2- Ingredient Chocolate Mousse

This recipe is inspired by All About Home Economics by Deirdre Madden, which has been my faithful companion since my first year in secondary school, so that would make it erm (counts on fingers)....25 years old...oh that's a shock....I need to sit down.... no wonder my copy is in tatters!
When my mother went to buy a copy of this text book, she couldn't buy it secondhand (yes we had hand-me-down school books, very pre-boom times). Everyone kept their copies, it was such a brilliant comprehensive text book packed with recipes, sewing basics, how iron a shirt, basic nutrition and everything in between. As it happens this text book has been reprinted in the last few years and is available to buy again, nothing like a little nostalgia and a good cause.

Ed's Mother's Meatloaf (Nigella Lawson)

It's just beginning to to get cool round these parts, the trees are gradually changing colour and at last I can get stuck into proper comfort food....my absolute favourite food!

I, for one am very glad to be back into the swing of things - we had the most wonderful summer here - but I just love the Autumn and especially September. It's the cool crisp air and the beautiful autumnal colours that bring a smile to my face.

Regular readers might have noticed that I took some time out from blogging this summer, it allowed me to spend time with my family.

We had a wonderful summer of day trips and just lazing around the house, but now my batteries are fully charged and I am ready to get back to blogging again.

Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Lemon is a favourite in this house, I just love it's clean fresh smell and I find that it really comes to life in when I use it in baking. This recipe may look tricky but in reality it is very easy, the sponge mix is an all in one, so nothing can go wrong there, same with the frosting.

Biscuit Base Lemon Meringue Pie

I have been working on my fitness the last couple of months, with getting older and all, I thought I should try and take a little time for myself and get fitter. 

I have tried many activities over the past ten years and as much as I love going out on my bicycle, it can be somewhat time consuming and with winter months closing in it can be a bit dangerous too. So I have found my newest love.....YOGA!!

Quick & Easy Fresh Custard

This really quick and easy fresh custard is just brilliant, I use it on all my desserts. However it is really tasty on it's own too. The original recipe is for a microwave oven, so feel free to click the link below if it's you preferred choice.

Recipe adapted from All Recipes

Makes roughly 600ml

Ingredients
40g Cornflour
50g Caster sugar
450ml milk
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
50g Butter
1 tsp Vanilla extract

Method
Combine cornflour and sugar in a medium sized saucepan.

Gradually whisk in milk. Place on a medium heat, bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring continuously until thick and shiny. Remove from the heat and gradually beat half the hot cornflour mixture into the eggs - this prevents the eggs from curdling. Transfer the egg mixture back into the saucepan, whisk and return to the heat.

Whisking continuously cook over a medium heat until warmed through. Do not boil. 

Whisk in butter and vanilla. Serve immediately.

James Martin's Quiche Lorraine

A classic that is worth trying and it is brilliant served either hot or cold, ideal for alfresco dining. If you are new to pastry making the I suggest you avoid the all butter shortcrust pastry in this recipe and try the Handmade Shortcrust Pastry which is made with margarine, it is much easier to handle and roll out or if you are short on time then go down the ready rolled route.
Either way this has been a trip down memory lane for me, making quiche (not since home economics class in the Convent of Mercy, Kilbeggan) and it tastes much better than I remember. I wondered then why blind baking was necessary, my ever patient home economics teacher informed me that it stops the pastry getting soggy on the bottom and nobody wants a soggy bottom!

serves 6-8

Ingredients
For the pastry
175g Plain flour, plus extra for dusting
Salt
75g Butter, plus extra for greasing (alternatively use 270g ready made pastry)

For the filling
250g English cheddar, grated
4 tomatoes, sliced (optional)
200g Bacon, chopped
5 Eggs, beaten
100ml Milk
200ml Double cream
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Sprigs of fresh thyme

Method
To make the pastry, sift the flour together with a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Rub in the butter until you have a soft breadcrumb texture. Add enough cold water to make the crumb mixture come together to form a firm dough, and then rest it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll out the pastry on a light floured surface and line a 22cm/8½inch well-buttered flan dish.

Don't cut off the edges of the pastry yet. Chill again.

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Remove the pastry case from the fridge and line the base of the pastry with baking parchment and then fill it with baking beans (I used uncooked rice which I pushed right to the edges of the flan tin, otherwise it will bubble up, I know this firsthand because this photograph was my second attempt!).

