This is a recipe I had bookmarked over on Sandra's page a long time ago.   She called it Sweet and Spicy Bacon Chicken.   I just call it Sweet and Spicy Chicken, and after finally making it today, I call it delicious.
It's the type of recipe I love to use during the week when I am rather rushed for time, because it's quick and it's easy . . .



You simply cut chicken breasts into strips, roll them in a spicy mixture, wrap them in bacon, pop them into a pan and here is where I made some changes.  Sandra rolled hers in brown sugar, but I choose to sprinkle mine with a mixture of oregano and brown sugar . . . oregano and chili go well together.

 

I then chose to sprinkle some brown sugar over top and then drizzle them with maple syrup.  It's the Canuck in me I'm afraid . . .   In Canada we can buy maple smoked bacon and today the Canadian in me was longing for maple smoked bacon and so I drizzled the maple syrup over top  . . .

 

Brown sugar . . . Maple Syrup.  Brown Sugar . . . Maple Syrup.   The Maple Syrup adds a lovely dimension of flavours and it is just about sugar season back home when the woods are filled with maple taps and the air is filled with the smell of the sap of the maples being boiled down into syrup.

 

Yes, you can take the girl out of Canada . . . but you can't quite take all of the Canadian out of the girl.  So anyways, here is my take on Sandra's recipe.   Sweet and Spicy Chicken.



Tis good . . . very, very good. I dipped mine in Barbeque Sauce . . .  Jack Daniels Barbeque sauce . . . coz bacon and sugar and maple syrup is not enough calories to add to low fat chicken . . . you just have to throw a few more in there don't cha!  And that's how I roll.  (You should know that by now!)

 

*Sweet & Spicy Chicken*
Makes 4 servings
Printable Recipe

A delicious recipe I adapted from one I found on  fullbellies.blogspot.com.   Take care not to over cook the chicken.  Delicious.

4 free range chicken breasts
12 slices of smoked rind-less streaky bacon
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp mild chili powder
1 tsp oregano
4 TBS soft light brown sugar
125ml of pure maple syrup (1/2 cup)

Barbeque sauce for dipping

Preheat the oven to 200*C.400*F/ gas mark 6.   Butter a large baking dish well.  Set aside.

Cut your chicken breasts lengthwise into thirds, giving you 12 pieces in all, chicken tender sized.   (Alternately you could use 12 chicken tenders).   Mix together the salt, black pepper, garlic powder and chili powder.   Sprinkle this mixture over all of your chicken pieces, coating them well.   Using one slice of streaky bacon for each piece, wrap it around the chicken, making sure that the beginning and ending of the wrap are on the same side.  Place into the baking dish with the ends of the bacon side down.  Sprinkle them with the oregano and brown sugar.   Drizzle the maple syrup over top.

Bake in the heated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the bacon has begun to glaze and become crisp.   Serve hot with some barbeque sauce for dipping if desired.   I am awfully fond of the Jack Daniels Barbeque Sauce.   Just sayin' is all.

  

I served these with some new potatoes that I had sliced in half lengthwise and then roasted with butter and garlic seasoning and some steamed carrots.  It made for a fine meal.

 

Today I want to talk about one of the unsung heroes of British Cookery, Tamasin Day-Lewis.  She's not considered to be sexy like Nigella Lawson, but in my opinion, she can cook her way around Nigella any day of the week, no question about it.   She reminds me of a hippy/mother earth/ naturalist type of person, with her long hair and her simple ways, and you might be very surprised to find out . . . I was . . . she's the sister of the actor Daniel Day-Lewis.  The daughter of a poet and an actress, she attended Cambridge University and read English at Kings College and in my opinion, next to Nigel Slater, she is the best darned cook in the UK.

I have always enjoyed watching her television shows and her cookery books and, in fact, I always buy her recipe books because I know they will be filled with beautiful, usable, recipes for great food that tastes delicious!   When I first watched her, her long hair used to put me off just a tad . . . I am not fond of chef's hair around food, but after a while, I was so impressed with the caliber of her cookery it didn't matter anymore.


