Showing posts with label Quick and Easy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Quick and Easy. Show all posts
I had a quantity of leftover roast pork that I wanted to use up the other day and so I was looking for ways to use it. I wanted to make something different that my usual hash or pot pie.
One thing which I have made in the past has been this fabulous Amish Savory Pork Pie. I had enough that day to send a casserole to a family in need as well as make a small one for myself. Pork, gravy, dumplings . . . never a bad thing!!
Another time I used the leftovers to make this wonderful Pork and Apple Pie. It was really delicious too.
Sliced roast pork and gravy, combined with apples, underneath a savory short crust lid. There is nothing about that which doesn't taste good! Pork and apples are such beautiful partners.
I have always wanted to try the Cuban Sandwich however. The Cuban Sandwich or Cubano Sandwich is a delicious pressed panini type of sandwich.
It is basically layers of cheese, roast pork, ham, pickles, garlic butter, and mustard, pressed between the softness of a sweet Cuban bread.
Any photos I have ever seen of them have sent my taste buds into tingling in overtime! I have never visited Cuba but I know plenty of people who have and they have all loved the food there.
Apparently this Cubano sandwich comes in quite a few varieties, all dependent on regional differences. Some places use ham in it, some salami. I am not sure if any of the versions I saw online were actually true Cubano's, but all looked very tasty.
I will say up front that I did not have any Cuban bread in my house. Nor have I ever seen Cuban bread in any of our shops.
Apparently it is a soft white bread with a sort of crisp crust like a French loaf, but it is supposed to be slightly sweet.
No, I did not have anything even remotely resembling Cuban Bread, but I did have Ciabatta flat rolls and I had some soft white dinner rolls that I had bought thinking to make sliders with them.
Necessity being the mother of invention I decided to make a version of the sandwich using both breads and then taste test them against each other to see which one worked the best.
The first up was the ciabatta flat roll. I layered up everything on it, schmearing the outside with a bit more butter and pressing it in my Cuisinart griddler.
I got the outside all toasty brown and crisp, making sure that the insides were well heated through and the cheese was melted.
The dinner rolls were fairly small and four of them grouped together were about the size of a Kaiser type of roll. I decided to use four of them and keep them attached.
I layered up everything on the inside as with the other roll, buttered the outside and then also pressed/toasted that in my Cuisinart Griddler, again until everything was toasty golden brown and the insides were heated through and the cheese melted.
Authentic or not, I was in it come hell or high water! I had nothing to lose!
As you can see I got a nice press from both kinds of bread. Both toasted well to a golden brown, creating sandwiches that were easily edible.
I hate it when a sandwich is so thick that I cannot get my mouth around it. I like to be able to eat them easily and without too much mess involved. That's why I am not overly fond of wrap sandwiches.
Its not easy to keep their fillings intact.
The one with the dinner rolls was nice. The bread not too hard to bite into or too chewy. Once pressed there was a perfect ratio of bread to filling. But having said that I also enjoyed the one in the ciabatta roll, although it was definitely chewy and a bit harder to bite into.
I had cut my roast pork as thin as possible for both sandwiches and I used sliced black forest ham. The only sour pickles I had were garlic dills and so I cut them very thinly as well.
I didn't have any regular American mustard and so I used Dijon. It was not as vinegary as American mustard. For my garlic butter I used a homemade version, simply mixing softened butter, garlic and some dried parsley.
The rebel in me had wanted to use some pickled hot peppers I had in the refrigerator, but I wasn't sure that would be totally authentic and I wanted to try to be as true to the original as possible.
I think I got pretty darned close.
Of the two, I have to say, I enjoyed the one done on the soft dinner rolls the most. It was the easiest to eat and not as difficult to chew. I think ciabatta bread is definitely too chew for this type of a sandwich.
So, what exactly do you need to make a Cubano Sandwich?
- a softish kind of French style bread/rolls (Cuban bread if you can find it.
