Now that summer is here, we are definitely eating a bit lighter. Todd has always said that he is not fond of salads, and by that he means a plate of boring leaves with little else.



Indeed . . . salad is something that the British got quite wrong for a number of years, with most salads consisting of some torn iceberg lettuce, a few slices of wilted cucumber and an bit of anemic tomato on top! If you got any dressing at all . . . it was salad cream, or straight mayonnaise. And while I am rather fond of salad cream on boiled eggs or in sandwiches at times . . . I really want to have something a bit more tastier on my salad. It is no wonder that Todd thought he didn't like salad.



Nowadays there is no excuse for a boring salad here in the UK. We grow all sorts and varieties of salad greens right here at home . . . meaty rocket, tender oakleaf, peppery watercress, sweet baby gems, cos . . . to name but a few. Us UK'ers are quite well travelled these days, and have taken a lesson from the continent. It is now quite common to find tasty salads in most restaurants.



At home, Todd is still not overly fond of a plate of lettuce and so I always try to dress them up with a bit more than just lettuce, using a variety of vegetables and in this case here today . . .



Topping the colourful plate of salad greens with a delicious wheatberry salad, chock full of crunch and sweetness. Crunchy toasted walnuts and chopped celery . . . sweet dried cranberries . . . spicy spring onions, and a tangy lemon and olive oil dressing.



Topped again with a breast of chicken that has been rubbed with a delicious mixture of spices and grilled until perfectly cooked, and still juicy and tender.



This is quite nice . . . Todd mumbled in between satisfied mouthfuls.
My job was done. ☺ I do ♥ a happy and well fed man!!



*Grilled Chicken and Wheatberry Salad*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Hearty and deliciously different with a nutty and chewy wheatberries, sweet dried cranberries, crunchy toasted walnuts atop tender greens and topped off with a spicy grilled chicken breast!

For the Salad:
1 cup of hard wheat berries
(I used an 8 ounce measure of Ebly and 16 ounces of chicken broth)
2 ounces of chopped toasted walnuts (1/2 cup)
a large handful of parsley, finely chopped
2 stalks of celery, washed, trimmed and finely chopped
2 1/2 ounces of dried cranberries (1/2 cup)
2 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS lemon juice, plus 1 tsp
salt and black pepper

4 cups of mixed salad leaves

For the Chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp olive oil

Make the wheatberry salad first. Combine the wheat berries and enough water to cover by 2 inches in a pot. Bring to the boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, uncovered until tender, about 1 hour. Drain and let cool. (If you are using Ebly, combine 1 measure of the Ebly with 2 measures of chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then cook for 10 minutes, until tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Drain well and cool.)

In a large bowl, combine the cooled wheat, toasted walnuts, parsley, celery, cranberries, spring onions, olive oil and lemon juice. Season to taste with some salt and pepper. Set aside.

Place the chicken breasts into a plastic baggie and bash them with a rolling pin until they are about 1/2 inch thick and of even thickness throughout. Combine the cumin, coriander, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Rub the chicken breasts with the olive oil and then with the spice mixture, rubbing it all into both sides.

Heat a large grill pan over medium high heat. Spray with some cooking spray. Grill the chicken until grill marks have formed and the chicken is cooked all the way through, some 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

To serve, place 1 cup of salad leaves on each of four chilled plates. Cover with 3/4 cup of the wheat berry salad. Slice each chicken breast on the diagonal and lay atop the wheatberries. Serve immediately.



Note - You can also chill the wheatberry salad and then pack it with the salad leaves and chicken into a takeaway container for a delicious, and yet hearty, go to work lunch!



I stored the leftovers in one of my handy dandy Pyrex 4-in-1 Plus dishes that I was sent to try out last week. They are just lovely! Ideal for eat-in and take-away cooking, the Pyrex 4-in-1 Plus range offers air tight storage that can be used in the fridge or freezer. Its smart lid has a steam valve that enables microwave heating, remove the lid and it can be used to cook in an oven. Made from borosilicate glass, it is thermal shock resistant and able to withstand temperatures of up to 300*C. They come with a 10 year guarantee under normal use and are nicely sized for easy storage. Available at stockist in the UK and starting at £5.50 they are easily affordable. Thank you Pyrex for allowing me to try them out! I've spent the last week, storing, baking and reheating with the three that I was sent and I am very happy with them. I highly recommend!!

