Bacon & Cheese Omelette

A big Sunday tradition over here in the UK is the roast dinner.  People either cook one at home, or they go out to have one at a restaurant . . .  roast meat (beef, gammon, turkey, lamb, pork), with roast potatoes, veg, gravy etc.  Oh and Yorkshire puddings.  They're a must.   We never have a roast dinner on a Sunday.  By the time we get home from church and I call my  mom, etc., there just isn't the time and to be honest I am pretty tired by then.  So, I save our roast dinners for other days.  On Sundays, we usually have something which I have either remembered to put in the slow cooker before we left for church, or I whip up something quick like these Bacon & Cheese Omelettes.



This is a really old recipe that I got from a very old Cookery book I own entitled, The Cooking of Provincial Quebec.  My father was born and bred in Quebec, and his father before him . . .  generations of family members which go back to the 1600's.  The Cooking of Provincial Quebec is all a part of my roots, and I love cooking these old recipes.



They are nothing fancy to be sure  . . .  but they are good and they are sound . . .  and yes, they speak to my roots.

 

An omelette makes a nice quick supper on a late winter Sunday afternoon . . .  especially when it is filled with cheese and bacon . . . a bit of toast on the side and everybody's happy.  Simple.  Tasty.  Quick and easy.

*Bacon and Cheese Omelette*

Serves 2

Printable Recipe  

A recipe I adapted from a very old cookery book entitled, The Cooking of Provincial Quebec.  

6 rashers streaky bacon

3 large free range eggs, beaten
60ml milk (1/4 cup)

salt and black pepper to taste

2 slices of strong cheddar cheese

a small knob of butter

Put the bacon in a deep skillet.  Cover with cold water.  Bring to a brisk goil, then drain off the water and fry the bacon over medium heat until crisp and golden.  Remove and set aside.  Wipe out the pan and then melt a knob of butter in the skillet until it foams.  Beat the eggs together with the milk.  Pour this into the pan and cook, lifting the edges to let any uncooked egg run underneath as you go along, until the eggs are set and golden. Season with some salt and black pepper.  (Remembering that bacon and cheese are both salty)  Lay the slices of cheese on half and top with the cooked bacon.  Fold over and serve immediately.



I used a really lovely pan to cook our omelette in.   The Gen Ware Black Iron 8 inch Omelette Pan,  Professional Range.  it's suitable for all types of hobs with the exception of Induction hobs and is made here in England of exceptional quality heavy guage mild steel.   Excellent for fast cooking, sealing and browning.  It was the perfect size for the omelette and worked beautifully.  It also cleaned up very easily, by simply wiping it out.  Properly seasoned, this is all I should ever have to do.  I got it from the people at Next Day Catering Equipment.




I was also sent a this Vogue square shaped ribbed cast iron skillet.  It is the perfect pan for heavy duty use and the ideal piece of equipment for frying searing and browning foods. The ribbed effect on the skillet leaves an attractive seared finish on the foods and is the healthy option as the deep ribbed ridges keep the food above any excess oils or fats.



I grilled us some steaks in it one night with excellent results.  You just can't beat a good cast iron pan when it comes to grilling a steak!

All of these items can be purchased at Next Day Catering, a leading online catering supplier providing a range of high quality catering equipment and hotel supplies in in the UK. They have been the UK’s favourite catering suppliers for 20 years now, supplying quality products from top name brands including KitchenAid, Dualit, Panasonic, Samsung Victorinox and more. Their next day catering supplies are used across the UK by bars, hotels, restaurants, cafés, bed and breakfasts, schools, office canteens, bistros and other professional kitchens and hospitality businesses.  With a quick delivery,  great prices, and a full stock selection, they are my first port of call when it comes to finding the right tools to do what I love to do, and that is  . . .  cook.

Buttermilk Chocolate Cake

You would be right in thinking that this is not something which you will see very often in this kitchen . . .  chocolate cake.  The Toddster doesn't like chocolate cakes, pies or cookies, or puddings for that matter  . . .  and with my diabetes I try very hard not to eat this stuff, but when I was having four missionary elders for dinner a week or so ago I decided that I would bake them a chocolate cake for dessert.

 

This is a recipe I adapted from one I found in the cookbook entitled, Barefoot Contessa  at Home, by Ina Garten.  You can't go wrong really with a Barefoot Contessa recipe.  They are all pretty much fool proof.  At least I have never had one go wrong.



The buttermilk in this makes for a really delicious and moist chocolate cake . . .   and there is coffee in the batter which also helps to greatly enhance the chocolate flavours.



