Oatmeal griddle cookies with peaches

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups skim milk, heated to just below a simmer
1 1/2 cups regular oats
2 x large eggs, whisked
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup peeled and diced peaches
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Pour hot milk over oats, stir and let cool for 15 minutes. Stir in eggs, oil and maple syrup. In a separate bowl, stir flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon to combine. Add flour to oat mixture and blend. Stir in peaches and almonds.
Heat a griddle over medium heat and grease lightly. Spoon a generous tablespoonful of batter onto griddle and spread gently to flatten (or use a pancake ring). Cook until browned, about 3 minutes, then turn and cook 2 minutes more.
Enjoy griddle cookies warm or store refrigerated for up to 2 days. Griddle cookies can be reheated in the microwave for 15 seconds on high.

Add vanilla to taste

3 Ways to Add Vanilla Flavour


Vanilla is a unique and unmistakable flavour that will fill your kitchen with a heavenly scent and hungry mouths looking for scrumptious baked goods. We’ve got some great tips to help you make the most of the vanilla pod like a pro.

Before you get baking, you’ll need to know how to get into that flavour-packed bean. If you’ve ever tried to open one, you’ll know it’s one tough little pod! A really sharp paring knife is an absolute must. Here are some additional tips to help you with the task:
If you’re having trouble cutting the bean, try softening it up by steaming it for a minute or two
Place a piece of parchment or wax paper on your cutting surface so you don’t lose one of those precious seeds when you start cutting
Lay the bean flat on the surface and use the tip of the blade to cut at the centre and work towards the ends
Once the pod is split open, scrape the tiny seeds out with the blade of your knife—they’re sticky and jammy, so they’ll also be sticking to your blade
Once you’ve figured out how to dissect the vanilla bean, it’s easy to add that delicious flavour to just about any baking you do. We’ve assembled three easy vanilla infusion ideas to get you started.
Vanilla Sugar
If you’ve already scraped the vanilla pod of all those delicious seeds, don’t throw it away—make vanilla sugar. This is an easy way to infuse those heavenly aromas and flavours into your baking:
All you need are three items: sugar, a vanilla pod and a jar. A well cleaned mason jar is a great choice to show off the pod and sugar amongst your baking tools and ingredients (just be sure to keep it out of direct sunlight)
Fill the jar with sugar and stick the vanilla pod smack dab in the middle of the granules. Within a week you’ve got yummy vanilla sugar. And the longer you leave it, the stronger the vanilla scent and flavour gets
You’ll not only want to bake with the sugar, but you won’t be able to resist sprinkling it onto your cereal and into your morning cup of coffee.
Vanilla Milk/Cream
Once you’ve used the pod for your vanilla sugar, you can use the jammy seeds inside to make vanilla milk or cream. It’s another great way to add the sweet taste of the scented bean into your baking:
Pour two cups of milk or cream into a heavy-bottomed pan and set the stove to a low heat
Bring the liquid to a hot steam–bubbles will start to appear at the edge of the pan. DON’T let it come to a boil
Remove the cream or milk from the heat
Add the vanilla seeds and let the milk or cream mixture steep for 30 minutes to an hour
You can use this cream or milk in any of your favourite dessert recipes.
Vanilla Extract
Another great way to inject vanilla flavour into your baking is by making vanilla extract:
Cut the vanilla bean lengthwise into a couple of pieces
Grab a clean glass jar and put in the vanilla pieces, 1/3 teaspoon of sugar and three ounces of vodka, brandy or dark rum
Make sure the bean is completely covered by the sugar and liquor
Shake the mixture and store in a cool, dark place
Revisit the liquid once in a while and give it a shake

Your vanilla will get darker and more concentrated as it sits. It’s ready to be used in a few weeks or you can leave it for a few months for a more intense vanilla taste.

Tfal Pots from Jamie Oliver

This was a wonderful birthday gift. My own collection of Jamie Oliver's pots and pans.  They are truly gorgeous.  Good quality and heavy on the hand. I can't wait to start using them.

Cooking for the Brits!

My brother in law is over from England so now I am trying all my Jamie Oliver recipes on him so hopefully he can tell me how good my cooking is.  The Steak & Guiness pie went down a treat!

Sunday Dinner

A fantastic way to cook onions, these are the World's Best Baked onions, filled with cream and Rosemary and wrapped witha slice of Pancetta.  You can get the recipe from Jamie Oliver's Book "Happy Days with the Naked Chef"

Above is the Swiss Chard with Cannelli Beans.  Filled with vitamins and good nutrients and tastes FANTASTIC!  Recipe from same book

AA! For dessert who can resist a deliciously Poached Pear in Amarone, well I used Merlot in mine as a bottle of Amarone costs a little over $100.  Fantastic!  Get thsi great recipe in Jamie's Kitchen Book.

New book from my favorite Chef!

http://www.jamiesministryoffood.com

Here is what it's ll about.  Taken from Jamie's Site, please visit and PASS IT ON!

You can also Pre-order your SIGNED Copy of the book here:

http://www.jamieoliver.com/jme/books/info/ministry-of-food/100011.html

Jamie Oliver’s new TV series and campaign, Ministry of Food, is all about getting people cooking again.  He wants to show us that anyone can learn to cook – and that it’s fun, cool, can save you money and help you, your family and friends to live a healthier life.

Why is cooking so important?

Today’s diet-related problems aren’t linked to a shortage of food this time, but are serious in a much different way. The research shows that people who cook more are generally healthier than those who don’t.  That’s why this movement is so important, because it could really be good for your health and the future health of the country.

We’re getting too fat

Health experts say we’re one of the fattest countries after America.  60% of us are either overweight or obese.  And it’s affecting our kids too.  If they’re overweight by the time they’re 10, nearly 80% are likely to be overweight adults too.

Our health is suffering

We’re eating the wrong things and too much of them, so we’re not getting a balanced diet.  Relying on takeaways, snacks and ready meals just doesn’t give you the right kind of nutrition for good health.  So as well as being too fat, we’re also more likely to develop obesity-related illnesses like heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

We’re forgetting how to cook

As a nation, we eat 50% of all the ready meals in Europe.  If we don’t even know the basics about food and cooking, we’re not likely to give it a try.  Within a couple more generations we are at risk of completely losing our cooking skills.

Jumbo Stuffed shells with mushrooms

Ingredients
24 Jumbo Pasta Shells
3 cups tomato sauce
1 cup mozzarella, shredded

Stuffing:
1 Cup chicken stock
20 g porcini mushrooms
1/2 pound button mushrooms
2 onions, diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb minced meat
2 tbsp sundried tomatoes
2 tbsp pine nuts
1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
1/4 cup parsley

Bring to boil in a big pot water and salt it and add the jumbo shells (according to package)

Stuffing:
In a small casserole, add warm water and rehydrate the porcini mushrooms, leave for 220 minutes, put aside. Salt & pepper to taste

In a pan, use 1/2 of the oil and  brown the 2 mushrooms and onions. Remove on a  plate.  
In the same pan add the rest of the oil the meat and sundried tomato and hot pepper flakes.Salt & pepper to taste.  Add the chicken stock and the mushroom mixture (from the plate) and breadcrumbs.

Simmer until all liquid is absorbed.  

Remove from heat and add the cheeses and parley.

In a 13"x9" tray cover with all the tomato sauce and gently fill your shells and place one next to another.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and bake in oven for about 45 minutes at 350F

Poached Pears with Bluecheese on Greens

2 cups water
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp whole black perppercorns
1/4 tsp ground cardamon
4 pears
4 tbsp olive oil
4 slice of bacon, cut into pieces
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/4 cup red onion
mixed green
salt & pepper
1/2 cup blue cheese
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup toasted walnuts coarsley chopped

In a saucepan bring th water, sugar, wine, peppercorn and cardamon to boil, reduce to a simmer
Peel pears and cut in half and use s spoon to remove the middle with the seeds.

Place pears in poaching liquid for about 25 minutes. Once cooked remove and refrigerate.
In another pan heat 1 TBSP of the oil and saute the bacon until crispy.
Pour the drippings of the bacon and oils into a large bowl.

To that bowl add the rest of the oil, mustard, vinegar and whisk together.
To the dressing add the onions, bacon, raisins and walnuts.

When ready to serve toss the greens and cover them well.
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Place 1 tbsp cheese into each cavity of the pear and place nicely on top.