One thing that I will always be sad about is that I never ever got to visit Ireland when I was living in the UK. For the whole 20 years that I was there, it was on my bucket list to go, but alas, it just never happened for one reason or another.
I love the Irish people. They are so kind and friendly. They become your best friend within a few minutes of meeting and there is nothing that they won't do for you. Our landlord was Irish, and one of my best friends, Josephine, is Irish. They are beautiful people.
They are a very humble and simple folk. There is no artiface. What you see is what you get. I love that about them. I, too, am simple folk.
We used to love to go to an Irish Pub in Toronto on Sunday afternoons. It was filled with families enjoying a nice afternoon together and a bevvie or two. There would be fiddlers, and singers, dancers. It was a good time.
Maybe one day I will still get to Ireland. You never know.
One way of visiting a country without actually going there is by learning to cook and love its food. The food of Ireland is very much like its people. Simple and wholesome. There is nothing artificial or complicated about it.
It's just plain good eating. Fresh and natural ingredients, put together simply.
This recipe I am sharing with you today comes from a cookery book entitled "Bread and Butter, cakes and bakes from granny's stove" by Irish author, Ciara McLaughlin. It's a lovely book filled with beautiful bakes, both savory and sweet. Seasonally categorized.
.JPG "Irish Blaeberry Pudding")
In looking at the photo you might be tempted to think this isn't a very special dessert. You would be wrong. It's fabulously tasty, with a sweet fruity base topped with a buttery light cake.
The berries used in this pudding are what the Irish call the Blaeberry, or Bilberry. They are very similar to wild blueberries. They are actually quite interchangeable and are beautiful in simple desserts such as this one.
The original recipe for this delightful pudding made 8 to 10 servings. I cut it down to make only 4, or 5 if you are not big eaters.
.JPG "Irish Blaeberry Pudding")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE IRISH BLAEBERRY PUDDING
I guarantee you probably have everything you need in your kitchen to make this lovely dessert today. There is nothing out of the ordinary required.
For the fruit:
- 1 cup (225g) bilberries or blueberries, washed, cleaned of stalks and leaves
- 2 heaped TBS of sugar
For the cake:
- 1/4 cup (50g) caster sugar (fine granulated sugar)
- 5 1/2 TBS (75g) butter, softened
- 1 large free-range egg, beaten
- 1 cup less 1 TBS (125g) self-raising flour (see note)
- 2 TBS whole milk
.JPG "Irish Blaeberry Pudding")
Caster sugar is a fine granulated sugar. It is not coarse. I find the granulated sugar here in Canada to be quite comparable. One of the qualities of caster sugar is that it melts quickly into the ingredients of cookies, cakes and bakes.
If you have ever had a cake end up with what looks like brown speckles on top, that is your sugar. It was too coarse and did not completely amalgamate into the batter.
If your granulated sugar is very coarse, give it a few pulses in the food processor to make it finer.
Don't worry if you don't have self-rising flour. I tell you how to very easily make your own in the recipe notes below. It's not hard at all.
.JPG "Irish Blaeberry Pudding")
HOW TO MAKE IRISH BLAEBERRY PUDDING
I can promise you this is a very simple dessert. There is nothing complicated about it. You don't even need any specialized equipment. All you need is a casserole dish, a wooden spoon and a bowl.
.JPG "Irish Blaeberry Pudding")
Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Have ready a (7 by 8-inch) deep casserole dish.
Scatter the blueberries in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the sugar over top.
Using a wooden spoon, beat the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy and well creamed together. Beat in the egg a bit at a time until well incorporated.
.JPG "Irish Blaeberry Pudding")
Fold in the flour and the milk to combine well. Drop by dollops on top of the berries in the dish and then spread out to cover, using the back of your spoon.
Place onto a small baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until the sponge springs back when lightly touched and the berries are bubbling underneath.
Leave to cool for about 15 minutes, then spoon into bowls and serve warm with your desired accompaniment.
.JPG "Irish Blaeberry Pudding")
This pudding (which is a way of saying dessert over there) is a very simple make with beautiful homey, wholesome flavors. It's very similar to the English Eve's Pudding. You could actually mix a chopped cooking apple in with the berries to give you a slightly different but equally tasty version.
Do taste your berries before you start. If they are very tart, you may want to adjust the amount of sugar used.
