Potato Pie

I got a cash advance and stopped by my local shop the other day, picking up my prime rib for my New Years dinner and I saw something that sounded quite, quite fascinating. Christmas Pudding Sausages.

I don't know why I hadn't noticed them before Christmas, but I hadn't . . .



I brought home half a dozen of them, and then I thought . . . what the heck am I going to do with them???? What on earth would they go with???? I couldn't imagine them in a casserole, or anything interesting like that. I was just too afraid that the flavours of Christmas Pudding would jar with anything . . . well anything but custard sauce . . .



And I just couldn't imagine serving custard sauce with sausages.

What to do . . . what to do . . . what to do . . .

I ended up just pan grilling them, and then I baked a potato pie to go along with them.




Ahh . . . potato pie. My meat and potatoes loving husband's most favourite dish of all time. You've got mashed potatoes, butter and cheese . . . beautiful rich, strong cheddar cheese . . . all wonderfully melded together and crisped up in a hot oven.

(Something had to make up for the fact that these grilled sausages wouldn't have any onion gravy to go with them . . . cheese and potatoes . . . it just had to work.)



I don't know what I was worried about. The sausages didn't really taste that much like Christmas Pudding really. Oh . . . there was a faint hint of spice . . . a slight hint of fruit . . .
but really . . . they were not all that I had thought they would be . . .



I had to break out the brown sauce. My potato pie saved the day.

Make it. It's delicious . . . and easy!



*Potato Pie*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

Buttery and nicely browned on top, meltingly cheese inside, and cruncy buttered crumbs on the bottom. Deliciously simple.

2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
1/4 pint milk (1/2 cup)
1 ounce butter
4 ounces strong cheddar cheese, grated
salt and white pepper to taste
2 to 3 ounces white breadcrumbs, lightly crisped
a bit of melted butter

Put the potatoes into some slightly salted water and bring to the boil. Boil until soft and then drain well.

Pre-heat the oven to 205*C/425*F. LIghtly butter a 1 1/2 to 2 pint pie dish. Add the breadcrumbs and coat the bottom and sides with them, pressing to make them stick well.

Shake the pan of potatoes over the burner to dry them out and then remove from the heat entirely. Add the milk and butter and mash completely until smooth. Stir in the cheese and seasonings. Spoon this mixture into the prepared pie dish. Rough up the top with the tines of a fork and then brush with some melted butter.

Bake in the heated oven for 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown.

Spoon out to serve. It is said pickled beetroot and crusty brown bread go very well with this.

I can vouch for that. They are mighty tasty together.

Cheddar Cheese Bread

Here in the UK, we have the best cheddar cheese in the world. Originating from the village of Cheddar in Sommerset, rich and tasty cheddar cheese remains the most popular cheese in the country. I do have to admit that we in this household eat a fair bit of it, and Todd finds it very annoying when we go over to the continent to France, and he can't find Cheddar . . . he's such a Brit! To him, the only cheese worth eating at all is cheddar . . .



Cheddar Cheese Bread is one of our favourite types of quick breads that I make here in my English Kitchen. I like to sprinkle Parmesan cheese that I have grated on a box grater on the bottom of the loaf tin and again on the top of the batter before I bake it. This gives it a lovely crunch and texture . . .

You don't have to use cheddar if you don't want to. Asiago cheese, crumbled into small bits is pretty good as is Gruyere cut into small chunks. When I use Gruyere I also like to add little bits of chopped ham or crumbled bacon. Yummy good.



But . . . our favourite cheese to use is extra mature Cheddar, for it's rich tangy flavour. If you really want to make it special, mince a small onion and saute it in a bit of butter and add that along with the cheese before baking, or a bunch of spring onions, sliced and slightly wilted in some butter is mighty tasty as well.

mmmm . . . cheese and onion . . . a favourite flavour here in the UK.



In any case, this bread is a real pleaser and goes wonderfully well with soups, stews, and chili's . . . try it sliced and spread with butter and served with cold meats and chutney's, for another tasty treat.



Any way you cut it . . . this tasty bread is just wonderful . . . seriously.

Just think . . . crunchy cheesy crust on the exterior . . . rich pockets of cheese on the interior.

What's not to like???



*Cheddar Cheese Bread*
Makes one 8 inch loaf
Printable Recipe

This bread is the perfect go with to have with soups or stews. Try it toasted and then buttered for breakfast with your eggs next time. Absolutely fabulous! You want to cut the cheddar into small chunks instead of grating it so that you end up with lovely pockets of lucious cheese interspered throughout the loaf.

3 ounces Parmesan Reggiano cheese, grated on the large holes of a box grater (1 cup)
12 1/2 ounces flour (2 1/2 cups)
1 TBS baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp coarse ground black pepper
4 ounces extra sharp cheese, cut into small cubes (1 cup)
(Do not grate)
250ml whole milk (1 cup)
2 heaped dessertspoons of sour cream (about 1/2 cup)
3 TBS melted butter
1 large egg

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Butter a 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pan. Sprinkle half of the grated parmesan cheese evenly over the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Stir in the cheddar cheese, making sure it is well coated with the flour and each piece is separate.

Whisk together the milk, egg, sour cream and melted butter.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet, stirring only to combine without overmixing. The batter will be thick and heavy. Spread into the prepared loaf tin, smoothng over the top. Sprinkle the remainder of the grated Parmesan over top.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, turning the pan around halfway through the baking time. The loaf is done with a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean and the top is golden brown. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Allow to cool for at least an hour before cutting.

Holiday Chopped Salad

What lies beneath that deliciously rich mountain of crumbled stilton . . .
left over from our Holiday excesses . . .



A tasty creamy snowy bed . . . of course . . . composed of tasty mayonnaise and Greek yoghurt, with a bit of Dijon and seasonings . . .

But that is not all . . . no . . . that is not all . . .




Can you see the tasty bits of colour peeking through the glass . . . all prettily layered beneath that crumbly cheese mountain and creamy snow . . .



Delicious layers of chopped cooked turkey and ham, sliced boiled egg, peas, spring onions, crisply shredded lettuce and carrot . . . all laying there, just waiting for you to dip in your fork and partake of it's lovely flavours.



After all the excess of the recent holiday meals and parties . . . it is a most refreshing and healthy alternative . . . especially when you choose to use low fat mayo and yoghurt. Tis also a great way to use up some of that leftover turkey, ham and cheese . . .

This is a great salad that is easily adapted to what you have on hand and the number of people in residence . . . I have done it for as few as two people and as many as 1o . . . tis always warmly received, and a most popular dish on the buffet table.

If you don't have any leftover ham or turkey you can always use packaged sliced meats which are also quite good, or replace the ham with bacon. Delicious!!



*Holiday Chopped Salad*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

This is a great salad as the ingredients and their amounts can be adjusted to the amount of people and their likes. I always finely chop everything. Of course you can have this anytime of the year, but it's especially nice after all the indulgences of Christmas. Layer everything in a pretty glass bowl that is shallow enough for all your guests to be able to scoop out some of each layer and also clear so that your guests can admire the pretty coloured layers.

1 head of cos lettuce, shredded
4 ounces cooked ham chopped
4 large eggs, hard boiled and chopped
4 ounces cooked turkey, chopped
4 to 5 spring onions, finely shredded
8 ounces of frozen petit pois, thawed
1 large carrot, grated
200g of low fat mayonnaise
200g of Greek style yoghurt
1 heaped tsp of Dijon mustard
1 tsp sugar
salt and black pepper to taste
8 ounces of stilton cheese, crumbled

Place the shredded lettuce in the bottom of a large diameter shallow pretty glass bowl. Sprinkle the ham over top, followed by the egg, turkey, onions, peas and carrots, spreading each one out evenly. Whisk together the mayonnaise, yoghurt and mustard. Stir in the sugar, salt and pepper. Spread this mixture over top of everything. Sprinkle the stilton cheese over top. Cover and chill for several hours before serving. Delicious!

Celeriac, Stilton and Apple Soup

Celeriac . . . celeriac . . .

Upon first glance, one might be forgiven if they were to pass over this quite hideous looking vegetable. Almost alien-like in appearance it might seem a bit scary to some . . . but don't be put off . . .




Beneath that ugly covering, hides a pleasantly flavoured vegetable, not unlike a mild celery, sweetly scented and very versatile. We just love it here in The English Kitchen . . . we really do.



Raw, and cut into thin strips, it's a lovely addition to salads, or grated and mixed with a mustardy flavoured mayonnaise to serve as a remoulade. I love it boiled, along with a few sprigs of fresh thyme, and then mashed into a tasty puree. It's also fantastic thinly sliced, and gratineed in a tasty garlic cream, beneath a bed of buttery crumbs . . .



It's flavour is very mild and pleasant and goes so very well with other flavours . . . so much so that it ends up being used quite frequently in my kitchen, not the least of which is in this very tasty soup . . . the perfect blend of vegetable . . . sweet fruit . . . and tangy cheese. It is really lovely . . . truly it is a real favourite of ours . . .



It's so good in fact that when I took it to a cooking show that I appeared on several winter's ago, Paul Rankin declared it "Gorgeous" in that sexy Irish brogue of his . . . sigh . . .

but I digress . . .

This is the perfect soup to help to wean you from all that excess of the holidays . . .

and to help to use up that leftover stilton, of course!



*Celeriac, Stilton and Apple Soup*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

This delicious soup is a wonderful marriage of the mild flavoured celeriac, sweet apple and savoury, rich tasting cheese. Gorgonzola and Roquefort also work well if you have a difficult time finding Stilton. Over here in the UK though, Stilton is King.

4 TBS butter
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 large celeriacs, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into chunks
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
2 large granny smith apples, peeled, cored and quartered
2 litres of Vegetable Stock
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 ounces Stilton cheese, crumbled
to garnish:
celery leaves (optional)
crumbled stilton (optional)
lightly sauteed apple slices (optional)

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, celeriac, potato and garlic. Sweat gently for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and taking great care not to allow them to brown. If you find they are beginning to catch, you can add a bit of the stock. After the 10 minutes, add the apples and enough of the vegetable stock to cover. Season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the temperature and simmer gently for about 40 minutes. All the vegetables and fruit should be fork tender. Once they are all tender, using a hand held stick blender, puree the soup until smooth. If you don't have one of these then you can do it in the blender in batches, but take great care as hot liquids in the blender have a tendancy to explode, so only do small amounts until you have it completely done. Add the stilton cheese and heat, stirring constantly until the cheese has completely melted. Serve ladled into hot soup bowls with a garnish as desired.

Baked Holiday Custard

Okay, I promise you this will be the last mincemeat post I'll do the whole rest of the holidays. I know you are probably getting tired of them, but . . . I do love mincemeat . . . and this is the season of mincemeat afterall . . .



I got to thinking the other day about different ways that I could use up some of those bazillion jars of the stuff that I created, and this idea just popped into my mind.



Imagine a silky vanilla flavoured and slightly spiced custard, floating atop a spicy sweet compote of mincemeat. Ohhhh . . . such beautiful textures and flavours. Each mouthful gives you that wonderfully rich custard flavour and then that lovely spiced fruity mincemeat flavour . . . it goes without saying that you need to use mincemeat that it wholly made with fruit . . . the other kind just doesn't bear thinking about!



This is sooo good. I'm glad I thunk it up . . . and if I didn't, please don't tell me and burst my bubble. I like thinking I invented something, I truly do . . .

Todd ate three of them all by himself . . .



and as for the other three???

I ain't saying . . .



*Baked Holiday Custard*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Imagine silky vanilla flavoured custard atop a spicy sweet compote. That's baked vanilla and mincemeat custard. This is fabulous, truly fabulous.

100g golden caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
pinch salt
4 large eggs
18 ounces whole cream milk
411g jar of mincemeat
Icing sugar to dust

Preheat the oven to 160*c/325*F. Place 6 large custard cups (6 ounce size) into a large shallow roasting pan. Set aside.

Place the milk along with the vanilla paste, nutmeg and cinnamon into a saucepan and heat just until bubbles appear around the edges. Remove from the heat and let sit for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, whisk the eggs together with the sugar. Whisk a little bit of the heated milk into the egg mixture to temper it, and then whisk the egg mixture into the milk, whisking it all together completely.

Divide the mincemeat evenly between the six custard cups. Pour the liquid mixture over top without disturbing the mincemeat, dividing it equally amongst them. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan to come up about half way up the sides of the custard cups. Place in the heated oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the custard jiggles only in the centre when you tap the cup lightly. Remove from the oven and from the roasting pan to a wire rack to cool before eating. Dust with icing sugar and eat at room temperature. Delicious!

Note - I am thinking this would work with all kinds of compotes on the bottom. Next time I think I'll try cherry or rhubarb, or even apple! My tastebuds are tingling just thinking about it!!!

Winter Vegetable Gratin . . .

One turkey, one ham, a pan full of chipolatas, two types of stuffing, swede, carrots, sprouts and parsnips . . . .



A pot of gravy, two bowls of cranberry and a lovely Christmas chutney . . .



Not to mention copious amounts of sparkling grape juice, peartizer, Christmas pudding, Christmas Cake, Eggnogg Cake and Mince Pies . . .



We are sitting here replete and stuffed to the gills . . . the last thing on our minds tonight is food . . .
and yet . . .



There's a lovely bowl of this delicious vegetable gratin sitting in the fridge . . . just waiting for me to pick at . . . if anything this only tastes better for having sat in the fridge overnight.

Seriously.



*Winter Vegetable Gratin*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

A wonderful combination of winter root vegetables, all roasted together with cream and a buttered cheese and crumb topping. Makes a tasty side dish for that meat lover of yours, or a wonderful vegetarian main! You may use the vegetables I have suggested here, or vary them according to what you have on hand. Sweet potatoes and butternut squash are also very good in this.

8 ounces celeriac, peeled and cut into cubes
1 carrot, peeled and cut into rounds
1 parsnip, peeled and cut into semi circles
1 swede, peeled and cut into chunks
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into cunks
8 ounces light cream
1 fat clove of garlic, crushed
1 tsp dry mustard powder
25g fresh rye or whole wheat bread crumbs
2 TBS freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp marjoram leaves
2 TBS melted butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Butter a shallow ovenproof dish. Set aside.

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the vegetables. Cook for 10 minutes, then drain well. Place in a large bowl.

Whisk the cream, garlic and mustard powder together in a saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly, over medium heat, cooking for about 10 minutes, until the mixture is thickened like a cistard, and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat and pou rover the vegetables in the bowl. Spread into the prepared baking dish. Season with some salt and pepper.

Mix together the bread crumbs, cheese and marjoram leaves. Sprinkle evenly over top of the vegetables. Drizzle the melted butter on top.

Bake in the heated oven for about 40 minutes, until the crumbs are golden brown and the cream around the edge of the dish has turned a golden brown and is a bit crusty. Remove from the oven and allow to cool somewhat. Serve warm. Delicious!

Tomorrow the leftovers from today's delicious repast . . . for now . . . groan, we relax . . . Oh how wonderful it is to live in the land of plenty . . .

Eggnog Pound Cake

Some people hate mince pies. Some people hate Christmas pudding. Some people I know, even hate fruit cake!



I know . . . there is just no pleasing some people . . .



I'm pretty sure this will please them though.



Eggnog cake. Moist, delicious and fragrant with the smells of orange, nutmeg and, well, egg nog!



A nice fat slice of this, with some ice cream or whipped cream on top, will go down a treat with even the pickest guest you may have at your table over the holidays. I guarantee!



As Tiny Tim would say . . . God bless us, everyone!



*Eggnog Pound Cake*
Makes 1 10-inch bundt cake
Printable Recipe

A deliciously festive cake filled with the lovely flavours of eggnog, cranberries and orange. This smells just fabulous when it is baking! Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

1/2 cup dried cranberries (50g)
2 TBS dark rum or water
1 cup butter, room temperature (8 ounces)
2 cups white sugar (400g)
3 large eggs
3 cups flour (420g)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup storebought eggnog (250ml)
(See note below)
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBS freshly grated orange zest

For the Glaze:
3 TBS orange juice
1 TBS dark rum (or an additional TBS of orange juice)
3/4 cup sugar

Pre-heat the oven to 160*C/325*F. Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan really well. Set aside.

Place the cranberries in a small bowl and cover with the rum or water. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar to gether until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Add to the creamed mixture, on low speed, alternately with the egg nog, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Fold in the orange zest, cranberries and any liquid in the bowl. Spoon the batter into the prepared bundt pan, smoothing the top over. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until it tests down when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack.

Prepare the glaze by blending together the orange juice, sugar and rum, until the sugar is about melted. Using a pastry brush, brush this glaze all over the surface of the warm cake, brushing it again and again until all the glaze is used and has been absorbed by the cake. Serve at room temperature, cut into slices with your preferred accompaniment.

Note - if you are unable to get eggnog use an equal amount of whipping cream and increase the measure of grated nutmeg to 1/2 tsp.

Bacon Cheeseburger Skillet Dinner

It's Christmas Eve and you have a whole house full of people that are starving and wanting to be fed. You've been on the go all day and you still have a ton of things to do before you head off to church for the Christmas Eve Service and then get back home to settle in and enjoy the evening with your kith and kin . . .



If you're really organized you probably already have a 3 course dinner for 12 all ready to go. You've probably been planning it for weeks and all is done except the popping it into the oven and setting the table . . .



If you're like me, all of your planning has gone into the dinner for the day itself, and you are now racking your head trying to think of something that will not only nourish that starving gaggle of people gasping for their tea . . . but that will also be incredibly delicious and on the table in short order . . .



Something homey, comforting and filling. Something that will make you the most popular mom/wife/granny/aunt/daughter on the block!! Something so incredibly tasty that they will still be talking about it in months to come . . .

Okay . . . so maybe that's a stretch . . . but really this is good . . .

and quick . . .

and easy . . .

and tasty too! Merry Christmas everyone!



*Bacon Cheeseburger Skillet Dinner*
Serves 8
Printable Recipe

This is one of those great family style dishes that not only tastes delicious, but is also quick, easy and feeds a crowd. You can cut the quanitities in half if you like, but I'd also like to add it freezes very well and so it's one of those things you can have in the freezer, ready to whip out at a moment's notice!

16 punces uncooked pasta (I find shapes work well like fusilli or shells, rotini or something like that)
1 kg of extra lean minced beef
16 ounces streaky bacon
1 onion, peeled and minced
2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
2 tins of tomato soup
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp mixed herbs
8 ounces extra strong cheddar cheese, grated

Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove with and set aside to drain. Add the minced beef, onions and garlic to the drippings. Cook, stirring from time to time, until the beef is lightly browned and the vegetables are soft. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and the herbs. Crumble inthe cooked bacon. Add the ketchup and tomato soup. Bring to the boil, then simmer while you cook the pasta.

Cook the pasta in lightly salted water according to the package directions until tender. Once tender, drain well and then stir into the beef mixture. Add 3/4 of the cheddar cheese and stir it in to melt, then sprinkle the remainder of the cheese on top and allow to melt. Serve right from the pan with lots of crusty bread and a tasty salad on the side.