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.

Sweet Potato, Butternut Squash & Spinach Curry Burgers

Image Leave a comment 16/02/2019 the wee caledonian cook

Oh yum. In my aim to be eating a bit healthier this year, I took my hand to these little nutritious burgers, they were so delicious and very filling too.

Makes about 6

200g butternut Squash – sliced

200g Sweet Potato – sliced

1 medium onion – finely chopped

1 clove garlic – crushed

1 tsp dried chilli flakes

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp dried coriander

100g Spinach

Salt & Pepper to taste

Cook the butternut Squash and mash up. (I steamed cooked mine using my steam pot for about 6 minutes)
In a bowl mix the butternut squash, wilted spinach, onion, cumin, paprika, coriander, salt & pepper, chilli flakes & garlic.
Place a cutter onto a sheet of greaseproof paper or plate and fill the cutter with the mixture making individual circles. Approx 2 cm thick.
Heat up the Crisperplate for 2 minutes and cook on Crisp setting for 6 minutes, turn then cook for a further 4 minutes (depending on how well you like them cooked, you can cook for a further 2 minutes for extra brownness) Alternatively, fry in a pan for about 6 mins on medium heat each side with a little oil.
Serve. Yummy!
I added some potato wedges to my crisperplate at the same time for a one pan meal.

Bacon & Vegetable Quiche

Image Leave a comment 19/08/2018 the wee caledonian cook

Sometimes you want home cooked food without the hassle of trying to decided how to cook it and what temperatures etc to use, this was one of those days for me. Sundays are generally my lazy days, a day for recharging the batteries so to speak. I wanted a good home cooked quiche and decided to let my oven do the rest of the work and thinking. Hotpoint have designed a range of ovens with Automatic Recipe settings, the settings are already pre-programmed to control temperature, function and browning control……amazing, I know….right? Oven Range

I used the quiche setting and it was cooked and evenly browned perfectly due to the Multiflow Technology

I also used the Combination Oven with the Crisperplate to cook crispy potato wedges in just 12 minutes, perfect with a tasty quiche.

Makes 1 quiche

1 ready roll puff pastry

200g smoked bacon – diced

1 leek – sliced

handful of asparagus – chopped

200ml milk

200ml single cream

150g grated Gouda cheese

4 eggs

Salt, Pepper & Paprika to season

Grease a quiche tin and lay pastry in covering base and edges.
Gently fry the smoked bacon until slightly browned, remove from pan. Add to the pan the leek and saute for a few minutes.
Meanwhile blanch the asparagus in a pan of salted boiling water.
In a bowl whisk the eggs with the milk and cream.
Start to layer up the bacon and vegetables on pastry, then some of the cheese
Then pour in the egg/milk mixture and rest of the cheese to top, generously season with salt, pepper and paprika
Place on shelf 3 in oven and select auto recipes, quiche setting. The oven comes up 43 minutes but will sense temerature and auto adjust if necessary.

8. Serve….Yum!

Chocolate & Banana Marble Bread

Image Leave a comment 11/06/2018 the wee caledonian cook

Having loads of bananas left, I decided on my favourite Banana Bread Recipe . This time I tried my Automatic settings on my oven, and it baked perfectly. I do love new technology.

These Automatic Recipes are a full proof way of cooking if your not sure, I love them and I’ve learned to experiment with recipes I might not have done before.

Chicken & Pasta Bake (with a mexican twist)

Image Leave a comment 03/02/2018 the wee caledonian cook

Two exciting things happened today, I used my new pasta toy from Kitchenaid and made fresh pasta for the first time, then I created an amazing bake and baked it using my automatic baked pasta setting on my Hotpoint oven……such a great day in my kitchen today. I love it when new Technology just work!

Serves 2 large portions or 4 smaller portions

150g cooked pasta (see my Fresh pasta Recipe)

2 chicken breasts – cut into bite size pieces

1 yellow and 1 red pepper – cut into slices

1 red onion – cut into wedges

200g Quark

120ml Chicken Stock

1 tsp dried garlic granules

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt & pepper to taste

1 tin chopped tomatoes

Grated Cheddar Cheese – quantity to suit your tastes (We love our cheese here…lol!)

Heat a little oil in a pan on the hob, medium to high heat.
Gently brown the vegetables, chicken, spices and season.
Meanwhile cook your pasta.
Spoon about 2-3 tbsps of the tin tomatoes into a baking dish, then start to layer up the bake. I put pasta on next, then chicken, then vegetables, then rest of tomatoes.
Make up the stock and mix the quark in to make a thick sauce, then pour over the bake in the dish.
Set your oven (if you have a Hotpoint Class 9) to Baked Pasta and Cannelloni setting. If not, try 180 deg for approx 25-30 minutes.
When you have 15 minutes left, sprinkle on the grated cheese and bake until golden and crisp on top.
Serve. Yummy!

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.

Harissa Chicken with Sweet pepper & Potatoes

Image Leave a comment 05/12/2017 the wee caledonian cook

I so love this little Gadget that Hotpoint have invented, this little crisper plate is used with the Combi Microwave to cook/bake food in a fraction of the time but with oven ready results. The Chicken is still succulent, vegetables cook perfectly and potatoes nice & soft without par boiling. It is great for quick meals, especially during the week when your busy with work etc.

Come in from work today hungry and couldn’t wait, so this was the outcome tonight & in just 12 minutes………….YES…..just 12 minutes!

2 Chicken Breasts – Cut into 1 inch cubes or you could do strips

2 tsps of Harissa Paste

1 onion – cut into wedges

Selection of mini sweet peppers – cut in half

4 Charlotte potatoes cut into wedges

Salt & pepper to taste

Season the chicken with salt & pepper then spoon the harissa paste into a bowl with the chicken and coat.
Lightly oil the vegetables and potatoes then season
Place everything onto the pre-heated crisper plate and cook for 12 minutes.

Crispy Parmesan Potato Slices with egg

Image 2 Comments 01/11/2017 the wee caledonian cook

Having some left over potatoes, I wanted something filling for lunch so decided on these little tasty bites. Again using my crisper plate they were ready on only 12 minutes. Quick lunch. Tasty lunch. I added a couple of eggs too for protein.

300g charlotte potatoes

50g parmesan cheese – hard

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp oregano dried

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

Firstly grated the parmesan into a bowl, add in the oregano, paprika, salt, pepper and garlic powder and mix
Wash and slice the potatoes, I cut approx 1cm thick or just under. Pat dry with kitchen paper and toss in the olive oil to coat.
Put the potatoes into the parmesan mix to thoroughly coat
Preheat the crisper plate on dynamic crisp setting for 3 minutes, remove and empty the potates onto the plate
Bake on crisper setting for 12 minutes. If adding in the eggs….remove plate with 2 minutes left on clock and crack in the eggs. Cook further. If you like runner eggs, add in at 1.30 mins left.
Remove and serve…..yummy!

Apple Strudel on Crisper

Image 2 Comments 01/11/2017 the wee caledonian cook

Oh yes, its that time of year when the apple, cinnamon and warm comfort food come out. Thought I’d try a warming pastry using my little crisper, amazing, this would normally take about 40 minutes in an traditional oven, but on the crisper……just 16 minutes…YES! 16 minutes. Amazing.

Makes 6-8 servings

1 pre rolled puff pastry (all butter)

3-4 apples

1 orange (peel only)

50g walnuts – chopped

50g pine nuts – chopped

1 tsp cinnamon powder

50g sultanas

50ml dark rum

50g light brown sugar

100g breadcrumbs

1 egg and 50ml milk for brushing

Icing sugar for decoration

Soak the sultanas in the rum (preferably overnight or at least 4 hours)
Peel and slice the apple, then mix them with the walnuts, pine nuts, sugar, cinnamon and orange peel, mix well.
Add in the sultanas and breadcrumbs to the apple mixture and mix
Roll out the pastry
Pour the apple mixture onto the pastry then roll up lengthwise. Seal with egg and milk and press with either finger or fork to seal.
Preheat the Crisper Plate for 3 minutes on Dynamic Crisp setting, remove from oven and gently place the apple roll onto he plate. Brush the roll with Egg wash mixture and make a few small cuts on top of pastry to allow steam out.
Bake on the Crisper setting for about 16 mins, if you feel it is browning too quickly cover the top with some baking sheet.

Italian Sausage Dinner on Crisper

Image Leave a comment 01/11/2017 the wee caledonian cook

I can’t tell you how this little crisper has changed my cooking methods and even given me quicker cooking times too. It is used in my Combination oven by Hotpoint, the microwave heats up the crisper plate and maintains the heat to cook and crisp from the bottom while the grill comes on to cook and crisp from the top……genius.

Serves 2

4 Italian Sausages (of course you can use any sausage flavour) – cut into thirds

6-8 charlotte potatoes – cut in half

1 red onion – cut into wedges

1 yellow and red pepper – sliced

1 clove garlic

Seasoning:- Pepper, Salt and rosemary

Preheat crisper plate using dynamic crisp setting for 3 minutes
Put all ingredients onto the plate and season
Cook using the metal round stand for about 10 minutes then remove, shake (ensuring sausages are getting browned all round) and put back in for another 10 minutes.
Remove and serve, if you like your sausages well cooked then put back in for another 5 minutes.
Just keep your eye on them.

Yummy quick dinner, NO pans, NO baking trays….simple cleaning up too!

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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