It was a little cool today and so Todd wanted me to make him some soup for lunch. I didn't do anything special, just opened a couple of tins of Bean and Bacon Soup. He loves that kind.

I wanted to tell you about this fabulously fascinating cookbook that I received recently.  More than just a cookbook, it's also a gardening book.   The One-Pot Gourmet Gardener , Delicious container recipes to grow together and cook together authored by Cinead McTernan lifts cooking into the realms of actually growing what you eat, and even further into the realms of container gardening with the idea in mind that you would actually grow all of the produce/herbs/etc in one pot pertaining to a specific recipe.


GROW ME - COOK ME - EAT ME:
You can grow all the ingredients you need for a single dish in a single pot.  In all there are 25 carefully devised container recipes grouped into Soups and Salads, Main Courses, Picnic food, Quick Suppers and Drinks and Puddings., Smoothies, Sauces and Tarts.

Each one-pot recipe provides every step from sowing to serving.   There's an introductory masterclass on how to grow crops in pots, giving you the confidence and skills to devise your own one-pot recipes.



There are six chapters in the book . . .  with tips on how to use the book and getting started,  picnic dishes that you could eat al fresco and on the road, soups and salads, quick suppers, accompaniements such as salsa's and pickles and of course tasty drinks! This book covers a wide variety of subjects . . .



There are fabulous tips on getting started, how to plant, when to plant, what to plant, etc.   Even the novice gardener would find it quite easy to do.    This would be the perfect book to use in order to inspire your children to eat healthier or different foods.   What child doesn't want to eat what they grow themselves.   Imagine planting a pot with all of the fresh ingredients to make Gazpacho Soup with the children, and then watching them grow together as you baby and help the plants along, right on up to being able to harvest what you have grown to make the soup!    It's a fabulous concept.

 

The photography is beautifully executed by photographer Jason Ingram.  There are lots of photographs to help you every step of the way from preparing the soil, to planting, to the correct time for  harvesting.   It's all there, every inch of the way.

This is the ideal book for people with small gardens or balconies, who have the desire to grow their own food but are lacking in space as the ingredients for each recipe can be simply grown in a container.

I love the concept and I love the book.  I have a container planted,  to make my own Salsa Verde, but . . .  these things take time and so I won't be able to show you my results until a bit later in the year, but I am really excited about what I am going to end up with!

Cinead McTernan is a horticulturally trained writer and  the gardening editor of The Simple Things magazine. (She was previously editor of The Edible Garden magazine and worked on The English Garden and BBC Gardeners’ World magazines.) 

Available in hardback and priced at £16.99 One-Pot Gourmet Gardener is published by Frances Lincoln

ISBN 978-0-7112-3590-8
Frances Lincoln Limited Publishers
UK £16.99
US $26.99
Canada $28.99

Each one-pot recipe provides every step from sowing to serving.   And after being guided throuh an introductory masterclass on how to grow crops in pots, readers will have the confidece and skills to devise their own one-pot recipes!

  Reader Offer Discount:
To order One-Pot Gourmet Gardener at the discounted price of £12.99 including p&p* (RRP: £16.99), telephone 01903 828503 or email mailorders@lbsltd.co.uk and quote the offer code APG311
*UK ONLY - Please add £2.50 if ordering from overseas.

Many thanks to Frances Lincoln for sending me this copy for review.   All opinions are my own.

I am always up for chicken. Its not something I ever get tired of. I could eat it every night of the week. I'm not fussy about which part I eat either . . . I love the thighs, I love the breasts, I love the wings. I adore roasted chicken, fried, baked, simmered . . . I just love chicken in any way shape or form!

With it being a Bank Holiday over here in the UK and of course Memorial Day over in America, people will be firing up their grills today and treating themselves to a barbeque . . .  at least if the weather co-operates.   Here in the UK a Bank Holiday usually signals the rain clouds to roll in, but sometimes we get lucky! I have my fingers crossed!

What do you bake when it's not quite the fruity season, but you are craving something fruity???  When you are wanting something almost cake-like . . .  but are feeling too lazy to go through all of the faff that is involved in baking a decent cake???

I normally like to pull out the stops at the weekend and cook us something special for breakfast.  Normally during the week we have only toast and/or cereal, saving anything larger for Saturday or Sunday.   This is a bank Holiday here in the UK this weekend and so I decided that I would make us some French Toast for our Saturday breakfast . . . and not just any French Toast . . .  but  . . . Cinnamon French Toast Batons.

One thing my Todd has always wanted to do is to go to a diner to eat. You know . . . just like the ones on the telly that you see in all those American movies.

All chrome and formica . . . and juke boxes, waitresses named Sally, and a coffee cup that has no bottom.

Club sandwiches, gravy fries and mile high pies.





I thought I would try to recreate a Diner meal for him here at home tonight, but in as low fat as possible. One of my favourites back home use to be the Hot Hamburger Sandwich Platter.



A big oval platter, loaded up with hot fries, a huge hamburger pattie on a toasted bun, with oodles of gravy slathered over top and a small bucket of coleslaw on the side. Washed down with an ice cold soda pop. It can't be beat!



It might not be much to look at, but what it lacks in looks, it more than makes up for in flavour. I used extra lean ground steak, which I flavoured with onion powder, garlic, seasoning salt and black pepper . . . lots of onion and garlic. I then divided the meat into four equal shapes and then flattened them as thin as I could into a huge flat irregular sized burgers, so they had lots of little nooks and crannies on the edges.


Because they were really thin, they cooked in quick time and all the moisture stayed inside the burger, so they were moist as well as flavourful, with a nice sear on the outside. The chips . . . why oven baked of course, and cut so thin that they also turned out nicely browned with crisp golden edges.



You can make your own pan gravy if you wish. (I tell you how) or you can just open a tin of beef gravy. Me, I opted for Bisto, coz there is not much fat in it., and it's as easy as boiling the kettle.



Even the coleslaw, my own homemade, was low in fat . . . as I used a fat free mayo and low fat creme fraiche. The only thing I didn't do was to put on a short dress and ask him to "kiss ma grits!" (I also didn't ask for a tip!) Oh, and there was no pie . . . sigh . . .




*Hot Hamburger Platter Dinner*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe 



It's diner food for the UK! A delicious well flavoured hot hamburger patty on a toasted bun half, topped with gravy and served with crispy fries and coleslaw!



1 pound extra lean minced steak
1 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS onion powder
1 tsp seasoned salt
5 TBS flour
1 litre of beef broth
4 large baking potatoes
oil
seasonings for the fries (I like the smoked paprika, sweet red pepper and thyme mix from M&S)
salt and black pepper
Toasted Bun halves
Coleslaw, your own or purchased (See my recipe below)



Preheat the oven to 225*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Have ready a large baking sheet.


Wash the potatoes and dry well. Cut into thin chips. Toss them onto the baking sheet. Pour about 1 TBS of oil over top along with some of your chosen seasoning and some salt and black pepper. Toss together with your hands. Place into the heated oven and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.



Mix together the minced steak, garlic, onion powder, seasoned salt and a bit of salt and lots of black pepper to taste. (You can pinch off a little bit and fry it in a pan to see if you have the seasoning correct if you wish.) Shape into large flat irregular shaped patties.



Place a large skillet over mediium high heat. Add a bit of oil and fry the patties until well browned on both sides and cooked through. Remove and keep warm. Reserve any drippings in the pan. There probably won't be much. You will need about 4 TBS. You can add some butter to the pan drippings to make this up. Once the fat is melted and hot, stir in the flour, whisking it in well. Slowly whisk in the broth a bit at a time, whisking until the gravy thickens. Simmer for several minutes then taste and adjust seasoning as required.



Divide the fries between 4 heated plates. Place a toasted bun half on each and top with a burger. Spoon over some of the gravy, making sure it covers the burger and some of the chips. Serve with coleslaw on the side. Enjoy!


This isn't the greatest photograph, but it is a coleslaw recipe that I use often.  This is how my mom always made it.



*Creamy Coleslaw*
Serves 8 to 10
Printable Recipe



A delciously cream coleslaw that has just the right amount of crunch and flavour!  There is no sogginess here!!



10 ounces of white cabbage, trimmed, cored and very thinly cut
(about 1/2 of a medium cabbage)
5 ounces of carrots, peeled, trimmed and julienned
(1 medium carrot)
4 inches of an English Cucumber, trimmed, seeded and cut into small dice
(Do not peel)
2 - 3 large dessertspoons of good quality mayonnaise
1 TBS of Dijon mustard
2 TBS white wine vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
1/2 tsp celery salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp onion powder



Place the vegetables into a large bowl.  Whisk together the mustard, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, sugar, celery salt, black pepper and onion powder.  Mix well.  Pour over the vegetables and toss to coat.  Cover and chill for at least one hour before serving.


