Showing posts sorted by date for query bread pudding. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query bread pudding. Sort by relevance Show all posts
We had a lovely lunch at our friend's Tina and Tony on Thursday. Tina is an excellent cook, and also used to cook for a living like I did. I love going there for lunch. Aside from the wonderful food, I know we are going to enjoy some great companionship with two people we really love to spend time with.
Our meal was really lovely (no surprise)! We feasted on Beef Pot Roast, roasted potatoes, carrots, string beans and cauliflower cheese. It was all very tasty. (It always is!)
She actually had two desserts. One was a slimming world friendly Jelly Dessert with fruit, and the other was this fabulous Vanilla Sauced Bread Pudding!
She very graciously shared the recipe with me so that I could share it with you and here it is. Twenty four hours later I was making it for Todd, that's how good it was and how much we enjoyed it! High accolades indeed!
I just happened to have a stale French stick that needed using up, so it all seemed to be meant to be. I have a box of diet food arriving today, that I will be trialing a new Diet Plan all next week, so I wanted to get any desserts out of the way and out of the house before then!
This really is a fabulous pudding and very simple to make. Its basically just bread, milk, butter, sugar and eggs, with some vanilla and nutmeg for seasoning.
Here's a handy tip if you are like me and grate your own fresh nutmeg. I always end up with little bits from the ends of the nutmegs, which I have always been afraid to grate on my micro plane. I don't relish the idea of grated knuckles or finger tips.
What I do now is to save up a bunch of the ends until I have a few and then I grind them in my Cook House Coffee/Spice grinder. It works a charm! No waste and perfectly ground nutmeg!
Basically you soak the bread and raisins in milk and butter until it softens and then beat in eggs, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg, pour it into a buttered baking dish and bake.
If you are not fond of raisins you could use chocolate chips, or vanilla chips, or dried cherries or cranberries . . . . chopped dried apricots, figs or dates . . . any dried fruit or even mix of dried fruits in the same quantities would work well!
Once the pudding is baked you make a simple vanilla caramel sauce, which goes together in a flash on top of the stove.
I like to pour just a little bit of this on top of the hot pudding when it comes out of the oven . . . it glazes it very nicely.
After that it is ready to be spooned out into bowls . . . with some more of the sauce on the side . . .
ready to pour over each serving . . . mmm . . . .
This is so, so, soooooo good . . .
The pudding is a but crisp on the outsides, but soft and unctuously moreish on the insides . . . studded with sticky raisins . . .
This is wonderful just as is with just more of the sauce spooned over top . . . or with some pouring cream or warm custard . . . the North American in me would enjoy this with cold vanilla ice cream! The glutton in me would enjoy it with anything, or even nothing at all! 😉
Yield: 8
Vanilla Sauced Bread Pudding
prep time: 15 minscook time: 45 minstotal time: 60 mins
This delicious bread pudding was served at my friend Tina's the other day. She was gracious enough to share the recipe with us. Serve on it's own with more of the sauce poured over top, along with cream, warm custard or even vanilla ice cream if you wish!
ingredients:
240g stale white bread, cut into cubes (4 cups, or 8 thick slices)
75g raisins (1/2 cup)
480ml whole milk (2 cups)
60g butter (1/4 cup)
95g sugar (1/2 cup)
2 large free range eggs, beaten lightly
1 TBS vanilla
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
For the sauce:
120g butter (1/2 cup)
95g sugar (1/2 cup)
100g soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup, packed)
120ml heavy cream (1/2 cup whipping cream)
1 TBS vanilla
To serve: (optional)
pouring cream, warm custard sauce, or vanilla ice creaminstructions:
Put the milk for the pudding in the microwave along with the
butter. Heat just to melt the butter. Put the cubed bread into a large
bowl along with the raisins. Pour the milk/butter mixture over top,
pressing down to submerge completely. Let stand for 10 minutes.
butter. Heat just to melt the butter. Put the cubed bread into a large
bowl along with the raisins. Pour the milk/butter mixture over top,
pressing down to submerge completely. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Preheat
the oven to 180*c/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a large shallow casserole
dish. (1 1/2 litre/1 1/2 Qt) Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla into the
bread mixture along with the nutmeg. Pour into the prepared baking
dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes until just set in
the centre.
the oven to 180*c/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a large shallow casserole
dish. (1 1/2 litre/1 1/2 Qt) Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla into the
bread mixture along with the nutmeg. Pour into the prepared baking
dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes until just set in
the centre.
Measure the butter, both sugars
and cream into a saucepan. Cover over medium heat, stirring
occasionally, until the mixture comes to the boil and thickens. Remove
from the heat and whisk in the vanilla.
and cream into a saucepan. Cover over medium heat, stirring
occasionally, until the mixture comes to the boil and thickens. Remove
from the heat and whisk in the vanilla.
Spoon a
bit of the sauce over the pudding to cover. Serve warm, spooned into
dessert dishes with the extra sauce on the side to pour over top. Pass
cream or custard if desired, or serve with some vanilla ice cream.
bit of the sauce over the pudding to cover. Serve warm, spooned into
dessert dishes with the extra sauce on the side to pour over top. Pass
cream or custard if desired, or serve with some vanilla ice cream.
Created using The Recipes Generator
I know . . . most bloggers out there are posting diet dishes now, helping you to shed the pounds after all of the holiday excess. I am not one to follow trends. You won't find veganuary on here or any other gimick. I won't pretend to be what I am not. I also don't do New Year's resolutions, but am looking forward to trying this new Diet Plan next week. Thankfully I will still be able to cook for Todd! Happy weekend and Bon Appetit!
Having prepared two fairly large roast dinners over Christmas, I found myself with a fair amount of leftover cooked vegetables. Recipes like this are a doddle, and a great way of using up some of that excess!
I had leftover roast potatoes, leftover cooked carrots, cooked Brussels Sprouts, cooked swede/rutabaga and cooked sweet potatoes. I also had a few leftover rolls and some Yorkshire puddings, plus a variety of meat. We had ham on one day and beef on the next.
One of the great things about meals like this is that you can tailor them to however many people you are wanting to feed.
I plan on 1 small onion, peeled and chopped, one small Yorkshire pudding or 1/2 dinner roll and 1 cup of vegetables per person.
I melt a knob of butter in a heavy skillet. A knob of butter is butter about the size of a whole walnut, or a heaped TBS.
Once that is melted and is foaming hot, I drop in the chopped onion and the dinner roll which I have cubed. I just stir them around until the bread starts to crisp up and the onion is beginning to soften.
That's when I throw in the rest of the vegetables that I have prepared. I will cut the potato (s) into cubes, along with the parsnips, the carrots can be left the size they were when you cooked them, or if very large, also cubed.
I quartered the sprouts . . . mmmm . . . sprouts fried in butter, you can't go wrong!
A smattering of seasoning to taste . . . take it easy on the salt, and add as much pepper as you like. We like pepper, so probably use a fair bit of that.
I also like to add some herbs. Dried thyme, marjoram . . . sage, rosemary . . . they are all favourites, and go very well in things like this. You don't need a lot, just a touch . . .
You just cook and stir it all in the pan with the butter, onion and bread . . . until the veg starts to gild a bit . . . crisp in spots here and there . . .
You want it well heated through . . . but you don't want it over-cooked. I like to maintain a bit of the crispy crunch of the sprouts and carrots . . . it is a matter of taste I suppose!
I had leftover ham, which I just sliced and cooked in a bit of butter on the side . . . until golden edged. I also had some mashed swede that I heated up. Altogether this was deliciously satisfying!
Yield: varies
Post Christmas Hash
prep time: 10 minscook time: 20 minstotal time: 30 mins
Something tasty to do with your leftover holiday veg! Quantities vary according to how many people you are feeding. I even use up leftover dinner rolls or Yorkshire puddings in this.
ingredients:
For each person you are feeding:
1 leftover dinner roll, sliced, buttered and cubed
(alternately you can use a leftover Yorkshire pudding, cubed)
1 large mug full of leftover cooked vegetables, cubed or quartered
(I used roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots, roast parsnips
and a bit of mashed swede/rutabaga)
You will also need:
1 knob butter
small to medium onion, peeled and chopped
salt and black pepper to taste
a sprinkling each of thyme, marjoram and sage
instructions:
Melt the knob of butter in a large heavy skillet.
