I was recently contacted by Ethel the Goat from Capricorn Somerset Goats Cheese and asked if I would like to participate in a brilliant cookery challenge! They wanted to send me a hamper filled with Ethel's favourite ingredients, the challenge being to come up with a lip smacking recipe using the ingredients sent!
As you know, I am always up for a challenge and so I jumped at the chance to participate. When the hamper arrived it was fabulous. I was most impressed with all it included. It would be impossible to use all of the ingredients in one recipe, so I hope that I am allowed to make more than one recipe . . . how could you not with so many fabulous "goodies" to play with! I went to bed last night with all sorts of taste tempting ideas swimming around in my head!
Anyways, this here today is the first recipe I came up with. We've been enjoying some lovely warm weather these past few days! Finally! It's salad weather! Yayy!! I love salads! I especially love Goats cheese with salads!!! It has such a wonderful creamy texture and flavour, which is the perfect addition to a delicious salad of mixed sweet and bitter greens. I had never tried the Capricorn Somerset Goat's Cheese before, but upon a tiny sampling of it's flavour, I decided that it would be perfect for what I had in mind.
Now, I have eaten many a chocolate truffle in my lifetime (and my hips show it unfortunately), and they are delicous. I wanted to create a goats cheese truffle . . . that I planned on serving on top of a bed of baby salad greens.
I mixed the goats cheese with some cream cheese and chilled it until it got fairly stiff. This cheese is so creamy, it never quite sets up completely, but if you use it chilled it's very workable . . . and if you've made truffles with chocolate, you know they are completely the same way! It's a bit of a fiddle, but well worth the extra effort entailed!
And so it is with these delicious Goats Cheese Bakewell Truffles! Well worth the effort that is! Just picture a delicious mixture of goats cheese and cream cheeses wrapped around raspberry liqueur infused dried sour cherries, then rolled in chopped toasted almonds . . . traditional bakewell flavours!
Now chill them and then serve them atop a bed of beautiful baby spring salad greens . . . and drizzle the whole lot with a tangy Cherry Balsamic and Herb Vinaigrette!
This is what you end up with . . . A Spring Salad of Mixed Greens & Goats Cheese Bakewell "Truffles", with a Cherry and Herb Balsamic Vinaigrette . . .
Now, I know that may seem like a mouthful . . . but what a tasty mouthful indeed!
A Spring Salad of Mixed Greens & Goats Cheese Bakewell "Truffles"
with a Cherry & Herb Balsamic Vinaigrette
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
A deliciously different salad, composed of beautifully flavoured Goat's Cheese "Truffles", flavoured with raspberry liqueur infused sour cherries, rolled in chopped toasted almonds, set on a bed of baby greens and dressed with a tangy Cherry Balsamic Vinaigrette. Do plan ahead as the truffles need time to set up and chill prior to serving.
For the Cherries:
1 (75g) packet of dried sour cherries (about 1/2 cup) (to be divided)
2 TBS Chambord Raspberry Liqueur
For the Dressing:
1/2 cup good quality Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
the leaves from several springs of fresh thyme
pinch of garlic powder
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup of extra virgin Olive oil
(You will also be using some of the Raspberry liqueur infused cherries and their juices)
For the Truffles:
100g of Goat's Cheese, softened (I used one pack of Sommerset Capricorn Goat's Cheese) (about 3.5 ounces)
70g of cream cheese, softened (2.5 ounces)
freshly ground black pepper
(You will also be using about 20 of the infused cherries, the rest will be used in the dressing)
85g of chopped toasted almonds
You will also need 480g of mixed baby salad leaves (about 5 cups)
You will want first to infuse the dried cherries with the raspberry liqueur. Place the cherries in a small microwavable glass bowl. Pour the raspberry liqueur over top and pop into the microwave for about 30 seconds. Let stand for 15 minutes to infuse.
Mash together the goats's cheese and cream cheese in another bowl. Don't worry if it is a bit lumpy. This doesn't really matter that much. Just get it as fine as you can without making it soupy. Cover and place into the freezer for about fifteen minutes to half an hour to set up.
Place the toasted almonds in a shallow bowl. Drain the cherries, reserving any liqueur which may still be in the bowl. Once the cheese mixture is set up, remove it from the freezer. Measure out about 1 TBS of the mixture and drop it into the toasted almonds. Press a drained cherry into the centre. Carefully mold the cheese around it and roll the "Truffle" in the chopped almonds. (It may seem a bit fiddly and you may not get totally round truffles, but that's truffles! Odd shaped ones only add to the interest!) Place onto a cling film lined plate. You will get about 20 of these. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill until needed.
