You know it just had to happen eventually . . . the North American in me just cannot resist the combination of Peanut Butter and Jam, and I am always on the look out for a way to use it!!



I had a package of Croissant Roll Dough in the fridge that I wanted to use up before I went away this week and I was inspired to use my favourite Peanut Butter and Jam to create something quite scrummy . . . well, I think it is anyways, and I am sure I am not alone in this.

 

I love the refrigerated croissant dough . . . it's so adaptable.  You can very easily create new rolls with it . . . your imagination being your only limits.   In the past I have done Lemon Filled ones and Cinnamon Roll ones, both of which were quite lovely.  It was only a matter of time before I made Peanut Butter and Jam ones!



I like to use smooth peanut butter and strawberry jam for these, but do feel free to use chunky peanut butter if you wish, or another jam.   I just think that the smooth peanut butter and strawberry jam is the perfect combination.

 

A simple vanilla drizzle icing is the perfect finishing touch.   They turned out just fabulous!   DO be careful not to be tempted to use either too much peanut butter or jam . . . this is a case when it's best to be judicious . . . you don't want any blow outs . . .



Altogether they were quite delightful and delicious . . . and something which even my Brit husband found a bit hard to resist!   I hope you'll give them a try.  I just know you will love them too!



*Peanut Butter and Jam Croissants*
Makes 6
Printable Recipe

You know it had to happen.   Differently delicious.  I love peanut butter and jam.

1 packet of refrigerator croissant roll dough
(6 to a pack)
smooth peanut butter
6 tsp of strawberry jam

For the glaze:
130g icing sugar, sifted (1 cup)
few drops vanilla
milk

 

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

Unroll the croissant dough.  Separate into triangles.   Spread each triangle with smooth peanut butter.   Don't be tempted to add too much and try to stay away from the edges.  Drop 1 tsp of strawberry jam at the wide end of each triangle.  Again don't overdo it.  Too much jam will cause a blow out!  Roll up from the wide end to the narrow end.   Twist the edges closed gently and place onto the baking sheet, pointed end beneath, and curving slightly.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until well risen and golden brown.  Allow to stand on the baking sheet for 5 to 6 minutes before scooping out onto a wire rack to cool.  

Whisk together the icing sugar, vanilla  and enough milk to give you a drizzle icing.   Drizzle over the croissants.  Allow to set and then serve.

Note: do not be tempted to eat these while hot as the jam can burn.

 

 

This may not be much to look at, and it may sound like an unusual combination, but I just have to tell you that this is one of the most delicious casseroles you could ever make for your family.   Not only that, but it's also economical, easy and sure to become a fast family favourite!



All you need is an onion, a tin of baked beans, a pound of steak mince, a few odds and sodds and a couple slices of streaky bacon . . . seriously.  It's amazing what you can do with just a few bits!



I do want to say though that you will want to use the best quality and leanest minced steak your money can buy here . . . you don't want a lot of fat in your beef when you are using bacon on top.   I have used streaky bacon here, but you can use back bacon if you would rather.

 

To round out the meal I like to serve it with some fresh baked cornbread.   We love cornbread in this house.  It's not something that Todd ever ate before he met me, but he's a convert now and it is a simple bread that goes very well with these types of casseroles.  You can find my recipe for that here. 



A tasty coleslaw vinaigrette wouldn't go amiss on the side either.  Just to add a touch of green. I have a really tasty Pineapple version here.  I happen to think it's rather scrummy too.  In any case Beef and Beans, Cornbread and Coleslaw is a real favourite meal around here.   I do hope you'll give it a try.

 

*Beefy Beans*
Serves 4 to 5
Printable Recipe

Cheap and cheerful, hearty and most delicious.  Don't let the unusual list of ingredients put you off.  This is a winner/winner chicken dinner!  I like to serve this with cornbread.

