Living here in Chester we are situated right on the border with Wales. In fact right now they are harvesting their leeks on the farms which surround the housing area where we live and the air smells just gorgeous. The Welsh are known for their leeks, but they are also known for a lot of other deliciousness as well! Today I want to tell you about a fabulous online Shop which delivers Welsh Food right to your door called the Bodnant Welsh Food Centre. I was asked if I would like to try some of their products and I was quite happy to do so!
These last couple of days before Christmas (it's coming up on us quickly now!) are bound to be a bit manic and filled with more things to do than you can shake a stick at. Quick and easy meals are the order of the day.
Delicious throw togethers such as this Hunter's Chicken and Chips which I am showing you today. I threw it together today with stuff I had in my freezer and fridge and it was absolutely fabulous! And so simple as well!
There are basically only four steps to follow which are as simple as throwing some frozen oven chips into the oven to bake and cooking some frozen chicken chunks while the chips are baking.
You dress the shredded cooked chicken with barbeque sauce. Then you layer them in a casserole dish with some cheese and salad dressing and then top with some bacon bits and crispy onions.
Simple. Delicious. Quick and easy. Your family will love it!
It's also quite economical. I often buy bags of frozen french fries when they are on special and keep a couple of bags in the freezer. I also like to keep bags of frozen chicken chunks.
These are just the right size for four people, and cook quickly from frozen. Plus where I shop they only cost £2 for a bag, which is a winner/winner chicken dinner! (sorry for the pun!)
Hunters Chicken is a very popular dish over here and the shops are full of ready meal Hunter's Chicken dishes . . . which are basically two chicken breasts in a foil tin, with some cheese and a slice of bacon scattered over top and a sachet of BBQ Sauce on the side.
And while they are not the most expensive entrees . . . they aren't the tastiest either. I guarantee if you try this dish I am showing you today , you will find it waaaaay more tasty, and you will know exactly what went into it.
Sure 'nuff. All you need is a vegetable and a salad on the side and dinner is served!
*Hunter's Chicken and Chips*
Serves 4
120ml of either ranch or blue cheese salad dressing, loosened with a bit of milk (1/2 cup)
240g of grated four cheese blend (2 cups)
Add the chicken chunks to a
skillet along with the chicken stock, garlic powder and Montreal Steak
Spice.
Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook
until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. Shred
with two forks and stir in the Barbeque sauce.
Remove the chips from the oven and put them into a gratin dish. Leave the oven on. Top the chips with half of the cheese. Spread the chicken over top of the cheese.
Drizzle with the salad dressing. Top with the remaining cheese
and sprinkle the bacon bits and crispy salad onions over top. Return
to the heated oven and bake for a further 8 to 10 minutes to melt the
cheese and heat through. Serve immediately.
Note - you could also use leftover cooked chicken or turkey in this.
Note - you could also use leftover cooked chicken or turkey in this.
I was recently sent some tea to review from the people at Bellevue Tea. I had specified that I only drink herbal blends, however I was sent both Green and black Breakfast Teas, so I have been unable to try them myself, but I am able to tell you about them. (As a Latter Day Saint, we don't drink regular tea or coffee, but only herbal blends. It's a tenant of the Word of Wisdom which is a health law we live by.)
Bellevue Tea is an independent, expert tea company based in London, bringing thirty years' expertise and exerience at the heart of the tea trade to deliver first class products and service.
Bellevue Tea know virtually everything there is to know about the tea business, from plantations around the world, via producers, brokers and tasters to the current trends and tastes of tea drinkers here in the UK. They know how to source the very best teas and infusions an their carefully packatged tea bags and carefully sourced leaf teas will add value to any retain environment, caterer or cafe.
Twas the night before Christmas
and all through the house . . .
not a creature was stirring,
not even a mouse!
The children were nestled,
all snug in their beds . . .
While visions of sugar plums,
danced in their heads . . .
"A Visit From Saint Nicholas" by Clement C Moore, has long been a favourite Christmas verse of many. I had a little Golden Story Book, beautifully illustrated, of the poem when I was a child, and one year I memorized the whole poem to recite during our local village's Christmas Pageant.
I can still remember how excited I felt about that . . . I did put my whole heart and soul into it. 'Twas a wonderful experience indeed! I was no Shirley Temple, but I did my best.
I do so hope that you won't laugh too much at what you see here today, and that you won't take one look and decide these aren't for you, coz if you do you will be missing out on something really special. These cookies are fabulously delicious. Presentation has never been my strong point . . . and these just prove my point!
We are having a special broadcast of the First Presidency's Christmas Message at our chapel on Sunday evening with a "Munch and Jingle" afterwards. I thought these Peanut Butter Balls would be the perfect thing to take. Everyone always loves these. They aren't low sugar for sure, but I won't be the person eating them so it's all good. It just more for those who can eat them.
I was really excited to receive this latest cookery book, Ferment Your Vegetables, by Amanda Feifer. My sister has been fermenting for a long time now, making her own kraut and kim chee, etc. and I have been very keen to try it myself, so I was really interested in this book! I confess that I have been a bit afraid to try my own in the past, but with this book, I feel quite confident that I can do so safely!
Fermented vegetables are a great, healthy addition to anyone's diet. Abundant in probiotics, enzymnes, vitamins, minerals, and more, research continues to reveal the many ways that these foods positively contribute to our well-being. From kimchi and sauerkraut to pickles and kvass, fermented foods have been part of the human diet for millennia and are rightfully reclaiming their place at our daily table.
Yes, that looks like a Thanksgiving Turkey guy up there sitting on top of a cheese ball. I know . . . you are probably asking yourself right now what the heck is a Thanksgiving Turkey guy doing sitting on a cheeseball after Thanksgiving!! Here's my answer. I am having serious issues with my left arm right now. In short, I am in a lot of pain with it. I've been given some tablets to take, but I made the mistake of reading the paper insert that came with them . . . .
The people at Rachel's sent me a couple of festive recipes a week or so ago and asked me if I would like to try them out. I took one look at these delicious Christmas Cupcakes and I said why not!
I was recently sent some Knorr products and asked to create some recipes for the holidays using them. This is part two of what I did with them. I hope you like what I have come up with and find something here you can use in your home for the holidays!
French Onion Soup is a favourite in this house. It's also quite an inexpensive alternative to some of the other first courses out there that you might have a choice of. It's rich and light enough to serve as a main course, in smaller portions . . . or served as a light lunch in larger portions.
I love the gruyere topped Croutes. Garlic flavoured with just enough cheese to keep them from being cloying. I hate it when there is so much cheese in the soup that you almost choke when you try to eat it!
You can also make the soup part of this well ahead of time, just reheating it when you want to serve it and making the croutes fresh on the day. I always like to make extra croutes, especially if we are having it for a meal. Nobody ever turns down an extra portion of those cheesy toasts!
75g of butter (3 ounces)
2 TBS oil
3 pounds of onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Knorr Garlic Flavour Pot
(alternately you can use two cloves of garlic, peeled and minced)
1 tsp sugar
2 1/2 pints of Knorr Beef stock (reconstituted fromKnorr Rich Beef Stock Pots, 2 of them)
(5 1/2 cups)
300ml of dry white wine (1 1/4 cup)
1 to 2 TBS Brandy
For the Croutes:
1 day old french baguette
1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
50g of butter, melted (1/4 cup)
175g Gruyere cheese, grated (6 ounces)
Heat
the butter and the oil in a large heavy saucepan. Add the onions and
garlic, along with the sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring
occasionally, for 30 minutes, until very soft and golden brown.
Gradually add the stock and wine. Bring to the boil then reduce to a
slow simmer. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7.
Rub
the cut cloves of garlic all over the outside of the baguette. Slice
the baguette into rounds and place each round on a lightly buttered
baking tray. Drizzle with melted butter and scatter evenly with the
grated cheese. Bake for 15 minutes until golden and bubbling.
Taste
the soup and adjust seasoning as required. Add the brandy and the
Parmesan cheese. Stir well. Pour the soup into a heated serving dish or
bowls. Float the croutes on top and serve immediately.
Knorr Rich Beef Stock Pots come in a pack of four and contain no artificial flavour enhancers. They are simply carefully selected ingredients that have been reduced into a little pot. Try melting it smoothly into your diches to enhance the natural flavours of your fresh ingredients.
*French Onion Soup*
Serves 6 as a main,
or 8 as a first course
A delicious soup, perfect for a first course, or as a light lunch. Serve any additional croutes on the side.(alternately you can use two cloves of garlic, peeled and minced)
(5 1/2 cups)
6 TBS of finely grated Parmesan cheese
Knorr Rich Beef Stock Pots come in a pack of four and contain no artificial flavour enhancers. They are simply carefully selected ingredients that have been reduced into a little pot. Try melting it smoothly into your diches to enhance the natural flavours of your fresh ingredients.
