Tina's chestnut stuffing and other secret and not so secret recipes

[Namechabged]

Mine is equal measures of buttermilk and mayo, and then double of Greek yogurt, half the juice of one lemon, two tbsp of dried Parmesan, a teaspoon of dill, garlic granules, Maldon seat salt, onion powder, and cracked black pepper.

Makes that amazing ranch dressing you get on the side of fried shit in America and is great for pizza crusts but you can also make kids eat ANYTHING dipped in it.

I’ve watched my kids enthusiastically eat celery, radishes and green peppers which aren’t normally things they will eat raw.

[Hollyhocksarenotmessy]

I add stuffing mix to sausage rolls too, preferably one with dried apple or chestnut in. I just mix the dry packet in. Make really chunky sausage rolls with plenty of filling. I also milk wash the top and sprinkle a few dried chilli flakes on. I use ready made puff pastry.

I always do these for any work cake morning etc, and people really love them. I dont think many people have had proper sausage rolls before, just the sad dry shop ones or greasy Gregg's.

[Hollyhocksarenotmessy]

Oh yes, and a couple of diagonal slits in the pastry across the top lets the pastry rise well.

[PenguindreamsofDraco]

@unchienandalusia

Mine is one for ease rather than spectacular-ness. But they are perfect every time: easy pancakes.

I egg
I mug flour
I mug milk

Whisk

Fry

Demolish.

For added ponciness, this recipe makes excellent blinis. Teaspoon sized dollops, then pop on some s/salmon, horseradish, creme fraiche, whatever.

[Hollyhocksarenotmessy]

A great side (my take on nando's macho peas) which is nice hot or cold, and gets compliments.
Cook peas and/or green beans. While they are cooking roughly mash up olive oil, lemon juice, garlic cloves, a little salt and pepper and either some fresh red chilli or some chilli flakes, with a squirt of tomato puree. I use a pestle and mortar but you could blend it. Leave it a bit lumpy, not completely smooth. Pour over the cooked peas/beans and mash it all about to break the veg up a bit, but not smooth. Eat hot or leave to cool for a salad. Really quick and easy.

[AnneLovesGilbert]

Course you can freakydeaky

They’re really simple but just work. They work with gf flour as well.

Whisk 2 eggs with 235 caster till mousey. Melt 125 butter with 100 dark chocolate - works great with chocolate with bits in E.g. orange peal etc - and cool.

Combine eggs and chocolate. Fold in 90 plain flour. Add handfuls of chopped pecans if you like. If you’re feeling fancy break up 100 more chocolate on top before baking.

Bake in lined tin at 170 for 30-35. Cool in tin.

Just remembered another brilliant recipe I sometimes serve brownies with as a pudding.

200ml double cream, 6 tbsp soft brown sugar, 2 tbsp butter. Melt till combined and cool. It’s incredible.

[AnneLovesGilbert]

Love the idea of making blinis PenguindreamsofDraco, I always buy them and they’re too dry but that’s my drop scone recipe so I’ll just use that!

[MamaBearThius]

I drizzle marmite and butter over my roasties

[CrochetyCrochet]

Very quick and delicious ice cream with no stirring and no ice cream maker. It tastes really rich and luxurious and people can't believe it's so simple.

One jar posh apricot jam. Bonne Maman is good.
One tub of double cream ( same quantity as jam)
Lemon juice
Amarreti biscuits.

Whip the cream until it's just holding soft peaks. Add juice of half a lemon to the jam and stir. Fold the jam gently into the cream. Crush the amaretti and fold in gently.
Tip into a plastic box and freeze.

It doesn't last that long in the freezer, a few days say before it loses its taste and creamy texture, but I don't find that's a problem...

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

My very very cheesy cheese straws always vanish very fast. They are a bit of a faff but worth it.

I always make a lot, not worth the faff otherwise - they will keep well for at least a week in a tin - good Christmas present for anyone you’re going to see at the time.

Quantities can be halved!
400 g extra mature Cheddar, grated
200 g SR flour
100 g soft butter
A good heaped tsp of English mustard powder
A good pinch of cayenne pepper

Mix all together well. It’s a crumbly mix so roll out in sections, I do a quarter at a time.
Have ready 2 or more well buttered, non stick baking sheets and oven heated to 200 C or 180 fan.
Mark and cut into thin strips - about a 1/4 - 1/3 of a cm thick and about a cm wide but it’s not critical - with a flat bladed knife, sprinkle with a very little extra cayenne if you like spicy, lift carefully on to baking sheet, spacing a little apart.

Set oven timer for 6 mins to check - it may take 8+ depending on oven. Should be light golden brown and slightly risen but you need to watch like a hawk since they’re all too easy to burn.

Slide gently on to wire racks to cool, and if your dh is anything like mine, stop him scoffing a load of them straight off.

