British Sandwich week is running this year from the 11th to the 17th May.  To help celebrate the occasion and make the humble British sandwich just that but more special,  The English Provender Co, has come up with a few lunchtime tips and tricks.

With a number of classic chutneys including Caramelized Red Onion, Ploughman's Plum, Sweet tomato & Chilli and Moroccan Spiced Chutney. the English Provender Co. has the perfect filling for the perfect British sandwich!



CHUTNEY PAIRINGS

Match up The English Provender Co's chutneys with the following suggestions to experience them all at their best:

• Caramelized Red onion - Cheddar cheese, ham and ciabatta
• Ploughman's Plum - Mature cheddar cheese and ciabatta
• Sweet Tomato & Chilli - Goat's cheese, beef and smoked ham
• Moroccan Spiced - Mild cheddar cheese and various cold meats, including roast chicken or lamb
• Apple, Pear & Fig -  Blue Cheese and unsmoked ham  

CONDIMENT PAIRINGS

And if chutney isn't your thing - The English Provender Co. has a selection of tasty condiments, which can be added for flavoursome meat pairings:

• Bramley Apple Sauce with Calvados - A delicious sauce made from the finest apples with a hint of apple brandy.  The ultimate accompaniment for roast pork, sausages, duck or game.
• English Mint Sauce with Balsamic Vinegar - An aromatic sauce with freshly picked mint and the subtle flavour of balsamic vinegar.  A natural choice for roast lamb.
• Grated Hot Horseradish - Add kick to your roast beef with this hot sauce.  Alternatively add to crème fraiche for a hot and fiery dip.  If you're partial to a Bloody Mary add some horseradish sauce for a bit of a kick!  
• Redcurrant Sauce with Rosemary - A deliciously rich sauce with a touch of tasty rosemary.  Pair with duck or lamb.
• Seafood Sauce with Sunblush Tomatoes - A tangy sauce to add flavour to fish, prawns or crab.
• Tartare Sauce - The perfect accompaniment for a wide range of fish dishes including salmon.
• Wild Cranberry Sauce - The classic and traditional choice for turkey. 

Note:  Why not try something different instead of brown sauce.  The Caramelized Red Onion Chutney would be the perfect pairing with this!

 

And of course all of the chutneys would be perfect with the Traditional Ploughman's Lunch.   Seriously and tradtionally scrummy!  In particular I would recommend their Plum & Bramley Apple as the perfect pairing!

I am a big fan of The English Provender Co's products.  (Love LOVE their lemon curd and ginger lemon curd!)  To find out more about them and what is available do check out their home page here.  

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Traditionally we have always had a roast Ham for our Easter dinner.  I have done Lamb a few times, but I always go back to Ham. It's hard to break a lifetime of tradition.    

  

This year we treated ourselves to a fabulous green ham (unsmoked) from Piper's Farms.  I had never done a green ham before, and they threw in a free packet of their honey and mustard glaze.  Hands down this was the most delicious baked ham I have ever eaten.  Truly magnificent.  Succulent even.  

  

I decided to make a casserole with some of the leftovers today.  I used some spaghetti I had in the cupboard and I created a lovely creamy sauce to pour over it all using milk, chicken stock and single cream, adding two cheeses and a variety of seasonings.  

  

I cut up the leftover ham into cubes, added a bit of brown sugar and caramelized it in a bit of butter.  This added an additional depth of flavour to the dish.   I topped it with more cheese . . .  cheddar and Parmesan, which I mixed with some crispy salad onions for crunch.  (They are like the french fried onions you can get in a can.)  

  

I broke the spaghetti noodles into manageable lengths prior to cooking.  Todd is not fond of pasta and especially spaghetti, which I think is because he thinks it a bit sloppy to eat.   Breaking up the pasta made it better for him and he said he quite enjoyed it . . . well as far as pasta goes.  ☺  

  

I thought it was absolutely delicious myself, but then when it comes to pasta, I can't get enough of it!  I served it with some sliced and marinated fresh tomatoes.   It was a great meal.  Simple.  Easy.  Economical.  Delicious.  Using store cupboard ingredients.  You can't ask for much better than that.  



*Ham and Spaghetti Casserole*

Now I have never been to Greece, but it is a place I have always wanted to go . . . since I was about 10 years old and saw Haley Mills in the Moon Spinners. It looked like a fabulous country to visit and it is still my dream to one day visit. I am sorry they are having so many problems at the moment. I hope that they are able to work their way through this hard time they are having.



I have had a kebab though . . . a kebab is a very popular takeaway dish here in the UK. (Especially when all the pubs and bars start to empty out on a Friday and Saturday night!)You see them in all of the takeaways . . . big slabs of mystery meat, on a huge skewer, rotating in front of a heat lamp thingie. They slice the meat off onto a pita bread and cover it with salad and sauce. They sell tons of them . . . I have had a chicken one before and it was quite good. I have never had a mystery meat one though . . . and I somehow don't think I ever will . . .



And really . . . after having watched The Food Inspector the other week . . . I doubt that I ever will have a chicken one again either. UGH!!



These tasty Souvlaki are so much nicer . . . and healthier too. Plus you know exactly what is in them.



You are supposed to zip open the pita bread and pile all the fillings inside . . . but in all truth that has never worked for me . . . they always fall apart. I would rather just put the warm pita bread on a plate and pile everything on top of it and eat it with a knife and fork.



I know. Me = party pooper! Nevermind . . . it doesn't matter how you eat it. It's delicious. End of.



*Souvlaki in Pita*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is considered to be the Greek Equivalent of the Kebab! We sell enough Kebab's in this country on Friday night. I reckon this is a much healthier option and a lot tastier as well!

4 large pita breads
water and olive oil to moisten
2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
2 TBS freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 medium onion, peeled and coarsely grated
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
500g lean pork or lamb, cut into 1 inch cubes (1 1/4 pound)

For the Salad Bits:
lettuce thinly sliced
cucumber, sliced
red pepper, sliced
tomatoes, cut into wedges
radishes, sliced
1 small red onion, tpeeled and thinly sliced
flat leaf parsley leaves, torn

For the Garlic Dressing:
100ml of thick, strained Greek Yoghurt (about 3/4 cup)
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
3 inches of cucumber, coarselyated and then squeezed dry
1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Metal skewers for grilling



Sprinkle the pita breads with water and olive oil. Either grill them, or bake them at 180*C/350*C/ gas 4 for 3 to 5 minutes, just long enough to soften them, but not dry them out. Place them in a warm place and cover with a tea towel to keep warm.

Put the oregano, lemon juice, grated onion and some salt and pepper in a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Add the meat cubes and mix them into coat them completely. Allow to sit and marinate for at least 20 minutes. Drain and then thread onto metal skewers. Cook on a preheated barbeque, or on a stove top grill pan, turning occasionally until golden outside and cooked through. (5 to 8 minutes)

While they are grilling toss together your salad choices in a bowl. Set aside.

Whisk together the yoghurt, garlic, cucumber and salt in a bowl.

Add a dollop of this to each warmed pita bread. Top with some salad and push the meat off of the skewers on top. Drizzle with a bit more of the garlic dressing if you want. Serve immediately, while the bread and meat are hot, but the dressing and salad are cool.

PS - I don't want a lot of Greeks messaging me and telling me this isn't authentic. It's not supposed to be. This is The ENGLISH kitchen. 'Nuff said.

Enjoy a long weekend Easter lunch with Newman's Own, The English Provender Co. and Very Lazy!

Cook up a feast for friends and family this Easter with a range of recipe ideas from Newman's Own, The English Provender Co. and Very Lazy.  Pick our your favourite dish or try the whole menu for a seasonal Easter Feast to kick off Spring in style.



The fresh French-inspired fig and goat's cheese salad using Newman's Own Light French Dressing is perfect to start!



Divide all of the salad ingredients between two plates, layering the different components and finishing with the almonds.  Drizzle with the dressing and serve immediately.  



The fillet of Lamb served with a Very Lazy Chilli salsa is a great twist on the traditional dinner.



To serve, divide the couscous between six plates, and top with a few slices of lamb on each, along with the yoghurt sauce and salsa drizzled over top.    



Finish off your meal with this beautiful piece de resistance from The English Provender Co, a delicious sweet St Clement's Cake using their Luxury Lemon Curd.  

  

Peel the paper from the sponges.  Spread half of the cream cheese mixture over the top of each sponge, right up to the edges.   Drop two TBS of the lemon curd over top of each and using a skewer or teaspoon, pull it through the cream cheese mixture to swirl.   Sandwich the cakes together and lift onto a serving plate.

