Looking for some culinary inspiration? If so, why not head to our next masterclass that’s being held at the Blackburn showroom on Thursday 12^th May? The event runs from 7pm-9pm and guarantees an evening of entertainment and new skills.

Whether you’re a regular to our Cooking Masterclasses or you’re a Neff novice, our cook demos are a great way to improve your cooking skills and learn about what’s hot right now in the world of cuisine. During the event, you’ll see top chefs prepare fantastic meals using the same Neff appliances you’ve got at home. All you need to do is sit back and enjoy, soaking up all the special techniques used by our chefs to serve up the perfect meal.

Click Here To find out more about May’s masterclass. You can also give the team at our Blackburn kitchen showroom a call on 01254 246 046 to find out more.

If you’re unable to make our May event, there are plenty more cook demos to come throughout the year. All the masterclasses and locations are listed on our events page – so don’t forget to pop the dates in your diary!

We look forward to seeing you soon!

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Want to know a bit more and Neff’s new range? Whether you’re a cooking enthusiast or your culinary skills don’t amount to much, you’ll love the Neff Cookaholics Mobile Training Academy – coming to Manchester on the 2nd & 3rd April 2016.

Designed to showcase Neff’s top-of-the-range products, and give you an insight into culinary expertise, the Mobile Training Academy vehicle will be offering:

• Product viewing.
• Cooking demonstrations.
• An opportunity to ask an expert questions about the new range, which includes built-in ovens, dishwashers, hoods and hobs.
• Experts on hand throughout the event – from 10am – 4pm on Saturday 2^nd and 11am – 5pm on Sunday 3^rd.

You’ll be able to see the efficiency and style of a huge range of products within the range and perhaps even sample a bite or two – cooked to perfection by Neff.

The Training Academy will be taking the foodie world by storm, travelling the UK for 12 months and spending just two days here in Manchester. It’s one opportunity that tech lovers and foodie fanatics certainly won’t want to miss out on.

To find out more about the extra special event, contact our Manchester kitchen showroom on 0161 681 5061.

The post Get nifty with the Neff Mobile Training Academy appeared first on Kitchen Design Centre.

Whether you’re the proud owner of a range of Neff appliances, or you’re thinking of investing in Neff in your new designer kitchen, our Cooking Masterclasses are for you! Taking place every month, from February 2016 onwards

You’ll be able to discover a whole range of fantastic ways you can use Neff appliance to create the menu of your dreams.

Whether you’re a pro chef, or your speciality is beans on toast, you’ll be sure to learn a thing or two at our next cook demo. Watching the experts work their way around the Neff kitchen, you’ll discover just how you can recreate the tantalising delights at your next dinner party.

To take advantage of these extra special events take a look at our events page to find out what dates the demos will be coming to your nearest kitchen showroom. Over the year these top events will take place in Manchester, Blackburn, and Colne – so whatever your location you can be sure to catch a masterclass near you.

Head over to our Events page for more information or contact your nearest showroom to find out more.

We look forward to cooking up a feast with you soon!

The post Become a kitchen pro with our new cook demos! appeared first on Kitchen Design Centre.

The latest Kitchen Design Centre cooking Masterclass went off without a hitch this month as visitors to our beautiful Blackburn showroom were treated to a sumptuous selection of goodies, cooked right here in-house!

Kitchen appliances that make cooking easy

All of the tasty treats that our professional chefs and home economists cook up during our monthly cooking Masterclass are thought up by the gourmet minds at Neff. Better yet, all of the recipes are written with Neff’s range of compact kitchen appliances in mind .

This month, our talented host, Ann Reynolds used the Neff compact oven and combination microwave, plus the flex induction hob, to cook up more food than we thought possible! On the menu were mushroom paté with cheese on toast, sausages with a honey and mustard glaze, asparagus and leek frittata, oat and raisin cookies, chocolate brownies (recipe below!), plus scones, an apricot cake and a raspberry roulade.

Little wonder, then, that the event was attended by an enthusiastic crowd of cooking fans, all of whom got to sample the results of Ann’s labours at the end of the afternoon.

Attend one of our cooking Masterclasses for a chance to win!

Our Neff cooking Masterclasses are more than just a brilliant chance to get up-close-and-personal with our cutting-edge kitchen appliances: everyone who attends a Masterclass gets entered into a prize draw for the chance to win a selection of Neff induction pans, worth £125.

Beautiful designer kitchens – Blackburn and beyond

Our latest cooking Masterclass was held in our gorgeously appointed Blackburn showroom, located off the Brownhill Roundabout and within easy reach of anywhere in the North West.

When it comes to designer kitchens, the lovely folks in the North West are  in luck – we’ve got two more stunning showrooms right here in the region: one in Housing Units, Failsworth, Manchester and another on Regent Street, Colne.

So, no matter where you are in the North West, there’s a Kitchen Design Centre near you!

Fancy a sweet treat? Try Neff’s Chocolate Brownie Recipe!

Ingredients

225g (8oz) soft margarine
110g (4oz) plain chocolate
400g (14oz) caster sugar
4 eggs, beaten
10ml (2tsps) vanilla essence
100g pack of pecans or walnuts
100g pack of chocolate chips
170g (6oz) plain flour
2.5ml ( 1/2tsp) salt
2.5ml ( 1/2tsp) baking powder

Method

1. Melt the margarine and chocolate together
2. Remove from the heat and add the sugar. Mix well.
3. Add the eggs, vanilla, nuts and chocolate chips.
4. Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt.
5. Fold the flour into the chocolate mixture.
6. Pour into lightly greased 23cm (9”) square pan.
7. Bake at 160°C for 50 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and cool overnight before cutting

Fancy attending one of our cooking Masterclasses or getting more info on our designer kitchens? Follow us @ModernKitchens!

The post Baking up a storm in Blackburn – our latest mouth-watering Masterclass! appeared first on Kitchen Design Centre.

Pop in for some kitchen inspiration!

Our Neff Cooking Masterclasses are a treat for any enthusiastic cook here in the North West. On the first Thursday of every month, we welcome food-fans to our showrooms, where they can sit back and relax while a Neff professional chef or food economist whips up a range of recipes that are bound to tickle the taste-buds!

Seated among our stunning range of kitchens, foodies were given the chance to watch as a flavoursome range of food was prepared, including Neff’s ever-popular Oat and Sour Cherry cookies, the recipe for which you’ll find below!

Fancy baking those Oat and Sour Cherry Cookies for yourself?

Neff’s Oat and Sour Cherry Cookies are invariably one of the most popular recipes at our Masterclasses – and who wouldn’t want to bite into a freshly baked cookie, full of hearty oats and juicy sour cherries?

If you’d like to try cooking these cookies at home, we’ve included the recipe below – let us know how you get on!

Ingredients

255g (9oz) butter, softened

55g (2oz) caster sugar

110g (4oz) light brown sugar

140g (5oz) self-raising flour

225g (8oz) porridge oats

200g pack of sour cherries

60ml (4tbsps) milk

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 170°C. Line a baking sheet with a non-stick baking liner or greaseproof

2. Cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

3. Stir in the flour, oats and cherries and mix well.

4. Add enough milk to bind to a soft consistency.

5. Spoon onto baking sheets, this mixture will make approx. 18 cookies.

6. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool before removing from the tray

Designer kitchens that homeowners can be proud of

Here at Kitchen Design Centre, we pride ourselves on keeping abreast of the latest developments in kitchen and interior design, travelling all over in a bid to bring you the latest in stunning designer kitchens.

Our talented design team has a finger firmly on the pulse when it comes to exciting new textures and materials, as well as all the latest in designer kitchen appliances and technology, so you can be sure to get all the latest inspiration when you invest in a designer kitchen from us.

For all the latest in designer kitchens, our customers are spoilt for choice – we’ve got three beautifully appointed kitchen showrooms across the North West, all within easy reach of the major transport links. Why not pop in today?

Why not attend our next Neff Cooking Masterclass?

Our Neff Cooking Masterclasses are a monthly treat – you can get up close and personal with our beautiful design kitchens, learn some exciting new recipes and techniques, and you’ll even be entered into a free prize draw to win a £125.00 set of brilliant Neff induction pans!

Our next Cooking Masterclass will be held at our Blackburn Showroom, Saturday 14th June 11.00am until 4.00pm. If you’d like some more information, just call the team at our Blackburn store – 01254 246 046 – or email blackburn@kitchendesigncentre.com. And if you need directions, just click here to view a detailed map.

We look forward to seeing you!

Have you attended one of our Neff Cooking Masterclasses? What did you think? Tell us in the comments below or tweet us @ModernKitchens!

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Cookery fans were in for a treat last week at our latest Colne Kitchen Masterclass from the Neff professionals, where we invite chefs to come in and rustle up some wonderful recipes in one of our stunning kitchen showroom.

Versatile contemporary kitchen creations

As ever, our latest Masterclass welcomed a friendly group of cooking enthusiasts who were keen to get the latest tips and tricks from our Neff culinary expert.

Our chef got busy in one of our fabulously appointed kitchens, rustling up a wide range of recipes, including the moreish Cheese and Pesto Tear ‘n’ Share Bread – and you’ll find the recipe for that just below.

Seated around our Colne kitchen showroom, cookery fans got up close to the action and were invited to test out all of the finished dishes at the end of the evening – and rest assured, there was no shortage of volunteers for the job!

Fabulous freebies at every Masterclass!

Everyone who attends our Neff Kitchen Masterclass is entered into a prize draw to win a beautiful set of Neff induction pans worth £125. This month’s lucky winner was Donna McKiernan, pictured here with our designer Maxine Hutchinson.

Commenting on this month’s Masterclass, Maxine said:

“As always, it was a pleasure to help host Kitchen Design Centre’s monthly Neff Masterclass. The attendees are always so enthusiastic, and there’s a great atmosphere every time – not to mention the fact that it’s a brilliant opportunity to get stuck in with the beautiful kitchens on display.”

Cheese and Pesto Tear ‘n’ Share Bread

Couldn’t make it to our Colne cooking masterclass but fancy making one of our delicious recipes at home? Take a look below for our mouth-watering Cheese and Pesto Tear ‘n’ Share Bread…

Ingredients

500 g   Strong white flour

25 g     Butter

2 tsp    Sugar

1.5 tsp Salt

7g sachet Quick Yeast

300 ml luke-warm water

1 handful of pinenuts

1 clove of garlic

2 handfuls of Parmesan or Grana Padano

1 small splash of lemon juice

1 pinch Maldon sea salt for the mortar and pestle

1 small bunch of basil

Good quality quality extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, butter and water in a bowl. Turn out on to a floured surface and knead well for 15 minutes. Cover in a bowl with a damp tea towel until doubled in size.

2. Knock back, roll out as if you were going to make a swiss roll, spread the pesto all over the dough, roll up, again, like a swiss roll, cut into 8 rolls (will look like Chelsea buns) and arrange on an oiled/buttered tray, cover with the wet tea towel and allow to double in size again.

3. When ready to bake, brush with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt (optional). Bake in the middle of the oven until golden and a hollow sound is heard when the bottom is tapped.

4. To make the pesto; Lightly toast the pinenuts in an oven, then make a paste in a mortar and pestle with the basil, salt, garlic and pinenuts, add the oil and grated cheese and mix.

Come and see for yourself

Our kitchen Masterclass will be back in our Colne showroom in a couple of months – in the meantime, you can always head over to our next cooking Masterclass, held at our Manchester kitchen showroom on Saturday, 17^th May.

Or, if you’d just like to have a look round at our beautiful kitchens, our helpful design staff are on hand seven days a week to answer your queries.

What recipes would you love to see at our Neff Kitchen Masterclass? Share your ideas in the comments below or tweet @ModernKitchens!

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Here at Kitchen Design Centre, we’re all about matching up style with substance. Our beautiful kitchens are created with the needs of busy couples and families in mind – from intuitive design, to state-of-the-art appliances from big brands like Neff and Quooker, our kitchens are a pleasure to cook in.

Every month, we host a two-hour cooking masterclass at one of our showrooms – the perfect way to demonstrate just how user-friendly our kitchens are. We invite experienced chefs and home economists in to guide local foodies through a wide variety of versatile dishes that can be tried out at home.

March’s Cooking Masterclass…

This month’s masterclass was another runaway success, thanks to the efforts of talented Neff home economist Karen Walker and Neff regional business manager, Derek Paton, who helped make our food-lovers welcome (and hungry!) over the course of the evening.

Will Hustler, one of Kitchen Design Centre’s designers, commented:

“This month’s Cooking Masterclass was a big success – these events are always a great opportunity for keen cooks around the North West to pick up some top tips from the professional chefs from Neff. There’s always a really friendly atmosphere, not to mention plenty of good food to try towards the end of the demonstration!

“Our thanks go not only to our guests for the evening, but to Karen and Derek from Neff, whose efforts made sure the evening went perfectly.”

If you fancy trying out one of the delicious recipes from this month’s Masterclass, you’ll find details for the leek, spinach and goat’s cheese tart at the bottom of the page!

Fancy attending a Kitchen Design Centre Cooking Masterclass?

Our cooking masterclasses are held every month and alternate between our Manchester, Blackburn and Colne showrooms. April’s Masterclass will be taking place at 7pm – 9pm on Thursday, 10^th April in Colne. As ever, we’ll have a professional chef hosting the evening, during which you’ll get a chance to get up close and personal with a range of amazing dishes, not to mention our beautiful designer kitchens and Neff appliances.

Attend a Masterclass, and you’ll be in with a chance to win!

If the chance to tickle your taste-buds by attending a cooking masterclass with a talented chef isn’t quite enough to tempt you, remember that everyone who attends a masterclass at our designer kitchen showrooms is entered into a prize draw to win a set of induction pans worth £125.

This month’s winner was the lovely Mrs Stevenson, who got a hug from our kitchen designer, Will Hustler, to go with her fabulous new Neff induction pans!

Neff’s Leek, Spinach and Goat’s Cheese Tart

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
Plain flour, for dusting
225g (8oz) shortcrust pastry
225g (8oz) leeks, thickly sliced
170g (6oz) baby spinach leaves
4 eggs
250ml (1/2 pint) milk
30g (1oz) Pecorino cheese, finely grated
100g (3 ½ oz) goat’s cheese, crumbled
2 tsp finely chopped oregano or thyme leaves

Method:

1. Grease a 23cm (9in) dark metal flan tin, 5cm (2in) deep. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry and use to line the tin. Chill.
2. Preheat the oven to Bottom Heat 180 degrees C, with the Universal Tray on shelf 1. Heat the oil in a large pan and add the leeks. Cook over a medium high-heat for 10 minutes until soft. Add the spinach, cover, and cook until wilted. Season and mix well, then set aside to cool.
3. In a jug, lightly whisk the eggs, milk, cheeses and oregano. Season lightly. Spoon the leeks and spinach into the pastry case, then pour over the egg mixture, taking care not to overfill.
4. Place on the preheated tray and bake for 15 minutes, then turn down the heat to Bottom Heat 160 degrees C and cook for a further 40 minutes until the filling is just set. Delicious with a rocket salad.

(Whilst the contents of this recipe have been developed for use in conjunction with a Neff oven, it is possible to achieve successful results when using different oven brands. Simply follow the recipes and refer to your appliance user manual, as some manufacturers may suggest using higher temperature settings).

Have you got a favourite recipe you’d like to share? Tell us in the comments below or tweet us @ModernKitchens!

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At Kitchen Design Centre, we’re all about making more of your kitchens. And whether your tastes lean towards cosy traditional kitchens or our ultra-chic contemporary kitchens, one thing we can all agree on is that the perfect kitchen should make cooking a pleasure, not a chore!

With that in mind, Kitchen Design Centre invited renowned chef, home economist and food stylist Ann Reynolds to lead our February cooking Masterclass last weekend. Hosted by our partner Neff, the evening gave enthusiastic cooks a chance to see a professional at work – and learn a few nifty tricks!

Our February Neff Masterclass

Ann cooked up a storm, serving visitors gourmet toasties, oat and sour cherry cookies, honey and mustard sausages, cheese scones, white chocolate and apricot tray-bake and a sumptuous raspberry roulade.

She also whipped up a delectable asparagus, mint and parmesan frittata with roasted basil tomatoes, the recipe for which you can find below.

One of this month’s Masterclass attendees, Heather Bakewell from Denton, commented on the event, saying:

“I’ve never attended a cooking masterclass before, but I thought it’d be nice to do something a bit different. With Kitchen Design Centre being in the local area, I thought I’d pop along and get some inspiration and new recipes for 2014.

“The Neff Masterclass was amazing – Ann cooked up a complete feast in less than two hours. Everyone was really friendly, and we got to try the dishes she’d cooked up, which was obviously a massive bonus!”

Fancy attending a Kitchen Design Centre Masterclass?

Our inspiring Masterclasses, hosted by kitchen appliance specialists Neff, are held regularly, so why not pop along to our next event? You’ll not only get the chance to learn some amazing recipes and cooking techniques; you’ll also be able to take a closer look at our range of state-of-the-art Neff kitchen appliances.

Our next Neff Masterclass takes place from 7-9pm on Thursday, 6^th March at our Blackburn showroom. For more information, you can call a member of our team on 01254 246 046 or email blackburn@kitchendesigncentre.com. And, if you need directions, you can click here to view a detailed map.

In the meantime, why not try out one of the delicious recipes we cooked up this month?

Asparagus, Mint and Parmesan Frittata with Roasted Basil Tomatoes

Serves 4 – Prep time 20 minutes – Cooking time 45 minutes

Ingredients

8 tomatoes, halved

1 tsp salt

1 tsp light brown sugar

25g basil, leaves only

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp clear balsamic vinegar

2 tsp olive oil

2 large shallots, thinly sliced

250g bunch asparagus, trimmed and halved lengthways

8 large eggs

100g parmesan, finely grated

4 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

4 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

Method

1. Place the tomato halves onto an oiled universal tray and sprinkle with the sugar and salt. Place into the oven on shelf 1 and turn onto CircoTherm® Intensive 170°C. Cook for 45 minutes. Make the basil dressing by whizzing the basil leaves and extra virgin olive oil with some seasoning in a min chopper. Make the frittata in a 20cm base diameter non-stick oven-proof frying pan. Heat the olive oil and gently sweat the shallots for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile cook the halved asparagus in boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and cool completely in cold running water. Drain and set aside.
3. In a jug, whisk together the eggs and parmesan. Season, then whisk in the herbs. Add the asparagus to the shallots and mix well. Pour in the egg and parmesan mixture. Mix lightly over a gentle heat for a few seconds, and transfer to the oven, placing the pan on shelf 3 above the tomatoes. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave for 5 minutes before loosening and carefully turning out onto a plate. Turn the frittata onto the other side using a plate so it’s the same way up as it was in the pan. Leave to cool slightly and serve accompanied by the tomatoes drizzled with the basil dressing.

