Triple Potential To Fail Brownie

Okay I'll be honest, this is another one of those recipes with way too much potential for me to fail - It's the dreaded word - baking, again. Now it was okay, and we ate it all so - not too bad. Which would suggest to me that this really is quite good if you can bake. So good luck and enjoy.

Triple Layer Brownie Cake

1 1/2 Cups Butter

6oz Unsweetened Chocolate

3 cups Sugar

5 eggs

1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups All purpose flour

3/4 tsp salt

Frosting

16 oz Semisweet baking Chocolate

3 cups heavy whipping cream

2 bars of grated milk chocolate

1. In a heavy saucepan or microwave, melt butter and chocolate, stir until smooth. Stir in the sugar, then stir in the sugar. Transfer into a large mixing bowl, add your eggs one at a time, beating after each one, next add the vanilla and mix well. Mix together the flour and the salt and then combine with the chocolate mixture.

2. Pour the batter into three prepared 9" tins, bake at 350F/180C for about 25 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean, allow to cool for 10 mins before putting on a wire rack to cool completely.

3. For the frosting, melt your semisweet chocolate in another heavy based saucepan over a medium heat. Slowly stir in the cream, until well combined, heat gently to a boil (stirring), once it is boiling keep stirring for 1 min. Then transfer to a boil and place in the fridge for 2-3 hours, stir occasionally, it should reach a pudding consistency. Beat until soft peaks form, it is now ready to use, spread between the layers of each cake and then over the top and sides. To finish, sprinkle the grated chocolate on top.

This cake needs to be stored in the fridge.

Apple Lamb Pie

I'm on a continuous mission to find new flavours and textures. Or simply recipes that will inspire me, I don't think I will ever have enough recipe books, or food reference books. Or post it notes, to mark the pages that have inspired me - having said that sometimes when I go through my recipe books looking to use a new recipe, i'll sometimes come across one and wonder what was I thinking when I marked that one - equally I'll find one that hasn't been post it'd and wonder why not? It's a personal thing - a little OCD coming out and raising it's ugly head, I find it therapeutic though - you'd probably have to see it to understand it - colour co-ordinated per chapter and almost perfectly aligned. It is what it is I suppose. Glen's rather patient with me as far as new books and sticky coloured paper is concerned.

This one is similar to the Irish stew that I made, with a few added extra bits. Personally this was my favourite of the two, as with everything though it all about personal tastes.

Bramley Apple Lamb Pie

1kg Potatoes thinly sliced

50g Butter

8 Small lamb chops

2 Onions thinly sliced

2 Bramley apples

2 tsp Brown sugar

2 tsp Chopped fresh mint

Salt and black pepper

200ml Beef stock

Green Vegetables to serve

1. Place all the sliced potatoes in a bowl of cold water, this will help to prevent them from going brown.

2. Preheat your oven to 180C or 350F.

3. Melt a quarter of the butter in a flameproof casserole dish, then brown your lamb chops on both sides, this will seal in the natural flavours and juices. You must wait for the casserole dish to be very hot before you put them in. Once you've browned your meat remove them and place to one side.

4. Next add your onions and apples to the casserole dish and quickly cook them for 2 minutes, remember to keep stirring. Now take the onions and apples out of the dish and place to one side, also remove your dish from the heat and turn off the hob.

5. Pour away the water from the potatoes, layer half of them in the bottom of your casserole dish. Next you want to put your lamb chops on top, then spoon your onions and apples over the chops, sprinkle with the sugar and season with mint, salt and pepper.

6. Lastly, layer the last of your potato slices over the top, pour over the stock. Cut the rest of the butter into little cubes and scatter over the top.

7. Cook in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours. Serve with green vegetables.

KFC?

Still on my quest for KFC style chicken the last one I tried country fried chicken was pretty darn close. This one isn't half bad either - the original recipe said to use two broiler/fryer chickens - I don't know what that is so as usual I used chicken breasts - two for two people and halved the rest of the ingredients and rather wastefully chucked away what I didn't use - I'm rubbish figuring out how much to use or not to use, but I do have an eye for judging approximately how much I'm using either in weight or tbsp for example - because that's a useful skill to have! (That's sarcasm by the way). This recipe is definitely worth trying - in the meantime I am going to continue with my endeavour to find that KFC - homemade recipe.

Oven Fried Chicken

1/2 cup Flour

1 envelopes cream of chicken soup mix

1 envelopes Italian salad dressing mix

3/4 tsp Paprika

1/2 tsp seasoned salt

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp rubbed sage

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp curry powder

1/2 cup milk

2 Chicken breasts cut into chunks

1/4 cup melted butter

1. Line a baking tray with foil and lightly grease the foil; set aside for use later.

2. In a large zip up freezer bag combine all the dry ingredients, put the milk in a shallow dish, dip in the chicken and then put them in the bag a few bits at a time, shake to completely coat the chicken.

3. Place the chicken on the prepared baking tray and drizzle with the butter. Bake at 350F/180C for 30 mins or until the juices run clear. Check it before the 30 minutes is up, depending on the size of your chicken pieces they could be done sooner and there is nothing worse than over cooked tough/dried out chicken.

Mexican Food

I have just invested in a Mexican cookbook. I love the fact that Mexican food is colourful, rich and full of exciting flavours, if I am honest I think I prefer Mexican snacks more than a main meal. Quesadillas, Salsa, Guacomle, Tortilla Chips, Jalapeno Poppers to name just a few.

I'd never heard of this next recipe before, until I came across it in one of my American cookbooks - which to be fair are most most favourite ones. I am still quite new to the cooking scene (three and a bit years) and certainly all these "new" flavours, chorizo, black bean sauce, hoisin sauce, chilli paste, Thai food, Mexican, Indian etc. I had no idea about. It's an exciting new world for me and I'm enjoying every flavourful experience - even my mistakes and mishaps, annoying as they are I learn from them - except the baking ones - boo hoo me!

Anyway back to the recipe at hand. I've checked this online and I'm not entirely sure they are real tamales. Like I said I am a foodie newbee... But from what I understand tamales are made and then wrapped in either, banana leaves or corn husks... I also saw something about masa which is Spanish, apparently for wheat dough which makes, tortillas - Close to what I have in this recipe. On further reading though that was it, one tiny mention of the "masa" so I am still unsure. To be perfectly honest I'm totally naive in this slight dialemma of mine. If anyone can enlighten me I really would appreciate it.

Tamales

1lb lean ground beef
3/4 cup sweet corn
6 corn tortillas (cut into 1/2" strips)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar
2 cups salsa
2 Tbsp water
5 Tbsp sour cream

1. In a large nonstick, frying pan/skillet with a little oil (I use EVOO) or a coating of cooking spray, cook the beef over a medium heat, until the meat is cooked through, then drain any excess fluid. Stir in the salsa, corn and water bring it all to a boil.

2. Stir in the tortilla strips. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the tortillas have softened. Sprinkle with cheese and cover and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Serve with sour cream.


I used kidney beans - (red beans) I'm not at all sure that kidney beans are an authentic Mexican ingredient, however the original recipe required 2/3 cup of bell peppers and I don't like bell peppers, so I needed to substitute it with something - I haven't found black beans here - which from my understanding would probably have been a better substitute. I have to work with what I have, although I have since discovered that Olives, Capers, Prunes or Raisins are also used in Mexican dishes (not sure I would have added any of those though) an unknown factor at the time. All I can do is my best with my limited knowledge and food resources.

Karma Or Food?

People keep going on at me about karma, which often leaves me asking the following questions. What is karma? When is it going strike? And last but not least, how? I often wonder how things would be or how I would feel if my EX got his? I mean for more than half my life I have let him make me miserable. When will that stop, when will it be enough?

Am I paranoid when I believe that he does things on purpose to make me miserable, if I'm honest I would have to say no. He does it all too often for it to be ignorance on his part.... And therefore in the karma logic, eventually he should get his. I can't help but feel, that although, I sometimes wish he would come to an untimely rather painful and miserable end, that it makes me no better than him. Hate is such a nasty thing, it consumes your heart and any good, turning it into bitter and twisted-ness, certainly no good can come out of it.

So what's karma and do I really want him to get his? Probably not, in truth I just want to be left alone, I want to be able to live my lifethe way I want to live it. I don't want to feel as though I'm being spied on, or made to feel that choices I make are wrong or stupid, because he thinks they're wrong and stupid! I want to be able to journalise I my life on facebook, sharing ridculous notions, or the silly thing I did today, or the mischievous nonesence I got up to, without getting a telephone call asking why I did it.. Prime example was when I posted about wanting chickens, within five minutes of that post I got a phone call telling me that I was being stupid, why would you want chickens?

I do some silly, ridiculous, mischievous things at times simply because it makes me feel good to not conform, at 34 I should be able to do things, without being made to feel guilty.... Or having to apologise!

So what does all this have to do with a recipe..? Well aside from my many phobia's, obsessive compulsive personality disorder, bad knees, bad back and sudden and unexpected bouts of hysterical "drama" I am also a comfort eater, I don't go over board and eat until I burst, but a tasty treat when I'm feeling blue sure does perk me up a bit.

FRENCH TOAST WITH APPLE TOPPING

Apple Topping

1 medium sized apple, peeled and thinly sliced

1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1/4 Tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp butter (not margarine)

French Toast

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

4 Slices of bread (I prefer white in this recipe)

1 Tbsp butter

maple syrup to top

1. In a medium sized frying pan/skillet melt the butter and sauté the apple, with the brown sugar and cinnamon, until the apple is tender. I've found that the times vary every time I make this recipe, sometimes it happens quite quickly and other times it takes a little while.

2. In a shallow dish, (I have rectangular pyrex dishes which are perfect for this, they are only about an inch and a half deep) whisk the egg, milk and vanilla, now dip your bread in the egg mixture coating both sides in the mixture.

3. In a large frying pan/skillet, melt the butter, it should be a medium heat. Fry the bread on both sides until golden brown. Once cooked serve with the sautéed apple and plenty of maple syrup.

I also like to make American style pancakes (so much better than the British ones) and serve the same apple mixture over the top. It's all very yummy and perfect, pick me up food!

Why ping meals are really, really bad!

My recent get up and go, zeal for life and all the things I love doing, got up and left the building, so to speak. I've been low, blue, depressed, however you want to put it. Life's struggles got in the way of what's important to me, I've not really put pen to paper in months, blogged, I hadn't even picked up a recipe book, until last week, at least not the way that I used to. Friday and Saturday nights were spent lounging on my couch, with all my books surrounding me while Glen Xboxed. It's been months. Six actually ever since we arrived in this country, and to be honest in the beginning, I did really well on arrival. In the first week, I had unpacked all the boxes, secured work and pottered in the garden. Everything went progressively down hill from there! Glen got a job for the para-olympics in London, it meant he was going to be away for six weeks. I was an emotional wreck, wallowing in self pity and loneliness. As it turned out he was only gone for two weeks, but it may as well have been a year. I burst into tears at the mere mention of my husband. While he was away I got a letter regarding some legal issues, I'm now dealing with. At the time it was a shock and not something I had been expecting. At that moment in time, with my husband away and no one to talk to I had never felt more alone. In retrospect that deep black abyss I had fallen into was probably just a melodramatic hysteria of the moment that lasted several months. I was too tired and there was a lot of new stuff going on, new house, new job, new country, missing husband, no phone, no friends, I was isolated from the world, or at least it felt that way at the time..... Not to mention I was eating microwave meals daily!

Which brings me to my point, since my husband and I have been living together I have cooked, mostly from fresh and frozen ingredients, and from scratch, I'm not a fan of "ready" meals, I can't stand pre-packaged microwave food, I get the convenience of it especially if you are on your own, but my personal opinion is that it's rubbish. Nutritionally I wouldn't like to comment, I suppose you could argue that it's not nutritionally damaging. I don't think they taste nice, I find them incredibly bland and boring! The thing that really gets me though and maybe this is completely and utterly insane, is the psychological impact these "ping" meals had on me. Nothing says LOSER quite like, a rubbery piece of aubergine, or dried out chicken. Every mouthful being the twist of knife, reminding you that the reason you're eating rubbish is because you're alone, nobody to share a meal with! My love affaire with my kitchen is not entirely about my passion for cooking, but also the love I have for Glen. Nothing in this world gives me greater pleasure than cooking him a meal, that will both satisfy his hunger and his tastebuds alike. Microwave meals for one...... SUCK.

Blurgh To The Pork!

I am a self professed hater of pork, unless it's smoked, I used to be able to count the amount of times we had eaten pork on one hand. Although I have to be honest I have cooked with it a little more often, that said I still don't enjoy it, but I am looking for that perfect recipe! I think I have mentioned before my reason behind not eating pork. Germans eat a lot of pork, personally I just got sick of it - chops, schnitzel, joint, whatever... Unless it was smoked or cured. I am somewhat disinterested and I am sceptical as to whether I will ever be able to truly enjoy pork ever again. However as you can see I have not entirely ruled it out, I'm trying new pork recipes. I have found quite a few in my recipe books that I want to try. I'll blog when I get round to them eventually. In the meantime, these maple BBQ ribs were really quite nice.

BBQ RIBS WITH A MAPLE GLAZE

3 lbs Pork Spare Ribs

1 Small Onion, Finely Diced

1 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar

1 Tbsp Chilli Sauce

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/4 Tsp Ground Mustard

1 Cup Maple Syrup

1 Tbsp Worcester Sauce

2 Cloves Minced Garlic

1/8 Tsp Pepper

The original recipe also said to add 1/2 tsp of ground ginger (I'm allergic so didn't add it) and a Tbsp of sesame seeds, but I couldn't find any.

1. Cut the ribs into serving sized pieces, place the ribs with the bone, side down, in a shallow roasting pan with a rack. Bake for an hour at 350F/180C and drain any excess fluid.

2. In the meantime, in a saucepan combine all the remain ingredients, continuely stir over a medium heat until the mixture begins to boil.

3. Pour the sauce over your ribs and bake uncovered for a further 30-45 minutes or until the ribs are tender, basting every now and again.

A Little Of What You Fancy?

Whether you want a snack, lunch or have the late night munchies, if you like Tuna then these are perfect - they really hit the spot... Although not entirely ideal if you are looking for something with absolutely no fuss, nor if you want it done in less than five minutes. They are however certainly worth the effort, if you do have the time. I would like to take the opportunity to point out that whilst these aren't entirely hassle free, I have made these as part of drunken midnight feast!

Tuna Puff Sandwiches

3/4 Cup Mayonnaise

1 1/2 teaspoons, finely minced onion

1/4 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

6 Slices of bread

1 1/2 teaspoons of mustard

7 oz Tuna

6 Slices of tomato

3/4 cup grated cheese (of your choice)

1. In a bowl combine a 1/4 cup mayonnaise with the onion, mustard and the worcestershire sauce, then stir in the tuna.

2. Place the slices of bread on an ungreased, baking sheet and spoon the tuna mixture onto each slice of bread, then add a slice of tomato, next combine the remaining mayonnaise with the cheese, then spoon that over the top of the tomato.

3. Bake at 400F/200C for 12 minutes or until golden and puffy.

A New Beginning

It’s been a busy few weeks, moving and finding work as quickly as possible. I have managed both, but to what end? Well obviously a new home and a new career, I am excited about both, I love my new house and my garden is lovely. I am not sold on the area just yet, but time will tell.

As for my new job, I am going to be a home carer, something I have always wanted to do, it will be really rewarding, on so many levels. I will be able to do courses which will make me more qualified, I also have promotional prospects, which I have never had before, and the company do community and charity work. My only concern is that, it is long hours and I wonder where I will find time to do my other course work, blog and to be the wife I have been up until now. I suspect my life is about to be turned upside down again, which I am a little apprehensive about, but at the same time I suspect that the rewards are going to be fruitful.

So, my plan of action is? Timetables, complete organisation, and above all else, always put my husband first.

I do have pictures, but I have limited internet usage until next month, so they will have to wait until then……..

MOVING!!!!

Oh my, the packing, it’s a nightmare, boxes are everywhere and everywhere is a mess. For about 10 minutes I contemplated letting the packers do EVERYTHING, getting a cleaner in and just kicking back! Then along comes my infinite wisdom, and I decide that whilst, yes indeedy, this will be the easy option, this end, it also meant that I would have to throw away the rubbish and things I don’t want, at the other end, and who wants to unpack rubbish, right?

So here I am stressed, confused, and really muddled!

I also feel guilty that I haven’t blogged in ages. I can’t wait to get this all out of the way so that I can get back to normality, cooking, baking and writing. I am still around and haven't quit blogging, just slightly overwhelmed with everything that's going on!

Cedar infused BBQ smoked salmon

Life is rather busy at the moment, and my mind hasn’t really been in the right place to be writing, I want to, but whenever I put pen to paper or type. Despite my best intentions I end up grumbling about one thing or another. If the truth be known, I think I am feeling a little stressed and I certainly feel as though I have no control over my life at the moment, which doesn’t help, I am a control freak! I am also REALLY grumpy at the moment and have little to no patience for anyone or anything for that matter, and you can forget any tact for customers. I get that certain things are annoying and frustrating, like mail taking ages to get through, that however is not my fault, I don’t get in my car and deliver your mail personally……. It’s not possible, every customer that has come in, I have politely explained the issues, I have also politely explained what’s being done to resolve said issues, and I have empathised! Well I am done with polite and I am done with empathy, you’d think that I either didn’t send mail or that for some reason I didn’t have any mail issues. I shall take this opportunity to point out, my mail takes just as long and I am just as frustrated, however I don’t have anyone to shout at! (See my point I end up moaning about something)

Moving on, all last week I wanted to try out this wood block thing I have, you soak it in water for at least an hour, and then you can place it on your BBQ and smoke either, fish, chicken or pork. I felt a little dubious about chicken and pork, but I was absolutely dying to smoke this really beautiful piece of salmon I bought. So Wednesday before I went to work, I pulled out the salmon and placed it in the fridge, and put my wooden plank in the sink with water and placed my rather large vodka bottle on top. I got home from work and discovered my salmon wasn’t salmon at all, but some kind of delicate white fish, so out of the sink the plank came and I made a fish and vegetable soup, a bit like chowder with out the potatoes. Thursday we ordered pizza, so Friday comes along and I am really looking forward to smoked salmon, husband soaked the plank in water all day long again….. Only I forgot to take the fish out, so we had some pork steak things that I had in the fridge still (I have conceded and started to eat a little pork) So out of the water the plank comes, but I did remember to take the salmon out.

Saturday the plank goes back in the water and I lightly buttered the salmon, seasoned it with a pinch of rosemary, salt and pepper, and a little squeezed lemon juice. Then I placed it on the plank of wood which had been soaked in water, yet again, and my husband put it on the BBQ. The smell coming from the smoking cedar was lovely, but not as nice as the smoky cedar infused salmon. I would definitely recommend cooking your fish this way, effortless with about 20 minutes cooking time.  

Cookie Dough Cheesecake

I love cheesecake, it’s super yummy and I personally love it with a biscuit base. German cheesecake is boring, wafer type base and a heavy dense cheesecakey bit usually plain but sometimes lemon flavoured. Chocolate, caramel or mocha, for example are unheard of and you can forget chocolate chip cookie dough!!!!!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

1¾ cup crushed chocolate chip cookies

¼ cup sugar
1/3  cup melted butter

FILLING

3 8-oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar
3 egg slightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
½ tsp vanilla extract

COOKIE DOUGH

¼ cup butter, softened

¼ cup sugar
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup all-purpose flour
1½ cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1. In a small bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs and sugar, then stir in the butter. Press onto the bottom and 1"/2.5cm up the sides of a greased 9" spring pan.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Slowly add the eggs, beating on a low speed, until just combined, then add the sour cream and vanilla. Beat until just blended, then pour over crust and set aside. In another large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Then add the water and vanilla. Gradually stir in the flour. Next stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips and drop the dough by teaspoonfuls over the filling, making sure to carefully push dough below the surface. Place pan on a baking sheet with a little water. (water-bath, which should help it to stop splitting.)

3. Bake at 350°F/180°C for 40-45 minutes or until the centre is almost set. Cool the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan so that it loosens, cool for an hour longer. Refrigerate over night. Remove sides, sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.

I cut this up into slices, and froze them, as it is too much for just my husband and I. I kept it in the freezer for about a month to six weeks and it was fine!!!!!

Fully Loaded Chunky Cookies

Cookies are great and these, as in cookies, I CAN BAKE. I first made these with my daughter, although she is getting a little old to be baking with her Mummy now. Even so these are REALLY good and REALLY naughty. The original recipe said to use 1 cup each of the different chocolate chips. I half that, I have made this recipe five or six times now, twice according to the recipe, they are great either way, but I find using a little less of the chocolate chips, they bind a little better.

 

 Chunky Cookies

1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ cup milk chocolate chips

½ cup white chocolate chips

4 squares bitter chocolate

¾ cup English toffee

½ cup vanilla fudge

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the Vanilla.

2. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, then gradually add to the creamed mixture. Finally stir in remaining ingredients.

3. Drop a tablespoon full of the mixture 3" apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350°F/180°C for 10 or until golden. Cool for 2-3 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 8½ Dozen

 

Writing, Journals, and a new life!

Some of you will be aware that I am doing a creative writing course. It covers writing both non-fiction and fiction, runs for four years although if you can produce the work faster and complete the course sooner that’s fine too. I’m, loving it, I’ve always enjoyed writing, letters and kept journals over the years, rightly or wrongly I don’t have any of them anymore. Possibly had I known, I would be doing this course I would have kept them……. Hindsight and all that jazz! I may have been able to pull something from them for my writing, but my reason for throwing them away, was the personal anguish I felt when I read them.

They were journals, as opposed to diaries. I wrote when something was bothering me, which was in most cases and I wrote on the rare occasion when something good happened. After I moved out of my Ex’s house all my things were boxed up, not that I had a great deal and most of what I did have either went back to my children, my mother or charity shops. Mostly arts and crafts bits, that I had collected over the years, but I kept my journals and my books, except my books from childhood, I left those, thinking it would be a good thing for my children to have, so they could learn to also read English, 34 year old books, which have disappeared, in other words been thrown away. A total travesty and probably out of spite, because my ex knows how I feel about books.

Anyway all my boxes got shipped to America, including my journals which I sat down and read one night, before throwing them away. They made me cry, it was like I was reading about someone else. I was suddenly aware of how miserable I had been. All the guilt I felt no longer existed, these journals covered a period of 13 years on and off, most of the entries were sad, in some cases you could see where my tears had smudged the ink, or the pages were full of hatred and contempt. Situations where I had been belittled, ridiculed, undermined and lied to. I had a raw feeling of self loathing, at a miserable and failing marriage, which at the time I blamed myself for. I felt I wasn’t good enough, I was ill with depression, I wasn’t pretty enough, I didn’t work hard enough, the list of self demoralizing was endless.

I had a good cry and then shoved them down a rubbish shoot. Rather symbolic really, it was like saying “Go to hell, with the old me” welcome a better and happier one. I hadn’t really given the journals much thought until this course, to be honest I don’t know what I could have used, them for. They were very raw and emotional – Do I regret throwing them away? Not especially – I think what throwing them out symbolised was far more important for my emotional psyche, I’m better off remembering basic details of the past, than re-reading the intimate details of a life I left behind for a reason. Instead I’m able to start re-writing my life, now I write about food, or I write non-fiction articles for my course work. Now hours of my day are spent writing and instead of miserable rubbish, I’m being productive, I’m writing pages and pages of things that I know, about all kinds of things.

I am suddenly aware of my own substance and MY voice, I have something to say and I want to be heard…… Welcome the real, Rebecca Alison Dodds, wife, mother, step-mother, writer, in fulltime employment, dog owner and cook. Yes at times life can be hard, but I have it all, and I am so proud of everything I’m now able to accomplish – of which I owe a great deal to my husband, who may roll his eye balls at my latest cockamamie idea, but he loves me unconditionally, encourages me, won’t let me quit, picks me up off the floor when I am down, holds me when I cry and no matter what he ALWAYS has my back!

Chicken stuffed with crab

Okay – so I have done all kinds of stuffed chicken, bacon and cheese, creamy pesto, cream cheese and blue cheese – this one though is most definitely one of my most favourite recipes. It ticks all the boxes, with a crab filling a white sauce and a cheesy topping, with the paprika sprinkled on top adding a little heat. There are moments in life, whatever you are doing, (so not just food related,) that bring sheer happiness. I have managed it several times over the past couple of years. I’m talking food specifically now, where I have cooked something really wonderful, and Glen has turned and looked at me and given me one of those looks that says it all. Those are the moments I live for, a moment when you feel complete and utter pride. You’ve done well and managed to achieve something truly outstanding.

Chicken stuffed with crab

4 tbsp butter
¼ cup flour
1 cup chicken broth
¾ cup milk
¼ cup chopped onion
6 oz crab meat, drained
4 oz chopped mushrooms
1/3 cup saltine crackers or similar (I used ritz crackers)
2 tbsp parsley
½ tsp salt
dash pepper
4 chicken breast halves
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ tsp paprika
parsley

Hot cooked rice

1. In a small saucepan, on a low heat, melt 3 tbsp of the butter. Stir the flour into the milk, then pour the broth and milk into the saucepan. Bring to a boil; and continuously stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.

2. In a small skillet, sauté the onion in 1 tbsp butter until tender. Add the crab, mushrooms, cracker crumbs, parsley, salt, pepper and 2 tbsp of the white sauce; heat through.

3. Make a horizontal cut along one side almost to the other side of each chicken breast, leaving the chicken breasts attached on the opposite side. Open each breast so it lies flat and cover with plastic wrap, then using a rolling pin flatten chicken to about a ¼" thickness.

4. Spoon about ½ cup of the crab mixture on each chicken breast half. Fold in sides and roll up. Then secure with toothpicks. Place in a greased baking dish. Top with remaining white sauce. Cover and bake at 350°F/180˚C for about 30 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

5. Sprinkle with the cheese and paprika. Then bake, uncovered, for 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Remember to remove toothpicks before serving. Sprinkle with additional parsley and serve with rice if desired.

Servings: 4

"We love Laarbruch" Facebook Group and Cabbage Rolls (Ironically a typical dish eaten by Germans)

I was a member of a group on Facebook, called “We love Laarbruch.” When I first joined, years ago, when they had as little as 50 odd members, they are now over 2000, it was with the soul intention of meeting up with old friends, and if the truth be known it served it’s purpose, all of my friends from school eventually joined the group and we are now Facebook buddies.

Quite often, people on there ask for recipes, traditional German ones, and I have a lot of those, after 24 years in Germany I have managed to collect 100’s of them, and I was sharing them. It got a little tedious though, translating and typing up these recipes. Whilst chatting to one of the other members, I mentioned my blog, and he suggested that every now and again (once or twice a month) I post my blog on the page so that he could skim though what I had posted, neither of us was really interested in becoming Facebook friends, I don’t know him, and he doesn’t know me, what was the point? So, once or twice a month, I posted on the page, this last time I posted, several people complained, moaned and groaned, about me “Spamming” I would hardly call it spam, I am not selling anything and I am certainly not forcing anyone to read something they have no interest in. I left the group after being accused of spamming, but they carried on the thread, keeping it at the top of the page, the longer it was at the top of the page, the more blog hits I got. I am a little confused to say the least. Possibly a little saddened, I am so proud of what I have achieved here, maybe they think it’s stupid, or maybe they are jealous I don’t know, but wouldn’t it have been better, to ignore or delete my post and move on rather than try and diminish something I have worked so hard to accomplish, shame on them for trashing one of their own!

Over the years I have had cabbage rolls, always store-bought with a powdered sauce – now I am not knocking either – certainly ideal for busy days when speed and ease are the name of the game, but what about those days when you do have time? What would you rather, quick store-bought or taking the time and making your own from scratch? I know that I would rather make my own and think of the pride you will feel at the end of it…..

Cabbage Rolls

4 Large cabbage leaves

¼ lb ground beef

¼ lb bulk pork sausage

¼ cup onion chopped

½ cup cooked rice

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

¼ tsp Dijon mustard

1 egg

1 cup tomato sauce

2 tbsp brown sugar (optional)

1. In a large saucepan, cook the cabbage leaves in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain and set aside. In the meantime cook the beef, sausage and onion over a medium heat in a skillet until meat is no longer pink, then drain and stir in the rice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and egg; mix well.

2. Cut out the thick vein from the bottom of each leaf, making a V-shaped cut. Place about 1/3 cup of the beef mixture onto each of the cabbage leaves, next over lap the cut ends of leaf. Fold in the sides, then starting from the cut end, roll up to enclose filling, if need be secure with cocktail sticks. Place seam side down in a greased baking dish.

3. Pour juice over rolls; sprinkle with brown sugar if desired. Cover and bake at 350°F/180˚F for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes.

Servings: 2

Life's little struggles and a Mexican dish!

I am so bad at the blog thing lately, I’m not getting lazy or bored, for that matter, just soooo busy, with one thing and the other, I am reading two books at the moment, one is a novel, a Jack Higgins, I’m not sure of the title, and I have just walked in front of my husbands X-box game three times, I am not about to do it again, for the sake of a title no one is really that bothered about, I am also reading a book called “Power and control, why charming men can make dangerous lovers” to be fair I am finding it hard to put it down. I can honestly say that I have been the victim, if you will, of “Woman abuse” it’s not all in my head and I can stop feeling guilty and bad about it! IT’S NOT MY FAULT.

I am also still doing my writing course, and working on assignment 5, but I have been struggling, the assignment isn’t that difficult, but with everything going on at the moment, my mind is everywhere but on my writing…. I am indecisive, scatty, all over the place, however you wish to put it. I am also trying desperately hard to lose weight and if I am honest I think I have gained this week. I feel like a heffalump and wozzle, it’s really quite distressing, because I eat very little really. I am constantly starving and for what? So that I don’t gain anymore because I am not losing any!

Anyway, enough of that. Onto some Mexican food. By the time I made this recipe, I was at a stage in my life that was all about trying new things. I’d not really had much opportunity to eat Mexican food before. I tried a little in the States a taster if you will but never made my own. Unless, you count Guacamole or Salsa?

Baked Chimichangas

2 ½ cup shredded cooked chicken

1 cup salsa
¾ tsp cumin
½ tsp dried oregano
1 Small onion chopped
6 Tortillas warmed
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 tsp black pepper
¼ cup flour
1 cup milk
1 jalapeno

1. In a large skillet, simmer the chicken, salsa, onion, cumin and oregano until heated through and most of the liquid has reduced. Place ½ cup of the mixture down the centre of each tortilla and top with 2 tbsp cheese.

2. Fold in the sides and ends over filling, then roll up, placing seam side down in a greased baking dish. Bake, uncovered at 425°F (220˚C) until browned, this should take about 15 minutes.

3. In the meantime, in a saucepan, heat broth. Combine the flour and milk until smooth and then stir into the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened. Mix in the jalapenos. When the Chimichangas are finished cut in half, top with sauce, to serve.

100th Recipe, Garlic Beef Enchiladas

I have tried over 200 recipes – I have 200 I can share, some are brilliant some not so much, some I have just made a complete hash out of. Whatever the outcome though, even my disasters, I’m incredibly proud and grateful for them, proud because I am finally doing something I am good at and worthwhile. Each recipe is worked with meticulous planning, I’ll read and re-read a recipe to be sure I know what I am doing, then I work out which ingredients to leave out or change. For example I am allergic to ginger, it doesn’t put me into anaphylactic shock – but I do get a tickly cough, a tightness in my chest and I struggle to breathe at times. So any recipes with fresh ginger are out, that or I don’t include it, which more often is the case. It’s a pity because I love ginger.

Once I am satisfied with a recipe I write it out my way. So to cut my long and boring story short – I am proud because I can cook and I also work hard at perfecting my technique. I am grateful because, as silly as it sounds, it boosts my ego, when my husband tells me how great his meal was, or when people ask ME for advice. If you’d asked me nearly three years ago, I would have been clueless!

I was missing out on so much, Black Bean Sauce, Hoisin, Chorizo – Garlic Beef Enchiladas, well would you look at that, my next recipe.

I think this makes 100.

Garlic Beef Enchiladas

1 lb minced beef

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tbsp chilli powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp rubbed sage

1 can stewed tomatoes

4-6 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 can (15 oz) beef broth

1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce

1-2 tbsp chilli powder

1-2 tsp ground cumin

1-2 tsp rubbed sage

1/2 tsp salt

10 tortillas 7"

2 cups strong cheddar cheese

1. In a large skillet, cook the minced beef and onion over a medium heat, once cooked, drain. Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in another pan, sauté the garlic in the butter until tender. Mix together flour and the broth; pour into the saucepan and continuously stirring, bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in tomato sauce and the seasonings; heat through.

3. Pour 1 ½ cups sauce into an ungreased 13" x 9" baking dish. Spread a ¼ cup of the beef mixture down the centre of each tortilla; top with 1-2 tbsp of cheese. Roll up tightly; place seam side down over the sauce. Top with remaining sauce.

4. Cover and bake at 350°F (180˚C) for 30-35 minutes sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered, 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese has melted.

Servings: 5



Apple-Brie Spinach Salad with Avocado

I served this as a side dish with ribs. I really liked the warm dressing that went with it, it added a little extra depth and contrast, to an already interesting and varied salad.

I suppose I got a little excited because there wasn’t anyone saying I couldn’t. The original recipe didn’t have avocado in it, but I did because I love it, so I put it in. Glen would have preferred it with out – but you see that was part of my cunning plan……. MORE FOR ME!!!!!!!

Apple-Brie Spinach Salad with Avocado

1 Avocado, cubed

4 Large Apples, cut in 1/2 inch wedges

4 Tbsp Maple syrup - Divided

8 cups fresh baby spinach

1 8-oz Brie Cubed

1/2 cup Toasted walnuts pieces

For the dressing

1/4 cup apple cider or apple juice

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 Tbsp cider vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

1. Place apples on an ungreased baking sheet; brush with 2 tbsp of syrup. Grill 3-4" from the heat for 3 minutes. Turn; brush with remaining syrup. Grill for 3-5 minutes longer or until crisp - tender

2. In a large salad bowl, carefully toss the avocado, spinach, cheese, walnuts and apples. In a small saucepan combine all the dressing ingredients; bring to a boil. Pour over the salad and toss again to coat and serve immediately.