Happy Valentines Day. I know that to many people it is just a huge money grab, and really, if you love someone you can celebrate that love for them any day of the year in large and small ways.
It is nice however, or at least I think it is . . . to do something out of the ordinary for your loved ones on this special day!!
When I was a child it was always marked by exchanging special cards with all of the children in my class at school . . . at least while I was in Primary school.
It wouldn't have gone over well in Middle or High School! (To say the least!)
In Primary school however, great care was taken in the run up to Valentines day picking and cutting out Valentines, gluing them together, gluing the envelopes and then deciding who you wanted to give what Valentine to.
Oh, you could always get the already cut out fancy boxes of cards . . . they cost a bit more . . . but, in all truth, I really enjoyed the whole exercise of cutting them out and putting them together. I've always been crafty in that way.
There used to be a contest at school for whoever had made the prettiest/most unusual box to collect your Valentines in. One year my mother helped me make my box using an old chocolate box.
It was all decorated with white crepe paper and looked like a cake. On the top were little hearts standing upright on toothpicks, with little sayings on them . . . like a field of valentine flowers.
I won the prize that year (rightly or wrongly) and I have never forgotten how pretty the box was. It is one of my happy mom memories in the annals of my heart.
These brownies are so special and yet so simple to make. You can use a boxed Brownie mix (I used Ghirardelli. You get it as Costco.) or you can use your favourite brownie recipe.
I have an excellent recipe here for Fudge Walnut Brownies.
They are excellent brownies (both the boxed mix and the from scratch ones.) You can't go wrong with either one.
Just bake them in a paper lined muffin tin. I used Valentine wrappers, but really paper wrappers never look great after you bake in them.
Most of the pictures/patterns on them just kind of disappears into blah, blah, blah . . . so plain brown paper cups will work just fine, and might even look better.
Bake them to the degree that you enjoy your Brownies, as fudgy or as cakey as you like. The longer you bake them the cakier they will be.
Once they are baked, take them out of the tin and let them cool on a wire rack.
While they are cooling you make a really simple chocolate ganache topping.
Its as simple as chopping chocolate and then pouring hot cream over it. Let is sit, and then stir to melt the chocolate. Once it is all amalgamated together you spoon it over the top of the brownies.
After that you just need to pop one of your favourite chocolates on top, and let it all set up.
Its as simple as that. Easy peasy an look at how cute they are!
I can't think of anyone who wouldn't enjoy one of these delicious little cakes!
Well, my husband maybe . . . because he doesn't like chocolate cakes of any kind . . . but I know a neighbour of mine who is really going to enjoy these!
She's had a bit of a rough go lately and I reckon these will really cheer her up!
Yield: 12
Chocolate Box Brownies
prep time: 5 minscook time: 40 minstotal time: 45 mins
Something cute to share with those you love on Valentines Day. You can either use your favourite Brownie Recipe or a mix. They are a very simple bake and really cute!
ingredients:
- 1 box of Brownie Mix (I used Ghirardelli)
- (Or your favourite Brownie recipe)
- For the Ganache:
- 115g of bittersweet chocolate, chopped (4 ounces)
- 150ml double cream (2/3 cup)
- You will also need a box of assorted chocolates
instructions:
- Preheat the oven to the temperature recommended on your box of brownie mix, or according to your recipe for Brownies. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. Following the directions on the box or in the recipe, make the brownie batter and then spoon it into the lined muffin cups, dividing it equally. Bake for about 25 - 30 minutes, or until the tops are glossy and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out a little wet (if you want fudgy brownies) or clean (If you want drier brownies.)
- Remove the paper cups from the pan and set aside to cool on a wire rack.
- To make the ganache, put the chopped chocolate into a heat proof bowl. Measure the cream into a small saucepan. Bring the cream just to the boiling point. Pour over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for a few minutes. Whisk together to melt the chocolate and make a smooth mixture. Spoon the ganache over top of the brownies. Top each one with a chocolate. Leave to set completely.
- Store in an airtight container.
