Strawberry Banana Twist Smoothie.

I find it a little hard to believe that I've gone without a blender in my kitchen till now.  After all, it seems that everyone has had one.  However, my husband kindly rectified that glaring omission today and I'm now the proud owner of a brand spanking new Blender sitting proudly on my kitchen counter.

Of course, I had to try it out, just to make sure it works and all.  Like you do.  So, I decided a smoothie would be the way to go - just to ease it in gently, you understand.  Of course, never having made my own smoothies before (Oh Lord, I've been missing out!), I felt an urge to check online for some recipes.  I really wasn't sure which way to go with this, because I do like a lot of different fruits, but in the end, I figured I'd stick with Strawberries and work from there.

So, after hunting around for a while, I settled on the Strawberry Banana Twist, which really is self explanatory.  This smoothie was YUMMY!!  Sweet strawberries, ripe Banana, and a healthy dose of calcium from the milk.  People, you HAVE to try this!

Ingredients.

• 2 large bananas, chopped
• 250g strawberries, hulled
• 2 small cups fresh milk
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 scoops vanilla ice cream

 Method.

Add the bananas and strawberries to the blender. Next add the scoops of vanilla ice cream, followed by the milk and honey. Blend for approximately 20 seconds on full power. Pour into 2 glasses and enjoy.  It really IS that simple folks.

These will be perfect when the warmer weather arrives.  We found them cool and refreshing, and oh so tasty!  You could easily be fooled into thinking that they're unhealthy too, but they're really not!

Till next time, keep on cookin'!

 

Butterscotch Pudding.

Every now and again, I get a hankering for something sweet and luscious for dessert.  We're not usually dessert eaters in this house, but when I get a hankering for something dessert-like, the results can be somewhat sporadic.  It might end up being something like cookies.  Or a custard.  Or cream teas.  Or it might be a butterscotch Pudding.

I haven't had butterscotch pudding since I was a little girl, but I always remembered the taste of it.  Oddly enough, we only ever seemed to have it for Dessert in Primary School.  My mom certainly never made it!  So when I came across a recipe for it, I knew I had to try it.

My hubby wasn't looking forward to this.  He knew I had my eye on something when I asked him for $30.  (I needed Ramekins)  However, he gave in gracefully, and I happily went and shopped for what I needed.  The actual making of the butterscotch pudding is easy.  The hard part is waiting for it to chill.  I ended up chilling mine for 24 hours, and every time I opened the fridge door, it sat there poking it's tongue out at me as if to say 'You know you want me - but you can't have me!'  Torture I tell ya!!

I have to say, the wait is worth it!  This was a luscious smooth dessert, with a sweet but not overpowering taste.  The first mouthful actually made me moan out loud.  Yes, it is THAT good!  And it's so simple to make!

Ingredients.

• 4 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2½ cups whole milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons whiskey (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method.

Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the dark brown sugar and salt, then stir until the sugar is well-moistened. Remove from heat.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with about 1/4 cup of the milk until smooth (there should be no visible bits of cornstarch), then whisk in the eggs.

Gradually pour the remaining milk into the melted brown sugar, whisking constantly, then whisk in the cornstarch mixture as well.

Return the pan to the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking frequently. Once it begins to bubble, reduce the heat to a low simmer and continue to cook for one minute, whisking non-stop, until the pudding thickens to the consistency of hot fudge sauce.

Remove from heat and stir in the whiskey and vanilla. If slightly-curdled looking, blend in a blender or food processor till smooth.  Take care though, hot liquids splash easily!

Pour into 4-6 serving glasses or custard cups and chill thoroughly, at least four hours, before serving.

Notes:   If you don't like a skin on your puddings, place a piece of Cling Wrap on the surface of your pudding before chilling them.  That will prevent a skin from forming.  This pudding is a new favourite of mine.  Simple, but delicious!  Go try it people!

Till next time, keep on cookin'!

Spiral Cookies.

These cookies caught my eye as I was browsing for something to make yesterday.  I didn't want to 'cook' as such, but I wanted to 'make' something, if that makes sense.  I thought these would be difficult to make, because, lord knows, I'm shocking when it comes to making pastry or dough, but they were pretty simple.  To boot, they look very pretty, and taste FABULOUS!!  So, onwards ...

Ingredients.


For the Vanilla Dough:

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• Splash of milk, if necessary

For the Chocolate Dough:   

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 ¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• Splash of milk, if necessary

Method:

Beat the butter and sugar in a medium bowl until soft and creamy. Add the vanilla, egg, and flour into the creamed mixture and stir until it forms a soft dough. In a separate bowl, make the chocolate dough in the same way. If either dough seems too dry, add a little bit of milk slowly until it comes together.       