Place on a baking tray and bake blind for 20 minutes. Remove the beans and parchment and return to the oven for another five minutes to cook the base.

Reduce the temperature of the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3. Sprinkle the cheese into the pastry base and add the sliced tomatoes if you are using them. Fry the bacon pieces until crisp and sprinkle over them over the top. Combine the eggs with the milk and cream in a bowl and season well. Pour over the bacon and cheese.

Sprinkle the thyme over the top. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until set (especially in the middle, it will be firm to the touch). Remove from the oven and allow to cool and set further. Trim the pastry edges to get a perfect edge and then serve in wedges.

To freeze the quiche: Allow to cool completely, then wrap in cling film. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen, in a preheated oven, for 15-20 minutes, or until piping hot throughout

Cheats Luxury Fish Pie

This homemade pie uses a really quick all-in-one white wine sauce and shop bought frozen mashed potatoes! I'm all for home made dinners but I am also practical and if time is against you then this "cheats" luxury fish pie should meet all your requirements. I think it is practical to regularly buy frozen mash for this pie or any potato topped pie, because I think that you've the done enough hard work making the filling. I regularly stock my freezer with cooked chicken strips, frozen mash, tortilla wraps and naan bread for evenings when a really quick meal is needed. My personal favourite quick meals are Chicken Fajita Wraps or Speedy Naan Pizza, these are quicker than ordering out or the frozen alternative.

Serves 4

Ingredients
230ml Cream
180ml White Wine
3g Salt
15g Plain flour
1tbsp Dried parsley
200g-250g Large cooked prawns
500g White Fish (Cod, whiting or haddock), cut into bite sized pieces.
4 Hard boiled eggs, shelled and quartered
600g - 700g Bag mashed potatoes, defrosted
75g Cheddar cheese, grated

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Place the cream, wine, salt, flour and parsley in a large saucepan over a medium heat.

Whisk until the sauce comes to the boil and thickens, reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Add the prawns and fish into the sauce and return to the boil, continue stirring so the sauce doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. 

Cook for 5-6 minutes, remove from the heat. Place half of the quartered hard boiled eggs into a 22cm x 22cm ovenproof deep dish, pour over the fish mixture and top with the remaining eggs.

 Arrange the defrosted potatoes over the top of the pie.

I imagine that frozen mashed potatoes come in different forms so plenty of grated cheese will cover your cheating!

Use your favourite cheese and grate coarsely.

Bake for 30 minutes until piping hot and golden.

Bubbly and delicious.

Koulibiac - Moscow Fish Pie

This hearty fish pie is a Russian speciality (spelt Koulibiac, Coulibiac, Koubiliac and Coubiliac) and it's combination of different flavours makes it well worth the effort to prepare. This dish is probably a creation of Swedish cookies working in Moscow 150 years ago. It was originally served only in exclusive restaurants, but has since inspired dishes, such as Piroggen - small pastry parcels with fillings of Sauerkraut, meat or mushrooms. If you want this lavish dish for a dinner party then the pie, uncooked, freezes well for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer and bake at 170C/325F/Gas Mark 3 for 75 minutes and to prevent the pastry from over-browning, cover loosely with kitchen foil when it's golden. This is a show stopper of a centerpiece.

Serves 6

Ingredients
2 Eggs, hard boiled
250g Salmon
250g Cod
375ml Vegetable stock
1tbsp Butter
1 Onion, finely diced
125g Mushrooms, diced
150g Cooked long grain rice
1 tbsp Parsley
4tbsp Fresh breadcrumbs
1 tbsp Lemon juice
Seasoning
350g Ready rolled Puff pastry
2 Egg, beaten
1tbsp Plain flour

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Shell the eggs and set aside. Place the stock in a medium sized saucepan and bring to the boil, add the fish and simmer for 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile melt the butter in a small frying pan and cook the onion and mushrooms for 3 minutes, add to a large bowl, along with the cooked rice, parsley and breadcrumbs. Drain the cooked fish and allow to cool before handling, then add to the bowl with the seasoning, lemon juice and an half of the egg.

Using a fork or your hands combine all the ingredients in the bowl together until it is well combined.

