I promised you the splash.. Well, here it is!
My favourite PHOTOs of all time.. I put the actual breaching of the whale on this site when I published the site on the web about this time in 2012.
I was there! A hump back whale breaching
right in front of the boat off Province Town on
Cape Cod.
And the RECIPE that goes with this, and bear
in mind that the common theme is the USA, is
Breakfast Pancakes with Maple Syrup, Bacon
and Fresh Strawberry, Pineapple and
Pomegranate Salad
For the pancakes..
300g plain flour
1 tbl caster sugar
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
2 tbl melted butter
450ml (3/4 pint) buttermilk or half natural yoghurt / half fresh milk
For the rest..
Fruit for the fruit salad.. has to include strawberries and grated lime zest and juice
Maple syrup
Butter, either melted or softened
Oil for the pan
Best coffee!
Method..
Sift the first 5 ingredients in one bowl.
Mix the last 3 ingredients in a second bowl.
Mix dry/wet together well.
Heat frying pan to medium heat.
Grease lightly with butter or sunflower oil.
Drop large tablespoons of the mixture into the pan (or as big as you want them!)
Cook until bubbles appear on the surface of the pancakes.
Flip them over.
Cook the other side until medium brown and cooked through.
Remove to warmed plates.
Your guests must first apply lots of salted butter to the pancakes and then
drizzle with lots of maple syrup and finally a couple of rashers of v thin crisp
bacon and a couple of tablespoons of delicious fruit salad.
Yum...
and of course I often serve these with blueberries poached gently for 30 seconds
with lime juice. OK, if you wish, do add fresh blueberries to your pancakes
as they cook, but ensure the pancake is cooked as the blueberries burst and
the juices hinder the cooking process. Anyway, enjoy.....
11/09/13
The next thought for a recipe that springs to mind is..... something local.
We held a Jubilee Street Party in 2012 and were so lucky that the sun came out at 4pm just as we began the tea.
I was responsible for producing the children's tea for 70 and worked with an amazing team of residents who had superb baking skills! I couldn't have been luckier and we were delighted with the result.. The children had a very special, and I hope memorable, treat...
300g plain flour
1 tbl caster sugar
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
2 tbl melted butter
450ml (3/4 pint) buttermilk or half natural yoghurt / half fresh milk
For the rest..
Fruit for the fruit salad.. has to include strawberries and grated lime zest and juice
Maple syrup
Butter, either melted or softened
Oil for the pan
Best coffee!
Method..
Sift the first 5 ingredients in one bowl.
Mix the last 3 ingredients in a second bowl.
Mix dry/wet together well.
Heat frying pan to medium heat.
Grease lightly with butter or sunflower oil.
Drop large tablespoons of the mixture into the pan (or as big as you want them!)
Cook until bubbles appear on the surface of the pancakes.
Flip them over.
Cook the other side until medium brown and cooked through.
Remove to warmed plates.
Your guests must first apply lots of salted butter to the pancakes and then
drizzle with lots of maple syrup and finally a couple of rashers of v thin crisp
bacon and a couple of tablespoons of delicious fruit salad.
Yum...
and of course I often serve these with blueberries poached gently for 30 seconds
with lime juice. OK, if you wish, do add fresh blueberries to your pancakes
as they cook, but ensure the pancake is cooked as the blueberries burst and
the juices hinder the cooking process. Anyway, enjoy.....
11/09/13
The next thought for a recipe that springs to mind is..... something local.
We held a Jubilee Street Party in 2012 and were so lucky that the sun came out at 4pm just as we began the tea.
I was responsible for producing the children's tea for 70 and worked with an amazing team of residents who had superb baking skills! I couldn't have been luckier and we were delighted with the result.. The children had a very special, and I hope memorable, treat...
This leads me to choose a delicious recipe from this children's feast and that is
Emma's Break Your Diet Chocolate Brownies
Emma left the Road a little while back but she baked these brownies for the road's Book Club when she hosted her last book club and I had to have the recipe... Here it is:
180g good dark choc
180g butter
260g caster sugar
3 large eggs
80g plain flour
50g cocoa powder
200g Galaxy milk choc, roughly chopped
Oven 180 degrees
Grease and line baking tray with parchment
1 Break up the choc and melt with the butter either in the microwave or in a bain marie and give a good stir to mix well.
2 Separately beat the sugar and eggs until creamy, then fold into the chocolate mixture.
3 Sift the flour and cocoa over the whole lot and fold in with a big metal spoon.
4 Finally fold in the chopped Galaxy milk chocolate.
5 Pour into the tin and bake for about 35 mins.
6 Leave to cool before lifting out.
Enjoy!
26/01/16
For the book club here, in the past, when it's been my turn to host, I have made a vegetarian dish that I have never become tired of.. I cook a lot of dishes over and again, but continue to love eating this. It is a great one to freeze in portions, not requiring any carbs with it; just a salad or quick steamed vegetables tossed in olive oil:
Red Bean and Lentil Chilli with soured cream
Serves 6
2 tbl olive oil
1 onion, rough chop
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp chilli powder, or to taste
3 tsp cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick, 3"
2 sticks celery, sliced
3 carrots, chopped
1 red and 1 yellow pepper, chopped
250g cooked Puy lentils (125g dried, soaked for 8 hours and cooked in boiling water)
2 x 400g tins red kidney beans, or your choice of beans
1 litre passata
300ml (half pint) vegetable stock
S&P
To serve.. Soured cream, 2 tbl chopped fresh coriander
Heat the oil and sweat the onion for a few mins.
Add the chilli powder, cumin seeds and cinnamon for 2 mins.
Stir in vegetables and sweat for 2 mins.
Stir in lentils, beans, passata and stock.
Season well. Cover. Simmer 40-50 mins, stirring now and then.
Serve topping each portion with a dollop of creme fraiche
and a sprinkling of chopped coriander.
Emma's Break Your Diet Chocolate Brownies
Emma left the Road a little while back but she baked these brownies for the road's Book Club when she hosted her last book club and I had to have the recipe... Here it is:
180g good dark choc
180g butter
260g caster sugar
3 large eggs
80g plain flour
50g cocoa powder
200g Galaxy milk choc, roughly chopped
Oven 180 degrees
Grease and line baking tray with parchment
1 Break up the choc and melt with the butter either in the microwave or in a bain marie and give a good stir to mix well.
2 Separately beat the sugar and eggs until creamy, then fold into the chocolate mixture.
3 Sift the flour and cocoa over the whole lot and fold in with a big metal spoon.
4 Finally fold in the chopped Galaxy milk chocolate.
5 Pour into the tin and bake for about 35 mins.
6 Leave to cool before lifting out.
Enjoy!
26/01/16
For the book club here, in the past, when it's been my turn to host, I have made a vegetarian dish that I have never become tired of.. I cook a lot of dishes over and again, but continue to love eating this. It is a great one to freeze in portions, not requiring any carbs with it; just a salad or quick steamed vegetables tossed in olive oil:
Red Bean and Lentil Chilli with soured cream
Serves 6
2 tbl olive oil
1 onion, rough chop
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp chilli powder, or to taste
3 tsp cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick, 3"
2 sticks celery, sliced
3 carrots, chopped
1 red and 1 yellow pepper, chopped
250g cooked Puy lentils (125g dried, soaked for 8 hours and cooked in boiling water)
2 x 400g tins red kidney beans, or your choice of beans
1 litre passata
300ml (half pint) vegetable stock
S&P
To serve.. Soured cream, 2 tbl chopped fresh coriander
Heat the oil and sweat the onion for a few mins.
Add the chilli powder, cumin seeds and cinnamon for 2 mins.
Stir in vegetables and sweat for 2 mins.
Stir in lentils, beans, passata and stock.
Season well. Cover. Simmer 40-50 mins, stirring now and then.
Serve topping each portion with a dollop of creme fraiche
and a sprinkling of chopped coriander.