My Dad's favourite dinner was always Bacon and Onion Pudding. Yuk. The rest of us hated it, but my Mum being my Mum, would make it for him occaisonally.
I developed this alternative one Fathers Day, and he did really like it! ( Ithink he may have prefferred the pudding deep down though!)
This serves 6 well. I use a deep 20com Pie/cake tin
Pastry
8oz Flour
40z Butter
Pinch of Salt
couple of Tbls of ice Cold water
The Filling
1.5lb of Onions
8 Rashers of streaky bacon, chopped into smallish pieces
3 eggs
3 heaped Tbls of natural Yogurt
knob of butter
1/2 tsp of Thyme, chooped very small
back pepper
6oz Cheddar Cheese
1. Make the pastry. Rub together flour, cold butter and salt till it resembles breadcrumbls
2, add 3 tbs of ice water and bring together. no not knead just bring the dough togther. Shape into disc and pop into the fridge for about 30 mins.
3, Once refridgerated, roll out and line the buttered tin with the pastry. Line the pastry with baking paper and baking beans and blind bake for approx 20 mins. Remove paper and beans and fontinue baking for about 5 mins.
To make the Filling
1. Cook the bacon for a few minutes in a large pan or wok
2, Stir in the onions. Cook for 10 mins with lid on and then add a small knob of butter, stir well and cook for a further 20 mins with lid off, stirring occaisionally.
3, Taste the onion to check they are soft and sweet. If not, cook a little longer. If they are remove from the heat and allow to cool.
4, In a large bowl beat all the eggs, then add a spoonful of yoghurt at a time and whisk into the eggs. Season with plenty of black pepper, you shouldnt need any salt becuase of the bacon. And add the thyme.
5, When the onion and bacon mix is cool, stir into the egg mixture. Spoon into pastry case and top with cheese
6, Bake in ove on 175 for 35-40 mins until golden on top. Turn the oven off and leave in the ovn for 5 mins. Leave to cool for about 10 mins. Serve warm, or completely cool.
Friday, 20 February 2009
Monday, 16 February 2009
Beer Onions
These are fabulous. A friend introduced us to these when camping one weekend.
This may seem like a lot of cooking just for some onions, but once you have tasted them you will understand. The amounts in this recipe are good for a few people, but what a generally do is make a huge batch ahead of time if its a BBQ or what ever :)
1lb finely sliced onions
1oz butter
1tbs olive oil
125ml beer
1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar (optional)
melt butter and oil then add onions, stir well then put on a low heat for about 20 mins stirring occaisionally. Check they are melting and sweet. If not leave for a few minutes before checking again.
Once you are happy with their sweetness, turn heat back up a teeny bit to just between low and medium, and add beer & Balsamic (if using)
Stir well and leave for 20 mins until liquid has disappeared.
What are they good for.....
BBQ's
Sausage & Mash
Sausage Pie
Meat Wraps
cheese on toast
Also experiment with different beers! A honey beer is my favourite or a good gutsy ale, or Guinness, or anything you fancy really!
This may seem like a lot of cooking just for some onions, but once you have tasted them you will understand. The amounts in this recipe are good for a few people, but what a generally do is make a huge batch ahead of time if its a BBQ or what ever :)
1lb finely sliced onions
1oz butter
1tbs olive oil
125ml beer
1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar (optional)
melt butter and oil then add onions, stir well then put on a low heat for about 20 mins stirring occaisionally. Check they are melting and sweet. If not leave for a few minutes before checking again.
Once you are happy with their sweetness, turn heat back up a teeny bit to just between low and medium, and add beer & Balsamic (if using)
Stir well and leave for 20 mins until liquid has disappeared.
What are they good for.....
BBQ's
Sausage & Mash
Sausage Pie
Meat Wraps
cheese on toast
Also experiment with different beers! A honey beer is my favourite or a good gutsy ale, or Guinness, or anything you fancy really!
Sunday, 25 January 2009
Seville Orange Marmalade
January is the best time for Seville Oranges and so the best time to make marmalade. Most recipes should give you a product which lasts up to 2 years.
The best recipe I have found is by Pam Corbin. What this lady doesn't know about preserving is simply not worth knowing. If you are new or not to preserving fresh produce her book is fabulous, River Cottage Preserves. I would definitely recommend it. If you are new to jam making it also explains why you need to do certain things.
Anyway, This is the Seville Orange Marmalade Recipe
Make 5x450g Jars
1kg Seville Oranges
75Ml Lemon Juice
2 kg of Sugar
1, Scrub the fruit and remove buttons.
2, Put whole fruit in preserving pan with 2.5 litres of water. Bring to the boil, then simmer with lid on for 2-2.5 hours (should be tender and easily pierced with a fork)
3, When cool enough to handle remove oranges from pan. Measure the cooking water, you should have 1.7 litres. If you have less, top it up. If you have more, boil to reduce.
4, Cut oranges in half, remove pips and save. Squeeze juice from pips into cooking water. Then you can discard.
5, Meanwhile cut up orange peel and flesh into your preferred size - chunky or Ickle!
6, Put fruit, sugar and lemon juice into cooking water
7, Stir to dissolve the sugar and bring to the boil
8, Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for about 10-15 mins until setting point* is reached
9, Leave to cool for about 10-15 mins, then stir gently to disperse scum
10, Pour into warm sterilised jars and seal immediately
*Put a spoonful on a chilled plate, leave for one minute. If at setting point, when you push the jam it will wrinkle.
The best recipe I have found is by Pam Corbin. What this lady doesn't know about preserving is simply not worth knowing. If you are new or not to preserving fresh produce her book is fabulous, River Cottage Preserves. I would definitely recommend it. If you are new to jam making it also explains why you need to do certain things.
Anyway, This is the Seville Orange Marmalade Recipe
Make 5x450g Jars
1kg Seville Oranges
75Ml Lemon Juice
2 kg of Sugar
1, Scrub the fruit and remove buttons.
2, Put whole fruit in preserving pan with 2.5 litres of water. Bring to the boil, then simmer with lid on for 2-2.5 hours (should be tender and easily pierced with a fork)
3, When cool enough to handle remove oranges from pan. Measure the cooking water, you should have 1.7 litres. If you have less, top it up. If you have more, boil to reduce.
4, Cut oranges in half, remove pips and save. Squeeze juice from pips into cooking water. Then you can discard.
5, Meanwhile cut up orange peel and flesh into your preferred size - chunky or Ickle!
6, Put fruit, sugar and lemon juice into cooking water
7, Stir to dissolve the sugar and bring to the boil
8, Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for about 10-15 mins until setting point* is reached
9, Leave to cool for about 10-15 mins, then stir gently to disperse scum
10, Pour into warm sterilised jars and seal immediately
*Put a spoonful on a chilled plate, leave for one minute. If at setting point, when you push the jam it will wrinkle.
Saturday, 24 January 2009
Our First Egg, plus another 2!
Its taken sometime to get our first eggs! In the chicken's defence is has been very cold. However, there have been empty threats of showing them the oven, withholding treats, but still no eggs. Yesterday there were two in the morning, and by lunchtime there was a 3rd!
I am wondering if there have been some eggs laid before now, but they buried them. When I spotted the 3rd one in the run, (not the nesting box), I was busy emptying compost. When I went back to retrieve the egg it had been buried! I managed to retrieve it, but it makes you think! Any one who has seen Chicken Run will know what sneaky little blighters chickens really are!
We have had the girls for just over a month now and it never fails to surprise me what individual personalities they both have. They are so different. We think of chickens as food before pets, but actually keeping them shows them in a different light. Pete is feisty and she will chase you round the garden, plus the poor cat, she will jump up and peck your hand in the hope of treats, she will never make her own dust bath, just push Dud out of hers and use that instead. Dud is more chilled out, and just takes things as they come, although she is not as easily to manipulate with treats as Pete, who will do anything for carrots! They even have different voices, from inside the house you know which one is making noise, they are individuals.
Evidence of our first eggs
Mr H's Coddled Egg Breakfast
I am wondering if there have been some eggs laid before now, but they buried them. When I spotted the 3rd one in the run, (not the nesting box), I was busy emptying compost. When I went back to retrieve the egg it had been buried! I managed to retrieve it, but it makes you think! Any one who has seen Chicken Run will know what sneaky little blighters chickens really are!
We have had the girls for just over a month now and it never fails to surprise me what individual personalities they both have. They are so different. We think of chickens as food before pets, but actually keeping them shows them in a different light. Pete is feisty and she will chase you round the garden, plus the poor cat, she will jump up and peck your hand in the hope of treats, she will never make her own dust bath, just push Dud out of hers and use that instead. Dud is more chilled out, and just takes things as they come, although she is not as easily to manipulate with treats as Pete, who will do anything for carrots! They even have different voices, from inside the house you know which one is making noise, they are individuals.
Evidence of our first eggs
Mr H's Coddled Egg Breakfast
Thursday, 22 January 2009
Jam Quesadilla
Yum, yum! this is currently ,my favourite breakfast. Its divine, and quick and easy!
Put a a knob of butter in a frying pan on a medium heat and let it melt. Swirl around the pan so it is all covered.
Throw in a flour tortilla, and then spoon on some jam. Now, don't be greedy here, remember you are going to fold the tortilla in half and flip to the other side and you don't want to get covered in molten jam! So put a sensible amount of jam on the tortilla and then fold it in half. leave for approx 2 minutes and flip gently and carefully to the other side, leave for a minute and then serve.
A blob of Greek yogurt on the side is a nice accompaniment, but I'm a purist! :)
Put a a knob of butter in a frying pan on a medium heat and let it melt. Swirl around the pan so it is all covered.
Throw in a flour tortilla, and then spoon on some jam. Now, don't be greedy here, remember you are going to fold the tortilla in half and flip to the other side and you don't want to get covered in molten jam! So put a sensible amount of jam on the tortilla and then fold it in half. leave for approx 2 minutes and flip gently and carefully to the other side, leave for a minute and then serve.
A blob of Greek yogurt on the side is a nice accompaniment, but I'm a purist! :)
Saturday, 10 January 2009
How to be an armchair Eco Warrior
Everyday the news is the same. Credit Crunch. Recession.
However, there are tons of ways to save money, and the best thing about them is they also save the environment. Even if you are one of those people who doesn't care if Planet Earth is on borrowed time, most of you want to save money!
Here are some very easy ways....Its all very obvious, and I'm sure i am not telling you anything you don't already know! Food for thought prhaps? For more advice check out these websites
Friends of the Earth http://www.foe.co.uk/
Greenpeace http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/climate/your-personal-guide-to-helping-save-the-climate
1. Change to energy efficient light bulbs
2. Turn lights off where you can
3, Turn off the mains of electrical appliances you are not using, no red standby light
4, Wear jumpers and get draught excluders to save on heating
5, Boil the kettle for hot water, including for veg and pasta etc, its often cheaper than heating cold water on the hob
6, Only boil the amount of water you need
7, Walk or dust off the bike instead of using the car for short journeys
8, Don't lave the tap running when cleaning your teeth
9, Don't buy expensive cleaners, opt for the cheaper more natural ones
http://www.foe.co.uk/living/articles/cleaning_costs.html
10, Use rechargeable batteries
However, there are tons of ways to save money, and the best thing about them is they also save the environment. Even if you are one of those people who doesn't care if Planet Earth is on borrowed time, most of you want to save money!
Here are some very easy ways....Its all very obvious, and I'm sure i am not telling you anything you don't already know! Food for thought prhaps? For more advice check out these websites
Friends of the Earth http://www.foe.co.uk/
Greenpeace http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/climate/your-personal-guide-to-helping-save-the-climate
1. Change to energy efficient light bulbs
2. Turn lights off where you can
3, Turn off the mains of electrical appliances you are not using, no red standby light
4, Wear jumpers and get draught excluders to save on heating
5, Boil the kettle for hot water, including for veg and pasta etc, its often cheaper than heating cold water on the hob
6, Only boil the amount of water you need
7, Walk or dust off the bike instead of using the car for short journeys
8, Don't lave the tap running when cleaning your teeth
9, Don't buy expensive cleaners, opt for the cheaper more natural ones
http://www.foe.co.uk/living/articles/cleaning_costs.html
10, Use rechargeable batteries
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
Easting Seasonally Easily
Its been vogue for a while now. Any restaurant worth it's salt serves only seasonal food. However it can be hard to do this at home, you got to the supermarket and you can get anything! We trundle around on autopilot and fill our baskets with what ever we want. Which is not the worst thing in the world, I'm not that far gone to the hippy side.
Of course we will never get seasonal bananas, and these are among other things we love which do not grow in our country. However, if the majority of what we buy is seasonal and local, then we are doing a good thing for the Planet and our health.
There are plenty of company's out there who deliver Vegetable and Fruit Boxes to your door which contain seasonal goods, which are organic, as local as possible, and the bananas (not local!) are fair trade. It is an excellent way of shopping easily and seasonally and you don't have to leave the house.
I use Able & Cole, I think they are really good. Riverford has also been recommended to me. Have a look and see if there is anyone locally who offers this service. It really is a good way of living, and eating organic cheaply!
Of course we will never get seasonal bananas, and these are among other things we love which do not grow in our country. However, if the majority of what we buy is seasonal and local, then we are doing a good thing for the Planet and our health.
There are plenty of company's out there who deliver Vegetable and Fruit Boxes to your door which contain seasonal goods, which are organic, as local as possible, and the bananas (not local!) are fair trade. It is an excellent way of shopping easily and seasonally and you don't have to leave the house.
I use Able & Cole, I think they are really good. Riverford has also been recommended to me. Have a look and see if there is anyone locally who offers this service. It really is a good way of living, and eating organic cheaply!
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