Rhubarb Pudding Cake. One dessert I need to make every rhubarb season is this delicious Rhubarb Pudding Cake. It is a recipe I have been making for years and years and years.
When it comes right down to it, I think one of my absolute favorite fruits has to be rhubarb. This goes right back to my childhood. I can remember my mother giving us sticks of rhubarb along with a small bowl of sugar when I was a child . . . as a treat.
We would stick the cut end of the rhubarb into the sugar and then chew on it . . . oh but the tartness of it would make our cheeks ache!! This was part of the pleasure I am sure.
Another favourite way to enjoy it was simply stewed and spooned warm, over ice cream. Over here in the UK, they enjoy it stewed with custard.
On both sides of the pond it is enjoyed in crumbles/crisps and in pies! And of course a favourite partner is the humble strawberry!
Rhubarb Pudding Cake is an old fashioned dessert that goes back a very long way.
I am sure there is a version of this, handwritten on paper and tucked into just about every family recipe box, having pleased family after family down through the generations!
Its a very simple dessert. Rhubarb is first cooked/stewed on top of the stove until tender.
You then let it cool just a tiny bit . . . while you make a cake batter.
The cake batter is poured into a buttered baking tin and then the rhubarb is spooned over top . . .
Something magical happens when it is cooking . . . the cake bubbles up through the rhubarb and some of the rhubarb sinks . . .
What you end up with is a moist cake filled with small rivulets and puddles of stewed rhubarb . . . little sweet/tart caverns . . . sticky . . . moreish . . .
Deliciously perfect little crevices that are wonderful to hold things like warm custard, or pouring cream . . .
Or, my favourite . . . ice cream. I prefer vanilla, but on this day I had only strawberry ripple, which was very good also.
Served warm . . . the ice cream melts down into those tasty little rhubarb dimples . . . collecting in sweet little cool pools of deliciousness . . .
It is no surprise that this is one of our favourite family desserts. I am sure if it isn't already, it is bound to become one of yours also!
*Rhubarb Pudding Cake*
Serves 9
This has to be one of our favourite desserts.
500g diced fresh or frozen rhubarb (4 cups)
185g sugar, divided (1 1/2 cups)
55g white vegetable shortening (1/4 cup)
1 large free range egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
140g plain flour (1 cup)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
120ml milk (1/2 cup)
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch square baking tin really well.
Put
the rhubarb into a saucepan along with 190g of the sugar (1 cup).
Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes until
the rhubarb is tender. Set aside.
Cream
together the shortening and remaining sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in the egg and vanilla. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and
salt. Add to the creamed mixture, alternately with the milk, beginning
and ending with flour. Pour into the prepared pan. Spoon the rhubarb
over top.
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We were invited to a Pot Luck lunch yesterday and so this tasty chicken casserole I am showcasing today is a little something I came up with to take to the affair. I love Pot Lucks, or Covered Dish Suppers as they are also called.
They are a wonderful opportunity to taste a little dab of this and a little dab of that, to rub elbows and mingle with friends over some good food and to taste and try new and, hopefully, delicious things!
My mother always called me the Queen of Casseroles. She said I had the ability to make an old boot taste good, and I guess (in all humility) I do.
Its not a special talent however, anyone can do it. It just requires a knowledge of what flavours and textures goes together with each other. Its simple really.
First you want a starch of some kind . . . potatoes, pasta, rice . . . all work well.
We have pre-cooked packaged of rice over here and they are ever so handy to keep in the cupboard for days like this. Tinned and frozen potatoes also work very well in casseroles!
Next you will want a protein of some kind. Tinned fish, cooked meat or chicken, beans and legumes, all work very well. I always have some of these in my cupboard also.
Today I used canned chicken, but it is very easy to cook chicken just for this purpose. Just take a package of chicken breasts, cover with water or stock, bring to the boil and then simmer until tender. Let cool in the liquid, then drain and shred.
Next you will want some herbs, spices, aromatics. Think chopped onions, chopped celery and or peppers . . . chopped mushrooms.
Fresh or dried herbs. Herb and spice blends. Today I used chopped onions and a Garlic Italian Spice blend, along with parsley flakes.
