Wahhh . . . gas works are still ongoing here at Casa de Rayner, and so once again no cooking going on. Sigh . . . sad but true. We did have a tasty fry up at a cafe this morning . . . but other than that we've only eaten fruit and cereal today. I think it will be toast and jam for tea, but that's always good and something we both like. After the fry up, something simple and non-fattening is in order!

I thought it would be fun to do a round up of my top of the pop's main dish recipes. These are the dishes that I cook again and again. I can see that comfort food plays a very big part . . . hmmm . . . I wonder what that says about me??? Sometimes it's nice to do a review of things . . . I think so at any rate. ☺



Beer Battered Fish & Chips

What can I say. I've always been a big fan of Fish & Chips. I think they taste better in the North West as compared to the ones we used to get in the South, and you can't go to the seaside without having them. Preferably eaten on the pier, looking out to sea and doused in salt and malt vinegar. Of course, making them at home is best of all.



Cottage Pie with Potato Cobbles

Cottage Pie is a real favourite with my meat and potatoes loving husband and he especially loved this version I made using extra lean beef mince . . . lots of onions, leeks and tasty carrots, swede and peas, all in a rich gravy and topped with lovely potato cobbles and cheese.



Sticky Bangers with Buttermilk and Chive Mash

There is nothing tastier or more beautiful than a good Butcher's pork Banger . . . and when you combine them with a sticky fruity glaze and some rich buttermilk and chive mashed spuds you have something that is very special indeed!



Macaroni Shepherd's Pie

Double the pleasure and comfort with your favourite lamb and veg filling topped with luciously rich macaroni and cheese. What more could anyone want! Different, easy and oh so tasty!



Perfectly Cooked Roast Beef

We have some of the best beef in the world here in the UK, and with my foolproof way to cook it, you are guarenteed to have a delicious roast beef dinner every single time. Tasty, tender and succulent. I like a standing rib roast best of all, but this method will work with any roasting cut. I guarantee!



Simple Pot Roasted Chicken

A deliciously moist pot roasted chicken served with plenty of veg and a tasty au jus. Heartily approved by my "Mr Darcy!" It may not look like much but it is really tender and moist. We like it with roasted potatoes, sprouts and mashed carrots and parsnips. Who doesn't love a tasty roast chicken and this, in my humble opinion, is one of the very best recipes ever!



Cod Fish Cakes and Tartar Sauce

Moist fish cakes, crisp on the outside and with no fillers, flavoured with fresh tarragon and served with a delicious homemade horseradish tartar sauce. This is one of our all time favourites, and so much tastier than those frozen fish cakes you buy in the shops.



Lancashire Hot Pot

British Tradition at it's very best. This is the good, old fashioned, stodge which never fails to please. Simple flavours, beautifully put together. This is what the UK is all about.



Not Your Mama's Spag Bol

Spaghetti Bolognese is one of the UK's most beloved dishes and makes weekly appearances in a lot of homes over here. My husband hates pasta . . . he's very old fashioned in that way, having been brought up during the war. Pasta is foreign food to him and he really prefers traditional dishes. He does like this though . . . as long as I spoon it over mash. I think everyone over here has their own "secret" recipe for Spag Bol. This is mine. It's a cross between Spag Bol and Chili, and quite, quite delicious if I don't say so myself!!



Chicken Curry with Rice

You just can't beat a good curry and I do believe that curry has overtaken just about every dish as Britain's favourite dish, even Roast Beef. (Although I do have to say we do love our Roast Dinners with a passion!) I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to curry . . . preferring mine a bit on the milder side, but loving it all the same. Chicken or lamb . . . fish or vegetable. Curry is one of our favourites. This is a lovely low fat one with a beautiful addition of spinach for added colour, texture and flavour. (We like Green Thai Curry as well!




Pssstt!! We also love a really good Lamb Curry as well. This particular recipe is very good indeed.

I just noticed something is glaringly absent here . . . a Tasty Fish Pie. Time to remedy that. Look for one soon!!!

On Monday I'll post my round up of my top ten favourite British Puds! (Am hoping I have gas for the weekend!)



In The Cottage today, Tex Mex Taters . . . cooked in the microwave and with the aid of an electric skillet!

Well, here we are at the end of another year! I don't know how it happened. This year has just flown by with amazing speed! It's been a wonderful year though . . . with lots of good cooking and happy times shared with loved ones, friends and YOU!

Food shared with friends is the best food ever and I have really enjoyed sharing my culinary repasts with each of you over the past twelve months. I thought it would be a fun exercise today to go back over some of the most popular recipes posted in 2011, and so . . . without further adieu I bring you the deliciousness that was 2011!!

January . . .



One of my favourite posts in the month of January was the one where I did a proper English High Tea for the Toddster . . . just to break the monotony of a boring month! Oh we did have a very tasty repast with Finger Sandwiches, Jam Tarts, little Cake Fancies, Florentines and a glorious Victorian Sponge. It was great fun and something we both really enjoyed. I may do it again this year. It sure pepped up what is usually a pretty dull month!!

