Showing posts with label cooking for two. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking for two. Show all posts
I am really excited to be sharing this lovely recipe with you today for baked Feta pasta with roasted grape tomatoes. It is a down-sized version of the original TikTok pasta recipe hack that everyone has been going on about for a whole now.
I am not normally one to follow trends and I will put my hand up and admit, I don't really watch or participate in TikTok, but this recipe kept popping up and I was intrigued.
I decided to try it for myself and to see if it was as delicious as everyone was saying it was. I didn't want a full recipe however and so I cut the recipe in half. I also used inspiration from two separate recipes and combined the two into one which worked for me.
I was inspired by the version on Delish and another, slightly healthier version I found on Joe's Healthy Meals. Although both were quite similar, there were a few slight differences in the method, etc. I like to think I chose to incorporate the best of both.
I have to say that this was one of the easiest recipes that I have ever made and the end result was incredibly tasty! I knew I wanted to share this reduced version with you so that those of you who are seeing smaller sized recipes could enjoy it also!
Having tried it, I can see what all the hype was about now. This is fantastically tasty. Add to that the ease of preparation and you have a real winner here!
And I am not normally a person who enjoys eating the skin on cooked tomatoes. I have to say that this is so delicious, I didn't mind the skins one little bit!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE TIKTOK BAKED FETA PASTA FOR TWO
You will be surprised at just how well these few ingredients work together to make such a delicious dish of pasta!!
- 1 pint (16 oz/403g) ripe cherry or grape tomatoes
- 4 ounces (115g) block style Greek Feta cheese
- 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- a small handful (about 10 ) fresh basil leaves cut chiffonade
- 4 ounces (115g) small sized pasta (penne, rigatoni, cappelletti)
You will want to use a good quality block Greek style Feta cheese. I like the one that comes in a brine. The product I used was made by a company called Holmstead, right here in Nova Scotia. I love that it was both fresh and local.
I was really luck in that I got not only the grape tomatoes and basil marked down by half as they were right on the sell by date. Because I was using them right on the day, it didn't matter, and to be honest they looked perfectly fine.
I used Caesrecce Molisane pasta produced by an Italian company called Molisana. I have been buying quite a bit of their pasta lately and its very good. I have liked every one I have tried.
This is a bit of a twisty kind of macaroni with a slit down one side. I thought it would hug the sauce perfectly and it did! We sure have come a long way from when I was a child. We are so fortunate to have so many wonderful products to use at our fingertips today!
HOW TO MAKE TIKTOK BAKED FETA PASTA FOR TWO
As I said, this was incredibly easy to make. I have never made such an easy pasta dish from scratch in my life! Prepare to be amazed at the simplicity of this. I know I was!
Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Have ready a baking dish large enough to hold the cheese and tomatoes in a single layer.
Place the block of cheese in the center of the dish. Place the tomatoes in the dish around the cheese, along with the two cloves of garlic.
Drizzle the olive oil over everything. Season with the salt, pepper and the Italian seasoning. Pop the baking dish into the oven.
Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tomatoes and cheese both start to brown slightly. (If it needs a bit longer add 5 minutes or so to the bake time.)
While the tomatoes and cheese are baking put a pot of lightly salted water on to boil. Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Drain, removing and reserving 1/4 cup (60ml) of the pasta water. Keep the cooked pasta warm.
Once the tomatoes and cheese have lightly browned, remove from the oven. Mash lightly together with a fork.
Stir in the cooked pasta and basil leaves. Toss everything together until well mixed. Add a bit of the reserved pasta water as required to make a creamy sauce. Garnish with more chopped basil and serve warm.
I have to say that this was so delicious that I will definitely be making it again. I really want to make it when my daughter is staying with me at the end of July.
I know she will love it. Her husband is really picky when it comes to eating anything and its not something he would ever try. This way she will be able to try it and I will get to enjoy it again.
There is just enough garlic, tomatoes, cheese and basil in this. I loved the quickness and ease of its preparation. Most of all I loved its fresh, delicious taste! Prepare yourself to fall in love. Seriously.
