tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25747338079281236892024-03-13T15:09:51.742+00:00Busy EatingI blog about the food where I'm from, the food where I'm at now and the food I want to taste in the future. This blog reflects all things I love, food and life. I hope you enjoy my journey as a Texan turned Londoner.Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.comBlogger197125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-14207006741308226732015-04-17T15:19:00.003+01:002015-04-17T15:19:53.358+01:00Green Chilli and Chicken Enchiladas Chicken enchiladas aren't something you really ever find on a Tex-Mex menu in the UK. If you do see them it's going to be some variation of the idea, but never a complete picture of the real thing. If I was going to stick true to my mom's recipe I'd only be able to follow the exact recipe whenever I came across an American product called 'rotel'. Rotel is a brand of canned tomatoes and green chillies. Slightly spicy, and mostly used in Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes. It's particularly good in queso but of course I never have it. <br />
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For any expats reading this, I have basically found a really easy way to make it. I drain a can of chopped tinned tomatoes, and roast two green peppers and a green chilli. After it's roasted for about 40 minutes in a 200C oven, I wrap the chillies and peppers in cling film until it becomes room temperature, then remove the cling film and the skin of the chillies and peppers just peel off. I take out the seeds of the green pepper, and reserve the seeds on the chilli to make it as hot as I'd like. Then mix it with the drained tomatoes. Voila! Instant Rotel. The good thing about it is you can make it as hot or mild as you want. Anyways, this is what you need for the chicken enchiladas recipe that I'm making of my mom's. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiom_WU1E7Q3dPjSmicEQ43zCbAscazPuq2p7spObN5Pb2AfKpWma9CXZM9MUxPbqYHUbcgAnLr9_BfdO5RCbFJ_VysDlHAUPiy_FuDNoR5ORXK5s8EyuxYqyg-fXSTdVjigxqR1oSqBcs/s1600/chickenenchiladas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="green chilli chicken enchiladas" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiom_WU1E7Q3dPjSmicEQ43zCbAscazPuq2p7spObN5Pb2AfKpWma9CXZM9MUxPbqYHUbcgAnLr9_BfdO5RCbFJ_VysDlHAUPiy_FuDNoR5ORXK5s8EyuxYqyg-fXSTdVjigxqR1oSqBcs/s640/chickenenchiladas.jpg" title="green chilli chicken enchiladas" /></a></div>
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Sometimes if can get to <a href="http://coolchile.co.uk/">Coolchile.co.uk</a> in the right season, they sell poblano peppers which are infinitely better in flavour when compared to green peppers. But since those are hard to come by, this is a really easy short cut to the recipe. And oh yea, I forgot to mention the other difficult part to this recipe. Corn Tortillas. Never in the UK have I ever tried to make enchiladas with the crap that Old El Paso tries to sell as corn tortillas. I have to order mine at about £2.50 a dozen from <a href="http://www.coolchile.co.uk/products/view/soft-corn-tortillas-x-13-2">CoolChile.co.uk</a>. Fair enough because they're the exact right kind I need for this recipe. I have linked to the exact ones I use for reference. They have a 'bakers dozen' I believe which is 13, so I that's what these make 13 fat enchiladas. Adjust as you like, but these are pretty authentic to my moms. <br />
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On another note, I usually do everything in advance and then just assemble on the day.<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
1 1.3kg small chicken boiled and deboned<br />
13 corn tortillas from coolchile<br />
350g mild lighter cheddar cheese finely grated<br />
1 large onion chopped in a food proc<br />
2 green peppers<br />
1 chilli<br />
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes drained<br />
750ml chicken stock – I used the liquid from the boiled chicken<br />
40g butter<br />
40g flour<br />
1 clove garlic<br />
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<b>To Start:</b><br />
Boil the chicken and debone. Of course you can use pre deboned chicken, you'll need about 500grams. I boil mine with onion, pepper, garlic and salt.<br />
Roast the bell pepper and chilli for 40minutes at 200C, wrap in clingfilm and wait till room temp.<br />
Dice and set aside.<br />
Grate the onion in a food processor.<br />
Grate the cheese on the fine setting, put in the fridge if not using immediately. <br />
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<b>For the Sauce:</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRt_lonqVLYQhPJ4mmiriuCE5AkmjNySOv4Cy5TVQ4oObDI7nmeoN3y6QHX2vzTz98ZnQ48FCklWOvUxl_eIqn3Ot8SBy-R8bdC0cdI44il4eSbdaJ9mUd71gl3OY0zddCoT1fYOqEbo/s1600/DSC_0394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRt_lonqVLYQhPJ4mmiriuCE5AkmjNySOv4Cy5TVQ4oObDI7nmeoN3y6QHX2vzTz98ZnQ48FCklWOvUxl_eIqn3Ot8SBy-R8bdC0cdI44il4eSbdaJ9mUd71gl3OY0zddCoT1fYOqEbo/s320/DSC_0394.JPG" /></a></div>
For the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan then add in the flour, and stir continuously for about five minutes to cook off the flour.<br />
Next take off the skin on the green pepper and remove any seeds (see instructions in paragraph), and chop finely.<br />
Stir into the butter and flour mixture until coated. <br />
Slowly add in the stock 250mls at a time, and add more when it boils thick. Add stock slowly and simmer until you get a thick sauce that covers the back of the spoon. You might need slightly less than 750ml, so eyeball it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1) spread some sauce around</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7wstdLs1zDonU0J33Pn4D3PTknefbsk7l0ORWqF5pEFXemUEvmxqMG8_jc6t8gumiQ6QdYVD5zQ6XI9PDZuqvict6C-Bra86bW0PM5oq6tn_0E0E_A_UkNVkOT8IKkVFshokJJGGsMI/s1600/DSC_0399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7wstdLs1zDonU0J33Pn4D3PTknefbsk7l0ORWqF5pEFXemUEvmxqMG8_jc6t8gumiQ6QdYVD5zQ6XI9PDZuqvict6C-Bra86bW0PM5oq6tn_0E0E_A_UkNVkOT8IKkVFshokJJGGsMI/s200/DSC_0399.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2) fill the tortillas</td></tr>
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<b>For Assmebly:</b> <br />
Spoon about a quarter to half a cup of sauce onto the bottom of the casserole dish and spread around so the enchiladas don't stick.<br />
Get your assembly station set up, cheese, grated onion, and chicken all in a row.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9lr_ZZHpa8cVoe3pnIgWLJzZPzO7nHZK-PNwlOZNsvUjoSsEsGLFK6O0b-TIR5Eax8QArP124Vtoa5ibJ8CK3rYD7JJwYM04T_7Ycy-SadwioIqCwvufgasV38651AaVqoB3zWI-9b4/s1600/DSC_0400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9lr_ZZHpa8cVoe3pnIgWLJzZPzO7nHZK-PNwlOZNsvUjoSsEsGLFK6O0b-TIR5Eax8QArP124Vtoa5ibJ8CK3rYD7JJwYM04T_7Ycy-SadwioIqCwvufgasV38651AaVqoB3zWI-9b4/s200/DSC_0400.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3) roll up and snuggle side by side</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvGa725W2IDVuReKwUQ5uEhELnSYvpFQCkBzzHgo6k9eEbyD1POPIoo64NtCwrTnpNwj9Onaf1yZBJrJPON6rHzHYnzx_sU086R1mlP7f9tBDW-FpoRlf_nXGFhyUI1QWFFmxnZ7W5_8/s1600/IMG_3168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvGa725W2IDVuReKwUQ5uEhELnSYvpFQCkBzzHgo6k9eEbyD1POPIoo64NtCwrTnpNwj9Onaf1yZBJrJPON6rHzHYnzx_sU086R1mlP7f9tBDW-FpoRlf_nXGFhyUI1QWFFmxnZ7W5_8/s200/IMG_3168.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4) Pour over some sauce </td></tr>
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Microwave tortillas 5 at a time for about 30-45 seconds until soft.<br />
***Make sure you leave about a third of the cheese for the top at the end.<br />
Pour over the sauce, (if you're using two dishes, make sure to appropriate enough for both), then next with the remaining cheese.<br />
Bake at 180C for about 40 minutes uncovered for 5 more.<br />
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Serve with rice, salad, and pinto beans.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXxM01BElq6qgbLc3DXXtkr45ybOkJKXdOje9pba_njLBArn9UP0WO5RA3wnXIuau85L3_sAOPRN9eCmEcdCOJ9r8gdMIf1HvbxsF8otPAPvP1-EdwJf3fvqxElWcR3jjAy21K04xvt0/s1600/IMG_3169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXxM01BElq6qgbLc3DXXtkr45ybOkJKXdOje9pba_njLBArn9UP0WO5RA3wnXIuau85L3_sAOPRN9eCmEcdCOJ9r8gdMIf1HvbxsF8otPAPvP1-EdwJf3fvqxElWcR3jjAy21K04xvt0/s1600/IMG_3169.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5) cover with cheese </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP35mLPqUxbY1Wpcg8sVnCH7j5Mu3XklUt_JBx7waJJLhvaaUXv4YbsfsBHRDwP_8B8Tx6pJx_zA_XMzoG22OG9oQIIMp3mB7djxs4f6bt_31zh-yl-fGLPPWzTMBUs7t2oJbFYIj7eBg/s1600/IMG_3171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP35mLPqUxbY1Wpcg8sVnCH7j5Mu3XklUt_JBx7waJJLhvaaUXv4YbsfsBHRDwP_8B8Tx6pJx_zA_XMzoG22OG9oQIIMp3mB7djxs4f6bt_31zh-yl-fGLPPWzTMBUs7t2oJbFYIj7eBg/s1600/IMG_3171.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6) Bake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjigXiLWXwgZDLY6LNHZ9xZIMX7Mpx3lf0dX_fwJc4HAFYcWfQyz0qyYV0N10kyNUpUXxnwcdMLicqss-NHStkKo9blRdTRYtd1zoLCWJaN1g8JZhNbLqEkaLvdrf3mqxrDk3n6S9gq96g/s1600/IMG_3174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjigXiLWXwgZDLY6LNHZ9xZIMX7Mpx3lf0dX_fwJc4HAFYcWfQyz0qyYV0N10kyNUpUXxnwcdMLicqss-NHStkKo9blRdTRYtd1zoLCWJaN1g8JZhNbLqEkaLvdrf3mqxrDk3n6S9gq96g/s640/IMG_3174.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ignore my cat towels :D</td></tr>
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Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-53731512431974371562015-04-03T18:18:00.000+01:002015-04-07T16:47:40.630+01:00G&G Garden Services in Bexleyheath Repaired My fence!Greetings readers. As you know my blog is primarily devoted to food but sometimes I have to go out of my way to give a review to a deserving company or service. Today I'm talking about a G&G Garden Services in Bexleyheath. Not being from the UK, and especially living out in the suburbs for the first time, it can be quite daunting to find services to fit your needs that provide value and quality service. <br />
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We moved into Bexley just over two years ago, and from the start there was a lot of gardening issues that needed to be addressed. The first thing we chose to do was have some Eucalyptus trees felled that were completely out of control. With the winds we get here, it's often dangerous to have trees grow so high. Not knowing who to use I just searched 'garden services Bexley' (the Borough we live in) and a few came up, including <a href="http://www.bexleygardenservices.co.uk/">G&G</a>. I contacted G&G via email and a price and date was discussed. On the day they turned up and in a matter of about an hour the two 60ft eucalyptus trees were gone, roots and all. Extremely happy with the services provided.<br />
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Two years later the fence was in serious disrepair, including a massive shed that was left behind that was full of rubbish and also added to by us including wardrobes and another old shed that we brought when we moved in etc etc! Lots of junk. Originally we thought we'd get a hire a skip to get rid of the junk and decided to look over some garden services that could perhaps suit all of our needs in one go. When I started to look through services in the area, G&G came up again, with all the services I needed. What impressed me most about their website was the photos of previous work and jobs they had done. In this day in age we focus primarily on visuals, and it's really difficult for me to go to a company without a properly working website, and photos to parade their work. I contacted Grant through text, but ended up querying on a form on their website which suited me better, and them I'm sure. I found them responsive and engaging, and they called me within two days discussing a date they could come out and price out the job and give me an idea of what was going on. They told me it would be a few weeks but it ended up only being a little over one week that transpired between first initial quote, and the start date. Fantastic.<br />
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At the start of the day, they turned up, nice and early, ready to go. They immediately took my fence panels off to put along the grass to protect what little grass was there and I thought that was considerate. They then got straight to work, doing whatever they do to get a fence in order, as I've said my knowledge is with food not how a fence works. As you can see from the photos below, I'm well pleased with the job they've done. They've been completely transparent the whole time bout what was involved in the work and how much it cost. I will definitely be calling on them for further services in the garden. Thanks G&G, and to their lovely employees! You can find them at their website <a href="http://www.bexleygardenservices.co.uk/">http://www.bexleygardenservices.co.uk/</a><br />
