Spud & Leek Soup.

Back in 2004 Sweetpea sent me this lovely soup recipe. So thanks Sweetpea as I have shared it with my family and friends and it gets the thumbs up from them all.

4 rashers of bacon (rind removed) dices
2 tblsp olive oil
1 leek trimmed and sliced
750 gm potatoes
4 cups chicken stock.

Cook bacon until crisp.
Add leeks and oil to a saucepan and cook until soft.
Added the peeled and diced spuds and mix the leek mixture over the spuds.
Add chicken stock and bring to boil and simmer for 20 mins until spuds are cooked.
Blend the the consistency you want and then add 1/4 cup cream and crispy bacon.


Note: I cheat.... I use diced bacon. Also I use a stick blender in the saucepan as this saves on dishes. Also I find the soup will blend together better is the soup is still hot.

Also the chicken stock I use either 4 chicken stock cubes and 4 cups of water. Or if I have home made chicken stock in the freezer, I'll use this.

Crisy bread and good company a must.

technorati tags: soup

Cheese Cakes Or Maids Of Honour

When I was growing up, my mum used to make little "Cheese Cakes" that she said were dated back to WW2. Mum said Grandma used to make these as well, when she was a little girl.

My kids have grown up eating these as well and it's been a couple of years since I have made them. So today I thought, why not and I am sharing this lovely afternoon tea treat with you.


First off you need a clean table and a packet of pastry mix. I use the Vidale as I get 2 sachets per box and that gets me 2 bakes from the 1 box.


Mix the pastry from one pouch and roll out and using a biscuit or scone cutter, cut out the circles for the pastry tart tins.


After they are all cut out and lined in the pastry tins, pop in a small amount of jam onto the pastry. Not too much, just enough to give it some flavour and not have it spilling over the sides while cooking.



Then you need to mix up a vanilla cake mix for the top of the Cheese Cakes. I use a recipe from scratch, not a packet mix.


Then an amount of the cake mix goes onto the top of the pastry and jam. Make sure the mixture touches the edge of the pastry, sealing the jam inside.

Bake at 200 degrees until cake mixture is cooked, this can take about 15 mins.

Then cool on a cake rake. Taking care not to separate the top from the bottom.

Okay, now they are all nice and cool, you can ice them with icing sugar and sprinkle with coconut.




These can be stored in the freezer if you want to have some for another day or just store in a cake tin and enjoy.

If you have seen or eaten these before and know them by another name, I'd really love for you to leave a comment and tell me the name.

technorati tags: cakes

Never Fail Sponge

This recipe is from a Family Circle recipe book. The reason I am sharing it with you is for the following reasons.

Back in 1982 I tried making a sponge cake for the first time. I hadn't much cooking experience and the whole episode was a disaster.

So now 25 years later I have given it another go. Using my duck eggs, gave me the confidence to try as so many people swear by duck eggs in their sponges.

Oh and am I just so proud of the result I got.

I didn't have a four sifter, so I used my colander to sift the S.R. Flour 3 times .

So here is the cake finished, safe in the fridge for after tea tonight.



3, eggs separated
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 cup S.R. Flour, sifted
3 tablespoons water
Jam
Cream, whipped
Icing sugar

• Preheat oven too 200 degrees.
• Place egg whites in clean mixing bowl. Beat until stiff peaks form. Gradually add sugar and beat until thick & glossy.
• Add egg yokes and beat well. gently fold in flour;then stir in water.
• Divide mixture evenly between 2 greased and floured 20 cm sandwich tins. Bake in oven about 20 mins (maybe a bit more) until cake springs back when touched and side shrink away from pan.
• Remove from tins. Cool on a cake rack. When cool spread jam and cream and pop top on. Sprinkle icing sugar on top with sifter.

Enjoy.

technorati tags: cakes

Blanching Broccoli

I have tried blanching some broccoli flowers from the little side shoots that shot after the main flower head was cut off.

I am over run with broccoli and I am not giving it away wily nilly and then have none for us.

Using the instructions I posted last year from a clipping in the Adelaide Advertiser.



Thought the old wire chipper machine basket would give me more control over putting in and pulling out the broccoli.


Blanching for 3 mins. water when cooled down will water a plant outside.


Sink with icy water to stop the cooking process. Drained well and into the freezer. We'll have this trial run Monday night with our tea and see how it goes. If I am happy with the results, I'll blanch some more.

technorati tags: vegetables