Knorr Garlic flavour pots contain no artificial flavour enhancers, no artificial colours, no artificial preservatives and are vegetarian friendly.
Packing a punch, this pot will help deliver perfect results every time and enhance an array of dishes from spaghetti carbonara to stuffed chicken; simply stir in and savour the taste.
We normally have a turkey for Christmas, but not everyone likes Turkey. Beef Tenderloin can make a delicious alternative.
We normally have a turkey for Christmas, but not everyone likes Turkey. Beef Tenderloin can make a delicious alternative.
If you follow the instructions directly for this you will end up with perfectly cooked Beef and a delicious Horseradish and Green Peppercorn sauce/gravy to serve with it. Roast potatoes are excellent with this along with Yorkshires., and the usual Christmas Veg. Sprouts, carrots, green beans, etc.
*Holiday Beef Tenderloin*
Serves 6 to 8
a bit of light olive oil for browning
Horseradish and Green Peppercorn Sauce:
4 TBS butter
1 medium onion, peeled and minced
3 TBS plain flour
450ml of knorr chicken stock, heated (2 cups)
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp pepper
1 TBS Dijon mustard
2 TBS drained, brine-packed green peppercorns
1 heaped dessertspoon of prepared horseradish (about 1/4 cup)
salt to taste
Use tongs to turn it, not a fork. You don't want any of those juices escaping, you want to sear all the flavour in. Once it is seared all over bang the skillet into the heated oven. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the internal temperature measures 48* Celcious or !20* Fahrenheit. Remove from the oven, tent with foil and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
To make the
sauce, melt the butter in a large skillet. Add th onion and cook over
medium heat until softened and golden. Sprinkle with the flour and
cook for one minute longer. Stir in the hot stock, whisking constantly
to prevent lumps. Whisk in the lemon juice and pepper. Reduce the heat
to low and simmer, whisking occasionally until the sauce thickens.
Whisk in the horseradish, mustard and green peppercorns. Taste and
adjust seasoning as required.
Serve the beef sliced with some of the sauce spooned over top. Pass the remaining sauce at the table.
When I am wanting Chicken Stock to use in a dish where the flavour of the chicken stock really matters, I always like to use Knorr Touch of Taste Chicken concentrated liquid stock. I use this in soups and gravies and stews. It does need to be refrigerated once opened.
I have always liked serving fish on Christmas Eve. This is a quick and easy way to prepare haddock, which is simple to make, and yet special enough that you wouldn't be embarrassed serving it to your guests.
You make a simple rub with a couple of fish stock cubes, a but of olive oil and some soya sauce which is rubbed into the fish prior to baking. A sprinkling of chopped spring onion and dill weed goes on top along with some dots of butter and a squeeze of lemon juice.
This gives a really well flavoured, and elegant looking finish. With a rice pilaf and some lemon wedges and some veg on the side, it makes for a simple, yet special meal. Take care not to overcook the fish.
*Herby Baked Haddock*
Serves 6
Knorr Fish Cubes are perfect for making Fish stock to use in casseroles, soups or as a delicious rub for on baked fish prior to baking. Simply crumble and mix with a bit of oil to a paste, rub on the fish and bake as you wish. (Nice on a bed of stuffing!) Knorr Fish cubes contain no artificial preservatives and no added msg.
Knorr products are available near the spice section of most major grocery shops in the UK. For more information about their products and more recipes do check out their website.
With the prospect of crisp white snow, putting on our matching hat, gloves and scarf and wrapping up in that brand new furry winter jacket, research launched today by Cadbury Hot Chocolate – the ultimate winter warmer – shows half (50%) of Brits actually get as excited about the cold winter months as they do summer scorchers.
So to give Brits everywhere an extra bit of joy over the winter months, Cadbury Hot Chocolate is giving summer-favourite ice cream vans a makeover to create the first ever Mr Sippy hot chocolate van. This new-look van will be giving out warming cups of Cadbury Drinking Chocolate during the cold British winter. With over half of Brits (52%) wondering where ice cream men actually go in winter, Cadbury is encouraging ice-cream vans to come out of winter hibernation and get involved in dishing out some wonderful winter goodies.
Dominic Abruzzo 50, from Bristol has become the first ice cream van man to swap cones for cups, dishing out steaming mugs of hot chocolate goodness to Brits. Alongside delicious Cadbury Drinking Chocolate, Dominic will be offering indulgently ingenious toppings for everyone to try including the classic Cadbury ‘99 flake, fluffy whipped cream, and even aromatic cinnamon sticks to really add to the festive feel.
Dominic Abruzzo, Cadbury’s Mr Sippy van man says “I always wish away the winter months, waiting for that first summer day. This year I had the chance to bring as much joy to people in winter which was brilliant. As soon as I got the call from Cadbury I dusted off my slippers, put down the paper and fired up the van!” Indre Nagyte, Brand Manager for Cadbury Hot chocolate says “We wanted to bring some joy into winter and bring our fans some warming goodness over this freezing period.
We know everyone needs a warming, comforting cup of delicious hot chocolate sometimes so this is a great way to make sure it is delivered in a joyful way.”
To that end Cadbury's sent me a lovely little Christmas pack so I could enjoy a delicious Cadbury's Festive style Hot Chocolate at home!
*Toasted Marshmallow Moment*
Serves 1Many thanks to Cadbury for this gift pack.
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I was recently sent some Knorr products and asked to create some recipes for the holidays using them. The first recipe I created was this delicious Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Beans, Olives & Tomatoes. This is not only delicious, with fresh flavours and textures, but pretty and colourful as well!
Do you like sandwiches? My Aunt Freda loved sandwiches and so do I. They are one of my many weaknesses! I was really excited to receive this latest cookbook for review . . . "Build Your Own Sandwich," by Vicki Smallwood.
Have you ever wanted to take your sandwich making to a new and higher level??? My answer is a resounding YES! Build Your Own Sandwich promises to help you do just that!
The people from Mrs Crimble's, deliciously gluten-gree, recently sent me some of the Party Season friendly products to taste.
Ginger Winter Warmer
Mrs Crimble’s NEW special edition Choc Macaroons with Stem Ginger
Mrs Crimble’s NEW special edition Choc Macaroons with Stem Ginger are the perfect festive goodies. Based on their best-selling Choc Macaroon recipe, the UK’s number one selling treat in the cakes category, Mrs Crimble’s have created an irresistible NEW special edition Choc Macaroon with chunks of warm stem ginger.
Mrs Crimble’s Choc Macaroon with Stem Ginger will be available to buy from major supermarkets, convenience stores and independent speciality food retailers nationwide from October 2015, with a recommended retail price of £1.59 for the six pack.
We have always loved their regular Choc Macaroons, and we really love these! We really enjoyed the spicy sweet ginger hit that you get from the little chunks of stem ginger. We would happily by these and will be looking for them in the shops.
They also sent me a pack of their Cheese Straws
Mrs Crimble’s has unveiled festive light and crispy Cheese Straws – which are gluten free – so the whole family can share them this Christmas season. The cheesy puff pastry straws can be enjoyed straight from the packet, or for a really special treat serve them to your guests gently warmed. The foil-fresh packaging ensures that they’ll stay fresh and crisp until you’re ready to enjoy them.
NEW Cheese Straws RRP £1.99
I wasn't able to heat these in the oven to see how they were warmed up, as they arrived all smashed to smithereens! (Oh, the perils of British Post!!) However I can say that the crumbs were incredibly flakey and very tasty! These would be a great addition to the Gluten Free Drinks and Nibbles for Gluten free Holiday Parties. I will be using the crumbs to top my holiday casseroles!
Many thanks to Mrs Crimble's for sending me these products to try out.
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I was sent some lovely recipes this week for Christmas Baking for the holidays from Dr Oetker. They all look so fabulous I don't know which one I want to try first. I think the Stollen Loaf Cake is looking pretty good from where I am sitting. I have everything I need in the house to make it and I adore Stollen anyways. I love anything which smacks of almonds and dried fruit! The Spiced Lemon Cookie Wreath also looks like a strong possibility. In any case I am sharing all the recipes with you today. Christmas Jumper Cookies, Stollen Loaf Cake, Spiced Lemon Cookie Wreath, Mini Chocolate Gingerbread Loaves and a Winter Forest Chocolate Cake! There's a Merry Christmas in the "Baking!" You know if the recipes are from Dr. Oetker, that the recipes must be great. They are the creme de la creme of bakedom!
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