Finger Food Cucumber Tomato Cheese Ham Pizza

I got to thinking about pizza and finger foods, I adore pizza but at the same time I don't want to constantly overload on carbs. I also think what you will see in a minute will be an ideal picnic  food or even a dinner party canapé you can posh it up.


Ingredients

Cucumber
Cherry tomatoes
grated cheese
Ham


Method

Cut the cumber in such a way to make the canapé base for the pizza

then add the grated cheese.

Out on the cherry tomatoes

The finally add the ham


Put in the oven at 160c for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.


You can eat warm or wait till it has cooled.

One-pan Bake with Italian Style Lemony Pork Meatballs, Tenderstem® Broccoli & Carrots ,Sweetcorn

I am part of the Tenderstem around the world challenge , I am blogging as I normally would about what I and mt family get up to , and what I am cooking. My son is a tad fussy so when I told him what I was going to cook which was one pa-ban bake with italian style lemony pork meatballs tender stem & Roast squash.


"OH not again , I hate that squash stuff it's bleurgh" said J 

So I had to switched some of the recipe up read on and see what I did.

Ingredients

750g pork mince
100g fresh breadcrumbs

( I switched this up by adding the juice of the lemon to the breadcrumbs and adding cracked black pepper also )

1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
zest of 1 large lemon (reserve juice for squeezing over at the end of cooking)
A pinch of dried thyme
A pinch of dried oregano
1 large egg
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 butternut squash (about a kilo) but I switched this up for 200 g of carrots cut into batons as my teen doesn't like butter nut squash)

1 bulb garlic, broken into cloves but left unpeeled
4 tbsp olive oil
500g cherry tomatoes
400g (or 2 packs) Tenderstem®, each stem cut into 2
I also added 4 corn on the cobs as well.

To serve:
Juice of 1 lemon
a small bunch of flatleaf parsley, chopped
warm ciabatta bread
Parmesan cheese, finely grated (optional)

1. For the meatballs...
Mix the pork with the breadcrumbs ( I squeeze lemon an dmixdd with blackpepepr( , onion, garlic, lemon zest, herbs and egg. Reserve the lemon juice for squeezing over once cooking has finished. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roll the mixture into walnut sized balls, setting aside on a large plate as you go. Slightly damp hands will make this a less messy task, although if you have time, this is a job children love to get involved in. Just try to help them get all the meatballs similar in size so they cook evenly.

2. Preheat the oven to 220°C / 200°C fan / gas 6.

3. Cut the squash up into 3-4cm chunks - leaving the skin on for easier preparation and a great chewy texture - and spread it out into a large roasting tray. Tuck in the cloves of garlic and drizzle over most of the oil, and season with a little salt and pepper. Roast in the hot oven for 15 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from the oven, add the tomatoes and give them a good mix with the squash( carrots )then spread out the meatballs over the top. Return to the oven for 15 minutes. Also remember to add the corn on the cob.

5. Blanch the Tenderstem® in boiling water for 2 minutes before draining well. Add to the roasting pan, stirring to mix and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Squeeze over the lemon juice and scatter with the parsley and parmesan (if using) before taking to the table in the tray. Serve with plenty of crusty ciabatta to mop up the juices.

So I asked J what he thought of it

" I liked it , but you know I don't like lemon " said J squeezing tomato ketchup all over it.



Why not also try...

A beef meatball alternative, flavoured with a pinch each of smoked paprika, coriander & cinnamon for a hint of Moroccon spice

(This is a Tenderstem Broccoli recipe I was sent a shopping gift card in order to purchase the ingredients.)

You can find more Tenderstem recipes over on their website.

Sausage Roll Gate

Oooh

I don't how to write this.

I've been let down by my human bean.

First I was all.

"Let me have the sausage roll please "

"What was that , no ?!"

"Oh , I don't know what to say , think or feel"

" I'm heartbroken , I don't how we can move on from sausage roll gate"

"Oh and ps don't look at the carpet at the foot of your bed"

" Yours Jack Black , disgruntled cat , follower of fashion and lover of white wine "


G is for gutted.

Easy Carrot Cake Recipe #boredombakes

Easy Carrot cake.

Picnic Pleasures


I don't know about you, but  I don't always buy what I need for the family grocery , and as a result can mean impulse buying on food, that is not to say that we can't have our treats in life ! but with a little planning we can factor in treats in our lives.

Take this weekend for example we are off to a family picnic , now I could go and be lazy and just buy  a meal deal for 3 and it would cost £9 but I got to thinking what if I spend that £9 and created my own picnic?! Most staples you'll already have it in.

"I am not going to the shop again : said Mr T

First was the wraps.

Simple and quick !

The day before I had set about making a carrot cake I was lacking walnuts and the spices that usually go in, I made my recipe up as I went along it was what I've come to call a boredom bake.

Ingredients

200g of finely grated carrots

175g Soft Brown Sugar
200g of wholemeal flour

3 Large Free range eggs

175ml sunflower oil or olive oil

75g Ground Almonds

1 and half teaspoon vanilla flavouring ( mine was made from vanilla pods but was a liquid )

Icing sugar 

Natural orange flavouring /orange juice 
or 2tbsp of orange juice/water
Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/fan 160C. Grease a brownie tin or any other tin that you usually use ( that is square ) non stick is the best.  l always use Lakelands cake release finding no need to worry about using baking parchment etc, but use what suits you.

Next tip the sugar,ground almonds, vanilla flavouring  into  bowl, afterwards pour in the oil and add the eggs. Then with a wooden spoon lightly mix, adding in the grated carrot and mix again.

Shift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into the bowl and then lightly mix all the ingredients – when everything is equally combined then it is time to stop mixing. amalgamated stop mixing. The resulting mixture will be be fairly soft.

Next pour the mixture into your prepared tin and bake for around 40 -45 minutes Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40- 45 minutes. When it is down it should feel warmth and springy in the centre. Let the cake cool in the tin then turn out onto cooling rack.

Mix the icing sugar in a small bowl with either the water combined with the orange flavouring if you haven't got orange juice to hand, or you could even hand squeeze some.

Then place the cake on a cake sat and or serving plate and boldly drizzle the icing back and forth , flourishing with some grated orange peel to finished off.

I used some Liberty Print hankies I had won from Flax & Mallow as a placement to set my cake stand upon ( I have only one cake stand! )

I think I am a converted Liberty Print fan .

"Oh joy the bank balance" said Mr T

"Don't worry they are only £6 each or 2 for £10" said I ( Mrs Ninja Cat)

I then cut up the carrot cake into squares ready for our picnic pleasures * the annual family picnic my husband is one of 7 so you can imagine it is a very big clan meeting.

How exciting that House of Fraser have included me in a Blogger cook book , it is so exciting seeing your name and recipe in print.

Linking to #cookBlogshare at GoldenBakes

Sunday Silent #SilentSunday