bites for blokes – Jan’s man food

Long term readers will recall my tearful reunion with Jack last year.  Jack is a bit of a doggy delinquent and I’ve collected him from many far flung places over the years.  If I’d only strapped a Go-Pro to his melon, I might have made enough to cover his bail bills!

Our hound is a first class scoundrel, but he’s also a first rate judge of character.  So when he became particularly enamoured with local couple, John and Jan, it was hardly surprising that we became friends.  John works on the farm now and has been known to pull up in his ute, open the door and ask “Mind if I bring my dog to work?”

John is the kind of bloke who remembers its bin day.  I can count on him to scramble to the rescue when customers knock on the door and I’m still in my pyjamas.  Jan is the kind of bird who gives you her mobile number and volunteers to watch your children for an hour so you can have your next routine cervical cancer investigation unaccompanied.  She’s also a fabulous cook.

Last night was Father’s night at Kindy.  It was another “bring a plate to share” event.  Still smarting from the jam roly poly rejection of last week, I enlisted expert help.  This week’s time-worn tucker are treasures that Jan clipped from the Family Circle Magazine in July 1985.

Both recipes are based on Jan’s basic scone dough.

basic scone dough

Ingredients:

3 cups self-raising flour
½ tbs sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
60g butter, chopped
1 ¼ cups milk

Method:

Combine the flour, sugar and salt.  Rub in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.  Add the milk, mix lightly until just moistened.  Turn out on lightly floured surface and knead gently.

You can also do this in a food processor.  Dry ingredients first, then butter.  Process until the mixture is crumbly.  With the blade spinning, add the milk in a thin stream until it comes together in a ball.  Turn out on your floured board and you’re good to go.

cheese + bacon wheels

Ingredients:

half the basic scone dough above
1 tbs tomato sauce
½ tsp mustard
½ cup chopped, cooked bacon
1/3 cup grated tasty cheese

Method:

Roll or press out the scone dough to a 25cm x 20cm rectangle and trim edges.

Spread combined sauce and mustard over the dough and scatter bacon and about half the cheese on top.  Roll up carefully and cut into ten even slices.

Arrange in a 20cm baking pan lined with baking paper – laying the slices flat.  Brush with milk and scatter the rest of the cheese on top.

Bake in a 220C oven for 15 to 20 minutes.  Allow to stand for five minutes, then break into wheels and serve.

cheesy sardine fingers

Ingredients:

half the basic scone dough mixture above
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1 cup grated tasty cheese
3 sweet gherkins, sliced thinly lengthwise
110g can sardines in oil, drained

Method:

Roll out the dough to a 35 x 20cm rectangle.

Spread tomato paste evenly to edges of the dough.  Sprinkle cheese on the centre third of the rectangle; top with gherkin slices.

Fold left third of dough over filling; arrange sardines on top.  Fold right third of dough over sardines.

Invert the stack on a baking tray lined with baking paper; so that the sardine layer is at the bottom.  Cut the loaf into ten fingers, but do not separate.  Brush with milk.

Bake in a 220C oven for 15 – 18 minutes or until cooked through and brown.  Cool slightly; pull apart into fingers and serve hot. 

Very few of these bad boys came home.  Maybe the daddies were hungry from all the kid aerobics.  More likely the inclusion of tomato sauce in Jan’s man food was too good to pass up.  It’s little known but scientifically proven fact, blokes can sniff the red stuff out!

are you partial to red sauce?

who remembers bin day at your place?

what’s the oddest way you’ve met a friend?