The Canny Cook

The Canny Cook 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Recipes from a (usually) thrifty home cook in the Scottish Highlands 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
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Is there anything better than the smell of fresh bread just out of the oven 😋🥖👍🏽
16/03/2024

Is there anything better than the smell of fresh bread just out of the oven 😋🥖👍🏽

Scotch EggsI like mine runny.....how do you like yours?
10/03/2024

Scotch Eggs

I like mine runny.....how do you like yours?

AFGHAN BISCUITSA kiwi classic made using Edmonds cookbook recipe 🇳🇿 😋
26/02/2024

AFGHAN BISCUITS

A kiwi classic made using Edmonds cookbook recipe 🇳🇿 😋

TUNNOCKS ROCKY ROADINGREDIENTS 100g digestive biscuits 140g butter 100g dark chocolate (you can use all milk/dark if you...
16/02/2024

TUNNOCKS ROCKY ROAD

INGREDIENTS

100g digestive biscuits
140g butter
100g dark chocolate (you can use all milk/dark if you prefer)
100g milk chocolate
3 tbsp golden syrup
4-5 Teacakes
2 Caramel Wafers
1-2 tbsp desiccated coconut

METHOD

Line at 18cm square tin or Pyrex dish.

Put the digestives in a bag and smash with a rolling pin. Cut the wafers into chunks and quarter the teacakes.

Put the chocolate, butter and syrup in a large bowl and melt in microwave, ( do 30 second blasts and stir to ensure you don’t burn it)

Once melted, add in all the digestives, wafers and teacakes, stir to ensure everything is covered and pour into a lined tray, sprinkle with desiccated coconut.

Put in fridge until hardened, usually at least a couple hours. Cut into squares or fingers and enjoy with a good cuppa ☕️

Makes 6 big squares or 12 fingers

Happy Pancake Day 🥞 PANCAKESDry Ingredients125g Plain Flour125g Self Raising Flour1 tsp Baking Powder60g Caster SugarWet...
13/02/2024

Happy Pancake Day 🥞

PANCAKES
Dry Ingredients

125g Plain Flour
125g Self Raising Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
60g Caster Sugar

Wet Ingredients
2 Eggs
200ml Milk
50g Plain yoghurt or buttermilk
1 tbsp golden Syrup

In a measuring jug measure out you milk, add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix well. In a bowl measure out the dry ingredients, make a well in the middle and pour in the wet ingredients and combine well.

Makes 12-14 large pancakes

What is everyones favourite pancake topping? 🥞 🍓🍫🫖☕️I think my new favourite may be Bonne Maman UK chocolate orange spre...
12/02/2024

What is everyones favourite pancake topping? 🥞 🍓🍫🫖☕️

I think my new favourite may be Bonne Maman UK chocolate orange spread. I had the advert calander and this came as a free gift and OMG!!! 🍊🍫 🥞

Happy Chinese New Year 🇨🇳🐉CHINESE CASHEW CHICKEN
10/02/2024

Happy Chinese New Year 🇨🇳🐉

CHINESE CASHEW CHICKEN

MADE FROM GIRDERS CHICKEN THIGHS(IRN-BRU glaze) Sweet, sticky, salty, smoky and a wee but spicy! 200ml Irn Bru1 tbsp Dar...
08/02/2024

MADE FROM GIRDERS CHICKEN THIGHS
(IRN-BRU glaze)

Sweet, sticky, salty, smoky and a wee but spicy!

200ml Irn Bru
1 tbsp Dark Soy sauce
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (add more if you want them spicier)

Put all ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil, simmer for about ten minutes until the liquid has reduced by half.

Bake thighs in oven at 180° for ten mins until part cooked. Remove and use half the glaze and return to oven for 5 mins, remove and use rest of glaze, return to oven until thighs cooked (another 5-10 mins)

Serve with some fries, coleslaw and corn on the cob 🌽 🍟

CHEESE SOUFFLÉ Recipe coming soon….
06/02/2024

CHEESE SOUFFLÉ

Recipe coming soon….