- thinly sliced roast pork, or shredded roast pork
- thinly sliced roast ham, I used black forest
- thinly sliced sour pickles, I used dill
- American or Dijon mustard
- garlic butter, homemade or store bought
- sliced swiss cheese
- softened butter for spreading on the outside
Cut your rolls/bread in the middle horizontally. Schmear each cut side with garlic butter and then toast the cut sides on the panini grill until golden brown.
Layer as follows: Bottom of the loaf, mustard, sliced cheese, sliced pork, more cheese, pickles, ham, and more cheese, then the top of the loaf. Brush the outsides with some softened butter.
Cook in panini press until golden brown and heated through, the cheese melted nicely. cut into serving sized sandwiches and serve immediately.
Not a recipe per se, but very easy to follow and to do!! I really enjoyed this easy and yet hearty sandwich!
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
Some of will be entertaining family over the coming week or so during the Christmas Holidays. I am not sure yet if my son and his family will be coming or not. It all depends on Covid and the rising numbers.
I hate that the virus, almost two years later, is still having such a huge impact on our lives.
When it first came out I thought it was not as serious as it was, and the danger might only last, at best, a few months. Boy, oh boy . . . it has been much more than that, and I see no end in sight.
Anyways, if you are lucky enough to be able to have family with you, there are sure to be some youngsters in the bunch.
You may be looking for a quick and easy, and yes . . . simple supper that you can serve that will please the young-ones in the group and maybe a few old-ones as well!
You can pretty much tailor them to any taste and according to what is in your refrigerator or larder. Myself, I always have pizza fixings on hand.
Pizza is, quite simply, one of my favorite food groups! I like it anyway any how!
You don't always have the time to knock up a nice crust from scratch. That's when having something like whole ciabatta or ciabatta rolls in the freezer comes in very handy!!
Sliced in half and topped with sauce and cheese ciabatta rolls and bread make excellent, quick and easy substitutions for a toasty deep dish type of a a pizza crust.
No rolling out of doughs or faffing about required!!
They provide almost instant pizza gratification. You can use a good readymade store-bought sauce or you can use a homemade sauce.
I make a great pizza sauce myself and have included the instructions on how to do just that in the recipe. It is delicious!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CIABATTA PEPPERONI PIZZA
It truly is very simple and largely adaptable to what you happen to have in your refrigerator and larder.
- Ciabatta bread or rolls (for four people, either four individual long rolls or 1-1lb. loaf of bread)
- 1/4 cup (60ml) good olive oil
- 1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 1/2 cup (120ml) pizza sauce
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 8-ounces (227g) fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup (25g) finely grate Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 10 or so medium slices of pepperoni
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- red pepper flakes (optional)
Of course nothing is set in stone. You can use whatever pizza toppings you and your family enjoy. You can add chopped onions and peppers.
Mushrooms, ground beef, salami, Italian sausage, olives, marinated artichoke halves. The world is really your oyster here! For the very fussy, you can leave it simply at cheese.
Good ingredients speak for themselves. If you want delicious, use the best ingredients that you can afford!
HOW TO MAKE CIABATTA PEPPERONI PIZZA
Whist these are quick and not very difficult to make, I do do a few things differently with these.
These simple little steps can make all the difference in the world between having a good pizza experience and having a GREAT pizza experience!
One thing you absolutely want to do is to line your baking sheet with either some aluminum foil or a sheet of parchment paper.
The very nature of these things (if you top them properly) means that the sauce and cheese can ooze over the edges of the rolls, you don't want too much of a mess.
After all, we are all about ease here!! Cut your rolls or loaf horizontally through the center and place onto the prepared baking sheet, cut sides up.
I begin by drizzling the cut sides of the ciabatta with some garlic infused olive oil. You could of course brush this on, but drizzling works fine for me.
Once you have done this, spoon the pizza sauce over top and sprinkle with the oregano. Pop the topped ciabatta into the preheated oven and bake for about 5 minutes.
At the end of that time remove them from the oven and place the sliced mozzarella on top. You could also use pre-grated Italian cheese. The four cheese blend is very nice.
Sprinkle the top with the Parmigiano-Reggiano and then place your pepperoni slices on top. it doesn't really matter where you put them as they will immigrate as the cheese melts.
If you want them to stay on the top, keep them as near the center of the rolls as you can.
