Fingers scratching across a chalk board has to be about the worst sound on earth. It makes me cringe just thinking about it.  

Not all apples are create equally. There are apples which are really good for eating out of hand, or dessert apples as they are called over here.  Some good examples of those would be Fuji Gala or Honey Crisp. You can also eat Granny Smith's if you are fond of apples that are a bit more on the tart side. 

 

 A short crust type of pastry works best in this recipe. I favour my Butter Lard pastry. It makes just the right amount for this recipe and works very well for either savoury or sweet bakes. 

It has a really beautiful texture. 

 

The peeled and cored apples get rolled in some lemon juice before rolling the in cinnamon sugar.  The lemon juice helps to preserve their colour and the cinnamon sugar gives them flavour!  

They also get stuffed with a mixture of brown sugar and butter for even more flavour. 

You place the coated apples onto squares of the pastry and stuff them with the brown sugar and butter. I sometimes will cut the squares out with a fluted cutter for added interest. It makes them prettier. 

The four corners are them brought up to cover the apples in their entirety. Make sure you crimp the edges tightly together to seal them completely. 

 

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Apple Dumplings

Yield: 6

Author: Marie Rayner

prep time: 15 Mincook time: 1 Hourtotal time: 1 H & 15 M

I don't know anyone who doesn't love these. They're fantastic, and they're not as difficult to make as one would suppose.

Ingredients

For the dumplings:

• 6 medium sized firm cooking apples (I used granny smiths)
• 2 TBS lemon juice
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• soft light brown sugar
• 2 TBS butter
• enough pastry for 2 10-inch pie crusts

For the Sauce:

• 2 cups (480ml) of water
• 3/4 cup (175g) granulated sugar
• 2 TBS butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

To serve: (all optional)

• Pouring cream
• vanilla ice cream
• custard

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Have ready a 9 by 13 by 2 inch baking pan, which you have lightly buttered.
2. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle measuring 14 by 21 inches. Cut into six even squares. Whisk together the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
3. Peel and core the apples, leaving whole. Put the lemon juice in a bowl and roll the apples in this, then roll them into the bowl of cinnamon sugar to coat. Place each apple into the centre of one pastry square. Fill the cavity of each apple with 2 TBS soft light brown sugar and 1 tsp of butter. Pull up the sides of the pastry squares to cover each apple, crimping the edges tightly shut. Place into the prepared pan.
4. Bake for 1/2 hour.
5. In the meantime, combine the sauce ingredients in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to the boil and cook rapidly for 1 minute. After the dumplings have been cooking for 1/2 hour, pour the sauce over top and then return to the oven, continuing to bake for a further 1/2 hour, basting occasionally.
6. Serve warm with your choice of cream, ice cream, or custard. Delicious.

notes:

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These delicious dumplings have to be just about my most favourite thing on earth. If it's in pastry then I am all over it. I always find one of these very difficult to resist. What is your impossible to resist dessert?  

 

I don't know why I had avoided it really. I guess I thought it might be a bit silly.  In any case I fell in love with the show and have been watching it ever since.

The characters in it actually reminded me very much of my brother and his friends when they were in high school in many ways. They were all science nerds!

One of my favourite episodes is where Sheldon decides he is going to prolong his life by taking certain steps. One of them was declaring that every Thurday night is going to be cruciferous vegetable night!  As one might suppose this does not exactly go to plan! 

Cruciferous veggies are a diverse group that includes broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, bok choy, arugula, Brussels sprouts, collards, watercress and, surprisingly, radishes.

While these all may seem quite different in size, shapes and colours, they do share quite a few health benefits.Most cruciferous vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals such as folate and vitamin K.

Dark green cruciferous veggies also are a source of vitamins A and C and contain phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are plant-based compounds that may help to lower inflammation and reduce the risk of developing cancer.  

They are also rich in fibre and low in calories, a quality which helps you to feel full and satisfied without overly indulging!  Of course adding a rich cheese sauce somewhat adds a bit in fat and calories but what a delicious way to go!  

Most cruciferous vegetables go very well with a lovely cheese sauce. I am not sure about radishes.  Somehow the thought of radishes in a cheese sauce doesn't really appeal, but that's not to say that it wouldn't be delicious.

 They are awfully good in salads however, which does go for most cruciferous vegetables I have to say. When it comes to cheese however, I don't think you can get much better than Cauliflower  or Broccoli Cheese! 

Or, in this case, Cauliflower & Broccoli Cheese!  Yummo!!

Crispy tender pieces of cauliflower and broccoli, bathed in a lush cheese sauce and baked until the whole thing is bubbling and golden brown. What could be bad about that! 

Today I used these little mini heads of both.  They're so cute. They look just like baby heads of broccoli and caulifower!

I cooked them until just tender to the tip of a knife in some lightly salted boiling water. Then I drained them well and cut each in half. DO make sure you drain them well or you will end up with a soggy result.