Knead each dough separately until smooth, cover in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes. Roll out both pieces of dough to 10 x 7 inch rectangles. Brush a little milk on the vanilla dough and lay the chocolate dough on top. Press down gently. Roll up from the short side to make a spiral log. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the roll into about ¾ inch slices, arrange 1½ inches apart on parchment-lined cookies sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cookies should spring back when touched lightly with a finger.

My Notes - Although I was impressed with how these cookies looked and tasted, I did find it a little bit too much, just in terms of how much time it takes when you consider that an hour is spent sitting around waiting for the dough to chill.  I do understand though that the dough does need to chill, and I found that it can be a little sticky in places when rolling it out, so care does need to be taken.

However, all being said, they smelled lovely when they were cooking, and looked GREAT when they came out of the Oven.    My Official Taste Tester (Andy) tried them and said they rocked, and both myself and the hubby were very impressed too.  Two thumbs up for these cookies!

Till next time, keep on cookin'! 

Cream Teas

This evening, we had Cream Teas for Dessert.  I've been drooling since I first started thinking about them when a friend mentioned clotted cream a week or so ago.

For those who don't know, a Cream Tea is basically warm scones, with Jam, usually Strawberry or Raspberry, but your own personal preferences will dictate that, and clotted cream, served with a cup of your favourite tea.  Many people serve Earl Grey Tea with Cream Teas, but my own personal preference is a good old cup of PG Tips.

If you've read my previous posts, you'll know that I made my own Strawberry Jam yesterday, and although it was a roaring success all by itself, it really made the cream teas something else!  The soft bites of fruit and smooth Jelly mingled delightfully with the thick clotted cream, and the soft crunch of the scones, filling the mouth with an explosion of exciting flavours and pleasing textures.  The scones were made this afternoon for freshness, and the recipe for those can be found right here.

Do be warned people, these cream teas are deliciously unhealthy, but so so good.  It's a good job they're filling too, because they're also VERY moreish!

So, here we go.

Ingredients

• Scones
• Jam (Any flavour you like)
• Clotted Cream (Also known as Devonshire Cream)

Method

Split open a scone (warm or cold, it's your choice)

Using a spoon or knife, spread a generous dollop of your favourite jam onto both halves of the scone.

Top the jam with a dollop of clotted cream.

Take a bite, close your eyes and await the chorus of Angelic voices raised in exultant song.

You don't need a lot of cream, it's very thick, like butter, and very rich.  I sat across the table from Andy tonight, and watched his face as he took a bite.  He almost went cross-eyed as the flavours hit his tastebuds.  It was a pleasure to watch!

Till next time, keep on cookin'!

Strawberry Jam - My Experience and Recipe.

  Strawberry Jam ... conjures up images of summer, sitting on the sun drenched patio, with a bowl of sliced strawberries and Ice cream.  At least that's the memory from MY childhood anyway.  Strawberries are such a summer kind of fruit.

  So following on from my previous post, where I'd been googling how to make strawberry jam, and realizing how easy it seemed, I dutifully went out in the rain yesterday to buy canning jars.  Once home, I took out the three quarts of strawberries we'd bought and set about hulling and chopping them.  For the Jam, the strawberries need to be crushed, and the recipe suggested using a potato masher.  People, let me put this simply.  Use a bucket and crush the damn things with your feet!  Only joking, but it would be much easier that way.  Mashing strawberries with a potato masher just isn't easy!

  Anyway, moving on ... I placed the crushed strawberries in the biggest pot I own, along with the sachet of powdered fruit pectin, mixed it well, then turned the heat right up to full.  Once they were boiling and bubbling away, I added the sugar and began to stir in earnest.  The recipe warned that the pectin would cause the mix to foam, and that you should skim it off as it forms.  All went well at first, then it began to foam, and foam, and foam, right over the top of my pan, and onto the stove top.  Cue panic from me!  

   I removed the pan from the heat, and skimmed off as much foam as I could, then set about filling the sterilized Jars, taking care to leave the recommended half inch space at the top of each.  After placing the seals and lids on, they were placed in a water bath for 5 minutes, then pulled out, and I waited to hear the little 'pop' which would indicate that the jars had sealed properly.  When I started hearing them, I giggled.  Out of sheer joy.  Or maybe idiocy.  Or hysterics.  By this time I was pretty frazzled lol.

  After they had cooled sufficiently, they were placed in the fridge, simply a case of nowhere better to put them.  Today came the taste test.  I was a little worried about this, in case I'd forgotten to do something essential yesterday, or maybe there was some doubt in my mind that I was physically capable of making Jam.  I needn't have worried.  After struggling with the seal, which really did not want to give up it's luscious contents, I stuck a knife into the jar, mixed everything up, then carefully measuring out a little bit of a teaspoon, placed the spoon in my mouth and closed my eyes.

   There were flashes of light, an angelic chorus, and an orchestra .... okay, so maybe not, but the flavor of the strawberries exploded in my mouth, soft bites of strawberries, and a smooth jelly made this an unforgettable experience. There was none of that too sweet taste you get from store-bought jams.  It was pure strawberry flavored ecstasy. I kid you not when I say it was like a mouth orgasm!  A double one!!  Complete with aftershocks!!!

  I am SO pleased that this experience was a (mostly) good one, though I did learn that I need bigger pans.  I'm even more pleased that the taste is so good, much better than I imagined it would be.  I know that Andy, and his mom, who are both reaping some of the rewards of this, will enjoy it as well.  As I've been typing this, I had scones in the oven.  They have been pulled out and are now cooling down.  But they will be gently warmed through later tonight, as we have our cream teas for dessert whilst watching Hockey on TV.

  Now for the recipe.

Ingredients.

• 5 ½ cups crushed strawberries
• 1 sachet powdered fruit pectin
• 8 cups sugar.

Method.

Measure berries into a large pan. Add the pectin and stir well. 

Bring quickly to a full boil, stirring constantly. 

Add sugar; continue stirring; bring to a full boil, and boil hard for I minute. Remove from heat; skim. 

Ladle into clean, hot, sterilized containers. Cap with 2-piece canning lids and process 5 minutes in a boiling water bath. 

Makes 9 half-pints. 

  Try it people.  Just try it.  You will never again use store-bought jam.

 Till next time, keep on cookin'!

Next Step - Jam ... more precisely, Strawberry Jam!

So, after the fiasco that was the shopping trip for Clotted Cream (which I WAS able to get!) I figured that to make Scones, and use Clotted Cream AND store bought Jam was just wrong.  On so many levels.

So, the next step seemed to be to google strawberry jam recipes.  I mean, how hard could it be right?  To be honest, I was expecting the worst.  Yanno the kind of thing - stand over the stove, stir, add this, do that, turn cartwheels etc.

But, it seems as simple as ... well it seems simple okay?  So, to test the theory, I went shopping today for everything I'd need, except I forgot to get the freaking jars!  'Cuz I'm an idiot.  Or something.  However, I'm going to get the jars.  And I'm going to make Strawberry Jam.  And wow my friends who get to taste it. 'Cuz I'm just nice like that.

Till tomorrow, keep on cookin'!

Clotted Cream.

One thing that I remember from my childhood vacations to Cornwall in the southwest of the UK, is the Cream Teas we used to have in an afternoon.  I cherish memories of sitting out in the sun, at a table with a big patio parasol to keep the sun off us, with my parents and my sister.

We would buy a pot of Tea, and Cream Teas.  For those who don't know, Cream Teas consist of scones, split open, and piled high with fruit jam, and clotted cream.  Disgustingly fattening, terribly unhealthy, but so good that they should come with a warning stating that you're about to die, pass go, and ascend straight to heaven!  Unfortunately, they should also come with a warning that you shouldn't`eat these if you want any hope of fitting into your prom/wedding dress.

Unfortunately, here in BC, clotted Cream is next to impossible to find.  Tomorrow, Andy is taking me to a British Import Store that I buy my Teabags from, to see if they carry it.  Then this weekend, my husband and Andy are accompanying me on a tour of the British Import Stores in the lower mainland to see if we can find it anywhere else.  If not, then I may just have to embark on the somewhat daunting task of making my own.  God help me, but I want a Cream Tea SO bad!!

Till next time, keep on cookin'!

I'm back, with a new recipe to boot!

I'm back!  

I must apologize for my long absence from this blog.  Life kind of got a hold of me and took me along for the ride, whether I wanted to or not!  Waiting for the damn merry go round to slow down enough to get off has been a long trip, but I finally managed it, and I'm back with a passion.

I'd like today to share with you all, a recipe for  crock pot Chili.  I made this for the boys on Superbowl Sunday back in February.  Now I don't like Chili, or rather, my stomach doesn't.  I have to be very careful with Spicy food, or I'm in extreme pain for hours while my tummy cramps in excruciating pain.  This recipe was given to me by a very dear friend, Sherry Taylor, from Alabama.  She also gave me the recipe for Cornbread, but I ended up just serving this with corn chips.

Ingredients.

• Half lb Ground Beef
• Half lb Ground Pork
• 3 cans kidney Beans (whichever ones you prefer)
• 1 medium Onion
• 1 bell pepper (whichever colour you prefer)
• 3 cloves Garlic, crushed
• 3 small cans Tomato Paste
• 1 large can Stewed Tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
• 2 teaspoons Chili flakes
• Salt and Pepper to taste.

