(The kitchen in my doll house)

Moving onto the second part of my collection of  recipes which you should know by heart.  I know that a lot of us already know these things off by heart and indeed have our own ways of doing most things, but the beginning cook might not know these things and I felt this could be an invaluable resource for them.  

Whilst may of us older guys and gals probably learned these things from our mum's and grandmum's  . . .  the art of cooking from scratch seems to be disappearing these days.   People do rely a lot on convenience foods.  Heck you can even buy frozen mashed potatoes today, which is surely a lot better tasting than dried potato flakes . . .  but when mashed potatoes are so easy to make . . .  why not make your own.   

I know . . . for the working mum, frozen might be more convenient and I can't say that I blame them for using them . . .  but if you are so inclined and have the time to want to do things from scratch, these are the recipes you should know by heart.  You can find Part one  here.



There is nothing nicer on a plate then a perfect pile of soft, creamy and fluffy mashed potatoes. They go so well with many dishes and are the perfect holder to cradle lashings of delicious gravy.

They are not as hard to make as some people would suppose. Simple and straightforward, as long as you follow a few simple rules.

• use the proper potato. You want a floury type of potato, that is to say one that breaks down well once cooked. You do not want a waxy type of potato, or one that holds it's shape well when cooked. Some great examples of floury potatoes are Maris Piper, Estima, King Edward or Desiree (In North America use a Russet, Idaho or baking potato)
• Do not make the mistake of not cooking the potatoes long enough. Better to err on the side of overcooking than undercooking. You cannot mash a hard lump no matter how hard you try!
• Never add cold butter or milk to cooked potatoes. Always use room temperature or melted butter and gently warmed milk or cream
• Add any liquid to the cooked potatoes slowly. Some days you may need more, some days you may need less. How much can only be determined by adding it slowly.  

 

*Perfect Mashed Potatoes*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

Simple and perfect!

2 pounds of large floury potatoes (In the UK a Maris Piper is ideal, in North America
I would use a russet or idaho)
4 ounces unsalted butter (1/2 cup, or one stick)
4 fluid ounces of single cream or full fat milk (1/2 cup) gently warmed
fine seasalt, freshly ground pepper and freshly grated nutmeg

Peel and quarter the potatoes then place the potatoes into a pot of lightly salted water to cover.  Bring to the boil and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until fork tender.  Drain well in a colander and then return them to the hot pot.  Cover with the lid and give them a good shake, which will help to break them up.  Add the butter and warmed cream or milk, adding the latter a little at a time, whilst mashing the potatoes, only adding as much as is needed to give you the correct consistency.  Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.  The potatoes should be light, fluffy, creamy and  ready to eat.

Note - I often use my electric handwhisk to mash the potatoes.  This helps to insure a smooth mixture without lumps.  I also have a potato ricer, which does a fabulous lump free job. 

Cream Sauce, or  Bechamel (which is the French name for basically the same thing) is the most basic of sauces and the basis for many other sauces such as  cheese sauce, mornay sauce, lemon sauce etc.   Once you have mastered a good cream sauce you are free to explore the many other options available.  I often make it and add cooked baby peas to it and serve it ladled over cooked fish.   It's the basis for macaroni and cheese, and many other delicious dishes, and very easy to make.  These are the quantities for one cup of sauce, to make more just multiply the ingedients.  I normally would not more than double it.

Mornay Sauce - Add 2 TBS of grated Parmesan Cheese and 2 TBS of grated Swiss cheese during the last two minutes of cooking.  Stur until blended.  Just before removing from the heat, beat 2 TBS of the sauce into 1 lightly beaten egg yolk.  Stir the yolk/sauce mixture back into the sauce and add 2 TBS butter.    Continue to cook, stirring, for one minute longer.



There is nothing nicer than a nice plate of warm biscuits,  North American Style (similar to scones) resh from the oven and just waiting for you to spread them with a pat of cold butter and a drizzle of honey.   

These are one of the most basic of the quick breads and I have never known anyone to turn a well made biscuit down.   The important thing to remember about biscuits is to use a light touch with them.   Over working them toughens them.   

Pat them out gently and cut them out with a sharp cutter, using a very sharp quick straight up and down motion and your biscuits will always be perfect!




*Baking Powder Biscuits*
Makes 16
Printable Recipe


Golden brown and crusty outside, meltingly tender inside.

