Breakfast Doughnuts

Image Leave a comment 18/05/2020 the wee caledonian cook

If you’ve seen my last post on Baked Doughnuts, then you’ll know that I found my Doughnut tin…lol! I decided to jazz up my breakfast into doughnuts instead of muffins, still super tasty, just a different shape.

Makes 6

6 large eggs

Pepper (any colour) chopped finely

Spring onions or small white or red onion – finely chopped

Cooked ham or any cooked meat of your choice – finely chopped

Salt & Pepper to taste

Paprika

Grated Cheese of your choice (I used cheddar)

Grease doughnut tin with some spray oil and preheat oven to 150 deg fan.
Place the pepper, onion and ham evenly into the moulds.
Whisk up the eggs
Pour evenly into moulds, don’t over fill. Season.
Sprinkle with cheese and then sprinkle some paprika on top. Bake for about 20 minutes.
Remove and serve immediately. Yummy!
These can also be kept in the fridge for next morning, then just reheat.

Sweet Potato & Peanut Butter Gratin

Image Leave a comment 10/02/2020 the wee caledonian cook

Oh Yum, this dish I found on the Whole Earths website, I just love their Peanut Butter especially the crunchy one….yum! My curiosity got the better of me because I wouldn’t have thought to put sweet potato and peanut butter together but wow, this was so tasty.

I also used my automatic setting on my Hotpoint Class 9 oven, the Potato Gratin setting. This was great as I didn’t need to worry about what temperature or oven function to set for a perfect bake the oven worked it all out for me.

This made 4 small servings (2 bakes in a 19cm x 30cm baking dish)

3 large Sweet Potatoes

2 tsp Crushed Chillies (or 2 chopped chillies)

100g Spinach – Chopped

300g Creme Friache

3 tbsp Peanut Butter, Crunchy

2 tsp dried coriander leaves

Salt & Pepper to taste

If not using automatic programmes, preheat oven on fan to about 200 deg then finish off under the grill to crisp and brown.
Peel & Slice the sweet potatoes to about 1/2 cm thick and place in a bowl, add the chopped spinach, coriander, chillies, salt & pepper.
Mix the creme friache and peanut butter together until smooth ad combined then pour into the sweet potatoes and mix until potatoes are coated.
Spray a baking dish with spray oil and then layer the sweet potato in the dish making two rows.
Cover with Tin foil and bake for about 30 minutes, remove the tin foil and continue to bake for the further 30 minutes or until sweet potatoes are softened and slightly browned.
Serve.

Egg, Bacon & Spinach Pastry Bites

Image Leave a comment 04/08/2018 the wee caledonian cook

OMG!, these were absolutely delicious. I don’t normally eat pastries but I was trying out some new recipes for an event and my first idea didn’t go to well, so I got my thinking cap on and tried out these instead……oh wow! they were so tasty. I was so naughty though as I couldn’t stop my hand from grabbing one then another then another….lol! But we are allowed on occassions……aren’t we?

Makes 12

1 x ready rolled puff pastry

2 tbsp grated gruyere cheese

1 tbsp creme friache

4-6 smoked bacon rashers – chopped into bite size pieces

100g baby spinach

2 large eggs

Salt & pepper to taste

Heat a little spray oil in a pan and cook bacon until slightly brown, remove with slotted spoon and keep to the side.
Place spinach into the bacon and wilt down (will take a few minutes)
Meanwhile mix the grated cheese with creme friache
Beat the eggs and season well, pour over the wilted spinach and stir until scrambled in pan, remove from heat.
Cut the pastry into 12 small squares about 4″ x 4″ roughly
Place 1 tsp of the cheese mixture on base, then top with bacon and spinach mix, season well.
Wet your finger in water and run your finger along outer edge of pastry square, carefully lift 1 corner and pull over mixture making a diamond like shape, take the opposite corner and pull over the pastry corner you have just moved and seal. Make sure they are sealed well or they will open when cooking.
Refrigerate for about 10 minutes as this will help the pastry puff better.
When ready to cook preheat your crisper plate for 2 minutes on dynamic crisp setting and then bake for 7 minutes or until browned. If you don’t have one of these, then you could cook on baking tray at 200 deg for about 16-18 minutes or until golden.

