I have to say we are really enjoying our new Space Grill. It could not have come at a better time, with all of this lovely dry and sunny warm weather we have been enjoying. Its been a real pleasure to actually have a reliable and easy to use grill so that I can do all of our cooking out of doors, without having to heat up the stove or the whole house in the process! 

 

The other day I was able to cook our whole dinner on this new Grill, with the exception of the initial boiling of the potatoes for my roadkill potatoes.  I think this Grill is absolutely amazing.  I have never been able to do that before.  Cook my whole meal on the grill.  Its like having an outdoor stove.  It really is very user friendly, and so simple to crack open and cook on.

 

I was able to cook the steaks which I had been marinating in my killer  marinade for a couple of hours on the grill grate side  . . . 

 

While on the cast iron grill plate I was grilling thickly sliced onions, my potatoes and fresh asparagus. 

 

 

It was all so very easy.  The higher heat seems to be concentrated in the centre of the grilling areas.  I started off heating the grill on high, and then when it came time to cook I reduced the temperature to medium beneath the steaks so that everything was roughly finished in the same time.   

  

As the potatoes were precooked, they really only needed crisping up on the outsides and preheating.  The asparagus and the onions were raw, but in the time it took to crisp up the potatoes, they were finished.  Once I had the steaks done, I moved them to the outer edges of the grill so they could kind of rest while I was finishing off the vegetables. 

 

These were Rib Eye steaks,  about 3/4 inch thick, and for medium rare it took an initial searing on one side for 4 - 5 minutes and then 3 - 5 minutes on the other side.  They were perfect for us.  If you like them more well done, cook them for a bit longer, or less done, cook them for a bit shorter times. 

 

The asparagus took about 14 minutes, with frequent turning, as did the onions and the potatoes.  To prep the onions and asparagus, I simply brushed them with a bit of light olive oil and seasoning them slightly with salt and black pepper.   The onions were lovely and tender and the asparagus was crispy tender.

  

Asparagus done this way is quite simply beautiful to eat.  I should do it this way all the time! (and I just might!)

 

The potatoes were a grill take on a potato recipe that I initially shared with my readers many moons ago on my Oak Cottage Blog for Dressed Road Kill Potatoes. (Back in 2011)  And as Road Kill Potatoes long before that on my AOL Journal, so as you can see it is a very, very old recipe.  My friend Pat had cooked them the other day and told me how much she and her family still enjoyed them, even after all these years.  I realised I had never presented them on this blog, and I looked at our new grill and thought to myself, why not give them a go on that!  They worked out beautifully. We were ever so pleased!

 

 

  

These potatoes are ever so tasty.  They are simply boiled potatoes, in the skins, cooled and then smashed down lightly with a flat potato masher . . .  brushed with oil, seasoned and grilled on both sides until crisp and golden.  A bit of cheese is melted on the top at the end and a sprinkle of minced spring onion finishes them off!

 

*Grilled Road Kill Potatoes*
To serve two, but easily adaptable for more

Printable Recipe  

The regular version of these (done in the oven) is a real favourite of everyone who has them.  I decided to adapt the recipe so that I could do it on our BBQ grill (with excellent results!) You will need a cast iron grill pan for use on the BBQ or a grill plate. 

2 medium potatoes per person
garlic granules, sweet paprika, mixed herbs, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
olive oil for drizzling
225g of strong grated cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
4 spring onions, chopped fine 

  

 

  

So there you have it.  A complete meal cooked on the grill that is exciting and delicious!  We both loved this very much! 

 

The Grill/BBQ we are using is the Space Grill 1800 3-Burner Gas Grill.  This stainless steel Space Grill is a revolutionary idea for modern families with a unique fold-away design which is perfect for garden patio grilling or even the high rise balcony. It fits in perfectly every where, and is as truly versatile as it is beautiful!  You can either mount it on an existing load bearing wall, or you can buy a specifically designed stand to mount it on.  Either way it is easy to use. Once installed, it folds down and is ready to use in about 10 seconds. (I kid you not!)    After you are finished and it is cooled down and cleaned, you simply fold it back into place, cover it and that is that.  We are ever so pleased with it!  If you would like to know more about it, or perhaps even to purchase one for your own use, do check out the Space Grill Site. 

I wonder what I will cook up on it next???  Watch this space!  

 

Ahh . . .  the weekend.  I love to spoil my husband a bit at the weekend by baking him something special, either for breakfast, teatime or dessert.  

The fact that I also get a tiny bit spoiled by doing so is an added bonus.  This morning I decided to bake him some scones to greet him when he came downstairs after waking up. 

 

I am not sure if the smell of them baking helped him to wake up with a smile on his face or not, but he was really looking pretty happy when he opened the door to the lounge!  Oaty Cinnamon Scones . . .  they smell heavenly when they are baking.  

Why is it that cinnamon anything smells sooooo good?  I don't know, but I maybe should dab some behind my ears the next time we are going out. What do you think? 

 

These scones are filled with the goodness of whole wheat and rolled oats, as well as the other ingredients.  They are flaky and delicious! 

  

I like to stir some dried currants into them when I bake them. 

 My husband really enjoys that fruit extra. But you could leave them out if you wanted to, or use raisins, or chopped dried apricots or sour cherries, or even nuts. 

 

Just think to yourself, what goes with cinnamon and would be perfect in an oaty scone . . . .  hmmm . . .  I can hear your wheels turning. 

 

They are also glazed with a cinnamon glaze that you apply while the scones are warm and fresh from the oven.  Just pour it over.  Let it get into all of  the nooks and crannies . . .

 

These are lovely served warm . . .  with some butter and jam and a hot cuppa  . . . 

 

Today I used raspberry jam . . .  and soft butter . . .  raspberry jam and fruited scones are a beautiful combination  . . . 

 

It also gave me an excuse to use my new little red tea pot, which I am right in love with!   Its so cute. Why is anything tiny automatically cuter?  

I also used one of my Emma Bridgewater mugs . . .  my husband isn't normally allowed to touch them.  He is too rough with china.  Its a man-thing that they don't understand.

 

He puts them into the sink when he is done, which I suppose I should be happy about  . . . not so much the throwing the spoon into the sink when he is done though  . . . 

which really can cause injury to china and stuff . . .  that's why I usually only give him the old stuff to use.  The stuff I don't mind getting chipped etc.

 

Oh, I know . . .  I am naughty to save the best things for other occasions, and for special photographs.  I just can't help myself.  I've seen too many things broken through the years by carelessness.  

Its a man thing I know.  Just don't leave his monkey wrench out in the rain.  Chances are they'll be keeping company with the kitchen scissors he's been forbidden to use, but does anyways.  ☺

 

 

 

Seriously I do so love my husband, and I do love spoiling him.  But . . . the cost of a Pound store mug versus a £30 Emma Bridgewater mug . . . well, I am sure you totally understand!   Why risk the tears.  (He is worth more than the cost of any mug to me in all truth.)  Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian Readers!  Enjoy! 

 

Fresh English Strawberries, nothing says summer better than these brilliant sweet  & fresh garden berries.  We grow our own, and they are somewhat smaller than the ones you will see in the shops, with an exemplary flavour.  Almost condensed and so sweet and delicious!  They are coming fast and furious at the moment, due to all of this lovely hot weather we are having and so I thought I would bake some Strawberry Cupcakes with some of them!  These are the perfect bake to end the month of June on! 

  

Its a recipe which I have adapted from a cookery book entitled "Screen Doors & Sweet Teas! by Martha Hall Foose.  I love this book and don't use it near often enough. I spied it in my book case the other day and pulled it and these lovely cupcakes immediately caught my eye. 

 

It also gave me the perfect excuse to use some of those Dr Oetker cake sprinkles I was sent the other day, not to mention some of the pink food colour gel for the frosting.

 

The frosting is a cream cheese butter frosting, and actually didn't call for any food colouring. The cupcakes in the book had brilliant pink frosting . . .  but in all honesty mine did not. (I strongly suspect that some literary licence was taken with the food photography for the book and they did add colouring for presentation purposes, and so I did too!) Even so, I probably could have used more as they were only pale pink.

 

It is a lovely frosting however and quite different as you use mashed berries cooked together with some lemon juice and strawberry jam, so you really do get a lovely berry flavour which is really nice and a bit of a surprise when you bite into them!

 

I find the cream cheese over here in the UK to be a bit more liquid than the American variety, so try to drain it if you can, and you may also need a bit more icing sugar to get the right consistency for spreading.  It also helps if you chill it for a while.

 

I dug out my favourite cupcake papers for these.  A variety of florals by Eddingtons.  They are nice and thick and very pretty.

 

I could have used brighter sprinkles, but these Glamour and Sparkle Dr Oetker ones were just perfect for these. I didn't want them to look overly garish. 

 

A mix of mashed fresh berries and orange zest is mixed into the cake batter, so you have a lovely berry flavour throughout along with little bits of berries. 

 

Its a buttermilk cake batter also, which makes for really lovely and moist cupcakes. 

 

I couldn't resist having a bite.  They are so delicious!  Dangerous even.  I cut the recipe in half because there are only two of us, so I made 12 of them.  After one bite I knew it was a bad idea to keep 12 of them in this house, so I immediately sent six next door. 

 

There were NO complaints.  But raves!  I love it when that happens. 

 

These are the perfect way to celebrate the delicious taste of British Strawberry Season I think!  Yum!! 

 

 

 

 

I really hope you bake these delicious cupcakes.  With their double whammy of beautiful strawberry flavour your family is sure to love them!  They would be perfect for your summer cookouts and holiday celebrations this weekend!  (Happy Canada Day and 4th of July!)  Bon Appetit!