If you were to ask me to pick a final and last meal . . . there is no doubt as to what I would choose. It is a certainty that Steak would show up on the menu. There is nothing I like better than a beautifully cooked steak . . . richly seared on the outside and meltingly tender and rare on the inside.



Yes, I am a lover of rare meat . . . not so rare that it can crawl off of the plate and into your mouth all by itself, but certainly more red than pink inside.



Surprisingly my favourite steak is not the tenderloin, but a juicy rib eye . . . cut thick and richly marbled with just the right amount of fat to lean. Dusted with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and then quickly seared on both sides to seal in the flavour, no more than four minutes per side . . .



This is steak perfection . . . especially if you gild the lily with a delicious bearnaise butter . . .



the flavours of tarragon and shallots, melting over the surface of the meat, all rich and buttery . . . mmmm . . .



This is heaven to me, pure and utter bliss . . .



*Pan Grilled Steaks with Bearnaise Butter*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Perfectly cooked and tender rib steaks with a delicious bearnaise butter melted on top. Fabulous! Make the butter at least one hour before serving, or up to a day ahead.

4 1-inch thick rib eye steaks, at room temperature
Vegetable oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the butter:
3 TBS softened butter
2 tsp finely chopped tarragon leaves
2 tsp minced shallots
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
pinch of salt

First make the butter. Mash together the butter, tarragon, shallots, lemon juice and salt. Mix well. Shape into a small log on a piece of cling film. (Approximately 4 inches long) Wrap well and then place in the refrigerator to chill.

When you are ready to eat, heat a large heavy skillet over medium high heat. Brush each of the steaks on both sides with a bit of vegetable oil. Sprinkle each side with a bit of salt and pepper. Sear in the hot skillet, cooking the first side for approximately 4 minutes for medium rare. Turn over and sear the other side for approximately the same amount of time. Remove from the heat and place on heated plates.

Serve with slices of the bearnaise butter on top. Delicious!

To go with that steak? Well, it would have to be a crispy baked potato, or some richly mashed potatoes . . . and a salad or green vegetable of course!

No secret here, the potato is my favourite vegetable. Always has been, always will be.




I've tried low-carbing it in the past . . . the potato has always been my downfall. I just can't go very long without a potato . . . period . . . end of statement.




You can take away my chocolate. You can take away sweets . . . but don't take away my potato. To do so is risking my eventual wrath! Imagine my joy at discovering Bombay Potatoes!!

Yes, a potato curry!



Delicious and spicy with a bit of heat that you can control by either increasing or lessening the amount of chili powder you use.

mmm . . . mmm . . . good. I could eat a whole plate of these and nothing else . . . seriously. Thank you India!



*Bombay Potatoes*
Serves 6 to 8
Printable Recipe

A delicious accompaniment to any curry, meatwise or vegetarian. It's also a great way to use leftover cooked boiled potatoes. Very easy and very tasty!

3 TBS sunflower oil
1 tsp mustard seed
1 pinch ground cumin
1 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp freshly ground garam masala
1 tsp chili powder
1 knob of fresh ginger root, peel and finely grate
6 potatoes, peeled, parboiled and cut into cubes
4 knobs of butter
4 tomatoes, cored and diced
a handful of roughly chopped fresh coriander

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until it shimmers. Add the mustard sed, cumin, tumeric, ground coriander, garam masala and chili powder. Cook and stir until the mustard seeds begin to pop. Stir in the ginger root, potatoes, and butter. Stir to coat the potatoes in all the spices. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes. Cook until they begin to wilt, then stir in the coriander and serve.

With this being pancake day, I bet you were expecting to see a recipe for pancakes. You can find my recipe for Rise and Shine Buttermilk Pancakes over HERE. But I had other things on my mind last night. There's also a delicious link to my friend Erin's fantastic buttermilk syrup. The two together area absolute bliss . . .



We will probably have pancakes for our supper tonight, and I'll probably use Delia's Recipe. I reckon it is the best British pancake recipe, and can't be improved upon. We'll have them sprinkled with some castor sugar and lemon juice and they'll be just wonderful. We will really enjoy them, we really will!!



But right now as I write this, it's late Monday afternoon . . . and there are no pancakes in sight. There are these really tasty little Raspberry Jam tartlettes that I made earlier today though. Will they do???



I know, the recipe says Raspberry Jam Bars, but . . . if you cut them with a little round cutter, they become tartlettes. I think tartlettes look much tastier than squares, don't you?



Perfect little buttery bites, filled with crunchy oats and toasted almonds, and sweet raspberry jam. A delicious two bite snack, perfection . . . in every way.



Incredibly moreishly scrummy . . . almost too dangerous to be around. Trust me on this . . . but go ahead . . . you know you want to . . . lick the screen . .

