Showing posts with label cooking for two. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking for two. Show all posts
When I lived in Ontario, seemingly a whole lifetime ago, we often visited my then Sister in Law in Toronto. She was married to a Jewish fellow and used to bring home the most delicious bagels from a Jewish Bagel near their house on Avenue Road. These bagels were so fresh and so tasty, they completely spoilt me for every enjoying those insipid bagels you find in the shops. When you have tasted an authentic Jewish Bagel, there is nothing else that quite comes up to it.
One good thing to do with those store-bought bagels however that is quite delicious is to make Breakfast Quiche Stuffed Bagels. These are a brilliant way of enjoying quiche without all the faffing about of making pastry or a crust!
To do this, I slice the bagels in half through the middle and then scoop out any bread from the middles leaving a bit of a basil for the filling. I then start layering in my quiche ingredients.
I like to use some spring onions, chopped. A cooked sausage, chopped. Cooked bacon, chopped and of course cheese, fresh farm eggs and cream.
I layer in the onion, bacon, sausage and half the cheese and then beat the egg togeher with the cream and pour it over top, finishing it all off with the remainder of the cheese.
These then get baked until the egg mixture soufflees up into a quiche type of filling, rich and delicious.
I garnish them with some minced fresh chives. By all means you can vary the filling ingredients. Add chopped peppers if you like them.
Leave out the bacon or the sausage, or both and make them completely vegetarian. Add some smoked salmon if you are so inclined and dot in some cream cheese. Garnish with some sprigs of dill.
You really can make these your own by using whatever quiche fillings you enjoy most of all. Ham and Swiss cheese is also quite nice!
Although perfectly sized for two, this recipe is very easily doubled or tripled to feed more. This would make a great weekend breakfast when entertaining. Add some fresh juice, coffee if you are so disposed and a fresh fruit salad and you have a breakfast fit for a King!
Quiche Stuffed Bagels
Yield: 2
prep time: 15 Mcook time: 15 Mtotal time: 30 M
Easy and delicious and no pastry involved. Easily doubled to feed more if you wish
Ingredients:
- 2 plain bagels
- 1 cooked breakfast sausage, skin removed and diced
- 2 rashers of crisp cooked bacon, finely chopped
- 2 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
- 8 TBS grated cheddar cheese
- 3 medium free range eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 TBS heavy cream
- salt and black pepper to taste
- finely chopped chives to garnish
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Have ready a baking sheet lined with aluminium foil.
- Beat the eggs together with the cream.
- Prepare your onion, bacon, sausage and cheese.
- Cut your bagels in half through the middle. Carefully remove all of the breading in the middle of each bagel half making a hollow place to insert your filling.
- Begin by sprinkling 1/4 of the onion into each bagel half. Top with 1/4 of the sausage and the bacon. Sprinkle 1 TBS of cheese over each. Season with some salt and papper and then divide the beaten egg/cream mixture between each, pouring it over the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top of each.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until set and golden brown. Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve immediately.
My husband doesn't like things really crisp, but if you do want your bagels really crisp, brush them with butter and bake them for a few minutes to crisp them up prior to filling them with your desired fillings. I think you are really going to enjoy these!
One Pan Italian Pasta. This is another small batch recipe, created for the smaller family. This recipe makes 3 normal servings or 2 generous servings, and I don't mind saying, it is absolutely delicious!
Everything cooks in the same pan. The chicken, the pasta, the sauce, everything. EVERYTHING!
No fuss, no muss! And with not a lot of clean up afterwards either!
It does call for the use of dry Italian Salad Dressing mix, but not to worry, I have provided a simple substitute for that.
I appreciate that not all people will have that available to them, and indeed I no longer have it available to me either!
It was always one of those things I kept in my kitchen as it came in very handy.
Not just as a salad dressing either (which it was amazing as by the way), but I used to use it to season my sticky chicken and popped it into my Italian Shredded Wheat bread, which we loved.
That's why I had to come up with my own version of it when it became obvious I wasn't going to be able to find it anymore.
Whew! You never know what you will miss until you can't get it anymore!
There is a quantity of fresh cherry tomatoes in this one pan supper as well.
I am not a person who is overly fond of tomato skins in my pasta, so I tend to pick them out as I am eating. Perhaps not very couth, but whatever works.
The tomatoes themselves do add a level of flavour and richness to the sauce which is quite nice.
I garnished my dish with fresh basil because I happened to have some and thought it would dress it up nicely.
See how rich that sauce looks? How it clings to all of the texture of that fusilli? Fusilli was made to hug sauce . . .
This was perfect with just the right balance of flavours. I love that the pasta cooks right in the pan, absorbing all of those lovely flavours . . .
You do need to stir it every so often to make sure that it cooks evenly and doesn't catch on the bottom. If you find at the end of the cooktime the pasta isn't quite ready, but you have not a lot of liquid left, it is quite acceptable to add a bit more stock to the pan.
Just play it by ear. If you add too much, you risk your sauce being too runny.
This was perfectly delicious. I enjoyed it very much with a salad on the side and a crusty roll. (I know naughty!)
One Pan Italian Pasta
Yield: 3
A delicious one dish entree where everything cooks in the pan. No fuss, no muss and very little clean up afterwards. You can have this on the table in about half an hour or less.
Ingredients:
- 1 TBS olive oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 170g dry fusilli pasta (6 ounces)
- 480ml chicken stock (2 cups)
- 1/2 envelope of dry Italian dressing mix (see below to make your own) (1 TBS)
- 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 TBS coarsely grated parmesan cheese
- 65g grated mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 tsp dry basil
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute until they begin to soften without colouring. Stir in the chicken and garlic powder. Cook and stir until golden.
- Add the pasta, broth, dressing mix and tomatoes. Bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes, until the pasta is al dente and all of the broth has evaporated. Stir frequently to make sure the pasta is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. If you need to add a bit more water or broth to achieve the perfect level of doneness for the pasta, that's okay. Just don't add too much. Taste and season with salt and black pepper if desired. Sprinkle with both cheeses and the dry basil. Cover and let sit for about 5 to 6 minutes to melt the cheese. Serve hot.
notes:
To make your own dry Italian Salad Dressing mix: Mix together 1 TBS garlic powder, 1 TBS onion powder, 2 TBS dry oregano, 1 TBS sugar, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp dry basil, 1 TBS dry parsley, 1/4 tsp celery seed, 2 TBS salt, 1/2 tsp dehydrated minced garlic, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. To make dressing measure 2 TBS mix into a jar along with 60ml(1/4 cup) vinegar, 160ml oil (2/3 cup), and 2 TBS of water. Cover with a lid and shake to combine. For this recipe you will need 1 TBS of this mix.
Just look at the ooze of the cheese. Bear in mind as well that for the larger family, you can very easily double the ingredients It will cook in just about the same time. Dinner on the able, delicious and perfectly cooked in about 15 to 20 minutes. You can't go wrong!
One of the things my ex and I used to love to order when we went to our favourite Diner was a Turkey Club Sandwich. It would come to the table so tall and stuffed you could barely finish it. Always with a side of fries and coleslaw to die for.
For as long as I can remember and beyond Saturday night suppers back home in Nova Scotia and indeed all down the Eastern part of Canada and the US, Saturday night baked bean suppers have been the tradition.
The other day I made us some tasty Mexican Scrambled Eggs for our lunch/supper. We both enjoy Tex Mex flavours, and do enjoy a meal such as this every now and then. Quick each and incredibly delicious as well as being quite colourful!
I decided to make my own tortillas for this. I have a recipe of my own that I have been making for many years now. I started doing this back in the 1980's when mexican ingredients were not all that readily available. You can get that recipe here.
My family loved my enchiladas and I started making my own tortillas so that I could make them enchiladas from my leftover turkey and other roasts. I had seen this recipe however on Pinterest from Cafe Sucre Farine.
I really wanted to try it. They looked really good and I know that blog has a great reputation for producing good food.
I decided to use their recipe to make tortillas to serve with my Mexican Eggs.
The recipe was really easy to follow, although I always have had a problems rolling out perfect circles no matter what method I try to use. I suspect that only a tortilla press will give me perfect circles. These tortillas however, excellent. I highly recommend. I have shared the British measurements here.
