Cheesy potato scone with mustard baked beans & spinach



Use left over mash or boil 2 medium diced potatoes for 15 mins (200g). Drain and mash with a knob of butter. Stir in a handful of grated cheese and 60g plain flour to bind into a dough ball scone. Fridge whilst rinsing a handful of fresh spinach leaves and put them onto a microwavable serving dish. Drain 1 can of baked beans from it's juice and mix in 1 tsp english mustard into the beans. Put the beans on top of the spinach leaves.

Using high heat and 9" frying pan lightly brush with oil. Lightly dust the dough ball and flatten it into the frying pan pressing from the middle outwards to fill the pan. Use a fork to prick all over. After 4 minutes cooking, turn the heat off and flip the scone onto the other side. Leave the scone there whilst heating the beans mixture for 5 minutes in a microwave or cook on the hob. Serve.



Polenta Mock Pizza



Polenta can seem like a boring ingredient but you can jazz it up by making this mock gluten-free pizza meal. Easier to make than pizza dough.

Serve 4

Bring to boil one and a half pints veg stock. Reduce to a fast simmer. Add 1tbsp dried rosemary and sage. Gradually stir in 200g quick cook polenta (cornmeal) whisking the whole time or using a spatula. After three minutes there should be large bubbles and a really thick volumed mixture with no lumps which is why you should never stop stirring until it is ready.

Pour into a lightly oiled baking tray spreading the mixture out evenly about half inch thick using a spatula. Leave for at least 20 minutes until set. Can be left in fridge overnight for next day usage.

　

Prepare topping for each polenta mock pizza:

2 tsp red pesto, 8 olives (halved), half a sliced tomato with seeds removed, a handful of thinly sliced chorizo, a handful of sliced mozerella.

Brush oil into a large frypan. Cut the polenta into 4 servings. Using high heat fry one side for around 3 minutes until golden (carefully turn over with 2 flat frying spoons). Continue frying and place topping ingredients evenly on top in order above. Preheat the grill to high.

After three minutes remove from hob heat and place under the hot grill to melt the cheese. Sprinkle with dried basil to serve. This is filling and by the way, don't expect it to taste like dough pizza!

Experiment with your own desired toppings eg:

garlic and parsley instead of rosemary and sage with fried leeks, mushroom, feta cheese and chopped tomatos topping;

fried mushroom and onion topping.

For an alternative - make the polenta, omitting rosemary and sage;

when polenta is cooked stir in 80g grated parmesan cheese;

spread onto a baking dish,

top with a layer of chipolata sausages;

fried onion; sliced green frozen peppers, 4 crushed garlic cloves;

lastly top with 500g of your chosen pasta sauce and bake for 10 mins at 160fan.

Found a bag of cornmeal needing used up, new recipe on my Just Microwave blog:
Polenta Mock Bean Lasagne



 

Hot smoked haddock cous cous



Add to a saucepan half a finely diced carrot, half an onion, 2 crushed garlic cloves along with 1tbsp fish sauce and 300ml boiling water. Lid on & bring to boil. Remove from heat.

Add to the saucepan:

1 cup cous cous, 1 diced red pepper from a jar of roasted red peppers, 1tbsp sweetcorn, sliced green beans & peas, 1 sliced pointed cabbage leaf, 1tbsp diced kale, 1 tsp lemon juice.

Cut a portion of skinned smoked haddock about the size of the palm of your hand into bite sized pieces & place on top.

Lid on & bring to the boil again. Turn off heat and leave 15 minutes. Serve.

Bulghur Wheat snack lunch



Bulghur wheat isn't quite so boring when you mx it with simple flavours and vegetables. This snack is packed full of protein, adding frozen veg gives you your 5-a-day and kidney beans adds fibre. You don't even need scales as I've used a tablespoon for portion measures. Saves power to too by standing in it's own heat following a boil.

For one:

Lid on saucepan and bring to boil a small diced carrot and half an onion, with 8tbs (ie one american cup/4floz/120ml) of the following stock.

Make stock of your choice using one tbsp of either sweet chilli sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce or even worcester sauce made up to 8tbs with hot water.

