Bubble and Squeak

The day after Christmas, or boxing day to me, means one thing - bubble and squeak for dinner.  I know that here in the states the 26th isn't boxing day, but I still try and keep all my English traditions alive and this is one of my favourites.  Growing up in England I think I enjoyed boxing day dinner much more than actual Christmas day dinner, I have a lot of wonderful memories of that day and that meal that are so special to me now that I live far away from home and far away from anyone who shares or even understands those traditions.  Bubble and squeak is simply all the leftover potatoes and vegetables from Christmas dinner all mixed together and fried, it is said to be named after the sounds it makes while frying in the pan. 

Leftover roast or mashed potatoes
Leftover carrots/parsnips/sprouts/cabbage - whatever veg you have will work
2 tbsp butter

Mix together the potatoes and vegetables together in a bowl.  Heat the butter in a large pan, add the vegetable mixture, fry until golden brown on each side.

SRC - Latkes

Time for another Secret Recipe Club reveal!  I love getting my blog assignment each month and this month I was assigned the blog Oh! You Cook.  Dena has a great blog with an emphasis on Kosher foods, she is also a cookbook author of The Everything Kosher Slowcooker Cookbook.

I am really not familiar with Kosher foods, so it was really interesting and informative spending time looking through Dena's blog.  I usually go straight to the dessert section of my assigned blog each month, I was tempted by the apple fritter muffins  and the treacle tart  because it is such a classic English tart, in the end though I went with something that is completely new to me and that was the potato latkes.

They are quick and easy to make, we had them on a night that Randal grilled steaks and they were a great side to have.  We loved them and decided we would definitely be making these again!

2 large potatoes
1 egg
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 tsp  kosher salt
vegetable oil

Peel and grate the potatoes.  Place the potatoes in paper towels and roll up to remove as much liquid as possible.  Place potatoes in a large bowl, add the diced onion, egg, flour and salt.  Mix together.

Add oil to a frying pan, enough to cover the bottom of the pan, heat over medium high heat.  Add heaping tablespoons of the potato mixture to the pan, flatten out and fry for 3-5 minutes per side, until browned.  It is traditional to serve with apple sauce.

An InLinkz Link-up

Corn and Lima Bean Succotash

I don't think I have ever tried a succotash before, it's a very American dish to me, certainly not something we ate when I lived in England, and lima beans were also not something we ate, actually I don't think I ever tried them before I had a lima bean succotash in one of our favourite grocery stores here in Houston, Central Market.  They were sampling this succotash with a spiced tilapia, we both loved it so much we decided to go home and make our version of it, only we had cod not tilapia.

 1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
2 cups corn kernals
2 cups lima beans
3 tbsp fresh basil, sliced
salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large pan.  Add onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, cook for another minute.  Add the tomatoes, corn and lima beans.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and stir in the fresh basil.

Lemon Pepper Grilled Asparagus

I am just loving grilled asparagus these days, is there any better vegetable for throwing in the grill?  it is done in 10 minutes or less, takes hardly any prep time and I always make a lot as the next day I take the leftovers, throw it in a pan to warm it through and top it with a fried egg.

1 lb asparagus
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Trim the ends off the asparagus.  Place in a shallow dish and drizzle with the olive oil, season with the lemon pepper and salt and toss to combine.

Grill for about 10 minutes, until tender.

Green Bean Stir Fry

We have been on a sugar snap pea kick for a while now, especially stir fried sugar snap peas, so I decided to go looking fir a stir fried recipe for the green beans I had sitting in the fridge.  I decided on a recipe I found on the food network as I had everything on hand and it looked simple enough to make.  I cut back on the red pepper flakes from the original recipe and we both thought they were very good!

1 lb green beans
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, minced
salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

In a small bowl, mix together the honey, vinegar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

In a large pan over high heat, stir fry the green beans in the olive oil for about 3 minutes.  Add in the ginger and garlic and stir constantly for a further 2 minutes.  Pour the sauce over the green beans, cook for another minute and serve.

SRC - Kale Bubble and Squeak

Time for another Secret Recipe Club reveal.  This month I was assigned the blog Jane's adventures in dinner.  I loved looking through this blog, so many amazing recipes and lovely pictures and I was thrilled to find so many English recipes.  I was tempted by the English breakfast baskets as it looked like such a fun twist on a classic English breakfast.  However, as soon as I found the kale bubble and squeak  I knew I had to make it.  Growing up in England, bubble and squeak to me means boxing day dinner made with all the Christmas dinner vegetable leftovers and served with the leftover turkey, Branston pickle and pickled onions, and as much as I love bubble and squeak it isn't something I ever think to make any other time of the year.   I really liked the addition of the kale and bacon and it was so nice to have bubble and squeak more than once a year!

Oh yes, I had never heard of putting an egg on bubble and squeak, but I love eggs and was game to try it.  Wow!  We both loved it!   We will definitely be doing that again.  Warm, runny yolk over the bubble and squeak was perfect.

4 cups cooked potatoes (I used red creamers)
2 cups cooked kale
2 tbsp fresh parsley 
2 tbsp fresh sage
2 tbsp fresh chives
1 garlic clove, minced
2 slices of bacon, diced
salt and pepper
poached eggs

Roughly mash the potatoes and set aside.

Fry the bacon,  add the potatoes to the pan along with the herbs, kale and garlic.   Fry until browned on the bottom and flip over in sections, fry until browned on other side and top with poached eggs.

 

An InLinkz Link-up

Mascarpone Chive Mashed Potatoes

I recently made some tiramisu cupcakes and I had some mascarpone cheese left in the fridge with no idea of what to do with it, so I went looking for recipes that used mascarpone and when I found these mashed potatoes from easy everyday eats  I knew they would be perfect with the meatballs I was making for dinner. 

I really cannot say enough good things about these potatoes, even Randal who wouldn't normally even want to eat mascarpone cheese loved them, and declared them the best mashed potatoes I have ever made.

3 lbs russet potatoes
2 bay leaves
Chicken broth
8 oz mascarpone cheese
3 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup chives

Peel and slice the potatoes, place in a large saucepan with enough chicken broth to cover the potatoes add the bay leaves and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until tender.

Drain cooked potatoes and discard the bay leaves.  Mash the potatoes, adding the butter, salt, pepper and mascarpone cheese.  Stir in the chopped chives and serve.

SRC - Fruit Salad with Honey-Lime and Mint Syrup

Time for another Secret Recipe Club reveal.  This month I was assigned the blog  A Spoonful of Thyme.  I have been really neglecting my blog lately, which leads to the conclusion that I haven't been cooking much and that is unfortunately true.  I am just so tired at the end of a 12 or 14 hour daycare day that we have been eating a lot of simple meals, however this Fruit Salad recipe immediately jumped out at me because the daycare kids love fruit, we go through so many berries these days it is crazy! and it looked so cool and refreshing which is perfect for the hot weather here in Texas and it was something that I could easily make and I knew that we could all enjoy it.

The salad is easily customisable, I am not a big melon fan so although the original recipe had 3 kinds of melon in it I left out the honeydew, I had planned to add either raspberries or blackberries but I forgot to pick some up, so next time I make this fruit salad I will try it with those.

Syrup:
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

Fruit Salad:
1 lb strawberries, hulled and cut in half
1 cup red grapes
2 cups watermelon, cubed
2 cups cantaloupe, cubed
1 cup fresh pineapple, sliced
4 kiwis, peeled and diced

To make the syrup, mix the honey lime and mint together in a small bowl.

Add all the fruit to a large bowl and pour over the syrup and toss to combine everything together.  Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving.

An InLinkz Link-up

Greek Lemon Potatoes

One of my favourite restaurants in Houston is Niko Niko's.  Their lemon potatoes are so addictive that I usually buy an extra order to reheat the next day.  Now these lemon potatoes are not really the same as Niko Niko's because theirs doesn't have an oven roasted feel to them at all, but the flavour of these potatoes wedges are as equally addictive as the ones at Niko Niko's, so lemony and delicious!

4 large potatoes
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/3  cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Peel potatoes and slice into wedges.

In a large ziploc bag, combine the olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and chicken broth.  Add the potatoes to the bag and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400.

Pour the potatoes and marinade into a baking pan.  Bake for 1 hour, turning half way.

Tomato and Basil Bake

This is a Rachael Ray recipe.  I always feel like we are stuck in a rut when it comes to sides with our dinners, so when cherry tomatoes were on sale last week I found this recipe and for side that was so quick and easy to make we both enjoyed this a lot.

1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup panko
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 450

Cut the tomatoes in half and toss them with the garlic and olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper and place in an 8x8 baking dish and cook for 15 minutes.

Combine the panko and melted butter and sprinkle over the tomatoes.  Cook for another 5 minutes, then top with the fresh basil.

Hard Cider Macaroni and Cheese

This recipe is from  Bakeaholic Mama and even though macaroni and cheese isn't something I eat often, I knew I had to give it a try once I had seen the ingredient list, does it get any better than warm cheese and cider baked into macaroni? the apple cider flavour was really string in this but I loved it.

1 box of macaroni
1 cup hard cider
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1 granny smith apple, peeled and diced
1 onion
18 oz sharp cheddar

Prepare the pasta according to package directions.

In a medium pan, melt the butter and add the diced onion and apple, cook for 5 minutes.  Sprinkle over the flour and cook for another minute before adding the cider and heavy cream.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, reduce heat and add in 12 oz of the cheese and stir until melted.

Combine the cheese sauce and cooked pasta, pour into a large baking dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Cauliflower Cheese

Cauliflower cheese is quintessentially British.  I grew up eating it but I haven't made it in many years and thanks to an enormous cauliflower I bought last week I decided to give an old favourite recipe a try again.

1 cauliflower
2 oz butter
2 oz all purpose flour
1 tsp colemans mustard powder
1 pint milk
2 oz cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
dash of nutmeg
1/4 cup panko

Steam the cauliflower for 10 minutes.

In a large pan, melt the butter, add the flour and cook for a minute before slowly adding the milk.  Once combined add in the mustard powder, salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Continue stirring until the sauce comes to a boil.  Reduce heat and add the cheese and stir until the cheese has melted.

Place the cauliflower into a large baking dish and pour the cheese sauce over the top.  Top with the panko and some extra grated cheese and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Beer Battered Onion Rings

Randal absolutely loves onion rings, and most of the time when we go out for a burger he will get those instead of fries and we hardly ever have them at home mostly because I don't really like them. So the last time Randal made fish and chips (he's in charge of anything fried at our house!) he made some beert battered onion rings to go with them. I have to admit that for onion rings they were quite good. Randal just used one onion, but you can easily adapt this recipe to make as many or as few as you need.

1 large sweet onion
1 cup all purpose flour
1 (12-ounce) bottle of beer

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 tsp black pepper

Heat oil to 375

Slice the onions into 1/2 inch slices and separate the rings.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper.  Adding enough of the beer to make the consistency of pancake batter.

Drop the onion rings into the batter and fry a few at a time for around 5 minutes, until golden brown.  Season with salt and serve immediately.

Bombay Potatoes

One of the things I miss the most about England is all the great Indian food that is available. Here in Houston there just isn't the variety that there is back home, so if I want to eat it I have to find good recipes to make at Home.  These Bombay potatoes are a Jamie Oliver recipe and they are so, so good.

3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
Pinch ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 knob fresh ginger, peeled and grated
4 knobs butter
6 potatoes, peeled, parboiled and cut into cubes
4 tomatoes, cores removed and flesh diced
Handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the spices for a few minutes. Add the butter, then the potatoes making sure they are completely coated in the spicy mixture. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes and the coriander.

Pineapple-Coconut Jasmine Rice

Randal and I eat curries quite frequently, but sometimes I just get bored of the same old plain jasmine rice, so over time I ended up making our perfect rice for curry and now Randal wants this every time I make a curry. It is really quite simple but it's so delicious and we just love it, I always keep a bag of Trader Joes frozen pineapple tidbits in the freezer for this recipe alone.

2 cups jasmine rice
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp pilau rice seasoning
1 tsp nigella seeds
1 tsp salt
1 can coconut milk
1 cup pineapple chunks
3 cups water

In a large frying pan melt the coconut oil over high heat.  Add the rice and fry until the rice turns white.  Add in the nigella seeds, pilau rice seasoning and salt and add 3 cups of boiling water, pineapple and the coconut milk.  Stir to combine everything, cover and reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until rice is tender.

 

Curried Rice Salad

Time for another Secret Recipe Club reveal. This month I was assigned the blog Fit Mama Real Food .   Heather's blog is filled with so many healthy recipes that it took me a long time to decide what I was going to make.  I found her recipe for Curried Grain Salad and thought it looked really good, and as I have been wanting to make a rice salad for a while I decided to just go with just the rice and not any other grain.  I hope Heather doesn't mind that I took inspiration from her recipe but I changed it slightly to make it a rice salad that tastes a little like my coronation chicken salad.

2 cups cooked jasmine rice
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 spring onions, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup hot mango chutney
1/4 cup apricot preserves
2 tbsp curry powder (I like the penzeys sweet curry powder)
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup dried cherries
salt and pepper

In a medium bowl add the mayonnaise, turmeric, curry powder, mango chutney, apricot preserves and mix together.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a large bowl add the cooked and cooled rice, diced bell pepper, celery, spring onions and cherries.  Add in the mayonnaise mixture and mix well.  Keep refrigerated.

Red Rice

Randal loves rice and would be perfectly happy eating the same kind of riceover and over.  I prefer to try new recipes so this is how we ended up with this red rice with dinner last week.  The Goya seasoning packets are new for us, but I actually did like them and they definitely provided the red colour to the red rice.

2 cups rice
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can tomato sauce
2 packets Goya sazon cilantro and tomato
1 tbsp Goya all purpose seasoning
1 can white beans
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 cups water
2 tbsp oil

In a large frying pan add the oil and the diced onion, cook for a few minutes until onion softens.  Turn the heat to high add the rice and fry until the rice turns white.  Add in the tomato sauce, water, white beans, oregano and seasonings.  Cover the pan, reduce heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender.

Persian Jeweled Rice

I pinned this rice dish from the view from the great island a long time ago.  I kept looking at the recipe saying that one day I would make it, but I never seemed to have all the ingredients for it or I would change my mind and just make plain jasmine rice instead.  It looked so pretty though that I eventually just had to try it.  We both really loved this, although we increased the amount of spices because we tend to like really strong flavours.

1 1/2 cups rice
1 onion, diced
1/2 tsp saffron threads
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cardamom
2 tbsp butter
2 bay leaves
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup dried apricots, diced
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup pistachios
seeds from 1 pomegranate

Place the saffron in 2 1/2 cups of hot water.  Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large pan, add the fennel seeds and cumin seeds and fry for a minute or two.  Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the rice and fry for a few minutes.  Add in the cinnamon, allspice and cardamom, bay leaves, lemon zest and the saffron water.  Season with salt and pepper, add in the dried fruit and bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the rice is tender.

To serve, remove the bay leaves and top with the almonds, pistachios and pomegranate.

Cardamom Rice with Beans and Peas

I made this Jamie Oliver rice recipe to go along with his beef kofta curry. I usually just make plain jasmine rice for curries but I thought this cardamom scented rice with beans and peas looked really good and was just something a little different.

1 cup jasmine rice
2 cups water
5 cardamom pods
8 oz green beans
8 oz peas
2 tbsp oil
salt

In a large pan heat the oil over high heat.  Add the rice and fry until the rice turns white.  Add in the 2 cups of water, salt, cardamom pods and the fresh green beans.  Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the water has been absorbed and the rice is cooked.

Fluff the rice with a fork, add in the peas and cook for another minute or two, just long enough to heat the peas. 

Spanish Rice

I don't often make my own spanish rice, Randal actually really likes the zatarain rice mixes so most of the time when we have tacos I make that. This time though I really wanted to try a homemade version. I looked around at a number of different recipes and then threw this together really quickly. It was quite spicy, but that's because I didn't use the mild rotel.

2 cups rice
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 can rotel
2 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cumin
Fresh parsley (because we don't like cilantro)
2 tbsp olive oil

In a blender, puree the onion, garlic and can of rotel.

In a large frying pan, add the olive oil over high heat.  Add the rice and fry until the rice turns white.  Add the puree mixture to the pan along with the chicken broth and the chili powder, oregano and cumin.  Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook for 15 minutes, until all the broth has been absorbed and the rice is tender.  Stir in the chopped parsley.