Showing posts with label Week Night Savers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Week Night Savers. Show all posts
Tuna has always been a real favourite of mine. I confess I am not overly fond of strong flavoured fishes . . . I don't like mackeral or any type of fish which is really fishy, although I do like Tuna and I will eat fresh Salmon ever now and then. I do however like tinned salmon and tuna, which makes them great store cupboard ingredients for me. If I have them in my larder, I know I always have a meal to hand.
I confess I am really, really fussy about the tuna I buy however. I only ever buy Albacore . . . white tuna, sustainably sourced. I know it costs a bit more than normal tinned tuna, but it is worth every penny in flavour. It just tastes sooooo much better than the cheap stuff. This is a case where you really do get what you pay for.
I used to buy the really cheap stuff, years ago when I had a house full of children, thinking I was doing a good thing. I was in the grocery store one day buying my groceries, and an Italian Nonna saw what I was buying in horror. She told me to never, ever buy that cheap tuna, that it was garbage fish . . . to only ever buy albacore and she was so sincere, that I bought the albacore that day, even though it was a bit more. I have to say though that after tasting the difference, I have never bought cheap tuna again. She was right. It is garbage in comparison.
We humans are such funny creatures. We will think nothing of paying 3 or 4 pounds for a pound of minced beef, but when it comes to a tin of tuna we balk at spending 3 pounds for that!
A tin of tuna goes just as far when properly prepared and you don't pour half it down the drain, and let me tell you . . . a tin of solid pack Albacore white tuna in spring water is worth every little penny! Trust me on this. That same Italian Nonna told me to only ever buy blunt nosed carrots. She said they were sweeter, and once again she was right. You have to trust those Italian Nonna's. They know what they are talking about!
Back to the tart. This is such a simple bake and really won't heat your kitchen up that much. The bake time in total is only about 10 to 12 minutes. And it is sooooo good! Simple and good!
The crust is made from baking mix and boiling water, which gives you something almost like a bread, but there is none of the waiting for rising etc. I use my own homemade baking mix, which works very well. You can find that recipe here.
I keep mine in the freezer, which makes it really handy and prevents it from going off before I can use it all. With a small family this is what works for me. You could also use a store brand baking/scone mix if you wanted to. They work great.
You just roll it out and make a rim and bake it for a few minutes until golden and then top with the tuna melt mixture some sliced tomatos and cheese slices and then bake it for a few minutes longer. This is absolutely delicious! A salad on the side and dinner is served. Your family will think you slaved all day! Kids love this easy bake!
*Tuna Melt Tart*
Serves 6https://sites.google.com/site/oakcottagerecipes/homemade-baking-mix) (1 1/2 cups)
salt and black pepper to taste
6 baby plum tomatoes, sliced thinly
I really hope you will try this out. Its simple, easy and so tasty! It makes a perfect summer supper! Bon Appetit!
Warming temperatures call for skillet suppers! You know the kind I mean. Suppers that you can cook all in one skillet on top of the stove. Suppers that don't heat up the whole kitchen, but will still satisfy hungry appetites! This dish today fits the bill perfectly.
Not only is everything cooked in the one skillet on top of the stove, but it is also done in about half an hour, which makes it a perfect weeknight supper, for those evenings when you have a lot going on, but not a lot of time to cook.
Colourful and delicious, this goes together in a flash and uses simple and uncomplicated ingredients. Chicken thighs . . . sure you could use breasts instead, they would work fine, but the thighs have so much more flavour . . .
Bacon lardons . . . chunk of smoked dry cured bacon. You could also use chopped streaky bacon if you wanted to, but I like the lardons . . . less fat.
Sliced baby leeks . . . frozen peas, tarragon . . . parsley. A bit of chicken stock and some seasoning. You can also use a bit of white wine if you have it, but if you don't that's okay, just use additional stock in it's place . . .
A touch of grainy mustard almost makes the sauce creamy . . . and a secret ingredient . . . finely shredded baby gem lettuce. Colour, colour, colour . . . I would call this green chicken, but that doesn't really sound as appealing as Skillet Chicken with Peas, Leeks and Bacon.
Quick. Easy. Colourful. Delicous. Well . . . what are you waiting for? Get cooking!
*Skillet Chicken with Peas, Leeks and Bacon*
Serves 4 generously
fine seasalt and coarse black pepper to taste
100g smoked bacon lardons (3 1/2 ounces)
60ml white wine (1/4 cup)
300g frozen baby peas (2 1/4 cups)
1/2 TBS grainy Dijon mustard
1 baby gem lettuce, shredded
a large handful of fresh tarragon, chopped
a large handful of fresh parsley, chopped
Heat the oil in a large flame proof casserole dish, or a skillet with a
lid over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and black
pepper. Add to the pan in batches and brown all over, removing the
pieces as they brown. Add the bacon and cook until crispy. Lower the
heat and add the leeks and cook until they begin to soften. Return the
chicken to the pan. Pour over the warm chicken stock and white wine.
Stir together and bring to a simmer. Cover and leave to simmer for
about 10 minutes, stirring after five minutes.
Uncover and add the frozen peas. Stir and cover. Leave to simmer
for a further 5 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through by now.
Stir in the mustard, lettuce, tarragon and parsley. Adjust seasoning
as required. Cover and remove from the heat. Let stand for several
minutes to wilt the lettuce and then serve immediately.
Note - you could also use other vegetables if you prefer, or if you have them. Asparagus cuts, green beans, sliced courgettes (zucchini), all will work very well. Its a very forgiving dish, and a great way to get in several of your five a day! Bon Appetit!
I really love main dishes that can be cooked all in one pan, downsized for a smaller family and that are simple, yet delicious, using things I have in my cupboard. I also love creating new ways to use my leftovers. This tasty dish incoporates all of the above criteria.
Although the initial recipe is sized for 4 to 6 people (depending on appetites) it is also easily downsized to feed 2 or 3 by simply cutting all of the ingredients in half.
It all gets cooked in one pan, easy peasy and minimal clean up required.
I had leftover ham and vegetables that needed using . . . they went together perfectly in this, or you can simply use a frozen vegetable mix. Whichever is easiest for you and more convenient.
It goes together quickly and with minimum of fuss. It almost reminds me of rice-aroni, in that you sautee the rice and some vermicelli in a bit of butter first.
I miss rice-aroni. I was especially fond of the spanish one, but then I am cuckoo for tomato anything and spanish flavours . . .
Cheese . . . it has cheese. I love anything with cheese and ham and vegetables and rice all go very well with cheese.
If you have all the ingredients assembled, it goes together in a flash and you can have it on the table in less than half an hour. This is a plus for me and makes for a great weeknight dinner.
All you need on the side is a mixed salad and some crusty bread if you are so inclined and we usually are.
*Cheesy Ham and Vegetable Rice*
Serves 4 - 6
Cover tightly and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. At the nd of
that time test the rice/noodles to see if they are cooked through and
all of the water has been absorbed.. If not you can add another 120ml of
boiling water and cook longer, until they are tender. Add the milk and
cheese, stir through and heat to melt the cheese. Taste and adjust
season as desired. Serve immediately.
I really hope you will give this a go and that you enjoy it. I have been known to buy a slab of ham just to cook this. It is that tasty and something which my husband loves! Bon Appetit!
This is a great dish to make on those nights when you are wanting to make something quick and easy but something that the family will still enjoy. Macaroni and Cheese is a popular dish with most people, but when its also a pie, that's a win/win!
Mac and Cheese pie fits the bill on all counts!
Plus it is done in one dish, the mixing the baking, etc. You don't have to cook the macaroni first.
Like magic it cooks in the casserole dish along with everything else.
I use my homemade baking mix for this. I always have it in the cupboard. You can find the recipe for that here. Or you can just buy it ready made.
You could use Bisquick or Teabisk. I just use my own homemade one though.
Once it is baked it cuts easily into squares (if you have baked it in a square dish) or wedges if you have baked it in a pie dish.
Just look at how tasty that looks. Pass me my fork!
All you need on the side is some veg or a salad. I like to serve it with meatloaf, or hot dogs. You could also serve it with fish fingers or chicken nuggets, fingers, etc.
Kids love this. Grownups do too. Its really, really good.
*Mac and Cheese Pie*
Serves 6
salt and pepper to taste
30g additional grated cheddar cheese (1/4 cup)
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Buter a 10 inch pie dish or an 8 inch square baking dish, or six custard cups.
Mix the first amount of cheese with the macaroni. Spread out in the prepared baking dish. Combine the milk, tabasco sauce, eggs, baking mix and seasoning until well blended. Pour over the macaroni in the dish.
Bake, uncovered for about 40 minutes. A knife inserted near the centre should come out clean. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for an additional several minutes until the cheese melts. Let stand for 10 minutes before cuting ito squares or wedges to serve.
This makes the perfect weeknight supper. Your family will love it. Bon appetit!
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!
So you saw that lovely roast pork I posted yesterday. I do love a roast dinner, don't you? I love the leftovers even more! They are a beautiful ingredient to use to create another delicious meal from. My mother was great at making pot pies from leftover roasts. I like to do that also, but if I can create a delicious casserole, so much the better! Delicious casserles like this Leftover Meat Escallope casserole! You don't need to use pork in this, lamb, beef or chicken work equally as well.
If you are looking for a delicious and quick weeknight supper that is a bit of a doddle to make and something your entire family will love, look no further. You've hit the jackpot with this one! This tasty entree ticks all the boxes!
You have just got to love Pinterest for all of the inspiration that it provides. I think a person could very easily get swallowed up in it for a couple of hours or longer every day if they let themselves. There is no end to ideas for cooking, or decorating or crafting . . .
There is lotsa lotsa eye candy to go around depending on what it is you are looking for. I'm usually looking at the decorating or the food . . . occasionally other things. I love to look at the flowers and the animals too. So pretty and so cute.
I have a whole pasta board on Pinterest, which is kind of funny, especially considering the Toddster hates pasta. I do torture him with it from time to time though . . . but he suffers it silently, because he knows I will make up for it by baking him a pie or something. I found this delicious looking recipe on there the other day for something called Grandpa's Mac and Cheese. The link didn't go to the proper page, but I did hunt the recipe down and managed to find it here. It seemed like a good basic recipe that you could work from . . . you know me, I like to charge things up a bit if I can.
And so I did. I used cream cheese instead of Quark. (They are basically the same thing, except cream cheese is a bit richer and more fattening.) I added a crunchy topping, and I added some Gouda Cheese along with the cheddar.
It was very, very good, and even the Toddster had two bowls full . . . (Me thinks he doth protest too much sometimes!). I couldn't make myself eat two bowls of anything I didn't like . . . but
Apparently he can, which just goes to prove you can drag a horse to water, and make it drink if you just persevere.
*Grandpa's Mac & Cheese*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
A delicious and simple version of Mac & Cheese that is a great mid week winter warmer and something the whole family will love.
8 ounces of whole wheat macaroni (1/2 pound)
1 (125g) package of cream cheese (1/2 cup)
5 ounces extra strong cheddar cheese, grated coarsely
2 ounces grated Gouda cheese
1 (10 oz) tin of condensed tomato soup (such as Campbells)
1 soup tin of whole milk
salt, pepper and parsley flakes to taste
to top:
a handful of crushed garlic croutons
a couple TBS of salad onion crispies (Durkees French fried onions in North America)
a couple TBS of bacon bits
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8 inch square casserole dish. Set aside.
Cook the macaroni according to package directions, in lightly salted water, cutting the cook time down by about a third. Drain well and then return to the pot. Stir in the cream cheese and allow it to melt. Stir in the tomato soup, milk and 3/4 of the grated cheese. Season to taste with salt, pepper and parsley. Pour into the prepared casserole dish.
Stir together the topping ingredients. Scatter the remainder of the cheese over top of the pasta. Sprinkle with the topping.
Bang into the heated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. A salad goes nicely with this.
Note: If you wanted to you could use herb and garlic cream cheese for additional flavour.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons