Rocky road brownies

The mini-marshmallows seem to disappear into the brownie making it all just more sticky and gooey - and extra chocolate chunks disappear into the mix, but occassionally there is a little extra hit of chocolate. 

Mince pies

Sausage casserole

Sausage casserole, what's so special about that?  Well, yes, it is a standard Friday (or any other) night tea - but these sausages were carefully reared from piglets by our mate - 100% organic... so deserved the best of everything - so delicious, well balanced tomato and butter bean casserole, with organic veg.... superb.  Gathered victims tucked in for seconds, and only left some with the promise of pudding and leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

Boeuf bourgignon... or something similar

Beefy, oniony - rich and wintery.  Cooked for ages - just sitting in the Aga while I had to get on with a host of house and work stuff.  Well worth a bit of effort this morning.

Also, birthday flowers... Thanks Mum!  :)

National curry week: Day 4: Chickpea, pumpkin and spinach masala

I expect authentically the chana masala would be servced with assorted other curries, but I didn't have time to faff around with lots of things, so I bunged it all in together!

National curry week: day 3: Thai red chicken

with noodles, vegetables may have drifted from the authentic (onion, yellow pepper, celery, carrot and radish) but that's what happens with organic boxes.  Delish though I say so myself.  Victim slurped and smirked a good bit - usually a sign of approval, but was busy watching Harry Potter.

National curry week: day 1

Oops missed day 1:  chicken and veg curry... a fairly standard outing - hereabouts known as yummy yummy curry - perhaps should have left it 'til later in the week - in case of being stuck for yummy stuff - but was proper busy, and I know it works (and is appreciated).  Victim had thirds, but complained about presentation (don't tell her about the lentils... :) )

National curry day: Day 2: Pork and cauliflower creamy curry with spiced apple chutney

It was pleasant enough, but nothing to blog home about.  The cauliflower, cream and yogurt in the sauce made it quite tame - and without the spiced apple chutney dullness would have been the main characteristic.  However, the fruity spicy accompaniment made it quite acceptable, though not in the league of "must do again tomorrow".

Birthday pie: giant mince pie

Julie's birthday flowers

Spaghetti, Cinnamon & Pecan cake

Tried that "quick" ragu sauce idea, using blitzed sausages - never again - do it properly for hours if you want a proper ragu.  Cinnamon and pecan cake a hit, just as well as it's Julie's birthday and the clementine cake was not!

Cake of the week: Jamaican ginger cake

D'ya know - I could work for McVities! ... also had Sea bream, kale with garlic and butter beans, carrots and peas - but forgot to take any pics

Scones: with cherry jam

... and look at these autumnal colours...

Chicken noodle satay stir fry

Chicken, green beans, carrot, red pepper, bean sprouts, noodles (garlic, chili, ginger, soy sauce, peanut sauce, tomato puree....)  - yum yum - victim had thirds.

British Sausage Week: Day 6

Beef and onion sausages, spicy sweet potato chips, curly kale and spaghetti squash.

Apple and cinnamon cake.

British Sausage Week: Day 2 (missed day 1)

Pork and herb chipolatas, colcannon, peas, onion and tomato gravy.

Halloween feast

Halloween feast - witches finger nails (roasted pumpkin seeds) and eyeballs (mozarella, roasted red pepper and olives) - bats nests with slime (onion bhajis with yogurt dip) - vampire steaks with dragon poo, maggots and insect eggs, swamp and spooky fingers (roasted steak, spicy baked potatoes, rice & lentils, pumpkin and calvolonero curried casserole, cajun sweet potato chips) - but we were all too greedy - so sadly no pics until - blood cake (lemon drizzle - but with thick raspberry couli/icing)

Cake of the week: Cranberry and green tea loaf

delicious and good for you - no fat, cranberries and the anti-oxidants of green tea.

British baking week: day 7: apricot and cherry crumble

Sunday dinner - roast pork with loads of veg - and then the crumble.

