Showing posts with label family pleasers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family pleasers. Show all posts
I am a HUGE fan of potato salad, especially this time of year! Its so perfect for the summer and for all those get-togethers we plan during these warmer months. It makes the perfect carry along and picnic dish. I confess . . . I have even been known to eat it for breakfast!
I am also always looking for something different to do as far as salads go. I have a motto, and it is this . . . "There is no such thing as a boring salad!"
This salad is so far from boring that it is sure to become a family favourite, with two types of potatoes . . . white and sweet . . . and the surprise ingredient . . . a tiny bit of butternut squash!
Add to that a punchy cider vinegar dressing with onion and zesty dry mustard along with the flavour and crunch of celery seed. (I love celery seeds!)
Butternut Squash isn't the only surprise however . . . there are also dried cranberries and chopped toasted walnuts . . . the cranberries adding a jewel-like touch and the nuts a lovely crunch!
With plenty of chopped parsley, this is a fabulous salad that will have everyone scrambling for seconds. Perfect with your grilled chicken and pork dishes, as well as salmon, this is sure to become everyone's favourite. I guarantee you will be asked to bring it along to your next cookout!
*Two Potato Salad*
Serves 6 to 8
An unusual potato salad that is totally delicious. Colourful too!
You will need:
1/2 pound small sweet potatoes
1 1/2 pounds red skinned potatoes
1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
For the dressing:
50g caster sugar (1/2 cup superfine sugar)
1 tsp dry mustard powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS grated onion
80ml cider vinegar (1/3 cup)
220ml rapeseed oil (1 cup canola oil)
1 TBS celery seed
You will also need:
a handful of chopped fresh parsley (about 1/4 cup)
a handful of dried cranberries (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 small red onion, peeled and chopped
a handful of chopped toasted walnuts (about 1/4 cup)
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Scrub the sweet
potatoes really well with a brush, dry and prick with a fork. Bake in
the oven for about 30 minutes, until just tender when pierced with a
fork. Alternately you can bake in the microwave on high for 6 to 8
minutes, taking care not to overcook them. Allow to cool completely.
Peel and dice.
Boil the regular potatoes in a pot of
boiling water to cover for about 20 to 25 minutes, until just tender.
Drain well and set aside to cool. Peel and dice.
To make the dressing whisk the sugar, mustard
powder, salt and grated onion together with 1/2 of the vinegar to
dissolve the sugar. Add the remaining vinegar, oil and celery seed.
Shake together well to combine.
I am koo koo for dried cranberries and nuts in anything, but I have to tell you they are quite simply beautiful in this delicious potato salad. Somewhat reminiscent of a harvest type of salad that you might want to eat closer to the holidays, but don't wait til then. Make and eat this now! Heck, make and eat this all year round! Bon Appetit!
Happy Fourth of July to all my American readers and friends!
I was craving waffles yesterday and so I decided that I would make us some for our breakfast today. (Saturday as I write this.) But not just any waffles . . . Toasted Almond Waffles!
All winter long I wait for the summer months for good light, but for some reason I am not getting it. Grrr . . . sorry that these photos are so poor, lightwise.
These waffles are great, using both flour and ground almonds in the batter . . . and not a lot of sugar, only a minimal amount . . .
More almond flavour comes from the use of almond extract. The ground almonds make these nice and crisp edged . . .
I love the wholesome texture that the ground almonds give as well . . . and of course there is even more almond flavour from a sprinkle of toasted almonds scattered over the top.
I enjoy mine with a dusting of icing sugar, and some fresh raspberries . . . so good . . .
Peaches are also nice . . . or blueberries . . . or a mix . . .
They're just really, really good . . . full stop . . . Todd of course enjoys his with lashings of syrup, maple syrup, but you can also make a raspberry syrup to enjoy with them if you wish. I did not have enough raspberries to make it today, but you can find the recipe here. It's good for all sorts. I like it on ice cream.
*Toasted Almond Waffles*
Makes 4 servings
When I went to dig the smarties out of the cupboard I spied this mix of goodies that I had bought the last time I went shopping and I thought . . . this would be fabulous in these cookies. With a mix of chocolate coated salted caramel bits, sultanas and tiny bits of dried apple . . . it was calling to me.
And so I decided to throw them in. I also threw in a couple handfuls of rice crispies cereal for crunch, and some milk chocolate chocolate chips . . .
They smelled really good when they were baking . . . but then again, tell me a homemade cookie that doesn't! It doesn't exist!
I confess I have created a monster. A total monster. So bad that I had three of them for breakfast this morning and I am eyeing them as I write this because they are calling out to me . . . every mouthful is buttery and sweet . . . crisp edged, chewy centred and stogged full of lovely bits of all the things I love. These are gorgeous!
*Kitchen Sink Cookies*
Makes about 2 dozenmilk chocolate chips. You could also
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line two large baking sheets with baking paper. Set aside.
Cream the butter together with both sugars and the vanilla until light and creamy. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir this into the creamed mixture with a wooden spoon. Stir in your favourite add ins. Drop by heaped TBS onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving space in between for spreading.
Bake for 12 to 13 minutes until golden brown around the edges and set. Let sit on the baking sheets for several minutes before scooping out onto wire racks to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container.
Be prepared to totally love these. Hmmm . . . they are what I would consider dangerous! Bon Appetit!
Cinnamon Tea Cake. Sometimes I just crave cake. I know that as a diabetic I should not indulge this craving, but every now and again, I really must. So long as I am careful about everything else, it is a craving I can indulge from time to time.
When I do feel the urge to indulge this lush moist tea cake recipe fits the bill perfectly. It comes together in minutes, has a lovely buttery crumb and a lovely cinnamon sugar crust. Its wonderful with your morning hot cuppa!
Serve warm with glasses of cold milk for a delicious teatime treat!
60g butter, softened (4 1/2 TBS)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
150g caster sugar (2/3 cup)
1 large free range egg
150g self raising flour (1 cup, plus 1 1/2 TBS) sifted
80ml milk (1/3 cup)
10g butter, melted, extra (2 tsp)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 TBS caster sugar, extra
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8 inch deep round cake tin and line the bottom with baking parchment.
Beat
the butter, vanilla, sugar and egg together until light and fuffy with
an electric whisk, about 10 minutes. Stir in the milk and flour.
Spread into the prepared baking tin, smoothing the top. Bake for about
30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean and
the top springs back when lightly touched.
Turn
the cake onto a wire rack, then turn topside up. Brush the warm cake
with the melted butter. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Serve warm.
This is not a particularly fancy cake, but a plain cake.
Simple to make with simple flavours . . . it won't win any beauty contests, for sure.
But what it might lack in beauty, it more than makes up for in flavour and in texture.
This is a light cake, fluffy. It is simple but that simplicity is enhanced by the cinnamon sugar topping.
I like to serve it with milk and fresh fruit, although the originally recipe suggests buttering it.
Hmm... I have never tried that, but it might be very good that way.
However you choose to enjoy it, there is one thing for sure. You WILL enjoy it.
No doubt about that whatsoever. The simple things in life truly are the best. And I have a great fondness for the simple things.
*Cinnamon Tea Cake*
Makes 10 servings
Mix together the cinnamon and extra sugar.
If you are looking for a simple basic cake to bake this weekend, that is quick and quite tasty, this just might be it! A recipe which has stood the test of time. 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.
Apparently this is a very popular dish amongst the Amish. They supposedly serve it on all sorts of occasions and even for Christmas dinner! I am not surprised really. It is delicious. It is simple. It is very easy and quick to throw together!
The original recipe was very plain. It had no onion, or herbs. I like onion and I like herbs. I also love stuffing, so my adaptions included ways to make it taste more like stuffing.
Whatever . . . stale bread, butter softened celery and onion, a variety of herbs, seasoning and tender poached chicken mixed with a tiny bit of stock and baked to give you one very delicious and simple entree.
I like to make some gravy to spoon over top and serve it with some simple boiled baby potatoes and mixed vegetables for a complete and most delicious simple supper. The family will love this. I guarantee.
*Old Time Chicken Roast*
Serves 4 to 6
1 medium loaf of sturdy stale white bread
225g of butter (1/2 cup)
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tsp salt
The last time I went to Canada (which was about five years ago now) I picked up a special edition magazine at the grocery store, the Taste of Home Italian Cookbook. I thought it was filled with lots of taste temptingly delicious looking recipes.
In our process towards downsizing and clutter clearing I spied this magazine in the spare room cupboard. I spent some time going through it, as you would if you were trying to decided to keep something or not.
I just happened to have pretty much everything I needed to make this delicious looking recipe, and the things I didn't have I thought I could substitute with what I did have, and so today I decided to make it for us.
It was quick and easy to do and in all truth I didn't want to spend a ton of time in the kitchen as I have tons of other things I need to be getting on with!
The resident pasta hater even had two helpings. I think because I used a really good artisanal orecchiette pasta, it wasn't really that pasta-ee for him, if you know what I mean.
Orecchiette is Italian for little ears . . . it was a good egg pasta and more like a dumpling than a noodle. The shape cupped just the right way to hold that delicious sauce . . .
With lots of meaty chunks of chicken, nice crispy tender vegetables and oodles of colour and texture, not to mention those tasty meatballs, it went down a real for both of us.
It did make rather a lot, but I have an idea that the leftovers will be just as delicious if not more so. I'll probably heat them up in a casserole in the oven, covered with lashings of cheese.
Mmmm . . . sounds rather good if I don't say so myself.
(can use an equal amount of any small pasta shells)
1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast meat, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2 TBS olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 stalk of celery, washed, trimmed and chopped
1 tin of cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 tin of milk
1 chicken stock pot
1/2 tsp dried thyme (or 2 tsp chopped fresh)
about 6 cubes of frozen whole leaf spinach, thawed, squeezed dry and chopped
salt and black pepper to taste
135g of grated Parmesan cheese (3/4 cup)
Heat
half of the olive oil in a large skillet with a lid. Add the chicken
cubes and brown them all over. Scoop out and keep warm. Add the
remaining oil to the pan along with the chopped vegetables.
*Italian Wedding Soup Supper Dish*
Serves 6
Serves 6
It's got all the flavours of the traditional Italian Wedding Soup, but it's not soup . . . it's a hearty skillet supper, and it's delicious!
8 ounces orecchiette pasta (2 cups)
1 small clove of garlic, peeled and minced
a package of frozen cooked Italian meatballs, thawed (12 ounces)
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to the boil
Cook,
stirring until tender. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
Return the chicken to the pan along with the meatballs, the soup, milk,
stock pot, thyme and some seasoning. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a
simmer and cover tightly. Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes.
While the sauce is cooking add the pasta to the water and cook according to the package directions. Drain well, reserving some of the water. Remove the cover from the sauce and taste. Adjust seasoning as necessary with salt and pepper.
While the sauce is cooking add the pasta to the water and cook according to the package directions. Drain well, reserving some of the water. Remove the cover from the sauce and taste. Adjust seasoning as necessary with salt and pepper.
Stir in the drained pasta and just
enough of the pasta water to give you a nice consistency. You don't
want it too thick but you don't want it thin either. Sprinkle with
cheese and serve.
I think this is a recipe most people would enjoy. I hope you will try it out! 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
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