Monthly Archives: April 2019

Recipe: Teacake’s Spring Starter

Spring is most definitely in the air and with that comes the opportunity to experience seasonal produce.

Here, Teacake owner Bob Miller shares his recipe for the perfect spring starter – lamb shank bonbon with garlic and baby gem puree, peas and samphire reduction. Whether you’re hosting a dinner party al fresco or celebrating a family occasion with a BBQ, this is the perfect way to begin a spring meal.

Ingredients and Method

To make the shank bonbon

  • 1 x lamb shank
  • 1 x carrot chopped
  • 1 x stick of celery chopped
  • 1 x garlic clove chopped
  • Sprig of rosemary
  • Sprig of thyme
  • Pink of lamb or chicken stock
  • 2 x eggs
  • 1 x cup of plain flour
  • 2 x cup of breadcrumbs
  • Salt and pepper for seasoning

In a hot pan, sear the lamb shank and season well. Remove from the heat and fry the vegetables and herbs in the same pan, using the stock to deglaze.

Add the meat and vegetable mixture to a slow cooker and cook for six to eight hours until the meat comes away from the bone. Alternatively, you can braise the meat in an oven, 180C, for two to three hours.

Remove the meat from the liquid (set aside to be used as a gravy) and once cooled pull the meat away from the bone using a fork. Season with salt and pepper and roll into small balls. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, arrange three bowls – one with beaten egg, one with plain flour and one with breadcrumbs. Remove the lamb balls from the fridge and roll in the flour, then egg and then breadcrumbs. Once covered, shallow fry in a pan with a little olive oil.

To make the baby gem and wild garlic puree

  • 2 x baby gem lettuce
  • 200g wild garlic 
  • 200ml chicken stock
  • 200ml double cream
  • 2 x banana shallots (diced)

Blanch the wild garlic and baby gem for 40 – 50 seconds and then refresh in cold or iced water.

In a hot pan, sauté the shallots before deglazing with stock and then cream. Reduce for a few minutes then blitz in a food processor with the gem and garlic before seasoning to taste.

To prepare the greens

  • 100g frozen peas 
  • 100g samphire
  • 100g shelled green beans 
  • 3 x white asparagus stalks
  • 6 x green asparagus stalks

Blanch all greens then toss in hot butter in a pan and lightly season with salt and pepper.

To serve, spoon the puree onto a dish before topping with a shank bon bon and accompanying greens.

A Guide to Creating the Perfect at Home Office Space

With the boundaries between the workplace and home life continuing to blur, now more than ever people are making the most of ‘working from home’.

For many, this means plenty of positives including no commuting, a lower carbon footprint, increased productivity and, often most importantly, the opportunity to enjoy personal space.

As a bustling community and the first large development in Scotland to secure fibre broadband to home, Chapelton is equipped to support its residents who want to shift their work-life balance and spend more time at home.

Here, we provide our top tips on how to create the perfect at home office space.

Identify an unused area

The first step in creating an ideal at home office is finding the perfect space. An office doesn’t need to be large and can be a spare room, the corner of a bedroom or living room or an unused nook.

Think about where you feel comfortable but also be conscious of setting boundaries. Without a commute give consideration to establishing boundaries so that others in the house know not to interrupt you but also so that when you’re done for the day you can close the door and leave work behind.

home-office-1575464_1920-1024x681 A Guide to Creating the Perfect at Home Office Space

Make the most of small spaces

For those that don’t have an entire room dedicated to an office, it’s important to think about how to make the most of even the smallest of spaces.

Console tables can function as a working place but are often smaller than traditional bulky desks, whilst wall shelves can provide storage solutions for files, books and technology.

Experiment with ambience

Aspects such as lighting, heat and sound can all have an impact on productivity levels. Experiment with different lighting including dimmed lamps and candles, music to set the tone and temperature.

Background music, which can be as loud or a soft as you like, is proven to deliver clear work benefits including improved accuracy and an increase in productivity as well as relaxation.

Tame clutter

Nothing makes a home office look and feel more cluttered than wires hanging from desks or paperwork scattered across the room. Invest in storage solutions and cable tidies to create a minimalist environment which will not only look great but also decrease stress levels.

home-office-438386_1920-1024x678 A Guide to Creating the Perfect at Home Office Space

Create a routine

One of the negatives of working from home can often be lack of routine. Without surrounding colleagues it can be easy to forget time passing by and the importance of coming up for air and taking regular breaks. By incorporating the below tips you’ll be far more productive for longer:

  • Avoid sitting on sofas and instead use desk space
  • Stock up on office supplies to avoid wasting time finding what you need day-to-day
  • Plan your working day accordingly, including creating to do lists and scheduling breaks
  • Turn off the television and remove anything that will cause distractions
  • Take regular breaks, whether it be for lunch, a short walk or a cup of tea
  • Set yourself an end of day time to prevent temptation to work into the evening

FOODIE QUINE’S EASTER FUDGE

As one of Scotland’s leading food and drink bloggers, a resident of
Newtonhill and a regular visitor to Chapelton, Claire Jessiman (aka Foodie Quine) is a familiar face to many.

Sharing her passion for great Scottish produce, local restaurants and cafes and inventive recipes, Claire’s blog www.foodiequine.co.uk is the place to find great inspiration for eating out or dining in. Here, Claire shares one of her latest recipes – Easter fudge.

More of Claire’s favourite recipes and cooking tips can be found at www.foodiequine.co.uk or on the Chapelton blog.

Recipe_1-1024x768 FOODIE QUINE'S EASTER FUDGE

With only two ingredients, no tricky temperatures or boiling hot sugar required, this microwave Easter Fudge is quick and easy to make. Once you’ve mastered it you can adapt the toppings to suit the occasion and personal preference. You can make it with white, milk or dark chocolate. I use supermarket own brand which works just fine. More expensive chocolate may be even better, I just haven’t tried it! You can also make it in a bowl over boiling water if you don’t have a microwave.

Ingredients
• 500g White Chocolate
• 1 x 397g tin Condensed Milk
• Suggested toppings – mini eggs, gummy fried eggs, Easter sprinkles

  1. Line a traybake tin (aprox 34cm x 20 cm) with baking paper.
  2. Break up the chocolate and put in a microwavable bowl
    along with the condensed milk. Microwave in a series of 30
    second bursts.
  3. Remove, stir and check each time until it the chocolate has
    melted. Beat well with a wooden spoon until smooth.
    At this point you need to work quickl    y
  4. Tip the fudge into the prepared tin and spread it with
    a palette knife into a smooth and even layer. Push your
    selection of Easter toppings into the fudge.
  5. Place the tray of fudge in the fridge to set for at least four
    hours (or ideally overnight).
  6. Once hard cut into chunks with a large knife.