Sunday, December 30, 2012

Scottish Recipes - Stovies


Stovies



Stovies have been around for Centuries in Scotland, its one of those meals that goes far and feeds many with very little cost and for that reason it is still around today, its simple to make and is fulfilling and delicious as it ever was years ago

It is manly enjoyed nowadays by Scots on New Years Eve or Hogmanay (as us Scots call it) and is now considered a piece of nostalgia in the Scottish food world

Many Scots will also dig into Stovies on Burns night (January 25th)

Making this authentic dish is completely up to the chef, but you will need plenty of potatoes and a little meat of your choice (lamb, beef, pork, sausage, or even Corned beef), I used beef and a little gravy this time. Also needed is a little bit of vegetable, I prefer to just use an onion

To make Stovies for your New Years Eve

You will need

Plenty of potatoes
1 large onion
a little meat and gravy (preferably the authentic British Bisto aahhh!!)

Bisto


  • Cut and dice onion and place in a pot with the butter, heat through until butter has melted and the onions are soft and transparent 

Onion
onion

  • Peel and cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes
Potatoes

  • In a larger pot, boil potatoes in a large pot in water until potatoes are soft but not mushy (we are not making mash)
Potatoes

  • warm up the meat and gravy
Beef and Bisto

  • drain the potatoes and add the onions and meat and gravy, mix well but be careful to leave lumps of potato you don't want this to be like mash

  • Add a generous helping of salt and ground pepper to taste

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

Stovies

This dish will warm you and your guests right down to your feet, it is comfort food at its best.

Best enjoyed with a wee dram of fine Malt Whiskey

Happy New Year everyone, awe the best fir 2013

Angela 

Scottish word of the day - Tatties - Potatoes
I hope you put plenty Tatties in your Stovies?




Friday, December 28, 2012

Scottish recipes - The Most Popular 2012

Hi Tartan Tasters,

It has been a lovely year of great food sharing and new things on this little Scottish Blog of mine

I want to thank you all for hanging out and loving the recipes and even trying some things you have never tried before

I am so honoured

Do you know it is nearly my "Blogiversary" too?

I started this Blog in January just this past year

Where has the time gone?

2012 really has flown by fast

So to recap on the last 12 months, here are my most popular posts of 2012







Feb 2012 Sausage Rolls






April 2012 Empire Biscuits






 June 2012 Chocolate Tiffin



July 2012 Tattie Fritters



August 2012 Profiteroles






Nov 2012 Puff Candy




Thanks for hanging with me the this past year and I hope you stay around for more recipes in the coming year

Wealth, health and happiness to you all

Lang may your lum reek

Happy New Year to all the Tartan Tasters

Angela


Saturday, December 22, 2012

Scottish recipes - Sticky Toffee Pudding

Sticky Toffee Pudding



Oh my goodness

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Can I say it again?

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Just those 3 little words get me wanting to dig into a slice of this dreamy cake-like pudding with a velvety sweet, sticky toffee sauce to pour over the top. Delicious

It's heavenly and decadent and all things Winter to me

Sticky Toffee Pudding isn't actually a pudding in the American sense, that's the main difference between Americans and Scots, we call most of our dessert "pudding" so for those of you expecting a vanilla like pudding here, well its more like a cake right?

Us Brits love classic desserts like this so much

Sticky Toffee Pudding stands out from the rest because of its use of dates as the main ingredient

Dates


So how can you make this delight you ask?


You will need


For the cake
8oz/225g brown sugar
3oz/85g butter
8oz/225g self raising flour
2 eggs
250ml water
175g pitted dates
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground ginger

For the sauce
6oz/175g fine white sugar
1.5oz/50g brown sugar
100ml fresh whipping cream
3oz/85g butter



  • Pre-heat oven to 375F/190C

  • Grease and flour a 9 inch cake tin, square or round


  • Put dates, ginger and water in a pot and bring to boil, simmer for 3 minutes until dates soften and swell slightly

Dates

  • Remove from heat and add in the baking soda, leave to the side to cool slightly


  • Mix butter and brown sugar together in a large bowl until light and creamy
Butter, sugar

Butter, sugar creamed


  • Add in eggs mix again until smooth

  • Sieve in flour and mix well
Flour mix

  • Add vanilla extract and mix well again

  • Pour the date mixture into the bowl and mix well
add the wet ingredients

  • Pour the pudding mix into the cake tin, bake for 30 minutes until browned and cooked through
Cake mix

  • While cake is baking, add sugar, butter and cream into a medium pot and simmer gently until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved
Butter, sugar

  • Keep stirring until it thickens and darkens slightly
Toffee sauce

  • Once cake is ready, poke holes in the top with a fork then pour a few spoonfuls of the warm toffee sauce over the top, leave it sit for about 5 minutes to let it soak in
Sticky Toffee Pudding

Sticky Toffee Pudding

  • Serve while still warm, cutting pudding into generous pieces and pouring more sauce over the top

Be prepared for the whole pudding to be gone fast, it is very sweet and delicious and will leave you and everyone in your company wishing you made two


Sticky Toffee Pudding


Angela

Scottish Word of the Day - Doon - Down

(Put that sticky toffee pudding Doon you've had enough)

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Scottish recipes - Simple Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts.........mmmmmmm

Brussels Sprouts



A lot of people are scared of Brussels sprouts but we love these as a great side vegetable with Turkey on Christmas Day, or indeed any time of the year

People are also heard saying Brussels sprouts can only be enjoyed if roasted and "burned" this is nonsense, you can enjoy them as they are boiled and tossed in Butter

I promise you will like them

This is a simple recipe using only Brussels sprouts, butter and fresh ground pepper



You will need

Brussels sprouts
1 tbsp Butter
fresh ground pepper
pinch of salt


  • First clean the Brussels Sprouts and then cut the stub off the end, and pull off the small outer leaves 
Brussels Sprout

  • Using a knife carefully cut a cross on the end this will help the end to become tender once cooked
Brussels Sprout
Brussels Sprouts

  • In a large pot, boil up some water and add a pinch of salt, add the Brussels sprouts and simmer for 10 minutes until softened but not mushy
Brussels Sprouts 

  • Drain water from pot and add butter and fresh ground pepper to taste to the pot, and stir until butter has melted and has evenly coated the Brussels spout
Brussels Sprouts

  • Place into a serving dish and enjoy while warm

Brussels Sprouts


Angela

Scottish Word of the Day Baw - Ball

(These Brussels Sprouts are round like a Baw)




Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Scottish recipes - Bacon wrapped Mini Sausages

Sausages wrapped in bacon



Cute little Sausages wrapped in Bacon, a great accompaniment with Turkey on Christmas Day for us

We love them and they are so simple to make



You will need

Pkt of Mini sausages (pork or beef)
Bacon



  • Preheat oven to 425F / 220C

  • Take a good pork, or beef mix mini cooked sausage

  • Wrap a piece of bacon tightly around each individual sausage
Sausages wrapped in bacon

  • Place on a baking tray and cook for 20 minutes until warmed through
sausages wrapped in bacon

  • Serve immediately on the side with your turkey 
sausages wrapped in bacon


You can also have these cute sausages as an appetiser, and serve with mustard for dipping

Enjoy these cute little sausages whatever way you wish

    You may also want to sprinkle brown sugar over the prepared sausages before cooking if you prefer a sweeter taste

    Angela


    Scottish Word of the Day - Pinny - Apron

    (I need to wear my Pinny when baking as the flour gets everywhere)

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