1. Place the vegetables, herbs (bouquet garni), seasonings and stock into a saucepan.
2. Bring to the boil. Cover and simmer on low for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
3. Remove the bouquet garni.
4. Blend the cream and egg yolk together and whisk into the soup, heating thoroughly. Do NOT boil.
5. Adjust seasoning as required.
6. Ladle into hot soup bowls to serve, garnished with a bit of chopped fresh parsley.
3 sticks of celery, wiped, trimmed and finely diced
Cooking Times:
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
1. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.2. Heat the oil or dripping in a frying pan and lightly brown the vegetables in it. Scoop out and place into an oven proof dish. Season the chops on both sides and brown them in the remaining fat, then place them on top of the vegetables in the oven proof dish. Bring the stock to the boil and then pour it over all. Cover tightly and then place into the oven. Braise for 30 minutes, or until the chops are tender.3. Scoop the chops out and allow them to cool. Remove any bone and cut into chunks.
4. Blitz any stock in the dish with a stick blender until smooth. Set aside and keep warm.5. Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until fork tender. Drain well and mash with the butter. Season to taste.
6. Use half of the potato to line a buttered 2 pint (2 cup) pie dish. Press well to the side and base.
7. Place the lamb over top of the potato.
8. Top with the remaining potato, roughing up the top a bit with a fork. Brush with a little milk, and dot with butter if desired.9. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.
10. Just before serving, makie a hole in the top of the pie and pour in some of the gravy. Serve the remainder separately in a gravy boat. Serve with some steamed carrots and peas.
Ingredients:
oil or drippings1 carrots, peeled and chopped1 onion, peeled and chopped1 stick of celery, trimmed and chopped8 lamb chops, wiped and trimmed1 pint of rich brown stock or gravy (2 cups)3 pounds of potatoes, peeled and quartereda walnut sized knob of buttersalt and black peppera little milk and butter (optional)To serve: peas and carrots
Serves 4 people
Cooking Times:
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
(Click here for a Printable Recipe)
Frozen fruit baked into a buttermilk batter, served up warm, with a simple custard flavoured with Irish Cream. Not only is this simple to make, but also very quick. You can have everything ready to mix together ahead of time and just do the final mixing at the last minute so that it can bake while you are enjoying your main course. Everyone really enjoyed this. It does make roughly twice what you will need to feed four people, but leftovers are never a problem around here and I think you will find it to be so delicious that they won't be a problem around there either!
1. Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.
2. Butter a 9 inch round cake tin really well and set aside. Alternately, spray with cake release spray.
3. Beat the butter and 100g (1/2 cup) of sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and the vanilla.
4. Sift together the flour, soda and baking powder. Add to the wet ingredients and mix just to combine.
5. Gradually whisk in the buttermilk. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin.
6. Arrange the frozen fruit evenly over top of the batter. Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar.
7. Bake for 30 minutes until lightly golden brown and cooked through.
8. While the cobbler is baking make the custard. Gently heat the custard through and whisk in the Irish Cream Liqueur. Keep warm.
9. Allow the cobbler to stand for 10 minutes before spooning out into heated serving bowls, along with some of the warm custard.
Ingredients:
65g of unsalted butter, slightly softened (1/4 cup)
100g plus 1 TBS for sprinking of Caster Sugar (1/2 cup, plus 1 TBS)
1 large free range egg
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
140g of plain flour (1 cup)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
125ml of buttermilk (1/2 cup)
1 bag (480g) frozen mixed berries, unthawed (12 ounces)
For the Custard:
1 large tub of ready made custard from the chiller cabinet
2 TBS Irish Cream Liqueur
Serves 8
Cooking times:
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
(For a Printable Recipe click here.)
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!
~An Old Irish Blessing
I wish for each of you a very Happy Saint Patrick's Day. May it be filled with some love, laughter, good food and good friends.
I've been experimenting here and there, trying to come up with lower fat and sugar versions of some of our favourite treats, thinking that Todd could benefit from them as well, even though he doesn't have to watch his sugar intake, he does have to watch his cholesterol.
One of the best things about being a food blogger is getting to review cookery books from time to time and I was recently sent a really nice one entitled My Family Kitchen, favourite recipes from four generations . . .
Sophie Thompson is a much celebrated, award-winning actress and the winner of Celebrity MasterChef, 2014. My Family Kitchen combines four generations of favourite family recipes, from Granny Annie's Orange and Ginger Chicken to Mum's Spare Ribs.
Beginning with it's introduction and Larder essentials, there are a further seven chapters and a full index, all accompanied with gorgeous photographs.