This is one of my favorite of all of her cookbooks for several reasons.  One, the recipes in it always work out beautifully and two, there are recipes literally for just about any British dish you might want to cook on it's pages.   You might be surprised actually to hear my confession today . . . I am 57 years old and until today I have never eaten Moussaka.   Tis absolutely true . . . I have planned on trying it through the years, but until today I just had never gotten around to doing that.

 

Having picked up some lovely looking lamb mince at the Butchers the other day and some beautiful aubergines at the green grocer (eggplant to you North Americans) I decided that today was going to be the day when I would finally make it.  I did a search online for recipes to use, but couldn't find one that appealed to me.  They all had potatoes in them, or other bits I didn't want to use.  I wanted a good, solid, usable recipe, and then I remembered Tamasin.   I just knew that in one of her many cookery books that I own, there would be at least one solid recipe for Moussaka and I was right.

 

There, nestled within  the pages of Tamasin's Kitchen Bible was the perfect recipe. There was nothing complicated about it . . . it was quite simply a delicious sounding meat sauce, layered with roasted aubergine slices (no frying, bonus!) and slathered with a rich bechamel sauce, sprinkled with some Parmesan and then baked . . . the layers of meat and aubergine melding together in a beautiful marriage of flavours . . . the top covered in a crust of delicious bechamel . . . gilded and golden brown . . .



I cannot believe that I have gotten to this age without ever having tasted this delicious Greek dish!!   I can tell you it won't be long however before I taste it again, because we both thoroughly enjoyed this fabulous casserole!   It was positively delicious!



All the flavours worked beautifully together, and I have an idea that it is a dish in which the leftovers will taste even better than the firsts . . . it was economical and filling and just wonderful.   A firm favourite the first time around.   I think it would make a fabulous party dish as well . . . and I cannot imagine anyone not liking it, well . . . unless they are vegetarians . . .

 

I do hope you will give it a go.  I did adapt the sauce slightly as I didn't have fresh tomatoes to hand and really, fresh tomatoes this time of year aren't that great, so I just used a tin of chopped plum tomatoes and it worked perfectly.  I do hope you will give it a go, and if you do you come back to tell me what you think!



*Moussaka*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Inexpensive and delicious.  Great party dish.  Serve with a green salad and some crusty bread for sopping up all of that goodness.

Olive oil
3 aubergines, sliced 1/2 inch thick (Eggplants)
2 medium brown onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/2 pounds minced lamb
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 400g tin of chopped plum tomatoes in tomato juice, undrained
(14 ounce tin)
3 TBS tomato puree (tomato paste)
60ml of white wine (1/4 cup)
2 TBS parsley
finely grated Parmesan cheese

for the Bechamel:
600 ml of full fat milk
(1 pint, or 2 1/3 cups)
1 medium brown onion, peeled and studded with a couple of cloves
1 bay leaf, broken
2 TBS unsalted butter
2 TBS plain flour
a touch of nutmeg
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste



Preheat the oven to 180*C.350*F/ gas mark 4.   Butter a deep baking dish and set aside.

Brush the aubergine slices on both sides with some olive oil.  Lay them out onto a large baking sheet in a single layer, or two if necessary.  Bang the trays into the oven and roast them for 10 to 15 minutes, until they are soft all the way through when pricked with the tines of a fork.  Don't let them brown too much.  Remove from the oven and set aside.

Heat 2 TBS olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the onions and cook, without browning, until soft and a pale gold.   Add the garlic and cook for several minutes before crumbli9ng in the mince.  Fry the mince, scrambling and stirring until it is no longer pink and well browned.  Add the cinnamon and season to taste with sale and black pepper.  Stir in the tomatoes, tomato puree and parsley.  Stir well, add the white wine, bring to the boil and then allow to simmer at a quick simmer, until most of the liquid had evaporated (but not all) and the meat is cooked through, about 15 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

 

