Most days during the week, I work a split shift. I work 8 hours in total, but . . . starting in the morning, until early afternoon . . . then I get a couple of hours off, where I can go home and do whatever . . . and then I am back at work late in the afternoon, where I work until mid evening. Such is the life of a personal chef.



I like this much better than restaurant work. I think you just reach a stage in life where you are past wanting to put up with all the stress that comes with working in a restaurant, not to mention the late nights that are involved. Sure . . . I do have to work late once in a while, like when there is a special occasion or dinner party to cook for, and, I do really enjoy those challenges tremendously . . . but I definitely wouldn't want a steady diet of them . . . a dinner party once or twice a month is more than enough for me.



The split shift means though, that if Todd and I are going to be able to eat a meal together, it has to be done in the middle of the day, which isn't really much of a problem for either one of us. We are also at the stage in life where we don't want to be going to bed with a heavy meal laying on our stomaches. (Boy, do we sound old!)



Anyways, most days that doesn't leave me a lot of time for cooking, so quick and easy is mandatory. Sure there are beans on toast days on occasion, and sometimes even just some scrambled eggs and toast . . . most days though, I am quite capable of rustling us up something very tasty with not a lot of time or effort involved. Things like these tasty burgers.



Moist ground pork combined with a group of tasty spices, shaped into rounds and nicely browned on both sides. I like to serve them with fried onions, but not just ordinary plain fried onions . . . honey mustard fried onions. Deeeee - licious!!



If you wanted to you could serve them in toasted rolls, but we just like them plain with some roasted spuds and sweet and sour red cabbage on the side.




*Spicy Pork Burgers*
Makes 6
Printable Recipe

Delicious, moist burgers flavoured with tasty spices and served with spicy fried onions. These are quick, easy and fabulously tasty!

1 kg of ground pork
(can also use equal amounts of ground pork and veal, just so long as
you have 1kg of meat)
1 heaping tsp of dried marjoram
1 heaping tsp of dried ground ginger
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1 tsp celery seed
10 cardamom pods, seeds removed and ground to a powder
(discard the pods)
1 20g packet of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 TBS olive oil to cook

For the onions:
1 TBS butter
2 large onions, peeled, cut in half and sliced into half moons
1 TBS dijon mustard
2 tsp runny honey

Combine the meat with all the spices and parsley. Mix well with your hands to combine thoroughly. Shape into 6 round patties, slightly thicker on the outside edges than in the middle. (This helps them to keep their shape better) Set aside.

Take a large skillet and melt the butter for the onions over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally over medium heat, until they begin to soften and brown in places. Stir in the mustard and honey. Mix well. Set aside and keep warm.

Wipe the skillet out and then add the olive oil. Heat until hot over medium high heat. Add the meat patties. Cook for 5 minutes on each side, until cooked through and nicely browned. Don't press down when cooking as you will press the meat juices out and end up with dry burgers.

Serve the burgers hot with some of the spicy onions spooned over top.

Stilton has to be one of my favourite cheeses. Todd likes cheddar, and I am rather fond of it myself, but Stilton is not called the King of cheeses for nothing in my opinion. To me it is rather wonderful.

That is saying a lot coming from a person that grew up on plastic fake cheese slices . . . and nothing else!




Quintessentially, Stilton is one of the true English cheeses, with it's own certification mark and it's name protected by the EU. It can only ever be made in three counties, Darbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, and must be made from locally produced and pasteurized milk!



Also it has to be made in a cylindrical shape and must be allowed to form it's own crust. It is never to be pressed. I expect that is what helps to make it soooo crumbly and rich. I just love it's flavour. It is equally at home on a fine cheese tray or for every day use. We always have a round of it in for Christmas. I favour Cropwell Bishop myself, but then again . . . I've never tasted any other.



We always have some leftover after the holidays and I love to come up with unique and tasty ways to use it. It is excellent in a salad, of course . . . going marvellously with pears and walnuts and vinaigrette dressings, but . . .



It's so very, very fabulous in this unique and delicious pie. I love Stilton. I love potatoes. I particularly love scalloped potatoes, and I just ADORE pie!! It only made sense to combine all three together.



You're really going to love this. Rich and tasty and a lot easier to make than one should suppose.



