The holiday that never was ...

Last November we booked flights to make a long overdue visit to our dear friends in North Carolina, scheduled for May 2020 ... here's what happened next. 

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Nasi – zhuzhed up

The easiest way to show the “zhuzh” is to give the recipe again and underline the alternative ingredients.

Here goes :

Nasi Goreng

Serves 4-6

3 eggs

1 tbsp water

1 tbsp oil

4 tbsp vegetable oil

2 onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed or garlic paste

half tsp chilli powder – instead of using chilli

powder use ½ tsp of sambal paste *

8oz (225g) cooked rice – instead of using plain rice, use bags

of frozen rice with added veggies *

6oz (175g) cooked chicken or turkey meat, diced

6oz (175g) peeled prawns, defrosted if frozen

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp soft light brown sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

instead of using soy, sugar and lemon juice use

60ml of soy sauce and 120ml of Kecap Manis *

6oz (175g) cooked wafer ham, thinly sliced

instead of using cooked wafer ham use cooked

shredded ham hock *

black pepper

Beat the egg lightly with the 1 tbsp water. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or frying pan. Pour in the egg and cook until set underneath, flip it and repeat. Slide the omelette out of the pan on to a board, roll up into a cigar shape and slice into strips – set aside.

Add the vegetable oil to the wok and heat gently. Add the onions, garlic and chilli powder* and fry until lightly browned. Add the rice* and cook for a few seconds then stir in the chicken and prawns. Cook for 2/3 minutes.

Mix the soy sauce, sugar and lemon juice* together, then stir thoroughly into the rice mixture. Stir in the ham* then season to taste with pepper. Spoon the mixture into a serving bowl and garnish with the omelette strips.

Optional sides :

Add a dish of chopped honey roasted cashews

Add bowls of soy and Kecap Manis for extra drizzle

Add a stack of small thin wraps – small wraps are easier

to control for little fingers

Add a stack of Little Gem lettuce cups – ideal for

filling with the Nasi and devouring – you'll save on

cutlery too!

Whichever variation of The Gorengs you choose the principle is the same – it's the perfect vehicle for using leftovers and adding treats like prawns and ham hock. It's quick and easy to produce and so satisfying to place a large wok full of deliciousness on the table with additional sides – more chopped cashews, bowls of soy, kecap manis, a heap of small thin wraps and a stack of Little Gem lettuce cups.

I think that has just about covered The Gorengs – here's a couple of photos of the zhuzhed version :

a perfect “dive in dish”

Time for more “dive in” ideas - next up desserts.

Nasi – but not as we know … or

… a variation on a theme.

Here's an alternative “fish” Nasi recipe :

Nasi but not

4 tbsp vegetable oil

2 onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed or garlic paste

half tsp chilli powder or sambal paste

8oz (225g) cooked rice

6oz (175g) cooked salmon fillet, flaked

6oz (175g) smoked salmon, finely sliced

6oz (175g) peeled prawns, defrosted if frozen

120ml Kecap Manis (sweet soy sauce)

60ml dark soy sauce

4-6 hard boiled eggs, quartered

black pepper

Serves 4-6

Add the vegetable oil to a wok and heat gently. Add the onions, garlic and chilli powder and fry until lightly browned. Add the rice and cook for a few seconds then stir in the salmon and prawns.

Mix the kecap manis and soy sauce together, stir into the rice mixture, then season to taste with pepper.

Add the eggs, folding in gently, serve immediately, straight from the wok.

You can adjust the amounts of fish/seafood to your own personal taste – bearing in mind that you have two elements to replace from the original recipe – chicken and ham – 175g each plus 175g of prawns. You are adding hard boiled eggs and although these are a garnish they are definitely an integral part of the dish since the sauce is quite punchy and the fish quite salty so they play an important part in the balance.

Once again though, make it your own – adjust to suit yourself, if you want more prawns then adjust the amount of salmon accordingly. The great thing about this recipe is that it is a “leftovers” dish i.e. everything in it, apart from the onion, garlic and chilli and the sauce, is already cooked.

It's quite “kedgeree-esque” in that both contain fish and boiled eggs and both started life as breakfast dishes – now you have a choice – Asian or Indian!

Finally … the zhuzh

Mie to follow

Here's the Mie Goreng - the noodle version of the Nasi Goreng. The Mie includes two ingredients you may not have come across previously – kecap manis – aka sweet soy sauce and sambal paste – a paste made from chillies and spices and both ingredients are easily available in larger supermarkets.

Mie Goreng

Serves 4-6

3 eggs

1 tbsp water

1 tbsp oil

1 onion, finely sliced

Drop of rapeseed or vegetable oil

3 cloves of garlic, crushed or tsps of paste

2 carrots, finely sliced (you could use cooked leftovers)

2 spring onions, finely sliced

Pinch of ground ginger

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 red chilli, seeded removed and finely diced

1 tsp sambal paste

250g medium egg noodles, cooked

30ml dark soy sauce

60ml kecap manis

100g beansprouts

350g cooked prawns, defrosted

100g chopped roasted peanuts to garnish (optional)

Beat the egg lightly with the 1 tbsp water. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or frying pan. Pour in the egg and cook until set underneath, flip it and repeat. Slide the omelette out of the pan on to a board, roll up into a cigar shape and slice into strips – set aside.

Heat a large wok or frying pan and add a drop of oil. Add the onion and stir fry for 2 minutes, then add the garlic, ginger and carrots and fry for a further 2 minutes. Add a drop of water to prevent drying out.

Add the sambal paste, coriander and cumin and fry for 20/30 seconds – again you can add a drop of water if required. Add the cooked noodles, spring onions, beansprouts and prawns – turning until warmed through. Add the dark soy sauce and the kecap manis and repeat.

N.B. For a vegetarian version, substitute the prawns with 300g of shredded Chinese cabbage – aka bok choy or pak choi and 1 yellow pepper (cored, deseeded and diced). Sweet baby peppers – red, yellow and orange – would work well too.

Serve straight from wok or spoon into individual bowls and garnish with the omelette strips and peanuts.

You could add sliced water chestnuts and/or bamboo shoots. If you've other leftover vegetables or cooked chicken or meat – dice and add too.

On the other hand – if you love fish …

How to please a crowd … The Gorengs

I've made this dish for over 30 years – which was a bit of a shock - I still have my diary notes from 1987!

Nasi Goreng is Indonesian and began life as a breakfast dish using up leftover rice from the previous evening but has evolved into a popular street food choice, right up to being served in posh restaurants. It can be spicy or not depending on your taste and vegetarian or not. There's Mie Goreng too using noodles instead of rice.

What follows is a series of variations on this original recipe, all of which qualify as candidates for “dive in” dishes.

Nasi Goreng

Serves 4-6

3 eggs

1 tbsp water

1 tbsp oil

4 tbsp vegetable oil

2 onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed or garlic paste

half tsp chilli powder

8oz (225g) cooked rice

6oz (175g) cooked chicken or turkey meat, diced

6oz (175g) peeled prawns, defrosted if frozen

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp soft light brown sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

6oz (175g) cooked wafer ham, thinly sliced

black pepper

Beat the egg lightly with the 1 tbsp water. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or frying pan. Pour in the egg and cook until set underneath, flip it and repeat. Slide the omelette out of the pan on to a board, roll up into a cigar shape and slice into strips – set aside.

Add the vegetable oil to the wok and heat gently. Add the onions, garlic and chilli powder and fry until lightly browned. Add the rice and cook for a few seconds then stir in the chicken and prawns. Cook for 2/3 minutes.

Mix the soy sauce, sugar and lemon juice together, then stir thoroughly into the rice mixture. Fold in the ham then season to taste with pepper. You can place the wok in the middle of the table and “dive in” or spoon into serving bowls and garnish with the omelette strips.

If this dish doesn't fit the “dive in” category then I don't know what does. It's an all time favourite in our house. A definite crowd pleaser and lip smackingly good to boot.

There's Mie to follow, a variation on a theme and time to zushz up the original!

Foolproof Yorkshire Pudding – by a Yorkshireman!

In the Tarragon Chicken – hints and tips I mentioned creating a “roast” and Yorkshire Pudding.

Everyone has their favourite “go to” Yorkshire pudding recipe but if by chance you haven't and need one – here it is – it does exactly what it says “in the tin”!

This recipe belongs to Brian Turner a well known Chef and Yorkshireman to boot, so well qualified. The recipe's success is because it works not by weight but by volume. Use any size cup but measure each ingredient with the same cup. Not sure what the vinegar does but his Granny used it and it seems to work so why change it!

1 large cup plain flour

pinch of salt

1 large cup of eggs

1 large cup - 2/3rds milk and 1/3rd water

1 tbsp malt vinegar

beef dripping for pudding tin – use vegetable

or rapeseed oil if preferred

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

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl.

Add the eggs and beat well with half the liquid until all the lumps have disappeared.

Add the rest of the liquid and the vinegar and allow to stand.

In a pudding tin put a dessert spoon of dripping in each and place in the oven until it is very hot.

Ladle the batter into the individual sections of the tin and place back in the oven.

Bake for 25 minutes without opening the oven if possible. Serve immediately.

It really is foolproof.

Up next - more “dive in” recipe choices for your family and friends ...

Summer Fruit Tarts is what!

This recipe is so old I can't remember when – probably as far back as 1986 ish.

Rich shortcrust pastry

as per the recipe given

Filling

250g mascarpone cheese

165g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tsp lemon juice

A selection of fresh fruit in season

prepped and sliced for decoration

strawberries, hulled and sliced finely, melon balls

kiwi, grapes and banana to name but a few ideas

Glaze

2 tbsp apricot jam, sieved

1 tbsp water

On a lightly floured board, roll out pastry thinly and cut into circles with a fluted 7cm cutter. Line two 12 tartlet trays – or place sweet shortcrust tart cases on a baking tray and prick bases. Bake at 160fan/180c/Gas 4 for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Beat together the mascarpone cheese, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice. Place a tablespoon of cheese mixture in each tart.

Arrange the fruits decoratively over the top.

Heat the jam and water in a small saucepan over moderate heat until smooth. Brush over tarts and allow to set before serving.

The recipe for the filling will give you sufficient for 24 tarts – perfect for a summer party dessert. Halve the filling recipe for the 12 tart cases or double the pastry recipe if you're going for 24!

These tarts are small, which is great, the size of a jam tart, so perfectly poppable into the mouth.

Use whatever fruit takes your fancy or mix it up – my fancy was strawberries, it's worth the effort of hulling – the finished article looks like this :

 

If you don't like the idea of making pastry then a shortbread stack would work well. The mascarpone cream is good enough to stand alone – by that I mean it's delicious enough with a bowl of fresh fruit.

I took two pots of the cream, together with fresh strawberries, to my friend who has been on her own since the lockdown, despite our “distance” in her back garden it was worth it. I'm not sure who my friend was pleased to see more – me or the strawberries and cream!

By the way ...

By request … sweet shortcrust pastry

As a rule I don't get requests for pastry from H but, rules are meant to be broken as they say – and in particular a sweet version. Here's the recipe I used for my trial run :

The recipe makes enough to line a shallow

23cm/9 inch flan tin

Serves 8

115g/4oz plain flour

55g/2oz cold unsalted butter, diced

25g (a scant 1oz) icing sugar, sifted

1 egg yolk plus 1 tbsp cold water

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar.

Lightly beat the egg yolk with 1 tbsp of cold water. Add to the flour mixture and mix with a round-bladed knife. Gather together to make a soft dough.

Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

Add 1 tsp pure vanilla extract to the beaten egg yolk and reduce the amount of water slightly – optional.

Bake at 160fan/180c/Gas 4 for 15 minutes or until they are golden in colour – leave to cool.

If you prefer individual tart cases then you'll get 12 based on using a cutter 7cms/2¾” in diameter from the recipe given. Prick the cases with a fork before baking.

After I'd rolled out the pastry I used my trusted tamper to ease the cases into the tin for an even shape.

What to do with the pastry now I've made it?

The veggie option – I know this works too

The classic vegetarian option was always a bowl of pasta with a nondescript tomato sauce poured over the top – lots of care and attention – NOT!

I like to make the best of what's available and in season and I think I did.

This recipe proved to be a hit and has been repeated more than once since – so much so I committed it to paper - even the most stalwart of carnivores enjoyed it. The other plus is that it stands on its own as a vegetarian dish but also lends itself as part of a larger menu.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

4/6 large Portobello Mushrooms

1 medium onion, finely chopped with a drop of rapeseed oil and a knob of butter

85g breadcrumbs (or if you want an alternative

use an 85g packet of sage & onion stuffing mix)

Garlic paste or 2 crushed cloves of garlic

50g pine nuts (chopped walnuts or chestnuts would also work well)

Small double cream - 150ml

75g each of grated

Extra Mature Cheddar Cheese

Red Leicester

Gruyere

Salt and black pepper

100/150g grated Parmesan

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

Soften the onion and garlic with the oil and butter.

Remove and discard the stalks and set the mushrooms aside on a baking tray. If the mushrooms wobble slice a thin layer from the bottom – that should do the trick.

Place the breadcrumbs or stuffing mix into a mixing bowl, add the softened onion and garlic together with the pine nuts. Gradually add double cream to the mixture, it should be stiff. Add the grated Cheddar, Red Leicester and Gruyere, season well with salt and black pepper.

Dampen your hands. Take a handful of mixture and work into a firm mound and pack into each mushroom.

Sprinkle grated parmesan over each mushroom.

Bake and check after 15 minutes – depends on the size of the mushrooms, they should be nicely browned.

And my final tip - you can use the mixture, with less cream, to achieve a crumble consistency and use as a topping for roasted vegetables or fish.

This dish is a treat, rich with cream and cheeses I know - it was meant to be. It's delicious, always providing you and your guests like mushrooms!

Coming next … by request – sweet pastry

I know this recipe works …

Over the years we've spent a lot of time in the USA – South Carolina in particular, where our best friend lives.

On one occasion we were expecting a houseful of visitors – the big kids were expecting friends from all over the place – by land and air and their plans involved copious amounts of alcohol!

My mission – should I choose to accept – was to feed them before they left for their evening of fun.

Problem 1

They were all arriving at different times, who knows when, so whatever I cooked had to be easily completed and wouldn't spoil by cooking ahead.

Problem 2

I don't know what they eat! We already had a combination of meat eaters and veggies so stick with the safe bet – chicken and a veggie option.

Problem 3

Whatever I cook has to be pulled together – fast!

Tarragon Chicken fits the bill. A tray of the chicken fillet cooked ahead, as per the recipe, not forgetting adding spare fillets – big kids have big appetites.

My “never fail” standby – a massive tray of roasties – part cooked along with another giant tray of roasted mixed veggies. The roasties will be a novelty for my US friends, they tend to serve mashed potatoes.

When I say massive trays I mean huge – 26”x18” and 21”x15” (66x46cms and 53x38cms). US ovens are twice the size of ours in the UK – thank goodness!

The roasties and the veggies can be finished off in the oven whilst I complete the vat of sauce on the stove, just the cream and seasoning to add.

I've never seen food vanish so quickly and off they went on their merry way. Happy hangover guys.

Phew – it's a good job I set aside enough for the old folks left behind – time for a gin!

I haven't forgotten I mentioned a veggie option – recipe up next.

Tarragon Chicken – hints and tips

What to serve with? Depends in the time of year and whether it's a “sit-down” lunch or a supper or dinner “do”.

As a main it's quite a rich dish so, if you're a lover of rice you could have a fried rice full of colour using all your favourite veggies – sliced mange tout, asparagus, corn, fresh peas, broad beans, whatever is in season.

Jersey Royals are in season at the moment – perfect in my opinion - having said that there are other good varieties of new potatoes available most of the year, Charlottes as an example.

You could create a “roast”. If you love your roasties then substitute for the Jerseys. A large tray of roasted veggies too – onions, fennel, carrots and parsnips and both can be part roasted ahead and then finished later.

How about Yorkshire Pudding – you may think I'm crazy but you'd be surprised how many people love it – with whatever else is served!

The other good news is that you can create exactly the same dish for vegetarians using veggie stock and suitable cream, then submerge Quorn fillets or Quorn pieces. Make the sauce and add the Quorn – it takes 12 minutes from frozen. You can get Vegan and Gluten Free versions too.

I think that's most of the boxes ticked!

Coming up … I know this recipe works

The Tarragon Chicken alternatives

If you prefer to plan ahead, slow cooking and then freezing the chicken breasts works well – all that's required is to defrost the cooked chicken and make the sauce. Don't forget to freeze the stock too!

For the slow cooking

4 large chicken breasts

drop of Rapeseed/Canola oil and a knob of butter

500ml/1 pint of chicken stock

Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan until hot. Seal the chicken on both sides, set aside in your slow cooker. Add the stock to the residual juices in the pan and bring to the boil – add to your fillets and slow cook for 2/3 hours, depending on the thickness of the fillets.

Defrost thoroughly in the fridge before use if you freeze after cooking.

You can always slow cook more than four fillets but don't forget to freeze in quantities that suit you.

You can “smoke” chicken breasts – poach the breasts gently in chicken stock for 20 minutes – turn the chicken after 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the chicken to continue to poach in the stock with the lid on.

If you're not sure what “poaching” and how to achieve it :

Poaching is a technique involving submerging food in a liquid – in this case stock – milk and wine are also used.

It's considered to be a healthy method of cooking since it doesn't use fat to cook or flavour the food. Poaching uses a low temperature which means it's perfect for delicate food like chicken which has a tendency either to fall apart or become dry. The chicken remains succulent and full of flavour with whatever aromatics you've used in the stock.

Speaking of aromatics, if, like me, you occasionally slow cook a whole chicken infused with star anise and save the strained stock - I'm poaching the chicken breasts in the anise stock from my stash in the freezer. Since the recipe is Tarragon Chicken and tarragon has an aniseed flavour it's the perfect fit.

The sauce can then be cooked to the point where all that's required is to add the cream, fresh tarragon and white pepper.

What's not to love.

Moving on …

Lockdown may be easing but we're nowhere near any sort of “normal” and I use the word loosely! There are no coffee shops, pubs or restaurants properly open yet although there's some suggestion that may change in the middle of June. The bad news is we still have to cook and as the weeks go by it's getting harder to feel inspired, let alone cook our meals.

The weather has been more than kind which in a way has made life a little easier – a BBQ gives at least an illusion of freedom alfresco.

Over the last few weeks I've given menus hoping that the suggestions given might spark ideas but with no recipes. I've picked a recipe from those menus that I think you'll find useful for happier times to come.

We are all dreaming of the day when family and friends can get together in the same house and when that day dawns feeding them too. The last thing we'll be wanting to do is to eat into - sorry for the pun - that special time by spending it in the kitchen so what follows is an idea which you can approach in different ways.

The following dish is definitely in the “crowd pleaser and lip smackingly good” categories – it never fails.

Tarragon Chicken

Serves 4

4 chicken fillets

drop of Rapeseed/Canola oil and a knob of butter

500ml/1 pint of chicken stock

2 cloves of garlic, mashed (optional)

Bunch of spring onions, finely diced

1 tsp dried tarragon

Fresh tarragon – chopped – approx 2 tbsp

160ml/¼ pt/5 fl oz approx Vermouth or dry white wine

120ml/4fl oz double cream/heavy

celery salt and white pepper

drop of Rapeseed oil/Canola and a knob of butter

You'll need a large frying pan – preferably one you can transfer to the oven. Heat the rapeseed oil and butter and seal the chicken on both sides and set aside. Add the spring onions to the pan with the mashed garlic and dried tarragon - stir fry for 2 minutes then add the stock and the vermouth, let it bubble up, add the salt. Add the chicken breasts back to the pan. You can cook the breasts on the stove or in the oven. If you're using the oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6 for 20 minutes but take care when removing the hot pan! Remove the fillets and wrap in foil to keep hot whilst you bring the liquid to the boil, add the cream and the chicken breasts – simmer gently for another 10 minutes and sprinkle with fresh tarragon and white pepper.

Next up – the alternatives and some hints and tips too.

Time for cake …

… there's a recipe on the blog called Grandad Jack's Tea Loaf – tea loaves are great – they contain eggs but no other fat. The moisture comes in the steeping of the fruit in hot black tea overnight.

You have to be careful that you get the balance of ingredients right – if a tea loaf has a downside it's that it can be dry but you won't know that until you've cut it – it's too late.

I'm always on the look out for something different – here's the Orange Fruit Tea Loaf.

Here's the recipe :

Orange Fruit Tea Loaf

for a 900g loaf

300g mixed dried fruit of your choice -

cranberries work well

150g dark brown sugar

grated zest of two oranges

300ml of hot tea – without milk – just in

case you were wondering

1 egg, lightly beaten

300g self raising flour

a pinch of salt

Mix the dried fruit, sugar, orange zest and hot tea together, cover and leave overnight.

Pre-heat your oven 130fan/150c/Gas

Grease your loaf tin.

Stir the egg into the fruit mixture then add the flour and salt. Transfer the mixture into your loaf tin and bake for about 1½ hours until risen and firm. Use a bamboo skewer inserted into the middle of the cake and comes out clean. Turn out and cool on a rack.

Now for a grumble rather than a rant. The recipe is exactly as I found it. When I read it I realised that it mentions “1 egg, lightly beaten”. So often recipes are badly written – not deliberately – the author perhaps presumes the reader will know – NO! Baking is a science and accuracy is important.

I mentioned moisture in your loaf, texture is equally important. I follow my own rule – if it isn't clear always use large eggs.

Hints and Tips

All is not lost if you produce a dry loaf – you'll just have to toast a slice and add butter – breakfast treat?!

I added ½ tsp of orange extract to the mixture. You can definitely smell the orange zest, I just wanted a little extra boost of flavour.

The secret to the success of this loaf is adding the sugar to the mixed fruit, zest and tea and steeping overnight. Other tea loaf recipes I've come across are based on, for example, “2 cups of flour, 1 cup of sugar” - treating the sugar as a dry ingredient – including it as part of the wet ingredients gives a much better consistency, you can gauge as you're adding the flour gradually to the mixture. “Gradually” is the key, ensuring that the flour is folded in before adding more. I'd already decided to add fresh orange juice if it looked too dry – not necessary!

Old habits die hard – I set my timer for 45 minutes and then turned the loaf tin around. I tested the cake at 1 hour 20 minutes with the skewer which came out clean – out it came. Ovens will vary – a timer will help and remind you to check.

Have a look :

 

As always, taste tested … “the best slice of fruit cake I've had in a long while”.

A great result!

Muse to amuse and exercise for two

I feel just as sorry for our four legged friends at the moment – lockdown and restricted to an hour a day for a walk. I realise that the restrictions have eased a little but some of us are nervous to venture forth.

I'm lucky to have a garden and so went rummaging in the shed – rummage rewarded I dug out Rose's agility kit from way back when. I found hurdles, two tunnels, one short, one longer and then remembered that I'd cobbled together a platform – very scientific, a short plank of wood raised by two bricks at each end. Further research bore fruit – thank you again Amazon and we invested in another hurdle. They are made from sturdy foam so can't hurt – they are so light however that a gust of wind or a stiff breeze might carry them off into the next village! If you see a flying hurdle you'll know it belongs to Rose!

Our routine these days is a morning walk and then around 4pm we have some agility fun – I thought a couple of photos might make you smile :

on the plank – she waits until she's

told to move off

the short tunnel – a treat encourages her

the hurdle – flying high!

It just goes to show what you can assemble with stuff you've got lying around.

A dog will never do what he or she doesn't want to do – I think it's safe to say she's enjoying herself!

Up next … time for cake

Musing VI

Howdy, how are you?

It does seem that things are beginning to change although how we'll adapt to queuing to shop on the “High Street” or your nearest Shopping Centre remains to be seen. We're all nervous of dipping our toe in the water …

I'm beginning this week following on from the “dive in” stir fry in Musing V.

It feels appropriate to serve a retro revival “dive in” weekend dessert treat too – the old ones are the best and this is years old.

A “Pizookie” is a cross between a pizza and a cookie – I've never understood the pizza bit – I know it's possible to buy and make sweet pizzas - you might want to try this after the “dive in” stir fry – keeps the washing up to a minimum!

It's a flexible pud – take it straight from the oven to the table and then spoon scoops of vanilla ice cream into the middle and away you go.

You'll get a crisp “crust” that cracks to reveal a gooey underneath, a molten centre.

Pizookie

Serves 10-12

125g unsalted butter, room temperature

150g light soft brown sugar

100g golden caster sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

200g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp bicarb

½ tsp salt

250g plain chocolate, broken into chunks

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

Put butter and sugars in a bowl and beat (you can use a hand mixer – or, if you want a workout use a wooden spoon and some good old fashioned elbow grease) for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, following by the vanilla bean paste.

In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients – the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt. Tip it into the butter mixture, beat until combined, then stir through the chocolate. Tip into a 20cm ovenproof frying pan or a shallow cake tin and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. 25 minutes will give you a molten centre, 30 minutes a more set version.

Cool for 5 minutes, then add scoops of vanilla ice cream in the middle – dig in!

The ultimate sharing indulgence.

You can make ahead if you prefer, let it cool and then cut into portions. It freezes well too.

Take out portions as required, pop into the fridge and then when you're ready to serve microwave on high for 20 seconds for the gooey version, incidentally the crispy outer edge becomes chewy – perfect with the goo.

Yet again this treat is filling so you might want to think about cutting small portions to freeze.

Here's the proof :

 

Straight from the oven

It actually looks like a slice of pie made

from pastry – pastry it is not

20 seconds later it looks like this

It might be an idea to hide it in the freezer!

I hope that has made your mouth water – definitely another candidate for the “crowd pleaser” and “lip smackingly good” categories. You'll be very popular with the family!

Okey dokey, down to business – here's the menu for this week :

Spaghetti with home-made meatballs and

tomato sauce – or Alfredo if preferred

Fish pie, with a mornay sauce

Tarragon chicken, cheese and

onion mashed potato, griddled asparagus

and roasted fennel

Chilli – meat or veggie

using braising steak for the meat eaters

and Quorn pieces for the veggies

Serve with rice and/or wraps with

sour cream on the top

Veggie roast

Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, roasted

carrots and cauliflower cheese (from the freezer)

Home-made burgers in brioche buns with

a relish and a slaw and wedges on the side

Pork loin steaks with Calvados Cream Sauce

roasted beetroot, peppers and carrots,

sauté potatoes

By now I must have a certain reputation for “rant of the week” - I wouldn't want to disappoint so here it is! Actually it's a continuation of a previous rant – remember Sicilian Lemon Curd replacing the alien abduction of the Marmite Peanut Butter Smooth? The shelf remains bare.

As is my usual plan I mentioned it to Whizzer – hold the front page – there isn't any in her neck of the woods either! I'll make my own, there are after all more important things to worry about. I'll keep you posted.

A little light relief up next ...