6 ozs Butter (nice and soft at room temp)
6 ozs Castor Sugar
6 ozs Self Raising Flour
3 medium Eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure Vanilla Extract
Good jam for the filling - raspberry or blackcurrant is great, strawberry will work too
Icing Sugar to sprinkle
Make sure that the oven is at 180C (350f or gas 4) before starting as the sponge needs to be baked as soon as prepared.
Prepare 2 sandwich baking tins (round and not too high sided). Grease them with butter and then ensure that the insides are all covered with flour.
1. Cream together the soft butter and the castor sugar, until it has become paler and light and fluffy.
2. Bit by bit beat in the eggs and the vanilla extract. With each egg add a small bit of the weighed out flour (sifted) to help the egg blend and not curdle.
3. Next sift the remaining flour into the bowl. So as not to knock out the air you added to the mixture when beating the eggs in, make sure that you gently fold the flour in, slowly.
4. Spoon the mixture into the 2 sponge tins, equally. Smooth over the tops.
5. Place in the centre of the oven.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cake is a golden brown colour and it springs back gently when you touch it with your finger.
7. Turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack.
8. When stone cold, spread the required jam onto one of the cakes, and then place the other on top of it, like a sandwich.
9. Sprinkle the icing sugar on the top of the sandwich, but putting a teaspoonful into a sieve and shaking it over the sponge.
Serve with afternoon tea (earl grey or green) and cucumber sandwiches (cut into neat triangles naturally, and with the crusts removed).
Friday, 26 February 2010
Friday, 12 February 2010
Bacon & Leek Hash
Yesterday I was trying to use up stuff I have in my fridge and kitchen, and decided to make a kind of bacon and leek hash, as I had those bits to use up !
I didn't measure anything - just tossed it in. So I hope I can explain how I made it as it was very tasty.
So...
Bacon and Leek Hash
4 slices unsmoked Back Bacon
Half a medium Leek
2 medium Potatoes (cut into small cubes - 1.5cm across)
Olive Oil
Fresh Chives (chopped)
Salt & Pepper
1. Put the chopped potatoes into a saucepan of cold salted water, and bring to the boil. Simmer them for about 5 minutes, no more. Less if they look like they are cooked.
2. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pan. This will allow them to dry a bit.
3. Next chop about half a medium sized leek - roughly the same as one of the two below. It needs to be chopped thinly, like the next photo.
4. Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan and heat. Fry the leeks and chives until they are soft.
6. Put the fried veggies and bacon in a dish for now.
7. Add 3 more tablespoons of olive oil to the hot frying pan.
I didn't measure anything - just tossed it in. So I hope I can explain how I made it as it was very tasty.
So...
Bacon and Leek Hash
4 slices unsmoked Back Bacon
Half a medium Leek
2 medium Potatoes (cut into small cubes - 1.5cm across)
Olive Oil
Fresh Chives (chopped)
Salt & Pepper
1. Put the chopped potatoes into a saucepan of cold salted water, and bring to the boil. Simmer them for about 5 minutes, no more. Less if they look like they are cooked.
2. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pan. This will allow them to dry a bit.
3. Next chop about half a medium sized leek - roughly the same as one of the two below. It needs to be chopped thinly, like the next photo.
4. Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan and heat. Fry the leeks and chives until they are soft.
5. Add the bacon chopped into pieces. Fry in hot oil until starting to crisp, leaving the leeks and chives in the pan.
6. Put the fried veggies and bacon in a dish for now.
7. Add 3 more tablespoons of olive oil to the hot frying pan.
8. Add the cooked, dried, chopped potatoes to the pan and fry them until they are nicely browned.
9. Add the veggies and bacon back into the pan with the potatoes and heat them back up.
10. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Sunday, 7 February 2010
Breaking News - Clever Folk Prefer Felines to Canines
The following short article appeared in the Irish Independent yesterday...
Clever folk prefer felines to canines
Clever people are more likely to own cats than dogs, a study has revealed.
People with degrees were found to favour cats - possibly because longer working hours left less time to devote to a dog, according to the findings published in the 'Veterinary Record'. Cats were more likely to be owned by households with gardens, semi-urban and rural households, households with someone qualified to degree level, and respondents who were female and those less than 65 years old.
I have my own theory on this exciting discovery...
The more intelligent you are, the more able you will be to appreciate and see the incredible intelligence cats themselves have. And of course be able to relate to them.
At least I like to think so.............
Not that I'm biased in any way you understand......
Clever folk prefer felines to canines
Clever people are more likely to own cats than dogs, a study has revealed.
People with degrees were found to favour cats - possibly because longer working hours left less time to devote to a dog, according to the findings published in the 'Veterinary Record'. Cats were more likely to be owned by households with gardens, semi-urban and rural households, households with someone qualified to degree level, and respondents who were female and those less than 65 years old.
I have my own theory on this exciting discovery...
