Slow Cooker Curry Goat

It has long been my ambition to make this, and make it as tasty as I've tasted.  My husband's boss is Jamaican and hers is absolutely divine.   I'm aware that the recipe differs across Caribbean islands, and I'm certainly not trying to compete, just to be able to pull together a version I can throw in the slow cooker, and look forward to coming home to,

This one has come together beautifully.   I did it without the Scotch Bonnet (I had one, I chickened out).  It still had a great heat and taste, but will try it with next time and update.

I also used goat meat from our local butcher, which came some on the bone and some off.  I chose to use the meat off the bone.  Again, this is personal preference, but will do some on the bone as well to taste test it.   In the meantime however, this will be my go to.

3.5L Slow Cooker.
Serves 3-4

650g goat meat - off the bone (see comments above)

2 large potatoes, peeled and quartered

1-2 tbs medium curry powder

1 small onion diced

3 sprigs thyme

3 tsp garlic paste

2 tsp ginger paste

3 tsp allspice

1 tomato diced

Salt and pepper to taste, can check and adjust later

2 spring onions, sliced

2 tbs water

1 tbs Caribbean Green Seasoning, if you cannot buy, you can make your own (see below).

Throw it all in, mix it up, then cook for around 5-7hrs low.

Caribbean Green Seasoning:

Blend  handful of coriander, stalk of celery, whole head of garlic, 4 spring onions, handful of thyme, 60ml water, 2 shallots, 2 tsp allspice, salt.  Once blended, you can freeze in ice cube trays and  pop one straight into the slow cooker next time.

We served with rice and black beans, but you can mix it up how you like.

Enjoy! 

Annie x

Chocolate Cookies, basic recipe, bung it all in! #isolationbaking

A bung it all in recipe that needs minimal ingredients, but tastes great, and perfect for kids to
do, and enjoy the fruits of their labour.  The dough itself can also be frozen, so we baked half and froze the other for a rainy day).

Whole lot makes around 12 cookies, dependant on what size you are looking to make.

Ingredients
225g butter softened 
(I put ours in the microwave for a bit too long, but still worked, despite the initial stage looking runny, it came together with the flour)
110g caster sugar (I only had golden, which worked great)
275g plain flour 
Around 100g chocolate, we smashed up 2 twirl bars

Method
Preheat oven to 190.
Cream together the butter and sugar (as above, don't worry if it looks too runny).
Add the flour and chocolate, and bring it all together to form a dough.
Take balls of the dough, then put on a greased baking tray, and flatten with your palm onto your preferred cookie size.
Place with enough space between them as they will expand.
Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

Cool down and eat!
Enjoy!
Annie x

Mint Choc Chip Ice cream - no churn! No ice cream maker, no problem!

Ok, so it's April 2020 and we are in self isolation enduring this awful experience that is Covid-19.  Normally I'd be getting excited about going to Crete, but flights have been cancelled, and we are just doing our best to stay safe, and save the NHS! 

With that in mind, the one thing about Crete that I find frustrating, is the lack of mint choc chip ice cream.  You can get all sorts of exotic flavours, and delicious as they maybe, I can't remember how many times I thought I'd spotted it, only to be told it's pistachio.   So, with time on our hands, we set about trying to make our own, without owning an ice cream maker (it's on the list).  AND we nailed it, thumbs up from my sous chef Scarlett.

Ingredients
500ml double (whipping) cream
397g can Condensed milk
1/2 tsp peppermint extract (dependent on taste, Scarlett wants to put more in next time)
3 drops green food colouring - optional, again Scarlett would have preferred more
100g choc chips (minimum), or bash up your favourite bar

Method
Whip up the cream until it forms soft peaks (we used the food mixer)
In a separate bowl combine the rest of the ingredients.
Take time to fold in the cream to the other ingredients, this will ensure that it remains light and the choc chips won't all fall to the bottom during freezing.
Freeze, for at least 6 hours.
EAT!

