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 

Veg Pledge

Such an exciting week ahead. First there's Shrove Tuesday with pancakes galore, then Valentines Day with the prospect of Chocolate goodies, all finished off with Chinese New Year on Friday and a plateful of oriental delights. The only blot on the landscape is Ash Wednesday when we should give something up for Lent.

Over the years I've tried cutting out all the bad things; pop and sweets and crisps and buns.Oh, and chocolate. I've had a couple of successful years but mostly I have succumbed at some point during Lent.

I'm beginning to think there's a conspiracy to convert me from Vegetarianism to Veganism. In the last 10 days I have received four emails relating to vegan products:-

John Lewis - Vegan beauty ranges

The Botanist - All new vegan menu

Apple News - Secrets every vegan already knows

Tesco- our favourite vegan recipes to inspire your menu at home

I had better give something up because it would seem Big Brother is definitely watching.

Flippin' Crazy!

What a great run of events we have this week! Today is National Yorkshire Pudding Day, tomorrow is Chinese New Year and the following day is Shrove Tuesday! 

Q: What do all these days have in common? 

A: Flour, eggs and milk!

So today we can tuck into our Sunday Roast (nut roast for us) alongside our vegetables, roast potatoes and good old Yorkshire puddings.

Tomorrow we can enjoy a lovely Chinese takeaway, restaurant meal or homemade dish. I love to make the following Mushroom Fried Rice:-

Cook long grain rice as per instructions (adding frozen peas for the last two minutes of cooking)

Cook mushrooms in a little oil and butter and season with pepper (add chopped spring onions)

Scramble an egg and add to the cooked rice

Add the mushrooms and onions and a good long slug of soy sauce

Serve with sweet chilli sauce and a side of Thai crackers (suitable for vegetarians).

Another favourite is Veggie Chinese Pancakes using either tofu or mushrooms instead of duck.

Then, if you haven't had enough batter in one week, you can go for lovely sweet or savoury filled pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. Below is a picture of my breakfast this morning (just a rehearsal for Tuesday) and my waffles eaten last weekend using the same recipe!

If you want to bump up the entertainment value you could have a pancake race. In my camping days we used to have a sports weekend and one of the races for the adults involved lighting a Primus stove, cooking a pancake and tossing it three times before running across the finishing line. A child-friendly version is sometimes done in primary schools and I remember my daughter's class excitedly discussing who was the "biggest tosser" in their year, whilst the teachers passed secret smiles to one another!