Charleston Gumbo

January 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment
charleston-gumbo

A Charleston Gumbo is, probably, the most known and most famous recipe of the Lowcountry cuisine. Lowcountry recipes are mainly associated with the US regions of Charleston and Savannah with some parallels to the Cajun cuisines of New Orleans. The beauty of this style of recipes is not only the fantastic taste, but also the combination of different cooking styles. Lowcountry recipes are a unique blend of ideas and traditions from European, African and Native American cuisines. I love the spice … [Read more...]

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Caramelized Onion and Cheddar Quiche

January 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment
onion-quiche

Quiche is one of my favorite weekend dishes because I can prepare it in advance and leave my days free for the purpose weekends were intended - relaxing (not this weekend as I have a full schedule of last minute design work!). This caramelized Onions and cheddar quiche is an absolute delight - the additional step of caramelizing the onions adds some wonderful flavor. I always do a slightly different quiche with the addition of feta cheese in place of the cheddar which works just as well in my … [Read more...]

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Vegetable Lasagne

January 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment
vegetable-lasagne

There are many things in live without but vegetables are not one of them. I adore vegetables in whatever shape or form they come in, and most especially when their subtle flavours are not hidden under heavy sauces. This vegetable lasagne is one of my absolute favorites. Yield - 6 servings   1 box lasagne sheets Tomato and Vegetable Sauce 1.5 tbsp EACH - olive oil and unsalted butter 3 whole unpeeled garlic cloves 1 medium sized red onion, peeled and finely diced 2 banana … [Read more...]

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Hogwarts Chicken and Ham Pie

January 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment
chicken-and-ham-pie

Reading the early books of Harry Potter is always likely to leave me craving some classic British favorites - one scene in particular will always set in motion a craving - Ronald Weasley eating Chicken and Ham Pie! Mrs Weasley is another character I always associate with food cravings - if I find myself reading any of Mrs Weasleys exploits in the kitchen you can guarantee something from that chapter will feature on our table the same night! Two of the children in our family are extremely … [Read more...]

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Beef and Ale Pie (using Black Sheep Brewery Ale)

January 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment
steakandalepie

There is nothing nicer than a warming Beef and Ale Pie on cold winter days. Personally I like my pie served with a selection of roasted seasonal vegetables. This pie uses Yorkshire Ale from the Black Sheep Brewery, one of my personal favorites, but you are free to substitute this with any ale of your choosing. I would advise using one with a decent strength - a weak ale will lead to a mediocre beef and ale pie! Enjoy! 1 oz butter with 1 tbsp olive oil 2 lbs stewing steak or shin beef, … [Read more...]

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Cheese Topped Onion Soup

January 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment
cheeseonionsoup

Ingredients 60 grams unsalted butter 4 large white onions, peeled and diced 1 tbsp sherry vinegar 60 ml dry sherry 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 720 ml EACH - beef stock and chicken stock 240 ml cold water 1/2 tsp sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Topping French bread - cut to fit top of bowl 230 grams grated Swiss Gruyère or English mature white Cheddar cheese   In a large soup pot set over a low heat, melt the butter When hot, add the onions and a little … [Read more...]

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Autumn Vegetable Stew

January 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment
vegetable-stew

There is nothing more delightful than a beautiful warming stew - and I like mine packed with nourishing vegetables (most especially during the January post-christmas diet!). The taste of the vegetables is not overpowered by any thick sauces in this one which is why I love it so much. 250 ml (metric) cup 2 tsp olive oil 1 large red onion, peeled, halved, sliced 1/2 tsp finely grated garlic 1/2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger 1 cup prepared carrots - peeled and diced 1/2 cup prepared … [Read more...]

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Potato Pastry Topped Fish Pie

January 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Potato Pastry Fish Pie

There is a certain point in winter when I start to crave pies - and fish pie is a real favourite of mine. When I was a child these pies generally were topped with fluffy mashed potato and decorated with grated cheese, toasted breadcrumbs (for a lovely crunch and golden colour) and slices of beef tomatoes. A nice twist to this traditional version is to replace the mashed potato with a lovely potato pastry - this pie was a real success yesterday! As we were entertaining we opted to decorate … [Read more...]

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Meatball & Potato Pie

January 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment
meatballandpotatopie

I have to say that the vast majority of food programmes of late seem to do little else but rehash the same recipes over and over again with very few changes. Whilst there is a lot of be said for keeping some of our traditional recipes "as is", there is also a need to create new and inspiring versions of the old classics too. One of my favourite comfort foods as a child was Yorkshire Meat and Potato pie as cooked by my dear old Grandmother - and always served with copious amounts of cabbage and … [Read more...]

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Schwartz Slow cookers The Gift of Time:

October 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment
schwartz_trailer

When I am particularly busy I like to ensure we have good wholesome home cooked meals by utilising my slow cooker. It means I can prepare the meal fairly early and forget about it until needed - without worrying about whether it will burn in the meantime! This is why I was particularly interested in some PR I received regarding the new product Schwartz slow cookers. Schwartz has created delicious recipes to use on creating the perfect dish for lunch and dinner times. This is perfect because the … [Read more...]

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