Canny Granny

Rhubarb and Apple Crumble

Rhubarb is an excellent fruit for cooking, it’s cheap enough and easy enough, for anyone to cook. Remember, never use the roots or the leaves! Here’s a little dish for dessert pairing rhubarb with apple and topped with a crumble. Crumble seems to have originated in the Second World War, as a quicker, easier alternative… [Continue Reading]

Roast Vegetable Pie

A warm hearty pie for the cooler months. Here’s an easy little pie with roasted vegetables, flavoursome hommous and the excellent Cypriot cheese halloumi, all in a light golden puff pastry crust. Delicious! Cheese always goes well with vegetables and halloumi is a cheese that keeps its shape even when cooked. . Roast Vegetable Pie… [Continue Reading]

Carrot Soup with Orange and Mint

A Meal for One A really simple soup to make with ready-made vegetable stock. You may like to make your own stock but I freely confess that I rarely do this anymore. After years of hanging out over the hot stove watching stock simmer, I surrendered myself to the convenience of ready-made. These days I… [Continue Reading]

Slow Cooked Pear Sensation

These cheese-stuffed pears have sprung from an Ancient Roman recipe, at least I’ve served pears very like these as part of an Ancient Roman meal, as a tasty mensa secunda, the dessert. The Ancient Romans ate a lot of pears and cheese, although they would have prepared this with sheep cheese, not cow’s, and a… [Continue Reading]

How to Cook Broadbeans

Broad Beans are winter vegetables here in South Eastern Australia and the perfect time to cook good and wholesome meals for yourself. There’s one thing you have to do with broad beans before you do anything. Peel them twice! 3 Simple Steps Peel the pods to get the beans out Bring a pot of water… [Continue Reading]

Leek and Potato Soup

The popular potato soup emerges every Autumn. Warming on those cooler evenings, serve with crusty bread for a full meal. Leek and Potato Soup Ingredients 50g Butter 450g Leeks 700g Potatoes 900ml Vegetable Stock 1 tbsp Dried Rosemary 450ml Milk 2 tbsp Chopped Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley Salt and Pepper Method Begin by preparing the vegetables,… [Continue Reading]

Slow Cook Kahlua Chocolate Cake

This slow cooked Kahlua Chocolate Cake is from a favourite Lunch Menu Lunch Menu Chicken breasts with lime,cider and coriander (cilantro), zesty ratatouille of seasonal vegetables followed by rich chocolate Kahlua cake. All made in the slow cooker Slow Cook Kahlua Chocolate Cake You can make gorgeous cakes in your slow cooker too. This rich… [Continue Reading]

How to Cook Parsnips

Autumn is the time for roasting vegetables. All the different varieties of potatoes and yams come into their own as the evenings chill down. But don’t forget the parsnips! Baked Parsnips Recipe 8 medium parsnips pinch of nutmeg salt and pepper to season Method Remove the tips and tails of the parsnips Boil in water… [Continue Reading]

Melting Moments

You can get Melting Moments or Yo Yos just about anywhere but I can’t believe that you can get any better than home made. How often have you come across a dry Melting Moment? I’ve bought a stale one or two and promised myself I’d go back and complain but sometimes my fury is willing… [Continue Reading]

Guacamole

Once upon a time I made scones when anyone called around. The minute a girlfriend yoo-hooed from the front door, I turned on the stove before I answered. The scones, while perfect with a good cup of tea and excellent with coffee, aren’t the same when you’ve got a bottle of moscato or some other… [Continue Reading]

The Magic of Mushrooms

A few days back I happened upon an advertisement for a food supplement, aimed at women of a certain age. My age, in fact. This wondrous ad, catching my attention completely, promised a delight of magical ingredients in whatever the product was (I forget the product but I remember the ad). ” …… blends harmonizing… [Continue Reading]

The Joy of Rhubarb

Rhubarb is one of those plants that seem to have fallen out of favour. I know why, it takes patience to grow, a commodity seriously lacking in modern housekeepers. Like the glorious quince, rhubarb could soon disappear from gardens forever, mourned only by a few old gardening diehards who appreciate the real flavour of homegrown… [Continue Reading]