Home Made Soup

Pea & Ham Soup

                         

Another one of my favourite soups and again very easy, you can tell by now I like non-complicated recipes. When I first did this recipe it was to use up some  peas and ham rather than throw it out. It's good to get into the kitchen and cook, but we don't want to be a slave to it do we?

Ingredients:

1tbsp butter

1 onion sliced

1 leek trimmed & sliced

1 litre vegetable stock****

450g / 1lb shelled peas****

200g lean ham (smoked if preferred)****

1 bay leaf

1tbsp fresh chopped tarragon (dried if fresh unavailable)

4tbsp double cream

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

* Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.

* Add the onion and cook, stirring until slightly softened.

* Add the leek and cook for a further 2 minutes stirring together.

* Stir in the stock, then add the peas, ham, bay leaf and tarragon.

* Season with salt and pepper.

* Bring to the boil, turn heat down and simmer for another 30minutes.

* Remove the bay leaf and leave to cool for 10 minutes.

* Transfer half the soup to a food processor, or bowl and blend until it is smooth.

* Return to the pan with the rest of the soup, stir in the cream and cook over a low heat for another 5 minutes.

* Turn of the heat and ladle the soup into warmed bowls.

tastes better

Tips:

If home made vegetable stock is unavailable, then use a vegetable stock cube.

Frozen peas can be used as well.

If using smoked ham be cautious when adding salt. As some smoked hams can be salty.

* Serve with crusty rolls or french stick.

                                                                

Credit to Yahoo images:

Happy cooking Glo

No More chewy Meat

Why no More Chewy Meat

Pork Chops

We all look for the special offers when shopping. It happened to me just before Christmas Geoff and I were doing our usual shop at 'Leclerc' and saw some lovely Pork Chops on offer at 6€ 50 for a tray of six. What a good bargain like most we are all economising wherever we can so I picked them up, and thought we have two for tonight's dinner and freeze the rest.
Continued shopping and felt quite pleased at that offer.
Cooked them the usual way for us and roasted them, roast potatoes, carrots, brussel sprouts the works. They were to be truthful a complete disaster, chewy and ruined the whole meal, "oh well" we said "that was why they were on offer".
After a few mumbles during the evening we carried on as normal. What do I do I still have four more in the freezer.
It was a few weeks later,  I just had to use these darn chops up, then it hit me we braise meat so why not chops? out came my trusted 'Slow Cooker' Do you know what they were Perfect.
We had  the last two today for lunch and this is the reason I am sharing this with you, I wish I had thought about it earlier. What I did is so simple as well., as there is only two of us my ingredients will relate to this.
Ingredients:
2 Pork Chops
1 onion chopped
1/2 can button mushrooms chopped (or fresh)*
Sage & Dill (Optional)
Stock cube*
Oil for frying
Method:
First I put a little water in the Slow Cooker and switch on to high, this is just to warm it through whilst I am doing the chops, 
I add the chopped mushrooms at the same time, as these are already cooked it is not a problem.
I use a solid base frying pan, with a little oil put over a low heat with a 1/2 tsp of Sage & the same with Dill.
    When the pan is hot enough just lightly brown the two chops on either side to seal them. Place them both in the Slow Cooker on top of the mushrooms and replace lid
Then using the same pan as it still has the juices from the meat, I lightly fry the onions to soften and again place them on top of the chops.
Then I add the water and stock cube to the pan and bring to the boil, once boiled I add this to the Slow Cooker, place the lid on and leave.
As you know you can leave your Slow Cooker on all day, I started these about 11am and then had dinner for 6.30pm,3//4 of the way through turn the chops over and at this point you can thicken your gravy, with either bisto or cornflour.  I use bisto but if you do use cornflour make sure you mix it with cold water first to a paste then add slowly.
Whilst this is doing I prepare my vegetables. Today it is White Cabbage and Green Beans and some stuffing balls which I male a batch in advance and freeze.T
his is where I do a bit of cheating, hey it is Sunday and I don't wan't to be in the kitchen more than I can help.
I cook my cabbage, my green beans in advance and put in a Microwavable dish, so when the roast potatoes and the chops are ready, all I have to do is pop them in the microwave to heat up and serve.
 All we have to do is eat it.
Tips:
**If I use fresh mushrooms I usually half & quarter and fry gently just to soften.
**The stock cube is usually chicken for white meat but that is my choice.
* *I always chop my white cabbage with a little butter and pepper, but again it's a personal choice.
**You may have some gravy left over? I always make a casserole the next day to use it up or freeze it.   The only thing with gravy if does not freeze well once it has been thickened, it goes watery.
Happy eating.   

Boiled Fruit Cake

 

We all love a piece of Fruit Cake and sometimes the thought of making it can put you off especially the 'creaming the butter & sugar together'.
This has to be one of my easiest to make yet, and to be honest I get a good result each time with this recipe.

Ingredients:

900g ( 2lb ) dried mixed fruit

250ml (8 fl oz) water

225g ( 8oz ) caster sugar

170g ( 6oz ) butter

230g ( 8oz ) plain flour

2 medium eggs (beaten)

1 tsp bicarbonate of soad

1 tsp of mixed spice

1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Preparation & method:

Preheat oven to 150 C / Gas 2

Grease cake 8inch** cake tin and line with greaseproof paper.

Combine he water, dried fruit, butter and sugar  in large saucepan over medium heat.

                       

 Bring to the boil stirring occasionally, then simmer gently for 10 minutes.

When this is done leave to cool approximately 6/10minutes**

Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices into a large mixing bowl and blend in.

Pour in the cooled cake mixture, and stir well until blended making sure there are no pockets of flour at the bottom.

Mix in the eggs.

 

At this stage the mixture will look sloppy and pale, that is normal.

                                                        

Pour into lined cake tin.

Bake for approximately 90 minutes in pre-heated oven.

Test after 80 minutes with a skewer inserted into the top of the cake, it should come out clean.

Cool cake in tin for at least 10 minutes before removing and placing on wire rack to continue cooling.

 Tips***

I use a 9inch cake tin, sometimes a deeper 7 inch both work perfectly well.

If you don't let your cake cool enough before adding to flour mixture, it could cause lumps.

Last Christmas I used this recipe but instead of all mixed fruit I added chopped cherries, mixed peal and some chopped walnuts.

Just make sure when adding other ingredients, you take out the equivalent in dried fruit and it still comes to 2lb's.

Happy cooking.

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Lemon Garlic Hummus

 

Hummus gets some kick with lemon and garlic! The sweet, pungent flavor of lemon combined with garlic makes for a hummus you won't be able to tear yourself away from! Pair it with pita and you have a quick and easy appetizer or snack.
Ingredients:
1 15oz can of Chickpeas
2 cloves of garlic crushed
3tbls lemon juice
3tbls olive oil
1 1/2 tsps tahini 

Preparation:
Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can.
Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor.
Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas.
Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.
Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.
Add a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well.
Serve immediately with Dutch crisp bread or a cracker of your choice.

You can adapt this recipe using dried chickpeas as follows.
Soak the beans the night before. Turns out great!
Some guidelines: ***
15 oz canned chickpeas is approx. 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas,
and approx. 0.5 cups dry (before soaking)
*** reserve the boiling water from the cooking process to use in place of the canning liquid in the last step of the recipe.

Easy Hummus Recipe:

Happy cooking Glo

Cheese, Onion and Potato Pasties

Another nice quick snack suitable for vegetarians, this rich shortcrust pastry melts in your mouth.  Doesn't take long to prepare and cook the only problem is they are very very scrummy.
                    

Pastry:                                  

6oz (170g) plain flour

11/2oz (42g) lard

11/2oz (42g) butter or marg

Cold water for mixing                           

Filling:

2oz (57g) butter

8oz (227g) onions thinly sliced

2 medium sized potatoes - thinly sliced and chopped ***

2oz (57g) cheddar cheese - grated***

2tsp sandwich seasoning***

1/2 tsp dill or mixed herbs

1/4 tsp paprika

beaten egg for glazing

Preheat the oven to 400'F; 200'C; Gas Mark 6

For the pastry - sieve the flour and seasoning into a bowl,

Add lard and butter and rub into the flour until it resembles fine bread crumbs,

Stir in enough water to form a soft dough (not too wet)

Roll out the pastry onto a floured surface cut into rounds the size of a saucer.

Make the Filling:  

                              

Melt the butter in a pan, add onions and fry until soft.

Leave to cool.

In a bowl add the chopped potato, grated cheese, onions dill and paprika. 

Mix well the ingredients well.

Divide the filling between your pastry rounds, brush the edges with egg and shape to form the pasty.

 
                          

Brush with beaten egg.

Place onto a greased baking sheet and cook in th eoven for approximately  20 minutes.

Serve hot or cold, either way they are both delicious.

*** If you can't get sandwich seasoning use pepper & salt sparingly.

***  I used two types of cheese just for extra flavour.

*** Don't want potatoes then do this:

Hard boil three eggs when cool mash into bowl and add the other ingredients, tastes just as good not quite so moist.

Happy eating glo.              

Chunky Apple Cake

This tender, moist cake is full of old-fashioned comfort, and the lovely brown sugar topping makes it special. For a festive occasion, top with a dollop of whipped cream or Creme fraiche.

An easy and 'yummy' cake when the mid-afternoon hunger pangs strike or after Dinner Desert.

Ingredients:

225g plain flour

110g butter or margarine

175g brown sugar

25g demerara sugar (for topping)

90g sultanas

3 medium - large dessert apples, peeled, cored & cut into chunks.

2tsp baking soda

1/2 - 1 tsp mixed spice

1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

2 eggs beaten
Method:

Grease and line a 20cm cake tin,

Preheat the oven 180°C / Gas 4,

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy,

Sift together flour, soda, and the spices,

Alternately add small amounts of the flour mixture and eggs,

Fold in the apples and raisins to make a stiff mixture,

Transfer the mixture to your baking tin and sprinkle the top with Demerara sugar,

Bake for about one hour or until the wooden or metal skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean,

Let cake stand for 10minutes and then carefully remove from tin, place on wire rack to finish cooling.