You might think because you are a smaller family, you need to wait until you have company over to be able to enjoy a delicious dessert. You couldn't be any more wrong!
I decided to downsize my pavlova recipe so that it makes only three delicious servings. This is THE perfect summer dessert!
I can remember the first time I ever had Pavlova. It was at a get-together with a few friends from church in Meaford, Ontario, some twenty five years ago. One of the ladies brought Pavlova.
I had never heard of Pavlova before in my life and was intrigued by this interesting sounding dessert. It was love at first bite!!
I remember thinking that such a beautiful dessert must be complicated to make. With its meringue base, crisp and billowy soft, and then the filling of cream and fruit.
Surely it was not easy to make. I was totally wrong. Pavlova has to be one of the easiest desserts out there! If you can work an electric hand mixer, you can make Pavlova!
And this version is fabulously filled with whipped cream, swirled with sweet/tart lemon curd, topped with fresh berries and finished off with candied almonds.
None of it complicated or difficult to execute. All of it delicious.
Plus the Pavlova base itself is wonderfully gluten-free! You will need two large free range egg whites to begin with.
These get beaten together with some finely granulated sugar. In the UK, it is called caster sugar. You need to use finely granulated sugar because it melts into the egg whites better and gives you a smooth finish.
Coarse sugar would give you a gritty finish. The whites get beaten until they start to softly mound and then you start beating in half the sugar. Just until they get stiff and glossy.
The remainder of the sugar then gets beaten in slowly and then you add some cornstarch and a bit of white vinegar. It is this that gives your meringue base that soft marshmallow like interior.
It is important that you use white vinegar. Not cider vinegar, or any other kind. You don't want to be using a vinegar that will change the color of your meringue.
Or the flavor either. White is the most benign of the vinegars, and does the best job.
You will need to trace a circle on a piece of parchment paper. I do this with a pencil and then flip the paper over so that the graphite is on the bottom, just incase it rubs off on the meringue.
I don't know if it really would or not. I have just never been willing to take the chance.
This is to act as a guide for shaping your circle. I have heard of people using the outer ring of a spring form pan to shape their circle, but that's really not necessary in my opinion .
Its not that hard to fill in the circle you have drawn on the paper in order to get the perfect round. Why dirty a dish when you don't have to. Yes, I am that lazy.
You will want to mound the meringue up more around the edges to shape a rim, so that you have a little bowl in the center to hold your filling when it is baked. The mounding and shaping is very easy to do with a metal spoon,
Just mound your egg white mixture in the center of your circle and then use the back of a metal spoon to spread it out to the edges. Shaping it as you go.
Easy peasy. You then bake it in a slow oven for an hour until it is nice and crisp on the outside and soft and mallow-like on the inside. You cannot rush this process.
One hour at 260*F will give you the perfect base. Only lightly colored, perfectly crisp with the proper center.
If you try to rush it at a higher temperature you will not get a correct result. Don't even try. Its called chemistry.
Once your meringue base has baked and cooled you can fill it. For this version I chose to fill it with lightly sweetened whipped cream, which has a good lemon curd rippled through it.
Buy the best curd that you can and fork it through to loosen it a bit, then spoon little dollops over the top of the cream and use the end of a teaspoon or a wooden skewer to ripple it through.
Don't over mix it. You don't want the curd to be completely amalgamated into the cream. You want to be able to see it. That's a part of the charm of this dessert.
You want people to ooh and ahh as soon as they spy the lemon in it. That's probably the hardest part, rippling in the lemon. With some fresh raspberries scattered over top and those candied almonds, this makes for a pretty simple and delicious dessert.
If you are not overly fond of lemon and raspberries (as if!) I have a few other versions of pavlova you can try out. Be warned however, they are the full recipes.
You can find a delicious Salted Caramel Pavlova here. It really has the wow factor. You could downsize it using the measurements for this one I am sharing today, and then just use bottled caramel and chocolate sauces.
I also have an Apple and Blackberry Crumble Pavlova here which is exceedingly delicious! Very autumnal!
This was so wonderful. All of the flavors and textures blended beautifully. It was so delicious. I had to call my sister to come over and get the rest because I was worried I would accidentally inhale the whole thing.
Yes, I am a glutton. I have never been able to find a cure for that ailment. Me just likes food.
In any case, I do hope you will give it a delicious go! You won't regret it! Quick, easy and incredibly tasty!
Lemon & Raspberry Pavlova
Yield: 3
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 15 M
This is such a simple dish to make and everyone loves it. I have downsized my regular recipe to make just 3 lovely servings. Crisp marshmallow filled meringue base, topped with lemon rippled whipped cream, fresh raspberries and candied almonds. What's not to like?
