Sunday, 17 August 2025

Meals of the Week, August 10th to 16th, 2025

 

Meals of the Week, August 10th to 16th, 2025


Hello everyone and welcome to my Sunday "Meals of the Week" post.  Every Sunday I like to share with you, my dear readers, all of the delicious things that I have enjoyed over the past seven days for my main meals. That's a whole lot of tasty going on. I also include links to the recipes and menu suggestions.  If I was really on the ball, I would include a shopping list but trust me when I tell you I am not really on the ball!


This was a busy week of highs and lows. I had my Birthday to celebrate and then wildfires started not too far from where I live so it has been an exciting week all round in one way or another.


These are only my main meals, which I tend to eat in the early afternoon.  It does not include my breakfast meals or my light suppers.  I eat light later in the day as I don't want to have anything heavy laying on my stomach when I go to bed.


My breakfast will usually be a protein shake, or sometimes oatmeal, perhaps granola, yogurt and fruit, or toast. On occasions, if I have it, I will enjoy leftover pizza. Leftover pizza for breakfast is the best!


I have my main meal around 1 pm. unless I am eating at my sister's. On that day I will eat later in the day, in deference to them. (Like I said I don't like going to bed with anything heavy on my stomach and I am an early-to-bedder!)


Usually later in the afternoon, early evening I will have something light, like a salad, or a sandwich, maybe some soup. Sometimes a bowl of cereal.  Fruit. Anything that isn't too heavy. I just feel better. A light supper keeps me from snacking in the evening and helps me to sleep better.


I also try to keep my food within the limitations of my budget, and I like to vary my meals as much as possible. I rarely eat the same thing twice in a month. I love to cook, and I love to eat, and I want my meals to be interesting and varied.  I do try to keep them fairly healthy for the most part as well, with a balance of carbs, protein, vegetables and fruit. 


I try not to eat frozen dinners. They are always hugely disappointing and never meet the promise that is shown on the cover of the box. I will eat the odd can of soup with a sandwich and I am not opposed to using tinned soup to make other things. I usually only eat dessert when I am out, or if I have baked a cake or some cookies, I will have one as a treat mid-afternoon.


And that's it in a nutshell!  This is how I eat.  So, without twaddling on any further here are the meals that I enjoyed for my main meals over the past seven days!  I hope you will be inspired to want to cook some of them for yourself!




Chicken with Sun Dried Tomatoes & Basil Cream


SUNDAY, August 10th - Sunday Dinner at my sister's place


Most Sundays I have dinner at my sister's.  This week she had made a type of Chicken Dish which was very delicious with sundried tomatoes, basil, etc. in it. She served this with boiled potatoes and carrots.


In it's place I am sharing my recipe for Chicken with Sun Dried Tomatoes & Basil Cream. It is delicious and very similar to what she made. Got pasta, sun dried tomatoes, chicken breasts, cream and basil??? Then you have this!  I served it with some cooked spaghetti noodles when I made it. It was lovely.



Roasted Chicken Salad



MONDAY, August 11th - Roasted Chicken Salad with a Buttermilk Tarragon Dressing.

This was a lovely light and delicious meal. Skin on boneless chicken breasts are browned on top of the stove and then briefly roasted to juicy perfection. Ready to slice on the diagonal and serve with a mixed salad with a Buttermilk and Tarragon Dressing.


This is light and delicious and makes for a great supper in the summer months, or a lunch. You can always add a baked jacket potato for anyone who demands a heartier meal!



Chicken Scampi with Garlic & Parmesan Rice



TUESDAY, August 12th - Chicken Scampi with Garlic & Parmesan Rice


I know, chicken again, but it's delicious and it's affordable.  This time it was in the way of chicken tender filets.  These are seasoned with some garlic, salt, and pepper and then flash fried in a small amount of oil until golden brown.  Taken off the heat, rice is added to the pan along with white wine, chicken stock, Parmesan Cheese and more garlic.  Cooked until tender the chicken is nestled back into the pilaf and gently reheated with a bit more Parmesan dusted over top.


This makes a quick, easy and delicious midweek supper. It is basically an all-in-one dish.  All you need to complete the meal is a cooked vegetable or salad on the side. Delicious!



Easy Asian Noodle Bowl


WEDNESDAY, August 13th - Easy Asian Noodle Bowl with Chicken and Vegetables


It was my Birthday (#70) on Wednesday, and I had been wanting to try to make a noodle bowl for myself for ages. They always look so good when other people make them. This was really delicious, and I ended up with a double yolk egg in mine. It was also a great way to use up any leftover chicken tenders from the day before.


