ROASTED STUFFED PEPPERS

Good Morning to you,

"St Swithun's Day, if thou dost rain

For forty days it will remain

St Swithun's Day, if thou be fair

For forty days twill rain nae mair"

Guess what?  Today is St Swithun's Day!

So,

if it rains today, we can expect to have rain for the next forty days and if it is sunny, then we will have sunny weather for the next forty days!

Fingers crossed it will be 40 days of sunshine.

I AM THRILLED!

On Thursday, I had a wonderful surprise... I have my very first follower!  I am so excited! The name of this lovely lady is Karen and her blog is 

My Little Home and Garden.  Take a look at her beautiful blog, I know you will enjoy it as much as I do. Karen, to mark the fact that you are my very first follower,  I have a little surprise I would like to send to you..... so if you would  forward your address to me I will post your surprise  during the week. 

 ROASTED STUFFED PEPPERS

The recipe I have for you today is something that is enjoyed by the vegetarian members of our family..... but I have to say I cook this dish for supper a couple of times a month.  I ring the changes, sometimes with rice, sometimes with couscous, other times I include minced beef, but today I am going to fill the peppers with rice.

INGREDIENTS

3 whole peppers

1 large onion, finely chopped

Olive Oil

1 or 2 garlic cloves, grated or chopped finely

8 oz (250g)  tinned tomatoes chopped

or fresh tomatoes, skinned and chopped
plus 4 sun dried tomatoes

Handful of chopped coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chilli powder
(if you prefer less heat add 1/2 teaspoon of chilli powder)

3 oz (75g) cooked long-grained rice

Handful of toasted pine nuts


OPTIONAL

2 oz (50g) grated hard cheese
Squeeze of lemon

METHOD

Pre-heat oven 180c/350f/Gas Mark 4

Oil a dish large enough for 3 cut peppers

Cook the rice in your usual method.

When cooked set aside.

Place the pine nuts in a dry pan and brown,

keep an eye on them, because pine nuts

brown very quickly, keep turning until brown.

Set aside

If using fresh tomatoes, cut a cross  where the stem had been attached and place them in a bowl of boiling water.  Leave the tomatoes submerged for about a minute (longer if skins are tough).

This will make it very easy to remove the tomato skins.

Set aside

Cut each pepper in half

Remove the seeds

Set aside

Place olive oil in a pan and add the onions,

cook slowly until the onions are caramelised

(this is when the onions take on a rich brown colour, but this only happens if cooked slowly on a low heat for about 20 minutes)

Add the ground cumin and  chilli powder

add the chopped garlic

Cook for a further 2 minutes

Your kitchen will smell fabulous!

Add the chopped tomatoes
Cook for a further 5 minutes

Add the rice and make sure the rice is thoroughly incorporated with the rest of the ingredients.

Add the chopped coriander

The pine nuts look very brown due to the light, they were more of a golden brown.

Add pine nuts

Add grated cheese
and squeeze of lemon juice
Check for seasoning
if salt is needed, add now

The peppers are resting on cut outs used for biscuits. This is to stop
them rolling over

Place the rice mixture into the halved peppers.

Place the peppers into the baking dish

Pour hot water to cover the base of the dish

about 1/4 inch (the steam helps to cook the peppers).

Cover with tin foil and place in the pre-heated oven. 
or
If you would prefer place baking parchment in a bowl of water leave for 20 seconds then wring the water out and place the parchment over the peppers.
or

If you have a casserole dish large enough and it has a lid, use this.  If I am cooking 2 halved peppers, this is what I use, but I don't have a covered dish large enough for 3 halved peppers.

Remove the tin foil  and bake for a further

 15 minutes

.....and now you have a delicious supper for three. 

The cheese and lemon juice are optional, but I find just that little bit of grated cheese and lemon add a lovely depth of flavour.

NEXT WEEK


 I thought I would share with you my love of all things coffee.  So enjoy the rest of your weekend and I will catch up with you on Wednesday.  Until then,

Best Wishes

Daphne xxx

MY FAVOURITE KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

Hello Everyone,

How are things with you today?  Where is the sunshine?

Google Image

Whilst America is experiencing a heatwave, here in England we have almost forgotten what the sun looks like as we have the opposite weather to America.  We are experiencing rain, which just seems to keep falling from the skies and is causing flooding in many parts of the country and apparently the rain is going to continue for a further two weeks!

Can you tell I'm from England.....yes we do talk about the weather a lot!

What did you do over the weekend?  I watched a wonderful film "The Best  Exotic Marigold Hotel" with Maggie Smith,  Judy Dench, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel and a raft of other fabulous actors.

I really enjoyed this film, I must say my favourite  of the year so far. The film is based on the book "These Foolish Things" written by Deborah Moggach, which I haven't read, but will be adding it to my list of "things to read".

I've thought long and hard about my favourite kitchen equipment and this is the list of things I have settled on, some of the items may surprise you and others may not.

 I thought I would start with the item I use the most.

MY SMALL KNIFE

Look  how well used this knife is. It doesn't have to be new to be useful!
You may see lots of marks on the unit surface these are natural as the material is split bamboo!
The surface is clean!

I love my little knife, it's plain and simple and  isn't a brand name, but it's sharp and easy to use.  I use this knife for peeling potatoes, well any vegetables really.  I can thinly peel a potato very quickly.....as taught to me by Phyllis many years ago.  Phyllis still uses her own little knife at the age of 81 years.

JAPANESE RASPER

This wonderful Japanese rasper was sent to me by my daughter when she lived in Japan and it is fabulous.   It is now the only way that I grate garlic.....garlic crushers are consigned to the drawer. It isn't like a normal grater which has perforated holes, whatever is grated remains on the surface and is turned into a fine paste.  This is useful so that you don't bite on a lump of garlic which hasn't been chopped properly.

MICRO PLANE

Micro plane....yes I could grate garlic, but I use the micro plane for grating lemon or  orange zest for cakes.  It is also perfect for grating Parmesan and other hard cheeses as it delivers a fine texture.

MEYER SAUCEPANS
Bella Cuisine
Stainless Steel Cookware

Meyer Saucepans.....these I cannot recommend highly enough.  The design has moved on since I purchased mine (15 or so years ago), but I love these pans because as the advert says they are guaranteed for a lifetime.  They are very expensive, but you will never have to buy another set of saucepans, so in the long run these pans will save you money.

MASON CASH MIXING BOWL

Mason Cash can be traced back to the beginning of the 19th century. These mixing bowls come in a variety of sizes.  I love this bowl,  as it is easy to place in the crook of your arm when mixing.  For me there is nothing  as relaxing as making a cake using this bowl. The mixing is done in silence without the noise of machines and on those days when all I want is peace and quiet this is the bowl I use.

FOOD PROCESSOR

 

This piece of machinery is always in use.   I use mine to make coleslaw, chopping onions when I want to get the job done quickly.  Fabulous for blitzing tomatoes and on busy days when I don't want to spend time making pastry by hand, it does the job in minutes.

KitchenAid

Sorry, I should have hidden the lead before taking the photograph....I'm still learning!

  I believe this design has changed very little since the 1930's. There are a wonderful range of colours to choose from. This is another piece of expensive equipment, but one you will use over and over again.  Leave it on your  work surface, don't put it in the cupboard, because if you can see it you will use it.  All my appliances are either on view on the kitchen work surface, or are placed on open shelves for ease of access.

WHITTARD'S MILK AEROLATTE



I love all things coffee, but I like nothing better than enjoying a cappuccino in the morning and this little piece of equipment I love, love, love!

The Whittards Aerolatte is a marvellous little gizmo which I have used for years.  I use  it to whip small amounts of warm milk to create that wonderful foamy milk on top of a cappuccino! If you don't want to spend a fortune on an expensive cappuccino maker, I promise you this does the trick.

AND FINALLY

MY CAFETIERE

Now technically, this is not a piece of kitchen equipment, but I had to add this to my list as it is something I use everyday and is perfect for making a single cup of coffee. I bought this cafetiere in Starbucks and use it everyday.... and yes sometimes in conjunction with the Whittards Aerolatte.....and  not forgetting the sprinkling of chocolate!

I hope you have enjoyed my list of favourite pieces of kitchen equipment.  What are your favourites, is it something given to you by your mother or grandmother or something you love and have used for years.  I'd love to hear.

NEXT SUNDAY

I have had a request to make a vegetarian dish, so I am going to make stuffed peppers which I know you will love.  Enjoy the rest of your week and I will see you on Sunday.

Best Wishes,

Daphne xxx

HOUMOUS

Good Morning  Everyone,

Thank you for joining me today.  I am looking forward to showing you  my version of houmous.

 Whilst thinking about the ingredients for this recipe, I was thinking about  the time I spent on the Island of Cyprus.  I love the book BITTER LEMONS, written by Lawrence Durrell where he talks about his experiences in Cyprus.... it brought a smile to my face. Here is an excerpt.

"Within a week, I had a dozen firm friends in the little town and began to understand the true meaning of the word - KOPIASTE, which roughly speaking means "Sit down with us and share".  Impossible to pass a cafe, to exchange a greeting with anyone eating or drinking without having the word fired at one as if from the mouth of a gun.  It became dangerous even to shout "Good appetite" as one does in Greece, to a group of labourers working on the roads when one passed them at their lunch hour seated under an olive tree."

 

PHYLLIS AND ME

AND THE

ISLAND OF CYPRUS

Phyllis as a young woman

Phyllis and I experienced the same Cypriot hospitality whilst living on the Island of Cyprus. 

 Phyllis moved to Cyprus  in 1955 when she was a young wife and mother  to join my father who was already there. 

It must have been an exciting time for Phyllis, but tinged with sadness, to say goodbye to her father, brothers, sisters and friends. To pack her suitcases and to move thousands of miles away from the place she had lived all her life, to start a new life in Cyprus with my father.

 The journey was not an easy one, as travel wasn't as straightforward as it is nowadays.  Phyllis travelled to London by train, then from London she flew to Rome where the plane refuelled and  flew on to Nicosia in Cyprus.   It must have been so difficult for her to complete this long journey, with a three year old child, in a time when the average person  experienced very little foreign travel.

Me.....4 years old

 I lived on the Island of Cyprus when I was a young girl, again when I was a teenager  and then again later  in life.  I love the relaxed, easy going attitude to food.  To eat lunch under grapevines and take one, maybe two hours to eat with friends and family, then to retire to bed for an afternoon snooze.  The Island of Cyprus is where we first experienced houmous.  I hope you enjoy my version of houmous as much as we do.

HOUMOUS



houmas with Peppadew peppers , black olive houmous and plain houmous

THE INGREDIENTS

200g (7 oz) dried chickpeas

3 lemons

3 cloves of garlic, finely grated (2 if you prefer a less garlic flavour)

120 ml/4 fl oz tahini

Level teaspoon of ground cumin

Olive Oil

Salt

METHOD

Place the dried chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with water (I usually fill the bowl with 2/3rds of water)

Soak overnight

Drain the chickpeas and place in a large saucepan

add enough water to cover the chickpeas by about 3 inches

Bring to the boil,
then reduce to a simmer for approximately 1 hour (depending on the age of the chickpeas, the older they are the longer it takes to cook them) might be more, might be less, check after 50 minutes, mine actually took 1 hour 15 minutes to cook.

Remove any froth which forms with a slotted spoon

When the chickpeas are cooked, drain and reserve the cooking liquid

Place the hot chickpeas into a food processor, add 3 ladles of cooking liquid and pulse.

The same effect will be achieved with a hand blender,
be careful the hot liquid doesn't splash you.

Add the chopped garlic,

ground cumin,

salt

juice of 2 lemons (reserve 3rd lemon in case you have to adjust the taste at the end)

 pulse until smooth

(if you prefer a chunkier houmous, reduce the pulsing time)

Add 3 tablespoon of olive oil and the tahini
 and pulse again

oops forgot to include tahini in the picture!

At this point, check to make sure there is sufficient lemon juice and seasoning, if more is needed add a little at a time

If you prefer a thinner houmous add another tablespoon of olive oil

or

a tablespoonful of cooking liquid

until the required thickness is reached

Allow to cool and serve with warm pitta bread.

My family love houmous with a little bite and quite thick, but we all have different likes and dislikes, so find the one which you enjoy eating, maybe it will be like the Cypriot houmous which is quite thin, maybe it will be like ours ....chunkier.  You will find what is right for you and it will become your family recipe.





As a useful note, the ingredients made the three dishes of houmous as shown in the photograph. I divided the mixture into three and then added the black olives and Peppadew peppers.

HINTS AND TIPS

You can substitute dried chickpeas with tin chickpeas.  Most recipes suggest that you make houmous with cold chickpeas, but in my experience, the flavours are enhanced if the chickpeas are heated. 

Tahini can be bought in supermarkets. Tahini is sesame seeds which are ground with oil.  I have never tried this, but I will in the future and let you know how I get on.

To ring the changes, I added chopped black olives, but reduce the salt added to the chickpeas until you have tasted the black olive houmous as olives are salty.

Also try using,

 6 chopped Peppadew peppers as they have a mild tang!

NEXT WEEK

I really enjoyed chatting to you on Wednesday ...... so  I will see you next Wednesday when I am going to share with you  my favourite pieces of  kitchen equipment.  See you then.

Best Wishes

Daphne xxx

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

Hello Everyone,

Surprise!  How are you today.  I know I don't normally write to you on a Wednesday, but today is the 4th of July  and I wanted to send love and best wishes to all my friends who live in America.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

A FEW AMERICAN GOODIES

Look at all the wonderful American goodies I found whilst shopping.  I found something called Marshmallow Fluff which intrigued me.....any tips on how to use it.  The peanut butter is scrummy and I love it with  jam.  The salted pretzels are a favourite and George is hovering waiting for me to take the photograph so he can open the bag! There are some barbecue Marshmallows, which I have never eaten before, but I just feel they are going to be fabulous and finally some American Hard Gums, they remind me of English Rowntrees fruit gums..... I think  my waist line will be increasing this week!  We have quite a few "nibblies" to enjoy during the week or should I say two!!

 

 Do you see the John Wayne plate..... this is George's pride and joy as he loves John Wayne films (as does his brothers).... well any cowboy film really!  This plate normally resides in George's "man cave" but I persuaded him to let me use it for the photograph! Whenever a John Wayne film comes onto the tv, you will find George lying in a very relaxed position, on the settee in his "man cave".  George watched American cowboy films as a child in 1950's.  His favourite cowboys were the Lone Ranger, Cisco Kid and Roy Rogers and I'm sure many more which I cannot name!

Isn't this a fabulous photograph I wanted to share this with you as the paper flowers are lovely.

These lovely flowers were sent to me by "The Sugar Hill Gang" who live in Atlanta.  Do you know these flowers travelled from America to India and arrived in tact!  I was visiting my daughter at the time and what a lovely surprise they were, they arrived the day before we were flying back to England. My daughter gave me the vase as the flowers fitted perfectly.... aren't I lucky!

This lovely bouquet of flowers were made by the two "smaller" members of "The Sugar Hill Gang".  I love them and they sit on the shelf in my Sewing Room as they brighten my day and I hope the photograph has brightened yours.

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY EVERYONE

See you Sunday,

Best Wishes

Daphne xxx