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Welsh Rarebit Loaded Potatoes With Crispy Leeks

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Oh readers.. do I have a recipe for you today. Welsh Rarebit Loaded Potatoes  This is a really indulgent and incredibly simple recipe to create and it packs a proper flavour punch. I have always liked Welsh Rarebit, for those of you who are not familiar with the dish here is a brief explanation:

Welsh rarebit (spelling based on folk etymology) or Welsh rabbit (original spelling) is a dish made with a savoury sauce of melted cheese and various other ingredients and served hot, after being poured over slices of toasted bread,[3] or the hot cheese sauce may be served in a dish like a fondue, accompanied by sliced, toasted bread. The name of the dish originates from 18th-century Britain. ( From Wikipedia )

Whilst I love it I rarely make it. I order it at times when out for lunch and often at street food events/festivals so I am not sure why I don’t but perhaps considering the level of cheese involved that is a good thing!

These are really easy to make and can be prepared in advance ready to pop in the oven if you have guests. You could omit the beer if making for children but it really adds to the flavour so make a separate mixture for them perhaps?

I used a mature cheddar here but any cheese will work. The leeks could be swapped for onions or left out, it just adds another texture element and of course enhances the Welshness ( not a real word ) of the dish as it is our national emblem after all.

loaded potatoes welsh rarebit

Welsh Rarebit Loaded Potatoes

You will need:

2 large baking potatoes

200g cheese, grated

25g butter

30g corn flour ( plain flour is a suitable substitute )

30ml Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp mustard

60ml beer or ale

black pepper

1/4 leek, diced finely

Preheat oven to 200c. Microwave your potatoes until soft, leave to cool slightly. Prepare your rarebit by adding your cheese, butter, flour, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and beer to a pan and mixing well. Melt over a low heat, stirring occasionally until it becomes thick and when swirled comes away from the pan. Set aside. Now cut your potatoes in half and carefully scoop out the flesh without breaking the skin, pop the scooped potato into a bowl and add 3/4 of your rarebit mixture along with a pinch of black pepper and mix together. Place the skins cut side up snugly in a baking dish, sprinkle inside with a little olive oil and black pepper and bake for 15 minutes until they are slightly crispy around the edges. Add a little olive oil to the pan you cooked your rarebit in and add your leeks and sauté until golden. Fill your potato skins..overfill slightly – they are meant to be loaded after all and divide the remaining 1/4 of the rarebit over the top, sprinkle with the leeks and place under a hot grill until they are bubbling and bronzed.

Welsh Rarebit Loaded Potatoes

loaded welsh rarebit potatoes

Serve immediately with a large green salad.

Want to know more about Welsh Food? Click here for my 16 awesome foodie things about Wales

Caramelised Red Onion & Cheddar Soda Bread

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I realise I only shared a soda bread recipe a few short weeks ago BUT this bread was so incredibly tasty that it just felt plain rude to keep it to myself. I won’t ramble on again about how much I love soda bread but instead I will just recommend you try making it, maybe this recipe or any other one you will find. It is the EASIEST bread you can make and uses the most basic of store cupboard staple items. It doesn’t stay fresh for very long so it’s best eaten the day you make it – which is handy as when it is warm and smothered in salted butter you will find it hard to stop. It is still good for toast the following day.

One of my favourite things about this recipe is the slow caramelisation of the onions..I love the sweet and buttery smell of onions frying away ever so softly. They really enhance the flavour of the bread and it is such a pleasant burst of sweetness when you find some in your slice of bread. The cheddar isn’t overpowering, in fact I would even say that if I hadn’t known it was in it then I wouldn’t have picked up on the cheese flavour. What it does do is balance out the onion flavour and gives the bread a little depth and saltiness.

Caramelised Red Onion & Cheddar Soda Bread

You will need:

1/2 small red onion sliced diced

50g butter

1 tbsp of rapeseed oil

75g mature cheddar, grated

400g self raising flour

250ml buttermilk ( I use semi skimmed or whole milk with 1.5tbsp of lemon juice, set aside for a few minutes )

1.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Preheat your oven to 180c.  Heat a frying pan over a low to medium heat, add your butter and oil, wait until melted together and add your onions. Fry slowly, stirring occasionally until they are soft, sweet and almost translucent. Set aside to cool.

