Showing posts with label Delicious Mains. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Delicious Mains. Show all posts
We have had an unbelievably cold couple of days here in the SouthEast of England. I believe this is the coldest winter that I have had to experience in the 9 1/2 years I've been living here.
We also have the most snow that I have ever experienced in my time over here. So much that the roads have become largely impassable. Well . . . brave souls may be venturing out upon them . . . but we just aren't that brave it seems.
This means that I am largely relying on my store cupboard and simple ingredients that I always have at hand, and in the freezer.
Two of which are leeks and potatoes. Just perfect to use in this delicious soup. Which is also perfect for these wintery days.
Yumm . . . rich, silky and comforting, all at the same time.
You can't get much better than this.
Comfort in a bowl.
Some other favorite soups are:
STONE SOUP - Stone Soup was one of my children's favourite storie when they were growing up and so this simple cabbage, tomato and rice soup became known as Stone Soup. It's a deliciously hearty testament to what can be done with a bit of this, a bit of that, and a whole lot of nothing!
LEMON & CHICKEN SOUP -This is a fabulously tasty chicken soup, with fresh flavours! It uses chicken stock along with lemon juice.You might think the lemon would be overpowering, but it really isn't. It adds a lovely layer of flavour that is quite pleasant! It is delicious and hearty. You can make everything up to adding the pasta ahead of time, but do wait until not too long before serving it to add your pasta.
Leek and Potato Soup
Yield: 6 - 8
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 35 Min
This is a lovely rich soup, silky smooth and creamy. Delicious served with crusty garlic croutons.
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 50g butter (scant1/4 cup)
- 1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 pound leeks, the white part only, sliced
- 2 pints (4 cups) light chicken or vegetable stock
- 142 ml carton of whipping cream (slightly more than 1/2 cup)
- 125ml full fat milk (about 1/2 cup)
- salt and pepper to taste
For the croutons:
- 1 small baguette, sliced into 1 inch thick slices
- 4 TBS of butter, softened
- 1 fat clove of garlic, crushed completely
- 1 tsp chopped dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp ground paprika
Instructions
- Melt the butter for the soup in a large heavy saucepan. Once it begins to foam, add the vegetables and toss them with the butter to coat. Season to taste with some salt and black pepper.
- Turn the heat down to very low, cover and allow to sweat, without coloring, for 10 minutes or so. The vegetables should be beginning to soften.
- Uncover and add the stock. bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Puree carefully in a blender or with a stick blender, blending until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning as required. Whisk in the milk and cream. Heat through without boiling.
- In the meantime, make the croutons.
- Lightly toast the baguette slices under the grill. Mix together the butter, garlic, parsley and paprika. Season with a bit of salt as required. Spread on the toasted baguette slices on one side.
- Place back under the grill until the butter is melted and toasty. Serve immediately with the hot soup.
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
I wasn't kidding yesterday morning when I said that fish and chips were one of my absolute favourite dishes. When I first came to the UK, nine years ago now, that was one of the top things on my list of things to eat.
After having eaten quasi "English" fish and chips in Canadian restaurants my whole lifetime, I really wanted to experience the real thing.
I was here, visiting for three weeks, and it was not until the last week of my visit that I was able to do so.
I can remember it was bucketing down rain (how typically English and NORTHERN English) and my husband rode to the shop on his bicycle to pick them up, as he didn't have a car back them. I was so excited as I waited back at the flat . . . finally I was going to be eating the meal of my dreams. They would all be so jealous back home!
He arrived home at the flat with a filmsy blue plastic bag filled with plain newspaper (no print allowed anymore, I'm afraid) stogged full of beautiful hand cut and fried chips and two gorgeous big battered filets of Cod, so big that they hung off the sides of our plates.
Oh, they smelled so good . . . and the taste . . . well, it was everything I had dreamt of, and more.
Back then you could get a cone of chips (a little styrofoam cone shaped cup) for about 60p and a portion, which was enough to feed two people more than amply, was £1.
A lovely HUGE piece of cod cost £2 and so we could get ourselves fish and chips of a Friday night for a fiver, which wasn't bad. The only hard part was waiting in the queue at the local chippies which always went around the corner of a Friday evening!
Nowadays the same meal would cost you in access of 12 to 15 pounds and I have to say it . . . the fish and chips down here in the South just cannot compare to the ones up North, at least thus far in my experience.
If anyone knows any different then let me know!
Anyways, after all that talk about fish and chips yesterday morning, and, even though we'd had fish for dinner the night before, my taste buds were tingling for some lovely battered fish, and what can you do when that happens, I ask?
Why . . . you must have what you must have!!
And we did. I made my own though, coz, well . . . it's better than the fish in the chippies down here . . . and alot cheaper too.
No fried chips this time though. I only had new potatoes in the house and they make rotten chips
There is nothing more appealing than a delicious plate of English fish and chips. This is not considered to be the National favourite dish for nothing. We love, LOVE our fish and chips here in the UK!
Beer Battered Fish
Yield: 4
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 15 Min
This is the best battered fish you could ever want to eat. Light and crisp and the fish is beautifully flakey inside. Make sure your oil is hot before you start frying the fish. Also make sure your fish is well coated with flour before you dip it into the batter. If you follow these two rules you will be rewarded with delicious crisp battered fish, perfectly moist on the inside.
Ingredients
- 4 cod or haddock fish fillets(I like the thick ones myself)
- 1 1/3 cup ( 190g) plain all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup (240ml) of beer (a light lager works best)
- the juice of half a lemon
- salt to taste
- Flour for dredging the fish in
- Oil for frying
To serve: (optional)
- Malt Vinegar
- Lemon Slices
- Tartar sauce
- Mushy peas
Instructions
- Place about an inch and a half of sunflower oil into a deep skillet. Heat over medium high heat until hot. A cube of bread should brown in the hot oil in about 10 seconds. While the oil is heating get the fish ready.
- Place the flour, soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the beer and lemon juice to make a thick batter. Set aside.
- Season your fish pieces with a bit of salt and then dredge completely in the flour, shaking off any excess.
- Dip into the batter and then carefully tease it into the hot oil. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes per side, until nicely browned and crispy.
- Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon to drain on some kitchen paper.
- Serve immediately with some chips if desired, and salt and vinegar. Mushy Peas, lemon slices and tartar sauce are optional!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons