This is a very old recipe which I have had in my files for a very long time. It is a recipe which was given to me by my mother in law back in the early 1970's.
It's very similar to a suet pudding, but there is no suet involved. This pudding uses good old butter! Mmmm . . . adds to the richness. There are carrots involved, of course. . . . Carrot pudding duh . . .
It is really moist, with the carrots and believe it or not grated potato. Additional moistness comes from the use of Brown sugar . . . brown sugar always adds moistness.
The original recipe had no spice in it . . . I added these . . . sweet cinnamon, fiery ginger . . . baking spices . . . ground cloves, nutmeg and cardamom. Warm baking spices . . .delicious.
The brown sugar sauce is typically what I serve with it . . . but a bit of clotted cream would never go amiss . . . or custard sauce . . . vanilla ice cream . . . pouring cream.
Best thing about it is that it's easy . . . and it's delicious . . . economical . . . and you can basically just leave it to cook itself without heating up the oven or having to keep an eye on it.
I cook it in a pudding basin but a heat proof bowl also works very well. You could even do individual ones, but of course in that case the steaming time would be greatly reduced.
I do hope that you will give this delicious pudding a try. I have never known anyone to turn their nose up at it and most people come back for seconds.
*Carrot Pudding with a Brown Sugar Sauce*
Serves 8 to 10 people
Printable Recipe
Old fashioned, economical, easy and delicious!
7.5 ounces soft light brown sugar (1 cup packed)
4 ounces butter, softened (1/2 cup)
2 large free range eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 1/2 ounces plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp each of cloves, nutmeg and ground cardamom
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated (1 cup)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and grated, squeezed dry ( 1 cup. Squeeze all the water out and discard before measuring.)
6 ounces of sultana raisins (1 cup)
For the Brown Sugar Sauce:
3.75 ounces of soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup)
2 ounces butter (1/4 cup)
2 TBS golden syrup ( can use corn syrup)
125ml of double ( heavy or whipping) cream (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Have ready a pot of simmering water, fitted with a steaming basket and a lid. Butter a large pudding basin and set aside.
Cream together the brown sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Sift together the flour, soda, salt and spices. Stir this into the creamed mixture. Fold in the carrots, potatoes, and raisins. Spoon the pudding into the prepared pudding basin. Take a large sheet of foil. Butter it well and make a pleat in the centre. Fit this over the top of the pudding basin, leaving room for expansion. Secure with a rubber band or some twine and make air tight.
Place this into the steamer basket over the boiled and simmering water. Cover tightly with a lid. Steam for 3 hours, checking periodically to make sure that the water doesn't run dry. Add more boiling water carefully as needed.
Remove the steamer basket. Remove the foil carefully. There will be steam. Carefully slide a knife around the inside edge of the bowl to loosen. Invert a serving plate over top and then carefully tip out the finished pudding. Serve warm, cut into wedges along with the brown sugar sauce, custard, cream or ice cream.
To make the brown sugar sauce, place all of the ingredients into a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, then simmer, stirring occasionally to help prevent it from catching, over a very low heat for about five minutes.
Note: Any leftovers can be reheated by placing into a steamer basket and steaming over simmering water until heated through, or covered and heated for about 40 seconds in the microwave.
I do confess I have been a very poor blogger of late . . . not to be-labor a point, but . . . I've been very poorly, going on for six days now and in all honesty the only cooking going on in my kitchen has come from tinned soups or beans, baked potatoes and the like. Sad . . . but true. I just have not had the energy or appetite to do much else.
Feeling today as I have done for the past week just about I despaired of ever being able to show you something delicious and new again . . . and then I remembered this lovely steak dish which I had thrown together a couple of weeks ago and hadn't shared with you yet.
A recipe in which I put together some of my favourite ingredients . . . lean, thin cut beef steak, chopped tomatoes, barbeque sauce . . . streaky bacon . . . and a few other bits and bobs . . . and came up with a comforting dish that made my meat and potatoes loving husband grin from one meat and potato loving ear to the other.
I combined my two loves . . . German Rouladen and Swiss Steak into deliciously tender beef rolls that melted in the mouth . . .
With a rich thick and well flavoured gravy that went so well with the meat and mounds of fluffy fresh mashed potatoes . . .
They weren't that hard to do, and after the initial browning on top of the stove. I just stirred together the sauce ingredients and poured them over top . . . and then let my oven do the rest.
The end result was something which was quite . . . quite . . . quite delicious and different too. A whole new favourite. I wish I had some now . . . but alas we scarfed the whole lot down.
Hoping tomorrow I can jump back into the cooking saddle again. I have my fingers crossed.
*Swiss Steak Rolls*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
I have been making Swiss steak for years. It's a real family favourite. I purchased some really thinly sliced beef steak the other day thinking I would make steak sandwiches, but instead decided to combine my Swiss steak recipe and the idea of German Rouladen for a whole new concept on homey deliciousness!
8 thin slices of beef steak, each about 8 inches long and 3 inches wide, and being about 1/4 inch thick
(Alternately you can pound pieces of steak to suit)
8 rashers of streaky bacon
8 TBS crispy salad onions (like Durkees fried onions)
8 tsp prepared horseradish sauce
2 tsp dried marjoram
salt and pepper to taste
Non stick cooking spray
For the Sauce:
1 tin of (400g) chopped tomatoes with garlic and onion (2 cups)
60 ml of barbeque sauce (1/4 cup)
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 TBS Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup of water
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat your oven to 165*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Have ready a deep casserole with a lid, large enough to hold all the rolls in a single layer.
Take your beef steak and lay it out on the counter top. Spread each steak with 1 tsp of the horseradish sauce. Sprinkle with a bit of marjoram and 1 TBS of the crispy onion bits. Roll up tightly from the short side. Take a slice of bacon and tightly wrap around one of the rolls. Secure the ends with a toothpick on the underside. Repeat until all of the slices of steak have been spread, rolled and wrapped. Season lightly with pepper and salt if desired.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spray with a bit of nonstick cooking spray. Add the meat rolls and brown them on all sides. (I did this to get rid of some of the excess fat from the bacon and give the meat a nice colour.) Once they are browned place them into the casserole. Stir together the chopped tomatoes, barbeque sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, vinegar and water. Season to taste as desired. Pour this over the meat rolls in the dish. Cover tightly and place in the oven.
Roast for 45 to 60 minutes until the rolls are fork tender and the sauce is deliciously thick and scrummy. This goes very well with mashed potatoes and peas. My meat and potatoes loving husband was well pleased with this.
I think I am basically just a simple girl with simple tastes. It doesn't take much to please me and in the Winter months I love comfort food most of all . . . and it doesn't even have to be anything special or anything that takes a long time to make or is complicated.
It's nice to have a few things in the larder that you can put together to make a simple and delicious meal without a lot of work. Especially on a Sunday when I am tired after all of my church responsibilities etc. We only ever very rarely have a Sunday Roast Dinner in this house and if we do we more often than not have it on a Saturday. After three hours at church, plus . . . I am not in the mood to do a roast dinner.
Usually it's something quick and easy just like this pan fried hash, that makes excellent use of a package of potato gnocchi, a tin of corned beef (don't judge me) and a few fresh vegetables thrown together in an interesting and delicious way.
I sweat the vegetables in a skillet with a bit of butter, until they just begin to caramelize and then throw in some cooked potato gnocchi and corned beef . . . it's kind of like corned beef hash . . . or a bubble and squeak. I guess it's somewhere in between the two.
In any case we love it. It might not be something you would want to eat every week . . . but a couple of times a year, it goes down a real treat. I think Potato Gnocchi are one of the most versatile things to have in your cupboard. They go with just about anything! I give you my word on that.
It's not health food and it's not pretty, but it's economical, filling and delicious and . . . to my way of thinking . . . you can't ask for much better than that!
*Hashed Gnocchi*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
Butter browned Gnocchi along with onions, cabbage, carrot, swede,corned beef and some herbs. Fabulous and easy!
1 packet of ready to cook potato gnocchi (1.1 pound in weight)
1 tin of corned beef
1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
about 2 cups of thinly sliced white cabbage
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
about 1 cup of coarsely chopped swede
2 TBS butter
1 TBS oil
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp summer savory
Melt 1 TBS of butter in a large skillet. Add the cabbage, carrot, onion and swede. Season with some salt and pepper, and the summer savory. Cook, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and are beginning to caramelize. Keep warm.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add the gnocchi and cook them according to the package directions. Add the remaining butter and oil to the pan with the cooked vegetables. As the gnocchi cooks and floats to the top, scoop out, drain and drop into the pan with the vegetables. Crumble in the corned beef. Cook and stir gently, until the gnocchi have begun to turn golden brown. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
Note: If you are really feeling indulgent, you can grate some strong cheddar cheese over top and allow it to melt before serving.
We've had a very dry day today, but it is bitterly cold with a strong wind from the North which just bites through you. Its pretty frigid really.
The sun almost more than makes up for it though. One feels as if they could almost forgive anything when the sun is shining, and I have always said there is nothing prettier than England on a sunny day!
Sunshine or not, this is the type of day that just begs for a warming soup for supper. We are wanting something filling, and hot.
We are craving a REAL belly-warmer-filler-upper!!! Something and warming and substantial, but not necessarily difficult or lengthy to make. Oh, I do so love Winter food . . . don't you?
A frigid cold day like today calls for something filling like a filling chowder. A filling chowder just like this corn chowder.
So what is a chowder you ask and why is it different than a soup?
A chowder is a thick, creamy milky and thick type of soup. It is usually made with fish or vegetables. Clam and sea food chowders are very popular where I grew up in the Maritime Provinces of Canada.
The origins of the word chowder are relatively obscure. It is often thought to have originated with the French word "Chaudiere." This was the type of pot first used to cook these warming supper soups in.
They are soups with very strong maritime ties . . . of the North American kind. And to be honest, it was the French were the first settlers there in the maritimes.
At the end of the day it doesn't really matter though . . . how it got it's name or where it originated. What matters most is that it tastes good and is comforting on a cold day like today.
I like the thought that whether across the ocean in Nova Scotia, or here in Chester, I can enjoy a nice hot bowl of corn chowder. Rich, creamy and milky. With lots of bits of corn stirred through, and a nice knob of butter melting on the top.
Me, this Canadian girl . . . I like to enjoy it with crisp salted crackers. Italian ones now . . . as that is all I can get over here that are like the Saltines from back home.
The other half . . . the Brit in him likes it with a thick slice of bread. Crackers or bread aside, this is comfort food. Its plain and simple. I like that.
*Corn Chowder*
Makes 4 servings
Printable Recipe
I have been
making this for years and years. It was always one of my children's
favourite soups and it quite easy and cheap to make as well. It's one
of those very comforting things that seems to enrich your soul as well
as feed your belly. I like it with buttered crackers, but Todd, he's so
English . . . he wants it with bread.
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped coarsely
2 stalks of celery, trimmed and chopped coarsely(try to include some of the leaves)
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped coarsely
2 ounces of streaky bacon chopped coarsely, or proscuitto
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp summer savoury
2 cups milk
1 14 ounce tin of creamed corn
1 knob of butter
Place
the streaky bacon (or proscuitto) into a large saucepan and heat over
medium heat. If necessary you may add a bit of butter to keep it from
sticking. Once it has begun to brown and render out some of it's fat
add the celery, onion, carrots and potatoes. Stir and sweat over medium
heat until they begin to soften. Add the water, making sure it covers
all the vegetables. Season to taste with some salt and black pepper and
add the savoury. Allow to simmer until the vegetables are tender,
about 15 minutes. Stir in the milk and the creamed corn. Gently heat
to a simmer without boiling. Adjust the seasoning as necessary. Add
the knob of butter and serve in heated bowls with crackers or bread.
Delicious!
I wanted to make a special dessert for Todd the other night. He is awfully fond of apple desserts. I think apple desserts are one of his favourite types of desserts when it comes right down to it. He loves to wax on about his mother's apple pies . . . but in truth . . . I have never been able to make an apple pie to come up to his mother's exacting standards.
I think that is because I make North American Apple Pies . . . and they are somewhat different. He says his mother's apple pies were solid and highly flavoured with cloves. I like my own mother's apple pies . . . her apples were soft and juicy and flavoured with cinnamon and nutmeg.
He does like all the other apple desserts I make though, and especially this one, which is an old favourite of mine. I have been making this for years and years! In fact the other day when I was making this I sent my oldest son a text to tell him I was making it . . . because making it made me think of him and how much he always loved it.
Do you find that certain foods make you think of certain people? I do. I find that it always makes great dishes taste even more special when you can associate them with a special person and a special memory.
That's the way it is for me and this recipe. I often had to double or triple it when my kids were growing up as it was a real favourite in our home. Shoefly Pie and Apple Pandowdy, makes your eyes light up and your lips say howdy! How can you not love a dessert that has a whole song dedicated to it????
I have to say . . . it's rather impossible not to love THIS version . . . with it's delicious sauce . . . tender apples and that crispy biscuit/scone topping. You break it up a bit before the dessert is finished and push it down into the juices and fruit, which for some odd reason makes it even scrummier!
It may not be the most beautiful dessert in the world, but I have found that the best and tastiest things in life often aren't the prettiest. You'll want to put this on a pan to bake . . . just in case it spills over. Enjoy!
*Apple Pandowdy*
Serves 6 to 8
Printable Recipe
Shoe fly pie and apple pan dowdy, makes your eyes light up and your lips say howdy! One of my favourite desserts. A cross between a pudding and a deep dish apple pie. Serve warm with cream if you wish.
150g of soft light brown sugar (3/4 cup, packed)
25g of plain flour (1/4 cup)
1/4 tsp salt
250ml of water (1 cup)
2 tsp cider vinegar
60ml of molasses (can use a combination of dark and light treacle) (1/4 cup)
1 1/2 pounds cooking apples, peeled and sliced into eighths (4 to 5 cups)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
2 TBS butter
For the topping:
100g of sifted plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3 TBS cold butter
180ml of milk (3/4 cup)
Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Butter a 12 by 8 by 2 inch glass baking dish. Set aside.
Combine the flour, brown sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Whisk in the water, vinegar and molasses. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the mixture comes to the boil and thickens. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Arrange the sliced apples in the prepared baking dish. Pour the sauce over top to cover. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and nutmeg and dot with the butter.
To make the topping sift the flour into the bowl along with the baking powder and the salt. Drop in the cold butter and cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two round bladed knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal, the size of peas. Add the milk and stir until all parts are dampened. The mixture should remain somewhat lumpy.
Drop the batter by small spoonfuls onto the top of the apples. It will not cover them completely, but that is how it should be. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. Break through the biscuit topping with a fork and work it down into the apples. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Serve warm, spooned out into bowls with or without pouring cream if desired.
I was surfing the net the other day and I came across this delicious sounding casserole on the Better Homes and Gardens site.
Cheesy Shell Stuffed Shells. Oh my goodness . . . can you imagine??? Be still my pasta-lovin heart!
Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with macaroni and cheese made with baby pasta shells! Delicious.
They are then cloaked in your favourite tomato pasta sauce and baked, then smothered with more cheese and baked again until the whole thing is all gooey and deliciously scrummy!
I know! G-E-N-I-U-S!! Macaroni and cheese just got better! Macaroni and cheese combined with lasagne!
Oh, mama mia! This is a real winner winner chicken dinner if I don't say so myself.
Of course I charged it up a bit from the original recipe, using a combination of different cheeses. Can you ever have too much cheese? I love cheese, so the answer is no.
Today I used, drum roll please . . .a crumbly strong cheddar, a creamy rich Stilton, and a salty Parmesan. This was a totally delicious.
I used low fat evaporated milk instead of the cream . . . just to save a few calories. I know, why bother with that much cheese, but I try.
I have to say that it was plenty good if I don't say so myself. But by all means, if calories aren't too worrisome for you, use the cream.
The Toddster . . . well, he is not fond of pasta as you know . . . and pasta stuffed with pasta? Well . . . not much more fonder . . . but meh . . . sometimes a gal has got to do what her pasta loving heart's got to do!
Enjoy!
*Cheesy Shell-Stuffed Shells*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe
Genius! Borrowed from Better Homes and Gardens and adapted for my own use. Easy, economical and delicious!
