Hands up if up if you are not overly fond of January and already in need of a bit of a pick up!  Me too!   I've been dragging along with this rotten cold/sinus infection/chest infection . . . . and feeling blah since before Christmas.  Christmas Dinner was a wash out . . . couldn't taste a thing.  Likewise New Years . . . I am more than ready for a pick-me -up!



I saw an article in one of my latest month's food magazines, where they were talking about having a Duvet Day as a January Pick Me Up.  I think by that they meant a day when you just laze around and eat nothing but junk and stuff, in your jim jams, watching cheesy films and stuff.   I totaled up all the calories for what they were suggesting that a person imbibe for the day and it was outrageous!

 

Breakfast Sandwich 563 cals. Bloody Mary 128 cals.  Teatime Treat Cake 352 cals, Creamy Hot Chocolate 293 cals.  Movie Snack of Honeycomb, Pancetta and Maple Popcorn  431 cals.  (All of this is per serving folks!)  All topped off with a takeaway feast of homemade  wings 450cals,  Spiced Wedges 299 cals,  Sticky Ribs 571 cals, and Red Cabbage Slaw at 248 cals . . . They can't be serious can they???  Or can they???  The mind boggles.



Kind of makes the calorie count of one of these tasty scones with some cream and jam seem rather healthy in comparison . . .  duvet or no duvet . . .



In any case . . . these certainly were a pick-me-up.  Is it feed a fever starve a cold?  Or is it starve a fever, feed a cold.  I don't know.   I only know for sure that I am about fed up to the eyeballs with coughing my guts out . . .

These made a nice change . . . a small indulgence without going over the top.

 

 *Cherry Almond Scones*
Makes 8
Printable Recipe

Beautifully  rich and flaky scones, stogged full of candied cherries and lovely flavours of vanilla and almond.  The flaked almonds which are baked on top give them a lovely crunch.

2 cups plain flour (200g)
1/3 cup caster sugar (65g)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup chilled butter (75g)
2/3 cup whipping cream (156ml)
1 large free range egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp pure almond extract
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup candied cherries, washed, dried and cut into quarters (200g tub)
flaked almonds and cream to finish

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.

Sift the flour into a bowl along with the sugar, baking powder and salt.  Drop in the butter, cut into bits.  Rub the butter in with your finger tips until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.   Stir in the cherries.   Whisk together the cream, egg and extracts.   Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a fork.  The mixture will be very sticky.  Tip out onto a floured board.  Knead several times with floured hands to bring together.  Pat out to 1 inch thickness.  Cut into rounds with a sharp round cutter, 3 inches in diameter., using a sharp up and down tap.  Do not twist.

Place rounds onto the prepared baking sheet.  Brush the tops with more cream and sprinkle with flaked almonds.  Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until well risen and golden brown.  Scoop off onto a wire rack to cool.   Dust with icing sugar to serve if desired.   Delicious split and served with clotted cream and preserves.

 

 I was sent several cookbooks in early December to review and I'm sorry to say that with all that has been going on I am only just now finally getting to them!



The first one I was sent was "The Everything Indian Slow Cooker Cookbook," by Prerna Singh.  This paperback cookery book features 300  recipes and instructions for building a masaledaani (spice box),  and shows you how to create authentic Indian recipes in just a few simple steps.

In The Everything Indian Slow Cooker Cookbook You’ll Enjoy Crafting Delightful Delicacies Like:

• Spicy Chicken Stew
• Curried Tempeh in Coconut Cream
• Chili Coconut Chicken (Mangalorian Murgh Gassi)
• And Many More!

In all honesty I have not had time to use this book, but the recipes look sound and quite easy to do.  I think if you enjoy Indian food, you would enjoy this book.   The only drawback to my way of thinking is that there are no photographs and I really do prefer cookery books which have photographs.   Realistically speaking however, most Indian food is not all that photogenic, so . . .

I do look forward to cooking some of the recipes once I get over my cold, and have earmarked several for trying.

The Everything Indian Slow Cooker Cookbook
by Prerna Singh
Published by Adams Media
ISBN - 13: 978-1-4405-4268-1
ISBN - 10: 1-4405-4168-X
$16.95 (CAN $17.99)



The Second cookbook I was sent was The Everything Pressure Cooker Cookbook, by Pamela Rice Hahn.  I am afraid that I don't own a pressure cooker, so I won't be able to test any of the recipes in this book, as merely having the book doesn't justify the expense of buying a pressure cooker.  I have always been slightly afraid of Pressure Cookers as when I was a child one of our neighbors had hers explode, burning her terribly in the process.  I know that modern day pressure cookers are probably a lot safer . . . but I just have this fear of them.

From online:

• Roasted Red Bell Pepper Pesto
• Cranberry-Braised Turkey Breast
• Balsamic Pork Chops with Figs
• Halibut in Black Olive Sauce
• Peanut Butter and Fudge Cheesecake

For that slow-cooked taste in far less time, a pressure cooker is the perfect solution.

The Everything Pressure Cooker Cookbook
by Pamela Hahn
Published by Adams Media
ISBN-13: 9781440500176
$16.95 (CAN $17.99)

 

The third cookbook I was sent was "Moufflet by Kelly Jaggers, author of Not So Humble Pies, and of the blog Evil Shenanigans.

I love this book.   I found it completely delightful . . . with fabulous photos and a beautifully tasty sounding selection of more than 100 GOURMET muffin recipes!  I do love muffins, I do . . . I do . . . I do.  In fact if there is any problem with this book at all it is that it's terribly hard to make up your mind which ones you are going to bake as each one sounds and LOOKS more delicious than the last!  There are four chapters of muffins:

• Uniquely Sweet Creations
• Hearty Fruits, Nuts, and Oats
• Brunch, Lunch, and Dinner Muffins
• Savory, Spicy, and a Little Sweet

I chose to bake as my first muffin from the book, the Cranberry Orange Streusel Muffins and as you can see they turned out really lovely.



The instructions were very thorough and easy to follow and as you can see . . . they turned out beautifully.   We rather quite enjoyed them a LOT!  They were the perfect holiday muffin.

 

*Cranberry Orange Streusel Muffins*
Makes 18
Printable Recipe

Freshly squeezed orange juice and tangy cranberries make up these lovely muffins, capped with a delicious lightly spiced streusel crumble.

1 cup fresh orange juice (250ml)
1 cup dried cranberries (150g)
2 cups all purpose flour (200g plain)
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup packed soft light brown sugar (200g)
1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil (78ml)
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBS fresh orange zest
3/4 cup buttermilk (178ml)
2 medium free range eggs
1 recipe Streusel Crumble (see below)

Combine the orange juice and cranberries in a saucepan and bring to the boil.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.  Strain the cranberries,  Make the streusel crumble and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 5.  Butter 18 medium muffin cups well, spray with nonstick spray, or line with paper liners.  Set aside.

Sift together the flour, soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and brown sugar into a large bowl.  Stir in the brown sugar.  Whisk the buttermilk, orange zest, oil, vanilla and eggs together in a beaker.  Add all at once to the flour mixture.  Mix just to combine.  Fold in the cranberries.  Do not overmix.

Divide the mixture between the muffin cups.  Sprinkle with the streusel crumble.  Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched.  Cool in the pan for several minutes before tipping out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.  Enjoy warm.

*Streusel Crumble*
Makes enough for 18 muffins

1/2 cup all purpose flour (50g)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (95g)
1/8 tsp ground allspice
pinch salt
1/4 cup butter, chilled (4 TBS)

Combine the flour, sugar, allspice and salt together in a bowl.  Using your fingers, rub in the butter until the mixture clumps and all the dry ingredients  are coated with butter.  Cover and chill for 10 minutes before use.

The cookbook itself is attractive, a hardback book with full-color photos of many of the muffins. I'm so pleased to have this cookbook as part of my collection and I highly recommend that you get Moufflet for your collection, too. 

ISBN -13: 978-1-4405-3892-6
ISBN-10: 1-4405-3892-1
$18.95 (CAN $19.99)


And now for the winner of the Innocent Drinks Smoothie Vouchers Competition . . . Big Drum Roll . . .

Lynn said...

Happy New Year, I love Innocent smoothies, they make a great quick and easy breakfast when I'm running late or a tasty snack. 
 

Lynn, if you could please send me your contact details, I will pass them onto the Innocent people and your vouchers will soon be winging their way to you. Congratulations!