Sprinkle the flour onto a clean surface and unrolled the puff pastry, trim into a 25cm x 25cm square. Lay half of the fish mixture about two thirds of the way up on the pastry and 2cm from the edge.

Lay the hard boiled eggs onto the fish mixture, top with the remaining fish and mould the mixture around the eggs.

Pat the fish mixture firmly into place, smoothing the top and edges; brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg. Roll the pastry towards you, moving slowly and confidently until the seam is underneath the pie, seal the ends and tuck underneath.

Cut a hole into the top of the pie to let the steam out. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg and place onto the prepared baking tray.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden. Serve either hot or cold.

Scrambled Eggs and Smoked Salmon

I love smoked salmon and especially on slices of buttered  brown soda bread, a wedge of lemon and a few capers. Sometimes however, there might be a small sliver left over and I feel obliged to secret it away for the next morning's breakfast. This is the prefect breakfast in bed for a special occasion, accompanied with a pot of fresh coffee and toast. Now if you are planning to have a very quick and sustaining breakfast for a large group of people then a whole 400g side with 2 eggs per person should do the job nicely. I perfer not to add salt to my scrambled eggs as I find the salmon is seasoning enough.

 

Serves 1-2

Ingredients

Smoked salmon

2 Eggs, beaten

Splash of milk

Chives, chopped (optional)

Method

Thinly slice the smoked salmon, set aside.Scramble the eggs until soft and remove from the heat. Add the smoked salmon and serve on a warm plate. Serve immediately.

Egg in the Basket

This is a quick snack that can be enjoyed any time, I love it on cold winter days, the combination of hot fried bread and gooey egg with a big mug of coffee, is too much to resist. My children love it for breakfast and they dip the lid into to the egg. Prefect for breakfast in bed or for something a bit more up market try Scrambled eggs and Smoked Salmon.

Serves 2

Ingredients
2 Slices of pan loaf
2 eggs
25g Lard or oil
Pinch of salt

Method
Melt the lard on the pan on a medium heat, not too hot or the bread will burn before the egg is cooked.

Using a scone cutter or any shape you choose, cut a circle out of the middle of the bread and fry until brown on the pan. Once nicely browned on one side, flip over and crack an egg into the hole.

Cover the pan with a lid, this cooks the top of the egg without the hassel of flipping the whole thing over (which I can never manage to do with breaking the yoke). Cook for a further 3-4 minutes or until the egg is to your liking.

Lorraine Pascale's Oven Baked Scotch Eggs

This was hard to resist when Lorraine Pascale made these recently on her cookery show. I've never tasted scotch eggs before so I was in for a rare treat. They can be eaten hot or cold and they're ideal for lunch boxes. Don't be put off about the number of bowls and the order they go in, if you set it up correctly from the start it's a doddle after that. Remember, dry before wet, the flour sticks the sausagemeat and the beaten egg sticks the breadcrumbs.

Makes 4

Ingredients
4 Eggs, hard boiled for 5 mins
25g Plain flour, seasoned
5 Jumbo Sausages, skin removed
1 Egg, lightly beaten
80g Stuffing mix  (I used Oakland Sage and Onion, Tesco 79c)

Method
Shell the eggs, set aside. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas Mark 6 and line a small baking tray with parchment paper. A production line starting from right to left is needed to do this job efficiently.

Have each ingredient in a bowl, starting with the shelled eggs, plain flour, 5 sausages, chopping board with clingfilm, bowl of beaten egg, bowl of stuffing mix and the prepared baking tray. I suggest having a "dry" hand and a "wet" hand so that you aren't left with a congealed mess on your hands after each egg!

Starting with your "dry" hand roll the egg in the plain flour. Flatten the one and a bit sausages between two pieces of clingfilm, use the heel of your hand, flatten until it's about 10cm in diameter. Unfold the clingfilm and place the floured egg in centre, bring the sausage meat up around the egg using the clingfilm to coax it into place. Twist the clingfilm to get an even egg like shape. Unwrap, fill in any gaps and dip into the beaten egg mixture with your "wet" hand.

Roll the scotch egg until it is fully coated with egg (the egg is the glue that binds the breadcrumbs). With your "dry" hand roll the egg in the stuffing mix and lay your finished scotch egg onto the baking sheet. Do this with all your eggs.

Give them a light brushing or spray of oil and then place in a preheated oven for 25 minutes.