A pat on the back!

Over the last couple of weeks you've taken multi-tasking to a whole new level – you never knew it was possible to keep so many balls in the air!

Now is the time to regain your sanity and, after all that rich food and perhaps a little over indulgence, you might fancy a smidgen of spice.

The only trouble is that you can never predict when the fancy may take you – unless of course you can predict the future – in which case you'll be collecting your lottery win!

Furthermore, if you make a curry sauce from scratch you need all manner of fresh ingredients - some of which are not always easy to get hold of if you live in the sticks - and it takes forever to make.

Here's my answer – and I'm not going to apologise to the purists out there – this recipe is fast – the curry sauce base takes no time at all and for the most part you'll have the ingredients in your pantry. I concede that you may need to invest in a jar of Kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) and if you can't get hold of star anise powder then use one whole spice.

Give it a go :

Curry sauce base

1 medium onion, finely diced

glug of vegetable oil

2 cloves of garlic, crushed or 1 tsp of garlic paste

2 tsps mild curry powder

1 tsp star anise powder or one star anise

*3 tsps of of dark soft brown sugar

*1 tbsp Kecap manis

*1 tbsp dark soy sauce

*1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

*1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

160ml coconut cream

350g bag of prawns, defrosted

500g Charlotte (or similar) potatoes, cooked, peeled

and diced

2 handfuls of petit pois, defrosted

Fresh chopped coriander - optional

Mango chutney – optional

Serves 4

Mix together in a small bowl or jug all the ingredients marked *.

Soften the onion and garlic in a glug of vegetable oil, in a large frying pan. Add the curry powder and star anise and cook the spices on a medium heat so that they release their flavour – 2/3 minutes.

Add the mixed ingredients and then the coconut cream and simmer for another 2/3 minutes. Your sauce is ready to use whenever you are.

I added the prawns, potatoes and petit pois – served it in bowls with spoons – add a sprinkle of chopped coriander if you have it – it's not compulsory. I love mango chutney and finished my bowl with a large blob!

This sauce is really kind – you could keep it vegetarian by adding whatever veggies you have to hand or add cooked chicken. It's not a “blow your head off” curry sauce – serve it with rice or noodles or garlic bread if you don't want to include the potatoes. I can tell you it ticked all the boxes for me!

Since my next missive will be on 3^rd January I'd like to close by wishing you a happy & healthy New Year. Thank you for your support and I hope you'll stay with me in 2016.

Happy New Year! xxx

A snippet – or, what the Girls said!

I mentioned in Last Class of 2015 and Judy's Jars that I would give full and frank disclosure – whoever frank is – here it is,

Cheese and Pecan Loaf :

“…. cheesey, light, full of air bubbles with a crunchy cheese crust, delicious, even without the butter

…. beautiful texture and a delicious alternative to bread. The fact that it freezes well adds to its appeal.

…. made it look so simple and it was stunning – didn't want to stop eating it”.

Pulled Chicken :

“.... Sweet with a bite to it, tender, mouthwatering, lovely sauce – could serve with rice or potatoes.

…. Delicious, easy meal with a great combination of flavour and different textures. The easy alternative for the busy working mum.

…. Very more-ish.

…. Slow cooked and delicious”.

Winter Coleslaw :

“.... Completely different to shop bought – the dressing is very light – not at all creamy or sickly like the shop bought stuff.

…. A work of art with the red cabbage. This will be a favourite meal for the future.

…. Refreshing, tangy and again, delicious”.

Judy's Jars :

“....A beautiful and delicious alternative to trifle. Rich and very more-ish.

….Wow-wow-wow.

…. Total indulgence, chocolate feast with amaretti biscuits and sweet cherries – fantastic”.

“.... I shall use every single recipe, they were absolutely delicious”.

The end!

Just before I go, remember the Christmas Cake and Écrou roti exchange, mentioned in What a farce! My friend popped in for a quick cuppa at the weekend so we could swap culinary delicacies.

Here's a snippet from an email :

“.... the roast is amazing. I've cut it into portions packed it and stowed it safely in the freezer. I did allow myself a “tester taste” and – drum roll please – IT'S TO DIE FOR. Absolutely scrummy-licious, thank you so, so much! That's my Christmas sorted … and I'm really touched by all the trouble you've gone to to create a reduced sugar roast for me ...”

It was gluten free too – and, whilst I think about it – on my latest foray to Daily Bread Co-operative – northampton@dailybread.co.uk I discovered another fab product – Essential Organic Apple purée – 700g £1.75 outstanding value.

I'm not wanting to claim bragging rights – just to let you know the recipe works and “does what it says on the tin”.

Unyaka omusha omuhle! (This time “Happy New Year” in Zulu)

Lunch or Dinner?

... on New Year's Day.

Either or, here's another suggestion for a meat free dish that you could serve to veggies or use as an accompaniment – it lends itself very well with duck, goose or gammon.

Apricot & Pistachio Stuffing

60g Unsalted butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, crushed or 1 tsp garlic paste

**200g Breadcrumbs/Parsley, Thyme & Lemon stuffing mix

150g dried Apricots, roughly chopped

50g shelled Pistachios, chopped

Sea salt and black pepper

**Generous pinch of dried parsley and thyme

Pre-heat your oven 180 fan/200c/Gas 6.

Heat the butter, add the onion and garlic and fry for 6/8 minutes until softened, add the breadcrumbs/stuffing mix, apricots and nuts and season well. Add 9 fl oz (just under ½ pint) of boiling water (you can use vegetable stock for enhanced flavour if you prefer) mix and then transfer to a lined loaf tin. Alternatively you can roll the mixture into stuffing balls, place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

Cover in foil and cook for 20 minutes. You can freeze the stuffing, cooked or uncooked (although if you are using breadcrumbs that have been frozen the stuffing should be cooked before freezing).

**You can use your own breadcrumbs, especially if you use white bread and you've got the end of a loaf. Take the crusts off and blitz – you can air dry on a baking sheet or pop into a low oven to dry out – they can be frozen. If you buy them don't get the bright orange variety, Waitrose do their own version – expensive but you get what you pay for. You can also cheat and use a packet of Parsley, Thyme and Lemon stuffing mix and add breadcrumbs. The Shropshire Spice Co make a good product in 150g packets, so an additional 50g of crumbs is required, adding a generous pinch of dried parsley and thyme.

Finally, here's my contribution if you are feeling a tad fragile. I can't hold it out to be a hangover cure but, try peanut butter on toast and top with cranberry sauce/jelly or, my personal favourite – redcurrant jelly. If you use the Whole Earth peanut butter you could even try and kid yourself it's healthy.

S novim godom! (I hope this says “Happy New Year” in Russian)

Staying in?

…. for New Year that is.

If you've decided to put up the shutters and get to that box set you've been promising yourself or may be a couple of friends are joining you for a leisurely supper here's a thought of the “keep it simple” variety.

Here's my Cpop (cheese, potato and onion pasty) – boring, ordinary, I hear you say, no I reply.

Cpop

1 large onion, finely chopped

500g Charlotte potatoes, cooked, peeled and cut into small dice

1 puff pastry sheet – 320g

1 egg, beaten

300g grated mature cheddar cheese

1 heaped tbsp dried parsley

2 tbsp dijon mustard

black pepper

sprinkle of salt

Pre-heat oven 200c/180fan/Gas 6

Serves 4 generous portions

Place the potatoes in a large bowl and add a sprinkle of salt. Add the cheese, onion, parsley and mustard, season with black pepper and mix thoroughly.

Unroll your pastry onto a sheet of baking parchment.

Place the mixture on the lower half of the pastry sheet. Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg, holding the baking parchment, fold the pastry over the filling and glue the edges. Use a fork to seal. Make two incisions in the top of the pasty and egg wash. Bake for 20/25 minutes. Check after 20, your pasty should be golden brown.

This pasty freezes well.

Here are three photos that I hope will help you on your way.

Serve it with the winter coleslaw or, shred red cabbage and carrots, chop spring onions, et al and make your own aioli – try this recipe on for size :

Aioli

2 large tsps of garlic paste

2 egg yolks

½ tsp dijon mustard

½ tsp salt

60ml extra virgin olive oil

180ml rapeseed oil

black pepper

drop of water – 2 tbsps

Pop the garlic paste, egg yolks, mustard, salt and water into a food processor, mix well. Gradually add the olive oil and the rapeseed oil. You should get a pale “emulsion” that looks like mayonnaise but tastes much better. Adjust seasoning to taste.

I think we'd be fibbing if we didn't admit to loving comfort food and this is a perfect supper on the sofa with the box set – preferably with the food served on a plate!

Judy's Jars

Last Class 2015 and Judy's Jars

We had the last Class of the year last week which, as I think I mentioned previously, coincided with a friend and long-time student's birthday.

I decided that I would practice what I preach and made the low key Option 2 Christmas Eve supper mentioned in “Madness III – tee hee!”

For the appetiser, Bread & Butter, aka “Cheese & Pecan Loaf” from “The alternative lunch”. As is usual I made a loaf to demonstrate – when I explained that the loaf took 50/55 minutes to cook the assembled throng looked a smidge worried. No need to panic - “here's one I made earlier”. The loaf was sliced and wrapped in foil and warmed for 10 minutes and everyone tucked in.

Whilst they munched I produced my faithful slow cooker and pulled the chicken with the scent of the marinade wafting across the room, tickling their taste buds.

Next on the list was the winter coleslaw. Never let it be said that I don't like a challenge. The mere idea of coleslaw was met with mixed feelings – the shop bought versions vary and the general consensus was not good and I can only agree. If there is one thing I love about this cooking lark it's changing a mind or two. You'll read what they actually said in a later post.

I had some baby new potatoes going spare so they were popped into one of my foil trays, seasoned and drizzled with rapeseed oil and into the oven for 20 minutes – it was already on for the loaf so hey, uses the otherwise wasted space.

Finally the dessert was assembled. I have to be honest the recipe came first and it just seemed like a fun thing to do – not everyone has a recipe named after them. Photo attached of the finished jar.

I hope you'll be suitably impressed.

Bon Natale!

Slob Out Sunday

...or – guilty pleasure day

….and you bet your life you are entitled to it.

Today is about the cook indulging so here's my idea of heaven.

Any dish that involves a combination of cheese and potatoes, preferably baked is fine by me.

There are two dishes that are up there, dauphinoise potatoes has to be one but the stand-out is a Tartiflette. An integral ingredient of said dish is Reblochon cheese. I should point out that unless you've made an impromptu trip across the Channel then you'll need a Second Mortgage for said cheese. This may not be a problem – if it's your guilty pleasure who cares. There are alternatives, for example, Camembert, Brie, Gruyere or Taleggio – any cheese that is soft and melts easily.

In an attempt to save you time, here's the recipe for the Tartiflette which I gave you in GOM: Chapter 10 – Pork tenderloin and salsa – I aim to please!

Tartiflette

1.5kg all purpose potatoes e.g. desiree, peeled and cut to

a similar size

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 thick dry cured smoked streaky bacon rashers, finely chopped

50g butter

1 garlic clove

250g reblochon cheese, rind trimmed and removed

Pre-heat oven 180c/160 fan/gas 4

Boil the potatoes until cooked, cool, then slice.

Melt the butter in a frying pan and cook the onion and bacon

until softened.

Cut the garlic clove in half and rub the inside of an

oven-proof dish.

Place some of the potato slices in the bottom and

season with salt and black pepper, then layer with the

onion and bacon, repeat until all the potato slices have

been used, seasoning between each layer.

Chop the cheese and scatter over the potatoes and cover with foil.

Bake in the oven for 1 hour, remove foil for remaining 15 minutes

so that the tartiflette crisps around the edges.

This can be prepared ahead and feel free to use 2 tsps of garlic paste

when cooking the onions and bacon – rules are made to be broken.

My version won't include the bacon – if you are expecting company you could always serve it with crispy bacon on the side and everyone's happy.

Personally, I like the idea of fish, chips and peas – Tartiflette (no bacon), fish cakes á la The Ivy see GOM : Chapter 16 The Dinner Party ...for the recipe and petit pois or, push the boat out – mushy peas.

I did say it was my idea of heaven – each to their own!

Boxing Day

The following recipe is perfect – it can be made ahead and takes only 20 minutes when you want to serve. Note to self – it's the best time to use your dual purpose frying pan, since you can choose – cook on the hob or pop into a pre-heated oven on 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

This dish, in its original form is Tarragon Chicken and made with fresh chicken fillet. I can only tell you that everywhere I've served it the result has been the same - “is there any more?”

Here's the adapted version to use your cooked turkey.

Tarragon Turkey

Bunch of spring onions, finely diced

1 tsp dried tarragon

Fresh tarragon – chopped – approximately 2 tbsp

160ml Vermouth or white wine

Half tsp of sea salt flakes or quarter tsp of pouring salt

120ml double cream

Salt and white pepper

cooked turkey meat – enough to feed four people

Drop of rapeseed oil and a knob butter to seal. (You could use a flavoured oil i.e. garlic or tarragon if you wish)

Heat oil and butter, add the onions, then dried tarragon and mashed garlic paste and stock if you are using them **see below. Add the vermouth, let it bubble up, season with salt, cover and set aside. When ready to serve, bring the liquid to the boil, add cream and fresh tarragon, then white pepper and add the cooked turkey meat.

**You can vary your sauce by adding roasted garlic paste, mashed into concentrated chicken stock. I've tried adding this element and it's great - obviously you have to like garlic. 1 Knorr chicken stock pot melted in 250ml of hot water and 2 tsps garlic paste, mashed together.

Serve with bubble & squeak. Everyone has their own interpretation – if you want any help check out all the variations mentioned in “Mishmash or Hash, II and III” or “Spicy Spuds – the leftovers” if you'd prefer a spice hit and no sprouts!

For the cook, who, by now, is feeling distinctly fragile, nay exhausted, it's just the job.

Its beauty is its simplicity!

A post script :

If you are a Christmas Cake lover, try a small piece with a chunk of mature cheddar cheese – for us it's an extension of a Northern custom – Lancashire to be precise – of eating tea cakes with Lancashire Tasty cheese – buttered tea cakes and thin slices of cheese – don't knock it until you've tried it and you could even toast the tea cakes if you like a dribble of butter down your chin with the cheese!

Another post script :

This week I caught part of James Martin's afternoon programme Home Comforts at Christmas – he was talking about Boxing Day and, blow me down with a feather, he made a version of Tartiflette – I'd just like it on record that my post was written well before his programme – I wouldn't want you to think I'd “borrowed” the idea from him!

What a farce!

Indeed it is – in both senses of the word.

The following recipe evolved out of years of me treating myself to various nut roasts and vegetarian main course options. They had two major things in common, they were underwhelming and expensive.

I suppose I was always seduced by the advertising – seduced is the right word, these days food is designed to be sexy and whoever writes the copy deserves a literary oscar – cos it sure is a work of fiction!

I give you,

Écrou roti

nut roast sounds soooo much better in French

1 packet of sage and onion stuffing mix – from

the large boxes which contain two large pkts

- approximately 170g

1 packet of vac packed chestnuts – 250g chopped

A portion of apple sauce, a la Eliza Acton – 100-150g

1 large onion, finely chopped

Two handfuls of dried cranberries, chopped

Drop of rapeseed oil and knob of butter

Knob of butter

Pre-heat your oven 170fan/190c/Gas 5.

Place the stuffing in a large bowl, add 300ml boiling water with the knob of butter and mix. The mixture should be stiffish. Sauté the onion in a drop of rapeseed oil and knob of butter.

Add the onion to the stuffing mix, then add the apple sauce, chestnuts and cranberries.

Mix well and divide the mixture into 2 x 2lb loaf tins and bake, or freeze until required.

When baking I cover the loaf tins with foil for the first 15-20 mins and then remove the foil and let the top crisp for another 10 mins.

The best news about this dish is that it is easily made gluten free by using “Mrs Crimble's sage & onion stuffing mix”. Available in 170g packets.

If you'd prefer you can blitz your own breadcrumbs and add whatever takes your fancy – sauté onions and add dried thyme.

This Écrou roti freezes very well.

It also makes an excellent layer in a mega smega sandwich – veggie or not.

To save you time trawling through the blog, here's the Apple Sauce á la Elizabeth David and Eliza Acton :

Pre-heat oven to 140 fan/160c/Gas 3

Grease a glass dish with butter.

This sauce is so easy – the only emphasis is on the preparation of the apples. All the peel and core must be removed. There are no amounts here, you can cook as much sauce as you desire – it freezes well!! So, peel, core and slice your apples – if you can slice them a similar size they will cook more evenly.

Place your apples in your dish and cover with a lid or foil – NO WATER, SUGAR OR ANYTHING ELSE!!

Bake for 20-30 minutes. Check after 20. Apples should be soft. Here's the satisfying bit – whisk the apples until they begin to break up, sprinkle with caster sugar plus a generous knob of unsalted butter, whisk again.

I have a friend who makes me a Christmas Cake – the best I've ever tasted. Exchange is no robbery – I will give her Écrou roti in exchange – nothing like a spot of bartering - what a plan!

I've never actually costed this recipe but, what I do know is that it will be cheaper than most and tastes better than any “luxury” versions sampled in the past – so my friends tell me!

The Secret Stash – Sweet Stuff

You know what I said in The Creaking Table about feeding an army - it's fear of not being able to produce plenty of food – even when you're not expecting whoever turns up – there must be an appropriate phobia name for this condition - hmmm

So, my theory is, if you've the wherewithal to produce something sweet – you get my drift - then all's right with the world.

Check that you've got :

Pantry/cupboard

icing sugar

caster sugar

drum of shop bought meringue kisses

Madeira cake x 2 (disguise by hiding in a tin!)

vanilla bean paste

Maple syrup

soft dark brown sugar

jar of conserve of your choice

Amaretti biscuits – expensive but

justified

chocolate – 50% cocoa solids

Wright's make instant cake mixes too

If you've space in the freezer:

frozen raspberries

frozen cherries

batch of vanilla ice cream

If you've space in the fridge:

large tub of mascarpone cheese

praline

batch of microwave lemon curd

emergency large double cream

batch of sticky toffee sauce

All of the above will enable you to produce any or all of :

Awesome Autumn Pud

Lemon Tiramisu

Judy's Jars (recipe to follow)

Check out “Store Cupboard desserts & puds – the beginning

and uber-useful extras 

If all else fails, a bowl of vanilla ice cream with praline sprinkled over the top, and a large blob of warmed sticky toffee sauce and an Amaretti biscuit on the side – hello!

If you don't need to call upon your secret sweet stash it won't be wasted.  There's New Year to look forward to and you won't need to shop!

The Secret Stash – Savoury Stuff

Creativity is a secret stash or if you like, “necessity is the mother of invention” – either way it means having certain ingredients in your fridge or your pantry/cupboards that enable you to create a dish in a nano-second – ok may be a smidge longer.

If anyone went hunting looking for a snack a particular ingredient on its own wouldn't be attractive to the rummager and so your stash will remain safe from harm.

Let me give you a few examples :

Part-baked rolls and baguettes.  Ensure that the use by date is a good one.  These products don't need freezing but you can freeze if you've room.  They can be stashed in your cupboard/pantry.  Note to self – if you open the packet to use half the contents, clip and store correctly – fridge short term, freeze if you can

Check out Wright's packet bread mixes, there are loads

to choose from and a great addition to your stash -

they have good “use by” dates too

Parmesan cheese

Large double cream for savoury emergencies

roasted garlic paste

If these ingredients sound vaguely familiar that's because they are - it's Alfredo Sauce.  Essential for every person's survival over the holidays.  With or without pasta – you could use poured over leftover meat/poultry and vegetables.

Pantry/cupboard

dried pasta

risotto rice – risotto or arancini

self raising flour

plain flour

baking powder

white miso paste – for the Miso Maple Glazed Chicken

Dijon mustard

creamed horseradish

Vermouth – recipe coming soon!

Fridge

eggs

mature cheddar cheese

unsalted butter

double cream 

chorizo

Freezer

Puff pastry sheet(s)

There will be further additions to the list – it's not meant to be complete - these are just a few ideas  - I'm sure you'll have your own.

The Sides

Roast potatoes

I first came across Nigella's roast potato recipe in “How to Eat” - page 281 and I've never cooked roast potatoes any other way - which is a little strange when you consider I have this aversion to wet and sloppy and semolina is up there with sago (posh for frog spawn) and rice pudding for me – anyway I digress, sorry.

Here's her recipe :

To serve 6

1¾kg medium to large potatoes, peeled

cut into three

From cold, par boil for 4/5 minutes in salted water

Drain the potatoes, back into saucepan, lid on

and shake – CAREFULLY

Add 1 tbsp of semolina and shake again -

CAREFULLY

Pre-heat your oven – very hot – 220fan/240c/Gas 9.  Add 2 tbsps of goose fat or beef dripping or, rapeseed or vegetable oil to your oven tray.  It's important that the fat/dripping/oil is hot before the potatoes are added.  They will take an hour – serve straight from oven.

Whatever I cook for family, I always cook roast potatoes and double what I think I need – there are never any leftovers – by that I mean should there be any, they take them home.

Maple Roasted Beetroot

Balsamic vinegar – 2 tsp

Olive oil – 2 tbsp

Maple syrup – 2 tbsp

Cooked beetroot – 500g

Salt and black pepper

Chopped fresh thyme – 2tsp or a sprinkle

of dried if you can't get fresh

You can use the vac packs you can get in the supermarket when out of season - as an indicator I choose beetroot that is approximately the same size – a 300g vac pack gives you 8 small to medium beetroots, which I will then cut in half. 

If fresh beetroot is in season, choose beets of a similar size and roast in foil until tender - @ 180f/200c/Gas 6 for an hour and test – they may need another 30 minutes - leave to cool and then peel.

Pre-heat your oven to 220c/200fan/Gas7.

Mix together the thyme, vinegar, olive oil and Maple syrup in a bowl until well combined.

Cut the beetroot in half and place into the bowl with the syrup mixture and season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.

Place the beetroot into a deep roasting tray and roast in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the beetroot is sticky and glazed.

This recipe adapts the Honey Roasted Beetroot version.

Stir fried sprouts

250g sprouts, peeled and sliced

(the smaller the sprout, the sweeter)

2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped

2 tsps garlic paste

50g unsalted butter

grated fresh nutmeg

salt and black pepper

1 tbsp redcurrant jelly – melted in microwave

on medium for 1 minute to loosen

Melt the butter in a large frying pan, add the shallots and garlic and soften for 2/3 minutes.  Add the sprouts and mix well, season with salt and pepper - cook on a high heat for 2/3 minutes so that the edges of the sprouts begin to caramelise, add 3-4 rasps of grated nutmeg  Add the redcurrant jelly, mix well and serve.

If you like gravy and I must confess I do, then I'd make double the quantity of onion sauce – for a richer sauce use half milk and half double cream – it's Christmas after all!

The Pie

Continuing with our alternative lunch, here's The Pie – you don't have to use the same veggies, I chose what I liked – the world is your rutabaga! (the vegetarian equivalent to “the world is your oyster or lobster”).

Christmas Vegetarian Pie

3 medium carrots

3 medium parsnips

3 shallots

1 bulb Fennel

6 large Charlotte potatoes

2 x garlic cloves (leave as is – don't peel)

or 2 tsps of garlic paste

salt and black pepper

glug of Rapeseed oil

Quick Onion Sauce (with star anise powder)

250g vac-pack of chestnuts, chopped

150g dried cranberries

puff pastry sheet

1 egg, beaten

Top, tail and peel the vegetables and dice to a similar size

Pre-heat your oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

Tip the vegetables and garlic cloves into a roasting pan (or foil dish) season and drizzle with a glug of rapeseed oil. Bake and check after 20 minutes – you want your vegetables firm when you test with a knife.

Whilst your vegetables are roasting make a “Quick Onion Sauce” - I'm going to substitute the nutmeg with a tsp of star anise powder for a change – entirely optional.

When your vegetables have cooled, fish out the garlic cloves and “pop” the purée into the vegetables and mix.

Add the onion sauce, chestnuts and cranberries to the vegetables and taste to ensure the seasoning is good – add more salt and black pepper to your own taste - tip into your pie dish (or in my case a foil tray!!!). Add your pastry lid and brush with beaten egg – bake for 30 minutes, check after 20, until golden brown.

This pie will serve 4-6 as a main course – depending on appetites – if you want to use the pie as an accompaniment then it will serve 8.

Quick Onion Sauce

3 medium onions, peeled and roughly chopped

Good glug of rapeseed oil and generous knob of butter

30g plain flour

500ml milk

salt and white pepper

freshly grated nutmeg

Soften the onion in the oil and butter, sprinkle over the flour and mix.

Gradually add the milk, stirring continuously. Use and spatula to stir, you'll cover the base of the saucepan and stop the sauce from going lumpy.

Let the sauce boil when you've added all the milk, then remove from heat and season with the salt and pepper and nutmeg if you wish.

You can prep the vegetables and the onion sauce whenever you have time and freeze them – if you are cooking a roast on a Sunday you could prep extra veg and roast them at the same time – you know how I like to use all the oven and multi-task too.

You could prep the pie filling, pop into a dish and freeze it, adding your pastry lid when you want to serve.

If you are catering for gluten free guests, you could do worse than to use the shortcrust pastry recipe mentioned in “Next up … techniques for your Smoked Fish Pie”.

If you struggle with what to serve to any vegetarian and/or gluten free guests then this recipe is really easy, especially if vegetarian cookery isn't your bag. This is a pie that I've served and has been demolished by meat eaters – if you need any more convincing.

If you collect useless pieces of information you might like to know that a rutabaga is a North American swede – I just love the word – great quiz question! 

The alternative lunch

As with most of my posts, nothing is set in stone - if I trigger an idea of your own or inspire you to tweak, then my work here is done. The following menu could be taken as a vegetarian alternative or, give you choices that you may like to include as part of your own lunch.

Bread and Butter or

Cheese & Pecan Loaf with Butter

The Pie

Roasties

Maple glazed beetroot

Stir fried sprouts

Judy's Jars

I promised in the post The Method in my Madness – The Creaking Table that the Cheese & Pecan Loaf was on its way, here it is – have a glance at the photos – scrummy. Who doesn't like bread and butter – if you wanted to you could serve the bread and butter with the winter coleslaw – add cheesey, nutty and crunchy to the scrummy – you could even kid yourself it's healthy – NOT!

The Pie ticks the vegetarian box if you need to cater, alternatively you could serve it as part of your turkey roast – just add a sprout or six!

The roasties can be made ahead and frozen. I've always used Nigella's roast potato recipe and on the basis if it ain't broke I have no intention of fixing it.

Maple glazed beetroot – sweet and colourful.

Stir fried sprouts – sprouts are like Marmite you either love 'em or hate 'em. This suggestion would firmly squash the idea that contrary to popular belief they do not need to be cooking on the hob in October to serve on Christmas Day!

Judy's Jars is my bit of fun – created for my friend's birthday in December, it's a sharing pud – there's nothing quite like a fight to get to the last crumb!

Cheese & Pecan loaf

60g Parmesan cheese, grated

350g plain flour

1 tbsp baking powder

pinch cayenne pepper

125g mature cheddar cheese, cut

into small cubes

60g chopped pecan nuts (or walnuts

if preferred)

4 spring onions, trimmed and chopped

250ml full fat milk

1 large egg

170ml tub of sour cream

salt and black pepper

900g (2lb) loaf tin, well buttered and

lined

Pre-heat your oven 180c/160fan/Gas 4

Sprinkle half the grated Parmesan cheese into the loaf tin to coat the base and sides.

Mix the flour, baking powder, cayenne pepper, 1 tsp salt and lots of black pepper into a large bowl. Mix in the cheddar cubes, nuts and spring onions.

In a separate bowl whisk the milk, egg and cream together then fold into the dry ingredients.

Spoon in the loaf tin, smooth the top and sprinkle with the remaining grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 50/55 minutes until golden brown – skewer test i.e. insert skewer into loaf, on removal should be clean. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, turn out and transfer to a rack to cool.

Serve warm with lots of butter.

I shouldn't be blowing my own trumpet but having a savoury tooth rather than a sweet one, this is my kinda food.

You can freeze this – defrost thoroughly before you want to use it – slice thickly, wrap in foil and pop into a warm oven for ten minutes before serving.

It's easy but I would suggest that you do your mise en place – in other words, weigh out all the ingredients, ahead, it's just a bit time consuming so if all the boring stuff is done you don't even notice.

More to follow ….

Klutz – or how to create a table centre for the artistically challenged!

Take my word for it I am an absolute klutz when it comes to anything remotely artistic – sticky back plastic and all things Blue Peter ain't my thing at all so, if I can do it, anyone can.

Here are the results of my valiant efforts.

The vase came from a discount shop and measures 10x10 cms square x 12cms high. I bought circular oasis from Wilko's – it measures 8 cms approximately in diameter. A pack of 4 costs £1.50 – doesn't break the bank.

Glue the oasis to the base of the vase. Gently ease the candy canes into the oasis. Tie a ribbon around the vase – wire edged ribbon is the best, the bow stays where it's put. Finish off by filling any gaps with wrapped chocolates of your choice. Hey presto – one table centre.

I've attached a photo of the finished product, along with one of the vase and the oasis.

And :

Recipe

take one clear glass vase, height doesn't really matter, bear in mind that you'll be filling it with chocolate or sweets of your choice so I suppose it depends how extravagant you feel

arrange candy canes over the top of the vase then fill with chocolate or sweets

who would have thought it could be so easy although I don't think Kirstie Allsopp is in any danger - photo attached.

Meri Kirihimete!

Cast your mind back …

...to the coolers I mentioned in Sweet Surprises for summer – here's another, dressed differently and looking pretty for the festive season.

There are three photographs – the cooler, a small storage box and a hat box. This idea appeals to my sense of thrift and fun too. They are filled with chocolate for everyone but you could fill them with sweets, chocolate money or a mixture of all three and the boxes come in handy afterwards.

You could even use the cooler as a table centre.

The coolers went to the grown-ups, the box went to young grandchildren and the hat box to an older granddaughter so you could tailor the “box” to suit the age and the likes/dislikes of confectionery.

These might give you gift ideas too!

Crossword Clue: 1954 Film & Song – 5 and 9

My Sister-in-Law sent me this recipe and, as you now expect, I've tweaked it.

Before I go any further I should say that whenever I produce any new recipe it gets tasted by someone other than me. Yesterday I took a tub of the latest offering to my friend, who will always tell me the truth, whether its good or bad.

“It's better than Rocky Road!” - so, with feedback like that I felt it only right to share :

500g white chocolate

35g Rice Krispies

160g sultanas

140g pecans, roasted and

chopped coarsely

160g dried apricots

130g dried cranberries

105g pistachios, roasted and

chopped coarsely

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Melt the chocolate in a large bowl over simmering water ensuring the water does not touch the bowl. When the chocolate has melted add the remaining ingredients and tip into a tray bake – size 32 x 9 cms approx. “Fridge” it for 2 hours.

If you want to add an extra level of flavour, before you chop the pecans and pistachios, heat a small knob of butter in a frying pan and, when foaming add them with a large pinch of sea salt flakes. Stir over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until toasted – you'll smell them when they are ready. Tip onto a baking sheet to cool and then chop.

Cut into small squares and serve as a petit four or you could bag it for sweet treats as a place setting.

Here are two photos showing a bowl with the petit four version and bagged as a place setting idea.

Got another call today, my friend with more feedback – she'd passed the treat around the family – huge hit!

I'm sure that you've got the answer to my feeble attempt at a crossword clue – yep, not surprisingly it's White Christmas!