SAUSAGE ROLLSWho doesn't love a homemade sausage roll?! 😋 INGREDIENTS 1 pack 8 sausages, skinned (approx 450g) - split t...
05/02/2024

SAUSAGE ROLLS

Who doesn't love a homemade sausage roll?! 😋

INGREDIENTS

1 pack 8 sausages, skinned (approx 450g) - split the pack into 2 bowls
1 sheet ready rolled pastry
(Cut in half long ways)
1 egg, beaten

Marmite & Cheese
1 heaped tsp marmite
50g grated extra mature cheddar

Chipotle chilli & Honey
1 tsp of chipotle chilli flakes
1 tbsp honey

BEEF POT ROASTINGREDIENTS Approx 1 kg beef joint (topside or silverside) 2 tbsp oil2 stick celery, chopped 2 carrots, ch...
04/02/2024

BEEF POT ROAST

INGREDIENTS

Approx 1 kg beef joint (topside or silverside)
2 tbsp oil
2 stick celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
A good glug of red wine, approx 250ml
1 oxo cube or beef stock cube, crumbled
1 tsp thyme, rosemary and oregano
1 pint/500ml water
Good splash of Worcestershire sauce

METHOD ……in pictures

Definitely not the prettiest dish but oh my, soooo tasty! Back pudding mash….great with pork, beef, chicken,….anything 😁...
04/02/2024

Definitely not the prettiest dish but oh my, soooo tasty! Back pudding mash….great with pork, beef, chicken,….anything 😁

LENTIL & BACON SOUP200g Red lentils (rinsed well, no need to soak)2 or 3 rashers of Smokey bacon 🥓 1/2 Swede (or turnip ...
01/02/2024

LENTIL & BACON SOUP

200g Red lentils (rinsed well, no need to soak)
2 or 3 rashers of Smokey bacon 🥓
1/2 Swede (or turnip depending where you come from 😂)
2 medium carrots
2 medium potatoes (approx 400g)
1/2 leek
1 x bacon stock cube (I use knorr)

SEASONING (optional)
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried parsley
Salt & pepper to taste

This isn’t the way I usually make lentil soup, but the thing I love about soup is it’s so versatile, I never seem to make the same recipe twice and rarely measure ingredients, just chuck everything in the pot.

I normally use some diced celery and add with the onions and leek, but didn’t have any in fridge so added a tsp celery salt. I also added in some garlic salt and some smoked paprika to give a more Smokey bacon taste. These are optional but make great additions. I only had dried parsley but if you have fresh it’s far better! Feel free to add in what you like .

As a topping I cremated some bacon under the grill, allowed to cool then crumbled into shards. 😋 🥓

While the soup is great the day it’s made I always think it tastes better the day after. We were in a pub a few months ago and I was amused that their menu said Yesterdays Soup instead of the usual Soup of the Day!

Who wants the recipe for my crispy Glasgow rolls? 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
01/02/2024

Who wants the recipe for my crispy Glasgow rolls? 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

LORNE SAUSAGESome call it Lorne, some call it square, some call it slice…. I call it delicious!Since our village butcher...
30/01/2024

LORNE SAUSAGE

Some call it Lorne, some call it square, some call it slice…. I call it delicious!

Since our village butcher closed I’ve been on a mission to try and recreate their delicious lorne sausage, especially since some of the supermarket ones have around 30% meat content, one even has water as it’s first ingredient, not to mention all the additives and E numbers!

So here it is…..

750g Beef Mince (20% fat)
250g Pork Mince (12% fat)
160g Breadcrumbs
100ml Cold water
2 tsp Cooking salt
1.5 tsp Ground Coriander
1/2 tsp White Pepper (if you prefer them ‘spicier’ add a little more)
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Mace
1/2 tsp Onion powder

1 tsp MSG - totally optional

Method in pictures.

