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.