Thank you also for comments recently
Another horrible wet day yesterday, I did my usual once a month collecting prescription and having cheap pensioners fish and chips thing. It always seems a treat. Also made a Chocolate Meringue Gateau (On recipe page somewhere)and froze ready for taking to SiL's on Christmas day....with the Xmas pudding.
Now I need to buy some Gluten free plain biscuits for a Banoffee to take to Son's for Christmas eve lunch - I like making desserts! We finally sorted out a day for Suffolk children and grandchildren to visit me over Christmas so now I can work out what to cook and also other things to do to fill empty days........I don't need to fill every empty day as I'm happy at home but it's a good idea to have a few plans for my second Christmas alone, which is different to first Christmas alone because the 'novelty' has worn off.
I've put the accidentally bought marzipan and icing on the accidental Christmas cake. I'm a slap it on cake decorator but I always remember to turn the cake upside down so the surface to ice is nice and flat. I just cut some stars out of the remaining icing and stuck them on. Cake recipes will say use warm apricot jam to stick the marzipan to the cake......I never have apricot jam handy so use marmalade, avoiding the shredded peel...............no-one has ever commented so I think I've got away with it for the last umpteen years
DiL is vegetarian and I enjoy eating veggie too so a few days ago I made the veggie layer loaves to pop in the freezer.
This is something I concocted several years ago now, it was a mix of different recipes, freezes well, heats up easily and is tasty and it has no strange ingredients.
This time I made enough for 3 mini individual ones and a larger in a loaf tin using 3 times the recipe
INDIVIDUAL NUT AND VEGETABLE LAYERED ROASTS ( this made 2)
Good handful of dried cranberries soaked in boiling water and cooked in the microwave for a few minutes 'til soft, then drained.
4oz carrots } Boiled and mashed
4oz parsnip} together with some black pepper
2oz unsalted cashew nuts whizzed in the nut chopper thing, but not too fine*
3oz breadcrumbs
1 small onion } chopped finely and cooked 'til soft in a teeny bit of butter/water in
2 smallish stalks of celery } the microwave then drained
Mix the celery,onion,nuts and breadcrumbs together with an egg yolk
Line 2 mini cake tins with parchment paper and put a layer of the nut mix in the bottom.
Press down tight.
Then a layer of parsnip/carrot mash and smooth down again
Next some cranberries
Then another layer of the nut mix.
Press down firmly again.
I used medium hot oven and cooked them for about 40 minutes until they were firm and golden.
Because I wanted to check that they froze OK I then left them to cool, popped each one still in the tins into the freezer.
They were taken out of the freezer in the morning and left to defrost in the kitchen and then reheated, with a bit of foil over the top, for about 25 minutes to serve hot for dinner.
*I really should have read this recipe on my recipe page here rather than my notes in my folder before making it this year....... because as I was using chopped cashews I didn't whizz any to a powder and I'm not sure the celery/nut/onion/breadcrumb mix will stay bound together very well. AND worst of all my hand written recipe doesn't mention the egg to bind the celery etc mix together better and I remembered too late that it could do with a bit more seasoning or herbs added somewhere. So they will probably all fall apart when turned out!
Oh Well, too late now!
Back Tomorrow
Sue
Do you serve the loaf with gravy (like a meatloaf) or does it have a special sauce? Until the Great Apricot Jam Glut Incident I always used sieved marmalade to secure my marzipan
ReplyDeleteWe have it with all the traditional Christmas stuff.
DeleteMy, you have been busy! I'm sure it will all taste delicious. I had never heard of putting the cake upside down to flatten the top. That would have been handy to know.
ReplyDeleteI may try your recipe in the New Year having already made my nut roast {in freezer now} although I will be swapping out the parsnip for something else.
ReplyDeleteWe make a nut roast for Christmas day and it always ends up being eaten by all the turkey eaters too so I know to make a much bigger one now.
ReplyDeleteThe nut roast sounds good. Thanks for the recipe...and the reminder of all the things not to forget. :)
ReplyDeleteI love the stars on the cake. Your veggie roast looks interesting and I even think we have most of the ingredients here right now.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Christmas wishes that will warm your loved ones that will help them spend a happier Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI bet it won't fall apart; it sounds truly delicious.
ReplyDeleteAnd the accidental cake looks so lovely and festive. I used cointreau to stick the snowflakes onto the icing. Never thought of using jam. I didn't know aboput turning the thing upside down - I will remember that next year!
Thanks.
xx
I'm a Follower too! So make that 537!!!! -smile-
ReplyDeleteI Follow blogs, via my own list, so I do not 'show' on anyone's Official List.
Glad you have plans sorted out. Very good...
You are amazing with the baking!!!!! And that Vegetarian Bake sounds delicious!!!!!
🎄🌲🎼🌲🎄
It all sounds lovely especially that veggie bake. Yum!
ReplyDeleteI always turn my cake upside down to ice it. My mum used to make wedding cakes and Christmas cakes and this is what she did. I know what you mean about 'the novelty has worn off' It's my second Christmas without hubby and the first one was ok but I found new years day quite upsetting. I got up that morning feeling that I'd stepped through a doorway into the new year and I'd left him behind. I felt as though I had given up on him and left him. I didn't want to but I had no choice. It still upsets me thinking about it. I hope this year it will be easier. For you too Sue.
ReplyDelete