Enjoy!
Annie x

Sausage and Egg Bagel, home style, kids favourite

Ever find yourself stuck in a rut when it comes to the kids tea, my own end up with pasta, sausages, fish fingers and chicken on a loop, interspersed with the odd inspiration of a home-made pie or fish pie etc., but as a busy working mum, it's often hard to find inspiration.

Tonight I had a rare moment of inspiration, I deconstructed a sausage and egg "mcmuffin., actually, I de-skinned a few sausages and went from there, but I have to say the outcome was "awesome"!

Ingredients
pack of 8 sausages
free range eggs
bagels

Method
Cut the skin of the sausages and remove the sausage meat, I made the patties out of 2 sausages per pattie.

Fried in a little oil, and when near, fried the egg too. 

Toasted the bagel, and combine.

Happy kids, happy mummy!

Enjoy!
Annie x

Vietnamese Food, with Kids, Easy Peasy lemon Squeezy! #pancakes

So we had the best holiday in Vietnam, kids were amazing and then some.  We came home last Tuesday and people were very interested in feedback, and guarantee the 2nd question was about he food.  Well Marks and Spencers have launched a Vietnamese food range, so that shows its "bang on trend", and I will be trying it tomorrow, but thought I'd let you see what we ate first hand.

Firstly, it's not spicy food.  The food is amazing and flavoursome, but they offer chillies and sauces for you to add heat if you wish.  The Pho is a principal dish in Vietnam, and can be eaten at any time. We saw a lot of the locals eating it for breakfast too.  It is pretty simplistic but absolutely beautiful. Considering I don't like soups, or wet food(!) even I loved it.  A lot of the mums from home were concerned about food for the children, but there was rice and pancakes on most menus, so if they didn't want to try anything else, they could still eat well.   Personally, when dragging kids around museums and stuff and they are happy to do so, interspersed with rice or pancakes, I'm all over that! Having said that, they also had spaghetti bolognese a couple of times, which also features in my Vietnamese cookbook!

Pho Ga (chicken noodle soup) I added the chilli myself!

Vietnam is renowned for its street food, and we were actually staying in what they called "food street" in the "Old Quarter"of Hanoi (incidental not planned)!  If you stayed in an all inclusive or a posh hotel in the City, and wandered into the old quarter, you might turn your nose up at the street traders, but!!!!!!    We were staying in an apartment overlooking "food street" and they washed and scrubbed everything to within an inch of its life, and could not have been cleaner - food, surfaces, pots and utensils.  We ate locally every night and we had the best food, without any "tummy" issues, another question I was asked!

We also loved it when eating local clams, to die for, to see a pizza delivery guy turn up at a hotel which overlooked "food street"..... no words!

White roses

street food, you picked it and they cooked it and brought to your own hot plate, see below

Spring rolls and chilli dip

Squid in banana leaves

Clams to die for - from food street, you ate what they had basically!

Cao Lau a favourite for Chis, local to Hoi An - includes pork rind!

Our bungalow in Hoi An, they cooked for us on Saturday night, as an offering and a thank you!

Spring rolls, on every menu, but delicious

Wantons, a favourite of mine, if not too greasy!

Steamed spring rolls

Stuffed squid

Morning Glory and garlic (a type of water spinach)

Sticky rice, Scarlett couldn't get enough of it (thankfully)!

double-banana-tastic!

Jasper had his own method of eating with chopticks, but it worked!

Trying some new fruit

My initial worry was that we would end up eating dog.  On the contrary most traders and locals had dogs as pets.  We were told that you could definitely get it in Hanoi, but we didn't go looking.  We had a book with us to translate the menus, but to be honest we didn't need it.

I will have a go at trying my own, it will never match up as it won't be in the location, in the heat, and deserved after a long day out in the sun or on the water, or up a mountain!

Will keep you posted!
Annie x