I know - it's been a long time.  Things happen and life changes and moves on.  I'm back now and looking forward to posting weekly again with lots of easy, everyday day meals and a few specials too.

Before I start with that though I really must tell you about a website I came across recently.  I'd been searching around the internet and came across a company who specialise in curry spices .....  we love a good curry here in the scullery and because we all went off take-out meals I usually make my own.  Any of you who make curry from scratch - avoiding the salt heavy jars of sauces - will know what a delicate task it is getting the exact proportions of spices together for your favourite curry.  Well, now there's no need - with CurryKit.com all the hard work is done for you!

The service was great too, I had a few questions to ask before I ordered and was really impressed - my emails were answered within an hour in a nice, friendly way.   I ordered fairly late on Wednesday night and my order arrived on Friday morning - you can't get much quicker that that!  As you can see from the photo my spices arrived packed in pretty hessian bags (nice touch) and each came with a good quality, colour printed recipe card.  Definitely a 5 star site.

We haven't had the curries yet but we do have a Curry Night planned for this week - I'll get some photos on with next weeks posting ...... watch this space!

scullerymaidsblog.com - Recipes, tips and musings from my scullery.

We love fajitas in the Scullery. For a change we had them vegetarian - different from the usual chicken ones but equally as tasty and just as much fun.

Vegetable Fajitas

• 1 tablesp. Olive Oil
• 1 Large Onion
• 1 Yellow Pepper
• 1 Red Pepper
• 1 Courgette
• 2 teasps. Cumin Seeds
• 1 tablesp. Chipotle Paste
• 1 Lime (or lime juice)

• Flour Tortillas
• Sour Cream
• Grated Cheese
• Salsa
• Taziki
• Green Salad

1. Oven to 200° C.  Prepare the veg.  Slice the onion, cut the peppers and courgettes into slices.
2. Put all the veg. onto a lined baking tray and sprinkle over the oil, cumin & paste.  Mix gently but well.
3. Roast the veggies for around 25  mins or until charring at the edges.
4. Sprinkle over some lime juice.
5. Serve with extras - roll up and enjoy them with a beer on the patio.

 (Click on any photo to enlarge)

xXx

scullerymaidsblog.com - Recipes, tips and musings from my scullery.

I love vegetables in all shapes and forms but I particularly like oven roasted veg. Bright, fresh vegetables cooked with olive oil and herbs until just cooked, still crunchy and basted with maple syrup ..... a meal on it's own or serve with meat or fish for the non-vegetarians in the family.

Oven Roasted Vegetables with Maple Syrup

• 5 medium sized new potatoes
• 1 Courgette
• 1 Red Pepper
• 1 Parsnip
• 1 Sweet Potato
• 2 medium Onions
• 10-12 small Chantenay Carrots
• 2 tablesps. Olive Oil
• 2 tablesps. Maple Syrup
• Black Pepper

1. Oven to 190°C.  Chop all of the vegetables into chunky pieces.
2. Cut the onions into wedges. Keep smaller carrots whole.
3. Put all the veg onto a large baking tray and drizzle the olive oil over.  Mix well.
4. Add the Maple syrup and mix again.  Sprinkle over black pepper.
5. Cook for approx. 30 mins - check after 25 mins and every 5 minutes until the vegetables are cooked through (or to your taste)

(Click on any photo to enlarge)

scullerymaidsblog.com - Recipes, tips and musings from my scullery.

Adapted from an internet recipe this is one of those 'naughty' late night snacks to enjoy with a glass of wine and a good film. Well ..... you have to let your hair down sometimes!

Saturday Night Nachos

• 8 ozs. extra lean minced beef
• 1 tablesp. homemade fajita seasoning mix - or a packet mix
• 8 ozs. chili flavoured tortilla chips
• 4 fl. ozs barbeque sauce of your choice
• 4 fl. ozs water
• Grated cheese
• Chopped tomatoes & chilis

1. Dry fry the mince until completely cooked - drain any fat that appears.
2. Add fajita seasoning and water and simmer until thickened.
3. Add the barbeque sauce.
4. Scatter the tortillas over the base of an ovenproof dish and arrange some around the edge.
5. Put the mince into the centre and top with grated cheese and tomotoes/chilis, if you like.
6. Pop in a hot oven for around 5 minutes just to melt the cheese.

 (Click on any photo to enlarge)

scullerymaidsblog.com - Recipes, tips and musings from my scullery.

It's time to start pulling up the rhubarb and if you're all fed up with Rhubarb Crumble why not try a Rhubarb Streusel Coffee Cake? It's name is a little misleading as it doesn't have any coffee in it - it's just made to be perfect with a nice afternoon coffee in the late Spring sunshine.

Rhubarb Streusel Coffee Cake

• 450 grams prepared rhubarb (cut into half inch pieces)
• 2 - 3 tablesps. breadcrumbs - white or brown
• 2 tablesps. sugar mixed with half teasp. cinnamon
• 150 grams flour
• 75 grams butter
• 50 grams sugar
• 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablesp. milk

1. Sieve the flour and cut in the butter (rub in with your fingertips if you prefer but this is very sticky)
2. Stir in the sugar.
3. Add the beaten egg yolk with water.
4. Mix to a dough, form into a ball and put in the fridge while you prepare the topping.
5. Grease and base line a 10 inch - 26 cm - flan tin.

• 100 grams flour
• 100 grams sugar
• 100 grams ground almonds
• 1 teasp. cinnamon
• 140 grams butter (chilled)

1. Mix the first 4 ingredients in a bowl.
2. Cut in the butter until it looks like lumpy breadcrumbs.
3. Gently roll the base dough to fit the base and slightly up the sides of the dish.  Roll carefully to roughly fit then lift into the dish and ease to fit with your fingers.
4. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the base dough.
5.  Cover with the rhubarb and sprinkle with the 2 teasps. sugar.
6. Sprinkle over the topping and bake for 55 mins at 175°C until light golden brown.
7. Serve warm or cold - with or without creme fraiche or Greek yogurt

(Click on any photo to enlarge).

scullerymaidsblog.com - Recipes, tips and musings from my scullery.

I'd like to thank Julie for taking the time out to write the following witty & humourous post for everyones' enjoyment.

Delia or Nigella

Mmm where do I fall? Delia or Nigella?

Delia would have all her utensils in a straight line on her work top. Nigella would have hers out too but one important little baby would be loving pulled from a drawer and caressed before putting it into use.

Delia would crack her eggs in her hands without shell falling into the mixture. Nigella would break them seductively on the side of the bowl being careful not to let the egg white slide down the side.

Delia would treat her electric whisk as if it were a cement mixer mixing up muck for bricks waiting to be laid. Nigella would seductively use a hand whisk gently beating the eggs as if she were waiting to be laid.

Delia would put the wooden spoon used to beat the ingredients together, straight into the dishwasher. Nigella would seductively lick the mixture off the spoon and coo in delight and put the spoon back in the drawer.

Delia would with complete ease grease the tins with melted butter and line them with prepared grease proof paper. Nigella would giggle as she watched the butter melt and then give a short commentary on how to dip your brush into the hot liquid and spread it evenly over whatever you liked.

Delia would dollop the prepared mixture evenly into the tins and shove them into a pre-heated oven and know when they would be cooked. Nigella would carefully count how many spoonfuls go into each tin and wipe the spilled mixture trails from the worktop with her finger and make strange noises whilst sucking it. Nigella would remember that it’s best to switch the oven on first and have a glass of chilled wine whilst the oven reaches her desired heat. The cake tins are gently placed onto shelves and a timer set for the number of minutes it usually takes, but of course sometimes it could be quicker as it depends how excited the mixture is.

Delia would roll up her sleeves, grab the paring knife and start on the veg. Nigella would dust down her front stating how pleasant it is to do that to oneself every now and then, fill her glass and sit down and coo.

Delia would instinctively know that the cakes were cooked to golden perfection and take them out using thick oven gloves and allow them to cool on a wire rack before taking them out of the tins. Nigella would wonder what that ringing noise was and have another sip of scrummy yummy wine. Nigella would use a man’s shirt to get the tins from the oven and then attempt to turn them out but abandon the idea saying “You know, as I tell my closest friends, it’s sometimes best to be patient and wait for that right moment”. Nigella would open another bottle of something from the fridge.

Delia would make her butter cream by vigorously beating the ingredients together adding a few measured drops of vanilla essence until the right consistency was achieved. Nigella would take the butter from the fridge and have a few glasses of wine until the butter was at room temperature then proceed to whipping the ingredients into a frenzy covering her face and hair with smatterings of butter and icing sugar whilst giggling and stating how much she loved it when that happens.

Delia would slap on the warmed raspberry jam and butter cream onto the sponge cakes and slap them together and proceed to dust the cake with caster sugar and say “There you have it”. Nigella would use one of her favourite tools to spread the gooey jam over the sponge and lick the palette knife when done. The absolutely fabulous butter cream is spread all over herself and the remains onto the sponge. The cakes are sandwiched together with “Mmmm that feels good”. She then dusts from high with icing sugar as she coyly remembers when she was stranded with one of her closest friends in a log cabin in a snow storm and dribbles over the cake.

Delia places the finished cake into the larder for family tea time. Nigella unable to wait greedily cuts the biggest slice and takes a seductive bite managing to get icing sugar all over her sweet little nose. Nigella would smile and say “I love it when that happens”.

