Chocolate chip cookies

I believe that no matter what age you are, there is something extremely comforting about cookies. Milk and cookies.. who could turn their nose up at that? It's not even possible to eat them with out feeling a calm, slowly spread in your body. Maybe the world would be a better place if more milk and cookies were being served? The eternal optimist in me daydreaming.... Well, all I know is that I keep a lot of  friends and neighbours happy when I bake them these cookies. They are easy to make, and will guarantee you smiles all around.

Chocolate chip cookies (approx. 30)

• 200g soft butter
• 3/4 cup (2 dl) caster sugar
• 2 table spoons golden syrup
• 2 heaped cups (5dl) plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup  toasted hazel nuts (chopped)
• 3/4 cup chopped chocolate

Toast the chopped hazel nuts in a dry frying pan until golden.

Beat the soft butter, sugar and syrup until light and fluffy.

Mix the flour with the baking powder, and add to the butter mixture, nuts and chocolate goes in as well. I prefer to cut a slap of chocolate into smaller pieces, rather than getting the chips. The random sized pieces of goodness is much more fun!
Work it all into to a dough.

Shape the dough into 2 logs, and cover with cling film. set aside in the fridge for about an hour.

Heat the oven to 175C.
Cut 5mm thick slices from the logs, and place them on a greased baking tray.
Bake in the oven for about 8-10 min, or until golden.

Enjoy!

Mediterranean style quiche

Quiche must be one of the most versatile of foods. Great for parties, picnics, packed lunch or dinner. And the best thing is that only your imagination can limit the range of ingredients you can use.
This is a quiche I made the other day, with was in my store cupboard, and it turned out to be a great success.
Hope you'll enjoy it too!!

Mediterranean style quiche

Pastry

• 200g butter (fridge cold)
• 3,5 dl plain flour
• 2 table spoons cold water
• pinch of salt

Filling

• 2 red peppers (bell peppers)
• 1 red onion
• a hand full of small broccoli bouquets
• 100g pancetta
• 2 dl mature cheese
• 5 slices of  brie
• 3 eggs
• 2dl milk
• salt and pepper

Start by making the pastry; pinching together all the ingredients (or use food processor quickly) and set a side in the fridge  for an hour. Then blind bake for about 15 min.
Next, you cut the peppers and the onion in half and place on a baking tray, drizzle over some olive oil and roast in the oven on a high degree until the skin of the peppers have blackened. Put them in a plastic bag for a while, and the skin will peel of easily.
Fry the pancetta (no oil needed) until slightly golden.
Roughly chop the peppers and onion. The broccoli can go in to the quiche raw when in small "bouquets".
Now for the custard, whisk together the eggs and the milk, season to taste.
Arrange your vegetables and the pancetta onto the pre-baked pastry and pour over the custard.
Gently place the brie slices on top  and give the quiche a generous sprinkling of freshly ground pepper.
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan and bake for 35-40 min, or until custard is set and the quiche has a golden colour.
Other ingredients that would go well with this dish includes sun dried tomatoes, olives and basil. But if you don't want to put them in the quiche, you could always use them in a side salad.

Enjoy!

Potato salad

The last thing you want to do on a hot summers afternoon is to be stuck in the kitchen for any longer than you need to. This is an easy potato salad, that if you have the possibility is even tastier if you make it a day in advance. Start up the barbecue, throw on what ever takes your fancy, a steak, succulent sausages, pork chops?  And serve with  cool potato salad, straight from the fridge and a green salad on the side. Yum yum!

Jen's potato salad (serves 4)

• 
  
  600g baby new potatoes
• 
  
  150ml sour cream
• 
  
  2 table spoons mustard (not french)
• 1 table spoon white wine vinegar
• 1/2 red onion
• a hand full of broad beans
• chives
• salt and pepper

Boil the potatoes, making sure they are still slightly firm. And blanche the broad beans.
Mix together sour cream, mustard and vinegar. Add finely sliced red onion.
Cut the boiled potatoes into bite sized chunks, and pour over the dressing (while potatoes are still warm).
Season with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.
Decorate with a scattering of finely chopped chives.

Enjoy!

Mimosa salad

This is my favourite time of the year. When we still don't know if we can call it summer yet, but some days are just to warm and wonderful to be called spring. Those days, when you step outside and are welcomed by a beautiful warm hug by nature. Everybody seems to light up, and life just seems so much easier. That's what I call bonus days!
Something my Mum used to make when I grew up, on a warm sunny day, when you just fancy something cool and fresh is a recipe that was handed down from her Auntie Dagny. It is the most refreshing cold salad you could ever imagine, served with some cold nice ham or a couple of chicken drumsticks.

This is how you make it!

Mimosa salad

• 4 apples, Golden delicious
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1 tin of crushed pineapple
• 300 ml sour cream
• 150 ml mayonnaise
• salt and pepper

Peel the apples and the cucumber and dice them.
Drain the juice from the pineapple and pat dry with kitchen towel.
Mix the sour cream and mayonnaise together thoroughly and add the rest of the ingredients.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!