Chop the Onion and Bell Pepper and put aside.

In a large pan or a frying pan, place the ground beef and ground pork, and cook until fully cooked, with no pink remaining.  Drain off the fat and place in the crock pot.  

Add the remaining ingredients, liquid included and stir well to mix.  If the mixture is a little thick, add a bit of water, or beef stock to thin it out a little, though do be aware that it will thin out a bit as it cooks anyway.

Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 6 hours.

As I stated, I served with with corn chips, but you could serve it with Corn bread, rice, or even crusty bread to soak up all those lovely juices.  This was a BIG hit with the boys, who said that the spice was a slow burn as opposed to a "slap you in the face' hit.

Enjoy!

Till next time, keep cookin'!

Leftover Naan Breads

You know how sometimes you feel a little peckish, but don't want to eat a full meal and spoil your appetite?  What happens?  You go hunting through your cupboards and the fridge to see if there's anything you can munch on.  The night before your shopping trip, this can turn up just about nothing and you're left feeling unsatisfied.  

Yeah, that happened to me this afternoon, til at the back of the fridge, I found a leftover Naan Bread from the Chicken  Korma and Rice I made a week ago.  Out here in Canada, I can't seem to get Garlic and Rosemary Naan Breads anywhere, only original tandoori, or whole wheat, but no matter, I can work just as well with those.  So, this afternoon, I figured out a little trick with the Naan bread to make a nice little snack.

Ingredients.

• Naan Breads (whichever ones you prefer)
• Butter or Margarine
• Parmesan Cheese ...we use the stuff that's pre-shredded in a tub because we're cheap lol.
• Dried herbs of your choice.

Turn your oven onto the grill setting. If you don't have a grill setting, use the highest heat setting it has.

Spread the butter or margarine onto one side of the naan breads.  Don't use much, but make sure there's a thin coating all over them.

Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top of the butter.  If you use the same stuff we do, you don't need too much.  I sprinkle it with my fingers, it gives me good control.

Sprinkle your choice of herbs over the butter/margarine and cheese.  Do be warned that you don't need much!  Dried herbs have a stronger taste than fresh.  Just a light sprinkling will be ample.

Place the Naan breads onto a baking tray and place in the oven.  Keep an eye on them!  Let them go until the butter or margarine has melted and the naan bread is warmed through, usually 5 minutes max.

To serve, cut in half length ways, and then cut into thick slices width ways, almost like toast soldiers for boiled eggs.

These are simple but so so yummy!  Myself and my friend enjoyed them so much that I'm going to start buying Naan Breads just so I can make this more often.  It's light, not too filling and so so yummy!!

Till next time, keep cookin'!

Baked Ham Marinade Sauce.

Both my husband and I are huge fans of Ham.  There's something that seems really special about each succulent bite of tender meat ... and when it's been baked with a sauce it really lifts it to a whole new level.  This recipe is actually more for the Sauce than the ham itself, but I figured what the heck?  I'll post it as I made it.

Ingredients.

• A whole Ham roast.  We used a 7lb spiral sliced ham roast.

For the Sauce

• 12 fluid ounces of Cola.
• 1 cup of Brown Sugar
• 1 tbsp Mustard,
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 dash Tabasco Sauce
• 1 clove of Garlic minced.

Mix all ingredients together.
Prepare the Ham roast as you would usually, scoring the fat and studding with cloves (optional)
Place Ham in a 325 degree oven and bake for 1 hour.
Baste ham with the Sauce
Baste every 15 minutes till the Ham is fully cooked.
Remove Ham from the oven, tent it with foil, and leave to sit for 15 minutes before slicing.
Pour the remaining Sauce over the sliced Ham to serve.

We didn't use the sauce to serve, because I made it as part of a full roast dinner, and had made gravy instead.  However, the sauce flavours permeated through the meat and it tasted FANTASTIC!!  The fact that this is so easy to prepare with things that you'd usually have on hand anyway makes this a real keeper!!

Till next time, keep cookin'!

Pasta with a twist.

This really is just a variation on the Macaroni Shepherds pie that I made a few nights ago.  Hubby said he wanted pasta for dinner. While it's cheap and cheerful, using the same old ingredients after a while, can get boring.  So, I decided to add a few extra ingredients to the sauce and see how it turned out.  As it happens, it was just delicious and I'm so glad I tried it!  It also gives me hope that in the future, I'll be able to just throw something together, trusting that it goes well together, and not worry about how it might taste lol.

So, here's my Pasta with a twist.

Ingredients:

For the meat layer:

• 1TBS Cooking oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped.
• Mushrooms, chopped however you like them.  Also, use as many or as few as you like.  I used 7.
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 Jar of your favorite pasta Sauce.  I just used Western Family Original Tomato Sauce.
• 1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Tsp BBQ Sauce.  I used Western Family Garlic BBQ Sauce.

For the topping:

• 2 cups of Macaroni
• 1½ to 2 cups of Mature cheddar cheese, grated.
• Quarter cup of Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
• 2 Tsp dried Italian herb Mix.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.  Add the Ground Beef and cook, stirring now and again, till the meat is brown and has separated.  Take off the heat, and drain the fat from the pan.  Replace the meat in the pan, and add the rest of the ingredients for the meat layer.  Turn the heat down to Low, and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring from time to time.  Remove the Bay leaf and pour into a lasagna dish.  Set aside.

Bring a pan of water to a boil, add a pinch of salt, a Teaspoon of cooking oil (This prevents the pasta sticking together), and the Macaroni.  Cook until al dente (around 7 minutes or so.).  Drain well, then pour on top of the meat sauce in the Lasagne dish.  Sprinkle the Parmesan Cheese and herbs on top of the pasta, then top with the grated Cheddar cheese.



Place the dish in the oven and bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until the cheese and bubbling and starting to turn golden on top.  You can use the broil setting to turn the cheese golden if you like after it's cooked.  Once cooked, take out of the oven, leave for five minutes to cool slightly and serve.


I served this just with a Garlic Loaf, and it was fantastic.  Filling and hearty for another chilly fall evening.


Till next time, keep cookin'!

Macaroni Cottage Pie

If there's one thing that gets my goat more than anything else, it's people who make a Shepherds Pie with Beef, and then call it a Shepherds Pie.  The whole point of Shepherds Pie is that it's made with lamb.  Lamb = Sheep = Shepherd?  Get it?  I'm amazed that so many people don't make the connection ... Now, onto a recipe that DOES get it, though I used Beef and made it a cottage pie, because the hubs won't touch Lamb with a ten foot barge pole!

I was a little unsure how this was going to turn out, I'll be honest.  The whole not using mashed potatoes for a Shepherds/Cottage Pie topping just seemed alien.  Topping a Shepherds/Cottage pie with Macaroni and cheese?  Not that KD crap mind you, though I have been known to eat it.  This is pure make it yourself Macaroni and Cheese, with a gorgeous Cheese sauce that was surprisingly simple to make.

I was amazed at just how good this meal turned out to be.  It.  Was.  Yummy!  Anything that comprises melted cheese and pasta is a winner anyway in my eyes, but this was fantastic!  The meat and vegetables were tender and juicy, the Macaroni was just al dente, and mixed with the cheese sauce, really couldn't have been more perfect.  Then topped with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese, and baked in the oven till it was bubbling ... it was perfection in a pan!!  Great for those cold nights that are now drawing in!


Ingredients.

For the Meat Layer:

• 2 TBS oil
• 3 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled, cut in half and then thinly sliced
  into half moons
• 1 leek, washed well, trimmed, halved and then thinly sliced into half moons
• 2 sticks of celery, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 750g (about 1 1/2 pounds) of minced lamb
• 150ml of red wine (a generous half cup)
• 2 TBS tomato ketchup
• 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 lamb bouillon cube, crumbled
• sea salt and black pepper to taste 

For the macaroni topping:

• 35g (about 3 TBS) unsalted butter
• 30g of plain flour (about 3 TBS)
• 750 ml whole milk (3 cups)
• 1 bay leaf
• 120g of extra mature cheddar cheese, grated (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 TBS Dijon mustard
• 150g of macaroni (1 1/2 cups)
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

To Top:

• 1 slice of white bread, crusts removed and crumbed
• 2 TBS freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 TBS butter, melted

Heat the oil for the meat layer in a large saucepan. Add the vegetables and thyme, and cook over about 8 minutes over low heat, stirring from time to time, until glossy and beginning to soften. Add the lamb mince and increase the heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the meat changes colour and separates. Add the wine, ketchup, Worcestershire Sauce, crumbled bouillon cube and some salt pepper to taste. Simmer over a low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. It should still be somewhat juicy. If it isn't add a bit of broth. Check the seasoning and adjust as needed. Spread into the bottom of a shallow oven proof lasagna dish. Set aside.

Hint:  If using Beef like I did, fry it in a separate pan, and drain off the fat that comes out of it before adding the vegetables.  Otherwise, you'll end up with a layer of fat swimming in the bottom of your bowl or plate when you serve it.  NOT appetizing in the slightest!

To make the cheese sauce for the macaroni topping, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute before slowly adding the milk and bay leaf. Bring to the boil whisking constantly, until it thickens. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Stir in the cheese and mustard, stirring until the cheese is completely melted. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 5. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to the boil and cook the macaroni as per directions, leaving it very al dente, or slightly undercooked (it will cook more in the cheese sauce). Drain well and then stir it into the cheese sauce. Pour the whole mixture over top of the meat mixture in the baking dish.

Mix together the melted butter, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle evenly over top of the macaroni. Bake the pie for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and sizzling and the filling is bubbling. Let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

The list of ingredients is a long one.  However, it's not an expensive list, and whoever you serve this to will thank you for it!  It's a hearty, filling, delicious meal, and I know both my husband, and my best friend Andy loved it!  This is a keeper!

Till next time, keep cookin'!

Just an Update

Yes I am still alive.  Just thought I'd drop that out there.  For those of you on my Facebook friends list, you know that this past couple of weeks has been hectic with the birth of my nephew and his health related problems.  Thankfully, they have all been sorted out, and he's now home with his Mom and Dad, getting to know them, and all of them trying to catch their breaths and recover from the trauma of his birth.

I will get back to blogging on here very soon, I promise.  I have a couple of recipes in mind that I really want to try out, it's more just a case of finding the time and the motivation.  Hang in there guys, I'll be back soon.  I promise!

Creme Caramel.

A few nights back, I decided to try my hand at making Creme Caramel.  I've never had it before, but figured I couldn't go wrong with baked custard and caramel.  I was right.  The custard was light and fluffy, and the caramel topping was to die for!  I wasn't sure that my husband would like it, because he's not much of a one fr desserts, but he tried it and decided that he did.  Score another point for me!

Ingredients.

• 1 cup sugar (for the topping)
• 2 cups fresh whole milk
• 1 vanilla bean
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• pinch nutmeg (optional)

Heat the oven to 325°F/160°C. Bring a full kettle of water to the boil, and turn off the heat (this is for the water bath later).

Dissolve the sugar for the topping in a saucepan with 1/4 cup/60 ml water, and boil until it turns a dark, fragrant, liquid caramel. Pour into the cake tin and swirl to coat the bottom evenly. Set aside.

Pour the milk into the same saucepan, so that it laps up the caramel on the bottom and sides (this is the most brilliant trick for flavour!) Split the vanilla bean, scrape the seeds into the milk, and add the pod. Heat to the boiling point, turn off the heat, cover, and set aside to infuse 10 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the eggs with the sugar. Add the nutmeg, if using. Once the milk has infused, whisk it into the egg mixture.

Strain the custard over the hardened caramel and set the pan in a larger dish or roasting pan. Pour the boiled water into the bottom pan to come half-way up the sides of the flan. Transfer to the oven and bake until set, 45 minutes to an hour.

Remove the flan from the oven and from the water bath. Run a knife around the outside edge to loosen the flan. Cool completely – even chill, if you like. To serve, flip the flan onto a plate, pour over any caramel remaining in the pan. Serve in wedges.

I loved this, and so did my friends.  It's such an easy thing to make and tastes delicious.  It would be a good dessert to have after a full hot dinner, as it's a cold dessert and will cool and calm the stomach.

Till next time, keep cookin'! 

Creamy Baked Fish

I wasn't going to post this till later today, but figured I should do it now since I seem to be getting some more interest in this blog.  I went hunting for something a little bit different for dinner last night.  I was tired of doing the same old kind of meal, and wanted something a bit different, then I remembered a pie that my Dad used to make, called Fisherman's Pie and it hit me!  Salmon!

Out here on the West Coast of Canada, we get some gorgeous Salmon, and with the abundance of it, the prices are SO reasonable too!  So, now I'd figured out WHAT I wanted to use, it was time to figure out HOW to use it.  Then I ran across a recipe called Creamy Baked Fish.  The recipe calls for Cod, but in my opinion, any fish at all would work well.  I was a little bit worried about the cream content of this recipe, I thought it would be heavy, but in actual fact, though it was rich, it didn't feel too heavy at all.

Ingredients.

• 6 Cod Fillets (Or any fillets of your choice)
• 1 Lemon
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 cup emmental cheese
• 1 cup cream
• 1tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 cup soft fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp butter melted

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4

Butter a baking dish large enough to hold all of the fish fillets in one layer.

Place the fish into the baking dish, presentation side up. Season well with salt and pepper. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over top.

Sprinkle the grated cheese over all. Whisk the cream and mustard together, pour evenly over top of the fish.

Toss the bread crumbs with the melted butter.

Sprinkle evenly over the fish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned on top and the fish flakes easily with the tines of a fork. 

Serve hot. This goes very well with mashed potatoes or rice.

I served this with roasted potatoes.  I figured they'd do to mop up any remaining sauce and I was right.  The cream and cheese mingled very well, and there was a lovely lemon flavor to the fish that wasn't overpowering at all.  It was an easy meal to prepare, make and eat.  A definite keeper!

Till next time, keep cookin'!

Lemon Loaf Cake

This evening, I was looking for something to bake. The urge to make something had hit me again and it had to be satisfied. I came across a recipe for a Lemon Loaf Cake and thought 'Hey, now THAT sounds interesting!' Better still, I had everything I needed except the Lemons. A quick trip to the grocery store got me the Lemons and at 10:45pm, I started mixing the ingredients.

I have to admit, using my electric hand held mixer made this so much easier, I'm terrible at using a spoon to cream sugar and butter together, and the mixer has saved me on many occasions, but in reality, this cake is so simple to put together. It's simply mix, whisk, mix some more, add ingredients, mix again and pour into the cake tin.

There is a glaze that is to be brushed onto the cake when its done baking, after it's cooled down a little bit. Its just a mix of sugar and Lemon Juice, and the sugar doesn't even have to be dissolved. One warning though, its sticky! Oh boy it's sticky!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c. flour, sifted
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/3 c. butter, softened 
• 1 c. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c. milk
• 2 tsp. grated lemon rind
• 3 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 c. nuts, coarsely chopped, optional
• Lemon sugar syrup

Sift flour, baking powder and salt onto waxed paper

Combine butter, sugar and eggs in a large bowl. Beat with electric mixer until fluffy and light.

Stir flour mixture into batter, alternating with milk, beating after each addition until batter is smooth.

Stir in lemon rind and juice. Add nuts. Pour into greased and floured loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until center springs back when lightly pressed with fingertip. Do not overbake!

Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen cake around edges with knife. Turn onto wire rack placed over waxed paper.

Brush with Lemon Sugar Syrup on top and sides of cake slowly, allowing time for cake to absorb sauce.

Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let stand 24 hours before cutting. Garnish with lemon slices, if desired.

Lemon Sugar Syrup: combine 3 tablespoons lemon juice and 1/2 cup sugar in small bowl. Sugar does not have to be dissolved.

It really is as simple as that. This cake turns out to be wonderfully moist, and refreshing with the lemon zing to it! This is going to be taken on our picnic tomorrow, and I'm already itching to tuck in to the cake!

Till next time, keep cookin'!

Yorkshire Puddings

When it comes to Yorkshire Puddings, there are many differing stories about how to make them. Some people swear that you must use ice water, others say it makes no difference whatsoever. Others say that its essential to let the pudding mix sit for a while after its been made, and there's strong debate as to whether it should sit in the fridge or not too.

When all is said and done though, the recipe is the same, with a few slight variations here and there from person to person. The only thing that needs to be taken into account is that the oven MUST be hot, and the oil in the Pudding tray MUST be hot, to the point it's almost smoking. I can't give you my personal recipe for Yorkshire Puddings because its not an exact science, I've been making them for so long that I don't use measurements anymore. It's all done by eye because I usually make enough batter for two or even three batches at a time. However, a basic recipe should be enough to get you started.

Ingredients.

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 2 - 4 tbsp milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine milk and eggs with a fork, don't whisk.

Add enough flour to make an easily pourable yet thick batter and whisk to make a smooth batter.

Pour a little oil (around 2 tbsp) into each cup of a muffin tray and place in the oven.

When the oil is hot and almost smoking, remove tray from oven and pour batter into each cup. I usually fill to 3/4 of the way full in each cup. Do this as fast as possible and place tray back in the oven.

When Yorkshire Puddings are golden brown and risen, remove from oven. If they start to fall, place them back in the oven to crisp them up enough to prevent the walls falling.

Serve and enjoy.

When the puddings are in the oven, try to resist the urge to open the door to check on them. Cool air getting into the oven will reduce the heat and may prevent puddings rising.

Till next time, keep cookin'!

Roasted Vegetables and Feta Cheese on Panini Rolls.

This recipe came from my wonderful Dad. While I was visiting the UK last year, my Dad, and his wife and I, decided to spend a day out on the East Coast of Britain. Rather than pay for overpriced plates of grease, we took sandwiches with us. These he made the day before, and put them in the fridge tightly wrapped in cling wrap (saran wrap for my North American friends.)

Now, you could use any vegetables that you want, so long as they're good for roasting in the oven, but I'll just give the recipe as my Dad made them. They're good with the filling hot as well as cold. Also, you can roast as many or as little of each vegetable as you like, but do bear in mind that once roasted down, there may not be as much filling as you thought there would be.

I absolutely adore these Sandwiches. The vegetables taste fantastic caramelized down, and the sweetness of them contrasts yet blends in extremely well with the saltiness of the Feta Cheese. Added to which, it's vegetables and Olive Oil. Healthy yet yummy!!

Ingredients.

• Sweet Potato
• Red Onion
• Garlic
• Red Pepper
• Green Pepper
• Panini Rolls
  

Preheat oven to 350F

Roughly slice the vegetables and put them into a bowl. Leave the garlic in whole cloves.

Drizzle lightly with Olive Oil, and toss to ensure vegetables are all coated. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place the vegetables onto a roasting pan, and place them in the oven.

Roast vegetables till they're soft and caramelized. Cooking times may vary depending on what vegetables you use. Allow to cool slightly.

Slice the Panini Rolls open, and drizzle a little Olive Oil on the inside of both halves.

There are a few ways you can prepare the filling. You can leave the vegetables as they are, and layer them on the Panini roll, you can coarsely mash them if you like a smooth puree with some chunks in it, or you can place in a food processor and blend till completely smooth.

Crumble the Feta cheese on top, place the top of the Panini Roll on top and enjoy!

If you're making these in Advance, wrap tightly in Cling wrap and place in the fridge. They can be made a day or so in advance and will keep well in the fridge for a few days so long as they're wrapped.

Till next time, keep cookin'!

Slow Cooker Cheese Stuffed Meatballs.

Thank you Paula Deen, you are my hero!

I have been toying with the idea of Cheese Stuffed Meatballs for a while, so when I came across this recipe on her website, I was eager to try it. It's basically meatballs stuffed with Mozzarella Cheese, cooked in the slow cooker, and you can choose whichever sauce you'd like to go along with it. Obviously, meatballs suggest Spaghetti, and so I used 2 jars of our usual tomato based sauce. They were fantastic! They held their shape, didn't crumble on me, they didn't shrink at all and tasted wonderful. The tomato sauce, because it was cooked over a period of 5 hours, slowly simmered down, but oh my god! The tomato taste was SO intense! Just wonderful!

Ingredients.

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 lb. ground pork
• 4 tablespoons fresh parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups Italian dry bread crumbs
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 oz. fresh mozzarella, divided into 12 pieces
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 jars of your favorite red sauce
• 2 pounds spaghetti, cooked al dente

In a large mixing bowl combine ground beef, ground pork, parmesan, eggs, salt, pepper, garlic, basil, parsley and dried oregano.

Add bread crumbs 1/2 cup at a time until mixture is not to wet and can be formed into balls easily.

Form mixture into 12 balls using your thumb to press a hole in the center. Insert a piece of the fresh mozzarella into the hole and close the hole by pushing the meatball mixture around it to secure the mozzarella inside each ball.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and drizzle olive oil into it. Add meatballs and cook until just browned.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer meatballs into a slow cooker. Pour red sauce over the meatballs and cook on LOW for approximately 5 hours.

Serve the stuffed meatballs and sauce over spaghetti.

While it seems to be a lot of preparation work, it's well worth it, and besides, squishing all those ingredients around into the meat mixture is a great way of working out any stress or frustrations lol.

Till next time, keep cookin'!

Apple crumble with Cinnamon.

Last night for Dessert I made an Apple Crumble with Cinnamon. This truly is a dessert from my childhood, during those dark wet winter nights. There was something very comforting about sticking a spoon into a bowl of hot Apple Crumble, with a generous dollop of Vanilla Ice cream slowly melting to one side. My mom never used Cinnamon though, because my Dad wasn't a fan of it, which is why I was a tad apprehensive about using it in mine. However, I needn't have worried. It. Was. Fabulous! The cinnamon really added something to the flavor of the Apples, bringing out their tartness, while there was just a hint of lemon flavor, from the juice I used to keep the apples from turning brown. I served this with a dollop of frozen Yogurt, but again, your personal preferences decide what to serve it with.

Ingredients.

• 6 apples (I used Granny Smiths. They hold their shape well)
• 6 tablespoons sugar (I used 4 tablespoons of white, and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons butter

For the Crumble Topping.

• 4 teaspoons butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats

I also added a teaspoon of Cinnamon to the crumble.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Peel and slice apples into greased baking dish.

Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over apples. Dot with two teaspoons of the butter.

Blend the remaining four teaspoons of butter into brown sugar.

Mix and add flour and rolled oats.

Spoon mixture over apples.

Cover with foil and bake at 350F for 15mins.

Uncover and bake until crust is golden and apples are tender (around 35 minutes.)

This can be served right out of the oven, or you can allow it to cool a little bit before serving. I served it right away with frozen yogurt and was glad I did. The crust was crunchy on top and a little gooey underneath, while the apples held their shape well and tasted divine! This one is a definite keeper!

Till next time, keep cookin'!