Traditional English Scones

Baking

Traditional English Scones

May 4, 2020

British scones are a delightful light baked item and an essential for your tea party or anytime treat. I made these scones for a Valentine’s Day tea party.

 Recipe

Makes about 8 scones

  • 40grams of spreadable butter (1.4 ozs)
  • 8 Ozs self-rising flour (225g)
  • 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 110 ml of milk (1/2 Cup)
  • A little lemon juice
  • Dash of vanilla
  • 2 Ozs of raisins
  • 1 tsp of baking powder

Method

  • Heat the oven to 425F
  • Add the lemon juice and the vanilla to the milk.  This will curdle the milk slightly help the scones to rise and give a nice flavor to the scones
  • Add the baking powder and salt to the flour. 
… Read the rest
Vegetable Soup

Cooking • Soup

Hearty Vegetable Soup

May 4, 2020

I love Vegetable soup and I do not really have a recipe as such I use whatever vegetables are in season and lots of them. I avoid broccoli as I do not like the texture it gives the finished soup.   I usually make soup in exceptionally large batches and freeze in containers for two.  My daughter joins in the soup making and makes some for her house so we use a large pot.  I get containers from Amazon.

For this Batch I used several different vegetables and I get several servings. 

Recipe

  • 4 carrots
  • 2 parsnips
  • 2 medium yellow turnip (ruttabago)
  • Bok Choi 1 head
  • 4 sticks Celery
  • 2 yellow Squash or any squash
  • Red and Green pepper
  • 2 courgettes
  • 1 large sliced onion
  • 4 potatoes
  • 3 liters of organic vegetable stock
  • 2 Ozs of butter
  • Salt and pepper
  • ½ teaspoon of turmeric to enhance the rich yellow color

Method. 

… Read the rest
Chocolate coconut brownies

Cooking • Deserts

Decadent Chocolate Coconut Brownies

May 4, 2020

These are a rich desert.  If you love chocolate and coconut you will be in heaven.  They are extraordinarily rich so even the most ardent chocolate lovers won’t be able to eat more than 1.  They taste like mounds or bounty bars.  Great for a special occasion.

Recipe

  • 6 ounces dark chocolate broken into chunks
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 large eggs
    ¼ cup of coconut sugar (or brown sugar if you do not have coconut)
  • Generous dash of vanilla extract.
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups sweetened shredded coconut flakes
  • One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips semi sweet is best

Method

  • Line an 8×8 brownie pan with foil leaving a generous overhang. 
… Read the rest
Herb roasted pork tenderloin

Cooking • Entrees

Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin

May 4, 2020

Pork tenderloin  is often forgotten as a roast, but it is delicious.  This recipe combines herbs and tender pork loin to make a tasty entree.  I buy my tenderloins at Costco great price and they have always been great. The tenderloin’s come in packs of 2 and I usually roast two together.  You can also make with one tenderloin of course just reduce the cooking time.

Recipe

Serves 6

  • Two pork loins, tied together
  • ½ cup of Olive Oil
  • 1 large spoon of crushed garlic
  • Chopped sage (or sage leaves if you cannot get fresh)
  • 2 tsps oregano
  • I sprig of Rosemary chopped
  • 1 Tsp of English mustard if you can find it.
… Read the rest
British Fish and Chips

Cooking • Entrees

British Fish and Chips

May 18, 2020

It can be difficult to find authentic and tasty fish and chips outside the UK so why not make your own with this simple recipe.  This is a delicious staple on the UK food culture. No trip to the seaside was complete without fish and chips and of course a soft whip ice cream cone but I digress.    Like or love fried food most people seem to enjoy traditional British fish and chips.   They key to delicious fish and chips is good quality fresh fish and crispy batter.  When you make your batter it should be runny, thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.… Read the rest

Strawberry cream napoleons

Cooking • Deserts

Strawberry Fresh Cream Napoleon

May 4, 2020

This delicious recipe is a variation on the Napoleon Slice or as they call it n France Mille-feuille which means a thousand layers in English.  If you make it with three layers of puff pastry, then it will feel like a million layers fresh flaky and decadent.  You can make your own puff pastry and here is a good recipe Easy Puff Pastry but if you are not into making pastry then the shop bought sheets of puff pastry will work just fine.  This makes a beautiful brunch treat or a delicious desert.  You can also make this with confectioners’ cream or custard.… Read the rest

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

Cooking • Vegetables

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

May 4, 2020

I always serve these with a roast or as an accompaniment to several meat dishes. They are so tasty and every time I serve them, I am asked for the recipe. I make things up as I go along so here is my version of a recipe for roasted rosemary potatoes.

Potatoes

  • 2 pounds of potatoes – increase the potatoes depending on how many you are feeding
  • Olive Oil for roasting
  • Sprigs of Rosemary
  • Salt for boiling the potatoes. Pepper

Peel and cut the potatoes in halves or quarters depending on the size of the potatoes.  Par boil the potatoes in salted water. … Read the rest

Thai Yellow chicken curry

Cooking • Curry

Thai Yellow Chicken Curry & fried Okra

May 4, 2020

Curry is my favorite food and I love to cook it at least once a week for my curry loving husband. The mixture of the spices and the meat is just divine. I developed this recipe many years ago when I first arrived in the United States in Omaha Nebraska it was impossible to find a good curry. Having moved from London a haven for ethnic food it was quite a shock. I will also be posting some of Indian curry inventions later.

Curry

(serves 2)

  • 2 Chicken breasts skinned
  • 1 medium chopped onion
  • Oil for frying
  • 1 heaped teaspoon of ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon of red chili powder (increase this if you like a hotter curry, this should be medium)
  • 1 Tsp of turmeric (huldi)
  • Heaped tsp chopped garlic
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • Some fresh chili’s if you like it really hot
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Can of coconut milk or cream
  • Lime and Cilantro for garnish

Okra

  • 1 pound of fresh chopped Okra washed and drained
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • Garam marsala
  • Oil for frying

Method

Cut the chicken into bite.

… Read the rest
Hot Cross Buns

Baking • Cooking

Hot Cross Buns

May 4, 2020

Hot Cross Buns are very popular in Britain at Easter. They are eaten at the end of lent on Good Friday. You can read the history of Hot Cross Buns here. They are widely available in the stores in England but the home made version is so much better. Do not be put off working with yeast if you are not used to it this recipe is easy to do. They are a delicious fruit bun and can be made all year round not just at Easter. On Valentines pipe a heart on them, For St. Patrick’s day pipe a shamrock and my favorite outside of Easter is Christmas, pipe a snowflake.… Read the rest

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ABOUT ME

My blog is based on two of my greatest passions next to my family, cooking and travelling.  I have always wanted to share all the recipes I have developed over the years and tales of my worldwide travels.  I have never had the time until the lockdown2020.  I am making the most of the imposed quarantine and loving it. Not the quarantine the blogging.    I am a home cook not a professional so all my recipes were made in my own kitchen for my family.  I hope you enjoy!

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Fionn Downhill

About this blog

Welcome to my blog where I want to share my love of cooking and travelling.  I am not a professional cook and I am certainly not a photographer, so please go easy on me I am doing it for love.!!

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