This is delicious served warm along with some pouring cream, clotted cream, whipped cream, warm custard, or a scoop of cold ice cream. Today I enjoyed mine with a dab of vanilla ice cream. It went down a real treat!
.JPG "Irish Blaeberry Pudding")
If you are a huge fan of blueberry type desserts, then you might also enjoy the following:
LEMON BLUEBERRY TURNOVERS - Delicious. You only need a few ingredients. Puff pastry. Lemon Curd. Blueberries. Blueberry jam. Fabulously simple and so impressive.
LEMON SANDWICHES WITH BLUEBERRIES & CREAM - Slabs of a lovely, moist and delicious lemon cake layered together in layers with a sweet blueberry sauce and a rich yogurt cream.
Yield: 4
Blaeberry Pudding (small batch)
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 40 MinInactive time: 15 MinTotal time: 1 H & 5 M
The original recipe for this served 8 - 10 people. I small batched it. Its an Irish bilberry/blueberry pudding with a sweet fruity bottom and a buttery cake topping. Serve warm with cream or ice cream for a real treat!
Ingredients
For the fruit:
- 1 cup (225g) bilberries or blueberries, washed, cleaned of stalks and leaves
- 2 heaped TBS of sugar
For the cake:
- 1/4 cup (50g) caster sugar (fine granulated sugar)
- 5 1/2 TBS (75g) butter, softened
- 1 large free-range egg, beaten
- 1 cup less 1 TBS (125g) self-raising flour (see note)
- 2 TBS whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Have ready a (7 by 8-inch) deep casserole dish.
- Scatter the blueberries in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the sugar over top.
- Using a wooden spoon, beat the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy and well creamed together. Beat in the egg a bit at a time until well incorporated.
- Fold in the flour and the milk to combine well. Drop by dollops on top of the berries in the dish and then spread out to cover, using the back of your spoon.
- Place onto a small baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until the sponge springs back when lightly touched and the berries are bubbling underneath.
- Leave to cool for about 15 minutes, then spoon into bowls and serve warm with your desired accompaniment.
Notes
You can easily make your own self-raising flour. Measure your flour into a container. For each cup of flour whisk in 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. Store in an airtight container for up to three months. (I never make more than 2-3 cups at a time.)
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
I am a huge fan of Asian flavors, or at least North Americanized ones. I have never been to the Orient actually, but what I have tasted both here and, in the UK, was always very delicious.
We have a Chinese restaurant here in town. It was always very good, but I find that since my return from the UK, it is not very good at all anymore. I am not sure if it has changed hands or what, but worst Chinese food ever. Worst.
This recipe for Kung Pao Chicken I am sharing today is one which I adapted from A Bountiful Kitchen. She calls it Better Than Takeout Kung Pao Chicken.
I call it delicious. I have never had Kung Pao Chicken from a takeaway, but I recently bought Si's new cookbook, entitled, A Bountiful Kitchen, and the photograph of this dish immediately caught my eye, so I just had to try it.
.JPG "Kung Pao Chicken")
I cut all of the ingredients in half to make only two portions. If you want to make the full-sized version, you can get those measurements on her page, or in her book.
I love the book actually. Si is such a lovely person and it's really exciting that she now has this cookbook available. Do check it out. It's filled with lots of lovely recipes, sweet anecdotes, and beautiful photographs of both her home, her family and her food! I predict she will do very well with it!
.JPG "Kung Pao Chicken")
One thing I really liked about this recipe is that it didn't require a whole lot of different outlandish ingredients. Si and her husband served a mission for our church in Spain for 18 months and while there, she had to adapt many of her old favorites to ingredients which were available in Spain, much the same as I had to in the UK.
She gives loads of substitutions for things that you can use, things which most of us will have readily available in our kitchens.
Another thing I liked about the recipe was the ease of preparation and how quickly it went together. I am all for easy peasy and quick recipes these days!
.JPG "Kung Pao Chicken")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE KUNG PAO CHICKEN
It looks like a lot but its small amounts of a variety of things. If you are like me, you probably have an Asian flavors store cupboard filled with the things you need to make these types of dishes.