Add the onion and the dinner roll (if using.) Cook, stirring
occasionally, until the onion has softened and the bread has crisped
up. Add the remaining vegetables. Sprinkle with seasoning, and herbs.
Cook, stirring occasionally until well heated through and crisped on the
edges. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Serve hot.
Add the onion and the dinner roll (if using.) Cook, stirring
occasionally, until the onion has softened and the bread has crisped
up. Add the remaining vegetables. Sprinkle with seasoning, and herbs.
Cook, stirring occasionally until well heated through and crisped on the
edges. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Serve hot.
I think meals made with leftovers are my favourite kinds of meals. I am the Queen of using up leftovers! I took these photos with my new camera. Its a Canon. My very first Canon. The jury is still out at the moment on this. Bon Appetit!
One of the things I really like doing as a food blogger is being afforded the opportunity to enjoy food in new places and venues. Restaurant Reviews don't happen really often, but when they do, I am always really happy to do try something new!
I was recently contacted and asked if I would like to enjoy a meal at the new Comptoir Libanais which had recently opened up in Cheshire Oaks, which is a huge shopping complex not too far from where I live. I was offered a meal for two on the house. The Comptoir Libanais dining experience promises to bring the delicious flavours of Lebanon and the
Middle East to the the British customer. With a myriad of bright colours
and flavours the food reflects the stunning interiors of all the
restaurants.
Founded by Tony, Kitous, there are a number of Comptoir Libanais restaurants now open in the UK, each one offering a fabulous Lebanese dining experience. It has always been Tony's desire “to create a place for everyone to eat and drink in humble
and friendly surroundings that is affordable for all”, so to see the Comptoir family expand in
England's North West brings much joy to Tony and the team. Comptoir has a strong
presence in the North with restaurants in Leeds and Manchester and Cheshire was the
natural next location.
I brought my friend Tina along with me to enjoy the experience and from the moment we entered the restaurant we were struck by the authentic feel of it, the bright colours, the delicious smells and fabulous atmosphere. It felt just as if we had stumbled onto a wonderful Souk somewhere in the Middle East, with a vibrancy in colour and a truly down home feeling. The colours were a treat for the eyes and everyone was quite friendly and helpful. At first there was some confusion as they weren't expecting us, and didn't appear to know anything about it, but that was quickly sorted by the very capable and friendly staff which showed us to a nice window side table where we could view the whole restaurant from. I loved the colour and feel of the furnishings. Brightly coloured and patterned vinyl seating, and red painted wooden chairs, mixed with a red striped bench seats vie for your attention along with beautiful mosaic tile patterned floors and fabulous pendulum lighting. I found myself wanting some of those light fixtures for my own home. The walls were lined with pictures of famous people wearing colourful Fez's and beautiful handbags which were for sale, silver tea pots, also for sale.
It felt so authentic and real. We both knew instantly that we were in for a real treat. I think about the only thing that was missing was some music. I think a bit of Middle Eastern music playing in the background would be nice, but this is such a busy and happening place and filled with a mosaic of people's, speaking different languages etc. We felt comfortable and at home. Tina remarked that she felt as if she had been dropped into the middle of a lovely Eastern Bazaar. I felt the same.
The menu is made of recipes which Middle Eastern and Lebanese mothers use at home including Tony’s mother. Comptoir is a place that serves food all day from breakfast until dinner. It is a restaurant where everyone can eat casually and the food is served with warm and friendly hospitality, just like back home in the Middle-East and North Africa. Breakfast is an important meal in the Arab culture, the menu includes dishes such as Shakshuka - a classic dish made up of slow cooked tomatoes, red onions and peppers mixed with parsley, coriander and garlic. Topped with a fried egg and crumbled feta and served with pita. Alternatively , Man’ousha flat bread or full Lebanese breakfast.
The all day menu includes a huge variety of different dishes from a large selection of hot and cold mezze which are ideal for a quick snack or to share with friends and family. All the usual dips, salads and dishes are also available, from Baba Ghanuj to Marinated Jawaneh - Chargrilled marinated chicken wings with garlic, lemon & pomegranate molasses. Warm Lebanese wraps (served with a Comptoir salad and pickles) are especially popular, as are the Marinated Grills and Tagines.
