Perfect Roast Chicken

I've been lucky enough at various times in my life to have had chickens. I love chickens. They're really quite fascinating and although they often look quite alike, they have their own unique personalities and can be a lot of fun to watch.

My first husband's family had battery hens. I used to help grade eggs in the hen house on Saturdays, which was a long metal building. I never saw the inside part where the chickens were kept. I only ever saw the grading room, where all the eggs used to pass through a machine which would then categorize them according to size and quality. They passed through it on a conveyor belt and at the end of this belt I would put them into the appropriate cartons. I had not idea what it meant to be a battery hen at that time. Good thing too, or my heart would have broken into a million pieces.

Thankfully these days we have all been made aware of the appalling conditions on battery farms and we have the option to buy free-range organic chicken . . . happy chicken just tastes better!

This is my favorite way to roast a chicken. It turns out moist and delicious each and every time.

*Perfect Roast Chicken*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

I highly recommend free-range, organic chicken. All that running around in the farm yard is good for them and they taste better. A happy chicken is a tasty chicken!

1 X 1.75kg chicken
salt and freshly milled black pepper
30g of butter, softened
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, roughly chopped (no need to peel)
1 stick celery,roughly chopped
1 leek, white part only, chopped
olive oil
1 sprig sage
1 bay leaf

Pre-heat the oven to 190*C/375*F. Remove any giblets from your chicken and save for another day. Wipe your chicken dry and then rub it all over with the softened butter and season it liberally inside and out with some salt and pepper.

Place the chopped vegetables in the bottom of a thick roasting tin with some olive oil. Place on the hob over medium heat and cook and stir with a wooden spoon, cooking for about 5 minutes to slightly colour the vegetables. Remove from the heat. Add the spring of sage and the bayleaf. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables and roast for about an hour and 15 minutes, or until the chicken tests done. (The leg bone should move easily in it's socket and the juices should run clear) Remove from the oven, place on a cutting board, and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes (lightly cover with some foil) before carving.

If you like you can add some chicken broth to the vegetables in the pan and place it over the burner and bring it to a boil. Allow to boil for several minutes before straining into a large jug. Discard any solids in the strainer and then skim off any fat from the juices in the jug. Return them to the pan and cook and simmer for a good 10 to 15 minutes, to reduce somewhat. Spoon these juices over the sliced chicken when you serve it. You can also thicken them with a bit of flour and water to make a thick gravy.

mmm . . . I can't wait to do something with the leftovers. Tune in tommorrow to see what I came up with!

Mom's Applesauce Cake

I had some apples in my fruit bowl the other day that were looking decidely tired. When I have old bananas I always make a banana loaf or muffins. That way they don't get wasted. When I saw that I needed to use up these apples the idea of applesauce immediately came to mind, and so I peeled them all and cut them up and into a pot they went with a bit of water. I didn't sweeten them, as I had already decided I was going to make an applesauce cake.

I love applesauce cake, with it's warm spices and moist texture. This particular version smells heavenly when it is baking. I always bake it in two layers and then ice one layer and then pop the other one into the freezer for a future date. You don't have to make the icing, but it really is a wonderful touch. You just can't beat a moist and tasty applesauce cake topped off with a tasty cream cheese icing. Why have it plain when you don't have to??

*Mom's Applesauce Cake*
Makes 2 - 8 inch layers
Printable Recipe

Moist and spicy, this is a real winner. Do make the icing! If anything this gets even better after sitting for a couple of days.

2 1/2 cups plain flour (310g)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1  tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 cup white vegetable shortening (trex or white flora) (110g)
1 cup caster sugar (190g)
1/2 cup water (120ml)
1 large egg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (55g)
1 cup of chopped raisins (150g)
2 cups applesauce (510g)

Frosting:
1 large package of philadelphia cream cheese (250g or 8 ounces)
1 TBS milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBS orange juice
the finely grated zest of 1/2 orange
5 1/2 cups sifted icing sugar (715g)

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Grease and flour 2 8-inch round cake tins. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg. Set aside.

Place the shortening and the sugar into a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and the water. Beat in the flour mixture, alternatively with the applesauce, mixing all in thoroughly. Fold in the raisins and nuts. Divide equally between both pans. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cake tests down when a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

To make the frosting beat all the frosting ingredients together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. You may or may not need all the liquid. I find the cream cheese over here is a lot more liquid than that found in North America so I never need all the liquid called for. It's a hit and miss kind of thing. If you find your frosting too runny, add more sifted icing sugar until it is spreadable.

Store in the refrigerator, but allow it to come to room temperature before serving. Scrummy yummy!!

Carrot and Fennel Slaw

I love fennel. It's one of my favourite vegetables. I am a real licorice lover and so I love it's mild licorice taste. It's wonderful braised and roasted, but my favourite way to eat it is raw.

There are two types of fennel. One is grown for it's seeds, which are delicious in sauces, and the other is grown for use as a vegetable, the most common type being Florence Fennel, which has a bulbous base, stalks which closely resemble celery and feathery fronds on top.

Did you know that there are male and female bulbs? The males are taller and more slender with the females being shorter and more bulbous. I like the females myself. Crisp and slightly sweet, fennel is wonderful served raw in salads, and meltingly mellow and soft when braised, roasted or grilled. It goes wonderfully with other crisp vegetables and is most delicious with fish. A whole salmon stuffed with fennel and roasted is absolutely wonderful.



The bulbs should be heavy and white, firm and free of cracks, browning, or moist areas. The stalks should be crisp, with feathery, bright-green fronds. You can keep fennel for a few days in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic, but try not to keep it more than a day or two because the flavor diminishes as it dries out.
I made a delicious slaw yesterday with some fennel that I picked up at the local green grocers at the weekend. I think I'll have the rest of it for my lunch today. This was really good.

*Carrot and Fennel Slaw*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

This delicious slaw makes a light and refreshing change from regular coleslaw. I use my mandolin to slice the fennel and my box grater to do the carrots. But you could use the slicing and grating discs in a food processor as well, which would make really quick work of it. I love the mustard in the dressing. It adds a lovely bite to it. Adjust accordingly if you don't like things with a bite. Make the dressing first so that the flavours have time to really develop.

1 small to medium sized fennel bulb
3 cups peeled, shredded carrots (about 4 to 5 large carrots)
1/2 cup of minced red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
DRESSING:
5 TBS fresh orange juice
1 TBS of White Balsamic Vinegar
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 to 1 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
2 TBS really good quality extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt

Place all the dressing ingredients into a glass jar with a lid, and give it a good shake. Set aside.

Remove the top greens and stalks from the fennel bulb. Save the feathery greens for the slaw. Trim off any bruised or tough pieces. Quarter the bulb and then cut out the core. Shred half of it using a grater, mandolin or food processor. Reserve the other half for another use. You should have about 1 cup of grated vegetable. Place it into a medium sized bowl, along with the carrot, onion, chopped fennel leaves and coriander. Toss together to mix. Just before serving, give the dressing a good shake and pour it over the slaw. Mix well and serve.

Tomato Pesto Tartlettes

I had some pesto and puff pastry that needed using up at the weekend, and so I put together these lovely little tarts for our supper yesterday. They were really quick to make and quite delicious when they were done.

 

I have no problem with using store bought puff pastry. It's really quite good and a lot easier and quicker than making your own. Of course I only use the all butter one. Even good old Delia uses this ingredient from time to time. If it's good enough for her, it's good enough for me!
Prepared Puff Pastry is really quite a versatile ingredient. You can layer it with all sorts of things and be quite inventive. Try some roasted peppers and courgettes. Add a little proscuitto, and some torn basil leaves. Even just with some sun dried tomato paste and cheese baked on top, and garnished with a salad of rocket leaves . . . use your imagination! I'm sure you can come up with some really tasty versions!



*Tomato Pesto Tartlettes*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

These are lovely little tarts that are just great for a light lunch or supper. Easy to make, your family or guests will think you slaved all day at them, they are that impressive. Using simple ingredients they go together very quickly. All that is needed is a salad of mixed leaves on the side.

1 package of ready rolled all butter puff pastry
4 medium sized ripe tomatoes
1 small packet of dry cured black olives
1 small packet of grated mixed Italian Cheeses (about 4 ounces of a mixture of provolone, Parmesan and mozarella)
4 TBS of good quality Pesto sauce
1 egg, beaten

Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Unroll your pastry and cut it into 4, six inch rounds. Place the rounds onto the parchment paper lined baking sheets, leaving about 2 to 3 inches between them. Spread the pesto onto the rounds, leaving a 1/2 inch border all around. Slice the tomatoes into wedges and lay them in a round on top of the pesto. Scatter the olives over top along with the cheese. Brush some beaten egg on the edges of each tart. Place into the heated oven and bake from 15 to 20 minutes, until they are nicely browned and crisp on the bottom. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Baked Bean Soup

It got rather chilly yesterday. Spect it was the rain. Funny how a little rain can do that. We had to have the fire on for a time to warm things up in here. Rainy days are soup days. Soup has always equated warmth and comfort to me. Perhaps it's all those Campbell's Soup commercials I grew up with. There was always a child walking home from school in the rain, all cold and wet, only to be greeted by his mum at the door with a hot bowl of Campbell's Soup waiting on the table, usually chicken noodle. But . . . I digress . . .