The more intelligent you are, the more able you will be to appreciate and see the incredible intelligence cats themselves have. And of course be able to relate to them.
At least I like to think so.............
Not that I'm biased in any way you understand......
Cheese on Toast with Worcestershire Sauce - An Easy Snack
I eat this often and adore it every time - the Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce is what makes it - so simple and yet MMMMMMMM
Cheese on Toast with Worcestershire Sauce
White Bread - sliced not too thickly
Mature Cheddar Cheese - sliced not too thickly
Bottle of Lee & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
1. Toast your bread slices under a grill ON ONE SIDE ONLY. Remove them from the grill.
2. On the untoasted side, lay the slices of Cheddar cheese evenly over the bread, leaving very small gaps near the edges (it will run off if you put it right up to the edges).
3. Return the bread and cheese to the grill and toast until the cheese has melted and is beginning to turn brown in places (it will also be bubbling all over). Remove from the grill.
4. Straight away, sprinkle the Worcestershire Sauce over the slices. (It will run off in places but don't worry as the bread will soak some up from underneath).
5. Cut the slices into quarters and put on your serving plate.
6. Eat straight away as soon as possible. This is not as good once cold or even cool.
Cheese on Toast with Worcestershire Sauce
White Bread - sliced not too thickly
Mature Cheddar Cheese - sliced not too thickly
Bottle of Lee & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
1. Toast your bread slices under a grill ON ONE SIDE ONLY. Remove them from the grill.
2. On the untoasted side, lay the slices of Cheddar cheese evenly over the bread, leaving very small gaps near the edges (it will run off if you put it right up to the edges).
3. Return the bread and cheese to the grill and toast until the cheese has melted and is beginning to turn brown in places (it will also be bubbling all over). Remove from the grill.
4. Straight away, sprinkle the Worcestershire Sauce over the slices. (It will run off in places but don't worry as the bread will soak some up from underneath).
5. Cut the slices into quarters and put on your serving plate.
6. Eat straight away as soon as possible. This is not as good once cold or even cool.
Thursday, 4 February 2010
Pork & Sausage Casserole
Yesterday my friend John came over to continue to help me build my raised beds in the polytunnel. He is stronger than me and better with pieces of wood...
I decided to make a pork and sausage casserole for dinner - a kinda cross between a French cassoulet and a Spanish stew... but with no beans and no peppers and with fresh chives !
I took some photos as I was making it. I measured nothing, more just threw things in as I thought of them... so here it is -
Pork & Sausage Casserole
1 Pork Tenderloin (called pork steak in Ireland) chopped in small cubes
1 pack Sausages (any kind - I used skinless ones, but pork and herb sausages would be heavenly) - chopped
1 Onion - sliced
4 medium Mushrooms - chopped into decent hunks
2 x 290ml jars Tomato Pasta Sauce (I used my own homemade sauce from my own veggies - containing tomatoes, basil, garlic and onions all blended smooth and stored for the winter in glass jars LINK TO RECIPE HERE)
3 tablespoons fresh Chives - chopped small
Sea salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1. Throw the chopped pork and sausages into an ovenproof casserole dish.
2. Add the olive oil.
3. Toss in the pasta sauce and stir well in to coat the meat. Homemade pasta sauce recipe click here
4. Add in the chopped chives.
I decided to make a pork and sausage casserole for dinner - a kinda cross between a French cassoulet and a Spanish stew... but with no beans and no peppers and with fresh chives !
I took some photos as I was making it. I measured nothing, more just threw things in as I thought of them... so here it is -
Pork & Sausage Casserole
1 Pork Tenderloin (called pork steak in Ireland) chopped in small cubes
1 pack Sausages (any kind - I used skinless ones, but pork and herb sausages would be heavenly) - chopped
1 Onion - sliced
4 medium Mushrooms - chopped into decent hunks
2 x 290ml jars Tomato Pasta Sauce (I used my own homemade sauce from my own veggies - containing tomatoes, basil, garlic and onions all blended smooth and stored for the winter in glass jars LINK TO RECIPE HERE)
3 tablespoons fresh Chives - chopped small
Sea salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1. Throw the chopped pork and sausages into an ovenproof casserole dish.
2. Add the olive oil.
3. Toss in the pasta sauce and stir well in to coat the meat. Homemade pasta sauce recipe click here
4. Add in the chopped chives.
5. Toss in the sliced onions.
7. Stir it all in together, adding the salt and pepper. Mix well.
8. Shove the covered dish in the oven !
10. Slide in a few whole potatoes in their jackets (skins).
6. Bung in the mushrooms as well.
7. Stir it all in together, adding the salt and pepper. Mix well.
8. Shove the covered dish in the oven !
10. Slide in a few whole potatoes in their jackets (skins).
11. Bake the whole lot for 1.5 hours at 180C.
12. Tell everyone how hard it was to make and try not to smile too much...
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