Ingredients
For the base:
- 2 large free range egg whites
- 1/2 cup (95g) fine granulated sugar ( castor sugar)
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp white vinegar
To top:
- 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy cream
- 1 tsp fine granulated sugar
- 6 tsp good lemon curd
- a handful of fresh raspberries, cleaned and rinsed
For the candied almonds:
- 1 TBS fine granulated sugar
- 3 TBS flaked almonds
Instructions
- Make the base first. Preheat the oven to 260*F/130*C/ Trace a 4 inch circle onto a piece of parchment paper you have placed on a baking sheet.
- Mix 1/2 TBS of the sugar together with the cornstarch. Set aside.
- Place the egg whites into a clean, grease free glass or metal bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add half of the sugar and continue to beat until the egg whites are stiff and glossy. Continue to beat while slowly adding the remaining sugar. Stir in the cornstarch/sugar mixture, and vinegar, and beat for one further minute.
- Spoon the meringue mixture onto the circle on the baking paper, spreading it out with a metal spoon and making it somewhat shallow in the center with deeper sides around the edges.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. It should then be crisp on the outside and marshmallow-like inside. Leave to cool completely on the baking tray.
- To make the candied almonds, place them into a heavy based skillet along with the sugar. Cook and heat over medium high heat until the sugar begins to melt, shake to coat the almonds. Do not allow the sugar to burn. Remove from the heat and shake the almonds onto a plate. You may need to break them apart with two forks. Leave to cool completely.
- When you are ready to serve the pavlova, whip the cream together with the sugar until it forms soft dollops. Place your meringue onto a serving plate. Spoon the whipped cream into the center.
- Make 6 dollops evenly spaced over the top of the cream with the lemon curd. Using the narrow end of a teaspoon, or a wooden skewer, swirl it through the whipped cream without completely stirring it in. You want rivulets of lemon curd showing.
- Scatter the berries on top and then sprinkle the candied almonds over everything.
- Break apart to serve. Delicious!
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
Cowboy Casserole. I reckon there is a splattered recipe card containing this recipe in everybody's mother's recipe box, and just about as many different versions of it!
One version is the ever popular cowboy casserole with potatoes, which consists of a creamy, cottage pie type of base, topped with corn and then tater tots and cheese. I have shown that before on here.
And I have to say that its delicious with its creamy flavor filled base and crispy topping. You can find my recipe for that here.
I can tell you it is a great store-cupboard meal and a real belly busting family pleaser. I have never had anyone turn their nose up at it.
It is a tried and true favourite. Perfect for when you need a quick and easy casserole dish. Perfect for family meals, pot lucks, etc.
I also have made a different version which I got a long time ago from a Bisquick cookbook. You can find that recipe here. It is equally as delicious and involved a BBQ beef and bean base, topped with a scrumptious Bisquick topping.
Another one I have made in the past is sort of similar and called Cowboy Hot Pot. It has ham, potatoes and beans in it and is great for when you have leftover ham that you want to use up.
You can find that recipe here. It is one of those old fashioned types of dinners, the type that you might have seen your Grandmother putting together with a bit of this and a bit of that. Its also very delicious.
The recipe I am sharing with you today is an updated version of the middle one I linked to up there, except that it used homemade biscuits rather than ones made with Bisquick.
I didn't have any Bisquick in the house and decided why not make my own from scratch. Why not indeed.
It also differs in that this version is perfectly sized for just two people. I am only one, so it only made sense that I downsize it for a smaller family.
I try to clean my fridge out at least once a week. I hadn't had a chance to do it for a couple of weeks, as I hadn't gone grocery shopping so I decided to do it before I went last week. I was appalled at the waste, and I am a person who tries to use up everything that I can.
I hate having to throw away good food, but I ended up having to ditch a few odds and sods and have challenged myself to do better.
I used to cook for seven, three of them being growing boys, and then I got divorced and remarried and ended up cooking for two plus the hosts of Missionaries that I was always having over for meals. It was a steep learning curve to go down to two. And now one.
Plus with Covid I am not entertaining much these days, I have the odd day where I have my daughter and her husband over, or my sister, her partner and my dad, but for the most part there is just me.
And, I confess, I haven't been using things up as quickly as I needed to and I am afraid there has been some waste. I have decided to make a few further changes.
One, I am going to buy all of my fresh vegetables, or as many as I can, either fresh at the farm market where I can pick and choose exactly how much I want and need.
Two, if I cannot find it fresh in the smaller quantities that I need, I will buy frozen loose vegetables, so that I can only shake out what I want or need at any given time.
Three, I simply cannot get by using the freezer on top of my refrigerator as my only means for being able to freeze food. I need to buy myself a small additional freezer for the surplus and then any surplus that can be frozen, I need to freeze.
This includes things like peppers, onions, tomatoes, etc. That half a can of tomatoes that I didn't need to use, or that half tin of beans. You get my drift.
And finally, four, I need to go shopping more often. I need to go every third or fourth day and buy only what I need for a few days. The days of me being able to shop for a week or more at a time have ended.
I need to buy less and more often. Its as simple as that. I hate the thoughts of going more often, because I am such an impulse buyer, but I need to also learn to resist the impulse. That great deal that I see is no longer a great deal if I can't use it up and it ends up being thrown away.
Hence homemade biscuits on top of my bake. I can't justify having a whole box of bisquick in my larder if I know I am not going to use it up, or have no place to freeze it.
When I get my extra freezer I will make some of my homemade baking mix to keep in there. It works a charm and is a fraction of the price of the real deal and probably a lot better for you in regards to having preservatives, etc. You can find that recipe here.
And so today I downsized my Cowboy casserole recipe to make just two servings, and I used homemade biscuits on top. And it was very, very good.
I will have the rest tomorrow with a salad. Its quick and easy, and oh so delicious. I served it simply with some sliced tomatoes and cucumbers on the side. (Love my salad vegetables in the summer!)
You may be wondering what to do with the other half can of beans. Why its just the perfect size for a cheeky serving of beans on cheese toast for one. Just perfect for when you arrive home after church and are positively starving!!
A very simple make. Make some toast, spread it with grainy mustard and pop it onto a baking tray. Cover with grated cheese, sprinkle with some chopped spring onion and pop it under the grill while you heat up your beans.
Once your beans are hot and your cheese toast grilled, pop the toast onto a plate and spoon the beans on top. Quite simply delicious!
Have you had to make changes to the way you eat or cook over the past months? Do you find yourself having to cook for few people than you used to? What are some of your hints and tips? Please share with us!
Cowboy Casserole for Two
Yield: 2
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 45 Min
Quick, easy and incredibly delicious. This tasty casserole uses only a few ingredients, cooks quickly and is sized for two.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound (275g) extra lean ground beef
- 1 TBS grated onion
- 1 cup (240g) baked beans, undrained
- 1/4 cup (60g) barbeque sauce
- 1 cup flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 3 TBS butter
- 1/3 cup (80ml) milk
- 1/4 cup (20g) grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C/gas mark 7. Have ready a 2 cup casserole dish. No need to butter.
- Brown your ground beef in a skillet. Add the grated onion and cook for a minute longer than stir in the baked beans and the BBQ sauce. You want a fairly liquid combination. If you think it is too dry, add a bit more sauce from your can of beans.
- Pour into the casserole dish.
- Sift the flour, baking power and salt into a bowl. Drop in the butter and cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Stir in the milk with a fork, to give you a soft dough. Tip out onto a floured board. Knead gently a couple times.
- Pat out to a rectangle about 1 inch in depth. (6 by 2 inches) Cut into 4 squares and place on top of the beef mixture in the casserole dish. Sprinkle with the cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the biscuits are risen atop a bubbling filling and the whole thing is golden brown. Delicious!
Dried Apple, Pear & Plum Breakfast Bread. I am always on the look out for a decent breakfast bread recipe, be it a loaf, a muffin, whatever. There is nothing I love more than a breakfast bread loaf!
A few months ago I had bought a bag of mixed dried fruits which contained plums, prunes, apples, pears, apricots, etc. It can sometimes be difficult to find these dried fruits all on their own, so a mix like this is the way to go, and it was perfect for making this delicious breakfast bread.
Prepare yourself to get very excited about this delicious bread, which is not only low in fat, but high in fiber and loaded with goodness.
The fact that there is no actually butter or other fat in this loaf, means that you don't have to feel guilty toasting it and spreading it with butter or cream cheese, or both!
The recipe I used is one I adapted from a cookbook I have by Bill Granger entitled Every Day. If you are not familiar with Bill, he is a chef from down under, and I just adore his recipes. I had quite a few of his books in the UK, which of course I could not bring with me.
I am slowly trying to replace my favorites of the books I had, and this was one of them. It is filled with lovely recipes that I knew I would use.
His original recipe used dried apples, cherries and almonds. I had the dried apples, but not the dried cherries. So I decided to use a few of the other fruits in my mix.
Dried pears (I adore pears), plums (I adore plums) and then the dried apples. Have you ever dried your own apples?
I used to dry them back in the day. They made great snacks for the children. I used to just peel and core them and cut them into slices. I then soaked them briefly in a bowl of salted water. This helped to prevent them from discolouring.
You could also use lemon juice.
I would then pat them dry and then string them up and hang them over the wood stove, where the air was nice and dry. They would be ready in a few days. You could of course speed this process up by doing it in a very slow oven.