- Note - Alternately you can melt some white chocolate and drizzle over top in decorative manner.
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No matter what you do, or how you celebrate it, I hope that you have a really lovely Sweethearts Day! Bon Appetit!
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One of my favourite television shows, long before I even dreamt of moving over to the UK was a British soap opera called Coronation Street. I started watching it when I was still at school and had no idea that I would one day be living in the North West of England in a brick terraced house. Funny how life turns out!
It was a show my Aunt Freda loved as well. One of its charms for me was the gritty reality of it. Not very many people on it were wealthy . . . no were they drop dead gorgeous, like in the American soaps. Plus they had jobs that they worked hard at . . . for the most part they were ordinary working class folk. I believe it is the longest running soap on television in the world.
A lot of the social life in the show centred around the Rover's Return Pub, which also let out rooms as a B&B on occasion. True to life there. Most communities over here have their own "local" as a pub is lovingly known as, and they are truly gathering places and the heart of the community in most cases.
As a pub/local the Rovers Return also served some simple food. Mostly sandwiches, potato chips, nuts and salty snacks, in addition to the drinks . . . but also one of the most famous and popular things on their menu was Betty's Hot Pot.
Betty Turpin was a barmaid in the Rover's Return and Betty's Hot Pot was her signature dish.
Hotpot is a very regional Lancashire dish consisting essentially of meat, onion and potatoes left to bake in the oven all day in a heavy pot and on a low heat. Originating in the days of heavy industrialisation in Lancashire in the north west of England, it requires a minimum of effort to prepare.
There are many regional variations, and it is frequently found listed amongst the usual pub grub dishes in various hostelries around Britain. The basic recipe consists of a mix made up of meat and vegetables (carrot, turnip, potatoes, onions or leek) which are then covered with a buttery thatch of sliced potato or pastry. Don't you just love the idea of a "thatched" roof of potato covering the top?
The type of meat to be used in a true Lancashire hotpot is a matter of
some controversy, with many being of the opinion that it should be lamb
(with optional lamb kidneys) and some thinking it should be beef. As
much food can be added as will fit in the pot, so it is very easy to increase the quantities to serve more people as desired.
We like it with lamb, and today I actually decreased the amounts to create a dish perfectly sized for two people. It worked out very well.
I had posted it originally here, some ten years ago, but thought it would be a good idea to update the recipe with North American measurements, and with nicer photos. I believe it was one of the first recipes I posted on here, so an update was long overdue!
One thing remains true and constant about this dish and that is this . . . it is simply delicious. Humble, yet . . . it almost tastes gourmet . . .
It is culinary proof and a testimony to the fact that it really is the simple things in life which bring us the most pleasure!
Yield: 2
Lancashire Hot Pot
prep time: 15 minscook time: 2 hour and 30 minstotal time: 2 hours and 45 mins
A scaled down version of my original recipe. A deliciously humble dish which originated in Lancashire. There is no way to rush a hot pot. Long and slow cooking is its secret to tender tastiness.
ingredients:
- 1/2 TBS olive oil
- 350g diced lamb (3/4 pound)
- 1 onion, peeled and sliced
- 1 carrots, peeled and grated
- 1/4 medium swede (rutabaga) peeled and grated
- 300ml lamb stock (1 1/4 cup) (can use chicken stock)
- 1/2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
- 1 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 350g of potatoes, peeled and cut into thin slices (3/4 pound)
- softened butter
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
instructions:
- Pre-heat the oven to 165*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the meat in batches and fry it until browned on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon to a large casserole dish (one with a lid) as it browns. Set aside.
- Once all the meat it browned and removed from the skillet add the vegetables to the pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring them occasionally. Return the lamb to the skillet and pour over the stock. Add the Worcestershire sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix it all in well and then carefully pour the mixture back into the casserole dish. Tuck the thyme into the mixture, burying it.
- Cover the top of the mixture with a layer of half of the sliced potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and then dot with butter. Finish layering with the remaining potatoes and adding a final dusting of salt and pepper and dot once again with some butter. Put the lid on.
- Bake in the heated oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the lid and bake for a further hour until the meat is very tender and the "thatch" is nicely browned in places and tender as well. Serve hot spooned out onto hot plates along with seasonal green vegetables on the side and plenty of crusty bread and butter to mop up the delicious juices.
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This is comfort food in it's most basic, purest form. I like to serve it with a green vegetable on the side, but many serve it with red cabbage, which is quite traditional, as is some crusty bread to mop up all the juices! Bon Appetit!
Still no working stove. It turns out that the problem is not with the stove, but with the electrics in the house, so we are now waiting on the landlord to pull his finger out. He's usually pretty good so no worries. In the meantime we have the trusty hot plate.
Today I made us a delicious and hearty Chicken & Orzo Soup. It was also very simple to make.
You will need leeks and celery. One leek, and one stalk. Make sure you clean your leek really well. There is nothing worse than sand in your food. They are really easy to clean. Just cut slit down one side of the leek and then fan it open slightly, running cold water over it. Any sand should just rinse away.
After that you can just cut it into half moons or coins. I always trim my celery also. I use a sharp knife to pull away any of the strings. Strings can be a bit unpleasant depending on the age of your celery. I don't bother with the tender inner stalks, but sometimes the outer stalks can be really stringy, so those are the ones I de-string! This gets chopped.
The prepped veg is then softened in a bit of Olive oil. Not so that it browns . . . just so it is soft.
I use gel stock pots and boiling water for my chicken stock. This took 4 gel pots. If you have chicken stock in the freeze or cans. Just use that. Bring it to the boil then throw in some boneless chicken thighs.
Cook these until tender and no longer pink and scoop them out with a slotted spoon. You will cut or shred these to add at the end, in the meantime you bring the stock back up to the boil and add your orzo and your secret ingredient.
Secret ingredient? Yes! Its dried dill weed. You could also use fresh chopped dill weed. I just used the dry today as that is all I had. Its just enough to add a layer of flavour that is very pleasant and have people smacking their lips. Don't worry, it won't taste overly like dill. Trust me on this.
Once the orzo is cooked you shred/cut the chicken up and put it back into the soup . . .
Heat through, adjust the seasoning, and then ladle into heated bowls for your very lucky family. I like crackers with mine, Todd likes bread. You can serve lemon wedges with it to squeeze over the soup. I forgot. Bad me. The hint of lemon is a real flavour booster!
Yield: 4
Chicken & Orzo Soup
prep time: 5 minscook time: 35 minstotal time: 40 mins
Simple, delicious and filling. I like mine with crisp crackers. Todd, he likes bread. Everybody is happy.
ingredients:
- 1 TBS olive oil
- 1 fresh leek, halved, lengthwise, cleaned and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 stalk celery, trimmed and chopped
- 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 1/2 litre chicken stock (6 cups)
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 105g orzo pasta (1/2 cup)
- 1 TBS dried dill weed
- Lemon wedges to serve (optional)
instructions:
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the leeks and celery, Cook stirring occasionally, over medium low until softened without browning, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the chicken and stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for a further 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender, no longer pink. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Bring the broth in the pot to the boil, add the dill and orzo. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes (or however long it says on your package of orzo.) Cut the chicken into cubes, or shred it and return it to the pot. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Heat through. Ladle into heated bowls and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing. (optional) Delicious!
I hope it isn't too long before our stove is up and working again. I am wanting to bake something! I have seen some lovely breads about and I am wanting to try sourdough again. In the meantime,we are enjoying things like this tasty soup. Bon appetit!
Not having a hob/cooker to use for the last half week or so has certainly been a challenge for me. I really hope that when the Engineer comes tomorrow, it is an easy fix!
We did purchase a portable hot plate, but with only two small burners on it, it doesn't really lend itself much to cooking gourmet meals It is however, fab for browning things and heating things up, like soup. I haven't actually cooked any pasta on it yet, but I did cook carrots on it the other day.
It required a bit of difference in planning as I am used to the instant heat of gas. This electric hot plate takes much longer to heat up and it doesn't cool down instantly either, so I keep having to warn Todd that the burner was just on as it is not really obvious by looking at it, but if you set something on it, you would sure know in a hurry, especially if it was your hand or something plastic!
Today (Sunday as I write this) I used it to make our favourite Mexi-Melts, working with it in tandem with our Microwave. Tandem cooking! It works well! We are huge fans of Tex Mex food! I heard rumours that we are supposed to be getting a Taco Bell in Chester, but that was months ago and there isn't one yet, although there is supposedly one in Liverpool. I can't wait!
This is a riff on their Mexi-Melt sandwich, which is kind of like a burrito/wrap. I did make a few changes, so technically they are not identical, but I don't think anyone will really mind. They are fabulously delicious!
We try not to eat a lot of red meat here, so I used ground turkey instead of beef. You can use ground turkey thighs, but I like the turkey breast meat.
This gets simply browned in a skillet. Because I am using turkey breast which is ultra low fat, I add a bit of oil to help keep it from sticking. We like ground turkey so this really works for us. If you are not a fan of ground turkey, you can use ground beef, but do try to use an extra lean one.
Once you get the turkey browned and seasoned (I give my homemade taco seasoning recipe below) you simply layer the meat and two kinds of cheese in a flour tortilla, along with some tomato salsa. How spicy you choose to use, is up to you! I like the mild one myself.
Once you get all of the tortillas filled and rolled, you wrap them up in some damp paper towelling and then nuke them in the microwave for a minute. This is just long enough to heat everything through nicely and melt the cheese.
I make my own Chipotle mayo dip for serving with them. Its a really simple to make also. If you are not fond of mayo, you can use sour cream.
Taco Seasoning Mix
prep time: cook time: total time:
This is better than any packaged mix. No preservatives or chemicals.
ingredients:
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (not salt)
- 1/4 tsp onion powder (not salt)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 TBS mild chili powder (American style)
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp salt
instructions:
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a jar to combine well. Use as needed. Store, tightly covered in a dark place for up to 6 months.
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These are oh so delicious, especially when you serve them with the mayo which adds a touch more flavour and a hint of creaminess. I like to sprinkle the dip with black olives and spring onions for even more flavour.
Yield: 8
Turkey Mexi-Melts
Quick, easy and satisfying. I have added an optional dip which adds even more taste. Serve with a salad for a light supper, or without for a quick lunch. You can also put together, wrap up tightly and freeze. When you are ready to eat, just thaw at room temperature for an hour or so and then warm as in the recipe instructions.
ingredients:
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 envelope of taco seasoning mix
- 225g grated strong cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
- 225g grated Jack cheese (8 ounces)
- 8 to 10 flour tortillas (8 inch)
- 200g tomato salsa (1 generous cup)
- For the Dip: (optional)
- 220g good quality mayonnaise
- 1 TBS lime juice
- 1 tsp chipotle chili paste
- finely chopped black olives and spring onions
instructions:
- Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the ground turkey and brown thoroughly, until no more pink juices remain. Stir in the taco seasoning and heat through.
- Lay out your tortillas. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese down the middle of the tortillas, dividing it equally amongst each. Divide the seasoned turkey equally amongst the tortillas, placing it on top of the cheddar cheese. Spoon a portion of the tomato salsa over top of the turkey in each tortilla, dividing it equally amongst them. Finally sprinkle the Jack cheese over top of the salsa. Roll each tortilla up to enclose the filling. Wrap each in a piece of damp kitchen paper towelling. Microwave 2 at a time for 1 minute on high. Let sit while you microwave them all.
- To make the dip. whisk together the mayo, lime juice and the chipotle paste in a bowl. Top with the chopped olives and onions.
- Serve the hot wraps with the mayo for dipping.
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Authentic or not, these are really delicious. Simple ingredients. Easy method. Quick to throw together. These are big winners all round, especially if you are a fan of Tex Mex!! Bon Appetit!
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