To make the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, honey, thyme. garlic powder and any leftover liqueur. Drizzle the olive oil in a bit at a time as you continue to whisk. Chop the leftover cherries and whisk in. Season to taste with some fine seasalt and freshly ground black pepper.
To serve, divide the salad greens amongst 4 chilled salad plates. Top each serving with 3 or 4 Goat's cheese truffles and drizzle with a bit of the balsamic dressing. Serve immediately.
Note: If making the truffles seems too fiddly for you or you are in a hurry and don't want to wait for them to set up,(I can appreciate that not everyone has the patience with such things as I have), simply slice the goats cheese into 4 rounds and place one of top of each plate of greens. Scatter with some chopped toasted almonds and a few infused cherries. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve immediately. I do hope you will try making the truffles though as they are gorgeous!
I hope Ethel likes it! She'll be picking one finalist each month from all the recipes submitted, and then in October, Ethel will pick one out of all six as an overall favourite. The winner will receive a year's supply of Capricorn Somerset Goats Cheese and a trip to Babington House in Somerset! (Do check out the site. It's one of the cutest sites I've ever seen on the internet!)
You can follow Ethel on Twitter I can promise you it's a real "tweet!" (Sorry I couldn't resist!)
Unless you've been living under a rock in these past few weeks, one can hardly escape the fact that we will soon, as a country, be celebrating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee! Yes, our lovely Monarch has been on the throne for 60 years! She is one of the longest reigning British Monarchs! Marking 60 years of The Queen's reign, the Diamond Jubilee celebrations will centre around an extended weekend on the 2, 3, 4 and 5 June. The only Monarch to have beaten her (thus far!) is Queen Victoria, who took to the throne in 1837 at age 18 and stayed there til her death in 1901!
All up and down this glorious country, people will be celebrating our beloved Queen . . . Elizabeth II . . . in true style! There will be street parties galore, and a host of other celebrations. I, for one, can hardly wait to watch the Thames Jubilee Pageant on the afternoon of Sunday the 3rd! Up to a thousand boats will muster on the river as The Queen prepares to lead one of the largest flotillas ever seen on the River Thames. And that's only one of the official celebrations planned. You can find out more about the various activities which will be going on here. It's truly amazing.
I, for one, am a proud Monarchist. I always have been, even before I moved over here to the UK. The day I actually got to see Buckingham Palace I swear . . . I literally cried. I just couldn't believe I was finally at Buckingham Palace!!
I think the Queen is just lovely, always have and always will.
Photo from the Direct Gov Newsroom.
Anyways, there is also no end to the special products that have been put out in limited editions, specifically to celebrate this most auspicious occasion. One only has to walk around the shops and you will see an abundance of Red, White and Blue all over the place! It's really quite wonderful!!
The people at Stone's Ginger Wine have put out a fabulously British Limited Edition of their infamous Green Ginger Wine, just for the occasion! It's a beautiful bottle, decorated with a special label on the front, designed especially for this once in a lifetime celebration! I was lucky enough to have been sent a bottle to try out.
Stone's Original Green Ginger Wine has been pleasingly popular in the UK for over 250 years now, since 1740, with many fantastical properties being attributed to it, from medicinal cures to "I can't mentionables"! It still uses the same traditonal ingredients that they used back then in it's modern day production.
It truly is a lovely bottle and, I believe, destined to become a collectible item in years to come. There's a special recipe on the back of this bottle as well, for a "Lemonade Cup."
*Lemonade Cup*
Try two shots of Stone's in a tall glass, topped with chilled lemonade and lots of ice. For a seasonal twist, add a few slices of cucumber and any ripe fruit!
Sounds pretty good to me and, if I was a drinker, I'd certainly be game to try it out . . . but, I'm not . . . I'm a Mormon and we don't drink alchohol. It's a big no no . . . but I am certainly not adverse to cooking with it. My Bishop's wife down south used to cook with it all the time, and if it was ok for her to do it, I reckon it's probably ok for me to do it too!
And so, in honor of the Queen's Jubilee, and this lovely bottle of Stone's Ginger Wine, I baked us a delicious Gingered Coffee Cake. (We don't do coffee either, but there's no coffee in this cake. Only Ginger Wine. Coffee Cake is just a name used to describe a certain kind of cake which one would serve with hot drinks, such as coffee or tea, or hot chocolate even . . .)
It uses Ginger Wine as one of the ingredients in it's batter, which helps it to bake up nice and light and fluffy, with a slight ginger wine tang, that is not at all unpleasant. (Of course if you were not able to get Ginger Wine, you could use Gingerale with no problems.)
It bakes up beautifully . . . with a lovely crumbly, yet moist texture. There are bits of candied ginger stogged here and there throughout the batter . . .
I chose to top it with a beautiful gingery streusel topping, made with dark brown sugar, ginger, flour and butter. I added some crumbled ginger thin biscuits for extra crunch. It floats on the top like one of the Queen's beautiful hats!
Just look at that beautiful texture. Isn't that lovely!
I chose to gild the lily with a delicious drizzle icing which you could either use more of the Stone's in or lemon juice, whichever is your preference. Or maybe you may choose not to drizzle any frosting on it at all. It's all up to you!
In any case, it went down a real treat and I will definitely be making this again. I may even use the rest of the bottle to make a baked ginger pudding cake . . . or a Teriyaki type of stir fry. I haven't quite made up my mind yet.
*Gingered Coffee Cake*
Makes one 9 inch square cake
Printable Recipe
This is delicious served as an Elevenses treat or as an afternoon Coffee Break cake! Fabulous served either plain, or sliced and buttered. It's also a great cake for a late morning weekend Brunch!
140g caster sugar (a generous cup)
140g of unsalted butter, softened (2/3 cup)
2 medium eggs, beaten
360g self raising flour (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp salt
250ml of Stone's Green Ginger Wine (1 cup)
4 TBS chopped candied ginger
For the Topping:
4 1/2 TBS plain flour
3 TBS dark soft brown sugar, packed
1 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 TBS cold butter
4 ginger thin biscuits, crumbled
Glaze: (optional)
130g of icing sugar, sifted (1 cup)
2 TBS of ginger wine, or enough to make a runny drizzle icing
(You can also use lemon juice if you want)
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch square baking tin and line it with parchment paper, allowing a bit of an overhang.
First make the topping, Rub together the flour, sugar, ginger and butter until you have a crumbly mixture. Add the crumbled biscuits. Set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar for the batter, until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs, a bit at a time. Whisk together the flour, salt and chopped ginger. Stir this in alternately with the ginger wine until you have a nice batter. Spoon into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over top.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let stand in the tin for about 10 minutes before lifting out (using the baking paper for handles) onto a wire rack to cool completely. \If making the optional glaze icing, whisk the ingredients together now until you have a smooth drizzable icing. Drizzle over the cake haphazardly. Allow to set. Serve cut into squares or sliced and buttered (if desired.) Delicious!
Many thanks to Frank PR and the people at Stone's for having afforded me this opportunity.
I have always had a great fondness for salads of any kind. Todd, not so much . . . he has always thought salads boring . . . that is until I came into his life!! My salads are anything but boring!! (Even he would agree to that!) And, whilst salad is still not his favourite thing to eat, he quite enjoys them once he digs in.
When my family was growing up I used to make a variety of layered salads for them, and it is often a delicious dish to take to a pot luck supper. Everyone usually loves them.
They involve layering traditional, or even the not traditional, salad ingredients in a pretty glass bowl (so that you can see the layers) and then covering the top with a type of mayonnaise frosting to seal in all the flavours. It also helps to keep them crisp and fresh, which makes them the perfect make ahead salad.
I've seen them topped with all sorts of cheeses, and crisp bacon bits . . . and even crumbled tortilla chips, especially in the case of a mexican styled one. (In that case I would layer drained mexi-corn, chopped avocado, spring onions, chopped tomatoes, chopped ripe olives, chopped chicken etc. and top with some mayo spiked with salsa and chilies and then top with some pepper jack and the tortilla chips. Nummy yummy!)
It's not really practical for me to make them for just Todd and myself though . . . not with only the two of us in the house . . . and not unless I am making one up for a church supper or some such.
That is until today . . . when I got the idea to tailor them down to our specific needs. I have given amounts for one serving, but as you can see it is very easily adapted up!
I used my favourite creamy Italian Dressing that I make, also cut down in amounts.
It was delicious, delicious, delicious. Even Todd was a happy camper. I served them with grilled fish and potatoes. Yummo!
*Layered Chopped Salad for One*
Serves one (is easily multiplied up)
Printable Recipe
I love layered salads, but with only two of us in the house, making a large one is highly impractible. So I adapted a few of my favourite recipes and scaled them down to one.
