I haven't been really able to do a lot of cooking this week during the day, what with all of this work going on in our bathroom, and at night I'm far too tired. You wouldn't think that renovating just one room would create such chaos, but it does . . . happy to say though, things are well  on the way towards being done, and there should only be a few more days of mither.  It's looking great so far!!  Anyways, simple food has been the rule of the day with as little cooking as possible.  You can't really plan much with the power being turned on and off haphazardly . . . it would be terrible to have a cake or a roast in the oven and have the power shut down.

When I was a child you couldn't get me to eat any cheese other than those plastic processed cheese slices.  Anything stronger than that and I wasn't having any of it!  I guess I was quite finicky.  Even as an adult,  I was afraid to try anything very strong . . . I never thought I would like any of it.

I got much braver after moving over here . . . and have become quite enamoured with lots of cheeses.  Cooking at the manor down South was a great education.  I often had to prepare Cheese Boards for the dinner parties and I quickly learned the different flavours and just what went with which.  In short . . .  I fell in love with real cheese.

One of my favourite cheeses to snack on is the Cathedral Strong Cheddar.   It's strong, but not in your face strong if you know what I mean.  I just love the stuff. (And no, I haven't been sent any samples to try, nor am I being paid to say that.  I'm simply telling you what I like.)  It's great for snacking on and for cooking with and I just adore cheese on toast made with it.

I was quite excited to learn that they are coming out with a new product, Cathedral City Selections,







*Cathedral City Mature Cheddar Creamy Cheese and Onion Tartlets*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

This recipe would also work well in a large tart tin if preferred, just cook it for 5 -10 minutes longer or until the middle feels firm to the touch.

As you probably all know by now, the Toddster is not a huge fan of pasta.  In our twelve years of marriage I have not been able to convince him that is it anything other than yuck.  (He has no taste when it comes to this . . . the man hates pasta, but loves tinned spaghetti!  It doesn't make sense.)   He will suffer through eating it occasionally, but really . . . he's spent the last twelve years vetoing a trip to Italy because . . . he doesn't like Italian food.  I haven't yet been able to convince him that they eat a lot more than pasta and pizza in Italy, but I'm working on it.

 

I took advantage of him being away the other day to feed my pasta loving heart.  I saw a really tasty recipe somewhere the other day that called for spaghetti, pine nuts, lemon and garlic . . . which sounded really good, but I didn't have any pine nuts.   It looked really delicious though and simple . . . and the more I looked at it the more I wanted pasta . . . so what's a gal to do . . . I took what I did had and created my own simple and tasty pasta dish.

 

It's nothing complicated.  You may not even see it as actually being a recipe per se . . . but it was incredibly delicious, easy and satisfied my hunger for pasta in a most wonderful way.  I fell off my diet wagon big time here, because I think I actually kind of ate 1 1/2 helpings of it . . . okay . . . I DID eat 1 1/2 helpings of it, I confess . . . yes, it was that good.



It was quick, quick, quick . . . it took me 8 minutes to boil my pasta and 2 minutes later I had a lovely,  bowl of this wonderfully tasty dish sitting in front of me.

 

I am a great fan of good quality tinned Italian tomatoes.   They are soooo good!  I don't know if it's the air in Italy, or the sunshine, or the earth . . . but Italian tomatoes are heavenly . . . fresh or tinned, sun dried, etc.  They're just the best.  I used a good quality Italian tinned tomato for this . . . fresh basil which I grow on my window sill, a really grate (every pun intended) Parmesan type of cheese (I used Grana Padano today, as that's what I had in the fridge),  garlic butter (which I made myself), and of course the best dried spaghetti noodles that I can buy.

 

And here's the truth . . . you don't have to go to Italy or spend a fortune to get good dried pasta.  I use a supermarket's best brand,  and it's as good as any Italian brand in my opinion.  The only way I would splurge and buy an actual Italian brand of pasta would be to get a special shape that I could find otherwise . . . like buggatini.  I was actually watching America's Test Kitchen the other day and they were testing out pasta brands and the clear winner was NOT an Italian brand at all . . . so don't be taken in and spend extra money when you don't really need to.  I wouldn't buy the saver's brand . . . but I wouldn't pimp for the so-called best brand name types either.



The most important elements of this dish are the cheese, the tomatoes, the basil and the garlic.  I infused the butter with the flavours of garlic and lemon, which went a long way towards flavouring this "fresh" sauce.  The only herb I used was fresh Basil which I cut in the chiffonade style.  (Very easy, just roll up into a cigar and cut into thin slices with a sharp knife.  That's chiffonade.)

 

Anyways, to make a long story short . . . good and simple ingredients . . . put together in a simple way . . . quick to make . . . delicious to eat.

 

Make some.



*Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Garlic Butter, Basil and Cheese*
Serves 2
Printable Recipe

I didn't know what else to call this.  Pasta comfort, plain and simple.

4 ounces dry spaghetti (1/4 pound)
50g of finely grated parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup)
2 tsp unsalted butter
the juice of 1/2 lemon
1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and degermed and bashed
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest (from an unwaxed lemon)
a small handful of fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
1 425g tin of chopped Italian Tomatoes, drained
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

Place your butter into a microwaveable dish along with the garlic clove.  Nuke in the microwave for about 30 seconds, until the butter is melted and you can smell the garlic.  Stir in the lemon zest and juice, and set aside.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil.  Add the spaghetti and cook according to your package directions for al dente.  Leave the drained tomatoes in the strainer.  Once the pasta is done, pour it over the drained tomatoes in the strainer and drain well.  (This helps to heat up the tinned tomatoes.)  Return the spaghetti and tomatoes to the saucepan.  Tip in the garlic butter, the cheese and the basil leaves.  (To chiffonade, roll the leaves into a tight cylinder and then slice them crosswise into thin strips.)  Toss together to coat the spaghetti.  Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Divide into two pasta bowls and serve.  I like to pass more parmesan cheese at the table.  (You can never have too much parmesan!) 

I think everyone here in the UK would agree with me when I say that this year we have had the worst summer ever.  Again at the beginning of this past weekend, there were promised of a beautiful Indian Summer looming . . . and we actually kind of bought into it too . . . Saturday and Sunday were lovely . . . but then today, we are back to rain, wind, cold . . .

Combine that with the fact that I have had workmen in my house all day working on the bath renovation . . .  power on, power off . . . the whole larder turned out so that they can access some wiring, etc. etc.  the list goes on and on . . . end result being . . . tonight was a soup for supper night.



There is a definite chill in the air as well . . . and with the damp, soup for supper went down a real treat.  Especially when it is as deliciously different and filling as this one. You get a deliciously creamy broccoli soup . . . topped with a scrummy yummy cheese crust . . . well, kind of like cheese on toast . . . baked on top of a delicious broccoli soup.  There's no better way to describe it!



Todd hates broccoli . . . hmmm . . . perhaps hate is too strong a word . . . Todd hugely dislikes broccoli . . . and, with a passion. I do cook it though, from time to time, for I love it . . . and he does eat it, when I do prepare it. Let's just say, it's not his favourite thing . . . at all!



Mostly I try to disguise it in other things. Kind of like what you do to children when they take a dislike to something. Telling my kids that they were little green trees never worked . . . and it doesn't work with Todd either.



One thing the Toddster does love though is soup . . . creamy soups . . . not thin broth ones . . . soups with substance.   If I can disguise broccoli as soup, then he's a very, very happy camper!



Just look at that crispy bread crust, slathered in oodles of scrummy cheddar cheese . . . and just beneath that crunchy rich surface . . . creamy rich broccoli, with more than a hint of cheese, enriched with cream.



Ohhh la la . . . c'est magnifique! Or should I call it scrummily moreish??? This is The English Kitchen after all!!



*Cheddar Crusted Broccoli Soup*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A well flavoured broccoli and cheese soup, topped with a rich and tasty Cheddar Cheese Crust!

1 large bunch of broccoli, about 1 1/4 pounds, wash and trim,
Chop into bits
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 large potato, peeled and chopped
3 TBS butter
5 cups well flavoured vegetable broth
2 TBS dijon mustard
1 cup double cream
salt and black pepper to taste
8 ounces of shredded strong cheddar cheese
(about 2 cups)

For the crust:
2 large crusty rolls
6 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese, grated
(about 1 1/2 cups)

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and potato. Cook, stirring occasionally over medium low heat, without colouring, until the onions are softened. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Simmer until the potatoes are soft. Add the chopped broccoli. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for a further 4 to 5 minutes, until the broccoli is crispy tender and has not lost it's colour. Remove from the heat and puree, using a stick blender, or very carefully in a regular blender, until smooth.

Return the soup to the heat. Stir in the mustard, double cream and cheese. Cook and stir until the cheese melts. Taste and season with salt and black pepper as needed. Keep warm.

Heat the grill to high. Cut the ends off of each of your rolls and then cut the middles into two thick slices. Toast them on both sides under the grill.

Place four heavy soup bowls on an oven tray. You want bowls that will be safe under the grill. Ladle the hot soup into the bowls, dividing it equally amongst the four dishes. Float a slice of toasted bread on top of each, then sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese evenly over top, again dividing it equally amongst the four dishes.

