Something For The Weekend: A Full English Breakfast

Vegetarians, look away now.  It's a meat feast.

A full English typically contains: bacon, sausage, fried egg, black pudding, mushrooms, tomatoes, and beans.  Served with tea and toast it really is true to it's name; if you're not full afterwards, you've got problems.

 
Making this at home can be quite a challenge for the first timer.  Save it for the weekend - it takes some time.  Planning is key.  You need to have enough pans, know what your going to cook in each and where and get the timing right.  The microwave can come in handy for beans and tomatoes (if using plum from a tin).  I think I got it right last weekend when I cooked the bacon, sausage, black pudding and tomatoes together in my grill pan, beans in one saucepan and mushrooms in another.  I also threw a few hashbrowns in the oven, which is not exactly British tradition but it's sometimes included in cafe breakfast which makes the Irish in me very happy.  The husband thinks potatoes for breakfast are a no-no.

This breakfast has taken me a few years to get right - and it's by no means perfect.  But everything is ready nearly on time and most importantly tastes great - yes, even the black pudding (admittedly I can't eat the whole thing - it tastes great but then I begin to think about what I'm eating and I'm easily put off).  Now if I could just figure out a way to minimise clean up...

Oh yeah - go to the cafe! 

Perfect for a Party: Strawberry Fruit Dip

I was visiting my aunt and uncle a couple of weeks ago along with my bro and the mister; a last visit before my brother went back to Canada (sad face).  I was telling her how I had pretty much cleared out my maple syrup stash and she started checking the cupboards for some Canadian treats to give me.  I wasn't going to take the last of her Kraft peanut butter but I think I came away with something even more tasty - and it wasn't from Canada!

Behold.  American favourite - Marshmallow Fluff.

The strawberry one.  I stopped myself from eating it straight from the jar...fine, I had a couple spoonfuls, but that's it I swear.  The rest was used to make this oh so fabulous dip.  It's easy, looks fancy and served with fruit it's a winner on the health scale - am I right?!  And though you can find it at shops specialising in American food, they're usually expensive.  I found some Fluff at TK Maxx for under £2.

Perfect for a birthday treat, get together or just for eating in front of the TV - which is how it was demolished (mostly by me) over here last week.  Just thoroughly mix plain cream cheese and fluff to desired taste.  That. Is. It.

Enjoy!

Sweet and Simple Vanilla Birthday Cupcakes

Happy Birthday to meeeeeee!!!

It's no secret that I'm a huge cupcake fan.  I've been known to buy 4 cupcakes (hey, it's cheaper really) and eat them all - on the same day - okay within an hour!  The frosting to cupcake ratio has to be right - ie. LOTS of frosting per cake.  I like when my cheeks tingle from all the sugar.  The sweeter the better!

I had a look on Pinterest for some inspiration and scoured the regular old interweb for ideas but eventually decided on plain and simple vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream.  Simple and sweet.

Now to settle in for a takeaway (I'm not cooking on my birthday!) and top it off with a cupcake...or 6!  I've already had an appetiser cupcake - but that was purely to test it, of course!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream - Adapted from Joy of Baking
Makes 12 cupcakes

For the cupcakes
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk

For the buttercream
2 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F) and line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake cases.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Next, add the eggs one at a time beating well each time.  Finally, add in the vanilla extract.

With the mixer on low, add half of the flour to the butter mixture and incorporate.  Then add the milk and the rest of the flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Fill the cupcake cases evenly with the batter and bake for about 15 minutes.  Keep an eye on the cupcakes so as not to over bake or they will become dry.  Toothpick inserted the centre of the centre cake should come out clean.



For the buttercream:

Beat the butter until creamy.  Add the vanilla.  Gradually add the icing sugar.  Blend in the milk until icing becomes light and fluffy.

Let's Start Birthday Week With Rice Paper Spring Rolls

It's my birthday this week.  Tomorrow to be exact.  I like it when my birthday falls in the middle of the week - easy to stretch the festivities for a week because you're more likely to celebrate at the weekend.  So, without further ado, let Chloé's birthday week commence.

A couple of years ago, due to a scheduling conflict (stag do organised on my birthday - how dare they?!)  I spent the night alone.  My brother and husband we're out for the night and I could eat whatever I wanted and watch whatever I wanted.  I was not complaining.  Of course, I made sure both parties felt a little guilty before they left but really I couldn't wait to get Top Gear off the telly and eat as much seafood as I could fit in my face.  As soon as they left I was out the door and made my way to the supermarket.  I had decided to go with Thai; rice paper spring rolls to start, followed by fish cakes, and a red curry with prawns for my main and had a leisurely stroll up and down the aisles filling my basket with all the required ingredients.  They must have known it was my birthday because they had every single ingredient in the store which is rare because it's small with limited "exotic" items and has a limited international aisle.  I mean they had lemongrass (they never have lemongrass).  This hasn't happened since.

The fella had bought me a food processor for my birthday (along with a coffee maker I'd been coveting for a couple of years).  The man is nothing if not practical.  His workmates we're worried that he was getting me appliances and not jewellery but he assured them it was fine; he'd bought me a Dyson for Valentine's Day the year before, which I carried home myself, and I was thrilled.  That's not to say I won't take jewellery.  Hint hint.

Anyway, I used the new food processor to make the fish cakes and blend my paste for the curry.  Everything turned out perfectly.  I stuffed my face to whatever 3 star chick flick I had decided to watch and enjoyed every minute of it.  This is where I would show you pictures because I definitely took some but when our computer died a couple years ago I don't think all of the pictures made it to the back up hardrive.  But imagine the finest Thai curry you've ever seen - that was my meal. 

It took me another two years to recreate even a little part of it.  And here it is:

 I made these rice paper spring rolls a couple weeks ago as a starter to a beef stir-fry.  I didn't follow a recipe (surprised?!) and you don't have to either.  Last time I made them I put prawns in them but kept these seafood free for the mister.  I went with thinly sliced cucumber, red cabbage and carrot, some noodles we were having with our stir-fry tossed in sesame oil, and crushed peanuts.  And they're pretty easy to assemble.  Breaking to get a picture of it; not so easy.

The lighting in my kitchen is so bad but you get the jist.

Just soak the rice paper pancake (one at a time) in some hot water for a few seconds until it becomes soft but not too much so it breaks up.  Lay it on a flat surface (I leave a little hanging over the edge of the chopping board to grab for rolling up), place your filling inside and roll by folding the two ends in and rolling the rest from one side to the other.  There are Youtube videos if your more of a visual learner (like moi).

For the sauce, I used about a 1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar, a splash of fish sauce and finely chopped chili, garlic and coriander.  The next day this made an incredible sauce for a tuna stir-fry.

Man, now I want Thai food.  I wish there was some place nearby that delivered!

Raspberry Pancakes for Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day in North America on Sunday.  Mothering Sunday as it's called here in the UK was in March and once again I forgot to buy a card to send my mother in May (sorry Ma!).  Instead, I've made her a virtual breakfast.  Maybe my brothers can make this a reality? (hint hint)  Possibly something a little more diabetic friendly?  In a quick search to see if she could even have pancakes with maple syrup (it's a must for me) I came across these two articles (from the interwebs of course so who knows how accurate they are); the first claims research has shown maple may help treat diabetes, the other is an email from a woman with first hand experience who has found her blood sugar levels are at their worst when she has consumed maple syrup.  So I'm not sure - maybe eggs and bacon for the Ma on Sunday?  I'm not a dietitian.


I've been making these pancakes for ages now and have memorised the recipe.  I've found this recipe to be the best at adapting from throwing in berries to mashed banana without having to adjust any of the other ingredients.

I was the only one to taste test these babies (much to the pups disappointment) and would make them again.  I loved the bursts of red as I cut into them and the tang of the raspberries with the sweet of the maple syrup.

We don't want any...really.

What? We can have some?

You're just teasing me aren't you?  (Yes, yes I am - have a gravy bone instead)

Raspberry Pancakes - adapted from BBC Food
makes about 8

135g flour
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
130ml milk
1 egg, whisked
2 tbsp melted butter
1 cup raspberries

Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside ( I don't sift).  Combine milk, egg and butter together in a separate jug and pour into dry mixture to thoroughly blend.  Stir in raspberries (don't worry too much if they break up).

With a frying pan on medium, melt a little butter.  Pour enough batter for small disks ( I use a about a quarter cup) and once bubbles start to form in the batter, and flip it over, cooking both sides until golden brown.

Serve with maple syrup and butter if desired or simply eat them on their own (as the other half does - because he HATES maple syrup.  Ugh!)