 Cook’s Tip: for a lighter texture, whisk the egg whites separately then add the yolks and cheese.

Fancy being in with a chance to win?

Everyone who attends one of our brilliant Neff cooking Masterclasses and completes a feedback form is automatically entered into a prize draw to win a set of top quality induction pans worth £125!

If you’d like to share your recipes, why not leave a comment below? Or, you can tweet us @modernkitchens!

The post Manchester Cooking Masterclass a Mouth-watering Success! appeared first on Kitchen Design Centre.

November’s live cooking Masterclass impressed dozens of attendees at our Colne kitchen showroom.

Held from 7pm until 9pm on Thursday 7th November, the Masterclass took place at our showroom in Colne.

Professional Home Economist and Food Stylist, Ann Reynolds brought some truly flavorsome recipes to the table. On the menu we had: Salmon and mushroom toasties, honey and mustard sausages, oat and sour cherry cookies, orange crusted salmon, passion fruit and lemon curd roulade and pea and mint frittata.

Our guests enjoyed the oat and sour cherry cookies so to make your own, follow the recipe below:

Oat & Sour Cherry Cookies

Ingredients

255g (9oz) butter, softened
55g (2oz) caster sugar
110g (4oz) light brown sugar
140g (5oz) self-raising flour
225g (8oz) porridge oats
200g pack of sour cherries
60ml (4 tablespoons) milk

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 170°C. CircoTherm. Line a baking sheet with a non-stick baking liner or greaseproof paper.
2. Cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
3. Stir in the flour, oats and cherries and mix well.
4. Add enough milk to blend to a soft consistency.
5. Spoon onto baking sheets. This mixture will make approximately 18 cookies.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Allow cooling before removing from the tray.

Cooking tip: cooking these on two trays will ensure great results. They will be moist inside and crisp outside thanks to CircoTherm’s ability to seal food quickly.

Kitchen Design Centre’s MasterClasses are monthly events, hosted by one of Kitchen Design Centre’s providers, Neff. So, why not pop into our next event held at our Manchester showroom on Saturday 8th February 2014 (11-:00pm).

You’ll find us inside Housing Units, located just off the M60, at Junction 22.

If you’d like to share your recipes, why not leave a comment below or tweet us @modernkitchens.

The post Live Cooking Masterclass a success at Colne Showroom appeared first on Kitchen Design Centre.

In this delicious loaf, the bread is filled with orange zest and cranberry, complimenting each other perfectly – and the almonds add a wonderful texture.

Ingredients:

For the fruit loaf:

150g (5oz) unsalted butter, softened, & extra for greasing

150g (5oz) cranberries

75g (3oz) marzipan, cut into small cubes

150g (5oz) self-raising flour

150g (5oz) golden caster sugar

3 medium eggs, beaten

75g (3oz) ground almonds

1 orange, zested

½tsp almond extract

For the topping (optional):

150g (5oz) cranberries

75g (3oz) golden caster sugar

1 vanilla pod

1 large orange, juiced, plus extra for icing

2 tbsp icing sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4. Grease a 900g (2lb) loaf tin and line with non stick baking paper.

2. Mix together cranberries and marzipan together with a tablespoon of the flour and set it aside.

3. Beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl using an electric whisk until it appears pale and is fluffing.

4. Add in your eggs, beating well each time one is added.

5. Fold in the ground almonds, remaining flour, orange zest, almond extract and the cranberry/marzipan mix.

6. Pour your batter into a pre-prepared tin followed by smoothing it on top.

7. Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Rest in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

8. To make your topping, put the cranberries, sugar, vanilla pod and orange juice into a saucepan and cook on a medium heat for 6-8 minutes. Stir until it is of a jammy consistency and set aside to thicken and cool.

9. While this is being done, combine the icing sugar with orange juice  to make a smooth, runny icing. Drizzle on to the cake and top it off with the cranberry mixture.

Serves 8

Recipe and imagery by The Purple Pumpkin 

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