Wednesday 30 December 2015

Holiday Tomato Soup

                     Roasted Tomato Soup
                                Holiday time


I love home made tomato soup and whenever I have tomatoes needing to be used up I either make soup or pasta sauce.
I love making this soup, it easy and really tasty!
It tastes so different at the holiday time because I use turkey stock to make this dish instead of chicken or veg stock.

This years turkey stock  turned out great.
In fact it's  all has been used. None left to freeze :)


What you'll need!

Tomatoes ~ 8 cups ( I used mixed cherry tomatoes and cut them in half)
onion ~ 1 peeled and cut into 1/4's
bayleaves ~ 2
balsamic vinegar ~ 1 teaspoon
Brown Sugar ~ 1 teaspoon
Oil ~ 1 teaspoon
Smoked paprika ~ 1/2 teaspoon
onion powder ~ 1/2 teaspoon
garlic powder ~ 1/4 teaspoon
salt ~ 1/4 teaspoon
ground white pepper ~ 1/4 teaspoon
turkey/chicken/veg stock ~ 2 cups
Water 3 cups

Cut your tomatoes in half so they don't burst in the oven
Place in an oven proof dish
add the onion then add the bay leaves, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, oil, smoked paprika, onion powder,garlic powder, salt, and pepper and mix well
cook in the oven at 180/350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes. until onion is soft
place the roasted tomato and onion mix into a bowl/jug and blitz with a hand mixer
then place a sieve over a saucepan.
Pour the tomato mix into the sieve and push the mix through the sieve with the back of a spoon.

In the sauce pan add the stock and the water and simmer on low or 20 minutes.

Enjoy!



















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http://basketballmumsdailytrials.blogspot.nl/search?q=chicken+stock

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1073047779381682&id=927181480634980
***
I was left with just two tablespoons of the tomato and onion mix.
Which I will can be saved for future recipes like chilis. you can freeze this
***


Sunday 20 December 2015

Italian Sausage stuffing

                                     Italian Sausage Stuffing

Italian sausage stuff is one of our favourite side dish.
You you don't have to make this with Italian sausage, normal sausage meat is also a hit.

I have never made this in anything other than this amount. So it will interest making a much smaller amount this christmas.

I make my own Italian sausage
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2403780137412217590#editor/target=post;postID=7469915346190638148;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=9;src=postname

Like I mentioned you can use normal sausage meat.
I have done and it is also a great dish.
We really like the Italian seasoning and as I tend to prepare the ground pork with Italian season a lot it just become the norm....Well I actually took the wrong ground pork out of the fridge once this is how this dish came to be :)

What you'll need

2 day old loaf of  bread cut into cubes ~ 800grams (our loaf was this size)
Italian sausage ~ 2.2lb /1 kg (see my link to make your own above)
chopped mushrooms ~ 1 1/2 cups
chopped onions ~ 1 1/2 cups
chicken stock ~ 2 1/2 cups
apple grated ~ 1 cup
dried basil ~ 1 teaspoon
onion powder ~ 1 teaspoon
garlic powder ~ 1 teaspoon
dried sage ~ 1 teaspoon
celery seed ~ 1/2 teaspoon
ground white pepper ~ 1/2 teaspoon
salt  ~ 1/2 teaspoon
olive oil ~ 1 1/2 teaspoons



add the oil to a pan and add the onions and mushrooms and gentle cook until onions and mushrooms are cooked
Add the seasoning and mix well
Add the grated apple mix well again cook for a further 3/4 minutes

Remove from the pan and add add the sausage meat.
Cook until fully cooked

In a large oven proof dish add the cubed bread.
Add the meat and the seasoned onion, mushrooms and apple mix
Mix all together.  Using your hands is the best way.
Pour the chicken stock all over the mix.
Then push the mix down into the tray
Bake in a preheated oven at 180/350 degrees for 35/40 minutes


























Sunday 6 December 2015

Best Turkey Ever!

                                            Best Turkey Ever!




This really is the easiest way to do turkey.

It is always moist and juicy.
It doesn't take ages to prepare
and.....it always turns out perfect!!!!!

What you'll need

Turkey, Fresh/or defrosted ~ I used a 12lb turkey
Chicken stock ~ 2 cups
salt and pepper pinch of each
olive oil ~ 1/2 cup
water  8-10 cups

Preheat your oven to 175/350 degrees

Prepare your turkey tin or dish for add the chicken stock
Then place  a turkey rack in the dish/tray. You need to keep the turkey off the bottom of the dish
(I have used onions when I didn't have tray)

Boil the water
The in a clean sink  place the turkey
Pour the boiling water over the turkey. You will see the skin shrink.
Place the turkey onto the rack in the turkey tin
season with salt and pepper
Pour the olive oil onto the turkey making sure it is all covered.

****
I always stuff my turkey with apples that have been quartered and onions
****

Cover the turkey with foil or a lid if you have one.
Bake for 2 1/2 hours basting the turkey once after 1 1/2~2hours
Turn the oven down to 160/325 degrees for a further 1 1/2 hours.

If you want you can remove the foil/lid and cook the last 1/2 hour uncovered.
I find I don't need to with the turkey tin I'm currently using

****
I always using a meat thermometer which should read 165-175 degrees F or 75-80 degrees C
Hubby always does what he call's the old fashioned way and cuts into the turkey.


Remove the turkey from the tray and leave to rest for about 20 minutes































Wednesday 2 December 2015

Apple Cider

                                                     Hot Apple Cider 
                                                                                    my version 




I love making this drink. To me me it tastes of the start of December :)
It is so easy! Everything really is just thrown in!

Years ago while staying with some of my favourite people, our son was asked if he wanted some Apple Cider. I nearly chocked...offering my 5 year old apple cider
As apple cider in the UK contains alcohol.
It was soon explained what apple cider in the U.S was.
Well Jamie loved it. He still does :)

After that I would hear apple cider mentioned a lot.
So one year I decided to make my own version of a hot apple cider drink. I  myself personally like it when its cooled.

I make this over night and the house smells wonderful in the morning

THIS RECIPE CAN BE MADE ON THE STOVETOP

What you'll need

2 different types of apples ~ 5-6 apples
orange ~ 1
lemon ~ 1 small
nutmeg whole ~ 1
Cinnamon sticks ~ 2
cloves ~ 2
light brown sugar ~ 1/3 cup
water ~ 10 cups


Chop all your fruit up (I removed the seeds from the apple)
place in the crockpot/slowcooker
add the cloves, whole nutmeg, cinnamon sticks and light brown sugar.
add the water water and stir.
cook on love for 5-6 hours

Mash the contents with a potato masher

Drain the contents from the crockpot.
Using a large jug and sieve.
I sieve this twice

Pour the liquid into the crockpot and leave on warm or cook low
until needed