It doesn't take long.  Pop them into the water. Bring back to the boil and then cook for just a few minutes longer maximum. You want them to still have a bit of a bite.

For the cheese sauce you want to use a really good cheddar. I use a nice strong farmhouse cheddar. It is the kind of cheese you won't mind eating on its own  with some crackers and it is excellent in a sauce such as this.

The important thing is to use a cheese that is well flavoured. You won't want to use a mamby pamby cheese. You want to be able to taste it. 

 

 I always add a touch of mustard and cayenne to my cheese sauces. It truly makes a difference.

These two ingredients make cheese sauces taste even cheesier. I am not sure how that works, but it works very well, just like magic.

Of course you can use just broccoli or just cauliflower in this. It does not have to be both. It will truly be delicious either way.

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Cauliflower & Broccoli Cheese

Yield: 4

Author: Marie Rayner

prep time: 40 Mincook time: 15 Mintotal time: 55 Min

An old British favourite. This dish makes a tasty side dish, light main course, or delicious alternative for a Vegetarian Sunday lunch.

Ingredients

You will need:

• 2 very  small cauliflower, trimmed
• 2 very small broccoli crown, trimmed
• salt and pepper

For the cheese sauce:

• 1 clove
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small onion, peeled
• 2 1/2 cups (600ml) of milk
• 2 TBS butter
• 2 TBS all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup (150ml)of single cream 
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
  
• 1/4 tsp cayenne powder
• 1 2/3 cup (7 ounces) grated strong cheddar cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

To top:

• 4 TBS grated strong cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. First make the cheese sauce. Attach the bayleaf to the onion with the clove, pressing the clove through the bayleaf and into the onion. Place in a saucepan along with the milk and the cream. Warm the milk mixture slowly to a simmer. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to infuse with the flavours of the studded onion for 15 minutes. At the end of that time, strain the onion out. (reserve the onion)
2. Melt the butter for the sauce in a clean saucepan. Whisk in the flour and dry mustard powder, and cook over low heat for several minutes. Whisk in the warm milk, a little at a time, until the mixture forms a smooth bechamel sauce.
3. Add the onion again and allow to cook, over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes. At the end of that time it should be lovely and thick and rich. Scoop out the onion and discard.
4. Season to taste with some salt and pepper, and the cayenne.  Whisk in the cheese until it melts. Set aside and keep warm.
5. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the cauliflower and broccoli. Cook just until tender. This should only take a few minutes, leaving a slight bite. Drain off the water. Season with some salt and black pepper.
6. Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Spoon a little of the cheese sauce into an ovenproof dish. Arrange the cauliflower and broccoli on top. Pour the remaining cheese sauce over top to coat. Sprinkle with the additional cheese.
7. Place in the oven to melt and colour for 10 to 15 minutes. It should be nicely browned and bubbling. Enjoy!

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I cou

ld quite happy sit down with a plate of this and nothing else. If you are not fond of cauliflower, simply use all broccoli. If you don't like broccoli, use all cauliflower. If you cannot find the miniature heads of these vegetables use a small sized head of each, broken into florets.  You can add buttered breadcrumbs to the top if you wish. 

With the leftovers I made a delicious soup. Simply add the leftovers to a saucepan with chicken or vegetable stock to barely cover.  Bring to a simmer and heat through. Puree with an immersion blender or in a regular blender (carefully). Enjoy!  

 

 But I so wanted to get it, to enjoy it too.  I was not ready to give up on it just yet.  I couldn't understand why so many people waxed poetic about it. I wanted to be able to do the same. 

And so I kept with it, persistently.  Periodically trying a new recipe to see if I might not come up with something that I enjoyed. I so wanted to be able to taste what it was that other people were tasting.

 A few weeks back I saw a video on Tasty for what looked like a really pretty ratatouille.  It was composed of a sauce that was cooked first on top of the stove and then layered in a dish.

Next they added layers of thinly sliced rounds of vegetables to the top. They were arranged so prettily. It looked like a picture. 

They drizzled a basil oil over top and then covered it tightly and baked it, until the vegetables were meltingly tender. It looked quite promising.

 This week I added all of the vegetables to my grocery order so that I could make it.  I bought myself some fresh yellow and green courgettes (zucchini) and ripe roma tomatoes.  I also bought some baby aubergine (eggplant). 

I did not want to make a full recipe, as I knew it would be far too much for us to conceivably eat. We do not have the appetites these days that we used to have in the old days.

 Instead of their suggested topping for the vegetables I created one of my own using basil pesto, olive oil and a splash of Balsamic vinegar.  I cannot think of anything that doesn't taste much better when having added a bit of Balsamic vinegar to it. 

It looked as pretty as a picture before it went into the oven. I was so pleased with how it looked. I was almost dancing around the room. If this tasted even half as good when done as it looked before baking, we were in for a real treat!

 I envisioned this beautiful pie dish of ratatouille coming from the oven. We eat first with our eyes after all, and it did smell quite lovely when it was baking. 

Hmmm . . .  it came out looking a bit like a dog's dinner I am sad to say. LOL  I had to laugh when I saw it. Where was the visual appeal?

 Anyways, I dutifully scattered some fresh basil over top and took some photos. If I am honest, and I always am, I wasn't feeling very hopeful. 

To say I was more than a tad bit disappointed in how it looked is a bit of an understatement. The proof of the pudding is in the eating however, so I was reserving my judgement for that.

 Even though there was a huge part of me that was thinking that if this looked this nasty, then it was going to taste nasty also. Admittedly it looked quite a bit better once I broke through and spooned some of it onto a plate.

But how would it taste . . .  I held my breath. I had some lovely fresh French Bread that I had been saving to dip into it when it was done.

Admittedly, I hate to waste food.  Fresh vegetables are somewhat expensive, even at this time of year when they are plentiful. If you don't have a garden, you are at the mercy of the shops. 

I have to say the fresh veg I have been getting from Ocado have been really nice. They cost a bit more than Asda, but quality speaks for itself, and I have been more than happy with everything.  They have now partnered with M&S and M&S is quality.

 I spooned some out onto the plate. It didn't look half bad. It smelled gorgeous if I don't say so myself. I was feeling rather hopeful. 

I had my crusty bread at the ready.  Was I going to be happy?  Was I finally going to see why people wax lyrical about Ratatouille?

I was pleasantly surprised just by what it looked like spooned onto my plate. It actually looked so good that my tastebuds started to tingle  . . . 

It was filled with colour and texture. It smelled amazing. I was beginning to be hopeful.

I spooned some onto my bread. I did not butter the bread. I did not want my palate for the ratatouille spoiled by my love of butter. I wanted to try it completely unadulterated . . . 

I did toy with the idea of toasting my bread, but in the end, I left it in its natural crusty state.  I am happy that I did.

 This was amazingly delicious!  I was really pleased.  The zucchini and the eggplant were properly tender.  The tomatoes melted in the mouth  . . . 

There was none of the bitterness that you can sometimes get from both zucchini and eggplant. Both were somewhat buttery, almost sweet and somewhat indulgent.

 The flavour of the sauce that was on the bottom perfectly enhanced and had flavoured everything. The pesto/balsamic mixture I had sprinkled on top had done its job perfectly.

The crusty bread was perfect without butter. It did a beautiful job of mopping everything up. I did what I had not done in a very long time. I went in for seconds.

 

Baked Ratatouille for Two

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Yield: 2 generous servings

Author: Marie Rayner

prep time: 15 Mincook time: 55 Mintotal time: 1 H & 10 M

Bursting with lush flavours. Perfect to serve with crusty bread. Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to one week.

Ingredients:

For the tomato sauce:

• 1 14-oz (400g) tin of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
• 1/2 small red bell pepper, trimmed and chopped
• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 6 basil leaves chopped

For the vegetables:

• 1 medium  green zucchini (courgette) thinly sliced, 1/8 inch thick
• 1 medium yellow zucchini (courgette) thinly sliced, 1/8 inch thick
• 1 very small egg plant (aubergine), trimmed and thinly sliced, 1/8 inch thick
• 2 roma tomatoes, cored and thinly sliced, 1/8 inch thick
• fine sea salt and black pepper to taste

You will also need:

• 1 TBS basil pesto
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• torn basil leaves to garnish
• crusty French bread to serve

Instructions:

1. Begin by making the sauce.  Add the oil to a saucepan. Add the peppers, onions and garlic. Sweat over medium heat, stirring frequently for 4 to 5 minutes until tender. Add the tomatoes and seasonings.  Simmer for about 15 minutes until nicely thickened. (This is important as the vegetables will give out more liquid in the oven and you don't want them to dilute the sauce too much.) Pour into an 8 inch pie dish, smoothing over the top. Place on a baking tray.
2. Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. 
3. Arrrange the sliced vegetables decoratively over top of the tomato sauce, pushing them down into it a bit. 
4. Whisk together the pesto, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Drizzle this over top of the vegetables in the baking dish.  Cover tightly with aluminium foil.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are meltingly tender.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature, garnish with fresh basil and with some fresh French bread to help mop all of it up.  Delicious!

notes:

Make sure you cook the sauce until it is nice and thick. When it is baking the other vegetables will release plenty of liquid and thin it out. You may use a thick marinara sauce in its place instead of making your own. If you prefer crisper vegetables you can reduce the bake time. If you want softer vegetables you can increase the bake time.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it #EnglishKitchen

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    I am really pleased that I decided not to give up on ratatouille. If you have never tried it before, I really hope that you will.  Especially now when we have an abundance of fresh zucchini and tomatoes to work with!