Note - the amount of mayonnaise you use depends on the cabbage, some cabbages take more mayonnaise than others.  It also depends on how creamy you like your coleslaw!  

Prior to moving over here to the UK, I have to admit I had a very limited palate.   I was a good cook, everyone said so, and people enjoyed coming to our home for meals, but I wasn't very adventurous when it came to trying new things.  I grew up on plastic cheese with a father who only let my mother season things with salt and pepper  . . .  using any herb or spice at all was to me quite adventurous.  I did simple, plain food, but I did it well.

Are you ready for another delicious one pan chicken meal?   I know I am.   We do eat a lot of chicken in this house, but that is totally because it is economical, adaptable and delicious.   

It never gets really boring.  I would love to eat more beef or lamb, but in all honesty, it's not within my budget except for on very rare occasions these days.

You are going to love this casserole.  Truly.  It is simple and easy to do.

This simple recipe also uses things I am betting you have in your kitchen right now!

 

 

Cooked chicken.   You can use leftovers from your Sunday Roast, or quite simply poach some boneless skinless chicken breasts.  

I picked up a pack locally, for less than a fiver . . .  which had four really large and meaty pieces of chicken in it.  I poached them in some lightly salted water.

 

Just bring it to the boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes and then I let it cool down in the water until I can just handle it by hand.  End result.

   

Perfectly moist and tender chicken breast meat.   I used two, shredded,  for this recipe . . . and I have two more chilling in the refrigerator for another recipe another day.

Two baking potatoes sliced thinly, along with some frozen peas, a delicious cream sauce and some crispy salad onions (like Durkee's French Fried Onions.) 

And that's all you need. Truly.

 





Put together in just the right way, you end up with a truly delicious casserole that will have everyone scrambling for just a tiny bit more. 

 

The recipe serves 6, but I just know people will want seconds to plan on using it for four.  I do hope you will make it and that you will enjoy it as much as we do.

Crispy, buttery potatoes, layered just right with moist chicken and a deliciously creamy sauce and peas.   What more could you want?   

A nice chopped salad on the side and some crusty bread perhaps.   Enjoy!

 

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN AND GARLIC POTATOES CASSEROLE

You will find a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Bake in the heated oven for one hour. Increase the temperature to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.   Remove the foil and then bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes longer until the potatoes are golden brown and tender.

I hope that you will agree that this is a most delicious casserole.  A great use of leftovers and a wonderful meal to make on any day for any occasion. 

Simple ingredients done well and put together in the most delicious way. That's my promise to you!

 

This really is delicious. I hope you will want to make it and that you enjoy it as much as we do!

Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again! 

I had the fortune to have some bananas go very ripe the other day which gave me the opportunity to bake something delicious.   I only ever rarely am able to do that as the Toddster eats up the bananas almost faster than I can bring them into the house!  He does love his bananas!

I can hear you thinking . . .  Spam and Beans?   What is that girl doing now!  And I fed it to company no less, as one of a pair of casseroles.   It was delicious.   Absolutely delicious!  One of my guests was a real Spam lover as well, so that was win/win for me.   Delicious and popular!

I always have a bowl of lemons sitting on the counter. They look so pretty there and they smell delicious. They also come in very handy . . . for cakes and bakes . . . hot drinks . . . savoury dishes . . . cold drinks . . .

We had guests for lunch the other day and I baked these delicious Rhubarb and Strawberry Slices to have for dessert.   We had them along with some sliced strawberries and cream.   They went down a real treat!  And I am not surprised for they are truly delicious!  These are S P R I N G personified!

It's not quite salad weather yet, but it won't be long.  When the temperatures rise and the sun shines I love to make this delicious creamy dressing which we both really enjoy.  You can use low fat ingredients if you wish, which reduces the calorie count by about half.  (low fat mayo, sour cream and cheese)

 

The 10th to the 16th of May is British Sandwich Week here in the UK. We Brits do love our sandwiches!  I don't think there is a shop here in the UK that you can't buy some kind of ready made sandwich in, even if it's only a Bacon or a Sausage Bap.   Sandwiches are the lunch of choice for millions and I think it's really great that we devote a whole week each year to celebrating that fact of deliciousness!