Matron's Munchies

Kitty

Daily Recipe

Beetroot & Quinoa Burgers

Burgers should most definitely not be confined to the summer. Of course, they're an essential component of any decent barbecue or picnic, but they're also the perfect comfort food when the evenings start to get cold and dark. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 aubergine (eggplant)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 185g/1 cup cooked quinoa (60g/⅓ cup uncooked)
• 5 tbsp ground flax seeds
• 6 tbsp warm water
• 2 cups raw beetroot, peeled and grated (about 3 large beets)
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 cloves garlic
• 120g/½ cup humous
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method: 

1. Preheat your oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas Mark 4.
2. Cut your aubergine in half lengthways, rub the cut side with the soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of the oil, and cook for 20-30 minutes until roasted and tender. 
3. Meanwhile, cook your quinoa following packet instructions to make 1 cup of cooked quinoa, then rinse through a sieve with cold water to cool and push with back of a spoon to drain as much liquid as possible.
4. When the aubergine is ready, remove, allow to cool, then scoop out the flesh, and chop finely until a paste has formed.
5. Now mix 2 tablespoons of the flax with 6 tablespoons warm water in a small bowl and leave to stand for 10 mins (this creates 2 'flax eggs'). 
6. Add the beetroot, quinoa, oats, remaining 3 tablespoons of flax seeds, and garlic to a food processor and blitz to combine the ingredients (this can be done by hand if preferred). Transfer mixture to a large bowl, then add the humous, aubergine paste, flax ‘eggs’, salt & pepper, and mix to thoroughly combine. 
7. Shape the mixture into 6 patties and place on baking paper on a plate to pop in the fridge for an hour or so (this helps the patties to firm up). When ready, heat remaining oil in a frying pan to medium heat, and fry the beetroot burgers for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until they are crispy on the outside and hot through.

Wartime Scotch Shortbread

Hurricane Bill is on his way and last night I couldn’t sleep, so instead, at 2 am, I got up, went to the kitchen and made some ‘Wartime Scotch Shortbread’..

The flour supplied to the public in the 1940’s, was a minimum of 85% wholewheat flour made from homegrown wheat (UK). It was said to have an unpopular grey appearance but I guess that really was all that was available and all recipes that called for flour would have been made out of this..

Wartime Scotch Shortbread

Melt 4 oz margarine, add 8 oz plain flour and 2 oz sugar, mix well and knead until the mixture bins together. If it is a little dry crumble it again and add a splash of milk and re knead. Put in an ungreased baking tin and press mixture down firmly so it is about 1/2 inch thick. Prick the surface and then cut into 10-12 portions.

Bake in centre of moderate oven for 30 + minutes.

Remove, sprinkle lightly with sugar

Serve.

frogmorton

Thank you Kath I love the burger recipe it looks totally gorgeous!

as for the shortbread yes please!

A cuppa to 'go with'!

Kitty

Daily recipe

Vegetable Pasties

Vegetable Pasties

• 1 lb of lightly cooked diced vegetables (onions, carrots, turnip, parsnips, potato, swede)
• 2 tablespoons of gravy
• 2 chopped tomatoes (optional)
• 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce (optional )
• salt and pepper
• reconstituted dried egg or milk to glaze

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 C (400 F) and grease a baking tray
2. Roll out the pastry and form into 4-6 rounds brushing the edges with a little egg or water
3. Mix the ingredients and gravy etc together and put in the centre of each round or to one side depending on where you intend to have the seam
4. Bring edges together and press between finger and thumb along the seam to seal
5. Make a slit of prick with a fork and brush with egg or milk
6. Place on baking tray and cook for 20-30 minutes until golden brown

CAROLYN’S TIP: Wheatmeal shortcrust pastry can look a bit grey! Take a pinch of curry powder and mix with a few tablespoons of milk or your egg mixture and brush over the pasty to give it a lovely golden glow

