A little while back the people at Panasonic sent me one of their combi-ovens to try out for a month to see how I would get on with it.   This month I am their guest blogger over in their Ideas Kitchen with my Sunshine Granola Recipe.

I did everything I could with the oven during the month that I had it.  I used it to melt butter and chocolate, cook casseroles, make scones . . . baked a cake, pretty much everything I use my regular oven for, with much success.  The nicest bit was that during the hottest bit of the summer, I wasn't having to heat my whole kitchen up by having to turn my regular oven on.  This combi-oven worked just dandy.   (Microwave/grill/convection oven)

I've actually had a combi-oven of my own for quite a while now, since 2009.   I had gotten a cake all ready to go into my regular oven and my regular oven gave up the ghost.   I needed something quick and so I had gone to the store and picked up a combi-oven to use until they could come and fix the regular one.  I had had one way back when yonks and yonks ago in Canada.  My first one was a mammoth. That baby was huge!  But it worked really well.  It did take up a lot of space though.  These newer ones are a lot smaller.  You couldn't roast a turkey in one of them . . . but they are pretty darned good for everything else.



The recipe which I chose to share in the Panasonic kitchen was a recipe for my favourite all time granola.   It's nice and crunchy, and stogged full of fruit and nuts.  There are lots of good things in there like maple syrup and orange juice, and flaked coconut.

 


In short it's a winner.  I cut my original recipe in half so that I could make it in the combi oven and it worked a charm.   Nice and nutty and golden brown with a beautiful crunch.



Why not hop on over to the Panasonic Kitchen to check out the recipe!  It's worth the trip my dears.   Absolutely.   There's lots of goodies there.  I think you'll enjoy!

 

As you probably know by now we like to feed the missionaries from our church once a month.  As we have two sets here, that is two missionary dinners a month.  I love feeding the missionaries, and always try to cook them something that they might be missing from home.  I figure they get enough roast dinners . . . 



Today as they are two Utah boys, I decided to make them a Mexican meal.  Enchiladas.   I love enchiladas.  I've been making them since my kids were growing up, from an old recipe that I found in a Sunset Cookbook.  It was simple and didn't require anything fancy or out of the ordinary.  Today I thought I would stretch my wings a little bit and do something  a tad bit different.



I found a recipe on Buns In My Oven which looked nice for Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas.  It looked pretty good.  I had to improvise a bit as we don't get the canned green chilies over here, but it all worked out.  I just used fresh green chilies, which I trimmed, de-seeded and chopped fine.  (Wear gloves and don't rub your eyes!)



I liked that it had corn in the filling and a rich mixture of cream cheese and sour cream, which would help to cut the spiciness of the enchilada sauce.  I am not sure if the enchilada sauce over here is the same as the enchilada sauce in America or not, but the one over here is really spicy!



They turned out pretty nice.   Todd didn't complain too much and the younguns loved them.  I served them with Mexican rice and a salad on the side, plus bowls of extra spring onions, sour cream and sliced black olives.  They aren't quite as tasty as the ones I made the whole time my kiddos were growing up, but they were well received.



I like to serve this with sour cream and chopped black olives, but that's just me.  You can do what you want to do!

I just adore beetroots.   I picked up a couple of nice bunches when we were in town the other day at the Green Grocers . . . a bunch of regular ruby coloured ones  and a beautiful bunch of golden globes.  Call them heirloom if you must . . . but . . . they're beetroot and they're tasty, and they're pretty to look at.



Then we had lunch in Cafe Rouge and I had the most delicious Goat's Cheese Salad ever . . . I just adore goat's cheese, which is pretty amazing for a gal who grew up eating Velveeta and was afraid to eat anything stronger.  I've come a long way baby!  Their salad was quite simply baby greens with some slivered roasted red pepper on top, and some balls of soft goats cheese . . . and a tangy French Vinaigrette.  It was lovely.



I kept thinking about it once I got home and knew that I had to do something similar here in my English Kitchen . . . but I wanted to incorporate some beetroot into it if I could . . .


 

Something magical happens when you marry beetroot and goat's cheese together.   These two things are the perfect partners . . . the beetroot, all sweet and earthy . . . the goats cheese, so rich and tangy . . . the two together are a pretty unbeatable combination.



I decided to marry them in a salad, but not just any salad.  A salad composed of baby salad greens, fresh and crisp from the garden . . . the beetroot roasted in it's peel until tender, and then sliced once cooled atop the salad . . . the goat's cheese rolled into balls and then into toasted walnuts . . . three perfect little globes crowning the greens and beetroot . . . but wait . . . it's gets better . . . 



I added an Orange Marmalade vinaigrette . . . delicious.   A nice wallop of Dijon mustard . . . white wine vinegar and olive oil and then a huge dollop of fine shred orange marmalade . . . ohhh baby . . .you know what I like!



This was the perfect dressing for this salad.   The Orange Marmalade adds a touch of sweet and a hint of bitter, then the heat of the mustard and tang of the vinegar, along with the richness of the olive oil.  I think I've created a monster because I shall be craving this for days to come!




