Plum Fudge Puddings.  Delicious little puddings that you can make with grocery shop plums. 

*Saucy Chicken Pasta*
Serves 4  

Printable Recipe

This delicious chicken dish uses all the elements of Chicken Piccata except there is none of the fuss or bother, just the lovely flavours. The recipe calls for fettuccine noodles, but I always use malfalda. Todd just doesn't care for long slippery noodles at all and copes with shorter fatter ones much better. Whichever pasta you choose to use, make sure you choose one that will capture all of the delicious sauce! Oh, and don't forget some tasty bread to mop up the extras!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 TBS olive oil
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (more or less to taste)
1 TBS butter
2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup white wine
the zest of 1 lemon
the juice of 1/2 lemon
2 TBS capers, rinsed and drained
1 TBS cornflour, dissolved in 2 TBS water
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 TBS chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound pasta, cooked al dente and then drained

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once it begins to shimmer, add the chicken pieces and brown them all over until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm.

Add the butter to the skillet and then brown the mushrooms until golden. Add the garlic, reduce the heat somewhat and then cook for several minutes until golden and fragrant, without allowing it to brown.

Put your water to cook your pasta on and bring it to a boil, adding a tsp of salt to the water. Add the pasta and cook it while you are finishing up your sauce.

Add the wine to the skillet, and let it bubble up. Allow it to reduce for a few minutes and then add the chicken broth, lemon zest, lemon juice and capers. Bring to a quick simmer and allow to cook for about 5 minutes until it has reduced somewhat. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Stir the cornstarch water mixture and then stir it into the sauce, stirring until it thickens and coats the spoon. Add the chicken and simmer for five minutes or so until your pasta is finished cooking.

Drain your pasta well and rinse, then divide it onto heated plates. Spoon the chicken sauce evenly over each plate. Sprinkle each serving with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and some of the chopped parsley. Serve.



*Rocky Road Brownies*
Makes 16 (depending on how big you cut them and how greedy you are!)
Printable Recipe

These lovely bars are every body's favourite. Rich, fudgy, gooey and very moist, I've never had anyone turn one down! Another one from my Big Blue Binder . . .

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup butter (4 ounces)
2 cups caster sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
TOPPING:
3 TBS butter
8 ounces pure chocolate chips
1/4 cup pure chocolate chips
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans or walnuts

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Butter a 9 inch square baking pan, line it with parchment paper (to ease in removal and cutting), and butter the paper. Set aside.

Put the chopped chocolate and 1/2 cup of butter into a medium sized saucepan and set over a burner on very low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until melted and thoroughly amalgamated. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing in thoroughly each time. Blend in the vanilla. Whisk together the flour and salt and then blend it into the chocolate mixture, blending only until no white streaks remain. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until dry on top but still moist. A toothpick inserted in the centre should come out with moist crumbs clinging to it's surface. Cool the brownies in the pan for about 10 minutes.

While the brownies are cooling melt the butter and the 8 ounces of chocolate chips for the topping together over low heat in a small saucepan. Whisk together until smooth and keep warm.

Mix together the remaining chocolate chips, marshmallows and chopped nuts. Sprinkle them evenly over top of the brownies. Return them to the oven and bake for an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle the melted chocolate mixture evenly over top. Set aside to cool completely on top of a wire rack before removing from the pan and cutting into squares or rectangles. Enjoy!!



*The Great British Fry Up*
(the angst free way)
Serves 1
Printable Recipe

Feel free to multiply the quantities and directions according to however many people you are wanting to serve. Pop your plates into a warm oven while you cook everything up and be prepared to serve immediately with big mugs of milky tea, coffee or hot chocolate. Pick your own poison!

Per person allow:
2 sausages (buy the best you can buy. Cheap sausages are just plain nasty and full of fillers and fat. This is one instance you DO get what you pay for. I prefer Cumberland chipolatas myself)
2 to 3 rashers of back bacon
a hand full of mushrooms, sliced
1 to 2 ripe tomatoes
1 large free range organic egg (another instance of getting what you pay for. If you are going to be eating an egg like this, it better be a good one that tastes the way a proper egg should taste)
1 slice of bread
1 small tin of baked beans
Olive Oil and a bit of butter
Cooked hash brown potatoes or potato waffles

Heat a large heavy skillet over low heat and brush it very sparingly with a light coating of olive oil. Open the tin of beans and pour into a small saucepan. Put over low heat and heat while you are cooking your breakfast, giving them a stir once in a while to help keep them from sticking.

For the sausages:
Using a sausage with a high meat content, add the sausages to the pan and allow to cook slowly, for about 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden. Remove and keep warm on a plate in the oven while you cook the rest of the breakfast.

For the Bacon:
I always buy dry cure bacon for the best flavour. It has less water in it and cooks up really nicely. You can choose smoked or non-smoked as you wish. You may also use streaky bacon, back bacon is my personal preference. Snip a few small cuts into the fatty edge of the bacon. Place straight into the pan and fry for 2 to 4 minutes on each side, or until your preferred crispness is reached. Remove to the warm plate in the oven and old there while you continue cooking your breakfast.

For the Mushrooms:
Increase the heat to medium high and add a small knob of butter to the hot pan. Once it begins to foam, tip in the sliced mushrooms. Let them cook, without disturbing them, for several minutes before giving them a stir. Avoid moving them around too much while cooking as this makes them rather soggy. Once they are as browned as you like, remove them to the hot plate in the oven as well.

For the Tomatoes:
Cut the tomatoes across the centre if using regular tomatoes, or in half length ways if using plum tomatoes. Cut the "eye" out of the top with a small paring knife. Season with salt and pepper and place cut side down into the pan drippings, adding a bit more butter if need be. Cook , undisturbed for about 2 minutes over medium heat. Gently turn over and continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until tender but still holding their shape. Remove and place in the oven with everything else.

For the Fried Bread:
For the best fried bread it is highly recommended to cook it in a separate pan. Stale bread works best. Just plain old store bought white bread. Heat a skillet to medium heat and cover the base of the pan with oil. Once it is hot, add the bread and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until it is crispy and golden brown. If the pan starts to become dry you can add a bit more oil. I always like to add a small knob of butter to the pan just after I turn the slice to add a richer flavour. Delicious! Again, keep this warm in the oven with the rest of the breakfast while you fry your egg.

How to fry a perfect Egg:
I always start off with a clean pan for the egg. Heat the pan over medium heat. Add a good knob of butter and allow it to heat until it is foaming. Crack a fresh egg into a bowl and then slip it into the foaming butter. Don't be in a rush to cook it. Cook it over medium heat, basting it with some of the hot butter from time to time, until it is cooked to your preferred stage of doneness. If you prefer it over easy, flip it carefully once the whites are completely set and then remove it from the pan immediately. I prefer it sunny side up with crispy brown edges.

If you must do Black Pudding:
Cut the black pudding into 3 to 4 slices. Remove the skin. Place in the heated skillet and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side until slightly crisped.

Hash brown potatoes:
We like hash brown potatoes with ours. You can make your own from scratch of course, but you can buy some really good frozen ones nowadays as well as potato waffles, which some people like also. I cook these before I even start the breakfast and just keep them warm in the oven while I cook the rest of the breakfast.Once all the elements of your breakfast are cooked,place it all on warmed plates and serve along with lashings of tomato ketchup or brown sauce!



 Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

I got this recipe from my sister a long time ago, and yes, it too comes from my big blue binder. I'm not sure where she got it from, but I am sure it's delicious! Whenever I make it, I picture her in my mind . . . standing at her stove and stirring it up the very first time she showed me how to make it. I guess that's what makes the recipes in my blue binder all the more special . . . each one has a particular memory attached, a person, a feeling . . .

8 ounces of uncooked macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
2 eggs, beaten
6 ounces evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed)
If you want to make it lower in fat, use the low fat version
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon sea salt, rubbed between your fingers
freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon mustard powder
10 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (I use a combination of mature cheddar and leicester cheese)

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook your macaroni in this until just al dente, according to the package directions. Drain well, then return to the pot. Add the butter and toss the macaroni well in it to coat. In a large beaker, whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and mustard. Stir into the hot pasta, and add the cheese. Turn the heat to low, and continue to stir and cook until cheese is melted and mixture is creamy. Serve.