Warm Potato Salad with Ham

If there is one thing I am guilty of, it's frequently buying more potatoes than we can conceivably use. The potato is one of my favourite vegetables and I just always love to have lots of them around. I have even been known to have nothing but a plate of potatoes for my tea, simply boiled and served with lots of butter, salt and pepper . . . just because I love them so . . .

But . . . I digress.



I love them simply boiled, baked, mashed, fried and I especially love them made into tasty salads. My mother's version of potato salad is one of my favourites. She always diced cold boiled potatoes into small cubes, and then added some grated onion, cubed cucumber, chopped celery, chopped boiled egg and then Kraft Miracle Whip, along with some seasonings. then of course there was that extra special touch of love she put into it. Somehow mine never manages to taste as good as the memory of hers does . . . funny how that goes.

I'm afraid that her potato salad kind of spoiled me for every really enjoying anyone else's . . . and I have never bought a store made potato salad that made me happy . . . stogged full of mayo and lacking in flavour. ugh . . .



I do also really enjoy a potato salad when it's made with a lovely herby vinaigrette dressing. This is one I make from time to time and we always enjoy it . . . tangy and warm and full of lovely bits of salty ham. (Over here I have learned that ham is called gammon, until it is cooked, then it is ham.)

This made an especially delicously light early Spring supper which we ate along with some crusty rolls, after an especially full day of gardening . . . looking out over the patio at our efforts. Life is good.



*Warm Potato Salad with Ham*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

I love potato salads and often make them in various ways. This is one of my favourite versions. I just love the tang of the gerkins and capers along with the saltiness of the ham.

1 1/2 pounds of new potatoes, peeled
4 ounces cooked ham, chopped or thinly sliced (1/4 pound)
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
2 TBS tiny capers, rinsed and drained well
8 french gerkins, chopped
3 TBS chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

For the Dressing:
1 TBS red wine vinegar
1 tsp grainy Dijon mustard
4 TBS olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the potatoes in a pot of salted water and bring to the boil. Cook until just fork tender and then drain and place into a bowl. Cut any large ones into smaller pieces. Add the ham, shallots, capers, gherkins and parsley. Gently toss together.

Whisk the vinegar and mustard together in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with some salt and pepper. Pour over the potatoes and toss to blend together all the flavours. Allow to set for 10 to 15 minutes before serving, in order to allow the potatoes to absorb the dressing. Serve warm.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Wraps

Back home I used to love to go to the local Chinese restaurant in town on occasion for a special meal. The owners were friends of my parents and had been for years. You order by a number. I always ordered a number 4. Sweet and Sour Chicken Balls, Beef and Broccoli, Egg Fried Rice and an Egg Roll. It was my favourite meal. I have tried to make my own Beef and Broccoli at home before, but it never tastes the same. I don't know why.



This restaurant used to be called the Shaker Restaurant when I was a teen . . . and it was where we used to hang out after school drinking cokes and eating chips. It had those quaint booths and all . . . it was the place to go if you wanted to check out all the hunkaroonies in the town. Anyways . . . I digress!!



Sweet and Sour Chicken Balls. Love them . . . but they're not all that good for you are they? Dipped in batter and deep fried . . . tsk tsk. Very naughty, but totally delicious.

These lovely wraps are a way of fulfilling the craving you might have for Sweet and Sour Chicken Balls . . . except nothing is deep fried and they're quite healthy. You simply make the sauce and pour it over the chicken filets (tenders) and then bake them in the oven until the sauce thickens and gets all sweet and sour scrummy.



I cheat and use one of those pouches of ready cooked basamati rice, the two serving size . . . it stretches easily to help fill at least 4 wraps, if not more.



Of course you could just have that delicious chicken on it's own as a main course with some rice and vegetables . . . it's just as tasty that way . . . but these wraps are extra delish . . . a bit of crunch from the fresh lettuce . . . that tender sweet and sour chicken . . . some tasty rice . . . layered together and wrapped up in a warm whole wheat tortilla!



Wowsa . . . wowsa!! Dey be mighty good if I don't say so myself. I think I sometimes come up with the most delicious ideas, don't you? And it's even better when they are kinda, sorta . . . healthy!!



*Sweet and Sour Chicken Wraps*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

These are one of the best things I've eaten lately. Toasty warm wheat tortillas wrapped around sweet and sour chicken tenders, lettuce and chinese rice. Yummo! Plan ahead as the chicken needs to cook for about 1 hour before you make the wraps.

For the chicken:
1 400g pack of chicken mini fillets (tenders You will need 2 to 3 per person)
garlic salt
black pepper
2 TBS corn flour (cornstarch)
125ml of white vinegar (1/2 cup)
145g sugar (3/4 cup)
125ml of chicken broth (1/2 cup)
4 TBS tomato ketchup
1 TBS dark soy sauce

To finish:
1 pouch of cooked oriental stir fry basamati rice (2 serving size)
1/2 small head of lettuce, shredded (about 2 cups)
4 large whole wheat tortillas

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Place the chicken filet pieces into a shallow baking dish. Dust with garlic salt and black pepper. Whisk together the cornflour, sugar, vinegar, broth, ketchup and soy sauce. Pour this mixture over the chicken pieces, and stir to coat. Bake in the preheated oven until very tender and glazed. The sauce will be nice and thick. Take out of the oven and proceed as follows.

Heat the pouch of rice in the microwave according to package directions. Set aside.

Heat 4 tortillas in the microwave as per package directions. Lay each on a heated plate. Place 1/4 of the lettuce down the middle of each heated tortilla. Top with 1/4 of the pouch of heated rice and then with 2 or 3 glazed chicken tenders. Close each wrap and serve immediately.

PSSSTT!! The winner of the Cillit Bang All in One Cleaner is commentor number 4 as chosen by a random number generator. (Sorry don't know how to post a picture of that, or even take one.) Gil you are the winner. If you could e-mail me your details I'll make sure they get one out to you as soon as! Thanks all for entering. Wish I could give one to each of you!

Noodles and Cabbage

I had a real craving for pasta today and so I decided to cook myself up a mess of noodles and cabbage.



This was a dish I used to cook often for my family when they were growing up. Sometimes we had it as a side dish along with pork chops . . . and sometimes it was the whole dish, served with sour cream and lotsa cheese.



It was a real favourite of everyone. I always made a double batch because the leftovers were always fabulous the day after heated up in a little bit of butter in a hot skillet. The noodles got some brown scrummy bits and it was just wonderful. We liked fried leftover spag bol too.



Todd is not a fan of pasta anything, (as you know only too well), so it's something that I only rarely indulge in these days. I love this recipe because I always, always have what I need to make it in the cupboard. It's quick and it's easy.



You don't have to use white cabbage all the time. Today I had a small head of dark Green Savoy Cabbage and so I used that. I just cooked the cabbage for a shorter time than the white cabbage, and as you can clearly see it gave a nice bright green colour to the dish. Very pretty.

I also added a bit of zip with a light drizzle of cooks&Co Olive Oil with Chillies which I was sent to try out the other day. (Remember the grapeseed oil that I used the other day to make that Treacle Gingerbread Loaf that was so nice?? Same company!)It added a wonderful kick to the dish. Hot chillies are added to this olive oil to help to create a classic condiment for pizza's, pasta dishes, dressings sauces and grilled meats. I really thought it added a lovely depth of flavour. This is great olive oil . . . and a little drizzle goes a long way!



In any case, Todd sat there enjoying his ham sandwich and I sat there enjoying my bowl of Noodles and Cabbage. Everybody was content and happy. ☺ Just as it should be.



*Noodles and Cabbage*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is a lovely dish that goes well with most meats, and I have even been known to eat a big plate of it all on it's own. My family always used to love it when I made this. I most often use flat egg noodles such as Fettuccini, but Tagliatele and Farfelle works really well also. I don't think that it is suited to the rounder types of pasta. You can top it with sour cream if you like, but we have always loved to have ours with a dusting of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese.

2 cups egg noodles, or other pasta
(Uncooked)
1/4 cup butter
1 large onion, peled and thinly sliced
1 small head of white cabbage, quartered, core trimmed away, and thinly sliced
2 tsp brown sugar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sour Cream or freshly grated Parmesan Cheese for serving (optional)

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the noodles and cook according to the package directions. When done, drain well, rinse in warm water and then keep warm until they are needed. (Tossing them with just a touch of vegetable oil helps to keep them from sticking together.)

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the butter and once it is foaming add the onion. Cook, stirring until the onion begins to soften. Add the cabbage and sprinkle it all with the brown sugar. Cook, stirring and tossing until the cabbage begins to wilt and brown in a few placed, and the onion and cabbage are well mixed together.

Turn the heat to low, pop a lid on top, and cook for five to ten minutes, giving it a stir every few minutes, until the cabbage and onion are nicely softened and beginning to caramelize a bit. Remove the lid and toss in the noodles, mixing all together well. Heat through and season to taste with some salt and black pepper. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream on top of a light dusting of Parmesan Cheese. Delicious!!



Cooking in The Cottage today, Cheater's Apple and Cherry Crumble.

Heuvos Rancheros

This is a recipe I have had ear marked to try for some time now, maybe even years. The thought of freshly toasted corn tortillas, topped with beans, salsa, fried eggs and cheese has always sounded deliciously appealing. Tasty, quick and very easy . . . ok, so it's not exactly English in origin . . . but hmmm . . . let's think about that again . . .



Eggs, chips and beans are a very popular combination over here in the UK. Something which seemed particularly uggy to me when I first moved over here . . . definitely not something that I found in the least appealing . . . but that way of thinking was a little bit like judging a book by it's cover.

You really have to try some of these things out before you say "nay" outright . . . they're actually quite good together . . .



Exchanging the baked beans for refried beans . . . and a toasted corn tortilla for the chips, is not really all that big of a stretch outside the boundaries actually . . . and salsa is kinda like ketchup . . . albeit a bit spicier and chunkier, but let's not be that picky, ok?



With some tasty cheddar melted over the top, a scattering of chopped fresh coriander and a side of sour cream and guacamole and we are kinda stretching the similarities to eggs, chips and beans a tad bit . . . but meh . . . whose going to argue about something that looks and tastes as delicious as this???

I don't know why I waited so long to try this out. I am sold, utterly and completely.



*Heuvos Rancheros*
Serves 2 (easily doubled or tripled)
Printable Recipe

When I first moved over here to England, the idea of eating eggs and beans together in one sitting seemed totally outrageous to me. I have since learned to love this combination and this is one outrageously delicious way of having them with a tasty Tex Mex Twist!

1 TBS vegetable oil
2 corn tortillas (8 inches in diameter)
4 medium free range organic eggs
4 heaped TBS of refried beans
(I used Discovery brand)
4 TBS spicy tomato salsa
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
30g of grated strong cheddar cheese (about 1/4 cup)
quacamole and dairy sour cream to serve

Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Heat half of the oil in a nonstick skillet until hot. Fry the tortillas on both sides until just starting to brown, then place on a baking tray. Set aside.

Add the rest of the oil to the pan. Crack in the eggs and fry them until they are just set, making sure the yolks are still soft.

Spread 2 TBS of the refried beans over each tortilla. Top each with 2 TBS of the salsa. Place the eggs carefully on top. Season to taste with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Sprinkle each with half the cheese and the coriander.

Bake in the oven just until the cheese has melted. (This should only take a few minutes.) Remove from the oven and place on two heated plates. Top each serving with some guacamole and sour cream if desired.



Cooking in The Cottage today, Stuffed Pasta Shells. Delicious!!

Chicken Taco Salad (low fat)

I know it's winter and not really salad days . . . but what's a girl to do . . . I was craving salad today, which isn't actually a bad thing to crave per se . . . salad is pretty healthy stuff.
I was thinking of a delicious Chicken Salad that I used to be able to get at a Mexican Restaurant in downtown Fredericton when we lived there . . . I have long forgotten the name of the restaurant . . . but not the salad. that's the way it usually goes . . .



Necessity being the mother of invention . . . and cravings driving me on (no, I'm not expecting, just a glutton) . . . I invented my own version of it. I had to make a few adaptions to the ingredients I had on hand, but I think I did that quite successfully. You be the judge of that!



I didn't have any tortilla chips, but I did have a package of soft corn tortillas and so I made my own. Which are actually much, MUCH better than store bought tortilla chips. YOU get to control the amount of spice and flavour . . . and they are baked, not fried. So easy to do. I love em!



The only chicken I had available was some frozen battered chicken strips . . . not totally healthy, but in small quanities, ok. These were actually chicken tenders . . . not chewed up chicken. I shook them (frozen) in a bag with some Tacon seasoning and baked them. VOILA! Southwestersn chicken strips. Cut in half diagonally, they were fab in this salad.



The real star though is the dressing. It's cool and creamy and very low in fat, which is an extra bonus! I used no fat mayo and sour cream for mine and it turned out just wonderfully delicious with just a bit of heat. You can control that by using more or less of the Chipolte chili paste. (This gives it a nice smokey flavour too.) I used mild salsa, as that is what I had.



If you don't have a stock pot, don't sweat it. You can just use some stock powder. You can of course make it even lower in fat by using plain skinless boneless chicken breast meat, cut into strips and then tossed with the taco seasoning mix. I had to use what I had to use . . .



With low fat cheese, and baked tortilla chips, lots of veggies, a bit of low fat cheese, and a very tasty low fat dressing, I think this is quite a healthy salad meal . . . Todd . . . well, he's not a salad person per se. He had a steak pie. Men!



*Chicken Taco Salad*
Serves 4

The dressing is the real star here. You can make it as spicy or not as you desire. It's easy to keep this low fat as well if you stick to low fat ingredients!

For the Salad:
10 ounces chopped cos lettuce (Romaine, about 9 cups)
1 (4-serving size) package of frozen chicken strips
1 package of taco seasoning mix
1/4 pound of shredded cheddar cheese ( 1 cup)
a handful of pitted olives, sliced (black and green)
4 ounces crushed taco flavoured tortilla chips (about 2 cups)
1 small tin of salad crisp sweet corn, drained well (about 1/2 cup)
4 spring onions, chopped (white and green parts)
1 large ripe tomato, cut into wedges
1/2 small green pepper, chopped
1/2 small red pepper, chopped

For the Dressing:
250ml of sour cream (1 cup)
1 Knorr Vegetable Stock pot
1 heaped TBS mayonnaise
2 TBS tomato salsa
the juice and zest of 1/2 fresh lime
1 tsp chipolte chili paste (or as desired)
1 small clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 TBS chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

First make the dressing. Put the sour cream into a bowl along with the vegetable stock pot and mayonnaise. Mash and mix well together with a fork, until the stock pot is completely dissolved. Stir in the salsa, lime juice and zest, chipolte chili paste to taste, garlic and fresh coriander. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired with fine seasalt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cover and chill until you are ready to use.

Shake the frozen chicken strips together with half of the taco seasoning mix. Place on a baking tray and bake according to the package directions. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature if desired. Cut in half on a diagonal.

Divide the lettuce amongst 4 chilled salad plates. Divide the olives, drained corn, spring onions, sliced tomatoes and grated cheese amongst the four plates, scattering all on top of the lettuce. Scatter the chicken pieces over top. Sprinkle with the crushed tortilla chips. Serve and pass the dressing at the table.

Note: You may serve this with additional tortilla chips if desired.

To make your own low fat tortilla chips. Cut several corn tortillas into wedges. Place on a baking tray. Spritz with low fat cooking spray. Sprinkle the tops with some ground coriander, ground cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, mild chili powder and oregano flakes to taste. Bake in a 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5 oven until crispy and lightly browned, giving them a stir halfway through the baking time. It should take between 8 and 10 minutes.




In The Cottage today, I'm baking a delicious Walnut-Pear Sour Cream Coffee Cake.

Luxury Cauliflower Cheese

Just look at the beautiful Romanesco Cauliflower that arrived in my veggie box yesterday! Isn't that gorgeous! I am ashamed to say that although I have seen these in the shops, I have never actually cooked one before. It looks just like a bunch of little Christmas Trees all stuck together doesn't it??? So pretty!!!



Romanesco Cauliflower is just a Roman type of cauliflower. It's not really anything to be afraid of. You can cook it in the same way as you would any cauliflower or broccoli and it is especially suited to be used as a crudite as it is somewhat more tender than those other two. It's got a milder flavour as well . . . creamy and almost nutty.



I decided to make a Cauliflower Cheese with it for our lunch. It wasn't a huge one, so it was just the perfect size for the two of us and oh-so-fresh. I trimmed it well and cut it in half down the middle before steaming . . . just until the tip of a knife easily slid into it and then I made the most luxurious cheese sauce . . .



Rich and creamy . . . befitting something as royal looking as a Romanesco Cauliflower . . . using two kinds of cheese and um . . . cream.



I napped the tender Romanesco with the delicious rich and creamy sauce and then I crowned it with a buttery crumb and Gran Padano Cheese topping . . .



And then I baked it until it was browned and bubbling . . . those crumbs all crisp and golden on top . . . that sauce gilding it in rich cheesyness . . . oh my but it was some good.



We didn't need anything else . . . just a tasty plate of green and golden scrumminess. Sigh . . .



*Luxury Cauliflower Cheese*
Serves 4 as a side, 2 to 3 as a main
Printable Recipe

Tender choice pieces of cauliflower in a luxuriously rich cheese sauce with a crispy crumbed topping.

1 large cauliflower
1 litre of milk (about 4 cups)
1 large bayleaf, cracked
1 small onion, peeled
2 whole cloves
50g of butter (1/4 cup)
50g of flour (1/4 cup)
4 TBS double cream
sea salt and white pepper to taste
a grating of fresh nutmeg
8 ounces grated strong cheddar cheese (1/2 pound)
2 TBS grated Gran Padano Cheese

For the topping:
2 TBS finely grated Gran Padano cheese
1 TBS butter, melted
a couple handfuls of crackers, finely crushed

Place the milk in a saucepan along with the onion, studded with the cloves and the bayleaf. Bring to the boil and then remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for about 15 minutes.

Trim the cauliflower and break into florets. Place in the top of a steamer, over some boiling water, cover and steam just until the point of a knife inserts easily. Remove from the stove and carefully place into a lightly buttered gratin dish. Set aside, and keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat. Whisk in the flour. Cook and stir for several minutes until golden and the flour taste has cooked out. Slowly whisk in the hot milk, holding back the onion and cloves. Allow the bay leat to go into the pan too. Cook, stirring constantly over medium low heat until the mixture thickens and bubbles. Cook on low for about 10 minutes, stirring often to help keep it from catching on the bottom. Whisk in the cheeses until they are melted and whisked in completely. Season to taste with some salt, the white pepper and a grating of nutmeg. Pour this over the cauliflower in the gratin dish.

Mix together the melted butter, Gran Padano Cheese and cracker crumbs. Sprinkle this mixture over top of the cheese sauce on the cauliflower. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown and bubbling at the edges, with a lovely crisp crumbed topping. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.



Cooking in The Cottage today, a delicious Black Bean Soup.

Leek and Potato Soup

Autumn days call for comfort and sustenance. In the warmer weather we are more likely to have a sandwich for lunch, or a salad . . . but come October/November . . . we like soup!



I like soup. It can be as complicated or as simple as you want it to be. I always have at least some ingredients in my vegetable bin or larder that can easily and quickly be made into a delicious and scrummy soup for a hearty lunch or a simple supper.



A few fresh ingredients, and a bit of stove top magic and you can have something very special and rich to bring some warmth to your chilly fingers and toes.



This soup is delicious and rich and creamy, without all the added fat and calories of using cream or full fat milk. I use tinned evaporated milk, and the light one. Leeks have a strong enough flavour that you can't detect at all the use of tinned milk.



All your friends will think you used cream . . . they won't believe you when you tell them it's not fattening in the least! You could leave the butter out altogether and simply soften your leeks in a few tablespoons of vegetable stock. I do this fairly often with great success.



But then again . . . what is 1 1/2 TBS divided amongst friends? Meh! Not a problem.



*Leek and Potato Soup*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A delicious creamy soup, that is low in fat and very easy to make. I always make some croutons to serve it with, but you don't need to. It's great with crusy bread or cornbread too! The evaporated milk makes it very creamy and rich without adding cream.

1 1/2 TBS butter
3 leeks, washed thoroughly, trimmed and then thinly sliced
2 stalks of celery, washed and thinly sliced
12 ounces boiling water
3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 (420g) tin of light evaporated milk (14 ounce), diluted with an equal amount of water
sea salt and ground white pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large, heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the leeks and celery. Cook over moderate heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionaly. Do not brown. Add 8 ounces (1 cup) of the boiling water and cover. Simmer for 10 more minutes. Add the chopped potato and the remaining boiling water. Cover and simmer for 10 more minutes. Add the tinned milk and water. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Blitz with a stick blender until smooth. You can leave a few lumps for texture if you wish. Delicious!



Cooking in The Cottage today, a delicious Boeuf aux Carottes!