Pork is my husband’s favourite meat; for a roast, for a stir fry, when in a restaurant – wherever the opportunity for eating pork strikes, he will take it. And perfectly crunchy crackling makes him an even happier bunny. Here’s how.
Sweet potato and butternut squash didn’t feature too regularly in my life until I had children, but my I am glad they do now. Sweet potatoes count towards one of your five a day so this is a great recipe to serve to the whole family that will satisfy that chip craving whilst still keeping everyone healthy. This recipe serves about 4.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1kg sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into chunky wedges
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Black pepper
1/2 x 28g pack fresh-flat leaf parsley
Pop 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil into a roasting tin then put into a preheated oven 200C/Fan 180/Gas 6. Once the oil is hot add the prepared sweet potatoes, garlic and black pepper to the roasting tin and give them a little shake, then roast for 35 – 40 minutes, lastly add extra flavour with some chopped fresh parsley.
Some great tips on making short work of your roast lamb joint.
Potato and vegetables fried up and served with a poached egg on to? Oh yes please. This is the kind of dish that manages to straddle winter comfort food and light summer suppers. For me the beauty is in the ultra crisp rosti next to the oozing yolk. And of course this uses up leftovers and for a lady like me who hates waste that’s music to my ears. If poaching eggs is something you’ve had problems with in the past do try my cheat’s poached eggs.
Ingredients:
Grate 400g of cooked potato into a bowl, add to that 150g of cooked carrot strips and 100g of cooked parsnip strips. Add a quarter of a pack of fresh chopped chives, some freshly ground black pepper just to season it and mix it all up. Add a beaten egg to the vegetables. Use damp hands to help the rosti mixture not to stick to you and to make really good shape patties. Scoop out one eighth of the mixture, just squash together, wash your hands and then pop 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a non-stick pan. Fry these now for 2-3 minutes on each side, until they’re really crisp and golden.
Boil a large saucepan of water and add a teaspoon of white wine vinegar. Crack one of your eggs into a ramekin dish; the reason for doing this is when you drop the egg into that simmering water it’s going to stay in one place where as if you crack it from up high it’s more likely to spread out. Simmer for 3 minutes for a perfectly poached egg. Serve the rosti with the poached egg on top, lots of black pepper and more fresh chives.
Some great tips on how to carve your chicken like a pro.
The question of how to ice a cupcake well is probably the thing I get asked the most. It’s one of things that’s quite hard to describe; you need to see it to really get it. So here’s a video with lots of tips on how to achieve the perfectly iced cupcake.
And if you’re looking for recipes here are a few cupcake recipes of mine I can recommend; caramel coffee cupcakes, coffee and walnut cupcakes, love cupcakes, lemon meringue snowman cupcakes, After Eight cupcakes, banana and custard cupcakes, Octonauts cupcakes, two tone icing cupcakes, Simnel cupcakes, chocolate cherry cupcakes, Mars chocolate cupcakes, Chocolate cupcakes with truffle icing, Lemon cupcakes with zingy Italian meringue buttercream, carrot cake baked in a cup, Thomas fairy cakes, moonuts, froggy cupcakes or just plain but quite wonderful vanilla cupcakes.
And if you fancy a challenge check out this video of me trying to ice the highest cupcake I can… can you go any higher? Answers on a blog post answer or youtube video please!
After ‘how do you ice the perfect cupcake?’ the next most popular question I get asked is ‘how do you stay so slim?’ which always makes me laugh as I am no skinny girl at all. I’m a very curvy size 14 in fact. I love food and hate having to restrict myself but every so often when I’ve been reaching for the biscuit tin that little too often or finishing off the boys tea before eating my own (such a bad habit.) I spend some time watching what I eat. I measure oil rather than flamboyantly drizzling it in the pan, I bake rather than fry and I try not to have that glass of wine when offered. This recipe is one that’s very useful to have up your sleeve for when the jeans feel a little too tight but you don’t want to compromise on flavour.
Comments gratefully received. And there’s a video too!
One year ago: Octonauts cupcakes and Walnut, fudge and Fleur de Sel cookies
Two years ago: Mutter paneer and Hot cross biscotti
Healthier fish & chips
Ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 200ºC, 180ºC fan, gas 6. Pour the oil into a large roasting tray and place in the oven for 5 minutes to heat. Carefully place the carrots and parsnips into the hot roasting tray with the crushed garlic, and mix together with a spoon until all are coated. Cook for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix together the parsley and breadcrumbs. Then place the flour, egg, and the breadcrumb mix in separate dishes. Firstly dip the fish fillets in the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumb mix. Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Place the breaded fish fillets on the tray.
Remove the carrots and parsnips from the oven, turn with a spatula, then place the courgette batons on top. Return the vegetables to the oven with tray of fish, and cook together for 20 minutes. The veg and fish will be ready at the same time. Serve the fish fillets with roasted vegetable chips and tartare sauce.
What an Easter! Poorly boys and poorly husband. We were struck down with the lurgy and that, combined with the weather, meant only one thing – staying in. Luckily I’d been sent the new Mike the Knight and Thomas DVDs to review just in time for when the bugs struck and my was I pleased. My 2 year old is Thomas obsessed and this DVD only served to strengthen his addiction. He loved it. We watched it once, we watched it twice, we watched it on a loop whilst drinking warm squash and sitting under blankets. Then when he was better he wanted to watch it some more. We’re rationing his exposure now.
The Mike the Knight DVD had a similarly hypnotic effect on my 4 year old. For the die hard Hit entertainment fans here’s a bit of info on both DVDs. Just so you know what you’re letting yourself in for if you enter this giveaway:
Go Go Thomas: Thomas and his friends are charged up and ready to Go, Go! Thomas shows Gordon that being quick is as useful as being strong, while Flynn, the fire engine, learns to put his pride aside and race to the rescue. Thomas causes some trouble on the tracks trying to be a model engine for a new photographer, while Spencer’s on the move, ignoring warnings about electric engine Stafford’s battery. Thomas pumps his pistons to Misty Island to help fix Ol’ Wheezy. Will the number one blue engine be on track and on time? £12.99, certificate U. Running time 68 minutes.
Magical Mishaps from Mike the Knight: Mike’s younger sister is a haphazard wizard in training. Wishing to become a full-blown wizard, she practices her magic at every opportunity. Accompanied by her pet frog, the master of mayhem Mr. Cuddles, Evie uses spells to help Mike with his missions. But things do not always go to plan resulting in a series of magical mishaps and Mike thinks his missions would be far better resolved using knightly skills, aided by his rallying cry ‘Be a knight, do it right’. £12.99, certificate U. Running time 72 minutes.
Lucky for you I have a copy of each to giveaway for one lucky person – worth £25.98. There are lots of ways to enter – see the Rafflecopter form below. The first way is just to leave a comment on this post. Easy peasy. Closing date 12th July 2013.
How to enter:
Rules and things:
Good luck everyone!
Cleaning was not something I really thought about until I had children. I was too busy being out and about and not getting my flat dirty. Then I has kids and guess what? If you spend time in the home it ends up in a right old mess. Now I have an unhealthy interest in cleaning products. I want stuff that cleans easily, doesn’t smell like a chemical bomb has gone off in my house and that doesn’t cost the earth.
I’ve been trying out some cleaning goodies from Bar Keepers Friend. They first launched in 1882 but have recently added new lines like the Power Cream and Power Spray, both of which made short work of my sink. They also don’t smell toxic, which is a pet hate for me in anything cleaning product related.
Here’s the interesting bit – Bar Keepers Friend has oxalic acid in it – found in rhubarb and unique to Bar Keepers Friend and well, rhubarb (I guess.) A chemist in the USA noticed how his pans were incredibly clean after cooking rhubarb in them. He worked out the reason, extracted the acid and sold it on to tavern owners. Hence the name.
I have a hamper of Bar Keepers Friend goodies to giveaway worth £50 – enough to keep your house clean for about a year. There are lots of ways to enter – see the Rafflecopter form below. The first way is just to leave a comment on this post. Easy peasy. Closing date 12th July 2013.
How to enter:
Rules and things:
Good luck everyone!
Holly Bell 