Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
Its been lovely and warm this week. Time to crack open the BBQ and do whatever you can to keep the kitchen cooler. We love these Grilled Sweet Potato Packets in the Summer. Not only can you cook them on the BBQ, but they are also quite, quite delicious and simple to do.
A drizzle of melted butter and Worcestershire sauce, some parsley, salt and black pepper. You could also add some garlic if you wanted to . . .
The foil then gets closed up around the mixture and the packets placed onto a heated outdoor grill (or into a heated oven if you wish) and grilled for about 20 minutes . . .
Until the potatoes and onions are sweet and tender . . . so good . . .
The packets are opened and then sprinkled with some cheese and chopped toasted pecans and briefly returned to the grill to melt . . .
Voila!! You have a scrumptious side dish that everyone will love. This goes wonderfully with grilled chicken or fish.
Instructions are given for one serving, but this means that you can increase to feed as many people as you want to feed. You can also make up the packets ahead of time and bring them with you to the camp ground or picnic spot. Let's face it, these are delicious no matter what is on the menu or where you choose to cook and eat them.
*Grilled Sweet Potato Pouches*
Serves 1
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
salt and black pepper to taste
4 or 5 pecans toasted
2 TBS grated cheese
Heat
the outdoor grill. Place the potato and onion in the middle of the
square of buttered foil. Sprinkle the onion on top. Whisk together the
melted butter, sorcestershire sauce, parsley flakes and salt and black
pepper to taste. Drizzle over top of the potato and onions. Fold the
foil up around the potatoes, sealing them in completely. What I do is
make a fold down the centre and then crimp the ends. Place on the hot
grill for 20 to 25 minutes until tender. Open the top of the foil.
Sprinkle with the cheese and pecans. Grill for about 5 minutes longer
to melt the cheese and lightly toast. Serve hot.
Nothing could be simpler, easier or tastier with the added bonus being that there is NO washing up! I can really go for that on a hot summer's day! Bon Appetit!
Oh, I do so love fresh berry season, don't you? We grow our own Strawberries, Blueberries and Raspberries, and the Strawberries are coming fast and furious at the moment! Oh, there is nothing more delicious on earth than a freshly picked strawberry with the warmth of the sun still burnishing its sweet flesh!
This is a beautiful way of using them during berry season. Its a simple recipe which I adapted for use from the cookbook entitled Supper For a Song, by Tamasin Day-Lewis. I love her recipes. They are always well written and they always turn out. I know she is largely unknown in North America, but she is a great cook and writer.
You are probably more familiar with her brother, Daniel Day-Lewis. Ah-ha! See, I knew. Anyways, this recipe is a real gem. It is perhaps a bit faffy in a way in that you make a sabayon sauce to cover the berries with before glazing them under the grill.
A Sabayon is not difficult to make, just time consuming. You do have to stand whipping it over simmering water for quite a time, but its so delicious when done. I had to bring in the extension cord from the shed that Todd uses to plug our mower into because I don't have an outlet near my stove that I can plug into.
Not a problem. Eggs yolks, sugar and lemon juice get whipped in the top of a double boiler until they are creamy, thick and rich, and then you continue to whip them until the mixture cools, upon which you fold in very softly whipped double cream. Take care not to over-whip the cream or it won't fold together properly. Softly, softly is the best. You can do this the night before if you want, and refrigerate it until you want to grill the berries. This makes it a great last minute dessert for entertaining.
A mix of berries is macerated in some sugar and liqueur and then popped into a gratin dish, napped with the sabayon and then gilded beneath the grill/broiler until golden.
This does not take very long . . . only a minute or so. If you do it for any longer you risk the mixture separating . . .
Just long enough to burnish the cream mixture, but not long enough to cook the berries, maintaining the shape and integrity of their deliciousness.
Altogether this is quite, quite lovely and so very delicious. Mmmm . . . I could eat that sabayon on its own by the spoonful!
*A Gratin of Summer Berries*
Serves 4
Put all of the berries into a large bowl. Gently stir in the sugar and the liqueur. Leave on the countertop to macerate for about 25 minutes, gently turning after 15 minutes.
To make the sabayon, put the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice in the top of a double boiler and set over a pan of simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the double boiler isn't touching the water. (Alternately you can use a large heat proof bowl that will fit over top of your saucepan of simmering water without falling in.) Using an electric whisk, whisk on medium high speed until th mixture has doubled in volume and thickened so that the mixture leaves a trail over top when you lift the beaters out of the pan. Remove to the countertop and place onto a kitchen towel to keep the pan from moving about. Continue to whisk with the electric whisk until the mixture is completely cold.
Using clean beaters, whisk the cream just to the point where it forms very soft folds. You want it slack, and not beaten stiff. It won't fold into the other mixture properly if you over beat it. Gently fold the cream into the cold cooked mixture. At this point you can continue on to finish the recipe or put it in a covered dish in the refrigerator overnight. (If you are doing it overnight, then don't macerate the berries until about half an hour or so before you want to make the dessert.)
I really hope that you will take the opportunity to make this with your summer berries this year. I think you will really enjoy it! Bon Appetit!
Oh boy, I can't believe how lazy I get sometimes. Yes, even I have days when I can't be asked to cook or I am too busy to cook and those are the days when a recipe like this one comes in really handy!
Its great for those lazy nights . . . for the too hot to cook nights . . . for the busier than a hen hauling wood nights . . .
Its also quite economical and quick, oh and did I mention that its delicious? Well it is all of those things and more, much more!
I have never had a real cheese steak sandwich, I hasten to add. Never even been close to Philadelphia, but I know what I like to eat and these I like to eat.
Its as easy as softening some onions, mushrooms and green bell peppers in a pan, adding some stock and cooked steak slices . . .
Pile that onto toasted hoagie buns that you have slathered with creamy horseradish sauce, top with some cheese and dinner is served!
It could not be easier. I have given quantities for two people, but you can easily multiply the amounts to serve more than two people.
I use a combination of Edam and Gouda cheeses because they melt really easily, but you could use whatever cheese you fancy. Fontina would be good actually.
For the beef stock I use the little gel stock packs you can get over here from the people at Knorr. I like the rich beef ones. They have lots of flavour, and a rich dark colour!
*Quick & Easy Cheese Steak Sandwiches*
Serves 21 small green bell pepper, trimmed and cut into strips
2 TBS creamy horseradish sauce
2 hoagie buns 
If you can't get refrigerated cooked Steak slices you could also use sliced deli roast beef, cut into strips. Either way it is delicious. I really hope you will add these to your summer/weekday/lazyday meal repertoire! Bon Appetit!
We are having another week of gorgeous weather here in the UK, which is great as the children are all off on half term, well in England and Wales at any rate. I have been taking advantage of the warmer temps and preparing lots of lovely salad type of meals for us. This is a salad I had not made in a number of years, and all of a sudden I got a craving for it. Fried Halloumi Cheese, with a Lime and Caper Dressing. Fried cheese??? Yes!! Why not!
I can take no credit for this recipe. It has been adapted from one by one of my favourite cookery writers here in the UK, Delia Smith. You might not be familiar with her in North America, but over here she is at least as popular, if not more than is Mary Berry, who I know you will be familiar with due to the GBBO. In fact, Delia is so popular here that she has what might be called the "Oprah" effect on products, both in the way of food ingredients, and in cooking utensils! She was one of the first cooks over here on the Television that I watched. She is very, very good and so are her recipes. In fact, they are pretty fail proof.
What she does is take simple quality ingredients and shows you how to make the best and most of them, with foolproof methods. She has been a great example to me in that way. If Delia can cook them, then just about anyone can! I like that.
I think it can be a pretty pricey cheese in North America, however, but as a treat, well worth the price. Over here it is quite affordable, at least pre-Brexit, we will see about afterwards. It has a texture which is quite similar to a good Mozzarella or a string cheese. Its salty and tangy and quite similar in flavour to Feta I would say, but it really comes into its own when you fry it.
You end up with a cheese which has a crisp and golden crust and a semi firm centre with just a touch of goo. In short, it is unbelievably gorgeous! I just love it. This beautiful Lime and Caper Vinagrette Dressing is the perfect way to show it off.
Once again, simple ingredients done well . . . lime (both the zest and the juice), white wine vinegar, capers, good fruity extra virgin olive oil, chopped fresh coriander (cilantro), grainy Dijon, some seasoning and, ta da! Bob's your Uncle!! I like to add a touch of sugar myself, but that is just me. It takes off some of the edge from the tartness of the lime and the capers. I have also used Chinese Rice Wine Vinegar in the past with most delicious results. Make sure you have plenty of crusty bread to serve with it as well, so you can sop up all of that lovely dressing!
What you have here is a very enjoyable salad that works beautifully as a light lunch for two, or as a starter course for more people when you are entertaining. I really hope you will try it. It's fabulous!
*Lime & Caper Dressed Halloumi Cheese*
Serves 2 as a light lunch
I have done a bit of research and found that in America at least you could consider some of the Mexican cheeses which don't melt when heated, such as Queso Blanco or Asadero if you find it impossible to get Halloumi Cheese. Bon Appetit!
Its my oldest son's birthday today. He is 42. I know . . . its hard for me to believe that I have a son that old also! Wasn't he just a babe in arms yesterday? I was only 19 when he was born. I wanted to be a mother more than anything in the world. He made my dreams come true! Happy Birthday son! So what has that got to do with salad? Nothing really, except that he is a brilliant cook in his own right! That acorn did not fall far from this tree!
I love salad season. I love making and eating salads. I have never met a salad that I did not like!
I also love potatoes. They are my favourite vegetable. I have always loved them. I can't do low carb because I can't live without my potatoes!
Tomatoes are another love of mine. Especially vine ripened tomatoes. Fresh and sweet. Some are sweeter than others. I prefer home grown, but when I do have to buy them, I buy the best I can afford and leave them at room temperature. That brings out the best flavours in them.
Bacon . . . who doesn't love bacon. I think my love of bacon (and a good steak) would actually prevent me from becoming a vegetarian!
Baby Rocket, or arugula as it is it is known in North America is another favourite of mine. I really enjoy its peppery, almost earthy flavour!
Goat Cheese . . . as a child I did not even know such a thing existed. (All my cheese came dyed orange and wrapped in plastic.) Soft, spreadable tangy goat cheese with its very distinct flavour is another thing I really, really enjoy!
Finally good Balsamic Vinegar and olive oil, extra virgin, something else which never had a place in my childhood and which I love. A good balsamic is rich and almost sweet and olive oil, peppery and rich. Put all these things together and you have one of the tastiest potato salads you could ever want to eat. This is a salad that I simply LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE and LOVE! Try it. I think you will too!
*Bacon, Potato, Tomato & Rocket Salad*
with Goats Cheese
Serves 6 to 8
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