Slide the tray with the filled soup bowls under the grill and grill until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Remove from the grill and serve immediately. 

Note: Take care not to burn yourself on the bowls. Use a kitchen towel or pot holders.

 








Salads  are one of my favourite things to eat.  It has ever been so.  They are one thing, however . . . that are very poorly done in most eating establishments here in the UK.  

 

Sometimes as I am creating something in my kitchen, I ponder the alchemy of cookery . . . I wonder things like . . . who was it that discovered that eggs were good to eat . . . and then . . . having discovered that they were indeed very good to eat . . . who was it who discovered that if you beat them together with flour, butter, sugar and leavening . . . you ended up with cake???



And then, having pondered that . . .  and in the nature of what I was making today . . . who was it that discovered that if you separated the white and yolks . . . the yolks could be beaten light and fluffy . . . and that having done so, if you beat sugar into them and then baked them . . . the result was lovely sweet, crunchy and light meringues???

 

Yes, I do have an enquiring mind . . . and sometimes I really do wonder about these things . . . perhaps it's just in my nature.

 

Today, having use the yolks for another purpose, I found myself with a surplus of egg whites.  I decided to make some lovely light and sweet meringues.  Lightly spiced meringues . . . redolent of ground cardamom and cinnamon . . .  and then scattered with coarsely chopped raw pistachio nuts before baking . . .



Some people are afraid of meringues, but they're really not all that difficult to execute, if you follow a few simple rules.  Room temperature whites.  Clean,  grease-free glass or metal  bowl and clean beaters.  If you add the sugar slowly, it will kind of melt into the egg whites and you will get a nice smooth texture, not gritty at all, and lovely volume.  Oh . . .  and don't use really fresh egg whites . . . you want them almost to the sell by date . . .for some reason, that's how you get lots of volume.  The older the egg white . . . the larger the meringues.



These are beautiful served with sliced berries anda  bit of whipped cream . . . kind of like a de-constructed Eton Mess . . . and every bit as lovely.  Today I added a bit of lemon juice and icing sugar to the cream . . . so I got a kind of whipped lemon posset cream.  You don't need much lemon juice, only a squirt.  Your cream thickens up very nicely.  If you find it a bit too thick . . . then just stir in a bit more cream.

 

D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!!  The perfect light dessert for a warm "late" summer's day . . .with the last of the strawberries of the season . . .



*Cardamom & Pistachio Meringues*
Makes 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

Honey coloured, crisp sweet meringues. lightly spiced with cinnamon and cardamom and sprinkled with chopped pistachio nuts.  Perfect for serving with poached or fresh fruits.

200g of golden caster sugar (1 cup)  (plus a bit extra)
3 large free range egg whites
a generous pinch of each ground cinnamon and ground cardamom
a handful of raw pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Line two baking sheets with some nonstick baking paper.  Set aside.

Measure the egg whites into a large grease free glass bowl.  Whip with an electric whisk until they are firm and fluffy.  Fold in the sugar and spices.   Continue to whip with an electric whisk until the mixture is glossy and thick. 

Sprinkle the lined baking sheets with some caster sugar.  Place into the heated oven to warm.  Remove from the oven and then using two spoons scoop 8 ot 9 huge dollops of the whipped egg whites  onto the baking sheets, leaving plenty of space in between for spreading.    Sprinkle with the chopped pistachio nuts.

Place into the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 140*C/275*F/ gas mark 1.  Bake for about an hour until they are pale honey coloured, reducing the temperature if they begin to brown too much.  At the end of that time, turn out the oven (turn it off) and leave the meringues to see in the oven for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, remove and cool completely.

Store in an airtight container.  Serve with sliced fruit, or poached fruits.  Berries are especially good with these.

A few more tips for perfect meringues:

•  Make them on a dry day.  A humid day or rainy day means there's a lot of moisture in the air and this can adversely affect your meringues 
• Cold eggs separate more easily than room temperature ones.  Separate them fresh out of the refrigerator, and then let them come to room temperature before whipping.
• Separate your eggs into a small  bowl, one at a time, and only adding them to the main bowl when you have done so successfully.  The least little bit of egg yolk in the whites means they will not whip.  Rather than spoil a whole bowl of whites, better that you only spoil one.  You can try to fish it out with a piece of the egg shell, and that will often work, but don't try to use your fingers, as the oil from your fingers will also work adversely against them whipping properly.
• Use superfine sugar if you can.  This ensures that it melts better during the whipping process, giving you a smoother textured meringue.  Rub a bit of the meringue between your fingers.  If it feels gritty, keep beating.  Your mixture should be thick, glossy and quite smooth to touch.