No Lebanese meal is complete without something sweet there is a selection of Baklawa and Lebanese desserts, which are delicate, fragrant and delicious, such as Dark Chocolate Orange and Cardamom Cake. Refreshing homemade lemonades such as Romana - orange blossom water and pomegranate lemonade and Rosa - rose, lemon and lime lemonade, as well as Fresh Rose Mint Tea , served in a silver teapot are the perfect accompaniments to the meal as well as freshly squeezed juices, cocktails and a selection of Lebanese wines and beers, specially imported from the Bekaa Valley.
We were really spoilt for choice. They offer a variety of drinks for their customers. Hot drinks such as teas, coffees, chocolates (both European and Middle Eastern choices) along with a variety of wines, beers, spirits, cocktails and cold drinks. We don't drink alcohol, tea or coffee, but were keen to try some authentic Home-made Lebanese Lemonades.
Tina chose for herself a Toufaha, which is an Apple, Mint and Ginger lemonade. (regular £2.95)
For myself I ordered a Roza, which was Lemon and Lime, with Rose Syrup. (Regular £2.95) Oh boy, but both drinks were amazing! We tasted each other's (of course!) and I loved both flavours. The Toufaha was spicier than the Roza, but both were deliciously pleasant and served with plenty of ice and a lovely paper straw! (Yay!)
There is a huge selection of Mezze, both hot and cold, available, along with a variety of Dips, Soups, and Salads. The people next to us were having a Mezze platter for two and it looked fantastic. You can also get a Mezze Platter for one. We knew we wouldn't have room for that, along with a main and dessert.
We didn't want to overly fill up before our main course, so we ordered two separate Mezze to share. All were moderately priced, ranging from £2.95 for a selection of pickles to £6.25 for the Lamb Kibbeh.
Lamb Kibbeh (3 pieces) (£6.25) - Minced lamb cracker wheat parcels, filled with lamb, pine nuts and onion, served with a mint yogurt sauce.
Cheese Samboussek (£5.50) - Pastry parcels filled with Halloumi & Feta cheese, topped with sesame seeds, served with mint yogurt sauce.
I think our favourite of the two was the Cheese Samboussek, but both were delicious. The Lamb was nicely spiced, and not greasy in the least, with a crisp crust and flavourful filling. I love Kibbeh, and this was very good, not too spicy, but well flavoured.
The Cheese Samboussek, had lots of filling and we both fell in love with it. Tina wanted to show you the insides. Both dishes came with a delicious creamy dip and pickles. I wasn't sure what the pickles were, but we both enjoyed them. There was a type of hot pepper, and a crisp green stick with we think was cucumber, but my favourite were the pink ones, which you can't see here because I had already eaten it. It was so good. I saw jars of them for sale, so when we go back (and we will because we want to bring our husbands with us) I am going to buy some for here at home. Seriously tasty! Both Mezze were a nice size and not overly filling, which was a plus for me as I don't want to already be full before my main course arrives. A good Mezze should whet the appetite for what is to come and these did just that!
They are a variety of warm Wraps on the menu ( Falafel Lamb Kofta, Chicken Taouk, Halloumi & Olive) all served with a Comptoir salad and pickles. You can also get a Wrap platter. There are four different kinds of Large Salads, with vegetarian and vegan options. There are also Grill options and Fattets, several favourites, and Tagines along with a variety of sides available.
For our main, we again chose two different options which we planned on sharing. They didn't bat an eyelid when we asked for two separate plates. Let me tell you, it was really difficult to choose only two things. I could easily have eaten everything on the menu. It all sounded very appealing!
One choice was the Chicken Moussakhan (£11.95) - Roasted marinated half baby chicken in pomegranate molasses, walnuts, and sumac onion confit, served with Comptoir salad & Vermicelli Basmati Rice.
THIS WAS GORGEOUS!
The portion was very generous, the chicken was well flavoured and tender. Delicious with a crisp skin. I normally take the skin off my chicken, but I ate the skin, I couldn't help myself. The salad was nice and well prepared with a lovely dressing. (I have had some pretty manky salads in restaurants over here) This salad passed my salad test. I also really enjoyed the rice. I love Vermicelli rice. This had a faint flavour of chicken stock. All told, we were both very pleased with this option.
For our other option we ordered the Lamb & Prune Tagine (£12.50) - Tender pieces of lamb with prunes, butternut squash, roasted almonds and sesame seeds. We chose couscous as the go with.
This was also delicious, with plenty of prunes, lamb, squash and a nice thick gravy. It was nicely spiced with a really fruity flavour, which went very well with the sweetness of the lamb. The lamb was so tender it fell apart.
A variety of sides are also available on the menu . . . rice, couscous, olives, quinoa, Batata Harra (Lebanese spiced fries), Hommos, and a selection of pickles.
There are plenty of options for dessert and the sweet tooth! Dark Chocolate & Red Rose Berries Cake sounded good. So did the Orange and Almond Cake, the Mango and Vanilla Cheese Cake and the Chocolate Brownie. There are also Baklawa and ice cream or frozen yogurt. We wanted something really authentic and light so we chose the Orange Blossom Mouhalabia and a selection of Baklawa.
Orange Blossom Mouhalabia £5.45 - a traditional Lebanese milk pudding with date, fig, apricot, prune and sultana compote.
Can you say TO DIE FOR! This is what we wrote down . . . Smooth, silky, light and satisfying . . . this was a clear favourite. We had no problem polishing it off and the compote went beautifully with it. It almost tasted faintly like Turkish delight. We are so in love with this, that I am now looking for a recipe to make it at home. We want it for our Christmas lunch dessert!
The Baklawa (£4.95) was amazing also. I love, LOVE Baklawa. It is like one of my favourite things on earth. There was a very generous serving of six pieces. It was all delicious. You can also buy the Baklawa in the "Souk" along with a multitude of other goodies.
With an ample Breakfast Menu, a Children's Menu, as well as a Takeaway Menu, there something here for everyone, and every occasion.
We were very happy with our meal. It was well prepared, delicious and the servings quite ample. The service was excellent. The atmosphere was excellent. All-told this was a very positive experience for both of us. Lunch for two, with drinks, excluding tip, came to about £50.00. All in all we gave this dining experience a perfect 10 out of 10! It is a very family friendly restaurant as well. The couples sitting next to us had small children with them. I loved the colour and the vibe of the place. There is also an upstairs. Washrooms are available, both regular on the upper floor, and a Handicapped accessible on the main floor. Very clean.
We will return for sure.
Many thanks to Comptoir Libanais, Cheshire Oaks for this really enjoyable dining experience!
Special notes -
Tony started his entrepreneurial flair from a young age selling lemonades and sandwiches outside his home on the street in Algeria. This drive inspired him to come to London with very little and grow the restaurant business that he has today. The authentic journey of flavours from the regions where Tony spent his childhood and where he still regularly travels now, continuing to source ingredients and decorations that will enhance the intoxicating eating experience of the Middle East.
The food is available to eat in the restaurant or to take home back to the office or to your home. Takeaway food is part and parcel of Middle Eastern culture and so Comptoir Libanais s proud to offer this service to guests at the Cheshire Oaks restaurant. Not only this, but the team will soon be launching an exclusive delivery service with Deliveroo . Comptoir Libanais will, therefore, provide the perfect option for eating at home or for picking up on the way back from work.
The restaurant also offers a large dedicated children’s menu with an activity pack and colouring in section to keep the little ones entertained. Priced at £5.95 it includes a main course, drink and dessert and includes favourites such as Halloumi Halloumi platter with falafel and hommos and Chicken wings with hommos and Lebanese fries.
About Comptoir Libanais
There are 23 restaurants across London and around the country, including Manchester, Bath, Leeds, Reading, Birmingham, Oxford and Exeter. Comptoir Libanais also has a branch in Holland and is in the process of expanding further internationally, with restaurants in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Founded in 2008 by Tony Kitous, the name means Lebanese Counter, as it is a place where everyone can eat casually and enjoy Middle Eastern food, served with warm and friendly hospitality, just like back home.
www.comptoirlibanais.co.uk
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