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1 TBS sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2/3 cup of  milk


Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 6.  Grease two 8 inch cake tins. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar together in a bowl.  Drop in the shortening and cut it into the flour mixture with two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add the milk all at once and stur just until the dough forms a ball around the fork.  Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead about 14 times.  Pat out to 1/2 inch thickness.  Stamp out rounds with a 2 inch biscuit cutter, giving it a sharp tap straight down and up again.  Do not twist.  Place touching each other in the cake pans and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

If you like biscuits with crusty edges all around, place them 1 inch apart on a baking sheet to bake instead.

Blueberry pancakes - Add a handful of fresh berries to the batter.



There is no more welcome or finer dessert cake than the traditional sponge cake, or Victoria Sponge as it is lovingly called over here in the UK.  It needs no more adornment than a dusting over the top with some confectioner's/Icing sugar and a filling of butter cream and jam.  Using equal amounts of butter, sugar, eggs and flour, it is the simplest of cakes, and yet also the tastiest.

 


*Traditional Victoria Sandwich Cake*
 Makes one 7 inch cake
Printable Recipe  


Popular during the reign of Queen Victoria, this cake remains popular to this day, which is a huge testament to it's taste and ease of baking!  Don't be tempted to use all butter.  This is one recipe that is better for the use of a mixture of butter and margarine.

3 ounces of butter, softened (6 TBS)
3 ounces soft margarine (6 TBS)
6 ounces caster sugar (1 cup)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs, beaten
6 ounces self raising flour (a scant 1 1/2 cups)

To finish:
3 TBS raspberry jam
buttercream to fill (optional)
icing sugar or caster sugar to dust the top


Butter and base line two 7 inch sandwich tins.  Set aside.  Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.

Cream the butter, margarine, sugar and vanilla together until light in colour and fluffy.  Gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition.  If the mixture begins to curdle, add a spoonful of the flour.

Fold in the flour with a metal spoon, taking care to use a cutting motion so as not to knock out too much of the air that you have beaten into the batter.  Divide the batter evenly between the two cake tins, leveling off the surface.  Make a slight dip in the centre of each.

Bake on a centre rack of the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the sponges have risen well, are golden brown, and spring back when lightly touched.  Allow to cool in the pan for five minutes before running a knife carefully around the edges and turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, place one layer on a cake plate. Spread with raspberry jam and buttercream (if using).  Place the other cake on top, pressing down lightly.  Dust with icing or caster sugar and serve.


I will be back tomorrow with a new and fresh recipe.  I hope you have enjoyed these tried and true recipes and that you have found them useful.  It's a start at any rate!

I can still remember the first time I tasted French Onion Soup.  It was 1974 and I was attending Acadia University with my then husband.  We had a friend named Geoff and he had a girlfriend named Julia who was from Quebec City and who loved to cook.  She had a fancy dinner party one night for the four of us,  and the first course she served was French Onion Soup.  I couldn't tell you what anything else was that she served, but the French Onion Soup bowled me over completely.  (No pun intended!)

Don't think I'm getting all hoity toity on you now . . .  this really is just a glorified open faced tuna sarnie!   But Tartine sounds very special doesn't it?  Okay so maybe it is a bit hoity toity . . .  but sometimes it's okay to expand your horizons a tad.  That's my story anyways and yes, I'm sticking to it!

One thing I have always been fond of is tinned salmon and tuna, not so much other tinned fishes myself, but the Toddster really loves Sardines and Mackerel.   I was really pleased recently to receive a fabulous Bumper Pack  from the people at John West containing a lovely variety of their newest products.  I used some of them to make these lovely Salmon Melt Sliders,  the recipe of which I will share with you today, but first  . . . a little  bit about what was in this truly fab hamper!

John West offer a range of succulent fish products soaked in different flavours including tuna, salmon, mackerel, sardines and crab amongst others. We’re also excited to introduce our season and stir; tender chunks of fish with a flavour to add taste to your dish as well as our brand new steam pots. These are the perfect lunchtime snack for work or home.

I think most of the schools here in the UK are back in session today, with possibly a very few exceptions.  They went back to school in Scotland last week.   The summer seems to have passed by very quickly.  It seems it no sooner started and it is now ending . . .  sigh . . .