*Roasted Beetroot and Goat's Cheese Salad*
with an Orange Marmalade Vinaigrette
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Earthy and rich and tangy delicious.  This is a winner all round.

150g log of soft Goat's Cheese (about 3/4 cup)
4 medium sized beetroot, washed, trimmed and unpeeled
6 cups of baby salad greens (try to get a nice mix including baby
beetroot greens)
a large handful of walnuts, toasted and then chopped

For the Vinaigrette:
4 tsp Dijon mustard
3 TBS good quality olive oil
3 TBS white wine vinegar
2 TBS good quality orange marmalade
(fine shred if possible)
pinch salt
Make the dressing by combining all of the dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid and giving them a good shake together. 

Divide your salad greens amongst 4 chilled salad plates.  Peel and slice the beetroot.   Arrange an equal amount on top of each plate of greens.  Place 3 walnut coated balls of goats cheese on top of each.   Give your dressing a good shake again and the drizzle an even amount over each salad. Serve immediately.

 

I have a confession . . . I love turkey burgers.  I would choose a turkey burger over a beef burger any day of the week.  Seriously.  Well . . . unless it was an A&W Prime Rib Burger that is.  Those are flippin' gorgeous.  I've only had one of those in my life time and I've been thinking about it ever since!  (Must have been loaded with fat, that's all I can say!)



I used to make a Spicy Turkey Burger for my boss when I worked at the Manor all the time.   They were really good.  I have also made Thai Turkey Burgers which were fabulous . . .  Buffalo Turkey Burgers which were stupendous . . .  and Turkey Burgers with Cranberry Catsup, fabulous Catsup . . . that last one was someone else's recipe and the burgers themselves were just so so . . . but the catsup that I came up with was just wonderful.



I had some ground turkey in the house yesterday and I was craving a turkey burger and so I decided to come up with something a tad bit different than the ones I used to make at the Manor.  I wanted them really kicked up a notch and this is what I came up with.  



Fabulously moist turkey burgers, low in fat and flavoured with garlic, onion, shallots, and chipotle chili paste . . . with a nice slice of spicy mexican flavoured cheddar melted on top . . . tucked into a toasted cheese roll, on a bed of garlic mayo . . . with shredded lettuce, red onions and sliced tomatoes.

 

TO ---- DIE ---- FOR!
'Nuff said.  Make them.  NOW!   I'm not kidding.  No way.  No how.





Crumble your turkey into a bowl.   Add the onion, shallot, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoning salt, black pepper, fresh coriander and chipotle chili paste.  Mix everything well together with your hands, making sure it is well combined.   Shape into 4 flat patties.  Heat a large grill pan.  Spray with some non-stick cooking spray.   Add the burger patties and grill them for about 4 minutes per side, until nicely browned and cooked through.  The juices should run clear.   Turn off fire under the grill pan.  Top each with a slice of cheese, pop a lid on and leave for a few minutes while you toast the buns.   Top the bottom halves of the toasted buns with some garlic mayonnaise, shredded lettuce, red onion slices, and a few slices of tomato.  Place the cheese topped turkey burgers over the tomatoes and place the top bun over all.  Serve immediately.

 

 

I have never made any secret of the obsession I have with everything Nigel Slater cooks.  I just find him so inspiring . . . and I never tire of watching him cook.   As I have said before many times . . . he cooks the way I cook, and he obviously eats the way I like to eat.  Unpretentious.  Simple.   Delicious.  Good quality ingredients, combined simply and very well executed.   You can't ask for more than that.



On one of his last series he did a show based on the flavour combination of Sweet and Sour.   This is something I just love . . . sweet and sour.   I don't know anyone who doesn't.  One of the dishes he cooked was some pork chops in a simple gooseberry sauce.  He used light muscovado sugar in his . . . and some thyme, a bit of vermouth . . . and of course gooseberries and fresh pork.

 

Pork is one of those meats which lends itself beautifully to the use of fruit in it's preparation.  It's succulent and rich . . . and fruit just helps to bring out all of those lovely qualities.  I had been wanting to do these pork chops since I saw Nigel doing them . . . and of course could not wait for our gooseberries to ripen in the garden, for just that purpose . . .

Today was the day.  I didn't quite have all my ducks in a row though . . . some things were missing. 




I had the pork chops . . . nice, thick and meaty ones with a lovely layer of fat on the outside edge.  I like to clip that edge with some kitchen scissors at even intervals . . . it looks nice and helps the chops to lay flat in the pan so that they brown up evenly.   Can anything taste better than crisp pork fat, turned to a sticky golden brown ?????  Mmmm . . . think not. 



I had the gooseberries of course, but no muscovado sugar or vermouth . . .
I did have, however . . . a lovely jar of Acacia honey that I picked up at Harrods last year  on sale and a nice big bottle of French Calvados . . . add to that some English Walnuts, lightly toasted and some fresh Marjoram . . . and we were hitting a home run, if not the ducks!



Think Sweet and Sour, except way better . . . every mouthful brought the taste of rich pork, with crisp fat, sweet honey, cut by the tart gooseberries, herby marjoram and just a tiny crunch from the walnuts.



In short . . . perfect.  I love it when my cooking is inspired by Nigel.   I just know it's going to come out tasting beautifully delicious!  I also love that his recipes are simple and quite easy to make your own.   I only wish he could have tasted these.  I think he would have totally approved!

  
  
(A photo from a trip we took to Boulogne a few years back.)

We can't really afford a holiday this year so we are having a bit of a "Stay-cation."  I hear it's very much in vogue this year . . . lots of people are doing it.  Today we decided to go to France, and so I served something very Continental-esque for our breakfast.

 

Chocolate and Sea-salt Bruchetta with Sea-salt.   So easy to make and they went down a real treat.   You quite simply slice plain bagels in thin slices, spritz with some low fat cooking spray, and then oven toast them until they are golden brown and nicely crisped . . .

 

I actually like mine crisper than Todd does.  He likes his softer than this . . . but if you love crunch, go for it.   You can take them out sooner if you are not fond of crunch . . .



Once toasted you sprinkle them with some lovely dark chocolate that you have grated . . . as little or as much as you want.  It starts to melt right away pretty much, but if it doesn't, then just pop them back in for a few seconds and Bob's your Uncle.



Sprinkle with a few flakes of sea-salt and served up with a nice hot cup of chocolate, served out on the back patio beneath our sun umbrella and we could have been sitting in a street Cafe in Paris . . . well, almost . . . nearly.



Crisp, chocolatey and slightly salty.   These were fab!!   Perfect for dunking in our hot chocolates.  I am thinking that thinly sliced croissants might work well too  . . . as would thin slices of a French boule . . . not quite Cafe Rouge . . . but close enough!

  


*Chocolate and Sea-salt Bagel Bruschetta*

 


Oh boy . . . is it hot.  It seems we are in for this hot sticky weather for a while yet.  Not going to complain . . . not going to complain, but it sure is putting a damper on my baking mojo!  I usually like to bake something scrummy at the weekend, but not wanting to have the oven on for long.




These delightful rock cakes are the perfect thing for that.  They cook in under fifteen minutes, so in a reasonably short time you can have something decent on the table to have with your break time cuppa.  And . . . if you do it early in the morning before the sun really gets up too high in the sky, your kitchen won't get overly heated.   I did these early in the morning while the back of our house, where the kitchen is, was still well shaded.   It was quite cool in the kitchen with the door open.  I barely broke out in a sweat!





Rock cakes are a little bit hard to define . . . they are not quite cookie/biscuit or scone . . . but something in between.  Buttery and short . . . they're also known as Rock Buns and are one of Harry Potter's favourite tea time treats!  



You could split them and spread them with butter, but I am quite happy nibbling on them just as they are.  This recipe here today is stogged full of sweet/tart dried cranberries and chunks of white chocolate, along with tasty little nibble-y bits of preserved stem ginger.  (I just love ginger don't you?)




Altogether they make for a really morishly tasty tea time treat.  Your kids will love these . . . the big ones too.   They also make perfect little cakes to take on a family outing or picnic.  Bring on the ice cold ginger-beer!




Place heaping dessert spoons of the mixture evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet.  Using a fork, rough up the edges a bit.   Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the buns are nicely browned and a toothpick inserted in the centre of one comes out clean.   Remove from the oven.   Allow to stand on the baking sheet for about five minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling.  These will keep well in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days.  They also freeze well.

Sometimes I like to make Todd and I an appetizer for a late supper, instead of a meal.   Then supper feels like a bit of a celebration.  I had made homemade melba toasts yesterday with some stale baguettes and thought it would be a shame not to have something to dip them in, and so I decided to make our favourite Artichoke Dip.



It's not much to look at, but oh baby . . . it's gorgeous and rich and so scrummy to eat!  It's a dish I made often for the dinner parties I catered for when I worked at the manor.



You can add cooked shrimp or chicken to it as well, which makes it even more substantial.  But we like it just as it is . . . filled with lots of artichokes and cheese . . . three kinds . . .



Mozzarella, Cream and Cheddar . . . and garlic and shallots . . . and sour cream . . . mayonnaise and  Dijon mustard . . . and herbs . . .

 

Did I mention how scrummy it is?   I can't overstate this fact.  It's incredibly scrummy.   Everyone will love it.   Seriously.  This is the bomb.



sweet paprika



Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. 

Using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard and Worcestershire sauce until well blended.  Stir in the artichoke hearts, garlic, shallot, thyme, oregano and jalapeno pepper if using.   Season to taste and mix well together. Spread into a shallow baking dish.  Sprinkle lightly with paprika and then bake in the heated oven for 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown.  Serve hot with your desired dippers.