The other day when I got that tasty piece of beef from the people from Abel and Cole, they also very generously included a package of their delicious free range organic back bacon. The Ensor family have had a butcher's shop in Gloucestershire's picturesque Royal Forest of Dean for nearly a century. They currently cure outstanding bacons and gammon hams for Abel and Cole. As well as running the butcher's shop, they're also organic farmers. Much of A & C's organic bacon comes from their slowly-reared pigs. The succulent pork for their free-range bacon and gammon comes from neighbouring farmer, Richard Hazell.


I just have to ask, how could anything farmed with such care and so responsibly produced fail to be good???



And good it is. Just look at that wonderful colour. It's bright and tasty looking, not anaemic like some bacon I have seen. It also has a wonderful proportion of lean to fat, and what really made me fall in love with it, was that it isn't pumped full of water, like some are. This is a big plus in my books. I also hate it when my bacon smells like, to be perfectly blunt . . . pigs. I know bacon comes from pigs, but I don't like to smell them when I am cooking it. This smelled heavenly . . . all smoky and bacony, if you know what I mean . . .



I just love air cured, smoked back bacon and here in the UK we have some of the best. After having tried this bacon I have to say, in all honesty, it's just wonderful! I think I'll be adding it to my veg box on a once a month basis. (We try not to eat too many cured meats, but once a month, it's a real treat here at Oak Cottage.)



I know that calling this the World's Best Bacon Sarnie is pretty bold, but I'll stand by my words. It has all the ingredients that constitute a great bacon sarnie in my opinion. Great tasting pan grilled free range organic smoked bacon. Free range organic eggs, cooked in butter. Some really flavourful cheddar. Soft, fresh buttered white bread, and . . . let's not forget the lashings of brown sauce!!!



I challenge you to give this a try and then come back and tell me . . . is this not the greatest or what! It goes without saying that this is a once in a blue moon treat. There has to be a bazillion calories in it, but . . . once in a blue moon? Why not go whole hog and treat yourself! (every pun intended!)



Go on . . . dig in . . . you know you want to.



*World's Best Bacon Sarnie*
Makes 1
Printable Recipe

I am giving the quanities to make one here, but it is easily multiplied to make much more. I know this is a bold statment, calling this the World's Best . . . but just make one and try it out. I think you'll agree! This IS the best! It will be love at first bite!

4 rashers of good quality free range organic smoked back bacon
2 slices of good quality white bread (you don't want the bread to compete with the flavours here,
only to enhance)
softened butter
2 medium free range organic eggs
1 slice of cheddar cheese (I used Simply Inspired's sliced medium cheddar with Roasted Red Onions,
fabulous darling, simply fabulous!)
Lashings of Brown Sauce (optional)

Lightly spray a large nonstick skillet with some oil and heat. Once it is hot add the rashers of bacon and pan grill them, until done to your preference. It shouldn't take too long. I like the fat along the edge to be a bit crispy, so I hold it up with the tongs so that the fat is just hitting the pan and I get it really crispy that way. Place in a warm oven to keep warm, whilst you cook the eggs. Wipe your pan out and melt a bit of butter in the pan over medium heat. Once the butter begins to foam, crack in the two eggs. Cook on one side, until the edges are just beginning to crisp, then flip it over and cook the second side for about 20 seconds. Slap on a slice of cheddar cheese, dividing it between the two eggs. Allow to melt.

Butter the bread and then place one slice on a plate, buttered side up. (You don't want to toast the bread. Part of the appeal of this sarnie is the way the bread is all soft and squishy) Top with a bit of brown sauce if using. Place the bacon on top and then finally put the eggs on top of the bacon, cheese side up. Top with the other slice of bread, buttered side down. Cut in half, kick your feet up and enjoy!



mmmmm . . . now that's a great Bacon Sarnie . . .

PS - if you haven't figured it out by now . . . Sarnie is another way of saying Sandwich. You know, a rose by any other name et al . . .

