More Christmas

People keep talking about the goodies we are going to have over the holidays. I don’t think I am fixing a lot more than any of you would and in some instances probably a lot less. However, starting with Christmas Eve, we had Sweet and Sour Shrimp which I posted on May 1, 2014. It is a very simple recipe and quick to do. We followed it with a slice of the mincemeat tart I bought in November at the Crossroads Restaurant when we went on our Travel League Bowling.

Once upon a time my family used to serve slices of delectable ham and champagne as a brunch. Matt and I turned that into champagne cocktails as Matt isn’t that enamoured of champagne. Then I found out I had diabetes so we have changed it so that I have breakfast at the normal time and the ham for lunch. I will probably have a Kir Royale and Matt, still not being that keen on champagne, will probably have beer. When I say delectable ham, in those days first my parents and later on us, would buy a cooked ham such as a York ham (not available in North America) or the best we could find. A good ham should still have the fat on it too which improves the taste. We did not make the mistake of cooking it again. Unfortunately these days it really isn’t worth it for the two of us to buy a large ham (and we can’t get small ones, not like I am describing) so we are having thin slices of Black Forest ham. The other important thing is, of course, Colman’s Mustard. That is a must. I guess that is a play on words but… I am sure there are other English hams as good but after 40 odd years away from the UK, I don’t remember what they were. The mustard should be powder form that you mix fresh as needed. I don’t wish to imply one cannot buy good ham in Canada, in fact the Black Forest ham we had was delicious.

Then for dinner I cooked a turkey breast, which I served with homemade gravy, roast potatoes, Brussels Sprouts and bread sauce. How odd, I have mentioned bread sauce several times since I started blogging but I have never given a recipe. This will be followed by Christmas Pudding (Plum Pudding) and rum butter sauce.  No, no cranberry. I recently discovered the reason it’s called plum pudding, when there are no plums in it, is because the Victorians used to call raisins, plums. We will be drinking a white wine with dinner, probably La Vielle Ferme which is a wine we both enjoy very much.

Tomorrow a large piece of pork leg. I should say today I guess.

Bread Sauce

I make bread sauce the way my mother used to make it. I don’t know, and have never worked out the amounts, I use a small pan and a small onion so I am guessing not a lot more than 1 cup of milk – enough to just cover the onion. I then use three slices of bread from which I have cut the crusts and crumbed them in the blender.
Stick whole cloves into a small onion and place in a pan of milk. Sweat this as long as possible. I usually start early in the morning so it can really absorb the flavours. I then throw away the onion and add fresh breadcrumbs, a knob of butter and add cream until I get a nice creamy consistency.

Have a great day

Travel League, Restaurants, Earthquake.

Yesterday, I mentioned that our Travel League was taking place on Thursday, we will be bowling “just along the road” from us at Towne Bowl and we are meeting at The Crock and Block on King Street. We have never been there although the restaurant has been in existence forever. I decided to look them up and found their lunch menu here http://tinyurl.com/4tba7gn which doesn’t look too bad. I also found some criticisms and some praises on line, so I am not sure what we will end up with. We were talking restaurants with our team captain on Monday and I was telling her about Boa Nova where I took Matt for his birthday last year (the Portuguese/Brazilian restaurant). She had never heard of it, I recommended it. Wouldn’t mind going back there again.

I am a little bit concerned about the earthquake in New Zealand as I know my cousin was intending to be in NZ at some point in time, but whether she was Going to be in the Christchurch area or not, I don’t know. It was quite a bad one with 65 people dead, and at least 100 people thought to be trapped. A 6.3 magnitude earthquake. It occurs to me, we have enough trouble with nature without us humans causing all the trouble such as is happening in the middle east at the moment. Our Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, was condemning the Libyan government yesterday and calling for them to cease firing on their nationals.

Now here’s something really different for breakfast.

Ham, Gruyere and Spinach Bread Pudding

Source: © EatingWell Magazine

Active Time:  30 Minutes

Total Time:  1 Hour 45 Minutes
6 servings

High-quality smoked ham is worth the cost. It infuses the pudding with a smoky flavor that complements the spinach, peppers, rosemary and Gruyere.
Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the pudding through Step 3; refrigerate overnight. Let stand at room temperature while the oven preheats. Bake as directed in Step 4.
INGREDIENTS

For Custard:

4 large egg whites

4 large eggs

1 cup skim milk

For Seasonings:

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

For Bread & filling:

4 cups whole-grain bread, crusts removed if desired, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1/2 pound, 4-6 slices)

5 cups chopped spinach, wilted (see Tip)

1/2 cup chopped jarred roasted red peppers

1 cup diced ham steak (5 ounces)

For Topping:

3/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

Tip: To wilt greens, rinse greens thoroughly in cool water. Transfer them to a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and punch several holes in the wrap. Microwave on high until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Squeeze out any excess moisture from the greens before adding them to the recipe.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat an 11-by-7-inch glass baking dish or a 2-quart casserole with cooking spray.

To prepare custard: Whisk egg whites, eggs and milk in a medium bowl. Add mustard, pepper and rosemary: whisk to combine.

Toss bread, spinach, roasted red peppers and ham in a large bowl. Add the custard and toss well to coat. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and push down to compact. Cover with foil.

Bake until the custard has set, 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and continue baking until the pudding is puffed and golden on top, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Have a great day

Easter, UGG, Lamb

I have just eaten one of my home made Hot Cross Buns, I thought - when I made them yesterday - that they weren't all that successful. However, it tasted great. That's one of the problems with not cooking things with any regularity. I cannot remember the last time I made them. I just read an excerpt about Hot Cross Buns which told me they originated in ancient Greece and were often made as an offering to the gods although in those days, prior to Christianity, they might be stamped with the horns of a sacred ox. This picture is half of one which takes up two pages in my Time Life Cooking of the Middle East. These Greek men are cooking the Paschal Lamb at a street barbecue pit. Probably, the lamb has lived with the family for the last few months before they killed it. The whole event being symbolic of the sacrifice of Christ. The guys are having a bit of a party there, drinking a sip or two of retsina whilst they are cooking. The women, meanwhile, are baking all kinds of breads and pastries probably in the local baker's ovens as their own wouldn't be big enough for the Easter feast. This picture was taken on the slopes of Mount Parnassos near Delphi, but was, certainly at one time, repeated over many areas of Greece, particularly in the islands. There is another picture in the book showing the smoke from many such barbecue pits on Easter morning. The Greek women also prepare kebabs of liver and skewers of organ meats (offal) called kokoretsi, small pieces of which will be offered to anyone who calls at the home whilst the men are roasting the lambs. The delicious smells emanating from these barbecue pits are absolutely wonderful. I cannot speak with total authority, but I know some people from what used to be Yugoslavia (when I was young), practice the same way of cooking their Paschal lambs. I know a Yugoslavian friend of our had such a barbecue for his wedding some 20 years ago. On GMA this morning they revealed a new website where they have all the recipes prepared by their guest celebrity chefs such as Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck, Sara Moulton, etc. etc. there are, apparently, over 1,000 recipes. This morning Emeril prepared an Easter ham. This is something Matt and I have never understood even after 34 years or living in North America, buying a cooked ham and then cooking it. When we buy a cooked ham we slice it thinly and eat it with Coleman's mustard (very hot). I have never tried to buy an uncooked ham here, but we used to in the UK and then cook it having poked cloves into the skin and such. That was another thing I found confusing, where we lived in North Carolina they refer to a leg of pork, uncured, as a ham???? Churchill said it best, two nations divided by a common language. Another segment on GMA today was regarding UGG boots which are so very popular these days, they say. Apparently, because there is no arch support, the boots are not very good for you and wearing them a lot for long periods puts a strain on your heels and ankles and makes them work too hard which can then affect your knees and hips in later life. Same applies to flip flops, so said the Podiatrist. The report stated that people are wearing them even though there is no snow and it isn't cold. The problem can be alleviated by wearing an insert, either one you buy or a prescribed orthotic. As a note here, as a young woman I used to live in flip flops, I still wear them a lot and I have had a hip replacement. Any connection? Of course Matt has had two hip replacements and a knee replacement and has never worn a flip flop in his life. Go figure. As an alternative to ham, I am giving you a lamb recipe from The Best Three and Four Ingredient Cookbook. This is basically how I cook my lamb although I don't always include the rosemary. I also serve mine with homemade gravy which I have described in a previous blog and mint sauce - English style - NOT mint jelly nor that wishy washy stuff you can buy in a bottle but the stuff you get in a jar which is so thick you sometimes have to mix it with a bit more sugar and vinegar. One thing I would take issue with would be the roasting time, I would cook for 20 mins per lb. I think 25 mins. it would be somewhat overcooked Roast Leg of Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic This is a classic combination of flavours and always popular. Serve as a traditional Sunday lunch with roast potatoes and vegetables. Leaving the lamb to rest before carving ensures a tender result. Serves four to six 1 leg of lamb, approx. 4 lb. 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced leaves from 2 sprigs fresh Rosemary from the store cupboard 2 Tbs olive oil salt and ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F. Using a small sharp knife, make slices at 1 1/2 in. intervals over the lamb, deep enough to hold a piece of garlic. Push the garlic and rosemary leaves into the slits. Drizzle the olive oil over the top of the lamb and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Place in a roasting dish which is also oiled. Roast for 25 mins per lb. of lamb, plus another 25 minutes. Remove the lamb from the oven and leave to rest for about 15 minutes before carving. Happy Easter.