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With Valentines Day coming up this week, and my stove being out of commission, I thought it would be fun to do something different and create a delicious picnic for my sweetie pie and I to share for the occasion. Its really fun to do and really doesn't take a lot of work.
The weather has been right miserable lately, but that doesn't mean we can't still enjoy a picnic. Some of the nicest picnics can be shared right within the four walls of your comfy home!
The centre piece of my picnic was a delicious Buffalo Chicken Salad that I threw together. You will find the recipe below for a basic chicken salad and 10 variations. This is just one of them, and I can tell you it is really tasty!
I had a good old rummage around the refrigerator this morning while my husband was out and by the time he came home, I had a picnic feast for two more than ready.
We had some leftover potato salad and coleslaw from the other day, so that was packed into a container for sharing . . .
I always have lots of cheeses on hand, chutney's and crackers and so I did up a small cheese tray for us to enjoy. I used some vintage white cheddar, Danish blue, wensleydale with cranberries and boursin cheeses.
I put the chutney into a small Bonne Maman Jar and an assortment of crackers and some butter for spreading in a sandwich container. Be sure to include a knife for cutting up the cheeses and a spoon for the chutney.
You will want a toasted baguette or crisp breads to have with the chicken salad, or even some salad greens. My husband isn't one much for salad greens, so I had soft baguettes for him. No toasting today as there is no oven.
There was a Melton Mowbray Pork Pie in the refrigerator (his favourite pie) and some cheese and onion rolls, so I added a container with them, as well as some English Mustard for him to enjoy with a slice of pie. I also had some black and green grapes, so I washed some of them and put them into another container.
Something sweet is always welcome, so I added a container of his favourite biscuits/cookies and some fruit yogurts.
I also added the required cutlery, dinner plates and glasses, along with some tea light candles (for romance), a blanket to sit on, a book of poetry to share with each other and a fun game to play.
A bottle of sparkling apple juice was the finishing touch. I then packed it into our picnic basket . . . its a red metal one with chrome handles that I bought several years back.
I think its really pretty, although in all truth a wicker one is better as this one is quite heavy once you get it packed. It didn't all quite fit inside, but no matter we weren't going very far . . .
And with there being two of us, we carried the juice separately along with the bread, games and poetry.
As I said, we did not have far to go!
My husband was pleasantly surprised when he got home. I put some nice music on for us to listen to and in all truth, we sat at the table . . . these old bones of ours are not fond of floor sitting, not anymore . . .
It was a really nice spread . . .
I had my chicken salad on salad greens . . . my husband, of course, did not. Oh well . . .
The star of course was the chicken salad. I did the Buffalo Chicken version and it was absolutely fabulous.
The recipe comes from a magazine on chicken that I bought at the grocery store the last time I was visiting Canada. Its a lovely basic recipe . . . .
And then of course there are ten different variations . . . sure to suit every taste!
This really was a lot of fun! And it didn't really take a lot of effort on my part.
It made a change from the usual Winter bill of fare . . .
And injected a bit of sunshine and romance into what was simply a cold, blustery, rainy day!
Yield: 4
Chicken Salad with variations
With a few flavourful additions and basic ingredients you need never have boring Chicken Salad again.
ingredients:
For the basic salad: (see variations below)
- 1/2 pound cooked chicken, chopped
- 1 stalk of celery, chopped
- 2 thinly sliced spring onions (scallions)
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise
- or salad dressing
- 1 tsp snipped fresh basil
- 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp salt
instructions:
- Combine the chicken, celery, spring onions in a bowl. Mix together the mayonnaise, basil, lemon zest and salt. Fold dressing into the chicken and vegetables gently, to combine well. Cover and chill for 1 to 4 hours. Serve on bread, crackers, or salad greens.
Variations:
- 1. Buffalo Chicken - Omit Basil, stir in 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese and 1/4 to 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce.
- 2. Hawaiian - Stir in 1/2 cup chopped pineapple. Just before serving, stir in 1/4 cup chopped toasted macadamia nuts.
- 3. Mediterranean - Omit celery. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts and 1/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese. Top with shredded basil.
- 4. Grape-Nut - Stir in 3/4 cup chopped seedless grapes. Just before serving, stir in 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts.
- 5. Bacon-Egg-Tomato - Stir in two chopped hard boiled eggs. Just before serving, stir in 1/2 cup chopped cherry tomatoes. Top with crumbled cooked crisp bacon.
- 6. Spicy Chili - Omit Basil and lemon zest. Stir in 1 to 2 tsp mild chili powder. Top with toasted pumpkin seeds.
- 7. Cashew Curry - Stir in 1 to 2 tsp curry powder. Just before serving stir in 2 TBS chopped roasted cashew nuts. You can also add 2 TBS mango chutney with the mayonnaise.
- 8. Cucumber/Melon - Just before serving, stir in 1/2 cup chopped cucumber and serve on melon wedges.
- 9. Coriander Lime - Omit basil and lemon zest. Stir in 1 TBS snipped fresh coriander (cilantro) and 1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest. Top with toasted sesame seeds and chopped coriander.
- 10. Apple Pecan - Stir in 3/4 cup chopped fresh eating apple. Just before serving, stir in 1/3 cup chopped toasted pecan nuts.
Even if you don't want to do something like this for Valentines Day, it would be fun to just do it on any day to help chase away the Winter doldrums's and blues.
Happy Sunday and Bon Appetit!
I grew up in a home where dishes like this were not really served very often. My mother would make Pate Chinoise for my father from time to time, which we had to eat as well. Pate Chinois is a French Canadian version of Cottage pie, using minced beef, mashed potatoes and corn or peas. My mom always used peas, and tinned ones. She also used cheap ground beef, which I did not like at all. It was full of bits of gristle. It was never my favourite meal, but my father love LOVED it! Perhaps I was just too picky.
People often confuse the two, Cottage Pie and Shepherd's Pie. Traditionally both were dishes invented to use up the leftover gravy and veg from the Sunday dinner. With beef being used in the Cottage Pie and Lamb in the Shepherds Pie.
Most people just use the names interchangeably for the both. I can be a bit pedantic however . . . it is one of my weaknesses . . . for Shepherds Pie I use lamb and for Cottage Pie I use beef. It can be leftover or fresh ground, though. I am not quite that picky!
Basically both are casseroles with meat and a flavourful gravy on the bottom, a layer of vegetables and a lovely thatch of mashed potato on top!
These types of meals are my Todd's favourites. In fact today he had two helpings. He normally doesn't exceed his one serving of anything, but he was really enjoying this.
I have a secret ingredient for the potato thatch. I always add a tiny bit of cheese, which really helps it to brown to a nice golden brown and adds just a touch of flavour. Sometimes I will add a bit of horseradish to either the gravy or mash for a Cottage pie, because it goes so well with beef.
I like to make a pattern in the potatoes with a fork. Today it was a basket weave. Not hard to do at all. You don't have to do that, but do try to rough them up a tiny bit so that you can get some crispy golden edges!
I also use frozen petit pois . . . not tinned or leftover cooked. And I don't thaw them out before putting it together. I just layer them on frozen. The heat from the filling and the mash will cook them perfectly. (I have a real dislike of over-cooked peas. I can't help it.)
The gravy is also very simple to make. Of course if you happen to have leftover gravy from the Sunday lunch that would also work, but it is very simple to make your own from scratch.
I start by sweating a mirepoix of fresh vegetables in some butter . . . carrot, swede, onions and celery . . . aromatics and real flavour boosters! Especially when you have sweated them in a bit of butter.
A good beef stock made from a quality beef stock cube or gel pack. I like the Knorr ones. Some Tomato puree (tomato paste in the US), or yes even ketchup will work. If you are using ketchup leave out the HP Sauce. Just use a splash or Worcestershire.
I use herbs as well . . . to be specific, Summer Savoury . . . its an Eastern Canada thing. You can use Marjoram or thyme . . .
Today I made a delicious coleslaw to go along with it. Salad is nice also. Todd likes a slice of bread and butter with his. You could serve any vegetable on the side. Green beans and carrots are nice. I like salad.
Its a great way of stretching out leftovers. I do like a thick gravy with mine. I don't like it too soupy, but if you do, then you could certainly add more gravy, or make your gravy thinner, but do bear in mind that the potatoes will absorb some of the gravy, so you want your gravy to be a bit on the thick side and your potatoes as well. You don't want a soupy thatch!
Yield: 4
A Simple Cottage Pie
prep time: 20 minscook time: 45 minstotal time: 65 mins
Simple, delicious, and a family pleasing comfort food.
ingredients:
400g leftover roast beef, roughly chopped (about 3 cups)
1 TBS butter
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 stick celery, trimmed and chopped
1/2 carrot, peeled and grated
a cube of swede (rutabaga) peeled and grated
1 TBS tomato puree
1 TBS plain flour
1/2 TBS brown sauce (HP sauce)
400ml well flavoured beef stock (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp summer savoury
salt and black pepper to taste
100g frozen peas (1 cup)
For the potato thatch:
6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
warm milk
a knob of butter
salt and pepper
2 TBS grated cheese (Parmesan or cheddar)
melted butter to brush (optionalinstructions:
Put the potatoes in a pot of lightly salted water and
bring to the boil. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes until soft. Drain well
and then return the potatoes to the pan. Shake the pan over the residual
heat of the burner to dry them out a bit and then mash the potatoes
well until smooth with some warm milk, and a knob of butter. Season to
taste with salt and pepper and stir in the cheese. Set aside and keep
warm.
bring to the boil. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes until soft. Drain well
and then return the potatoes to the pan. Shake the pan over the residual
heat of the burner to dry them out a bit and then mash the potatoes
well until smooth with some warm milk, and a knob of butter. Season to
taste with salt and pepper and stir in the cheese. Set aside and keep
warm.
Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the
onion, celery, carrot and sweet. Cook, stirring frequently over medium
low heat until softened and the onion is translucent. Stir in the
flour. Slowly stir in the beef stock and bring to the boil. Cook,
stirring constantly until the mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the
tomato puree, brown sauce, and summer savoury. Season to taste with
salt and black pepper and then stir in the chopped beef. Pour this into
the bottom of a buttered 1 litre (1 quart) shallow baking dish.
Sprinkle the frozen peas over top. Spread the mashed potatoes on top to
cover. Rough up the potato a bit with a fork. Brush with melted
butter.
onion, celery, carrot and sweet. Cook, stirring frequently over medium
low heat until softened and the onion is translucent. Stir in the
flour. Slowly stir in the beef stock and bring to the boil. Cook,
stirring constantly until the mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the
tomato puree, brown sauce, and summer savoury. Season to taste with
salt and black pepper and then stir in the chopped beef. Pour this into
the bottom of a buttered 1 litre (1 quart) shallow baking dish.
Sprinkle the frozen peas over top. Spread the mashed potatoes on top to
cover. Rough up the potato a bit with a fork. Brush with melted
butter.
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas
mark 6. Bake the casserole in the heated oven for 45 minutes until the
potatoes are golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Let stand 15
minutes prior to serving. Serve hot with your favourite sides.
mark 6. Bake the casserole in the heated oven for 45 minutes until the
potatoes are golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Let stand 15
minutes prior to serving. Serve hot with your favourite sides.
Created using The Recipes Generator
We are really going to enjoy the leftovers today for our tea! Dishes like this have a habit of tasting even better the next day! Bon Appetit!
One of the most versatile leftovers has to be leftover roast chicken! I just love it. There is so much that can be done with it.
I often make hot chicken sandwiches with the sliced meat and leftover gravy . . . boy oh boy is that gravy good on chips! With a little dab of coleslaw on the side and some cranberry sauce, this meal is bliss!
Chicken salad also comes to mind . . . chopped chicken, toasted pecans, chopped celery, onion and some chopped apple and dried cranberries in a mayo dressing . . . perfect served in a warm croissant, or scooped out onto a bed of lettuce!
Or how about a tasty chicken pot pie, using all the leftover vegetables and gravy as well. If you put it under a crust, I am so there!
Then there are the chicken casseroles . . . chicken and noodles, chicken and rice, white lasagna . . . there is no end to what you can create with a bit of imagination!
One of my favourites is this delicious Chicken and Mushroom Casserole with Crusty Dumplings. Chunks of tender chicken, salty bacon, onions and browned mushrooms in a tasty sauce, topped with flavourful chive suet dumplings and baked in the oven until the casserole is all hot and bubbly and the dumplings are crusty and lightly browned.
Oh boy . . . is this some good! I like to serve it with steamed peas and new potatoes. (Want a little trick? Take a can of peeled new potatoes, drain well and then dump them into a skillet along with a knob of butter, a tsp of white sugar and some paprika. Heat through over medium high heat, stirring until they begin to brown. Season with some salt and pepper and they are good to go! Easy peasy lemon squeasy!)
*Chicken and Mushroom Casserole with Crusty Dumplings*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
A delicious way to use up some of that leftover roast chicken!
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
4 slices of streaky bacon, chopped
1 pound closed cup mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
1 TBS oil
1 TBS butter
2 heaped TBS plain flour
1/2 tsp summer savoury
sea salt and white pepper to taste
2 cups of cocoked chicken, cut into cubes
8 fluid ounces chicken stock (1 cup)
8 fluid ounces milk (1 cup)
For the Dumplings:
100g self raising flour (3/4 cup)
1/2 tsp baking powder
50g of vegetable suet (1/4 cup)
salt and white pepper
1 TBS finely chopped chives
Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet. Add the bacon, onion and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is cooked, the onions are softened and the mushrooms have begun to brown. Add the summer savoury. Sprinkle with the flour and stir to coat. Stir in the milk and chicken stock. Cook and stir until it thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into a 9 inch deep pie dish.
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.
Measure the flour for the dumplings into a bowl. Whisk in the baking powder and season generously with salt and white pepper. Drop in the suet and chives. Give it a good stir. Add enough cold water to make a soft and sticky dough, about 4 to 5 TBS. Roll into 8 evenly sized balls with floured hands, and drop on top of the chicken mixture.
Bake in the heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the casserole is bubbling and the dumplings are nicely browned, light and puffy! Serve with some boiled potatoes and some baby peas.
Note : This also works well with leftover turkey!
I love them any which way that I can get them. Baked, boiled, mashed, fried. I love them all. When we were children my brother, sister and I used to love it when my mother would make her famous twice baked potatoes for us.
She really didn't do anything too much out of the ordinary with them, but scoop out the insides, mash them with a bit of butter and onion, some seasoning and stuff them back into the potato and bake them some more.
They were quite different than plain old boiled or mashed potatoes however, which is how she usually prepared them. To us, as simple as she made them, they were still a real treat!
I spied this Boursin Stuffed Jacket Potato recipe over here one day last week. They looked so good. I also just happened to have some Boursin Cheese in the refrigerator that I had used for something else earlier this month that I wanted to use up.
I decided to cut the recipe in half and made a few changes to it, I think for the better. I was really pleased with how they turned out.
Twice baked potatoes are also a great option for something that you can make ahead of time when you are having company over. Of course in this case I was only cooking for two, but when doubled or tripled, they are a great make ahead side dish.
Sometimes if I am in a hurry, I will start baking my potatoes in the microwave oven. This can cut the initial bake time down by as much as half. I just wash, prick and then wrap them up in paper toweling. I bake them on high for 2 minutes each, and then finish them off in a hot oven to get that lovely crisp shell of a potato skin.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BOURSIN STUFFED JACKET POTATOES (FOR TWO)
All of these things combine to make the most incredibly delicious twice baked potatoes.
- 2 large russet baking potatoes
- olive oil
- 3 ounces (85g) Boursin, garlic and herb cheese, softened
- 2 TBS butter
- 1 large free range egg yolk
- 3 TBS heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- paprika to sprinkle
- chopped fresh chives to garnish
My russet potatoes were about six inches long. This is a great size for these potatoes. You can use any good potato for baking. Potatoes that bake up with a nice and fluffy interior. Idaho potatoes are also good, as are King Edwards or Maris Piper (In the UK).
What you want is a potato that is long and oval shaped, not too round.
You also want to scrub them up really well so that you can also enjoy eating the skins. I use a vegetable brush and warm water for this. Make sure you also dry them really well after scrubbing them.