We had the Missionary Sisters over for tea last night.  I love feeding the missionaries and I like to feed them something they aren't going to get anywhere else.  I figure they get enough bangers and mash and roast dinners.  I  usually prepare them something completely different and unexpected.

 

This week I decided to do them a Greek meal.  I have never been to Greece, but it's a place I have wanted to go since I was a young girl and saw Haley Mills in the film The Moonspinners.   Sigh . . . that whetted in me an appetite to travel to Greece that has never been fulfilled.  Some day . . . 



You can't go wrong with a tasty Moussaka (a la Tamasin Day Lewis), a lovely Greek Salad and some Greek Tear and Share Bread.   It all went down a real treat.  No plates were thrown or broken.  ☺



*Moussaka*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Inexpensive and delicious.  Great party dish.  Serve with a green salad and some crusty bread for sopping up all of that goodness.


Olive oil
3 aubergines, sliced 1/2 inch thick (Eggplants)
2 medium brown onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/2 pounds minced lamb
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 400g tin of chopped plum tomatoes in tomato juice, undrained
(14 ounce tin)
3 TBS tomato puree (tomato paste)
60ml of white wine (1/4 cup)
2 TBS parsley
finely grated Parmesan cheese

for the Bechamel:
600 ml of full fat milk
(1 pint, or 2 1/3 cups)
1 medium brown onion, peeled and studded with a couple of cloves
1 bay leaf, broken
2 TBS unsalted butter
2 TBS plain flour
a touch of nutmeg
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


 

Preheat the oven to 180*C.350*F/ gas mark 4.   Butter a deep baking dish and set aside.

Brush the aubergine slices on both sides with some olive oil.  Lay them out onto a large baking sheet in a single layer, or two if necessary.  Bang the trays into the oven and roast them for 10 to 15 minutes, until they are soft all the way through when pricked with the tines of a fork.  Don't let them brown too much.  Remove from the oven and set aside.

Heat 2 TBS olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the onions and cook, without browning, until soft and a pale gold.   Add the garlic and cook for several minutes before crumbli9ng in the mince.  Fry the mince, scrambling and stirring until it is no longer pink and well browned.  Add the cinnamon and season to taste with sale and black pepper.  Stir in the tomatoes, tomato puree and parsley.  Stir well, add the white wine, bring to the boil and then allow to simmer at a quick simmer, until most of the liquid had evaporated (but not all) and the meat is cooked through, about 15 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

While the meat sauce is simmering, make your Bechamel.   Place the milk, onion and bay leaf into a microwaveable beaker.   Heat on high for about 1 1/2 minutes or until scalded.   Set aside to infuse for about 10 minutes.  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.   Once it begins to foam, whisk in the flour.  Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon for about a minute.   Strain in the infused milk and cook, stirring constantly until any lumps are stirred out and the mixture begins to bubble and thicken.   Allow to simmer on a very low heat for about 10 minutes and stirring occasionally.  (Keep watch on it so it doesn't catch.   I use a diffuser plate under my saucepan.)  Halfway through the simmering time season to taste with some salt and pepper and just a touch of nutmeg.  You want the nutmeg to be subtle, not slap you in the face.   You should just know that there is another flavour there without being able to recognize it.

Layer the roasted aubergine and meat sauce in a deep casserole dish, beginning and ending with the aubergine.   Pour a thick layer of the bechamel over top.  (You may not need it all.)  Dust the top with finely grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until it has nicely browned on top and the meat and aubergine layers have married beautifully together.  Spoon out hot from the dish to serve.


  

*The World's Best Greek Salad*
Serves 6 as a side salad, or 3 as a main
Printable Recipe

Delicious, refreshing and very, very tasty!!  The onions are marinated several hours ahead in a portion of the dressing, so take note that you will need to start this a bit in advance.

6 TBS olive oil (Divided)
1 TBS red wine vinegar
1 1/2 TBS fresh lemon juice
2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp dried oregano (I like to use Bart's freeze dried)
For the Salad:
1 head of Romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and torn into
bite sized pieces
1 punnet of baby plum tomatoes, quartered
(or 3 large plum tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped)
1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced into thin rings
1 small pepper, seeded and chopped (Green or yellow)
3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese



Between two to four hours before you want to serve the salad place 2 TBS of the olive oil, the red wine vinegar, the lemon juice, garlic and the oregano in a zip lock baggie.  Add the onions and shake to combine.  Place into a bowl and allow to sit and marinate until you are ready to complete the salad.  (This process takes away from the sharpness of the onion and adds an incredible depth of flavour to the dressing.)

When ready to serve, place all the salad ingredients into a large bowl, except for the cheese.  Remove the onions from the marinade and place them in the bowl with the other salad ingredients.  Pour the marinade into a measuring cup and then whisk in the remaining 4 TBS of oil.  (If you find the mixture too tart, you may add a tsp of sugar here if desired)  Pour the resulting dressing over the salad and toss all together.  Sprinkle with the feta cheese and serve.

 

1 1/2 TBS olive oil





Use a rolling pin to roll out the bread dough to a rectangle which is 11 inches by 16 inches in size.   Mix together the olives, tomatoes, cheese, oregano and garlic.   Scatter this mixture lengthwise over half of the dough, with the long side facing you.  Drizzle with the olive oil.   Fold the other half of the dough over top of the filling and seal the edges.  Cut into 10 even strips cross wise with a sharp knife.  Working with one piece at a time, roll up lengthways and place, cut side down, into a well greased 9 by 5 inch loaf tin.  Push the ends in to fit and take care not to drop too much filling.   Continue to pack the rolls in so that they fit snugly and scattering with any dropped pieces of filling as you go along.  Press down on the surface with a damp hand to make it even.  Cover with a damp towel and allow to raise in a warm draft free place for about an hour, or until the dough reaches the top edge of the tin.

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.   Bake the loaf for 50 minutes, or until golden all over and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.   Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

And for dessert . . . a lovely and light Lemon Mousse . . .



*Lemon Mousse*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

I love lemon anything and this is a tasty version of a lemon mousse, chock full of delicious lemon flavours and light as air!

the finely grated zest of 3 lemons
1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup (185g)  caster sugar
4 large eggs, separated
5 1/2 ounces unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Place the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and egg yolks in the top of a double boiler, over simmering water, and cook over a low heat.  Stir constantly, cooking for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture coats the back of a metal spoon.  Whisk in the butter, piece at a time.  Remove from the heat and cool.

Whisk the egg whites in a clean and great free bowl, until stiff.

Fold half of the egg whites into the lemon mixture with a metal spoon, then fold in the remaining egg whites.  Divide amongst 4 serving dishes and chill until firm.  Serve with a small cake or crisp cookie on the side.

Served up with some sweet and buttery and light two bite Lemon Madeleines  



*Lemon Madeleines*
Makes quite a lot
Printable Recipe


These are like tiny baby lemon sponges, each one a heavenly bite just for you!

5 large eggs
200g (7 ounces) caster sugar (generous cup)
finely grated zest of one lemon
200g (7 ounces) plain flour, sifted (about 1 1/3 cups)
1 tsp baking powder
185g (6 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled ( 3/4 cup)
Icing sugar to dust

Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F.  Whisk the eggs and sugar together with an electric whisk until they are pale yellow in colour and fluffy.  Stir in the lemon zest. Fold in the flour, baking powder and melted butter.  Leave to rest for 5 minutes.  Spoon the mixture into well buttered madeleine trays and bake for 8 to 9 minutes, or a little bit longer until they test done.  Repeat as necessary.  Cool on wire rack and dust with icing sugar before serving.

Nobody was disappointed.

It is hard to believe that I had never really eaten lamb before I moved over here to the UK. It is a meat that I have come to love very much and I have to say that here in the UK we have beautiful lamb . . . some of the best in the world.



More often than not we have lamb chops, cutlets or steaks, and occasionally I will treat us to a shoulder or a leg. All are very, very good.



Last weekend I cooked some lamb shanks for the first time and I was very pleased with the results. They were tender and full of flavour and we both really enjoyed them!



The shank is cut from the shoulder area of the animal and is actually very lean, with very little fat marbling or cut into it. Lamb can be quite a fatty meat, so this was surprising. Because it is so lean, it truly lends itself perfectly to braising in a liquid.