 



One of the most popular series on British Television over these last few years has to be the Great British Bake Off. Running over a number of weeks, it takes a group of ordinary baking enthusiasts through a series of baking challenge.  It is the ultimate Bake Off Battle.  Each week the bakers tackle a different baking skill, which become progressively more difficult as the competition unfolds.  As the shows go on, bakers are eliminated with one finalist being crowned the winner at the very end.   It is compelling viewing to say the least, especially if you like baking!  (And who doesn't!)

 

I have to admit, that of all the sandwiches out there, and all the sandwiches I have eaten in my lifetime, my favourite has to be the good old fashioned Cheese Toastie, or Grilled Cheese as it is also called.  Over here they call sandwiches sarnies in some places.  Or Baps . . . 

Bap. Sarnie.  Toastie.   Sandwich.  Truth be told no matter what they are called this carb loving heart of mine just adores them whatever they be called, and the grilled cheese is my most favourite-est indulgence of all!

We have a lovely girl staying with us at the moment from Spain.   She is working at the hospital and so I have been making her a lunch to take with her each day.  Today, in my quest to get away from sandwiches, I made her a deliciously different salad for a change.

 Well today is my birthday.  Boo Hoo  Fifty nine years old.  However did that happen.  No matter, happen it did and I am celebrating!  Ten friends are coming over for lunch today and we are going to do it in style.  I am looking forward to seeing and spending time with them.



This is the cake that I always  make for my Birthday.  It just wouldn't be my birthday without it.  I make it every year, no fail, and this year it is no different.

Making sure children who avoid gluten have a lunchbox which includes a good mix of nutritious and filling foods as well as a yummy treat can be quite an art, so Mrs Crimble's  - the much-loved gluten free bakery brand - has come up with some tips on how to guarantee that your children can always enjoy a healthy, fun and gluten free lunch.




Single Serve Bakewell Slice from £1.10


Treats and high-energy snacks - Identify at least five things that your child loves and then rotate them so it will be a surprise.  If your child plays a lot of sport you may want to include an extra high-energy snack.  Mrs Crumble's now has single servings of their NEW cranberry and Almond Oat Cookies, their NEW Double Choc Oat Cookies, a range of Oat Flapjacks, Choc Macaroons, Jam Rings, Bakewell Slices and Double Choc Brownies.



Buttery Oat Flapjacks from £1.10

Sandwich Substitutes - Rice or Quinaoa Salads with chopped red peppers and other crunchy vegetables are great, or try gluten free falafels.  A mini pack of hummus with a packet of Mrs Crumble's Potato Bites or some carrot sticks also go down well.



Cheese & Onion Potato Bites Multi Pack (4 bags) £1.79

Bake Your Own at Home - Mrs Crimbles home bake mixes are easy to make and can be adapted for all sorts of recipes.  Make your own fresh gluten free bread using the Mrs Crimble's Bread Mix - perfect for sandwiches at lunch time.

  

Rice Cakes - Mrs Crimbles Apple Rice Cakes are wrapped in handy five slice portion packs inside the box.  These make a delicious and nutritious snack when paired with individual cheese portions or can be enjoyed just as they are.



Calcium - For growing bones, it's good to include a yoghurt (don't forget a spoon), or a milk drink.  If your child is dairy intolerant, then some calcium enriched oat milk, cubes of cheese or some sardines (if they like them) are a good idea.  



Single Serve Jam Ring, from £1.10

Drinks - Making sure your child drinks enough is vital.  Water is best and fruit juice is also good, just be aware it can contain a surprising amount of sugar.



Cranberry & Almond Oat Cookie  RRP £1.49

Mrs Crimble's started over 30 years ago and today their products can be found in all good independent farm shops, health stores, delicatessens and supermarkets such as Sainsbury's, Asda, Waitrose, Morrisons, Co-op and Tesco.  Mrs Crimbles can also be found in he USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.  



Mrs Crimbles is the Official Free From Sponsor of England Netball, in particular supporting the Back to Netball scheme which encourages female players of all ages to get active and re-introduced to the much loved school sport.

Mrs Crimble's have also continued their support for the Breast Cancer Charity - for the first 15,000 new members who sign up to the Back to Netball Scheme during the 2013/14 season, Mrs Crimbles will donate £1 to the charity.

In response to consumer feedback, Mrs Crimble's have launched an online shop through their website providing consumers with a convenient location to access the complete range.   The website also features Mrs Crimble's blog and a regularly updated "Where to buy tab.

Follow them on Facebook  
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I don't know why I didn't think of this before.   Making my own Turkey Subs.   I love the Turkey Subs at Sub Way back home and every time I go home I treat myself to a six inch turkey sub with all of the trimmings at least two or three times.  I guess I never thought I would be able to make one at home that would taste like theirs do, but the other day the craving got the best of me and I attempted to do just that!



I lived on these subs back in 1999 when my marriage broke up and I was living in a rented bedroom in someone else's house.  The girl I was renting the room from wasn't very nice.  Although I was supposed to have kitchen privileges, she didn't like me having any food in her cupboards or her refrigerator.  She didn't like me using the stove either, which really put a damper on my cooking mojo.  I survived by eating a lot of salads, using a kettle and microwave that I had in my room, and buying six-inch turkey subs from SubWay.  With all of the vegetables on it, I figured I was getting at least some of my five a day!



Which brings me to my topic for today . . .  how to build a perfect turkey sub sandwich.   It's not that hard but it does involve a few "must haves."

One,  you need to begin with a really good bread.  It's not necessary to have an artisan bread for these, just a good one.   I think subs need soft buns, not crisp buns.   That's a lot of sandwich. You want something that you can easily fit into your mouth once you get it stuffed with all of your meats/cheeses/toppings!

I really like the honey and oat buns that SubWay have, but you can't really buy them in the shops here.  I just bought generic fresh sub buns and they were pretty good!  You can toast them or not as you wish.  I prefer mine un-toasted.

  

You want a nice sauce to place on the base of both sides of your bun.  I like the Hellman's garlic mayo. It's really nice and it comes in a squeeze bottle and is really easy to squirt it on.  I also like the Hellman's Lemon mayo and their mustard mayo. . . .  and their roasted onion mayo is also really good.

This "Sauce" will help prevent the bread from getting soggy.  You could of course use ketchup, or a mayo/ketchup combination, mustard, etc. You can use whatever floats your boat.  You just don't want anything that will prevent you from tasting that lovely turkey you are going to put onto it.

Once you have the bun split and slathered with your chosen sauce it's time to begin building your sandwich!  



You want to use only the freshest of ingredients . . . fresh meat, vegetables, etc.

1.  Freshly sliced roast turkey from the deli counter.  Don't get that stuff that you buy already sliced and packed in those plastic packets.  I have always found it to be a bit slimy.  Yuck.  It's also pressed meat, and not actually sliced turkey breast.   I hate re-formed poultry.  Double Yuck.  Two or three slices is ample for one six inch sub.

2.  You want a nice mild cheese, something with a buttery flavour like an edam, gouda or a havarti.   Of course if you want to really kick it up you could use something a bit stronger, but I think with turkey you want a mild cheese.  One slice, cut diagonally, does the trick!

3.  You want sliced really fresh peppers (red and green if possible), some ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, mild red onions . . . all very thinly sliced.  Slice them as thin as you can.  I used my mandoline.  It did them perfectly.  You will also want some sliced gerkin/dill pickles.  I like the garlic ones myself.  These pickles add a nice touch of flavour and piquancy to the mix.  You will also want some pickled hot peppers.  In Canada they use pickled hot banana peppers, which we can't get here in the UK.    I used the Discovery sweet pickled yellow jalapeno peppers.  They are not as hot as the green ones and have a nice sweetness, which goes well with the turkey, but of course,  if you like a lot of heat, use the regular pickled green ones.  You want some finely shredded lettuce in there as well. I like to use baby gems, because they are sturdy and have a lot of flavour. They are almost bitter. Nice, nice!! 



4. I like sliced black olives on mine.  I just buy the sliced black olives in brine.   Don't pimp for fancy dried Spanish black olives.  They are too strongly flavoured.  The purpose of all of these fillings is to enhance the turkey, not overpower it.

5.  A final drizzle of some oil and vinegar (if desired) and a light dusting of salt and pepper and Bob's your uncle!  You are done.   Shut that sub, cut it in half crosswise . . . . and dig in!



Mmmm . . .  these are so good!  I am in love!  I seriously fed my craving and was a very happy camper after this and the best thing of all is . . .



I won't have to wait until I go to Canada again to indulge myself in these fabulous taste treats!  I can make myself one whenever the craving hits.  I like that idea, and I am betting you will too!

Of course you could get really fancy and add assorted meats, bacon, capers etc., but when you just want a good old fashioned turkey sub, this is the way to do it.  Manga!  Enjoy!

I have never been to Philadelphia.  I have never had a Philly Steak Sandwich.  I have seen plenty of photos of them flying around Pinterest and loads of different recipes.  They are basically a hot beef sandwich with onions and peppers and cheese on top.  They look pretty fabulous!



I had wanted to try to make some of them for a long time and yesterday I just happened to have pretty much the right ingredients in the house to make some.  I don't want any purists coming along now and telling me my version is wrong!  I am not representing this as a Philly Steak Sandwich.   Just a mighty tasty Beef and Cheese Sandwich, or Sarnie as they are lovingly referred to in some circles over here in the UK.



I was able to pick up some really nice looking rare roast beef at the deli section of the grocery store the other day at a pretty fair price.  Interestingly enough the rare roast beef cost more than the regular roast beef.  I wonder why that is?  It takes less time to cook, so you would think it would be less.   It's the same beef, pretty much.  One piece just took longer to cook. It doesn't make sense.  Anyways, I digress . . .



So I bought some of the rare roast beef and brought it home and cut it into thin slices cross wise, added it to some thinly sliced sweet onions, and green peppers that I sauteed in a pan until the onions were just beginning to caramelize and the peppers were soft.  I added some garlic.  I don't know if this is what people normally do, but it's what I did.  



I added a soupçon of Worcestershire sauce and dark soy sauce, coz that's  how I roll.  (Like how I mixed a little bit of French in there?  I know!  ☺  Thanks!) I seasoned it with a bit of black pepper and salt, scattered it generously with two kinds of cheese . . .  strong cheddar and red leiceister . . .



And then tucked it in between the buttery toasted crevices of a nice soft bun which I had already slathered with garlic mayonnaise. The rest is history.  The next half hour was filled with satisfied sounds as we both tucked into something which was quite, quite delicious . . .  and to think . .  it was quick, it was easy and it wasn't all that expensive to do.   I will be doing this again.  Maybe the next time the missionaries come for their tea.  I think they might like that.  I know we sure did!



Heat the oil in a large skillet.   Add the onions and green peppers.  Cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently to soften.  Add the garlic.  Cook, stirring until it becomes quite fragrant.  Tip in the roast beef and continue to cook, stirring to combine well and heat the beef through.  Add the Worcestershire and Soy sauces.  Season to taste with some salt and pepper.  Throw the cheese over top and cover.   Take off the heat and let stand while you toast your buns.

Split and toast the buns as desired.  I like to butter mine, but not everyone will want to do that. I toast only the insides under the grill so that the outsides remain nice and soft.   Once the buns are toasted, place one on each of four plates.  Spread the bottom halves with some garlic mayonnaise.  Top each with one fourth of the beef and cheese mixture, and the top toasted bun.  Serve immediately.

 It's National Picnic Week from the 16th to the 22nd of June  and there is no better meat for a quick and easy alfresco feast than SPAM® Chopped Pork and Ham.

 Convenient, easy to prepare and uniquely tasty, SPAM® Chopped Pork and Ham is now available in an easy-to-open and lightweight plastic tub, which is perfect for picnics, BBQs and camping.  The traditional can is also available.  




























*Spam with Mustard Mayo Sandwich*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

1 (200g) tub or can of SPAM® Chopped Pork and Ham, chopped into smallcubes
4 large hard boiled eggs, finely chopped
1 heaped TBS of mayonnaise
1 tsp wholegrain mustard (optional)
1 TBS chopped chives
1 pack of mustard cress or fresh salad leaves
8 slices of bread from a large loaf (white, 50/50 or wholegrain)

Put the chopped SPAM® and hard boiled eggs into a mixing bowl.  Add the mayonnaise, wholegrain mustard and chopped chives.  Stir well until everything is well coated with the mayonnaise.  Spread the mixture onto 4 slices of bread. Put a layer of cress or salad leaves on top of the SPAM® mixture and then place the other slice on top of the salad.  Cut into diagonals and serve.

Note - I would butter the slices of bread first with softened butter to help to keep the bread from going soggy.

The 200g tub is currently available in the UK from Tesco and Asda.  200g and 340g cans are also available from all major UK supermarkets.

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Further recipe ideas can be found at www.spam-uk.com