Tag Archives: Kitchen

Being Creative with Leftovers

I’m feeling very proud of a ‘leftovers’ culinary creation we enjoyed last night. Usually I am no good at all at impromptu cooking, but rely on my myriad of cookbooks to get me through dinner. However, no recipes for my fridge contents – a few sad looking veggies –  could be found. I decided to stir-fry the veggies – halved baby corn, halved baby courgettes, carrot batons, sliced red onions and halved mange tout – and serve them with noodles. To give them a little more taste (and a little protein), I heated 3tbsp peanut butter, a good splash of milk, 2 tsp soy sauce and ½ finely chopped chilli in the microwave, then tossed everything together.
My other half was thrilled at what he expected to be a very boring dinner. I hate to waste food and always endeavour to use everything left in the fridge/breadbin/cupboard but it isn’t always as palatable! I would love to know of any good leftovers meal ideas.
How about giving Brunchtime French toasts a try? Perfect for leftover egg, bacon and tomato.

I’m feeling very proud of a ‘leftovers’ culinary creation we enjoyed last night.

Usually I am no good at all at impromptu cooking, but rely on my myriad of cookbooks to get me through dinner.

However, no recipes for my fridge contents – a few sad looking veggies –  could be found. I decided to stir-fry the veggies – halved baby corn, halved baby courgettes, carrot batons, sliced red onions and halved mange tout – and serve them with noodles.

To give them a little more taste (and a little protein), I heated 3tbsp peanut butter, a good splash of milk, 2 tsp soy sauce and ½ finely chopped chilli in the microwave, then tossed everything together.

My other half was thrilled at what he expected to be a very boring dinner. I hate to waste food and always endeavour to use everything left in the fridge/breadbin/cupboard but it isn’t always as palatable!

Are you creative with leftovers? I would love to know of any good leftovers meal ideas.

How about giving Brunchtime French Toasts a try? Perfect for leftover egg, bacon and tomato.

Brunchtime French Toasts

Perfect for using up leftover egg, bacon and tomato. And it’s quick and easy too!

Brunchtime French Toasts

Brunchtime French Toasts

Preparation time 5 minutes
Cooking time 15 minutes
Calories per portion 645 Kcal
Fat per portion 42g
of which saturated 8.3g
Serves 1

Egg 1, beaten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Wholemeal bread 1 slice
Vegetable oil 2 tbsp
Lean trimmed back bacon 2 rashers, de-rinded
Field mushroom 1, wiped, peeled and sliced
Tomato 1, thickly sliced
Snipped chives to garnish

1 Beat the egg with 2 tablespoons of water and some seasoning and then pour onto a plate. Dip the bread on both sides in the egg, allowing it to soak up all the mixture.

2 Melt the butter with the oil in a frying pan until bubbling, then cook the bread for 2–3 minutes on each side until lightly golden and set. Drain well, reserving the pan juices, and keep warm.

3 Add the bacon to the pan and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side until cooked through and lightly golden. Drain well, reserving the pan juices, and keep warm.

4 Add the sliced mushroom and tomato to the pan and cook, turning occasionally, for about 5 minutes until cooked through and tender.

5 To serve, place the eggy bread on to a warm serving plate and top with the bacon, tomato, mushrooms and snipped chives. Eat immediately.

Cook’s Tip
If preferred, replace the bacon with pork sausages or a vegetarian variety for a tasty veggie version.

Recipe taken from Clever Cooking for One or Two Dairy Cookbook

leftover egg, bacon and tomato.

Celebration Cake

Celebration cake recipe
makes 25cm (10in) cake
time 4 hours
567 calories per slice
24.1g fat of which 8.8g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians
Butter 350g (12oz)
Golden caster sugar 350g (12oz)
Eggs 6 large, beaten
Vanilla or almond essence 2 tsp
Self-raising flour 400g (14oz)
Finely ground hazelnuts 150g (5oz)
Ground almonds 150g (5oz)
Lemon curd 200g (7oz)
White marzipan 450g (1lb)
Clear honey 2 tbsp, warmed
Ready-to-roll fondant icing 1kg (2lb 4oz)
1 Preheat oven to 160ºC/325ºF/Gas 3. Line a
25cm (10in) round cake tin with baking paper.
2 Beat butter and sugar together until light
and fluffy. Gradually beat in eggs, add
flavouring, then gently fold in flour and nuts.
3 Spoon mixture into tin, alternating with
spoonfuls of lemon curd. Smooth top. Bake for
2 hours 20 minutes or until firm to touch. Cool
for 1 hour, then turn out onto a wire rack.
4 Roll out marzipan to cover top and sides of
cake. Brush cake with honey, cover with
marzipan, trim and smooth all over.
5 Roll out and cover cake with fondant icing.
Decorate with fresh flowers, or as in photo.
A Dairy Diary 2007 recipe

A simple yet reliable recipe for a beautiful cake that’s perfect for celebrations.

Celebration Cake

Celebration Cake

Makes 25cm (10in) cake
Time 4 hours
567 calories per slice
24.1g fat of which 8.8g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians

Butter 350g (12oz)
Golden caster sugar 350g (12oz)
Eggs 6 large, beaten
Vanilla or almond essence 2 tsp
Self-raising flour 400g (14oz)
Finely ground hazelnuts 150g (5oz)
Ground almonds 150g (5oz)
Lemon curd 200g (7oz)
White marzipan 450g (1lb)
Clear honey 2 tbsp, warmed
Ready-to-roll fondant icing 1kg (2lb 4oz)

1 Preheat oven to 160ºC/325ºF/Gas 3. Line a 25cm (10in) round cake tin with baking paper.

2 Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in eggs, add flavouring, then gently fold in flour and nuts.

3 Spoon mixture into tin, alternating with spoonfuls of lemon curd. Smooth top. Bake for 2 hours 20 minutes or until firm to touch. Cool for 1 hour, then turn out onto a wire rack.

4 Roll out marzipan to cover top and sides of cake. Brush cake with honey, cover with marzipan, trim and smooth all over.

5 Roll out and cover cake with fondant icing.

Decorate with fresh flowers, or as in photo.

A Dairy Diary 2007 recipe

Cheese Flapjacks

Savoury flapjacks are very morish and perfect for an energy boost on the move.

Cheese Flapjacks

Cheese Flapjacks

Makes 12
Suitable for vegetarians

Butter or margarine 50g (2oz)
Cashew nuts 50g (2oz)
Macadamia nuts 25g (1oz), halved
Carrot 1 large, peeled and grated
Double Gloucester cheese 110g (4oz), grated
Porridge oats 150g (5oz)
Dried mixed herbs 1/2 tsp
Egg 1, beaten

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Melt the butter in the microwave or a saucepan. Remove from the heat and then add the nuts, carrot, cheese, oats, herbs and egg. Mix well.

2 Grease a 20cm (8in) round pie tin. Spoon the mixture into the tin and press down well. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden brown. Leave in the tin to cool and then cut into 12 wedges. Serve cold as a snack.

Cook’s tip
These are great to make and keep in an airtight container in the cupboard. If anyone in the family fancies a savoury snack, they are the prefect healthy alternative to crisps.

Recipe taken from Hearty & Healthy Dairy  Cookbook

Rhubarb and Custard Ice Cream

Rhubarb and Custard Ice Cream
Celebrate the wonderful taste of fresh rhubarb with this ace cream. It’s simple to make and perfect for an afternoon treat.
Suitable for vegetarians
SERVES 8
Double cream 500ml pot
Orange 1, pared rind and juice
Egg yolks 4
Light Muscovado sugar, 175g (6oz)
Greek yogurt 200g tub
Rhubarb 500g (1lb 2oz) cut into chunks
1 Heat the cream with the pared orange rind in a pan over a gentle heat until it just comes to the boil. Leave to infuse 5 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks and 110g (4oz) of the sugar until thickened and light in colour. Add a little of the warmed cream mixture, stir well then add the rest of the cream. Pour the mixture back into the pan and stir continuously over a gentle heat until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Don’t let it boil or it may curdle. Strain it back into a large bowl, and cover closely with clingfilm. Discard the orange parings. Leave the custard to cool, then stir in the yogurt and chill the mixture.
2 Meanwhile, put the rhubarb in a pan with the juice from the orange (6-8 tablespoons) and the rest of the sugar. Cover and cook gently for 6 -7 minutes until the fruit is tender. Tip the rhubarb into a sieve over a large measuring jug or bowl. Leave like this for 10 minutes, or so, to let the juices drain through. You should have about 200ml (7 fl oz) juice. Reserve this for the sauce.
3 Mash the rhubarb roughly with a fork and when cold, stir it in to the custard. Pour into a plastic container and freeze until almost solid. Break up well with a fork, or better still, an electric hand mixer. Freeze again until almost solid, then break up again and freeze so the ice cream is smooth.
4 Taste the reserved rhubarb juice and add more sugar if it’s not sweet enough. Pour it into a small pan, bring to the boil and boil for about 10 minutes until it starts to get syrupy. Take the ice cream out of the freezer to the fridge about 40 minutes before serving to soften it.
COOK’S TIPS
If you have an ice cream maker, just put the rhubarb custard in and use as directed.  It’s less hassle than keep remembering to whisk it every few hours.
The ice cream will keep 2 months in the freezer.
VARIATION
Add any fruit puree to this basic custard mix. Or you could be clever and make a ripple ice cream –just layer almost frozen custard with fruit puree and swirl the mixtures.
Recipe taken from Year Round Dairy Cookbook.

Celebrate the wonderful taste of fresh rhubarb with this ice cream. It’s simple to make and perfect for an afternoon treat.

Rhubarb Icecream

Rhubarb Icecream

Suitable for vegetarians
Serves 8

Double cream 500ml pot
Orange 1, pared rind and juice
Egg yolks 4
Light Muscovado sugar, 175g (6oz)
Greek yogurt 200g tub
Rhubarb 500g (1lb 2oz) cut into chunks

1 Heat the cream with the pared orange rind in a pan over a gentle heat until it just comes to the boil. Leave to infuse 5 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks and 110g (4oz) of the sugar until thickened and light in colour. Add a little of the warmed cream mixture, stir well then add the rest of the cream. Pour the mixture back into the pan and stir continuously over a gentle heat until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Don’t let it boil or it may curdle. Strain it back into a large bowl, and cover closely with clingfilm. Discard the orange parings. Leave the custard to cool, then stir in the yogurt and chill the mixture.

2 Meanwhile, put the rhubarb in a pan with the juice from the orange (6-8 tablespoons) and the rest of the sugar. Cover and cook gently for 6 -7 minutes until the fruit is tender. Tip the rhubarb into a sieve over a large measuring jug or bowl. Leave like this for 10 minutes, or so, to let the juices drain through. You should have about 200ml (7 fl oz) juice. Reserve this for the sauce.

3 Mash the rhubarb roughly with a fork and when cold, stir it in to the custard. Pour into a plastic container and freeze until almost solid. Break up well with a fork, or better still, an electric hand mixer. Freeze again until almost solid, then break up again and freeze so the ice cream is smooth.

4 Taste the reserved rhubarb juice and add more sugar if it’s not sweet enough. Pour it into a small pan, bring to the boil and boil for about 10 minutes until it starts to get syrupy. Take the ice cream out of the freezer to the fridge about 40 minutes before serving to soften it.

Cook’s Tips
If you have an ice cream maker, just put the rhubarb custard in and use as directed.  It’s less hassle than keep remembering to whisk it every few hours.

The ice cream will keep 2 months in the freezer.

Variation
Add any fruit puree to this basic custard mix. Or you could be clever and make a ripple ice cream –just layer almost frozen custard with fruit puree and swirl the mixtures.

Recipe taken from Year Round Dairy Cookbook.

Strawberry Feast

We had a lovely relaxing barbeque in the garden with family this weekend.

It was great to bask in the sunshine and simply relax and enjoy being at home.

After the compulsory burger and sausage we enjoyed bowlfuls of fantastic British strawberries. Mmmmm. They have to be one of my all time favourite fruit. I love them served simply with just a tiny sprinkle of brown sugar.

There are many recipes which make the most of this precious seasonal favourite but I particularly like the Courting Cake (see recipe below) from Around Britain Dairy Cookbook. It looks so impressive and well as tasting amazing. I might have to make this again before the strawberry season finishes. It would originally have been baked by young ladies for their betrothed so I had better be careful who I bake it for!

Try this fabulous Courting Cake recipe.

Any suggestions for wonderful strawberry recipes are gratefully received!

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