I was contacted a week or so ago by the Lizzie at Piper's Farm who wanted to know if I would like to take a look at their website and possibly try some of their products. I took a look, loved what I saw and said I would LOVE to try some of their products!

Located in the heart of Devon, Piper's Farm is a farm dedicated to the production of meat, poultry and meat products via traditional, slow growing methods, allowing the animals to reach natural maturity in a completely stress free environment. In other words, it's farming the way it used to be. Started over 20 years ago, their goal was to produce healthy meat that families could enjoy eating with complete confidence.



I am a great believer in humane farming practices, and have long held the theory and supported the ethos that happy meat is a better tasting meat.

I was quite happy to try some of their products out and the next day a package was delivered from them, right to my door. It was very well packed and arrived fresh and well chilled.

Included in the pack sent was a package of Pork Sausages, Red Ruby Rump Steaks, Smoked Back Bacon, Chicken Fillets, Pork Steaks, a Lamb and Mint Pie and a Red Ruby Steak and Mushroom Pie.



First up were the pies. My Todd is a real pie man. He just loves meat pies and I have to confess to having a certain fondness for them myself. It was very easy to tell which pie was which pie . . . the top crust was very clearly marked and a key was included so that we could figure out which mark meant what.



The Steak and Mushroom Pie was meaty and chock full of lovely chunks of tender steak and mushrooms, in a rich thick gravy.



Likewise the Lamb and Mint Pie was filled with lovely bits of lamb and carrot and a rich and flavourful gravy, with the merest hint of mint that too nothing away from the deliciousness of the Lamb.

Both pies had a beautiful crust, crisp and not at all greasy. In short, these were quite simply the best meat pies that my pie loving husband and I have ever eaten! We both fell in love with them and would buy them in an instant!



The next day we tried out the Rump Steaks. From their site: Red Ruby Beef is legendary, a native Exmoor Breed, Devon Ruby with a tight grain, good fat marbling and a real depth of flavour. I simply pan grilled the steaks, using my fool proof method and serving them with a simple pan sauce created by deglazing the skillet with some red wine and a dessertspoon of Onion Marmelade. They were delicious! See for yourself!



They were tender and well flavoured. We both really enjoyed them as well!



Next up was the sausages. All of their sausages are made using natural skins and ingredients. The ones we were sent to try were the plain Pork Sausages. Made with Pork, Oats and seasoning they were beautiful and so meaty. They were also HUGE. Todd usually can eat about 3 bangers, but he had a hard time finishing the two that I gave him. We both loved them. They were not greasy or fatty and had a wonderful flavour.



Just look at the tastiness of that sausage! We loved them! Now I want to try their Cumberland, which as you know is my favourite kind of sausage.

The next day I cooked their Pork . Their pork is saddleback pork produced from traditional breeds, grown slowly to natural maturity, and spending their summers in cider orchards munching on grass and windfalls. I know I should have just cooked it plainly, but I wanted to do something different and so I did a stir fry with it. It was delicious! I kid you not. I don't like pork that is really . . . well, porky, if you know what I mean. I don't like it to smell like a pig when I cook it. This did not.



The meat was tender, not tough. Sometimes when you cook meat quickly as in something like a stir fry the meat can be quite tough. This was perfect and we both really enjoyed it immensely!



*Stir Fried Pork and Peppers*
Serves 4, but can very easily cut in half
Printable Recipe

Spicy and sweet and scrummy yummy! Better than a take away for sure!

For the meat:
4 lean boneless pork steaks
2 ounces rice wine vinegar (1/4 cup)
2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 TBS brown sugar
5 TBS olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To finish:
3 TBS finely chopped fresh gingerroot
1 TBS sweet chili sauce
5 TBS teriyaki sauce
1 green pepper, trimmed, seeds discarded and cut into strips
1 red pepper, trimmed, seeds discarded, and cut into strips
1 yellow pepper, trimmed, seeds discarded and cut into strips
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
a small handful of flaked toasted almonds
2 TBS chopped fresh mint (Optional)

Mix together the rice wine vinegar, garlic, brown sugar, oil and salt and pepper in a bowl. Slice the pork into thin slices, across the grain. Add to the bowl and stir to coat. Set aside to marinate for half an hour.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Scoop the pork strips out of the marinade and add to the hot pan, along with the gingerroot. Cook and stir until the pork begins to turn colour. Stir together the sweet chili sauce and teriyaki sauce. Pour over top. Continue to cook and stir for a few minutes longer, until pork is cooked through. Stir in the peppers and cook, stirring frequently until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season to taste with some salt and pepper. Sprinkle with almonds and chopped mint (if using) and serve immediately.

