We had the missionaries over for supper today and I thought I would revisit a few old favourites. I don't think I've ever posted them on this page though, so you're in for a real treat!

I love Roast Chicken and so does Todd. I have pretty much perfected the way I roast a chicken now and this is the way I basically do it every time with little variation. Of course beginning with a really good quality chicken is half the battle! (This is where you really do get what you pay for.)

I always use a free range, corn fed (if possible) chicken and I rub it all over with butter and slip garlic underneath the skin of the breast along with a few herbs.



I squeeze lemon juice over all, salt and pepper and bake it on a bed of lemon slices. I throw the spent squeezed lemon into the chicken along with some more garlic and some thyme, and sometimes another knob of butter, some salt and pepper.

End result a deliciously tasty and moist Roast Chicken, with crisp skin and meltingly tender meat. (Can you believe I have never yet been able to get a really tasty looking picture of Roast Chicken? I know! It should be so simple, but it's not!)



*Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Nothing is more comforting than a delicious dinner of Roast Chicken and vegetables. Crisp skin on the outside, and succulent, flavourful, tender and juicy meat on the inside. This is my way of achieving just that. Lemon and Garlic bring out the best in chicken. The three just go together like peas and carrots!

1 medium sized roasting chicken, about 2 kg in weight
2 unwaxed lemons
3 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
3 TBS butter
3 sprigs of thyme
Sea Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
A drizzle of olive oil

Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Take one of the lemons and slice very thinly. Place half of the slices in the bottom of a heavy roasting pan along with half of the sliced garlic. Set aside while you prepare the chicken.

Wash the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. Season it well inside with salt and pepper. Loosen the skin over the chicken breasts with your fingers, being very careful not to tear it. Push a few slices of the sliced lemon in under the skin on each side along with some of the remaining garlic slices, 1 TBS of butter and a sprig of thyme. Put the rest of the lemon, the last TBS of butter and a sprig of thyme into the cavity of the chicken. Place the whole chicken on top of the sliced lemon and garlic in the roasting pan. Dust the whole thing with some salt and pepper and drizzle with some olive oil. Place in the heated oven.

Roast, uncovered for approximately 45 minutes per kg, or until the juices run clear when pierced with a fork. Baste the chicken every fifteen minutes after the first half hour has passed with the pan juices.

Remove from the oven and let it sit to rest for about 10 to 15 minutes before serving. If you wish you can skim off all the fat from the pan and make a delicious gravy with the juices that are left behind.

To make a gravy: Skim off all the fat from the pan, except for about 2 TBS. Add several TBS of flour to the remaining drippings and any juices from the chicken. Stir until smooth, and cook over medium heat for about a minute. Slowly pour in 2 cups of heated chicken stock, stirring until it is thickened and smooth. Taste for seasoning. Serve.



To go with the Roast Chicken, along with the traditional roast spuds and veg I did a delicious Old Fashioned Pea Salad. I love this salad.



It's chock full of tender baby peas and crisp iceberg lettuce . . . savoury cheese and crispy bacon . . . a tiny bit of red onion . . .



The dressing is a simple one . . . a mayo vinaigrette, with a bit of a sweet and sour tang. It goes so very well on the salad. I think this is everyone's favourite around here. They always lick the bowl clean!



*Old Fashioned Pea Salad*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A delicious salad with lettuce, peas, red onions, cheese and bacon, all in a tangy mayo vinaigrette.

1 cup of frozen petit peas, thawed
(Pour boiling water over them, let sit for a few minutes, and then drain)
1/2 head of iceberg lettuce, chopped into squares
1 very small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 ounces of cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
4 slices of bacon, cooked until crisp and then crumbled

For the dressing:
1 TBS of white wine vinegar
3 TBS of a fruity olive oil
1 TBS good quality mayonnaise
1 tsp white sugar, or to taste
1/2 tsp dill weed
salt and black pepper to taste

First make the dressing. Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings as required. Set aside.

Mix all the salad ingredients together in a bowl. When you are ready to serve, drizzle the dressing over top and toss. Serve immediately.

What a completely miserable yukky day!! It's windy and rainy and not nice at all. Not fit for man nor beast as the Toddster would say . . . a bit depressing wot!

Just the perfect day for a fruity pudding . . . served up all warm and stodgy from the oven.



This is one I found in the Good Granny Cookbook, by Jane Fearnley Wittingstall. This is a favourite book of mine. It's chock full of traditional, family friendly and delicious recipes. Our kind of food.



