As you know I was recently sent some meat to try from the people at Westin Gourmet. I had the opportunity at Easter to cook the Rib Eye Steaks they had sent to me, and I have to say . . . no word of a lie, these were the best steaks Todd and I have ever eaten. Seriously. They were AB-SO-LUTE-LY gorgeous, truth be told.
In all honest I was not surprised. Everything they sent to me I could say the same thing about. I think that my all time favourite meal next to my mother's turkey dinners has to be a good steak. I am a good steak aficionado . . . and these did not disappoint in the least. Too often you spend good money buying what you think is a good piece of meat only to find out that is is flavorless and dull . . . totally lacking.
Westin Gourmet's 8 to 9 ounce Hereford Rib Eye steaks are hung and aged for a full 14 days which seems to make a big difference in flavour.
From their page:
Aged to perfection, this amazing cut of Ribeye has been cooled, hung and allowed to mature for a full 14 Days before our butchers skilfully carve it into the perfect 8oz Steaks. The Hereford breed of cattle produces an excellent 'marbled' beef that produces a distinctive flavour meaning it is world renowned for the quality of steak it produces - and we source our Herefords from the very best farms anywhere in Britain.
These Steaks are part of our exclusive Butcher's Cuts range of finest steak. All steaks in this range are hand cut by our experienced butchers to produce the ideal steak!
These traditionally reared British cattle, fed on a grass diet and 14-Day Aged produce a truly memorable steak each and every time.
And I have to concur . . . these steaks were truly memorable. I am now spoilt for wanting to eat any other kind of steak.
I cooked my steaks according to my most excellent instructions which you can find here. This is what works for me. We like our steaks medium rare. I think it is a sin to cook any steak worth grilling to well done. In my honest opinion . . . you are ruining it
I served them simply . . . with some fried button mushrooms and a beautiful Stilton Butter which I sliced and lay out on top of each steaks so that it could melt and gild the lily so to speak. It was the perfect touch.
*Stilton Butter*
Makes 8 servings
Printable Recipe
This is excellent shaped into logs, chilled and then sliced and serve atop hot grilled steaks!
3 1/2 ounces butter (scant 1/2 cup) at room temp
6 ounces Stilton cheese (11 1/2 TBS), at room temp
4 TBS finely chopped flat leaf parsley
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed (can use less if you prefer not so strong a flavour)
coarse sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Place all of the ingredients with the exception of the seasoning into a bowl and mash together until well combined. I like to use a fork for this. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Shape into a log and wrap in wax paper or plastic cling film, twisting the ends to secure. Chill for at least an hour before use. Can also be frozen. Because of the fresh parsley and garlic you cannot keep this much longer than a few days. Alternately you can use freeze dried parsley and leave out the garlic.
Simply gorgeous to say the least. Of course our shops are full of early asparagus now. Oh boy . . . do I ever LOVE British Asparagus. Roasting it is my favourite way of cooking it. So we had some roasted asparagus tips on the side with these steaks along with one of my favourite steak accompaniments . . . Jacket potatoes . . .
But not just any Jacket potatoes either . . . I thought while I had the Stilton out I would dress up our potatoes by scooping out the insides and mixing them with a bit of Stilton and some spinach . . .
A knob of butter, a bit of milk and some simple seasonings and I was ready to stuff that mash right back into the crisp potato skins, keeping the texture kind of rough . . . so we would get some crispy brown bits on the surface. I sprinkled a bit more Stilton on top and then banged them back into the oven until the whole thing was perfection in a potato skin . . . these were truly fabulous!
*Stilton and Spinach Stuffed Jacket Potatoes*
Make 8 servings
Printable Recipe
Baked jacket potatoes, stuffed with a lovely mixture of spinach and Stilton cheese. Deliciously different!
4 large baking potatoes
4 cubes of frozen leaf spinach, thawed, squeezed dry and then chopped coarsely
2 TBS butter
2/3 cup of hot milk
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 TBS crumbled Stilton, plus extra to sprinkle over top
Preheat your oven to 220*C/425*F gas mark 7. Wash your potatoes well and dry. Prick them with a fork. Place them into the heated oven, right on the oven rack and bake them for about an hour, until the skins are crisp and they yield when gently squeezed. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a bit. Cut in half with a sharp knife, lengthwise. Scoop out the cooked potato flesh with a spoon, placing it into a bowl. Mash the potato flesh along with the butter, cheese and enough milk to give you a nice consistency. Stir in the spinach and season to taste with salt and pepper. Refill the potato skins with the mixture, piling it in loosely and roughly so you have lots of edges to turn crisp and golden brown. Place them onto a baking tray. Sprinkle some additional Stilton over top. Bang back into the oven or under a heated grill until bubbling and golden brown. Serve immediately.
Many thanks to Westin Gourmet for all that they sent to us. We were well pleased with everything and I think when I get back from Canada, I just might have to order a few more steaks from them . . . and some of that scrummy veal . . . for starters.
These steaks here today would set you back £14.86 for two of them, or £6.89 per serving. Of course if you buy more the price reduces considerably. I've paid far more than that for crappy steaks in a restaurant, truth be told. Barbeque Season is coming up. (I am being hopeful here, and planning on lots of sunny weather this summer!)
Altogether this meal was a wonderful treat for us! We both thoroughly enjoyed it so very much!
Sometimes you are sadly lacking in both inspiration and time, yet you are absolutely starving.
Perhaps all you have in the larder is a few eggs, some potatoes and onions, and maybe a bit of Chorizo. Doesn't everyone have some Spanish Chorizo in their larder? I mean, can you actually be a foodie without having some Chorizo in the larder?
I love Spanish Chorizo. It's warm and spicy and a very versatile ingredient. Made in Spain, using coarsley chopped pork and pork fat, and seasoned with spicy smoked paprika, it's a very versatile ingredient. It also doesn't need refrigeration. I use it in my crushed new potatoes, and it makes a tasty hash. It's great as tapas, just sliced, and also pretty wonderful on pizzas.
We were absolutely starving when we got home from church the other day and I just didn't have time to cook a slap up meal and so I cooked us a Tortilla with some potatoes, eggs, onion and Chorizo.
A Spanish Tortilla is not to be confused with a Mexican Tortilla. It is not a flat bread used to wrap around a taco or to be turned into enchiladas (although those are mightly tasty things). It is a thick eggy omelet kind of thing, nicely browned on the top and bottom and stogged full of meltingly tender potato and onion and, in this case, Chorizo!
A Spanish Tortilla is great picnic or packed lunch food as it tastes equally as delicious when hot or when at room temperature! With a little bit of salad on the side, it's the perfect meal!
*Spanish Tortilla with Chorizo*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
A tortilla, not to be confused with a flat type of bread eaten in Mexico, is like the Spanish version of an Italian Frittata. A tortilla however, is thicker and has potatoes in it. This is delicious served hot, warm or at room temerature. It's not so good cold though.
100ml olive oil (a scant third cup)
400g floury potatoes, peeled and diced (a scant pound)
2 red onions, peeled and roughly chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
200g chorizo sausage, peeled and sliced (1/2 pound)
1 fat clove garlic, peeled and crushed
2 TBS chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
6 large eggs
Heat two thirds of the oil in a non-stick skillet that is 10 inches in diameter. When hot, put in the potatoes and cook over medium heat, stirring from time to time, for 10 minutes. Add the onions and season lightly with some salt. Continue to cook for another 10 minutes or so, until the onions are quite soft. Add the sliced chorizo along with the garlic and parsley. Mix well, without crushing the potatoes and then cook for another few minutes, until quite fragrant. Scoop everything out with a slotted spoon onto a plate and allow to cool slightly. Wipe out the frying pan with some paper towel to make ready for cooking the tortilla.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl and season lightly with some salt and pepper. Heat the remaining olive oil in the skillet. Using a spoon, fold the potato mixture into the beaten eggs very carefully. Pour the whole mixture into the pan. Start cooking over medium heat, stirring gently from time to time up from the sides with a fork, as if making an omelete. As soon as the eggs are half cooked, stop stirring and turn the heat to low. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the underside of the tortilla is almost cooked. Slide it onto a lightly greased plate, then invert it back into the skillet until the cooked part is on top and the raw part is on the bottom touching the pan. Cook for another 2 minutes, cooking until both sides are cooked the same and the middle of the tortilla is still soft.
Slide the tortilla onto a plate and serve it whole and cut into wedges. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
We were sorting out the lounge/dining room today when I discovered a long overdue library book of Todd's hiding under the coffee table. We finished up our job and then he went into town to take it back and face the music. I, on the other hand, decided to make myself some lunch. I thought I would take advantage of Todd's absence and cook myself some pasta!
I love pasta and it's not something that I get to eat a whole lot of as Todd is not a big fan, although I do torture him with it from time to time. (Bad me!)
Anyways, I found a butternut squash that needed using up and I thought I'd make something reminiscent of those lovely little pumpkin ravioli that you can get or make yourself . . . but a WHOLE lot easier!
The butternut squash is gently browned in some olive oil along with some onions . . . until the edges are lightly caramelized, bringing out all that delicious natural sweetness . . . tastily mingled with some garlic and sage leaves, another beautiful marriage . . . and then tossed together with some freshly cooked pasta and grated Parmesan . . . and you have something quite out of this world.
I sat here on the sofa this afternoon, eating it right out of the pan (I know . . . I am so naughty) and watching episodes of Diners Drive Ins and Dives that I had taped. (The Toddster hates food telly, so I try to watch it when he's out.)
There is no better way to spend an afternoon than watching food telly whilst munching on some delicious pasta that you just rustled up!! Watching food telly always makes me kind of hungry, so I was glad that I had something to fill that gap with while I was watching.
Oh I do make myself happy sometimes! I love it when that happens. It was the perfect afternoon.
*Spaghetti with Butternut Squash, Onions and Cheese*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
A tasty pasta dish that I kind of threw together. It tastes close to those fabulous pumpkin filled pasta ravioli you can make, but is a lot less trouble! Delicious too!
a splash of olive oil
10 to 12 small fresh sage leaves
2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 fat onion, peeled and thinly sliced
400g of butternut squash, peeled and de-seeded and cut into thin slices (about 3/4pound)
400g of spaghetti (about 3/4 pound)
a knob of butter
a handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley
50g of Parmesan cheese grated (1/2 cup)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pour a splash of oil into a large nonstick skillet. Add the squash and onions. Cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until golden but not breaking up. Add the garlic and sage and cook for a few minutes. Toss in the knob of butter and take off the heat. Set aside and keep warm while you cook the pasta. (This sitting time is essential in order to allow the flavours to meld properly.)
Cook your pasta according to the package directions. Drain well and then toss into the warm pan with the squash mixture. Add half of the cheese and the parsley. Season well with some salt and pepper and then toss gently to combine. Pour into a heated serving bowl and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Serve immediately.
You would have to be living on the face of another planet right now, not to have realized that the price of food is sky-rocketing. Recent studies show that spiraling food costs have driven the annual cost of a family's groceries up by £1,100 a year, and there is no relief in sight.
Unfortunately the costs of everything else are going up as well . . . petrol, heating fuels, electricity, clothing etc. . . . everything that is except wages! Living on a fixed income is when you really begin to feel the pinch.
About the only thing most people have any control of in the case of rising costs, is the food budget, and it has been reported that some people are now cutting back to only one meal a day.
The higher end grocery shops are losing out to cheaper shops such as Aldi, Lidl and Asda, as families seek to make their food dollars go a bit further.
I think Aldi was voted supermarket of the year last year . . . which, even 5 or 6 years ago would have been unheard of!
Even though there are only two of us . . . and a dog, it is a real struggle at times to stretch our food budget to provide nutritious and yet economical meals. Mitzie is eating a lot more table scraps these days and I am trying my hardest to not let anything go to waste.
On the menu more often than not are cheaper cuts of meat and economical meals. Economical meals such as this tasty chicken dish shown here today. It uses the cheaper cuts such as thighs and legs . . .
I save even more money by buying whole chickens when they are on special, and cutting them up myself at home. I package and freeze each cut individually, so that I have bags of thighs, breasts and legs in my freezer at any given time.
I also have bags of wings and backs, just perfect for making delicious stocks and soups.
A few years ago I would have only bought free range organic chicken, but that's just not possible on our budget now . . . sad to say, although I do try to buy the higher welfare chicken rather than the super savers . . . not sure how long I will be able to keep that up for though . . .
Here's a great video by Pampered Chef which shows you how to do just that! Cut up your own chicken. With a good knife and a set of kitchen shears, it's really very easy to do.
A good set of kitchen shears is worth it's weight in gold. My husband regularly gets told off for using them for things he shouldn't be using them for!!
Once my chicken is all cut up, I lay all the pieces out onto baking trays and freeze them. Once frozen, I then pop the individual cuts into heavy freezer bags.