[Totallyaddictedtoshoes]

Blatantly placemarking as there are so many things in here I'm going to try....when I've lost this 10lb lockdown weight 🤦🏼‍♀️

[freakydeaky]

@AnneLovesGilbert

Thank you, I’m going to make these this afternoon! (Not sure about whisking the eggs until they’re mousey, but I’ll give it a shot! 😉)

Thanks again 😊

[SpaceOP]

My tomato salad always goes down well at BBQs etc and is always well received in particular by people who don't usually like salads:

Cut tomatoes (any type, any colour) into bite sized pieces. One normal size punnet is enough for about 6 ppl.
Half a red onion, very finely chopped
Bunch of parsley, very finely chopped.

Mix the above together well.

Then add generous splash of olive oil, sherry vinegar and salt. Stir. It's worth tasting the tomato at this point to check you've got enough sweetness and salt. But the onion will still be very sharp.

Leave to stand for at least 15 minutes (to allow the vinegar to work on the onion) but up to a couple of hours. But don't make it the day before as it becomes very liquid as I think the salt draws the liquid out of the tomatoes.

My guacamole often gets comments too which I don't really understand as it's very simple and, I think, standard. But possibly it's because most of us buy shop bought guacamole these days and it just isn't as good:

Mash up one ripe avocado with approximately 1/2 of cream cheese, preferably low fat (it gives it a slightly less creamy/more sour taste). Adjust amounts for texture etc. Add handful of chopped tomatoes, one small chopped chilli (optional - I often leave out if doing for kids) and LOTS of lime juice. Season with salt generously. Adapt the lime/chilli/salt to taste.

[midnightgrace]

Roasted lamb chops and carrots with marmalade added for the last 5/10 minutes. Delicious.

[Coffeeandcookies]

Fab thread, can't wait to try some of these!

[PinkJellycat]

Brilliant thread! Thanks OP

[achara]

Brilliant thread.
In large casserole dish place
6/8 chicken fillets cooked
Broccoli (parboiled)
Sauce: 2 tins condensed chicken soup (and maybe a small mushroom as well)
Tub of natural yogurt, small carton of fresh cream, 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 2/3 tablespoons of curry powder (medium) or more depending on taste
Mix together and cover chicken and broccoli
Cover with breadcrumbs
Bake 180ish (gas mark 4 I think) for 30/40 mins
My family and friends love this for some reason

[longtompot]

So many good recipes! Sadly too many with butter/cream that'll I'll have to see if I can adapt for my ed as she's dairy allergic.

My contribution is something I made last Christmas (adapted from a Waitrose recipe I think). I skinned the sausages and mixed the meat in a bowl with a good amount of cranberry sauce, not too much, as you then need to form small sausage balls which you then wrap in the bacon to form neat little parcels. I then cooked them in the oven for about half an hour or so. They were eaten up even quicker than normal pigs in blankets. I wish I made more.

[ShirleyPhallus]

Mash up one ripe avocado with approximately 1/2 of cream cheese, preferably low fat (it gives it a slightly less creamy/more sour taste). Adjust amounts for texture etc. Add handful of chopped tomatoes, one small chopped chilli (optional - I often leave out if doing for kids) and LOTS of lime juice. Season with salt generously. Adapt the lime/chilli/salt to taste.

Guac with cream cheese?! Sacrilege! And your missing coriander! I’d add in a bit of red onion there too

[SpaceOP]

@ShirleyPhallus we were asked for "Secret" recipes that always go down well.... and this mine!

[waltzingparrot]

My sausage rolls...

Spoon mango chutney along the sausage meat, sprinkle with feta cheese, roll up and then egg wash pastry and sprinkle fennel seeds on top. Lovely combination of flavours.

[steppemum]

well, my friend has just given me her family's secret brownie recipe.

They are AMAZING, and a whole tin just gets inhaled by my kids.

But I've promised to guard it with my life and not tell.....

[ShirleyPhallus]

Actually an amazing recipe which I took from MN before

Real sweet n sour sauce like from the Chinese:
Equal parts white wine vinegar, honey and ketchup.

That’s it! It tastes like the real deal!

[ShirleyPhallus]

[quote SpaceOP]@ShirleyPhallus we were asked for "Secret" recipes that always go down well.... and this mine! [/quote]
@SpaceOP I have respect for that 🙌🏼

[HumousWhereTheHeartIs]

Really easy pizza...no oven required!

1 cup self raising flour
1/3 cup greek yogurt (approx)
salt

Mix together well. Should be the texture of dough. Roll out. Put some oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the rolled out dough and cook until golden brown. Flip. Top with sauce, toppings and cheese. Add a lid to the pan to melt the cheese or stick under the grill.

[steppemum]

on a quick meals thread on her a while ago someone posted this recipe, it is so easy and very tasty.

crab taglietelle.

Cook a stack of taglietelle.
In a bowl mixed a large pot of creme fraiche, teaspoon of chilli flakes, lemon juice (plenty) splash of olive oil and the crab.
Mix in to cooked taglietelle and serve.

For the crab, I am lazy, so I use 2 tins of crab, plus a packet of prawns. or I have used 2 tins salmon, and some smoked salmon offcuts. Basically any flavourful fish.