Last week the kind folks at Abel and Cole quite generously sent me a beautiful piece of rolled sirloin. If there is one thing that is done really well here in the UK, it's beef. We have some of the nicest beef in the world and the people at Abel and Cole have made it their job to source out some of the best of the best. It arrived in a compact returnable cool box, filled with ice packs and came right to my door along with my weekly vegetable box delivery. (I do have to say that their delivery people are polite and very personable, or at least that's been my experience. That says a lot in my books . . . ) I've already put in my order for my Christmas Turkey and my Christmas Vegetable box. I'm taking the year off this year! There's no way I'm battling my way through the crazy line ups in the grocery store in the few days before Christmas! I'm having it all delivered right to my door from the good folks at Abel and Cole. I know . . . you might think I am taking somewhat of a chance, but in all honesty folks, they haven't let me down yet!



Mind you a good piece of meat is only as good as the method used to cook it. If you don't prepare it properly, well . . . it wouldn't matter if it was organic, non organic, an expensive cut, or a cheap cut . . . badly cooked meat, is badly cooked meat. And very unappetizing and unappealing all round! Who wants to eat a dry, tasteless piece of leather . . . not me!!! It's taken me years and a lot of experimentation to come up with this fool proof way of cooking my roasts. If you follow my directions to the letter, you will be rewarded with a beautifully cooked piece of meat, full of flavour and tender, tender . . . tender . . . EVERY time! Trust me.







*Perfect Roast Beef*
Printable Recipe

This is more of a technique than it is a recipe. There is a lot more to cooking a roast than just banging into an oven. Whilst it is also very simple to cook, there is a proper way to do it and helps and tips that can produce the perfect roast every time. (if you follow them!) First of all, allow approximately 350g or 12 ounces of meat per portion.

8 to 10 pound wing, rib or strip loin roast of beef
2 TBS prepared English Mustard
1 TBS maple syrup
4 TBS water
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 TBS of beef dripping





I think it's best to cook meat always from room temperature so plan ahead and take your meat out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you plan on cooking it. Pre-heat your oven to 250*C/480*F.

Mix together the water, mustard and maple syrup. Massage this mixture into the meat on all sides. This concoction will help to flavour and colour your meat. (Trust me here.) After you have massaged most of it in, or as much as you can, season your meat liberally all over with the salt and pepper. The fat will largely wash off a large portion of it so more is better. Always season just prior to cooking it as well, to prevent the salt from drawing out the blood and juices.

Heat a heavy based roasting tray over high heat with the dripping inside. (If you have no dripping a knob of butter will do.) Once the fat is hot, lower the beef into it to commence the browning process, lightly browning it on all sides.

Lower the oven temperature to 220*C/425*F. Roast the beef in it for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and baste with the pan juices. Lower the temperature to 180*C/350*F. Return the beef to the oven and roast for a further 15 minutes per pound of beef, plys an extra 15 minutes. The end result will be a perfectly cooked joint, pink in the middle without being overdone.

Once the meat is cooked allow a further 30 minutes resting time in a turned off oven or a warm place.

This resting time is very important. This helps the juices and the temperature of your meat to stabilize and relax, which helps to make the meat much more succulent and easier to carve. When you cut into hot meat alot of the delicious juices escape, and we really don't want that.

I often roast my meat on a bed of root vegetables . . . chunky carrots, parsnips, onions. This helps to raise the meat above the fat in the roasting tin and prevents it from frying instead of roasting, not to mention it gives a lovely flaour to the juices and the gravy!

To make a delicious gravy, add some liquid to the pan, once the meat has been removed and set aside to warm. (leave the vegetables in the pan) Your liquid can be some beef stock, or even a bit of red wine. It's your choice. Cook and stir, scraping up from the bottom to get all your brown bits etc. Strain this into a saucepan, removing all the solids. Skim any fat off of the top. I then shake some flour together with some water in a jar until it's smooth and I strain this back into the pan juices in the saucepan. I then cook it over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens. Leave to cook over low heat for at least five minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place in a gravy boat and pass with the meat.

I think ginger has to be one of my favourite spices. There is nothing I like more than digging into a warm slab of tasty gingerbread . . . a sweet gingerbread cookie. My Gran made the best Molasses Cookies on the planet, filled with . . . you guessed it . . . ginger! Wow, were those ever good with an ice cold glass of milk.




My mom still makes them whenever we go home to visit and it's a real treat. It doesn't seem to matter how many times I bake them myself . . . the taste of mine never quite lives up to the memory of the taste of my Gran's or my Mom's! Funny how that goes!



When my children were growing up I used to create a huge gingerbread cookie fantasy for them every year. Sometimes it would be a house, with clear coloured candy glass windows, and a roof tiled with delicious sweets. One year I did a church, complete with stained glass candy windows. Another year it was a gingerbread Christmas Tree, with silver dragee garlands, gummy bear ornaments and other fancies all over it. In recent years I made a Ginger Cookie Wreath centre piece for my Christmas Table, which you can find HERE on my Oak Cottage Blog. It was so much fun, and looked so nice sitting on the middle of my Christmas Table.



I am sure you have the idea now . . . I just love gingerbread, in any way, shape or form.




Like these tasty cupcakes. Now these dear friends . . . are totally moreish. I think it's the lemon glaze . . . that is, well . . . the icing on the cake! (Of course the preserved ginger in syrup on the top doesn't hurt either!!)



*Gingerbread Cupcakes with Lemon Icing*
Makes 12
Printable Recipe

Ohhh . . . soft, sticky and moist and chock full of lovely ginger flavour, these cupcakes are real husband *pleasers* . . . and, come to think of it, wife *pleasers* too!


60g butter (generous 4 TBS)
50g soft light brown sugar (4 TBS)
2 TBS golden syrup
2 TBS dark treacle
(If you can't get the golden and dark treacles,
do use 4 TBS mild molasses instead)
1 tsp ground ginger
80 ml whole milk (5 1/2 TBS)
1 large free range egg, beaten
2 pieces of preserved stem ginger in syrup,
drained well and chopped finely
140g self raising flour (1 cup)

For the Topping:
the juice of one lemon
(bring the lemon to room temperature and roll it on the counter
a few times under the palm of your hand before squeezing)
200g icing sugar, sifted (generous 1 1/2 cups)
1 piece of stem ginger in syrup, drained and chopped
1 TBS chopped candied ginger


Pre-heat the oven to 170*C/325*F. Line a muffin tin with paper cakes and then set aside.

Place the treacles (or molasses) butter, sugar and ground ginger into a largish saucepan. Place over medium low heat and heat gently until the butter has melted and all have blended well together. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a bit.

Beat together the milk and the egg. Stir this into the warm mixture along with the stem ginger. Sift the flour over top and fold it in until well combined. Spoon into the muffin cases, dividing it equally amongst them all.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until they spring back when lightly touched, or when a skewer inserted into the centre of one comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Squeeze the lemon juice into a bowl, removing all the pips. Gradually stir in the sifted icing sugar, stirring until smooth and thick, yet still spoonable. Spoon this icing over the cakes. Combine the chopped stem ginger and candied ginger and then sprinkle a bit over the top of each one. Let set before serving.

As you can plainly see . . . these went down a real treat!

When I was a child, I hated minced beef. I think it was because my mother used to buy the cheapest mince she could find and there was always lots of bits of bone and gristle in it . . .



and the bone and gristle always found it's way to my plate . . . and into my mouth. I couldn't stand the feeling of it or the texture . . . it made me gag, to be perfectly blunt. I would be forced to sit there for what seemed like hours, long after the rest of my family had finished and left . . . with a plate of congealing mince in front of me . . . not allowed to leave the table until I had eaten my dinner . . .



As a result . . . I became an expert at routing out every piece of it . . . and hiding it, if I possibly could.

At first I tried hiding it under my plate. That only worked once . . . for obvious reasons. As soon as my mother lifted my plate to take it away . . . there was the minced beef sitting there . . . sigh . . . a better way had to be found.



Next I tried hiding it under the edge of the carpet. That worked several times . . . until my mother hoovered the room and found it all lurking there. Foiled again . . .

