One of my favourite things to eat is . . . Buffalo Chicken Wings . . . scrummy yeh . . . but not so good for you with all of that skin and fat . . . that's probably why they taste so good. Why does everything that's bad for you have to taste soooo good???? It's not fair I tell ya! It's just not fair!



One way to overcome that problem is to use chicken tenders instead of wings. Made from the tender filet which sits just behind the breast of the chicken . . . it's tender, low in fat, skinless and moist, when cooked properly!



There is a tendon in it though . . . which I always remove. I just pick it out with the tip of a sharp knife . . . and then hold onto it with a piece of paper towel and slide the knife carefully along it . . . until it's totally detached. I just think that the tendon can sometimes be a bit tough . . . and I would rather not have it there. But it is a personal preference.



These tasty buffalo tenders get their flavour from a buttermilk soak, using buttermilk lightly flavoured with hot sauce. Of course you can adjust the heat by using less or more than I have suggested.



They then get rolled in a seasoned flour mix and lightly pan fried in a minimum of oil. I have also baked them before with good results . . . simply by placing them onto a baking sheet which I have sprayed with a low fat cooking spray, and then spraying the filets lightly with a bit of cooking spray. A couple of bursts does the trick. Bake at 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6 for about 10 minutes, turning over halfway through that time. The juices should run clear. But really . . . the amount of oil used in frying them isn't very much at all.



The piece de resistance is the delicious blue cheese dip! Maximum flavour . . . with minimum cheese. Blue cheese has such a strong flavour that you don't really need a lot of it to have an impact. The garlic and red wine vinegar also add to the delicious taste of it.



Altogether these are quite scrummy, and very, very satisfying. I like it when I can skim the fat off of a dish and still enjoy it. It's a win/win situation all round!



*Fiery Chicken Tenders with Blue Cheese Dip*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Nicely spiced chicken tenders, served along side a chunky blue cheese dip. Fabulously flavourful and low in fat and calories as well.

For the chicken:
124ml of low fat buttermilk (1/2 cup)
1 tsp hot sauce
50g of plain flour (1/2 cup)
1/2 tsp of paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp of thyme, rubbed in your fingertips
1 pound of chicken tenders
1 TBS sunflower oil

For the Dip:
110g of no fat mayonnaise (1/2 cup)
30g of crumbled blue danish blue cheese (1/4 cup)
1 TBS red wine vinegar
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Combine the buttermilk and the hot sauce in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, paprika, cayenne and black peppers, salt and thyme. Dip the chicken tenders into the buttermilk mixture and then roll them in the flour mixture to coat.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken pieces. Cook for 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and set aside. Keep warm.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, cheese, vinegar, garlic, salt and black pepper.

Serve the warm chicken tenders along with the dip. Delicious!

As you know I am a big fan of potatoes! I love them in any way shape or form. A day without eating a potato is a day in which something is missing for me. No Carb or low carb doesn't work for me!



The other day I saw these pretty Apache potatoes in the grocery store, and the bag was only a pound in price, so I gave in and bought them to give them a try. They're very striking in appearance don't you think? Kind of like an Native American pony. (I forget what they are called.) Half of the bag we used simply steamed . . . oh but they were lovely with a bit of melted butter and mint . . . they had a slightly waxy texture (great for salads) and a buttery almost chestnut flavour. Mmmmmm . . .



The rest I used to make a potato salad yesterday. I do so love a nice potato salad in the summer time. I am not fussy about mayonnaisy ones . . . not unless it's my mom's. She makes the best potato salad, with a mayonnaise base. I like it because it's not swimming in mayo. I am not fond of potato salad, swimming in mayo. Ugh . . .



I chose to make a delicious vinaigrette dressing for my salad this time . . . flavoured with some sherry vinegar and Dijon mustard . . . some shallot and spring onion, and of course seasalt and black pepper.



I cut up the potatoes and dropped them into the vinaigrette while they were still warm. That way the potato is able to absorb some of that lovely flavour from the dressing . . . just the way I like it.



I then added some pancetta lardons, which I had cooked until crisp . . . and some crumbled blue cheese. Oh my . . . to die for.



I garnished with some additional spring onion, blue cheese and I added a bit of the packaged bacon bits . . . but I should have actually saved out some of the pancetta lardons to use instead of the packaged ones, as the packaged bits looked a bit too pink. Thank goodness it was just for us!



Oh well . . . live and learn. I do hope you'll try this recipe out. Pink bacon bits aside . . . it was really quite, quite delicious! Oh how, I do so love Potato Salad!!



*Potato Salad with Blue Cheese and Bacon*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

I love a potato salad with a vinaigrette dressing far more than a mayonnaise based one. They just taste lighter somehow. This one is fab with the addition of a snappy dressing and so blue cheese and bacon lardons!

For the dressing:
2 fluid ounces of Sherry Vinegar (1/4 cup)
1 small shallot, peeled and minced
2 tsp Dijon mustard
4 fluid ounces of olive oil (1/2 cup)
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the salad:
1 pound of salad potatoes (I used navaho ones here, a mixture of red and brown skinned)
3 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
1 small package of pancetta lardons, fried until crisp (about 1/2 cup)
120g of danish blue cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup)

Put the potatoes into a pot of lightly salted boiling water. Bring back to the boil, then turn the heat down a bit and simmer rapidly for 10 to 15 minutes until tender. Drain well.

Whisk together the vinegar, oil, shallots and mustard for the dressing. Cut the potatoes into quarters while they are still warm and drop them into the dressing. Allow them to cool to room temperature in the dressing. Add the chopped spring onions, pancetta and crumbled blue cheese. Toss lightly to mix all together. Serve at room temperature.

Note: If you like you can reserve some of the bacon, spring onions and cheese to sprinkle on the top of the salad in the bowl for a pretty garnish.

I was recently sent me some baking goodies to try out from Tala. I was really happy to get them. I have quite a few Tala items in my baking cupboard already, and from my experience, I have always felt that their products are reasonably priced, easy to use, and typically pretty good quality!

Tala is a home cooking brand that has been a part of kitchens nationwide since 1899, well known and loved for it's innovative baking, icing tools and gadgets. One of my favourite tools which I use frequently is their retro cooks measure and I just adore their icing bag set. They stand for quality. I do hope you'll take the time to watch the short film above as it's really quite interesting and informative.



The first item I was sent was their Twelve cup Bun Tray, or muffin tin as it is called in North America. Measuring 35cm X 26.5cm X 3 cm, it is of a pretty standard size, and just perfect for baking buns, fairy cakes, muffins and Yorkshire puddings. It is of a pretty hefty weight as well. It's not flimsy at all, which means that anything baked in it will bake pretty evenly, and there won't be hot spots. It has a double layered non-stick coating and is oven proof to 240*C/464*F. It's also fridge, freezer and dishwasher safe. It usually retails at most quality cook shops for around £10.00, although you can sometimes find it at a cheaper price.



The other item was their 3 Tier Card Cupcake Stand. These Card Cupcake Stands are becoming very popular these days. Not only are they quite easy to store, but they are lightweight, very easily put together and normally wipe clean with a damp cloth without too much trouble. I like this Tala one because it is not too *frou*frou*, if you know what I mean. I like it's simplicity, both in colour and style. I found it very easy to clean up after use and of course, it's super easy to store, which is a real plus from my way of thinking. This retails at a very reasonable £6.99, making it very affordable and perfect for small get-together's etc. You might think that being made of card, it would be flimsy, but it's really very sturdy. I do recommend putting it together in the exact spot that you want to serve the cupcakes from . . . as it is a bit cumbersome to move. Also I put my cupcakes on evenly working with two at a time, placed directly across from each other. If you do it any other way, the flat surfaces have a tendancy to tilt. All in all though, I was very pleased with it's performance.



Did you also know that Tala has a wonderful new website?? www.talacooking.com is a wonderful site which is totally interactive, along with a discussion community where you can add photos and recipes. I quite like it!!



In trying out the bun tin I decided to bake these lovely Praline Topped Coffee and Pecan Cupcakes. It's a little bit of a fiddly recipe, meaning only that there are a lot of different parts to it, but if you take each part on it's own, and spread it out over a day, they really aren't that difficult at all.



The cake batter is stogged full of toasted chopped pecan nuts, and flavoured with a coffee syrup you make yourself. It just gives a subtle hint of coffee flavour . . . the real special touch comes when you pour more of the coffee syrup over the hot cakes when they come out of the oven. It soaks into the baked cake, making them moist and very flavourful.

They baked up beautifully in the Tala bun tin. I was well impressed with it's performance. The cakes baked evenly and were done in the exact time recommended in the recipe. I liked this tin much better than my other ones that I have. It also cleaned up really well with no difficulty!



Topping them is a deliciously tangy and buttery Creme Fraiche buttercream icing. Oh, my but it is some good.



But the real piece de resistance is that delectable pecan praline that you make, crush and sprinkle over the top, which makes these very special cupcakes indeed. It's very easy to make really, just so long as you keep an eye on it and don't overcook it . . . and spreading it out is super easy if you use two forks to pull it apart.



All in all these are fabulous cupcakes from top to bottom. I highly recommend. (Adapted from a recipe out of the book Weekend Baking by Sarah Randall)



*Praline Topped Coffee and Pecan Cupcakes*
Makes 12 large cupcakes
Printable Recipe

Best made and eaten on the day, but the unfrosted cupcakes freeze very well, if you want to bake a batch and then just decorate and eat as needed.

For the coffee syrup:
3 TBS instant coffee granules
6 TBS boiling water
2 TBS caster sugar

For the cakes:
175g of butter, softened (3/4 cup)
175g of caster sugar (9/10 of a cup)
3 large free range eggs
175g of self raising flour (a generous 1 1/2 cups)
50 chopped toasted pecan nuts (1/2 cup)

For the Praline:
100g of caster sugar (generous half cup)
50g of chopped toasted pecan nuts (1/2 cup)

For the frosting:
200g of icing sugar, sifted (a generous 1 1/2 cups)
2 TBS creme Fraiche
150g of unsalted butter, softened (2/3 cup)



Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line a muffin tin with medium to large holes with paper liners. Set aside.
Line a baking sheet (for the praline) with some baking paper. Set aside.

To make the coffee syrup, whisk all of the ingredients together until the sugar is melted. Set aside to cool.

Cream the butter and sugar for the cakes together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Sift in the flour, drizzle with 3 TBS of the coffee syrup and then whisk together for a few minutes. Fold in the pecans. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes, until risen and lightly golden. (The tops should spring back when lightly touched.) Remove from the oven. Prick the tops of the hot cupcakes with a fork and then spoon over the remaining coffee syrup allowing it to soak in. Remove the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the praline. Tip the sugar into a medium sized frying pan. Cook gently over low heat, without stirring, until the sugar is melted. Increase the heat slightly and let the sugar simmer until it turns a deep golden caramel colour. (This literally only takes a few minutes, so be on your guard.) Remove from the heat immediately. Stir in the toasted chopped pecans. Stir quickly and pour out onto the lined baking sheet. Spread out thin using two forks. Allow to cool completely until set. Bash with the end of a rolling pin to break it up.

To make the frosting, sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Tip in the creme fraiche and the butter. Beat together until smooth.

Spread a portion of the frosting on top of each cold cupcake and sprinkle with a little bit of the crushed pecan praline. Serve on the day. Delicious!

Many thanks to Tala Bakeware and Sophie for affording me this fabulous (and delicious) opportunity.

Website: www.talacooking.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalaRetro

 

One of my favourite cookery books is this one by America's Test Kitchen, entitled . . . Simple Recipes, more than 200 flavourful, foolproof recipes that cook in 30 minutes or less. I love cooking as you know . . . but if I can combine my love of cooking with great tasting recipes that are quick to prepare and deliciously interesting to eat . . . then I am a very happy cook.


I love this book because, although these are simple recipes . . . they are also extraordinary recipes, filled with flavour, colour and texture. You get maximum flavour and impressive results . . . with minimum effort.




That is the type of cooking I love. Good tasty ingredients, put together in innovative and delicious ways . . . cooked and prepared with simplicity. Fresh and tasty food really should speak for itself don't you think??? Me too!!!! Good food doesn't need gimmicks to make it taste better.



This is one of my favourite salad recipes from the book . . . and I'm happy to say that the Toddster loves it too. This is a salad which would easily please any man . . .



I call it the holy trinity of steakdom! Steak, mushrooms and tangy blue cheese . . . the three combined in a simple salad which tastes anything but simple. It has a deliciously tangy and rich vinaigrette dressing . . .



I did make a few changes here. The original recipe called for red wine vinegar in the dressing . . . I used sherry vinegar and I added 1 TBS of liquid acacia honey . . . just for a slight hint of sweetness, as that is the way we like our salad dressings . . .



The steak is simply seasoned and then cooked until golden brown on the outside, yet meltingly tender and slightly rare on the insides.



The mushrooms are sauteed in drippings along with a touch of the vinaigrette, giving them a lovely colour and moreish flavour.



You get the green rich and meaty crunch of fresh baby spinach leaves . . . the lovely flavour of the steak, the tang of capers and blue cheese . . . rich mushrooms and a lovely vinaigrette, which when combined together create a fabulous salad that I would even serve to company.



If I could think of anything that might tip it over the edge and make it even better . . . it might be the addition of some crispy salad onions . . . for crunch, but really . . . it's quite wonderful just the way it is.



Who says salads have to be boring???



*Steak, Mushroom and Blue Cheese Salad*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

The flavour trinity of fabulous steak tastiness . . . a good piece of meat, some meaty mushrooms and blue cheese. What's not to like!

2 strip loin steaks, 8 to 10 ounces each in weight, and each about 1 inch thick
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 fluid ounces of extra virgin olive oil (1/2 cup), divided
2 fluid ounces of sherry vinegar (1/4 cup)
1 TBS liquid Acacia honey
1 shallot, peeled and minced
1 TBS Dijon mustard
3/4 pound of white closed cap mushrooms, wiped clean and thinly sliced
1/2 pound of baby spinach leaves, washed and dried
2 TBS non-pariel capers, drained and rinsed
235g of blue cheese, crumbled (1 cup)

Measure 2 TBS of the olive oil out into a large skillet. Set aside.

Whisk the remaining olive oil together with the minced shallot, vinegar, honey and Dijon mustard. Season to taste with fine sea salt and black pepper. Set aside.

Pat the steaks dry and wipe with some paper toweling. Season with some salt and pepper to taste. Heat the oil in the skillet over medium high heat until it shimmers and begins to smoke. Add the steaks and cook, turning over only once, until nicely browned and cooked medium rare, about 4 minutes per side. (If medium rare is not to your taste, you can cook them a bit longer if you wish.) Remove to a plate and tent loosely to keep warm.

Add the mushrooms to the hot pan along with 3 TBS of the dressing. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium high heat until the mushrooms are golden brown. This will take about 8 minutes or so. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.

Toss the spinach leaves in a large bowl along with the capers and mushrooms. Drizzle with some of the remaining dressing. Cut the steaks thinly across the grain in thin slices. Arrange over top of the spinach. Crumble the blue cheese over top and serve. Pass any remaining dressing at the table.

I had some asparagus in the fridge that needed using up yesterday and was looking for a nice light lunch. Something not too high in calories, but that would be really tasty as well.

English asparagus is really lovely and something that I just can't get enough of during the asparagus season. We are getting to the end of it now, the asparagus season that is. The rest of the year you can always find asparagus in the shops here, but it comes from Peru, Kenya, or some other faraway place, and is pretty tasteless . . . it's been picked ages before it gets to the shops and so you can imagine the blah-ness of it all . . .



I much prefer the fresh stuff that's been just picked. The taste is amazing. Why settle for less.

Asparagus can be a bit sandy so make sure you wash it really well in several changes of cold water. To trim hold the stem between the forefinger and thumb of each hand and bend it just until it snaps. It will naturally snap off just where the tough part ends and the tender part begins. Discard the tough ends. (or save them in the freezer to make a tasty vegetable stock at a future date) I always like to trim the little tags off around the stem as well, as they can be quite bitter.

Even Todd liked this and he is not really a pasta lover. The tastes were fresh and light and we both really enjoyed it.



*Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce, Asparagus and Peas*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
Delicious pasta with a light sauce with vegetables. The vegetables are cooked until just crispy tender and the whole thing is a wonderful symphony of textures and flavours that really please. Adapted from a recipe in Cooking Light magazine.

8 ounces of uncooked fusilli pasta
1/2 pound of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch slices
1 cup frozen green peas
1 TBS butter
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
1 cup organic vegetable broth
1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
1/3 cup heavy cream
3 TBS fresh lemon juice (approximately 1 lemon)
the finely grated zest of one lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
dash of cayenne pepper
lemon wedges to serve



Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Add the asparagus cuts during the last minute of cooking. Place the peas in a colander. Drain the pasta mixture over top of the peas when done. Set aside.

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant and slightly softened, about one minute. Combine the broth and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring to blend well and then stir this into the garlic in the skillet. Bring to the boil, stirring. Cook until thick, stirring constantly for about one minute. Whisk in the cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper and cayenne. Cook and stir for about one minute to heat through. Toss in the pasta and vegetables, stirring to coat well. Garnish with some more freshly ground black pepper if desired and serve with some lemon wedges on the side.