Perhaps I am Nidellia.

~~~~~~~~

 .

scullerymaidsblog.com - Recipes, tips and musings from my scullery.

Coming soon ...

Watch this space ...

scullerymaidsblog.com - Recipes, tips and musings from my scullery.

We had this tonight – a mish-mash really but it went down a treat in the end. We ate it with pasta AND (can you believe it) tortillas – a hit and recorded here for that reason! .....

Bean Pasta Chili Sauce

• 1 onion - finely chopped
• 1 teasp. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic - crushed
• 1-2 chilis (any) - chopped
• 1 red pepper
• 1 other colour pepper
• 1 courgette - chopped
• 1 jar pasta sauce
• 1 tin kidney beans - drained & rinsed
• Chili powder - 1 teasp. or to taste
• Pasta to serve - or tortilla with soured cream and cheese to serve (Mexican style)

1. Fry the onion, then add the garlic.
2. Add the chili & peppers - cook 2 minutes.
3. Add courgettes & chili powder - cook 2 minutes.
4. Add sauce and cook gently til you're ready to eat.
5. Serve with pasta or (and) tortillas, sour cream and grated cheese - Mexican style.

xXx

scullerymaidsblog.com - Recipes, tips and musings from my scullery.

Another quick and easy Bean Burger with a totally different taste to the others. Mildly spicy with the lovely fresh tastes of lemon and ginger - serve as usual with a roll, salad and low fat creme fraiche for a light and summery garden lunch .....

Thai Bean Burgers

• 1 Tin drained and rinsed Butter Beans
• 1 Clove of garlic - crushed
• 1 Red chili - chopped finely
• 1 Red onion - chopped finely
• 1 Piece of ginger - peeled and grated
• 1 Unwaxed lemon - juice and zest
• 2 teasps. light soy sauce
• 2 slices wholemeal bread made into breadcrumbs
• Fresh parsley (dried if you have none will do - just!)
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. Put the garlic, chili, onion, ginger, parsley, half the lemon juice, lemon zest and soy into a small blender and blend to a paste.
2. Mash the butterbeans roughly.
3. Add the breadcrumbs and blended paste to the beans and mix well.
4. Shape into 4 balls and put in the fridge for about an hour. (or longer)
5. Put the dried breadcrumbs on a tea plate.
6. Flatten the burgers gently into burger shapes and lightly press into the breadcrumbs.
7. Lightly spray the burgers with oil and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side until cooked through and golden.
8. Alternately place on a parchment lined baking tray - lightly spray the parchment with oil - bake in the oven 200°C for 20 minutes turning halfway through.

 (Click on any photo to enlarge)

I served these burgers with ciabatta rolls, rocket & field salad and low-fat creme fraiche flavoured with lemon zest, lemon juice and black pepper.

xXx

scullerymaidsblog.com - Recipes, tips and musings from my scullery.

I came across the most delicious rice recipe ever - here   Anybody who knows the first thing about me will tell you I don't 'do' rice .... I don't like rice, I find it boring and totally .... well, a waste of plate space. That was, until I tried this recipe .....

.

Pineapple Fried Rice with Pork Chop(s)

• PORK CHOP(S)
• Small amount olive oil
• 1 large onion - sliced
• Pork Chop(s)
• 4 tblsps. soy sauce
• 1 tblsp. white wine vinegar
• 1 tblsp. hot chili sauce
• 1 tblsp. runny honey
• 1 tblsp. pineapple sauce
• RICE
• Cooked rice - 180gram weight of uncooked rice*
• 2 garlic cloves - crushed
• 1-2 large egg(s)
• 1 red pepper -chopped
• 1 chili - chopped - optional
• Frozen peas - thawed
• Mushrooms - chopped optional
• 5 rings sliced pineapple - chopped
• 1-2 tblsps. soy sauce

1. Heat the oil in a heavy based frying pan.
2. Add the seasoned pork chop(s) and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.
3. Add the sliced onion and cook for a few minutes until they start to just go brown.
4. Add the remaining 5 ingredients and give everything a good mix around.
5. Cook for around 7-8 minutes or until the chop(s) is cooked.
6. Remove the chop(s) and keep warm and cook the sauce for a couple more minutes  on a fairly high heat to thicken.
7. Taste and adjust the sauce to your taste.  I added a little more hot sauce and pineapple juice.
8. Pour over the chop(s) and keep warm while you do the rice.

1. Fry the garlic in a small amount of oil.
2. Break in the egg(s) and mix with chopsticks to make rough scrambled egg(s).
3. Add the other vegetables and stir fry quickly for 2-3 minutes until cooked.
4. Add 1 tblsp. soy sauce.
5. Add the rice and stir fry everything together until the rice is hot.
6. Add a little more soy and/or pineapple juice if needed.
7. Add the pineapple and continue to cook for another minute or two.

 (Click on any photo to enlarge)

 xXx

scullerymaidsblog.com - Recipes, tips and musings from my scullery.