I was recently sent a few bits from The Grown Up Chocolate Company to try! Chocolate is a particular weakness of mine and I never have to be asked twice if I would like to try something new when it comes to trying chocolate!!
Marvellously moreish, decadent and delicious the SPECTACULAR SPECULICIOUS PRALINE CUPS from THE GROWN UP CHOCOLATE COMPANY make the ultimate indulgent treat! Oh, I adore Speculoos biscuits don't you? And these definitely contain more than a hint of the lovely flavours of Speculoos, with a sumptuous warm spice praline encased in creamy milk chocolate. They come with six in each box, which makes them perfect for sharing
(if you can bear to part with any!)
RRP £2.25 (pack contains 6 cups)
I was also sent a sample of their Crunchy Crispy Toffee Trilogy Bar! Try to repeat that three times in quick succession! Now that's a mouthful and I have to say these lucious bars are one very delicious mouthful with their layers of milk chocolate and crunchy rice puffs, muddle of gooey caramel, and white chocolate biscuit pearls all encased in that same delicious luxury milk chocolate. Oh boy but these are moreishly tasty! Crunchy and gooey and sweet and deliciously creamy!
RRP £2.25 (pack contains two bars)
THE GROWN UP CHOCOLATE COMPANY has an ongoing mission to create the most indulgent and decadent chocolates - everything is handmade in Harlow, using only the highest quality ingredients (and a sprinkling of love).
Just remember, these are strictly for grown-ups - so no need to share with any mini-mes!
Meant to be reminiscent as the bars we ate as children but re-imagined for adult tastes, the Grown Up Chocolate Company's complete line of chocolate confectionary is available for purchase online and through select Distributors. You can also create your very own personalised bars. To find out more do check out their online site. I think they are very yummy! Rich and creamy, with beautiful flavours, and just sweet enough. Todd agrees. I have had to hide them from him, or they would be all gone! (I know, I am a greedy Gus!)
Note - I was sent free chocolate in exchange for a fair and honest review. I loved it!
My Todd is very fond of a curry, so every now and then I make one for him. I have a few Indian cookery books that I like to use if I am making one from scratch. Yes, I confess, often I will just use a good jarred sauce (Lloyd Grossman makes lovely sauces) but the other day I decided to make him a Lamb Curry from scratch and Lamb Rogan Josh is one of his favourites.
Curry's are not all that difficult to make. They are like stews really, but with completely different spices and aromatics than what you normally use in a stew.
This one uses cubed lamb. Neck fillet if you can get it, or leg of lamb. I find it most annoying that in the shops you can normally only get New Zealand lamb when we raise beautiful lamb right on our own doorsteps. I adore British/Welsh lamb. It is beautiful. For this curry I used New Zealand leg of lamb, cubed.
To begin you will need to make a curry paste. This is as simple as bunging a few ingredients into a blender/food processor and blitzing them until smooth . . . coriander stems (cilantro), red chili, cumin and coriander seeds, paprika, turmeric and tomato puree. Its very simple.
To start the curry off whole spices (cinnamon sticks, cardamom, bay leaf and cloves) are fried in a bit of oil until quite fragrant, which
only takes a few minutes. Then you add the onion and the lamb, quickly browning it off, and then adding some garlic and grated fresh ginger root.
Next, you stir in the curry paste that you have made, making sure that the lamb is well coated in it and then a quantity of water is added. The lamb is then simmered until the juices reduce and thicken and the lamb becomes very tender . . . this takes about 45 minutes or so.
Finally you stir in some thick yogurt which makes the sauce somewhat creamy. Oh, but it is quite delicious. Its not as mild as most of the curries I make, but its not blast your head off hot either. Todd really likes it.
I like to serve it with Pilau Rice and poppadoms. Have you discovered poppadoms? They are like Indian potato chips, or thin crisp tortillas, except they are made from ground lentils and fried until very crisp. I buy them ready made and heat them in the oven. You can buy them plain or with flavours added, the most common being garlic and coriander. That is that crisp bread you see on the side there. Oh but they are some good!
*Lamb Rogan Josh*
Serves 4
A
moderately spiced curry from Kashmir in the North of India. This is an
area which is famous for its aromatic and sumptuous curries!
For the Lamb:
1 TBS peanut oil
1 (2 inch) cinnamon stick
5 whole cardamom pods slightly bruised
3 dried bay leaves
4 whole cloves
1 onion, peeled and chopped
600g lamb neck fillet, trimmed and cubed
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger-root, peeled and grated
100g fat free natural yogurt (scant half cup)
For the curry paste:
1 bunch fresh coriander, leaves and stems separated
1 red chili, seeded and finely chopped
2 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground
2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 tsp black peppercorns, coarsely ground
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp garam masala
2 TBS tomato puree (tomato paste)
400ml water (14 fluid ounces)
First make the paste. Put the coriander stalks, tomato puree, red
chili, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, paprika, turmeric and
garam masala into a small food processor. Blitz to smooth.
A curry is a funny thing . . . you crave them, you make one and then you are happy not to have another one for a month or so until you start craving one again. Over here they are quite traditional fare on Saturday nights or for eating after a pub crawl. My pub crawling days are long since over, but every now and then I do enjoy a good curry for our tea. This one makes a change from Chicken curry, and is moderately spiced. Its very good. Adapted from a recipe found on BBC Good Food. Bon Appetit!
I used to make Panna Cotta sometimes for Luncheons and Dinner Parties when I worked at the Manor down South but it has always been a dessert I shied away from making here at home. I'm not really sure why. Its not really a difficult dessert to make actually, but I used to always hold my breath when I unmolded the dishes . . . I would make extra just in case . . . nothing would be worse than having one stick to the dish or break when unmolding. Not something you really want at a social function. I guess it was always accompanied with nervous anticipation for me, which had more to do with the presentation than the actual creation of it.
The idea of actually serving it in simple drinking or pretty glasses had never occurred to me, and I seriously doubt that my boss would have agreed with that idea anyways. If something was simple to her, then it probably wasn't good enough. She wanted complicated, difficult and "pushing out the boat" dishes for all the courses being served, which certainly was instrumental in affording me with the opportunity to stretch beyond what I ever thought myself capable of! In that respect, the experience was really good. I never had a failure, whew!!!
The down side of it all was that, after all that complication at work, I opted for simple at home. I did not want drama at home. That was my time for relaxing, and I have to confess I still feel the same. There is nothing like having to pull out the stops for five or six silver service courses (and all on your own wit no sous chef's etc. to help out) to cure you of ever wanting that in your life.
So essentially I had never made Panna Cotta for us here at home . . . until this weekend, when it dawned on me that I could just pour it into a small and pretty glass and leave it there, garnishing it with some lovely berries. DUH! Why had I never thought of this before!!
This is the perfect light dessert . . . for when you are entertaining or even when you are not entertaining. It is as simple as heating milk and cream with some sugar (not much) and flavouring, adding some gelatin and pouring it into glasses. Set in the fridge for a few hours and BANG! Dessert is ready.
Simple, creamy, light and DEE-licious!
I chose to top it with a simple mix of berries that I macerated with some lime zest and a bit of sugar.
You could also use honey . . . liquid honey. I used a mix of fresh Scottish raspberries and strawberries, and what was left of the blueberries in our garden.
They went beautifully. Diced peaches along with a splash of an amond liqueur and some chopped toasted almonds . . . poached apple slices with some cinnamon and nutmeg . . .
Sauteed cinnamon bananas, pineapple and coconut . . . let your imagination flow!
*Simple Panna Cotta with Mixed Berries*
Makes 8 to 10 small servings
Simple and creamy. Delicious served with lime marinated berries.
For the Panna Cotta:
600ml pouring (single) cream (2 1/2 cups)
200ml full cream milk (7 1/4 fluid ounces)
3 TBS caster sugar
4 gelatin leaves (1 TBS powdered gelatin)
1 - 2 tsp pure vanilla or vanilla paste
for the berries:
400g strawberries, raspberries and blueberries (1 pound)
2 TBS caster sugar
the finely grated zest of 1/2 - 1 lime
Put the gelatin leaves/powder into cold water to soak. Measure the
cream and milk into a saucepan. Add the sugar. Cook over very low
heat for 10 minutes, without boiling. Remove from the heat and whisk in
the soaked gelatin until the gelatin is dissolved.Stir in the vanilla
and then strain into a jug. Let cool for 10 minutes. Stir gently and
then divide the mixture between 8 to 10 small glasses. Place them on a
tray and place the tray into the refrigerator to set.
Hull
and slice the strawberries. Mix together in a bowl with the
raspberries, blueberries, sugar and lime zest. Let stand for half an
hour before using. Put a small spoonful on top of each panna cotta to
serve.
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.
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@aol.com
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.
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