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Showing posts sorted by date for query cabbage. Sort by relevance Show all posts
One thing I love to do is to come up with delicious ideas for using things that I have in my fridge and larder. This weekend I cooked us a small roast dinner for our Sunday lunch.
Not something we have very often. I had a quantity of leftover cooked roast beef and so today I set out to cook us something tasty using that and what I had to hand.
I cut my beef up into small bits and fried it off together with some diced frozen peppers from the freezer and chopped onion.
I also added some spices and chopped black olives that were languishing in the bottom of a jar in the refrigerator.
Next I added a portion of refried beans that I also had in the freezer, along with some tomato sauce (and I don't mean ketchup), some water along with a splash of Worcestershire sauce and heated it all through.
Finally I added a generous handful of crushed tortilla chips that I had in the cupboard. I wanted to use them up before they got stale.
They also served the purpose of adding a bit of crunch and thickening it up a bit more.
I used taco sized wheat flour tortillas. I like to toast these over an open flame on the top of my stove. I just use a pair of tongs and hold them over the flame, first on one side and then on the other.
If you fold them in half right away, they stay like that, which makes them perfect for tacos. Not hard like the crisp ones, but not entirely soft either. My husband doesn't like really hard things.
I rooted through the refrigerator and found some tasty things for garnishing. I had some sour cream, in the bottom of a pot that needed using up.
I also had some spring onions that I chopped up. They add a nice touch of sharp earthy flavours and crunch.
I shredded up the last of my lettuce to use, but you could also use finely shredded cabbage if you have it. Red or green, they taste the same.
I grated a small chunk of sharp cheddar cheese and then chopped a few green olives that needed using up.
Finally I garnished with a few more crushed tortilla chips.
I was really, REALLY pleased with the end results. These were very tasty. My husband even had one for breakfast!
It made a great use of odds and bits from my refrigerator and freezer. Of course if you have fresh peppers, onions, etc. you can use them.
Its nice to know, however, that frozen work well also.
I didn't have any salsa or fresh tomatoes left, but either one would also make a great garnish.
This recipe is all about showing what you can do with very little.
This situation we are all living in right now is a great opportunity for us to really stretch the boundaries of our cooking, to think outside the box as it were.
Its also a wonderful opportunity for us to decrease our waste. To make do and use it up. Something which we should always be doing anyways.
Tijuana Tacos
Yield: Makes 12
How to make something delicious from seemingly nothing at all.
Ingredients:
- 225g chopped cooked beef (can use leftover roast, or mince) (1 1/2 cups)
- 225g of refried beans (1 cup)
- 120ml tomato passatta (1/2 cup tomato sauce)
- 90ml water (3 fluid ounces)
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 green pepper, trimmed and chopped (can use the equivalent in frozen chopped peppers)
- 3 TBS chopped ripe olives
- 1 tsp mild chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- dash each celery salt and ground nutmeg
- splash or Worcestershire sauce
- a generous handful of tortilla chips crushed
- 12 taco sized soft tortillas, toasted
You will also need to garnish:
- 1/4 of a head of lettuce, finely shredded
- chopped spring onions
- chopped fresh tomatoes (if you have them)
- 2 ounces grated strong cheddar cheese
- a handful of chopped olives
- sour cream
- additional crushed tortilla chips
- Green Tabasco
Instructions:
How to cook Tijuana Tacos
- Spritz a large non-stick frying pan with some spray oil. Add the onions and peppers and cook over medium heat until they start to soften. Throw in the chopped beef. Cook and stir for a few minutes, then add all of the spices. Cook and stir until quite fragrant, then stir in the tomato sauce, refried beans, olives and water. Bring to a simmer and heat through.
- In the meantime, heat your tortillas as desired. I like to hold mine over an open flame and toast them on both sides, folding them in half when heated. Keep warm.
- Make sure you have all of your toppings ready.
- Crush your tortilla chips. Stir them into the meat mixture, reserving a few for garnishing if desired. Divide the mixture between the toasted tortillas.
- Garnish each with some or all of the suggested garnishes. I sometimes like to add a splash of hot sauce. (I like the green tabasco.) serve immediately and enjoy!
These were really, really good. It makes me feel good knowing that I can use up all my leftovers. It also makes me feel good that I can create something so tasty out of very little, and just what I have on hand.
