Be the hero of the party and serve up some really tasty game day food for tonight's Super Bowl American football extravaganza! I have brought together all of my finger-food appetiser dishes that I think would go over really well with the family and guests. With a delicious mix of the traditional and the not traditional, these are sure to put a smile on everyone's face as they root for their favourite teams! Why not try something a tad bit different this year!
I was recently sent some products from Orgran the Gluten Free people so that I could try them out before Pancake Day which is on Tuesday February 9th. I am still waiting to hear whether I am a coeliac or not, (I go on Monday, wish me luck!) so I was quite excited to be able to try these out. Having to give up wheat and products which contain gluten is not an easy prospect, especially when you think of how many things are on the market which contain wheat or gluten and so options like these are really quite exciting!
I had to cook a meal earlier this week to take to a member who has not been well. I baked a casserole and made a salad, and then I decided to bake some cookies for the children in the family. I love to bake, but more often than not I can't eat what I bake, so it's nice to be able to bake something which is going to be going to kiddies I know will be able to appreciate it.
This is an oven sandwich that I used to make often for my kids when they were growing up. They're delicious, simple to make and they use ingredients I normally have in my larder. So they are a bit of a store cupboard meal. Also if you use low fat cheese and mayonnaise, they are not that unhealthy. Especially if you serve them with some vegetable sticks or salad on the side.
I have been taking a Cooking for Diabetes Class thru the NHS on Thursday afternoons for the past month. Today is my last class. I really wasn't sure if I would learn anything by taking the course, but I have to say that I have been pleasantly surprised and I have really learned an awful lot. Plus everything we have cooked has been healthy, low in fat, high in fibre and quite surprisingly delicious!
I am a child of the 50's/60's/70's. There was not a lot in the way of convenience foods when I was growing up. Being born in 1955, food in our home was really simple. We didn't have access to exotic ingredients. Pineapple was probably one of the most exotic ingredients we had and that came in a tin. I don't think I ever saw a fresh one until I was an adult. I did not live in a large urban area. We had the rodeo room ( which was a family restaurant), a Chinese Restaurant in the village, and the cafe in the Metropolitan department store which had super french fries, that I still remember and drool over. We also had a local, family run and owned Bakery that had great bread and made delicious donut twists.
I never ever tasted a pizza until I was about 16 years old and it was by way of a Chef Boyardee Pizza mix that a boyfriend brought over and showed us how to make. I remember thinking that it was pretty good, and actually it really was tasty. The sauce had plenty of flavour and the crust wasn't too bad either. So was the Kraft one . . . if I am being honest, and I always try to be.
February being the month of love and all, I have my mind very much on baking treats for the man in my life over these next couple of weeks.
If I had children here or grands I would be baking them for them also. Alas I do not, so the Toddster is the one who benefits the most from my desire to bake all things pertaining to love.
I do like to spoil him from time to time.
It's not all pasta and chocolate which he just cannot bear is not fond of . . . I do try to cook to please him now and again, and if I am being honest . . . most of the time.
They do say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach!
These little strawberry tarts are fabulously easy and look so impressive when done. Especially if you use my method of lining the tins, which I borrowed from my friend Julie when she was a PC consultant.
It works really well with all sorts of things . . . cookie doughs, pastry, etc. (You haven't lived until you have made little chocolate chip cookie dough tartlettes filled with dulce de leche and topped with a dab of chocolate buttercream. Scrummo!)
Anyways, I digress.
Little strawberry tarts. Butter pastry. Sweet strawberry, jam and lime filling. Topped with a cute little heart.
The Toddster loves them! (with some squirtie cream) I am thinking though that a bit of clotted cream would also not go amiss.
These also go very well for tea parties. Just sayin'
*Valentine Berry Cutie Pies*
Makes 24 mini muffin sized pies
Printable Recipe
Dainty delicious little pies, perfect for a little tete a tete with the one you love.
butter for buttering the pan
12 ounces strawberries
2 tsp cornflour
2 TBS strawberry jam
the finely grated zest of 2 limes (I use my microplane fine grater)
1 pound of all butter pastry, or ready made sweet shortcrust pastry, chilled
a little plain flour for dusting
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Lightly butter a 24 section mini muffin tin (pampered chef makes one) or two 12 hole mini muffin pans. Set aside.
Roughly chop the strawberries. Put them in a mixing bowl and then gently stir in the cornflour, jam and lime zest.
This is how I do it: I pinch off walnut sized pieces of dough. Roll into balls and then press the balls into the muffin tins with my Pampered Chef Pastry press thingie, but you could also use the end of a rolling pin, or wooden spoon, floured, or in a real pinch, your thumbs.) Fill each little shell with a bit of the strawberry mixture. Roll out the remaining pastry to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into little shapes as you wish. (I cut mine into hearts) Place one shape on top of each tart.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool in the tins for about 10 minutes before loosening with the tip of a knife and transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
If desired dust with some icing sugar to serve. (I forgot to do this before I took the pictures!) Share them with your honeybun.
No Mitzie . . . I'm afraid they are not good for little dog's waistlines . . . no matter how cute the little dog may be.
I have to admit that I am particularly fond of the flavour of cinnamon. When I was a child it was a real treat if my mother made us cinnamon toast or cinnamon rolls. Cinnamon just tastes like Home Sweet Home to me. That's why when I saw this recipe for Snickerdoodle Bread I was very much intrigued, but then when I read the ingredients I thought to myself . . . can't make it as we don't have cinnamon chips over here. Sigh . . . but then . . . I put my thinking cap on.
A big Sunday tradition over here in the UK is the roast dinner. People either cook one at home, or they go out to have one at a restaurant . . . roast meat (beef, gammon, turkey, lamb, pork), with roast potatoes, veg, gravy etc. Oh and Yorkshire puddings. They're a must. We never have a roast dinner on a Sunday. By the time we get home from church and I call my mom, etc., there just isn't the time and to be honest I am pretty tired by then. So, I save our roast dinners for other days. On Sundays, we usually have something which I have either remembered to put in the slow cooker before we left for church, or I whip up something quick like these Bacon & Cheese Omelettes.
You would be right in thinking that this is not something which you will see very often in this kitchen . . . chocolate cake. The Toddster doesn't like chocolate cakes, pies or cookies, or puddings for that matter . . . and with my diabetes I try very hard not to eat this stuff, but when I was having four missionary elders for dinner a week or so ago I decided that I would bake them a chocolate cake for dessert.
I want to tempt you just a little bit this morning with a tasty recipe from my Big Blue Binder. This is a big blue plastic covered binder that I have been carrying around with me since I was a little girl. (I was 9 or 10 when I started it.) It is old and tatty now, and bulging at the seams . . . but it is also filled with beautiful gems . . .
One of the things I love most about chicken is it's ability to go so very well with a lot of other flavours. It's just so very adaptable, and delicious. The breast meat is of course a lot leaner, but also very easy to dry out . . . the thighs and legs have a lot more flavour in the, and require longer cooking so that they are nice and tender, but it's no surprise that they actually have more flavour as they are the part of the chicken that gets the biggest workout! (If you are not buying factory farmed chicken that is. If you are, none of it will have much flavour)
AMY’S MOBILE KITCHEN TOURS THE UK WITH HEARTY LUNCHES TO
SUPPORT CHARITABLE ORGANISATIONS
#amysmobilekitchen
For the month of February 2016, vegetarian and organic food experts Amy’s bring you Amy’s Mobile
Kitchen - a vintage van that will serve delicious Amy’s soups and chillis across London, Manchester and
Glasgow, free to those who make a donation to local charitable organisations. The delicious & warming
soups & chillis will be accompanied by outstandingly good bread from local artisan bakeries.
The van will make its first stops in London, visiting a variety of locations from 1st – 14th February 2016.
Then it’s up North to bring some vegetarian goodness to Manchester from 16th – 21st February, followed
by its final stops in Glasgow from 23rd – 28th February. The van’s exact location will be announced each
day on Twitter and Instagram via @amyskitchenuk using the hashtag #amysmobilekitchen.
Using carefully selected organic ingredients, Amy’s Kitchen produces vegetarian frozen meals, soups
and chillis with delicious home cooked flavour. Amy’s is a company with a conscience - environmental
awareness and sustainability is at the heart of its production and contributing to community projects is
a big part of its ethos. With this in mind and in recognition of their great work, Amy’s Mobile Kitchen will
be partnering with charitable organisations that are making efforts to support the young and homeless across the UK, with profits from lunch service being donated in each city. In addition, all packaging used for Amy’s Mobile Kitchen will be from 100% recycled and ethically sourced materials.
Details of charity partners in each city are below:
London: Café from Crisis - An inspirational social enterprise that provides on-the-job training and
experience for homeless people and ex offenders. http://www.crisis.org.uk/pages/-crisis-skylightlondon-cafe-62496.html
Manchester: Back On Track - A charitable organisation focused on supporting some of the most
disadvantaged in Greater Manchester through training, work experience and mentoring, helping them
to overcome major barriers and turn their lives around. http://www.backontrackmanchester.org.uk/
Glasgow: End Youth Homelessness – A national collaboration of charities and businesses across
the UK coordinated by Centrepoint who have come together to tackle youth homelessness by raising
awareness and lobbying government to make a change. http://www.eyh.org.uk/
Amy’s tasty vegetarian soups will be available in a variety of flavours including Organic Chunky Tomato (my personal favourite), Organic Cream of Mushroom and Organic Lentil Vegetable. There will also be the option of a vegetarian medium chilli for those after something a bit heartier. Quality artisan bread will be offered from local bakeries in each city; in London delicious sourdough from The Dusty Knuckle bakery, a social enterprise aiming to help disadvantaged young people. In Manchester visitors to the van will have the chance to try some mouth-watering spicy corn bread from Lancashire bakery Artisan Food Works and Glasgow residents can sample loaves from bakery47, who regularly have fans queuing round the corner for their creations.
Also joining the Amy’s family for this very special project is artist Alice Stevenson, who has previously
created illustrations for fashion designer Marc Jacobs. Alice has created a bespoke logo for Amy’s
Mobile Kitchen as well as designing the bright illustrations that will adorn the van, making it impossible
to miss as it travels the UK streets.
About Amy’s
Amy’s is a family owned business founded by husband and wife team Andy and Rachel Berliner in 1987 and
named after their daughter Amy. It all started with a mission to create delicious vegetarian food that is full of
organic ingredients and home cooked flavour, yet quick and easy to prepare.
Every product contains certified organic ingredients and there are absolutely no additives, no MSG, no
preservatives and no GMOs. The Amy’s range is a best seller in the UK and is stocked in all of the well-known supermarkets as well as independent retailers and health food stores such as Whole Foods and Planet Organic.
Amy’s also caters for a variety of diets, including gluten free, dairy free and vegan so everyone can enjoy the
delicious home cooked flavour. Amy’s products are all Vegetarian Society approved, and all products in their
gluten-free range hold the Coeliac UK Crossed grain Symbol Licence.
https://amyskitchen.co.uk/
https://twitter.com/amyskitchenuk
https://www.instagram.com/amyskitchenuk/
https://www.facebook.com/AmysKitchenUK
Apple & Cinnamon Tea Cake. I had some apples in my fruit bowl that needed using up pronto, and so I dug out this delicious cake recipe that I have had in my repertoire for quite some time now.
Who doesn't love an apple cake after all. I thought it would be the perfect way to use them up.
Actually, I do love cake, in any way shape or form. That's why being a diabetic is so hard for me. I cannot resist cake . . . it's one of my weaknesses.
When I do indulge however I try to be on my best behaviour and only have nibbles. Okay, maybe lots of nibbles, but its hard . . .
Especially when it's a lovely buttery cake like this Applie and Cinnamon Cake. It is sooo delicious.
It is stuffed full of lovely warm baking spices. Like cinnamon for instance. I do love cinnamon, don't you?
And cinnamon goes so well with apples, don't you think?
Funny that. Because on its own cinnamon is not really very palatable in the least, howeve good it smells.
This is a fabulous cake, really. It's really moist and fruity. Pretty hard to resist.
But its also a very pretty cake to look at. I love food that delights the eyes first and then the tummy.
Just look at those cute little apples nestled in amongst that lovely moist batter. Apples that are slivered and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.
Baked in the oven along with the cake, until golden. Then the whole thing is glazed with apricot jam.
I love it when that happens. Dust with icing sugar or not . . . as you wish. Do serve with lashings of softly whipped cream.
You won't regret it. Your hips might, but you won't. I dare say . . . you may even get a little bit ecstatic!
*Apple and Cinnamon Tea Cake*
Makes one 9 inch cake, serving 8 to 10
Printable Recipe
A
deliciously moist cake, filled with lovely apples and cinnamon
flavours. Serve warm with softly whipped double cream for a real
treat!
185g of unsalted butter, softened (3/4 cup)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
126g of golden caster sugar (2/3 cup)
3 large free range eggs, lightly beaten
150g of plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
78ml of whole milk (1/3 cup)
To top:
4 small Granny Smith Apples, peeled, halved and cored
1 tsp caster sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
To finish:
a heaped dessertspoon of apricot jam, gently warmed (about 1/4 cup)
To serve:
Softly whipped double cream
Preheat
the oven to 170*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Butter a 9 inch round spring form
cake tin. Line the bottom with baking paper. Butter the paper. Set
aside.
Cream together the butter, cinnamon and sugar until light
and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, a bit at a time, mixing well after each
addition. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the
creamed mixture, alternately with the milk. Spread the batter in the
prepared pan. Cut little slits in the apples almost all the way through
working from the rounded top down, taking care to leave them intact on
the flat side. Place the apple halves evenly spaced around the cake on
top of the batter. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle
evenly over top.
Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven.
Gently brush with the apricot jam. Return to the oven and bake for a
further 10 minutes, or until the cake tests done when a toothpick
inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Serve warm, cut into wedges along with some softly whipped double cream.
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 mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
I am always looking for a different way to cook potatoes. I love potatoes. Unfortunately I need to watch how many I eat these days.
These are somewhat of a blue-moon treat and not something you would want to eat every day of the week, but boy oh boy, when you do, they are definitely something which will be enjoyed.
With seasoned and herbed butter, alternating with thin slices of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese . . . then baked until golden brown, drizzled with some cream and sprinkled with a bit more cheese and baked again . . .
The potatoes end up tender with tasty golden edges . . . cheese and cream melting down into those crisp crevices . . . perfectly seasoned.
Deliciously indulgent. Like I said . . . once in a blue moon . . . a real treat.
Drizzle the cream over top of each evenly and sprinkle evenly with the cheddar and Parmigiano cheeses. Return to the oven for a further 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot.
Bon Appetit!
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