I was recently invited to participate in a competition being hosted by British Turkey alongside Peppadew to find Britian's best recipe blogger.  They asked me if I would mind devising a dish using both British Turkey and Peppadew peppers.  The winner will be crowned at the British Turkey Awards being held at the Savoy this September.

 

I love figuring out new recipes and new ways to use things, so I was quite happy to comply.  We eat a lot of turkey in this house and we love Peppadew peppers.  A pizza just isn't a pizza for me unless I have chopped peppadew's on it, and as a woman who is always trying to keep my weight down, turkey is a natural and healthy choice.

 

We are great lovers of turkey burgers, so I thought I would create a tasty turkey burger.  We also love hot Buffalo Wings, but they are bad, bad, bad for you.  All that fat and skin, is a no no.  I decided that I would try to create a tasty turkey burger which would encompass a lot of the delicious flavours from Buffalo Wings and yet at the same time remain relatively healthy.

 

I think I might have just managed it.  These turkey burgers are not only incredibly delicious but wonderfully moist.

 

I flavoured them well with a delicious combination of warm spices and herbs . . . along with some grated onion and finely chopped celery and Peppadews.  The Peppadews give them a little bit of sweet heat and colour.  I browned them and then pan basted the finished burgers in a delicious buttery hot pepper pan sauce.  This is where the real heat comes from . . . but it's not obnoxiously hot, just tasty hot.

 

Popped onto toasted buns with some lettuce and drizzled with a tangy blue cheese dressing, these are fabulously tasty and satisfying on many levels.  Todd declared them the best turkey burger he's ever tasted!

 

That made me smile.  I do hope you will give them a try.  I think you just might agree.  That would make me smile too.  ☺  Delicious, easy and the perfect choice for a family pleasing supper any time of year.

 

 *Buffalo Turkey Burgers*
Makes 4 servings
Printable Recipe

Moist and delicious turkey burgers with a bit of a bite, sauced with a lovely blue cheese dressing and served on a toasted bun.  Fabulous!

500g of lean turkey mince (about 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey), at room temperature
1 tsp fine sea salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp dried rosemary leaves
1/4 tsp dried savoury
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried sage leaves
pinch of fennel seeds
pinch of coriander seed
pinch cayenne pepper
generous grating nutmeg
1 TBS finely grated fresh onion
1 stalk of celery, along with it's leaves, very finely chopped
4 peppadew mild pickled peppers, finely chopped

To Baste:
2 TBS unsalted butter, melted
2 fluid ounces hot sauce (1/4 cup.  I used Cholula)

For the Sauce:
250ml of prepared ranch dressing (I used Newman's)
4 ounces of crumbled blue cheese (1/2 cup)

To finish:
Toasted buns
fresh lettuce leaves
Celery sticks (optional)

 

Whisk together the ranch dressing and blue cheese crumbles.  Cover and chill.

Place all of the herbs and spices into the bowl of your pestle and mortar and grind to a fine powder.  Place the turkey mince in a bowl.  Add the ground spice mixture and mix together well with your hands, using a gentle touch.  Stir in the grated onion, chopped celery and chopped peppadews.  Mix together gently.  Shape into 4 equal sized patties.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Spritz with a bit of oil.  Add the turkey patties.  Cook, for six minutes per side, until nicely browned and the juices run clear.  Remove to a plate and keep warm.

Wipe any residue out of the pan with paper towels.  Add the butter and hot sauce.  Melt together, swirling gently.  Add the turkey patties back to the pan and turn to coat well with the hot sauce/butter mixture.  Keep warm.

Split your buns, lightly butter if desired and toast under a hot grill.

Place the bun bottoms onto each of 4 plates.  Top each with some fresh lettuce leaves and one turkey pattie.  Spoon some of the blue cheese sauce over top.  Add the toasted top of the bun on the side. Garnish with some potato crisps and celery stalks if desired.  Serve hot.



Peppadews are delicious whole sweet and piquante peppers.  This type of piquante pepper was first discovered in early 1993. The name is derived from "Pepper" and "dew". The flavour of the Peppadew fruit is sweet, with mild heat, that is not at all unpleasant. The fruit is processed for removal of the seeds and reduction of the heat, and then pickled and bottled, with a most delicious result.  We love them!  They are available in the pickle section of most grocery shops.

When I was a child, it was a real treat if my mum made us fried potatoes for supper. She didn't prepare them very often, but when she did we were in seventh heaven!!

She always used leftover cold boiled potatoes, which she would peel, and then slice very thin. Next she would heat butter in her old wearever aluminum skillet and add the potato slices, only adding as many as would fit into it at one time, in an even layer.



She'd stand there patiently turning them over and over in the butter, until they were gilded golden brown and crispy all over. Seasoned simply with some salt and pepper, there was no better taste on earth or in heaven!!



There were never enough. We could have eaten them until they came out of our ears. My poor mum. She really did stand and slave over a hot stove to make them for us. What a treasure she was and is!!



I still make fried potatoes from time to time, but I don't use leftover boiled potatoes now. I have found that if you cut them up and then cook them in a pan with a lid on for about 8 minutes or so, that is long enough to cook them through and then you can begin the business of browning them.




I don't pare them either, leaving the skins on for extra taste and fibre. I also probably don't use as much butter as she did either, my modern day healthy conscience not allowing me to indulge that whim to it's fullest . . . They are still a rare treat, and they are still a deliciously scrummy treat. Once in a blue moon? Why not!!



Paired up with some deliciously lean Danish Bacon Chops they make a fabulous supper dish. A poached or fried egg goes fabulously with this as well, if you are feeling really indulgent.

Well . . . what are you waiting for??? Go ahead, you only live once!! (And you can take each other out for a long walk afterwards!)




*Bacon Chops and Fried Potatoes*
Serves 2

The amounts I am giving here are for two people, but can be very easily multiplied to serve more. It's a no brainer really.

2 danish bacon chops, cut about 1/2 inch thick
12 new potatoes, washed, thencut in half and then sliced into half moons
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 knob of butter and a splash of oil
salt and black pepper to taste (Go easy on the salt as bacon can be salty)

Prepare your vegetables. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat and add the butter and oil. Once the butter starts to foam, toss in the potatoes and onions, and stir to coat them with the butter/oil. Lower heat and then cover with a lid. Cook for about 8 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Remove lid and increase the heat, and cook, stirring until they begin to brown. Push the potatoes to the side and add the bacon chops. Cook them for about five minutes per side, until nicely browned and cooked through. Season the potatoes to taste with a pinch of salt and some black pepper. Divide amongst two heated plates and serve.

Note - an egg goes very well with this if you really want to go whole hogg!!

 

 On Saturday afternoons, I usually like to bake us a little bit of a treat.  Sometimes it's something which is spectacularly decadent, and other times it's something simple . . .

 

But, you know . . . simple doesn't necessarily mean that it's not spectacular does it???  This beautiful loaf here today is a hidden gem.  Quick and easy to make . . . but oh soooooooo moreishly scrummy.

 

It bakes up nice and moist . . . the moistness coming from the muscovado sugar . . .which also helps to give it a beautiful colour



Then there is that lovely warm and spicy flavour that comes from a hint of cinnamon in the batter . . . oh, this does smell heavenly when it is baking.  One can hardly wait for it to come out of the oven . . .  you don't have to wait too long though, as it bakes up rather quickly for a loaf, only 30 to 35 minutes in total . . . not long at all.

 

This is when the patience comes in though . . . because you then take a nice warm, maple and cinnamon flavoured syrup and pour it gently over the whole loaf . . . allowing it to settle in and make itself at home, which only adds to the moistness and the overall appeal of this lovely loaf.

 

You will want to be patient though and allow it to cool completely before you slice into it.  This gives time for all that lovely syrup to soak deep into the loaf, adding a furhter dimension of tastiness . . . that as a whole makes it very, very scrummy indeed.

 

Can this get any better???  I think not!!!



Wait . . . sliced and spread with softened butter . . . you are in heavenly bliss.  Trust me.  Heavenly . . . buttery, cinnamony, moist loaf cake bliss.  Quite simply impossible to resist.

 

*Cinnamon Drizzle Loaf*
Makes one 9 by 4 inch loaf
serving 8 people
Printable Recipe

A delicious loaf..  Moist and lightly spiced with cinnamon with a scrummy cinnamon/maple flavour drizzle which is poured over the warm cake, soaking in and making it even scrummier!

175g butter, softened (3/4 cup)
85g of caster sugar (1/3 cup)
85g of dark muscovado sugar (7 TBS)
3 large free range eggs, beaten
1 heaped tsp of ground cinnamon
175g of sifted self raising flour (1 1/2 cups)

For the drizzle:
125ml of pure maple syrup
1 large cinnamon stick broken in half
3 TBS water

Preheat the oven to 180*C./350*F/ gas mark 4.  Butter a 9 by 4 inch loaf tin and line with parchment paper.  Butter the paper.

Cream the butter and both sugars together until light and creamy.  (You may have to rub the muscovado sugar with your fingers first to break up any lumps)  Beat in the eggs, a little bit at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Sift together the flour and cinnamon.  Gently fold this into the creamed mixture with a large metal spoon, using a cutting motion, until all is amalgamated.  Spoon into the  prepared loaf tin, smoothing the top over.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cake is risen and springs back when gently touched on the top, or a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. 

While the cake is baking, about 5 minutes before the cake is done, combine all the drizzle ingredients in a small saucepan and gently heat until it all smells cinnamony.  Remove the cinnamon stick and set aside for the moment.

Pour the drizzle syrup over top of the warm cake, allowing it to soak in as you pour.  Allow to cool in the pan completely, before turning out onto a serving plate.  If desired you may decorate with the cinnamon stick pieces, but do remove before serving.  Cut into slices to serve.

 

 awww . . . don't you just want to give her a teensie weensie bite???  She is also very hard to resist!

As luck would have it I began my weekend with some fresh raspberries that I wanted to use up and a stale loaf that was not in it's prime. The weekend is usually a time when we have ourselves a bit of a treat for breakfast and so I decided to do us a baked french toast casserole, but with a bit of a difference . . .



Baked French Toast casseroles are a little bit like bread puddings I think . . . not quite as sweet, but it's a very fine line that divides them in my opinion.



Whilst one is a total pudding/dessert . . . the other is meant to be a main course . . . and what a lovely main course it can be.



I like to think it's a bit healthier . . . baking your French Toast rather than frying it . . . don't you??? There is not a lot of butter used, except to butter the baking dish, and of course you could opt to use a really healthy kind of bread if you really wanted to . . .



But if you are like me, in for a penny in for a pound. A sturdy white loaf works beautifully. With a layer of Maple syrup on the bottom of the dish, a vanilla and lemon flavoured custard . . . tart red raspberries scattered throughout, and a crisp crunch on top of demerara sugar, this is a winner on all counts.



Of course you could be really hedonistic and top your serving with a huge dollop of clotted cream . . . but I'm being good these days. Low Fat Greek Yoghurt was my choice of topping today.



Delicious. Simple. Easy. Satisfying. The perfect Saturday morning breakfast.



*Baked French Toast with Berries*
Serves 6 to 8
Printable Recipe

Who doesn't love French Toast, or Eggy Bread as it is sometimes called. This is a simple easy version that is delicious and allows you to enjoy some time with your family and guests rather than keeping you chained to the stove.

750ml milk (a generous 3 cups)
4 large free range eggs
the finely grated zest of one lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp softened butter
80ml of pure Maple Syrup (approximately 1/3 cup)
8 to 10 slices of day old bread, crusts removed and torn into chunks
2 handfuls of berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, black currants, etc.)
2 TBS demerara sugar (turbinado)

To serve:
Greek Yoghurt or Clotted Cream

Prreheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 10 inch round oven proof casserole dish. Set aside.

Whisk together the milk, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla.

Drizzle the maple syrup over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with a layer of bread. Scatter some berries over top of the bread. Top with another layer of bread, and berries. Repeat until all is used up, making sure you have some berries on top. Pour the egg mixture over top. Allow to sit for 10 minutes or so. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until set and lightly browned. Serve warm with some Greek Yoghurt or if you are really feeling indulgent, clotted cream.

As you know, or should do by now . . . we are real potato lovers in this house. A day without potatoes in one form, shape or another is just not the perfect day! We just have to have our potato fix!



A few days back I was wanting to make a German Potato Salad. Many moons when I lived in Southern Ontario we used to visit my Brother In Law when he was living in Windsor, Ontario. He had a fabulous butcher there who happened to be German. He made the most gorgeous cabbage rolls and potato salad.



Just thinking about it now, makes my taste buds tingle. They were that fabulous, I kid you not!



