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Auntie Lou's Kitchen
Crusty Quiche
What's better than a slice of nice crusty tart with a bit of salad...
Here's my latest recipe for Crusty Quiche:
Quick and Easy Pastry:
250g plain flour
100ml hot water
100ml vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt
Put all ingredients in a recipient with a lid (Tupperware).
Shake vigorously, making sure that the lid does not come off.
Turn ingredients out onto a floured board and gently form a ball.
Flatten and roll out to the size of your tin. (aprox. 24cm)
Prick the base with a fork.
Filling:
200g grated cheese (I use Gruyère, but you can also use cheddar)
100g chopped ham
100g grated courgette (you may also use mushrooms)
4tsp cornflour
salt and pepper
2 eggs
200ml milk
Mix all dry ingredients together and place in the pastry case.
Beat together the eggs and milk and pour over dry ingredients.
Cook in the middle of the oven at 180°C for about 25 minutes.
Put on the lower shelf of the oven and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Bon appetit!
Here's my latest recipe for Crusty Quiche:
Quick and Easy Pastry:
250g plain flour
100ml hot water
100ml vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt
Put all ingredients in a recipient with a lid (Tupperware).
Shake vigorously, making sure that the lid does not come off.
Turn ingredients out onto a floured board and gently form a ball.
Flatten and roll out to the size of your tin. (aprox. 24cm)
Prick the base with a fork.
Filling:
200g grated cheese (I use Gruyère, but you can also use cheddar)
100g chopped ham
100g grated courgette (you may also use mushrooms)
4tsp cornflour
salt and pepper
2 eggs
200ml milk
Mix all dry ingredients together and place in the pastry case.
Beat together the eggs and milk and pour over dry ingredients.
Cook in the middle of the oven at 180°C for about 25 minutes.
Put on the lower shelf of the oven and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Bon appetit!
A little help goes a long way
Hi everyone,
I haven't blogged for quite some time. What with sickness and holidays....
I've just found the photos from my eldests 20th and it reminded me that a little help goes a long way.
I was struggling to get things ready and my 12 year old niece turned up. Without having to ask, she put on a pinny and started helping! She made a lovely Guacamole. A big hug and thanks Katie
Have a lovely day and I'll be back soon with some new recipes.
Lou
Chocolate Chip Muffins (no egg)
Saturday my niece and nephew came over for the afternoon. I decided to make some muffins for tea-time.
I wanted to experiment with new ingredients and it's only when the muffins were in the oven that I suddenly realised I'd forgotten the egg... I was convinced that the result would be disastrous, but to my surprise, they were delicious and so moist!
Here's the recipe for those of you who would like to experiment.
220g self-raising flour
30g cocoa
100g brown sugar
150g chocolate chips
1/5 tsp salt
100g margarine
1 banana
1 plain yogurt (125ml)
100ml orange juice
Put all dry ingredients into a bowl. Mash the banana and melt the margerine. Add all liquid ingredients to the bowl.
Mix together and put into muffin cases. Cook in the middle of the oven, 180°C, for about 10-15 mins.
Bon appetit
I wanted to experiment with new ingredients and it's only when the muffins were in the oven that I suddenly realised I'd forgotten the egg... I was convinced that the result would be disastrous, but to my surprise, they were delicious and so moist!
Here's the recipe for those of you who would like to experiment.
220g self-raising flour
30g cocoa
100g brown sugar
150g chocolate chips
1/5 tsp salt
100g margarine
1 banana
1 plain yogurt (125ml)
100ml orange juice
Put all dry ingredients into a bowl. Mash the banana and melt the margerine. Add all liquid ingredients to the bowl.
Mix together and put into muffin cases. Cook in the middle of the oven, 180°C, for about 10-15 mins.
Bon appetit
Flapjacks
I've always envied my sister's flapjacks...
For me, she makes THE BEST.
I asked her for the recipe, but mine are never the same. So I've been fiddling around with my recipe for quite some time and I've finally found something that comes close to hers.
375g rolled oats
300g margarine
250g brown sugar
50g golden syrup
1tsp salt
Melt the margerine and add the brown sugar and golden syrup.
Stir with a wooden spoon just until the sugar dissolves.
Add the oats and stir to cover the oats with the sweet mixture.
Put into a baking tray and push into place with the back of the spoon.
Cook in the middle of the oven at 180°C for about 20 minutes.
Take out of the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
Cut into squares and leave to cool in the tin.
Tip:
These can be frozen and I reckon they're even better when defrosted.
Take them out of the freezer 5 to 10 minutes before eating.
For me, she makes THE BEST.
I asked her for the recipe, but mine are never the same. So I've been fiddling around with my recipe for quite some time and I've finally found something that comes close to hers.
375g rolled oats
300g margarine
250g brown sugar
50g golden syrup
1tsp salt
Melt the margerine and add the brown sugar and golden syrup.
Stir with a wooden spoon just until the sugar dissolves.
Add the oats and stir to cover the oats with the sweet mixture.
Put into a baking tray and push into place with the back of the spoon.
Cook in the middle of the oven at 180°C for about 20 minutes.
Take out of the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
Cut into squares and leave to cool in the tin.
Tip:
These can be frozen and I reckon they're even better when defrosted.
Take them out of the freezer 5 to 10 minutes before eating.
Mini Apple Crumbles
I got home from work tonight and my eldest, who was away in Paris all weekend, asked if we could have apple crumble for pudding.
How could I resist. As not everyone wanted it, I decided to make mini versions and freeze the leftovers. Needless to say, there were no leftovers... Apple crumble is so easy to make. This is my recipe:
4 chopped apples
brown sugar
cinnamon
Placed the apples in 8 small oven dishes (or one big dish).
Sprinkle with some brown sugar and cinnamon
Crumble:
180g flour
80g margarine
30g brown sugar
Mix together together to form breadcrumbs.
Cover the apples with the crumble and put it in the oven (180°C) for 30 minutes.
You can serve with hot custard or vanilla ice-cream.
Bon appetit.
How could I resist. As not everyone wanted it, I decided to make mini versions and freeze the leftovers. Needless to say, there were no leftovers... Apple crumble is so easy to make. This is my recipe:
4 chopped apples
brown sugar
cinnamon
Placed the apples in 8 small oven dishes (or one big dish).
Sprinkle with some brown sugar and cinnamon
Crumble:
180g flour
80g margarine
30g brown sugar
Mix together together to form breadcrumbs.
Cover the apples with the crumble and put it in the oven (180°C) for 30 minutes.
You can serve with hot custard or vanilla ice-cream.
Bon appetit.
Savoury Turnovers
Well, another Sunday spent baking in my kitchen.
Not long ago, I was watching "Cuisine TV", a French cooking program, and the chef was making some libanese turnovers.
I didn't really like the look of the filling, so I've modified it a bit. You can use any "already made" filling which can be found in English supermarkets, but I made my own bolognese filling:
Dough
300g plain flour
100g buckwheat flour (if you can't find it, use plain flour)
270ml warm water
15g dried yeast
3tbsp olive oil
1tsp salt
Mix the flour, yeast and salt in a big bowl. Add the warm water and olive oil to make a soft dough.
Knead on a floured surface for about 8 mins.
Separate the dough into 14 balls and leave to rise on a floured surface covered in cling film or a damp tea-towel.
Filling
500g minced meat
1 chopped onion
1 crushed garlic clove
2 chopped carrots
4 chopped mushrooms
4 chopped tomatoes
1tsp chilli sauce (optional)
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp tomato purée
200ml stock cube
salt, pepper, parsley
Fry the vegetables in a large frying pan. Add the minced meat and stir until it browns.
Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 30mins on a medium heat. Leave to cool.
Once the dough has risen, roll out each ball of dough into a circle, about the size of a small saucer.
Place a good amount of filling on one half of the dough leaving enough space to seal the edges. (about 1cm)
Fold the top half of the circle over the filling and seal the edges with a fork.
Place the turnovers in a hot oven (200°C) and cook for about 10 minutes.
This makes a lovely TV snack on a Sunday evening with a nice portion of mixed salad.
Bon Appetit...
Not long ago, I was watching "Cuisine TV", a French cooking program, and the chef was making some libanese turnovers.
I didn't really like the look of the filling, so I've modified it a bit. You can use any "already made" filling which can be found in English supermarkets, but I made my own bolognese filling:
Dough
300g plain flour
100g buckwheat flour (if you can't find it, use plain flour)
270ml warm water
15g dried yeast
3tbsp olive oil
1tsp salt
Mix the flour, yeast and salt in a big bowl. Add the warm water and olive oil to make a soft dough.
Knead on a floured surface for about 8 mins.
Separate the dough into 14 balls and leave to rise on a floured surface covered in cling film or a damp tea-towel.
Filling
500g minced meat
1 chopped onion
1 crushed garlic clove
2 chopped carrots
4 chopped mushrooms
4 chopped tomatoes
1tsp chilli sauce (optional)
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp tomato purée
200ml stock cube
salt, pepper, parsley
Fry the vegetables in a large frying pan. Add the minced meat and stir until it browns.
Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 30mins on a medium heat. Leave to cool.
Once the dough has risen, roll out each ball of dough into a circle, about the size of a small saucer.
Place a good amount of filling on one half of the dough leaving enough space to seal the edges. (about 1cm)
Fold the top half of the circle over the filling and seal the edges with a fork.
Place the turnovers in a hot oven (200°C) and cook for about 10 minutes.
This makes a lovely TV snack on a Sunday evening with a nice portion of mixed salad.
Bon Appetit...
Chelsea Buns
As promised, here's the recipe for my Chelsea Buns:
Bread Dough
3dl warm milk
20g dried yeast
50g margarine
15g brown sugar
5 g salt
500g flour
Filling
150g margarine
150g brown sugar
150g raisins
Glaze
50g brown sugar
30ml water
I used my bread machine to make the dough and let it rise, but if you don't have one, you can also do it by hand.
Mix together all the ingredients for the dough and knead on a floured surface for about 8 minutes. Put back into the bowl and leave in a warm place to rise (about 45 mins)
Once risen, turn out onto a floured surface and push out the air. Roll out into a large rectangle.
Dot the margerine all over the surface and add brown sugar and raisins.
Roll up into a long sausage shape. Cut into 16 pieces and place in a baking tray. Cover with cling film, or a damp tea towel, and leave to rise for about 30mins. They should double in size.
Place in the oven at 180°C and cook for about 25mins.
When the chelsea buns are cooked, prepare the glaze by heating the water and sugar in a saucepan. Brush over the warm chelsea buns... et voila
A batch of yummy Chelsea Buns which will not last long!
Bread Dough
3dl warm milk
20g dried yeast
50g margarine
15g brown sugar
5 g salt
500g flour
Filling
150g margarine
150g brown sugar
150g raisins
Glaze
50g brown sugar
30ml water
I used my bread machine to make the dough and let it rise, but if you don't have one, you can also do it by hand.
Mix together all the ingredients for the dough and knead on a floured surface for about 8 minutes. Put back into the bowl and leave in a warm place to rise (about 45 mins)
Once risen, turn out onto a floured surface and push out the air. Roll out into a large rectangle.
Dot the margerine all over the surface and add brown sugar and raisins.
Roll up into a long sausage shape. Cut into 16 pieces and place in a baking tray. Cover with cling film, or a damp tea towel, and leave to rise for about 30mins. They should double in size.
Place in the oven at 180°C and cook for about 25mins.
When the chelsea buns are cooked, prepare the glaze by heating the water and sugar in a saucepan. Brush over the warm chelsea buns... et voila
A batch of yummy Chelsea Buns which will not last long!
Pancakes
My 12 year old nephew came to stay last night as his mum has taken my eldest to Paris for 20th Birthday. (she's her godmother by the way, that's why it's such a big pressie).
As he has a football match this morning, I decided to get up a bit earlier and make some Pancakes.
I've got a lovely recipe that I found in "The New Dairy Cookbook". I have modified a few ingredients to make it my own...
100g self raising flour
1 pinch of salt
10g brown sugar
1 egg
150g greek yogurt (the thick kind)
1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp orange juice
2 tsp vegetable oil
Sift the four and salt into a bowl. Add all other ingredients and mix well to form a smooth, thick batter.
If necessary add a little extra milk.
Cook in small rounds, either in a frying pan or on a 6 mini-pancake machine.
Serve when warm with a drizzle of maple syrup or golden syrup.
Tip: I sometimes add a handful of Cranberries or Blueberries to the mixture before cooking.
This makes a nice alternative which doesn't need the syrup.
Mmmmmm - Bon appetit
As he has a football match this morning, I decided to get up a bit earlier and make some Pancakes.
I've got a lovely recipe that I found in "The New Dairy Cookbook". I have modified a few ingredients to make it my own...
1 pinch of salt
10g brown sugar
1 egg
150g greek yogurt (the thick kind)
1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp orange juice
2 tsp vegetable oil
Sift the four and salt into a bowl. Add all other ingredients and mix well to form a smooth, thick batter.
If necessary add a little extra milk.
Cook in small rounds, either in a frying pan or on a 6 mini-pancake machine.
Serve when warm with a drizzle of maple syrup or golden syrup.
Tip: I sometimes add a handful of Cranberries or Blueberries to the mixture before cooking.
This makes a nice alternative which doesn't need the syrup.
Mmmmmm - Bon appetit
Apple Cake
I've just got in from work and my phone alarm reminded me that I'd promised one of my work friends to bake a cake for her daughters cake sale Saturday morning. So, I got out my pinny and started baking. I decided to make an apple cake as it keeps well and is appreciated by almost everyone. Here's the recipe for those of you who like yummy cakes:
360g flour (+ 1 packet of baking powder)
240g margerine
180g brown sugar
1 pinch of salt
3 chopped cooking apples
3 eggs
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the margerine and mix until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
Add the sugar and chopped cooking apples. Add the beaten eggs and mix together.
Put into a baking tin and cook for about 40mins in the middle of the oven at 180°C
Once the cake is cooked, take out of the oven and dredge with white sugar. Leave to cool.
Tip: I sometimes omit 1 egg and replace with apple juice. This makes a very moist cake.
Mmmmm Yummy. Shame I can't pinch a piece to go with my cup of tea...
360g flour (+ 1 packet of baking powder)
240g margerine
180g brown sugar
1 pinch of salt
3 chopped cooking apples
3 eggs
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the margerine and mix until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
Add the sugar and chopped cooking apples. Add the beaten eggs and mix together.
Put into a baking tin and cook for about 40mins in the middle of the oven at 180°C
Once the cake is cooked, take out of the oven and dredge with white sugar. Leave to cool.
Tip: I sometimes omit 1 egg and replace with apple juice. This makes a very moist cake.
Mmmmm Yummy. Shame I can't pinch a piece to go with my cup of tea...
Juicer
At the beginning of the year I bought myself a Kenwood Juicer.
I had originally gone out to get myself the latest in technology and the best of all fruit juicer...
When I saw the prices, I came back down to earth with a bump and took a sturdy Kenwood.
He helped me lose 10 kilos... I still have a few hanging on to my hips, but I feel so much better.
This morning I decided to make myself a yummy fruit juice to take to work.
2 Apples
1 Pear
1/4 of a Pineapple
1 bunch of grapes
I pushed all of these through the juicer and put the juice in my blender, adding
1 handful of Raspberries
1 handful of Blueberries
Freshly pressed juice of two oranges
Once all of this was blended I passed it through a sieve as the blueberries and raspberries tend to leave some gritty bits in the juice.
I think I might add a Fruit Juice category to my recipes in the future. Food for thought!
