Carrot Coleslaw

 

A zesty carrot coleslaw with just a hint of sweetness and a subtle kick to keep the tastebuds piqued. Although this recipe uses mayonnaise it's not overtly creamy or heavy however still retains its coleslaw status merely by ingredients. I have made another version of this carrot coleslaw using other ingredients such as sesame oil, horseradish, rice vinegar, honey, crushed chilis, sesame seeds, pickle juice and radishes. It's a playful recipe that can adapt and add a bit of colourful zing to any spring or summertime meal.  

Carrot Coleslaw

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3 carrots 

2 1/2 cups thinly sliced or shredded cabbage

4 spring onions

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons mayonaise

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Grate the carrots and grate or thinly slice the cabbage. You could also use ready made shredded cabbage.    

Place the grated carrot and cabbage into a large mixing bowl. Thinly slice the spring onions and add to the carrot and cabbage mixture. Toss together.

In a smaller bowl whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise, honey, dijon mustard and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the dressing over the top of the carrot cabbage mixture. Toss making sure the vegetables get well coated with the dressing.  

Leftovers #61 ~ Spicy Peanut Butter Noodles

 

I can't take full credit for this. My leftovers were inspired by Nigella Lawson's Creamy Dreamy Peanut Butter Pasta recipe. After foraging around the kitchen for lunch, I found some leftover stir-fry noodles, green onion and carrots... instantaneously I remembered watching Nigella's video recipe, although not committed to memory, I did recall some key ingredients and instead went with what I had, peanut butter, soy sauce, crushed dried chili flakes, green onions, carrots and leftover noodles.

Adding some oil to a frypan over medium heat I tossed the noodles to warm them up. I quickly sliced the green onions and grated the carrot. In a bowl I added about 2 to 3 tablespoons of peanut butter, smooth or crunchy, doesn't matter, and 1 to 2  teaspoons of low sodium soy sauce, stirred together then poured it over the noodles in the frypan. Added the green onions and carrot, sprinkled with crushed chili flakes, adjust according to your level of spiciness, and using tongs to toss and coat. Throughly mixing everything together and ensuring the sauce and vegetables are heated through. I found this incredibly tasty, substantial and moreish! The crushed chili flakes gave it a delicate spicy kick and as the noodles cooled they got more sticky however still very edible; I possibly need to tweak the sauce ingredients. 

I would still like to try Nigella's recipe as it uses spinach.. for not following a recipe and being inspired by one, this was delicious and quick and an excellent way to use leftovers!   

Mabon ~ Autumn Equinox ~ Carrot Honey Cake

 

Mabon ~ Autumn Equinox, September 21st to September 29th in the Northern Hemisphere, celebrates Autumn, Autumn Equinox and the second harvest. It is also known as Harvest Home, the Feast of the Ingathering, Meán Fómhair, An Clabhsúr and Alban Elfed (in Neo-Druid traditions). At this time the moon is at its closest and is known as the Harvest Moon. It also marks the midway point between Summer and Winter.   

Summer has turned to Autumn. Night and day are of equal length, and as the sun begins to wane, the nights grow longer and the days shorter and cooler. The leaves begin to turn and fall from the trees and the flowers are fading. Think rest, reflection and giving thanks as we gather and celebrate abundance and transition. 

Other Autumn celebrations and festivals at this time are: Stonehenge Sunrise (UK), Dożynki (Slavic, August 15th/28th, September 23rd in Poland), The Snake of Sunlight (Maya & Mexico), Higan (Japan), Moon Festival (China & Vietnam), Michaelmas (Global, Christian), Chuseok (Korea) and Navaratri (Hindu, September 26th to October 5th, Goddess Durga).

This autumnal recipe for Carrot Honey Cake is a simple sweet and delicious cake that celebrates Mabon and the Autumn Equinox wonderfully. Happy Mabon/Autumn Equinox! 

 

Carrot Honey Cake

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4 eggs

1 1/2 cups honey

1 cup oil

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour 

2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

3 cups grated carrots

1 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Icing sugar, for decorating

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).

Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Line the bottom with baking parchment paper.