Resistance is . . . futile.




*Raspberry Jam Bars*
Makes 16 squares, or 10 tarts
Printable Recipe

140g (1 cup) flour
pinch salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
4 ounces (8 TBS) unsalted butter at room temperature
85g (1/2 cup) packed dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract
50g (1/2 cup) oats
(not instant oats)
50g (1/2 cup) sliced almonds
4 heaped dessertspoons of seedless raspberry jam

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Line an 8 inch square baking tin with aluminium foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir this mixture into the creamed mixture. Stir in the oats and sliced almonds. Reserve 1.2 cup of this mixture and set it aside. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Dollop the raspberry jam over top and spread it out with a rubber spatula to within 1/2 inch of the sides of the pan all around. Crumble the reserved oat mixture evenly over top.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the dough is golden brown and the jam is lightly bubbling. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Use the foil overhang to lift the baked mixture out of the pan. Cut into 16 squares with a sharp knife, or using a sharp two inch round cutter, cut it into small round tartlettes.

In North America, a pudding would be described as being a dessert . . . created from milk, sugar, eggs and flavouring . . . soft and spoonable . . . not quite a custard, but . . . very similar.

Over here in the UK, however . . . the term pudding is used to describe any manner of prepared sweets that would come under the classification of desserts.



In fact . . . the dessert course is, more often than not, referred to as . . . "the Pudding."



If there is one thing that the British do better than any other culture, it is puddings!

Oh my goodness, they make my head swoon . . . delicious cakes and crumbles . . . pies and tarts . . . custards and flans . . . there is no end to the variety of puddings available to drool over.



British puddings have a very long and honourable tradition. Comforting, and homely, they are a well anticipated part of any meal, celebratory or otherwise . . . and for a great many children throughout the years, they have been the best part of most School dinners!!



One of our favourite puddings has to be Queen of Puddings. A delicious, old fashioned baked pudding composed of simple and humble ingredients . . .

soft bread crumbs, eggs, milk and jam. Only the British could take such something as simple as these things, and create something totally scrumptious.

One spoonful and I think you'll agree that it is not hard to reason why this pudding is called the Queen . . .

"We" are most impressed . . .




*Queen of Puddings*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

With it's beautiful cloud of meringue floating on top, it's not hard to see why this is called "Queen of Puddings." It is certainly one of the lightest and most mouthwatering puddings ever . . certainly fit for the royalty in this house!

1 pint whole milk
1/2 ounce butter
4 ounces fresh white bread crumbs
2 ounces caster sugar, divided, plus 1 tsp.
the grated rind of one unwaxed lemon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
pinch of salt
3 TBS of raspberry jam

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Generously butter a 1 1/2 pint glass baking dish. Set aside.

Place the milk along with the lemon rind and bring just to the boiling point over medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs and 1 ounce of the sugarsugar. Set aslide to infuse for 20 minutes.

Separate the eggs, putting the whites into a clean glass bowl, free from any grease. Beat the yolks and then beat them into the breadcrumb mixture. Pour this bread custard into the prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or just until set. Remove from the oven.

Heat the jam until it melts and then spread it evenly over top of the baked pudding.

Beat the egg whites along with a pinch of salt until foamy. Continue to beat, adding the remaining 1 ounce of sugar slowly, beating them until they form stiff peaks. Spoon this mixture evenly over top of the jam. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining tsp of sugar.

Place back in the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the meringue is golden brown. Serve warm to 4 lucky people!

There is something about Valentines Day that makes me want to spoil my beloved to bits . . .



Maybe it's because we found each other so late in life and I am wanting to make up for lost time . . .



Maybe it's because I just think he is the sweetest most adorable man alive . . .



Maybe it's because he usually spoils me to bits . . .

and then again . . .




Maybe it's because I feel like eating fluffy ricotta pancakes myself!!! *tee hee*

Totally deliciously moreishly fluffy and taste temptingly scrumdiddlyumptious!



*Fluffy Ricotta Pancakes*
Serves 3 to 4
Printable Recipe

These fluffy pancakes have a deliciously creamy texture. They make a particularly scrumptious breakfast for that special someone in your life, but they also make a delicious dessert when topped with sweetened whipped cream!

4 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
310g ricotta
190ml milk
9oz plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
the grated zest of two lemons
icing sugar
170g fresh raspberries
Acacia honey, or some other flavourful honey
oil for cooking



Beat the milk, egg yolks, flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest together in a bowl, until well blended. Stir in the ricotta cheese and blend in gently, leaving some of the curds whole.

In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they hold stiff peaks. Stir about 1/3 of the egg whites into the ricotta mixture, and then gently fold in the remaining whites with a rubber spatula.