For the chicken:
- 1/2 pound (250g) boneless skinless chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces (use thighs or breasts)
- 1/2 TBS soy sauce
- 1 tsp corn starch (corn flour)
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar (or cider)
.JPG "Kung Pao Chicken")
For the sauce:
- 1 TBS soy sauce
- 1/2 TBS hoisin sauce (or 1 TBS balsamic vinegar)
- 1 TBS toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 TBS sugar
- 1 tsp corn starch (corn flour)
You will also need:
- 2 TBS canola oil
- 3/4 cup (150g) red bell pepper, chopped
- 3/4 cup (150g) green bell pepper, chopped (can use Zucchini instead)
- 3 spring onions (both the white and green bits), chopped
- 1/2 tsp grated fresh gingerroot (or 1/4 tsp dried)
- 1/2 tsp crushed red chilies
- 1/4 cup (40g) cashew nuts or peanuts
.JPG "Kung Pao Chicken")
I think it is more traditional to use peanuts in this dish, but I used cashews because that is what I had. I did have peanuts, but they are old and also dry roasted. I didn't think they would be good to use. Cashews worked out well.
Si says you can use a variety of vegetables. I had both red and green peppers so used them. You can replace regular onions for the green onions, just cut them into chunks. You can even use celery. Just make sure for this version you have no more than 1 1/2 cups of vegetables.
You can also vary the heat of the dish by the amount of crushed chilies you choose to use. I use less because I don't like my food to be incredibly spicy.
.JPG "Kung Pao Chicken")
HOW TO MAKE KUNG PAO CHICKEN
Nothing could be quicker or tastier. I gave this a 10 out of 10 and passed the recipe onto my sister as I am sure it is something they will all love! If you have all of the elements assembled ahead of time, it goes together lickety split. All you need is some rice on the side to serve with it. I am a huge fan of the pouches of already cooked rice that you just pop into the microwave. For one person or two, they are ideal!
Whisk together the soy sauce, corn starch, and rice wine vinegar for the chicken together in a bowl. Add the pieces of chicken. Toss to coat them and then set aside for at least 15 minutes. (You can chill, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.)
Prepare your vegetables and set aside.
Whisk together the sauce ingredients. Set aside.
.JPG "Kung Pao Chicken")
Heat 1 TBS of the oil in a medium sized non-stick skillet over high heat. Add the chicken. Stir fry to cook the chicken through, about 3 minutes. Scoop out to a plate and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the pan and heat, again over high heat. When hot add the peppers. Cook, stirring, for two to three minutes until they are semi crisp.
Turn down the heat to medium and add the onions (reserve a few to garnish) and ginger. Stir fry for a minute and then stir in the sauce, along with the crushed red chilies. Cook for a minute or so until the sauce thickens and bubbles up.
Stir the chicken back into the pan and heat through. Serve immediately, garnished with the nuts and reserved spring onions.
.JPG "Kung Pao Chicken")
This tasted amazing. I am not sure how authentic it was, but that doesn't matter. If something is delicious that is all that counts! If you are also a fan of Asian/Oriental flavors like I am, you may also like these recipes:
SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN BALLS - These are as delicious if not more so than any you might pick up at your favorite takeaway place. Crispy coated with a beautifully flavored sauce. I love these.
BEEF AND BROCCOLI - With plenty of tender pieces of beef and crispy tender broccoli florets, this always goes down a real treat. The sauce is just right. It is one of my favorites!
PORK FRIED RICE -This is one of those side dishes that uses up whatever vegetables and meat you have in the fridge that need using up and tastes great! I love little bit of this and little bit of that meals!
Yield: 2
Better than Take Out Kung Pao Chicken
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 25 Min
This Asian chicken dish goes together in minutes and is incredibly tasty. With tender, well flavored pieces of chicken and crispy vegetables in a delicious tangy, spicy sauce, it went down a real treat with some steamed rice.
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1/2 pound (250g) boneless skinless chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces (use thighs or breasts)
- 1/2 TBS soy sauce
- 1 tsp corn starch (corn flour)
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar (or cider)
For the sauce:
- 1 TBS soy sauce
- 1/2 TBS hoisin sauce (or 1 TBS balsamic vinegar)
- 1 TBS toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 TBS sugar
- 1 tsp corn starch (corn flour)
You will also need:
- 2 TBS canola oil
- 3/4 cup (150g) red bell pepper, chopped
- 3/4 cup (150g) green bell pepper, chopped (can use Zucchini instead)
- 3 spring onions (both the white and green bits), chopped
- 1/2 tsp grated fresh gingerroot (or 1/4 tsp dried)
- 1/2 tsp crushed red chilies
- 1/4 cup (40g) cashew nuts or peanuts
Instructions
- Whisk together the soy sauce, corn starch, and rice wine vinegar for the chicken together in a bowl. Add the pieces of chicken. Toss to coat them and then set aside for at least 15 minutes. (You can chill, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.)
