Iced Lemon Yoghurt Cake

  • I have been looking for a good recipe, which uses yoghurt but not always with much success.
  • I came across this one the other week and tried it out.
  • Although I made a few alterations – I found that this is the best I have come across.
  • The texture is good and the taste is super.
  • I learnt a new tip, which was to add the lemon rind to the sugar for about 30 minutes – this releases more lemon oil.
  • *
  • I am going to adapt this to make an orange version very soon.

Ingredients

  • 200g plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 200g granulated sugar
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 185ml of Greek style Yoghurt
  • 3 eggs
  • 120ml sunflower oil
  • Large pinch of salt

Method

  • Add the zest to the sugar and leave for about 30 minutes.
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM4 – 180ºC.
  • Use a loaf liner to line a 2 lb loaf tin.
  • Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together.
  • Add the yoghurt and eggs to the sugar mixture.
  • Gradually add the flour mixture and mix well.
  • Add the oil and mix well again.
  • Pour the batter into the loaf tin and smooth the top.
  • Bake for around 45 to 50 minutes.
  • Check a little earlier and cover with greaseproof  paper if it is starting to burn.
  • Leave to cool in the tin.

Lemon Icing – Ingredients

  • 100g icing sugar – approx
  • 1 tablespoon of lemon juice

Lemon Icing – Method

  • Mix the icing sugar with the lemon juice.
  • Adjust sugar or juice to make a thin pouring icing.
  • Once the cake is cold, pour this over the cake.
  • Smooth down with a warm spatula.

Tea plates – Greenway Hostess by John Russell from the 1`960s.

Coconut Macaroons

  • I think coconut is a relatively new ingredient in Polish cookery.
  • I am sure my mother did not use it.
  • Most Polish recipes that I that I have seen are for cakes that are similar to sweets called  Raffaello  – introduced by Ferrero in 1990.
  • This recipe is the same  as Makaroniki  –  Almond Macaroons with coconut instead of almonds.
  • They are so easy to make and a good use for spare egg whites.
  • Did you know that botanically coconuts are not a nut but a drupe (stone fruit) similar to a plum or a peach?

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 egg whites
  • 170g caster sugar
  • 170g desiccated coconut

METHOD

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM 3 – 160°C
  • Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper
  • Mix the sugar and coconut together.
  • Whisk the egg white till they form stiff peaks.
  • Fold in the coconut mixture carefully until well mixed.
  • Place tablespoons of the mixture on the baking sheets.
  • Flatten them down with the back of a spoon.
  • Bake for 20- 25 minutes.
  • Leave to cool slightly before removing them onto a wire rack.

Vintage Glass Dish

Gulasz myśliwski

  • Having made sos myśliwski – Hunter’s sauce. 
  • I thought how good this would be to make into a gulasz.
  • Cubed braising beef or shoulder pork would be super for this.

Ingredients 

  • 400g cubed braising beef or shoulder or spare rib pork
  • 4 slices of  thick cut smoked bacon – chopped
  • 150g – 220g  of fresh mushrooms – sliced or quartered
  • 3 large gherkins – chopped into cubes
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons of plain flour.
  • 2 tablespoons of tomato purée
  • 2 onions – chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic – chopped
  • 3 grains of of allspice
  • 5 peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon of of ground paprika
  • 1 teaspoon of hot ground paprika
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons of made mustard.
  • 500ml of vegetable or chicken stock
  • Salt and pepper
  • Sunflower oil for frying

Method

  • Pre heat the oven to Gas Mark 3 – 1600C
  • Mix the tomato purée, allspice, paprikas and mustard into the stock.
  • Cut the meat into cubes and coat the pieces in a mixture of flour, salt and ground pepper.
  • In a frying pan heat the oil until it is hot and fry the meat until all the sides are sealed.
  • Place the meat into a casserole dish.
  • Fry the garlic and onions in the frying pan, adding some oil if necessary but trying not to use too much or the dish will be greasy.
  • Add the onions to the meat then add the bay leaf and some more ground pepper.
  • Melt the butter and fry the mushrooms for a few minutes.
  • Add the mushrooms to the meat.
  • Add the gherkins,
  • Pour the stock mixture into the casserole dish and put on the lid.
  • Cook in the oven until the meat is tender, this could be about 3 ½ hours  to  4 ½ hours but often I find it needs  longer.
  • *
  • I find that this is better cooked on one day and then reheated on the next.
  • *
  • Serve with boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes or rice.
  • *
  • Note – As the gherkins cook down – next time I would add them in the last hour of cooking.
  • *
  • Of course, this is reminiscent of Bigos, which is usually called Hunter’s Casserole – but here without the cabbage and sauerkraut.

