Food with Ruco

This is one of our family favourites. It's something my late mother-in-law used to make for my husband when he was vegetarian (that's a story for another day) and I was always partial to a slice of it, too.  I'm not sure where the recipe comes from - there are many variations of it when you search the internet but this is what I do based on my MiL's recipe: INGREDIENTS I USE 6 oz red lentils 12 fl oz water 4 oz grated cheddar (the stronger the better) medium onion dried parsley 1/2 tsp mustard powder or cayenne  dash of lemon juice if want 4 table spoons of cream OR natural yoghurt OR cottage cheese OR a large dollop of cream cheese  l egg seasoning  WHAT I DO Rinse the lentils through a sieve until water runs clear - otherwise they produce lots of scum when cooking down. Put the lentils in a pan with the water, bring to the boil and then simmer until they are soft and make a lovely paste consistency Finely chop onion and put

After the success of the sweet potato croquettes, the girls came up with the idea of trying Chip Shop Bites which is one of their favourites from a local eatery. Ingredients: What I did Peeled, cooked and mashed potatoes Mixed with mushy peas  Seasoned with salt and LOTS of vinegar. Cooled mixture in fridge. Once cooled: shaped, dipped in egg and breadcrumbs (made from Mayo Buns) and laid on baking tray. Bake until golden DELICIOUS!

Croquettes My veg box had depleted and I was left with three sweet potatoes.  I fancied something different from soup or wedges so decided to have a go at croquettes and they worked out surprisingly well. What I did: Scrub sweet potatoes well, peel and dice and boil until soft (keep the peelings) Drain and mash with any seasoning etc. I used: grated cheddar pepper mixed herbs  crumbled stock cube Pop in fridge to cool When cool shape into croquettes Dip in beaten egg Coat with bread crumbs*  Bake - it's a trial and error thing - maybe 20 mins @ 180 / 200 *I made the bread crumbs from two of the Mayo Buns (see previous post) Crisps Remember the peelings? I got this idea from John Torode who kept his potato peelings.  Toss them in some oil and season with salt and pepper and bake until crispy - they were FABULOUS!  

So, we were running out of our staple supplies so I decided to give mayo buns a try.  I'd seen a few people posting on social media about them.  I mixed together: 2 cups flour 2tsp baking powder 2tsp salt 1 cup milk 4 tbsp mayo p lopped the mixture into a silicone muffin tray and cooked at 180 for 15/20 mins, l aid them on a rack and tried one warm with butter! Surprisingly good!  I found them saltier than I would have liked but the rest of the family didn't think so. 

(revised 18/04/2020) 'Stay at home!' is the official government advice and we're now several weeks into doing just that. We started our own lockdown a week before the official announcement because Al is a key worker and we decided that it was best if he were the only person leaving the house.  He has a very strict routine to keep him, his clients and us as safe as possible while he's out and when he arrives back so, fingers crossed, we will stay safe!  I have been shopping twice in the last few weeks but, mainly, that task falls to Alyn along with popping things round to elderley relatives and picking up prescriptions etc.  I have some work coming up which will take me out of the house but, hopefully, safely and with all social distancing adhered to. I'll be out less than an hour.  We weren't one of those families who went into panic-mode, stocking up on tins and pasta and … loo roll?  But shopping did become a bit of a challenge because of those who