We were having company for supper tonight and so I wanted to bake a tasty casserole that would make everybody happy. I had taken chicken breasts out of the freezer last night and they were to be the basis for my casserole.
I also took out a package of lean back bacon that I thought would go very well in the dish. The smokiness of bacon goes really well with chicken I think. It's a lovely combination. I also had a package of mushrooms that I wanted to use up while I still could. I had bought them for something else, but the something else never got made. (Doesn't that happen to everyone?)
In any case I ended up making a chicken cobbler with the chicken, bacon and mushrooms . . . a kind of a chicken stew, flavoured with onions and herbs . . . thyme and summer savory . . .
I added some sliced carrots for a bit of colour and sweetness. Chicken breasts on their own can be quite bland, but they are a beautiful canvas for whatever you put with them . . . after browning the meat, onions, and mushrooms, I added some chicken stock and then put the whole lot into the oven to braise for half an hour.
While that mixture was braising I make an herbed drop scone/dumpling mixture to drop onto the top of the chicken stew. Sprinkled with cheese and then banged back into the oven until the dumplings were golden brown and crusted and oh so cheesy.
We ended up having to cancel our company as I ended up not being very well, but the Toddster surely enjoyed this meal. It was right up his alley. He loves a hearty casserole and this fit the bill perfectly. I sent the leftovers down to the Missionaries for their supper . . . I think they enjoyed it too.
*Chicken, Bacon and Mushroom Cobbler*
Serves 6 to 8
A
delicious chicken casserole, filled with tender chunks of chicken
breast, back bacon, mushrooms and carrots, and topped with a cheese
crusted dumpling topping! Serves 6 to 8
into 1 inch cubes
a bit of olive oil
1 packet of back bacon, cut into cubes (smoked or unsmoked as you wish. About six slices)
1 tsp salt
300ml of buttermilk (about 1 1/3 cups)
One of the things I missed when I first arrived here in the UK was tinned pumpkin. It was very difficult to find and if you did find it, it cost you an arm and a leg. I used to be able to get it at Waitrose down south and Sainsbury's. Recently I scored big time when our local Aldi had it in as a special deal. I bought about 20 cans! Todd thought they would think I was crazy buying so many, but I didn't care. If there is one thing I have learned in my years over here, it's to take advantage of a chance when you get it, because you might never get another one! Kind of like making hay while the sun shines!
Of course you can always make your own. I have done so in the past. It's a bit labor intensive and it's not that easy to get a mixture that is as dry as the stuff in the tin, but it can be done. I usually let mine drain in a sieve overnight, which works pretty well. You can find a great tutorial on how to make your own here. It's not really that hard. The hard bit over here is finding the pumpkin!
So anyways, I decided to use some of my precious hoard of tinned pumpkin to make the Toddster some delicious Pumpkin Butter as an early Autumn treat the other day. He loved it when I made him apple butter one year, so I thought he would really enjoy some pumpkin butter. I also thought that in some part it would help to justify my having bought 20 tins!
Pumpkin Butter is like a thick pumpkin jam . . . nicely spiced with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom . . . very nice it is. Very nice. And not that hard to make either if you have a tin of pumpkin to hand.
It's as simple as stirring some pumpkin, honey, brown sugar, and the spices together in a pot along with some lemon juice and then cooking it down until it's nice and thick and jammy . . . it doesn't take too long either, only about half an hour.
We enjoyed some while it was still warm, spread on our toasted crumpets the other day. Oh boy, was it ever good. I am going to use it to fill a Victorian Sponge or a spice cake one day as well. That sounds like it would be really lovely. What do you think???
I do hope you will give it a go. I think you would really like it. I think if I was to spread it onto a few digestive biscuits, it would almost be like having a pumpkin pie . . . I'm going to try that tonight as a snack while we are watching Downton Abby. I wonder if the Dowager would approve?
Well . . . . maybe not. I don't think I'll ask.
*Easy Pumpkin Butter*
Makes 2 cups
Makes 2 cups
pinch ground nutmeg
pinch ground cloves
pinch ground cardamom
Combine the pumpkin, sugar, honey, lemon juice and spices in a medium, heavy based saucepan. (I use my le creuset pan) Bring this mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, and then reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently, for 20 to 25 minutes or until nicely thickened. Serve with baking powder biscuits, scones, breads, muffins etc. It's also lovely spread between two plain sponge cake layers. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
I always get a little bit nostalgic this time of year. Summer is pretty much over, the kids are back in school. When I was bringing up my children, our home was a flurry of activity at this time of year . . . packed lunches to make, after school snacks, fund raising bake sales . . . it was all go!
I was contacted the other day by Good To Know (one of my fav cooking mags) and asked if I would like to attend a bake sale down in London on Monday. They are partnering with the Make-A-Wish Foundation on their new fundraising campaign, Bake-A-Wish. As the name suggests, it's all about getting people in the kitchen and holding bake sales to raise money for a great cause – granting wishes for children who are living with life threatening illnesses. In fact the people at Good to Know have baked their own Make-A-Wish cupcakes which you can see here. They're really cute. I may even make some myself.
Unfortunately I am not able to attend on Monday as I have an appointment elsewhere, but that doesn't stop me from baking a fab Bake Sale Treat and sharing it with my friends. These lovely squares are just the kind I would have made for Bakes Sales back in the day.
Quick and easy to make and everyone loves them. These take the ordinary Crispies Bar into the extreme! Makes them much more than just a mere Rice Crispie Square! These are Rice Crispie Squares on Adrenaline!
You know Rice Crispie squares don't have to be boring, unless you want them to be. You can throw in all sorts and they become exciting and somewhat nutritious! Things like peanuts and raisins and cranberries. These additions make them quite moreish and quite the Bake Sale Winners!
I don't know anyone that wouldn't be tempted by one of these and who wouldn't gladly cough up 50p or £1 for a couple! These are the perfect Bake Sale treat!
*Triple Threat Crispie Treats*
Makes about 12 bars
Printable Recipe
These are scrummy yummy and filled with peanuts, raisins and dried cranberries. If you like you can substitute half the raisins with chocolate covered raisins which makes them even more tasty!!
2 ounces butter (1/4 cup)
1 300g packet of white marshmallows (10 ounce package)
1 tsp vanilla
5 ounces of crisp rice cereal (4 cups)
5 ounces salted peanuts (1 cup)
100g raisins (1 cup)
100g dried cranberries (1 cup)
Butter a 9 by 13 inch pan well and set aside.
Melt the butter in a large nonstick saucepan over low heat until melted. Add the marshmallows and cook, stirring until the mixture is smooth and the marshmallows have melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Stir iin the rice cereal, panuts, raisins and cranberries, mixing them all in well. Spread in the prepared pan, pressing the mixture in evenly with lightly buttered hands. (This is the secret to keep the mixture from sticking to your fingers!) Cool completely before cutting into 3 by 3 1/4 inch bars.
I picked up a cauliflower earlier this week with a particular recipe in mind, but ended up not making it, and so today I found myself with a cauliflower that I needed to use post haste. I spent quite a while perusing Pinterest looking for something interesting to make with it to no avail.
I have made cauliflower cheese soup in the past and it was pretty tasty. I wanted to make a soup, but I didn't want to make the same old same old.
And then I started to think about how people who are low carbing interchange potatoes and cauliflower a lot with each other, although . . . to be perfectly honest I don't see where the similarities are as both taste completely different from each other. But to each their own . . .
And that's when I had the brilliant idea to make a cauliflower chowder! Boy oh boy, talk about being inspired! This ended up being the most delicious pot of soup I have ever made! I kid you not! Adding some Black Pepper Boursin Cheese was genius, pure genius. It worked beautifully!
I wish that I had taste and smell options on this blog because you would be literally blown away by this soup. It's rich, and so . . . SO . . . SOOOOO . . . delicious!! I can't say that enough. I think I have found a new favourite. It's not that easy to make soup look interesting, but . . . meh, I tried.