For the salad layers:
2 TBS thawed petit pois
2 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 TBS chopped red onion
2 TBS chopped other vegetable (I used courgettes today, but you can use any vegetable
you want, raw or cooked)
1/2 tomato, thinly sliced
1/2 hard boiled egg, chopped
a baby gem lettuce, shredded
For the dressing:
2 TBS no fat mayonnaise
1 tsp water
1 tsp olive oil
pinch salt
pinch black pepper
pinch onion powder
pinch garlic powder
pinch chili powder
pinch paprika
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
To finish:
1 TBS finely grated Pamesan Cheese
1 slice of streaky bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
First make the dressing. Whisk all of the ingredients together. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Set aside to allow the flavours to meld.
Layer the salad ingredients in an individual serving sized ramekin, in the order given, beginning with the peas and ending with the lettuce. (I used fluted glass dessert bowls, each holding about 1 1/2 cups) Lightly press ingredients down to compact a tiny bit. Spoon the dressing over top to cover. Cover and chill until you are ready to serve, over night if possible. Sprinkle with the Parmesan Cheese and bacon bits just prior to serving. Delicious!
As you know I've been testing the Vitamix Total Nutrition Center® here in my home over the past few weeks. It's been a real learning curve for me, but one that I have truly enjoyed. Yesterday I made a lovely soup in it, and today I made a delicious Vanilla Custard Sauce to go with a traditional Steamed Apple Pudding.
I followed the instructions to the letter and ended up with a beautifully flavoured custard sauce . . . it was lower in fat than the recipe that I normally use, and there was not as much faffing about. It was also done in a fraction of the time. The only thing you need to make sure of is that your milk is at room temperature when you start (not a problem with a microwave.), and that you follow the directions explicitly. You don't want to end up with a sauce that is split.
*Vanilla Custard Sauce*
Makes about 2 1/2 cups
Printable Recipe
For a chocolate version, add 2 TBS of cocoa powder and decrease the vanilla extract to 1 tsp. Can be used as a basic dessert sauce, cake topper or trifle ingredient.
1 large free range egg yolk
2 cups (480ml) milk, at room temperature
1/4 cup (30g) plain or all purpose flour
1/2 cup (100g) white sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 TBS vanilla extract
1 tsp butter
Place all of the ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure the lid.
Select Variable 1.
Turn the machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High. (This is an important step. If you don't do it right your machine will overheat and the safety feature, known as the overload switch will kick in and you'll have to wait until the machine cools down to continue.)
Blend for 6 minutes, or until heavy steam escapes from the vented lid.
Just imagine it . . . a delicious Vanilla Custard Sauce in exactly 6 minutes. You can't go wrong with that! It is the perfect sauce for puddings such as this traditional Steamed Apple Pudding which I am showcasing here today.
I had never made a steamed pudding before I moved over here to the UK. Seriously. They just aren't something that is all that popular over in Canada. My ex MIL used to make a steamed carrot pudding for Christmas which was very good, but I had never made it myself. In all truth I was kind of afraid of making it for some odd reason.
Thankfully I have gotten over my fear and I have fully embraced the Steamed Pudding! They're just gorgeous . . . like a steamed cake . . . moist and buttery and they are always served with a delicious sauce . . . sometimes custard, other times a caramel sauce, or even a fruity sauce.
Today I made an apple one, which was just gorgeous. It was beautifully moist and delicious . . . with a layer of apples steamed in scrummy caramel like golden syrup on the top . . . and a batter that was stogged full of lovely grated apple, which helped to make it especially moist.
It went perfect with the custard sauce . . . and my old school hubster was in seventh heaven!
*Steamed Apple Pudding*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
A delicious steamed pudding filled with apple and topped with lovely apples and golden syrup. Scrummy!
125g of unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
4 TBS golden syrup (Can use golden corn syrup)
2 cooking apples, about 1 pound in total, cored, and peeled
100g of caster sugar (generous 1/2 cup)
2 large free range eggs, beaten
200g of self raising flour (generous 1 3/4 cup)
the grated rind of one orange and 3 TBS of the juice
Butter the insides of a 2 pint pudding basin lightly and line the bottom of it with a small circle of nonstick baking paper. (wax paper) Spoon in the golden syrup. Thickly slice one of the apples and arrange in an even layer on top. Coarsely grate the remaining apple.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale and creamy. Gradually beat in the beaten egg and the flour, alternating spoonfuls, until all have been added and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the grated apple, orange zest and orange juice. Spoon into the prepared pudding basin. Level off the top. cover with a piece of pleated non stick baking paper and foil. Tie in place with a string, or hold in place with a rubber band.
Lower the basin into the top of a steamer set over a saucepan of simmering water. Cover with a lid and steam for 2 hours, until the pudding is well risen and a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Remove the foil and paper. Loosen the edge with a sharp knife. Invert onto a plate with a rim. Serve immediately with custard or ice cream.
Once again, I'd like to thank the Vitamix people for affording me this wondeful opportunity. Next time . . . I'm going to do something cold in it. Stay tuned!
I was recently asked if I would like to road test a fab product in The English Kitchen. As you know I get sent things from time to time and I always enjoy trying them out and letting you know what I think of them.
The people from Vitamix recently sent me their Vitamix TNC Black to try out and I have spent the last little week or so really putting it through it's paces!
First a little bit about the machine itself . . .
The Vitamix machine is more than just a blender, it's actually a fabulous machine which can create healthy meals in a very quick and easy way. The Vitamix Total Nutrition Center® lets you perform more than 50 kitchen tasks easier, faster and with better results than you can achieve any other way.
 | VARIABLE SPEED CONTROL & HIGH SPEED SETTING The Variable Speed Control allows for flexibility and creativity; fine chop, grind or fully blend ingredients, all in one container. The High Speed Setting allows for maximum processing, especially for thicker ingredients and larger recipes. |
| POWERFUL - 2 PEAK OUTPUT HORSEPOWER MOTOR Propels the blade tip speed up to 386 km/h to blend even the toughest ingredients. |
| SHATTER-PROOF 2-LITRE CONTAINER With 2 litres of true blending capacity and specially designed to create a powerful vortex for thorough processing. |
| SPILL-PROOF LID WITH REMOVABLE LID PLUG Seals securely allowing ingredients to be added while processing. |
| METAL-TO-METAL, CONTAINER-TO-BASE COUPLING For maximum durability and long life. |
| UNIQUE TAMPER Allows for processing thick, dense ingredients and prevents air pockets from forming. |
| EASY-GRIP HANDLE AND SOFT-TOUCH CONTROLS Ergonomically designed for comfort and control. |
| PLUS "LET'S GET STARTED!" DVD, "GETTING STARTED GUIDE" and "WHOLE FOODS RECIPES"COOKBOOK Will have you on your way to creating the most delicious and nutritious meals in no time. |
| FULL 7-YEAR WARRANTY An impressive warranty that speaks to the reliability and performance of a Vitamix machine. |
I've been taking the "Getting Started Guide" and the "Whole Foods Recipes" cookbook that came with it to bed with me for a week now and studying it up really well. I wanted to give this impressive piece of kit the best workout possible and I also wanted to be able to give each of you an honest opinion of what it can or cannot do.
Today I made a hot soup in it, using a recipe from the cookbook that came with it. "Harvest Cheddar Soup." The recipe promised a delicious nutitious soup in with about 10 minutes prep time, and 6 to 7 minutes processing time. You can see all of the ingredients lined up here, ready to go.
(here is everything in the machine, just waiting for me to press the on button!)
I wanted to really give the recipe the best chance possible and so I made sure to have all my "mise en place!" I didn't want to risk leaving anything out.
I boo booed though. I got the variable speed wrong. I thought it said variable speed 4 to 5 for 10 minutes, but it really said variable speed 10 for 4 to 5 minutes! And so . . . the first thing I did was to overload my machine!! The Automatic overload Protection option is a built in feature which is designed to protect the machine from overheating! I'm happy to say that this option works like a charm. So my 7 minute soup took me a lot longer than 7 minutes because I had to let the motor cool down.
Nevertheless I persevered and after the motor cooled down, I proceeded as per the recipe instructions (always read a recipe a few times first folks, so you don't mess up!) and I ended up with a beautiful thick and delicious soup in . . . I kid you not . . . just a few minutes! I was amazed at how how it was. It was steaming hot! I tried to get a picture of the steam, but I couldn't. You will just have to take my word for that.
Doesn't that look good??? It sure does, and let me tell you it was amazingly scalding hot!
It was also amazingly delicious and most importantly very healthy! There is everything in there, as the recipe used all of two already baked potatoes, skin and all, two whole unpeeled granny smith apples, celery, onion, etc. Only the potatoes were cooked before adding. Everything else was added raw and it was absolutely amazing to me that it all ended up as a hot soup!
This is a whole foods machine. It purpotes to make light work of tearing down the cell walls of fruits and vegetables, making vital nutrients more readily available for your body to absorb. With a Vitamix machine, even the nutrient-packed peels, pulp and seeds can be pulverised and blended into recipes for some of the most health-protecting, disease-preventing dishes and drinks you've ever had.
And after tasting this delicious soup, I can attest that it did just that.
*Harvest Cheddar Soup*
Makes 6 cups
Printable Recipe
This recipe can be reduced by half and made in smaller containers. Garnish with sour cream and diced apple. (From the Vitamix Whole Food Recipes book)
2 cups chicken broth (480ml)
2 TBs white wine
1/4 medium onion, peeled
1 stalk celery, cut in half
2 Granny Smith apples, quartered
2 potatoes, baked and quartered
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch white pepper
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (115g)
Place all of the ingredients, except the cheese into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure the lid.
Select variable 1.
Turn the machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.
Blend for 6 to 7 minutes or until heavy steam escapes from the vented lid.
Reduce the speed to Variable 4 and remove the lid plug.
Drop in the cheese through the lid plug opening. Blend for an additional 15 seconds.
Per cup (240ml) serving: 224 cal; 10g protein; 8g Tot fat; 28g Carb
Of course, you know I wouldn't serve a bowl of soup all on it's own, would I?
Of course not! I baked some tasty Cheddar and Marmite Scones to have along with it!They went down a real treat. Made from a mixture of whole meal and self raising flours, a sharp cheddar cheese . . . and filled with a subtle flavour of marmite, these were fabulous!
*Cheddar and Marmite Scones*
Makes 8
Printable Recipe
The perfect savoury scone to have with a hot bowl of soup, or with some cold sliced meats and cheese. Perfect for in the lunch box too! Healthy and whole meal.
140g self raising flour (1 1/4 cup)
140g wholemeal flour (generous cup)
1 tsp baking powder
50g cold butter, cut into small cubes (3 1/2 TBS)
85g mature cheddar cheese (scant cup)
1 large free range egg
1 TBS Marmite
2 TBS Greek yogurt
3 TBS milk, plus more to glaze
Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas 5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Whisk together the self raising flour, wholemeal flour, and baking powder in a large bowl. Drop in the butter and quickly rub it into the flour mixture using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Stir in half of the cheese. Make a well in the centre.
Whisk together the egg, marmite, yogurt and milk. Pour this all at once into the well in the centre of the flour mixture. Stir together with a fork to make a soft dough. If you think the dough is too dry, you may add a bit more milk. You want a soft, but not sticky dough.
Turn out onto a floured surface, Pat out to about 1 inch thick. Cut into rounds with a 2 1/2 inch round cutter, stamping it straight down and lifting it straight up, re-rolling the scraps as necessary, until you have 8 rounds.. Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with some more milk and then sprinkle with the remainder of the cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool..
The machine is very easy to clean. You just half fill it with warm water, add a few drops of dish soap and blend for about 2 minutes. Easy peasy lemon squeasy!
Next, I decided to make the Custard Sauce recipe from the book. The Toddster loves his puddings, and he always loves them with custard. The recipe in the Vitamix Cookbook promised to make this sauce in 6 minutes. This time I had cottoned on to how exactly to use it, so I had no mishaps and true to it's word in about 6 minutes I had a delicious Vanilla Custard Sauce. I did a video of that too, but somehow I lost it. (I've never claimed to be a techno genius!) Of course. . . I didn't serve that all on it's own either. I made Todd a delicious Steamed Apple Pudding to have along with it. Yes, I know, he is one very spoilt man! You'll have to come back tomorrow for that recipe, as I am pooped now and ready to take a rest!
The Vitamix also makes delicious ice cream in only 2 minutes, which I will also show you at another time!
In the meantime I have to say that all told I am very impressed with this beautiful machine. It is soooooo much more than a blender. It promises to do the work of 10 kitchen appliances and let you perform more than 50 kitchen tasks easier, faster and with better results than you can achieve any other way.
- Blend fresh fruits and vegetables into tasty, fibre-rich whole food juice in 1 minute
- Cook steaming hot soup from fresh vegetables in under 5 minutes
- Create delicious healthy ice cream in only 30 seconds
- Dice, chop or blend ingredients into healthy, preservative-free salsas, dips and more
The Vitamix Total Nutrition Centre® is backed by full 7 year warranty and comes complete with a Getting Started DVD, Getting Started Guide Manual and a Whole Foods Cookbook which all go a long ways towards getting you stuck right into healthy cooking quickly and effortlessly.
Many thanks to Aaron at Publicacity, and to the Vitamix people for affording me this fabulous opportunity!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!
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