Christmas Eve in the Kitchen

1. 
A Buche de Noel. Chocolate Swiss Roll filled with chestnut puree, whipped cream, coffee and brandy. The smothered in whipped cream then dusted with cocoa powder and decorated with a glace cherry and three clean bay leaves. This will be tomorrow's pudding...

2. 
Two x 20cm Fruit Cakes. Marzipanned and iced. One for Hairy Suit and family. And one for the Horsehound's.

3. 
An Oxtail casserole cooked yesterday and re-heated tonight. And although not a lot of meat, very scrummy indeed with heaps of seasonal veg. Perfect for a chilly night. 
For pudding? Raspberry jelly and custard...

Tomorrow's dinner is Roast Beef, sprouts, parsnips, potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and gravy. Dessert is the aforementioned Buche.

Whatever you're eating, eat slowly, savour it then tell me all about it!


Merry Christmas All

Tomorrow is another day

Tonight we had fish and chips.
Tomorrow, Bacon and Potato Fry with eggs.
Also being created tomorrow, an Oxtail Stew for Christmas Eve.
Really looking forward to it.

Chinese. Style.

Being steamed are eight pork dumplings otherwise known as Money Bags.

This is the first time I've made them. Crossing fingers they come out ok. I've just had a peek into the steamer and lets say they're inflating nicely!

Also being served in tonight's Chinese Style Banquet is a simple fried rice, noodles and beansprouts with water chestnuts, peppers and spring onions cooked in a teriyaki sauce. But before all that a basic chicken noodle soup. Which is looking especially moreish.

For sweet, I've opted for a fruit salad of lychees, papaya, pineapple and guava, served with cream.

Our guests tonight are Mr and Mrs Hairy Suit. I warned them not to over eat today.....

Last night's meal was successful.
Pea soup, pie and pudding. What could go wrong, what's not to love?
Absolutely marvelous.

Tonight?
Ham egg and chips.
Prunes and custard.

I can't be Escoffier EVERYDAY!

On the table tonight

Cream of Pea and Mint Soup
Croutons

Steak and Kidney Pie
Steamed Cabbage with Butter Beans
Jacket Potatoes

Individual Apple and Almond Sponge Puddings
Apricot Puree
Cream


As you can see I'm getting in the festive spirit and as a result Mr Horsehound and Mr Hairy Suit will be well fed tonight.

Having recently tried curried pea soup in a restaurant and loved it I've just made curried parsnip soup. It'll be the starter tonight before indulging in the mains of ham, homemade chips and eggs. An eclectic mix but I'm sure it'll go down well with Mr Horsehound.

So easy, so delicious

Braised bacon with leek and carrots served with mashed potatoes and peas. Spiced chutney or mustard. And for pud, canned black cherries with the rest of last night's evaporated milk.
Last night's dinner, by the way, was spiced pork and cabbage served on noodles. And for pud, canned lychees and the aforementioned evaporated milk.
Appalling? No. Fruit and milk go so well together and one can of milk stretches such a long way.

Also cooked this morning were two of the fruity chocolate loaves I mentioned in my previous post. I added a handful of dried cranberries to each loaf, but next time I might push the boat out by adding dried figs or something equally exotic.

I'm chomping at the bit to really get going on my festive menus. Vague ideas scamper around inside my head but nothing concrete. Concrete? A bad word for any cook to have in her vocabulary!
 Luckily for me I've had very few culinary disasters. Although, between you me and the gate post, I did over- garlic John's omelette the other night. He ate it. And with every mouthful I'm sure I saw him grimmace. But he soldiered on as any fearful  husband would. I of course apologized because nothing upsets and angers me than failing to deliver a great plate of food.

Another nightmare springs to mind...Mr H and I had invited Mr and Mrs Nof and their two young children to our new flat for dinner.
Cut a long story short...I hadn't made enough beef stew... So I opened a can of Fray Bentos Stewed Steak and mixed it in with my pitiful casserole.
It traumatized me for thirty years.
And that is why I always make enough to feed an army.

Today's bacon joint will do for dinner today, sandwiches for later and John's munchbox tomorrow.

Come-Again Cake

If you want a lovely fruity chocolately loaf cake then this is the one.
From Paul Hollywood's 'Pies and Puds' cookbook......

I made it recently and it was so good I'll be making a couple for Christmas. I'll also give one as a gift.
It keeps well and the texture improves on keeping. So you can't go wrong.



200g unsalted butter (I've used margarine instead and it's perfectly fine)
150g caster sugar (although I used granulated)
200g self raising flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 medium eggs, beaten
2 tbsp golden syrup
200g mixed dried fruits (the usual suspects; sultanas, raisins, currants but I also added a handful of tropical dried fruits by Whitworths)
Finely grated zest and juice of half a lemon.


Heat your oven to 160 degrees C/gas 3.
Line a 1kg loaf tin (about 10cm x 20cm base measurement) with baking parchment.

Beat butter and sugar together in large bowl until pale and fluffy.
Beat in 3tbsps of the flour together with the cocoa, then gradually beat in the eggs.
Fold in remaining flour, then add remaining ingredients and fold them in too.

Spread the mixture in the tin and bake for 90 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool on a rack.
Store in airtight tin.




A perfect cut and come again cake originating in Yorkshire says Mr Hollywood....I don't know or mind where all these wonderful cakes come from I'm just glad that at sometime somewhere someone put stuff in a bowl and made a cake.

Little bottle found for £1 in The Factory Shop. Lid made out of foil by Mr Hairy Suit.

Looking Good

To go with my sausagemeat sauce and farfalle I've made Ciabatta. Never made it before but it's looking good. It'll be baked in a mo....

Last week I bought some Oxtail and Lamb Mince. More on what I intend to do with those two next week. Meanwhile, tonigh,t a real quick standby....Tuna Pasta with cheese scone and veggies, for afters, tinned fruit with drop scones.
Better get cracking!

Something to warm the cockles of my heart

Pork shoulder chops cooked in a sweet sticky barbeque style sauce.
A Mary Berry recipe with a few Horsehound tweaks.

Honey, beef stock cubes, chilli powder, white wine vinegar (or your favourite vinegar), tomato puree, salt, pepper and water poured over chopped and lightly fried onions. Brought to a boil then simmered for a few minutes.
Lay some chops in your roasting tin and pour over HALF the sauce.... roast for about half an hour then drain off some of the fat and pour over the remaining sauce. Let it cook till the chops are glazed, sticky and slightly crispy around the edges.
I'm serving this with mashed potatoes and green cabbage with garlic and leek.

For pud, individual apricot and apple sponges baked in 6 fl oz custard cups. This makes for fewer calories, less fruit and less sponge mix. All highly commendable.

My Favourite Fruits Are:
Cox's Apples
Raspberries (fresh)
Mango (tinned, fresh)
Lychees (tinned)
Lemon

What a star!

Here it is. My Picnic Loaf.
Minus a few slices.
I served it with buttered potatoes, and an oddball mix of carrots and beans in a spicy sauce. The meaty filling was superb...

Here are the ingredients:

1 Tin Loaf. With a slice cut off one end.

500g/1lb minced beef
the entire innards of the loaf, crumbed in a blender or food processor and put to one side
1 leek, finely chopped
3oz/75g cheddar cheese, grated
4 tbsp tomato puree
4 tsp ground coriander
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
salt and pepper
2 eggs, beaten

Lightly brown the breadcrumbs in batches using a little butter or oil. Stirring all the time.
Put to one side.
In a big bowl mix all the ingredients then add the crumbs.
Mix well.

Stuff the loaf with the meat mix packing it well in.
Put the slice of bread back in place.
Secure with a skewer. I used a long one going through from end to end. No elaborate sewing.

Smear margarine or butter all over the loaf and wrap completely in foil.
Place on a baking sheet and put into a hot oven Gas 4 for 2 hours or so.
Do not check it by peeling back the foil. Let it cook nicely.

Then when you're ready to serve, undo the parcel and look at it, you'll be amazed.
It doesn't matter if the first couple of slices goe awry, all adds to the charm. There is plenty to go around so feeding a family of four is no problem.
We only managed one slice each, so there is lots left for Mr Horsehound's lunchbox and my little midday snack tomorrow.

Do give it a try, it's a real star!

I'm raring to go

On today's menu is......

A Picnic Loaf,

I first heard of this along time ago when browsing through one of those cookbooks where celebrities give us one of their favourite recipes in aid of charity. The only recipe which faintly interested me was submitted by Labour minister Harriet Harman MP shadow deputy leader of the Labour party and other things. Anyway her recipe for this pie tickled my fancy although I never got round to making it.
Then, the other day, as I was devouring Josceline Dimbleby's cookbook there it was...The recipe for a Picnic Loaf.....And I knew I had to make it. The time was right.

The white Tin loaf is sitting on the table ready to be transformed into a wonderful pie type thing and the beef and other ingredients are in the fridge all I have to do is assemble, create and bake this marvellous little thing. I can't wait.

If, after baking, it hasn't exploded or imploded I'll post a nice pic.

What else?
Oh yes I made a dozen Muffins yesterday. I used a bar of dark chocolate with cranberries with a little vanilla extract for extra oooomph.. They came out warmly brown and with hot melted chocolate escaping from the bursting sides and roofs (or if you want to be pedantic...rooves).
They tasted like they should. Cake. Not overly sickly sweet, great texture, chewy and an beautiful thing to behold.

Shop bought Gingercake. Split then filled with tinned Nestles cream and tinned pears. A dollop of cream on the side and generously dusted with cocoa. A storecupboard dessert I'm rather proud of.

Steak and Kidney Pudding. Tender meats encased in a light as air suet pastry made last night's dinner a joy.
.

In the kitchen waiting to feed Mr Horsehound and Mr Hairy Suit. In my element.

A Happy Day

I've made a Steak and Kidney Pudding for dinner tonight, it'll be cut into wedges and served with peas, carrots and baby potatoes.
For pudding we'll be tucking into an Apple and Blackcurrant Crumble and Custard.
A truly British affair.

As I type the steak and kidney pudding is simmering and will continue doing so until 18:00hrs. I love making puddings, all puddings, sweet or savoury, but Steak and Kidney wears the crown. And it's so easy to do.
No pre-cooking, nothing elaborate to deal with and once it's prepared you can toddle off and leave it.

Here's my recipe:

12 oz Self raising Flour
6oz Beef Suet
Cold Water to mix.

A pack of ready prepared Steak and Kidney from the supermarket,or if you can't get hold of that, use about 8 oz of chopped braising steak and 4 oz chopped lamb's kidney. I have used ox kidney and it's very good but it does have a stronger flavour than lamb's kidney.

1 chopped Onion

Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper

Make the pastry by mixing the flour and suet together then adding enough cold water to make a slightly sticky dough which leaves the bowl clean. Don't make it too wet though its much better to add a few drops more water than to add more flour.
Form the dough into a ball, cut off a third for the lid then roll out the remainder and line a 2 pint greased pudding basin with it. Roll out the rest of the pastry to a large circle and leave to one side.

Stir the meats into a couple of tablespoonfuls of seasoned flour and mix well.
Add some of the meat to the pastry lined pudding basin along with some of the chopped onion and carry on till all is gone. Season well. Add a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce and if you prefer a meatier darker gravy pop in a crumbled beef oxo or tablespoonful of beef gravy granules. Then pour over enough water to come half way up the meat mixture.

Dampen the edge of the pastry and place lid on top. Press down well to seal. Trim around the basin. Cover with foil, if necessary, twice. You don't want water seeping into the pudding. If you want to you could use a cloth and tie it the old fashioned way with string, I've done that but using foil is much cleaner and easier.

Put the basin of goodness into a large pan, pour in boiling water to come two thirds up the dish, put lid on and make yourself a cup of tea. Steam for 5 hours.
All done.


Yesterday I bought a secondhand copy of Josceline Dimbleby's cook book and read it last night in bed. After making copious notes about the goodies I intend to make I put the book on the bedside table and went to sleep.

Sunday Roast

Pork and a few trimmings.
For pud I sliced a shop bought ginger cake horizontally, sandwiched it together with tinned cream and sliced pears then dolloped a spoonful of cream on the side and dusted the whole lot with the merest amount of cocoa.
Truly scrummy.

Tonight's Tea

Pink salmon sauce with farfalle, steamed broccoli, garlic and parsley bread.

Drained tinned salmon is added to lightly fried onions and chopped red and green peppers. Add a dash of either cayenne or paprika, mix well. Pour in enough single cream to make a good sauce. Not too runny or too thick, the salmon should be able to move around a bit. To save calories I use Elmlea single cream. Season well with black pepper and squeeze in a little tomato puree or ketchup. Makes the pink thing even more pink.
And that's it.

More Information:
A few sliced mushrooms make it meatier.
Tinned sweetcorn makes it sweeter.
Tuna is a fabulous substitute.


I'm constantly thinking about breads. To me making bread is a cleansing experience. 
 
 

After I prepare tonight's quick and simple dinner* I'll make some Hummus for tomorrow's lunch. I 've never made this Greek dip before so I'm very excited about it.

* Potato, bacon, onion and garlic pan fry served with fried eggs. I'm feeling a little zonked hence the lazy girl meal!


 Tomorrow I'll make some Pittas or Kentish Huffkins to accompany the Hummus. The Huffkins are big floury baps. Ideal for ripping and dipping.

If all turns out well I'll post a pic.

For lunch today I tried Heinz's new Tomato 'with a kick of chilli' Soup.
Kick?
More like gentle kiss.
Still better safe than sorry.
No pud. But I have had my sugar fix today in the form of a bowl of homemade muesli, complete with sunflower seeds and dried apricots.
Absolutely scrummy.

Now I must fly............

Crumbed Chops

I flattened a couple of pork chops, dipped them in beaten egg then coated them in apple and garlic and sage and onion stuffing mix.
Served with roasted potatoes and sprouts, apple sauce and gravy this will be a sumptuous mid-week meal.

I jumped for joy in Morrisons when I saw a packet of steak and kidney for sale at a very reasonable price. "Oh fantastic" I thought
"I will make a nice pudding one day next week"

Also bringing much happiness on the culinary front was a pack of four Bramley apples for 99p. Crumble? Apple cake? Or maybe Pie? Nestled closely together in their cardboard type boxlet and covered with sellophane the green fruits looked like a little family.
I bought some cheddar cheese, brown bread, a fair sized chicken (which will do for two days), jam, pepper and two cream doughnuts.
So, along with a half of cucumber my shopping spree eventually came to an exquisite climax.
Oh God I love Morrisons.

A Quick Fuss Free Tea

On account of me feeling under-the-weather I put together a quick meal consisting of pork sausages on a bed of red and white onions and garlic which will be cooked in the bottom of the oven and on the top shelf some potato wedges.
For pudding I'll open a can of spiced rice pudding and top each portion with tinned peaches.
When I have a cold or cough I rarely lose my appetite, only time I stop eating is when I feel down.
Because I'm feeling grotty I would happily graze tonight, nibbling away at an apple or slice of toast but I have Mr Horsehound and Mr Hairy Suit to look after. So I defrosted 500g of best pork snorkers for the boys.
I loathe illness however small.

Plain Fare but Moreish

For tea tonight I'm making a bacon, onion and potato pan fry. Seasoned with lots of pepper and garlic and little salt this super easy dish is perfect with two fried eggs.

Slice some unpeeled potatoes into quarter of an inch rings.
Place in cold water.
Chop a couple of onions and snip into into small strips a few rashers of smoked back bacon.
Crush lots of garlic, I always use four or five cloves.

Heat some oil in a large frying pan.
Toss in the bacon and onion, swirl around then add the garlic continuing to swirl.
Add the drained potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and dot with your favourite spread.
Put a lid on, if you don't have a big lid, do as I do, and drag out a chopping board.
Cook very gently over a low heat till the potatoes are soft.

Every now and again give the mix a nudge to ensure the bacon and onion are not burning.

This is a lovely little meal and one I've been making for zillions of years. A Delia Smith recipe taken from her Frugal Cookbook.
I preferred Delia before she got too famous.


This morning has been pretty wonderful, while Mr Horsehound played at being a plumber (!) I played at being a baker.
Making a nice Gingercake and twenty-four Drop Scones. Felt so good, so therapeutic mixing and weighing and listening for the ping of the oven timer.
I recommend it.

That's it for now I need to nudge my spuds.

Paul's Bread

Last night's tea was a huge success, the apple and cheddar bread especially.

It looked and tasted superb. The warm dimpled golden crust hiding a meltingly sweet, savoury centre of soft yellow fleshed apple and gooey hot cheese. Bread apple and cheese? The perfect menage a trois.
And so as the beautiful flour dusted bread sat on its plate I ladled lentil and bean bolognaise onto tricolour farfalle. (I'd run out of linguine)
It's at time like these I wish I could paint. A watercolour of a wonderful meatless meal. But I can't paint or draw but I can string words together (sometimes)

Oh by jolly jingo we loved it. The three of us sitting on mismatched chairs around my big table.

Tonight's tea is a Lentil and Cannellini Bolognaise served with linguine and an Apple and Cheddar Loaf.
A queer mix but I'm hoping it'll work beautifully.

The bread I'm making is a Paul Hollywood recipe, the bumpf written above the recipe made me tingle...Simple ingredients, bread flour, yeast etc then after the dough has been proved and then flattened into a rectangular shape one end of it is loaded with slice peeled eating apples and grated Cheddar cheese and then other half folded over to make a square parcel. Seal the edges, leave to prove for another hour or two then BAKE!
Perfect.

In between cooking and other general busyness I had a peek at a bread recipes book.... So many breads both from here and abroad.
A treasure trove of gluten filled happiness.

I'll be in the kitchen a lot over the next few days (so whats new fatso?) and in the comfort of its surroundings I'll make and bake Italian style meatloaf, sweet little hazelnut pieces, a farmhouse (bungalow) loaf and a batch of drop scones.
Wondrous delicacies.
All uncomplicated and each one loved and desired.

A Simple Beef Stew

Here's a simple recipe for those who prefer plainer cooking

Get some stewing beef.
Fry it in hot oil till browned.
Remove from pan and add some chopped onions to the pan.
Brown these with a little sugar till silky and dark golden.
Return beef to pan.
Stir in some plain flour to soak up juices cook for a couple of minutes.
Add some beef stock and bring to boil.
Add a dash of Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.
Add some chopped swede, carrot, potato and celery.
Pour into a casserole dish put a lid on and braise for two to three hours till meat is tender.

This trusted friend can be served with crusty bread and butter or you could drop in few dumplings twenty minutes before the end of cooking time.
Either way it'll be comforting and delicious.

A Rich and Tasty Beef Casserole. Day 1.

LATIMER BEEF. 
A Mary Berry recipe.


 NOTES
Unusual and mildly spicy.  Easy and quick to make. Never known not to please. No fancy ingredients. No wacko equipment required. Can be made as hot or as mild as  you like. Braising steak can be used but stewing steak is better. You could cook jacket potatoes and braised celery in the oven at the same time. However the potato skins wont be crisp because the temperature is too low. A nice rice pudding could go on the lower shelf so you would have a meal cooked completely in the oven.

Cooked in saucepan and oven

Can be made in advance and reheated. THOROUGHLY.

Serves 4.


675g stewing steak

Oil for frying

1 large onion, chopped

25g plain flour

1 level teaspoon mild curry powder

1 level teaspoon ground ginger

300ml water

1 red Oxo cube

some salt and black pepper

1 level tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 rounded tablespoons bottled horseradish cream

Fresh chopped chives or parsley


Heat oven to Gas 3/325 degrees F/160 degrees C

Cut meat into cubes.
Heat oil in large saucepan
Fry until brown on all sides.

Add onions. Coat well in oil.
Then add spices and flour and mix well.

Stir in water and crumbled Oxo cube and bring to boil.
Season well with salt and pepper.

Add sugar and Worcestershire sauce.

Turn into casserole, cover with lid or thick foil.
Cook in oven for 2 to 3 hours. 3 being better.
Shortly before serving stir in horseradish cream and scatter with herbs.


I've been making this casserole for years and have served it with:
Steamed Broccoli
Sweet Potatoes
Rice (especially good)
Mash
Green Beans
Garlic Bread
Lemony Carrots
Buttered Cabbage

Yesterday, today and tomorrow

Sunday:

Roasted Pork Loin Chops
Braised Red Cabbage. Quite simply my favourite Autumn/Winter veg dish
Jacket Baked Potatoes.


Today:

Roasted Chicken Thighs
Pearl Barley with tomatoes, onions and broad beans
Garlic bread
For pud...Canned pears and ice cream

Tomorrow:

I have two guests for lunch so I've made a large Cottage Pie. Good minced beef cooked with tomatoes, parsley, marjoram,, onions, Balsamic vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, tomato ketchup, garlic and beef stock. After putting the cooked and then cooled meat mix in its baking dish I topped it with some peas then a swede and potato mash. Just before cooking I'll grate a little Cheddar on top.
For pudding: A classic Raspberry Jam and Cream Victoria sponge cake.

Later:

Not a lot, if anything, for me. But I will cook a little something for Mr Horsehound. probably corned beef, chips and beans. Although if there's any Cottage Pie left he will have that. Ok?


I made some homemade Muesli the other day. Truly scrummy. 
Porrridge oats mixed with dried apricots, sultanas, chopped apple, mixed nuts, sunflower seeds, soft brown sugar then some milk poured over. 
Leave for two minutes then EAT.
 

A Beast To Make But Lovely To Eat

Ham, Watercress and Tomato Tart. Took ages to make. And minutes to eat. Some left over of course. Ideal for lunchboxes and nibbles.

Last night's Bake Off was as good as always. Lots of fab cakes being made by the amateur cooks and tons of wickedly entertaining inuendo from Mel and Sue. Mary and Paul crept  from baker to baker asking questions and pulling faces. I love this show because it's simple, entertaining and funny but most of all it inspires me to BAKE!

Here, anyway, is my attempt at the 'Tart of a thousand stages'.


Tonight's tea is a 'raid-the-fridge' affair. Thickly sliced unpeeled potatoes, gently sauteed with chopped garlic, bacon and onions and served with fried eggs and ketchup.

 

Real Woman Don't Make Tarts

I have spent all afternoon making, assembling and now baking, a Ham, Watercress and Tomato Tart.
Never again.
When I read the recipe it tingled my taste buds but little did I realise what an almighty pain in the neck constructing it would be.

First of all the pastry.
Oh the pastry.
The nightmare of many a fine cook.
It was a simple plain flour and marge mix but with added cheese, egg, water and polenta, something I've not used before. The recipe said it would make the pastry crispy. I'll let you know....
To ward off shrinkage I let it rest then rolled it out filled the tin then rested it again. Each time bits of flying pastry landing on the floor. What matter? The floor is a positive zoo of bacteria anyway. Let it lie there. The cat jumped out of the way though having never seen polenta pastry. Polenta? Hmmm sounds like placenta. I digress.

Now to the rolling out and fitting in tin. What a palava. My tin wasn't big enough so I found another one which ought to do the trick. Anyway we, thats Hairy Suit and myself rolled the blasted pastry out using a glass spaghetti pot. (My rolling pin having died very recently). We persevered finally nailing the pastry into the oblong tin and placing it back into the fridge for another 30 minutes.
Blah blah oh dear.
Time passed..
Then it was blind baked for ages. The wretched thing never looking cooked so I kept adding a few more minutes until FINALLY I got so cheesed off with it I loaded it with ham, tomato and watercress, poured over it a 4 egg and full fat milk custard then with steady hands gently loaded the little beast into a hot oven. Where it had better cook up great otherwise I'll throw another tantrum.

Let you know the outcome later.

Get Set Ready.....

BAKE!


Choco Cherry Cake. Black Forest Stylie.

While The Boys Work On The Walls of My Hall.....

I had the kitchen to myself this morning. And cooked....


Made a dish of Braised Red Cabbage to go alongside some pork chops and jacket potatoes. The red cabbage is something I always make this time of year even though the weather demands salads. WHAT is going on here? It's positively balmy, warm, sunny, quite glorious for October.
But salads have never been a huge favourite of mine and even though we're all rather warm I felt the need for some comfort food and nothing comforts like red cabbage with apple onions and lots of spices. And the beauty of today's menu is that it's all cooked in the oven.
Potatoes on skewers. Chops in a tin. The casseroled cabbage and on the floor of the oven; a creamy rice pudding made using evaporated milk and infused with lemon rind.
Perfect.... and easy too.

Mr Horsehound and I had Mr Hairy Suit and his wife for tea. I made Bean Goulash with spiced couscous and for pudding, my version of a Black Forest Cake served with Carte D'Or Mascarpone Ice Cream. If you haven't tried it. Then do. It's incredibly scrummy.

My cake was fantastic too, I made it up as I went along.
A chocolate cake made using oil instead of marg, milk and cocoa and the usual flour and baking powder and bicarb and eggs. All spooned into two 20cm tins and baked for 35 mins.

Cooled.
Then on one of the sponges I spread blackcurrant jam, topped it with mashed tinned black cherries and whipped double (heavy) cream, then the other sponge made the roof....
And as soon as my chocolate icing had thickened a little I spread it over the entire cake then decorated it with a precarious looking mound of well drained and dried cherries.
Everyone loved it. I don't think a cook can feel more pleased than when she hears the oohs and sighs of satisfied guests.
I'll post a pic later today.

Veggie Day

On today's menu:


Bean Goulash (Flagelot and Borlotti)
Garlic and Coriander Pittas ( Morrisons)
Spiced Couscous

It's refreshing having an occasional meatless day. I'll add some chopped frozen green and red peppers to the two beans and stew it all in a rich paprika flavoured tomato sauce. A dollop of Morrison's basic natural yoghurt at the end cools things down a bit.
The little pittas will be torn so they can be dipped in yoghurt and sauce. Couscous will be flavoured with veg stock, garlic and a mild curry powder. Nothing overwhelming just scrumptiously simple.

This morning I bought a small pack of spicy Mexican style cheese, a Matteson's pork ring sausage and a pack of ham off-cuts in Poundland. And as I dropped them into my basket I created menus. A ham and tomato quiche. A sausage bolognaise. A batch of hot and spicy cheesey rolls.
Poundland coming to the rescue as my purse cried in hunger.


I hade a stinker of a dinner last night.
Tinned ham, mashed potato and tinned broad beans. Only highlight in this travesty was a spoonful of Branston pickle.
Pudding was the remainder of the previous evenings Apple and Blackberry Crumble. Served with a glug of cream.
Talking of Berries. I bought Mary Berry's autobiography today. (secondhand of course) Packed with pictures and recipes and her rise from suburban cookery demonstrations in the 1960's to mega stardom in the 21st century
It's my bedtime reading for sure.

Last night's Bake Off was great.
So great in fact that at the weekend I'll be baking a sweet loaf laced with Nutella and hazelnuts. The doughnuts featured in the show however are for another day.
Talking of nuts. In the Daily Mail today a journo has laid into the prime time show saying it is smutty and overloaded with inuendo. Occasional references to 'nuts', 'baps' and 'cherries' is hardly likely to turn viewers off. I'm keen. I love it. And I can't get enough of rolling pastry to a good length.

Paul. Good at hand manipulation.

Mary. Knows what she likes.

Sue. "Baps? The heavier the better."

Mel. "That is the nastiest thing I've had in my mouth for a very long time".

The Brilliance of Basa

Basa fish has become a firm favourite in the bungalow. Mr Horsehound often mistaking it for Plaice.
I've posted about this succulent fish before, so scrawl through all my posts and find it because I'm not writing it all again.
For sweet: I really will open a tin of fruit tonight. Last night I felt in dire need of stodge., so deserted the fruit dessert in favour of a bread and butter pudding. Gorgeous.
Layers of jammy bread baked in a rich vanilla custard. What could be better?
Answers on a postcard please.

The Power of Lentils...updated

For tea tonight..

Red Lentil Bolognaise with a buttered Cheese Poppy Seed and Sunflower Seed Scone. For pud, probably fruit. Been using a lot of fruit lately, very unlike me.

Gone are the days of the ever present sponge pudding. I havn't gone off of it, will never do that, but I've taken a liking to the cleansing properties of a nice fruit cocktail.


I've made a blackcurrant jam bread and butter pudding.... 

Spiced Chickpea Fritters or Felafel....Updated

Whatever I call them they taste fabulous.

And so easy to make. I sometimes use dried chickpeas but  today I've plumped for canned chickpeas.
Mash the drained peas with finely chopped and fried onion and green pepper and  add to the peas.
Sir in two tablespoons of thick natural yoghurt, a light squeeze of tomato puree and either some ground cumin and coriander or medium strength curry powder. Season well.
Mix well. Form into balls then flatten into patties. Chill for a couple of hours. Dust in flour or coat i breadcrumbs and fry till warmed through and crispy.
I serve these yummy cakes with wholemeal pittas, tomato salsa, green salad, lemon couscous and more yoghurt on the side. You can add mint sauce to the yoghurt too.
All lovely. And vegetarian too


For sweet...
Milk Chocolate Cake made with drinking chocolate instead of pure cocoa (I'm expecting it to be much sweeter) and an icing made using evaporated milk.
It's just come out of the oven and rather than the usual dark brown cake this one is paler, more mocha than very dark brown.
The icing I've made isn't as thick but there's plenty.

Yesterday I bought four very small rolled and stuffed breasts of lamb for a very reasonable £2:50. They're tiny and will probably disappear all together once roasted but I do love lamb and to find it at my kind of price was very exciting.
As there won't be much meat I'll puff out the dinner with lots of vegetables.

The cookery writer Shirley Goode extols the virtues of thrift by making use of scraps and left overs to make tasty meals. One of her recipes, Lamb and Lentil casserole is my favourite, I've only ever used shoulder chops, I can't bring myself to fight with the bones on a piece of scrag end.

Back to today's animal friendly fare. Felafel.
A delicate little supper. Finger grub. Making up little wholemeal pitta pockets oozing with yoghurt, salsa and chickpea fritters. So easy so purse friendly and so blooming delicious.

Cream topped chocolate mousse with chocospoon

Roman Cobbler

A tasty mixture of cubed fried pork shoulder, garlic, chestnut mushrooms and sage will be topped by a gnocchie made with semolina, milk, egg and cheese.
Cook for about 45 minutes till crispy. Can be kept warm for ages with no ill effects.
I always serve corn with this as it adds a dot of sweetness, I will though tonight, add some peas.

Pudding tonight is simplicity itself. I almost feel guilty because of the ease with which it's made. When assembled daintily it looks very professional no-one would guess it took only a few moments to make.

The scoundrel in question is Chocolate Mousse.

All you do is melt some dark chocolate over a pan of simmering water. Add a nut of butter and four egg yolks and stir. Slowly.
Then whisk the egg whites till peaky and stir into choc mixture with a metal spoon.
All that's left to somehow do is to ladle it into four small glass dishes or pretty tea cups leaving an inch of space for some whipped cream.
If you use tea cups, and are lucky enough to have matching saucers, a crisp biscuit in the saucer along with a small spoon, looks lovely.


The Apricot Oaty Choc Bars I recently made were scrummy. Not too sweet but a real heavenly mouthful.

Chocolate and Apricot Oat Bars

I've tweaked a simple oaty crunchy chocolate bake recipe of Mary Berry's by adding snipped dried apricots. I hope she won't mind.
I do that a lot. Tweaking. Adding stuff or subtracting bits hoping the result will be superb.
As it's Mr Horsehound's birthday I thought I'd make him a little sweet something. So along with his blackcurrant jelly and fruits of the forest dessert he'll be able to nibble on one of my fancies while checking the interweb.

His Birthday Tea tonight is Steak on a plate surrounded by sweetcorn peas tomatoes and chips.

Talking of fine fare I had dinner at Two Ducks today. A terrific affair of buttered rolls, a pork, mushroom and tomato casserole and for pud two plums.

Now I must fly......... my oaty bars need icing...
Chocolate of course.

Bake,,,Updated

Speckled bread otherwise known as Bara Brith

Did lots of cooking yesterday.
For lunch: Pork chops, colcannon, braised carrots and apple sauce, For pudding a sumptuous Upside Down Pear cake served will chilled cream

The colcannon was a last minute decision. I had a small cabbage in the fridge and decided to mix mashed potatoes and barely cooked cabbage together adding some chives, unauthentic but lovely. I made this early and kept it warm in the oven.
The thick chops were placed on a mound of colcannon and surrounded by whole slightly sweet and sour carrots, then to add a little ooh la la a rivulet of gravy was poured on top. No 'jus' just ordinary gravy. The meal was met with applause and I was glad too. Glad, because I've missed cooking and it felt supremely wonderful getting back to doing what I love.

The cake was born out of finding 4 small softish pears lurking in the fridge.
After peeling them carefully I cut each in half and with some butterscotch sauce already in the cake tin I placed the little pears and some halved glace cherries inside.
A simple cake mix was whisked up in no time and dropped onto the fruit, Incredibly easy.
And as soon as the chops, carrots and colcannon were out of the oven the cake went in.
I'll get a photo here as soon as I can...

Upside Down Pear Cake

Good home cooked food is a tonic and salvation as is spending Saturday evening in The Regency Spice.... A new Indian restaurant with simple elegant white decor, attentive smiling staff and the best restaurant food I've tasted in a very long while.

Today's fare is sausagemeat bolognaise with linguine and a herby cheese scone. Pudding might just be an ice cream cone.

Happy Eating!

In my last post I rattled on about aubergine and lentil pasta. I ended up NOT having it. Plumping instead for something else which I can't even remember.
Today though I WILL be tucking into the aubergine dish.
Simmering now is a tomato sauce flavoured with fresh basil garlic and my 'homemade' wine. Being not a great wine drinker I'm often stumped as to what to use as a replacement, cider is always a good idea but today I've used a Prue Leith idea namely to mix vinegar with sugar as a substitute for the booze.
I'll never use malt vinegar only Balsamic sweetened by 2 teeny spoonful soft sugar. Odd but it works a treat..
In with the aubergine onions and tomatoes is a little chopped celery and red and green peppers. Severly seasoned with pepper and miserly seasoned with salt. A vegetable stock cube adds something too.
Braised for a while then it'll top some wholewheat spaghetti and to soak up the sauce some garlic and coriander naan bread. A queer mix but again, it works lovely.
For sweet, strawberries and ice cream. Two punnets for £1:50 from an Asian guy with a loaded stall in Southend-on-Sea.

Brilliant simple food, meatless and meaningful.

We need to eat

Food has been low down on my list of priorities recently but today I'll be making a vegetarian dish.

Wholewheat spaghetti with a red lentil and aubergine sauce.

Canned fruit with ice cream for afters.

Meatloaf again

With an Italian flavour.
Fresh basil and shop bought pesto added to meat and onion along with a layer of tomatoes and cheese. I'll serve with spaghetti and tomato sauce. A real vintage tea time treat.


Also made today:
Another classic...
Coffee and Walnut cake

Pictures to come.....

Last night's meatloaf was very good indeed. There's some leftover so I'm taking it down to the caravan where Mr Horsehound, Mr and Mrs Hairy Suit and their young teenager Markie Boy will be fed. Can't wait...

No idea about tonight's food but as I've been very busy this week I might treat Mr Horsehound and myself to a takeaway.

Even lovers of domesticity like me need to occasionally shove the saucepans to one side.

Tried Another Fish

Last night's tea was Breaded Basa. A Vietnamese fish I hadn't heard of. Found it in Morrisons alongside the more expensive cod and haddock so I thought I'd give it a try. Couldn't be more disagreeable than trout.
It was lovely.
Soft sweetish flesh reminiscent of plaice. A winner with all around the table.
For afters a three jam steamed pudding made in the microwave. Raspberry plum and blackcurrant scraped fromt heir jars. Served without hesitation with Bird's custard. Which reminds me I had a  afe Pie And Mash the other day followed by Jam Roly Poly with nuclear yellow custard. Tasted divine..

I've just prepared a Meatloaf for tonight.
Looked what I had in the fridge and cupboard and came up with this take on a meatloaf.
500 g minced beef and pork mixed with herbs, ketchup, red onion, Worcestershire sauce, beef oxo cube, breadcrumbs and egg. Put half in loaf tin then topped with a cup of frozen cooked carrots peas sweetcorn. Then the rest of the meat on top of that. To add sweetness and tang I mixed some ketchup and honey and spread all over.
I love meatloaf, hot or cold, tonight's will be served hot because it's a bit chilly outside.

I stuffed some Trout yesterday. Never again. It was horrible. I thought I'd removed all the bones but NO. The stuffing was ok, Homemade....Lots of fresh herbs and chilli and lemon and garlic, but the fish just had too many bones. It made eating it a trial rather than a pleasure. Sorry Trout.

Today's feast is Chicken Chi Chi. For three people I'm using two chicken breasts baked in a sauce made with tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock cube, brown sugar, posh vinegar, water, green and red peppers and onions. It's being Slo-Cooked.
I'll cook some Pearl Barley to soak up the juices.
For pudding:
Either a Raspberry and Coconut Muffin (my recipe) OR a Chocolate Chip Muffin (Mary Berry). I've made 24 in all. Good to eat now and good to freeze.
Yes of course dear..

Fish Cakes

Not a lot of time for cooking today so a couple of cod and parsley fishcakes will have to do.
Come the weekend I'll have more time so will be making a Lentil Dhal and Chickpea Cutlets.
Yesterday's offer was poor by my standards> Tinned ham and a dull salad.
Shocking.

Today's Fare

Two fishes.
Crumbed Haddock and Battered Cod. Both from Morrisons. Both on special offer. I'll bake these with spiced potato wedges which were first slathered in an olive and sunflower oil and paprika mix. Umpeeled potatoes of course.
To go with the fish; petit pois and tomatoes and bread and spread. Pickled onions and ketchup on the side.

For sweet I've made a crumble.
One large chopped Bramley Apple mixed with one sliced Cox's apple and can of blackberries.
The crumble mix is self raising flour, margarine, sugar, flaked almonds and porridge oats.
I rarely serve crumbles with cream, just dosn't seem fitting. So as usual custard will accompany.

I bought a great handsome looking recipe book today.
Breads both from here in Blighty and from abroad. There are some interesting, stunning and fab looking recipes which I can't wait to bake.

Happy Eating!

Yum

Chicken Satay with homemade Satay Sauce
Red Onion and Sweet Potato Bhaji
Fried Rice with Bamboo Shoots, Bacon and Mushroom
Noodles with soy and lemon
Pancake Rolls with spicy dipping sauce

Satay Sauce:

3 tablespoons of dessicated coconut soaked in 300 ml milk
2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
1 fresh chilli, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar
garlic, crushed
onions, chopped
soy sauce


Fry onions, garlic and chilli for a couple of minutes. Don't brown.
Add the coconut and milk mix, sugar, soy. Cook for ten minutes. Blitz in food processor of blender. Serve with chicken on skewers and everything else.

Meat ma'am, meat

As the Mr Bumble said in Oliver Twist.

He believed that if you kept the children on Gruel violent things wouldn't occur...

I'm forsaking vegetarianism today for a nice pork cjop. Being carnivorous for a day won't make me wallop someone it might though make me feel human again.
As much as dig lentils I can't give animal flesh up completely.
I'm sorry piggies.

I have, since this heart business, cut down on all manner of things, meat being one, and I'm not missing it too much. Only thing that is causing me total grief is the disappearance of Cake

Portugal v. Germany

Red lentil bolognaise
Tagliatelle
Cheeses
Garlic and herb bread

Warm Cinnamon Drop Scones
Ice cream



I'm being very good with this no meat nonsense. For lunch today my Hairy Suit cooked me and mum a stunning veggie dish. It was so yummy we never missed the meat.

Before The Game

HOT DOGS
CHIPS
MAYO KETCHUP MUSTARD

APPLE and LEMON DROP SCONES WITH ORANGE CURD

LEMONADE
LIME CORDIAL
RUBY PORT

Hearty Diet. Yesterday.

Fresh mackerel. All shiny and fat. Hmmmm.

Jolly tasty though. Wrapped in foil and baked.

My other eaters had crumbed haddock.

No Cake Zone

Maybe not.
From now onwards cake will be a treat served on small plates.

Tonight I have guests.
Mr and Mrs Hairy Suit and for their delectation I'm making a Beef and Sweet Potato Curry served with poppodoms, chutney, garlic and coriander naans and spicy rice. For dessert: A Cheat's Lemon Meringue Pie.
Cheating in so far as instead of a pastry shell the gooey lemon mix will sit on a biscuit crust.
A pic will be posted.

Frying Pan

I always know when life is ropey, I get out my frying pan.
No proper dinner cooked you see. A mess of sausages, eggs, hash browns and beans are served instead of  a proper meal.
This kind of fare was what I used to eat as a youngster 1970 - 1978 and always on a Saturday. Late morning Mum and dad would walk briskly to the betting shop while I prepared eggs, bacon, tomatoes and sometimes even mushrooms. Never had chips, they were deemed a treat only to be had now and again.
Fried food was happy -go- lucky food. How times have changed. Now a quickly prepared fry-up is a sign of melancholia.

But not to worry I'm back to making casseroles tomorrow. Happy Days....

A reliable old chum

Spaghetti Bolognaise.
With garlic bread. Followed by ice cream.

Nothing much to write home about?

It is if the bolognaise is good.

Meaty with beef and bacon, sweet with tomatoes and touch of sugar, robust with a dash of Balsamic vinegar and lots of fresh herbs. Pungent with garlic and onions. Delicious with spoonfuls of green pesto. Spicy with black pepper. Yes, it's yummy, if the bolognaise is good.

I haven't had time to make my own pasta so I've opened a packet. The garlic bread is from the Co-Op, a bloomer shaped rough textured loaf flavoured with fresh garlic, ready to be warmed and then buttered. The Co-Op has a fair selection of rustic type bread, I prefer to make my own usually but now and again the brown wrapped bread from the local shop does the job.

Ice Cream seems fitting to polish off off an Italian style meal.
I used to make a lovely mango ice cream, but I tend now to stick with vanilla. As I'm short of 'me' time I'm using more and more chop bought ices. And the nicest one I've tasted so far is Carte D'Or. For taste it's a stunner. For economy and taste I like Morrisons vanilla flavour ice cream.

But if I was rich I'd buy Green and Black's ice cream. I've had chocolate and I've had vanilla, both were too good! My dad introduced me to G&B and I've never forgotten the taste. Rich smooth creamy. An indulgence I sadly miss.

So for tonight's tea an old favourite. Served in blue and white soup plates with warm bread and butter and grated cheddar cheese. No veg or salad. Then, small bowlfuls of ice cream with crushed biscuits on the side.

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Fried Rice. It looked so good even mum wanted to try some. Happy to report..a clean plate.

Mum's favourite. I baked a luxury batch for her birthday. A rich lemon infused egg custard encased in rich shortcrust pastry. Wonderful.

 

 

Gloria's Fish and Egg Pie Serves 4. Generously.

Poach a mixture of fresh salmon, smoked haddock and cod in 600 ml milk till tender and flaky. ( I bought 200 g of fish pie mix from Morrisons fishmongers to which I added two cans of canned tuna)
Meanwhile boil some potatoes, I use lots because I love mashed pots.
When the fish is cooked, usually about ten minutes, drain off the milk and put the fish in a bowl.
Make a roux with 50 g butter / 50g plain flour.
Re-heat the milk to boiling and add the flour mix, whisking like mad all the time, till you have a smooth sauce.
Add the fish and two cans of tuna, drained.
Gently fold in.
Season with salt, pepper, grated nutmeg and lots of fresh chopped parsley.

Pour into baking dish and top with buttery mashed potatoes.

Bake till bubbling and mash is slightly browned, about 45 minutes.

I always serve this with peas and tomatoes. Bit unoriginal but it's the taste that matters!

For pudding...
Ice cream.

Probably make a cottage pie today.

Fishday

A batch of pink salmon fishcakes will soon be fried...

Mash some potatoes. Add butter, parsley, chives, dill, lemon zest and juice, grating of nutmeg and dash of cayenne, black pepper and salt, Finally add the salmon and mix thoroughly. Don't over mix otherwise it'll go gooey.
Form into patties, coat in flour and fry for a few minutes either side.
I sometimes egg and crumb them. Adds a crunch.
Tonight though they are au naturel.
Chips, peas, tomatoes, pickled onions, bread and butter on the side.
Ketchup and vinegar too.

No pudding.

Food Memory no# 45

Fried egg sandwiches made by me for dad. Date 1975. Usually at 10 pm watching The Horse of the Year Show from Wembley.
White bread, Anchor butter, crispy edged soft yolked eggs and tomato ketchup.
Mmmmm

Chicken Salad with lemon hummus

Mmmmm.
Warm sliced roasted chicken.
Warm buttery potatoes mixed with chopped spring onion. Seasoned liberally.
Chunks of red and yellow peppers to dip into hummus.
Lettuce tomato cucumber and beetroot. For colour and supreme health.
Salad cream coated hard boiled eggs. A childhood favourite.

Tinned pineapple and mango and passion fruit yoghurt..... a refreshing pudding.

Another foodie memory is mum's rice pudding
So firm dad needed a knife to slice.

Cottage Pie

Makes me feel all cosy.

500g good minced beef
2 onions
can of chopped tomatoes
dash of Worcestershire sauce
squirt of HP sauce
3 cloves of garlic
a litle water
two beef oxo cubes
salt and pepper

Top the cooked and cooled meat mixture with lots of creamy cheesey mashed potatoes and bake till bubblingly brown.
Serve with some baked beans or tinned peas.


When I was a little girl we lived in a flat and one of our neighbours was an Irish woman who made the most gorgeous of pies.
To this day I don't know what was in it. But the taste has remained locked in my food memory all this time.
She kept tortoises.

Chilli with lots of beans and veg

I've jazzed up, played around with, dare I say...improved my regular chilli con carne.

Minced steak
Onion
Self crushed cumin seeds.  Used a new chopping knife.
Muscovado sugar
Chilli flakes
Garlic. Beyond belief.
Passata
Beef stock
Flagelot beans, black eye beans, kidney beans, green beans, sweetcorn, adukis, borlotti beans.
Chopped sweet potato
Salt and Pepper.

Left in oven for a couple of hours then served with jacket potatoes, guacamole and sour cream.
Fingers of garlic bread.
All very good but it's pudding I'm really doing somersaults over..
Tres Leche.
A milky cream cake from Mexico, the recipe a new found one from Jane Asher's cake book. I made it this afternoon with butter, flour, eggs, sugar.
Evaporated milk, condensed milk and double cream.
According to Ms Asher this is more of a pudding than a cake. But whichever way you look at it, it's marvelous.
Can't wait to serve it to Mr Horsehound and Hairy Suit.
Mum's having a fish pie.

Pork chop day.

Pork Escalopes dipped in flour, egg and sage and onion stuffing mix then pan-fried.
Served with jacket baked poatoes and steamed broccoli with lemon butter sauce.
For pudding. Chocolate sponge and custard.

Easter Sunday tea in the bungalow.

Up at 7:30 to start round two of the preparations for Easter Sunday tea.
As you will see and hopefully hear from my video on offer was a selection of fancy cakes and charming sandwiches.
Orange and Chocolate sponge cakes.
Fruit cake.
Jam and cream scones.
Ginger squares. Decorated in Jackson Pollock style by arty Mr Horsehound.
Beef and English mustard sandwiches
Ham and fruit chutney sandwiches.
Egg mayo sandwiches.
And.
Salmon Puffs. Which went very fast. Indeed.

Mr Horsehound and I put on a show for my very good friend Mr Hairy Suit and his ma and pa. Both quite able to move after  having their fill of the aforementioned grub.
There were plenty of ooohs and aaahs.

The spread

Plenty to choose from

My utterly moreish Salmon Puffs. (with little lady)

Homemade Hot Cross Buns with butter

Waiting for our guests...

My scales displaying Jackson Pollock chocolatey collateral damage

Franks and Hot Potato Salad. And cake.

For tonight's tea I poached some frankfurters and served them with a bowlful of hot potato salad.
I also made something sweet. A batch of Munchkin cakes. Rich orange fairy cakes topped with orange curd and dark chocolate. These were'nt touched however because they are one of the many delicacies I'm offering to Hairy Suit's mum and dad tomorrow tea time.

More on that tomorrow.

Recipe for Hot Potato Salad.

Boil chopped unpeeled potatoes till done.
Drain and put into bowl,
Heat some oil  ( 2 or 3 tbsp) in a small pan and add a finely chopped onion. Gently fry for five minutes.
Add some crushed garlic, 5 or 6 tablespoons of wine or cider vinegar, a little sugar, mustard of your choice, I used wholegrain mustard, some chopped parsley, a touch of salt and a good grinding of pepper and a pinch of chilli powder or drop of Tabasco.
Simmer for a couple of minutes then pour over warm potatoes.
This is gorgeous with sausages of any kind but especially yummy with Hot Dogs.

Yesterday I made a dozen Hot Cross Buns.
Rich with fruit and spices and lovely spread with butter.

Today along with the Munchkin cakes I baked a Fruit Cake, this too being for my terribly English Tea Time.
An ordinary little cake packed with the usual dried fruits but including exotic apricots and glace cherries . No spices only lemon rind to give it some zingzing.

Now I must go to bed to read about cakes a la Mrs Beeton....

Orange Cake with Apricots

This was lovely. I served it with cream. As the cake sunk a bit in the middle I improvised by opening a can of apricots...

A simple orange glace icing finished it off sweetly.

Tonight's extravaganza will be..Meatloaf. My own concoction. Simple and hopefully yummy. Minced beef, pork sausagemeat, onion, beef oxo, garlic, grated carrot and pepper.
Talking of which...As I opened a new pepper grinder the whole lot poured itself into the moist meat mix. Hmm. Ditch the whole lot? Not likely. Can't abide waste. So I patiently picked out every single peppercorn.
I THINK I salvaged all the peppercorns but we'll find out soon enough!
I'll serve mashed potatoes with the meatloaf and probably a green veg. I might make a spicy sauce too.

Ooops nearly forgot.
After laying half the meat in the loaf tin I scattered over a little grated cheddar then topped it with the remaining meat. To give a hint of sweetness I glazed the loaf with a mix of tomato puree and honey.

Moist and Sweet

I feel like something fruity so have made an Orange Sponge cake.
After it's cooled I'll ice it using the juice of half an orange and some icing sugar. I'll then decorate with slivers of finely shredded peel.
I considered splitting the cake and spreading with chocolate butter cream but soon dropped the idea. I don't want exotic I want a fresh zingy tingling cake which is as light as a butterfly and as beautiful.

The other day I made chocolate mousse and served it in small glasses. It was and will always be the most gorgeous dessert. It is so unbelievably simple.

Melt 100gms of plain chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
Then when completely melted stir in 12.5 g butter.
Remove from heat add 4 egg yolks and blend thoroughly.
Meanwhile whisk till stiff the four egg whites using an electric whisk. Fold into the chocolate mixture until evenly mixed using a metal spoon. Wood won't do.
Divide this heavenly concoction between four glasses or dishes and leave in the fridge until required.

When ready to serve you could drop on some whipped cream and nuts or serve au naturel.
Gorgeous.

Bramley Caramel Sponge

For pud tonight I'm serving a new recipe.
Bramley Caramel Sponge.
I've just takenit out of the oven and it looks good enough to eat!
A thick layer of caramel covers a layer of tart apples which cover a sweet light sponge. I'll have some pouring cream with it instead of the ubiquitous custard.
A change really is as good as a rest.
Before our sweet indulgence....fried pork steaks peppered with a sage and onion stuffing mix, a carrot and potato mash and garden peas. Gravy laced with redcurrant jelly.
I get through a jar of the stuff a week.

I made a Gingercake for Hairy's mum and she liked it a lot. There's nothing more rewarding than baking for other people.

GUILTY SECRET~

For the first time in my culinary life I bought a can of aerosole cream.
Because..... as I dawdled around Morrisons this morning I pictured a silly jelly with a squirt of the white stuff on it.
Being an avid listener to all things paranormal I took it as a message...So mum's diabetic jelly will look and hopefully taste nicer...

Simplicity

Marinated some braising steak in oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, thyme and onion. Then after several hours coated the beef in seasoned flour then browned it before adding beef stock, whole potatoes and the remainder of the marinade.
Brought to a boil, then transferred to pot to braise for a couple of hours.
After which I dropped in some dumplings. Cooked for twenty minutes then served up in soup bowls.
Simple and wonderful.

For pudding leftover squares of last night's ginger sponge cake.
Which, by the way, was gorgeous. Rich, light and spicy served with a lemon custard.
Last night's dinner was one of the best.
Marjoram chops.
Pork chops, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, marjoram, tinned tomatoes, seasoning. Cooked slowly for 90 minutes then served with a Sweet Potato and White Potato mash.

With a Margueritte Patten recipe to hand I thought I'd make her version of a sticky Gingercake.
Disaster.
As damp as a thousand wet socks and as flat as a piece of paper.
What on earth went awry.
Was it my scales? Could they be out of kilter? I had Mr Horsehound investigate. "No, they are sound" he said.
Hmmm.
Was I too heavy-handed with the treacle? Ummm no. I used exactly the amount stated in the recipe.
After many head scratchings I gave up. Can't win 'em all I said. And went onto make a Hairy Biker recipe.
A much simple lighter Ginger Sponge Cake.
I don't usually entertain BBC 2's strange couple, they grate on me. A bit too cheery. But this recipe was from one of their mums so I gave it a go.
Very Good.

A pair of Hairy Bikers and a Mum

Whenever I make Ginger Cake or Gingerbread it's always from a Mary Berry book. This time however Ms Patten seduced me from within the garishly coloured pages of her 1975 Hamlyn Cook Book.
Oh Mags, what were you thinking. The 6oz of black treacle HAD to be a typo. But I'll be magnanimous and let it go.

The Ginger Sponge Cake will be served warm tonight with a Lemon Custard.  But before that we'll be eating Marjoram Pork Chops with a Sweet Potato Mash, green beans and peas. Redcurrant jelly will be available.

Tonight I'm marinating some braising steak in oil, wine vinegar, parsley garlic( and other things which I've forgotten) for tomorrow's dinner....
No ginger I hope!

An old book

Pork chops encrusted in sage and black pepper.
Mashed potatoes.
Honeyed lemon carrots
Peas

No pud today as I'm not feeling very sweet.

I am though looking forward to making a special cake for Hairy Suit's mum. I've narrowed it down to three stunners.
I adore baking for other people. 'Tis only time I really pay attention...

I will be hunting for hearts tomorrow.

Pulses

I'm making a Lentil Bolognaise for tonight's tea.
And I'm on the lookout for Aduki Beans either tinned or bagged to make a Red Dragon Pie.
A beany Goulasch is on the cards too, probably for one day next week.
I won't, as I said in yesterdays post, subject Mother to a non-meat diet she has though expressed willing ness to try a meatless menu.
Good.

Something I do want to make and soon, is a Spinach and Ricotta pie. I tried a slice in  the Birdwood cafe in Southend and it was yummy.

More food tomorrow...

For a cook to lose interest in food is catastrophic.
I have and it is.
I'm eating but only fragments of what is usually on my plate. The gusto has gone.
I've been trying to rekindle my adoration of food by flicking through books but nothing has the power to keep me interested. My concentration levels are below low!

I made Sausage Saxony for tonight's tea. Mum liked it but only ate one sausage, Mr Horsehound loved it, I though thought it was just ok.
I think I'm just dead tired.

I'm thinking about cooking with less meat. A few beany veggies meals and flans with spinach and ricotta seem tempting. I wont though be serving these dishes to mum, it wouldn't be fair to inflict vegetarianism onto the old carnivore.
She'll still sink her tooth into a portion of pig.
I on the other hand can't bear the thought of eating anything which might possess a soul. I think tonight's sausage is the end.

More?

I haven't eaten much today.
A slice of wholewheat toast, half a pizza.
Numerous cups of tea.
And two chips stolen from Mr Horsehound's late night plate.

Sort of Oriental

A Mary Berry recipe which uses a lot of my fav ingredients:

Spicy Pork with Cabbage

Pork shoulder
Cabbage
Onion
Soy
Curry Powder
Carrot
Garlic
Chicken stock

Noodles

This so simple and quick to make and absolutely scrummy.

Brown the pork then add the onion, carrot and garlic. Stir fry. Add curry powder and soy and about 150ml of chicken stock. Stir and bubble.
Cook for about 20 minutes or so. No definite time. Just make sure it doesn't run dry.
Then.
Blanch cabbage leaves add to pork mix.
A handful of frozen garden peas can be thrown in too.

I always serve this with noodles. I prefer white but you might like wholewheat.
If I want to go totally Oriental a plate of spring rolls and dipping sauce is ideal.

Mary Berry recipes never fail.
I love her and want to move into with her.

Her new cooking programme on BBC2 is to-the-point and brilliant. No fussing, no excessive laughing and playing to camera just honest information from the down to earth Cordon Bleu cook.

Saucisson

Sausagemeat pasta is my favourite Italian style meal. Served with warm garlic rolls and sweetcorn it never fails to satisfy.

Here's my version of Josceline Dimbley's recipe.

For 4 people

4 or 5 pork herby pork sausages, skinned and mashed. Today I'm using Cumberland.
Pork and Leek are excellent too. As are pork with red onion and any other spicy sausage on offer.
1 onion, chopped
can of tomatoes or passata
2 big carrots, peeled and grated
about a pint of chicken stock
dried or fresh Marjoram
plenty of freshly milled salt and black pepper.
a little sugar.

Fry onions and sausagemeat till brown.
Add rest of ingredients. Simmer for about 40 mins. Till pulpy and thick.

Serve with any pasta and top with grated cheese.

This can be frozen.
This can be re-heated in the microwave.

For pudding..

I've made Peach Cobblers.
4 x four inch ramekins filled with canned drained peaches which have been swished in flour and sugar. Then a cobbler topping is added.
Plain flour, margarine, sugar mixed then 5 tablespoons of single cream added to make a stiffish dough.

Rolled out............ then discs cut out slightly smaller than the ramekins and plopped on top.
Bake for about twenty minutes till bubbling and the scone top nicely browned.

A Day of Two Meals

1.
Steak and vegetables for my friend Ken

and

2.
Roasted Chicken breast, roasted potatoes, peas and mashed swede for Mr Horsehound, mum and myself.

My Carrot Cake went down a treat too.

To me sharing food is showing love.
I like doing both.

Lentils

A smashing Lentil Bolognaise is simmering and will soon be sandwiched between a white sauce and lasagne.
I'll garlic butter some plain white bread and oven bake it.
For mudding? Oh I don;t know.
Probably some kind of fruit thing.

I made a chocolate cake today.

Cornish Pastie Pie

8 oz plain flour
2oz lard
2oz block marg
ice cold water to mix


Some rump or topside of beef, thinly sliced
a good grating of fresh swede
a chopped onion
2 grated potatoes
fresh parsley
freshly milled black pepper and salt



Make the pastry. Rub fat into flour etc etc. Add water, mix with hand NOT knife. Only way to know the true consistency of the pastry.
Leave to rest.



Very thinly slice lean steak. (I bagged a piece of rump £1.66) Reduced in price.
Add all the veg and parsley.
Turn it around in bowl.
Add lots of pepper but be careful with the salt.
Turn it again.

Cut pastry into two pieces. One slightly larger than the other.
Roll out the bigger piece and line a greased pie dish.
Pour in the meat and veg mix.
Dampen the edge of the pastry and top with smaller bit of pastry.
Decorate if  you must. I usually just crimp the edges. Brush either with beaten egg or milk.

Bake at gas 4 for about 90 minutes or so... keep an eye on the pastry. If it's going too brown, cover loosely with foil.

I'll be serving simple boiled poatoes which will be lightly crushed after cooking and seasoned.
And to add some sweetness...Spicy baked beans.

Devonshire Apple Cake

450 g cooking apples
juice of half a lemon
350 g self raising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
350 g caster sugar or golden granulated
4 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract or a touch more
225 g melted butter or block marg
a generous sprinkling of flaked almonds

Heat oven to gas 4
Peel core and chop apples squeeze lemon juice over them.

Put flour, baking powder, sugar, into large bowl.
Beat eggs together with almond extract and stir into flour.

Add melted butter/margarine.
Stir thoroughly to mix.

Spread half this mixture into a 12 x 9 greased and lined tin.
Top with apples.
Then carefully top with remaining mixture. It won't cover the apples evenly but fear not, it spreads out during baking.

Cover with almonds and bake for about 75 minutes or until a skewer comes out a clean when poked through the middle!

Allow to cool. Then cut into squares or fingers. Dust liberally with caster or icing sugar.

Enjoy as a pud with cream or ice cream or cold with a coffee or tea.

Don't tell the government.

Shrove Tuesday

My pancakes slid all over the too large pan resulting in lip shaped pancakes.
We all laughed.

Cake and Pie

I've just iced a Carrot Cake and will soon make a Shepherd's Pie.

The cake is one of my all time favourites. Very simple to make and oh so easy to eat. It's a Mary Berry recipe with a few tweeks.
And what makes this cake so gorgeous is that it's made by the all-in-one method. Flour, margarine, walnuts, bananas, carrots, sunflower oil, brown sugar, baking powder in the bowl then thoroughly mixed either ny hand or electric beater. Then into a cake tin to bake for 55 minutes.
No peeking otherwise it'll sink.

Then when cold it's iced with a mix of icing sugar, full fat cream cheese, margarine or butter, vanilla extract. Mix till perfectly smooth and lump and bump free. Slather on with a palette knife and decorate with walnuts.
I prefer to crush my walnuts because then everyone gets some nuts.

For our tea tonight a Shepherd's Pie.
For pudding, probably the cake.
Although I am edging towards something fruity. An apple crumble or similar. My cakes are usually for 1.Eating with a cup of tea. 2. Inclusion in Mr Horsehound's munchbox.  3. Photographing for this blog! I'll see what I can muster.

It's Shrove Tuesday tomorrow. I have lemons and syrup on the shelf. Lovely.

Just what I'll be cooking for Wednesday night I have no idea. But it'll be something tasty, chummy and easy to prep. All on account of Wednesday being FOOTBALL day.
England v. Denmark.
The highlight of my week:)

Now I must make Pie...

A Bowl Of Chilli

Minced beef and pork (Morrisons value pack)
red green and yellow peppers (a little of each)
onion (sliced)
garlic (three cloves)
passata ( a carton)
cumin seeds/chilli flakes ( however fiery you prefer your chilli)
tomato puree ( a lengthy squirt)
dark brown sugar ( an indecent amount)
Salt /pepper

Simmered till thick and rich then served in bowls with perfectly cooked white rice. A generous sprinkling of crushed tortillas on top adds a necessary crunch.
I think this is one of the nicest ways to serve minced meat.


I bought a book today. The Pudding Club recipe book. Perfect reading on a cold night. Perfect eating on any night!

Dinnertime I made a few Hot Dogs.
Fat floury Finger rolls split and filled with franks and fried onions, and covered/decorated with English mustard and tomato ketchup.
Light, tasty and very moreish.

Chinese! (style)

Tonight I'm making sweet and sour beef with fried rice.

Midweek Roast

Roast Chicken. Small bird.
Boiled Parsnips and carrots. Love my roots.
Sausagemeat stuffing balls. Packet stuffing mix with three skinned sausages added.
Potato Boulangere. Spuds and onions layered cooked in milk and stock. Very seasoned.

And for pudding...

Rhubarb and Ginger sponge with custard.


In the Y.M.C.A shop I bought a small flowered recipe file box. Pristine condition, only £1:45.