 

 

I am a real vegetable lover. I could eat nothing but vegetables and be perfectly happy for the rest of my life . . . seriously! Ok . . . I might miss a good steak once in a while, but  vegetables do make me very happy.




I actually crave them.   It's totally true.   If I don't have at least one or two a day . . . something vital is missing from my life, and I'm not talking potatoes here!  (Although for sure Potatoes are a real favourite of both of ours!)

 

 This delicious casserole is a fabulous way of getting in several of your five a day, and is very easy to make.  You could use thawed frozen vegetables, or a thawed frozen vegetable mix, but I get a special kick out of doing my own vegetables.   I'm kind of odd that way I suppose. . .



 You end up with a tasty mixture of crispy tender carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, courgettes and leeks . . . underneath a tasty gratin sauce and a blanket of crispy crumb and melted Blue Stilton . . . because . . . we like it that way.  (Plus it is a good way to use up some of that leftover Christmas Stilton!)

 

And it tastes good.  The perfect side dish for your New Year Supper, or any supper.  Or, if you are like me . . . just the whole supper.  With a few slices of crusty whole meal bread and some butter . . . tis very, very satisfying.  (If you are serving it as a main, it will only feed 3 or 4 depending on appetites.  As a main I would serve some barley or brown rice with it.)

 

 *Winter Vegetable Casserole*
Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish
Printable Recipe

A delicious way to get in a few of your "Five a Day!"  Easy and economical and doesn't use cream soup.

1 medium cauliflower, trimmed and broken into florets
1 medium head of broccoli, trimmed and broken in florets
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch coins
1 medium courgette, washed, trimmed, cut into half moons, 1/2 inch thick
1 medium leek, trimmed, washed and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

For the sauce:
4 TBS butter
25g of plain flour (1/4 cup)
1 chicken stock pot (or the equivalent of chicken boullion powder)
500ml of milk (2 cups)
1 TBS Dijon mustard
salt and black pepper taste
a handful of crushed round buttery crackers
a handful of crumbled Blue Stilton Cheese

 

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil.  Drop in the cauliflower.  Cook until crispy tender, then scoop out and drain.  Set aside.  Repeat with the remaining vegetables, cooking them one at a time, just until crispy tender and allowing to drain well.  Discard water.

Using the same pot, melt the butter.  Once it begins to foam.  Add the flour.  Cook and stir for one minute.  Whisk in the Dijon mustard and then the milk.  Cook, whisking constantly until the mixture bubbles and thickens.  Whisk in the stock pot.  Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as desired.

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 5.  Butter a 9 inch square deep casserole dish.   Toss the well drained vegetables together and spread them in the prepared baking dish.  Pour the sauce evenly over top of all.  Sprinkle with the crushed crackers and the crumbled Stilton cheese.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbling and nicely golden on top.  Allow to sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

 

After all of the turkey and ham of the past week, we were craving something quite different for supper at the weekend.  We were also having company for supper and I thought they were probably a bit tired of turkey and the like as well.



I was right.   This casserole went down a real treat.  It is a little bit different than most Cowboy Casseroles which you may see out there in that I add herbs and vegetables to mine.


 

I still use the cream soup . . . but  the addition of Worcestershire Sauce, Mushroom ketchup, tomato ketchup really enhances the flavours of this lovely stand by.  It's like a cottage pie . . . but with a tater tot covering instead of mash.



If you keep ground beef, tinned soup and sweet corn, along with frozen tater tots in your store cupboard/freezer . . . then you always have the makings of this delicious and economical casserole ready to go.

 

This is a real family pleasing meal.  It's hearty and filling and so very tasty.  I like to make a salad to serve on the side and green beans.  The other night I added some garlic bread as it was a company meal.
Needless to say, the meal was well received.  I knew it would be.  Enjoy!

 

 *Cowboy Casserole*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

This may not look very tasty, but trust me when I say it's delicious.  I like to make the meat mixture the day before and let it ripen overnight.  I think it's even more delicious when you do this.