1 TBS olive or sunflower oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
450g of extra lean minced steak (about 1 pound)
1 (415g/15 ounce) tin of baked beans, undrained
2 medium tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped
50g of soft light brown sugar (1/4 cup packed)
1 TBS Dijon mustard
5 thick slices of streaky bacon

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.   Butter a shallow 1 litre casserole dish.  Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently until it begins to soften.   Add the garlic.  Cook for a few minutes longer and then crumble in the minced steak.   Cook, stirring frequently and breaking it up with a fork, until the meat is beginning to brown and there is no longer any pink remaining.   (To peel the tomatoes, cut a cross on the bottom and place into a bowl of boiling water for about 60 seconds, or until the skin begins to peel back where the cross is cut.   Remove from the water and peel off the skin. It should come off very easily.)  Season with the salt and pepper.  Stir in the brown sugar, mustard and tomatoes.  Cook for several minutes and then taste.  Adjust seasoning as required.   Stir in the tin of baked beans and mix to combine well.  Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.   Cut the slices of streaky bacon in half and arrange over top.   Cover tightly with aluminum foil.  Bake in the heated oven for 45 minutes, or until thick and bubbly. 

Heat the grill.   Uncover the casserole dish and then pop it under the grill for a few minutes to crisp the bacon.   Serve hot, with or without cornbread for sopping up all of that tasty goodness.

 

I am a real believer in the simple things of life . . . I think more often than not it's the simple things in life which bring us the most joy and happiness . . .

 

Not for me Pheasant Under Glass and Caviar . . . Escargots or Pink Champagne . . . I am happy with simple foods and simple pleasures . . . yes, that makes me a cheap date for I am more than happy to dine at a local cafe with a plate of egg and chips . . . it only matters that it's done right.



You cannot get much better than simple food, cooked properly . . . and done right.   This is the kind of food that keeps a Nation's belly full and it's spirit strong . . . family food . . . affordable, nutritious and filling . . .



This is a dish that's been around for a very long time.   A dish which doesn't cost a lot of money and which you don't even really need meat to serve with it . . . although you could if you wanted to.   We just have it plain, like this . . . a simple supper served with some buttered brown bread and some pickled beets. The milk and cheese provide plenty of protein . . .



Potato Pie.   A simple dish.   Comfort food at it's best.  It's my potato-loving husband's most favourite dish of all time. You've got mashed potatoes, butter and cheese . . . beautiful rich, strong cheddar cheese . . . all wonderfully melded together and crisped up in a hot oven.   What more could a body ask for?


 

*Potato Pie*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

Buttery and nicely browned on top, meltingly cheese inside, and cruncy buttered crumbs on the bottom.  Deliciously simple.

2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
1/4 pint milk (1/2 cup)
30g  butter (2 TBS)
115g  strong cheddar cheese, grated (1 cup)
salt and white pepper to taste
85g white breadcrumbs, lightly crisped (1 1/2 cups)
a bit of melted butter to brush on top
softened butter to butter the dish

 

Put the potatoes into some slightly salted water and bring to the boil.  Boil until soft and then drain well. 

Pre-heat the oven to 205*C/425*F.  LIghtly butter a 1 1/2 to 2 pint pie dish.  Add the breadcrumbs and coat the bottom and sides with them, pressing to make them stick well.

Shake the pan of potatoes over the burner to dry them out and then remove from the heat entirely.  Add the milk and butter and mash completely until smooth.  Stir in the cheese and seasonings. Spoon this mixture into the prepared pie dish.  Rough up the top with the tines of a fork and then brush with some melted butter.

Bake in the heated oven for 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown.

Spoon out to serve.  It is said pickled beetroot and crusty brown bread go very well with this. 

I can vouch for that.  They are mighty tasty together.

 

I almost hesitated to share this recipe with you because it is basically a quintessentially North American type of recipe . . . using Butterscotch Chips, which are not readily available over here in the UK.  You can get them from an American grocery supplier called SKYCO, but at a premium price. (£4.78 for an 11 ounce bag, which is the equivalent of $7.31 American.  I don't know if that is good or not, but it seems pretty pricey to me!)

 

My good friend April (Dimples And Delights) sent me a care package some time ago filled to the brim with all sorts of baking chips . . . mint chocolate, cinnamon, butterscotch, peanut butter . . . it was so very kind of her to do so.  I put them in the freezer so that I could ration them without them going off and today I decided to use some of the butterscotch ones to make these cookies for the Missionary lads who are coming fur supper today.  A little taste of home perhaps.



But don't think you can't make these without butterscotch chips!   You could use white chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips . . . fudge bits . . . a combination of all three, or two, or whatever!  They would be delicious irregardless.  I don't think anyone would refuse one just because there were no butterscotch chips in them!



