Steamed Baby Beets & Greens
Ingredients
- a dozen baby beets with greens attached (cut larger ones in half lengthwise, leaving them attached to the greens)
- 2 TBS canola oil
- the juice of one lemon
- 1 spring onion, trimmed and chopped
- 1 large sprig of dill weed
- salt and black pepper to taste
- a knob of butter to serve
Instructions
- You need to make sure you wash the beet and their greens really well. I do this in cold water, first soaking them, draining and rinsing, and then rinsing them under cold water several more times.
- Trim off any inedible portions of the beets, no need to peel, and discard. Cut any larger beets in half lengthwise and then just pull the greens apart so that you have two smaller bunches.
- Have ready a large deep skillet. Add the oil, lemon juice, onion, sprig of dill weed and some seasoning. (Sometimes I add a few chili flakes.) Bring to the boil over medium heat.
- Place the beets with the leaves still attached into the pan, coiling them around until they fit. Cover tightly with a lid.
- Steam over medium heat until tender. I check after five minutes or so. Just poke the tip of a sharp knife into one of the larger beets. If it meets little resistance, they are done, otherwise cook for a while longer until the beets are completely tender.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Add a knob of butter and toss to melt the butter. Serve hot.
Zucchini Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini, washed, dried and sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot peeled and coarsely grated
- 1 tin (10 3/4 oz) of Campbell's cream of chicken soup, undiluted (305g)
- 1 cup of sour cream (120g)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 6 TBS melted butter
- 2 1/4 cups of bread stuffing cubes, or (In the UK) 2 1/4 cups of lightly crushed seasoned croutons (I like the herb and garlic ones)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Lightly butter a 1 litre baking dish and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet on top of the stove and add a few TBS of water. Add the zucchini and lightly sauté until crispy tender. Add the onion for the last five minutes of cooking so that it gets tender as well. Drain well in a colander.
- Put the drained vegetables into a large bowl and mix together with the grated carrot. Stir in the cream soup and the sour cream. Season with a bit of salt and pepper to taste.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave. Toss with the bread stuffing cubes to coat.
- Layer half of the buttered crumbs in the bottom of the baking dish.
- Pour the zucchini mixture over top and then layer the rest of the buttered crumbs on top.
- Cover tightly with tinfoil and then bake it in the heated oven for approximately 45 to 50 minutes.
- Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes or until the zucchini is tender and the casserole is bubbly and nicely browned.
- Remove from the oven and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Delicious!
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.
Even though this year most people's Christmas's are going to be on a much smaller scale, a lot of us will be looking for quick and easy meals to prepare for our family bubble's in the run up to the holidays. Simple dishes like this Smoked Sausage and Cabbage fit the bill perfectly!
Dishes that go together quickly and easily and that use simple every day ingredients. Recipes that are not a lot of work for anyone! Recipes that are delicious and that the family will enjoy. Recipes without a lot of faffing about!
I might not have noticed but one of the recipes I had really wanted and had specifically purchased the book for, the roast chicken, was one of the missing pages. Shame on them.
There are some very unscrupulous people about I have to say. I am glad that I am not one of them!
This recipe really appealed to me for several reasons. One, I love smoked sausage. I also love cabbage, in any way, shape or form!
Two I loved the simplicity of it and its easy of preparation. Other than seasonings, there are really only four simple ingredients.
Whilst hotdogs (frankfurters) are always smoked, a sausage can be either smoked or plain. I enjoy them both ways. Today, for this purpose, you need the smoked.
Smoked sausage, really good smoked sausage, was one of the things I missed when I was in the UK. You could get all kinds of polish sausage, but I was never quite sure which was the best one to use for something like this.
While they are not something which should form a regular part of your diet, they are something which can be very enjoyable from time to time. Both sausages and hotdogs. And yes, I do know what goes into a hotdog.
And some sausages for that matter! I always try to buy only quality, known types of either one. You do get what you pay for in a case such as this. If you don't want to pay a bit more, you get cheap and nasty.
There are many kinds of cabbage available to us these days. I recommend using the hard white cabbage or a winter king cabbage. You want one which will hold its shape well when it is cooked, and not go to mush in the longer cook time.
A savoy or Chinese cabbage would go to mush, and be quite unpalatable. These are more suited to quick cooking methods and do not take very long to cook at all.
I cut my cabbage into 1-inch chunks which worked perfectly for this purpose. It cooked evenly and was beautiful with the smoked sausage. I did not have to add any oil to the pan as the sausage had rendered out just enough to cook the cabbage in.
When Dan got home from work, the first thing he said was, "What smells so good!" High accolade indeed! We served it with potatoes, which we had simply boiled. They were perfect together. I am thinking a nice crusty rye bread would also go well, and perhaps some mustard on the side.
This was a MOST enjoyable meal! The simple things in life really do bring us the most joy.
Smoked Sausage and Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 pound of smokd sausage, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 6 cups coarsely chopped white cabbage (1 small head)
- 1 large onion, peeled and cut into wedges
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add the sausage to a large skillet. Cook and stir over medium high heat for about 3 minutes, until nicely browned. Scoop out and set aside.
- Add the cabbage, onion, garlic, sugar, caraway seeds (if using), salt and black pepper to the pan drippings. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to brown. (about 5 minutes)
- Add the sausage. Cover the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let stand for five minutes. Serve hot.
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 don't know why I had avoided it really. I guess I thought it might be a bit silly. In any case I fell in love with the show and have been watching it ever since.
The characters in it actually reminded me very much of my brother and his friends when they were in high school in many ways. They were all science nerds!
One of my favourite episodes is where Sheldon decides he is going to prolong his life by taking certain steps. One of them was declaring that every Thurday night is going to be cruciferous vegetable night! As one might suppose this does not exactly go to plan!
Cruciferous veggies are a diverse group that includes broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, bok choy, arugula, Brussels sprouts, collards, watercress and, surprisingly, radishes.
While these all may seem quite different in size, shapes and colours, they do share quite a few health benefits.Most cruciferous vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals such as folate and vitamin K.
Dark green cruciferous veggies also are a source of vitamins A and C and contain phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are plant-based compounds that may help to lower inflammation and reduce the risk of developing cancer.
They are also rich in fibre and low in calories, a quality which helps you to feel full and satisfied without overly indulging! Of course adding a rich cheese sauce somewhat adds a bit in fat and calories but what a delicious way to go!
Most cruciferous vegetables go very well with a lovely cheese sauce. I am not sure about radishes. Somehow the thought of radishes in a cheese sauce doesn't really appeal, but that's not to say that it wouldn't be delicious.
They are awfully good in salads however, which does go for most cruciferous vegetables I have to say. When it comes to cheese however, I don't think you can get much better than Cauliflower or Broccoli Cheese!
Or, in this case, Cauliflower & Broccoli Cheese! Yummo!!
Crispy tender pieces of cauliflower and broccoli, bathed in a lush cheese sauce and baked until the whole thing is bubbling and golden brown. What could be bad about that!
Today I used these little mini heads of both. They're so cute. They look just like baby heads of broccoli and caulifower!
I cooked them until just tender to the tip of a knife in some lightly salted boiling water. Then I drained them well and cut each in half. DO make sure you drain them well or you will end up with a soggy result.
It doesn't take long. Pop them into the water. Bring back to the boil and then cook for just a few minutes longer maximum. You want them to still have a bit of a bite.
For the cheese sauce you want to use a really good cheddar. I use a nice strong farmhouse cheddar. It is the kind of cheese you won't mind eating on its own with some crackers and it is excellent in a sauce such as this.
The important thing is to use a cheese that is well flavoured. You won't want to use a mamby pamby cheese. You want to be able to taste it.
I always add a touch of mustard and cayenne to my cheese sauces. It truly makes a difference.
These two ingredients make cheese sauces taste even cheesier. I am not sure how that works, but it works very well, just like magic.
Of course you can use just broccoli or just cauliflower in this. It does not have to be both. It will truly be delicious either way.
This makes for a very lush side dish for any main meal and an excellent main dish for a vegetarian. Its delicious and lush no matter how you serve it.
Cauliflower & Broccoli Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 very small cauliflower, trimmed
- 2 very small broccoli crown, trimmed
- salt and pepper
- 1 clove
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 small onion, peeled
- 2 1/2 cups (600ml) of milk
- 2 TBS butter
- 2 TBS all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup (150ml)of single cream
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne powder
- 1 2/3 cup (7 ounces) grated strong cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 TBS grated strong cheddar cheese
Instructions
- First make the cheese sauce. Attach the bayleaf to the onion with the clove, pressing the clove through the bayleaf and into the onion. Place in a saucepan along with the milk and the cream. Warm the milk mixture slowly to a simmer. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to infuse with the flavours of the studded onion for 15 minutes. At the end of that time, strain the onion out. (reserve the onion)
- Melt the butter for the sauce in a clean saucepan. Whisk in the flour and dry mustard powder, and cook over low heat for several minutes. Whisk in the warm milk, a little at a time, until the mixture forms a smooth bechamel sauce.
- Add the onion again and allow to cook, over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes. At the end of that time it should be lovely and thick and rich. Scoop out the onion and discard.
- Season to taste with some salt and pepper, and the cayenne. Whisk in the cheese until it melts. Set aside and keep warm.
- Bring a pot of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the cauliflower and broccoli. Cook just until tender. This should only take a few minutes, leaving a slight bite. Drain off the water. Season with some salt and black pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Spoon a little of the cheese sauce into an ovenproof dish. Arrange the cauliflower and broccoli on top. Pour the remaining cheese sauce over top to coat. Sprinkle with the additional cheese.
- Place in the oven to melt and colour for 10 to 15 minutes. It should be nicely browned and bubbling. Enjoy!
I cou
ld quite happy sit down with a plate of this and nothing else. If you are not fond of cauliflower, simply use all broccoli. If you don't like broccoli, use all cauliflower. If you cannot find the miniature heads of these vegetables use a small sized head of each, broken into florets. You can add buttered breadcrumbs to the top if you wish.
With the leftovers I made a delicious soup. Simply add the leftovers to a saucepan with chicken or vegetable stock to barely cover. Bring to a simmer and heat through. Puree with an immersion blender or in a regular blender (carefully). Enjoy!
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!
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