This is a traditional English treat - a moist and rich steamed fruit pudding. We usually try to make these at the start of the year to give them plenty of time to mature before eating, and if you make more than you can eat in one Christmas they will comfortably keep until the next!
We are late this year, and only just got around to it last weekend.
This is an old family recipe that I blogged about in detail over on my other blog, including cooking instructions and pictures. Check it out here:
https://thebaldpatch.blogspot.com/2011/09/christmas-pudding.html
Saturday, September 8, 2018
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
Pasta with creamy chicken and mushrooms
A really simple but tasty dish.
Fry some chicken pieces and sliced mushrooms in a generous knob of butter until cooked. We actually like to fry the mushrooms first to brown them, then set them aside while we cook the chicken so they don't go soggy. Add a good portion of cream and boil until it thickens. Having butter in the pan helps to thicken the sauce.
Serve over pasta of choice.
Fry some chicken pieces and sliced mushrooms in a generous knob of butter until cooked. We actually like to fry the mushrooms first to brown them, then set them aside while we cook the chicken so they don't go soggy. Add a good portion of cream and boil until it thickens. Having butter in the pan helps to thicken the sauce.
Serve over pasta of choice.
Friday, August 3, 2018
Pork in creamy mushroom sauce
This was an off-the-cuff concoction that worked pretty well. Not our normal light summer fare, but then this is hardly a normal summer :)
In a large frying pan, fry pork loin chops until browned both sides. Add a generous handful of sliced mushrooms - we usually go for the chestnut button mushrooms rather than their white cousins, for extra flavor. Once the mushrooms have browned a bit on a high heat, add a healthy slosh of brandy and let it bubble until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir and turn things over from time to time to make sure they don't stick. Reduce the heat and add a cup or two of thick cream, then bring back to the boil until the sauce is thick and creamy.
Serve with choice of carbs and healthy stuff. We had this with mash and corn on the cob this evening.
In a large frying pan, fry pork loin chops until browned both sides. Add a generous handful of sliced mushrooms - we usually go for the chestnut button mushrooms rather than their white cousins, for extra flavor. Once the mushrooms have browned a bit on a high heat, add a healthy slosh of brandy and let it bubble until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir and turn things over from time to time to make sure they don't stick. Reduce the heat and add a cup or two of thick cream, then bring back to the boil until the sauce is thick and creamy.
Serve with choice of carbs and healthy stuff. We had this with mash and corn on the cob this evening.
Sunday, June 17, 2018
Sweet & sour pork
We gave this recipe a try this evening, and it was fabulous.
I'm only posting the link here, and skipping my usual quick reference summary of ingredients and method because there's a lot of bits to it - the marinade for the pork, the coating, the sauce, and other bits to add to the pork - https://thewoksoflife.com/2015/12/sweet-and-sour-pork/
Suffice it to say, there's a fair bit of preparation and cooking involved, but we elected to have a lazy day and take it slowly this evening. Preparation and cooking time overall was over 2 hours rather than the 1 1/4 suggested on the website. In part that was because we had other dishes to make as well (stir fried rice and spring rolls) and we weren't in a hurry. We could have shaved off some time if we'd been more focused and organized. We also did a lot more pork - about twice the recipe - which made for more frying. Having said that, don't underestimate the time it takes to bring a pan of oil up to temperature, and to coat and fry batches of meat.
Not something to do if you're in a hurry, but if you enjoy being in the kitchen the effort was well worth it.
I'm only posting the link here, and skipping my usual quick reference summary of ingredients and method because there's a lot of bits to it - the marinade for the pork, the coating, the sauce, and other bits to add to the pork - https://thewoksoflife.com/2015/12/sweet-and-sour-pork/
Suffice it to say, there's a fair bit of preparation and cooking involved, but we elected to have a lazy day and take it slowly this evening. Preparation and cooking time overall was over 2 hours rather than the 1 1/4 suggested on the website. In part that was because we had other dishes to make as well (stir fried rice and spring rolls) and we weren't in a hurry. We could have shaved off some time if we'd been more focused and organized. We also did a lot more pork - about twice the recipe - which made for more frying. Having said that, don't underestimate the time it takes to bring a pan of oil up to temperature, and to coat and fry batches of meat.
Not something to do if you're in a hurry, but if you enjoy being in the kitchen the effort was well worth it.
Saturday, May 5, 2018
Curried shrimp and spinach
A very simple side dish I made up on the fly last week, just to add a little something special alongside the more regular chicken curry that I made.
Fry a sliced onion long and slow until it caramelizes nicely. Add spoonfuls of ground spice (cumin, coriander, chili, and some curry paste), then a couple of chopped tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes mash down and mingle with the spices. About 10 minutes from serving, add some generous handfuls of fresh baby spinach leaves. Stir carefully to bring them into contact with the heat and let them sweat down. Stir in a handful of shelled cooked shrimp and make sure everything is mixed in and coated with spices.
Fry a sliced onion long and slow until it caramelizes nicely. Add spoonfuls of ground spice (cumin, coriander, chili, and some curry paste), then a couple of chopped tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes mash down and mingle with the spices. About 10 minutes from serving, add some generous handfuls of fresh baby spinach leaves. Stir carefully to bring them into contact with the heat and let them sweat down. Stir in a handful of shelled cooked shrimp and make sure everything is mixed in and coated with spices.
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Minestrone
Fry a finely-chopped onion in a large saucepan. Chop some Pastrami into fine slices and add to the pan. We use about 7 to 8oz. Stir and fry a while to let the flavor of the Pastrami come out.
Add a couple of chopped tomatoes and cook until the juice starts to come out.
Add a jug of stock, salt to taste, a healthy squirt of tomato ketchup and a dash of HP sauce for extra flavor. Stir in a can of drained red kidney beans, a similar quantity of finely-diced carrots, and a few handfuls of macaroni.
Bring to the boil, cover and simmer until the pasta, carrots and beans are cooked.
Add a couple of chopped tomatoes and cook until the juice starts to come out.
Add a jug of stock, salt to taste, a healthy squirt of tomato ketchup and a dash of HP sauce for extra flavor. Stir in a can of drained red kidney beans, a similar quantity of finely-diced carrots, and a few handfuls of macaroni.
Bring to the boil, cover and simmer until the pasta, carrots and beans are cooked.
Saturday, February 10, 2018
Baked and breaded chicken
I think this started as a camping dish, but it comes out once in a while at home for a change. A favorite with the kids.
Lay out chicken pieces on a baking tray. Coat with a few generous dollops of mayonnaise. Sprinkle a mixture of breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan over the top. Pop in the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked (about 40 minutes).
Lay out chicken pieces on a baking tray. Coat with a few generous dollops of mayonnaise. Sprinkle a mixture of breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan over the top. Pop in the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked (about 40 minutes).
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