Add your flour and bicarb to a large bowl and mix well to combine, add your cheese and onions and mix again. Now slowly add your buttermilk and stir to form a dough, the dough should feel sticky. You will more than likely need the full 250ml but use your hands to judge the texture. Turn onto a floured surface and knead very lightly to form an oval or round shape. Place on a baking tray or in a loaf tray/cast iron pan. Using a knife score a cross into the dough going almost all the way through but not quite. Sprinkle with flour and bake for 35- 40 mins. The bottom should feel hollow when tapped.

onion and cheddar soda bread

Spread with butter and serve with chunks of cheese and chutney. It is also a great accompaniment to stews and soups.

Let me know if you try it, I would love to know what you think.

 

Eating Al Fresco July Round Up & August Linky

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Wow that month went by quickly! Hope you are all having a good Summer so far. So we have had a sprinkling of sunny days one the past few weeks and I have spent a little more time in the garden enjoying food in the sunshine and also outside our tent when we went to Camp Bestival. Camping food doesn’t have to be beans and sausages, I made a big batch of bolognese the night before we left and used it top nachos one evening for a real comforting and filling meal.

camping bbq nachos

This month we have some great recipes linked up from fellow bloggers so do read on and check them out. As always this feature is sponsored by Homesense and this month I grabbed some great candles and oils from there – it really is such a fantastic shop and I can pretty much guarantee to find at least one thing I love on every single visit. You can find the details of this months linky at the end of this post and don’t forget if you enter you could win a Homesense voucher!

Salmon With Salsa Verde from A Wee Pinch Of Sugar:

salmon-with-wild-garlic-salsa-3

 

Crispy Grilled Mackerel from Family Friend Food:

grilled-mackerel

Slow Cooker Victoria Sponge from BakingQueen74:

victoria-sponge-1

Simple Orange Ginger Carrot Salad from Tin and Thyme:

Orange-Ginger-Carrot-Salad-1

Pimms Ice Lollies from Foodie Quine:

pimms ice lollies

Zesty Quinoa & Sweet Potato Salad from Rough Measures:

ZestyQuinoa

Stress Free BBQ Sides from Gingey Bites:

Gingey Bites BBQ sides1-2

This months random lucky winner is Sus from Rough Measures chosen by random.org

Feasting & Drinking At Camp Bestival 2016

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I returned from a busy and rather tiring weekend at Camp Bestival in Dorset last night. As always one of the focal points of the festival for me was The Feast Collective. There was a spectacular array of food on offer and I indulged myself. The vibe around the Feast Collective tent was as always buzzing with the best tunes from DJ BBQ, the FC host. Here is a brief round up of the food and drink I enjoyed, keep an eye out for my full review coming up in the next few weeks.

feast collective tent 2016

Low and slow from DJ BBQ and crew.. I really enjoyed the Piggyback: a pulled pork cheeseburger. Too good. As a real food lover it was fascinating to be able to watch and smell the smoking and cooking process.

feast collective DJ BBQ

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Loaded fries from The Lem Lem Kitchen, a delicious combo of fries, spicy beef, garlic mayo and jalapeños.

camp bestival food

The girls loved fruit lollies from Polar Pops especially The Little Red Pop.

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Incredible chicken rendang from Makatcha

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Churros from The Chocolate Bear Kitchen, gluten free as well as vegan.

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The best buttermilk chicken I have ever tried from Butchies.

feast camp bestival

Onto the drink. This year there was a special experience from Brancott Estate which I really enjoyed with the first ever Virtual Reality trip to New Zealand to discover the history of Brancott. You could feel the breeze, smell the wine and see the fruits and vegetables rolling through the air in front of you – it was hard to stop myself reaching out. I cannot quite explain what an enjoyable and truly interesting experience it was – I urge you to try it if you see them at any other festivals. The wine I sampled throughout the weekend along with the friendly and extremely knowledgable staff ( special shout out to Pedro ) made for an enjoyable time.

brancott estate

What really impressed me this year was the vast array of food on offer which was suitable for people with allergies. I always worry at festivals or generally on holiday that we won’t be able to find food for my youngest child Chloe who is gluten, dairy and soya free as well as bananas but we found so many dishes for her to try including some rather awesome churros from the inclusive eatery The Chocolate Bear Kitchen. To see her face light up with pleasure at being able to eat the same food as the rest of us was particularly enjoyable for me as a parent.

 

  • I am an ambassador for Camp Bestival and as such my tickets and some of the meals were included for the purpose of a review.

 

Festival Food & Camping

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Later this week we are headed to Camp Bestival, festivals are generally very good for food now with Camp Bestival being rather exceptional BUT realistically buying every meal for four people can get a little expensive so here are some tips for festival food and camping food in general:

1. Freeze staple food items to take with you:

I freeze bacon, sausages and milk as well as one home cooked dish such as bolognese. The meal should defrost in time for your second night and you will appreciate a filling meal outside your tent for a much needed break.

Yes it doesn’t look that appealing..tastes awesome.

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2. Snacks, snacks and more snacks:

It is unbelievable how hungry small ones will get when they are running around all day. Fruit, crisps, cereal bars and cheese are all handy snacks to have on standby. We also take cheery tomatoes, olives and sliced peppers which the girls love.

festival food

3. Make a meal ready for your first night and also boil some potatoes:

The meal will be perfect for when you are finished setting up camp, curry is perfect or a stew and the potatoes when sliced are great for adding to a frittata or omelette for breakfast the following day.

4. Tortilla Chips, Cheese, Salsa and Sour Cream:

Have you tried making nachos in a pan? Just line it with foil and pop in your nachos, topped with salsa and cheese, cook for 10 minutes then cover with foil to melt your cheese. Such an amazing camping meal or snack. Serve with sour cream and perhaps some jalapeños.

5. Eggs and Baked Beans:

Take a box of eggs and some beans for an easy lunch simply served with some bread.

6.Peanut Butter Or Nutella & Bread:

Sandwiches can be made up on the morning before you head into the festival arena, peanut butter sandwiches also freeze really well.

7. Drinks:

Pack some wine boxes, cocktail pouches, wine handbags and cider or beer for a money saver. You can drink these at your tent but you cannot take them into the arena. Most festivals including Camp Bestival do not allow glass bottles and have a limit to the amount you can take in with you.

8. Cool bags and flasks:

We have some awesome cool bags and flasks from Thermos including this Duo Compartment Food Flask.

Camping Options:

Festivals generally have lots of camping options now including glamping and pre erected tents. This year we are staying with Pitch Camping – look out for a full review after the festival. Pitch Village set up tents for you in advance and our tent will include 4 airbeds, sleeping bags and pillows.. also unlimited tea and coffee – BONUS. If we were camping in the general campsite we would be using our Vango Inflatable tent – so convenient and easy to set up, just 8 minutes up and down. Spacious too. We were sent one to review and if we get any decent weather this summer you will see a full review soon.

* We are ambassadors for Camp Bestival and our tickets are free, we are also reviewing Pitch Village and products mentioned have been gifted for the purpose of a review.

Camp Bestival 2016 – Final Countdown

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Well the last few months disappeared in the blink of an eye didn’t they?? I feel like I just saw the first trickle of line up announcements for Camp Bestival and all of a sudden here we are just four days before it all kicks off.

Here are 10 things we are looking forward to this year:

1. The Feast Collective and The Brancott Estate Wine Experience:

My favourite part of the festival every year is the Feast Collective. Hosted by the ever enthusiastic DJ BBQ, there is a real fun and laidback vibe there with the best food I have ever had at any festival I have been to. Looking forward to sampling some of DJ BBQ’s low and slow cooked offerings as well as heading to Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen, can also see at least one trip to The Jam Jar Bar happening too. Oh and Jimmy’s Ice Coffee for those hopefully warm but tiring afternoons.

New this year is The Brancott Estate Red Shed Wine Experience, I am very much looking forward to this.

Feast collective camp Bestival

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2. Slow Motion Therapy:

There is no doubt about it, the festival is incredibly fun but so tiring for parents – the slow motion therapies on offer sound just perfect. A massage and a child free break – bliss.

3.The musical line up:

I love all kinds of music and there are a lot of bands I am excited to see this year, including 80’s come back bands such as Banarama.

4. The Hotpoint Festival Kitchen:

Foodie demonstrations from top chefs and food personalities – really looking forward to this.

5. Wild Things At The Dingly Dell:

Seeing the girls have fun is the very best part for me, the Dingly Dell is a gorgeous wooded area, away from the chaos and mayhem of the festival where you can get truly back to nature. Highlights this year include The Mud Cafe Kitchen and Giant Den Building. I shall be embracing my inner child for sure.

6. The Lower Kids Garden:

The girls always have a blast in the craft area of the festival, Art Town is a pretty cool place to be and there are also lots of shows to watch which are appealing to all generations.

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7. Mr Tumble:

It really wouldn’t be Camp Bestival without Mr Tumble, he draws the biggest crowd of the festival and the girls have been most excited to both watch his show and meet him in the press area afterwards – blogger perks hey?

Mr tumble at camp bestival

8. Dick & Dom:

Another Camp Bestival favourite, they light up the festival with their witty banter and often slightly drunken shows. Fun for everyone.

9. The Freesports Park & The Wall Of Death:

This is an area of BMX and Skateboarding fun where the children can learn new and exciting skills. It is a good area to just laze around outside and watch. The Wall Of Death is the Fox family riding motorcycles in a rather dangerous and insane manner around the walls of an indoor arena. It is incredibly exciting to watch although I think I gasped in horror at least once last time. The Fox family includes the world leader Wall Of Death rider Ken Fox and they put on such a good show.

10. The Worlds Largest Bouncy Castle:

I will definitely be joining in on this experience on the largest bouncy castle in the world. I am hoping it will help me work off the churros I will definitely be indulging in each night. It will also have the bonus of tiring the girls out for a peaceful night of sleep. I hope.

What are you looking forward to?

* As stated I am an ambassador for Camp Bestival and as such my tickets are free.

Heinz (Seriously) Good Spoonfuls – Coronation Chicken With Mayo Croutons

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Heinz have recently launched a competition to find the ultimate recipe on a spoon. You may have seen or perhaps bought the new range of sauces from Heinz? The Seriously Good Mayonnaise is particularly good, a lot more of an indulgent taste and texture than the original and perfect for creating new dishes and taking on flavours. Could you create a dish that could be served entirely on a spoon which uses the new Mayonnaise? If you think you could then click here to check out the competition which has a great prize home dinner party for eight people with food writer, TV host and chef Sophie Michell. You and your guests will indulge in a bespoke seriously good three-course menu with wine pairing which you will work with Sophie to plan and make. The package also includes £500 spending money for the group, to be used towards drinks, wine and additional supplies. Once prepared, Sophie will take care of every detail, allowing you to sit back, entertain and enjoy.

Sophie Michell has been cooking professionally since she was a teenager and became the UK’s youngest female Executive Chef when we took the helm of Pont St restaurant in London’s Belgraves hotel in 2013. Sophie is also part of the team behind The Gorgeous Kitchen, an exciting new contemporary restaurant at Heathrow Airport providing passengers with a delicious menu worthy of the capital’s top restaurants.

As it now officially appears to be Summer here, for a day or two at least I wanted to create a light recipe which could be eaten at lunch time. Serving it on a spoon makes it a little bit of fun. I have always liked coronation chicken sandwiches. The combination of fruit and curry spices wins me over and if I am out I will often buy them ready made in bakeries or cafes. At home they make a great filling for baked potatoes and inside baguettes. This is my twist on the sandwich which has a lettuce leaf base, followed by the coronation chicken mixture which uses Heinz Seriously Good Mayonnaise and topped with a crouton coated in the mayonnaise and dry fried. You could call it a deconstructed toasted sandwich if you want to be fancy or a lazy yet tasty mess if you don’t. The recipe below would make enough for 8 large spoonfuls, perfect as canapés or in a garden picnic. Instead of frying the croutons in oil or butter I coated in mayonnaise and fried, the mayonnaise adds a good tang and ensures the croutons are gorgeously crispy. I have used this mayonnaise to make incredible grilled cheese sandwiches too, more about that coming up in another blog post.

heinz seriously good mayo coronation chicken

 

Coronation Chicken With Mayo Croutons

You will need:

1 roasted chicken breast, shredded ( I used the leftovers from a Sunday roast )

3 heaped tablespoons of Heinz Seriously Good Mayonnaise

3/4 teaspoon of medium spice curry powder

1 tsp mango chutney

4 large iceberg leaves, torn to fit the spoons

A handful of rocket leaves

2 slices of bread, cubed ( I used wholemeal but any kind will go)

1 tablespoon of Heinz Seriously Good Mayonnaise for the croutons

black pepper

Mix your mayonnaise, curry powder, chutney and black pepper together until completely combined, set aside. Heat a frying pan over a medium – high heat, coat your cubed bread in mayo and fry on both side until golden.

mango coronation chicken recipe

heinz coronation chicken IMG_7478

Layer your spoons with lettuce leaves, chicken mixture and top with your crouton.

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You can find some other entries here:

Rainbow Quail Devilled Eggs from Foodie Quine

Nori Wrapped Hot Smoked Salmon Cubes With Miso Mayonnaise from Kavey Eats

Spicy Crab & Watercress Open Sandwich from Hungry Healthy Happy

Quick & Easy Olive Soda Bread Rolls

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There isn’t much that smells better than fresh bread baking in the oven. I try to make some every few weeks just for the pleasure of kneading and watching the various stages of the rising and proving process. Sometimes though there just isn’t time to put in all the necessary work that goes into a really good loaf. There is however normally always time to make an easy soda bread.

I really enjoy making soda bread. I’ve always got self raising flour, bicarbonate of soda and lemon juice in my cupboard so that added to milk from the fridge is all I need for a fresh loaf in under an hour. Today I opted to make 4 individual rolls and a small loaf from one batch of dough.

You will need:

350ml of buttermilk or semi skimmed milk with 2 tbsp of lemon juice and left to stand for 5 minutes ( I never buy ready made buttermilk – it’s really not necessary )
400g of SR flour
2 level tsp of sodium bicarbonate ( baking soda)
1 handful of green olives, diced

Preheat your oven to 180C.

Mix your flour with your bicarbonate of soda, add 300ml of your milk and mix to form a sticky dough. If you think it’s needed add the remaining milk. Flour your hands and scoop your dough onto a floured surface, knead a few times just to form a round ball of dough. Divide into two. Add your diced olives to one half of the dough and push them in quite deeply, you then need to make your rolls by splitting into 4 balls and rolling slightly. Place onto a greased and lined baking tray, use a knife to deeply score a cross into the roll. Sprinkle with flour and bake for 20 minutes until golden. With your remaining dough, shape slightly and place in a bread tin or baking dish and score as above. I used a cast iron oval cocotte from Staub lined with baking paper. Using this type of pot with a lid gives an incredible crust. Sprinkle with flour and bake for 35 minutes until golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped underneath.

Leave to cool on a wire rack but not too much, this is absolutely delicious when slightly warm and smeared with butter.

easy Olive soda bread rolls

easy soda bread in cast iron pot

Dark Chocolate Chip Flapjacks

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Over the last few months I have been going through my older recipes on the blog, trying them out and making some amendments where needed. You will start to see some of the more popular recipes revisited and revamped a little with some hopefully more appealing photos. I first posted this recipe for flapjacks back in 2013,  at the time I didn’t really consider about readers actually making my recipes – it was almost like an online recipe binder just for me. Since then my readership has grown – thank you for that – and I wanted to make sure all of my recipes worked, tasted good and looked a little better! The first new ( old ) recipe is for these Dark Chocolate Chip Flapjacks.

I used to really like the flapjacks  made by the dinner ladies at my secondary school and I tried and failed to recreate them many times. Chewy gooey with just the right amount of buttery syrup.  This is the closest I have found, with a slightly more mature taste due to the slightly bitter dark chocolate. It really is the simplest recipe with minimal preparation.

Dark Chocolate Chip Flapjacks

You will need:

350g of rolled oats
200g butter
200g golden caster sugar
5 tbsp of golden syrup
100g 70% cocoa dark chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 180c. Line a tray bake tin with greaseproof paper.

Melt your butter, sugar and syrup in a pan on your hob over a low heat until melted and then stir in your oats until thoroughly combined. Empty into a mixing bowl, cool and then stir through your chocolate chips. Spoon into your tray using the back of spoon to level the mixture out.Bake for 20 mins then leave to cool slightly in the tray before removing, you should cut into squares while still warm but not hot.

chocolate chip flapjacks

Now just try to stop yourself eating them one by one. Keep in an airtight container – they will keep for about a week.

Linking up to the We Should Cocoa challenge as hosted by Tin and Thyme.

 

11 Camping Essentials

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If the weather decides to play ball I would like to make this a summer of camping, I have only managed one trip so far with a large group of family but Camp Bestival is coming up soon and I’d love to make some plans to camp with friends too.

After you have been camping a few times you start to create a mental list of the things you NEED and then the things that you want ..if you have room in the car!

1. Starting with The Tent:

Well it would be a bit problematic if you forgot the tent yes? We have been trying out two tents – one is a traditional technical tent from Olpro and the other a Vango Inflatable tent. You can find the review for the Olpro tent here and the inflatable tent review will be live in a few weeks. When considering a tent I say look at the size of not just the bedrooms but also the living areas as British weather is ..well not great. You need a good space that you can sit in with a book or to play a game or enjoy your supper – DON’T be tempted to cook inside your tent though.

martley 2.0 review

2. Airbeds:

Once considered a luxury I definitely view this as an essential and would never camp without one or a camped. They add an element of comfort and if placed over a blanket or underlay they stop the cold ground from seeping into your bones during the night!

3. Bedding:

All of the bedding. Woah it can get cold in the UK even on summer nights. Last year at Camp Bestival I was frozen. Any extra bedding we took was used on the girls as they shivered away and I pulled my youngest into bed with me just to try to absorb her heat. Never again – take more than you need. Thin layers of bedding are useful for the mornings when it inevitably turns into an oven and a fleecy or heavy blanket to pop over the top is great – a warm blanket is also nice to wrap around your shoulders as you enjoy some wine outside your tent at night.

4. BBQ/Cooking Stove:

You can’t quite beat the feeling of eating outdoors, birds tweeting, bees buzzing around and everything just tastes better.

5. Food & Drink:

I am still a bit of a foodie even when camping. I see no reason why you can’t cook a good meal around a campfire or stove. I love to make frittatas, pasta dishes or some pre made gnocchi when camping. Filling meals. I always take a loaf of bread and peanut butter for easy lunches for the girls and frozen bacon or sausages to last us a few days. On that note.. tinfoil is your friend – less washing up means much more to enjoy the trip.

Marinated chicken thighs are also a fave here, good for the first night of camping when you can marinate at home and keep cool until the evening:

bbq chicken thighs

6.Wet Wipes & Anti Bac:

Sticky hands, tent spillages or just the general messiness of camping. Muddy feet. Anti Bac gel for when you haven’t got the energy for the 30th trip of the day to the toilets to wash your childrens hands. Also great for using after going into festival toilets which even at the best of festivals can be a little grim.

7.Torch, lamp, candles:

For obvious reasons, it can seem blacker than blacker when you are in the middle of a field unless it’s particularly clear and starry. So used to street lights and being able to pop a light on whenever you want you need a ready supply of the above. Handy for midnight bathroom trips or if you are convinced you hear a large animal nearby.. or is that just me?? It is nearly always the person in the next tent snoring.

8. First Aid Kit, Insect Repellent:

Cuts and scrapes are a given with children and all of the midges in the world came out on our last trip. They seem to love me in particular.

9. A back up power charger:

Whilst lots of campsites now have electric hook up pitches, festivals generally do not. I always take a back up charger such as this Juice Weekender. I am a bit of a social media addict and I really don’t like to be non contactable

10.  Some kind of board game or cards:

Just for fun and to pass the time.

11. Books:

I wake up really early when camping, as soon as the morning light starts to stream through so I always have a book on hand for that early morning laze in bed.

Can you think of any other camping essentials??

  • The products mentioned in this post were gifted for the purpose of a review.