Soups Starters and Morsels, containing such delicious recipes as Emma London's Onion Soup with Blue Cheese Toasts, Portobello Mushrooms with Cheese and Pine Nuts, Corn Cheese and Chilli Bread, Richard's Guacamole and Ma's Deviled Cheese, plus a whole lot more.
Fish From the Briney Deep . . . with curries and Salmon and Dill Fishcakes, Salmon Steaks with Scotch Whisky and Brown Shrimp Sauce, Anu and Seve's Quick Fish Curry, and others . . .
Chick, Chick, Chick, Chick, Chicken . . . with delicious entrees such as Orange and Ginger Chicken, Speedy Super Paella, Saucy BBQ Chicken, and a killer Garlic, Coconut and Chicken Korma to name but a few.
Lambs, Beefs, Pigs and Game brings some old familiars such as Slow Roast Sunday Lamb, a Fabulous Meat Loaf and a very interesting Lamb and Beetroot Curry, and that's only the tip of this meaty iceberg!
Vegetable Things . . . Melanzane (A delicious dish with aubergines, cheese and tomatoes), a fabulous looking Wild Mushroom and Pea Risotto, Martha and Dan's Napoli Peppers, Herby Boulangere Potatoes, Clapshot, etc.
Who's 4 Pud? ME ME ME!! and who can blame me when there are such offerings as State Skool Mess, Passion Pots, Malteser Chocolate Pots, Megsies Whim Whams, and Uncle James's Bavarian Orange Pie . . .
Cakes, Biscuits and Bites . . . James's Epic Walnut Slice, Anne's Irish Brack Bread, Toffee Apple Cake, HOney Hazelnut cake, Birchover Bakewell Tart, Granny Megsie's Millionaire Shortbread, Ern's Cinnamon Toast, Megsie's Dates . . . . and a lotta lotta more delights, such as this delicous Lemony Almond and Polenta Cake which I am showing you here today.
Coz the proof of any pudding is in the eating and I would never talk about a cookerybook without trying the recipes out.
I love lemon cakes . . . and this intrigued me . . . it's flourless, being only composed of polenta (fine cornmeal) and ground almonds, eggs, lemons, butter, sugar . . .
Baked and then topped with a sweet sticky lemon glaze which seeps into the warm cake . . .
With lashings of toasted almonds thrown on top . . . they stick to the glaze . . . I like to dust these types of cakes with icing sugar to show off the toppings . . .
Simple to make, well instructed . . . moreishly lemony unctuously buttery delish! What more could you want?
About the Author:
Sophie Thompson was the winner of Celebrity Masterchef 2014. Born in London and trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, she is an Olivier Award-winning actress and has landed roles across film, television, theatre and radio. Her film work includes Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Gosford Park, Emma, Persuasion and Four Weddings and a Funeral. Her theatre credits include Guys and Dolls and her television roles have included The Detectorists and Eastenders, for which she won the Inside Soap Best Bitch Award.
My Family Kitchen, by Sophie Thompson
Published by Faber & FAber
ISBN 978-0-571-32417-0
Hard back, full colour, 216 pages, full index
£22.00 UK
The book is also available on Amazon.uk for a lower price than the RRP.
I've never made it any secret that I hate to waste anything . . . cooked veg, cooked rice or pasta, cereal, stale bread. I often use my stale bread to make bread crumbs (which I freeze) or bread pudding . . . but if I am feeling especially indulgent, I use my stale bread to make this delicious Cheesy Garlic Bread.
I am so excited today to be able to tell you about the most fabulous adventure I had just two weeks ago today. It was something I had been looking forward to for a couple of months now! In my role as a food blogger, I am often invited to attend special events. I don't always accept these invitations . . . more often than not they are held too far away from where I live, (which requires too many train changes and a lengthy travel time) or they are held in the evening and being too far away (which requires a hotel stay, etc.) or they are not interested in covering the cost of my travel. All no no's in my book. As I also have Osteo Arthritis, I usually want Todd to come with me when I travel nowadays as well. The Mornflake Seed to Bowl Event ticked all the boxes for me. It wasn't being held too far away, so travel would be easy. It was at the right time of day . . . and more importantly they didn't mind Todd coming with me at all . . . and they were more than happy to cover the cost of our travel both to and from the event. I am always keenly interested in learning all of the aspects concerning the growth, provenance and production of the foods which we like to eat. Seed to Bowl . . . an event put on by the people at Mornflake . . . promised to take us from the initial growth of the oats all the way to the way it gets processed and fit for consumption. A trip to the Mornflake Mill in Crewe was just the ticket!
There are an abundance of fabulous baking products available to us these days. The mind boggles at the variety. I wanted to show you today a few recipes which highlight the new Surprise Inside Cupcake Centers from Dr Oetker. They come in three flavours . . . Salted Caramel, Dark Chocolate and Zingy Lemon. Yum yum! Hang onto your hats because there is about to be a lot of deliciousness coming your way this morning!
I was searching through the archives here the other day and I couldn't believe that I had never done a British Fry Up. That is what they call a big breakfast over here in the UK.
A fry up, and it is what will be offered you for breakfast at any B&B in the country. It may vary slightly from area to area, but the basics are pretty simple . . .
It will consist of one or two British Bangers. In a good place they will use quality sausages, but most restaurants (unless quality) will use cheap and nasty ones. Blah.
Here at home I use only a quality banger. It will also include a couple of rashers (slices) of good quality dry cure smoked or unsmoked British Back Bacon. Both will have been grilled to perfection.
Along with a large free range (in the better places) egg done to your desire (scrambled, poached, or fried). Also grilled fresh tomatoes.
I have seen some places just heat tinned tomatoes, but I like to use fresh tomatoes myself. There will also be fried mushrooms. (Some places will serve tinned, again blah!)
What really surprised me when I first had a big breakfast over here was the addition of baked beans. Back home we would never have thought about having baked beans with eggs.
At least not in my experience, but it works quite well. I enjoy them. I use tinned Heinz, Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce. It seems to be the British preference.
You can also choose to have black pudding if you wish. (We never wish) Toast will often be offered, sometimes at an additional cost, which I just don't understand because to me toast is a must, but to each their own.
You can also get fried bread, which is a heart attack waiting to happen, no matter how good it tastes . . . just thinking about it makes my arteries start to ache.
It's pretty tasty, but you can imagine how much fat a slice of bread being deep fried would absorb!
And thats the Great British Fry Up!
Heat the grill of your oven to moderate. Place the sausage onto a grill pan. Grill the sausage beneath the grill for 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Add the bacon slices for the last 5 minutes, turning them once they are golden on one side. Remove and keep warm.
Place your cut tomato under the grill, bottom sides up. Grill for about 3 minutes, flip over and season with some salt and pepper. Grill for about 3 minutes longer. Remove and keep warm.
Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet until hot. Add the mushroom slices and cook until golden, giving them a stir once or twice. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and keep warm.
Place the beans in a small saucepan and heat gently.
Crack the egg open into a small bowl and slide it into the hot fat in the pan. (You may need to add a bit more oil.) Cook over medium heat until the white is completely set and the egg is beginning to turn golden at the edges. Remove to a warm plate and keep warm. (If you are wanting over easy, then flip it carefully, cook for about 30 seconds and then remove to a warm plate.)
If you are having black pudding, fry it now in the residual fat in the skillet, until crisp on both sides.
Toast your bread and butter it lightly, cut into half diagonally.
Plate
up the sausage, bacon, tomato, egg, mushrooms and beans. Serve with
the toast and black pudding ( if eating.)
I recently received a lovely little package from debbie & andrew's, makers of quality Pork Sausages. They sent me a delicious package of their new Caramelized Red Onion and Pork Sausage and that is what I used here in my fry up, and they WERE very delicious, trust me on this. Also included were the cutest little herb planter that is a pair of red wellies and a little sausage cookbook.
We really did like these sausages. They are wheat, gluten and dairy free. I wasn't sure how I would feel about that, but I was really surprised at how very good they were. They were DELICIOUS! I would and will buy these!
Their sausages come in a variety of flavours including . . . . Harrogate 97%, Perfect Pork, Perfect Cumberland, and of course the Caramelized Red Onion and Pork. debbie & andrews multi-award winning sausages are available in Tesco, Sainsbury and Asda, with the new Caramelized Red Onion Pork Sausages being available in Asda from mid April.
Everything which goes into a debbie & andrew's sausage is prepared from scratch, nothing is brought in pre-cooked and no short cuts are taken. It starts with the pork, using only the cuts that are best for making a really juicy sausage, selected from British farms that meet good welfare standards.
With the Caramelized Red Onion ones, the red onions are pan fried to perfectly ensure that they are caramelized for a really deep flavour, adding muscovado sugar to bring out the natural sticky sweetness as the onion reduces. To really get the taste buds tingling, Balsamic vinegar is also added towards the end of the process, making the onions darker and even more delicious. Altogether this makes for one very delicious sausage indeed.
Many thanks to Debbie and Andrew for sending me this lovely pack. Although I did receive a package of sausages for free, I was not required to write a positive review. Any and all opinions are my own.
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