Ina frosts her with a chocolate frosting, but I have always loved vanilla butter cream on my chocolate cakes.  And because it was the elders  . . .

 

I went a bit crazy with the cake sprinkles  . . .  fudge bits, chocolate chips, chocoate coated crispy bits and white chocolate flakes all found their way to the top of this cake, with really delicious results.  Put it this way  . . .  ain't nobody was complaining!

 

*Buttermilk Chocolate Cake*

Makes one 8-inch round cake

Serves 8

Printable Recipe 

This cake is moist and filled with lots of chocolate flavour.  Adding a cup of hot coffee to the batter helps to enhance the chocolate flavours!   Adapted from the cookbook entitled Barefoot Contessa At Home. 

245g of plain flour (1 3/4 cup)

385g of sugar (2 cups)

85g cocoa powder (3/4 cup)

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp baking powder

1./2 tsp salt

225ml buttermilk (1 cup)  (shake well)

120ml vegetable oil (1/2 cup)

2 large free range eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

225ml hot fresh coffee (1 cup)

Frosting as desired (we like vanilla buttercream)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Butter two 8 inch round non-stick cake tins really well and line the bottoms with baking paper.  (alternately you can butter, dust with flour, shaking out any excess flour)

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, soda and baking powder into a bowl along with the salt, mixing well together.   In another bowl, mix together the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla.  Using an electric mixer on low speed, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients slowly.   Slowly beat in the hot coffee, just to combine.

Divide the batter between the two prepared baking tins. The batter may seem thin, but no worries, it is just right.

Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.  Allow to sit in the pan for thirty minutes before carefully tipping out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Sandwich together with your favourite frosting (or jam) and use the remainder of your frosting to ice the sides and top.  Decorate as desired.  I like to use chocolate sprinkles, chocolate chips, caramel bits, etc.




*Perfect Vanilla Buttercream Icing*
Makes enough to fill and frost a layer cake

8 ounces (weight) butter, softened (1 cup)
12 ounces icing sugar, sifted (3 cups)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 to 2 TBS double cream

Beat the butter and sugar together on low until well blended and then continue to beat on mdeium for another few minutes until it begins to become fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and 1 TBS cream, only adding the second one if needed until you have a frosting of spreading consistency.



*Chocolate Buttercream Frosting*
Makes 2 cups


This is a creamy and delicious frosting that goes well on cakes and cookies.  It makes enough to frost a whole double layer cake.  If you are only wanting enough to frost some cookies, the recipe can very easily be cut in half.  You decided just how chocolately you want it to be by the amount of cocoa you decide to use.


1/2 cup butter, softened
2 2/3 cups icing sugar, sifted
1/3 cup single cream or milk
1 tsp vanilla
Choose ONE of the following:
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (for light)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (for medium)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (for dark rich)

Place the butter into a large bowl and cream it until light and fluffy.  Beat in the icing sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla, alternately with the milk or cream, only adding as much liquid as you need to get the consistency you desire.  You may not need it all, and , in the case of the dark rich frosting, you may even need a bit more.

Bon Appetit!

Lemon Cake Pie

I want to tempt you just a little bit this morning with a tasty recipe from my Big Blue Binder. This is a big blue plastic covered binder that I have been carrying around with me since I was a little girl. (I was 9 or 10 when I started it.) It is old and tatty now, and bulging at the seams . . . but it is also filled with beautiful gems . . .




A beautiful collection of fantastic recipes that I have prised and garnered from family and friends through the years . . . and tried and loved so much that they have become my tried and true's and solid go to's . . . time tested and tested over time, they are my old faithfuls. So much so that I wrote a cookery book which contains some of the very best ones of all. You can read more about that here. But we are not talking about my cookery book today . . .



Today we are talking about Lemon Cake Pie. Or as it is affectionately known as over here . . . Lemon Delicious Pie. Different name . . . same thing.



You know that lemon pudding which, when baked, magically separates into a delicious cake on top and a lovely custard on the bottom . . . this is the same thing . . . except it is in a pie people.



A PIE! Yes . . . a pie. And we all know how much I love pie!!! There is no such thing as a bad pie . . . (Don't burst my bubble!)



This is gorgeous. I have been dragging this recipe around with me for yonks. It never fails to please anyone who I bake it for.



I wanted to take a picture of it whilst the light was good today and so the pie hadn't actually set up completely and was still a bit warm when I cut a piece to photograph . . . but I promise you a couple of hours in the fridge and it sets up perfectly.



Unfortunately it is sooooooooo delicious that the missionaries I baked it for ate it all up before I could get a picture of it set up. You'll just have to make do with these photos . . .
and trust me when I say . . . as delicious as it may look . . . it tastes even better. Seriously.

Try it today. You won't be sorry. I promise!



*Lemon Cake Pie*
Makes one 9 inch pie
Printable Recipe

One of our favourites. Lemon Cake and Pie together. How much better can life get?

190g granulated sugar (1 cup)
1 TBS butter
3 TBS plain flour
1/8 tsp salt
the finely grated zest and juice of two unwaxed lemons
2 large free range eggs, separated
375ml of milk (1 1/2 cups)
1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell
Whipped Cream for serving

Preheat the oven to 160*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Roll out your pastry, fit it into a 9 inch pie dish, trim and flute. Set aside.

Measure the sugar, flour, salt and lemon zest into a bowl. Rub in the butter until all are completely rubbed together and the mixture resembles sand. Beat in the two egg yolks and the lemon juice. Whisk in the milk. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold these carefully into the mixture. Pour this into the pie dish. Carefully move the pie dish to the heated oven.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until lightly browned, set with just a little jiggle in the centre and a knife inserted close to the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Cut into slices to serve and top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream if desired.

PS - If you think you have seen this before, you're right.  I couldn't access any of my new photos of the newest things I've been cooking today as Photobucket has been down all day.  Oh well. More to look forward to tomorrow!

Maple & Mustard Chicken . . .

 One of the things I love most about chicken is it's ability to go so very well with a lot of other flavours. It's just so very adaptable, and delicious.  The breast meat is of course a lot leaner, but also very easy to dry out . . .  the thighs and legs have a lot more flavour in the, and require longer cooking so that they are nice and tender, but it's no surprise that they actually have more flavour as they are the part of the chicken that gets the biggest workout!  (If you are not buying factory farmed chicken that is.  If you are, none of it will have much flavour)

 

We had our friends Tina and Tony over for supper last Saturday evening and I cooked this chicken for us for our supper.  It went down really well and was enjoyed very much by all of us.  I do so love the flavour and heat of a good mustard, and this dish uses two types of mustard . . .



The chicken pieces themselves are coated in a marinade of smooth and creamy full flavoured Dijon mustard, which is rich and has a bit of heat, but not overwhelmingly so . . . as well some smoked paprika for a bit of smokiness and of course some salt and black pepper.



While the chicken is marinating you brown off some pancetta cubes and onions . . .  and then you brown the chicken  . . .  searing in that marinade and those juices all the way around the pieces . . .

 

The chicken (bacon and onions) are then braised in a mix of thyme, white wine and maple syrup, until the meat is succulent, tender and delicious.  Stirring in some grainy mustard and cream at the very end, adds a bit of texture and richness to the sauce, which is so delicious spooned over those tender chicken pieces.  Mashed potatoes or rice are the perfect accompaniment.

*Maple and Mustard Chicken*

Serves 4 

Printable Recipe 

A deliciously easy one pot meal.  I use my electric skillet for this, but you can use any large skillet with a lid that fits all the chicken.  I served with mashed potatoes and broccoli.  Also I don't eat the skin, but I do cook it with the skin on for this particular dish. 

4 chicken thighs, skin on/ bone in

4 chicken legs, skin on/bone in

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

83g of Dijon mustard (1/3 cup) 

olive oil  

You will also need:

50g cubetti de pancetta (diced pancetta or bacon, 1/2 cup)

1 medium onion, peeled and diced

1/2 tsp dried thyme

180ml of white wine (3/4 cup)

2 TBS grainy mustard

60ml of pure maple syrup (1/4 cup)

120ml heavy cream (1/2 cup)

Mix together the smoked paprika, sea salt, pepper and Dijon mustard in a large bowl.  Add the chicken pieces, turning then to coat and rubbing it in.  Set aside.  

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the pancetta/bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until it is just starting to brown.  Scoop out to a bowl, leaving any drippings in the pan. You should have about 1 TBS.  If you don't you can add some olive oil.  Add the chopped onion and cook until softened.  Stir in the dried thyme and cook for a few minutes longer.  Scoop out into the bowl with the pancetta/bacon. 

Add a bit of oil to the pan and start to brown the chicken, browning it on all sides, over medium high heat, and working in batches if necessary.  Remove the chicken as it is browned all over to a plate and set aside.

 

Add the wine to the skillet, scraping up any brown bits, and bringing to the boil. Reduce to low and then add the pancetta/bacon, onions and maple syrup.  Stir in the cooked pancetta/bacon and the onions.  Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan, turning the chicken to coat.  Cover tightly and cook over very low heat for 35 to 40 minutes until the chicken is very tender. 


Remove the chicken to a warm platter.  Stir the grainy mustard and cream into the pan juices and heat through.  Spoon over the chicken and serve immediately.  Delicious!

Amy's Mobile Kitchen . . .

AMY’S MOBILE KITCHEN TOURS THE UK WITH HEARTY LUNCHES TO
SUPPORT CHARITABLE ORGANISATIONS

#amysmobilekitchen

For the month of February 2016, vegetarian and organic food experts Amy’s bring you Amy’s Mobile
Kitchen - a vintage van that will serve delicious Amy’s soups and chillis across London, Manchester and
Glasgow, free to those who make a donation to local charitable organisations. The delicious & warming
soups & chillis will be accompanied by outstandingly good bread from local artisan bakeries.

The van will make its first stops in London, visiting a variety of locations from 1st – 14th February 2016.
Then it’s up North to bring some vegetarian goodness to Manchester from 16th – 21st February, followed
by its final stops in Glasgow from 23rd – 28th February. The van’s exact location will be announced each
day on Twitter and Instagram via @amyskitchenuk using the hashtag #amysmobilekitchen.

Using carefully selected organic ingredients, Amy’s Kitchen produces vegetarian frozen meals, soups
and chillis with delicious home cooked flavour. Amy’s is a company with a conscience - environmental
awareness and sustainability is at the heart of its production and contributing to community projects is
a big part of its ethos. With this in mind and in recognition of their great work, Amy’s Mobile Kitchen will
be partnering with charitable organisations that are making efforts to support the young and homeless across the UK, with profits from lunch service being donated in each city. In addition, all packaging used for Amy’s Mobile Kitchen will be from 100% recycled and ethically sourced materials.

 Details of charity partners in each city are below:

London: Café from Crisis - An inspirational social enterprise that provides on-the-job training and
experience for homeless people and ex offenders. http://www.crisis.org.uk/pages/-crisis-skylightlondon-cafe-62496.html

Manchester: Back On Track - A charitable organisation focused on supporting some of the most
disadvantaged in Greater Manchester through training, work experience and mentoring, helping them
to overcome major barriers and turn their lives around. http://www.backontrackmanchester.org.uk/

Glasgow: End Youth Homelessness – A national collaboration of charities and businesses across
the UK coordinated by Centrepoint who have come together to tackle youth homelessness by raising
awareness and lobbying government to make a change. http://www.eyh.org.uk/ 

Amy’s tasty vegetarian soups will be available in a variety of flavours including Organic Chunky Tomato (my personal favourite), Organic Cream of Mushroom and Organic Lentil Vegetable. There will also be the option of a vegetarian medium chilli for those after something a bit heartier. Quality artisan bread will be offered from local bakeries in each city; in London delicious sourdough from The Dusty Knuckle bakery, a social enterprise aiming to help disadvantaged young people. In Manchester visitors to the van will have the chance to try some mouth-watering spicy corn bread from Lancashire bakery Artisan Food Works and Glasgow residents can sample loaves from bakery47, who regularly have fans queuing round the corner for their creations.

Also joining the Amy’s family for this very special project is artist Alice Stevenson, who has previously
created illustrations for fashion designer Marc Jacobs. Alice has created a bespoke logo for Amy’s
Mobile Kitchen as well as designing the bright illustrations that will adorn the van, making it impossible
to miss as it travels the UK streets.

About Amy’s
Amy’s is a family owned business founded by husband and wife team Andy and Rachel Berliner in 1987 and
named after their daughter Amy. It all started with a mission to create delicious vegetarian food that is full of
organic ingredients and home cooked flavour, yet quick and easy to prepare.

Every product contains certified organic ingredients and there are absolutely no additives, no MSG, no
preservatives and no GMOs. The Amy’s range is a best seller in the UK and is stocked in all of the well-known supermarkets as well as independent retailers and health food stores such as Whole Foods and Planet Organic.

Amy’s also caters for a variety of diets, including gluten free, dairy free and vegan so everyone can enjoy the
delicious home cooked flavour. Amy’s products are all Vegetarian Society approved, and all products in their
gluten-free range hold the Coeliac UK Crossed grain Symbol Licence.

https://amyskitchen.co.uk/
https://twitter.com/amyskitchenuk
https://www.instagram.com/amyskitchenuk/
https://www.facebook.com/AmysKitchenUK

Apple & Cinnamon Tea Cake

 

I had some apples in my fruit bowl that needed using up pronto and so I dug out this delicious cake recipe that I have had in my repertoire for quite some time now.  Who doesn't love an apple cake after all.  I thought it would be the perfect way to use them up.