Finally, I discovered the perfect spot. Down the heating duct in the corner of the dining room. That worked for a long time. I don't think my mother discovered that hiding place until she went to do a heavy spring clean or summat like that.



At that point . . . my mother gave up trying to feed it to me, and it was a very long, long time before I tried to eat it as an adult. I have since come to quite like it. I always only buy the extra lean mince and so far (fingers crossed) I have been lucky enough that I've never come across any gristle or bone in it. Whew!

Our local butcher only stocks free range hereford beef, and it's very, very good. This is one of my favourite ways to cook it, amongst many. Todd really likes these with a nice big pile of mash, but sometimes he gets chips. He doesn't mind, as long as it's potato in one way, shape or form. He is truly a meat and potatoes kind of a guy.




*Meatballs and Gravy*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

My Todd is a real meat and potatoes man. He loves these tasty meatballs that I make, similar to Swedish ones, but not, if you know what I mean.

For the meatballs:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 slice white bread, soaked in a bit of milk and then squeezed dry
1 small onion, peeled and grated
2 tsp dried parsley
1 medium egg, beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
a bit of oil for frying
For the Gravy:
the freshly grated zest of half a lemon
1/4 tsp dried thyme
2 TBS drippings
2 TBS flour
8 ounces beef stock
8 ounces milk
1 TBS creamed horseradish

Combine all the meatball ingredients and mix together well. Shape into walnut sized balls, wetting hands as needed. Heat some oil in a large skillet. Add the meatballs and brown them all over. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate and keep warm until they are all done. Reserve 2 TBS of the pan drippings, disposing of the rest. Heat the pan drippings in the same pan, Whisk in the flour for the gravy. Cook and stir one minute, then slowly stir in the stock, milk, lemon zest, thyme and creamed horseradish. Cook and stir until the gravy is smooth and thickens. Taste and adjust seasoning adding salt and or pepper if needed.

pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Place the meatballs into a shallow casserole dish. Pour the gravy over top. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbling and browned. Serve hot and spooned over mashed potatoes, buttered noodles or steamed white rice. Delicious!

It's just bucketing it down today. I don't think I've seen it rain so hard in a long time. When I walked home from the big house for my dinner break today, I was completely soaked through by the time I got to our cottage . . .



The wind was blowing so hard the rain was drifting horizontally . . .



Desperate weather, calls for desperate measures . . .



Yes . . . this is a soup day.



Soup, the perfect food for a wet and dismal day when you are chilled right through to the bone.
Nothing warms you up better, don't you think?



*Spicy Parsnip and Leek Soup*
Serves 6 to 8
Printable Recipe

This soup is sweet and spicy. Adding toasted cumin and black onion seed at the end gives it a delicious twist!

2 TBS butter
1 large spanish onion, peeled and diced
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 cups chicken stock
2 medium leeks, the white and light green parts, trimmed, washed and sliced into 1/2 inch thick thick coins
750g bag of parsnips, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch thick coins
750g of floury potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tsp ground tumeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 TBS olive oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black onion seeds
1 tsp black mustard seeds

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally over medium heat until softened and lightly browned. Add the leeks, parsnips and potatoes. Cook and stir to coat with the butter. Cook, and sweat for 10 to 15 minutes, until beginning to soften. Add the chicken stock, tumeric and cayenne pepper. Season to taset with some salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until very soft. Using a stick blender, puree the soup, then pass through a sieve if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet. Add the cumin, onion and mustard seeds. Cook and stir in the oil until the seeds begin to pop. Carefully stir the hot oil/seed mixture into the soup. Taste and add more cayenne if desired. Serve hot.

There's a bit of an ongoing battle in our house about Italian Food. Todd says he hates Italian Food, but what he really means is . . . he hates pasta, but then again . . . in another breath he is saying he loves tinned spaghetti on toast . . .

Does that make sense???



I thought not!!

Anyways, I am a pasta loving carbaholic, and I can only go so long without it. Every once in a while I just have to torture him with some. I can't help myself . . .



When I was growing up my mom used to make what she called "Italian Spaghetti" at least once every couple of weeks. That was as close to foreign cooking as she ever got . . . browning a pound of ground beef and adding a tin of Catelli Spaghetti Sauce. I hated it. I used to just eat the spaghetti plain, with a healthy shake of smelly sock. (That's what we called Parmesan cheese in my family. I know . . . TMI!!)

Once we got older, she discovered chili powder and oregano, and once a week (usually Saturday nights) she would treat us to her version of chili, which was ok, but . . . quite plain, although my dad loved it. The recipe came from the back of a tin of Tomato Soup . . . need I say more???



I love chili, and I love Spaghetti Bolognese. I think the British have quite adopted Spaghetti Bolognese, or Spag Bol as it is affectionately dubbed over here, as their own, and I think everyone here in the UK has their own secret recipe.

I don't believe in keeping secrets when it comes to cooking . . . I like to share!! This here is my version of Spag Bol . . . It combines two of my great loves . . . Spaghetti Bolognese and Chili. I guarantee, it's not anything like your mama's version!



*Not Your Mama's Spag Bol*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

This is a different sort of a twist that I put on good old Spaghetti Bolognaise. In truth, I love this even more than regular Spag Bol! I just can't get enough of it!

1 TBS olive oil
16 ounces extra lean beef mince
1 small onion, peeled and grated
1 fat clove of garlic, peened and crushed
2 green chilies, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 envelope of Taco seasoning mix
(I use Discovery)
1 (420g) tin of chopped tomatoes
14 ounces of beef stock
6 ounces tomato puree
1 (420g) tin of black beans, drained and rinsed
12 ounces of uncooked spaghetti
Toppings:
Sour cream, Shredded cheddar cheese, chopped or finely sliced red onion

Place the olive oil into a large saucepan and heat. Once it is hot add the beef mince. Cook and stir until it is completely browned. Add the onion, garlic, chilies, salt, cumin and taco seasoning mix and continue to cook and stir until the onion, garlic and peppers are soft. Add the chopped tomatoes, beef stock, and tomato puree. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Gently stir in the beans and cook for a further 5 minutes.

In the meantime bring a pot of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain well and divide amongst hot serving plates. Top each with a portion of the sauce and pass the toppings!!

And . . . just in case you were wondering . . . this is how the Toddster ate his . . .



That's right! On top of a huge pile of fluffy mash. Well . . . to each his own I always say!

Note - Waitrose is stocking this new grated cheese mixture by Simply Inspired. I used the spicy Mexican one here, it has cheddar and mozzarella mixed with red, green and jalapeno peppers and crushed chillies. Delicious!!! It was just perfect!

Most weekdays I don't have a lot of time for cooking at home. I cook all day at work, with only a short break in between my morning and my evening shift, and so it is during that time that I must get a dinner ready for Todd and myself. I know that when I get home later in the evening, not only will I be too tired to cook, but neither one of us likes to eat that late at night . . .



People wonder how I can spend my days cooking at work, and then come home and continue to cook there.



It's easy really . . . when you love cooking as much as I do!!

This is a real stand by type of dish, easy and quick to throw together when I don't have a lot of time to spend.



It is rib sticking delicious! My kind of dish.



Lazy day food.




Store cupboard food.



Comfort food at it's best.



*Marie's Spicy Rice*
Serves 8
Printable Recipe

A tasty one pot dish made with veggies, meat and rice. Delicious! You only need a tossed salad on the side to complete the meal. This is rib sticking comfort food! Just perfect for those rushed weekdays when you are starving, but don't have a lot of time to put a meal together!

2 TBS butter
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 sweet green pepper, seeded and chopped
8 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
2 stalks of celery, trimmed and chopped
16 ounces cubed cooked ham
16 ounces smoked sausage, sliced
(Mattesson's makes a good one, and it comes in low fat)
1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika with Sweet Red pepper and thyme
(I got mine at Marks and Spencers)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
5 cups cooked rice

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once it starts to foam, add the onion, green pepper, spring onions and celery. Cook, stirring from time to time until tender. Add the ham, sausage, chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper, paprika spice and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes, until the tomatoes are quite reduced and the mixture is thickened. Stir in the rice and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Serve hot.