Showing posts with label vegetables. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegetables. Show all posts
I am really enjoying my Winter food at the moment. I love comfort types of meals, a bit heavier and stodgier than summer meals might be.
I really enjoy casseroles, be they side dishes or mains and I especially enjoy this fabulous winter vegetable gratin recipe I am sharing with you here today!
This is a dish that is just as happy playing side fiddle to a delicious piece of meat, poultry or fish as it is playing a main course to a vegetarian. It also makes excellent use of the winter root vegetables that are in abundance at the moment.
You can choose any group of these in any combination you wish, but today I have used Celeriac, Swede (rutabaga), carrots, parsnips and potatoes.
But as I said you can use any root vegetables. Sweet potatoes are nice, as is Kohlrabi or even turnips. You can also use some of the winter squashes. Butternut, acorn, etc.
The only vegetable I don't recommend is beetroot and that is not because it doesn't taste good, but rather that the red color bleeds rather unattractively into the sauce. If that is not a problem for you, by all means use it.
I love it myself and love to use it in soups, stews and gratins such as this one. It may be rather ugly to look at, but don't let the way it looks scary you away. It has a texture which is close to that of a turnip or a potato and the flavor really is mild.
Swede or rutabaga as it is properly called is another vegetable I love to use in the winter months. Like celeriac it excels in soups and stews. When I was a child we just called it turnip because that is what our mother called it.
They used to come coated in wax. I have not seen them coated in wax for a very long time.
My mother would mash it together with potatoes and we would enjoy it that way. It is a vegetable that I truly love. A stew or pot of soup would not be the same without it in my opinion.
Another vegetable I like to use in this is the humble parsnip. You might look at them and think that looks like a rather anemic carrot!
Whilst they come from the same family, they are not the same vegetable and this is not a carrot. They have a very distinct sweet flavor and are a member of the parsley family.
They do go very well with carrots however and I also enjoy these in vegetable soups and in stews. I also love them fried in butter. You can find my recipe for butter fried parsnips here.
Yes, I DO love root vegetables!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE A WINTER VEGETABLE GRATIN
I have made suggestions of which kinds of vegetables to use here, but you can use any combination of winter vegetables in the same quantity.
For the vegetables and sauce:
- 3 1/2 ounces (100g) celeriac, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes (celery root)
- 1 small carrot, peeled and cut into coins
- 1 small parsnip, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and cut into half moons
- 1/2 small swede (Rutabaga) peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) cream
- 1 small clove garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
- salt and black pepper to taste
Dry mustard powder is an ingredient I always have in the house. It excels in sauces, especially cream and cheese sauces.
For the crumb topping:
- 1 TBS butter, melted
- 3 TBS fine cracker crumbs
- 2 TBS finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp fresh thyme or marjoram leaves
- salt and black pepper to taste
HOW TO MAKE WINTER VEGETABLE GRATIN
This is a really easy gratin to make. There is no faffing about with sauces or the like. The hardest part is probably cutting the vegetables up, and that is not hard at all.
Just try to make sure that they are as uniform in size as possible. Of course you are not going to get your carrots and parsnips in the same size as the other vegetables, These are find sliced into coins and half moons.
You begin by bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add all of your vegetables and cook them for 10 minutes. You are only parboiling them, so don't be worried that they are not all the way cooked through.
They will finish cooking in the oven.
While they are parboiling you want to heat together the cream, garlic and mustard powder. This is your sauce. Simple. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
You can also mix together all of the ingredients for your topping until they are well combined.
After ten minutes, drain your vegetables really well and spread them out into a 6 by 9 inch gratin dish, which has been buttered.
Pour the cream mixture over top of the vegetables. They will not be drowning in it, but they are not supposed to. As it is the vegetables will absorb most of the cream while they are cooking in the oven.\
Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over top and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes at which time the vegetables should be the right consistency/texture. The casserole will be golden brown in color and the cream should be bubbling around the edges.
And that's it! Done! Such a simple dish but oh so tasty. You can enjoy this with any variety of meat or protein on the side. Poultry, fish, red meats, etc. Delicious.
It also makes a fabulous main course for vegetarians. You might be scrambling to know what to feed them. Double up on this and use it as a side for your omnivores and a side for your vegetarians. Everybody's happy!
Winter Vegetable Gratin
Yield: 2 as a main, 3 as a side
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 55 Min
This is a great way to use almost any combination of root vegetables. I don't recommend using beetroot as the color bleeds, but any other vegetable in the same quantities works well, and it is delicious.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 ounces (100g) celeriac, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes (celery root)
- 1 small carrot, peeled and cut into coins
- 1 small parsnip, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and cut into half moons
- 1/2 small swede (Rutabaga) peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup (120ml) cream
- 1 small clove garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
- 1 TBS butter, melted
- 3 TBS fine cracker crumbs
- 2 TBS finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp thyme or marjoram leaves
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 6 by 8 inch gratin dish. Set aside.
- Bring a pot of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the vegetables and cook for 10 minutes. Drain well. Spread out in the buttered gratin dish.
- Warm the cream together with the garlic and mustard powder. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Pour evenly over the vegetables in the dish.
- Whisk together the butter, cracker crumbs, cheese, marjoram or thyme leaves, and season to taste with a bit of salt and pepper. Sprinkle this evenly over top of the casserole.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes until bubbling and golden brown. The vegetables should be tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
- Serve warm as a vegetarian main or as a side dish.
All of the content you see here on this page, both photography and written, are the sole property of The English Kitchen, Marie Rayner. 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.
You are going to fall in love with this delicious recipe for Brussels Sprouts that I am sharing with you today. I happen to love Brussels Sprouts in any way shape or form anyways.
They have always been a real favorite vegetable in my house, especially around the holidays. I don't think I ever had a problem getting my children to eat them. They always called them baby cabbages.
I think they get a bad rap actually. Most people who say they don't like them probably just haven't had them cooked properly. Over cook any vegetable and you are not doing it any favors.
Over cook a Brussels Sprout, and well . . . there is nothing redeemable about those. Nothing.
I remember seeing canned brussels sprouts in the grocery store one time when I was in the UK. I thought to myself how wonderful. These would be handy to have on hand.
HUGE MISTAKE!!! They were the most disgusting tasting thing on the planet. I repeat . . . the MOST disgusting tasting thing on the planet. I wouldn't be feeding them even to my worst enemy!
This recipe today is worthy of any holiday table. These are quite simply fabulous. Cooked only until crispy tender.
So that they retain some of that beautiful nuttiness that is present in a perfectly cooked sprout. And that sauce they are in is to die for. Best of all, everything cooks all in the one pan. No fuss, no muss!
I adapted the recipe from one I found on a blog called Cafe Delights. The original recipe made 8 servings. I did not need that many servings.
I cut the recipe in half and it made a very delicious four servings. Very delicious indeed. I highly recommend, and best of all they are quick and easy to make and use only very simple ingredients.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CREAMY PARMESAN BRUSSELS SPROUTS & BACON
Just a few simple things and you are well on your way to creating a new family favorite!!
- 5 ounces (150g) streak bacon, cut into strips
- 1 TBS butter (I just use salted)
- 1 pound (230g) fresh brussels sprouts
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 fat cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy cream
- 3/4 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp. water (optional)
- 3 TBS freshly grated Mozzarella cheese
- 1 TBS freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Because I live all on my own I tend to freeze my bacon in single serving sizes. What I do is I buy the thick cut bacon and I roll it into rolls, freeze it and then pop it into a double zip lock baggie.
It thaws out in no time at all and I can take out just how many as I need at any given time. It is also exceedingly easy to cut it it up from frozen into thin slices, using a sharp knife.
Cutting raw bacon can be a real pain. Pain no longer. This works a charm! I just cut the rolls in half and then slice away! Easy peasy.
HOW TO MAKE CREAMY BRUSSELS SPROUTS & BACON
Like I said, nothing could be easier and you can cook the whole thing from start to finish all in one pan!
You want to prep your sprouts before you begin. Trim off any unsightly leaves and stems and wash them really well. Cut them in half horizontally.
Cook the bacon in a medium sized oven-proof skillet over medium heat until it is nice and crispy and then remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. (This soaks up some of the oil.) set aside.
You want to drain most of the bacon fat from the pan, leaving only about 1 TBS behind. I drain it into a glass jar, which I keep in the refrigerator. Bacon fat comes in really handy for frying potatoes, etc.
Melt the butter in the same skillet as your bacon fat, scraping up some of the browning in the pan. Once the butter begins to foam, add your sprouts, cut side down. I let them gild a bit and then I flip them over, again scraping up any brown bits.
Continue to cook them like this, turning them occasionally, for about 6 minutes. At that point you can season them to taste with salt and pepper, remembering that bacon is salty, so do be judicious with that.
Add your garlic and cook, stirring it through, for about a minute or so until really fragrant and then pour in the cream. Bring to the boil, then reduce and allow the sprouts to simmer in the cream for another 3 to 4 minutes.
If you think your cream mixture is too thin at this point, you can stir in the cornstarch slurry to thicken it up. I did not need to do this. Start preheating your oven to 375*F/ 190*C/ gas mark 5.
At that point your sprouts should be just on the edge of being cooked perfectly. Stir in most of the bacon, holding back just a bit. Spread the sprouts out in the skillet and then scatter both cheeses over top along with the bacon you held back.
Pop the skillet, uncovered, into the preheated oven and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes until the sprouts are done to your liking and the cheese is all bubbly. You can sprinkle them with a bit of coarsely chopped black pepper to serve.
Brussels Sprouts and bacon have a natural affinity for each other. They are perfect partners. I have always enjoyed combining the two. Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Shallots are another favorite of ours which combines those two beautiful flavors.
Some other favorite Brussels Sprout recipes are:
So you can see we really love our sprouts, and we really fell in love with this way of preparing them. They would go great with any special or holiday meal. On this particular day I enjoyed them with a piece of steak and a baked potato. Splendiferous!
If you are looking for a delicious new way to present your Brussels Sprouts this holiday season, look no further. You just struck gold!! I guarantee!!
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!
Back in the late 1960's, when I was just a little girl, my family moved halfway across Canada from Manitoba to Nova Scotia. That was a huge adventure for a little girl. I was 10 at the time and I still carry many fond memories with me from that trip.
First of all we were not a family that went on holidays or trips. At best we got to go to the beach maybe one day in the summer months, or grocery shopping with my parents, where we would sit in the car and wait for my mother to finish.
So a cross country trip was a really BIG deal for us.
When we got to Vermont we visited with my mother's cousin Polly. Polly and her family lived at the top of a hill in a big house. There were oodles of children in the family. At least that is what it seemed like to me.
My mother and father spent the day visiting with Polly and her husband Red and we children spent the day frolicking about the place with Polly's children. Every single one of us, to this day, has very fond memories of that visit, even my father.
They were such kind and magnanimous hosts.
Sadly we lost Polly a few months ago. She was always sending me lovely messages and crochet patterns on Facebook. I am friends with all of her children and their partners on there. Polly was very family oriented and loved to do family history.
Much like me in that way. She was pretty fabulous for a woman in her 90's. Very computer literate. Unlike my mother who freaked out even if she touched one with her vacuum cleaner, lol. Mom wouldn't even have a bank card.
I miss Polly very much and I am sure her family misses her even more.
Anyways, the whole point of me bringing up Polly and that visit is this. For supper on that night that we were there she served a delicious green bean casserole!
One that has lived on in my memory as one of the tastiest things I have ever eaten. This recipe I am sharing today is not her fancy green beans recipe. I have shared that one before.
However it does very much remind me of it. And when I was eating it I was very much visiting Polly and her family back in the annals of my memory.
The original version of this recipe was one I found on Taste of Home. It is attributed to a reader named Linda from Minnesota. The original recipe made 8 servings. I did not need 8 servings.
The recipe sounded very delicious however and I did want to try it, so I took the liberty of downsizing it to make only 4 servings. It is rich and fabulously tasty. And today I share it with you and remember mom's cousin Polly as I do.
Polly's recipe used cream of mushroom soup along with green beans and crispy French fried onions. This version has a tasty sauce in the place of the soup and a few other ingredients as well. Both version are delicious.
This version boasts a rich béchamel type of sauce, flavored with chicken stock, soy sauce and hot sauce. It also has a layer of sautéed onions, mushrooms and crunchy water chestnuts in the middle. Like Polly's it has crisp French fried onions on top.
I did tweak it a tiny bit as you will see, with fabulous results.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE ELEGANT GREEN BEANS
It might look like a lot of ingredients, but it really isn't. Also you may have to open a can of water chestnuts that won't be totally used. You can freeze what you don't use in a small container for use in the future.
- canned sliced water chestnuts
- onion
- sliced fresh mushrooms (They used canned)
- butter
- flour
- milk (I always use whole milk. I prefer its richness)
- chicken stock (I use the condensed that you reconstitute with water)
- soy sauce (I like the dark)
- hot pepper sauce (I like the green Tabasco)
- frozen whole green beans (They used French style, slivered,which I can't get here. The whole worked fine.)
- Cheddar Cheese (I always use strong or sharp so that you can notice the flavor)
- French-fried onions (The kind in the can. In the UK use crispy salad onions from the salad dressing aisle.)
The whole purpose of the crispy onions on top is to add a bit of crunch, texture and flavor. If you cannot get them (and I know many can't) you can use crushed cracker crumbs mixed with some melted butter.
Make sure they are only coarsely crushed and if you want additional flavor use one which has a bit of flavor added to it such as a sour cream and onion one, etc.
HOW TO MAKE ELEGANT GREEN BEANS
This was really simple to make. Not quite as simple as opening some cans, but almost as simple. You begin by thawing out your frozen green beans.
This is really easy to do. You can of course just leave them out on the counter for a few hours to thaw, but it is a lot faster if you cover them with boiling water, let them sit for a few minutes and then drain. Make sure you squeeze/pat them dry.
You will need to sauté the onions, mushrooms, and water chestnuts in some butter. You don't want the to brown and remember that mushrooms release a lot of water, which intensifies the more you agitate them, so do try to leave them alone until most of the water has evaporated.
The sauce is a very basic one and quite easy to make. Melt some butter, whisk in some flour. Cook for a minute to cook out the flour taste and then slowly whisk in the stock and milk.
Cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Once that happens you can add the soy sauce and hot sauce and adjust the seasoning with some salt and pepper. How much salt you use depends on the saltiness of your stock and your soy sauce.
I did not need any salt at all.
This sauce gets stirred into the green beans along with some cheese. I like to use strong cheddar because it has the nicest flavor. Mix it all together.
Layer the green bean mixture in a casserole dish in two layers with the mushroom/onions/chestnuts layered in the middle.
Bake uncovered for about 35 to 40 minutes, top with the crispy onions and bake a little while longer until golden brown.
And that's it. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. A delicious side dish perfectly sized for four on the day, or for two with leftovers to enjoy the day after!
I shared some with my next door neighbor. You know I live in a community which has a lot of elderly people living here. A lot of them really enjoy getting an impromptu visit every now and then, especially if you bring them a treat.
Although to be honest, most are just happy to have your company. Elegant Green Beans, and a visit with someone, both very good things. Happy Thanksgiving!
Elegant Green Beans
Yield: 4
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 48 MinTotal time: 1 H & 7 M
Meaty whole green beans combined with sautéed mushrooms and the crunch of water chestnuts in a rich and cheesy sauce. This truly is a fabulous side dish to serve on a special occasion! The original recipe made 8 servings.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces (115g) water chestnuts, chopped
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 1/2 cups (150g) sliced mushrooms
- 3 TBS butter, divided
- 2 TBS all purpose plain flour
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk
- 1/4 cup (60ml) chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- 1/8 tsp hot sauce
- salt and black pepper to taste (you may not need any)
- 1/4 cup (60g) grated strong cheddar cheese
- a small handful of crispy french-fried onions (in the UK crispy salad onions)
- 8 ounces (230g) (about 2 cups) frozen whole green beans, thawed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*C/180*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 3 cup casserole dish. Set aside.
- Place your green beans in a bowl. Cover with boiling water. Set aside to thaw. Drain well and pat dry. Return to the bowl.
- Melt 1 TBS of butter in a skillet. Add the onions, mushrooms, and water chestnuts. Sauté until the onion and mushrooms are tender. Set aside.
- Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and cook, stirring for about a minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and stock. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to the boil and thickens. Whisk in the soy sauce and hot pepper sauce.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as required with salt and black pepper. Pour the sauce over the green beans in the bowl. Add the cheese and mix everything well together.
- Place half of the green beans in the casserole dish. Top with the onion/mushroom/chestnut mixture. Spoon the remaining green beans over top.
- Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. It should be bubbling. Sprinkle the crispy fried onions on top and bake for a further 5 to 8 minutes until golden brown.
- Serve hot.
I am in the process of testing side dishes for the up and coming holidays and this week I really wanted to try this recipe I found in a book by Diana Henry. The name of the book is Pure Simple Cooking.
It is filled to overflowing with an abundance of simple recipes which require very few ingredients and not a lot of effort. When you are talking holiday meals, any recipe which meets those requirements is a plus for me!
I adore onions. They are quite simply one of my favorite vegetables and they go really well with roasts of any kind! Turkey, beef, chicken, lamb, pork, even ham.
These delectable onions would be a perfect side dish with any one of those meats. And when I say delectable, I mean delectable. These onions simply melt in the mouth.
Are you the person who always wants to pig out on that onion which has roasted in the middle of your roast chicken? (and who isn't!) If so, then this recipe is built just for you!
I don't know why I am always amazed when such simple ingredients and techniques come out crazy delicious. I shouldn't be. We all know its the simple things in life which bring us the most pleasure after all!
Caramelized onions are one of my favorite things to eat, but they are rather time consuming and you do have to keep a close watch on them. Worth the effort, but still . . .
When you are cooking a roast dinner you have plenty of other things to do, without having to babysit a skillet of onions! With a tiny bit of prep, these quite simply cook themselves! Easy peasy!
As you all know by now, I am a no fuss no muss kind of a girl. You can call it lazy if you want to, but the truth is I like recipes that can get me in and out of the kitchen with little or no effort.
Yes, they have to taste delicious, but recipes that cook themselves? Sign me up!
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE MELTING ONIONS
Very simple ingredients are needed to make these onions and you only need four ingredients.
- medium sized brown onions, skins on
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- salted butter
HOW DO YOU MAKE MELTING ONIONS
Nothing could be easier to make. With just a tiny bit of prep, these can be in the oven and roasting in no time at all.
First of all you will need six medium sized brown onions. By brown onion I mean onions with brown skins. You need to do a bit of prep on them, but not a lot.
Wash them really well and dry them and then trim all those hairy bits from the root end. You can just cut them off as close to the root as possible. You want essentially to make sure that the root end stays intact.
Although it is not essential you will also want to trim a bit from the stem end of the onion. I like to cut a thin slice from the top, discarding it.
You then need to make a deep cross cut down the height of the onion towards the root end, only going down 3/4 of the way.
Make sure you don't cut them all the way through the bottom. You want them to stay together.
You then rub them all over with some extra virgin olive oil. This is when you want an oil with some flavor, so extra virgin olive oil is perfect. You will also be seasoning them with some salt and pepper.
I like to use fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Once you have rubbed and seasoned them you need to pop them into a roasting dish that is small enough to hold them all snugly in a single layer.
This helps to keep them intact during the long roasting time. I used a 6 inch cake tin because I was only roasting 3 onions today for testing purposes.
They are then covered tightly with some more foil and popped into a moderately hot oven. (375*F/190*C) Initially they need to roast for a fairly long period of time. 70 minutes.
But essentially, they are cooking themselves. You can just walk away and get on with whatever else you need to be doing.
At the end of the that time you remove from the oven and add some butter. Just plain salted butter.
I cut it into slivers and inserted it into the cuts of the onions so that the flavor gets right in there.
Back into the oven they go for another 25 minutes, until that butter gets all nut brown and golden and the onions get to the point where they really do melt in the mouth.
You will need to baste them a couple of times with the melted butter. Not a problem. The end result is something that brings pure and simple taste satisfaction.
You can also turn these delectable little morsels . . . cheesy melted onions . . . by adding some grated strong cheddar cheese and popping them back into the oven just long enough for the cheese to melt.
Cheese and onion are perfect partners and this makes for a fabulous finish for what is essentially one of the simplest and most delicious sides dishes you could ever put together. I highly recommend!
PS - Do caution your guests to peel off the skins prior to eating. The onions slip out of them very easily. This tiny bit of hassle is well worth it. Trust me on this.
Melting Onions
Yield: 6 as a side dish (can easily be halved)
Prep time: 8 MinCook time: 1 H & 32 MTotal time: 1 H & 40 M
These will be the star of the show! These delicious onions melt in your mouth.
Ingredients
- 6 medium onions, skins left on
- 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup (60g) salted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/gas mark 5. Have ready a baking dish that you can fit all the onions in upright, snugly.
- Carefully trim the bizarre bits from the root end of the onion, leaving the root and skins intact. Trim a sliver from the other end as well. Make a cross cut into each onion 3/4 of the way down the height of the onion, taking care not to cut all the way to the bottom.
- Rub the onions all over with the oil, season with salt and pepper and then fit snugly into a small ovenproof dish. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
- Roast for 70 minutes. Uncover. Divide the butter amongst the onions, sliding it down into the centers. Bake for a further 25 minutes, basting them with the melted butter a few times. Serve at once.
Notes:
You can turn these into melting onions with cheese by adding some grated or cut strong cheddar (about 6 ounces) and stuffing it into the centers of each onion when done. Return to the oven just until the cheese has melted. Delicious!
You can also add herbs to these. Fresh thyme leaves are especially nice.
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