Plaice and Spinach

This is one of those super simple recipes that is easy to make and looks fabulous!

Grilled Asparagus with Lemon and Halloumi

1 lemon, cut into two, lengthwise (finely slice one half into half moons, and reserve the other half for serving)
8 oz halloumi cheese, cut into 1/2 inch slices
2 to 3 TBsp olive oil
1 lb asparagus, washed, with the bottom woody bits snapped off
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
8 mint leaves, chopped

Mix the sliced lemon half with the halloumi slices and 1 TBsp of olive oil in a bowl, and set aside. 
Drizzle the asparagus with the olive oil, and cook in a frying pan on a high heat for about 5 minutes or so. Turning every few minutes. Remove to a serving dish and keep warm. 
Cook the halloumi and lemon slices for a minute or two on each side until browned. 
Add the cooked lemon and halloumi to the asparagus, and sprinkle on the mint and red pepper flakes. 
Squeeze the remaining half a lemon over the top just before serving. 

Polish Casserole

This is one of those easy peasy recipes that is totally scrumptious.. It has all the flavor of a traditional Reuben sandwich, with the sauerkraut and Swiss cheese, but the kielbasa replaces the corned beef. 
4 C uncooked penne or farfalle pasta
1-1/2 lbs kielbasa, cut into half inch slices
2 cans condensed mushroom soup
16 oz sauerkraut 
3 C (12 oz) Swiss cheese, divided (or a combination of Swiss and Cheddar)
1-1/2 C milk
5 spring onions
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
5 cloves garlic, crushed
Serve with rye bread and butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cook the pasta, drain and put in a large bowl. Add all the other ingredients, reerving 1 C of the cheese.
Divide between to two small baking dishes, or one large dish. Top with the remaining cheese and bake for about 45 minutes until hot and bubbly. 

Rhubarb and Blueberry Crumble

This is a delicious dessert by Lorraine Pascale. I recently bought her book, "Baking Made Easy", and there are so many beautiful recipes, it's hard to know where to start! But this one is definitely a keeper. I adapted it as I had bags and bags of frozen rhubarb in the freezer.

4 C frozen rhubarb, chopped into 1 inch pieces, thawed
1/2 C brown sugar
1/3 C orange juice
1 inch ginger root, grated with microplane
1-1/2 C blueberries
Zest of one lemon

Crumble
1-3/4 C flour
Pinch salt
Pinch cinnamon
4 oz cold butter, cubed
1/3 C sugar

Preparing the frozen rhubarb:
Put the thawed rhubarb into a casserole dish, and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Stir in the grated ginger and add the orange juice and gently stir. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, and then set aside to cool while you make the crumble topping.

Crumble Topping:
Put the flour, cinnamon, salt, and chopped butter into a food processor and blitz in spirts until you have a breadcrumb like mixture. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Put the blueberries in the bottom of a large Pyrex dish. Carefully spoon the rhubarb mixture over the top of the blueberries using a slotted spoon so that you don't use all the rhubarb liquid.
Spoon the crumble topping over the top, and bake for about 40 minutes until the crumble is golden brown.
Serve with vanilla ice-cream or some proper British custard! This dessert looks wonderful as the blueberries mix with the rhubarb to create wonderful swirls of pink and purple.

Spanish Chicken

This is my absolute favorite go-to chicken dinner. It's quick and easy to make and looks fabulous when you bring it to the table. What would I do without Nigella? She's the best!

4 Tbsp olive oil
8 chicken thighs (with skin)
6 full-sized chorizo, cut into small chunks
3 large potatoes, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes
2 red onions, peeled, and chopped roughly
1 to 2 tsp oregano

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Sprinkle the bottom of two large Pyrex casserole dishes with some olive oil. Put four chicken thighs into each casserole and drizzle with olive oil. Divide the cubed potatoes, chopped onion and chopped chorizo between the dishes. Season with sea salt, pepper and oregano. 
Bake for 30 minutes and then switch the casseroles so that the bottom one is now on the top rack. Spoon the juices over the chicken and cook for another 30 minutes. 
This dish is lovely served with a green salad or a nice big bowl of green beans. 

Bishop's Fingers

In my quest for the perfect shortbread, I am avidly baking many different recipes from my British cook book collection! I'll be busy for quite a while, that's for sure.
To date, this is my favorite, partly because almond is one of my go-to dessert flavors. Just heavenly!

Shortbread

I've been obsessed with shortbread for the past few weeks, so I've been experimenting with different recipes. This one is by Lorraine Pascale who is just totally adorable, and has a lovely way with baking!

1 1/4 sticks butter, softened
 

1/4 C sugar, plus a little extra for sprinkling
 
1/2 cup flour
 
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp cake flour 

2 1/2 oz rice flour  

pinch of salt 
8 inch loose-bottomed cake pan 
Cream together the butter and the sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. 

Add the regular, cake, and rice flour and salt, and stir well until the mixture is smooth. 
 Roll the mixture together, and then press into the pan, flattening it out with the back of an offset spatula. 
Crimp the edges and then gently score the top into 8 slices. 
Prick each triangle with a fork, and chill in the fridge for about half an hour. 
Preheat the oven to 325° F. 
Bake the shortbread for about 30 minutes or so until it is a nice light golden color, then remove from the oven and sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar over the top. 
After letting it cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, carefully allow the shortbread to come to room temperature on a cooling rack before cutting it into 8 slices. 
Once cold, cut into 8 pieces and serve. Delicious!

Coffee Crumb Cake

This recipe is adapted from the Pioneer Woman. Most desserts tend to be too sweet for me, so I reduce the amount of sugar to suit my taste. This recipe was delicious and received rave reviews! 

Cake 
1-1/2 stick butter, softened 
1-1/2 C sugar 3 C flour (white whole wheat), sifted 
4 tsp baking powder 
1 tsp salt 
1-1/4 C milk 
3 whole egg whites (whisked until stiff) 

Crumb Topping 
1-1/2 sticks butter, softened 
3/4 C flour 
1 C brown sugar 
2 TBsp cinnamon 
1-1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven too 350 degrees. 

1. In one bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 
2. In a second bowl whisk the egg whites and set aside. 
3. In a large clean bowl cream together the butter and sugar. Add the flour mixture and milk alternately until combined but don’t over mix. Then, fold in the whisked egg whites with a spatula. 
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the crumb topping ingredients with a pastry cutter until you have a crumbly mixture. 
5. Pour the cake batter into a in a buttered 9” x 13” Pyrex baking pan, and then sprinkle the crumb topping over the top. 
6. Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cake is cooked through. 

Venison Stew

2 sticks celery, cut into chunks 
1 onion, chopped 
3 carrots, chopped into large chunks 
5 bay leaves 
3/4 tsp thyme 
1 Tbsp vegetable oil 
1 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp plain flour 
2 TBsp tomato purée 
2 TBsp Worcestershire sauce 
2 beef stock cubes, crushed 
1 lb venison, cubed 

Heat the oven to 320. 
 Put the celery, onion, carrots, bay leaves and thyme in a large Dutch oven with the oil and butter. Cook the vegetables gently for about 10 mins. Then add the flour and mix together until the flour has been absorbed by the vegetables. 
Add the tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce and beef stock cubes.
 Add 2-1/4 cups boiling water, and stir so that the stock cubes begin to dissolve. Add the venison and bring to a simmer. 
Cover and cook for 2hrs 30 minutes, then uncover and cook for an additional 30 minutes or so, until the meat is extremely tender and the sauce has begun to thicken.

Sweet Potato Pie

This is a very easy pie to make and is just the perfect thing to have on a cold evening! It has a similar texture to pumpkin pie, and I'm sure it would be lovely with some ice-cream.

4 oz cream cheese (softened in the microwave for about 20 seconds)
2 C sweet potato (baked and mashed)
1/3 C brown sugar
1/4 C light cream
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 store bought graham cracker pie shell
vanilla ice-cream for serving

Bake about 5 sweet potatoes in a moderate oven for about 1-1/4 hour until done.
Allow them to cool for a few minutes, then peel and mash them.
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Put 2 cups in a medium mixing bowl, add the softened cream cheese and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
Add the sugar, cream and beaten eggs and mix well. Stir in the cinnamon and vanilla and then pour the mixture into the graham cracker pie shell.

Sweet Potato Casserole

This is a traditional Thanksgiving side dish. I love the look of it, but I have to say it's a little sweet for me, and I think I prefer just plain baked sweet potatoes with no extra sugar added. They are extremely sweet after all!
4 medium sweet potatoes, baked and mashed
1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 C miniature marshmallow

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Bake the sweet potatoes for about 1 1-4 hours until cooked. Allow them to cool for about 10 minutes and then peel and mash with a fork.
In a medium mixing bowl, mix the sweet potato, brown sugar, salt and vanilla.
Spoon the mixture into a small casserole dish, and sprinkle the miniature marshmallows over the top.
Lower the temperature to 375 degrees, and bake for about 25 minutes until the marshmallows begin to brown and start to melt.

Pumpkin Season

It's pumpkin season here in New England! I love the huge variety of pumpkins and multi-colored gourds. And of course pumpkins lend themselves to all sorts of baked concoctions!

Spicy Cranberry Chutney

This recipe is adapted from Madhur Jaffrey who is one of my favorite cookbook writers. This cranberry sauce has a nice kick to it, and the cayenne adds some heat which works very well with Thanksgiving Dinner.

1 inch piece fresh ginger, sliced finely
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/3 C apple cider vinegar
3 TBsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp cayenne1 can whole cranberry sauce, roughly chopped
dash ground black pepper

Cook the ginger, garlic, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and cayenne in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook on a medium heat form about 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce has reduced by about half.

Add the can of cranberry sauce, stir and gently heat for about 10 minutes or so.
Cool before serving.

Cranberry Sauce

This recipe is from the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, who is one of my favorite TV cooks. She has such an easy cooking style, plus I love having a peep into what life is like living on a ranch in Oklahoma.

3 C fresh cranberries, washed
1 C maple syrup
juice and zest of one orange

Put the cranberries in a medium sized saucepan, and then add the maple syrup and orange juice and zest. Stir gently and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook for about 10 minutes or so until the cranberries begin to break down.

This is one of the most delicious cranberry sauce recipes I've tried, and the best thing is that it's super easy to make! You can't go wrong with that!

This Thanksgiving I cooked three different cranberry sauce recipes, and this was definitely my favorite. Everyone else seemed to love it too!

Green Bean Casserole

This is the old-fashioned green bean casserole that is the traditional accompaniment to Thanksgiving Dinner.
1 can condensed mushroom soup
1/2 C milk
5 C green beans, cooked
2/3 C French's Fried Onions

Cook the green beans until done. Drain and spoon into a large casserole dish.
Sprinkle 1/3 C of the fried onions over the green beans, and gently stir and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Meanwhile, stir the soup and milk together in saucepan, and gently heat for a few minutes.
Pour the hot soup over the green beans and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes until the beans are heated through.
Top with the remaining fried onions and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Sourdough Bread

Don't you just love sourdough bread? This recipe uses some starter and is quite easy to make, it just takes a little time. Although I like this bread, I still prefer the no-knead recipe that I've been using for a number of years now. But you have to keep experimenting!

1 C sourdough starter ("baby sponge")***

1/3 C warm water

1 tsp salt

2 C bread flour

1/2 tsp instant yeast

Mix all the ingredients together in a medium sized bowl

Knead the dough in a food mixer for 10 minutes.

Put the dough ball in a large oiled bowl (I use olive oil), and roll it gently so that it doesn't stick.

Proof the bread dough in a warm and sheltered spot (around 85°F) for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Knead the dough on a table sprinkled with some regular flour. Feel free to add a little flour if the dough is a bit sticky. You can also put a few drops of olive oil on your hands to help too.

Cover the bowl with cling film and allow to rise for about 2-1/2 hours or so, until the dough has doubled in size.

*A good rule of thumb is that the dough is ready when you poke it with your finger and the dough doesn't ooze into the hole.

Line a loaf tin with foil, and rub it lightly with some olive oil. Gently roll the dough into the loaf tin.

Score the top of the dough with a sharp knife

Preheat the oven to 475°F.

Place a casserole dish with about 2 inches of hot water on the bottom shelf. When the water begins to steam, remove the dish.

Bake the bread in the middle of the oven and reduce the heat to 425°F. Bake for about 30 to 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Cool the bread on a wire rack for a few minutes before you dive in!

***Baby Sponge Starter recipe

4-1/2 C whole wheat flour

Olive Cheese Bread

This is super easy to make and absolutely scrumptious. But you must be warned, this isn't light when it comes to calories!

Eggplant Parmegiana

3 eggs, beaten

2-3 large eggplants, sliced (and halved if they're really big)

1/4 C olive oil (more as needed)

2 C or more seasoned breadcrumbs (Italian style)

1 1/2 jars Ragu sauce

1 1/2 C mozzarella 

1 C Parmesan, grated

Sprinkle the sliced eggplant with some salt and set aside. After about 15 minutes, rinse in cold water and pat dry. 

Dip the sliced eggplant in the egg mixture, and then lightly dredge in the seasoned breadcrumbs. 

Heat the olive oil over a medium heat and then sauté the eggplant for a few minutes on both sides until golden brown. Set aside on paper towels as you finish sautéing the remainder of the eggplant slices. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Lightly butter or oil a large casserole dish (9" x 13"). Put a layer of eggplant on the bottom of the casserole dish. Fit the slices closely together. 

Then pour on a cup or so of the Ragu until the eggplant is evenly covered. 

Sprinkle half of the mozzarella, and then half of the Parmesan. 

Repeat with a second layer of eggplant, Ragu, mozzarella and Parmesan. 

Cook for about 35 minutes until the eggplant is cooked through and the cheese is bubbling. 

Enjoy!

Shelburne Grange Fair, Massachusetts

Every August the town of Shelburne celebrates all things local--from locally grown produce to arts and crafts, baked goods, plus they prepare and serve a fabulous chicken BBQ! The atmosphere is wonderful and everyone seems to know each other. 

Tom Picardi brought some of the birds of prey from his sanctuary in Conway--the ones that have been injured, or that are unable to be relased into the wild. How wonderful to see some of these beautiful creatures up close. Breathtaking!

Zucchini Bread

3 C flour

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp baking soda 

1 tsp baking powder 

3 tsp cinnamon 

3 eggs, beaten 

3 tsp vanilla 

1 1/2 C brown sugar 

1/2 C white sugar

1/2 C apple sauce 

1/2 C oil (mild olive or canola)

3 1/2 C zucchini, grated (squeezed to remove excess water)

1 C walnuts, chopped 

1 C dark chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 

Line and butter 2 loaf tins (5" x 9")--I like to use Pyrex. 

In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. 

In a large bowl, mix the eggs with the vanilla. Add the sugar, apple sauce and oil and mix well. 

Add the sifted flour ingredients to the egg and sugar mixture. Mix well. 

Then stir in the zucchini, walnuts and chocolate chips. 

Distribute the mixture evenly between the two loaf tins and bake for approximately 55-70 mins until a knife comes out clean.

Allow the zucchini bread to cool slightly in the loaf pans before lifting them out to cool properly on wire racks. 

To serve: slice, lightly butter and add a little dollop of whipped cream if desired. 

Enjoy!