Crisper plate Burgers

Image 2 Comments 18/01/2018 the wee caledonian cook

I know I’ve said this before but I do love this little Crisper Plate from Hotpoint, it really does cook your food in a fraction of the time and the plate is so easy to clean as it’s non stick. Check out their range at Hotpoint

This was the cooking instructions on the packaging for the burgers:-

As you can see 14 mins is minimum time up to 30 mins in oven. With an added time of around 5-10 mins for the grill or oven to heat up first.

Using the Dynamic Crisp setting you preheat the plate for only 2 minutes, then I cooked the burgers for 8 minutes for a nice crisp finish. Amazing! Dinner in 10 minutes.

Black Brioche Buns with Chilli Chicken Burgers

Image Leave a comment 04/12/2017 the wee caledonian cook

So my experimenting with Black Food continues……………another successful outcome! Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together nicely.

Makes approx 12 Mini Buns

250g Strong White Flour

1 tsp salt

2tbsp activated charcoal powder

25g caster sugar

7g sachet yeast

70ml warm milk

2 large eggs

125g unsalted butter at room temperature

1 egg for wash with 1 tsp charcoal powder

Method for Brioche buns:-

Sift the flour into a large bowl and add the charcoal powder. Add the salt and sugar. Mix together.
Mix the eggs with the warm milk and add the yeast, allow to stand for approx 5 minutes until it starts to go frothy.
Add the milk/yeast mixture to the flour and mix on level 2 of your stand mixer for about 2-3 mins. Then turn up to level 4 (medium speed) and mix for about 10 mins or until you get a glossy elastic dough.
Add the softened butter and mix for a further 5 mins. If the dough is too soft and sticky just add some more flour 1 tbsp at a time.
Lightly oil a large bowl and tip the dough into it.
If your oven has a rising programme, turn on and leave to rise for about 2-2.5hrs, if not cover with oiled clingfilm and leave in a warm place.
Punch down the dough and place onto a worktop, divide the dough into small sections about 22-25g sizes.
Take into your palm and using your other hand roll to make a small ball. Place onto a baking tray with parchment paper, leaving enough space in between to allow expansion. Prove again for a further 2 hrs or until doubled in size.
Mix the beaten egg with 1 tsp charcoal powder for the wash, lightly brush the wash over the buns.
Preheat an oven to 180 deg and bake for about 15 minutes.

Chilli Chicken Burgers

2 Chicken Breasts

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp chilli flakes

1 tsp salt and pepper to taste

handful of breadcrumbs

1 egg

Place the chicken into a food processor and pulse until broken up – you don’t want it to fine.
Add in all other ingredients and pulse to mix through
Divide into equal portions to fit the burgers and place on a baking tray, place in fridge for at least 30mins -1 hr.
When ready preheat the Crisper plate for 2 mins and place the chicken burgers on, using dynamic crisp setting cook for about 10 mins until browned and cooked. If you don’t have a Crisperplate either cook on hob using fry pan or grill under medium heat.
Once the brioche buns are ready allow to cook then slice in half and start to assemble your burger.
Top with some Smoked Beetroot Sauce from the Foraging Fox

YUMMY!…….YUMMY!

Creative Scotland – How creative are you?

Leave a comment 20/05/2016 the wee caledonian cook

Hello,

I can be creative with my house decoration, creative with clothes and very creative with my food, but where do we get our inspiration from?

It’s the Year of Innovation, Architecture & Design 2016, and no better Country to look at than Scotland. Have a wee look at this link and discover your place for inspiration and go be creative!

https://www.visitscotland.com/blog/scotland/creative-places/

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