Crazy Englishwoman Cooks!

This has to be the easiest thing you will ever make.

NO mixing bowls.

NO utensils, other than 1 baking tray and 1 measuring cup.
Obviously this could be very complicated so are you ready?

Souffle has always been one of those intimidating desserts. The timing must be just right or it flops, not to mention that there are just two of us and most recipes make a giant souffle.

Luckily, though, I found a recipe to serve two over at Delish and I decided it was time to be brave and give it a go. And guess what? It's so EASY. OK, so you can't make it until just before you're ready to serve it, but other than that, it's the easiest dessert I've ever made.

So here's the recipe I used to make a Cappuccino Souffle with a Choco-Rum Sauce: (rum just sounded like a good idea to continue the New Orleans theme of the meal).

1 tbs flavored cappuccino mix (or any instant coffee)
a splash of vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 cup cream

a good splash of dark rum




Now here's where the timing is important. The souffles must be served as soon as they come out of the oven. Take your spoon, crack the top of the souffle and pour your yummy choco-rum sauce inside.

Can we say gooey, yummy goodness????

Nic was away most of last week so for his return on Friday, I decided to cook something special. His request was for Cajun. Since I'm not a fan of anything blackened, this satisfied us both.

Louisiana Seafood Paella (serves 4)

2 tbs oil
1 green pepper (diced)
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Creole Sauce (see recipe below)
1/4 pt fish stock or water
5 tbs heavy cream
2 cups cooked rice (I used brown but white is ok too)
8oz peeled prawns
4 oz cooked mussels
6oz crab meat (lump if possible - you could also use the imitation crab sticks)

To make the Creole Sauce, heat some oil in a pan and add a chopped onion, 3 sticks chopped celery, 1 crushed garlic clove, 1 diced red pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes. Add a can of diced tomatoes, 1 tbs lemon juice, 1 tsp molasses, a couple of bay leaves, some Tabasco sauce, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes.

Heat your oil in a heavy pan. Add the green pepper, onion, and celery and cook for about 10 minutes. Stir in the thyme, Creole sauce and stock. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in the cream and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Add the rice and seafood and mix carefully so you don't break up the seafood. Cook for a few minutes, just to heat through and it is ready to serve.

One of our friends works in the local Liquor Barn and so my Christmas gift every year is a bottle of very nice red wine and a basket of gourmet goodies.

This year, the basket happened to include a bottle of avocado oil. Unsure what to use it for, I searched online and found a nice looking recipe for vegetable muffins. The original recipe was for mini muffins but I don't have a mini tray and who ever eats just one mini muffin? You may as well make proper sized ones.

As you can see, the avocado oil is a wonderful, deep green color. Don't worry - the muffins don't turn out that color. And don't worry if you have no avocado oil to hand - a mild olive oil, vegetable oil, or  butter would all work just as well, I'm sure.

To make the muffins, you need:


2 cups flour (I used part white and part whole wheat)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup avocado oil
2 cups diced or grated vegetables - I used frozen sweetcorn and peas as that was what I had handy but you could use grated carrot, zucchini, diced peppers, it's up to you
1 egg
milk

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. Then add enough milk (abut 3/4 cup) to make a muffin batter. I only added 1/2 a cup but next time I would add more. You might also want to add some cheese, smoked salmon, or bacon for extra flavor.

Spoon into muffin pan (I had enough for 8 muffins) and cook at 350F for 20-25 minutes.

The result was some very tasty muffins. The natural sugars in the vegetables give a wonderful sweetness, although next time I will add some cheese or smoked salmon to boost the flavor.

This might be a great way to add some veggies to your diet!

Fish tacos are one of those dishes where you just might be taking your life into your own hands. In Mexico, I ate the most delicious tacos made with smoked marlin. Then again, I've eaten fish tacos that were bland and tasteless, or worse, those which have had me running for the bathroom. (The tip here is to NEVER, NEVER order fish tacos at one of those build your own burrito places - no matter how good the rest of the food is).

Yet the ones in Mexico restored my faith in the humble fish taco so last night I made some for dinner. Not only are Nic and I both still standing, we both really enjoyed them.

Since, when you get down to it, what you put in your taco is a personal choice, I won't give a detailed ingredient list here. They can easily be made in a matter of minutes. Grill or fry some tilapia (shrimp would also be good) with some chili powder and black pepper. Slice some avocado. Make a quick salsa from grape tomatoes, cilantro and lime juice. Grab some spinach. Put it all together in a whole wheat tortilla, and voila - one tasty, and healthful, fish taco.

So I'm still getting sorted out from my trip to England but will be back to posting recipes very soon. In the meantime, you might like this free Guide to British Cheese which I just found online.

Enjoy.