Picnic Time!

I hope everyone is also basking in the recent glorious sunshine! We have been out to a local picnic spot today and caught a few rays, though even playing catch with a ball proved too much in the heat! This was followed by a well earned cold bottle of beer in the local pub! Am hoping it stays gorgeous for my lovely Aunties forthcoming wedding this Saturday!

Amongst our various picnic foods, I made a delicious and easy potato salad, and some miniature bacon and spring onion quiches, which went down really well!

I split the bacon mix between both dishes but you could just use it all in either, depending on your preferences.

Trim the fat of 3 smoked bacon rashers, dice into 1/2 cm pieces. Take 2 spring onions, slice thinly, reserving the greener part, fry the bacon for a couple of minutes until it takes on a little colour and is cooked through, add the spring onion whiter parts, fry for a further 30 seconds and remove from the heat, allow to cool a little.

Potato Salad with mint and peas

Boil until cooked through approx 500g baby new potatoes, diced into 1cm cubes, 3 minutes before the end add a handful of frozen peas and drain well. Whilst still warm, drizzle over some good EVOO, a scattering of fresh mint leaves roughly shredded, season with sea salt and black pepper, add 1 tbsp of the bacon mix and allow to cool. This is great warm or cold for your picnic!



Bacon and spring onion mini Quiches

These are a bit of a time-cheat as they are pastryless, thus saving time in the kitchen in this beautfiful weather and also a little lighter to eat.

Pre-heat the oven to 190o. Take a deep muffin tin and use baking parchment squares to line 4 holes, my squares measured at 15 x 16cm.

In a bowl beat 2 eggs with 3 tbsp half-fat creme fraiche, season with black pepper, grate 50g cheddar and add 2/3 to the mixture, add the remaining bacon mix, beat well and pour into the 4 lined holes, top with remaining cheese and green spring onion bits, bake for 18-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean, they should be golden brown and puffed up, though will sadly sink on standing, allow to thoroughly cool before refridgerating. These were delicious and so easy, you could easily swap the bacon for either tuna or cooked red peppers.


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Apologies for lack of posting lately, am still on the job hunt and have also been on a bit of a healthkick so not been cooking anything particularly blogworthy or droolworthy! However there have been a few interesting freezer meals, you know the kind that comes about from freezing odds and ends, then trying to work out how to use it up ...best so far was spicy cheese on toast that was courtesy of leftover frozen pizza topping, an odd bag of grated frozen cheese (no idea how old but worked perfectly!) and sliced jalepenos from the fridge!