Anyways, ever since then I have been on a quest to find the most perfect recipes for both cabbage rolls and for the potato salad. I do believe I have gotten them both down to where I think they are pretty close to the original.



No, this is not an authentic recipe for German Potato Salad . . . so I don't want any purists e-mailing me and telling me I have it all wrong. This is just my idea of what I think is the perfect German Potato Salad.



Simply put . . . this recipe (which is a compilation of the best parts of several recipes I've tried through the years) does it for me and I am quite happy with it. I do hope you'll give it a try as you may just agree!



*German Potato Salad*
Serves 4 - 6
Printable Recipe

This is not an authentic recipe, but one that I came up with for myself, taking what I thought was the best bits of a few others and adding my own twist. The end result was delicious of course!

1 pounds small new potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1 TBS salt
8 strips of lean streaky bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch strips
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
125ml of white vinegar (1/2 cup)
4 TBS water
1 heaped TBS cornflour
6 TBS white sugar
1 TBS grainy mustard
freshly ground black pepper and fine seasalt to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Place the potatoes, 1 TBS salt and water to cover in a large saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 8 minutes until barely tender. (There should still be a slight resistance when poked with a sharp knife) Drain well. Keep warm. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Have ready a shallow buttered casserole dish.

Fry the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Scoop out to a paper towel lined plate. Drain all but a few TBS of the bacon fat from the pan. Add the chopped onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender. Whisk together the water and cornflour. Add to the skillet along with the vinegar, sugar and grainy mustard. Cook and stir until somewhat thickened. Stir in the warm potatoes, cooked bacon, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Pour this into the casserole dish.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender and the sauce has thickened. Serve warm.

I was invited to a pot luck luncheon today and wanted to bring something that was easily portable and that would taste as delicious at room temperature as it would hot out of the oven.



I also wanted it to be attractive and scrummy looking . . . something that people would not be able to resist tucking in to . . . as well as being something that was completely edibly out of hand, if need be. (So often people don't have enough cutlery, or plates, etc. to go around.)



I normally would make a tomato tart using puff pastry, but I didn't have any in the fridge. I did however have a tube of pizza dough and so decided to use that instead. It turned out fabulously.



It's like a pizza/tart . . . with lovely flavours.



You have a base of a grainy mustard flavoured mayonnaise. (I use low fat with no problems). Delicious and flavourful Strong Cheddar cheese tops this.



Sliced tomatoes, which are not really at their best this time of year, but cooking can and does redeem them. A savoury sprinkling of seasalt, black pepper, onion and garlic powders and mixed herbs also helps. Then with a final dusting of freshly grated parmesan, it's ready to pop into a hot oven to bake.



It bakes quite quickly and at the end you are rewarded with a delicious tart, with a crisp bread base, and delicious filling. A scattering of fresh basil leaves on top of the finished tart looks very pretty as a finishing touch.



I like to drizzle some balsamic syrup on mine just before I tuck in, but . . . feel free to do as you wish.



*A Delicious Tomato Tart*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Necessity being the mother of invention, I created a delicious tomato tart out of what I had on hand.

1 package of refrigerated ready rolled pizza base dough (large enough to fit a baking tray
about 10 by 15 inches in size)
4 ripe plum tomatoes, trimmed and thinly sliced
4 dessertspoons of low fat mayonnaise
1 TBS seedy mustard
8 ounces grated strong cheddar cheese ( 2 cups)
coarse sea salt and freshly grated black pepper to taste
dried mixed herbs
onion and garlic powders to taste
freshly grated Parmesan Cheese for dusting
a few basil leaves torn, for garnish
balsamic syrup to drizzle (optional)

Preheat the oven to 205*C/425*F/ gas mark 6. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Unroll the pizza dough onto the lined baking sheet. Curl over the edges all the way around.

Stir together the mayonnaise and mustard. Spread this over the crust all the way to the rolled edges. Sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese evenly over top. Place the sliced tomatoes evenly over top. Dust with mixed herbs, seasalt and black pepper to taste. Sprinkle with some onion and garlic powder. Dust with freshly Grated Parmesan.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned and bubbling and the bottom is browned evenly. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for several minutes before tearing basil leaves and scattering them over top. Cut into squares to serve. If desired, drizzle with some balsamic syrup.