Showing posts with label Picnics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Picnics. Show all posts
This week in honor of the world's first Pickle-nic Week we decided to invite some good pickle-loving friends over for a picnic lunch to help celebrate with us.
A Pickle-nic shared is a Pickle-nic joy doubled! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Pickles are the perfect picnic food don't you think? Sweet/sour/crunchy and perfectly portable!
Of course our weather these past few weeks hasn't been all that Picnic friendly, so for safety we planned a Pickle-nic worth indoor picnic and of course Mrs Elswood's pickles were the centre of our picnic table feast.
They are the only pickle I have ever been able to find over here in the UK that compares in taste and crunch to the pickles I was used to from back home. I miss the pickles from home and its so nice to finally have a tasty alternative here that I can munch on and enjoy just as much!
Their sandwich slices were perfect in my ham and pickle buns. Such a simple make also, with plenty of salty ham, sweet pickle crunch and some sharp grainy mustard.
Simply layer well buttered soft rolls that you have spread with grainy mustard (I used German) with some Mrs Elswood's Sandwich slices and some finely sliced ham. Perfectly delicious! These went down a real treat!
This was a picnic I decided to throw together basically at the last minute, having only decided to plan it on Monday evening. I had been wanting to have our friends over for a while but had been waiting for good weather to do so in.
I finally told myself "The heck with the weather!" we will just invite them anyways and weather come what may, we'll either do it indoors or outside. I planned something which worked both ways.
My Perfect Picnic List
- Suitable seating, blankets and folding chairs for outdoors, or plenty of seating indoors
- A cooler or basket to hold the food whilst transporting (outdoor picnics) or a suitable surface to spread everything out on (indoors)
- Freshly made sandwiches, suitably wrapped. Nothing overly messy. If your sandwiches are going to be in the car or basket for too long, make sure you also include little ice blocks to keep everything cold, or else avoid fillings which include mayonnaise. Indoors, make your sandwiches ahead of time, and keep them covered and chilled in the refrigerator, putting them out just before serving.
- Something crunchy to enjoy along with your sandwiches. Crisp pickles. Crisp raw vegetables (with dip!). Potato chips.
- Something sweet to satisfy everyone's sweet tooth. Sturdy cakes that travel well and are not overly fussy with tons of frosting and decorations. Fresh fruit/berries. Cookies and squares, again not too fussy or mussy.
- Plenty of cold refreshing drinks. Carbonated don't travel well. I like to make ice cold lemonade and then pack it into large sealable containers with plenty of ice. Of course if you are indoors transportation isn't a problem, neither is keeping everything cool until you are ready to enjoy.
- paper napkins, plates, plastic/wooden knives/forks/spoons, cups
- scintillating conversation and company, plus some calming background music, nothing to gregarious or distracting. Gentle and soothing is the key.
MAKE SURE YOU INVITE EVERYONE TO LEAVE THEIR MOBILES/LAPTOPS AND OTHER DISTRACTING MEDIA ASIDE FOR THESE FEW HOURS! This will greatly add to the enjoyment of the time you are able to spend together!
Aside from the Ham & Pickle Buns I made a few other sandwiches. I did Cheese & Tomato on whole grain bread (Just layer in grated strong cheddar cheese, and sliced ripe tomatoes, making sure you drain as much of the pips out beforehand), Cheese & Pickle (exactly what it says and very popular) and some Chicken Salad Croissants.
I made a delicious Curried Chicken Salad and then layered it in fresh buttered croissants along with some baby rocket.
Curried Chicken Salad
Yield: Makes about 3 cups
A delicious chicken salad that you can either enjoy on its own spooned over lettuce or in a tasty sandwich!
ingredients:
- 110g good quality full fat mayonnaise (1/2 cup)
- 120g full fat Greek yogurt (1/2 cup)
- 1 heaped TBS mango chutney
- 1 tsp fresh lime juice
- 3 to 4 tsp curry powder
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 250g cooked chicken, cubed or shredded (2 cups)
- 2 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
- 4 TBS flaked toasted almonds
- 12 grapes quartered
- 1 stalk of fresh celery, chopped
- 3 TBS raisins
instructions:
How to cook Curried Chicken Salad
- In a bowl whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, chutney, curry powder and seasoning until smooth. Fold in the remaining ingredients, stirring well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator. This will keep in the refrigerator for about 2- 3 days. I would not keep it any longer. (Of course this depends on when you cooked the chicken. I never keep cooked chicken any longer than 4 days in the refrigerator.)
The chicken croissants went down a real treat along with the ham and pickle sandwiches, although the chicken croissants were a tad bit messy, but in a very good way if you know what I mean!
For the something crunchy I provided some potato chips. You could use ruffled chips or tortilla chips and have a dip as well if you wanted.
Of course plenty of crunchy pickles are nice and yes, the vegetables and dips! Did you know you can stuff larger pickles with cheese? Just do a search on google.
I found some that had been wrapped in bacon and fried. OH MY GOODNESS. Not exactly Pickle-nic worthy, but hey ho!
For my something sweet I served fresh berries from the garden and cake. I had baked two cakes for the occasion . . .
Swedish Visiting Cake on the left and French Yogurt Cake on the right.
We enjoyed them with the berries and I'll be honest with you because we were at home I got some Clotted Cream Ice Cream out of the freezer and we each had a scoop of that on top as well!
And of course we washed it all down with an assortment of refreshing drinks. I had ice cold sparkling water which I served with a twist of lemon over ice and chilled sparkling lemonade. Both were nice and went very well.
Everyone loves these Ham & Pickle Sandwiches. Mrs Elswood's Sweet Cucumber Sandwich slices worked perfectly in these and we even enjoyed a few on their own, because who doesn't enjoy the extra crunch of a pickle, sliced or not!
These taste very similar to the Bread & Butter Pickles from back home. Great on burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches and even chopped up and popped into your salads.
I wish they would do a sweet pickle relish like we have back home. So, so, so tasty!
This was a wonderful feast to be enjoyed for Pickle-nic week. Everyone was really happy with the food.
It wasn't stressful for me to prepare and made for a very relaxing meal. Picnics indoors or out! You can't beat them for fun, fun, fun!
A PICNIC MEMORY
I must have been 10 or 11 years old and my friend and I decided we wanted to go on a picnic. My mom made me a peanut butter sandwich and I had that in a brown paper bag along with a few cookies. I also had a cold bottle of Nesbitts Orange Soda Pop. My friend had something similar.
We popped our lunches into our bicycle baskets and then took off for the great outdoors on a grand adventure. We ended up in Torbrook, which was quite a tough bicycle ride partway up the nearby South mountain.
We parked our bicycles and ate our lunches on a hillside looking down on the old Baptist church, with the sounds of bees buzzing, all hot and sweaty from our exertion in getting there, but I can tell you, you have never tasted a better or more delicious peanut butter sandwich than that one!
We finished it off by eating some green apples we picked from a near-by tree and went to bed with belly-aches that night, but oh what a wonderful memory we had built!
I do believe a Picnic is a wonderful excuse to crack open your inner-child and dust it off for a few hours!!!
Happy Picnic Days!!
With Valentines Day coming up this week, and my stove being out of commission, I thought it would be fun to do something different and create a delicious picnic for my sweetie pie and I to share for the occasion. Its really fun to do and really doesn't take a lot of work.
The weather has been right miserable lately, but that doesn't mean we can't still enjoy a picnic. Some of the nicest picnics can be shared right within the four walls of your comfy home!
The centre piece of my picnic was a delicious Buffalo Chicken Salad that I threw together. You will find the recipe below for a basic chicken salad and 10 variations. This is just one of them, and I can tell you it is really tasty!
I had a good old rummage around the refrigerator this morning while my husband was out and by the time he came home, I had a picnic feast for two more than ready.
We had some leftover potato salad and coleslaw from the other day, so that was packed into a container for sharing . . .
I always have lots of cheeses on hand, chutney's and crackers and so I did up a small cheese tray for us to enjoy. I used some vintage white cheddar, Danish blue, wensleydale with cranberries and boursin cheeses.
I put the chutney into a small Bonne Maman Jar and an assortment of crackers and some butter for spreading in a sandwich container. Be sure to include a knife for cutting up the cheeses and a spoon for the chutney.
You will want a toasted baguette or crisp breads to have with the chicken salad, or even some salad greens. My husband isn't one much for salad greens, so I had soft baguettes for him. No toasting today as there is no oven.
There was a Melton Mowbray Pork Pie in the refrigerator (his favourite pie) and some cheese and onion rolls, so I added a container with them, as well as some English Mustard for him to enjoy with a slice of pie. I also had some black and green grapes, so I washed some of them and put them into another container.
Something sweet is always welcome, so I added a container of his favourite biscuits/cookies and some fruit yogurts.
I also added the required cutlery, dinner plates and glasses, along with some tea light candles (for romance), a blanket to sit on, a book of poetry to share with each other and a fun game to play.
A bottle of sparkling apple juice was the finishing touch. I then packed it into our picnic basket . . . its a red metal one with chrome handles that I bought several years back.
I think its really pretty, although in all truth a wicker one is better as this one is quite heavy once you get it packed. It didn't all quite fit inside, but no matter we weren't going very far . . .
And with there being two of us, we carried the juice separately along with the bread, games and poetry.
As I said, we did not have far to go!
My husband was pleasantly surprised when he got home. I put some nice music on for us to listen to and in all truth, we sat at the table . . . these old bones of ours are not fond of floor sitting, not anymore . . .
It was a really nice spread . . .
I had my chicken salad on salad greens . . . my husband, of course, did not. Oh well . . .
The star of course was the chicken salad. I did the Buffalo Chicken version and it was absolutely fabulous.
The recipe comes from a magazine on chicken that I bought at the grocery store the last time I was visiting Canada. Its a lovely basic recipe . . . .
And then of course there are ten different variations . . . sure to suit every taste!
This really was a lot of fun! And it didn't really take a lot of effort on my part.
It made a change from the usual Winter bill of fare . . .
And injected a bit of sunshine and romance into what was simply a cold, blustery, rainy day!
Yield: 4
Chicken Salad with variations
With a few flavourful additions and basic ingredients you need never have boring Chicken Salad again.
ingredients:
For the basic salad: (see variations below)
- 1/2 pound cooked chicken, chopped
- 1 stalk of celery, chopped
- 2 thinly sliced spring onions (scallions)
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise
- or salad dressing
- 1 tsp snipped fresh basil
- 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp salt
instructions:
- Combine the chicken, celery, spring onions in a bowl. Mix together the mayonnaise, basil, lemon zest and salt. Fold dressing into the chicken and vegetables gently, to combine well. Cover and chill for 1 to 4 hours. Serve on bread, crackers, or salad greens.
Variations:
- 1. Buffalo Chicken - Omit Basil, stir in 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese and 1/4 to 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce.
- 2. Hawaiian - Stir in 1/2 cup chopped pineapple. Just before serving, stir in 1/4 cup chopped toasted macadamia nuts.
- 3. Mediterranean - Omit celery. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts and 1/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese. Top with shredded basil.
- 4. Grape-Nut - Stir in 3/4 cup chopped seedless grapes. Just before serving, stir in 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts.
- 5. Bacon-Egg-Tomato - Stir in two chopped hard boiled eggs. Just before serving, stir in 1/2 cup chopped cherry tomatoes. Top with crumbled cooked crisp bacon.
- 6. Spicy Chili - Omit Basil and lemon zest. Stir in 1 to 2 tsp mild chili powder. Top with toasted pumpkin seeds.
- 7. Cashew Curry - Stir in 1 to 2 tsp curry powder. Just before serving stir in 2 TBS chopped roasted cashew nuts. You can also add 2 TBS mango chutney with the mayonnaise.
- 8. Cucumber/Melon - Just before serving, stir in 1/2 cup chopped cucumber and serve on melon wedges.
- 9. Coriander Lime - Omit basil and lemon zest. Stir in 1 TBS snipped fresh coriander (cilantro) and 1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest. Top with toasted sesame seeds and chopped coriander.
- 10. Apple Pecan - Stir in 3/4 cup chopped fresh eating apple. Just before serving, stir in 1/3 cup chopped toasted pecan nuts.
Even if you don't want to do something like this for Valentines Day, it would be fun to just do it on any day to help chase away the Winter doldrums's and blues.
Happy Sunday and Bon Appetit!
I confess when I was younger I was not all that fond of chicken salad sandwiches. I am not sure why. It is something which I have taken to mostly in my older life. There wasn't anything really per se that I didn't like about them, I guess I just always preferred sliced chicken to chicken salad. To be honest, I hadn't really tried it . . . I just always thought that I wouldn't like them, and so I was hesitant to try. When I worked at the Manor though, I used to make Chicken Salad for my boss now and then, and in the process I was required to taste it, and I then learned that actually, Chicken Salad was kinda tasty!
I am a HUGE fan of potato salad, especially this time of year! Its so perfect for the summer and for all those get-togethers we plan during these warmer months. It makes the perfect carry along and picnic dish. I confess . . . I have even been known to eat it for breakfast!
I am also always looking for something different to do as far as salads go. I have a motto, and it is this . . . "There is no such thing as a boring salad!"
This salad is so far from boring that it is sure to become a family favourite, with two types of potatoes . . . white and sweet . . . and the surprise ingredient . . . a tiny bit of butternut squash!
Add to that a punchy cider vinegar dressing with onion and zesty dry mustard along with the flavour and crunch of celery seed. (I love celery seeds!)
Butternut Squash isn't the only surprise however . . . there are also dried cranberries and chopped toasted walnuts . . . the cranberries adding a jewel-like touch and the nuts a lovely crunch!
With plenty of chopped parsley, this is a fabulous salad that will have everyone scrambling for seconds. Perfect with your grilled chicken and pork dishes, as well as salmon, this is sure to become everyone's favourite. I guarantee you will be asked to bring it along to your next cookout!
*Two Potato Salad*
Serves 6 to 8
An unusual potato salad that is totally delicious. Colourful too!
You will need:
1/2 pound small sweet potatoes
1 1/2 pounds red skinned potatoes
1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
For the dressing:
50g caster sugar (1/2 cup superfine sugar)
1 tsp dry mustard powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS grated onion
80ml cider vinegar (1/3 cup)
220ml rapeseed oil (1 cup canola oil)
1 TBS celery seed
You will also need:
a handful of chopped fresh parsley (about 1/4 cup)
a handful of dried cranberries (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 small red onion, peeled and chopped
a handful of chopped toasted walnuts (about 1/4 cup)
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Scrub the sweet
potatoes really well with a brush, dry and prick with a fork. Bake in
the oven for about 30 minutes, until just tender when pierced with a
fork. Alternately you can bake in the microwave on high for 6 to 8
minutes, taking care not to overcook them. Allow to cool completely.
Peel and dice.
Boil the regular potatoes in a pot of
boiling water to cover for about 20 to 25 minutes, until just tender.
Drain well and set aside to cool. Peel and dice.
To make the dressing whisk the sugar, mustard
powder, salt and grated onion together with 1/2 of the vinegar to
dissolve the sugar. Add the remaining vinegar, oil and celery seed.
Shake together well to combine.
I am koo koo for dried cranberries and nuts in anything, but I have to tell you they are quite simply beautiful in this delicious potato salad. Somewhat reminiscent of a harvest type of salad that you might want to eat closer to the holidays, but don't wait til then. Make and eat this now! Heck, make and eat this all year round! Bon Appetit!
Happy Fourth of July to all my American readers and friends!
Todd is a Bakewell Tart man. He loves, LOVES the flavour of Bakewell Tart(s)! It doesn't matter if it is a whole tart or small individual tarts. You can count him in if Bakewell Tart is on the menu.
A Bakewell tart is an English pastry consisting of a shortcrust pastry shell beneath a layers of jam, almond flavoured frangipane, and a topping of flaked almonds.Oftimes the flakes almonds are foregone and the tarts are topped with an almond glace icing and a glace cherry. Those are Todd's absolute favourites! You can also find it baked as a large tart as opposed to small individual tarts.
The definitive flavours are almond and raspberry . . . the rest (the icing and cherry) are just gilding an already beautifully flavoured lily.
These muffins are moist from the use of buttermilk in the batter and deliciously almondy, using both ground almonds and almond extract . . .
They are filled with sweet raspberry jam . . . just a dollop in the centre, prior to baking . . . kind of like my jam doughnut muffins are filled with jam. The jam really stays in the centre of these however, and I think it is the ground almonds in the batter which helps with this.
They crown beautifully and come out of the oven with lovely muffin tops! Ohh, I do so love a good muffin top . . . all crispy edged . . . my favourite part of any muffin!
The almond glaze tops the off beautifully . . . and of course that cherry is the perfect dressing! And so very bakewellie.
Perfect for Elevensies, tea time, breakfast on the go, brunch, picnic baskets, or just because . . .
Go on! Treat yourself! You won't regret it. I guarantee!
*Bakewell Tart Muffins*
Makes 6
You will love these muffins. If you only bake one thing this weekend, let it be these! Bon Appetit!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons