* Easy Cheesy Bubble and Squeak

I need to make more food with Easy Cheesy in the title. I like that title. I like anything even vaguely childish at the moment because I've got a rotten cold, which seems to go hand in hand with a more juvenile sense of humour.... my dreams are pretty freaky too - in a fun way!!! You are so rude!

I dreamt I had magic, the other night (stop groaning, you knew this is where I was heading), and that I was the most powerful magician/sorcerer in the entire world but I hadn't been challenged and therefore didn't know how powerful I was - then the dream jumped a little bit to me saving a load of people by letting them in my front door (apparently this dream could not afford much in the way of special effects)... then this *being* appeared in the sky - now don't laugh - it was Adam Ant. Moving swiftly on... I yelled out of my half open front door (that I was hiding behind - magicians get scared too apparently) at the Adam Ant cloud in the sky..."You don't want to take me on..." then imbued the last two words with a huge majestic power reminiscent of Charlton Heston in various movies "DOOOO YOOOOU?"....

Thing is.... I BOOMED the last two words out loud. In my sleep. As the Adam Ant cloud dissipated into vapour  - I heard a voice beside me snigger and say "Well I suppose this is going to be as interesting as "I'm a giraffe"...".

*sigh*

I'd woken Neil up.

12 hours later when he walked in the back door after work...

... he was still sniggering.

NOTE: There is no one real recipe for bubble and squeak - it's traditionally made up of left over vegetables from a Sunday Roast, all mashed together and fried in a pan on the stove in butter. Sometimes as a mash up, sometimes as a large cake and sometimes as patties. I find a general rule of thumb to follow is whatever weight of potatoes you use, use half that weight of vegetables (or thereabouts) - also, if you do happen to have creamed the mash together with butter and/or milk - you're best bet is to make a mash up and fry it as is, as the wetter the bubble and squeak mix, the less likely that it will be able to hold its shape and make decent patties (or cakes). Dry frying (no fat) also helps the patties to keep their shape and not take on extra moisture and become sloppy (but that might be just me!).

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Easy Cheesy Bubble and Squeak Recipe

Makes 8 patties (serves 4)

Prep time - 5 minutes
Cooking time - 20 minutes
Total time - 25 minutes

You will need
A large non-stick frying pan/skillet

Ingredients
1 tbsp butter
1 onion - chopped
7oz/200g cooked, shredded sweetheart cabbage
1 medium cooked carrot - mashed
1lb 2oz/500g cooked potato - mashed (NO butter or milk or anything else in it - just potato)
3.5oz/100g mature cheddar cheese - grated
salt and pepper

Method

• Place the frying pan over a medium heat and melt the butter.
• Add the onion and gently cook until softened, about 3 - 5 minutes.
• Scoop onions into a large bowl and add all of the remaining ingredients to it. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Mix together (with your hands if possible).
• Press the mixture together to form 8 patties.
• Return the pan to the heat and gently dry fry the patties for 10 minutes on each side, or until crispy and golden (check by sliding a pallet knife underneath and lifting slightly so that you can see).
• Don't cook them on too high a heat, as they'll go brown before their centres are hot.
• Serve with meat, veg and gravy of your choice - we usually have our with sausages and onion gravy!

EAT

ONE YEAR AGO: Coffee and Walnut Cake