Tinned Tomatoes

Summer Delight Smoothie

2009-07-16T16:27:00.008+01:00

I haven't enjoyed a smoothie for a while and as my energy levels have been so low, it seemed like the perfect time to start making them again.

This is my favourite time of year for fruit. I am a berry girl and I am guzzling punnet after punnet of fresh strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. For this smoothie I decided to use some plump raspberries and a really sweet, juicy nectarine.

Summer Delight Smoothie

1 generous cup plump raspberries
1 juicy, sweet nectarine
1 ripe pear
¾ cup milk
½ cup greek yoghurt
2 tsp Manuka honey

Rinse the fruit before removing the stone from the nectarine and coring the pear. I didn't bother to remove the skin from the pear or the nectarine. You really don't notice it in the smoothie. Cut the nectarine and pear into chunks and place them and all the other ingredients in a blender. Whizz until smooth. Enjoy!

Serves 2

You may notice the glass I have poured the smoothie into. I have always spelled my name Jacqué. The French abbreviate it this way and I always hated the (Jackie) spelling. So when my friend Trudi saw these glasses, she just had to get them for me. I think it is actually a brand name for a flavoured cider.

There was another gift among the ingredients for this smoothie. My best buddy Lisa from Lisa's Kitchen, sent me a jar of Manuka Honey to try and I have to say it is fabulous. It is much thicker than normal honey. It is almost like a caramel and very luxurious. It is supposed to have active properties that are anti-bacterial, but that is just an extra bonus. It is hard not to just eat it straight out of the jar. Of course once you spoon the honey onto something, the spoon must be licked!

(technorati - pc6kr2j8tw)

Elie Chain Walk

2009-07-13T12:31:00.023+01:00

I wanted to let you see some photos from our walk last weekend.

Our walking group headed out to Elie, just past Anstruther on the East Coast of Scotland. It's on the chin of what I always think looks like a Scotty Dog, on the map of Scotland.

We had a great day out. It was a hot day and the weather held, apart from a downpour that lasted for about 20 minutes. We had our waterproofs with us and it was so warm we dried off pretty quickly.

The main reason for choosing Elie for the walk was that they have a chain walk around the cliffs. When I saw it, I decided the rest were nutters, especially with the rain about to come on, so I decided to hike up to the cliff top instead of dangling from a chain. I thought you might enjoy the photos. It is a beautiful area.

After our walk we headed to Anstruther where we visited the famous, award winning Anstruther Fish Bar & Restaurant. The queue was long, but it was worth it. We enjoyed our chunky, crispy chips at the harbour, while basking in the sun. An ice cream or two was enjoyed as well. A grand day out!

Head over to A Forkful of Spaghetti to see some photos of Anstruther and a review of the Anstruther Fish Bar, with a scrummy photo of the chips. It will make your mouth water!

Scones with Clottted Cream & Jam

2009-07-12T12:12:00.011+01:00

I can't believe it is a week since I was here last! My tiredness just seems to envelop me during the week and I am not fit for much more than collapsing on my bed with a book when I get home, so my time online and cooking is suffering.

We are eating a lot of salads, pasta and baked potatoes, but nothing much that is blogworthy. I seem to be reverting to old favourites that are quick and easy to make. We are enjoying fresh pesto from the large pot of basil I have growing in the conservatory, but that is as about as complicated as it gets!

However, yesterday, after a lie in, I had a notion to make some scones. And who do you go to for a good scone recipe? Why Delia of course! The original recipe is here, but I have changed it into cups for ease, so that next time I won't have to drag my scales out.

Delia's Scones

2 cups self-raising flour
40g butter (slightly less than a third of a stick)
1 ½ tbsp caster sugar
¾ cup greek yoghurt and milk (half and half)
pinch of salt

In a large bowl, cube the butter, then sieve in the flour. Using your fingers, quickly rub the butter into the flour.

Next stir in the sugar and salt.

Using a knife, mix in the yogurt and milk, a little at a time, until the mix begins to bind together. If it is a little dry, add a small amount of milk. I have already included a little extra in my recipe to make it up to the ¾ cup, which worked out perfectly. If you just add it a little at a time, you will know when it is ready.

Bring the dough together into a ball and roll out on a floured surface until it is about 2 cm deep. Use a cutter to cut the scones. Delia suggests not to twist the cutter, but to tap it sharply so it goes through the dough in one go . I have heard this before, apparently the dough rises better if it is not twisted, although is is easier said that done. Habit, I suppose! You should be able to make 8 scones out of the mixture.

Place the scones onto a greased baking sheet, brush the tops with milk and bake for 12 - 15 minutes until risen and golden.

Serve with homemade jam and clotted cream

Makes 8 scones

Boy, what a treat these were, especially with that lovely homemade strawberry jam I bought at the farmer's market last week and the luxury of clotted cream.

Needless to say they have been polished off today! They were lovely and light and I would use this recipe again. I liked the fact that it used greek yoghurt, which I always have in my fridge, instead of buttermilk, which I don't! Although I sometimes mix milk with lemon juice or vinegar as a substitute for buttermilk.

Here are a few of my homemade jams you may like to try with these scones:

Rhubarb & Orange Jam

Strawberry & Peach Jam

Summer Fruit Jam

Garlicky Mushroom Melt

2009-07-04T22:13:00.006+01:00

I was at the farmer's market in Perth today. I got some gorgeously ripe strawberries and couldn't resist buying some of their jam too. I know I could easily make my own, but it was too difficult to walk away without it. I bought some juicy nectarines and plump apricots. What a difference in the fruit when you buy it straight from the farmer. Pump and luscious instead of the hard tasteless fruit the supermarkets peddle.

I also bought a seven seed wholemeal organic loaf, which was pricey, but worth it. I plan to make sandwiches with it tomorrow for our walk. I will fill them with slow matured caramelised onion cheddar, also purchased today, salad leaves and caramelised onion marmalade. Mmmmm, should be good. I tried a piece of the cheese before I made up my mind and it is extremely lovely. I will take some of my fruit with me tomorrow too.

Anyway back to this evening. I just wanted something easy tonight. So I got the panini machine out, cut some thick slices of the seven seed bread and lightly toasted them , while I sauteed two large field mushrooms. Once the bread was toasted I rubbed one slice with a garlic clove, covered it with fresh mozzarella, then topped it with the seasoned mushroom. I spread the other slice of toasted bread with pesto and squidged them together before putting them back into the panini machine and gave them a few minutes to melt.

More a serving suggestion than a recipe, I know, but just delicious and worth passing on I think. Try it and you will see just what I mean. The perfect way to round off a lovely day. I am going to curl up on the sofa now, with a glass of elderflower cordial and watch New In Town. I hope you are having as nice a weekend.

and the Winner of No Croutons Required is...

2009-06-30T23:03:00.002+01:00

Yasmeen from Healthy Nut, who served us up a healthy bowl of Kale Barley Soup which she spiced up with garlic, cumin, turmeric and chilli powder. So we all obviously like to be healthy, especially when there is an extra helping of spice. A worthy winner with a strong 21 votes.

Congratualtions Yasmeen and thank you to everyone else for serving up such delicious dishes.

Head over to Lisa's blog tomorrow to get the heads up tomorrow.

ps normal service will resume in July, hopefully

No Croutons Required - June Roundup

2009-06-21T17:58:00.025+01:00

This month we went all leafy for No Croutons Required.

We were looking for a soup or salad that featured leaves. Spinach, watercress, kale, swiss chard, salad leaves, herbs ... If it was leafy, then we wanted you to add it and you did with some very impressive results.

The first entry comes from Fleur over at Flowers at Home. Fleur has made us a Spinach, Veggie and Hummus Salad. This is a hearty salad filled with grilled peppers, courgettes and aubergine with tomatoes, hummus and spinach. Mmmmmm!

(Gloucestershire, UK)

Next up we have another salad from our good friend Val over at More Than Burnt Toast. Val has made us a Bulgur & Chickpea Salad with Feta and Pomegranate Dressing. Val used quick cook bulgar wheat, but instead of cooking it, she left it to soak in the dressing overnight, which had the same effect, but without having to go near the cooker on such a hot day. Nice tip Val and such a gorgeous combination of flavours.

(British Columbia, Canada)

We have a soup next, courtesy of Miri over at Peppermill. Miri has made up a lovely spicy Lentil Coriander Soup. I just love it! Miri has pumped up the flavour with ginger, garlic, chillies, coriander and coconut milk. How delicious does that sound?

(Delhi, India)

We have another tasty soup next up. Spinach Soup with Fried Garlic. A treat for the eyes and the stomach from Soma over at eCurry. We have Soma's mum to thank for this comforting bowl of soup. Garlic, potatoes, turmeric, cumin and tomato are some of the lovely ingredients in this soup, which compliment the spinach perfectly.

(Texas, USA)

Pooja from My Experience with Cooking has made us our third soup of the challenge, an Italian classic Minestrone Soup. Pooja made her soup nice and leafy for us by adding spinach, bay leaves, parsley and basil. It does sound really, really good! Thanks Pooja :)

(Illinois, USA)

We are back to salads next with a Leafy Green Salad with Persimmon from Lucy over at Nourish Me. Flat leafed parsley, walnuts, persimmons, avocado and rocket in a lovely lemony dressing. Now that is a salad to be proud of! It puts my average salad to shame. I have never tried persimmon before, but now I am intrigued.

(Melbourne, Australia)

The next soup ticked all the right boxes for me. Potatoes, mushrooms and cheese, what more could a girl want? And who is the smart cookie that ticked all those boxes? Johanna over at Cheesy Potato and Mushroom Soup with Greens. Johanna often knows just what I want to eat and she has got it spot on this time too. I have a sneaky feeling that Lisa will love this one too!

(Melbourne, Australia)

My entry is up next. I just had a look in my fridge for inspiration for this soup. I had mushrooms, but hey, that is not much of a surprise is it, beetroot and a selection of salad leaves. I added onion, garlic and herbs to the mix and ended up with an Earthy Mushroom and Baby Leaf Soup. I was impressed with the intensity of flavour in this soup.

(Dundee, Scotland)
(not in vote)

We have another ladleful of soup next, this time the soup is imaginatively topped with ravioli - Pumpkin Soup with Beetroot Ravioli and Baby Spinach. Frances from Crunchy Green Things had a eureka moment when serving her pumpkin soup for the second time. First of all she served it with sage, but the second time around she placed a generous handful of baby spinach at the bottom of each bowl before she ladled over the soup, then topped it with freshly cooked beetroot ravioli, a dollop of creme fraiche and crispy sage leaves. Wonderful!

(Australia)

Spinach, strawberries and peaches. I have your attention now, don't I? The next salad is a real taste of summer. Muskaan over at A 2 Z Vegetarian Cuisine has combined these gorgeous flavours, along with almonds, walnuts and sesame seeds in this delicious Spinach, Strawberry and Peach Salad, which is drizzled with a slightly spicy dressing.

(USA)

I covet the bowl this next soup is served in. I would be very happy to have it with the soup in it, very happy indeed, as long as I didn't have to hand the bowl back afterwards! The owner of this delicious soup and nifty bowl is Yasmeen over at Health Nut. Yasmeen has made us a Kale-Barley Soup. Garlic, cumin, turmeric and chilli powder spice up this healthy soup. Yum!

(Cleveland, USA)

My best buddy and co-host is up next, Lisa from Lisa's Kitchen, with an extremely tempting bowl of Potato Leek Soup with Watercress, Green Lentils and Fresh Goat Cheese. Lisa loaded her lentil soup with potatoes, carrots, leeks and chilies, finished with a splosh of cream and a grinding of black pepper and topped with that delicious creamy goats cheese. How can you fail to be impressed?

(London, Canada)
(not in vote)

We have a simple, but perfect summer salad next. It comes from Graziana over at Erbe in Cucina (Cooking with herbs). Graziana combined corn salad leaves, thai basil, with it's lemony fragrance, lemon balm leaves and mozzarella. Seasoned with salt and drizzled with olive oil. Sometimes it is best to keep things clean and simple, so you can enjoy the flavours, this salad embodies that philosophy perfectly.

(Italy)

We are visiting India for our next soup. Watermelon and Mint Soup from Deepika over at Less Sugar Please. Deepika had a surplice of watermelon sitting in her fridge when she came up with this novel soup. Deepika served her soup hot, but suggests that is would also be great served chilled and what could be better on a hot summer's day?

(India)

Now over to Paris for a Mushroom, Spinach N Tomato Soup from Priyasuresh over at Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes. Priya combined mushrooms, spinach and tomato in this tasty soup, along with garlic, nutmeg, pepper, ginger and cream. I love the way the mushrooms bob around in this soup, it was such a good idea to leave these whole.

(Paris, France)

If you are likely to turn green at the sight of some really professional photography on a blog, then look away now! Meeta over at What's For Lunch Honey has made us this beautiful Leafy Green Salad with Brie and Honey Mustard Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette. Goodness, it sounds even better that it looks, hard is that is to believe! Absolutely divine!

(Weimar, Germany)

We are going green with this next soup. Manali over at Cravings has made us a very green Spinach Soup. Popeye would just love this soup as I am sure you all will too! A bowl full of nutrients and such a pretty colour to boot.

(New Jersey, US)

We are visiting India for a taste of Morocco with the next soup. Sweatha over at Tasty Curry Leaf has made us a Moroccan Spiced Chickpea Spinach Soup. Chickpeas and spinach flavoured with onion, garlic, chilli powder, cinnamon, tomato paste, dried apricots and lemon. Wow, that soup packs a punch of flavour! That Sweatha definitely has a good palate.

(Bangalore, India)

Another soup next. This time a Very Orange Carrot and Basil Soup from Lysy over at Munchkin Mail. Lysy's mum gave her a pot of basil, which inspired this soup. Lysy roasted carrots, sweet potato and red pepper, along with some garlic cloves. She then blended the veg and some hot stock to make this delicious orange soup, then topped it with her basil. Neither Lysy or I can think of what this type of basil is called, so please let us know if you do.

(Warwickshire, UK)

We are visitng the allotment for our last soup and our last entry. To quote Mangocheeks they "were supposed to be purple top Milan turnips, but each and everyone of them had gone to seed", they were going to end up on the compost heap, but mangocheeks wanted to see if she could use them for some soup. After a bit of research she found out they were indeed edible and so his soup came about. Simple Lentil and Turnip Leaf Soup. Simple and delicious, straight from the allotment to the bowl. This girl makes me feel like I have a lot to live up to, I am full of admiration. You can check out Mangocheeks tales from her allotment over at Allotment 2 Kitchen.

(West of Scotland, UK)

Here ends this month's roundup of No Croutons Required. Thanks to everyone for a pretty spectacular line-up of dishes.

Now go vote!

Earthy Mushroom & Baby Leaf Soup

2009-06-05T22:02:00.004+01:00

Earthy Mushroom & Baby Leaf Soup

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
10 large field/portabello mushrooms, chopped
1 beetroot, shredded
2 handfuls baby spinach
1 handful red chard
3 cups vegetable stock
1 tbsp dried chives
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried basil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until the onion has softened and is translucent. Next add the mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes, before adding the beetroot. Now through in the leaves and stir in. They will begin to wilt immediately. Pour in the stock and add the herbs. Leave to simmer gently for 20 minutes before seasoning with the salt and pepper.

I used raw beetroot, but the soup would be equally good with cooked beetroot and you could change the leaves and herbs about a bit too.

This is my entry for this month's No Croutons Required. If you would like to join, then submit your own soup or salad containing leaves before the 20th June 2009. You will find the guidelines here.

Now that's done, I think I am going to go and chew on some salad leaves before turning in to bed. My insomnia is just awful just now. You may have noticed I haven't been around much, but I digress, lettuce is supposed to induce sleep. So here goes!

No Croutons Required - June

2009-06-01T22:10:00.003+01:00

We are going all leafy for this month's No Croutons Required.

We are looking for a soup or salad that features leaves. Think spinach, watercress, kale, swiss chard, salad leaves, herbs ... Go crazy! If it's leafy, then add it!

Post your recipe and email me(nocroutonsrequired@googlemail.com) a link, a photo, your name, your blog and location by the 20th June 2009 for the chance to win a rather splendid little badge for your blog. You can read the full rules here.

Get cooking everyone!

I Have Mince Lip

2009-05-31T12:31:00.006+01:00

You might ask why?

Or maybe what is she talking about now?

Well, last night, I was tucking into a sin-free dessert. A fruits of the forest ice lolly with a ice cream centre. It had to be fake ice cream. The lolly was only 26 calories, 1g of fat and full of fresh fruit. I felt very virtuous eating this as a snack!

I slid the crinkly paper of the lolly as I walked from the kitchen and then I touched this sin-free delight to my lips, with great anticipation.

.....and that is when it happened. The most horrible sticky, burning sensation. I shrieked and ripped the lolly from my lips and indeed ripped is the right word to use.

Pain? Yes!

Mince lip? Yes!

I have seen cartoons, where some foolish creature is too curious by half and ends up with it's tongue stuck to something cold and icy, but hey, that's a cartoon right, it doesn't happen to us sensible, normal folk, does it? Well think again!

It was a steep learning curve, let me tell you! One that ruined my enjoyment of watching a soppy romantic movie with my husband, who had no sympathy at all and just rolled about the sofa laughing! Gee thanks Graham!

Mince Lip!

(of course I had to finish the lolly to take the swelling down!)

Easy Strawberry Ice Cream

2009-05-25T23:15:00.005+01:00

This is the strawberry ice cream that I served up with a slice of hot fudgey chocolate cake, the one I got from Anne. Let me tell you, it was a slice of heaven on a plate!

Easy Strawberry Ice Cream

500g pot good-quality vanilla custard
600g strawberries, hulled and sliced
50 - 100g caster sugar (depending on sweetness of strawberries and custard, you may not actually need any sugar)
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
a squeeze of lemon juice

Whizz up all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Then transfer the mixture into an ice cream machine. Churn until it begins to firm up. How long it takes will depend on your machine, I know my ice cream is done, when the paddle starts to rotate the opposite way, although you can tell by the texture. So, when the ice cream is velvety, transfer it to a container and freeze until you are ready to serve it.

If you are churning by hand, pop into a container and freeze for about 90 minutes until it starts to freeze around the edges. Stir well, then repeat the process twice more until the mix is smooth and frozen.

This really is a cheat's ice cream, as the custard is already made. It just makes the process so quick from start to finish and when you have a eureka moment like I did, when I decided to eat some of that fudgey chocolate cake, hot with ice cream, then it is just what you want. It is a good store cupboard standby for last minute guests too!

Spinach and Mushroom Linguine and the Name Saga

2009-05-21T15:45:00.007+01:00

You may have noticed a slight change to my details. When I started this blog two years ago, I made the decision to use an alias as my screen name. The whole venture was a scary one to begin with and it felt like I was sharing so much, which was an unfamiliar feeling indeed. I plumped for the name Holler in tribute to a lovely little children's book called Ruby Holler. I became more at ease with blogging after a while and could have reverted to my own name, but I had become comfortable and quite fond of my alias. However, I think it was becoming a little confusing for those of you who know me quite well now, switching between the two names and so Jacqueline it is from now on. But, enough of that! Let's get back to the food!

Spinach & Mushroom Linguine

1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
250g mushrooms sliced
100g baby spinach
½ cup vegetable stock
½ cup single cream
1 handful fresh basil
black pepper

freshly cooked linguine
black pepper
parmesan
a few basil leaves

Lightly sautee the mushrooms and garlic in the olive oil until the mushrooms are soft. I like to add black pepper to my mushrooms as they cook, but you can wait until the end to season. Add the spinach to the pan, before adding the stock. Leave to cook gently for a few minutes and then add the cream. Next add the basil leaves. You may leave the sauce on a gentle heat until the pasta has finished cooking and has been drained, then pour the pasta into the pan and coat well with the sauce before serving. Top with a grind of black pepper, a sprinkling of parmesan and a few basil leaves.

Serves 2

This is our favourite pasta dish at the moment. I am trying to limit it's appearance on the table to once a week, because of the cream, but we do love it and it is difficult to resist!

I am entering this delicious dish into this week's edition of Presto Pasta Nights, which is hosted by Kitchenetta over at Got No Milk.

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Just a quick note to say that the round-up for this month's No Croutons Required is up and running over at Lisa's blog, be sure to have a look and vote for you favourite entry.

Fudgey Chocolate Cake

2009-05-16T18:14:00.015+01:00

I have this recipe thanks to a really sweet girl and a lovely new friend - Anne from Anne's Kitchen. Anne made this fudgey chocolate cake back in December, but I only discovered it after spending a happy couple of hours browsing through Anne's archives. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to make it and it certainly didn't disappoint.

I met Anne over at The UK Food Bloggers Association.

The UK Food Bloggers Association (UKFBA) was founded in 2007 by Julia Parsons, a British Food Blogger who writes the blog 'A Slice of Cherry Pie'. Julia set up the association to create a community for the growing number of food bloggers in the UK to network with, get to know, and help and support each other.

The association also enables food bloggers from around the world and people from outside of the food blogging world to connect with the British food bloggers. It's the first point of call to find out what's hot and happening from the people with their fingers on the pulse of the British food scene.

To begin with Julia set up a blog, where British bloggers could post and chat. She also set up a foodie forum, but the latest edition to the UKFBA is a social networking site that is a bit like a facebook for food bloggers.

There was, at my last count 253 members and it has attracted support from UKTV Food, Mat Follas, the 2009 winner of Masterchef, food presenter Lotte Duncan, the New Covent Garden Food Company and my favourite vegetarian cook & food writer Celia Brooks Brown. It really is well worth a visit and I hope some of you will join up.

But enough of the preamble and on with the recipe.

Fudgey Chocolate Cake

100g butter
175g caster sugar
75g brown or muscovado sugar
125g dark chocolate
1 tbsp golden syrup
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
2 tbsp cocoa powder

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Grease and line a 20cm cake tin.

Place the butter, both sugars, chocolate and golden syrup in the pan and melt gently on a low heat until it is smooth and lump-free.

Remove the pan from the heat, break the eggs into the bowl and whisk with the fork until light and frothy.

Add the eggs, vanilla extract or essence, flour, baking powder and cocoa powder to the chocolate mixture and mix thoroughly.

Put the mixture into the greased and lined cake tin and place on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for 25 minutes.

Remove and allow to cool for 20-30 mins before cutting into wedges and serving.

I served my chocolate cake warm with homemade strawberry ice cream. It was divine! Although it is also good to bite into cold with no frills. This recipe is definitely a keeper!

Strawberry & Blueberry Fruit Soup

2009-05-13T18:39:00.007+01:00

This is my entry for this month's No Croutons Required. Lisa asked us to make a vegetarian soup or salad featuring the berries. It could be a savory dinner accompaniment or a sweet tempting dessert. I plumped for dessert. The thought of a chilled berry soup for dessert was very appealing, especially now that berry season is just beginning here. I decided to use my favourite berries in this dessert soup, bluberries and strawberries. The strawberries are still a little tart, so I added some honey to my soup.

Strawberry & Blueberry Fruit Soup

12 large strawberries, hulled
½ cup blueberries
1 large pear, peeled and cut into chunks
½ cup water
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tbsp honey & extra to drizzle
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon & extra to sprinkle
Greek Yoghurt to serve

Whizz up all the ingredients apart from the honey. Add this towards the end, tasting as you go. How much you need, will very much depend on how sweet your berries are, but it is nice to leave a little tartness to this soup.

Serve in bowls with a dollop of thick Greek yoghurt. Drizzle some honey over the yoghurt and sprinkle on a little extra cinnamon.

Serves 4

This is such a delicious, yet guilt-free dessert, so you can serve it with a light heart and a thankful waistline :)

If you would like to make a vegetarian soup or salad containing berries for this month's No Croutons Required, then you still have time. The deadline is the 20th May, after which time the line-up will be posted over at Lisa's Kitchen and the winner will recieve this lovely badge for their blog.

Guidelines can be found here.

Preemio Blogger Award

2009-05-09T18:25:00.017+01:00

I am feeling very chuffed today! I had a lovely day out with Graham and my parents in Perth and then I got home and found out that Vanessa over at Mommy Gourmet has kindly presented me with a Preemio Blogger Award. Yay!

I hope you all pop over to Mommy Gourmet and say hi to Vanessa, who has some really tempting dishes on her blog. There is the Greek Yoghurt & Potato Salad, which sounds really delicious, the Cashew & Butterscotch Cookies, which I am desperately craving, the gorgeously simple Bluberry Crisp and Vanessa should get an award for the most amusing post title for her I Finally Have Great Buns post. I am not even going to tell you what that was all about :)

.... and now the catch! There has to be one doesn't there? Well as recipient of this award, I have to tell you 7 random things. You will just have to grin and bare it, if you want to know who I am passing the award on to!

1 I think I have fallen in ~~love~~ lust with the actor that plays Edward in the film Twilight. This is the picture I have as my screen saver just now. Shhh! Don't tell Graham!

2 I am eating greek yoghurt with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkling of berries for my breakfast, now that Spring it here. It is so, so good!

3 It really gets on my nerves when people gnaw their way through an apple. Just bite it already!

4 This year I have planted oregano, basil, apache chilli peppers, mint (boxed in, I know how it can get out of hand), rocket, rhubarb (probably too early, but it is a hardy beast I am told) and petunias.

5 Graham and I are having Pasta salad tonight. I made it yesterday and it is most yummy. Penne pasta, sun dried tomatoes and a little of the oil they are in, chunks of mozzarella, baby plum tomatoes, pesto, a splash of olive oil and black pepper. We are going to follow that with a few slices of juicy honeydew melon. My mouth is watering in anticipation!

6 Last Sunday Graham & I went hillwalking with our walking group. We ~~walked~~ scrambled up to the beautiful Loch Brandy.

I managed to half break the walking stick that Angie loaned me and by the time we had fixed it, everyone else was halfway up the hill. It nearly killed us trying to catch up with them, but the views were stunning once we got up there.

7 I just finished reading The Tree Shepherds Daughter by Gillian Summers.

It is the story of Keelie, a Californian girl who loves shopping, manicures and hanging out at the mall with her friends, that is until her mom dies and she is shipped of to live with her dad, who lives a hippy life working in a medieval festival. There are people with pointy ears, a cat in boots, the trees are trying to talk to her and everyone wears geeky medieval clothes (Keelie's description not mine, I quite like medieval clothes)!

It was a really good read, in fact I read it in a day. I hope I can get my hands on the next book in the trilogy soon.

Done, over, phew!

So now it is time to pass this award and meme along to some other peeps, who truly deserve an award for their lovely blogs.

1 Anne (Anne's Kitchen) - Anne's completed meme

2 Dana (Dana Treat)

3 Elyse (Elyse's Confectionery Creations)

4 Lysy (Munchkin Mail) - Lysy's completed meme

5 Pia (The World According to Pia)

6 Arundathi (My Food Blog)

7 Soma (eCurry) - Soma's completed meme

Red Lentil, Carrot & Coconut Soup

2009-05-05T22:11:00.005+01:00

I needed some comfort food. I was feeling so, so tired yesterday. I turned to my old favourite - soup! I wanted a creamy, thick soup, so I decided to use lentils. I added lots of carrots for a lovely sweet flavour, then spiced it up with some turmeric and chilli and finished it off with a little coconut milk. As usual this recipe makes a large pot of soup. I never see the point in making a small amount, as soup tastes so much better the next day and it can always be shared around or popped in the fridge or freezer.

Red Lentil, Carrot & Coconut Soup

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cm piece fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp chilli powder (up this if you want a hotter flavour)
8 carrots, chopped
2 large potatoes, chopped
3 pints vegetable stock
2 cups red lentils
½ cup coconut milk
3 tbsp tomato puree
1 large handful fresh coriander, chopped
salt
pepper

Saute the onion, garlic and ginger in the olive oil until softened, then add the carrots and potatoes before stirring in the turmeric and chilli powder. Cook gently for 10 minutes, add a splash of water, if the vegetables feel like they are clinging to the pot. Add the red lentils and the stock then simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree & coconut milk and stir until the puree has dissolved. Stir in the coriander, then whizz up half of the soup. It is always good to have some chunks of vegetable in your soup. Stir the blended soup back in and then season.

Serves 8

Chocolate Maple Muffins

2009-05-02T20:43:00.004+01:00

These muffins originally started out as Maple Cupcakes. They were adapted from a recipe for Vegan Maple Cupcakes I got from Ricki over at Diet,Dessert & Dogs.

I basically added chocolate to the recipe,which changed the texture of these cakes, so they were more of a muffin than a cupcake and the maple flavour wasn't so strong. Good all the same!

So here they are...

Chocolate Maple Muffins

½ cup milk
½ tsp cider vinegar
½ cup pure maple syrup
1⁄3 cup sunflower oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1⁄3 cups plain flour
1⁄3 cup sugar
1⁄3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp fine sea salt

Preheat oven to 180c/350f/GM4.

Line 12 muffins cups with muffin cases.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, vinegar, maple syrup, oil and vanilla until well combined. Set aside while you measure the dry ingredients, for at least 2 minutes.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, sugar and salt. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and whisk just until combined (do not over mix).

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until a tester inserted in one of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Makes 12

and the Winner of No Croutons Required is...

2009-04-30T21:43:00.004+01:00

Smokey Tomato & Rosemary Soup.
Linda (With Knife and Fork)
London, UK

Congratulations Linda! Your badge is winging it's way too you, wear it with pride :)

If you would like to entry next month's edition of No Croutons Required, then head over to Lisa's blog tomorrow and find out what the next challenge is.

Tomato, Aubergine & Mushroom Curry with Cashews

2009-04-26T10:03:00.006+01:00

Tomato, Aubergine & Mushroom Curry with Cashews

2 tsp groundnut oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 glove garlic, finely chopped
2 red chillies, finely chopped (leave the seeds in for extra heat)
3 cm piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 Aubergines
2 large tomatoes, chopped
500g mushrooms, halved or quartered
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 400g tin chickpeas
5 tbsp tomato & coriander balti paste (choose your favourite curry paste)
3 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp sugar
100g roasted cashew nuts, finely chopped, plus a few to scatter on top of dish
Juice of ½ lemon
1 handful fresh coriander, chopped
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 190c/375f/GM 5.

Bake your aubergines in the oven for 20 minutes, then remove them from the oven and leave them in a small plastic bag to cool. This will make them easier to peel. Once cool, peel and chop, then set aside.

Saute the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli in the oil until the onions are translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes, before adding the tomatoes. Follow these with the tinned tomatoes (break them down with the spoon, if they are not already chopped), the tomato puree and the sugar. Next add the aubergines, cashew nuts and chickpeas. Add the curry paste, give a last stir and simmer the curry for 20-30 minutes until the tomatoes have cooked down and the flavours have developed.

Add the lemon juice and fresh coriander and season to taste.

Serve with rice and top with cashew nuts

Serves 4-6

This curry has a really rich, delicious flavour and texture is wonderful. Smooth sauce, chunky vegetables, creamy chickpeas and crunchy cashews. Mmmmm!

Graham loves cashew nuts, so this dish got 10 out of 10 from him and of course it was even better the next day.

I am entering this into Poornima's blog event - Lets Go Nuts about Cashew Nuts.

An event that was started up by Aquadaze of Served with Love.Poornima has run with cashews for this month's event. You have until the 30th of April 2009, to join in. The rules are here

Good luck!

Mayan Magic Chocolate Giveaway - The Winner

2009-04-23T11:19:00.003+01:00

And the winner of the Mayan Magic Chocolate-Making Kit is Ricki from Diet, Dessert and Dogs.

Tart Dried Cherries and Black Pepper (just a teeny bit)

This flavour immediately appealed to me and no matter how many mouthwatering flavours I drooled over, I just kept coming back to this one, so I knew it was the winner. The combination of dark chocolate with chewy, tart, dried cherries and that little kick of pepper, is just too amazing to pass up.

There are no prizes for my top five after the winner, but I thought you might be intrigued about who made it into my list of favourites. Here they are:

1 Dark Chocolate with Apple & Ginger - Rasmus (Vegologi)

2 Pear & Ginger - Jacquie

3 Graham Cracker crumbs with a Vegan Nougat in a Truffle made with Coconut Milk - Libby (The Allergic Kid)

4 Dried Apricots and Orange Liqueur - Ikkinlala

5 Raspberry and Lemon Curd - Rose (Roses R Red)

And here is the full list of entries for you to peruse. Which flavour would you have chosen? I would happily taste them all, well apart from the bacon chocolate, that just makes me shudder (sorry Apples).

1. tart dried cherries and black pepper (just a teeny bit)
2. coconut and cardamom
3. earl grey tea and ginger
4. caramel and orange
5. dark chocolate blended with a floral-tasting honey (tupelo, perhaps)
6. caramel and peanut butter
7. dark chocolate with raspberry and a touch of lemon balm
8. orange zest with coconut cream and figs
9. hazelnut and ginger with just a teeny bit of sea salt
10. chocolate with a dulce de leche filling
11. pomegranates & sweet cream in dark chocolate
12. saffron & pistachios & orange
13. dried apricots and orange liqueur
14. raspberry and lemon curd
15. a gianduja shell with a whipped 70% cocoa filling, topped with a drizzle of the same dark chocolate
16. a bar of dark chocolate with toasted almond and apricot
17. citron and cardamom
18. rich, creamy mocha
19. dark chocolate with a hint of vanilla
20. honey milk chocolate with pistachios
21. a bacon chocolate bar
22. plain bittersweet dark chocolate with cocoa nibs
23. chai flavoured truffle surrounded by some delicious Mayan chocolate
24. dark dark chocolate flavored with sour cherry and almond
25. dark chocolate with sour apple and peanut butter
26. vanilla in a milk chocolate bar
27. coconut and white chocolate studded milk chocolate bar
28. sour cherries with a deliciously dark chocolate and a hint of brandy
29. chilies and cinnamon
30. hazelnut and sweet cream
31. hazelnut and lavender
32. -raisins
-mixed spice
-something to give a softer texture, maybe cookie dough like in Ben and Jerrys ice cream?
-and caster sugar sprinkled on top for visual effect
-sold in thick squares too!
33. sweet cream and almond paste with a sprinkle of lemon
34. coconut caramel creme
35. Rosemary and caramelized orange zest (dark chocolate)
36. apple and ginger (dark chocolate)
37. chile and tomato (dark chocolate)
38. strawberry, coconut and black pepper (dark chocolate)
39. pear and ginger
40. chili and cinnamon
41. graham cracker crumbs with a vegan nougat (to sub for marshmallow) into a truffle made with coconut milk

No Croutons Required - April Round-Up

2009-04-21T20:47:00.040+01:00

For this month's edition of No Croutons Required, I asked you to come up with a soup or salad containing tomatoes and boy did you come up with the goods! But, there was also a twist, I also asked for a birthday menu to go along with the soup or salad.

Read on and enjoy (then vote)!

Jellied Tomato Salad
Soma (eCurry)
Texas, USA

____________

Chilli Bean Soup with Quesadillas
Wendy (A Wee Bit Of Cooking)
Inverness, Scotland

____________

Simplest Tomato Soup
Lucy (Nourish Me)
Melbourne, Austrlia

_____________

Tomato & Onion Salad with Feta
Holler (Tinned Tomatoes)
Dundee, Scotland

(not in vote)

____________

Corn Tomato Salad with a Tomato Vinaigrette
A & N (Delectably Yours)
Atlanta, USA

____________

Indian Style Tomato Salad
Lisa (Lisa's Kitchen)
London, Canada

(not in vote)

____________

Chilled Tomato Soup
Priya (Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes)
Paris, France

____________

Smokey Tomato and Rosemary Soup
Linda (With Knife & Fork)
London, UK

____________

Tomato Lentil Soup
Johanna (Green Gourmet Giraffe)
Melbourne, Australia

______________

Tomato Salad au Charles
Lysy (Munchkin Mail)
Warwickshire, UK

____________

Spicy Tomato Cheese Soup
Sweatha (Tasty Curry Leaf)
Bangalore, India

_____________

Pappa al Pomodoro (Tomato & Bread Soup)
TBC (The Budding Cook)
USA

_____________

The winning entry will be announced on the 30th of April 2009. The next edition of No Croutons Required will be announced by Lisa over at Lisa's Kitchen at the beginning of May.

Tomato & Onion Salad with Feta

2009-04-19T19:41:00.012+01:00

This is my dad's favourite salad, he always orders it wherever we go. Of course I have fiddled with it and added some feta cheese. I just couldn't resist!

This is my entry for this month's No Croutons Required.

If you would like to get an entry in, there is still time. Tomorrow is the closing date, but I won't be posting the roundup until I come home from work on Tuesday, so you have until 7pm, Tuesday 23 April 2009, UK time.

This month's edition calls for a soup or salad containing tomatoes, but there is something extra this month. It was my birthday when I posted the challenge, so I have asked for a birthday menu to go along with the soup or salad. It's going to be fun reading through everyone's menu ideas.

Tomato & Onion Salad with Feta

3 ripe, medium tomatoes, sliced
½ white onion, finely sliced
a chunk of feta
freshly ground black pepper

Dressing

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
a squeeze of lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper

This hardly warrants a recipe, more a serving suggestion. Arrange your tomatoes on a plate, scatter over the onion slices and crumble some feta around the edge of the plate. Mix the dressing ingredients and drizzle over the salad.

Serves 2 as a starter or 4 as a side dish

My Birthday Menu

Saganaki Fried Cheese

Tagliatelle with Fine Beans & Mushrooms

Tomato & Onion Side Salad

Chocolate Truffle Torte with Fresh Strawberries and Devon Cream

Mayan Magic Chocolate Giveaway

2009-04-15T20:15:00.008+01:00

OK, so who here likes chocolate?

Yep, I guessed that would be your answer! Well you are going to love this giveaway. I have a Mayan Chocolate Kit (suitable for vegetarians & vegans) to give away. But before that here are a few words from the company.

The Kit: Magic in the making
Creating delicious chocolate, made simple and fun.

The Mayan Magic chocolate-making kit is a brand new concept that gives you finest quality organic raw ingredients together with simple instructions to create exceptional chocolate from your own home.

Raw chocolate is made using unprocessed cacao powder that contains more than double the antioxidants of the processed variety and triple that of red wine.

The kit puts the fun and honesty back into chocolate, with no compromises on quality, flavour or health benefits. It is a perfect gift for children and adults alike.

So, I hear you ask, what do I have to do to win this fabulous prize?

Well, this is the easy part! All you have to do is think about what would the most heavenly chocolate bar would taste like. What would the bar or the filling be flavoured with?

Just leave me a comment before Wenesday 22 April 2009 and the best flavour wins.

Kellogg's Nature's Pleasure

2009-04-13T16:59:00.016+01:00

I am back into the swing of eating muesli for breakfast again and really enjoying it, so when Kellogg's got in touch with me and asked if I would like to try out their new range of baked muesli, I was only too pleased to accept.

Kelloggs have developed four flavours in their new range of baked muesli, which will be hitting the shops this month. The basis of each flavour is a mixture of wholegrain oats, wheat and barley flakes, which are coated in honey and baked in the oven for a crunchy finish. To this they have added nice big pieces of nuts and dried fruits.

This is not the powdery, dry muesli we are used to, but a smoother and crunchier option.

Almond, Pecan & Cashew
I thought this would have been my least favourite and quite bland, but I was surprised. You can really taste the individual flavour of each of the nuts in this one.

Almond, Pecan & Raisin
This was the one I was least impressed with. It was quite unremarkable, mundane. It would make a lovely crumble topping, but I think I would leave it there.

Raspberry & Cherry
This was my absolute favourite. It is delicious. Big pieces of slightly tart fruit, that buzz on the taste buds at the front of your tongue, a lovely contrast to the smooth sweetness of the muesli. Yum! I will be buying this one.

Apple & Blackcurrant
Again there are lovely big slices of apple and lots of berries in this one, but I was left with a slightly floral flavour in my mouth. On my second spoonful I could detect something different. It tasted like the smell that wafts around the house when my I bake my Mum's Fruit Loaf. On investigation, I realised it was exactly that! They have added some mixed spice to this one.

This one is Graham's favourite. I don't think this box is going to last long, but still if that means he will keep his hands of the Raspberry and Cherry, then I am happy.

I will leave you with a cheesy quote from Graham.

When I asked him what he thought of the muesli he said "It's more oaty than your average cereal!" and walked off with the bowl.

Maple Cupcakes a la Ricki

2009-04-12T15:34:00.008+01:00

I got the recipe for these cupcakes over at Ricki's blog - Diet Dessert & Dogs. They sounded so delicious that I scribbled down the recipe immediately.

I had all the ingredients I needed to make these cupcakes, but only if I converted it to a vegetarian recipe, instead of the vegan recipe that Ricki originally made. I went ahead and made the changes, I was sure Ricki would be fine about it and they turned out great.

I did frost a few of the cupcakes, but I decided they were actually better without the frosting, because they were so light in texture and had that gorgeous hint of maple syrup coming through.

Maple Cupcakes

½ cup milk
½ tsp cider vinegar
½ cup pure maple syrup
1⁄3 cup sunflower oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1⁄3 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp fine sea salt

Preheat oven to 180c/350f/GM4.

Line 12 muffins cups with muffin cases.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, vinegar, maple syrup, oil and vanilla until well combined. Set aside while you measure the dry ingredients, for at least 2 minutes.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and whisk just until combined (do not over mix).

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until a tester inserted in one of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Makes 12

Chocolate Maple ~~Cupcakes~~ Muffins coming to a blog near you soon!

Heilan Coos an' a' that!

2009-04-07T00:51:00.014+01:00

I went on a such a good walk on Sunday.

We had glorious weather and beautiful surroundings. We went to Glen Lednock near Comrie for our walk and it was great!

Before the Highland clearances in the 18th century Glen Lednock had 21 different settlements (clans) comprising over 350 structures and 25 corn-drying kilns. There is not much left to show for it, but there is still a lot to see - the Shaky Bridge, Deil's Cauldron, the Wee Cauldron, Melville's Monument and a Hobbit Hole, oh and the coos!