Another thing you really don't want to forget to do is to prick your potatoes all over with a fork. If you don't the pressure will build up inside the skin and they will explode. Trust me.
This has happened to me, both in the microwave and in the oven. It is no fun scrubbing exploded potato off the walls of a microwave oven and even less fun scrubbing it off the walls of a regular oven after it has baked on while you wait for the oven to cool down enough that you can get in there to clean!
They make a huge mess, not quite as bad as eggs, but not fun to clean up either.
You can freeze the unused egg white to use another time. I often have frozen egg whites in the freezer. They come in really handy for making pavlova or angel food cakes.
If you don't have regular heavy cream, you can also use sour cream in its place in this instance. It is really tasty and adds another layer of flavor.
You can also use regular cream cheese instead of the Boursin, but in that case you might want to add some minced onion and garlic to the potato filling. Spring onions are very nice.
HOW TO MAKE BOURSIN STUFFED JACKET POTATOES (SMALL BATCH)
They really are very easy to do and are oh-so-tasty when done! I could make a meal out of these and nothing else!
Preheat the oven to 400*F/20*C/ gas mark 6. Rub the skins of your potatoes with some oil and season a bit of salt. Prick all over with a fork. Place onto a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.
Turn the oven temperature down to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5.
Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the flesh into a bowl, leaving a 1/4 inch rim of flesh and skin around the outer edges of the potato. Mash the potatoes with a fork.
While the potato flesh is still hot add the butter and boursin cheese, mashing everything well together. Stir in the cream and the egg yolk. Season with the salt and some black pepper.
Spoon this mixture back into the potato shells, piling it up a bit. Sprinkle the tops with a bit of paprika and place into a baking dish.
Pop them back into the oven and bake for a further 30 minutes until golden brown and puffed. Garnish with some fresh chives and serve immediately.
I enjoyed these Boursin Stuffed Jacket Potatoes for my tea one night, along with a few chipolata sausages I had baked, some baked beans and a bit of coleslaw. It was a thoroughly delicious meal!
They also go great with grilled steaks, chicken and fish. Crisp and golden brown on the outside and tops and fluffy and creamy delicious inside. These were a real treat! The boursin cheese gives then a really nice flavor!
Some other baked potato recipes that you might enjoy from my kitchen are:
CHICKEN AND PANCETTA STUFFED JACKET POTATOES - Baked jacket potatoes stuffed with a bit of chicken and pancetta, with a rich and creamy spinach and cheese sauce ladled over top. More, More, Moreish! A full meal in and of itself. All you need on the side perhaps is a salad.
CHEESE AND BROCCOLI STUFFED JACKET POTATOES - This is one of my favorite ways to stuff a jacket potato. The flesh is mixed together with chopped cooked broccoli and plenty of cheese as well as a few other bits before stuffing back into the potato skins. More cheese is sprinkled on top and they are baked until the filling is ooey gooey and the cheese all melty. Yummilicious!
Yield: 2
Boursin Stuffed Jacket Potatoes (small batch)
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 H & 30 MTotal time: 1 H & 45 M
Who doesn't love twice baked potatoes. These Boursin Cheese stuffed baked potatoes are even more delicious!
Ingredients
- 2 large russet baking potatoes
- olive oil
- 3 ounces (85g) Boursin, garlic and herb cheese, softened
- 2 TBS butter
- 1 large free range egg yolk
- 3 TBS heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- paprika to sprinkle
- chopped fresh chives to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/20*C/ gas mark 6. Rub the skins of your potatoes with some oil and season a bit of salt. Prick all over with a fork. Place onto a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.
- Turn the oven temperature down to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5.
- Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the flesh into a bowl, leaving a 1/4 inch rim of flesh and skin around the outer edges of the potato. Mash the potatoes with a fork.
- While the potato flesh is still hot add the butter and boursin cheese, mashing everything well together. Stir in the cream and the egg yolk. Season with the salt and some black pepper.
- Spoon this mixture back into the potato shells, piling it up a bit. Sprinkle the tops with a bit of paprika and place into a baking dish.
- Pop them back into the oven and bake for a further 30 minutes until golden brown and puffed. Garnish with some fresh chives and serve immediately.
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