Cottage pie and cabbage

Saturday night's tea - by special request.  Tasted better than it looked! Soya beans in the cottage pie were a nice addition.

National Baking Day: Day 6: Sundried tomato and parmesan scones

Delicious!  They could easily have some chopped olives mixed through too.

British baking week: day 5: Lemon drizzle cake

I have made a number of drizzle cakes over the years - this one includes some ground almonds - and icing sugar rather than caster in the "drizzle" - but it looks moist (if not gooey) and I am looking forward to a slice tomorrow with a cup of tea.  Not indulging tonight as I had a toasted teacake (see day 3) and some apple cake from my firend at work already today - oh, yes and had to try a mince pie (OK, but need to make my own mince meat, was a bit bland and gritty) - pastry crumbly, but not as silky as previous batches.

Baking week: day 4: mince pies

Mince pies should NOT be around before December.  I have been pressured into baking these.... I have no backbone!  I used semolina flour instead of 00 flour, so am expecting a rich and very crumbly crust... but these have been swiped for distribution... so I'll have to wait for the next batch.

teacake with jam.... toasted on aga

National Baking Week: Day 3: teacakes

Yes - from scratch - the most packaged ingredient was dried yeast.  Have had one fresh with butter - which was yum - but re-toasted and dripping  with butter or other embellishment, will hopefully be even more heavenly :)

turkey chili

turkey breast zizzed to a pulp - added to veg and chili paste (onion, garlic, carrot, celery, garlic green pepper... ) - herbs and spices you like (eg - cumin, paprika) also zizzed - the usual softening and browning - add tomatoes and seasoning (stock cube, Lea & perrins, mushmroom or other ketchup.. etc to taste) - tin toms - later add tin of kidney beans and / or chick peas/ borlotti etc

British baking week: day 2 mini cornbread

 Mini cornbreads - well they were OK - but if I were to bother again I'ld make them with whisked egg whites and no baking soda - it gives them a dry chemically flavour - still an interesting idea, maybe one to develop for gluten free requirements. 

Some chili would be a good addition - but they were pretty good with some mature red leicester and chili jam.

linguine with chicken and red pesto

linguine with chicken and red pesto, olives, green beans and red pepper

Quick and tasty

National Baking week: Day 1

Earl grey and lemon tea bread - used about 6 internet recipes and adapted - but basically soaked (approx) 250g dried fruit (sultanas and blueberries cos that was what we had), (175-ish g) light brown sugar and zest of 1 lemon in cold strong (but not stewed) earl grey tea (300ml) for 8 hours - added lightly beaten egg (1 large/ I used 2 from our bantams - v. small eggs) and 300g SR flour = baked in medium oven (170?)  for an hour and 10 mins - skewer in center comes out clean.  Leave to cool in tin - totally cold on rack.  First slice was warm and moist, but I am really looking forward to tomorrow's with butter, or cream cheese, slurp, yum....

Stir fry with veg, chicken and rice noodles

It was quick and tasty - didn't look gorgeous - but after 95 minutes on the road and ready in 15 - I thought it was good to go!  I think victim wanted more chicken, more spice and less veg - but hey ho!

Beef and vegetable stew with DUMPLINGS

Beef and many veg casserole - celery, carrots, swede, turnip, onion, marrow, tomato ... that'll get some veg into the outlaws - with dumplings.  It's probably 30 years since I had a dumpling!  yum.  Victim scoffed seconds, outlaws sent home with at least 4 more dinners worth - and I've still got some left for nuking at work tomorrow!  Jobs a good un.

Death by chocloate

Half a kilo of the best dark chocolate - it's not kidding!

10/10/10 - and no post!

shocking

late dinner: red thai curry

No pic - for 2 reasons. 1. starving ... scoff, scoff, munch, scoff and 2 - it was re-heated (but home cooked) dinner, so there was a better pic first time around.

horrid cake

lemon, yogurt and poppy seed cake - not horrid at all - but very yummy.  Named with the help of my best mate who "saved" me by scoffing many slices years ago.

hallowe'en casserole

Obviously far too early in the month for a real Halloween stew - but had to find a name for this week's veggie dinner - what do you reckon to Autumn vegetables and black bean mess?  well, exactly!?  There was predicatble moaning - yeauchhh what's this green slimy stuff?  (chard - wilted briefly in last 5 minutes, so as not to dissolve, I loved it)  - and - "is there any brown sauce?".  But eventually victim reluctantly admitted "it's really quite nice" - before scoffing seconds!  Method - easy - onions, celery, carrots and garlic chopped and softenned - the added other veg (parsnip, swede, butternut squash, mushrooms, tomatoes... whatever is handy) - mixed herbs, worcs sauce and hot sauce - add some stock, add tinned toms/ passata - simmer - add black beans - simmer, taste - add chopped greens.  Serve with potatoes, couscous, rice, pasta - whatever.

Standby pie and veg

We were starving and had had a busy day - so cheated with standby pie and veg.  Disappointing once again.

chicken, mushroom and leek creamy pasta

Softened onion and leek, added garlic then chopped mushrooms and cooked chicken - sauteed until a bit softer.  Added chicken stock and simmered for 10 mins. Added good handful of chopped cavolo nero, simmered again for 5 minutes.  Boiled pasta.  Added splash of cream and small handful of grated cheese to sauce and mixed together. Lots of black pepper.

Simple and delicious.  Victim had seconds.

Chocolate brownies

From the Great British Book of Baking
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-British-Book-Baking-best-loved/dp/0718157117

substituted walnuts for pecans - lovely, sticky and chocolatey

Praised chicken

from Nigella Kitchen - saw it in the week, and it was just the thing to have ticking over when I had to fetch victim from the station after a trip to London.  The only addition was a handful of soya beans.  Comforting and tasty.  Thanks Nigella.  http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/my-mothers-praised-chicken-5155

Sea bream and cavolo nero

Very clean, simple and delicious.  Home alone tonight - could you tell?  Victim is not keen on fish or cabbage, so took the opportunity to indulge in some of the best of both - unadulterated except for some very light cream and garlic sauce.

Banana, pecan and maple syrup cake

Thanks to the marvellous Clotilde of Chocolate and Zucchini.

http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2008/06/banana_pecan_cake_with_maple_glaze.php

Chicken and vegetable hotpot

Chicken, leeks, carrots and sweetcorn with a creamy mustardy sauce, served with cabbage.  Yum - though I say so myself.

Spaghetti carbonara extra

The extra being mushrooms, broccoli, yellow pepper and spinach - the less than extra being only a tiny splash of cream.  Yum.

Thai red curry and noodles

Tonight's dinner - Thai chicken and butternut squash red curry with noodles.  No, really, it was homemade - you are looking at tomorrow's lunch which I will zap at about 12:30 in the microwave.  I was going to take a pic of the original - but I was too hungry and forgot.  I am very pleased, however, that there is enough left for lunch tomorrow.  mwwahhhahahahha.

Oat bran cake

Start of a new term tomorrow, and I am determined to keep the resolution to take packed lunches - a good start including a piece of not too naughty cake, made this morning.  Wish me luck.  Recipe from Hairy Bikers Mum knows best book (1 cup oat bran, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup dried fruit, 1 cup milk - soak - 1 cup SR flour - bake).  Easy and tasty.

Beef olives and veg

I don't think I'll bother again.  There are nicer and much less faffy things to do with beef.  Still, it made a change.  Need to start working on presentation again.

hazelnut vanilla cake

So, I think I'll extend the blog beyond dinners to anything I make which I fancy putting up here.  On Thursday I made this - more or less from here

http://www.reciperoll.com/2010/03/vanilla-hazelnut-cake.html

I liked it - and it disappeared quite quickly at the meeting on Friday afternoon.