How to make Scotch Eggs

Here are some simple instructions on how to make 4 x Scotch Eggs:

Ingredients:

• Good quality sausagemeat – I found this one from a local butcher
• breadcrumbs
• 5 x eggs
• Olive oil
• Bowl of water

Method

Place 4 of the eggs into saucepan with water and boil until cooked. Cool under a running tap and remove shell. Dampen your hand in the bowl of water and take a piece of sausage meat roughly the same size as an egg (makign your hands wet will stop the fat from the sausagemeat sticking to your hands and will prevent getting into a complete mess!) Roll the sausagemeat into a ball and flatten, then cover the egg with it. Do this for the other 3 x eggs.

In a seperate bowl, whisk an egg and add each of the 4 sausagemeat-covered eggs to the mixture, ensuring it is entirely covered with whisked egg. Now roll until covered in the breadcrumbs. Repeat for all 4.

Cook in a saucepan with enough olive oil to almost cover them, remembering to roll them around every now and then. They take 10-15 mins to cook (on average) annd ensure it is fully cooked. Eat cold as a lunch on the go or as part of a picnic.

Cheesy cauliflower pasta bake recipe

This is a great quick and easy meal to prepare in the morning ready for popping in the oven 20 mins before needed. It’s got all that’s needed for a healthy meal for toddlers, children and adults and it’s delicioulsy tasty too!

Ingredients:

1 x small cauliflower, chopped into florets, lightly boiled or steamed

Any kind of pasta (I used approx 180g pennoni rigate), pre-cooked and set aside

1/2 pack any type bacon

1 x cup grated cheese

1 x large teaspoon wholegrain mustard

seasoning

basic white sauce (I would put weights though I never weigh the ingredients, milk, butter and flour are required though I’m sure a shop-bought white sauce would do the trick)

Method

Chop up the bacon and fry in some butter until crispy. Add in the pre-cooked cauliflower and pasta and stir before adding to a dish:

To your basic white sauce add the seasoning, mustard and cheese (saving some cheese for the topping) and stir together. 20 mins before the meal is required, pour the sauce over the pasta, sprinkle with cheese and bake in the oven at approx 200C until piping hot through and cheese has turned golden on top.

Serve with fresh salad or greens.

Belated Birthday.

Ooops, I’ve been a bit slow at sharing my husband’s Birthday pictures with you, his Birthday was on 24th February so it was a while ago!

I made him a chocolate cake with chocolate icing – I used the classic chocolate cake recipe from the Be-Ro book though instead of putting the mixture in 2 x sandwich tins I added it to a smaller cake tin and left it in the oven a bit longer but not so long that it was dry, the result was a deliciously moist cake which was even better served warm with double cream! (lets avoid counting calories for this one!)

We went out for a lovely lunch together and my husband enjoyed slow cooked pork belly on a wholegrain mustard mash which her enjoyed a lot. Hope you had a lovely day gorgeous husband x

Happy Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine’s day everbody!

I baked my husband an oversized heart cookie and surprised him with it this morning when he was outside digging, hard at work.

We had our second ever date in a Mexican restaurant which is still a favourite of ours so I’m making chilli beef nachos with salsa, guacamole & soured cream for dinner tonight.

Oh, and here are some of the little versions of his big heart biscuit. They’re rather scrummy, and ‘T’ approves too 🙂

sending lots of love xx

Jamie Oliver’s ‘Kate and Will’s Wedding Pie Recipe’

This is one of those recipes that you don’t want to do every day as it is time consuming, but oh my it is worth it!

The recipe is simple to follow and the ingredients inexpensive. I somehow managed to make more than stated in the recipe ( used slightly less meat and slightly more pearl barley and managed to make 3 pies, they are all smaller than in the recipe but will certainly serve my husband and I for at least three different dinners and can be frozen too.)

The suet pastry is soft and crumbly and the rich filling includes stout, beef, pearl barley, cheese and mustard. Ours is served with steamed baby carrots and green beans. Delicious!

Thanks Jamie for a fantastic recipe – can be found here if you fancy giving it a go.

Cajun bean potato bake recipe

Using up what we already have at home has led me to be a bit more inventive in the kitchen and I came up with this meal the other day. It’s really delicious, full of goodness and super cheap too!

Ingredients:

• 1 x cup mixed beans (I’ve used pinto, mung and haricot in this recipe though any would do – or a pre-soaked can would do fine too)
• 1 x tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 x stock cube (or teaspoon of bouillon etc)
• salt and pepper to season
• 2 x teaspoons cajun spice
• 2 x chopped garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1 x chopped onion
• 4 x medium sized potatoes
• splash milk
• knob butter
• olive oil
• 1 x cup grated cheese

Method.

In a saucepan cooke the pre-peeled and chopped potatoes. When soft, mash with the butter, all of the cheese and milk and set aside. In a seperate saucepan cook the chopped onion until softened, add in the mushrooms and beans and cook until mushrooms are also soft. Then add in all of the other ingredients.

Pour the bean mixture into  your serving dish:

Top with the mashed potato mix and score with a fork to help crisp up:

Cook in the oven for 25 (ish mins) at 180C until golden on top. Serve with salad or mixed steamed vegetables.

 

Recipe: Sausage and bean casserole with easy cheesy croutons

This is a great Winter warmer and can be cooked in advance and frozen. It’s pretty tasty too!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 x pack good quality sausages, cut into 4/5 pieces per sausage

3-4 average sized potatoes, peeled and cut into similar sizes as the sausage pieces

1 x large onion, roughly chopped

2 x cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 x tin chopped tomatoes

1 x tin baked beans

1 x tablespoon gravy granules

2 x tablespoons hickory smoked BBQ sauce (or equivelant)

Salt & pepper to season

1 x teaspoon smoked paprika

1 x cheese topped roll per person

Butter

Olive oil

Method:

Add the sausages and onion to a pan containing hot olive oil and fry until sausages are almost cooked. Add in the potatoes and cook for a few minutes before adding in the garlic, beans, chopped tomatoes, gravy granules, salt and pepper, paprika, BBQ sauce and simmer for 25 mins (or until potatoes are softened). Add more gravy granules to thicken if required.

I’ve been lacking a bit on the crafty front – there seems to have been too many other (boring!) things in the way to do – hopefully this week will bring me more time to just. slow. down.! Head over to Handmade Monday for a new start to the year with other crafty people and remember to take a peek at all fo the lovely things they have been busy making!

Oh and how did I forget?! Have you entered the FANTASTIC giveaway I’m hosting? The chance to win some fantastic books (of your choice) from Pomadour24s Etsy store – have a look!

Miffy biscuits

My friend made some ‘Hello Kitty’ cheese biscuits for her little girl which were so adorable that I needed a lovely stamp too! I searched the internet and found a ‘Miffy’ one – how cute!!

‘T’ approves, and that’s the main thing! x

Quick and easy Chorizo Fajita Recipe

I love fajitas and love chorizo sausages and I love this recipe I put together last week:

Ingredients:

1 x pack (approx 6) good quality chorizo sausages

2 x small white onions

Handful cherry tomatoes

1 x red capsicum pepper

Sour cream

Tortillas

Shredded lettuce

Grated cheese

Method.

Fry sausages in a pan until almost cooked, add in the 2  x onions (quartered), chopped pepper, halved tomatoes and cook on a high heat until onions have caremalised and blackened (approx 5-10 mins) Serve straight away in the tortilla wraps and sprinkle with cheese and lettuce. YUM!

Creamy tomato soup recipe

Soup is a lovely Winter  warmer and such a quick lunch-time fix too. I’ve always got a stash in the freezer and ‘T’ loves it, this is my favourite soup recipe:

Ingredients:

4 x large carrots, sliced

6 x large tomatos, sliced

2 x medium sized potato, chopped

1 x red onion, chopped

vegetable stock

a few leaves of basil, finely chopped

seasoning

Glug of olive oil

1/2 cup cream

Method

Cook the onions in the oil for a few minutes to release the flavour. Add the rest of the vegetables, seasoning and add enough stock to just cover them. Simmer for 30-45 minuites or until vegetables are soft. Add in the creamand basil and blend. This freezes really well and is best served with some hot bread or toast and a swirl of cream on top.