We still had some sausages left and so I made a tasty Pork Sausage Egg Fried Rice to go along with the Stir Fry, which we also really, really enjoyed.



*Leftover Pork Sausage Fried Rice*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A really tasty way to use up leftover cooked pork sausages and rice.

2 TBS vegetable oil
2 large free range eggs, lightly beaten
3 TBS dark soy sauce, divided
1 fat garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 TBS minced fresh gingerroot
1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
4 cooked thick pork sausages, cut in quarters and sliced into chunks
2 small carrots, peeled and grated
a large handful of frozen petit pois
2 cups of cold cooked white rice
2 TBS rice wine vinegar

Heat 1 TBS of the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Measure out the soy sauce. Take 1/4 tsp of it and beat it together with the eggs. Add the eggs to the heated pan, swirling them to coat the bottom of the pan. Cook and stir until cooked through, but still moist. Scrape out of the pan and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in the pan. Add the ginger, garlic and spring onion white bits. Cook stirring constantly until fragrant. Add the sausage chunks. cook and stir to heat through and brown a bit. Add the carrots, peas and rice, stirring to combine. Add the cooked egg, remaining soy sauce and vinegar. Cook, stirring constantly, until the rice is completely coated with teh mixture. Let cook, undisturbed fora bout a minute longer, until heated through. Sprinke the green bits of the onions over top and then serve immediately.

We haven't yet tried the bacon or the chicken fillets, but if the rest of what we were given to try is any idication . . . I am sure we will be more than pleased with them as well!

All the meat sold by Pipers Farm is produced by the Grieg family on their own 50 acre farm community of about 25 small farms. They have an on farm butchery and a kitchen where they produce everything they sell including a variety of ready meals and pies. I have to say that Todd and I were very impressed with everything they sent and with the delivery service and all the information we were given. We both highly recommend and hope that you will give them a try! Many thanks to Lizzie for having given us this delicious opportunity!

We spent all afternoon today wandering around Tatton Park. What a gorgeous place that is! The gardens were so beautiful and we walked our not so little butts off! (ok . . . hmm . . . MY not so little butt.)



When we got home we were starving and so I threw together a quick Chicken Biryani. (Nothing special, just using a jarred sauce I got at the store, a couple of diced chicken breasts and some basamati rice. Quick and easy.)



While the chicken was in the oven I threw together a delicious dessert for us that turned out fabulous. AND . . . there's no fat in the apples at all . . . truly!



It's just apples, sugar and water . . . oh and a few spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.



Very healthy, very quick and oh sooooooo scrummy!!



Of course the Vanilla Mascarpone had lots of fat in it . . . but if you're feeling indulgent what the hey!! Quite, quite rich and delicious!



I had some non fat Greek yogurt with mine and it was quite yummy as well! Just look at those golden apples and that deliciously rich topping. Go on . . . just try to resist! I love it when something that is sooooo moreishly wanton . . . is actually not all that bad . . . don't you??



*Toffee Apples with Vanilla Mascarpone*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Simple, delicious and quite low in fat . . . ok well, the mascarpone is not low in fat, but you could substitute some fat free yoghurt instead if you wanted to.

6 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and cut into eighths
4 TBS golden caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
3 TBS water

For the mascarpone:
250g of mascarpone cheese (about 1/2 cup)
1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise

Place the apple pieces into a bowl along with the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and water. Give them a good toss together.

Heat a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat. Add the apples mixture, spreading it out into one layer as much as you can. Let them start to caramelize and turn golden on one side, before you flip them over and do the same on the other side, removing them as they become caramelized on both sides.

Split the vanilla pod in half lengthwise. Put the mascarpone into a bowl. Using the tip of a knife, scoop up all the black seeds from the vanilla pod and drop them into the mascarpone. Mix them in well. (Use the split vanilla pod in your sugar jar to infuse your sugar with the scent and flavour. Just plunge it in and let it sit forever. Well, it will last for a very long time at any rate.)

Spoon the hot apples into individual bowls. Top each with a dollop of the Vanilla mascarpone and serve immediately.



