Sage's No-Mess Waffle Maker™ - a review

I love a kitchen gadget, so couldn't believe my luck when I was asked to try out the new Sage by Heston Blumenthal waffle maker. The No-Mess Waffle Maker™ has non-stick plates, a wrap-around moat to catch (and cook) excess batter and a built-in timer, so it makes waffle-making super-quick and easy. It's also a sturdy and good-looking piece of kit, but is compact enough to fit in the corner of a cupboard, without taking up too much space.

I've tested the waffle maker out in various ways... Obviously the first thing I did was make some sweet, breakfast waffles. Setting 4 was just right for golden-brown, hot, fluffy waffles. My girls and their friends loved them after a sleepover, for a breakfast treat. Then I tried out some posh waffles with a few different toppings, which would be great for impromptu desserts.

Now, I'm not sure I'd pay the RRP of almost £100 for a machine that only made waffles, so I decided to try out some other recipes, which I thought might work; cookies, muffins, omelettes/frittata and even home-made veggie/bean burgers all worked well, so long as they contained egg (I did try a couple of vegan recipes, which didn't hold together so well). I reckon almost anything which cooks from a batter or a dough-like mixture, and sets whilst cooking should work. Don't try burritos or toasted sandwiches though, as I found that molten cheese wasn't the easiest thing to clean out of the waffle plates!

My only real criticism is that there is no implement included to remove the hot waffles from the machine; A pair of plastic tongs would be useful, so that you don't scratch the non-stick coating.

As the machine is so sturdy and versatile, it would make a great gift for any foodie, or even a student starting uni. My teens have found it really easy to use, and have enjoyed coming up with different waffle creations. Look out for my next post, covering some of our favourite waffle-maker recipes and toppings!

The No-Mess Waffle Maker™ RRPs at £99.95 and is available from John Lewis, Amazon and Sage Appliances online.

Integrity Statement
I received a complimentary waffle-maker for the purpose of this review and for recipe development. All views expressed are genuine.

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Quick and Easy, Food Processor Marmalade

I often make pickles and chutneys, but up until now I hadn't attempted home made marmalade, mainly  because I thought it would be a messy and time consuming process. However, I thought it would make a nice addition to the home made hamper gifts which I am planning to give to some of my close friends and family for Christmas, so I dusted off my mum's old recipe and had a go. 

Now, this recipe isn't a fancy one which requires you to slice the peel into slithers, so it doesn't look quite as pretty as some preserves. But it tastes great and that's the main thing! It's actually surprisingly easy to make, only takes about an hour and costs around £3.50 to fill 3 x 1lb/450g jars. Use smaller jars to make more presents!

• 1lb/450g unwaxed lemons (or any combination of lemons, limes, Seville oranges or grapefruit)
• 2lb/900g preserving sugar
• 1½ pts/845ml/3½ cups boiled water

Wash the lemons. Cut in half and juice into a bowl. Strain the juice to remove the pips.

Cut the lemon skins in half again (picture 1).

Put the lemons, juice and ½ pint/275 ml/1cup of the water into your liquidiser jug/food processor and pulse to chop up the fruit. Do not purée until smooth - you want to be able to see small chunks of peel.

Pour into a large pan and add the remaining water. Simmer for around 30-40 minutes, or until the peel has softened and the liquid has reduced by about half. Stir occasionally. (picture 2).

Add the sugar and stir on a low heat until dissolved. Then bring to the boil and boil for 10-20 minutes or until setting point. You can check the setting point by putting a teaspoonful of the marmalade onto a cold plate. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then push it with your finger. If it wrinkles and looks a bit jellified, it's ready (picture 3)! 

Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Stir and then pour (carefully!!) into sterilised* jam jars. I used a nifty jam funnel, which I recently bought from Lakeland, but you could use a sterilised jug instead (picture 4).

Add a wax disk to the top of each jar and then seal with the lids. Re-tighten the lids as the jars cool. Store unopened jars in a cool dark cupboard for upto a year.

Just in case you're worried that I might spend Christmas in jail after breaking the new EU jam jar law, here's the technical bit from food.gov.uk!

There have also been recent reports in the media claiming that the FSA / EU had banned the re-use of jam jars and that this would adversely impact on charities and voluntary events. This is incorrect. An individual can reuse jam jars for occasional events. In doing so, they obviously need to ensure proper sterilisation and good hygiene in preparation. 

*Sterilise jars by washing on a hot wash in the dishwasher, or by putting clean jars and lids in a cool (110C/Gas ½) oven for 5 minutes.

I have entered this post into this month's festive NCR (if I'm not too late!)

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Roasted Vegetable and Lentil Burgers

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These veggie burgers take a little while to make, but I think they're worth the effort as they have a good flavour and texture and are packed full of vegetables. I used my trusty old Lakeland burger press to make them. If you make burgers regularly, it's worth getting one, as they squeeze all the air out of the mixture, leaving you with a good, solid burger which can stand up to being turned in the pan.

Makes 6-8 burgers

• 1 cup of cooked & drained puy/green lentils
• 1 small onion, diced 
• 4-6 chestnut mushrooms, chopped roughly
• 2 small/1 large red or yellow bell pepper, diced
• 150g/6oz sweet potato peeled and cubed
• 1 large clove of garlic
• 2 slices of bread, made into breadcrumbs
• 100g grated halloumi or paneer cheese (or vegan cheddar-style cheese)
• 1 small egg/1 tsp Orgran no egg mixed with 1 tbsp cold water (or similar egg replacer)
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp English mustard powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano or mixed herbs
• Black pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/170C Fan/Gas 4/350F

Put all of the vegetables and the whole, unpeeled clove of garlic in an oven proof dish. 

Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil and roast for around 20-25 minutes until softened and starting to colour.

Allow to cool for about 5 minutes, then remove the clove of garlic and squeeze the cooked garlic out from the peel, onto the vegetables.

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Transfer the roasted vegetables, lentils, grated cheese, seasonings and egg/egg replacer into the food processor.  

Blend/pulse for a few seconds, to break up and mix the lentils and vegetables, but not do not purée them. 

Add enough breadcrumbs to make a firm dough-like mixture. 

Allow the mixture to to stand for about 30 minutes.

Divide into 6-8 portions and using your hands or a burger press, shape into burgers.

Fry the burgers in a drop more olive oil for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Serve in bread rolls with your favourite burger toppings.

Alternatives: For a spicy bean and veggie burger, swap the paprika and mustard powder for 2 tsp mild (or hot!) chilli powder and swap the lentils for a cup of drained, tinned kidney beans. 

Suitable for freezing (before coking). Layer between sheets of grease-proof paper and wrap in cling-film.

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My kitchen disaster

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It's strange how you become attached to inanimate objects isn't it? Take my favourite Kitchen Devils knife for example...it could slice, it could chop and it could cut. Now, you may think that most sharp knives can do all three things, (surely that's what knives are designed to do?) but no! I have a selection of about ten different sharp knives...some big, some small and some medium-sized. They are all useful for different jobs, but only my favourite Kitchen Devils knife could do everything.

That was until the day I dropped my beloved knife down the back of the cooker! I'm not quite sure how it happened, but within a blink of the eye it was gone...lost forever! Unfortunately the cooker was pretty much wedged in-between my kitchen units and I couldn't manage to shift it to recover my knife.

I looked for and bought a replacement, but the latest model wasn't quite the same and seemed to slice at an angle.

Well, they say bad luck comes in threes. First my knife disappeared into the back-of-the-oven-abyss. Next my faithful food processor died, and finally my cooker gave up the ghost. The thermostat blew for the third time, and the cooker repair man advised me that it would be safer to get a new cooker than keep replacing the thermostat.

I chose my new cooker and got it delivered a couple of days later. As the cooker delivery man pulled out the old cooker and disconnected it, I noticed the glint of my knife winking at me from the kitchen floor, as if to say "Here I am, please rescue me!"

So there we are. I've been reunited with my knife, I've bought a new cooker and the world is good again...except I still haven't found a replacement food processor. 

This is my entry for the Morphy Richards/Foodies 100 Innovator competition.  Pin It