Showing posts sorted by relevance for query lamb. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query lamb. Sort by date Show all posts
I had a medical appointment today about an hours away from where I live. You know how those go. Your appointment is at a certain time. They want you to be there early to register and then you often sit waiting for quite a while after your appointment time before you even get in.
I knew that by the time I got home I would be really tired and I wouldn't feel a lot like cooking. I also knew however that I would be hungry and so I decided to make myself something quick and easy for my supper today.
I spied this recipe for Cheesy Ranch Chicken & Bacon Foil packs on the Kitchn the other day. They looked really simple and tasty to do.
I love foil pack cooking. These little foil pack dinners are really easy to make and cook very quickly. They are also very convenient. You can make them up ahead of time and just throw them in the oven or on the grill when you want to cook them.
I thought that it would make the perfect dinner for today when I knew time was short and my energy would be flagging. I actually put them together this morning before I left and stuck them in the refrigerator, ready to throw into the oven for my supper tonight.
I did take them out about half an hour before I cooked them in order to bring them to room temperature. Here you have a delicious mix of sweet and white potatoes, along with broccoli, topped with chicken, cheese and bacon, with the flavors of ranch dressing running through out.
Here in North America Dry Ranch Salad dressing is quite available. You can buy it in most grocery stores and online. I know that is not the case in some other countries. You can easily make your own however.
You will need 1 cup (140g) buttermilk powder, 4 tablespoons dried parsley, 2 tablespoons garlic salt , 2 tablespoons onion powder, 4 teaspoons dried chives, 2 teaspoons dried dill weed, 3 teaspoons salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper.
Just mix it all together in a food processor or spice grinder, give it a quick blitz, and Bob's your uncle. Dry Ranch Dressing Mix. Keep it stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container ready to use when you need some. It comes in very handy. It will keep for about six months.
I know that buttermilk powder can also be hard to come by and I have a confession, when I lived in the UK I used dry milk powder. It wasn't quite as tangy, but it still worked well.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CHEESY RANCH CHICKEN & BACON FOIL PACKETS
Quantities are for two basic servings You could multiply to feed more if you wish. It is very easily done.
- 1 medium baking potato, peeled and cut into six chunks
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into six chinks
- 1 small broccoli crown, trimmed and broken into florets
- 2 smallish boneless, skinless chicken breast portions
- 1 TBS dry ranch dressing powder, divided
- 1/2 TBS canola oil
- 1/2 cup (60g) grated cheddar cheese, divided
- 3 rashers crisp cooked bacon, crumbled
Each one of my potatoes was about the size of my fist. I have a smallish hand so not overly large. My broccoli crown was also on the small size, I guess I got about 1 cup of florets from it, so 1/2 cup for each packet.
If you don't like broccoli you can use any other vegetable that you do like. Cut green beans, cauliflower, sliced carrots, halved brussels sprouts, etc. Just bear in mind that they need to cook in the specified time.
HOW TO MAKE CHEESY RANCH CHICKEN & BACON FOIL PACKS
Nothing could be easier. The hardest part is folding the foil over the chicken and vegetables, but if you cut your foil large enough, this is a real doddle too.
Preheat your outdoor grill to medium high. Alternately preheat your oven to 425*F/230*C/ gas mark 6.
Tear four strips of aluminum foil measuring 8 inches wide. Stack them one on top of the other, making two piles.
Place both potatoes and the broccoli in a bowl. Toss together with 1/2 of the ranch dressing mix and the oil. Divide the mixture evenly between the foil stacks, leaving a nice border around the edges.
Top each pile of vegetables with 1 of the chicken breasts. Season the chicken with the other 1/2 TBS of ranch dressing mix. Top with half of the cheese and half of the bacon.
Pull the foil up over the chicken and vegetables to meet in the centre. Pleat closed. Crimp the foil at both ends to completely contain the chicken. Place both foil packets onto a baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven or on the grill for 20 to 25 minutes, at which time the vegetables should be cooked and tender, the chicken juices should run clear and the cheese will have melted.
Take great care when opening as the steam from these is very hot.
You could round out the meal with some garlic bread which could be thrown in the oven along side of the foil packets, or a packaged salad or coleslaw. Today I could be bothered with anything as I was just that tired from all the running around.
It was also garbage day and I had to get all my garbage ready to put out by the road for tomorrow. Days like that I wish I did have a man around to do that chore for me. I know, that is sexist. Like garbage is a man job. lol
To my way of thinking, it is, but alas, I have to do what I have to do! There are worse things to suffer through! 😏
I have always been a huge fan of foil cooking. Especially in the summer months when we can just throw the packs on the grill. If you are too, you may enjoy the following:
GRILLED CHICKEN FOIL PACKS - I give you three different versions here for ways to make chicken foil pack dinners. There is a Sweet and Sour Chicken pack, a Hunter's Chicken and Potato pack and a Honey Mustard Chicken pack. All are equally delicious!
You can cook anything in a foil pack like this. Salmon fillets are nice. Pork, lamb, beef. You can really use your imagination and put them together very easily. If you have children you can let them put together their own. Children love to think they are cooking! These really are great for camping or cookouts!
Yield: 2
Cheesy Ranch Chicken & Bacon Foil Packs
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 35 Min
Quick, easy and delicious. No fuss, no muss and very little to clean up. You can cook this easy dinner for two in the oven or on the grill.
Ingredients
- 1 medium baking potato, peeled and cut into six chunks
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into six chinks
- 1 small broccoli crown, trimmed and broken into florets
- 2 smallish boneless, skinless chicken breast portions
- 1 TBS dry ranch dressing powder, divided
- 1/2 TBS canola oil
- 1/2 cup (60g) grated cheddar cheese, divided
- 3 rashers crisp cooked bacon, crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat your outdoor grill to medium high. Alternately preheat your oven to 425*F/230*C/ gas mark 6.
- Tear four strips of aluminum foil measuring 8 inches wide. Stack them one on top of the other, making two piles.
- Place both potatoes and the broccoli in a bowl. Toss together with 1/2 of the ranch dressing mix and the oil. Divide the mixture evenly between the foil stacks, leaving a nice border around the edges.
- Top each pile of vegetables with 1 of the chicken breasts. Season the chicken with the other 1/2 TBS of ranch dressing mix. Top with half of the cheese and half of the bacon.
- Pull the foil up over the chicken and vegetables to meet in the centre. Pleat closed. Crimp the foil at both ends to completely contain the chicken. Place both foil packets onto a baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven or on the grill for 20 to 25 minutes, at which time the vegetables should be cooked and tender, the chicken juices should run clear and the cheese will have melted.
- Be extremely careful when opening the packets due to steam escaping. Serve hot.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
I never really have to be asked twice if I want to do a cookbook review. As you know I adore cookbooks. My motto is "You can never have too many cookbooks." Todd begs to differ. He moans every time another one arrives. He is not, however, adverse to indulging himself in the fruits of those very same books. He eats very well indeed!
He was almost as thrilled as I was when this latest one dropped through our post box. The Toddster is a pie afficionado. A good pie, savoury or sweet, is one of his favourite of all meals.
Pie is the tenth cookbook by the award-winning Global Baker and pâtissier Dean Brettschneider and it includes recipes and detailed instructions for over 80 mouth watering pies.
Hearty meat pies, seafood pies vegetarian pies, not-quite-pies (including chocolate whoopie pies!) and a collection of sweet pies are accompanied by stunning photography throughout.
Nearly every recipe is accompanied by a gorgeous photograph which, for me, is a key component in enticing me to try a new recipe. I do so love food photography and find it so much more interesting to peruse a cookbook with great photos.
There is a section on basic recipes from sweet and short pastries to puff pastry and most importantly, thorough descriptions and photographs to help you along, plus tips on decorating for creating that show stopping finish!
I haven't been able to find a recipe in this delicious book that I don't want to try. Seriously. It is sure to become a fast favourite in my cookbook library. The proof is in the eating however, and so . . .
I really wanted to pick a recipe to make from the book and I don't mind telling you I was very hard pressed to pick one. This delicious looking twist on the traditional Shepherd's Pie really captured my eye however and I knew it would be something that Todd would really enjoy!
The instructions were clear and concise and the recipe was very simple to execute. Not only did it look really nice when it was done but it tasted delicious as well! I think that most people would be able to cook this and the other recipes look just as easy. And to be honest, his instructions and the photography are simply so well done, I can't see anyone having a problem at all. I give this book a resounding 10+ out of 10!
*Untraditional Shepherd's Pies*
Serves 4Add the tomato puree, thyme and Worcestershire sauce. Fry for few more minutes, then add the stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer on low for about 40 minutes, uncovering after 20 minutes and stirring from time to time. Season to taste and keep hot whilst you prepare the crispy potatoes.
First published in New Zealand in 2012, this 224 page hardback book will be available in the UK on the 17th of October 2013 published by Jacqui Small LLP. You can pre-order it now from Amazon at a discounted price.
Book: Pie: Delicious Sweet and Savoury Pies and Pastries, From Steak and Onion Pie to Pecan Tarts
Author: Dean Brettschneider
ISBN: 9781909342187
Publication Date: 17 October 2013
Cover: Hardback
RRP: £25
I did receive a review copy of this book at no charge, but I assure you wholeheartedly my opinions are my own.
A lot of people are quite intimidated when it comes to cooking steak. Cooking a steak to perfection is not really all that hard . . . as long as you follow a few rules.
I'm really lucky to live in the UK, where the beef is considered to be some of the best in the world. Top quality meat, marbled with plenty of fat for beef and lamb is essential for successful broiling, grilling and pan frying.
It goes without saying that, if you want the perfect steak, you have to first start out with the perfect cut of meat.
For panfrying, broiling or grilling, I wouldn't recommend anything less than a good quality sirloin, rib eye or filet steak. Steak that has been properly aged on the bone will give you the best flavour.
I also like to start with meat that is at room temperature, so take your steaks out of the fridge at least half an hour before cooking or longer if possible.
Some cooks eschew seasoning the meat prior to cooking.
I am a firm believer, however, in salting the meat prior to cooking, as the heat helps to seal in the salt, allowing it to penetrate and really flavour the surface of the meat. That old idea about the salt drawing out the moisture and meat juices, is just hoaky to me.
If pan frying, which is my preferred method, you want to use a really heavy skillet, heated to a hot temperature. Brush your seasoned meat with some butter, and then place it in the hot pan.
Cook for several minutes to sear the first side, and then flip over and finish searing it on the second side.
Don't turn your steak any more than once. Turning it over and over, is what causes the meat juices to release and your steak ends up stewing instead of frying.
I prefer my steaks medium rare.
This finger test is a simple way to judge the doneness of a piece of meat. The further your thumb has to move across your hand, the more resilient the ball of the muscle becomes.
The amount of resistance felt by your opposing finger when compared against the same finger pressed onto your meat is an excellent gauge in guessing as to how done your meat is.
First finger stage: for blue meat and lightly cooked fish.
Touch your thumb to it's opposing first finger and press the ball of your thumb with the tip of a finger of the other hand, the ball will offer no resistance. The surface should be seared in steak, and firm, and the beads of meat juice not yet risen to the surface. The meat is rare to almost blue when cut with a mild flavour.
Second finger stage: for rare meat.
Touch your second finger to your thumb and press the ball of your thumb. The ball will feel spongy. The meat should be well browned and spongy when pressed in the centre. It should be firm at the sides and any beads of juice on the surface should be deep pink. The meat when cut is read, juicy and aromatic.
Third finger stage: For medium cooked meat, game or duck, or well done fish.
Touch your third finger to your thumb and press the ball of your thumb. The ball will feel resilient. The surface should be crusty brown and the meat should resist when the centre is pressed. Firm at the side, the juices on the surface should be pink, and when cut the meat is juicy, deep pink and well flavoured.
Fourth finger stage: For well done meat, or poultry.
Touch your fourth finger to your thumb and press the ball of your thumb. The ball will feel firm. The surface of the meat will be crusty brown and dry and the meat will feel quite firm when touched in the centre. Beads of juice on the surface of the meat will be clear and when cut no pink juices will be visible.
You may also be interested in learning how to cut tri tips into your perfect eating steak. For tips on how to cut tri tips there is a really great tutorial for you to follow. I love trip tip steak. Its filled with flavour, but there can be a bit of confusion in knowing how to handle it properly.
I like to serve my steaks with some tasty fried mushrooms. Very easy to do.
Just slice the mushrooms, melt a knob of butter in the pan and then add the mushrooms. Don't agitate the pan at all. Allow the mushrooms to sear and brown. In short leave them alone.
Stirring releases to much of their juices and, once again, they stew. If you leave them alone and only stir them once they have begun to really brown, you will be rewarded with nicely browned, juicy and flavorful mushrooms. I wait to season them at the end.