Back into the oven for a further 9 to 10 minutes and they should be done. The cheese should be nice and ooey gooey.
The edges and bottoms of the ciabatta should be golden brown and crisp and the sauce heated through. The pepperoni should be starting to crisp on the edges.
Let them cool just for a bit to let everything settle down slightly. Cheese burn is never fun. Been there done that. Bought the t-shirt!!
Its much more fun eating them when you don't have to worry about burning your lips and chin with hot cheese and sauce!
I guarantee whatever you decide to serve with these and no matter what you decide to top them with, everyone will be very happy with the end result! Enjoy!!
These ciabatta pizzas also make great nibbles. Simply bake as above and cut into small bite sized pieces. Arrange on a warm tray and pass with drinks, or set out on the buffet table for people to help themselves!
Of course you can switch out the toppings as desired. Anything pizza-like goes!!
These are especially nice when done with the Proscuitto ham and the basil pesto toppings instead of pepperoni. They go beautifully with drinks.
All of the content you see here on this page, both photography and written, are the sole property of The English Kitchen, Marie Rayner. 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.
We are now into the two busiest weeks of December. Those couple of weeks right before Christmas when we have more things to do than we can possibly cope with! (Unless you are really a super-organized person, and I am not!) Its down-to-the-crunch time!!
I thought it would be fun to share with you today some quick and easy Winter Warmer meals guaranteed to get you in and out of the kitchen quickly. There is no need to have to resort to a takeaway for supper (unless you feel like a real treat)!
There is a bit of something here for everyone to enjoy, even the vegetarians in the group! Whatever your leanings, your family is sure to enjoy all of these fabulously tasty, belly-warming options!
HERBED TOMATO AND WHITE CHEDDAR SOUP. This delicious tomato soup is simple and easy enough to enjoy as a lovely light supper, but at the same time rich and flavorful enough to be used as a first course party dish.
Topped with crunchy cheddar croutons it is very easily made for a light family supper, but at the same time it is elegant enough that you wouldn't mind serving it to company.
I like to serve it with some mash or rice. With the exception of a few small prep details, this delicious dish pretty much cooks itself.
SKILLET BRATS & SPUDS This is a deliciously easy pan fry that includes spicy bratwurst, cabbage and potatoes.
Cooked all in a skillet, there is a delicious touch of cream and cheese that tip these simple ingredients over the top into something very special indeed!
PROPER WELSH RAREBIT This very popular supper dish is a lot easier to make than one would suppose! Its surprisingly hearty and quite delicious!
Spooned on slices of bread and grilled to perfection it makes a really tasty supper that works well with a salad on the side or even chips. (French Fries)
You can even make the rarebit mixture ahead of time, spreading it onto the bread and grilling when its time to eat.
TRADITIONAL COTTAGE PIE Whether you make this with leftover roast beef from the Sunday lunch or brown ground beef specially to use, this one is a real family pleaser.
Meat and gravy, plus vegetables baked beneath a lush potato thatch. You can also make this ahead of time, ready to pop into the oven when you are ready to eat.
OVEN BARBEQUED CHICKEN This is so easy to make that I almost hesitate in posting the recipe, but someone might benefit from my posting it. Its always been a family favorite.
Easy. Delicious. Simple. Your family will love it. This chicken basically cooks itself leaving your hands free to do other things. And we all know how busy our December days can get!!
SHREDDED BEEF TACOS For this recipe the slow cooker does most of the work so you don't have to!
Fork tender beef that works very well in tacos, and would indeed also be great in burritos or quesadillas. Just throw it into the slow cooker in the morning and let it do all the work.
Take the meat out and shred it, warm some tortillas, put out the taco toppings and you are good to go!
CROCK POT CHICKEN & STUFFING No fuss, no muss and totally delicious. Chicken breasts get layered in the crock pot with a few other bits, the end result being something the whole family will love.
Your sides can be a simple or as complicated as you choose. I like to have some vegetables and potato with this, but its great even on its own with nothing else! Its just plain delicious!
CHILI DOG SAUCE This fabulously tasty sauce can be made well ahead, ready to warm up when you are ready to eat! It does make quite a bit, but freezes really well.
You can also warm up the leftovers with some cut up hotdogs and ladle them over oven chips for a stress-free mid-week Chili Dog Poutine that everyone will love!
SCRAMBLED EGGS BENEDICT Why not have breakfast for supper!!! If you use convenience ingredients like a ready made hollandaise sauce, this goes together very quickly.
Toasty muffins, topped with back bacon, scrambled eggs and that lush benedict sauce.
It tastes and looks like you spent all day, but is so easy. Who knew elegant could be so simple to do!
FAJITA CHICKEN BAKE Simple, quick to make, and a fairly delicious way to get in some of your five a day. I like to serve it with rice. Its a bit spicy so adjust accordingly.
If you can layer things in a casserole, then you can make this simple, family friendly dish!
VEGETABLE STEW WITH CHEESE PUFF DUMPLINGS Not a scrap of meat in site but I promise you that you will not miss it. This will have everyone scrambling for seconds!
Comforting, rib sticking, tasty and hearty. What more could you ask for. Dumplings! Oh yeah!!
A bit of crusty bread on the side and Bob's your Uncle. The fact that it's quick and simple and family pleasing just means that this is the perfect weeknight super!
LAYERED RAVIOLI BAKE Quick, simple and quite delicious. You will love this easy casserole.
Fresh Ravioli pasta layered in a baking dish with a simple meat sauce and cheese. What's not to love about the easy of this one! A salad and some garlic bread on the side and you're in like Flynn!!
CROCK POT SAUERKRAUT SOUP I've saved the best for last! This is so simple to make. If you can bang everything into a pot, then you can make this, because . . . that's all it really involves!
This is a delicious soup which is easy to make and leaves your hands free and available to get on with other things. It makes a perfect supper when served with some crusty rolls.
So there you have it! A delicious round up of tasty possibilities designed to get you in and out of the kitchen quickly without a lot of fuss over these next few weeks! Enjoy! (I know I will!!)
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!
One of my favorite things to eat is anything with a Tex Mex flair to it. I love those flavors and will try to enjoy them whenever I can!
These Shredded Beef Enchiladas are filled with lovely flavors, and are a real family favorite. With only six ingredients and using up leftover roast beef, they are a budget favorite in my home and have been for a very long time.
Today I have small batched the recipe to feed only 2 people, but of course if you want to feed more you can double or triple the recipe!
I was so lucky this past weekend to have had my middle son, his wife and his middle son over for a few days visiting from PEI.
They had to take my grandson to the children's hospital in Halifax for some tests and so thought they would take advantage of this and spend a few days with me prior to the testing.
I was able to see my son and his oldest boy last year at this time right after I had gotten out of quarantine, so it was really nice to see him again, plus my daughter in law and of course another grandson!
I cooked us a nice Pot Roast Supper on Sunday. My grandson helped. I have been dreaming of being able to cook with my grandsons for years and years.
All my dreams are now coming true a little bit at a time! Yay!!
I ended up with a quantity of leftover beef to use up and so today I decided to make a small batch of my beef enchilada recipe, using some of the roast beef. I hate waste. This is a fabulously tasty way to repurpose it!
When my children were growing up, every holiday meal was followed by Turkey Enchiladas. And gladly so. I think my children still make them at home now!
I love enchiladas in any way shape or form. Leftover roast beef can sometimes be a bit blah if you just slice it and serve it again like that, but throw it into a casserole or a dish like this and you have some very tasty leftovers!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SHREDDED BEEF ENCHILADAS
As I said only six simple ingredients needed! These are usually things I have in my store cupboard anyways!
- leftover cooked roast beef
- thawed sweet corn niblets (you can also use tinned)
- green chilis (when I can I buy whole jalapeno chilies, roast them, and then trim, deseed and freeze them individually. Very easy to take out and chop up while still frozen)
- red enchilada sauce
- grated cheese (I used a Mexican mix)
- small flour tortillas (6-inches round)
You can make your own enchilada sauce to use in these. I usually do. You can find a recipe for that here.
