BBQ’s and the Halogen Oven

July 1st, 2010

I don’t know about you but I love a good BBQ.  The problem is either under cooked food or worse still, burnt food - something I could do without!

 So I use my Halogen Oven.  My two favourite recipes are:

 Spicy Beef burgers

 Ingredients

450g/16oz lean beef mince

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp tomato ketchup

1 red chilli, finely chopped

1 tsp mustard

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 small onion, finely diced

2 spring onions, sliced

Handful basil leaves, chopped

Instructions

  • 1. In a large bowl mix together the mince, garlic, tomato ketchup, mustard, egg, chilli and onion.
  • 2. Dive in with your hands and mix until the ingredients are well blended.
  • 3. Just before cooking, add the spring onions and basil to the mixture and divide into four patties.
  • 4. Place the burgers directly on the upper rack and cook at 200C for 5-6 mins.
  • 5. No need to turn them, then serve with burger buns and salad.

 

BBQ Fruit kebabs

 Ingredients

½ pineapple, peeled and cored

¼ watermelon (seedless)

2 mangoes, peeled, halved and de-stoned

1 papaya, peeled, halved and de-seeded

2 kiwi fruit, peeled

12 lychees, peeled and de-stoned

12 kaffir lime leaves, washed

6 kebab sticks

 

Instructions

 

  1. Cut the fruits into smallish pieces.
  2. Thread the fruits onto the  kebab sticks alternating every third fruit with a lime leaf.
  3. Chill until required or place on the upper rack of the halogen oven and cook for 2 minutes on either side.
  4. Serve hot or cold, and with a dollop of icecream.

Happy Cooking

The Halogen Oven Magazine - Spring 2010 available now

March 17th, 2010

The latest edition of The Halogen Oven Magazine is now available from www.bookshoparoundthecorner.co.uk.

Buy it now for only £5.00, for great reviews, and even more delicious new recipes!

Goulash recipe for your Halogen Oven

February 23rd, 2010

As the cold weather continues, wrap up warm, snuggle in front of a fire and serve warming Goulash…Ingredients
750g stewing steak, 5cm pieces
4-6 tbsp Olive oil
1 tbsp plain flour
2 Onions, diced
2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
3 Tomatoes, peeled, seeds removed, roughly chopped
50 g red Peppers, from a jar, cut into strips
2 tsp smoked Paprika
400ml beef stock
1 tbsp chopped flat leaf Parsley

Instructions
1. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then dust in the flour.
2. Heat the olive oil in a casserole dish and brown the meat over high heat on your hob.
3. Remove the beef from the casserole dish, turn down the heat and add the onions and garlic. Cover and cook until softened, 10-15 minutes.
4. Return the meat to the casserole dish and add the tomatoes and paprika and stir well.
5. Pour in the stock, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes at 230C in your Halogen oven.
6. Remove the lid, add the peppers and continue cooking for a further 20-25 minutes.
7. At this point the sauce should be thick and the beef tender. Scatter with chopped parsley.
8. Serve with warm crusty bread.

Cooking Tapas in your Halogen Oven

January 28th, 2010

This recipe is taken from the forthcoming Spring edition of The Halogen Oven magazine.  We’re doing a section on Tapas!

Chilli & Garlic Prawns

 

300g raw king prawns ,

peeled and butterflied

a small handful of parsley , chopped

a large pinch of chilli flakes

2 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 tbsp dry sherry

 

Instructions

     

     

  1. Mix the prawns, garlic, chilli, sherry and olive oil in a bowl
  2. Divide between 2 small ovenproof dishes.
  3. Cook at 250C in your halogen oven for 6-8 minutes until pink and sizzling.
  4. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve with crusty bread.

Happy cooking

 

The Halogen Oven Magazine - Spring Edition

January 26th, 2010

The latest edition of “The Halogen Oven Magazine” will be available to buy very shortly (RRP £5.00).  Yet again it will include recipes, books reviews and interesting articles about Halogen Ovens.  Our guest writer Philippa Barr will be giving more advice on “growing your own” and we’ve got a great article on Single Men & the halogen Oven. 

With a feature on Tapas and a section on party food together with our usual favourites, the Halogen Seven, Q&A and of course you’ll get to meet a reader, the latest issue is going to be bigger than ever.

Dont forget to join our email list to be the first to hear when the magazine is available. 

 

If you are interested in being one of our featured readers (for future issues) please email your favourite recipe and a bit about yourself to maryanne.madden@gmail.com.

Happy Cooking

Baking Cupcakes in your Halogen Oven

January 20th, 2010

I often use my Halogen Oven to bake cakes or buns.  I admit that it does take a bit of getting used to, certainly at first the inside of the cakes tended to be a bit soft and the outside burnt, but after an adjustment to the timings and the use of foil - they’re delicious!

Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

Ingredients
For the cakes:

250g unsalted Butter, softened
250g caster sugar
4 Eggs
1 tsp natural vanilla extract
185g self-raising flour
60g plain flour
185ml Milk
For the icing:

250 g white chocolate chips
300ml Soured cream
raspberries or sweets, to decorate

Method

  1. For the cakes: Grease a small muffin tray (i use a silicone one which has 4 holes, and simply cook 3 lots)
  2. Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until pale and creamy.
  3. Add the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla and beat until well combined.
  4. Sift the flours together and fold in while adding the milk. Stir until almost smooth.
  5. Divide the mixture between the muffin holes then bake for 12-15 minutesat 230c . Cover with foil but remove for the last 5 minutes.
  6. Remove from the halogen oven and leave to sit for 5-10 minutes or until cool and then turn out onto

For the icing:

  1. while the cakes are cooling put the white chocolate in a bowl over  simmering water.
  2. Once the chocolate has melted stir until smooth and remove from the heat to cool slightly. Gently beat in the sour cream until you have a thick creamy icing.
  3. Spread the cooled cakes with the icing and top with raspberries or sweets (such as jelly tots).
Happy cooking

Baked Potato in Halogen Oven

January 13th, 2010

Happy New Year

I though for my first post this year we should go back to basics.  So for the next few weeks we’re going to go through the basics of using the oven.

One question I have been asked regularly is whether the oven is broken when the light keeps going on an off during cooking.  Basically the halogen ovens have a temperature gauge which checks the temperature of the air cirulating around the food and adjusts it when its too hot or too cool.  So you will often find the oven switching itself off (light going off) and back on again during cooking.

One of my favourite things to cook in the oven is Baked Potato, so i though we would keep it simple and enclose a recipe to get you started.

Serves 1

Baked Potatoes -

1 Large Potato
Salt
Butter

Ingredients

 

 InstructionsWash the potato and while still damp sprinkle with Salt and prick the skins with a fork.

  1. Place directly onto the lower rack of the halogen oven.  
  2. Cook at 200C for 45 -50 minutes. 
  3. Cut open and serve with a large knob of butter.

The problem alot of people have with Halogen Ovens is that they expect it to cook food as quickly as a Microwave.  Unfortunately this isnt quite the case! Whilst it will reduce the cooking time when compared with a traditional oven, it wont cook that much quicker.  I think many people are disappointed with the timings and expect much more.  That said I am very happy with my oven, not just because it cooks quicker but because its smaller, uses less electricity and is easy to clean!  I wouldnt go back to a traditional oven for anything!

Happy cooking

FREE Halogen Oven Christmas Biscuit Cookbook

November 18th, 2009

THE ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS BISUIT COOKBOOK 

Down load our cookbook

This is a free cookbook for use with your Halogen Oven…enjoy.

 

Happy Cooking

www.halogenovenmagazine.co.uk

November 13th, 2009

Dont forget to visit our new website www.halogenovenmagazine.co.uk to find out when the latest Halogen Oven Magazine is available.

The next issue is due out in January…

Ultimate Halogen Oven Cooking Guide

November 12th, 2009

We’re bringing out the Ultimate Halogen Oven Cooking Guide very shortly. It will take you through how to use your oven, all the features of your oven and then provide you with a good selection of recipes to get you started.

Here’s a really basic recipe from the guide.

Lamb shank
Serves 4

Ingredients

4 lamb shanks
1 large Onion, roughly chopped
1 packet French Onion, soup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Instruction

  1. Place lamb shanks and onions into a large casserole dish.
  2. Mix soup and sauce together with about 3 cups of water and pour over shanks.
  3. Cook on 150C for 1 hour and serve over mashed potato.

 

Happy cooking