You can dry green beans in much the same way. I think they are called "leather britches", but I am not certain.
When you want to use them you can just rinse the beans, and cook them in a pot with some water and a ham hock and onion. Delicious.
Dried apples can be made into pies and all sorts. Tasty bakes such as this bread recipe I am sharing today.
You start by soaking some good old fashioned oats in a bowl along with a quantity of milk. While that is soaking you can get on with the business of doing everything else you need to do for the recipe.
Sort and chop your fruit. I cut mine into a small dice. Toast your nuts. Pop them onto a baking sheet and toast them in your oven at about 375*F/190*C for 8 to 10 minutes. Toasted nuts always taste better.
You will need self rising flour for this recipe. I used white, but you can also use whole wheat if you really want to add nutrition and protein.
I make my own self rising flour here in Canada. For every cup of flour needed, add 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt. I make it 3 or 4 cups at a time and keep it in the cupboard in a tightly closed container.
You can do the same with whole meal flour. It never goes off because I always use it up. I don't recommend making it in larger quantities than that just in case.
You want to make a reasonable amount that you know you are going to use up before the baking powder goes off. (Check the expiration date on your baking powder and use it up before then.)
For this recipe, measure the self rising flour into a bowl along with the baking powder you need in addition and some salt. Whisk it all well together.
Then add the brown sugar. You might want to work this in with your fingertips, just to make sure any lumps in your brown sugar are rubbed out, and it is mixed evenly throughout.
Then you can stir in your toasted nuts and your dried fruits. You can use any dried fruit you want actually. Prunes and apricots would be a lovely combination as well.
By then your oats should be ready to you can go ahead and preheat the oven and butter your loaf tin. I used a 9 inch by 4 inch loaf tin. Butter it and then line it with baking paper, leaving an overhang to lift the baked loaf out of the tin with.
Beat an egg and some liquid honey into your oat mixture, making sure everything is well distributed and the honey well amalgamated. Then it is as simple as mixing the two together, the dry and the wet.
Just stir it well together. You don't want any dry patches or lumps. Scrape it into the baking pan, sprinkle some more nuts on top, and bake.
Bake until well risen, golden brown and those nuts on top are looking very scrumptious. Leave it in the pan for about 10 minutes, lift out and then cool completely.
Personally I like to let it sit overnight before I start cutting into it. I do that will all of my quick breads They cut much nicer if you do that.
This is beautiful cut into 1/2 inch slices and toasted in the toaster oven or under a grill just until it is lightly toasted on both sides.
The nuts get all toasty and nutty, the fruit warms up, the oats start to snap a bit. Toasty little golden brown slices.
Spread with cold butter and cream cheese. Both melting down into those toasty crevices imparting lovely flavors to the loaf.
Then you can add a drizzle of honey. Just a drizzle. Oh boy, but this is some good.
You can feel good about eating it because it is loaded with fruit and fiber and no fat but what you add to it yourself. As little or as much as you dare.
This makes for good eating any time of the day to be honest. Fruit-filled, oaty, moreish and delicious!
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.
Dried Apple, Pear & Plum Breakfast Bread
Yield: Makes one (9 by 4-inch) loaf
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 50 Mininactive time: 29 MinTotal time: 1 H & 29 M
This is a lovely bread to toast for breakfast. Chock full of goodness and fat free you don't have to feel guilty spreading it with butter and cream cheese, perhaps with a drizzle of honey.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (50g) old fashioned rolled oats
- 2 1/4 cups (300ml) milk
- 1 3/4 cups (240g) self rising flour ( see note below)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups (250g) diced dried fruits (I used apple, pears and plums)
- 1/3 cup, packed (75g) soft light brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 TBS liquid honey
- 1 large free range egg, beaten
- 5 TBS roughly chopped toasted walnuts, divided
Instructions
- Put the oats into a bowl. Pour the milk over top and leave to soak for half an hour.
- Sift the flour into a bowl with the baking powder and salt. Stir in the brown sugar, breaking up any lumps with your fingers. Stir in the diced fruits, cinnamon and 3 tablespoons of the chopped and toasted nuts.
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter your loaf tin and line with baking paper.
- Whisk the oat/milk mixture together with the egg and honey. Pour this over the dry mixture and combine thoroughly. It should all be evenly moistened with no dry bits. Pour into the prepared tin. Sprinkle the remaining chopped nuts on top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, until well risen and golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
- Leave in the pan to cool for 10 minutes, then lift out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve cut into slices, toasted and spread with butter, cream cheese and a drizzle of honey if desired.
Notes:
You can easily make your own self rising flour. For every cup of flour, simply whisk in 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt. I often make this up 3 to 4 cups at a time and keep it in a container ready to use when I need it. Just give it a quick whisk and then use as desired.
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