I don't know what it is about Christmas and Ginger, but the two just go together like peas and carrots! What would Christmas be without gingerbread men or a lovely ginger cake, especially when you are talking a ginger cake with full on ginger flavours like this one!
Are you a fan of Artichoke and Spinach Dip? I know I am! It's one of those moreish dips you see on buffet tables during the holidays that you just can't get enough of. Usually served with torn bits of crusty bread it can be quite addictive!
I know it's winter and not really salad days . . . but what's a girl to do . . . I was craving salad today, which isn't actually a bad thing to crave per se . . . salad is pretty healthy stuff. I was thinking of a delicious Chicken Salad that I used to be able to get at a Mexican Restaurant in downtown Fredericton when we lived there . . . I have long forgotten the name of the restaurant . . . but not the salad. That's the way it usually goes . . . some people remember other things. I have food memories. It has ever been so.
I do get sent the neatest things in the post. The other day I received this lovely Blueberry 1940's Sweet Box from Amazon.co.uk. I wasn't even born in the 1940's . . . but the Toddster was a child then and it brought back a lot of nostalgia for him.
I had heard of some of these things, like the Pontefract cakes and Mint Balls, but had never tasted them.
I love boiled sweets, and Rhubarb and Custard are my favourite flavour! Great choice! Loving the Keep Calm mug as well!
Don't get me started on Peanut Brittle! I can't stop once I start munching on that peanutty goodness!
I love black liquorice and these Catherine Wheels look quite scrumptious with those little non pareil coated liquorice jellies in the centre. (My favourite bits in the all sorts box!) And I do fancy a Hershey's bar every now and again, don't you?
I am a bit fan of Uncle Joe's Mint Balls too, but the Pontefract Cakes are something very new to me. I remember one of the Pratt sisters in Larkrise to Candleford went to be with a man in Pontefract and them talking about Pontefract cakes in the show. These sweets must have been around for a very long time.
It's a delightful little gift box and perfect for the sweet lover in your life! It absolutely filled with lots of goodies and nostalgia.
You can get all sorts of gifts like this from Amazon. I find their service to be quick and reliable, and they usually have the best prices on things. Just sayin'
What is a Bumbleberry? Ahhh . . . I think I might know the answer to that. A bumbleberry is a Burple and Binkel berry (amazing colours you know), one berry being sweet and the other tart. The two colours, when cooked together, creating a flavour that is fantastically gloriously delicious! (of course!)
When I was growing up in the 50's and 60's about the only fresh fruit that made a regular appearance in our house was apples and bananas. Fresh fruit really wasn't all that available in our small town . . . and I expect if it was, it was probably really expensive. We didn't mind that much though . . . my mother always made sure we had lots of tinned fruit.
Well, the big day is just two weeks away. Is everyone all ready? Are all your gifts bought and wrapped? Cards written and sent?? Food ordered, puddings, cakes and pies baked?
Christmas Day is rapidly approaching, and it’s around this
time of year that many people choose to upgrade their cooker in preparation for
the big day. After all, you don’t want to feed Auntie Mabel a turkey that’s
flavoured with years’ worth of oven grime, or find that the plates on the hob
have broken just as you need to do the vegetables, do you? Getting a modern,
up-to-date cooker will ensure that Christmas dinner goes smoothly – or it will,
as long as you ensure your new cooker is equipped with certain crucial
features:
Energy Efficiency
With so much cooking to do for so many people, your oven’s likely to be in use pretty much constantly from lunchtime on Christmas Eve onwards – which might lead to a nasty surprise when the energy bill comes through the letterbox at the end of the month. Luckily, these days affordable energy-efficient cookers and ovens are available from most kitchen appliance retailers. A cooker in a good energy class (look out for those in class A, A+, A++ or A-20%) that’s able to reach the desired temperature as quickly as possible and burns gas efficiently could pay for itself in terms on monthly savings on your bill.
With so much cooking to do for so many people, your oven’s likely to be in use pretty much constantly from lunchtime on Christmas Eve onwards – which might lead to a nasty surprise when the energy bill comes through the letterbox at the end of the month. Luckily, these days affordable energy-efficient cookers and ovens are available from most kitchen appliance retailers. A cooker in a good energy class (look out for those in class A, A+, A++ or A-20%) that’s able to reach the desired temperature as quickly as possible and burns gas efficiently could pay for itself in terms on monthly savings on your bill.
High Capacity
Nobody wants to get up on Christmas morning to put on the turkey to find it won’t fit in the oven. Go for an oven with a high capacity and, no matter the size of your bird, you can rest assured it’ll fit nicely.
Nobody wants to get up on Christmas morning to put on the turkey to find it won’t fit in the oven. Go for an oven with a high capacity and, no matter the size of your bird, you can rest assured it’ll fit nicely.
ProCook Baking Trays
We’ve all been there – spending hours slaving away to prepare the best roast potatoes that’ve ever been served with Christmas dinner, telling all of the guests how fantastic they’ll be, waiting on tenterhooks for the end result…only to find half of your spuds stuck to the baking tray. Go for an oven that comes with ProCook baking trays, which are covered in hexagonal divots, and you never need worry about unevenly-cooked food becoming stuck to the tray again.
We’ve all been there – spending hours slaving away to prepare the best roast potatoes that’ve ever been served with Christmas dinner, telling all of the guests how fantastic they’ll be, waiting on tenterhooks for the end result…only to find half of your spuds stuck to the baking tray. Go for an oven that comes with ProCook baking trays, which are covered in hexagonal divots, and you never need worry about unevenly-cooked food becoming stuck to the tray again.
Safety Features
Nothing spoils Christmas like the chef going up in flames – so make sure your new cooker is equipped with safety features such as auto ignition, which prevents avoidable gas leakage when turning on the hob, and flame failure safety valves, which stop the gas supply if the flame is cut off. A glass cover will protect your hob during the brief periods that it’s not in use over Christmas, ensuring it’s in prime condition to cook as many tasty dishes as possible.
Nothing spoils Christmas like the chef going up in flames – so make sure your new cooker is equipped with safety features such as auto ignition, which prevents avoidable gas leakage when turning on the hob, and flame failure safety valves, which stop the gas supply if the flame is cut off. A glass cover will protect your hob during the brief periods that it’s not in use over Christmas, ensuring it’s in prime condition to cook as many tasty dishes as possible.
If you’re getting an upgrade on your cooker ready for
Christmas dinner, be sure it’s one with all the features needed to give your
family and friends the festive Yuletide feast they deserve. For a cooker that
has all of the useful features listed above and a host of other time- and
energy-saving innovations, look for a kitchen appliance manufacturer such as Amica, whose range of stylish,
modern and energy-efficient ovens and cookers are available at appliance
retailers across the UK.
Well, the Holidays are upon us and we are all on the precipace of one of the busiest times of the year. There are cards to write, presents to buy and wrap, houses to decorate and parties and get-togethers to plan! And let's not forget that gorgeous Christmas lunch we are all planning on cooking! I look so forward to my Christmas Dinner each year and more often than not, by the time I sit down to enjoy it . . . I'm too tired or stressed to enjoy it. I know you know what I am talking about. I'm often totally pooped by then!
Never fear however, once again the people at Bright House have put together their popular Christmas Kitchen, which is a virtual goldmine of hints, tips and advice to help get your Christmas Kitchen organized and your dinner plans running smoothly so that you will actually be able to manage and enjoy it all with less stress and more pleasure! There are tips to help you organize and get the most out of your refrigerator, advice on telly viewing, hints, tips and schedules to help you create the perfect Christmas lunch, fabulous recipes, clean up tips, cooking tips . . . and much much more. In short, pretty much everything you will need to make the day run well. Do hop on over and check it out. I was pleased to contribute some of my own tips, hints and recipes as well! As they say . . . every little helps!
I wanted to share a recipe with you today that is somewhat of a Christmas Tradition in our family. Its called War Cake and it just would not be Christmas in our house without it making an annual appearance in my holiday larder!
One of the challenges I enjoy from receiving my Degustabox every month is coming up with unique and delicious ways to use the contents! My mother always said that was one thing I excelled at!
Taking whatever ingredients were thrown at me and coming up with something delicious! I think you will agree that this month I came up with something incredibly delicious.
I received a packet of the Salsa & Mesquite chips and I decided they would be the perfect ingredient to use in this months Degusta Box recipe! (I forgot to take a photograph of the bag of crisps with the chicken, sorry!)
I received a packet of the Salsa & Mesquite chips and I decided they would be the perfect ingredient to use in this months Degusta Box recipe! (I forgot to take a photograph of the bag of crisps with the chicken, sorry!)
Who doesn't love fried chicken? Not me, that's who! I adore the stuff, and if I can cut down the fat and hassle a tiny bit by oven frying it, so much the better.
I know that any calories saved by deep frying will have been absorbed by the use of potato chips in the coating, but . . . meh! It's Christmas!
This is sooooo easy to make as well. It's as simple as dipping the chicken in egg and milk and then shaking it in a bag of crush potato chips. Onto the baking tray . . .
And in due course you are rewarded with the most delicious oven fried chicken ever! Of course you can use any flavour of potato chips you wish, but these Salsa & Mesquite ones added an extra dose of spice and flavour to this delightfully tasty chicken!
It was sooooooooo GOOD! Tasty! Tasty!
Potato crisps/chips make the perfect crispy topping for oven fried chicken. I have used the new Kettle Cooked Salsa and Mesquite potato chips here for a nice and smoky tex mex flavour, but you can use whatever flavour of potato chips you wish! They're all decadently gorgeous!
1 large free range eggs, beaten with 2 TBS milk
150g bag of potato chips, crushed (about 2 cups crumbs)
8 pieces of chicken thighs/drumsticks
salt and black pepper to taste
cooking spray/mister
Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil. Spray lightly with cooking spray.
Place the beaten egg and milk into a bowl and the potato chip crumbs into a bag for shaking. Roll the chicken pieces in the egg/milk and then shake them in the bag of potato chips to coat. Place presentation side down on the baking tray. Spritz with some cooking spray. Discard any beaten egg mixture and leftover crisp crumbs. (Alternately, save the remaining crumbs and sprinkle them over the chicken when you flip it over halfway through the baking time. You must still discard the egg.)
Bake for 20 minutes. Flip them over and bake for an additional 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear.
Note: I did drumsticks and thighs. Breasts would not require the same amount of cooking time. I would cut it in approximately half the time. Chicken is done, once again, when the juices run clear.
*Salsa and Mesquite Oven Fried Chicken*
Serves 4 to 6salt and black pepper to taste
Note: I did drumsticks and thighs. Breasts would not require the same amount of cooking time. I would cut it in approximately half the time. Chicken is done, once again, when the juices run clear.
Old Tim Bread Pudding. One might be tempted to overlook this recipe as it doesn't look like anything special, but this is one of those great old fashioned recipes that is a gem in disguise.
It's one of my husband's favourites! He has always said his mother
made the best bread puddings, but after I made him this one the other
day, he's changed his mind and declared mine better than hers. I am
well pleased.
Originally designed to make the use of stale or leftover bread, this pudding isn't to be confused with it's lighter airier cousin Bread and Butter Pudding. This is the ugly stepsister of said pudding, It is stodgy, somewhat heavy, and stogged full of dried fruits and spices.
You can see from the photograph that is is quite solid and cuts nicely into squares, which makes it perfect for eating out of hand if you wish.
In fact I often see it being sold by the square in local bake shop windows. When we were in Llangollen, Wales, one time it was beautifully showcased in one of their bakery windows. Of course we had to buy a square to bring home and enjoy with his evening tea.
My husband had described this to me many times through the years, but you know how men are. Their descriptions of thing only ever very rarely actually give you a true picture.
My friend Jo who worked at the Manor with me as the housekeeper used to make this all the time, but again, I never had actually seen it first hand, until I made it for myself. It can be a bit hard to describe to people who are not familiar with it.
It is lovely warm and cut into squares. My husband enjoys it warm with custard or cream poured on top. It is equally as lovely served cold along with a nice hot cuppa.
It is very reminiscent of a fruit cake in both texture, weight, and flavour actually. The difference being it's not a cake. Its a pudding and its a delicious pudding at that.
I am not sure how old the recipe is, but I suspect that it's been around a very long time. I suspect it came about from some cook's desire not to let anything go to waste, especially stale crusts of bread.
I do hope you'll give it a go and that when you do you enjoy it as much as we do. It's relatively low in fat as well I would say. Yes, there is some butter in it, but not a lot in actuality. It is economical, delicious, and real comforting family fare.
We love this warm, but we really love this cold and cut into squares or slabs. It always goes down a real treat and is a great way to use up leftover stale bread.
When you first read the recipe you think to yourself, how could that ever be tasty. But you are wrong. It is incredibly, edibly, wonderfully delicious.
Make Your Own Mixed Spice:
You can easily make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.
You can easily make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.
Old Time Bread Pudding
Yield: Makes one 12 by 9 inch pan
prep time: 15 Mcook time: 1 H & 20 Mtotal time: 1 H & 35 M
This is very different than bread and butter pudding. Don't confuse the two. This is a very traditional and stodgily delicious blend of dried fruit, spices, bread, eggs and milk. Perfect for a winters day tucked up in side in the warmth and best served with custard or cream. It's also very good served cold and simply cut into squares.
Ingredients:
- 400g of white bread, torn into pieces (about 7 cups)
- 600ml of milk (2 1/2 cups)
- 450g of dried fruit (3 cups)
- (Use a mixture of raisins, sultanas and currants
- 100g sugar (1/2 cup)
- 50g of self raising flour (1/4 cup plus 2 TBS)
- 1 1/2 TBS mixed spice (see my right hand side bar for a recipe to make your own)
- 2 large free range eggs, beaten
- 100g of butter, melted (7 TBS)
- demerara sugar to sprinkle on top (turbinado)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 150*C/300*F. Butter a rectangular pan about 12 by 9 inches well. Set aside.
- Put the bread into a large bowl. Pour the milk over top and allow it to stand for 10 minutes. At the end of that time, beat it all together with a wooden spoon. Stir in the dried fruit and sugar. Mix well together. Stir in the flour and mixed spice. Add the beaten eggs and the melted butter. Pour into the prepared pan. Sprinkle demerara sugar on top evenly. Bake for one and a half hours.
- Raise the oven temperature to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4 and bake for a further 10 minutes or so until the pudding is golden. Excellent served warm with custard or cream, or eaten cold.
This is one of the most popular recipes on the blog which goes to prove that people really love to try good old fashioned traditional foods and recipes. When something ain't broke why mess with it. This is perfect just as it is.
Make Your Own Mixed Spice:
You can easily make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.
You can easily make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The
English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are
reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you
may report it to me at: theenglishkitchen@mail.com
The Winner of the Le Creuset Condiment Pot and The English Provender Co Chutneys
Monday, 8 December 2014
Although I am still not feeling very well, I did promise that a winner would be picked for the English Provender Co Giveaway. I printed out all the comments, cut them out and popped them into a Christmas Stocking and then got the Toddster to pick one out . . . I wish I could give one to all of my readers, but alas . . . . I cannot.
The winner of the giveaway is:
-
I am as fond of Le Creuset as I am of The English Provender Co TOO Marie. That pot is SOOOOO cute.
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