Portobello Mushrooms With Crushed Pea mix

For 2 people  ( adjust recipe to suit numbers )

25g of butteror spread

1 or 2 cloves of garlic

1  1/2 teaspoon of sugar

200g of fresh or frozen peas ( I find that fresh peas have that have just popped taste )

1 teaspoon of fresh thyme or dried will do. You could add mint if you wish.

100ml of chicken stock

freshly milled salt 

Freshly milled pepper

Portabello mushroom 

4 tablespoon of smoked cheese spread

Melt the butter , add in the sugar and garlic gently warming through .

Then add the peas , chicken stock and thyme.

Warm through , and then take off the heat and crush quite firmly with a potato masher.

You can do this one of two ways you can either put the mushrooms in the oven for around ten minutes while you fiddle around with the crushed pea mix on a slightly higher temperature of 190- 200 c.

And then add the cheese spread and crushed pea mix for an additional 10 minutes vary this as suits.

Or you wait and then place the cheese spread filled portobello mushroom ...

Then add two tablespoon s of the smoked cheese spread to the mushroom . Add the crushed pea mix to this and bake in the oven for around twenty minutes on 180 c . The temperatures and times may vary with your oven.

Silent Sunday

Recipe : Figs With Pancetta and Smoked Cheese Spread

I have a confession to make  I have never eaten figs in fact when I received the hamper from Applewood cheese and saw 4 purple things siting in a packet I wondered what they were. Confirmation form my husband confirmed they were figs : who knew ! Obviously never having had figs before I was somewhat apprehensive of how to cook them ? .Searching around on the Internet and through my various cook books gave me a variety of ideas including cooking on planks.

Some times it takes that one ingredient to open your eyes to a new tastes as you do taste with your eyes as well believe it or not.


Ingredients

2 tablespoons of liqueur such as Amaretto 

3-4 figs cut length ways

Black cracked pepper enough to cover a small side plate 

Pancetta enough for 3-4 people

Preheat the oven to around 180c

First put around 2 tablespoons of liqueur such as Amaretto in a shallow dish.

Dip the figs in the Amaretto then onto the cracked black pepper.

Then place the figs onto a baking tray and place in the oven for  around 20 minutes.

Whilst the figs are baking gently fry the in some olive oil.

Take the figs out of the oven and using a teaspoon gently scoop out each of the figs in turn and mix with the pancetta Then place back into the figs.

Then place around a teaspoon of Applewood cheese spread upon the figs and place back in the oven for no longer than 5 minutes.

Then serve up on a plate of your choice mine was a slate heart.

Thanks to Applewood Cheese for sending me a exquisite hamper so I could create this recipe to take part in a challenge.

I Am A Child Of Winter

I am a child of Winter waiting for Jack Frosts run,

I am a child of Spring waiting for that splash of colour trying to retreat from winters icy throws.

I am child of summer waiting for the suns everlasting rays.

I am a child of Autumn waiting to crinkle, crinkle crunch ...

Anticipation

Anticipation ...

Can be good ...

It can be bad....

But if you don't do it who knows what could have been.

If you over think a situation sometimes the possibilities can multiply in your mind.

For example "Can I paint the front door?" can lead to questioning of my painting abilities.

And when I say " Can I paint the front door ?" to my husband multiple situations are played out in his mind.


Anticipation you see....

Can work for you ....

"Can I paint the front door?" leads to my husband wanting and eventually painting the front door.

"We want the front door brown" says my husband and son" ...


Anticipation is played out in my mind of horrific colours ....

We 'all' go to the DIY store and pick a colour that is not 'brown'...

The paint can sits lonely and forlorn in the garage : silently weeping.


"I am going to paint that ( insert word of choice ) front door " says I.

Leads to anticipation....

Paint brush in my hand leads to a freshly painted door...

But not by my fair hands .. oh no ..

Not my front door .. least this one is painted !