Apple pudding No 105

Apple Pudding

• 1 lb of apples
• 3 oz sugar
• 6 oz of self-raising flour (or plain flour with 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder added)
• pinch salt
• 1 level teaspoon of mixed spice (I’ve used cinnamon and a little nutmeg before)
• 1/2 oz margarine
• 1.5 teacups of milk and water
• 1/2 oz sugar
• 0.5 teaspoons of lemon essence

Method

1. Sift the flour, salt and spice, rub in the 1/2 oz of margarine and then mix in the 1/2 oz of sugar.
2. Beat in half the liquid gradually
3. Beat thoroughly then add the rest of the liquid and lemon essence and beat again
4. Peel the apples and cut into small pieces and mix with 2.5 oz of sugar
5. Put in a greased casserole and pour the batter over (I used meatloaf pans)
6. Bake in a moderate oven for 45 minutes
7. Sprinkle with remaining sugar and serve hot with custard or jam sauce

Serves 6

frogmorton

The pasties l WANT Kath thank you very much indeed! They look so yum. If they cooked all thsi in teh war they were amazing and resourceful weren't they?

I could veganise the apple pudding too....🤔

Kitty

Irish Omelette No 106

"I haven’t bought eggs for quite sometime. Being vegan I tend to choose eggless wartime recipes or adapt others.

But the children quite like many of my wartime recipes too, so for a special treat (for them), I bought eggs and made an “Irish Omelette” for my youngest daughter Emily and it gave me great pleasure, to observe her noticing the delicious smell, radiating from the oven, as she walked into the house after school..

It was a really simple recipe and smelt delicious, she said it tasted good too ( of course I couldn’t taste it having eggs, milk and bacon in it) and she came back for seconds and there are leftovers for tomorrow."

Irish Omelette

• 1lb of cooked potato
• 4 eggs (4 tablespoons of dried egg mixed with 8 tablespoons of water)
• 3 oz chopped bacon
• 1/4 pint of milk
• chopped parsley or herbs
• salt and pepper

Method

1. Leave skins on potato and chop into smallish pieces and boil in water until tender
2. Fry chopped bacon
3. Mix the potato, bacon, herbs, salt and pepper together
4. Grease a pie dish and spread mixture out in dish
5. Whisk eggs and milk and pour over mixture
6. Cook in a hot oven 225 C or 425 F until browned on edges and cooked in the middle
7. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before serving

Small Cottage Tea Loaves- Recipe No. 129

The reason I am posting this is because one of my blog readers, Louise, was so very kind and sent me the most amazing and cool gifts as way of saying thank you for the recipes. One of the gifts was an old McDougalls Cookery Booklet and this is where this recipe came from!

Small Cottage Tea Loaves

• 1 lb of McDougalls self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1-1/2 oz of butter or margarine
• 1/2 pint of milk and water mixed (I used non-GMO soy milk)

Method

1. Put the flour and salt in a basin and rub in the butter or margarine and mix to a soft dough with the milk/water.
2. Divide into six pieces and roll each piece into a large and a small ball
3. Place the large ball on a greased baking sheet, make a hole in the centre, damp it and put the small ball into it and then press together with your thumb
4. Bake in a moderate oven (about 180) for 25 minutes.

Kitty

Spring vegetable and herb frittata

Ingredients, serves 4

250g (8oz) asparagus, chopped into bite-sized pieces

250g (8oz) frozen or fresh peas

8 large eggs

2 tbsp semi-skimmed milk

bunch of spring onions, thinly sliced

2 tbsp chopped parsley

2 tbsp chopped chives

1 tbsp olive oil 

 

Method

1. Cook the asparagus and peas in a saucepan of boiling water until the asparagus is just tender. Drain well.

2. Beat the eggs with the milk then stir in the cooked vegetables, spring onions and chopped herbs.

3. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Pour in the egg mixture and cook over a medium heat for 5-6 minutes or until the eggs are almost set.

4. Place the frying pan under a preheated grill and cook for a further 2-3 minutes or until the frittata is brown on top and completely set. 

 

Tip

The eggs in this savoury omelette are a good source of iron and vitamins. Rich in potassium, the asparagus is also good for controlling blood pressure.

Mike1

Looks too healthy for me! 😄

frogmorton

Looks cosy and warming to me 😋

Kitty

For the non Vegans among us .

Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon – just 4 ingredients turn this salmon into a total super star. A healthy and delicious salmon, glazed with maple syrup and grainy mustard.

Never Cooked With Salmon?

Salmon has a mild flavor, with a nice meaty texture. It is a really great base for a lot of flavorful sauces such as honey mustard, teriyaki, or even delicious dill. It’s a great lean protein that doesn’t require too much reworking to turn into a beautiful dinner. This dinner is super simple and will make fish addicts out of any who try it, so let’s get into it!

Ingredients In Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

• Salmon – One large fillet cut into 6 equal pieces.
• Butter – The simple base of our sauce that gives some richness savouriness to our dish.
• Maple syrup – It’s not too difficult to get some nice good quality syrup up here in Canada, but for those who live elsewhere who have trouble tracking it down honey can be used in its place.
• Mustard – I used grainy Dijon mustard today as I find it adds a nice interesting heat and cooks well in this glaze.
• Soy sauce – The salt component of our dish today.
• Seasoning – Just some pepper, no need for extra salt!

How To Make Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

• Preheat your oven: To 425 F degrees, arrange your salmon on a 9 X 13 inch baking dish.
• Mix your sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the butter, maple syrup, mustard and soy sauce. Pour over salmon. Add some freshly ground pepper, if preferred.
• Finish the dish: Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until salmon flakes with a fork. Serve hot garnished with parsley if you’d like!

How To Store Leftover Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon

Salmon doesn’t have a very long shelf life, so be sure to eat it quickly. In the fridge it will keep for up to 2 days stored in an airtight container. In the freezer this dish will last from 3 – 4 months in an airtight container. Allow to thaw in its container overnight in the fridge or in cold water. The glaze will keep for up to 4 weeks stored in its own airtight container in the fridge.

Kitty

HOW TO MAKE A CLASSIC FRENCH BOUILLABAISSE

ABOUT THIS BOUILLABAISSE RECIPE

In the spirit of the humble Mediterranean fisherman, I recommend using whatever seafood is available where you live. Typically bouillabaisse has two or three kinds of fish, and various shellfish (clams, mussels, shrimp, crabs, languistines, etc.). I ended up using bay mussels, Manila clams, shrimp, cod, and sockeye salmon. It’s what’s available here in Portland, so that’s what ought to go into the bouillabaisse. You should use whatever you can find.

CLASSIC FRENCH BOUILLABAIS

Bouillabaisse is France's classic Mediterranean fisherman's stew. Fresh local fish and shellfish in a sublime sauce of orange peel, saffron, and fennel. It's the perfect way to enjoy seafood.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 Cups Water
• ½ Pound Shrimp
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 12 Whole Black Peppercorns
• Peel from 1 Orange
• 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 2 Small Fennel Bulbs, thinly sliced, fronds reserved
• 1 Small Onion, diced
• 1 Leek, white part only, thinly sliced
• 4 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 4 Tomatoes, skins and seeds removed and diced
• 1 Cup Dry White Wine
• 1 Teaspoon Fresh Thyme
• 1 Teaspoon Fresh Marjoram
• ½ Teaspoon Saffron Threads
• ½ Teaspoon Ground Cayenne Pepper
• ½ Pound Sockeye Salmon, skin removed, cut into 1 inch wide strips
• ½ Pound Cod, cut into 1 inch wide strips
• ½ Pound Manila Clams
• ½ Pound Bay Mussels

METHOD

1. Peel the shrimp, reserving the shrimp shells. Bring the water to a simmer and add the shrimp shells, bay leaf, peppercorns, and orange peel to the pot and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy bottomed soup pan. Add the onion, leek, and fennel bulb and a pinch of salt, and slowly sweat them until tender but not browned (about 20 minutes).
3. Add the garlic, saute a few more minutes until garlic is tender and fragrant.
4. Add the tomato and the wine. Turn up the heat until the wine begins to boil. Cook until wine is reduced by about half.
5. Strain the shrimp and orange stock into the onion mixture. Add the thyme, marjoram, saffron, and cayenne and simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Add the fish first. About two minutes later add the mussels and clams. About two minutes later add the shrimp. Simmer until the shrimp is just cooked through. About two more minutes.
7. Remove from heat and serve immediately, garnishing each place with some reserved fennel fronds.

Mike1

Rather than describe Hogs Pudding in the new "Does the person below me....." thread as this is the area for cooking I will put it here - apologies to veggies.

Hogs pudding is a Cornish delicacy - Most versions of the recipe comprise pork meat and fat, suet, bread, and oatmeal or pearl barley formed into the shape of a large sausage – also known as ' Groats pudding' and are very similar to a white pudding but much spicier, containing black pepper, cumin, basil and garlic. It is formed into a thick sausage and boiled so when purchased it can be eaten cold or cooked, I prefer it cut into rings and fried with a fried egg. It also forms part of a full Cornish breakfast.

Oooooooh, I am hungry now!

Shell_H

Thanks Mike - I was very curious! It sounds OK, but too spicy for me. however I now want a fried breakfast.... 😁

frogmorton

Mike I think I would have loved that in my meat-eating days being of Hungarian stock all our cured meats were super-spicy!

When doing the cafe's cooked breakfasts from now on I shall include you a slice or two of hogs pudding!

Kitty

Apple Pie Bars

When you need to make apple pie for a big group, these bars are absolutely perfect. With a no-fuss crust that you press (not roll), they're much easier. Plus, you can't beat that crumb topping. Drizzle them with some extra caramel or serve with ice cream for an extra special treat! We love these baked with honeycrisp, Granny Smith apples, or a combo of both!

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CRUST

Cooking spray

1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/4 c. packed brown sugar 

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. kosher salt 

FOR THE FILLING

6 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 c. packed brown sugar 

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

FOR THE TOPPING

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. chopped pecans

1 c. packed brown sugar 

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted

Caramel, for serving

 DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350° and line a 9”-x-13” pan with parchment then grease with cooking spray. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add flour and salt and mix until just combined. 
2. Press into prepared pan about 1/2” up sides. Bake until lightly golden, 20 minutes. 
3. In a large bowl, toss apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt together. Spread apples over crust. 
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pecans, brown sugar, and salt. Stir in melted butter until coarse clumps form.
5. Sprinkle crumb topping over apples and bake until top is golden and apples are soft, about 1 hour. 
6. Let cool at least 15 minutes then slice into squares and drizzle with caramel before serving.

Kitty

The Best Vegan Banana PancakesI

• NGREDIENTS
• 240 ml / 1 cup unsweetened non dairy milk
• 
  
• 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon oil of choice , or cashew butter for oil free but they won’t be quite as light and fluffy
• 
  
• 1 medium banana, peeled , weighing around 170 g in it’s skin
• 
  
• 200 g / 1½ cups + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (plain flour in the UK) , Or spelt flour but you must weigh it and use 200g – the cup measurements given won't be accurate for spelt as it's lighter than all purpose flour)
• 
  
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 
  
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 
  
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda in the UK)
• 
  
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 
  
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Add all of the ingredients to a blender . It blends up much easier if you add the liquid ingredients first, followed by the dry ingredients. 
• If you don’t have a blender you can make them by hand. I will include instructions at the end. 
• 
  
• Blend the ingredients until smooth. Don’t over blend. turn it off as soon as everything is smooth and combined. It should take less than a minute. 
• 
  
• Leave the batter to rest for at least 10 minutes. It will be thick. Don’t be tempted to thin it. While it rests, preheat your griddle to medium (about 325 °f) or use a skillet or frying pan .
• 
  
• Lightly grease (with a little oil or vegan butter) the pan/griddle with a brush, then pour the batter on in rounds, about 1 ladle full per pancake or roughly ⅓ of a cup. Leave to cook until bubbles appear all over the top and begin to pop, then flip very gently.
• 
  
• Allow to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until golden then remove from the pan and serve immediately. 

To make by hand:

• Mash the banana really, really well until it is a puree consistency. Beat it together with the milk and oil until combined well. 
• 
  
• Add all of the dry ingredients to a bowl, whisk them together, then gradually pour in the milk, stirring as you go to work out the lumps. Stir until all of the flour is absorbed and the batter is smooth, then leave to rest for 10 minutes before carrying on as above. 

NOTES

Success Tips

• Don’t over blend/mix the batter. Just keep going until no dry flour is visible. A few small lumps are ok.
• Don’t thin the batter. If you want thick and fluffy vegan pancakes the trick is to keep the batter thick.
• Cook the pancakes long and slow. Don’t rush them. Vegan pancakes take longer to cook through and become fluffy than non-vegan pancakes do.
• Don’t use more banana than the recipe calls for as it will affect the texture. The pancakes have been tested carefully and the amounts listed give the best results.
• Don’t press the pancakes down with the spatula while they are cooking or you will push out the air and lose some fluff.
• For optimal visual appeal, I have found that vegan butter works much better than oil when cooking pancakes. You can see the difference between the 2 in my video and photos. The video pancakes were cooked using oil, the ones in the photos were cooked using vegan butter. 
• These pancakes need the little bit of oil in them to have the perfect texture. If you omit it they won’t be nearly as light and fluffy. Adding the nut butter as per my substitution suggestion provides a little bit of fat and helps somewhat for an oil-free version, but for the very best results, the oil is necessary. 
• Measure the flour correctly. Weighing with a digital scale is always best for accurate results.

Storage and freezing

Leftover vegan banana pancakes can be refrigerated for a day or two then reheated in a pan over medium heat, in the microwave, or in a toaster.

To freeze banana pancakes, allow them to cool completely on a cooling rack then stack them up with parchment paper between them so they don’t stick together. I sometimes don’t use the parchment paper and they stick together a little but are easily released. Place in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in a toaster from frozen. You might need to put them in for a couple of rounds to make sure they are heated through properly. You can also microwave them on low until they are warmed through.

NUTRITIONServing: 1of 6 pancakes

Calories: 200kcal

Carbohydrates: 35g

Protein: 4g

Fat: 5g

Sodium: 520mg

Fiber: 2g

Sugar: 6g

Vitamin A: 100IU

Vitamin C: 2.5mg

Calcium: 200mg

Iron: 2mg

Toni will love this, and I know Aidan would too.

Kitty

Recipes for those with IBS

https://www.theibsnetwork.org/news/recipes/

frogmorton

Thanks Kath I've had a quick look at this it looks really useful.

👍🤗

Kitty

For our non Vegan friends

GARLIC BUTTER BAKED SALMON

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound (500 g) fingerling potatoes, halved (or Yukon golds or halved white/red baby potatoes)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper, divided
• 4 (6 oz | 170 g) skinless salmon fillets
• 2 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
• 3 bunches asparagus, (18 spears, woody ends removed)
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine (substitute with 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth)
• 1 lemon sliced to garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

• Heat oven to 400°F | 200°C. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss together potatoes with the oil, 1/2 tablespoon of garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread out in an even layer and roast for 15 minutes until they're just starting to soften and brown.
• Push potatoes to one side of the sheet pan and arrange salmon down the centre. Rub salmon evenly with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the minced garlic and 2 tablespoons of parsley. Add the asparagus to the other side of the pan. 
• Combine 1/4 cup of lemon juice and 1/4 cup of the melted butter together and pour the mixture over the salmon and asparagus. Season everything with the remaining salt and pepper.
• Return to oven and continue baking until the potatoes are golden and fork-tender and the salmon is opaque throughout, (about 10 minutes). Optional: broil in the last 2 minutes for charred edges. 
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining butter, garlic and lemon juice with the wine (or chicken stock). Serve with the salmon, veggies and lemon slices!

NUTRITION

Calories: 513kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 154mg | Sodium: 970mg | Potassium: 1549mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1450IU | Vitamin C: 43.9mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 6.9mg

Mike1

Being a strange chap I only like salmon out of a tin! Thanks anyway.