Measure the flour, sugar and rice flour into a bowl.  Add the butter and rub together until the mixture is just starting to stick together.  Press half of this into the bottom of the pan, pressing it in using the back of a spoon.  Spread the lemon curd over top leaving about 1/2 inch around the edges clear.  Stir the 2 TBS of sugar into the remaining crumbs and sprinkle them over top of the lemon curd.






Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown.  Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes prior to cutting into 8 wedges.  Cut into the wedges and leave to cool for a further 5 minutes before serving. 

 


Oh, I do love the weekend.  I know that I don't work outside the home anymore, but that doesn't mean that my Saturdays and Sundays are not still special to me in the way that they always were.   I still use the weekends to relax and kick back . . .  and to bake and do all the things that I enjoy but don't have time to do during the week.  I don't know how I ever managed to get everything done that I did when I was working full time . . .  because my time seems to evaporate like water these days!  Anyways, I suppose what I am trying to say and saying very badly is . . .  I love baking special things at the weekend!

When Queen Elizabeth visited France this year for the D-Day Commemorations she experienced one of France’s most cherished and traditional cheeses. As her annual speech approaches on Christmas Day, why not follow suit and discover the delights of Comté for yourself?

Comté is handcrafted by artisans, using a method which has not changed for centuries. Thanks to its versatility, Comté pairs superbly with both red and white wine along with Champagne, making it a tasty choice for Christmas party nibbles. To make Comté even more festive why not pair it with orange zest, which perfectly complements its creamy undertones? What’s more, the intense flavours of Comté make it the perfect addition to your Christmas cheeseboard. Thanks to their aromas of butter and caramel, young Comté is especially complimented by chutneys, especially the sweet, rich flavours of fig chutney.

Comté’s full-spectrum of delicious flavours makes it ideal for numerous festive recipes, such as scallops with a Comté and hazelnut crust. The breadcrumb, hazelnut and Comté mix adds a deliciously festive twist to lightly fried scallops, making it the perfect Christmas Day aperitif. Or, when the festivities are over, why not add it to your Boxing Day platter, or combine it with leftover turkey in some delicious puff-pastry rolls? Warm, melted Comté and spice-infused Turkey breast is encased in a golden-brown pastry, which will keep your family full even after the decorations have been taken down.

Comté is available from all major supermarkets, as well as specialist farm shops and delis. To learn more about Comté, its complex range of flavours and ideal pairings please visit www.comtecheese.co.uk. You can also follow Comté on twitter @Comte_Cheese or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/ComteCheeseUK.  

I was recently sent some of this lovely cheese and challenged to come up with some recipes that you might find handy over the holidays!



This first recipe is for a lovely cheese dip/spread.  It's simple to make and would be perfect for an informal holiday get together.



This delicious cheese is simply cut into cubes and mixed with some fontina cheese and scattered into a baking dish along with some olive oil, garlic and some herbs.  It is then popped under the grill until the whole thing melts and amalgamates into a  rich and scrummy mixture which is excellent for dipping or spreading onto toasted slices of baguette.




Trim off and discard the rinds of your cheeses.  Cut the cheese into 1/2 inch dice.   Mix them together and then scatter them in a heavy cast iron shallow gratin dish or skillet.  Drizzle the olive oil over all.   Mix together the garlic, thyme, rosemary, black pepper and sea salt.  Sprinkle this mixture evenly over top of the cheese.   Place the pan beneath the grill and roast until the cheese melts, bubbles and begins to turn golden brown in spots.  Serve the melted cheese at the table along with your toasted baguette slices and a spoon so that people can dip in and spoon the dip out onto the bread.  Alternately you can just serve with torn chunks of baguette and people can dip the bread.



The next recipe is for a Gourmet Mac and Cheese that is the perfect do ahead that you can have waiting in the fridge, ready to pop into the oven when your company arrives and would also be the perfect casserole to serve along side of your leftover sliced ham and turkey on Boxing Day.   A few crusty rolls and some salad and your Boxing Day is sorted!



Its also very simple to make but has a gloriously rich holiday feel and flavour  which comes from the use of three different cheese, including that lovely almost caramel like richness of the comte cheese.

 

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Butter a shallow 1 litre baking dish.  Pour in the pasta and cheese sauce.   Mix together the remaining cheeses along with the Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over top  Sprinkle the crumbled crackers over top.  Bake in the heated oven for 30 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.  Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving. 




























Comté cheese is made in the Massif du Jura region of France and has been for over 1,000 years. Montbéliarde and French Simmental are the only cows allowed for the production of Comté milk. They must only be fed with natural feed and have at least 2.5 acres of grazing pasture.

Comté’s methods of production are still based on the original co-operative approach and artisan traditions. Each day it is lovingly crafted in around 160 small village fruitières. Often situated in the heart of the village, each fruitière continues to receive milk from dedicated dairy farms situated within an 8 mile radius to guarantee its absolute freshness. This radius also ensures all 160 remain active and the Massif du Jura region maintains its fruitière diversity.

Lovingly crafted every day, the freshly made cheese wheels are pre-ripened for a few weeks before moving to one of the 16 maturing cellars. Here the affineurs look after them for 4 to 18 months or more; regularly turning, salting and rubbing each one with brine solution. Over time a crust appears and every Comté wheel develops its unique smooth texture, rich colour and delicious range of flavours.

Before we know it, Bonfire Night will be upon us which means sparklers, fireworks and most importantly food!  Deliciously warming meals with an extra special kick of Very Lazy flavour are just what's needed on those chilly November nights to get your Bonfire Night off with a bang!

Very Lazy has put together some warming and hearty dishes to cook for the whole family and keep them happy while they enjoy the fireworks.  Try the classic Chilli Con Carne, which is sure to be a crowd pleaser or even a Roast Butternut Squash, guaranteed to keep the hungry bellies at bay on a cool autumn evening.




Heat a bit of oil in a large pan.  Fry the beef in this until browned, stirring frequently.  Stir in the jar of chilli con carne cooking concentrate and cook for two minutes.   Add the remaining ingredients.  Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.   Serve over hot rice.


Note - You can add some Very Lazy Red Chillies for extra heat if you dare!
























Tomato, cumin and chilli cooking concentrate. Simply add beef mince, tomatoes and kidney beans follow the recipe on the pack and you'll have a delicious home-cooked meal with minimum effort.  Available at Asda, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose and Morrisons.



























Forget peeling and grating, save time in the kitchen with Very Lazy Ginger. Once opened store in the fridge.  Available at Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco. 

For further recipe ideas please visit www.verylazy.com

I love October . . .  it is in October that my taste palate turns to the colour orange and I just want to eat my fill of winter squash and pumpkins, carrots and sweet potatoes.  I don't crave these things in July and August,  or even September  . . . but once the calendar page flips over to October, I can't seem to get enough of them and I start incorporating them into whatever I can.

 





 I received another tasty Degustabox at the end of September and have been enjoying it's contents in the ensuing weeks.  You can see evidence of that with these gorgeous Marmalade Muffins that I made with the La Vieja Fabrica Marmalade which I received in the box.

I was going through my old tin recipe boxes the other day  and found this recipe for a Chicken Pot Pie that someone had written down for me years and years ago but which I had never tried.  I think it may have been the little old lady that I boarded with when I first left home to go out to work, but I can't be sure.  I only know that it was tucked away in the old tin recipe box that she had given me when I left her boarding house to get married.

I saw a recipe very similar to this on the Pillsbury site the other day.   I was intrigued.   Who doesn't love pie?   Who doesn't love chocolate chip cookies?   Who would ADORE the two together?  Not me, that's who!   Chocolate Chip Cookie Stuffed Pies?  They sounded splendiferous!!

