General Chat

Hi Bridget

A recipe for barbecued chops.


MINTY LAMB CHOPS..

Serves 4-6.

Minty Marinade: 60 ml mint jelly
15 ml chopped mint or
5 ml dried mint.
30 ml lemon juice
30 ml sunflower oil.

6-8 Lamb Chops.
Salt and pepper.


- Combine the marinade ingredients in a small saucepan and
warm slightly to melt the mint jelly.

- Mix well and pour over the chops, turning the meat to coat evenly
with the marinade.

- Cover and marinade at room temperature for 1- 2 hours.

- Season lightly with salt and pepper.

- Baste with marinade while cooking.


I think this would work for grilled chops.

I agree with Ann, a list of contributors at either the beginning or endwould be fine.



Val.in SA.

This is what my Grandson cooked so I will call it J's chicken pasta.

1 medium chicken breast per person cut into small bite sized pieces.
1 large onion chopped
3 large mushrooms sliced
small tub creme fraiche
can of chopped tomatoes
2 garlic cloves (an extra one if you like garlic a lot)
dried Italian herbs
tbsp olive oil
spiral pasta to your amount.

saute onions and garlic in the oil, when soft add the chicken and the mushrooms and continue to saute until chicken is cooked through. Add the tomatoes and cook for a further couple of minutes, when hot stir in the creme fraiche and a sprinkling of the herbs, add salt and pepper to taste.

While cooking the above cook the pasta to your taste. Serve the chicken and sauce over the pasta.

If you don't like pasta this would also go over jacket potatoes.

Ann
Glos

copied to here.

MillieMolly Amanda have sent you a pm.

Evening all,

I am absolutely useless when it comes to making cakes and look for the easiest ones possible. So sometime next week I will add three non flop easy cakes, all you do is mix it all together. If anyone is interested.

Carrot Cake
Yoghurt Cake
Chocolate Cake

As for the name printing thing I will go with the flow as to what everyone else decides.

Lindy ;))))))))))))))))))

Good morning, everyone

I am in a happy mood today and if you want to know why you will have to look at Bridgets daily Diary!!

Millymolly mandy,
can you please ahare the info about the condensed milk cooking times, it is so long since id di this I have completely forgotten what to do. Thanks

Cider baked Apples.

You can use apple juice instead.

4 Bramley apples or other cooking apples, not the same if you use eating apples!
10 oz of dry cider or apple juice
a little butter
Optional dried fruits / dates to fill cavity in apples/muesli

Pre heat oven to gas mark 5 or 190c, sorry do not know about AGAs.

Wash, dry and core the apples.
Cut just through the skin around the centre of the apple
Lightly grease each apple with the butter, I use kitchen roll or the butter covering to do this!
Pour the cider or apple juice into a a shallow baking tin and stand the apples upright in the tin.
Bake them in the middle of the oven for around 35 to 40 minutes. and baste them three or four times. if you test them with a skewer you will know if the are cooked.


If using the muesli . After the apples have been cooking for about 15 minutes put the muesli in the oven in an uncovered baking dish so that it warms through and looks slightly roasted.

When the apples are cooked place them either in a dish and serve woth cream or put them on the base of the muesli and serve with cream


This may sound complicated but only because I have given options. It is in fact a really easy dish to cook.

Enjoy. I have a very old Mrs Beeton cook book and in there the basic recipe is much the same, however she also suggest that

A. the apples are peeled or as she says pared and then the pellings are rolled up tightly and put isnto the cavity.
B. Then the apples are brushed aover with egg white and allowed to dry, then another coating of the egg whites,
C. sprinklle with acster suger, put into a roasting dish and cover with grease proof paper. Bake in a slow oven until tender.

D. When cooked remove from roasting tin put into a dish and fill the cavity with blackberry , blackcurrant or raspberry jam.

i haven't tried this one for years but may have go in the winter.


I believe that if I manage to get this booklet printed etc, names should be acknolwedged at the front of the book no firm views though, i will go with the flow.

PS I am normally considered to be quite a good cook BUT my achillies heel is Yorkshire pudding. I have Never made a really good one, have tried dozens of recipes and failed so now, shushhhhhhhh, i use frozen, isn't that sad.

More recipes coming soon



Bridget

Lindyin the Algarve


can't wait for the cake recipes!!

Bridget

Just anothe r thought

who is your favourite chef?
I am thinking again and that is dangerous, I MAY try to get one or two to suuport our project!!

Bridget

I also cannot make a decent cake, mine are never light and fluffy.!
So look forward to the non-flop recipes Lindy.

I have two favourites, Anthony Worrall-Thompson and James Martin.








Val in SA

A quick message from Julia in Derbyshire.

She will be back in a few days and has some good receipes she is willing to share with us. Sounds as is she has spent a couple of days cooking.

I do like Gary Rhodes,


Give Delia books to people starting out as they are always easy to follow.

I have a couple of really old books Mrs Beetons All About Cookery original book and an amazing junk shop find called The New York Times Cook Book , the only date on it I can see is 1961.

Actually have far to many cook books about 30, but ....

All the six children are also very good cooks.
Thought I was becoming redundant when one son telephoned many Christmases ago to ask how to cook Beef Wellington. I gave him the instructions and waited for a call to say all went well.
On boxing Day I had not heard so called him and he said
" Oh it was great Mum, in fact it was better tha the one you make"!!




Bridget

Sent you a pm Lindy,

Carn't wait for the cake recipe's
Favorite chef...Delia

This is nice
Gypsy Tart
10 oz Dark Brown Sugar
Large tin Condensed milk

Whisk sugar and milk together for about 10 mins
Pour into 8 inch cooked pastry case
Bake for 10 minutes in hot oven ,leave to cool

This was given to me by my sister-in-law who was a school cook ,it was a favourite with the school children

Afternoon Ladies,

Hiya Val,

Guess what? I just came back from a shop that sells SA goods, which is in the next city and came back with a packet of tennis biscuits..lol..I went there especially to buy a bottle or marmite as I have been craving for ages. They had one big one that would last me a year or more for 7 euros and 50 cents which I was not going to pay and to add insult to injury it expires next month. Oh well! I shall keep looking.

Thanks for the recipe Amanda ;)


The following recipe recipe was given to me exactly as I have typed it..lol..the cooking time and oven temperature I worked out for myself.
I use a 32cm oval ovenproof dish for all my baking. My mugs hold 300ml.

CARROT CAKE

2 milk mugs of finely grated carrots.
2 mugs of self raising flour.
1 mug of sugar.
Half a mug of oil.

Mix everything together and bake at GAS two and a half for +/- sixty minutes.

Once again the following was given to me as is and the yoghurt container is used as the measuring cup...don't you just love these recipes ;).. Years ago I asked my neighbor at the time, who must now be deep in her seventies, why no measurements and nothing written down. Her answer was simple, " Her Mum did not know how to read or write, so the recipes were handed down by word of mouth. " BLESS THEM."

YOGHURT CAKE

4 eggs
1 plain yoghurt ( 120g )
2 full yoghurt cups of sugar
3 yoghurt cups of flour..........( I use half flour half maizena )
1 teaspoon of baking powder
Half a cup of oil

Beat the eggs, add the yoghurt, sugar and oil. Continue beating while adding the flour and baking powder a little at a time.

Beat until the batter is smooth and has lots of air bubbles ..;).. I cheat and use an electric beater.

Pour mixture into a greased cake tin and bake on GAS two and a half for +/- 40 minutes.

CHOCOLATE CAKE

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa ( I use whatever I have on hand which is normally drinking chocolate )
2 teaspoons baking soda ( Ye old fashioned bicarb. )
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk ( freeze the rest for another day )
1 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup boiling water

Mix everything together at high speed in a mixing bowl until well blended and smooth.
Pour into greased and flour baking dish and bake for one hour on gas one and a half.



I don't do icing, absolutely useless. So if anyone has a simple but delicious, moist chocolate icing that I can smother in grated chocolate..my mouth is watering...I would be most obliged.

BOLA ( Savory Cake )

6 Eggs
1 teaspoon salt ( I use 2 teaspoons salt and a bit of black pepper )
1 cup milk
1 cup oil
3 cups flour ( If I don't have any self raising flour handy, bread flour is just as good )
1 teaspoon baking powder.
200g ham
200g chouriço
100g bacon
100g mortadela

Chop up the cold meats and mix everything together. Bake for +/- 45 minutes on gas 5.

I bake in a bread tin that has been lined with greaseproof paper because you can be sure that it will stick to the bottom and sides. Also, I use two chouriço sausages instead of the other cold meats as well.

CREPES CALYPSO

1 cup flour
2 cups milk
4 eggs
pinch salt
oil for frying
small non stick frying pan

Beat everything together till smooth.
Heat the oil and pour it off, quickly pour in a thin layer of batter.
Fry quickly until crisp and golden.

Repeat the above until all the batter has been used.

TO MAKE THE SAUCE

margarine
oranges
sugar
orange liquor
big frying pan

Melt 2 tablespoons of margarine, add juice of 2 to 3 freshly squeezed oranges, 2 tablespoons of sugar and orange liquor, dissolve sugar and bring to boil. Add one or more of the crepes to the sauce and boil for a few seconds, turn crepe around for a further few seconds, fold in half and scoop into a plate with a bit of the sauce, serve immediately.

The unused crepes can be refrigerated for a few days.

PINEAPPLE MOUSSE

1 packet pineapple jelly, make the jelly and add 1 can of condensed milk. 1 medium can of pineapples cut into squares and add half of the canned pineapple juice. Mix everything together and set in fridge.

More another day!

Lindy ;))))))))))))))

Recipe for a delightful evening meal, you should all like it. 1st.pick up phone and call best restaraunt in your area,next book the best table there. Shower Shave ( Where Neccessary )and shampoo.Get a Taxi there and enjoy the best they have,No worries about Prep.Cooking.Washing up etc, or having a few too many glugs of wine etc.Then pay the bill and go home after a very enjoyable evening. You cant beat that.**M**.:o)>xx

I got a BBQ on Wednesday...

Now who can give me a recipe for a bowl of salad....A bit different from the usual, something with a bit of cheese in. or something else ?

I'm doing Debbie's french bread with Garlic Toms & Onions

I have all the usual Chicken & Spare ribs but I want to show off a bit !! LOL

Marilyn x

Merlin, I take it from your message that you have invited us all to join you.

Thanks! from

Bridget and all the other participants, it is very generous of you!


Lindy, these sound absolutely great...Thank You.

AManda, anything with condensed milk is yummy, I have been known to sneak around and eat it from the tin!!!!! Oh the calories


Bridget

Lindy, just checking, if I make a mousse with jelly I use evaporated milk, do you actually use condensed milk which to me is different, thicker and sweeter?

Bridget,

You are very welcome!.

Hiya Ann,

I was verbally given the recipe with condensed milk. However, on reflection I do agree that it is thicker and sweeter. To be honest it never crossed my mind to replace the condensed milk with evaporated milk. Is that the same as the Ideal Milk that we used to buy in a can in the RSA. On the other hand I don't ever remember seeing it on sale over here, but then nor have I looked.

I have a fantastic recipe for CHOCOLATE MOUSSE if anyone is interested. ( no condensed milk...lol..)

Lindy ;)))))))))))))))))

Salads for Marilyn


Tomato and Mozarella

8 tbsp Olive Oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 clove of garlic

Beefsteak tomatoes. Mozzarella chees 225g
12 to 18 cherry tomatoes
2 shallots peeled and finely chopped can use ordinary onion instead.
black olives which are stoned
4 large hard boiled eggs

Basil leave or chives to garnish


1. Slice the tomatos and arrange in a circle on a large round plale
Slice the Mozzarella and tuck a piece between each tomato

Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and place them on the cheese and tomatoes.
Scatter the olives and shallots or onion all over the dish
Quarter the eggs and arrange in the centre of the plate
Garnish with the herbs

Drizzle a little oil all over 30 mins before serving


Easy to make.



Watercress, spinach and Parmesan salad.


" bunches of water cress, make sure it is washed and dry.
Baby spinach leaves also washed and dried.
Parmesan, try to use fresh grated otherwise buy in a pack.
Put everything in a large bowl and mix well, Dress with a well known brand of Mustard salad dressing or make your own by

Put one teaspoon of caster sugar into 2 Tablespoons of cider vinegar. and heat gently to allow sugar to dissolve.
Mix one whole egg and one extra egg yolk in with the vinegar. when cool.
Dribble in 300ml of groundnut oil or olive oil gently whisking until all mixed together.

Simple salad

Have bags of mixed leaves and any other salad ingredients that you like, Mix them together with grated carrots and add for colour,
Slice cucumber finley and overlap around the salad,

You can really add anything you like, from eggs, radishes, croutons, grated cheese, herbs, of cuts of smoked salmon, ham, anchovies., chopped nuts,..just do not use all of them!

I am sure you wouldn't.

Let your imagination run wild. and enjoy.


bridget

Ann in Glos

I use evaporated milk

Bridget

Everything sounds sooo good!

Lindy, glad you found some Tennis Biscuits, and I thought Marmite at R32 for a 250g jar was pricey!! I'll be waiting for the chocolate mousse recipe,


PECAN PIE.

Crush: 16 Salticrax Biscuits ( this is a salted cracker)
100 grms Pecan Nuts

Meringue: 2 Egg Whites
1 Cup Sugar

Beat the egg whites until stiff (not dry)

Add the sugar slowly, beating well between each addition.

Add the crushed Salticrax and Pecan nuts.

Put into a pie plate and bake at 180 degrees C for about 20 minutes.

Decorate with cream and pecan nuts.,





Val in SA.