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.

[steppemum]

@Littlefiendsusan

Mine is chicken/pork/tofu satay:
Mix equal amounts of Indonesian (important as it's sweet) soy sauce and ketchup. Grate in some nutmeg a couple of cloves of garlic and marinade your meat/tofu in it for as much time as you have.

If you've got some peanut butter in your house you can make an easy sauce with PB,chilli sauce and hot water. It seizes but keep on mixing and it'll turn out lovely.

Where do you get your Indonesian soy from? I assume you are talking about Ketchup Manis?
I always buy it in Holland bring it back, as I haven't found anywhere here that sells it.

(I used to livein Indonesia, so make a lot of Indo recipes, most things I can get here/make, but I can't get ketchup manis)

[MushyMushi]

OP, if you take your recipe, add crumbled Stilton, and mayonnaise, you’ll have yourself a nice American blue cheese dip. Lush.

[steppemum]

Oh and actually Indonesians use both, so just being labelled as from Indonesia isn't enough (ordinary soy is ketchup asin)

[squishee]

Space OP I add toasted bread to something very like your tomato salad to make Panzanella. Absolutely addictive, I lived on it all summer.

[MrsPinkCock]

My American style buffalo chicken wings... not like the terrible attempts that the UK generally produce!

Big box of chicken wings - dip in flour, shake off the excess, put on baking tray, sprinkle with a lot of salt to crisp the skin up, cook for 45 mins at 190.

In a pan throw a jar of franks hot sauce in with a large knob of butter, melt but don’t overcook.

Take wings out, toss them in the sauce and throw the extra on top, and serve with celery, carrots and blue cheese or ranch.

A-mazing! Calories in them are horrific but they’re moist inside and crispy outside and worth being fat for!

[steppemum]

@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.

we do this, but with self raising flour.
Then make small american style pancakes.
The raising agent makes them puffy, like real American pancakes and it make a lovely change and easier to cook than normal.

I also grate in an apple or a pear.

I have to say though, I have 3 kids, so we never do just one mug's worth....

[WiddlinDiddlin]

Ok...

You have to promise not to tell everyone though.

Pigwheels...

Sheet of puff or flakey pastry (eithers fine just not shortcrust).
Good quality sausage meat, i like waitrose gourmet (nutmeg and black pepper or something like that)..
Onion jam or similar sticky substance
Strong cheddar grated fine.

Spread the sausagemeat out on the pastry.
Thin layer of the onion jam.
Thin layer of the grated cheese.
Roll up, chill, slice into pinwheels.

Thick sliced, cook for longer on a lower temp (no idea what temp whatever youd normally use for sausage rolls really), these make fairly rustic pigwheels.

Thin sliced, cook a little higher/less time, these make (depending on how tidy you are at slicing) a more fancy pigwheel for parties/buffets etc.

You can muck about with the fillings too, ive done shepherds pie ones with finely minced lamb meat sauce (ragu ish), onion jam and cheese, or cottage pie with finely minced beef meat sauce... Spicy chilli ones, whatever you like really.

[steppemum]

@MidnightFlit

Oh, and very quick apple tart

Roll out a packet of puff pastry, spread generously with Biscoff spread leaving a 2cm margin, then cover the Biscoff spread with thinly sliced apples. Roll up the pastry margin to make a juice barrier, dot some butter/sprinkle sugar over the apples, then bake for 20 mins at 200C.

similar - roll out the puff pastry, grate a pack of mazipan over the pastry, then top with sliced apples.
I also then dilute and spread some marmalade or apricot jam over the apple.
Cook in hot oven

[Worldwide2]

A sauce/dip, good in fajitas ect
Mayonnaise
Chopped chives or spring onions
Lemon juice
Pepper
Dill
If you want a bit of a kick add a sprinkle of chilli powder

[unkindnessofravens]

@steppemum I've found Ketchap Manis in Morrisons before if you have one close by

[ladiessmock]

Great thread! Mine's not really secret (I think it's Waitrose) but makes a great store cupboard pudding. Coffee pavlova. Make a normal pavlova and top it with whipped cream sweetened with a bit of icing sugar. Then make a coffee syrup - first make a syrup using 100g of sugar and 50ml of water, dissolve and cook until golden. Then add 50ml of strong coffee, mix and cool. Drizzle over the pavlova. It's gorgeous!

[peaceanddove]

My one and only dinner party dish is always admired and is known as Chicken Divine.

Spread layer of cooked rice & broccoli florets in large oven dish.
Add layer of cooked, chopped chicken breasts.
Mix tin of Campbell's Condensed Mushroom soup with a tbp of curry powder and a hefty squeeze of lemon juice - then pour over chicken.
Add layer of tortilla chips over chicken
Finally, add thick layer of grated cheese on top.

Bake in oven until sauce is bubbling and cheese all gooey.

Food. Of. The. Gods.

[ladiessmock]

Waitrose sells Kecap Manis too.

[Pikachubaby]

@steppemum this is a great website for ingredients:

www.souschef.co.uk/products/kecap-manis?variant=16899807051834&currency=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=CjwKCAjwlbr8BRA0EiwAnt4MTiVtL9A3D0I0r1m_TTjIGO3_VHtxdmdg0H-Tgh_64GdabsYOWVcuKhoCAgIQAvD_BwE

[squishee]

Quick crispy smashed potatoes:

Pre-heat baking dish in oven to 190C with 1 scant tsp large grain salt and a big dollop of fat (duck fat makes them crispiest - I freeze it in muffin tins and use one "pellet" each time)
Microwave small / medium potatoes in their skins until squashable
Squash each one flat between 2 plates or small chopping boards
Use pastry brush to coat with the hot fat, turning to coat all sides
Crisp up in oven (about 20 mins) until browned. Turn once.

Make more than you think you will need - they disappear fast.

Or potato bake:

Add minced garlic, S&P to a 50/50 mix of melted butter / cream. Pour it over the microwaved potatoes. Stir it all around a bit for even-ish distribution. Bake at 190C for 20 mins. Put cheese on top towards the end.

I don't peel the potatoes for either of these.

[Fink]

@steppemum
You get kecap manis (with different spellings of the first word ketjap/kicap) in most supermarkets in the UK big enough to have a decent sized world food section. Definitely all the bigger Sainsburys/Tesco/Waitrose/Asda around here have it. Also you can get a load of different brands of it on Amazon.

[Littlefiendsusan]

@steppemum same!
I've still got a stash from our trip last year but when that runs out Waitrose stocks it as well as our local Chinese grocer.
For a tiny bottle at a vast price though!

[LaMarschallin]

@LaurieSchafferIsAllBitterNow

Your (non)egging-and-breadcrumbing idea is brilliant! So jealous that I didn't think of it

I've had great success (and many recipe requests) just by using salted butter instead of unsalted for brandy butter.

Also, I'm not very keen on the traditional sweet white sauce with brandy added to it that goes with Christmas pudding. I find it's helped a lot by making a basic sugar and water caramel and stirring that through.
Or (even better, imo) making the toffee sauce that goes with Delia's banoffee cheesecake, omitting the pecans and adding brandy to taste.

[imp2007]

Brilliant thread place marking for later!

[squishee]

I’m so happy! I’m going to buy a special notebook and copy these all in

Am emailing recipes to myself - thank you for the ideas.

[steppemum]

[quote unkindnessofravens]@steppemum I've found Ketchap Manis in Morrisons before if you have one close by[/quote]
really???

That's awesome!
What do they call it? waitrose stocked it for a while as sweet soy sauce I think.

[steppemum]

[quote Fink]@steppemum
You get kecap manis (with different spellings of the first word ketjap/kicap) in most supermarkets in the UK big enough to have a decent sized world food section. Definitely all the bigger Sainsburys/Tesco/Waitrose/Asda around here have it. Also you can get a load of different brands of it on Amazon.[/quote]
we have one of the biggest Asda's in the country and they don't stock it.

My mum lives near a big waitrose, and they used to, but haven't for ages

We have a huge Tesco and Sainsburys too, I know the Tesco doesn't, can't remember if I have searched the Sainsbury.

I wonder if it is to do with what sells?

We have local asian shops, but they are south asian, (only place I can get decent rice - that's the trouble, when you have lived in a rice eating country, you get fussy) and we don't have chinese one.

[WizWoz]

Peanut Sauce:
175ml double cream
100g milk chocolate
100g smooth peanut butter
3tbs golden syrup

Melt together in a pan. Serve hot or cold with any kind of dessert. Makes enough for about 4-6 people. It is AMAZING on ice cream with salted peanuts crushed on top.

[steppemum]

trouble with online is that it is 2.99 for the kecap manis and then 3.99 for delivery.

Much as I love it, I'm not paying £7 for it!

[IHateWasps]

Steppemum

Do you have an M&S near you? I've seen it in there.