Today:
Leg of pork chops with roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, roasted onions, brussel sprouts, gravy and apple sauce.
Ice cream to follow.

Yesterday's tea was very good...Lentil bolognaise, grated cheddar to scatter, garlic bread made with homemade malted bread. And for sweet (very sweet) my own take on bread and butter pudding...
White bread, crusts cut orf,, buttered and spread with damson jam cut into triangles. Then laid in buttered dish with dessicated coconut and white sugar in between.
A simple eggy custard is then strained over.

It puffed up brilliantly, all golden and the coconut toasted to perfection.
Such an amazing tasting pud made from store cupboard standbys. We over indulged by pouring over a little evaporated milk.

I'm getting excited at the thought of Christmas baking. Already decided on the cake, already have a small to-do list. I'll be making all my presents this year.
More on that on that on my other blog.

Now I must fly...

On my path a small table holds a few small aloe vera plants for sale at an amazing price of 50p. They were put out early this morning, I haven't checked how they're going because I've been cooking.

A seeded tin loaf is on its second proving while a chicken and corn flan cools down after a long slow bake.

For dessert some canned pineapple and evaporated milk.

All good stuff but I'm wondering if Bake Off winner Nadiya would approve...
I have to admit I wanted Ian to win but hats off to Nadiya for her almost faultless efforts. Her lemon drizzle wedding cake took the biscuit. And although it looked madly pretty I preferred Ian's wild multi-story carrot cake.

For tea yesterday we had cold roast chicken with curried pasta salad and chappatis. Cool lettuce and mango chutney added more yumyum.

Saturday's offering was sweet and sour chicken, fried rice and pancake rolls.As you can clearly see I've been overdoing it on the poultry front.

For lunch today: chicken sandwich.

Already thinking about christmas.

After a bout of the sniffles I needed something sweet and gorgeous so I made a cherry pie.
A simple buttery and sweet shortcrust pastry is home to bottled cherries which have been added to a thickened sauce made with cherry juice cornflour, brown sugar and almond essence.
Baked and served cold with a little single cream.
I was particularly happy with the pastry. Almost cakey in texture but with a lightness.

I bought a cauliflower today and will make a caukiflower cheese, added bacon will orbit the everyday dish to a bigger level.

Love at first bite

Last night's hearts were so good I can hardly contain my excitement.
A rich sauce poured over tender meaty hearts and served on a bed o' mash.
Just perfect food for a chilly wet day.

Tonight's dish is the ever reliable Beef Cobbler. When I first started making this dish I used too much water and although it tasted fine it looked a bit insipid. Now I don't use water at all. Just a tin of chopped tomatoes. The result is a magnificent mix of lean minced beef, onion, carrot, tomatoes, herbs and stock cubes. Peppered liberally and on account of the stock cubes a miser with the salt. A nice cobbler topping is dropped on top and then baked to near perfection.
I'll be serving it on a steamed sweetheart cabbage leaf.

Lamb's Hearts

Two tonight. Stuffed and braised in a cider sauce.

After washing them and cutting out the tubes I trimmed off a little of the surrounding fat leaving a bit to enrich the sauce.
Roll the hearts around in some seasoned flour and rest them while you make the stuffing.

The stuffing is easy.
Fresh breadcrumbs mixed with lightly fried chopped onion, finely diced apple, marjoram, sage, thyme, parsley and pepper and salt.
Mix well then stuff the cavities by holding the heart in my left hand while poking in small amounts of stuffing using the thumb on my tight hand. Keep going till no stuffing remains. The ingredients for a stuffing are endless, I'll add some dried apricot next time or sultanas or even bacon and mushrooms. I'll use what comes to hand.
Whilst cooking some stuffing will probably escape but it will only serve to thicken the sauce. So happy days.
Heat some oil and fry the offal till well browned. Take time over this. Make sure the hearts have a crusty coat. Remove from pan and place in small casserole.

Now the sauce.
Fry a chopped onion in butter and oil till browned and soft then add a little flour stirring all the time. Stir in some hot lamb stock and cider and a dollop of redcurrant jelly. Season.
Pour over the hearts.
Pop a lid on and braise in the oven for 2 and a half hours. Longer cooking won't harm. Probably improve it.

I am serving the hearts sliced on top of a bed of Two Potato mash. White pots and sweet pots. Then pouring the sauce over the top so it colours the mash and makes the hearts glow.

Yesterday's Victoria sponge may not have looked pretty but it tasted divine.
I've made hundreds of cakes and this one has to be one of the lightest. It was like biting into a bubble.
Needless to say but I'll say it anyway, everyone loved it.
I am a very happy cookess.

My mate Ken enjoyed his sausage and onion sandwich and devoured the jam and cream sponge shortly after. Clean plates are good plates.

Haven't done much cooking today apart from the frying of the aforementioned sos and onions, but the weekend is coming....

My Victoria sponge has turned out well.
Very light, warmly golden and springs back when prodded.
All I need to do now is fill it with raspberry jam and cream.
And when that's done and the kitchen is tidy I'll see how other amateur bakers fare in The Great British Bake Off. BBC1 20:00hrs.