500g of extra lean ground beef (2 1/2 pounds)
olive oil spray
a knob of butter
1 large leek, split, washed and thinly sliced
1 small onion, peeled and minced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (or 3 tsp Gourmet Garden crushed garlic)
1 tsp mixed dried herbs (thyme, summer savoury, marjoram)
2 dessert spoonful's of tomato ketchup
a good splash of Worcestershire sauce
a good splash of mushroom ketchup
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 (340g) tin of sweet corn, drained (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 tin of condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
125ml of whole milk (1/2 cup)
4 heaped TBS sour cream
8 ounces strong cheddar cheese, divided (2 cups)
1 1/2 bags of frozen potato nuggets (tater tots)


Spray a large and deep nonstick pan with some cooking spray.  Add the beef and scramble fry, cooking until it is no longer pink and any liquid is totally evaporated.  Add the knob of butter and continue to cook,  until it begins to turn golden brown in places.  Add the leek, onion, garlic, and herbs.  Cover and cook over low heat until the vegetables are wilted.  Stir in the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mushroom ketchup, corn, soup, milk, sour cream and 1/2 of the grated cheese.  Heat through.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary with salt and pepper.  Allow to simmer over low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Do not let it dry out.  You want it slightly loose.  (If you are making it a day ahead, pour it into a plastic container at this point, cover and refrigerate.   The next day spread it into a 9inch by 13 inch glass baking dish which you have buttered and allow to come to room temperature before proceeding.)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.

Scatter the frozen potato nuggets over top of the meat mixture.  Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover and sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese.  Return to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer until golden brown and the meat mixture is bubbling nicely.  Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.  Serve hot.  I like to serve this with some salad and green beans.

Pssst . . . I did take a picture of it spooned out in the kitchen . . . but it's not that great a picture because the light is artificial.  Trust me though, it is really tasty.

  


When I was growing up a Terry's Chocolate Orange was an incredible treat . . . something special that was only ever available during the run up to the Christmas Holidays.  There was something really magical about the way it fell apart into segments . . . just  like an orange would . . . and the flavour . . . wow, orange and chocolate, amazing.   A beautiful flavour combination.



They're a little more common these day, pretty much available all year round.  I like to save them for a Christmas treat though, and so I resist buying them at any other time of the year . . . kind of like I resist buying strawberries in January.  There's just something very seasonal about a Terry's Chocolate Orange, and it's absolutely  not as tasty during any other than the Christmas Season.  Am I alone in this???  I am sure I am not . . .  I think that when you make something an every day thing . . . you take something pretty special away from it's . .. well . . . specialness  . . .



And what about all those other flavours they have come out with now???  It's just plain wrong and I have never even been tempted to buy or taste any of them.  A Terry's Chocolate Orange has to taste like a Chocolate Orange in my opinion . . . not of mint or anything else.  I don't want it filled with popping candy or anything else strange.  I will stretch to a dark chocolate one versus a milk chocolate one  . . . but that's as far as I will go.

 

I do confess to being a bit of a glutton when it comes to them though . . . and when they put them on sale close to Christmas I cave and buy at least half a dozen of them, telling myself that they will come in handy as gifts for people.  And, in all honesty . . .  I did manage to part with one this year, sending it in the Christmas box to my daughter and new son in law.  I hoarded all the rest though . . . and today with New Years looming and remembering my policy to not eat them any other time of the year I decided to do something rather tasty with the ones I had left.  (One and a half . . . don't judge me.)

 

Today though  . . . I think I created a  monster . . . tis true.  I took my best Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe and I exchanged chopped up chocolate oranges for about half of the chocolate chips.  All I can say about that decision is . . .

 

ahhhh . . . . I'm a genius.  A rather fat genius, but all that aside . . . I just know that you will LOVE these.  In fact if I were you, I'd rush to the shops now and pick up a few chocolate oranges while they are still on sale.  The orange flavoured ones . . . none of those other ones . . . grab one or two or three and

 

WHACK it!  'Nuff said.  (I may just have to break my seasonal rule this year . . . sigh . . . )



*Chocolate Orange Chip Cookies*
Makes 7 dozen
Printable Recipe

The perfect thing to do with those leftover Chocolate Oranges after Christmas. 

2/3 cup Trex, Crisco or White flora (145g)
2/3 cup butter, softened (150g)
1 cup caster sugar (190g)
1 cup soft light brown sugar (200g)
2 large free range eggs
1 tsp vanilla paste
1/2 tsp orange extract
3 cups plain flour  (300g)
(may need more)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 pound mixture of coarsely chopped semi sweet chocolate and chocolate orange segments (16 ounces)
115g of coarsely chopped toasted walnuts (1 cup)


Pre-heat the oven to 190*C/375*F. Lightly grease several cookie sheets and set aside.

Cream together the butter, shortening and sugars in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, orange extract  and vanilla paste. Sift together the flour, salt and soda. Stir into the creamed mixture to make a soft but not sticky dough. You can add a bit more flour if you need to. Stir in the chocolate and chopped nuts.

Roll tablespoons of the dough into balls and set on the prepared cookie sheets, two inches apart. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let sit on the baking sheets for several minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with the rest of the dough. These are fabulous!

Store in an airtight container.  They also freeze well.

Coming tomorrow . . . Cowboy Casserole.  Tasty, tasty!

 

My friend Shirley posted a photo of a delicious looking ice cream cake on Facebook on Christmas Day.  Oh my but it looked good.  I just had to ask for the recipe. This was her reply:

   " I lined a loaf tin with cling film then put after eight mints on the bottom and sides. Then soften some ice cream and add whatever you like. I used some brownie chunks and mint areos. Then pop more mints on top and re-freeze. I dusted with icing sugar before serving. You could use anything in the ice cream mix....Christmas pudding, choc chunks, cranberries, cherries, toffee etc. Customize it to taste!"



Easy peasy!!  I hesitate to even call it a recipe because it's so simple even a child could make it!  All you need are a variety of bits and bobs to layer with the ice cream in the pan.  If you didn't want to use mints on the outsides, you could use flat chocolate biscuits, which would be nice, or custard creams, or whatever.

 

You  could drizzle the layers with your favourite kind of ice cream topping . . . Dulce de Leche, Chocolate Fudge, Strawberry Jam . . .

 

You could use any flavour of  Ice Cream you want to use.  I am thinking that chocolate ice cream would go really well with bits of marshmallow, cherries . . . toasted praline nuts . . . or broken up Terry's Chocolate Oranges.

 

Hopefully you can see where I am going with this.   Just use your imagination and what you have to hand, just making sure that the flavours you use are ones which go well together.  Cherry and  toasted almonds.  Milk Chocolate and Orange.  Lemon and Vanilla.  Peanut butter and Chocolate.   Broken Digestives, peanut butter, chocolate and marshmallows . . .  there is no end to the combinations you could come up with.

 

The most important thing is to have fun with it.  I don't think I've ever seen an easier dessert or one that was as ooohed and aaahed over.  Happy New Year!




* Simple Ice Cream Cake*
Makes about 10 servings
Printable Recipe

This is so easy to do and so adaptable.  I hesitate to even call it a recipe.   It's just basically layering ice cream with some of your favourite goodies.

1 litre of vanilla ice cream (1/2 quart), slightly softened
1 box of thin mint chocolate patties (such as After Eights)
4 mint aero bars, broken
5 shortbread biscuits, broken up, or broken up
(brownies or other sweet squares or biscuits, even rice crispie squares
work well.  You want something which will go with the mint)
pieces of fudge or caramels chopped

To serve:
icing sugar to dust
little chocolate candies and sprinkles, silver dragees, etc.

 

Line a loaf tin with some plastic cling film, allowing it to drape over the sides.  Line the tin with a layer of the mint patties.  (Place them so that their right sides will be facing out, when you unmold the cake.)
Fill the tin with 1/3 of the softened ice cream.  Top with 1/2 of the broken aero bars, biscuits and fudge bits top with another third of the ice cream pressing it down. Sprinkle with the remaining aeros, biscuits and fudge and then top with the final third of the ice cream.  Top with a final layer of mint patties.  Fold the cling film over top to cover tightly and place into the freezer for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

When you are ready to serve, Uncover the top of the cake and tip it out onto a serving tray about 15 minutes before you plan on serving it.  Carefully peel off the cling film.  Dust with some icing sugar and sprinkle with candies, dragees, sprinkles, etc.

Cut into slices with a warm wet knife to serve.

Note:  The best thing about this is that you can use whatever you have to hand.   Candy cane ice cream would be lovely, or chocolate ice cream with chocolate orange chunks.  Malteasers, leftover Christmas chocolates, crumbled Christmas pudding, or whatever else is available.

Mmmm . . . Next up Chocolate Orange Chip Cookies, filled with lots of chocolate orange chunks, semi sweet chocolate chips and toasted walnuts.