While the meat sauce is simmering, make your Bechamel.   Place the milk, onion and bay leaf into a microwaveable beaker.   Heat on high for about 1 1/2 minutes or until scalded.   Set aside to infuse for about 10 minutes.  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.   Once it begins to foam, whisk in the flour.  Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon for about a minute.   Strain in the infused milk and cook, stirring constantly until any lumps are stirred out and the mixture begins to bubble and thicken.   Allow to simmer on a very low heat for about 10 minutes and stirring occasionally.  (Keep watch on it so it doesn't catch.   I use a diffuser plate under my saucepan.)  Halfway through the simmering time season to taste with some salt and pepper and just a touch of nutmeg.  You want the nutmeg to be subtle, not slap you in the face.   You should just know that there is another flavour there without being able to recognize it.

Layer the roasted aubergine and meat sauce in a deep casserole dish, beginning and ending with the aubergine.   Pour a thick layer of the bechamel over top.  (You may not need it all.)  Dust the top with finely grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until it has nicely browned on top and the meat and aubergine layers have married beautifully together.  Spoon out hot from the dish to serve.

Note:  Recipe adapted from a recipe by Tamasin Day Lewis

I usually have a package of all butter puff pastry in the refrigerator or freezer.  It comes in handy for so many different things.   The Toddster really loves pie . . . and I thought I would make up for having fed him pasta yesterday by baking him something scrummy.



He's always most appreciative when I take the time to make something special just for him like these tasty turnovers.   They look like they took a lot of time and effort . . . but in truth they are very quick and very easy to do . . . but he doesn't need to know that.   ☺



All you need for these is a package of puff pastry (I like the all butter one,) a jar of berry jam (I used mixed summer berry this time,) and a few cubes of Brie Cheese.  (I always trim the rind of the Brie when I am making these.)  Brie goes so very well with fruity flavours!

 


I used the mixed summer berry but strawberry is excellent, and if you wanted to make them just that little bit more different and add a bit of a bite, you could use a mixture of jam and sweet chili sauce.   That would be fabulous actually . . . I thought of that just now as I was writing this and am making note of that idea for the next time around!



Just look at that cheese . . . rich and scrummy . . . and that sweet jam.  The perfect fit.  Do try hard to seal the edges well, so you don't end up losing a lot of it on the baking tray.

 

A tiny bit of ooze is inevitable, but you do want to keep it at a minimum if you possibly can.  You also want to eat these while they are still warm . . . but do take care to make sure they aren't hot, Hot, HOT!   Hot jam can really burn, as can hot cheese.   Nice and warm is just the right temperature.   And of course a dusting of icing sugar, dresses them up just nicely.   Enjoy!



*Brie & Berry Turnovers*
Makes six
Printable Recipe

Only two words will suffice . . . oh . . . my.

1 packet of all butter, ready rolled puff pastry
6 TBS of your favourite berry jam
6 1-inch cubes of Brie cheese
1 small free range egg beaten with a bit of water
demerara sugar for sprinkling before baking (Turbinado)
sifted icing sugar to finish

 

Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7.   Line a baking sheet with baking paper and lightly spritz the paper with some cooking spray.

Unroll your pastry.  Cut it into six even sided squares.  Brush the edges of the squares of pastry all the way around with a bit of beaten egg.   Place one TBS of jam in the middle of each square, just slightly off centre,  and top with a cube of cheese.  Fold the pastry over to enclose the filling and make a triangle.  Press the edges firmly together along the open sides and flute.   Place onto the baking tray.  Brush the tops with more beaten egg.  Cut a few slits in the top for venting.   Sprinkle with demerara sugar.

 

Place in the heated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until well puffed and golden brown.  Slip off of the baking sheet onto a wire rack to cool some.  Dust with icing sugar and serve warm.  Delicious!

Enjoy!   Perfect treat for the perfect day . . . simple and delicious.  Oh, sometimes I am a lazy pup, I know . . . but you still love me eh?   That's good . . . I do so appreciate it.  ☺

 

You have just got to love Pinterest for all of the inspiration that it provides.   I think a person could very easily get swallowed up in it for a couple of hours or longer every day if they let themselves.  There is no end to ideas for cooking, or decorating or crafting . . .



There is lotsa lotsa eye candy to go around depending on what it is you are looking for.   I'm usually looking at the decorating or the food . . . occasionally other things.   I love to look at the flowers and the animals too.  So pretty and so cute.

 

I have a whole pasta board on Pinterest, which is kind of funny, especially considering the Toddster hates pasta.   I do torture him with it from time to time though . . . but he suffers it silently, because he knows I will make up for it by baking him a pie or something.  I found this delicious looking recipe on there the other day for something called Grandpa's Mac and Cheese.   The link didn't go to the proper page, but I did hunt the recipe down and managed to find it here.   It seemed like a good basic recipe that you could work from . . . you know me, I like to charge things up a bit if I can.

 

And so I did.   I used cream cheese instead of Quark.  (They are basically the same thing, except cream cheese is a bit richer and more fattening.)   I added a crunchy topping, and I added some Gouda Cheese along with the cheddar.



It was very, very good, and even the Toddster had two bowls full . . . (Me thinks he doth protest too much sometimes!).  I couldn't make myself eat two bowls of anything I didn't like . . . but



Apparently he can, which just goes to prove you can drag a horse to water, and make it drink if you just persevere.



*Grandpa's Mac & Cheese*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A delicious and simple version of Mac & Cheese that is a great mid week winter warmer and something the whole family will love.

8 ounces of whole wheat macaroni (1/2 pound)
1 (125g) package of cream cheese (1/2 cup)
5 ounces extra strong cheddar cheese, grated coarsely
2 ounces grated Gouda cheese
1 (10 oz) tin of condensed tomato soup (such as Campbells)
1 soup tin of whole milk
salt, pepper and parsley flakes to taste
to top:
a handful of crushed garlic croutons
a couple TBS of salad onion crispies (Durkees French fried onions in North America)
a couple TBS of bacon bits

 


Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Butter an 8 inch square casserole dish.  Set aside. 

Cook the macaroni according to package directions, in lightly salted water, cutting the cook time down by about a third.  Drain well and then return to the pot.  Stir in the cream cheese and allow it to melt.  Stir in the tomato soup, milk and 3/4 of the grated cheese.  Season to taste with salt, pepper and parsley.  Pour into the prepared casserole dish.

Stir together the topping ingredients.  Scatter the remainder of the cheese over top of the pasta.  Sprinkle with the topping. 

Bang into the heated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown.  Let stand for 10  minutes before serving.  A salad goes nicely with this.

Note:  If you wanted to you could use herb and garlic cream cheese for additional flavour.

 

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 spent most of today faffing about with our computers.    The one which was plugged directly into the router was working fine, but none of the wireless ones were working.   The router just wasn't directing a signal to them.  We tried everything to get them working, but in the end the Toddster ended up having to go out and buy a new router.

 

Because we use the laptop in the craft room and our ipads for study, etc.  it was really important we get online with them.   Modern technology . . . it can be very frustrating at times, but then again, whatever would we do without it?  Well, you wouldn't be here reading this for one thing!  And what a shame that would be, because I really love it when you visit!  Its one of the highlights of my days!



You're probably thinking so what's the point of this whole story??   Well . . . I had big plans to bake something really tasty for you today . . . but it just didn't get done with all of the faffing about!   Instead I am sharing with you one of our favourite desserts.  "House" baked apples.

 

Simple and quick to throw together and oh so very delicious to eat . . . with all of the comforts of a crumble minus all of the work of having to rub a topping together, and in truth, you don't really miss it.   You get succulent  baked sliced of apple, all  sweet and buttery and nicely spiced . . . mixed with the moreish crunch of toasted flaked almonds . . . not to mention the additional textures and flavours of sweet sultana raisins and coconut!



The smell when it's baking is almost more than you can bear . . . it smells so wonderfully homey and comforting . . . It's a good thing it cooks rather quickly!   You can have this on the table in less than half an hour and I can assure you all will be smacking their lips in anticipation!   We like to call them "House" baked apples . . . coz that's just the way we do them in this house!  Enjoy!!



*House Baked Apples*
Serves  4
Printable Recipe

This is how we like them in our house.  Simple and delicious!

4 large red eating apples
a large handful of flaked almonds
4 TBS sugar
3 TBS dessicated coconut
1 handful of sultana raisins
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp of ground cardamom
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
4 TBS butter, plus more to butter the tin
vanilla bean ice cream to serve

 

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.   Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking pan well.  Set aside.

Peel the apples, core and cut each into about 8 wedges.  Scatter them into the tin.  Sprinkle with the sultanas, almonds and coconut. Stir together the sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg.   Sprinkle this evenly over top of the apples.  Dot with the butter.

Bake for 25 minutes, until the apples are beginning to soften and turn golden brown.  Serve warm, spooned into bowls and topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream

I don't think I have ever made any secret of my love for Blueberries.   I often pick up a punnet or two or three when they are on special at the shops.  I just bang them into the freezer and I'm good to go anytime I need them.   They freeze really well.

 

Of course we grow our own now.  We have four bushes in our garden.  They are the high bush ones.   I got enough off them last year to make a pie and freeze some, and am hopeful that this year I will get even more.  Last year was the first year we had any blueberry bushes, so we were quite impressed at the amount we got just in the first year!

 

I was reading this week that wild blueberries actually are native to here, Ireland and Northern Europe.  I was surprised actually as I had no idea that they existed here at all in the wild state.   They call them Bilberries though . . . and they are probably not quite as profuse as they are in Eastern Canada and USA.

 

I do remember a woman from church telling me that they pick them very near to where they live in Moulde (Wales) but I thought at the time she was probably mistaking them for some other berry . . . now I know she was probably right and I am going to ask her again where she picks them.   You just can't beat a wild blueberry for exceptional flavour!

 

You can't actually "farm" wild blueberries in the natural sense of the word. Growing very close to the ground they have a will of their own and they decide where they are going to grow or not grow.  They spread by underground rhizomes, which despite man trying . . . just will not thrive if manually transplanted to new areas.   That is the nature of "wild" things . . . it has ever been so.

 

We here at home, never tire of eating them.  They're healthy, low in fat and high in vitamins and anti-oxidants . . . one of the naturally occurring super-foods, and I try to get as many of them into our diet as possible.  I do think their low fat qualities are somewhat undermined by the things I managed to stog them into . . .



But, I'm afraid I just can't help myself . . . one has to scratch the itch that one has to scratch and when it comes to blueberries . . . that means pies, cakes, pancakes, muffins and gorgeous teatime treats such as these delicious Blueberry and Pecan Bars.   I think you'll agree with me that these are absolutely wonderful indeed!   A most scrumdiddlyumptious way to get in one of your five a day . . . sugar, fat and other no-no's aside.



*Blueberry Pecan Bars*
Makes one 8 inch square pan
Printable Recipe

Deliciously simple and a real favourite around here with the shortbread biscuit base and that fabulous topping!

for the base:
100g plain flour (1 cup)
115g of unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
3 TBS sifted icing sugar

for the topping@
100g blueberries (1 cup)
2 large free range eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon extract
190g of granulated sugar (1 cup)
25g of plain flour (1/4 cup)
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
40g shredded coconut (1/2 cup)
90g of chopped toasted pecan nuts ( 3/4 cup)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Line an 8 inch square pan with baking paper, leaving an overhang for lifting out.  Butter the paper.

Place the flour and icing sugar in a bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture is  like fine breadcrumbs and beginning to stick together.  Press this into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Bake for 25 minutes.

At the end of that time, remove from the oven and sprinkle the blueberries over top to cover.  Combine the eggs, sugar,extracts, flour, salt, baking powder and coconut until well blended.  Pour this mixture over top of the blueberries.  Scatter the pecan nuts over top.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and set.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes before lifting out carefully and allowing to cool completely.  If desired dust with icing sugar to serve.   Cut into squares to serve.