*Stilton and Scalloped Potato Pie*
Serves 8
Printable Recipe

This is quite tasty and unusual. You could serve it with some kind of meat if you wanted to, but we always just have it with a tossed salad of mixed salad greens, chopped tomato and spring onion on the side.

short crust pastry, enough for a double crusted pie
5 medium potatoes
2 1/2 ounces butter
1/2 bunch of spring onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
3 TBS flour
12 ounces whole milk
8 ounces crumbled stilton cheese
(if you are not fond of stilton you can use shredded strong cheddar)

Pre-heat the oven to 190*C/375*F. Peel the potatoes and thinly slice them into cold water. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions and saute until softened. Stir in the salt, pepper, dry mustard and flour, blending together well. Slowly whisk in the milk. Cook stirring constantly, over medium heat until thickened. Cook and stir for one minute before removing from the heat.

LIne a 9 inch pie tin with half of the pastry, which you have rolled out 1/4 inch thick. Drain the potatoes well and pat them dry.

Begin layering in the pastry lined pie dish: 1/3 of the potatoes, 1/3 of the cheese, 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat twice more.

Roll out the other half of the pastry to a round large enough to fit over the filling and 1/4 inch thick. Press the edges together, trim and flute. Pierce the top in several places to vent steam.

Cover the edges with some foil. Place on a baking tray and then bake in the heated oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and then bake for an additional 30 to 35 minutes, until nicely browned and the potatoes are tender. Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges to serve.

I'm all for comfort food in the winter . . . rich soups and thick stews . . . tasty casseroles. Homey and comforting and warming stick to your innards foods.



A casserole just like this one surely hits the spot and ticks all the boxes . . . salmon, peas, potatoes stirred into a lucious cream sauce, and then baked under a blanket of buttered bread crumbs until bubbling and crisp. This was one of my ex mother in laws recipes. It's kind of like a big salmon fishcake baked in a casserole dish.



I like to buy the Connetable brand of tinned salmon, as it doesn't have any skin or bones in it, and I am rather lazy. I also hate it when I miss a bone . . . and I end up with it on my fork . . . shudder. It makes me feel rather ill. It's a texture thing.



You could cheat and use a tin of creamed soup, but a homemade cream sauce is infinitely tastier and not all that hard to execute.



Even the little lad next door loves this, and that says a lot. He's a really picky eater.




*Salmon Casserole Bake*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

2 (160g) tins of skinless, boneless salmon (I buy Connetable
Wile Alasken Pink Salmon. You can also use one large tin of
regular pink wild salmon, drained, skin and bones removed)
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 cup of frozen peas

For the sauce:
2 TBS butter
2 TBS plain flour
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
a dash of hot pepper sauce
salt and black pepper to taste
8 ounces milk
4 ounces single cream

To top:
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1 TBS butter melted

Place the cubed potatoes into a saucepan and cover with slightly salted water. Bring to the boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes. You want them almost cooked, but still retaining their shape. Drain well, and place in a bowl. Flake the salmon and mix it into the potatoes along with the frozen peas. Set aside.

Butter a shallow 2 pint baking dish. Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/375*F.

Make the sauce as follows. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onions. Cook, stirring until the onions have softened. Whisk in the flour. Cook for one minute. Whisk in the milk and cream. Cook and stir until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper and hot pepper sauce.

Pour the cream sauce over the potato mixture, stirring gently to combine. Spread into the prepared baking dish. Mix the bread crumbs and butter together. Sprinkle evenly over top of the casserole and then bake in the heated oven for about 30 to 35 minutes, until bubbling and nicely browned on top.

I know Todd does not like pasta at all. Shame that . . . I, myself am a pasta lover and every once in a while this carboholic just has to indulge.




I think my favourite of all the pasta sauces has to be Puttanesca sauce. Not only does it use ingredients that I always have in my larder, but it goes together relatively quickly, lickety split!




I love it's gutsy spicy flavours . . . garlic, red chili, capers, olives, anchovies and of course tomatoes. Add to that some basil and seasoning, and you have the perfect sauce in my opinion.



When I make this I am in pasta heaven. I don't mind at all that I don't have to share it.



*Spaghetti Puttanesca*
Serves 2
Printable Recipe

One of my favourite sauces to serve with spaghetti. Gutsy and spicy and very moreish. Don't let the anchovies put you off. They melt into the sauce and you'd never know they were there, but they do add an wonderful flavour.

8 ounces dried spaghetti
a splash of olive oil
sea salt

For the sauce:
2 TBS olive oil
2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 fresh red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
2 TBS chopped fresh basil
50g anchovies,drained
6 ounces pitted black olives, chopped
1 heaped TBS capers, rinsed and drained
1 415g tins of chopped Italian tomatoes
salt and black pepper to taste

Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese to serve

First make the sauce. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and chili. Cook, stirring until the garlic is a pale gold colour. Add the anchovies and the basil. Cook and stir until the anchovies melt into the oil. Add the remaining ingredients. Season with a bit of pepper, but hold off on the salt for the moment. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer and simmer gently for 35 to 40 minutes, until nice and thick. Taste and add a bit of salt if required

Once your sauce is ready bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add a splash of olive oil and some sea salt. Cook your spaghetti noodles al dente in this according to the package directions. Drain well. Toss the cooked pasta in the cooked sauce, mixing it together thoroughly. Serve in heated bowls with a good topping of freshly grated parmesan.

