Tag: cooking

Save On Gas, Cook Your Pancakes Over The Fire!

It’s Shrove Tuesday! Why not save on gas and cook your pancakes over your fire this year, it’s really simple to do and fun too!

Mixture recipe

  • 100g plain flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 300ml milk
  • tbsp vegetable oil for cooking

Vegan option

  • 300g self-raising flour
  • tsp baking powder
  • tbsp sugar (any kind)
  • tbsp vanilla extract
  • 400ml plant-based milk (such as oat, almond or soya)
  • tbsp vegetable oil for cooking

Method

Firstly, place all the ingredients into a bowl or large jug, then whisk to a smooth batter. For best results set aside for 30 minutes to rest, if you don’t have time, you can start cooking straight away. Next, you need to heat a non-stick frying pan over the fire before pouring in your oil. Once nicely heated, pour the batter mix into the pan and spread the batter thinly around the pan. Finally, the fun bit! Flip the pancakes once cooked on one side and leave for another minute on the other, then serve!

Toppings

Although traditional toppings like syrup and Nutella are delicious! Why not try something different, like…

  • Jam and cream
  • Yoghurt and nectarine
  • Peanut butter and banana
  • Fruit and ice cream
  • Bacon

Top tip: don’t forget to use Firemizer under your charcoal or wood as this will give you an even burn which helps cook over a fire!

Summer Staycation At Home

A staycation is basically taking time off, but staying at home. Lots of us are jetting off on holiday now that the covid rules and restrictions have eased. But many of us still prefer to wait for the chaos to subside before travelling again.

So if you’re leaving your passport at home and avoiding the hassle of the airport this year, we have some great ideas to ensure it’s enjoyable for all.

One thing we can’t guarantee is good weather, this doesn’t have to ruin your break, just be sure to always have a plan B.

It’s Summer, so of course you want to spend as much time as possible outdoors. The key is creating a space in your garden that is comfortable and inviting. You don’t want to be putting in too much work, that will just defeat the object. Choose your favourite spot and set out some comfortable seating and a table. An area in your garden where you can relax in the sun, read a book and a eat and drink until your heart’s content. Simply adding outdoor lighting, a few cushions and blankets give it the extra special touch.

If you like to cook, an outdoor kitchen or barbecue is a must during your staycation. Stock up your fridge and cupboards with your favourite food and drink so you have everything to hand when the mood strikes you.

A fire pit or a chiminea is a great addition to your garden space. If you don’t already have one, now would be a good time to invest. Not only will it keep you warm on those chillier evenings, the glow adds a visual warmth to your space.

Did you know Firemizer also works great on BBQ’s, fire pits and even pizza ovens?! It’ll get your coals hotter much faster, help them to burn more efficiently and last up to a third longer! Furthermore, it will reduce any harmful pollutants emitted by 72%.

Get £5 off with code: FIRE5

 

 

Charcoal BBQ vs. Gas

We are well into BBQ season and the glorious smell of outdoor cooking is frequently wafting through the air, but which is best, Charcoal or Gas?

Ultimately, it all comes down to personal preference but here we go through the pro’s and con’s of both options.

A gas BBQ does offer convenience, although there are some things it just cannot replicate when compared to a charcoal BBQ. It is impossible to achieve that distinct flavour you get when cooking meat over real charcoal coals when using gas.

Gas barbeques will give you the benefit of firing up at the push of a button, making it instantaneously ready to grill your food. But doesn’t that take away the pride of attaining the perfect heat to cook upon?

Generally, barbequing with coal is cheaper than with gas and it is also an easier fuel to buy. However, it is a little messier as the ash left behind can be a hassle to clean up.

When it comes to temperature control and management, a gas grill is much simpler to use. A charcoal BBQ can take 15-30 minutes to get going, however it will reach higher temperatures which gives your meat that perfect brown, crispy exterior.

So which is better for the environment? Charcoal can produce a lot more carbon dioxide than a propane grill. However, there are a number of eco-friendly charcoal brands that you can buy made from 100% naturally occurring products.

Is the mess, difficulty of temperature control and emissions of coal swaying you more towards using gas for your outdoor cooking? Don’t make your mind up yet, Firemizer is a game changer! Simply place in your BBQ before adding your coals. It will get them hotter much faster, help them to burn more efficiently and last up to a third longer.

Not only that, it will reduce any harmful pollutants emitted by 72%. The benefits of Firemizer doesn’t end there! Maximizing the length and efficiency of the burn means less ash to dispose of after your BBQ.

The only way to BBQ is with Firemizer!

GET £5 OFF USING CODE: FIRE5

How To Cook Bread Over Your Firepit

Cooking bread over a firepit couldn’t be simpler. The summer holidays are in full swing and you might be running out of fun things to do to keep the kids entertained. Fire building and cooking is without a doubt a favourite with both adults and children alike. You can cook just about anything over an open fire, but some of the best recipes are the simplest. Trust us when we say that freshly baked bread smells even better on a campfire!

You could start your activity by going on a stick hunt. The best sticks should be long enough so that you can hold them at a comfortable distance from the fire and around 1.5cm. Freshly cut greenwood is good, because of its moisture it won’t burn so easily.

How to cook bread on a stick over your firepit

Ingredients
  • Plain flour 150g
  • Salt a pinch
  • Olive oil 1 tbsp
  • Cold water
  • Sticks

Method

  1. In a large bowl mix the flour and salt together. Add the oil and a few splashes of water, then bring the mix together with your hands.
  2. A little at a time add water to form a dough. If you add too much water, don’t worry, just add a little more flour.
  3. Split the dough into quarters and roll it between your palms to form a long sausage shape.
  4. Wrap the rolled dough around your stick; make sure your stick is long enough to keep your hands from getting too close to the fire.
  5. Hold your dough over you firepit, turning the stick until the bread turns golden brown on all sides.

Tip: add butter, jam or even Nutella for an extra special treat!

Remember with open fires and children, you have to be extra careful. Never leave your children unaccompanied by your firepit.

Don’t forget to use firemizer under your charcoal or wood as this will help even out heat giving you an even burn which helps cook over a fire!

Can you make pancakes over a fire?

With pancake day only 3 days away the most important question is can you make pancakes over a fire?

The answer is a firm yes, so if you’re out camping and want some pancakes or fancy making over your fire at home here is how.

Mixture recipe

  • 1/2 cup of self-raising flour
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • a pinch of salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 2/3 cup of milk

Vegan option

    •   300g self-raising flour
    •   A teaspoon baking powder
    •   1 tbsp sugar
    •   1 tbsp vanilla extract
    •   400ml plant-based milk (oat, almond, soya, coconut)
    •   vegetable oil for cooking

All you need to cook is warmth from the fire and hot flat surface to cook on

Don’t cook in the flames but use the hot embers, charcoal is an easier option as it’s easier to get the hot embers stage and you use less fuel. However wood will work just fine!

Cooking surface

Cast iron cookware is the best and a crepe pan is a top choice as they are very flat and large.

You can use a cast iron griddle which has slightly higher sides but other than that there isn’t much difference.

Method

  1. When the embers are hot place your pan onto the embers and pour a little bit of oil.
  2. Once spread and the oil is warm pour on pancake batter
  3. The proper way to tell when a pancake needs turning is when the bubbles in the top burst.

Toppings

  • Orange and sugar
  • Lemon and sugar
  • Banana and Nutella

Top tip: don’t forget to use firemizer under your charcoal or wood as this will help even out heat giving you an even burn which helps cook over a fire!

How To Start Cooking Over Your Fireplace

To get the most out of your fire this winter why not try cooking with your fireplace!

A wood-burning fireplace is safe for you to cook in, however, a gas fireplace is not. For a gas fireplace, the logs need to be clean and unobstructed to work properly. Grease or food could fall onto the logs and could potentially cause a fire hazard.

Safety for indoor cooking
  • it is important to have the flue open when you start cooking on your fireplace. Leaving the flue closed will allow a build-up of carbon monoxide which is very dangerous.
  • Keep flammable items away from the fireplace as you’ll be interacting with the fire while cooking.
  • Make sure your fireplace is clean and maintained as cooking in an unclean fireplace can cause smoke risks.

You can cook over a wide temperature from 160 degrees for slow roasting to over 750 degrees for high heat grilling.

Cooking options

Cooking straight onto the embers. You can cook whole onions, eggplant, peppers, yams, potatoes and thick steak-like porterhouse, t-bone or ribeye.

  • arrange two parallel rows of firebricks, broadsides down toward the front of the fireplace, shovel a layer of ember between the two rows, then rest a frying pan, griddle or dutch oven on the bricks. The wood smoke will still infuse the food with a smoke flavour if it is in a pan.
Skewers

sausages or kebabs with metal skewers, don’t forget you can cook s’mores this way too!

Dutch oven

You can easily cook soups or stews on your fireplace. The trick is to get your fireplace going that it produces plenty of hot embers. Then you can place the dutch oven on the embers. Remember to rotate to distribute the heat evenly.

A String

This is still used in southern France, a method called la ficelle (on a string). Meat or poultry is put into a compact packaged and suspended from a hook in the ceiling or mantelpiece. The meat rotates near the heat from the fire.

Tips for cooking with your wood fireplace
  • avoid overly fatty foods like rib-eye steak as they will create a lot of smoke when cooking over the fire.
  • Choose the right wood, well-seasoned woods like applewood will give you a unique flavour that you won’t get from an oven. This is also less likely to give off dangerous sparks.
  • Avoid pine or cedarwood, they burn at low temperatures and can leave resin in your chimney. Don’t use regular logs that may include petroleum wax as these are dangerous to ingest.
  • Test the temperature, the heat distributes unevenly – to prevent this use Firemizer and will allow for an even burn.
  • Place a pan to catch drips
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