Christmas crunch munch burger

We've all had to get through the Christmas Turkey leftover stage and there's only so much turkey stew, turkey sandwiches and turkey ice-cream you can make before you start hating the smell and taste of the meat.

However this year we had a little twist on the turkey sandwich that was utterly delicious and definitely worth a try.

Among the Christmas leftovers we also had some cranberry cheddar and plenty of cranberry sauce with port.

This latter - the cranberry sauce with port - was exceptionally lovely as it had been bought as a gift for ourselves during the sale at Harrods in January 2017 for £1.20 (down from £6) and so was in itself a budget buy. A top-notch budget buy.

But of course any cranberry sauce will do, and if it is homemade - all the better! Nothing can beat home-made!

As I'd spent five days in a row (or so it seemed) peeling seasonal vegetables, the last thing I had the energy to do was make a loaf of bread just to make some sandwiches.

However, we did have four brioche buns from Waitrose which sported that famous yellow 'discount' sticker.

From Waitrose: excellent brioche burger buns

Honestly, if you've never been to Waitrose, definitely check it out after lunchtime - there are always excellent deals and these brioche rolls were less than half price and still within the use-by date.

I sliced some of the turkey breast and, warming it up in some stock so it was moist and full of flavour, set this aside while I put the top halves of each bun into the oven, covered with sliced cranberry cheese until this melted.

"I have to say this was far nicer than any turkey sandwich I'd eaten"

On the bottom of the roll, which I had lightly toasted, I liberally spread the cranberry sauce, laid two stock-soaked turkey slices on each one, put some thinly sliced tomatoes and cucumber and then pressed the hot cheesy top down on each roll.

Four rolls served three people: my husband had two, my friend and I ate one each (because we were pretending to be healthy).

I have to say this was far nicer than any turkey sandwich I'd eaten, not least because the brioche kept its consistency better - too often with flat bread the juices soak into the bread and makes it soggy.

Of course, I've still got 2 jars of stock and 1 box of the bird left to eat... but that's a story for a different time.

To find out how to make the most of the turkey bones to make stock, see my earlier post. Enjoy!

Nutella cheesecake - the no-bake treat!

Nutella Cheesecake - pic from my guest Maribel (who declared the cake 'delicioso')

This post could have been called: 'How to make a Nutella Cheesecake in 20 minutes (and eat it in three)'.

I love this Nutella dish. It is easy, quick to make, always looks amazing and takes little to no time to make. It is also not as rich as you might think, which means it is perfect for a naughty treat.

We tend to use low-fat Philadelphia cream cheese and low-fat Flora Light spread, as my way of making it a little healthier - although if you're going to use an entire tub of Nutella as I do, perhaps that negates the healthy effort!

You will need:

For the base:

200g butter or Flora Light

100g brown or muscovado sugar

1 pack of digestive biscuits

For the topping:

1 400g jar of Nutella

1 300g tub of Philadelphia cream cheese

1 small bag of blanched whole hazelnuts to decorate (optional)

How to make:

Melt the sugar and butter together in a saucepan on a low heat. Stir until smooth, then turn off the heat.

Crush the biscuits and grind them until all the large chunks have gone. I have a kitchen gadget now that does this for me - basically a little hand-held, hand-powered grater thingy, but before that I just used to wrap the pack of biscuits in a clean tea-towel and beat the living daylights out of them with a rolling pin. Good therapy.

Anyway, I digress. Add the ground biscuits to the sugar/butter mix, and stir. The mix should be firm - like cookie dough - so that you can press it into a greased flan dish (or in my case, the lid of a large casserole dish).

Leave to cool slightly. In a clean bowl, empty the entire jar of Nutella and blend it with the cream cheese until there is no white cheese visible and the mixture is smooth. Spread it evenly over the top of the biscuit base and leave to set.

For decoration, sprinkle with cocoa and place the blanched whole hazelnuts on top. 

Serve and enjoy! 

*In the meantime, since making this for my friends Dave, Maribel and William, Dave has tried this recipe at home and he has added a layer of peanut butter between the biscuit base and the Nutella topping. My own husband thinks this is a step too far, and quite a few more calories too far, but according to Dave and Maribel, it tastes of Reece's peanut butter cups. Which sounds delicious.

Happiness in a pan

Let's clear two things up. You cannot actually find happiness in a pan, and this recipe is made in a rectangular casserole dish, but if happiness could be found at the bottom of a glass receptacle, this recipe comes close to it.

It is basically home-made three-layered party dip, and I got the idea from a family friend who is called Helen, and who served a version of this several years ago, to my great delight. Helen actually calls it something else, but this is a family blog, so I can't repeat what she calls it.

This makes an excellent and filling party dish, serving approximately 10 people, and can be made for very little cost.

Bottom layer: spicy chunky salsa
Two tins chopped tomatoes (25p each from Tesco), strained to remove superfluous juice.
1 red pepper, diced.
One finely diced red onion
Some fresh parsley, chopped.
3-4 small dried chilies, finely chopped. Use more or less according to taste.

Mix everything and set aside in a long dish. I use one nine inch by 21 inch 'pan' so it is fairly big.

Second layer: cool cream and chive
2 pots of sour cream
1 pot of cream cheese
Chopped chives.

I grow my own chilies, chives and parsley in wee pots on my kitchen windowsill - if you have the motivation to water and tend to these regularly you can save a lot of money.

Top layer: grated cheese
I buy mature cheddar in bulk to save money and grate it myself. It lasts much longer and is more cost-efficient than buying bags of pre-grated cheese.

Sprinkle the top of the cheese with paprika or freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Buy some corn chips/nachos to dip into it. I tend to use various supermarkets' own brand or budget bags of corn chips, as these are really good value for dipping and you can buy several big bags for £2, which works out in terms of volume and cost to be much better value than spending £2 on one bag of Doritos.

And that's it - just get dipping, right down through all those layers!

The teenagers I often have round really love this - they are always asking me if I am going to make it. And I love it too. Which is why I'm fat. Well, one of the reasons anyway...

Bad Boy Mac 'n' Cheese

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, oh my days, yes. Photo: Simoney Sunday

This is a classic, comfort food dish and most people have their own way of making macaroni cheese. 

But I like mine extra, extra cheesy, with minimum effort, stuffed with zing and flavour.

Obviously the fewer ingredients you have to buy, the better. But I like to use leftovers - either shreds of roast chicken from the Sunday dinner - or, in this case, two hot dog frankfurters that had failed to make it into a soft white roll and smothered in mustard and ketchup at a barbecue a few days before. They were so lonely, sitting there in my fridge... until Bad Boy came along.

Ingredients (Serves four)

1/2 pack macaroni; 250g of a 500g bag. I used Tesco's own label but a basics or budget one works just as well.

1/3 (roughly 150g) of a 450g block of mature cheddar. Again we used Tesco's own label.

3 tablespoons of flour

1 cup of milk

Small knob of butter

Spinach

1 brown onion

1 clove of garlic

Frankfurters

In fact, everything here was Tesco's own label apart from the Frankfurters. Why pay through the nose for brand name food when you're cooking on a budget?

To taste:

I grow my own mini chillies and chives on my kitchen windowsill, then dry and store the chillies for later. For this, I used just one.

Paprika

Salt and Pepper

Parsley

Feeling Extra?

Lightly shaved parmesan and breadcrumbs for a topping. (TESCO!)

How To

Put the macaroni in a saucepan and cover with water. Set it to boil and stir frequently to prevent it sticking.

Dice the onion, crush the clove of garlic, finely cut up the chilli and put these to brown a little in a frying pan with a little cooking oil. Remove from heat and set aside.

Chop up the frankfurters and set these aside.

Grate the cheese and set aside in a bowl.

In a separate saucepan, drop in the butter, then the flour and stir into a smooth paste. Quickly add the milk and stir vigorously and continuously on a low heat to remove all lumps and bumps.

When it looks like it is starting to thicken, scoop a handful of grated cheese, the salt, pepper, parsley and paprika and stir together.

Once it has thickened into a yellow cheese sauce, take it off the heat and make sure it is not sticking to the pan.

When the macaroni has softened, drain immediately, and mix it into a casserole dish together with the onions, garlic, chilli, frankfurter and spinach.

Add the cheese sauce and make sure it is stirred in well.

Toss the remaining cheese all over the top of the mixture and put into a pre-heated oven at 160 degrees Celcius (gas mark 3) for about 8 minutes.

If you want to be extra, add a little grated parmesan to some breadcrumbs, then toss this over the cheese on top of the food before it goes in the oven.

Yep, it is delicious x

The No-Bread Budget Pizza

Chicken and Olive Budget Pizza. Credit: SimoneySunday

I am attempting to diet. Not successfully, I might add. But I have been experimenting with ways to cut down on the carbs, boost the protein and decrease the snacking. I have also endeavoured to avoid the temptation for a take-out after work, particularly my husband's favourite post-press day go-to culinary delight: the two-for-Tuesday.

Mostly this has been a success. I have not purchased or partaken of my darling treat, a bag of crisps, for a couple of weeks. I feel healthier, less bloated and more energetic despite the growing workload that is inevitable in the run-up to the end of the tax year. Sadly today an enormous chicken, bacon and brie baguette leapfrogged the canteen counter and forcibly entered my mouth. I did fight it off bravely but I was overcome. I lived to fight another day...

One of my favourite experiments so far has been the no-bread pizza which I believe I have invented although no doubt if I could be bothered to search online, I would discover had already been discovered. So I believe that if I do not search, I will not find, and therefore will not have to feel bitterly disappointed.

It is basically a thick egg omelette, so no gluten or starches at all. Usually my omelettes are light and fluffy affairs, folded gently like an eggy cocoon around sun-blush tomatoes and cheese. But to create a decent pizza-dough like base for two people, I used six medium eggs instead of the usual four.

Obviously apart from being gluten-free and lower-calorie than shop-bought or pizza delivery, it also costs far less, especially if you are using up leftovers.

Ingredients
6 medium eggs
Herbs and spices
Tube of tomato puree (or ketchup would also work although it tends not to have as good a texture)
Grated cheese
Ham
Chicken
Olives
Or any topping of your choice.

How To
Mix eggs well with herbs and spices of your choice. I used a pinch of salt, a crackle of pepper, a scattering of tarragon and a shaking of paprika.

When these are beaten, pour half the mix into a round pancake pan, which has already been heated up with a little olive or sunflower oil. Make sure it spreads evenly, and use a spatula to stop it sticking. When it has almost solidified on top, gently place it onto a pizza tray. Spread some tomato puree over for a base. This can get wonderfully gooey, so have fun and don't worry if it does.

Whack on your chosen ingredients in a roughly even pattern to cover up the bare bits, then grate a shed load of cheese over it. Put it into a warmed up oven and bake at about 160-170 degrees Celcius (gas mark 3-4) for 3-5 minutes or until cheese has melted. Timing will depending on your type of oven.

Ham and Chicken Budget Pizza. Credit: SimoneySunday

Hey, yeah I said lots of cheese. What? I said this was a no-bread pizza, not a no-fat pizza. What do you think I am, a monster?