A long slow braising in the oven may require more patience than frying a few chops in a pan or roasting a leg, but your patience will be more than rewarded with fork tender meat and a rich and tasty gravy.



Not to mention that, once it is covered and in the oven, it really requires no attention at all.

The resulting dish lends itself perfectly to being served with a delicious mound of buttery mashed potatoes . . . the absolute comfort meal!! It made my meat and potatoes loving husband a very, very happy camper indeed!



*Oven Baised Lamb Shanks*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Tender and juicy, with a delicious gravy. Perfect comfort food served with freshly mashed potatoes!

5 lamb shanks
olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
1 large stick of celery, trimmed and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 pound of carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
1/2 pound of parsnips, peeled and cut into sticks
a handful of fresh rosemary leaves
400ml of lamb stock ( 1 1/2 cups)
400g tin of chopped  tomatoes n juice (1 3/4 cup)
2 star anise
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 TBS red currant jelly

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.
Heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the lamb shanks and brown them on all sides. Remove and place into a large roasting dish which has a lid, with the bones sticking up. Add the onions and celery to the drippings. Cook and stir over medium heat until they begin to soften. Add the garlic, carrots, parsnips and rosemary. Cook and stir for several minutes. Add the stock, tinned tomatoes, star anise, sea salt and black pepper to taste, and currant jelly. Heat through and then pour over the lamb shanks in the roaster.
Cover tightly with the lid and put into the oven. Roast for 3 hours, until the meat is very tender. Remove the lid and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes until the meat and bone begin to brown somewhat.
Serve immediately with a nice pile of mashed potatoes. Serve one shank per person on a plate with some of the vegetables and gravy spooned over top.

We had company for supper on Saturday night and I prepared a hearty wholesome meal for us all, Beef Stew and Dumplings.  I served it with fluffy and buttery mashed potatoes and it went down a real treat.  I made extra so that I could have leftovers, because .  .  . as everyone knows things like Beef Stew always taste even better a day or two later on.  Not sure why that is, I only know it is.   Trust me on this.



I am a person that has never minded eating leftovers.   I love them.  I do know that some people are not too fussed on having leftovers however, but it seems such a waste to throw good food away so I am going to give you some really great ideas today to use a leftover such as Beef Stew.  Bear in mind that this would work with any type of leftover stew really, chicken, lamb, etc.  They are both really easy.



If you always have a sheet of puff pastry in the freezer, ready to roll and use, you have the makings of a very easy pot pie, depending on how much you have leftover.   I had made the full recipe of stew so I had basically four servings leftover, which would make a tasty meal for a family, especially if you add potatoes and veggies or salad on the side.   Simply spread your leftover stew into a pie dish.   Cover with foil and bake it in a190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5 oven for about 20 minutes until it gets hot and is bubbling.   Then unroll your puffpastry and cut it to fit over top of the warmed stew mixture.  Brush it with some milk or beaten egg yolk/water and sprinkle with a bit of cracked pepper, sea salt flakes and parsley flakes and then return it to the oven, increasing the temperature to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6 and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.




Doesn't that look good?   I can assure you it was very good indeed!

Note:   I always add a bit of stock to loosen up my stew mixture a bit when reheating as the vegetables tend to absorb most of the gravy when you store it.  If that isn't a problem then just leave it, but if you want a bit of a gravy you will want to add some stock.



Another good thing to make with leftover stew is a cottage pie.  A cottage pie is basically stewed beef, or leftover roast and gravy anyways, so it makes perfect sense to use leftover beef stew.  My stew is always chock full of lovely veg such as carrots, parsnips and swede, so it's very tasty.  I happened to have leftover mashed potatoes from the other night as well, so that was not a problem, but it's really easy to make fresh mash as well.   You can also buy bags of frozen mash in the shops now for about £1, so if you keep one of those in the freezer, you always have mash on tap.



Simply spread your stew into a casserole dish and cover with foil.  Heat in a preheated oven (180*C/350*F/ gas mark 3) for about 20 minutes.   Take your potato and loosen it up a bit with a beaten egg.  Remove your casserole dish of stew from the oven and uncover.  Spread the mash over top of the hot stew and score attractively with a fork.  Bang it back into the oven and cook for a further 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown. 

Doesn't that look tasty?  I know!  It was really tasty and nobody felt like they were eating leftovers!

And that's the truth.  ☺