Ramen Noodles on the base, with the chicken, fried mushrooms, carrots, cabbage, the boiled egg, in a rich chicken broth containing spring onion. More spring onions were sprinkled over top along with some crispy onion.  


I know, chicken four days in a row. What can I say? It is a bit unusual, but I do like chicken. I made up for it the rest of the week.



Burger Rarebits


THURSDAY, August 14th - Burger Rarebits with air fryer chips and veggies


I had taken my father out shopping in the afternoon and spent the morning putting together my 72 hour kit in case of a fire evacuation. I just made a simple supper of Burger Rarebits. You can make your own burgers for this or use a good quality ready-made burger.  The burgers are pan grilled to perfection and then topped with a cheese, bacon, and spring onion mixture before popping under the grill to heat the cheese mixture through and melt it a bit.


It is a knife and fork meal. You could have it on a bun if you wanted to, but I like them just as is. I served with some oven chips done in the air fryer and corn on the side. It was a simple and yet delicious meal.


Tuna Loaf with Mustard Cream



FRIDAY, August 15th - Tuna Loaf with Mustard Cream


A bit of fish for Friday with a Tuna Loaf. This is very simple to make and is delicious. I know I say that about everything I cook, but it's true. It was delicious, and is one of my old favorites. I sometimes cook this Tuna Loaf as Muffins in a muffin tin. That way I can freeze the individual portions to take out and enjoy on another day.  The mustard cream that goes with it is also incredibly tasty and adds just the right touch! 


I enjoyed with frozen peas and a pouch of pre-cooked rice. The Butter & Garlic one. I like that one in particular and it went well with the fish.


Crispy Tortilla Eggs


SATURDAY, August 16th - Crispy Tortilla Eggs


This is one of my absolute favorite meals. Crispy Tortilla Eggs. You have a crispy golden toasty tortilla on the bottom, topped with cheese, a perfectly fried egg, and more cheese to finish it off.   I like to garnish it with some sriracha sauce, green tabasco and some chopped green onion.  I could eat this any day of the week and be completely happy and satisfied.

A leafy salad was the perfect side with this simple, yet delicious meal!


And there you have it, my meals of the week for this the second week of August 2025.  In a week that was filled with highs (birthday) and lows (fires) I think I did very well.  I kept things within budget and managed to have a fairly good variety, despite all of the chicken!  What do you think?


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.

 


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Saturday, 16 August 2025

Easy Jam Gems - A Vintage Recipe from Grandma's Kitchen

 

Vintage Jam Gems



I have a vintage recipe to share with you today from one of my Vintage Cookery Books. I have a great love for these old recipes and books. They are filled with recipes that are real gems!  Basic, solid, old-fashioned recipes that use simple ingredients, equipment and methods. 


This Vintage Jam Gem recipe comes from Betty Crocker's Good and Easy Cookbook which was originally published in 1956. I was only one year old then, so that lets you know how old these recipes are!


Back in the day, the word "Gem" was used to describe a small muffin or quick bread.  Muffin tins were also referred to as "Gem Tins."  Gems were not meant to be the overly large and "cake-like" muffins that we often see today and which are sold in modern day coffee shops.



Vintage Jam Gems 


They were much smaller in size and quite wholesome in comparison.  These Jam Gems are pretty much a drop biscuit (not cookie, but a small quick bread similar to a scone,) which is dropped into a muffin tin and filled with a dab of sweet jam. They rely on a very basic biscuit dough, which goes together quickly and easily and which is dropped from a spoon into the muffin/gem tin.


 The batter itself is not a sweetened batter. Instead, any sweetness comes from the jam used and the quick and easy drizzle icing which is applied while they are still warm from the oven.


These would be a really delicious addition to any family breakfast, and I can see them being enjoyed along with a weekend breakfast of crisp bacon, scrambled eggs and juice. I can well imagine that eyes would light up at the sight of them!  They may not be really pretty, but they sure do taste good! I hope that you will be inspired to want to bake some for your own family and that you enjoy them as much as I did!


Vintage Jam Gems 





INGREDIENTS NEEDED
TO MAKE VINTAGE JAM GEMS



Simple, every-day baking cupboard staples. 

For the Drop Biscuit Dough:
  • 2cups plain all purpose flour, sifted
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) light olive, canola, or sunflower oil
  • 2/3 cup (160ml) whole milk
You will also need:
  • 1/4 cup raspberry or strawberry jam
For the icing:
  • 1 cup (130g) icing sugar, sifted
  • enough milk to make a thin drizzle icing




Vintage Jam Gems 





If all you have is self-rising flour you could use it in this recipe. Just omit any baking powder or salt required as the self-rising flour will already contain it.


I used light olive oil, which is light in color and flavor, but still contains many of the health properties of extra virgin olive oil.  


Whole milk is what they would have used back in the day.


You can use any kind of jam which you have and which you enjoy. Marmalade would be nice as would lemon curd.  On this particular day I used strawberry jam. Bonne Maman.  If you have homemade jam, so much the better!



Vintage Jam Gems



HOW TO 
MAKE VINTAGE JAM GEMS


Nothing could be quicker or easier.  Very little effort is needed.


  1. Preheat oven to 450*F/ 230*C/ gas mark 7. Butter a 12-cup medium muffin tin, or two 6-cup medium muffin tins really well. (I used ceramic muffin cups that looked very much like vintage muffin or gem tins.)
  2. Sift the flour into a bowl along with the baking powder and salt. (This will help to distribute the baking powder evenly into the flour.)
  3. Measure the oil and milk into a measuring cup without stirring. Pour all at once into the dry ingredients. (I am not sure why you don't whisk the two together but trust me when I tell you it works perfectly as written. Resist the urge to mix the two.)
  4. Mix together with a fork until the mixture cleans the side of the bowl. Drop this mixture (it will be stiff) into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 2/3 full.
  5. Using the end of a wooden spoon, make a dip in the center of each muffin/biscuit.
  6. Drop 1/2 tsp of jam into the dip. (Do not overfill.)
  7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. They will be golden brown when done.
  8. Frost with the drizzle frosting while still warm.
  9. To make the drizzle frosting, whisk the icing sugar together with just enough milk to give you a thick icing that you can drizzle over top of the muffins. (Whisk in any liquid a little bit at a time so that you don't over-thin it.)


Vintage Jam Gems




WHY I LIKE 
VINTAGE RECIPES
AND VINTAGE COOKERY BOOKS


  • They remind me of my childhood and all the wonderful generations of women who came before me.
  • They are largely unpretentious and use simple everyday ingredients.
  • They do not require unusual or special equipment or techniques to execute them.
  • They are usually very economical and fit within affordable budgetary requirements.
  • There is nothing "faddish" about them. They do not follow the whims of popularity.
  • They are made from scratch, without the use of a lot of processed ingredients.



Vintage Jam Gems 




REASONS WHY YOU
WILL FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS RECIPE



  • It uses simple and uncomplicated ingredients. I am betting you already have everything you need to make this in your kitchen right now.
  • It goes together very quickly and easily without a lot of effort.
  • You can easily adapt it to any kind of fruit jam or marmalade you have in the house and enjoy. You could even use lemon curd, which would be exceptionally delicious!
  • It is the type of thing that you grandmother might have baked for her family. Simple and unpretentious whilst at the same time being very delicious.


Vintage Jam Gems 



I broke one open to show you. You can see it in the lower right-hand corner of the plate. Just look at how fluffy the interior of the biscuit gems look!!  They may not be beautiful, but they sure are fabulously tasty! 


A FEW OTHER
VINTAGE TEATIME RECIPES
YOU MIGHT ENJOY 




VINTAGE BUTTERSCOTCH CAKE - Step back in time with this rich, golden cake inspired by a recipe in the 1941 Prairie Farmer Cookbook. Infused with the deep, caramel warmth of brown sugar and topped with gooey, baked marshmallows that melt into a sticky, crunchy meringue-like layer on top.  Simple, unpretentious, and perfect served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.  Old-fashioned goodness in every mouthful!



VINTAGE CONDENSED MILK FRUITED SCONE LOAF - This delicious tea loaf will transport you back to the cozy kitchens of the 1950's. First published in Women's Weekly in 1956 what you have here is a delicious, fruited tea bread which is generously studded with stick sultanas and jewel-like glace cherries. A sturdy loaf, it is perfect cut into thin slices, slathered with butter, and enjoyed along with a hot cup of tea and a quiet moment. Irresistibly old fashioned, this is the type of bake that feels like a warm hug from the past.





Vintage Jam Gems 





 Don't forget to Pin this recipe to your Breakfast, Breads, Biscuit, or Vintage Recipe boards on Pinterest and remember to FOLLOW ME ON PINTERESTFACEBOOK or INSTAGRAM. I update these platforms every single day with my latest content.



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Yield: 12 servings
Author: Marie Rayner
Jam Gems

Jam Gems

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 12 MinTotal time: 22 Min

A vintage recipe for an old style biscuit that gets dropped into a muffin tin and filled with jam prior to baking to golden perfection. An optional drizzle icing is applied before serving.

Ingredients

For the Drop Biscuit Dough:
  • 2cups plain all purpose flour, sifted
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) light olive, canola, or sunflower oil
  • 2/3 cup (160ml) whole milk
You will also need:
  • 1/4 cup raspberry or strawberry jam
For the icing:
  • 1 cup (130g) icing sugar, sifted
  • enough milk to make a thin drizzle icing

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450*F/ 230*C/ gas mark 7. Butter a 12-cup medium muffin tin, or two 6-cup medium muffin tins really well.
  2. Sift the flour into a bowl along with the baking powder and salt.
  3. Measure the oil and milk into a measuring cup without stirring. Pour all at once into the dry ingredients.
  4. Mix together with a fork until the mixture cleans the side of the bowl. Drop this mixture (it will be stiff) into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 2/3 full.
  5. Using the end of a wooden spoon, make a dip in the center of each muffin/biscuit.
  6. Drop 1/2 tsp of jam into the dip. (Do not overfill.)
  7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. They will be golden brown when done.
  8. Frost with the drizzle frosting while still warm.
  9. To make the drizzle frosting, whisk the icing sugar together with just enough milk to give you a thick icing that you can drizzle over top of the muffins.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it #TheEnglishKitchen


Vintage Jam Gems


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.

 


Thanks for visiting! Do come again!! 



 If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing to/following me on Grow? You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right-hand side of the screen.

Friday, 15 August 2025

Tuna & Dill Pasta Salad

 

Tuna Pasta Salad
 



We are into the very hot days of summer now. What they call the "Dog Days of Summer." These are the days when we try very hard not to have to put on the oven if we can help it.  This is the time of year when we tend to eat a lot of cold food, or cook in the air fryer or slow cooker.


Today I am sharing  a really delicious Tuna & Dill Pasta Salad recipe with you. It makes for a great side dish as a part of a salad/cold plate supper, or a lovely light lunch.


Its also great for picnics and for taking in the lunch box so long as you can keep it chilled.  Because there is mayonnaise in the dressing, you will want to keep it cold.  It is also really delicious on the buffet table.


Tuna Pasta Salad




It is a simple and very uncomplicated recipe and uses ingredients that most of us have in the cupboard at all times.  Water packed solid white tuna.  Frozen peas. Pasta. Mayonnaise.  Onion and dried dillweed. There are also dill pickles for crunch and added flavor!  I do so love dill pickles.


This is a recipe that has been tested and tweaked to perfection. It is simple and easy to make. It always goes down a real treat with whoever I feed it to.


Not a fan of tuna?  You can also use tinned salmon,  or even chicken in it's place. All would work very well with the other flavors.


Not a fan of dill?  Use cucumber or celery. You can leave out the dillweed and add parsley or some other herb that you do enjoy.  You really can make this your own.


If I was using chicken for instance, I would add some chopped toasted walnuts, celery and chopped apple.  The important thing is to use what you have, what you like and what works well together.




Tuna Pasta Salad 



WHAT YOU NEED
TO MAKE TUNA AND DILL 
PASTA SALAD


Just a few store cupboard ingredients. This is really a very simple dish to put together using simple ingredients.


  • 8 ounces (227g/scant 2 cups) bow tie pasta
  • 1/2 cup (75g) frozen peas
  • 1/2 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 medium sized dill pickles diced
  • one (5 ounce/142g) tin of solid white tuna, drained and flaked
  • 1 TBS lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup (110g) real mayonnaise
  • 1/2 TBS dried dill
  • salt and black pepper to taste


Tuna Pasta Salad 




You do not have to use bow tie pasta. Any pasta shape will work. You want one that will hug the dressing and other ingredients and in the same amount/weight as the bow tie pasta.


I used frozen organic baby peas. You could also use corn, or corn instead of the peas. It is your choice.


You can add more onion if you wish, or use white onion in the place of the red onion. I found the amount used for this as stated to be just the right amount for me.


The dill pickles add a nice crunch and depth of flavor. If you don't want to use them you can use chopped celery or cucumber in it's place to give you the same amount of crunch.


You can use fresh dillweed instead of the dried. Just double the amount required to get the same amount of flavor.




Tuna Pasta Salad 



HOW TO MAKE 
TUNA AND DILL PASTA SALAD

This is not very difficult to make and can be made in advance.


  1. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to the package directions and adding the frozen peas during the last 30 seconds.
  2. Drain well and run under cold water. Drain well again. Pop into a bowl.
  3. Add the flaked tuna, chopped pickles. and onion. Mix together to combine.
  4. Whisk the mayonnaise together with the lemon juice, and dried dill. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Pour over the tuna mixture and gently stir together to combine and coat everything in the dressing.
  5. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.
  6. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until you are ready to serve.




Tuna Pasta Salad 





HOW TO STORE
TUNA AND DILL PASTA SALAD


Keep the salad stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to three days. It actually tastes better the longer it sits. You may need to stir a tiny bit more mayonnaise in it when you do go to serve it as the pasta will absorb some of the dressing.




CAN I MAKE THIS SALAD 
AHEAD OF TIME?

Absolutely. This salad can easily be made a day ahead of time and will actually improve in flavor. Just be prepared to stir some additional mayonnaise into it to loosen it up a bit. Store, covered tightly,  in the refrigerator.



Tuna Pasta Salad 




CAN I FREEZE THIS SALAD?


I do not recommend that you freeze this salad because of the mayonnaise used in the dressing. It will separate and give you an undesirable consistency.



CAN I USE FRESH DILL FOR THIS SALAD?


By all means. You can certainly use chopped fresh dill leaves for the salad. You will need roughly twice the amount as dried dill has a more pronounced flavor as the fresh. So for this recipe use 1 TBS minced fresh dill leaves.




Tuna Pasta Salad 




A FEW OTHER
PASTA SALADS YOU MAY ENJOY 



GREEK PASTA SALADThis delicious salad embodies all of the elements of a good Greek Salad with fresh crisp cucumbers, ripe tomatoes, red onions, kalamata olives, plenty of parsley and a delicious red wine herbed dressing.  Oh, and pasta twists, which while not exactly traditional, make this a fabulously tasty and hearty salad! Don't have pasta twists?  Use any other pasta that will work to hug all of that fabulous red wine herby dressing and hold it close!! 



MACARONI COLESLAWA delicious mash-up of two summer classics, this Macaroni Coleslaw is loaded with plenty of texture and great flavors! Not to mention crunch!  I do love crunch in a salad, don't you?  I also love color!  This tasty combination can be as colorful as you like, depending on the coleslaw mix that you use.  




Tuna Pasta Salad 




 Don't forget to Pin this recipe to your Main-Dish, Salad, Pasta, or Fish boards on Pinterest and remember to FOLLOW ME ON PINTERESTFACEBOOK or INSTAGRAM. I update these platforms every single day with my latest content.



That way, you can be assured that you are always up to date with my fresh content as soon as I post it. You can also sign up to receive a weekly newsletter from Grow. 




Yield: 3 servings
Author: Marie Rayner
Tuna and Dill Pasta Salad

Tuna and Dill Pasta Salad

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 25 Min

This is a simple, quick and easy salad to throw together. Its also very delicious! Makes a great lunch on it's own or works well as a side dish for a salad supper.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces (227g/scant 2 cups) bow tie pasta
  • 1/2 cup (75g) frozen peas
  • 1/2 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 medium sized dill pickles diced
  • one (5 ounce/142g) tin of solid white tuna, drained and flaked
  • 1 TBS lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup (110g) real mayonnaise
  • 1/2 TBS dried dill
  • salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to the package directions and adding the frozen peas during the last 30 seconds.
  2. Drain well and run under cold water. Drain well again. Pop into a bowl.
  3. Add the flaked tuna, chopped pickles. and onion. Mix together to combine.
  4. Whisk the mayonnaise together with the lemon juice, and dried dill. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Pour over the tuna mixture and gently stir together to combine and coat everything in the dressing.
  5. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.
  6. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until you are ready to serve.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it #TheEnglishKitchen



Tuna Pasta Salad
 



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.

 


Thanks for visiting! Do come again!! 



 If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing to/following me on Grow? You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right-hand side of the screen.