I like a poached egg plonked, all by itself, on a piece of toast but there are all sorts of ways to serve them. You can use toast, or muffins, grilled ciabatta, whatever you think tastes best. Layer the toast with a nice slice of prosciutto, or smoked salmon, or … [Read more...] about How to Poach an Egg
Zucchini Slices with Sweet Potato
To me it's zucchini, to others courgette. No matter what it's called, the action- packed zucchini can be cooked in a hundred wholesome and tasty ways. Zucchini can be steamed, boiled, grilled, stuffed and baked, barbecued, fried or shredded raw, it's your … [Read more...] about Zucchini Slices with Sweet Potato
How to Clean the Sink
My sink holds dirty dishes and standing rinsing water. I clean the cat's bowls in there too. So, every day waste accumulates in and on the surface of my sink resulting in stains, odours, and creating a cozy little haven for germs. The detergent and water that flows … [Read more...] about How to Clean the Sink
How to Clean the Fridge
If there's one thing that reveals your true self - it's your fridge. Mine is always higgledy-piggledy with heaven knows what in coloured containers or concealed in plastic wrap. But it's almost clean. The best thing about cleaning your fridge is getting, apart from a … [Read more...] about How to Clean the Fridge
How to Blanch Sugar Snap Peas
Sugar snap peas are just slightly more mature snow peas. The pods are more rounded in shape and they have a crisp texture and slightly sweet taste. You eat the whole pea, raw in salads, or cooked whole in stir fries and vegetable dishes. How to Blanch Sugar Snap … [Read more...] about How to Blanch Sugar Snap Peas
Cleaning Chopping Boards
Let's face it your chopping board gets really grotty. And smelly! No wonder your kitchen cutting board smells, you use it to chop onions, garlic, cut raw and cooked meat and chicken, and prepare fish. It's going to end up a prime breeding ground for germs … [Read more...] about Cleaning Chopping Boards
Winter Pastie
I've called this a Winter Pastie as I tend to make them in the cooler months. No reason really, just that I try to avoid the oven in Summer. This little recipe can easily fit into the frugal basket, you won't break the bank when you buy the ingredients. Mind you, the … [Read more...] about Winter Pastie
Slow Cooked Lamb Casserole
Yesterday I saw some good-looking lamb forequarter chops at the butchers and asked for four of them. Shoulder chops? he asked. Forequarter chops, I replied. He beetled his young brows. Why are forequarter chops called shoulder chops these days? Oh well, I wasn't … [Read more...] about Slow Cooked Lamb Casserole
Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup
Lentils were a midlife discovery for me, something like a midlife crisis. Yes, they're an essential source of inexpensive protein with dietary fibre, folate, vitamin B1 and packed with iron. They're also pretty tasteless. Combined with sweet potatoes and a few … [Read more...] about Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup
Slow Cooked Pot Roast
Pot Roast is a blast from the past, my mother used to cook this and I've only slightly adapted her recipe to suit the Slow Cooker. She wasn't exposed to garlic in her cooking days, but she knew a lot about swedes and other root vegetables. A tougher cut of beef takes … [Read more...] about Slow Cooked Pot Roast
Stuffed Butternut
Butternuts are beautiful! They're the perfect size and shape for stuffing; scoop out the seeds and fill with any stuffing of your choice. Pop the filled butternut in a steam bag and microwave for 3-4 mins on high or place in a colander of boiling water and steam till … [Read more...] about Stuffed Butternut
Pass the Polpettes please
Polpettes are basically meatballs but in this recipe there's no meat. These little beauties are made with mashed potatoes and feta cheese, flavoured with lemon juice and parsley. You can make them as tiny little balls, the right size to stick a toothpick in (if … [Read more...] about Pass the Polpettes please
Wonton Soup
Someone told me that 'won ton' means swallowing a cloud. Perhaps it does. And perhaps the wontons floating in this soup resemble clouds. You make wontons by spreading a square wrapper flat in the palm of your hand, putting a small amount of filling in the centre, … [Read more...] about Wonton Soup
Quick Cleaning Tips
Kitchen Half a lemon stored in your fridge controls and eliminates unpleasant smells When cleaning your kitchen, start on the right hand side of your stove and move around clockwise. Your stove is usually the grubbiest part, so ending with it keeps you from … [Read more...] about Quick Cleaning Tips
How to Make Vegetable Stock
Stock can be made from many different ingredients, chicken, beef, fish, shellfish or vegetables but the easiest to make, and the most adaptable, is vegetable stock. When you use it, it's not so strong that it overpowers other flavours and, frankly, it's fast to make and … [Read more...] about How to Make Vegetable Stock
Rhubarb and Apple Crumble
Rhubarb is an excellent fruit for cooking, it's cheap enough and easy enough, for anyone to cook. Remember, never use the roots or the leaves! Here's a little dish for dessert pairing rhubarb with apple and topped with a crumble. Crumble originated in the Second … [Read more...] about Rhubarb and Apple Crumble
Roast Vegetable Pie
A warm hearty pie for the cooler months. Here's an easy little pie with roasted vegetables, flavoursome hommous and the excellent Cypriot cheese halloumi, all in a light golden puff pastry crust. Delicious! Cheese always goes well with vegetables and halloumi is a … [Read more...] about Roast Vegetable Pie
Potato Peel for Cleaning Pots
Don't throw out your potato peelings. I'm sure you put them aside for the compost anyway, but you have to see this to believe it, potato peel has a sort of miraculous effect in a dirty pot or pan. If you've tried everything and that nasty burned stain inside your … [Read more...] about Potato Peel for Cleaning Pots
Carrot Soup with Orange and Mint
A Meal for One A really simple soup to make with ready-made vegetable stock. You can use any stock, or make your own home made vegetable stock Carrot Soup with Orange and Mint Ingredients 500ml vegetable stock 1 large carrot, diced 1/2 onion 1 clove of … [Read more...] about Carrot Soup with Orange and Mint
Jane Austen, Detective
One of the great pleasures of my life has been introducing Jane Austen to my children. Now here's a side of Jane that I'm going to introduce to you. Who would have thought it? Jane Austen discovering clues, sifting through evidence, unravelling nefarious plots and … [Read more...] about Jane Austen, Detective