Well, I think March is going out like a Lion.  We have had a few miserably wet and cold days this week.   Soup days I call them.  Days when you just can't seem to get warm. Brrrr . . . the damp it gets right into your bones.



We've been doing our spring cleaning as well, sorting out cupboards and such, so quick and easy meals have been the order of the day these last couple days.   Something warming and quick and easy like this delicious Cauliflower Chowder!

 

Delicious with the addition of some chopped carrot, celery, onion and garlic . . .  the vegetable all left chunky.  It's surprisingly quite filling when served with some crusty rolls.



A bit of bacon crumbled over the top is a nice final touch, along with some chopped parsley.  I also like to add a grating of strong cheddar cheese, coz I'm a glutton like that you know . . .bacon and cheese are final touches that turn even the simplest meals into a feast!

 

Serves 4
Printable Recipe
Note:  I like to grate a bit of fresh cheddar on top of mine before I add the parsley and bacon.  It's not necessary, but adds a lovely touch and another depth of flavour. 

Some tasty tips - Chop your vegetables coarsely so that you have a mix of hearty textures in the soup.  I always like to mash it lightly just before serving, so that you get an added density, but you still have lots of bite worthy chunks.  This is a great low carb soup for those who are into that sort of thing!

I'd like to talk to you a bit about Quorn, which is a meat substitute used by Vegetarians all over the UK and comes in many varieties, from sandwich type of filler slices to  chicken type filets and mince.  What's great about it is that it's very low in fat and quite healthy for you, which is appealing not only to vegetarians, but also to people who are trying to shed some of those access pounds!

Quorn products are made from Mycoprotein. Mycoprotein is a nutritionally healthy protein source that is meat free and naturally low in saturated fat and high in fibre. Quorn products have the taste, appearance and texture of meat, perfect for if you want meat free meals or are thinking of creating healthier versions of your favourite everyday meals.

This is perfectly highlighted in the following recipe for Spaghetti Carbonara!  Now you can indulge in one of your favourite meals and be relatively guilt free!




*Vegetarian Spaghetti Carbonara*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

If you’re not sure how to make Carbonara, try our low in saturated fat Spaghetti Carbonara recipe. The ultimate guilt-free Italian, coming in at only 359 calories and only 2.5g of saturated fat.  Winner/winner!


150g pack Quorn Meat Free bacon slices, chopped (about 5 ounces)
175g Quorn mince ( 7 ounces)
350g dried spaghetti (a scant pound)
1 tablespoon olive oil (Quorn just needs to be added to the sauce,
so the recipe requires about 50% less oil than you would usually use)
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3 free range eggs, whisked
1 TBS grated Parmesan or vegetarian Italian style hard cheese
handful chopped fresh parsley
seasoning to taste

Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the spaghetti, cook as per back of pack instructions.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a pan over a moderate heat. Add the shallot, garlic and the Quorn mince, saute gently for 3 minutes. Stir in the ham or bacon and cook for 2 minutes. Season to taste.

Whisk the eggs in a large serving bowl with the grated Italian style hard cheese. Drain the spaghetti reserving 2 large spoonfuls of cooking water.

Add the cooked spaghetti to the whisked eggs in the serving bowl with the ham and mince mixture and the reserved cooking liquid. Keep stirring until all the ingredients are well combined.

Divide the pasta between 4 bowls and serve garnished with fresh parsley and some freshly ground black pepper. Really delicious!

Quorn Products are found in the chiller and freezer sections of most Grocery Stores here in the UK.

I know you must get tired of me saying this, but I do get sent the nicest things.   A week or so ago the people from Rachel's sent me a flat of the most delicious lemon yogurt I have ever seen.   At first, faced with six large pots of Rachel;s Organic Greek Style bio-live yogurt, I thought o myself what on earth am I ever going to do with so many pots of yogurt!!!





It's a week later and I am wishing they had sent me a couple of  more.    It is honestly the best Lemon yogurt I have ever tasted.  It's thick and creamy and lemony. This delectable new Rachel’s flavour blends juicy lemons with Rachel’s signature thick, creamy Greek Style yogurt, leaving taste buds tantalised with sweet, buttery undertones of fragrant lemon and a rich velvety smooth finish. Made simply and with care, using only the finest organic lemons and locally sourced milk, Rachel’s latest addition to the Greek Style range is reminiscent of a luxurious lemon curd.  TO DIE FOR.  It's as plain as that.



We've been enjoying it with our morning granola and one night when we had company for dinner, I layered some of it in some pretty glasses with some fresh blueberries, for a lovely light and fresh tasting dessert.  Simple too.   Everyone love, Love, LOVED it!  That made me happy.  And it was no work at all.  I popped a tiny meringue on the top of each for an extra special touch.

 

We've been enjoying a little bowl of it in the evenings as well . . . so nice to munch on when we are watching the telly. Kept us away from the crisps and chocolate for sure and today I used the last of it to bake a delicious Iced Lemon Yogurt Madiera Cake.   I have come to the conclusion that the madiera cake is the British version of pound cake.  A lovely dense cake, buttery and moreish.



This is a beautiful loaf cake, with lots of fresh lemon flavour . . .  both from the lemon yogurt, and from fresh lemon juice and  zest in the batter . . .  and then a sweet/tart thick lemon glaze on top.  This is one that will have you sneaking back into the kitchen when nobody's looking to get just one more tiny sliver  . . . .



Come on . . . tell me I am not the only person who does that?  If you only bake one cake this week, let it be this one.  You will fall in love just like I have.




For the glaze whisk enough lemon juice into the icing sugar to give you a thick but drizzable glaze.  Pour this over the cake.  Allow to set before cutting into slices to serve. 

Recipe Notes:   I have had one reader use melted butter instead of oil in this recipe with excellent results, so if you don't want to use oil, feel free to use butter.

 

Rachel's Greek Style Lemon Yogurt is made simply and with care, using only the finest organic ingredients. It contains the yogurt cultures Lactobacillus acidophilus &  Bifidobacterium.

It is available at Sainsbury's and Waitrose.

We both loved this yogurt.  It was delicious.  Many thanks to Rachel's for sending it to me. 

I recently received a lovely set of Balsamic Vinegars and Olive Oils from  Vom Fass.  They came in a lovely wooden box and tied up with a pretty yellow ribbon.



Inside was no less than 8 different varieties, including some very unusal ones.



There is a bottle of Aceto Balsamico Di Modena Maletti Italy.  I think this is the one we are most familiar with.  I love a good Balsamic vinegar.  I could eat it just with a spoon, and often just spritz my salads with that and nothing else.   This is one of Vom Fass's most popular choices, and no wonder.  It is produced in the proper region of vinegar in Italy, Province of Modena.  It has 6% of acidity, the king of the balsam, made only from Trebbiano grape and aged in individual small barrels.  The juice is concentrated at a maximum, giving a pure and thick syrup used by all the best chef's for dressings and desserts such as ice creams and fruit salads.

There is also a Grape Balsam Vinegar with Lemon and Ginger, a Star Date BalsamVinegar, a Mango Balsam Vinegar, a Fig and Chili Balsam Vinegar and a Raspberry Balsam Vinegar, all produced in Germany as well as some Hazelnut Oil from France and a White Truffle Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Italy.   All presented in a beautiful box.  I am going to have aot of fun trying these out over the next couple of weeks, so look for lots of tasty posts.



The first one I have used is the Grape Balsamic Vinegar with Lemon and Ginger. The grape balsamic vinegar is made from white grape juice. This pulpy and highly aromatic juice is then blended with exclusive wine vinegar from the region Champagne-Ardenne to create an incredibly  delicious white balsamic vinegar.   This one has been infused with the flavours of lemon and ginger.



I had a nice and punchy flavour, not too sharp and almost sweet, with a nice balance of lemon and ginger flavours.  I decided to make a salad dressing with some of this.   I was in the mood for salad and the Toddster had taken himself off into town.

 

The chives are coming up in our garden now and so I thought they would go well with the flavours of this vinegar and I decided to do an all green salad, using baby petit pois, thinly sliced cucumbers, chopped baby gem lettuce, spring onions, fresh flat leaf parsley and some really tasty cured green olives that I like.



One might think that the flavour of green olives would not go with lemon and ginger, but they would be completely wrong.  This was a fabulous combination and one I will definitely try again.  I loved the flavours of this vinegar!

 

Note:   This dressing made with the Grape Balsamic Vinegar was lovely.  The vinegar had notes of fresh lemon and gingeroot in it, which went very well with all of the flavours, even the olives.  If you are unable to get it, I would recommend using a good quality white balsamic and adding about a tsp of fresh lemon juice along with a generous pinch of dried gingerroot.



The Vom Fass Philosphy
"VOM FASS is a Mediterranean way of sampling and savouring premium artisanal products directly from the cask.”

Vom Fass Mission
"The VOM FASS mission is to provide our customers with a Mediterranean way of sampling and savouring the finest, premium quality artisanal products, directly from the cask – with a commitment to uncompromising levels of customer satisfaction.”

Vom Fass has been created to enhance and meet the demands of a 21st century lifestyle, housing a superb selection of exquisite oils and balsamic vinegars, selected wines, liqueurs and a huge choice of exclusive spirits.   What makes Vom Fass completely unique is that all their products are sold straight from the cask, which means everythingn can be sampled before purchase.

Carefully sourced from leading producers from the Mediterranean to Austria, Vom Fass has selected it's artisan oils and vinegars for their eherapuetic health properties and as versatile cooking ingredients with real nutritional benefits.   Even the more indulgent products in the range have been created to bring something unique to shoe who also really know how to enjoy life.

Vom Fass prides itself on a vast range of high quality style conscious products, stocked by iconic store Selfridges.  Wtih an exceptional range of over 70 different glass bottles and hand inscribed labels or personal messages, Vom Fass will always represent a style choice.

For more information check out their web page.

I thoroughly enjoyed this vinegar and can't wait to get stuck into the rest!

Many thanks to Vom Fass!

Lemon and Ginger are one of those flavours that go together just like peas and carrots.  I would say jam and peanut butter, but that is not a combination they seem to like over here in the UK.  The Toddster says we might as well eat fish and custard as eat peanut butter jam.  I guess it's a cultural thing!

 

I had a jar of Lemon and Ginger Curd in the refrigerator that needed using up and so today I decided to use some of it to make these delicious and quick diagonal biscuits/cookies!  These cookies go together lickety split and they seemed to me that they would make excellent use of the last of the jar.




 Don't worry if you can't get the Lemon and Ginger Curd . . . you could use an equal amount of plain lemon curd and they will be just as delicious!  Or if you are really wanting the ginger kick stir a bit of powdered ginger into your lemon curd.   It will be just as good I promise!



These are so easy to make.  You just make a dough to which you add both lemon and ginger extracts, and a touch of chopped candied ginger-root.  Don't worry if you can't get the ginger extract. Again use powdered ginger, about 1 tsp.  This dough is then shaped into four long sausage-like ropes, flattened lightly on the baking sheets, and then a tunnel put down the centre of each with a wooden spoon handle.



You spoon the curd down the center in these tunnels you have made.  (Don't be tempted to overdo it.  This is a case where more isn't better)   You bake them and then you cut them into diagonals whilst still warm.   Let them cool completely, and then drizzle with a lemon drizzle icing and Bob's your Uncle!  You have a quick and easy and very tasty cookie to share with your next cuppa!   Nothing could be more simple than that!!  Trust me on this!☺




Once they are completley cold, make a glaze by whisking enough juice into the icing sugar to make a smooth drizzle.   Drizzle some of this over each cookie.   Allow to harden before storing between wax paper in an airtight container.   These will keep at least a week.  They also freeze very well.

 

I found a really pretty recipe for an Apple Upside Down Cake the other day on Looks Really Good.  It did look really good.  I bookmarked it and decided to bake it for the weekend.



I was well pleased with how it turned out.   She had cut apples into thin slices and used them in the centre of the cake. Mine didn't look as nice as hers did when it came out of the oven and so I popped it under the grill for a few minutes, to sort of candy them.  It did the trick perfectly.



In all honesty, I probably wouldn't do that again though.  They weren't as soft as I would have liked them to be, no matter how nice they looked, and it's not all that nice having to pick out skin and seeds, etc. when you are eating it.



They were really pretty though. I think what I might do the next time is to cook a few slices separately and then just lay them on the finished cake for effect once the cake is done, for looks and then remove them prior to cutting the cake to serve.  I think that would work perfectly fine.

 

In any case it's a perfectly lovely cake, with a nice moist and lightly spiced batter.  I added nutmeg because nutmeg goes so well with apples.  I also added some lemon extract because I like that in an apple cake as well.   It also helps to enhance the flavour of the vanilla believe it or not!  This is the perfect cake for the weekend!




Vanilla Ice Cream or a dollop of creme fraiche go awfully nice with this.

Every Friday night for the whole of my childhood my mom served hot dogs for supper.   She made fabulous hot dogs.   We loved them.   She had a waffle iron/grill which she never ever used for waffles.  It only ever got used for hotdogs.  She would split the weiners and fold them open like a book.   The buttered buns got grilled first, next the frankfurters . . . until they were golden brown and crisp on the edges.  Soooo good.    Everyone we knew clambered to be invited to our house for Hot Dog Night!!



You always knew what day of the week it was by what my mother was cooking for our tea.   Friday's hotdogs, Saturdays baked beans, Sunday was a roast or some sort or steak, Monday leftovers from Sunday, and so it went on through the week . . .  until hotdog night rolled around again.

 

I hate, Hate, HATED burger night!  Yuck.  My mom could not cook burgers.   She always bought really cheap mince and so they were full of gristle and even sometimes bits of bone.  If any of that touched my teeth that was it, I was gagging.   She also over-cooked them, so that they were more like hocky pucks than burgers and they were largely unflavoured.  Sorry mom, but it's true.  Your burgers were blah . . . (it's ok, you can't be good at everything!)



It was years before I could go near a burger with anything closely resembling anticipation  and positivity!   Happily I can do them now . . . but with a few rules in place.  Never cheap mince.  Only good quality meat is used.  Hereford beef is great.  Always with a bit of something added for flavouring.  Never over-cooked.



Burgers don't have to be boring and dull.  They can actually be quite exciting.   I can promise you nobody will be turning their noses up at these tasty bun enhancers!   Meaty, moist, stogged full of cheese, onion and garlic . . . delightfully barbeque sauced and serves up on crisp buttery garlic toast.   What's not to like about that???   This be knife and fork food, family and man pleasing to the hilt.




Sprinkle the sauced patties with the remainder of the cheese.  Let it melt.   Place one toast round, garlic butter side up on each of six plates.   Top with a bit of sauce and a sauced pattie, keeping the cheese intact.   Serve immediately.