Todd had his with bread, which is so British. I had mine with crackers, which is so North American. OF course I crumbled my crackers over top of my soup, which my ex boss would have said was "common." But then again . . . I am a simple girl. No pretence here.
*Cauliflower Chowder*
Serves 6
This is a hearty supper soup that goes down a real treat. Filled with lovely chunks of celery, carrot, cauliflower and potato, lightly flavoured with bacon and Pepper Boursin, this pleases on many levels. It's rich and filling and quite, quite pleasing.
6 tablespoons butter, divided
4 rashers streaky bacon, chopped
½ whole onion, finely diced
1 whole carrot finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
½ whole onion, finely diced
1 whole carrot finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
1 whole cauliflower Head, chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh Or dried parsley (chopped)
2 litres good quality chicken stock (about 10 cups)
35g of plain flour (rounded 1/3 cup)
1 whole cauliflower Head, chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh Or dried parsley (chopped)
2 litres good quality chicken stock (about 10 cups)
35g of plain flour (rounded 1/3 cup)
450ml milk (2 cups)
225ml single cream (1 cup)
225ml single cream (1 cup)
salt and black pepper to taste
75g of Black Pepper Boursin cheese (generous 1/4 cup)
Melt 2 TBS of the butter in a large soup pot. Add the bacon and cook until it begins to brown. Stir in the onions. Cook for a few minutes before it begins to soften. Add the carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes longer. Add the potato, cauliflower and parsley. Stir to coat with the drippings and then add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer until the vegetables are all tender.
Melt 2 TBS of the butter in a large soup pot. Add the bacon and cook until it begins to brown. Stir in the onions. Cook for a few minutes before it begins to soften. Add the carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes longer. Add the potato, cauliflower and parsley. Stir to coat with the drippings and then add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer until the vegetables are all tender.
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the flour. Cook for several minutes to cook out the flour flavour. Whisk in the milk slowly, whisking constantly. Cook and stir until the mixture thickens. Whisk in the cream and then stir the whole mixture into the cooked vegetable mixture. Allow to simmer for about 15 minutes to meld flavours. Stir in the Boursin cheese until it is melted. Check seasoning and adjust as needed with salt and pepper. Ladle the hot soup into heated bowls and serve with bread or crackers as you wish.
I do have to say I get sent the nicest and most interesting things to try out. I recently received this most fascinating box in the post, containing this attractive black hat box.
Inside was a tasty bag of Wasabi Peas. I love Wasabi peas. They're crunchy, and zippy. Love. Love.
But that is not all . . .
There was a little pot of Beesting Lip Balm, something to make your lips feel tingly . . .
But, that is not all . . .
There was also these vanilla air freshener stick thingies. I forget what they are called, but they smell nice and vanilla-ish.
But that is not all . . . it gets even more interesting . . .
There was also one of these, which was really hard to take a picture of, but it's a battery operated head massager. It makes your scalp feel all tingly.
Interesting, and I'm not even to the best part yet!
This was what the box was all about. These new carbonated drinks from ZEO! This is new soft drink range with a tingling taste sensation. Made from natural ingredients, ZEO is an eclectic gathering of bold botanicals, fruits and fantastical flavours from nature.
From their page:
ZEO comes from the edge of Russia, bringing something rather new and extraordinary to the lightly effervescent world of soft drinks. At ZEO we value interesting and suprising flavours that spark off each other to create something rather special: a soft drink with depth, intrigue and complexity.
Russia doesn’t dabble in quaint or half-hearted! This is a vast untamed wilderness where wolves and tigers still prowl free, with a reputation as a hot bed of ingenuity, imagination and revolutionary ideals. A place full of natural beauty and intrigue but with a side yet to be uncovered, explored and understood. ZEO is best served ‘Russian style’ 4 degrees. Chilled. No ice.
More than ever, NATURAL is a word that really matters. In an age where terms like synthetic, artificial and man-made don’t even draw a second glance, a fresh, easy- to-comprehend word like NATURAL still causes ripples. For us, natural is not a word to be taken lightly. That’s why we only ingredients from nature – we don’t do chemistry sets! Why settle for test tube flavours when nature’s well-stocked larder is ripe for raiding.
What's in it?
- Carbonated water: Naturally sourced, straight from the spring!
- Sugar: ZEO contains low levels of sugar extracted from sugar beets.
- Natural flavourings: All natural flavouring substances obtained from raw plant materials.
- Natural colourings: Extracted, isolated and concentrated from natural sources (e.g. strawberry)
- Citric acid: This is what makes lemons lemony. A natural preservative that is also used to add a sour taste to foods and drinks (lemon juice contains 3% citric acid).
- Pectin: A natural thickening/gelling agent extracted from citrus peel.
- Stevia: Made from the stevia leaf and used for over 500 years to sweeten food and drinks, this provides a sweet hit comparable with sugar but without the calorie count or leaving you with a sugar craving.
Sounds pretty good to me. I love carbonated drinks and I like to think that I am drinking something which is completely natural. But how does it taste?
First up the one called Crush. There was a definite citrus thing going there. I could taste the orange in it and a hint of lemon and lime, and I could taste something herbal . . . not unpleasntly so, but it just tasted natural like. It was not overly sweet either, which was quite nice. 59 cals per bottle
Next up was Burst. This said it has peach and grapefruit in it. I have to say this was my favourite, but then again, I love grapefruit anything. There was also a pleasant herbal undertone, which was nice and again not too sweet. All too often "sugar free" drinks are over sweetened, especially the carbonated ones. This is slightly lower in calories coming in at 45 cals per bottle.
The last one is called Zest. This was quite zingy I thought. I could taste the lime and I found it quite refreshing. It comes in at 59 cals per bottle.
So all told, I have to say I found these drinks to be quite a refreshing change from the usual no sugar carbonated drinks out there. They were not overly sweet, which I liked. I also liked the herbal undertones. Almost like herbal teas . . . but not as cloying. All in all I did like them.
ZEO Drinks are available at Harvey Nichols, Ocado, WH Smith and The Drinkshop.com.
Many thanks to ZEO and Briony for sending me these drinks to try. All opinions are my own.
A few of the ladies from my church got together today for a Pot Luck Lunch. We like to do that from time to time. It's nice to just spend time with each other outside of church and get to know each other better. I really enjoy that. It was also one of the girl's birthday, so there was an additional reason for us to celebrate this time together.
I had a really busy morning as I had an appointment to have my hair cut and so I knew I wouldn't have a lot of time and so I just went to my store cupboard and looked to see what I had to hand.
A bit of this and a bit of that and a short while later I had a delicious casserole created, which took barely any time at all to create. It went together simply and quickly.
A pouch of precooked rice, some tinned salmon, frozen broccoli, a tin of condensed soup, a bottle of salad dressing, some cracker crumbs and some grated cheese and we had liftoff! Layered in a dish in an attractive and simple way and then baked.
It went down a real treat with the ladies and is a dish I think I will repeat often, even just for Todd and myself. It really was quite delicious! I love it when my experiments come out that way. Don't you?
Enjoy!
*Pot Luck Salmon Bake*
Serves 4 to 6 depending on appetites
a couple handfuls of buttery round crackers crushed
2 TBS butter to dot on the top
240g of grated strong cheddar cheese (2 cups) 
Bake, uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes, until the casserole is bubbling away, heated through and the top is golden brown. Cover lightly with foil if it starts to brown too quickly, removing the foil for the last five minutes to crisp up. Serve hot.
The photo isn't all that great but here's my latest addition to the Famer's Choice page. This unique Holiday offering is a delicious recipe for Halloween (not long now folks!) called Spooky Shepherds Pie! I don't know about your children, but when mine were growing up it was difficult to get them to eat anything when it was Halloween. I needed to be really inventive when it came to making something which would appeal to them more than getting out there and trick-or-treating. This tasty Shepherd's Pie usually did the trick. Who wouldn't like to eat a ghost on a bed of deliciously flavoured mince and gravy! You can find the recipe here, along with a host of other delights!
Thanks for looking!
As you all know I had a lovely visit to the Yeo Valley Farms a few weeks ago which the Toddster and I both thoroughly enjoyed. There is something really special about going to see where your food comes from, and it's even more special when you are able to see the extra care and attention some producers put into what they produce.
I think with Yeo Valley this extends to every portion of their huge operation. I can say this because several months back I had purchased their cookery book from Amazon.uk. When it arrived there were a few blank pages in it that had not printed.
I contacted the Yeo Valley people just on the off chance that they would be able to provide me with the missing recipes and they sent me a whole brand new cookbook, which they really didn't have to do! I have to say though, that I did appreciate the extra care and when I visited their farm operation, they actually remembered me, which is another plus as far as I am concerned. Everyone likes to know that they are remembered. I do at any rate!
I had been eyeballing this recipe in the book for quite some time. Pot Roasted Chicken with Cider and Apples. It was calling my name. I was just waiting for the perfect weather to cook it and with the cooling temps the time was just right!
Because we are Mormons, we don't drink alcohol in our home, but I am not adverse to cooking with it. MY Bishop's wife down south did and so if she thought it was ok, that was enough for me. This recipe calls for a quantity of good apple cider, which is alcoholic, but if you were not wanting to use cider, you could use a good quality apple juice . . .
I contacted the Yeo Valley people just on the off chance that they would be able to provide me with the missing recipes and they sent me a whole brand new cookbook, which they really didn't have to do! I have to say though, that I did appreciate the extra care and when I visited their farm operation, they actually remembered me, which is another plus as far as I am concerned. Everyone likes to know that they are remembered. I do at any rate!
I had been eyeballing this recipe in the book for quite some time. Pot Roasted Chicken with Cider and Apples. It was calling my name. I was just waiting for the perfect weather to cook it and with the cooling temps the time was just right!
Because we are Mormons, we don't drink alcohol in our home, but I am not adverse to cooking with it. MY Bishop's wife down south did and so if she thought it was ok, that was enough for me. This recipe calls for a quantity of good apple cider, which is alcoholic, but if you were not wanting to use cider, you could use a good quality apple juice . . .
You saute some fabulous aromatics in the pot . . . bacon lardons, onions, garlic, rosemary . . . and then you add the cider and reduce it somewhat . . . the well seasoned chicken is then placed on top, a quantity of chicken stock poured over all and then it is oven braised for a time . . .
Until the chicken is tender and moistly cooked through . . . and the sauce filled with all of the juices from the chicken, combined with that lovely reduction you began with. Whilst the chicken is braising you saute dessert apples in butter until they are golden brown . . .
Once the chicken is done, you remove it to rest and then created a delicious sauce with the braising liquid, cream, and those tender and golden sauteed apples . . .you then serve the chicken in tender moist slices, with some of that lucious sauce spooned over top . . .
Just look at that gorgeous sauce and tender chicken . . . with it's chunks of sweet apple, bits of bacon . . . a creamy and unctuously wonderful combination that is quite, quite pleasing. I do hope you will put this on your list of autumnal bakes this year. You will NOT be disappointed if you do. Trust me on this.
*Pot Roasted Chicken with Apples and Cider*
Served 4 When the chicken is cooked through and tender, lift it out onto a large board. Cover tightly with foil and leave to rest for about 10 minutes. Put the flameproof casserole over medium heat and simmer until the cooking juices are reduced and full of lovely flavours. Rub the remaining butter and the flour together. Drop this into the reduced chicken juices, whisking constantly, simmering until the mixture has thickend nicely. Whisk in the double cream and then taste and adjust seasoning as necessary with salt and black pepper. Stir in the parsley and the apple.
To serve, carve the chicken into nice pieces and divide between 4 heated plates. Spoon over the sauce and serve.
I like to have this with some boiled baby potatoes, and peas and carrots. But mash and steamed broccoli would go equally well! It's delicious no matter what!
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