They're sweet and buttery . . . with crisp edges and chewy centers . . . stogged full of wholesome oats, sweet chunks of fudgy bits of butterscotch . . . toasted walnuts.  Altogether very pleasing indeed.   I think the lads will enjoy them, and I'm happy for that . . .



They're so good, I don't want a lot of them hanging around here for very long!   ME = No Willpower when it comes to cookies . . . especially homemade cookies.   Sigh . . .it's not easy being good . . .

 

*Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies*
Makes about 3 dozen large cookies
Printable Recipe

These are buttery, sweet, and laced with lots of oats, walnuts and butterscotch bits.   If you can't get the butterscotch bits you could use an equivalent amount of fudge bits and white chocolate chips, or a mix of white and milk chocolate bits.   They will be delicious in any case!

225g (1 cup) of unsalted butter at room temperature
200g of dark soft brown sugar (1 cup lightly packed)
191g of granulated sugar (1 cup)
2 extra large free range eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
160g of plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
250g of old fashioned oats (3 cups)
360g of butterscotch chips (2 cups)
60g of chopped toasted walnuts (1/2 cup)

 

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.   Line several large baking trays with baking paper.  Set aside.

Cream together the butter and the sugars until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time.  Beat in the vanilla.  Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.   Slowly beat the flour mixture into the creamed mixture.   Stir in the oats, butterscotch chips and walnuts to combine.

Drop by rounded TBS onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each.   Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned on the edges.  Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before scooping off onto wire racks to finish cooling.  Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

 

One thing that I have always loved is/are tinned tomatoes.   I could quite happily just sit down with a tin of tomatoes and a slice of bread and butter.  A smattering of salt and pepper and I am feasting.   I find it very satisfying . . .

 

When I was a child it was a real treat for my mother to make us Kraft Macaroni and  Cheese Dinner . . . we loved it.   Often she would stir a tin of tomatoes into it and that was even better.   Through the years I have always done the same.    In fact I cannot remember the last time I ate KD without them . . . mind you I don't eat KD at all over here, because it just doesn't exist.

 

I love macaroni and cheese.  It's a real favourite of mine, not so much the Toddsters  . . . but you know.   I do try to please him most of the time.   Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes??  It's even better.   Well . . . I think it is anyways.   I love this dish.   It's easy to make.  It's delicious.  It's economical.   You can make it ahead.   Most people like it.  That spells winner to me.

 

It wasn't that easy to get a tasty looking photograph of this delicious casserole.  But don't let these photos put you off in any way from making it.  This is definitely a "Do not judge a book by it's cover" kind of dish.   It's a delicious casserole that both children and grown ups will love.  Put it this way . . . my hubster, a dedicated "pasta hating" individual conceded that it certainly smelled delicious and proceeded to eat two plates full.   Need I say more???

I thought not.

 

*Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes*
Serves 4 to 5
Printable Recipe

Maybe not the lightest casserole around, but surely one of the tastiest.  Pure nostalgia.

1/2 pound of macaroni (8 ounces)
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (400g) tin of chopped plum tomatoes in tomato juice (14 ounces)
3 TBS butter
4 TBS plain flour
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
375ml of semi skimmed milk (1 1/2 cups)
125ml of single cream (1/2 cup)
125ml of chicken broth (1/2 cup)
1/2 pound of mild cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (8 ounces) (2 cups)
1/4 pound of strong cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (4 ounces) (1 cup)
a knob of butter, crushed cracker crumbs

 

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/gas mark 6.  Butter a 9 inch square glass baking dish.  Set aside.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil.  Cook the macaroni according to the package directions just until al dente, usually about six minutes.   Drain well and return to the pot.  Add the tin of tomatoes, stirring to coat.  Heat gently over low heat until most of the tomato liquid is absorbed.  Set aside.

Melt the 3 TBS of butter in a saucepan.   Whisk in the flour and cayenne pepper.  Cook and stir for about a minute.   Stir together the milk, cream and chicken stock.  Whisk into the flour mixture slowly.  Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the mixture is thickened, whisking constantly.   Remove from heat and stir in the cheeses to melt.  Season to taste with salt and black pepper.   Pour this sauce over the macaroni and tomato mixture.  Stir to combine.  Pour into the prepared casserole dish and smooth over.   Melt a knob of butter.  Stir in some crushed cracker crumbs.  Sprinkle evenly over top of the macaroni.  Set dish on a baking sheet.

Bake in the heated oven until the top begins to brown, 20 to 25 minutes.    Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Note:  This can be made ahead.   Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.  When ready to bake, cover with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for a further 15 minutes, until golden brown.

I think you could make this lighter by leaving out the cream and just using milk to replace the cream.   The buttery cracker crumbs on top are not absolutely necessary either.  I just rather like the buttery crunch.

 

I was shopping in Aldi (the Which Grocery Retailer of the year 2012 and a very inexpensive shop to shop in) the other day when I picked up some British Asparagus that was marked at 50% of the regular price.  And it was Asparagus tips and the thin new season tender ones to boot!  Score!!

 

As soon as I saw it I had in mind that I wanted to make some Asparagus Tarts with it.   The Toddster is a pie man and when I can disguise vegetables that aren't peas and carrots in the form of a tart I am happy, and he is happy and all is right with the world.



I normally always have puff pastry in the freezer or refrigerator.  It comes in very handy.   I usually buy it fresh when it's on special and then if it gets close to it's sell buy date and I haven't used it, I bang it into the freezer.  My motto is you can never have too much puff pastry to hand!   If you have a packet of puff pastry . . . you have a meal in waiting.

 

These beautiful little tarts are so very easy to make.  You simply shape, brush and bake.  Then you punch down the centres, spread them with a bit of salad cream, lay on cheese and the asparagus, sprinkle with some olive oil and salt and pepper and bake some more . . .



Then when the crust is all perfectly crisp and brown . . . and the asparagus is perfectly roasted crispy tender . . . you sprinkle them with a bit of Parmesan and bake them again just until it melts.  I love Parmesan cheese . . . it packs a lot of punch and you don't have to use tons of it to get some flavour.



I like to drizzle the finished tart with a bit of French Dressing or some White Balsamic for some extra flavour.   The end result is a fabulous tart with lovely crisp pastry, beautifully and perfectly cooked asparagus . . . easy to create, quick to make . . . and they are something which you would not be ashamed to serve to even your most discerning guests.

 

You can serve them on a bed of Baby Salad Greens or not as you wish . . . most impressive.  They are not a lot of work, and everybody's happy.  You can't ask for much more than that.

Ohhh . . . I do so love Asparagus season . . . it's very early in it now, so thankfully I have quite a few more weeks to enjoy it!  Yippee!!



*Asparagus Tarts*
Makes 6
Printable Recipe

Beautiful fresh spring Asparagus atop a crisp bed of flaky pastry, salad cream and cheese.  Deliciously easy!  An excellent first course or light lunch.

I packet of ready roll, all butter puff pastry
6 TBS of salad cream (I used the chive and onion flavored one)
6 slices of Jarlsberg cheese
2 packets of Asparagus tips, washed and trimmed (enough to lay out
on top of each tart in even measure)
a bit of olive oil to drizzle
1 small free range egg beaten with 1 tsp water
flaked sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper
3 - 4 TBS coarsely grated Parmesan Cheese
Prepared French Dressing, or White Balsamic vinegar to drizzle

 

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Line a large baking tray with baking parchment.   Unroll your puff pastry and cut into six equally sized rectangles.  Place them a few inches apart on the baking tray. Using a sharp knife, cut a thin border around the circumference of each, taking care not to cut all the way through.  Using a fork prick the insides of the rectangles all over.   Brush the border with a bit of the egg wash.   Bake in the heated oven for 10 minutes.


Remove from the oven and carefully punch down the pastry in the middle with the back of a spoon. Spread each tart with 1 TBS of the salad cream and top with a slice of Jarlsberg.  Lay out the asparagus evenly spaced across each tart, toe to tail.  Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Return to the oven and bake for about 10 minutes longer, until the pastry is golden brown and the asparagus is lightly roasted, but still crisp.

 


Sprinkle some of the Parmesan cheese over top of each tart.  Bang back into the oven for 2 or 3 minutes to melt the Parmesan.   Serve hot and drizzled with a bit of French Dressing or White Balsamic Vinegar.   Delicious! 

Note:  you can also serve these on a bed of baby spring salad greens.