Freezing them individually like that means that I am free to take out as many or as few as I need at any given time!
This is one of my economical dishes. Cheap cuts of chicken marinated in a tasty spicy sticky marinade and then baked in the oven until they are scrummily glazed.
I serve it with rice and a vegetable and it always goes down a real treat. If you don't like things too spicy, cut out the cayenne pepper!
*Deviled Chicken*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe
Scrummy chicken that has been marinated in a delicious marinade spices and chutney and then grilled baked until glazed and succulently yummo!
6 chicken drumsticks
6 chicken thighs
1 TBS oil
3 TBS chutney, finely chopped or mashed
1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp English Mustard (hot)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
With a sharp knife make several slashes deep into the chicken pieces, cutting down to the bone. Mis the oil, chutney, Worcestershire Sauce, mustard, cayenne, ginger and seasoning together in a bowl. Add the chicken pieces, tossing to coat them well with the marinade. cover and let stand for one hour.
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.
Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer on a nonstick baking sheet, brushing them with any extra marinade. Bake in the heated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp, deeply golden, sticky and the chicken is cooked through. (The juices should run clear if pricked with a fork.) Serve hot or cold, as desired.
The Toddster and I are no stranger to jam . . . we both just
I use jam quite a lot . . . some nights we have just buttered bread and jam for our suppers . . . that makes us quite happy. Other times it's a slice of toast and jam in the evening when we are feeling a bit peckish . . . which is really nice too, but what I really love to do with jam is bake with it!
When I was a child my mother always made delicious raspberry jam filled Feather Squares for the holidays . . . cake base, jam middles and a coconut toasted meringue topping. She also made a lovely hot milk sponge which she would split and fill with jam. We all loved it.
Today I decided to bake the Toddster a delicious jam teatime treat . . . Blueberry Macaroon Slices . . . using my favourite Wild Blueberry jam. They are quite similar to my mom's Feather Squares, but instead of a flaked coconut covered meringue topping, they have a Coconut Macaroon Topping.
Quite, quite delicious and something which really brought a smile to Todd's face. Do I know the way to that man's heart or not??? I sure do . . . and it's with a jar of jam!
You're going to love, LOVE these!
*Blueberry Macaroon Slices*
Makes 16 bars
Printable Recipe
A short cake base, topped with wild blueberry preserves and a sweet macaroon cookie topping.
90g butter, softened (6 1/4 TBS)
110g caster sugar (1/2 cup)
1 large free range egg
100g plain flour (2/3 cup)
35g self raising flour (1/4 cup)
1 TBS custard powder (Birds custard powder)
1 generous half cup of wild blueberry jam
Macaroon topping:
2 large free range egg whites, lightly beaten
190g of shredded coconut (2 1/2 cups)
55g caster sugar (1/4 cup)
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8 by 12 inch rectangular baking tin. Line with some baking paper, leaving an overhang over the long edges in order to lift it out when done.
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Sift together the flours and custard powder. Stir it into the creamed mixture. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Spread the jam over top.
Stir together the egg whites, coconut and sugar for the macaroon topping and dollop evenly over top to cover. Bake for about 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the macaroon topping is golden. Allow to cool in the tin before cutting into squares to serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week.
It's still not too late to rustle up a few treats for your family for Easter. Here are some of my favourites which I have shared with you in past years.
Easter Bark
Easter Bunny Cupcakes Sooo cute!
Hot Cross Scones (Soooo good!)
Easter Chocolate Crispy Nests Easy to make and kids love em!
A Simnel Tart Very easy and oh so delish!
Bun and Butter Pudding A great way to use up some of those extra Hot Cross Buns!
Hot Cross Muffins Perfect for breakfast. Tastily fruity too!
Hot Cross Buns with a Spiced Fruited Butter for spreading.
You could be quite spoiled for choice!
I wanted to make a special bread for our Easter Breakfast this year . . . something which would remind me of the beautiful fruit breads that my mother's sister Thelma would send up to us each Easter. She was a dear saintly woman, who managed to raise five children all on her own.
She worked really really hard, on her knees scrubbing other people's floors and cleaning other people's homes. It was so kind of her to make this for us each year and it was something we always really looked forward to.
It is only as an adult I have come to realize the magnitude of her gift to us and the sacrifice it must have taken. I know that she must have been really tired at the end of her work days and that it would have taken her a lot of effort to make these breads for us, not to mention a chunk of what must have been a very tight food budget.
She was an excellent baker, and they were always so delicious . . . glazed with icing and studded with candied fruits.
I am not much of a bread baker . . .and I'll be the first to admit it. I have never quite been able to master the art of baking a good loaf . . . that's why I love quick breads so much.
I have always enjoyed a lot more success with those. These Fruit and Nut Scrolls are absolutely beautiful . . .
Created by using a lovely buttermilk scone type of dough that you press out to a rectangle and then spread with a lovely moist fruit and nut mixture . . .
chopped apricots, prunes, sultanas, currants, cranberries, chopped apple . . . flaked almonds . . . all moistened with rich calvados (you can use orange juice if you wish), sweetened with some soft light brown sugar and then flavoured with some cloves, cardamom and a bit of cinnamon and orange extracts.
Rolled tightly and then cut into slices and baked. Taken warm from the oven, they are then glazed with an orange marmalade glaze and then drizzled with a sweet icing drizzle.
All round these are quite simply fabulous and the perfect thing to offer your family as a part of their Easter morning breakfast!
*Fruit and Nut Scrolls*
Makes 18
Printable Recipe
An easy scone dough, rolled out flat, slathered with a spiced fruity mixture, rolled, sliced and baked until golden brown. A simple marmalade glaze and icing drizzle completes these delightfully delicious baked treats.
450g self raising flour (3 cups)
2 tsp caster sugar
50g of butter (3 1/2 TBS)
330ml of buttermilk, approx (1 1/3 cups)
For the filling:
40g sultana raisins (1/4 cup)
35g dried currants (1/4 cup)
35g of chopped dried apricots (1/4 cup)
50g chopped dried prunes (1/4 cup)
40g dried cranberries (1/4 cup)
1 medium apple, peeled and finely chopped
2 TBS flaked almonds
1 heaped dessert spoon of orange marmalade
1 TBS Calvados
1/3 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp cinnamon extract
1/2 tsp orange extract
50g of soft light brown sugar (1/4 cup packed)
For the glaze:
2 TBS orange marmalade
2 tsp water
Icing:
55g icing sugar, sifted (1/3 cup)
1 tsp hot water
Makes 18
Printable Recipe
An easy scone dough, rolled out flat, slathered with a spiced fruity mixture, rolled, sliced and baked until golden brown. A simple marmalade glaze and icing drizzle completes these delightfully delicious baked treats.
450g self raising flour (3 cups)
2 tsp caster sugar
50g of butter (3 1/2 TBS)
330ml of buttermilk, approx (1 1/3 cups)
For the filling:
40g sultana raisins (1/4 cup)
35g dried currants (1/4 cup)
35g of chopped dried apricots (1/4 cup)
50g chopped dried prunes (1/4 cup)
40g dried cranberries (1/4 cup)
1 medium apple, peeled and finely chopped
2 TBS flaked almonds
1 heaped dessert spoon of orange marmalade
1 TBS Calvados
1/3 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp cinnamon extract
1/2 tsp orange extract
50g of soft light brown sugar (1/4 cup packed)
For the glaze:
2 TBS orange marmalade
2 tsp water
Icing:
55g icing sugar, sifted (1/3 cup)
1 tsp hot water
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 5. Line a large baking tray with foil. Butter the foil. Set aside.
To make the filling combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Mix together well. Set aside.
Sift the flour and sugar into a bowl. Drip in the butter and rub it in with your fingertips until you have a mixture that resembles fine bread crumbs. Add enough buttermilk to give you a soft, sticky dough. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently, until smooth.
To make the filling combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Mix together well. Set aside.
Sift the flour and sugar into a bowl. Drip in the butter and rub it in with your fingertips until you have a mixture that resembles fine bread crumbs. Add enough buttermilk to give you a soft, sticky dough. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently, until smooth.
Pat the dough out to a rectangle about 12 by 18 inches. Spread
with the filling. Roll the dough firmly up from the long edge like a
Swiss Roll. Cut into 3/4 inch thick slices. Carefully transfer them to
the prepared pan leaving about 2 inches in between each.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and well risen. Remove from the oven. Heat the orange marmalade and water gently in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Brush this mixture on top of the hot buns. Remove immediately from the pans to a wire rack to cool. Whisk together the icing ingredients until smooth. Drizzle this over the cooled buns. Best served on the day they are baked.
Happy Easter!
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