I do love cake, in any way shape or form.  That's why being a diabetic is so hard for me.  I cannot resist cake . . .  it's one of my weaknesses.



Especially when it's a lovely buttery cake, stogged full of lovely warm baking spices  . . . like cinnamon . . .  I do love cinnamon, don't you?



And cinnamon goes so well with apples, don't you think?

 

This is a  fabulous cake, really.   It's really moist and fruity.  Pretty hard to resist . . . 



Just look at those cute little apples nestled in amongst that lovely moist batter . . . apples that are slivered and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar . . . and baked in the oven along with the cake.  Then the whole thing is glazed with apricot jam.



I love it when that happens.  Dust with icing sugar or not . . . as you wish.  Do serve with lashings of softly whipped cream.   You won't regret it.  You hips might, but you won't . . . I dare say . . . you may even get a little bit ecstatic!

 

*Apple and Cinnamon Tea Cake*
Makes one 9 inch cake, serving 8 to 10
Printable Recipe

A deliciously moist cake, filled with lovely apples and cinnamon flavours.   Serve warm with softly whipped double cream for a real treat!

185g of unsalted butter, softened (3/4 cup)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
126g of golden caster sugar (2/3 cup)
3 large free range eggs, lightly beaten
150g of plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
78ml of whole milk (1/3 cup)

To top:
4 small Granny Smith Apples, peeled, halved and cored
1 tsp caster sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

To finish:
a heaped dessertspoon of apricot jam, gently warmed (about 1/4 cup)

To serve:
Softly whipped double cream



Preheat the oven to 170*C/325*F/ gas mark 3.  Butter a 9 inch round spring form cake tin.   Line the bottom with baking paper.  Butter the paper.  Set aside.

Cream together the butter, cinnamon and sugar until light and fluffy.   Beat in the eggs, a bit at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.   Add to the creamed mixture, alternately with the milk.  Spread the batter in the prepared pan.  Cut little slits in the apples almost all the way through working from the rounded top down, taking care to leave them intact on the flat side.  Place the apple halves evenly spaced around the cake on top of the batter.  Stir together the sugar and cinnamon.  Sprinkle evenly over top.

Bake for 50 minutes.  Remove from the oven.  Gently brush with the apricot jam.   Return to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes, or until the cake tests done when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Serve warm, cut into wedges along with some softly whipped double cream.

Dauphinoise Hasselback Potatoes

I am always looking for a different way to cook potatoes.  I love  potatoes.  Unfortunately I need to watch how many I eat these days.  The days of having nothing but a baked potato for supper are long over.  But I can enjoy half a one, and today I enjoyed a half a one of these delicious babies.  A delicious twist on an old favourite . . .  or two old favourites combined.  Either way . . .  worth it.

 

These are somewhat of a blue-moon treat and not something you would want to eat every day of the week, but boy oh boy, when you do, they are definitely something which will be enjoyed.  Baking potatoes, sliced almost all the way through at 1/3 inch spaces and then the spaces stuffed  . . .



With seasoned and herbed butter, alternating with thin slices of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese . . . then baked until golden brown, drizzled with some cream and sprinkled with a bit more cheese and baked again . . .



 The potatoes end up tender with tasty golden edges . . .  cheese and cream melting down into those crisp crevices . . . perfectly seasoned.

 


Deliciously indulgent.  Like I said  . . . once in a blue moon . . .  a real treat.

*Dauphinoise Hasselback Potatoes*

Serves 2 generously

4 realistically

Printable Recipe 

Delicious.  Simple. Cheesy and creamy. A real treat!  

2 baking potatoes, well washed and dried and rubbed with a bit of olive oil

2 TBS butter (cold)

1 (2 inch) piece of Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese, thinly sliced

1/4 tsp each, fine sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried thyme

60ml heavy cream (1/4 cup)

2 TBS grated strong cheddar cheese

2 TBS finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese  

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Taking a sharp knife, cut through the potatoes, almost all the way through to the bottom, leaving about 1/2 uncut, and slicing  about 1/3 inch apart all the way across the length of the potatoes.

Place the sea salt, pepper, garlic powder and thyme in a small bowl.  Cut the butter into thin slices and sprinkle with the herb mixture.  Press one butter slice in between the slices of the potatoes, alternating with the Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese.  Place into a baking dish and then bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until tender and golden. 

 


Drizzle the cream over top of each evenly and sprinkle evenly with the cheddar and Parmigiano cheeses.  Return to the oven for a further 5 to 10 minutes.  Serve hot.

Bon Appetit!