I just love my new Santuko Knife that Eden Webshops sent me to try out! It is one of their Damast series of knives and has a beautiful pattern on both the blade and the handle. The Eden Quality Damast series is made of Japanese Damast stainless steel with a core of hardened VG10 steel. The handle is made of durable composed material containing linen and synthetic resin and, like the blade, has a beautiful pattern.

High quality Santoku knife with hollow edge. Versatile Asian type knife for cuttingmeat, fish and vegetables. Alternative for the standard Chefs knife, lighter and more easy to handle. Missing of a sharp point makes this knife additional saver.

Eden Quality price advantage!
This Eden Quality knife is produced by a manufacturer that fabricates as well for trusted trade marks. This price advantage without a brand and distributor in the marketing chain is yours!

Characteristics

* High quality Damascus steel with a core of VG10
* Hardness ca. 60 Rockwell C (HRc)
* Thin and perfectly sharpened blade
* Fine ergonomic handle made of composed material containing linen and synthetic resin.
* Modern shaped blade without thickening in the cutting edge. Easy to grind.
* Double steel bolster for perfect balance and protection of the handle.
* 25 years warranty on material and construction defects

You can't ask for any better than that. It also feels very good in my hand, and I loved the ease with which it cuts and slices. It is now my favourite knife!

They also sent me a Ceramic Sharpening Rod. I haven't actually had a chance to use this yet as my knives are all pretty sharp at the moment. But here is a really good video on them.



I think you will find the video very useful. I know I did. Many thanks to the people at Eden Webshops for affording me this fabulous opportunity to try out some really fine kitchen kit!

The people from Shrewd PR representing Eddingtons sent me some of their newest summer range of goods to test out the other day. I love it when that happens! I have had a lot of fun trying everything out.



First up was a lovely set of glass cruets . . . 4 in the beautifully shaped Firenze pattern and 4 in the Venezia pattern. Both came in a lovely assortment of colours . . . ruby red, pale yellow, bottle blue and light green. Not only are they beautiful to look at, but very useful as well. They have lovely pouring spouts and seals . . . just perfect for taking cold drinks on a picnic or for use as vinegar and oil cruets on the salad table! I just love them.



Included as well was this lovely Salad Spinner by Tovolo! Not only is it quite large in size, holding 5 quarts of salad leaves etc., but it is collapsible!! Yes, you are not imagining things. I did say that . . . it's completely collapsible.



Here it is flat! Only about 3 inches tall, and very easy to store, not taking up much space at all! That means a lot to me in my kitchen as I have very little storage space, so anything that doesn't take up a lot of room makes me happy.



It very quickly pops out into a full size salad spinner! Very attractive!! Some other features are:

1. Effortlessly fast spinning - does the job efficiently and quickly
2. Pull-string handle with in-built brake mechanism
3. Bowl makes an attractive salad server, too
4. Good quality, robust item which is built to last



It is very easy to use. The pull toggle is effortless and the button for stopping the spinning works really well also. I really, really like it!! I love Tovolo everything! Real quality stuff! I like the funky green colour as well. I tried to take a movie of me spinning it, but . . . it's hard to pull the cord and press record on my camera at the same time. It just wasn't happening!

They also sent some lovely Tovolo Ice Lolly Molds.

The Jewel Pop Molds are not only cute but fun as well. They look like big diamond rings. I just know the kiddies will love iced treats made in these!



I made some little adult type of Watermelon ices in them for today. You could do any flavour you want and they are just a nice small size and so fun to wear!



*Minted Watermelon Pops*
Makes 8
Printable Recipe

Easy to make, low in fat and beautifully refreshing!

1 1/2 pound of seedless watermelon, rind removed and flesh cut into 1 inch dice
2 TBS sugar
a handful of mint leaves, minced (about 1/4 cup)
2 tsp finely grated fresh lemon zest
pinch salt

Place the melon and sugar into a blender. Blitz until smooth. Stir in the mint, lemon zest and salt. Pour the puree into 8 popsicle molds and freeze until hard, about 3 hours. Use within a week.

They also sent a set of Ice Cream Pops freeze molds. They are so cute! They look just like Ice Cream Cones!



I did some really fun frozen Yogurt pops in them! They turned out really nice too! I did layers with the top layer being apricot and the bottom layer, summer berries. They can be low fat as well, especially if you use the low fat yogurt.



*Fruity Frozen Yogurt Pops*
Makes 8
Printable Recipe

Creamy and refreshing and good for you too, especially if you use low fat yogurt!

1 cup of fresh ripe fruit, chopped ( nectarines, mango, pineapple, strawberries, kiwi, etc.)
12 fluid ounces of plain yogurt ( 1 1/2 cups. I like Greek)
3 fluid ounces of liquid honey (1/3 cup)
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth. Pour into 8 popsicle (ice lolly) molds. Insert sticks and then freeze for 4 hours until frozen solid.

Note: I like to use two kinds of fruit, so I divide everything in half and the fruit in half as well, blitzing twice, once with half the ingredients and one type of fruit, and then the second time with the other half of the ingredients and another type of fruit. I then layer them into the popsicle molds. Top with the lids and freeze.

I was a little concerned that they might be difficult to release, but both types released very easily and I ended up with perfect ice lollies! I was most impressed!

Each mold can be reoved separately, so you can enjoy one pop at a time, and the built in drips guards put an end to sticky fingers!

So you can see I am all set now for some summer fun! Many thanks to the people at Eddingtons and Shrewd PR for allowing me try these lovely things out! I was very impressed with everything and highly recommend!

One of the big bonuses of having a food blogg is that I get contacted from time to time by companies asking me if I would like to review their products. Of course I always say yes!

Last week I received a lovely Ryvita Crackers for Cheese Hamper from the folks at Ryvita! What a lovely hamper it was too, containing a sweet little wooden cheese board, three lovely cheeses (Stilton in wax, a Wensleydale and Cranberry in wax, and a beautiful Double Gloucester Cheese in wax), a tasty bottle of Country Garden Chutney and two packets of Ryvita Crackers for Cheese! (Black Pepper and Golden Rye)

We were planning on having some people over for a Family Home Evening tonight and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to give them a try. The Family Home Evening fell though though and so I decided I couldn't wait any longer and Todd and I tried them out for our lunch today.



I chose to top the Black Pepper ones with some sliced Vanilla cured pears and crumbled Stilton. Oh my but they were really delicious.



I topped the Rye ones with the Double Gloucester and some of the chutney. Fantastic combination as well!



As you can plainly see they are quite sturdy crackers and held up well under the stress. They were not crumbly and stayed well together with our bites. I like that in a cracker. There is nothing worse than having a cracker that falls to bits the first time you bit into it.



All in all I was quite impressed with these crackers. Lovely flavour and texture all round. Healthy and wholesome as well, made with wholegrain flours and olive oil They are both low in fat and high in fibre. We both thoroughly enjoyed them. Another thing that I really liked about them was that they were packed in individual packets containing about half a dozen in each. That to me is a big bonus, as with there just being two of us in this household we can never use boxes of crackers up before they get stale. This eliminates that problem and the waste!



Take a look at the advertisement in this month's Sainsbury's magazine, which shows you how very adaptable they are! Some really good ideas there . . . Many thanks to the people at Ryvita for giving me this opportunity.

Oh . . . and knowing, me you just know I had to something different with them as well. Not that I don't like just cheese and crackers . . . but I do love to stretch the envelope a bit as well.



May I present Herb and Butter Toasted Crackers. I know . . . kinda takes away a bit from the low fat qualities of these wonderful crackers, but once in a while, it's nice to do something a bit different. You can use any herb combination you want . . . you can really give them some pizzazz with something spicy and hot, or you can dress them down. Add cheese, or not. You can even turn them into little pizzas by using a bit of tomato paste in the butter and pizza herbs and a dusting of parmesan at the end. It's up to you really! Enjoy!



*Herb and Butter Toasted Crackers*
Makes 2 dozen

These can be as snappy or as mild as you want. They are incredibly moreish. If you like you can go one step further and dust them with some Parmesan cheese as well. Yummily Scrummy!

24 crackers
2 ounces butter, melted (1/4 cup)
2 tsp of herb and spice mixture (I used a M&S mixture year which
contained smoked paprika, garlic, thyme, red peppers, etc. or you can create your own herb
combination)

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 5. Whisk together the melted butter and herb mixture. Brush this lightly on both sides of the crackers and place them onto a nonstick baking sheet. Bake in the heated oven for about ten minutes, until lightly browned and crispy. Allow to cool before serving.