Next you will want a sauce of some kind. You can use tinned soups or sauces. Or you can make a simple cream/cheese sauce.
Today I mixed equal parts of double cream and chicken stock. That always works well. Even with meats. You can use beef or ham stock with cream also.
Cheese. I don't know about you, but I think casseroles are better with cheese, both inside and out. I can't think of any vegetable or protein that doesn't go with cheese.
Today I used Parmesan in the casserole itself, and a mix of cheeses for the topping.
Vegetables. I like peas, corn and beans in casseroles. Here's a handy tip . . . for use with peas and with corn.
If you are using frozen, reserve any toppings for the last bit of cook time, stir in the frozen veg and then top and return to the oven to finish off.
You end up with perfectly cooked peas and corn, with a beautiful colour and not dried out in the least.
Today I used peas and fifteen minutes was just long enough to cook them through and they retained that lovely bright green colour.
I know its not always possible such as when you are making a cottage pie or such, but if you can do it, it works out beautifully.
Finally . . . the topping. I love cheese on top of most casseroles, but I also ADORE some crunch on top! Crushed buttered cracker crumbs, buttered bread crumbs, crumbled croutons, crushed crispy fried salad onions/durkees, crumbled potato crisps/chips, etc.
All work very well. Today I used a small packet of crumbled cheese & onion flavoured Sun Bites. Altogether this was very, very delicious!
*Creamy Parmesan Chicken Casserole*
Serves 4
Just a little something I threw together for a pot luck lunch. It was delicious!
1 (354g) tin of premium chunk chicken breast (12.5 oz tin), drained well and flaked
(I get mine at Costco, you can use 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
3 tsp garlic Italian seasoning
1 tsp dried parsley
salt and black pepper to taste (just a pinch of each)
2 pouches ready cooked brown rice (about 4 cups cooked rice)
240ml heavy cream (1 cup)
240ml chicken stock (1 cup)
90g coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
150g frozen peas (1 cup)
To top:
3 TBS each grated Parmesan, Cheddar, Mozzarella cheeses
a handful of crisps coarsely crushed
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a large shallow baking dish. Set aside.
PS - Yes I did make a small extra casserole to taste before I took it to the pot luck. Doesn't everyone? I just wanted to make sure it was tasty enough to wow the others! It was!
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.
When I first moved over here to the UK, the idea of ever being able to enjoy Tex Mex delights seemed to be but a distant dream.
These types of ingredients were few and far between and very hard to come by. There are still some things which are really hard to find, but happily there are quite a few ingredients which are a lot easier to find. Yay.
I think we can owe a lot of credit for that to Tomasina Miers who won Master Chef
in 2005 and whose main speciality has always been Mexican Cuisine! Greatly influenced by her frequent trips to Mexico, she is the co-owner of the Wahaca Chain of Restaurants.
This recipe I am sharing with you today is one which I first saw on the Betty Crocker site and have adapted to what is available here in the UK.
It looked really delicious and really simple to make. I also was able to halve the recipe quite successfully for just we two Tex Mex food lovers.
So what I do is roast fresh green jalapenos and then chop them up and use them.
Put
the beans, chilies, and salsa into a blender or food processor. Blitz
until smooth. Pour into a pie tin. Take your tortillas one at a time
and dip into the bean sauce to coat. (I leave it flat in the dish to do
the following) Sprinkle 2 TBS of the cheese blend over half of the
tortilla and fold over to a half moon, fold in half and then in half
again. You should have a triangular shape. Place into the baking dish.
Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Spoon any remaining sauce over top
along with any remaining cheese. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot
with your favourite toppings!
Just wash them and roast them in a hot oven (225*C/425*F/ gas mark 7) until blistered, take them out, pop them into a plastic bag, let sweat, peel and chop up. You can discard the seeds if you want less heat.
I blitzed the beans, salsa, and peppers in my CookHouse Kitchen mini food processor. It works a charm. Dip flour tortillas in the result, fill with cheese, fold and fold again.
Placed into a baking dish, with the remaining sauce spooned over and additional cheese and baked, these are such a doddle to make and very quick as well.
You can have them on the table in about half an hour tops, and that is stretching it!
Top with sour cream and your favourite taco/nacho/enchilada toppings to serve.
I used sour cream, some salsa and a kind of fresh salsa that I made by chopping together fresh parsley, red onions, and green and black cured olives.
Normally I would have used spring onions, but I was lacking them, and I have to say what I did use was really, really delicious! YUMMY even!
*Enfrijoladas Bake*
Serves 5
What can I say . . . refried beans, green chilis, tortillas, salsa, cheese, delicious!
1 (435g) tin of refried beans (16 oz.)
1 can (4.5oz) tin of chopped green chilies
(I used 4 fresh jalapenos, roasted and chopped)
240ml thick and chunky salsa, any strength (1 cup)
240g 4-cheese blend (2 cups)
1 package (6 inch) flour tortillas for soft tacos and fahitas
To serve (Just some suggestions):
chopped spring onions or red onions
dairy sour cream
chopped black olives
grated cheese
chopped coriander
more salsa
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Butter a 13 by 9 inch baking dish. Set aside.
I really hope you give these a go! They are simple and quick to make and I think your family will really love them. Mexican food is one of those things that doesn't really look overly appealing, but the flavours are really delicious. I used corn and wheat tortillas which is what I had and they worked beautifully. Provecheeto!!
All of the content you see here on this page, both photography and written, are the sole property of The English Kitchen, Marie Rayner. 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.
Make no mistake about it. I am a salad lover. There is no end to the combination of flavours and colours and deliciousness when it comes to making salads.
This is a salad my friend Rhondi posted on Instagram the other week and I bookmarked it. It was just interesting enough and colourful enough that I knew it was something we would enjoy!
The original recipe comes from Yummly, by way of A Healthy Life for Me, and is Gluten Free and Paleo.
Of course I adapted it a bit to what I have/had in my house and garden, and with most delicious results I might add!
I have always ascribed to the notion that there is a reason certain foods ripen together and in the same season . . .
To me it usually means that they are ingredients that go well with each other. You might think that blueberries and corn are not things that would go together, but you would be totally wrong!
Not only do they ripen at approximately the same time, but they also work wonderfully together when served in a salad such as this.
Blueberries are not all that sweet when raw . . . the sweetness only really comes out when they are cooked. When raw they are a bit tangy and earthy, at least they are to me!
Corn, when cooked properly is crisp and sweet and juicy . . . fresh tasting. Mix the two together and you have a beautiful marriage of crisp, sweet, tangy, juicy wonderfulness!
There is also cucumber in this, which has an almost melon quality, and red onions for a bit of sharpness.
I added some raw courgette/zucchini . . . because I like them raw and in salads and I thought it would add interest.
The dressing is fabulous! Sweet and tangy . . . with lime and honey . . . cumin for a bit of warmth, some hot pepper sauce . . .
and a bit of herbiness from the use of fresh oregano and basil. The original recipe used coriander/cilantro, but I thought oregano and basil would taste much better and I was right.
They worked beautifully with the rest of the flavours!
with the end result being a salad that was not only a feast for the mouth, just bursting with flavour and textures . . .
But a wonderful feast for the eyes!
Don't be tempted to overlook this because of the unusual qualities of it You will be missing out on a real gem if you do! Its a true winner and now one of our favourites!
*Blueberry & Corn Salad*
Serves 6
A delicious, healthy and unsual salad which makes a fabulous use of seasonal ingredients!
6 ears of corn husked
250g fresh blueberries (1 cup)
1 medium cucumber, washed and sliced
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 small courgette (zucchini) , halved and cut into half moons
For the dressing:
1 tsp green pepper sauce
2 TBS fresh lime juice
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
2 TBS liquid honey
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 TBS minced fresh oregano
1 TBS minced fresh basil
salt and black pepper to taste
(You can either cook the corn or not for this recipe. I cooked it.
5 minutes in lightly sugared boiling water.) Cut the kernels of corn
from the cobs and place into a bowl. Toss together with the
blueberries, cucumber, red onion and courgette. (I used a yellow
courgette/zucchini.)
We had this the other night when we had guests over or supper. I served it with a cheese and onion quiche, potato salad and sliced tomatoes and cucumbers. It went down a real treat! Bon Appetit!
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