If you are a fan of Harry Potter, as I am, you would know that Rock Cakes are one of Harry's favourite tea time treats!



You would also know that Ron Weasely's mum is the best baker ever, and that her rock cakes . . . well . . . rock Harry's world!



For nine years, I have been thinking that they were biscuits (cookies), sort of like the Hermit cookies that my mother used to bake. I couldn't have been more wrong.



Rock cakes are delightful little drop scone-like cakes, and absolutely lovely served warm from the oven, and spread with a little butter. They are also one of the quickest and easiest cakes to make.



I seriously don't know why I waited so long to make them. These are fabulous!

We sat here on Sunday evening, munching on these lovely little cakes, while we were watching Larkrise to Candleford. Warm, split and spread with sweet butter, they were incredibly scrummy.




I think I can safely say . . . Rock Cakes are my only weakness . . .

Truly.

(recipe adapted from The Baking Bible, from the oven to the table, Marks & Spencer)



*Rock Cakes*
Makes 8 to 10
Printable Recipe

These are like a delicious scone stogged full of lovely mixed fruit. Fabulous, simply fabulous.

4 ounces unsalted butter, cut into bits
8 ounces plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
3 ounces light muscovado sugar
3 ounces mixed dried fruit
the finely grated zest of one lemon
1 large egg
1 to 2 TBS milk
2 tsp demerara sugar

Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet

Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Drop in the butter bits, adn then rub them into the flour with the tips of your fingers until the mixture resembles sand. Stir in the sugar, mixed fruit and lemon zest.

Beat the egg and 1 TBS of milk together. Stir this into the flour mixture, add the other TBS of milk as needed to make a moist but firm dough.

Using a dessert spoon, drop 8 to 10 equal heaps onto the prepared baking tray. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar.

Bake in the heated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until risen, golden brown and firm. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool before eating.



Guess, I'll have to make some more, huh?

We are great fans of chips in this house. When we lived up North in Chester, we often walked down to the local chippie in the evening and shared a cone of chips together . . . hand cut and chunky, crisply fried and then doused in salt and vinegar. Tis a wonderful treat on a warm summer's evening.

The best chips I have had over here were some we treated ourselves to one hot summer's afternoon when we were visiting Liverpool. We bought them from a chippie in the downtown shopping area. Oh, my but they were lovely . . . it is now some 7 years later, I am still thinking about them . . .



Of course a trip to the seaside would not be complete without fish and chips, and whenever we go, we are obliged to partake of at least one batch, not to mention a couple of icecreams . . .

At home though, I usually use oven chips. It's usually too much trouble to take out the deep fat fryer and, with the hours I work during the week, I am usually rushed for time. I generally like to make my own oven chips though, by cutting baking potatoes into large chunky strips. I never peel, as we both love the extra flavour and texture that the peels give, but you can peel if you wish. I then toss them with a bit of olive oil and some herbs and garlic, and bake them in a hot oven until crisp and lightly browned. I sometimes do a mix of sweet potatoes as well as the regular ones. These are particularly good.



Sometimes too, when I am in a particular rush, I will opt for a good oven chip. We like the McCains rustic ones . . . because they still have the skins on and they are lower in fat.

I love to spice my chips with all sorts of things. Sometimes I will use a mixture of garlic, onion salt, pepper, paprika and herbs. Other times I will make an italian version that I create by tossing them with pepper and a commercial Italian spice mix, which contains garlic and peppers and herbs.



My favourite ones of all though . . . are the ones I make using my own homemade harissa paste. Oh, they are wonderfully spicy and tasty!!! You can make them as hot or as mild as you like. I never add any extra oil to them, but if you are using a lesser amount of the harissa paste you may want to add a touch of oil.



Of course you can choose to use a commercially prepared Harissa paste, and they will also be good, but it's fun to make your own. Just be a bit careful though, as the chilies can burn the skin and also the nasal passages if you breath in some of the dust from them. Keep a window open and wear gloves if you can.



These are wonderfully delicious served hot and crisp, with a tasty sour cream and lime dip on the side.

But don't take my word for it. Try making them for yourself. I think you'll find them very, very moreish in a scrummy sort of way . . .



*Harissa Spiced Chips*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A tasty oven chip, chunky and crisp and tastily spiced with a homemade harissa paste. You may want to make the harissa paste the day before. You can use a commercially prepared harissa paste if you wish, but I like to make my own. It makes more than you need, but it stores well and comes in handy for lots of things.

6 large baking potatoes, peeled or not as you like, and
cut into chunky sized chips
(you can use one 907g bake of oven chips if you like)
For the paste:
4 ounces dried hot red chili peppers
2 tsp sea salt
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tsp freshly ground cumin
1 tsp freshly ground black cumin seeds
2 tsp freshly ground caraway seeds
1 skinned, deseeded and chopped red pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp tomato puree
the juice and zest of 1/2 a lime
1/2 of a preserved lemon (optional)
olive oil to cover
To serve:
8 ounces of dairy sour cream
the juice and zest of half a lime

First make the Harissa paste. Place the dried chilies in a pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, cover and then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for one hour. At the end of the hour, drain them well and place them into a food processor along with the salt, garlic, cumin, black cumin, caraway, red pepper, paprika, vinegar, tomato puree, the preserved lemon, if using, and the juice and zest of the lime. Blend to a smooth paste. Scrape into a jar and cover with some olive oil, to help protect it from the air. Cover and chill until you are ready to use.

When you are ready to make your chips, preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Place the chipped potatoes into a large shallow roasting tin. Toss with 2 TBS of the prepared Harissa paste to cover and then place them into the heated oven.

Roast, stirring every once in a while, for about 20 to 25 minutes, until nicely crisped on the outside and tender on the inside. Remove from the oven and serve hot with your choice of dip.

If you choose to use oven chips the proceedure is much the same, except you toss the bag of oven chips with the harissa paste to coat lightly and bake as per the package instructions.

While the chips are baking, whisk together the sour cream and the lime juice and zest. Serve the hot chips with the sour cream mixture for dipping. Delicious!

If you keep an assortment of tinned beans and tomatoes in your cupboard, you will always have the makings of a delicious meal to hand. With only a few additional ingredients, you can be eating like royalty in no time at all.



Some of the beans I like to keep on hand are borlotti, cannellini, kidney,butterbeans, chickpeas, and pinto . . . to name but a few. They come in really handy for all sorts. Canned beans are excellent value for money. They are not only very nutritious, low in fat and a good source of fibre and protein, but they also save the chore of having to soak dried beans overnight and then cooking them the next day. With a good rinsing, you probably wouldn't be able to note much of a difference between them and freshly cooked ones . . .



I also keep several varieties of tomatoes . . . whole and chopped italian plum tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, tomato passata, condensed tomato puree (sun dried and regular, a few tins with garlic and olive oil already added, and my treasured American ro-tel tomatoes, which have chopped green chilies already added. I love the tuscany tomatoes as they are brighter in colour and much sweeter than the regular variety of tinned tomatoes, but I save them for special dishes as they cost a bit more.



We often eat soup for lunch or dinner in the wintertime. It's a great way of using up extra bits of vegetables that look to be getting a bit tired and need using up, and an excellent way of feeding a large group of people. I often make large batches and then freeze the excess in smaller containers to take out at a later date.



This is a particularly tasty soup that comes from one of my favourite regions of Italy. I'm afraid I have anglicized it a bit, to suit my own tastes and what I had on hand. I like think my version is healthier because there is no fat in it. I thicken it with breadcrumbs and of course the beans help to thicken it a bit as well.



The addition of the redcurrant jelly gives it an extra layer of flavour, which will have your guests wondering what that elusive flavour is that makes it taste that much more delicious.




*Easy Tuscany Bean Soup*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

A very delicious soup made quickly from store cupboard ingredients. It is very healthy and low in fat, as well as hearty and filling. A family favourite.

! medium leek, roughly chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped finely
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped finely
1 (400g) tin of chopped tomatoes (2 cups)
1 1/2 pints vegetable stock (3 cups)
1 (400g) tin of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (2 cups)
2 TBS red currant jelly
2 TBS tomato puree (tomato paste)
4 TBS fresh bread crumbs
salt and pepper
chopped fresh flat leaf parsley to garnish

Place the prepared vegetables into a large saucepan. Add the chopped tomatoes and the stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the rinsed beans, red currant jelly and tomato puree. Simmer for a further 10 to 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Add the breadcrumbs and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring back to the boil, then simmer for a couple of minutes. Ladle into hot soup bowls. Garnish with parsley and serve with warm crusty bread. Delicious!