One of the things I like most about being sent different things to try, is the challenge of creating new recipes in order to use them.  I was recently sent two new mustards from The English Provender Co. to try out.  We love mustard in this house, and I especially love grainy mustards. More about my recipe a bit later on, but first . . . let's talk mustard!

I have always had a love affair with Buffalo Chicken Wings!  I just love those flavours . . .  the spiciness of the hot sauce, the richness of the chicken . . .  the slight vinegar tang, the butter . . .  the blue cheese.  What's NOT to like about all that???  I can't find anything not to like either!

 


I have quite a few cookbooks in my collection actually.  I've never actually counted them all . . . but there were (at last count) probably close to 1000.  (Don't judge me.)  I've been collecting cookbooks since I was about 16 and as I am now 59 (how did that happen???), that's a pretty long time.  I do have my favourites and I wanted to show you one of those today . . . it also happens to be one of my oldest ones.  In fact . . . this cookery book was published before I was even born.

I mourne the passing of summer into autumn . . . it will take a while for me to get into the swing of the changing light and have my food photos start looking decent again . . .  sigh . . . I find the transition really difficult.   It's especially hard to make dishes such as this Slumgullion look good.  Sigh again . . . 

Slumgullion might not sound like the most appealing name for a dish, but I guarantee mom's slumgullion has a place in every kitchen! 

Do yourself a favour and don't explore the entymology of this word. Appetites will be destroyed, lol.




I am sure very family must have their own version of this delicious stove top, one pan dinner.   

Its basically just minced steak (I always use the extra lean with less than 5% fat) and a few store cupboard ingredients, put together in a way which is simple, quick and family pleasing . . .

 

One pound of minced steak, with a few ingredients added such as onions, chopped peppers, celery, some tinned tomatoes and tomato sauce (passatta here in the UK)  and macaroni, with a bit of seasoning.  

That's basically all it is . . .  but simple doesn't mean that it isn't incredibly tasty.



Even my pasta hating husband tolerates this and goes back for seconds.  (Methinks he doth protest too much actually.  I

 think secretly I am converting him into a pasta lover, but he would be the last one to admit it.)



This is the kind of meal that is perfect for this time of year.   It's a great family meal and family pleaser. It's economical.  Kids love it.  Its hearty and filling . . .  and it's deliciousy simple. You cannot ask for much better than that.    

Now if I could only make it look as good as it tastes!  A simple salad and some garlic toast and you have a fabulous meal!

Stir in the macaroni, cover, and cook, stirring frequently, for a further 20 minutes or so, until the pasta is tender.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.   Serve.

Note - Here in the uk, it may take longer for your macaroni to cook.  It did mine.  I just added a bit of boiling water every now and then to make sure it wasn't sticking.  It turned out perfectly. 

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 so much for visiting. Do come again! 

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I love to cook and eat chicken.   Once upon a time, when I was working full time . . .  I was able to afford free range organic chicken, and I won't like . . . it was lovely.  These days all I can rise to buy with the budget I have to work with is higher welfare chicken.  I am not sure I want to really know what constitutes higher welfare, but  . . .  I like to believe that they are not that badly treated, or as badly treated as the other kind.    Unemployment is a great equalizer.  If I could afford it I would certainly still prefer to buy free range and organic, but one must do what one must do.

The temps have really dropped here these past couple of days.   It seems we are getting winds from the North and things are getting pretty cool, even down to they say only 3 degrees early tomorrow morning!  Who would believe it in August?  Crazy!

Have you ever seen  a recipe which made you want to run into the kitchen and immediately make it?  That is how it was for me the other day when I saw this recipe for Navaho Tacos on a site called Cooking Classy.  Actually I have seen several versions of this through the years, but for some reason her's just made me want to make them NOW.



I actually didn't make her filling.  I had some ground turkey which needed using and so I made my own ground turkey filling, but I did use her recipe for the Navaho Fry Bread.   My first couple of breads were a bit haphazard and oddly shaped, but I had it sorted by the time I had done a few and the rest were perfect.



The trick it to use a lightly floured rolling pin, a lightly floured surface and to turn the dough a quarter turn with each roll.   They turned out perfect once I got into my stride.  I was cooking one and rolling another one as I went along.



If you want to make a beef filling you can substitute ground beef for the turkey in mine, or you can go over to Cooking Classy and make hers.   We don't have things like fire roasted tomatoes or canned green chilies here in the UK.   I adapt and make my own substitutions for these things.  I love my homemade taco filling, beef or turkey.  It's nice.



I like to use black beans in mine.  They're smaller and I like their colour.   I topped them with grated cheddar, shredded lettuce, sliced black olives, chopped tomatoes and spring onions.  They were delicious.  I don't know why I waited so long to make these.  They were easy to make and quite, quite scrumptious!  I can see me making these the next time we have the missionaries over for their tea.  I think they would LOVE them!

Food seems to be getting more expensive with each week that passes.  It is becoming increasingly difficult to feed a family well, and still stay within a budget.   

 

When I was a child I used to feel really hard done by because my mother would never buy us things that we saw advertised on the telly like . . .  Stove Top Stuffing, or Kraft Macaroni and Cheese . . .  or  Beefaroni by Chef Boyardee.  Those things looked really good and the ads were mesmerising.   They did their job in wanting us to buy what they were selling.



And I confess, whenever I fly home, I treat myself to a couple of the little pots that you can buy now that you just heat up in the microwave of the Beefaroni as well as the Spaghetti and Meatballs.  After all if it's good enough for hoards of Italian children, then it's good enough for me!  *wink*



In any case I found a recipe the other day for Home-made Beefaroni, on a page called Cooking for Stolen Moments. And I thought why not give it a go.  It looked pretty close to the real deal and I was having a craving.  You know what happens then . . .  when you got a craving, you just got to feed it.  To heck with the pasta hating gobbles it up  husband.  (Me thinks he actually doth protest too much)



It actually turned out really good and was pretty close to the original I reckon.  I made a few modifications of my own.  I added a beef stock pot for extra beefy flavour, and I cut the recipe in half.  I also used Passatta (creamed tomatoes) instead of tomato sauce.



I also used less sugar, and dried basil and dried oregano instead of Italian seasoning.  Even at half the recipe, it made a ton!  Todd and I both had hearty helpings and Mitzie had some as well, and there was still some left!  So half the recipe very generously served 4 and those are the quantities I have given here.

 

If anything it was better than the original beef-aroni from the tin  . . .  for one the pasta was al dente and for two the sauce had a nice rich tomato flavour.  Half a pound of extra lean mince was just the right amount so it was also a very economical meal.  If you wanted to you could pile it into a casserole and top it with cheese and bake it, but then it wouldn't be like Chef Boyardee would it?  In any case it was really, really good.

 

I don't know about you, but I find that it's getting harder and harder to stretch my food budget these days.  Food just seems to be costing more and more and sizes are getting smaller.  (Don't get me started on that scam!!) I am always looking for ways to make a little bit go further, but at the same time keeping things to the same standard of deliciousness and nutritiousness that we are used to.

 

Pasta is a great meal stretcher.  I know it's not Todd's favourite thing to eat, but he does like the idea of saving money, and so he tolerates it.  Myself . . . I adore pasta, and so these types of meals are my absolute favourites!



Meals which take a little bit of protein, some vegetable and some pasta, combined in a tasteful way.   Simple recipes which make good use of simple ingredients in a delicious way.



I have no idea why this is called Irish Supper.  I am not even sure if this is actually Irish!  Certainly there would be cabbages and sausages in Ireland, but the pasta noodles?   Well, I am not too sure about that!!



What I know for sure it that it makes a little bit of meat go a very long way and that it is delicious.  Two things that are positives!  I do hope you will try it and that you will enjoy it as much as I do!



You want to use a good quality sausage with this.  Not those cheap and nasty ones that are all filler and fat.  You get what you pay for.  Paying a tiny bit more and using a good quality sausage makes sense as you won't be pouring half of it away and they'll also taste a lot better!  Choose a nicely flavoured one!  I am partial to a peppery Cumberland myself!




Crumble your sausage into a large skillet.  Cook over medium high heat until it is browned.  I use a potato masher to mash it up as it is browning.  This helps to break it up all crumbly like.  Once the sausage is browned add the cabbage.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme leaves.   Cook, stirring until it begins to wilt.  Turn the heat to low and cover with a lid.  Cook for about 5 minutes.

While the cabbage is cooking, cook your noodles according to the package directions in a pot of lightly salted water.   At the end of five minutes remove the lid to skillet and turn up the heat and cook stirring, until the cabbage begins to brown a little.  Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Turn out the heat and drain the noodles well.  Toss the drained noodles into the skillet along with a knob of butter.   Toss to combine.  Serve immediately without or without cheese as desired to your grateful family which will be sitting at the table drooling in anticipation.

 

Do you think they might approve??  I like to think they would . . . ☺ to be sure, to be sure . . .