I think you all must know by now how very much I love salad. I eat it all the year through. When we were first married my husband was not convinced that salad was a very good thing . . . he called it rabbit food.
He has come to actually like them through the years however. As he says, I never make a boring salad! That is a high compliment coming from him! He is a man of very few words.
Actually he pretty much eats whatever I put in front of him and if he doesn't like it . . . he won't say much of anything at all about it, or . . . if pressed . . . he will simply say, "It was not one of my favourites." How is that for being a gentleman.
This salad here today is a recipe I adapted to what I had on hand from the Supper cookbook by the late Marion Cunningham.
Actually he pretty much eats whatever I put in front of him and if he doesn't like it . . . he won't say much of anything at all about it, or . . . if pressed . . . he will simply say, "It was not one of my favourites." How is that for being a gentleman.
This salad here today is a recipe I adapted to what I had on hand from the Supper cookbook by the late Marion Cunningham.
She adapted from a salad she had eaten which was created by her friend Myrtle Allen of the Ballymaloe Inn and Cooking School in Country Cork, Ireland. Those Allens are great cooks!
It has long been on my bucket list to go to the Ballymalloe Inn. I have all of Rachel Allen's cookery books and I have one by her MIL Darina Allen, called The Forgotten Skills of Cooking. Good cooking runs in the family.
When I saw the recipe for this salad, it intrigued me. A salad composed of crisp lettuce leaves interspersed with fresh and colourful vegetables and topped with a buttermilk dressing. It sounded delicious and as pretty as a picture.
We eat with our eyes as much as we do our stomachs and tastebuds, in fact it is what we see that first appeals to our appetites' . . .
It has long been on my bucket list to go to the Ballymalloe Inn. I have all of Rachel Allen's cookery books and I have one by her MIL Darina Allen, called The Forgotten Skills of Cooking. Good cooking runs in the family.
When I saw the recipe for this salad, it intrigued me. A salad composed of crisp lettuce leaves interspersed with fresh and colourful vegetables and topped with a buttermilk dressing. It sounded delicious and as pretty as a picture.
We eat with our eyes as much as we do our stomachs and tastebuds, in fact it is what we see that first appeals to our appetites' . . .
Something might taste really delicious, but if it is visually disgusting looking and highly unappealing to the eye, it takes a really brave person to get past all of that and dig in. We truly do eat with our eyes first.
There are only two of us and so I adapted this to smaller bowls for just us . . . you could do the same thing for four lucky individuals, or you could do as the original recipe and compose it in a large shallow salad bowl.
There are only two of us and so I adapted this to smaller bowls for just us . . . you could do the same thing for four lucky individuals, or you could do as the original recipe and compose it in a large shallow salad bowl.
Its all up to you. The Radish rose in the centre is my addition. I thought it would add a pretty and colorful touch, and . . . it did!
To make radish roses:
Wash and
clean your radishes. Dry well. Cut off the tops and root ends so that
both are flat. Taking a sharp knife begin at the top end of the radish
and make several slashes, overlapping them slightly almost all the way
to the bottom, but leaving the bottom intack. Place in some lightly
salted cold water for about fifteen minutes until they open up. Drain
and pat dry. Use immediately.
To see a video on how to do this click here.
If you are out to impress your loved ones with a salad that is as visually appealing as it is delicious, then this is the salad for you!
Hang onto your hats! You are going to literally love this!
Buttermilk Dressed Rose Salad Bowl
Yield: 4
Prep time: 24 H & 20 MTotal time: 24 H & 20 M
This is a very pretty salad. You will need to begin the night before with preparing the lettuce. You can either prepare this in a large shallow salad bowl, or in four individual wide pasta bowls.
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 120 ml buttermilk (1/2 cup)
- 120g mayonnaise (1/2 cup)
- 2 tsp grated garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the Salad:
- 1 head of round lettuce or iceberg lettuce
- 4 cooked beetroot, pickled if desired
- 1 bunch watercress
- 2 ripe tomatoes
- 1/2 English cucumber
- 1 bunch spring onions
- 4 hard boiled eggs
- 4 radishes, made into roses (see note below)
Instructions
- Prepare the lettuce the night before. Core the lettuce and submerge, cored end down, into a bowl of ice cold water. Remove and shake any excess water away. Wrap in several layers of paper kitchen towelling and place in the refrigerator over night.
- Make the dressing by putting all of the ingredients into a jar and shaking them together to blend well. Chill in the refrigerator until you need it.
- When you are ready to make the salad, carefully separate the salad leaves. Remove any woody stems from the watercress and discard. Cut the tomatoes into wedges. Peel the hard boil eggs and cut into wedges. Slice the beetroot into rounds. Chop the spring onions.
- Arrange larger salad leaves like a rose in the salad bowl (s). Place some of the smaller leaves in the centre. Tuck the sprigs of water cress, tomato wedges, cucumber slices, egg wedges and beetroot slices in amongst the petals (lettuce leaves). Place the radish roses in the centre and drizzle with some of the dressing. Pass the remainder at the table.
To see a video on how to do this click here.
If you are out to impress your loved ones with a salad that is as visually appealing as it is delicious, then this is the salad for you!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
This is a chocolate chip cookie recipe I adapted from a soft back cookbook/magazine I bought several years back called Delicious Baking, put out by Delicious magazine. I love Delicious magazine. It is one of my favourites. I used to have a subscription to it, but when I lost my job a few years back I had to cut back and magazine subscriptions was one of the first things to go. *sniff *sniff*
So what makes this chocolate chunk cookie different than other chocolate chunk cookies? How does it shine?
There is nothing unsual about chocolate chunks, or even about using two types of chocolate . . . the difference is that you use DARK chocolate in these, which counterbalances the sweetness of the white chocolate perfectly . . .
I think you will agree with me that white chocolate can sometimes be somewhat cloying, which is why you often find it paired with things which are not so sweet such as rasperries and cranberries.
Another difference is that it uses DARK soft brown sugar, which gives these cookies a light whiff of molasses smokiness . . . oh so good.
Crispy edged . . . with sweet vanilla chunks and bitter dark chocolate . . . with a slight chewiness in the middle. I think you will agree with me when I say that those things all tip these cookies over the edge towards spectacular!
*Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies*
Makes about 16 - 17
Now you might not think the fact that this recipe only makes about sixteen large cookies is a bonus . . . but to me, who has absolutely no self control at all, this is a big plus. There is a lot less cookie danger for me to be tempted by!! Bon Appetit!
Especially this one which had a delightful homemade raspberry sauce baked right into the middle of it. Just look at that sweet tart lucious raspberry oooze . . .
Oh boy but this is some good. The batter is a sour cream coffee cake type of batter. Not as in coffee flavoured batter, but as in a cake batter for a cake that you would want to enjoy with a nice hot drink either in the morning or for your break time . . . this batter is flavoured with almond and vanilla, not coffee.
Its equally as tasty for dessert however . . . with a scoop of ice cream on top or a dollop of softly whipped cream . . . the kids are sure to love LOVE this one and so will your dear hubby!
This cake just screams winner! It is not officially raspberry season until I bake it at least once!! mmmm . . . moist almond flavoured cake with a beautiful sweet/tart seam of raspberry deliciousness running through the middle.
Another really good thing about this cake is that you can also bake it in the depths of winter with frozen berries . . . ahhh . . . a sweet taste of summer. You just got to love that!
*Raspberry Amond Coffee Cake*
Serves 8 to 12
pinch salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
To make the topping, mix together the
brown sugar and the flour. Drop in the butter and rub it in with your
fingertips until it clumps together.
Spread
half of the cake batter into the prepared pan. Smooth it out. Spoon
the raspberry filling over top, smoothing it over evenly. Dollop the
remaining cake batter over the raspberry filling and smooth it out as
best as you can. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over top.
I did dust some icing sugar on top to serve . . . just to dress it up a bit. Every gal shines a bit more in her frills don't they! Bon Appetit!
This is a chicken recipe which I have had to adapt since I moved over here to the UK. My kids always loved this chicken. It has wow flavours and is moist and tender, with a lovely crisp and flavourful skin.
The original recipe used dried Italian salad dressing mix (in its unmixed, dry form) along with brown sugar and some butter for dotting. We don't have dried Italian salad dressing mixes over here. It is possible to get it at a premium price from some sites which carry North American goods, but generally speaking it doesn't exist.
This chicken is really, really good however, and so I had to come up with a way to adapt it to what I could get over here because it is a chicken I just crave every now and then!
I combined a mix of herbs and powders to approximate the same flavours I might get from the dressing mix . . . garlic and onion powders, basil, oregano, thyme, salt and cracked black pepper . . . a bit of dried pepper flakes for some heat. All the flavour, but none of the preservatives.
It actually might even be better than using the dry mix because of that. This mixture gets mixed with some brown sugar and then sprinkled over bone in, skin on chicken thighs, dotted with butter and baked until all those flavours penetrate the chicken and that skin gets all sticky crisp and finger licking good!
Sure, it's not a low fat kind of a dish, but once in a blue moon this makes a really tasty treat. You could use chicken breasts if you really wanted to, but be sure to cut the bake time way down, and of course you won't get that lovely crispy skin. You can also use one package of dry Italian Salad Dressing Mix if you want to instead of my combination of flavours. Just mix it in with the brown sugar as per the recipe and leave my additions out.
*Sweet and Spicy Chicken Thighs*
Serves 4 - 6
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Have ready a baking dish large enough to hold all your chicken pieces.
Mix together the garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, salt and black pepper. Rub this mixture into the brown sugar. Place the chicken pieces, skin side up into the baking dish. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture evenly over top. Dot with butter.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the skin is nicely crisped and the juices run clear. Serve hot with your favourite side dishes. We like rice and a green vegetable with this.
I think this is sure to become one of your favourites as well. If it doesn't well . . . there is just no accounting for taste eh? We are all different. Bon Appetit!
Tuna has always been a real favourite of mine. I confess I am not overly fond of strong flavoured fishes . . . I don't like mackeral or any type of fish which is really fishy, although I do like Tuna and I will eat fresh Salmon ever now and then. I do however like tinned salmon and tuna, which makes them great store cupboard ingredients for me. If I have them in my larder, I know I always have a meal to hand.
I confess I am really, really fussy about the tuna I buy however. I only ever buy Albacore . . . white tuna, sustainably sourced. I know it costs a bit more than normal tinned tuna, but it is worth every penny in flavour. It just tastes sooooo much better than the cheap stuff. This is a case where you really do get what you pay for.
I used to buy the really cheap stuff, years ago when I had a house full of children, thinking I was doing a good thing. I was in the grocery store one day buying my groceries, and an Italian Nonna saw what I was buying in horror. She told me to never, ever buy that cheap tuna, that it was garbage fish . . . to only ever buy albacore and she was so sincere, that I bought the albacore that day, even though it was a bit more. I have to say though that after tasting the difference, I have never bought cheap tuna again. She was right. It is garbage in comparison.
We humans are such funny creatures. We will think nothing of paying 3 or 4 pounds for a pound of minced beef, but when it comes to a tin of tuna we balk at spending 3 pounds for that!
A tin of tuna goes just as far when properly prepared and you don't pour half it down the drain, and let me tell you . . . a tin of solid pack Albacore white tuna in spring water is worth every little penny! Trust me on this. That same Italian Nonna told me to only ever buy blunt nosed carrots. She said they were sweeter, and once again she was right. You have to trust those Italian Nonna's. They know what they are talking about!
Back to the tart. This is such a simple bake and really won't heat your kitchen up that much. The bake time in total is only about 10 to 12 minutes. And it is sooooo good! Simple and good!
The crust is made from baking mix and boiling water, which gives you something almost like a bread, but there is none of the waiting for rising etc. I use my own homemade baking mix, which works very well. You can find that recipe here.
I keep mine in the freezer, which makes it really handy and prevents it from going off before I can use it all. With a small family this is what works for me. You could also use a store brand baking/scone mix if you wanted to. They work great.
You just roll it out and make a rim and bake it for a few minutes until golden and then top with the tuna melt mixture some sliced tomatos and cheese slices and then bake it for a few minutes longer. This is absolutely delicious! A salad on the side and dinner is served. Your family will think you slaved all day! Kids love this easy bake!
*Tuna Melt Tart*
Serves 6https://sites.google.com/site/oakcottagerecipes/homemade-baking-mix) (1 1/2 cups)
salt and black pepper to taste
6 baby plum tomatoes, sliced thinly
I really hope you will try this out. Its simple, easy and so tasty! It makes a perfect summer supper! Bon Appetit!
I think of all the salads in the world, the Caesar Salad has to be my absolute favourite. I love the simplicity of it. I love the flavours. I love the croutons and the cheese, the garlic . . . I never, NEVER order it when we are out to eat. Mostly because it more often than not is very poorly done. Seriously badly done. I have yet to receive a really good Caesar salad when I am eating out and am done wasting money on them. I would rather make my own at home and know that I am going to get a really good one, with fresh crisp lettuce, a delicious dressing, and yes . . . homemade garlic croutons.
Yesterday I experimented with something which I had received in my latest Degustabox for July. Fry Light, with Avocado Oil. I thought it would make a nice light croutons and it did.
Every month I am the happy recipient of a Degustabox. I love these
boxes. Opening each one is a bit like opening a Christmas box. Always a
surprise and always filled with things I want to try. Degustabox is
a monthly foodie subscription service that sends out a range of
specially selected foodie products. There's always a great mix of new
products that I haven't tried before, as well as plenty of treats from
more established brands. Quite often you will have the opportunity to
try new products before they arrive in the shops, so it can be a bit of a
sneak peak! Each Degustabox costs £12.99, delivery costs are included
in the price, and there is no fixed contract involved - you can cancel
at any time. I love getting these boxes. When I saw the contents of
July's Summer Box I knew right away which product I wanted to highlight,
but more about that in a little bit.Let me tell you about the other
products I received first!
These sparkling drinks are crisp and refreshing. I have enjoyed them before. I quite like them, especially chilled. I can't show you the Ginger one as it had somehow emptied into my box, which was odd because the lid was still screwed on tightly, but there was only about 1/2 an inch in the bottom of the bottle and everything else in the box was wet. What's nice to know however, is after a quick e-mail to Degusta Box, a replacement box was delivered just a few days later! You can buy these drinks from Amazon – in a variety of flavours.
MAILLE Dijon Original 1 X £1.99
270 years of knowledge and expert craftsmanship and carefully selected ingredients contribute to the exceptional quality and character that sets Maille Mustard apart. With countless delicious recipes, Maille inspires creative food explorers to enhance the flavour of their meal with the gourmet touch of Maille. It is particualy delicious with a nicely cooked steak. I actually used this in my Caesar Salad Dressing. Maille has always been my Dijon mustard of choice and in fact I have a HUGE bottle of it in my refrigerator at the momet that I got at Costco. It keeps well and also comes in a grainy mustard.
BLOSSOM HILL SPRITZ 1 X £4.99
Blossom Hill Spritz is a fruity twist on wine. Lightly bubbly with natural fruit flavours, Blossom Hill Spritze is the ultimate refreshment. Best served chilled, try it over ice with your coice of mixed fruit for a longer drink. I got a bottle of the Raspberry and Black Currant. I don't drink Alcohol, but my neighbor does and she really enjoys this.
MERCHANT GOURMET Simply Cooked Red & White Quinoa 1 X £1.99
Merchant Gourmet's Red & White Quinoa is ready to use and has been simply cooked with a dash of water and a drizle of olive oil. Its wonderful nutty flavour works beautifully as a base to salads or as a nutritious rice/couscous alternative.
RYVITA THINS THREE CHEESE 1 X £1.89
The new Ryvita Thins Three Cheese have been designed to be your perfect snack this summer. Topped with Cheddar, Regato and Emmental Cheese, this exciting and moreish variat will tempt your taste buds without needing to dip them into a salsa. Just simple and delicious.
And that they are! They are as addictive as potato chips, except they are a lot lower in fat! Very flavourful!
ROWNTREE'S RANDOMs 30% less sugar 1 X £129
30% less, 100% Fruity Flavour! The sweets you know and love, but now with 30% less sugar. Remain free from artificial flavours, colours and sweeteners so you can chew with confidence! Give 30% less sugar Fruit Pastilles also a try. Available in a 110g sharing bag and a 38g bag.
I received the 110g sharing bag. There is still a fair bit of sugar in them, but with 30% less than the originals, this is a better snack to give your children than high sugar candies.
OLOVES Healthy Olive Snacks 2 X £0.99
Juicy olives seasoned with a little cheeky chilli, garlic and oregano. Low in Calories, high in loveliness. No stones, no fuss. Delicious and bursting with flavour.
Simply put, I love these. I have received them before and they are a real favourite!
WEETABIX ADDITIONS Coconut & Raisin 1 X £2.99
The new Weetabix Additions is the nation's favourite cereal with delicious fruit baked into every bite. Delight your senses with a nutritious breakfast that's paked with delicious coconut and raisins ensuring temptingly tasty goodness in every bite!
Todd love, LOVES Weetabix and he is really enjoying this!
CRAFTED 1 X £1.80
Crafted introduces a range of delicious fruit juice drinks, blending complementary and unique combinations of fruit to create something truly special. But there is no added sugar or sweeteners in any of the drinks, plus a serving a day provides you with 1 of your 5 a day. Available in 4 different blends. I received the Mango and Passion Fruit.
This is delicious.
THE COLLECTIVE PRO-YO High Protein Yoghurts 1 X £1.35
Pro-yo is a new high protein yoghurt from The Collective in handy pouches for snacking anywhere, anytime! Pro-yo is made with real fruit combined with thick and smooth yoghurt with more protein than you will find in two whole eggs, low fat and under 120 calories.
I received a full value voucher for two Pro-yo yoghurts, which I have not redeemed yet, but I am not unfamiliar with their other yoghurt products and they are quite nice.
And finally . . .
FRYLIGHT COOKING SPRAY with Avocado Oil 1 X 2.99
Frylight, the 1 cal cooking spray is now available with Avocado Oil. It resists the oxidation that cooking temperatures cause and is perfect for pan frying, woks, and roasting. Makes perfect Frylight chips too!
This is the product I chose to highlight with a recipe this month and I have to say I have been using it a lot. I have always used low fat cooking sprays that come in the aerosol cans, but this is my first time using one like this. It is quite comparable and I just may have become converted as I have also been using it to butter my baking tins and its worked beautifully!
It did an excellent job on my baked garlic croutons for my salad. They were nicely crisped without being greasy in the least. Well flavoured also. I highly recommend. I squirted some on the pan and spread it around and then gave about 2 squirts over the croutons and toss them about with the garlic, salt and pepper prior to baking. Easy peasy and with great results!
The dressing for this salad is nice and flavourful also, without being really high in fat, especially if you use low fat or no fat ingredients, ie sour cream and mayo. Its nice and garlicky!
I do recommend that you use a Parmesan Cheese that you grate yourself for the best flavour. You can also add some grilled chicken or turkey which will turn it into a delightfully light and delicious main course salad!
*Caesar Salad*
Makes 4 servings
Preheat
the oven to 190*C/375*F/gas mark 5. Lightly spray a baking tray with
spray oil. Cut your french bread into 3/4 inch cubes. Place them onto
the baking tray. Spritz with some more oil spray and sprinkle with the
garlic powder, salt and black pepper, tossing them to coat them and
combine. Spread them out and then bake them in the preheated oven for 5
minutes, give them a stir and bake them for an additonal 4 to 5
minutes. Take out of the oven and allow to cool completely.
To
make the dressing whisk together the mayonnaise, anchovy paste, olive
oil, lemon juice, mustard, worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and
garlic. Whisk in the sour cream. Place into a covered container and
chill until you need it.
Many thanks to Degustabox UK for sending me this box. I have to say I
really look forward to getting my box each month. There are always lots
of things in it to enjoy and new products to try out. I highly
recommend. You can also tailor the boxes to your own likes and dislikes
by filling in your own Taste Profile. Do you like the sound of the Degustabox July 2017 box? You can buy yours now and instead of £12.99 you’ll pay just £5.99! Use the discount code BEA4O . Your order will come with free shipping. You will then receive a surprise box containing 10 to 15 items. The RRP of this box was between £24 and £24, which (with the discount) really makes it a good value. With no comittment to buy further boxes you really can't lose. Also a lot of the items within the Degustabox are new to the market. It is a great chance to try something new for a discounted price as well. Do check out the Degustabox web page for more information and details.
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Note - Although I was sent a box free of charge any and all opinions are my own.
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Note - Although I was sent a box free of charge any and all opinions are my own.
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