24 dried Conchiglioni Rigati Shells (jumbo shell macaroni)
8 ounces Conchigliette shells (very tiny baby shell macaroni, 2 cups)
4 ounces Gruyere Cheese, grated (1 cup)
2 ounces Stilton Cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
2 ounces Parmesan Cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
8 ounces strong cheddar cheese, grated (2 cups)
6 fluid ounces of single cream (3/4 cup, you may use an equal amount of
low fat evaporated milk if you wish)
1/8 tsp freshly ground white pepper
24 fluid ounces of your favourite tomato pasta sauce (3 cups, or 750ml)
To top:
2 ounces grated mozzarella cheese (1/2 cup)
1 ounce grated strong cheddar cheese (1/4 cup)
1 ounce of grated Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup)
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F. gas mark 4. Butter a 9 by 13 inch glass baking dish. Set aside.
Cook
the large shells according to the package directions, in a large pot of
lightly salted water. Scoop out with a slotted spoon when done, rinse
and drain. Set aside. Add the mini shells to the boiling water in the
pot and cook them according to the package directions. Drain well and
rinse. Return the pot to the stove. Add the cream and all of the
grated cheeses, except for the topping cheeses. Season with black
pepper. Heat over medium low heat, stirring constantly until the
cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Stir in the cooked small
shells.
Cover the bottom of the prepared baking dish with 125ml
(1/2 cup)of the pasta sauce. Fill the jumbo shells with the cheese-shell
mixture. Place the filled shells in the baking dish. Top with the
remaining pasta sauce. Cover tightly and bake for 30 minutes. Remove
from the oven, uncover and sprinkle with the topping cheeses (mixed
together), and return to the oven to bake for about 15 minutes longer.
Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
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I decided to roast it using my favourite recipe for roasting chicken, which is one that I have adapted from a recipe I found in Rachel Allen's book, Rachel's Food for Living.
You can't get much better than that!
*Lemon and Herb Stuffed Roast Chicken*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe
A moist and delicious perfectly roasted chicken, stuffed with a fabulous lemony herb bread stuffing. Fabulous.
1 large free range roasting chicken (between 3 1/2 and 5 pounds in weight)
a knob of softened butter
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a few thyme leaves
the juice of half a lemon
375ml of chicken stock (1 1/2 cups)
For the Stuffing:
2 TBS butter
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp chopped fresh sage leaves
the finely grated zest of one unwaxed lemon
the juice of 1/2 lemon
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
100g of fresh soft white bread crumbs (about 1 3/4 cup)
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into large chunks
6 medium potatoes peeled and cut into large chunks
2 TBS flour
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Have ready a nice deep roasting pan.
Melt the butter for the stuffing in a skillet. Add the onion. Cook, stirring over low heat, without browning, until it is meltingly soft, about 10 minutes. Tip in the herbs, lemon zest, lemon juice and bread crumbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Allow to cool completely. (Safe the squeezed lemon carcass)
Place your chicken into the roasting pan. Stuff the cavity lightly with the bread stuffing. Slather the chicken breast all over with a knob of softened butter. Sprinkle with some sea salt and black pepper and a few thyme leaves. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over top. Place the lemon carcass into the roasting pan around the chicken along with the one you used for the stuffing. Scatter the peeled vegetables around the base of the chicken. Sprinkle lightly with some salt and herbs. Pour about half the chicken stock around the chicken and vegetables.
Roast for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, basting with the pan juices and turning the vegetables over halfway through the baking time. When done the juices should run clear from the chicken when pierces between the thigh and the breast and the legs should feel quite loose when gently twisted. Remove from the oven. Remove the chicken and vegetables from the pan to a serving platter. Loosely tent with foil to keep warm. You will want it to rest for about 20 minutes now, while you make the gravy and cook any additional vegetables.
To make the gravy, pour the pan juices out into a measuring jug. Pour a bit of boiling water in the pan and scrape up any juicy browned bits. Pour this into the measuring jug. Spoon about 2 TBS of the fat from the jug into a saucepan. Discard the remainder of the fat. Heat over medium heat until bubbling. Whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute. Slowly whisk in the pan juices, whisking until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken slightly. Season to taste. Allow to simmer over low heat for a few minutes to get rid of any flour taste.
Serve the chicken sliced, along with some of the gravy, stuffing and roasted vegetables, and of course any other vegetables you have prepared.
We love to have carrots and peas with this! Boring I know, but very tasty.
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