Soft Flour Tortillas
Yield: Makes 16
These are simple to make and nice and soft. Delicious as well! Adapted with British Measurements from Cafe Sucre Farine.
Ingredients:
- 420g plain flour (3 cups all-purpose)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 80ml canola oil (1/3 cup)
- 240ml warm water (1 cup)
Instructions:
- Measure the flour, salt and baking powder into the bowl of a stand mixer (fitted with a dough hook) or into a bowl. Give it a good whisk together to combine. Mix together the water and oil. Drizzle this mixture into the flour with your mixer running on medium speed until a soft dough is formed. Reduce the speed to low and beat on low for a further minute or so until smooth. I needed to add a tiny bit more flour. (If you are doing this with a hand mixture. Tip out and knead on a lightly floured surface until you have a smooth dough.)
- Divide the dough into sixteen equal pieces. Shape into balls. Flatten each ball slightly with your hands. Cover with a clean soft kitchen towel and set aside to rest for fifteen minutes. (You can leave to rest for as much as 2 hours.)
- When you are ready to cook them, place each dough round, one at a time, onto a lightly floured surface and, using a floured rolling pin, roll out to a circle 6 to 7 inches in diameter. (Mine were not completely round as much as I tried. I think the only way to get them truly round is to use a tortilla press.) Do not stack them as they will stick together.
- Heat a 10 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Working with one tortilla at a time, cook for 40 to 60 seconds on one side in the heated skillet (the tortilla should have some light brown blisters and some bubbles should appear on the uncooked side) and then flip over and cook for about 15 to 20 seconds longer. Remove from the skillet and stack in a covered container to keep warm while you cook the remaining ones.
- These will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week in an airtight container or a zip lock bag. You can freeze them for longer if you wish. Separate them in the bag with a square of baking or greaseproof paper.
They were perfect to serve with the Mexican Scrambled Eggs. I like toast with my eggs. I am an egg and toast person.
Mexican Scrambled Eggs however deserve a different kind of bread to accompany them and soft flour tortillas are the way to go!
This is the perfect lunch dish (or breakfast) for two people, with plenty of colour and flavour.
Two kinds of peppers, red and green . . . chopped red onion . . . a bit of pickled jalapeno for heat and some chopped fresh tomato. I used quartered cherry tomatoes. Softened and mixed with perfectly scrambled eggs.
I like to serve them with some jack cheese melted on top, a dollop of sour cream and then a garnish of chopped spring onions or chives. These were fabulous.
Mexican Scrambled Eggs
Yield: 2
These flavourful eggs make a great breakfast or lunch. Filled with plenty of colour and texture.
Ingredients:
- 3 large free range eggs
- 2 TBS milk
- 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
- 1/2 green pepper, chopped
- 1/2 red pepper, chopped
- 6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 TBS chopped pickled jalapeno peppers
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 TBS of butter
- a handful of grated jack cheese to sprinkle
- chopped chives or spring onion to garnish
- sour cream
- warm soft flour tortillas to serve
Instructions:
- Prepare your vegetables. Melt 1 TBS butter in a skillet. Add the onion and peppers. cook stirring until softened. Add the tomatoes and jalapeno pepper. Stir through and cook for one minute longer. Remove to a bowl. Keep warm. Wipe the pan clean.
- Beat the eggs together with the milk. Season lightly.
- Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat. Once it begins to foam, pour in the egg mixture. Let set just until it begins to set on the bottom and around the edges, then begin to lie the cooked portion with a wooden spatula so that the uncooked portion can flow underneath. Repeat until the eggs are softly cooked. No stirring needed. They will be thickened through and yet still moist and fluffy.
- Fold in the cooked vegetables and stir though. Scatter the cheese on top and allow to melt. Add a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with spring onions or chives. Serve immediately with warm soft tortillas.
I don't think you can go wrong if you are looking for a nice light breakfast or lunch for two. I would even serve these as a light supper with a salad on the side. These beautiful tortillas also really added a special touch!
Magic Cookie Bars. These eagle brand magic cookie bars are nothing new. I've been baking them for my family for years and years. I am sure you have as well. They are delicious!
I think I got the original recipe from a magazine advert back in the 1980's for Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk.
My children always loved them, and no small wonder. They are sweet, sweet, sweet!
If you are a diabetic look away now!
These are so easy to make and always a hit. They are a classic dessert which everyone loves. I believe they are also called Hello Dolly Bars.
The original recipe makes 16 large bars. I have downsized it to make only 8, and actually you could probably cut them in half and make 16 small bites if you wanted to. (Which is probably a lot healthier sugar wise!)
I have also seen them called Seven Layer Bars because they are composed of layers of different things.
You begin with a layer of graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. We don't get graham crackers here, but digestive biscuits make a great substitute.
I weighed them out and 6 regular sized Digestive biscuits are the equivalent of 3/4 cup of crumbs, weighing 90g.
I don't know how I would get along without my digital scales.
I used pecan nuts next. I like to toast my nuts before using them in anything. They just taste nuttier if you do that small thing.
A few minutes in a hot oven on a baking sheet does the trick. They will be done when they are smelling nice and nutty.
On goes a layer of them, and then you layer on a combination of baking chips.
I used semi-sweet, white chocolate (which really isn't chocolate at all) and peanut butter chips, which is all I had.
But you can use butterscotch chips and milk chocolate chips along with the semi sweet chips. Or just the milk, white and semi sweet chips.
I don't think it really matters. Sweet is sweet.
And if you thought they were not sweet enough, now you get to pour some sweetened condensed milk over top.
Make sure you use the sweetened condensed milk and not evaporated milk. There is a HUGE difference.
The major difference that sets these two canned milk products apart is sugar content; sweetened condensed milk, as the name implies, is always sweetened, while evaporated milk is unsweetened.
Sweetened condensed milk is also appreciably thicker and comes in a much smaller can!
Finally you sprinkle some sweetened flaked coconut over everything.
I suppose you could use dessicated coconut, which is all you can get here in the normal shops.
I always buy my chocolate chips and coconut from an online American ingredient supply shop called Skyco.
I have been buying things like this and a few other things from them for about 12 or 13 years now.
Yes, they cost a bit, but for the odd bake I think it is worth it. Especially special bakes like this one.
Its not like we eat things like this every day or even every week! Sometimes it wouldn't even be every month. I find as we get older we don't eat stuff like this as much.
And to be honest I mostly give it to my next-door neighbor. She has a lad and he enjoys it.
Which is not to say I don't, but as a diabetic these would put me into a coma. LOL
In any case if you are looking for a small batch recipe for something sweet, to either enjoy at home or gift to someone, you can't go wrong with these.
Incredibly lush. Moreishy delish. Much beloved. Oh, and incredibly easy to make, bake and eat! Perfect for pot lucks, families and so much more. I have never had anyone turn one of these down!
Magic Cookie Bars, Small Batch
Yield: Makes approximately 8 bars
An old family favourite downsized for the smaller family.
Ingredients:
- 60g butter, melted (1/4 cup)
- 90g digestive biscuit crumbs or graham cracker crumbs (3/4 cup)
- 65g chopped toasted pecans (1/2 cup)
- 90g semi-sweet chocolate chips (1/2 cup)
- 90g white chocolate chips (1/2 cup)
- 90g butterscotch or peanut butter chips (1/2 cup)
- 60g sweetened shredded coconut (3/4 cup)
- 200g sweetened condensed milk (7 ounces)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line a 7 by 11 inch baking dish with aluminium foil and spray the foil with canola cooking spray. Set aside.
- Mix together the crumbs and melted butter. Press them into the bottom of the dish in an even layer.
- Sprinkle with the toasted pecans, and then the various chips, spreading them out evenly.
- Spoon the sweetened condensed milk evenly over top of everything.
- Finally sprinkle the coconut over top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or unil he op is a light golden brown.
- Let cool completely before cutting into bars. (I put mine in the refrigerator for about an hour before I cut them, lift them out by the tinfoil and then cut.)
Yes, I had a bite and I will be sadly paying for it for the remainder of the day. Todd has enjoyed one and I sent the rest next door. They are just too irresistible for words!
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.
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