Piña Colada Stuffed French Toast

We were out for breakfast at Kiki's in Clermont yesterday (you should go, it's yummy!) and I spotted Piña Colada Stuffed French Toast on the menu....(mouth salivates!)... well I didn't order it yesterday, but I decided we would have it for breakfast this morning... enjoy!

Loaf of Challah Bread
8oz Plain Cream Cheese softened
1 small can of crushed pineapple
1/2 cup of sweetened coconut
Half & Half or Milk and one egg
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Powdered Sugar & Maple Syrup to serve

Butter to cook / Hot plate / Griddle or Frying Pan

Drain the pineapple (you can reserve the juice if you wanted to make some optional pineapple caramel to drizzle - I did, but we decided it was not necessary!)

Combine pineapple, cream cheese and coconut

Slice bread into 3/4" thick slices and spread one side with the cream cheese mixture and sandwich together

Whisk the egg with 1 cup of half & half

Heat butter on electric griddle (in frying plan)

Soak each side of sandwich and add to griddle

Brown each side

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup.

Enjoy!!!

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Bacon & Spinach Pasta

We have an enormous amount of Bacon at our house .. you can read why here.. so I've been trying to make up new recipes to consume.!!!

This is a really tasty take on pasta, that isn't Italian sauce based.


For two of us…

7 slices of bacon sliced into inch pieces
10 kalamata olives chopped
8 sweet cherry bomb peppers chopped
3 garlic cloves chopped
1 Muir Glen chopped tomatoes,no salt added, drained
1/2 bag of baby spinach
Salt (not needed) & cracked black pepper to taste
Penne Pasta

Cook the bacon off and reserve to one side, discard the bacon fat and add a little olive oil to the same frying pan.
At a medium to low temperature cook the garlic for about a minute and then add the tomatoes, peppers and olives
Cook for about 5 minutes until the juice from the tomatoes is absorbed. At the same time cook your pasta in some salted water
Add the bag of baby spinach and the bacon back to the pan. Cook down until the spinach is fully wilted.
Season with salt (I din’t think it needed with the olives & bacon) and pepper
Add the cooked drained pasta to the pan and combine
We had with some grated cheddar cheese and it was delicious!

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The Savvy Squirrel

Hot Italian Giardiniera

My husband has developed an unhealthy appetite for Hot Italian Giardiniera..

It's great if your looking for something spicy to top your spaghetti, pizza, beef sandwich or Italian sausage. If your not familiar with giardiniera, it’s tons of chopped vegetables marinated together with olive oil and vinegar. 

It's not easy to come by down here in sunny Florida, and the nearest place we've found it is 30 mins to drive, so I thought I'd give it a go...

I upped the quantities a touch, but I've posted the original recipe here...

Its good for 30 days in the fridge...

This recipe is from All Recipes.com

Ingredients

• 2 green bell peppers, diced
• 2 red bell peppers, diced
• 8 fresh jalapeno peppers, sliced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh cauliflower florets
• 1/2 cup salt
• water to cover
•  
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (5 ounce) jar pimento-stuffed green olives, chopped
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup olive oil

Directions

1. Place into a bowl the green and red peppers, jalapenos, celery, carrots, onion, and cauliflower. Stir in salt, and fill with enough cold water to cover. Place plastic wrap or aluminum foil over the bowl, and refrigerate overnight.
2. The next day, drain salty water, and rinse vegetables. In a bowl, mix together garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and olives. Pour in vinegar and olive oil, and mix well. Combine with vegetable mixture, cover, and refrigerate for 2 days before using.

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Lemon & Ginger Marmalade

You may remember that last year I was busy making all types of chutneys and jams around Christmas. They went over as fantastic gifts and so I'm re-channeling my Martha and out comes the canning equipment!

We have a Meyer Lemon tree now, and this year have 40 lemons to use up. They are large and slighly sweeter than shop lemons and make perfect marlmalade.

This recipe was from Fine Cooking Magazine.. and very delicious it is too

This golden-hued marmalade is right at home on toast, but it's also divine stirred into plain yogurt or dolloped on coconut ice cream. Find pectin where canning supplies are sold--try supermarkets or hardware stores--or online at canningpantry.com.


