Joker's Bottle of Frogs
by JokerXL
user profile | dashboard | JokerXL maps
JokerXL.com
Wedding & Portrait Photography
Recent visitors
Friends
More...
Sunday Morning Kitchen (on a Saturday)
Fishcakes Like-a-da Mama maked!
We had these this evening because I have to leave for work fairly early on Sunday afternoon.
First catch your fish. (my Father-in-law is an ace at the local trout lakes, which is handy)
Ingredients;
(Starting with the green stuff on the left (Parsley and Bay leaves) and heading clockwise, we have a couple of finely chopped onions, S+P
the fish (two smoked trout in our case, but whatever comes to hand is good) flaked away from the scraggy stuff and bones.
Four eggs (two for hard-boiling, two for the coating-glue)
1/2 pint of milk
Breadcrumbs
Crushed garlic, a few pepper corns, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
Butter
Flour
In the middle is of course a luverly heap of mashed potatoes, freshly pressed through the "ricer".
Soften the fish flakes in the milk with pepper corns and the bay on a low simmer for a few minutes, then drain (and save) the liquid.
During the meanwhilst, gently fry the onions down in the butter with the turmeric and salt/pepper until softened.
Turn off the heat and fold in the flakey fish and the parsley, then the mashed tatties, gently incorporated so's not to crush the fish'n'that.
The two hard boiled eggs, having been chopped up, get added at this point.
Put the whole shebang into the fridge for a couple of hours now so that it can all firm-up, which is quite important coz if you don't you'll make a right mess when it comes to frying them.
Talking of which; it's time to get messy anyway!
Three dishes, one with the beaten eggs, one with the breadcrumbs and one with (seasoned) flour.
Grab a (thoroughly scrubbed) handful of the fish-mash-mix and form a fat hamburger shape with it. Then coat it in flour-egg-breadcrumbs.
Heat about 2 cm's of sunflower oil in a heavy-based pan and fry the cakes off, a couple of minutes each side, not long, just 'till they're nice and browned, it's all pre-cooked after all.
I made a fishy-sauce with the reserved milk, reduced a bit, added some prawns and finished off with double cream (very naughty, but oh so nice)
garden peas with mint and a knob of butter balanced the plate nicely.
There was enough for an army so, as usual, we ended up with a deepfreeze full of the stuff.
"Eet smakelijk"
We had these this evening because I have to leave for work fairly early on Sunday afternoon.
First catch your fish. (my Father-in-law is an ace at the local trout lakes, which is handy)
Ingredients;
(Starting with the green stuff on the left (Parsley and Bay leaves) and heading clockwise, we have a couple of finely chopped onions, S+P
the fish (two smoked trout in our case, but whatever comes to hand is good) flaked away from the scraggy stuff and bones.
Four eggs (two for hard-boiling, two for the coating-glue)
1/2 pint of milk
Breadcrumbs
Crushed garlic, a few pepper corns, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
Butter
Flour
In the middle is of course a luverly heap of mashed potatoes, freshly pressed through the "ricer".
Soften the fish flakes in the milk with pepper corns and the bay on a low simmer for a few minutes, then drain (and save) the liquid.
During the meanwhilst, gently fry the onions down in the butter with the turmeric and salt/pepper until softened.
Turn off the heat and fold in the flakey fish and the parsley, then the mashed tatties, gently incorporated so's not to crush the fish'n'that.
The two hard boiled eggs, having been chopped up, get added at this point.
Put the whole shebang into the fridge for a couple of hours now so that it can all firm-up, which is quite important coz if you don't you'll make a right mess when it comes to frying them.
Talking of which; it's time to get messy anyway!
Three dishes, one with the beaten eggs, one with the breadcrumbs and one with (seasoned) flour.
Grab a (thoroughly scrubbed) handful of the fish-mash-mix and form a fat hamburger shape with it. Then coat it in flour-egg-breadcrumbs.
Heat about 2 cm's of sunflower oil in a heavy-based pan and fry the cakes off, a couple of minutes each side, not long, just 'till they're nice and browned, it's all pre-cooked after all.
I made a fishy-sauce with the reserved milk, reduced a bit, added some prawns and finished off with double cream (very naughty, but oh so nice)
garden peas with mint and a knob of butter balanced the plate nicely.
There was enough for an army so, as usual, we ended up with a deepfreeze full of the stuff.
"Eet smakelijk"
19th Apr 2008, 21:02
| tags:sunday morning kitchencomments (0)
It arrived!
(viewed 554 times)
Inspired by the "Jonester" I ordered my own "Magic Garden" off Ebay.
I'll be doing a time-lapse film of it "growing" this weekend.
You have to build it up, add some chemicals and all different colour crystals grow on the parts. Within 24hrs, apparently.
Should be fun!
I'll be doing a time-lapse film of it "growing" this weekend.
You have to build it up, add some chemicals and all different colour crystals grow on the parts. Within 24hrs, apparently.
Should be fun!
18th Apr 2008, 18:41
comments (5)
Kinda scary, in the dark
(viewed 504 times)
I still think this looks pretty cool, especially in the dark, quite intimidating if you look at it for too long, like a clown-doll sat on a chair in your bedroom.
18th Apr 2008, 08:48
comments (1)
Health & Safety gone daft
(viewed 510 times)
I was at a place on the Wirral yesterday. Full load of non-hazardous lubricants to pick up for Belgium.
I had to get dressed up in full PPE to even get anyone to come near me (which suggests to me they should think about training their forklift drivers not to smash into people).
The helmet, safety glasses, steel toe-capped boots, gloves, long sleeves and long trousers. To be then told I had to remain in the cab during loading or stay well away from the vehicle "because it's dangerous".
Now, there's sensible precautions and there's kicking the arse out of it.
The day before, and again that very morning, I'd been fully involved in loading and unloading a hazardous consignment 50% heavier and twice the hight of this one. I survived.
If you treat experienced professionals like irresponsible children they will (eventually) start acting that way.
The most potentially dangerous part of your working day today has been, or will be, the drive/cycle/walk to and from home this morning and this evening.
I had to get dressed up in full PPE to even get anyone to come near me (which suggests to me they should think about training their forklift drivers not to smash into people).
The helmet, safety glasses, steel toe-capped boots, gloves, long sleeves and long trousers. To be then told I had to remain in the cab during loading or stay well away from the vehicle "because it's dangerous".
Now, there's sensible precautions and there's kicking the arse out of it.
The day before, and again that very morning, I'd been fully involved in loading and unloading a hazardous consignment 50% heavier and twice the hight of this one. I survived.
If you treat experienced professionals like irresponsible children they will (eventually) start acting that way.
The most potentially dangerous part of your working day today has been, or will be, the drive/cycle/walk to and from home this morning and this evening.
17th Apr 2008, 09:02
comments (9)
The Boyne valley, Ireland
(viewed 541 times)
Nasty things happened here a while back.
It's very peaceful here now though.
And the sun's come out, which is nice.
It's very peaceful here now though.
And the sun's come out, which is nice.
15th Apr 2008, 15:35
comments (4)
Goodness from West Wales
(viewed 489 times)
Arrived this morning at our Corby depot.
Well done Jimbo! XL-ent stuff!
(the man's got talent, and there's me expecting to hear a Welshman's voice)
I love the way you've put the book together, like a notebook, fantastic sketches, great photographs.
Really inspiring me to do something similar with my witterings, only I can't draw that well, maybe get my Mum to illustrate it.
Thanks a million! Hopefully I'll get to Pembrokeshire sometime soon to thank you in person, buy you a pint.
Cheers!
Well done Jimbo! XL-ent stuff!
(the man's got talent, and there's me expecting to hear a Welshman's voice)
I love the way you've put the book together, like a notebook, fantastic sketches, great photographs.
Really inspiring me to do something similar with my witterings, only I can't draw that well, maybe get my Mum to illustrate it.
Thanks a million! Hopefully I'll get to Pembrokeshire sometime soon to thank you in person, buy you a pint.
Cheers!
14th Apr 2008, 09:28
comments (3)
Sunday Morning Kitchen
Veggie-pies today!
Onions, carrots, Leeks, Celery, Mushrooms and a wee bit of left over
Paprika's and a dash of Chili and Garlic, all chopped up.
The funny lookin' brown stuff in the bottom right hand corner is
Veggie-Mince, a stand-in for proper minced meat, they say.
Made from minced vegetarians.
You add hot water to it and hope for the best.
Salt and Pepper, Italian mixed herbs and Worcestershire sauce.
The pastry is your basic pie-crust job but with added Italian herbs, pepper
and turmeric.
Fry-up all the veggies and add the Italian herbs mix, S+P.
Next that mince stuff goes in with a dash of Worcestershire sauce to give it
some sort of flavour. Continue frying until it looks about right (?)
I put them into individual dishes coz I'm cute that way but you could just
as easy make one big one.
Top with grated cheese and cover with the rolled-out pastry, the hole in the
top acts as a chimberly to let out any steam when they're in the oven.
Otherwise they might explode. I waited ages once, sat in front of the oven
door but nothing happened, most disappointing. Brush with egg-wash and bung
'em in the oven 'till they're brown and done (not long, maybe 20-25 mins.)
We had ours with Cauliflower-Cheese which is one of my favorite all-time
dishes.
"Eet smakelijk"
Onions, carrots, Leeks, Celery, Mushrooms and a wee bit of left over
Paprika's and a dash of Chili and Garlic, all chopped up.
The funny lookin' brown stuff in the bottom right hand corner is
Veggie-Mince, a stand-in for proper minced meat, they say.
Made from minced vegetarians.
You add hot water to it and hope for the best.
Salt and Pepper, Italian mixed herbs and Worcestershire sauce.
The pastry is your basic pie-crust job but with added Italian herbs, pepper
and turmeric.
Fry-up all the veggies and add the Italian herbs mix, S+P.
Next that mince stuff goes in with a dash of Worcestershire sauce to give it
some sort of flavour. Continue frying until it looks about right (?)
I put them into individual dishes coz I'm cute that way but you could just
as easy make one big one.
Top with grated cheese and cover with the rolled-out pastry, the hole in the
top acts as a chimberly to let out any steam when they're in the oven.
Otherwise they might explode. I waited ages once, sat in front of the oven
door but nothing happened, most disappointing. Brush with egg-wash and bung
'em in the oven 'till they're brown and done (not long, maybe 20-25 mins.)
We had ours with Cauliflower-Cheese which is one of my favorite all-time
dishes.
"Eet smakelijk"
12th Apr 2008, 20:55
| tags:sunday morning kitchencomments (6)
(more) cheesy biscuits
I was making a rather special pie-crust for tomorrow's "Sunday morning kitchen" (more on that tomorrow morning of course)
It was made from the usual flour/butter/water blend but I added a scoop of Italian herbs, S&P;, and some Turmeric to the mix (coz I just can't leave things alone).
You know the way you have all those little off-cuts when you cover a pie and trim the edges? You might shape them into pretty patterns to decorate the top of the crust.
I bunged them back into the mixy-foody-machine, added a whole load of grated cheese and an egg and whizzed it all up to an altogether new kind of dough, shaped into round-flats, sprinkled with more cheese, and S&P;, and baked them in the oven for a few minutes.
Waste not want not, but you've got to be quick around here, they fly off the plate!
;-)
It was made from the usual flour/butter/water blend but I added a scoop of Italian herbs, S&P;, and some Turmeric to the mix (coz I just can't leave things alone).
You know the way you have all those little off-cuts when you cover a pie and trim the edges? You might shape them into pretty patterns to decorate the top of the crust.
I bunged them back into the mixy-foody-machine, added a whole load of grated cheese and an egg and whizzed it all up to an altogether new kind of dough, shaped into round-flats, sprinkled with more cheese, and S&P;, and baked them in the oven for a few minutes.
Waste not want not, but you've got to be quick around here, they fly off the plate!
;-)
12th Apr 2008, 13:45
comments (3)