Once in a while I love to serve a warm potato salad for our tea. It always goes down a real treat with burgers, grilled fish, chicken . . . even steak and chops.

Hot potato salads are pretty versatile. You can toss pretty much anything into the bowl and it turns out grand. Olives, tomatoes, beans, mushrooms, cheese. The sky's the limit!


Tossing the warm potatoes in a well seasoned vinaigrette ensures that the potatoes absorb the flavours of the other ingredients really well.

Mmmm . . . this is one of my favourite combinations. You get all the sweetness of the new potatoes combined with the tender crunch of haricots vert, the peppery snap of fresh rocket, and the saltiness of beautifully rich and meaty dry cured black olives. I like to buy the ones that come marinated with herbs and garlic. They really have a lot of flavour.


Add to that the sweetness of baby plum tomatoes and a tangy balsamic vinaigrette and you have a match made in heaven . . . with a touch of mild red onion and a sprinkling of salty freshly grated Parmesan cheese, this salad is a meal in and of itself.

You are going to love this! And it's so easy and quick to put together. Lickety split and it's done and you're digging in! You'll want to eat this on the day. The rocket gets all wilted if you keep it any longer, which isn't a problem if you don't mind soggy rocket.




*Warm Potato, Olive and Green Bean Salad*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

A delicious warm potato salad which makes the most of that wonderful sweetness you find in baby new potatoes. A delightful mixture of potato, olives, baby plum tomatoes, black olives and rocket, in a garlicky balsamic vinaigrette. Incredibly tasty!

450g small new potatoes (about 2 pounds)
12 baby plum tomatoes, halved
1/2 a red onion, finely chopped
4 TBS basil leaves, torn into bits with your fingers
about 12 dry cured black olives, pitted and halved
a handful of fresh green beans
a couple handfuls of fresh rocket

For the dressing:
5 TBS good quality extra virgin olive oil
2 TBS good quality balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To serve:
25g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place the potatoes into a pan of lightly salted boiling water. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes until tender, adding the green beans the last five minutes of cooking. Drain well. Cut the potatoes and beans in half while still hot and toss with the dressing right away.

To make the dressing whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic and seasoning. Pour this over the hot potatoes and beans, tossing all together until well coated. Add the tomatoes, onions, olives and basil leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Toss in the rocket leaves just prior to serving and garnish with a healthy grating of Parmesan cheese.

Note:  The North American equivalent of rocket would be arugula.

We had some people over for dinner the other night, as a thank you for all the help they had given us in moving into our new house. I wanted a dessert that was really going to wow them.

Something so incredibly delicious that they would leave our home thinking about it . . . and still be thinking about it the next day . . . in fact I wanted to make a dessert that would have them thinking about it for the rest of their lives!



There is one incredibly delicious dish that I tasted back in 1970 . . . I was on a school trip to Ottawa, Ontario and we ate at the Cascade Restaurant in downtown Ottawa. I had the Barbequed Chicken the first night we were there . . . it was sooooooooooo good, I had it every night for the rest of the week and I have dreamt about it ever since!



That's how good I wanted my dessert to be. I searched through all of my cookery books and finally decided on this recipe. The Tres Leche Cake recipe from the cookbook entitled, "You Made That Dessert", by Beth Lipton.



It did not dissapoint. I have always wanted to try Tres Leche Cake, and now I have. It is one of those cakes, like that chicken I had long, long ago . . . . will have you thinking about it long after you have eaten it and all that is left are the crumbs . . .

My guests really enjoyed it as did we all. ☺



Unlike the chicken though . . . this cake does not have to remain a distant delicious memory, coz here's the recipe. (I heard that the Cascade Restaurant closed down a long time ago . . . that chicken, well . . . tis destined to be a far off tantalizing memory til the day I die . . . sigh . . . )



*Tres Leches Cake*
Serves 12
Printable Recipe

A delicious rich and moist cake absolutely stogged full of three creamy milks . . . Evaporated, Condensed and Coconut milks!! Topped off with some sweetened whipped cream, it goes down a real treat with anyone and everyone!

Cake:
6 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature (12 TBS, or 1 1/2 sticks)
8 ½ ounces of plain flour (2 cups)
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
7 ounces caster sugar (1 cup)
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk, room temperature (225ml)

For the soaking liquid:
12 fluid ounces evaporated milk (1 1/2 cups)
14 fluid ounces sweetened condensed milk (1 3/4 cup)
8  fluid ounces canned coconut milk (shake the can well before using) (1 cup)
1 TBS dark rum, or 1 tsp rum extract

To finish:
12 fluid ounces of double cream (1 1/2 cups)
2 to 3 TBS sifted icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Gas 4. Butter a 9 by 13 inch pan really well and then dust with flour, making sure it is well coated and shaking out any excess.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. Place the butter into a large bowl Beat it with the sugar until it is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides and beat again. Fold in half of the flour mixture, until the two mixtures are almost combined. Stir in the milk. Fold in the remaining flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean and the cake is well risen. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.

Make the soaking liquid by stirring all the ingredients together in a large beaker.

Using a fork or toothpick, puncture the cake all over carefully. Try not to tear it. Pour the soaking liquid over top, in half cup measures, allowing time for the liquid to soak in before pouring on more. Once the cake refuses to take any more, stop adding it. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Cover the top with plastic cling film and then chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Just before serving whip the cream and coat the cake. Beat the well chilled cream with an electric whisk until it just starts to thicken. Sift in the icing sugar and continue to beat until the cream just holds it’s shape. Be careful not to over whip. Spread over top of the chilled cake in soft waves. Cut into squares to serve.



Sliced strawberries or mangos are very tasty add ons!

I didn't really know all that much about sugar before I moved over here, except that there was white sugar and brown sugar. That just shows you how ignorant I was, really . . .

My Todd is a real meat and potatoes kind of a guy. If I want to keep him happy food wise, it's not all that hard to do. A bit of meat and some mashed potatoes and he's as content as can be.



One of his favourite meat fests happens to be Sausage and Mash. A fluffy and buttery pile of hot mashed potatoes, topped with two juicy grilled sausages . . . the whole thing smothered in onion gravy. This is truly the way to his meat loving heart.



It's a bit boring though . . . or at least that's my thoughts . . . I like to amp it up a bit if I can. Not so much that it becomes poncey . . . just a tad to add excitement and interest.

Adding a bit of Parsnip to the regular mash gives it a wonderfully different flavour . . . just a hint of sweetness that goes so very well with the herby flavour of a plump rich butcher's sausage.

Cabbage . . . stir fried and retaining a bit of a bite . . . the perfect go with.



Topped off with a delightfully tangy honey mustard vinaigrette, with the garnish of wonderfully crunchy toasted hazelnuts, this went down a real treat.

He never even missed the gravy. Bisto who??




*Herby Sausages with Parsnip Mash and Stir Fried Cabbage*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Pan grilled sausages, all sticky and brown and served along side of a delicious parsnip mash and tasty cabbage, drizzled with a tangy honey mustard dressing. Delicious!

1 ½ pounds good quality thick meaty herby sausages (I use Cumberland
as they are my favourites, but any well flavoured one will do, Irish herb ones
are nice too.)
750g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into small dice
4 parsnips, peeled and sliced into rounds
4 TBS crème fraiche
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 TBS grainy mustard
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 TBS runny honey with a mild flavour, like acacia
3 TBS mild extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces hazelnuts, chopped and lightly toasted
2 ounces butter
1 savoy cabbage, finely shredded

Place the sausages in a lightly greased and heated skillet. Cook over medium heat, turning from time to time, until nicely browned all over, and cooked through. Keep warm.

While the sausages are cooking, put the potatoes and parsnips into a saucepan of lightly salted water. Bring to the boil. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender. Drain well and return to the hot pot. Shake over the residual heat on the burner to dry them out a bit and then mash well along with the crème fraiche. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Keep warm.

Melt the butter in another skillet. When it is foaming, add the cabbage and cook, stirring it until it begins to soften, but still retains a little texture. Season to taste.

Whisk together the mustard with the vinegar, honey and a bit of salt. Whisk in the olive oil and hazelnuts.

Divide the hot mash equally between 4 heated plates. Top with several sausages and add a spoonful of the cabbage on the side. Drizzle all with the honey mustard vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Well, it's taken several weeks, but I am thankfully back online now! All the boxes are unpacked and we are finally settled into our new home. Well, almost settled anyways!

It's been a whole lot of fun trying to cram all of our belongings into a much smaller place . . . NOT! There's been ever so much we have had to get rid of . . .



The first thing was my lovely electric cooker. Yes . . . I don't know why we didn't notice it before we moved in . . . but . . . there was no point in the kitchen on which to hook up our electric cooker . . . only a gas point.



We ended up having to go out and buy a new gas cooker. It was kind of exciting, really!! Todd wasn't too thrilled about it, but as most women know, there is nothing like a new cooker to put a smile on your face!

I wasn't very smart though . . . there was only a small space to fit one in to and I didn't want to make Todd do a lot of extra work by having to trim the counter edge to fit a large one in and so I went for a more compact model that would easily fit.



Besides . . . it was really cute. I just love toast done under a gas grill . . . sigh . . . that was something I had missed the whole time we were down in Kent . . .

Don't you think it's really cute? I fell in love with the gold buttons and handles and well . . . I just fell in love with everything about the way it looked!



It wasn't until I went to bake something in the oven for the first time that I realized . . . it is much, much smaller inside the oven than what I have been used to. I had thought it was plenty large at the shop . . . but when you take the heat shields into consideration . . . I lose about 6 inches off of the inside.

*Note to self . . . don't get too carried away with how something looks in the future, be a bit more practical and take measurements into consideration.



Half of my pans don't fit. They are too wide and you can't get the door shut with them in it. This meant that I had to go out and buy some new pans. Oh woe is me . . . woe is me . . .



It also means that when I bake a double layer cake, I have to have both layers on different racks in the oven. The top layer bakes quicker than the bottom one . . . so I found myself having to switch the racks halfway through the baking time.

Which was rather dumb of me actually as, in retrospect, I could have just taken the top layer out a bit sooner than the bottom . . . which is what I will do next time.



I was in Lakeland buying some new pans and saw these handy dandy pan liners . . . kind of like big muffin pan liners, but for larger pans and for loaf pans as well. I bought some as I thought it would be a lot quicker to use them than to have to trace and cut baking parchment.



It was quicker, but . . . my cake layers ended up being a bit lopsided. What with the combination of me switching shelves halfway through the baking time and using paper tin liners, it's a wonder my cake turned out at all when I think about it.

It turned out fabulous. Each layer moist and perfectly ribboned with delicious swirls of blackcurrant preserves . . . the centre filling of buttercream and more blackcurrant preserves being oh so yummy, yummy.

This fabulous cake went down a real treat! It was the most perfect way to celebrate a new home and a new beginning!




*Blackcurrant Jam Cake*
Serves 8 to 10
Printable Recipe

A deliciously moist cake, with ribbons of black currant conserve running through the sponge layers, and filled with tasty vanilla butter cream icing and more conserve. Scrummy yummy!!

8 ounces plain flour (1 3/4 cup) (245g)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
284ml of buttermilk or sour milk (1 1/4 cup)
(to sour the milk add a tsp of lemon juice
Or vinegar to the measure and finish with milk.
Allow to sit for 5 minutes before using)
8 ounces caster sugar (226g, or 1 1/4 cup)
5 ounces butter, at room temperature (142g of 10 TBS)
2 large free range eggs, at room temperature
½ tsp vanilla
4 ounces blackcurrant conserve (about 1/2 cup)

For the butter cream:
2 ounces butter, at room temperature (56g, 1/4 cup, or 4 TBS)
4 ounces icing sugar, sifted (114g or 14 TBS)
A few drops of vanilla
1 tsp milk

To finish:
2 heaped TBS of blackcurrant conserve
Icing sugar to dust over the top
Preheat the oven to 170*C/320*F/Gas Mark 3. Butter and base line two 8 inch sandwich tins.

Place all of the cake batter ingredients, with the exception of the blackcurrant conserve into a large bowl. Beat with an electric whisk for several minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl down now and then, until you have a smooth batter.

Divide the mixture evenly between the two tins. Whisk the conserve with a fork until smooth. Dot over the surface of the cakes into 5 dollops on each. Using a round bladed knife, drag and swirl the jam through the cake.

Bake in the heated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until the cakes test done. The top should spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean. Remove from the oven and loosen from the tin. Let rest for about 10 minutes before removing completely to a wire rack to finish cooling.

To make the butter cream, place all of the ingredients into a bowl. Beat well with an electric whisk until it is smooth and fluffy.

Place one of the sponges on a plate. Spread the butter cream over top. Top with the blackcurrant conserve, swirling it over a bit. Top with the remaining sponge, right side up. Lightly dust with icing sugar to serve.

The other morning, with packing boxes sitting around us, reaching up to what seemed to be the ceiling, Todd and I decided that we were going to treat ourselves to a nice big breakfast in the corner cafe in our nearest local town.



You know the kind of place I mean . . . cheap and clean . . . and definitely not gourmet food, but good, plain, simple and filling food. The kind of place that specializes in good old cheese on toast, chips, omelets, burgers, tea, coffee and BREAKFASTS!!!



You can usually get a really, really good, tasty and filling breakfast in these kinds of places and our local is no exception to the rule. The other morning though . . . we got into town and were really, really disappointed.



Not because of the breakfast that they served, but because they were CLOSED!! Yeppers! Opening up soon under new management. We had so wanted to hold hands across the table and enjoy one last breakfast there, but it seems it was not to be . . .



Instead I nipped into the local Waitrose and picked up half a dozen extra large eggs, a tasty Cumberland Sausage Whorl, and some maple smoked bacon. I already had the rest of what I would need at home. It meant that we didn't have breakfast until almost 11 that day, but it was rather tasty if I don't say so myself. I used my good old recipe for Scrambled Eggs with Cheese and Chives, using some fresh chives from our garden. (Click the link to get the recipe.) It all went down a real treat. We did not really want anything else to eat the whole rest of the day!!

I had forgotten how good toast tastes when done under the grill . . . crisp and hot and slathered with butter. Much better than when done in the toaster, I think!!



By the time you read this, we shall be in our car, all packed up and heading up the M6 to good old Chester. It may be the end of our days down here in the Kentish countryside, but it is deffo not the end of my days in my English Kitchen!! Look for more tasty articles coming your way real soon!

Well, as soon as I get my pots and pans unpacked and sorted at the other end. Hopefully it won't be too long before we up and running again! Stay Tuned!! This is not the end, but merely the beginning of a Brand New Adventure. The best kind!

I have often heard it bandied about that "Necessity is the mother of invention," and never has that old idiom been more true than it has during this past week here at the cottage.

Todd is a very well organized person, so organized in fact that I have spent the last few days with loads of fresh food to use up, but no spices or herbs to help me use them up.



I love spice and herbs. I use them all the time in my cooking. I had some apples and bread to use up, and decided to make my Apple Brown Betty recipe. The perfect recipe to use them up with . . .



except for one thing . . . no spices . . . no cinnamon or nutmeg to give it the homey warm flavour that screams comfort and "Home Sweet Home" to all who are lucky enough to indulge themselves in this particular dessert of mine, around my kitchen table.



I did have, however, a nice fat jar of ginger jam in the refrigerator. We love ginger in this house . . . candied ginger, preserved root ginger in syrup, powdered ginger . . . ginger and apples go very well together too.



I thought and thought about it, and then I decided to be really brave, and throw caution to the wind, and to incorporate several dessertspoons of the ginger jam into the apples . . . just to give them some extra flavour and spice.



Good call on my part. Very good call!! Excellent addition! This was soooooooo good, with soft and tart slices of apple, spicy sweet little nibbles throughout of preserved ginger and syrup, and the buttery crunch of bread crumbs on the top!!!



I love it when I do something extraordinarily brave like that and it turns out scrummily moreishly good! (Whew!! It could so easily have gone the other way!)



*Gingered Apple Brown Betty*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

This is the ultimate example of thrift and making use of what we have at hand. Stale bread, apples and ginger jam . . . deliciously magnificent!

3 cups soft bread cubes (crusts removed)
7 TBS melted butter
6 peeled and sliced tart apples (Granny Smith are great)
3 to 4 ounces soft light brown sugar (depending on the tartness of your apples)
the juice and finely grated zest of one lemon
1/2 cup water
3 heaped dessertspoons of ginger jam

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Butter a shallow baking dish really, really well. Melt the butter. Toss the melted butter together with the bread cubes. Layer half of the bread cubes in the baking dish. Mix together the brown sugar, lemon zest and juice, water and ginger jam, mixing it together well. Lay the sliced apples on top of the bread cubes. Pour the ginger jam mixture evenly over top. Top with the remaining half of the bread cubes. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the apples are tender and the bread cubes are lightly browned. If you find they are browning too quickly, cover the dish lightly with foil, uncovering the last 5 minutes or so to crisp up again. Serve warm with some cream, custard or vanilla ice cream.

I know it's really unusual to see pasta on my page, let alone two days in a row. Last night was a beans on toast night (you know . . . one of the side effects of moving and not really having much left in the way of fresh food in the house) and so I am showing you something that I made a week or so ago.



I love lasagna, and Todd does too, if he would only humble himself and admit it!! He seems to scarf it up at any rate!



I often like to make a Vegetarian Version, like this tasty courgette one. Courgettes are something that I seem to always have in the refrigerator and they work really well in dishes like this.



In the summer I like to grown them in the garden. They grow like weeds and are so very versatile!



I copied the recipe from one that I found on the Good Food site, but I did make some changes. I used a jar of spicier Puttanesca sauce that I just happened to have in the larder, and I added some fried mushrooms . . .



Coz I am like that. I just can't leave well enough alone.

This was really delicious!



*Creamy Courgette Lasagna*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is easy and quite delicious! It is filling enough to serve as a main course along with a salad. You will never miss the meat.

9 dried lasagna sheets
1 TBS olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
700g (about 6) medium courgettes, washed trimmed and coarsely grated
1 punnet of mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
250g tub of ricotta cheese
50g strong cheddar cheese, grated
salt and black pepper to taste
350g jar of tomato sauce for pasta
(I like to use Puttanesca style for the spice and flavour)

Heat the oven to 220*C/425*F. Put a pan of lightly salted water on to boil. Add the lasagna sheets and cook for about 5 minutes, only until softened, but not cooked through. Drain adn rinse in cold water. Drizzle with a little olive oil to keep from sticking together.

Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, add the olive oil and heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring for about 3 minutes, until beginning to soften. Add the mushrooms and cook until they begin to brown. Add the courgettes along with the garlic and continue to cook, stirring, until the courgettes have turned a bright green and softened. Stir in 2/3 of both the ricotta and the cheddar cheese. Season to taste with some salt and black pepper. Heat the tomato sauce in a small pot, until hot.

In a large lasagna dish, layer up the lasagna, starting with half of the courgette mixture, then pasta, then tomato sauce. Repeat, top with blobs of the remaining ricotta cheese and the cheddar. Bake on the top shelf of the oven for about 10 minutes, until the pasta is completely tender and the cheese is golden.

Remove from the oven and let sit for about 10 minutes before cutting into slabs to serve.