It is actually very easy to make and tastes so delicious when compared to the store bought type. I make double the quantity sometimes and then freeze it so that I have it ready on top to use for dishes like this one.
Simply thaw out and use as per your requirement! Easy peasy and oh so tasty!!
HOW TO MAKE SHREDDED BEEF ENCHILADAS
Nothing could be simpler or quicker to make. That's why these make a great weeknight supper when we may be pressed for time to spend in cooking.
You begin by shredding your beef. I like to cut it into thick slices and then I shred it with my fingers. I am not a huge fan of long shreds. Maybe that is because my teeth are getting old, but shorter shreds are what I like most.
The shredded beef then gets mixed in a bowl with the green chilis and corn, as well as a small quantity of red enchilada sauce to bind everything together. You can leave the corn out if you want, but it adds some nice fiber to the dish and a bit of colour.
Spoon some enchilada sauce into the bottom of a buttered casserole dish. Not a lot, just enough to give you a thin layer on the base of your dish.
You only need four tortillas to feed two people. Spoon a quarter of the beef filling down the center of each tortilla, sprinkle on a bit of cheese, and then roll them tightly up to enclose everything.
Place them, seam side down, next to each other in your baking dish, then spoon the remainder of the sauce over top of them. I smooth it over to completely cover with the back of a spoon. Works a charm.
You then scatter the remainder of the cheese evenly over top and bake them in a moderate oven. It doesn't take long.
You only want them heated through, the sauce bubbling and the cheese completely melted. Oh boy, do they smell good when they are baking. That smell just gets my tastebuds to tingling!
These are delicious served with a nice cooling dollop of sour cream on top. Sometimes I also like to sprinkle on chopped green onions/scallions or even chopped black olives.
I didn't have either of those things in the house today and to be honest my sour cream was almost out of date, so its a good thing I used it! I had a nice salad on the side.
My, but these are some good, with just the right amount of spice. I don't like things too overly spicy and these are perfect in every way!
Rich, cheesy, flavor-filled, a bit crunchy from the corn, a bit spicy from the chilies, and that cool and creamy sour cream on top, just right! I could almost eat the whole thing all by myself, but I won't.
I will freeze one serving to take out sometime when I am lacking in inspiration and want something quick and easy to eat. To freeze just place into an air tight freezer container. Alternately you can wrap in plastic cling film and aluminum foil. They will keep for several months.
Just remove them from the freeze and pop into the fridge to thaw over night or from early in the day. They reheat very easily in the microwave. You can also keep the leftovers refrigerated for a few days (but no longer I wouldn't think.)
Anyways, the next time you have some leftover roast beef that you want to repurpose in a most delicious way, this could be just the recipe you are looking for!
Shredded Beef Enchiladas
Yield: 2
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 35 Min
These delicious enchiladas use only six ingredients and are a fabulous way to use up leftover roast beef, be it pot roast or whatever. They are quick and easy to make as well! Small batched for the smaller family, simply double or triple the ingredients to feed more.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup (226g) shredded cooked roast beef
- 1 medium jalapeno green chili, roasted and chopped
- 1/2 cup (80g) frozen corn, thawed
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) enchilada sauce
- 1 1/4 cups (about 110g) grated Mexican cheese blend
- 4 small wheat tortillas (6-inch)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a small baking dish. (Mine was 7 inches square.)
- Spoon a couple TBS of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of the dish.
- Mix the chopped beef, 1/4 cup (60ml) of the enchilada sauce, the corn and the chopped green chili together in a bowl. Scoop 1/4 of the filling onto the center of each of the tortillas. Top each with about 2 TBS of the cheese and roll each up, Place into the baking dish next to each other, seam side down.
- Spoon the remaining enchilada sauce over top and spread it over to cover the enchiladas completely. Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese over all.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling away. Serve hot with your favorite accompaniments. (I like sour cream and spring onions)
I am really excited to be able to announce that I have a new baking book coming out at the end of December! Its filled with lots of lovely British Baking Recipes, all pretty popular bakes. You can check out more about it by clicking here. Pinch me, I'm dreaming!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons