One of the things I love about having a food blog is the opportunity which I am afforded to try out new things.   As a person who loves to try new things, this is a win/win situation.  I get to try them and tell you about them, and the companies get a bit of press.   Recently the people from Bannisters' Farm sent me some of their new Potato Bites to try out. I love the Bannisters' products and have been a big fan of their frozen baked potatoes for a while now.  They are a staple ingredient in my freezer.   I normally opt to bake them in the oven, rather than microwave them, but the option is there is you are wanting a quick fix for a baked potato supper. 



These mini loaded potato skins are absolutely packed with deliciously moreish, melt-in-your-mouth fillings. They’re perfect as a quick, hot and tasty snack or for sharing with friends. They’re traditionally baked, gluten free, wholesome good food, and come in three delicious flavours.   The Cheese and Onion ones  . . .



And the Cheese & Jalapeno ones.

They also have Cheese and Bacon ones.  I was only sent the Cheese and Onion and the Cheese and Jalapeno ones.

 

They are really convenient to use.  Just pop them onto a baking tray and bang them into a hot oven.  (The package tells you how)



And in due course you are rewarded with some very tasty potato snacks to share and gobble up!




What better combination than British cheddar cheese and British Monterey Jack, blended together with the piquancy of onion pieces. Deliciously moreish and meltingly good. These were my favourite ones, the Cheese and Onion Bites.   They had a generous topping and were very well flavoured.  I enjoyed mine with a bit of sour cream for dipping, cuz I am a glutton.



For those with much stronger tastebuds I recommend Cheese and Jalapeno ones.   They may be small but these mini loaded potato skins pack a real punch! With a blend of two British Cheeses and a sprinkling of Jalapeno, they’re sure to wake tired taste buds.  Todd really enjoyed these.   Ariana and I found them too hot for our taste buds.  WE are tastebud wimps!


These mini loaded potato skins are best cooked in the oven. But if you can't wait for 20 minutes, then you can use your microwave instead. They'll be a little less crispy, but still just as tasty.  


I can imagine that these would be great nibbles for your guests during the holidays while they are waiting for dinner to be served, or for those nights when you get together as a group to watch sport or films on the telly.   They would also make the perfect bite to share on the upcoming BonFire Night!   These are simply fantastic cooked on your barbeque too.  For further information on how you can do this,  just have a gander at the back of one of the Bites packs.

To find out more about the people at Bannisters' and their products do check out their webpage HERE.

Follow them on Facebook
Follow them on Twitter
Follow them on Pinterest

Available in all the major grocery shops here in the UK.

Thanks to the Bannisters' people for sending me these scrumptious bites to try!

Disclaimer:  Although I was sent free product to try, any and all opinions are my own.

This is one of those quick, easy and simple recipes that every cook should have up their sleeves.  I wish I had a pound for every time I have cooked this over the past 45 years or so . . .  I'd be a very rich woman!  Green Pepper Steak is one of those delightfully quick and tasty dishes that goes together in a flash and can be on the table in not much more than half an hour or so.

 

One fruit that I am not overly fond of is bananas.  You will never see me peeling a banana and eating it like that.  They just don't appeal to me in that way.   If you slice them into a bowl and add lashings of warm custard, or  scatter slices of them over a bowl of crisp rice cereal. . .  they somehow become much more appealing to me. 

Prestat's NEW Orange & Cardamom Chai Thins

Velvety Milk Chocolate Thins, Orange and Cardamom Chai £11.50

Prestat, chocolatier to Her Majesty The Queen, has launched some fabulous NEW Orange & cardamom Chai Thins - a perfect treat to enjoy over Diwali.  The thin disks of velvety milk chocolate have just received the Gold Great Taste Award, and are infused with Mediterranean Orange Oil, Cardamom and Chai - producing the taste equivalent of a fabulous firework and the vibrant colours of Rajasthan!

In 1902, a chocolate shop called Prestat was opened in London by descendants of Louis, Dufour, the man who created the world's first recorded chocolate truffle in Champray, France in 1896.  Prestat's reputation for making exquisite handmade chocolates quickly spread and before too long, maharajas, sultans, presidents and stars of the stage and screen had all experienced the delight that only the finest chocolate can bring.  Granted a Royal Warrant, Prestat chocolates continue to be served at every major state banquet.

Prestat is one of the few British Artisan chocolatiers to make all it's own chocolates, giving it completely control of recipes and the sourcing of ingredients as well as the opportunity to nurture the traditional skills needed to create it's handcrafted chocolates.

For more infomation and stockist details check out their web page at www.prestat.co.uk

 





When I was growing up we never, ever had broccoli to eat. I had never even heard of the stuff. My dad would only ever eat a few vegetables . . . peas, beans, carrots, swede, potatoes and once in a while corn, and so my mom never cooked anything else.

And more often than not . . . they came from a tin. Ugh . . . tinned vegetables.  Not so tasty . . .

As you have probably correctly surmised I am a rather keen cook.   No surprise there.   As a keen cook, I really rely on having quality tools in my kitchen to work with.   When I used to cook at the Manor, I regularly cooked Silver Service Formal Dinner Parties with multiple courses for anywheres up to 40 people (and once a cocktail party for 200).  People used to ask how I managed to do it all.   I had excellent tools at my fingertips and one of my secrets was . . .  I used multiple timers.

I always use kitchen timers when I am cooking, even now when I am only cooking every day stuff for the Toddster and myself.  I am a person that is easily distracted and so a kitchen timer has saved my bacon and THE bacon more than once!

I was recently sent a gorgeous Kitchen Timer from Oregon Scientific to try out and I am really keen to tell you all about it.






















 This is the Oregon Scientific Two Channel Kitchen Timer with Clock & LED Visual Alert, which I have been using in my kitchen for the past week or so and I have to say that I just love it.

Some of it's features are: 


 The Kitchen Timer with two channels and LED alert gives a combination of clock and timer within one design. The two-channel timer allows you to alter between the count up and down functions according to your needs. The alarm volume can be adjusted, and the LED alert will flash continuously when the alarm is muted. The timer comes with stand, magnet and hanging holes which enable you to move around kitchen / home as required.  

What I love about it most is that I can set it up to time two things that I am cooking at the same time.  This is a brilliant feature.   What I also love about it is that it is really LOUD!  I can't tell you the number of times I have missed a timer going off because my deaf husband who always forgets to turn his hearing aid on has the television on at about a bazillion decibels and I haven't heard it.   That has not been a problem at all with this Oregon Scientific Two Channel Kitchen Timer.  It is so loud and piercing that I can hear it all over the house . . .  and it flashes red as well so even if I couldn't hear it I would see it.

I love also that I can hang it on a string around my neck if I wanted to . . .  I love that the magnets on the back mean that I can just stick it to the microwave or the refrigerator, or front of the stove.   I love the little stand that means I can have it sitting up on the counter within my eyesight, with that green count down light flashing and that red light flashing when it is done.

In short I love it.   This would make a fabulous gift for any foodie on your Christmas List this year.  I highly recommend.   I'm really happy with it myself and I think you would be too.

To find out more,  check out all of the details on the Oregon Scientific  Page.  

Note:  Although I was sent one of these to use any and all opinions are my own.

I think Bacon has to be high on the list of just about everyone's favourite foods, don't you?   I know we love the stuff.   I have often thought I would like to stop eating meat altogether . . .  but I could never give up bacon or a good steak.   Those two things are heaven to me.

"Nothing is quite as intoxicating as the smell of bacon frying . . . "
~James Beard 

I think my youngest son had to be the pickiest eater ever born.   The youngest of five he took on, not only all of his own food dislikes, but also the food dislikes of his older brothers and sisters.  Getting him to eat was somewhat of a nightmare. He went through periods of time where he would only eat hot dogs . . .  and then mashed potatoes . . .  peanut butter sandwiches . . .  corn and rice.  I used to really despair of him ever growing up to be healthy . . . thankfully my fears were for naught and he is now a pretty healthy eater and normal in every way!



He used to love pizza pockets and those Pillsbury Toaster Strudels.  I think he practically lived off them for a time.  I do confess that I kinda liked them too . . .  but only in a lazy, "I can't be asked to cook  and yet I am starving" kind of a way.   I only mention this because these delicious Easy Cheese Danishes I am showing you here today almost remind me of those toaster strudels, except  . . .  of course they are better.  Because you make them yourself.



And oh how very easy they are to make.  With just a bit of ready roll puff pastry, some cream cheese, a few store cupboard essentials and some jam . . .  and less than half an hour later you can be munching on one of these very delicious pastries.



You can use whatever kind of jam you want . . .  I have a penchant for  strawberry and cherry . . .  today I used blueberry because I didn't have any cherry . . .  apricot would be very tasty as well.   Just pick your favourite flavour!  mmmmm ..... plum preserves would be gorgeous.



It's as simple as cutting your puff pastry into rectangles, dolloping on a simple to make cream cheese filling . . .  swirling it with a bit of jam and baking.  Oh . . .  there are a few other little steps in there as well, but nothing too complicated.  I hope you'll give them a go and that you enjoy them as much as we do!  I do like to pull out the stops at the weekend and make us a breakfast treat now and again!  I haven't had any complaints yet!

 

Whisk the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and cream together.   Set aside.  Unroll your puff pastry.  Cut it into 8 rectangles.  Place four on each baking sheet, leaving lots of space in between.  Using a sharp knife, and taking care not to cut all the way through, score a border all the way around each, about 1/2 inch deep.  This will help the edges to rise and create an edge to help keep the filling in.  Place 1/8 of the cream cheese mixture in the centre of each.   Spread it out almost to the border on each.  Top each with a few dots of jam and swirl it a bit with the end of a toothpick.  Brush the border of each with the beaten egg yolk mixture and sprinkle with some sugar.



Bake for 13 to 14 minutes, until golden brown on the edges and nicely risen.   Remove from the oven and lift off carefully onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the pastries are cold, whisk together the icing sugar and enough lemon juice to make a thickish drizzle.  Using a spoon, drizzle some of this decoratively over each pastry.  Allow to set and then serve.

I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have baked this delicious tea bread!  It was a popular request when I worked at the Manor for the tea parties and Ladie's Luncheons, and was often requested as something to send when there was something needing sending such as in a new baby, or death in a family etc.  It's a North American thing.  We send food to show our support at times of need.

Britains biggest and best loved home baking brand - Dr Oetker, will open it's doors to the EVEN BETTER BAKING BOUTIQUE on Friday 7th November until Sunday 16th November, 2014.

 


Each day the interactive baking space will play host to a range of inspiration experiences to encourage the nation to become even better bakers.   These include demos, product show cases, taste testing, master classes, and for the first time ever, consumers will also get the chance to purchase all of the amazing products on the spot.



Even Better Baking Ambassador Juliet Sear will host a very special master class on Friday 7th November, sharing all of her insider hints and tips on perfecting a range of tricky techniques.  These include the art of perfect piping, simplifying sugar roses, truly irresistible toppings and Christmas themed modelling.

On Thursday 13th November, cake pop expert and baking extraordinaire April Carter will host an exclusive Cake Pop Night, designed to give consumers the confidence to turn their own favourite pop stars into quirky cakes on sticks!  Consumers will get the chance to learn from teh best and have a go themselves on the night, to the backdrop of a DJ spinning everyone's favourite 80's pop tunes.

Other master classes taking place at the Dr. Oetker Even Better Baking Boutique include Beautiful Baking Trends, Chocolate Emporium and Winter Wonder Bakes.
For more information on the full schedule of experiences and to register for a place at any of the exclusive master class's just visit HERE.

What:  Join the cake experts Dr Oetker at the Even Better Baking Boutique for a range of master classes in how to creat the ultimate cake creations.

When:  Friday November 7th to Sunday November 16th, 2014

Where:  12 Dray Walk, Brick Lane, London E1 6QL

Details:   Register for the Classes online.  See link above.

 

Dr Oetker Jet Black Gel Food colour

Preheat the oven to 140*C.275*F/gas mark 1.  Butter and line a 7 inch square cake tin.

To make the fudge brownie mix melt the extra dark chocolate in a microwave on medium power for 30 seconds at a time, stirring each time until melted, or in a heat proof bowl on a gentle heat over a bain marie.  Leave to cool.

Beat the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or electraic hand beater for approximately 2 minutes until pale and fluffy.   You can also do this with a wooden spoon in a bowl. 

Tip:  If you are in a rush or the butter is quite cold, the addition of a couple of tablespoons of boiling water at this stage, beaten on slow until mixed will speed up this process.

Add your eggs on a slow speed, about a third at a time, mixing until combined.   Add your cooled chocolate, stirring continuously.  Add the vanilla extract and stir.  On slow speed mix in the flour u ntil just combined.  Do not overbeat.  Alternately fold in by hand.  Pour the mix into your cake tin and bake for approximately 40 minutes.  check it with a sharp knife or metal skewer.  You want this to be slightly underbaked so the knife should comeout pasty with a nice paste on the knife.

Leave to cool, then turn out into a bowl and crumble with your hands to fine fudgy crumb. 

To make the cake balls, take a handful of fudge cake mix and squeest together tightly.  You are aiming for little balls about the size of a large whole walnut, approximately 30g each.   If the mixture is dry, the addition of a little chocolate or vanilla butter cream will help the mixture stick.



 Once you have all of your balls ready, dip the end of your stick into th emelted chocoalte chips and push the stick into each ball, about half way in. Hold the ball to stop it splitting open when the stick goes in.

Once all the cake pops are ready, refrigerate them for 1 to 2 hours before dipping them, or pop them into the freezer for 20 minutes, so the balls are firm enough to hold  when dipping in the coating.

To coate the cake pops, melt Dr Oetker Fine Cooks White chocolate on lower power in a microwave bowl until just melted, stirring occasionally, or over a bain marie on a gentle heat.  Plunge each cake pop into the chocolate coating until completely covered.  Tap the cake pop gently on the side of the bowl to shake off the excess.  Once all are covered, dip each cake pop again.



 To decorate the ghosts, roll out half the white regal icing into a large rectangle, using plenty of icing sugar and a large plastic rolling pin.  Roll fairly thinly - 2mm to 3mm thick.  Squeeze a little Dr Oetker white designer icing onto the tops of the cake pops or brush with some melted white chocolate to aid in sticking of the sugar paste.



 Using a cake cutter or small bowl, cut out circles of regal icing and place on each of the pops, smoothing down over with your fingers to creat the white sheet effect.   Allow a little wavy movement by using your fingers to create smooth waves.




Draw on the ghost eyes and mouth using the Dr Oetker Jet Black Gel Food colour.



Aren't they just A D O R A B L E !!!


And just so that those of you with a Gluten problem don't feel left out, here is a delicious recipe for some Gluten Free Banana Muffins!




Tip - For the cake batter use a plastic piping bag to pipe the mixture into your cake cases more neatly and evenly.

To join Dr Oetker on Facebook check out:  www.facebook.com/DrOetkerBaking
To visit their webpage:  http://www.oetker.co.uk
All Dr Oetker decorations are available from the Dr. Oetker online Store:  www.oetkeronline.co.uk

My husband, the Toddster is a real meat and potatoes man.  He would happily eat nothing but meat and potatoes every night of the week and never tire of it.  Give that man a sausage and a pile of mash and he is in "man heaven."  I saw a recipe on Jamie Oliver's page the other day and it sounded really good.  I am not sure if it is in his new cookbook "Comfort Food" or not, but I am betting it might be.  In any case I found it online.   It had some different elements I liked.

We can't afford to go out much these days  with the cost of everything going up, up and up.  More often than not we opt to stay home and watch a film, either on SKY or on a dvd.   This week I had the opportunity to review a new film, so we made a night of it with movie snacks and everything!  There's nothing like some tasty snacks and a new film to watch to help make staying in feel like a night out!

One of the things I like most about chicken is that it's a beautiful canvas for just about anything you put with it, lending itself to all sorts of flavor combinations.  One of my favourites is this maple and mustard glaze, which melds with the chicken juices to create a sauce that is finger licking/lip smacking delicious!

 

There were so many lovely goodies in the hamper that I couldn't just leave it at one recipe.  I decided that I wanted to make another heartier dish that would make a fabulous supper for the kids on Halloween night!  Although good luck to you if you can get your kids to settle down and eat supper on that day.  I never could, but I think that maybe had I created a dish such as this for them back then, they would have had a hard time resisting it!

 

With Halloween only 11 days away I've been working on creating some lovely Halloween treats and dinners in my kitchen.   I just love the holidays and I especially love Halloween.  I miss having the children around these days of course as there are only the two of us, but that doesn't mean that we can't enjoy ourselves and chow down on some tasty Halloween goodies anyways!

This past week all of our friends across the pond in Canada celebrated their annual Thanksgiving holiday and in November our friends in America will be doing the same.  We don't do Thanksgiving over here in the UK, but we do love our Turkey's for Christmas and I thought it would be fun to share some of my turkey cooking tips with you all today.

I like to purchase a top quality bird for my holiday feasts, be it Thanksgiving or Christmas.  This is the one time of the year I will splurge and get a higher cost bird, and it goes without saying that I always choose free range and fresh if I can get it.  I may eat turkey minced, or in bits the rest of the year . . . but it is only this once a year that I cook the whole bird, so it is a real treat for us! (Christmas for us.)

I always remove all of the wrapping from my bird and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours unwrapped to help dry the skin out well.  That makes it a lot easier to rub any butter on and helps for nicely browned skin.  I also take it out at least an hour before cooking, which brings it to room temperature.  A cold bird put into a hot oven is a bit of a shocking experience and tightens up the tissue . . . we don't want a tough bird.  Moist and succulent is the order of the day.

To ensure a nicely moist turkey, I  like to rub a lot of butter into the flesh beneath the skin, and on top of the skin.  Now you can add seasonings and herbs to it, like I have done here today, which also adds extra flavour.  Sometimes I just slip a few sprigs of thyme, some salt, pepper and sage in with the butter, which works well also.  A bit of broth in the roasting tin and a few aromatic veggies and Bob's your Uncle.  Put that tasty bird over top of it all on a rack and start roasting!

I like to start mine off at a high temperature to assist in the browning, but after that I reduce the temperature to as low as it is safe to go and slow roast, basting it every 15 to 20 minutes with broth and more butter, or the pan juices.  (I know . . . but it's Thanksgiving/Christmas!)  If it starts to get too dark, I will tent it with some foil. 

It's really important that once your bird is done you set it aside, keep it warm and allow it to rest, so that all of those tasty juices will be absorbed back into the bird.  If you start to carve it right away, you're going to lose all of that moistness.  It will run out all over your cutting board.  Be patient.  Wait.  You'll be rewarded with an incredibly tasty and moist bird.

 

A lot of people swear by Brining . . . and others by dry brining.  I have tried both . . . and to be honest, I want my  turkey to taste like a turkey.    Dry brining with salt preserves the integrity of the bird . . . and in all honesty it doesn't end up being really salty.  Every wet brined bird I have ever cooked ended up tasting like the brine.  Not exactly my cup of tea.



This is an excellent video which gives some great instructions on dry brining.

You would be right in thinking that this bird I am showing you here today is not a turkey.  It's a chicken.  I'll be cooking my turkey at Christmas, but I did want to share a recipe with you that is fabulous when roasting a turkey, but also equally as delish when used on a chicken.


 (This is a large free range roasting chicken.)

It involves creating a delicious butter rub which you rub into the flesh beneath the turkey breast, beneath the skin . . . flavoured with a balsamic and maple syrups, shallots, thyme, seasoning salt and . . . lotsa butter!  As the turkey cooks that butter melts into the breast meat, flavouring it . . . moistening it, making it all scrummy.



Don't be afraid of butter . . . you're going to skim it off all of the juices anyways . . . and it does help to keep that tasty bird moist and delicious!

 

I don't stuff my birds with stuffing . . . not a chicken nor a turkey.  I like to cook the stuffing separately in a covered dish.  It's too iffy . . . you can never really  tell if it's cooked properly, and it can keep your turkey from cooking properly as well.  Best to be on the safe side and cook it separate.  You can flavour your bird from the inside out with other things . . . in this case some orange and onion.  I have even shoved bunches of herbs inside the bird with great success . . . but not stuffing.  Trust me on this.



However you choose to season your bird . . .  if you follow these few  tips, you are in for a real treat. (Start with a  QUALITY room temperature bird and hot oven,  lotsa butter beneath the skin, sear in the oven on high and then roast on low, baste, baste, baste . . . and let it rest before you cut into it!)


 

 *Roasted Turkey with a Balsamic & Maple Rub*
Serves 10 to 14
Printable Recipe
A moist and deliciously different turkey.  This rub works wonderfully  with a roast chicken as well.

one 5-7kg Turkey, rinsed and
patted dry with paper toweling

For the rub:
2 shallots, peeled and minced
3 TBS pure Maple Syrup
1 TBS Balsamic Glaze (a thick mixture created by boilig
Balsamic vinegar until it becomes thick and syrupy.  Use a good
quality.)
1 TBS dark soy sauce
2 tsp dried thyme
1 TBS seasoning salt
4 ounces of butter, at room temperature (1/2 cup)

You will also need:
1 large orange, washed, unpeeled and cut into eighths
3 onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 cups of chicken or turkey stock (may need more)

Take the turkey from the refrigerator and allow to stand at room temperature for at least an hour before cooking.  (To insure a really dry skin surface, I remove it from the wrapping the night before cooking and pat it dry inside and out with paper towels.)

Make the rub by stirring together all of the ingredients until well blended.  Taste and adjust seasoning as required.

Preheat the oven to 225*C/425*F/ gas mark 7.  Have ready a large roasting tin.

Put the carrots and 3/4 of the chopped onions in the bottom of the roasting tin.  Pour the stock over all.

Take your turkey and carefully loosen the skin around the main body cavity, sliding your fingers carefully inside to loosen it all over the breast.  Take care not to tear the skin.  Take the rub and push 3/4 of it under the skin, massaging it into the meat as best as you can.  I sometimes find this is easier to do by putting the butter under the skin and then massaging it down the breast from the outside of the skin.  Rub the remainder of the mixture on the outside of the turkey.  Place the remainder of the onion and the orange wedges inside the cavity of the turkey along with some salt and pepper.  Tuck the wings underneath as best as you can and tie the drumsticks together over the opening with some kitchen twine.  Place the bird on  a rack over top of the vegetables in the roasting pan, breast side up.

Roast in the centre of the oven for 20 minutes.   Reduce the oven temperature to 160*C/325*F/gas  mark 4 and roast for a further 4 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices..  When it is done the juices should run clear when the bird is pricked between the thigh and breast.  You may need to tent the turkey with foil if it begins to get too dark.  You may also need to add more stock if the pan becomes too dry.  When it is done, transfer the turkey to a large carving board and tent with foil.  Allow to rest for at least 20 to 25 minutes before carving.

Strain the pan juices, discarding any vegetables.  Use these juices to make your gravy.

Note - to cook a chicken in this manner, rub with the balsamic and maple mixture in the same manner on a 2kg chicken and roast at 225*c/425*f/ gas mark 7 for 20 minutes.  Reduce the temperature to 160*C/325*F/ gas mark 3 for a further 45 to 60 minutes until done and the juices run clear, basting every 15 minutes or so.  I don't bother with a rack in this case. I just roast the chicken right on top of the vegetables.

Here are some of the tools I like to use when cooking my holiday bird.



Eddingtons Meat Thermometer for Poultry and Beef.    £8.95 from Kitchen Monger.  

  

For another way of roasting your holiday bird, why not try an Oven Roasting Bag.   These handy bags from Heuck fit up to 22lb Turkey, and make for a quick and easy clean up.  Good for roasting turkey, beef, lamb, pork, chicken or duck, and also available from Kitchen Monger at the price of £3.95 for a package containing two roasting bags. 

 

One of the most difficult things to do is to lift the turkey out of the roasting tin onto a platter.  They are heavy and awkward and somewhat cumbersome.  I have some really handy Turkey Lifters which make the job a whole lot easier.  You just slide them into to the bottom of the turkey at both ends, where the holes won't show and life the turkey out with ease.  This particular set from Eddingtons is durable  and easy to use and comes in a set of two.   Available at Amazon.uk for the price of  £2.95

Many thanks to Eddingtons for sending me these products to try out!