Servings: 5-1/2 to 6 cups

1-1/2 to 2 pounds lemons (6 to 8 medium)

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh ginger

One 1-3/4 - ounce package powdered pectin

6-1/2 cups granulated sugar

Directions

1. Peel the zest from the lemons with a vegetable peeler, avoiding as much of the white pith as possible. Slice the zest strips crosswise very thinly at an angle to make strips about 1/16 inch wide by 1 inch long--you'll need 1 cup of zest strips. Put the zest in a 4-quart (or larger) saucepan.
2. Trim the ends from the zested lemons to expose the flesh. With one cut side down on the cutting board, trim the pith off the lemon all the way around and discard the pith. Quarter the lemons lengthwise and remove any visible membranes and seeds. Slice the wedges crosswise 1/4 inch thick-you'll need about 1-1/2 cups.
3. Add the sliced lemons, ginger, and 2 cups water to the lemon zest. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, adjust the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook until the zest is soft and the membranes start to break down, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Whisk the pectin into the mixture. Increase the heat to high, add the sugar, and bring to a boil, whisking constantly to smooth lumps. Boil vigorously for 1 minute, whisking constantly (move the pan off the burner momentarily if it threatens to boil over). Remove the pan from the heat and let sit undisturbed for 5 minutes. 5. Skim any foam and seeds off the surface of the marmalade. Stir gently to redistribute the solids. Transfer the marmalade to heatproof storage containers, let cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate for up to 1 month.
6. For longer storage at room temperature, can the marmalade. See the canning directions below.

To can the marmalade:

Transfer the hot marmalade to clean, hot canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace in each jar, and wipe the edges clean with a paper towel. Screw the lids on tightly. Put the jars in a large pot of water fitted with a rack insert. The water should completely cover the jars by at least 2 inches. Return the jars to the pot of water and make sure the water covers them by at least 2 inches. Boil, covered, for 10 minutes. Use tongs to remove the jars; let them cool undisturbed on the counter. You should hear a popping sound as the jars cool, indicating that the vacuum seals have worked.



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Chew Restaurant, Jacksonville..

 

So our time in the JAX is nearly up and I will miss all the great restaurants here, and tonight we tried CHEW. It's been a favourite of my husband for lunch since he has been working in the city, but we've never made it out there for dinner.

So a 8.30pm dinner date it was, and as we are also out with work colleagues tomorrow night we agreed my drinking night and his tomorrow :-)

Their mantra:

At Chew Restaurant, we believe everyone deserves great food at a reasonable price, attentive service, and thoughtful surroundings. We pride ourselves on craftsmanship and attention to detail in everything we do. We use the highest quality products available – made in-house, sourced locally, or from all over the world. We work hard to make sure you get a great meal, prepared and served by people with a passion for food, in an environment designed to make you feel welcome.

Sounds good...and after having a delicious lunch there once I was really looking forward to it..

Super cute from the outside...

Nice exterior a Chew

We ordered a bottle of red and perused the menu... ooh too many delicious things to choose from, but we went for

and then we both had... (only 'cause I'd seen it on the Food Network earlier in the day!!)

Well it was all fabulous. Hubbies pork was to die for, melted in your mouth and left you wanting to lick the plate. My goats cheese was so creamy that I had to ask the kitchen the name of it to see if I could track it down for myself.
The hanger steak was a revelation. If you've never had it then only order rare or medium rare as anything more and it becomes chewy..ours rare was meaty deliciousness... and my mouth is watering at the thought of that garlic aioli!
We sheared a home made churro dipped in heavenly dark chocolate for dessert and wondered why the place wasn't busier... they are rammed at lunchtimes...

Recommended and sad we never tried it earlier... Chew was amazing!

Bowl of Pho - Restaurant Review

Last night we had been to the theatre and decided that we wanted something quick and easy for dinner. I suggested 'Bowl of Pho'. Its a Vietnamese Noodle soup restaurant 5 mins form our house.


We've been multiple times before and it never lets us down.

What we like

1. Its clean and fresh looking inside
2. The menu is extensive and great value (entrees $6.50 - $11!)
3. Its frequented by Vietnamese (great sign)
4. Food comes super quick
5. Food is always fresh and delicious
6. They have bubble tea (For the first-timers, ordering a Bubble Tea can be an event. The tea is likely to be in pastel colors of pink, green or yellow. The unique ingredient of Bubble Tea is the tapioca pearls . About the size of pearls or small marbles, they have a consistency like gummy candy (soft and chewy). Being heavier than the drink they tend to always stay near the bottom of the glass. These drinks are usually served in large see-through plastic containers with an extra-wide straw to sip these jumbo pearls. Just sucking on the translucent straw creates a show, with pearls floating up in succession)

Husband had a 'PHO' the big bowl of soup and I had a noodel dish with their delicious pork. It was, as ususal delicious, and with a shrimp appetiser and pineapple bubble tea for me the check was only $26  -can't beat the value really.

Please go  - the menu is in English, and I guarantee you will love it.

A bowl of Pho

Tex Mex Fiesta!

Being married to an American I have been able to pinch a few recipes from my husband. It would be fair the claim them as my own, but I do always help when we are having a Tex Mex night for our friends…and I’m always in charge of the Honeymoon Cocktails!!!!


Serves 4 people
Preparation Time 1 ½ Hours
Cooking Time 40 mins

Buy two bags of tortilla chips, any flavor it's up to you!

Summer Salsa

Ok so this is a lot of chopping but I could eat a whole bowl of this myself..and it’s healthy to. You could serve this on the side with some grilled chicken or pork…it would work equally well.

5 tomatoes – peeled, seeded
1 mango – peeled, stoned
¼ galia or cantaloupe melon
½ red bell pepper
½ green bell pepper
½ large red onion
Zest and juice of 1 lime
2 garlic cloves grated
30g pickled jalepenos
2 roasted green chillies – peeled, seeded
Handful of chopped coriander

Cut all the ingredients into a small dice and combine into a large bowl.
Add the zest and juice of the lime
Transfer to a serving dish and refrigerate for at least 1 hour
Test and season with salt and pepper if necessary
Refrigerate until ready to eat

Gorgeous Guacamole


Really fresh, this tastes nothing like the over produced store bought guacamole…

3 large ripe avocados
½ large red onion – finely diced
2 plum tomatoes – skinned, seeded and chopped
1 green chilli, roasted, skinned, deseeded and chopped
10g of pickled jalepenos chopped
Handful of coriander leaves finely chopped
2 clove of garlic minced / grated
Juice of 1 lime
Zest of 2 limes
Salt and ground pepper to taste

1. Stone and mash the avocado in a mixing bowl
2. Fold in gently the other ingredients
3. Season and transfer to serving dish
4. Refrigerate until ready to eat

Beans, Beans and More Beans Dip

Really simple these beans will have you dipping over and over again…but remember to leave room for your enchiladas!!!!

225g Red Kidney Beans, drained
1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
1 tablespoon of butter
2 garlic clove minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 handful of finely chopped coriander
120g cheddar cheese grated
Salt & Pepper

1. Soften the onions in 1/2 the butter in a large non stick frying pan.
2. Add beans and mash with a potato masher in with the onions.
3. Add cumin, salt and pepper and cook beans down until they take on a ‘mushy’ appearance
4. Add cheese and melt into beans.
5. Lastly add coriander and serve hot.

Jody’s Enchiladas

These have been hit every time we’ve served them..in fact our friends ask us if they are having the tex-mex night when we throw dinner parties because they love it so much!!!

8 boneless chicken thighs – used breast if you can’t get thighs

For the marinade
6 limes zest and juice
1 lemon zest and juice
1 tablespoon of ground cumin
3 garlic cloves grated
Ground black pepper
Handful of chopped coriander
Salt

For the filling

1 red bell pepper sliced

1 yellow bell pepper sliced

1 green bell pepper sliced
1 large yellow onion sliced
2 garlic cloves grated
2 x 295g condensed cream of chicken soup
12 Flour Tortillas
225ml Fresh Soured Cream
230g mixed cheese (Monterey Jack and Cheddar is a good mix)
50g Green pickled Jalapeno Peppers chopped

1 roasted green chilli, skinned, deseeded and chopped

1 roasted red chilli, skinned, deseeded and chopped
Olive Oil

1. Marinade the chicken thighs in all the marinade ingredients for at least 2 hours.

2. Heat a grill pan and char grill the chicken, reserving the marinade – you don’t need to cook it fully it will be finished in the sauce later.
3. Heat the oven to 350 deg F.
4. Take the chicken and shred into small pieces. Reserve to one side.
5. In a frying pan heat a little olive oil. Fry the peppers, garlic, and onion until they begin to soften.
6. Add the chicken back to the pan with the marinade and roasted chilli and continue to cook until marinade is very hot – remember this has had raw chicken in it.
7. Take off heat and put to one side
8. In a large mixing bowl combine the soured cream, soup, pickled jalepenos,
9. In a large oblong casserole dish put a little of the sauce and spread over base.
10. Lay a tortilla out and smear a layer of sauce, put a line of the chicken mixture and a little cheese and then roll up and place in casserole dish. Repeat until casserole full. Cover the enchiladas with the rest of the sauce and cover with cheese.
11. Place in the oven for approx 30 mins until top is golden and melted.

Honeymoon Cocktail

We were lucky to be able to take our honeymoon at Villa Casa Bella in St Thomas in the USVI. I made this cocktail in ‘large’ quantities to drink by the pool…we rarely left the villa!!!!

200ml tequila
140ml triple sec or contreau
1 litre of tropical juice
Lots of ice


Combine all the ingredients in a large jug, stir, pour and drink….make sure you have another litre of juice for a second round!!!

Broccoli & Stilton Soup

Have you noticed that I'm on a soup making frenzy at the moment.. really tasty and super easy! jazz it up with some chopped crispy bacon (according to my husband everything is better with bacon!!!)


Enjoy!
Serves 4 people
Preparation Time 10 mins
Cooking Time 30 mins


Ingredients


3 Shallots finely chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1 tbsp butter
2 courgettes, cubed
450g (1lb) broccoli florets
1 chicken or vegetable stock cube
500ml (2 cups) water
125g (1/4 lb)stilton
Salt & Pepper
4 tbsp Double cream

 1. Cook the courgette in the butter with the garlic. When courgette starts to soften add the broccoli florets and cover.
2. Make up the chicken or vegetable stock and add to the saucepan.
3. Cook until broccoli is soft then either transfer to liquidiser or use a hand blender.
4. Return blended soup back to heat.
5. Crumble Stilton into soup, melting through
6. Serve with a swirl of cream

Broccoli & Cheddar Soup

I was in a 'couldn't be bothered mood' today. Couldn't be bothered to do the ironing, couldn't be bothered to put any make up on, didn't even make the bed until half an hour ago...really I wasn't in the mood to even chew anything for dinner.... So what can I make for dinner that I wouldn't have to chew? Well the easy answer would be to nip to Panera, 5 mins away, and buy some broccoli & cheddar soup... but hold on a minute, surely I can knock some up and maybe enough for the freezer too... On checking the fridge I had most of the ingredients...so here is my broccoli & cheddar soup.
I've tried to keep the calories to a minimum except for the cheese - in the end it is cheddar & broccoli !!Enjoy!

Serves 6-8 people

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves or garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1lb small chopped broccoli -you can use stalk and florets
• 4 cups of chicken broth (low sodium, fat free)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups fat free milk
• salt & cracked black pepper to taste
• 1/2 lb shredded sharp Cheddar cheese - try and get block cheese and shred yourself, it melts better than the pre-shredded.

1. Over a medium-low heat melt the butter in a largish saucepan and then add the onion and garlic and saute until softened
2. Add the onion, garlic powder and white pepper and cook for a minute
3. Add the broccoli and chicken broth, bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 mins until broccoli is softened
4. In the meantime whisk the flour with the milk until flour dissolved.
5, With a hand blender, rough blend the soup leaving some broccoli pieces. You don't want it completely smooth.
6. On a medium heat gradually add the milk mixture. The soup will thicken.
7. Once milk mixture added add the cheddar and melt through the soup.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. If the soup is too thick, add some more milk to thin

Stuffed Turkey Breasts with Basil Risotto

Ever wondered what to do with turkey breasts? This easy recipe not only looks good it will change how you think about turkey!!!..You can make it as healthy as you want by substituting olive oil for the butter and using extra low fat cheeses.
Preparation: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 25 mins
Serves 2


Enjoy!


• 2 turkey breasts
• 2 shallots finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 4 teaspoons butter
• 160g Arborio Rice (risotto rice)
• Handful of basil leaves, torn
• 1 glass dry white wine
• 500g vegetable stock
• 12 thin slices of pancetta
• 2 handfuls of baby spinach
• 150g cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Salt & Ground Black Pepper
• Cling Film


1. Heat oven to 200 deg C
2. Lay a sheet of cling film out on a flat surface
3. Lay out the turkey breasts on the cling film and then cover with another piece
4. Using a rolling pin or something else heavy to flatten the breasts until ¼ “ thick.
5. In a small frying pan gently fry half the shallots with half the garlic
6. When softened add the spinach and cook down until wilted
7. In a bowl combine the soft cheese, lemon zest and season with salt and pepper
8. Add the wilted spinach mixture and stir
9. Lay out 6 slices of the pancetta next to each other on some cling film
10. Lay a turkey breast out, one side level with edges of pancetta, season with black pepper & salt
11. Cover with half of the spinach mixture
12. Roll the turkey breast until you have a log shape
13. Repeat for second breast
14. In a frying pan brown the rolls on all sides
15. Place on a greased baking sheet in the oven for 20mins
16. Whilst turkey cooks make the risotto
17. Heat the stock
18. Heat the remaining shallots and garlic in a frying pan in 1 teaspoon of butter. When softened add the rice and cook for a couple of minutes.
19. Add the wine and keep stirring until wine has evaporated
20. Add a ladle of stock and stir and cook until evaporated – continue process until rice has doubled in size and is slighty hard in the middle
21. Add basil, parmesan and rest of butter
22. Season
23. Serve sliced turkey rolls on the rice

Emeril's Tchoup Chop

Unusually we ate out this Christmas day, which was a pleasant relaxing day for me and with no leftovers to go to waste...

We walked in to Emerils Tchoup Chop and were immediately greeted at the door. If you have never been the restaurant is beautiful inside with stunning glass flower chandeliers, and a lily pond through the centre.

We were seated promptly to a nice table at the end of the pond and met by our very attentive waiter. We ordered wine and beer and perused the menu. They had a special Chritsmas day menu as well as the regular a la carte. Whilst looking we munched on Emeril's house prawn crackers with an asian dipping sauce...yummy

We chose for appetisers
Polynesian “Kicked Up” Crab Cake Mango-Habanero Butter Sauce and Caramelized Pineapple Compote
Wasabi Cured Lomi Lomi Salmon Napoleon Avocado, Tomatoes, Crème Fraîche, Crispy Wontons
Fried Goats Cheese salad with Sirachi sauce & crispy pancetta

Entrees were
Grouper (from the Christmas menu)
Garlic Grilled Black Tiger Shrimp on Chinese Style Noodle Cake with a Lemongrass Infused Wild Mushroom Crèma
Tender Beer Braised Beef Short Ribs on Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes and Sweet Garlic Cabernet Reduction
Mongolian Barbeque Grilled Pork Tenderloin Caramelized Sweet Onion-Orange Confit, Stir Fried Lomein Noodles

All was extremely tasted, the down point being the temperature of the Shrimp dish which arrived a touch cool. High points were the grouper and short ribs.
For dessert we chose items off the Christmas menu - A gingerbread cake and a Candy Cane creme brulee.. the creme brulee was to die for and the highlight, for me, of the whole meal.

Servive was attentive throughout and we tipped large ( well it was Christmas Day!!) We'll be back..it was out 5th visit, but the first time for my parents who loved it.

We dined here Christmas Day, and for four of us with two rounds of cocktails, appetisers, entrees and desserts & tip the bill was $300 - well worth it...

Emeril's Tchoup Chop
The Royal Pacific Resort

6300 Hollywood Way
Orlando, FL 32819

Mango & Jalapeno Chutney

Whilst channeling Martha Stewart this Christmas I made some delicious jams and chutneys...here is my favourite, Mango & Jalapeno Chutney.
Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 4 cups mangoes (Ripe) – skinned, stoned and chopped

• 1/2 cup lime, seeded and chopped (with skin)
• 1 cup yellow onion diced
• 1/2 cup fresh ginger, Grated
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 jalapenos, broiled, skinned, deseeded and chopped
• 2 cups light brown sugar
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon whole mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon dried red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon, Ground
• 4 cloves (will be removed at end of cooking)


1.Place all ingredients in heavy saucepan over medium heat.

2. Bring to boil.
3. Lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for about 12 hours.
5. Again bring to a boil, lower heat, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
6. Remove from heat  and remove cloves. Pour into hot sterilized jars.( I sterilized by simmering lids and jars for 20 minutes – you could do in the oven too)
7. Place in a canning bath and cover on a medium heat for 10 mins… remove and leave to cool for 12 hours before moving
8. Label and enjoy

Apple & Cranberry Muffin Cakes

With apples so plentiful at the moment these muffin cakes are a delicious way of using them up.. The recipe makes 12-14, but can easily be doubled for more.
Delicious on their own or with a spoon of vanilla ice cream.
I recommend that you use muffin case inside a muffin tin as the mixture with spread the cases.

INGREDIENTS
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 apples - peeled, cored and chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


 
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
2. Stir together 1 1/2 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon and pumpkin spice. Mix in oil, eggs and milk. Fold in apples and cranberries. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling to the top of the cup.
3. In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, butter and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Rub together with fingertips and sprinkle over unbaked muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Cheesy Ham 'Gratin' Bake

With over 3lb of our Honey Baked Ham left (even with the best efforts of my family) I decided to take half home to our house after cooking Thanksgiving for everyone at my Mother in law's house...normally I'd leave all the leftovers, however this year there was so much meat (smoked turkey and ham) that I decided to purloin half a turkey breast and the ham, and today I've been thinking up recipes....tonight a ham, cheese and potato bake...it looks delicious going into the oven, so as I type my fingers are crossed for something yummy and totally satisfying....enjoy!

update.....delicious!

For 2 people
2 gratin dishes

• 1 cup cooked ham, diced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup grated aged swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup romano cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup mixed grated Italian cheese
• 1/2 medium onion sliced
• 1 large potato, peeled and thinly sliced ( I used side of grater)
• 4 sprigs of Thyme
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• Approx 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1. In a frying pan add the potatoes, thyme, onion and garlic - cover with water and a teaspoon of salt and bring to the boil. You are looking for the potatoes to be just cooked. Drain
2. Wash the frying pan as the potatoes drain and add a tablespoon of butter. Once melted on a low-medium heat gently fry off the potato mixture (remove the thyme springs now)
3. In a saucepan melt the other tablespoon of butter, then add the flour, cooking for about 2 minutes on a low/medium heat. Add 1/2 a cup of milk and keep stirring, once thickened add another 1/2 cup, contunue until you have a thick sauce. Add the swiss and romano cheeses, the mustard and salt and pepper to taste.
4. In a large bowl combine the cheese sauce, the ham and the potato mixture.
5. Add to two gratin dishes
6. Sprinkle with the Italian cheese mix
7. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and cook at 400 F for 20 minutes until bubbling and brown.

Smokey Cauliflower & Bacon Soup

It's winter (78F outside today) and I'm in soup mode. We're trying to eat lighter and we love soup & salad combos, or today, soup and sandwich. I like to make my own soups, normally vegetable based, and always looking to tweek my existing recipes. Here I've edited my normal cauliflower recipe to give it a bit of a kick..Hubbie loved it....Enjoy!

Enough for 4 large bowls


Ingredients

• 1 large cauliflower, chopped into florets
• 1 large potato peeled and chopped into 2" pieces
• 6 rashers of smokey bacon
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 2 green (spring) onions finely chopped
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup (4oz) shredded Italian mixed cheese
• 2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablspoons butter
• salt & pepper to taste

1. Saute the onions and garlic over a medium heat in a large saucepan in the butter.
2. When translucent push the onions and garlic to one side of the pan and add 2 rashers of the bacon that have been diced.
3. Once the bacon has cooked add the cauliflower, potato, cumin and paprika.
4. Saute for 2 mins.
5. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil and then reduce to a low-medium heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes
6. Remove from heat and hand blend or liquidize until required smoothness
7. Add the milk and cheese, heat through to melt the cheese, then taste and season with salt and pepper. I used about 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of cracked black pepper ( I didn't have any white pepper here, but it would probably work better).
8. Fry off the rest of the bacon, drain and serve on top of the soup

Camicupcakes...sublime

OK so not really a restaurant review, but these cupcakes are to die for. We discovered Camicupcakes yesterday evening and we have to admit to going back today to try some more. The moistest, most delicious heavenly little cake I have ever put in my mouth, this girl knows her cupcakes.

Yesterday we had the Chocolate Raspberry Almond Cream (I know sounds yummy right?!) and hubbie had the Elvis (click on the pictures for the description). They were gone in about two seconds flat and left us desperate for another one!...We decided that what made them stand out from other cakes was that as well as the cake being super moist the icing was not overly sweet, so there was no point where you said, I can't eat any more as it's too sickly...clever.
So today we went to Mellow Mushroom for some pizza ( review follows) with alterior motives..to try another Camicupcake...

Oh I thought I'd gone to heaven when I tasted the Pineapple Toasted Coconut and the speed at which hubbie downed his Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream ( it didn't make it home) seemed to indicate that he was pretty happy too...

Please try them if you can, they have two locations in Jacksonville and one in Atlanta...trust me they are sublime.

P.s. they are only $2.50 each....

My cupcake just before I devoured it!

Brass Monkey, Jacksonville, Florida

Brass monkeys in the UK means freezing cold...not exactly how I'd describe our barmy November visit to Brass Monkey in Southside, Jacksonville. We were looking for an early dinner somewhere and had intended to go to Mellow Mushroom, but being a Gator game night, it was rammed and we looked for somewhere we could get in without waiting ages for a table. The other end of the strip to Mellow Mushroom we found Brass Monkey . It was quiet when we walked in (6.30pm) but soon started to fill up, and as a bonus we had view of the large screen that was showing the football, so we wouldn't miss the start.

It's a tapas restaurant, with an extensive drinks bar, and I have since read that they have live music and other special nights. It's modern inside with low lighting and plenty of booths (our favoured seating). It was nice to have cloth napkins and a very attentive waitress.
We picked a few small plates of Tapas raning from $6 to $9 each to share and some were better than others.
Asparagus wrapped in Serano ham, with pesto sauce - you can't really go wrong here and they didn't, crunchy asparagus with crisp ham and a delicate pesto, very nice
Garlic Prawns - Disappointing, some of the garlic had been burnt and it made the sauce bitter, and the prawns were a little tasteless
Gruyere Macaroni & Cheese with truffle oil - I want more ! absolutely delicious, melty and with a little crunch from the panko topping, perfect.
Cagney Fries - Too big, not crisp, a sin if you are doing fries in my opinion. The taste was right but spoilt by the greasy texture
Chicken Empanadas & Avocado sauce - Pretty good, hubbie reckons that the pastry should have been more crispy and the chicken spicier, however I enjoyed them, and the sauce was super tasty.

It was very reasonable, and my Merlot was very nice and smooth for $6 / glass. We'd go again, but maybe a little later when the bar has heated up a bit.

Autumn Crumble Crisp

I was watching Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa, the other morning ( I have to admit that the food network is normally on at some point during the day), when she gave me a great idea for that eveings dessert. It is autumn and we should be celebrating the fall fruits and she made a delicious looking pear and apple crisp. Ok, I can do something like that, I'll just have a look what looks good in the supermarket and take it from there. I couldn't find any nice pears, so I bought a tin, and used Gala apples as I had some in the fridge. Five for dinner needed a 10" pie dish, and there was one portion left...it's delicious and so easy it crazy..Enjoy!

Ingredients
for the filling

• 1 tin of pear halves, drained and each halve cut in 6ths ( I had 6 halves in my tin)
• 3 apples, peeled and cut in the same size chunks as the pears
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar

for the topping

• 1 cup of old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup of all purpose flour
• 1 stick of butter melted (1/4 lb)
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1. Heat overn to 400F
2. Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl and put into a pie dish.
3. Combine all the topping ingredients in a bowl and then sprinkle over the filling 
4. Cook in the oven for approximately 30 minutes, you are looking for a crispy light brown topping

serve with some vanilla ice cream

Store Cupboard Tomato & Oregano Soup

The other evening I was faced with either take-out, getting in the car and going to buy some food, or making something from the meagre options I had in the cupboard and fridge...ok, so I'm not a huge take-out fan and could not be bothered to get in the car, so initiative was required. I didn't have much, but I had a tin of tomatoes, pasta, chicken stock, a couple of fresh tomatoes, some fresh oregano and cream and parmesan from yesterday's pasta dish and some onions and celery....hmmm..I'm not having pasta again, so it looked like soup..I could definitely conjure one up from these ingredients...the finished article - husband said he'd eat it every night of the week (well it did have a tasty grilled cheese with it too!) Enjoy!

Ingredients

•  1 x 14oz can of chopped tomatoes
• 2 fresh plum tomatoes chopped
• 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 1 stick of celery finely chopped
• Salt & Cracked black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon of sugar
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup oregano finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Saute in a deep saucepan (we will be hand blending the soup later - you can use a blender for this too) the onion and garlic and celery on a medium heat
2. Once softened add the fresh and tinned tomatoes, oregano, sugar and stock. Cook, covered on a low heat for an hour ( this should break down the tomatoes completely). Remove from heat
3. Cool a little and then blend by hand to required smoothness
4. Add back to a medium low heat and add the cream and parmesan cheese and season with salt & pepper to taste. Cook for 5-10 minutes until cheese melted.
5. Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches.