Versatile Bulleit Bourbon Sauce

Versatile? Why? Well, I've served this with shredded beef (which recieved a big thumbs up), with salmon fillets  (the same success) and I know this would compliment BBQ'd pork chops, chicken breast or wings just a treat too! It really is the floozie of boozy susie's in the sauce world.

With this sauce I'd recommend you experiment, to get the taste just right for you. Some people will opt for a sweeter sauce, others more spicy and some will just be looking for a real kick of whiskey! Alter these measurements to suit and find the balance that's right for you (and your dish!) But remember that time, care and attention during the reduction process is the key. Don't rush it, be patient, it's worth the wait I promise you.

1 cup bulleit bourbon
1/2 cup ketchup
2-3 heaped tablespoons of soft brown sugar
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
Salt and Pepper at the very end.

Bung it all together and simmer on a medium heat until the alcohol has cooked off and you are left with a semi thick, glazed liquid. This took me about 20-30mins so don't expect this to be a quick win. You may also wish to squeeze half a lemon into the sauce to give it a 'lift' if you feel it's too sickly sweet.

As I said, I used this with beef and salmon for weekend dining and both were winners but why not make a big batch of sauce and jazz up mid week sandwiches, wraps or burger buns!?

During the next experiment I'd like grate a half clove of garlic into the pot, just to add a 'hum' of difference, and then melt some butter in at the very end too. I'd separate into ice cube trays or cake pop moulds, put in the fridge and see if this would work as an alternative to garlic butter on a steak! If you try it first let me know how you get on!

Happy Bourbonating folks! Have a great weekend.x

2 Pot Kickin' Cheese Pasta

So it's macaroni cheese, with a twist. But i eidnt use macaroni pasta and I used 2 pots to make it... name making is simples innit? But what about that kick? Well, it comes from 3 spiced ingredients which compliment the cheese...

Start by boiling pasta in one pot with a little salt, and in another fry off some spiced salami or chorizo style sausage; I used Hungarian Spiced Pork. After a minute on high heat remove the sausage from the pan but leave the fat in. You are going to use this and some additional butter to make a roux (a fancy word for something that makes your sauces, stocks and soup thicker).

You make a roux by melting fat (in this case Hungarian spiced pork fat and salted butter, about 30g of) and adding a wheat based ingredient (in this case plain flour, just over 1 heaped tablespoon of based on sauce for 2 people) and allow to cook off for a couple of minutes - stir and do not burn!

Add cold milk slowly to the roux, and keep stiring as it heats through, don't worry about wee lumps just keep stiring, they will go as the roux and the milk marry together. Keep adding milk until you have just enough sauce to coat pasta for 2 people (approx 250 - 300ml).

Now, add grated cheese to suit your palette, I like my cheese sauce to taste of cheese funnily enough so I went for around 70g of strong cheddar.... I can't bear limp wall paper paste pasta!

Once melted down you are then adding the magic.... 1 heaped tablespoon of English mustard, 2 teaspoons of Franks  Hot Sauce, a good old glug of Worcestershire Sauce and ground black pepper! Boom. Taste that. Adjust and add more of what you like but this was pretty tasty to me.

Finally, drain your pasta when cooked, add both the pasta and sauce into your bigger pot of the two and add your pre-fried sausage.

There you have it, a tastebud tickling weekday dinner, Mac'n'cheese never tasted so good. Enjoy! X

Lushious Apple Pie Milkshake

This was made for Hubz who hasn't been well for coming on 5 days now, and has not eaten a proper meal in 6; there are only so many Complan a man can take! So for a change of flavour, and as a treat to line his belly, I made this lush 'shake which was inspired from watching one of many episodes of DDD. It's also ideal as a summer dessert, a perfect cure for a sweet craving or even for kids!

After baking some apple pie which was left over from mum's Sunday lunch I blended an eighth of this with 2 large scoops of good quality vanilla ice cream,  added around 150ml of semi skimmed milk and a small amount of water. The pie doesn't have to be warm but it does help melt the ice cream and blitz the whole thing together.

Taste.

You may have to add some more icecream to thicken, or perhaps add a pinch of cinnamon to add an element of spice but either way, I'm sure you're loving it! Hubz did and having anticipated this, I saved some pie so he has it all to look forward to again! :)

Happy invalid nursing!  Nikki x

Creamy Salmon Pasta

For me, this dish can sometimes be a bit too rich but hubz loves it everytime! It's an alternative to the steamed salmon parcels we do often during the week and feels a little bit special without pushing the boat out too far :)

Based on cooking 2 salmon fillets for two people (or 4 of you if like me you find it quite rich) start by pan frying a finely chopped stick of celery, 1 red onion and 1 crushed clove of garlic in a small piece of salted butter. 

After 3-4 mins add 2 chopped salmon fillets to the pan with pouring cream (I will leave it up to you whether you go single, full fat double or opt for a reduced fat version such as Elmlea...) and half a Knorr fish stock cube to dissolve in the sauce.

Whilst this is cooking boil the kettle and stick on the spaghetti. Both should be ready 9-11 mins after bubbling away.
FUN TIP: your spaghetti is cooked if, when you throw a strand of it on the kitchen wall, it sticks!

In the very last minute of cooking, squeeze a quarter of lemon into the sauce. Taste, add more if you wish (personally I like the lift it gives so usually go for half a lemon) and season to taste with salt and pepper also.

Serve your creamy salmon and sauce over warm spaghetti and enjoy! Happy weekend dining! X

Big Bad Boy Burgers

As a non-lover of burgers I'm going to open with a bold statement : this is the best burger combination I've tasted yet! As with all culinary experiments it can be hit or miss but this was certainly a hit in our household last night. What was due to be a pot of mince turned into burgers simply 'cause the sun popped out - beef is versatile that way :)

To make these Big Bad Boy Burgers I added one medium sized, whole chopped red chilli (including seeds), to approximately 1 large tablespoon of onion salt, 3 teaspoons of paprika and half a clove of crushed garlic. I then mixed this into the minced beef along with one egg and lay to rest for 5 - 10 minutes whilst I prepared my side (on this occasion it was roasted veg but you decide!)

After ten minutes or so I patted the beef mix into four equal(ish) burgers and began to fry for 15-20 minutes until cooked. Half way through I added two rashers of smoked bacon to the pan on a whim- a good whim at that! (Make sure the bacon gets nice and crispy.... )

As if this combination couldn't get any better, I then LIGHTLY coated the inside of the burger buns with a garlic and herb cream cheese instead of butter, mayo or marg.

To serve I added pickled gherkins to the top of the bun with a cocktail stick (to show at a glance which had the double burger and which with the single but they taste good too) and Chipotle dressing to our side of roasted veg.

As I said, I'm not a fan of burgers but there were 4 thumbs up in our household of 2 , and I now regret not taking a doubler...

What happened to that one rogue burger that was? Well, I saved it for my lunch today and was the envy of my colleagues :) play about with this one, add more or less spice to suit and for you heat freaks try add a Scotch Bonnet to the mix, let me know how you go!

Happy springtime everyone, here's to many more burgers and BBQ-able delights! x

Restaurant Review: CLC Duchally Country Estate

I just wanted to write a short post about our fantastic food experience yesterday at Duchally Country Estate, Perthshire.

Hubs and I spent the afternoon soaking away the weekly stresses in the pool, steam room, sauna and jacuzzi which were all lovely. The leisure facilities were quiet, clean and enjoyable and the wider estate was sleepy and visually appealing, styled in a modern country chic design.

However, the really impressive aspect of the estate for us, was the restaurant bar! Upon entry the restaurant looks nothing more than a well presented lounge with a small bar offering a wide selection of drinks and spirits on the left. We anticipated typical pub grub style food, which in many aspects was on offer, however for me the 'clean', tastey nature of this grub was what caught my attention and taste buds this most.

Simple dishes like seafood chowder, stuffed potato skins, beef burger and steak baguette are all too often ruined by lack of love, over cooking and drab side garnishes but here at Duchally Estate each dish tasted like the first of the day from Chef. Basic ingredients such as bread were light and fluffy with and outer crisp crust and even our shared side of onion rings were deep fried but not greasy! From homemade, thick cut chips to significantly sized side salads, "fresh" and "flavoursome" are the words I'd use to describe.

The catch? Well, the menu is a tad overpriced than most, but when you consider the surroundings and quality I'd more than recommend passing on your usual haunt this week and spending the extra on a truly special meal here. Take a look at what's on offer here for yourself:  http://www.duchally.co.uk/restaurant/ 

Enjoy!! X

Product Review: Ainsley Harriott's Moroccan Tagine Dinner Kit

Hi folks- as you may have guessed, more often than not, I'm a 'from scratch' kinda girl. I make my own sauces, utilise herbs and natural ingredients for flavour and don't much trust what these corporate companies put in a jar or sachet so I was reluctant to try these dinner kits... however on some weekday nights a short cut is a must!

I won't go into the instructions of what I did or what to do (the back of the pack does a really good, easy to read, job of that) but what I would say is I'm mega impressed by what I produced and loved the flavours in this dish, as well as the level of heat without being too spicy.

Simple to follow, very tasty and filling is what this dinner kit was all about, with numbered packets and a step by step guide - it was ready under half an hour!

There are three kits in this range... A Lebanese Kofta and Spanish Paella sit alongside. I will be buying minced lamb later in the week to try the Kofta Kit so will report back then! (From a non- lamb lover it will be hit or miss).

I would thoroughly recommend these kits to anyone who is short of time or even fancies something different for dinner one night - the flavours are fabulous! Let me know what you think...

Happy Monday x

Note: these kits were purchased by me and I was not sponsored to review Ainsley Harriott's Moroccan Tagine  Dinner Kit.