Posh Pancakes

As a child I enjoyed all the desserts and cakes that were on offer. Except, that is, Crepes Suzette. That was a dessert just for the grown ups. We called them posh pancakes. It wasn't until I got older and received a Marks and Spencer French cookery book that I understood why. They're laced in alcohol! Take your pick; Cointreau, Curaçao or Grand Marnier. 

Armed with the knowledge concerning the alcohol and a bona fide recipe to boot, you would think I might have made this boozy dessert by now, mais non! 

I am now looking forward to Pancake Tuesday this week and will let you know the outcome. If you want to give it a try here's how -

Pancakes cooked the way you enjoy (Vegetarian, vegan, gluten free ...)
3tbsp caster sugar
250ml freshly squeezed orange juice
Zest of one orange
1tsp lemon juice
1tbsp your chosen alcohol (see above)
50g unsalted butter

- fold pancakes into quarters
- melt sugar in non stick pan over a low heat without stirring until caramelised
- take pan off heat + add orange juice, zest, lemon juice + alcohol
- let them combine
- add small pieces of butter bringing to the boil and simmering gently until glossy
- add pancakes back into the pan and warm through
- serve immediately 

The Vegetarian Valentine

What to do on Valentine's Day? Restaurants are fully booked unless you're organised and booked in good time, otherwise it's a 5pm or 10pm booking! Dinner for two at home? Many supermarkets offer dine-in deals and we did succumb to a Waitrose offer. I had what would have been the starter (a pea and spinach risotto) whilst my other half enjoyed the salmon. We shared one side of cauliflower cheese and I cooked him roast potatoes. Obviously we ate the dessert and drank the prosecco! The other side dish was roast veggies which I have had for tea tonight. The other salmon en croute is in the freezer. Good value at £20.00

I did make a bit of effort on Saturday night by cooking my heart shaped pasta from Italy. I made a puttanesca sauce to go with it - black olives, capers and tomatoes with plenty of garlic and a kick of chilli. Good job we both ate it! 

Raw dried pasta hearts

Cooked pasta hearts

The cross vegetarian 😡

Just a bit of a rant this week. How hard is it for a restaurant to give more than one vegetarian choice on the menu? More and more of us are turning vegetarian and vegan and yet some restaurants are still lagging behind in the variety stakes.

This week a local Italian restaurant had a lunch menu with only one veggie choice - mushroom gratin. Watery and tasteless was my verdict. Then on a celebratory weekend away our evening menu had only a mushroom starter and mushroom stroganoff main. Ridiculous!

I have nothing against the fun guys (sorry funghis) but am not a massive fan and certainly don't want two courses of the slippery little fellas. Come on restaurants. Most of us can do better in our own homes with the wide and varied choice of veggie ingredients and prepared meals. It's hardly giving us an incentive to dine out.

Yorkshire Pudding Day

Today is Yorkshire Pudding day in the UK. Being a Yorkshire lass I know a thing or two about Yorkshire puddings. Traditionally these were cooked with the dripping from the meat but this can be replaced with vegetable oil. Other than that, it's basically a batter mix of flour, eggs and milk. It was served as a starter with gravy and was intended to fill you up when meat was scarce. It is traditionally eaten with a Sunday roast of meat (or nut roast), roast potatoes and vegetables.

A Yorkshire Pudding can also be used as an edible vessel for a delicious stew, curry, chilli or casserole.

As I am once again trying to eat a more vegan diet, it's good to know I don't have to give up my Yorkies:-

225g SR flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
300ml soya milk
100ml warm water
8 tsp vegetable oil

- Blitz the first 4 ingredients in a processor with a pinch of salt
- Cover and rest in the fridge for 1 hour
- Heat oven 220C/200C fan/gas 7
- Spoon oil into 8 moulds in a Yorkshire pudding tin & place in oven for 5 mins until very hot
- Remove tin from oven & carefully pour some batter into the hot oil
- Return to oven & bake for 25-30 mins until risen & golden

I've definitely written about Yorkshire Puddings in the past. It may be Yorkshire Pudding Day in the UK but in the USA it's Groundhog Day so here we go again!