On Monday evening we had guests over for dinner. Nothing special . . . just soup, salad and raclette. (Raclette is to the 21st century what the fondue was to the 20th!)
I did an Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with fennel which was lovely. I didn't get any pictures though . . . sigh . . .
That's the problem when you have dinner guests. One feels almost awkward asking them to wait while you do photos . . . and so . . . I don't, and wish that I had!!
The salad was a lovely Greek Salad, with lots of olives, cucumbers, peppers, red onions, tomatoes, baby gems and feta cheese in a tasty Greek dressing.
Raclette, what can I say . . . grilled chopped vegetables and meats, bathed in melted cheese and dumped over steamed new potatoes. Yum!
After all that though, I thought we would need something light for dessert. Light doesn't have to mean boring or tasteless though . . . Possets fit the bill perfectly.
I often make Lemon Possets for dessert when we have guests for dinner. They have to be the quickest and easiest dessert to make ever.
You will never find a better dessert for ease of preparation that pays such huge dividends in taste department.
It's smooth and delicious. It's rich. It's not overly filling.
A little goes a long way, and it always goes down a real treat! It's also a recipe that is very easy to double or triple with great success!
I wanted something slightly different this time though, than the usual lemon, so I decided to do a lime posset.
Nothing unusual there . . . but add a Tablespoon of ginger syrup and some chopped preserved ginger on the top and you have created a real gem of a dinner party dessert.
Oh my . . . this was fabulous. I don't know why I never thought of it before? Ginger and lime go very well together. It was creamy and rich.
The lime gave it just enough tartness to counteract the sweet flavour of the sweetened cream . . . and the ginger a sweet heat, with a tiny bit of crunch atop all that creamy deliciousness!
Mmmm . . . sometimes I even surprise myself! This is a new favourite in the Rayner household!
It doesn't really get much easier than this. I promise you.
Lime and Ginger Posset
Yield: 4
Cook time: 5 MinInactive time: 2 HourTotal time: 2 H & 5 M
Quick, easy, rich, silky and delicious. The perfect dinner party dessert! It;s a great make ahead as well, so you can plan with confidence. You will need at least 2 hours for it to set up.
Ingredients
- 400ml of double cream (a generousl 1 3/4 cups)
- 8 TBS caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 5 TBS of lime juice, plus the finely grated zest of two limes
- 1 TBS ginger syrup, from a jar of preserved ginger
- 1 knob of preserved ginger
Instructions
- Have 4 dessert glasses ready.
- Place the cream and sugar into a saucepan. Bring just to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium and boil briskly for 2 1/2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove from the heat. Whisk in the lime juice and most of the lime zest, reserving some for the garnish. Whisk in the ginger syrup.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the 4 glasses. Place into the refrigerator and chill for at least two hours.
- When you are ready to serve, chop the knob of ginger coarsely into small bits. Mix together with the grated lime zest and sprinkle some on top of each pudding.
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I can hear you all scratching your heads now and thinking that I have lost my marbles . . . I mean, really . . . Spaghetti on Toast??? What ever will I do next!
There are times however when nothing else will do . . . this is the ultimate comfort food . . . nursery food that brings us back to the bosom of our mum's and home sweet homes . . .
Perhaps you've had a rough day at work, or had a bit of bad news. Maybe you're just feeling downright lazy . . .
Or . . . and this is a real biggie . . . maybe you just get a hankering every once in a while for good old spaghetti from a tin! It's absolutely not gourmet . . . it's definitely not al dente . . . heck it's probably not even a real tomato sauce! Sometimes you just don't care! You just gotta do what you gotta do!
Most people over here just dump a tin of heated spaghetti over top of some toast, but you know me . . . I can't leave well enough alone and I just have to pimp it . . . I can't help myself!
When I was a kid, the biggest treat my mother could make for us for our tea was hotdogs and tinned spaghetti. We loved it! We didn't have it very often, but when we did we were over the moon. We didn't have it with toast either . . . we always just had it with buttered bread. But you know the British . . . they love their toast and they love to put things on it, and not just marmalade either!
Try it. You might even like it! (Nigella might even be tempted to sneak down the stairs in her dressing gown and indulge in this one! Do ya think??)
*Spaghetti On Toast*
for two
Printable Recipe
This is comfort food, plain and simple, with my added twist of course!
