I found this recipe amongst my many cookery books one day and photocopied it to try. It sounded good and also quick and easy. I can't remember which book it was though . . . I have so many . . . but I suspect it was in one of the Good Food 101 series.



Each week, I go through my books and photo copy the recipes that I want to try in the coming week, and work them into menus. Sometimes I end up using them, sometimes I don't, but it makes Todd happy to see me planning meals and it's good for me to have some sort of idea in my head of what I am going to be doing when I go to the shops to buy in the food for the week.



Sometimes I end up not using all the recipes I have photocopied and so I put them in a file of ones that I want to do later . . . (I am well intentioned!) This recipe was one of those so that's why I can't remember where it came from! DOH!



This crumble was a bit different than most in that you don't have to go to the trouble of rubbing butter into flour. You just melt the butter and then stir in some muscovado sugar and oats. Easy peasy lemon squeasy.



The orignal recipe called for a tin of summer fruits, but I had lots of fresh berries in the house so I used them instead and just added the juice of an orange and some sugar to make up for the syrup in the tin.

It turned out absolutely gorgeous! We loved this and it was sooo easy!! It is now in my file of easy favourites!!



The topping is nutty and buttery and the fruit was just right. With a bit of cream on top it went down a real treat, and I will be making it again for sure! I am thinking that you could use this easy topping with all kinds of fruits! I see it now with some nectarines and raspberries.

Nom Nom!!



*Red Fruit Crumble*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

The topping for this is so easy to put together. It makes the whole dessert a delicious doddle!

4 eating apples, peeled, cored and chopped
300g tin of summer fruits in syrup
(I used 1 tea mug of blueberries, 1 tea mug of raspberries, 1 tea mug of strawberries, along with the juice of one orange
and a bit of sugar)
4 ounces butter (1/2 cup)
2 ounces light muscovado sugar (1/3 cup)
5 ounces porridge oats (2 1/2 cups)
ready made custard, ice cream or cream to serve

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/Gas mark 5. Place all of the fruit into a large saucepan along with the juice from the orange and a bit of sugar. (If using the tinned fruit add the tin of fruit, undrained) Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the apples are cooked, stirring occasionally. This should take 12 to 15 minutes. Pour this mixture into a shallow gratin dish.

Melt the butter and then stir in the muscovado sugar and the porridge oats. Mix together well and then spoon this over top of the fruit in the dish.

Bake for 20 minutes, until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling. Serve warm with some custard, ice cream or cream.

My friend Gordon of What Should I Have For Dinner Tonight is having a slam up Event over the next few weeks in honor of the World Cup!

Quoted from his page:

On Friday the 11th of June, the biggest sporting event of all, the FIFA World Cup, kicks off in its nominated destination for 2010, South Africa. This is the first time that the four-yearly tournament has ever been held on the African continent and it is likely to prove to be something special, for that fact alone.

As advised a couple of weeks back, I have decided to invite and engage the assistance of a number of food writers from around the world to showcase their talents on this blog during the month long tournament, preparing a dish representative of their respective countries, on a date upon which their country is actually playing a match. I have labelled this project, "The Unofficial World Cup of Food 2010."

Anyways, to make a long story short, I am representing England, competing against America on Saturday and I have created a real special dish for the occasion! I really put a lot of thought into it and I think it is something that screams England! I hope you'll all keep tuned to the event on Gordon's Page and also be sure to check in on Saturday to see exactly what I cooked up!

I love recipes which are quick to do and use things that I, generally speaking, have on hand most of the time. Things like tinned fruit,plain yoghurt, cream and chocolate covered biscuits.



I bet any one of you would probably have those things in your larder and fridge right now as well!



This recipe is so very versatile and the perfect recipe to have up your sleeve when un-expected company drops by. I have used apricots here, but you needen't limit yourself to apricots . . . fresh strawberries, lightly crushed . . . raspberries and blueberries . . . blackberries . . . tinned fruit cocktail, pears, peaches . . . you name it!!



I don't think there are too many fruits . . . tinned, frozen or fresh . . . that wouldn't be pretty tasty done up this way.



Likewise the biscuits. Any chocolate covered biscuit works . . . chocolate covered hobnobs, digestives . . . chocolate fingers . . . chocolate covered malt biscuits . . . any chocolate covered biscuit works very well!



Imagine punching your spoon down through a cinnamon sugar sprinkled creamy mixture of yoghurt and cream, stogged full of crisp chocolate covered biscuits . . . blanketing a layer of fruit.

Ohh mmmm . . . creamy and crunchy and rich and sweet.

Perfect . . . simply perfect.



*Cookies and Cream Dessert*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A quick dessert that is not only very easy to make, but uses things I normally have on hand. You don't have to use apricots with this. Try strawberries when they are in season or a mixture of berries. You can use chocolate coated hobnobs instead of chocolate covered digestives. Delicious! Please note that this dessert needs to be served as soon as it is made as it does not keep well.

411g tin of apricots in juice
(14 ounce)
284ml carton of extra thick double cream
(1 heaped cup ful)
200g carton of thick Greek Yoghurt
(1 heaped cupful)
10 chocolate covered biscuits
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 TBS demerara sugar
(Turbinado)

Drain the apricots, reserving half of the juice. Chop up in rough pieces and divide them between 4 dessert bowls. Spoon the reserved juice over top.

Whisk together the cream and yoghurt. Break up the biscuits into rough bits and then stir them into the cream/yoghurt mixture. Spoon over top of the fruit.

Mix together the sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over top of the cream mixture. Serve immediately.

The weather was so nice today we took ourselves off on a road trip into Wales . . . Prestatyn to be precise. (Pronounced Press Stat In) It is a lovely seaside town on the North coast of Wales . . .



When we lived up here before, we often went there on a warm day. It's not as commercialized as the other seasides and it doesn't get quite as busy.



There's a lovely beach that have a stretch of pavement that you can walk along for a very long ways. We do a bit of walking . . . a bit of paddling . . . and always stop for a drink and a treat.



Sometimes it's ice cream . . . seasides and ice cream go very well together. Other times its something else. Today we had a lovely slice of buttered Bara Brith. It was some good. I really must make us a loaf to enjoy at home sometime.



We like to go early in the day and then be back home before the roads and beach get too crowded. We got home early in the afternoon and I was able to bake Todd a lovely pie for a teatime treat. He's been ever so good this week, eating properly . . .



A treat once in a while can't do much harm can it? He had one slice and then I took the rest over to a friend, who very much appreciated it.



*Black Currant Plate Pie*
Makes one 10 inch plate pie
Printable Recipe

This is a Welsh recipe, known in Wales as cacen blât (literally 'plate cake'). Simple ingredients and very easy to make. Wonderful flavour. Serve warm with some thick cream for a real treat!

400g of black currants (about 1 pound)
200g of granulated sugar (1 cup)
sufficient pastry for a two crust pie
milk
Caster sugar to dust the top



Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/Gas mark 4. You will need a 10 inch oven proof plate.

Roll out half of the pastry into a circle large enough to cover the base of the plate. Top with the black currants, leaving an edge. Sprinnkle the sugar over top of all. Roll out the remaining pastry to cover. Dampen the edges and press them together. Trim and then crimp with a fork. Vent the top to allow steam to escape. Brush with a bit of milk and then sprinkle with some caster sugar. Place on a baking tray and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is done and the pie is nicely browned, with the fruit bubbling through the top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before cutting into wedges to serve.

Cream or vanilla ice cream are very good with this!

With the World Cup coming up very soon now, I thought it would be fun over the next little while to do a few things that might come in very handy for those nights when you are all gathered around the radio or the telly watching or listening to the games!!



Generally speaking, Todd and I are not big footie fans, but when it comes to the World Cup, we are just like anyone else. We like to fly the flag and support our Country! You should see the neigbourhood around here. It seems everyone is flying the flag!! In fact some homes are so covered in England Flags, you can't see the actual house!!



All the shops are full of England Flag Merchandise. You can even get England Flag afro wigs and Cowboy Hats down at the local Wilkensons!!! Now that's what I call really getting into it!! I may spring for one or two for Todd and myself, and if I do, I'll be sure to show you a picture!!



Football match food is highly specialized. It needs to be somewhat portable, appealing to men and kids, and fun, fun, FUN to eat!!



That's exactly what these Lasagna Buns are!!! Easy and quick to make, and oh so very delicious!! You can eat them with your hands, if you really want to get down to earth . . . or you can be a bit more civilized and eat them on a plate with a fork and knife!!



At the Table . . . Or in front of the telly . . . No matter which way you cut, or eat them though, they are sure to be very popular with the footie fans in your household!

Crisp bread shells holding all the elements of a delicious meaty lasagna. Ohhh soooo cheesy and rich and scrumdiddlyummy!!!



Please Note - One does not have to be a football fan to enjoy these. You just have to like Lasagna, bread . . . and FUN!



*Crusty Lasagna Buns*
Makes 8
Printable Recipe

Crisp hollowed out crusty rolls filled with a mixture of a delicious meat sauce and a variety of cheeses, and then baked until the cheese is ooey gooey and scrumdiddlyumptious!!

8 round crusty rolls
350g of extra lean ground beef
1 small jar of pasta sauce
(your favourite kind. I like one with a gutsy flavour such as an
arrabatia or a puttanesca)
garlic powder to taste
2 tsp of dried oregano
2 tsp of dried basil
1 tsp onion powder
pinch of cloves
salt and black pepper to taste
250g packet of ricotta cheese
8 ounces strong cheddar cheese grated
8 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese

Cut a thin slice off of the top of each bun. Hollow out the centres, leaving a 1/4 inch thick shell. (Discard the centres and tops, or feed to birds, or make breadcrumbs with them and put them in the freezer.)

Brown the ground beef in a hot skillet, cooking and mashing with a fork until it is nicely browned. Stir in the garlic powder, oregano, basil, onion powder, cloves, salt, pepper and pasta sauce. Allow to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes over low heat until flavours meld.

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark4.

Mix together the ricotta cheese with half of the cheddar cheese and half of the Mozzarella cheese, and all of the Parmesan.. Stir together well.

Place the hollowed out buns on a shallow baking tray. Divide the meat sauce between them. Top with equal amounts of the cheese mixture. Cover loosely with foil and then pop into the heated oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the foil and top with the remaining cheese and then bake for another 5 minutes or so, or pop under a hot grill for 3 to 4 minutes.

Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Delicious!

!!!WINNER winner WINNER winner WINNER winner WINNER!!!

I used a Random Number Generator at Random dot org to draw a winner of the Cookery Book celebrating my one year bloggiversary. It picked Number 9. Pat, you are my lucky winner!! So send me your details and I'll pop the cookbook into the post for you post haste. I wish I knew how to show you all the number generator so you know it's no fooling, but I am sadly lacking in technical saavy. If anyone can tell me how to do it, I'd appreciate it muchly so that next time I can show you the number in real time! I wish I could give everyone a cookbook, but alas . . . I am still waiting to win the lottery . . .

The next time you have company for the weekend that you want to easily impress . . . or even if you are just looking for something special to thoroughly spoil the Mr and the kidlets with for a change . . . try out these.

Delectably scrummy Sour Cherry and Almond Breakfast Buns.



Tasty little breakfast cakes, composed of a light almond flavoured rich cream cheese batter, with little pockets of sour cherry jam throughout and a crunchy topping of toasted almonds.

Can you say M-O-R-E-I-S-H???



It is pretty difficult to say with a mouth full of scrumptious cake, jam and toasted nuts . . . but . . . you can do it if you really try . . .



Served barely warm, these are heavenly to say the least . . .



Even cold they are pretty delectable . . .



I'd wager to say a couple of days old, toasted and crumpled into a bowl with lashings of cream . . .
they'd be even better . . . hmmmm . . . do ya think????



Naaahhh . . . they'll never last that long. Ohhhh baby . . .



*Sour Cherry and Almond Breakfast Buns*
Makes Printable Recipe

These are very moist muffins with lovely sour cherry preserves swirled throughout and a crunchy almond topping.

245g plain flour (1 3/4 cups)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
8 ounces cream cheese (1/2 pound)
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup)
200g caster sugar (1 cup)
2 large free range eggs, at room temperature
2 ounces milk (1/4 cup)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract

Topping:
125g sour cherry conserve (approx 1/2 cup)
4 TBS flaked almonds
Sifted icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/Gas mark4. Grease and flour 9 large muffin cups. (I use a Texas size muffin pan and a couple ramekins)

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Set aside. Stir together the milk and extracts.

Cream together the cream cheese, butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Whisk in the dry ingredients, alternately with the milk. Spoon into the prepared pans, filling them about 2/3 full. Drop three small dollops of jam on the top of each, trying not to touch the sides. Swirl through the batter with a round bladed knife. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until well risen and when the top springs back when lightly touched. Remove from the oven. Let stand in the pan for about 5 minutes or so before removing. They will fall a bit, but that's ok! Allow to cool for about half an hour before sprinkling the tops with sifted icing sugar and serving. Delicious!

Todd and I work pretty hard most days of the week. Wednesday is usually the day we take off though, to do things that we enjoy doing . . . usually together.

This Wednesday was no different. We decided to take ourselves up to the Cheshire Oaks Outlet Mall and just have a look around.



Wow, that place is big. Much larger than I remember it being, although I know that isn't so . . . tis the same size it's always been . . . although we did get lost on the way there . . . and, I'm ashamed to admit, on the way back as well . . . but . . . that's a whole 'nother story . . .



There is everything you could ever hope to dream of in that mall, including a lovely kitchen kitsch store, which I managed to get the most fantastic pepper grinder in. It's called the CrushGrind and it's probably the best pepper grinder I have ever come across . . . the truth, no lie! (and no, I didn't get given one to say that, I had to buy one for myself, although to be sure if they did offer to give me one, I'd deffo take it!)



Anyways, we walked til we dropped and then came back home. I had some rhubarb I needed to use up and I baked a pie. A delicious rhubarb custard pie, one of my absolute favourites ever in this whole wide world. Tart and sweet and incredibly moreishly scrummy. (Yes scrummy is a word.)

Isn't that what everyone does when they have worn themselves out window shopping???



I should have waited longer to cut it . . . but . . . in my defence, if you bake this pie and then taste it, you will know without a doubt why I couldn't wait! (What can I say . . . I'm a glutton . . . meh!)



*Rhubarb Custard Pie*
Makes one 9 inch pie
Printable Recipe

Something deliciously different to do with that glut of rhubarb that is taking over your garden.

short crust pastry to fill a 9 inch pie dish, or
my incredibly easy pat in the pan pastry (see my recipe below)
400g diced rhubarb
(about 3 cups)
100g of caster sugar
(1/2 cup)
2 TBS corn flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 large free range eggs
6 ounces golden syrup (3/4 cup)
1 TBS butter, melted

Either roll out the pie crust to fit your dish, 1/8 of an inch thick and leaving a one inch overhang, or make the recipe as below. If making shortcrust fold the excess dough under and crimp the edges. Chill for half an hour.

If you are making the recipe for the pat in the pan dough, make as instructed and then pat the dough into the dish with your fingers, first along the sides of the pie pan and then across the bottom. Flute the edged decoratively.

Preheat the oven to 230*C/450*F/gas mark 8.

Place the chopped rhubarb into the prepared pie shell. Whisk together the sugar, cornflour and salt. Mix in the egg, beating it in well, and then stir in the golden syrup and the melted butter. Mix well. Pour this evenly over top of the rhubarb in the prepared shell. Bake in the heated oven for 15 minutes. Decrease the oven heat to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4 and bake for 30 to 40 more minutes, until the crust is nicely browned and the rhubarb is tender. Remove from the oven to a wire rack and cool until the pie is firmed up, about 45 minutes, before serving. Delicious!!



*Pat in the Pan Pie Crust*
Makes enough for one 9 inch pie
Printable Recipe

This is so simple and easy to do and makes an incredibly short, flakey and crisp crust. Works well for any single crust pie. You do not need to roll it out.

210g of plain flour
(1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 tsp caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 ounces vegetable oil
(1/2 cup)
3 TBS cold milk

Whisk the flour, sugar and salt together in a bowl. Beat the cooking oil and the cold milk together with a fork until it turns quite creamy. Pour all at once into the flour mixture and mix together completely, using the fork, until all the dry mixture is evenly moistened. Pat the mixture into your pie dish with your fingertips, first covering the sides and then the bottom, patting it in evenly. Flute the edges as desired.

You may now fill the shell. If you require a baked pie shell, preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/gas mark 7. Prick it all over with a fork. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Check frequently to make sure it is not overbrowning.

If you are baking the filling in the shell, fill the shell as per the recipe and continue as directed.

Oh, it is a cold and rainy day . . . blustery . . . the kind of day that would have Pooh scrambling around with his umbrella, complaining to Piglet . . . I can almost hear his voice.

Whatever happened to spring . . . here we are in June and it still feels like April. Nevermind . . . the warm sunny days will be with us soon enough and then we will be complaining it is too hot!!




Best to take advantage of the last of the cool days and cook something comforting and wholesome . . . satisfying. Something that can simmer on the back of the stove for several hours while I escape into a book . . .



This tasty Chicken simmer fits the bill perfectly. It needs very little attention and is so very delicious when it is done. People will think that you have been slaving all day over it . . . when in reality you just basically banged everything into a pan and then let the pan do the hard work . . .



Okay, so it was a little more work than that, but not much . . . and boy oh boy, is it ever good. This had my Todd smacking his lips. This is the kind of dish that you don't mind having leftovers of . . .



You just know they are going to taste even better the day after . . . next time I will double it. Adapted from the cookery book, easy everyday, simple recipes for no-fuss food.



*Chicken and Barley Simmer*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is the kind of meal that basically cooks itself. Long simmering produces deliciously tender chicken, well flavoured and satisfying.

2 TBS wholemeal flour
500g skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed (4 large single breasts)
100g lean streaky bacon, cut into strips (six rashers)
(I like to use the dry cure)
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 sticks of celery, trimmed and chopped
750-900 ml of white wine or chicken stock (3 to 4 cups)
3 TBS pearl barley, rinsed
1 TBS freshly chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, sage, thyme, basil, plus extra to serve
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Season the chicken chunks with some salt and black pepper. Dredge in the flour. Heat a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and dry fry for several minutes, about 5, stirring frequently, until the fat starts to run. Add the chicken and saute for 5 to 8 minutes, turning rrequently, until the chicken is seared all over. Add the onions, carrots, celery and 4 TBS of wine or stock. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the barley, herbs and 2 cups of the stock or wine, or a mixture of both. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about one hour, adding more stock as needed.

Check after an hour and add more stock if need be, then cover and continue to simmer for an additonal half an hour. Stir occasionally and add stock as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Sprinkle with some more chopped herbs to serve, accompanied with a selection of your favourite vegetables.

We had this with some steamed new potatoes along with some carrots and cauliflower which I had also steamed and roasted asparagus. It is delicious!