Cake with a waist

 My Many Seeded Loaf

Having a madcap morning.
Already made some sausagemeat bolognaise and a seeded cheese scone for today's munchies. And as I'm hoping for a visit from my mate Ken tomorrow I will make a raspberry jam and whipped cream Victoria Sponge.
It's all go in the bungalow.
Been looking through my cook books and have found a recipe for a cider cake.
I'm imagining a slice with a small wedge of Cheddar cheese. Oh yum. Oh yes.
I made a sausage in cider casserole yesterday and it went down quickly and well, heaped the Lincolnshire sausages, chestnut mushrooms and cider sauce onto mounds of buttery mash. Served with a spoonful of redcurrant jelly on the side. Too good...

Already thinking about foodie Christmas gifts. I was toying with the idea of creating something in the needlework area but I prefer getting creative in the kitchen. So food gifts it will be.
Probably chutneys.

When it's chilly...

Not much beats a steamed pudding.

4 oz self raising flour
2oz suet
water to bind

2 skinless boned chicken thighs, chopped
2 flat mushrooms, sliced
about four inches of sliced leek
a little thyme, fresh is best but dried will do
5fl oz dry cider
pepper and salt
flour for dusting the chicken

Make the pastry.
Line a 1pt greased pudding basin with three quarters of the pastry.

Toss chicken in flour.
Then place alternate layers of meat and veg in pastry lined basin.
Add thyme and seasoning.
Pour over cider.

Roll out remaining dough.
Wet the rim of the pudding then place pastry lid on top.
Cover very well with foil.

Place in large pan with enough boiling water to come three quarters of way up basin.
Cover.
Cook for a couple of hours or more. Wont harm if you leave it for a long time. But don't forget to top up with more boiling water.

Serve with plain boiled buttered potatoes and peas.

Honest simple heartwarming food.
I love it.

Tomorrow I will use the rest of the cider in a sausage casserole.

I'm hoping for a better day in the kitchen.
Yesterday was ok, but a collapsing cake was not on my to-do list. However after lifting my head from my sloping bosoms I sliced the disappointing bake and had it with a big jug of custard.

Rob and me are entertaining tonight.
Lovely Jeannie and er...lively Mark...
Jeannie has an average appetite, Mark though doesn't have a stomach, he just has a Mighty Cavity.
Apparently having a nice big appetite is common amongst boys and girls with Down's, and Mark certainly doesn't let the side down on that one.

I'm making a beef cobbler for tonight served with baked beans and potatoes. Dessert can sometimes be problematical, Mark has ideas of his own. He doesn't do jelly or anything else that looks weird, so to make sure he gets his sugar I usually make a crumble and custard or unwrap a choc ice. Tonight it's the latter for the young man, for the adults I've made Creme Caramel.

So all looking ok on the domestic front. Now I must get my apron on......

Updated. Again

Trying to be a bit more organized...so before whizzing out for an hour I've put a smashing paprikad pork and veggie casserole in the slow-cooker.

Two shoulder steaks, some frozen veggies (carrot, swede, turnip, leek) a tin of chopped tomatoes, a big sliced onion, some boiling stock, lots of black pepper, some salt, and a generous amount of smoked paprika. I also dropped in half a red pepper, chopped of course.


Recipe from Mary Berry's Book of Meat Cookery. I have though tweaked it.


............................Just taken four Creme Caramels out of the oven.And they smell goood. And as I write a Coffee and Vanilla ring cake is baking.
Later on I'll ice it with a coffee and white chocolate icing as I listen to the news at five.


I am human.
My cake collapsed a bit.
There is no way it will hold an icing so rather than waste it I'll serve it in odd shaped blobs alongside a few of yesterday's remaining prunes.

However, the creme caramels are perfect.

Fish (cod) Fingers, potato wedges, garden peas and baked tomatoes.

Prunes and custard.

I was going to make a Pork casserole but left it too late. I was going to make a jam pudding but all of a sudden, just after the news, I felt the urge for prunes.

A Sunday Roast on a Monday

Went swimming yesterday so didn't have time to cook, so today a nice shoulder of pork is roasting. Lemony carrots and simple steamed cabbage to go with it. Roasted tatties of course. No stuffing, because I forgot.
For sweet; lemon curd sponge and custard.

I made an 8in square Gingercake this morning whilst keeping an eye on the Athletics being shown on BBC2.
'Great fit men and women' I thought, as I also thought about icing.
A cream cheese icing flavoured with honey and lemon will top the dark brown cake.

Carrot and Coriander soup the other day. With garlic croutons. Fabulous. I'm using a lot of carrots lately on account of buying a 10kg sack from the farm shop.

I'm checking my skin for signs of orangeness.

We are entertaining tonight

Jeannie, young Mark, Viola and Trevor will be seated around the table and fed Sausage, Apple and Chutney Plait with Bubble and Squeak and barbeque beans. Good homely fare for good homely folk. I've taken the precaution of making two plaits on account of young Marks phenomenal appetite.
The bubble was a crazed idea I had when I was wondering what to do with a lot of cabbage. I added some boiled onions and a scoop of butter to the tattie/cabbage mix, it now waits in a large Pyrex dish ready to be heated.

For pud I'm opting for a super fruit cocktail.
Kiwi, banana, apple, orange, peaches and sultanas are marinating in apple juice. To serve with it lots of strawberry yoghurt and some Chocolate and Vanilla Pinwheel biscuits on the side. For dipping.

The table is laid out nicely in the front room (not enough space in the kitchen) and incense sticks are at the ready waiting to be lit. Probably opt for Sandalwood.

I love cooking for a crowd. 

Minestrone by any other name

The soup I've made for tonight is a vegetable and pasta soup packed full of orange pepper, tomatoes, onion, carrots, penne, basil, garlic, oregano, thyme, shredded cabbage and cannellini beans.
It will be served with chunks of apple and cheddar bread (Paul Hollywood recipe) and more grated cheese.

For pud a simple raspberry sponge and custard.

Recently I made a dozen fresh blackberry muffins after foraging around the bushes in a big park, we came away with around 1lb.
A lady with a small yapping tawny pooch told us the way to go, to find the purple fruit. She was enthusiastic. We thanked her and scurried away through coarse green and yellowing grasses and up and down dodgy dried paths till we found the bushes heavy with ripe and unripe fruit.
We picked carefully to avoid piercing the skin of both us and the fat fruit and when we'd filled the small plastic bag we
danced out of the park/wood gripping the booty.

Other things of note:
When we went to the Purleigh Classic Car event I had a picnic basket packed with 6 cold chicken drumsticks, curried pasta salad, blackberry muffins, fresh bacon ready to be fried, unsalted butter and homemade bread. Tea and a bottle exotic fruit drink kept us hydrated. For goodness sake I'd pushed a couple of small red apples in between the cheese and onion crisps.

Jeannie and Mark and hopefully Viola and Trevor will be joining us for tea on Friday. I have the menu sorted. Two large Sausage, apple and chutney slices with boiled potatoes and some kind of green veg. Cabbage probably. For pud, I'll make a cherry pie and ice cream. The pie is a Mary Berry recipe. Very black cherry and sweet with a hint of almond. The ice cream will be shop bought.


I was told about Barleylands Farm shop in Billericay by Viola and Trevor. I went there. I'm going again. Two big cabbages for £1. Wouldn't you?

Mini Roast..updated

Wednesday is usually mini roast day.
Today I'm roasting a couple of pork chops with slices of sweet apple. Accompanying the pork will be jacket potatoes and peas.
For pudding, a fruit cocktail and yoghurt.
If I have time I might make some drops scones too.

This is a simple easy dinner to make and I like simple. Especially tonight.
I don't want to be up to my eyeballs in tins and pans because The Great British Bake Off is on tv tonight.
And the girls and boys are making Madeira Cake.

-After coating the pork chops in black pepper and dried sage I placed them in the roasting tin on top of wedges of onion. They are cooking up a storm. Really gorgeous aromas emanating from the kitchen
-Decided against the jacket pots opting instead for.....After par boiling the potatoes I drained them, shook them around the pan then threw in a handful of flour and coated them in it. This gives a nice texture.
-I did have time to make some drop scones. Only I made a dozen spiced treacle ones.
These will be spread with a little butter and apricot jam. 
I made the usual mix of self raising flour, egg and milk, but instead of the usual amount of caster sugar I used a tablespoonful of treacle and for added warmth a good shaking of mixed spice. They of course cook up slightly darker than regular drop scones. I tried one and it was very good although next time I'll be more heavy handed with the spice.
I'm popping over to see Rob's mum and dad tomorrow afternoon I think I'll take them a freshly made plate of scones. And although Viola is diabetic she does throw caution to the wine and engage in eating a little sugar. I expect my drop scones will be welcome.

Oh Come On It's Sunday

Roasted Chicken.
Jacket Potato
A green vegetable
A milky chicken gravy

Individual Oaty Apple Crumble and custard.

Possibly a glass of beer.

Absolutely Wonderful

I've made many a fine cake but the recent choco one takes the biscuit.
It was so light it almost floated away.

No decoration needed

The glossiest chocolate icing covers a two layer chocolate sponge.


Made this afternoon.

Food for Happiness

Chilli Con Carne
Rice
Tortilla chips


My chilli has evolved over many years into a hot meaty bowl of lovesomeness. I originally followed Delia Smith's recipe, then deserted her for Mary Berry's simplified recipe.
And although both were good I still felt the need to tamper.
And so tamper I did until I arrived at today's version, which I must say, receives many a fine comment.
And.
It is so easy.

Ingredients. Serves 4. Or 2 providing you can tolerate a double dose of chilli on a Monday and a Tuesday.
It's perfectly acceptable to re-heat, I usually dip bread into mine

Minced Beef. The best quality you can afford.
Oil.
Onions
Green or red pepper.
Chilli flakes or two mild chillis. Don't use the cheapest chilli powder on the shelf.
Cumin seeds or ground cumin. Whatever you have.
Tinned tomatoes.
Tomato puree.
Beef stock (not always essential depends how juicy your tomatoes are and how wet you like your chilli).
Brown sugar.
Lots of garlic. I use 4 cloves. 
Pepper and salt.
Tinned or soaked and boiled beans. I've used them all. Kidney beans of course. Borlotti. Aduki. Black Eyed Beans.
I even had the nerve to use Cannellini.

