Chocolate pancakes with Rhubarb compote & Vanilla Ice cream

Pancake day this month and a girl just loves chocolate and with rhubarb still in season this makes a great combination.  I cant believe how fast my little girl is growing she seems such a big girl at 4 and half and it does not help seeing her up against Ella, she is just shooting up in front of my eyes and is so good in the kitchen now, so over to Sophie as she makes her lunch.

Ingredients
2 eggs
250g ricotta
125ml milk
100g flour
30g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
zest and juice of an orange
400g rhubarb
80g golden caster sugar

• mix the egg yolks,ricotta, milk, flour, cocoa, orange zest and baking powder
• whisk the egg white till they form peaks
• fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites
• cut the rhubarb in to small chunks and cook with the sugar and orange juice on a gentle simmer for 10 mins
• to cook the pancakes use a hot pan with a little oil and plop a big spoonfull onto the pan and spread out into a circle shape and allow to cook on one side before flipping over 

Serve pancakes with a nice big spoon of rhubarb and how about a big dollop vanilla ice cream you can find a recipe for home made ice cream at the bottom of this post

You can find a recipe for home made ice cream here

Fizzy Rhubarb Jellies

i love this pud, jelly is fun to eat and this one has its own surprise. The jelly captures the bubbles from the champagne so you get a fizzy jelly experience making eating jelly twice as fun.

As Rhubarb is in season and the fact i adore rhubarb i am making rhubarb jelly with a pink fizzy champagne so a bit decadent for a lovely grown up pud that is light to finish a meal with.

 Ingredients
 400g rhubarb
400ml water
140 caster sugar
4 gelatine leaves
170ml of pink champagne or prosecco

• cut the rhubarb up in to 1 inch bits and put in a pan with the sugar and water bring to the boil for 3 -4 mins then turn down to a gentle simmer for 20 mins.
• Transfer the rhubarb and liquid to a jug through a fine sieve and leave to drip through and do not squash the fruit through the sieve else your jellies will get cloudy you should have about 400 ml of liquid
• wash the pan out and transfer the liquid only to the pan and add the gelatin leaves and allow to sit for 5 mins to soften up the add gentle heat to the pan and stir until the gelatin is dissolved and transfer the liquid back to the jug 
• measure out the champagne into a separate jug and allow the fizzy to settle 
• pour your rhubarb liquid between 4 glasses then gentle very gentle pour the champagne into the rhubarb liquid, the aim is not to disturb the bubbles to much so do not stir at all then place the glasses in the fridge until set 

Rhubarb relish roast pork belly

 Here is a lovely roast to do with a cheaper cut of meat belly of pork is definitely fashionable to eat again and is really tasty and probably a winner with the boys if you get your crackling done right.

We tend to buy a massive bit of belly then cut it in two but im sure when the girls grow bigger we wont be cutting it.

So this recipe surprise is from my most favourite kitchen companion Ottolenghi and i am busy cooking my way through the book and have already bought another of his books Jerusalem so i cant wait to try some of these.  I love love these recipes so quick simple and with all the herbs incredibly fresh and tasty.

Recipe for the pork

bunch of thyme rough chopped

bunch of rosemary rough chopped

1 head of garlic peeled and crushed

150 ml olive oil

1 piece of pork belly 2-3 kg

1 bottle of white wine

sea salt and black pepper

• Heat the oven to 250c
• lay pork in pan skin side down and press in herbs then turn skin side up 
• Wipe skin with kitchen paper to make sure it is dry and evenly cover lightly in salt to much salt can create a crust preventing crackle 
• put in the oven at 250c for 20 mins then check if you have crackle on the skin if you have turn the oven down to 170c however crackle can take up to 60 mins so check ever 20 mins. 
• after 1 hour turn the oven down to 170 if you have not already and put in the wine making sure not to get the crackle wet and roast for another 1 hour  if the starts turning black cover with foil
• finally cook for 1 more hour at a temperature of 110c so the crackle drys out 

Recipe for the Rhubarb relish
4 sticks of rhubarb cut to 3cm cubes
5 red plum
thumb size piece of ginger grated
1 red chilli halved and seeded
2 cinnamon sticks
1 star anise
100ml red wine vinegar
150g caster sugar

• place plums, chilli, cinnamon, star anise, 100g of sugar, vinegar in heavy pan.  Stir and bring to boil then simmer foe 25 mins  the plums will have a jam consistency
• heat oven to 150 c put rhubarb, ginger and rest of the sugar in an oven proof dish and rub together with your hands then roast for 30 mins then leave to cool then combine with the plum