Pasta is one of my favorite food groups. My ex did not like pasta at all and so I only made it very rarely. Now I can indulge to my heart's content. Some other incredibly easy pasta favorites of mine are:
PASTA E PISELLI - Simple ingredients put together in the simplest way. Pasta, baby peas, good chicken broth, onions, cheese and a bit of seasoning. Its such a simple thing and yet so delicious. I love this!
A SIMPLE PASTA WITH CHICKEN BROTH, BUTTER & CHEESE - That is literally all this is and yet in its simplicity it is incredibly tasty! Stock and pasta are the basis of this very simple and yet delicious dish in which pasta is quite simply cooked in a quantity of good chicken stock. It doesn't get much easier than this.
TikTok Baked Feta Pasta
Yield: 2
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 40 Min
This is a downsized version of a viral TikTok recipe for a Baked Feta Pasta with Tomatoes. It serves two people and is quite simply very easy and incredibly delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 pint (16 oz/403g) ripe cherry or grape tomatoes
- 4 ounces (115g) block style Greek Feta cheese
- 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- a small handful (about 10 ) fresh basil leaves cut chiffonade
- 4 ounces (115g) small sized pasta (penne, rigatoni, cappelletti)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Have ready a baking dish large enough to hold the cheese and tomatoes in a single layer.
- Place the block of cheese in the center of the dish. Place the tomatoes in the dish around the cheese, along with the two cloves of garlic.
- Drizzle the olive oil over everything. Season with the salt, pepper and the Italian seasoning. Pop the baking dish into the oven.
- Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tomatoes and cheese both start to brown slightly. (If it needs a bit longer add 5 minutes or so to the bake time.)
- While the tomatoes and cheese are baking put a pot of lightly salted water on to boil. Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Drain, removing and reserving 1/4 cup (60ml) of the pasta water. Keep the cooked pasta warm.
- Once the tomatoes and cheese have lightly browned, remove from the oven. Mash lightly together with a fork.
- Stir in the cooked pasta and basil leaves. Toss everything together until well mixed. Add a bit of the reserved pasta water as required to make a creamy sauce.
- Garnish with more chopped basil and serve warm.
All rights reserved The English Kitchen
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!
I have been wanting to bake myself a quiche for quite a while now. My sister often makes quiche. She buys the frozen crusts and then just fills them with vegetables, ham and cheese. They make for a quick, easy and delicious supper.
They always sound so delicious when she makes one, but I am only one person. I have been wanting to bake a downsized version and today was the day! I did make a full recipe of pastry from scratch however.
If I was going to have pastry leftover, I thought it might as well be homemade! I froze one disc and then used the other to make my quiche. Of course once trimmed I had scraps to use up, but using up leftover pie dough has never been a problem for me!
When I was growing up my mother always gathered up the leftover scraps and made something really tasty with them. She would sometimes roll out the dough and spread it with mustard, cut into rectangles and use it to cover frankfurters, then bake.
We all loved those tasty wiener rolls. Other times she would roll it out, butter it. Fold it in half, butter it again, fold in half again and then cut it into squares and bake.
We loved those little buttery pastry squares with our soup, or just with peanut butter spread on them. What a treat!
I had some leftover ham that needed using up today and so I used that along with some chopped spring onions and cheddar cheese to make a tasty filling for my quiche. You could always add whatever vegetables that you like to eat.
Quiche is a very forgiving kind of a bake. Bacon is also very good in them. So is broccoli, as is salmon. A salmon and broccoli quiche is amazing.
For my inspiration I used this recipe here. It gave me a guideline for amounts and timings. My filling did take a bit longer to bake as my quiche was sized for two and not one, and in a somewhat deeper pie dish.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE A MINI QUICHE FOR TWO
Pretty simple every day ingredients. Like I said, this is very adaptable to whatever you have on hand.
- Butter and Lard pastry (make the full recipe and freeze one crust for a later date)
- flour for work surface
- 2 slices of ham chopped coarsely
- 2 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
- 4 TBS strong cheddar cheese
- 2 large free range eggs
- whipping cream to fill the measuring jug to 3/4 cup (180ml)
- 1 heaped tsp of grainy mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
For my cheese I had two match box sized pieces of cheese that come in one of those snacking bags. Each was about 2 inches wide, 3 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch thick. Perfect.
I had two slices of ham, each one about 1/3 inch thick and about four inches wide. Also perfect.
I used two eggs and cream, just to come to the 3/4 cup mark on my glass measuring cup. If you don't want to use cream, then just use whole milk. I had cream which needed using from making those TikTok cinnamon rolls the other week.
The mustard adds a nice kick. You can leave it out if you wish, or use plain Dijon rather than the grainy. Both are nice.
HOW TO MAKE MINI QUICHE FOR TWO
This really is a very simple make, and does not take a lot of effort.
Prepare your pastry. Shape into two round discs. Wrap one tightly and freeze for the future. (see note) Roll the other one out to a round that is 1/4 inch thick.
Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C/ gas mark 6.
Place the pastry into the pie dish, using the back of your hand to ease it gently around the sides. Trim off any excess leaving a 1 1/2 inch border. Fold this edge under and crimp all the way around the pie dish. Prick the bottom with a fork.
Line the pastry with a piece of crumbled parchment paper and some baking beans or rice. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Remove the parchment paper and the rice/beans. Prick again and then return the crust to the oven for a further 2 minutes.
Whisk the eggs and cream together with the mustard. Season lightly with salt and pepper, remembering that both ham and cheese are salty.
Sprinkle the chopped onion on the bottom of the baked crust. Top with the ham and then the cheese. Carefully pour the egg mixture over top. It should come just below the edge of the pastry.
Bake in the preheated oven for a further 25 minutes or until the center of the quiche seems set with just a slight wobble. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
As you can see, partially baking the crust before you add the filling ensures that you have a very crisp bottom. No soggy bottoms here!
This was delicious. I enjoyed a half of the quiche with some steamed mixture of cauliflower, broccoli and carrots. Chips/fries would also go nicely as would a salad. Altogether this was a fabulous meal! If you are wanting to make a full sized quiche, might I be a bit cheeky and suggest my recipe which you can find here!
As I said above Quiche is a very adaptable dish and lends itself to all kinds of interpretations. Here are some other versions I have made in the past.
BREAKFAST QUICHE STUFFED BAGELS - Hollowed out bagel halves for the crust for this delightful version. Easy and delicious, with no pastry involved. You can double or triple the recipe to feed more. It is also a great way to use up stale bagels.
SALMON & BROCCOLI QUICHE - Salmon and broccoli make for perfect partners in this delicious full sized quiche with its beautiful crisp pastry. I used three kinds of cheese to make this lush version of the classic quiche. Salmon and broccoli go together like peas and carrots!
Mini Quiche for Two
Yield: 2
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 Hour
This delicious quiche sized for two is a lot simpler to make than one might suspect! With a vegetable or a salad on the side it makes for a fabulous dinner. You will need one (six-inch diameter) deep pie dish
Ingredients
- Butter and Lard pastry (make the full recipe and freeze one crust for a later date)
- flour for work surface
- 2 slices of ham chopped coarsely
- 2 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
- 4 TBS strong cheddar cheese
- 2 large free range eggs
- whipping cream to fill the measuring jug to 3/4 cup (180ml)
- 1 heaped tsp of grainy mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare your pastry. Shape into two round discs. Wrap one tightly and freeze for the future. (see note) Roll the other one out to a round that is 1/4 inch thick.
- Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C/ gas mark 6.
- Place the pastry into the pie dish, using the back of your hand to ease it gently around the sides. Trim off any excess leaving a 1 1/2 inch border. Fold this edge under and crimp all the way around the pie dish. Prick the bottom with a fork.
- Line the pastry with a piece of crumbled parchment paper and some baking beans or rice. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Remove the parchment paper and the rice/beans. Prick again and then return the crust to the oven for a further 2 minutes.
- Whisk the eggs and cream together with the mustard. Season lightly with salt and pepper, remembering that both ham and cheese are salty.
- Sprinkle the chopped onion on the bottom of the baked crust. Top with the ham and then the cheese. Carefully pour the egg mixture over top. It should come just below the edge of the pastry.
- Bake in the preheated oven for a further 25 minutes or until the center of the quiche seems set with just a slight wobble.
- Leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Frozen pastry can be thawed out in the refrigerator overnight and then used . Bring out of the refrigerator and leave at room temperature for half an hour before rolling out.
All rights reserved The English Kitchen
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
I had the family over for Sunday supper this week. We had grilled chicken and a variety of salads along with some garlic bread sticks and roasted asparagus. My sister brought a sugar free apple pie for dessert. It was just nice to get together here at my place as a family. Usually we go to my sister's!
Like always, however, I did cook too much and found myself with some leftovers that I needed to use up. Today I thought I would make myself a delicious Dinner salad! Salad for dinner is a good thing, and this is the start of salad season after all!
WHAT IS A DINNER SALAD
The simple answer is a main dish salad that is hearty and filling. A salad that won't leave you hungry and wanting more!
Dinner salads are usually composed of a delicious mix of salad greens, a variety of crisp vegetables, as well as a protein of some sort. You can make them all vegetarian, or you can add proteins such as cheese, meat, fish or poultry.
They usually also include a delicious dressing that is drizzled over top, and some croutons always go well sprinkled on top.
I had some chicken leftover from yesterday and I also made good use of the soft bread sticks that were leftover to make some croutons. I also was able to use the last of the Boursin cheese that I had in the refrigerator.
I combined that with a few other bits and pieces and some crisp lettuce and I had a salad that was incredibly delicious and substantial.
A touch of Dijon mustard, olive oil, some seasonings, a bit of honey . . . garlic. It was lush and delicious!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE A DINNER SALAD
There is nothing written in stone. Here is what I used and what worked well together.
- 2 cups coarsely chopped iceberg or romaine lettuce
- 2 pieces of boneless, skinless grilled chicken (about 1 cup, cubed)
- 1 3-inch piece of English cucumber, peeled and cubed
- 6 cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 small ripe avocado, cubed
- 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and cut into quarters
- 1/4 of a red onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (60g) cubed cheese of some sort, pick your favorite
- crisp croutons to sprinkle
Of course any salad is only as good as its dressing and this is what you will need for this one. Its fabulous.
For the dressing:
- 3 TBS olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or one small clove, peeled and minced)
- 1 tsp good Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp liquid honey
- 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes
You don't need to use chicken. Steak or roast pork, leftover ham, lamb, or turkey. You can even use leftover cooked fish. Salmon is particularly good.
If you don't have leftovers, then use cubed deli-meats. Tinned salmon and tuna broken into bite sized chunks are also very nice.
Any cheese goes! You want something nice and creamy and rich in flavor. Today I used Boursin, but goats cheese is lovely as is a nice creamy cheddar. Blue cheese goes especially nice with beef.
Boiled egg is a lovely addition. The yolk from the egg almost emulsifies with the dressing as you are eating it. Loads of crunch from the vegetables. Cucumber is nice, as is celery, hearts of palm, radishes, etc.
I added some halved cherry tomatoes, but any diced tomato would do, and chopped peppers are also nice, raw or even roasted.
Just use what you have! Just make sure all of your vegetables are lovely and fresh and crisp. You might be surprised at the delicious combinations you can come up with!
HOW TO MAKE A DINNER SALAD
It might seem silly to some for me to explain this, but there are some people who do need a bit of direction and there is nothing wrong with that! I'm always here to help!!
First make the dressing. Measure the mustard into a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil, one tablespoonful at a time. Whisk in the lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and parsley flakes. Set aside.
Divide the chopped lettuce between two pasta bowls.
Top each bowl of lettuce with the egg, cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, chicken, and cheese, placing each ingredient on top in an enticing manner, and dividing them equally. Sprinkle the chopped onion and croutons on top of each.
Give your dressing a final whisk and drizzle half over each salad. Serve immediately.
This made for a really hearty and filling supper. I was quite happy with it and felt good that I was eating something healthy as well as using up my leftovers!
We won't talk about the piece of apple pie I finished off with. 😁 It was also very good, and sugar free, so I don't feel too awfully bad about it.
Some other salads here in my English Kitchen that you might enjoy are:
SALAD COMPOSE - Very French with crisp salad leaves, boiled egg, sweet plum tomatoes, crisp salty bacon and buttery crisp garlic baguette croutons. Finished off with a beautiful sherry vinegar vinaigrette dressing!
STEAK MUSHROOM AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD - Perfectly cooked grilled medium rare pieces of steak, combined with tasty rich sauteed mushrooms, capers, creamy tangy blue cheese all tossed together with a rich sherry and honey vinaigrette dressing. Delicious!
LOW FAT CHICKEN TACO SALAD - A mix of salad greens, black beans, corn, peppers, black olives, along with crispy chicken strips combined with a low fat creamy spicy dressing and some baked tortilla crisps on top. Fabulously tasty!
Dinner Salad
Yield: 2
Prep time: 15 MinTotal time: 15 Min
With the warmer temperatures some nights we enjoy a delicious salad for our dinner. This is one really fabulous version, with plenty of crunch, protein and a killer honey mustard vinaigrette dressing. Sized perfectly for two. Its also a great way to use up any bits and bobs you might have in the refrigerator that need using up!
Ingredients
- 2 cups coarsely chopped iceberg or romaine lettuce
- 2 pieces of boneless, skinless grilled chicken (about 1 cup, cubed)
- 1 3-inch piece of English cucumber, peeled and cubed
- 6 cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 small ripe avocado, cubed
- 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and cut into quarters
- 1/4 of a red onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (60g) cubed cheese of some sort, pick your favorite
- crisp croutons to sprinkle
For the dressing:
- 3 TBS olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or one small clove, peeled and minced)
- 1 tsp good Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp liquid honey
- 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes
Instructions
- First make the dressing. Measure the mustard into a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil, one tablespoonful at a time. Whisk in the lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and parsley flakes. Set aside.
- Divide the chopped lettuce between two pasta bowls.
- Top each bowl of lettuce with the egg, cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, chicken, and cheese, placing each ingredient on top in an enticing manner, and dividing them equally. Sprinkle the chopped onion and croutons on top of each.
- Give your dressing a final whisk and drizzle half over each salad. Serve immediately.
All rights reserved The English Kitchen
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE CROUTONS
I found myself with some leftover garlic bread sticks after the weekend. I think it was a bit of a stretch for the maker to call them bread sticks, as they were more like hot dog buns brushed with a bit of garlic butter. Anyways, I had some leftover and I used about six of them to make homemade croutons.
Making your own homemade croutons for salads and soups is really easy, and (you will discover) much more delicious than any ready-made variety!
All you need is a quantity of somewhat stale bread or rolls. Cut them into 1/2 inch cubes with a serrated knife and place them onto a baking sheet. Preheat your oven to 400*F/200*C/gas mark 6.
Spread the bread cubes out into a single layer on a lipped baking sheet. Give them a good spritz with some olive oil spray. I find the spray the best thing to use because it allows you to evenly coat the bread pieces, whereas if you use just oil, it soaks into some and misses others.
Toss together with your hands along with some of your favorite seasonings. I used 1 tsp of garlic Italian seasoning today. But you can use any combination of herbs or seasonings you enjoy.
Toast them in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring them every 5 minutes or so, until crisp and golden brown.
Store in an airtight container. They will keep for a few weeks or even longer depending on how crisp you get them. Great sprinkled over salads or soups!
Thank you so much for visiting! Do come again!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons