go get em in the kitchen my lovelies 😊###
Ps having delivered all my sourdough loaves our one to keep has just come out of the Aga...I’m trying not to have another another slice...it’s hard let me assure you 😬😬
Much love ###
22/04/2021
Rhubarb season is upon us!!! This super duper easy Rhubarb and Ginger cake is a fabulously delicious cake - a perfect partner for coffee and 11am or tea at 4pm or pudding after supper. In fact it’s such a good size you could have it at all three...😆😆
Pop over to read about the latest antics of and find the recipe...link also in my bio above ###
Ps it’s so quick and easy you’ve got time to make it in time for tea...today!!
Pps if you’re not a ginger fan just leave it out!
07/04/2021
Risotto is a favourite here at HQ, and what better dish to make in this extraordinary spring/winter weather than a warming but not wintry bowl for supper. This particular one stemmed from quite a moment...risotto can take lots of flavours and we know this lot go together beautifully. So don’t be put off by the stirring and head to Rebeccas blog for the full recipes and snazzy pics.
Love that word snazzy...so perfectly 80’s l...anyone else??!!
Crispy chorizo, red pepper, spinach and then a crumbling of feta over the top for a tangy finish....it’s a goodie friends, and definitely one for all the fam xx
31/03/2021
So I will just whisper it this time...now you’re allowed to be in your buddies gardens you’ll be needing some delicious savoury muffins to fill your tummies.....
For the full recipe head over to the brilliantly entertaining Rebecca where my recipe is on her blog. While you’re there make sure time is on your side as once you start reading her cottage tales you won’t be able to stop...go on off you go, your Easter picnics will thank you 🐣 xx
09/03/2021
Green soup! 💚💚
Wandering through the supermarket after drop off this morning doing the weekly shop I grabbed a bag of frozen spinach. Crazy I hear you say. Well for those non frozen spinach buyers it is a thing of brilliance. You can chuck a few cubes into a curry at the end to add some more green goodness to the dish, great for a smoothie and also brilliant for a corker of a soup.
Today’s Spinach soup was a bit of a clear the veg drawers number but with a few key ingredients you can make a seriously delicious soup-here’s how.
🌱roughly chop a bunch of spring onions, 2-3 sticks of celery and peel and cube a potato
🌱add a good chunk of butter to a large heavy based saucepan or Le Creuset style pan and melt over a medium heat
🌱once melted add the chopped veg, put the lid on and sweat gently for 10 mins until potato starts to soften
🌱add approx 600g frozen spinach, some freshly grated nutmeg to taste (dried is fine) and continue to cook with the lid off
🌱stir whilst the spinach is melting into the veg, then add 1 litre of chicken or veg stock using two stock cubes
🌱stir the stock in and simmer for approx 10 minutes checking the potato is cooked through
🌱season with black pepper, but only add salt if you’ve used veg stick as the chicken stock will be salty enough
🌱put the soup into a blender or hand blend in the pan gently until smooth
🌱return to the pan if eating straightaway and heat through. Stir in a good spoon of crème fraiche or for a richer flavour add some cream.
Great one to freeze in portions - LABELLED!! 💚💚 The light changed considerably with the last pic - it is the same soup I promise!!
27/02/2021
This week has been
I never thought I’d enjoy bread making, sourdough especially as much as I do. For obvious reasons I haven’t been making delectable morsels for drinks parties and celebrations over the past year but this has really filled that hole.
In the beginning I couldn’t leave the house whilst I waited for the starter to double in size...then sitting waiting for each 30mins to pass to do each stretch and fold... now I’m a little more relaxed and I think the bread is too and therefore with each loaf I am a little more confident and still as excited when they come out of the oven as I was with my first ever one.
Just wondering if I can fit a in my utility room... 🤔 🥖 🍞
Hope all you have been baking away this week...tag me if you have some impressive bakes-go on show off!!!!
25/02/2021
Just another variation of ham and cheese! This time on a ready rolled puff pastry sheet. Easy and quick my two favourites 😆
Top with tomato sauce and then the worlds your oyster...xx
Here’s before and after...not sure what happened before!!!
25/02/2021
Just another variation of ham and cheese! This time on a ready rolled puff pastry sheet. Easy and quick my two favourites 😆
Top with tomato sauce and then the worlds your oyster...xx
# cheeseandham
12/02/2021
Yesterday we had birthday tea for no reason but that we just could! Littlest had made a fabulous sculpture of the Queens birthday cake as you can see....but it wasn’t anyone’s birthday (well bar Jennifer Anniston but I can’t really class her as a close friend...yet).
School was out and they’d been outside for as long as they could before frost bite set in and I suggested making a cake, then went one further and thought how about birthday tea. In this house and for every birthday that means crusts off egg sandwiches, ham sandwiches, marmite and lettuce sandwiches. Bowls of favourite crisps, token crudités, and of course cake, pots of tea and proper cups and saucers.
And let me tell you it was so good for the soul. I would seriously recommend it...in fact it was nearly better than an actual birthday tea as there were no birthday melt downs, no over hyped and dashed expectations just good old fashioned tea. All of us sitting around the table enjoying one of our favourites.
Try it out over half term-(you can thank me later for adding an activity into your potentially daunting looking week 😆)
And if anyone needs a fail safe cake recipe...it’s the good old 4,4,4,2 and in old money (ounces!) as that’s how I’ve always known it! I do it the all in one method straight into the Kenwood
Lots ###
4oz butter softened
4oz caster sugar
4oz self raising flour
1tsp baking powder
2 large eggs
7 inch cake tins lined
If you want to make a bigger one just go up in 2s so would be 6,6,6,3 etc etc xx Happy Baking xx
11/02/2021
A quick soup to have on the go while you’re creating parachutes with hard boiled egg passengers, sculptures out of the recycle bin and a bit of algebra thrown in. Or was that just in our house?!!!
Cut the cauli into small florets (save the leaves) and put into a roasting tray with a good drizzle of olive oil, 4 sprigs of fresh thyme and 1 tsp ground cumin. My cauli was quite a small one so I only used 1 tsp cumin, but you could use 2 if it’s a particularly large one. Roast in an oven 200 fan for approx 15 mins.
Meanwhile I put the leaves in a pan with some cold water and brought to a simmer to up make some stock to add to the soup keeping all the goodness in!
Fry an onion, a couple of sticks of chopped celery in a large non stick saucepan, until soft then add 2 cloves of crushed garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the cauli, (removing thyme stalks) leaves and approx 800ml of veg or chicken stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for approx 8-10 mins then blitz till smooth.
Season to taste and stir in 50-100ml of cream.
Serve with sourdough 😉
It’s pretty rich this one, and not one I could eat all week so a good k ok nice to portion up for the freezer.
09/02/2021
Ssssshhhh don’t tell my middle man but he basically just ate Cottage Pie 🥧 which he claims to despise till kingdom come.
Sorry about the rubbish pic but it was getting late and people were starting to ask for (more) snacks pre tea so I had to take one on the double.
Some weeks I’m so organised, the weeks meals are written down and the shop actually includes the food I need 😆. This week is not one of those.
So this is when came to my rescue ⛑. Bolognese from freezer, but had pasta last night so couldn’t do spaghetti...so inspired by (who has some great recipes) where she made a lamb hot pot the other day I thought I’d rekindle an old fave and put sliced pots on top of the mince. How retro is that?! For anyone who went to in the 80’s they might remember this as a cracker of a school meal.
I par boiled the pots then sliced and laid on top of the bolog, grated some Parmesan over and a drizzle of olive oil and into the Aga. Voilà tasty tea in minutes.
Moral of the story...well 2 really
1️⃣ Always double or even triple up on your mince cooking - spag bol, cottage pie, chilli, enchiladas, stuffed tacos all in minutes from the freezer
2️⃣ Disguise continues to work...even on 10 yr old cunning boys 😉
Good luck my friends, and hang on in there homeschoolers, homeworkers, butchers bakers and candle stick makers 💪
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Fruit Hill, Cornells Lane, Widdington
Saffron Walden
CB11
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Final shape for my Friday loaves before their overnight prove... Not quite as easy as in lockdown as I had nowhere to go!! Now I’m making them around school runs, clubs, prepping walls for painting and planting some seedlings...life is nearly getting back to normal 🤪🤪 One of these days I might actually do some cooking videos...well one step at a time..😆🥖🥖 #lucyhoylecooks #lucyhoylefood #sourdough #finalshape #bread #nonasties #lovingatimelapse #sourdoughbread #sourdoughclub #sourdoughlove #goodforthesoul #cookingisfun #staysafe #staypositive
So as you might have on stories we kicked off Valentines Day with heart 💓 shaped eggs...I mean why wouldn’t you?!! It did however mean the littlest one was quite tardy for choir practice before school but I think it was worth it 😬hope you’re all cooking up a storm tonight...or enjoying a well earned take away! We are eating en famille post cricket later on...a few canapés (obvs) and then a little sea bream with velouté sauce - a Hoyle fave here. Happy evenings to all 💘 xx 💋 . . . . . #lucyhoylecooks #lucyhoylefood #valentinesday2020 #canapés #fishonfriday #essexcaterer #lovefood #essexcatering #homecooking #localbusiness #postitandsmile #cookingisfun #saffronwaldeninsta #lovelocal #allthingslocal
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