Bean & Pepper Soup

This soup was inspired by the vegetables in my Tuna & New World Salad 

Ingredients

  • 1 tin of Beans – Cannellini, Pinto or Mixed – drained
  • 4 tomatoes – skinned & chopped
  • 1 small tin of sweetcorn – drained (or cooked frozen sweetcorn)
  • Yellow or Orange Pepper – chopped
  • 2 red chillies – chopped fine
  • 1 bunch of spring onions – white and green parts chopped
  • 1 litre of vegetable stock
  • 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Method

  • Fry the onions, tomatoes and peppers in the olive oil.
  • Add the sweetcorn and chillies.
  • Add the vegetable stock.
  • Bring to the boil and then simmer for around 20 minutes.
  • Add the beans and simmer for another 15 – 20 minutes.
  • Add the lemon juice.
  • Season to taste.
Meakin – Midwinter China – Spanish Garden

Ciasteczka

  • This recipe is based on an English recipe 19th century recipe for Rout Biscuits.
  • A rout is a large gathering or party and was often used to describe a card party.
  • They are intended to be eaten in one or two bites.
  • The original recipe was for around four times this amount as the baking was to cater for a large number of people.

INGREDIENTS

  • 225g plain flour
  • 110g butter
  • 90g granulated sugar
  • 110g currants
  • 1 egg – beaten
  • Grated rind of 1 orange
  • 2-3 tablespoons of brandy

METHOD

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM6 – 220°C
  • Flour several baking trays.
  • Rub the butter into the flour.
  • Stir in the sugar, currants and the orange rind.
  • Stir in the egg and enough brandy to make a stiff dough.
  • With your hands make small balls from the dough and place them on the baking sheets.
  • Flatten then slightly.
  • They do not spread when cooking so they can be fairly close together.
  • Bake for 14 – 15 minutes.

Vegetable Pancakes

  • These pancakes are the thick American style pancakes.
  • You can use most cooked vegetables cut into small pieces.

Ingredients

  • 250g plain flour
  • Pinch salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 200ml yoghurt
  • 150 – 200ml milk
  • 200g of cooked chopped vegetables
  • *
  • Sunflower oil for frying.

Vegetables – used 

  • Carrots
  • Whole green beans
  • Peas
  • Sweetcorn

Other suggestions 

  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Chives (fresh)
  • Onions (fried in butter)
  • Peppers
  • Potatoes (boiled)

    Method

  • Beat the eggs, yoghurt and 150ml of milk together.
  • Mix the salt into the flour.
  • Add flour to the egg mix.
  • You are aiming for a thick batter – add more milk as required.
  • Chop all the vegetables into small pieces.
  • Make sure all the vegetables are dry.
  • Dry with a tea towel or kitchen roll as needed.
  • Mix the vegetables together.
  • Mix the vegetables into the batter.
  • *
  • Heat the oil in a frying pan.
  • Fry tablespoonfuls of  the mixture on both sides.

Serve with chopped chives or the green parts of spring onion.

Served here with tomato sauce.

Vintage Pyrex plates

Bay Biscuits

  • I came across this recipe for rich buttery biscuits flavoured with bay leaves, which sounded interesting.
  • You use dried bay leaves.
  • I think they are super.

Ingredients

  • 200g plain flour
  • 100g butter
  • 100g granulated sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 3 tablespoons of water (approx.)
  • 2 dried bay leaves

Method

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM4 – 180ºC.
  • Grease some baking trays.
  • Take a tablespoon of sugar out of the 100g.
  • Grind with the bay leaves.
  • *
  • Rub the butter into the flour to get breadcrumbs.
  • Mix in the sugar and the bay leaves and sugar.
  • Slowly add the egg yolks and enough water to make a stiff dough.
  • Roll out thinly on a floured board.
  • Cut out circles using a 7.5cm round cutter.
  • Bake for around 12 minutes.
  • Leave to cool on a wired rack.

Macaroni Cheese

  • Makaron is the general term for pasta in Poland.
  • Pasta and cheese casseroles were recorded in the 14th century in Italian cookbook.
  • This recipe would be described as makaron z serem in Polish.
  • In 1802, Thomas Jefferson, the American President, served “a pie called macaroni” at a state dinner.
  • In 1824, an American cookbook, The Virginia Housewife by Mary Randolph (Jefferson’s daughter) included a dish of macaroni, cheese, and butter, layered together and baked in a hot oven.
  • This was the start of the American classic – Mac & Cheese.
  • Most recipes use a thick cheese sauce with boiled pasta.
  • Here the pasta is boiled in milk and water and a cheese sauce is not used.
  • Cheddar or Gouda cheese has been used rather than Parmesan.

Ingredients

  • 225g macaroni (or other small pasta shapes)
  • 130g butter
  • 230g of Cheddar or Gouda cheese
  • 600ml milk
  • 1 litre of water
  • 50g of fine white breadcrumbs
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method

  • Grate the cheese.
  • Divide the cheese into 2 portions – 60g and 170g
  • Use a large pan and bring the milk, water and some salt to the boil.
  • Drop in the macaroni and boil till tender stirring occasionally.
  • Watch carefully so the liquid does not froth and boil over.
  • Melt 30g of the butter in a small saucepan.
  • Drain the macaroni and put it back in the warm saucepan.
  • Mix in the 100g of butter and the 170g of cheese with the macaroni.
  • Stir in the pepper.
  • Place in an oven proof dish.
  • Mix the 60g of cheese with the breadcrumbs and sprinkle on top.
  • Pour the melted butter over the breadcrumbs.
  • Brown the top under a hot grill.
  • Serve immediately.

Served on Royal Doulton Carnation 1982 – 1998

Lemony Vegetable Soup

  • This soup was inspired when making lemony chicken sauce.
  • The addition of lemon juice just before serving gives this soup a lovely tang.
  • It gives it the sour taste that is loved by Poles.
  • Use green vegetables mostly such as celery, lettuce, white & green part of leeks, chives and kale.
  • A little chopped carrot and  sweetcorn can be added.

Ingredients

  • Sliced or finely chopped green vegetables such as: 
  • celery
  • chives
  • kale
  • leeks – white and green
  • onions (if not using leeks)
  • sorrel
  • *
  • 1 carrot – chopped small
  • *
  • 2 tablespoons of butter
  • 1 – 1½ litres of chicken or vegetable stock
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Salt & pepper to taste. 

Method

  • Melt the butter in a pan and lightly fry the leeks or onions.
  • Stir in the rest of the vegetables.
  • Cook for a few minutes.
  • Add the stock.
  • Simmer for 20 – 30 minutes till all vegetables are soft.
  • Season to taste.
  • Stir in the juice of the lemon.
Meakin – Midwinter – Spanish Garden

Cauliflower Croquettes

  • My mother usually served cauliflower with buttery dried breadcrumbs – 
  • Known as – à la polonaise.
  • In England cauliflower is often served with a cheese sauce.
  • I often make potato croquettes – krokiety kartoflane 
  • I saw this recipe and thought it sounds like the two combined.
  • They were delicious.

Ingredients

  • ½ of a large cauliflower
  • 1 tablespoon of butter
  • 3 tablespoon of plain flower
  • 200ml milk
  • 50g grated cheese – Cheddar or Gouda
  • *
  • 1 egg – beaten
  • Breadcrumbs
  • More plain flour
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  • Cook the cauliflower by boiling or steaming.
  • Leave to go completely cold.
  • Remove any liquid with a clean tea towel or kitchen roll.
  • Mash the cauliflower with a potato masher.
  • Make a very thick cheese sauce.
  • Melt the butter in a saucepan.
  • Add the flour and cook together, stirring all the time.
  • Slowly add the milk and keep stirring until you have a thick sauce.
  • Add the cheese and cook a little more.
  • Stir in the cauliflower.
  • Mix all together to have a uniform mixture.
  • Season to taste.
  • Leave to cool.
  • You need 3 plates or shallow dishes – 
  • Flour in one, beaten egg in the second, dried breadcrumbs in the third.
  • Divide the cauliflower cheese mixture into 12 even pieces.
  • Roll them out into sausage shapes.
  • Dip in the flour and then in the egg.
  • Roll in the breadcrumbs. 
  • *
  • Heat the oil in a frying pan.
  • Fry the croquettes on all sides till golden – 3 or 4 at a a time.
  • Keep them warm in a low oven, whilst frying the rest.
Vintage Pyrex Plate

Though not tried yet –  I think you could do variations  by – adding cooked peas or chilli flakes or similar to the mixture.