If you are like me, you always have a few recipes tucked away that you can execute at the drop of a hat should unexpected company drop in.  This is one of my favourite desserts that I can throw together very quickly and which I always have the things in the larder to make.

I was really pleased when I was recently asked if I would like to try out and review a new kitchen appliance, The Redmond Multicooker RMC - M4502E.    When it arrived I was very excited.   It was well packaged and has a beautiful sleek appearance, with lovely lines and curves.

Over all it is about the size of a breadmaker and has a nice handle which you can use to carry it around, kind of like a baby car seat, so very easy to handle.  

 


The non-stick bowl (by Daikin) that sits inside is attractive enough to bring to the table, in my opinon.  It has a 5 litre capacity.

 

Also included were a lovely steaming insert, as well as some utensils to use so that you don't scratch that lovely non-stick bowl when you are using it.



There is a deep frying basket and a measure to use as well.

In my opinion I feel that this machine would be good for people who have busy lives and are looking for a kitchen appliance that makes cooking a little bit simpler, but  without compromising on what they want to eat. I, myself, have a very tiny kitchen with very limited counterspace, and I have found over the past weeks that this cooker works very well in my limited space, as there is so very much that you can do with it.   It would be great for students as well, or for people who are caravan owners and are looking for a brilliant multi tasking appliance to take along with them in the caravan that doesn't take up a lot of space, but which serves multiple functions.  This machine can really help to make life easier for busy cooks. You simply put all of the ingredients in the cooker and let it get on with  the business of cooking, thereby freeing you up to get on with other chores.   Think of is as being similar to a slow cooker in some ways, but a slow cooker which does a multitude of tasks . . .  much, much more than merely slow cooking.

So what can it do exactly?  What can't it do???   Using cutting edge technology this machine has a total of 34 programs, 16 of them being automatic and 18 using manual control.  It's Multi-cook cooking temperature can be adjusted between 40*C and 160*C.  It has a brilliant LCD display, with 3D heating.   You can keep dishes warm in it for up to 24 hours.  It also has a "Reheat Function" (up to 24 hours), a "Time Delay Function" (again up to 24 hours with 2 timers) and a Non-volatile memory.

The "Keep Warm" Function automatically activates at the end of the cooking cycle, keeping your dish at the perfect serving temperature for up to 24 hours.

The "Time Delay" Function allows for programming the device to start cooking at a specific time.  Whether it be breakfast or dinner, your food can be waiting for you precisely on time!  (Very handy for Sundays when we spend half the day in church!)

It's great for cooking cereals, rice, soups, vegetables, stewing, deep frying, cooking pastas, making breads and cakes, and yes, you can even make yoghurts and cheeses in this machine.   It's pure  genius!



It also came with some very good and concise instruction manuals and some recipes which have come in very handy.

These past couple of weeks I have just been trialing it . . . using it to do simple things and testing and discovering exactly  what I can do with it.



One of the first things I chose to cook in it was this delicious Tomato Soup, the recipe of which was included in the recipe book which came with the machine.  I am basically just using their recipes to start off with until I get to really know the machine and feel confident in branching out to creating my own recipes.



*Tomato Soup*
By Redmond

500g of tomatoes
80g of bell peppers
80g of onions
70g of tomato puree
10g of ginger root
600ml of water
30 ml of olive oil
salt
spices (I added 1/2 tsp each of ,medium curry powder, ground cumin and mild chili powder, as well as a TBS of sugar to take away the acidity and  sharpness of the tomatoes)

Cut ginger and vegetables into 1/5 - 2cm cubes.  (I peeled the tomatoes by cutting an x in the bottom with a sharp knife and immersing them into boiling water for 60 seconds or so so that the peels would easily come off.)  Place all of the ingredients into the bowl and mix well.   Close the lid.   Select "SOUP."  Set the time of 40  minutes.   Cook until the program finishes.  Pour the soup into a separate container and blend until smooth.


I also have been cooking Oatmeal in it on these cooler autumn mornings.  The Toddster and I both love our morning oats.  This machine does it perfectly.



*Oatmeal*
by Redmond

150g of rolled oats
20g of butter
750ml of 2% milk
salt
sugar
(I have also added a handful of sultana raisins, some vanilla and a grating of nutmeg, plus I top with toasted pecans prior to serving for some added crunch)

Place all ingredients into teh bowl and mix well.   Close the lid.   Select "OATMEAL."  Set the time of 25 minutes.  Cook until the program finishes.   Stir well before serving.

Verdict.  Thus far I am enjoying the experience and convenience of this machine.  It's fairly easy to operate and I have had great results so far.  It's easy to clean and I am quite happy with it.  If you would like to know more check out their web page here.   Stay tuned as I plan on showing you some more of my experiences with it in the days to come.

The other day when I was iat the market picking up a few things, I noticed that they had some beautiful fresh cod at the fish mongers.   I so love fresh fish, especially when it's being sold just within hours of it being caught.   I decided right then and there that I was going to buy some for our tea that night.  I didn't dare tell Todd how much I paid for it.  He would have had a fit.  Let's just say that it cost me as much as it would have done to buy a nice beef roast . . .  so it was quite pricey, but sometimes you just have to treat yourself, don't you think?

Those of you who have been reading my blog for a number of years now might remember a few years back when I did a review of this food company called Gousto.  Gousto is a London based company which is devoted to ensuring that families enjoy quality food in the comfort of their own homes, even after a busy day.  They have a professional team of chef's creating delicious recipes weekly.  All the shopping and measuring has been done for you.  All you have to do is to pick what you want to eat, and order it . . .oh, and cook it, of course, but if you are like me that's the easy part!



They contacted me again several weeks back and wanted to know if I would be interested in doing another review for them.   They said that they had made some improvements since my first time reviewing them and they were keen to have me do another review.   They did not have to ask me twice.  I remember really enjoying my past experience with them.

First of all the packaging was slightly different.  The box was extremely well packaged, the contents being divided and separated so the herbs and vegetables didn't spoil by getting too cold by being too near the meat and poultry. The meat and poultry were packed in a special woolcool bag which kept them perfectly cold.  ( This bag is biodegradable and can be put in the compost bin when taken out of the plastic.)    95% of the packaging materials Gousto uses are recyclable. Cardboard boxes can be disposed of in your recycling bins.

The vegetables are and Soil Association certified organic and Gousto use meat and poultry from high quality animal welfare British farms.  They have also lowered their prices by 17% and now offer meals costing between  £5.00 to £7.00 per portion, which includes delivery.  When you are talking about high quality, farm ingredients, this is pretty economical and on average that is substantially better than most supermarkets.   Gousto have worked really hard on making improvements and have passed on any savings to their customers.



Included in my delivery was everything I needed to make three main course meals, two (two serving) ones and one (four serving) one . . . fresh organic produce and meats in perfect quantities for each recipe, plus essentials such as stock cubes, herbs, etc.  There are only a few things that you might need to come up with yourself at home . . .  things such as olive or vegetable oil, vinegar, milk, butter, salt, pepper, sugar and flour . . .  the rest all comes in the box.  Also included are step by step recipe cards, a folder to keep your recipes in and a letter telling you exactly when you need to enjoy your meal by so that you don't risk things going out of date.



The first recipe I made was the Moroccan Chicken & Lemony Couscous.  The directions were very easy to follow.   They had sent the wrong almonds, sending me ground almonds instead of whole, but thankfully I had whole almonds in the cupboard.   The lemon was a bit on the green side, which doesn't really affect the flavour of the lemon, but was not as asthetically pleasing as a pure yellow one.   Also the onion was not fresh, having begun to spoil a bit, but I just trimmed off the bad part and used the rest.  I was a little bit surprised by that as, knowing it was going out for review, they should really have made sure everything was as it should be.

 

The dish however was absolutely fabulously delicious.   We both enjoyed it very much!  I would make it again.




Add the ras el hanout to a pan on a medium heat and cook for 1 minutes, or until the aroma is released.   Add 1 to 2 TBS of olive oil, the onion, the chilli, garlic and salt to taste.  Cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion is caramelized, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't catch.   Meanwhile chop the chicken into strips.  Chop the apricots coarsely.  Add the chicken and apricots to the pan.  Dissolve the stock cube with 300ml (600ml) of boiling water and add to the pan.   Grate the zest of lemon and cut the lemon into quarters.   Add 2 (4) pieces of lemon to the pan.  Place a lid on and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.   Once the chiucken is done, squeeze out the pulp of the lemon over the sauce and discard the rind.


Add the lemon and couscous to a bowl.   Add 200ml(400ml) of boiling water to the bowl, cover well and set aside for 8 minutes.  Coarsely chop the almonds.  Fluff th ecouscous with a fork.   Serve the couscous on a plate with the chicken strips on top and the remaining lemon pieces   Drizzle with the sticky sauce and sprinkle with toasted almonds.  Enjoy.



The next recipe in the box was for a Lamb Moussaka with a side salad.   I have made moussaka many times myself and so I was really excited about trying their recipe.  It used potatoes, which I had never done when I had made my own.

 

Once again the instructions were very easy to follow.   All of the ingredients for this dish were fresh and present.  No mistakes there.   The finished dish was quite delicious.  I think I will add potatoes myself the next time I made moussaka.  The salad was a nice touch as well.   I liked the simple dressing of olive oil and yoghurt with some seasoning.  This was really good.



Meanwhile remove the ends of the lettuces and tear into bite sized pieces.  Transfer half of the yogurt into a bowl and mix with 1 TBS (2 TBS) of olive oil, season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.


Once everything is done, use half of the potato slices to line your oven proof dish.  Layer with half of the aubergine slices, followed by half of th e lamb mince and repeat until layering is complete.  Top with the remaing yogurt and season with black pepper to taste.  Put in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden.


Allow th moussaka to cool slightly before eating.  it will improve the flavour and stop you from burning your mouth.   Toss the dressing over the salad and work into the leaves.   Serve the moussaka with the salad.  Enjoy!























 The third recipe was for Stilton & Pork Steaks with Pears and Pecans.  I actually have not made that recipe yet.  I froze the pork and cheese so that I can do it another time when I have more time.  But it does look very good.  If you want to know more about that recipe you can check it out on the Gousto Blog.

I have to say that one of the great things about this service is that there isn't any waste.  Often in the ships it is impossible to get exact amounts of what you need to cook a dish, more often than not leaving you with an acess of ingredients which may or may not be used in time.   Everything in the Gousto box gets used in order to make each recipe. Even the spices are measured out so there's no mystery, guessing or waste involved.

Gousto have recently launched a new website, so you can now easily make choices on your mobile phone. You can rate your recipes too and they're launching a few dozen new  features over the next few months. Have a look at their menu - with 10 recipes to choose from each week there's something for pretty much every taste. There is also no comittment, so there is  no monthly cost involved . . .  just a whenever you fancy ordering a box to make life easier way of doing things.  This is a fantastic option for those of you who are keen cooks, but don't have the time to faff about.  With this service all the faffing is done for you.  You simply have to throw everything together and enjoy the end results.   

At the moment you can get meals for as little as £3.30 with the order of your first box.   Also I have a code which you can use (which is only valid for 30 days) at the checkout.  You can use the code friends25 and get £25 off of your first box. 

 

Find them on Facebook
Follow them on Twitter 
Check them out on Pinterest 
See what they're up to on Instagram
Their home page 

Many thanks to Gousto for sending me this box to use and enjoy.   The food was really tasty and I could not really find much fault with it, except for the two things I mentioned, which was really not all that bad in the scheme of things.  Although I was sent a box to use free of charge, any and all opinions are my own.