Basic’s

Basic’s    Soup’s    Main Course    Sweet’s & Puddings    Cake’s & Biscuits

We make no excuse for starting at the beginning. There are many cook book’s available giving hundreds and hundreds of elaborate menu’s from all corners of our world, but if you are not confident in the simplest and most basic of tasks in the kitchen you will never make any progress in expanding your repertoire and gain any great level of confidence.

baked potato
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Baked Potatoes

A potato baked in it's skin can be a meal in itself.

Even more so if the potato is scooped out and mixed with egg, cheese, tuna, ham etc. and then returned to it's "jacket".

Course Basic, Pudding
Keyword Jacket, potato
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 95 kcal
Author Mike P.

Ingredients

  • 4 Large Potatoes scrubbed clean

Potatoes with eggs

  • 50 gram butter
  • 30 ml milk
  • salt & black pepper
  • 4 eggs

Instructions

  1. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork and put on the middle shelf of a fairly hot oven (200c/400f gas mark 6). Bake for approx 1 hour until soft.

  2. Allow to cool then slice off 1/3rd lengthwise. Scoop out the potato with a teaspoon and mash in a bowl with the butter, milk and salt & pepper to taste.

  3. Return this mixture to the potato skins and hollow out the centre of each.

  4. Break an egg into each and return to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes untill the eggs have set. Serve while hot.

Recipe Notes

Various variations on this basic recipe work well. 
Rub salt all over the potatoes for a crispy skin.
Rub oil all over the potatoes for a soft skin.

 

omlette
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Plain Omelette

The simple omlette is very versatile and also very quick to make. 
Once you gain confidence with them, the variations are almost endless.

Course Basic
Cuisine French
Prep Time 4 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 6 minutes
Servings 2 people
Calories 160 kcal
Author Mike P.

Ingredients

  • 4 Eggs
  • 15 ml cold water
  • salt & black pepper
  • 25 gm butter

Instructions

  1. Beat the eggs lightly in a mixing bowl. Stir in the water and add salt & pepper to taste.

  2. Melt the butter over a medium heat in a heavy based pan. When bubbling add the egg mixture. 

  3. Using a palette knife, smooth over the surface, lifting up the sides to allow any unset mixture to flow around the sides into the hot butter.

  4. Cook for about 20 seconds or untill the mixture is creamy, then tilt the pan away from you and then fold the omlette over with the palette knife.
    Press down with the knife, and then tip the omelette onto a hot plate and serve imediately.

Recipe Notes

Add grated Gruyere or Cheddar cheese or prawns or cooked and sliced mushrooms or ham to the mixture before cooking.
Cook as for plain omlette.