Moroccan Vegetarian Haggis Scotch Eggs

Macsween, the award winning haggis and black pudding producer, have just launched three new Special Editions: a Wild Boar Haggis, Moroccan Spiced Vegetarian Haggis and Chocolate and Chilli Black Pudding. The haggis can be microwaved for 3 minutes on medium, simmered for 20 minutes in boiling water, or simply sliced and fried, however I decided to do something a little different with the Moroccan Spiced Vegetarian Haggis and made these delicious baked Scotch Eggs. 
Apologies for my 'Moroccan' accessories, the plate came from Spain and the cloth from Indonesia!

I received samples of the special edition haggis from Macsween, I was not paid and all opinions are my own. 

Labels: eggs, haggis, Macsween Haggis, moroccan, Scotch Egg, spiced, vegetarian

posted by Janice @ 21:24 20 Comments

Haggis, Sweeties, Jam and magnets

As soon as I knew I was going to Nova Scotia, I wanted to take some Scottish gifts to my hosts.  I was delighted when Wee Sweetie agreed to create a very special Scottish 'sweetie' for me.  You can read all about Wee Sweetie in my post: Wee Sweetie, homemade sweeties and candies. The result of this request was a delicious Scotch Mist Fudge featuring Auchentoshan Whisky, meringue made by local producer 'Dessert Me' and Scottish Strawberries, totally delicious.

I also contacted some producers of iconic Scottish products, Mackays for their fabulous marmalades and jams.  I felt that Mackays Dundee Orange Marmalade was the most representative from the fantastic range of products that Mackays make in traditional ways in their factory just outside Dundee.

I also felt that Haggis just had to be represented and was delighted when Macsween agreed to provide me with some Haggis Bibles to take with me. These little books contain both traditional and modern recipes using haggis.

Finally, I contacted the delightful PRs for OXO Good Grips, not a company with a Scottish heritage but one producing the very best of kitchen gadgets, sure to be appreciated by dedicated foodies.  They supplied me with some really useful kitchen magnets that double up as clips, ideal for securing shopping lists and scraps of paper on which you have written recipes.

I'd like to thank Wee Sweetie, Mackays, Macsween's and OXO Good Grips for their support.  All the feedback I had from my hosts was positive and I was delighted to be able to give them something in return for the fantastic experience I had in Nova Scotia.  

Labels: Auchentoshan, Dessert Me, Mackays, Macsween Haggis, Nova Scotia, OXO Good Grips, Wee Sweetie

posted by Janice @ 21:02 5 Comments

On My Kitchen Table - Biscuits, Haggis, Mojitos and Cleaners!

Here are some of the products that have been on my kitchen table this month, there are always new things to try and when I find something I like, then I like to share it with you, my readers.

English Tea Time Treats (E-Book)


Sarah James is a home baker just like you and me, and she has created an e-book of her recipes which you can buy through Amazon.  It's called English Tea Time Treats and there are lots of good recipes in there, including some that I haven't see elsewhere, like Nelson Slice, a bread pudding sandwiched between two layers of flaky pastry.  I've now made the Oat Biscuits twice and Mr Farmer took some into his work and they were very popular, they taste a bit like Hobnobs.

It's a very simple recipe using ingredients that are likely to be in your store cupboard and it is also very versatile, you can add different spices or dried fruits to the biscuit mix.  I filled my biscuit tin with these cookies and they are ideal with a cup of tea of coffee.  Sarah  recommends crushing the Oat Biscuits to make cheesecake bases and I can see how they would really work like that.

English Tea Time Treats is available as a download to Kindle for £2.59 which is very good value for money.  Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahJames456

Sarah James provided me with a copy of English Tea Time Treats, I was not paid for this review and all opinions are my own.

Macsween Haggis

Not all Scots like haggis.  However, I love it and these Microwave Haggis and Black Pudding packs from Macsween are an innovative and speedy way to enjoy these tasty slices.The Little Haggis Bible is written by Jo Macsween and contains lots of interesting information about haggis and some very tasty looking recipes.

Macsween of Edinburgh, a third generation family company, has been at the forefront of haggis and black pudding making for 60 years. They have a clutch of foodie prizes for their products and in the past 10 years have made significant strides in improving and systematising the way they manage their environmental impacts.

I added the Macsween Haggis to cooked lamb mince and topped with a mix of mashed potato and turnip (swede), recipe coming up in a later post.  The haggis added a lovely spiciness to the lamb.


Sunday morning breakfast is usually a bacon roll. Today I topped this with a slice of Macsween black pudding to my roll and a slice of Macsween vegetarian haggis to Mr Farmer's roll  as he doesn't like black pudding.  I did microwave the slices, but then put them briefly under the grill to crisp them  up a bit.  The Black Pudding was superb, the seasoning is really well balanced and it had a rich flavour which went very well with the bacon.  Mr Farmer enjoyed the Macsween Vegetarian Haggis, we have had Veggie Haggis before and found it bland and unappealing, this was a big improvement.

I would definitely buy these Microwavable packs again, 60 seconds for the Haggis and 90 seconds for the Black Pudding - now that is fast food!

Macsween Haggis is available at all major supermarkets and costs around £1.49 per pack.

I was supplied with the Macsween products shown in the first photograph, I was not paid for this post and all opinions are my own.


Feel Good Non-Alcoholic Cocktails - Mojito

 I discovered Feel Good Non-Alcoholic Mojito at Tesco when looking for a different mixer for vodka.  We had a bottle and half of vodka which were given as gifts and decided we should drink some of it instead of our usual wine.  We had it with cranberry juice a few times, but got a bit fed up with that.  I can thoroughly recommend this Mojito as a mixer as well as to drink on it's own.

Feel Good Mojito has a really grown up taste, not too sweet, a lovely slightly sparkling citrus drink with a hint of mint.  I've had pre-mixed Mojito before and it always tastes of toothpaste to me, too much artificial mint flavour.  Not the Feel Good brand, it is made with 100% Natural Ingredients, 60% fruit juice grape, lime, sparkling water & fruit extracts, natural mint flavours, natural stabiliser; fruit pectin.  And would you believe it - IT'S ONE OF YOUR FIVE A DAY!!!

For anyone planning a party, I would recommend you get some of this for those who don't or can't drink alcohol, it tastes like a proper drink, so they won't feel left out.


I did not receive this product from the manufacturer, I've bought several bottles of this Mojito Cocktail with my own money, my opinions are still my own though!

Breathease
Breathease is Asthma and Allergy Friendly Cleaners are Scientifically tested and help prevent inhalant and allergenic reaction. They even remove surface allergens whilst ensuring that airborne allergens are minimised, meaning that it is healthier for you.  I am fortunate that I don't have asthma, but I do have some slight allergies and some of the kitchen and bathroom cleaners do make me catch my breath.  I was given Breathease Window and Glass cleaner and Breathease multi-purpose cleaner to try for myself.

I used the Window and Glass Cleaner on the kitchen window and the bathroom mirror, it was a good cleaner and the smell was fresh and sweet, a bit like baby powder!  As I have mainly wooden work surfaces in the kitchen, which I don't like to use spray cleaners on,  I took the multi-surface cleaner into the bathroom.

Our bathroom is very small, built under the stairs, in a house not  originally designed for an inside bathroom, which means that fumes from cleaners get stuck in the room and particularly in the shower when I'm cleaning it.  I really liked the multi-surface cleaner, it did the job just as well as other cleaners and, just like the window and glass cleaner, had a pleasant scent with no choking effects.

Overall, I was impressed and the products which are also supported by asthma UK.   

I was supplied with these two cleaning products, I was not paid for this review and all opinions are my own. 

Thank you for joining me at the Kitchen Table.

Labels: Breathease, English Tea Time Treats, Kindle, Macsween Haggis, Mojito, Non allergenic cleaners, Oat Biscuits, Sarah James

posted by Janice @ 14:10 6 Comments

The Royal Highland Show - Farming and Food

You may remember that I posted about the Royal Highland Show a few weeks ago?  Well, the time has come for the 2013 show.  It's on from Thursday 20th June to Sunday 22nd June.  I took a day off work to visit the show with particular emphasis on the Food Hall!

Food Hall

I caught up with the lovely Claire, from Mackay's Jams who I met at the Marmalade Awards last year, I'll be posting some recipes using Mackay's Jams in the very near future.  If you are going along be sure to say hello to Claire.

Fab Team at MacSween Haggis

 And this is the 'Blaggis' Roll (haggis and black pudding) I bought from MacSween for my brunch, kept me going all day. After a scout around the Food Hall, I decided to head out to see some of the livestock before coming back for the Cookery Theatre.


These beautiful white Charolais Bulls were waiting to be judged, they have been brushed and talcumned within an inch of their lives to make them look their best.



I wasn't quite sure what they were doing here, they seemed to be getting this poor sheep to keep turning round so they could look at both sides, it seemed bemused rather than distressed by it though.


Wendy made some delicious trout skewers, the trout was marinated in lemon juice, honey mustard and honey.  They cooked in the oven in no time and were accompanied by a salad.  Wendy had some help to make the salad dressing from Michael Moore MP the Secretary of State for Scotland.

Michael Moore MP making salad dressing

Wendy also made a Chocolate Roulade and a Tea Loaf which was cooked flat as a traybake type thing, which was served with ice cream. Best Tip: Add some cocoa powder to your melted chocolate to intensify the flavour.

The main event, for me, was Craig Wilson, The Kilted Chef who is Chef Proprietor at Eat on the Green, Udny Green.  The theme of the demonstration was 'Science on a Plate' as Craig was accompanied by Nutritionist Alex Johnstone of the Rowett Institute of Nutrtition and Health at Aberdeen University and David Thomson, Head of Food and Drink for the Scottish Government.


Craig cooked three dishes a Cullen Skink Risotto using finely diced potato rather than rice.  Aberdeen Angus Beef with Vegetable and Chick Pea Bhuna and a Raspberry, Oat, Ginger and Chocolate Dessert.  While he was cooking Alex told us about the nutritional benefits of cooking our own fresh ingredients.  David was able to provide information about the Food Industry in Scotland, I learned that the Scottish Food Industry is worth £12.4 billion per year. 

Aberdeen Angus Beef with Vegetable and Chick Pea Bhuna

While making the dessert, Craig came down into the audience to let us smell the raspberries he had lightly sauted with some whisky, the aroma was incredible!  And you get to see that he really is a 'kilted' Chef.  Best Tip:  If your onions are cooking too quickly and starting to burn, add a little water to the pan to slow down the cooking

Raspberry, Oat, Ginger and Chocolate Dessert

I had a great time at the Royal Highland Show, there are still three days to go, so if you are able to get to Edinburgh, then I can thoroughly recommend it.  If not, then start planning for 2014!  I'll leave you with some more livestock, without them there wouldn't be a show.


Many thanks to Chris for inviting me to visit the Show.  I received a complimentary ticket and parking pass for one day of the Royal Highland Show, I was not paid for this post and all views are my own.

Labels: Charolais, Craig Wilson, Eat on the Green, jam, Kilted Chef, Mackays, Macsween Haggis, Rowett Institute, Royal Highland Show, Wendy Barrie

posted by Janice @ 21:15 4 Comments