I just adore this chicken dish, which is really quick and simple to make and oh so delicious! I just love peanut butter and the sauce in this is moreishly peanutty . . . I absolutely love it.
I was invited to a pot luck supper recently to wish a good friend a fond farewell as she goes back to live with her family in South Africa. The hostess asked me if I would bring a Macaroni and Cheese and I was only too happy to oblidge. I have many Mac and Cheese recipes and all are very good, but this Sour Cream Mac and Cheese is one of the best. Rich and cheesy . . . moreish even.
You are going to thank me for this quick and easy dessert I am showing you here this morning. Boston Cream Pie Parfaits. Not only do them embody all that is pretty tasty about Boston Cream Pie, but they are quick and easy to make as well!
I wish I had a pound for every jar of pickled beetroot (beets) that I put up when my family was growing up. I'd be a very rich woman. I used to put up tons of fruits and vegetables every year . . . jams and jellies, pickles and relishes . . . chutneys and fruit butters. Dill pickles were always a favourite along with green tomato chow . . . but I don't mind admitting my favourite of it all were the pickled beetroot. I LOVE PICKLED BEETROOT!
Summertime . . . not only are we enjoying (or at least hoping to enjoy) warmer temperatures, but we are also enjoying being out of doors and not wanting to be tied to the kitchen when it comes to meal preparation! Simple, quick, easy, light . . . they fit the bill when it comes to summer time cooking. It does in my house at least.
I just love this time of year when my garden is filled to bursting with fresh summer fruits . . . the last of the strawberries, logan berries, raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries, black currants in the main and ripening blackberries in the hedge!
I try to incorporate as many of them as I can into our daily diets. Its such a healthy thing to do!
Crumbles, bakes, cakes, with cream and sugar . . . and one of my favourite ways, for breakfast . . . a delicious fruity breakfast knickerbocker glory.
Crumbles, bakes, cakes, with cream and sugar . . . and one of my favourite ways, for breakfast . . . a delicious fruity breakfast knickerbocker glory.
Perfect for summer! Actually its perfect any time of year. Whenever you are craving something that tiny bit special, but also very easy.

What is a knickerbocker glory? Well, traditionally it is a layered cream sundae that is served in a large tall conical glass to be eaten with a distinctive long spoon . . . a dessert peculiar to the British Isles.
What is a knickerbocker glory? Well, traditionally it is a layered cream sundae that is served in a large tall conical glass to be eaten with a distinctive long spoon . . . a dessert peculiar to the British Isles.
The knickerbocker glory, first described in the 1920s, may contain ice cream, cream, fruit, meringue.
Layers of these different sweet tastes are alternated in a tall glass and topped with different kinds of syrup, nuts, whipped cream and often a cherry.

This is not one of those . . . and actually the only thing which resembles the original is the fact that it's prepared in a tall glass to be eaten with a long spoon.
This is not one of those . . . and actually the only thing which resembles the original is the fact that it's prepared in a tall glass to be eaten with a long spoon.
Not to mention that there is plenty of fruit in it.
Instead of ice cream I use creamy Greek yogurt. You could use frozen yogurt if you can find it.
Instead of ice cream I use creamy Greek yogurt. You could use frozen yogurt if you can find it.
That would be also great! I have also used a mix of berries today . . . raspberries, blueberries and strawberries . . .

These are layered in a tall glass along with some of my homemade granola . . . sooooo good.
These are layered in a tall glass along with some of my homemade granola . . . sooooo good.
(I try not to get any of the dried fruits in the layers . . . so they don't conflict with the fresh fruits if you know what I mean.)
You could also use storebought granola or even crushed granola bars.
With a final sprinkle of granola and a drizzle of liquid honey on top, these really please! We love them!
With a final sprinkle of granola and a drizzle of liquid honey on top, these really please! We love them!
They are a great weekend breakfast which feels like a bit of an indulgence, but which is actually really quite healthy! I hope you will give them a go! Simple. Easy. Delicious.

A really delicious way to eat a healthy breakfast which is loaded with fruit and goodness.
4 TBS granola (can also use crushed granola bars)
a handful each of blueberries, raspberries and strawberries
(Or whatever berry you have to hand)
8 TBS low fat greek yoghurt
2 TBS clear honey
Sprinkle
1 TBS of granola in each of two tall glasses or knickerbocker glory
glasses. Top with some blueberries, 1 TBS yogurt,some raspberries, 1
TBS of yogurt, some strawberries, 1 TBS yogurt 1 more TBS of granola and
the remainder of the yogurt. Sprinkle with a bit of granola, drizzle
with honey and serve immediately. Delicious!
Note - Quantities are given to make two servings, but the recipe can easily be multiplied to serve more.
*Breakfast Knickerbocker Glories*
Serves 2
a bit of granola to sprinkle
Note - Quantities are given to make two servings, but the recipe can easily be multiplied to serve more.
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Usually at the weekend, I like to pull the boat out a bit and bake us something nice for our breakfast. It could be muffins or scones, or even a nice tea bread or breakfast cake. Today I baked us this lovely Twisty Fruity Bread!
More often than not, now we are both retired . . . we have our big meal at noon. Dinner. That means that we aren't really all that hungry later on in the day. Todd calls it supper . . . a light meal which consists of not a lot really . . . maybe some toast and cheese, or bread and jam . . . or . . .
I've never made it any secret that I hate to waste anything . . . cooked veg, cooked rice or pasta, cereal, stale bread. I often use my stale bread to make bread crumbs (which I freeze) or bread pudding . . . but if I am feeling especially indulgent, I use my stale bread to make this delicious Cheesy Garlic Bread.
One thing I really love about the summer months is salads. I simply adore salad in any way, shape or form. I eat them all year round, but summer is when I especially enjoy them and that is mostly because of all the fresh salad leaves and vegetables that are available during the warmer months. This salad here today is exciting and fabulous and quite simple to make. I like simple don't you?
I often cook too many potatoes in the summertime so that I have leftover potatoes just to make this salad. It's a bit different than your usual salad . . . and very tasty! I love fried potatoes . . . so why not fried potato salad? You know it makes sense! (As Del Boy would say!)
In the summer I like to cook meals that are quick and simple and that won't heat up the kitchen. I don't think I am alone in that. We do eat a lot of salads and such, but I also often like to make quick and easy skillet meals such as this Skillet Chicken and Rigatoni with Pesto.
I discovered a huge pot of vanilla yogurt in the refrigerator that was almost at it's sell by date the other day and as I hate wasting anything, I decided to make a cake with it. But not just any cake . . . a deliciously dense and moreish Vanilla Yogurt Loaf cake!
I will put my hand up and admit it freely, I am a lover of potato crisps (potato chips to you North Americans.) I don't think there are many flavours I don't like with possibly the exception of Prawn flavoured crisps. (I HATE THOSE.) So, recently I was contacted by Kettle Chips (purveyors of hand cooked potato chips with natural flavourings, etc.) and asked if I wanted to try their new limited Seasonal Edition of crisps . . . Thai Sweet Chilli, Lemongrass and Coriander flavour . . . I jumped at the chance. I love, LOVE to try new things, and you don't have to ask me twice if it involves potato chips. ☺
I admit freely that Kettle Chips are one of my favourite brands of potato chips. I absolutely adore their Sweet Chilli and Sour Cream chips and their Cheese and Onion are other favourites, not to mention their Sea Salt and Black Pepper ones . . . but would I like these? It's quite a lot of different flavours packed into one crisp . . .
Not overly sweet, with a nice chilli heat . . . a bit of punch from the coriander and a tang of lemongrass, these had an unusually fresh taste that I quite enjoyed! (The Toddster doesn't eat potato chips. He thinks they are too hard.) They were nice and crisp, not hard, not greasy and had wonderful flavour. In short, these are really quite quite moreishly good!
Good to Know:
Kettle chips are handcooked, using traditional methods.
Their chips are seasoned with real food ingredients.
Nothing artificial is added, no msg, artificial flavours or colours.
They use only sunflower oil.
Kettle Chips are sliced thicker for that Kettle crunch
The English Kitchen gives these delicious potato crisps a hearty two thumbs up for deliciousness. As they are a seasonal edition you will want to get your hands on a tasty bag of them before they are all gone!
Note - although I was sent several bags of these crips free of charge, I was not required to write a positive review. Any and all opinions are my own. I WOULD pay money for these.
I don't know why it is but it's really difficult to photograph chocolate things and make them come out looking as delicious as they really are. I am sorely lacking in knowledge about these things and so these cookies here today only look half as delicious as they really, so please don't let the photo's turn you off. I promise you these are really, REALLY good!
Usually on Sundays I try to put something into the crockpot for dinner before I leave for church. We are always so starving by the time we get home, which usually isn't until about 2 PM! If I haven't been really organized and used the crockpot, we end up eating things we shouldn't because lets face it . . . by that time we don't care what goes into our mouths. We just want to fill that gap! Not to self . . . perhaps carry an apple in your church bag . . .
Sister Johansen who is another Senior Missionary here in the UK, said she really wanted to make this Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing recipe that she found on Pinterest, but wasn't sure if she actually could because they don't do boxed stuffing mix here. Well . . . they do, but it's not like any stuffing mix we are used to in North America. Over here in the UK, it is like cracker crumbs . . . I think it's called crumbled rusk. Anyways, like Sister Johansen, I didn't think it would work in this recipe.
And so I promised Sister Johansen that I would find a way to make it work. And guess what??? I did! I created my own stuffing mix. (You will find the recipe below.) And you know . . . it has to be better than anything storebought with artificial ingredients and additives. Well, that's my theory anyways!
It worked really well! Really, REALLY well. This was delicious and so simple to put together. All I had to do was add some potatoes and vegetables. Boiled baby potatoes and some steamed veg were just the trick. The leftovers the next day were even tastier.
*Crock Pot Chicken and Stuffing*
Serves 6 to 8
*Herbed Stuffing Mix*
Makes about 12 cupsI am so excited today to be able to tell you about the most fabulous adventure I had just two weeks ago today. It was something I had been looking forward to for a couple of months now! In my role as a food blogger, I am often invited to attend special events. I don't always accept these invitations . . . more often than not they are held too far away from where I live, (which requires too many train changes and a lengthy travel time) or they are held in the evening and being too far away (which requires a hotel stay, etc.) or they are not interested in covering the cost of my travel. All no no's in my book. As I also have Osteo Arthritis, I usually want Todd to come with me when I travel nowadays as well. The Mornflake Seed to Bowl Event ticked all the boxes for me. It wasn't being held too far away, so travel would be easy. It was at the right time of day . . . and more importantly they didn't mind Todd coming with me at all . . . and they were more than happy to cover the cost of our travel both to and from the event. I am always keenly interested in learning all of the aspects concerning the growth, provenance and production of the foods which we like to eat. Seed to Bowl . . . an event put on by the people at Mornflake . . . promised to take us from the initial growth of the oats all the way to the way it gets processed and fit for consumption. A trip to the Mornflake Mill in Crewe was just the ticket!
My sister is always after me to eat healthier. She's been into sprouting and fermenting and using whole grains for a long time now. She really makes some interesting and delicious foods which I have enjoyed and which is why I was really excited when I was offered the opportunity to review a new cookery book . . . At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen, celebrating the art of eating well, by Amy Chaplin.
One of the favourite things that my mother would make for us on occasion when I was growing up was Stuffed Baked Potatoes. These were a real treat, and something which I still enjoy. She would bake potatoes until done, then cut them in half. The insides were scooped out and mashed together with butter, milk, seasoning and a smidgen of minced onion. Then she would stuff the skins with this mixture and pop them into the oven to brown.
One thing which stands clear the culinary memories of my childhood is that nothing went to waste. My mother was a plain cook and a thrifty cook . . . a lesson I learnt well, the thrift part at any rate. I don't think anyone has ever called my cooking plain!!
I make a lemon cake that we are awfully fond of here in my house . . . a Lemon and Chocolate Chip Cake. It's really good, with a nice lemon flavoured cake and just a hit of chocolate chunks throughout. Lemon and chocolate are actually a very nice flavour combination. It's true.
We grow a lot of our own soft fruits in our garden . . . tay berries (a cross between a black and rasp berry), raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, gooseberries, strawberries and black currants. They all start to ripen about the same time. And right now is the peak time for the logan, rasp and strawberries, and the black currants. Oh and gooseberries. The blueberries are not quite ready yet, but in a few weeks they will begin . . .
My mother celebrated her 83rd Birthday yesterday. It was only a few years ago now that we almost lost her. I feel so blessed that she is still with us and of course I called her on the telephone, where I could not actually be with her.
She was saying how my sister and I are such good cooks and she thought that she wasn't. I, of course, begged to differ. My mom was a simple cook, a plain cook, but most of what she did cook was quite good.
She didn't really like cooking . . . she didn't have the passion that my sister and I have for it, so perhaps that makes a difference. I don't know.
What I do know for sure however, is that there are certain things that, no matter how skilled I am or how many times I cook them, they are never quite as tasty as the memory of the things she cooked when I was growing up
Or it might be just that I am looking at them down through the passage of time with rose coloured glasses. One thing I always really enjoyed of hers was her potato salad.
I can remember her boiling what seemed like a huge pot of potatoes to make it with. I can see her now standing at the counter peeling and cutting them into small cubes. Likewise she would cut the other things that she put in the salad into small cubes also. Very methodically.
Potatoes, celery . . . a tiny bit of onion, some peeled cucumber for crunch, and plenty of chopped egg would go in . . . salt and pepper and miracle whip. Miracle whip had a nice tang to it that mayonnaise lacked.
She wouldn't over do it . . . just enough dressing to give it flavour, but it wasn't gloopy. I confess . . . I am not overly fond of the potato salad over here in the UK. Too much mayo and not enough flavour.
I find it too gloopy and very lack lustre. Sorry folks . . . but it is what it is. I much prefer my mom's at the end of the day.
I have adapted her recipe somewhat, by adding an initial french type of vinaigrette dressing of lemon juice and oil with some seasoning . . . this helps the potatoes not to absorb as much of the mayo dressing as it would do without it.
It also adds an extra layer of flavour which is really nice. I can't get miracle whip over here, so I make do with a combination of Hellman's and Salad Cream, which is really nice.
You can of course (if you are in North America) use a combination of Hellman's and Miracle Whip, but if you do, you may want to add a bit of vinegar to loosen it a bit, about 1 TBS should do it . . . along with a pinch of sugar to counter the acidity of the vinegar.
I add plenty of chopped egg to the salad and a bit of cucumber and onion, but I also like to add a nice layer of thinly sliced boiled egg on top, along with a dash of paprika and some mustard cress for colour.
Some people add too much to their potato salad . . . it's like a free-for-all of potato and colour. I don't think chopped peppers and the like add anything much to it . . . nor do olives.
A bit of radish sprinkled on top is nice, but beware . . . it bleeds and loses it's colour and can end up looking quite, quite insipid. NO, when it comes to a great potato salad . . . simple is the best of all. Just like mom's.
*Mom's Potato Salad*
Serves 6
Serves 6
This is my favourite way to make a mayonnaise based potato salad. It is perfect in my opinion, with just the right amount of dressing. Nicely flavoured with a bit of crunch from the celery and the cucumber.
8 medium sized new potatoes, unpeeled
the juice of one small lemon
1/4 cup of vegetable oil (2 fluid ounces)
fine sea salt to taste
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 stalks of celery, washed, trimmed and chopped
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped into 1/2 inch dice
2 TBS finely chopped onion
1 cup of good quality mayonnaise (225g)
2 TBS finely chopped onion
1 cup of good quality mayonnaise (225g)
1/2 cup of salad cream (115g)
3 TBS cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sugar
To garnish:
finely chopped fresh chives, salad cress or chopped parsley (optional)
ground paprika
2 hard boiled eggs thinly sliced
Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water, until tender just to the fork. Drain well and as soon as you can handle them, peel and cut them into 1/2 inch dice. Toss in a bowl along with the lemon juice, chopped onions, oil and salt to taste. This preliminary dressing while very warm gives the potatoes extra flavour and coats them. This prevents them from absorbing too much mayonnaise later on. Allow to cool.
Add the black pepper, celery, chopped eggs and cucumber. Blend 1/2 cup of the mayonnaise with the salad cream, vinegar and the sugar. Pour this over the potato salad, gently folding until all pieces are coated. Add the remaining mayonnaise only if the salad seems dry. Taste and adjust the seasoning as required. Spoon into a clean bowl and smooth the top. Lay the sliced hard boil egg over top. Cover and chill for several hours.
Just before serving, sprinkle with some chopped fresh chives, salad cress or chopped parsley, if using . . . and ground paprika. Delicious!!
Sister Johansen declared this the best potato salad she had ever eaten. Not to brag or anything, but my mom's always was the best!!
Mom and I, 1957
Of course we kids thought our mom was the most beautiful mother ever. I don't think we were wrong, do you? Happy Day After Your Birthday Mom! I wish I could have been there with you . . .
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