- Prepare your vegetables and set aside.
- Whisk together the sauce ingredients. Set aside.
- Heat 1 TBS of the oil in a medium sized non-stick skillet over high heat. Add the chicken. Stir fry to cook the chicken through, about 3 minutes. Scoop out to a plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan and heat, again over high heat. When hot add the peppers. Cook, stirring, for two to three minutes until they are semi crisp.
- Turn down the heat to medium and add the onions (reserve a few to garnish) and ginger. Stir fry for a minute and then stir in the sauce, along with the crushed red chilies. Cook for a minute or so until the sauce thickens and bubbles up.
- Stir the chicken back into the pan and heat through.
- Serve immediately, garnished with the nuts and reserved spring onions.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
Pork is not something I really eat a lot of in my kitchen. It is a once in a blue moon treat. I mostly like to eat chicken or fish, the occasional piece of steak or lamb, or no meat at all. I could quite happily be a vegetarian methinks except for my occasion craving for something meaty!
And to be honest those "artificial meat substitutes" don't do anything for me. I don't mean to insult anyone by saying so, but (and hear me out) if you are a dedicated vegetarian why do you want something which tastes like chicken or beef? It doesn't make sense to me. Vegetarian bacon??? I don't get it.
.JPG "Pork Steak with Mushroom Gravy")
But none of that has anything to do with pork steaks. I occasionally like a nice bit of pork and I had been seeing these tenderized pork loin steaks in the grocery store for a while.
.JPG "Pork Steaks")
I do like cube steaks, especially done this way. Flash fried in butter until golden brown and served with a pat of herbed butter melting on top. A cheap way to get some tasty steak satisfaction!
.JPG "Pork Steak with Mushroom Gravy")
So anyways, one day I picked up a package of the pork cube steaks to try out. They are quite economical actually, being one of the cheaper pieces of meat you can buy. Pork actually is one of the cheapest protein options when it comes to meat at the moment.
I had in mind I was going to do Pork Schnitzel or something similar. I do so love a nice tender crispy coated schnitzel. The best one I have ever had was in Austria.
.JPG "Pork Steak with Mushroom Gravy")
I ordered one in a restaurant there that said it was its house speciality. It came to the table, a piece of tender pork, crispy coated in golden bread crumbs and almost as big as my plate. It was gargantuan.
Tender and juicy pork beneath that crisp fried coating and a mammoth side of chips. Oh boy, but it was some good. I enjoyed every calorie laden mouthful.
It's one of my favorite taste memories, of which I have a great many!
.JPG "Pork Steak with Mushroom Gravy")
Nothing could quite come up to it I don't think and so I decided against trying, well on this particular day anyways. I decided to give it a much simpler treatment.
I decided to simply season it, fry it in butter and then serve it with a lush homemade Mushroom gravy, with a few simple vegetables on the side.
.JPG "Pork Steak with Mushroom Gravy")
The meat coated and flash-fried in butter, retaining its juices and lightly seasoned with a few bits. The gravy created simply from the pan drippings and golden mushrooms fried also in butter.
The vegetables just what I had on hand. Wax yellow beans, mashed swede/rutabaga and a baked potato.
.JPG "Pork Steak with Mushroom Gravy")
Lets talk briefly about the baked potato. I had fallen to temptation and bought one of those packages containing foil wrapped potatoes, ready for baking. I have one word for you and them.
DON'T And I can't stress that enough.
The potato tasted of mold and mildew. I decided to bake it quickly in the microwave so took it out of its foil wrapping. I immediately got a whiff of mold and so I scrubbed it really well in hot water with a brush and some dish detergent. (Don't judge.)
.JPG "Pork Steak with Mushroom Gravy")
Even scrubbed, it was impossible to get rid of that smell and taste. I will never buy them again. I have three more that will now end up in the bin. What a waste of money.
.JPG "Pork Steak with Mushroom Gravy")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE PORK STEAK WITH MUSHROOM GRAVY
This is such a simple thing, using simple every day ingredients, and perfecly sized for two people.