Grease a griddle or a large nonstick skillet with some oil. Heat over medium high heat until hot. Drop heaped spoonfuls of the batter onto the heated pan and cook until the undersides are a lacy golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip over and cook the other side in the remaining way. Keep them warm, covered with a kitchen towel, until all are cooked.

Serve the pancakes warm, sprinkling each serving with some icing sugar, a portion of the fresh raspberries and a drizzle of the honey.

There is something very tempting and delicious about almond macaroons . . .



Perhaps it's that tiny bit of resistance on the outside as you sink your teeth into one . . . that crispy sweet exterior that is so very, very moreish . . .



Or maybe it's their exquisitely soft melt-in your-mouth interior . . . flavoured with ground almonds . . . sweet and almost chewy . . . scrummy, scrummy, scrummy . . .



Could it be the nutty crunch of that lovely toasted almond which sits on the top ? ? ?

Who knows . . . whatever it is . . . it has me coming back for . . . one . . . more . . . bite.

Again . . . and again . . . these little babies are addictive.



*Almond Macaroons*
makes one dozen
Printable Recipe

Who doesn't love a sweet macaroon, crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside and full of delicious almond flavours!

4 ounces ground almonds
1 1/2 to 2 egg whites
5 ounces caster sugar
12 blanched almond halves
icing sugar to dust (optional)

Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Line a baking tray with silicone paper or parchment. Set aside.

Beat the egg whites with a fork until foamy. Put the ground almonds into a food processor and process until very fine. This should take about 15 seconds. Add 1/4 of the egg whites. Process for 10 seconds. Add half of the sugar. Process for 10 seconds. Add another 1/4 of the egg whites and the remaining sugar. Process for another 10 seconds. Add a further 1/4 of the egg whites. Process again. The mixture should be quite soft, but you should be able to shape it into 12 balls the size of a walnut. If you think the mixture is too stiff, add the remaining egg white.

Place the balls 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheet. Brush all over with cold water and then drop 1/2 an almond on each. Bake for 15 to 16 minutes, until lightly browned. Take care not to overbake. They should be crisp on the outside, but still moist and chewy on the insides. Remove from the oven to a wire rack to cool.

Dust with icing sugar if desired. Store in an airtight container.

What can you do when you get home from work, and you are absolutely starving . . . you've had a long day . . . and the last thing you want to do is spend another couple of hours on your feet cooking ????

You want something tasty . . . and you want it NOW!



A Spanish Omelette is the answer. It uses really simple ingredients, and is quick and easy to do. If you have potatoes, onions and eggs, you have all you need to make a basic Spanish Omelette.



I have jazzed it up a bit by adding some sliced black olives here, and of course some chopped parsley. But you could also add some cooked and crumbled sausage if you were wanting something meatier, or some lightly sauteed sliced chorizo . . . bits of ham and cheese are good too.



Simple, tasty, filling and scrumdiddlyumptious!!! We like to have salad on the side with ours.

Ok, ok . . . "I" like to have salad on the side . . . Todd kinda, sorta "tolerates" salad on the side . . . meh . . . what does he know??? Everything he ate came out of a tin can before we met.



The nice thing about this is, the leftovers are really tasty for lunch the next day, and to take on picnics . . . not that we are doing a lot of picnicking just at the moment . . . but . . . you know, spring is just around the corner!



*Spanish Omelette With Olives*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Tasty, tasty, tasty. Easy too!

Extra virgin olive oil
500g medium waxy potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
150ml water
3 medium onions, peeled, halved and sliced thinly into half moons
6 medium free range eggs
3 TBS coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
125g pitted black olives, halved

Heat 2 TBS of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the potato slices and cook, then for about 5 minutes or so, turning them now and again, until they are completely coated with the oil. Season with some salt and then add the water. Cover with a tightly fitted lid and turn the heat to low. Cook, covered for 10 to 15 minutes, giving them a bit of a stir halfway through the cooking time. Drain well, when tender. ( A knife will pierce them quite easily) Set aside in the pan, covered, until ready to use.

Heat another couple of tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook gently for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and silky. Stir frequently. Season and then spoon into a bowl. Set aside to cool.

Whisk the eggs with some seasonings in a bowl. Stir in the parsley and the sliced olives. Fold in the onions and potatoes.

Preheat the grill to high. Heat a 10 inch frying pan with a heatproof handle over medium heat. Add 1 TBS of oil. Once it is heated, tip in the egg and potato mixture. Level the surface and then cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until beginning to set. Drizzle with another tablespoon of oil and then place under the grill for 4 to 8 minutes until golden brown. There should still be a slight jiggle in the centre if you are eating it hot. It will firm up as it cools.