I accidentally took a package of home baked beans out of the freezer the other day, thinking they were chicken in sauce. Yesterday with all the cold and rain I decided to turn them into a delicious soup. This really was wonderful and filling and oh-so-very-comforting.

The recipe is from my Fanny Farmer Cooking School cookbook. (I call it Old Reliable) That Fanny Farmer sure knew what she was doing.

*Baked Bean Soup*
Makes 8 cups
Printable Recipe

This is a truly delicious soup, using simple ingredients. Quick to make, and very simple, you can have it on the table in about 35 minutes or so. I have never tried it with tinned baked beans but I expect they would taste pretty good done up this way as well.

4 cups baked beans
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 1/2 cups tinned tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp mild chili powder
6 cups water
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Put 3 cups of the baked beans, the onion, celery, tomatoes, chili powder and water into a large pot. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered for about 30 minutes. Using a stick blender, puree until smooth. You can also use a potato masher for a slightly coarser texture. Add the reserved baked beans. Reheat, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Serve ladled into hot soup bowls for a delicious lunch time treat.

Eccles Cakes

One of the things I love most about England are the tasty cakes and bakes that you find over here. I confess that I fell in love with Eccles Cakes years ago when I lived on a British Army base in Suffield, Alberta, in Canada. There was a girl that used to bring them in every so often to the Ceramics Club I belonged to as a treat for us all.

What is not to love about something that is flakey and crumbly and stogged full of currents, raisins and butter. For me it was love at first bite.

I don't know why they call them cakes. They're not a cake. They're like a little hand held piece of heaven on earth.

A four bite piece of heaven on earth . . . with sugar on top . . . oozing little bits of juicy goodness and flakey pastry . . .

*Eccles Cakes*Makes about 24
Printable Recipe

300g good quality bought or homemade all butter
puff or flakey pastry
1 egg, beaten

For the Filling:
1 1/2 ounces butter, melted
1 1/2 ounces dried currents
1 1/2 ounces raisins
3 ounces soft light or dark brown sugar
1 1/2 ounces mixed peel, chopped
the finely grated zest of one orange
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

To top:
about 2 TBS milk
2 or 3 TBS demerara sugar

Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.

Mix all the filling ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut into 3 1/4 inch rounds with a sharp round cutter. Place 1 teaspoon of the filling into the centre of each disc. Lightly brush the edges with beaten egg and bring the edges together into the centre, wrapping up the filling and pressing them firmly together. Turn over and flatten the disc ever so slightly between the palms of your hand until it is about 2 inches in diameter.

Brush the top with the milk and then sprinkle with the demerara sugar, or dip the tops into it if you find it easier. (that's what I did) Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Re-roll the scraps of pastry and cut until you have used it all up and all of the filling too. Cut several small slits in the top of each with a sharp knife.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown. The currants and sugar will caramelize through the holes and they will be scrumptiously delicious.

Remove to a wire rack to cool and try NOT to eat them all at once!! (I know it's quite difficult!)

Mom's Hot Milk Cake

I picked up our first strawberries of the season yesterday. There is nothing on earth that tastes better than fresh English strawberries in season. I can't abide strawberries out of season, all tasteless and covered in chemicals. Everything that is so wonderful about strawberries is missing from these substanceless imitations.

Nothing beats a fresh strawberry, eaten straight from the plant, the warmth of the sunshine still upon them . . . Well, wild strawberries do come very close, but those are very hard to find now. Try serving them sliced and sprinkled with some cracked black pepper. Sounds strange, but is quite delicious!

I whipped up a hot milk cake to enjoy these with last night. I just sliced the berries and mixed them with a little bit of sugar and let them sit for a few minutes to release all their juices. Then I split the cooled cake open in the middle and layered it with some freshly whipped double cream and generous spoonfuls of the sliced berries. Heaven on earth . . .

*Mom's Hot Milk Sponge Cake*
Makes one 7 inch square cake
Printable Recipe

3 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup hot milk
1 TBS butter

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Grease a 7 inch square cake tin. Line with baking paper and grease the baking paper. Set aside.

Beat the egg whites until stiff. Set aside.

Beat the egg yolks until light in colour. Slowly beat in one cup of sugar, beating with a spoon for five minutes. Fold in the egg whites.

Sift the flour together with the baking powder and salt. Fold this into the egg and sugar mixture.

Stir the butter into the hot milk until it is melted and then gently stir the hot milk into the cake batter, mixing it all in well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the
heated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until well risen and the cake tests down when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Remove to a wire rack to cool for five minutes, before removing from the cake tin to finish cooling completely on the wire rack.

My dad always liked this plain, split in the middle and filled with strawberry jam. It's also great filled with lemon curd and whipped cream, with a bit of icing sugar dusted on top.