For the pork:
- two thick slices of pork tenderloin, pounded until flat, or two tenderized pork loin steaks, again pounded until flat
- salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, dried thyme
- 1/2 TBS butter for frying
For the gravy:
- 1 TBS butter
- about 12 closed cap mushrooms, wiped and sliced
- 1 TBS flour
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup (180ml) chicken stock
- 1/4 cup (60ml) cream
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
.JPG "Pork Steak with Mushroom Gravy")
If you can't get the pork cube steaks, just use thin pork chops, or thick slices of pork tenderloin that you have pounded into shape. Or even pork steaks. My pork was only about 1/3 inch thick and so it cooked very quickly. Obviously if yours is thicker it will take longer to cook.
I used closed cap white button mushrooms, and cut them into 1/3 inch slices, I guess I got about four slices from each mushroom.
The chicken stock came from one of those cartons of stock that you reconstitute with water. I probably use it a bit stronger than suggested on the package, but it is up to you how much taste you want from the broth. I used leftover coffee cream from when my son was here.
.JPG "Pork Steak with Mushroom Gravy")
HOW TO MAKE PORK STEAK WITH MUSHROOM GRAVY
Nothing could really be simpler. Or quicker. I guarantee. No need for a can of soup. Totally from scratch.
Take your pork steaks and dust them all over with salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried thyme. Dust them in flour shaking off any excess. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. When it begins to foam add the pork. Fry on both sides until golden brown and the juices run clear. Take care not to overcook it.
Remove the pork from the pan and set aside to keep warm, lightly tented on a plate. Add the butter for the gravy to the pan. Add the mushrooms. Fry the mushrooms until golden brown. Take care not to agitate them too much or they will release too much liquid and stew rather than brown.
Once the mushrooms are golden brown add the flour to the pan. Cook and stir for a minute or so. Whisk together the stock and the cream. Add this so the skillet and cook, stirring up any brown bits from the bottom, whisking constantly until the gravy is thick and creamy. Stir in the Dijon mustard if using.
Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Return the pork steaks to the pan along with any juices. Heat through briefly and then serve hot, with some of the gravy spooned over top.
.JPG "Pork Steak with Mushroom Gravy")
This was really simple and very delicious. I apologize for a plate of similar colored things, but it is what it is. I like to use what I have in the fridge. No waste here.
If you are a fan of pork, you might enjoy these other Pork recipes. I can guarantee all are easy and all are delicious. Mind, I may be a bit biased!
DIJON AND GARLIC PORK FILLET - Pork fillet (tenderloin) is quite simply brushed with Dijon mustard and then with an herb/garlic mixture, prior to roasting it in the oven. From start to finish it will take about half an hour upon which time you will be rewarded with tender, juicy and flavourful perfectly cooked Pork!
IRON SKILLET GARLIC AND BROWN SUGAR PORK - Sweetly glazed, tender and juicy. Perfectly cooked and delicious. Prepare yourself to fall in love with these simple and yet incredibly tasty pork chops.
Yield: 2
Pork Steak with Mushroom Gravy
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 20 Min
Tender pieces of pork, flash fried until golden brown and served with a lush, rich, mushroom gravy. Delicious!
Ingredients
For the pork:
- two thick slices of pork tenderloin, pounded until flat, or two tenderized pork loin steaks, again pounded until flat
- salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, dried thyme
- 1/2 TBS butter for frying
For the gravy:
- 1 TBS butter
- about 12 closed cap mushrooms, wiped and sliced
- 1 TBS flour
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup (180ml) chicken stock
- 1/4 cup (60ml) cream
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
Instructions
- Take your pork steaks and dust them all over with salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried thyme. Dust them in flour shaking off any excess.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. When it begins to foam add the pork. Fry on both sides until golden brown and the juices run clear. Take care not to over cook it.
- Remove the pork from the pan and set aside to keep warm, lightly tented on a plate.
- Add the butter for the gravy to the pan. Add the mushrooms. Fry the mushrooms until golden brown. Take care not to agitate them too much or they will release too much liquid and stew rather than brown.
- Once the mushrooms are golden brown add the flour to the pan. Cook and stir for a minute or so.
- Whisk together the stock and the cream. Add this so the skillet and cook, stirring up any brown bits from the bottom, whisking constantly until the gravy is thick and creamy. Stir in the Dijon mustard if using.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Return the pork steaks to the pan along with any juices.
- Heat through briefly and then serve hot, with some of the gravy spooned over top.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
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