No pretention. Just plain and simple ingredients presented in a plain and simple way. Tried and true's of a Granny. Wholesome and delicious.



Just the kind of food for a rainy day. Comforting and tasty. This pudding apparently is a Devonshire favourite! That's probably why they recommend Clotted Cream to be served with it.



Mmmm . . . you can't beat a buttery pudding, filled with tart apples and sweet blackberries (my addition) topped with a healthy dollop of rich clotted cream. This was like a little ray of sunshine on a very cloudy and miserable day. It can rain any day it wants to if this is waiting at the end of it all! (ok, maybe not every day.)



*Apple and Blackberry In and Out*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Apparently this is a real favourite in Devon when made with just apples. I added Blackberries because they taste good, and they always look so pretty when paired with apples.

8 ounces self raising flour (2 cups)
4 ounces shredded beef suet (1/2 cup Can use grated ice cold butter instead)
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
a large handful of blackberries
1/2 pint of milk (about 1 1/4 cups)

I had a molar pulled this afternoon and am not feeling that great tonight. I am sure glad that I got a good dinner in before I went to the Dentist, because I sure wouldn't be able to get one in at the moment . . . I want ice cream, maybe . . . or soup.



In any case I had enough forethought to make us a good dinner for our noon meal today. A tasty tray bake of beautiful free range pork chops and a beautiful mixture of roasted root vegetables . . .



Potatoes from our garden . . . the skins left on, all golden and earthily crispy, sweet carrots, from out garden as well . . . oh so sweetly caramelized along with some red onions, which were sweet and sticky . . . sweet potatoes, earthy and sweet and . . . swede (rutabaga), roasted until they, too, were sweetly caramelized and golden brown.



The pork seasoned and then browned until golden also, and then finished off in the oven . . .roasted til done . . . but still moist and oh so delicious.



The two together, simply heavenly . . . one might think that it couldn't get any better than this . . . but . . . you should really know me better than that by now . . .



I added a sweet and tangy Apple Relish . . . apples, celery, mint, basil, apple cider balsamic vinegar, olive oil . . . heaven . . . bliss . . . oh so moreishly good.



This was dinner today, and I have a feeling that it will be dinner again . . . very soon.



*Pork and Roots Traybake with an Apple Relish*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A one pan meal that is delicious. Crispy roasted vegetables. Tender moist chops and a sweet and tangy relish that goes very well with it all!

1.2 kg of an assortment of root vegetables (about 3 pounds)
(Swede, carrots, sweet potatoes, red onions, potatoes, etc.)
4 TBS olive oil
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
paprika to taste
1/2 tsp summer savoury
4 rindless pork loin chips, about 1 inch thick

For the Relish:
5 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1 stick of celery, trimmed and finely diced
1/2 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and finely diced
2 tsp apple balsamic vinegar
pinch caster sugar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 TBS chopped fresh basil leaves
1 TBS chopped fresh mint leaves

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 6. Peel and chop your vegetables. (Peel and cut the carrots in half crosswise and then in half lengthwise, cut the swede into long slices the size of your fingers, cut the potatoes and sweet potatoes into large chinks, (no need to peel) peel onions, and cut into wedges). Place into a roasting pan. Toss with the olive oil, salt, pepper, summer savoury and paprika to coat. Spread out and then roast in the heated oven for about 35, minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. They should be well on their way to golden.

Heat a large nonstick frying pan that you have sprayed with some nonstick cooking spray. Season the chops with salt, pepper and summer savoury. Brown well on all sides in the heated frying pan, browning the fat as well. Place them on top of the roasting vegetables. Roast for another 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.

For the relish, heat 1 TBS of the oil in a clean skillet. Add the celery and apple and cook, without browning for several minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Leave to cool. Whisk the vinegar with some sugar in a bowl. Stir in the apple/celery mixture and season with salt and pepper. Whisk in the remainder of the olive oil along with the herbs.

Divide the roasted vegetables amongst 4 heated plates. Top each with a chop and some of the apple relish. Delicious!

Where oh where has summer gone? Where oh where can it be??? My goodness but it's turned really chilly today! There is a definite autumnal feel in the air . . . and to be honest the garden is beginning to look very tired. But my tomatoes are ripening beautifully . . .



Cooler weather is not too much of a problem though, as it gives me the chance to cook up this beautiful Cream of Tomato Soup, which is a real favourite of ours. If you have never tried homemade Cream of Tomato Soup, you are really missing a real treat!



And don't allow your not having any fresh ripe tomatoes stop you from making it either, because this soup is beautiful even when made with a good quality tinned tomato. (The chopped Italian ones in Tomato juice are lovely.)



Delicious with crackers (rude or not, I love mine crumbled into the soup and topped with a tasty pat of butter), or perfect with some crusty bread or a tasty grilled cheese sandwich!

I did grilled cheese with mango chutney . . . so easy and so tasty. Especially if you follow a few rules . . .ie. don't rush the sandwich. You get a much nicer crust if you grill on a medium low temperature for a longer period of time rather than trying to get them grilled quickly at a high temperature. Spread a low fat mayo on the outside rather than softened butter. It is lower in calories and adds a nice flavour.



In fact this can meal can be made using skim milk in the soup and low fat cheddar cheese in the sandwiches, and I guarantee you will not notice any discernable difference from the higher fat versions!

Comfort food absolutely . . . late summer food, oh yeah! The perfect way to use up some of those tomatoes that are coming fast and furious at the moment??? Definitely!



*Cream of Tomato Soup*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Simple, warm and comforting.

750ml of chopped peeled tomatoes (Fresh if in season, or canned if not)
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
4 TBS unsalted butter
1 ounce plain flour (1/4 cup)
2 pints milk (4 cups)
1 heaped TBS of runny honey
(Greek honey is fabulous)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried basil
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Puree the tomatoes in a blender or food processor until smooth. Stir in the bicarbonate and set aside til needed.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally over medium low heat, until softened, but not browned. Sprinkle the flour over top and continue to cook and stir for about 1 to 2 minutes longer. This helps to remove the raw flour taste. Stir together the milk, honey, salt and basil. Slowly whisk this mixture into the flour mixture. Continue to cook and stir until the mixture is slightly thickened. Whisk in the pureed tomatoes. Bring just to the simmer. Remove from the heat and put through a seive or strainer, using the back of a large spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Reheat gently until hot. Serve immediately, ladled into heated bowls.

Note: The flavour of the tomatoes used is crucial. If garden fresh are not available or in season, good quality tinned tomatoes will give this soup more flavour than poor quality tomatoes.

Oh . . . my . . . goodness!! You're gonna hate me for introducing you to this.



If you only make one tasty breakfast dish this summer, let it be these! Truly!



They are scrumdiddlyumptiously, decadently, moreishly fabulously, incredibly, nummily, tastily GOOD!!



Crunchy on the bottom . . . soft and tender on the insides and filled with a buttery cinnamon filling, and then topped with an orange flavoured brown sugar glaze that melts down (up??) into every buttery nook and cranny as they bake . . .



Looking at the ingredients, one could quite easily forgive you for thinking that these are plain . . . and not all that exciting . . . and what's really dangerous about them is that most of us have these simple and plain ingredients at our disposal . . . ALL . . . THE . . . TIME!!



One mouthful of them warm from the oven and you will be in heaven. Pure and utter bliss.
I do hope you will forgive me for adding yet another weakness to your list . . . ahem. Who knew heaven could be so easily attained and so quick to find.



One can be sitting on your plate, with buttery goopy deliciousness in less than half an hour. No kidding.



*Quick Sticky Buns*
Makes 9
Printable Recipe

Quick, easy and quite delicious. You can have a tasty pan of these whipped up for breakfast in about half an hour!

For the Glaze:
2 ounces butter (1/4 cup)
4 fluid ounces of orange juice (1/2 cup)
3.75 ounces soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup packed)
1 TBS finely grated fresh Orange zest

For the buns:
8 1/2 ounces plain flour (2 cups)
1 TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 fluid ounces of sunflower oil (1/4 cup)
2 fluid ounces double cream (1/4 cup)
4 fluid ounces of milk (1/2 cup)

For the filling:
2 TBS softened butter
2 ounces soft light brown sugar (scant 1/4 cup packed)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice

Preheat th eoven to 220*C/450*F/ gas mark 8. Butter a 8 inch round baking pan. Place the glaze ingredients into a saucepan. Brint to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour this into the prepared pan to completely cover the bottom.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt for the buns together in a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Whisk together the oil, cream and milk with a fork. Pour altogether into the centre of the dry ingredients all at once and mix together with a fork, just until a soft dought forms. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to an 9 by 18 inch rectangle. Spread with the softened butter. Mix together the filling ingredients (sugar, cinnamon and all spice) Sprinkle this evenly over the butter. Roll up from the long end, tightly in a jelly roll shape. Cut with a sharp knife into 2 inch slices. Place, cut side down into the glazed pan.

Please don't hate me too badly, ok?

Bake for about 20 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Carefully invert onto a large platter so that the glaze runs down over the buns. Serve warm.

I sure hope you aren't tired of salad yet, because I have one more easy and delicious salad to show you here today . . . then I promise to give them a rest for a few days at least!

We love carrots in this house and in fact are growing and enjoying our very own carrots from the garden at the moment. I have never been overly fond of frozen carrots and so I have been using them up in any way that I can so, that they won't go to waste.



As you can imagine there have been some lovely carrot cakes, loaves and muffins . . . and yes, we've enjoyed them steamed and buttered with our suppers, and mixed with some of those lovely peas and mint we are also growing.

But carrots are not just for cakes, puddings and to be eaten as a cooked vegetable. They also make pretty delicious salads as well! (Yes, all of those coloured bits are links to my recipes for those particular things!)



We've been enjoying this particular salad for a couple of days now. It's one of those salads that kind of just taste better and better as the days go along and it marinates just that little bit more.



Crunchy and filled with lovely flavours, kind of sweet and sour, with a hint of spice and some chewy sweetness from the dried fruit. This delightful salad pleases on a lot of levels.



You don't have to add the coconut if you don't want to. I decided to add it at the last minute and we enjoyed the results.



This goes fabulously with grilled meats, chicken and even fish. I do hope you'll give it a try . . . and I promise to have something a bit more exciting for you to look at tomorrow than a salad. Cross my ♥! (Chocolate comes to mind, but that's just a hint. I'm being cheeky I know!)



*Carrot Salad*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

Refreshingly light, with a sweet and sour tang.

3 large carrots, peeled and grated
2 spring onions, finely chopped
a small handful of flat leaf parsley, chipped
a large handful of mixed fruit (raisins, currants, chopped peel, etc.)
a handful of flaked coconut
3 TBS vegetable oil
2 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt and black pepper to taste.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and allow to sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.
This will keep for several days, covered, in the refrigerator.

I have a husband who is not really all that hard to please "meal wise." He loves meat and potatoes. Hates chocolate and salad . . . oh, and pasta . . . so if I stay outside those perameters he is one very happy camper. He always loved school dinners when he was a child and would be happy having sausage and mash 3 or 4 times a week.



Now, that would bore me to tears . . . cooking sausage and mash 3 or 4 times a week, or even eating sausage and mash 3 or 4 times a week! I like a bit of variety in my menu and I love to jazz things up.

Todd once said to me, didn't I do anything plain??



No. I don't. Plain is not me. I like a bit of excitement in the kitchen.

I cannot take the credit for the jazzing up of this recipe here today. It is Corned Beef Hash . . . simple . . . but jazzed up with some sweet corn, red onions and a dash of sweet chili sauce, which gives it a special zip and heat that is quite lovely. The recipe is from another one of my Waitrose Recipe Cards.



We both enjoyed it very much, with a simple salad on the side. Todd had the leftovers today for his lunch, and he said it tasted even better.



Sometimes the simple things in life are the best things in life . . . just so long as you can jazz them up just a tiny bit, that is! (And I do!)



*Corned Beef, Sweet Corn and Red Onion Hash*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A quick and simple version of corned beef hash, that not only uses things I always have in my store cupboard, but also tastes fabulous!

1 large red onion, peeled and finely chopped
340g tin of corned beef (regular sized tin)
330g tin of sweetcorn, drained well (about 1 cup)
a large handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 TBS sweet Chili Sauce
500g pack of small new potatoes, halved
2 TBS olive oil
salt and pepper

Cook your potatoes in a large pan of boiling lightly salted water for about 12 to 15 minutes, until just tender. Drain well and cool. Once cool enough to handle, cut in half again.

Heat half of the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened with out browning.

Place the potatoes, corned beef (flaked), sweetcorn and sweet chili sauce into a large bowl. Tip in the softened onion and give it all a good mix. Season to taste with some salt and black pepper.

Heat the remainder of the oil in the skillet. Once hot add the potato mixture and cook, over medium heat, stirring from time to time, until the potatoes begin to brown and crisp up.

Preheat your gril to high. Smooth the potatoes over into a flat cake. Increase the heat to high under the pan and cook for a few minutes to really crisp the bottom. (Cover the handle of the skillet with foil if it is not oven safe.) Flash the pan under the grill for about another 3 to 4 minutes to brown the top.

Serve immediately.