Showing posts with label vegetables. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegetables. Show all posts
A few weeks back my sister and I picked up some Winter squashes at a farmer's market a bit further on up the valley from where we live. They had a huge variety of squashes available, ranging from every colour, shape and size under the sun.
I bought a mash potato squash and a sweet potato squash and a spaghetti squash. My two potato type of squashes were, the mash potato squash the size of a small bowling ball, and the sweet potato squash a similar weight and size (except it is elongated) and my spaghetti squash was roughly twice the size of the other two.
I had never cooked or eaten any of these squashes before, but I love squash in general and I was intrigued by the names. You can read about my experience in cooking the Mash Potato Squash here.
My sister had also bought several squashes, including the same types and she cooked the sweet potato squash one Sunday for with our dinner.
In general we discovered that both of these squashes have a very dry texture when cooked. This lends them beautifully towards mashing, or roasting, without having to drain off much liquid.
Their flavors were also quite mild, or bland, which meant that they would be beautiful when mixed together with other ingredients. We added butter and Maple syrup along with some seasoning to the sweet potato squash.
I treated the mash potato squash just like potato and simply mashed it together with some butter and seasoning. I thought it was delicious that way.
Today I got to thinking what if I really decided to treat it like a potato. I love adore twice baked potatoes.
When we were growing up, it was always a real treat if our mother made twice baked potatoes. Or stuffed baked potatoes, and it was the same when my own family was growing up.
We all love stuffed baked potatoes, be they as simple as just mashing the insides with some milk, butter, onion and seasoning and stuffing the insides back into the skin and re-baking, or if we got really fancy and added things like cheese and leeks and such!
I also make a really delicious Twice Baked Mashed Potato Casserole. Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes is the perfect size for two people to enjoy and makes great use of store cupboard ingredients, or even leftover mashed potatoes.
Mashed potatoes, crumbled cooked bacon, minced chives, sour cream, cream cheese . . . a bit of cheddar on top. Its really yummy! 😋😋😋
Anyways the wheels in my head started turning and I thought to myself . . . what if I applied the same techniques to the mash potato squash? What indeed!
The result is this fabulously tasty casserole dish that I am sharing with you today for Twice Baked Squash Casserole! This was delicious!
It boasts all of the elements of the mashed potato casserole with the exception of cream cheese. I didn't have any, but you can add some if you wish. About 1/4 cup, or 1 ounce, would be perfect.
I also didn't use chives this time, I used finely sliced spring onions, or scallions as they are also called. They are also known as green onions.
Other than that everything else was pretty much the same. I did not add milk or buttermilk because I didn't want the mixture to be sloppy. Mashed winter squash is slightly wetter than mashed potatoes, but not much.
But I knew adding milk would be going overboard, so don't be tempted. I also didn't add any butter and it didn't need it.
Bacon bits, sour cream, spring onions, cheese and some seasoning is all I needed to add. The squash itself was nice and nutty, with some golden brown bits from the oven roasting.
It mashed beautifully and was lovely and dry, perfect for this application. I simply stirred everything together and banged it into a small casserole dish topping it with some more cheese and bacon bits.
It baked up beautifully in the oven. Nice and golden brown. I used a mix of cheddars, both white and orange, sharp cheddar. Double cheddar. Double tasty. Double nice.
Out of the oven, I sprinkled a few more chopped spring onions on top as a garnish. This was gorgeous. It made a beautiful side dish for the roast chicken and green beans I was also having.
I could have very easily eaten a whole plate of this and nothing else! It was that good!! I think I found a new favorite way to serve winter squash!
What is your favorite way to cook winter squash??? Do you have a favorite winter squash? Any winter squashes you avoid? Why is that? I really want to know! Lets talk!
Twice Baked Squash Casserole
Yield: 3
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 1 H & 5 MTotal time: 1 H & 10 M
This was a little something I came up with to use a mash potato squash that I had. You will need a squash that has a dry firm texture, not wet. Buttercup, Hubbard, Mash Potato and Sweet Potato Squashes all work well for this recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 dry squash (1 1/2 - 2 pounds in weight) (I used mash potato squash)
- 1/4 cup (30g) sour cream
- 1/2 cup (60g) grated strong cheddar cheese, divided
- 3 TBS real bacon bits
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 3 spring onions, washed, trimmed and thinly sliced, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/189*C/ gas mark 4. Cut your squash in half and scoop out the seeds, discarding them.
- Place the squash halves, cut side down on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Roast in the preheated oven until tender. (Mine took about 40 minutes.)
- Remove from the oven, turn cut side up, and leave to sit for about 15 minutes, or until you can comfortably handle the squash.
- Scoop the flesh out into a bowl, discarding the skin. Season to taste with salt and pepper, remembering that cheese and bacon are both salty ingredients, so be judicious with the salt. Mash together with 3/4 of the cheese, 2 TBS of the bacon bits and 2/3 of the spring onions.
- Spoon this mixture into a 2-cup (1 pint) buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and bacon bits over top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and heated through.
- Sprinkle the remaining spring onions on top and serve.
This cheesy, creamy broccoli and cauliflower casserole makes the perfect side dish for any meal and it is perfectly sized for just two people! What's more it uses no cream soup.
Instead the creamy cheesy sauce is made completely from scratch. You get crispy tender cauliflower and broccoli florets, in a rich, yet simple sauce, topped with a buttery cheesy crumb.
Broccoli and Cauliflower are two of my favorite vegetables, making this one of my favorite vegetable casseroles! Combine that with simple methods and ingredients, and you are on to a real winner here!
In fact I love this so much, I often eat it as my main course. Because, although it is sized for two people, they are very generous servings.
Broccoli and Cauliflower were not vegetables that we ever had in our home when we were growing up. Largely because my father was not overly fond of them, and also because they were not as readily available then as they are now.
I am sure I eat one or the other of them at least two or three times a week, usually broccoli. Over in the UK we had tender stem broccoli as well as purple sprouting broccoli. I have not seen those here yet, so I expect they are not available.
I think I was rather spoilt in the UK as far as what was available to me to use food-wise. I sort of took it for granted I'm afraid.
With the UK being the gateway to Europe we were blessed to have some of the nicest produce, cheeses, and meats available to us. People like to complain about English food, but really, I never found there to be anything to complain about!
I still have yet to find Parmesan cheese that I can grate myself. Maybe I am not looking in the right places. I am sure it is much easier in larger urban centers.
I love in a very small somewhat rural area, with a small population. The shops tend to get in only what sells. And obviously people are more than content to use already grated cheeses.
Thank goodness I do have more to use than the Parmesan in the green plastic container! That is a blessing in and of itself. But I still have only ready grated to use. Sigh . . .
Oh how I miss the smell of freshly grated Parmesan and having Parmesan rinds to add to my soups and sauces. Oh well, such is life and there are a great many other blessings I do have to enjoy.
I am really enjoying fresh local vegetable season. I frequent a farmer's market close to my home called Gouchers and they have beautiful fruits, vegetables and even eggs, jams, jellies, and frozen meats, etc. raised and produced by local farmers.
I have never been disappointed. I bought my bean bacon there the other week to make my homemade beans and it was lovely. Home smoked.
This week I bought this broccoli and cauliflower to use in this tasty and easy cheesy broccoli cauliflower casserole.
You will need to steam your vegetables. This is very easily done in a steaming basket over boiling water. It will take about 6 minutes to get the proper crispy tender.
Alternately you can boil them, which won't take quite as long, but you will really have to drain them well so your casserole doesn't end up watery. There is nothing more unpalatable than a watery vegetable casserole.
The creamy cheesy sauce is also very easy and quick to make. I have given instructions on how to make it in a saucepan, but truth be told, I normally do it in the microwave.
In a saucepan, if you have the burner temperature turned too high, you can end up with a sauce that scorches on the bottom if you aren't careful. You need to be constantly stirring it or else it will catch.
In the microwave there is not that problem. First I melt the butter in a large glass beaker, and then whisk in the flour. Microwave it again for 30 seconds, I then slowly whisk in the butter.
Return to the microwave and cook for about 3 minutes on high, whisking the sauce every 30 seconds. Cook only until the sauce bubbles and begins to thicken.
Do keep a close watch on it and make sure you use a large enough beaker to cook it in as milk doubles in size very quickly once it boils!
Once the sauce is thickened you can slowly whisk in the remaining ingredients. I add the cheddar a bit at a time, whisking it in with each addition until it melts into the sauce. If you think your sauce is too thick, you can add a bit more milk, or cream if you want a really rich sauce.
Once you have your sauce cooked, you can fold it together with your vegetables, working gently until everything is combined and then pour the whole lot into a buttered baking dish.
That crispy topping is this tasty casserole's crowning glory! Its crispy and buttery and cheesy. Nothing complicated about it. Its just panko, melted butter and grated parmesan.
You could also use regular dry bread crumbs or even cracker crumbs. I use panko because I always have it in my kitchen, but really, just use what you have. Cornflake crumbs also work.
That's the fun thing about cooking. I like to use simple ingredients that can easily be switched out if need be.
I pride myself on always cooking a delicious and edible meal and this tasty casserole can be just that or at the very least a part of that! It goes really well with chicken, fish and pork. Heck, it goes really well with anything!
Broccoli and Cauliflower Casserole
Yield: 2
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 45 Min
Cheesy, creamy broccoli and cauliflower casserole, perfectly sized for two people. A crunchy butter topping adds extra texture!
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound (226g) cauliflower florets
- 1/4 pound (113g) broccoli florets
- 1 TBS butter
- 1 TBS flour
- 1 cup (240ml) milk
- 2 TBS cream cheese
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- pinch black pepper
- pinch salt
- 1/2 cup (60g) grated sharp cheddar cheese
For the topping:
- 30g (1/4 cup) panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 TBS butter, melted
- 2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375*F/ 190*C/ gas mark 5. Butter a small shallow casserole dish or a 9 inch glass pie plate. Set aside.
- Mix all of the ingredients for the bread crumb topping together and set aside.
- Steam the broccoli and cauliflower in the basket of a steamer until al dente, about 6 minutes. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute. Slowly whisk in the milk, whisking constantly. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Whisk in the cream cheese, onion and garlic powders and seasoning. Gradually add the cheddar, whisking well after each addition.
- Remove from the heat. Fold in the vegetables and turn the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the crumb evenly mixture over top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Let stand for five minutes then serve.
Butter Bath Corn on the cob. How have I gone my whole life without tasting this delicious technique of cooking corn on the cob?
I discovered this Butter Bath Recipe on thekitchn and as soon as I saw it I knew it was something I really wanted to try. I was immediately intrigued. Butter. Bath.
Surely something immersed in a butter bath has to be delicious right?
I decided to risk it. I have gone over 20 years without tasting really good corn on the cob. It just doesn't exist in the UK. (Sorry UK!)
It is saying something when canned corn tastes better than the corn you can buy fresh in the shops. England does not have a climate that is conducive to growing sweet corn, eating corn. Cow corn, certainly, but not the kind of corn I grew up on.
Its just far too wet and they don't get enough sunshine. I even tried growing my own one year using seeds someone had sent me from North America. Peaches and Cream.
I got (from the whole pack) only 4 ears of corn and they were no more than 4 inches in length and whilst tasty, left me wanting.
You do get corn on the cob there, but it is shipped in from afar. None of it is grown locally. And they always husk it before you see it in the shops.
Everyone in North America knows corn begins to deteriorate in flavor as soon as it is picked. Also husking it too far before eating it is a huge no-no.
The best corn of all is eaten fresh on the day it is picked and you don't husk it until just before you go to cook it. Its the truth.
I have eaten a lot of corn on the cob in my lifetime. When I was a child my parents would buy it by the paper bag full, several bakers dozen (which means 13 cobs each dozen) and we would have a corn on the cob feast supper.
That is literally all we would have for supper. Corn on the cob, hot, buttered and salty. And we could have as much of it as we could eat.
It was the same for my children when they were growing up. Corn season was something we looked forward to all year long.
When I lived in Southern Ontario we would buy it from the backs of farm wagons parked by the side of the road. It made for really good eating.
We would sit the kids out back at the picnic table with the bags of corn and a garbage bin fitted with a black bag. They would go to town husking it ready for cooking.
I used a huge and I mean HUGE stock pot to cook it in. Bringing the water to the boil (I always added some sugar to the water) and carefully dropping in the cobs.
As soon as you could smell it, I knew the corn was done to perfection. And I do mean perfect.
This tasty recipe is a riff on that original and is really delicious. Instead of just cooking your corn in a bath of boiling water, it gets cooked in a bath of water, milk and butter. Oh my my . . .
Has to be good right? Right! Its excellent. I saw some corn at the local market and I picked some up the other day and was looking for a different way to cook it.
I saw this and just had to try it. I am so happy that I did, because it is excellent!
I actually tried the Hot Honey Butter Bath version. It was delicious!
Sweet corn on the cob cooked in a bath of water, milk, butter, honey and hot pepper flakes. Has to be good right?
There are actually five different versions to choose from including the basic. Hot Honey Butter. Garlic and Herb Butter. Buffalo Butter and Tex Mex Butter.
I aim to try all of them before the summer is out. Diverticulitis be damned! (Yes at my age, eating corn on the cob can be a bit like playing a losing game with my innards.)
But I love corn on the cob so much that I am willing to take the risk. I have been without good corn on the cob for far too long.
Far too long. I am just grateful that I still have all of my teeth to be able to eat it! Yay me!
I can remember as a child eating corn on the cob like the cylinder on a typewriter going through its motions. Yes, we had watched too many cartoons.
We would run our mouths along it row by delicious row, as quickly as we could. Even emitting a dinging nose when we got to the end, ready to start again at the beginning.
Oh the innocence of childhood. What a wonderful thing it is. Simple simple joys and pleasures!
Like abundant corn on the cob feasts, all you can eat, dripping with butter. Seriously tasty. I don't dare eat that much butter on it now. But I confess . . . the child in me would still love to,
Anyways, do yourself a favor and cook your corn on the cob like this at least once this summer and when you do, prepare yourself to fall in love.
Totally and inextricably in love. You have been forewarned.
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
Butter Bath Corn
Yield: 6
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 8 MinTotal time: 13 Min
A wonderfully unique method of cooking corn on the cob that yields sweet delicious, perfectly cooked and juicy corn on the cob, with four tasty variations.
Ingredients
Basic Butter Bath Corn
- 6 ears of ripe husked corn, cut in half crosswise
- 4 cups (1 liter) water
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
- 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Place the cold water into a large saucepan. Bring to the boil and then add the milk, butter and salt.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the corn. Cover and cook for exactly 8 minutes.
- Remove to a platter and serve immediately with or without additional butter for spreading.
Notes:
For Garlic and Herb: Cook as above, adding 6 cloves of smashed garlic, a medium sized bunch of fresh thyme.
For Buffalo Butter: Cook as above adding 1 cup (240ml) of lager (beer), 1/4 cup (60ml) hot sauce. Reduce the salt to 1/2 tsp.
For Hot Honey Butter: Cook as above adding 1/2 cup (120ml) liquid honey and 1 tsp red pepper flakes.
For Tex Mex: Cook as above adding 1 cup (220g), 1 tsp mild chili powder, 1/2 tsp ground cumin and reducing the salt to 1/2 tsp.
Cauliflower is one of those vegetables you either love or you loathe. One of the brassica family vegetables, I am from the love it camp.
Too many people have just had it very poorly cooked, and this has turned their eaters off of it. Properly cooked, it is a fabulous vegetable. But like any brassica, over cook it and you have created something appallingly horrific to the taste!
There is nothing more distasteful than a limp watery and mushy piece of cabbage, broccoli or cauliflower!!! Crispy tender is the way to go, lightly steamed is better than boiling.
But, if you want a really nice flavor, roasting it is the way to go! When you roast it, you end up with a beautifully cooked vegetable with caramelized edges, crispy tender insides. In short brassica perfection.
In Deb Perelman's book, Smitten Kitchen Every Day, she has a recipe for the Cauliflower Wedge. I was intrigued by it.
Roasted cauliflower wedges, adorned with fried capers and dried currants, plus plenty of parsley. I thought I could do one better though.
I love cauliflower cheese. Tender pieces of cauliflower in a lush cheese sauce, topped with more cheese, and baked until golden brown.
This is a favorite dish of many people and you will find it laid out as a side dish in many carveries in the UK. In fact you can even buy loose frozen cauliflower cheese there. Ready to pour out into a dish and bake.
Its a favorite dish, but I don't always want to go to the trouble of making a cheese sauce. I got to thinking, there has to be an easier way, but one which is just as delicious.
Voila! Roasted Cauliflower Cheese. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
I borrowed Deb's idea of roasting the cauliflower first. You just need to cut your vegetable into wedges, drizzle it with a bit of olive oil, season and roast it in a hot oven.
10 minutes on one side and 10 minutes on the other. At that time it should have begun to beautifully caramelize, but still be crispy tender.
There is a chicken dish I do that is very delicious and very popular, called Chicken Rarebits. Boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced almost all the way through, roasted with cherry tomatoes, topped with cheese, grainy mustard and cream.
It is my absolute favorite chicken dish of all time, and something which the missionaries always loved having when they ate at my house. LOVED!
I would cook a full roasting tray of it and it would disappear every single time. Its just incredibly delicious. The cheese and tomatoes make a beautiful sauce and the chicken always comes out incredibly tender.
I haven't made it since I moved back to Canada. I will have to make it the next time my family comes over for supper. I think they would enjoy it.
I got to thinking today that mixture would also make a fabulous sauce for roasted cauliflower. Why not try it?
Why not indeed! And so I did. I used a medium strength cheddar in a mix of white and orange. I also added some grated Parmesan cheese for some variety.
I mixed that together with a tablespoon of grainy Dijon mustard and some heavy cream. Not a lot.
Then I spooned it over top of the cauliflower after it was roasted and turning golden brown, caramelized in places., and then banged it back into the oven.
Not for long. Just long enough for the cheese to melt into that cream and for the flavors to mingle.
The mixture melting down into all the little nooks, crannies and crevices of that scrumptious caramelized cauliflower.
Crispy tender, golden bits of cauliflower . . . gooey melting cheese with the spark of mustard, and the richness of cream . . .
What a tasty mouthful. What a tasty mouthful. I'm not sure that this could get any better. Not sure at all.
And I am pretty sure you could make a delicious soup with the leftovers, heated gently in some milk along with a bit of potato . . . blitzed until smooth with a stick blender.
Just an idea I might try. I'll let you know how it goes, but I am salivating already.
I garnished it with a bit of chopped green onion for color. Scallions. Spring onions. Whatever you want to call them. It added a spark of green and just a tad bit of sharpness. Bacon bits would also be nice. Just saying . . .
In any case, this turned out really lovely. I really enjoyed it. Its also low carb and gluten free if you are on those types of diets. Delicious is what it is. Just plain delicious. It makes a fabulous side for four or a scrumptious main dish for two.
Roasted Cauliflower Cheese
Yield: 4
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 35 Min
This has to be the easiest cauliflower cheese going. There is no faffing about making a sauce, or anything like that. If you can cut a cauli into four wedges, then you can make this.
Ingredients
- 1 small to medium cauliflower, about 1 1/2 pound in weight
- 4 TBS olive oil
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the cheese:
- 1 cup (235g) grated medium cheddar cheese
- 2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 TBS grainy mustard
- 1/4 cup(60ml) cream
You will also need: (optional)
- 1 spring onion, washed, trimmed and minced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450*F/230*C.
- Line a baking tray with sides with some aluminum foil and then drizzle 2 TBS of the olive oil on the tray.
- Trim your cauliflower, removing and discarding any large leaves. Small ones are okay to leave on. Keep the core intact. Cut the cauliflower into 4 even wedges.
- Place the wedges cut side down on the baking tray and drizzle with the remaining 2 TBS of oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Roast in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, until golden brown on the sides touching the tray. Flip over to the other side, season a bit more and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.
- Stir together both cheeses, the mustard and the cream. Spoon a dollop of this mixture on top of each wedge and return to the oven for a further 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and turned golden in a few places, and the cauliflower is crispy tender.
- Sprinkle with the chopped spring onions and serve immediately.
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