Showing posts with label Thrift. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thrift. Show all posts
This recipe I am showing you here today is a very, very old one. It comes from a handwritten scrap of paper in my big blue binder, copied out in my own hand, I suspect from one of my mother's old cookery books from the early days of her marriage. It is the type of thing our Grandmother's would have cooked.
It is a testimony to the thrift of our forebears, and their ability to make simple things taste extraordinarily good, most times not even using recipes, but adding a bit of this and a bit of that, tailoring each lovingly to the tastes of her own family.
I confess, I have done the same, with the original recipe having nothing but salt and pepper and ketchup as seasonings. I suspect it strongly relied on the individuality and ability of a home cook to play with according to what was in-house.
I have added onion and garlic powders, some dried thyme and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Oh, and a bay leaf. Did you know that breaking a bay leaf in half helps to release more of its flavours? Its true. When you think about it, it only makes sense.
I also added some finely grated peeled carrot and swede (rutabaga) because we like those things with beef, but you can leave them out if you don't have or want to add them.
The long slow cooking over low heat, really tenderises the meat . . . until it is pretty much falling apart and fork tender.
The macaroni actually gets added at the end and cooks in the juices in the pot, just until it is al dente. You may need to keep topping it up with some boiling water until the macaroni is cooked, but do be judicious as you don't want it to be soupy.
As you can see, mine is not soupy in the least. In fact I would call it darned near perfect, and I say that in all humility.
This is absolutely delicious. Cheap, cheerful and delicious.
All you need on the side is a salad perhaps and some buttered crusty bread if desired . . .
I used a small piece of silver side, that had been cut into a small roast for someone, that I discovered in the grocery store for only £2.38, which made for a really thrifty find.
It was a really lean piece of meat as well, with only one small sliver of fat that needed trimming off and discarding. Altogether this made a really delicious and hearty meal for us for about £4, with enough leftovers for us to enjoy tomorrow. A very tasty economy!
*Stewed Steak & Macaroni*
Serves 4 - 6
This
simple and yet delicious recipe is a testimony to the ability of our
forebears to create something quite delicious out of simple and
ordinary ingredients.
1 1/2 lb stewing steak (round steak)
(Trimmed of fat)
2 TBS plain flour
2 TBS butter
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1 bay leaf, broken in half
2 inch piece of peeled carrot and the equivalent in swede (rutabaga), finely grated (optional)
splash of Worcestershire sauce
115g pound dry macaroni (1 cup)
1 TBS tomato ketchup
Cut the steak into small pieces. Roll the pieces in the flour. Heat
the butter in a medium saucepan which has a lid, over moderate heat,
until it begins to foam. Add the steak, a few pieces at a time and
brown on all sides. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the
garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and paprika. Cover generously with
hot water, the grated vegetables, and add a splash of Worcestershire
Sauce. Break the bay leaf in half and add. Bring to the boil, then
reduce to a slow simmer, cover tightly and simmer over low heat for 1
1/2 hours until the meat is very tender. You may need to add some
boiling water from time to time to make sure that the bottom doesn't
catch. b
At the end of that time, remove the bay leaf and discard. Add the
dry macaroni and enough boiling water to make sure that the macaroni
will cook properly, you want about a inch of water over the top. Cook,
stirring occasionally, and adding water as necessary, until the macaroni
is tender. Stir in the tomato ketchup and adjust seasoning as
required. Serve hot spooned into bowls.
I know a lot of us are tempted to discard or ignore these old recipes, thinking that there is little or no value in them. I mean, they are quite old fashioned aren't they and there is no kale or quinoa in sight, but really, when you think about it, our ancestors were, in main, quite healthy and all they had was simple food to eat. Simple, thrifty ingredients done well. This fits in very well with the ethos of my style of cooking. Bon Appetite!
Chicken with a Cheese and Ham Crust. Chicken with cheese and ham on top. Not rolled. Just layered. Completely delicious.
I always think it's pretty amazing what you can do with just a few ingredients and a little bit of ingenuity. Like this recipe here today.
I had a small bit of leftover ham that I wanted to use up and some chicken breasts and so after putting my thinking cap on I came up with a delicious and simple little entrée that went down a real treat and went together lickity split!
I always have cheese in my refrigerator. Actually I usually have several kinds. We like cheese. Guilty as charged.
I always have cheese in my refrigerator. Actually I usually have several kinds. We like cheese. Guilty as charged.
It's just one of those things we are never without. One of our refrigerator basics as it were. I also had a roll that was left from another meal and so I used that as well.
With a handful of stale bread crumbs, some cheese and a bit of chopped ham, together with some chopped parsley and some garlic . . . a knob of butter.
With a handful of stale bread crumbs, some cheese and a bit of chopped ham, together with some chopped parsley and some garlic . . . a knob of butter.
All put together and sprinkled on top of two plain (seasoned) boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Chicken breasts are like the blank canvases of the poultry world.
There is practically nothing that won't go with them, or that they won't go with!
Half an hour in the oven and dinner was served . . . and it was delicious. We had some steamed new potatoes and broccoli on the side.
Half an hour in the oven and dinner was served . . . and it was delicious. We had some steamed new potatoes and broccoli on the side.
In the time it took to do them, the chicken was done and we sat down to a delicious meal which took next to no time to prepare and got rid of a few bits in my refrigerator and cupboard that needed getting rid of.
Thrifty and delicious. You can't go wrong. The quantities are for two people, but this is one of those things that can easily be increased to feed more!
All the flavors of Chicken Cordon Bleu without any of the faffing about! I like that!
Quick,
easy and delicious. I had a tiny bit of ham leftover that I wanted to
use up. Waste not want not. It went perfectly. Kind of like a
deconstructed cordon bleu.
2 single boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets
(about 4 ounces each)
(I used a stale ciabatta roll)
2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
1 small clove of garlic, peeled and minced
1 TBS butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5.
Put the bread crumbs into a small bowl. Toss together with the butter, parsley, cheese, ham and garlic.
Place the chicken breast fillets into a buttered baking dish. Cover each one with an equal portion of the bread crumb mixture.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and the juices from the chicken run clear. Serve hot.
*Ham and Cheese Crusted Chicken for Two*
Serves two
salt and black pepper
60g of fresh bread crumbs (about 1 cup)
a small handful of chopped cooked ham (about 1/4 cup)
60g grated strong cheddar cheese (1/2 cup) 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: theenglishkitchen@mail.com
Todd is not overly fond of eating raw apples, but if you cook an apple, he is the first in line wanting to tuck in! He just loves baked apple desserts. I had about half a jar of mincemeat that needed using up in the refrigerator and I also had some apples that had seen better days as well as about 1/3 of a loaf of stale bread. I decided to use all three and make a Betty with them.
Having spent a great deal of my formative years and part of my adulthood in Nova Scotia, Canada, I consider myself to be from Nova Scotia, even though I was born on Prince Edward Island. I am an Airforce Brat, and the ex-wife of a Canadian Serviceman, which means I have lived in many places in my life . . . but Nova Scotia is where my heart and allegiance lay.
I can remember when I was a little girl that you used to be able to buy a soup at the grocery store called Chicken With Stars Soup.
We did not get a lot of store bought soups when I was a girl. My mother could make a delicious and much tastier soup from almost anything, so bought soup in our house was a real rarity.
A roast dinner of any kind on a Sunday usually meant that sometime during the week we would be having a nice big pot of homemade soup, and we all looked forward to it with great pleasure . . .
If we had had ham, it would be ham and pea soup, turkey . . . turkey soup.
Beef meant a nice pot of Beef and vegetable soup. A roast chicken always something like chicken and vegetable or chicken noodle or chicken with rice.
We never did have chicken with stars though . . . but I always wished that we would.
I spied some Stellini Pasta (tiny star shaped pasta) in the shops the other day and picked it up. I thought it was about time I fulfilled my wish and made myself a pot of Chicken with Stars Soup.
After all I am 58 years old now and I'm not getting any younger! Sometimes you have to feed your inner child!
It's not that difficult to make a homemade pot of soup. It requires very little effort and the rewards are bountiful. It tastes so much better than anything that comes from a tin.
I am afraid that after you taste this, you will be spoilt from ever wanting to have tinned chicken soup again!
Of course when it was done it was just begging for some type of pretty garnish and so I baked some star shaped garlic croutons to float on the top. They dressed it up just nicely.
I was a happy girl and Todd was a happy boy. You can never go wrong with a tasty pot of homemade soup.
*Chicken With Stars Soup*
Serves 4-6
Serves 4-6
Printable Recipe
This is a very simple and easy soup to make. I often use the carcass from a roast chicken to make this, saving some chicken from the roast to use as wl. As I always cut up chickens myself to use in other recipes, I usually always have bags of chicken backs and necks in the freezer as well, which are very good when used in this soup! Its amazing what you can do with a few bones and some vegetables!
1 spent chicken carcass (if there is not a lot of meat left on the carcass you can add a few chicken wings or a leg)
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
1 carrot, unpeeled and cut in half
1 stalk of celery
Handful of celery leaves
1 onion, unpeeled, cut in half, root end removed
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper
To finish:
1 carrot peeled and grated
¼ of a swede peeled and grated (rutabaga)
1/2 mug full of Stelline Pasta (star shaped pasta, about 1/2 cup, or more as desired)This is a very simple and easy soup to make. I often use the carcass from a roast chicken to make this, saving some chicken from the roast to use as wl. As I always cut up chickens myself to use in other recipes, I usually always have bags of chicken backs and necks in the freezer as well, which are very good when used in this soup! Its amazing what you can do with a few bones and some vegetables!
1 spent chicken carcass (if there is not a lot of meat left on the carcass you can add a few chicken wings or a leg)
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
1 carrot, unpeeled and cut in half
1 stalk of celery
Handful of celery leaves
1 onion, unpeeled, cut in half, root end removed
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper
To finish:
1 carrot peeled and grated
¼ of a swede peeled and grated (rutabaga)
Put your chicken carcass in a pot and cover with boiling water. Add the bay leaf, thyme, carrot, celery, celery leaves, onion and salt and pepper. Bring back to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 ½ hours to 2 hours. Strain broth into a clean pot. Discard vegetables and pick off as much meat as you can from off of the bones. Cut into small chunks. Bring broth to a boil and reduce somewhat. Taste and adjust seasoning. (If it is not very strong you can add a TBS or two of Marigold vegetable stock powder, but it really shouldn‘t be necessary.)
Add the grated vegetables and the Stelline pasta. Bring to the boil and then reduce to low and simmer for about 15 minutes until cooked. Add the diced chicken meat. Heat through and then ladle into hot bowls. Serve with some nice crusty bread or rolls.
Note:
I like to make star shaped croutons for a garnish sometimes. Just cut
your desired bread into star shapes with a sharp cutter, Toss with some
herbs and olive oil. (I like to use parsley, garlic, salt, pepper)
Then toast in a hot oven for 5 to 8 minutes until golden brown and
crisp.
I hesitate actually to call this a recipe . . . it's more of a something I just did . . . and it happened to turn out beautifully.
I hate waste. I love potatoes. I especially love baked potatoes. I was making a baked potato salad. You only need the flesh of the baked potatoes for that recipe . . . what to do with the skins??? The skins are my favourite part. It seemed a shame to waste them and so . . .
I cut them in half lengthwise and sprinkled them with some spices and spritzed them with some low fat cooking spray . . . and then I baked them until they were scrummy crisp and brown on the edges and then . . .
I liberally sprinkled them with my favorite pizza toppings and cheese . . . lovely strong cheddar cheese . . . I love the stuff. After that, I banged them back into the oven to melt the cheese and heat the toppings and then . . .
Why, I served them with some sour cream for dipping of course!! We loved them. They were magnifique!
*Pizza Potato Skins*
Makes 16 piecesand a few chopped sun dried tomatoes
Sour cream to serve and a few extra chopped spring onions if desired
Remove from the oven and scatter the cheese over top. Top the cheese with the chopped olives, onions and sun dried tomatoes, trying to scatter them evenly over all. Bang back into the oven until the cheese melts and bubbles. Remove from the oven and let stand for a few minutes. Place onto a serving platter and serve along with a bowl of sour cream for dolloping and some more spring onions for scattering. (If desired.) Delicious!
Well, here we are Christmas Eve. How did that happen? It's crept up on us really quickly now, but you might just have time to fit in one more baking delight before night falls and the big day is upon us. When I was growing up this cake was a family tradition that we all looked forward to every Christmas Celebration.
It is a recipe that my mother baked every year, and her mother before her, and probably her Grandmother did as well . . . it being a recipe handed down through the generations and carried on with love. A beautiful example of thrift having come about during the War years when things like eggs, milk and butter were in short supply.
Yes . . . this cake is egg, milk and butter free. There is white vegetable shortening in it, which over here means White Flora or Trex . . . if you are not worried about the calories, lard and even bacon fat, which was judiciously saved for things just such as this can be used.
I'll wager the recipe is even older than that . . . it sounds like the type of thrifty cake that might have been baked in log cabins out on the prairies or in farm houses, for special occasions just such as Christmas . . .
Simple ingredients, simple measures . . . simple methods. Fabulous taste and incredibly moist. It's a dense cake, thick with raisins and spice and only too perfect for the holidays.
My mother always used the large seeded raisins, but they are very difficult to find today . . . and so we make do with what we have to work with. It somehow never comes out tasting as good as the memory of my mom's tastes in my mind, but oh well . . .
There are a lot of things like that. A slice of this sitting on a plate next to a warm cup of horlicks and spread with butter (I know . . . soooo hedonistic) whispers Christmas to my heart. Thanks mum.
*Mum's War Cake*
Makes one 9 inch round deep cake, or two large loaves
Printable Recipe
A deliciously moist fruited cake from the days of rationing when eggs and butter were in short supply.
300g soft light brown sugar ( 1 1/2 cups packed)
375ml of water ( 1 1/2 cups)
2 heaped dessertspoons of white vegetable shortening (1/2 cup)
230g of raisins ( 1 1/2 cups)
200g plain flour (2 cups)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
Combine the browns sugar, water, shortening and raisins in a medium sized saucepan. Bring to the boil, then allow to boil for 3 minutes. Take off the heat and allow to cool completely.
Preheat the oven to 150*C/300*F/ gas mark 2. Butter and line a round deep baking tin with baking paper. Butter the baking paper. Set aside.
Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, soda, nutmeg, salt and baking powder. Stir this into the cooled raisin mixture. Mix until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until the cake is cooked through and solid, and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. It will still look fairly moist on top. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before tipping out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Once cold, wrap tightly and store in a tin overnight before serving. Cut into wedges to serve.
Alternately if you are baking two loaves, butter and line the loaf tins with paper. Butter the paper. Divide the batter betwixt the two tins. Bake as above from 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the cakes are cooked through and a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the centre. Allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before flipping out and cooling completely on a wire rack. Store as above.
This will keep for about 2 weeks, and freezes well for longer storage.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons