Recipe for honey-soy glazed oven-baked quails

Every now and then I come across some young fresh quails, and cannot resist buying them. They're sold oven-ready here, so it's just the matter of seasoning the birds and popping into the oven for half an hour. A weekend night dinner that looks pretty elegant and is a little bit more exciting than your average roast chicken - is ready in less than an hour (and that includes the marinating time). Here's a lovely recipe I discovered a while ago from Jill Dupleix's excellent Simple Food. Jill uses honey to sweeten the glaze. Although it's lovely with honey, it's even lovelier with a good maple syrup, and that's what I've been using recently.

PS Our kids - both the one-year old and the three-year old - love this dish, especially the drumsticks!

NB For other Chinese recipes here on Nami-Nami, click here.


Honey-Soy Quails

(Mesine ja sojane vutt)
Serves 4



4 quails about 200-250 g each
2 Tbsp runny honey or 4 Tbsp maple syrup
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil

Flavouring salt:
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
1 Tbsp sea salt flakes

To serve:
2 Tbsp sweet Thai chilli sauce

Rinse the birds, pat dry with a kitchen paper. Tuck the wing tips behind the back, tie the legs with a cotton string.
Combine honey/maple syrup and soy sauce in a large bowl. Add the quails and turn them in the marinade. Leave to marinade for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 C/400 F.
Remove the quails from the marinade and place into an oven dish where they fit snugly. Drizzle with sesame oil.
Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, turning them once or twice, until the meat is cooked and the skin is crispy and golden.
Sprinkle some five-spice salt on top and serve with sweet chilli sauce.

For a side dish, Jill suggests some stir-fried spinach and mangetout/sugar snap peas and spring onions. Something green and quick and simple.

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Thomas and Friends Bath Toys

We were recently sent an assortment of Thomas and Friends bath toys to review. James is a massive train fan and loves watching Thomas on TV with his brothers. We were sent 3 toys to review.

Thomas the Tank Bath Soap Crayons - The  crayons are 3D moulded, they are made from Bath Soap and are shaped in children's favourite characters Thomas, James, Percy & "all aboard" designs. The soapy crayons can be used to draw on the bath, the tiles or all over a child's body. They have an RRP £3.00 and are now available to buy in Boots. They are suitable for children aged three to five years old.

Here is James and Nathan using the bath crayons.

Nathan thought it was lots of fun to colour in his hand and James loved drawing all over the side of the bath. My only complaint about the crayons and this is really minor is that once they get really wet they are slippy and can be quite messy. Having said that they do dry out quickly and are reusable for the next bath time. It is simple to clean up after use to as any crayon just washes off with water.

Thomas the Tank Engine Magic Facecloth and Fizzer Set - The set includes a compressed facecloth in a friendly Thomas the Tank Engine face design that magically expands when placed in water for fun cleansing.

The ‘Thomas’ bath fizzer can be dropped  into the bath to create blue, fruity fragranced bath water which is kind for young skin. The set has an RRP £3.00 and is available from Boots, it is suitable for children aged three to five years old.

Thomas the Tank Engine Bath Buddy - The bath buddy designed for fun play and cleansing in the bath. Made from water friendly soft fabrics, this product is suitable for all ages. It has an RRP £5.00 and is available to buy in Boots. James loves the bath buddy he makes it move along the bath and makes train noises ( I love their imagination at his ages) he likes to put it under the water to so that it "fills" with water and then squeezes it all back out.

We highly recommend all 3 of these bath toys, they certainly have made James' bath time fun. We give them a fabulous 4/5 rating.

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Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Four In A Box Jigsaw Puzzle

The boys were recently sent their third puzzle from Ravensburger to review. When Nathan saw the box he was over the moon. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is one of his favourite TV programmes, it is on just before he leaves for nursery so always watches it before he goes. As he is such a big fan Nathan declared that this puzzle was his. He said that both Callum and James couldn't help him as he wanted to do the puzzles all by himself.

Nathan found these puzzles a little more difficult to complete than other puzzles we've been sent before. This was because unlike previous puzzles the Mickey Mouse puzzles didn't have the coloured edges to show which pieces belonged to which puzzle. This meant that Nathan had to actually think about which pieces were needed for the four individual puzzles. He did remember though that he needed the edge pieces first in order to complete the pictures.

James trying to help Nathan with a puzzle

The puzzles are 12, 16, 20 and 24 pieces, meaning they are ideal for use within a family with different aged children (such as my own), or for schools and nurseries where there are different aged children or children with mixed abilities within the same class. The finished puzzles are 19 x 14cm when complete.

The puzzles are suitable for children aged 3+ and priced at £5.99, they can be purchased from all good toy shops and retailers. We highly recommend Ravensburger puzzles, they are made from good quality materials and the pieces fit well together even when played with over and over. The reason for this is that each puzzle is hand made  and cut using special tools to ensure no two pieces are alike. These are definitely puzzles made to last. 

We cant wait to see which puzzle we will be reviewing next month as part of the Ravensburger Puzzle Club.

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James' New Shoes

Last week I wrote a post about the new spring / summer collection available from Clarks. We are happy to report that James is now sporting his new pair of shoes and to say that he loves them would be an understatement.

We took James along to our local store, we were met by a lovely member of staff called Wendy. James is a moody child at the best of times, so when Wendy asked him if he had come for some new shoes his reply was "NO!", after 10 minutes of negotiating with him and a bribe of some sweets ( for a two year old he really can be stubborn) he finally sat down so his feet could be measured. Once he had sat sown he actually started to be the lovely little boy that likes to hide away. His feet were measured. His size is a 7.5f.

After his little wobble he was great and even played hide and seek with another member of staff whilst Wendy went to see what shoes they had in stock in James Size.

Wendy found 3 styles of shoes in James' size, he tried them all on and went for a little walk up and down the shop to make sure they fitted him and that they didn't rub his feet.

James decided that he only liked a pair of shoes from the Stomposaurus range (he is very strong minded and opinionated these days - but then show me a two year old that isn't) (Stompo Lad Infant shoes) from the different pairs that were brought out. He liked them so much he even wore them from the shop home as he didn't want to take them off. The shoes are made from leather and are priced at £32. They are available in sizes 7 to 12.5, in 3 different widths fittings.

The shoes are designed to last and have a toe bumper on them to help them looking nice and unscuffed for longer. It is shaped like dinosaur teeth. There is a holographic picture on each of the shoes, James loves this and even "roars" whilst waving his shoes about before having them put on. The picture switches between a skeleton of a T-Rex and a picture of one. The shoes are easy to be put on and taken off as they have two adjustable Velcro straps.

We would highly recommend Clarks and their shoes to all our friends. Their shoes are made from high quality materials and designed to last. We give them a 5/5 rating. Don't forget about the fantastic range of shoes that Clarks have brought out to celebrate all things British this spring / summer to incorporate celebrating The 2012 Olympic Games and our Queens Diamond Jubilee. For more information or to see the shoes in the collection click here.

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Cauliflower with creamy bell pepper and pesto sauce

I LOVE cauliflower and one of my favourite ways of eating it is simply boiled and dabbed with some melted butter. However, that only works with young cauliflowers in late summer. The older the cauliflower, the harsher the cruciferous flavour, and you'll need a gutsy and strong-flavoured sauce to dress the cauliflower. Here's a recent - and very excellent find.

You can serve it as a side dish (enough for four), or as a main dish with some crusty bread (enough for two)

Cauliflower with creamy pepper and pesto sauce
(Lillkapsas paprika-pestokastmega)
Adapted from the Swedish Arla site.

1 red bell pepper
1 large cauliflower (about 600 g)
1 to 2 Tbsp butter
200 ml double/thick cream
3 to 4 Tbsp basil pesto
salt, to taste

Cut the cauliflower into small florets. Blanch in a lightly salted water for 3-4 minutes, until al dente.
Meanwhile, deseed and chop the pepper. Heat some butter in a small frying pan, add the bell pepper and sauté gently until softened. Add the cream and pesto, stir until combined. Simmer for a few minutes, until lightly thickened, then season to taste with salt, if necessary.
Drain the cauliflower thoroughly. Place into a serving bowl, spoon the red bell pepper and pesto sauce on top.
Serve hot or at room temperature.

MORE DELICIOUS CAULIFLOWER RECIPES:
Cauliflower cheese with mustard
Cauliflower and mince gratin with cheese and dill
Cauliflower with crispy breadcrumbs
Roasted cauliflower
2 recipes: spicy cauliflower with tomatoes AND sautéed cauliflower with sage and boiled eggs

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Home-made fish fingers and mushy peas

My kids love fish, both of them. Our precious daughter (3 years 1 month) loves fish a lot (including small whole ones, like sprats and Baltic herring in various forms) and she adores shellfish, including mussels and sea whelks (bulots) and such like. Our little boy (1 year 2 months) prefers fish fillet at this stage, but that's fine with me. Here's a little quick delicious dinner idea that is suitable both for the little eaters and the large ones. The secret? Dredging the fish pieces into (wholemeal and coarsely ground) rye flour. Of course, you could use oatmeal or plain wholewheat flour, but somehow the rye works especially well with oily fish like salmon.

I love serving this dish with mushy-minty peas, but simple mashed potato would be a good accompaniment as well.

Salmon fish fingers, served with green peas
(Kodused lõhefileepulgad)
Serves four



about 500 g salmon filet
lemon pepper seasoning
freshly squeezed lemon juice
about 7 Tbsp rye flour (wholemeal is perfect)
salt*

oil and butter, for frying

Remove the skin from the fish filet and cut the fish into chunky fingers. Season generously with lemon pepper seasoning and a little bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
(* If you're using salt-free lemon pepper, then sprinkle some salt over the fish as well).
Dredge the fish fingers into rye flour.
Heat oil and butter on a frying pan. Brown the fish fingers on all sides and cook for a few minutes, until done.

Serve with mashed potatoes and/or mushy peas. To make the latter, simply heat some butter in a small saucepan. Add frozen peas, season with salt, pepper, lemon juice and mint, and heat through. Mash lightly and serve with the fish fingers.

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Meatless Monday: Buckwheat with beets and dill

From the recipe archives - originally posted in December 2010, fully updated in March 2012.



It's time to up the number of buckwheat recipes on Nami-Nami - and I think this beautiful porridge kasha recipe fits the bill nicely. The inspiration for this recipe is from Rose Elliot's book Learning to Cook Vegetarian, and if you love buckwheat and you love beets, then you must try this! It's best served hot, but if you have any leftovers, then this is also an excellent lunch box dish.

A note about buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum). It's a pseudograin, and not a member of the cultivated grasses (Graminaceae) to which most grain cereals belong. Buckwheat is closely related to sorrel and rhubarb. It's native to central Asia - buckwheat was domesticated in China or India some 1000 years ago - and was introduced to Northern Europe during the Middle Ages. It's hugely popular in Russia, where the buckwheat groats are toasted to make porridge kasha and the greyish flour is used to make blinis that are famously enjoyed with caviar or smoked salmon.

Note that buckwheat is naturally gluten-free, so it's a suitable and tasty grain alternative to all those who need to avoid gluten.

Buckwheat with beetroot and dill
(Peedi-tatrahautis)
Serves six to eight

2 Tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
250 g buckwheat groats (about 300 ml)
750 ml boiling water (3 cups)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
500 g cooked beetroot, grated
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill

sour cream or plain yogurt, to serve (omit for a vegan meal)

First, you need to toast the buckwheat. The buckwheat we usually use in Estonia is pre-roasted and dark brown, so this can be heated on a dry skillet for about 2-3 minutes. If you're using the "light" buckwheat groats, then roast them on a dry hot skillet for about 6-7 minutes, until it's nicely toasty and aromatic.
Heat the oil in a large high frying pan/sauté pan. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for another minute or so.
Add the toasted buckwheat and boiling water, season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan with a lid, reduce heat and simmer on a low heat for 15-20 minutes, until the water has absorbed and buckwheat is nice and soft (but not mushy!!!).
Fold in the grated beets and heat for another 2-3 minutes. Taste for seasoning, stir in the dill and serve hot.

Lovely with a dollop of sour cream/yogurt and some grilled (Portobella) mushrooms.

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The New Arrivals Are Here...

I knew this week was going to be a busy one but little did I realise it would also be one that would end with my emotions all over the place.

Pepper went into labour on her due date 14th March, She had 6 puppies, 3 boys and 3 girls, 5 brindle coloured and one white. Sadly only puppies 1 and 4 made it. We are unsure why the other 4 babies had died but they were born sleeping so could have been any number of things that caused this to happen, however this doesn't make it feel any better to us. I have never cried so much in such a short space of time.

Pepper was in the 1st stage of labour for most of the day, this is pretty normal and last time she was in stage one for over 18 hours so we weren't concerned. Puppy number one - a beautiful little boy arrived just after 9pm - both Matt and I had to laugh as I had been watching One Born Every Minute on TV and said it was like starring in our own episode.

The puppies are now 2 days old and are doing really well, they are sucking well from Pepper and she is doing a great job of being a mum. Fingers crossed they continue to thrive as I'm not sure my heart or my head can take much more heartache.

I will blog each week of their progress so that you can see how they are developing, we are yet to name the pups but whatever we decide I'm sure it will suit them both.

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My favourite fish salad, using smoked seabass

There's a smoked fish salad that I've been making for years. Here's the routine. On a Saturday morning, the kids and I (and usually my K. as well) head to the local farmers market, Viimsi Taluturg.  There are several stalls selling excellent fish, and one of them, Pepe Kala, sells excellent hot-smoked seabass. It's my choice of fish for this salad, although other smoked specimens would work just as well.

We head home, unpack our lot. I'll open the paper-wrapped smoked seabass and start cleaning the fish. I must work quickly here, or otherwise our 3-year old daughter eats most of the fish and I'll have none left for making the salad (she loves fish!). I'll then mix the salad (recipe below, of course) and enjoy. Sometimes we eat it as it is, sometimes we put that on top some toasted rye bread (photo above), sometimes we use it as a filling for paper-thin crepes, sometimes we enjoy it with some just-out-of-the-oven jacket potatoes. It's versatile and it's delicious.

Will keep well in the fridge (covered, of course) for a few days.


Smoked Fish Salad
(Maitsev suitsukalasalat munaga)
Serves four

1 medium-sized smoked fish (hot-smoked seabass is good)
4 eggs
1 or 2 (red) onions
handful of fresh dill and chives
some mayonnaise and/or sour cream
freshly ground black pepper

Hard-boil the eggs, then cool under cold running water. Peel the eggs, and smash with a fork in bowl.
Peel the onion(s), chop finely.
Clean the smoked fish carefully, discard the skin and bones. Chop the fish into smaller pieces.
Finely chop the herbs.
Mix the eggs, onions, smoked fish and herbs in a bowl. Fold in just enough mayonnaise or sour cream (or indeed, both) to bind the ingredients.
Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

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Step Out in Style with Clarks this Spring / Summer..

Rule Britannia... or should that be "Cool Britannia", This year is definitely a great year to be British and designers throughout the fashion world are taking note and using British trends and colours within their designs.


Almost everyone I know is getting excited about the Olympic Games and the Diamond Jubilee, many businesses are also gearing up for them too and Clarks are no different. To coincide with these events Clarks have released a new spring / summer range of shoes, trainers and canvases  that are perfect for little ones of all ages. They are designed with British fashion in mind and incorporate the colours of the union jack flag. They are cool and stylish. 

If however these styles or colours aren't for you or your little one fear not as Clarks have also launched many other designs, some follow from autumn / winter themes such as the stomposaurous range which I myself think are adorable, or some lovely vibrant coloured trainers or even so fabulous canvas doodles.

Why not pop on over to Clarks Facebook page, launching next week is Clarks First Shoes Tab - this tab has valuable information for you about correctly fitted shoes on small feet, shows lots of the designs available and even has a list of favourite songs that you could learn and sing to your little one - what more could you possibly want.


James and I have been sent a voucher from Clarks to go choose some new shoes from the Spring / summer range so we will be post our review soon on how we got on.

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Gingery oatcakes or oaty gingersnap cookies? You'll decide.

In theory, a batch of cookies spiked with ground ginger would be most suitable for Christmas, no? I guess so. Somehow, however, I've baked two batches of these simple gingery oatcakes/oaty gingersnap cookies during this week alone, and wouldn't mind baking them again soon. I blame the long and exhausting frosty winter we're having here in Estonia - temperatures have been falling below -10 Celsius again this week. Some delicious cookies help to forget (at least for a brief moment) that all you really-really want by now is some sun and spring and birdsong and, well, end of winter..

Note that these cookies do not contain any eggs, so they're perfect if you're cooking for someone who's allergic to eggs.

Oatcakes spiked with ginger
(Ingveri-kaeraküpsised)
Inspiration: Finnish Valio
Makes about 40 cookies



125 g butter, at room temperature
100 g caster sugar
100 g (wholemeal) flour
100 g old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
3 to 4 Tbsp double/heavy cream

Cream butter and sugar. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, then stir into the sugar and butter mixture. Finally add the cream and stir lightly until combined.
Form the cookie mixture into small balls (about a heaped teaspoonful each) and place them onto a parchment-covered baking sheet, leaving plenty of room between the cookies, as they spread out during baking.
Bake in a preheated 200 C oven for about 8 minutes, until light golden brown on edges.
Remove from the oven, leave to cool for a few minutes, then transfer onto a metal rack to dry and go crisp.

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Haircut Day for the Boys..

Nothing really exciting to report but thought I would share the before and after pictures of the boys, they've needed their hair cutting for the last few weeks but will us all full or germs over half term and me still not being right from the flu I couldn't face the whole task of hauling the tribe into town for it to be done.

James is probably the worst out of the 3 for having his haircut as he doesn't quite understand the concept of staying still. So sometimes his cuts are a bit hit and miss this time though I don't think the lady did a bad job.

As you can see from the before and after shots these cuts were very much needed.

I think all 3 boys look really handsome with their new haircuts (although I'm maybe just a bit biased)...

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Awaiting Some New Arrivals...

This week is a really busy week for us, we are getting ready for the arrival of Pepper's puppies, they are due the 14th March but were unsure if she'll make this date as she is huge. But just like with us mummies puppies can arrive any time within the last week, so its always best to be prepared early.

This week we are building her whelping box where she will have here pups and where the pups will spend the first 3 - 4 weeks. I have to check my whelping kit to make sure I have everything I need. I have to make sure we have plenty of blankets and plastic sheets, gloves and anything else that is needed to help pepper. I have all the paper work ready to be filled out so I can check the puppies weight once they are born and everyday for the first few days after. I have our vets number to hand should anything go wrong, not that if often does but if things do they need to be contacted asap!

Pepper had her first litter of puppies in October 2010 so we know what to expect but nothing is more exciting than waiting for the big day to arrive. Last time she had 8 puppies, 5 girls and 3 boys. Were unsure of the number of puppies to expect this time so this adds to the surprise.

I will keep you all up to date when I have more news :)

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Savoury chive and goat cheese cheesecake

Another recipe request of a kind. A reader from Denmark, Nina, noticed this savoury cheesecake on Nami-Nami's 2010 Easter brunch table and has now written me already twice, begging for the recipe. After another cold and dark winter, I can finally sense some spring in the air (or at least, some imminent spring), and am therefor happy to share this unusual and delicious spring-time recipe. As for inspiration, the recipe was adapted from the French Regal magazine, one of the few food magazines that we subscribe.

Savoury chive and goat cheese cheesecake
(Murulaugu-toorjuustukook)
Adapted from the French food magazine Regal (issue 16)
Serves 8 (fits a 20 cm springform tin)

Crumb base:
125 g graham crackers or water biscuits
60 g butter, melted

Cheese layer:
300 g soft/cream cheese
300 g soft/spreadable goat cheese (I used Soignon)
1 small garlic clove
200 ml single/pouring cream
4 gelatine leaves
a generous bunch of chives
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Garnish:
handful of chives

Process the crackers/biscuits into fine crumbs, then mix with melted butter until combined. Line a 20 cm springform tin with baking paper, then press the crumb mixture evenly onto the base. Refrigerate.
Make the cheese mixture. Finely mince the garlic, mix with soft cheese and goat cheese until combined. Fold in the chopped chives.
Soak gelatine leaves in cold water for about 5 minutes.
Heat the cream, then add the soaked and squeezed gelatine leaves, one at a time. Stir the cream and gelatine mixture into the chive and cheese mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Carefully spoon the cheese mixture over the biscuit crumb base, smooth the top.
Place overnight into the fridge (about 12 hours, ideally).

To serve, remove the tin and transfer the cheesecake onto your serving tray. Snip the remaining chives into 2-3 cm/1 inch lengths, place in the middle of the cake.

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Your Jiqsaw Puzzles Website

Recently the boys and I were asked to review the Your Jigsaw Puzzles website. Your Jigsaw Puzzles is family run business that sells jigsaw puzzles and accessories, the business has only been set up since January this year. I found the website really easy to navigate round and there are many puzzles to choose from. Whats more you can get free delivery if you spend over £25.

We were sent a jigsaw puzzle from Your Jigsaw Puzzles to review.

We were sent the Little Tractor Jiqsaw Puzzle. The puzzle is priced at £5.99 and is made by Orchard Toys. The puzzle has 12 pieces and is aimed at children aged 3 +. The puzzle is made from good quality cardboard and the pieces are quite chunky which is great for little hands.

Nathan has taken a real liking to jigsaw puzzles lately so he asked if he could play with the puzzle. He found te puzzle quite easy to complete.

Nathan said he likes the puzzle because it is in the shape of a tractor but even better because you can make the puzzle two ways as it is double sided he said he preferred the blue tractor as that his favourite colour but Callum probably would like the other side as it is green.

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