In a large bowl beat the eggs, then add the honey and oil and mix well. Add the grated carrots and stir together. 

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Whisk together until well blended. Add the chopped walnuts, if using, and stir to combine.

Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture  and stir until combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out evenly.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack. Sprinkle with icing sugar just before serving.  

Food Photo of the Day ~ Potato Salad

 

No long weekend would be complete without me making potato salad. Fresh golden nugget potatoes from British Columbia, shredded carrot and thick slices of green onion toppled in a rich and creamy smoky herb dressing that will generously be scattered with strips of crisp Canadian bacon before serving. A familiar side dish that will be scrumptiously devoured all weekend long.   

Maple - Roast Parsnips... and Carrots

Taking the ordinary and making it sweetly extraordinary, this recipe is absolutely scrumptious and a glorious way to dress up a root vegetable. I made this recipe over the holidays and added carrots as I wanted to maximize and combine oven roasting vegetables to save time. I did not double the recipe and found there was enough glaze to handle the additional vegetable... approximately four largish carrots cut the same way as the parsnips. This recipe is definitely a recipe worth repeating, not just at holiday times but anytime! 

To find this recipe and other recipes visit Nigella's website at nigella.com

Maple - Roast Parsnips - Nigella Lawson

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Serves 8 to 10

2 pounds/1kg parsnips

1/2 cup/125ml/4 fl oz vegetable oil

1/3 cup/80ml/31/2 fl oz maple syrup 

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F/200˚C/180˚C Fan/Gas mark 6.

2. Peel the parsnips and halve them crosswise, then halve or quarter each piece lengthwise. Place the parsnips into a roasting tin.

3. Pour the oil over the parsnips and mix them well so that the oil covers all of the pieces. Pour the maple syrup over the parsnips and roast for 35 minutes, or until they are tender and golden-brown. To serve place on a clean serving dish. 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Korean Bibimbap

My son created this dinner for us, it's one of his favourite meals, Korean Bibimbap and it was so delicious. I have enjoyed Bibimbap many times however his efforts were extremely tasty. It was nice of him to make dinner for us. I was able to have the evening off, so to speak, from the kitchen and relax although I did offer a helping hand to keep the kitchen running smoothly. 

Have a good weekend everyone and stay safe! - JD 

Chocolate Carrot Cake

I have made this cake for many occasions and it is always a favourite and I often get asked for the recipe. You don't have to make the chocolate icing I have posted here; although the instant coffee gives the icing a delicate mocha flavour. Feel free to create one or use a classic cream cheese icing, if you wish. This is a rich dense chocolatey cake that is worth every morsel.  

Chocolate Carrot Cake

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4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups (375ml) white sugar

1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable oil

2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla

3 cups (750ml) grated carrots 

2 cups (500ml) all purpose flour

1/2 cup (125ml) good quality cocoa powder

2 teaspoon (10ml) baking soda

1/2 teaspoon (2ml) cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon (1ml) salt

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch rectangle cake tin and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Place the eggs in a large bowl and beat together. Add the sugar and blend together well. Add the vegetable oil and vanilla. Add the grated carrots and stir to combine. Set aside.

In another bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add to the egg mixture and mix well. 

Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack. While cooling make icing.   

Chocolate Cheese Icing

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250gram (8oz) cream cheese

1/4 cup (60ml) butter 

1/2 cup (125ml) cocoa powder

2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla

3 cups (750ml) icing sugar

1 tablespoon (15ml) Instant coffee granules

1 tablespoon (15ml) boiling water

In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, butter, cocoa powder, vanilla and icing sugar. Using a hand mixer, beat on low to moisten and bring all the ingredients together. Then beat on medium until fluffy and light.

Stir the coffee granules and boiling water together in a small bowl. Add to the icing and beat for a few seconds until blended. Icing cake. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts, if you wish.   

 Have a good weekend everyone! - JD 

Carrot Banana Chickpea Flour Muffins

This recipe was passed on to me by a friend and I was up to the pantry challenge; plus it does seem like I have been baking muffins quite a bit lately. I sum that up to many reasons, they are quick and easy to make, pantry ingredients may be low or sparse, and at times whatever I can find on the shelf at the shop; therefore making me pull ingredients together and also modifying recipes. 

The original recipe called for two mashed bananas, not having any, I grated 1 to 2 apples, cored. Also the recipe called for 8 tablespoons of melted coconut oil, I used vegetable oil instead. Dark brown sugar was used instead of light brown sugar and sour cream replaced the natural yoghurt. Still, these muffins turned out wonderful. Crumbly and tender.  

Carrot Banana Chickpea Flour Muffins 

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1 1/2 cups chickpea flour

1/4 cup light brown sugar or coconut sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 eggs

1/2 cup natural yoghurt or sour cream

2 mashed bananas

2 large carrots, peeled and grated

1 apple, cored and grated 

8 tablespoons coconut oil

1 teaspoon maple extract

sunflower seeds, to sprinkle on top, optional 

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and line a muffin tin with muffin liners.

In a large bowl mix the chickpea flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon together.

In another bowl, beat the eggs, sour cream, mashed bananas, or shredded apple if using instead, shredded carrots, grated apple, oil and maple extract together until nice combined. Pour into the dry mixture. Stir until the wet and dry ingredients are well combined.

Spoon the batter, equally, into 6 muffin moulds and fill to the top. Bake the muffins in the  preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tops of the muffins are golden brown. 


Have a good weekend and stay safe everyone! - JD

Chestnut Soup

This is an excellent soup. The perfect fall and winter or mid-winter warmer. The recipe comes from a memoir of sorts called The Wood: The Life and Times of Cockshutt Wood by John Lewis-Stempel; who is also the author of Where Poppies Blow. The Wood, gives us insight into the woodlands in remote Herefordshire with just a few recipes scattered throughout, a great nature read. 

  

Chestnut Soup 

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Serves 4

675g chestnuts

1 onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

30g butter

1 sprig rosemary

chicken or game stock

150ml single cream

parsley, finely chopped

Cut crosses in the ends of the chestnuts, place in a pan with enough water to cover and boil for 2 - 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and when the chestnuts are cool enough to handle, peel, scrape off the papery inner skin, and put them to one side.

Sweat the onion and carrot in the butter until tender.

Add the chestnuts and rosemary and continue sweating over a low - medium heat for 5 minutes. Pour the stock, then simmer for 20 - 30 minutes. Liquidize the soup, then strain into a clean saucepan and add the cream. Bring up to almost boiling and season to taste. Serve with a scattering of chopped parsley on top. 

Notes: We found chestnuts and boiled them only to find our effort derailed, most were rotten inside... so back to the shops we went and fortunately found packaged roasted chestnuts, which we used instead. Although no measurement was stated in regards to the stock we added about 2 pints of chicken stock and that was perfect. 

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. We did! - JD

  

Spiced Apple Bundt Cake

Everything about this cake says autumn to me and as it bakes the warmth of the spices blend and evoke those autumnal feelings. 

Spiced Apple Bundt Cake 

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1 cup casters sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

2 teaspoons maple extract

3cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon Chai baking spice

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

5 apples, cored and grated with peel

2 carrots, peeled and grated

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Maple Glaze:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon maple extract or maple syrup

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Grease and flour a Bundt pan. Set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, chai spice and nutmeg.

In a large bowl beat the sugars, oil, eggs and maple extract with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture and stir with a spatula until just blended. Fold in the apples, carrots and walnuts. Spoon into the prepared Bundt pan. 

Bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow cake to cool for 20 minutes before inverting on a wire rack.  

    

Making the glaze... in a medium sauce over medium heat, melt the butter, brown sugar, milk, maple syrup together. Bring to a boil; stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and drizzle over the cake. 

Tip: when spooning the glaze over the cake; place a piece of wax paper under the wire rack as the wax paper will catch any glaze drippings. 

Notes: If you can not find Chai Baking Spice then use All Spice. 

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. I did get some relaxing moments to push this cold along although probably not enough. - JD 

Carrot Cake Loaf

Carrot cake loaf somehow seems like a guilty free way of enjoying a slice of cake; with or without the icing, however it still comes with all the sweet spicy indulgence. The maple glaze icing alleviates some heaviness that a cream cheese icing has; making it an acceptable sweet touch and the crushed pecans heighten the maple flavour.         

Carrot Cake Loaf

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1 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon chai seeds

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon British mixed spice

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons maple flavouring

2 cups grated carrots

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a 9x5' loaf tin and line the bottom with baking parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together, the flour, baking powder, baking soda, chia seeds, cinnamon, British mixed spice and salt. 

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, milk, both sugars, maple flavouring and grated carrot; then stir into the flour mixture until just combined.

Scape the batter into the prepared tin and bake until a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. Cool the baking tin for 10 minutes then remove and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool the loaf may be iced with an icing of your choice, or the maple glaze provided below and sprinkled with crushed pecans.  

Maple Glaze

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1 tablespoon butter

1 1/2 cups powdered icing sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons of milk

1 teaspoon maple flavouring

Melt the butter and add the icing sugar, milk and maple flavouring. Mix until creamy. 

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. Hot temperatures are here for a couple of days. - JD 

Potato Carrot Salad

When making this classic summer salad, I was not alone... my daughter gave me a helping culinary hand. She applied her muscles to grate the carrots. With two involved making this  delicious potato salad was a breeze. 

Potato Carrot Salad

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1 - 2 bags of mini baby potatoes 

1/2 cup plain Greek yoghurt

1/2 cup light mayonnaise 

2 teaspoons grainy mustard

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

4 teaspoons white sugar

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika 

3 green onions, sliced

2 carrots, grated

salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add the potatoes and cook until tender but still slightly firm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Drain. Rinse the potatoes under cool water and allow to drain again. When cool slice the cooked potatoes in half. Place the slices into a large serving bowl. Set aside.

In another bowl, preferably a medium sized one, combine and blend together the Greek yoghurt, mayonnaise, grainy mustard, white wine vinegar, sugar, paprika, sliced green onions, and the grated carrots. Pour over the cooled potato slices and gently toss to coat. Add a dash of salt and pepper, to taste. Chill and serve. 

Notes: Instead of using mini baby potatoes you may also use 2 pounds of russet potatoes. I just found the mini potatoes easier. This recipe lends for easy substitutions and additions, according to your own tastes, if you so wish. 

Carrot Bran Muffins

These sweet but hearty muffins are my son's favourite and they can easily be devoured by all. Although he thinks the addition of raisins or cranberries would be a bonus. As they are or with the additions this is another great no fuss recipe.  

Carrot Bran Muffins

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Makes about 12 muffins

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon ground flax seed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups All-Bran Buds cereal

1 cup almond milk

1 egg

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 large carrot, grated

Preheat oven to 400ºF / 200ºC.  

In a medium bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, ground flax seed, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the cereal and almond milk. Let stand until soft... about 3 minutes. Add the egg, vegetable oil, and grated carrot. Beat well. Add the flour mixture to the cereal mixture and stir until just combined. Add the batter evenly to a 12 greased or lined muffin tin cups.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown. Serve warm.  

Notes: the 1 large carrot equalled about 1/2 cup grated carrot. I lined the muffin tin with reusable silicone baking cups which worked like a charm. 

My son knew exactly what to do with day old cinnamon bread... he made cinnamon French toast for breakfast.  


Bit of a late post, however we are enjoying the Spring Break and enjoying the time we are having in the kitchen. - JD 

Delicious Oat Bran Flax Muffins

I must start off by saying these muffins are by far the most tasty muffins I have made. Packed with loads of fibre, some fruit and veg to maximize taste and give a simple healthy twist. These would be great to start your day, as a snack or for packed lunches. They do have nuts however if you are unable to enjoy nuts or can not have them at school or work then just omit them and add raisins instead.

Delicious Oat Bran Flax Muffins

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makes 12 muffins

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

 3/4 cup ground flax seed 

3/4 cup oat bran

1 cup of dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground British mixed spice, optional 

3/4 cup milk (skim or 2%, which ever you prefer)

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cups shredded carrots

2 apples, peeled and shredded

1 orange, rind grated 

1 cup chopped nuts (unsalted walnuts, almonds or mixed nuts) 

Pre heat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC)

Grease a muffin tin or line the tin with muffin papers.

Shred... grate the carrots, apples and the orange rind then set aside.  

In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients (flour, ground flax, oat bran, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and mixed spice). Set aside.

In a medium bowl combine all the wet ingredients (milk, eggs, vanilla, oil, carrots, apples and grated orange rind) plus the nuts and give a stir to combine those ingredients. Now add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fill the prepared muffin cups about 2/3 of the way full. Bake in the preheated 350ºF (175ºC) oven for 15 or 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. 

Notes: I thought that the next time I make these I will cut down on the amount of sugar added. I may also add 1 to 2 cups of grated zucchini. You may also want to add about 1/2 cup of raisins or dried cranberries. Replace some of the flour with whole wheat flour.  

Hope everyone had a great weekend! - JD 

Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes are an American classic. Growing up we had them from time to time. I always saw it as a quick, fun... if you didn't mind the lack of structure, meal which my mum could throw together in no time. Now that I am an adult I still view Sloppy Joes in the same way and every now and again fancy one.

While checking out the local organic shop I found a Sloppy Joe seasoning packet. The sodium content was reasonable and so was the price so I bought it. Using the seasoning packet did not necessarily cut down on time it was more convenient. My only issue with this seasoning mixture is that the directions state to "mix packet contents with warm water in a bowl, stirring until completely dissolved" ... since it didn't specify a specific amount of water I just added what I thought would dissolve the spices however I ended up with a thin paste. I was not sure if the warm water activated the seasonings some how or why you would need to water down the seasonings as they were there to give it flavour.   Next time I will opt to make my own seasoning mix. 

1 x Simply Organic Sloppy Joes seasoning packet

1 x 454g ground(mince) meat... usually lean minced beef is used or sometimes minced turkey however I used minced chicken. 

1 x can of tomato paste

1 to 2 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
1 piece of celery, chopped 

and half a large yellow onion, diced

*You could also add some diced red and green peppers.

Make according to the seasoning package. 

If you do not have a seasoning packet then you will need a combination of the following ingredients. 

1 to 2 teaspoons of chili powder 

Worcestershire sauce 

possibly some mustard

1 can of tomato paste 

1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced

some honey 

balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

How much or how little will be up to you. My son thought adding some Sriracha sauce would be great too. 

Place a little bit of oil in a large fry pan, add the meat and onions and cook on high heat until the meat and onions are soft. Add the grated carrots and chopped celery or any other veggies you may want to add. Let those cook for a few minutes then add the seasoning sauce you made, from the list of ingredients above, or a seasoning packet, as I did, and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Serve on buns, rolls or try serving it in a wrap. 

Hope everyone had a good week. School is just about finished for my kidlets so these few weeks have been busy ones. Enjoy your weekend! - JD 

Leftovers #11 ~ Easy Spicy Tomato Rice with Vegetables

I am always saving leftover rice when I can and this time it proved perfect. This recipe is quick and easy. Using leftover day old rice, a handful of vegetables, a tin of diced tomatoes, chicken broth and spices. This dish will certainly add a bit of spice to your dinner time. Adding meat, tofu, beans or other vegetables and different spices can certainly change up this very satisfying dish.   

To make this dish you will need the following:   

1 red onion, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 celery stocks, chopped

1 yellow or orange pepper, diced

1  lime, grated

2 tablespoons of oil

3 - 4 cups cooked leftover rice

1x 796ml (28 fluid ounces) low sodium diced tomatoes 

1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth

2-3 tablespoons of chili powder

salt and pepper to taste 

First, chop or dice all the veggies. Grate the lime. Set aside.  

Over medium high heat warm the oil in a large frypan. I used vegetable oil however you may use whatever oil you wish. Once the oil is hot add the onions. Stir. Sauté the onions until slightly transparent. Then add the rest of the vegetables. Stir and allow the vegetables to soften.

Add the leftover rice. Stirring to loosen the rice up in the hot pan with the vegetables. Using a fork and pressing down on the rice should help. Once the rice is loosened and mixed with the vegetables add the chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir to coat well. Stir in the grated lime. 

Once the vegetables and rice are coated with the spices and lime, add the tin of tomatoes and the broth. Stir and let simmer until all the liquid is absorbed and heated all the way through. 

Serve.

For something a bit different, you can take the finished recipe and place it into a deep baking dish, add grated cheese over the top and pop it into a preheated 350ºF oven until the cheese melts. 

Enjoy! -JW 

Deeper 'n' Ever Pie

And here it is. In all it's cheesy glory the Deeper'n'Ever pie. This definitely cured any unvittled eye shrink one might have had. Due to the size and depth and the fact that I made it earlier in the day I first warmed the pie in a preheated 350º oven for about 1 hour. I tested it with a metal chopstick to make sure it was heated all the way through. Once that was accomplished I placed a generous amount of grated old cheddar cheese on top. Waited until the cheese had bubbled then removed the dish from the oven and served straight away. The Deeper'n'Ever pie was tasty and saw Dibbuns and non-Dibbuns go for seconds and thirds. This is an easy recipe because essentially it is just layers of mashed vegetables. Also if you bake it straight away. However if you choose to do it the way I did by making it in the morning and baking it later it may be a bit of a process. I can assure you that all the effort is worth it! My son was very pleased with the effort and a full round table discussion regarding Brian Jacques Redwall was plenty.        

The top crisped up and the cheese bubbly with nestle layers of potato, carrot and turnip. 

Piping hot and disappearing fast!

Hope you all have a great weekend! - JW 

The REDWALL Cookbook

This is my son's cookbook. And I could not be more pleased when he asked for a cookbook for Christmas. However I sense an ulterior culinary motive here and he has succeeded.  He knows I  like to review all cookbooks regardless if it is based on a book or a movie, outdated or old, tongue and cheek, new or vintage. My cookbook collection is extensive and he happily has added one of his along the sidelines.  

All recipes are based on the Brian Jacques Redwall series. Something that my son reads religiously. This cookbook is fun and enjoyable for any Dibbuns at heart. Even if you have not read the Redwall series you can still get a sense of the characters and storyline. Culinary and literary tales combine amongst the recipes which are divided into the four seasons, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. 

Tonight I am serving Mole's Favourite Deeper'n'Ever Turnip'n'Tater'n'Beetroot Pie. Which recipe was handpicked by my son. I will serve this with English bangers and a spinach salad. Another day I will make the Loamhedge Legacy Nutbread.  

Mole's Favourite Deeper'n'Ever Turnip'n'Tater'n'Beetroot Pie

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1 pound (3medium) potatoes, peeled and chopped

1/2 pound (4 medium) carrots, peeled and chopped

1/2 pound turnips or rutabaga, peeled and chopped

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Pepper to taste

Salt to taste

1 cup (2 ounces) grated Cheddar cheese or any hard cheese

Crisp green salad, for serving  (optional)

Pickled beets, for serving (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water and add a pinch of salt. Place the carrots and turnips or rutabaga in another saucepan, cover with water and add a pinch of salt. Boil all the vegetables until soft, 10 - 15 minutes.

2. Drain the vegetables separately, then return them to their pans and add half the butter to each pan. Mash the vegetables until they are smooth and season with salt and pepper. 

3. In a deep casserole dish, spread the alternating layers of mashed vegetables, starting with the carrot mixture and finishing with a layer of potato. Roughen the top with a fork.

4. Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake on the top shelf until the cheese is bubbling, about 15 minutes. 

5. Serve with a crisp green salad and pickled beets if desired.

Here was my effort in the kitchen this morning. Although I did have a bit of help. My husband decided to peel and chop the potatoes and turnip before dashing off to work.    

This was the best kitchen workout. Peel, chop, boil, cook, and mash. 

 First a layer of the carrot mixture goes on the bottom of the dish.

 Then a layer of potato. Keep alternating until you finish with a layer of potato on top.

   

Finished. The grated cheddar cheese still needs to be placed on top however since I am baking this later I will add it then. Will post a picture tomorrow in all it's melted cheesy glory. - JW