February . . .



Aside from the usual Valentines treats in February, I treated us to a delicious Lamb Stew with Feather Dumplings. We're both big stew nuts in this house, and this lamb stew was most delicious with it's rich gravy, tender lamb and those feather dumplings which are to die for! You can never go wrong with a delicious stew. It's my husband's favourite dish . . . next to a hearty meat pie that is!

March . . .



March brought with it the tease of spring on the horizon and with it some sunnier and brighter days. My favourite recipe that I made that month, hands down had to be the Apple and Blackberry Crumble Pavlova! Oh my but it was scrumdiddlyumptious and oh so pretty! Apple and Blackberries together, plus Crumble has to be one of my favourite combinations and to have them all together in a delicious Pavlova, well that was pure genius, if I don't say so myself!

April . . .



April brought with it some very mild temperatures and a fabulous Royal Wedding. I don't know who wasn't glued to the telly on the day that Prince William and Kate got married! It was a great day of celebration the world over and I think they are just the sweetest couple ever . . . and the sweetest recipe that month had to be The World's Best Gingerbread Cake with a Spiced Lemon Sauce. In fact I do believe that it is one of the most popular recipes on my site, getting the most hits on average. And to tell the truth, it is indeed very scrummy!! I am not in the habit of calling something the World's Best unless I actually think it is the world's best!!

May . . .



Spring had truly arrived and we were in the midst of busily planting the garden out and enjoying the warmer sunnier days. I do believe spring is one of my favourite seasons and we celebrated it deliciously with these scrummy Cranberry, Pecan and White Chocolate Flapjacks. Flapjacks are not something I had ever run across before moving over to the UK, but I have to say that I have totally embraced them with all of my heart. They are indeed such a wonderful treat, and these Cranberry, Pecan and White chocolate ones are the best!

June . . .



The warm days of June brought with it more light foods, salads and the like. We were enjoying harvesting young beans and peas from the garden. I created this deliciously delightful Summer Pea, New Potato and Pesto Tart which was one of my absolute favourites, because not only was it different, but it was beautiful to behold and oh so delicious as well!

July . . .



July brought a delightful trip down to Ipswich and Jimmy's Farm along with my friend Julie. What a fabulous couple of days we had together, touring the farm, meeting Jimmy, taking a lovely butcher class and eating some fab food. I was ever so impressed with his animal husbandry and farm and restaurant. It was just a wonderful experience altogether, and of course we all were able to bring home some fabulous meat. The Toddster is a real pork chop afficionado and he absolutely delighted in these wonderful Grilled Chops with a Hoisin Marinade and Glaze that I made with some of that lovely pork I brought back from the farm.

August . . .



We really didn't have much of a summer weather wise really. It was cold and wet and gloomy. I think we actually had our summer back in April . . . but shhhh . . . I'm not complaining. If it wasn't for the bad weather we'd never be able to truly appreciate the good! One of the favourite things I cooked in August had to be this Apple and Blackberry In and Out dessert that I got from Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's mom's cookery book, The Great Granny Cookbook. It's one of my favourite cookbooks, and for good reason . . . it's filled with a lot of fantastically tasty recipes! This was the perfect dessert in which to make good use of the early season apples and those blackberries which ripened early due to having had such an early spring!

September . . .



We were away to Cumbria on our holidays with Mitzie in September . . . a holiday which just happened to co-incide with Katrina the hurricanes visit to our beautiful Sceptred Isle. It was a holiday filled to overflowing with rain, wind, rain, wind and ever more rain and wind. We still managed to enjoy ourselves anyways, even if we did arrive back home here a few days earlier than planned. (There is only so much you can occupy yourself with in a cottage in the middle of nowhere when you have an antsy cocker spaniel with you and you have left your warm coat and boots back home!) In any case we did enjoy some fab food, which is always a plus. Something that I did cook that we really enjoyed back home though was this delicious Gratin of Chard, created with some fabulous Rainbow Swiss Chard I received in my bi-weekly Vegetable box at the end of the month. My but it was some good!

October . . .



October brought us lots of deliciousness with Blue Cheese and Cheddar Stovies and the like. My favourite recipe of the month though had to be the Apple Pie Roll Ups with Custard! It was so easy and soooooo delicious! I always welcome the cooler months and the heartier recipes that come with them, don't you? I like salads too . . . but I am a glutton for autumn and winter food!

Oh please, I must show you two . . . as these were real winners as well . . .



Baked Hot Dogs Cooked one week for some hungry missionaries who really enjoyed!!

November . . .



November was full of delicious things as well, not the least of which was this fabulous Chocolate Cola Cake. The Toddster is not a real fan of chocolate cakes, but I tortured him anways because I just adore Chocolate Cake and I had some cola that I needed to road test. Oh my but this has to be the creme de la creme of chocolate cakes. SOOOOO fabulous!

It wasn't all about cake and chocolate though . . .



This Pan Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagne also went down really well . . . ahem . . . rich, delicious and very, very addictive!

Which brings us to

December . . .



There was plenty of deliciousness in December too, with all of the holiday foods and treats, but I think the Rumpled Pizza Buns deserve an honorable mention . . . coz . . . one, I love Pizza . . . two, they were easy to make . . . and three, most important of all . . . THEY WERE DELICIOUS!

So that was 2011 . . . 372 recipes . . . each one delicious in it's own right. I do hope that you enjoyed the journey through the year right along with me. Here's to 2012 and even more deliciousness!!

Happy New Year one and all!



Over in The Cottage today, the Perfect Lemon Tart!

Colemans, the mustard people, recently launched an innovative Instant Gravy Paste range consisting of Beef, Chicken and Onion flavours. I was sent a few tubes to try out.

Colman’s Instant Gravy Paste comes in a new tube paste format which has been designed to be both quick and easy to use, allowing customers to make homemade gravy in an instant.

Having used Gravy Powders in the past it was an opportunity for me to try something new. The Toddster is a real gravy man and there is nothing he likes more with his spuds and meat pies than a tasty gravy.

We had some today with plain old Bangers and Mash, the Toddster's favourite meal and I have to say I was very impressed with the ease of use. I just squirted two teaspoons of the paste into a measuring jub and then added boiling water, which I vigourously whisked in using my trusty little whisk. There was no messy powder, or bits that clung in the corners of the jug, and within 30 seconds or so I had a delicious thick and glossy gravy that went very well with our dinner.



I say . . . move over Bisto, there's a new Kid in town and he's out to impress! Coleman's Instant Gravy Paste comes in three delicious flavours, Beef, Chicken and Onion. Beef and chicken are made with real meat juices, and the onion flavour uses real roasted onions.

Just perfect to serve with a multitude of dishes . . . here's a few suggestions to get your tastebuds tingling!



Roast Chicken Pie



Brussel Sprouts and Mushroom Ragout with Herby Dumplings



Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder



Roast Pork with Crispy Cracklin



Maybe a Pork and Roots Tray Bake with an Apple Relish.



Perfectly Cooked Roast Beef.



Mini Meatloaves and Mash.



Meatballs and Gravy



Sausage and Bacon Toad in the Hole



Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken



Pot Roasted Chicken



The Whole Christmas Feast (or even Thanksgiving!)

Hope this wets your whistle for some good eats and that you will give the Coleman's Gravy Paste a try. It is nice to make gravy from scratch of course, and nothing tastes better than homemade, but if you are looking for a delicious and quick, almost instant low fat and natural alternative, Coleman's Gravy Paste is just the ticket!

Many thanks to the people at Coleman's and Anya for having sent me some to try. (Psst! It also uses up next to no room in the kitchen cupboard, unlike those bulky jars and boxes. That's a real bonus for me and my tiddly kitchen!)



The new Coleman's Beef Gravy Paste Advert. Cute



And cooking in The Cottage today, a delicious French Canadian Tortiere.

This is a recipe that is as old as the hills. Necessity being the mother of invention and all. In the old days wash day took up a considerable time and effort on the lady of the household's part.



It could take hours and hours . . . with the water needing boiling in the copper . . . boiling and stirring the clothes . . . beating and rinsing . . . pushing them all through the mangle, etc. There was little time for much else on wash day . . .



Hence Wash Day Dinner . . . and there are probably as many versions of this as there are homes . . . and families.




Basically an oven bake which involved layering vegetables, grains and meats into a casserole dish, covering with a liquid of some sort and then baking until everything is tender and flavourful.



Essentially a hot pot . . . but without the lamb! And a tad bit fancier. It left a wife and mother's hands free to do all that she needed to do on the day without having to worry about tending to supper.



A few crusty rolls and dinner is complete. It may not be that pretty, but what it may be lacking in looks, this simple dish more than makes up for in flavour! (You could add a layer of thinly sliced cabbage too if you wish. Today I added a layer of sliced chard. Scrummy yummy and oh so colourful. You can also scale it up or down according to your need. It's delicious!)



*Wash Day Dinner*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Easy to make, painless and so delicious.

3 medium potatoes, thinly sliced (peel or not as you wish)
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced into rings
3 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 small handfuls of uncooked rice (or a rice,spelt and barley mix Nom Nom!)
2 mugs of frozen peas
1 pound of good quality pork sausages (you want a nice and spicy one)
1 tin of tomato soup
240ml of boiling water
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp summer savoury

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a deep casserole dish.

Layer the ingredients into the dish in the order given, beginning with potatoes and ending with sausages, and seasoning each layer lightly as you go. Whisk together the tomato soup, water and summer savoury and additional seasoning if desired. Pour this mixture over top of all. Cover and place into the oven. Bake for 2 hours, until all the vegetables are tender. If you like you can remove the lid for the last 15 minutes of cooking time to lightly brown the sausage.

Spoon out onto hot dinner plates to serve.



Over in The Cottage today, some delicious Oatmeal Raisin Cookies!