Add 1tbsp of each frozen vegetable - sliced mushrooms, sliced peppers, peas, very small florets of cauliflower and brocolli, sliced green peppers, broad beans and 4 tbsp bulghur wheat.

Lid on saucepan and bring back to boil and add 1tbsp tinned red kidney beans, 1tsp lime juice and a good sprinkle of white pepper.

Lid on saucepan, turn off heat and leave for 10 minutes to allow the bulghur wheat to absorb the liquid. Serve with a sprinkling of dried basil.

Easy wholemeal loaf



NB: I sliced halfway through my loaf in the photogragh to show the baked texture.
It's even easier if you use a food mixer with the dough hook. It needs to be around 1000w as anything less generally does not allow you to knead for very long and this bread requires 10 minutes which is quite a long time by hand, but if you want the muscles and have the stamina go right ahead! Although to achieve maximum volume a mixer is best.

Don't expect the loaf to be like a shop bought one as in that case additives are added to reduce crumbs to allow for easy cutting, additives to increase volume and additives to prolong the shelf life. This loaf is simply natural and full of fibre.

Put 570g wholemeal flour into the food mixer bowl with 2tsp salt at one side and 1tsp light brown sugar along with 2tsp quick active yeast on the other side. Heat 14fl oz water in the microwave for 1 minute then pour half this onto the side of the flour where the yeast is. Use the lowest setting for 1 minute, adding the remaining water as it goes, turn up to next level for 1 minute; turn up to level 4 for 8 minutes when a nice dough will have formed around the hooks which will have come clean from the bowl. If you are kneading by hand allow 10 minutes.

Use a pastry brush for ease to lightly oil a 2lb loaf tin.

Stretch out the dough on a flat surface. Fold one edge to the centre and the other half over that. Place into the 2lb loaf tin pressing firmly around the edges. Put in a plastic bag with room at the top to allow for growth. You can use a damp tea towel instead of the plastic bag.

Leave at room temperature for 2 hours when the dough should have doubled in size. Heat oven to 200C, 180 fan and place a baking tray with half that level amount of water in the bottom of the oven which provides a steady stream of steam assisting baking the bread. Bake for 40 minutes. It is done when there is a hollow sound when tapping the bottom of the bread. Allow to cool before turning out.

If you want to use 2 x llb loaf tins bake for only 30 minutes.

Fibre

English Springer Spaniel Training New posts 6/8/15 - Walking with slip lead and harness leads 
and
Fleas, worms, clean and healthy

Secrets of my great toast & French Toast

 

 

I'm not being patronising by advising on how to make great toast as from experience when my mother had a young 17 years old carer my mother asked for a boiled egg. I had just arrived at mam's flat and the young girl seriously didn't know how to boil an egg and I had to explain to her how to do this.

My fool proof method for a hard boiled egg is use a small pan three quarters cover the egg with cold water and place on a hot hob for exactly 10 minutes. Plunge in cold water so your can peel it. If you don't to this obviously it will be difficult to peel but also the egg will continue cooking.

For a soft boil, when the water reaches boiling point turn the heat down to a simmer. For a really soft boil wait 3 minutes, 4 minutes for a just set white and cream yolk, 5 minutes for a white and yolk perfectly set with just a bit of centre squidgyness.

She also was unable to use or also work out how to use an electric tin opener. One of the reasons why my faith was a little destroyed by the capabilities of some carers left alone to get on with with caring responsibilities towards my mother. I still suffered from carer's fatigue. So the secret of great toast is:

Whilst bread made with wholemeal flour is undoubtedly a healthy version of a loaf fibre wise there's something about toast made with white bread even though toast made with a wholemeal loaf is still great.

I make my own bread and don't deprive myself so I alternate between the two. For example white bread contains more calcium so there are benefits to both. I am experimenting with all varieties of bread and shall be including new ones on my food blogs.



 

Simple white bread:
Sift 700g of strong white bread flour into a mixer bowl along with 1tbs salt, 1tsp easy active yeast and 1tsp sugar on top of the yeast. Heat 15fl oz of water in a microwave for 1 min - hand hot temperature. If using a mixer put half of the water over the yeast and mix for 1 min on first setting, add the rest of the water whilst mixing for 1 min on the second setting then 8 mins on 4th setting until a dough ball is formed. Otherwise hand knead for 10 mins.
Place bowl in an enclosed plastic bag with room at the top for expanstion and leave in a warm place for 2hrs to double in size.
Lightly punch dough a few times 'to knock it back'. Pat into a rectangle folding one end to the centre and the other on top of that so it will fit neatly into your 2lb loaf oiled loaf tin. Place tin back into your plastic bag and leave for 1hr at room temperature. Use a flat baking sheet to add a level amount of water and place this in the bottom of the oven to allow water to circulate in the oven whilst baking your bread. Bake in the centre of an over 424f, 220c, 200fan, gas 7 for 40 mins. Turn out, tap the bottom of the loaf and if it sounds hollow it is ready. Place upside down in baking tin and cook a further 5mins to make a nice crust to make great toast.

My easy wholemeal loaf

NB: I sliced halfway through my loaf in the photogragh to show the baked texture.

Microwaved Blackberry Jam:

Place 450g washed blackberries and 1tbsp lemon juice in a large microwavable bowl and microwave for 6 minutes until soft. Stir in 350g sugar. Microwave uncovered for 7 minutes. Remove and stir well. Microwave again for a further 7 minutes. Remove, stir then microwave for 2 minutes. Cool sightly until able to transfer into clean jars. Makes l lb.

• Make your own bread and jam.
• Cut bread into thick slices.
• Toast bread for exactly 5 minutes.
• Stand bread upright preferable in a toast rack. Why? Freshly made toast contains steam and if you place it vertically the steam escapes and the toast becomes crispy. Putting it on a plate means the steam is trapped underneath making it damp and soggy. If you don't have a toast rack just stand it against a jar or something.
• Wait until bread cools.
• Spread butter not to thickly main secret - onto the toast right to the edges of the bread.
• Spread an even coat of jam.
• Enjoy as soon as possible with a good mug of tea to wash it down but never make it ahead of time. Lush.

Expand your toast capabilities:

Great French Toast is impossible to resist. Unfortunately, in restaurants we too often receive a limp, soggy and eggy excuse for the real thing. It's just sad.

Well, if you want something done right, sometimes you just have to do it yourself! French toast is a perfect lazy Sunday brunch solution. It's quick and easy enough for a late weekend start in the kitchen, but still tastes special enough to merit a leisurely lingering at the breakfast table – the way weekend days are supposed to start off!

Tips that you can use to transform your everyday French Toast into a classic.


6 steps to better French Toast

1. Start with the right bread
Skip the wonder bread and get yourself started right with thick slices of Challah egg bread or brioche. Also, although the name might lead you to contemplate "French Bread" for your French toast, softer Challah or brioche is a much better choice.

Challah bread:

1 1/3 cups lukewarm water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
For the dough

4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 large egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt

1. Pour the water into a large bowl. Dissolve the sugar in the water add the yeast. Let stand for about 10 mins until bubbly. 
Or use 7g of quick acting yeast. 
2. Mix in 1 cup of the flour and mix well. Add the egg, oil and salt and mix to incorporate into the mixture. Gradually add more flour so long as too hard to stir and add more kneading by hand so long as you have a very slightly sticky ball of dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, knead for about 5 to 10 mins so long as the dough is smooth and elastic,
an electric mixer using the dough hook makes kneading less tricky with a soft dough.
3. Place into an oiled bowl and cover with a damp kitchen towel (or plastic wrap) for about 1 1/2 hours or so long as it has doubled in volume.
4. Knead the dough a second time for 2 minutes and shape into loaves. I divide the ball into two, and each half into three and braid them forming two braided loaves.
5. Put the loaves on a greased cookie sheet or baking stone and cover again, this time for about 45 mins until doubled again.
6. About 15 mins before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 350. Bake for 22-25 mins or until they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. You can brush the loaves with an egg wash and coat with sesame or other seeds if you wish or leave without a glaze for a more rustic look.

Steps to better French Toast

Use stale bread
Dry bread provides a much better platform for a French Toast. Cut as many slices as needed before you go to bed on Saturday night for a Sunday morning brunch and leave them out on the counter to dry. The slightly dried slices will soak up the custard much better than freshly cut slices.


Use thick slices of bread
The best French Toast is crispy browned on the outside and creamy rich on the inside. It's hard to achieve this contrast if using thin supermarket breads. Cut your slices almost a full inch thick for the very best French Toast.


Skip the milk and use cream instead
When you soak the bread in the egg mixture, you infuse the bread with a custard. Custards taste better when made with cream. For your next French Toast, substitute Heavy cream or half and half for the milk and see what a difference it makes.


If you like crunchy French toast, use a little flour in your egg/milk mixture. Try:

1 egg
3/4 milk
2 Tbls of sugar
1/3 cup flour
a pinch of salt
a tsp of vanilla
2 Tbls of melted butter
6 slices of bread

Use butter to fry, and use a lot of it
There is no substitute for butter when frying up some French toast. Butter flavour is needed here, and you need enough melted butter in the pan to ensure that your toast gets fried crisped, and not soggy steamed. If you're on a diet, don't eat French toast. If you eat French toast, you might as well do it right – so don't skimp on the butter!



If you're frying for a crowd, keep slices warm in a 300 degree oven as you cook. Serve with good homemade jam, real honey or real maple syrup and a icing sugar sprinkled on top.
Fibre

 

24/8/15 - New post in my Just Microwave blog - Orange Meringue Pie

 

I'm often left with eggs coming near the use-by date so I decided to use up some with this lovely pie. Can hardly believe it comes out perfect using a microwave and the orange is a novel twist on the usual lemon meringue pie. If you want the lemon version just use the rind of 2 lemons and 4fl oz lemon juice. It's a very easy to make pastry which doesn't need rolling!

 

3 ways for chicken stir-fry

 


Use the basic chicken stir-fry recipe then add one of the 3 different flavourings for 3 meal variations.

Basic chicken stir-fry:

To serve 4 - Cut 4 chicken breasts into 1.5 inch long strips. Finely chop or crush 2 garlic cloves. Peel 0.5 inch fresh ginger & cut into matchstick size. Trim a bunch of spring onions & thickly slice on the diagonal.

Heat 2tbsp oil in a wok over high heat until almost smoking. Add ginger & garlic & stir-fry 1 min. Add chicken & stir-fry 5 mins until browned. Add spring onions & stir-fry 1 min.

Choose one of the following flavourings to complete the stir-fry:

Chinese Chicken sweet & sour stir-fry:

Mix together 3tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sherry, 2tbsp tomato puree, 2tbsp rice vinegar & pinch of sugar, keep aside.

Add following to wok at spring onions stage of basic stir-fry -

drain water from 225g can of water chestnuts & cut in halves. 2 carrots peeled & cut into matchsticks. Continue to stir-fry 1 min.

Add soy sauce mixture & stir-fry 30 seconds. Serve garnished with shredded spring onions.

Chicken & Coconut stir-fry:

Add 400ml can coconut milk just after stir-frying the chicken, bring to the boil & simmer 1 min.

Add following to wok at spring onions stage of basic stir-fry. Finely shreddred 1 stem lemongrass & 100g peanuts stir-frying for 1 min. Stir in 4tbsp oyster sauce, 2tbsp fresh coriander & pinch of salt. Garnish with lime wedges & 1 tbsp fresh coriander to serve.

Chicken & fresh herb stir-fry:

Mix 1tbsp sesame oil, 2tbsp fish sauce or soy sauce, 2tbsp sherry & 3tbsp chopped fresh mint & 3tbsp coriander.

Stir it into stir-fry at spring onions stage along with 225g beansprouts for 3 mins. Arrange a few whole large iceberg lettuce leaves on plates & spoon stir-fry on them. Garnish with 1tbsp chopped fresh mint & 1tbsp coriander & cucumber slices.