General Chat

Went out for lunch yesterday, had the most fab starter...which was also very easy.

large Plate

small salad of leaves, small pot of mayo

small portion of prawns, drizzled with marie rose dressing.

small portion of salmon, poached

melon balls

Placed nicely around the plate, and garnished with a slice of lemon, it was absolutely wonderful.

Suggest this as a main if you do it larger, or a lovely starter before ?

Did anyone have a special meal in the last month, if so would you share it with us.
Has anyone got a special meal for Easter, which they are willing to share?
Is anyone trying to eat as healthily as possible and still enjoying their medals,if so will you share this with us.

I am trying to bring back some fun on here, I know that I have not been very obvious for a couple of weeks but will be back now on.

I have been wondering if anyone has lived abroad where the food is very different from European food and if so perhaps they are willing to share the Recipies.
Any other suggestions would be welcome, from big part menus to The Zohar my , what shall I give the family today.

Right I shall try to be back later today and add at least one of the above.
Please add to the list if there is anything you enjoy or would like to learn about.

Hoping to hear from everyone!!

Bridget

We had steamed jam roly tonight.

Comfort food that is not fattening...cannot think of any....thats the whole point isn;t it, got to be bad to be good.

Boilers breaking down and boiling water all over the floor, new boiler half the prize of the previous one, checking air costs to go to uk and hire a care plus a few nights accommodation is appallingly high so having to decide to go for two short weekends! Money stolen out of OH bank, then put back in all means NO new Recipies from me...so sorry.
Forgot to add Joe, when of my beautiful dogs was on a lead with my husband and Jet my other Cocker Spaniel were out for a walk this morning to go and buy me Lemsip etc as I have a severe cough and cold when he was mauled on one of his ears by a dog also out for a walk. Joe is now undergoing surgery for his ear.

So all I want is happy food, tomato soup springs to mind and OH will not even look at food until he gets Joe back, so now a request...please can we have some comfort food which is not fattening.
:-( :-(
Bridget

am making the Brownies for week after next, so will post the outcome !! Jan X

Jan, thank you for the recipe, it sounds delicious, I will try this when we have visitors in a few weeks. I hope we get some more recipies soon. I must put my thinking cap on.
May ask friends for their favourite .......will be see in some today.

Bridget

haven;t tried this yet but they sound yummy.............
Mint Choc Brownies

100g butter chopped up, 200g dark choc NOT choc over 60 % solids, also chopped up and melted together in the micorwave...leave to cool slightly.

Whisk 4 eggs together with 200 g golden caster sugar until light and fluffy.

Oven at 160o if fan...if not 180o. Line a 22cm tin.

Then fold choc mix into eggs, gently add 100g flour and 1 tsp baking powder and 30g cocoa.

Finally fold in 150g chopped mint matchmakers.

Cook till set and cracked on top, which I have to say took at least 45/50mins... but still slightly soft. when cool add icing.

Topping

mix 50g icing sugar and a little peppermint essence, drizzle over the top. melt a further 100g choc and drizzle that over the top.

NB I ALSO SAW a recipe that suggested when the cake is still HOT, you should put randomly after eight mints on top and let them melt !!!!!!!!!!! disgusting !!!!!!!!!!

Am doing this for my friends birthday

Jan

Persephone

I must try this recipe, it sounds absolutely delicious.

Greenfingers, Celeriac is not my favorite food BUT I am going to try this recipe, when we go shopping again I will buy some and let you know the outcome.

Nothing new for me to add today so will say good bye


Bridget from dry and sunny Spain but sooo cold!

Also it is Film night tonight, will tell you all about it tomorrow

Celeriac Soup

I head of celeriac, chopped into even pieces
2 Potatoes peeled and chopped into same size pieces
1 medium onion chopped finely
1 tsp garlic
1/2 pint chicken stock,

put all this in a pan, with just enough water to cover, bring to boil, then simmer until veg soft. Then liquidise and season, add a little cream and mix ....absolutely delicious and quick

I do what Berona does and yes I do miss the odd thing like a warning that GReaders will be earlier than planned... about once every couple of months I do trawl the boards for a couple of hours and so sometimes I comment on an oldie.

Anyway food.. now this struck me as weird but is very nice.... when I saw the title I thought of LIz Smith where she plays Letitia Cropley in "The Vicar of Dibley"

Nectarine and Black Pepper Cheesecake

2tbs extra virgin olive oil............5 ripe nectarines, pitted, peeled and sliced
2 tbs freshly ground black pepper ...... 8 tbs unsalted butter melted, plus extra for
brushing the pan..........1 1/2 cups biscuit crumbs.......... 1 cup plus 1 tbs of sugar
1 3/4 cups of mascarpone at room temperature.... 300gms cream cheese at room
temperature.........300 gms ricotta drained at room temp.. 1 tbs of almond extract..... 4 large eggs (room temp).....1/2 cup heavy cream.. (think you might call it double cream)

In a saute pan (posh) heat oil over med heat until just smoking and add nectarine slices and saute for 2 mins or until just softened, add black pepper and toss to mix well... allow to cool.. eg put them in a
strainer on a plate to catch juice..
Preheat oven 160 deg C.. brush the extra melted butter over the bottom an sides of a 22cm springform baking tin.. place a round of parchment/greaseproof paper on bottom of pan.
In a small bowl combine crumbs and the melted butter and 1tbs sugar..stir and then press into bottom of pan.
In your mixer (paddle attachment good) beat mascarpone on med speed for 30secs. add cream cheese, ricotta and cup of sugar and mix low speed for 30 secs. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix on med speed for 2 mins.
In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, almond extract and heavy cream.
With mixer on low speed slowly pour in the liquid mixture... get it all in from the sides... then using spatula stir in nectarines until combined.. pour into pan.
Make a bain marie ...cover the bottom of the spring pan with foil and up the sides so the water does not get in.. bake for 1 1/4 hours to 1 1/2 hours until set but still as a little wobble in the centre (sounds like me) Turn oven off, open door and allow cheesecake to stand in the oven for 30minutes.. (be careful if oven door is behind you when you are at the sink and you don't back into it) .. remove from it's bath place in fridge and chill for 3 hours...
Shortly before serving put drained nectarine juice in small pan and reduce over low heat until syrupy.

Remove springform pan sides and put cheesecake to a platter. Slice with hot knife. and serve with a drizzle of syrup.

P xx

I would like to add something else to my menu.

Rose flavoured chocolates the recipe for which I found yesterday in one of those "Better Homes Than Yours" magazines
.
Incidentally the temperature here in Perth was 40.1C.

The menus sound great......all I would want then is someone else to do the cooking, preferably James martin

Suggestion for left over stew or mince from a meal, is to put in a foil dish and cover with a savoury crumble mix, i.e.with herbs and grated cheese. Then freeze, good for one of those days that you do not know what to cook

Thanks for starting the menus for Valentines day and a big thank you to Margaret for coming back to our thread?

OK
Here is my menu for this year

Starter. Lobster tails with a hint of garlic
Main course Brie stuffed chicken breast
Mushrooms,
New potatoes

Carrots and Asparagus

White wine

Tiramisu (Home made as on page one)


If we were wealthy I rather fancy being on a wonderful ship with excellent food, Romantic Music and champagne flowing all night.


And Romantic music in the background, chosen by OH and I can guarantee that he will play Crazy by Rosemary Clooney, the first song that he bought for me after singing it to me.

Now if money didn't matter.......they were the days........then we would most likely ........do the same!

Bridget

<3 <3 <3

Mmm like the sound of the lobster tails.

I cheated yesterday and looked on the internet for Valentine's Day Menus from Aust and NZ.
Came up with Strawberries Romanov
Simple Waldorf Salad
Easy Portobello Mushrooms
Grilled Rock Lobster Tails
Washed down with Chardonnay or a White Burgandy and I would be wearing a red frock which I believe is traditiona and cruising on a nice luxurious liner in the tropics somewherel.

Berona the only thing is, if you just look at the threads on your watched threads list you do sometimes miss interesting threads.

Hello Margaret, glad you still like to look into this thread. actually your sweet idea is not a bad one.

Valentine's day really passes us by here as it is too commercialised but a menu? Hmm!

I too like prawn cocktail but to be different to Jan.

Before the meal a glass of bubbly (If I were rich it would be champagne but actually it would be Cava,) dry or medium dry.

Either pate served with toast and onion marmalade or
Mixed fish with salad. I have done: Prawns, cold salmon, crab, tuna served with a mixed leaf salad and baby tomatoes. serve a container of Marie Rose sauce and/or mayonnaise separately with each plate and garnish with a slice of lemon. accompanied by brown bread and butter.

Main course: duck with orange or plum sauce, roast potatoes, carrots tossed in a little orange juice, butter and a sprinkle of italian herbs, and peas or green beans.

Sweet: Eton mess (strawberries or raspberries, broken meringue pieces and thick whipped cream. Or strawberry meringues.

I'm afraid we are not very good at matching wines with food as we know what we like. We would drink a good red Shiraz or Rioja with the meal.

And afterwards an Amaretto or a brandy.

My suggestion is to go retro !

Prawn Cocktail

Steak,with mushrooms and onions plus chips for those who can manage it.

and Pavlova.

We have found that getting a good steak from our local butcher , is far cheaper than a supermarket, less fat and easy to eat. I use frozen prawns, supermarkets own, and Marie Rose sauce, made from tomato ketchup and mayo to taste and sprinkled with cayenne.I sometimes add horseradish to the sauce. You could also make a special butter to go on steaks. Melt to room temp a small amount of butter, add herbs and garlic, or stilton cheese , put on cling film, tie up ends and roll to a saus shape, put back in fridge and then cut and put on top of steak....Yum............still altogether a lot cheaper than going out. One place near us will charge £45 per person for Valentines !

Jan X

I am glad you are still keeping this thread going as I renewed my sub. especially so I could read the recipes.
I find it very interesting to see how the other half live in the Northern Hemisphere in a foreign country..
I am in West Aust and it is so hot most of the time cooking is the last thing that you fancy doing.
Valentine's Day is something that I have never really bothered about. I can remember when it started getting popular. I think it is only another buying opportunity for the shops before they start advertising for Easter.
I suppose you could have a heart shaped pudding made with something red like raspberries or strawberries and that is all I can think of. Sorry inspiration has failed me for the other courses. This isn't a very helpful reply.
Margaret (used to be Fairways3)

No replies.......we must all be hibernating from the cold weather ?

I will add my Valentine Meal tomorrow so hope others will also be posted.
We are still eating real winter food as it is bitterly cold and windy here.
Bridget