1 large tin of Spaghetti in tomato sauce
(I like Heinz)
1/2 package of smoked frankfurters
4 slices of toasted bread, buttered (your choice, wheat or white)
a good grinding of black pepper
a handful of grated strong cheddar cheese
No need for genius here. Slice the frankfurters into coins and brown them in a skillet. Dump on the tin of spaghetti and heat through while you make your toast. Place the buttered toast onto two warm plates. Divide the spaghetti mixture between both plates, covering the toast. Grind some black pepper on top and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Serve immediately.
And of course only one thing would do for afters . . .
Yep . . . Creamed Rice.
(Todd is still suffering from his tooth ailment and so soft foods are still in order.)
One day last week, Gemma from Phipps PR company contacted me to see if I would like to receive a free "Gravy in a Box" kit from British Onions. She didn't have to ask me twice.
By the way, did you notice the nifty spoon I used for stirring this tasty dish?? Isn't it lovely? I just adore it. The people at Shrewd PR send me a sampling of some really nice Tovolo Silicone Utensils to try out!
I love onions, and I love gravy, and I really love onion gravy! I was told the box would arrive within a couple of days and true to their word it was at my doorstep by Friday afternoon.
What a lovely and surprisingly heavy box it was too, containing everything a person would need to make a tasty onion gravy! Inside was a good kilo or more of a tasty looking selecton of red and brown onions, plus some other goodies . . .
a tasty jar of Marmite, proper old-fashioned tomato ketchup by Wilkin & Sons, good old Colman's English Mustard, Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce, and Mushroom Ketchup . . . one of my favourite all time ingredients to be sure! (It's kind of like Worcestershire sauce, but with a uniquely different and delicious flavour.)
Onion gravy is something we often have with our favourite Sausage and Mash, and of course Toad in the Hole. It's also a pretty key ingredient in an old fashioned Cottage Pie, coz as anyone worth their onions knows . . . a Cottage Pie is only as good as it's gravy!
I think the secret to a good gravy is using good ingredients to begin with . . . a well flavoured stock, tasty savouries, and good onions . . . well caramelized until soft and sweet and scrummily tasty.
I like to brown my meat really well for a cottage pie . . . there's something about the sticky brown bits in the bottom of the pan that adds even more flavour to the gravy you know . . . just don't let them burn . . .
I use a butchers extra lean quality minced beef and I scramble fry it in a lightly greased pan, on medium high until nice a colour begins to appear, and then I add a nice knob of butter.
That adds a nice richness. It is only then that I add my onions and leeks . . . the caramelize to a melting sweetness in that butter and flavour the meat really well.
A tasty splash of Worcestershire, some mushroom ketchup, a few savoury herbs and a dollop of ketchup and you are well on your way to a very tasty dish.
Of course it helps to simmer the meat sauce for a while so that the flavours really develop.
You don't have to top your pie with potato cobbles . . . but . . . they do make it look very pretty, and a bit more interesting than mash. My husband always says my Cottage Pie is the best he's ever tasted . . .
And who am I to argue with that logic!!!
And who am I to argue with that logic!!!
Thanks to Gemma and British Onions for this tasty box. I am sure to make a few more gravies out of it as well, so stay tuned!
This may be the most delicious Cottage Pie you've ever eaten and I don't make that claim lightly!
500g of extra lean ground beef (1 1/4 pounds)
olive oil spray
a knob of butter
1 large leek, split, washed and thinly sliced
1 small onion, peeled and minced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp mixed dried herbs (thyme, summer savoury, marjoram)
1 bay leaf
2 dessert spoonful's of tomato ketchup
a good splash of worchestershire sauce
a good splash of mushroom ketchup
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 TBS plain flour
500ml of beef stock (2 cups)
(can use stock made from marmite)
2 cups of cooked cubed vegetables (carrots, swede, peas, beans etc.)
To top:
8 medium new potatoes, washed, unpeeled and cut into thick slices (about 1/3 inch)
a bit of melted butter
a handful of grated strong cheddar cheese
fine seasalt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Spray a large nonstick pan with some cooking spray. Add the beef and scramble fry, cooking until it is no longer pink and any liquid is totally evaporated.
olive oil spray
a knob of butter
1 large leek, split, washed and thinly sliced
1 small onion, peeled and minced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp mixed dried herbs (thyme, summer savoury, marjoram)
1 bay leaf
2 dessert spoonful's of tomato ketchup
a good splash of worchestershire sauce
a good splash of mushroom ketchup
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 TBS plain flour
500ml of beef stock (2 cups)
(can use stock made from marmite)
2 cups of cooked cubed vegetables (carrots, swede, peas, beans etc.)
To top:
8 medium new potatoes, washed, unpeeled and cut into thick slices (about 1/3 inch)
a bit of melted butter
a handful of grated strong cheddar cheese
fine seasalt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Spray a large nonstick pan with some cooking spray. Add the beef and scramble fry, cooking until it is no longer pink and any liquid is totally evaporated.
Add the knob of butter and continue to cook, until it begins to turn golden brown in places. Add the leek, onion, garlic, and herbs. Cover and cook over low heat until the vegetables are wilted. Sprinkle with the flour, stirring to mix it in well and then stir in the beef stock, bay leaf, tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and mushroom ketchup.
Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until nice and thick. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Pour into the bottom of a shallow casserole dish, removing the bay leaf and discarding. Top with the cooked vegetables.
Place the potatoes into a pot of boiling lightly salted water to cover. Cook until crispy tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain well.
Preheat the oven to 18-*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Lay the potatoe slices over top of the meat and vegetables in the casserole. Brush with a bit of melted butter. Season with some salt and black pepper. Sprinkle the cheese over top and then bake in the heated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until the filling is nicely bubbling and the potatoes are lightly browned and cheese melted.
Place the potatoes into a pot of boiling lightly salted water to cover. Cook until crispy tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain well.
Preheat the oven to 18-*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Lay the potatoe slices over top of the meat and vegetables in the casserole. Brush with a bit of melted butter. Season with some salt and black pepper. Sprinkle the cheese over top and then bake in the heated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until the filling is nicely bubbling and the potatoes are lightly browned and cheese melted.
By the way, did you notice the nifty spoon I used for stirring this tasty dish?? Isn't it lovely? I just adore it. The people at Shrewd PR send me a sampling of some really nice Tovolo Silicone Utensils to try out!
I really like them . . . there was a couple of nice spatulas and this fabulous slotted spoon. It's now my favourite spoon! It's very sturdy and I love the colour! I'll be on the look out for more of their products as I am very impressed!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
Saturday afternoons . . . a relaxing time that usually finds me in my kitchen, experimenting and puttering to the dulcet tones of Rod Stewart and the American Songbook. (I love those albums!)
We usually skip lunch, and eat our dinner mid-afternoon, complete with a tasty pudding . . . kind of like at Christmas, but without the gifts and crackers . . . it usually holds us through until Sunday morning with maybe only a snack of cheese and toast in the evening or something similar . . .
January Saturdays call for comfort meals . . . warm and filling . . . and stodgy puddings equally as comforting!
Stodgy doesn't mean awful though . . . it usually means rich and deliciously tasty. Puddings such as this fabulous version of a Sticky Toffee Pudding, using the wonderfully rich sweet flavours of Maple Syrup, creamy dates and crunchy toasted macadamia nuts.
With it's scrummily moreish Maple Cream Sauce, this is a pudding fit to please even the most jaded palate! I dare anyone not to like it!! How could it ever get any better than this????
Well . . . ahem . . . lashings of cream do add an additional layer of scruminess.
This is bliss . . . gooey stick maple puddings, moistly filled with dates, topped with baked on and buttery maple syrupy toasted nuts, sitting in a pool of maple cream and then drizzled with cold cream . . . whilst Rod Stewart warbles in the background. Ahhh . . .
This is Sticky Toffee Pudding . . . but pimped to the n'th degree!! It doesn't get any better than this!!
*Sticky Maple Nut Puddings*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe
The smell of this baking is enough to send everyone in to the kitchen to ask what's for dessert! Gooey sticky maple and macadamia nut topped date puddings, served with a moreish toffee sauce and of course cream. Why not! (You may want to double the sauce!)
80g of soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup packed)
150g of unsalted butter, softened (a scant 3/4 cup)
170ml of pure maple syrup (2/3 cup)
70g macadamia nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (1/2 cup)
185g of chopped pitted dates (1 cup)
185ml boiling water (3/4 cup)
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 large free range eggs
60g plain flour (1/2 cup)
60g self raising flour (1/2 cup)
Sauce:
90ml of double cream (1/3 cup)
2 TBS pure maple syrup
25g of unsalted butter (2 TBS)
Pouring Cream to serve
Preheat the oven to 180*C/ 350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter 6 8-ounce ramekins. Cut out parchment paper circles to fit into the bottoms and line each of them with a circle. Place on a baking tray and set aside.
Measure out 2 TBS of the brown sugar. Cream together with 60g (2 14 ounces) of the butter and half of the maple syrup. Spoon into the bottoms of the cups. Evenly sprinkle each with an equal portion of the chopped nuts.
Place the dates in a saucepan with the water. Bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the soda. Let sit for about 10 minutes, before beating with a spoon to break up the dates until almost smooth. Beat in the butter and then the eggs, one at a time. Sift together the flours and then stir them into the date mixture. Divide this batter evenly amongst the cups.
Bake in the heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool for five minutes before inverting into 6 pudding bowls. Peel the paper off carefully.
In the meantime, combine the cream, syrup and butter for the sauce in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 5 minutes until slightly thickend. Spoon the warm sauce around the puddings and serve with some pouring cream..
As you all must know by now, I live in Chester, which is right on the doorstep of Wales. In fact, the Welsh border is but a five minute walk from my home. I love that, coz I love Wales!! It's beautiful, quaint and very rustically rural in many places.
When we lived in Kent and wanted to go to the seaside we would go to either Hastings or Eastbourned and we loved them. Up here we like to go to Prestatyn, which is not as big as the more popular seasides, but again . . . it's not as crowded either. Down in Kent I would have opted for chips or ice cream as a seaside treat . . . but here in Wales, it's Bara Brith . . . EVERY time!
Also known as "Speckled Bread," Bara Brith can either be a yeast bread enriched with dried fruit or something like a quick bread/cake made with self-rising flour. Traditionally using vine fruits and candied peel, it involves soaking the fruit mixture overnight in hot tea. I generally always opt for the quick bread/cake one as it stores a lot longer, whereas the yeast version needs to be eaten pretty much right away.
This particular version is very low in fat as well, as there is no butter involved at all in it's creation . . .which leaves one free to totally indulge in spreading it with lots of cold butter when it's warm from the oven, or when it's cold for that matter, with a clear conscience!!
Bara Brith and a hot cup of tea, herbal or otherwise. It's a good thing.
*Bara Brith*
Makes one 2 pound loaf
Printable Recipe
The quick bread version of a traditional Welsh cake using whole wheat flour, vine fruits, chopped peel and soft brown sugar. Low in fat, high in pleasure. Eat sliced and spread with softened butter. Delicious! Plan ahead as the fruit needs to soak overnight.
4 ounces dried currents (1 scant cup)
2 ounces raisins (1 scant half cup)
2 ounces chopped mixed peel (1/3 cup)
(chop your own)
400ml of hot strong tea (1 3/4 cup approx.)
12 ounces self raising whole wheat flour (3 cups)
4 ounces of soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup packed)
1 large free range egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp mixed spice ( a blend of sweet spices, see column on right side of page)
Weight your fruit out and place it into a bowl. Cover with the hot tea and leave to sit overnight.
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 5. Butter a 2 pound loaf tin and line with baking paper. Butter the paper.
Whisk together the flour, brown sugar and mixed spice in a bowl. Drain the fruit, reserving the soaking juices. Stir this into the flour mixture to coat. Add the beaten egg and enough of the soaking liquid to make a soft batter. Spread into the prepared pan, evening off the top.
Bake for 45 minutes, until risen and firm to the touch. A toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean. Remove from the oven to a wire rack to cool. Allow to cool for ten minutes in the pan before removing to finish cooling completely. Store in an airtight container.
I was thrilled when I went to download some photos off my camera this afternoon and lo and behold there were my omelet pictures from yesterday! Hallelujah!
I was so bummed out when I thought I had lost them. This Bread and Cheese Omelet was a real gem and I had really wanted to share it with you all, now . . . not two weeks from now or whenever I felt like making and eating an omelet again one day . . .
One of the things I fell in love with when I came over here was the concept of Fried Bread. Oh, no . . . tis not very good for you. You can imagine how much fat a slice of bread absorbs when you deep fry it . . . but the taste, when it's done properly, is amazing.
There used to be a little cafe in Chester when I first moved over here all those years ago that served this amazing fried bread with it's breakfasts. I could never turn it down when asked if I wanted it . . . oh-so-bad for you but impossible to resist.
This recipe takes the idea of fried bread and makes it just a tiny bit healthier for you. For one, it's not deep fried, but lightly sauteed in a bit of butter. For two, it's not whole slices, but tasty, crisp and buttery little cubes . . .
If you really wanted to be healthy you could use whole wheat bread, but hey, it's fried bread folks . . . it's supposed to be at least a bit indulgent!
I suppose when you combine these buttery little crisp cubes of fried bread with beaten eggs and luciously rich and sharp cheddar cheese in an omelet, that's as fluffy and tasty as it is beautiful . . .you're not really talking health or weight conscious here, but then again . . . who cares!
Once in a while an indulgent treat is just what we need. The recipe is for one omelet, but you can make as many as you like, by increasing the amount of ingredients. I made two, one for me and one for Todd. I doubled everything, cooked all the bread cubes together and then did individual omelets, one at a time, keeping the first one warm in the oven while I cooked the second one.
The Toddster had a bit of an accident with his teeth the other day though . . . he couldn't have any salad with his. I just sliced some ripe soft avocado and tomatoes, and stuffed his with that, as well as the fried bread and cheese. He was one happy camper! Yeaaahhh baby! (I'm such a good wife!)
*Bread and Cheese Omelet*
Serves 1
Printable recipe
Simple supper fare. All you need is a salad to complete this tasty meal. Fluffy and delicious!
a little butter
1 thick slice of farmhouse style bread
(remove crusts and cut into 1/2 inch cubes)
2 large free range eggs
1 TBS cold water
dash of white pepper
salt to taste
1 spring onion, finely chopped
2 TBS grated strong cheddar cheese
Melt a knob of butter in a small frying pan. Add the bread and cook, stirring occasionally until golden and crispy brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to some paper toweling and keep warm.
Beat the eggs with a little cold water, some white pepper and some of the onion. Melt some more butter in the heated pan. Once it begins to foam, tip in the egg mixture. Add the fried bread and grated cheese. Cook gently until set, and the bottom is lightly browned. Fold in half and slide onto a warm dish. Garnish with a bit more chopped onion if desired.
I was all prepared to show you a rather tasty omelet that I prepared for our tea tonight, but somehow, I ended up deleting all but one, not so tasty looking, photo from my camera when I was downloading them to my computer! Frustrating, but true.
It was such a delicious omelet too. Fried bread and cheese and chopped spring onions, which I served along with a tasty avocado and greens salad. Sigh . . . You'll just have to take my word for it and know that it was very good. I'll have to make it again and take some more pictures another time. I know, it's a hard job, but someone has to do it! (rather tasty job too!)
Instead here today you will find a delicious Chicken Casserole that I cooked for us the other night. Not only is it a complete dawdle to make, but it makes an excellent use for leftover cooked chicken. (Thank goodness I always keep a few things in reserve for just such a moment!)
It also uses very simple ingredients that most of us usually have on hand. Make sure you use baked croutons. Fried ones would be too greasy. You could also use broken crackers, stuffing crumbs, or leftover cooked plain pasta just so long as you keep the proportions the same.
You can also vary it by adding some chopped peppers along with the celery for even more colour as well as some sauteed mushrooms. This is great for making ahead of time. Just cover and store in the refrigerator, bringing it to room temperature before baking.
*Chicken Casserole*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe
This was surprisingly yummy, and made good use of my leftover chicken from the other day and a few bits and bobs from the cupboard.
4 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups baked croutons
12 ounces shredded strong cheddar cheese
2/3 cup of good quality mayonnaise
4 ounces milk
4 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 a small onion, peeled and chopped fine
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 2 litre casserole dish. Set aside.
Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and give them a good mix together. Spoon into the prepared casserole. Bake for 40 minutes, or until bubbling, heated through and beginning to brown on top. Serve with a nice salad on the side.
Note - You may add 1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds or walnuts if you wish.
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