Beef Cobbler

With a butter bean layer.
Lovely.

What Better

After a chilly day out and about looking for retro crockery I made a Chicken and Mushroom Pie. After the pie was assembled I put together a Chocolate And Sultana Loaf Cake.

The pie will be served with... what else.... but mashed potatoes and spicy baked beans. The baked beans thing is a lower cost version of a Mary Berry recipe. In the original recipe Mary uses red and green peppers, onions and mustard and ketchup. In my version I've opted for Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and plenty of black pepper.
I have though made Mary's version many times but I'm out of peppers and ketchup and mustard too. So a skinflint/bad housewife version will have to do.

The pie is another version of another Mary Berry recipe.
Her version uses leftover lamb and onions, my version, leftover roast chicken and to eke it out, a couple of chestnut mushrooms and onions.
This is a gorgeous little pie, full of flavour, easy to make and economical too. What more could a busy housewife want?

I'm going to serve slices of the loaf cake with some chilled evaporated milk, it's homey.

Pecan, Toffee and Chocolate Muffins

Made a dozen.
Would have loved to have used Maple syrup but I didn't have any, might save up and buy myself a bottle for Christmas...
The chicken flan yesterday was scrumptious, finished off the last of it today with a tiny salad of tomatoes, beetroot, red onion and cucumber. Not haute cuisine but very tasty and perfect fare for a scorchingly hot day.


Here's the recipe for my muffins

250g/9oz self raising flour
1tsp baking powder
50g/2oz soft margarine 
75g/3oz light brown sugar
175g/6oz mix of chopped pecans, dark chocolate and plain toffees 
2 medium eggs
250ml/8 fl oz full fat milk

Heat oven to gas 6/200c/400f

Place twelve muffin cases in muffin tin
Put flour and baking powder in bowl
Rub in margarine until it looks like breadcrumbs.
Stir in brown sugar.
Add nuts chocolate and toffees.
Mix the eggs and milk and add in one go stirring all the time.
Don't overbeat it, the mixture should be lumpy.
Spoon into cases.
Bake for 25 minutes until risen, firmish and golden.

Leave in tin to cool off for a few minutes then transfer to a rack to properly cool.
These could be served warm with cream or ice cream, but I usually serve muffins at room temperature. They never go anywhere near a fridge.

Hope you try them.

You Can't Rush Pastry

I made a Chicken and Sweetcorn flan, it was easy. Cold chopped chicken and defrosted corn stirred into an onion sauce spiced with a little chilli and paprika then poured into a blindbaked cheese pastry flan case. Topped with grated cheese and baked till shining and golden.
To accompany the flan boiled potatoes and homegrown courgettes.
Wonderfully simple food.
As I had some pastry left over I cut out a dozen heart shaped biscuits, dusted them with cayenne and baked for fifteen minutes. Really moreish. Ideal I should think with a glass of pre-dinner sherry. If that's your thing.

Some people get in a lather when making pastry. And I understand why. Unless it's handled correctly and the simple ingredients respected and understood you can end up with either the ubiquitous soggy bottom or something so hard it is inedible.

I talk to my pastry. And handle it as little as possible, and when it's handled, it's with the lightest touch. Having the right oven temperature is essential too.
I heated up an oven tray in a very hot oven before placing the pastry lined flan tin ON IT. I think the blast of heat helps avoid dampness.
After lining the tin bunch up some foil and cover it with baking beans. Then blind bake for 20 or so minutes. A little more won't harm.
Then out of the oven and quickly filled with your chosen mixture...
Back in it goes and after a while you have a very nice little flan/quiche whatever you wish to call it.

I've started using Trex for pastry instead of Stork. Uses 20% less than other baking fats. So much better for you. I hope.
Because I do love pastry.

A New Burger

Pork and Apple Burgers

400g Pork Mince
1 Red Onion, finely chopped
1 Bramley Apple, peeled and finely chopped
1 heaped teaspoon dried sage or 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh sage
1 beaten egg
55g fresh breadcrumbs
salt and a generous amount of black pepper

Mix everything together.

Form into burgers.
Rest in fridge. The burgers that is, not you.
Heat a pan and fry for three minutes each side, then pop into a hot oven for twenty minutes till meat is cooked through.
Serve in floury baps with a little salad and relish of your choice.

This recipe is from Leith's school of cookery.

For lunch today we had the remainder of last night's Pea and Bacon soup. And I think it tasted even better warmed up and served with a crusty buttered roll and scattering of Bombay Mix. Really quite yumsome.
For sweet yesterday I decided on a Lemon Curd Bread and Butter Pudding. It was souffle like, as light as a feather duster and very deelish. So easy, so economical. I might try a chocolate flavoured B&B pud next time. Bread spread with Nuttela and a chocolate custard poured over. Drooling at the thought of it.


I love being kitchen bound, nothing quite lifts my spirits quite like a good bake.
 

Something Light Tonight

Pea and Bacon soup ( recipe from Delia Smith's Frugal Food cookbook) with cheesey bread and for pud fruit and custard.

I bagged some Lamb today, reduced sticker luring me in. Don't often get lamb on account of its atrocious price but today I got lucky.
I'll probably make a Lamb and Lentil casserole ( Shirley Goode recipe ) or failing that, a Fruity Lamb curry.

Pork is on the menu for tomorrow.... More about that in the morning.

I've made a mashed potato and onion bake to serve with a shop bought steak and kidney pie (Morrison's in store baker does make a fine pie) and to accompany the pie and flash mash some buttered sprouts ( switching back to butter on account of not believing everything I read in the papers about butter being bad for you) and, for added moisture, a jug of tangy gravy (thickened beef oxo with marjoram,Worcestershire sauce and plenty of seasoning.
For dessert, a sunken Orange Syrup cake (used way too much baking powder so instead of a nice rise I got a sad plunge) It tastes the same, heavenly.

I made some choco chip muffins for Mark's birthday and, for Rob's dad, a big batch of spiced hazelnut Coburg buns. The original recipe called for flaked almonds but I'd run out so had to fall back of my favourite nuts. Hazel.
As it was a birthday treat I wrapped them in a blue flowered napkin then straight into a pink gingham cake tin. Trevor saw the funny side.
Returning to Mark's foodie presents I gave him a lime jelly made with lemonade and apple and pear squash and studded with green seedless grapes. For added fun it was set in an old glass storage jar complete with bright green lid.
He freaked!
But he's bright and brave kid, he'll get over it and get to know that I mean no harm.

It was Mark's 15th birthday yesterday (Saturday) and we, that's the lad himself, his ma and pa, the grandparents and I had a yummy dinner at The Royal Oak pub, simple homey decor with beams and fire, and the food was to rave about.
I plumped for Atlantic cod and chips, mushy peas on the side, and for pud a Brioche Summer Pudding with cream.
A half pint of Bombardier beer added to the excellence.

Breadmaking next week...

Liver.
Went to market just for half a pound.
It does fry up nicely though and served with crispy bacon, mash and beans it's one of the finest plates of food I supply.
Pud will be some sort of jam thing. Having the sticky stuff in abundance.

I've been eating a lot of Brie recently.

For lunch today:

A salad of hard boiled egg, cheddar cheese cubes, raw carrot, cucumber batons, tomato halves and homegrown chives. Boiled unpeeled potatoes dressed in a little sunflower spread and parsley. A drizzle of Heinz salad cream and a spoonful of tomato relish.

And for dessert? A few sweetened strawberries with very little single cream.

Fine fare for a hot day.

No Naans Today

Instead a fine looking Wholewheat Loaf.
The naans tasted superb it's just that they looked a little funny.

Being cooked today: Tuna Pasta with the aforementioned wholewheat bread and to add sweetness some buttered sweetcorn.

Talking of sweetness...I went to the pub yesterday, even though I don't drink, and sat in pleasant surroundings enjoying a piri-piri chicken baguette. For lubrication; a bottle of J20. And as we nibbled ( I had company in the fine form of Mr Hairy Suit) a slim sleek black and white cat leapt onto my red anorak which had been balled up in the corner of my fancy seat. He looked like he'd seen it all before. Yammering humans knocking back alcohol while reading the extensive menu on offer in The Royal Oak.
Ah but he was cute.
Unlike Monty in so many ways.....

PubCat was skinny, Monty well covered. Pubcat courageous, Monty scared of pigeons, PubCat at ease in a bar, Monty paranoid at approaching postman.

And while we nibbled PubCat slept. Paws outstretched, Eyes shut. Ears erect. Tail curled around his slender frame like a Cumberland sausage.

Twenty Naans and a False Curry

To go with tonight's Meatballs I made 20  naan breads. They won't all be eaten of course, some will be carry forward to tomorrow's cold chicken and curried pasta salad.
I thought making them in bulk would make more sense. Something I'm not commonly known for !

I have guests tonight, the Hairy Bunch. And as I well know the youngest of them (14) can tuck away a huge amount of food so I might NOT have as many naans for tomorrow as first thought...
Still as long is everyone is happy.

The curried pasta salad is easy to make.

Boil some small pasta. Rinse in cold water. Put into a bowl.
Boil an egg or two till firm. Then chop. You can boil the egg with the pasta.
Chop half a pepper, a few spring onions, a red apple, a stick of celery and also put out a few sultanas.
Add all this to the cold pasta.
THEN...

Stir in a couple of tablespoons of mayo mixed with the same amount of Greek yoghurt. Mix well.
Then add a little spicy dressing..
Olive oil, black pepper, salt, curry powder, turmeric, garlic and lemon juice. 

Adjust all this to your taste.

We always have this salad with cold roast chicken. It is divine. Play around with ingredients. Sweetcorn is a nice addition likewise any dried fruits that take your fancy. Apricots are a favourite of mine, none used today on account of the few I had being used in a fruit loaf.

The other day I made a little curry.
Sausages, thin chipped potatoes, tomatoes and eggs. I called it my Full English Curry.
Mock ye not, as faux curries go, it was smashing.

Ghastly as it may sound yesterday's spam sweet and sour was superb. With some added reduced in price mange tout and a bowl of fried rice (recipe below) Sunday tea time was to die for.
Today I'm making lentil Bolognaise. A vegetarian favourite easy to prepare and cook and always good to eat. A couple of slices of garlic bread for an accompaniment.

On the baking front I made an English Cherry cake for Hairy Suit's birthday. Glace cherries are notorius for sinking to the bottom cakes if they aren't properly prepped. You need to wash and thoroughly dry the fruit before adding to the cake mix otherwise they sink.
I took the necessary precautions yet as I dried and patted the little horrors they still looked moist and fearing a disaster I resorted to something extreme. Electricity.
Laying the halved damped cherries on kitchen paper I blasted them with me hairy dryer.
The cake was a fabulous success...


FRIED RICE

Some long grain rice, washed and put in pan, add lots of water and simmer till water absorbed.

A chopped onion, a couple of rashers of bacon, snipped into small pieces, a beaten egg, soy sauce, sugar and spring onions.

Just before the rice is cooked fry the onion and bacon, then when the rice is done, drain off any water and dry out over a low flame adding the bacon and onion mixture. Pour in the beaten egg and stir. Then add soy sauce and sugar mixing well. Pour into serving bowl and stir in chopped spring onions.

SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE

fry a chopped onion, some green peppers, sliced carrots, pineapple rings and anything else you fancy like bamboo shoots water chestnuts, mushrooms, mange touts, sweetcorn etc etc
Add some sauce:
MIX
A tablespoonful of tomato ketchup
a good shake of soy sauce
some sugar or honey
the juice from a small can of pineapple
a generous splash of vinegar. I use whatever is handy. On this occasion it was balsamic. But I've used malt, wine and cider.
A sprinkling of Five Spice powder
a little pepper
Into this stir some cornflour and mix thoroughly.
Pour this over your veggies and stirabout. Won't take long to thicken and glisten.

A Dish Too Far

Sweet and sour Spam.

Pork chops with apple sauce and gravy. Mashed potatoes and green beans. And for pudding, pineapple and custard.

I bought a secondhand recipe book today written by one of the Fearnley-Whittingstalls. It's a mash-up of olde receipts one's granny might have rustled up.
A good volume even though I already have a lot of the recipes in other books, the pre-recipe bumpf is entertaining.

I made some bread last week. It lasted a day. So delicious it was. Tomorrow I'm making some buns. Probably yeasted. Bit early for Hot Cross so I'll knock-up a few Bath Buns. Seeing as I'm overflowing with sugar cubes.

Other delights on the foodie horizon are Papaya Cheesecake.
Would someone's granny ages ago have known what to do with a papaya?
Mine is in a jar.

Eating Tonight

Oh Goody...

Winter Ratatouille with penne and homemade seeded bread
followed by
Individual Toffee Apple Puddings and custard


The puddings are new to me, Could have made one large one but individual portions in little metal cups look cute.
A vegetable suet pastry holds chopped Bramley apples, demerara sugar and a little lemon juice then lid goes on and is baked for 20 minutes. Remove from oven brush with golden syrup and scatter with demerara sugar
and continue baking for a further 20 minutes.

I'll post a pic providing they don't explode.


Made some good stuffing yesterday.
Sage onion and apple. Very moist and perfect with the chicken of course. Roasted potatoes, parsnip and carrot and a few peas. A luscious milk gravy poured over succulent chickenmeat is just too good for words.

No dessert.

On Saturday Mr Horsehound and myself were the guests of Mr and Mrs Nof at Simpsons- in- the- Strand.

Mr Horsehound chose pork for his mains, Mr Nof, a steak and kidney pie, and Mrs Nof and and I plumped for the calves liver.
Mashed potatoes to die for. Onion marmalade likewise. For pudding Spotted Dick, a chocolate and berry mousse, treacle sponge finished off a spectacular meal.
We chose mineral water instead of wine and tea and coffee for later.
Marvellous surroundings and lovely company.
Thank You Mr and Mrs Nof x

How sweet is this?

Positively glowing

Good crumpet. Bad crumpet

Another fine example

The crumpet making was slow but worth it.
A yeasted mix was left to froth then poured carefully into greased pastry cutters which sat in a hot frying pan. Each one took a few minutes to cook. As you can see, I overdid the first one. Happy to say though the rest were fine.


Today I made six jars of Seville orange marmalade, pics coming tomorrow. As the cauldron (large flowered saucepan) of sugar, oranges and water boiled and spat several jars were warming in the oven . I couldn't wait to pot the golden mixture.
After a thorough boiling I tested it in two ways, first using the saucer method, secondly using a thermometer.
Crossing my fingers and praying to the god of preserves I poured the liquid amber into the jars...
 I'll taste it tomorrow......


Had a lovely fish supper Saturday before going on to yet another disco. The fish was cod and for dessert  the iconic banana longboat .


Today I made, along with the marmalade, a small beef cobbler and mediumYorkshire Teabread.
All turned out well.

Oh My Giddy Aunt

Last night's Winter Ratatuoille was amazing. It delivered on all fronts. Great colour, textures and flavour. I couldn't believe how a few humble veggies could make such a wonderful meal.
What we couldn't finish was taken to work this morning by a chuffed Mr Horsehound.
I urge you all to try it. And don't forget you can play around with vegetables ( I often do) for example try substituting swede for the sweet potato and turnip for the carrot, an aubergine (eggplant for my American readers) would be lovely too, the choice is yours.
If you can't get hold of fresh rosemary use dried but be mean with it because it can be an overbearing little herb.

 Today, after a couple of slices of toast, I set about doing some baking.
Nothing is actually baked yet, but there is a bowl of pizza dough rising slowly by the radiator and in another bowl some frothy looking batter which will, when frothed enough, make 20 or so crumpets.
Although I'm not a great fan of crumpets, shop bought ones at least, I know two gentlemen who are. I will though indulge in a hot buttered one come teatime when I'm joined by Mr Hairy Suit. Mr Horsehound will have to wait for his until breakfast time.


 If the crumpets come up nicely I'll post a pic. If they burn or are holeless I'll chuck them.

Very Excited

Tonight's dinner is Winter Ratatouille and pasta with garlic buttered poppy seeded baguette slices.



Red Onion, 1, peeled and sliced
Sweet Potato, 1, peeled and chunked
Carrot, 2, peeled and cut diagonally
Garlic, 3, unpeeled and left whole
Olive Oil, virgin on offer and available in Morrisons
Fresh Rosemary, dried would be ok I suppose. I have Rosemary in the garden so it'll feel wholesome pulling some off.
Honey, clear and cheap from Morrisons.
Salt Pepper, ordinary salt, multi coloured pepper from a shop called Tiger in Chiswick

Passata, or two tins of tomatoes blitzed or mashed


Pour honey and oil and rosemary over the veggies and garlic. Roast till tender. Remove from oven. Squeeze over the garlic. Place in large pan and add passata. Heat till boiling then simmer for a little while.
Serve on top of your favourite pasta.

I've not made this lovely sounding recipe before so I'm happy about trying something new.

For pudding? Not sure. Probably a mini fruit crumble of sorts.
Last night's chocolate pud and chocolate sauce was eaten in silence. No wait, I tell a lie, there were several sighs of satisfaction, especially after having seconds.
Before the pud, Orlando Beef, mange tout and potatoes, simple gorgeously tender meat with buttery yellow skinned potatoes and the sweetest little pea pods I've ever tasted.

Comforting Food

Breakfasted on one fried sausage, one fried egg and one fried fat tomato. Two slices of toast for added crunch. Recently I've been bored witless by breakfasts, and no wonder as they consisted of lack-lustre cereals like Weetabix and Muesli. Even making my own muesli did nothing to burn away the winter blues. Added to the fact that I'm nearly keeling over through lack of fuel and feeling more and more melancholic. I need something more substantial I thought...... going on to listen as the sausage sizzled and the egg set.

Later on.......In Morrisons

 I bought a pack of ready made puff pastry It'll be ideal for apple turnovers. Hot from the oven with custard. Tinned fruit be it ever so healthy can be ever so dull, what I yearn for are puddings.

I bought a small bag of mange tout, something I rarely buy, but knew would go well with tonight's dinner of Orlando Beef and buttered potatoes. The little 'eat all' veggies are a secret desire/love of mine but being prohibitively priced I usually plump for frozen peas.

I'm looking forward to dinner tonight.
Spicy orangey beef casserole with small buttered potatoes and mange tout followed by chocolate up and over pudding with chocolate custard.

A raspberry jelly sits in the fridge and there it will stay.

What would I do without pasta?

Tonight's meal is Sausagemeat bolognaise with Penne and a three seeded Cheddar cheese scone. The seeds being Poppy, Sunflower and Pumpkin. A delicious little round of dough perfect for mopping up all the sweet tomatoey porky juices.

I've found a recipe for a Winter Ratatouille which contains all my favourite root vegetables. Sweet Potato, Parsnips, Carrots and Red Onions. I'll post about it on the day of cooking. Probably Thursday.

I was hoping to make some Marmalade this week but I've been waylaid by other things. I'll  get round to it though, next week is looking likely.

Back to today..For pudding; tinned fruit and cream. As much as I love puddings hot and proper I am trying to cut down. Expanding body and all that.

Talking of bodies, I daresay a million calories or so where used up when I boogied on Saturday night. As I twisted and jumped I could almost see the blubber evaporating.

I had a slice of Co-Op Cherry cheesecake at Rob's on Sunday and it was good. The trouble though with shop-bought cheesecake is that it's too neat and too small. The fruity swirly decoration looked handpainted, probably done by a machine. And it was barely enough for four average piggies.
But credit where credit is due, it tasted alright.
And that's what counts, matey.

Blueberry Muffins and evaporated milk? It worked.

An  unremarkable looking Shepherd's Pie but inside,  under the heavenly crusty mashed potato layers of sweet lamb and vegetables.

The right half looks like a face. I used more blueberries than stated in the recipe. Nothing irritates me more than lone fruits lost in a mound of cake.

Shepherd's Pie

Lamb Mince with onions and carrots in a rich Worcestershire dashed gravy topped with cooked garden peas and sliced raw tomatoes then smothered in creamy whisked mashed potato.
I'll serve this perennial favourite with, dare I say it, mint sauce.
I know I know, it's not your regular accompaniment but I need MINT today.
For pudding warm homemade blueberry muffins and evaporated milk.
The blueberries being sold off cheaply in Morrisons on account of looming sell-by date.

Just out of the oven. Blueberry Muffins. But where are yours?

To be made sometime in the near future lots of Marmalade.

Apples and bacon and fruit cake

My usual monday night fare is on the cooker.
Bacon, onions, garlic and thinly sliced potatoes to be served with fried eggs for Mr Horsehound and on its own pour moi.

And as I glanced at the snooker on tv ( Judd Trump v. Stephen Maguire) I made a Dutch Apple Flan and Teabread. Snooker and baking seem to go so well together. The calmness at the snooker table matching the tranquility of making a fine pastry.

The flan in question is delightful, I've been making it for many years, came across it in The Farmhouse Kitchen Cookbook, and, according to Dorothy Sleightholm, the main author of the book and all round good egg, the recipe was contributed by a Canadian... so where the Dutch bit comes from I have no idea. But it's jolly fine either hot or cold.

The teabread is an old faithful. Dried fruit soaked in tea. Teabread is like an old friend.
And there's nothing much better than being with an old friend drinking tea and eating a good fruit cake.

For the Dutch Apple Flan:

Make an 8 inch flan case and bake blind till crispy.

Fill with a mixture of chopped Bramley apple, 125 ml natural yoghurt, an egg, pinch of salt, 2 tablespoons of plain flour, a little freshly grated nutmeg, some sugar and a  few droplets of vanilla extract.
Bake for around 40 minutes then scatter over the top a crumble mix...
Consisting of 2 and a half oz flour, 1 and a  half oz of margarine, 2 oz sugar and a generous pinch of cinnamon. 
Continue baking for around 20 minutes till slightly golden.

Duck

Last night roasted some duck legs and served them shredded in ordinary pancakes with iced and curled spring onions.
 A shop bought plum sauce, chilli sauce and hoisin sauce added fabulous flavour as did my own homemade sauce; a marmalade, honey, orange juice and star anise flavoured affair. So scrummy.
A bowl of simple fried rice was all that was needed to accompany the duck.

I was a wee bit concerned that the pancakes wouldn't quite 'go' but they did the job very well. I made several 6 inch very thin pancakes and kept them warm on a plate over the rice.
For sweetness we had a can of lychees for dessert. No cream or yoghurt and certainly no custard, Madam.

We're off to Mr and Mrs Hairy Suit's for lunch today, I daresay Chef Robert will put on a decent spread. He is, I'm proud to say a fine cook.


Lots of fantastic cookery thoughts roaming around inside my head. Soda Breads, dishes with mince (bought another Josceline Dimbleby book yesterday) and all manner of cakes and pies.
This week I will buy a jar of capers.

Vegetarian Tonight

Spiced Chickpea Patties
Spiced Rice
Garlic and Coriander Naan
Mango Chutney
Natural Yoghurt



Yesterday I baked a small smoked bacon joint, glazing it with English mustard and Demerara sugar before cooking. Feeling in need of something wholesome and easy to cook I popped a couple of jacket potatoes in alongside the bacon and, in a saucepan, a few frozen sprouts.
Absolutely divine.
I did though enhance this most favourable of dishes with a dollop of tomato ketchup.
And if you think that's gruesome...For pudding I had Tapioca.

Retro/Vintage/Old

Tonight Mr Horsehound will be eating SPAM. In the blue and yellow can.

I don't know why this fine foodstuff gets so much stick. I think it's smashing.

You'll be relieved to hear though that from tomorrow onwards cooking in the bungalow will be back to normal.
Lentils.
Come Saturday I'm cooking duck.
Legs.

First Roast of the year

Leg of Pork with roasted parsnips, carrots and potatoes.
A garlic and rosemary stuffing, gravy and apple sauce.
For pudding something very light...Peaches and custard.

As I speak.....Soaking in 6 fl oz of hot tea are..... sultanas, a handful of cranberries, a few glace cherries and a cup of chopped dates . After a few hours I'll add flour, pinch of salt, brown sugar and eggs. This is a wonderful Teabread, and it's so easy to make. And I'm all for making things easy especially after Christmas.

I've been cooking a lot over the holiday.
Made a very nice Beef Cobbler and a Honeyed Lamb and Apple Casserole.
Both these dishes went down well with our guests. The Lamb Casserole is my favourite lamb dish.

I also made a Victorian style Rice Pudding yesterday, along with the full fat milk and evaporated milk (I'd run out of cream) I dropped in a handful of sultanas and dried chopped apricots and for extra warmth a sprinkling of cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and Bay leaf. Which, I must say, surprised me. I managed to remember to fish it out before serving up bowlfuls of the creamy golden pudding.
It was good.

I'm looking forward to lots more cooking in 2015. And I will, as usual, write about it...