I like to slice some thin to go on full breakfasts and some thicker to go on crispy morning rolls, another recipe which I’ll have up for you shortly.

CHICKEN, LEEK AND PEA RISOTTO 2 chicken breasts, diced200g Arborio Rice1 small leek, sliced1 small onion, finely diced1 ...
29/01/2024

CHICKEN, LEEK AND PEA RISOTTO

2 chicken breasts, diced
200g Arborio Rice
1 small leek, sliced
1 small onion, finely diced
1 cup of peas
1 chicken stock cube
Tbsp Oil

Water (approx 750ml) and whatever seasonings you like (I used garlic granules, mint, oregano, salt and pepper)

Serve with grated parmesan if you have any.

Make vegetarian - dont use the chicken and use veg stock instead

METHOD

Put oil in pan and sauté onion and leek on medium for 5 minutes, add in chicken and brown. Add rice and stir for a minute or so, add in stock and enough water to cover and continue to stir until rice is nearly cooked, you may need to keep topping up with water. Add in peas and cook through. Serve.

CREAMY BACON BUTTER BEANS One of my favourite side dishes to go with a roast dinner! 😋
28/01/2024

CREAMY BACON BUTTER BEANS

One of my favourite side dishes to go with a roast dinner! 😋

HAGGIS, NEEPS ‘N’ TATTIES , WHISKY SAUCE 🥃📖🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Happy Burns Night folk!
25/01/2024

HAGGIS, NEEPS ‘N’ TATTIES , WHISKY SAUCE 🥃📖🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Happy Burns Night folk!

SAUSAGE AND LENTIL CASSEROLE
23/01/2024

SAUSAGE AND LENTIL CASSEROLE

FISHY FRIDAY 🐟 🍟 Total cheats dinner tonight, frozen fish, homemade chips and coleslaw that’s been in the fridge for lon...
19/01/2024

FISHY FRIDAY 🐟 🍟

Total cheats dinner tonight, frozen fish, homemade chips and coleslaw that’s been in the fridge for longer than I’d like to admit 😂 about £1.20/£1.30 per portion. We were planning going to the local pub for their Fishy Friday offer fish n chips for £10pp but the weather has been awful so pulled the fish out of the freezer, chopped a couple of potatoes and pinged some mushy peas…. From freezer to plate in less than 30 mins 👍🏽

CHICKEN AND ORZO SOUPSo, how do you make one chicken thigh feed 4 people….soup of course! And it’s definitely soup weath...
18/01/2024

CHICKEN AND ORZO SOUP

So, how do you make one chicken thigh feed 4 people….soup of course! And it’s definitely soup weather up here in Scotland today!

INGREDIENTS

1 chicken thigh
1 small onion
2 celery stalks
1 large carrot
Half a leek
100g Orzo pasta (you can substitute for rice or broken bits of spaghetti)
1 stock cube
1.5 litres water

METHOD
Place the chicken thigh in the pan, skin side down, on high heat and sear until golden brown, whilst doing this chop your veggies.

Add in your chopped veggies and sauté for 5 mins or so, keep stirring.
Add in the water and stock cube, bring to the boil, once boiling turn down to medium heat and add in the orzo. Cook for 25-30 mins.
Remove the chicken thigh from the pan, remove the skin and shred the meat off the chicken bone and return the meat to the pan. (Discard the skin & bone)

Season with salt and pepper and whatever herbs you like, I’ve added in some parsley and oregano. Serve with some crusty bread and lashings of butter 😋

SPINACH AND ‘FETA’ OMELETTE One of my favourite brekkies, really quick, simple and healthy, not to mention cheap and fil...
17/01/2024

SPINACH AND ‘FETA’ OMELETTE

One of my favourite brekkies, really quick, simple and healthy, not to mention cheap and filling! (52p)

I love spinach but can never seem to get through a fresh bag before it starts going slimy, so I always make sure I have a bag in the freezer. It’s great for adding to soups, stews, pasta dishes etc.

Here I’ve substituted Feta cheese for salad cheese purely as a cheaper alternative. If you prefer to use feta please do.

Feel free to add anything you like to this omelette, a slice of ham, fresh tomato 🍅……whatever takes your fancy!

INGREDIENTS
2 eggs (26p)
20g Salad Cheese (9p)
2 blocks frozen spinach (17p)

METHOD

Defrost the spinach in the microwave for 1-2mins, then thoroughly squeeze all the water from the spinach.

In a bowl whisk the two eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Heat pan on high, then pour the eggs in, move the eggs about with a spatula, crush the cheese onto the eggs then spread the spinach over the top. Work quickly. Fold the omelette and slide of a plate. Serve with some toast or a small side salad 🥗 🍞

Katsu Chicken TendersWe really fancied katsu chicken tenders that we'd previously had from Tesco Finest range but at ove...
15/01/2024

Katsu Chicken Tenders

We really fancied katsu chicken tenders that we'd previously had from Tesco Finest range but at over £12kg they're twice the price of plain chicken breast so we decided to make our own

INGREDIENTS
2 Chicken Breasts
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 weetabix
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp coriander leaf
1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180⁰

Crush the weetabix into a bowl along with the herbs and spices

Put the mayo in another bowl

Cut the chicken breasts into strips, dip strips into the mayonnaise then into the weetabix crumb mix

Bake in oven at 190 for 20-25 minutes until crispy and golden.

(Can be air fryed on 180⁰ for 20 mins)

We served with Chinese curry sauce, rice and stir fried broccoli 🥦

Chicken Breast stuffed with Cheese and Ham(Approx £1.50 per portion)INGREDIENTS2 chicken breasts2 slices of ham60g of ch...
14/01/2024

Chicken Breast stuffed with Cheese and Ham
(Approx £1.50 per portion)

INGREDIENTS
2 chicken breasts
2 slices of ham
60g of cheddar or cheese of your choice
1 egg
1 cup of breadcrumbs
Spray oil

METHOD
Cut a pocket in your chicken breast without cutting all the way through. Also cut a small piece of the end to use as a ‘plug’

Wrap the cheese in the ham and stuff into the chicken breast and use the small bit of chicken to plug the hole.

Dip in egg then in breadcrumbs then back into egg and back into crumbs

Spray with oil and bake in oven at 180 for 25-30 mins

LAZY VEGETABLE BROTH (approx 15p per portion)No chopping, slicing or dicing. Pop in pan and it’s good to go!Growing up i...
13/01/2024

LAZY VEGETABLE BROTH (approx 15p per portion)

No chopping, slicing or dicing. Pop in pan and it’s good to go!

Growing up in the Scottish Highlands, soups were always a staple in our house. Now this is definitely not the way my gran taught me to make soup, nor is it Scotch Broth which is made with lamb, but it definitely makes a warm filling lunch.

Ingredients come to £2.65, here I’ve used a quarter of the broth mix and quarter of the frozen veggies and 2 stock cubes, so the whole pan comes to approx 60p for 4 large (6 small) bowls of veggie broth (soup). This could also be made in the slow cooker, so cooking cost is very low (4-5 hours on high)

INGREDIENTS
125g Broth mix (soak in a bowl of water overnight and then rinse well)
250g Frozen mixed Veg
2 Stock cubes (I’ve used chicken but you can use any)
1.5 Litres of water
Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
Put all ingredients in a pan and bring to boil, reduce heat and cook for approximately 1 - 1.5 hours until the peas and barley are soft.

TIPS
If you have any leftover veggies or meats to use up you can put them in too. Feel free to add any extra seasonings you may have in the cupboard or garden, fresh parsley is excellent in soups!

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