What's the most creative thing you have come up with when using up what you need to use up food-wise in the house? Care to share??? Don't ask me why I called these Tijuana Tacos. It just sounded Mexican. LOL
The recipe I am sharing with you today proves that you can make a salad out of just about anything. I was very lucky the other day that my good friend Tina picked me up a head of iceberg lettuce and left it on my doorstep. You never know what you are going to miss until you can't get it. That is precisely when you are going to start craving it, and all last week I had a craving for lettuce and cabbage. Thankfully Tina was able to get me both!
I am quite lucky in that I have a fair amount of meat and fish in the freezer, mostly chicken of course, but I think I might have some pork chops in there somewhere, and maybe a piece of lamb. In any case I used some of the chicken to create this fabulous Almost Fried Chicken Salad!
You can use chicken tenders if that is all you have to use. I cut chicken breasts into strips, and then rolled them in some buttermilk and then a flavourful dry coating mixture, of flour, dry bread crumbs and a mis of herbs and spices.
These were baked in a hot oven on a oil sprayed baking sheet. I also sprayed them with a bit of oil. (Low fat canola oil cooking spray) I baked them until they were golden brown and crisp, turning them and spraying them again, halfway through the bake time.
The salad itself was a mix of what I had in the house . . . chopped boiled egg, chopped broccoli and cauliflower . . .
Chopped cucumber and radish. I cut my radishes in half with zig zag edges to provide visual interest . . .
I forgot to add tomatoes which I had, but feel free of course. I also added some chopped spring onion.
You can use any combination of vegetables you have that you might enjoy . . . cooked beetroot, cooked sweet potato, carrots, etc. All work very well.
I had actually made some sweet potato chips (crisps) the other day that I used as croutons on top, you could use normal croutons, or no croutons. Just what you have and what you fancy. There really is no right or wrong about this!
I added a grating of cheddar cheese to the top. You could use crumbled blue cheese or feta. Again, whatever it is that you fancy or that you have!
The dressing is a homemade kind of a Ranch/Garlic dressing. I used the rest of my sour cream in it, but you can also use plain yogurt if that is what you have, or even buttermilk if you happen to be so lucky to have it. Those three things are all tangy, rich and pretty much can be used in place of the other.
This really satisfied my craving for a wholesome and hearty salad! For Todd I added a baked potato.
He was happy, I was happy . . . it was a great meal and we made great use of just what we had that needed using. No waste here!
Almost Fried Chicken Chopped Salad
Yield: 4
Quit simply delicious. This fabuously tasty salad is designed to use what you have in the house.
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
- 30g dry bread crumbs (1/4 cup)
- 35g plain flour (1/4 cup)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
- 120ml buttermilk (1/2 cup)
- Cooking spray oil
For the salad:
- 1/2 medium head of iceberg lettuce
- 3 cups of chopped vegetables (a variety)
- 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- 60g of strong cheddar cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
For the dressing:
- 110g mayonnaise (1/2 cup)
- 60g sour cream (1/2 cup)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp each dried basil and dried dill
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 60ml milk (1/4 cup)
Instructions:
How to cook Almost Fried Chicken Chopped Salad
- First make the dressing so that you can chill it in the refrigerator. Whisk together all of the ingredients until smooth. If you have no sour cream, you can use plain yogurt. Put in a glass jar, cover and chill until needed.
- To make the chicken, cut the chicken into 1/2 inch thick strips. Mix together the flour, bread crumbs, herbs and seasonings in a shallow bowl. Put the buttermilk in another bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil and spray generously with oil spray.
- Coating the chicken strips, one at a time, roll first in the buttermilk and then in the flour mixture to coat. Lay on the baking sheet. When all have been coated and are on the baking sheet, spray with more spray oil.
- Bake for 8 minutes until golden brown. Carefully flip over and lightly spray again, and cook for a further 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown all over and the juices run clear. Remove from the oven. Let cool, then cut into chunks.
- Have ready four pasta bowls. Cut the lettuce into chunks and divide between each bowl evenly. Top each with 1 chopped boiled egg, 1/4 of the chopped spring onion, and a portion of the chopped vegetables. (I used cauliflower, broccoli (stems and all), radish, cucumber) Top each with a portion of the chicken and then drizzle with a portion of the dressing. Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately. Pass any remaining dressing at the table.
Has your cooking become rather inventive during the lockdown? What are some of the things you have been doing? I really want to know! They say this might go on for as long as twelves months. We will all be in need of some culinary inspiration by then I reckon! I said to Todd I want to go out for a slap bang meal at a good restaurant, no matter the cost!
Just because we are on lockdown and unable to get out doesn't mean that our meals have to be boring. I do have limited fresh vegetables at the moment, consisting mainly of potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions and carrots. That is all about to change on Friday however! Yay!
Yes, with some diligence and determination I was finally able to get in touch with someone from our city indoor market who is making deliveries, and at a fair price.
On Friday afternoon I will have cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kiwi, apples, oranges and a few other bits. I am so very grateful for that. And they will deliver it all right to my door and leave it on the step.
In the meantime I was able to make my husband and I a sausage and vegetable bake today, using what I do have at the moment. It was delicious.
It is perfectly sized for two people, but you can very easily double the amounts to serve more.
There are potatoes, sweet potato, carrots and onion, plus two meaty sausages a piece, and a very tasty gravy, which does not use salty gravy powder. All natural ingredients.
My thyme is growing in the garden at the moment. I do wish I had some parsley, but oh well . . . we will live without it. I wish parsley was one of the herbs that comes back every year like thyme and oregano.
Rosemary and sage . . . but no parsley doesn't and neither does basil.
Back to the bake. This is so simple and easy to do. You just cut up your vegetables and put them in a baking dish. I used my trusty 7 by 10 inch dish, which is the perfect size.
A simple gravy mix is created and then poured in beneath the vegetables. Its actually probably easier if you put the gravy mix in first and then the vegetables.
The sausages are laid on top and then the whole thing just gets baked in a hot oven. I baked it for half an hour, flipped the sausages over and baked for a further hour. Easy peasy.
The gravy thickens up nicely in that time. There is no muss or fuss . . . no frying involved.
This is a meal that basically cooks itself. You really can't get much better than that!
Sausage Vegetable & Gravy Bake
Yield: 2
This is a simple all in one oven bake, built for two that produces perfectly cooked sausages, vegetables and a tasty gravy!
Ingredients:
For the Vegetables:
- 3 medium potatoes, unpeeled and cut into chunks
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into batons
- 1 medium onion, peeled and cut into quarters
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 TBS olive oil
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- salt and black pepper to taste
For the gravy:
- 1 TBS butter, melted
- 1 1/2 TBS plain flour
- 240ml chicken or beef stock (1 cup)
You will also need:
- 4 thick herby sausages
Instructions:
How to cook Sausage Vegetable & Gravy Bake
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Have ready a baking dish deep enough to hold the vegetables and sausage. My 7 by 10 inch dish is the perfect size.
- Whisk together all of the ingredients for the gravy. Pour this into the baking dish.
- Toss the prepared vegetables in a bowl together with the oil, herbs, garlic and some seasoning. Pour them into the baking dish with the gravy. You will have lots peeking over top. This is perfect as they will caramelise a bit. Top with the sausages.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Flip the sausages over and return to the oven and bake for a further half an hour at which time the vegetables should be cooked through and the sausages will be golden brown and cooked through.
- Divide the vegetables and sausages between two plates and spoon some gravy over top of each.
If you don't have sausages, I am sure you could use chicken pieces in much the same way. They would also be very good. How are you all getting along?
Our weather has been beautiful these last few days so its not been too bad. We've been able to sit out of doors and enjoy the sunshine and today I even saw butterflies. Spring is definitely here.
Who would have thought just a few months ago that we would all be sitting where we are at the moment. Pandemic. It sounds like something from a "B" movie, but we are all in pretty much the same boat. Having to take precautions and all sorts.
Because of my husband's age and both of our underlying health problems, we are have been self-isolating for about a week and a half now and have been told it could be for as much as three months or even longer. People have been panic-buying in the shops, store shelves have been stripped bare of even the bare essentials.
What we have in our homes at the moment, is pretty much what we have. It is going to be tough over these next few weeks to keep things interesting as far as food goes to say the least. I thought I would do a round-up today of some recipes that make good use of store cupboard ingredients and that are delicious and anything but boring.
My whole blog is filled with recipes quite like this because I have always been a somewhat thrifty cook, and a cook who can turn nothing into a meal. Here are some of my suggestions, which are really only the tip of the iceberg.
Tomato Lasagne. This is simple,
uncomplicated, straightforward and delicious. A delicious tomato sauce,
with some cheese, lasagna sheets and a good bechamel.
You can dress it
up by adding some different cheeses, such as goat's cheese, or a few
dollops of pesto, or some grilled vegetables between the layers. What
you have here is a canvas to write your own story upon .
Stewed Steak and Macaroni. This
simple and yet delicious recipe is a testimony to the ability of our
forebears to create something quite delicious out of simple and
ordinary ingredients.
This is absolutely delicious. Cheap, cheerful and delicious.
Creamy Sweet Corn Mac & Cheese. This tasty casserole combines two of my great loves . . . mac & cheese and creamed corn.
Roasted Potato Nachos. Potato chunks are tossed together with a mix of seasonings and and are then spread onto a lined and oiled
baking sheet in a single layer and bake in a fairly hot oven.
Topped with cheese and chopped spring onions or your favorite nacho toppings and then served wih salsa and sour cream, they go down a real treat.
Creamy Turkey and Rice. This
is simple to make and quite delicious. Its cooked all in one pot,
which makes for an easy clean up. I use long grain rice for this.
You
can also use leftover cooked turkey for this instead of fresh, or
leftover chicken, or canned cooked chicken.
Pasta e Piselle. Simple ingredients put together in a fabulous way! Quick, easy and delicious!
A simple pasta in broth with peas. You can't go wrong.
Sausage Hash. This
is a simple and quick supper that is all in one pan. Make sure you
could extra potatoes one night so that you can make this.
Alternately
you can use a tin of new potatoes, well drained and cubed. It's
delicious!
Cabbage & Ham Soup with Cheese Dumplings. A fabulous soup filled with tasty cabbage, ham and other tasty things.
What more can I say? Hearty and delicious!
Tasty Oat and Cheddar Scones. These scones are the perfect
accompaniment to a hot bowl of soup and quite tasty on their own just
split in half and spread with butter.
They also make great picnic
sandwiches, split open and spread with soft cheese and filled with ham.
They are just plain good no matter how you take them.
Lassy Buns. A delicious biscuit/scone made with molasses. They are a Canadian maritime tradition.
Mother's Creamy Tomato Soup. Creamy and dreamy. Very rich. Perfect with a grilled cheese! Comfort in a bowl, like a warm mother's hug.
Creamy Corn Chowder. An
old family favourite which I have been making for many years.
It was
really hard to put it down on paper as I have only just done it off the
top of my head, but I have managed to get it done just for you!
Frank & Potato Bake. Cooked potatoes and sliced frankfurters are gently folded into a cheese
sauce which has been flavoured with onion and then poured into a
casserole, covered and baked. Yummy!
I am a person who just loves hotdogs/weiners/frankfurters! You could use smoked sausage in its place if you want.
Cauliflower, Green Bean & Tomato Salad. Not only is this salad delicious, but it's filled with colour and
texture and lots of flavours! The dressing is a simple one.
You could
spark it up a bit by adding some anchovy or olives, or even some garlic.
Salmon or Tuna Loaf with a Mustard Cream. This is a recipe which I have been making for years and years. You make it
with either cooked tuna or salmon.
Sometimes I will serve it with a
cream sauce, or creamed peas, or this lush Mustard Cream.
Tortilla Pie. Who says that economy has to taste bad? This is a delicious mix of corn
tortillas, tomatoes, pulses and cheese, baked together in a pie.
I am
sure Little Jack Horner would have loved this pie too!
Bread and Cheese Omelet. Once in a while an indulgent treat is just what we need. The recipe
is for one omelet, but you can make as many as you like, by increasing
the amount of ingredients.
I made two, one for me and one for my husband. I
doubled everything, cooked all the bread cubes together and then did
individual omelets, one at a time, keeping the first one warm in the
oven while I cooked the second one.
Confetti Rice Salad. Colorfully delicious! Filled with lots of good things and plenty of tasty crunch!
Nutellos. A favourite snack for kids, both large and small alike! Creamy
nutella, melted together with butter and marshmallows, and tasty oaty
O-shaped cereal stirred in. (Ok, so it's cheerios!) Scrummy, yummy
nummy!!
Irish Marmalade Cake. A
sweet and moist marmalade flavoured loaf studded throughout with sticky
sweet sultanas. A delight when sliced, buttered and enjoyed with a
nice refreshing hot drink.
Like I said, this is by no means all that I could have shared with you today. My blog is filled with recipes like this. Have you got anything in particular that you would like to turn into a delicious meal? Ask me in the questions below and I will see what I can find or do! We are all in this together!
Like I said, this is by no means all that I could have shared with you today. My blog is filled with recipes like this. Have you got anything in particular that you would like to turn into a delicious meal? Ask me in the questions below and I will see what I can find or do! We are all in this together!
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: theenglishkitchen@mail.com
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