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Here are some photos that I documented their work some before and after action:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGDAFOvbw9dWI9I57TJ-4_Z3NBxQ9LjIq2Ebgm-DORIzNvvRgkX9f0O1LnulBIOvjHZqNKGwCGwgYO9J3iC6d2m_VPA-io8DPkX8TBOSbUvqNS2qNPKeTXjvg7mquaEHaZkHfSfYtvMY/s1600/DSC_0994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGDAFOvbw9dWI9I57TJ-4_Z3NBxQ9LjIq2Ebgm-DORIzNvvRgkX9f0O1LnulBIOvjHZqNKGwCGwgYO9J3iC6d2m_VPA-io8DPkX8TBOSbUvqNS2qNPKeTXjvg7mquaEHaZkHfSfYtvMY/s320/DSC_0994.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back part of the fence, with hideous shed and wonky corner post.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCBsPXO4-HyuEr9QIoLenKoj-tD_PpWQRBw4oEpx4ugtlHF0qrZou2tWjalpggKzV7u0yYje9gdpKObvNJP2m0xH8Qg1yBluijnwJ58Uxy-qm1F6Xn0Do9MCfDrMqFPiliCajRe2zrPg/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCBsPXO4-HyuEr9QIoLenKoj-tD_PpWQRBw4oEpx4ugtlHF0qrZou2tWjalpggKzV7u0yYje9gdpKObvNJP2m0xH8Qg1yBluijnwJ58Uxy-qm1F6Xn0Do9MCfDrMqFPiliCajRe2zrPg/s320/DSC_0001.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vines and bulging panels.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VsKKglt3YJp84E76fHBhyphenhyphenks5Nuf5Ojc_f-ZQ8yHm1HhAdFUoN9bF8xHd4POJEgN7oDoYDJXPf2kO31C46B1W4TMnQoYNWh3EaphZauwvGdA8UrEZ97NHf20f_X7I2AcM2HVEAgKEDAI/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VsKKglt3YJp84E76fHBhyphenhyphenks5Nuf5Ojc_f-ZQ8yHm1HhAdFUoN9bF8xHd4POJEgN7oDoYDJXPf2kO31C46B1W4TMnQoYNWh3EaphZauwvGdA8UrEZ97NHf20f_X7I2AcM2HVEAgKEDAI/s320/DSC_0003.JPG" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rubble behind the wonky shed.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-E5r1221yLS4Wl-o9I5WpD-rWwgW7ooy2Gepl1I809Lii6i3QzycaItZVIJvDhW_UvPv8580hmrmKipBduAcNDG3vGmxHHSkVndCoMuZRQaIx8UJxabKOrJ7lZnZG8b-aAicdiO19zo/s1600/DSC_0079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-E5r1221yLS4Wl-o9I5WpD-rWwgW7ooy2Gepl1I809Lii6i3QzycaItZVIJvDhW_UvPv8580hmrmKipBduAcNDG3vGmxHHSkVndCoMuZRQaIx8UJxabKOrJ7lZnZG8b-aAicdiO19zo/s320/DSC_0079.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">G&G working hard to get rid of that hideous shed, look at the horrible fence behind it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrHH-PN3B36EzNN7dwxr3icwHvRrsXgwHMz6jHs2lp-NJEZCAnTBmUlJUNTXOvTTfikMb1dL3k39ESVNrI4k1wb8Y2MqkBzoWfdT-3QhRaLNrMG2FzovOU3iMSJW1dPgqv5oRv7PZGvQ/s1600/DSC_0086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrHH-PN3B36EzNN7dwxr3icwHvRrsXgwHMz6jHs2lp-NJEZCAnTBmUlJUNTXOvTTfikMb1dL3k39ESVNrI4k1wb8Y2MqkBzoWfdT-3QhRaLNrMG2FzovOU3iMSJW1dPgqv5oRv7PZGvQ/s320/DSC_0086.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting it all cleaned up, after the shed got taken down. Those vines ruined the previous fence. :(</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoAnV9M2od8k-STxYGjL7fSvk7E9q7BQ3vmPufa8Rf9X_yJgqgw7AKDn3NpNpJTpoGBSt6OSvjD5feZpdJKd8yfQLfUdMmcdOMcKHNDFmKkMHGeDCKpHU2j5-70_QMrcQO9sfJXtWDeQE/s1600/DSC_0087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoAnV9M2od8k-STxYGjL7fSvk7E9q7BQ3vmPufa8Rf9X_yJgqgw7AKDn3NpNpJTpoGBSt6OSvjD5feZpdJKd8yfQLfUdMmcdOMcKHNDFmKkMHGeDCKpHU2j5-70_QMrcQO9sfJXtWDeQE/s320/DSC_0087.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All done and completed look from the back end! Love the space now w/o the shed!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDrtnu1IBCaEopSoILzXflgltbGSfG88BIdgnJ2733-bkUsoECyBw3ZPjxA5vg2SPImCVlwv1HsDnWaEF4PSvgvYOSosmOw9ci7Hf2MCat9WjUBV6UHbd-T9UIHXjVMNGom_AtpdnvQuk/s1600/DSC_0995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDrtnu1IBCaEopSoILzXflgltbGSfG88BIdgnJ2733-bkUsoECyBw3ZPjxA5vg2SPImCVlwv1HsDnWaEF4PSvgvYOSosmOw9ci7Hf2MCat9WjUBV6UHbd-T9UIHXjVMNGom_AtpdnvQuk/s320/DSC_0995.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bulge in the corner, and wonky fence post.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpq8tMjDLnnIPDqv0nLX0pszF2qAKbb3l5XR_wa71mTrjRvBlT5HAYdKM2A9SajaCH1a2cZ4pXqDnoUQT44Qz1tqX5eIbPRoF9XgyA1gFWxpWRDjTpjXl_mYpA2WqyOXP1HpSOiPbk4RA/s1600/DSC_0985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpq8tMjDLnnIPDqv0nLX0pszF2qAKbb3l5XR_wa71mTrjRvBlT5HAYdKM2A9SajaCH1a2cZ4pXqDnoUQT44Qz1tqX5eIbPRoF9XgyA1gFWxpWRDjTpjXl_mYpA2WqyOXP1HpSOiPbk4RA/s320/DSC_0985.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entire back corner, was in disrepair.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfmKfLplhvVmXLmprM_Gtv-bN0MhPW338tT4TKKVVayso0oYRSg4f_jri7tifEgOzgJ_BY0vAm1_lxzbOJCIBSUnln1OhY2fLXb26PrneVdLNDcUWq9EOUwlDXrGQ8KF3kRtLKGaUni20/s1600/DSC_0053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfmKfLplhvVmXLmprM_Gtv-bN0MhPW338tT4TKKVVayso0oYRSg4f_jri7tifEgOzgJ_BY0vAm1_lxzbOJCIBSUnln1OhY2fLXb26PrneVdLNDcUWq9EOUwlDXrGQ8KF3kRtLKGaUni20/s320/DSC_0053.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Removed the old panels, getting ready for the fresh wood!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNbK5DWl7LKXfIbNqBQl8RbTgfA9654qqE-2PwQkqDeuO4xfn-d5QTAvkXn5TT-VRiJlx77TLh14UIhkzb681i3C2qPGgRDiJjQ4W_oNeDmmexk5Pr2oob7Wq5gA_6asrqZjqwVo2Qojk/s1600/DSC_0057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNbK5DWl7LKXfIbNqBQl8RbTgfA9654qqE-2PwQkqDeuO4xfn-d5QTAvkXn5TT-VRiJlx77TLh14UIhkzb681i3C2qPGgRDiJjQ4W_oNeDmmexk5Pr2oob7Wq5gA_6asrqZjqwVo2Qojk/s320/DSC_0057.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">G&G fitting in the new gravel boards.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQeFAbTKKKUrYdQM_WIxX_K4VJUPLx5F8yLmuxNEyzhgVxeHbawK8a1KwdjhiujGjZdGDTD4x5_e0NEBrTICs1jiGSRxzNFMfdqN2CsArrYIhqFsrjsudwkzE0QSfENGCKizAwYXyqgU/s1600/DSC_0092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQeFAbTKKKUrYdQM_WIxX_K4VJUPLx5F8yLmuxNEyzhgVxeHbawK8a1KwdjhiujGjZdGDTD4x5_e0NEBrTICs1jiGSRxzNFMfdqN2CsArrYIhqFsrjsudwkzE0QSfENGCKizAwYXyqgU/s320/DSC_0092.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really impressed at how well this looks! That fence post is straight now, they dug it up and poured concrete in the proper way to repair it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKUfr9mYvdbSRFJsdsQGGlKdF7YEzbEhNr2fTNh7GzP7hIP_tmhKRbBbETdU6oepZnDBxF16aojnuK0clH-xAVIud3b2K3foyuhb-1fA2TptI65TeOJ8gArybE97XfddAxtz2pPZwMTc/s1600/DSC_0068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKUfr9mYvdbSRFJsdsQGGlKdF7YEzbEhNr2fTNh7GzP7hIP_tmhKRbBbETdU6oepZnDBxF16aojnuK0clH-xAVIud3b2K3foyuhb-1fA2TptI65TeOJ8gArybE97XfddAxtz2pPZwMTc/s320/DSC_0068.JPG" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Straight as a board ;P</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5plNyl-9m2T1Cxd0Gs4I5PNDepkwcAWEmcUcQEcGTbZcEdiphr_W9O37_8nNVKeDYjjc7WbeTyF6xWcgExu-Z0Tc1jJoK2GkhEjtmoB64EP5qv2er9azG8jeis1q1qBxnJs890YA2PM/s1600/DSC_0070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5plNyl-9m2T1Cxd0Gs4I5PNDepkwcAWEmcUcQEcGTbZcEdiphr_W9O37_8nNVKeDYjjc7WbeTyF6xWcgExu-Z0Tc1jJoK2GkhEjtmoB64EP5qv2er9azG8jeis1q1qBxnJs890YA2PM/s320/DSC_0070.JPG" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was before the back panel was done. Still looks great!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLOHpvRMrtmGuQTImht-GFrlSZ-xX-xyiMlDsiBRWkELZUG9dzIPy7LpfuLgWmFxwG5joJLQoTO4T8ySd12s_4xyKdkimFt1Hbxl_6PDabtXuXa12UOIkJKWstTCVXPOzr0kb_qbp9ljE/s1600/DSC_0069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLOHpvRMrtmGuQTImht-GFrlSZ-xX-xyiMlDsiBRWkELZUG9dzIPy7LpfuLgWmFxwG5joJLQoTO4T8ySd12s_4xyKdkimFt1Hbxl_6PDabtXuXa12UOIkJKWstTCVXPOzr0kb_qbp9ljE/s320/DSC_0069.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is one of the last photos I have that's visible without being behind big trees, or blocked by our other shed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Overall, I'm really happy with the work. There was one panel that was a little bit wonky, just a mistake in the building of it I imagine, but not a problem, I called them up and they were happy to sort it out. That's the kind of workers I want in my house. So if you're thinking about having them out for something I definitely would recommend them for anything!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jS-ifU17N9DdM3JcrCh1lW5tW_yOPqlY3Fa0rvi93D2ptHVoq1CYy83MlPbTokr1XrFpuxAsd0sAJfvKIJiNYQ26tnRNpAPGqr_OznNKYsyNqNdI3tDzoQQu3XXdYCgE47Oa7dHocbk/s1600/IMG_3178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jS-ifU17N9DdM3JcrCh1lW5tW_yOPqlY3Fa0rvi93D2ptHVoq1CYy83MlPbTokr1XrFpuxAsd0sAJfvKIJiNYQ26tnRNpAPGqr_OznNKYsyNqNdI3tDzoQQu3XXdYCgE47Oa7dHocbk/s640/IMG_3178.JPG" /></a></div>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com95tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-43013540724833161222015-03-17T14:06:00.001+00:002015-03-17T14:09:55.170+00:00Guinness Beef StewStew and soup are one of the few things that are on my favourites list of food to make. However DH absolutely loves them so from time to time I indulge him and make him something. I wanted to make something that resembled something for St. Patricks day although I totally get that this is definitely something that really only Americans indulge in. What I've learned from living in the UK, is that there are the four countries within the United Kingdom that celebrate their own patron saint on different days of the year. In England there is St George on April 23. In Scotland it is St. Andrew on November 30, and in Wales there's St David on March 1. The only one that that anyone actually remembers, myself included is March 17, which is St. Patricks day which everyone remembers from having to wear a bit of green at school or else you were pinched. That is probably such an American tradition that has fallen on deaf eyes/ears here in the UK. While I'm sure there are some Irish festivities going on, I barely hear a peep.<br />
<br />
With that said and enough of my really crap history lesson, I'm going to get on with my recipe that just happens to use Guinness in my weak attempt to pay my homage to the Saint. Like I said, I don't really like stew, but I do like a bit of Guinness, and there's nothing more Irish than Guinness and beef. This was incredibly easy as I cooked it in a slow cooker so it does all the work for you. There's a little bit of prep but once that is finished there's not much left to do other than sit and leave it to cook. You could absolutely do this in a cast iron cassarole dish and set it in the oven to forget but I'd much rather forget it in the slow cooker, I'm pretty sure it uses less electricity. I fully recommend getting yourself a higher welfare piece of meat. In my opinion it's just not worth it to eat meat unless you're giving the animal a piece of what it deserves, a better life and a better slaughter. Ok off my soap box. And to the recipe...this recipe will serve at least 6 and stretched to 8 if you have some extra sides and more bread. <br />
<br />
OH THE BREAD.. I almost forgot. So I decided to use a traditional BBC Recipe for soda bread by James Martin, but I wanted to add some roasted garlic and rosemary to just give it some extra flavour. The recipe is as follows exactly from the BBC Website with my additions. Enjoy! <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMgtjvzqv5cwPITN7RxuKpiQ8TGoZIjwDucN1dBqN2KsxrdMyH05-bg7AdrM0rgnpWLJ28hrXqms8qbsykL2gHpFAlSDYA1s4DgX20qjBr_gjKzDPz4VXqJ4s7lE_aU51w-IXiWxg47o/s1600/guinnessstew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Guinness Irish Stew with Beef" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMgtjvzqv5cwPITN7RxuKpiQ8TGoZIjwDucN1dBqN2KsxrdMyH05-bg7AdrM0rgnpWLJ28hrXqms8qbsykL2gHpFAlSDYA1s4DgX20qjBr_gjKzDPz4VXqJ4s7lE_aU51w-IXiWxg47o/s640/guinnessstew.jpg" title="Guinness Irish Stew with Beef" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect for dippin' some bread in!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Ingredients for the Stew:</b><br />
1kg slow cooking beef, like brisket or hind quarter<br />
1 large carrot<br />
1 parsnip<br />
1-2 onions<br />
2-3 cloves garlic<br />
1 200g turnip<br />
400g potatoes<br />
100g flour (in half)<br />
1 pint of Guinness<br />
500ml of beef stock<br />
2 tsp. Sunflower oil<br />
salt and pepper<br />
<br />
<b>To Start:</b> <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVdzcuBYg5gR8l08odcE4ydoMlkFIvApv4zeXR8NUZRlicHtX8Zyx8Or27-DDppNNxSB2j6RHZc5ptX7XskuRoiknw3nRxN0eOnhS2tr16Jw2Y9NpTiXAigiALw_-xlNK2mh7j1OTaq0/s1600/DSC_0884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVdzcuBYg5gR8l08odcE4ydoMlkFIvApv4zeXR8NUZRlicHtX8Zyx8Or27-DDppNNxSB2j6RHZc5ptX7XskuRoiknw3nRxN0eOnhS2tr16Jw2Y9NpTiXAigiALw_-xlNK2mh7j1OTaq0/s200/DSC_0884.JPG" /></a>Cut the meat in large chunks if not already, toss in salt pepper, and then in half of the flour to coat completely.<br />
In a large skillet heat the oil and then toss in the meat to brown on each side.<br />
Begin to peel the carrots, turnip and parsnip and cut up the onion in chunks.<br />
Add all of the vegetables including garlic to the browning meat, and turn up the fire to full wack.<br />
Add in the can of Guinness and bring to a rolling boil for 5 minutes.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0KSiEqbOEgIffdIpFM06NjNPe1xOEWMn8M6bZ-CAp11hMCOBx6wSLkomfkzGiXeTtvQ102EhhVHsJ4QI8XB_OwL0fTeoUa2zMf9IRTu-wCPx0Xi3XsRHDAFa3QpMZrxKllyXJ1sUYKI/s1600/DSC_0885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0KSiEqbOEgIffdIpFM06NjNPe1xOEWMn8M6bZ-CAp11hMCOBx6wSLkomfkzGiXeTtvQ102EhhVHsJ4QI8XB_OwL0fTeoUa2zMf9IRTu-wCPx0Xi3XsRHDAFa3QpMZrxKllyXJ1sUYKI/s200/DSC_0885.JPG" /></a>Next add in the stock and bring to a boil.<br />
Transfer to a crock pot on high heat for about 4hrs.<br />
At the end of four hours, go ahead and add the remaining 50g of flour with a little stock or water until it forms a thick paste, trickle in teaspoon at a time until the desired consistancy of stew is achieved.<br />
<br />
**Note: In the photo of ingredients, there's wine and pearl barley. I opted not to use these…<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4wYTXuCUxVqiErZ3ZUEthiVvN6ewR_pOZqL2wnKYBn_L67GQPaJqHbWNpo2P9IL80j8l6mNyfASXxD9CMb9eywA9qj_E0OCexKqtrNlOiwnV_fKgQNJJtpb5wio0HSJMYbhlwiNGB-k/s1600/DSC_0893.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4wYTXuCUxVqiErZ3ZUEthiVvN6ewR_pOZqL2wnKYBn_L67GQPaJqHbWNpo2P9IL80j8l6mNyfASXxD9CMb9eywA9qj_E0OCexKqtrNlOiwnV_fKgQNJJtpb5wio0HSJMYbhlwiNGB-k/s200/DSC_0893.JPG" /></a><br />
<b>For the Soda Bread:</b><br />
170g self raising wholemeal flour<br />
170g plain flour<br />
½ tsp. Salt<br />
½ tsp. Bicarbonate soda<br />
290ml buttermilk<br />
½ head roasted garlic<br />
1 tsp. Fresh chopped roasemary <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4Rk-xIVDMRVvglEA1cl5Ry9DDRIhuutHQegKEHwG0ATDtOYKSJxyJLl5DWKiHpxmh72X0hl9xVyIJv3CU9w7fx1EITzS3mrNbNJHLv-oPfnJiCjy9GUw4Ny3piKydStDJO3fawsjLa8/s1600/DSC_0900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Irish soda bread with roasted garlic and rosemary" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4Rk-xIVDMRVvglEA1cl5Ry9DDRIhuutHQegKEHwG0ATDtOYKSJxyJLl5DWKiHpxmh72X0hl9xVyIJv3CU9w7fx1EITzS3mrNbNJHLv-oPfnJiCjy9GUw4Ny3piKydStDJO3fawsjLa8/s640/DSC_0900.JPG" title="Irish Soda Bread with Roasted Garlic and rosemary" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>For the Garlic:</b><br />
roast a whole head of garlic chopped in half drizzled with olive oil wrapped in tin foil for about 45 minutes at 200C.<br />
Chop your rosemary.<br />
<br />
<b>Bread:</b><br />
When you're ready for the bread heat the oven to 200C.<br />
Stir together flours, salt and bicarb soda in a large mixing bowl and mix well.<br />
Next squeeze out the roasted garlic which is like a paste into the flour as well as the rosemary.<br />
Next pour in all the buttermilk and mixuntil a soft dough is formed.<br />
Shape into a round ball and cut a cross on top and place on a lightly floured surface and bake for about 30 minutes or until hollow sound inside.Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-41584450635270636942015-03-04T14:59:00.001+00:002015-03-04T16:59:22.250+00:00American Style Spicy Italian SausageOne of the things I miss the most from the states is American style Italian sausage. It might seem like such a oxymoron “American/Italian” sausage...but it's legit trust me. Thet hing is, this sausage is pretty much stricty an American thing, and I'm guessing it's adapted from the huge Italian culture in the north eastern United States. Either way, it's darn good and it's everywhere. It's fantastic because they put it in casings and you can grill it, or squeeze it out in your marinara, or lasagne. Really nice stuff. The point is they have nothing like it here in the UK and I've been missing out on it. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmxj8zYa_771QvrVhogBZDwWdlDnOdDdB3aux9l6DzOHafS-yabcxh3Vi4RB1dPYZHJ4ivqLL5uxWymEPFjxijTn5fvTv8Urd6g00hbFC-BDgP19-xuL-3DwyQY5LLey8Xs5KD-_7oTHM/s1600/italian+sausage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmxj8zYa_771QvrVhogBZDwWdlDnOdDdB3aux9l6DzOHafS-yabcxh3Vi4RB1dPYZHJ4ivqLL5uxWymEPFjxijTn5fvTv8Urd6g00hbFC-BDgP19-xuL-3DwyQY5LLey8Xs5KD-_7oTHM/s640/italian+sausage.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I decided to look through many recipes. Back home they have a sweet and a spicy kind and I opted to make mine the spicy kind. If you want to make it sweeter just add 1 tsp. Of brown sugar to the spice blend and get to mixin'. I used 500g of lean minced pork meat, which is about 1lb. You can double this easily too. I decided to make some meatballs for mine to go in a calzone (recipe to come), and then I froze the rest for later. The recipe makes about 10 meatballs, or would make a perfect bolognese for 4. Enjoy. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqiGu_v4IXx96RzvDAp4aweyRagoAyOB5JecJ2ff0msfZv6HmEeds_4-lmbESF_ND3ioJvrje2NtxO4-qVEWtxv5s4wpKsN7-X6vVJDTYy-WOzhJqNHOl40oTRIqOq4NbFFTl2dgtud0c/s1600/DSC_0929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqiGu_v4IXx96RzvDAp4aweyRagoAyOB5JecJ2ff0msfZv6HmEeds_4-lmbESF_ND3ioJvrje2NtxO4-qVEWtxv5s4wpKsN7-X6vVJDTYy-WOzhJqNHOl40oTRIqOq4NbFFTl2dgtud0c/s320/DSC_0929.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<b>Ingredients:</b> <br />
½ tbsp. Dried basil<br />
1 tsp. Dried oregano<br />
1 tsp. Paprika<br />
½ tbsp. Garlic powder<br />
1 tsp. Salt<br />
½ tbsp. Ground pepper<br />
1 tsp. Fennel seeds<br />
¼ tsp. Caraway seeds<br />
½ tbsp. Dried parsley<br />
1 ½ tsp. Dried red chilli flakes<br />
1 ½ tbsp. red wine vinegar <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3aBxf2VpqUxDN4jPWRdXJazC4wZviJLY7HSmkGUO9eetc_gcLCGeVj5h8__IRxC_8mFGVxb6Yqk3XZbsXh9GhDTtFWqbPAPqCdXZUU4J6ioKG62CbZOXhQ86tf3baoPWaeljURccl3so/s1600/DSC_0930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3aBxf2VpqUxDN4jPWRdXJazC4wZviJLY7HSmkGUO9eetc_gcLCGeVj5h8__IRxC_8mFGVxb6Yqk3XZbsXh9GhDTtFWqbPAPqCdXZUU4J6ioKG62CbZOXhQ86tf3baoPWaeljURccl3so/s320/DSC_0930.JPG" /></a><b>To Make:</b><br />
Mix all the spices and red wine vinegar with the pork mince and mix thoroughly with your clean hands for about 10 minutes until thoroughly combined.<br />
Split into two packages and freeze immediately, or use now. I don't care! :) <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbqDxn0pzix8EDPXF4YqtY4HdPv42Hje2k5xKdTF1CI826msyA_BpDMXfQQFoQgYa35kNtuU6JYrtVGDnFNoJGz4lV2TGF7CnPTZO-qQ_8wV8WTwYprXBaixs2IislUV5RsVkLOVVc9A/s1600/DSC_0931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbqDxn0pzix8EDPXF4YqtY4HdPv42Hje2k5xKdTF1CI826msyA_BpDMXfQQFoQgYa35kNtuU6JYrtVGDnFNoJGz4lV2TGF7CnPTZO-qQ_8wV8WTwYprXBaixs2IislUV5RsVkLOVVc9A/s320/DSC_0931.JPG" /></a></div>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-3768335196813725862015-02-27T15:16:00.002+00:002015-02-27T15:16:54.770+00:00Easy Bacon JamBacon jam. It doesn't really need much explaining. It's sweet and savoury and all things you could expect from two really wonderful things that you can put on bread. I found this especially delicious as an addition to cheese on toast, and just toast. <br />
<br />
Before I made the recipe fit my own standards I did a lot of looking at a lot of different recipes. I used what I had and what flavour profile I wanted to get out of it. I just happened to have a bottle of wild blueberry maple syrup so I decided to use that. I really think that anyone could get by without this and just use regular maple syrup and be just fine. I also decided at first that this would be a slow cooker recipe, but it just didn't transpire in translation when I actually went to make it. I made the first few parts or so in a pan, and then transferred. I was very impatient and did not want to leave this to boil away for 8 hrs!! Even though I gave it a go, but it was too slow!! So I just took it out, transferred it to a small pan and boiled the crap out of it until it was a sticky slimey yummy ooey gooey jam! The ingredients for this makes a small jar full, or about 10 servings (I use about a tablespoon per slice of toast). You could easily double it, and it would be a fantastic artisan gift! Enjoy! <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8DvtyQSaKoS7jnf_OPkqNW8qEcda5KbtC2HRj3XZa4IiirgP6Eol26DRJgo8yeHxfJTm-v0f4JQYBZc5cNzp2toRsCC3AIxpG1g6s8UQ6vB9Scw1NH6S5wpv5EiEH_j3_KpIVPBZYK4/s1600/baconjam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="bacon jam" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8DvtyQSaKoS7jnf_OPkqNW8qEcda5KbtC2HRj3XZa4IiirgP6Eol26DRJgo8yeHxfJTm-v0f4JQYBZc5cNzp2toRsCC3AIxpG1g6s8UQ6vB9Scw1NH6S5wpv5EiEH_j3_KpIVPBZYK4/s640/baconjam.jpg" title="bacon jam" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Particularly good with cheese! :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
400g smoked streaky bacon 1cm pices<br />
¼ c. dark muscovado sugar (regular brown sugar is fine)<br />
½ c. Jack Daniels Honey (regular Jack Daniels is fine too)<br />
¼ c. blueberry maple syrup<br />
½ c. espresso or coffee<br />
200g onions diced<br />
¼ c. apple cider vinegar<br />
4 cloves garlic<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyUQEhsWkBewNHXBvlx7JMJfw_90Zej4rc2YChZhSpAnurTaKNRkeSGJ4eaCmp1t11qFHPoD7TE03Nw1dnPb9r84AkJiJ6H7qRTznFS1sHz0o_13VqHUxU_dwsN2azCmQI52sifKNYyU/s1600/DSC_0835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyUQEhsWkBewNHXBvlx7JMJfw_90Zej4rc2YChZhSpAnurTaKNRkeSGJ4eaCmp1t11qFHPoD7TE03Nw1dnPb9r84AkJiJ6H7qRTznFS1sHz0o_13VqHUxU_dwsN2azCmQI52sifKNYyU/s200/DSC_0835.JPG" /></a></div>
<b>Method:</b><br />
Cut up all the bacon into small strips of 1cm.<br />
Dice the onion and garlic.<br />
Get a pan roaring hot.<br />
Start to render the fat on the bacon by placing them in the hot pan and stirring constantly.<br />
When your bacon is crispy and golden drain off all the fat either by spooning it out or using a lot of paper towels. Make sure you've got most of the fat out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjEmKHdrbr5MyaKXQ1lfBV1Sh_z8O7-VUJeOad3A3AYTJ0Yvy7daADTc4FmETrzJUEXCEnQOCfitGFQDKPaRvSOhE7YqcmApLvIuSGYtX4A_AkOTNafB8S-Peyae5YchvjQlyu0dp1CY/s1600/DSC_0839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjEmKHdrbr5MyaKXQ1lfBV1Sh_z8O7-VUJeOad3A3AYTJ0Yvy7daADTc4FmETrzJUEXCEnQOCfitGFQDKPaRvSOhE7YqcmApLvIuSGYtX4A_AkOTNafB8S-Peyae5YchvjQlyu0dp1CY/s200/DSC_0839.JPG" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAOiwtRAL7GZJLrnwLWDECc9JUJbhMVbQJgVV6yQVKKAEOsVjnFLGJiCwvEetYXLBIHJmC6_lNTceNXdczmFwSKgPK-1uTVvfesFOrIOy0nPMzMvIPjbcA4yzhDCXb19C7ZG46-wLSQk/s1600/DSC_0840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAOiwtRAL7GZJLrnwLWDECc9JUJbhMVbQJgVV6yQVKKAEOsVjnFLGJiCwvEetYXLBIHJmC6_lNTceNXdczmFwSKgPK-1uTVvfesFOrIOy0nPMzMvIPjbcA4yzhDCXb19C7ZG46-wLSQk/s200/DSC_0840.JPG" /></a><br />
Next add in the onions and garlic and stir fry for about 5-10 minutes on medium heat.<br />
Next add the muscovado sugar and stir through until you have coated the onions and it's starting to look sticky.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfBC7Bo0Mh_QwJNstpl5L7RLCjRudnm_5RaYrcmMkDEQFrXheLnryliQ8W315-admReCMCQmUmk8yKpI4FmspL6mTo3Qm3q4VTIIex6SR5fl_d1d61mxo0x98_Jt-CfkdrnYPERtMwO0/s1600/DSC_0851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfBC7Bo0Mh_QwJNstpl5L7RLCjRudnm_5RaYrcmMkDEQFrXheLnryliQ8W315-admReCMCQmUmk8yKpI4FmspL6mTo3Qm3q4VTIIex6SR5fl_d1d61mxo0x98_Jt-CfkdrnYPERtMwO0/s200/DSC_0851.JPG" /></a>Crank up the heat and add in the Jack Daniel's until reduced by half, then add in the maple syrup, coffee and vinegar.ink<br />
Bring up to a rolling boil and then turn down and simmer stirring frequently for about 1hr or unti all of the liquid is gone and you just are left with jam.<br />
<br />
*****Note: did not use a slow cooker a<br />
fter all, even though it shows one in the photo<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraJZpNFF2m7Fl7v3QYZRSTIKaGoNwy0-XlyOUUxdfUO336M3k8J5eYiHjZ1vDwVy3PqAkjZ44lEunZqkje_hD3qU1SgFwY9WlfUZR6ZMubOcsIu2Twt8mM5KHRY-9h4u0ThgGEYA6sOM/s1600/DSC_0852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraJZpNFF2m7Fl7v3QYZRSTIKaGoNwy0-XlyOUUxdfUO336M3k8J5eYiHjZ1vDwVy3PqAkjZ44lEunZqkje_hD3qU1SgFwY9WlfUZR6ZMubOcsIu2Twt8mM5KHRY-9h4u0ThgGEYA6sOM/s200/DSC_0852.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-49735146224475678002015-02-24T17:25:00.001+00:002015-02-24T17:25:58.001+00:00Easy Chicken Mexican PizzaOk, so there's nothing gourmet about this dish. It's just a simple craving that I had and I know that this isn't even close to the real thing. Sometimes you just want junk on a Friday don't you? Back hom we have 'Taco Bell', I have't really been there in probably 10 years or so but sometimes I get a hankering for the idea of things. For this it was their 'Mexican Pizza', simply put a few tortillas with beans, grouned beef, some spices and cheese. I'm sure that this is utter garbage and will make your stomach churn with discomfort at the thought of the calories and nutrirtional value but I decided to do my own take on it. Obviously taking inspirations from all places sometimes leads to really good ideas!<br />
<br />
Anyways, back to the recipe. For me, I decided to go with chicken on this one, and decided to take inspiration from my mom's chicken tacos, which I remember as a kid and really miss the flavour. I'm sure I can't recreate it near as good as I'm lacking in most of the spices, but you boil the chicken until well done, let it cool, debone it and then refry it with a bit of the water it poached in and some spices. Probably not the easiest dish I've ever made on a Friday as it was a bit time consuming with the chicken but if you wanted to do something else that's easier, like mince beef, or even precooked chicken that you buy, anything will work. I also mashed my own beans which makes a bit more work but I enjoy it anyways. So here's my Mexican Pizza as inspiration for a plethora of any other ideas you might have. This recipe serves two but could easily be made to suit your needs. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfV7Wa1uAZZ6lrM-xCgJJa1SurtXiU-NLznGPcuvnB2jPgX0YzCgX_8wcMecUwkeVSrs5sPT-K5cAHtEtq4g8COP65MwBF6vA8N922L28lT5-QG20WLnOaDBgKZHODZAxW2TFR2CLzr2k/s1600/mexicanpizza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Chicken Mexican Pizza" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfV7Wa1uAZZ6lrM-xCgJJa1SurtXiU-NLznGPcuvnB2jPgX0YzCgX_8wcMecUwkeVSrs5sPT-K5cAHtEtq4g8COP65MwBF6vA8N922L28lT5-QG20WLnOaDBgKZHODZAxW2TFR2CLzr2k/s640/mexicanpizza.jpg" title="Chicken Mexican Pizza" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, I forgot the sour cream in the photo! MMM</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
200-300g cooked chicken meat (from about 500g boned meat)<br />
1 400g black beans<br />
2 onions<br />
4 tortillas<br />
1-2 cloves garlic<br />
1-2 tbsp chilli powder<br />
1 tsp. Cumin<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigUXB7Sp-u7UyUJO3dROzPtQkTeRnfulIgtrdjgsO5lk6chRy3AvP3cZh-i1km2VlBNBMjGAZzcPLi3gkIxXSCY3D2KYbUwmx5GWtkFCIUT15LFDnE7_mhk1oWz20oWg01FViWcgDbckk/s1600/DSC_0687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigUXB7Sp-u7UyUJO3dROzPtQkTeRnfulIgtrdjgsO5lk6chRy3AvP3cZh-i1km2VlBNBMjGAZzcPLi3gkIxXSCY3D2KYbUwmx5GWtkFCIUT15LFDnE7_mhk1oWz20oWg01FViWcgDbckk/s200/DSC_0687.JPG" /></a>salsa to taste<br />
150g shredded/grated cheddar<br />
chopped scallions, lettuce and tomatoes for garnish<br />
Guacamole and sour cream to serve<br />
<br />
<b>To Start:</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFMEgiKd0eAD0hZwN508Ai0TelTwfxHjI8XavGTbpKtXHPLK9bIofFluhAK_K-2x2XvZX_q6OF6djYv6Droubz4u8upEuG4xpg1qc8vXZVeDNECKkY-WLS6mZPJndW7PK3qdgIo64Y2Q/s1600/DSC_0691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFMEgiKd0eAD0hZwN508Ai0TelTwfxHjI8XavGTbpKtXHPLK9bIofFluhAK_K-2x2XvZX_q6OF6djYv6Droubz4u8upEuG4xpg1qc8vXZVeDNECKkY-WLS6mZPJndW7PK3qdgIo64Y2Q/s200/DSC_0691.JPG" /></a>I started by boiling the chicken for about 45 minutes with onions, garlic salt and lots of pepper. <br />
Take it out and cool it for about 30 minutes before deboning.<br />
While all this is going on, open a tin of beans and drain until almost all the liquid is out.<br />
Place in a small sauce pan and turn the heat on high and mash with a masher, adding the cumin and 1 tbsp of chilli powder.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3QAVYuAp-JiiXC64Ptq51eMQJ9g6Ysw_IS44_LA0x1anCQyNdvPOB-ozMuTsqNnJPD6bLTjJ5nTJtz3qTKpcIz2GOEIX6xGdXXPijaHGI5y-tbDdcvk1nJXezfPkwipLdwCM8FBUPEmk/s1600/DSC_0693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3QAVYuAp-JiiXC64Ptq51eMQJ9g6Ysw_IS44_LA0x1anCQyNdvPOB-ozMuTsqNnJPD6bLTjJ5nTJtz3qTKpcIz2GOEIX6xGdXXPijaHGI5y-tbDdcvk1nJXezfPkwipLdwCM8FBUPEmk/s200/DSC_0693.JPG" /></a>You can add small spoonfuls of the chicken stock water if it gets too dry. If there is too much liquid just continue to slowly boil it off.<br />
Cook these until a nice creamy consistancy and then turn off the heat.<br />
For the chicken, when deboned place in a pan with a little bit of the broth, a freshly chopped onion and garlic and 1 tbsp of chilli powder.<br />
Boil on high for about 10 minutes continuously adding the broth to keep the chicken hydrated.<br />
<br />
<b>To Assemble:</b><br />
Fire up the grill to full blast and line a baking tray with foil.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ReByKoO8jAjoNKbWKHTzAcC5ErLqsRGNcasj7SPXp6Cgn71fH9AZCc3xDN6FO2NrgQaWZgOOgVS22jBFOv0l8t1tccgzlKuzfWQ9sCSQM4D9rjSBXPlp2Llh6FAVEcHMzw9AWwBSSuc/s1600/DSC_0694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ReByKoO8jAjoNKbWKHTzAcC5ErLqsRGNcasj7SPXp6Cgn71fH9AZCc3xDN6FO2NrgQaWZgOOgVS22jBFOv0l8t1tccgzlKuzfWQ9sCSQM4D9rjSBXPlp2Llh6FAVEcHMzw9AWwBSSuc/s200/DSC_0694.JPG" /></a>Place the tortillas under the grill for a few seconds to get heated through.<br />
Spread the bean mixture over the tortillas.<br />
Next pile on the chicken and cheese and put under the grill for a few minutes or until cheese is melted.<br />
Top with the other tortilla and spread salsa and more cheese and put under the grill again to melt<br />
Finish with scallions, salad, guacamole and sour cream. <br />
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Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-13256013607155977532015-02-19T15:13:00.003+00:002015-02-19T15:14:24.837+00:00Authentic Tex-Mex SalsaSo the thing with salsa is, everyone and their mom has their own recipe to calltheir own. I am no different from this. In fact, almost every time I make salsa, it ends up being a different variation of this recipe. Simply because salsa is something you make with what you have. Sometimes you might not have fresh coriander, or sometimes you're out of fresh tomatoes and want to use a tin. I don't care what way I make it as long as I have some on my breakfast tacos. Oh yea, breakfast tacos, that's something that Brits will never get. Breakfast tacos are a thing, call it a wrap, call it a burrito, but get on this. It will change your life after you scramble up some eggs with bacon or potato and throw it in a tortilla and shove it in your gob, with some salsa of course. The possibilities are endless with salsa. Anyways, I love salsa. Lets get on to the recipe. <br />
<br />
*Disclaimer –I can not verify these chips. They're Doritos lightly salted, which back home would be an absolute travesty to use with chips and salsa, but being in the UK Doesn't afford me much luxuries in the corn tortilla department. This is also something we need to get on as a nation. #soapbox over.<br />
<br />
Anyways, lets get to it. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP11jarNXYH1YHVwMEUmwDvwEEqITkm2ftttF1HDfRvvfHW3blbChSI4syOhS8jlfsfK41RLNGmgeZ7C9IHRhgdVhPfdS3yIXpxRQl7ODdXJdxcgEWGakcImSt6XVI8B0O_x51ex6UmOk/s1600/salsa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="authentic tex-mex salsa" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP11jarNXYH1YHVwMEUmwDvwEEqITkm2ftttF1HDfRvvfHW3blbChSI4syOhS8jlfsfK41RLNGmgeZ7C9IHRhgdVhPfdS3yIXpxRQl7ODdXJdxcgEWGakcImSt6XVI8B0O_x51ex6UmOk/s640/salsa.jpg" title="authentic tex-mex salsa" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicious with chips and a margarita!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTFMm6iwnaAKcypKNtd4vNJJolQ1mc8tgPgh5QYrZkNHlcWlxYWtSY57quzOstgdw9vYdphz6H11Pud4vI1LGBIeMcrhl3Mb1U8nO6ow-kB42OLD4AH97Ow7hZSCluVPMEfHRO0LEhRfY/s1600/DSC_0606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTFMm6iwnaAKcypKNtd4vNJJolQ1mc8tgPgh5QYrZkNHlcWlxYWtSY57quzOstgdw9vYdphz6H11Pud4vI1LGBIeMcrhl3Mb1U8nO6ow-kB42OLD4AH97Ow7hZSCluVPMEfHRO0LEhRfY/s640/DSC_0606.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a>400 ripe tomatoes <br />
½ green pepper<br />
1-2 chillies <br />
3 cloves garlic<br />
1-2 onions<br />
A couple of handfuls of coriander (cilantro)<br />
Pinch of cumin (optional)<br />
1 tsp. Ground pepper<br />
1 tsp. Salt (or to taste)<br />
<br />
<b>Method:</b> <br />
First chop up the chillies, pepper, garlic, onions and half the coriander.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpbJGvmhqXkrEsJLnfnvltgh16QtdL7TzyqPzhsI3jop5dnIRww3lFXqkCek8V2eZA2D5Lg1WZYJRqv_2SbXuEf3gzDPeTSOL1ZpCpR47-U4F2GaVBosY53jU7g9yJcui0kP-hiEmo-c/s1600/DSC_0616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpbJGvmhqXkrEsJLnfnvltgh16QtdL7TzyqPzhsI3jop5dnIRww3lFXqkCek8V2eZA2D5Lg1WZYJRqv_2SbXuEf3gzDPeTSOL1ZpCpR47-U4F2GaVBosY53jU7g9yJcui0kP-hiEmo-c/s640/DSC_0616.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a>Put in a saucepan to boil with about 300ml of water.<br />
Add some salt and the pepper.<br />
Bring to a boil and boil vigorously until the pepper has faded from bright green to dark green or the water is evaporated by more than half.<br />
<br />
<b>To Finish:</b><br />
Chop up the tomatoes into big chunks and boil them for about 5 minutes until soft.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXemizBPaCa6-b1Sx3KOcUXLhAKBx_bw35gQ_4TdY8yU5Lvm6K2mF1u8Qhbqwxh48qpkuMigfcAK-kgNpGTUK1frYnYzDr0Qb0Zam11dJ25vORVs5Ij3EkwvibiV8fh1eIIT6G_nZwKI/s1600/DSC_0620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXemizBPaCa6-b1Sx3KOcUXLhAKBx_bw35gQ_4TdY8yU5Lvm6K2mF1u8Qhbqwxh48qpkuMigfcAK-kgNpGTUK1frYnYzDr0Qb0Zam11dJ25vORVs5Ij3EkwvibiV8fh1eIIT6G_nZwKI/s640/DSC_0620.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a>Then set aside, to cool for about 20 minutes.<br />
Use a hand blender to blend it up into a nice runny consistancy. <br />
You can leave it chunky but for purposes of being authentic we want a nice watery texture.<br />
Check for seasoning and serve with some chips and drink my <a href="http://www.busyeating.com/2015/02/blood-orange-lemon-pineapple-and.html">pineapple cocktail</a>! <br />
<br />
*Note - depending on your ingredients, this salsa will come out more red or more green, or sometimes if you use tinned tomatoes it will be a lot thicker.Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-75364764059608976132015-02-16T18:41:00.000+00:002015-02-16T18:41:02.989+00:00Super Easy Thai Style MeatballsI really like meatballs. They're super easy to make and really good to take to a party for appetisers and best of all they're really cheap. You can throw just about anything into some mince meat and come up with some pretty fantastic combinations! I happened to have some pork mince and some Thai style ingredients leftover from a green curry that I made and I wanted to experiment! <br />
<br />
I also put together a little BBQ style sticky glaze to go on top which was really yummy and tasty. I glazed the meatballs at the last five minutes of cooking and then used the rest as a dipping sauce and it was really delicious. <br />
<br />
It's really easy to make meatballs in the oven in muffin tins. Just spray a bit of nonstick spray and toss em in! It's a nice trick instead of frying them in a pan with lots of oil. Just let them cool completely before you scrape them out! The glaze that I made to go over them would go with a wide variety of things including chicken wings and BBQ ribs with an Asian flare. This recipe makes about 15 meatballs, but obviously can be doubled and trippled! Enjoy! <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLDKjTCDQsyJCXG5PAq7Tx5SUXDxsGy56Pufl9aF56OD_fZcbxUSO0wh6asKZDk4kpWitTWFs9jfBM20ajotj0_M5Craak33sv5Ws9lDgiKZGx1tnkgCMIRt2AjnrY_9CfxH6ji0ekh0/s1600/thaimeatballs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Thai style pork meatballs with sticky glaze" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLDKjTCDQsyJCXG5PAq7Tx5SUXDxsGy56Pufl9aF56OD_fZcbxUSO0wh6asKZDk4kpWitTWFs9jfBM20ajotj0_M5Craak33sv5Ws9lDgiKZGx1tnkgCMIRt2AjnrY_9CfxH6ji0ekh0/s640/thaimeatballs.jpg" title="Thai Style pork meatballs with sticky glaze" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time to party!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUFqhkuqSh4clefMHvCu8PDaGY3MisR2l2cUteD4Vj-haYeLh8ypub9p-_UOcxLo4u5DqhTobpY9kk6hnasVts9CEDZEpZEtRD9NbYEN9SYrzZNsWmqTKnhcvAKu_7i33uq8-fCubQ_I/s1600/DSC_0614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUFqhkuqSh4clefMHvCu8PDaGY3MisR2l2cUteD4Vj-haYeLh8ypub9p-_UOcxLo4u5DqhTobpY9kk6hnasVts9CEDZEpZEtRD9NbYEN9SYrzZNsWmqTKnhcvAKu_7i33uq8-fCubQ_I/s200/DSC_0614.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a><b>Ingredients for the Balls:</b> <br />
250g lean pork mince<br />
1 tsp. <a href="http://www.bart-ingredients.co.uk/ingredient/lemongrass">Bart lemon grass paste </a><br />
2 tbsp. Chopped green onions<br />
1 egg<br />
1 tsp. Grated ginger<br />
1 tbsp. Chopped coriander<br />
¼ tsp. Korean red c hilli flakes (optional)<br />
½ red chilli (depending on how spicy you want it)<br />
1 garlic cloved minced<br />
½ tsp. Salt<br />
1 rice cake (I used this for binding, you can use a slice of bread)<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>For the Sticky Glaze:</b><br />
¼ c. hoisin sauce<br />
3 tbsp. Brown sugar<br />
¼ c. sweet chilli sauce<br />
2 tbsp. Soy sauce<br />
2 tbsp fish sauce<br />
2 cloves garlic minced<br />
1 tsp. Freshly grated ginger<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCpcbzgeKqKFkR7EB05tvSV-SYHDmJ-DUNjRKKVQrkz-sr5Q2hviiCfstrPGmTdPotywl77x2g0E6nV2uCN3vMH-TgSJ7VoLHQc1ihFfHiYManNviHHJKcRwlhOVAuGE-sbGudY4zT7Xo/s1600/DSC_0618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCpcbzgeKqKFkR7EB05tvSV-SYHDmJ-DUNjRKKVQrkz-sr5Q2hviiCfstrPGmTdPotywl77x2g0E6nV2uCN3vMH-TgSJ7VoLHQc1ihFfHiYManNviHHJKcRwlhOVAuGE-sbGudY4zT7Xo/s200/DSC_0618.JPG" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDgMsE7va06Zhg0_I6JzQfhyphenhyphenPaZHb5BN7cVpSrb1aXaZxdTYj2WMY0mM5pRE3A7lTLFBNZ1zOtcpE3RJDzfuTaJ8MiaBPCEcookfraa4oZk9FQTznblsI7H4DQzWTY1kcVmIDf8vkn4S4/s1600/DSC_0622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDgMsE7va06Zhg0_I6JzQfhyphenhyphenPaZHb5BN7cVpSrb1aXaZxdTYj2WMY0mM5pRE3A7lTLFBNZ1zOtcpE3RJDzfuTaJ8MiaBPCEcookfraa4oZk9FQTznblsI7H4DQzWTY1kcVmIDf8vkn4S4/s200/DSC_0622.JPG" /></a><br />
<b>For the Balls:<br />
</b>Preheat your oven to 200C <br />
Get your ginger grated, chop the coriander, chilli, green onions and garlic.<br />
Mix the pork with all of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.<br />
Spray a muffin tin with nonstick spray, and roll the mixture into balls and place in there.<br />
Cook for 15 minutes.<br />
Then glaze and cook an additional 5 minutes.<br />
<br />
<b>To make the Glaze:</b><br />
While the balls are cooking in the oven, mix all of the ingredients together in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.<br />
Turn down and simmer for about 5 minutes.<br />
Next turn off heat and use for the glaze or dipping.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWP7GKOTQp0wMnatXcwJhRu9IAwzpB3Txo4fiorYkuVMzq1Z2nf1iHJPgRG7VgbKxAUJsJjCCp0lBM875t-6vlumT9cQS3wjkORQsFnJY5056Vk2DJ4zz6LihYYyaSeE_IcI5N6w69KqA/s1600/DSC_0632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWP7GKOTQp0wMnatXcwJhRu9IAwzpB3Txo4fiorYkuVMzq1Z2nf1iHJPgRG7VgbKxAUJsJjCCp0lBM875t-6vlumT9cQS3wjkORQsFnJY5056Vk2DJ4zz6LihYYyaSeE_IcI5N6w69KqA/s640/DSC_0632.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They make great party food!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-38392475034006296232015-02-13T15:44:00.001+00:002015-02-13T15:45:03.846+00:00White Chocolate w/ Basil and Milk Chocolate Dipped StrawberriesFor as long as I can remember, I have always gotten chocolate dipped strawberries around Valentine's day at my neighbourhood HEB store back in Texas. Who needs a holiday to like chocolate dipped strawberries? I sure don't! I decided I would try my hand at them just for funsies because I know a lot of other people want to do special things for their loved one on this particular time of year. I just want to eat them all, and I think I will try them again when strawberries are at their best and in season. I had such a fun time making these, I really got dirty and got to lick all of the chocolate off my fingers, it was great. <br />
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I decided to use milk chocolate and white chocolate, and for added fun I chopped up some fresh basil finely and sprinkled it on top of the white chocolate dipped strawberries. What a nice treat! It is a nice compliment together but you could use things like mint or taraggon. So many times we think of herbs as savoury and only mint gets used in sweet things. Well not today folks! Go on then give em a try!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9HyrMLdczwXn2doRiQLY_KfYXfUZ_SnsA_2L-KHjo2_wZdIN4AcYbcSyO_CDlpBb7-5plHBWuFRH78QSEcFSnAscBzC0YIcby9wLZo-znCvPZx6-j9NWp_tqcWbvsw1QdR4GD8ITqw0/s1600/strawberries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="White Chocolate and Milk Chocolate dipped Strawberries" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9HyrMLdczwXn2doRiQLY_KfYXfUZ_SnsA_2L-KHjo2_wZdIN4AcYbcSyO_CDlpBb7-5plHBWuFRH78QSEcFSnAscBzC0YIcby9wLZo-znCvPZx6-j9NWp_tqcWbvsw1QdR4GD8ITqw0/s640/strawberries.jpg" title="White Chocolate and Milk Chocolate dipped Strawberries" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yum!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNko-welBp0JpKhZqh2zpcEXundPWBs-RLAXd7_Ln6QVS1Zev7VY5plUEzT2RPoluK6R-dTDBbHMR-FkN9o3YCm3J4OBOOJ0EPwCPA9McNZ7obR7YF3ap-LSuICk9smdkAI7qklAKKag/s1600/DSC_0816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNko-welBp0JpKhZqh2zpcEXundPWBs-RLAXd7_Ln6QVS1Zev7VY5plUEzT2RPoluK6R-dTDBbHMR-FkN9o3YCm3J4OBOOJ0EPwCPA9McNZ7obR7YF3ap-LSuICk9smdkAI7qklAKKag/s200/DSC_0816.JPG" /></a><b>Ingredients:</b><br />
1k fresh strawberries washed and dried thoroughly<br />
100g <a href="http://www.greenandblacks.co.uk/our-range/Bars/White-?p=2610&c1=1559#first">Green & Black's white chocolate</a><br />
100g <a href="http://www.greenandblacks.co.uk/our-range/Bars/Milk?p=2666&c1=1559#first">Green & Black's milk chocolate</a><br />
A few basil leaves<br />
2 medium heat proof pyrex dishes<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>To Start:</b> <br />
Chop up your basil.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiV-psKnvTOO-E3vxyu2563USnamx3CGi4I1b7o_avkPu0T0VQPD1Ovmz7dWkcdUgdNFqvKAooXuNPI-p2rN61-gJtWoFB7E9x_pEDxKwlAk5S7eJgZbu92gg462A-rPsWqxHGhu2u7BQ/s1600/DSC_0818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiV-psKnvTOO-E3vxyu2563USnamx3CGi4I1b7o_avkPu0T0VQPD1Ovmz7dWkcdUgdNFqvKAooXuNPI-p2rN61-gJtWoFB7E9x_pEDxKwlAk5S7eJgZbu92gg462A-rPsWqxHGhu2u7BQ/s200/DSC_0818.JPG" /></a>Set up a double boiler by getting a small saucepan with about 1 inch of water on the hob to simmer.<br />
Bash up all your chocolate – I used milk first.<br />
When the water has just started to simmer, turn it down to low and put the glass bowl on top and add in your chocolate.<br />
To get it melted it will take about 5-10 minutes.<br />
When it's all melted take off the heat and set aside to rest for about 3-5 minutes.<br />
You can then put the white chocolate in a pan the same and get it melting.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKpJnCd95FqWhVM8_KTrvHUmO7u3r3EeeteAjTUP8u9xNczg0V_vbI1O9IycHufdurIbXR4jssyZJinA7jRn-LJNOrXlJoVTi7nS1N0z8NlkCBGBvQBgXlWUBT3jVo69IfPEvXnVa0Ro/s1600/DSC_0822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKpJnCd95FqWhVM8_KTrvHUmO7u3r3EeeteAjTUP8u9xNczg0V_vbI1O9IycHufdurIbXR4jssyZJinA7jRn-LJNOrXlJoVTi7nS1N0z8NlkCBGBvQBgXlWUBT3jVo69IfPEvXnVa0Ro/s200/DSC_0822.JPG" /></a><br />
<b>To Dip:</b><br />
If your strawberries have stubborn stems, you can use toothpicks to poke in them to hold the strawberry while dipping.<br />
Don't for get about your white chocolate, keep on stirring until smooth.<br />
Take a spatula and scrape all the chocolate to one side of the bowl.<br />
Take the strawberry and gently press it into the hot chocolate and twirl it around until it's covered.<br />
Let it drain off a bit and then put it on a rack or someplace that it can get cool. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfUm8VgP-UaTULN70R7y0fnnf7iEHwLK5NntnMhF-3UVe19mlD9JmNzBI-icf3Y95QD09IiRt3ZF8LdnqtkoEdwpD6t4_d15n6pg8BhzdZJ_djTntGILzwcT8eXcAcQaustUkiU9RaIg/s1600/DSC_0823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfUm8VgP-UaTULN70R7y0fnnf7iEHwLK5NntnMhF-3UVe19mlD9JmNzBI-icf3Y95QD09IiRt3ZF8LdnqtkoEdwpD6t4_d15n6pg8BhzdZJ_djTntGILzwcT8eXcAcQaustUkiU9RaIg/s200/DSC_0823.JPG" /></a>Repeat until you have the desired amount of milk chocolate strawberries you want.<br />
While your white chocolate comes to perfect melting repeat the same for the strawberries and sprinkle some with basil if you like.<br />
Also for decoration you can take your spoon and dip it into the white chocolate and drizzle on top of the milk chocolate ones.<br />
And also you can drizzle the milk chocolate onto the white ones. <br />
Chill in the freezer for 30 minutes before eating. Or refridgerate for 1hr.Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-52234475537614997852015-02-12T17:16:00.001+00:002015-02-12T17:30:24.837+00:00Raspberry Chocolate Truffle Cups with Bourbon BiscuitsThese are a romantic little treat for a special dinner for two. This recipe makes just two servings which is perfect for a hot date. They are really simple to make and could fool anyone into thinking that they took hours to create. Since they're made almost entirely of chocolate I would make these on the day and leave them out, because if you put them in the fridge they tend to get really hard and will break any glass as you try to dig them out. Enjoy! <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga7CPnoK5wM0msTWo6Rn19gBelUzPLed0fOU-D1J6buZcwufdwItResyM0qKkuMAjih38p-FUFKBKXMI6HQew15f3ZFmQGXbxuC7T7rpUeF42v5XaNL_rYZieZ4V5UeVAj_gMChWjRHZ8/s1600/raspberrycups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Lindt Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffle cups" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga7CPnoK5wM0msTWo6Rn19gBelUzPLed0fOU-D1J6buZcwufdwItResyM0qKkuMAjih38p-FUFKBKXMI6HQew15f3ZFmQGXbxuC7T7rpUeF42v5XaNL_rYZieZ4V5UeVAj_gMChWjRHZ8/s640/raspberrycups.jpg" title="Lindt Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffle cups" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicious and Creamy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Ingredients: </b><br />
100g <a href="http://www.lindt.co.uk/shop/our-brands/excellence/lindt-excellence-70-100g">Lindt Excellence 70% dark chocolate</a><br />
1 tsp. Vanilla extract<br />
1/3 c. double cream<br />
10-12 fresh raspberries<br />
6 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourbon_biscuit">Bourbon biscuits</a> (or any chocolate biscuits)<br />
25g melted butter<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2TFFMOBNaJrgKvqb5nU973jfQPO8r7FRrKjIyJG5I1b6askpoLR1tA1soYDqhxu9NuXFzbx5-RMbqKbr9G3vu17W0Pa-cQNNKWL66xxigGaggH-nK2NpCXP7v0N_t8WDUJCrgUpLVQ4/s1600/DSC_0736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2TFFMOBNaJrgKvqb5nU973jfQPO8r7FRrKjIyJG5I1b6askpoLR1tA1soYDqhxu9NuXFzbx5-RMbqKbr9G3vu17W0Pa-cQNNKWL66xxigGaggH-nK2NpCXP7v0N_t8WDUJCrgUpLVQ4/s200/DSC_0736.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Y0r66_vtO-JOenUMy4mcr292YB5kOesCRzETaifbV4dnXzUI6Hwd8WoToakr7_Ib70bfg9imVTCvuyHE-ARztvqrTpZMyqtzmLlnQOESZZaaSEseBbGn2Mw2_PkQTscvNPoc42spVDo/s1600/DSC_0733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="let hot cream melt the chocolate" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Y0r66_vtO-JOenUMy4mcr292YB5kOesCRzETaifbV4dnXzUI6Hwd8WoToakr7_Ib70bfg9imVTCvuyHE-ARztvqrTpZMyqtzmLlnQOESZZaaSEseBbGn2Mw2_PkQTscvNPoc42spVDo/s200/DSC_0733.JPG" title="let hot cream melt the chocolate" /></a><b>To Start:</b> <br />
Get the chocolate going, bash up the bar into lots of little pieces.<br />
Heat the cream very very gently until hot but not boiling.<br />
Pour over the chocolate and let sit for about 20 minutes before stirring.<br />
After it's sat, stir vigorously until a light thick consistency.<br />
Set aside.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_drRH9ps0jer_RlRTnlwrXpeS7s8mipvdsdjeB8xxed9L9-_4uODQoEtaxxH95LkhIQ3Ihj9z_e0fv3z_jMckTSYKyNlg8AIX_BaOO5HJPYJ7tQeQQxl_Vno9FZloDbIFGAon5xYOjzQ/s1600/DSC_0738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_drRH9ps0jer_RlRTnlwrXpeS7s8mipvdsdjeB8xxed9L9-_4uODQoEtaxxH95LkhIQ3Ihj9z_e0fv3z_jMckTSYKyNlg8AIX_BaOO5HJPYJ7tQeQQxl_Vno9FZloDbIFGAon5xYOjzQ/s200/DSC_0738.JPG" /></a><b>To Cup It:</b><br />
Melt the butter.<br />
Blitz the biscuits (including filling), including the filling.<br />
Mix the melted butter in with the biscuits until thoroughly mixed.<br />
Press half the biscuit mixture between two ramekins or glasses.<br />
Add a couple of raspberries and press down firmly.<br />
Divide the truffle mixture between the two containers and smooth out on top.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8QoHREH-dbYiJDDR70vChC7TFoqYEbds5dz9wSmznFo_OXdRRndIJdKfwApbu0KO_NjaIbNNamjcsen4uu7oaE-1WHnu_7eoUv2loKjfdWnV99vdFS0L82U1KbI0RufAT16UZopKDHc/s1600/DSC_0743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8QoHREH-dbYiJDDR70vChC7TFoqYEbds5dz9wSmznFo_OXdRRndIJdKfwApbu0KO_NjaIbNNamjcsen4uu7oaE-1WHnu_7eoUv2loKjfdWnV99vdFS0L82U1KbI0RufAT16UZopKDHc/s200/DSC_0743.JPG" /></a>Add the remaining raspberries to the glasses, and top with the remaining biscuit mixture.<br />
These do get quite hard so I would leave them out before serving for a while. Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-12652441221879538372015-02-06T18:43:00.001+00:002015-02-06T18:43:46.966+00:00Blood Orange, Lemon, Pineapple and Tequila CocktailHello! Today is Friday and with the crazy week I've had I think I deserve a cocktail. I don't actually thinkg I've blogged a cocktail even though I absolutely love a cocktail. This one is super simple it doesn't really require any explaination at all. It's simple because blood oranges are in season and it's a fantastic excuse to use the juice in a vibrant way and especially with some tequila. I use tequila blanco in this one because I prefer the cleaner purer flavour to respado or any other tequilas. It's quite pricey but I would use whatever tequila you enjoy! This is for one and can be easily doubled or trippled depending on how many you're serving. Enjoy! <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaeF2eDOD0CK9msspVcflomz5NjgV119wzlLeD8EId2urkkEwi4Vhd06j4GlgQ5omB1sXiTvDIdNJWVb_aykb2SrPRq-fmx-2O8ANYKJHC0dIdoIYDq5SOKHsf1d2Xlh-UeYsQ_ZL4vUY/s1600/tequiladrink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="blood orange, pineapple, lemon, tequila, cocktail" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaeF2eDOD0CK9msspVcflomz5NjgV119wzlLeD8EId2urkkEwi4Vhd06j4GlgQ5omB1sXiTvDIdNJWVb_aykb2SrPRq-fmx-2O8ANYKJHC0dIdoIYDq5SOKHsf1d2Xlh-UeYsQ_ZL4vUY/s640/tequiladrink.jpg" title="blood orange, pineapple, lemon, tequila, cocktail" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blood Oranges are just in season!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<b>Ingredients:</b> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpibJD9vO25TrbvDarqMlm7IIl_mw0U18EU0orgiGyB3rg8u1i7j8f2_l6dJ9pnHnpNNdP5Hf9lijLc-K28vO0pVoKz9g4td94iQ882jJsc09OJ6aZSLWBOxC6_LzR-Kj_tF6aSxvBo4/s1600/DSC_0648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="blood orange, pineapple, lemon, tequila, cocktail" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpibJD9vO25TrbvDarqMlm7IIl_mw0U18EU0orgiGyB3rg8u1i7j8f2_l6dJ9pnHnpNNdP5Hf9lijLc-K28vO0pVoKz9g4td94iQ882jJsc09OJ6aZSLWBOxC6_LzR-Kj_tF6aSxvBo4/s320/DSC_0648.JPG" title="blood orange, pineapple, lemon, tequila, cocktail" /></a></div>2pt Fresh blood orange juice (you can use regular orange juice)<br />
1pt <a href="http://www.waitrose.com/shop/DisplayProductFlyout?productId=35221">Waitrose</a> Fresh pineapple juice<br />
1pt Fresh lemon juice<br />
1.5 pt tequila blanco<br />
Ice<br />
Shaker<br />
Slice of blood orange<br />
Lemon rind slices for garnish<br />
<br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
Add the ice to a shaker and all the ingredients.<br />
Shake vigorously and serve immediately over a slice of blood orange.Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-77253867957642194912015-02-02T16:35:00.003+00:002015-02-02T16:35:56.119+00:00Oatmeal Blueberry Cookies with Lemon and CinnamonWho doesn't love cookies? These are one of my favourite to go to when I am feeling like a cookie. They're soft and thick and chewy. I adapted the recipe from <a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/blueberry-oat-cookies">this one</a>. I decided to lift up the flavours with a big punch of cinnamon and lemon. I absolutely love em now! So much more. These are also my DH favourite cookies, and he's a sucker for blueberries so it's a win win all around! Try em, they're easy and tasty.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2WLKdbbPL9dLMKsoUs4Xl41RaITQOti35MTlKgZ90Bxi_GF2_VzFkia87TJCp8S7cU3p1TZanJ6uXz97afcF9cdjRE-TULf5oh0H-ukvjSRS3rc1-3FUpyrzpVvCRI4FFHVf7X2Zuek/s1600/blueberrycookes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="oatmeal blueberry cookies with lemon and cinnamon" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2WLKdbbPL9dLMKsoUs4Xl41RaITQOti35MTlKgZ90Bxi_GF2_VzFkia87TJCp8S7cU3p1TZanJ6uXz97afcF9cdjRE-TULf5oh0H-ukvjSRS3rc1-3FUpyrzpVvCRI4FFHVf7X2Zuek/s640/blueberrycookes.jpg" title="oatmeal blueberry cookies with lemon and cinnamon" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raspberries would work good too!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
100g butter softened<br />
200g dark brown sugar<br />
150g oats <br />
125g self-rising flour<br />
1 large egg<br />
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon<br />
½ tsp. salt<br />
½ tsp. baking soda<br />
½ tsp. baking powder<br />
200g frozen or fresh blueberries (raspberries would work well too!)<br />
Zest of one lemon<br />
Juice of half a lemon (approx. 1 tbsp.)<br />
<br />
<b>To Start:</b><br />
Sift the flour baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.<br />
In a larger bowl cream together softened butter, sugar, lemon juice, zest and egg until light and fluffy.<br />
Slowly combine the flour mixture with the wet mixture until smooth.<br />
When combined slowly add in the berries and oats until well combined.<br />
<b><br />
To bake:</b><br />
I get about 14-18 cookies with a heaped table spoon on a cookie sheet.<br />
Bake at 175C or 350F for about 12 minutes. <br />
Check frequently because all ovens vary. <br />
I like my cookies a bit underdone and chewy so 12 minutes works for me.<br />
Allow to cool completely before eating.Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-81270079047120328812015-01-26T15:55:00.000+00:002015-01-26T15:55:23.383+00:00Vegan Sticky Orange Cake<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuw5VmzrfPMTGmqssjhScBruqLqc_HxeAKrf9n07I1f_IRplZZ7_dn2RBujL00UDJkp8U7sA_ozTskQLXqIFoYhK-ihpn5irTxRzmFgbazMQ0X6himBFDr3yLP_7GED4MlQ0kLiQXoD8k/s1600/stickycake.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="sticky vegan orange cake" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuw5VmzrfPMTGmqssjhScBruqLqc_HxeAKrf9n07I1f_IRplZZ7_dn2RBujL00UDJkp8U7sA_ozTskQLXqIFoYhK-ihpn5irTxRzmFgbazMQ0X6himBFDr3yLP_7GED4MlQ0kLiQXoD8k/s640/stickycake.png" title="sticky vegan orange cake" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegan Sticky Orange Cake w/ Orange Drizzle!<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So, first of all, I'm not vegan.I have to get this off my chest, because I hate the stigma associated with vegan food. You tell someone that you've made something vegan and they automatically frown and think “Ew gross you're feeding us wheatgrass and chia seeds!” I don't understand this stigma. In fact I don't understand why there's such a dependence on meat and animal products in general. If I really think about eating animal biproducts I can really make myself sick. This is why I don't. I tend to eat higher welfare meat when I do eat it, and I am generally careful about where I source ingredients. It's in your best interests to keep watch over things that go into your body instead of becoming completely complacent about things!!<br />
<br />
Ok rant over, now that we're past my little rant, I want to talk about my orange cake. I have had in my mind for a while now that I wanted an orange cake of some kind. I know the fundamentals of a plain sponge and I can make one quite easy, but I really wanted to use some ground almonds and...I wanted to keep it healthy, and maybe vegan. So I did a little research on how to lighten things up and how to substitute eggs in a cake. Apparently it's really easy to do as I've found out. While the cake isn't exactly what I was going for in my mind, it definitely turned out to be a great treat and I will definitely try to use the base of the recipe as a blank canvas to try many other confections. The best part about this cake is there's nothing weird and wonky in it to get it moving or to get it the right texture or whatever.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKVyhS3EoTj_NFTS-vLy7PnFtq3faQnSsIMRFQFeyMCdKbgZCSNSiGAptFNJkwUM808QiCUpw4vOKMYjoaXw_hIycDu6gQfx6gnnTjs4RSXtr2XV2PVP26DEcO1EnRppgHvcsdTa8Yxs/s1600/DSC_0481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="sticky vegan orange cake" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKVyhS3EoTj_NFTS-vLy7PnFtq3faQnSsIMRFQFeyMCdKbgZCSNSiGAptFNJkwUM808QiCUpw4vOKMYjoaXw_hIycDu6gQfx6gnnTjs4RSXtr2XV2PVP26DEcO1EnRppgHvcsdTa8Yxs/s640/DSC_0481.JPG" title="sticky vegan orange cake" /></a></div>
*Disclaimer: Ok, so here's the thing, baking is somewhat of an experimental thing for me, and this cake was no different. I originally took the cake out of the oven too soon even though the toothpick came out clean. It had risen really high so I took it out and shot lots of photos. I came back a few minutes later and it completely fell in the centre bc it wasn't done! OOPS. I put it back in the oven and cooked it but I couldn't save the soggy middle...so I decided to cut it out with a ring mould and make it a bundt cake ut I'm sure it will be fine next time. I just was careless!! <br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SEc7raiVyY1mZS9iyNbPXXL17YNAK9tdwkrpRf-2PLz68tQVdsevW58S6Tc3DAZUMoAzUM4ieZ0C-cJW3MW1dofIRr0g08wigXTqqhwmqoUiXqoCXOA57l1tY6hK15BOgRWIpL0Nza0/s1600/ingredients.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="sticky vegan orange cake" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SEc7raiVyY1mZS9iyNbPXXL17YNAK9tdwkrpRf-2PLz68tQVdsevW58S6Tc3DAZUMoAzUM4ieZ0C-cJW3MW1dofIRr0g08wigXTqqhwmqoUiXqoCXOA57l1tY6hK15BOgRWIpL0Nza0/s200/ingredients.png" height="212" title="sticky vegan orange cake" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ingredient List</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
1 ½ c. plain flour<br />
½ c. ground almonds<br />
1/3 c. oil (I used sunflower)<br />
¾ c. white granulated sugar<br />
½ c. brown sugar (I used dark muscovado)<br />
1 ½ tbsp. Cider vinegar<br />
1 ½ tsp. Baking soda<br />
½ tsp. Salt<br />
Zest of two oranges<br />
250ml orange juice<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>For the Glaze: (I winged this, you can try whatever you want)</b><br />
1c. icing sugar<br />
½ c. orange juice<br />
50g sliced almonds<br />
<br />
<b>To Start:</b><br />
Very important to pre-heat the oven to 175C or 350F<br />
Next measure out all of the ingredients so you're ready to mix.<br />
Prepare the pans for baking<br />
<br />
<b>To Mix:</b><br />
First mix together flour, ground almonds baking soda, salt.<br />
In a larger bowl, mix together oil, orange juice, orange zest, sugars, vanilla, and cider vinegar.<br />
Mix thoroughly and quickly add in the dry ingredients and mix to combine.<br />
<br />
<b>To Bake:</b><br />
Pour into your prepared pans as soon as possible and get it into the oven.<br />
Bake for 45-1hr. <br />
Depending on your oven, check at 45 minutes and remember my disclaimer – it will look risen enough. Be absolutely sure before you pull it out. <br />
<br />
<b>For the Glaze:</b><br />
Sift icing sugar into a small pan.<br />
Add the orange juice and wisk heavily to remove any lumps.<br />
Bring to a boil and boil down to a thick syrup.<br />
Add almonds and optional orange zest and drizzle on your cake.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzbJwadsdxZrQo8bYpnDnlAyqpLb0Eo5poratoWUE8oWcDhyhfp-YnwArgbidZ3ZIOEhGEd99KBy8-VyL0u7RZFItfsRZomaC-fs5lwLR03uR2DeRPiOyvuEycQmQXVzFHWp1rAwo9TQ/s1600/cakecloseup.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="sticky vegan orange cake" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzbJwadsdxZrQo8bYpnDnlAyqpLb0Eo5poratoWUE8oWcDhyhfp-YnwArgbidZ3ZIOEhGEd99KBy8-VyL0u7RZFItfsRZomaC-fs5lwLR03uR2DeRPiOyvuEycQmQXVzFHWp1rAwo9TQ/s640/cakecloseup.png" title="sticky vegan orange cake" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dollop Greek Yogurt :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-2341032087664505532015-01-20T19:29:00.000+00:002015-01-21T13:06:23.060+00:00Crispy Tofu with Orange Sauce<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71mnHdARqZ7rGXiW8fa91yNm1P7gx1snXXmX1OV1FXGMfR3ZFlJuAZ_lsJGpTkcqS6LGlibmHRfP0JosdYGj69v9Qr_1fEP1SIxrviT3K0BkQ4JOt3fz8l67H5cGEyFIwR9Emv-0JTcw/s1600/crispytofu.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="crispy tofu with orange sauce" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71mnHdARqZ7rGXiW8fa91yNm1P7gx1snXXmX1OV1FXGMfR3ZFlJuAZ_lsJGpTkcqS6LGlibmHRfP0JosdYGj69v9Qr_1fEP1SIxrviT3K0BkQ4JOt3fz8l67H5cGEyFIwR9Emv-0JTcw/s640/crispytofu.png" title="crispy tofu with orange sauce" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good with orange, lemon, teriyaki sauces!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
First of all if you're reading this hello!<br />
<br />
Welcome back me. It's been a while. I've been trying to do some work on images and setting up a new layout for my blog. It hasn't all transpired yet so I will just take some time to write a few things and post them as I go!<br />
<br />
Anyways, as the new year came in I, like anyone else is more concerned about my waistline. Who isn't around new year? Well, as I wash away all of the holiday pounds, I also want to be more concious of how much meat I eat. Generally over the past two years I only eat meat 1-2 a week and on the weekend I usually do a big roast dinner. I'm not planning on cutting back that much, but I'm planning on being a bit more cncious of what I'm eating. I don't want to be a vegetarian but it makes me wonder sometimes at what point we became so dependant on beasts. Meat. Beef. Chicken. Pork. Whatever it is...we're dependant on it as a main staple of our meals. I think about the early people that roamed the earth and wonder what it was like to live off the land and eat meat when it was just a treat....<br />
<br />
Ah, what at hought. Anyway's, this is some crispy tofu. I have never really liked tofu only dishes. I've always seen that really crispy tofu and wondered, “How the heck do they get it so crispy?” I never really tried to find out but I had some tofu laying around and a few ingredients and decided to whip something up. Of course this recipe is simply really just for the crispy tofu. You can change anything in the recipe to suit your own tastes, anything that you might want to replce chicken with tofu. Lemon tofu? Sesame tofu? Teriyaki tofu? The list goes on and on. Of course those were just asian suggestions bc it goes so well with those flavours!<br />
<br />
Ok get on this folks. This is a simple recipe just for one person, as I didn't make a whole meal from it but use the method to suit your needs.<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
300g firm tofu<br />
125ml orange juice<br />
zest of one orange<br />
2 tsp. Brown sugar<br />
2 tbsp. Soy sauce<br />
1 tsp. Rice vinegar<br />
½ tsp. Sesame oil<br />
1 tbsp. Corn flour<br />
oil for frying<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-GeX6vuekWgEFnZCq7pX-AcBrJEosWcG-2Lu7N3J5AtnwZ15AZ-B6cTOXI3pD54kQt8jhyphenhyphen79QYJK7cfHUJHmQq8MMM_F1qFElulmZSJNAElp4FuH-69UYsXmgcvKykizkyFHbY0iWm0/s1600/weighteddown.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-GeX6vuekWgEFnZCq7pX-AcBrJEosWcG-2Lu7N3J5AtnwZ15AZ-B6cTOXI3pD54kQt8jhyphenhyphen79QYJK7cfHUJHmQq8MMM_F1qFElulmZSJNAElp4FuH-69UYsXmgcvKykizkyFHbY0iWm0/s200/weighteddown.png" /></a><b>To Start:</b><br />
First we want to drain the tofu by placing it in between two plates and weight it down for about 30 minutes.<br />
Keep replacing the kitchen roll to remove excess moisture.<br />
<br />
<b>Next:</b><br />
While the tofu is draining, bring the orange juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil up to a gentle boil in a suacepan.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOVZIqYGoN2ctLcxirVVYS9VNxAz7YpetwCTDtemPjgljfowNqbvkB55hP2430a24LhWqlIh2MOh9lL8OlYrWaY4A-vfRY8klXxtGUKIjd0RSN-WG8N9_vVOhQ3AkEWOtMdCB9dJi-rOw/s1600/DSC_0419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOVZIqYGoN2ctLcxirVVYS9VNxAz7YpetwCTDtemPjgljfowNqbvkB55hP2430a24LhWqlIh2MOh9lL8OlYrWaY4A-vfRY8klXxtGUKIjd0RSN-WG8N9_vVOhQ3AkEWOtMdCB9dJi-rOw/s200/DSC_0419.JPG" /></a>Check and stir constantly to prevent burning.<br />
Leave to simmer until it's a thick syrupy sauce.<br />
<br />
<b>To Finish:</b><br />
Cut the tofu in big cubes and dredge in cornflour. <br />
Heat up the oil and fry fry fry. Make sure not to touch until it moves away from the pan with ease otherwise it will make a mess.<br />
When crispy, pour in the sauce and toss to perfection. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdfev84zr1r5lfZXiynzoceNDorRgjN6C8IK_BSyCwWx1Z6Nh1bc_azzQ8Ce0Io1jeoRGTUayNV932c9izOviPeIOTO-A90Cr0YYEeEH9eOiYHpfsjyH3ckRi5fP3uSZvRZck8JsmELhQ/s1600/DSC_0423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdfev84zr1r5lfZXiynzoceNDorRgjN6C8IK_BSyCwWx1Z6Nh1bc_azzQ8Ce0Io1jeoRGTUayNV932c9izOviPeIOTO-A90Cr0YYEeEH9eOiYHpfsjyH3ckRi5fP3uSZvRZck8JsmELhQ/s200/DSC_0423.JPG" /></a>Garnish with spring onions and serve with rice.Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-28460850815863940072014-11-10T17:24:00.000+00:002014-11-10T17:24:34.257+00:00Roasted Duck Leg Ragu with Raisins<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6oQVcUxWH1UuFh3szcdiw3yh1atpVzik_ZLAMKSrOkPYl8hmc25PXFzMYI0Pxm24mKYGfRb_BBQw3PxenBMdFS9O3BBKL1wHPd2yXf1I7yf-_vsPHiSxWXBQkpbHnCsC2ZS0yslYo8A/s1600/DSC_0096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="roast duck leg ragu with raisins" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6oQVcUxWH1UuFh3szcdiw3yh1atpVzik_ZLAMKSrOkPYl8hmc25PXFzMYI0Pxm24mKYGfRb_BBQw3PxenBMdFS9O3BBKL1wHPd2yXf1I7yf-_vsPHiSxWXBQkpbHnCsC2ZS0yslYo8A/s640/DSC_0096.JPG" title="roast duck leg ragu with raisins" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Serve with lots of Parmesan!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Who doesn't love ragu? I love it, and I'm usually partial to a long stewed beef ragu. I decided to see what I could do with some duck. I had an idea for a long time that duck would be good stewed as a ragu. When I got hold of some duck. it was duck legs on the bone and instead of boiling or deboning the legs I decided to roast them. After I roasted the legs I took the meat off the bone and then started the sauce. The result was amazing, in my opinion of course. I admit the idea for using the raisins wasn't just from a <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/duck-recipes/duck-rag-homemade-pici-pasta/">recipe</a> that I previously read from Jamie Oliver, but I think the similarities are spot on and he knows what he's talking about here. Mostly when you cook something for a long time, it tends to get bitter. When cooking different types of cuisines that play on that sweet and sour note, you tend to have an instinct to throw in a dried fruit of some kind to counteract the bitterness that sometimes tinned tomatoes can cause. My mom and most recipes when cooking a bolognese call to add a bit of brown sugar or something. The raisins seemed to be a perfect hit and really fell apart and dissipated in the sauce and you'd never know they were there. Everything about this recipe is great especially the fact that you can do it ahead. You can roast the legs well in advance and take the meat off the bone and let it sit for a few days if you want. The sauce itself only takes a bit of boiling for about 45 minutes, and the results are really amazing. <br />
<br />
I think this is a fantastic dish for anyone to try if they want minimal amount of work to impress someone. If you make the duck ahead of time then there's little to nothing to do for the sauce. I served this with store made fresh pasta and the second time I made it I tried to make my own pasta. I don't recommend ruining such a nice dish with your own experimentals, but definitely get hold of some good tagliatelle or pappardelle, something nice and thick to soak up the sauce. Serve with some nice garlic bread and a rocket salad. This recipe serves 2-3, but you can easily double the ingredients for a larger amount. <br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
2 duck legs<br />
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes<br />
1 medium carrot<br />
1 rib celery<br />
2 cloves garlic<br />
1 medium onion<br />
250ml red wine<br />
¼ c. raisins or sultanas<br />
1 sprig rosemary (leaves removed and chopped)<br />
½ tbsp. Olive oil<br />
Salt and pepper<br />
Parmesan<br />
<br />
<b>To Start:</b><br />
Place the duck legs in a small pan and roast for a couple of hours on 180C.<br />
When done set aside and cool to room temperature, then remove the meat from the bone.<br />
<br />
<b>For the Ragu:</b><br />
Dice the onion, celery and carrot and crush the garlic.<br />
In a medium saucepan heat the oil, when hot add in the celery, carrot and onion saute for about 5 minutes.<br />
Next add the wine and boil for another 2-3 minutes or until the alcohol evaporates.<br />
When it's at least reduced by half, add in the tinned tomatoes and the can of water.<br />
Bring to a boil and then add in the garlic raisins and duck meat.<br />
When the sauce is back up to a boil, turn down to a low-medium heat and boil for about 30-45 minutes. You want a thick consistency, and check for salt and pepper at the end.Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-64457121699942873322014-11-04T19:03:00.000+00:002014-11-04T19:40:07.096+00:00Filo Wrapped Salmon with PestoThis is a recipe revamp today and I'm surprisingly excited to share it. It was good when I wrote it about 4 years ago and it's been one of my most popular recipes. The original photo is <a href="http://www.busyeating.com/2011/11/salmon-and-spinach-stuffed-filo-parcels.html">here</a> but, I decided to re-photograph it and just revisit it to make sure it still tasted good! And from my new perspective on food and eating, I needed to see if it would fit in my diet! To be honest, it didn't fit in my daily week day meal plan because it just tipped the scales over 500 calories per portion, which is too steep for me. But it's a great weekend meal for me and lower calories than most of my weekend meals. Anyways, forget about that. It was delicious. I added pesto to the salmon to give it a nice twist. The nice thing with pesto is it has a nice flavour, even though it's high in calories and fat, you only have to use a tiny bit to make the flavour go far. <br />
<br />
I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with salmon. I actually think it's one of the most boring fish out there. I personally don't think it's very versatile. It's one of the stronger flavoured fish, not that it tastes fishy but it has a distinct flavour. If I'm going to eat it, I normally have it on it's own without anything else with a strong flavour like simple boiled potatoes and a salad. Today with the pesto I just had some steamed broccoli along side. You use whatever you have and you should be right as rain. Try this recipe if you want a twist on salmon. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3DjIylv49RQspBFwrdf7gqW1MJfxaP5lOQMYzD5fiXGci14kK3x9AD_unRUKO_F6r9Mzk0moEgmIffhB96ezPe3PMpHzcM5CTfAVEUH0GPsIaZFs89WQ1bZvwQ9GGm8TqMYEcCG0IFt0/s1600/DSC_0053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="filo wrapped salmon with pesto" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3DjIylv49RQspBFwrdf7gqW1MJfxaP5lOQMYzD5fiXGci14kK3x9AD_unRUKO_F6r9Mzk0moEgmIffhB96ezPe3PMpHzcM5CTfAVEUH0GPsIaZFs89WQ1bZvwQ9GGm8TqMYEcCG0IFt0/s640/DSC_0053.JPG" title="filo wrapped salmon with pesto" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Serve hot with fresh vegetables.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Ingredients:<br />
2 125g salmon fillets skin removed<br />
2-3 tbsp. Pesto<br />
6 filo sheets<br />
<br />
Method:<br />
Since you have to work with the filo dough simply make sure all of the ingredients are at hand and ready to go.<br />
Lay out 2-3 sheets of pastry and brush a tiny bit of the pesto around the edges.<br />
Lay the salmon at the bottom of the square or recatangle.<br />
Spoon 1 tbsp of pesto on top of the salmon, and fold the ends over the salmon and then roll it up.<br />
Repeat for the next one.<br />
Brush the tops with any remaining pesto.<br />
Bake at 200C for 20 minutes. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.apriljharris.com" target="_blank" title="April J Harris of The 21st Century Housewife Hearth and Soul Blog Hop"><img alt="The 21st Century Housewife Hearth and Soul Blog Hop" src="http://www.apriljharris.com/wp-content/themes/21stch/images/hearthnsoul150.jpg"/></a>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-58153222765555541152014-10-28T15:39:00.004+00:002014-10-28T15:39:45.385+00:00Party food: Pecan Crusted Cheese BallsSo if you're like me, at this time of the year you're trying to get ready for all the unexpected events over the next few months. Perhaps you're having a party, or a get together to celebrate the season and want to get ahead of the game and have things prepped for just an occasion. These cheeseballs are so easy to make, and they really are a crowd pleaser. I make mine months in advance and wrap them in cling film and foil and they last up to a year in the freezer! There is tons of variations you could do with this, I was even going to try a goats cheese next year in addition to soft cream cheese. This recipe was inspired by my friend Nichole who really loves the holidays and gave me her own recipe; where she got it I don't know. I tapered it to my own likings and my own ingredients and what I had available to me. I have made these two years in a row and they really are perfect for entertaining. Just take them out of the freezer at least 12hrs ahead of time, you can leave them on the counter and it should be fine. Enjoy! <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyb_tfKmmxp7AtXaSBl-Wc8OKhijwf8bVjA3lo9AwKjiquxpaPmA79fTPjp0iXhMbPfvCKnmDSdQtJnF4tjDQC-1xaMp5e9xN9avT4fy8Rbrf9SO6Ud03y7l0GE8nyqNkgsUsgjBj4NaQ/s1600/DSC_0088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="pecan crusted cheese balls for holidays" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyb_tfKmmxp7AtXaSBl-Wc8OKhijwf8bVjA3lo9AwKjiquxpaPmA79fTPjp0iXhMbPfvCKnmDSdQtJnF4tjDQC-1xaMp5e9xN9avT4fy8Rbrf9SO6Ud03y7l0GE8nyqNkgsUsgjBj4NaQ/s640/DSC_0088.JPG" title="pecan crusted cheese balls for holidays" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Serve with apples, celery and crackers!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
200g room temp. light cream cheese<br />
100g room temp. light cream cheese with chives<br />
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh chives<br />
150g grated mature cheddar (I use Davidstow lighter)<br />
1 tsp. paprika<br />
½ tsp. smoked paprika <br />
¼ tsp. garlic powder<br />
pinch pepper<br />
pinch cayenne powder<br />
100g chopped pecans<br />
<br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
In a bowl mix together all of the ingredients really well. This will take some time to ensure that the spices are blended properly so take your time.<br />
Place in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to harden.<br />
While the mixture is hardening, chop the pecans finely and lay on a large flat surface like a plate.<br />
Take the bowl out and (I used my clean hands) form two large balls.<br />
Take each ball and roll in pecans and set on cling film.<br />
Wrap carefully in cling film, then in foil and freeze immediately. <br />
This recipe makes 2 large balls suitable for 10ppl.Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-83347613475216910692014-10-23T16:56:00.000+01:002014-10-23T16:56:10.629+01:00Easy Peanut Butter Banoffee PieTo be clear, I had no idea what a banoffee pie was until I moved to the UK, and I didn’t realize how easy it was to make until I made this one. I have wondered since then why I haven’t made one more often? The traditional way to make it is a biscuit crumb base (like a cheesecake base), then a layer of caramel, bananas, cream and some chocolate on top. I just like the idea of peanut butter and banana so I thought for my first attempt at this banoffee pie I would just go all out and experiment. To be honest I’m not sure if I can bring myself to make it the original way because the added peanut butter was amazing! If you’ve made banoffee pie and like it, this is for you, if you haven’t this is for you, if you want to then this is for you….get it? This recipe is for you! Eat eat eat…but I warn you, try to pawn some of it off before you eat it all yourself. This makes…a serving for one or a few more, depending on how much you want to share! <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFC8QHZzZJus0suvw9IOLaoJ9dFuEJVK9Wp2A2tyQGccstnv4vUASYdMLpy3EaFB5L-njHSHFln8tac4GWRBTc2-4WFyiLxuVIntWKLMnav44-EOYmqONhtGKc6yuCWqyX4vPWarxpheE/s1600/DSC_0065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Peanut butter banoffee" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFC8QHZzZJus0suvw9IOLaoJ9dFuEJVK9Wp2A2tyQGccstnv4vUASYdMLpy3EaFB5L-njHSHFln8tac4GWRBTc2-4WFyiLxuVIntWKLMnav44-EOYmqONhtGKc6yuCWqyX4vPWarxpheE/s640/DSC_0065.JPG" title="Peanut butter banoffee" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay, so it's not the prettiest photo; but it's the best!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
200g digestive biscuits (or you can use an American pre-made graham cracker crust)<br />
50g melted butter (for the biscuits)<br />
400g tin caramel or make your own<br />
2 tbsp. smooth peanut butter<br />
500ml double cream<br />
2 fresh bananas slightly green still<br />
Dark chocolate for shaving on top<br />
<b><br />
Method:<br />
</b>If you haven’t got a pre-made crust, wiz up the biscuits in a food processor or bash them up into pieces and combine with the melted butter.<br />
Press the crumbs into a pie tin and put in a fridge for 30miniutes.<br />
In a bowl mix the caramel and the peanut butter until smooth.<br />
Take the pie out of the fridge and spread the caramel and peanut butter over the bottom as evenly as possible, you can obviously use as much or a little as you want.<br />
Next slice all of the bananas and lay them on top of the caramel.<br />
Return to the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or until you want to serve it.<br />
When you’re ready to serve it, whip up the double cream until stiff and spread over the top of the bananas.<br />
Grate chocolate on top, slice and serve!<br />
<br />
What could be more easy?Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-19145995380140725642014-10-20T18:13:00.000+01:002014-10-20T18:13:35.122+01:00Oven Cornflake Fried Chicken and Leek Macaroni and CheeseI decided that I am going to make one big post so bear with me. This was a weekender meal so it’s not that calorie conscious but I’m completely on the 80/20 perspective where I’m healthy 80% of the time and 20% of the time I’m letting lose and eating some extra calories. I have no idea of the nutritional value down to the calorie but I do know the macaroni and cheese is somewhere in the vicinity of 250 calories a portion. <br />
<br />
I had previously made oven fried chicken a long time ago, and I apologize there isn’t a better picture of it. As most bloggers know it’s a curse to blog something you’re eating for dinner because by the time it’s ready you’re starving and you just snap a shot of it and it may or may not be good! But you’ll have to use your imagination. I am a bit annoyed I didn’t get a better photo because I am doing this as a recipe revamp, but to be honest, with the old recipe, no picture might have been better than the actual photo used! This is definitely not fried chicken, but it’s a nice alternative if you’re hankering for something lighter and oven made. This recipe is just for two but can easily be doubled for more. Enjoy! <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistJ0DuA32Bk4IiqidfKPsFlaoCsEKtrhHB5fyzwhyphenhyphenQzTsjBabZcmWs7dc7suPlDon9YL33MOfq1PCd3ArIZCLdQJwbPDM-sVT2JmWaNSqD0npsLEYZ_noBC1zFL2h5OUNn34O40lCHrY/s1600/DSC_0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Oven fried cornflake chicken and leek macaroni and cheese" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistJ0DuA32Bk4IiqidfKPsFlaoCsEKtrhHB5fyzwhyphenhyphenQzTsjBabZcmWs7dc7suPlDon9YL33MOfq1PCd3ArIZCLdQJwbPDM-sVT2JmWaNSqD0npsLEYZ_noBC1zFL2h5OUNn34O40lCHrY/s640/DSC_0022.JPG" title="Oven fried cornflake chicken and leek macaroni and cheese" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The chicken is hiding in the back!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
2 bone in chicken breasts<br />
600ml buttermilk<br />
1 tsp. tabasco sauce<br />
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce<br />
1 egg<br />
6-8 cups crushed corn flakes<br />
1 c. seasoned flour<br />
<br />
<b>Mac and Cheese:</b><br />
125g macaroni pasta<br />
1 large leek<br />
1 clove garlic<br />
300ml milk<br />
50g butter<br />
50g flour<br />
50g low fat cheddar cheese<br />
20g parmesan cheese<br />
50g light Philadelphia cream cheese<br />
<br />
<b>To Start:<br />
</b>Pour all of the buttermilk in a bowl and put the chicken in to marinade for at least 5 hours.<br />
When you’re ready to cook your chicken, drain all of the buttermilk from the chicken, wiping off as much as you can but reserve about 150-200ml.<br />
Add to that reserved buttermilk the Worcestershire sauce, tabasco and egg.<br />
Mix thoroughly.<br />
Make sure you have a dish out for dredging the chicken in seasoned flour and a dish with the crushed cornflakes.<br />
<br />
<b>To make the Chicken:</b><br />
Dip the chicken in the flour, coating completely, try to cover all wet areas with flour.<br />
Next dip the breasts into the buttermilk/egg mixture and then into the cornflakes.<br />
Once properly dredged set aside on a foil lined baking tray and bake in a 200C oven for about 45 minutes.<br />
<br />
<b>For the Mac’n’Cheese:</b><br />
Cook the macaroni according to directions and set aside.<br />
Melt the butter in a non-stick pan.<br />
Slice the leeks up finely, and mince the garlic and sauté in the butter until well soft.<br />
While the leeks are cooking, shred all your cheeses and measure out everything.<br />
When the leeks are soft, sprinkle in the flour and stir to combine and cook out the flour; about 3-5 minutes on low heat.<br />
Next add the milk stirring frequently while it thickens. <br />
When it’s thick add in the cheeses, leaving a little parmesan behind for the top.<br />
Taste for seasoning, and mix in the cooked macaroni noodles.<br />
Top with the remaining cheese and add some cornflakes on top if desired.<br />
Bake in a hot oven for 30 minutes or until brown on top.Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-72321575641318932152014-10-16T14:00:00.000+01:002014-10-16T14:00:53.770+01:00Blackberry and Chambord CupcakesSo all of the last blackberries have been picked and foraged and many of us have put some in jam jars to keep in the coming months. I know I did! I had a random jar lurking around in the fridge and I thought I’d use it up. I’m such a sucker for cupcakes these days, I think it’s because you can pick one up without feeling as guilty as cutting a slice of a huge cake! However this logic works, it proves to be highly illogical because it’s quite easy to get more than one! Never mind. Anyways, I decided to just try some cupcakes, and I made the icing out of a little yogurt milk and icing sugar, and of course some blackberry jam. Really easy to make and you could use any type of jam you like. Makes 6 cupcakes, enjoy! <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2m5sqjRIekRkfJJtevxSeDA3kgQkJW9DYROLqVrO2ZhcA3Q046mb7ChePIhLTaeFo7JwRouSEyPRJbX_lf44yKtFOOyrMLC00WS6E7VF5OEwMXsikDZ5Q3INq-zimyCJsMegU8x79Kc/s1600/DSC_0760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="blackberry and chambord cupcakes" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2m5sqjRIekRkfJJtevxSeDA3kgQkJW9DYROLqVrO2ZhcA3Q046mb7ChePIhLTaeFo7JwRouSEyPRJbX_lf44yKtFOOyrMLC00WS6E7VF5OEwMXsikDZ5Q3INq-zimyCJsMegU8x79Kc/s640/DSC_0760.JPG" title="Blackberry and Chambord cupcakes" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely and moist, perfect with a cuppa!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
80g butter<br />
80g self-rising flour<br />
80g caster sugar<br />
¼ tsp. baking powder<br />
½ tsp. vanilla<br />
Pinch salt<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 tbsp. Chambord (or milk)<br />
¼ c. blackberry jam + 1 tbsp.<br />
50g greek yogurt<br />
Milk<br />
Icing sugar<br />
<br />
<b>To Start:</b><br />
Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.<br />
Next mix in the vanilla and eggs.<br />
Slowly sift in the flour, salt and baking powder.<br />
Stir well to combine.<br />
Put into muffin tins and bake for about 10-15minutes.<br />
<br />
<b>For the Icing:</b><br />
*The reason I haven’t given exact measurements is because for me this isn’t a science, it’s very little by little adding some and eying it. So with that said….<br />
Add a tablespoon of greek yogurt a tablespoon of milk and keep adding icing sugar and yogurt until it’s the consistency you like.<br />
Add about 1 tsp-1 tbsp. jam to get the colour and consistency you like.<br />
Keep adding sugar until it’s firm enough to ice.<br />
<br />
<b>To Finish:</b><br />
When the cupcakes are out of the oven and cool, take a small teaspoon and dig out a tiny portion of the middle, you don’t have to take much just a little to get a nice blackberry filling.<br />
Dollop a good half tablespoon to tablespoon into the hole keeping it in the middle.<br />
Put the icing in a bag and pipe two large circular layers around the jam and then they’re ready to serve!Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-91805985289266275652014-09-26T15:40:00.000+01:002014-09-26T15:40:29.950+01:00Bread Mix Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese IcingI have been thinking lately that it would be nice to have pumpkin cinnamon rolls. I absolutely adore good cinnamon rolls but they’re definitely few and far between here! I also know that it can be difficult to make the right dough for them. Putting my thinking cap on I thought why I don’t try to make some with some kind of premade dough! Enter; bread mix. I really think I’m on to something here guys; this is a fantastic shortcut that took ages off the time to cook these. Sure the texture is a tiny bit off from those big thick delicious buns from back home but this is all so much easier! The kicker here is that the pumpkin isn’t actually in the dough, I’ve made it so that it’s a spread in between the the rolls so you get it in every bite and I’m sure it’s a bit more prominent than if I had made it in the dough itself. I made my own apple butter for this recipe, because I had some laying around…but you could skip this all together and add ¼ c. more pumpkin and add ½ tsp. cinnamon, ¼ tsp. nutmeg and an eighth of a teaspoon of cloves to replicate the flavour. This makes 9 rolls and they are amaze! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-Ik4GiYeG0K_IJYZNNddrAbVP3Q7rfW9paOlF8n8nOevp8GG4VFGWHHUGhmOY-UU4zBGKzor2XmJjH3OK_l5HRz_Ad3fIWtQFK1kMUz6I7_LLXHZ5XBE-ZxdFKLAJwigXV9WMFqE32E/s1600/DSC_0039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-Ik4GiYeG0K_IJYZNNddrAbVP3Q7rfW9paOlF8n8nOevp8GG4VFGWHHUGhmOY-UU4zBGKzor2XmJjH3OK_l5HRz_Ad3fIWtQFK1kMUz6I7_LLXHZ5XBE-ZxdFKLAJwigXV9WMFqE32E/s640/DSC_0039.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
1 500g white bread mix (I used Wrights)<br />
50g muscovado sugar<br />
50g chopped walnuts<br />
½ c. pumpkin <br />
½ tsp. cinnamon<br />
4 tbsp. apple butter (I made my own)<br />
50g melted butter<br />
2 tbsp. honey<br />
100g icing sugar<br />
100-150ml milk<br />
100g Philadelphia lightest cream cheese<br />
<br />
<b>To Start:</b> <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQMNjUL4yAQq6Lf5JYJvmbopAC6wstZy9xMEIXwbVYhyphenhyphenyVHma4RN19VJZBI2-Bgoosdeutex9B1dwrf4RI8Uoam2TnGEG8jMWtuyQ2ySKnruk2j452UhIxrLaaW5NWROHaO7AlbIrzPKs/s1600/DSC_0031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQMNjUL4yAQq6Lf5JYJvmbopAC6wstZy9xMEIXwbVYhyphenhyphenyVHma4RN19VJZBI2-Bgoosdeutex9B1dwrf4RI8Uoam2TnGEG8jMWtuyQ2ySKnruk2j452UhIxrLaaW5NWROHaO7AlbIrzPKs/s320/DSC_0031.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a>Follow the instructions on the bread mix. <br />
While you’re waiting for it to rise in various stages, mix up the pumpkin, apple butter, walnuts, muscovado sugar in a paste.<br />
When the bread mix requires to be put into a loaf pan, this is when you’ll flatten and stretch it out into a big square and get it as big as you can, about 12x12.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACEJWCienghaQdtm9wAnY0PUDIz_RUiLpcDiThRz1EVsy8rWejUaLKyZfBQCrmaxnyUWos_gJ6jTwqXbEQJ4wSIeilSMkXBrw2g6AFT2DVP23qfpi8EUmI6bAnyF3aa4zNCqAz1xhShA/s1600/DSC_0032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACEJWCienghaQdtm9wAnY0PUDIz_RUiLpcDiThRz1EVsy8rWejUaLKyZfBQCrmaxnyUWos_gJ6jTwqXbEQJ4wSIeilSMkXBrw2g6AFT2DVP23qfpi8EUmI6bAnyF3aa4zNCqAz1xhShA/s320/DSC_0032.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a>Spread the pumpkin mixture all over the stretched out dough and roll up.<br />
Slice into 9 even slices and put into a square dish.<br />
Set to prove for a further 30 minutes in very warm place.<br />
<br />
<b>To Bake:</b> <br />
Melt the butter and brush it all over the tops.<br />
Sprinkle with cinnamon and drizzle with honey.<br />
Bake in a 200C oven for about 20 minutes, check as times vary by oven.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VuPnWTU2ZDu9f4aKrYf9tD_7R0e8M3kiu6Ed2Y8myQve9uViMfcnTaqvhoREqKLvP7VEgLY15ctrv5TmhWg_7MHqHqVHDBP_Mi2eNR1WQWQLOnEaZIpP_o9RdUKjGRRtxuZ6ZfRk4h0/s1600/DSC_0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VuPnWTU2ZDu9f4aKrYf9tD_7R0e8M3kiu6Ed2Y8myQve9uViMfcnTaqvhoREqKLvP7VEgLY15ctrv5TmhWg_7MHqHqVHDBP_Mi2eNR1WQWQLOnEaZIpP_o9RdUKjGRRtxuZ6ZfRk4h0/s320/DSC_0033.JPG" /></a><br />
<b>For the Icing:</b><br />
Mix the Philadelphia cream cheese and sugar and milk very carefully until you’ve got a nice runny texture. <br />
Make sure to sieve any lumps out or sieve the sugar before mixing it.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4S8Bgern4LL49Vh3PyRsHyI6x0OMCf2R3HKzMB8LTjTvti4hGpDYkMUsUp5v7FTx7u4dvSnngN4iFYiFe9dzPflrHmz-MjarLOQqjgprXDJGBrQUPmdXTFCTtVwXvigLea0EehJShKVk/s1600/DSC_0048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4S8Bgern4LL49Vh3PyRsHyI6x0OMCf2R3HKzMB8LTjTvti4hGpDYkMUsUp5v7FTx7u4dvSnngN4iFYiFe9dzPflrHmz-MjarLOQqjgprXDJGBrQUPmdXTFCTtVwXvigLea0EehJShKVk/s320/DSC_0048.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a>When the cinnamon rolls come out of the oven drizzle the icing all over the hot rolls and eat up! Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-6067290740868024772014-09-17T17:17:00.000+01:002014-09-17T17:17:32.138+01:00Easy Low Calorie Turkey Breast Curry<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGr4JaPbtObbPYi1OEfRuPsFLsmQc41RAGhOuVXoNOii0AnPXaLgMjiRqOIJDbk7_VQlbdBkhgF1T0Ih1asftTfv954tDOaAgGDf0ULVaN9xjvcrQYNKktg5Th6eQYbJZGucwgy4ndvs/s1600/DSC_0981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Easy, fast, low-calorie turkey breast curry." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGr4JaPbtObbPYi1OEfRuPsFLsmQc41RAGhOuVXoNOii0AnPXaLgMjiRqOIJDbk7_VQlbdBkhgF1T0Ih1asftTfv954tDOaAgGDf0ULVaN9xjvcrQYNKktg5Th6eQYbJZGucwgy4ndvs/s640/DSC_0981.JPG" title="Easy, fast, low-calorie turkey breast curry." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Extra special with your favourite chutney's and a dollop of yogurt!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Today I’m sharing a really quick midweek meal. Something I try to do is regulate my portions and calorie intake during the week very rigidly. Sometimes I am really brilliant with it and sometimes not so much! The easiest way for me to get control of calories for the last meal of the day is a half cup of rice topped with something that has been stewed, like a sauce. You can do that using a completely vegetarian palate or a low fat protein such as chicken breast, turkey breast or I even find great success with lean beef in smaller quantities. My secret to keeping the calories low is taking away any fat that I can. My biggest enemy with calories is anything with fat in it. If you have something that has a high fat content or even just a few tablespoons of olive oil, you’re automatically going to be dealing with high calories since fat has a lot of calories. I know that before I started looking at calories and what they translated to in my every day routine, I was shocked at how much oil I was actually using! People say that olive oil is healthy, and while it is; everything in moderation! If you’re not measuring the oil going into your food you can quite easily go overboard. In 1 tablespoon of olive oil there are over 100 calories! If you’re making a one person dish, that’s a lot of calories to part with on your total daily intake; or it is for me anyways! <br />
<br />
So with that said, the way I get around it is to boil boil boil! I use a non-stick pan, and I literally toss everything in, bring it to a boil and boil the crap out of it until it’s a thick sauce! No precooking, no heating oil to fry the onions and meat first, none of that! Just toss it in and boil boil boil, keep adding water if it’s not cooked through. Even if you don’t have a great non-stick pan, any large saucepan will work. I’ve found great success in this because you’re also left with a lot of flavour to dive into. I realize that for some things it just takes a bit of time. But if you get home from work and you toss it all in the second you get home bring it to a boil while you’re prepping for a shower, turn it down to medium and cook the crap out of it. My other tip is to stretch everything out with vegetables! Frozen vegetables are particularly the best because they’re completely hassle free and you can have them in ready when you need them. I tend to watch frozen items like peas, and sweetcorn because they tend to generate more calories, but mushrooms, red peppers, onions, green beans are fantastic for this. This recipe makes three portions, and can easily be stretched out for 4-6 with everything doubled. A secret of mine is also LARGE batches! Get those old takeaway containers out because they’re going to be your best friend at making portions correctly. I hope you enjoy! <br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
500g (1lb) diced turkey breast<br />
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes<br />
1 red pepper<br />
150g button mushrooms<br />
100g frozen peas<br />
30g dried red split lentils<br />
2 tbsp. mango chutney<br />
Handful of coriander (cilantro)<br />
Handfull curry leaves (optional)<br />
2 green cardamom pods<br />
3 whole cloves<br />
1 inch piece cinnamon<br />
2-4 tbsp. curry powder<br />
1 tsp. whole peppercorns<br />
Salt to taste<br />
<br />
<b>To Start (This will take appx. 1hr)</b><br />
Prep all of the veg – cut the peppers, slice the mushrooms, dice the onion.<br />
Take out the peas and weight them.<br />
Weigh out the red lentils.<br />
Gather all spices.<br />
<br />
<b>To cook: </b><br />
Heat a pan really hot. (While you don’t have to add oil, you want to throw everything into a very hot pan.)<br />
Start by throwing in the meat first, then the veggies.<br />
Add in the tinned tomatoes and two cans of water.<br />
Next add the spices, and lentils and peas while it’s coming up to a boil.<br />
Salt lightly because it will develop more salt while cooking.<br />
When it’s up to a rolling boil add in two cloves of garlic and turn to a medium boil and cover.<br />
After about 30 minutes of boiling take off the cover, taste to check seasoning, if it needs more salt, salt it.<br />
At this point add half the mango chutney (1 tbsp.), stir in and continue to cook.<br />
If it’s too watery, turn that flame up high and evaporate the water, if it’s running out of water, add a bit more. Cook until the sauce has reached a consistency you like.<br />
If it’s still too bitter add the remaining 1tbsp. of chutney.<br />
At the final 5 minutes of cooking throw in the last clove of garlic, crushed or diced up.<br />
Serve it up when hot on a bed of rice with some fat free yogurt. <br />
<br />
*Note: If you can’t find mango chutney, a few tablespoons of coconut milk would be perfect.Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-53318520954166422992014-09-15T13:55:00.000+01:002014-09-15T13:59:52.497+01:00Light Mexican ChorizoWhen I moved to England, I couldn’t believe how many things I would miss from home! One of the most missed things is waking up early and getting potato, egg, and chorizo tacos on the way to school twice a week. Sadly there’s no Mexican chorizo to be had in the UK. What they have here is Spanish chorizo which is much different. There are similar flavours in that you’re tasting garlic and paprika, but more smoky paprika in Spanish chorizo. The thing I absolutely don’t miss about Mexican chorizo is the grease! Oh it tastes soo good but it’s not good for you!! There is something comforting in a bit of grease running down your arm while you grasp that taco first thing in the morning. However comforting that is, or might be it’s not for today’s recipe! This is super easy to make, and I haven’t taken any photos of things I’ve made with it but I just portion this recipe into four parts and it feeds two each time. I put it in the freezer and take it out for breakfast tacos, or mix with rice or potatoes for a side or main dish. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48XCZzFv6CdfvVDK2LKnC9fr3f3JQnyZmmI4qqPHSAhPHDE8C2sqKjYLsEXSkr6-A8ZSkuMOm38iMuV8kZv_wFziLuxHChC7pNSLzWrKBAtBJRnNcLleCFFfvz5oHzEz4Wyu8a7rP-Ig/s1600/DSC_0701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Light Mexican Chorizo" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48XCZzFv6CdfvVDK2LKnC9fr3f3JQnyZmmI4qqPHSAhPHDE8C2sqKjYLsEXSkr6-A8ZSkuMOm38iMuV8kZv_wFziLuxHChC7pNSLzWrKBAtBJRnNcLleCFFfvz5oHzEz4Wyu8a7rP-Ig/s640/DSC_0701.JPG" title="Light Mexican Chorizo" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The possibilities are endless.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<b>Ingredient List:<br />
</b>500g lean pork mince<br />
3 cloves garlic<br />
2 tbsp. ancho chilli powder<br />
2 tbsp. sweet paprika<br />
1 tbsp. smoked paprika<br />
½ tsp. dried Mexican oregano<br />
¼ tsp. pepper<br />
2 tsp. chilli powder<br />
1 ½ tsp. salt<br />
¼ tsp. cayenne<br />
¼ c. apple cider vinegar<br />
Small pinch cinnamon<br />
Small pinch clovesGinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-80499759773810303682014-09-10T13:30:00.001+01:002014-09-10T13:33:05.696+01:00Homemade Freezer Pesto CubesLuckily it’s that time of year where basil is running rampant in everyone’s garden and being grown at high volumes for purchase. Unfortunately, I am not one of those people who can grow lot of anything, except maybe mint. I have a very aggressive mint bush growing right now and it’s threatening to take over. Anyways, back to basil. It’s a really lovely herb and it also freezes really well. A few years ago I took advantage of a huge bag of basil from my local organic veg box scheme <a href="http://www.riverford.co.uk/gre">Riverford</a>, mostly because I didn’t realize at the time how much 200g of basil was! I had basil everything for a week. When it was running out I decided to figure out how to freeze it which was incredibly easy. I just put the remaining 100g into a food processor and added a little oil and presto pesto. Shove it in some ice cubes and pop it in the freezer. It’s a very simple remedy for any herbs really. They can be popped into any dish frozen; I like to pop them into the last five minutes of a Bolognese sauce or quick pesto pasta for a quick mid-week dinner. The possibilities are absolutely endless. <br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUJrk16tLf3CLhnc31AeSUujjgtLhqXsfvGxEZoowytS8hsmNCLesqh8Lv_7MoH3mkicN1Zh8ZZLKThrzbiXKRPlyZkSpL3fOMwXbJFNVmvPB6QAaMRnQugdaIpME_dnHBvATQfpiQZJQ/s1600/IMG_2981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUJrk16tLf3CLhnc31AeSUujjgtLhqXsfvGxEZoowytS8hsmNCLesqh8Lv_7MoH3mkicN1Zh8ZZLKThrzbiXKRPlyZkSpL3fOMwXbJFNVmvPB6QAaMRnQugdaIpME_dnHBvATQfpiQZJQ/s640/IMG_2981.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easily doubled if necessary.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdPc-HUScC3chcRZe_1_VQVeC2omYgu6dGvR6Qkmm951xPThz4hf0I1Qm9THObtpbnv7VKSXRVwBM3PG5m7wV5vK8KHbOyZVR2gMY1D_0jwpVGo-EAWqP_Yj_RVxy9mIyaThXgi4QISU/s1600/IMG_2982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdPc-HUScC3chcRZe_1_VQVeC2omYgu6dGvR6Qkmm951xPThz4hf0I1Qm9THObtpbnv7VKSXRVwBM3PG5m7wV5vK8KHbOyZVR2gMY1D_0jwpVGo-EAWqP_Yj_RVxy9mIyaThXgi4QISU/s640/IMG_2982.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Takes about 2 seconds to make.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ODbZPj9783EClZ2jvgDlZupLBwpBcC-nKs-NcsvWCa4xhxFcgijheM3khGrYv3saWb85YUM2_VT7sDfh5lJ8dYKJt7FoBr9nIWUEsOlke2BR6qrGJZS8CrVXkRPaZ7HqqFCC2ibATqw/s1600/IMG_2984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ODbZPj9783EClZ2jvgDlZupLBwpBcC-nKs-NcsvWCa4xhxFcgijheM3khGrYv3saWb85YUM2_VT7sDfh5lJ8dYKJt7FoBr9nIWUEsOlke2BR6qrGJZS8CrVXkRPaZ7HqqFCC2ibATqw/s640/IMG_2984.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Makes about 18 1 tsp. portions.</td></tr>
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<br />
Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2574733807928123689.post-85872559832462038312014-09-02T18:01:00.000+01:002014-09-02T18:01:17.989+01:00Low Fat Coronation Chicken WrapsWhen I first came to England, I tasted so many interesting things. One thing was this ‘coronation’ flavour. It’s essentially any kind of curry flavoured mayonnaise based mixture that can be a rice salad or a chicken salad or even egg salad. Basically delicious and I wanted to make up a recipe and see how it goes! This recipe makes about 4-6 depending on how big your tortilla wraps are. I think the bigger ones are better. This is also really great for a fabulous picnic with the last few hours of sunshine left in England! Enjoy! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiePepfByF-You4mRYTt94MbOd4ptIoV98IaxjCNvugmoo9bYelGi7aq-4Q1LHSfc1BB-hGTb4Tsk4PKnqYOwCCeVFAacb884UEAqqleIRQlDXj4mT06NKQHY6rIioQ9SDQHCQWeaQaQAs/s1600/DSC_0609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiePepfByF-You4mRYTt94MbOd4ptIoV98IaxjCNvugmoo9bYelGi7aq-4Q1LHSfc1BB-hGTb4Tsk4PKnqYOwCCeVFAacb884UEAqqleIRQlDXj4mT06NKQHY6rIioQ9SDQHCQWeaQaQAs/s640/DSC_0609.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Have you ever had curried chicken wraps?</td></tr>
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
500g chicken breast<br />
1 tbsp. madras paste<br />
1 tsp. curry powder<br />
2 tbsp. light mayo<br />
3 tbsp. Greek non-fat yogurt<br />
150g grapes<br />
25g flaked almonds<br />
¼ c. raisins<br />
2 ribs celery<br />
3 spring onions<br />
Salt + pepper<br />
4-6 tortilla wraps<br />
<br />
<b>To Start:</b><br />
Get a pot of water going and boil the chicken breasts for 10-15 minutes until cooked through.<br />
Slice the grapes in halves or quarters depending on size.<br />
Slice thinly the celery and green onions.<br />
<br />
<b>To make the Coronation Mayo:</b><br />
In a medium bowl combine madras paste, curry powder, mayo, yogurt, and salt and pepper. Stir to combine.<br />
Next add in the raisins, almonds, grapes, celery and spring onions.<br />
Mix thoroughly checking for seasoning.<br />
<br />
<b>To Finish:</b><br />
Drain the chicken off and let cool before dicing into chunks.<br />
Fold into the mayo mixture and wrap it in tortillas.<br />
Eat it or pack it away for a picnic! Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571877380305949548noreply@blogger.com0