Following these few simple rules and techniques should help you to cook the perfect steak every time, and if you still manage to mess it up, well . . . here's the perfect sauce to serve with your steak, whether you have cooked it to perfection . . . or not.
It is delicious can enhance a really well cooked steak or cover a multitude of sins!
*Classic Steak Au Poivre Sauce*
Serves 2 generously
This classic sauce is not only delicious when you have a perfectly cooked steak to serve, but is also an excellent cover-up for beef that is overcooked, tough, or lacking in flavour.
2 TBS whole black peppercorns
175ml good red wine
174ml double cream
1 TBS cognac
salt to taste
Place the peppercorns in a heavy ziplock bag and crush with a rolling pin. Place in the saucepan and add the wine. Cook and boil until reduced to 2 TBS. Whisk in the cream and cognac and heat until quite warm. Season to taste with salt
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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@aol.com
Red meat is not something which I eat very often. I do enjoy a nice piece of steak every now and then, or a pot of beef stew. Occasionally I will enjoy a sausage, an all beef hot dog, or a pork chop.
In the UK I used to enjoy a bit of lamb every now and then. Usually I only eat chicken/turkey, or fish . . . and often I will opt for no meat at all.
I recently (maybe a month or so ago) found a nice thick bone in pork chop marked down at the grocery store here in town. It had a lovely medallion of tenderloin on the side as well. It was about 1 1/2 inches thick and would have been large enough for two people to enjoy and in truth would do me for two meals.
I could not resist picking it up and bringing it home. I wrapped it up tightly and popped it into the freezer to enjoy sometime when I was fancying a bit of pork. Today was the day.
I have always loved pork chops with stuffing. To be honest I love anything with stuffing. I just LOVE stuffing (or dressing as it is also called.) I am the kind of person who could eat a whole plate of that and nothing else at all.
I also love the concept of sheet pan suppers. Suppers where you pop everything onto one sheet pan and then bake them in the oven. Easy peazy, with not a lot of clean up to do afterwards.
I decided to try to make up a sheet pan pork chop and stuffing dinner for myself. It is sized for two. You can use either a large thick pork chop large enough for two people or you can use two thinner pork chops. Its your choice.
If you use a large thick chop you will need to cook it for a bit longer when you are browning it so that it cooks through in the time allotted for roasting in the oven. This is what I did.
I used my basic recipe for Newfoundland Stuffing. Its a simple recipe and one which my family really enjoys. I kept the quantities for that at a full size, enough to serve four, because . . .
Can you ever have too much stuffing? I think not!
I just cooked the extra in a small baking dish along side of the sheet pan supper.
For vegetables I used sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts because that is what I had and I love both of those. You can use whatever vegetables you want to use. Regular white potatoes would be nice as would green beans.
You could roast cobs of corn, or carrots, squash, turnips, zucchini, or whatever vegetables you enjoy. Just make sure that they are a vegetable that will cook in the time allotted.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SHEET PAN PORK CHOP & STUFFING DINNER
Simple every day kitchen ingredients. Fresh vegetables and fresh meat. A bit of bread and some herbs/seasonings.
For the stuffing:
- 2 cups (118g) fresh coarse bread crumbs
- 1 - 2 TBS summer savory (can use a mix of thyme, sage, poultry seasoning)
- 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 6 TBS butter, melted
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup (60ml) chicken stock (only if dressing seems dry)
You will also need:
- 2 (1/2 inch thick) bone in pork loin chops
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- about 16 brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 1 TBS canola oil
- salt and black pepper to taste
- garlic herb seasoning to taste
- 1 TBS cold butter thinly sliced
Summer savory is an herb that is peculiar to the Maritime Provinces and can be very difficult to find in other places other than via mail order. If you cannot get it you can use equal amounts of a combination of thyme, marjoram and sage.
When I lived in the UK I used to pick up packages of it to bring back to the UK every time I came back to Nova Scotia for a visit. It is an herb we Maritimers just love.
I used a thick pork chop rather than two thinner ones. As a result I needed to brown it for a bit longer before putting it into the oven so as to make sure it would be cooked through during the roasting time allotted. This worked out perfectly.
Nothing could really be easier, really. I know I say that all the time, but I really do mean it.
First make the stuffing. Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the onion and cook stirring until softened without browning.
Place the bread crumbs into a bowl. Pour over the butter and onion mixture and toss everything together well. Add the savory and salt and pepper to taste. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Only add the stock if the mixture seems ultra dry.
Season the pork chops all over and brown for 2 - 3 minutes per side over medium high heat. (Use the same skillet you cooked the onions in.) (If you are using one thicker chop, cook for about 4 minutes per side.)
Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C/ gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with some aluminum foil and spray it with some nonstick cooking spray.
Toss the sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts together in a bowl with the oil, some garlic herb seasoning and salt and black pepper to taste.
Place the vegetables onto the baking tray. Add the pork chops and pile half of the stuffing onto the top of the chops, dividing it evenly. Place the rest into a small casserole dish and cover tightly.
Dot the top of the stuffing with some of the cold butter.
Roast in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until the pork chops are cooked through and the vegetables have begun to caramelize a bit. Add the extra stuffing the last 8 minutes or so of cook time. If you think the stuffing on your chop is browning too quickly, you can cover it lightly with a small square of aluminum foil.
Divide the hot chops and stuffing between two heated plates along with half each of the vegetables. Serve hot.
This was incredibly delicious. The pork was perfectly cooked. Not dry in the least and very tender. The vegetables were beautifully cooked and caramelized. The stuffing was also perfect. I did not add any extra stock to it at all.
If you wanted to you could make some gravy to serve with this, or add a side salad or even some applesauce. Pork and applesauce go very well together.
Altogether this was a really super satisfying meal that I would highly recommend. If you wanted to you could use a larger baking sheet and double everything to feed four people. Cook times would remain the same.
If you are a fan of pork chops, you might also enjoy these other pork chop recipes found here on The English Kitchen:
PORK CHOPS WITH CREAM GRAVY - Deliciously tender pork chops with pepper gravy, a creamy pepper gravy. The same type of cream gravy that you might enjoy on biscuits with sausage. The chops are perfectly cooked, well flavored and spiced. The cream gravy is rich and the perfect accompaniment. Together they are excellent eating!
MAPLE GLAZED PORK CHOPS - These simple pan fried pork chops with their simple maple and mushroom sauce and glaze make for a really quick and easy dinner recipe. You begin by curing them with a simple brown sugar rub. A mushroom and maple glaze finishes them off perfectly.
Yield: 2
Sheet Pan Pork Chop & Stuffing Dinner
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 40 Min
Two bone in chops are lightly browned and then baked in a hot oven topped with some delicious homemade stuffing along with sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts for a delicious complete meal for two.
Ingredients
For the stuffing:
- 2 cups (118g) fresh coarse bread crumbs
- 1 - 2 TBS summer savory (can use a mix of thyme, sage, poultry seasoning)
- 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 6 TBS butter, melted
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup (60ml) chicken stock (only if dressing seems dry)
You will also need:
- 2 (1/2 inch thick) bone in pork loin chops
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- about 16 brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 1 TBS canola oil
- salt and black pepper to taste
- garlic herb seasoning to taste
- 1 TBS cold butter thinly sliced
Instructions
- First make the stuffing. Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the onion and cook stirring until softened without browning.
- Place the bread crumbs into a bowl. Pour over the butter and onion mixture and toss everything together well. Add the savory and salt and pepper to taste. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Only add the stock if the mixture seems ultra dry.
- Season the pork chops all over and brown for 2 - 3 minutes per side over medium high heat. (Use the same skillet you cooked the onions in.) (If you are cooking one thicker chop, cook for about 4 minutes per side.)
- Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C/ gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with some aluminum foil and spray it with some nonstick cooking spray.
- Toss the sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts together in a bowl with the oil, some garlic herb seasoning and salt and black pepper to taste.
- Place the vegetables onto the baking tray. Add the pork chops and pile half of the stuffing onto the top of the chops, dividing it evenly. Place the rest into a small casserole dish and cover tightly.
- Dot the top of the stuffing with some of the cold butter.
- Roast in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until the pork chops are cooked through and the vegetables have begun to caramelize a bit. Add the extra stuffing the last 8 minutes or so of cook time. If you think the stuffing on your chop is browning too quickly, you can cover it lightly with a small square of aluminum foil.
- Divide the hot chops and stuffing between two heated plates along with half each of the vegetables. Serve hot.
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